The Meeting
This was just her luck, wasn't it? Ohh, when she got her hands on Sauda, one could bet that she was gonna shake some sense into that girl. Her preteen was getting more and more moody, and while there weren't any catfights yet, the tension was so thick that it could be shot. Repeatedly. In this last incident, the girl had run off, fleeing to where Tsunake assumed would be Catzi's house. She was upset now, upset that her adopted daughter was going elsewhere for comfort--and upset by the notion that perhaps she wasn't a very good mother. So caught up in her thoughts, she didn't even realize she had trekked through all those damn woods just to go the wrong way. Exasperated, a rather throaty growl pushed itself out of her throat, and she paused for a moment, hands propped on her hips, to glare at GD's mansion
Great. This wasn't where she needed to be at all. Muttering darkly to herself, the woman turned and took a step forward--and sharply cried in surprise as the soil simply dropped out from under her. Frantically, she clawed at the muddy sides of the pit, feeling her fingers brush against something stringy. Desperately, she snatched at it, kicking at the wall of earth as she risked a glance below her. What she saw only made her even more determined not to fall--the bottom of the trap (that's the only thing it could be) was lined with thick, sharpened sticks, apparently supposed to impale the unfortunate victim who fell in. Tsunake's hands had entangled themselves in a thick mass of roots, and she snapped her head up just in time to catch sight of someone peering down at her. Feral eyes, like those of a cat, stared at her impassively, framed by a heap of wavy brown hair.
"Hey!" She shouted, feet still scrabbling against the wall as she felt the roots loosen slightly. In an instant, the face was gone, as though it had never been there. "HEY!" Not a shout this time, but a roar . Whatever that thing was, it was just leaving her?! Her indignant fury was quelled though--she had to focus on putting most her weight into her legs so they could press into the wall, rather than just dangle on the wall until those roots finally snapped. Christ, okay, she needed to calm down and think of how to get out. Could she fall on those sticks? No, preferably not. She could let herself down gently, maybe, only take a little bit of damage...
" 'ey. Vinny? Yeah... If they got lost in this place, we ain't gonna ever find 'um." A pair of onyx eyes ran themselves over the vast expanse of the GD mansion as the statement was murmured into an equally dark-colored cell phone. An easily distinguishable accent dabbled the English in a clearly unrestrained slur; he wasn't trying to impress any uppity cooperate ********. The echoing voice that buzzed in his ear was no better.
"I'm tellin' ya, it's huge. Huh? No, I can take care of it. I'm sure they'll remember seein' them if they're staring down the barrel of a .45." A short chuckle was emitted following the comment. A pair of polished dress shoes shouldn't be taken through the woods, but this man didn't seem to know this. He walked through the various leaves and stepped over the occasional fallen limbs, taking attention to all of his surroundings but not to the nature that scuffed at his shoes or clung to his slacks.
A flash of brown and dark green out of the corner of his eye caused him to pause and jerk his head around. Nothing. Still, now he was suspicious. The almost humanoid roar made him stiffen also, as well as seek the waistband of his pants with his free hand. "I gotta go. If I don't call ya back in an hour, send the triplets in." The phone was flipped shut and pocketed with an easy gesture. A pale hand dipped behind the flap of the coal-black jacket securing his shoulders, tapping alabaster digits against the hidden revolver at his waist. He'd been warned about this place before accepting the scouting job, so he was more than a bit wary despite his previous humorous attitude. Some pretty good people had gone out here and never came back. The Italian briefly wondered if the source of the earlier sound could be yet another victim- or maybe whatever was responsible for this whole convenience. Either way, his steps were quick but not clumsy. He was still in control of the situation, or so he presumed.
His steps slowed once he reached a pit, possibly the source of the calls. Still, he made little noise and checked his surroundings before proceeding. The face that peered into the hole was fair and free of blemish or hair, stretched over a firmly angular jaw. Hair the color of oil spilled over one eye and framed the rest in a combed, organized style. At first, the expression given was void and slightly grave one, as if prepared to see a corpse or some injured animal. However, upon seeing the silver-haired woman, the one visible dark eye widened.
" 'ey, miss, you gonna need some help outta there?" Immediately, the revolver was abandoned as the young man raised both hands quickly to yank at the black tie adorning his neck. He was suited in all black, clearly more belonging in a funeral reception than the woods. He obviously had forgotten that this, too, could be a trap.
Tsunake had been struggling and swearing silently to herself, keeping that golden-eyed face fresh in her mind. She'd find that little whelp and teach him a thing or two, maybe warn GD that his kids were trying to kill people. If she got out, of course. Suddenly, there was movement above, and she glanced up sharply again, fully prepared to rant at that punk if he had come back. Who would honestly leave someone they didn't even know to die, huh? Instead, much to her surprise, there was a young man, black hair, black eyes. Looked like a regular pretty boy--but she couldn't have been happier to see him. Who knows, maybe that little kid had gone off to get someone, huh? "Y-Yeah, just a little bit. Preferably before I impale myself--other than that, take your time." Humor in a bad situation always helped, even if she felt like ripping someone's face off instead of laughing.
