A strawberry blonde in a sharp suit kept her dark brown eyes peeled for the familiar form of her colleagues and clients. Waiting at the designated belt for the JAL flight coming in from Haneda, she crossed her arms and leaned a hip against the divider set near the automatic glass doors that would admit those arriving into Singapore proper.
Mentally, she ran through the information she had been provided on her clients and possible hostiles to look out for. In addition, she had had a very interesting conversation with the person who had contracted the agency she was employed by, as well as the doctor who had charge of both clients' medical records. There was much to share with her colleagues once she was able to take them aside for some private chats.
----------------------------------------
Everything ached. The chill of the flight and more seemed to have seeped into every injury, new and old, and it took Nanoha every ounce of willpower to move with some semblance of smoothness and not with the creakiness of some decrepit old senior citizen. She missed being able to do full body stretches.
'You're tired. You know you're tired when you start being whiny,' she admonished herself. Blinking against the harsh lights at the immigration counters, Nanoha offered the officer who chopped her passport a weak smile and manoeuvred herself through the multiple barriers meant to slow down runaway illegals. Stepping through the security checkpoint, she moved to one side when the expected alarms went off.
"Are you carrying anything in your pockets, Ma'am?" A jaded-looking security officer peered at the pretty but otherwise average-looking passenger.
"Nope, nothing." All the Takamachi heir had with her had been her phone, which was still sitting in the little container she had slid down the belt, through their x-ray scanner.
Nodding, the security officer began running the metal detector over her body, blinking when the device rang shrilly each time it got near her torso. Frowning, the officer stared at the seemingly harmless-looking Japanese woman in casts and a sling. About to ask the woman to follow her to a room for a strip search, the arrival of rapid footsteps gave the officer pause.
Someone with a diplomatic badge had arrived, a tall, spare man with slicked back hair in a suit. Taking the officer aside, the man brandished his credentials and after some back and forth, Nanoha was given leave to retrieve her cellphone and continue on to where the rest of her group stood waiting for her.
Just as she was going to apologise for the wait, she heard the same rapid footsteps closing in on her and turned to find the same man bowing and in japanese, the man apologised for the delay in updating her passport to account for her updated status as more than just an ordinary Japanese citizen. Assuring Nanoha that the issue would be rectified within a week, he bowed again and departed.
Noting the curious looks from her companions, she awkwardly scratched the back of her head with her right arm. Awkward because it was still in a cast, "Sorry about that. I have some metal inside of me." Of the three, Fate looked the most disturbed even though Nanoha tried to make light of the delay. "Don't worry about it, Fate-san. It happens in other airports sometimes, too. It should stop with the government's help now."
"Other airports?" The tall blonde asked quietly, still not entirely mollified.
"Usually I have my medical report with me to show them. I forgot this time."
This must be to do with the accident Ginga spoke about before. "I'll endeavour to remind you the next time I know you will be flying." This was what AVPs did, right?
"I've always appreciated your attention to detail," Nanoha stated quietly, refusing to let herself be warmed by the blonde's concern.
"Ah, there she is," Rein's voice interrupted anything else either executive was going to say, and they glanced up as one to follow Rein's eyes to where she was looking towards.
A square jawed strawberry blonde could be seen in a suit similar to what Rein and Ginga were wearing, and Nanoha guessed that was their third agent. The woman was solidly built under her agent uniform, the material stretched to accommodate her muscular frame. She appeared no taller than Ginga, and moved in a way that brought to mind some of the best brawlers Nanoha had sparred with in her time honing her Arts outside of her clan's dojo.
"Interesting," the executive mused, and Fate threw the woman a narrow-eyed look, wondering if this new woman would be yet another conquest for her boss. Instead of attraction, however, Nanoha seemed to be eyeing the woman thoughtfully, appearing to size her up in martial terms more than anything else.
With their luggages retrieved, the group exited past the automatic doors out into the general public area crowded with others still waiting.
"Edel," Rein nodded a greeting to the strawberry blonde who held herself up smartly while her boss introduced everyone. "Rein, it's good to see you," the strange woman greeted the silver haired bodyguard respectfully. To Ginga, she nodded, her acknowledgement which was cordially returned by Fate's bodyguard.
