Welcome to The Duality of Man, an original animanga role-play that features numerous supernatural creatures. Unfortunately, these various species have distanced themselves because of the war that occurred thousands of years ago, plaguing some with eyes that only see their dualism. While others meddle themself with their differences, two groups fight, each attempting to eliminate the other in for their definition of worldly peace. These two groups of the Terror Response Syndicate (TRS) and the Assembly of Phantoms (AP). With individuals fighting merely over their differences, it brings uncertainty to the outcome of this war.
We happily accept all role-players as long as they obey the rules and are capable of meeting our word count of 50. This does include those who are unfamiliar with this style of role-playing. The staff of The Duality of Man are willing to happily help those who are new to the role-playing world so they feel comfortable on site. Feel free to message the staff if you need help, they can be found here or in the site Discord and will gladly answer questions alongside calm concerns. If you have any suggestions we would love to hear them; guests may use the support board as a suggestion area as well. Should you decide to join, may I say welcome to the site and we all hope you enjoy your time here.
Yours Truely,
The Staff
season
Summer 2024
Heat has broken through into a glorious summer. The snow has entirely dried through the spring, leaving to the brilliance of the warmer months. Terror activity has risen as people are brought out of their homes, leaving the TRS in a position of consistent work. Each are attempting to maintain victory in the endless struggle for power.
Since the wonderful members of TDOM enjoy the site enough to play around on it, this thread is to assist with the site's tidying! Functionality is important and we want to make the site functional even if its activity will be minimal at best!
only in darkness can we truly forget what we were meant to be
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@tagged
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400ish
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costume party time!
Halloween. It was something that both Americans and Canadians alike fawned over. With far more terrifying ghouls walking among the world, Daichi wondered what the appeal of it was. Other than dressing in stupid costumes to impress one another and people having an excuse to gorge themselves on sugar.
Centuries ago, before the death, Anzu and he would gather on sweltering summer nights in a small corner of the estate trying to scare each other. With Anzu it had worked all too well and Daichi, in an uncharacteristically empathetic moment, lost himself in the memories of a young Anzu begging him to sleep nearby should any ghosts haunt her in the night. The shimmer of sequins from a nearby dress brought reality back into focus, causing Daichi to grimace that he’d gotten so lost.
That was another time... another life.
“Watch it handsome,” someone nearby cat called, bearing fangs that may or may not be real.
Daichi, not wanting to seem dour, tipped the brim of his police hat politely at them before adjusting his sunglasses.
"Carry on miss," were his forced words as he continued walking (thankfully) in the opposite direction.
Hallows, a fancy name for a large party where some rich guy rented a mansion estate and invited half the town. Much like any attraction involving too many people there was a haunted house, a photo booth, and many other deplorable tourist attractions. More irritatingly, a low yet insightful beat filled the main building from a dance floor and DJ some ways off. The same beat, like the pulse of heart, that had been piercing through his core for the last thirty minutes.
They would be here soon he hoped and then he could get the job done and leave before someone threatened to drag him somewhere for socialization. Not that his choice in costume had helped any. Stopping by the nearby Halloween store last minute had left his options somewhat limited.
In fact, the only costume that offered any coverage for his face was mock police one complete with badly tinted sunglasses, a cap, boots, and a questionably tight leather top. He’d elected to keep his own pants over the offered shorts… for multiple reasons. But fitting in here, where costumes were required, was a necessity.
Next time he’d just wear a sheet. Though, after this experience, he was hoping there wouldn’t be a next time. Despite the costume design, it did offer enough space to hide his arsenal of assassination equipment therefore he couldn't complain.
Wearing a neutral expression, Daichi weaved his way into the main mansion, blending in perfectly. Finding a quiet enough corner, Daichi sat down on an available couch, his long untied hair settling across his back.
MADE BY ★MEULK OF GS
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Halloween was a gruesome excuse for a holiday. It was a mockery of tradition, throwing out cheesy costumes and cheap scares into what was supposed to be a reverent time of year. And it made a select few industries a fortune. It disgusted Mikaela and she wanted no part in it.
Unfortunately what she wanted and what she got rarely seemed to line up. Last year she’d gotten out of it by promising her sister full control over their holiday schedule this year. It wasn’t a promise her sister forgot about. The blonde twin bustled about Mikaela’s apartment, putting some finishing touches on her makeup while Mikaela herself sat in a ball on the couch trying to get through the next big plot twist in the book she was reading. When she noticed Mikaela’s inactivity, Libby had taken a much more demanding role, shoving a folded pile of purple and black fabric at her.
There were layers to the costume that Mikaela didn’t understand and Libby had to come in and manage some of the ties and buttons. It pinched her waist a bit too tightly, but Mikaela didn’t complain. It wasn’t like she planned on needing to fight. She still attached a knife sheath to her concealed thigh just in case.
“How long do I have to stay?” she asked, already dreading the hours to come. She stared longingly at her book, wishing she could find a way out of this.
“Until midnight.” Libby spoke distractedly, but the comment snapped Mikaela to attention. Midnight? She glanced at the clock on the wall. 3 hours. 3 hours of pure torture and defiling her beliefs.
“11.” she tried to compromise, eyes wide and pleading in a display of innocence that should have affected anyone with a heart. Unfortunately, Libby had become numb to her deceit.
“Bargaining are we?” Libby raised a well-maintained eyebrow. “Come on!!! You said I got to decide this year!”
It was moments like this, looking into Libby’s large doe eyes, that Mikaela had to wonder whether her twin was just as manipulative as she. She was left with no choice but to agree. “Fine. Unless something else comes up I’ll stay at the stupid party until midnight.” The words fell from her lips, feeling more binding than the dress she’d been shoved into.
Of course, the second they stepped foot on the large grounds that made up the party that clingy-my-night-will-be-so-much-worse-without-you act was gone. Crimson eyes turned to her, sparkling in the party lights. Mikaela had to wonder if that’s what her own eyes looked like. The logical side of her brain told her they were identical, but there was no way she looked so innocent, even when she was trying. It was an innocence she’d had to get rid of to make it through her childhood.
