Home sweet home

"Hey... Wake up... Don't leave me by myself..." Kumiko feels something wet on her face as she cracks open her eyes. The wolf has blue eyes again as it nudges her awake with a saddened look.

"Sorry... I must've fallen asleep..." The fox girl realizes she's laying up against the wall and looks down at her tail, and beyond the fact that her fur is in fact silver she is more concerned about where she is, 'Seek... Where are we?'

"Where you wanted us to go!" It beams proudly as it looks like it's aiming for praise. The fox girl can only sigh as she reaches up and scratches it on the cheek with one hand and pats her chest with the other.

'Well hop inside, I think that you'll draw too much attention if you're roaming around like this.' This causes Seek to shrink back as he seems almost reluctant. 'What is it? Are you okay?'

"... I like being outside now..." It says mournfully as it is now as small as a puppy. The fox girl isn't quite sure if it's playing with her emotions, or if the creature is truly so innocent as she scoops it up in her arms.

'Fine, but remember, wait for my orders to do anything unless I'm unable to make them, alright?' She sighs as she isn't quite sure how well this thing will listen, and pushes herself to her feet and places the pup on her shoulder with its rump resting in the hood of her jacket. Windgate isn't a very large town, but it's a safe one with a population of around a few hundred. The main feature is the fact that it was one of the destinations seeded by the voyagers.

The progenitor of the Automata, a mechanoid species that is overly obsessed with law and order. The main reason the town is small is because of that obsession. They only care if their laws are broken, and functionally act as an automated police force, "Home sweet home..." Kumiko says as she rubs her sore cheek. The first thing she had to do was hunt down her sister. Thanks to her nature that's easier said than done.

The town was carved into a mountainside with twin peaks reaching towards each other. It's named as such because of the wind that passes through having once made an interesting tone that some believed was the key to finding some long-lost paradise. Now it's called that because no one wants to be here, and they'd sooner fly away in the wind than stay.

"This place seems nice." Seek says calmly as he seems to be falling asleep in her hood, "We should stay here."

'It's only nice on the outside. Living here is hell. Pretty much the only way to make a living as a newcomer is thievery, and that's already dangerous enough.' The fox girl says as she walks down the road, 'How good is your nose? You seek things right?'

"I once sought you, but I already found you. So now I seek new experiences." It says plainly before sniffing the air, "My nose is good enough for finding you."

'Is it good enough to find my little sister?' The silver-haired fox asks as the small pup turns to mist, and lands on the cobble road growing to the size of wolf, perhaps a bit smaller. It looks at her expectantly, '... What? Go... Fetch?'

"... If I'm to find someone I need something that belongs to them or smells like them." Seek says plainly his eyes looking rather bored already, "If you don't have that then let's go do something fun! Let's go check out that building!" He starts to race ahead as Kumiko chases after trying to stop him.

'Alright you may not know this, but most people don't appreciate it if you randomly walk into their house. I know you want to see new things, but our journey will come to an end really quickly if you get us arrested, or worse.' The fox girl pinches the bridge of her nose as if she's trying to force herself to wake up from this mess.

"Oh, okay." He responds rather neutrally and returns to her side. By now she's drawn quite a few eyes to them due to her furious hand motions at Seek, and her abnormal fur color. There are very few things that get shunned faster than the abnormal, but Kumiko had no real plans to make friends.

"... Good boy." She breathes out as Seek pushes up against her hand with the top of his head. As she starts to get used to it she feels him push up against it a bit more until she turns to look at him, "Yes?"

"You said I'm good!" He has a dopey expression as if it was the greatest kindness he'd ever received, "You didn't even say it sarcastically!"

In her head, he spoke clear as day, however, the entire transaction of words is one-sided to everyone else, but now they appear to have a typical pet-owner relationship at least, 'Yes... Continue to behave and you can look forwards to that type of praise in the future.'

"Will I get other rewards?" He asks as his blue eyes turn white.

'... Like what?' Kumiko asks suspiciously as she swishes her tail left, and right and looks down an alleyway. It's called Blind Alley because you'd have to be blind to walk down it not knowing what it is, and you'd have to be blind to the world to not know why you shouldn't walk down it. The fox girl being neither tucks down it as she has to find her sister's fence, 'Because if you want food that's something I can do.'

"I feed off your life force, Master. I seek experiences. New things. Not all new things are nice, but if you wish to reward me, then reward me with that." He states rather cryptically.

'Hey, create some distance this alley isn't exactly easy to traverse for one person as is. I've seen umbilical cords with more distance between them.' She reaches back and gently pats the creature's head to let them know she doesn't mean anything personal by it. Though before anything can really be done someone steps out of a supposedly sealed door.

"Well, well... Look what the cat dragged in. So you come back from bombing at the academy with dyed hair, and a pet. How cute." The man who comes out is the one she sought. He fancies himself as a hero of the downtrodden who lives in squalor despite being a fence.

