Beyond The Star Sea

Carlie couldn't pretend she understood everything there was to know about the universe and she would never begin to claim to, but she did understand a number of things; one of which was people. People are funny, contradicting and fickle creatures at the best of times, boring predictable in others. There was the racial aspect of what made someone who they are and their thought process, the environment and ultimately their history.

All of this lead to some interesting individuals she met during her(relatively) short time on the mortal coil which was probably what ultimately lead to her becoming a reporter. She couldn't imagine herself slowly killing her soul behind a desk job; no offense to her friends and people she knew who did such things but it simply wasn't for her. How could anyway stay behind a desk eight or more hours a do for work? It was a concept that was foreign to her.

Reporting allowed her to help people in her own way, travel and hit that oh so satisfying itch of seeing new people and things. She didn't need to see something new every five minutes, though in her opinion what was the point if you didn't experience new things and places before you kicked it?

You only lived once. Except for those who lived more then once, but she didn't count those.

At the moment she was at the Juno Space Station, something that stood pretty much in the middle of this portion of the galaxy making it more a neutral entity. There was its own form of police and rules, but in certain areas it was essentially 'Go at your own risk' which was dangerous if you didn't know what to look for. There was plenty of dangerous and shady people around the area, but generally if you didn't poke in their business, they wouldn't poke in yours.

A brief scowl graced her features in memory. Most of the time anyway.

"I'm here. Sorry I'm late." The door opened to her office as a young man stepped from it, closing it behind it.

Carlie waved it off a bit. "It's fine Galan. The important thing is you got what you needed and you avoided staying out of trouble. There's my kind of trouble and there's the other kind. You don't want the later kiddo."

"...you mean the other times don't count when we were stuck off world?" They replied as they set a bag down in the corner.

"Touche." Carlie said, though her voice sounded slightly bemused. "Really though, there is a difference. Yeah, say many of the stories I go to cover are and can be dangerous but there are at least factors on my end I can control to minimize risk. You go into some of these predator pens and its basically going into a mine field with feet three times your size."

"I guess that makes sense..." Galan wasn't entirely convinced, but he had to admit there was some type of method to her madness.

And there had to be a reason he stuck with being her camera man when he literally could be doing things that were much less hazardous to his health. Something not thought of for the first time.

Pushing the thoughts away, he handed Carlie a data pad onto her desk. "I got the other information you requested. The first part wasn't as hard, the other stuff of how I got it..don't ask."

The 'don't ask' normally would of prompted Carlie into teasing mode, however she wasn't sure of the situation. Her look turned a bit more serious as her green eyes focused on him. "I won't. On the condition it wasn't dangerous to my surrogate little brother."

They shifted a bit. "No..just embarrassing."

A silence drifted between the two, Carlie seemingly thinking before they nodded. "All right. I can tell when someone is bullshitting with me, usually and you're a horrible liar to begin with. So not going to bust your balls over it."

An sigh of relief came from young man with a mumbled 'thanks' as he found a seat to sit down. In the mean time, Carlie began idly glance at what was given.

It was some information she requested, a lot of it mundane but there were a number of things that were a point of interest to her, mainly information of the small whispers where her next story was going to be. The other half was information on their new body guard since their previous one had to call it in due some personal family issues.

Arkay Schneider.

Late twenties, Human with abnormally strong mental powers. Humans with powers were really nothing new, but those with strong natural potential in that particular energy weren't exactly common to her knowledge. Maybe he was just extremely gifted? Or maybe they weren't entirely human? After all, given the history of earth from what she knew those who had at least some form of another race in their blood line at some point was rather common.

It was all conjecture. What she was truly interested in was seeing if they meshed well with her and Galan which is why she was waiting for a interview them. References said they never had an issue with him though, she wanted to see for herself before passing any sort of judgement; which was why she invited them here.

If it worked out, it worked out. If it didn't, that was fine too. Given her decent resume she had made for herself she wasn't entirely hurting for picks.

Arkay Schneider.

Heh, it had been ten years since he'd assumed that pseudonym, and it was what people knew him as in this reality. Back home, he'd had a different name, though.

Ramza Kouta Schneider.

It had never really sat right with him, but he hadn't bothered to legally change it. It wasn't a bad name, after all, and changing it... just too much effort for something so minor. Still, once he'd made the decision to begin exploring this new reality he'd... inadvertently discovered he could quantum leap to, he had sat down, thought long and hard, and decided that, perhaps, he could use this situation as a... fresh start, one might say. And so.. Arkay was born.

Ramza Kouta Schneider. R. K. Schneider. Arkay Schneider. Simple, yeah? It had the nice smell of a brand-spanking new name, while still paying some sort of tribute to its origins. And, a year or so after adopting the name, he found out that 'Arkay' was an actual name. Indian in origin, of all things, with the meaning of "Greatest".

Funny, that.

And so, for the past ten years, he, as Arkay, had traveled this new (to him) universe, meeting plenty of new people of all sorts of different races, some familiar, such as Humans and Apocalypse Demons--he found it... curious that they existed in this reality as well--and some unfamiliar, such as Nosferatu and Ralphim.

He'd been wandering most of that time, doing odd-jobs and mercenary work. Nothing illegal or morally... compromising, of course--he wanted his mark on this universe to be, if not positive, then at least no worse than how he found it. As such, he took jobs like bodyguarding--one such job he had an interview for quite soon--and guard duty, using his considerable psychic powers to ensure that clients weren't, ya know, evil jackasses.

That brought him to the matter at hand. One Carlie Mils, an Acorian reporter/journalist of some renown, had invited him to her office for an interview regarding bodyguard work. Not unusual, really--he had a decent reputation and his abilities were certainly potent compared to the norm, he had discovered--but he was nonetheless a bit... nervous?

It was the Acorian thing. He'd seen them around, of course, especially the deeper he'd gotten into outer space, but he had somehow managed to avoid interacting with one beyond trivial interactions--an Acorian waitress taking an order, for example. As a result, he didn't know what to expect from them and, more importantly, how to act.

Still, from his brief bit of research on this Carlie, she seemed to be a decent person, and he wasn't the type to refuse a job from that sort. Especially from a beautiful woman. Try as he might, he was a sucker for a pretty lady, regardless of species. Plus, this would be an excellent chance to learn more about Acorians--knowledge that may very well come in handy someday.

