Six (2065w)

Being able to blend so easily thanks to make-up was indeed a useful upgrade.

She now could get on the front seat without the fear of being controlled and not have an ID, because she did, now. Several.

While she was spending time with Liz trying to get hold of the magic of disguisment, the guys went and made all the fake ID she will need. She was now a young man looking like Alexei enough to pass for a cousin or even sibling to have the same last name.

By the time they reached Bucarest by the following morning, Ran was allowed to stroll around while they had to fill up the van. People didn't bat an eye when the two Arian looking persons got supplies in the supermarket to cook their meal, that resumed of only two as they will arrive to Ankara by the evening.

The dinner would be taken care by the airlaine company as they will take the plane for Abou Dabi, in the United Arab Emirates, and left the van behind with Quy. As he's the one in charge of readying it for the trip, he was also probably in charge of taking it back so not to attract attention. And without passenger, it will be faster. At least, that was what Ran got from his relieved look to part with them.

She tried not to be too hurt by that and asked where was Luan.

"He won't be there for this part of the trip, you'll probably see him once arrived. Now, if you're ready with your face, we're going, Uyen."

After lunch, she was asked to take the appearance of Sun's daughter and fly with him in the economy class, while Alexei will take the same plane but in business class. The tickets must have cost a fortune as they booked it at the last moment and she really didn't want to know how they got hold of that amount so she asked why they were taking the plane to Abu Dabi instead of directly to Thailand.

"We can't let them know our actual objectives. And it took too long to have a plane directly to Thailand."

"Six hours to Abu Dabi is quite long, too. Besides, wouldn't it be strange to have two Asian travelling from two middle-east countries to another? How did we get that much money?"

"We're on business, our benefactor sponsored the trip and it is just a stop to our country Myanmar."

"We're of Bamar ethnic?"

"We're Shan ethnicity, as we're part of the Tai-speaking community."

Right, she just didn't know any word in Thai. Whatever, if she played the moody teenager, everything will be alright.

It did, half and hour after the plane took flight, she fell in a slumber before being woken up by the stewards serving food to the the passengers two hours into the flight. Immediately after filling herself, she fell for another light slumber, because she valued her beauty sleep. Once on the Emirats' soil, in the middle of night, she had followed her father to do some touristic activities before joining back the airport to take an helicopter by dawn.

She was glad that the weight of her bag was taking most of her attention because she would be too stunned to understand.

Turned out, they won't be stopping at Myanmar but at Karincha, Pakistan, for refuel and she must be known as Nikolai, Alexei's moody brother. Though, it would be a little useless to act moody to anyone because Alexei was the one flying the chopper. But with her exposed earrings she making a show to chew her gum, the picture was clear enough. The actual destination wasn't any closer to Myanmar either, as they finally stopped at Calcutta, India, because it's the airport where the rented helicopter will be staying at last.

From here, to join Thailand, they took the plane again, after befriending others tourists that had the stop there so not looking too awkward among all the locals. As she sat next to Alexei still in her Nikolai persona, it wouldn't be weird for her to talk to him for the two hours flight, because, no surprise but Sun wasn't really the talkative one. And because she didn't know how to change the pitch of her voice, she had to whisper and passed it for teenage boy's embarrassement of voice changing.

"So you know how to fly a chopper and you're from Russia."

"What about that?"

"Nothing. Do you read novel? Do you know the teenage spy saga of Alex Rider?"

The 'brother' took his time before answering.

"I do. Are you comparing me with the Russian hitman?"

She probably had good reason to, but she wasn't doing it because of his supposed affiliation with a shady corporation but how his background had some similitude with the charactere of Yassen Gregorovich.

"I mean, if you let your hair grow, I'm pretty sure it'll be blond and you do have blue eyes, which match the description. I'm not sure what part of Russia you came from but from what you told me, you had pretty much the same story."

"I really do not. Mum and dad should have brought you back to home, you're way too americanized."

"Why does it sound so insulting."

"Because I am insulting you."

"I'm glad the flight's only two hours, you're unbearable."

Alexei didn't grant her an answer but a smirk. They landed two hours and half later with no meal supplied, which remind Ran of her first flight ever at eight, from Belgium to Sweden. It was a family trip her parents organized to change the mood after telling her about her condition. The five of them went to Stockholm, traveled the Oresund by biking to Seeland of Danemark then took the ferry to Oslo, Norway. Took another plane to London, stayed there for a week before returning to sweet old Brussels with Ran definitely more accepting of her syndrom.

Now they arrived to Thailand, Ran was also more accepting of her fate and was ready to meet that famous friend of her abducters. Someone she still didn't know the identity.

And to her detriment, she was still dragged everywhere in the capitale city without any indication to see that person.

