Private Trouble in the Canals

[Leliana]

Natima's concern for her wellbeing was honestly heartwarming, although Leliana wouldn't openly admit it. She was the cold and quiet assassin to most, open and chatty to those that knew her, considered as friends to her. With the redhead though, there was a degree of flirting included. But for some reason she was capable of getting the Assassin smiling more often.

It had been an awfully long time since someone had cared.

Securing her shawl around her head and shoulders, hiding the slight blush from the compliment, Leliana followed Natima's lead as they headed topside. Almost immediately they got bombarded with the sounds of chaos, now more distant and replaced with the panicked chatter of civilians. So distracted no one really paid attention as the duo gradually made there way down the street.

Leliana peered around, noticing a small group were together in the plaza, looking up at a large screen. The local news were already up and about, watching the carnage they had escaped from.

She kept close to Natima, almost leaning against her at times as a wave of lightheadedness struck. The sooner they could get back to the hotel, and seated, the better. "We seem to be in the clear so far, here's hoping it remains that way."

And hopefully Leliana hadn't just jinxed them.

Natima Vando​

 

[Natima Vando]

You need to stop.

The sensible part of her mind lectured her, and she was well aware that the voice was right. But she was used to ignoring it. This was her clean slate, she was going to do it differently now. So what if she flirted every now and again, the result wouldn't be the same. Yea, she wasn't really playing the whole Sith game, but truth be told she always played by her own rules. She had learned alot of lessons along the way, but she was never about giving up who she was. Not again.

Taking the woman up and acting as her help, Natima began their trek up the street, knowing well enough not to blow an opportunity like this. As bad as she felt admitting it, she was liking how close Lil was to her, feeling the warmth of the other woman was a pleasant sensation; a nice reprieve from how terrible this day had otherwise had been going. Hearing what the woman said, Natima gave her a glance, wanting to ensure she didn't ruin the stroke of luck they were having. She spoke softly to her companion, her tone carrying more humor than sternness. "Why do people say that and not expect things to go horribly wrong?" It was a simple question, a situation that Natima herself had seen time and time again. To Leliana's credit, it didn't happen right away, but after a few moments after they had left the safety of the maintenance alcove.

Moving past where the security were trying to keep citizens at bay, one of the officers just had to notice the pair moving in the back. "Hey, hey you two! Are you injured?" He began to shout, his hand motions being caught out of the side of Natima's vision. She continued on, acting as if she didn't hear him. It sadly didn't work. One of the bystanders decided they wanted to be a good samaritan, moving towards the pair, causing Natima to wince as she knew what was coming next. Time to ham it up. "Hey, I got this, just keep being cute." She muttered to Lil, before looking to the man approaching her. "Hey, you guys okay? That officer was asking if you're okay." A middle aged man asked, his attire seemed befitting of a city worker, and based on the dust and soot that covered him he had to have been close to the attacks. Natima smiled, her expression brightening as she crafted a lie on the fly. "Yes, we're fine, my friend here just gets queasy over the sight of blood, I'm taking her home, but thank you." He seemed a bit confused at her explanation, looking to Leliana as if he wanted to inquire further. She noticed his eyes widen, as if noticing something. Did he see blood? "Are you su-" Whatever he was going to say next, Natima didn't know.

Commotion caught Natima's attention, and the mans words meant nothing to her. Officers and the crowd seemed to notice something moving towards, attempting to move away from an unseen threat. Natima reached out, moving Lil to be behind her, and trying to conjure up a barrier for the two Sith. The force screamed out a warning to her; whatever was coming was going to be big. As if on cue, the blockade across the street erupted in flames. The kind man who sought to help them looked back in horror, or he would have if a shard of metal hadn't tore through his body, his remains collapsing on the street as a result. The debris bounced off the shield, as smoke and flames were all that remained of the barrier that seemed so safe moments before. She wasn't sure what had taken those people out, but she knew whatever it was had to be bad. "Come on, run!" She ordered, moving towards the closest alley she could find, but not willing to leave Lil behind if she was unable to keep up. Bystanders fled from the destruction, as another wave of terrorism seemed to fall over the city. Hopefully they would have time to hide and recover.

Leliana

 

[Leliana]

Leliana chuckled sheepishly, knowing she had practically asked for something to happen. "I mean, that only ever happens in the Holo-movies, right?" It was mostly a joke, but she knew well enough that chance and luck often clashed with one another.

And sure enough, not a minute later someone came jogging over to them. She didn't look, but could tell from the tone and general vicinity that it was one of the security officers. Yeah, no. That was someone they needed to avoid. So she made sure she shifted against Natima's side, much as she could from already being there. The Shi'ido guided the way forwards, but a civilian decided to step in, calling on their bluff of not hearing the officer.

