icy wind (cooro)

[CINNAMON]

Cin didn't really like coming to Astaria. The place was so cold all the time, compared to the warm climate of Sailand. She didn't like the fact that if you did live here, you had to bundle up in layers and layers of clothes, and girls here rarely seem to wear pants, or shorts! How was she supposed to move around like that? She wasn't a famous thief because she worse a petticoat and daintily asked for stuff. She was good at what she did because she was fast, more flexible than most and strong for her age, not to mention being small and thin. At least the cold motivated her a bit more to get the job done and return to somewhere warm.

A few days ago, she sold some information from a few Factions to some others. Valuable or not, she didn't really care. As long as she got paid, she was fine. Daichi kept track of all her money, seeing as she hated being burdened by coins. Sure, she didn't mind carrying a handful, but at the volume and quality of items she stole (and information as well, but she liked stealing material objects; it was easier) it was annoying to carry so much around with her. The life of a thief wasn't to be weighed down. She really didn't know what she was going to do with the money. When she was older and slowed down, she could retire? Buy a nice place and then what? She wasn't going to go enjoy her future life, unless something really unexpected turned up.

She walked around, chewing on a loaf of bread she bought, seeing as she wasn't that known in Astaria for her thieving just yet, unless someone was from a faction, but she didn't want to be known for stealing bread. She was in just about every faction she could be, but the percentage of randomly running into a faction member wasn't that great. Most faction members stayed at their base, so in towns, it was mostly just every day people that didn't do much except eat, work and sleep. It was so boring. She preferred her life, though it wasn't very glamorous either.

She leaned against one of the buildings, watching people go buy. She could pickpocket a few items: watches, brooches, and other valuables that could easily swiped, but like the bread, she wasn't going to steal something as small as that; she'll leave it to the street urchins who needed and extra coin in their pockets to keep going.

However, something did catch her eye. A very fancy looking woman was walking by. The kind that used an umbrella when it wasn't even raining and you could probably scrape off the make up on her face with a chisel. On her hand, what shined brightly in the sun. She hoped it wasn't just a piece of glass on the woman's finger, but a diamond instead. Cin loved the way diamonds sparkled, though she would never wear any type of jewelery, not including the occasional thin, small necklace Daichi would often have her wear. Still, a ring like that could go for a lot of gold...

She quickly finished off her bread and scanned the area quickly. The place wasn't too crowded, on guard to the far left, scolding two young kids for something, a few salemen, random people, but nothing that would really make a scene. She walked towards the lady, and eventually passing her by, still walking at a normal pace. The skill to pickpocketing was to take things without them even knowing you were there. As Cin had walked past, the lady's hand was at her side, the other one occupied with the unneeded umbrella, she had managed to slide the ring off. The woman's fingers were long and thin, the ring slightly too roomy for her digits, all things she had taken into account. If the ring had been slightly smaller, she would have bumped someone else into her (though that would take more time to prepare) and helped the woman up, taking the ring with her.

She kept walking for another block or two before opening the palm of her hand, holding it up to her eyes. Yes, a diamond, and a good one as well. Hm, easy snatching. Well, for her.

[COORO]

Cooro held his scarf tightly over his throat as another gust of wind flew by. During this time of winter, the breeze was icy enough to make a simple breath cause you to feel as though you would freeze from the inside out. Luckily he still had quite a few winter clothes handy - this time he was wearing an old scarf Nana had knitted several winters ago.

Nana...that's right. This is where he'd met her, wasn't it? How long ago was that, now? He couldn't quite remember, but he felt bittersweet tinge of nostalgia as he looked around at the market stalls. It mixed with a feeling of loneliness he refused to acknowledge.

Still, he wasn't here for anything sentimental or exciting; he was here on orders of the Vindico higher ups. It was one of his usual jobs; grab some food and supplies and ferry them back through the air if he could without being seen. The crow +anima fiddled through his pockets. He had quite a bit of money with him, but most of it belonged to the faction - his superiors would be furious if he used it for anything that wasn't on the list. He did have a handful of Gillah to himself, though...money he'd been saving for a while. Maybe he could at least pick up a snack while he was here... Anything would beat the food served in the faction's mess hall!

Deciding to treat himself first, the boy took another glance around the market. But it was then that he noticed something curious...an out of place shimmer catching his eye.