As though scolding her, the roots jerked a bit more, and she swallowed a yelp, both of her feet trying to push up against the wall. Tsunake had a horrible vision of herself falling backwards just so those spikes could crunch straight through her spine, her chest--She gave herself a mental slap across the face, sounding strained as she spoke again. "They aren't gonna hold much longer." Wasn't this just perfect? Her lips had drawn back in a sneer, one which was directed at herself. Way to go Tsu, fall through a hole, look like an idiot, and now beg to get rescued. Reaaaal smooth.
The young man dropped to a crouch above the hole, rocking weight back onto his heels as he threaded the tie from his neck. "Damn, they've got this place rigged. Here, grab ahold'a this. The fabric's strong enough to hang a man." Literally; he would know. The thick end of the black material was draped into the hole above her head while both hands gripped the other side. He had no obligation to help this woman, but he had no reason to let her die either. When the roots seemed to tear a bit, he rocked forward a bit, but nothing more. The tie didn't have to hold her weight forever, but it'd be enough to help her scale the wall until he could get a hold of her.
Blue eyes were surprisingly calm, if a bit anxious. They flickered to the tie, and a faint smile came to her face. Hang a man, huh? She reached out gingerly, snagging the tie in an instant and transferring all her weight to it without hesitation. Okay, seemed sturdy enough, but she waited for a moment, her body humming with nervous energy. She'd leap back to those roots in an instant if she felt like he was going to drop her. Nope, apparently not. Muscles flexed in her arms and shoulders, and the woman began to bodily haul herself up, only using the wall occasionally to readjust her grip and such, and also to take some of the weight off. Not like she was very heavy, mind, but heavy enough to make someone's arms ache. Soon, one hand was snatching at the edge, feet kicking at the wall to try and push herself up.
The man clenched his teeth as weight was distributed onto the tie and threatened to toss him over. Heels dug themselves into the ground beneath as he began to straighten up, pulling her up slowly as she climbed. When she gripped the edge with one hand he crouched again, holding the tie firmly in one hand while the other slipped down. Rather boldly, but with good intention, he slipped it beneath the arm not holding onto the wall and lifted, attempting to haul her up. He may have been a pretty boy, but he was not without some muscle mass, and it wasn't as if she was heavy, either. His eyes flickered to their surroundings, trying to make sure no one was going to come sneak up and try to push them in at that moment. "You gonna be alright?"
Her eyes narrowed slightly at the feel of something slipping under her other arm, but Tsunake said not a word, using the wall to her advantage as she was lifted up and finally over the edge. One hand swept back her untidy mane of silver hair, shoulders slumping in relief. "Yes." She responded--then froze. Only a few feet away, those bright eyes stared at them from the brush. Calculating, calm, not at all worried that she had spotted whatever it was. "Or I will be." She growled, shifting immediately into a sort of crouch, fingers splayed like claws. "All right you, come on out." And to her surprise, he did."
The child stood, surveying them both with an air of wary caution, but superiority as well. He wasn't afraid. Long, unruly hair spilled over his shoulders, rippling in a wave-like motion. She was almost surprised by his size, but what had she expected? He was just a little boy. "Why didn't you answer me?" Tsunake finally managed to ask the only question her mind allowed. He stared at her for a long while, his gaze flickering to her companion once before returning to her. Her only response was a shrug. The strong, silent type, hm? All right, she'd try a different approach. "Why didn't you try to help me out, huh?"
"You ruined my trap." His tone was flat, almost accusatory. Tsunake blinked for half a second, caught herself, and frowned. "Your trap nearly killed me."
"But it didn't." He countered in that same sort of tone, brushing at the animal pelts that were strung along his back and arms. "There's no such thing as luck; if you were meant to die, you would have." Needless to say, she was shocked by his attitude and how...lightly he was taking this. From the looks of it, he was a hunter of some sorts. Unless GD had just started to hand out random animal skins. "What's your name, kid?" She glanced wryly at the man next to your. "Both of yours, I suppose. And thanks." Now that that was off her chest. The boy seemed to lose interest in the conversation, and ignored her question, those strange eyes flickering to focus on the one who had helped her out of his trap.
He took a step back as she crouched suddenly, swinging his head around to follow her gaze. A kid? Though, the brown and dark green colors reminded him of what he'd caught a glimpse of. For a moment, he was silent, allowing the conversation to go on while he retied his tie and brushed wrinkles from his suit. A brow cocked in the boy's general direction. The kid was smart, it seemed, but a little freaky.