“Mik! I see some friends over there! I’m gonna go chat. Is it alright if I catch up with you later?” It was so easy for Libby to find something better. It would always be that way. Even if Mikaela wasn’t a monster, her sister had a life here that predated their relationship.
Mikaela offered a tight smile she hoped expressed some sort of understanding. “Just remember. As soon as this alarm goes off I’m out of here.” she said, holding up her phone in a pointed reminder. Libby was already gone, leaving her stranded in a sea of noise and bright colours. The party had been going on for a while before they arrived, only now it was starting to take a darker turn, more geared towards adults than their children.
Her first instinct was to look for another familiar face. She knew that was stupid, though. She didn’t want to be stuck in a long conversation and she certainly didn’t want to have to confess she’d gone to a costume party. Instead she walked numbly, like a phantom cutting through the grounds. None of the events interested her. In fact, they all twisted her stomach. Remember the dead. Yeah right. To think this was the holiday that had even managed to pierce her homeland with it’s corrupted ways.
What would she have been doing today if she was back home? Oblivious teenagers would be flooding the street, walking in circles begging for candy and getting in her way. She’d have to stay in with Aina and Matteo. Only that was just wishful thinking. Matteo was dead. Because of her. In reality, she’d be surrounded by a bunch of strangers that called her ‘friend’ trying to find the weakest link. Somehow she thought that would be preferable to this.
A man bumped into her, breaking her thoughts and sending her back in time. She blinked and her eyes opened in a different world. A world where every hooded costume hid a potential assassin… or worse. The ghosts and ghouls of her past closed in, mocking her on this blasphemous holiday. This game was all too familiar. Surround her. Overwhelm her with distractions. And when she let down her guard, strike. It had been used against her before, but this was different. This time she didn’t want to play. And she wasn’t playing. The people around her were normal. They probably wouldn’t even believe assassins still hunted in dark crowds like this. She blinked again and things were back to normal, but her head was still spinning, threatening to pull her back into a familiar web of paranoia.
Oblivious to the other occupant, she collapsed into the empty seat of a couch, letting her head slump back in a rare display of weary weakness she would have preferred to avoid. There was nothing here for her. It made her doubt whether she belonged in this life at all. But it wasn’t like there was another life to return to. The Ravagers wouldn’t let her stir up trouble and Italy was completely off the table. If she went home there would be a conflict of who was the proper heir and her brother would see her dead to defend a future she had no intention of stealing. ‘What amazing siblings I have,’ she thought to herself, ‘One that ditches me the first chance she gets and one that only lets me live because I’m out of the way. And here I am, the weakling willing to bend to their whims no matter where it puts me.’
As he withdrew his phone to check on the details, the light reflected against the tinted frames of his sunglasses. A woman this time. Wealthy. Short stature. Allegedly wearing purple. On the couch to his right someone flopped down but without proximity, Daichi could care less. The assassin browsed over a few more details before tucking his phone away.
However, before he could move the glint of purple from the adjacent couch. A woman of short stature clad in purple nearly identical to the photo he’d been given. Was this some sort of kami-sent gift for his endurance of the first half of the party? Either way he didn’t dare waste the opportunity to find out.
Any scheme to get this done and leave required a direct approach.
In two long strides Daichi smoothly sat down on the couch to the woman’s right, placing his arm over her left side so that she’d have to look directly at him. Anywhere else he might’ve been slapped but the expectations of these parties involved a forfeit of personal space. Not to mention his costume was suggestive enough to fit into the character of a blatant flirt.
Onyx hair slid over his shoulder as he drew his left hand up to cup the woman’s face. From his intelligence she was the type that would appreciate it and if he could lead her far enough away from the main party this would be a quick kill. People hardly bothered isolated couples.
“I never thought I’d see someone so alluring here,” he began, his voice taking on a smooth quality he found absolutely deplorable, “forgive me but you looked like you could use some company.”
It was tacky and absolutely uncalled for but Daichi was certain that this was the woman he’d come here to kill and this sort of ridiculousness, from what he’d been told, was exactly her kind of game. Even though he was practically leaning into her lap, his mind was already considering which movie he’d be watching on the couch tonight.
Kami be good, it was going to be a quick night.
MADE BY ★MEULK OF GS
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Quite rudely, someone slid up next to Mikaela on the couch and broke her thoughts. Her only sign of irritation was a twitch of her jaw. Maybe if she ignored him he would go away. She focused her attention on making it look like she was thinking, but she was all too aware of his arm draped behind her. She was trapped and if he was an enemy she needed to catch him off guard.
Unfortunately it seemed he was still the one catching her off guard as he cupped her face in his hand. Her eyes flew open and she did her best not to look like a deer in headlights as he began speaking in an artificially sweet voice. Just her luck that she would catch the eye of an overconfident idiot on a night like this.
The words themselves barely processed as she debated how to react. She could guess what they’d be without hearing them. Her hand hovered casually over her thigh, over the knife she knew she could grab so easily, but she hesitated. She may be looking for a reason to leave this party but she was pretty sure her getting dragged to jail wouldn’t sit well with Libby. Besides, she wanted to test this man’s commitment to whatever game he was initiating.
As he finished speaking, she let her eyes dart between his cheesy police uniform and the hand on her cheek before elbowing him in the gut and pushing herself off of the couch.
“Oh my god are you ok?” she asked, letting shakey hands rise to her face in feigned shock. Years of practice told her exactly how to furrow her brow and widen her eyes to get the most out of the shocked expression. Unfortunately, the flush that crawled up her cheeks wasn’t the type that could be faked.
She let words tumble frantically from her mouth in a display that would embarrass anyone who truly understood the harsh realities to the world. “Mi dispiace!* That was an accident I just... I don’t know I- You got too close and I just reacted and I’m pretty sure you thought I was someone else because obviously you thought I was someone you knew and please forgive me! I’m s-sorry!”