He turned just in time to see that sparkle transfer from one woman's hand to that of a girl walking by her, instead. "Ah..." It didn't take long to process what he'd just seen - after having traveled for so long, it wasn't the first time he'd seen such a thing. ...Sparkly things were usually expensive, weren't they? The woman with the umbrella would surely be sad when she realized it was gone... His eyes wandered after the woman as she walked away, completely oblivious, before shifting back towards the girl he'd seen pass her, instead.

Not thinking too much about it, he casually followed after her. She finally stopped after a bit, seemingly examining the shiny thing in her hands. The boy took the opportunity to approach with a slight frown. "...It's not good to steal, you know."

[CINNAMON]

Cin looked up when someone spoke to her, she looked up to see a somewhat familiar face. It's bad to thieve? Impossible. There's always someone who has too much stuff, overpriced stock and whatever. Though, in her case, she didn't justify her stealing. She stole because that was what she was good at. Who cares if it isn't nice? The world isn't nice. She looked back down at the ring and placed it on her finger. It wasn't old, she could tell by the feel of the band of the ring, so it wasn't some family heirloom. The woman, unless she was extremely stupid, probably had a lot of cash (or her suitor did) and it would only be a small loss. There would be no major damage by stealing this ring.

She looked him over. She had definitely seen him before, perhaps a faction? She could never keep those factions straight in her head, but depending on this boy's membership, this could go rather bad for her. She decided to play it safe, not to bring up the factions unless she needed to. "I don't care. It's how I make my living," she said, sticking out her tongue, hoping he didn't know her. And if he did, would leave her alone. She looked at her wrist, pretending there was a watch there. "Oh, look at the time, I have to get going. Nice meeting you," she said in a sickening sweet fake voice.

She spun on her heel and began to walk off. Ugh. People should really mind their own business. The only people she didn't mind harassing her about her thefts were guards (only because it was fun to make them look like fools when they chased her) and Daichi. Ah, Daichi. You save a guy's life and he wants you to settle down and act like a lady. Psh, no way she was going to do that. Speaking of him, she really had to talk to him to stop buying her all the girly clothes he gave her, the ones with the lace and skirts. It was all just so very wrong to her.

Now, what to do? Find a hotel, maybe? She liked a warm bed, compared to sleeping out in the open, or in the room Daichi always had around just for her, full of stolen items she liked, the girly clothes she never wore and stuffed animals. He treated her like she was five years old. It was weird to her, why he went through all this trouble. Sure, she lost her brother, but this guy wasn't responsible for it. She never understood the way other people thought.

[COORO]

The girl didn't seem moved in the least by his words, instead casually slipping the ring onto her finger as if it'd always been hers. It was strange to him how someone could almost seem proud of taking something away from another person. Even if it was wrong, he could understand doing what you had to do to survive, but surely there were other ways, weren't there? And why a ring? Wouldn't other things, like food, for instance, be more important to steal than jewelry? Such things were luxuries, not necessities. ...Unless she intended to sell it for Gillah, of course, but judging from the way it was placed firmly around her finger, he wasn't sure that was the case.

This girl, her tongue stuck out with her answer, confused him. A small frown crept across his face. "But you don't really need a ring to live, do you?" He voiced the thought aloud. "If you don't need it, you should return it. Regardless of the reason, stealing from another person is always wrong." He preached innocently, reciting words he'd heard many times growing up in the church orphanage when he'd tried to sneak bits of food from the other children's plates or run off with shared toys. "The Sister's told me that someone who lives on the sadness of others can never really be happy." After his earlier travels and during the current war, he'd realized how true that was.

The girl abruptly turned on her heel and walked off before he could say anything else, moving at a fast pace. For a moment, he did nothing, debating on whether to continue to follow or let the issue drop.It wasn't really his business to get involved... Maybe he should just get on with his assignment - if he took too long the higher-ups might get mad again.

But - ! Just as he was about to turn and head in the other direction, something suddenly clicked in his mind. ...Had he seen this girl walking off somewhere before? She was getting farther away now, so he quickly skipped a few steps forward to keep up and get another look at her. Yes, he was sure of it! It took him a few moments to place the memory, but it finally came to him. " - Wait!" He hurried up next to her and lowered his voice to keep others from overhearing. "...Weren't you at the base the other day?"

