Passing the Sun(Anastasia)

[Lani Hunter]

Lani closed his eyes and turned to the person across from him. He passed the bag he had slung over his shoulder over to him in the guise of asking him to hold it while he stooped to tie his shoe. As he rose from the floor the man held out a hand that held the promise of those green bills. He smiled and shook the man's hand and took a quick glance in his hand to check his price. He gave a confused look as the numbers didn't add up. The man cocked his head and gave a very simple answer, "Your slipping Hunter." He left and Lani stood a moment before pocketing the bills and turning away. He was slipping he didn't take risks as much and he was having trouble getting out of Hammel. The security team had him tracked all the time and the chances of them knowing that he was missing already was very high, but outside of those walls he was like a shadow that was near impossible to track.

They were watching him now and he was lucky he had been able to get out now. He had never had a problem but then he had never been in a place where practically his every move was watched. He was still sharp when it came to slipping in and out of a safe without disrupting the air but he was slipping in his ability to move like a shadow through the streets and school which hindered the amount of material he was able to gather. He used to be out in practice almost every other day but now he was lucky if he got out once a week. In that he was becoming less confident in his ability and that was where his old friends advice had come from. His friend didn't mean his skill was slipping but rather that his confidence was. The look on the man's face was one that was searching for the Lani that had gained respect for slipping in and out of a jewelery store with millions without setting off the alarm was becoming someone who didn't think he could lift a few hundred from a department store.

He glanced around and dug his hands in his pocket to escape the cold that his sweatshirt wasn't doing much help with. He was layered but still the cold seeped through. He sat on this thought for a long time reasoning with himself. He was rusty but at the same time he was not slipping in the way people would think. He could still slip a wallet from a pocket without breaking a sweat and he just needed to challenge himself again and soon. He glanced around, here in downtown there were a lot of targets but none would be practical until after dark. With a sigh he kicked at a rock sending it into the air and then letting it hang there for a moment then shoot itself like a bullet into a nearby tree. He had gotten into a reluctant pleasure in his power. Now he needn't worry about fixing cameras before he went in and he could get things that no thief with mere physical means would even think to risk.

But he wasn't sure he could do so without screwing up. He was getting nowhere with people in Hammel and he was thinking about leaving. He was already deciding what to do with everything for the minute he turned eighteen he planned to leave Hammel and learn his own way. There were things he couldn't try because of the risk of people getting hurt and there were things that he had tried in training that he felt helped but his trainer had scolded him. In secret he worked on his power and his control was getting better though his head hurt all the time now and his power seemed limitless until a certain very specific point when he found himself being knocked out for hours at a time. He was getting better faster than he thought he would but at the same time he was completely out of control. The Telekinesis he had been warned was hard and took a long time to master but he felt like since he had the intense discipline from his childhood he was advancing fast.

Lani hesitated mid-step and glanced around feeling as though someone was watching him. He hoped with everything he had that is wasn't someone from Hammel. He did not feel like dealing with someone from there right now. He scuffed his shoes and loitered for a few moments before crossing to the other side of the street with a slight jog through traffic. He started down the street heading away from the street that went to the school and looked around at the small shops trying to pick a good place to hit tonight. He appeared to be window shopping but in reality he was carefully searching for a successful shop because he would not rob an old mom and pop shop or someone who was just a small entrepreneur. But those that were owned by big names he targeted. They wouldn't miss a few hundred dollars and Lani needed money for an apartment if he decided to leave Hammel. The hair on the back of his neck stood on end and he glanced around and could not shake the feeling that someone was watching him.

[Anastasia van Drakke]

(ooc: this looks so short compared to yours D: let me know if there's not enough to go on)

He was reeking with <nerves/frustration>. Anastasia had been visiting her ‘friend’ at the small jeweler for updates when she had caught it. She had strode out of the store, leaving the man sweating and breathless. He was a fool, plump and scared and too easily bought to be worth trusting. This was more interesting. He was young enough to be a student, but it was too much to hope that she would just run into...