"This is Fate Testarossa and your primary client. Fate, this is Edelgard Barkas. She's my most experienced field agent aside from Ginga." The woman named Edel stared up at the willowy blonde. The information package had included a head shot but seeing the princess in person seemed to have robbed the woman of her voice.
Granted, the Midchildan royal looked stunning in a loose baby blue blouse with billowing long sleeves tucked into skinny denim jeans and strappy white sandals. Her long camel coat thrown over her shoulders emphasised her naturally sophisticated look.
"Miss Barkas, I will be in your care." Even the princess' voice was beautiful, her melodic soprano lilting pleasingly, betraying her faint Midchildan accent. Fate had a hand out to shake the new guard's hand. Stammering, the woman saluted, then shook the pale blonde's hand a little too enthusiastically, almost pulling Fate off balance. "N-Nice to meet you, Ma'am! Please call me Edel! Ah, sorry!" Edel moved quickly to stabilise Fate, preventing the woman from being completely off balance.
Eyeing Nanoha, Rein maintained an expression of professional smoothness. The executive affected nonchalance but the flinty daggers she was sending towards the strawberry blonde was almost enough to send Rein into fits of laughter.
Honestly, this was Rein's third best in the field? 'She's already got her paws all over Fate!' Nanoha thought crankily. Her mood was already rock bottom with this migraine and lack of sleep, and it got noticeably worse to find this Fate fan-girl molesting her AVP right under Nanoha's narrowed eyes.
Clearing her throat, Rein pulled everyone's attention back to the present, "Edel, this is Takamachi Nanoha, your secondary client, and Fate's direct report in TSAB." Something in the executive's eyes had Edel withdrawing out of Fate's personal space to bow to the obviously Japanese woman. Returning the strawberry blonde's bow back stiffly, Nanoha gave her a toothy smile that never touched those eyes of flint, "Hajimemashite, Edel. You seem very skilled. Perhaps we can spar at some point, when I am better."
Rein coughed, "I'm sure we can all spar after your doctor gives you the green light, Nanoha-chan." Leaning on the fake honorific to remind the Japanese woman where her attentions were supposed to lie, Rein addressed her subordinate, "The cars?"
Taken aback by how her boss had addressed her secondary client, Edel recovered and nodded, "Prepped and ready. I asked our people to wait for us at the pick-up point." Nodding, Rein shrugged out of her suit jacket and took charge of the luggage trolley holding Nanoha's and her belongings. Ginga did the same for Fate, and with Edel leading the way, the women reached the pick-up point in good time.
"It's good to be home," Rein murmured when the steamy warmth of Singapore's climate slammed into the group with humid force, and it clicked in Nanoha's head just which mild accent her bodyguard had all of this time - Acrolectal Singaporean English, commonly spoken by natives of the island nation from families that had english as their first language, and not as a second language.
Absently tying back her thick fall of silver tresses into a high ponytail, a response to the warm weather of the tropics, Rein began loading their belongings into the first vehicle's trunk. The black vehicle was a nondescript Mercedes, a very common sight in the country, and identical to the vehicle Fate was being seen to.
The men in the driver's seat of both cars exited and greeted Rein. "Thanks guys, I'll see you around." Obviously Rein's employees, both men nodded and departed back into the bowels of the airport to find their own way home via the country's excellent public transit systems.
Opening the back door, Rein humphed to see Nanoha doggedly pulling open the front passenger door instead. "I can't see crap from behind," the heir muttered stubbornly. To be fair, this was still better than forcing herself into Fate's car just so she could keep an eye on that handsy Edel. She did not trust that bodyguard as far as she could throw them. "Fine," Rein said shortly, closing the door she had opened again with some force, momentarily drawing the attention of the other group of women.
Fate had watched her new guard being introduced to her boss and wondered at the odd undercurrents she could sense. She had never seen the Takamachi heir baring that many teeth in a smile before. It was a relief that the strawberry blonde did not seem interested in Nanoha, nor vice versa, at least. Slipping into the back of the car assigned to her, both of her guards got into the front, Edel taking the wheel.
"I do not recall where it is that I live…" She began hesitantly, "I could probably find it in my laptop?"