"What?" He asked suddenly, eyes narrowing. "No 'sorry'? What the hell, kid? You're this close to a mansion; of course people are gonna be walking here!" He paused suddenly, features shifting to a grimly thoughtful expression. "Did this happen before? Did any other people fall into your traps?"
He seemed to not have heard Tsunake's question, eyes still resting on the child. "Finesse." His gaze flickered over to her now. "I'm Finesse, and it was only the right thing for a gentleman to do." Right. Those black eyes swerved back to the child. "The lady asked you a question. If you got enough voice to complain, you can give out a name."
The boy glanced over at this Finesse person, lips drawing back to display his teeth almost aggressively. Like some sort of animal, Tsunake thought. It would have been funny if she wasn't so ticked. Curious, but ticked. When her savior jumped in yet again, she glanced at him coolly, carefully concealing her surprised expression at the look on his face. Hmm...Come to think of it, why had he been in these woods anyway? The man, that is, not the boy. Finesse, was it? She'd remember that. "A gentleman?" That surprised her a little, and she twitched her lips in another faint smile before focusing on the wild child. Goodness, he didn't seem to like Finesse's tone at all.
Those yellow eyes glared at them both, darting back and forth, as though searching for any sort of escape. None it seemed, not yet. To Finesse's first question, he gave an irritated little shake of his body--No. No one else. The female had been the first. "...Ithai." Came the answer between gritted teeth before the boy suddenly turned and sprinted, the fur on his body streaming behind him and giving the impression that he had tails. He was fast, faster than Sauda...and Tsunake had practically killed herself trying to snatch the little girl the first time they had met.
With a sigh, the woman rose to her feet, brushing at the dirt on her pants and staring off where Ithai had ran. "I'm Tsunake." She told him, then took a few, cautious steps forward, clearly concerned about other traps. "...He shouldn't be out here. Other people could get hurt..."
As the boy barred his teeth, he would receive an impassive stare. The thought of being bitten wasn't frightening at all. In fact, it was pretty funny. Oh, no, rabies! He gracefully refrained from smirking or laughing, though, and merely cocked his head to the side. Ithai, was it? Kid had spunk, but he was irresponsible. Still...
At the nonverbal response, he drew his lips tautly. That was good, in a way. If the kid was responsible for the disappearances in the Family's goons, he'd be put in a pretty hot seat. No, he was more likely to be killed, kid or not. " 'ey!" He shouted suddenly as the wild child made a mad dash into the surrounding woods, making a step to follow. He stopped, of course, seeing how fast the little s**t could run. As the woman announced herself, he turned and nodded slightly. "Nice to meet you, Tsunake. Even though it's not the best of circumstances. Heh. That kid's a piece of work alright. Are you gonna try and catch him?"
His eyes glanced to her curiously, giving her a small once-over for the first time before looking back to the mansion. "Do you know what that place is? Who runs it?" Maybe this visit wouldn't all be in vain.
Tsunake chuckled quietly when Finesse gave a few half-hearted steps after the kid, then decided to drop it. Smart man. That boy might have even more of those traps set up anyway, and that would be certainly ugly if more of them were set off. "I might, but that'd probably take hours...I'd have to sneak up on him." She sighed, not looking forward to it. "Eh?" Oh, the mansion. "Yeah, I know what it is. It's run by an old drunk--he has all sorts of little boys in there...It's sort of like an adoption agency." Curious, Tsunake frowned, looking at him. "Why? You don't look the type to go randomly adopt kids. Why are you here, anyway?" Blunt and straight to the point, but that was pretty much her style. "Though, I suppose I should be thankful you're here at all." She commented dryly, "Unless I wanted to end up skewered in more places than one."
"An adoption agency?" He repeated, an incredulous look splaying across his features for a moment. A drunkard ran that place and- A smile twitched at the corners of his lips as he was questioned. This would be a good time to state 'If I told you, I'd have to kill you' in a dark, melodramatic voice. But he wouldn't, really, so he did not respond directly to it right away. "Eh. I think you could have pulled yourself out without me. You seem like a woman that can take care of herself. Guess I was lucky to be in the area." ******** what the kid said about luck.
"I'm here on business." He finally confessed, shrugging as if it were nothing. "Some friends of mine disappeared a few days ago and I was sent to check it out." If he couldn't find them today, or could convince the others to call off the search -they were just goons, after all, and people ran from the organization all the time- he wouldn't need to come back. "If this is an adoption place, that means that kid must be one of there’s, right?"
