Welcome to Gaia! ::

On this evening, Knot was seated on the edge of a fountain in an empty park. She was currently clad in nothing but her boots, stockings, garters, garter belts, and bra. Next to her on the fountain's rim, was her tunic top, jacket and duffel bag, hastily thrown off to her side so that she could tend to the shallow wound she had received. She'd been distracted. She had put her heart over her head when she thought she was in the clear. It was a delivery job. The job itself went off without a hitch. It was when she was leaving she got ambushed by some guys looking to pick off either what she delivered or what she received. Blades of course. She managed to outmaneuver them, but only after one of them had landed a strike.

Dallas had warned her. Almost hadn't given her the job because he took one look and knew she was distracted. She wanted to prove him wrong, and he was very much a teacher in the school of hard knocks...but in the end, he was right, and she knew she was going to hear all about it when she returned to him with the payment. Later. Not now.

Right now, though it was a shallow wound along her side, and she was stitching it. It was good to stay in practice. Knot had washed her hands in the fountain water and imagined Jules would probably have rolled a bit. She had taken out her small kit containing thread, needle, a few small gauze pads, and some small alcohol wipes, and then set to work. It stung without any of that stuff Jules had before she started her needlework, but in light of recent events, it didn't sting nearly quite as bad as other things.

Knot sighed, both from the weight in her chest and the needle's first past going into and through her skin.

She was halfway through when she heard a troubling sound. A distant thump. Gradual, and then it was loud. Knot immediately whirled in the direction it was coming from, and the next series of movements happened quickly. She dropped the needle, letting it dangle from the half finished job, and reached into the puddle of her jacket for her own blade. Her expression as she focused on who was approaching promised death, swiftly, but as soon as she heard the voice, as soon as she recognized the figure, she relaxed.

"Oh, hey R.B." She greeted the knight. She let herself sit back down on the fountain's edge, dropping the blade on her jacket. "Didn't your mother ever teach you not to sneak up on an armed lady~?" She picked up the needle that was dangling, and then resumed finishing it up. "Yup." She replied, answering his question but staying focused on her work until something dangled in the corner of her eye. She paused once more, looking up, and quirked a brow. "You're such a gentleman." She smiled. "But it's okay. I'll just get blood on it---I got my jacket and shirt right here." She jerked her head to the items, and worked on tying the knot for her stitches.

"Since you're getting an eye full---how would you rate the view on a scale from one to ten?" She asked conversationally.

She grinned as he attempted to correct her, and finished tying the knot. The woman dug around her kit, and got the last supplies to finish up. Scissors to cut the thread, alcohol pad to clean it up, and a large band aid to cover it until she could clean it again later. "I know what your name is, you silly man." She hummed, amused. "R.B. is short for Russian Ballet." Which she was further amused when he mentioned that the ballet would get him a new uniform top.

That done, Knot tucked away her supplies back into the little kit, and then started to pull her clothes back on. The woman clicked her tongue. "A solid seven, huh?" She pulled her tunic top down. "My dating profile is going to look weak, but maybe if I'm honest about not being dressed for the weather, I'll get some hits, hm?" Knot pulled her jacket on next, and once it was settled, stashed her kit back into her jacket. Finished for real this time, the woman turned to angle herself towards the knight as he sat beside her, and since the jacket was still there, she shrugged one shoulder and took it.

She draped it over her still exposed thighs, and smoothed it out over her lap.

"What brings you out here tonight, Brr? The usual?" She asked conversationally, reaching behind them to dip her hands into the water once more to wash them off. "Did you have a pleasant rest of the Halloween evening?"

"You'll take whatever nickname I give you and like it." Knot replied with a smile. "Nicknames are signs of endearment---" The woman paused. "Or badges of mockery." Her smiled widened a bit as her eyes creased in amusement. "Don't worry. It's endearment in this case." Knot wiped her hands dry on her own jacket, and she ended up scooting closer to the knight, until her side was pressed against his.

"And how do you know what kind of hits I like, Brr? Hmm?" She quirked a brow at him, waiting to hear the reply to that one, and now touching him--- "Oh hey, you're really warm. I'm staying right here for now." Even with his arms crossed, being against his side was a pleasant warmth, and Knot leaned to rest her head on his shoulder. She then crossed her own arms, tucking her hands against her sides as she stared out at nothing in particular.

"What doesn't kill me only makes me stronger---or I just got lucky." Knot replied. "Hung out with some other friends after and went trick or treating." Mostly tricking. "You saw that too, huh? People were really weird that night, but it was fine the next day." Her frame lightly shook with an amused sound against his. "Nah. I just bought it online to match you for a night. In the spirit of Halloween and all...though running away to join a circus sounds good about now. Especially a Russian one." She paused for a moment.

"You think they'll take me?"

Knot's lips quirked up in a half smirk, because she couldn't argue with that, and she was pleased by the reply. "You're right, though." She said after a moment. "Those aren't the kinds of hits I want." She wanted something permanent.

The warmth of him spread as he wrapped his arm around her, and though a simple action and gesture, she felt very touched. "Oh, you're so kind to me." She smiled a bit. "It honestly wasn't quite so epic as you're describing though, I'll confess. I put my heart over my mind when it wasn't the right time and I knew better...and I paid the consequence." When his arm scooped her closer, Knot felt those stupid little butterflies again, and shifted in response. She settled more against him, resting her head against the crook of his neck and shoulder. One of her arms unwound from around herself to wrap loosely around his waist as well.