"No worries, Ma'am, Miss Yagami provided us with your address. Do you have your keys?"
Fate nodded, "I found them in my purse."
"That's all we need then." Edel had signalled to her boss and Ginga that she had more information to share, but it would need to wait until their clients were settled in for the night. The three guards exchanged silent nods and the cars made their quiet way out of the airport.
Nanoha's bloodshot eyes were locked onto the Mercedes they were trailing after, though they flickered occasionally to the side mirror and the roads around them. Her paranoia after Fate's kidnapping had not faded so much as been subsumed into being a part of her psyche, to always be watching for a possible ambush. Gaiz had been correct the first time, that she had no idea what she was up against. She did now, and that knowledge would be put to good use if it was the last thing she did on this forsaken earth.
Rein knew better than to suggest to Nanoha to get some rest. The fires that drove the woman were not something the bodyguard wanted to challenge when they were this close to the finish line. Her to-do list had a clear priority, to get her client safely home and resting, and touch base with the other two guards to hear what Edel had to share with them. And her client would find no rest if Fate was not safely ensconced in her own apartment.
"You don't have anyone other than Miss Barkas for Fate-san?" The quiet query may have been lost, if not for how silent the vehicle's engine was. Nanoha would not meet Rein's eyes, affixed as they were on the car holding Fate.
"She's the next best after myself and Ginga. Would you want any less guarding Her Highness?"
This did get a sharp look from Nanoha, who slumped slightly and shook her head, "No, it's why I wanted to transfer you over to be her second guard."
"It doesn't work that way, I'm afraid. You may place your safety beneath Fate; it's a different equation altogether for Miss Hayate. May I remind you that you are still recovering from multiple hairline fractures and four bullets to the chest?"
"My limitations remind me every single fucking day…" Nanoha began heatedly, before stopping herself. Turning away to resume watch over the car in front of them, she scrubbed wearily at her face, "Apologies. I just… I can rest once I know she's home."
Rein remained silent, silvered brows drawn. Nanoha was running on fumes and pure cussedness and it would not be wise to prod the leopard. Already, they were turning into the parking lot of Fate's apartment complex, their car pulling up into the empty lot next to the blonde's car. Steeling herself, Nanoha unclipped her seat-belt and let herself out of the passenger side.
She was the only one left familiar with the way to Fate's apartment. As difficult as this would be, it was on her to lead the group there. Nanoha gathered the last of her energy reserves together and kept her pace brisk, silently showing the way up to her AVP's front door. Shadowed flint kept any memories firmly to the back of her mind to focus on the here and now.
Pausing at the elevator lobby, she held out her arm. "Fate-san," the executive said quietly, "Please remain here and hand your keys to Edel. Rein-san, I trust your people to take point from here. Her door is the one on the right."
Fate wondered at Nanoha's excess of caution, but since the woman was bearing the evidence of the necessity of it on her very own body, the AVP refrained from making a fuss. Remaining with the executives, Rein nodded to Edel and Ginga to comply with Nanoha's suggestion.
Keys jingling in the quiet of night, Edel unlocked the door to her client's apartment. Cracking open the door, Ginga flipped on the lights while Edel made her first foray into the princess' humble abode. From her vantage point, Nanoha stared unceasingly at the guards, immediately picking up a tenseness in their bodies. Heedless of Rein's futile grab for her and her own body's limits, she sped forward and through the entrance, biting back the gasp of pain from her move.
The apartment was in shambles.
Eyes wide, breaths coming in quick and hard regardless of the cast around her torso, Nanoha glared at the previously neatly kept apartment. Cursing under her breath, Rein was but a hair behind, skidding to a stop beside the Takamachi heir.
"Those motherfucking bastards," the heir's snarl was low, trembling with barely held back fury.
Fate's little hanging garden had been upended, soil scattered around the balcony floor. Cushions were thrown around and opened letters lay all around the living room floor. Kitchen cabinets were left ajar, the contents shoved out to spill over the floor. Stepping swiftly through the mess, Nanoha found a similar mess in Fate's bedroom. Someone or someones had obviously been through here.
"Rein, please call Miss Yagami and inform her to update Fate's place of residence to be the same as mine for the time being," Nanoha said, voice taut with tension and anger. She really should have done more than just dislocate joints and break some bones that night.
