Let's Make A Deal [Locke]

[Giovanna Vulpes]

Things had settled down only slightly. A deal with ShinRa had been struck, and Gina’s name, as well as her friend Vale’s, had been practically erased from any crimes that had been committed. Still, that didn’t mean the blonde was exactly happy with the way things had gone down, in fact, revenge would’ve been nice…but she wasn’t going to linger on the past, there were definitely better things to be focusing on. Creating a new life…a new guild? It was a nice idea, but how was one to create a new guild without members? It was definitely going to be a work in progress, so for now, all Gina could do was watch the streets, be as normal as possible and just watch out for the stealth and dangerous that would prove to be a nice addition. So long as they didn’t turn heel and stab them in the back, then all would be well. There was already Rikku and Gippal – to an extent on the latter – but Gina was sure there were more worthy people out there.

Strolling across the streets of Gaia, Gina kept her eyes open, brushing some of her blonde bangs away from her face, she kept a sharp gaze in every direction, giving the occasional smile towards someone who looked towards her. They were probably staring at the very faded scar that still showed itself across her eye, it wasn’t every day you came across someone with a ‘battle scar’ and there wasn’t some sort of amazing story attached to it. Oh well, her story wasn’t going to be told, at least not to the common folk. Turning and trudging into a tiny little marketplace, Gina placed her hands on her hips, looking for the perfect person to target. She wasn’t on any missions today, especially with as out in the open as she was, in broad daylight, but this was the perfect kind of place to find a thief, or at least someone with potential skill.

Looking towards a few stands that had actually drawn her attention, she walked over and began to gaze at the items they had. From scarves to earrings, she was simply being a regular citizen. “And what can I help the pretty lady with on this fine afternoon?” Gina lifted her gaze towards the man speaking to her. A nice looking merchant who was supposedly the head of this cart. With a charming smile, the blonde gave a small nod of greeting as she continued to browse. “Just looking. Thank you.” She said with a small shrug, her eyes turned to a few more artifacts before shooting a glance over her shoulder. She was still keeping an eye out for that one person who would prove to gain her attention b their skill. “I’ll make you a deal, miss. What is it you really want? A nice scarf? How about a pair of pretty earrings to match those lovely eyes of yours- oh my…that’s quite the scar there little lady. Got in a bit of a rough spot?” Of course, the one person on Gaia that she would run into would be a talker. Fantastic.

“I ran into someone who was less than friendly. Ended up with a nice mark on my face. What was it you were talking about as to a deal?” Giovanna kept her words short sweet and to the point as she folded her arms across her chest and rose an eyebrow towards the merchant who looked more than confident. “I’ll let you take your pick, any item from the cart is yours…if you’ll agree to a…a date.” Oh my goodness. This man had to be kidding, right? Gina wasn’t the sort to make those kinds of deals, nor was she the kind to date in general. With a smirk on her lips, she did her best to force a friendly look of appreciation onto her face, which was difficult. She was the most ‘no nonsense’ person out there it seemed like. “I’m afraid I’ll have to pass this time around. Perhaps another time? I’ve got a lot on my plate right now.” The nice act always went well for her, especially when she added a sincere smile. “Okay okay, sometime in the future, you know where to find me.” The man said with a grin before Gina took off. She’d gotten distracted from her initial purpose to being out here. Back to work.

She simply couldn’t pass up the chance to test her skills though. Most of her missions were in the dark or where people least expected it. As she wandered her way through the crowd, Gina felt her hand move around absentminded, grabbing onto someone’s wallet that was practically falling out of their jeans. She kept her stride, tucking the wallet close to her so no one really noticed, but as she glanced over her shoulder with the sliest of smiles, she noticed the man she’d stolen from freaking out for a moment, patting at his jeans and clothes before his eyes burned into her. “Thief!” he’d shouted over the crowd, and that’s when Gina took off a bit quicker. The thrill of the chase…it was always so nice.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Words:[/color] 996
Muse:[/color] Excellent!
Tagged:[/color] Locke
Wearing:[/color] >>Click<<
Listening To:[/color] A movie!
Notes:[/color] Hope this works!

[Locke Cole]

Opening his eyes blearily, Locke blinked in surprise as he found himself staring at the sky. What the..? He furrowed his brow as he pushed himself to a sitting position, running a hand through his sandy hair as he looked around. "Where...am I?" This definitely wasn't where he remembered being.

