| Of Malls and Meetings | ||
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The place is busy. It's not noisy busy. There aren't a ton of animals walking around. But it's just busy. A stag steps out of the main elevator, on his phone, with a well-dressed lion in tow. It's not a lion that Lillia has seen yet, however, but it would be the only Carnivore visible there on the main floor. Strange how the buck keeps lions in suits around, even when he's not around. "Of course, sir." The lion, Agata, knows the deer. That's Hartford. He's one of assistant executives and has been with the company since Oguma, Louis' father, first started it. "I'll be sure to let your personal security know. They've had little to do today with you out." The tall stag with an impressive set of antlers passes a glance to Agata. "Yes, sir. I believe I see one of them now." Six inches away, at that. "Shall I send him over to assist you at the mall, Mister Louis?" Lillia nods as the doe receptionist tells her that Louis isn't here, and is turning to head out when a stag and a lion she is indeed yet to meet steps out of the elevator. At first glance she thought it might have been Louis, but no, it was a different stag, and of course she then overhears the phone conversation with her rather large ears, and recognizes Louis' voice. She steps closer and looks up at the stag, biting her lip nervously. "Um, excuse me sir, is there some sort of trouble at the mall? I was looking to meet Louis today." One of Agata's ears flick as he listens in on the conversation, having had the pleasure of keeping Hartford company while his boss is away on a trip to the mall. He still didn't understand why the deer went ahead without so much as letting him provide company. Then again, Louis has always been the type to prove his worth in the most rash of ways possible so it shouldn't be that much of a surprise to him. As he stood in anticipation, waiting for the go ahead, his head turns to the sound of someone speaking, coming to land his gaze on a hybrid. At first glance, he raises an eyebrow until his eyes widened then shortly thereafter return to a normal state in just a matter of seconds. "Oh, hey, you must be Lillia. You're in luck, we're about to go meet him right now in fact." Hartford pulls the phone from his ear and covers it with his free hand as he looks over at Lillia when she approaches. It's very unprofessional, but it only takes a moment to see that she's not the typical type of clientele to come in for business negotiations. "Excuse me, what? I'm very sorry, but I'm on the phone with Mister Louis the Red Deer, our CEO, so- Wait a moment." Uncovering the phone and looking to Agata, the tall stag speaks to the deer on the other end of the line once more. "I apologize, sir, but there's a young lady here to see you at the office. Did one of your appointments not get moved?" Agata takes the lead in replying to the fawn, however, leaving the tall older business-faced deer to listen to the words of his boss while looking between the other two. "Oh, I see. Well, Mister Agata has volunteered to play chauffeur. Of course, sir. Yes, sir. I'll see that others have it ready before tomorrow morning." Hartford tucks the phone between his head and shoulder and uses a hand to pull back his jacket and shirt sleeves to check a very expensive-looking watch. "It was nine o'clock as I recall. Yes, sir. Yes and enjoy the rest of your day, Mister Louis." The call is ended and the phone slipped into an inside jacket pocket. Turning away, the stag briefly nods to Agata. "I need to drive out to Haku-to and back. Louis is at the mall in the town center, down the street from B-Strike, and may need some relief transporting packages from what I gather. Safe driving...Agata." Off the stag wanders to leave the two to whatever arrangement they work out. It's none of his business and he has far more expensive things to see after before the business day is up. City Center? By car that's about a fifteen minute drive if traffic is lenient. By train it'd be closer to 10, but Louis needs personal transportation. Lillia eyes the watch curiously, it was fancy and shiny. But it was clear that this stag had other things to attend to, and the lion had taken the initiative to talk to her. She'd likely have been more nervous talking to Agata if she hadn't spent a few occasions around here meeting Louis and the rest of his guards, and he seemed as friendly toward her as the others so she greets him with a smile. "Oh really? That's great! Can I come too? Maybe I can help even, I can carry some packages, as long as they're not super heavy." She of course had no idea what driving was, she's seen cars sure, but the context was lost on her. "Oh, and yes, I am Lillia, I guess I'm kinda hard to miss around here..." Watching Hartford walk away, Agata returns his attention to Lillia with a bright and proud smile as he nods. "Yeah, you can come! The more, the merrier! And you can leave the heavy packages to me." He says with a wink, then wanders over to the wide double doors of the building's entrance, peering out the stainless glass to see the parked car that is often used for trips and the like. Pushing one of them open, he looks back and motions with a clawed hand for Lillia to follow before exiting and crossing the distance to climb inside the vehicle. Lillia chuckles a bit as Agata says she can leave the heavy packages for him, well then it seems they have a plan. "Sure! You do look pretty strong, but I guess that makes sense cause you're a lion." She comments as she follows him to the entrance and out the door, letting out an 'Eeep!' as the door smacks her on the rear when she doesn't move through it quick enough. She looks back, and takes a deep breath. "Sorry..." Finally, she follows to the car, and looks at it incredulously. She watches Agata get inside, and after a bit of fumbling she does manage to open the passenger door. "Um, I've never been inside one of these strange metal carriages... I don't think I'd fit in this seat very well though..." Agata lifts an eyebrow, looking over his shoulder to the back space of the car to find it incredibly spacious and then back to her with a reassuring smile. "Oh no, there's plenty of room! Plenty of vehicles are built for larger animals in mind so this wouldn't be much trouble at all." Lillia looks to the back seat, then back at Agata, and laughs. "Oh, right, that does look better. Still not a very big place compared to the buildings, but... I guess it's just for a little bit, and the windows open too right?" She asks as she moves to open one of the rear doors. The fawn might be a touch claustrophobic. Still, she begins climbing into the seat, it's not easy getting her four long legs into the car without falling, but she manages to get up onto the seat after a bit of struggling and shuffles forward, getting her rump fully in. "Um, could use a little help with the door now I think..." Agata blinks rapidly for a few seconds after watching her climb into the back seat of the car, now realizing that despite its size, her anatomy makes things a tad difficult. It takes him a moment to reel himself back to reality on the question that was voiced and he jolts, pressing a button for the windows to be rolled down before coming out to close the rear door. After doing this, he gets back into the driver seat, closes the door shut, takes out a set of keys to turn on the engine and drives toward their destination. Lillia is now experiencing her first car ride, and she's not really sure how to feel about it. On one hand, it was kind of scary that they were going faster than she could ever hope to run, but on the other, the view out the window as things whizzed past was kind of amazing, and surely this big metal shell around them would provide some protection if they were to hit something, right? "I've uh... never been in one of these before... Though I guess that might have been obvious? You're one of Louis's