The Night Shift

[Anonymous]

Her latest target didn't seem dangerous. He didn't do strange things or meet any strange people that she could see as she watched him over the last few days. An ordinary human man he seemed, with a wife he came home just after sunset every day, on the dot. She had been told he had a record but nothing more, her employers tended to keep history details out of her work.

Dressed in her usual work garb; slightly baggy pants, and a plain shirt along with a jacket, boots, and a belt with simple weaponery. Everything she wore was black to better disguise herself should her victims become suspicious of her. Keeping her hair pulled back in a loose pony tail at the base of her skull, she eyed the man as he walked along his usual route home. She studied him as she crouched on the edge of the roof she would strike from, the last time she would watch the seemingly normal man, wondering what he'd done to deserve to be on her list of duties. Feeding was her priority, though, unfortunately. She was hungry and knew she could and should not question her employers, even if she thought that it was right.

Sighing softly, the female blinked a few times as she calculated her victim's stride to her position and waited silently until the moment was right. She let herself fall, coming down on the unsuspecting human with the crunch of bones following in her wake. He cried out, both in astonishment and pain as he looked to see his attacker. Swiftly, Maia placed her hands on the man's neck and twisted it for a quick death before she fed on him and then, just as quickly as her attack, she disposed of the body before making her way back to her small and secluded apartment on the outskirts of Kentra.

After cleaning both herself and her clothes, Maia combed out her hair and changed into more comfortable and casual clothing for the remainder of the night. Climbing out of her window and up to the roof of her building, she lifted her head to gaze up at the stars, reflecting on what she'd done. Satisfied as she was by being able to feed tonight, the female also felt lonely as she sat atop the cold stone structure sharing the silence of the night only with herself.

[Lion]

This time it was in some kind of blacksmith's garage.  The dank obscure room stank of fire, sweat, and molten steel despite the fact that the place had been abandoned for the better part of a year.  Even as Kaito knew the fight was already over when he ducked beneath his weakened opponent's clumsy leg swings, he was already sweating like a pig that knew he were going to be next on the dinner platter.  The heat the walls of the warehouse trapped inside didn't help his situation any either.  The lamps that hung on the walls brightened the small fighting circle and gave way to the shouting proprietors waving their not so hard earned money in their hands.

Kaito, like the good fighter that he was, drowned out their mocks and words, focusing instead on the battle at hand.  He ducked a final kick from Foxhunter, as his adversary was called, and struck several lightning fast blows to his abdomen before sending a final strike to Foxhunter's face.  The man, who was twice Kaito's size spun in a dizzied fashion before slumping to the ground like a drunk.  Blood dripped from the corner of Foxhunter's mouth, a sign that he would not be getting back up.  It was only a matter of time before everyone cleared out, Kaito's opponent was taken away, and he received his payment, leaving him to himself.

Kaito had no regrets with the fact that he had probably killed Foxhunter.  Death in the ring was a common aspect in the world of underground boxing and was certainly not for the faint of heart.  Life had taught Kaito early on that it would not be easy for him and that he had to do what he must in order to survive; even if it meant taking a necessary life.  Besides, Foxhunter was getting too old for the game anyway; his being human left his prime years at least a decade ago.  And the Carpathian had an advantage Foxhunter did not: He was immortal and had the potential for becoming stronger with every century.  Never mind the whole lifemate thing, for that Kaito cared nothing for and was sure more than anything that he was content with his chosen lifestyle.  Sure his vision wasn't what it used to be, but it wasn't as bad as it might have been.

In the next hour, Kaito had left the warehouse clean and no longer sweating, wrapped in his simple gray robe and loose fitting trousers whose ends were tied up around his calves for better freedom of movement above his dark, soft leather shoes that made not a sound when walked in.  As he walked down an alleyway near the outskirts of Ketra readjusting his hand wraps, he knew that he was not yet finished with the evening.  Smiling to himself, his black hair flowing in the cool night breeze, he charged his strength reserve into his legs and jumped high onto a rooftop.  Sure jumping from roof to roof was pointless but it helped him relieve some of his stress that always seemed to surface after an exhilarating battle.  Maybe I should rob someone, just for the fun of it, Kaito thought, grinning smartly as he crouched down, searching for a target.

