♡

If he was going to make such a fuss about it she'd give his sword back. Honestly, it was childish to throw a tantrum over something so small. She'd give it back to him and then disarm him so it came back to her true strengths. Fortunately, he offered a quicker alternative before she could open her big mouth and give him another advantage.

He went about making his offer in a display she'd never be so foolish as to mimic. The line between truth and lies, where words twisted the world to your every whim, was her actual home turf. His offer seemed plain enough, but there was too much talking. He'd spoken with an eloquence from the beginning, but she had to wonder if it was covering for something else.

She didn't know for sure, but she wanted to test her theory that he was killing time before they got into an actual fight. What reason could he have for dragging out words? It wasn't like he wanted to avoid conflict as he'd claimed before. "Sir, with all due respect, I was going to keep the blade either way." she said, playing along for a moment. She placed the blade at the base of the tombstone and stepped away from it, into his line of fire. Somehow she didn't think he'd shoot just yet. That would be awfully rude and she was pretty sure he wanted to keep her alive so they could keep playing.

"You know, you lied to me already and I think you're lying to me again." she observed. Would he care about lying? If he was like her she doubted it, but she wanted to test him in her true domain a bit before they got back to their performance. "You're not a musician, you're a poet. They're very similar, but there's a fine line between the two. You talk in pretty words, but music is more elaborate. It's more like a lie. It takes quick planning and an understanding of how the pieces fall into place. You just don't seem to have that."

♡

As the reanimated zombies continued to come at her, her real attention remained fixed on the reaper in charge. She continued her smooth dance, of course, trickling in and out of the mass of bodies like blood. The blade moved where it had to, but she made sure to strike with the flat side of the blade rather than either of the edges. She had no interest in killing, even those who were already dead. It would be such a pity to cut them up any more than they actually were, and this was a good exercise for balancing her enhanced speed. She could have moved faster, but she didn't want Salem to know that. Her true limits were none of his business.

"Ooooh sounds scary" she mused in a sing song voice. "Tell me, are you so flattering to all ladies, or did I just happen to catch your eye?" She lost a moment as she cast a glance towards him and one of the corpses got a bit too close, scratching at her skin and tearing through to the first bit of crimson in this potentially endless fight.

If blood had been drawn it was about time to change the game. She covered the field with a dense darkness and with a few careful steps she made it over a particularly large branch of a fallen tree, putting her a few feet further from Salem. She knew it wouldn't buy her much time, but it was enough to pull the jacket tight over her shoulder and cover the red drip. She hated leaving her blood lying around and she doubted she'd have the time to pay attention to the open wound. All at once, she dropped the shadows she'd placed on the battle field. It was a cheap trick and one she could use with a much more delicate grace if she wanted to. She got the feeling her new friend would much rather see that.

"You know, your arrogance isn't worth much if you aren't willing to put yourself in the way of the impact. These dolls are-" her words were cut off as she dipped under an extended limb but she didn't loose track of what she was saying. "Pretty, but they'll get boring after a while"

♡

There was a shift in the man across from her into a plane of seriousness that excited the adrenaline-seeking addict inside her. That promise of danger she'd given up on a moment ago returned. He was planning something and the tension built in her as he formed pretty words meant to distract from whatever he was setting up.

He stepped aside to reveal the army he'd amassed behind him and an unintentional smile twisted her lips. She returned her attention to him, waiting for him to explain the rules of his game as much as he wanted before jumping in. He'd set the stage for a death scene and offered her the leading role. From his position in the director's box, he was in no danger whatsoever. It was exactly the type of thing she'd set up for someone else. He was even taking notes on her performance.

Her smile faded as she considered whether to take up the gauntlet. She had only come here in the first place because she was bored, but a gamble was only fun is both sides ran the risk of losing something. Since that wasn't the case here, she'd just have to raise the stakes for both of them. "Very well," she said, bringing her etiquette lessons back as she curtseyed to begin her performance. He controlled death and in a stadium like this it gave him a bit too much of an advantage, but the only thing more plentiful in this graveyard than corpses were shadows and that was her domain. His first mistake was starting this fight without testing her own abilities.

She felt them pooling on the ground around her, clustered around the crumbling headstones Salem seemed to so despise. With a careful touch, she forced movement a few stones down within Salem's view. "If you get your army, I get mine." He wanted a show and she'd give it to him. Shadows continued to move behind her in planned motions. She brought them to a halt as she approached Salem's army, a cool confidence in her posture. She paused directly in front of him, letting her hair flip over her shoulder as she turned to face him. "I won't force you to bother with them, though. Not unless you make it necessary."

She wasn't sure he'd fall for it, but it should be enough of a risk to keep him from cheating at the very least. Her hand reached into her thin jacket, pulling out one of her favorite knives. She made a point to draw it a bit too close to his skin before continuing forward toward the army. She didn't intend to truly fight. As she'd hinted at before, she did respect the dead. Cutting them up would be rude. But this would be a wasted opportunity if she didn't play at all.

