Convenience

[Emmelin]

Blood, it stained her clothes, her mask, the whole of it. like a demon in the night, the body had fallen before her scythe a silent prayer in Esparian to the man's soul. "Satan take good care of this one." She whispered as her gloves were pulled off and thrown into the sewer drain as if they were nothing more than garbage. The blood-stained clothing was no longer worth the time. Blood like poison that contaminated the innocent fibers with their disgusting coating. A man whom had actually fought for his life was rare, but Val was more deliberate in her ways. More precise in her cuts. As well, she knew the man's greatest weakness. Too easy, but a work out from the mask keeping all the sweating that stuck her hair to her face. She needed a breath, so the digits that just slain, would pull the mask from her face.

Dead of the night, the beast struck. An alley, a body sat. not that anyone would know who the man was, since Val took his wallet. Hey, she had to make money somehow. She figured this was Satan's meager reward for hard work. The mask was slipped into her pouch and with a hand through her hair, the locks were messed up and unstuck. Scowl on her face, she remained relatively uninterested in most everything. Nobody noticed, nobody knew who she was. As she pushed down her hood, her hair caught the wind and began the cool process of drying. A feeling that was encouraging to her. Meaningful and exciting. Her purple eyes darted person to stray person that wandered the streets. No one knew.

Her body found its way to the hotel she stayed in and swiftly she stripped down, walking back out dressed in a separate outfit. Not her usual this time. Instead, she wore a black skirt and button up blouse. No jacket attached, a collar that folded downward. All but the top two buttons were there. Then, she ran a brush through her hair and pulled on her usual knee-high, white boots. A quick lacing and out the door she went, with her purse.

A boring day, now. Val had no more victims upon her death list, so instead she took to peaking into closed stores and wondering if she should make Adry go shopping for her. After all, Val despised shopping at stores, the clerks were more than annoying, customers pushed and the places never had what she wanted. How long would it take before she could go and there be none of those? She doubted ever. So, her errand boy did it instead. This left her with little to do, now. A boredom that sat in her bones. What to do, what to do? She found herself a seat on a bench and simply groaned.

[Guest]

Ah the great pleasures that comes from partaking in trivial minute tasks that require not Nikolaus's presence for his is that of the desk job. But he was a man of activities, swelling with boisterous need to go out there, and plant his boots into someone's ass sockets in the abbreviation known as kicking ass. For long has he felt the boredom that comes from writing reports, authorizing some budgeting, cutting some budget, or whichever hassle a general find himself into. The Chancellor sure loved a security force that didn't fall foul of corruption or outright brutality, not that they are police, they are akin to the national guards!

So once again, he took to patrolling... in his daily evening walks throughout the city, and unlike a certain red coated wide brimmed hat chap, there was no police girls to be saved from a sadistic priest of sorts. Bah, he never gets to see things that were strange in many ways. How very sad. Or probably he wasn't trying hard enough as it goes, and it wasn't even evening right now, but ah well, shoving the typical pedestrian aside, he spotted himself a familiar figure on a bench, all alone, up to something not Cerisian slaying or mob slaughtering or the like.

A boot from behind the (UN)luckiest person to sit next to Valeria sent him flying off the bench, it was a jackboot that planted on his back, retracting back of familiarly black, as a Security Officer hopped from behind the bench, seated himself next to the black widow woman, giving a toothy grin as he looked out at the mindless masses that be the crowd and pedestrians that adorn the streets. The meek teenager kicked off weakly picks himself up, and struts away like a defeated mammal that just lost its grub as a curious passerby gave a glance.

"We meet once again, Vanessa." Nikolaus called out like a mighty hawk, eyes fixating themselves on Valeria's fair visage, "And what do you know? This time, there isn't any more criminals to put to the sword! How dreadfully boring. So how're you doing on this wonderfully mundane and dull day? Because I find this quite a blast, aside from my pistol. And what does this lovely little creature such as yourself doing all alone out here without a companion in this evil wicked world o' ours? Did you scare them off all on your own?" He asked jovially with a guttural amusement in his tone.

