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Post by Aeryn on Jul 6, 2007 14:42:12 GMT -5
"...Oh." There came the faint tone of someone who just realized they were going to die and that there probably wasn't anything they could do about it. Aeryn was pretty good at that impression, because he'd heard it quite a few times in his life. Now he just had to ham it up with all the lamentation and what not and he might actually be able to get some sympathy from Kiri, or at least a reassurance that he wasn't the only business she had at a cemetery. The boy sighed and dropped the reins in his lap, looking up at the sky.
"I thought I'd live to be twenty, at least. I didn't really think that trying to help somebody out would wind up getting me killed, especially by an attractive woman. I don't suppose there's any way I could just hop off this thing and forget that I ever saw you kill that man?" He took a deep breath and exhaled, head tilted, one blue eye shining under the glare of countless stars. "Can you make it quick and painless, at least?"
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Kirithis
Novice
Shinma Hukumetsu
Posts: 62
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Post by Kirithis on Jul 6, 2007 15:11:42 GMT -5
A smile curled the corners of Kirithis's lips, and she tried to keep from laughing, making sure he couldn't see her smile. As the cemetary came into view, she was back to being all business, her smile faded. Would she be mean, or would she be nice? She hadn't really decided yet. Perhaps a mixture of both.
"I suppose I could let you live," she said, glancing back at him again. "On one condition: don't call me attractive." Her eyes returned to the front, and as they began to enter the cemetary, she added, quietly, "Besides, you're not the reason we're here."
The evidence that seemed to contradict this was the empty grave they approached. Kirithis stopped the horse here, the carriage stopping in suit. Dismounting, the Scorpion walked around to the carriage itself, opening the door. "...I knew it."
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Post by Aeryn on Jul 6, 2007 15:21:32 GMT -5
That was an odd compromise to be making, but he could live with it. After all, he didn't have to constantly tell her that she was good-looking to still be capable of ogling her from behind, studying those curves, lusting after them, having to remind himself what he was really here for. Aeryn hopped off of the coach a bit clumsily, glancing about. This would actually be quite the locale if he wanted to take her down now, but it was plenty convenient for her as well. Probably best to keep waiting on that.
"Deal." He seemed to loosen up now that he knew (or at least believed) that she wasn't going to kill him, though that didn't change the fact that he was still confused as to why they were out there. He didn't follow her to the carriage, not particularly wanting to see the necromancer's cargo. Although it was tempting to nose in, there seemed to be something personal about this whole fiasco and thus coming between whatever was in that carriage and Kiri was probably a bad idea. "What is it?"
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Kirithis
Novice
Shinma Hukumetsu
Posts: 62
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Post by Kirithis on Jul 6, 2007 15:47:35 GMT -5
Kirithis shifted her stance, reaching in the carriage to begin hauling out a crate. No, not a crate.. A makeshift coffin. A child-sized, makeshift coffin. Now, Kiri was not the strongest person in the world, but she knew how to lift, and how to transport heavy items. She ended up hauling it out by the rope handles, setting it on the ground and remaining bent over to catch her breath before she opened the latch and lifted the lid.
The bottom of the coffin was lined with hay and straw, and atop the hay and straw lay a boy who couldn't have been older than ten years old. His skin was fair, paler with death, and his hair was the same bright red as Kirithis's own. A Scorpion by blood, and obviously so. He wore a loose-fitting white nightgown, his hands placed over his heart. Kirithis stared inside for a long moment, and then closed her eyes, pinching the bridge of her nose.
"...it's my brother," she replied. When she opened her eyes, they were clear and unclouded by tears. She was not the crying type.
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Post by Aeryn on Jul 6, 2007 16:07:10 GMT -5
Curious, that. So this was a personal thing. In retrospect, the necromancer got off easy on the fact that the boy's sister was a professional, even when it came down to something like this; if it'd been Aeryn in her position, he would've made the bastard suffer. Kiri didn't seem phased at all by this, and it made him wonder if she'd come after her brother's body herself, or if she was merely sent by the clan because the kid was a Scorpion. Was this just another mission for her? Was she really that cold?
He wanted to say something, but couldn't think of the right words. It worked in favor of his disguise, because only people in fictional tales had the perfect thing to say for every situation. Instead, he resigned himself to stand idly by, hands in his pockets, not looking out of respect for her business. After a while, he thought of something suitable. "Do you want some help carrying him?" His voice was sincere, and after seeing her struggle with getting the coffin out of the carriage, she'd probably have a hard time maneuvering it to the grave.
