Midnight Encounters (done)

[Deleted]

Once again, she was at it. For a few months she had laid low, not wanting to get her hands dirty, not willingly, at anyrate.

Nesaeko stifled a yawn and blinked lazily at a large house in front of her. From the rooftop that she was on, she could see into a large window.

Nothing of real interest was happing in that window, but it provided her with all the information she needed; the entire family household was in that room, leaving her with a fun chance.

Now...to take the chance or not...

[hisdivineshadow]

Cassius Fanton was not the sort to step outside his house in his pajamas. Nor was the banker inclined to go out alone in the middle of the night. But nevertheless, he now found himself running down a darkened Talen'sul street long after dark, wearing nothing but the nightshirt and trousers he had gone to bed in.

Ducking down a back alley, he stopped to catch his breath, doubling over and resting his hands on his knees. This sort of exertion was beyond anything he was used to, and he didn't know how much longer he could take it. But surely he'd lost the assassin by now, right? Glancing over his shoulder, he looked back the way he'd come, and let out a sigh of relief when he saw no sign of his attacker.

"Sad."

The growled remark was all the warning Cassius got before a great weight slammed into him from above, driving him face-first into the cobblestones. The banker let out a shrill, strangled cry, which cut off abruptly as he felt cold steel pressing against his neck.

"Shoulda known better," the cruel voice chastised him. "You're supposed to be a smart man, Fanton. But you made a very stupid mistake, trying to take the Guild's money."

"P-please!" I swear I'll give it back!" Cassius began to sob with fear. I'm not ready to die! he thought, and frantically tried to come up with some way to dissuade the killer. "I, I'll even pay you personally! You can keep it all! It's got to be a hundred times what the Guild's paying you! Just think about it: all that money!"

The pressure on his back shifted, and Cassius tried to turn his head, hoping against hope that his ploy had worked. But it was only the assassin changing position to employ a more forceful killing stroke.

The last thing Cassius saw was the feral grin on the face of his killer. And the unmistakable gleam of enjoyment in his eyes.

[Deleted]

Nesaeko gave a startled jerk when her sensitive ears picked up on the sound of a man screaming. It was short, but just enough pitch for her to catch.

Rolling to her belly, she crept forward and peered over the roof edge into the neck allyway. What she saw made her gasp aloud. Quickly, she shut her mouth and silently chastised herself. Hopefully, she wasn't heard, but, she couldn't take that chance considering a murder just took place near to her.

Turning, she got to her feet and ran down the length of the roof before jumping and landing on the street.

[hisdivineshadow]

Triangular ears twitched, and the assassin jerked his head up to scan the rooftops. He spotted movement and snarled, then rose to follow, his emotions mixed as he left Cassius' body behind. On the one hand, he hated being interrupted during a kill. On the other hand, Guild policy insisted that he eliminate any witnesses. But first he had to catch them.

Turning the corner, he spotted Nesaeko on the street, and bolted after her.

[Deleted]

Her eyes widened a little and she ran. Her body was toned enough and she was plenty fit, so she wouldn't have any trouble running for some distance....but there was the chance he was faster, or perhaps had more endurance.

She had no desire to be killed so she began to run to the only place she could think of: Eury's house.

[hisdivineshadow]

(( Bit of controlling of Tsuyu's character here, with permission. ))



For all that Nesaeko was an agile runner, the assassin was a predator, a professional hunter, who prided himself on his speed. He began to gain on her, alarmingly fast.

As the dancer was cutting across someone's finely manicured lawn, the killer drew close enough to pounce, and Nesaeko was dragged to the ground. A curved blade slipped from its sheath with barely a whisper of steel against leather, and the point was pressed against her throat.

The killer turned her head around, to get a better look at her face, and paused. It was her looks that got his attention first, but then there was a spark of recognition. He had seen her somewhere before, he knew, but couldn't recall where.

Then it hit him: the flower shop. Cursing, he withdrew his blade and roughly sheathed it. Then he shifted his weight off of her, while still keeping a firm grip to keep her from fleeing. "Why the $%#& didn't you flash the Guild sign?" he grumbled, his emotions once again thoroughly mixed. "I coulda slit your throat, girl."

Witnesses were to be eliminated, but not fellow guild members. If he hadn't recognized Nesaeko's face, it could've gotten him in serious trouble with his superiors. Even so, he hated having to abort a kill . . . but now that he had a closer look at her, the thought occurred that maybe he'd rather keep her alive anyway.

[Deleted]

Nesaeko hissed at him and tugged fruitlessly on her arm. "Let go!" she snapped, a growl rumbling low in her throat as she slashed at him. She hadn't been thinking of flashing the guild sign, because, for all she knew, the man was just a murderer, not part of the Thieves guild.

And so she told him such, thought perhaps not quite so coherently. "The guild sign! What the @#&%! How in all the Forces was I supposed to know you weren't some petty murdered out for kills!"

Jerking against his grip again, she added, "And besides, I can tell that you enjoyed killing that man! Get yer bloody paws off of me or else--!"

[hisdivineshadow]

He smirked. "So I enjoy my job. Is that so wrong? You probably enjoy yours, too." Stepping back, he gave her room to stand, even offering a hand, though he doubted she'd take it.

"What's your name, girl?"

[Deleted]

"Hah! In a simple way, thieving is much better then murder, so yes, I do enjoy what I do, but that's beside the point!"

She slapped his hand away and considered her chances at running again. Probably not good, but it would be better then staying her and talking to him. Carefully, she shifted her feet and muttered, "My name is no business of yours...." before quickly turning and dashing off.

[hisdivineshadow]

Kaiose smirked and let her go. He had her scent now, he'd find her again sooner or later. In the meantime, he had to go take care of Cassius' body, to make sure the message was clear.

[Deleted]

((Time skip...to a few days later.))

Nesaeko had remained at home or at least as close to it for the last few days and she was bored out of her mind. She had had half a mind to go see Eury but, she couldn't bring herself to go to him.

She stared out at the night sky and sighed.

[hisdivineshadow]

There was a noise overhead, a creaking from somewhere in the rafters. It sounded once, then was silent.

~~~~~~~~

Being between assignments, Kaiose had taken the opportunity to go hunting the girl's scent. After a few hours of quietly searching, he decided he had found the right house, and was now trying to determine how best to gain entrance.

[Deleted]

Hearing the noise, Nesaeko was immediatly made curious. Carefully she worked her way around to a small door that she used to use as a kid to get into the attic unseen. She hadn't used it in many years, but, she knew that she could slip through.

Carefully, she pulled herself through the rafters, ear quirked, listening for anything and everything.

[hisdivineshadow]

Finding a hidden doorway on the roof, Kaiose carefully pried it open and slipped silently inside. He stood stock-still for a moment, his eyes adjusting to the darkness while his ears remained alert for the slightest noise. When Nesaeko entered the attic, he turned to orient on the sound, and smiled as her scent reached him.

Ducking carefully behind a support beam, he smiled to himself and waited for her to draw closer.

[Deleted]

She stoped, ears swiveling back and forth and she tested the air with her nose. Sure enough, there was an odd scent lingering in the air, but she couldn't quite place who or where exactly it was emenating from.

Carefully, she slid a dagger loose from within her sleave and moved deeper into the attic.