In a few seconds, Kaito found one: A tall noble with a swollen snooty look on his face.  A look that breathed of contempt that made Kaito want to swipe it off with a good one-inch punch.  He followed the aristocrat, peering down from above, to a darkened alley where he rolled off silently and stood between the noble and the only exit.  The noble turned suddenly, shocked to see shadowy figure in front of him.  He clutched his chest frightened and asked in a nervous voice, "Wha-what d'you want?"

"You're moneybag.  Hand it over peaceably or I'll be forced to beat you for it," Kaito answered menacingly.

The noble clipped the heavy sack of coins off of his belt and tossed it to the shadow.  "H-here!  Take it!  Just don't hurt me..."

Kaito caught it expertly before replying, "Nice doing business with ya sir."  With that he leapt high into the air, disappearing into the night sky.  It was not long before the noble ran out of the alleyway, screaming at the top of his lungs, "HELP!  I'VE BEEN ROBBED!!"

Kaito plunged into the air, high enough to be seen by any from a rooftop, but all they would see would be a silhouette leaping against the moonlight.

[Anonymous]

Caught in a daze of nightmareish memories from her past, Maia shook her head in an attempt to be rid of them and lowered her eyes to the maze of rooftops in front of her. She listened to the night for any ruffles or scuffs to hint of someone coming for a confirmation of tonight's kill.

After keeping herself intensely alert for a few moments, with no results, she relaxed and turned her attention to her left arm, twisting it this way and that before covering the bare skin of her forearm with her right palm. She wondered, then, how she'd been so blind the night she'd received the markings, shifting her position to keep her mind from the memory, her legs dangling off he edge of the rooftop. She smiled softly to herself as a light breeze blew against her, ruffling her hair and shirt as it passed.

Her smile, though, quickly turned into a frown as she began to hear yelling from a few streets over. A blur against the night sky caught her attention before it disappeared, as if someone or something was moving, no, jumping. The yelling persisted, drawing in Maia's curiosity to find out what was happening. Quickly she rose, launching herself off into a fast skipping across the roofs of the surrounding buildings until she found herself above the source of the noise. Perching on the edge and peering down she found herself looking at a man, human by looks and noble by clothing.

The woman caught her lower lip with her upper teeth, a habit of hers when she was trying to focus herself or contemplating a possible trap. The latter was on her mind as she watched the idiot making a fuss in the street. Giving in to her curiosity, she dropped down and began to approach the man, stopping a few feet from him lest he become hostile, then she lifted a loose fist to cover her mouth as she cleared her throat.

"Excuse me, sir, you've been robbed? Do you know where they went? What they look like?"

I hope he's serious. What would happen to me if this were a trap?

ooc: Bleh, I'm sorry it's not any longer than this. >_<

[Lion]

