Clairvoyants 6
Sorry for the very long break. Clair and Firon are back with their first mission in vogue.... enjoy and comment:)
"Clair? Coffee...." Firon's voice rang in his ears. He turned to see her standing a few paces behind her, the hair that fell over her eyes was dripping water. What? Now every detail about her was captivating him.... Alright, this was tough; having to live with someone you were in love with and yet act like she was 'just' his friend.
She pierced his thoughts again, "Clair, will you step aside so I can pour the coffee out? Idiot."
He stepped sideways, like an idiot. The way she kept her hand on her waist. Oh... why... dear lord why all this torture?
She poured the coffee in three mugs and placed them on the tray in a refined way. Tsugumi had a tense look on her face. Her eyes darted here and there once every three or four minutes. Clair sank into the sofa opposite Tsugumi. Firon sat next to him, maintaining a good gap. Disappointed but not showing it on his face, Clair raised the topic of Tsugumi's early visit, "So... how come you come visiting so early?"
"Um, no, it's just that Shade was hiding something from me. She said she was going to make your first mission a success...."
Firon said pleasantly, "Why that's really sweet of her!"
But Clair frowned slightly, Tsugumi looked at him and searched for any signs of understanding. She was fiddling with the hem of her printed top. Firon raised a well shaped eyebrow.
"The thing is, Shade wanted me to get out with you both on your mission...."
Clair's eyes widened in disbelief. A non cause out on a mission with two causes. It would be impossible to get the approval from the executives.
Firon continued looking confused. Tsugumi's pleading eyes were melting her. Clair gazed hard at the coffee cup as if an answer would pop out. After a few minutes of heavy pondering he said one word, "Why?"
Tsugumi's lips twitched slightly as she prepared to speak.
"I can't talk about that here. I need to meet you people in private. Maybe my office?"
"When?"
"As soon as possible."
With that the three of them dispersed. Tsugumi abruptly left leaving the two of them staring at each other.
"What?" Clair asked innocently.
She thrust a hand forward to indicate that she wanted an explanation.
Clair exhaled noisily. Sighing he began, "Shade is the most influential cause in this part of the planet. And she purposefully took up the assignment with the Zeya tribe. Tsugumi knows that even if Shade had gone insane, she'd never have gone with them...."
Firon said in a confused tone, "But what's wrong in that?"
"The Zeya tribe generally have a built in mechanism in their society. It kills any outsider painfully. A terrible poison which is present in all those of Zeya tribe. It surrounds them, suffocates the non- Zeya. Shade will not survive if she stays for a period of more than a month."
"But I had heard that she was the only one to return from those people, a year back... doesn't that mean she'd have developed some resistance to the poison?"
"Not really. It weakens the immunity. Shade was losing her strength. She was weaker than ever before. And now she has gone for a suicide sentence.... Zeya!"
Firon walked over to Clair and very suddenly and yet very calmly hugged Clair. He was caught off guard by that. Moving one hand from the small of her back to stroke her hair he said, "That's a first...."
"I wish it could have been sooner." She whispered.
Shocked at her action Clair pulled himself apart and asked looking in her tear filled eyes, "What's wrong Firon?"
"Nothing. I was wondering if I'd lose you to one of the species out there."
"We'll always be together. Don't worry sweetheart."
"That's a first...." Firon echoed his words.
"I wish it could have been sooner." He echoed her words back. Chuckling softly they made their way to the door where he lifted her chin and said in a barely audible whisper, "I'll protect you no matter what. You don't have to worry.... I'll see you in seven minutes right here...."
One look at his face had her longing to hug him and never let go. Sighing she went to take a shower. Seven minutes.
***
Clair's hand wrapped gently around her shoulder as Firon entered Tsugumi's cabin. In a hurry Tsugumi locked the door checking to see no one in the empty hallway.
"What's all this about?" Clair's feathery voice floated in the room.
