Meeting On The Cliffs [Rita/Vanyel]

The morning sun was a beauty in Rita's eyes. Standing upon a cliff overlooking the forest, she moved her gaze to the sight of the massive, sprawling depths of Karakura Central in the distance. Getting away from all that noise and into the bounty of nature was enough to make one get loose, yeah?

As the winds blew, her long, teal blue hair flowed down her back, catching the light breeze. Dressed in a sporty ensemble, she wore an oversized blue jacket with orange accents, open to reveal a cropped orange top with the word "Meme" printed on it. A pair of low-rise jeans hugged her hips, secured by a red belt. The green choker around her neck and various ear piercings added a rebellious touch to her look.

Closing her eyes, she folded her arms and listened to the rustling leaves and distant bird calls, letting nature's symphony drown out the residual noise of the city as she waited for Vanyel to arrive. It had been a few days since the two's schedules overlapped, so a part of her was even excited to see him. Tingly in feeling in her chest, she pondered what she was really feeling before her eyes opened again.

"This should be interesting."

She muttered to herself, her voice barely above a whisper. Standing resolute, Rita waited, wondering how the day would unfold.

It wasn't always too often that Rita wanted to see him specifically. But, from what she sent him, it didn't seem too dire, so, he was able to breathe a sigh of relief there, at least. So, dressed in a more casual style than what Rita usually saw from him -- wearing a slightly oversized grey shirt with a black jacket overtop, as well as a simple pair of jeans, he made his way to the meeting spot.

His head lightly bobbed back and forth, a pair of wireless earbuds sticking out of his ears, listening to assorted Chinese rock music. He had to admit, it was a nice day to be outside. The sun was out, not a cloud in the sky, and a nice breeze countered the growing heat. What he wasn't expecting, however, was Rita's choice of attire. He blinked a few times as he came closer and closer, eventually coming to a stop, getting a more clear look.

As he arrived to the spot, he found himself staring in shock, slowly reaching up to take an earbud out and pause his music before resuming making his way over to her. This was...certainly a change of pace when it came to her appearance, though it wasn't the clothes that took him aback, admittedly.

"Uh...hey. This is new. Don't think I've ever seen you with a choker or piercings before. Any particular reason for the sudden fashion shift?"

Rita eyed Vanyel up and down; not used to seeing him in such casual attire. Her face soon cracked into a smile and she gave him a big ol' hug when she saw him; her chest smother up against his own as she rubbed his hair.

"I guess we both are out of character today, huh?"

She said, her voice lively and bright, a large grin lighting up her face.

"Hmmmmmmm, I guess I tried this outfit because I wanted to look different? I don't know what to tell ya Vanny, sometimes you have to shake things up and try something new."

As she eased up her hug, Rita glanced down at herself, a cheesy smirk spreading across her lips as she admired her fit.

"What about you?"

With her tone sounding more intrigued, she looked back up at Vanyel.

"Any reason you changed your get-up? You still look cute even with something basic like that. So whatever your workout routine is seems to be working, dude."

They really were out of character today. Neither of them really were in the usual attire that they were used to seeing the other in. He chuckle softly as Rita hugged him, returning the embrace as they took a moment to scan the other up and down.

"Regardless, it looks good on you. I like the glasses especially."

As she noted that his attire was cute, Vanyel grumbled lightly as he rubbed the side of his neck, a light tinge of red occupying his cheeks. Cute was certainly not the word he'd use to describe this, or really any of his choices in attire.

"Well, I didn't think that the usual suit was necessary, based on what you sent me. Plus, it's still gettin' cleaned. So, casual me it is for today. Hope that's alright, and, hope that I didn't misread your text."

He did have some stuff he wanted to suggest for the group's future, but, first things first, he wanted to hear what she had to say. It was why he came out here, after all. So, sliding his hands into his pockets, he started to walk a bit down the trail.

"So, why'd you call me out here? How're you holdin' up, anyway?"

"Well I'm glad you like it! If ya got cash like me, you better be able to find decent fashion."

Rita’s laugh was light, but her eyes danced with a spark of life that seemed absent the last time they crossed paths. Yet, beneath the casual banter, a subtle tension lingered. With a soft sigh, she found a nearby rock and lowered herself onto it, her gaze lifting to meet Vanyel’s. She let the silence stretch for a moment, allowing the weight of her thoughts to settle between them.

"Hm, I was just curious as to what you think of things in the state of the world and Gracen Arms."

Her tone was direct yet held layers of softness infused within it. A small reflection of the value she held in his opinion of matters.

"There has been so much shit happening in the news that I figured talking with someone I trust and who is out in the field constantly to get your point of view on things."

Rita’s gaze drifted, fingers absently tracing the rough surface of the rock beneath her. She seemed to be lost in thought for a moment before grounding herself back to reality with a peering glance upward at Vanyel with a small smile tugging at her lips.

"Honestly, after that whole Sabre shit, it fucked with my confidence a bit when it came to being in my the field myself; but I think I need to focus more on my strengths, the people around me and try to avoid that from happening. I feel alright now, but I didn't for a while there."