[CINNAMON]

Cin was getting a little annoyed at this kid, his self righteous ways. "Does she?" she asked him. Sure, she didn't need it, but did that lady look like she needed it either? She had fancy looking clothes, a pretty little umbrella, and by the way she walked around, she looked as if she had a more than decent life. She never stole from the poor, only the rich. She was like Robin Hood, except she doesn't do anything with the money. Most of it goes to Daichi, who works in the Black Market. The money gives him an extra edge, getting the best stuff and selling it for a profit. He was one of the best in the industry, because of her, though she never held him accountable to it.

"War is wrong too. But that still happens," she said, though she knew that was an extremely lame reason. Really, stealing was all she was good at and it was her last connection to her brother. They were the smallest in their family, always getting the scraps. They had to steal to survive. Soon, stealing became something more: being a family. It was all they had since their parents were always working and their siblings were doing something as they were older.

Cin started laughing at what the boy said. People that live off other people's sadness would never be happy? For her, it was true in some sense. She was never happy, but not because she stole. Her brother died because she saved their employer, something she would always regret. Stealing made her a bit happier. "I'm living off other people's happiness, seeing as what I steal is always something they might like." Ha! See, he's wrong. She's right.

When she was walking off, she thought that he might leave her alone, leaving her to do whatever she wanted to do, which was probably going off and sleeping in a tree for the night and then running off to the next city to do the same thing again. "Can't you just leave me-" she growled, but then he asked her if she was at base, causing her to stop. She looked at him, her brown eyes very cold and distant. "Yes. I was. Going to report me? Feel free." She crossed her arms, looking down at him. He looked about her age, but if she needed to, she could take him on. He looked ditzy for someone in a faction and very naive, scolding a thief like her would somehow make her change ways.

Another cold wind passed and she failed to repress the chatter of her teeth. She couldn't understand why people lived here, it was much too cold. "You're annoying, you know that?" she said, though her words did not at all sound like a question.

[COORO]

"Does she?"

Cooro blinked. Well, no...he had to admit. But...but that didn't mean that you could go taking whatever you wanted!

He took another step forward at her next words, though. "So does that mean we should just sit back and accept it?" War was wrong, and it was infinity worse than stealing a simple ring. But by that logic, wouldn't accepting the a theft be the same as accepting war? Just because something "happened" shouldn't mean that it had to be automatically accepted even if it was wrong! It was that type of thinking that had started this whole thing. After all, if the war had never started, maybe he would still be traveling around with his old friends instead of spending most of his days between the stone walls of Vindico's base, alone. No matter how big or how small, these "wrongs" only brought with them suffering. If only more people would start to stand up for what was right again...

His gaze narrowed slightly in irritation - an emotion that was almost foreign to him - as the girl chuckled. "But how can you be happy knowing that you've done something that might make someone else sad?" He pressed, earnestly not understanding. "Besides, things are just things. If you just steal something, it doesn't really mean anything to you, but it might've meant something to the other person. Happiness doesn't come from the thing itself."

Cooro found himself stopping at her next words. What was he going to do? Was he going to report her? Would that really do any good? Was it worth it? He opened his mouth, about to anxiously shout out that 'maybe he would', but found himself sucking the air back down as he noticed the slight chatter of her teeth.

He felt his uncharacteristic irritation suddenly ebb away. Maybe he'd been getting too worked up. He thought his own life was tough, but at least he had the base to return to, even if it was hardly a home. If this girl was so set on stealing, she probably didn't even have that. It couldn't be easy. Did she have to stay out in this cold? Did she even have access to food? What a terrible thought!

He found himself smiling just slightly. "I've heard that a few times before." He answered casually, not bothered. He absently placed a hand in his bag, trying to remember how much Gillah he'd been allowed. "I was going to grab something to eat before I ran into you. You can come if you want - I'll buy you something. That'll be one less time that you have to steal, right?" He offered, deciding to try a different approach.

[CINNAMON]

"I'm not saying that at all!" Cin said. "I'm just saying that it's none of your business." Man, would this guy never shut up? She looked at the ring. Maybe if she gave it to him, it would shut him up. He could do whatever with it; sell it, keep it, give it back. Wait. Give it to him? No way! He would have to do something for her to make her even consider handing back stolen goods. Her stolen goods.