bodyguards right?" Agata nods with a beaming smile while keeping eye contact on the road. "Yup, and one of the friendliest! Well, that might apply to Free more than me. Heh, but who's counting, right?" He chuckles as he takes in the view. Traffic was especially light today. "Hope you don't mind, but my boss filled me in on what happened with you and a goat called Junji. It surprised me, and still does...are you alright?" Lillia nods, turning from the view to look at Agata, though she is still watching the world blur past out of the corner of her eye as she talks with Agata. "You all do seem pretty friendly, I'm not sure what I expected from a group of lions with a deer as their boss, but I'm glad I met you and Louis. As for what happened to me, it was very scary and I probably did get in over my head, but I'm fine, I'm sure it could have gone a lot worse, but thankfully it didn't... Maybe I should get some guards, though I'm not sure how I'd pay them." She half jokes. Agata giggles and turns right at an intersection. "Hey, if my boss would ever allow it, I'd make sure you're safe whenever possible. Free of charge!" his smile grows wide at that, stretching from ear to ear. "But it's good to know you're okay. Not a lot of herbivores or hybrids come out of attacks like that and still be stable after. Which...by the way, I've never really seen someone like you before. Despite what boss told me, it was almost hard to believe. Uh, sorry if that was rude." Lillia smiles and giggles right along with Agata, her smile growing as well at the offer that he'd protect her free of charge, assuming Louis would allow it, since he was the boss. She doesn't really want to think about how bad things can go for herbivores getting attacked and coming out mentally scarred let alone physically. So she gravitates to the mention of her appearance being hard to believe. "Oh no, I don't mind at all. I'm not from around here at all, so I don't think calling me a hybrid really tells the whole story. To be completely honest, it is likely there isn't another quite like me, at least, not that came to being in the same way." "Yeah, I can agree with you there." He says and softly hums, tapping a finger on the steering wheel as he turns another corner, coming close to their destination. "Well, you have me curious to know where you're actually from! And I think boss mentioned another thing about you, umm...something about dreams?" It was still a lot to process that kind of information when it was told, the concept of possible magic being completely alien to him. Lillia nods, and is happy to tell about where she's from. "I come from a land called Distant Oceans, more specifically, from a grove within the Enchanted Forest." She considers explaining that her mother is a tree, but considering how well it went over when she mentioned magic, she decides not to blow Agata's mind unless he specifically asks, if he does she's not going to make up some lie, fearing that will only make the truth more damaging when it comes out. At the mention of dreams, she again tries to explain while avoiding the M word. "Well, you might say I have a special gift for helping others sleep and also dream better." "Hmm...an enchanted forest and you're from a land called Distant Oceans. Sounds pretty far from here." Agata scans the area as they arrive in the city center, having spotted the specific mall Louis is in. Without taking too much time, he finds a suitable spot and parks the car, turning off the engine. "And since you said you're a specialist..." he looks over his shoulder, pupils dilating to big round orbs and ears flattening on his skull. "Do you think you could help me dream of silver vine more? I love the actual stuff but dreaming about it makes it so exciting!" Lillia nods, and as Agata parks the car starts trying to figure out how she's going to get out of this car after how much trouble she had getting in. "It is pretty far away yes. It's on the other side of the great river which separates Center City and Distant Oceans. As for your dreams, I might be able to help, but you'll have to pardon my ignorance, what is silver vine?" Agata pockets the car keys and steps out, coming around to unlock the rear door before reaching with an outsretched hand to help. "It's a plant we cats like. Basically, in the most simple way I can describe it is that, well...I'll be more happy and affectionate." He clears his throat, ears flattening again as his eyes look elsewhere. "If you ever feel like it, I can show you some products and stores that have it around. Pretty legal too." Lillia takes Agata's hand, appreciative of the help and has a much easier time getting out than she had getting in. "Oh, I see. Why would a plant be illegal?" She wonders, then laughs and shakes her head. "I still have so much to learn about the world I guess. Anyway, should we go find Louis?" This shopping mall is fairly sizable, but there are a few larger ones in the city. Still, this one is noted for being fairly central with easier access. Two floors of commerce and food and fun. Not a lot of families visit all together; most of the shoppers seem to be fairly young, young adults, and even some children. There is an air of sophistication aside from the youthful energy, though; nobody talks too loud or bothers other customers, the floors are clean and shiny or well-swept, and local mall constabularies are happy to help anybody that needs it. Still, it's big enough that somebody like Louis could be most anywhere. Agata nods, keeping himself close by to Lillia as he steps inside. Without even so much as missing a beat, he whips out his phone to call Louis. While the building wasn't exactly much in comparison to other malls that are the size of one or two put together and then some, it wouldn't take much to easily get lost if one weren't careful. "Hopefully he's not far." Lillia walks with Agata, and doesn't try to stray from him, so it shouldn't be hard to stick close to her. She is quiet for the moment, and tries to avoid attracting attention as much as possible, though for her it's probably inevitable. She is curious as well, gazing around the mall as this is her first time being in one. As Agata attempts to call Louis and says hopefully he isn't far, Lillia nods. "Hopefully. So many others here it'd be hard to find him unless we know where to look." At first there's no answer, but finally the connection clicks and a voice is heard on the other end. There are animals talking nearby, as well. "Agata." There's a pause and then the deer's voice comes from behind the muffling of a hand over the phone. "Just one moment, dearest. Oh, yes. Yes, it is the 'hired help'. Of course." Louis' voice comes through clear once again, albeit in a hushed tone. "Agata, we're by the Hayari Boutique." We? "Floor up, west corner, near the men no yaki vendor." What's with the defeated sigh that follows? As far as going up, escalators might be a unique challenge for some, but there are some lifts instead with plenty of distractions along the way. Agata slowly raises an eyebrow from the sigh and soft tone before schooling his features. "All right, we'll be on our way." He hangs up the phone and turning to Lillia with a small smile. "Okay so, we have directions. And as much as it's easier to go on the escalator...it wouldn't be much fun for you so we're going by lift. Come on!" He turns on his heel and walks to the area he just mentioned, having been here quite a few times already. Lillia has never seen an escalator or a lift before, so she'll have to take Agata's word for it. She nods and promptly follows Agata, having no trouble keeping up even if he picks up the pace, but curiosity does soon get the better of her. "So... what's an escalator, and lift?" Agata lets out a soft hum as he thinks on it. The former would be a little difficult to explain, though the latter wouldn't as they're heading directly to the thing. "An escalator is sort of a platform with a moving staircase