She stumbled over the last word, trying to stop her accent from twisting it into something it wasn’t. Sorry. No matter how it was pronounced, it was a stupid word. In what world could a single word cover every possible type of apology? In Italian there was a variety of ways to apologize depending on why you were saying sorry and who you were saying it too. With those option, acting innocent enough to pull pity was much easier. Surely she’d said enough to get the point across, though.
She held her breath for a moment, her eyes wide and hopeful for the forgiveness any naïve child would expect to come next. Concern slipped through her facade. She was already half way to unbelieveable, she might as well seal it all together. The breath she held popped, making way for another string of apologetic inquiry. “Are you alright? I didn’t hurt you, did I? Oh, please tell me I didn’t hurt you!”
The words were as empty as she hoped they were annoying. If he had a drop of sense in him this would be enough to prove she wasn’t worth his time. Then again, some people did need an extra push. She’d save that for if it was really needed, though.
*Mi Dispiace — basically “I feel bad so I’m sorry”
Like an ancient vampire awakened rudely from an eternal slumber the woman’s eyes shot open and a familiar ruby gaze cut through him. Daichi recognized her instantly but before he could recoil a pointed elbow stabbed him in the gut hard enough to draw an unflattering HURF noise from him as he struggled to breathe. Ruby, the smarmy little cat woman with the abusive boyfriend. Ruby, the liar. Ruby who had stolen a knife he’d cherished. Ruby, whom he never wanted to see again.
Did the kami mean to punish him this way instead? It would be a deserving and ironic justice.
Daichi stumbled for a second before catching himself and, when he finally felt the air flowing normally, the assassin realized his good fortune at having the wind knocked out of him. Otherwise he might’ve instantly betrayed that he knew her because it was becoming glaringly apparent that Ruby had not yet recognized him. Naturally, he wanted to keep it that way.
What played before him was a beautiful symphony. A delicate brow furrowed in mock concern, the tone of her airy voice suggesting actual innocence. Had Daichi not known better he might’ve bought it. The way she cut her words coupled with the sprinkle of foreign dialect… each was so very carefully laid out. Of course, Daichi wasn’t buying it. The question that permeated his mind was blaringly loud…
… had he come here to kill Ruby?
In one swift motion he had his phone out, faced downwards so that the light only reflected on his chest. Oddly enough, the image he had been looking at just minutes before had been deleted and, in its place, sat another picture of an entirely different woman. Daichi resisted the urge to visibly bristle as he tucked his phone away. Someone was messing with him no doubt and he didn’t like it. While he could think of a few suspects now wasn’t the time or place to analyze them.
The hunt was over but if someone had actually taking a picture of Ruby in costume… wouldn’t they still be here? It was irritating to say the least. Maybe, just maybe, he could catch them. Of course, that meant continuing on this doomed path of entertaining a liar.
“Tesoro mio,” he led, using his most pathetic sounding charm, “I’m the one who should apologize. I thought you were someone I knew. Here, allow me to make it up to you.”
Against his better judgement the dark-haired man reached over to pluck a velvety black rose from a nearby coffee table vase. Inside he was cringing but outside he was smiling as he flipped the beautiful decoration around and held it out to her, stem first. Anzu would be dying right now if she could see him and, despite the depths to which he had sunk, Daichi couldn’t help but find it morbidly humorous as well. He’d certainly done worse in his lengthy undead life.
“For you of course,” still hidden by the darkness of the mansion and the tint of his glasses, Daichi allowed himself a playful smile. Later he would have to scrub this scene from his mind. Snuggling up to Ruby? Then kissing up to her with horrible pick-up lines. He wondered how she could even keep herself together. Or maybe she wouldn’t.
Daichi wasn’t sure which scenario was better in this case.
MADE BY ★MEULK OF GS
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As she spoke, he took his eyes off her to check something on his phone. Offense rolled through her. Here she was putting on an amazing act and he wasn’t even paying attention! Not to mention he had been the one to approach her. Canadians were so rude. Only, in her experience they weren’t. This had the signs of a lie. She knew she was being paranoid, but she should at least hear him out long enough to figure out why he might be lying.
His lapse in attention was quickly replaced with the flirty demeanor again. He thought she was stupid. He had to or he wouldn’t even try to pull this on her. Good. He could underestimate her all he wanted, it certainly wouldn’t do her any harm.
“O-Oh!” Mikaela said when he seemed to be done, eyes widening as she took the rose. It was a thing of little beauty. A flower bent to look like what people wanted to see. A rose’s natural bloody allure couldn’t have been good enough for a night like this. They had to leech all the life out of it. To make it worse, she was quick to notice the thorns had been removed, undoubtedly for some safety cause. No one wanted pretty things to be able to hurt them.
Her innocent smile slipped for a moment. It was the best she could do not to wrinkle her nose in disgust. A rose without its thorns. What a perfect metaphor. It was probably how he saw her. In a way it was true, he was just too blind to notice that her thorns had been replaced by razor blades.
She hated the flower and she hated the man who’d given it to her. That didn’t mean she’d drop her act, though. And now she had to cover for the lapse into thought.
Silently, she walked over to the little table he’d taken the flower from and returned it to its vase. “I’m not a thief,” she said in a light tone, making sure her smile was back in place before she turned to face him. Her breath caught as she realized just how close to him the action had brought her. Something in her screamed to put distance between them so if he pulled a knife she’d have time to dodge, but pretending not to notice the distance would be a nice addition to the act.
She didn’t let herself hesitate too long before forging on. “And I don’t think that rose belonged to you so i-it wasn’t really your gift to give.” The words could have been sharp. They could have been a dangerous symphony of threat and admonishment that would have hung in the air. Instead, she delivered them like a fool too nervous to call him out with any confidence. The metaphor, a rose without its thorns rang in her mind again. If she was meant to be innocent, she could use that as a blade just as well as prickly words.