"I dunno. Just am," she replied, clenching her fists. If this kid didn't leave her alone soon... she was going to blow her top. She really didn't want to tell him the real reason, that the things itself didn't make her happy, but the act of stealing did. She didn't want to bring up her brother. She didn't want to think about his death. She wanted this kid to leave her alone. Cin just really wasn't the type to enjoy strange company that questioned her morals.

She looked down at the kid with a strange look. He was willing to buy her food. "I already ate," she said, denying his offer. "I'm not poor and useless; don't get that idea in your head." Though it was obvious she didn't like this kid, the thought of her being seen as a helpless little poor girl was infuriating. She was Cin! The most wanted thief in all of Sailand! Sure, she was just now starting her reputation here in Astaria, but she hated being looked down on.

"I take care of myself, ya' hear?" Cin said as she stopped walking, her hands on her hips. Like everything else, she didn't want to explain to him anything, but everything was on the tip of her tongue waiting to slip out so he knew who she actually was. She managed to hold it back, but the anger stayed. "If you do want to help, I would love a coat or something."

[COORO]

This was pretty useless, wasn't it? No matter what he said, the girl didn't seem to take any notice. It was...a bit frustrating, as well as bewildering. ...Maybe he should just take the hint and leave her to her business, regardless of what that was. He had a tendency to get too wound up in anything that happened to catch his interest - in reality, he should probably be focusing on buying what he'd been ordered to and hurrying back to the base before he got in trouble for getting distracted again.

He felt his gaze sink slightly as she shot down his offer, and attempt at a different approach. How could anyone say no to free anything, especially free food?! This girl really made no sense at all. He lifted his gaze back up at her next words, though.

"I didn't mean it like that!" He quickly shot back, not having meant it as an insult...although he realized now it could've easily come across that way if he tried to look at it from her perspective. He didn't care about that sort of thing at all, or rather, 'had no shame', as someone else had put it, and would eagerly take anything he was offered, but perhaps she wasn't like that.

Still...he couldn't help but smile slightly again at her next words, despite the harsh edge. "A coat it is then!" He insisted, moving around in front of her in an attempt to keep her from leaving the market. "Pick one out and I'll buy it!" Hopefully she didn't have expensive tastes!

[CINNAMON]

Oh, she got the little boy worked up. Cin had to admit that it was pretty funny, but at least he hadn't been looking down on her or pitying her. That was some kind of a relief. When he told her that he would buy her a coat, she wasn't too impressed. He was a little goody-goody, huh? She could have stolen anything easily and taking advantage of people wasn't really her thing. Especially not kids. She knew how rough it could be trying to earn your own money. He probably had a bit more trouble since he didn't steal, from what she could assume.

"Good," she said, indifferently, stopping as he stood in front of her. She scowled, passive-aggressively pushing him as she walked back into the market. Most of the stands were about food, but she managed to spot a clothing store. Hopefully, they might have something she could use. Conning him out of his money wasn't something that would sit well with her, so if she didn't find something cheap, she wouldn't ask for it. This would be the only time you might find her acting a little bit selflessly. That is, unless he started to yap on and on again.

In the store, it was only slightly warmer and filled to the brim with fabric and clothes. "This one," she told the boy, holding up a slightly too large coat of brown fabric. It was the only one that she found to be her size, warm and cheap.

"Oh, that one?" the owner of the store asked, her voice annoying and high pitched with a strong Asterian accent. "That will be eight gillah," she said, smiling, looking at Cin, who looked at the boy.

While waiting for him to buy it for her, she decided to be a bit friendly. It couldn't hurt. Besides, it might come in handy for her, seeing as he was a part of some faction. She might be able to squeeze some information out of him, or make an ally. Well, ally in a loose sense.

"I'm Cin," she stated blatantly, the previous scowl never having left her face. "Yours?"

[COORO]

The girl agreed, but still didn't seem to cheer up much. She passed him a scowl, giving Cooro a shove as she headed back towards the market. Not the best of manners, but at least he'd finally gotten her to agree to something. Undeterred, he eagerly followed after her as they moved back to the crowded stands and groups of people.

There were plenty of food stands, but there were a few supply and clothing sellers, as well. It took the girl a good while before she said anything. He simply hung around her quietly, buying himself a few treats and some the supplies he needed while he waited. Nonetheless, he held out about ten gillah for whatever coat she picked. Hopefully that'd be enough. He couldn't realistically really spare more than that on a stranger.

