[center][b]The Crow Catches A Blue Butterfly[/b][/center]

With Crow's attention taken by some negotiations and his...[I]talents[/I] not currently in need, the bright eyed nightwalker skipped down a crowded sidewalk in the middle of the day. [U]"What to do, what to do, who to chew, hum de dum de,"[/U] he sung as his eyes darted to and fro between the various beings in the crowd. [U]"All so scrumptious. Some pretty, others made of atoms,"[/U] he paused, glancing at a particularly reflective set of windows and spying a woman and her child across the street from him. A set of cars, a van or two, and various vehicles blocked the path of his physical vision for short durations. Eyes darting to a second locale, he noted the changing of the lights, a "walk," sign lighting up white just in time for his arrival. [U]"Yes yes yes,"[/U] he said, filled with glee as he dashed to the light and crossed the street. Many onlookers stared after him, some were jostled by his passing and called after him in disgruntled annoyance. [I]"Hey, watch where you're going!"[/I]

He ignored them, running till he was in an alley and around its corner where he ran into a group of thugs and a rather weak demon. The demon was on the ground in its native form, it was an imp of some sort he ventured, and the humans were kicking and insulting it. As he came into their range of sight the humans looked over at him, one putting his foot on the throat of the imp before it could escape.

[I]"Hell you looking at!?"[/I] He shook his head, closing his eyes and smiling gleefully, [U]"Nothing sirs, just taking a shortcut!~ I'll be on my way and the authorities will be none the wiser,"[/U] the thugs narrowed their eyes, looking between eachother before letting him pass. Bowing his head and walking past them, one of them noticed that the stranger's fingers were crossed...a moment too late.

[U]"Slice~,"[/U] two arms fell off, spattering blood all over the other three humans, and over the imp who squealed and then lapped it up hungrily. [U]"Hahahaha,"[/U] the man laughed, whilst the two thugs stared in awed shock at their bleeding friend. One of them pulled out a gun and shot it at the passerby, his face screwed up in anger, [I]"Fucking bastard!"[/I]

Looking down at his shoulder where the bullet had lodged itself, he crumpled to his knees and clutched the wound, calling out in pain. The thug walked over slowly, shooting him in his other shoulder and then in both thighs as he got close enough. [I]"That's right, fuck him up James, I'll take care of Srale,"[/I] the other thug ripped off his shirt and wrapped it around the wounds to try and quell the bleeding a bit, before he winced at picking up his friend's arms. The man had gone into shock and so he took him into his arms, and began carrying him out of the alley. When the armed man, James was his name, got near enough to the one he'd shot to see his face, he shot three more times, but this time...out of fear.

[I]"Fu-..."[/I] there was a loud cackling laugh and then the sound of flesh being cut could be heard. The would-be victim rose, the bullets hitting the ground with soft metallic clangs. The one carrying his friend didn't even look back, instead he sprinted around the corner and out of sight, after which he turned to look over his shoulder.

When he turned back around he ran into a brick wall. He almost toppled over, and certainly dropped his friend Srale. When he turned around he saw another brick wall. He was closed in. [I]"Wha...what the fuck!? I know this wasn't...these weren't here before,"[/I] he glanced between the two structures, then looked to the ground for something to throw. He found a few pebbles and threw them against the walls. A pebble went through the wall in front of him, so he stepped towards it and pressed his hand to it. It went through.

Following this he turned around again, this time to retrieve Srale, only to see the open street. [U]"Confused yet?"[/U]

