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 2022
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.
With April, an activity check has arrived for members to do! Please post on the AC and tag all your accounts, including WIPs and OOC accounts. Failure to post on this AC will result in your accounts being marked inactive or deleted. Please note, due to a late start, the due date for this check has been adjusted for one time and one time only.
Daichi could feel his nerves grating as she brushed off his pointed attempt to get her gone. Right, this was Ruby he was dealing with. Of course, she could be persistent and stubborn. Poking the bear had only begot more misery. A point noted for the future should he ever have the misfortune to encounter her again.
Ruby weaved seamlessly through the bar’s anatomy as though it were a place she practically lived – a bad sign for him really. If one thing had kept him alive in his business, it had been several sets of rules he always followed. One such rule indicated that anyone stepping behind him was an immediate no. Especially Ruby.
He kept one eye on her as she plucked her glass up defiantly and headed towards the sink. The smallest move of muscles accompanied by a slight glint of porcelain skin sent red flags running through his mind.
The assassin whirled on one foot in a smooth motion, sending his hand out to counter the assault. It was a messy move but a calculated one. Daichi’s hand connected with her wrist but not before the blade bit into his forearm with a neat slice. He hissed through clenched teeth and stepped back, the motion sending his sunglasses flying from his face so that they clattered uselessly on the floor.
“Is that a shadow blade?” he did his best to sound both surprised and offended, which wasn’t very hard considering this was the second time Ruby had almost stabbed him. Maybe this was a theme with her.
Surprisingly enough the noise of the sunglasses skidding over tile had been entirely swallowed up by the lively din of the casino around them. Sheep oblivious to the wolves that prowled within. One of which, was apparently Ruby. What sane person drew a knife on a complete stranger? He knelt down to pick up his sunglasses, ignoring Ruby.
She could try and stab him again if she really wanted.
“Aw shit, the lens is broken,” not that he was truly saddened by that, “you owe me another pair Kitty and these weren’t cheap.”
Daichi tossed them at the nearest garbage bin, slightly irritated by her audacity. This woman was going to make this night incredibly difficult. He took a long, hard, unamused look at her while deciding what to do. It was almost like she’d stabbed him to prove a point… no, nobody was that ridiculous. Daichi let out a sigh, a true sigh, and grabbed the bar cleaning rag from the countertop.
“I need a smoke after that,” he grumbled, the actual truth, and tossed the rag at her, “here since you seem so keen on haunting my bar and trying to give me permanent spinal damage you can run the bar while I take a break.”
The assassin didn’t give her time to respond but brushed by abruptly, headed for the front entrance. At least here he could watch the casino guests enter. It might be easier to spot his target without being stabbed in the back by a crazy nekomata out for his blood.
Maybe he should’ve played it more like he’d seen very little knives in his life but Daichi had wanted to avoid making a scene. He’d muse over it with a smoke in hand.
MADE BY ★MEULK OF GS
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Had he struck a nerve or did this kitten suddenly bare its fangs? Daichi’s eyes were focused on Ruby in front of him but his periphery was tracking the floor. It seemed livelier today as if the world were already celebrating the elimination of his mark. They should really, this person was terrible. He stepped casually to the side, leaning down to give the appearance of checking a shelf.
“No gin? What is wrong with you people here,” he grumbled, genuinely offended by its absence as Daichi straightened back up again to see Ruby swirling her drink with a semi-threatening look across her already dangerous features.
Look at her, trying to lean into him like she wasn’t a short, temperamental nekomata with several unlisted problems. He couldn’t really see her as dangerous but Daichi had learned better than to make deals with her. In one swift motion he snatched the glass from her and downed the entire contents in two gulps then slammed it on the counter with a clink.
“Look, you’re done your drink. Now you can go do your job which, if my understanding is clear, is to actually watch the floor,” he said curtly, “and that might require you to face the floor instead of interrogating the bar tender.”