Tsugumi, her white coat unkempt and open swayed around her as she settled in her chair. She fished out a maroon and violet file neatly labeled- The Clairvoyants. Turning the pages to the species list she began, "Your next assignment will be with a group which calls themselves- Calendars. One among these has access to the information Shade will be leaking into the Zeya tribe..."
Clair interjected, "What the...! She's breaching the facility! But they'll execute her for that. You know as well as I do that they have sources which will tell the ASFC or rather beg the ASFC for her execution...."
Tsugumi seemed prepared for this conversation. The answers. At least.
"She has probably planned on running away or ex... executing herself...."
Firon stared at Tsugumi. Was that steel that made her speech blunt or was it the fear she felt for her sister?
Clair's voice filled the air and brought Firon to the present, "No... it can only mean one thing- that her destiny as an executed cause was much worse than falling as a cause under duty.... Shade.... Where is she now?"
Tsugumi's lips twitched as she said, "North Pole...."
Firon heard Clair's voice, clear and very sure, "Who are the calendars?"
"Vampires basically. A cross breed of striges and goules.... One among them is with Shade. And whoever it is has another brother called..." she was thinking for a few seconds and then said, "uh... Emerald. Yeah! And he will know the breech...."
Clair interjected, "How will he know the breech? Is he working with Shade?"
Tsugumi looked down, nodded and continued, "no.... there's nothing I know much about. My mission- get out of this facility, meet this Emerald and stay out of the reach of AFSC."
Firon whispered not wishing to interrupt the atmosphere, "but how will you stay beyond the reach of this facility. They'll hunt you down...."
Tsugumi just shook her head, "I've never known anybody better than Shade, and after all this time there's only one thing I've learned - to trust Shade with all my life. But still, there are things about her I don't know... for example her true name."
Two pairs of wide eyes stared at her, "WHAT?"
Tsugumi nodded sadly. Her life was turning, there were hair pin bends and beyond which bend she would meet her fate, no one knew. Emerald and Shade and Mr. X who was with Shade.... Was it like she was using her best friends here to do what Shade wanted her to? What did Shade want? What did she know? Where was she going to find Emerald?
***
Clair and Firon stood outside the main office of AFSC. The violet folder held in Firon's hand. She tugged at her dress before Clair knocked. Clair was real cool, he had done many missions before and it was routine for him. He squeezed her hand before stepping inside. Tsugumi was already waiting for them inside. She looked very mischievous and had a smile on her face.
The man sitting behind the desk looked like any ordinary business man. He spoke in a polite way. A man of very few words- almost telegraphic.
"Clair Inferno and Firon Dare, mission 1, invited by Calendars; duration- symbiosis."
Clair's jaw hung open. Firon just smiled. What symbiosis?
Clair stifled his smile and nodded in understanding and waiting for the man to commence again.
"Ms. Tsugumi Takahashi has convinced that she needs to go with The Clairvoyants on their initial visit due to health problems pertaining to Ms. Firon Dare being an acquired cause."
Firon gulped down the excitement and took in a deep breath as if the whole thing was true. She looked at Tsugumi who winked at her. a very beautiful lady, dressed to be the man's secretary, laid 3 packages in front of them. The man said one last thing, "Remember the codes, insurance will be provided if you ask for it, and... the Calendars have requested cut off from this facility. If you wish to agree."
Clair paused, weighing his options, at least acting to do so. Tsugumi had moved over to their side. The three of them stood together. Clair said gathering the packages, "Sir, with all due respect, we agree for absolute cut off from AFSC from the day we start our new identities outside the facility."
The man nodded and his secretary showed them out of the room.
Firon sighed and said hoarsely, "We could've punched the shit out of them and they wouldn't have said a word. They were all programs!"
Clair held her hand as another secretary showed them toward the meeting room. That was where they'd meet their first employers. The Calendars. Tsugumi trotted in front of them and pushed the door open hesitatingly. This room was under strict surveillance. As they stepped inside, a young man in a tweed coat and slight bristle stood up. Clair stood beside Tsugumi and Firon. A small bow from Tsugumi made the man start, "Please have a seat... I believe the clairvoyants are out on their first mission ever. Unfortunately, the head representative was unable to come. I'm just a meager assistant with the lab. But I was asked to deliver this to the clairvoyants...."
