World Tree MUSH

     Planet Corneria: The Jewel of the Lylat System. This is the central hub of most all activity in the system and is the place to go for most any need or desire you have. Corneria City, the capital, hosts a great number of locations, resources, and businesses that can cater to those seeking things. 

     It's a long dusk, normal to face during this time of year from the binary stars' light, and it lends to a special atmosphere for romantic walks and peaceful dinners. While a little warm, a cool breeze rolling in off the ocean helps to temper the heat with a salty yet refreshing gentle wind. The raised streets above the civilian and commercial areas keeps things perfect calm and safe for those that travel on foot. The nearby restaurants closest to the waterfront are the busiest, by far, second only to the pubs and outdoor cafes. All the same, there seems to be a reasonable vacancy in seating for these eateries and the constant conversation filling the air only just peaks in volume above the selections of music each place plays. 

     One restaurant in particular, The Wooden Ladle, sports a rustic yet popular theme displaying a mix of homestyle cuisine as presented with a higher class for those with more refined tastes. Within, they offer table and booth seating, a stage with live entertainment, a bar for those more thirsty than hungry, and a smoking room entrance nearby for those that prefer a different kind of atmosphere. The lighting is dim, but not dark, with candles adorning each table, crystal chandeliers above, and central to the main room is a fire pit purely for the air it offers; a ventilation tube above it, bricked about to conceal its internals, pipes away most of the heat and what little smoke there is.

     Krystal had just recently arrived on Corneria, and although she hadn't spent a large amount of time on the planet, it's familiar sight just made her glad in the feeling that she had found her way back to her home galaxy, or at least so she thought. Deciding to head out for a bit and enjoy a little night life, she happened upon The Wooden Ladle, and walked inside wearing a peach colored cocktail dress with a ruffled cascading skirt and a matching pair of heeled sandals. 

 She makes her way over to the bar and takes a seat where she takes a moment to look over at the stage to see what was going on, before turning back to greet the bartender with a smile. "I'll have a whiskey sour while I look over the food menu." The bartender nods and produces a menu before beginning to make the drink for the blue furred vixen.

     The stage has quintet playing some jazz. One dog is playing piano, another plays a trumpet, a fox is on the drums, a feline lady is on the bass, and a rather burlesquely-dressed weasel is on the saxophone all too happy to take center stage and ham it up. The performance is good and funny and upbeat. In general, they are well-received by the current audience. 

     The bar is only partially occupied at present, so the service is quick and precise and headed up by the head bartender, a lion wearing a waistcoat, who presently works with a different customer off to the side. "A glass of Letterkenny, year twenty-three if you have it," requests a smooth voice from somebody stepping up near Krystal to the side. "And something deliciously bubbly for my friend Caroline here. She prefers white wine and raspberries, ha ha." It's a panther and he's dressed to the nines. A white suit jacket with slacks, a red bow tie, black vest and slate gray shirt make for a very impressive first glance, certainly. He's accompanied by a lady hound that dressed much more sporty than classy, but isn't so in a demeaning way. "I'm glad they have the band playing tonight. They've been on tour for the past few months, so it's bit a of a homecoming," explains the dark-furred feline looking over his shoulder the other direction. "Normally they'd probably want to sell tickets. You'll find all sorts of people here tonight, dear Caroline." 

     The panther turns to gesture at this across the room as if to make a point, but his turn puts him directly peering at the vixen that he hasn't seen for some time. His eyes light up. "Krystal. How wonderful to see you here. I should have known you were an enjoyer of jazz."

     Krystal takes her drink as it is delivered and turns to watch the band as she looks over the menu while sipping at her drink. That is until she hears an unfamiliar voice call her by name, which has her promptly turning around and looking at the feline across the bar from her. "Well yes, I do like jazz, but how did you know my name? I don't believe we have met before, unless I hit my head somewhere and forgot." For now her hunger is forgotten and the menu is placed on the counter while she speaks with Panther.

Mister Caluroso is amused by this, but he sees it as a dismissive dodge meaning to help save face since Panther has current company tagging along. Turning about, the feline rests back against the bar in motion to better present one friend to another. "Relax, heh. Caroline here is the daughter of the Head of the Athletics Association over at the Cornerian Academy. She's a delightful acquaintance of mine." With a hand, he then gesture to the hound with a casual tone of voice. "Caroline, I'd like for you to meet the lovely and elusive Krystal. As I've mentioned, she's not from Lylat." Panther wets his lips briefly with his tonguetip. "I suppose you could say she serves as a mediator for those with emotional conflict. She's a very good judge of character and I'm sure the two of you would get along wonderfully." 
     "Oh, that Krystal?" Caroline steps forward to offer an extended arm for a handshake with a professional smile. Her father's work at the Academy, and in turn her own, places her into positions where she meets all sorts of people. "Great to finally meet you. Panther tells me you keep yourself busy. I can certainly appreciate that."

