[Thunder]

Dirty places had dirty people. Although Sayashin would not describe herself as "dirty" (despite her occupation being an assassin), her current job was to track down some wrongdoer for a somewhat wealthy man back in Aldrect. The man had been robbed by a thief, stripped of several precious gems that were in his possession. It was Sayashin's duty to kill the robber and retrieve the gemstones, which the rich man had promised she could keep some to sell for money. It was a good deal. The work would be done quickly.

Not all her jobs were for justice, though. She had all sorts of clients in the past, ranging from nobles to crooks. If it was for good, or for bad, Sayashin didn't care one bit. All she wanted was the prize, so she could live.

Presently, she was dressed in a black cloak to mask her identity, wandering around the streets of the Slums, trying to find that thief... It was "a black-haired man," her client had said, "with a distinctive, X-shaped scar on his right eye." So far she was having no luck, but Sayashin was very patient. It would be done, yes, it would be done.

[Jaykobell]

Some places in the world were regular. They had nice houses, nice backyards, and nice families. Some places were regal. They had houses the size of castles, they had backyard as huge as a whole city, and they had some of the richest families in the world. And then some places were just downright vile and evil. They had barely no shelter, they had no backyard at all, and the concept of a family was ignored. It was the perfect example of the famous concept of 'survival.' Only the strongest, the most evil of them all, would get to survive in a place like this.

This sort of place was attractive to Senervel. It was so interesting to go from one place to another, to find that the first one differed so much from the second. Both places were in the same world, in the same era, with the same kind of people. Yet mentalities differed greatly, and so did their actions. Here in the Slums, killing was giving your neighbour an honest greeting... A poisoned greeting, that is.

He was walking in the dark alleys tonight, but he would occasionally step out of the darkness to blend in with the masses. After all, he had nothing to fear in a small place like this, despite the warnings he had received. Most of the thieves and killers of this place were only amateurs, little kids who played 'killer' and who thought they actually had the skills required to turn the game into a real job. Senervel had dropped the whole killer-for-hire concept, and he had dropped the kill-for-fun concept as well. Killing wasn't out the window for him, definitely not. But the more you do something, the sooner it will become dull, boring. Sen had had his fill of blood. He was satisfied at this point in time, and he didn't feel the need to kill to survive.

As he walked through the populace on the streets, he noticed this cloak person just a little ahead of him. The small stature told him the cloaked figure was a woman; but it might only mean that it was a child. But despite the identity, this coincidental meeting was interesting, and it made him grin slightly. He had seen a few styles in his day, but he still had countless to see and to learn about. This cloak could really mean one thing: whoever was hidden under it was an illegal one, lurking with the masses for a victim. While he didn't interact directly with the hidden figure, Sen stayed behind and observed the cloak carefully. What kind of adventure was this amateur from the Slums going to give him...?

[Thunder]

At the same time she was keeping an eye out for her target, Sayashin was also on the lookout for anyone who might be following her. It was something the thieves had told her to always do, no matter how safe a place may seem. There could always be someone trying to track you down, in an attempt to get revenge for what you did to them. Murder wasn't quite legal, after all, and Sayashin was sure that there were probably one or two people out there that wanted her head. To avoid this, she tried to keep her identity as discreet as possible, using disguises, fake names, anything she could do.

Something in her instincts stirred and called for her to be extra wary. Inside her robes, one of her hands was on the handle of her trusty old dagger, ready to pull it out if need be. It was a small weapon, quick and light, and although its edge was just a tad bit rusted from the blood of her victims, it still served her well.

And in the distance, past the small crowds of people, something caught her eye. A suspicious looking, dark haired fellow, with a bag tucked under his arm, beady eyes glancing this way and that. And over the right eye, there was an X shaped scar, just as her client had told her. He darted into a nearby alley, and Sayashin slowly began to make her way towards her target, moving with quiet, soundless steps, unaware of the other man behind her.

