Cold Hard Cash [Shiina/Lisa Delivery Topic]

Lisa had a harsh scowl spread across her young features as the sun shone above. It wasn't a hot afternoon by any means, but the sun at this time was at its highest now that the morning ended. Despite this, she knew she couldn't go inside the cooler lobby room of the First Capital Bank just yet. Someone was holding her up to much of her ire as she gripped the package in her grasp tighter. Even if she were the first here, Lisa was rather quick to arrive and it should be understandable that it'd take some time for her fellow Cadet to catch up... not that her impatience would allow her.

She didn't know what was inside after Serenity handed it to her, but never really cared at the least. After the failure from the last mission, at least she could do a simple task like this.

"And you lag behind more than I'd like," Lisa replied stiffly. The Princess knit her brows together even more so once Shiina finally arrived. Did she take this much time to pick out something for the wardrobe? Whatever, not like any of it mattered too much anyway. She began to follow Shiina inside. As they passed through the series of automated sliding glass doors, the flush of colder air could be felt the moment the first one opened. "No. I could have done this alone. Brother has his own reasons, but he doesn't make them clear sometimes."

As much as she adored and respected her sibling, there were times when she really couldn't read into him. He was so calm and composed that it was like as if he were wearing a kind of mask to hide his true intentions. At times she felt like stepping around eggshells with his almost eerily composed expression.


They finally reached the lobby surrounded by white leather sofas. But ahead was a reception desk and a painting. In that desk was a woman in formal office wear worrying away her fingers on the keyboard with eyes glued on the screen. She wouldn't take much heed to the duo. But it never stopped Lisa from stepping forward to get her attention. "Hm? Oh, hello. How may I help you?"

Lisa didn't pay much heed from Shiina, since she had no idea either. Not that most people did, except Serenity and her Mother. They had more pressing matters to attend to than divining the reasoning behind the Prince. Speaking of pressing matters, this was the first time she was going to meet this Avaritia and the Cadet felt a tinge of nervousness as she continued to adopt her strong facade.

The receptionist nodded in affirmation at Shiina. She pressed a button near her on the phone before taking the receiver and speaking into it. "Ma'am. Your package has arrived. Yes... Understood."

She hung up to address the duo while gesturing them towards the sofas and the small table holding the water dispenser full of ice and lime. "Miss Avaritia is in the middle of something right now. I will call you in shortly when she is ready. Please have a seat at the sofas and partake in some refreshments if you so require."

Lisa muttered a "thanks" before moving to a nearby seat to plop down on. But as she did, a man entered the lobby, almost as if swaggering in. The receptionist didn't pay much mind to his presence until his arrival at the desk. "I would like to make a deposit, please."

Despite his demeanor and behavior, the receptionist retained a composed kind of professionalism. The exchange was short between the two, but it ended with a shrug from the man before walking back towards the sofa as well. He sat down with one leg crossed over the other, leisurely sitting for the minutes to pass by. His head turned to the side to finally notice the two Cadets.



"None of your business," she replied bluntly.


Lisa flicked an irritable look at him while the man seemed rather nonchalant and perhaps even smug.

He seemed very cocksure of himself, that was obvious. Surely these two knew who he was, in fact, he was waiting for them to bask him in amazement and excitement befitting his status. Art critics raved over his masterpieces and many filled his pockets for his quality works. Students all across the city came for him for his very guidance, hoping to reach the zenith of their craft through his honored critique. Surely, he must be renown even here and he was going to enjoy their respect. Though, that is, until the very forbidden words escaped someone's lips.


He froze. All the gears stopped turning and churning all the processing power of his brain. The man named Jacob could've sworn he heard something 'wrong'. He turned his head towards Lisa. "Pardon. I could've sworn I heard something."

"Never heard of you. My name is Lisa, by the way," the Princess said nonchalantly.

The man began to tremble in his very seat, almost as if wanting to explode judging by how incredulous his face was. But it subsided, almost calming himself before addressing Shiina while ignoring an increasingly irritable Lisa.

At first the flamboyant man was going to lose it, but the rest of what Shiina said at least managed to quench his almost exploding impotent rage upon the two. Perhaps he was a bit too rash to say this generation and its use was too vague and expansive. This would need some mending in another time. On the other hand, this was a prospective buyer. And with potentially a lot of cash at that if anything what she seemed to imply was true. The gears in his brain began to start moving at the same time as he mobilized. After making a massive killing with the last work, why not continue that spree?

In the meantime, Lisa wasn't entirely interested with the exchange at first, in fact she would rather punt this asshole in the face with the butt of her katana's saya, but hearing Shiina's tone change had her begin to remain witness of this show.


Lisa snorted at this, but he ignored her, seeing how she wasn't worth his time in any way. Nevertheless he handed her his business card from his wallet which detailed his address in Suzie Q and his website address to look at the various pieces.