     As Panther takes the time to introduce her to his company, and says only nice things about her, she does lower her defenses a bit, though she still wonders how this panther knows who she is. As Caroline steps forward and extends her arm, she smiles and takes her hand in a handshake. "Nice to meet you Caroline, and yes, I suppose I do, always plenty to do out there in one way or another. Though it is nice to take a break once in a while, which is why I'm here. Say, anything on the menu to eat that either of you would recommend? Haven't been on Corneria long and it's my first time here."

     The lion bartender handles these new drinks orders. A glass of Letterkenny red wine is easy enough to serve up. While he does not have any Year 23 in, he does serve some from a bottle of Year 27. It has matured a little longer, but gives the closest resemblance in body and aroma. For Caroline, he pulls out a flute glass and drops in a few raspberries that have been macerated in Creme de Cassis before pouring in some well-chilled sparkling white wine. To top it off, just a little bit of grenadine. These are presented thus. 
     As for Panther, his familiarity, at least to him, is very much genuine. There's nothing being faked. "It may seem a bit provincial, but I give my seal of approval to most everything they serve here. It's not the same as enjoying a fine steak tartare at the Roivos, but that's not why people come here. I quite like the potato soup, actually. Pardon me a moment." The scarred-faced feline turns away to pay for the drinks and, notably, quietly goes about paying for Krystal's, as well. 
     Caroline adds, "I'm a bit more careful with my starch-intake, but /some people/ can eat anything they want and still keep perfect figure." She laughs at this, clearly jabbing at Panther in her remark with a flitting movement from her eyes to make it obvious. "I'm not envious, though. I rather enjoy keeping in shape the old-fashioned way. Personally, I enjoy the ranch Mac and Cheese casserole." She shrugs, completely guilty and she doesn't care.

     Krystal watches both Panther and Caroline as their drinks are served. She doesn't seem to notice that he paid for her drink, but will likely be thankful for it later. For now her eyes are mostly on the feline as she racks her brain trying to figure out why he knows her and yet she can't remember him. She grins at the comment Caroline makes about eating too many starches, and decides to go with the woman's recommended dish. 

     "Hmm, ranch mac and cheese casserole you say? That sounds like an interesting combination. I suppose I'll have an order of that, and a glass of what Lady Caroline is having." She adds the latter part to the lion bartender before scooting down to sit closer to Panther. "So tell me, Mr smooth talking feline, since I can't seem to remember. Where did we last meet?"

     Caroline takes her drink and gestures excitedly toward the stage. "Oh, they're playing their rendition of Three and Rye. I'm going to go find a table and enjoy the show while you two catch up." Lifting a hand, she does a little hand-flap of a wave to Krystal before scurrying off. The weasel with the sax struts about with overexaggerated movements and expressions and uses lots of body language amidst the whimsical piece. It's like jazz and comedy all in one! 
     The well-dressed feline rests his wine glass cupped in a palm and allows the heat from his hand to bring the temperature of the wine down just a bit more. The process also helps to bring out the aroma of the red while it breathes. Panther whistles a bit in response to the question. He's not really one to enjoy bringing up the McCloud boy in conversation with Krystal. 
     "Well, you've been off the radar for a while -- which, by the way, I completely respect the need for personal space after...what happened between you and Fox -- so at least half a year since that all happened. Before that was the Peterson job I did with Wolf where we ran into you and the rest of Star Fox. That's when, uh, as I recall there was something about misinformation being fed to Fox through a source about Wolf's deal being illegal when it wasn't, it embarrassed him and made him the bad guy, there were arguments, people left." Panther's expression waxes apologetic. "Not a very pleasant time for everybody involved. I had been worried about you, but you're a strong vixen, and I'm very relieved to see you okay and enjoying yourself."

     Krystal listens as Panther answers the question, outlining recent events that apparently she did, before apparently having a fairly low profile in more recent times, but the more that the Panther talks, the more she feels like he's talking about a whole different person, because he kind of is. Once he's done, Krystal just looks rather confused, but still responds kindly. 