Her eyes widened in realization. “If you thought I was someone else she must be here somewhere! Let me help you find her!” It was a ridiculous offer, especially when she wanted nothing more than to shove a knife in his chest and twist, but it was something Libby would offer and she was the most innocent person Mikaela allowed constant exposure to. “It’ll be just like a fairy tale! You’ll see her through this crowd and profess your love!” she added, grabbing his hand and gazing up with him through hopeful eyes to layer in some more naivety.
Some mirth mixed with the disgust pooling inside her. What an idiot! If she were observing this act she’d laugh so hard she cried and then figure out how to use this innocence to her advantage. She eyed him cautiously, hoping he’d be too distracted by the bright smile to notice. Was he that type of person too? She’d find out soon enough.
Just as soon as the words I’m-not-a-thief rolled out of her mouth Daichi had to struggle to maintain his ridiculous façade. Not a thief. She’d busted into a building, stole his knife, and probably taken booze that wasn’t hers but now she was pretending not to be the very thing she was.
Watching her gracefully stutter through the words, ruby irises seemingly devoid of a shred of maliciousness briefly reminded Daichi of Anzu. He stared, perhaps a little too hard as the press of an old memory struggled to break his concentration.
Then, in a display so sweet it would rival a cinnamon roll drenched in frosting, Ruby enthusiastically swept herself up in a fantasy of her own making. Each peak of her voice made him want to cringe. He briefly considered if she had some underlying mental disorder, he was unaware of.
This was a stark contrast to the woman who had stabbed him then laughed him out of the bar after suggesting he murder her. Sadly, he wouldn’t be murdering her today either. A shame really given the disgusting acting he was about to continue with.
“It’s a little late to profess my love to someone I’m already engaged to,” he offered a polite, uncharacteristic smile, seeing if the words stabbed anywhere. The assassin eyed the increasing crowd on the manor’s interior.
A grand, wide staircase was filled with a variety of individuals. Finding anyone in this crowd would be absurdly annoying without a visual image. Daichi wanted nothing more than to avoid this woman for the rest of his life. But the suspiciousness of his questionable contact coupled with the appearance of none other than Ruby lead him to a possibility that required considering.
It was possible that Ruby had planned this whole thing. While elaborate and unlikely, he would be a fool not to make sure this wasn't the case.
“But since you offered, I think I may need the help,” Daichi adjusted his glasses before adding, “besides how could I turn down the attentions of a lovely lady such as yourself? Maggie would be furious with me if I didn’t bring you to meet her. I'm always getting lost like this.”
Daichi smiled brightly, wondering how Anzu could keep this act up during an assassination. He always preferred more direct means or hiding in the shadows. This sort of pomp and circumstance was just plain irritating. Though, if he were lucky, maybe Ruby still had his knife. A little spider bite and it’d be easy to get it back. After he determined she wasn’t involved that was.
Without confirmation, Daichi headed in the direction of the grand staircase, strolling over the large marble tiles that made up the entranceway. It was probably a good choice for a Halloween party given its majestic age but this was the sort of place Daichi didn’t care for.
“So, what brings you to this party? Hoping to meet your own prince charming? I’m sure he’s not far away,” he replied lightly as he continued his walk, but couldn’t help but take a jab at that seemingly innocent exterior, “also, your costume is beautiful. I love flappers.”
MADE BY ★MEULK OF GS
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Engaged. Something twisted in Mikaela’s stomach at that word. She didn’t think about the string of naive babbling that fell from her mouth next. The words were more a chance to regain her composure than anything else. “Nonsense! When you fall for someone you don’t stop falling until your heart is broken. So you see, there’s always more love to profess and you’ve gotta remember to share it or she might forget you love her at all!” The warning was touched with a bit of desperation, like she could care about a silly man’s silly engagement. Engagements were stupid. Marriage was stupid. It was a formality she’d never bother with even if she had the option.
The man went on talking and Mikaela went on barely paying attention. Conversation with a boring man always turned out to be boring. She could see the path he was on with his life, and some temporary conversation with a foolish girl wouldn’t change anything. She’d already dug deep enough into her own act that she couldn’t make it any more fun.
‘Maggie would be furious with me if I didn’t bring you to meet her. ‘ The words tore through her thoughts, setting Mikaela fully on guard. Images of a past she’d rather forget flashed through her mind. She’d walked into a similar trap before and she could still feel the cool steel of the gun pressed to her head, a stark contrast to the heat of the blood pushing it’s way faster and faster through her veins, forced on by her rapidly beating heart. Back then she’d been a stupid girl who thought she could actually be killed in Italy without her father’s permission. She’d been blind to the safety nets that swarmed around her, invisible yet binding as any of the other chains tying her to that messed up life. But in this world everything was different. That was a faked kill or be killed situation for the sake of publicity and there was nothing to signal that this was anywhere close to that.
Mikaela smiled serenely and followed when the man started walking, feeling very much like a lamb being led by a wolf. Words floated over her and her mind rushed to interpret them only to find that it couldn’t. Flapper? There wasn’t enough context to figure it out. Instead of trying too hard, she let her lips curve in a gracious smile. “Thank you, sir. I’ll pass on the compliment to the friend I’m borrowing this from. I’m actually here with friends tonight, or I was, so my hunt for a prince of my own is on hold.”
Finally breaking from the trap of her own mind, Mikaela let her eyes dance as casually as possible around the room, not lingering on any one thing for long enough that he’d notice. A person dressed as a green man with a santa costume. The chandeliers sparkling above, catching light flickering from a fire fighting against its cage in the corner. A snake decoration crawling down a wall like a vine. None of them were what she really cared about, but she didn’t want to be called out for her real target. Turning her head to take in the sights of the other side of the room, her gaze naturally trailed over his hands. No ring. He was lying then. He must be. And this must be a trap. This Maggie girl, if she was a real person at all, and her supposed fiance were both too dangerous for Mikaela to let her guard down around.
Before she could call him out on it, her eyes landed on a slender man in the crowd who looked as though he hadn’t slept in a couple of days. She would have ignored him if it weren’t for the familiarity of his face sending chills down her spine. Most of her old friends spelled trouble for her, and she was willing to bet this interaction would be no different if it was allowed to happen.