She pierced his thoughts again, "Clair, will you step aside so I can pour the coffee out? Idiot."
He stepped sideways, like an idiot. The way she kept her hand on her waist. Oh... why... dear lord why all this torture?
She poured the coffee in three mugs and placed them on the tray in a refined way. Tsugumi had a tense look on her face. Her eyes darted here and there once every three or four minutes. Clair sank into the sofa opposite Tsugumi. Firon sat next to him, maintaining a good gap. Disappointed but not showing it on his face, Clair raised the topic of Tsugumi's early visit, "So... how come you come visiting so early?"
"Um, no, it's just that Shade was hiding something from me. She said she was going to make your first mission a success...."
Firon said pleasantly, "Why that's really sweet of her!"
But Clair frowned slightly, Tsugumi looked at him and searched for any signs of understanding. She was fiddling with the hem of her printed top. Firon raised a well shaped eyebrow.
"The thing is, Shade wanted me to get out with you both on your mission...."
Clair's eyes widened in disbelief. A non cause out on a mission with two causes. It would be impossible to get the approval from the executives.
Firon continued looking confused. Tsugumi's pleading eyes were melting her. Clair gazed hard at the coffee cup as if an answer would pop out. After a few minutes of heavy pondering he said one word, "Why?"
Tsugumi's lips twitched slightly as she prepared to speak.
"I can't talk about that here. I need to meet you people in private. Maybe my office?"
"When?"
"As soon as possible."
With that the three of them dispersed. Tsugumi abruptly left leaving the two of them staring at each other.
"What?" Clair asked innocently.
She thrust a hand forward to indicate that she wanted an explanation.
Clair exhaled noisily. Sighing he began, "Shade is the most influential cause in this part of the planet. And she purposefully took up the assignment with the Zeya tribe. Tsugumi knows that even if Shade had gone insane, she'd never have gone with them...."
Firon said in a confused tone, "But what's wrong in that?"
"The Zeya tribe generally have a built in mechanism in their society. It kills any outsider painfully. A terrible poison which is present in all those of Zeya tribe. It surrounds them, suffocates the non- Zeya. Shade will not survive if she stays for a period of more than a month."
"But I had heard that she was the only one to return from those people, a year back... doesn't that mean she'd have developed some resistance to the poison?"
"Not really. It weakens the immunity. Shade was losing her strength. She was weaker than ever before. And now she has gone for a suicide sentence.... Zeya!"
Firon walked over to Clair and very suddenly and yet very calmly hugged Clair. He was caught off guard by that. Moving one hand from the small of her back to stroke her hair he said, "That's a first...."
"I wish it could have been sooner." She whispered.
Shocked at her action Clair pulled himself apart and asked looking in her tear filled eyes, "What's wrong Firon?"
"Nothing. I was wondering if I'd lose you to one of the species out there."
"We'll always be together. Don't worry sweetheart."
"That's a first...." Firon echoed his words.
"I wish it could have been sooner." He echoed her words back. Chuckling softly they made their way to the door where he lifted her chin and said in a barely audible whisper, "I'll protect you no matter what. You don't have to worry.... I'll see you in seven minutes right here...."
One look at his face had her longing to hug him and never let go. Sighing she went to take a shower. Seven minutes.
***
Clair's hand wrapped gently around her shoulder as Firon entered Tsugumi's cabin. In a hurry Tsugumi locked the door checking to see no one in the empty hallway.
"What's all this about?" Clair's feathery voice floated in the room.
Tsugumi, her white coat unkempt and open swayed around her as she settled in her chair. She fished out a maroon and violet file neatly labeled- The Clairvoyants. Turning the pages to the species list she began, "Your next assignment will be with a group which calls themselves- Calendars. One among these has access to the information Shade will be leaking into the Zeya tribe..."