going up one way and down on the other side." His eyes roams around the area for a moment until spotting the exact mechanism and points to his left. Animals were standing in place as they slowly ascended and descended, the metal stairs moving them before stepping off the platform. "As for a lift..." His steps take him to a rectangular shaped box in the nearby distance, framed with a white exterior and stainless glass. One could see a panel off to the side with buttons to press, the size of it seeming more than enough to fit him and Lillia. Lillia blinks as Agata points out the escalator while explaining what it is. "Oh... Yeah, I don't like stairs, and moving stairs would probably be a disaster for me to try to use... As for the lift, I just remembered I actually did ride on one of them, at the hospital... Though this one looks a lot more fancy, with the glass walls and all, I guess they want you to enjoy the view of the mall, and maybe see where you're going to go next?" The lion nods, fangs showing as he smiled. "Yeah, that's the whole purpose of it! It's why I like riding these more than the other type that's closed in. Getting to see where I'm going while enjoying the view of everything makes it worthwhile, as silly as it sounds." He chuckles as he comes to a stop in front of the lift, pressing a button to open the glass double doors and steps inside. Lillia follows Agata into the lift as the glass doors open, making sure she's all the way in and her tail has cleared the door, thankfully she discovered the first time at the hospital that the door wouldn't close on her, somehow it could tell she was still blocking it. She looks out through the glass as the lift rises, and asks another question that she's been curious about for a while now. "So, how did all you lions and Louis meet anyway?" Agata's eyes widen, the visible fur bristling as he's taken aback by the question before clearing his throat and smooths down his pelt. "Oh, well that's...umm...a wild story." He chuckles while rubbing the back of his head. It would be extremely difficult to tell her what really happened, seeing as how the actual events would be too much to handle, let alone push back on the small budding friendship that's currently blossoming. Blossoming like the bud on Lillia's head, into a bright golden flower, it does tend to do that when she's excited, or using her magic. "Oh, do I sense that it's also a long story? Maybe you guys and Louis can tell me some other time." She says with a grin and goes back to looking through the glass, but soon the lift stops as it's reached the upper floor, and Lillia exits the lift first, then waits for Agata to come out and lead the way. "Yeah, that's something you'll need to sit down for." The lion says as he steps out of the lift and moves ahead, his confident yet long strides making way to where Louis is located. "I will say that we do care about him, though that could already be obvious, heh." Nearing the location mentioned, the men no yaki -- fried noodles -- vendor is nearby with an open-air iron hot plate, called a teppan, where the mongoose behind it cooks aromatic snacks for passersby. Many groups of people are about, mostly slowly walking along while they mill about heading to whichever location their hearts desire next, although one gathering seems a bit larger than most. Within the middle stand two deer, one with antlers, beside a malamute guard dressed in mall security uniform. Various other animals stand around and the deer seem to be talking between a number of the animals while the malamute keeps a close eye on everyone present. The buck of the pair is dressed in a slightly over-sized sweater with a big woolen scarf around his neck. They have cozy colorations, especially for being post-Rexmas, lacking that celebratory edge that the main body of the holiday season dictates. The doe, however, is garbed in a stunning and well-fitted silk dress that shimmers between red and orange depending on the light, golden bangles, and green emerald dangling earrings. Louis nods and speaks, although waht he says is lost to the conversational ambiance. At least at first. "Well, I think so. It's important to be respectful of our differences, even when they can be scary." The doe adds, "That's why Horns Conglomerate is paving the way for universal acceptance." "Y,yes," stumbles the buck as the doe brings the company into it. "But it's our hope that others will follow in our footsteps. Not just other businesses, but individuals, too." Lillia smiles as she and Agata approach the spot where Louis is at, and with a very beautiful doe she must admit. She is a little taken aback at the scent of friend food, it was a bit overpowering for her, but not altogether unpleasant. As for the conversation, she wonders what they had been talking about hearing the statement out of context, but she agrees with the sentiment, acceptance of others is always something to strive for in her opinion. Agata's nose wiggles from the almost intoxicating scent of food assaulting his senses. He'll have to buy something for himself later. With a small frown, his gaze lingers on the formed crowd until relaxing at the sight of the malamute standing guard next to his boss. Still, he moves to be a little closer just in case something were to happen. "A,and if somebody is mean to other animals, you can have them get beat up!" chimes one youth. Most find this amusing, although all eyes turn to Louis anyway. Even the doe seems to leave this to the buck to respond. With a light chuckle, Louis says, "It's not really that simple, I'm afraid. Compassion is more important than punishment." "Just like the Beastar!" says another youth to the first. "He swoops in with thunder kicks and laser eyes." "Nuh uh," objects the first. "We don't have a Beastar anymore. Father said he quit." "No way! I seen him beat up people the other day on my way home from school. Your dad is a liar!" One of the adults in the group speaks up to break up the sudden argument. "Boys, this is no way to behave in front of Mister Louis the Red Deer. Now apologize." The buck and doe pass a look between themselves. The doe seems very amused, the buck slightly less so. "We- We're sorry, Mister Louis." "But you do have people that can beat up bad guys now. I seen them on TV back when they was in jail." The murmur at present makes it seem there's going to be some explanation required from Louis, but the focus of the entire crowd suddenly shifts when the other young boy points a finger and excitedly announces Agata's arrival. "Look, there's one of them now!" Lillia just quietly grins slightly at first. She's seen what some of Louis's guards can do. They may be friendly and polite most of the time, but they are certainly a large part of the reason she escaped that night she attempted to help that goat, with only a claw wound, and not much more. "Oh boy, you're famous." She whispers as she leans a bit closer to Agata. Agata blinks a few times, having suddenly stopped in his tracks from all eyes staring at him. "Uhh...that's one way of putting it." He whispers back to her as his gaze flicks rapidly from Louis, then to the crowd. Maybe he should have stayed behind or something. The doe seems to trust in the buck's judgment and for a moment Louis smiles through the awkwardness while his mind races for the correct angle of approach. "Perfectly on cue, might I present to you both Agata and Lillia." A hand gestures, arm lifting, in their direction as stares continue. "Many of you are familiar with Agata already and the fact that he and his associates are now under the employ of Horns Conglomerate. Some of you may question why convicted felons would be placed in a position so close to somebody like me. I assure you, they have served time for their charges and are a stunning example of how we can see reform in the wake of the abolishing of underworld dens like the former Black Market." Some of the animals present cringe even still at