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year 5, quarter 3
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Umbrella's gaze slowly, slowly cooled as she was fixed with Caius' own as well as his suspicions. At first she was frigged, but as a thought occurred to her it gave her pause. Why /was/ he so suspicious? It was almost as if he truly cared about the well being of this suited figure he knew. Mentally she ran through the checklist of what she knew about the man.
The combination of a hard upbringing and his righteousness made it all click. Her head tilted.
"That's a hard bargain you're driving Mister Caius. Fine, I'll haggle a bit. I suppose it won't harm me." In the back of her mind she prayed she wasn't wrong about that. All she had was guesswork about the man, even if she felt like she had enough information to act in a reasonable manner. Sometimes, though she loved a plan, a Turk had to think on their feet.
"Shinra Electric Power Company. It's an arms manufacturer and...well, the obvious too. It has a strong military, and also produces most of the materia in the world. I'll spare you the technical information, but they're gems made from refined mako that let its user use magic." She taps her Umbrella.
"And the Company took in a half-dead gang-banging daughter of a brothel worker, patched her up, then gave her a job. After I was out of the military, I joined a new division of the Company. I met the Boss, and my Big Brothers and Sisters." Finally she stated the obvious. Her words filled with open affection. Sure, she mixed in the lies with the truth. She'd never been in the Shinra army, even /if/ she'd used that cover before. But she knew how to use the army to her advantage. A Turk could fake that /easy/.
It was telling how her terms were very specifically that of organized crime.
"So you could say we are coworkers, if they're really from my division. But that wouldn't be quite right. They are my family. ...And who are you, Mister Caius, to act like you're protecting them from me? What's your relationship with them? If there's anyone that deserves to know it should be me!" Pointedly asked Umbrella, as she neatly turned with even more questions.
Shinra. That word stuck out. That was the company that hired her and her group, then turned on them and tried to kill them all. Caius was this close to considering drawing his blade and stabbing her right there. It wouldn't be hard, he told himself. Rammed through the chest, and then fire. Quick and easy. Unfortunately, Caius knew he wasn't like that. Not anymore, and not so casually, not unless he was threatened first. So he continued to listen. And the continued information, as well as thinking about that SOLDIER guy from the woods who wore different attire from them... The logical conclusion seemed to be that this one, especially if they knew about the garb in particular, was in the same division. He grunted lightly as he pointed down to the legholds on the saddle. "Strap yourself in" He remarked, and once her feet were in he would hand her the rest of the straps for securing herself. If she didn't figure out how to do it, he would do it for her. But for now, he had turned his attention to securing himself to Vordun. He didn't trust them entirely, but he'd decided that for now, he would stand by his conclusion.
"Turk" He spoke, deciding to just cut through the veils and get it over with already. "There's no point in the veils and half-truths if so. Your past doesn't mean much here, take it from me. Only the experiences in battle that you have. The lessons you've learned."
Once he ensured they were both secured, Vordun took that as the sign to take off. Once they were in the air, with Vordun starting the ascent slow to accommodate their new company, Caius finally held up his end of the deal.
"Short. Red hair. Goes by Cissnei" Caius spoke up curtly. "Last parted from her in Provo, don't know where she is now."
He didn't turn to look at her, as he was busy charting their course. But he was ready in case she attempted an attack. For now, he'd decided to at least somewhat trust her. But he still prepared for the possibility.
"If I'm wrong and it turns out you're one of the ones hunting her and the Turks, and you attempt to harm her... If she doesn't kill you first, I will" He remarked offhandedly. It was not a threat, nor was it spoken like one. It was a simple warning and so casual that it was like it was just part of conversation. But with the firmness of his voice, it was clear he wasn't bluffing.
The temperature began to grow colder, and Caius tightened his jacket a bit in turn. Below them, "Amy" would be able to see a massive city, more technologically advanced than even Midgar, easy to see from even just a glance. As they neared Sonora, Caius would reach back and hand her a small pouch of gil.
"Enough for something to eat and a place to stay for the night" He remarked. He then reached into the saddlebags and pulled out one of the "gems" that he had cut from the monster earlier, handing it to her. It had been the plan all along, with or without her apparent association with the Turks.