He had been heading to Narshe, weaving his way through the forest nearby when he had been jumped by...three leafers of all things. It was an easy enough battle, but as he turned to continue on his way he found a glowing ball of some sort hovering in the air. His curiosity got the best of him, and he reached out a hand to touch it...and wound up here (wherever here was). Letting out a sigh, Locke pushed himself to his feet and brushed himself off. "Guess I should start looking around."

Spinning in place, he shielded his eyes with his hands as he searched the horizon for some sort of sign to show where he was. But he had traveled the entire planet before, and nothing looked familiar. "Where the heck am I?" he repeated with confusion, before a town in the distance caught his eye. Again, it was unfamiliar, but maybe he could pick up some answers there. And some food. His stomach rumbled in agreement, and he started to make his way towards the town.

The trek itself was fairly uneventful - only a few monsters showed themselves which he made easy work of. However when he made it to the town his mouth dropped open in surprise. He was used to quiet little towns, but this place was bustling. It looked like a marketplace of some sort, with stalls everywhere and people filling the streets. He had never seen a town so crowded before!

Shaking himself out of his stupor, Locke slowly made his way into the throng of people. People bumped into him left and right, and a small smile made its way onto his face. He barely had any money left, but it would be so simple to get more. Contact was a must in this place. Taking a chance, he deliberately walked into someone and as he steadied them with a hasty apology, his hand slipped into the man's pocket. "I'm so sorry. It's pretty crowded here, hey? Have a great day!" The man grunted something in response (but Locke wasn't really listening), and was none the wiser.

Heh, this could work out nicely! As he made his way through the crowd, he pulled out the wallet and stared at the money. It was...different. "What is this?" Did I get played?! Who goes around carrying fake money? But as he got a closer look at some of the stalls, he saw the same money he now held being exchanged. Locke's eyes narrowed a bit as his confusion soared, but he had to keep moving.

Just as he was about to try his luck with another 'customer', a shout of "Thief!" caught his ears, and he automatically picked up his pace as the man got to keep his wallet for the moment. Did I get caught already? A cold sweat broke out over Locke's brow as he turned, but he saw that nobody's attention was on him. The 'thief' looked to be a girl, and she was heading his way.

A small smirk lifted his lips as he watched the scene, before he decided to step in. Deliberately stepping out in front of the girl, he stumbled a bit and made a show of putting his hands on her shoulders before he shot her a wink and tipped his head backwards, indicating for her to continue. Letting her go without a word, he gracefully slid around her and made his way back down the way she came. When the man came close enough, he stepped in front of him as he had done the girl and the two men slammed into each other.

The contact was so forceful that both men ended up on the ground (which wasn't Locke's intention at all). "I'm so sorry! Here, let me help you up." he said with wide eyes as he scrambled to his feet and offered the man a hand up. It was quickly slapped away as the man got up on his own and glared at the thief.

"Look what you did! She got away!"

Locke blinked innocently and tilted his head. "I'm sorry, sir. I...I don't know what you're talking about." The man threw up his hands with a growl and stalked away, muttering about 'thieving cretins', which caused another smile to touch Locke's lips and a small laugh to escape him. That was too easy. He turned and made his way back through the crowd, deftly swiping an apple from a nearby stand and starting to munch on it as he walked. Now where did she go?

[Giovanna Vulpes]

This was the fun Gina had lived for. With a smirk on her face, she continued to trudge through the crowd, holding the wallet close to her side as she picked up her pace with each step, but never hitting a jog even. She was just walking, hearing the quickening steps behind her. If anyone laid a single finger on her, they were going to get a might fist to the face. Her eyes were straight forward though, she saw an odd dressed man who was heading in her direction, or rather, she was heading in his direction. Either way, she could tell that something was different about him…her attention had been grabbed, that’s why she’d come out here, right? With no new expression coming across her features, she stopped when hands were placed on her shoulders, she looked at the odd looking fellow and notice the wink as well as the gestured nod for her to continue.

This was exactly the person she’d been looking for.