those words, at that name, while Louis has little difficulty presenting it for all present to hear. "Agata and the other Carnivores that have recently joined the employment or partnership with Horns Conglomerate are, as my lovely wife has already stated, demonstrative in the paving of the road for social acceptance in integration and the fight against special bias." That's 'of species' special, not 'unique' special. "While Lillia here, though Hybrid in appearance, is actually a unique species hailing from another country. She has an interest in our top notch educational institution and, for that reason, our fight against bias can result in a welcoming atmosphere not only for our children, but for our foreign peers, as well." "Let's have a round of applause for these shining examples of what it means to be a positive influence and a beacon of our hope for a future of peace and prosperity here in our wonderful city and our great nation." While the two deer begin to clap first, others join in soon enough. Even the young ones, that don't fully understand, get excited and clap along, too. Oh boy, now she gets to share the spotlight as well. Lillia awkwardly smiles, her tail twitching nervously. She resists the part of her that wants to go run and hide however, and gives a small, shy wave, swallowing hard as she decides to further Louis' introduction of her. "Um, hi, yes I am from a place called Distant Oceans. It is a quieter place, without all the technology, so I have had much to learn, and still do, as I've visited new places. I am excited to learn more about this city, and those that call it home." Smiling just as awkward from spontaneously being put on the spotlight, Agata gives a smile and waves toward the crowd. Speaking in front of a large pool of people was definitely not his strong suit so he opts to stay silent and let his boss continue with his spectacular speech. However, there's not much more speech to be had. The applause is notably brief, yet warm. During this time wherein the two newcomers to the gathering have stolen the focus of the crowd, the buck gives the helpful constable a glance and a faint nod. The malamute nods knowingly in return before taking a single step forward. "This has been wonderful for us all, but with all respect given we must break things up and move along. Louis and Azuki the Red Deers have other things to do and places to be no matter how much they enjoy the publicity." This statement makes Louis avert his gaze while Azuki straightens her posture in pride. The crowd begins to slowly disperse. A few step up to offer the deer couple polite bows in greeting and words of various encouragements. One of the children runs over to Agata and Lillia and stares up at the tall lion with wide eyes before balling up a fist in determination. "You better keep Mister Louis safe cuz he's gotta learn how to shoot lasers from his eyes first and then he's gonna be able to be the next Beastar. We're counting on you!" Called away immediately by a parent, the kid is off again and soon the two deer are slowly walking over to join lion and fawn instead. "That happened," remarks Louis. Lillia looks down as a child runs up to her and Agata. She smiles a bit at what she says to Agata and after the girl is called back by her parents, she looks over to Agata and giggles a little. "Kids have... quite an imagination, don't they?" She remarks, guessing/hoping that Louis wasn't about to be learning to shoot lasers out of his eyes, if that were true she has a lot more to learn, and perhaps a lot more to fear, about this place. As the two red deer approach, she nods, grinning a bit at Louis. "I guess it did..." She agrees, looking noticeably relieved that the crowd was dispersing and she didn't have to do any more public speaking. Agata blinks as the child runs up to him, a warm smile soon replacing his mild shock at what is said before they run off to their parent. He turns to Lillia with a nod and chuckle. "Yeah, they do, but that's what makes the world interesting. At least, in my eyes." He glances over toward the two deer with a small smirk on his freckled muzzle. "Bound to when you put someone like me under the spotlight. A nice presentation though." "Not exactly my first time," sighs the buck. "But, it's nice to be able to say the things that people need to hear." Gesturing with a hand toward Agata and Lillia, "Still, Lillia, you did well for being thrust into the spotlight. Agata, well, no need to clam up so tightly. I trust the words that would come from your mouth won't be that embarrassing." Unlike, say, Free whom enjoys speaking his mind at all times. "All the same; Lillia, meet my lovely wife, Azuki. Azuki, meet Lillia." The doe's words are soft, yet clear. Her posture is professional, well-practiced, and unwavering. Placing her hands against her thighs, she offers a very traditional (and arguably old-fashioned) bow. "A pleasure to meet you. Louis says you are a foreign scholar although I heard one of his hired hands gossiping about a sleep specialist that matches your description very closely." The buck's gaze drifts from Lillia to Agata. Gossiping in front of the wife? There's a silent question, although it was Jinma present that one night. Lillia gives an awkward smile as Louis compliments her for how she addressed the crowd after being thrust in the spotlight. "I don't know what came over me, not long ago I would have gone running for somewhere to hide... Maybe I borrowed some of Agata's confidence," she half-jokes. In all seriousness, she did feel safe being near him, which was still a bit strange when she thinks about it more deeply, since he's still a predator, however clearly an example that at least in this city, they are not all like the ones she met near that dark alley. She is broken from her internal thoughts as Louis introduces her to Azuki, and she smiles warmly, attempting to mimic her bow as best she can. "I don't think anyone has actually called me a scholar before, I'm but a curious girl in search of answers, if that makes me a scholar, then I guess I am! As for the sleep thing, I have some... shall we say, special talents when it comes to dreams." Agata's eyes shift to Louis, if only briefly to tell him that he didn't breathe a word around Azuki before his muzzle lifted upward into a smile. "I'll try not to do that next time, boss." He turns to Lillia and chuckles again at the half joke. "Hey, you can borrow it at anytime, free of charge! Good to know it helped though." His attention then turned to Azuki, the smile disappearing into a neutral state as he curtly bowed his head. "Wonderful!" interjects Azuki. "There has been some discussion on foreign student exchange with a sponsorship program and Horns Conglomerate would be thrilled to have such a unique animal with specialized talent representing that effort. As I believe was said, we can make no promises, but we'll do what we can. Isn't that right, Louis?" "That's a bit thick, but of course. Naturally, this is something that requires working with a university directly over. As much as it would inflate the ego of our local university to have me push for enrollment there, seeing as I currently attend classes there, it greatly depends on the area of study," explains the buck. "It's complicated, but all in all I'll see-" "We," corrects Azuki with a kind smile. "We'll see what we can do." Louis turns to Azuki. "Now, dearest, Agata is here to pick me up and I believe you have an engagement to attend? As much as I would enjoy spending more time browsing the shop's windows with you-" "It would be an inefficient use of company time. I know. I understand." Azuki looks underneath her wrist to glance at the face of her watch to check the time. "That impromptu publicity speech took longer than I thought it might. I best hurry." Fingers with detailed nails lift to wiggle a soft-spoken farewell to Lillia. Agata is overlooked, but their family often has lots of worker bees buzzing about. It's