     "Well, as much as I appreciate your concern for me, there must be some sort of mistake here, because I don't remember doing any of those things, and I just met Fox a few days ago in the market district of Edin, in The Cradle of this World Tree thing. Wait...." She finally says as the truth hits her like a ton of bricks. "That means, this isn't my home galaxy at all, and the Krystal you're talking about, isn't me, well, not exactly, but a different version of me. Wow this is so confusing." Krystal says as she looks and feels a little deflated now, having thought she was home, only to have that ripped away.

     With a purse of his lips, for the moment Panther seems confused, as well. He doesn't fully parse what's being explained at first, but he'd like to believe that Krystal wouldn't lie to him, either. Grim recognition and concern mix amidst his eyes. "Right, right. I think I see, now. You've been displaced. That's... Well, I knew there were different universes connected to our own, but a tale of an alternate universe was not something I was expecting." 
     Turning once more, the suited cat picks up the raspberry sparkling wine cocktail made for Krystal with his free hand, informs the bartender to charge it to his account, before turning his attention completely toward his current companion. "Krystal, this place is a bit loud. If you'd like to step outside we can talk in the waterfront gradens instead, if you'd like. Wolf and Leon are in the bar nextdoor and-" He suddenly stops talking as he realizes that she probably doesn't know who they are, either. It's a lot to take in. 
     "If what you say is true, and I have no reason to believe you'd ever lie to me, then talking to Wolf might be a good idea. He knows more about those other worlds than I do. But, since you say you don't know me, you wouldn't know...him. Right? I mean, I'll leave you alone if that's what you want, but I want to make sure you understand that I'm offering to help if I can."

     Krystal listens to Panther, still processing this whole concept herself. It didn't take her long though to decide what to do at this point. Panther knew the other version of her, and as far as she can tell, just seems to want to help her, and she feels like she could use a little help right now. She stands and smooths down her dress as she looks back at Panther. 

     "I have no reason to lie to you. Right now I just feel like I'm lost in my own home town, for lack of a better way of putting it. I guess I don't know how to feel. I mean, if I can't get back to my real home, I guess this is the next best thing. Not like I can ever truly go home anyway, unless by some miracle Cerinia is still around in this alternate universe. Anyway, I guess sure, go ahead and introduce me to Wolf."

     On the note of Cerinia's fate, Panther stays silent. There's nothing positive to contribute by revealing what he knows about it, but what he does know flashes through his mind anyway at the mentioning which may ultimately betray his silence at that very point in time. "Caroline will be fine. She came alone and it was good to see a friend and I'll send her a message later explaining enough. Don't worry, dear Krystal. Your business is your own." He holds out the flute glass with the sparkling wine cocktail in it. "It'll take the edge off." 
     With a turn, his body language directs toward the exit, but he doesn't take the initiative to leave just yet. Ladies first. "So, if you don't know Wolf, there's something of which you need to be aware," he leads in topic and takes a single sip from his wine glass. "It's not my place to explain it all, but Wolf and Fox have history and they don't exactly get along. Usually. It's only fair that you know this before you meet him." 
     Beyond the front doors to the restaurant, along the waterfront, lies a boardwalk that skirts a garden with rectangular blocks displaying an assortment of flora of different colors, sizes, and aromas. The boardwalk is the most populated area aside from the nearby businesses, but the Waterfront Gardens only have a few wandering slowly along the softly ground-lit paths. It is there Panther aims to direct.

     Krystal was thus far avoiding reading Panther's mind, but when he remains silent after she mentions her home world, she peeks a bit only for her fear to be confirmed, of course she couldn't be that lucky, but then, even if she had, the people there would be the family of a different version of herself, and wouldn't know her any better than Panther. So perhaps this was for the best. In any case she takes the drink offered by Panther in hand and takes a bit sip before turning for the exit. She would walk along the path, and nod to him along the way as he explains about the relationship between Wolf and Fox. "Hmm, I wonder if the Fox I met is the one from this universe, or mine..." She ponders as they continue on, wondering what this Wolf will be like.

     "That I couldn't say. We've been able to travel back and forth to other places for some time now, but I suppose that all depends on the nature of your meeting with him. You and Fo-" Panther catches himself a little late and corrects, "The Krystal I knew already knows Fox very well." It's so awkward speaking about somebody's twin like that. "She, uh, heh. She was part of his mercenary group, Star Fox, for some years. Still could be." Pausing beside a tall-stemmed group of flowers with red petals gently curled into a closed spiral, Panther reaches out to delicately touch his fingers to it before leaning to sniff the bloom.     
 "Would you be comfortable waiting here next to these roses while I go get Wolf for you so I can explain a few things first, or would you rather we go there? Or shall I message them to come outside, too?" Clearly, Panther is concerned for Krystal's comfort and is happy to oblige whichever option she feels is best.

