Strangers in the Night (Zoe)

[Andar]

There was that rope and noose again, in the woman's hand. How fond of that terrifying weapon she was! Andar didn't let any of his concerns touch his features though. He wore an expression he would label the 'cocky, I have connections look'. When in truth he felt anything but cocky at the moment. One slip up and he could be rolling into the nearest ditch right along with unfortunate Veldrun come break of day.

Andar walked casually about the dead man, stroking his beard thoughtfully as he peered intently at the female killer. There was something familiar about her. The manner in which she walked, the subtle cock of her head when he said something that interested her. But something was out of place. His words should have yielded an expression of relief. She ought to have been pacified with the knowledge that her master was checking up on her and she had fulfilled her end of the deal. But no, her narrowed eyes shined only with distrust and suspicion.

"Cut the lies, just who are you exactly?" she demmanded.

Right. This hadn't gone quite as spectacularly to plan as he had hoped. The Kelvic groped for anything remotely resembling reasonability. Anything to say that would justify his current gambit. The sound of her voice kept distracting him from his scheme. Why did it sound so gods damned familiar? Andar calmly cleared his mind and considered things from a different perspective. How had she seen through his deception so easily? Perhaps she had no boss and he had erred in that assumption. Maybe she was on edge because her benefactor had enemies and had warned her against any odd occurences. He had to fish for more information. There simply wasn't enough to work with!

"Lies? How dare you, woman. I'll have you know I'm not someone to be trifled with," he said in his best 'don't petch with me voice'. "I suppose you don't trust me. That's understandable. It matters not who I am. Just know that I hold all the cards here. I have backers in high places. It is their business to know things and know this! They are pleased with your work tonight. I will see that the body is discarded discreetly," he said with a dimissive wave of hand at Veldrun.

Now all he could do was hope that allayed her suspicions. Hell, he may even get to loot the corpse! The whole vague 'I'm somebody' routine just might pay off. All the while he still had that funny feeling he knew this woman from somewhere.

[Zoe Collins]

She was rather fond of the coils of ropes indeed. Since she had the idea to make it into a lasso, it had served her well indeed. Using it to catch unsuspecting victims was just as good as using it to catch fleeing targets. After a show of successful display earlier, she was not afraid to do so again if the situation required it. After several chimes, it seemed like the stranger was not planning to run, she hung the rope onto the sheath at her belt. She instead fingered her blade, before placing her arms behind her back. Despite showing herself that she was not ready, it was a false lure of pretence, as she was able to draw her blade if needed on a tick's notice.

"Lies? How dare you, woman. I'll have you know I'm not someone to be trifled with" The man spoke up, in a tone resembling one trying to be tougher than one was. He then continued "I suppose you don't trust me. That's understandable. It matters not who I am. Just know that I hold all the cards here. I have backers in high places. It is their business to know things and know this! They are pleased with your work tonight. I will see that the body is discarded discreetly." When he was done speaking, she paused for a chime for speaking up. "Hey man, you certainly don't look like are someone to be trifling with indeed. Ooohh, so scary indeed!" Her voice dripping in good-natured humour and sarcasm as she mocked and teased the stranger. She then went on after a bout of giggles sprouted out from her chest. "Yep, I don't trust you, and I don't see why I should. You hold all the cards? I don't see you holding anything?" Her gaze shifting over the entirety of his body.

Zoe had no idea who this stranger was, but he looked harmless enough to her, and the mischievous side in her showed as she played around with the stranger. After all, what's wrong with a little fun now? Leaving the corpse where it was, not like it was going anywhere anyway, she sauntered towards the strangers, closing the distance between there.

As she got in front of him, close enough to see each one another closely, she smiled at him mischievously, though only her eyes were visible with her mask still obscuring her mouth, making it looked like her eyes were doing the smiling. She then stretched out a hand cupping the chin of the man as she caressed it.

[Andar]

It was true, his deception had been a creation of circumstance. And a very flimsy one based on a smattering of plausibilities. It was always wise to invest time and resources into a lie. To carefully work out every possible contingency plan. Still, he thought he could be counted at least reliable in the improvisation department. Not tonight. For whatever reason, this mystery woman - this assassin - had very little trouble sifting through his glorious goatshyke, straight to the heart of the matter. His pride, such as was left to him, took a monumental bruising at the woman's hands.

Gods damned it! How could she possibly know? He could be a spy for the Night Eyes, or a hit man for the Daggerhands. He could be anyone. He was in some serious trouble, that was for sure....