Instinctively, Leliana wanted to speak up but kept quiet. So instead, she began to shake slightly. Putting on an act that the event had shook her quite badly. She peered up at the man for the full effect, but paused when she saw the shocked look. Her danger senses flaring again, Leliana went to move but Natima beat her too it, positioning her to be behind. A shield was projected, just in time too as an explosion tore through the security blockade. Debris slammed into the shield, after having gone through the man they had been taking too moments ago.

Leliana had a blank expression on her face, far to use in seeing death before her.

The moment Natima ordered her to run, Leliana was there. Exhausted as she was becoming, the Assassin kept up with the redhead until they were in an alleyway. Leliana sighed, trying to catch her breath.

"I'm getting a case of deja vu here..." she commented. Leliana winced as she felt her left hand begin to burn. The mark on the back of her hand seethed beneath the surface, wanting to get out. She was injured, getting more exhausted every moment, and there was still danger around them. The darkness wanted to be let out, to ensure their safety. No, not here. Not around Natima...

"Let's not go for a swim in the canal this time, aye?" She tried to find distraction in a joke, although she wasn't considering that choice anyway. Natima was tired as is from her earlier shifting. She wasn't about to force her into doing that again.

Natima Vando​

 

[Natima Vando]

Stopping in the alley, the adrenaline was still pumping in Natima's veins, her body now feeling the strain of what she had pulled off just a moment ago. The foce had never been her string suit, she was still experimenting with her power. It was times like this that she wished she had trained harder, but there was little good in lamenting her current station. There were sounds coming from the streets, sounds she couldn't quite make out, but the shapeshifter knew well enough the needed to find a hiding place and quick. Looking to Lil, it was obvious her companion wasn't doing well. "I'd say the same, but I miss the Cafe if I'm being honest." She responded between breathes. Lil had to be tired, her eyes and posture told it to the red head, and she was still catching her breath; then again so was Natima, but it meant they needed to hide for right now.

She smiled at the comment about the canals, knowing full well it was out of the question, but she appreciated Lil's attempt to inject humor into this rather bad situation. "I don't know, I rather enjoyed our little swim." She responded, her gaze looking for an out to their situation. She found a thread of hope, a backdoor to some sort of store front, without a hint of light shining through it. Safety. She felt a sharp pain on her arm as she moved to gesture to the door, and investigating she found a four inch gash going down the side of her left arm. The blood was hair thin at current, but it was only going to worsen in time. Seemed her shield wasn't so full proof after all. Great.

Trying to play it off, she motioned to the door with her chin, hoping Lil didn't notice. "I'm going to try that door there." She suggested, moving toward the door and giving it an experimental tug. Initially, it was locked, but it was only a mild annoyance for the Shi'ido. Using her right hand, she warped her index finger, forming it down to the length of a tooth pick as she slide it in and found the mechanic; though at the cost of breaking a nail. She withdrew the digit, waving off the flickers of pain that followed the loss of her nail. The blood from her new wound was starting to spread, but the Shi'ido merely extended the skin, blocking the bleeding for now. Pulling the door open with caution, she was happy to find no one inside. They finally had a safe haven, least for now. It seemed to be a toy store from what she could see from here, and there were hopes of some sort of first aid kit being within. "Lil, it's clear, come on." Nat called out, making sure to shut the door and lock it once the woman was inside. It was dimly lit in here. The room they stood in seemed to be a storage room, but it was well kept and clean. Boxes had been stacked up along the walls, and a large table laid against the wall was laden with receipts and packaging. It would be a little reprive against the upheaval outside. The sounds of violence could faintly be heard from in here, but they were able to be ignored when one was not listening for them. The pair would have time to rest foe the time being, as Natima nearly toppled onto the floor once she felt they were safe. So much for an easy mission.


Leliana

 

[Leliana]

She would've made some cheeky remarks to Natima's response, if she wasn't otherwise distracted. And fortunately for the redhead, it meant she hadn't caught the fact she had been injured from protecting them both. Leliana was far too focused on trying to keep the shadows at bay from getting out.

From turning her into a monster.

It was perhaps on odd thing to be concerned over. They were Sith, by default they were considered monsters by a good portion of the galaxy. But Leliana; whatever she was now, wasn't exactly normal for their ilk. She had made a mute deal with the darkness, and it was a two-way street.

She glanced over at Natima as she made her intentions clear. Leliana watched as she moved over to a nearby door, to which the assassin simply nodded. The moment redhead was far enough away, Leliana quietly hissed in pain. She looked down at her left arm, concealed from Natima's view, as it began to shift. Shadows wrapping around it, fingers twisting into talons.

No. You stay...deep down.

Leliana forced the shadows back, returning her hand to it's normal state. Just in time too, as Natima had successfully picked the lock. She didn't waste time in hurrying over, keeping close to the wall until she could slip inside. Leliana immediately slumped against the wall, careful to not hit her head, and slid down it until she was seated. She sighed heavily, finally able to remain still on solid ground for more than a couple minutes.