"I don't know how much this is worth, but if you can find a buyer for it in the morning... It might last you a little while hopefully. Long enough to find work at least" He added. "We can't land in the city. But I'll walk you to the gates."
It took some time for Umbrella to get properly strapped in. She wasn't shy about getting help either, instead carefully observing Caius when he helped her get the thing done. A Turk never knew when some esoteric skill might come in handy, dragon riding was just another one.
'Turk'.
He knew. Umbrella smirked. A little sigh escaped her.
"Oops. I've been caught. Boss will scold me again." She still had much to learn! Still, she took it with good grace.
"...Cissnei, huh? Big Sis Cissnei. Big Cissnei!" Her smile became outright playful as she let the words slip from her lips. She was testing them, getting used to them. She had to speak her aniki's name /right/. The name hurt her head. Wasn't there something...
She almost forgot she was being warned here. Then Caius' words finally rang a few alarm bells.
"Mmm. I'm the second newest Turk. Big Sis was before me. Retired, I thought, but we're not exactly people where the Company keeps the truth on for very long. But a Turk is a Turk always. Whether I served with her or not, she's family. I don't know who or why, but no matter the Enemy, I'll tear them into pieces for daring to threaten another Turk! Like you said though...well, Boss always spoke highly of her. The hunters are probably dead already." A deep breath, and she tried to calm down. Her stomach was roiling. She looked positively green, and combined with how excited she was over her fellow Turk?
Oh she felt bad. She was starting to lean a smidge. Thus his warning was met with a simple nod at first.
Then she slumped against his back. Her stomach was making not-fun sounds. Bluuuuhhhh.
"It's Umbrella, by the way. You're an idiot helping people like us. It's going to get you killed one day. But I owe you. Thank you...for taking care of my family."
A real 'thank you' from a Turk. Was that perhaps a first?
Once near the chilly city of metal and darkness, she actually seemed to...well, be less like a shambling zombie. Luckily she scraped together another antidote to not hurl on Vordun, but it was a near thing. The little gem was taken. She nodded.
"Got it. I'm sure I can find a fence or pawn shop easy enough. That's three times. This is a bad, embarrassing pattern. Are you trying to join us? Because...if we could just sand off your righteous edges..."
She decided right then and there that maybe, just maybe, Caius might make for a Turk if she could just maneuver the man into the right circumstances. It was an interesting idea.
"What a gentleman..." She offered her arm. She'd need a bit of hauling, but Caius could do it!
He was correct then. There was a clear change in tone and her behavior that indicated as such even if she hadn't said it herself and quipped about it. Big sis Cissnei, huh? He might have to tease her about that one next time, provided this one wasn't lying about being a Turk. If she was... He'd probably be hearing it from her instead. Honestly he might hear it from her anyway, he realized, if the Turks seemed that concerned about their identities. Granted, Cissnei had disclosed hers during storytime in a bar, but...
Either way, the Turk finally decided to disclose the rest and gave her actual name. Umbrella was a bit of a strange name, and it sounded more like a codename when he considered the weapon she used earlier. But if that was what she was going by, well okay. At the least she gave enough to actually believe her more, considering how flimsy "Army Amy" was in comparison.
"You probably should have said Turk to begin with. The moment "Shinra" came out of your mouth I almost ran you through, to protect Cissnei" He admitted in a half-joking matter with a small chuckle.
As for the idiot remark, he only smiled.
"Probably. Nearly has a few times. But it's who I am, and I mean... It did mean I got to see a real tactician in action when it comes to Cissnei, so it wasn't all bad" He remarked, his tone a bit lighter now. While he was still a bit guarded, he'd decided to go with how he wanted to act in general for now. "We worked together a few times. One of which her ability to strategize, use proper diplomacy and pure cunning brought us to a better conclusion than I could have ever hoped for. I hold a great deal of respect for Cissnei and her capabilities. I'd even like to think I could call her a friend."
Once they landed, Caius patted Vordun's head once he had dismounted and helped Umbrella off. "Hunt. I'll be back. I need to restock on our cup noodles anyway" He told the dragon with a small laugh before Vordun would let out a smokey snort and fly off. When Umbrella offered her arm, he smirked lightly as he took it before they began the trek to the big city.