Ah. What do we have here?

It was only an instant, but a stone learning to defy gravity was not exactly an everyday happenstance. Anastasia drew her ermine coat closer around her, smiling slightly. She waved her driver on, following the blonde boy on foot. Cutting too sophisticated a figure to strike ‘stalker’ or ‘mugger’ in anyone’s mind, she followed twenty feet behind, her heels clicking softly as she kept flat eyes ahead.

Either a rock powered meta (Dario, he was like... no,) or telekinetic. Was that the word for it? She should know that. She really should know that. Why was she doubting it? A tiny frown creased her usually smooth forehead and when she looked up, for a moment she thought she’d lost him. No, he was there. Scouting. Ivan used to do that; sourcing and looking for layouts. Still <nervous>, but was that <determination>?

She paused as he did, letting him look around. He saw her, paused, but she did not feel a surge to suggest she worried him too much. Perhaps he was thinking of an easy job? That would be interesting... no, off again.

Closer, closer...

Ah, dead end. For him, anyway.

”Keep looking so guilty and someone’s going to call the police, sweetness,” she finally spoke, eyebrows in elegant arches. ”You’re being awfully sneaky for someone too well dressed for an urchin.”

[Lani Hunter]

Lani wasn't surprised when he glanced over his shoulder to see no one there. But if he were stalking someone he would be the same way. The question was why was he being stalked. He kept his eyes forward and sought to keep himself from becoming cornered while pretending to be unaware of someone watching him. But then he could just be being paranoid. He paused again to gaze in the window of one shop thinking the gift shop could be a lower branch of something else. He saw the elderly man at the register and thought better of it. It wasn't fair to steal from someone barely making it to begin with. But the richer stores were fair game for him. He shivered and tucked his head down into the folds of his hood to try to keep his ears from falling off. He still couldn't believe how cold it had gotten. At least there was no snow on the ground anymore, though sometimes he felt like snow made it warmer than just the bitter cold of the air.

He jumped at the voice behind him. He peered over his shoulder and took a few moments to wipe the shocked look from his face and regain an expression of calm aloofness. He turned and cocked his head at her. "And what would the police do?" He countered with a smile. If anything they wouldn't find anything on his person. He shrugged at her next comment. He looked down at himself self-consciously. He did look a little too well dressed but then when one did as good a job as he did one didn't have to look suspicious by appearing impoverished. He raised a brow and leveled his gaze on the woman. She was very observant person if she was already catching onto him. Lani was sure she wasn't any trouble for him but then he never knew with Hammel around if she was a meta as well. However, she didn't give him any indication that she was a danger to him. And chances were that she was not a under cover cop.

If she was an undercover cop he had more problems than he wanted to think about. Lani read her manner, it didn't give anything away. She was obviously older than he was and she had sharper eyes than the average person to even guess at what he was planning. He started to turn then a thought crossed his mind. Perhaps she was someone like his employer and she needed something done. That alone kept him stationary. "Perhaps your imaging things." He suggested giving her suspicious eyes. He was speaking in a coded message often used to infuriate people who caught thieves. Never saying anything to incriminate oneself and attacking the mentality of the person in question. "I'm just not from around here," he lied in explanation, "I'm just trying to get the lay of the land." He hoped if anything that would make him innocent of any accusations she was building or if she was someone like his employer she would see through the initial secretive retorts he was either in trouble or had a new opportunity knocking.

[Anastasia van Drakke]

Anastasia’s eyebrow rose to match Lani’s expression, even as she pushed <respect/trepidation> into his mind in response to the lack of if she found in his feelings. After the failure two nights before with her mark she was not in the mood to accept this blase dismissive attitude from a mere boy. It was not acceptable, it would be fixed. ”Watch your tone, boy,” she said sweetly, the corner of her mouth twitching up in a civil smile. Her, imagine things? Who did he think he was talking to? She did not have time for this.