She looked around, taking in just what store they had effectively broken into. A toy store, more than likely closed for the day while the owners enjoyed the festival. "We should...check the staff room here. There's no doubt a first aid...kept for any accidents."

Natima Vando​

 

[Natima Vando]

Whatever Leliana was concealing from Natima, it was working in her favor. The changeling was a bit distracted at the moment, given the injuries, the fatigue, and weariness starting to creep in. Natima propped herself against the wall, enjoying the small moment of comfort she could afford here and now. The cut on her forehead was starting to bleed through, indicated by the crimson line that was forming across her head. Though Natima didn't recognize it, Leliana would be able to notice the blood being contained under the surface of her fellow assassin's skin. Natima let out a sigh, feeling the warped bone structure of her body starting to take it's toll. This was why she hated copying Vahla anatomy, they were so fragile. Natima gave herself some time, taking in a few breaths before getting to her feet. She retrieved the blade concealed in her side, wincing as she felt her body starting to cramp at the effort; she'd have to give it a break for the rest of the day. "I'll check it out, just stay here and rest okay?" She forced a smile, trying to not seem as weak as she felt, though it was a futile effort; Lil wasn't an idiot, they were both tired right now.

Gripping the dagger in her hand, Natima moved forward, her mind a bit frazzled but fully expecting an attack to come from the shadows. She stepped into the next room, finding two doors; one in front, another to the left. A quick check showed the front door lead to the front of the shop, the one to the left seemed to be a staff room of sorts. Feeling a steak of luck to come on, Natima moved inside, looking under cabinets and cupboards trying to find what she was looking for. After a moment, she finally found what she was looking for; a first aid kid. For something so simple, it was like finding lost treasure for the Shi'ido.

Snatching the small container, Natima staggered back to her companion, giving Lil several moments to address whatever she was struggling with at the moment. Setting the kit down on the ground, Natima chuckled, as she laid down on the floor, looking to Leliana as she felt this situation was just beyond ridiculous. "So, do we patch ourselves up, or each other?" She asked, a bit annoyed at the cold she felt from the soaking wet clothing they both wore; the air conditioning of the building wasn't helping that one bit. "I promise, I won't tell anyone. That's how we Sith work right? Put on the strong front even when we are bleeding to death?" She didn't care for the Sith mentality truth be told, and if her gut feeling was correct, hardly any Sith seemed to follow their damn code to begin with. If Lil didn't get around to it, Natima would, opening up the kit and pulling out a wad of gauze and disinfectant strips. She smiled, genuine this time as she looked Leliana in the eyes. "Show me where it hurts." She had done patching up before, she'd done to for herself before, this wouldn't be much different. Lil clearly wasn't in the state to pull this off, but Natima felt she could pull it off.

Leliana

 

[Leliana]

Leliana looked up and simply gave Natima a nod in response, watching as the redhead disappeared to go find a first aid kit. Now left to her own devices, the Assassin couldn't help but shiver. The combination of the wet clothing and air condition sent Leliana's body into a fit of shivers. Part of her was tempted to just stick her head out of a window, get some heat. But right now she was more likely to get shot at if she revealed their location.

She let out an annoyed groan. Why couldn't they have ended up wandering into a clothes store or something?

The Assassin felt at home in the dark, concealed by shadows. Unlike Natima who was still on edge within the darkness, Leliana could still see through the veil. There was no danger around them, for now at least. If they remained here for too long, that window of safety would no doubt start closing.

Once Natima returned, Leliana shuffled away from the wall and along the ground next to her. She didn't answer initially, not because she was hesitant but because she was taking note of the redhead's injuries. The cut along her temple, and the...was that blood underneath the skin of her arm? That wasn't normal, and if Leliana weren't feeling lightheaded she might've connected the dots with Natima's Shi'ido abilities.

"Something like that, yeah..." Leliana didn't sound convinced, because she wasn't. She had grown up under the pretense of a non-Force sensitive, the ways of the Sith were foreign to her and still were to an extent now. "Patch me up first, so I can focus to help you." She knew how to mend her own injuries, so it couldn't be that much more difficult to tend to someone else's.

Leliana shuffled again, this time removing her shawl and leaning forwards. She reached up with a hand and threaded her fingers through her dark locks. Parting it until she found the spot where her head had hit the wall.

She had no qualms with showing weakness around Natima. For years she had only ever been surrounded by temporary allies, or just outright rivals. The redhead was the first person Leliana believed genuinely cared for her. Sure, there was Quinn but there were times when Leliana pondered if the Echani cared. If there was any of that, or if it was really just the game between them and that was it. Whichever the case was, it didn't come close to Natima.