habit. Azuki taking her leave, Louis adjusts his scarf and dips his face lower as he begins walking the opposite direction just slimly passing between Agata and Lillia in the process. He sighs audibly. "Let's go before she remembers her appointment is tomorrow," he whispers to both. Lillia is a bit surprised when Azuki mentions talk of making her a sponsored exchange student representing the efforts of Horns Conglomerate. Has Louis started the process of pulling some strings for her? Of course this would mean even more to her if she had any concept of how expensive it is to attend a university, sadly she is mostly ignorant, though she is starting to catch on that just about everything in civilized society costs something. Brings new understanding as to why so many people dream of having lots of money. "I, uh... thank you. I will try my best." And hopefully avoid disappointing or embarrassing her generous benefactors if this goes to fruition. Louis has hopefully grasped by now that his smart yet naive four-legged friend is likely to need some very good tutors. She quickly turns to follow Louis as moves in the other direction, blinking as he mentions that Azuki actually doesn't have an appointment today. "Why did you tell her she had one then?..." She questions curiously. The lion follows alongside them, his voice low as he regards Lillia. "In order for boss here to have some peace of mind as his wife is...a bit of a handful." And much more from the times he's been present whenever she was around. If there was any way to aptly put it, Azuki was like a raging storm waiting to happen if nothing went according to plan, though that title could also refer to Louis. She has business sense, just like her husband so there was that going for her. "Technically, it was a question and not a statement," comes the immediate answer from the young male deer. What with how he's dressed all casually and relaxed, Louis doesn't attract nearly as much attention as if he were in full formal dress. Therein, he keeps his face lowered while attempting to keep a neutral smile on his face. "I'm not going to talk ill about my wife in public, though. That's rude. If I have to explain myself it's going to be in the car." It's very clear that Louis is aiming to make an exit as swiftly as possible, although for Lillia it's going to most certainly require using the lift. "Speaking of avoiding rudeness, it's great to see you two. Thank you for coming. You seem to be doing well, Lillia? And, Agata, I hope Hartford didn't give you too much trouble. Where were you parked? And- Wait. Lillia, did you ride with Agata on the way over from the office?" So many different shops and vending machines go by with every few steps. It's a shame to not stop and browse, really, since shopping and relaxing was the entire reason Louis came to the mall in the first place. Lillia still wasn't exactly sure why Louis needed to more or less trick Azuki in order to get some time alone, but she does accept Agata's answer without more questions, at least for now. She would have enjoyed browsing the mall indeed, in fact her eyes are already wandering to various things in the windows as they pass, but she doesn't slow down to check them out, not wishing to get left behind in a crowded mall. As Louis speaks to her again, Lillia's attention is pulled from the display of a clothing store, this being her first time really taking notice of mannequins. "Oh, yes, I am doing fine. I ran into Agata when he was talking with Hartford... and I did ride over here from the office with Agata, in the back of the car. It was not the easiest thing to get in and out of, and I don't think I'd want to be stuck in the back of one for very long, but it did get us here much faster than I could have hoofed it, that's for sure!" Agata smiles as he arrives at the parking decks just a little ways away from the mall, stretching as he steps out before coming over to the passenger side to open the door for Louis and Lillia. He extends an offering hand for her to take hold. "Thankfully it's a good day to do something like this." Lillia smiles and takes Agata's offered hand, and with that helping hand makes her way into the backseat of the car, still finding it an awkward affair, but having a bit easier time than her first attempt at getting into a car, so at least she's learning. "Ok, I'm in, I think that went a little easier this time, but what are these for? Strapping people down so they can't get out of the car on their own?" She asks with a notably nervous tone while holding up one of the seat belts, having somehow missed noticing them on the first trip. Outside of the mall, the acoustics are very different and the reverb of various conversation is lost to the open sky and the thrum of motor vehicles. The air is also colder, as to be expected for this time of year, which surely explains why Louis's casual warm wear so sharply contrasted with his wife's very formal attire. There's still no explanation as to what that was all about back there with her and the red deer doesn't seem particularly inclined to divulge it freely. Much like his former days with what was once the Shishigumi, his associates at Horns Conglomerate might be inclined to open the car door for him on entry or exit. However, with Agata being preoccupied with helping the dream fawn get into the vehicle, he can open the left front door and get in all by himself. This isn't a business trip, after all. Not in the usual sense. The door closes securely and Louis is pulling the mystery strap over his lap even as the question is posited. "No, no, it's a safety measure to hold you in the seat in case we have to come to a sudden stop." The buckle clicks; next, Louis goes about pulling his scarf away from its windings about his neck. "Oof, it's cold in here, too." He never was any good with the cold. He uses the woolen scarf to bury his hands within for a bit of warmth (though for the average animal it's probably not that bad). "I appreciate you coming on short notice to pick me up. Hartford should be in Haku-to by now, judging by the time. I need to pick up something from the university. I know it's a lengthy drive. If we need more petrol, I'll just put it on the company account. It's still technically part of the business day." A deer face, antlers and all, peers back from the front passenger-side seat to check on Lillia. "I'm glad you got scooped along. We can use the drive to talk. Agata can help me fill in the others later." Talk? Sounds serious. He offers a soft friendly smile, anyway, which is not the same kind of friendly smiling expression he used in that crowd. This one is different. Closing the back door after seeing Lillia and Louis get inside and strap themselves in, Agata moves around to the driver's side and climbs in. Putting on his own seat belt, the lion turns on the engine, puts the car in reverse and is out on the road. His eyes glance over to the deer, taking notice of him shivering and turns on the heat at a level that's appropriate. "It's no problem, boss." Lillia looks very much relieved by Louis' answer about the seat belt, and after watching him buckle in, does the same for herself, though it does take her a moment to get the buckle to click in, she does both sides though since she's taking up the whole backseat anyway it made sense to her. While buckling in, she agrees. "It is a bit chilly, isn't it?" Though it doesn't seem to bother her, she's used to living outside and adapting to the weather. She then looks up again at Louis as he mentions using the drive to talk. "Talk? Sure, but about what?" She asks simply out of curiosity, though anything to distract her from the fact she was in the confined space of the car was welcome. Normally, a trip to the University from this district, by train, would be a twenty to thirty minute journey depending on one's timing in catching one close to arrival. By car, nearing the end of a business day, it will take longer, and