Having arrived at her office a bit early, Arkay took the time to adjust his clothing and check himself for any dirty or such that may have gotten on him during his  trip here. He found nothing major wrong--just a bit of dust accumulated on his boots, which was easily "dusted" off with a weak burst of telekinetic force.

Satisfied, he opened the door and stepped inside the office. Inside was, of course, Miss Mils and... another guy. He smiled and wave the two a wave. "Hey." He approached the desk, using his telekinesis to simultaneously close the door--carefully, of course--and pull out the chair. He sat down and reclined casually, an equally casual smile still plastered on his face.

Now that he was closer, he could get a good look at the two--miss Mils in particular. The first thing that jumped out was that... she was actually quite beautiful. Verdant green eyes--his favorite colour, both in general and when it came to a pretty woman's eyes--luscious red hair, and a very voluptuous figure. Her acorian features, far from being a detriment, instead added an... exotic quality to her attractiveness. Especially that tail. Damn, he'd love to curl up with...

Damn it, he was here for business, not pleasure, and ogling a prospective client would definitely not make the best of impressions. He met her gaze and, for the most part, kept it there, only averting it occasionally to avoid being, ya know, creepy. "So I figure you'll want to see if I'm on the up-and-up with this interview--making sure I'm not some jackass and that I don't clash with you and your crew. Good call--it shows you care about the quality of your hirelings, which is rare--but there is... one thing I want to say before we begin."

Arkay cleared his throat. "Now, I've been around the block a few times, so I... know what an Acorian is, of course, but I will tell you outright that this is the first time I've ever had personal or professional dealings with one, so if I say anything wrong--like, culturally insensitive stuff, please understand that it's because of ignorance, not malice. I could, of course, just pluck info on what not to do from your mind, but I try to respect people's mental boundaries." Unless they were trying to kill him or someone he was protecting--in that case, he'd use every trick he had to fight them. 

He paused for a moment, then added: "...and while, from what I know about you, this likely won't be a problem, I will say that I do not, under any circumstances, accept jobs that will make the universe a worse place. I've had actual mob mosses offer me jobs that came with... well, more pay than I could ever hope to spend and literal harems, but I refuse to be an accessory to evil."

That said, Arkay leaned back a bit furth and laid his hands on his lap. "Now, once you're ready."

The moment the door opened Carlie became more attentive to what was happening in front of her, not to the point of being paranoid but more up front. There was of course that whisper of instinct some may call paranoia but she personally didn't believe that. When you had absolutely nothing else, more often then not your gut was telling you something your other senses couldn't pick up on.

Brief first impression of Arkay?

They carried themselves with a air of confidence, but thankfully thus far there didn't seem to be that air of arrogance too many powerful fighters had. She supposed if she could blow a city or something she'd probably have a ego. Of course in the grand scheme of things, that was less then nothing. Compared to most people? You may as well been a god, far as personal power went. Even Arkons, which Galan was apart of started off very tame for the normal rank and file, or the civilians especially.

Idle interest filtered in at this being the first time having a encounter with a Acorian.

Arkay was attractive in a rogue sorta way, but business was business.


"All right, that's good to know. I've done a bit of research on you, nothing too instrusive just enough to get a feel of you as a person. I'm Carlie Mils, and this is Galan-" She indicated to the young man. "He's an Arkon if you ever met one, they have the nickname Apolcaypse Demons but they don't like to go by that. He's my camera guy, nice kid but shy and on the more quite side."

She went to look at the data pad, collecting her thoughts. "If you agreed, I'd simply be hiring you for the needed extra muscle and body guard protection. My work means I sometimes have to go into dangerous areas, or sometimes fans get over zealous. That sort of thing. It's obvious you're not hurting for money, so what made you decide to take a chance with us?"

Arkay briefly shifted his gaze to the young man standing near Carlie--Galan. He, of course, knew what an Apocalypse Demon--Arkon--was, since one of his closest friends back home was one. That, and he'd dated one way back in the day. His smile widened just a bit further as he recalled those happy memories.

This Galan was, as... pretty much every Arkon he'd ever met, fairly handsome, though it was in a rather boyish way. A shame he was, according to Miss Mils, shy and quiet, as he'd no doubt be pretty popular with the ladies, being as handsome as he was.

He nodded to Galan and sent him a private, mental greetings: 'Hey man, nice to meet ya. I'm sure we'll get along great.' There was of course no guarantee of that, but entering a relationship with a positive attitude could only be a good thing.

Arkay returned his gaze to Carlie's captivating eyes as she gave a succinct description of what she'd expect of him. She also asked him why he was taking a risk with her and Galan. He focused his mind and the world slowed to a crawl, giving him time to think.

After thinking for a very, very long subjective moment, Arkay's perception sped up again and he answered:"A few things, I'd have to say. Curiosity is one, both about Acorians in general and you in particular, Miss Mils. I'll come right out and say it: most in your profession are just mouthpieces for corporations and the government. They report what their handlers want, how their handlers want, when their handlers want. Not all of them, but... most, in my experience." He shifted his weight forward a bit, meeting her gaze more seriously. "You, however, seem willing to speak truth to power, to bring to light things that the powers that be would prefer stay buried and gone. I can respect that."

Shifting his weight back again, he continued. "Of course, it helps that you caught me at a time when my schedule was pretty much open, and... hehe, well, the job seems like it'd be both steady and pretty exciting, at times. But don't make the mistake of thinking I won't treat this seriously. I may joke around and try to lighten the mood, but my record and reputation should speak for themselves. Once I accept a job, I complete it."

And then some, on occasion. He'd had contracts end at inopportune times for his clients, only for him, after having grown fond of them over the course of said contract, to offer them a freebie or at least a huge discount.

Galan was surprised and taken off guard by the mental intrusion in his head from their guest. It wasn't the first time it had happened since he had encountered Molzon and other physic users in the past. Still, it wasn't something he felt he'd entirely get used to without more regular contact with it.

'Uh, thanks. I hope we can end up being friends to.' He sent back to the older man.

As for Carlie, she was liking she was hearing from Arkay flattery would win brownie points not that he was getting those from that alone. To her, it was more along the lines of telling the truth, or at least as being as objective as she possibly could at any rate.