Natima Vando​

 

[Natima Vando]

It seemed they were both being bothered by the cold. Unfortunately, Natima couldn't offer much aid to her at the moment; maybe someone left a blanket around here or something. The offering of cuddling together for warmth immediately popped into Natima's head, but knowing how ridiculous that sounded, she decided against it. Seeing that Leliana took her suggestion, Natima pulled herself off the floor, and set about mending the assassin's wounds. Looking through the sea of blood soaked black hairs, she found the gash with help for Leliana. "Alright, this might sting a bit." Natima warned, taking a disinfectant wipe and swiping at the injured area, clearing out anything that might have gotten stuck within. Having cleaned the wound, Natima took several bandages and secured them to the site of the injury, before securing it with a wrapping of gauze. "Alright, that should do it. You look like an official hospital patient. Minus the gown." It wasn't her best job, but it would work for right now.

Having finished her patching up, Natima sat back, and took notice that she was bleeding under her skin. Frowning, she looked up to Leliana, appearing a bit uncomfortable at what she was about to do. "I'm really sorry about this." She muttered, before allowing the skin around the wounds to open up, sending blood seeping from both her arm and head. Feeling a stream of blood coming from her head wound, the Shi'ido brushed her fingers against the flow and frowned when she found her head injury hadn't gotten any better either.

At times she was disgusted by the biology of her people, the level of which they could distort their bodies, while effective and practical, was also revolting to most races. Lil didn't seem to mind though, which made her feel a little bit better about this next part. Giving a sheepish smile, Natima offered her arm to the woman, looking hesitant as she mended the Shi'ido's wounds. It was nice knowing the fear of Lil trying to murder her was nonexistent. She had managed to cope with the paranoia that came from being a hit-woman for the Hutt Cartels, but being in the Sith Academy always brought back those old worries she had thought she had escaped from. "It's funny. This reminds me of my last job. Except I didn't have beautiful women tending to me when I got hurt." She chuckled, trying to make light of the rather dreary situation facing them, and the fact that they were both fatigued from this whole exercise. What would they do next though? Someone had to take out those terrorists, right?


Leliana

 

[Leliana]

To Leliana's credit, she only winced at the first touch of the disinfectant wipe. After that she showed no further reaction as Natima went about cleaning the wound. She had experienced far worse pain over the years, the top of the list being taking a couple scatter gun shots to the side of her body. That...had been the worst so far, although there was an argument to be made for the 'healing' that happened afterwards.

Once Natima was done, Leliana instinctively reached up and touched the bandaged wound. "Thankfully not, those things are so...unsightly." She joked quietly, glancing over at the redhead with a slight smile. Maybe that was the real reason why the assassin didn't want to go to a hospital, in order to avoid wearing those ghastly things.

With her now bandaged up, it was time to focus on helping Natima. Leliana watched with mute fascination as the Shi'ido shifted her skin to reveal the wounds she had hidden beneath. That explained the oddity she had seen earlier, although Leliana didn't let it pause her for long as she began to aid the redhead. First following what she had done, taking a disinfectant wipe and began to carefully clean out the cut along her arm. Pausing ever slightly whenever it seemed to sting badly. After that, she cleaned away some of the blood before taking a few bandages and wrapping it up, securing it with some gauze.

The compliment took Leliana by surprise, and her cheeks reddened slightly. She shook it away as she shifted over to tend to Natima's other wound. "Oh? And what was this last job?" She was genuinely curious about Natima. Leliana listened intently; whether the redhead revealed anything or not, as she began to clean and bandage up the head wound. "Now we're matching, mostly. You've still got one up on me with the arm."

Natima Vando​

 

[Natima Vando]

Biting back the temptation to comment on Leliana's words, Natima only giggled at the woman's response. She was rather delightful, especially compared to some of the other acolytes she had encountered in the past. Once the mending was down however, Natima's face burned red as Leliana watched her skin folding back with fascination, the Shi'ido unable to meet the woman's gaze. She wasn't sure if Leliana was appalled by her or curious, she could only hope it was the later, but neither the less she would let the woman set about treating her.

Unlike Leliana, Natima was not so resilient. She never bragged about being tough, and it was never a quality of hers. Hissing and wincing at every touch, the Shi'ido felt embarrassed about her inability to tolerate the stinging pain. Natima blamed it on her Shi'ido biology, though nothing she read ever confirmed it. She felt that the constant shifting of forms kept her nervous system from fully adapting. Initial pain was fine, it didn't feel too bad, but she found that trying to treat said wounds felt like someone pouring acid into the wound at times. Certain temperature ranges bothered her too, but her shape shifting help with that at times, but it was still annoying to deal with. Then there was also the fact that her ticklishness seemed to get worse every time she adapted a new form; she'd need to talk to another Shi'ido about this and figure this out. Still, these were issues to deal with for another time. To her displeasure, while she thought the cut on the arm was painful, but it didn't compare to what the head wound would feel like. It felt like a cold fire was being set on her scalp, and while she wanted to howl in pain, but she knew she was being too much of a baby as is. She settled on grunting and groaning instead.

