Assasination Affair

[IceQueen]

The woman who had thrown the knife stood up slowly. Her dark hair shifted in the slight breeze that flowed around her, and she let a stoic expression settle on her face. "You should be paying more attention Roy." she said, his name almost coming out like venom. "A ninja of your caliber shouldn't be taken down by a single throwing knife. Let alone by someone like me. You even let me surpass you in rank." she hissed, looking at him. Her bright eyes pieced through the gaze of the rookies, some of which had not had enough focus to ignore the two of them. "It seems you are, a little distracted. Anything new?" She said with a quirk of the brow.

Geo entered the firing range confidently, her back to the door. When James turned around to come face to face with her, she moved in front of his way. "I need to talk to you, alone." She said, glancing at the shop keep. There was a warning flash of anger in her eyes as she stared him down. Should he refuse she would promptly whip the gun out of his hand and put it to his head. "And you know what will happen if you don't agree." She hissed under her breath.

 

[Aster]

Roy could feel the eyes on the recruits beginning to turn into them. A small circle enclosed them. They were eager to see a fight. Roy was never one to falter either. "Anari." Roy said flatly. She was his long time rival for no good reason. "I see you're who they gave my rank to. As well as the armor upgrade... Not that it matteres. You need not worry yourself with what goes on in my life. You certainty are the furthest from being within it." Roy yanked the knife from his arm with no hesitation, causing blood to shoot out of his arm and flow even heavier down his muscle. "So you have my gold rank. Congratulations. But it would terrible on your part to be beaten by a silver rank, handicapped to not able to use his good arm, one handed, and without using a sword at that" His left hand reached for the coil on his belt, letting the whip fall to the ground beside him. "Draw your weapon and ready yourself."

The shop keep took the hint and grabbed a box on the counter as a means to why he was leaving. But anyone there knew it was a ruse. "Do you always walk around making your demands by the end of a gun barrel Geo? How about 'hey, can you scram for like five minutes? Thanks' No conversation skills what so ever." James huffed and saw how she was eyeing the gun. "Alright alright shit stop looking at me like that." He turned and put the weapon and bullets down on the desk behind him and turned to her. "We don't have nothing to talk about. I see where your loyalties lie, Geo. but why? Why him of all people...!" He said trying to keep his words down and squeezed his fist.

 

[IceQueen]

Anari grinned and she cracked her neck. "Oh Roy, if I wanted to be in your life I would have done it a long time ago. Weak ninja's don't wait for their opponent to slip up." She mumbled, drawing her sword. "I know you do wish I was in your life, but sadly me surpassing you in rank doesn't look very good for either of us. Besides, you've gone soft lately. I doubt you would even lay a single finger on me." She threated, before leaping at him with the sword.

Geo looked from the gun to James, heaving a sigh. She leaned against the door. "I know I know, it's dumb. I just, I needed to talk to you. Yesterday did not go as planed. You pissed me off a bit, I pissed you off a bit. I just, I want to make sure the secret is safe with you." She said, sighing. "James, you are the one I trust the most, and I was going to tell you but that was the first night anything had actually happened. He saved me James. He could have killed me. But he didn't. He let me live. He could have done so many things. He almost knows what its like to feel trapped by you job. I want to get out James, do something better for me. I don't want to end up being killed just for the money. I don't need it anymore. I have enough."

 

[Aster]

Roy hunched over, tapping his foot on the ground as she darted towards him. "That's very hard to believe. Are you sure your prideful and proud family heritage would allow you to mingle with scum of the earth like myself? You may lie to me all you wish but you should not lie to yourself." Roy easily got on the inside of her once she was close enough, opposite of the blade and tripper her up, causing her face to smash into the ground. "On your feet!" The wind parted as the whip was brought full swing to bare towards her backside coming down like a ton of bricks.

James shook his head. "Just because you want out doesn't mean..." He paused getting in her face. "You go sleep with the enemy...!" Then he backed off. She could tell her was holding something in. Anger. Words. Something just dying to spill over before her now. "Come on Geo don't say that... If you need help just tell me. I'll come with you on your missions from now on... Let me be there for you... With you..." He slowly took her hand into his. "So what if he saved your life once.. What about me and all we've been though? Are you really gonna throw that all away?"