that's one way. Louis turns around to face the windshield and stretches his left leg a bit to get cozy, yet reaches down to lift his right leg and adjust its position with a metal clank. "Considering we're to the local university, I'd like say it's about your interest in education. Actually, it's not about that at all." The deer reaches out to turn the knob on the dashboard to turn on the radio. Unlike some places along the world, the vehicles in this nation don't typically have a lot of electronics in them. The radio in this car doesn't play digital tunes. Rather, with the push of a preset button, the radio does, in fact, play music decoded from radio waves: soft jazz. ((Music: https://youtu.be/qMSZ0moNJ08)) "Lillia, we haven't had a chance to really talk much since the night Junji was attacked, but we have time now. If you're willing. Could you do your best to explain to me -- to us -- why you're really here?" A glance is passed over to the driver. There's no guarantee either of them will understand fully, but their histories are steeped in magical and divine folklore and legend. Giving a passing glance back to the deer, then to the rear view mirror above, Agata keeps his focus on the road. He'd be lying to himself if he said he wasn't entirely curious on the reason for Lillia being here, though in part thankful for her help with the case of Junji. Still, there were questions that begged to be answered despite their histories in folklore legends. "Oh... why? Hmm..." Lillia seems a little surprised by that question, she herself had expected Louis was going to talk about the University they were on their way toward. She looks out the window as the drive continues and takes a moment to think before eventually speaking again. "I could just say that I wandered here because I'm curious and have been doing a lot of exploring of the world beyond where I'm from, but there is more to it than that. I do want to learn about other places, and cultures of people, but the other reason for my traveling is much more personal and important, of dire importance you might even say... I'm not sure if you'll even believe what I'm about to tell you either, but it is something I have only told a few friends I've made since I left the forest. I've also spent so much time around you both that it feels a little silly to ask, but can I trust you both to not share this with anyone, at least not without asking me first?" "Clearly you can't just ask me if you trust me enough for that. Either you do or you would have outright refused to discuss it at all," answer the buck as he lets his gaze drift to the side window. Denko is huge and sprawling, street after street, block after block, building after building of residences and businesses. Signs for designations, advertising, either flat and mundane or through lights and neon, decorate much of the building space available. For those used to so much nature, the expanse of the city must be sobering if not overwhelming. The sidewalks are filled with animals of various sizes, shapes, and colors. Stop-light intersections may see Agata braking for a few minutes at a time. The simple black car driven by the young lion is lost in the sea of vehicles that fill the main roads. It's a vibrant place, really, filled with animals that have little idea of current events outside nation borders. "You've already mentioned to Jinma that you had the ability to work with dreams. I've seen enough to say that I wouldn't put it past any animal developing such a power, but you aren't a native here. If it makes you feel any more comfortable understand that Agata, the other lions, and myself all have secrets we guard close to our hearts. We have experienced things that nobody you see out there on the sidewalks can ever possibly relate. Does that make us trustworthy? No. But... It makes us used to bearing burdens our peers would never understand." Agata nods, his jovial smile disappearing for only a fraction of a second before coming back with a flick of his ears. "What boss here said. It's not really all that strange, so you're fine. Still holding you for that promise though!" He says with a small chuckle as he drives through the streets. Lillia gives an awkward laugh at the initial response from Louis, her gaze transfixed on the sprawling city passing by through the window as the car drives along the river of road among all the other cars. "I guess you're right, and what I'm more asking is to keep this quiet because neither I nor the Garden of Dreaming would do well under a lot of extra attention. Anyway, this is probably easier if I start from the beginning." She takes a deep breath, and a moment to gather her thoughts. "A lot of the animals here just think I'm some sort of hybrid, but I think both of you understand at least partly that since I'm from somewhere else, that may not be very accurate. The truth is I am, as far as I know, one of a kind. Deep within the Enchanted Forest, in the Distant Oceans region, there is a place called the Garden of Dreaming. It is called this because there is a very special tree there, which draws energy from the very dreams of those that live in the area, and also helps them to be remembered when they bloom as blossoms on her branches. One day, though neither I nor anyone else among the garden's protectors knows for sure why, the tree itself had a dream, and its bud fell to the ground before it could bloom. That blossom became me, or well, I guess I grew from it, it happened rather quickly and I don't remember exactly how it happened. The blossom is still on my head." She says as she points to the bud poking up through her hair, and as she gently touches it, blooms into a glowing golden flower. "I think this is why I have a special power with dreams. I've never really understood how my magic works, but I can help others sleep easier, and have pleasant dreams instead of nightmares. Sometimes I've even entered the nightmares of others to help them conquer them." She gives that a moment to sink in before continuing. "This leads to the reason I left the garden to travel the world. The Dreaming Tree, she is sick. There have been fewer and fewer dream blossoms, while also sickly dark burls have been forming on her trunk. I am afraid that if I can't find the cause and put a stop to it, she will die." Throughout the explanation, Agata listens with ears perked, digesting and processing the information that has been fed to him. In his life, he's experienced violence, bared witness to the mystical and plenty more that many wouldn't ever be able to see. One could be envious of such tales or be frightened, depending on the animal. "Wow, umm, that's...kind of a lot to take in. And a burden on you too with all of that going on," Agata rubs the back of his neck as they approach a stoplight, watching the people walk along the crosswalk. Such a heavy task to take. Louis doesn't exactly focus on anything in particular as the fawn in the backseat opens up and begins to tell her story. His pupils dilate and the world through the car window becomes a blurry watercolor painting of muted motion. The gentle tunes of strings and brass sets a soft background for what is explained. The buck has an elbow resting on an interior contour of the door to his left while his chin rests along the back of his hand. A single ear remains swiveled to listen to the tale directly from his position. When the crux of the problem is stated, Louis regains some amount of focus when Agata speaks up in his typical morally supportive way, eyes shifting and head turning just enough to peer sidelong over at the dark-furred lion. A pang of wistful admiration strikes, but the memories of Ibuki are pushed away. For now. It's not the time for them. His gaze droops down toward the dashboard as his attention is redirected back to Lillia and her plight. While he doesn't fully understand it, he's been told about the history of the nation's animals from before the great war one hundred