"All right, that sounds fair and we can work with it." She really had to agree with his assement that too many reporters didn't have enough indepdence from big money. It wasn't like that everywhere of course and some races had different things set up, though it was too common for her liking. "So on the related note of your job, what can you do with your powers? I have a basic idea from what i was told but hearing it from you helps more. It'll let help me with things when we're out in the field, and maybe what to watch out for."

He seemed to making a good impression and, in a small way, building a bit of a rapport with the two. Good, good. Even if they were on the up-and-up, as they seemed to be, if there were personality conflicts, this contract could be... tiresome. He'd accepted contracts from good people that he simply didn't get along with before, of course, but he really preferred to like the people he was going to work with for the foreseeable future.

Next came a question about what he could do. Miss Mils, of course, had a general idea of his capabilities, but wanted to hear it from the man himself. It was a reasonable request, as he had a better, though not complete, grasp of his capabilities than anyone else.

He smiled. "Most psychics tend to be pretty weak and specialized. Say, able to lift a few pounds with concentration, and nothing else. Or able to communicate with people within a few feet or even by touch. There are some, like Molzon, that tend to be a lot more powerful and versatile, but as far as human psychics go... that's how it is."

He'd encountered a number of respectably powerful psychics in his time in this creation, and Molzon... honestly, comprised the bulk of those. Though he was still very, very powerful even by Molzon standards, and, perhaps, possessed limitless psionic potential. Whether that was true or not, though, he didn't know, and, frankly, he felt he was powerful enough as is. Yeah, maybe he could improve to the point where he could psychically punt planets across the universe or whatever, but the amount of time he'd have to dedicate to training to that level would leave little time for anything else.

He continued, but instead of physically speaking, his voice reverberated in both of their minds. 'I am... more along the lines of a Molzon in terms of capability. You witnessed my displays of telekinesis when I entered--though I can tell you I'm capable of far more than just moving furniture. I could... probably send this space station careening into the nearest planet, if I were an asshole--and you are personally experiencing my telepathic abilities right this very moment. I can also...' His sentence was interrupted as his form shone brightly, then disappeared, re-appearing a few feet away. '...teleport. I also possess the abilities of psychometry, clairvoyance, and precognition. Oh, and I can telekinetically regenerate significant portions of my body, so I'm... quite difficult to put down.'

Arkay switched back to his physical voice. "And don't think I'm a sitting duck without my psionics, either. I'm strong enough to lift and toss a car, withstand small arms fire--not without it stinging like hell and bruising, I'll admit. But where I really shine and excel at, physically, are my stamina and speed. I can go full bore for a few days straight before I start to tire, and when I push myself, I can hit..." He tapped his chin. "...twenty times the speed of sound, I think? Somewhere around there."

He actually had to consciously speed up how he perceived the world, since otherwise he would probably go insane. He sorta had this tied into his precognition--the moment he sensed danger, his perception speed would adjust, allowing him ample time to react. Usually.

"...oh, and... I'll gladly take care of mundane duties, too. Cooking, cleaning, laundry, that sort of thing," said Arkay, chuckling. "As you can imagine, my powers and my precision with them make multi-tasking through those chores a breeze."

Making himself useful beyond just the contract's terms was a good way to drum up repeat business, he'd found. That, and keeping himself busy just made time go by faster. Things could get mighty boring if he just stood around looking all serious and bodyguard-y.

Carlie was far more used to 'mental talk' then Galan was simply due to the fact she had been around psychics far more often then the younger man. This didn't mean however that she still wasn't a bit taken off guard when it came into her head like that suddenly without prior warning. When she was younger before meeting anyone of those gifts, she had always been paranoid that such a thing would mess with her memory.

It was silly looking back at it, as someone of that ability would have to actively be doing something for it to have an adverse effect like that. Of course it wasn't the only belief she had that had been proven wrong in the real world, which was another perk of traveling like she she did. What better teacher of things then personal experience?

As he listed off his powers, she was once again reminded in a sense how dangerous the meta world could be. As she defined it personally, it was more a level of power then the classic definiton of just about anyone having above 'normal' physical or energy ability. In Carlie's mind, just being slightly stronger then average or the enhanced strength range didn't count.

It was when people began tossing trucks and shrugging off gun fire..or able to move space stations as well as move at high mach speed. While she didn't have as much issue with it, others more particularly some of the more down to earth power wise races were rather weary of metas. In some sense she couldn't blame them, even if ninety nine percent were good decent people, it only took one.

Thankfully such people weren't common even among the most combat styled races, and more often then not unless you had the right drive, time and knowing the right people it was..managebale. The fact Meus Ceus wasn't a hell scape was proof in the water it was running fine, just nothing was perfect.

"Mach twenty two? You probably have to slow down your reflexes like most people with high speed." It was Galan who spoke up, not Carlie first. "I know because one of my friends I met in the past was a Kryptonian. Even civilians are fast movement wise."


"It usually is the case. Been around enough of them and others to know." Carlie was going to ask their guest if the met some before but opted it could wait. She rested her head against her hands, before her green eyes turned to them again. "One of the valued skills I always had and its gotten better in this business is my gut feeling towards people. Right now? It's telling me you're an all right guy, so I'm actually gonna give this a shot. Consider yourself hired."

From all her research and everything else, at absolute worse first impression be wrong and they got along like fire and ice. In that case they just have to part ways at absolute worse.

Arkay smiled and gave Carlie a thumbs-up. "Heh, awesome. I'm sure we'll get along great, you and I." In the brief time he'd known her, she'd made a good impression on him, and it wasn't just because he found her exotically attractive. Yeah, he was a sucker for a pretty lady, but if her reputation was at all accurate, she was definitely someone he could respect.

"Now... the contract," he said, reaching into his carry-case and pulling out a piece of paper. Levitating a pen out of the same case and into his hand, he began filling in the boilerplate with the nitty gritty details. It didn't take long, and soon enough he had a workable contract. He passed it over the table to Carlie. "I think you'll find that, for what I offer, my prices are quite the steal. Unlike most in my line of work, who rely on expensive-to-maintain equipment, I have next to no overhead, so I can afford to be more... generous, I guess."