With a small knowing nod towards the man with a bandana, she slid past him, grazing his shoulder lightly as she continued on, letting a small glance go over her shoulder as she witnessed only part of the scene. This was her get away. Eyes were off her and on the collapse within the middle of the marketplace. She quickened her pace towards the end of the actual shopping center and slid herself into an alleyway. She poked her head around the corner and watched, waited, and hoped that this man would come in her direction. He may not have been a thief, but he’d helped her…the least she could do was give a brief thanks or something along those lines. Anyone who helped a thief had to be good enough to trust with something? There would be room at the guild for him somewhere…Gina had a good gut feeling on this one…which didn’t happen very often. She was going to go with the feeling and leap on this opportunity.

With a deep sigh, the blonde bent down slightly, gaining a bit of energy back as she rested one hand on the ground, waiting for the bandana man to head her way. He had to head that way. She was expecting it, and as she had figured, there he was, she could see him in the crowd. There he was, trudging her way and munching on an apple, stolen most likely. With a smirk on her lips, she rose back to her full height and stepped outside the alleyway, pressing her back against the wall as she crossed one ankle over the other, folding her arms across her chest and looking towards bandana man. “You sure that was a smart move? Helping a thief?” she spoke dryly with a tilt of her head, shaking her head slightly after that before waving a hand briefly to dismiss her words. “I suppose a ‘thank you’ is in order. I’m not sure why you assisted me, but thank you. It’s not in my nature to do things like that in broad daylight.” She shrugged a bit, if he was curious, then he’d speak up…and from there, Gina would be able to tell if this was the exact person she wanted to pull into this forming guild. He seemed to know his way around a crowd and how to look out for a thief.

“Name’s Giovanna Vulpes. You may or may not be grateful to have come across my path. Who are you?”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Words:[/color] 691
Muse:[/color] Excellent!
Tagged:[/color] Locke
Wearing:[/color] >>Click<<
Listening To:[/color] A movie!
Notes:[/color] I absolutely love this thread already XD

[Locke Cole]

As Locke pushed his way through the crowd, he kept his eyes open for the blonde woman he had helped escape. Eventually she came into view leaning casually against the wall, and he offered her a wide smile. "You sure that was a smart move? Helping a thief?" He was about to answer before she waved him off and continued. "I suppose a 'thank you' is in order." You suppose? "I'm not sure why you assisted me, but thank you. It's not in my nature to do things like that in broad daylight."

Finally allowing himself to laugh at her mannerisms, Locke mimicked her position by crossing his own arms over his chest. "You looked like you could use the help. If you were gonna do something like that, you might have wanted to put it off so you weren't in broad daylight." Shooting her a roguish grin to show that he was only joking, he shrugged afterwards. "But in all honesty, I just felt like helping you."

The words brought forth memories that he would have rather kept hidden. Memories of Rachel. He had moved on from the majority of his guilt, with Celes' help, but he still felt pangs every now and then. This...was one of those times. The girl, Giovanna, introduced herself and he forced the smile to return to his lips. "My name's Locke. Nice to meet you." Looking her over, his initial observation was that she was very comfortable here. Either that or she was a great actress.

"So, where are we? I..." What do I say now? She'll think I'm crazy if I mention how I got here. Or rather, how I think I got here. "I got a little lost. I'm a little unfamiliar with this area." His face flushed a bit at the admission, but he was more than a little lost. He had no idea where he was. Running his fingers through his hair, he realized his bandana was slightly askew and rearranged it.

Locke stared at Giovanna curiously. "If you're from around here, maybe you can point out a decent place to eat? I'm starving." To accentuate his point, his stomach gave a loud growl and he laughed as he rubbed it consolingly. He would eat soon. "You're more than welcome to join me if you want." It wasn't said in a tone that indicated anything other than curiosity, and he offered her another smile. He felt drawn to her, the only thing that seemed remotely familiar in this strange land. But he couldn't place his finger on why. It'll come to me.

[Gah sorry it's so short. I blanked!]