[Emmelin]

Sometime ago a teenage boy had sat beside her. Valeria gave the boy not a glance as her mind spaced out on thoughts. Various ideas of what to do, but not an option. She could go killing sinners, but that would give her away. She had to space them out, tactfully lest she be captured by the militants or police. She couldn't remember what they were called in Amestris. Nevertheless, being caught would be a major no-no upon her daily planner. Well, in this case a nightly planner. Just as she was pulling a blank, it seem the boy beside her had fallen out of his seat, falling forward. It rather stumped the man as he stood up and looked confused, but resigned to mope away.

Valeria blinked a couple of times, wondering what she could have possibly missed. Suddenly, the bench began to vibrate, just or a short time and a new body came into vision. A few seconds passed as she took in the man's body and face. A familiar man, she'd met him not so long ago. The name was coming very slowly. Nick..? Not quite. What was the last name? She was pretty sure it started with an 'S' of sorts. To address him by the wrong name was just rude! Even if he obviously didn't know hers! "We meet once again, Vanessa." His voice had hit the air hard and made her smile kindly. Well, her version of kindly, which simply lacked the usual malice most people saw on a daily basis. As for the incorrect name, she didn't bother correcting him on her name, she'd been called far worse.

"And what do you know? This time, there isn't any more criminals to put to the sword! How dreadfully boring. So how're you doing on this wonderfully mundane and dull day? Because I find this quite a blast, aside from my pistol. So what does this lovely little creature such as yourself doing alone all out here without a man or woman accompanying you? Did you scare them off all on your own?" She couldn't help but let a little laugh out. Two fingers on her lips as if that would cover a laugh. How to respond to such a question? He definitely was full of energy like she could remember. Last time they had a shoot out, some mafia members or the like. It didn't matter WHO they were, as they were dead.

Her eyes stood fast to the man's face before she flicked them at a passerby then back to her company. The thought rolled over in her head and she would flash a bit of daring in her violet eyes. "Oh, long time, no see, officer." A voice that held a sort of flirty tone. Not that it was entirely intended, it was an old habit. "I've been looking for something to do. Not much is open from what I've seen, this time of night. It's so lovely out, I was just debating on grabbing something to eat." A pause appeared, before she continued. "As for my companion, I've found none have appealed to me."

As she adjusted herself, she face him a bit more. Crossing her legs, placing her hands at either side of her. "Unless of course, you're offering. If that's the case, then I'm definitely not going to decline." Winking at the man, she let off a small laugh. She wondered what this man would have to say. Would he feel insulted or flattered? The thoughts interested her. She knew so little of him. So far, he was the only military officer she didn't want to kill. Not yet, anyways. Naturally, he still amused her, so he still had purpose.

[Guest]

Yes, laughter is known as the medicine of life, but if the person was laughing for no reason, they probably need medicine. He laughed and laughed along with Valeria, or was he laughing at her? He could never make a difference with the fickle merry emotion that produces such spasms of laughter, and neither did he care for what oft it make of it from such a resulting spawn that gestates and farts out from his mouth to make this "laugh" thing. He felt no need to laugh anymore, but only smile cheekily as if he was ready to punch a fuzzy furry in the FACE.

"Oh, long time, no see, officer."

"Officer Nikolaus." He interjected in his typically amused tone that never ceases to be, force of habit really.

His vision was really semi-imparted on her, she was there, sized up and all, his looking was subtly inclined towards her, but so was it looking at the crowd like soft honey milk being dipped into a vat of lava, or however that Crieg metaphor goes, but then again, is there even lava in Carraig or volcanos for that matter?

"I've been looking for something to do. Not much is open from what I've seen, this time of night. It's so lovely out, I was just debating on grabbing something to eat." Then there was a pause, pulled some more of Nikolaus's curiousity, but he wasn't a cat, hence he won't be killed, but a mighty lion, it was apparent she was thinking her words as far as it goes, "As for my companion, I've found none have appealed to me."

