[Jaden Wolf]

Loxi Scam, Dances with Blades (Blade)

The shadowed figure sat atop the dumpster behind a convenience store, looking up at the full moon. His red hair stood out against his pale skin and his green eyes glittered in the moonlight. After a moment, he jumped down, his dangling red earrings jingling with the movement. He shoved his hands into the pockets of his trench coat as he walked down the alley to the street.
When he got there, the street was void of people, except for a few store owners locking up for the night. Well, of course it was. No one in their right mind would set foot on these streets at night. Only the store owners and some select workers got off easy thanks to the rules of the local gang. Anyone who had to walk the streets late at night for their living got off most of the time. That was rule 5. Loxi, the kuhna now walking down the street casually, knew every rule...helped make a few as well. Rule 1: No harming any innocent people. Rule 2: Even when borders are pushed back, there must be a safety zone about the length of one block in between rivaling borders (an agreement between all gangs). Rule 3: Any and all gang members from other gangs must be reported to one of the higher ups, and must have good reason to pass the safety zone. Rule 4: Borders are not to be pushed back without the consent of a higher up. Rule 5...well, that was already mentioned. Rule 6: All gang members are to be treated with respect, especially the young ones and the higher ups. Rule 7: New rules can be made by at least two higher ups at any time, with consent from the boss or his right hand man. Rule 8: Any rules that are broken are to be reported to a higher up and will be dealt with by the boss or his right hand man. All these rules were drilled into the head of each gang member, and those who broke a rule were punished. The rules were even written in a book that was kept at home base in the boss' room.
But tonight was quiet, save for the sound of a baby crying in an apartment nearby. Loxi was bored, kicking a pebble as he walked down the street.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The native girl picked up the various objects in the store, dropping them into her bag. Walking up to the counter, she pulled a loose brown and white strand of hair out of her eyes, pushing it back into her braid before dropping the bag on the counter. The cashier gave her an odd look then scanned her goods and took her money.
"Do you live nearby?" the man asked her, and she shook her head.
"Not really." The man gave her a stern look as he passed her change to her.
"I would hide your belongings then, young lady, and keep your eyes open. Don't want the Hunters to get you."
The girl, named Dances with Blades, nodded to the man, confused, and walked out of the store. As she stepped out onto the empty street, a breeze blew gently against her, causing her white robe to pull back from her slightly, revealing a native dress, mostly white, cream, and pink in color. Quietly, she pulled the cloak back around her, knowing that she wasn't supposed to wear her native clothes when walking among the populace. It stood out too much. Her pinkish brown eyes looked both ways, wondering who these 'hunters' were, and then she walked down the street, the white and black feathers in the end of her braid flicking in the breeze.

[Jaden Wolf]

Just as Loxi considered going to the border to wait for the attack on the neighbouring Fighters (really, what kind of gang name was that, anyway?), he saw a native girl walking up on the other side of the street. A grin stretched across his face and he ducked his head down, appearing to be a normal pedestrian. When he passed her, he glanced back to make sure she wasn't watching him, and although she glanced back at him, she did not appear nervous. Quickly, he crossed the street and silently ran up behind her, putting a hand over her mouth and pulling her into the alley. Skillfuly, he pushed her against the wall and pulled out his knife, holding its tip to her chest.
"Well, hello pretty. Didn't your momma tell you to never go out alone at night?" he teased her, his eyes glittering with amusement as he smirked.

Blade walked down the street, seeing only two people in four blocks. She didn't really notice the next one, at least until the moonlight caught on his red hair as he passed her on the other side of the street. He wasn't looking at her, so she just turned around and kept walking. Soon, she heard a footstep behind her, but before she could react, someone grabbed her, covering her mouth and pulling her into the alley. Slamming into the wall, she dropped her bag and saw the redhead holding a knife to her chest. He spoke to her, and she just examined him with a blank expression on her face. He was wearing a green and gold shirt, jeans, and a trench coat with red fire-y markings on it. He was kind of handsome in his own way, but right now, she just thought he was annoying.
"I have no mother. Or a father for that matter." She looked into his eyes coldly and he blinked in surprise.

He didn't know what to think when the girl examined him instead of answering. Was she trying to see how to escape? Well then, he got a fiesty one. Then he was completely thrown off as she looked right into his eyes and spoke. He blinked, but quickly recovered. All kinds of people out there, right?
"Well, no matter, if you're not from around here then you wouldn't know of the Hunters gang. A sweetheart like you wouldn't let a poor guy go broke now would you? Just give me your money, or even jewelry'd be nice." He smirked again at her and made a fake puppy dog face.

