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Post by Aya Brea on Nov 4, 2011 22:43:46 GMT -5
I entered the strange room after knocking. No one was there at the moment, at least that I could tell. Very strange indeed. Wandering the room, I came upon a game board. It was strange to say at the least. I recognized chess pieces but that was the extent of the knowledge.
I tried to keep in mind why I was here. Project Vakarian.... What are you?
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Post by Izaya Orihara on Nov 4, 2011 23:15:46 GMT -5
A man cleared his throat behind Aya.
"Welcome, Miss Brea. I assume you're here for information on Project Vakarian?"
If and when she turned around, she'd be greeted by the sight of Izaya Orihara - early twenties, short black hair, long black coat, fur-lined sleeves and hood, gray long-sleeved shirt, and jeans, just as always. One might wonder if he kept a whole closet full of such clothing, or if he even had a closet at all. One never knew with demons.
"Are you looking at my game?" he asked, sounding interested. He considered the board for a moment, then walked over, moved a piece in passing, the returned to sit at his desk.
"My apologies for being late - I had some other business to take care of."
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Post by Aya Brea on Nov 4, 2011 23:30:10 GMT -5
Speechless would be the way I was. In a way, he scared me. He already knew so much. "Don't worry about it, it's not like I made an appointment." I looked back at the game. I didn't understand it at all.
"Anyway, yeah. I'm here about Vakarian. I'm assuming you know something considering your job."
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Post by Izaya Orihara on Nov 4, 2011 23:32:20 GMT -5
He nodded.
"Normally, information on the CIA's pet project would be quite expensive, but it appears your fee has already been paid in full."
He steepled his fingers, smirking from ear to ear.
"Tell me, what would you like to know?"
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Post by Aya Brea on Nov 4, 2011 23:39:52 GMT -5
"My fee's been paid? How?" I don't think I would've done anything that would have benefited him so how could it be paid?
I got back on topic quickly. "What I want to know about Vakarian is what it is and why they would want me. I haven't done anything remarkable to catch their eye."
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Post by Izaya Orihara on Nov 4, 2011 23:46:14 GMT -5
"Your fee was paid by a benefactor; he preferred to remain anonymous, but I can tell you he made a very generous offer in your name."
He opened a file - evidently, he'd been expecting her for some time.
"Project Vakarian is a branch of the CIA - that, you likely already knew. It is the CIA's top-secret elite task force dedicated to investigating and quantifying all things that have to do with the Otherborn and the Otherworld." He searched through the folder. "Evidently, it wasn't you that caught the CIA's attention - it was your father and his actions. Eventually, their top agents - who hold much the same job as I do, with half the pay and none of the freedom - managed to discover your nature as a Halfer, as well as your abilities."
He closed the folder.
"They feel that someone with your skills as a gunwoman and your talent for healing would make a good addition to their task force."
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Post by Aya Brea on Nov 4, 2011 23:57:21 GMT -5
Great. Dad still influences what happens in my life. I could feel the anger boiling up inside me until I got it under control once again. "Thanks father." I muttered under my breath, careful to try to keep Izaya from hearing.
"Alright, so am I going to be confronted by someone anytime soon about it?" I have barely heard of it since Sora told me about it in the bar.
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Post by Izaya Orihara on Nov 5, 2011 0:03:56 GMT -5
He shrugged.
"That's up to the CIA. They do indeed have an agent in the area, codename 'Crimson Viper', but if and when she will approach you is too soon to tell. Vakarian is also after the Ghost Rider." He flipped some pages in his folder. "What else would you like to know about the Project?" He neatly rearranged the pages in the file.
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Post by Aya Brea on Nov 5, 2011 0:22:35 GMT -5
Most of my questions have been asked but I thought for more, I knew the second I left those doors, I'd think of a new question.
"Are they looking into anyone else here aside from me and the Ghost Rider?" My main worry was that someone like Noctis or Lea would also be targeted. Then I started to wonder, 'why am I worried about them?' I shook my head and went back to the questions. "If I joined them, would I be considered expendible?" I thought again for a question. "One last question, do they know where I live?"
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Post by Izaya Orihara on Nov 5, 2011 1:04:41 GMT -5
He nodded. "Reasonable questions." He stood up, walked over to a shelf and replaced the folder; he did a little searching, before pulling out a new one. He flipped it open.
"It doesn't appear that Vakarian is specifically targeting anyone but you for recruitment and Ghost Rider for potential elimination, but I suspect that they would not be opposed to recruiting any of the Otherborn or Halfers within this city - especially Halfers, as they rarely get the chance to study their abilities." He shrugged, flipping through the folder some more. "Vakarian is known for its cold approach to its agents - they are simply soldiers, and soldiers die in battle. Of course they are mourned by their friends and family, and by the members of their squad, but if they die protecting this great nation, then so be it; they've done their job."
He frowned at the folder, put it back, retrieved another; hunted through it. "It does not appear that Vakarian knows where you live at the current time, but my information is slightly outdated, so I may be wrong. Give me a few days, and I'll be able to come up with a reliable answer."
He re-shelved the folder, turned back to Aya, and smiled.
"It's not often I get such an unusual and difficult case, Aya-san. Strange as it may seem, I've enjoyed myself hunting Vakarian for you and your mysterious patron."
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Post by Aya Brea on Nov 5, 2011 1:14:31 GMT -5
Izaya still put me on edge. "Well, um... Thanks for the information." I looked back at the game board and then to him. "So you still can't tell me the name of who payed for the info I wanted? It is your job to give out information isn't it? It would only make sense for you to tell me." I held up my wallet as extra incentive. "What do you say, Izaya?"
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Post by Izaya Orihara on Nov 5, 2011 1:18:26 GMT -5
He thought for a moment, thinking back on his contract. Noctis had wanted his identity kept secret, but Izaya didn't remember actually promising not to give out the information.
Besides, this was just too rich.
"Very well; I'll listen to your offer of payment for the identity of the man who... 'footed your bill', I believe the term is." He leaned back against his desk, arms crossed.
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Post by Aya Brea on Nov 5, 2011 1:31:25 GMT -5
I looked at my wallet and then to Izaya. "How much does one usually pay for this information?" He made me feel strange, like this entire situation was out of my control.
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Post by Izaya Orihara on Nov 5, 2011 1:38:00 GMT -5
He thought for a moment. "Usually, it's the price paid to keep the information secret, plus fifty percent extra." Call him mercenary, but that was how Izaya operated. The information he told Noctis was only partially true - while he wouldn't tell another what kind of information a specific person sought, he did sell to the highest bidder.... and the benefit versus the risk to one Izaya Orihara determined the price.
"Your information was quite expensive, and so I built the fee for secrecy into the cost. It is difficult to say where the price for one ends and the price for the other begins... it would be almost impossible to use the standard method in this case." He thought for a moment. "The original price was an exchange of favors, so I cannot in good conscience say that monetary payment is a fair deal for me. Thus... what are you willing to do for me in return for my information, Miss Aya?"
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Post by Aya Brea on Nov 5, 2011 1:49:51 GMT -5
Tough question. I thought briefly and could think of quite a bit. "I'll do just about anything short of murder. I'm cold but not that cold." After saying that, I wasn't quite sure that was smart to say. Either way though I did not retract my statement and watched his movements carefully. It felt like I was making a deal with the devil, and who knows, perhaps I was.
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