"This one." The girl finally decided, while they lingered inside an old clothing shop. She held out a loose brown coat. It looked just a bit too big, but he wasn't going to criticize her decision. Before he could say anything, the shopkeeper spoke up. Eight gillah. At least it was pretty cheap.

The girl passed him a look. The boy nodded, taking it and heading it up to the stand.

Much to his surprise, she spoke up again while he was buying it. Cin, huh? A pretty cool name! He wondered if that was her real one. A large grin spread across his face, the crow +anima consciously ignoring her scowl - there were some people who just never smiled. Maybe he'd finally gotten through to her. "I'm Cooro!" He announced excitedly. "It's nice to met you!" He chimed politely, hoping it might make up for their rather awkward introduction earlier.

The shopkeeper handed back the coat shortly afterwards. "Here you go." The boy held it out for the girl. "...Where are you going after this, anyway?" He asked after a bit of hesitation. It wasn't really any of his business, either, but he was a bit curious. He'd seen her at the Vindico base before; if by chance she was heading back that way, maybe they could travel together.

[CINNAMON]

Cin snatched back the coat after he paid for it, instantly putting it on, wondering if this is what drove the Asteria economy: the need for warm clothes. It still confused her why, or even how, people could deal with this freezing cold! The wind didn't help anything either. Sailand's warm climate was so much more her tastes; there was no need to keep buying clothes for all the changes in the blasted weather.

She ignored the boy to deal with the coat, folding the large sleeves and pushing them up past her elbows. The ability to move her arms was always important to her, but staying warm was also a necessity. This was rather bulky, though, so it didn't seem like moving around was going to be something she did often until this place warmed up or she got back to Sailand.

"Cooro, huh?" she replied. She's heard that name before, somewhere. Whoever he was, if she didn't remember, then he obviously wasn't that important. "I can't really say the same." It was nice to meet her? As if. And then for meeting him? It hasn't exactly been a walk in the park for her. To her, he was really annoying with all his little goody-good words and ideals.

"After this?" Cin asked, skeptically. Did he really want to know? Because she didn't have anything planned. "Nothing," she told him with a shrug of her shoulder. "I'm just doing whatever the heck I want."

[COORO]

The girl wasted no time in snatching away the coat. She put it on right away, having to fold the sleeves. It really was a bit too big...but it actually looked rather cute on her, the boy found himself thinking. He debated on saying something to the effect, but figured that would probably just make her mad. Instead, he simply smiled, hoping she'd actually get use of the gift. During the Astarian winter a coat was one thing no one could do without.

"I can't really say the same."

He did frown slightly at this, disappointed that the coat and the introductions hadn't seemed to change her attitude much. So stubborn. Yet somehow he found himself unable to leave well enough alone. She was different than the people he usually spoke to, even back at the base. She was interesting. "That's too bad, but at least you got a coat out of it." He reminded, his lips moving back to a small, nonchalant grin.

The girl shrugged, stating that she had nothing planned. Not the answer he'd been hoping for, but perhaps it was the second best. "Then how about coming back to the Vindico base? Is there anything you need to do there?" His expression widened hopefully. "We could travel together! Company always makes the trip seem shorter."

He'd finished his shopping and chores now, so he was prepared to start heading back. He'd already spent a lot of extra time...he couldn't really afford to stick around much longer, although the thought of returning to the firm lined faces of his faction mates and the dim gray walls of the fortress was wholly unexciting. So was the idea of moving along the same dull route he'd come, alone. If he managed to talk her into coming, he would lose the advantage of being able to fly, but with getting discovered as a +anima so risky lately, there wasn't a lot of opportunity to use his wings nowadays, anyway. Temporarily trading the ability for some company, even slightly impolite company, would be worth it.

[CINNAMON]

"I guess so," she said, nonchalantly, though she did really appreciate the fact she now had a coat. She might be a bit more warm, not, or at least sheltered from the wind better- the icy wind that bit and stung at her skin that was accustomed to survive in the warmer weather in Sailand where overheating was the problem and not hypothermia. Cin sighed, putting her hands in the pockets and playing with the little bit of lint in the corners with the tips of her calloused fingers.

She pushed the door that lead back outside open with her shoulder, not in the mood to take the effort of removing one of her hands from the coat to open a door. It wasn't a knob door, anyways, so there had been no need for the use of her hands to begin with. Once more, she sighed as Cooro began to talk again, his voice like an annoying bird chirping in the morning while she tried to sleep.

