Ask Waiting Game

[Max Dram]

CITY HOSTEL, ORD TRASI
1510hrs local time​

They had been here nine hours and the only thing good about the hostel was the rooftop.

Max kicked open the fire exit door onto the roof, desperately in need of some more fresh air. The coded message from the Oracle had told them to put down on Ord Trasi and wait, but he was beginning to wonder if it was nothing but a ruse. He, Six and their little insurgent band had hightailed it over from Endor, found themselves lodgings and waited eagerly for details of their meeting. But thus far, nothing had come through.

The planet's sky was thick with fumes and starship traffic from the shipyards above, but the open air was still better than the confines of the small rooms they had booked under fake names. Max strode towards the parapet, looking up at a massive cruiser in low orbit, but drawn by a wholly different sight. A silhouette he knew all too well, leaning near the edge beneath a small cloud of smoke.

"Go on then" he said as he drew close, slipping a cigarra from his jacket pocket. "There's frack all else to do". He put the smoke to his lips and turned towards her, knowing without asking that she had a light. He had received the most incredible communique from HQ, bestowing rank and privileges he could never have imagined. All useless undercover out here in the sticks.

This waiting game was really testing him, but he tried not to let it show. Besides, they had half a dozen insurgents downstairs to keep sweet.

"You ever done anything this big before?".

@Sreeya

 

[Cipher Six]

They discovered that the Oracle was a she, only an inch taller than Six. It was difficult to decipher any other details from the mask she wore. The woman certainly carried herself like someone that had been in charge of things for a very long time. She was especially taken with Max, which confirmed that she fully bought into him being an Imperial traitor. Which made this waiting part all the more irritating.

Six knew these missions took long, but this one had been dragging for several months. Each day she felt she was closing in, but in the meantime the Oracle was expanding her reach. The Firrerreon gazed out over the skyline, her elbows resting on the parapet.

She glanced over when Max walked over, always cutting a striking figure with his height and broad shoulders. Six flashed him a smile, accepting the cigarra and lighting it. If this was his way of winning her over, it was certainly working. She exhaled a cloud of smoke that dispersed with the wind.

“You’re certainly on edge,” She observed, her gaze on the horizon, “Never this deep, no. I know this is going to be huge.”

Six looked at Max then, studying him for a moment, “They made their choice, Max,” She said, using his name for the first time, “We will have to put them down before the final confrontation,” She knew the IAF would never take these insurgents back. It was a miracle even Max had been given a chance. These guys were actively striking against the Empire for a long time, “I’m sorry..”

She looked away. She had spent months with these men, but he had gone through far more. When the time came to confront the Oracle, they couldn’t risk the insurgents turning on them when it came out that Max and Six were undercover. She didn’t see any solutions, but perhaps Max had some.

@Alhon

 

[Max Dram]

Max accepted the light, taking a draw. "We're standing on an edge" he said facetiously. It was a little unsettling how easily she could read him, but he had the small consolation of being able to unsettle her just as easily. Perhaps that made it fair. He stepped around her, squeezing her shoulder before leaning on the parapet on the other side."But yeah, sitting around sucks".

Her use of his name did not trouble him. It was a little weird yes, especially when he thought back to the cold fish that had dressed him down on Adumar. But he did not feel the need to press her for her own just yet. Her true identity was far more valuable than his.

"I know" he said, staring out at nothing in particular "they can't come with us to see the Oracle". It would be madness to take any Sith allies into that room, whenever it came. "But if we have to put them down, it won't always be for a bad choice". He took another drag on his cigarra, looking down at her. "Some of these guys have only been told one side of the story since they joined up. One truth. You get attached to that you know, it becomes a pretty hard thing to break".

Max knew the personal strength it took to surrender your world view, and the cost that came with it. He was a very rare survivor of the ordeal, but deep down he agreed with Six that the men with them were incapable of it. They had been told too much and seen too little. Farrell alone could maybe be turned, with time and in the right circumstances. But Max was realistic enough to know the stars rarely aligned for such things.

"So say we get our invite" Max said, turning to pose Six a challenge. "We shoot off somewhere to see this mighty fine Oracle we've bled blood to track down. What happens then? You and me going to just shoot our way out and be done?".

@Sreeya

 

[Cipher Six]

Six was quiet as he spoke, knowing a lot of it addressed his own journey. Her own family was far more tangled up with Sith and what could be considered the wrong side for generations. The trouble was that no change could happen while he was only a Lieutenant. If these men were brought back into Imperial space, they would be executed without a trial.