[Jaykobell]

Maybe that thief wasn't so much of an amateur. While keeping yourself hidden in a robe wasn't the greatest idea to keep your identity hidden — you attract a lot of attention by being cloaked like this, after all — she seemed to be wary, and to be keeping an eye on the crowd around her. After all, it was true; you never know what kind of psychopath could be following you. You're never safe in those kinds of places. Danger lurked everywhere, even for the most experienced.... but Sen had so much confidence in his skills now that a little place like the Slums was nothing. After fighting in a war, everything fails to thrill you...

Suddenly, the thief ahead seemed to change directions. She seemed to have noticed something interesting a little ways ahead. Sen's eyes also picked up whatever she was after; a man carrying a bag under his arm, with his eyes scanning the surroundings, clearly on edge. Another thief, more than likely, and as soon as he darted off, something stirred inside Sen. The loot didn't interest him, but the chase... surely the chase could give him a small adrenaline rush, yes? And not only that, it would be a duel, as well; that small woman thief — for yes, while he still wasn't sure about the gender of the cloaked thief, he put his bet on female, for it simply sounded more logical — seemed to be after that man, too. Interesting!

Slipping out of the masses, Senervel headed for the nearest alley. As soon as he was out of sight, he quickly changed to his Lucain form; a strong male Lucain that hid perfectly well into the dark, save for his white Shadebane. How ironic for a killer to bear a light, pure color on his pelt. A wingblade was missing from the six on his back, and a monocle shone in front of his right eye. A smirk slowly spread on his canine face as Sen bounced onto the garbage cans and onto the emergency exit stairs of the building. Every apartment had those; go down the stairs if there's an emergency. With swift, quiet movements, Sen made his way up the apartment and walked a few aways along the side, peering down on the alley in which the male thief had escaped. Now he was only watching from above like a hawk, ready to swoop down on the target... but first, he wanted to give that female thief a chance. His play time had ran out long ago; but watching a fresh little amateur might amuse him enough.

[Thunder]

(Sorry for being so late x_X I've been studying like crazy for midterms.)

Her target seemed to sense that something was amiss, as she noted a quickening of his stride. Sayshin didn't rush, though. If she kept advancing slowly, then perhaps the man's fear would die out, allowing her to take him by surprise. She let him move ahead, and she tagged along closely, but steadily.

Sayashin herself had the sensation that she was also being followed. The assassin took a quick glance over her shoulder, but no one was there. In any case, she was ready to fight for her life, if need be. There was no point in getting a share of those gems if you were dead. It was better to fail the mission than to be killed. She shifted the majority of her attention back to the thief, but a small part of her mind was still alert.

After another turn in the winding alleyway, the man suddenly stopped and scanned the wall as if searching for something. He put his hands on the bricks and tapped them one by one, and after nothing happened, he frowned. Sayashin watched this activity in interest. Perhaps there was some secret passage around here? She wondered if she should let him find it, or if she should strike now. But the second option was quickly nulled, as the man made a noise of realization and pushed in one of the bricks, revealing a small door in the side of one of the buildings. The sound of his receding footsteps suggested that there was a staircase going down behind the secret door, and Sayashin, heading in the newly opened route, saw that her guess was correct. She would track him a bit further, eager to see what this secret passage was like, then go for the kill.

[Jaykobell]

[ I was wondering why you were taking so long. xD But it's okay, school is importaaaant. ]

The man's reaction was not unexpected, but it was still a surprise. He seemed to be calm enough to investigate the wall, which was something you didn't see very often with thieves. But right away, the possibility of a secret passage way came to Sen; you couldn't be a good thief and not have a hideout. There's no point in stealing if you can't hide your loot, is there? But if one wanted to have a secret hideout, you would have to hide it in such a way that it is both well-hidden, but also easy to access. You could see the skills of a thief depending on his tools and his resources. Even those little things could show just how good you are...

The passage way wasn't much of a surprise. Truly, for what other reason would this man check the wall so carefully? And in he went, and that other thief carefully checked the passageway, herself. Sen still couldn't see the thief well from here; but nonetheless, he still insisted to label the thief a female. It was interesting, the thought of a female thief. You didn't see those very often; usually the women end up in the escort business, not the killing business. But the latter was better, for both genders, Sen figured.