Go back to base with him? Ha. She tried to not stay at a base for too long seeing as she was a spy with no real intention of sticking to one side or the other, suspicions were easily aroused when she stuck around for too long, letting people observe her for a bit too long. More often than not, others became suspicious of her behaviors. Sure, she supplied Vindico with intelligence on other places, but she did the same to all the other factions she was 'a part of'.

Outside, she saw something that came to her as quite a shock. She spotted a pair of Dignitis members roaming the streets. She knew them and they knew her. Hanging with Cooro wasn't going to be the easiest thing to explain seeing as, to them, she simply followed the +anima to find their hideouts, not actually a part of some of their factions. Not too quickly, she turned on her heel to face Cooro. "Fine. I'll go with you," she said as she pulled back her braids and stuffed them into the hood of the coat, then pulling the hood over her head. Though she couldn't bear to part with it, her long twin braids tended to be something that easily identified her.

Cin began to walk in the opposite direction of the Dignitis members, hoping Cooro would take her actions as a short cut out of the city instead of going the long way around. "So, uh," she began, trying to think of something that would keep his mind busy from any suspicions of her, "are you a +anima or something?" It was a fair enough question; the Vindico had both +anima and humans.

[COORO]

"I guess so."

The girl admitted flatly. Well, that was better than nothing. Cooro smiled just slightly, following her as she pushed the door open with her shoulders.

A frown began creeping over his expression as he waited for an answer to his latest inquiry. She hadn't responded to the idea of heading back to base yet, but she certainly didn't look interested. He was pretty sure it was going to be a 'no'. Oh well...it'd been worth a try anyway. He opened his mouth, about to pipe up with a goodbye and say that he really needed to be heading back, himself.

When she all at once whirled to face him. "Fine. I'll go with you."

"Really? Great!" The crow +anima grinned, despite being caught off guard by the sudden, apparent change of heart. Adding to the strangeness, the girl suddenly tucked her braids into the hood of her new coat and pulled it up over her face. Why did she decide to do that just now? He tilted his head slightly, but didn't say anything. Maybe she was just cold now that they were outside?

She wasted no time in moving to leave the village. Cooro felt another tinge of confusion as he moved to catch up in the direction she was traveling. "Isn't this way longer? I usually come from the opposite entrance." But her next words quickly moved his mind from that topic and on to another.

The boy paused, sparing a glance around to hopefully assure that no one was eavesdropping before he answered. "Yes; a crow +anima." He answered in hush, nodding. That wasn't the kind of thing you could tell just anyone, of course, but if this girl had worked with Vindico before, that meant she likely couldn't have anything terribly against +anima.

[CINNAMON]

If she hadn't thought it before, the thought was even more prominante: this kid was really annoying. Who got excited because they got Cin to accompany them? It was dumbfounding, really. Most people hated her company, and they were often the people that didn't even know she was a world class thief. Well, Cooro might not know the 'world-class' part, and she hoped to keep it that way. The factions she was a part of in Asteria barely had a big clue as to who she really was. They paid her for information and kept it at that, not even asking how she got said information, so there wasn't a big involvement in anyone one of the factions. Well, she was a bit more involved in Vindico because of Daichi, but it wasn't like she went around telling everyone who she was.

"I don't like people," she replied rather grumpily. "This way is less crowded," she added quickly as she continued forward. It would be best for him and her if they weren't caught by those guys, especially for him. Those people weren't the biggest fan of +anima and if they found out she was a spy and not just a seller of information, she'd be in some pretty deep trouble. People didn't seem to be too happy about deception; they're just so fickle these days. Cin took a quickened glance over her shoulder to see if they were being followed, only to be allowed a moment of relief. For the moment, it seemed like they hadn't spotted her.

Crow, huh? She tried to picture Cooro with black wings. If it weren't for his overly happy attitude and cheering disposition, he could pull off a really menacing look. Give it a few years; the war would sink in and he'd grow into the persona. "Cool stuff. I have a friend in Vindico. Daichi, crab +anima. I probably wouldn't have joined if it weren't for him." It was odd how she saved his life, he tries to act like he owes her everything, but pulls her into politics. Well, he did do so to give her something to do. It was an interesting experience going through people's stuff when they weren't looking and taking important papers or eavesdropping.