He spun the scenario on her and Six nodded, taking another drag of her cigarra, “Ideally we’d have the help of an Imperial Knight.. as much as I'm not a fan of Force users,” She explained, “But yes, we will be taking the fight directly to her to collapse this empire she had built up.”

The Firrerreon finished up her cigarra and glanced over at him, “Well for now we have nothing but time to kill,” She jutted her chin towards the cityscape, “We’re nobodies here. Feel like playing tourists?” She asked with a smirk.

@Alhon

 

[Max Dram]

Max silently played out the encounter with the Oracle for a moment, imagining how it might go down. But it was a chronic waste of brainpower; there were far too many variables, far too many unknowns. They would just have to roll with what came.

He did however balk at adding a Knight to the mix. "I'm not sure how ideal that would be" he scoffed. "The last one I worked with - chick called Kalique - spent her time attacking me, rather than the enemy". The encounter had left a sour taste in his mouth. "If they all have an ego the size of a moon, we're better off without". He gave her a sideways look, wondering if she had really had positive experiences with the Knights.

The city was a good plan. "Sure" he said, throwing the cigarra end over the parapet. It would be good to get out and about down there. A place built on weapons and shipbuilding would be rough and ready, but it would beat sitting in the hostel for another evening hands down. "As it happens, we could make it a celebration if you're game. A measured one of course". There was no telling when they would finally hear from the Oracle.

"It seems" Max continued, his pride making his draw up in spite of himself "the folks at Command are pretty pleased with me. More than I knew". He could not help but study her, wondering if this was one of those things she might already know. "I had a communique last night. Apparently you're now fraternising with a General, Agent Six".

@Sreeya

 

[Cipher Six]

“Attacking you?” Six practically hissed. It was exactly what she feared from the Sith. After generations of her family working under them and several of them dying due to abrupt mood swings, the Firrerreo had little tolerance for Force users that abused their powers, “I hope you escalated,” She muttered. Clearly this had touched a nerve, her mind briefly lingering on her own lineage. It was perhaps the first time she broke character from Sgt. Jenna Barnes.

His remark about a promotion drew raised eyebrows. The look of surprise gave way to a grin, “Ugh, you’ll be even more insufferable now,” She grumbled, “As if your ego needed more watering.”

Six walked past him, leading the way downstairs and towards the city. She changed from the usual uniform to a simple white t shirt and tactical pants. She didn’t exactly have a choice of wardrobe while on the job.

After a bit of walking, she spotted a cantina and made her way over. The atmosphere was cheery and happy, filled with locals. Six felt at ease here, though this was the most poorly dressed she had ever been in a cantina. Dram was perhaps the only Imperial that saw her dressed frumpy since they were both playing a role.

“Hi, can I get a dry Nabooian martini with a twist?” She ordered. Sometimes she really was a stereotypical spy. Just because she was dressed frump didn’t mean she lost her class.

Six sat at a table near the back corner, inspecting her unmanicured nails briefly before looking at Dram, “We probably have about-” She checked her chrono, “-An hour before the other boys barge in to join us,” She said with a grin.

@Alhon

 

[Max Dram]

"Oh I escalated" Max said as they made their way down to street level "she got demoted in fairness. Sometimes justice rules". He saw her grin at the news of his promotion and should have known she could not just say well done. She was too fun for that. "You call it ego" he chided "but Command call it a service record apparently". Max was genuinely on cloud nine at becoming a flag officer overnight. It was more than he had expected in the next several years. Six was the only person he had to share it with, whether she knew it or not.

They could not go wandering around dressed like soldiers, but equally Max's kit was pretty limited at the moment. He followed after Six in a simple tee and cargo pants, eventually remembering to stash his dogtags back underneath.

"Old fashioned please" he asked, settling in beside his trusty agent. "A martini, really? Did you watch spy films growing up?". He heard her warning about their limited time, but didn't worry about it too much. It was the unpredictable that made their candid moments together real.

"Better tell me about Agent Six then" he said, sipping his drink. "Where's she's from, what she's about. What her name is for that matter" he leant in closer, letting her know he had not forgotten their rooftop moment on Endor. "And why I should take her straight into an enemy stronghold, with every chance we'll all be killed".

@Sreeya

 

[Cipher Six]

Six grinned at his quip about the martini, “Those movies get some things right,” She said. It was true - she was a huge sucker for spy movies. Yet somehow that actually had little to do with her foray into becoming a Cipher agent.