The lie he told hit her softly with <nervousness/anxiety/excitement>, such a combination that almost always spelt out one thing. Someone was not being honest, and Anastasia disliked being lied to by children. ”Don’t bother,” she said flatly, then pushed out a tendril of <worry> to catch and grow in the boy’s mind. ”I can always tell when someone lies to me, and I have been lied to by people much better at it then you.” With a long suffering sigh, the empath smoothed her hair over one ear and pulled her coat closer around her. ”You’re school aged, telekinetic, thus may I assume you go to school nearby?”

His suspicion and curiosity made an intriguing combination, one that she let grow unhindered by her own manipulation. ”I really do advise you do not run, I am not in the mood. I’m not going to hurt you.” she snuck in <fear/trust> to the already complex mix of his emotions to ensure he would believe her. ”But if you do go to the local school for gifted teenagers, I have a proposition for you.”

[Lani Hunter]

Lani felt a strange sense of respect for this woman. Perhaps it was the mysterious allure about her that made him respect her. He blinked in shock at her statement, he hadn't been rebuked like that in ages. He felt like a child again being scolded for having an attitude. "My apologies," He said with a little more respect. He inclined his head a little, a gesture Lani didn't often use with people he had just met. People he respected got that greeting. Yet mixed with the respect came something else a kind if of unease he couldn't quite describe. His mood had definitely shifted but he couldn't tell if it was the woman or if it was the way she commanded respect.

His brow creased in mock confusion as she told him not to bother. Had she caught his lie? Apparently. He felt the hair on the back of his neck standing up. This was bad. There was something off about this. He couldn't hide the shock as his eyes widened and he took an involuntary step back when she called out his power. "How..?" He began but remembered the stupid rock. He should have known better. Stupid Hunter! He thought at himself. What if she was a person who hated metas or worse wanted to use metas for her own purposes? If she can tell when someone is lying then maybe she is a meta as well. He couldn't predict anything at this point but his curiosity was piqued yet his suspicious only grew greater. He nodded numbly swallowing, his mouth suddenly dry. He should get out of here. He shifted a little like a runner shifting their weight to one leg to spring into a sprint.

He stayed rooted to the spot and narrowed his eyes when she warned him not to run. She was right he had no idea what she was capable of. He had long since given up trying to outdo people who he knew nothing about. He nodded a little and loosened his stance. He crossed his arms with suspicion, hoping he was giving nothing away other than curiosity. He cocked his head to one side and tried to read the woman. He nodded his head and gave the illusion of relaxation while his mind was still whirring with what ifs. "You have my attention." He said interested in this proposition. He smiled a little some real relaxation breaking through.

[Anastasia van Drakke]

A smirk; that was better. ”Apology accepted.” she said cooly, brushing specks of invisible link off her coat cuffs. There was a thin layer of ice forming over her shoulders, and inside woolen gloves the tips of Anastasia’s fingers were tingling with cold. She did not want to stand on the street talking to this boy like some drug dealer talking to a client. Still, he wasn’t adapting to her implants... they were reflecting back with no personal adaptation. Not good.

While his stance was clearly meant to be nonchalant, the undercurrent of <unease/worry/suspicion> fizzed at her mind like bicarb soda. ”Excellent. I’m so pleased to hear it.” With a glance, Anastasia made sure Lani would be <grateful> she was not going to hold a grudge. ”It’s cold, I’d like to talk to you in my car,” Anastasia raised a hand and the limo pulled up at the side. ”Of course, I give you my word I won’t hurt you. I’m very interested in someone I’ve heard you might be friends with.” she put her hands up with a wry smile. ”It’s pure business of course, I don’t expect anything for free.”

It was obvious from the tips of her perfect hair to the tens of little animals that had been skinned to make her coat that money was not going to be a problem. ”You go to the local school? My brother went there. He was.. special. Like you are. So it’s not a security issue. Now,” Anastasia opened the car door and gestured, pushing <trust/openness/agreeable> into the boy to convince him to agree.

