"There you go!"
"Thank you very much!"
Juni excitedly accepted the cone extended to her by the vendor. They were at their fifth destination now, the Soaring Heavenly Dragon, and immediately upon seeing the ice cream truck parked nearby she couldn't help but rush toward it.
Ingrid followed right behind her, but unlike the Valkyie, she at least stopped to glance at the golden statue at the center of the square, which depicted a mighty dragon, its long body forming a spiral as it reached for the sky.
As she accepted her own cone, Ingrid tapped Juni's phone against a small terminal to pay for their orders. The two then walked back to where the reporter was waiting for them, sitting on a nearby bench as she drank from a small water bottle.
"This place feels deserted." The Nephilim commented, unbothered by the cold as she bit into the frozen treat. Seeing that there was barely anyone around she opted to take her shades off, placing them on top of her head so they would fall back in place with a single move.
"Well, that's to be expected." Sara replied. "The press conference will be starting soon. I'm sure most people have been waiting for it since yesterday's ceremony."
The event was of such importance that most people were glued to their screens, watching the packed conference room as they waited for the new Head General to walk onstage. Many questions kept them awake the previous night so they couldn't wait to hear some answers from the man who orchestrated a peace deal with a race of aliens from another dimension.
"You're a reporter, aren't you, miss? Shouldn't you be there right now?"
Ingrid's question drew a confused look from the human woman, but all that came from her was an exasperated sigh.
"That's right. The conference is supposed to be one of the most important events of my carrier." She said. "But here I am being a tour guide for you two. I made a big sacrifice, you know. If it turns out all of it was for nothing I would regret it for the rest of my life."
The truth is Sara learned quite a few things about the Valkyries and Nephilim during the few hours she spent showing the around. The fact that they were practically immortal, and that humans could gain long lives by awakening. She also learned that their behavior wasn't so different from the average person, and would've blended in society just fine if not for their distinct appearances.
To her credit, the reporter somehow managed to keep her composure while being faced with such a piercing gaze.
"That was a stupid question, huh?" Sighing, the Nephilim brought the ice cream cone to her mouth and licked. Realizing it was starting to melt, she quickly finished it off and proceeded to wipe her hands with a piece of tissue. "Say, you called out to us because were hoping to learn something that would further your case, right?"
Once again Sara kept her silence, but not for long. Before she said anything, though, she reached into her breast pocket and took out her cigarettes, lighting one and taking some puffs.
"First of all, I'm not exactly related to the Anti-Valkyrie movement. People assume I am just because I'm critical of the Resistance and the way it does things." Said the reporter, the smoke she exhaled slowly dissipating in the air. "As for whether I think you are a threat to humanity, then yes, I do."
Ingrid's eyes narrowed a little.
"You're powerful beings from another world. You almost drove us to extinction without even joining the battles yourself, and if not for those of your own kind siding with us we would've been gone by now.
You have no reason to work with us, and considering our history, it would be a stupid move to allow our future generations to gain the same powers as you." Pausing to take another puff, Sara exhaled the smoke once more then looked up at the Nephilim. "You have every reason to exterminate us, so, yes, I do believe you're a threat to humanity."
The two gazed into each other's eyes, neither faltering even for a moment. Their staring contest was interrupted by Juni who suddenly jumped between them holding a cone of ice cream in each of her hands.
"Here! This is for you, miss!" Before she could refuse it, the Valkyrie pushed the cone into Sara's hands. "It's very tasty, you gotta try it!"
The reporter was speechless, completely taken aback. Ingrid couldn't help but smile while her taller friend seemed oblivious to the tension between them.
A few seconds passed before she noticed the ashes falling from her cigarettes. Putting it of, she brought the blue berry ice cream to her mouth and tasted it, a smile forming on her lips immediately after.
"You know, I don't think we can do much with the conference going on." Sara said, looking up at the pair of alien girls. "How about we watch it at my house? We can continue our tour once it's over."