She took a sip when he rattled off a bunch of questions, and she quirked her brow. Six had assumed they had simply left what happened on the roof back there. After all, neither of them broached the topic since and he certainly didn’t take any steps towards courting her. In another life she may have even felt silly for admitting her crush. She had grown far beyond that now.

“There can only be ten Cipher agents,” She explained, “I was a cadet slated for the IAF that shadowed Cipher Six. He was the best,” She looked away briefly, a faint smile touching her lips, “Silvertongued, knew all the big politicians without them ever realizing what he was, knew how to play the game. He taught me what I know. Ciphers aren’t supposed to take their underlings on the field. I begged and pleaded and he finally did it,” She said nothing for a moment, “And I was a liability. It cost him his life. I trained and proved myself time and time again to earn his place to fill the void I left behind. I became Cipher Six.”

It wasn’t a happy or adventurous story like he probably expected. By the end of it, Six was much quieter, looking away. After a moment, she glanced back at him, “As for my real name, if I told you, I’d have to kill you,” She said with a smirk, dropping one of her favorite cheesy spy lines. It wasn't an accident that she dodged a few of his questions. She needed to understand his intent first.

“As for why? Well, you don’t have a choice,” Six said, “You may be a general, but this is my operation. You will get all the glory, I will get the quiet pat on the back,” She said with a smile. It was how she liked things anyway. A Cipher that drew too much attention was a failure.

@Alhon

 

[Max Dram]

Max listened closely as she explained how it worked. While he would never have enjoyed a life in the shadows himself, the patriot in him loved hearing how neat the intel function was and how far back it went. Just ten Cipher agents. He had heard it before but it was good to learn it was true after all.

Her manner changed slightly when she reminisced about her old mentor. Max sensed the original Six meant a lot to her. "I'm sorry he didn't make it" he offered "but don't be too hard on yourself. If he was all you say, then he knew the risks". He swilled his drink and took a sip. "You've certainly been doing him proud". She had aced Adumar and carried off her part on Endor without a hitch. He had yet to see her drop the ball.

Max took her evasion on other matters on the chin. He had expected it and she had already shared more than he expected in a way. No one gave you their CV and inside leg measurement all in one go, especially if they were ISB.

"There's little glory in all this anyway" Max said, his brow furrowing. It was a shame the Empire had become so messed up it even needed to purge an insurgent conspiracy from within its own ranks. "But there might still be credit" he granted, chinking his glass with her own "and people will know who masterminded the counter op. Not these people maybe" he gestured slyly to the public all around "but the people that matter". He would personally see to it she was recognised for her efforts.

A group of revellers packed up and slinked past their table, leaving an empty pool table in their wake. "Fancy a game?" he asked, already rising to his feet and flexing his metal arm "I promise you this thing is no steadier than the old one". It was broadly true and besides he thought he could let her win if it came to it.

@Sreeya

 

[Cipher Six]

Six said nothing to his offer of condolences, though the praise surprised her. She stared at him, studying him for a moment. He was genuine. She wondered how much she still needed to keep on her toes around him. He had a rather colorful history that would make many Imperials nervous, but so far he had given her no reason to doubt him, "Thank you," She said quietly at last.

The offer of pool drew out a smile, “A story for a story,” She said, her gaze flicking to his arm, “What happened there?” Six asked as they walked over to the pool table. The balls were racked and she walked over to grab a cue. Now, she could have done the Holomovie thing by biting her lip and bending over suggestively to show off her rear. But no, she was serious about this. She wanted to smoke Max.

Six lined up the shot, chewing on her lip in thought as she practiced a few times. As she took the shot, someone stumbled into her, making her lurch forward. As a result, the cue ball bounced off the table and right into a big jug of ale a massive, angry man was bringing over. The drink splashed over him and he looked over.

The man practically growled, throwing the jug in anger into the crowd before he started storming towards her. The patron that got conked in the head by the jug was also a big guy, and he slammed his fists on his table and jumped up to see who the culprit was. Jug guy’s friends geared up for a fight along with the table guy and his crew.

Six stood to her full height, eyes widening slightly, “Fuck..”


OOC: I'm sorry I rolled a nat 1....

@Alhon

 

[Max Dram]

"Fair enough" Max agreed, grabbing a cue and resting both hands on the point, organic and cybernetic.

"It was pretty much my first mission back after the Grand Marshal put me back in the ranks. Grim place called Murkhana, turned out the name was not the grimmest thing about it". He recounted the AMS zombie attack in brief while she was setting up.