[Giovanna Vulpes]

This was interesting, Gina was feeling a bit…outgoing today. She looked towards the man wearing a bandana, the one who had aided her from being chased down as being a thief – which she was – and gave off her usual cold vibe. She wasn’t much of a chatter, nor does she associate herself with people a lot, at least on most days, as of lately she was doing a little better on that. She gave a small smirk towards the other man, doing her best to speak up and not be so icy with her usual chilly personality. “Well thanks again.” She said with a small shrug, having listened to him first speak, he was definitely one of those ‘nice guys’ that many seemed to idolize. Oh well, she’d gotten assistance, made it out of the marketplace and gotten away with a wallet. Which reminded her…

…she pulled the wallet from her side where she had held it tightly and flipped it open, looking to where the cash would be held. A few blank seconds…a few blinks of her eyes before she pushed a hand through her bangs, moving the hair from her face. There was a mighty amount of gil in here. What a lucky strike! Anyways, back towards the bandana man. Having introduced herself, flipping the wallet closed again, she gave him a brief nod. Locke, an interesting name, not one she was going to forget…and not one she’d heard before. Shifting herself back against the wall, Gina folded her arms again, holding onto the wallet she’d swiped and keeping her gaze on Locke, occasionally looking towards the crowd to make sure no one was going for them…after all, broad daylight and thievery…it didn’t mix well. So far they seemed to be safe though, that was a good sign, Gina didn’t want to have to hurt anyone today…nor did she want to have to flee the scene…not when she was on a mission of her own.

“You’re in Edge. Never been on this side before? I can help you get back on track here before long.” She gave a small shrug towards him again, pushing herself off the wall with a glance in one direction, then the other. Wherever he was from, then maybe there were more like him? Who wouldn’t have known this was Edge though? Was he from Kalm? Or one of those other backwater towns like Nibelheim? Or Gongaga? With a shake of her head, another thought came to mind. Gina had been through one of those portals once…she’d been in an unfamiliar place. Placing a hand under her chin, she shifted her weight around before eyeing Locke up once more. “Are you even from here? From Gaia? Or…did you have a nice run-in with a portal?” she asked with a raised eyebrow. If someone didn’t know Edge…they had to be from somewhere beyond Gaia. Well, this meant that Gina was his help right now…she knew the area, and as he had asked…she was from around here, and if he wanted food, she was the person to ask right now. Call her an…acquaintance of sorts.

Tossing the wallet up and down once in her hand, she gave Locke a small grin, something didn’t do often. She had quite the icy exterior, as well as a chilly interior, but if she was going to get someone on her side, to have someone become somewhat of an ally to her and Vale, she needed to pull off a good impression, friends were nice to one another, and Gina found herself fairly nice to that Rikku girl and her pal Gippal, Locke would get the same treatment, and anyone Vale brought into this odd forming guild. “Alright Locke, We’ll go get you something to eat…and since you helped me, my treat.” She said while holding the wallet up. Kind of a win there, yes? Once they were sitting and talking…then she could say something about the idea of a guild…maybe talk about thievery and see where he stood on his skills. If anything, Gina was fairly sure this was heading in the right direction.

[/color][/size][/blockquote]

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Words:[/color] 804
Muse:[/color] Excellent!
Tagged:[/color] Locke
Wearing:[/color] >>Click<<
Listening To:[/color] Nothing!
Notes:[/color] Such good muse!

[Locke Cole]

As Giovanna pulled out the wallet she had swiped, Locke couldn't help the smirk that tugged at his lips. He watched curiously as she counted the money, and wondered if it was the same as GP. One coin equalled one GP, or whatever this money was called. His eyes didn't miss a thing, not the way she handled the money, or the way her eyes seemed to be taking in as much as they could. Giovanna didn't seem afraid, but maybe...cautious? Guess in her line of work, she has to be. He could feel the wallet he, himself, had taken resting against his leg (in his pocket), but he didn't want to take it out in front of her. He could count it later.

Locke blinked in surprise when Giovanna said they were in a town called 'Edge'. It was more of a city, really, but regardless he had never heard of it before. "E...Edge?" Where in the world did I go?! His stomach dropped as he realized just how out of place he was. He had thought maybe he was in the Thamasa area, since he wasn't overly familiar with it, but he was confident that he had traveled the world. But Edge? It didn't look like a new city...

He looked around just to be sure in his observations, and his throat contracted nervously. Giving a slight cough, he turned back to Giovanna and belatedly forced the smile back onto his face. However she must have read something in his expression, before he could even say anything more, and a rather large amount of relief washed over him. It wasn't as crazy when she said it, and it seemed to be a common occurrence now. Or at least common enough for somebody else to know about it. A slightly crazed laugh escaped him as he stuck his hands in his pockets, rocking back on his heels. "Ah, yeah. I kind of ran into this...portal. It knocked me out and when I woke up...I was here!"