The pen floated into the air, hovering over the contract. "You should know the deal. Sign here, here, and here. Initials here, I'll do the same, and the copy underneath is yours." The pen, held aloft by his telekinesis, tapped the contract where she should sign and initial.

Really, he'd prefer to just do a verbal contract, but the few times he'd tried that--early on--the person that hired him had tried to stiff him. Keyword on tried. While Carlie didn't strike him as the type to try that BS, having paperwork to make this official just made things easier with the authorities to begin with. Unlike a lot of mercs, he actually paid taxes... well, in places where they gathered taxes.

"And... you're right, Galan, I do have to suppress my perceptions and reflexes," said Arkay, leaning back and steepling his fingers. "Being that fast when someone--especially someone much slower--is trying to kill you or someone you're trying to protect? That's an advantage no matter how you slice it. But living every moment of every day at those speeds? You bet your ass that'd be a one-way ticket to crazyville."

From the perspective of others, anyway. From one's own perspective, it'd be a long, excruciating slide into insanity. Of course, by suppressing his own speed, he left himself somewhat vulnerable, but having a few seconds warning via precognition ensured that he'd usually be able to react to a threat.

Carlie absolutely hated paper work, whether they be contracts or something else which she had more then her fair share of experience with due to her background. However, compared to the mind numbing paper work she had done in the past, this was much more manageable. This was really a damned good fine, far as prices and ability went.

After a few moments, she finished and pushed the paper way. "Done. Welcome aboard Arkay. We don't know you well but I think we'll get along just fine. Me and Galan were going to grab something to eat, did you want to tag along?"

If nothing else, be a nice change of pace while they talked instead of this stuffy office they were currently in.

Arkay looked over the contract to make sure everything was in order--it was, unsurprisingly--and finished things up by doing his own signing and initialing. With that out of the way, he filed away his copy into his carrying case. Man, smart thing to do or not, paperwork was just a drag. But it was part of running a business--and being an adult in general--so he had to deal. "Everything seems to be in order. Great, looking forward to working with you, Miss Mils, Galan."

A small grin spread across his face when Carlie asked if he was willing to go catch a bite to eat with them. His schedule was open for the next few hours, so he was more than up for it--in fact, he'd been on the verge of suggesting it himself. Certainly, he'd get to know these two pretty well over the course of this contract, but there was no harm in getting a head-start. That he was feeling increasingly peckish may have played a part in his willingness, of course.

"I've got a few hours to burn, and I'm startin' to get the pangs, so yeah, let's go grab a bite," he said, nodding at Carlie. He stood up, slinging his carry case over his shoulder. "Any preference? Earth Cuisine and Molzon Cuisine are what I usually go for. Spent some... time on Terronda a lifetime ago, so the latter always gives me the warm fuzzies. Mostly, anyway."

Mostly. He didn't like remembering the tail end of his time there, which was... life-altering, in a lot of ways. Ultimately, he'd come out stronger from it, but at the time it had basically been the end of the world. Or his world, at least.

Dinner as it turned out was mostly uneventful, it was collectively decided that some earth cousine was in order for the night. Galan hadn't actually tried any despite growing up on Alus which was one of the most diverse places in their part of the galaxy and having a connection with earth. She pitied the poor soul who hadn't tasted some of the more interesting delights they had.

..She also didn't pity them missing some of their less then savory things too. Carlie considered herself rather adventurous but even she had her limits.

After finishing dinner, the trio retreated to their part of the town passing people of different shades of life, some were friendly others were in between while some not as much. There were a few things mumbled or said outright to Carlie which some you expect to be flirting while others were more on the negative side, though more mumbled under their breath. Some really didn't like Acorians it seemed but either way Carlie ignored it, wouldn't be the first time nor the last.

In real life while there was people more outright and in your face with bigotry it was usually far more subtle then the over the top and in your face kind you often saw in movies and such. Depending on the cultural context how acceptable it was and the people around of course.

After passing through, they reached what seemed to be a rather nice house just bit away from the usual bustle of the city life. It was still there but it was at least in the more quite spots. Carlie went to the door, pressing her hand on a scanner which opened after a moment. As she stepped into the room they got a female computer voice. 'Welcome home.'

"We'll, here we are." Carlie started as she placed her bag down to the side. "She's not as much to look at compared to others but she's home. It's an five bed room so the other two up the stairs you can take. I don't think we'll be staying here for too long but it'll do for our business until we get our next gig."

Ultimately, they'd gone out for some good ol' fashioned Earth food. Of course, given the wide variety of cultures on Earth, the menu was... varied. A real hodge-podge of cultural dishes and delicacies. He spotted the usual French and Italian dishes--those were widely considered the best cuisines on Earth, so it was no big surprise--along with Japanese, Chinese, Greek, Spanish, and an eclectic collection of other dishes. The food had been... acceptable. Not the best he'd had, but definitely not the worst.

More importantly, the light three-way conversation he'd had allowed him to get a measure of what Acorians were like, in a general sense. And, as expected, it turns out that they were... just people, like most individuals of most species he'd encountered in this creation. Yeah, sure certain species had certain inborn tendencies, but ultimately, he found that most people out there strove for the same things... whether they realized it or not. Acorians seemed to be the same, though his sample size of '1' did mean that he needed to, ah, research the matter more deeply to make a definite decision. Still, things were looking good.

The walk... er, home--to Carlie's home, to be precise--also allowed him a chance to evaluate. Not acorians as a whole, but Carlie as an individual. There were the usual catcalls, which wasn't surprising at all. Carlie was, at least in his opinion, a very attractive woman, and it seemed that a lot of men shared that opinion. Hell, during his research on her, an... appreciable portion of her fan club consisted of very thirsty men. And the odd woman here and there. In any case, she didn't seem to pay the comments too much mind.

Nor did she pay the disparaging and bigoted comments much mind, instead letting them slide off of her like water. Like with the flirting, she was... probably used to this sort of thing. Arkay himself overheard a few of the mumbled comments, and if he could hear them, then he was damn sure that Carlie could hear them even more clearly, since he was about 90% sure at least her hearing was much better than a human's. He could only mentally sigh at how... narrow-minded some people could be. Idiots probably hadn't even bothered to talk to an acorian one-on-one, instead just choosing to stew in their irrational fear.