Kicking a rock on the ground, she looked at the boy. "Why did you join a faction? You look like the kind of person that would follow people all around, like friends and stuff."

[COORO]

Cooro bit his lip slightly at her rather grouchy answer, but didn't say anything. If she didn't like people or crowds, he wasn't going to change her minds. Especially not after how trying to change her mind about thievery earlier had gone. He caught the girl glance over her shoulder out of the corner of his eye, though. He passed her a blink, as a slight tinge of unease began to prickle at the back of his neck. "...Is something bothering you?"

"A crab +anima? That sounds pretty cool!" He grinned in spite of himself. That was one +anima he'd never seen before. At least...not that he remembered. He tried to recall if he'd ever met this Daichi person. The name sounded a tab bit familiar, but nothing specific came to mind. There were so many members in Vindico that it was hard to remember all of his group mates individually, many of them he'd never truly met. The faction sometimes reminded him of a small, crowded town. He passed her another gaze. "So, you're a regular human, then?" He already knew the answer - she was - he'd simply asked the question as a matter of formality. He'd always had the helpful ability to sense whether a person was a +anima or not, but...based on what happened before...it seemed to be best if others didn't know that.

He paused a bit as the girl spoke up again. A small frown came over his generally upturned lips. "I used to, before the war got bad..." He kicked a rock, himself. He missed those days, more than he ever would've thought possible. "I used to have a few friends I traveled around and lived with. ...We were more like family, really. But..." He bit his lip. "There was an...incident, at the place we were staying, one night. Everyone got really scared, and..." He gave his head a shake, as if to clear away the memories. "I joined Vindico because I was too scared to do anything else." He hung his head a bit. He didn't used to be like this. He hadn't always been such a coward.

He raised his gaze and looked back towards her, partially to change the subject. "Do you have a faction that you stay with?" He'd seen her at Vindico a few times, but it didn't seem she lived there. Then again...since she was human, perhaps she didn't need a faction as a home like he did.

[CINNAMON]

"Of course things are bugging me. Would you like a like a list?" she sarcastically replied, rolling her eyes. Even if he did want a list, she could actually give him a list. He bugged her with his naive adittude, his never ending smile, persistence, idiots, the cold, the layout of Asterian towns and... well, everything! The whole world bugged her, or most of it at least. She had a right to be bugged. Whatever she could do to stop him from asking more questions would be good for the both of them. He wouldn't get attacked and she wouldn't get found out, it was as simple as that.


Cin simply shrugged at his 'cool' comment, the word also reminding her of how cold it was here and the fact she didn't like it. A crab had it's advantages, she guessed, but she enjoyed being who she was, with no perks other than the ones she made for herself: her agility, her speed, her flexibility and on the spot thinking skills. Though most of what she listed won't even help when this new 'thievery' was the transaction of information. However, they would come in handy when or if she was found out, especially in groups like the Diginas or the Supernus, things could go really wrong.

She listened to his sap story of how he lost his friends, not really caring. Friends you could loose. Just find new ones. People like him should have no trouble finding more, whereas she had hard times making friends mainly because she never wanted them. She was fine being by herself and the occasional Daichi. She didn't need anyone. But what she wanted was her brother. "I see, I see," she absently said, hearing in her voice her lack of empathy brought on by thinking of her brother, thinking like nothing else compared to the loss of Al. "The way I see it is they're either dead or joined some faction like you did. You'll find them one way or another," she added, not quite sure if she was saying it to make him feel better or worse.

"Like live at?" she asked, slightly concerned he meant he was implying she was a part of more factions and wondering which one was her main one. "I wander," she said. "Always have, always will." A lie, but one she herself believed. She never had a home and the only time she felt content was stealing with her brother, keeping them on the run and hiding wherever they could. Those were the days she considered home being wherever he was.

"I don't like staying inside too long." This was brought on by many reasons one of which being her irrational fear of kitchen utensils. If you stayed somewhere longer, you ate food with them at a table or in the kitchen: places that held the items she thought would bring her demise. If only the guards in Sailand knew that, they wouldn't have such a hard time trying to catch her. "Do you seriously stay in one place all the time? Sounds boring. The feeling of security is idiotic; it's like you're just trying to be safe until you die naturally. Why not live life to the fullest?" she argued, making this turn and that turn. She didn't know the place too well, but if it was like every other place, she'd have not trouble finding her way out. Not that she was lost, of course.