“Sonora might be a little overwhelming considering what I could see from your photo, but you’ll probably do fine” He remarked as the gates drew closer. “It’s a little closer to where I came from, or well… What it used to be. With cars, television sets, even those crazy huge military airships.”
He laughed a little more when she asked if he was trying to join the Turks with his kindness. He shook his head, with a slightly amused look, though still far warmer than he'd been up until this point.
"I'm flattered, but I have my own responsibilities. But if you're ever in Torensten and want to say hello, or if you just need a hand... Ask around for the Dragonblades, who I belong to. I might be travelling at the time but even if I'm not there, I know one of the co-leaders who will probably be there to help. Goes by Celes. Fiery woman, wouldn't dare cross her or get her mad if I were you... But she's reliable. Trustworthy."
With that, they arrived at the gates, and Caius made sure one more time that Umbrella wasn't going to throw up and collapse on the street, subtly testing to see if she could walk right before letting her go.
"You seem resourceful enough to find your way around. I'd recommend finding work and securing yourself an income before looking for Cissnei. Mercenary work is plentiful, always something wrong around here."
Thinking over what to say before bidding her farewell, he seemed to settle on something.
"I'd recommend trying not to hide too much behind masks" He spoke with a small smile. "You're too rigid in your movements and your speech. Your expressions and body language come off as robotic and rehearsed. You looked like the shiftiest person I've ever guided so far" He admitted, the last bit meant to be in light humor. "Army Amy is... Well..." He trailed off with a shrug. That probably told enough about that particular identity. "There's no reason to be anything but yourself here. The hardest thing to learn about this world, I find... Is that it's not the one you came from. You're on a clean slate now. What you do with it is up to you."
The woman shook her head at the notion she should've came out with the truth initially. It was, of course, laughable to her. She almost did. But she'd gained enough respect for Caius over their short time knowing one another to hold it in.
She'd backbite him later instead.
"Standard procedure. Having cover identities gives you deniability. If you know one of us, then you should realize how dangerous things are for us. Deniability has saved my life multiple times. I'm sure Big Ciss could say the same." She seemed confident with that one, waggling her Umbrella for emphasis.
'Diplomacy'. 'Pure cunning'. 'Strategy'. For all her weird plastic nature, for all her dulled eyes, whenever Caius praised Cissnei and by extension the Turks, this /glow/ worked its way into her. This young woman dressed in a gangster's coat and professional spook's suit let out a little more of the person beneath the veils, trauma, training, and issues she'd accumulated throughout her life.
This was the loving young sister, the den-mother-to-be to a bunch of cut-throats. For all of her evil, Umbrella was more than just scum when things went right. Caius, it seemed, had caught the nerve that brought out her better half.
Still, her eyes narrowed as Caius claimed her a friend. "Mmm. I'm not one to interfere if it's good for her. Just be careful with her heart." A little ripple through her vision again, and she let the devil into her gaze towards the man. The threat was implicit. 'Else I'll rip yours out'.
It lasted all of a moment. She was off the dragon, Vordun was off, and really with her kind of hunched over as her stomach protested made intimidation not really a viable option. She looked more grumpy than anything else. The tip of her umbrella acted like a cane. It kissed the earth. Blessed, blessed Gaia-ish ground!
"Dragonblades...that's pretty pretentious, but I get it. Miss Celes. Deal. Same goes for you. If Big Sister says you're fine, then I might even give you a discount if you need my services." She paused.
"I solve problems." The scare quotes around problems were practically shouted.
"...'Looked like'?" She frowned briefly. "I'm proud to say that I /am/ the shiftiest person you've ever guided. Unless you run into Big Brother Reno. But I'll surpass him one day." Was she...taking that as a compliment?
She started to move off, only to pause. She blinked, and pondered Caius' words.
"I've got a lot to think about, and a lot to ask. Thank you, Mister Caius. We're having those drinks one day! A Turk's promise!" She insisted. Not long after, Umbrella was gone, quiet and light as a shadow.
