Waiting on Mr. Miracle [Oracle;Runa;FINISHED]

[Oracle]

Oracle, once again in another one of his flawless mortal realm disguises, smiled as he gently kissed the hand of the woman in front of him in the restaurant Cha'dne. He was depicted as a gentleman of high class; one that people went to for council, support, and to have a good piece of meat around their arm.

His character was a ladies man, having romanced the female sex of humans in the mortal realm for over thirty years. The women never questioned why he never aged; they didn't really care. His character was not a gigolo, but he couldn't refuse a lady if they wanted a bit of late night company. And in the current situation Oracle was in, he figured it was time to blow the dust off this persona and put it to good use once again.

"Good evening, madam," he said politely, yet not afraid to add a little something extra in his voice. "My name is Mr. Miracle. It is a pleasure to finally meet you." He directed his free hand to the table. "Please, by all means, sit down."

[Runa Lisger]

Runa felt strange as the man kissed her hand. She had come to the restaurant dressed casually, not wanting to feel like she was impressing this man.

She had been cleaning up Shadow's desk when he had found a note with this man's name on it and his contact information. Perhaps he could be of some help. He could possibly have some information.

Runa had been trying to hide it for almost a week now, but...

Felicia had gone missing.

Runa hadn't said anything to anyone--not even her family. It was clear that Felicia had run away, but being as sensitive as she was with her powers, she didn't want to have to wrry about anything at this. She would find the girl herself...with some help...

"Hello," she said.

[Oracle]

The disguised Oracle pulled out the chair and let the young lady sit down. He then sat down in the chair across from her and placed his arms on the table after brushing off his gray suit jacket. He adjusted his glasses as he used the opportunity to use his powers over the void, and used whatever void was in her mind to hear what she was thinking.

He saw Shadow. He saw Sara. He saw the relationship between her and Shadow; he was gladdened that Shadow's girlfriend made the decision to force Oracle to reuse such a popular disguise in the mortal realm. Then he saw something that could be the reason for her visit.

He saw Felicia; he saw her sister.

From what he sensed, he came up with the conclusion that Runa's sister had ran away. From that information, Oracle developed a theory that this situation could be the reason why she was here tonight. Finished reading her at that moment, the man known as Mr. Miracle finished adjusting his glasses and sat back in his chair with a charming grin that had both wittiness and a sense of seduction.

"Well, Ms. Lisger," Oracle said as he twirled his left fingers around, making sure to keep eye contact with Runa, "I am glad you called me. I have been quite bored lately and I am happy that you referred me for whatever you need. What can I help you with?"

[Runa Lisger]

There was something about him that rather...was rather strange to Runa, but he seemed willing to help, an her instincts didn't tell her that he was to be feared. And so, she continued. "I cannot find my sister. she is gone. And I would rather like to have your assistance in finding her. I can pay any monetary fee that you would have me to pay. I just need her back. I...I'm worried." She couldn't believe that she was going so far as to hire someone to look for her sister.

She felt incompetent. And her sister had a unique gift, something that would actually give other motivation to go after her. She had to find her before something bad happened to her; before she got hurt.

[Oracle]

Oracle seemed to had been right about her sister. But somehow, he sensed that there was more to this sibling that Runa was telling. And the fact that she seemed uneager to tell the man she knew as "Mr. Miracle" everything else soon afterwards did not help her situation at all. He took his wine glass, placed it between his index and fore fingers and twirled the red wine inside into a red alcoholic vortex.

"Tell me more about her," he asked, throwing in a hint of curiosity in his voice, "if you don't mind me asking."

[Runa Lisger]

She didn't like the way that he was speaking. First of all, he seemed Human, a type of being that Runa was just getting used to trusting--her boyfriend was Human, after all. Second of all, everything about him just seemed too...right. His voice was too caring, his greeting too smooth, his nature too aloof, even his name--she was sure that "Mr. Miracle" was an alias--it just all screamed a ruse to her. And coming from the family that was basically the mafia of the Youkai world...she didn't want to trust him. However, she did have to find her sister, so perhaps she could do both. She knew a bit of how to talk, just like he did.

Knowing that his question was asking something deeper than what she was going to say. "She's shorter than me, and she looks very young...she's only eleven. She's tanned, like me, but with brown hair and glasses, they're very round...she's doesn't like spaces crowded with people, and she usually wears a long white lab coat for some reason. She used to want to be a doctor...That's all there really is to tell, other than that she's cute and sweet and that she's willing to help anyone who needs it..."