Well, not here, but close enough. Locke offered Giovanna a more genuine smile (now that he knew she knew he wasn't from around here), and turned to look down the rows of stalls again. He whirled back around at the sound of coins jingling, and saw the wallet hit her hand. His eyes darted to the leather, before he raised them back to her face. She offered to buy him food, and his eyes widened. He wasn't above accepting a free meal, especially with how hungry he was, but he was a little apprehensive. I suppose she does owe me one. Still, nobody gave anything for free (unless it was taken).

Locke gave her a thankful nod, before gesturing with a sweeping bow that he had learned from Edgar. "Well then, after you, my lady! You know where you're going, I don't." he teased gently. "Though, you might want to put that away before we go anywhere. Don't want to draw attention to ourselves." The wallet was still in her hand, and his lips twitched at the idea of being discovered. It would make things exciting, that was for sure. But he would much rather eat first. His stomach gave another rumble of agreement with his thoughts, and he laughed at the sound. His hand came up to rub the offended organ before he spun in a half-circle. Which direction was the food in? He would just have to go with his intial idea of following Giovanna's lead.

[OOC: Feel free to have him walk alongside her wherever they go ]

[Giovanna Vulpes]

It was pretty easy for Gina to tell that Locke had no clue as to where he was. It wasn’t a simple wrong turn of the map, it was something completely different. There was something about him upon first glance as it was…it told the blonde that this man wasn’t an ordinary citizen of Gaia, he looked rather…out of place compared to the people around them, and even herself. Not that Gina blended in as well as a regular citizen, but whatever, that didn’t matter. At least she knew, and could understand why Locke would be a little…on edge – no pun intended – she remembered when she’d fallen out of her first portal…nearly in someone’s home no less, and of course that hadn’t been the best decision ever, but it wasn’t like she dived into the portal hoping for some grand escape from something. Either way, she understood, and she voiced that she did…hopefully that made Locke feel a little better about where he was at.

Giving him a small nod, Gina understood that she was the leader here, she was the…helpful one. She knew the area, he did not, thus that made her an asset for this man. She’d already proved herself to be…thankful and friendly to a certain extent, so hey, why not continue the trend and help him out a bit? Grabbing him a bite to eat wouldn’t be bad, she could get to know him a little better, besides, it wasn’t like Giovanna could magically make a portal appear to take him back home to wherever it was he lived. It just didn’t work that way, no, the portals were…random, unstable, and were completely unreasonable at that. It seemed that anytime you wanted them, they simply didn’t show up, and when you didn’t want them, they were abundant and around every street corner. Funny how things like that seemed to be just so…convenient. Oh well, Locke would get home someday, hopefully soon, even Gina wouldn’t wish someone away from their homeland for that long, besides, he probably had friends or family back home that would be worrying about his whereabouts. Ha, and to say Gina didn’t have a heart…she wasn’t made of stone, that much was proven with her thoughts at least.

Looking towards the newcomer, Gina gave a small smirk as her eyes then went to the wallet she had in her hand. Shrugging with a bit of amusement on her face, she stuffed the man’s wallet into her back pocket of her pants and folded her arms across her chest. “We can avoid the crowd.” She said with a tilt of her head, gesturing to the side as she took off in a stride, her long legs carrying her pretty quickly as she walked alongside Locke, leading the way, yet not trailing ahead of him. Dropping her hands to her sides, she led them around the corner, avoiding the marketplace altogether as she turned onto a street that had a few actual shops. A small clothing store, a little café, and some other nicer restaurants down the road. She stopped in front of the café, it served food and coffee, all that simple stuff, and it was pretty vacant for the afternoon. People were out enjoying the weather, not sitting around sipping tea and eating. Shooting a glance towards Locke, Gina gave a small sigh. “How’s this place look? It’s pretty quiet, always nice. Been here a few times myself.” She said with a brief shrug of her shoulders, not really expecting a rejection of an answer, after all…she did know the area.

Leading the way inside, Gina held the door open, letting herself in first though, she was still…leading so to speak. Stepping inside and looking around, she saw a few people, some minding their own business and working on some sort of business work, others in small clusters of friends…but really, the place was pretty empty, very silent. “Go ahead and order anything you want.” She spoke quietly, keeping the hushed atmosphere that this little café seemed to offer.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Words:[/color] 794
Muse:[/color] Excellent!
Tagged:[/color] Locke
Wearing:[/color] >>Click<<
Listening To:[/color] Skyrim
Notes:[/color] Hope this works!

