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It was already half-way through his shift? Riv blinked at the hallway clock again, grinning to himself. He LOVED this job. Already four hours had gone by, and he was going to get a huge paycheck, and what had his job consisted of tonight?

Hanging out in the Dalton's penthouse with the Boss, playing Guitar Hero. All because they were waiting for "someone important", Felix had mysteriously said. Rivener fought a guitar-battle against James at the moment, the other bodyguard having decided to stay past his own shift to keep playing the game. Felix sat on the couch with a beer, laughing as he watched the notes get missed more often than not.

Riv finished his song, beating James soundly (the Sigel was used to the game, often practicing at home with Zul). "So this is really it?" he asked, turning to Felix for the eleventh time. "This is all we're doing tonight, and we're still gonna get paid?"

"For the last time, Riv: YES. Now just bask in your luck and keep playing, stop trying to get me to change my mind!" The Boss chuckled, taking another swig of his beer. "That important person should be along soon..."

Riv shrugged and turned back to the television, selecting a new song despite James' groaning protest. "Not THAT song!"

The sudden voice caused all three men to startle, spinning to face the cause. Rivener reacted before James did, the Sigel launching himself at the intruder on reflex, but the guitar strung across his body tugged along the cord to the game console, sending it crashing to the floor in a cacophony.

Felix lifted a hand and Rivener stopped, wings snapped open threateningly, hands curled into aggressive hooks, claw-like nails ready to rip into skin to protect the Boss...

"This would be Shadow Bandit, I assume?" Felix said, standing up and grinning at the black-clad woman. He indeed didn't look much like a mobster at all, wearing a comfortable button-down shirt and jeans. He got that a lot, but he'd rather be comfortable in his penthouse. "By the look of things, you'll have no problem doing the little job I have in mind."

Rivener floated back, glaring at the woman with narrowed eyes, tilting his head... She looked familiar. VERY familiar. The curve of those hips, maybe? Just something about her... Plus, hadn't the stars said something about this earlier? Hm... Rivener hadn't been paying enough attention.

"Damnit Riv, you made the game jump! Now we gotta restart, and I was finally going to beat you, too!" James sighed, righting the console and pressing the reset button.

Riv spared the other bodyguard only a glance, removing the plastic guitar and placing it down. Riv was on the clock after all, he'd best do his job. That meant being real close to Felix while he talked to this weird woman, in case she tried anything. "Play by yourself for a little bit, I'll be watching Boss." Making himself a little taller by way of floating higher, Riv took up his position at Felix's side.

"Come, let's talk. Something to drink?" Felix offered, walking towards the small in-room bar with an ever-vigilant Sigel constantly hovering near.

"It doesn't have to be alcohol, you know. I have water as well... But I suppose I can understand not drinking a stranger's offered bottle." Felix smirked, fishing himself a new bottle of beer and leaning on the bar, opening it with a psshht! "I can see you want to get right down to business, so let me be direct: I need something planted. I'll spare you our reasons, as they're rather cliché. We'd like you to infiltrate a heavily guarded mansion in Aekea and leave a certain object hidden in the wall safe in the bedroom... It'll be a race against time as an anonymous tip will send the cops to that house while you're doing this. We want them to catch him in possession of this object before tomorrow morning." Felix smiled, tilting his head at the woman, raising his beer in salute. "With your skills, should be easy, no? The pay will be generous, I guarantee it."

Rivener wasn't paying much attention to the details, since he wasn't going to be needed for this ploy. He was much too busy observing the woman, trying to place where he knew her from. He was certain he knew her... The way she moved was smoother and slicker than anyone Riv could think of, but perhaps if he just toned it all down... Damn, he wished they would stand closer to the balcony so he could open the door a crack and listen to the stars! They'd surely tell him a handful of hints to figure out this woman's identity.

Her eyes were so familiar, the shape of them! But without the rest of the face visible, hm... Riv's gaze narrowed more, and his wings rustled. Felix knew what that sound usually meant: his bodyguard was watching very closely, suspecting something. Instantly the mob boss changed demeanor, straightening slightly and looking a tad more alert. Perhaps Rivener detected a threat?

"So, do we have a deal?" Felix asked. "I will give you more details, like names, addresses and the nature of the object in question, once we've agreed to do business."

Felix sighed, ready to offer an argument, but Shadow Bandit's sudden snapping interrupted him. Both the Boss and Rivener blinked at the woman in surprise, not expecting the short-tempered outburst at all. Both men glanced at one another... Riv returned his watchful eye to the thief, tilting his head and rustling his wings again. Something in that outburst just now sounded SO familiar... but just a little bit off, like something was missing?