Andar did a remarkable job of maintaining his wits and unflappable expression throughout the humiliating bout of mocking jabs and casually tossed insults. As the woman drew near, he felt an increased sensitivity level to two things of import. One: just how casual the woman proceeded to go about the business of flaunting just how unconcerned she was that he might try anything remotely troublesome. Two: just how vulnerable he was to any number of attacks she might try to launch at him at any given moment - especially when they stood a mere whisper's distance apart.





Andar counted himself a perceptive fellow, generally speaking. Part of his job required that he pay close attention to the behavior patterns that people oft displayed. So he was fairly certain the woman before him now, fondling his bearded chin, eyes mischievously asparkle, was not only going to kill him but also practice her seduction skills for a bit before sending him off. Talk about adding salt to the wound, insult to injury, smooch before the smother.....She had him by the fruits, make no mistake. And they both knew it.

He didn't know what grieved him more, the fact that his wiles had been found severely lacking, or that he would probably be murdered after a carefree groping exercise. Whatever the outcome, he was a cleverly stubborn bastard. He would try every last trick in the bloody book before waving the white flag! There simply had to be a way out of this predicament. Perhaps he could use the whole flirting business to his advantage. And why was the petching woman so gods damned familiar? Her identity was concealed behind a mask. If he could find a way to remove it somehow.....

"What I do hold is the key to your future success," he said smoothly, returning her smile as he snared her hand in his own and quicker than she might expect, enveloped her about the waist with his free arm, cinching them together with a bump of friction. The warm press of bodies and even warmer waft of her breath upon his face was ever so enticing. It would be so easy to stray from his purpose.... To get lost in a game within a game. He did not know if he could afford this particular pleasure trip. Andar was skating on very thin ice as it was. The tension was high, arousal was noticeably evident as well. He had to unmask the woman before things got out of hand. Although he didn't understand his desperate need to know who she was, some infinitely wiser part of himself knew that was the key to everything.

"Careful m'lady. Never ever underestimate the value of collusion," he said rather suggestively, staring off into green pools that blurred into one at such close proximity. So very close, he could smell her. So very close, if he wanted to, he could taste her as well. Andar pushed those thoughts aside, he had to stay focused. The woman was a contracted killer. This was a delicate operation to say the least...

[Zoe Collins]

Standing in front of the stranger, fondling his bearded chin, she thought about the interesting things that she would do to him. The multitude of activities that sparked a flame within her. If not for the mask she wore, he would find himself facing a bright and mischievous smile, one that went along hand-in-hand with her sparkling pair of eyes. She wasn't afraid of the man at all in the slightest.

She had seen plenty of dangerous men and scum to be feared of, but this was not one of them. She thought he looked cute,even. The way he kept trying to dig up excuses and find reasons to lie his way through was something she found really intriguing. For a moment, she forgot what she was doing, carried away by the moment of caressing the man's bearded chin.

She was brought back to reality when the man spoke up. "What I do hold is the key to your future success." She replied seductively, "The key to my future success? I would what that would be. What does your key unlock?" Teasing him as she continued flirting with the mysterious stranger.

No sooner after she had said that, he gave her a smile as he snared her hand in his, enveloping her waist as their bodies collided with each other. Their faces were a hair's breadth away from each other and the one thing separating their faces was the mask she wore on her face. Her eyes had widened in surprise momentarily, before they returned to the sultriness they were before. The tension between the two were high in the air, and she could feel that despite not saying a word, she could feel the arousal in him, probably from a result of the close contact of their bodies.

The stranger spoke once more. "Careful m'lady. Never ever underestimate the value of collusion." She spoke in reply. "Underestimate? I underestimate nothing at all." Giving him a wink along with that response. She could see his dark brown eyes staring deeply into hers, and she stared back with a similar passionate intensity. Deciding that the time for subterfuge was over, she lifted up her mask to reveal her lips as she blew a breath of air gently at his lips.

He would find that she carried the scent of lilac flowers. Now, with just about the entirety of her face revealed to him, she spoke "Not what you'd expected?" as she placed a palm upon his chest.

[Andar]

The way in which the masked woman insinuated sexual design behind his perfectly professional key unlocking future doors metaphor left him speechless for only a moment. "I think you know full well what I mean to have open," he said, his words dripping with carnal intent as he gave a suggestive undulation of his waist and a playful pat to her backside.

Andar sincerely hoped he was performing his role as seducing spy accurately enough. Even if it only bought him a chime or two in which to formulate a better plan. He still desperately needed to unmask the woman. The opportunity was ripe and had been so for a few ticks. Yet he hesitated. Did a part of him enjoy the current distraction a bit too much perhaps? Of course not..... It had everything to do with him being horribly wrong about the whole mask thing. She could be deformed or have an unsightly scar upon which his viewing would spell certain death! Besides, his self-confidence wasn't exactly brimming after his other botched attempts of the night.