Oh? That actually doesn't surprise him that much. She screams black widow all the way, that malicious killer smile she has that rivals Nikolaus's own pearly white malicious grin, her general demeanor, and the fact she carries that abject stare which seems predatory, sizing up whatever she looks at as if it was but a grub to devour, for truly, a black widow is she. Now where was she getting with that statement? It tickled Nikolaus's interests even further to a point of great amusement as he found himself giving a Cheshire smile.

"Unless of course, you're offering. If that's the case, then I'm definitely not going to decline."

"Heheheh.... haha... BWAAHAHAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAHAHAHAHAA!" He shot back from the force and power of his great humor, laughing out loud, this was totally surprising and unexpected, but even more so amusing, his laughter raved of madness of the curses that afflicts Nikolaus psyche sans sanity. Truly, now she had his undivided attention as his optical visuals now took her full form in. His laughs waned down, and he kept a slight toothy grin of pearly goodness.

He stood up from the bench out of compulsion for now it is time to stand, wiping the tears of good humor from his eyes, he hadn't laughed like this in a long time, "I am neither gentle nor easy. The better question is; can you actually keep up with me, woman?"

[Emmelin]

Nikolaus. That was right. Why couldn't she remember that name? A smile remained not-faltered, while she mused on his reactions. He certainly had a stunning smile, something rather tempting as it held a secret of sorts. Either that, or he truthfully enjoyed talking to a woman such as herself. Maybe he was, maybe he wasn't. The fact stood still, that he cocked back and laughed at her offer. Now, she hadn't expected him to take her serious. She, herself, wasn't even sure if she had been serious on that offer. However, his reaction sort of startled her. Her slight jump was barely noticeable from his boisterous and stomach laugh. His whole body threw back with his sincere amusement.

Well, usually Val would be upset with such a display, but this time was different. Her eyes closed off a second before she peered on him with a gentle laugh. Nothing ill there, a basic laugh upon her lips. A hand to cover, as if it would help. Purple hues found him swiftly, while his body pulled to its feet. After a quick wipe from his eyes, he spoke. "I am neither gentle nor easy. The better question is; can you actually keep up with me, woman?"

Oh how amusing~! Those demon's eyes of hers flickered with a brief dance of amusement. So many ways she could respond to that. It tickled her palate to even scratch the surface. An overall excitement led her to speak before she meant to, "Oh, you like it rough, too?" Her voice slathered with a sort of joke that may or may not be understood. The words had slipped from her mouth far quicker than she could catch them.

It took her a second to regain her mindset. Arms stretched above her head, she continued to speak. "I doubt I'd have a problem, sweetie. Though, if you really worry about me, you can always hold back." This time she didn't wink and instead stared directly at him. Of course, the flirtatious tone would be interwoven. Slowly, her hands rested back in her lap, her legs crossed and she eyed him. Waiting on him, his next move and response to this offer. More-so to see his interpretations than for her own satisfaction.

[Guest]

Now how did Nikolaus find himself in this situation exactly? A meeting here and now and at the point it had furthered and wafted into the territories of the vague and ambiguous veils. The allure that this fine dame is quite intrigued and open to the experimentation to which some dare not tread towards lest great damage mentally and physically is involved. Sometimes none seen at all, and sometimes all too very visible and very present. And thus back to the present...

"Oh, you like it rough, too?" Oho, such frankness, such a liberal attitude towards society's conventions and matters of taboo and otherwise.

He tapped his fingers against his saber's pommel, and contemplated upon the boundaries or if she even has any that she may result and incubate, or was she truly a person that doesn't transpire farthest as though the morrow lacked an end to this so called horizon of hers.

"I doubt I'd have a problem, sweetie. Though, if you really worry about me, you can always hold back." And now she is just visibly just plain teasing, someone doesn't have a problem with the way Nikolaus operates? Preposterous!

