"... full reimbursement, huh?" Isa paused, and felt a weight settle over her. At first she was a bit startled by the action, but ... it wasn't so bad. The coat that Hotaru tossed over her would keep her dry and protect her armful of items until she reached the shop. It would also give her a reason to return an hour later, as she'd just said she would.

Hotaru's joke made Isabella's grin widen. "Alright," she said, waving an arm at him. "I'll see you later then, hero." The girl was about to leave when her new friend caught her arm. Eyes widening, Isa looked ready to scream ... until she saw the pen in his hand. She was glad it wrote smoothly, for the prick was rather unpleasant in the cold air. It was worth every second of waiting, though.

"Thank you." Isa returned Hotaru's charming smile, and then looked down at the address on her arm. Somehow he'd managed to write it at an angle she could read.

Hotaru started back down the street, and Isa gave the collar of her new coat a tug to keep it over her head. Shifting the load of items in her arms, she sent a final glance at the male before darting down the street again. It was time get in out of the rain and salvage these items. Heck, even if they couldn't be salvaged, it didn't matter. She'd just made a valuable acquaintance....
-

Derek smiled tightly, and nodded to Rayne. She would worry no matter what he told her. That was how family worked. Or, how it was supposed to work. The Pyrate eyed the waitress as she passed the table. Usually she was so attentive....

The male stood, drawing the attention of the closest patrons. He was a fairly large Pyrate, and he was built for physical combat. Derek immediately saw the waitress headed toward him, as though standing had reminded her of his presence. He passed over enough money to pay for the multiple mugs sitting on his table plus some.

"I wouldn't waste your time worrying." Derek pulled on a leather coat that had been sitting on the booth beside him. "You'll waste your life away thinking about something that doesn't deserve so much attention." With that, he left the cafe. The broad-shouldered male stepped out into the light rain with a frown. Had he been rude? Did it matter?

His metallic gaze flickered up just in time. Avoiding Hotaru, he registered the other male as a Pyrate - a potential threat. As he began to walk down the street, Derek realized that the man he'd passed looked just like Rayne. That must have been her twin.

With a mental sigh, the Pyrate continued on down the street. He needed to find something to do. He was just wasting his own life away sitting around and waiting for work. He'd sign up for a partner in the morning. Maybe something would come up.

((YES. Stick them together in a place. >:3 Treasure hunting ... well, hmm. Derek seems the sort to go on mercenary missions to wipe people out as opposed to hunt treasure. ;) Perhaps Hotaru was set on chasing down the guy who had this treasure, and Derek went with him. Then they'd be bounty hunters more like. haha, and it would be great to have an exploding building - a trap meant to kill them off. What do you think of that one?

And a Hatter! :D DO IT. lol))
-

Cain raised both of his eyebrows as though to answer Odessa's question. No, he obviously wouldn't tell her about the names. That was something that was crucial knowledge - very few held the databases of the government in their heads. Of course he knew everyone's names. Cain had constant access to the archives of which avatar belonged to which human being.

Her next question made him smile slightly. "Perhaps I find you interesting." There was a flicker of sarcasm in Cain's voice. "Or perhaps I've been particularly bored with life, and have finally allowed someone to entertain me with their inane questions." The male tilted his head a bit, shrugging. "All fine excuses."

Cain held Odessa's gaze for a few moments before raising an eyebrow. "What? Do you require another answer, Odessa?" He hadn't answered her question, but ... in a way he had. Cain did find Odessa interesting, though not in the "let's be friends" sort of way. She wasn't in the database. That either meant she was purposefully off the grid, or that there was a flaw in the system. Either situation was interesting to Cain. He'd been around for many years, watching the others come and go as frequently as the seasons. Rarely did anything catch his attention. Odessa, though....

"There's something different about you." Cain looked serious. The words were heavy, as though it had burdened him to speak them aloud. They revealed nothing other than the fact that he did indeed have an interest in Odessa.

Cain's blue eyes moved to the Pyrate who left the cafe. Derek Vos. Sad story, that one. Cain's gaze returned to Odessa. "Are you lingering here for a specific reason, or are you just enjoying the dregs of your tea?"

((Another charrie! :3 Do it! LOL, and I'm thinking glitch is totally the reason. If you like the idea, I'm good with it! haha))
-

Sarah Dunmir shifted her bag. The thing was missing one strap and a few pockets, but it was doing alright. It couldn't hold anything heavier than ten pounds, but there wasn't much in it anyway. There was a roll, a few scraps of paper, and some wire that she'd snagged from a stray vendor what he wasn't looking.

The girl avoided bumping shoulders with the surrogates that walked past her. Her arms were already bruised from carelessly walking through the crowd at the live action arcade earlier. Sarah enjoyed the arcade namely because the kids there were rich, and forgot to keep their wallets where they could see them.

Tugging at the rusty brown scarf around her neck, Sarah glanced down. Good. Her coat and scarf hid her tattoos. Any skin markings would label her as an outsider - and that would get her in trouble. The law didn't like it when people didn't play their game. Sarah didn't even exist on the board. As far as the government knew, she was dead. Or, that's what Sarah hoped.

She slipped into the nearest building hoping to avoid the next drizzle. This was all she had to wear for the night, and she wasn't exactly invulnerable to things like pneumonia. Sarah's gaze moved to the surrogates at the tables. They were always so pristine - so beautiful. Sarah was a remarkable human being, but she didn't reach the same level of perfection that each avatar was given.

Sarah looked up, and then around her for some sign. It looked like a cafe. And with the waitress eying her like that, she needed to look casual. Stand out too often, and you become everyone's interest.

"What's your favorite?" Sarah slipped into the chair across from the nearest avatar. It just happened to be Adin Clark (who she obviously didn't recognize). "I've never been here before."

The male opposite the table from her was a Uni, from the exquisite look of him. As much as Sarah had fought against receiving a government-supplied avatar, they were freaking hot. Like this one. His eyes were a bright crystal blue, and so clear they reminded her of the ocean. Or, what the government said the ocean looked like. Did every Uni have hair that looked that soft?

Her plain brown eyes moved to another avatar. She spent so much time avoiding them, it was difficult to see them up close. They really were perfect, weren't they? The Hatters moved with a kind of happy purpose, as though their job was the best thing in the world. The Pyrates were like military men, all of them muscled up and fit. And the Uni? The Uni were practically angelic.

Sarah lowered her head a bit, observing the menu on the table before her. It wasn't intended for her, but it was coming in useful. "Any suggestions?"

__________________