A Curious Group

[Anonymous]

A dark man had been sitting in the corner of his room for some time, periodically looking up from his book to look out the window. He couldn't really read, but it surprised some would-be killers, thinking that the man was so engrossed in his book that he wouldn't notice them sneaking up.

Big mistake on their half.

Ryder sighed, and placed the book on his lap. He was in his home, if one could call it that, with his students in the other rooms that were in the already cramped house. They hadn't been too keen about moving in with him at first, but...

Ryder tossed the book off the the side, and left his room. Time for roll call. He passed each of his student's doors, and knocked on them loudly. "Main hall, kiddies, in five mintues please! Be ready for a night on the town."

[Anonymous]

((A question...Is this roleplay open to all, or is it private?))

[Anonymous]

(((Ask Akira... >.>

//http://www.spiritsoftheearth.net/forum/viewtopic.php?t=5138

There's the plotting thread.))

[Anonymous]

((Of course it's open! The more cramped we can make Ryder's home, the better! xD))

"Yes, sir!" Mo hollered. Ha! Perfect timing as always. She had already washed up, put her hair up, gotten dressed, and was picking up her cute little dagger she bought not too long ago. She smiled at herself in her mirror, looking at just how slimming she looked in her outfit--nice, taught, grayish pants with a stylish little tassle to tie up the waist, her sleeveless black top with long, black gloves that almost reached the crook of her elbow. Her hair was done up wi--well...she barely had any hair. Her light-blueish hair was pulled back with a headband of hers with the small white remains of a rose  on the side of it. She had worn this thing since forever. She'd always taken care of her things, but one day she had to fight another girl to protect her dignity.

And now she wished she hadn't.

She opened the door to find her not-so-dignified dignity standing at the door. He waved and smiled his fake smile, waving at her. Mo took a step back before returning his fake smile with one of her own. "Don't you look nice," he said.

"Oh, thank you, sweetie," she replied, "And you look--" She took a glance at him before she said anything else. He was wearing a one-size-too-large brown cloak, so she couldn't quite see what he was wearing. However, she did see a hint of white slacks and boots. "--ready to go, yet...yet not. Where are your black and gray things?"

"I..." He looked about as if someone would hear. "I lost them."

She folded her arms and sniffed at him. "Lost? How did you lose your clothing? Honestly, Eun'ee."

"I lost a bet. But don't tell anybody."

"Why?" She walked past him and made her way to the main hall, listening to Eun'ee stumble all over himself trying to catch up with her. She didn't know how he always managed to have to catch up with people...even when he was standing side by side with the person. How obnoxious. "Afraid of what people may think."

"No, because I'm ashamed of who I lost to."

Mo leaned against the hall, looking up at him with her green eyes, brow arched. A smile crept up her face, the symbol of her wanting to make Eun'ee wallow in his failure. "Ohhhh? Who's the lucky chap who took your nice, expensive clothes?"

[Anonymous]

Ryder was already downstairs, in the main hall, pacing back and forth. Today was one of their last tests, and the thought of it worried him. They wouldn't be leaving soon though, even if they passed the final one. As a part of taking them as his students, they became his little... Entourage of sorts, until he deemed them worthy enough to go out on their own.

He continued to pace, which almost looked like some sort of dance, tapping his chin. He forced himself to stop, and shook out his clothes. He wore his usual, various tones of dark browns, greens, blues, and grays. Ryder started to shake out his legs, when he felt something familiar tighten its hold on his thigh.

Looking around, before peeking in, he saw his snake look up at him. "What? You've never complained before."

((... Yes, he has a snake in his pants. Literally.))

[Anonymous]

[lmfao. ohnoez! he has TWO =O]


She moaned lowly, tightening the blankets around her. What could it be now? She turned and rolled from her bed, landing in a heap on the floor. Screw grace and all its companions. Waking up was the hard part of any day - especially Pace's. She stood up and shook her short auburn hair, her fingers combing through it. It was casually flipped to the right, just barely falling into her right eye. Her ears were pierced with its usual variety, the center of her lower lip sporting a silver ring.

Her green-hazel eyes lost focus for a minute and then regained it as she stumbled through her room, mumbling something obscene as she clocked her foot off a table of sorts. She stumbled out of the room, looked down at herself and groaned. Her pants were on backwards.

Or, should she say, Eun'ee's pants were on backwards? They were gray, and thankfully, a little baggy. She couldn't stand tight clothing. She wore the black top beneath the loose fitting white top. And she had thankfully managed to find her boots.

Like a person half drunk she walked into the hall, dropping her pants unceremoniously to turn them about and pull them on. It never bothered her who was in her company or not.

"What time is it?" She asked, eyes slitted sleepily, a lazy smile barely inching along her lips.