"Yup." The silver-haired woman was quiet for a moment, one brow raised as she studied him. So, besides his name, what did she know about him? Well, he had an accent...She was never good with recognizing them, but maybe that meant he was slightly foreign? Or grew up in a foreign household. Well, whatever...Now that she thought about it, she didn't really care to pick through his life. He was who he was. "Psht, I might have, but I would have needed your tie at least." Tsunake offered him a slight grin, keeping her tiny, pointed canines hidden with a careful lip. Flattery, huh? Well, she wouldn't pretend she didn't like it, but she wouldn't go crazy over it either. As long as it was mild flattery. "Business?" She repeated, letting him finish before she let herself get too suspicious.
"Ahh, I see." That made more sense then. But if they were friends of his, why would he need to be sent to come look? Tsunake simply stored that in the back of her mind and let it drop for now--it wasn't her concern. She just wanted to find her kid. "He'd have to be. He didn't look like one of the Cousins..." Yes, the lovely little hermes that lived in the woods. They kept to themselves most of the time. "I wonder why he was out here though...most kids love being in the mansion." She pondered aloud, then shrugged. "I guess I better go ask."
A small grin was given to the comment about his tie and the urge to reach for it now was successfuly suppressed. It had been the only thing he'd had on his immediate person that would do the trick, and it had thankfully worked out alright, silly as it may have looked. As far as the flattery went, well, it was almost instinctual. His mother had taught him to respect and compliment women growing up, and his uncle had done everything but beat it into him. The fact that the woman he was giving the flattery to was, in his opinion, as beautiful as he said was only a bonus. It was hard to be as convincing when trying to speak to a cross-eyed tramp, point being. Finesse checked the woman's features for the results of his excuse of being out here and was satisfied when she asked no more questions.
"Why ask? He lives here, right? What d'ya thinking they'll say?" He asked mildly, not trying to ridicule her or anything, but naturally curious as to just what she expected to come out of venturing to the mansion. "Eh... I'd like to ask about him, too. I bet they don't know he's out here riggin' traps that can kill people." A step was taken to follow her, then another, his eyes scanning the ground for any other signs of traps. "Why'd you say you was out here, again?"
Instinctual, hm? Tsunake couldn't say that she was used to it. Her forward personality and her sharp tongue often made most anyone back off, and it didn't help that she usually stayed in the house. Socializing wasn't one of her strong suits. "They can give me some information on him, at least." She shrugged, not quite sure why she was even interested. The kid had caught her attention, that was all. Those eyes of his had been rather captivating, and to her, he resembled an animal. And animals, wild ones, didn't like being caged up in a place, despite how awesome it was, like the mansion. A cage was still a cage. "True..." Sure, both GD and DT were a pair of interesting characters, but they certainly wouldn't want to deal with cops coming to investigate, right? It was hard to imagine. "I didn't." Tsunake sighed, shaking her head quietly. -c-
"My other kid, my little girl, she ran off. We got in a spat, one might say." Wryly, she shoved some of her hair out of her face, taking a few more cautious steps towards the mansion. "I was looking for her--she came from another sort of mansion, one for little girls. I ended up here by mistake because I was too busy thinking." She didn't look in the least bit embarrassed about it, and why should she? So she hadn't been paying attention, it happened to everyone.
Finesse had dealt with a lot of bitches and back-stabbing cunts in his chosen proffession. Feisty and callous was one thing, just pure out bitchy was another. She had been mostly polite so far and only a bit nosey, but it was nothing he couldn't counter with his own, barely-subtle imposing tendencies. "Ah, that's true. Pretty interestin', even though he nearly killed you. Pretty weird adoption agency..."
He quieted, listening to her reasoning respectively without interrupting. So, she had a kid of her own, huh? And a troublesome, at that. "Talk about a wake-up call, eh? Well, hopefully you get her back. Can't stay mad forever, right?
Finesse had pretty much proven himself to her already--she couldn't possibly snap at someone who had just dragged her out of a spiked pit, right? Well, she could, but he didn't seem impudent at all. "I'm pretty used to having close calls." Tsunake shrugged her shoulders lightly, continuing forward. "I guess I learn to like whatever can't kill me, ya know?" No, not really. "He looked lonely. I think he'd like to get away from here." She glanced sideways at him, offering a small smile. "I'm sure I will. She's a good kid, she wouldn't intend to run away from home without leaving a note first. And even if I don't find her, she'll come back so that we can talk it out. She's a pretty mellow girl, doesn't stay mad often. Something I need to learn." She snorted dismissively, glancing at the mansion which was suddenly at a lot closer.
Up the steps, a polite knock on the door before helping herself inside. The door was left open for Finesse while the woman curiously peered around. She had not-so fond memories of this place, what, with all the crazy kiddos in it.
Little did the pair know that when they left this place, they would each have a new addition to their family--and it came in the form of a boy with bright yellow eyes and wild brown hair. They each agreed to trade off on taking him home, simply because neither had enough time to entirely devote themselves to the poor child.
Ohh, what memories would come.