     Krystal continued to walk with Panther, becoming more comfortable around him the longer they talked. He really was being extremely kind to her, and seemed to be thinking about her every need, case in point when he asks how she wants to deal with meeting wolf. Of course also when he mentions that the other version of her had been with Fox's group for some years, she blinks in realization. "Must have been a different Fox than your Fox. Now that I think about it, he didn't seem to know me either when we met. Though I suppose it'd be a miracle if he didn't know Wolf, or at least his version of Wolf, if as you said they don't tend to get along. Anyway, probably best if you can prepare Wolf a bit by letting him know what's going on before I walk in there looking like my parallel world twin."

     "Of course, of course. Though, for the record, with what you are wearing, if I were to admit that you have an otherworldly radiance, would you take it as the compliment it is?" Instead of immediately walking away, Panther instead takes a moment to step foward to square up with Krystal so that he can lean in and half-whisper, "I can imagine that this is a very strange turn of events, but one thing you have to promise me is to never compare yourself to the Krystal from around here. That person, while also beautiful and strong, is not you and you should never feel you have to compete or live up to standards or expectations seemingly set either by her actions or those that have met her. You don't have to make that promise to me now, but I want you to think about it while I step away." 
     Taking a half step back, Panther removes one of the roses by severing a stem, spins in place to reveal the rose is now held in his teeth, and strikes a flamenco pose with some castanetless snaps of his fingers. Making a spectacle of himself complete, he turns away to wander off to go fetch his companions from their watering hole. "Back soon."

     Krystal blushes a bit as Panther compliments her outfit and nods at his question. "Thank you, actually just bought it yesterday in one of the shops here on Corneria. I wanted something more casual and pretty go go out in on days when I can relax and just enjoy life." She offers, before taking a more serious tone at his talk about not living up to this other Krystal. "Of course, she's not me, even if we are like identical twins, we're different people who had different events shape our lives. I wouldn't hold myself to her standards any more than I'd expect her to do the same." She says before grinning at Panther's little pose with the rose, and nodding as he turns away to go and get Wolf.

     Visual sight of Panther is lost to him disappearing into a group of people around the door to a bar. It's not a dive bar or anything, but he's terribly overdressed for it. The people within are lively. In fact, it's just one aspect of the whole. A moment alone might bring all of the details out. 
     Aside from whatever thoughts may weigh on the mind, the atmosphere at present is rather calming amidst the plants of the garden. The revelry and bright conversation can be heard from the storefronts, the roll of the ocean laps at the shore not that far away, pleasant whispers between couples sharing the dusk along the boardwalk add a hint to the overall chorus much like a few night insects among the plants getting an early start 'singing'. 
     The air is very clean, but it's notably more refreshing outside than it is inside amongst other people, and the illumination levels are carefully controlled as to avoid light pollution. The lights lining the garden paths are flat half-circles and are capped off to keep the soft glow on the walkway alone. The scents from the various restaurants mingle in the garden along with the salty breeze and the natural aromas from many of the blooms present. Nothing is overpowering. It all might seem wonderfully balanced.

     Krystal tries to relax as she waits for Panther to return, but she can't help but wonder what she'll think of Wolf, and what he'll think of her, or how this will effect the relationship she is building with the Fox from her universe. After a moment she does her best to push such thoughts from her mind. Worrying about it all isn't going to help anything, and in the end it will be what it will be. She eventually closes her eyes, letting herself get lost in the sounds and smells of the evening, and indeed it was rather calming out here.

     The absence of Panther may seem prolonged at first, or maybe the separation fromt the direct pulse of night life activities is enough to make time seem a little slower than normal. Either way, the group at the front of the entrance to the bar parts and a certain cat wearing a white suit leads the way followed by two others. One is a green reptile wearing a reflective metallic short-sleeved unbuttoned shirt over a purple tank top with white pants. The other is a gray lupine wearing a brown bomber flight jacket unzipped over a black muscle shirt and blue denim jeans. That must be Wolf. 
     Hands in his pockets, once close enough Wolf takes the lead on approach to where Krystal was left waiting. His left eye is covered with an eyepatch and he looks rugged and could easily be twice the fox's age. He says nothing at first and simply comes to a stop and looks Krystal over. The other two wander over and around the wolf to form a more casual grouping of four people. 
     "I apologize, Krystal. I didn't realize my error until I was nearly in the bar, but I have never actually properly introduced myself to you. Allow me the honor to do so along with the names of my companions." He still has that rose in one hand, between two fingers, while the wine glass continues to rest in those same fingers nearly emptied. "I am Panther Caluroso. This is Leon Powalski. And-" 
     "I'm Wolf O'Donnell. Is it me or does she look younger?" 
     "You really do catch more flies with honey, eh?" quips Leon with an edge of snark. 
     "Don't speak as if she's some kind of insect," responds Panther promptly with a glance over at the chameleon. 
     "Wrong definitions of 'honey' and 'fly'," corrects Leon with a dark vulgar tone. 
     Wolf shakes his head, "Be quiet, you two. Give the girl a chance to speak." All eyes turn to Krystal.

