[Citadel, Tayseri] A day on the town. [Open]

The station had changed much over the past few years. Millen Ressa, formerly known as Voniferus, pondered as she walked down the corridors leading away from St. John Paul the Great Church. She'd attended Daily Mass today and now had an abundance of free time. An old crucifix hung around her neck. It appeared to be slightly charred, though the chain it hung on was brand new. She'd inherited it from Father Kevin O'Brian, who'd died in the Reaper War. It reminded her of him, and of her faith.

She looked around the station, long-trained eyes, easily spotting the escape routes if she needed to run. The crowds parted this direction, so she'd go that direction, etc. She didn't get to be the final leader of the Dusk Winds without reason. Now, she was no longer able to call herself a Duct Rat. Perhaps that could have been a point of pride. She left the ducts and made something of herself. Still, one thing of Voniferus remained, coiled around her right arm was a whip. It was the only weapon she'd been allowed on the station because it wasn't really a weapon. It was a showmanship tool.

Still, she was sure she'd be safe here. She leaned against the wall of the corridor to observe the passing people. Maybe she'd attempt to go to a bar. Surely her military ID would get her in.

Laykalar drifted along, idly hoping he would soon arrive at the right place, but content as usual to take in the sights and sounds of the Citadel as he went. There was no hurry. His mind picked up on the snippets of conversation that most intrigued him, and he filed away the choicest phrases for later study.

He was heading over to view a hanar-appropriate dwelling that had advertised a vacancy, the first stage of his new push for independent living. He had no idea how the accommodation might compare to the familiar surroundings of his habitation pod aboard the Greater Encompassing, but he was - naturally - hyped about finding out.

Several of his co-workers had cautiously felt the need to remind him that you didn't simply accept the first vacancy you came across. He hadn't been intending to - he was just very curious.

The church was in this direction, he noted happily.

Millen knew not to stare at hanar; she'd grown up on the station, after all. However it looked like that one was a little lost. She wasn't sure whether she should help it or not, so she resolved to wait until asked.

Laykalar rarely needed an excuse to initiate conversation, and since he did in fact need directions it was inevitable that he was soon drifting across to the bystander, trying to judge how close was polite.

"Greetings! This one hopes it is not interrupting! May it inquire after directions? It is intending to find the Gentle Pull of Enticing Tides".

After a moment, perhaps more aware than he once might have been that the sentence sounded more poetical or metaphorical than anything, he decided to clarify. "It is a complex of hanar-appropriate dwellings. This one is intending to investigate a vacancy!"

His tone suggested that this was somehow a grand adventure, which of course it was.

"I'm sorry, I don't really pay attention to the names of the various housing complexes, but there are some hanar housing complexes a couple levels down that way." Millen offered with a smile. Normally she'd ask for something, but she had food or credits, but she had both in abundance now.

Quylid walked (floated? Hovered?) through Tayseri, also near the church, followed dutifully by a well-dressed drell male. It was ignoring the human place of worship, the other religion being censored by that jelly part of its brain that blocked out any differing views from its own. And also because it was currently pulsing its bioluminescence in 'conversation'

"Tell Daitu that this one will be requiring more shipments. Business has picked up even with those 'protestors' starting to bother us."

The drell nodded.

It continued doing this until out of the corner of its (eyes?) it noticed a hanar discussing something with an asari near the human place of worship.

A tentacle twitched.

"This one thanks the other for its assistance!"

He began to drift away from the helpful bystander, in the direction she'd indicated. He stopped, though, upon recognizing the fellow hanar who had just arrived. It was hard to distinguish specific individuals at a distance when outside the water, but after a few seconds Laykalar confirmed that it was Quylid. He shimmered in surprise. This was an unexpected development.

He was confused by his fellow hanar's recent behaviour. The Hungry Tides restaurant, which Quylid owned, had been a favoured place to dine, and most recently its staff had catered the charity dinner with considerable skill, for which he was very grateful. Quylid's behaviour, though, seemed increasingly unstable. Laykalar had wondered if something was very wrong in his fellow hanar. His racing mind bubbled away with possibilities - perhaps some trauma from the war, that was only now welling up to threaten its equilibrium? He didn't understand why one who had seemed so typically reserved should become so belligerent.

He should make sure Quylid was feeling well.

Pulsing out the hanar equivalent of a sunny smile, he drifted closer.

"Greetings! It did not expect to encounter the other here".

Do not come over here, Quylid thought to itself. Hoping the other hanar was just leaving and not really coming in its direction.

Unfortunately, that did not seem the case and Quylid quickly composed itself.

