White leans back in the seat with his left eyebrow perked, striking the image of aloof curiosity as Racheria glares at Mara.
"What would this 'check' entail?"
He asks, the rumble of his voice ringing out from the steel like tone.
Mara reaches over to some of the paperwork folders on the top of the desk, pulling one out and tossing in to the front edge in front of White. "Something simple, though something important to my family and I." She says, placing a paw to her forehead and rubbing. "Our home has been having a series of intrusions recently, and we've been trying to figure out the major Ws with little success."
White props his head on his fist from the chair's arm, blatent boredom in his features as he flicks through the papers. After a few quiet moments he grabs the pages with both paws, sitting up straight in the seat and drawing both female's attention away from each other. He pulls out a series of photos taken from a security camera and sets them on the desk, tapping a digit on one capturing a blurred figure with a singular blue glow from the head.
"Have you only seen it in one area, and has anything been taken?"
He questions, all prievious notations replaced with no-nonsense focus.
Mara shakes her head, spinning the folder around and digging into the papers stuffed inside. After a few seconds she digs out a folded sheet, opening and spreading it out over the desk to reveal the building diagram inside.
"The cameras have found it focused here recently, but the security system has reported multiple breaches all over."
-----------------------------
Racheria shifts in her seat at the sight of the photographed figure while Mara circles something on the sheet of paper, a large structure with all sorts of technical markings spread about. Some measurements on one blueprint draw Rach's attention away from the image, the distances and lengths a fair portion larger than the other regular buildings.
"What is this structure? Spare rooms? Guest quarters?"
White asks, standing up and tapping on the same blueprint's space.
"Storage. Items my family brought from Japan before I was born."
Mara retorts, leaning back in her chair and crossing her arms below the ample bust there.
'Greaaat. She's not a vixen, she's a kitsune. Fuck.'
Racheria thinks as she notes Mara's shape, mentally comparing herself for a moment then focusing on the blueprint.
"And you're sure nothing has been taken?" White questions again as he circles the various smaller rooms marked inside of it with his digit. "I doubt repeated intrusions are happening just for shits and giggles."
".... I'm not sure. Most of the things important to the family uniquely marked, or are too heavy for less than four individuals to move." Mara replies, her following sigh disturbing the room's ambience. "Anything else, I'd have to ask my father."
White sighs and rests his hip against the desk, crossing his arms over his chest as he looks at Mara. "... Very well. We'll stop by in the morning." He says, turning his gaze towards Racheria. "Anything else?"
"Yeah. Mara, what did your family do before coming to the U.S.?" Racheria asks, looking at a secondary structure with a raised platform at one end.
Mara folds her paws over on the desk, a glare cold enough to freeze oil directed at her.
"What would that have to do with anything, she-wolf?" She asks, tapping a digit on her arm.
Racheria looks up at Mara, returning the glare with her own fire.
"More than you could probably imagine." She quips, returning her gaze to the map.
Mara snorts softly and focuses on White, who nods and rolls his wrist in reply. After a moment she sighs and stands from her chair, walking to the covered windows behind it. "My family had been steelworkers, forging iron sand into various steel for numerous dynasties. In the 1930s, the head of our family decided to move to the U.S. in search of greener lands, so to speak."
Racheria looks over at White as she stands straight, shaking her head to White's perked eyebrow.
"Thank you Mara. I have nothing else to ask of you at this time." She says, nodding her head towards the door.
-----------------------------
White takes one last look at the blueprint then steps away from the desk, trailing after Racheria as she walks out the door.
"White."
Mara calls out, prompting him to pause and look back.
"Mara?"
He replies, holding the door open beside him with his paw.
".... How long have you been out?"
The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.
She asks, turning her head to look over her shoulder at him.
"Almost a year and a half now."
He says after a thoughtful pause.
"I see. I'm sorry to have lost touch with you over the last few years." A hollow laugh sounds out from her as she faces the windows again. "Though, I guess we didn't do much more than see each other in passing, or that time."
"I did what I saw as right. It was better for you to keep distance from me and have a social life, than be a pariah for knowing me, even after that." He turns and walks out the door after speaking, pausing right at the cusp of the doorjam. "..... Enjoy the life you have. I am satisfied with mine."
With those parting words he closes the door behind him and walks back up the stairs, his thoughts both scattered and yet defined as he habitually scans everything around him. At the top of the stairs he presses against the wall as he sweeps the far hallway, smoothly turning his head the other way as he peeks around the corner into the other side. Finding nothing he clears the corner and makes his way to the room, pulling the keycard from his beltline and deftly sweeping it across the digital lock. With a click the door allows his entry as he gently swings it open, soft light spilling into the hall from the bedroom. As he closes the door and sets the deadbolt Racheria peeks her head around the corner, a snarl scrunching her muzzle tight.