This was just her luck, wasn't it? Ohh, when she got her hands on Sauda, one could bet that she was gonna shake some sense into that girl. Her preteen was getting more and more moody, and while there weren't any catfights yet, the tension was so thick that it could be shot. Repeatedly. In this last incident, the girl had run off, fleeing to where Tsunake assumed would be Catzi's house. She was upset now, upset that her adopted daughter was going elsewhere for comfort--and upset by the notion that perhaps she wasn't a very good mother. So caught up in her thoughts, she didn't even realize she had trekked through all those damn woods just to go the wrong way. Exasperated, a rather throaty growl pushed itself out of her throat, and she paused for a moment, hands propped on her hips, to glare at GD's mansion
Great. This wasn't where she needed to be at all. Muttering darkly to herself, the woman turned and took a step forward--and sharply cried in surprise as the soil simply dropped out from under her. Frantically, she clawed at the muddy sides of the pit, feeling her fingers brush against something stringy. Desperately, she snatched at it, kicking at the wall of earth as she risked a glance below her. What she saw only made her even more determined not to fall--the bottom of the trap (that's the only thing it could be) was lined with thick, sharpened sticks, apparently supposed to impale the unfortunate victim who fell in. Tsunake's hands had entangled themselves in a thick mass of roots, and she snapped her head up just in time to catch sight of someone peering down at her. Feral eyes, like those of a cat, stared at her impassively, framed by a heap of wavy brown hair.
"Hey!" She shouted, feet still scrabbling against the wall as she felt the roots loosen slightly. In an instant, the face was gone, as though it had never been there. "HEY!" Not a shout this time, but a roar . Whatever that thing was, it was just leaving her?! Her indignant fury was quelled though--she had to focus on putting most her weight into her legs so they could press into the wall, rather than just dangle on the wall until those roots finally snapped. Christ, okay, she needed to calm down and think of how to get out. Could she fall on those sticks? No, preferably not. She could let herself down gently, maybe, only take a little bit of damage...
" 'ey. Vinny? Yeah... If they got lost in this place, we ain't gonna ever find 'um." A pair of onyx eyes ran themselves over the vast expanse of the GD mansion as the statement was murmured into an equally dark-colored cell phone. An easily distinguishable accent dabbled the English in a clearly unrestrained slur; he wasn't trying to impress any uppity cooperate ********. The echoing voice that buzzed in his ear was no better.
"I'm tellin' ya, it's huge. Huh? No, I can take care of it. I'm sure they'll remember seein' them if they're staring down the barrel of a .45." A short chuckle was emitted following the comment. A pair of polished dress shoes shouldn't be taken through the woods, but this man didn't seem to know this. He walked through the various leaves and stepped over the occasional fallen limbs, taking attention to all of his surroundings but not to the nature that scuffed at his shoes or clung to his slacks.
A flash of brown and dark green out of the corner of his eye caused him to pause and jerk his head around. Nothing. Still, now he was suspicious. The almost humanoid roar made him stiffen also, as well as seek the waistband of his pants with his free hand. "I gotta go. If I don't call ya back in an hour, send the triplets in." The phone was flipped shut and pocketed with an easy gesture. A pale hand dipped behind the flap of the coal-black jacket securing his shoulders, tapping alabaster digits against the hidden revolver at his waist. He'd been warned about this place before accepting the scouting job, so he was more than a bit wary despite his previous humorous attitude. Some pretty good people had gone out here and never came back. The Italian briefly wondered if the source of the earlier sound could be yet another victim- or maybe whatever was responsible for this whole convenience. Either way, his steps were quick but not clumsy. He was still in control of the situation, or so he presumed.
His steps slowed once he reached a pit, possibly the source of the calls. Still, he made little noise and checked his surroundings before proceeding. The face that peered into the hole was fair and free of blemish or hair, stretched over a firmly angular jaw. Hair the color of oil spilled over one eye and framed the rest in a combed, organized style. At first, the expression given was void and slightly grave one, as if prepared to see a corpse or some injured animal. However, upon seeing the silver-haired woman, the one visible dark eye widened.
" 'ey, miss, you gonna need some help outta there?" Immediately, the revolver was abandoned as the young man raised both hands quickly to yank at the black tie adorning his neck. He was suited in all black, clearly more belonging in a funeral reception than the woods. He obviously had forgotten that this, too, could be a trap.
Tsunake had been struggling and swearing silently to herself, keeping that golden-eyed face fresh in her mind. She'd find that little whelp and teach him a thing or two, maybe warn GD that his kids were trying to kill people. If she got out, of course. Suddenly, there was movement above, and she glanced up sharply again, fully prepared to rant at that punk if he had come back. Who would honestly leave someone they didn't even know to die, huh? Instead, much to her surprise, there was a young man, black hair, black eyes. Looked like a regular pretty boy--but she couldn't have been happier to see him. Who knows, maybe that little kid had gone off to get someone, huh? "Y-Yeah, just a little bit. Preferably before I impale myself--other than that, take your time." Humor in a bad situation always helped, even if she felt like ripping someone's face off instead of laughing.