[COORO]

Cooro frowned as the girl rolled her eyes, flinching in spite of himself at the sharp reply. That wasn't what he'd meant! ...He didn't like lists...but he could make one too! Everyone had things they didn't like, especially nowadays, but that wasn't what he'd actually asked. She likely knew that, but apparently wasn't going to give him a real answer. Hopefully it was nothing, then. He found himself looking away.

"I see, I see."

The girl didn't say anything else for a while, not until he'd finished answering her own question. When she spoke her voice made him wonder if she'd even been listening at all. His face reddened with an uncharacteristic tinge of irritation. He didn't like talking about things like that, and she'd been the one to ask the question! He whirled at her with her next words.

"They're not dead!" He shouted, palms clenched. Why would she even say that? They weren't... He bit his lip. At least he still had Husky, and he'd been slowly making new friends at Vindico, as well. ...But Senri had been captured and carried off towards Acies. And Nana...she hadn't handled the outbreak of war well. What'd happened to them, and the other friends he'd made along their earlier journeys, he had no idea. But the girl was probably right...that first option was an impossibility as far as he was concerned, but they likely had ended up joining a faction somewhere. What other choice would they have, really? He scratched the back of his head at her comment that he'd find them one way or another. "I...hope so."

He listened as she continued speaking. A wanderer... He felt a slight hint of jealousy. He knew the appeal...he didn't care for being cooped up inside either. He bit his lip at her next question, realizing that he had to think for a moment. "It is boring. Really boring! But..." He heaved a sigh, before turning towards her. "I don't want to give up on the hope of a good future! And if things get better again, I want to be here to see it!" Yes...that was it. Perhaps it was foolish, but he didn't care.

He followed the girl, padding after her through a series of turns. He passed her another glance. "I think the way out is that way." He commented, pointing to an alleyway at their right.

[CINNAMON]

What happened next she had not expected, hearing Cooro burst out like that. Sure, it seemed probable, but as she heard him get all angry about it and saw his body language tense it was hard not to laugh. It was funny looking at his red face like that. He managed to be mostly calm when dealing with her, which was surprising, even worthy of a congratulations, compared to most people that knew her longer than a few minutes. She would have given him a round of applause if she felt like doing something like that for someone else. She always thought that the only person that deserved her time was Daichi, but that man owed her his life. Quite pleasant, actually, when he wasn't stuffing her into dresses.

So instead of a clap or two, she pulled her hand out from her pocket. And with a toothy grin, Cin patted him on the back. A more accurate description would be that her hand slapped his back with enough force to push an elderly man to the ground. If there was going to be a retelling of the event, she probably wouldn't have described it as accurately as previously mentioned. Especially if he hurt himself. Depending on the listener of the story, they'd be able to tell that she wasn't telling the whole truth, but who said she'd confess to it?

"Oh, cheer up!" the thief exclaimed gruffly, keeping her voice from being too loud in case those men were within hearing distance. Then again, if they were within hearing distance at this point, they might be following them. Ugh. Why couldn't things just go the way she wanted them to, for once? No dresses, no annoying people buying her coats, no cold wind. The world just hated her, huh? "I mean, if they are dead, thinking they're still alive or dead doesn't change a thing!" One might get your hopes up and the other might be giving up hope, but the end result would always be the same.

"Pfft," she fibbed, epically failing at resisting to laugh. "Why not just leave and come back once it's fixed? You're not that important." Though she was just being blunt and honest, she never had any intentions of hurting his feelings. In her mind, he was one of many hundreds of +anima. Would they really be worse off without him? Was he that important? Unlikely.

"Huh? Okay," she said with a shrug as she turned at the corner, poking out her head first to see if the men she had seen earlier were anywhere in sight. If she had been alone, she would have trailed them just to make sure they weren't tailing her though she wouldn't be avoiding them if she were alone, either. Ugh. She knew people were annoying to be around. Whatever. Maybe she could convince Cooro later to braid her hair. It was so long and hard to brush and she hated doing the work. Short hair wasn't an option. No way. She'd just end up looking like... like Al again.

"Why do you even care about your friends that much?" she asked with a hint of sincerity in her voice, something almost as rare as a two headed snake. Why on earth would someone even need friends and actually care about them? She had done fine on her own. Better! in fact compared to when she had to rely on others. At least, she thought so.