Don't Play A Player [Midnight] [Archive]

[DragonSong]

"Jynx." She nodded at the younger woman, keeping close to her as she led them through the streets. People in Zantaric weren't usually in the habit of keeping their word, so she kept a close eye on her in case she decided to bolt or use that freaky shadow-magic.

That's rich, coming from you.

The raspy, amused voice in her head made her shudder. Shut up. "I gotta say, Kira, those were some nice moves back there. Not many people could sneak up on me like that."

[Nightmare]

"And most people wouldn't have detected my presence." Kira replied. "It really did take me by surprise when you grabbed my arm."

It wasn't long before they arrived at the small house that Kira called home for now. It was simple, with only one floor that was separated into three rooms. "Here we are. You can come inside if you want. I just need to grab something out of my room real quick."

[DragonSong]

"Don't mind if I do." She followed her into the house, looking around curiously. She arched her eyebrows. "Not a bad set up, for a town like this," she commented softly. The kid must be doing ok for herself.

That thought made her scrunch her brow. Kid... "Say, how old are you anyway?" she asked abruptly.

[Nightmare]

"Me? Twenty." Kira said without even thinking, although it was another lie. She couldn't help it, really. Working with others was something she didn't do often and giving out information about herself was something she never did at all. Well, at least I actually gave her my name.

She walked into her room and picked up her wrist blade, securing it on her right arm before stepping back out into the room where Jynx was. She was still adjusting the straps when she walked out, making sure it was tight enough on her arm. "Alright, this is all I needed."

[DragonSong]

Jynx nodded. She looked a bit younger than twenty, but hey, it was plausible. She shrugged- not like she was the poster child for honesty anyway- and jerked her head toward the door. "Right then, shall we?"

She stepped back out into the night without waiting for an answer, expecting the younger woman to follow.

[Nightmare]

Kira followed close behind the other woman, swinging her bladed arm around as she walked to make sure that the blade was secure on her arm. Adjusting the straps one more time, she was finally content with its security and sped up a little so that she was walking by Jynx's side. "So, your client skipped town, huh?"

[DragonSong]

Jynx glanced back at her. "Yeah. Probably thought I got myself killed on the job. Or he decided it was too risky and didn't want to be caught paying me." She flashed a wicked grin. "I don't take well to folks who back out of a deal."

She eyed the blade and asked bluntly, "You any good with that thing?"

[Nightmare]

"I know the feeling." Kira said with a grin.

She looked down at the blade on her wrist when Jynx mentioned it and couldn't help but let out a soft laugh at the question. "Good enough to keep myself alive so far. Never had a complaint about my skills with it from my employers, either... at least not one I couldn't silence."

She ran her other hand along the top of the blade, fingers brushing gently over the cold metal. "How about you? I can't imagine you're in Zantaric unarmed."

[DragonSong]

A smirk spread across her face. "Hardly," she agreed, lifting the hem of her shirt to show the two knives strapped to her hips. There were more of course, hidden in various places on her person, but those two would do for now.

Of course, she had other weapons as well. But she preferred to keep those in reserve.

That rasping voice grated across her mind: You never let me have any fun.

With a small effort, she ignored it. Taking a sharp turn into an alley she said, "He can't have gotten far, probably holed up at one of the inns on the road out of town."

[Nightmare]

"If you don't mind me asking, what was this job you took anyway?" Kira asked, curious as to why the woman's employer had left. Of course, it could be something as simple as not wanting to pay for the job, but she liked to have a bit of an idea of what she was getting involved with.

[DragonSong]

Jynx shrugged. "You know. Rich guy, wanted something he didn't have. Paid me to get it. Same old." She reached into her cleavage and pulled out her mark: a silver-woven braid inlaid with diamonds, sapphires, and emeralds. "It's supposed to be enchanted. Or cursed. Or something." She shrugged again, replacing the necklace.

[Nightmare]

"I see." Kira said, pausing to think. Normally when her employers disappeared it was when they put out a hit on someone. Their enemies end up dead and they think they end up not having to pay. Of course, nine times out of ten Kira found them. "Naturally you're going to keep the necklace and the money now, I assume?"

[DragonSong]

Jynx gave her an appraising look. Sharp little thing. "That depends, I have to figure out what it does first." She smirked. "If it really is cursed, I don't wanna carry it around with me any longer than I have to."

[Nightmare]

"Fair enough." Kira said with a shrug. She couldn't imagine it would be hard to sell something like that if there was no mention of a curse. Maybe if this woman ended up not wanting it Kira would take it off her hands.

[DragonSong]

They were reaching the edge of town now. Jynx clenched her fist, ready to hit her nails into her palm. "Say, that shadow trick of yours- how long can you keep it up?"

[Nightmare]

"Indefinitely, as long as I don't move." Kira said with a shrug. "Though I can also jump through the shadows, so it doesn't really matter."

After a few moments she added. "Oh, light magic sometimes messes it up too. Also sometimes people can tell that something's not quite right."

[DragonSong]

She nodded. That would do. "Alright then- once we find my employer, I want you to stay hidden as long as possible, yeah?"

People were much easier to manipulate when they were scared.

[Nightmare]

"Easy enough." Kira said calmly. "Stealth is my specialty."

[DragonSong]

Jynx smirked slightly. Something about the girl reminded her of herself.

The road they walked was quiet, but she was wary. Even out of the actual "town", Zantaric was never a safe place to let your guard down.

In the near distance she saw lights, an inn. Nodding at it, she said to Kira, "We'll check here first. Wait outside, I'll come get you if you're needed, alright?"

[Nightmare]

Kira nodded. "I'll keep an eye out from one of the windows to make sure there's no trouble."

Of course she would also be spending time by the door to the establishment, reaching from the shadows to grab at the pockets of the patrons coming and going.