[Oracle]

Mr. Miracle took a sip of the wine inside the glass in his hand as he molded the information Runa granted his ears into his mind. There were some interesting things that he gathered from the description that he over-analyzed and was hopefully right about:

First was that she didn't like spaces crowded with people. That could mean that she was either claustrophobic or demophobic (afraid of crowds). This could make her extremely shy and limit her contact with the majority of beings except for a certain handful. And since Runa is her sister and Shadow is Runa's boyfriend, that could be a possibility.

Second, the fact that she wanted to be a doctor and always wore a long white lab coat got the Mr. Miracle-guised Oracle even more curious. Since she was eleven, she still has the mind of a child, meaning that there is the possibility that children (hopefully this one) like to dress up in certain outfits and want to be something when they grow up because they feel they are special. What if she is, in fact, special?

Which goes to his third point. The girl is willing to help anyone who needs it. With that bit of knowledge and the fact that she dresses up in a doctors coat, this instantly told Oracle that there is the possibility that the girl has some type of healing powers that Runa is cleverly trying to cover up using her outward appearance to hide her ability. But if the girl has a unique ability, then that meant that her older sister sitting right across from him, could also have a unique ability.

And in order for him to get the whereabouts of her boyfriend, Oracle had to be more careful than he was with Sara.

Mr. Miracle smiled as Oracle got an idea. "Well, gazing upon your beauty, I can only imagine how adorable your little sister looks," he responded. Then the smile disappeared, replacing it with a look of suddenness. "Oh my," he said, "I am sorry. You're not here for me to court you; you're here for my aid. I am correct to assume that you have a boyfriend? If that is true, then I am truly sorry for my rudeness..."

[Runa Lisger]

Coming from a family of conmen, there was no way that Mr. Miracle's words were going to goad her into doing anything. He had been smooth from the beginning, and that had given Runa enough reason to suspect him of doing something underhanded. Now he was complimenting her coyly, when he hadn't so much as hinted of being interested romantically before. His being curious and suspicious about this affair was one thing--because it was suspicious, as much as Runa wanted to believe that she was behaving normally--but his newfound interest in her rather than the information that she could have possibly carried was a bit too much for Runa; she would no longer give him the benefit of the doubt in this situation--he was too conspicuous.

"I couldn't possibly talk about that," she said firmly. "I'm truly worried for my sister. My personal life has nothing to do with finding her. And I do not mean to hurt your feelings, but retrieving her should be more important to you than I am, considering that I'm willing to pay you for your trouble. I'll forgive you forgetting your priorities, though."

She folded her arms to show that she meant business. "I'm not sure where to find her. If I knew the reason why she had gone, I would have better luck searching for her myself. She doesn't have any enemies, and there aren't too many people who know about where she's staying, which is why my parents allowed her to stay with me in the first place--we're very wealthy, you see, they were afraid that she would be taken hostage for a ransom, or something like that." Yes, that's exactly what her parents were afraid of. But not because she would be taken for money--because she would be taken for some dastardly plan or another, and her abilities would be abused...

[Oracle]

Oracle adjusted his glasses while getting over his disappointment.

Damn, he thought. I should have known better than to think that she would admit to Shadow's relationship so early. He adjusted his suit jacket and crossed his legs away from the table, his body language telling Runa that he was also only thinking business. No matter, he continued thinking to himself. The finding of her sister would get me on her good foot. Then she'll probably tell me what I want to know.

The disguised Oracle smiled and nodded once toward his female client across from him. "Well, I thank you for your forgiveness," he said. "I promise you I won't confuse business with pleasure again. Now you said that your sister doesn't like places crowded with people, yes? Is there somewhere she would go to get away from those elements you mentioned to me?" He once again picked up his wine glass. "That could give a clue to where she could be."

Little Lotty, let your mind wander...

[Runa Lisger]

Runa was satisfied with his answer, but still kept herself on guard. He seemed oriented with the job that he was being paid for, and she did not hesitate to answer his question.

"Usually, there's a treehouse in our home in Madrid that she went to when she wanted to be alone, but we're no where near there. Nor were we when she went missing. Our family has money at our disposal, but she's not at the age where any of it would be available for her to even get there. I really can't think of anywhere else."