As though scolding her, the roots jerked a bit more, and she swallowed a yelp, both of her feet trying to push up against the wall. Tsunake had a horrible vision of herself falling backwards just so those spikes could crunch straight through her spine, her chest--She gave herself a mental slap across the face, sounding strained as she spoke again. "They aren't gonna hold much longer." Wasn't this just perfect? Her lips had drawn back in a sneer, one which was directed at herself. Way to go Tsu, fall through a hole, look like an idiot, and now beg to get rescued. Reaaaal smooth.
The young man dropped to a crouch above the hole, rocking weight back onto his heels as he threaded the tie from his neck. "Damn, they've got this place rigged. Here, grab ahold'a this. The fabric's strong enough to hang a man." Literally; he would know. The thick end of the black material was draped into the hole above her head while both hands gripped the other side. He had no obligation to help this woman, but he had no reason to let her die either. When the roots seemed to tear a bit, he rocked forward a bit, but nothing more. The tie didn't have to hold her weight forever, but it'd be enough to help her scale the wall until he could get a hold of her.
Blue eyes were surprisingly calm, if a bit anxious. They flickered to the tie, and a faint smile came to her face. Hang a man, huh? She reached out gingerly, snagging the tie in an instant and transferring all her weight to it without hesitation. Okay, seemed sturdy enough, but she waited for a moment, her body humming with nervous energy. She'd leap back to those roots in an instant if she felt like he was going to drop her. Nope, apparently not. Muscles flexed in her arms and shoulders, and the woman began to bodily haul herself up, only using the wall occasionally to readjust her grip and such, and also to take some of the weight off. Not like she was very heavy, mind, but heavy enough to make someone's arms ache. Soon, one hand was snatching at the edge, feet kicking at the wall to try and push herself up.
The man clenched his teeth as weight was distributed onto the tie and threatened to toss him over. Heels dug themselves into the ground beneath as he began to straighten up, pulling her up slowly as she climbed. When she gripped the edge with one hand he crouched again, holding the tie firmly in one hand while the other slipped down. Rather boldly, but with good intention, he slipped it beneath the arm not holding onto the wall and lifted, attempting to haul her up. He may have been a pretty boy, but he was not without some muscle mass, and it wasn't as if she was heavy, either. His eyes flickered to their surroundings, trying to make sure no one was going to come sneak up and try to push them in at that moment. "You gonna be alright?"
Her eyes narrowed slightly at the feel of something slipping under her other arm, but Tsunake said not a word, using the wall to her advantage as she was lifted up and finally over the edge. One hand swept back her untidy mane of silver hair, shoulders slumping in relief. "Yes." She responded--then froze. Only a few feet away, those bright eyes stared at them from the brush. Calculating, calm, not at all worried that she had spotted whatever it was. "Or I will be." She growled, shifting immediately into a sort of crouch, fingers splayed like claws. "All right you, come on out." And to her surprise, he did."
The child stood, surveying them both with an air of wary caution, but superiority as well. He wasn't afraid. Long, unruly hair spilled over his shoulders, rippling in a wave-like motion. She was almost surprised by his size, but what had she expected? He was just a little boy. "Why didn't you answer me?" Tsunake finally managed to ask the only question her mind allowed. He stared at her for a long while, his gaze flickering to her companion once before returning to her. Her only response was a shrug. The strong, silent type, hm? All right, she'd try a different approach. "Why didn't you try to help me out, huh?"
"You ruined my trap." His tone was flat, almost accusatory. Tsunake blinked for half a second, caught herself, and frowned. "Your trap nearly killed me."
"But it didn't." He countered in that same sort of tone, brushing at the animal pelts that were strung along his back and arms. "There's no such thing as luck; if you were meant to die, you would have." Needless to say, she was shocked by his attitude and how...lightly he was taking this. From the looks of it, he was a hunter of some sorts. Unless GD had just started to hand out random animal skins. "What's your name, kid?" She glanced wryly at the man next to your. "Both of yours, I suppose. And thanks." Now that that was off her chest. The boy seemed to lose interest in the conversation, and ignored her question, those strange eyes flickering to focus on the one who had helped her out of his trap.
He took a step back as she crouched suddenly, swinging his head around to follow her gaze. A kid? Though, the brown and dark green colors reminded him of what he'd caught a glimpse of. For a moment, he was silent, allowing the conversation to go on while he retied his tie and brushed wrinkles from his suit. A brow cocked in the boy's general direction. The kid was smart, it seemed, but a little freaky.