Following in after the guards, amazed at how quickly the injured woman could still move, Fate took in the mess of what was apparently her apartment. Having no memory actually provided her a buffer against what should have been a rude shock, not to mention her past experiences with her family's… concern.
The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.
The royal's calm as she took in the wreckage was uncanny. Nanoha's words flustered the blonde far more and she approached the obviously furious executive with some trepidation. The woman barely wanted to be in the same room as her, what was going on?
"Nanoha-san, I could stay in a hotel…"
"It's company property, not mine. These circumstances call for greater security, and the area it's located in is much more secure. Not anyone can just wander in." Belatedly noticing how calm Fate was, Nanoha ran her eyes over the woman, frown worried, "Are you all right?"
Shrugging, the blonde appeared resigned, "It's not the first time I've had my place searched," she shared, "My family doesn't like it when I get too… independent for their liking." Her lips twisted into a bitter smile that never reached the cold rubies of her eyes. Nanoha shook her head in disbelief, "And I thought my clan was fucked up…" That got a soft laugh out of Fate, "It's not a competition, but I do believe I'd win, regardless."
Blowing out a breath and feeling twinges from her earlier rush, Nanoha raked back the bangs that had fallen into her eyes, "Pack what you can, what you think you'll need most. We'll arrange for a clean up crew and added security to be installed while you're at the condo. Ginga, Edel, if you could assist Fate-san?"
The executive fell naturally into the role of being in charge and paced her way through the messes to look out the kitchen windows, the daggers of her stare casting out into the darkness as if she might find the perpetrators of this insult loitering outside. "...Fuck me." She sighed and pulled out her cellphone to make a quick call to the offices of the compound she lived at, updating them with the names of those to be added to the long-term guest list for the condominium TSAB owned.
Taking a deep breath, she then dialled another number.
"Miss Takamachi!"
"Hi Erio, sorry to call this late."
"No, no, it's fine. Caro and I got a call from a Miss Yagami giving us instructions she said came from you, and we didn't know what to think."
"Yes, she called you at my behest. Please follow the instructions she imparted. It's very important that we do not stress Fate-san during her recovery."
Erio fell silent for a moment. Fate…-san? "I… We understand. If it's for Miss Fate's good, we'll go along with it."
Nanoha released a breath she had not realised she had been holding. "Thank you," she said warmly, truly grateful that Fate had such good friends in Singapore. "Her memory goes back to just before she came to Singapore, but I gathered she knows you and Caro from before that. Please come by to visit her when you can. She'll be staying at my condo for a while. We just got back and her place is a wreck. She says it's not the first time it's happened…?"
Erio grew quiet. This was something beyond surface level interactions with the executive he mainly maintained friendly relations with for the purpose of work. Yet, what he saw during that lunch those weeks ago told him Miss Takamachi was concerned. Caro, his fiancée, had wandered over when he had first greeted Miss Takamachi, and slipping her arm around his waist, listened in on the call.
"I think it's safe to share, Erio."
Nodding, he tightened his arm around his sweetly-scented partner, "Miss Takamachi, this remains between us, but Miss Fate is right. Even her own rooms in the palace were not safe from Queen Precia."
Nanoha's head lifted slowly at the information Erio had shared. She had heard Caro's voice over the line, encouraging her fiancé to be open with this particular facet of the blonde's life. Jaw clenched, she quietly thanked the couple and updated Erio that he would not need to drop by for the foreseeable future due to her injuries. "Understood, Miss Takamachi. It's good to have you back. When… When things are more settled and you've healed up, please allow Caro and I to show our appreciation. You didn't have to…"
"I wanted to, Erio," the executive kept the warmth of their sincere gratitude close to her heart. There was so little in the world that she had done to deserve thanks, that she found this simple deed far more rewarding than most days at TSAB. "I know how rough it can be on your own in a strange country. Just think of it as an early wedding gift." She smiled, hearing Caro's echoed thanks in the background, "I'll drop by Khalifa again when I can. Good night to both of you."