"Oh, thank the heavens someone heard my cries!" the man exclaimed with glee, clutching his hands together gratefully.  "You have to help me, lady!  Please.  Someone has gotten away with my moneybag.  I didn't see his face but I can recall his voice.  It was deep and menacing.  He was about six inches taller than you but was covered in darkness...  Oh, I hope to the gods he didn't get too far.  He wore robes, that I could see in what little lighting there was and he jumped so high!  H-he just flew right into the air and landed on that rooftop over there before bounding off again!"  The noble pointed to the roof just above him and then a little to his left.  "Oh please, help me!  I promise I'll reward you greatly if you can bring that thief to justice."

~~~
As sure as the evening sky was darkened blue, stars were bright, the moon a great round circle, and the breeze cool, Kaito was sure that would be able to make a successful escape.  Ketra was so quiet at night, so virtually undisturbed on the frilled outskirts of the city that Kaito was doubly sure that no one would hear him.  Or if someone did, that they wouldn't care enough to want to figure what was going on.  So, essentially, he was quite confident that he would be able to make his escape without any obstacles standing in his way.  Yet it was subtly ironic that, despite being a well paid fighter for illegal entertainment, Kaito had wanted to rob the noble.  Did he want the man's money?  No, not exactly.  He had robbed the noble for at least two reasons: One, he wanted to teach the man a lesson that his title could not protect him when wandering the streets at so dangerous a time; and two, he just wanted to have a little fun this night after the fight.  Though he had no intention of giving the man his money back, he now wanted to advise the noble that if he ever found himself in the Underground, to be sure to bet on a fighter called Kaito and he would not only get back what he lost but special interest as well.

But, what he had done was a spur of the moment action and he had not thought of doing so when he had successfully caught the purse and made his escape.  Oh well, what was done was done.  Kaito, feeling as though no one would find him, continued to leap from rooftop to rooftop in his usual carefree fashion.  He had clipped the moneybag onto his own belt and once again became a shadow against the moonlight.

[Oh it's no problem as long as there is some chunk to the post.  I like yours a lot, by the way.]

[Anonymous]

Listening to the man speak, the thought of obligation raced through her mind. She knew that if she didn't help him her employer would hear of her weakness of not pursuing a petty robber. Suddenly, though, his description caught her attention. Jumping? Flying? I saw that! she thought, mentally kicking herself for not connecting two and two together when she'd first seen the dark figure across the sky. Looking up, Maia concentrated on the air above her but heard nothing, the robber was getting farther away than she wanted. Sighing softly, Maia nodded to the man, the threat of having no job dangling over her as she lowered her gaze to look at him. "I will find him, but there is no need to reward me for returning something that is rightfully yours." With that, the woman flew into the air, catching the lip of the roof at her left with her feet.

Scanning the horizon, she occasionally found something blotting out the stars and knew that this was her target in the chase and by the height of the jumps was definately not human. Giving herself a running start, she jumped from one roof to the next at as fast a pace as she could manage as she followed the figure, ever closer with each roof. Her clothing ruffled and made unnecessary noise with the movements, not the kind she would generally have chosen for racing across the rooftops of Ketra. Another thought, that this was all a trap in an effort to kill her as punishment for the loss of loved-ones. Flinching as that thought passed her mind, Maia knew it was too late for thinking of such things when she knew she was getting close,  the sound of jingling coins caught her attention as did the soft takeoff and landings of what were clearing shoes to her.

Bounding off the stone beneath herself as she continue to give chase, Maia studied her target more closely as she neared him. Faintly, she could make out the shape of the robes around him as he moved through the night and knew then that she had the right guy. Nervousness struck her again, though, when the thought of a trap being set for her yet again crossed her mind. She pushed it away when the prospect of being out of work entered in front of it. Taking a deep breath, she zoned in on the figure as she continued to get closer. "Hey! Hey, you stole from that guy back there!" she called, immediately snapping her mouth shut when the words had left her. Why not just sneak up on him? He'd never know you were there! Too late for that now, stupid.

ooc: Thank you, I like yours too. I had to wake myself up for this one, even if it is shortish Dx Ah the power of dance music in the morning. xD

[Lion]

The noble only nodded feebly at the woman's remark, too frightened to say anything else.  But when she too took off into the air like nothing, he felt his heart leap into chest and he cried out, "Oh, by the gods, another one!" before fainting to the ground like a sack of bricks.
~~~
He took off like the wind and landed each time with steps so graceful it would have made the most professional dancer think twice.  Kaito was a natural acrobat and could leap at incredible heights but still land agilely on his feet.  As he bounded off ago, his senses reached out and detected a presence behind him, but he was unaware of who or what it was that was attempting to pursue him.    But as he was about to clear a second distance, he stopped short when a voice called out to him.  His feet slid slightly on the smoothed material of the roof but quickly regained himself as he turned around.

He was just at the edge, his legs bent slightly to make a quick escape just in case as his dark eyes assessed the feminine form before him.  Just as the wind blew through his black hair like a serene grass valley, he could tell right away that this woman was not at all human because she was able to manage the same type of travel he had chosen in the last five minutes.  Perhaps she was of his kind.  This he did not know nor did he care to find out right now.  Her clothing was a little different than what he was used to seeing: Rich people's robes, when they surrounded the fighters around the circular ring.  Hers did not speak of wealth but of a simplistic lifestyle.  The wind moved through her hair and tossed a few dark curls in her smooth face.  