Enjoying the company of the woman, Natima realized she had slipped up, talking about her past job and leading to Leliana to pick up on it. Being pressed for an answer, the Shi'ido's mind panicked, trying to find a proper response. Her cheeks burned red at having been called out, the pain retreated from the front lines of her mind for the time being, as she focused on answering the simple question. "Oh, well, I used to be a swoop racer." Well, that wasn't really a lie. She had been a swoop racer at one point, and she technically had to be patched up after she crashed. "Every now and then I'd wipe and the medical team would fix me up. They weren't much to look at." She smiled, happy with how she had spun the tale, though unsure if Leliana was going to buy it. Once Leliana had finished the patching up, Natima chuckled at the woman's comment about being a matching pair; well, almost matching pair. Tapping the wrapping over her head, the assassin pushed back a lock of hair as she spoke. "I mean, if you really want I can make us match exactly, but most people don't like that." She teased, knowing she was far too tired to attempt such a thing.

Propping herself against a wall, Natima laid back and sighed, a bit relieved that they weren't at risk of immediate death here and now. Looking to the woman across from her, several thoughts bumbled through the Shi'ido's mind, but she wasn't feeling that bold at the moment. "So, what about you Lil? What about your past line of work? Were you a model perhaps?" Natima prodded, hoping to keep the woman from asking more questions about the Shi'ido.


Leliana

 

[Leliana]

Assassins were commonly seen as just trained killers, albeit ones that were trained to be silent and efficient. They weren't Mandalorians that charged into the battle, hungry for blood and violence. It was multifaceted, the art of assassination. Requiring a degree of patience, having to stake out a location for a target, either to track them down or take note of their movements.

But sometimes it wasn't a simple case of taking up a spot on a rooftop, waiting for the perfect time to shoot.

You also at times had to get up close and personal, relying on social ability and an eye for human behaviour. That was how Leliana knew Natima was lying, or rather speaking a half truth. She didn't know where it began or ended, but she knew the redhead wasn't being entirely truthful somewhere in her answer. But Leliana said nothing of it, instead opting to just get comfortable in the chair.

"From swoop racer to a Sith? That's one hell of a jump." She looked over at Natima, amusement clear in her eyes. "I like my speed, but while on my own two legs. I can't imagine going at that kind of speed while inside a metal box." She laughed quietly at Natima's response to her matching comment, but much like the redhead, she was far too tired even if she wanted too.

Leliana's attention shifted to the darkness around them, listening out for anything that might be happening outside. There was nothing but silence immediately around them, with the distant sound of chaos somewhere out there. She glanced over at Natima as she began to speak, realizing the Shi'ido had been looking at her. Leliana's cheeks immediately lit up with a blush, looking away from the redhead for a few seconds. She bit her lip, wondering what she could even answer with.

Always been an assassin, was outright raised from childhood to be one?

"Honestly? I've just been an assassin, never had a job before that." Leliana's own little half-truth, truth in the statement but it wasn't the full story.

Natima Vando​

 

[Natima Vando]

Natima chuckled at the comment of Leliana about her career choices, it was rather complicated to explain it all. If Leliana was half as smart as Natima assumed then the woman would probably know there was more to the story. "Oh, I love it. Used to be a thrill chaser back in the day, parents hated it, but I just had to get that adrenaline high." She muttered, her eyes getting a stary far off look to them. Oh, she used to have it all on the small circuits, had all the attention and credits she could want; when she didn't total her swoop in the process. "Dangerous though, really dangerous. Some of the betting pools would want your head if you cost them money." Natima rubbed the back of her head and winced as she rubbed against her wound by accident. Realizing she was delving a bit too much into the murky waters of the past now, she felt it best to cut the topic short for the time being. "Needless to say, friends came and went as fast as the races." Wasn't that the truth, Natima knew it better than most unfortunately.

It seemed like their little hiding spot would go untouched by the chaos outside. She could only hope their luck would hold for the time being. Seeing the blush that came over the woman's face got Natima's heart pumping a tad bit faster, though she told herself to keep it flirty and stop there. It was really a formality if nothing else. She flirted with alot of people after all, but she didn't often care about how they would react; hence where Leliana came in. Hearing the woman had been nothing other than an assassin was a bit hard to believe, but Natima didn't know where the girl had come from; she very well could have grown up in that culture for all she knew. Or could be she was pulling the same card as Natima, half lies wrapped in half truths. "You have to be fething kidding me. So you are telling me you've never modeled or anything? Could have fooled me." She teased, biting her lip as she had to stop herself before she said something too aggressive. "Is...there anything you'd like to do other than killing people? You have graceful movements and smooth hands, could always be a dancer, or whatever you want really. Humans are interesting like that. You guys go through skill sets like clockwork, it's impressive really." She had a soft spot for humans really, probably because they had a shared interest in running amok. Natima confessed, her hands fumbling over themselves as she began to think of what they were going to do next. As nice as this talk was, they couldn't stay here forever, especially if the city was in a state of war and they had a job to report in on.