He whirled around and saw...a dog with a sombrero on its head. [I]"I...I'm out of here,"[/I] he went and picked his friend up and ran out onto the sidewalk, calling for help and someone to get an ambulance. The dog barked after him till he was out of sight, at which point a grin curved across its face and it morphed into shadows, flowed upwards, and reformed into the man who promptly began dying of laughter. Turning away and going back around the corner, Falair, the Madhatter, laid eyes on the imp, who was quite confused as well. The reason for the demon's confusion were fifteen mirror images standing all around him and mimicking his every move. When Falair walked by, the imp took no notice, as if he couldn't see him...because he couldn't. As such the nightwalker, a smirk placed on his face, sped up into a jog before prancing into the air and then right up the wall of a building as if gravity had no meaning. Reaching the roof Falair peered around, his bright golden eyes seeking a child. [U]"Where is the little tyke..."[/U] he thought aloud, his body warping slightly to manifest a tophat, cane, and suit. He blinked twice, and then winked thrice before noticing something out of place. "I forgot it again didn't I?" [I]You sure did Falair,[/I] he then nodded his head at his internal narrator and a monocle appeared around one of his eyes. [U]"There we are!"[/U] [I]Well don't you look spiffy!?[/I] [U]"Is that really a necessary quandary?"[/U] [I]I don't know...[/I] [U]"Precisely."[/U]

Having made some form of peace with himself, or someone else, Falair promptly walked off the roof and across the air, roughly two stories above the sidewalk. He continued to do so as he searched for the tyke. [I]Hum,[/I] he thought before he began doing just that, an eerie tune coming from his lips. He'd lost his train of thought again, perhaps someone would help him find it.
 
 
 
Strange iridescent blue eyes gleamed with interest as the scent of blood--particularly [i]Human[/i] blood--reached the porcelain doll's nose. It wasn't but a mile away, and so, with curiosity guiding her, the doll-like girl began to gravitate toward shadows. In an alley way beside a particular coffee shop, she leaned against the wall. Her body began to lose its colors, turned from vibrant, to grayscale as she melted within the shadow of the alley. 

Her body reformed in the mass of shadows, blue eyes scanning for a source of light. Suddenly, an all encompassing laughter filled her ears, and a soundless shriek left her mouth. She started to run through the mass in which she had entrenched herself, stumbling toward a source of light. The shapes on the other side of the opening were distorted due to her fear, and so she didn't know what she was getting into as she practically leapt through the gap. 

The girl flew free from the opening a few feet before dropping on to her stomach... in mid air, she hadn't noticed yet, but she was levitating. "O-ow..." She whined a little, her waist length brown hair shadowing the upper half of her body before she started to lift herself off of the ground. She started to look around a moment, and noticed a strange man in a tophat and monicle had been behind her... Right where she had come through the shadows. Her head tilted to the side as she inhaled deeply... [i]Nightwalker[/i]. 

"...Hello?" She mumbled, fidgeting a little. She examined the nightwalker internally, admittedly confused by the sheer sight of him. The girl had come to Loom to find someone who might've seen her brother. Mairyell Kasio. Sanguine. 

Someone [i]had[/i] to know where he was....

Aeris just couldn't deal with another 200 years of being virtually alone. 

When Aeris ran out of his body and into thin air where she started levitating, the hatter was twirling his cane gleefully. Stopping for a moment, Falair squinted in front of him, and then his eye sockets, with their eyes in tow, swiveled around to the back of his head, his hair melting somewhat, as the eyes lodged themselves in the back of his 'skull' to gaze at the little doll who had just decided to come out of him. [U]"Well isn't that curious,"[/U] he stated, the rest of his body swiveling so that the eyes moved back into their rightful place on his body.

[U]"Now what is a pretty little doll such as yourself doing? Jumping out of shadows and all that. It's rather rude you know! I ought to give you a spanking, but I won't. Instead,"[/U] he acted as if he was fishing in his pockets, after which point he pulled out a fish...locket. [I]Bet you really thought I'd pull out a fish though,[/I] he thought to...someone before he hopped towards her, knelt in midair, and made to hand her the locket. [U]"It's made from pure nothing!"[/U] If she touched the locket it would dissolve into shadows, after which point he would jump back and laugh gleefully.

At this point people had begun looking into the air to see what all the ruckus was above them. He looked back down and waved before something came to his mind. [U]"Those fellows are gawking at you, reminds me of a bunch of starving doggies."[/U] He nodded his head and then tipped his hat to her before turning around and splitting into three identical copies, which did the same dance as they continued to walk. He was enjoying himself, [I]why yes I am![/I] he thought to no one in particular.