Mikaela stopped walking and tugged on the sleeve of the man’s policeman costume, far too aware of the cheap feel of the fabric beneath her touch. ”Hold up! I, um...” Her voice trailed off and for once she wasn’t sure how to proceed. How could she do this without losing the innocence she’d been trying so hard to radiate? She wasn’t sure. With every second that ticked on she could feel time closing in around her. Her heartbeat quickened until she felt she had no choice but to abandon the act.
”Play along for a sec, would you?” she asked. She just needed to hide her face for a moment until the crowd swept her ‘friend’ away. With a silent prayer he wouldn’t end up drawing more attention to her, she closed the space between them and looped an arm behind his head, firmly pulling it down so when she stood on her toes she had absolutely no trouble reaching up to kiss him.
Daichi almost chortled when she mentioned she’d pass on the ‘compliment’ to a friend. Was she really pretending to be that dense? Maybe he should’ve went with stripper after all… As Ruby smiled, he felt uneasy. Had she recognized him yet? Possibly so and now she was going to mess with him. He returned the smile, a pinned-up falsity that would crack under any pressure at all. When her eyes danced across the charade of Halloween before them Daichi took to plotting his escape route.
There was no sense in sticking around. If Ruby had intended to murder him, she had several ample opportunities. This problem was much deeper and, if he had to guess, whomever took the photograph was likely long gone. Daichi sighed audibly. An evening so finely laid out had become something of a dumpster fire. A tug on his sleeve with the insistence he play along brought him back to the present moment in which Ruby attempted to grab his attention.
“I’m not-” he began to deny but one arm swung around his back as the petite woman closed the distance before him. Daichi froze, unsure where this was going until Ruby’s lips brushed his.
A cocktail of denial, heat, and confusion washed over him. Had she just…? Did she…? Words eluded him now as his instincts took over. Daichi’s hand was already grasped along the blade concealed in his sleeve. With one swift pull he could land it anywhere on her. But the words ‘play along’ echoed in his mind. Yes, play along with a kiss from Ruby after she rudely elbowed him in the gut. An act which – now that he truly knew her – he realized was likely intentional.
Pity the fool who fell for those scarlet centers and thick, glossy lashes.
So, like a good ‘play along’ Daichi rested his hands on her shoulders gently… and pushed her directly away from him. Words poured out of his mouth before he could even censure them, a font of self-betrayal that would seal her recognition of him.
“What is wrong with you Ruby?!” he half-yelled, loud enough to draw attention.
Daichi could feel that his face was hot from… embarrassment? He wasn’t really sure. Ruby had kissed him. No. Ruby had kissed someone she thought wasn’t him. These thoughts were far more difficult to absorb than anything he’d thought before. It was infuriating.
“Do you just go kissing random strangers and starting fights between them for a hobby? Or is it just me? Where is your ‘boyfriend’? I’m sure he’d hate you kissing random strangers like you are apparently always doing,” Daichi’s voice was lower this time but there were a few lingering eyes on them so he didn’t dare go into specifics.
She wanted him to play along then, huh? What exactly was she trying to hide from? Sadly, he wasn’t in the right enough mind to make a bigger scene. Thoughts were whirling in his brain coupled with a particularly explicit curse for the kami that had engineered the shit show that was this assassination gone wrong. Maybe he should’ve just killed Ruby. The Black order didn’t care if innocents were killed so long as it wasn’t obvious who had killed them. So long as he got the intended target as well, he’d get nothing more than a second look by the higher ups.
Daichi felt the heat on his face residing but there was a strange twisting in his chest. What had she been thinking? He couldn’t help but feel like this entire time she had just been messing with him. Clearly, she’d recognized him and decided to push his buttons. It… had worked too.
The assassin glowered at her from where he stood, resisting the urge to cross his arms over his chest as he stared at her. A small grace was that the tint of his glasses and darkened hue of the mansion might’ve hidden his formerly flushed features. He ignored the faint scent of vanilla with a slight citrus undertone that still lingered, clouding his good judgement.
“More importantly, I wasn’t aware you had friends,” the dark-haired man snapped in what was meant to be a low blow, “or did you make them up too?”
MADE BY ★MEULK OF GS
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If he hadn’t physically shoved her back those words would have done the job. Ruby. The name was familiar, but she couldn’t remember who she’d given it to. Because she hadn’t given it to anyone. He’d come up with it on his own, as though he deserved the honor of having something to call her after just one night. “Y-you!” she spat the word, eyes widening in genuine shock. He was an arrogant fool! He’d recognized her from the moment he’d sat next to her and he’d been laughing at her this whole time! She hated him. At least, she was pretty sure she hated him. That was the only explanation for the feelings boiling in her stomach and the heat steadily crawling up her cheeks.
She had trouble sorting through the exact emotions flowing through her. Before she had a solid grasp on any one feeling, it shifted to something else. Anger. Embarrassment. Fear. All emotions she hated having to deal with. A sense of responsibility won out, though. Libby was somewhere at this party so she had to keep Touri nearby. Why had she kissed him?! It made things so much worse. Now he was going to misinterpret anything she said. He was already deluded enough.
Like everything else, she’d had a reason for her actions, and it came back with a cold shock. They had to get out of there. She could feel eyes trained on her throughout her room and something told her one set belonged to a shark. She had to get out of there, but she couldn’t, not without Touri.
“Damn it,” she muttered, running a hand through her hair. “You just had to say that.” If he hadn’t revealed that he knew her she could walk away without any trace of guilt. As it was she had no option but to stay in the spotlight. “If I didn’t know any better I’d say you want to see me dead but you don’t have the guts to let the blood dirty your own hands.” Amusement glinted in her eyes but it was soon gone, overshadowed by her internal debate on how to handle this situation.
“Right. I need you to bite your tongue and leave this room with me to go literally anywhere else at this godforsaken party without drawing any more attention to us, so what’s your price? You want your knife back?” She tried to keep any condescension out of her tone. Anyone who’d simply ask for their knife back was a fool, but she had to at least try to feed him the option before he came up with something worse. The knife was really the only thing she had over him, if he was sentimental enough to care at all.