 

[IceQueen]

Anari grunted as she hit the floor, but she did not flinch. Not even as the whip came towards her. With a flash she was out from where the whip was and at his throat with her sword. "Well scum of the earth sure has made a name for himself. And that scum of the earth has been entrusted to me. They thought that you could use with a little more discipline. Heck, my parents have even been considering hiring you as a betrothed. Two strong ninjas make better offspring. You know how it works." She mumbled, glaring at him.

Geo looked at James, not batting an eyelash as he got up in her face. "I chose to sleep with him because I trust him, and I love him. I don't know why the hell I do, but I do. Maybe things will change, maybe this is all some fling, I don't know. That is why I need you to be there for me." She said, grasping his hands. "I know your angry, and you have every right to be. I don't really know how all of this happened in the first place. Maybe the planets aligned or something, but right now both me and Roy are happy, and I want your support." She said, looking at him. "When your heart connects with someone it's not easy to put a bullet through their head."

 

[Aster]

Roy slowly lowered his whip and shit his eyes silently cursing himself more times than not. While he couldn't win them all, this victory would've showed he had not lost his edge. Quite contrary now that he had another defeat under his belt, every saw how dull his blade had become. The sheen one harbored now gone. The elder who had been standing in the shade watching met Roy's eyes for a moment before he turned away like he didn't even know him. He wanted to drop to his knees then and there. 'So much shame... All in less than thirty minutes of each other...' His eyes became distant like he was no longer there. He was trying to keep it together, but it was getting to him. "I do not care of your parents money just to use me to further strengthen your family line. I do not agree to it as much as you would not either. Never will I take my orders from you, Anari. Keep it all. I don't need them, or you."

James felt that shot right through his heart. That four letter word that turned men into animals and James was on the brink of that himself. He had to do something or else he was going to lose his friend and the one he loved all to the enemy. "It's a fling Geo. Dont say that like you two are bound to each other. Remember. Just a fling. You thought he was doing a good deed and was blinded by it. Come on there is much more realness out here and you and I both know it." His hands slipped into hers and he stepped closer to her, inches away from her face. Those lips. He wanted to kiss those lips so badly...

 

[IceQueen]

Anari could see it in his eyes, he had lost. He looked ashamed. Keeping her blade to his chin, she rolled her eyes, and lowered her voice. "You know if you want the honor back, I can teach you the ways again. Help you refocus. You were built to surpass me, it doesn't feel right to hold your rank." She said, her knife still at his throat. "You do not have to take orders from me, I simply offer what I can give. You do not have to do anything, just think about it." She wanted to kiss him right then and there, but the Ninja did not believe in public displays of affection. Pulling her sword back, she glanced back at the elder before backing off. "They want you. Go."

Geo looked up at James and she sighed. "Maybe it is, maybe it isn't. It feels real James. It feels, enlightening. We even took care of my dad. It feels like clean slate. Besides, no one else would be willing to love me." she said. She was blind to Jame's love. With men that knew society telling their feelings was difficult. Some were easy, anger being one of them, but some, like affection for a woman were hard. Especially when it came to oneself. Feeling his hand in hers, Geo looked at him. "I don't know a thing about actual love. This is my first taste. And it's so, sweet. Almost like a drug." She said, looking up at him.

 

[Aster]

Roy pondered on why she even considered helping him. They were rivals. Enemies within allies. He was unsure. Of Anari, and of everything else. Steeling himself, he walked away, a husk of the worrier whom he came in as. Soon he entered the elders chambers and bowed respectfully. "Swift wind, you are getting blood of defeat on my floor..." The elder said grimly. Roy could already see where this was going. The beginning of a long stent about traditions, work habits, and his developing fuck ups.

James couldn't bare to hear another word about that... Ninja. They were a blight. A smear on the populist and that the new age killers who deserved the mantle. "I could've taken care of the old man for you if you said something...!" He tried to say in his defense. There was no holding it in anymore. It had to come out. "I can't see myself without you Geo... I can't see you with that.. Thing! Love hurts I know because I love you Geo okay? I love you!" With that, James leaned in and planted a deep and passionate kiss upon her lips, expressing all of his emotions in one action.