Ah well. Such opinions were distasteful, but as long as they only manifested as nasty thoughts, then whatever. Though, the moment those opinions began manifesting in more physically harmful ways... the kid's gloves would come off. She was, after all, under his protection now.

When they reached Carlie's house, Arkay found himself... hm, well, it was similar to his place, just with more rooms. Good, they had something in common, which would make building further rapport all the easier. As he stepped into her abode, he removed his coat, revealing that his shirt was, in fact, sleeveless. It also revealed that, at least judging from his arms, he was fairly muscular. Not in a bodybuilder sort of way, but in an athletic sort of way, like a swimmer... or perhaps a martial artist.

"Nice place ya got. Reminds me of my own stomping grounds," said Arkay, placing his jacket in the coat closet. "Actually, we're not too far from my own place, believe it or not. I live a block or two further out. Heh, our tastes in interior decorating are even pretty similar."

He approached a set of framed pictures and examined them. Lightly touching each one to let his psychometry pick up any lingering emotional impressions, Arkay was able to discern the relationship those in the pictures had with Carlie. It was mostly friends and family, though he did take note of one thing...

While it wasn't foolproof--especially with such light concentration and  a brief touch--he didn't get the sense that any of them were a significant other. Huh, so it seemed likely that Miss Mils was single. Hard to fathom, but she could be between relationships? Or perhaps she just didn't have time for them, right now. Heh, maybe...

Arkay pre-empted that thought before it had even fully formed. While he did find her quite attractive, it was best to keep things professional and friendly.

For now.

"Ah, just so you know, we're close enough to my place that, while we're here, my daughter may, er... pop in for a visit occasionally," said Arkay, plopping down on the couch. "I hope you don't mind. She's a great kid--quiet and well-behaved--so she definitely won't be a bother. Right now, my sister--well, one of them--is looking after her."

Carlie in the mean time was in the kitchen to do some basic cleaning, she had something of a clean streak when at her home. It oddly didn't manifest as much in places she was just visiting or traveling through perhaps because it wasn't a place she'd be staying at lengths of time. Normally Sumia would be cleaning as they kept the place in order while she was away. It wasn't like the Biodroid, but she did say she'd be out for a bit.

The last part caught a bit of her interest. A daughter? She had done some basic research but she hadn't heard of one, to be fair though she hadn't pried too much into the past only on the 'need to know' basis. Not to mention even if she did, there may not have been records. "Maybe we'll get to meet her one of these days? I really like kids, but just haven't gotten to the whole having them part. Relationship trouble and time stuff, I guess." There was a slight hard to read subtle change of her tone at the end, but hard to pin down.

"So do you have a picture of them?" Galan asked after a moment. "I have a younger sibling, but they're back at Alus with the rest of my family."

Arkay caught that slight change in her tone, though he wasn't quite sure whether it was the result of just a general annoyance at her situation or something more specific, like... oh, a bad break-up or something to that effect. Certainly, he was curious, but it wasn't his place to ask--he had only just become acquainted with Carlie, after all. Later, once he'd become closer to her, he might bring up the subject... or perhaps she'd just tell him.

"Heh, I think everyone older than 25 or so has been there when it comes to relationship troubles. Took me until my fourth try until things fell into place and..." he paused and sighed, turning his gaze to the ceiling. "...well, we both knew our time together would be brief, but... I do have Hisako--that's my daughter's name--to remember her by. Most of my time off the job is spent raising her, so I don't have much time for relationships, myself."

Arkay wished he had time for those things; he wasn't lonely per se, since he had Hisako and the rest of his family, but he'd mostly recovered, emotionally, from Senara's passing, and... well, okay, maybe he was a bit lonely in a way. The type of relationship he had with Hisako or his siblings was, of course, different in nature than with an intimate partner, and he... sort of missed that type of closeness. Plus, he felt that Hisako really deserved to have a mother... or mother figure, at least.

He had been about to add something else when Galan asked about his daughter. This was enough to mentally derail him, since he loved showing off his little girl to... anyone, really. A better and more adorable daughter one would not find anywhere, he could guarantee that. "Ha! What sort of doting father wouldn't be carrying around pictures of his little girl?"

Arkay reached into his pocket and pulled out his wallet. Opening it, he removed... several pictures and flicked them into the air. Almost like a paper airplane, they floated over to Galan and Carlie, each one displaying a cute, brown-haired, green-eyed girl. Notably, she had a pair of feline-like ears and a tail, indicating that the mother hadn't been human--most would, correctly, guess that Hisako was half-Molzon. In many of the pictures, one would also notice that a very, very large wolf-like dog was present, often with Hisako in close contact. Those in the know would recognize the dog's breed as a Risch Shepherd.

"Her mother was, as you've probably guessed, a Molzon. She, ah... takes after her a lot, at least when it comes to looks," said Arkay. He dug around in his wallet and took out several more pictures and floated them over to Galan and Carlie. These were of an attractive Molzon woman with features similar to Hirako's, though her hair was much darker and her pupils more feline. "Her name was Senara. She, ah... passed years ago from a rare genetic disorder unique to Molzon. Thankfully, it didn't get passed on to Hisako." One could definitely detect a tone of relief in his voice as he said that.

"I also have four siblings--Sumire, Joseph, Jotaro, and Nerine. Sumire's slightly younger than me, Joseph and Jotaro are twins and a few years younger, and Nerine is in her late teens. They're... around, so there's a good chance you'll meet 'em eventually." As he said this, the pictures that had been floating around began returning to his wallet. This display wasn't just convenient, but also a good way to sort of display his telekinetic precision. "I've obviously seen pictures of Miss Mils' family, and a few friends, what with the photographs sitting in plain view right over there, but what about you, Galan? Any photographs of your family. Siblings, parents? Or, hey... girlfriend, maybe?"

Maybe he'd introduce Galan to Sumire if he didn't have a girlfriend. He hadn't known the guy long, but Arkay's impression of him thus far was fairly positive.

Carlie had a feeling his wife was no longer in the picture though she had hoped it had been amiable separation if so then passing from this world. She had lost people she cared about of course, but losing a intimate partner much less a spouse she couldn't quite wrap her head around. She couldn't imagine what that could of been like and she hoped it be something she never experienced.