[Lani Hunter]

Lani smiled a little, glad for the woman's acceptance. It was odd for him to be this polite and this accepting of someone like her. But then he was relaxing more by the minute in her presence. Perhaps she was nothing like what he thought she was. Lani instead decided to keep an open mind neither leaning toward suspicion or trust. Through trust was pulling at him like a nagging mother, Lani had never trusted someone so easily and that made his cautious. There were tendrils of fear in him mixed with that trust and the only person he trusted and feared was his father. But even then he had never really trusted the man. It was indeed an odd state of affairs.

He smiled again glad she wasn't going to think of him badly for his rudeness. But when did he care if he was being rude? He did with Dalton, he didn't want the man to think poorly of him. Just like he didn't want this woman to think poorly of him. Of course they just met and she approached him in a way that he had been approached before. He raised a brow as she told him she would like to talk in her car. No matter what things he was feeling the red flag flew up in his mind. No thief ever got into a car with someone the didn't know. When the limo pulled up he gaped and swallowed allowing himself to nod. His brow creased, "And what friend might this be?" He asked suspiciously. Now was the real test, not her test of him but his test of her. Then she brought up money and Lani smiled. "Now you're speaking my language." It certainly wasn't the first time he had been paid for information.

He cocked his head to one side and nodded. If her brother went there than she would already know about it, like Caroline. A surge of love flew through him as he thought of her. It was quickly quelled by the proposition. Lani shrugged and reasoned the trust and willingness into his confidence that his power could help him get out of anything. He smiled, "Thank you, it is very cold out." He said in passing as he got into the limo. It was nice, nicer than anything he had ever seen before, especially in a car. The family station wagon was all Lani had ever known or driven. "So this friend?" He asked feeling for the locks in the car and feeling the tires in his mind.

[Anastasia van Drakke]

She was being clumsy, crude. Her usual rapier had been replaced with a sledge hammer and it was causing problems. Such obvious surges were raising flags in the boy’s subconscious. She would need to be more careful. Put the buzzing away and stop letting a small failure (soon to be rectified, though) get to her. So she let her smile soften slightly, and lessened the mental barrage of <relax/trust> she had been shoving down his throat.

”Cold, yes,” the woman said somewhat distractedly. This whole situation was reminding her of a ridicules book one of her nannies had read to her, about a witch and a magic wardrobe and a lion. Most importantly, an ice queen that gave a foolish boy a ride in her magic slay and tricked him into betraying his family. Only she had cash, not turkish delight.

And it wasn’t family. No one was betraying family.

Anastasia took a breath and settled into a friendlier position, hands open and facing up, shoulders back, expression smooth. ”My friend Elise Dalton’s brother is, I’ve heard, a teacher at a school nearby. A school that, well,” she gave a friendly smile that offered companionship, ”helps people who’re a bit different. Elise hasn’t heard from him in years,” the lies came easily, the information she already knew giving it plenty of believability. ”But that school’s not replying to any of my emails, or telling me much over the phone. I promised Elise I’d find out how her brother’s going, and I’m willing to pay,” Anastasia paused for a moment, then looked at Lani with raised eyebrows, ”well, we can discuss that. See?”

Smiling softly, Anastasia shook off the little ripples Lani’s feeling pushed against her mind and pushed <openness/trust/acceptance>. His emotional barriers weren’t well formed; he would believe her. ”Easy money. If you know someone who’s familiar with Mr Dalton?”

[Lani Hunter]

Lani's curiosity had taken over and even the trust and relaxation was forgotten in his curiosity. Often times when one was exchanging information the conversation was one in which he could get as as much information out of it from her as she would get from him. It had to be carefully placed, for selling information you did not care who or what you were giving it too as long as there was money involved it didn't matter who was obtaining the information. That was at least until she told him the name of the person. Dalton? What did this have to do with Dalton. This changed everything. He didn't want to lose a customer but at the same time Dalton had become something of a father figure to him, he couldn't betray the man.