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Kirithis
Novice
Shinma Hukumetsu
Posts: 62
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Post by Kirithis on Jul 6, 2007 16:31:32 GMT -5
"Yeah," She replied. While her face was an emotionless mask, her voice told otherwise. A light tremble ran through it, and she took a breath to try and calm herself. She couldn't show anything other than her emotionless mask, especially when her heart hurt so badly.. Kirithis pulled a small throwing knife from.. somewhere, maybe nowhere.. and placed it gently in her brother's hands.
Then, she stood, took another breath, and closed the lid, and relatched it. Her eyes flickered up to Aeryn's face, the crimson once again becoming cold, hard. "I trust I needn't stress the asbolute imperitance of how fragile this coffin is." In other words, Be careful with him, or I will rip out your throat with my bare hands.
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Post by Aeryn on Jul 6, 2007 16:46:59 GMT -5
"Of course not." Aeryn was a little stronger than he looked, being rather wiry and lithe. Still, if for some reason he did drop the coffin and got murdered, a part of him felt that he probably deserved it for deceiving her during a moment like this. How horrible of a person was he for offering help in carrying the coffin of her dead brother, only to keep up a ruse so that he could kill her later? Hm. It was easier not to think about it.
The youth moved into position, attempting to brush his hair out of his eyes and failing quite miserably. He grumbled cutely and crouched down to loop his hands through the rope handles on his side of the coffin, glancing up to her. "I've lost family before. I'll be careful. Promise." That was a straight-up lie, but a convincing one, as there was no reason for Aeryn, a simple boy who happened to be in the wrong place at the right time, to not tell the truth. Hopefully it'd build some trust with Kiri.
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Kirithis
Novice
Shinma Hukumetsu
Posts: 62
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Post by Kirithis on Jul 6, 2007 17:11:58 GMT -5
Kirithis took the other side, believing Aeryn for now at least. Whether or not she changed her mind later was anyone's guess. She began lifting, already shifting to the other side of the hole in the ground. She didn't have time to put Ain in the ground; not if she was going to do it without crying. Scorpions do not cry. They do not show weakness. Ever. Wheather she liked it or not, that was how it was.
She began to lower it, figuring that Aeryn would follow suit. If he didn't do it right this time.. Well, there wouldn't be a next time. Kirithis was not a vengeful person-- that was obvious from the way she had not destroyed the necromancer one body part at a time-- but she did not make threats lightly, and if Ain was not put into the ground carefully.. Aeryn would be better off just doing the job correctly.
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Post by Aeryn on Jul 6, 2007 17:25:15 GMT -5
There were no mishaps on his part. He'd helped with a few burials before, usually targets when he didn't have enough hired muscle to do it for him. Thankfully, none of those cold bodies had been children - he didn't have that in him. He wondered how such a young Scorpion could run afoul of a necromancer, but then again, most of their kind sold away their humanity a long time ago. The only problem they'd have with animating someone so young would be the small body.
With the coffin securely and safely in the ground, Aeryn got to his feet and absently brushed the dirt from his pants. He had no intention on making his move here... the air was far too somber. Sure, to him most lives were only worth as much as someone was willing to pay to see them snuffed out, but he wasn't that heartless. There was already enough death tonight. "I'll just... leave you alone for a minute." He brushed his hair back and padded over to the carriage, leaning against it so that Kiri could have whatever final moments she wanted with her brother.
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Kirithis
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Shinma Hukumetsu
Posts: 62
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Post by Kirithis on Jul 6, 2007 17:41:14 GMT -5
Kirithis nodded, watching him until he leaned against the carriage, before letting her eyes return to her brother's grave. She knelt, something that would have been forbidden in front of her superiors, and lifted a handful of dirt. Her lips moved, her voice sounded, but the language was foreign, one spoken only between Scorpions, and after a moment, the handful of dirt was thrown onto the coffin.
She stayed like that for a moment before she stood, and returned to the carriage. She leaned against it beside Aeryn, at a comfortable distance that said she had yet to truly trust him, and was quiet for another few moments, thinking. "..Thank you," she said eventually, voice soft, vulnerable, yet strong. She was fighting an emotional battle that she would win someday.