Clair interjected, "What the...! She's breaching the facility! But they'll execute her for that. You know as well as I do that they have sources which will tell the ASFC or rather beg the ASFC for her execution...."
Tsugumi seemed prepared for this conversation. The answers. At least.
"She has probably planned on running away or ex... executing herself...."
Firon stared at Tsugumi. Was that steel that made her speech blunt or was it the fear she felt for her sister?
Clair's voice filled the air and brought Firon to the present, "No... it can only mean one thing- that her destiny as an executed cause was much worse than falling as a cause under duty.... Shade.... Where is she now?"
Tsugumi's lips twitched as she said, "North Pole...."
Firon heard Clair's voice, clear and very sure, "Who are the calendars?"
"Vampires basically. A cross breed of striges and goules.... One among them is with Shade. And whoever it is has another brother called..." she was thinking for a few seconds and then said, "uh... Emerald. Yeah! And he will know the breech...."
Clair interjected, "How will he know the breech? Is he working with Shade?"
Tsugumi looked down, nodded and continued, "no.... there's nothing I know much about. My mission- get out of this facility, meet this Emerald and stay out of the reach of AFSC."
Firon whispered not wishing to interrupt the atmosphere, "but how will you stay beyond the reach of this facility. They'll hunt you down...."
Tsugumi just shook her head, "I've never known anybody better than Shade, and after all this time there's only one thing I've learned - to trust Shade with all my life. But still, there are things about her I don't know... for example her true name."
Two pairs of wide eyes stared at her, "WHAT?"
Tsugumi nodded sadly. Her life was turning, there were hair pin bends and beyond which bend she would meet her fate, no one knew. Emerald and Shade and Mr. X who was with Shade.... Was it like she was using her best friends here to do what Shade wanted her to? What did Shade want? What did she know? Where was she going to find Emerald?
***
Clair and Firon stood outside the main office of AFSC. The violet folder held in Firon's hand. She tugged at her dress before Clair knocked. Clair was real cool, he had done many missions before and it was routine for him. He squeezed her hand before stepping inside. Tsugumi was already waiting for them inside. She looked very mischievous and had a smile on her face.
The man sitting behind the desk looked like any ordinary business man. He spoke in a polite way. A man of very few words- almost telegraphic.
"Clair Inferno and Firon Dare, mission 1, invited by Calendars; duration- symbiosis."
Clair's jaw hung open. Firon just smiled. What symbiosis?
Clair stifled his smile and nodded in understanding and waiting for the man to commence again.
"Ms. Tsugumi Takahashi has convinced that she needs to go with The Clairvoyants on their initial visit due to health problems pertaining to Ms. Firon Dare being an acquired cause."
Firon gulped down the excitement and took in a deep breath as if the whole thing was true. She looked at Tsugumi who winked at her. a very beautiful lady, dressed to be the man's secretary, laid 3 packages in front of them. The man said one last thing, "Remember the codes, insurance will be provided if you ask for it, and... the Calendars have requested cut off from this facility. If you wish to agree."
Clair paused, weighing his options, at least acting to do so. Tsugumi had moved over to their side. The three of them stood together. Clair said gathering the packages, "Sir, with all due respect, we agree for absolute cut off from AFSC from the day we start our new identities outside the facility."
The man nodded and his secretary showed them out of the room.
Firon sighed and said hoarsely, "We could've punched the shit out of them and they wouldn't have said a word. They were all programs!"
Clair held her hand as another secretary showed them toward the meeting room. That was where they'd meet their first employers. The Calendars. Tsugumi trotted in front of them and pushed the door open hesitatingly. This room was under strict surveillance. As they stepped inside, a young man in a tweed coat and slight bristle stood up. Clair stood beside Tsugumi and Firon. A small bow from Tsugumi made the man start, "Please have a seat... I believe the clairvoyants are out on their first mission ever. Unfortunately, the head representative was unable to come. I'm just a meager assistant with the lab. But I was asked to deliver this to the clairvoyants...."
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