"Vizsla was a pretty tough cookie, helped us hold up in the tower for a while. Then I got bit and, well, she made the tough call". His hazel eyes lingered on his metal arm, though not as forlornly as back then. The thing was part of him now, both of his body and his past. It was so much more than a simple upgrade. It was the embodiment of the new Max Dram.

He glanced back to Six and realised a rather serious look had come over her despite their relaxed surroundings. She was actually going to try and beat him, he could see it in those steely blue eyes.

The stumbling collision and mishap with her shot was an unwelcome interruption, like a sudden break in the music. Max kept hold of the cue, but three strides was all it took to put himself between Six and the big angry man shouldering towards her.

"Listen guys, it was obviously an accident" Max said, puffing up his own not insubstantial chest. "How about we just buy you guys a round of drinks to apologise?".

The man stared at Max, a vein throbbing in his neck. The Adumari had a couple of inches on him and a pool cue, but that was it, and the guy's blood was up.

"Fucking offworlders" the man breathed. He nodded to his posse and five men rushed Max from all directions. He tried whipping the cue up in time, but the sheer force of the gang attack forced him back hard into the wall, taking punches to his ribs.

@Sreeya

4/10 for diffuse success

 

[Cipher Six]

Theme​

Max did the knight in shining armor thing, but the opposition was terrible. Six barely dodged out of the way as the large guy with the mug barreled into him. The entire bar exploded into chaos as Table Guy and his buddies tackled mug guy’s friends. People were punching one another, someone got hit over the head with a pool cue. At some point people launched themselves over the bar to drop on the other side. People were screaming and trying to rush out of the bar.

Six barely avoided getting a glass thrown at her head and she looked to see how Max was faring. With her Firrerreo strength, she managed to yank a man off him, but she was quickly shoved back. Six stumbled back into another woman who was furious, spinning around to try and hit her. Six grabbed her arm and twisted, slamming her into a nearby table to knock her out.

People picked up chairs and hit one another with them, Max had at least four guys trying to rail on him at once. Six picked up a pool ball and hurled it at one of the men’s heads, landing a solid hit to knock him out. The bartender was sobbing hysterically while hiding behind the bar.

Someone felt the need to pick up a chair and smash it through a window. Six had an angry old lady pull her hair, and she whirled around to backhand grandma across the face. Table Guy’s friends caught up to Mug Boy and his crew, engaging in a vicious fight that gave Max a moment of reprieve.

Six wormed her way towards him, grabbing his hand to drag him out through a back door she noticed. They burst into what looked like a kitchen, dashing past surprised people and right out the back into an alley where they tossed out trash. Six slammed the door shut behind them, feeling the brush of cool air as they made it out into the alley.

She paused to catch her breath, missing a few strands of hair, sporting a bruise and at least one cut on her arm from where someone tried stabbing with a broken bottle. Six looked at Max, her eyes wide. After a moment she just plain burst out laughing, doubling over to catch her knees at the ridiculous turn the night took. She could still hear the absolute chaos raging inside.

@Alhon

 

[Max Dram]

They came at him fast, more brawlers than fighters, but their numbers made it impossible to do anything but take the first hits. Max managed to twist his face away from the worst, though tensing his stomach did little to soften the punches.

Pushing against the wall at his back, he threw all his strength into a shove, forcing the other men back and giving him just enough room. He managed to bring the cue up and around, smacking one of them around the head and sending him down. Another followed him without help, as if silently struck by lightning, before Max realised Six had thrown a pool ball from behind. That would come keen.

He flashed her an appreciative look and then he was grappling with the remaining men. They were big and rough, but so was he. Ruthless determination and military training gave him an edge, but it was a foolish need to impress a girl that really pushed him on. Max fought tooth and nail with the thugs, punching and kicking them to a standstill before the whole bar seemed to erupt into open warfare.

The Adumari caught flashes of Six between the press of people, fighting her own battles before at some stage grabbing his hand. They dashed through a door and the bright white lights of a backroom kitchen before stumbling out into an alley.

Panting, Max tried to catch his breath, finding the chaos of the last few minutes a bizarre contrast with the ordinary quiet street beyond. Did that really just happen?

Six burst out laughing and her unfiltered chuckling set Max off too. They hunched over in the alley, laughing like two jokers high on spice. "You alright then?"Did you actually just backhand a grandma?". Targeting the elderly aside, he had been impressed with how she had handled herself.