It was only once both thieves had vanished inside the passageway that Sen finally came down from the rooftop of the building. Making his pawsteps slow and quiet, he slipped down the building using everything he could find. Once back on the ground, he peered inside the passageway; from the looks of it, it was leading underground, one way or another. Hmm, not too bad. Quietly and carefully, Sen made his way down the stairs, following the other two...

[Thunder]

The secret passage was very dimly lit by flickering lightbulbs on the ceiling. It looked like they were about to go out soon, but Sayashin didn't mind. She was used to dark places, so even if they did die, her vision would adjust quickly. She could hear the thief's footsteps echoing through the hall; they were noisy compared to hers. Perhaps the target had regained enough certainty that he thought he could make sound and not get caught...a fatal error on his part, Sayashin thought.

After some walking, the stairs ended at a large chamber. Peering into the darkness, Sayashin could make outsome shoddy furniture scattered about and random bags of food and wine bottles, along with a straw mat and a ragged old blanket that was probably a makeshift bed. The thief likely lived here. How pleasant, to die in your own home.

Just as the thief was about to take out the gems from his bag, Sayashin sprang from the bottom of the steps and whipped out her knife, encircling the man's neck with her arm and raising the dagger to his neck. He gasped in alarm and looked at Sayashin in wide-eyed terror.

"Your life ends today," she said simply.

(I dunno if you want Sen to interrupt or something...? XD I was kinda hoping that he would.)

[Jaykobell]

While night vision didn't quite bother him anymore, Sen still wasn't a fan of dark places. Sure, they made the job easier; stick to the shadows, until you find the right time to strike. It really did work, and it was easier to use surprise in cases with dark areas. Still, you could do a good job with lights and your person exposed as well. But then again, this was the Slums; for him to expect anything decent would be like waiting for snow in summer. But enough of the side-tracking; the stairs were coming to an end, and were opening up into a chamber.

Sen remained by the last few stairs, still watching the scene from afar with his blue eyes. The scene, thus far, hadn't excited him as much as he had expected. But stalking and planning was a strategy with killing; and even though those parts are rather... boring, for lack of a better term, the results can be wonderful, if done correctly. So they must not, as much as possible, be skipped or winged.

But suddenly, action happened! The cloaked thief lunged forward and grabbed the other by the neck in a typical grabbing technique most killers used. Not bad, but not fantastic, either. And then he could hear a female voice, one pretty much without emotions. Good thing for a killer; throw the emotions away, and keep telling yourself you're doing the right thing.

As things unfolded, Sen heard the clinking sounds of rocks falling on the ground. His eyes could make out the bag the man thief had been carrying previously. The shock of being caught had most likely caused the thief to give up on the bag. A reflex that generally happened with anyone caught by surprise. And this bag, over there... gave him a good idea.

With lightning-quick reflexes, the dark Lucain dashed forward and clamped his jaws onto the bag, dragging it along with him as he dashed back towards the stairs. His white Shadebane almost glowed in the darkness of the secret hideout, and the monocle stood out in the darkness. "I'll be taking this," he declared through his grip on the bag before dashing up the stairs and outside. Without thinking, he took the emergency stairs and jumped up onto the rooftop from earlier. He dangled the bag from above, with his head clearly visible up there. It wouldn't be fun if she couldn't spot him. A chase would, indeed, amuse him a little. That woman was most likely after the gems, besides killing the stealer. Jobs couldn't always be too easy, could they?

[ I'm assuming he dropped the bag. xD; You didn't specify. D8; If he didn't, well... let's make it another bag. D8; With, like... just regular rocks in it... that fell from a table from the struggle. Or something. XD; That's the only way I could think of that he could interrupt. ]

[Thunder]

Just as Sayashin was about to plunge the dagger in the man's neck, she heard something hit the ground. It was the gem bag, and for a brief moment her eyes darted to it, only to see a flash of white fur and something like glass gleaming in the darkness. She growled in surprise when an unknown, male voice drifted through the shadows.