As annoyed as he was at the situation, her reaction to his true identity was absolutely priceless. Was that a light blush he saw or just a trick of the light? Whatever annoyance he felt prior melted away under the joy of how delicious it was to irritate Ruby so. Even if she was trying to jab him with low blows and petty callouts on his unwillingness to murder her. Daichi had been truthful enough about it. Keyword, enough.
He wouldn’t murder her for many reasons but maybe it was time to stop telling the truth and have some fun with it. Especially since Ruby seemed more inclined to believe her own preconceived dialogue over his.
Daichi reached out, grabbing her wrist just a tad too tightly before pulling her close to him. For reassurance, he hooked an arm around her back and prayed that if she chose to attack him it wouldn’t be with anything particularly sharp. Like teeth. He unfondly remembered the last time someone had decided to bite him.
Grinning like the devil he was, Daichi turned her toward him so that she could only look his way. His long, shadow locks cascading around his shoulders would block out the world beyond. Anyone looking from afar might have thought it was a loving embrace as opposed to Daichi kidnapping the crimson eyed woman in a gesture that left the pair far too close to one another.
Thankfully the crowd, having more important things to do, had dispersed to their partying activities again, leaving Ruby at Daichi's mercy without hope of a rescue.
“Really Ruby, you think I care about that knife? That’s adorable,” his lie was perfected, velvet and smooth from centuries of practice so that even the queen of lies couldn’t be sure of his true intent, “the real question here is who are you trying to avoid?”
In a dance with death, he leaned close enough to be uncomfortable and half-whispered.
“If you really want me to kill you, I’ll need somewhere around 1,055,570 yen. Don’t worry I gave you the discounted price so I’m sure you can steal enough friends’ alcohol to afford it,” Daichi released his grip before Ruby could strike, moving himself to a safe distance before making his terms of assistance known, “if you want me to play along you’ll put your cat ears back on.”
The assassin grinned at her, ignoring the strangely intoxicating sweet scent that now clung to his person. It was a gamble getting that close to Ruby. Maybe she’d just brush him off but since she apparently was insistent upon irritating him, it would be prudent to gather more information on her. Daichi tried his best not to go into situations blind but sometimes it just couldn’t be helped.
MADE BY ★MEULK OF GS
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The assassin grabbed her wrist and her heart skipped a bit. Almost on instinct, she pulled her arm up to attempt to break free, also using the action to let her other hand fall to the blade hidden at her thigh. Unfortunately, he was smart enough to pull her in before she could side step and use the momentum to escape his grip fully. She kept her hand near the blade but gave him the courtesy of not stabbing him right off the bat. After all, he had done the same when she’d kissed him.
Long hair and a looming form blocked her from the outside world, cutting out just enough of the light to set her on edge. Every muscle in her body tensed, but somehow she managed a taunting smile. If he thought he’d scare her with this little display he was dead wrong. She could see the details of his arrogant smile in perfect clarity
His first words were unexpected, demanding more analysis. A misplaced remark was just as much of a warning to look out for a lie as failure to keep eye contact or stumbling over words. If he really didn’t care he wouldn’t have addressed her offer in the first place. Studying his face she didn’t see any emotional attachment, though, so she made a note to throw the knife in a lake the next chance she got. She certainly didn’t want it around. Accidentally grabbing a knife with bad balance could put her at a disadvantage if any trouble came. She really didn’t know why she hadn’t gotten rid of it earlier.
His next question about who she was running from was dull. Of course, he’d want to know that. Any fool would be more focused on that than the important things, like how much avoiding him really mattered to her. He'd hardly be able to get anything out of anyone if he didn't learn to estimate how much they cared.
Before she could give some vague answer he leaned in. Her already tense muscles got tighter and her breath caught in her throat. But his next words were terms to a deal she'd never explicitly asked for. They were as harmless as a fly. In fact, she couldn’t stop the laughter that burst out. He danced back like he was afraid she’d be insulted by the offer. One million yen. That was only about eight thousand euro. "I should really hope I’m more trouble than that." An accent touched her words, painting them a bit thicker than usual as they twisted through her laughter.
Finally the wolf gave his terms, catching her off guard in their simplicity. If she didn’t know any better she would have agreed instantly. She'd never take such a simple deal, though. Besides, it wasn’t as easy as it looked on the surface. She always had a safety net when people didn’t know her species. That disappeared as soon as she donned cat ears.
"See?! You’re doing it again!" she waved a hand toward him, voice rising defensively. She made sure it softened a bit so the conversation remained between them as she went on. "That’s the fastest way to get me killed without you having to lift a finger. And, assuming you weren’t thinking along those lines, it gets you what? Amusement?" He probably was just using her for entertainment. That was alright, plenty of people had done it before, but she wished he’d be less obnoxious about it. She really liked keeping her business to herself. "Anyone with any sense would be on the run right now."
She shook her head, reconsidering her choices. Even for her, letting an assassin hang around was crazy. If he hadn’t gotten to know her face in the first place he’d consider Libby just another girl in the crowd and she wouldn’t have to worry about her sister becoming a target. She couldn’t help but imagine how her brother would approach the situation. He would take out the assassin here and now, regardless of the catastrophe it might cause.
Then again, her brother would never be in this situation. He wouldn’t have come to a stupid party like this. Hell he probably wouldn’t have even let a twin live. He never saw what could be a strength in the future, only the weaknesses he had in the present. Mikaela, on the other hand, saw Libby’s identical appearance as a chance for plausible deniability she’d be foolish to waste. A little extra work maintaining their relationship was well worth the reward.
Mikaela hesitated before going on speaking. She’d already jumped into action too quickly and gotten a negative result. She should really think her options out now, especially considering the potential danger around her. She could text Libby to go home and just duck out. But having Touri there for the explosion wouldn’t be too bad.