     For a bit, Krystal isn't really sure what to say, though the idea that she was younger than the Krystal they knew was a bit shocking. Somehow she not only was in an alternate universe, but one on a slightly different time line? "I'm really starting to wish I payed more attention in class when they talked about space time and theories about parallel universes, that's for sure." She says with a laugh. 

     "In any case, I'm happy to meet you all, even if you likely know more about me than I do about you, because even if I'm not exactly the same as your Krystal, I'm willing to bet we have more in common than we have differences, as overall this universe so far doesn't seem to be completely upside down different from mine. Then again, I'm sure there are more differences than whether I met Fox or not..."

     Reaching up with a hand to rub from chin down along his throat as he listens, Wolf exhales slowly at the end at the mention of Fox McCloud. "Panther here said you met Fox, but he didn't know you when you met, so it was probably not the Fox I know, but that you were curious if I might know of this other place you came from and how to get there." It's not that Wolf is constantly unhappy or grumpy; a lot of it is just in his voice. It perfectly reflects his physical appearance from the scruffy fur to the battle scars. "Well, the short answer is no, not that I've ever encountered. That doesn't mean there isn't a way or that it doesn't exist or whatever. It just means I haven't been there." 
     "And we've been to a number of places," adds Panther. 
     "On business," clarifies Wolf. Leon confirms verbally with a lazy stretch of his arms over his head. 
     "Profitable business. Girl, you are a long way from home, but if you ever get lonely or need a place to stay, Panther will take you under his wing. Or let you ride it, if I recall the comms recording." 
     Panther snarls back, "But you can't have any dark corners to cry in. Leon has a monopoly on that front." 
     Exasperated and with a roll of his good eye, Wolf steps forward to leave the other two behind. "That's enough of them for now. The adults need to talk." The panther and chameleon bicker a little more but are otherwise content to let their boss take the lead from that point on. "Come on, let's talk, Krystal. Or you can just listen. I don't know what connection you have with that Fox, but chances are there isn't much different from how things are here." 
     "I don't think buddying up to him is a good idea, but you have to make your own choices and live with them. Even if it is history repeating itself all over again. Still, if getting back to your homeworld is something you really want to focus on I'm willing to keep my eye open for any information related to a parallel universe of ours. As a favor. You're young and naive, but you're smart and level-headed and if it wasn't for your helping him out, even if you say it wasn't you, things would have turned out a lot different when the Aparoids nearly killed us all. So, I'll give you that much along with a tunneler for our comms. Now...ask me something. What do you want to know about 'here'?"

     So Wolf doesn't think it's a good idea for her to be friends with Fox. Considering what Panther already told her about their relationship Krystal can't say she didn't see that coming. However she realizes she barely knows Fox any better than she knows Wolf and the rest of his team. So she decides it's best that she hear him out at least, and perhaps give Fox the same chance to tell his side of the story, before making up her mind. She decides that it's probably best that she doesn't bring up how Fox already invited her to join him, and that she kinda agreed. But Wolf has given her the chance to ask some questions, and so she will. "Well, as much as I know she's not exactly me, I'd like to hear about your world's Krystal, as well as more about you and your team here."