Leliana

 

[Leliana]

Leliana mused quietly as she listened to Natima describe her life as a swoop racer. It did take her interest though, as she painted a picture that illuminated how treacherous such a career was like. Not just from the threat of literally crashing and burning, but of also pissing off the wrong person who had placed a significant bet. Credits were one means of getting to a person’s heart, to catch their attention and draw them into an opening to exploit.

Greed was one of the biggest vices, and if you screwed someone out of their credits, you can be sure payback would swiftly follow.

It was honestly fascinating to Leliana, although she wasn’t sure if that was because of the subject itself, or rather the person describing it.

Natima’s compliments got her fellow assassin blushing again, Leliana could feel her cheeks burning up. Damn that redhead, she was only one who could consistently get that kind of reaction from her. There was something about it, of having someone look at her like that, think of her like that, which brought butterflies to her stomach.

Her training immediately wanted her to bury that emotion down, not wanting to be something exploitable. But it seemed too stubborn to be pushed down, especially around Natima.

“Well, I like to paint most of the time. It’s probably the main hobby I have, with tailoring as a close second.” Leliana thought back, remembering how the latter had at one point been her specific hobby. The single one she was ‘allowed’ to have during her time at The Facility. It was somewhat poetic then, that once she was free of that, she was able to adopt a hobby that allowed her to be more expressive.

Leliana looked over at Natima, noticing the redhead was fidgeting slightly, looking around at their dark surroundings. The assassin nodded, figuring out what was on the woman’s mind.

“I see two options before us.” She paused, waiting until she got Natima’s full attention. “We head back to the hotel, to our room, and report back to the Overseer. From there we can look at the information before us and either stay and help sort this mess out. Or we request evac to pick us up, probably outside of the city limits.”

Natima Vando​

 

[Natima Vando]

It was adorable seeing Lil's face light up from a few select words, something that Natima found she was growing increasingly fond of doing. Deep down she knew the reason for her attraction, or at least what pulled her towards the woman. It was selfish perhaps, vain even, but for the Shi'ido it held fond memories of a life she had single handily destroyed. The life she had sworn would be the perfect one for the two of them; lasted all of three years that.

Listening to the hobbies of her compatriot, Natima found it rather charming how artistic the woman could be. Would explain why her hands were so nice and soft, and how she had the faintest bit of finesse behind those fingertips. "That explains alot actually. You seemed just the type. Well dressed, well mannered, and an eye for detail. You don't happen to take commisions do you?" She smiled, before setting her thoughts to the world outside. She would very much like to survive this ordeal and enjoy Leliana's time away from explosions and death threats.

Hearing Leliana's suggestion for what they should do, Natima closed her eyes and thought on the matter, knowing that as nice as it would be to hightail it out of there, calling evac was likely to get them killed long term; there was no way they could get out of the city in the state it was in right now, let alone leave the planet. It seemed that the only option was retreat and report back, then go in from there. Puckering up her lip, Natima mused to herself for a moment, before giving her feedback; she was none too happy with her conclusion though. "I think the first option would be best. Evac seems unlikely, and the mission comes first. Not to mention I'm dying to see what these idiots conjured up for a scheme like this. I mean, who are these guys?" She responded, rising to her feet with a grimace as she could feel the tenderness of her body complain against her movements. She really wasn't looking forward to what awaited them, but they couldn't stay here forever. Besides, Lil needed her to stay strong; there was no way the woman was going to make it on her own at the moment.

Leliana

 

[Leliana]

“Well...the list of people that even know of my hobby is very, very small.” It wasn’t a full answer, but one all the same. Leliana very rarely let anyone know of her hobby, of something personal to her. To a point she could count the amount of a single hand.

Leliana sighed quietly, nodding her head.

As much as the assassin liked the thought, it wasn’t going to be easy to leave the city right now. If they had sense, they’d have the entire place locked down, eyes and systems keeping watch for any traffic in and out.

If they want to get out of this situation, they’d have to stop the culprits.

With a groan from her aching muscles, Leliana stood up from her chair. She reached down for a moment, helping Natima up onto her feet. Both of them were already feeling the effects of the day, and both equally knew it wasn’t the end of it. At least she had Natima for company, although next time Leliana hoped it wouldn’t involve being stuck in a city under attack from within.

“Let’s use the door we came in through? Gonna need to get outside so I can figure out the direction to the hotel.”

She also did wonder who the attackers were. They hadn’t been in the city long enough to really know if these were locals or tourists like themselves. Although, if Leliana’s assumption was correct, with their keen eye for navigating the underground tunnels, then the former was the likely answer.

But there was also part of the assassin that wondered about the whole thing. It just so happened that the Overseers sent them on this mission, the very day a terrorist attack happened?

Paranoia was an unavoidable part of being an assassin, trying to keep a healthy balance of it. But right now, Leliana couldn’t help but suspect.