 

[IceQueen]

Anari let the man go, and she sat respectfully on the mats watching the newbies practice. She would lead him out for training later, and then she would take her opertunity after getting to know him. Ninja had this, odd way of flirting by trying to kill the other person as hard as you possibly can, but never actually doing it. It was stupid, and horrible, and she knew Roy would understand. For so long she had felt like the only one who secretly held emotions, feelings, a life outside the clan. But maybe he did too.

Geo looked at James, slightly stunned at his words. She was going to respond, but his lips were too busy crushing into hers. It felt, wrong, it felt weird at first. She had never really thought of James as more than just a friend. But it wasn't like Roy's kiss, oh no. It was like, a different experience. No fireworks, just him and her. But soon enough her head was moving along with his. His lips tasted sweet. Was it all supposed to be like this? Did every kiss make her want to bend one way or another.

 

[Aster]

Roy stood there for what felt like hours on end. Unmoving just being riddled with questions and old quotes from text in the library. By now, he'd grown pretty stiff and couldn't do proper combat unless he streached to the third degree. Splits, hand stands, toe touches, the works. Or maybe he for once was all out of combat drive. A few hours of zen may reset his body clock for a full day tomorrow. "..... And go get cleaned up. I do not want to see you again until you are ready for your next rank. Dismissed." With one final bow, Roy left the chamber and stood there with a sigh. On the outside he looked calm. Inside though, he was frazzed. He went to wipe his arm free of dried blood and have a healer bandage his arm tightly to stop the bleeding. He returned to the training grounds and looked around. Before he could even plot his escape to find some alone time, he could see Anari staring at him with those ice blue eyes. With a sigh, he came over to her, and bowed respectively.

Jame thought it would be everything a kiss from his fiery friend would be. Explosive, passionate, a tender inside as he thought she had under that hard exterior she always had. It was confirmed once she began to move her head against his. His arms slipped around hers and pulled her closer, savoring the feel of her body in her clothing. So much want he had for her and the need to express it all he was just satisfied as best as he could be of the public affection they both were sharing.

 

[IceQueen]

Anari could hear every word that they were saying, and as soon as Roy came out, her eyes snapped to his form. He was ridged, as usual, but the face gave away much more than it had before. She used to have to pick him apart at every crevice, and try and get beneath his skin. Seeing him bow before her, she returned it, before standing. "Come, we train away from the wandering eye. That way you can focus your energy." She said, before darting out of the temple as most ninja did.

Geo couldn't help the anxiety brewing in the pit of her stomach. Before Roy she had liked James to some degree. She always thought she would end up with him. But he knew that she was with Roy, and yet he still kissed her. He probably didn't even think Roy counted as a person. She couldn't stop herself. James was feeling her up and down, and maybe it was because this was all new to her, or that Roy may not ever come back to her, but soon her hands were tugging at his hair, and she fought back. She licked his lips, and bit down on the skin gently, trying to evoke an emotion out of him, some passion, some fire.

 

[Aster]

"What happened to you, Swift?" He could hear the Elder's voice in his mind as they jumped from tree limb to tree limb sailing through the forest. "Lost your edge... Gone soft... Disgraceful.... Family should be ashamed..." Insult upon insult. Thrown at him like he was hung up on the wall and picked away like a target with throwing knives. All he could do was take it. Strangely, his blindness failed him, causing him to misstep a branch and fall towards the hard forest floor. As the wind rushed by, he used it to see and threw his whip, catching a branch to keep himself behind Anari. Now to top things off his body was rejecting him once more. Could this day possibly get any worse for the ninja?

'Just a connection... Can be severed..' James kept reminding himself as the two locked lips right there at the front counter. Thankfully no one was there that day so the place was pretty empty. He wanted, no needed to show Geo just how much he was holding inside of him about her. Emotion, passion and all. That ninja probably was leading her on, playing with her emotions. Not James. He'd never do that to the girl he loved for so long. As she fought back, she could feel him growing and pressing against her body. His own heating up. There was an empty room used to teach classes about weapons. James pulled her in and kept the lights off, keeping her pressed against the door as the make out session grew worse. It was there, among the their tools of killing, James displayed his love and all that he knew to Geo.