     Wolf has a much slower pace as he walks, as if it's obvious he has no real destination to go but he doesn't want to stand still. He reaches into the pocket of his jacket and pulls out what must be cigarettes. Now, smoking isn't exactly allowed in the garden, but it's getting a bit too dark to read the signs that say as much, so oh well. "You mind if I smoke?" Now, these cigarettes are much cleaner, at the least, as the companies that produce them don't lace them with countless numbers of carcinogens as they do in other Worlds, which means they burn clean. But some people still don't like it. He places one to his mouth, but he doesn't light it up just yet. He won't until he gets a response. At least he's being polite. 
     "The Krystal I know came from another star system. Her planet died or something -- I don't know the details because it's never been a priority to look into -- and she came to Lylat to investigate some sort of problem on Sauria. According to the reports, one of the residents was a dictator named Scales and his quest for power over the other tribes nearly destroyed the planet. Typical civil unrest. Now, ROB's database says that it was actually due to Andross using a special energy on the planet to resurrect himself and that depleting those energies to do so was why the planet nearly broke into pieces. Maybe Fox lied about it, but he says he rescued this other Krystal and destroyed Andross. Apparently, she was captured and imprisoned." 
     "So thankful to be free and immediately buying into his schtick without actually knowing anybody else in the system, she joined his team to help him do mercenary work and helped destroy the Aparoids here a year or so ago when they attacked. Last I heard they were on the edge of having a falling out, but I don't know if that ever happened. Classic White Knight Syndrome and the inevitable result, if you ask me. Sad, but that's how it goes."

     Krystal gives Wolf a nod for his question. "Smoke if you wish, just don't mind me if I stand upwind of you." She says with a small grin. She grows quiet as Wolf tells her about the events that happened to this universe's Krystal, finding them eerily close to her own life experiences, and yet different in key ways. "Interesting, pretty much the same thing happened to me, except I never wound up imprisoned on Sauria, and never saw Fox there either. I came to Corneria after defeating Scales, and presumably stopping Andross if he was involved in the events on Sauria in my universe also. I did see a strange, ghostly figure at one point, but I'm still not quite sure what I saw." She explains before pausing briefly to take a breath and collect her thoughts. 

     "Anyways the Cornerian army rewarded my efforts with a ship, which I was given the opportunity to even choose the design of. However not long after I left Corneria on my new ship, I ended up getting sucked through some strange wormhole, and I guess it was a gateway to this multiversal world tree. Seems it was a one way trip though. I thought I'd found my way back when I came here, but I now see that is not the case at all."

     Wolf lights up and takes a long drag before blowing it away and staring up toward the darkened sky. "Well, if you have a Cornerian ship, you might have a slight problem. That ship is going to use RFID as an IFF. It's going to be transmitting an ID that pings Cornerian, but that ship may or may not exist here. You need to contact the Cornerian Military's Department of Privatized Civilian Operations and clear things up. Otherwise, you might be flagged as a pirated and spoofed ID to avoid police detection. That said, you probably have access to the Cornerian Extranet here. I'm willing to bet it uses the same encryption and transmission. You can look up details there, if you want to learn more, including that on known privateered mercenary groups like Star Fox. Take note of the sums they charged the Cornerian government in the wake of the Lylat Wars despite the fact the entire system was economically wrecked due to those events and you'll find some people are not beyond extortion."

     Krystal nods, appreciating the heads up about her ship, she hadn't thought about that but it clearly made sense, and the last thing she wanted to be labeled was a pirate. The remark about Star Fox pretty much bankrupting the already economically unstable government with their fees made her a bit sick to her stomach though. "They did what? When the government needed funds the most to aid in the recovery of it's people, they extorted vast sums for their services? That's disgraceful to put it kindly..." She said with a deep frown and a shake of her head before drinking the rest of the wine in her glass. Suddenly she wished she could be back home, but then, she wondered if this was going on in her universe too, and had a feeling the answer was yes. Looking back up at Wolf. "So, what's your group about?"

     "Well, to a mercenary, it's business. If you sign a contract and your patron agrees to pay your bill out of desperation, they are still obligated to pay. The only thing that rubs me the wrong way is that Fox tends to paint himself as some kind of 'good guy'. Now, I can't fully speak for the Fox you know. That's true." O'Donnell pulls the cigarette from his mouth and looks down to the ground with a light kick at the walkway with his boot while streams of smoke filter free from his nostrils into the now night air. "Just be careful with that one." 
     "As for my group, well..." He puts his cigarette back to his muzzle and tucks his hands into his jacket pockets. "I'm sure you can look that up on your ship, too. It's called Star Wolf." Now, depending on how much exposure was had in her original world, Krystal may find the name jarringly familiar. It wouldn't take much to notice signs up regarding the rewards for information leading to the capture and arrest of Wolf. In fact, there are still Wanted 'posters' around for Andrew Oikonny and Pigma Dengar despite the fact that Pigma died to the Aparoid corruption and Andrew went fully missing at the start of the Aparoid assault on Corneria. Panther has been wanted for decades long before he ever joined Star Wolf. 
     "But maybe it's better if you hear it straight from my mouth, huh?"