[Akira, mind if Pace got Eun'ee's pants? If ya do, ya could say whoever he lost it too she beat up and stole the pants. o.o]

[Anonymous]

((I don't mind at all! ^-^))

Mo's smile widened greatly as she slowly proceeded to point at Pace's pants. This was her form of greetings for today. Pace would recieve no other greeting today. "Ah--!"

Eun'ee blushed furiously, folding his arms for a brief moment. "--Yeah, I know. She's wearing my pants. GIMME MY PANTS BACK!" He took a step towards Pace, only to be held back by his shouldn't-be lover. "But...but she's got my pants!"

"Let it go. It's not like they were your only pair of black--" Eun'ee gave Mo the flattest look she had ever seen. That look. My word, that look is...funny as hell! She sputtered and began to laugh again, emerald eyes twinkling. "Nevermind, then!"

"Lemme alone, Mo! If anything, you should be supporting me! And you! You gimme my pants back!"

"They're only pants. It's not like she gave you something to wear in turn." Eun'ee proceeded to pull his cloak around him tighter, making it look somewhat like a dress. "Ahhh! Lemme see. What'd she make you wear?"

Eun'ee recoiled from Mo, his voice squeaking to add emphasism on his exclaimation. "No! Are you kidding?!"

Teacher came into view and, blinking, both Mo and Eun'ee stared as Teacher proceeded to speak to his pants. Eun'ee flattened his adorable brown eyes again and looked off to the side. He mumbled, "Looks like everyone's got pants issues today."

"Shh! All except for me, of course," Mo boasted. She raised her voice. "Hello, Teacher! How do you fair?"

((xD Wow. Ryder has a snaaaake! *pokes it*))

[Anonymous]

((Gah! Don't touch it! GAWD!))

Ryder looked up, surprisingly calm for someone who had just been caught looking down his pants. He let go of his waistband, and turned to his students. "I'm fine, this day... Or evening, really." He smiled at them. "Now, line up please..."

As cool and calm as his outward look may have been, inside he was cursing himself. Maybe he should just tell them he kept his snak--- The real--- Nevermind. It would be too difficult to explain unless he showed them, and even then it would be hard. Sticking his hand down his pants to get that forsaken snake out would take forever, and it wouldn't look good in front of his students. "Tell me, do you know what is so special about this evening?"

[Anonymous]

"Get your own," Pace told Eun'ee flatly, her hand ruffling her hair again, not even acknowledging Mo. And honestly, just what had their teacher been doing? Looking in his pants..? Pace's lazy smile turned into an amused one as she straightened out own clothing. More of boredom and discomfort than out of concern for her appearance. She tucked in her shirt loosely, knotting the pants' tie better to keep her pants tighter as she fell in line with the rest of them.

So. It was the evening. She had slept a rather nice and long time. Still, she hadn't a clue why they were up now. Whether he had already told the about this evening in particular or not, she wasn't all that sure. Just trying to remember was a little difficult and a trial all in itself. She rubbed the tattoos on the inside of her wrists absently, glancing at the two lovers and then the teacher, her eyes opening more, waking up and getting acquainted with the real world again.

"Not really..." Her words were tailed with a yawn, arms crossing over her chest, tilting her head slightly. She studied Ryder intently, glancing at the people beside her. It was a wonder how they all survived in the same little cramped house. Her eyes drifted back to Ryder again. Still, the main focus of her mind was, 'What the hell was he doing with his pants?'

[Anonymous]

Ryder sighed, and ran a hand through his wild hair. "You don't? Good to see you've been paying attention, kid." He looked at the other two. "Do you remember?"

He looked back to Pace for a moment, and noticed she was giving him a... Look of some sort. Great, she was wondering about his pants, and what not, wasn't she? He rolled his eyes, before grinning to himself.

If only she was just a little bit older, then he'd show...

Ryder's jaw nearly dropped. What the hell was he thinking? Momentary laspe of sanity, all because of that stupid snake...

Stupid snake.

He mentally composed himself, and looked at his other two students. "Well?"

[Anonymous]

Well, thought Mo, what's so special is that you're going to announce who's the best and brightest student here (that's me, of course), you're going to say who's the most incompetent (that would be Eun'ee), you're teaching without a student, and... "Pace and Eun'ee are cross-dressing tonight." The sentence rolled off her tongue so easily that it took a moment to sink into Eun'ee's thought processes.

"Would you...! Shh, Mo. Just SHH!" Eun'ee was doing his best to keep the blushing to a mere beet red. He was facing Teacher, but was looking over at the Mo who happened to be fading in and out of his peripheral vision at the moment. She must be bouncing on the balls of her feet, he thought. What a girl she is. Regaining his composure, he looked back at Teacher, figuring he can't embarrass himself any more tonight. Why not ask an embarrassing question? "You've...got a rash, sir?" He asked, nodding at his teacher's nether regions.