"Cut the crap. Where is she, Zeke? I know you're running her ragged still." Kumiko says as she crosses her arms. Something about him always gave her a bad feeling, but she could never place it.

"Haven't seen her. Don't wanna see her. Crazy bitch came at me with a kitchen knife tied to a broom for no reason." He moves to turn around and walk into his hovel. His words cause Kumiko's rather cold demeanor to crack, and she can feel Seek try to move past her into the door. Normally she'd try and stop him, but she already has her foot in the door as it is.

"No reason? Bullshit. That girl wouldn't hurt a fly." Her voice is low but her breathing is audible as she reaches forward to grab his shoulder. Though as her hand is about to grab onto him she feels someone grab her by the wrist and pull her into the room as she is pinned to the ground. The door slams behind her locking Seek out.

"Dumb ass girl." She feels a woman breathes on her neck as Zeke moves to sit behind his desk with his legs kicked up.

"Forget how things work? A lie is only a lie if you can prove it." The fence says rather proudly. Kumiko is half expecting, half dreading the door being broken in by Seek, but it doesn't happen, "Now you barge into my home, and you don't even have a present. Then again... I wonder how much a pet dog is worth on the black market."

"Barely half a gold unless we sell it as produce." The woman notes in a deep voice as she fleeces her pockets, but after a few moments, her voice breaks into a chipper one as Kumiko recognizes her and feels her will leave her, "Wow you're broke too? You must've really screwed up!"

"... Hi Peri. So she came at you with a kitchen knife tied to a broom, huh?" Kumiko says as she lays there with her sister still on top of her.

"Hey, you're the one who bought it," Peri says as she moves off of her. Her sister was only a sister in a manner of speaking. They grew up in the same orphanage and always worked together, "How goes the... What did you say you were doing again? Escaping a life of common thievery?"

Peri sits in a dusty chair as Kumiko pushes herself to her feet, and opens the door for Seek as he sneaks in. Kumiko sits in the other chair on the opposite side. She waits for Seek to come to her, but to her surprise, he jumps up into Peri's lap, 'Traitor.'

"Hm? Did you say something?" Seek says pretending to not hear her as he receives attention from her sister. She's currently a human, but in truth, she's a bit of a wildcard thanks to her heritage.

"Hey don't go losing yourself in nostalgia. You said if I paid for your trip to Veva that you'd pay me back double what I gave you. I didn't even set an interest rate." Zeke starts to say as Peri seems more enamored with the puppy than she is with anything else in the room, "So you come to me empty-handed with a damn dog? You can't pickpocket, you refuse to strong-arm people, you barely know anything above parlor tricks in magic, and your charm is next to nill. So tell me... What did you learn using my hard-earned money? Cause I know you didn't graduate a year early."

"... I learned more than you think," Kumiko says as she sits cross-legged in her chair, bluffing.

"Learned to talk shit more like. Didn't she puppy~? Yes, she did!" Peri says as she plays with the love-struck Seek.

"Gotta go with your sister on this one. You're full of shit. Wanna know how I know? Well too bad I'll god damn tell you, sister." He stands up and grabs a broom out of the corner and uses it to flick the hood off of Kumiko's head.

"You're here. Got no gold, and you have a large bruise on your face. So tell you what. I'll give you one small test." Zeke says as he sets the broom against the wall and pulls out a paper from his desk.

"I don't rob people." The fox girl says flat out.

"If I wanted a pocket picked I'd send Peri or the other one. No. I want you to watch someone for me while they make a delivery. I figure if you got a loyal mutt you can do that at least." He says as he hands her a note. It's nothing but an address, a name, and a sketch of someone's face, "They aren't in the business, and they aren't doing anything illegal. I'm just the only help they can hire. Just know that the Automata aren't going to get involved if you have to fight. And if you have to ask why, it's above your damn pay grade."

"... I just got back."

"Yeah... He knows. You rode in asleep on the wolf and stayed that way outside town for several hours. You know the rules... Sleep where no one can reach you, or in a room." Peri laughs as she pulls out the fox girl's pocketbook that she writes her thoughts down in, "Gotta say you've gotten more wordy at least."

"I'll be going now," Kumiko says as she snatches the book out of her sister's hands. She gives her a deadpan stare as Seek moves to her side, 'Guess you aren't totally abandoning me.'

"Hey... I was enjoying playing with the puppy." Peri starts to pout as she walks over to the fox girl's side and grabs on to her tail, "Can't they stay at least? I'm not allowed to go out unless I'm on a job..."

I turn back to Zeke with daggers in my eyes, "She's a damn shapeshifter can't you lighten up?"

"Of course not. She really did come at me with a damn makeshift spear. The only reason she's behaving herself right now is the Mark of Obedience." Kumiko can only tighten her jaw as Peri steps away and sits back down in the chair. She always could hide her feelings better than most.

"You... Marked her?" Kumiko turns back to him with her fists clenched.

Zeke looks up at her, "Yep. All monsterkin have to be marked, branded, collared, or caged. I thought you'd prefer this."

