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Post by Diana on Mar 29, 2008 21:37:25 GMT -5
Diana's eyes narrowed as the girl looked up and closed the book abruptly, adopting a wide-eyed expression. The sort of expression she generally adopted before the good old chest-crushing kick she applied to the various people that were trying to kill her.
Diana's eyes widened too, mocking curiosity. "Hey," she greeted, in a tone that was overly sweet. "That's an interesting book. Can I see it?"
Her nose tingled as the familiar scent floated to it. Cold and metallic. A gun. She'd seen too many of these since the fire.
A voice called out her name, something even she hadn't expected. Who knew her name? Nobody. For all civilization cared, she was dead, burnt to ashes with the 'freak accident' that had involved her brother's death and her father's kidnapping. And forced her into an unwilling life of servitude. She whirled around, her jacket flapping slightly. Her hand shot up to correct the position.
"Hello?" Diana asked, uncertain. "Do I know you?"
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Post by (_+*Lou*+_) on Mar 29, 2008 21:59:37 GMT -5
Lou's fist tightened around the spine of her book.
Good. The girl was distracted- but it seemed almost unfair. The last thing she'd come to this party to do was to make an enemy.
Lou held out her text. She doubted that the girl could read shorthand anyway. "Sure you can see it," she said, smiling. "I've found it to be absolutely fascinating."'
Her other fist, the one with the poison pen, dropped the pen into her purse next to the antique carbine pistol.
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Post by Diana on Mar 29, 2008 22:07:25 GMT -5
Diana's eyes narrowed somewhat. She flipped the book open, her eyes scouring the shorthand note. She'd never learned how to read it, but she knew what it was. This mysterious girl was a freelancer... or a spy.
She looked up, letting the book drop to the floor. "Is there a reason your hands smell like poison?" she asked in her best casual tone, yet silently enough for Kathleen not to hear. "If you have plans to kill me, you're not going to be first one I injure on-the-job. And I may as well add that poison doesn't do much. Immunity."
She leaned in closer. "So, you aren't spying on anybody, and I wasn't here," she muttered, whirling around and vanishing into the crowds in one fluid movement.
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Post by (_+*Lou*+_) on Mar 29, 2008 22:16:26 GMT -5
Lou stared after the girl with her mouth open.
"I find it hard to believe that you've bothered to be immune to these berries," she muttered, though she doubted that the girl had heard her.
The swampdweller frowned for a few seconds, then with a swish of her mottled skirts ran after the girl, tucking her text under her arm as she did so.
"Hey! You! Wait up!!"
She doubted that the girl would listen. But Lou had had too many enemies to want a new one for no reason, espeicially one who seemed to be an assassin.
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Post by Diana on Mar 29, 2008 22:20:36 GMT -5
Diana wheeled around, hissing under her breath. The mysterious spy-girl was following her.
For an infinitesimal second, she glanced at the crowds ahead. The last thing she wanted was a confrontation in front of everybody. There were so many people bent on her capture and/or death, her location was bound to be reported.
She dove behind one of the pillars, her jacket flapping up just high enough for the other girl to see a flicker of cyan.
Diana's eyes flickered to both sides again, testing the lighting and possible escapes, finally resting on the other girl's hands. "What do you want?" she hissed.
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Post by (_+*Lou*+_) on Mar 29, 2008 22:24:00 GMT -5
Lou glared at her. She'd been a spy before. She could stand if this girl thought that she was one again.
No.
"I want to know why you've got such an interest in my notes," said Lou. "I wouldn't mind finding out why you're so upset, or what's wrong with you, or what in the world you're hiding, but I wouldn't answer those questions either."
Lou's brown eyes narrowed.
"And I don't want to leave here with more enemies than I came in with."
With more courage than the butterfly winged girl had shown in a while, Lou slowly held out her weaponless hands, though one elbow still pinned the tome to her side.
This is almost certainly a really bad idea... thought the girl.
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Post by Diana on Mar 29, 2008 22:30:33 GMT -5
Diana's breath caught at the questions. She could be signing her own death warrant. But...
Her eyes fluttered to the girl's unarmed hands, and she sighed.
"Fine. I'd show that I'm unarmed, too, only my weapons aren't the sort of things you can remove."
Her cyan eyes locked onto the other girl's, something she didn't do often.
