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 Posted: Sat Oct 10, 2009 3:03 am
-------------------------KEIKO's perspective - #83b093
-------------------------ARIZEN's perspective - #000000
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Posted: Sat Oct 10, 2009 3:06 am
 -----------------01. FIRST ENCOUNTERTaking another deep drag out of his cigarette, Arizen exhaled slowly as he attempted to ignore his surroundings, if only for a few seconds. Gods, this was a waste of time. He knew without looking that the vendor was taking his sweet a** time with the drinks, smug in the knowledge that he was the only one in the area able to relieve the market-goers' thirst. The line-up was moving, but slowly. And his client had yet to show - the p***k was over half an hour late. If it hadn't been for the fact that he'd had previous dealings with the man before, Zen would have left already, possibly swiping a drink from the vendor's stall as he did, just to deflate the vendor's sense of self-importance and amuse himself at the same time. Who knew waiting for a drink could take so damned long?
The black-haired figure shifted, casually, and brought the cigarette to his lips once again, his violet eyes never once stopping in their appraisal of his surroundings. Where was his client? Zen looked at at the faces in the square, darting from one to another as he shuffled slowly forward with the line-up. His eyes skimmed over the children heading towards him and dismissed them without a second thought as his gaze traveled even further, attempting to penetrate the crowds. So absorbed was he in his search that the quick tug on his clothes took one second too long to register and Zen, his attention abruptly brought back to his immediate surroundings, cursed.
The culprits - the very group of children that he had noticed and ignored - were now moving quickly, weaving in and out of the crowd, giggling and cheering as they went. A brief mental war waged in Zen's head, should he stay, and wait for the client that may never show up? or chase after the children? It only took a heartbeat for Zen to reach a decision - people had to think quickly on their feet, in his profession - and the man left the queue, flicking the butt of his cigarette casually towards a nearby gutter. He knew where to find his client, if it ever came to that.
As he chased after the children, his lithe frame slipping easily through gaps in the crowd, Zen found himself grinning, a feral gleam of anticipation in his eyes. The thrill of a chase was always enough to give him an adrenaline rush, even if it was something as simple as following a bunch of street thieves. It enhanced his senses, and he inhaled deeply, savoring the sensation.
Rounding a corner, Zen looked around and began to frown, though he kept running. It was becoming all too apparent where the children were heading - the sewer holes in some of the less-used parts of town were large enough to fit children, but too small for someone with his broad shoulders. While there were other ways to reach the sewers, none of them were particularly appealing, and the sewers themselves... suffice to say that Zen never wanted to be down there again. There was something else, too - as they left the market area, the noise and smells of the crowd were beginning to disappear, but he could swear he smelt the sweet, pungent smell of opium. It was strange, as they were headed towards the poorest part of town, where nobody could afford the expensive vice.
He sped up as he continued to run, changing from a loping stride to something closer to a sprint in the hopes of catching up to them before they could reach the nearest hole --
-- and came to a skidding stop as he almost ran over the child that stepped out in front of him from a tiny alleyway between two buildings.
The first thing he noticed about the child was her kimono. It was white, an impossibly bright color against the starkness of their surroundings. Then, Zen sidestepped, preparing to sprint after the children he could still see scrambling away in the distance.
"Wait."
Smooth and silky for all that it was child-like, the sound floated through the air between them until it reached Arizen, who jerked and turned to regard the child through intense violet eyes. Once again, the faint smell of opium drifted to his nose, but Zen put it aside to ponder later as he concentrated on the girl. Something about that voice... sounded familiar. The girl stared back at him calmly, a hint of amusement glittering in those jade-green eyes. That look, too, seemed familiar. Zen felt a momentary pang of disorientation as he stood there, abruptly seeing that feminine face replaced with an older, more masculine one wearing the exact same expression, speaking in just that tone.
Lucien.
That realization shook Zen out of his temporary confusion and he studied the girl more carefully, using his newfound understanding to see more than just the surface. He saw the effort that the girl had put into maintaining her garment and appearance in this dirty part of the city, and that spoke of planning. For what, he wasn't quite sure yet, but as the girl was planted solidly in the middle of a deserted side street, in front of him, it was a safe bet that he was involved in those plans. The amusement in those jade-green eyes hadn't faded under his intense scrutiny, but that was only to be expected. When Lucien had the same calm smile on his face, it was always when he had the upper hand and knew it.
With a sigh, (because he could see the similarities between his best friend and this ... waif standing in front of him, and therefore could almost predict what was about to happen,) Zen shrugged and shifted slightly so that he was directly face to face with the girl before speaking.
"Yes?"
Pretending not to know what the girl had up her sleeve was probably the best route for now, the man thought as he waited patiently, the other children nothing but a faint thought in the back of his mind. If this child was anything like Lucien, then there would be no need to chase after them - this one probably had his wallet and had managed to obtain it without the knowledge of the others. The unmistakable scent of opium wafted past him once again as he waited, and he wondered at its source - perhaps one of the drug lords had set up a den this far into the slums? It would be a good place for it, though very few customers would want to come this far as, he thought with silent amusement, there was a very high chance of pickpocketing.