"Of course, Shiina. I feel quite the same," the artist readily agreed with her. What a lucky day. Cash to fill his pockets and now another potential cash-cow. There must be the Queen, herself, smiling at him from somewhere. However, their conversation would stop short, with an announcement from the receptionist. "Ma'am? Miss Avaritia is ready to see you and her Highness. Please walk down the aisle all the way through. You can't miss it."


If all three were looking at her direction, the woman was holding the receiver before setting it down. The glass doors near her would slide open to accept them, to much of Jacob's blatant shock. Slack-jaw was one way to describe him. But before he could even recover, Lisa was quick to rise from her seat and beginning to walk briskly towards her destination. "C'mon, I don't want to deal with this weirdo any longer."

It felt quite surreal for this man. His luck far outweighed anything he had so far in his life. Sure, he received what seemed to be a great deal from the Japanese, but to let a Princess from the Royal family go? That won't do. Not now, not ever. He tried to rush towards them, hopefully to intercept them for a little while longer. "Wait, Miss! Your Highness! Wai-- Open the door! I need to see her!"

It was closed shut the moment the duo had just left them, giving them the freedom to finally finish the task they were meant to do. The receptionist looked rather glum and still had a hand on the receiver. She didn't seem to have much patience at this time. Probably that her wages don't really pay her enough for scenes like this. "Sir, please do not make a scene."

"Scene?! Don't you know who I am? I'm Jacob! I'm the greatest--" the man seethed out angrily with another bang on the glass. This immediately prompted her to press a button near her and soon the sound of footsteps could be heard from one man dressed in a security guard's garb. Complete with a baton and holstered pistol to the side of his hip.

"Please escort this man out of our premises. He is making a scene," she directed while taking a sip from her lukewarm coffee. The woman watched as the man continued to shrilly scream with such impotence as the guard grudgingly grasped him by the collar to pull him outside. The howls continued as it began to subside gradually with distance. No matter how much he claimed to be the greatest artist of all of Endymion and how many connections he had, they were nothing under the might of an irritable guard.


The only noise Shiina and Lisa heard were soft thumps on the glass, but everything was silent. Nothing else happened, as if sealing them away from the happenings outside. The Princess didn't want to spare another thought, especially when he could probably be waiting for them outside. She grumbled nevertheless, "I don't understand why you bothered to play along. People like him are full of themselves."

It wasn't like it was the first time meeting such people. And how many of them wanted to curry favor from time to time. Sometimes being a Princess wasn't that easy of a job at all, not that it should be anyway. She continued to walk further down the corridor as the receptionist instructed. It was eventually easy to see the name "Avaritia" on the door plate to the entrance of the very last office ahead.

Lisa paused at first. She was still nervous and wondered if this district head was anything like the one in East Eden. But quickly composed herself enough to begin knocking on the walnut wood door.


She finally opened it.


"Good afternoon, it's a pleasure to meet you.
Especially you, your Highness."


She was somewhat stiff, and hoped that no one would really notice. Lisa was trying hard to take a page from her brother's book. Meanwhile the district head motioned her to set it down on the desk, which she did before the woman set it to the side. "Thank you for delivering this to me. It greatly assists my... work. I can always depend on the Lamecia's."

Lisa seemed to relax a little and gave a terse nod as if agreeing with her.

Lisa snorted at Shiina, not really disagreeing or agreeing with the Wild Card. Just because they had one thing in common, it didn't mean that the Princess was going to get along. At best, they were going to tolerate each other somehow. They needed to be on their best behavior, after all. Julius wasn't going to hold their hands forever and they needed to show the Cadets were worth their prestigious standing in Endymion.


Back at the office, Avaritia took note of Lisa's companion as she examined her while keeping her pondering in silence. But nevertheless replied to her while also gesturing them to take a seat on the chairs situated right in front of her desk, "Certainly, please make yourselves comfortable. You never needed to ask."

She waited for them to take their respective seats, but not before starting to close out a few browsers on her computer screen in order to fully address them with her complete attention. "I was wondering how the Cadets are faring as of late. How is Julius these days?"

A simple question, but something difficult to answer given the recent events that took place. The Princess could feel a tint of bitterness in her stomach, but forced it down. She was a Princess, daughter of the queen, and a Cadet under her Brother. Like her siblings, composure should become a virtue for her, "He's doing well. We're all doing our jobs as efficiently as we can be."


"Hmm, that's satisfactory. It's good to hear the most important cogs of our system is working well as it should be," the woman mused while folding her hands on top of each other as her back leaned further back in the seat. Avaritia had a small grin plastered on her face, almost as if she understood something. "And you, Miss? What do you call yourself?"

She looked curiously at Shiina. There was certainly something Asian her features and expression. Lisa spared a glance towards her peer, allowing her the floor to introduce herself.