As he finished up his study of her, Kaito lowered his eyes and looked at her as he was wont in case of a sudden battle.  The light of the moon hit the side of his face but was enough to highlight his grin as he said, "Yeah.  And just what are you going to do to try and stop me?"

[Anonymous]

She halted on the opposing side of the rooftop from the man she'd followed, watching him warily as his eyes swept over her, the night's wind tossing her hair loosely around her head. Looking across the short expanse at him, she found that the noble had not lied when he'd spoken of the thief's stature in contrast to her own. Clearly this man was taller than she, and after studying his physique and facial structure Maia concluded that he was not of some bizarre foreign species. However, exactly what he was she could not exactly pinpoint.

Noticing the bend in his leg, an obvious preparation to flee if he found the need, she braced her own body to pounce if he tried to get away again. She hadn't followed him this far just to give up and let him escape. Driven by this thought, Maia lifted her eyes to his face a grin of mockery painted across his features as he spoke to her, causing a clenched jaw on her part.

Indeed, what did she intend to do to stop him? Her thoughts had not extended that far into her loose plan when she'd decided to give chase. Her mental barrier began to fail as she lost focus, placing her eyes upon her bare feet for a brief moment before she gathered herself and looked up again at Kaito.

What kind of assassin are you? You can't even threaten a robber in a petty crime, she thought, shaking her head. Detachedly, she crossed her arms in front of herself as she placed a false smirk upon her face as she looked out at the man. Parting her lips, Maia answered him, "Don't worry yourself with how. I will get that money and return it to the owner, as is right. I suspect you had no grounds for robbing the poor fellow."

[Lion]

Kaito wasn't one to take on inessential opponents.  Of course, this was to only add onto the irony at the fact that he was a professional fighter and the old man had taught him to fight only when necessary.  But as far as the Carpathian was concerned he was being paid to fight and that was reason enough to do so.  He knew that he was an outsider in most of the world dominated by those that hated his kind or those even closely related to the races of Carpathian.  And to him, surviving meant becoming one with their societies and undermining them with their own power.  Not that this was his dream, to one day topple the overseers.  No, he just merely wanted to establish his place in a very difficult and tumultuous world and live in peace if he could.  He knew that doing this was going to be easy and he would fight for it if he had to.  Necessary battle and survival sometimes went hand in hand.

Kaito kept his legs slightly crouched and readjusted his footing quietly, the soft soles of his shoes easily perceiving the pebbles on the roof.  But while he was mentally and physically prepared to make a swift escape, he gave in inner 'Ha!' when she referred to the noble as a 'poor fellow.'  He snickered softly but in an easily audible fashion.  "I don't suppose you expect me to believe that noble was poor.  Let me just say that I wanted to teach him a lesson and I don't intend on having that lesson interrupted by some interloper like you.  Now, I have to get going if you don't mind.  But your free to try and catch me.... if you can."  He saluted nonchalantly to her before doing a swift backwards somersault into the shadowed alley below him.

[I call forth...A Chase!!]

[Anonymous]

She was surprised at how far this was going, that he still would not simply give up the coins to an accomplished killer and be on his way. Instead she found he did want to be on his way but with the coin in hand to 'teach the noble a lesson'. Frowning at what she'd heard from him, Maia grumbled to herself as she watched him disappear to the alley below. The gall of him to suggest that I could not catch him! Me, a Carpathian and feared assassin not catch a thief?!

Enraged, she sprinted the short distance to the other side of the roof and dropped down after him, body tense with anger as she extended her senses to figure his direction and launch herself after him. "You won't get away with this! You won't, I can't let you. Why don't you just give up the money and we'll call it a day, eh? A trade, perhaps? We wouldn't want anyone getting hurt over such a small thing."