"We should probably get moving" he suggested "just in case it calms down and they start investigating". He peered around the end of the alley, taking in a small parade of shops and bars. "Let's get off the street. You hungry?" he nodded towards a sit-down diner on the corner of the next block. It would not be five star, but they were not dressed for that anyway. "We can comm the boys and tell them we'll catch up with them later".

@Sreeya

 

[Cipher Six]

Six thought she was calming down from the laugh, but then Max reminded her about the grandma. She burst into a full on set of giggles, her eyes almost tearing up from the absurd elderly woman that came at her, “What about the guy that had you in a headlock? I don’t think you’re getting his BO off you anytime soon,” Six couldn’t remember the last time she laughed like that, and it was over something completely bizarre.

She was fixing up her hair and putting it back into place when he pointed out a place to eat. The remark about effectively telling the other insurgents to fuck off caught her attention. She eyed him with a raised brow, but said nothing on the topic, “Yeah, fighting granny worked up an appetite,” She said with a grin as she followed him to the sit-down.

It was a casual diner, and the two didn’t look too out of place. However, they definitely got a few curious looks thanks to their mild cuts or bruises. Oh well, maybe they would chalk it up to a bad domestic event.

They were led to a table in the back, presumably because they didn’t look too presentable, and given some privacy. Six looked over the menu, realizing she was hungrier than she originally realized. Her gaze flicked over to Max, a genuine smile on her lips, “Thanks for having my back in there,” She said. It was her fault they got in the mess and he didn’t hesitate to step in.

@Alhon

 

[Max Dram]

Max was hit with several muscle spasms as they made their way down the street to the diner, realising he had taken more hits than he thought. A dull ache was already beginning to settle in as his adrenaline abated and one side of his torso burned with pain when he breathed. Somehow though, the thought of smelling like some old bar brawler's BO was the most unbearable thing of all.

Once they were through the door he stepped briefly into the small restroom, washing his hands and face and doing his best to freshen himself up. Swinging into the chair opposite Six, he ordered two strong cafs to start them off and took a long gulp of his own when it was really still to hot.

"Always" he replied, coughing briefly but catching himself when he saw her smile. "You don't seriously think I would just stand back and let them hassle you?". He was about to add that he had only done what any soldier would faced with such a confrontation, but the truth was he had not really thought about it. He had just stepped in front her.

He glanced down at the simple menu and the diverse customers eating and drinking raucously all around them. "I'm sorry we've ended up in a shitty diner by the way, probably not what you had in mind for playing tourist". The place had seemed a good retreat but Max was certainly used to better and he could only imagine the kind of luxury ISB girls called normal.

"Some of this might be so basic it's good?" Max mused, looking over the menu options. He ordered a particularly calorific cheeseburger and fries when the waiter came over, adding a couple of sides. He looked across at Six "we found a castle, we might as well eat like kings".

@Sreeya

 

[Cipher Six]

Six was in relatively good spirits despite what they encountered earlier. They both looked like crap and they were dressed rather casual, but it was still a nice break from proper work. When Max tried to look on the bright side of the menu, she actually laughed. Six shook her head, “I can enjoy a nice burger. You won’t catch me eating dainty salads,” She said with a smirk. Firrerreo almost exclusively ate meat.

She ordered an equally high calorie burger, leaving off useless veggies. And an assortment of wings. It took a moment for her to truly unwind, realizing that there wasn’t anyone coming to punch them, they weren’t working a job and the insurgents weren’t coming over to force them into an act. Six took a swig of her beer, glancing over at the man that rose to the ranks of a General, but just got done with an absurd barfight.

“I suppose this is the part where I ask you about yourself?” She asked with a smirk. They both knew she could only offer him limited information in return, “If you weren’t working this gig, what would you be doing right now? For fun?”

@Alhon

 

[Max Dram]

Somehow, he seemed to be amusing her, despite their evening going sideways. Learning that she was not one of those girls to feign joy over a salad was a revelation, but perhaps Max should have seen it coming. Those fangs had to be for something after all.

It seemed he was in good company with his burger order and he found himself chuckling at the incredulity of their situation. Everything seemed to have retreated a step, like they had briefly stepped out of phase with all of the pressures placed on them.