Daichi should’ve left it at that but for some reason, likely involving whatever mysterious Ruby-powers that had left him to not ignore her the last time, he felt as though he needed to drive this point home further. The nerve he’d hit was there and maybe one more drill would send her away for good. Even if she allegedly wouldn’t be leaving his bar anytime soon.
“As for Amery, kitten, you can mind your own business. She’s a grown woman making her own choices and I doubt she wants you pretending to be her mother behind her back,” he dug a little deeper, hoping that this would be close enough to hit home but not close enough to trigger her memory, “and don’t think your threats fell on deaf ears. Would you truly hurt someone just to prove a point? That would make you a monster you know. What if you got someone else killed? Could you live with it? Someone as vanilla as you, I doubt it.”
He shot her a convincing glare, left hand once again gripping the cleaning cloth for the bar.
“Now get the heck away from my bar, I’ve got customers to serve and your smoldering denial is scaring away all the fun,” Daichi snapped, hoping that the act would be enough to dissuade Ruby from further dialog. If this didn’t work, he might have to resort to more drastic measures but that involved showing his cards. Besides, his target hadn’t even showed up yet.
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A whole bunch of words and not a single answer. Infuriating but this was to be expected from the woman who’d been so protective of her name. Daichi forced himself to look a little bored at Ruby’s words whereas in reality he was simply devouring him.
An entire year free from Ruby and on one of the most important marks of the Black Order’s recent dealings she just pops up while pretending she doesn’t recognize him. Daichi was only half buying it.
Was he happy to see her? Violet tresses tossed against strong wind; those fiery centers focused on him as she released a pitiful cry for help. It had been a disappointment really and a reminder that this woman was not to be trusted. Not that he would ever trust anyone. He shifted against the bar, watching his drink go ignored. Shame, it was a good mix.
“Lady,” he started, pretending to be focused on minor organization of his bar, “you have problems. I’m just filling in here for a week or two and I don’t care about whatever drama you’re stirring up.”
Daichi released an audible sigh.
“Guess I’ll be walking home tonight,” a half-truth really.
He shot a look at the untouched drink and, with a shrug, grabbed it. Three quick swallows and it was gone, a lemon-lined aftertaste in his mouth. Not bad. In fact, he’d gotten really good at this drink-making thing. Well, drinks other than the traditional ones he was used to. Daichi began to clean the glass in the sink while keeping his attention on the door. Anytime now.
“Any reason why you’re sticking around? Some of us have a job to do,” he jabbed dryly at her, channeling his overall irritation at finding Mikaela Lye in his hunting grounds. She seemed mostly immune to his earlier insults and, from personal experience, he knew she was going to be hard to get rid of. Nekomata were truly infuriating.
Regardless, he decided to go for the jugular, resting his arms on the bar as he looked across at her. A sly smile spread across his face as he channeled his inner jerk. It wasn’t hard, that side of him had always been lying underneath but Daichi’s true nature was an uncaring and cold demeanor. This was red hot and significantly irritating to be wearing in general.
“Unless you want to get more personal,” he smirked haughtily at her, “Amery isn’t around after all.”
No sense in worrying about one’s soul when it no longer existed right? Daichi kept his expression still, focused on Ruby mixing a “drink” before him. Most women with faced with someone as annoying as his perceived personality would just leave.
Hopefully Ruby had a shred of common sense. Doubtful but he still held hope.
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Instead of Amery’s sing song voice spilling over to assault his ears, a much sharper tone snapped at him instead like the zesty bite of lemon hidden in a drink. Refreshing usually but in this case, it was more concerning. If Amery weren’t here then he’d have to actually watch out for the person in her position. Why wasn’t she on shift? He vaguely recalled the night before. There had been a lot of drinks involved, mostly to make her tired enough to stop talking.