In reality Maia was frightened. She'd never encountered anyone that could match her pace and it made her worry that Ottah, the man who'd enlisted her talents to keep her from the streets many years ago, would lose his trust in her. She was sure someone had heard her already and knew that if she failed at this simple task it would be reported to him. That was something that she could not risk and now she found herself pursuing Kaito to save her skin, not because it was right.

ooc: A chase it shall be, then. xP

[Lion]

Kaito had to admit it: He was impressed.  Impressed at the fact that she was persistent in wanting to catch him.  Though he also had to admit that he had thought her a damned fool for doing it as well.  But if she did indeed catch him, he wasn't going down without a fight.  It just wasn't in his spirit to give up like that.  He quickly rounded a corner upon landing into the quiet darkness only to hear the light pattering of her feet right behind him just as he made it to the other side.  He heard her request just as he ran quickly down the alleyway, his eyesight piercing against the darkness perfectly.  Night is such a beautiful thing, he thought jovially.  Moreover, however, he could detect the anger in which she spat out her words.  He knew suddenly that he was angering her and, well to put it frankly, he was kind of enjoying it.  He was an empathic of sorts and used his ability to effectively perceive the emotions of others to his advantage, whether it was in battle or to get ten percent off a drink in a bar.  

He almost snickered in response but thought better of it when he reached the end of it.  Immediately he spotted an opportunity in his environment and made a running leap for it.  As he did so, he replied, "Sorry, milady, no can do.  I never make deals with business partners I don't trust.  And you are one of those business partners."  He ran up the narrow wall at his left in a diagonal angle before stopping partway to the top.  For half a second he remained crouched on the wall before using his energy to launch himself upward and onto the higher building at his right in a small somersault.   In a flash he was at the roof's opposite edge and side flipped onto the lower roof of the building below.

As he continued in his swift paced dash he called out behind him in his cocky fashion, "Y'know, you're a little slow for someone who seems hellbent on catching me.  Now, tell me, why are you really trying to catch me?"

[Anonymous]

Continuing her chase after Kaito in the streets, Maia began to become stressed when she realized that the distance between herself and the man was not closing. Determined not to lose him, she followed every twist and turn that he made to keep him in clear view, hoping she'd get a break if he slowed down so she could make her strike. When she turned to an alley and found him scaling a wall she stopped for a brief moment and kept her eyes focused on his movements to predict where he'd go next.

His previous exit that had started the chase left her with no surprises as he did yet another flip through the air to reach the opposing roof. Immediately, Maia began climbing after him and reached the top in time to watch his body disappear to a lower roof as he took off again. Without hesitation she followed, his words spoken moments ago grating at her as she tried to keep herself together, for she was not accustomed to having her targets mock her, let alone give her trouble in a chase. She became worried as well when she noticed that her knife was not resting at her hip where it usually did, causing her to curse under her breath since it left her with one less option to stop this man with.

Continuing her pursuit, his question sparked an idea to Maia, making her decide to use her last resource before physical attack on him. "How about you stop this now. We can talk like civilized beings without all of this running if you're so interested in my reasoning." She was curious, though, as to why he even wanted to know why she was doing this. He stole, isn't that reason enough without the questions? It doesn't matter. I'll catch him one way or another, whether we stop now or if he makes me catch him and turn him in.

ooc: blarg...I haven't been doing well lately. >_<

[Lion]

The acrobatics were nothing to wear Kaito down.  He moved with such natural ease with each somersault, twist, topple, and turn that would have made most normal people's jaws drop in astonishment.  But not the woman who was following him, that he knew readily.  He recognized immediately from the way she leapt like a maniac after him with virtually the same speed and agility he utilized to get away from her, that she was not human.  No, from what he was experienced with humans couldn't jump fifty feet into the air naturally unaided but with the strength of their bodies and land on their feet unharmed.  They could move relatively fast and hit hard enough to make him dizzy, he'd give them that, but nonetheless they could not match him quarter for quarter.

But this woman sure can! Kaito's mind exclaimed both cautiously and curiously.  He did not intend to close the distance between the woman and himself and pressed onward at a pace that came easily to his already athletic body.  He was quite a distance ahead of her when he heard her request.  For second he thought while swinging from a horizontal bar onto another building.  He admitted quickly that was faintly curious as to why she was pursuing him so haphazardly.  And suddenly he called backwards, "Heh!  As you wish, milady!"