"What?" He asked suddenly, eyes narrowing. "No 'sorry'? What the hell, kid? You're this close to a mansion; of course people are gonna be walking here!" He paused suddenly, features shifting to a grimly thoughtful expression. "Did this happen before? Did any other people fall into your traps?"
He seemed to not have heard Tsunake's question, eyes still resting on the child. "Finesse." His gaze flickered over to her now. "I'm Finesse, and it was only the right thing for a gentleman to do." Right. Those black eyes swerved back to the child. "The lady asked you a question. If you got enough voice to complain, you can give out a name."
The boy glanced over at this Finesse person, lips drawing back to display his teeth almost aggressively. Like some sort of animal, Tsunake thought. It would have been funny if she wasn't so ticked. Curious, but ticked. When her savior jumped in yet again, she glanced at him coolly, carefully concealing her surprised expression at the look on his face. Hmm...Come to think of it, why had he been in these woods anyway? The man, that is, not the boy. Finesse, was it? She'd remember that. "A gentleman?" That surprised her a little, and she twitched her lips in another faint smile before focusing on the wild child. Goodness, he didn't seem to like Finesse's tone at all.
Those yellow eyes glared at them both, darting back and forth, as though searching for any sort of escape. None it seemed, not yet. To Finesse's first question, he gave an irritated little shake of his body--No. No one else. The female had been the first. "...Ithai." Came the answer between gritted teeth before the boy suddenly turned and sprinted, the fur on his body streaming behind him and giving the impression that he had tails. He was fast, faster than Sauda...and Tsunake had practically killed herself trying to snatch the little girl the first time they had met.
With a sigh, the woman rose to her feet, brushing at the dirt on her pants and staring off where Ithai had ran. "I'm Tsunake." She told him, then took a few, cautious steps forward, clearly concerned about other traps. "...He shouldn't be out here. Other people could get hurt..."
As the boy barred his teeth, he would receive an impassive stare. The thought of being bitten wasn't frightening at all. In fact, it was pretty funny. Oh, no, rabies! He gracefully refrained from smirking or laughing, though, and merely cocked his head to the side. Ithai, was it? Kid had spunk, but he was irresponsible. Still...
At the nonverbal response, he drew his lips tautly. That was good, in a way. If the kid was responsible for the disappearances in the Family's goons, he'd be put in a pretty hot seat. No, he was more likely to be killed, kid or not. " 'ey!" He shouted suddenly as the wild child made a mad dash into the surrounding woods, making a step to follow. He stopped, of course, seeing how fast the little s**t could run. As the woman announced herself, he turned and nodded slightly. "Nice to meet you, Tsunake. Even though it's not the best of circumstances. Heh. That kid's a piece of work alright. Are you gonna try and catch him?"
His eyes glanced to her curiously, giving her a small once-over for the first time before looking back to the mansion. "Do you know what that place is? Who runs it?" Maybe this visit wouldn't all be in vain.
Tsunake chuckled quietly when Finesse gave a few half-hearted steps after the kid, then decided to drop it. Smart man. That boy might have even more of those traps set up anyway, and that would be certainly ugly if more of them were set off. "I might, but that'd probably take hours...I'd have to sneak up on him." She sighed, not looking forward to it. "Eh?" Oh, the mansion. "Yeah, I know what it is. It's run by an old drunk--he has all sorts of little boys in there...It's sort of like an adoption agency." Curious, Tsunake frowned, looking at him. "Why? You don't look the type to go randomly adopt kids. Why are you here, anyway?" Blunt and straight to the point, but that was pretty much her style. "Though, I suppose I should be thankful you're here at all." She commented dryly, "Unless I wanted to end up skewered in more places than one."
"An adoption agency?" He repeated, an incredulous look splaying across his features for a moment. A drunkard ran that place and- A smile twitched at the corners of his lips as he was questioned. This would be a good time to state 'If I told you, I'd have to kill you' in a dark, melodramatic voice. But he wouldn't, really, so he did not respond directly to it right away. "Eh. I think you could have pulled yourself out without me. You seem like a woman that can take care of herself. Guess I was lucky to be in the area." ******** what the kid said about luck.
"I'm here on business." He finally confessed, shrugging as if it were nothing. "Some friends of mine disappeared a few days ago and I was sent to check it out." If he couldn't find them today, or could convince the others to call off the search -they were just goons, after all, and people ran from the organization all the time- he wouldn't need to come back. "If this is an adoption place, that means that kid must be one of there’s, right?"