Aeris' stomach lurched when the nightwalker before her did something obscene with his eyes. [i]Holy shit...[/i] She thought to herself, wincing a little. When he started to speak directly to her, she just stared at him. Had he just called her a doll? What the hell? And then he mentioned something about spanking her causing an involuntary growl to leave her lips. 

She watched as he dug into his pockets for something, and came closer to her. It took her a moment, but she was able to fight the urge to lunge at him. When she saw the locket she looked up at him, her eyebrow arched in confusion. She reached out to take it for but a moment, and it dissipated into nothing, leading to him beginning to cackle. It was at this point that she rose from her knees, keeping her eyes on him at all times as she did so.

She still hadn't noticed she was levitating. 

If Szayeis were here, he'd undoubtedly be disappointed in her lack of attention to her surroundings. 

However, when she began to hear people, [i]below[/i] them, and he mentioned something about hungry dogs, she looked down. Her face turned a bright shade of red as she used shadows to darken the underside of her skirt enough where they couldn't see beneath it anymore. She lowered her head in shame, but as he turned around to leave she looked up again. 

"H-hey! Wait! Have you seen a vampire that goes by the nickname Sanguine?" She called after him, hoping he would stop. 

The three Falair's stopped, one turned fully around, smiling broadly, another turned halfway and tapped its chin thoughtfully, while the third turned around continuously for no apparent reason. [U]"Well,"[/U] three identical voices said in unison, [U]"Sanguine sounds familiar,"[/U] The one tapping its chin glanced at the spinning one, [U]"What do you think?"[/U] The spinning one did not reply, but just kept spinning. He then turned to his other self and reiterated his query, this time there was a response.

[U]"I don't know, perhaps Crow would know?"[/U] The chin tapping one nodded and then became two massive mouths which devoured the other two and then recomposed themselves into the same top-hatted, monocle and suit wearing body. [U]"Why? Are you looking for him? I've heard he's rather scarce. Traveling and whathaveyou. Still, Crow might know."[/U] Falair shrugged and took to staring at the sun, a slightly hateful look coming into his eyes before he shook his head, looked away, and grew multiple eyes on his body to look all over the place. He was occupying himself. He didn't like being bored.

Aeris watched in confusion as all three.... things reacted in such different ways. She didn't really know what to do except stand there dumbfounded until he started to speak. 

When he mentioned someone named Crow, her eyes flashed purple a little bit before turning back to their bright sapphire blue. 

"Yes, I am looking for him. All I know right now is that he was last seen headed to this city." She responded softly as shadows began to dance about her body. "Would you mind taking me to this... Crow person? I'd love to know if he actually does know anything." 

Falair nodded, his yellow eyes brightening to a golden hue and gaining a strange luster. [U]"Oooooh? You want to see Mr. Wispy then? Ah, come come!"[/U] he turned around and vanished, before reappearing as he realized it might be better not to travel through shadows. [U]"I'm sure he'll be delighted to see you, you are a friend yes? Of course you are. Crow doesn't have enemies, he's too lazy for all that."[/U] He was talking to himself again, [I]No I'm not, shut up,[/I] he quarreled to no avail.

Finally deciding he beckoned and then began to jog across the air, expecting her to follow him.

"W-wispy...?" Aeris couldn't help but snicker at the name that the nightwalker had called this "Crow" person. When he vanished, she shivered a little bit at the thought of going back into the shadows after such a short time. 

However, it was only a moment before he was back. When the inquiry was raised on whether she was a friend or not, she wasn't really sure how to respond, and so, as with the rest of this conversation she was left tilting her head in confusion.

When he began to jog across the air, she followed after him calmly, making a concerted effort to keep the shadows that she had placed below her skirt in place.

"is there anything I should know before I meet this person?" The little Kasio questioned, her dark hair blowing out behind her due to a gust of wind, causing her sapphire eyes to become completely visible, their eerie glow brightening for a moment.