Galan's comment before Arkay about a daughter picture showed of a adorable little girl that hit Carlie's 'cute' button, she was really adorable. The other picture of the Mozlon that was his wife, she was attractive and did look vaguely familiar. Whether it was someone she had seen or just looked like someone else she had met in the past she couldn't say.

"I don't have a picture of any of my family." Galan said after briefly shaking his head. "As for girlfriend..uh, no. At least not right now."

"Not right now, but Galan here does have someone he's interested in." Carlie got one her older pictures. It had her, Galan and an attractive Acorian woman that seemed to be based on a cow. "This is Lina, she's pretty sweet and was a teacher of his before he graduated. Known her for a bit though, drinking buddy of mine too."

Aw, so he already had his heart set on someone. Too bad... Sumire really liked Arkon me--lingering effects of a crush she had on Emanulle years and years ago, he figured. She'd been really smitten with him, but as he was taken by that point, nothing came of it, of course. And now... hm, well, she wasn't that much younger than him, yet she'd never had a boyfriend. Or girlfriend.

Exorcising that line of thought from his mind for the moment, Arkay took the picture and examined it. This Lina Galan had his eye on... Arkay could see why. She wasn't quite as pretty, in his opinion, as Carlie, but she... definitely had her charms. Like, uh, well, those sweater puppies. Her blue eyes were also quite pretty. And...

...damn, judging from how she towered over Carlie and to a lesser extent Galan, she had to be over six feet. Eyeballing it, he'd estimate... 6'1", 6'2"? Certainly tall, for a woman--or at least the women of most species he'd encountered. Still, tall women had their appeal, though he himself preferred average or shorter.

He held up the picture lightly his forehead and concentrated for a moment. Bit and pieces of information flooded into his mind. Some of it useless, some of it useful, and some... he didn't know. After a moment, he handed the picture back to Carlie.

"Mmm, she's pretty and has a gentle look to her..." He paused and grinned at Galan. "...I say go for it, if she's single. Having been your teacher, I can guess that she's probably... early 30s, so she's past the point where she's likely to play games or give you the run-around. And, heh, well, don't take this as gospel, but I just got the impression that you've got a better chance than most other guys." It was possible he was wrong or misinterpreting things, but even the mere fact that she associated with him after graduation indicated that she did have a... soft spot for him, at least. Still, it was a better foundation on which to build a more... intimate relationship than nothing.

"And I wasn't aware you were a drinker, Ms Mils. Not much of one, myself," said Arkay, meeting those gorgeous green eyes of hers. "Gotta keep my mind sharp in this line of work--especially bodyguarding--and to be perfectly honest, for a guy whose powers stem from the mind, using mind-altering substances is... usually not a good idea. Anyway, I'm curious, are you the type of drinker that just nurses your drink or... am I gonna have to haul you home and tuck you into bed every time you go out for a night on the town?" His tone was teasing and playful, though it was clear that he had indeed been required to do such a thing with clients before.

Did Arkay really think so? Galan wasn't too sure, they got along pretty well but he had never really tried anything because during the time he was able to, she had someone. The last time he had talked to them they hadn't been with anyone which wasn't that long ago. About a week ago at the most. It was around the equailvent of summer for Alus so she had a fair amount of free time, so that be idle for running into them. Of course, there was a chance she was off world somewhere else as they spoke.

"Yeah, you're right. I think I've been making enough excuses for myself." Galan wasn't sure entirely what he was hung up about, it wouldn't be the end of the world if they said no. So he told himself mentally in his head and it certainly sounded good but positive thoughts and then the reality of things was different.

...It was kinda sad the last relationship he had been to had been all the way back into grade school. Just holding hands and other silly non serious stuff as they were of course kids so he was inexperienced with dating to say the least bit. He had idly wondered where she and some of the others who he had went to school with ultimately had ended up in life at.

Carlie smiled faintly at the last part. "Pfft. Heck no. Getting stupid drunk is only for those special rare occasions since I really hate how I feel after the fact . I've only done it during some of my girl friends weddings and.." She paused. "Gods, I can't even remember the last time. That might be kinda bad, or a good thing depending I guess. Back on track, I'm a social drinker really."

"One other thing I forgot to mention, this house isn't actually mine. A friend of mine named Sumia owns it. She should be home any time now so you'll meet them soon. She's a first generation Biodroid.

*  *

A young woman walked with a slight bounce in their step as they hummed softly to themselves. Today had been a good day overall save for some minor hiccups such as earlier in the store where the owner had refused to serve her because of what she was. In their own words, if they only served people not intimate walking objects. While it had made her upset, it wasn't something she unfortunately was semi used to so she took her business elsewhere then making a scene about it.

Still, she managed to get what she was looking for without hassle in the places she knew. A store was always more pleasant when you knew both most of the employee's and the management; the only reason she went to the new one was because it was more convenient but after that experience she was never setting foot into that store again.

After that, most of the trip was uneventful and people left her alone. Sumia was strong enough to handle a decent amount of the people here but it always best not to draw attention to yourself which was another reason she covered herself up when around the less..savory parts of the city.

On arrival and still in high spirits, she entered through the door with some of her grocery bags in tow. The familar sight of Carlie and Galan didn't surprise her but the man did. Was that the mercenary Arkay?

And why someone had put a invisible twig in her path was yet another question she pondered as her face made acquaintance with the floor of the house; the contents of the bag spilling over in every direction carelessly.

...So much for a good first impression on their guest. If the embarrassment didn't kill her.

"That's the spirit. Just don't be pushy about it if she says no, although I don't think she will," said Arkay, nodding at Galan. "I'd suggest doing it in person, if you can. Make eye contact, pay her a genuine compliment or two, then ask her out. Confidence is key, but... don't fret about being perfect. Even I was a nervous wreck when I first met Senara, and I wasn't inexperienced even back then."

He'd probably do alright, though he could clearly tell that Galan was inexperienced. There was nothing wrong with that--some people were late bloomers--but it'd probably be nerve-wracking for him. And he wasn't sure whether this Lina would see his inexperience as a plus or a minus. On the one hand, it meant he was something of a blank slate and could nudge him towards being the sort of lover she desired, but on the other... well, there'd be 'growing pains' as he got used to being in a relationship--hurdles she would have passed years ago. Then again, having an experienced partner might make those 'growing pains' not quite as, er, painful.