Blade watched in amusement as her attacker resettled himself, but carefully kept her face blank. He spoke again and she gave him a defiant look.
"I have no money, just a bit of change, and I don't wear jewelry." She smirked back at him.

Ahh, so she was broke, from her grocery shopping no doubt. Oh well. He liked getting girls. Of course, he didn't...just a kiss, maybe 2 or 3 if he was lucky...and tease them, scare them a bit.
"Well don't worry about it, lovely. I'm not that obsessed with cash, you know. Just being in the presence of a lovely lady like yourself is enough to make this man happy." with that, he lifted the blade, tilting her face up towards him with the flat end.
"Oh by the way, I'm known as the Red Blade."

[Jaden Wolf]

When Blade realized what the kuhna was doing, she reached up, grabbed his wrist and twisted it. Her fingers quickly and expertly pressed on the nerve in his wrist that forced his hand to drop the weapon. With her other hand, she quickly pulled out a dagger from underneath her cloak, holding it against his throat.
"Interesting, Mister Red Blade. You see, my name also happens to be Blade. Dances with Blades to be exact. Can you guess why?" she asked him, using a similar taunting voice to the one he used.

Before Loxi could figure out what was happening, he found himself unarmed and with a dagger against the skin of his neck. He swallowed nervously, then grinned at her. Dances with Blades, huh? Well, wasn't that an interesting name. He was still quite close to her though. Her back was still pressed against the wall, and his legs were brushing against her cape. She only came up to his chin, and although she had ahold of his arm (not to mention the peice of metal on his throat), he had the advantage. He could get away right now.
Yet in all his stupidity, he instead pulled the arm holding the dagger away with his free hand and kissed her.

Blade knew full well that her opponent had the advantage, but she also knew he couldn't hurt her now. Yet she was completely taken aback when suddenly, his lips met hers. In her shock, she dropped her dagger and released his arm. She felt him let go of her arm and put his hands on the wall on either side of her shoulders. She could run now...but she just couldn't think. She felt lightheaded. After what seemed like forever, he pulled away and after giving her a strange look, turned and, picking up his knife, started to walk away.

[Jaden Wolf]

He kissed her. Well sure, he was going to kiss her before, but that was a different situation. So why'd he do it? He turned and picked up his knife, then walked away. Just after a few steps though, he felt a hand grab his arm. Turning, he saw Blade giving him a confused look.
"Why...why did you do that?" her voice barely reached his ears as his thoughts tumbled around in his brain. He shook his head.
"I don't...know." He was breathless for some reason, panting as if he had just run across the entire distance of the Hunters' territory. She gave him an odd look and slowly let go of his arm. Slowly, she bent down and picked up her dagger, slipping it into the bag holding her groceries.

Blade found herself reaching for his arm. She asked him why...why he kissed her. She needed to know. He gave her a funny look, kind of dazed, and told her he didn't know. He was panting, out of breath, like herself. Only, he probably didn't realize it. As a warrior, she was good at keeping herself from visibly being breathless. Confused, she let go of him and slowly picked up her dagger, slipping it into her bag. His eyes were on her, she could feel his gaze. Unable to handle the heat under her cloak, what with it being a warm summer night and all, she pulled it off, draping it over her bag. She heard his breath catch and turned to look at him. He was staring at her, his jaw dropping open. She frowned.
"What?" she asked, twisting one of the hanging strings nervously. He just shook his head and smiled. An honest, genuine smile...

She was gorgeous. She was thin, but healthily so, her muscles obvious on her arms and legs. Her native dress stood out well against her dark skin, even in the dim light of the night. She gave him an odd look and he realized he was gawking at her. He just smiled at her.
"You're just...so beautiful." He practically whispered it. Without thinking, he reached out and brushed the soft skin of her arm with his fingertips. She pulled away, and he snapped his hand back as he realized what he was doing. Gah, he needed to get out of here. Abruptly, he turned and walked away.

[Jaden Wolf]

Blade watched the strange kuhna walking away, and grabbed her bag. She quickly searched inside it, finding her dagger and putting it in its sheath which was strapped to her belt. Shoving it into a nook in the wall nearby, she made note of the location and covered it up. Then she ran after Loxi, falling into step beside him. She didn't really know why, but she perhaps that ever so faint curiosity of hers was showing through. He looked at her in surprise and stopped. She stopped too, looking at him.