"Ah yes... Hello. Kraykalar is it not?", it bowed its (head? nose?) in the direction of the younger hanar. "This one trusts it is... enjoying itself here?"

Quylid seemed reluctant to respond, but was exceedingly polite and correct in his speech nonetheless. Perhaps he was embarrassed by what had occurred on the forum? Laykalar was a little surprised that Quylid had forgotten his name, but then he supposed the other hanar might be distracted.

He moved closer, flashing a small greeting to Quylid's drell companion, the equivalent of a slight wave.

"This one was unable to correctly offer thanks to the other at the conclusion to the charity dinner" he said cheerfully. "The other was not among the crowd when this one gave its concluding speech. It had to fulfil obligations with Citadel Security and an injured friend immediately afterward, and so was unable to search for the other. It is most grateful for the other's services".

There was a delicate pause.

"It trusts that business is steady?"

The drell gave Laykalar the most slightest of nods in response. Talking, or being social at all really, was not what he was hired for.

Obligations with Citadel Security and an injured friend? Quylid thought to itself. Was this younger hanar connected to C-sec? It doubted it, the younger one was much too naive and friendly to be an undercover agent. But this still raised a tiny little red flag in Quylid's jelly exterior. After all, everyone always underestimated the hanar.

But it would play along with its little game. Maybe it could even fish out a little more info about this incident.

"Business is going well. Very well, polyp", if the hanar could smirk this one would have a huge one on its face right now. "In fact, this one just had a talk with its business partners and we are thinking of purchasing another property on the Citadel to... expand, it sees"

There was another delicate pause.

"But enough about this one, "How is its friend? What incident befell it for c-sec to be involved, if this one may ask?"

Laykalar pulsed excitedly in reminiscence. "This one is distressed to report that its co-worker was gravely wounded in an altercation while responding to the break-in. The other remembers Mr. Snow? It conversed with him earlier in the evening. The criminal responded with violence when caught in the act. This one is greatly relieved that its friend was not permanently injured!" He shook the unpleasant memory off, defaulting to his usual vibrant cheer at the notion of having such good friends to begin with. "Fortunately, his recovery has been total. This one considers him a far better person than he seems to think himself to be".

This didn't seem to prompt a response, so Laykalar continued.

"This one believes it must cautiously concur with its learned employer that while the situation has improved of late, the criminal influence on much of lower Tayseri remains unfortunate". Spinning this into an opportunity for wonder and learning as he so easily did, he pulsed out earnestly, "It is certainly a bracing intellectual environment in which to immerse! This one has come to understand that it is doing important work here".

He shimmered proudly.

Millen cocked her head as she observed the hanar. If she wasn't incorrect, one of the hanar looked a little bit... perturbed. However, it was difficult to distinguish one hanar from another for her. She never knew what specifically to look for in differences between them. That was the reason she tended to try and avoid dealing with hanar in any panhandling or street operations. Hitting the same one twice would be terrible for her and her operations.

The asari let her eyes wander. She didn't have to meet anyone for a little bit. Her eyes slipped to a duct, from which she saw a young human slipping out. His clothes were worn, torn, and his face was mucked up with some dust and a little red from exposure. The child was a duct rat for certain. She let her eyes follow him as he slipped close to the speaking hanar, keeping to the shadows. Duct rats knew how to keep themselves from being seen.

Quylid's tentacles twitched in thought.

Snow

It vaguely remembered talking to one human that night, thuggish and unprofessional looking too if it recalled. Why was this polyp, of all hanar, mingling with those types?

"What does this Snow, do? If this one would be so bold to ask the other?" it pulsed gently. Still trying to come off as a polite creature instead of actively probing for real information.

It hadn't noticed the asari moving around, it was far too wrapped up in its 'game' to notice anything but Laykalar at this point, it would take her walking up to it and screaming in its 'face' at this point for that to happen

Laykalar hadn't noticed the duct rat, focused as he was on Quylid.

"Mr. Snow provides miscellaneous services. He has experience and skill sets that are useful for establishing operations in lower Tayseri, and he can empathise with the distressing situation in which the destitute often find themselves. He has been an invaluable asset given the gang problem, and the difficulties earning the youngsters' trust".

Laykalar didn't know too much about the ins-and-outs of Tayseri's criminal elite - Snow and Rondor tended to handle it - but he knew enough to understand how Snow's presence had been a double-edged sword for the charity. As far as he was concerned, though, the benefits clearly outweighed the complications.

He was eager to ask after Quylid's health, and decided he might as well take the plunge.