Ah well, if she said no or it didn't work out, he could always go with plan B and introduce him to Sumire. Might end up doing that anyway, since she needed to make some friends, too. Besides the occasional earthbound spirit.

Arkay chuckled at Carlie's response. "Heh, I can handle a few glasses of hard liquor before I start to have issues, so perhaps we could have a few drinks together in the future."

He paused as Carlie mentioned that this home wasn't hers, but in fact the home of a friend--a Bio-Android named Sumia. He'd encountered Bio-androids in the past--mostly in the course of his work--so he was familiar with them. They were just like anyone else, as far as he was concerned, though the whole in-built weaponry thing the had going on was incredibly cool, in his opinion. "Sumia, huh? I'm looking forward to meeting her."

As if on cue, a young woman enter the house, grocery bags in hand, and... promptly fell flat on her face. Arkay normally would have caught her with a simple exertion of will, but the best he could manage was to cushion her fall a bit.

His form disappeared, reappearing closer to the young woman, with Arkay already mid-stride. The grocery bags righted themselves and their contents, which had spilled because of the fall, returned themselves to their bags, as if guided by a ghostly hand. Within moments, the bags were sitting on the ground as if nothing had happened at all.

Arkay lifted the woman up--gently--with a casual exertion of his telekinetic powers, righting her and steadying her with a hand. A charming smile flashed across his face. "Quite the fall. Are you alright? Normally, I would have caught you, but I wasn't expecting someone so cute to come walking in, so I was a bit slower to react than normal." Well, the main reason had been because he'd been reining in his reflexes, but he thought perhaps the compliment--which was entirely sincere--might distract the young woman from any embarrassment she might be feeling from what happened. It might--and probably would--cause a different sort of embarrassment, but embarrassment over a compliment was way better than embarrassment over a botched first impression. "Is there any way I can make it up to you, Miss... Sumia, I presume?"

"Oh, yeah. Of course if she says no that'll be the end of it. I mean, its not like we can't be friends and I like to think I'm a lot more mature then that." Galan of course they accepted and things worked out but it didn't it be..we'll yeah he'd be kinda bummed but it wouldn't be the end of the world. Even some of his friends who were far more successful in that department ended up with their share of rejections so going in and expecting nothing but hoping for the best was probably the best way to look at it.

He was thinking of seeing where they were at later and meeting them, on his own time that is. Galan didn't want to leave Carlie hanging if she needed him.

His thoughts, along with Carlie's were interrupted by their mutual friend coming in and face planting seemingly for no reason but it was of no surprise to the two. Before they could help with the bags, Arkay already had went to secure them. It didn't stop the two from rushing over, of course.

Sumia flushed slightly, an interesting shade of blue due her blood color at the compliment and making of a scene before she recovered. It was more she was still recovering from her mishap though. "O-oh, its fine I should have been more aware of where I was going but thank you. And yes, Sumia is my name. Sumia Torell. Pleasure to meet you."

"Glad you're okay.." Carlie said as she came over, Galan was already helping by putting the groceries in the kitchen, by not focusing as much on Sumia it allowed the embarrassment to fade away quicker then if everyone had been. "As long as some assholes didn't give you trouble then all is well I guess. This is Arkay, my new bodyguard. Also, I know its a habit but you don't have to call me miss."

That news seemed to peek the other woman's interest as she turned to Arkay, seeming to stand up straighter. "Sorry mi-Carlie, its an old habit still. Then allow me to introduce myself formally." She then smiled at the young man before she curtsied. "I am Sumia Torell, formally a Warden from the Sisters of Grace. But I am quite retired! I feel Carlie and young Galan will be very safe in your capable hands."

'The Sisters of Grace' was was an older organization that hunted down Abyss demons and similar things that came straight from a horror manga, when they appeared anyway while the title 'Warden' was one of the highest ranks one could achieve in said organization. The gentle looking woman that just face planted and smiling didn't look dangerous.

As far as how they talked and behaved, amusingly it was pretty standard for people who were members or former. It seemed the title of said group wasn't just for show which had kinda tickled Carlie, she guessed the founder thought just because one hunted things that went bump in the night didn't mean its members couldn't be polite and soothing.

Sisters of Grace? He... had no idea what that was. A religious order of some kind? But one didn't usually retire from religious orders, and the title or rank of 'warden' made is sound like it was a bit more than a bunch of nuns sitting around doing... nun stuff. He could just read her mind to find out, but he never felt right about reading the minds of friendly people. And for a few reasons, reading the minds of Bio-Androids always felt... weird.

"The pleasure is all mine, Sumia," said Arkay. "And you're with--or were with--the... Sisters of Grace? I... am not one for religion, so I'm actually not that familiar with orders like that. Perhaps when you have some free time, you could tell me about them?"

Hm, Carlie's comment about Sumia not having to refer to her as 'Miss' all the time reminded Arkay to ask her, later, whether simply calling her Carlie was acceptable. It likely would be, but he always treated his clients with a certain... formality, at least at first. Now was not the time or place, however.

"So, how long have you two ladies known each other? A few years, I take it?"

Sumia wasn't too surprised he hadn't heard of them, the Sisters Of Grace weren't as well known in certain parts of the galaxy and if Arkay had been born on earth there would be no possible way they would have ever heard of them. There was no harm in telling him a basic summary of things to sate any curiousity, but she wouldn't go overboard with it unless they wanted more details.

"Us? We go back since I was a little girl." Carlie smiled showing Arkay a picture, it had herself as a little girl about five or so in the picture with Sumia in a dress smiling into the camera; she looked about the same as she did at present. "She was on Acor for a little while but ended up moving away, we always kept in contact though. She's like an aunt to me. As for the Sisters Of Grace thing..better she explain but I wanted to be one when I was little."

Sumia straightened slightly, clearing her throat. "The Sisters Of Grace isn't a religious organization but many pay respects to Lady Anya. To make matters short, it was a organization founded by Lady Kaylin eight hundred years ago on the planet Daynus that specializes in training and fighting against Abyssal Demons whenever they appear or there's an infection of them. If you don't know, Abyssals are essentially concentrated malice in physical forms. They aren't native to Meus Ceus."