As Loxi walked away, he heard her soft footsteps behind him, but chose to ignore them. He'd let her walk away, it didn't matter. He was surprised however, when she ran up beside him. He stopped, and was even more surprised to see her stop and stare at him. So she was tagging along...why? Obviously she didn't know a thing about the Hunters. Wait...could she be a spy? If she managed to pass as a normal citizen when she crossed the border, she'd be untouched. Yet...she acted very normal for a gang member...but her skills were anything but normal...perhaps it's part of her culture? Gah! Loxi didn't know what to think. Letting her tag along would be fun, but...if she was a spy, it'd be a bad thing, if she wasn't, they'd get a good gang member.
He hated to think it...but he should seduce her perhaps...make her see things from their point of view, so maybe if she was a spy, she might join them anyway...and problem solved. He really didn't want to do it, and a lurch in his stomach verified this...though he didn't know why. He had seduced girls before...to get on their good side and for practice for when needed...but this was different somehow. Finally, he decided to go for it. She was still staring at him, raising an eyebrow. He grinned at her, and she appeared completely taken aback. Perfect...for him that is. Make her think he was finally letting her through to him. Of course...he wouldn't actually do that.
"Well now, why don't you come along and have some fun? The border fight should be soon." He smirked and strode confidently into the street.

As she watched, Loxi appeared to be considering his options, his face quite amusing to her as it shifted. Suddenly, he grinned at her and she nearly jumped back. The change was so sudden, she knew he was acting. He did a good job though, as if he were really thinking like that inside. She knew he was trying to trick her...though she didn't know why. For now, she'd let him think she was falling for it. A border fight? What did he mean by that? Then it struck her that maybe the Hunters the man in the store spoke of, and that Mister Red Blade here also mentioned...was a gang. Oh great. Look what she got herself into. Oh well, she had nothing else to do...she figured that if perhaps she tagged along, she could figure out more about this strange kuhna. And she really wanted to know his name...she couldn't go around calling him Red Blade all the time, now could she?

[Jaden Wolf]

Loxi walked up the street, nodding to the one or two store owners closing up for the day. He could hear Blade's soft footsteps to his right, slightly back a bit. Ahead, the lights of the neutral zone glittered. They were easy to spot, since stores could stay open without worry of losing customers or threatening their safety. Then about a block away, Loxi turned into an alley, glancing back to make sure Blade was still following. And so she was, her gaze flicking to him as he stared. Quickly but casually, he turned his head back around, spotting two guys come out from the shadows. Both wore the same coat he did, except their flames were just an outline of silver, signaling they were average members. Once they earned a name and reputation, they would gain a coloured jacket as a rank of 'higher up' and accend from there. So far, there were only 4 other higher ups, aside from himself and the Boss. Purple, green, gold, silver and the Boss' white. Coming up to the men...er...boys...young men, and stopped. The men eyed Blade, small smirks appearing on their faces. A sudden surge of anger welled up in Loxi, though he didn't know why...he only knew he didn't like the look on the men's faces. As Blade stopped beside him, he put an arm over her shoulder and grinned at the men.
"She's with me." His grin widened as the two men nodded quickly and stepped back, allowing the two of them through. When they turned the corner, Blade shoved Loxi's arm off and glared at him. He blinked, then smiled.
"Why'd you get so protective back there? Surely your gang has rules about...that kind of thing." Anger welled up again after Blade spoke, but it wasn't at her. He turned his gaze to the wall as he stopped, scowling.
"No. No we don't. And I just didn't like the look in their eyes...the things they can do to you..." he whispered, then broke off, gazing at her. Then he heard what he said, and walked off quickly, lowering his head so only his eyes showed above the collar. Just as he did so, he felt his face burn red. Yes, he blushed, something he thought he'd never do...something he'd never done. Yet somehow, while it was still embarassing (and possibly dangerous, were gang members to hear of it), he liked it. He was horrified of that elated feeling, but couldn't supress it. He was suddenly aware of each footstep she took behind him, of her breath, though almost silent. Then, causing his heart to jump, her hand brushing against his arm.
"Are you alright?" she asked, and he couldn't help it, he wheeled around on her. She reeled backwards, surprised, and she was about to jump backwards in self-defense, but caught his gaze and hesitated. He just noticed then how beautiful her eyes were, brown but pink, and sparkling in the dim glow coming over the buildings from the neutral zone. He used her hesitation and grabbed her, pressing his lips to hers. He wrapped his arms around her, noticing just how warm her body was against his. Then it clicked and he jerked backwards, as surprised as she was. What did he just do? He noticed several emotions pass over her face as she tried to gather her thoughts, and he felt as if he just saw her heart or her soul or something, his breath catching in his throat as he noted hurt and pain in her expression. He lowered his head again and turned away.
"I...I'm sorry. You can go now. If those guys bug you, tell them I'm watching. That ought to keep them away." With that, he started to walk away, unsure if he could handle a border fight at the moment. His head felt like it would burst with the emotions and thoughts flooding it.