[Anonymous]

Ryder... Stared at them, for some time, before finally answering. "No. DO ANY OF YOU PAY ATTENTION TO WHAT I SAY!?"

Ryder threw his hands up in the air. "By Luna! What is a matter with you three tonight? I've told you time and time again what tonight was about..." He calmed, and looked at all three of them in turn. "I guess I'll just have to hold off the graduation even more now, hmm?"

How could they not remember? He told them this morning, before he had let them do whatever they wanted, that this was one of their very last tests, and a practical at that. They had to try out their skills tonight... But by the way they seemed to have forgotten, Ryder was fairly sure he would have to push it off until another night...

"Are you distracted by something?" He looked at two of his students. "Other than wearing the opposite gender's clothes, of course."

[Anonymous]

"Mm. Cross-dressing," she said eerily, glancing down at the clothes she was wearing. "What's bad about a girl wearing a boy's clothes? In any case, mine are tattered." She shrugged carelessly. Who the hell cared what Mo had to say? Well, besides Eun'ee.. and maybe teacher. That clearly made two. Oh well.

Pace blinked. Then she snapped her fingers and stifled a small laugh, but not the lazy grin that flickered across her lips. So that's what was happening tonight! Like she even remembered what happened five minutes ago, let alone something that happened that morning and days before this one!

"I remember now," Pace decidedly said, a grin flickering across her lips again. She remembered because he told her. That was fine, life was like that. Easy come and easy go, right?

"In my defense, I just woke up," she admitted - but she didn't really use as an excuse. She was actually quite amused by the entire situation, even if her teacher wasn't. "Does this mean we're not graduating tonight?" She asked, running a hand over her hair and resting her arm on top of it, her left hip jutting out from the way she stood. Maybe, next time, she should write these occasions down. And put it somewhere where she'd know she'd look. Where that was she wasn't so sure... maybe on the inside of her door. Yeah. She'd see it hanging there.

[Anonymous]

Mo cowered from the teacher just like a young lady should, putting a hand up to her mouth, curled e'er so delicately against her mouth, the bend of her index finger touching the tip of her cute little nose.

Eun'ee turned his head and rolled his eyes. How pathetic. Although, he couldn't say much himself about being pathetic. He didn't remember one time being able to kill someone without someone's help. Besides, blood was icky and violence was a no-no...that...that was just the way he was taught, okay? He was four at the time.

"There's nothing bad about women wearing men's clothes. I actually find it cute in a way..." Mo's cheeks turned a defensive way as Eun'ee continued "...but a guy wearing feminine clothes...that's just wrong."

"Then take the bloody clothes off, then." Mo's voice was stern and low. She hadn't quite appreciated that he thought that she was cuter than Mo.

"I can't. It was a part of the bet. I have to wear them all day."

Mo arched a dismayed brow at Pace. This clothing business is about to give me a headache.  "Honestly, Pace." She always pronounced Pace's name as "pah-ss". "Although we're assassins, we do need to try our best and keep our clothes as nice as possible." She listened as Pace began to awaken and sniffed. "Of course not. We have to take a test, don't we, Teacher?" Her smile brightened at Ryder.

Eun'ee grumbled at her. "Why didn't you say that earlier? You could've kept us from being yelled at." Mo blinked her slanted emerald eyes and shrugged innocently, causing Eun'ee to think thoughts of death...for once.

((Muahaha! Mo's a JERK! xD))

[Anonymous]

Ryder smiled, happy that they remembered, only to frown again at their bickering. He picked these three because they were the most promising of the lot, but... He really needed them to get past their differences if they planned to work together. "Yes, today is one of the very few tests left, that we need to do."

He began to pace again, ignoring the feeling of his snake (the animal one, anyway), closing tigher around his thigh. The damn thing was going to make his leg go numb. "Its a practical. In the past, I've taught you how to do an assassination with scenarios..." She stopped, and looked at the three of them. "Now you have to put all you've learned into play."

Stupid snake... He shook out his leg, and grumbled, before looking back to his students. "I'll give you the co-ordinates to a house, and in that how is a body. A dead body, but for the purpose of this exercise, you're going to pretend its alive, but sleeping.

"Its somewhere in the house, but I won't tell you where, and we're doing this as if the dead body is a very paranoid noble individual, so he has the money to spend on sercurity."

He eyed them all. "So, what would you suspect, as for sercurity? And how do you get past the things?" Time to test them, and see if they remembered anything from past lessons.