Kaito surged through his leg muscles with the strengths reserves in him and sped up his already rapid dash.  In the split of a second, Kaito launched himself as high into the air as he possibly could go twisted in the air so that he would face in the direction in which he was being pursued.  Upon landing, he stopped a few feet from the ledge of a relatively high building, facing the direction from whence he came.  Poised in a readied position, he awaited for his pursuer, which he estimated from reaching out with his senses would arrive in the next two or three seconds.

[No, you're doing pretty good.  Keep up the good work.]

[Anonymous]

While navigating the obstacles presented in her pursuit, Maia wondered how much longer it could last and why he so diligently guarded something as trivial as a coin purse. If he hadn't told me he'd taken it to teach a lesson I would have let him go, but now I'm here wasting my time with chasing him because he won't give it up, she thought as her eyes followed the dark form that led their dance above the town. Her attention was drawn back to the sounds around herself as she listened to his sudden burst of speech. So arrogant.

Watching as he launched himself into the air, she kept her eye on him as she leapt to a high ledge to observe his destination as he flipped once more, now facing her across the few buildings that separated them. Witnessing his landing and the studying his stance, she concluded that he would let her approach now and surged forward to leap up to the high rooftop he'd chosen and landed a few feet from him, silently edging herself closer to prepare herself to strike should he make a move to run from her again. After a quick scan of his person, assuring herself that he carried no weapons and hadn't dropped the coins at another location, Maia relaxed a bit, her normal self-conscious state returning as a flush of embarrassment at her earlier fit of rage. Instinctively, she brushed a few curls back from her face, cursing herself softly for not tying it back before she'd left. She straightened up before speaking, not wanting to show that her guard had been down even for that brief moment of distraction. "So you want to talk? You want to know why I'm really after you? I know you've got it locked in that head of yours that it doesn't really concern the money, but I can assure you that my reasons revolve around the fact that you stole."

ooc: eww it's short again >_< And sorry I didn't post earlier, I'm having issues with my laptop and it's being fixed so I borrowed to post this real quick.

[Lion]

Kaito stood nonchalantly, a guise he used many times to show that he was not prepared to react in time, as he watched her drop down a few feet in front of him.  He wasn't an idiot enough to not know that she was probably going to trying negotiation to try to apprehend him.  He'd had his fair share of fights to realize the possibility of having to use violence if need be to get away.  And while it was true he never carried his usual wrist band of needles after a fight, his fists would be more than proper compensation on that part.  He studied her carefully, the warrior in him catching her guard down for a single moment though did nothing about it except make a mental note.

He noticed a small differentiation in her now, something a little off about her than when she first stood before him.  Though he was empathic he could only perceive what she was feeling as a sort of discountenance but at what, he couldn't tell.  However this was beside the point as he now caught her trying to stealthily creep towards him.  No, he would not run now but strike should the need arise.  He moved back a step, keeping his knees slightly bent and his senses outreached and prepared himself for anything.

He watched her like a cat with his dark eyes as she spoke, grinning slightly.  He controlled his breathing, something he never found hard to do and allowed him to concentrate much easier than haphazard inhalation; especially after such a perilous jaunt as he attempted to escape from her.  The front of his robe covering his chest and upper abdomen was opened slightly as a result of too many twists, turns, jumps, and with a slight addition of gravity.

He smiled again before replying, "You're kidding yourself by saying such foolish things.  You see I don't really think you care about that noble as much as you say you do.  And I can assure you that justice was served.  Served when I took it from him.  Yes, I'll admit the crime was wrong but not entirely unnecessary.  I took from the fortunate so that it may be given to another that is less fortunate than him.  Take me, for instance."  He paused for a moment, chuckled at his insignificant jest before moving on.  "But I digress.  No, I don't think you're chasing me because you want to bring me to justice.  I have this strange gut feeling that you might really be doing to save you're own hide.  Tell me the truth, am I right?"

[sorry for the delay. Laziness, writer's block, you probably know the story.]

