>> 001 | so I've been pondering over eorzea being flat but I don't know where to start

[acutabove]

[ It's funny, he thinks, that for all the recruiting Fatui Free Company have done over the years, they don't have a single person that would be knowledgeable or interested enough in Allagan technology to suit their purposes. He'd have thought that out of anyone his fellow Harbinger, Il Dottore, would have made some headway in the matter given his propensity for tinkering with old things, but even that old man had fallen well below the mark of what was needed for their purposes.

He recalls the meeting that had followed shortly after, how Dottore had glared daggers into the carpet as Childe was briefed on his mission. They would be working with a smaller, but still fairly affluential free company to recover a lost relic - or at least, hints that would point them in the right direction. There was a fairly knowledgeable mage on the matter that Childe was instructed to both protect and to keep an eye on; Fatui were no strangers to attempts of double-crossing, despite how often they threw money at things to ensure they got their way. They imagined that this would be no different, despite how the researcher in question had insisted on drawing up a contract with the sort of grave solemnity best reserved for funerals.

At least, that's what Ekaterina reported, and the Hyuran woman looked a little puzzled at her recounting of the meeting. From what Childe understood their researcher was a viera male, which ... was actually not something seen often. The females were a lot more common - Childe was intimately familiar with that fact - and he didn't think he'd ever seen a male before in his life. He was a little curious, especially given the fact that they were expected to be particularly bloodthirsty and had a tendency to shoot first and ask questions later. But, he supposed, they were also solitary, so finding a lone viera male this far from home was probably to be expected.

Either way, he had little time to get his things together before he was shipped off to the research facility where their contact awaited. He wasn't entirely sure what he was supposed to do aside from "escort him to ruins, help him with his research, whatever you can do to make his life easier", but he was secretly hoping that the man would want to get in a fight or two during their downtime. Given the rumors he'd heard and Childe's own bloodthirsty nature, he hoped that he wouldn't have to push him too hard for a good fight.

The Fatui had rented out a rather large room for Childe to use in the famed Bokairo Inn. The location wasn't terribly bad, he mused, granting him wide, sweeping views of the ocean and all the ships crossing in and out of the harbor. The room itself was terribly Kuganian, but it wasn't overbearingly so. He could appreciate the aesthetic of it without it being too touristy. He had a weekly stipend that was, for the moment, indefinite, and he considered buying a few things so he could make full use of the stovetop and the icebox located within. Dishes wouldn't be too expensive, and if he could get away with cooking meals for himself every once in a while he could probably use his allowance for other things - like sending souvenirs home to his siblings.

After setting all his things away, Childe made his way downstairs to the lobby and to the streets beyond. This time of day the city was lively, lanterns hanging across the walkways and merchants hawking their wares to anyone who would listen. He could hear faint laughter and the splash of water from the hot springs located literally right next door and he made a mental note to check them out at his earliest convenience. For someone that sparred a lot he'd quickly learned that hot water did the body good.

It's not quite the appointed bell for him to meet their contact, but he figures he'll just roam the city for new, re-familiarizing himself with the different corners and landmarks. He can't remember the last time he'd been here, and he imagines there were several changes since his last visit.

It isn't long before his steps take him to Rakusui Gardens, down in the southern part of Kugane. As Childe approaches the patch of secluded fauna, the bridge stretching out across a small pond and dotted with trees, he pauses. Perhaps his eyes are playing tricks on him, but he thinks he can make out a shape standing on the bridge. A person, maybe? ]