He crossed his arms, tilted his head to the side at a slight, and gave a pleasant smile to her, "Then here is what you need if you can withstand my roughness since afterwards, you'll find yourself much less... animated. You'll need some gag to muffle out the screams, some armor so that you wouldn't be as much wounded and hrm..." He tapped his finger against his bottom lips, "Oh gee, I don't know, I may try to nuzzle. If that happens, you'll need an iron pry bar. Heat it in a fire, first, or it may not get my attention."

He gives an assuring nod to Valeria, shrinking such a pleasant smile to a mischevious smirk that somehow doesn't suit Nikolaus's otherwise "angelic" face, despite such horrid nature he keeps as a prize of his own.

[Emmelin]

"Then here is what you need if you can withstand my roughness since afterwards, you'll find yourself much less... animated. You'll need some gag to muffle out the screams, some armor so that you wouldn't be as much wounded and hrm..." The man proceeded to tap his lip, as if in thought. A pause perhaps for dramatic affect. "Oh gee, I don't know, I may try to nuzzle. If that happens, you'll need an iron pry bar. Heat it in a fire, first, or it may not get my attention." At first she was unsure of if he was serious or not. The way he spoke seemed real enough, but it seemed like an odd measure for an officer. A silent away there before she grinned widely.

"Isn't that a bit kinky for an officer?" She giggled, covering her lips, before flashing him a daring smile. A vague red painted her cheeks at such perverse thoughts. "Sounds like a great time." This time she was laughing at the facade. She called lies, a phony. There was no way anyone other than maybe herself and Ayden needed a crowbar for those sort of selections. Nevertheless, she wouldn't say no and decided to further play her game of chicken. "Worry about wounds? All you need is a nail gun and some glue and that'll fix just about anything." She winked towards him and simply bat her eyelashes, before turning to look at the street. What to reply now?

Obviously the man wasn't serious, or else he wouldn't have stated something so wild. Of course, that was Val's assumption. She truthfully knew little on the man, other than the fact he seemed slightly off his rocker. Not something Val was one to talk for. The woman herself, did odd things that some people might consider worse, or perhaps better. Either way, the topic was needing of a change. "So what do you do, when you find yourself bored in these hours of the night, Nikolaus." A slight of an Esparian accent slid into the pronunciation of his name. Her legs crossed and boredom in her eyes. "Other than the armor, pry bars and gags?" Again she teased him. A task easy for her. In all honesty, this man intrigued her. "Though I have to say, I am still curious as to how that all intertwines."

[Guest]

"Isn't that a bit kinky for an officer? Sounds like a great time."

Tap tappity tap tap was the fingers sound feeling the grooves of the well detailed saber pommel. An eyebrow raised as he gave an amused chuckle at such an adorable display of naivety in someone he did not expect to show such an aspect of it. For someone world-weary and jaded, she is "innocent" despite whatever shadows she held close to heart in the eyes of the beholder that be Stuka.

"Check the chic, I dress in black, I have leather gloves, and sometimes I carry a whip around. Mayhaps I am into BDSM?" He teased the dire woman in lacquer-ice avarice. She was starting to become strange, weird, not something he expected of her nature, perhaps a bit too sublime? He ate plenty of those, had a Cherry too! That was her name though. His mouth watered hungrily, as he thought well of the perfectly sculpted tendons and calves that must be developed on her. Perhaps she would be beef jerky? Not really that tough, he would categorize it more like tenderloins if anything. Good old prime beef.

"Worry about wounds? All you need is a nail gun and some glue and that'll fix just about anything."

"My my you are just a treat." He playfully bantered, "Do you speak out of experience or do you want such an experience?"

"So what do you do, when you find yourself bored in these hours of the night, Nikolaus. Other than the armor, pry bars and gags?"

"Hrm... truly? I spend my time nowadays with ambiguously morally liberal women, that, or they just happen to come to me. Whichever the case, my luck seems to have brought me here to you." He wavered his hand in his elaboration of his point. Truly avast limit, a cycle.

"Though I have to say, I am still curious as to how that all intertwines."

