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 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?”
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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.”
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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.
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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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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.
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@calliope
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papa Daichi
Satisfied that he had escaped the exuberant woman, Daichi began to chart the fastest course to his motorcycle to get the heck out of here. But, much like a lost puppy, the woman began to trot after him. Surprisingly enough burning her fingers hadn’t seemed to dull her spirits at all. He wasn’t sure if he should be impressed or concerned.
Sighing, he turned around to face her with a sharp expression as his face tightened with the strain of being polite enough not to make her cry.
“No, see I don’t think you get what’s happening here,” the assassin led but a thin sliver of moisture on his arm coupled with the girl’s squeak stopped him dead.
It wasn’t supposed to rain today! He glowered internally at the development: it would be stupid to ride his bike in the rain, even just a tiny way over to go to his apartment. Had some cruel twist of fate trapped him here?
Well, he figured he had bad karma coming his way eventually but he had hoped it would’ve been in the form of a battle. This was something he was ill prepared for.
“Are you…. alright?” Daichi’s eyebrow quirked, fine droplets falling around them just not quite frequent enough to be unpleasant yet. With the realization of how stupid it was to ask he moved directly to a different line of conversation, “let’s head back to the noodle place then. Come on, it’s this way.”
Daichi Takeshi. Renowned Black Order Assassin. Murderer, expert knife wielder, well versed in poisons and their administrations… babysitting. Anzu would be in hysterics right now. Well, if nothing else he could just ditch her once the rain stopped and she was well fed.
“Just what the heck is your name anyways?” he didn’t want to know but at this point it couldn’t hurt to grab it to avoid her in the future.
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He didn’t know what the word meant but he could imagine it was something demeaning, especially after he’d tried to do the same to her. Daichi shrugged, still leaning against the bar as she insisted her question wasn’t the real question. Arguing with a woman so intent on a course seemed impossible and so he simply watched her with a smoldering gaze.
Where was she going with this? Really. Then, in a complete violation of her earlier ‘no knives’ stipulation the world’s dullest blade was procured and placed directly next to him. The assassin didn’t mind this transgression; knives always did make a game more exciting. No what struck a discord within him were two words: prove it.
Was she insane? Goading on someone dangerous like himself. Ruby had skirted the alleyways claiming she wanted to live and yet here she was offering a knife to an assassin. If she wanted to be intimidated then fine.
Daichi reached out, grabbing Ruby just underneath the jaw so that she wouldn’t bite her tongue with the impact. He slammed her back-first into the glass shelves behind the bar. One broke on impact, sending its contents crashing to the ground in a cacophony of breaking glass and spilling liquids. His free hand grabbed his extra blade, stopping right against her throat.
“What makes you think you’re worthy enough for my proof?” he growled, “So far all I see before me is a stupid woman who thinks challenging a dangerous stranger with a knife to a pissing contest is a good idea.”
Daichi pressed the blade tight enough to draw a scant amount of blood, a reminder of things.
“Maybe I do care more than I should. Maybe I don’t but, fortunately for you, you don’t get to be stupid enough to find out tonight,” Daichi shoved her to the side, pocketing the knife, “I don’t kill for free. Next time you want to get dead, you better pay me first.”
Glass crunched beneath his foot as he headed out of the bar, somehow feeling his age for once.
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Daichi scowled at her superficial answer but said nothing. He’d avoided her question in almost the same manner so there was no sense in splitting hairs about it. Her response pretty much told him that she didn’t want to talk about the real reason. Again, the conversation went back to her alleged boyfriend and his supposed hero complex.
The assassin had only asked to stir the pot. Clearly, she should know that. How could he possibly care about anyone other than Anzu? It was an absurd idea.
“You didn’t specify the nature of the questions but since you seem so bothered by it, I’ll pick a different one,” he set the glass down, “and you can insist I have a hero complex all you want. Whatever fantasy you’re into I guess.”
He tapped the counter for a minute, deciding whether or not his next request should be sarcastic or just plain demeaning. At this point he had most of the immediate information to profile this woman. She was a common criminal seeking a new life. Whether that was by choice however was unknown. One sibling, likely no parents.