The ‘friend’ she’d spotted was smarter than most of her old targets. He’d always been the type to think out a plan rather than charge in fists first. In fact, he usually avoided physical combat. He was more suited to hacking and spying, which is why he’d been the perfect person to get information out of. She had no doubt he’d seen her, but he wouldn’t draw attention to them inside where there were limited exits. He’d wait until they got outside. Based on size alone he probably wouldn’t challenge Touri, which meant she’d be much safer keeping him close as a buffer.
Like a child that wanted to be right but didn't have enough evidence to defend her case, she placed a hand on her hip and spoke indignantly. "I’ll have you know I’m not running from anyone. Thanks to your overreaction I’m probably running toward him." It was a petty clarification, but she wasn’t sure she wanted Touri thinking her actions were planned out. "And if you want to find out who you’ll have to come, cat ears or no!" she added glibly. A crimson gaze fixed on him with a mischievous smile, begging him to play along and forget about the original demand she had no intention of meeting. "It’ll be fun."
only in darkness can we truly forget what we were meant to be
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a new deal?
The fastest way to get her killed. Ah right, the people who didn’t like cats in the alley. More specifically her alleged ex. Daichi felt his suspicion darken. An ex that seemed to be everywhere coupled with a reluctance to show that she was indeed a nekomata. Additionally, a liar stood before him. It was safe to assume that there was far more to this than she was letting on.
Maybe it was a gang affiliation instead and had that been the case his mindless teasing would be the cause of her death. A valid and logical assumption. One that he was still going to promptly ignore of course. The real question brimming just beneath the surface was why Ruby would hang around in a town so teaming with unfriendly faces.
But he was already set on a new prize.
“I never had much sense and, apparently, neither do you,” he retorted, never once taking his sage-hued gaze off of her. If he did, she might just slip between his fingers.
Daichi wasn’t one to hold grudges for stupid things or stupid people but once he found someone interesting, he found it incredibly hard to let go. Put quite simply, Ruby had him hooked. A morbid fascination of why someone clearly so preserved on avoiding bad situations continued to place themselves in said situations. He didn’t let his enthusiasm show however, just like with the knife. This was a woman that he should be cautious around.
Cautious and yet here he was, about to play a card that might give her a new bargaining chip.
“Eh, I don’t think the who matters anymore. Clearly you aren’t going to show me your cat ears because you’ve got some crazy gang chasing you and I’ve had enough drama for one day thanks,” he kept his words sounding dismissive and bored but Daichi knew his next request would betray his actual interest, “I’ll tell you what. Since I’d love to avoid you for the rest of my residency in Lorsette, my price is your real name. First and last. In return I’ll be your pretend boyfriend for the evening and help you shake your stalker.”
This was sounding a bit like a romantic comedy gone wrong but Daichi was hoping she would take the bait. He briefly wondered if the fact that she had offered up his knife meant it was on her or if she was simply yanking his chain. Daichi studied her pale features, framed by darkened locks and some purple headpiece for her flapper costume. A strange yet tasteful choice.
Had she put thought into this? Had she come here for actual fun? That would also mean that she’d come here with people. But this he also doubted.
Nekomata couldn’t be trusted, especially not this one. The compulsive lies had gotten Daichi into many a questionable situation before he accepted this truth. Most of his dealings with them were brief and typically involved deliveries only. One last tour around those ruby-hued irises told Daichi he better be careful.
Naturally, he ignored this instinct and, in a display of feigned affection, reached out with his non dominant hand and gave her a few pats on her head.
“What’ll it be Kanojo?” he rescinded his hand, grinning like a fox as he waited for either the explosion or her acceptance of his seemingly simple terms.
MADE BY ★MEULK OF GS
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A rueful chuckle broke from her lips. "No sense, huh?" she raised an eyebrow, crimson eyes sparkling in the dim lights. Anyone trying to sell her that lie was cunning enough to be a fun playmate.
Mikaela pursed her lips as he went on. She couldn’t see any way he was being honest. He was too bored, especially to be offering up a deal that so clearly painted him as interested. She’d be blind not to see he was playing some angle. She doubted any childish plan he’d come up with could put her in too much danger, but she didn’t like being herded into anything. Besides, he acted cold enough that she shouldn’t let down her guard against him.
"I think..." she muttered, but her words were a bit too muffled by the crowd and the wolf was already reaching out for something. She tracked his hand as far as she could before it landed on her head in what seemed like a mockingly affectionate action. She let out a cat-like hiss and snapped his hand out of the air with a tight grip as he tried to pull it away. She held it in place, allowing a calculating gaze to pick up on the familiar mark on his palm quickly. "Messy work." she huffed, lightly tracing the forming scar with her finger. It wasn’t really her fault. He’d given her a new knife she’d never used before and she hadn’t been completely sober. Besides, he’d probably expected her to cut an entire finger off. Still, she was disappointed in herself. Her father wouldn’t have accepted these results when she'd been trying to do as little damage as possible.
Her eyes flickered up to Touri’s face, committing each curve to memory. She wouldn’t be caught off guard by a silly pair of sunglasses again. Realizing that she’d stared for a bit too long she suddenly dropped his hand and took a step back. She shouldn’t let herself get distracted from what was important. Something about his presence seemed to be throwing her off. It was silly to let him get under her skin.
"You know, you're a bad liar." she declared, lifting her chin in a haughty movement. It was better he saw her as an arrogant child than a starstruck fool. Despite an odd feeling of inhibition fluttering in her stomach, she forged on. "And I think you’ve got plenty of sense. Or, you at least have enough sense to know getting involved with a persistent liar is bad business. And enough to know that if you want to avoid someone, dedicating an evening to them isn’t the best course of action." She hesitated, allowing herself a moment too long to psych herself out as her vision trailed across the crowd. They were all fools and yet they were all vitally dangerous.
She lifted a hand to her temple, suddenly worn by this conversation. Why had she come to this stupid party in the first place? The incessant beat of the music and the chattering of people around them was beginning to get on her nerves. She continued on brusquely before he had a chance to interrupt her string of conversation. "Although I have noticed that common sense isn't quite so common this side of the ocean." she waved a hand dismissively, failing to resist a smile. "If you had a drop of common sense you’d realize you’ve met your match and already lost the game. You’re just lucky I’m not one for hurting others meaninglessly."