"Yup." The silver-haired woman was quiet for a moment, one brow raised as she studied him. So, besides his name, what did she know about him? Well, he had an accent...She was never good with recognizing them, but maybe that meant he was slightly foreign? Or grew up in a foreign household. Well, whatever...Now that she thought about it, she didn't really care to pick through his life. He was who he was. "Psht, I might have, but I would have needed your tie at least." Tsunake offered him a slight grin, keeping her tiny, pointed canines hidden with a careful lip. Flattery, huh? Well, she wouldn't pretend she didn't like it, but she wouldn't go crazy over it either. As long as it was mild flattery. "Business?" She repeated, letting him finish before she let herself get too suspicious.
"Ahh, I see." That made more sense then. But if they were friends of his, why would he need to be sent to come look? Tsunake simply stored that in the back of her mind and let it drop for now--it wasn't her concern. She just wanted to find her kid. "He'd have to be. He didn't look like one of the Cousins..." Yes, the lovely little hermes that lived in the woods. They kept to themselves most of the time. "I wonder why he was out here though...most kids love being in the mansion." She pondered aloud, then shrugged. "I guess I better go ask."
A small grin was given to the comment about his tie and the urge to reach for it now was successfuly suppressed. It had been the only thing he'd had on his immediate person that would do the trick, and it had thankfully worked out alright, silly as it may have looked. As far as the flattery went, well, it was almost instinctual. His mother had taught him to respect and compliment women growing up, and his uncle had done everything but beat it into him. The fact that the woman he was giving the flattery to was, in his opinion, as beautiful as he said was only a bonus. It was hard to be as convincing when trying to speak to a cross-eyed tramp, point being. Finesse checked the woman's features for the results of his excuse of being out here and was satisfied when she asked no more questions.
"Why ask? He lives here, right? What d'ya thinking they'll say?" He asked mildly, not trying to ridicule her or anything, but naturally curious as to just what she expected to come out of venturing to the mansion. "Eh... I'd like to ask about him, too. I bet they don't know he's out here riggin' traps that can kill people." A step was taken to follow her, then another, his eyes scanning the ground for any other signs of traps. "Why'd you say you was out here, again?"
Instinctual, hm? Tsunake couldn't say that she was used to it. Her forward personality and her sharp tongue often made most anyone back off, and it didn't help that she usually stayed in the house. Socializing wasn't one of her strong suits. "They can give me some information on him, at least." She shrugged, not quite sure why she was even interested. The kid had caught her attention, that was all. Those eyes of his had been rather captivating, and to her, he resembled an animal. And animals, wild ones, didn't like being caged up in a place, despite how awesome it was, like the mansion. A cage was still a cage. "True..." Sure, both GD and DT were a pair of interesting characters, but they certainly wouldn't want to deal with cops coming to investigate, right? It was hard to imagine. "I didn't." Tsunake sighed, shaking her head quietly. -c-
"My other kid, my little girl, she ran off. We got in a spat, one might say." Wryly, she shoved some of her hair out of her face, taking a few more cautious steps towards the mansion. "I was looking for her--she came from another sort of mansion, one for little girls. I ended up here by mistake because I was too busy thinking." She didn't look in the least bit embarrassed about it, and why should she? So she hadn't been paying attention, it happened to everyone.
Finesse had dealt with a lot of bitches and back-stabbing cunts in his chosen proffession. Feisty and callous was one thing, just pure out bitchy was another. She had been mostly polite so far and only a bit nosey, but it was nothing he couldn't counter with his own, barely-subtle imposing tendencies. "Ah, that's true. Pretty interestin', even though he nearly killed you. Pretty weird adoption agency..."
He quieted, listening to her reasoning respectively without interrupting. So, she had a kid of her own, huh? And a troublesome, at that. "Talk about a wake-up call, eh? Well, hopefully you get her back. Can't stay mad forever, right?
Finesse had pretty much proven himself to her already--she couldn't possibly snap at someone who had just dragged her out of a spiked pit, right? Well, she could, but he didn't seem impudent at all. "I'm pretty used to having close calls." Tsunake shrugged her shoulders lightly, continuing forward. "I guess I learn to like whatever can't kill me, ya know?" No, not really. "He looked lonely. I think he'd like to get away from here." She glanced sideways at him, offering a small smile. "I'm sure I will. She's a good kid, she wouldn't intend to run away from home without leaving a note first. And even if I don't find her, she'll come back so that we can talk it out. She's a pretty mellow girl, doesn't stay mad often. Something I need to learn." She snorted dismissively, glancing at the mansion which was suddenly at a lot closer.
Up the steps, a polite knock on the door before helping herself inside. The door was left open for Finesse while the woman curiously peered around. She had not-so fond memories of this place, what, with all the crazy kiddos in it.
Little did the pair know that when they left this place, they would each have a new addition to their family--and it came in the form of a boy with bright yellow eyes and wild brown hair. They each agreed to trade off on taking him home, simply because neither had enough time to entirely devote themselves to the poor child.
Ohh, what memories would come.