[Jaden Wolf]

Blade watched the strange gang member walking away from her. Her face was a sea of emotions, only a small example of what was going on in her heart. Memories of her old tribe flooded her mind and tears welled up in her eyes. Why was this happening here? Why now? What was it that made her so sad? Strangely, her eyes focused as she pondered these, giving her a clear view of the Red Blade's fading back. Why would he be the cause? He was probably trying to seduce her. If the gang had no rules about females as he said, then he's probably an expert at "getting" girls. Why should she care? As a warrior, she couldn't be won over that easily, so it didn't matter to her. Yet something pulled her to him, tugging her feet in his direction. At the last moment, her mood switched to anger as she grabbed his arm and wheeled him around. He looked at her in surprise as he stopped.
"What, am I just another girl for you to seduce and..." she hesitated, trying to think of the right words. As she started to say it, the Kuhna's eyes widened, then were furious. She stepped back, surprised by the intensity in his face as he grabbed her shoulders. She winced at his tightening fingers.
"No. I've NEVER done anything but kiss a girl! I'm NOT that kind of guy, don't you get that?" he frowned and Blade could see the sadness in his eyes, longing for her to believe him. Her heart jumped into her throat as she looked into them.
"If that's true...then tell me what your name is. Your real name," she requested. She knew he wasn't the type to give his name out to just anyone. He looked away, then looked back with a pained look on his face, but answered nonetheless.
"Loxi. My name is Loxi Scam." She could barely hear his voice as he whispered. He seemed relieved, his grip relaxing as he looked into her eyes. Slowly, rain started to fall, the moon long since gone behind the clouds. Soon it was pouring, drenching the two of them standing in the alley.

[Jaden Wolf]

Chilled, Blade shivered in the cold, wet night. Suddenly, Loxi jerked, as if coming back to the real world from the depths of his mind. He pulled her forward, tugging the side of his coat over her head. It was then that she realized she didn't have her cloak. It was stored with her bag several blocks away. She blushed at the thought of being held against Loxi's warm body, her face hidden by the edge of his coat.
"We should go get my cloak. You'll be cold soon if we stay like this." She mumbled, and smoothly moved with him as he started to walk. Yet when they turned onto the street, he headed to a building nearby and stopped in the doorway.
"It's too far. You'll get sick if you go that distance in the rain. I live here...you can come in and wait it out..." he trailed off, shifting nervously. Blade didn't speak, only nodded tensely. She hoped this wasn't a part of some plan of his. She thought the words, but couldn't put any feeling behind them. Besides, how could he plan rain? Feeling her nod, he led her into the buidling, up to the fifth floor and into his apartment.
Upon coming through the doorway, Loxi gestured to the now following Blade to go ahead and sit down on the couch. She did so and examined her surroundings. The room was small, the door on one side, an arch leading to a kitchen on the other, the couch along the wall, and a small TV on the other side of the room. Two other doors, one on either side of the TV, probably led to the bathroom and bedroom, but the doors were closed. Above the couch, windows looked out on the Neutral Zone. Looking back at Loxi, she gave a start when she saw him pulling his shirt off. Sure, it was dripping wet, having been exposed to the rain when he put his coat over her, but she couldn't help it. She wondered if he'd truely never done a girl. He caught her looking as he put the top on the handle of the first door. He ran his hand through his dripping hair as he turned and opened the door. He reappeared with a pair of pajamas in hand.
"I grew out of these some time ago...they might be a bit large, but..." he trailed off again, holding out the clothes. Tenatively, Blade took them, glancing down at them as she tried not to blush. Wearing a guy's clothes...but she couldn't stay in this wet dress. She glanced back up at him to see him gesture to the door he just came out of. The corner of a bed was visible through the opening. Slowly, she stood and walked into the room, stopping only to eye the double bed and dresser before closing the door behind her. Quickly, she changed, then as she reached for the door, she noticed the soft sound of laughter from the main room.
"Loxi, what are you doing man? Are you crazy? You kissed a girl twice...and now she's in your bedroom. If someone were to find out...no. She's a warrior, you saw that...but then again, so are many other gang members. It was foolish...trusting someone...especially when that someone could be in danger because they're not protected by gang rules."
Blade froze. He trusted her? No way...he must've intended her to be fooled. Opening the door, she found him sitting on the couch with his head in his hands. Her heart skipped a beat and she wondered why this sight made her heart jump so. He jumped up, realizing she was standing in front of him. He took the dress from her outstretched hand and walked into the bathroom, quickly reappearing. He glanced at her, then leant against the wall next to the couch, looking out the window.