"I can't tell you why I'm... upset. Wrong me me?" She laughed bitterly. "What's right with me is a better question. What I'm hiding? You'd assume it's insanity were I to tell you. But your first question, I could answer."
"I don't care what you do to anyone here. My only interest is to rescu-" She choked on the sentence, breaking off with a hiss. Her voice sped up unintentionally. "I didn't just say that. The notes? I don't like being written about. Would you? For all they care, I'm dead. And that works for me. I'm not an assassin. I'm just doing a little surveillance. Believe me, I'd rather not be here."
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Post by Clocky: Activity is a Thing on Mar 29, 2008 22:31:07 GMT -5
(( Oooh. This is getting interesting, Diana. I wanna get involved. D:
Especially if it involves two of the people I can relate most to. xD ))
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Post by Diana on Mar 29, 2008 22:35:40 GMT -5
((XD We're the only two people who aren't being that realistic. It's more fun this way. You should get involved; what's your persona?))
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Post by (_+*Lou*+_) on Mar 29, 2008 22:38:41 GMT -5
"Oh," said Lou softly. "Wow."
That had been unexpected. To have someone actually trust her- at this party, of all places- it maybe meant she wasn't quite as alone as she thought she was.
"I'm not after anyone either. But I know that this place is going to get bad. I don't want to die when the city explodes with mob stuff, and I'm just keeping an eye on things."
Becuase wars were stupid. Because she'd seen too many ruined lives.
"And- I find it interesting. Particuarly if I can find a agood cause again. I haven't yet, of course. But... I guess I understand."
Lou smiled. "I'll leave you alone. Just- don't hurt anyone, please. And, well, no one's trusted me in while."
"So, if you need my help in whatever you're doing, you can have it."
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Post by Diana on Mar 29, 2008 22:46:02 GMT -5
Diana watched the girl turn around, heading back into the party. She was a bit dazed. She'd given trust, and recieved it in turn.
Something blossomed in her chest. Warmth. A different feeling from the constant, penetrating loneliness she'd felt ever since she'd turned thirteen. She'd learned to live with it, but its absence was by all means noticeable.
"Wait!" she called, a pleading note to her voice.
The girl turned around to face her again.
I can't believe I'm about to do this, she thought in disbelief.
She staggered slightly as the cold washed over her, the familiar connection with her much-loathed 'employer. It would have been paralyzing once, but she'd gotten used to that too, enough to almost block out his furious screams at what she was about to do.
"I really could use your help..."
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Post by Rider on Mar 29, 2008 22:46:17 GMT -5
[glow=red,2,300]Rider sidled over to Stal, who seemed to be alone and not having much fun. That's what these ritzy parties were for. Just to be there. Not having fun, not doing much of anything. Just being there and being seen and keeping a presence. Don't let anyone forget that you exist and you have eyes and ears like anyone. "Stal, what brings you to a pretentious event like this? How's the wife and little Mindy? The Tabloid Town shop still seems to be raking in the dough, based on your swanky attire tonight." [/glow] "Well, it's not the wine, that's for sure." Stal took a sip from his glass again and grimmaced a little more. "Business is good. Spot certainly knows how to run it--but she's not the only person with a job, you know. I still do my...consulting.. here and there." Another sip. "And actually, I think I'm about to make a break through in some alternative energy research. Stalra Corp is set to make a lot of profit from this." Stal paused before taking another sip from his glass and sniffed the air. "I see you bathed before dressing up this time. Nice change." He took a moment to greet a passerby--a former client who'd paid very handsomely for Stal's services. Turning his attention back to Rider, he lowered his voice. "Putting aside these petty jokes, I hear trouble's brewing, Rider. Be careful what you get yourself into." [glow=red,2,300]"It's in the wine and in the air," Rider murmured. "Thankfully, I have eyes everywhere." A pink Meepit head popped out of a side pocket in her purse, smiled sheepishly, and ducked back under. "You stay watchful too, Stal. I wouldn't want the one person so mindful of my bathing habits to be taken by any of hers." She indicated Carrie with her pinky. "But on lighter matters, I'm glad to hear that Stalra Corp. is doing well, and best of luck in your future endeavors. By the way, are you and your employees supplied with health insurance? it's a big issue, in these troubled times. Life has always been unpredictable." "Rider! Stal! How's things goin' for you guys?""Nature, I'm well. How have you been, doll?" She indicated by inflection that Nature