♡

Salem. She didn't recognize the name, which was probably for the better. She brushed it aside. She really didn't like names. Unless she was looking at a target they were useless to her, and she'd long since retired from that life.

He went on talking, words picked with a sort of eloquence that was rare in the modern age. If they were speaking Italian she might be able to pick up on the difference in speech patterns and estimate how old he was, but she had no such advantage speaking English.

"Not all who are deceased are unfortunate." she said as he walked closer. She scanned his face, looking for any minute details that could tell her more about him. She hoped her words were true. After all, she was the reason plenty of people had crossed to the other side of life.

"I'm Mikaela, a pleasure to meet you." she relented, falling back on polite words. Such frillyness was bothersome at most, but the man seemed like the type that would appreciate it and she didn't want to come off as rude. At least, not until she knew who he was and what he really wanted. She had plenty of fake names she could have supplemented, but something told her he wasn't in a line of business that could get her in trouble. Otherwise he wouldn't bother trying to throw him off his track with such obvious reasons he wasn't a threat. Besides, a 'wandering requiem artisan' was a bit too unique to be made up.

Her gaze trailed across his frame, casually leaned against a gravestone as it was. It might just be true that he was even more comfortable with death than her. "What brings you to a place like this? Did you know anyone here?" She doubted that was the case. It was too late for silly sentimental mourners to be dropping by. His purpose was probably darker.

♡

It was dark in the outskirts of Lorsette. A layer of fog had settled across the cemetery, shattering the light of the stars twinkling above long before they reached far enough to guide Mikaela's path. She didn't need them to see. She didn't like the dark and the fog felt oppressive, but she's learned to push aside such irrational fears long ago. It was the stillness of the night that dug beneath her skin, tightening around her stomach like a slimy snake.

It was a bad night to be out and about, but no matter how much Mikaela tried she couldn't stand the thought of staying inside. Sleep had long since evaded her and pacing around her apartment had gotten boring. There was nothing worse than boredom. She'd rather wander a spooky cemetery in the middle of the night. In fact, as she stalked through the rows of headstones, footsteps as silent as the night around her, she felt like a phantom passing through.

There was nothing here for her to change. There was nothing for her to do but observe the hollow names of people who had come before. Rachel Larson. Zachary Wicks. Lily Thorne. The actual names had little meaning to her beyond the letters written in stone. She rarely bothered with names when people were alive, but there was something haunting about seeing them like this. Each name belonged to what had once been a real person, but all that remained was the tiniest echo as proof that they'd existed. If some of these names had been made up no one would be able to tell the difference.

Sofia Lye. The name caught Mikaela's attention and she paused in front of the simple headstone. It was an old one. She'd wandered deeper into the cemetery than she'd thought, past all the newer, fancier, cleaner markers into what remained of people that had truly been forgotten long ago. Sofia Lye. A beloved mother and sister. She must have been a relative. Then again, Mikaela had never really considered her blood in Canada to be real family. They'd abandoned her to her life, so they held no sway over her now. As silently as before, she continued her silent procession down the line of headstones, doing her best not to upset the disturbing balance of the eerie night.

♡

“As stupid as handing an assassin a knife at the end of a particularly boring game of truth or dare?” she challenged. “I’ve gotten away with far stupider things if you really want to test me.” The arrogance in the statement was undercut by something resembling regret. Even when she did outrageous things that should get her killed the world seemed to give her a second chance. It was no fun.

Touri’s easy acceptance of her updated deal felt wrong. He was really still the one with all the power in this conversation. He could make her life a living hell just as easily as he could slit her throat and walk away. All he’d have to do was draw attention to them, which she really didn’t think he’d have any trouble with, obnoxious as he was. He was a fool to agree to anything she asked, especially in return for something as simple as a name. Unless he wanted to confirm she was his target. As quickly as the thought came she brushed it aside. She had too many names for something like that to hold any weight. Still, he’d stumbled across her one too many times for it to be random. He was up to something and she shouldn’t let her guard down too much.

She silently reviewed her stipulations. They were the best she could think of that didn’t reveal too much suspicion. Knowledge of why he was at such a stupid event would be valuable enough, but sparring would give her a truer understanding of his motivations than words ever could. He had to be after something and she’d rather let him take it than put up with his nonsense much longer. There were more openings in a fight than a conversation.

Before she could go so far as to plan out the rest of their conversation and fill it with pointed jabs that might break his mask, a log of an arm was draped over her shoulder, forcing her closer. Returning to an innocent role, she looked up at him with a beaming smile. As though she could actually appreciate his presence.

Out of the corner of her eye, Mikaela caught sight of a sign indicating where he was steering her. “A haunted house?” she asked, wrinkling her nose. She’d rather avoid such attractions, but she saw this as an opportunity to get under his skin. “Are you hoping I’ll get scared and cry for you to protect me?” Bright eyes sparkled up at him, hinting at the laughter she tried to suppress. “Aw, Touri! You’re even more of a heroic than I thought. Well don’t worry! Just for you I’ll play the role of a damsel in distress.”

♡

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."