A simple action and gesture, but very profound. It felt nice that someone wanted to sit with her like this, and be close to her like this. As much as it touched her heart, it made it ache, too. Things...they could be like this, couldn't they? If she wasn't...that was something else, too. A part of her that took comfort in this time with the knight, she also felt a twinge of guilt as well. He probably wouldn't be like this if he knew who else she was. He'd probably throw her away too, if he knew. Here she was, hinging on a truth withheld so that she could enjoy this time with him.

Knot realized the arm she had wrapped around the man had tightened briefly, and she relaxed a tad. "Oh?" She hummed lightly, coming back to the conversation. "If it's not always true, what else is it?" At the answer to her circus question, she replied, "But maybe they'll still take me if I'm good. Determination can go a long way."

"Oh, Beringia, what can't you do?" Knot teased. "Help me make deliveries, take me dancing in cemeteries, provide me with company and warmth after a hard day and a shoulder to metaphorically lean on and confide in?" The woman paused for a moment. "I...don't even really know where to begin." Couldn't even tell him the whole truth, because it involved being a Negaverse agent, and she was growing so tired of half-truths. "And I don't really want to snare you with my messy tale of heart break...except, well...got any advice for how to talk to someone who constantly contradicts themselves? Asking for a friend."

She listened to him. "...Uh oh. It sounds like you're speaking from experience." Knot replied. "Do you need a friend to talk to? I won't say I'm the most knowledgeable in life experience, but I'll try my best."

Being so close to him, she could feel his frame rumble when he spoke, and she really liked the feel and the sound. As silly as it was, she felt she could sit like this with him all day and just listen. Knot's eyes snapped to his hand when it thumped his chest, the sound bouncing in her ear, and she looked up at him from her spot. "Oh yeah?" How...weird. That he should have a sister who was into ballet, too...who was also in Russia doing ballet. This bothered her. "She must be nothing short of amazing then. She's glowing already just from your words and tone alone." His words also gave her a thought, and Knot's body shook against his briefly, a sign of amusement she was suppressing. She had an awful thought, and she wasn't going to share it---for all of two seconds. She couldn't help herself, and her voice was filled with mirth as she said it.

"Hey, I've had a lot of Russian in me, does that count?" She shook against him again, and this time laughed. It both amused yet stung her at the same time.

She could feel him puff up, and it amused her, but what made her pause, was his words. Knot looked up at him for a long moment, just tilting her head. All he had to do was be there.

"...Yeah." She replied after a moment. "It's means more than you realize." She smiled a bit, and laughed as well, shaking her head. "Yes. Sounds like your plate is full. My condolences." The woman tilted her head back so that it rested on his shoulder, so that she could look at him. "What?" She mock gasped. "You're not good with women? I don't believe it. We're getting along so swimmingly, how can I believe anything else?"

Knot couldn't help but grin at him as he choked and then gave her a look. "I'm determined to be qualified, alright. I'm happy with that exception."

As the conversation turned back to her though, Knot's eyes drifted away from his face to instead stare up at the night sky. "I wish he was my boyfriend." A corner of her lips pulled up before it faded. "It's not like that though." Once again, she didn't know how to explain. Almost didn't want to try, when she couldn't tell him the biggest reason why she was at odds with the man. It was the same reason Beringia would be at odds with her if he knew.

"Why...I think it's a way to protect himself." Knot replied after a moment. "I've pointed out the contradictions but it doesn't change anything. It's just...how can you talk to someone and have a genuine conversation and attempt a connection if they still hold onto contradictions? What's the point of trying, if they'll just loop in circles? He prides himself on the truth and honesty, but he's not doing it." And what did you do, when they also contradicted themselves to hurt you?

Knot paused. "This is me just musing." She said after a moment. "I don't expect an answer." She focused back on him, "Besides, I can't complain too much." Her eyes creased in amusement. "I don't want to scare you off. You're my type."

She winked at him.

Knot laughed, but jerked lightly with a gasp when he poked her side, and in response to get away from the poke, she bumped even more against his frame instead. The hand that wasn't wrapped around his waist reached to grab a hold of his gloved one, and she held onto it, for safety reasons (mostly). The woman looked up, amused, but with a look that clearly said don't you dare. "Yes, I can understand." She replied. "That just applies to people in general, hm? Everyone is different." She smiled a bit. "I admire your want for that kind of simplicity. I don't know if I'm capable of that."

Her smile widened, though, and she gave the knight something of a smug look, her eyes creasing once more. "Didn't need to get circus skills to get Russians---I got you without them." She grinned, lightly. "There's certainly other reasons to have them." At his reply though, Knot just shook her head a bit. "Oh no...I'd say he knew how to wield them very well." She trailed off for a moment, before continuing. "It's alright. I appreciate you listening, anyways. It's not something you could solve." She smiled in assurance, and was content to move on.

"Don't apologize. I also appreciate the answer. It's nice when someone cares and tries, hm?" Knot clucked her tongue, back to teasing him, of course. "Oh, don't I know it. You do like interrupting my business, and most of the time it's been you dropping in on me." She paused for a moment. "Are you stalking me, R.B.?" Her brows lifted, "If you want to spend time with me---all you gotta do is ask." She teased, and then nodded. "Yes. I won't deny it, and I tell my boss it proudly all the time. Russians are my type. Taller than me, and that narrows the pool already, let me tell you, thick, handsome, surly, and Russian."

Knot grinned at him once more. "So it's you to a tee, but I'd say you're even better because you smirk a lot more, and smile, which just makes you that more appealing." She paused for a moment. "I'm not stingy like you with my rating. I'd rate you a solid eleven out of ten. You're welcome."