As his mind readjusted to this new information, he quickly gave a healthy distance between them. At least this woman was logical enough not to draw attention to his faux pas. That would have made things a lot more annoying for sure. Though at the rate at which she was slinging insults he was certain this was going to be a difficult night.
Good, he liked a challenge.
When grumpy squared off in front of him, staring him down in a way that would make a murder proud, Daichi did the same. He didn’t startle when he realized who he had just embraced. Near centuries of training had ruined that instinct thankfully. But inside something akin to red hot panic flared – Mikaela Lye… Ruby. Here he thought he’d waltzed out of her life forever and now she was back to complicate things further.
There was something else beneath the surface of his thoughts, something he didn’t dare acknowledge. This wasn’t time for idle thoughts, this was time for business and Ruby was standing (literally) directly in his way. He didn’t drop his act for a second, not when it seemed she’d forgotten all about him. Good. It wasn’t like he’d been thinking about her at all anyways.
“Oh, you must be, uh, Sarah,” she most certainly was not and, in fact, he’d picked the most annoying person that Amery had mentioned, “sorry. I thought you were Amery but I should’ve known better. I thought that hug was kind of boney, less in the chest I guess.”
Perfect way to inflame a woman and get himself slapped. It was a stupid, vulgar strategy but he wasn’t playing a nice character here. Amery’s reputation for beautiful, mean, idiots was notorious of course. He shrugged as he headed back to the other side of the bar.
Wearing emotions that weren’t really his had been a lovely educational gift of Anzu and his upbringing as an assassin. Unlike his sister, the more he did it the more he hated it. Maybe it was a side effect of getting old or maybe he just simply hated dealing with people. Both viable possibilities.
“Where is Amery by the way?” he quirked an eyebrow, feigning interest as he set up a glass with ice, “did you stuff her in your locker on the way in? Don’t worry, I wouldn’t be mad. I just need to know if I need to get my own ride tonight, walking anywhere in this city is always a pain.”
Daichi quickly finished the drink he was making and slid it over the bar at her. A simple mint and lemon mojito, perfect for the queen of sour. Despite her lack of confidence in his drink-making skills he was actually quite good. A hobby of owning a fully stocked liquor cabinet and having too much time no doubt. He forced himself to hold her gaze as he waited for her to either storm off or pluck the glass from the bar top.
Only a fool would hang around after those insults after all.
MADE BY ★MEULK OF GS
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A loud, feminine laugh coupled with the subtle slide of gambling chips across a soft surface. Someone across the table coughed in response, likely the victim of the most recent play.
Daichi’s fingers moved deftly across the bar while holding a clean, white rag. Polishing the multitudes of germs around the bar was always a good way to survey the crowd without being too obvious. Sadly, he’d tamed his hair into a tight bun-like structure behind his head so hiding his face from others wasn’t happening. He did, however, sport-colored shades that kept out the gross neon lights illuminating the bar behind him.
Whomever did this job on a daily basis must’ve been incredibly bored. So far, it’d consisted of very little bartending and mostly making drinks for the hostess team to distribute to patrons. It was good that most people wouldn’t be remembering his face anytime soon though. He was midway through another evaluation of the floor when someone sauntered up to his bar, far too confident to be a customer.
Dark chestnut hair flashed against the light, signaling Daichi that his recent obligation had arrived. He doubted she would give him trouble tonight though. A little bit of incentive in her drink and she’d be out cold for the whole assassination if all went well. At best he could convince her to go home early, assuming the casino could find a quick replacement.
The sage-gazed assassin didn’t bother to listen to the person in front of him. Amery could really just talk forever. Daichi groaned internally at the thought of how long she’d chatted at him last night. Thankfully tonight would be different. He’d be sleeping in his own bed again.
The thought powered him into behaving in-character and he swept over to the other side of the bar with cat-like grace, a wide seemingly mischievous smile on his face as he approached the woman. Amery would leave him alone if he gave her a bit of affection to keep her through the shift and, considering the nature of tonight, it was better to do it sooner than later.