Whatever interests he’d held before were somewhat muted now. Ruby just wasting his time at this point if she was going to dismiss his questions.
“Would you like it better if I gave you a dare?” sage-hued irises reflected his hubris as he made his way around the counter and picked up what was likely a snack bowl.
Daichi ran the bowl under an undetermined tap and placed it in front of Ruby. Maybe it was cruel but it was for the best if he made her angry. The assassin didn’t want her to think he was interested. The less associations he had, the better of he was. Lorsette wasn’t exactly a metropolis. He leaned against the bar, suddenly aware of how much taller he was than her. “I dare you to slurp this up without touching the bowl kitty cat,” his lips twisted into a smirk, “since I’m feeling generous i’ll let you choose whether or not you want to do it in human form or cat form. Since you supposedly like abusive men this should be right up your alley.”
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only in darkness can we truly forget what we were meant to be
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@tagged
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playing this card early XD
Had she listened to the information she was giving him? He wondered if maybe the liquor had kicked in. Ruby was far more than the alleged girlfriend of a rowdy drunk, no she clearly had the skill and history of someone involved in criminal activities. Probably some form of a gang if he had to guess.
He sat nursing his drink, soaking up each morsel of information and the way she suddenly had changed from confident to falling apart beneath the surface. When it was over, he simply watched her with a silent, knowing expression.
“I see you’re a real monster then,” his words were dry, followed by the slow sip of his drink, “maybe that’s why you spend time with that jerk at the bar… or why you let him hit you - don’t think I didn’t notice.”
Still, he left it at that because the next question she’d proposed was one he didn’t typically discuss with strangers. In truth he didn’t owe anything to this woman. Even if she had spilled her entire life story to him, he wasn’t obligated to tell her. Heck he could even lie if he wanted, spin a tale that was convincing enough for her.
Most people got tattoos simply to get them so it wouldn’t be unheard of. Daichi crossed his arms, pretending to think before offering up his reply.
“My tattoos… hmm,” he drew it out, calculating the best answer to a question with far too many loopholes, “since you didn't specify mean then i'll take that question to be the context of my tattoos as a whole. I’d say they serve as a reminder to me. Sometimes I forget myself so wearing my reminders works better.”
Technically it was an answer of what his tattoos meant to him seeing as she hadn’t specified what each one meant. It was personal enough that he hoped she would be satisfied but not enough that he felt he’d told her too much. Smirking, he polished off what was left of his drink.
“Alright, since you took away my knife there’s no sense in daring you to do anything anymore,” Daichi rolled his eyes before letting them rest once again on his drinking companion, “so then, Ruby. Why are you in Lorsette? Clearly with an accent like that this isn’t your hometown. Parents kick you out or something?”
He swirled the glass around in his hands as he waited, hoping he’d struck a nerve.
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Precision. Knowledge of the areas that wouldn’t do damage. Evaluation of the knife prior to use. A palm injury would be more cumbersome in the long run though, prompting the question of whether or not she had intended it that way. The entire time he sat disturbingly still, watching like he usually did in spider form.
Part of knowing how to kill people was, unfortunately, knowing about them.
He was left to ponder over her marriage comment as Ruby disappeared into a different room. With the increase in crimson pooling lightly on his palm Daichi briefly considered disinfecting it with a nearby alcohol bottle. Ruby returned before this plan could be followed out, placing a cheap medical kit before him.
The assassin eyed her before snapping the lid open and tending to his ‘wound’. Truthfully, he hadn’t expected her to actually stab him so he needed to reassess her motives.
“Wait, you could ask anything but you want to know about the music I listen to?” Daichi’s brow shot up, a mixture of curiosity with skepticism that mirrored the absurdity of the question, “what makes you think I even listen to music?”
Daichi slapped a crude tegaderm over the gauze on his hand; he’d deal with it later. If this were going to be the sort of girlish sleepover-esc game Ruby was turning it into, he’d need some alcohol for that. The jorogumo reached over, grabbed the nearest bottle, and (upon confirming it wasn’t vodka) poured himself a quick drink in the glass he’d emptied earlier. After a long, drawn out sip he finally responded.
“I guess you would call it classical here,” he replied dryly before adding, “maybe some j-rock on a good day.”