Ending the call, she strode back into the living room area to check on the progress. The adrenaline was fueling her, and she knew there would be hell to pay tomorrow, but that was an acceptable cost of doing business. Her migraine was a constant spike being hammered into the base of her skull and she tilted her head fully to the left, then right, popping joints in the process in a futile attempt to loosen muscles bunched from the pain.
"Has Hayate been updated?" Nanoha directed her question to her bodyguard. Rein was standing amidst the detritus, a faintly odd look on her face. Glancing over at the returning EVP, she cleared her throat, "Miss Hayate has. It was Dr. Wolkenritter's recommendation that Fate be moved to the upper level of the TSAB condo. The plan was for her to spend a night here, then use Saturday and Sunday to move."
Nanoha wondered if her migraine was addling her hearing and her brains. "You're shitting my dick," she finally blurted.
Silvered ponytail shaking in tandem with her head, Rein clearly was not joking in the slightest, "Miss Hayate also thinks it's more practical to have both of our clients in the same location for ease of guarding." Holding up a hand to stay anything the executive had to say, and by her expression, there was a lot, Rein continued, "I find this assessment tactically sound. Something I don't think even you can argue with."
"You've already made the call to move Fate there," the Singaporean woman continued, "Miss Hayate assures me that the second level has been prepared for her, inclusive of impact-absorbent mats and cushioned corners. She has essentially 'baby-proofed' the quarters Fate is expected to live in."
Speechless, Nanoha stared at Rein for long moments.
"Son of a fucking bitch…" She finally growled helplessly. Hayate was keeping her promise not to reveal anything of Nanoha's past relationship with Fate, but she was still stacking the deck in her favour by making it safer for Fate to remember. And since Shamal had been roped in, it was obvious the doctor's medical opinion had been sought, closing out any arguments Nanoha would try to muster from that side of the field.
Crimson eyes shades lighter than Fate's bored into her client, Rein wondering which path the volatile woman would take in the face of such overwhelming odds. She had to admire the TSAB CEO's canniness when dealing with her forcefully unrelenting friend. It took massive balls to run roughshod over Takamachi Nanoha and not expect any significant resistance.
Feeling penned in by her oldest friend's plots, Nanoha found herself too worn out to struggle. Fate would be on the split level apart from her. If they both kept to their areas, it probably would not be too bad. Wishing she could convince herself of that lie, she exhaled, "Let's just get her to safety."
Of course, why had Rein thought there would be anything else more important to the executive?
"Agreed," she replied evenly. "Ginga and Edel can handle things here. Let's wait for them in the car." Lacking the strength to even nod her aching head, Nanoha merely turned around to make her way back down, leaving Rein to update her subordinates on the next course of action. The silver haired woman picked up on Edel's lack of surprise and surmised that what Miss Hayate had shared was part of what Edel had wanted to catch them up on.
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Fate wandered through the unfamiliar surroundings that had been the living space of her old self, understanding clearly what she had been trying to do. Eyes the shade of aged wine could see she had done her best to carve out a little home away from home, a place that held nothing of her life in Midchilda. The warmth and cosiness was evident, and the blonde wondered if it had been her past self's attempt to chase away the chill of loneliness that had plagued her for her entire life.
Finding the storeroom, she pulled out the full-sized luggages she found there - Instruments that had been used to move her life across continents. "I don't know what all I own," she informed Ginga and Edel, "I guess, just take whatever hasn't been wrecked. Whatever we have in fifteen minutes shall be whatever I bring with me." Her dismissive tone had the two guards exchanging looks, but they simply nodded and began moving around the apartment, picking whatever was left untouched or still in working order to pack.
Back in her bedroom, Fate threw whatever clothes she found into the luggage she had put on her bed. She would sort and wash them as needed over the weekend. Moving to her dresser next, she simply pushed everything into make-up pouches and threw them willy-nilly in with her clothes.
Oddly enough, she found a Cat Bus plush laying at the corner of her bed, near the headboard. She did not remember purchasing this and supposed it was yet another toy her past self had gotten in the time she had forgotten. It lay atop a neatly folded towel and she frowned, wondering what the significance of it was. On a hunch, she brought both up to her face and inhaled. A faint scent of cinnamon and vanilla, mixed in with other notes, seemed to be shared between the towel and toy. The familiarity of the smell tickled at her mind but offered up no further clues. Where had she smelled this combination of scents before?