Felix shrugged off the surprise with another swig of beer, lowering the bottle to point at James and Riv with a hand. "These men aren't just lackeys, they're friends. And neither of them would have the stealth needed for this operation, which is why I needed the help of a pro. This is just like breaking into a vault, after all, only instead of taking something out you're putting something in. I'm not trying to make you a lap dog, I fully intend this to be a one-time contract, well-paid to boot. Will you please agree?"

Rivener kept staring, despite how he'd been accused of being rudely focused on the woman before... He was bodyguard, it was his job to stare after all. He might have thought it odd that the woman had known to call him "scorpio", but his wings were unmistakable in their origin so the Sigel thought nothing of it. He focused instead on the parts of her face he could see, trying to piece together the rest of her features. SO familiar! Gah, it was like he felt it at the very edges of his mind! He KNEW this woman!

Tall Dark? Did the woman mean Riv? The Sigel's eyes opened in surprise and he flinched back, wondering what kind of trick this was. He frowned suspiciously at the thief and his wings snapped open defensively.

"Riv? Go with you? ...Whatever for? He's not an expert at stealth or anything, as far as I know." Felix turned to look at Rivener, blinking at him. "...But I suppose it's up to you, Riv. You wanna go along?"

The Scorpion knew what answer he was expected to give, of course. The Boss needed this object planted, and if the woman only wanted to do it if Rivener went along, then Riv would go along. He shrugged, glowering at the thief just as strongly as she was glowering at him. "Alright, fine, I can go with, but I have conditions of my own: I'm not going into the house. I don't wanna compromise the infiltration, so I'll wait outside the compound. If you can agree to that, I'll go."

Felix grinned and nodded, assuming the woman would be alright with this small condition. "Very well! Here's the adress," he placed a small card on the bar's counter and slid it closer to the Bandit. "As for the item we need planted..." The Boss left his beer and walked over to a shelf, moving a stack of books and reaching behind them. He pulled out a small wrapped parcel, bringing it back to place atop the card on the bar. "Just leave this package wrapped as it is. It's a handful of stolen jewels along with a few CDs of incriminating evidence against someone. I can't stress enough: as soon as you leave here, we'll wait half an hour and then call the cops. By that time you should have made it to Aekea, yeah?"

Rivener wasn't quite sure he liked being referred to as "insurance" or being needed for "confirmation" of anything, but this chick was needed so he'd follow along. He motioned for James to come over, the man groaning as he dropped his plastic guitar and took Riv's spot at Felix's side. The Sigel fetched his leather jacket from a nearby chair, slipping it over his shoulders and crossing his arms, waiting for the woman to be ready to go.

"The money will be there as soon as the job's finished, yes." Felix grinned at the card, noting how warm it was from its previous hiding place. "Rivener, stay safe. You can trust her, she's not the type to betray an employer." The Boss grinned at his bodyguard and raised his bottle in salute like before, giving the Scorpion a grin.

"Be back later, then, Boss. Lead the way, Bandit." Rivener's wings settled into a more comfortable position, hands shoving into his pockets casually. He was ready to follow her out, be it by the elevator or the balcony. Perhaps while he was out there he could finally figure out who she was, with some help from the star-speak...

The Scorpion had half-expected the route the thief took, so he wasn't surprised as she exited through the balcony doors, balancing on the railing. She taunted him, and Rivener only sniffed haughtily in reply. What human could possibly go faster than a Sigel in full flight?

The woman jumped off in a borderline-suicidal move, leaping from the penthouse with no manner of safety net, and Rivener jumped after her, wondering for a second if he'd need to catch the daft human... but no, she was fine. Something shot from her and she swung safely to her destination. Riv's wings were open and carrying him effortlessly, the Sigel following his temporary companion along the rooftops. She ran, he glided, both moving as fast and as secretly as two slip-shadows.

Before Riv knew it, they'd come across one of the trains to Aekea, and the woman jumped atop one of the cars. Rivener followed, landing a little more awkwardly as his floating body tried to adjust to the fast-moving vehicle. He grabbed onto the roof of the car with clawed hands, making sure he was stable and keeping contact with the steel surface to make sure his floating body wouldn't simply stop following the speeding train.

Rivener couldn't hear the stars yet, they were too close to the middle of town. Once the train left Durem, in the short span between here and Aekea, the stars would be visible and then they would talk. Riv waited patiently, keeping his eyes on the Shadow Bandit, still trying to place her...