“I thought you said you wouldn’t be drinking tonight,” he laughed, practically scooping her up in his arms and pulling her close. He rested his chin on her dark locks before planting a light kiss on the nape of her neck.
Vanilla with a slight undertone of citrus filled his scents, unusual for Amery. Daichi gave her a squeeze, using the gesture to survey the floor once more. Almost time to kick this plan into action.
“Alright, what do you want then? I’ll make it quickly before anyone sees,” he began to pull away, thinking that this would be the best time to slip something into Amery’s drink, “I’m sure its going to be a long night with the crowd coming in today.”
Hopefully her replacement would be late. Less eyes on the floor meant more time for him to locate his target. Daichi kept his expression innocent, a slight smile of a genuinely friendly person. It was difficult of course; he hated these kinds of places. No indulgences here, how boring.
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Sharp, irritated words stabbed at him. Of course, she didn’t want validation from an assassin, the question had purely been for her own amusement… or something like that. Daichi stared at her as she nearly missed the ledge beneath her foot. Maybe he should let her drop to the pavement: a good hit to the head might make her more prone to forgetting what happened today.
Again, the self-delusion that she was a monster surfaced. Daichi didn’t have the energy to explain how subjective the word was. Ruby truly had guilt eating her up inside over something, didn’t she? He wondered what it would be like to feel those sorts of things. Years of violence had dulled him to anything of the sort.
Ruby was steady enough on the windowsill now to gaze back at him, those molten cores seemingly bearing down into his soul. It was unsettling and Daichi attributed it to the characteristic cat-eyes that many of her species had. Still unsettling.
What fiery torrent lay beneath that crimson gaze? Red was the color of blood, of pain, and life. Which of these did Ruby value the least? The most? Maybe his age-old superstitions were just bleeding through again. Daichi shifted, awaiting the next ridiculousness as she opened her mouth to say something.
But what came out was not another statement thick with denial but instead an entirely different woman. As he processed the words, they became sandpaper on skin. A flash of anger surged to his eyes before he quickly shut it down, resuming his sharp sage-hued gaze as he stood in the empty courtyard. Her words were quickly swallowed up by the breeze but eventually someone would hear them, someone would come.
Daichi stared at her for as long as he dared, her violet dress swaying in the breeze amidst pale skin and dark chestnut-hued locks. It was her eyes that drew him back in. Red, the color of blood. He could feel his braid swaying behind him in the breeze, tugged by the wind in a way that was basically telling him it was time to go.
“Suit yourself,” he said softly, just loud enough that she’d be able to pick it up, “get over yourself Ruby, there will be plenty more death in your future.”
He stepped behind a large hedge, as though about to walk away. It would block Ruby’s view of him enough that he could transform into his spider form. The change was quick, as it had been for years, and Daichi soon found himself skittering away through the safety of the greenery until he was far enough to change back into his human form without Ruby seeing.
While against his nature, he forced himself to look back at the silhouette of the burning mansion behind him. It would be a blessing if he never saw her again. There was already too much blood in his life.
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Ruby’s words echoed down at him as he brushed off the remnants of bush from his tacky Halloween costume but he promptly ignored her verbal jaunt. Despite his best attempts to avoid messing up his hair there would be a lengthy conditioning and brushing session later. Daichi pulled out a hair elastic and began to swiftly braid his hair. At least this way it’d be somewhat contained because it was far too windy out for anything else.
Perfect for feeding the flames of a fire.
Instead of taking the short, efficient route Ruby began to cat-climb down the old brick façade. He promptly finished tying off the end of his braid with the elastic while suppressing a groan. Women, why were they always so difficult? Sage eyes scanned the majestic building in front of him. Whatever was burning inside was burning far too swiftly to be the result of some drunken fool knocking over a candlestick.