Clicking the first aid kit shut, he slid it back over to Ruby with the enthusiasm of a student at the end of a three hour lecture. The plastic scraped crudely across the stone.
“Since we’re sticking with truth, I’ll give you an easy one: how many people are dead because of you?” Daichi’s gaze was sharp, focused on Ruby so that even the slightest change in mannerism could be detected. It was a loaded question really and one that could be answered in so many different ways.
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Just like that, Daichi already had the means to destroy her. It prompted the question of weather or not she was truly sane. To invite a knife-wielding stranger to play a game in which she had little to no control over… well, that was stupid. What was more stupid was that he was going to play this game with her. It was, after all, just a game. He wasn’t bound by word or loyalty, these things meant relatively little to him these days.
No, this would be a perfect game.
“I’ll use my rules wisely then,” he smirked digging through his jacket.
Daichi’s fingers closed round the hilt of the knife he’d used on the man earlier. It wasn’t the standard pocket knife but rather a finely tailored blade reminiscent of his history. As such it was both sturdy and pointy, one of his favorites actually. With a determined poise he slapped the blade down before them with a metallic clink.
Sitting back, Daichi crossed his arms for a moment as he surveyed Ruby with a slightly devilish grin. There were several ways to test people like Ruby. Was she the kind of person that could empathize with others? Did she function normally or underneath that collected cat-like exterior was she simply just another tormented soul? All questions he wanted answers to.
But asking Ruby answers didn’t guarantee the truth.
“I dare you to stab my hand with that knife then,” the jorogumo leaned forward, placing his non dominant hand before her with the fingers spread out over the cold marble, “here’s my first rule. If you damage anything important beyond repair with my hand, you have to marry me and stay married to me for at least a year. Also, before you say it’s illegal, it’s not. I give you my full permission to stab me… just this once of course.”
He lifted his eyes up, a glint of darkness lingering behind them. Would she take the bait? She’d have to go directly against her own rules if she didn’t.
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What had he expected? Especially from a woman deriving from some form of nekoism. She almost looked like she was enjoying herself a bit too much but that was good, maybe at some point she’d let her guard down and give him some real information. Then, at the proposed idea of a game, Daichi wondered just what sort of rabbit hole he’d fallen into. The right kind of course.
“I have no way of knowing you’ll actually tell the truth, especially after that lie fest of yours,” Daichi paused, “but I think it’s safe to assume that since you answered so quickly this is a place you know someone from. Even lying can tell others the truth, kitten.”
Daichi locked his sage-hued eyes with hose deepened ruby rings, catching the level of intensity behind their silent landscape. Would he be wasting his time with Ruby? It wasn’t like he had anything better to do… no, this was exactly where he wanted to be. Games were usually Anzu’s thing but Daichi could play too and it seemed like Ruby wasn’t a stranger to these sorts of things.
“I love games,” he laughed and then grabbed the crimson-filled glass before drinking the contents in one fell swoop.
There was nothing save the taste of sugar and the harsh bite of the alcohol beneath, just the kind of drink Daichi despised. An individual’s taste in liquor was often an indicator of their personality but this wasn’t the case here. He wondered what prompted her to choose this one. Making a face, he slapped the now empty glass back down on the bar, prompting an empty clink of glass.
“Ladies first then. Since it was your idea i'll let you set the rules,” a pause, “unless you want to forgo any rules all together? I don’t feel like dying today but I guess today is as good a day as any. What'll it be Ruby?”
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maybe making him fondle the desk was a bad idea after all...
“Oh so you’re actually a bakeneko, huh,” he paused, taping the pen against the desk, “I think I like the idea of you being a yūrei better in that case.”
By the time he looked up she had already slipped out of the tiny room and into a much bigger room. Not wanting to lose sight of Ruby he released his grip on the pen so that it clattered onto the floor. The room that he stepped into next was… unexpected.
Dimmed lights, the glimmer of glasses against a darkened atmosphere that was married to the idea of fortune. He’d seen this setting a thousand times wearing different faces. This particular arena lacked the stale cigarette smoke that was the usual accompaniment to a place of this caliber. It was the promise of fortune that brought people here, the sacrifice of one’s wealth and guard.