[Anonymous]

Maia contemplated her next move as she awaited a response from him. She kept her eyes on him and frowned slightly when he caught on to her movements and took a pace back. Raising her chin, she stopped the slow crawl and stood still, readying herself once again to pounce should he give her reason to restrain him. She took in the look of his face as he grinned at her and was puzzled, not able to identify exactly why he was doing so. Did he find it funny that she was chasing him? Cocking her head slightly as he spoke, a look of disbelief swept across her face as she listened. He thinks he deserves to keep the money? Frowning again, Maia shook her head as she waited for him to finish speaking. What kind of guy is he who thinks he can just take money from someone who's richer than himself and justify it as his being 'less fortunate'?

His accuracy, though, made her flinch at the accusation. She knew then that whether she lied or was truthful that he'd know why she was after him. Bringing her eyes to his, she glared for a moment, wondering still why he even cared since her reasons mattered not in the truth of his theft. "You're right but then you're also wrong. I am chasing you to keep my name off the minds of power but you commenced this yourself by stealing from that man." Keeping her eyes locked on him, she slowly inched her left foot forward a few inches, wanting to take every advantage she could if it came down to a fight. Cursing herself mentally as she balanced herself, a rock pressed into the instep, she tried not to make the slight annoyance known since it would have given herself away again. Why didn't I wear shoes?

ooc: mehmehmeh *headdesk*

[Lion]

All of Kaito senses told him to remain wary though the gods knew that he wanted to relax a little.  His body remained tense, ready to spring like a startled animal and he persisted to keep his mind open to anything that might happen.  And while he was taught that a warrior must be prepared for anything, allowing their actions to flow with what comes toward them, they must also be binding, having only a single mindset and completely devoid of emotion.  The void helps keep the mind focused and without obstruction.  For instance, while Kaito was open to two possibilities of either escaping or standing to fight this very persistent woman, he kept in mind a single intention and that was to rid himself of his pursuer.  It often took years for one to claim both a steady and flowing mindset.

He stopped smiling and took notice of every emotion that made its way across her pretty face.  When she stopped talking he grinned for a second, took a strafing step to the right and replied, "You're about me starting this whole thing but you didn't have to follow me, y'know.  You could have let the scheme of things come out as they were meant to be without intervening and all would have been well.  But seeing as you didn't, it's pointless to continue on the subject."  He continued in another strafe, keeping his knees slightly bent and lowered his back slightly in a readied position.  He kept his face stoic for a time before continuing on, "You've told me a half-truth.  I don't think you're talking about the guards or any sort of official...  Somebody you work for, I suppose?  Don't worry, I don't care who it is.

"I'm sorry for all this questioning, but frankly you managed to capture my interest.  It's not often I come across a damsel whose pursued me as hard as you did.  Just tell me one more thing, if you don't mind.  Do you have a name?" Kaito smiled a little and let the moonlight gleam against the black pools of his eyes as he assessed his surroundings more.

[Anonymous]

Nervously she mirrored his strafe with her own, not trusting in any way that he'd ever mean any good to her by getting an advantage. Her mind was unfocused as she thought about what he was saying and she struggled to keep her attention on him for sudden movements as she shot instinctively to defend herself. "It's my duty to catch the guilty, no matter the crime committed."

At the suggestion that she was working for someone, Maia's stern facade faltered for a brief moment before recovering to an angry scowl. "I do work for someone but who that is is not your concern. Besides, I can assure you that my intended target tonight has already been taken care of." With a sudden surge of confidence at acknowledging herself for making a kill, Maia opposed the man's tense stance with a slightly more relaxed one from herself.

His last question, though, startled her a bit, for she was not accustomed to anyone, let alone someone she was chasing, even having the smallest concern with the name of a woman after them with the intent of either capturing or killing them. Usually it was guilt or regret that she sensed from her victim, but this man was different. He seemed particularly calm as he spoke to her, enough to get cocky, she'd noticed. He was confident, that was for sure. Being human was something he was definitely not but Maia had never encountered someone that, candidly, ever gave her a run for the money.

Smirking to herself, she seized upon his poor wording of the intended question, hoping to irritate him even if the annoyance was minute. "Of course I have a name, don't you? Would you mind telling me what your name is first? If it bothers you so much to know my own."