----
Though appearing not to, Keiko had been quietly observing the man with just as much intensity as he had subjected her to. This man would do nicely... She was tired of living on the streets, tired of having to manipulate and charm in order to maintain her place in the gang, tired of having to watch her back and fend for herself. For all that it was second nature to her, the girl could plainly see that this road held nothing but hardship, but endearing herself to someone who could take care of her... that opened a whole lot of new doors.
Keiko let the silence stretch as she debated the most appropriate response. Something as direct as "I have your wallet and will give it back if you give me a roof" would probably not work, she mused.
"I noticed you were running after those children over there... did they have something of yours?"
Yes, indirectly.. that was key.
----
Zen resisted the urge to laugh out loud - barely - when the girl spoke. It wouldn't do to alert the child that he'd been on to her the moment she'd flashed him that self-confident smile and amused green eyes. At least not until he could figure out what she wanted. This was far more entertaining than the chase.
Pretending to consider the question was easy, as he really was. If this girl was Lucien, what was the best way to respond that would give her the opportunity that she was looking for?
"I believe.. that those brats have my wallet. Do you know them?"
----
This was almost too easy. But Keiko found it hard to believe that anyone would be able to see through her ploy - nobody had been able to before, ever. So she continued setting what she thought of as her trap for the man. Putting on her most surprised face, she stepped closer.
"No way! That's terrible! Can I help you look for it? Although I'm lost too..."
The surprise was replaced by a dismal sigh as she allowed her voice to trail off in apparent dejection.
----
Zen blinked at the transformation of the girl in front of her, almost convinced, before he glimpsed the same amusement in those eyes that he'd seen earlier. The girl is good... almost as good as Lucien. But then, Lucien would never maneuver for pity. What was the point?
Picking up on the cue that had been dropped so conveniently, Zen leaned down, putting his face closer to the girl's. Strange, the smell of opium seemed to cling to her like a soft cloud of sweet perfume...
"Lost? You mean, you've been separated from your guardian?"
----
Yes! Keiko's triumph showed in the brief flash of jade green eyes before she remembered the need to appear sad and forlorn.
"I... haven't been able to find them for a while, now, and I've been here for a few days... I think they left me behind, and I have nowhere to go. If --"
Her soft voice was suddenly drowned out by the laughter echoing throughout up and down the side street, bouncing off the cramped buildings. The sound seemed to fill up the space they were in, and before Keiko could react, she found herself held immobile by the hands that pinned her arms tight against her body.
"Good try, little girl. It would have almost worked, except that I know someone almost exactly like you. Now, where is my wallet? and what is your name?"
The man's violet eyes were filled with mirth and amusement, but strangely no malice or anger as they bored into hers. A little bewildered by this odd turn of events, it took Keiko a few tries to find her voice, and she found that all her plans and pretense had deserted her.
"It's.. that is, I.. "
Her eyes darted over to the side, towards the little alleyway that she had emerged from before. Taking this as the hint that it was, Zen moved towards the area, still holding the girl a few feet above the ground. He was silent as he looked around, until he noticed the crack between two particularly loose stones.
With an absent "stay.", Zen put the girl back firmly on the cobblestones, though he kept one hand on her arm. The free one dug between the stones until the his fingertips came into contact with the familiar leather, and he pulled it out, placing it back in his pocket with deft, quick movements. That done, he turned to study the still-stunned girl. He knew now, what the girl had wanted, and found the idea rather interesting. If nothing else, the girl reminded him too much of his best friend for him to leave her here on the streets.
"Now, kitten, what will I do with you?"
Keiko was shaken out of her shocked reverie at the man's words. They were light, and again, she could sense nothing threatening behind the words, but she was unsure now. The plan that she'd thought was going so well had been so cleverly manipulated by this man now holding her captive that she felt there was nothing she could do that would not be immediately thwarted by him. And yet... it seemed this man harbored no hard feelings over the entire incident. In fact, she noted after a quick study, he merely seemed to be amused by it. As if it was all a joke.
The knowledge that there would be no serious retribution for her actions comforted her, and she visibly pulled herself together, her inherent cunning coming back into play now that she had a firmer grasp on the situation.
"You.. could take me with you?"
Zen's deep chuckle traveled down his arm to reverberate through Keiko's entire body before the man himself squatted down to put his face level to hers.
"I'll ask again, kit. What's your name?"
Keiko found the man's attitude immensely disturbing - what sane man would speak so casually to the very person who'd stolen his wallet? And then tried to use it as a means to manipulate him into taking her home with him? But she could see no way out, so she answered with a toss of her head.
"Keiko. Yours?"
The scent of opium washed over Zen one again as the girl tossed her head. It seemed to come from her, but he could see no signs of addiction or use. But the obvious attempt at defiance on Keiko's part made the decision for him, and the thought of taking her in changed from being merely an interesting idea into reality.
"Hm... I like 'kitten' better. Suits you, since you're almost like a miniature version of my friend, who reminds me far too much of a stalking panther. I'm Arizen. You can probably call me Zen. Come along now, it's going to be a bit of a walk back to my place."
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