More than anything, Daichi didn’t like things that seemed like coincidences. Especially given the strange “technological troubles” he’d had with his burner phone. He’d have to touch base with Anzu later – maybe she’d been making more enemies than usual. Then again, anyone who knew his lovely sister wouldn’t dare touch Daichi. Collateral from her violent nature he supposed.
Wait, was Ruby saying something important suddenly? He placed one impatient hand on his hip, wondering why she thought this was the time to discuss philosophy of sorts.
“Are you looking for validation from an assassin?” he quirked a brow, deciding that the office worker joke was no longer appropriate. He had killed a man right in front of her after all.
Imagine, validation from an assassin. It made him wonder if she really cared about the answer or if she was just filling space in the silence. Additionally, there was significantly less screaming than he predicted. Normally that was a good thing but in the setting of so intense a fire… what had gone on in the main party? Daichi would think on it later.
“Monster is a relative term really, something people who think they’re right and just throw around to judge others,” he said simply, a little louder so that the still-climbing Ruby could hear him, “but that’s not what you’re asking. You want me to judge you so that you don’t have to judge yourself. Alright, I’ll bite on this one.”
Daichi’s hand fell from his hips and he stole a glance at Ruby, still climbing, wondering if her cat-like reflexes would be enough to prevent her from falling should her foot not stand on a solid ledge. Violet fabric billowed in the wind, tossing her hair in her face most likely. While he told herself he wouldn’t catch her should she fall, Daichi did adjust his posture to accommodate a quick lunge.
“I know a few monsters and you’re sorely lacking in that category,” one of them being his sister of course. Sage-hued irises watched the slender form in front of him. It would be better if she could hurry it up a bit so they could leave before any authorities got here. Questions were annoying in general and he didn’t feel like sitting for hours on end stating he basically knew nothing.
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So many thoughts wrapped up into one stubborn, ruby-fueled proclamation.
Yes, he should feel bad. No, he shouldn’t apologize because it was offensive. Yes, his words didn’t mean anything. Yes, the English was offensive. The words practically landed on him from above, their weight something akin to a heavy child stuffed into unwilling arms. To be fair though, had he truly been sorry?
Not at all. He’d do it again in a heartbeat if it meant his superiors didn’t catch wind of the absolute failure that had gone on here.
“Ah, if I only I could have the privilege of burning in hell,” he said softly, mostly to himself but there was a chance that the stubborn woman might’ve heard him, “alright then, left topiary it is.”
Daichi didn’t need further invitation. He was going for the animal topiary for a few reasons though mostly because the other option seemed somehow denser and the thought of having to brush twig-induced snarls out of his hair before sleeping tonight was off putting.
Bushes were a wonderful cushion. For starters they were covered in leaves which were often soft enough to break a fall. While the branches were sharp, they were also flexible and at a distance such as this it would be almost impossible to do any harm. Not to mention that bushes were also-
THUNK.
He felt the sculpted front of the bush give away with a loud and non-reassuring snap. Daichi reached out just in time to grab a fistful of bush before he hit the actual cobblestone beneath. Once the initial feeling was over, he slowly lowered himself to the ground on the side of the bush, which apparently was a bush-tree combination. Once the assassin felt his feet touch the ground, he released his grips and set to brushing himself off.
“I’d highly recommend using the other one,” he called up to her playfully, “but don’t expect me to catch you or anything. I’m too busy burning in hell down here for politely apologizing to you.”
Were his words swallowed by the distance between him? In case they weren’t he offered a playful smile, trying to ignore the topiary beside him. It was difficult given that at one point it had been a giraffe and now its branch-neck hung at an odd, broken angle.
At least he could take solace that one murder tonight had gone smoothly.
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Of course I can climb… was her witty retort. Daichi snickered, glad that she’d fallen into his trap.
Despite the urgency of their situation, she seemed reluctant to step toward the ledge. He’d be a pretty poor date if he didn’t at least wait around for her to step out of the burning building. Maybe it was fear. Maybe it was reluctance because she though he’d kill her. Maybe she’d like that. No, she would like that.