 

[IceQueen]

Anari lead them to an open field by a waterfall. She knew Roy was behind her. It was good, it gave her time to emotionally prep herself. Breathing in, Anari turned towards him as she waited for him to land. Once he did, she stood in front of it. "You seem quite emotional today, care to share?" She asked him, her legs carrying her to the edge of the water where the flowers grew. He had a lot on his mind, and she had a lot on her plate. She didn't want to kiss him out of nowhere, she wanted to get him to admit he had feelings.

Geo couldn't stop it after that. Soon enough he was tugging her towards the empty classroom. It still smelled like gunpowder. It reminded her of her training days where her and James would goof off. But there was nothing like this, sober at the least. It had happened before, but not like this. Not with raw emotion. Geo could feel it in her stomach, the feeling of wanting to purge something from your body. It felt sick, almost like her dad all over again, but with someone she had trusted. But at the same time his feelings were pure. She felt hazy, like she was drunk on love. As soon as they had finished Geo looked at him through clouded eyes, her brain much farther away.

 

[Aster]

Thanks to the waterfall, Roy could see the world around him in a shade of blue and darkness. He sighed. This was going to be the death of him in more ways than just one. Yet the energy out here was pure. Innocent and untained by any sort of evil. "It is unwise to discuss personal things while training." He said reminding her why they were out here to begin with. Roy remained stand offish, walking back and forth waiting for another throwing knife to land in his arm or leg. "Unless you have me out here for a completely different reason..." He said lowly, turning to her. They could have sparred back in the training grounds in the dojo. While it was not a bad thing to train away from there, it did raise his suspicions.

James remembered their first time together. Drink as shit, screwing around with the weapons. One thing lead to another and they claimed each other's virginity. Or so he thiught, unknown of her father. This, being sober was much better. He felt so alive having her next to him once it was all said and done. He wished they had done this years ago. Maybe they would have been much more by now. Maybe she couldn't be put a bullet in that ninja's head. Yet James was sure he was nothing but a figment of her imagination after the fiery passion the two shared. His hand reached down, lacing his fingers with hers. "I love you Geo..." Her friend said softly to her.

 

[IceQueen]

Anari sighed, picking up a flower. "I spent years learning how to pick apart the facial expression of every ninja I saw. You were my favorite. Stone cold, not a hint of anything. But lately, your façade is cracking. I can see everything you are feeling. You are feeling. You have emotions. Underlying, distracting, I can tell because you are falling behind." She said, looking at him. "So I am asking you if you have come to discover if there is more to life than just the dojo." She said, looking at him. "Because for once I would like to feel like I am not alone."

Geo couldn't really say much after what had happened. She felt like her insides were turned to her outsides. She felt horrible. It was like the mistake all over again, except this time it was actually cheating. She had cheated on Roy, the man she loved. Even as James laced his fingers with hers and told her he loved her, she couldn't say it back. Looking at him, she bit her lip. "I'm not going to say that there is nothing there James, because there is defiantly something, but I need a little time to think." she said, looking over at him. His face and bare chest could be seen in the sparse light. Leaning forwards, she pressed a short but gentle kiss to his lips before standing up and sliding her clothes back on.

 

[Aster]

Roy huffed and dropped his guard some. So. All those years he could feel her eyes burning to his brain, she was trying to feel him out. He walked over to the edge and gazed out at the horizon that held nothing but forest and mountains in the background. It was such a pretty sigh, though he could not see nothing more than the water dropping off below him. "... There is a life beyond the dojo. You are not alone in this. But maybe it is not for us to see. Not in this lifetime. We are bred for combat. To kill and uphold the traditions even in these modern times. I have spend years watching the commoners down in the city. Seeing them laugh, cry, be angry, and joyful. I have seen love, and likewise hate. They can do is, and so can we. Difficult, but not impossible." He said going quiet. "Why ask me of such things, Anari?"

James wasn't sure how to feel about her just getting up to leave like she did. He thought in their love making he had gotten rid of all thoughts of that thing. None the less, he only nodded and gave her a quick kiss back. He was going to give her space. Check in with her in the morning perhaps. Maybe a kill or two to get her mind back where it belonged. With him, and the assiassians.

