<span style="font-size: 12px">The sound of bare feet slapping against the wet swampland caught her attention and the hybrid froze. Dia had considered the possibility that she might have been jumping into the same pool of fate as her brother, but suppressed the thought. He was more reckless than she. Dia knew to escape at the first sign of danger. She was merely here for answers, not to kill or be killed. Her mind ventured back to how much of a mess she’d be in if anyone other than Lani discovered her whereabouts. Like her brother, perhaps she should have considered having an auditory chip implanted into her body.  Peering around a large bald cypress tree, she spotted the source of the aroma. A woman? She took another whiff of the humid air. Perhaps more than a woman? She certainly didn’t smell mortal to her. <br/>
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Their gazes locked onto each other for a moment. Given the other character’s startled expression, something told Dia that they were probably on a similar page of confusion. Still, the brunette kept her guard up as she emerged from beyond the tree. She took in the woman’s appearance, noting her pale blonde hair and purple hues. No…she definitely didn’t appear to be human. Being in the state of Louisiana, that didn’t, unfortunately, narrow down her list of supernatural creatures. There were still many that she hadn’t encountered as of yet. The woman’s mildly disheveled appearance also suggested that an evening in the bayou probably hadn’t been on the top of her priority list for the day. Her cobalt eyes narrowed as she settled onto the face of the woman before her. <i>Hmm. Familiar…</i> Where had she seen her before? Dia cleared her throat quietly, trying not to lose focus. <br/>
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<b>“Name?”</b> she asked, almost having to remind herself that she was no longer at NOLADOR and that wasn’t how you spoke to “regular” people. <b>“What do you call yourself?” </b>she clarified, though that wasn’t much better. Her persistent presence at NOLADOR had begun to shape her interactions with those on the outside. That was definitely not a good thing. Making a mental note to start working from home more, she waited, wondering if the woman would identify herself by name or by…creature. <br/>
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The hybrid licked her red matte lips, stepping closer warily. She didn’t want to alarm the woman, but couldn’t help but to note how much of an oddity it was that she was standing only several yards away from where her brother was last located. Could she have been involved?</span>