[Anonymous]

Nearly late as usual, Kahlen hurried about her room, struggling to fix her wayward hair.

"Aaah!! This is not good!! Why does this always happen to me...?!" She whined frantically, stopping momentarily in front of her mirror to review her clothing.

A black, lace-up shirt exposed only her rather pale shoulders and a sliver of her midriff. Matching sleeves began at her elbows, their cascading ends ending about three inches past her fingers. Her long and modest skirt matched the color of her amethyst right eye, but slightly clashed with her bright sapphire left eye. The young woman's short, ebony hair hung everywhere, being helplessly messy at all times of the day.

"Ugh...Why can't I look like Kimira?!" She whimpered as she attempted to brush out her locks with a silver comb.

Kimira had been the other apprentice of the Master Mage Kahlen had first learned magic under. Even though that had been years ago, she could always remember the elder girl carrying herself with such perfection and grace. It had really been contradictory to her personality, however. Kahlen herself was rather talented in what she did, but her skills tended to be overdshadowed by her clumsiness and awkward nature.

The young mage/potion maker was snapped out of her thoughts by the sound of voices outside.

No! I'm late!!

She thought frantically, tying the longer tendrils of her hair back hastily with a silver ribbon. Glancing at herself once more in the polished mirror, she hurried outside her room and nearly running into the other students and her teacher.

"I-I'm so sorry!!"

[Anonymous]

Ryder looked to Kahlen with a beamused face. "Well, since you're late, your peers will get a head start for tonight's practical. You... Did remember there was a practical, right?"

He looked to the others, still awaiting his answers to the questions he had asked. He'll tell Kahlen what was exactly happening for this practical later, when he kept her behind to give the others their head start.

"Well, got some answers? Or have you forgotten your early lessons so easily?"

[Anonymous]

"Y-yes I did! I was reading...I...Lost track of time...And...And..." Kahlen stuttered ashamedly, bowing her head low. She stared embarassedly at the floor, biting her lip.

Great...Yet again I've made a fool of myself...I'm such an idiot...Mistress would be so disappointed... She thought in dispair, fidgeting with her skirt. Why did she always end up doing these things? Everyone else, while they had their shortcomings, seemed so much more talented than herself. It got extremely depressing some days...Especially days like these.

"I'm sorry..." The mage murmured softly, not sure what to say to make up for her blunder.

[Anonymous]

Without waiting for Ryder to respond, Eun'ee waved a hand at her, smiling his devilish smile. "Ah, don't be sorry. Some people are made to be on time, some not. You're not one of the on-time people. It's okay."

Mo arched a brow at Kahlen, blinking innocently at her. Puh. Well, she wasn't as rough as Pace was, so she was easier to get along with. "Even though you're not one of those 'on-time people' as Eency called it, you'll need to learn how to be on time anyways. Besides, you can't go around being late for work and things like that!" She turned dutifully back to Ryder as Eun'ee smiled at Kahlen, looking at her from the corner of his eye for a moment. "Anyhow, Teacher, we should probably expect security men...traps...guard dogs, perhaps? Getting past them...ah...well..."

"--Make the men drunk, drug the dogs, dodge the traps." Eun'ee had raised a finger and closed his eyes to seem more intelligible than Mo. Mo's eyes widened at Eun'ee and, though she didn't know why, smiled at him. Eun'ee opened his eyes, not paying Mo attention. "Is that close, Teach?"

[Anonymous]

Pace's fingers dug into her head for no particular reason. She scratched at her scalp with the lazy determination of an old dog. Her tongue stuck out running over the ring in the center, her fingertips pressing against the small tattoos on the inside of her wrists. She rubbed at her eyes, aggitated, unable to stay still for a second, each motion slow and deliberate. Her last motion was a simple tug at her own ear.

"Ah. If he has the money he could've hired a mage or somethin' to put spells," she spoke in that, 'I have all the time in the world' kind of way, leaning back on the heels of her feet and glancing at the ceiling then around. Cramped, small - claustrophobic and with five other people.

Pace, however, didn't really offer any ways to avoid them. The cogs of her mind creaked and churned before she slightly turned towards Kahlen, brows arching as she leaned towards the girl teasingly.

"Nice of ya to join us. Good book, hm?" She spoke in a good natured tone, willing to give Kahlen the time of day rather than Miss Mo, the little whiney bitch that she was.

Her arms finally crossed over her chest, her head tilting slightly as her hands hooked to the opposite elbows, thinking seriously - possibly for the first time - about the situation that Ryder suggested. What would nobility do to keep themselves safe. Surely, if they had the money, they'd do anything.

"It might not just be the outward security men we have to think about. Interior and the possibility of people who look like servants could be trained in combat of some sort," she bemused again, looking thoughtful.