Humming thoughtfully, Fate decided to take a little more care with this odd couple. Her old self had felt both important enough to afford them a place of pride by her head when she slept, so why not? Finding a vacuum bag, she put both inside and pressed out as much air as she could before sealing it and adding it to the open luggage. Toiletries came last, stuffed into yet another vacuum bag and sealed against spillage.
Lugging the now-heavy luggage after her, Fate was surprised she could take its weight more easily than she thought she might. The fifteen minutes were almost up and soon, Ginga and Edel were joining her with their own luggages.
"Rein and Nanoha are below, we'll need their help to take one of these in their trunk," Ginga explained. Nodding shortly, Fate felt a twinge of guilt for keeping the executive from sorely needed rest. Hurrying, she wheeled what little evidence of her life in Singapore after her two guards. Edel locked the door and gate after them, a token gesture considering what had happened within, but Fate appreciated the strawberry blonde's care in doing so anyway.
Back on ground level, Fate continued after her guards towards the dimly lit parking lot. The strikingly intense blue of her boss' gaze was incredibly easy to pick out in the darkness, and the blonde felt an unconscious pull that easily guided her feet towards the woman seated on the passenger side of Rein's commissioned vehicle.
"Er, Ma'am? Your car is over here."
Starting, Fate whipped her head towards the source of Edel's voice and felt her face grow warm, "Oh, yes, right…" Quickly correcting course, she wheeled her luggage over to the back of her own vehicle.
Rein had kept an eye on their surroundings along with her client, both women sharing more than just a passing resemblance to the other despite their wildly different backgrounds. When the tall blonde appeared, her palely beautiful colouring easily standing out behind her shorter bodyguards, Rein could see her client's eyes snapping to fixate on the gracefully walking form. Her eyes still scanned the surroundings with hawk-like intensity, but she obviously saw nothing unless it related to Fate.
The AVP was not immune to that fiercely protective regard, and Rein swallowed a chuckle to hear her subordinate reminding the royal as to which car she was supposed to be getting into. Fate displayed a moment of confusion before correcting her intended direction to the appropriate vehicle. Memory or no, the blonde was drawn inexorably to Nanoha.
"Dumbest peas ever."
"Hmm? What was that, Rein?"
"Nothing. It's our turn to take point. Punch in the postal code if you would?" Nanoha nodded, familiar with the car's systems to do just that while Rein warmed the engine back up. Seeing the headlights coming on in their companion car, the silver haired woman proceeded to lead their very modest convoy to the island retreat where the TSAB property sat.
Fate studied the passing scenery, noting that there was a lot more greenery than she had expected in a country famous for being almost completely urbanised. She had hoped to find a more even keel in the place purported to be her home, and once again, her mother's hands had dashed her hopes. At times, she wondered why she bothered to struggle against the ties that bound her. Perhaps she could consult with Nanoha on how to fully get away from a family that only saw her as a none too useful tool.
Greenery had given way to a flattened seascape, and the blonde blinked. Were they leaving the country? Her eyes made out passing signs indicating they were approaching some area called Sentosa. A quick web search on her phone informed her just what this place was about, and she gawked a little.
The island boasted a fully appointed Universal Studios, virtual reality experiences, some dolphin attraction, a go-kart circuit, and more she had not bothered to scroll through. Who lived in such a place? It sounded more like a tourist's playground than a residential area. Depressing the button to lower the window on her side of the car, Fate breathed in the scents of sun, sand and sea. It engendered a sense of well-being in the woman, and a wistful feeling of warmth curled inside her - it smelled nothing like her landlocked home country.
Wending through small side roads, the car in the lead finally pulled up to a squat, broad structure. The faint sound of waves could be heard once the engines of both cars were cut. Looking out into the horizon, Fate noticed silhouettes of moored pleasure crafts dotting the calm waters. It felt peaceful here, a place where perhaps, she could find herself again. Better yet, a place out of her family's reach. She could tell why TSAB had invested in this waterfront property.
The three car garage held two empty lots, the last occupied by a golf cart, allowing for both ESSS cars to be parked inside. Fate wondered if she had a car in Singapore. Driving was one of the sports she had enjoyed back home, apart from the running she did in school. Something that gave her the illusion of outrunning the grasping, spectral claws of family.