"She's a shapeshifter. She can pass as a human. You're so full of shit I swear I'm going to...!" As she is about to draw her sword Peri grabs her arm and gives her a serious stare.

"What can I say... I follow the laws to a T, Miss drop out. Do your job and we can consider what happens next." The room is quiet as she can feel Seek through their connection as he lightly growls, "If you want I can show you how much money I put into the mark."

"Should've known better than to get my hopes up. You're a real asshole Zeke." Kumiko says as the fur on her tail is raised, and her ears are high, and on alert. Right now though, all she can do now is step out of the room with her tail tucked between her legs as she motions for Seek to follow her.

"Master...? What did he mean? Your sister is marked with obedience?" Seek asks as he turns to mist and fuses with her again. Apparently having had enough of being outside of her head.

'He means she's a slave, and that if he wants to he can snap his fingers and kill her.' Kumiko's jaw is clenched as she stomps down the alleyway and reaches the main road again, 'What the hell have you done now Peri? You were always the one who said we needed to trust him more!'

"Ah. Big Sis comes home at last!" She hears a rather haughty voice speak, but contrary to her reaction to everything else Kumiko turns and gives the girl a tight hug, "Aww, you're gonna make people jealous if you cling to me like that~" She laughs melodically. There are two ways to get ahead in this gang. Either you're a sneaky thief... Or like her, you can work a crowd.

"Hey, Shiori..." Kumiko says as she leans against her. She knows neither of them is happy with the situation, and she knows better than to let her emotions get the better of her. Right now she can't really help it as she feels like she has the weight of the world on her shoulders, "Normally I like the banter with you, but..."

"I know sweetie... I know. Just do your job for Zeke. We'll figure something out, alright?" The woman, a short redhead with green eyes pushes Kumiko back a bit and walks in the opposite direction as she pats her on the shoulder and sends her on her way.

"She seems nice," Seek says as she can feel his focus alongside her own as she feels her eyes almost being pushed towards her friend.

'She is if she likes you.' Kumiko feels a smile start to form on her lips, but the situation doesn't quite allow for her to do so, 'I'm going to need your help with this job. I'm not strong on my own.'

"That's not true. My strength is your strength, and I'll never leave you... Please don't talk poorly of yourself..." Seek sounds like he may cry as the fox girl sighs and rubs the back of her head.

'What are you anyways?' Kumiko asks as she looks at the nameplates on the door impatiently hoping to run into the customer sooner rather than later.

"I am Seek."

'Yes... But what? Like do I have some special power... ?' Kumiko asks as she sighs and pulls out the last bit of jerky from her pack. It's gamey and isn't what she'd call good. It especially is difficult to eat as she walks past the open stalls. She hasn't had fresh fruit, or porridge since she left Veva.

"You smell nice! And your tail is soft!" Seek says proudly as he raises his head with a happy expression.

'Rather simple, aren't you?' Kumiko says not as a knock against him, and even as a compliment. She has a thing for simple mindsets, "Ah... Here we are." She walks up to the door and looks around for a pull chain for a bell. Automata are adamant about their refusal to use magical devices. Depending on their access to resources they can make giant clockwork structures. Windgate isn't one of those cities though, but there is a certain level of charm.

With nothing to do Kumiko pulls out her pocketbook and jots down her observations. The last time she was in town was a year or so ago, and she has a totally new understanding of things. Like how she notes the pipes overhead mostly obscured by stone and how she can hear whooshing as if it's under high pressure. The people who walk by, their faces, she can hardly recognize anyone, and no one knows her face either even though a hundred isn't a large number... No one wants to stay in Windgate if they have a choice.

'This town sucks.' Kumiko sighs as she realizes there's not that much to write about, 'Either you're here because you got no place to go, or you're here feeding on people who've got nowhere better to be. Thieves, scumbags, those who tempt others off the beaten path for whatever reason... There's nothing here for me.'

"So is Peri and Shiori no good?" Seek asks as he sits next to her.

'They're ones who've got no place to go. There's only so many places Peri can go, and be herself, this place isn't one anymore. Shiori could survive anywhere, but she refuses to go anywhere without Peri. The automata only really care about appearances going by their laws. They'll construct new buildings in return for resources, and they stop fights from breaking out. This place isn't worth invading, and the automata are stupid in regards to basic acts of thievery. Hell, they give permits and notices you send to people so that you can gut them in the streets with them acting as arbiters of lawfulness.' Kumiko thinks to herself, and softly mumbles as she carefully checks the mail slot on the door and peeks inside, "Hello? Anyone home? I'm here from Zeke."

As she says that she sees someone's leg pass in front of the mail slot, and starts to unlatch the door. Inside she sees a cagey man as he motions for her to come inside. He appears to be a human, and with how pale he is and how sickly he looks he's definitely a shut-in, "Come in, come in, hurry..."

"Come on boy. Where I go he goes, by the way, non-negotiable." Kumiko notes as she motions for Seek to go in first. She can tell this is going to be a long day...