Falair shook his head, he really didn't think there'd be any reason to tell her anything about Crow. The man was always mouthing off at him that it was bad to reveal information to strangers, particularly if they could be enemies. He didn't really listen to most of those lectures, but he remembered that much, so he silently led her towards a large office building. He knew Crow was there retrieving some payments and having a meeting. Negotiations he had called them...something like that. [U]"Oh I'm sure you'll love him, he's such a calm person. Though in my opinion he's a bit dull,"[/U] the nightwalker did not clarify whether or not he meant that Crow was stupid or if he meant he was boring.

Then something came to mind and he spun on his heel, reappearing three feet from the girl. [U]"Don't mention that crows aren't clever. Last time I did that he got his feathers all ruffled up and started squawking up a storm. It was actually rather comical,"[/U] he chuckled a bit, his serious demeanor fading rapidly before it was brought back up. He then backed away, spun again, and was back where he'd been before, jogging. His clothing had changed to a purple and red pinstriped suit with diagonal lines. His shoes were black dress shoes, there was a buster sword strapped across his back, and he wore a sombrero. His hair was also rather long now. Nodding his head, he thought he'd done a good thing just now, hopefully Crow would appreciate all his hardwork. I mean, he hadn't even killed anyone this tim- wait...no those guys in the alley would be fine. None of their wounds were fatal.

He had forgotten that humans easily bled out. He did that sometimes.

Often actually.

Yeah...Falair is kind of absentminded.

Aeris sighed internally. What had she gotten herself into this time? Over the past 200 years she'd done almost nothing except search for her brother through any rumor she could track down. When she wasn't doing that, she was brushing up on different fighting techniques, and now had roughly 3 styles of martial arts under her belt. She wasn't helpless anymore, that was for sure. Something she would be proud to display to Mairyell when they finally caught up to each other. For now though, she would focus on finding him for the most part. She'd tried hard not to get involved with the affairs of the world thus far, though she couldn't say the same about people. She'd made friends in her 200 years. Both Human and not. Though she had mourned the Humans who had died, she'd never wish her curse on them. Even had one beg her to turn them. Yeah, no. 

The porcelain doll of a girl continued to follow after the nightwalker, lost in her own thoughts. She was forever stuck in the body of a 20 year old girl who would never grow old... never die. Vaguely it crossed her mind what her brother would think when he saw her, alive. Undead, really, but alive nonetheless. 

That thought quickly left her mind though, as she had a naive fantasy to keep daydreaming about. That was one thing about her that hadn't changed over these two centuries. She was still rather naive. Childlike in mind, but not in knowledge. Simply put, she was deliberately deluding herself to be the girl that her brother had known, and not who she actually was. She didn't want him to hate her, and deep down that's what she thought would happen if they really met. He would cast her out. 

For most of the jog, little Kasio had been on autopilot, she hadn't even heard him mention Crow's calm demeanor. However, when he stopped in front of her, she bumped into him and was forced to pay attention. What she heard made the solemn mask she had on crack with a smirk. "I'll keep that in mind." She spoke softly, a laugh in the undertones of her voice as she finally noticed where they were headed. What met her eyes filled her with an immense sense of foreboding. It was Kasio Corp. Rebuilt and stronger than ever. 

"Fuck." She breathed out the word with disgust, but continued to jog behind the nightwalker cautiously. 

At least their old man was dead, right?

Right?

As they reached the building's door, Falair stopped, thinking for a moment as he tapped the end of his cane gently against the cement. [U]"You better wait here,"[/U] without giving her time to have a choice in the matter, the nightwalker vanished completely.

Reappearing on the table in a meeting room on the third floor of the Kasio Corp building, Falair's body initially looked like a whirling vortex of darkness, before it solidified and reformatted itself into something more socially acceptable. Nonetheless the occupants of the room all wore rather shocked or surprised expression. Two or three had fallen back from their chairs, and more than one bodyguard had drawn a weapon to aim at the demon.