Nanoha rose from her seat, shutting the door with well-hidden trepidation. Hoping that no memories would trigger, she gestured for Fate to come to the door leading into the apartment. Approaching the woman, Fate found her expression difficult to read. "Haya-chan was a few steps ahead of me, so give the face recognition software a try here." Sure enough, the locks disengaged once the camera situated at the door registered the blonde's face.
The executive released a long breath, addressing the guards, "That tells me you're likely in the system as well." Her alto held no inflection, and Fate hated it. She could not tell if she was welcome in what was once her boss' abode. "Let's see what that tanuki was up to while we were gone."
Leaving her shoes at the door, the Takamachi heir padded in, ordering the lights up by voice. The main area seemed unchanged, aside from an additional single bed situated perpendicular to the master bed ensconced in an alcove shaded from any sunlight.
Fate studied the classily appointed apartment. It boasted an open concept with low walls for partitions, giving the area a very expansive and spacious feel. Of note was the lack of personal touches like pictures or knick-knacks. She wondered how much use the apartment even saw and she glanced at her boss, feeling a moment of sadness to think the woman did not feel like she could put down her roots in the one place she lived in.
"We're on this level, Rein." Nodding, Rein proceeded to bring in the executive's and her own belongings. Leaving the silver haired guard to settle their things, Nanoha continued further in, past floor to ceiling windows that looked out onto the ocean now shaded in muted greys and purples. Tucked to the back wall was a spiral stairway that separated the woman's home workstation from the rest of the apartment and this was where Nanoha led Fate's contingent.
A second voice command lit up the second level of the apartment. It was not as wide and spacious as the first floor, but it was still a fair bit larger than Fate's trashed apartment. There were no running lights in the floors here, since the surface was covered in impact absorbent mats. Any furniture surface with an edge or corner was also padded.
Again, an open concept was employed with low wall partitions splitting a newly installed kitchenette from a study area and the sleep area included a fair-sized walk-in closet. A large flat screen television was positioned a few feet from the foot of a mahogany bed frame holding a mattress that was clearly selected to accommodate Fate's near six foot height. Where a living room would have been, two twin beds had been installed with accompanying side tables and charging ports for Fate's anticipated guards to use.
Nanoha padded through the area, a part of her hating the thought of giving up her personal haven. It was a small part that was easily subsumed by the overwhelming need to know the blonde was somewhere safe and guarded, and so the executive immediately decided she could deal with it.
"Whatever it takes," she muttered grimly, unconsciously catching the blonde's sharp attention. She was worn out enough that she did not notice.
There were similar floor to ceiling windows that looked out into the ocean, along with a balcony that the first level lacked, since the door facing the sea opened directly out onto a shaded porch with a table and chairs. The large glass panels had a remote dimming feature, and it had been engaged for the nonce, shading the outside in dim greys and blacks.
Nanoha could not fault the quality of the installations, and applauded the safety measures put in for the blonde's sake. "Laundry service is as and when you call for it," she explained quietly to her new 'roommate', taking a moment to hand her the smart remote for the second level of the apartment and demonstrating how to undim the large glass panels. "I'll show you where the receptacles are tomorrow."
"I start my mornings early on occasion," Nanoha added, "I apologise if it takes me a while to adjust to… rooming with others." A fleeting smile crossed her chiselled countenance, never reaching eyes framed by dark shadows. "In any case, welcome, and have a pleasant night." Not quite escaping the blonde's silent and constant regard, Nanoha turned and made her way back down to the first level of the apartment.
Fate watched the executive head down the stairs. She should feel like an intruder, but there was a comfort in the seemingly sterile confines of the apartment. The colours and scents were soothing to her senses. Maybe because people she had grown used to were occupying the place with her. It was the scent that piqued her, though. Had she not smelled similar recently? Too drained to ponder further, the blonde left the mystery for later and thanked Ginga and Edel for bringing her luggages into her bedroom area.
It was time to try and pick up the pieces of a life forgotten but one she still wanted to live. Even a life she did not know was preferable to the one she had left behind in Midchilda. If only she knew how her boss fit into that life.