In the background, Galan who came back from the kitchen weighed in. "No one is one hundred percent sure, but that's part of the reason the Nalga made my kind. Arkon's energy does a lot more damage to them then normal, so probably something to it I guess? I'm not a fighter though."

"Neither am I but not everyone needs to be super badass like Arkay and Sumia here. Besides, you know enough to take care of yourself." Carlie was a believer they needed people with different strengths, not everyone needed to bench press trucks or fight hordes of monsters.

Ah, so they weren't a religious order, but more of a military one... or perhaps calling them monster-hunters would be a more precise. This was the first time he'd heard about Abyssals, though they were similar, in a way, to the Infernal class of demons back home, and... well, he'd encountered some weird stuff in Meus  Ceus, so it was entirely possible he'd run into an Abyssal at some point and not even realized it.

"Wanted to help people ever since you were young, huh? When I was a kid, I was... a brat. A rich, spoiled brat, well on his way to becoming one of those vapid rich kids that lives on mommy and daddy's dime, never achieving anything of note. Then my parents died in a shuttle accident, my inheritance was stolen by greedy relatives, and I had to grow up overnight, for my and my siblings' sake." He sighed as he recalled that 'accident'. "Even then, I still didn't really mature until Senara and, later, Hisako came into my life."

He turned his attention back to Sumia "My bad. The 'sisters' and 'grace' thing threw me off, since, back home, those, er, things, usually indicate an explicitly religious bent," said Arkay, nodding. "Still, sounds like a great group of people, if they hunt down being made of pure malice. First I've heard of Abyssals, though, but they sort of remind me of the Infernals we had running about back home; those were home-grown instead of outsiders, and not every single one was a bundle of malevolence... just most of 'em." He chuckled. "Good thing, too, because one of my ancestors was an infernal... a succubus, in case you're curious."

Honestly, that bit of succubus blood didn't have a huge effect. It simply made him more attractive, a bit more socially adept, and increased his libido. There were also a few physical changes, such as being faster/stronger than normal and having certain other... enhanced endowments. On occasion, a member of his family might have a form of atavism and begin to change into a succubus; Nerine had that 'issue', though she was adjusting as well as anyone might be expected to in such a situation.

He cleared his throat. "Anyway, Sumia, I'm curious, would you be interested in a house-keeping/babysitting job? I can pay quite well, and I'd be able to rest easy knowing someone who knows how to handle themselves is keeping an eye on my little Hisako... and that I'm not imposing on my siblings."

Succubus huh?

That explained their looks a bit, she'd use a bit more crude language in regards to his good looks but overall it wasn't an bad thing and Carlie had nothing against Succubus. You didn't really find them off world too much; most of them were on earth or Halzara with a few scattered in different worlds here and there.

..Though from the sound of things he wasn't from around here. An outsider too maybe?

Sumia slightly inclined her head at the new information she took in. "Infernal? I haven't quite heard of that term in that context. What world or realm are you from if I may ask?"

The last request gave her a slight pause, not because she was against the idea of watching after a little one, just it had been a while since someone had asked her that wasn't a long time friend. Certainly she wasn't lacking in the experience department having helped raise Carlie and other children.

It wasn't as if she needed the money, if she wished she didn't truly have to work another day in her life after all her work at the Sisters Of Grace as she worked simply because she wanted to. Leisure and free time she enjoyed of course but working in some form was molded into her bones. So why not keep herself occupied a bit?

The internal 'debate' only lasted in reality a few seconds, her mind having set. Sumia smiled softly. "I'd be delighted to look after Hisasko. For money, I don't need much really, since when I mentioned I was retired I meant also in the sense I don't have to work. A few questions: How old is she? And are there things I need to know before hand besides some of the more obvious?"

Whoops, he'd aroused some suspicion about his origins. Thankfully, he was fairly certain it was mere curiosity, rather than a prelude to something dangerous. There was no real harm in letting this group in on that little secret, probably. Not that he really considered it a secret, per se--it's just that this was the first time he'd inadvertently drawn attention to himself in this way. The only person in Meus Ceus that he'd told about his origins was Senara.

Arkay chuckled. "I was born on Earth, but... it is an Earth far removed from the one you know. You've probably begun to suspect it, but I'll come clean: I'm an outsider, too. You'll find that I'm far more friendly than those Abyssal demons, though." He waited a moment for what he'd just said to sink in, then continued. "Anyway, my reality doesn't have a name like Meus Ceus, and I... guess you could say that the Christian mythology--or a version of it--is how things operate over there. Yahweh, Lucifer, Heaven, Hell, Angels, Demons... giant eons-spanning war for control over creation between the two factions... you get the idea. If you want to know more, than I'll be happy to regale you with tales of my home over a cup of coffee, but..."

Another pause. "...moving back to that job offer. Hm, well, she's seven, half-Molzon, and generally one of the calmest and most well-behaved children I've ever known. No food allergies or diseases, and she is surprisingly not-picky when it comes to ingredients, though, remember, she's a Molzon, so the attitude of the cook while they're, er, cooking, adds a sort of psychic layer to the experience of eating. That is to say... think happy thoughts whenever you prepare something for her." Yet another pause to think. "...oh, and we have a Rish Shepherd. They're borderline inseparable, so... yeah, hope you like dogs. And I really do insist on paying you somehow. You don't seem to need money, but what about, I dunno... a favor, I guess?"

This got similar, but slightly different reactions from the group. Both Galan and Carlie were slightly surprised but as much as before since the earlier speech had left enough hints that maybe he wasn't just from another planet or even realm, but from another reality entirely. None of the three had issues with 'Outsiders' though Sumia herself had seen some who did. For the most part you could never tell who was and who wasn't unless perhaps you had some manner of sensing said things.

Speaking of whom, Sumia found the job more appealing the more she heard about little one. While she did love children, pretty much no one wanted to deal with a problem child. Some parents let their child run all over them and others which almost never turned out well in her experience. That was why many that did ended up in a bad way when older.

"I don't have an problem with dogs, I like them and had one when I was younger.." Sumia's smile was still there as she fondly remembered her first one when she was a child. "As for the payment..if you're really persistent then a favor would work too. I wouldn't ask for too much. Does that sound fair?"