 

[IceQueen]

Anari smiled, and she looked back at him. "I have as well been studying the humans. The thing that intrigues me the most is their displays of affection. Unlike the dojo there is much freedom to explore, experiment, and love without having to settle for the first man you see." She said, looking at him. "And the cold feelings I had once harbored for you have turned into a... curiosity over the past few weeks." She said, walking closer to him. Without warning, she tugged him down by the collar of his shirt, and pressed her lips against his, testing the waters of what they currently had.

Geo was glad that James let her go, because she was about to be sick to her stomach. She hurt, she ached from her heart all the way out to her skin. She had not meant for their talk to go like this. Now things were a million times more complicated. Jason understood her, he was always there for her. But Roy, Roy was new, interesting, something out of the box. A new challenge. She always loved new challenges. Going straight for the toilets, she vomited in the first stall before cleaning herself up and getting the hell out of there. Stopping by to get ice cream and more junk food, Geo made her way back to her apartment.

 

[Aster]

Roy knew Anari was of noble birth. She was the golden egg of the dojo who had the skill to back up her beauty. Many a man fantasized about her, so caught up in their thoughts they failed to notice Roy watching them. Yet she was completely opposite of Roy. No family, had to fight for what he wanted, and fight hard he did. Roy was just another shadow in the dojo and only Anari had noticed him. He wasn't sure exactly where she was going with this, but before he could pick up on it, he was pulled into a kiss. He stood there a moment, processing what was going on. He was kissing her, his rival. The girl the entire dojo wanted. And even he at one point. He could feel the flood of emotion come from yet, yet little came from him as he broke it off and stepped back, panting. "Anari what the hell... This isn't the time for that...!" He said, waving his hand before him. He had a little too much going on to even think of her in that aspect. But why him...?

James pulled himself together after she had left and sat up. The hatred he walked in with had been long gone in the mist of being with Geo for a while. Picking up his clothes and putting them on, he left out the room only to be stared at by the shop keep. James only shrugged and left without saying anything more. The afternoon was drawing on. He would get something to eat before retiring to his home with nothing but Geo in mind.

 

[IceQueen]

Anari let the feeling of her lips against his sink in. Since day one Anari had picked him out. He didn't have a family to fight for, nothing but his own honor and his pride. She desperately wished she could be like that. A free soul, someone who could have easily escaped the burden placed on her shoulders. Over time her jealousy turned into love. He had this way about him, the air of misery that both irritated her and turned her on. At his cries of protest, she glared up at him. "Just shut up." She mumbled, tugging him back in for round two.

Geo felt used, dried up. Malnourished probably since she had gotten sick not long after what had happened. She wished she could erase all trace of him from her body. But she couldn't. She would have to tell Roy. He would probably be able to tell something was up. Letting her hair free, Geo changed into a big frumpy shirt and a pair of sweatpants. She turned on her music to full volume. Singing always helped her get through her problems. Clearing her throat, Geo began to belt the song at the top of her lungs, a few years leaking down her face.

 

[Aster]

Roy was always so used to seeing Anari try and take what she wanted. In combat, in life. She wanted you to die? There was a corpse at her feet. She wanted you to suffer? You would, in the worst way possible. She wanted you? She became unrelenting... Unrelenting? He suddenly realized what she was trying to do. Use the ninja ways to express herself. Once again, he shoved her away, panting and swallowing. 'I can't show my emotions to her or she'll never leave me alone!' He said in his head. But he couldn't deny he found her captivating over the years despite her cold demeanor. She flowed in combat, backed her words up with hard effort. Yet he hardly knew a thing about her besides her family line... And their want for her to bare his strong ninja. Roy scooted back to the edge of the waterfall. The waters rushing so fast the cloud of mist hid the bottom. Before him was Anari. Behind him certain death. He had to make a choice here and now...

Chinese take out was James' favorite despite hating the culture. The food was a welcoming to his empty stomach since he lost most of his energy thanks to Geo. That was the sweetest moment he'd ever shared with anyone. It was so hard to not pick up the phone and see how she was doing. Or remind him that he was here for her unlike that ninja who was probably killing another one of their teammates as they spoke. His mind wondered back to that passionate moment. The feeling of her skin against his. Yet for some reason he kept wondering if Geo was on any preemptive measures. Then again, he knew a child with her would not be such a bad thing. It would be theirs. They would be a family with no room for outsiders.