[Locke Cole]

Locke easily kept up with the slightly smaller woman as she set off. They were avoiding the majority of the people as they stayed close to the buildings they were beside, but the treasure hunter couldn't help staring at everything around them. It's all so different from...anything. The buildings at least twice as big (and many more times as many) as the ones he was used to. The various signs he saw glowed with an unnatural light, but it was strangely beautiful. Edgar would have a field day here. After they turned the corner he slowed his steps slightly. He didn't fall behind, not really, but it seemed like a different atmosphere than the marketplace they had just left. "Whoa." he mumbled as he looked around.

This was more what he was used to. Small shops and restaurants, fewer people around so you weren't bumping into somebody every two steps, wonderful weather for people to enjoy. A smile lit his face as he quickened his pace again to continue beside Giovanna. When she picked a coffee shop to stop at, a quaint little place, he nodded at her. "Sounds good to me. I'm not a picky eater. I'll eat pretty much anything as long as it's edible." he said with a shrug and a small laugh. She seemed to accept his answer and he followed her inside.

As they made their way to the table, Locke glanced around curiously. There was so much to take in, even in such a small place as this. It had a 'homey' feel to it. As Giovanna told him he could order whatever he wanted, he nodded at her gratefully. "Thanks." he said quietly, matching her tone. He wasn't going to take advantage of her generosity though, so he would keep it reasonable. His eyes roamed the menu carefully, keeping his ears open to anything happening around them. He could hear the people around them talking quietly with each other, and though he wasn't really eavesdropping he couldn't help but overhear some of the things being said. Another small smile touched his lips as he skimmed the menu items once more before coming to a decision.

"I think I'll have a soup and sandwich combo. And a coffee." It would be able to fill him, and it wasn't expensive. Their server took both of their orders and walked away, while Locke crossed one of his legs over the other and leaned back in his chair with his arm draped across the back of it. He studied the woman he was sitting with, and tilted his head curiously. "So..." Licking his lips nervously, he glanced around subtly before giving a nervous laugh. "Um...what kind of place is this? It seems..." It's like nothing I've seen before. It's so...alien. "It seems...exciting?"

Maybe there's treasure here. The thought came out of nowhere, and it made him pause briefly. "A lot seems to happen in that marketplace. Things getting misplaced...or I could see people starting to hide things away to avoid being...misplaced." A smirk touched his lips as he shifted in his seat. "There's gotta be lots of stories around here about stuff like that." His eyes held a sparkle at the thought of finding something. Maybe I can bring something back for Celes...once I can find a way home. His mood dropped for a moment before he forced another smile onto his face. There was no point in dwelling on it now. He would find a way home. May as well enjoy it while he could. "Have you heard anything like that?"

[Giovanna Vulpes]

A good deed for the day…it was a rare thing for Gina to even step into the open with the way things had been going lately. Usually any interactions with people took place at night, that way it wasn’t clear to see who she was exactly, but so far…ShinRa had made good on their word. So far her and Vale’s names had slowly disappeared from the media, the news or any sort of authority, but they were still known and being watched very carefully. Even still, that didn’t mean someone couldn’t turn them in for that guild…that backstabbing guild that had no tact, no real plan to eliminate those they were jealous of. Gina had been new to the guild, but after the way her first mission had gone…all she knew was that it was pure jealousy, especially when they involved someone like Vale, a thief veteran of sorts around that place. What was the other theory? Well…there was none.

Upon finding the small little café, Giovanna was happy enough that Locke seemed okay with the place, it sure beat having a picky person around, wandering all of Edge until a place that seemed ‘suitable’ came into sight. Nope, this place would work out just fine. It was cozy…almost carefree and no one was buzzing around trying to eavesdrop on your business, everyone pretty much kept to themselves, another good reason for choosing such a place. It wasn’t like Gina was going to go around and openly announce things about her being a thief, a ‘former’ common criminal since the guild had shunned her and Vale, tried to kill them, and sent their names to any and every authority in all of Gaia. Low key was definitely something Gina appreciated at times like this, and hopefully Locke would understand that should she explain the situation that far to him. Might as well, I mean, if he seemed even remotely interested in the whole…guild thing. A better guild, one that had a huge mission tied to it. I mean…robbing the ShinRa Manor? Who else could pull of such a stunt?