There was only one individual, a man who sat at the foot of the table, that had remained calm upon the appearance of Falair. [B]"I apologize for this interruption,"[/B] the raven haired man said quietly, respectfully, as he pushed his chair back, stood, and helped several of the official looking individuals back into their chairs. The woman who sat at the head of the table, unlike the officials who the indifferent man was helping out, did not appear very appreciative of the disturbance. [I]"What is all this about, Crow, why were we interrupted and who is this buffoon of a demon,"[/I] the woman snapped, her fangs bared. Having finished assisting those who had fallen, Crow turned his eyes to meet the woman's, his gaze totally devoid of any enjoyment of the situation, spoke. [B]"That buffoon is Loom's Madhatter. Falair Ver Akan sa'eyeis, Ms. Kasio."[/B] The woman's eyes almost widened in shock, and for a moment Crow could see fear on her face, before the ice cold sheath that she was known for slid back over her emotions, hiding her vulnerabilities.

It was too bad he'd already seen through her...hours ago. Turning his head to Falair, Crow spoke again, [B]"What is it, Falair, I'm quite busy as I'm sure you knew when you decided to port yourself in here, unannounced."[/B] Falair would have winced if he had any form of empathy. He didn't. [U]"There's a girl inquiring about you, Crow,"[/U] Falair stated in his same, somewhat high pitched, comical tone. If Falair hadn't saved him several times and been useful in several hundred others, Crow would have gotten rid of him then and there. However, like every other time Falair caused him problems, he couldn't do much about him, except sate him, and then adapt to suit. [B]"She can wait, this is more important,"[/B] Falair's smile dulled and very briefly the thought of slaughtering every human in the room passed through his mind, before it was washed over by many more amusing ideas.

[U]"Fine, fine, I'll give you this one, Mr. Wispy, we'll wait in the lobby at your leisure,"[/U] there was a devilish grin on Falair's face before he vanished, leaving his friend with the now aggravated CEO of Kasio Corp, and several snickering officials of the board. Crow simply sighed and walked back to his seat at the foot of the table where he gracefully sat down once more. [B]"Apologies, Ms. Kasio. Unfortunately I cannot exactly [I]control[/I] my friend, he does what he wants when he wants to, to whom he wishes to,"[/B] he shrugged and immediately noted the look in her eyes as he did. He was a threat now, again rather. Before Falair had interrupted them, Crow had managed to convince Kasio corp to back him and his group, but now all he had to do was make sure that deal was in place once more. When it was, he'd have them intimidated and he'd have them at his back. For once he silently thanked Falair, for unwittingly he had somewhat humanized him, and also benefited him though he was sure the nightwalker had not meant to.

[B]"Shall we continue?"[/B] The woman was silent for a long time before she nodded and began to go over the details of their arrangement. It was basically that they would provide him with an allotted amount of resources, and in return he would not infringe upon their areas of control. When she finished, he pretended to look thoughtful before he responded, [B]"If we share our territories we will both benefit in the long run, Ms. Kasio."[/B] She opened her mouth to refute him, but he held up a finger. For a moment she looked as if she were about to snap at him again, but before she could her eyes looked over his face where she saw the subtlest smile she'd ever viewed before. [B]"In return I'm willing to offer you the services of Falair and my...compatriots, for any less than civil jobs you might want carried out. As long as they don't go outside certain parameters."[/B] Her mouth shut and she settled back into her seat, thinking.

[B]"It will benefit you, though I'm sure you already knew that. You are a very intelligent woman, Ms. Kasio."[/B] He said, his charm showing just barely before a look of boredom returned to his features and he picked at his finger nails. To her and her colleagues, especially her colleagues, he needed to appear primarily as some foolish gangster. It was a ruse of course, but it was a successful one for most of the chairman and women of the board were practically leaking disdain as they avoided looking at him.

Ms. Kasio however had no such reservations and so she looked up and nodded. [I]"Very well, you have your deal. The documents will be signed tomorrow, 9:25 AM, sharp. If you're not here, we're done doing business."[/I] He nodded, rose from his seat, and bowed respectfully. [B]"Thank you for your time Ms. Kasio, I'll leave you to your business and take my leave."[/B] He nodded to the others and then exited the room. As the door closed behind him, he heard Ms. Kasio release a deep sigh of relief and then gently rest her head against the table. The chairmen and women looked at her confused, some murmured amongst themselves, and outside Crow smiled smugly and then made his way through the cubicles of the office building till he found himself in a bathroom.