"Good. I'm glad you're okay now. Remember, one exception doesn't make the rule."

He could breathe a small sigh of relief at that. He had his regrets about not being able to be present when they brought Rita back home, but, he had been there for her recovery, helping her as best he could. It wasn't surprising that she was held back by trauma for a while there, but, it seemed she'd been able to heal pretty well.

But then she asked a relatively big thing. His thoughts on the things happening around the world and in the company as a whole? Vanyel looked to the ground for a moment as he contemplated what his answer would be to that, moving to sit down next to Rita. There'd been a lot of things happening as of late, Africa was the biggest that came to mind overall.

"Mm...with how much the Quincy are trying to keep a grip on the whole balance thing, I'd think that getting some additional support to them would be good for not just them, but for Gracen Arms as well. It'd open up more job opportunities for people in the City of Lights, and if we're just talking about the pharmaceutical side, it could give more than just the Vandenreich more opportunities for medical aid."

Hearing Vanyel's feedback gradually made Rita's face more contemplative. It was clear that the Vandenreich were making massive moves throughout Earth to control the balance of conflicts. So it was almost a no-brainer for her not to seek out some type of alliance, but there was the passing thought of that Lukas fellow's incident.

Rita's hands drifted beneath her chin, propping her head up as she sighed, her thoughts weighing on her. Her teal eyes, sharp with focus, settled on Vanyel.

"Yeah, you aren't wrong. Let's make moves to get some support from them. But do you think the shitshow that happened with Lukas would dampen any relations?"

The thought of his execution was a bitter reminder of the delicate line they walked. Her gaze lingered on Vanyel, searching for reassurance or perhaps an answer she hadn’t yet considered.

"It's not as if we condoned his actions."

Her words carried a subtle mix of regret and frustration, as if trying to reconcile the past with the path ahead.

Right, Lukas was a part of the company. Granted, he had only been a temp bodyguard, and his... "devotion" to the Vandenreich took precedence, but, he was still listed. But, Vanyel had heard about the incident in the City of Lights, what Lukas had done, and that it ultimately led to his execution at the hands of the Vandenreich's leader. So, for a time, Vanyel thought on it.

"It's not like it's our problem in the first place. He was a Vandenreich soldier first, so, it was their problem, and they solved it. He was just a temp for us. None of us were expecting things to turn out like they did, but it wasn't as if we had any real stake in it. Wasn't our fault, wasn't our problem."

It was cold, but true. Everything that happened with Lukas, ultimately, was the Vandenreich's problem, not theirs. However...

"But, that doesn't mean we can't try and offer resources to help recoup with their loss of an asset, no matter how...unstable he was. Plus, I could work in the city to give an extra hand. I'm not a Quincy, and I'm not enlistin', but, havin' an extra hand to work with them wouldn't be a bad thing, right?"

Rita's face grew further contemplative as Vanyel talked. With an accepting nod, it seemed reasonable that he was, in the end, a fucking nutjob. It's not like there should be much argument there from anyone.

"Right. The guy was clearly off his rocker. Nothing we can do about that."

Although her tone was serious, she still managed to crack a small nervous chuckle before she closed her eyes.

"Yeah, let's go ahead, be decisive, and have you work and help them out you think you can manage it. I trust you on that front."

With her eyes opened again, there was a resolute glance behind them. She made up her mind and it was better to execute on it than being lost in a land of what-if's and maybe's. It leads to nothing but anxiety, stress, and drain.

"But how do you plan to work with the city? What's your whole plan on that front?"

Her question was loaded with curiosity and a desire to understand his strategy, showing that while she trusted him, she still wanted to be fully informed and involved in the process.

.

Yeah. Even if he had worked with them, the Lukas guy ultimately wasn't their problem. So, with a quiet, relieved sigh, Vanyel went through his pockets, pulling out his wallet and retrieving a business card. He had done a bit of digging after his initial meeting with Lilith on the beach, and that had led him to coming up with some particular ideas.

"Well, one idea was to rent out a building in the city and start from there, but, I also came across someone we've interacted with the in past, Lilith Blake. I did some digging, and she has a few clinics in the City of Lights, so, there's opportunity to collaborate there on the pharmaceutical side of things. But, if there's anything else that you've got in mind, feel free to tell me."

But, there was one other thing that Vanyel wanted to talk about. Setting his wallet and the card in his lap, he reached into his pocket and pulled out a folded piece of paper, and held it out for Rita.

"Someone I'm close with needs a job. She...was strugglin' for a bit, and currently still is in that department, but, she's been gettin' better, and I wanted to give a letter of recommendation for her. Somethin'...somethin' safe, until she's able to go higher. I wasn't sure if I could just bring her on myself, so, I wanted to run it by you first."

Vanyel fidgeted in place, idly toying with his wallet before finally putting it back in his pocket. He wanted to bring work to the City of Lights, more than anything else. It meant he could stay near Violet, she could lessen her own stress about not finding a job, they'd be able to work in the city, Gracen Arms would expand and be able to collaborate with more people. It was a win for all of them.