Inside, sat down, Gina just gave a small glance towards her new…acquaintance and folded her hands together, resting them upon the table as the waitress wandered by. Letting Locke order first, Gina then turned her gaze towards their server, putting a small smile on her face as her tone seemed a little more upbeat. “Just coffee.” She ordered in a more friendly tone before the girl walked away, leaving Gina to drop back towards her normal…more quiet and stoic self. No need to let everyone in on the fact that she wasn’t as outgoing and outspoken as some thought she was. In fact, Gina was more of a thinker, that was for sure. She kept thoughts to herself, and a lot of them…but when the time came to it, there were a few good words of wisdom that escaped her lips every now and then, today must’ve been a special treat. For her to be talking this much already? Another miracle.

Giving a small half laugh – more of a breath – Gina tilted her eyes downwards towards her clasped hands. “It’s…interesting. Exciting in both good and bad ways. But as for the marketplace, there is a bunch of petty thievery that happens every day. I see children swiping wallets faster than a good thief. Entertaining, but…if you ask me, I wish things were different.” She gave a small shrug before looking up towards Locke, a shadow of a smile on her lips before the drinks were at least placed on the table. A small nod of appreciation came from the blonde as she then turned her attention back to Locke. “It’s a sad world, Locke. People are desperate, people are cunning and greedy, they will do what they can for the right client and for themselves. I’m not going to beat around the bush, what would you say your…future as a thief would be? What interests do you hold?”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Words:[/color] 785
Muse:[/color] Excellent!
Tagged:[/color] Locke
Wearing:[/color] >>Click<<
Listening To:[/color] Nothing!
Notes:[/color] Well, I finally got this up! told you I would!

[Locke Cole]

Locke blinked in surprise as Giovanna only ordered a coffee. Maybe I ordered too much? Though she had told him he could order what he wanted. Mentally shrugging, he decided that it had already been done, and he hadn't ordered that much anyway. When she answered his questions, he gave her nearly all of his attention though he still paid some of it to his surroundings. He could never focus solely on one thing. It was how he survived for so long.

When she spoke, she seemed a little sad at the state of things in Edge. Locke tipped his head in agreement that yes, things should be different. But everywhere, in his world, and in this one apparently, there were different social levels. There would always be a 'lower class', that needed to steal in order to survive. It was sad...when you thought about it. "Thank you." he said with a smile aimed at their waitress when his drink was brought. He brought his glass to his lips and took a small sip as Giovanna continued to speak, voicing similar thoughts to his previous ones. And then...she asked him about his future as a thief!

Clearing his throat as he rolled his eyes, he put his glass back on the table. "I'm a treasure hunter." he said in a low voice. But it wasn't her fault, she didn't know him. Letting out a sigh, he started to laugh as her meaning sunk in. "What exactly are you offering, Giovanna? Do you know of something valuable in this area? I need to get the lay of the land as I find my way home, and if I can find something worthwhile...well...that would defintiely be a perk." Another laugh escaped him as he leaned forward, resting his elbows on the table.

"I take what I need." he said simply, and softly. He wasn't going to admit to being a thief but the fact was, he stole for a living. "The question is, what do I need? It's a vicious circle. Sometimes I need things to survive. Other times I need to protect my friends. It's a fine line, but somebody's gotta do it. You should know something about that." Locke shot her another grin, hoping that she didn't take offence to his comment. It wasn't meant maliciously, but he could have probably worded it better.

Their waitress chose that moment to return with his food, placing it down in front of him with a friendly smile. "Thanks." he said again, shooting her another smile of his own in response. His stomach took that moment to growl loudly, and a blush rose to his cheeks. "Perfect timing." he laughed as he took a small bite of his sandwich to soothe his hungry stomach. Thinking back to her initial question, his eyes lifted to meet hers. "Why are you so curious about my...ah...habits? Don't get me wrong, I'm grateful for everything you've done for me today. You've helped me out a lot! But...I've learned that everybody wants something."

Locke's lips twitched again as yet again his previous thoughts were voiced, this time by him. "So what do you want?" What can a perfect stranger, who happens to have sticky fingers, offer you?