Once there he vanished into a shadow and reappeared in a bathroom on the fourth floor. All the while he kept in the blind spots of the building's cameras. Finally he exited the bathroom, finding himself in the lobby, where he searched for Falair. Or rather, looked for the most out of place person in the room. That was generally the best way to find the shapeshifting bastard.
---

While Crow had finished up with the oh so lofty humans, Falair reappeared before Aeris and then beckoned her into the office building til they found a place to sit. After that point he'd do so, hoping she would make herself comfortable. He however, would remain somewhat in motion, the surface of his skin writhing and shuddering as if little waves and ripples went over it. He was occupying himself while they waited. He mustn't get bored. Crow had always warned him against that, though he had no idea why. He never remembered being bored in the past, so why was it a problem now? Shrugging, he eventually noticed Crow enter the lobby, exiting a bathroom to do so. Waiting for his friend to notice them, Falair made sure his outfit was adorned with bright colors, his purple pinstriped suit becoming awash with rainbow stripes to draw attention. It was the best way to let Crow know he was there.

Aeris fidgeted uncomfortably in the air as she watched the nightwalker vanish into thin air. At least he hadn't made her come with him. A few moments after he had departed, she lowered herself to the concrete running her hands through her dark brown locks, pulling them up into a ponytail, where her bangs parted over her right eye, covering it.

No one would recognize her, it'd been 200 years. So, why was she so uncomfortable? 

As she pondered the thought, trying to figure out what was wrong with her, Falair returned to get her, and she followed after him silently. As they entered the building a strange feeling of nausea caused her stomach to lurch a bit. She shook her head trying to stop the swimming sensation she was starting to feel, and sat down beside Falair. Evidently they were to wait for whomever here in the lobby. 

The minutes ticked by, and the increasing nausea and dread little Kasio was feeling began to worsen. She even tried to watch what the nightwalker beside her was doing with his skin, but that only served to make the feeling worse. 

By the time he changed what his clothes looked like, she was leaning over in her seat, face in her hands. "Hey..." She paused, realizing that she didn't know this nightwalker's name. "Uh, what [i]is[/i] your name, anyway? You've been helping me out and we haven't even introduced ourselves." Talking seemed to alleviate some of the feeling, but it was still there for some reason, like a monster was just going to jump out of no where and eat her. "My name is Aeris, by the way." She paused, about to tell him her last name, but thought better of it, and stayed silent as she awaited his answer.

She really hated this building. This reminder of the life even before she had met Cael, before she and Mai had struck out on their own. 

A past so distant she had almost forgotten it.

That wasn't allowed, evidently. 

[U]"Mmm?"[/U] Falair said, as his head turned so he could see her properly. [U]"Moi? Hahaha, I'm Falair. Granted, that's not my whole name, that's much longer. Urgh, I always forget. Crow said it just a moment ago,"[/U] he ran his hand over his head, causing it to phase right through his top hat before returning back to its position on his lap. [U]"Falair Ver Aka-... Falair Ver Akan?"[/U] He shook his head and tried again before another voice spoke out, a calmer one, a gentler one. [B]"Falair Ver Akan Sa'eyeis,"[/B] Crow stated before looking over to the girl, Aeris she'd said her name was. [B]"That's a very pretty name, young lady. Now, what is it you require of me madam?"[/B] He was dressed in a suit, black and white, though it had no tie, and its shoulders were not blocky. Instead it appeared more naturally cut, smoother. There was a pleased look in Crow's eyes, though it was not because of Aeris' presence. Then again, it was a useful expression to have, it made him appear more gentlemanly, not that he wasn't already fairly good in terms of manners and such things.

Falair seemed to nod in comprehension, his face still oddly screwed up in confusion regarding his own name as if he were unsure of why he hadn't been able to remember it.

