Welcome to Gaia! ::

The youngest of the trio made a move to speak before her ears caught up with her. There was something moving in the hall. Her eyes widened and she nodded at Alliance. Kyraa followed her and Ruevian as far as she was allowed, and waited for them to return, or for something worse to greet her.

Katane had not gone in for breakfast, choosing instead to stay on the roof, looking down into the lamplit streets. When she heard someone landing not too far away, she had assumed it was one of the clan.

But this smelled human.

She froze in her crouched position, emulating the stone she turned into during the day. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see a vague, dark shape.

Alliance's tail twitched as Ruevian made a motion to stop her, but it was too late.

Damnit! she thought. Yet another mistake that would cost her down the line.

She flashed an apologetic look at Ruevian before focusing back on the metallic whatever-it-was.

The voice that spoke had a mechanical staticky buzz to it, like it was coming out of a radio or television.

Well, there's no point in pretending that we're not here, Alliance thought.

"What.....business do you have up here?" she called out, and then smacked her head. Smooth, Ally. Very smooth. Should have left this to Ruevian.

Regardless of ability, however, this was her mess. She had spoken first, and thus gave away her location. Hopefully whoever was out there hadn't noticed Rue; something she would most definitely use to her advantage in case this was trouble.

Alliance prepared herself for battle, on the chance that the being out there attacked. She unclasped her wingtalons in case she needed to become airborne, and flicked her tail a couple times to make sure it was limber.

There were two, possibly three now. The second had appeared as a faint glow on his infrared - but apparently the wings were also a cooling mechanism, and while wrapped around the body, muted their infrared signature. Gendou was fascinated by their physiology. If he could get one of them into his laboratories...

The third was moving stealthily through the shadows, almost invisible except on infrared. Gendou kept an eye on it, but focused his attention on the one framed in the doorway. It had spread its wings slightly, giving him a better look at the body and.. clothing. English-speaking, clothing-wearing monsters. Curiouser and curioser.

"I wish to speak with your leader," Gendou called out in response to the creature's inquiry.

Katane rotated her head slightly to see the shapmore clearly. She was confused; it didn't look or sound like a human at all! But there was no way she could mistake that scent. Unaware that it came from someone inside the metal, she figured it was just a machine of human make. But why would Alliance sound scared of a machine? She kept still and watched to see what it would do.

The voice was challenging now, and from the tone of it, feminine - if such things could apply to these creatures. He really needed to get one into the lab. Did they have defined sexes? If so, did they mate for life? Did they lay eggs or have live birth? So many questions... and the answers were here, if only he could gain their trust.

Gendou smirked behind his armor faceplate. The challenge in the voice was unwarranted. He doubted that the Church was aware of the presence of the creatures. And if they were, he doubted they would allow them to remain for long. For trespassers to treat him as a trespasser was, at best, amusing.

But he hid his amusement well - years of negotiating with heads of business and state had given him that talent. "My name is Gendou, and I have come to meet your..." he paused here, suddenly uncertain of what to say. There was more than one, but the group was likely small - fewer than twenty individuals total, if he had to guess. And how was their group structured? Clearly they had a leader - the one in the doorway had said as much. But beyond that, he knew nothing. "...your tribe," he finally finished, hoping the term was not insulting.