     Krystal nods at the sentiment about Fox being a 'good guy'. "I may be new to this system, but I once worked as a sort of diplomat within my home system for years before the Saurian incident. Some times it was a paid job, sometimes it wasn't, many times I was just trying to do my part to attempt to keep the solar system from devolving into interplanetary war and while often times those I helped would reward me in some ways, that wasn't the reason I ever did any of it. I did it because I'm good at it and it's incredibly rewarding in itself to see that you've taken two groups that wanted to kill each other, and convinced them to be civilized toward each other. Though I suppose when you have a team to look after, that becomes harder to do than when you're flying solo." Krystal lays out her ideals and feelings about the merits of getting paid for your work. 

     "As for Star Wolf, the name does sound familiar now that you mention it. Like I said, I didn't spend a lot of time on Corneria before I got stranded among this world tree, but I do think I recall seeing your names on some wanted posters now... Please do, explain." She does sound decidedly more suspicious by the end there.

     Regarding the flood of ideals freely given, Wolf interjects at the end with, "Well, Corneria is likely looking for more diplomats what with the many new cultures and peoples they're meeting. You could probably get a job there and do good at it, what with your abilities, but it would pretty much be a desk job most of the time. Sounds boring." 
     He pulls the cigarette from his mouth to look down at it, reaches off to the side to tap the ashes onto the walkway, and sniffs the air as he takes another painfully slow step or two forward. "Gladly. The easy answer is that we're mercenaries that operate mostly in the system without the approval of the Cornerian Alliance." He slips that brurning stick back into place and gives a quick glance over his shoulder toward Panther and Leon. They seem to be having a reasonable conversation of their own and if the peeks Panther makes in the direction of Wolf and Krystal are any indication, it's likely about her. 
     "The proper answer is that we're also pirates. A lot of our contracts are for very basic things like larceny and smuggling, but sometimes they take a turn for the violent." Wolf shrugs. "My crew are very good at what we do. But it's just business. And I'm not going to lie about when asked." He turns his one-eyed gaze toward the fox near him. "I'll tell you exactly where I stand, what I do, how I feel, and what my plans may be." It would seem he's making a jab at other pilots he knows, or at least one in particular. "Of course it's not the whole story, but I'm not going to spill my guts in two hours of one-sided conversation to you. If you have a question, just ask. The very worst that can happen is that I tell you it's none of your business. Right?" The light reflects in his purple eye as he stands there in the darkened garden path while the orange from his cigarette cherry makes the white of his muzzle scruff glow softly.

     "So basically, you're not terribly picky about the types of jobs you get, so long as they pay well? Or am I putting words in your mouth? Have you ever thought about sticking to ones that are on the up and up? Or would that cut into your bottom line too much?" Krystal questions, admittedly rather bluntly. He did say she was welcome to ask questions, and the worst that would happen is he'd refuse to answer, so she was doing just so. "I mean, you seem like a decent person, and I appreciate your offers to help me, but I don't know if I could stomach working with someone who is so morally ambiguous."

     There is a clearing of the throat as the lupine listens to what is said and queried. "Well, first of all, that's entirely your choice. Second of all, you wouldn't be working with me. I wouldn't be working for you. I clearly said I'd be glad to look into these matters of yours as a favor. Off-book." He waits a beat before adding, "Personal." He exhales a breath sharply which comes accompanied by a puff of smoke from his mouth and he reaches over to wave some of it away as his gaze was directly affixed on Krystal. 
     "I don't have to justify my actions to you, for the record. But, /for the record/, my organization does business with a number of clients and some, in fact, are, as you say, on the up and up. Discretion is a thing. I can be careful. I can be discreet." He takes a step forward and raises his arms to the air and turns one hundred and ten degrees in gesture to the city around him. "It's Corneria City and yet here I am with two of my most trusted associates rubbing elbows with the working class, tossing back shots, and having fun." He points in the direction from where Panther fetched him and Leon. "I could walk back into that bar and buy everybody a round, everybody would see me, and nobody would care." 
     "What does that say about them? What does that say about me?"

     Krystal is a little surprised about Wolf's response in general, and though she tries to hide that, he likely sees right through her. "I see... I guess I assumed that said favor came with strings attached, like me working for you in return, or something like that. I would certainly appreciate it if you did keep an eye out for any clues that might lead to allowing me to find my way back to my universe, or even any information about what might have caused Cerinia's destruction, as considering it appears to have happened here also, I'm willing to bet my tail it's the same cause. There aren't terribly many things I can think of that can wipe out an entire planet." 