Iridescent blue eyes looked up as another person interjected, answering the question for Falair, as he couldn't do so himself it seemed. Her head tilted to the side when she heard Sa'eyeis, and almost jumped, thinking he had actually said Szayeis. A little bit of fear passing over her face coupled with a few other emotions before she settled on a serene smile. "What an intriguing name." 

The doll's smile warmed as she received a compliment on her name. "Thank you, my mother gave it to me." 

Little Kasio sat up, straightening her posture so that she didn't seem like a lump. Her legs crossed one over the other as she met Crow's eyes calmly. "I was wondering if you knew about a Chimeric vampire that goes by the name Sanguine. I'm looking for him. Any information you have, or could find would be greatly appreciated." Absentmindedly she began to curl her hair around her finger as if trying to tease him, when she was actually just using it as an excuse to do [i]something[/i] other than stare at him so she didn't have to focus on the building she was in. 

"I'm aware that he travels a lot, and I've found no one really ever has accurate information on him. It's bothersome. I've spent a lot of energy, money, and time trying to track him down." As she told Crow all this, there was an evident pout on her face, much like that of a little girl whose toy was taken away. Or whose brother wouldn't play with her.

"Can you help me, Crow?" Her voice was silk as she asked, her eyes flashing a little bit of purple. 

She was getting a little hungry.

Listening intently, Crow nodded at the appropriate times and once she finished, her question posed, he pulled up one of the chairs and sat down in it, thinking for a long moment, eventually relaxing into the chair as he pondered the possibilities of this job. [B]"What form of payment are you looking to offer for my services?"[/B] He asked, always the businessman. However, before she could answer he shook his head, [B]"No no, where are my manners. First off, madam, yes I can in fact help you. I can tell you off the bat that you are right to think he is here in Loom, because he is. He arrived recently...but I remember hearing reports that he'd left again. It didn't seem like he went far."[/B]

That was where he stopped and turned his eyes back to her, [B]"Anymore than that and you'll need to give me at least a few hours. However, my intuition tells me that he'll be coming back into the city. He tends to linger in a place for a few days at the very least."[/B] He waited for her response, he wanted to see how she reacted, it'd dictate how he handled her.

Aeris listened intently to the man before her, when she started to answer his payment question, he stopped her. She looked at him inquisitively as she listened to what he had to say. His words caused the sapphire of her eyes to brighten to a sky blue, indicating she was extremely happy, if the wide smile she bore didn't tell him that already. 

"If you could find out exactly [i]where[/i] he is, I would be grateful," She spoke in response to his inquiry about her wanting more information. "Also, please just call me Aeris, I don't really like formality. It makes me rather... uncomfortable."

"I have a few off shore accounts as well as a few rather high up associates, I can pay you monetarily, or with favors, your choice, Crow." She almost purred, a musical tone in her voice. Little Kasio had done a lot of work in her 200 years of life, and had amassed quite a fortune, even with all the information brokers she'd had to pay for information about her own brother. 

Nodding and smiling slightly, Crow sat back up and stretched out his hand for her to shake. [B]"I can likely get a bit more info. I can also notify you that he went in the direction of Jiggerbark mountain, not sure why anyone would go that way. Damned desolate and there's no one out that way. Regardless, I can contact you when I know he's back in town and do my best to ascertain his location."[/B] He made sure not to say he would track him down, it sounded too...violent or at least hostile. He was happy with her reaction, in more ways than one, plus it seemed this chick was loaded however, he'd make a point not to stop her because she was more than she seemed. The woman was emanating a rather powerful essence, and it seemed that this essence was more than just demonic, it was human as well, which meant she was some kind of chimera.

He wasn't yet sure what kind though, but perhaps he'd find out in time. Still, it'd be smart to stay on her good side, he concluded.

When he reached out his hand, she grasped it gently and shook it to confirm their deal. "Mm... Jiggerbark? Sounds familiar. Outside Thorpe, right?" She asked, still smiling warmly. When he mentioned getting in contact she blinked, "Oh! Here, let me give you the number you can reach me at." She looked around for a moment before finding a pad of paper and a pen on a table in the corner. Absently, she used shadows to bring it to her and started jotting down her cellphone number as if what just happened was the most normal thing in the world. 