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Post by Aeryn on Jul 6, 2007 17:51:57 GMT -5
"Yeah, no problem." His response was short yet sincere, turning his head to cast her just the quickest of glances. Perhaps it wasn't a bad idea to leave murder off of tonight's agenda. Just forget exactly why he was here with this woman, and enjoy the fantasy of their situation being a real coincidence without alternative motives. Sure, if he got to know her things would just be harder the next day, but Aeryn was quite proficient at turning his conscience off when he wanted to.
"Do I get to go home now?" There was a playful sort of smile on his lips, though it was subdued in such a way that it didn't seem entirely inappropriate given the circumstances. "You're welcome to come with me, of course. I wouldn't have much to offer you except tea and a cozy seat, but sometimes, that's all you need."
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Kirithis
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Shinma Hukumetsu
Posts: 62
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Post by Kirithis on Jul 6, 2007 18:05:30 GMT -5
Was it a bad idea? Of course. Was that going to alter her decision? Probably not. Kirithis looked up at him blankly for a moment, as if showing any sign of emotion at all would cause her to break down. It probably would. She nodded once, offered a weak smile. Ain was okay now.. He was still dead, but he wasn't in the hands of a necromancer anymore. She would write home, and someone would come to cremate his body, and then no necromancers anywhere could hurt him.
"I don't think it's a good idea," she said, before she added, "But I've got no where else to go tonight, so it would be foolish for me to decline." She was in no state of mind to camp out; she'd burn down the wilderness around her by pure accident. She wet her lips, eyes flickering to the grave once more before she shut the carriage door.
"Where do you live?"
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Post by Aeryn on Jul 6, 2007 18:19:32 GMT -5
"Close to where we met. It's a small house, but a comfortable one." It'd been quite a while since he'd had guests that weren't the elderly couple next door. What would they have to say, he wondered, if they saw him with Kiri? That was a rather amusing thought. "You let me live, so the least I could do is offer you a bed for the night... if you want it. I usually sleep on the couch anyway."
Aeryn offered her another smile and pulled himself back into the carriage, looking forward to living out the rest of the night as a normal person with relatively normal company. In the morning... well, if no one saw them going in, he'd just have to get up a couple of hours early and that would be that. Not wanting to compromise his only safe haven, however, if the neighbors did take notice of Kiri, then it would just have to be another day. "Coming?"
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Kirithis
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Shinma Hukumetsu
Posts: 62
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Post by Kirithis on Jul 6, 2007 18:30:37 GMT -5
Kirithis nodded, and mounted the horse again. It would follow Aeryn's lead if the other knew how to direct it, but Kirithis refused to sit inside the carriage, and she wouldn't steer from the seat on the front. "Let's go."
[Time warp! WOOOO!]
When the carriage came to a stop, Kirithis dismounted easily. She eyed the house curiously, finding that Aeryn was at least honest as far as it being comfortable. It was small, only meant for one or two people, four tops, but it looked cozy and snug. Safe. Immediately, she made a note of the windows, the door, everything that she could see right off. If she needed an escape from the front of the house, she could remember where all of these exits were.
"Very cozy.."
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Post by Aeryn on Jul 6, 2007 18:48:31 GMT -5
"Thanks." The moonlight coming through the windows made it easy enough to start lighting the candles strategically placed throughout the living room, something he started on immediately. The abode was actually two stories, but extremely compact; it seemed almost like they built upwards simply because there wasn't enough room on the ground floor for a bedroom. There were a pair of chairs along with the aforementioned couch in their immediate area, surrounding a fireplace, leaving the small kitchen and a staircase as the only remaining features that fit on this level.
As the candles began to flicker to a life, a faint mewling could be heard, growing closer as tiny foot-falls carried down the stairs. The dimunitive creature was a jet-black feline with bright yellow eyes, which immediately took to curling around Aeryn's ankles and rubbing against his shins. "Ah. I guess I forgot to mention the woman in my life. This is Alicia." Apparently satisfied with the amount of light they had, he gave the cat a few scritches behind the ears before he head towards the kitchen. It seemed ready to follow him, but was drawn in by the stranger in their home, and now Alicia was drifting curiously towards Kiri.
"Don't worry, she doesn't bite or scratch. People, anyway. She used to tear up the furniture pretty bad." Although it was hard to see what he was doing in the cramped space of the kitchen, one could assume from the sounds that he was readying the wood stove as well as the water which he'd bring to boil on top of it. "Sit down wherever you'd like."
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