years ago. He knows that there was a far more mystical, if not magical, way of the Life Animals and Nature Animals and it hasn't all been lost. Those aspects make appearances here and there and, like Agata and the rest of the former Shishigumi, the deer has seen how they are most often brought to the surface through violence and despair. "I'm not exactly a scholar on that subject or an enthusiast of such legends among our people, so I may not be the best to help." At length, Louis speaks these words. "There are times when it feels like our nation is teetering on the edge of social collapse and there are days where I feel that my efforts to help mean nothing; other days when I feel it's the only thing keeping things together. We don't have a new Beastar, so the public is grasping for positive role models, heroes, to help deliver relief. I understand the pain of uncertainty. That said..." "Do you know what would happen if the tree died?" Lillia nods as Agata responds, and finally pulls her gaze from the window, turning to look toward Agata and Louis in the front seats. It was indeed a heavy burden for her to bear. After hearing Louis' response as well, she takes her turn to speak again. "I guess this is partly why I didn't ask you for help sooner. I can see you have your hands full here, keeping things together as you say. I accepted this task without really having any idea how I was going to accomplish it. I guess there was a time before the tree existed, so maybe things can go on as before if I can't stop the corruption. But I really don't know what will happen, no. Besides, the fact that this tree is my mother is reason enough. I have found some leads on this through other friends I've made in my travels, so if you are not able to help I will manage. I'm aware the situation is not one that just anyone can help with, if it were I'd have probably resolved it already." She takes a moment to stretch and shift her position in the seat a bit before speaking again. "Anything else either of you want to ask me?" "Don't get me wrong, Miss Lillia. Just because I'm not a specialist doesn't mean that I'm washing my hands of it." Head and antlers turn and large deer eyes peer directly at the driver before an arm outstretches to place a hand upon Agata's shoulder. The lion really is quite larger than he is despite only being slightly older. "There was a time, not long ago, that I wouldn't be bothered by such matters. I'd ignore them outright. Only through the loyalties of friendships have we all made it this far. Honestly, we all owe so much to that...stupid wolf..." Louis sighs, takes a beat, then speaks up once more. "My friend Legosi wouldn't turn down the chance to help and he'd likely know far less than I, though... He does somehow manage to surprise. As for what I can do, well- I can't spend company funds on helping. Not as things stand now and not without some measured risk of the matter going public and, well, you've said you don't want that. If things ever did get serious, I suppose I could lean on a military captain acquaintance for support, but that's cashing in a pretty big favor." Facing front once more, Louis leans back into the seat that is a big large for him. If there was a question why he isn't driving, it might become obvious with a bit of observation. He reaches up and scratches around the base of his antlers without thinking about it. He might shed them soon. "Do you have any idea at all what kinds of help might be needed?" Were Legosi around, he'd probably ask if the sickness has to be fought in a dream, since that seems to be the prevailing theme. Louis may be action-oriented in his confronting problems, but his mind tends to work more through matters of politics. Lillia looks back at Louis, feeling a bit more hopeful that Louis wasn't saying he wouldn't help, just that he might not be able to offer the best help. But at this point, she is willing to take any help she can get. She grins a little and laughs a bit at the mention of the actions of a 'stupid wolf' having such lasting and important consequences. "Stupid wolf turns out to not be so stupid?" She asks with a grin. "Anyway, I'm not really sure exactly what we're dealing with yet, but from what I've gathered so far with the help of others, it is likely someone, or something, with powerful magic. I'm afraid to even start tracking this magical being down without some backup in case things get... messy." "Legosi may be a stupid wolf, but there's nothing I wouldn't do to help him. His...heart...is in the right place. At any rate, as I'm aware, he's busy with his girlfriend this time of year when he's not working," explains Louis with a lift of his hand in what might be a dismissive wave. It's honestly out of his power. All he can do is send a text message, but he's not going to go bothering his friends over a matter he knows next to nothing about. At least, for now. "Keep me apprised. If there is somebody behind it, they likely have their own motives. Understanding the why can help explain the how, more often than not, but it's not exactly my main approach." As Agata knows, Louis prefers to meet his problems head on either to out-think or outsmart them. Failing that, well, there's a reason he has such strong hired help around. "But you still have an interest in education?" Lillia hadn't picked up before that the 'stupid wolf' and 'friend Legosi' were one in the same, and looks surprised for a moment as she smiles. "Well I wouldn't want to pull him away from his girlfriend, but I do hope I can meet him someday. But yes, I will try to let you know if I learn anything more. Maybe whoever is behind this can be reasoned with, or doesn't know what damage they are doing, but part of me feels this is going to end with a fight, and I don't think I'm strong enough to face some evil sorcerer or something like that on my own." A small smile graces the lion's face from the initial contact, and from what was spoken. There was no denying that Legosi has a heart of gold and would do just about anything to help. It was just his nature. "Well, if it ever comes to that and Legosi is on board, which is surely to happen, we'll be there to back you up." He grins, fangs proudly showing and glinting in the light. "There is one question I have...you said you can enter people's dreams to help deal with nightmares. Would that person even remember you being physically there?" Lillia goes back to looking out the window as she leans against the backseat a bit more and shifts her position again, trying to get comfortable. "I appreciate that. Hopefully, we can resolve this before it's too late. You can let Legosi know about this if you see him, as you say he's likely to join you in helping. But when it comes to people remembering me in their dream, sometimes they do if they clearly remember the dream, but I also don't have to appear in the dream as my normal self." Agata lifts a brow, peering into the rear view mirror for a quick second before focusing back on the road. "What do you mean? As in, you're invisible or appearing to be someone else entirely?" Louis' question concerning the fawn's interest in education takes the conversational backseat, as apt as it may seem outwardly, while Agata's line of questioning offers a different tangent entirely. To this, he remains quiet, and an unannounced explosion of trombone solo prompts the buck to reach over and turn the volume down a little. Otherwise, he sits there with his scarf still balled up on his lap while letting his fingertips play idly over one of the vents offering warm air. There's little reason to interrupt. He's just as curious as Agata even if he doesn't really understand how it's possible. "Well yes, I could be invisible if I wanted to, or appear as someone or something else. I have control over how I appear and what I can do in the dream." Lillia explains as best she can. What she hasn't realized due to her inexperience is that this control is through her magic