"I'll be taking this."

Sayashin hissed in annoyance. Now she had a new target, this stranger that had just showed up to interrupt her duty. The thief in her grip looked confused and bewildered. Growling softly to herself, Sayashin plunged her blade into the man's neck, resulting in a gasp of pain that was quickly cut off, and the man slumped down to the ground, dead. That was taken care of. Now to pursue this new enemy. She quickly wiped the blood off her knife with her cloak, and she turned around to dash back up the stairs.

Emerging from the secret passage, Sayashin glanced around, trying to locate the adversary. Soon, her eyes locked onto a furry head on one of the rooftops, the bag hanging from his jaws as if to taunt her. A Lucain, just like her! But four legs are faster and steadier than two. Sayashin tossed aside the cloak; it would only slow her down. And in that rustle of cloth, she too, transformed into her Lucain form, black furred, but with blazing golden markings and wingblades...which was not very concealing at all.

But right now, she wasn't bothering to stay hidden. Obviously, this guy had been following her the whole time. Picking her knife up in her teeth, she located the emergency stairs that the other Lucain had used, and she climbed up them, ready to chase the male down.

[Jaykobell]

Sen barely heard the hissing coming from the hideout as he exited. He heard nothing beyond that; and he had to wonder what was taking so long for the thief to follow him out. Or had she taken the time to kill her target before heading out? For a moment, he felt like she wasn't going to pursue him, and that he really wouldn't get any fun out of this. He wasn't interested in the loot, either; whatever was in that bag. All he knew was that there were 'rocks' in there; most likely valuable ones like rare stones or jewels. Coming from a rich family, he didn't need money, nor did he need gems; it was but a mere tool to get the other thief to chase him. If she never showed up to chase him, he would just drop the gems and leave them.

But fortunately, the female caught the bait and suddenly she emerged from the hideout, with her eyes quickly setting on Sen. To Sen's surprise, she actually used the same trick as he had; she turned into a Lucain to chase him. It made sense, don't take him wrong; after all, only a Lucain could chase a Lucain; but he hadn't expected that thief to have a Lucain form as well. Well, the more, the merrier. He could also understand why she wouldn't want to hunt down her targets in that form; the yellow was blindingly obvious on her pitch-black fur. But with that aside, Sen grinned and then dashed off across the rooftop, running and jumping from one rooftop to another. In a way, he wanted to test this thief; it had been a while since he had met one that didn't seem to be just a little amateur. Hopefully, this thief would amuse him.

[Thunder]

That dastardly male was on the move again, skillfully leaping across the rooftops. Sayashin skidded to a stop at the edge of the roof. She wasn't used to doing that. Sure, she learned a bit about roof jumping, but she never really had to use it, as not many of her targets had fled on the tops of buildings before. But she wasn't about to make herself look like a coward, so taking a deep breath, the assassin flung herself over the gap and landed on the other side.

He was still several roofs ahead. She growled and jumped across another chasm, and yet another, following the male. But the gaps were growing bigger and bigger, making it even more difficult as her energy depleted...

She jumped, but this time, Sayashin's paws missed the ledge, and she felt the side of the roof smack into her stomach. The air was knocked out of her, and the knife nearly fell out of her jaws. She desperately scrabbled to get a hold on the rough stone roof, but it wasn't the best thing to grab onto with your claws, and she felt herself slowly slipping downwards...

No, no! her mind cried. I can't just die like this! I have so much left to do...

(I didn't know if this was what you had in mind, but I thought it might work...? Damsel in distress, sort of? xD)

[Jaykobell]

Sen kept jumping from building to building. Having great stamina from all those years of practice, and those years of war, his stamina nor his strength decreased. No matter how big the jumps were becoming, he still continued to run and jump ahead. He would also turn his head around to keep an eye on Sayashin, to make sure she was still chasing him. He noticed how slowly she was progressing; the gaps seemed to be an obstacle to her. Hmm. Amateur... to a certain level, perhaps.