Things began to seriously heat up after that. Bodies seemed to ignite all the more with each consequent touching. He was reminded of an ancient technique of rubbing two sticks together to kindle a flame. He wondered if this was common in the world of seduction. Andar was a complete novice in the art. Had always planned to learn something about it since the application of its use was quite profitable. Just had never gotten around to actually....doing it. Thus he found himself in an unexpected, if not pleasurable situation. He found his troublesome mind still worked tirelessly for possible excuses. Why bother? Surely if the woman meant to have him dead, she'd of slit his throat already. What was she playing at then? Did she really intend to go through with this? Have it out right here on the cobbles? Against a mildewy brick wall? A mere few meters away from a dead bloke? He really had hoped for that last point to sicken him - but strangely enough - it didn't.

Still, he would surely be found lacking if things were to progress too far. He had zero experience. Sure, he knew roughly how it was done. He'd witnessed enough wanton behavior out in the open on the streets of Sunberth. Andar was pondering all of this when his masked seductress completely took him by surprise and slipped the mask off for him! He could hardly believe his fortune. Then he realized what a beautiful face the woman had. A good thing too. For if it had been absolutely hideous, he may of given it away with a frown or gasp of horror. Not that he couldn't disguise his facial expressions, it was just, well, he hadn't been terribly stellar all night and wouldn't put it past himself to bungle that up and hurt the woman's feelings and have her right back to wanting to kill him all over again. That was one less obstacle at least. Then his mouth went agape in wonder and surprise when he finally understood why the bloody woman was so gods damned familiar!!!





"Zoe?! What the bloody hell are you doing out here?" he exclaimed, astonishment in his eyes. "Killing folk," he decided to add since he had never expected the bubbly good-natured woman he had met at the Pig's Foot on a previous occasion to be a cold blooded killer. "It's me, Korbin, remember? Pig's Foot. Drunk fellow flirting with you," he said, tugging his hood down to reveal himself as well. "Haha stop that! That tickles, Zoe!" he said when she blew air over his mouth. Andar let out a sigh of relief and noticed Zoe's hand against his chest. He decided to ignore it and gave the woman a warm friendly hug, after which he politely left her private space.

"Shyke woman! You had me bloody scared there. I thought you meant to snuff out the only witness - me being that only witness," he said with chuckle and lopsided grin her way. "Then I thought my only chance to survive was to...um....well you know," he said, finding himself strangely unable to express what they had just been doing. "Not that that would be such an awful thing," he added quickly, realizing his words were not altogether flattering.

"Not what I expected? Ha. That's the understatement of the century, Zoe. Why did you kill that poor bastard anyway?" he inquired, with a general wave in fallen Veldrun's direction. "I had him marked for booty bells ago. When you showed up, out of no where. I decided to tail you and find out what business you were about. The rest, well we both know what happened after that," said Andar, meeting her green gaze.

[Sayana]

Don't forget to edit/delete your grade request. If there's anything I may have missed, please PM me and I'll be happy to look into it.

 

Andar

Skills

• Observation: 5
• Acrobatics: 1
• Planning: 1
• Stealth: 4
• Tracking: 4
• Intelligence: 5
• Philosophy: 2
• Tactics: 2
• Acting: 3
• Rhetoric: 4
• Subterfuge: 4
• Intimidation: 1
• Seduction: 2
• Socialization: 1
• Storytelling: 1
• Interrogation: 1

Lores

• Intelligence: Signs that someone is well-off
• Tracking a mark: Always keep your eyes on your target
• Location: Sunberth Bazaar
• Location: Slaver's Market
• Stealth: Finding basic cover
• Stealth: Keeping to shadows
• Watching a man get killed
• Acting: Basic improvisation
• Intimidation: Hinting at backers and higher ups
• Tactics: Seduction to get physically close to a target for further manuevers

Comments
Please update your ledger to include Summer and Fall 515 seasonal expenses. Even though the dates of your threads were not during these seasons, you still posted IC posts during the months of Summer (June/July/August) and Fall (Sept/Oct/Nov).

 

Zoe

Skills

• XP

Lores

• Lore:

Comments
If you return to Mizahar, please update your ledger for any outstanding seasonal expenses and PM me for a grade.

Comments: I really enjoyed Andar's creativity when he was stuck in the situation of being the only witness. Great thread though it was too bad it go abandoned.

Your Grader,

Sayana

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