influencing or manipulating the subconscious of the dreamer. She soon turns back toward Louis, and curiously reaches her hand out to feel the air coming from the vents, and after a moment her gaze drifts down to his prosthetic leg. "So um, since I've answered a lot of things about me, there is something I have been curious about... I hope I'm not touching on something sensitive, but, why do you have a metal leg?" One of the lion's ears flick, glancing over sideways to Louis for just a second, a flicker of slight panic in his eyes. But with practiced ease, he breathes softly through his nose and keeps his focus on the road ahead. "An unfortunate accident." A most plausible and hopefully satisfactory answer that will sate Lillia's curiosity. It's terribly often that people tend to ask such a question, though he couldn't blame them, not really. Attention drawn to that metal foot and ankle poking from the end of his pantleg, Louis lowers his gaze to look at it. "Hm. Well, the long and short of it is that I lost part of my leg to a Carnivore in an incident in order to save the life of a friend." His stare is pulled away and his head moved to the side just enough to peek into the backseat through the rear view mirror's slim shape. That would mean that his being involved in the alley that night when Junji was attacked wouldn't be his first time dealing with dangerous Carnivores, or so it may seem to imply. There's a certain charm about seeing such a youthful and effeminate deer face that beguiles his powerful business connections. That might not mean much to a foreigner without an understanding of how that kind of society functions, of course. Louis smiles. "It was a choice that I made, in the moment, so it was on my terms." Lillia is a bit surprised by the answer from Louis, as from the sound of it, this was more than just an accident if he lost the leg by choice in a carnivore situation, which could only mean, as far as her mind could conjure, that he allowed his leg to be eaten so a hungry carnivore didn't go for someone else instead. Quite the noble sacrifice, she felt. There is stunned silence for a moment as Lillia only nods and looks back out the window, thinking about that night with Junji. Just how common an occurrence was this, she had assumed it was at least relatively uncommon and moving toward greater rarity as Louis and others work to improve the situation in the city, but there was still so much she didn't know about this place, and both seeing the mall and traveling through the city by car today has opened her eyes to just how vast this city is, and how tiny the area she's been to is compared to the entirety of it. Eventually she speaks again. "This place really does make you feel like a small fawn in a huge world... Today has really made me realize how little I've seen... But I hope I don't one day have to make a choice like that." "Keep your head to the ground and you won't have to," Agata says in a cheerful tone. He liked Lillia, even going so far as to taking pleasure in her company despite the conversation that took place. It just wouldn't do for her to be in constant danger, regardless of how much of a state the city was in. And that even includes the deer, notwithstanding. "Anyway, boss mentioned about your education." "No animal should face that kind of situation, but it would dangerous to ignore that it does. Those kinds of attacks -- they don't happen often, really. I've had my prosthetic for, oh, nearly a year and a half now? Took a while to learn how to walk again properly, though. Can't do for the CEO of Horns Conglomerate to be a feeble crippled deer hobbling around. ...not that I need that as an excuse, eh Agata?" To say that Louis is willfully stubborn is to put it lightly. For the longest time he was simply a frigid rich bitch with a chip on his shoulder and everything to prove. Also, Agata wanted to eat him. They've all come quite a long way in such a short amount of time, but sometimes reflections of the past bubble up from time to time. "Speaking of, you've been in contact with Junji? I feel bad for not visiting, but for political reasons I just can't. I did send him a gift, though. Flowers and a card. Free helped me pick out the card. Eh, I can barely remember. I think it had a silly drawing inside it." He moves a hand to his face and rubs lightly along the top of his snout. "Ah, right. Education. I'm going to go out on a limb here and say that I'm sure you don't have an educational background, what with the whole growing from a tree blossom thing, so we should probably work out an assessment of what you know. Not something we have to hash out here. Just something to keep in mind for later." "I will try to be careful. Probably would be best to avoid hanging around dark alleys on the edge of town, though I shudder to think about what would have happened to Junji if I wasn't there that night." Lillia speaks in agreement with Agata's tip, then speaking of Junji, Louis mentions if she's been in contact before speaking of education as well. "I did visit him once, think it was some few days before he got to leave the hospital. I did notice your card too." She says with a grin, looking up at the mirror to see Louis' face through it. "He still seemed pretty shaken, can't say I blame him. He was also worried about how much being in the hospital was going to set him back at school, though I haven't been to one so I can only imagine, some kind of work he would need to catch up on or something? Pretty much all I learned about the outside world before I left the garden was through viewing the dreams of others as they blossomed on the tree." "You probably have some catching up to do." Louis sighs. "Okay, that's not true. You'll likely have a lot of catching up to do, it's going to be grueling, you'll hit a stopping point where you'll want to give in long before you've reached your goal, and despite the best efforts of myself and other like-minded animals working to change the status quo you will probably be socially handicapped from the very start and it'll be used as a means to control your expectations if you let it." A lot of very heavy words delivered there, Louis only waits long enough for them to sink in before following up. "All that said, are you still willing to allow your curiosity to drive you toward learning more about yourself and the world around you while shattering preconceptions of foreigners and misconceptions of Hybrids, setting a new precedent for educational enlightenment, all for the purpose of making the world a better place for the future?" Those rules are up for debate depending on where one travels. Many things remain the same, yet not all is completely universal. Still, the professional tone in which the lines are delivered are to be expected from 'the Boss'. The deer turns to look around the seat with expectation in his eyes for an answer. Lillia didn't really need Louis to tell her she had a lot of catching up to do, but he did put it in better perspective. While she has grown a lot in getting accustomed to cities and people from other worlds, while also partially conquering her shyness, going from a fawn that was afraid to even be seen by others, to understanding that she had no choice, needing to seek help from others to save her mother tree, to the point that now she can interact with strangers in the city while suppressing that nervous feeling in her gut, knowing that most people are not out to get her. But this was academic learning, something she's had basically no exposure to. It was not going to be easy, but she knew it was important, and Louis follows by giving her several reasons why it was important even beyond the benefits to herself. "Yes, I will give it my all, but before I dive into this, probably best that the situation with Mother Tree is resolved... one way or the other." Hard to argue that she certainly didn't need that extra distraction while starting school for the first time in her life. | ||