His preferred hunting ground.
With a practiced motion, Ruby slipped behind the bar and began to rummage through it. He supposed breaking into a casino wasn’t the worst ways he could spend his night. As the glasses were set before him, she made a strange remark about poison. The corner of his mouth twitched at the idea but he gave no further tell that he found the idea of being poisoned amusing.
“If I asked you again if this place has any significance to you or if we broke into a random casino will you actually answer me this time?” he quirked an eyebrow skeptically in her direction, eying the crimson liquid that looked far too much like transmission fluid for him to even dream about drinking, “though I guess there’s nothing stopping you from lying to me...”
He sighed but nevertheless waited for an explanation, poising his hand over the glass but not touching anything. Truth be told he’d already erred in chucking the kiss wrapper and touching pen (among other desk items) but the idea of soliciting more answers from Ruby was far too enticing for him to resist playing a part.
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Instead of the angry beehive he’d expected to be pelted with, a strangely pleasant laughter echoed from Ruby. At first he was certain she had finally lost it. The, as she smoothed herself out, Ruby revealed her master plan; a well-placed jest. Daichi scowled but said nothing in response to her poor attempts to strip him down. Of course he didn’t care about anyone.
“Are you alright? Really, I think you must’ve hit your head or something,” though despite the words he shrugged and trailed after her.
The where part of their journey was unknown to him. In fact they’d already breached the alleyway and gone back on the street so ideally he should have left her by now.
Maybe it was the morbid fascination of someone who’d effortlessly poised a knife to his throat that kept him interested. It had been a long time since any of his targets had bothered. There was nothing like the thrill of knowing that it could all be over with the flick of a wrist. The will to survive, it was absolute… even in the dead.
By the time Daichi realized he’d retreated into his thoughts Ruby had pressed something into his palm. He flipped it over slowly to catch the shape of a foil wrapped chocolate. A smirk played across his face at the effort she’d gone through for a deal she’d never made.
“Thanks,” deft fingers unraveled the chocolate, tossing the rapper as he shoved it in his mouth. It was the crude second-rate over the counter stuff but he ate it anyways before leaning on the desk of what he presumed was a place she knew, “so, is this your thing? Breaking into random places after leading strangers through dark alleyways and pulling knives on them? If I didn’t know any better, I’d say you aren’t actually a nekomata but rather a yūrei come to lure me in as a midnight snack.”
He sighed, leaning over the counter to fiddle with the contents for anything useful. “You’ll be sorely disappointed if that’s the case,” Daichi’s fingers brushed a lose coin, marveling at the chill of it.
MADE BY ★MEULK OF GS
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With the pointed, sharp looks he was getting Daichi was fairly certain that some form of physical pain was headed his way. Hopefully she’d avoid the vital organs and his eyes. He’d hate to have to come back again as something ethereal. Or with more stipulations. Strangely enough she gave into the fairytale like situation and, of all things, instructed him to continue to cart her around. Was she trying to push his buttons? It was… kind of adorable.
“Who wouldn’t want to kiss a beautiful woman? Really Ruby,” he shook his head as he started their walk, failing to argue that there was no way she could’ve twisted her ankle badly enough.
He let the silence hang between them as he struggled to keep his face neutral despite the smirk lingering beneath. Maybe a century ago this sort of situation might’ve embarrassed him but now it was simply amusing. Daichi turned the corner to reveal unfamiliar territory but he found what he was looking for slightly nearby.
“Also my rescuing days are over,” he said dryly, making sure she was lined up just right before dropping her into a hedge of plush, well grown bushes. It wouldn’t do any real damage but the message would get across.
Grinning like a fox, he stepped back to enjoy the show. Whatever sort of violence that occurred afterwards would be far worth it. Daichi couldn’t help but laugh before digging his grave further.
“I’d like my kiss now princess,” he called, knowing full well what sort of fiery rage this might invoke.
Maybe it was a bit cruel but the way she’d tried to twist the situation with words before only made this small victory sweeter. Besides, it was just a bush, what damage could it actually do? He awaited his judgement patiently on the sidewalk.
MADE BY ★MEULK OF GS
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