     She pauses a moment as she shifts gears to talking about Wolf and his team's apparent freedom to have a good time right here in the bustling cities of Corneria. "I suppose it means that either your not as bad a guy as you're made out to be, or everyone is too afraid to even attempt to collect your bounty, or perhaps it's a little of both?"

     "Probably a little of both. The average person doesn't fear me; a single person has little to worry about from me, yeah? Groups of people, well, they might whisper. Small businesses are wary. Corporations, now, that's a different story. Small governments, sure. Planetary governments, well, that's a given. I'm sure you're bright enough to see the pattern." Pulling the last bit that he can from that one cigarette, Wolf drops the smoldering butt onto the path before grinding his heel into it to snuff it out completely. 
     "Look, if you want to talk shop and learn more about details we can send you encrypted coordinates to have you drop by my house sometime. You just have to ask. Try to not let Fox follow you. He already shot up the place once before." Even though, technically, that was the other Fox, not the /other/ other Fox. "And if you insist on bringing him along, keep him on a short leash and tight collar and tell him to keep his fingers off the trigger." 
     At this potential scenario of Fox-visits with Krystal to Sargasso, Wolf raises a hand to obscure his face from anything Panther and Leon might see or hear, the wolven cyclops scrunches up his face in mock anxious disbelief, and he then stage whispers, "That's probably a reeeeally bad idea, by the way. Spoiler alert."

     Krystal nods. "Yeah, I suppose you're not a small fry bounty that the average joe is going to go after, and unless you got a job to kill some individual, well, let's be honest, the sort of person you'd be likely to be hired to assassinate is not your average Joe, they'd be someone important, which would already fear someone like you to start with. So it seems you have a nice gig going. But in any case, I'm feeling doubly like the new girl in town who doesn't know anyone or anything that's going on, so I think I'd be a right fool to turn down an invitation to learn more about you and this galaxy I now find myself in. So I may very well take you up on that visit, and as for Fox, he doesn't need to know." She offers as she pulls a small pen out from behind her belt and quickly jots out a code on the back of a napkin, handing it to Wolf. "That's my com frequency and code, you can either send them there, or forward me the coordinates some other way, and I'll drop by later."

     "As flattered as I should otherwise be to have a girl hand me her number on a napkin, I can do you one better." Wolf doesn't exactly take the napkin. Instead, he reaches into his unzipped bomber jacket to pull a digital pad out of a custom hidden pocket. Turning it on causes the sudden light to illuminate his face very well in the growing darkness past double sunset. He taps on a few things while he speaks, "This is the tunneler I mentioned. You just have to slip it into your ship's console through a standard memory core port and it will automatically integrate with your onboard comms. I can terminate the validity of its use at any time, so if you want to keep in touch at least try to not piss me off." 
     That's easier said than done, sometimes. He probably means something like 'don't betray my trust if I go out on a limb for you'. Whatever he does also has Panther and Leon walking over. The well-dressed feline joking comments, "Giving him your number and not me? What does he have that I don't?" 
     Leon retorts, "An eyepatch. Heh, seriously, you know Wolf was going to give it to you anyway. The Cap'n already has a subject of interest anyway. Oof- Hey, what did I say?" 
     Leon gets an elbow to the ribs as a small cyclinder pops from the pad, Wolf next removes it, and then holds it out to Krystal. It's her choice if she wants to give the napkin to Panther instead. "It's illegal, and it only works on the device you first plug it into, so don't get blown up. Or impounded. Seriously, go get clearance and explain your situation before that happens." 
     "And if you want, Krystal, we can go back in and enjoy the show over that dinner still. It's your call," offers Panther. 
     "Yeah," confirms Leon. "I still haven't gotten a buzz yet. How do you expect me to get my groove on?"

     Krystal takes the offered device and nods to Wolf. "I'll be careful, and I'll take care of my ship ID first thing in the morning, promise. Otherwise, I'll be in touch. Been nicer talking to you. You certainly don't seem so bad for someone who's wanted across the system for enough credits to buy yourself a whole chain of tropical islands, or perhaps even a small country." She says with a smile, offering Wolf a wave as she turns to Panther. "You'd rather have dinner and a show with me than Caroline? Not sure if I should be flattered, or wonder how fickle you are with women, but so far you've seemed like a rather fine gentleman, and I am still hungry, even a bit more so than when I got here, so yes, I suppose I will join you."