The woman seemed friendly enough, and she was looking for Dalton's sister. That got him. He could not imagine leaving Caroline without knowing where he was. "I'm familiar with that. People different like me." He said as she talked about the school. He nodded still listening. This was indeed something that told him that it certainly wasn't something bad. But then again if this woman was used to doing underhanded deals like this then perhaps he should worry about Mr. Dalton. But no he knew his sister would do anything to track him down if he stopped calling. He nodded, "That is a very kind thing to do for a friend, ma'am." He said with a smile the trust solidifying and relaxation finally finding a real root in his mind.

Then he smiled with a great amount of glee. "You're in luck, ma'am, I happen to know Mr. Dalton." Lani nodded before she could dispute this, "He's my English teacher." He didn't add that he was a dear friend that would just make matters sticky for everyone.

[Anastasia van Drakke]

”I like to think I’m a kind person,” Anastasia said with a smile, ”especially to my friends.” The smile grew as she finally felt the <trust/relax> had been cemented and turned into something just a little different. A little more specific to them. Lani’s emotions were sharp, and hit her quickly like pebbles on a windowpane. ”Now, to make things a little easier, it would be good if I could get your name. She held back for a moment, making an obvious pause as she weighed up the pros and cons of giving him her name, and the chances of him giving her a real one.

”You can call me Eva, if you like.”

A middle/nick name was not bad. It wasn’t like she could really go anonymous. The light was bad outside but inside, there was a good chance he’d recognize her from some sort of media. ”Ma’am makes me feel old.” A charming smile, and a rueful sigh, before she shook her hair back from her face.

Like a sunrise, Anastasia’s face slowly lit up and she lent forward eagerly. ”I am in luck!” she said with completely honest excitement. ”Fancy that! Now,” leaning forward, Anastasia patted Lani’s hand. The skin to skin contact had it’s usual shock; Lani was as weary as a lemur, alert and suspicious and ready to bolt. <calm/open/tellmeeverythingIaskfor>

”I do hope he’s fitting in well,” the tall blonde went on, still smiling with encouragement. ”Does his class like him?” Her smile turned up a tad. ”is he close to his students?”

Is he close to anyone in particular? Leverage. All about leverage.

[Lani Hunter]

Lani smiled, he didn't have many friends but the few he had he would do anything for. Dalton was certainly counted in one of those, and perhaps he didn't want to contact his sister, but he should at least give her the chance. It saddened him to see his favorite teacher cut off like that. He had always seemed like the kind of person who would keep in touch with someone close to him. At least that was the impression Lani got, considering that the man hardly knew Lani and had the urge to talk to him every time they had a minute. Lani had been annoyed at first but now he welcomed seeing the man. He nodded slightly as she asked for his and gave her his. "I'm Lani," he said softly, "Pleasure doing business with you." He added onto the end to let her know he was open for business and not favors. Favors were reserved for people he loved and trusted.

He laughed, relaxed, "Sorry, then Eva, I don't want to make you think that." He shook his head and chuckled a little to himself. People younger always wanted to be older and people who were older always wanted to be younger. It was an interesting thing but Lani could hardly think of a way to get someone to change the way they think.

Lani grinned and felt a faint shudder as she placed her hand on his. He relaxed under her touch. He felt ready to tell her anything, but then again wasn't that what he was being paid for? He smiled, "Lucky you." He repeated. It was rather convenient, but if in the past Lani would have been suspicious about such a think he wasn't now. Then again he had been sought out by name before. Sitting in a diner sipping on coffee and have someone come up like they were meeting him there, that was rather the best way to do it. He had even held meetings such as these right under the nose's of cops filling up on doughnuts.

Lani bobbed his head, "I think he's getting along pretty well. Everyone loves him." He smiled and couldn't help the surge of love for the man, like the love from a son to a father. "He's the best teacher we have at that school." He considered telling her that he was rather close to the man, but then again that might prove dangerous for him. I am a messenger. My message is my duty. I am the message, I have no ties of love or hate. He recited the old creed in his head. "He's pretty close with a few of us." And to not let himself be ruled by emotion added, "He's been a fairly good friend to me." Lani wasn't sure if she could tell but the man was much more to Lani than he knew. He didn't know how the man felt about him but he only knew he would tell Dalton almost anything.

