The moment she entered the room, Galeon felt the world around him blur out entirely. All of his attention was focused solely on her alone. She had a magnetic air to her that seemed to pull him deeper and deeper the longer he looked at her. There was something about her that tugged at him.
She was a familiar presence that he could not quite explain. He felt like he had finally found the missing piece of himself, something that could make him whole. But before he could fall deeper into that daze, he regained his senses. Beneath the helmet, Galeon observed the woman with both curiosity and wariness.
He was not certain about what just happened. It was a completely overwhelming experience, one that did not seem natural. He wondered if the woman had used some kind of charm or illusion on him, but that did not seem to be the case. In which case, there was something more to this than he knew.
The woman was an elegant and graceful young lady whose ease of movement revealed her pride and confidence in herself. There was a steadiness to her every step that seemed both calm and calculated. It was like everything was under her control from the pace of her movement down to the distance between each step she took.
She wore a black sleeveless dress whose skirt reached to just above her knees. She had tight black leggings that gave her freedom of movement. Galeon could tell by the way she carried herself even with the way she dressed that she was an exceptional fighter. And to top it all off, she wore a long white jacket over it. It was a sophisticated mixture of practicality and fashion, very similar to Galeon's own preference.
All of it was working together to create an air of nobility and authority around her, pulling other people to her rhythm. Galeon could tell she was measuring each of her movements to see any kind of reaction from him. The very fact that she never took her eyes of him since she entered the room, locking with his gaze beneath the helmet as though she could see his eyes, told him all he needed to know.
This woman was adept at manipulation. Give her one tiny bit of a twitch on your face, and she would exploit it as though it was your reverse scale. She was cold and shrewd, but the slight smile on her enticing cherry lips seem to lull one into an illusion of a delicate girl needing protection. They would lower their guard and that is when the serpent strikes. This woman was dangerous, but Galeon's focus was elsewhere.
He admired the unique physical traits of this woman more than the piercing gaze she was giving him even as she reached the couch in front of him and sat down. Her hair was a long and lustrous masterpiece of pale gold interchanging with a pastel green. Under the correct angle, the slightly metallic sheen of her hair would also be coated with cobalt blue. It was such a fascinating work of art that only enhanced her mystical beauty further.
Her pale skin had a healthy shade of red that gave her a sort of permanent blush, making her even more endearing. She was definitely a sight for sore eyes. But Galeon, he could not help staring at her eyes that bore a striking resemblance to his own.
They were like shimmering silver moonlight that dropped from the night sky. And combined with the pair of horns on her head that resembled corals or small antlers of the same colours as her hair, she was easily the most perfect being Galeon had ever laid eyes on.
For a long while, there was only silence between them. The room was suffused with an unusual tension that mixed with a strange comfort that could only be felt by the two. It was as though just each other's presence was enough to make the silence a peaceful atmosphere that belied their pounding hearts and excited breaths.
Galeon gazed at the woman before him and she too gazed at him. Even with his helmet on, he could tell that she could somehow see behind it. She was special, even more than he initially believed. And when they both had enough of the silence, the woman spoke first.
"It's truly a pleasure finally be able to meet you, Gale. You may call me Vivi. I was the one who specifically requested you for the commission today."
Her tone was warm and inviting, urging Galeon to speak amiably to her, but he could not. He wanted to reply, but his mind had caught onto a detail that was quite alarming for him. For the first time since they met, Galeon's eyes narrowed as he grew more suspicious of the woman.
"How do you know my name? Those who do not know me personally should only know me as G413."
"Oh please, if you really wanted to hide your identity, you could've chosen a different designation for yourself when you joined the Guild. I mean, come on, G413? Were you even trying? Besides..."
Vivi's eyes narrowed in amusement, her slight smile that seemed only a polite façade earlier now curved into a slight expectant grin. It was as though she could barely hold back her excitement.
"You're not going to need your Contractor badge for a long while after this meeting. Perhaps you may never even use it again."
"Are you threatening me?"
"No, Gale. I'm stating a fact. Don't worry, I'm not here to reprimand you for failing the commission. Instead, I'm here to recruit you personally."
Galeon was now prepared to fight at any moment. His combat suit was humming with a steady flow of energy that seemed as bottomless as the oceans. He did not know how powerful this woman was, but he was confident in at least being able to escape if he could not defeat her.
His situation right now was incredibly dangerous after all. This shrewd and calculative woman was keenly aware of the failed commission even without his report. He did not know how much she knew, but that mattered little at this point. The following words would determine his fate in this city, and he was not liking the rising tension at all.
Saying that she was here to recruit him only sounded to Galeon as her giving him the option to surrender. And that was not something he could agree to, especially since it implied that this woman knew that he actually had the Vernal Bloom with him. But before his thoughts could reach a precipice, Vivi suddenly sighed.
"I'm hurt by your suspicion and hostility, Gale. First of all, take off the damned suit. I already know what you look like. There's no point in hiding away. Also, like I said, I'm not here to reprimand you nor am I here to harm you. I'm not your enemy. I need your help, and the easiest way for you to do that is by joining my organisation."
The exasperated and sombre tone in her voice struck Galeon as odd. She sounded genuine, like she meant every single word she said. Coming from an expert manipulator like her, that was definitely something to be wary about, but something inside Galeon told him to trust her. He did not know why he felt that way, but he always did trust his instincts. So he relented this time.
His helmet vanished, melting into liquid crystal that retracted back into the Prisma Core which was basically his entire combat suit. His eyes carried palpable wariness and a hidden wildness to it that seemed ironic given his usual calm and indifferent expression. Finally seeing his face, Vivi smiled a beautiful smile that carried both adoration and relief. She chuckled as she spoke once again.
"You're definitely much more handsome in person, Gale. It beats seeing you through pictures alone. I wish we could've met sooner."
"You have pictures of me? Who the hell are you? Some kind of stalker?"
Hearing his words, Vivi fell silent for a moment. Her blank stare revealed her brain trying to process what he had just said, but it did not take long. When she realised that what he said was true, she blushed profusely in embarrassment while glaring at him.
"It's true that I've watched you for a long time, but I'm not a stalker alright! Don't you dare call me that again or I'll make you regret it!"
"Then answer my question. Who are you and why have you been watching me? And what do you want from me now?"
Vivi took a couple seconds to calm herself down, returning to her previous calm elegance. Even she could not believe she had been so stirred by his words, but she accepted this defeat. She was a little vulnerable to him right now because it was their first meeting that she had been looking forward to for so long.
"Once again, I am not your enemy. My name is Vivi, your little sister."