Alexei became as muted as Sun now they were supposed to be on familiar ground. He refused to tell her where they were heading and refused to let go of hand arm, dragging behind him due to his long leg and like she was the one being difficult. Still, she followed and kept quiet about her tiredness and the swelling of her foot, wishing really hard she could finally rest.

Eventually, they entered in a discreet district where every inhabitants minded their own business and barely looked at the presence of two foreigners although it was definitely not a place for tourists. They stopped in front of a plain looking house and an Asian welcomed them.

He looked nothing like your usual Thai, so Ran guessed that he was also a foreigner of Thailand but from somewhere of northern Asia. Like China or even from country like Kazakhstan or Kirghizistan. Or perhaps Thai people didn't make that kind of difference like Japan did and would consider people living there and working there as their own.

With Luan's absence, she didn't get an introduction of the new member of their little group and the man walked up to her before taking tactlessly her chin to look intently at her. Or more like her mask.

He nodded and Ran felt relieved to have passed another test. And also proud of her capacity in make-up, though not sure Liz would have appreciate how she gave up of doing the smile lines for the dark circles under her blue lens. That she really liked to remove. As no one looked like wanting to hear from her, she asked Alexei to be sure, as she's still passing for his brother.

But Alexei didn't know better and asked the two men who agreed at the condition she did it discreet, yet they didn't seem to want her inside the building.

At the end, she feigned face palming, but using her 'brother's arm so she could take off the colored lens while having her head down. When she raised her head back, it left only her and Alexei.

"They had other matter to attend."

"Why am I not meeting the one I travelled the world for? Is the whole point of the trip?"

"Well, it is. He's just out for now."

"Really now?"

"The timing wasn't really well calculated. Also... it's a surprise."

Ran had to blink and not just to get use of the lack of contact lens.

"Excuse me?"

"Look, the whole ordeal was decided between us, namely Luan, Sun and me after long hours of discussion, and to take you here was the only solution."

"And you force Quy and this man to back you up because otherwise your friend would question your whereabouts?"

"Basically."

"Will I ever discover his name or should I just refer to him as your friend and leader and someone I should know?"

"Why not onii-san?"

"I'm not even sure it's him. And it would give me too much big bother, right, bro?"

She pushed out the hand ruffling roughly her wig, almost making it fall.

"How do you call him?" She asked while trying to tidy her look.

Alexei had to think about it.

"I don't think I ever called him by a name, now that I think about it."

"Nice, the great unknown. Now, what."

"Why don't you get familiar with the place?"

She looked around them and raised her hands in frustration. "How?"

"Well, let's go somewhere more receptive of foreigners. I had to do some grosseries anyway."

"With what money?"

"Don't ask stupide question and I won't lie to you."

She shoved his back, feeling interacting with her actual sibling.

They went to a market place, selling street food and anything really. Ran tried to follow Alexei at first, but when he spend too into one shop while she's already bored out her mind as she didn't have any money to buy anything and Alexei was turning a deaf ear at her demand, she waited for him outside and watched all the people in the street.

Due to the period, there are a lot of tourists and as much foreigners walked among locals, buying food and taking photos. Ran would have done the same if she still had her phone, instead, she can only admire the beauty of the people with her eyes.

Which was as good, as she helped a resident pick up her belonging she lost, falling out of her back pocket. She chatted her up, completely forgetting she's supposed to be an undarage male right now, and asked about all the spot to visit. Somehow, she took it as flirting, which as afterthought Ran also think it had some tone of it, and had to tell her off. With the least expected reason.

Apparently, the Asian woman wasn't a lady but a ladyboy.

Confused by the term, Ran got a clear answer when she got to feel between the legs of the ladyboy. Turns out having an Adam apple wasn't enough to deter her, or more like her Nikolai persona, so the ladyboy had to be more upfront about her identity.

Alexei finally came to save the day and brought Ran to their place as she was too shocked to react.

"Don't be too upset, there are quite a lot of ladyboy here. Thailand's much more opened about the third gender than anywhere."

"She made me touch her most intimate area. Or they, their."

"I think it's 'she'. I mean, they're literally acting and considering themselves as women, so it's she."

"Why did she insisted to tell me she's a ladyboy, then? And make me feel it?"

"Probably messing with you? You look twelve and pretty much easily impressed. She wanted to tell you off while turning you off. Are you turn off?"

Hard to say and hard to be mad against the ladyboy, to be honest. After all, Ran was the first to play with her as she wasn't even in her real appearance, so if the ladyboy wanted to scare her off by being more honest with her.

"Just messing with you." Alexei brought her back by tousling her wig again. "Don't think too much about it, you won't be having much interaction with them anyway."

Right, she's not here for holiday but to meet someone.

Then, what? Will she be allowed to return home? Or they actually intend her to stay for a month with them like they said?

And what for? To spend time with the friend that wanted to see her so much?

She's more than thrilled to meet them, especially now that she's so close.