He gave a mischevious smirk, in lightning fast draw, sliced his saber right in front of her in a blur before sheathing it whilst simultaneously keeping a closer distance towards her hence the range. It was apparent no wounds were made, and it was not a fatal infliction of grievous injury upon the fairer one of the two. It was a downward swipe towards her middle, a paper-thin slice that is particularly for the buttons.

It drew the crowd away, and truly the night was just getting better and better.

"Look for yourself and see~" He cackles, "You may have flexibility, Valeria, but I have reach. That aspect is applicable anywhere. Anywhere."

[Emmelin]

"Hrm... truly? I spend my time nowadays with ambiguously morally liberal women, that, or they just happen to come to me. Whichever the case, my luck seems to have brought me here to you." For some reason that statement still amused her. What made him think she was moral or liberal? This man certainly was quite the card. Violet eyes resting upon him with intrigue and interest. What made him tick? What made him say such silly things?

His hand moved from drumming on his hilt to pulling the blade. A look of false alarm sat on Val's face as she simply shifted a bit. Uncrossing her legs then recrossing while the blade, just out of reach made her flinch only a little from the sound. She wasn't afraid of pain. Valeria indulged in it and if this man wanted to test that out, well he would be in for a lovely surprise. Of course, she'd try not to enjoy it TOO much in public. Things could become awkward fast, but the blade even if it would have been able to reach would have just missed. Her eyes with an entertained lingering, mused at his words.

"Look for yourself and see~ "You may have flexibility, Valeria, but I have reach. That aspect is applicable anywhere. Anywhere." Oh he got her name right, that time. Had earlier been on purpose? Who knew? His little cackle permeated in the air after his almost slice. She was a treat, well so was he. This man had wits nearly to match her own. Of course she always supposed she was on top. Valeria was always control. These unpredictable factors, she force-fed herself to believe she controlled them. She was Valeria Diablos and she always knew what she was doing. So after a second had passed, she gave a soft smile and laughed a bit.

"My, my. A bit impatient are we? Shouldn't you wait until we're somewhere private to undress me? That is unless you're an Exhibitionist. If that's the case, I'm afraid I'd have to decline. I'm not much for public affection." Oddly enough true. As surprising as some other people might find it, Valeria had SOME courtesy to keep what she did away from prying eyes. Her body stretched a bit, pushing her arms above her head before speaking again. "Besides, we haven't even had dinner." In previous days she might have attacked him for his offense, but her training had made her simply wary. Assault was not the best plan of action. Her foot tapped a bit, not impatiently, but out of restlessness. Simply sitting there was getting old. She craved excitement and stimulation. Not just mentally, but physically. SO it seemed for even a second she regretted not pushing herself into the blade.

[Guest]

"My, my. A bit impatient are we? Shouldn't you wait until we're somewhere private to undress me? That is unless you're an Exhibitionist. If that's the case, I'm afraid I'd have to decline. I'm not much for public affection. Besides, we haven't even had dinner." She says her say about impatience, true, he was impatient, but his was not the lust of the flesh but that of blood, a crave gluttonous never sated for only an eternal abyss sours his fill, never sweetened and never tasteful. Only a dance he basks into with glee, and she exudes an aura of bloodthirst mingling with another factor. A variation and a calculation mashed into an insinuation most... dreary.

The alabaster man of black visage stared at her with his cold blue eyes, silencing a genuine laugh under his breath as he did his hardest not to give out even the slightest of chuckle, "As lovely as you are, I am a man of the moment you see, if I wanted to undress you, I would've swung my steel further." His grip slipped and dropped from the rest of his pommel, dangling down as it were as of the past manifest, "And HAH! That's where you are wrong. We DID have dinner that one time, and it was Cerisian."