”Me?” Max genuinely pondered the question. “Well if I’d never joined up, I’d be back on Adumar in that leather and metal you’re so fond of“ he sniggered. “probably planning a day’s hunt“. He leant back in his chair, holing her gaze “But if I was just off duty?”” He knew you couldn’t lie to Six, but all the same it was tempting. Instead, he went with the truth. “These days, I’d probably be drinking a whisky in a silent penthouse, or sitting with some date no body knew in some bar in the Colonies”. Life shrank a little, the furather you climbed up the tree. They never told you that in the recruiting videos,

“How about you?” Max asked, risking a try. “Even you must have time off. Don’t tell me you spend it mindmapping conspiracies on the building walls.``

@Sreeya

 

[Cipher Six]

Six actually laughed when he mentioned the leather get-up again. That day almost felt like a century ago with everything that happened since. On top of that, they had the biggest battle yet in front of them, “You know, I thought you were the biggest moron that day,” Six couldn’t help but chuckle, “I thought you were about to charge in and storm the castle. I had to placate Redhead McTits for hours and at the end of it you were just sitting in a cage,” She started laughing again, “It was too much,” Six took a sip of her drink, recalling their first interactions.

His answer to her question drew out a coy grin, though she didn’t remark on it. By now her burger arrived, and she was not at all ashamed to properly eat the thing, fangs put to work. She marveled at the taste - these local hole in the wall joints really put all their efforts into flavor over aesthetics. Six took another sip of her drink, pondering over her answer.

“Okay, well I love spy movies,” She said, knowing how silly it sounded, “And - you can’t laugh - I enjoy ghost hunting..so I'd probably be doing those things,” Six admitted, waiting to see the inevitable reaction, “If you weren’t so distracting, that was actually my intent with the ruins on Endor,” She said, teasingly nudging her foot against his under the table. It was so high school she found it hilarious.

“I’m curious…” She began, her face a bit more serious now, “Do you think you have the trust of your men again? After everything that happened and you now being elevated?”

@Alhon

 

[Max Dram]

Max had always been supremely self-confident, but when she laughed he found himself wondering if it was with him or at him. He had never managed to be particularly funny.

“It was not one of my finest moments, I’ll grant you” he acknowledged, chewing on his own burger while he tried to think of some mitigation. “But you were the one who strode in all sassy with a new game plan. For all you know I had it all worked out before you meddled”. It was bollocks of course, but he could try.

The food was good, to be honest way better than he had expected. There was no pretence about the place, but they knew what do with ground beef and some sauce. Watching Six tuck in, sweet little face juxtaposed with the fangs made him chuckle. She was as good at tearing meat as she was tearing strips off overly bullish Lieutenants.

He drank his beer while he listened, feeling like he was genuinely getting a bit of the real Six, over a chipped table in a downtrodden burger joint. The spy movies he understood completely, but the ghost hunting intrigued him. “Oh really?” he hooked his own foot around her ankle, likely making her flinch as he leaned back over the table. “Well I’m sorry if I ruined the experience...".

He propped his chin on his human right hand, looking at her intently. “A girl who spends her working day chasing down hard facts, and she’s a believer in ghosts”. It was puzzling and cute in equal measure and Max himself was generally quite taken with higher powers, even if he feared anything he couldn’t drop with his bare hands. "Do you kiss them too when you find them?". He smiled wide at his own quip, not expecting her to do much more than curl up in a giggling ball.

Her gaze intensified though when she asked her question and his own hazel eyes went down to the table. “Not completely”. It was the truth, even if it hurt to say. “If another soldier turned on me, I’d never trust him not to turn again, not really”. Some lines were not meant to be crossed. “But they trust me enough, and they know I know the enemy. The rest, I guess I'll have to earn that with time”.

He took another swig of his beer, his metal grip another reminder of how much he had already changed. “What about you Six?” he looked up at her now. “I know you’ve read my file cover to cover. Do you trust me?”.

@Sreeya

 

[Cipher Six]

Six’s eyes widened when he hooked his foot with hers, the gesture drawing out a small laugh from her. This was a perfect mix of flirty and outright silly, and it was one of the rare instances where she allowed her genuine personality to bleed through. Six only grinned at his quip about kissing ghosts, “I’ll have you know, I’m picky about whom I kiss,” She stated defiantly, though the grin never left.

She finished up her meal by the time he asked his question. It gave her pause. Six hadn’t been asked that often because of her profession. It was a tough question for her to answer. She wasn’t in the habit of trusting anyone. He knew what he was asking and who he was asking.

“I trust you to always follow your gut,” Six said with a smirk. That could mean anything on any given day, but it was what she believed. She wouldn’t outright tell someone she trusted them even if they already somehow managed to get past a few layers of walls.

After they were finished, Six checked her chrono, knowing they still had hours to kill. She recalled the street they were walking along and a few clubs and bars along the way. Six quirked a brow at him, “Do you dance, General?” She asked curiously.

@Alhon