Gogonji had been surprised when the nosy girl had returned - he had mostly set her on the task to try to disparage her and show whoever was holding her leash that he would not be so easily duped again. On the off-chance she managed to get hold of the documents, then he would be in that much better a position to account for any variables in his plan. What he hadn't expected was her stealing a prototype Magitek unit and marching the damnable thing to Fallgourd. The Garleans weren't going to just let that lie - hells, the guards around the edges of the town pitched a fit when the metallic behemoth had marched its way in. And yet, perhaps there was a bright side to all of this, a way to bend this surprise to his favor.
First and foremost was getting it away from the Cork, which turned out to be a simple enough task. All it took was Pa'Nito, already a member of the God's Bow, to show up in uniform with "orders" to take the device away from the potentially endangered Gridanian citizenry and to Cid at the Ironworks for study. An air of authority, the right garb, and waving around papers that looked official enough in the subsequent chaos, and the Seeker was in the driver's seat. Then it was simply a matter of traveling to Mor Dhona, skirting through the icy edges of Coerthas to avoid the reach of the Castrum there. Such a detour took just long enough for Gogonji to "happen" to arrive to air his grievances with the price hike from the last commission when the Miqo'te brought the hulking machine to the Ironworks.
While obviously requiring research for the good of Eorzea, such a hefty piece of Garlean technology - experimental no less! - was also worth a pretty coin. The Ironworks was making a killing off of their replica Magitek gear anyroad, so why not spend some to bolster the Gridanian coffers? And so, along with the praise and esteem for getting such an obviously anti-Eorzean weapon to those who could best handle it, Pa'Nito also got himself a generous cut of the sale. The rest went to Gogonji's own war chest, though it was quickly laundered and put to use - the materials for several more Rousers soon to be in his possession.
So, what was the aftermath of all this? The Garleans were short a weapon designed to deal with Eorzean magicks, and would rightfully be upset with the seemingly unwarranted assault on their Castrum in the Shroud. The Gridanians were now aware that at least one such weapon existed and was currently undergoing study at its "rightful" place of the Ironworks, and left to draw the obvious conclusions as for what such a device was intended for. Such increased tensions would have both sides eying the other while Gogonji made use of his windfall to accelerate his own plans to compensate. Not to mention the Ironworks "regular" hopefully being able to strike up some conversation on the various details of the machine in case he should ever encounter the second one - if it wasn't scrapped entirely due to its existence being leaked.
Gogonji grinned darkly as he returned to the Cork after getting in contact with his usual channels over the needed Rouser components. He couldn't buy it all at once, of course, since suddenly coming into such a large amount of gil would be curious enough. However, his calculations called for - at most - perhaps a couple covert motions by the Garleans to either recover or destroy their stolen machine. Efforts that most likely be deflected by the Crystal Braves and possibly the Hero of Light himself. And even if they did succeed, that was more or less a return to status quo with increased tensions... plenty of time to turn his liquified assets into all the Rousers he needed.
All that remained was tending to Annunu's wounds. Not that Gogonji particularly cared that she was so injured - he had noted her preexisting injuries the sun he sent her out on this mission - but Pa'Nito had put forth the rather reasonable explanation of "tending to her injuries" for her stopover in Fallgourd. Not to mention that he still needed to get the rest of the intel off of her, something he couldn't have done with everyone panicking over the arrival of the Magitek on their doorstep. And so, dressed in the garb of one of the Conjurer's Guild, the green-haired Lalafell exited his own room and entered the one where Annunu had been confined to bed rest. It was almost amusing how much one could do if they simply looked like they belonged somewhere.
The room itself was dark, the blinds pulled shut to allow its occupant to rest and recover her strength after her harrowing "black ops" ordeal. Even in the gloom, the medical supplies needed for more plebeian healing methods stood out on the stand by the bed itself. Medical gauze, bottles of disinfectant, even a bone needle and some surgical suture to sew closed any gregarious cuts she might have suffered. It wouldn't do to have such a patriot succumb to her wounds before the healers could get to her, right?
The other notable detail in the room was Annunu's pink twin-tails, which stood out almost as much - if not more so - than the assortment of assembled medical supplies in the dimly lit room. Pink, just like that girl that reminded Gogonji far too much of his fallen younger brother. This one, too, seemed far too interested in his "well-being" and sticking her nose where it generally didn't belong. While she had performed his request of her well enough, from all appearances, he'd be a fool to so easily welcome her into his circle. After all, who's to say that she herself couldn't be a Garlean spy - purposely injured to lend some credence to her cover story?
Well, he would not be fooled so easily. He had only stated that he might begin to trust her, and that was only after he had the information she retrieved verified by a third party. A third party that, while he also did not fully trust, he still valued far more than some random pink-haired upstart that he "just so happened" to meet on a pilgrimage to Thaliak. And "just so happened" to be able to find him at the Cork after Andienna's betrayal. And now the Castrum "just so happened" to have an experimental weapon that she "just so happened" to escape with.
Far, far too many coincidences for the Doman's liking. Still, like the buzzing of an annoying fly, the muted sounds of a voice in the back of his mind kept calling out to him. That perhaps she was honestly worried about him, that she truly had wanted to make sure he was okay given his icy behavior at the pilgrimage. That all these injuries she had incurred on top of the originals was proof that she wanted to ally herself with him.
Gogonji nearly laughed aloud at that word - allies. Pa'Nito, Erwin, and the rabble he was having them quietly gather under his banner were no "allies." That implied a semblance of equality, that he actually cared about their well-being. Which couldn't be further from the truth; they were merely tools. Tools to orchestrate his revenge on Garlemald, and wake up the foolish "Eorzean Alliance" to the necessity of it in the process.
Or have them all slaughter each other down to the last Man, it mattered little to him.
Still, this particular tool might still have its uses. If she was indeed a spy for either the Eorzeans or the Garleans, he could suss it out and gather information from them whilst obfuscating what got returned to them. All the while, he could make use of her apparent skill to gather more information on the other Castrums nestled about Eorzea. If she had indeed broken into one, she could likely break into another. Though, for her sake, hopefully without drawing as much attention to her actions as she had here.
He had no compulsions against discarding troublesome tools.
Still, such a verdict had not been drawn as of yet. So, with the drawing of his tome from the depths of the hempen robe, the Dunesfolk traced out the healing runes inscribed within. Healing aether - once a metallic silver in cycles long past, now tainted with a corroded red hue - flowed over the female Lalafell's bandaged form. Erasing bruises, re-knitting flesh, and mending bone. She had been asleep when he had entered - or at least feigning to - but it would hard to do either as his aether did its work.
"Welcome back, child..."
~