ought to sound a bit more ritzy considering her glitzy surroundings. "Stal and I were just talking buisness. I see you're as talented as ever. Has the music industry been treating you well?" Meanwhile... Nalia adjusted her makeup and yawned. She had been sitting in the rafters for hours now, waiting for something to happen. When Rider said that the Meepits would be going to a party, she had expected more glitter, more dancing, more rock music and more cute boys. But no, just some pretentious swanky shindig. Rider had assigned Lookout duty to her, Offsephious (Sephi, the ditz) and Ventratta's nephew Mittens (the noob). It was a big room for three Meepits to cover, but any more would be too risky. Sephi took his lookout duties very seriously. He had even brought his own binoculars. Trying to mimic Sephi, the young Mittens cupped his hands like binoculars and peered through them. Nalia sighed. Dumb boys. They honestly expected something exciting to happen. ... Why do the cutest ones have to be so dumb?[/glow]
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Post by (_+*Lou*+_) on Mar 29, 2008 22:49:51 GMT -5
Lou smiled. An ally. Maybe even a friend. What in the world can she need my help with?A few pangs of concience hit the winged girl. But the girl had said rescue, not assassinate. "What do you need help with?" ((Note: it's 1148, so I've got to sleep, so last post of the night. ))
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Post by Diana on Mar 29, 2008 23:02:16 GMT -5
((It's 11:51, moi aussi )) Diana felt one last moment of hesitation, but she shrugged it off, trying to block out the shards of ice that seemed to penetrate her skin with each furious scream that echoed within her mind. "I'm not here to kill. Yet. But I don't know what he'll make me do." She looked up. "I'm here on blackmail. I'm going to have to grossly shorten my story, if you care to listen. I've been down as a target since I was born. When I was thirteen, and still innocent and ignorant, one of my more blunt pursuers decided to put my house up in flames. I managed to escape alive, because I burn much more slowly than other people. I don't know how much gasoline they used, but it was a matter of seconds before life went from normal to a veritable inferno. My brother never made it out, and my father... You could say I fell unconscious after the escape, but somehow, he didn't see me when he took my father away..." "He took my father as bait. His hold was short-lived. I don't know why they all want me, but one of my more clever antagonists killed him. I tried to infiltrate his own little headquarters, but you could say I wasn't so good at this back then. I got myself captured... and Makaique told me that he'd let my live, that he'd let my father go, were I to complete some assignments..." "At first, he just wanted me to find out some times and dates. Meetings, parties, the like. Then he wanted me to single out the important people; who did what, etcetera. I just recently graduated to spying. I'm almost sure that assassination is next." Her voice broke. " I don't want to be a killer, not like all of them. I don't want to be part of that world. "I'm positive Makaique's got something planned, something he wanted my street skills for. He wants this war to happen. I don't; I know what it's like to lose everyone. But I'm in this web he's tangled around me so deeply... I don't know what I can do to save myself at this point. Quitting means my father's life..."
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Post by Kathleen on Mar 29, 2008 23:07:36 GMT -5
Kathleen watched, not wishing to become involved as Diana and Lou began their game of chase through the crowd of people. Diana hadn't seemed to hear Kathleen call her name, and now looked almost terrified, which was not odd, considering Kathleen knew virtually nothing of the girl's story. Kathleen gave a half-sigh, and reached up to adjust her gold-tipped hairpins. Disguised daggers, naturally. She was tiring rapidly. She was definitely not cut out for high society; it irked her something fierce. All the sweet-talk, the barely-veiled threats, the game of guess-who's-going-to-turn-traitor-next. She was not the heavily violent type, at all possible Kathleen liked to eradicate her targets without even truly killing them with her own hands, but she was not the sit-and-talk type, either.
With a deep sigh, Kathleen closed her eyes briefly, and when she opened them, spotted Rider and Stal quite close by, joined now by Nature. They were discussing whatever involved Rider's funny accent, and talking quite loudly. Therefore it could only be more ridiculous small-talk. But there was nothing more appealing, and Kathleen had not yet spoken to Nature tonight. She wracked her brains as she stepped quickly over to the three, trying to remember which, or if any, side Nature had chosen. Perhaps the musician would be interested in health insurance, at any rate.
"Rider, Nature, Stal!" Kathleen called out. "So good to see you!"
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