What was wrong with this woman?
For a moment she disappeared inside, nothing but the slight violet hue from her dress sleeve hinting that she hadn’t left. Daichi was a patient man but this was a bit ridiculous. He was about to formulate another of his slap-winning sarcasms but the crack of fire behind her must’ve prompted Ruby to finally step out onto the windowsill.
“You really want to die, don’t you?” he called over the fire, glad for the cool night’s breeze.
Daichi didn’t wait for an answer as he placed both his hands a window ledge that could barely accommodate half his foot. He wanted to maintain the illusion that he too was subject to the laws of gravity and thus gingerly placed his foot below him. In about five motions he had already descended one floor to the ledge under. Two more and they could probably just safely jump into one of the nicer looking bushes.
Though he really didn’t want to have to comb twigs out of his hair for the rest of the night…
Ruby was somewhere above him but he was pretty confident that, should she slip, he could easily catch her before she fell too far. Fire cackled menacingly from the open window above them as though laughing. It sparked a distant memory.
Anzu standing among a smoldering back drop, her shadowy hair billowing against the heat it let off as she walked towards him. She hated fire, just as much as him, but the twisted darkness that had lined her soul seemed to want nothing more than to flirt with death. At first, he had been afraid of this new version of his sister but then… Daichi spared a brief glance at his fingertips, still gripping the ledge, and he was relieved to see that there was no hint of crimson.
“Sorry about your ex,” he stated loudly, his fingers working their way down another level as he maneuvered his foot on the ledge below, “I get carried away sometimes. You know, I did come here to do my office work but when I don’t get who I want my hands get a little twitchy. Office trigger finger.”
It was a poor apology but Daichi wouldn’t allow himself a full one. The man needed to go, for multiple reasons, and Daichi wasn’t sorry about the death merely he was sorry that Ruby had to witness it. Despite her chilly self-sufficient exterior, he had to wonder if there wasn’t a beating heart in there somewhere. Beneath many layers of… denial, stubbornness? The list could go on. Once he was safely on the second ledge down, Daichi scanned the garden for a bush that didn’t have the potential to rip his lovely costume ensemble.
“Which one?” he called up, indicating a plump circular bush and a tall slender one in the shape of some sort of animal. If Daichi didn’t know better he would think that maybe he was trying to make small talk with Ruby.
Well, it did make the night go by faster. The best part about this escape plan would be that now they had to deal with the hedge maze. Nothing about the estate was subtle either and, from what Daichi could see right now, it was a decent sized maze. He kept his expression mostly sarcastic despite the annoyance that still cooked inside him: This night had really turned to shit quick.
Maybe, just maybe, this was a side effect of being around Ruby.
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Keeping all my guys! Apologies for my inactivity; I've been focusing mainly on school but am very much interested in remaining a member here with characters.
Here's my keeping list: Daichi Takeshi - male @felicity - female @katya - female @graelish - male Xia Feng - female
code: @daichi - male @felicity - female @katya - female @graelish - male @xia - female
One careless kick later and Ruby’s late romance was closer to becoming a crispy addition to the flames so intent upon consuming the mansion.
Dai huffed. This was a bit of a mess, more so than it had been only seconds before. Fire consumed everything normally but for a jorogumo it was even worse. His instincts screamed for him to run, to phase into his tiny spider body and find a small crack to skitter out of. But there was a problem here, a problem supposedly named Mikaela Lye.
“Get me out of here”.
Get her out of here.
… did she really think he was trustworthy enough to follow through on that deal?
He scowled, grabbing the ridiculous shades off of his face and pitching them behind him. A new heat accosted his eyes, running the length of his fingertips so that he nearly recoiled backwards. This was spreading far too fast to be a normal fire which could only mean one thing to him. Either a guest had gone berserk – highly unlikely - or the Assembly was involved.