Runa usually was with Felicia, wherever she was--Felicia said that she felt safe with her, and she thought that was a good thing. Tears began to well up in her eyes. "I don't know what happened to her. I hope that she's all right and that no one kidnapped her or anything..."

She sniffed. "I would like to ask you to please, search wherever you can..."

[Oracle]

The word kidnap made the disguised Oracle frown in curiosity. It wasn't a secret that money would be a motive for the kidnapping of the little girl because she comes from such a rich background; Runa basically rubbed that factor in his face since he offered her to sit down. But the fact that the girl could have some kind of powers or abilities could escalate the situation to a whole other level.

But, he had to be careful not to peer into her personal business and make Runa question his alternate identity again. She seemed to be a smart little minx and there was the possibility that she caught on quick if she was given the right clues. He already messed up by trying to make her admit that she had a boyfriend. He even admitted to himself that when he asked her if her sister had a hideout, he was subconsciously hoping that she would list the location of Shadow's flower shop as one of those locations.

This time he was set: Find the girl, and you find Shadow.

The concerned Mr. Miracle pulled out a handkerchief out of his suit jacket pocket and handed it to Runa, placing his glass of red wine down on the table first.
"There, there, madame Lisger," he said. "There are no need for tears. I promise you that I will not rest until your little sister is found. But I do have to admit; you're not giving me much to work with. I understand that you are entitled to your secrets as the next person, but we have to be able to trust each other."

He raised an eyebrow.

"How exactly did you hear about me in the first place?"

Damn, he thought. I'm doing it again, aren't I?

[Runa Lisger]

Runa took the handkerchief, blowing her nose. Her next answer was in a very quiet whisper, and she leaned close to Mr. Miracle so that he can hear. "You were a contact that our family had in a large catalogue. You sounded mysterious enough, and you were listed in the ethereal section so I assume that you're a like, a Youkai or a Human who interacts with us or something...my family told me to find you...you helped out a customer of my parents', a Human, not too long ago..." she said, holding back gasps as she spoke.

She had been trying to conceal the fact that they weren't Human while they were in a location filled with them, but it seemed that it was necessary to find Felicia. She didn't want to hinder the search because of her overly cautious nature.

"There...were...some youkai from the Mythical Realm who were looking at her weirdly some time...ago," she said, blowing her nose and remembering when she'd gone to the Bar with Felicia and Shadow. "They were weird, and it was a group of them. They were with...Sanada Tomo, the Overlord of Hell. They might have taken her..." Despite her being a little less cautious, she wasn't going to give up any more information on her sister.

[Oracle]

Oracle's eyes widened when he heard Runa mention Tomo. The last time he saw him, he was holding him intimately on top of the roof of a skyscraper, looking for Runa's boyfriend. He hadn't seen him since. It almost made him saddened a bit. But with the fact that Runa had links to the Mythical Realm, let alone Tomo, she and her little sister had to have special abilities that - if anything - equaled his own. But the fact that he knew that he was created from the Shijin - thanks to Satori's information - he knew that if it came down to a battle with Runa, all he had to do was tap into whatever hidden power they gave him before their imprisonment.

But Oracle tried hard not to become big-headed. As a matter of fact, in order for his guise to work with Runa present, Mr. Miracle could not know that any other realm exists.

The man who called himself Mr. Miracle closed his eyes and rubbed the area his glasses rested on his nose.
"I heard these," he started, "rumors about Youkai's and Otherworldly Realms. I even heard about this Tomo your talking about."

Then Oracle got an idea.

"But what would these people have to do with you and your and your sister?"

[Runa Lisger]

Runa was too stubborn; she was not about to allow herself to be beaten in this game of verbal cat and mouse. She was the master predator, and he was nothing but a bird. He would have to deal with her on her terms--not the other way around.

"My sister is highly skilled at what our family does," she said, the lie coming from her easily and without fault as though she had convinced herself that it was the truth. "She is a prodigy. She has a knack for deduction, and she is our prize when it comes to gathering information. We are famous among the Youkai for it. Thus, the likeliness of jealousy. She holds all of our family's secrets--even those that I don't have, because of her gift. She knows all of our contacts and our hidden hideaway places and location, and that of many other institutions and organizations that work together with our family. I would imagine that Sanada knows this because of the Youkai who work with him. Other than that, I am not sure if they wanted my sister or not. However, they seemed rather amazed when they recognized the pair of us."