Natima Vando​

 

[Natima Vando]

As Lil rose to her feet, Natima quietly groaned to herself, knowing what the pair were going to have to do. Of course, she waited until Lil spoke of them needing to leave before she got to her feet. Her body was none to happy with this development, particularly her head. Lil suggested the pair use the door, get an idea of where they were, and go from there. It sounded good in concept, but...what the hell was going on outside to begin with? Natima lamented the fact she hadn't paid attention to where their hotel was, but at the same time who could have expected a terrorist attack happening on the same day as their mission.

Rolling her shoulders, Natima winced as she felt a bone pop in the wrong way, but she merely sighed and went with it. "Sure, we can do that." She replied, drawing her dagger and giving it a flip, before winking at Lil. "I'll watch your back." Truth of the matter was Natima was expecting the worst, thinking that the moment they opened the door they would be up to their necks in terrorists and home made explosives. Looking to Lil, the Shi'ido knew she had royally fethed up on the whole 'staying detached' idea. She'd be seeing more of this Leliana girl in the future, there was no getting around that. "I'll scout ahead. Don't want that pretty face getting marked up." She offered, taking hold of the dagger and carefully moving to the door. She carefully pulled the door back, peaking through the crack that was given to her, and found no sign of alarm. Looking to Lil, Natima signaled her to wait, then nimbly moved herself outside.

Seeing what had unfolded since their retreat, Natima was appealed at what she saw. Burning debris littered the streets, dead citizens had been laid out as if for a body count, and several air speeders had been destroyed by some manner of energy weapon. On the flip side, there seemed to be no sign of those wack jobs from before, though the site did little to boost Natima's moral. Seeing little to gain from marveling at the destruction, she crept back to the back door of the shop and would inform Leliana of what she saw. Her face was a grim expression as she spoke, and it probably didn't help that she was just plain exhausted. "Our friends aren't anywhere to be seen, but they left a trail. Thinking they'll be back, so we should get a move on while we can." Natima would fall in line behind Lil, intend on watching the woman's back as she promised; though she'd be lying if she said she was confident in the fact they'd get back to the hotel without a problem.

Leliana

 

[Leliana]

Leliana shook her head, a small smile on her face as she followed Natima towards the door. The redhead always had some compliment, no matter how small, to slide into her words. And despite Leliana’s efforts, she couldn’t but respond to it. Be it a smile or blush, Natima had managed to slip her way under Leliana’s walls. Without the raven-haired assassin ever realizing until it was too late.

She glanced back at the darkness behind them, the shadows stirring in anticipation as they neared the door. Leliana was prepared to act should there be anyone on the other side. Albeit, she couldn’t imagine there was anyone, unless they were being deliberately quiet, waiting to spring a trap.

Fortunately there seemed to be no one there, as Natima slowly crept outside and checked their surroundings. Leliana lingered behind, and with the redhead out of sight she welcomed the darkness. She inhaled deeply as the shadows swirling around her, slipping between her fingers and wrapping around her body. It was like a shot of adrenaline, something very much needed for the assassin.

By the time Natima returned to the door, the shadows had settled and Leliana was leaning slightly in the doorway. She gave the redhead a nod, before stepping out into the light. Leliana winced slightly as it hit her eyes, but she quickly brushed it off.

“Our best bet is to use the canals again, avoid the streets themselves.”

Leliana cupped her hands together, bringing them close to her face before beginning to whisper something. The language was foreign, almost akin to Sith but different. As the assassin’s tongue rolled out into an elongated hiss, she opened her hands to reveal a small black bird within. With a small command, she let the creature fly up into the sky above them.

“I have a...unique ability to create.” She said, not even bothering to look at Natima, knowing the woman was likely staring at her. Leliana finally glanced at her, giving her a sheepish smile. After a couple minutes, the small scout finally fluttered back down, landing on Leliana’s open palm. The mark on the back of the same hand glowed, before the bird dissipated into black mist.

“We’re right next to the main canal, if we follow that along for a bit we should be able to move into the side canals and reach a closer point towards the hotel.”

Natima Vando​

 

[Natima Vando]

Leliana was right, Natima was staring at her, but her expression was one of awe as she studied what her fellow Sith was doing. She thought it was the coolest thing, being able to play with the shadows, making whatever she desired. She could take her art with her on the go. A smile involuntarily stretched across her face, seeing the small bird take off, and waiting with the woman for the bird to return. "Is...that something you can teach someone?" Natima asked shyly, her hands clutching together as she hummed to herself quietly. "I just...think it's super cool and stuff." She was perhaps being too obvious, but Natima desperately wanted to expand her power base, given how little power she truly had at the moment.