Her smile faded, replaced by a cool sort of thinking that sent her back to the miniature wars she’d fought throughout her childhood. "Then again, I could. You must understand, a fool who plays with assassins doesn’t live half as long as I have. I’m no fool, and beating assassins is really easy once you know how they work. You’re all quite like vespe. Wasps. If you kill one or strike a blow to their center, all their friends come after you. It’s a really predictable set up when you've spent as much time in their world as I have." At this point any trace of light was absent from her expression, replaced with the calculated thoughtfulness of a chess player trying to decide how to arrange her pieces to assure a win. That was, after all, what she was doing. In that moment she didn't see people or their feelings. She just saw the pieces and how they'd interact with each other.
She was completely bluffing, but that fact would only come to light if he called her on it. She just needed a threat harsh enough that he wouldn’t be able to risk calling her on it, and she suspected she had one lined up. Unless he was some sort of freelance killer. If that was the case she was probably just embarrassing herself.
Her next words were laced with a steely confidence that left little room for questioning. A trap was no good if the person setting it didn’t have faith in it. "Considering the fact that you left me alive the other night there are only really two guilds you could belong to. I’m on the blacklist for the others. I have plenty of contacts within both of those guilds. With just a couple of lies, I could bury you in scrutiny from your higher-ups. I think you know I could do it too. I am a good liar. I’m sure there aren’t many other assassins with such long black hair, and if there are they’ll just have to be dragged down too."
A layer of coolness faded from her chest as she finished speaking. Acting so callous was too exhausting to bother with for longer than necessary. Instead, she beamed brightly up at him. Now she could shift the deal from whatever he thought he’d been planning and put it back on her terms. "What do you say we up the ante? The other deal still stands. I'll give you my name and you'll pretend you're my date for the evening. I'd just like to add that you'll tell me what you're doing at this ridiculous party and agree to spar with me and in return I'll agree not to sabotage your life."
only in darkness can we truly forget what we were meant to be
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Dai: aww how cute
Surprisingly, enough Ruby snatched his hand, tracing the scar she’d created with his still-kidnapped knife. If being around actual cats had told him anything, moving his hand now would leave it forfeit to a good bite. He nearly chuckled at the idea but somehow maintained his neutral composure though a slight twitch at the corner of his mouth had to be quickly quelled.
“Very,” he agreed solemnly as he rested his hand from her grips then in a sharp tone added, “most people would’ve just actually stabbed me,” but Ruby was already on about something else, specifically more words meant to cramp an egotistical person’s confidence.
Daichi only watched and waited, as was his strategy for most things. Mostly out of laziness.
Wasps? The Black Order was quite the opposite. Nobody would care if he died. Nobody except Anzu of course. He didn’t entertain any further ideas about her trajectory of bloodshed if such an event would occur. Or maybe the pair had spent enough time apart that she realized she liked it better without him around? Either way he was due a death or two considering how many he’d dealt out over the centuries.
Still he remained in silence as she relayed the next step in her faulty logic.
Was she… trying to blackmail him? For a moment Daichi stood still, looking through the ultraviolet hues of his ridiculous sunglasses down at a woman perhaps a foot shorter than him. She was radiating a confident energy, a look of complete control over her delicate features.
At least she had one thing right: she was a pathological liar and he would be a fool to take anything she said at face value. It was a poor lead to her next set of dialogue though. Something about “you-shouldn’t-trust-me” paired with “let’s-make-a-deal” seemed incredibly counterproductive. But Daichi had seen the redundant fog of grayness that had shifted in over his life in Anzu’s absence.
Quite simply, killing people all the time had become boring. Yes, it was his job but it was the same thing, over and over again. This… game, no this risk was absolutely foolish. But as he gazed into those mocking Ruby cores staring so confidently back at him Daichi knew he was hooked. At least for the evening. He wanted this woman’s name and a dance with a liar seemed a fitting price.
The assassin briefly toyed with a few ideas until finally, he settled on one. After all, he was a good liar as well. Daichi forced an irritated look over his face (it wasn’t hard really given the situation).
“Are you stupid or something? Nonchalantly going to an assassin guild to give up dirt on one of the employees,” Daichi couldn’t help but laugh at the idea, “as if anyone would even care about your alleged dirt. But you do have a point. Sadly, I’m not known enough to be a freelancer so, in order to save you from your ridiculous ideas of getting murdered, we have a deal.”
It was confident enough to be believed but also riddled with holes. Ruby could pick apart whether or not he was telling the truth while he made his next move.
Daichi paused for a second as he considered the second stipulation. Sparring. Were they children with practice swords? He would never say no to a duel but he wouldn’t be using his full talents. She didn’t seem keen on killing him so there wouldn’t be too big a risk to let her think she won. Letting her know his true skill might make her even more interested in getting murdered by having a good old chat with the Black Order leader.
Stubborn, stupid woman.
“I hope you meant sparring with pool noodles. I’m overdue for a pool fight,” he replied sarcastically and, since the deal was on, swiftly put his arm around her shoulder.
While he was expecting another hard jab to his ribcage, Daichi wondered if she would refrain simply because of the stalker that prowled around them. Hopefully because the last one would likely leave a bruise.
In a further push of his luck, Daichi pulled Ruby closer to him and began to guide her towards the haunted house sign. He hated cheesy things like this but what better avenue to avoid a stalker than a tourist attraction full of spooky jump scares. Daichi gave her shoulder an enthusiastic squeeze with his hand.
“Alright love let’s get this over with,” he was grinning despite the storm that was about to be unleashed upon him. Truly though when was the last time he’d had anything resembling a “date”? Decades ago, maybe. Possibly at least a century. Anzu made these sorts of things difficult and, quite frankly, he’d had no interest in that sort of thing.
MADE BY ★MEULK OF GS
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