[Jaden Wolf]

Blade watched Loxi silently, wondering what was going through his mind. Then she was suddenly aware of how handsome he was, gazing sadly out the window. Also, she noticed the gentle scent of forest mixed with the smell of fruit coming from the clothes she was wearing. She lefted the collar of the shirt and took in the scent, closing her eyes in comfort. Something about the smell was nostalgic, and she felt secure just taking it in.
"What are you doing?" his voice broke through her thoughts and she looked up to see him staring at her. A blush rose on her cheeks and she dropped her gaze. She hated being such a...girl, sometimes. She could only hear the sound of her heartbeat for a moment, then his soft footsteps. His arm hooked over her shoulders lightly, guiding her back to the bedroom. Once they were inside, he let go and turned, standing in the doorway.
"You can have the bed, I'll sleep on the couch." He started to move away, but Blade grabbed his arm, pulling him back. Caught by surprise, Loxi stumbled, turning to catch himself. Before he could though, he collided with Blade, ending up on the bed with her under him. The two of them stared at each other in shock. Before Blade could recover, Loxi's lips pressed against hers. She felt her heart speed up, her hands wrapping around his back, pulling him closer. His hands reached to her shirt, undoing a button. Then he suddenly jumped back, sitting on the bed beside her. Slowly, Blade sat up and looked at him. He shook his head gently, his face pained. Blade's heart ached at his expression. Why? She couldn't understand why. Why she wanted him to kiss her, why she didn't want him to stop. Why?
"I'm sorry. I keep saying I'm not the type to do anything to a girl, but with what I've been doing..." he whispered, looking up at her. She shook her head vigrously, and he blinked in confusion.
"No. No, I don't care. I just don't care anymore. I want to see you. Who you are." She felt tears rising in her eyes, but held them back. Instead she leant forward, longing for him to kiss her. He didn't. Instead he embraced her, holding her to his chest. She put her hand against his warm skin and could hear his heartbeat, sychronized with her own.
"Then I will...but I won't go overboard, you understand?" he said, sternly but gently. Blade smiled, taking in his scent before nodding.
"I understand...Loxi." He shifted at the sound of his own name, holding her closer.

[Jaden Wolf]

The next morning, Blade's eyes blinked open and she jerked at the sight of Loxi lying on the bed next to her, head propped up by his hand, watching her. She raised an eyebrow and he smiled, causing her heart to flutter.
"You're even more beautiful when you sleep. Oh, and I got your cloak. Your groceries were torn apart and eaten by some animal though, sorry." He sat up, sitting cross-legged on the bed. Blade sat up with him, noticing he was dressed to leave. At her questioning look, Loxi held out her dress and upon giving it to her, left the room with the door closing behind him. She quickly changed and joined Loxi in the kitchen. He handed her some toast, smiling apologetically.
"I hope you don't mind having such little breakfast...I don't have much food here." Blade smiled at him and shook her head.
"No that's okay...I don't eat much breakfast anyway."
"Okay, then let's go."
"Go where?"
"You'll see."
"Since you're letting me get to know you, I should let you know me. So you should know, I don't DO surprises."
"I'll tell you on the way then." With that, he pulled her arm, waiting a moment to let her scarf down the last bit of toast before tugging her to the front door. He slipped on his Hunter coat before sliding Blade's cloak over her shoulders. With a grin at her, he threw open the door and dashed down the hall. She smiled to herself, closed the door behind her and followed at a more relaxed pace.