Colin's posts

"Indeed." Ash said.

"Should bring it up with Dani." he told her.

"Odds are it'll be a good hunt for someone in the lower ranks." he reasoned.

"A simple info-gathering mission? Seems like it's perfect for... well, maybe not a newbie, but someone with a year's worth of experience so far." he continued.

"I'll tell her, and then get a move on to try and find our... 'friends'..."

Ash nodded.

"Right." he said.

"I'll try my best, at least, anyway." he muttered.

He then sighed, before snapping his fingers and checking his computer.

"Hmmm.... hmmmmmmm..." he murmured.

"...the hell...?" he said.

"Seems nobody's heard from our suppliers for months." he told Sydney.

"Something may have happened to them."

"Hmmm." Ash mumbled.

"Might be best." he said.

"In the meantime, I'll start a sweep of the city he was last seen in." he told her.

"The info isn't much, but I've found targets with less." he added with a snicker.

"...and I'll bring back some kind of proof that it's done." he then assured the woman.

"I know it's normally not required for... this sort of thing... but even if you want to see it, and then dump it, I'll bring SOME kind of proof that they're dead."

"...noted." Ash responded.

"And I assume word of this does NOT get out?" he then said.

"Mostly because the fewer the amount of people that know about this, the safer the operation will be." he reasoned.

"...also, got a description of either?" he asked.

"Just so I have a vague idea as to what I'm looking for?"

Ash narrowed his eyes, as he looked at the unwrapped blade, and carefully lifted it up by its hilt.

"Hmmmm..." he mumbled.

"I can see why, now." he said.

"If this weapon is anything to go by, the owner of it is... not someone to be left alone." he told her.

"Now... a question." he continued, setting the blade down carefully.

"...alive? Or not?"

"...right." he said. "Thanks for the drink and the peek into your personal life." he told her.

He then looked at Sydney and nodded.

"All right, let's go." he told her. "Sorry about that delay." he apologised.

The two then made their way to his office, where they shut the door behind them, locked it, and he gestured to his small coffeemaker, where Sydney saw a small bag of the roast in question.

"All right." he mumbled, making his way to the desk.

"What's the Triad want with a hunter?" he asked.

"...huh." Ash muttered.

"Well, good for you, then." he said, finishing up the smoothie and placing the glass back onto the bar.

"Delicious as always." he told her.

"Also, this Anpu guy." he then mumbled.

"How'd you meet him?" he asked.

"Seems like a decent enough guy if YOU think he's worth getting involved with." he continued. "Seeing as you seem to have a very... discerning... taste in partners." he added at the end.

Ash just chuckled.

"Fair enough." he said, taking another drink.

And then pausing.

"..." he was silent, forcing down what he had taken, and looked at her.

"Wait, wait, wait." he said.

"Make people like you?" he asked. "Anpu?" he asked further.

"You're involved with someone?"

"No?" Ash asked.

"Huh, didn't know that." he admitted.

"Explains a lot." he said further. "But I'm not gonna cry about losing 500 in a fool's bet." he shrugged.

"And the way I see it, 500's worth whatever magic you weave into these drinks." he told her, taking another large mouthful and swallowing.

"Because DAMN these are addictive."

Ash rolled his eyes at her 'nyah' comment.

"Hey, my BROTHER'S the one with the cat fetish, NOT me." he told her, before grabbing the drink, seemingly scrutinising it intensely for a few seconds, and then taking a drink of it.

...and then sighing.

"Ahhh damn it." he muttered, as he took his wallet out of his pocket, thumbed through the bills in it, and then placed 5 hundreds on the bar, in front of her.

"Bet lost." he said.

"Damn good smoothie, though." he added, taking another drink.

"....2 weeks!?" AJ exclaimed.

"Right, I am DEFINITELY digging deeper into this." he told her.

"Or I'll get Dani to. Either way, this is unacceptable. Or... tragic." he then mumbled.

"Depends on what I find..." he admitted quietly.

"Anyway, yeah, at the very least, I'll find answers for you."

"Eh? It hasn't?" AJ asked.

"Weird, it normally comes in by now." he mumbled.

"I'll have to check on things, see what's causing the delay." he continued.

"Unless you know already." he then said.

"Still... weird. Normally our suppliers are SUPER-punctual with their deliveries."

AJ raised an eyebrow at her when she said what she did, before smirking in return.

"I remember. 200 bucks." he said.

"I'll up it to 500 if you don't get any fur in it." he told her.

"So let's see it." he continued.

He sounded confident as well, but was wondering if she really WAS that good.

It'd be worth it if she was.

"....." AJ was silent for a moment, and then sighed.

"...yes. I am." he mumbled.

"It's become a habit now whenever I finish any sparring." he admitted, as he took a small detour to the smoothie bar that had been installed in the rather large area.

He approached the bar and looked at the woman behind it.

"My usual." he said.

"...more raspberry this time, though."