But at one point, Sayashin just seemed to disappear. Sen stopped running and turned around to get a better look, and he eventually spotted a portion of bright yellow a little further away. Had she missed the jump? Well... seems like the chase was over. And unfortunately, it hadn't motivated him much at all. He had been glad she was chasing him, but other than that, it was a regular run-away. It was so hard to find things that would thrill him nowadays.

He stepped back and started to run again, but in the opposite direction. Still holding the bag of jewel in his jaws, he jumped from one building to another some more until he reached the one Sayashin was hanging on to. He dropped the bag on the ground close by and looked down at the female Lucain for a moment. "You're... not very experienced, are you?" But he didn't give her any time to answer him, since he bowed his head and grabbed her scruff afterwards. Being bigger than her, he didn't need too much of an effort to pull her back onto the rooftop. Now if she just wouldn't stab him with that thing.

[ Actually no, but it works just fine. XD~ ]

[Thunder]

"You're... not very experienced, are you?"

"What?" snapped Sayashin. She looked up to see that the mysterious male had returned. "Going to mock me before I die, are you?" But to her surprise, he didn't. Instead, she felt him grab onto her scruff and pull her up, saving her from falling to death. Sayashin felt confused, and wary. Was there some second reason behind this apparent act of kindness? She backed away from the male, growling and leering at him, ready to use the knife if he had to.

The assassin was pondering; should she confront this male? By the looks of it, he was far more experienced than she was, and she had been raised by other killers. She really needed that bag of gems, but she had to be careful about who she picked fights with; this guy could likely kill in seconds. Some gems weren't worth possible death. And speaking of who...

"Who are you?" That's what she wanted to know the most. Perhaps she heard of this man's name before, perhaps she never had. Sayashin didn't plan on giving him her own identity, if he answered or not.

[Jaykobell]

He watched with amusement as Sayashin became confused about the situation. Should she attack him, or not? Should she run? Should she just give up? Once she back on the rooftop and safe from any kind of fall, Senervel stepped back, sat down, and watched her with calm blue eyes. She didn't rush in; that was a good thing. Recklessness would get you nowhere. She was still wary, however, which was another good thing. And mock here before she died? What a funny thing to say. But Sen figured that was probably the reaction of many thieves upon the failure of another. "Mocking is child's play," Sen commented with a grin. "I'm too old for kiddy games."

She didn't ask for the gems, either. She simply watched him, thinking, most likely, about what kind of action she should be taking next. She could take all the time she wanted; Sen was in no hurry. Suddenly the conversation turned to focus on him when she asked who he was. "Who I am?" he repeated, tilting his head to the side. "This is an interesting question to ask a thieving stranger," he remarked, giving yet another grin. "Senervel del Reid," he replied as he pushed the bag of gems towards her. "And I believe you're looking for this." From the looks of it, he wasn't even armed, save for his claws and teeth; but one could assume that he was good enough with those attributes...

[ Yes I changed his last name... shhh. D8; ]

[Thunder]

"Senervel del Reid."

Hm...the name sounded rather familiar, but Sayashin forgot where she had heard it from. Most likely, it was just a piece of random info that she picked up during her wanderings. If she had heard this man's name before, then perhaps he was rather well known...

But what was this? Sayashin's eyes widened, then narrowed as Senervel returned the bag of gems to her. A trick? The assassin glanced into his eyes, looking for any traces of deceit, but instead, it was almost like Senervel was bored. Did he chase her all this way just for fun? And apparently he got bored of her? Sayashin felt insulted and wary the same time. If this was all just for fun, then she couldn't imagine what this guy did when he was being serious...

After a few more seconds of looking him over, Sayashin took back the bag, and she turned around so she was facing the building's edge. "Thanks. I guess." The words were dull in their tone, as though she only half meant it. He saved her life, after all, but at the same time, he got her into danger in the first place.