In truth, she hadn't even realized she'd done it. 

She tore the sheet of paper off the pad and handed it to the man in front of her, her handwriting exquisitely neat. 

"I am going to head out to Jiggerbark tonight to see if I can catch up to him, though with the luck I've had, he'll probably be back here again." She chuckled a little, and stood, curtsying. "Thank you for all the help you've given me today, Crow, and I hope will give me in the future as well. I have a feeling I'll be needing your help again some time soon." She spoke softly patiently waiting for his response before heading for the door. 

If she was heading out to the mountains, she would need to get something to eat. Soon. 

As she completed his handshake he made an imprint of her essence as he did with all his clients. Granted, he still took the piece of paper, thanking her with a light smile before he watched her rise and show her gratitude with a curtsy. [B]"Very well...Aeris,"[/B] he said, sounding as if he was getting used to saying her name before he nodded to himself and looked back to her. [B]"Yes, near Thorpe,"[/B] he said making sure not to intrude by asking her how she'd get there. Instead he simply nodded and then spoke once more, politely as per his usual, [B]"I hope you have a...mostly uneventful trip. Traveling can be dangerous at times so...be safe."[/B]

Aeris' smile widened a little at his seeming concern. "I appreciate the sentiment. I'll do my best not to get into too much trouble." With that said she curtsied to him once again and looked to Falair. "You've been rather quiet, Falair, thank [i]you[/i] for all your help as well, I hope we can meet again soon!" She flashed him a warm and friendly smile before waving to them both as she happily dashed out of the doorway, her hoodie materializing over her torso as the automatic doors closed behind her.

Once she was far enough away from the building, she leapt into the air, shadows forming on her back into the shape of two fairly large black, batlike wings that sent her rocketing into the sky just above the city. 

Oh, hot damn did it feel good to be flying again. 

With a gleeful smile, she started on her trek toward Jiggerbark mountain, she would search for food on her way there.

Startled out of his stupor, Falair's eyes lit up and he looked at her. It took a moment but a smile spread across his face and he nodded. However, before he could fully return she was out the door, prancing happily. [U]"Have a good trip!"[/U] he said, several moments late before realizing she couldn't hear him. Crow shook his head and stood up, putting the chair back in its rightful place. [B]"She's already gone Falair,"[/B] the nightwalker seemed to nod and frown before rising as well. The two then headed out the door, one a bit confused, and the other quite pleased with his day so far. He'd settled one big client, and gained another smaller one. His day was going well so far, with any luck he'd land a few more jobs.

Falair on the other hand was more concerned with the fact that he hadn't remembered his name. Well, at least he wasn't bored, the nightwalker finally surmised before dismissing the thought entirely and putting some pep in his step. Perhaps he'd go on a walk later. Those always proved eventful.
---

Meanwhile the conference room back on the third floor of the Kasio Corp building had cleared out and Ms. Kasio, the CEO of the aforementioned company, was sitting at her desk, hands clasped together and shades drawn on all her windows. There was a distinct frown laid across her face as she stared down at the documents that she and Crow were to adorn with their signatures. It bothered her. She felt like he'd tricked her, but she wasn't sure how. She'd have to keep her eye on him, but for now he was a useful individual so she would have to make sure to monopolize that fact. The signing was still tomorrow anyways, she had till then to change her mind, though she probably wouldn't. With the document put out of mind, she slipped it into a folder and then into a drawer, before returning to her work.

What she didn't know was that she would be signing the document with more than a simple signature of ink, instead she'd be signing with a pen which pulled a small amount of essence into its ink and engraved it on the paper, immortalizing her part of the contract. Crow on the other hand would not be signing with this pen, and so he'd be able to break contract more or less whenever he wanted to. So it was not that the deal was unfair to her or her company, but rather Crow himself had a few more cards than she realized, and sadly she'd have no idea till it was too late and he'd seized all her, and by extension, Kasio corp's assets. It was truly a devious ploy.

Too bad she'd never catch on. Poor poor girl. It seemed no one had ever told her not to deal with the devil.

Oh well~