Seeing the bird return, and with it Lil provided info on how the pair should travel, the Acolyte was left with having to return to the damn canals. "Ugh, just when I was starting to dry off." She muttered, trying to not think about having to take another dip in the waters, but figuring there was little chance of getting back safely other wise. "Alright, well, lets get a move on." The Shi'ido stated, re-actively reaching out to take Lil by the hand, before stopping herself. "Oh, erm, sorry." She chuckled, backing up awkwardly, as she worked her way through the alley, intent of slipping back into the maintenance entrance they had come from near the waterway. Hopefully Lil wouldn't bring up what she had just attempted to do. She was definitely getting ahead of herself, and she needed to get her head on straight. As the pair would move up the street, the bodies of the civilians caught in the blast were laid out, smoldering fires still burned, though there seemed to be no sign of the pairs attackers. So far so good. Reaching the maintenance door, Natima rushed in opening it, trying to prevent Lil from having time to question her recent actions. Though, there was probably going to be plenty of time for the woman to interrogate her at the hotel; assuming they reached it.

Leliana

 

[Leliana]

The assassin thought about Natima’s question, before doing a half shake of the head-shrug combo. “Unfortunately I’ve no idea, far as I know I’m the only one capable of this.” That probably wasn’t true, the galaxy was a large place after all. But how many had a mark burned into their skin, cutesy of the Dark Forge? “But who knows, I’m sure there’s other similar power sets out there.”

She could understand what Natima was feeling, wanting to expand her power base. Lelian had felt that when she was younger, being trained to be an assassin. Forced to keep her ‘special’ talents underwraps unless she wanted a one way ticket out of an airlock.

The Force was not allowed in the Facility, they were being trained to potential kill Force Users, not become them.

So it had come as no surprise when she had practically jumped at the chance of being trained, under the tutelage of Darth Ophidia.

Leliana chuckled at Natima’s comment. “Don’t worry, we won’t be going into the water itself. We should be able to skirt around it following the walkways.” She caught sight of Natima almost instinctively reaching for her hand. It wasn’t too surprising, given the redhead had been helping guide her since she had hit her head, but it seemed the action had got the Shi’ido off guard. Leliana raised an eyebrow, amusement in her eyes as her partner suddenly rushed ahead. But the assassins said nothing, and simply followed after her.

Surprisingly, they had managed to make it back to the hotel without any further disruptions. By the time they had resurfaced onto the streets again, they were in view of the hotel they had been staying at. The park/square before it was bustling with activity, civilians that had gathered there with a significant police force surrounding the area.

“Well, looks like we’ve found a safe haven, hopefully.”

They walked towards the hotel itself, catching the attention of a couple guards ahead of them. But before either could say or do something, a woman came jogging out of the foyer.

“Oh my god, are you two okay?!” It was an older woman, the same one who had originally checked them into the hotel.

Natima Vando​

 

[Natima Vando]

It was a little disappointing to learn that Lil's power was out of her grasp, but that was alright, Nat could always learn something else. "Well, that certainly makes you one in a million, and in more ways than one." She teased, hoping it would squeeze a blush out of the girl in the process. Honestly, she wished she had unlocked her power sooner than than later, might have made a world of difference in her line of work. Assassinations could have been made easier, her gambling debts might have never accumulated, she might have been able to keep her second marriage from falling apart even. Okay, probably not that far, but it made her feel better.

It was good to know they wouldn't have to go for another swim, but even more comforting was the fact Lil said nothing about the awkward hand holding that had nearly occurred. She kept up ahead, glancing back to Lil when she felt it was necessary, and every time her eyes stayed far longer than she had intended to. Given the concern she had for not only herself, but her recent and rather attractive companion, the journey to safety was nerve wrecking for the Shi'ido; though she was extremely relieved to find that the planet government was willing to do their job for once. Unfortunately, seeing the guards also meant that they were at risk of being searched or worse; interrogated. Not that Natima would cave to basic interrogation, she knew all the ways past stupid psychological probing, and so did Lil she imagined. Before she could embark on that wonderful line of thought, the receptionist approached the pair, and was nice enough to ask if the pair were okay; well, aside from having the slag scared out of her, Natima was just dandy. "Yes, just, we really, really want to just get back to our rooms." Natima stated, watching as a pair of guards moved towards herself and Lil. Wincing, Natima glanced back at Lil, and gave a wink. It wasn't exactly subtle, but she could only hope if it worked they'd have a fast pass to their room. "Oh, I feel so faint~" She proclaimed, stumbling and falling into Lil, though her Vahla frame made her much lighter than she had any right to be; hopefully Lil didn't drop her, and better yet she'd get to be whisked away in the woman's arms, in theory of course.

The receptionist shirked, aiding Lil in catching Natima before she hit the ground, and causing the guard to forget whatever he was planning on grilling the two women about. Natima relaxed the muscle control in her face, minimizing the chance of giving away her act with a smile that was threatening to burst to the surface. Hopefully the pair would be whisked away to their room without question, least give them time to breath and come up with a plan. Of course, this was all based on a hope.

Leliana