For some reason, Nikolaus looked at one of her hands, some vibe hit him as if it was a temporary thing. He didn't really know what it was, a feeling born of whims and hunches, and indecisive ideas. Vagueness that is murky as he rubbed his chin, the hand was too vulnerable, if he wanted to cut her, he would've had to slice her hand itself, it was so vulnerable, a swordsman intuition beckoned his analysis if anything, "Gee, I don't know why, but it feels like you MAY lose one of your hands in the near future. Just an intuition of mine, you present it too loosely, dangle it too proudly as it becomes a larger target than your body." He murmured, fragments of his statements getting across.

A step ahead and another, he started walking sideways unto a pavement that soon found itself scantly clad in life, with the man that mimicked the shadows with sun-like exterior taking his merry stroll without a care for the world. Silent footsteps sullying not a sound to gasp around, for his soles be silent, gesturing her to take a walk along once more. He enjoyed a walk in the evenings, it tends to produce... interesting results such as this Hellbound spawn of the nether world, quite a find for someone out of the ordinary.

[Emmelin]

Well for a second his enjoyment seemed to have vanish. The joy of the moment killed and his face held a frown. "As lovely as you are, I am a man of the moment you see, if I wanted to undress you, I would've swung my steel further." Yeesh. She was only joking. Or was she? It was a point where she wasn't even sure any more if she wanted him for real or if this was all just playful banter. It didn't matter that much anymore. It was clear both were just fooling around and then things had become serious. He was a man of the moment so he decided to attack her? That was logically illogical. She couldn't fathom it, but she got over it rather quickly.

"And HAH! That's where you are wrong. We DID have dinner that one time, and it was Cerisian." Well that was partly true. they didn't really eat anything, but they HAD been at a restaurant and HAD spent time one on one. More or less. A killing spree still counted as a date.. did it? She was a bit confused at the time. For some reason she couldn't understand anything. She blamed insomnia. She hadn't slept well and in that case it left her a bit off her edge. No surprise, a lack of sleep often did.

"Gee, I don't know why, but it feels like you MAY lose one of your hands in the near future. Just an intuition of mine, you present it too loosely, dangle it too proudly as it becomes a larger target than your body." What was he talking about? Suddenly he was an oracle and began pacing around her like a hungry bird. His words omniscient and rather startling. She simply smirked at the crazy man. A laugh on her lips. "Is that so?" She replied rather amused. He had to be joking, because there was no way Val would lose her hand. Not in a thousand worlds not for a thousand dollars. She was well equipped to avoid it.

[Guest]

The otherwise paradoxical Aryan-like man found himself perfectly dabbling and playing in this game of wits with the black widow longer than he intended otherwise. An appointment held back by the vixen which waters her mouth with the males she devours or succumbs into her great seductive allure that has a certain tang to it most lesser men fall under in such a siren's song that is her force of attraction.

He felt no longing, things seemed sour, and Valeria served to do something he wasn't entirely sure about. Sitting there, smiling and tattling her ways to him, of her modus operandi, such fascination with the taboos of society that were otherwise kept behind the closed doors of privacy most oft concealed. But wait! She hasn't said a word of such a thing, such things only occurred on her lips in a tang of--

"Is that so?"

He props up his index finger and points it at her, "Indeed, it is so. But do excuse me, it may be one of my sillier ramblings, pay no heed to it. I doubt it would come to that, at least not on an odd of one to a thousand on that ratio... and oh lookie!" He pulls the sleeves of his tunic back, looking at his watch, "It seems I have an appointment somewhere to get to, important security stuff you understand. As it seems Valeria, I have to excuse myself. It was fun talking to you and all, and I get the feeling we may meet again, and just like always, in the most mundane and... unexpected of places. Auf Wiedersehn for now, Fraulein."

He turned about, cackled and waved his hands in a self-serving grin to himself. Marching off just as fast as he appeared, had he left her be. Now what are the odds of her losing her hand anyways? Perhaps it was but a hunch that found itself on not much of a basis, but then again, Nikolaus was right about the Cretan plot to invade Amestris for the wrong reasons, just as he was right about the Drachman conspiracy to work with traitors in Amestris. Who knows? He might be right once again.

[EXIT THREAD]

[Csilla Angelis]

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