[Lion]

As fortune would have it, Kaito was more at ease with the woman with every passing second.  Though only the heavens knew why.  But one thing was for sure: When he was comfortable, fighting became so much easier to him than when he was stressed.  Yet it remained ironic that after a fight, he became stressed and tense, his senses as ever alert and cautious.  However, Kaito was now slightly more relaxed than he was an hour before and he noticed how strangely he found the woman's presence rather comforting.

As ever the observer, he was wont to notice her motions as he studied her carefully.  He did not let his mind become sidestepped in their conversation, for distraction meant the utmost chance of defeat and for Kaito, there was no such concept as defeat.  Indeed, however, he had been defeated before in various fights as many new and worthy fighters entered the Underground.  Though eventually, he figured out their methods understood their methods enough to undermine them.

Again he smiled mockingly at her, but not out of contempt or with intent to provoke but of genuine humor.  He laughed suddenly and quickly before replying.  "You're very commanding.  I like that," he retorted, humored.  "If it bugs you so much, sure, I'll tickle your curiosity if you'd like.  People call me White Tiger, and you may as well.  Now, fair's fair.  Tell me yours."  He spoke very candidly about himself and while he was careful not to reveal too much information, he did not lie to her.  His fighting name in the Underground was indeed White Tiger because his strength and cunning were something to be reckoned with.  Kaito continued his strafe and looked at her with eyes dancing with laughter.

[Anonymous]

Watching her surroundings with wary eyes, she wondered suddenly if any other beings were aware of them on the roof. As silly as the thought seemed to her, Maia extended her senses in an attempt to capture the usual noise of shuffling feet as the more clumsy of humans rose from their sleep. Too early she thought as she realized it would be quite a while before dawn broke across the horizon, before she would instinctively retreat back to her small home across town. Satisfied that her only focus right now should be the man across from herself, Maia drew her attention back to him. He's smiling again? He sure seems happy with himself. Cautiously, she let her eyes drift upwards to his face, studying his eyes carefully as he began to speak to her before she strayed to catch the look of his face as moonlight splashed across it. She noted to herself with a smirk then that he surely wasn't the worst face she'd ever had to look upon.

As her brain wrapped around what he'd said to her, Maia flinched. She knew only too well that commanding was not a word to ever truly describe herself as, that she only forced this false personality to the surface for the sake of her work, to trick herself into confidence. Hearing of his alias, though, brought Maia up from her thoughts again, this time with an unhappy frown forming across her lips. White Tiger. It held no appeal to her but it confirmed her thoughts in that he wasn't exactly viewed as a model citizen on a regular basis, that he somehow needed to be known by the falsity.

Still frowning, unhappy now that she'd have to tell him her name or lie outright, she sighed. Shaking her head lightly, she assessed him again as she caught his movement and quickly mirrored it before bringing her attention back to his face, searching for the usual symptoms of a lie. He reflected none that were detectable so she decided to be done with it, sure that him knowing her name would hardly be a threat if he didn't know any of her other whereabouts. "My name is Maia," she told him, voice softer than she would have liked in a slip of her true attitude.

[Lion]

Kaito's face softened a bit when he took vigilance upon the almost solemn note in her voice when she spoke her name.  He reflected on the tone by which she spoke, thinking an array of unknown ideas that arrived and departed as quickly as the next.  When his brief moment of contemplation had passed, he grinned slightly at the consideration of her face and name.  "Maia, eh?" he smiled a grin of genuine approbation.  "Suits you well.  A nice name for such a nice lady.  Well, I don't suppose you'd want to postpone the inevitable any further, would you?  I didn't think so.  Don't get me wrong, I'd hate to have to mess up a pretty face like yours.  But what must be done, is to be done."

He didn't take long before he covered the distance between them in a blur of clothing and moved to deliver a blow to her stomach.  His mind was no longer in conversation mode and was now readied for battle, in every corner of his senses.  His warrior's ways would take control now, technique with skill, flow with movement, and perception with reaction.  He prepared himself for a fight, in the same way he had more than two hundred years ago.

[So short, so sucky.  Sorry, I'll try to writer longer posts if I can find the means.]