[Anastasia van Drakke]

”Lani,” Anastasia repeated softly,then smiled. He had a bit of sense then; this was about money. But it was obvious from the <affection/respect/fondness> Lani was emitting at the mention of the english teacher she’d found someone who had a soft spot for the englishman. Excellent, a good start. If students liked their teachers they were more likely to be liked, and perhaps... valued in return. The russian heiress felt like laughing loudly, and throwing her arms up. She had expected this to take days of following leads and careful research, but it was falling into place in one night!

Her Plan B was taking shape.

The <love/respect/admiration> Lani continued to emit was strong enough for Anastasia to assume some sort of bond had been made between student and pupil, she did not need it to be verbally confirmed. Her hypothesis was only supported further as the strength of the <closeness/love> Lani felt made a mockery of the lightness of his word. He was fighting it himself, <restraint> and what felt like some old memory pushing at what she had planted.

It was enough. It was perfect. The woman could hardly contain the delight she felt at having such an excellent potential hostage to her on a platter. ”Lani, I’m so grateful to you. Now,” With another push of <trust/acceptance/openness> Anastasia pulled out a card from her purse, as well as a sizable bundle of notes.

”Meeting you has been fantastic, Lani. I would love to talk more, but I really do have to head off. However,” Anastasia handed her card over, and half the notes, ”I’m hoping we can arrange a meeting, at my place, in maybe a week or so? I’ll need to chat with Elise about any particular questions she has for her brother, you understand?” With an expectant look, the woman passed the boy a pen from one of the compartments in the car, and a pen. ”How can I reach you? You will of course be compensated. I do hope,” Anastasia took Lani’s hand for a moment, “You’ll agree to meet me again,” She pushed enough <compassion/honesty> to ensure he would be more then happy to do as she said.

[Lani Hunter]

Lani smiled feeling very satisfied with his success. Without even meaning to he had found a job without even meaning to. He had been planning on doing something far more risky and perhaps getting more money but, money was money. He had certainly made his client happy, he knew he would be happy as well, having such success in finding someone to help with a friend’s problem. And he was getting money out of it. It was nothing more than a deal. In the back of his mind he wondered what Dalton had done in the past that caused him to leave his sister without any means of contacting him. That didn’t sound like Mr. Dalton at all. Lani just hoped he didn’t just get the old man into trouble.

Separation from the product. That was the rule. No thief of material or information could ever get attached to their product. It was for sale all the time, and he could not allow emotion to get to him. Keeping this in mind Lani let the thought that this might be a trap slip from his mind like a shadow. There was nothing that really mattered but the product. Lani had never had anything quite so hard to deal with though. The information he sold was never about someone he knew. He just waited and watched then delivered, never was he giving information off of someone he loved. Keep telling yourself to stay distant, but he knew the moment someone asked about Caroline in such a manner he would lie. He would lie like her life depended on it.

One touch from her and his worries melted away even farther and it became as thought they were never there. “And I you.” He said sincerely. It saved him from doing something potentially stupid. He eyed the money with a smile that twisted like a mischievous little imp who was getting what they wanted.

He nodded, “It’s no problem,” Lani said taking the card and raising a knowing eyebrow when she handed him half. So this was the deal: Half now, half later. He nodded in understanding, “Yeah of course, you gotta make sure you get all your facts straight and know what to ask.” This had happened before, people finding out he knew more than they thought and having to go and make sure they asked the same questions. He nodded, “When were you thinking? I need to make sure I can get out. Security is wicked tight in that school.” He took the pen and without thinking gave her his cell number. It was one of those untraceable, nameless phones that had been provided to him by his employer for safety. He couldn’t risk his family getting in the way because he gave someone his real cell number. “You can just call me at that number. I’ll answer, always.” He said firmly patting her hand back. “You can count on me Eva.”