"It hopes the other will excuse it, for it doesn't mean to pry, but this one has recently been concerned for the other. If it can be of assistance, the other must let this one know". He reduced the intensity of his bioluminescence in the equivalent of a low and confidential tone. "This one has become experienced at interacting with non-hanar. It would gladly offer the other assistance if it were welcome".

He knew hardly anything about Quylid's background - which sect or tradition he was from, even whether he was Kahje-spawned or a colonial - and it would be rude to ask. But he wanted to help a fellow hanar through a rough tide, and he owed the restaurateur a favour.

Interesting It thought to itself as it listened to Laykalar talk about Snow, most interesting it would like to meet this Snow in person someday.

Its tentacle twitched slightly at the hanar's next statement. Of course it knew how to interact with non-hanar. That's why they sent it here wasn't it? It certainly wasn't its fault that creatures like Kayana were so insufferable that they felt constant need to pester it incessantly. But then an idea formed, and if hanar could smile this one would certainly be doing so.

"This one would be glad to have the assistance of the younger one. Perhaps this one can even find a spot on staff for it at its restaurant if it so desires as well. It could be its..." it looked at the drell for a second and then chuckled, its body pulsing grotesquely to non-hanar "assistant if it so wished."

Kayana was taking an alternate route home-in fact, she was practicing those skills that were rapidly going rusty-finding an alternate path on the fly, climbing along fire escapes and railings, hiding even her shadow. It was a physical thrill and it came back faster than she expected.

Which is why it was a surprise to to the group when she stopped, leaned over the railing, and yelled to her fellow drell.

"Hey, tribesman!"

The translation was a little forced-it could have been translated as countryman or brother, but it was delivered in a thick drell accent. When they looked up they would see Kayana, leaning over a railing, a short, muscular, speckeled drell in something like loose-fitting traditional dress, drell script tattooed up her arm. "Haven't seen you before. New arrival?"

Hopefully the duct rat would take the hint and scamper off.

The drell looked up at Kayana, a bemused expression on his face. It wasn't often he saw one of his own kind outside of Kahje or not under the employ of the Depths. He then looked down at Quylid who seemed to be still absorbed in its own conversation, not even the other drell shouting had managed to disturb it.

Hanar, he thought to himself. A thought he would never dare say out loud. He knew very well that hanar were not to be trifled with. Even without compactee assassins and out of their natural habitat they had their ways and influences.

So he did what he had been trained to do since he was a child.

He said nothing. Hoping the other drell would get the picture and leave.

"Welcome to the Citadel." She gripped the railing, leaning out slightly. None of them intimidated her in the slightest. "Don't worry, I'm not selling anything."

"Dude, seriously?" She looked at the Hanar, raising a brow, then shifted her gaze back to the drell "I've nothing against compactees, but don't be a dick to your own people. Show some pride."

She didn't seem too hurt about it. She scanned the scene, eventually pointing over his head. "Plus if you're on bodyguard duty, you're doing it wrong. Those vents over there connect to the larger network, see the little dooblydoo painted beside them? Duct rat thing. Good for spying and ambush."

If hanar had eyelids, Laykalar would have blinked at Quylid's "offer". He wasn't quite sure how to take it.

"This one would be most eager to help where it can, but given its duties with Leaving the Ducts it won't be able to take a permanent position. It certainly appreciates the other's willingness to work with this one".

He was definitely glad that the elder hanar was open to further contact. He wouldn't want Quylid's community standing to suffer due to whatever personal issues were raging beneath the surface.

By whatever technological wizardry captured the aliens' sound waves and made them comprehensible to him, he picked up the term "duct rat". With a very slight angling of his body mass, he focused on a drell watching from above.

The drell still ignored Kayana, though he did apparently hear her judging from his reaction to the vent she pointed out. He would note this 'dooblydoo' for future reference. Quylid's loud mouth was making him an... incredibly huge amount of enemies lately and it was better safe than sorry at this point. If anything were to come to harm to the Jellyfish, he would be next for failing to protect him.

He was a bit bothered by her 'pride' comment however, and wanted to reply back (if being quiet and intimidating wasn't his entire job) that he had plenty of pride. His expensive clothing, upright stature, well cared for scales showed it. How could she not see that?

***

Meanwhile, Quylid 'smile' faded a little. Laykalar had rejected some of its offer. But it didn't really need a permanent 'assistant' anyway now did it? "That is quite all right. Permanence would likely not be possible anyway. But it would be glad to have the other in a temporary position to teach this one about surfacers. For a short time of course but it will still be paid hopefully"

Finally noticing Kayana it looked up. Its tentacles twitching a little.

Ugh, it thought before speaking. "Um, yes. Hello? What can this one do for it?"