“You’re going to owe me big time kitty cat,” he said through clenched teeth, fighting every survival instinct wired into his brain as he stepped forward and grabbed her by the wrist.
There really was only one way out. To go forwards was impossible. Backwards would trap them in a basically windowless haunted house with only one exit that was likely compromised. Which meant, much to his dismay, that they would be taking the stylish and more dangerous way out. Daichi released his grip on her dainty wrist for just long enough to pick up a faux candelabra and tossed it at one of the grand, giant windows that made up this portion of the mansion.
Glass shattered followed by the echo of the sound of whatever cheap plastic the candelabra was made of hitting the floor. Daichi kicked out just enough class from the right side so that they wouldn’t get snagged climbing out onto the thin ledge in front of the windows. He peered outwards, noting that they were a good three floors up.
Thirty-three to forty feet? Not a jump even he would survive. Thankfully, he didn’t have to jump. Sage eyes combed the exterior, obsidian hair tossed by a charitable breeze.
Underneath lay a surprisingly untouched hedge maze that didn’t look like it had been part of the party. At the end was a large decorative iron gate and, as he was happy to note, their escape from the about to be toasted mansion. Daichi poked his head back in before offering Mikaela a serious expression.
“So, are you any good at climbing? If not, you might die here,” the last part was a joke. He’d carry her out if he had to. Daichi had a few tricks up his sleeve but even with a fiery death creeping closer he couldn’t help but try and provoke those expressive burning orbs towards something resembling anger or impatience.
The assassin kept one hand on the broken glass frame, his boot on the edge of the window as the breeze swept over him. Heights had always been something he enjoyed but this was probably because it was absolutely impossible for him to fall. Ruby didn’t know that though and he certainly wasn’t going to tell her. More fun that way.
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In reality Daichi had expected some back handed insult or at least a witty retort. What he hadn’t expected was the degree of readability she was emanating. Or maybe she was just really good at faking it? He watched almost dumbfounded as she refused to assist him in hiding the evidence.
Well… she had known the guy after all.
Sometimes it was easy to forget the bindings of a mortal existence. Eternity sort of eroded a lot of the personal things that one might consider human. Add to that death, shameless murder, and the whole existence he’d lived and Daichi supposed anyone might be oblivious to the feelings of others. Most importantly, it appeared Mikaela Lye actually did have feelings.
After the unpacking of what seemed like the entire contents of her mind, Daichi decided that it was best to address her concerns in order. Mostly because a swift cover up for this body would allow both of them to part ways much sooner without being discovered. He really did dislike changing to spider form in front of others. Tipping one’s cards too early was always a bad idea.
“Actually, thanks to you I might add, Enrico knew my identity and, again thanks to you, our association with one another,” his voice was calm and collected like a parent politely scolding a child, “plus, since you made it obviously clear that he couldn’t give me any information he was absolutely useless. No sense in letting someone with that kind of knowledge back into the world. I have an image to keep after all.”
The idea of him keeping an image was laughable at best but he continued to maintain his face for the next portion of their alleged conversation.
“No offense but you seem pretty terrible at fighting anything. The whole oh-please-kill-me act sort of gave you away. If I’m a dead man walking than you’re a death wish waiting to happen,” he adjusted his grip on the now-corpse of Enrico, “I hate to break it to you but if you hate yourself that much that you want someone to end it all for you then you’ve come to the wrong assassin.”
He shook his head. It didn’t really look like she was going to assist with this corpse moving at all. Not with that tantrum.
Actually, it was quite amusing. The way the crimson cores of her eyes bore into him and a sort of subtle stiffness to her lips. If he didn’t know any better, he’d say she looked kind of cute this way. It was one of his faults really. Pushing buttons was far too fun to resist.
Daichi hauled one half of the dead weight in his arms into the faux coffin and bent down to grab the other. The screaming upstairs had become somewhat of a racket but he hadn’t really noticed how much until the silence fell between them. Unfortunately, any time that might have been allowed to him to evaluate this had gone directly into taunting Ruby.
