Human sacrifice was not on Hayate’s bingo board for the day, and his brows lifted in surprise as Naomi pressed on the subject. “Definitely glad you all aren’t big into that nowadays,” Hayate chuckled, definitely more curious on the subject and how they grew out of it. He knew humanity had practiced it, though he didn’t know much more than that. The details on which group of humans was long lost to him in the blur of ancient history.
His focus hadn’t been human history.
They reached the tree that was home to so many, and Hayate stepped out carefully. He knew it was safe, but there was still something disorienting about being on a tree. The distant sparkling ocean did not relieve him in the least, even if it was pretty. He approached the door with Arien, and adopted a semi-strict posture for himself – back straight, face neutral-warm – as he saw how Arien held himself.
Of course, it broke soon enough, and Hayate let his body relax and a grin form. He also grinned wider at Naomi as she caught onto the hug going on – a real hug, not that bump thing Arien called a hug. Clearly this was reserved for closer relationships.
He stepped in and also took note of the minimalism going on. ‘You two must be so hard to shop for.’ When he heard his name, he stood briefly at attention, “Yes – that’s me,” he confirmed for Menzai, “It’s good to see you again, sir,” he added, “and to be invited into your home. I’ve never been in a place like this, despite all the travels we’ve done.”
Weaving nature into a world just wasn’t common practice.
Technology took over, more often than not, but here it seemed to be enfolded and welcomed into the natural world in such a strange way. The galaxy could learn a lot from the le’ak. Hells, Hayate wished then he had gone further with his degree to try and research this to bring it back to the wider galaxy.
But he knew even that wouldn’t go far.
Hayate hesitated to say more, unsure if Arien wanted to broach the subject of the broadcast they saw immediately or not. He still dared, “How are you all holding up with that…blockade going on?” Things seemed well enough on the surface, but he just got here. A lot could be going on he didn’t know about.
~***~
Ancasta remained silent on the way to the station, and was silent leaving the vehicle as well. Noy, no doubt, would go find a place to park, and then go spend his time in the station. It was large, a central hub built into a large tree, tending to all sorts of travel – water, space, air, land. It was more for commercial travel, compared to private, the reason that Ananke didn’t land here, really.
She stepped into the building, walking upon the amber ground, to one of the many eateries within the area. No matter what planet people were on, they needed places to eat while they waited on transit, and it was as good a place as any to meet her employers.
All sorts wandered into and around stations, after all.
Within the Floressence, Ancasta found the le’ak employer and slid into seat at his booth, “I was starting to wonder,” he chuckled. “Glad you could make it.”
“As am I,” she didn’t really care, “tell me about the mark.”
“Right to business. Well,” he turned his tablet towards her, and she took it, seeing the sleek humanoid upon it. Not le’ak or human, though – ondiade, with the way their skin shimmered in the pictures and the complete lack of hair. “That is Meluso, and due to our current stance with the ondiade, we cannot touch him,” her employer sighed, “I was relieved when the guild was willing to hear us out. He’s been causing harm across multiple planets to le’aks, so the ondiade have refused him protection, as well, to avoid further conflict with us.”
“Mmm,” she didn’t really need the sob stories, “where is he known to be now?”
“The Sequiatitanis – it’s only twenty minutes out from here.”
One of their larger cities. Ancasta nodded.
“He’s been keeping a low profile, but we’ve seen him in the local transit stations, around the rivers, and within the Groundskeeper. Always on the base levels.”
“That’s all I need,” Ancasta said, “I’ll take the rail down. I’ll send a message when I’ve finished the job,” she stood up, “it won’t be long.”
“You’re confident,” he noted with a bit of a laugh in his tone. She just shrugged, "Well, be careful," he added, "we thought he was trying to get off planet, but with everything locked down...he may be more dangerous since he knows we won't intervene here."
"I'll keep it in mind," she agreed, and walked off towards the local rail system to find one that wound on down to the ground levels of the planet.
His focus hadn’t been human history.
They reached the tree that was home to so many, and Hayate stepped out carefully. He knew it was safe, but there was still something disorienting about being on a tree. The distant sparkling ocean did not relieve him in the least, even if it was pretty. He approached the door with Arien, and adopted a semi-strict posture for himself – back straight, face neutral-warm – as he saw how Arien held himself.
Of course, it broke soon enough, and Hayate let his body relax and a grin form. He also grinned wider at Naomi as she caught onto the hug going on – a real hug, not that bump thing Arien called a hug. Clearly this was reserved for closer relationships.
He stepped in and also took note of the minimalism going on. ‘You two must be so hard to shop for.’ When he heard his name, he stood briefly at attention, “Yes – that’s me,” he confirmed for Menzai, “It’s good to see you again, sir,” he added, “and to be invited into your home. I’ve never been in a place like this, despite all the travels we’ve done.”
Weaving nature into a world just wasn’t common practice.
Technology took over, more often than not, but here it seemed to be enfolded and welcomed into the natural world in such a strange way. The galaxy could learn a lot from the le’ak. Hells, Hayate wished then he had gone further with his degree to try and research this to bring it back to the wider galaxy.
But he knew even that wouldn’t go far.
Hayate hesitated to say more, unsure if Arien wanted to broach the subject of the broadcast they saw immediately or not. He still dared, “How are you all holding up with that…blockade going on?” Things seemed well enough on the surface, but he just got here. A lot could be going on he didn’t know about.
~***~
Ancasta remained silent on the way to the station, and was silent leaving the vehicle as well. Noy, no doubt, would go find a place to park, and then go spend his time in the station. It was large, a central hub built into a large tree, tending to all sorts of travel – water, space, air, land. It was more for commercial travel, compared to private, the reason that Ananke didn’t land here, really.
She stepped into the building, walking upon the amber ground, to one of the many eateries within the area. No matter what planet people were on, they needed places to eat while they waited on transit, and it was as good a place as any to meet her employers.
All sorts wandered into and around stations, after all.
Within the Floressence, Ancasta found the le’ak employer and slid into seat at his booth, “I was starting to wonder,” he chuckled. “Glad you could make it.”
“As am I,” she didn’t really care, “tell me about the mark.”
“Right to business. Well,” he turned his tablet towards her, and she took it, seeing the sleek humanoid upon it. Not le’ak or human, though – ondiade, with the way their skin shimmered in the pictures and the complete lack of hair. “That is Meluso, and due to our current stance with the ondiade, we cannot touch him,” her employer sighed, “I was relieved when the guild was willing to hear us out. He’s been causing harm across multiple planets to le’aks, so the ondiade have refused him protection, as well, to avoid further conflict with us.”
“Mmm,” she didn’t really need the sob stories, “where is he known to be now?”
“The Sequiatitanis – it’s only twenty minutes out from here.”
One of their larger cities. Ancasta nodded.
“He’s been keeping a low profile, but we’ve seen him in the local transit stations, around the rivers, and within the Groundskeeper. Always on the base levels.”
“That’s all I need,” Ancasta said, “I’ll take the rail down. I’ll send a message when I’ve finished the job,” she stood up, “it won’t be long.”
“You’re confident,” he noted with a bit of a laugh in his tone. She just shrugged, "Well, be careful," he added, "we thought he was trying to get off planet, but with everything locked down...he may be more dangerous since he knows we won't intervene here."
"I'll keep it in mind," she agreed, and walked off towards the local rail system to find one that wound on down to the ground levels of the planet.