"Easy. It's just me."
He calls out as he lifts his paws up and holds them up in surrender, stopping in his tracks. She her features smooth out as she clears the corner, her shirt removed and pants partially undone. A perked eyebrow is the only shift in his features as he approaches, the sound of the strong shower spray from the bathroom growing with each step closer.
"Go on, get in there. I'm not stopping you."
He says, passing by her while focusing on the bay windows then glancing over his shoulder. "Just don't take too long. I know you'd hate for me to peek in on you."
Racheria scoffs and flips the bird as she returns to the bathroom, shutting the door behind her as he chuckles. He leans on the left side of the window and looks out over the view for several minutes then hefts the EBR into his paws, removing the magazine and opening the firing chamber to ensure it's empty. Satisfied he slowly shuts the action and replaces the mag into the magazine well, replacing the rifle back against the desk and returning to the outside view. The soft sound of a sigh reaches his ears from the bathroom, his right ear swiveling towards the original direction of it instinctively.
A dark shape streaks in the dim moonlight through the window, pulling White's full attention into the cloudless sky outside. He shifts back from the window to stand in the shadows, peering out and scanning the skyline for anything unnatural. Eventually he catches sight of a single light-bending spot amongst the myriad, closing in at a steady pace. A long light slowly forms several lengths ahead of it then flashes out of existence without a ripple as it flies into it, unnerving White as he stays still long afterwards.
'.... Hopefully that wasn't something I need to watch for.'
He thinks to himself as the sound of the shower shuts off.
-----------------------------
Racheria shudders as she pushes open the shower curtain and grabs one of the folded white towels hanging to her right, quickly shrouding herself in it and rubbing all the remaining water from her fur. Within moments of peeling the now damp towel from her body her fur fluffs up, making her growl slightly from the sight in the mirror.
"Damn this thick fur!"
She quips, draping the towel over the rack and rapidly redressing into her undergarments.
She stands before the mirror and takes in her image for a moment then sighs, opening the bathroom door and looking around for the other occupant. The lights are turned down low but not enough to create deep shadows for him to hide amongst, though his form is not noticed by her sweep. Perking her eyebrow she steps out of the bathroom doorway and into the room, seeing his backpack and two rifles still in their prievious places but no sign of anything else related to him. A beep sounds out from the hall followed by a ka-chunk, drawing her attention to it. As she peers around the corner he appears from the other doorway on the hall, a steaming cup held within his paws while he walks silently towards her.
"Pleasant wash?"
He asks, locking his gaze on her then flicking towards the window.
She nods as he walks by the windows, gazing out at the terrain by shifting the edge of the curtain from his sight slightly. After a moment he loses a bit of tension that was unnoticed on his frame until now, stepping away from the window and leaning against the desk.
".... I feel like the modern world's advancing too fast for people to adjust." He says after a few moments. "Shadow ops capturing people, semi-sentient mechs being designed in hotel lobbies, and wormholes flashing in the lowland skies." A low chuckle sounds from him as he lifts the cup to his lips, taking a sip then looking at her.
Racheria opens her mouth to speak but is interrupted by a low buzzing coming from White's pocket, watching as he digs in and answers the unusually designed smartphone.
"This is White.......... No, fuck that. I've dealt with that company before, and they can roast in a nuclear reactor's runoff for all I give a shit................ Send Sunshine and Terris to assist Jad with his tasking then. Once the contract terms are completed, have them contact me for priority assignment. Anything else? ....................... Good. Keep monitoring that organisation as well, they've been gathering quite a few. Atlantis nostri in sanguinem."
Racheria gawks at him as he speaks into the cell, his entire presence becoming commandingly sharp within moments. Though his focus is on the conversation he maintains his visual sweep of the room, no other motion apparent in his shoulder width stance. Once done with the conversation he taps on the phone a few times and returns it to his pocket, finally locking his hard gaze back onto her.
"Uhh... You know what, fuck what I was gonna ask. I'm just gonna head to bed." She says after a bit, shifting her gaze from his. "Are you.... You staying awake?"
".... Yeah. I have some minor things to look over anyway, so get some rest."
He replies, visibly drawing back in his forceful aura to become a sentinel once more as he kneels down beside the bag.
Racheria watches for a second then moves to the bed and pulls back the sheets, sliding into them with subtle rustling as she adjusts into a comfortable position. After a while she shifts again, facing up towards the ceiling as soft classical music starts to stream from where White is tinkering. The gentle sounds create a pleasant lull to her senses, eventually closing her eyes and drifting into the darkness of sleep.