What didn’t escape his subtle senses was the sudden crack in the air. An acrid, familiar dryness that could mean only one thing: Fire. Headed straight for them actually. Instincts kicked in and Daichi dropped Enrico, gripping the first thing on Mikaela he could find. It was some purple, fluffy part of her wardrobe that was barely secure enough for the amount of force he yanked her back with.
The assassin let go, not really sure where the nekomata would land behind him but it was far enough that she didn’t fall within the line of fire that lit the ground just where she had been standing. His fingers instinctively reached into his pocket, drawing a different knife in defense before him. It would be a poor counter to any sort of magic of course but it was better than nothing.
Sage-hued centers tried to find the source of the attack but fell on an empty entrance hall instead. He hissed in distaste. What awful timing. Had the Black Order finally decided he wasn’t worth the trouble and sent someone to kill him? Or had Mikaela Lye been the real target here after all? So many questions without answers.
What a pain in the ass.
MADE BY ★MEULK OF GS
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It was a well-placed stab, perfectly executed so that the man before him only gurgled slightly before he died. Actually, judging on the delayed death, it had been kind of sloppy. Perhaps Mikaela Lye was to blame for that. He leaned down and wiped the blade clean on the man’s clothing without a care for Mikaela’s reaction. She had, after all, threatened to kill the man and – as she had so aptly demonstrated – she didn’t make threats lightly.
As Daichi stood up, sheathing the blade, Mikaela’s coarse accusations accosted his ear. Was that annoyance or had his unpredictable actions simply caught her off guard? It was clear that she was certainly practiced at keeping her true thoughts, at least in this case, to herself. Well, sort of.
“Don’t pretend that him being dead isn’t better for both of us. I’m assuming you never told him your real name and I certainly don’t want my… associates finding out I was walking freely in the open with someone known to have criminal ties,” a pause as he turned to stare directly into her, “that’s you by the way.”
Thankfully, aside from a few loud yells in the background, nobody seemed to be the wiser for the now-corpse lying in the hall. Daichi sighed. He hadn’t planned it out this far really. Now he’d be hiding a corpse as well. His eyes spotted a tacky coffin pressed against an adjacent wall, most likely cosmetic, but if the inside were hollow it would be an ironic yet fitting hiding place.
"Do you hate me so much that you'd kill a guy to bring our date to a close?"
The question was ridiculous, accompanied by doe-like eyes that could melt any cold exterior. Hate wasn’t something Daichi Takeshi was really capable of anymore. Logic and reason were his guiding principles. A life as an assassin guided by emotions would be a short existence.
Pursed lips, pouting, and a feigned attitude of unwantedness. It was part of the act, wasn’t it? Another game. Sadly, he wasn’t feeling this one.
“Yep, you’re despicable. You couldn’t even shoot me,” he shrugged, “guess I’ll have to find a new date for the night who knows how to load a gun. Now, if you’re done sulking let’s haul your ex into this coffin and get some cotton candy.”
He leaned down, getting ready to hoist the dead man before shooting a toothy grin in Mikaela’s direction. If this didn’t provoke her nothing would.
“I know you were dying to have some and talk about all our problems; we can start with this guy, I guess. Though he won’t be talking much anymore,” he pretend-mused out loud, sliding his hands under the man’s armpits while being mindful of the pooling blood. It’d leave a trail but hopefully everyone would just assume it was another Halloween decoration, “can you grab his legs or will you break a nail?”
More noise outside, what Daichi could only presume was hysterical laughing from a bad joke. This was a tedious night and, despite the amusement Ruby had brought him, he wanted nothing more than to waltz in his apartment and shut out the world. Even assassins preferred curling up on a cozy, quiet couch with a good movie. And no Mikaela Lye of course.
MADE BY ★MEULK OF GS
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