Runa remembered the looks on their faces when Runa had tapped into her power accidentally by bumping into one of Sanada's henchmen, and everything that Runa had just told Mr. Miracle had been based loosely off of the truth.

"What do you think someone would do with a person who has a large library of information at their disposal? Do you think she's been tortured?" Asking him directly what anyone would do with the person described as her sister would definitely distract him from prying.

[Oracle]

The Mr. Miracle-guised Oracle started to clean his glasses with the napkin resting on his lap. He knew her last question was meant for him to quit trying to dabble into her personal affairs. That he could somewhat oblige. But if there was anything that he didn't like, was losing a game he knew all too well he could win. Even though he knew it was a game he shouldn't be playing, he wanted to win this.

So he did what was necessary at the moment to both seem inconspicuous, yet still try to get the information he needed to know; he went along with Runa's distraction, and added a twist.

M. Night Shamalan has nothing on me, he thought to himself.

"I try not to think so negatively about any situation like yours, my dear," he said. "Especially since you are talking about... creatures such as these Youkai; beings that should only exist in storybooks and fairytales. If they were real, then I would give worry about your sister being inflicted by these barbarians."

He placed his glasses back on his face.

"Tell me what you know about this... Sanada Tomo you speak of," he stated, "since you believe he is such a huge threat. He is a 'he' is he not?"

[Runa Lisger]

His words shocked her.

"If they were real..."

It was in that instant that she realized that he would not be helpful to her; she had called the wrong person for this job.

Standing, she said suddenly. "I...I don't think that you can help me...I'm sorry that I've put you out and imposed on your time..." Reaching into her purse, she removed the entirety of what his family was going to pay him, in Mortal currency--American dollars. "I will pay you for your trouble, but I think that this is a job for someone else. Please, don't take it personally..."

She would leave the finding of her sister to a mere Mortal--someone who did not know about the things that could pose a threat to her sister. She would have to look for someone else.

"I'm sorry."

[Oracle]

There was a feeling inside Oracle then and there that was a mixture of two. One was satisfaction; he didn't know why, he just felt it there. The second was frustration; even though the situation fell into his favor, it was still taking forever for it to flourish.

Still, he couldn't help but smile on the inside seeing everything going according to plan.

Bingo, he thought to himself.

Mr. Miracle stood up, looking at Runa both confusingly and sorrowful. "Ms. Lisger wait," he said. "I understand what you are going through; I really do. But you have told me so much already; won't you at least let me try to do the job that you were going to pay me for before you make your final decision?"

Then he played his trump card.

<Please, madame,> he said within Runa's mind in a french dialogue. <You must forgive the vessel I belong to; he has never been outside the Mortal Realm, but I have.

I know everything you have talked to my mortal counterpart about and have some solid leads to the whereabouts of your sister. For I am the true Mr. Miracle; I operate through a mortal and mold him to my liking every fifty years. This is why certain clients of mine do not question why I do not age, but in reality, I am six hundred years old. Yet I can only control my shell completely for five days out of a month.

But I am pleased to say that I have decided to save those five for your situation. If you must, you can continue your conversation with my Mortal guise while we go through our strategy to find your sister through thought. Won't you please stay, my little lotty...?>

[Runa Lisger]

She surprised when she heard his speech in her mind. But even know that this figure knew what it was that she had been talking about, she wasn't comfortable using the shell of a person who did not. She hated forced control in any form, and it was something that her parents had taught her to never get involved with.

"I...I can't. I'll just have to find her on my own," she said, her stubborn nature not wavering. "I'm sorry to have bothered you."

Turning quickly, she began to walk away toward the exit, leaving some extra money so that the waitress would be tipped for dealing with guests who didn't order anything.

[Oracle]

Watching Runa leave the restaurant was exactly what he wanted to see. He picked up the money she left him on the table, and smiled as he placed it in his pocket.

Believe it or not, this was all a part of Oracle's plan. He didn't know how to get the information out of her that he wanted in a timely fashion, so after she entertained the thought that someone he knew dearly had information about her sister, then that could mean that person would know where her boyfriend was, leading to his apprehension of Shadow and hopefully Hakaisha Abbadon. And that person was Tomo.

But, because he was still in his Mr. Miracle guise, and because Mr. Miracle was known for being a gentleman, he used the money his client of thirty minutes gave him to pay for the bill, leaving the rest as a generous tip for the waitress. Now he had a Hellion King to visit. He just hoped that bygones would be bygones.