Hide and Seek

[Talia Bracken]

She never met another assassin. At least, not she knew. Another smile smile grew at that. "We're normally good at hiding." It had a bit of a playful tone, but it was true. The other assassins Talia knew of were well hidden. That was their job after all. Blend in. Be unsuspecting. Be the perfect knife in the dark. If they couldn't do that. They were likely to end up dead or running.

But what had made her jump to something like that? There was always a reason. What was Talia's? She hugged her knees to her chest tightly. Stared at the waters as if the answer was there. This question was personal. Even more personal than her life story. Yet it felt like this was the answer the thief had wanted from the beginning. What drove someone to doing this sort of job? Talia held her silence for a good while.

"When...After we were attacked, I went after the group that did it." A dry, humorless laugh left her. "Looking back it was so stupid of me to do. I could've been killed. But I did it." There was another pause. A gathering of thoughts. Or stability. "I went in the night. Took a blade and got revenge. They had no idea I was even there. I was, frankly, a natural." The statement came with a small smile, but not a necessarily positive one. "After that happened I went to Goldcrest. I didn't really know what to do. I was lost." Vulnerable. Alone.

"I just did what I knew I could. I fell into this life. And now it's too late to back out. I'm too useful to the people who hire me, and know too many secrets now." Finally blue eyes turned back to her. "So I figure if I'm stuck, I might as well be good at what I do."

[Lucy Serrano]

Whens he asked, Lucy fully expected little in return. She didn't assume she would ever receive such a lengthy explanation, let alone something that seemed so truthful from someone she barely even knew. Perhaps she had every intention of sticking to whatever deals were made, and it quickly reminded the thief that whatever debt she inevitably paid was something she had to do with equal honesty. Honesty she'd barely given when she offered a name days ago.

"I don't think there're many people who'd judge you for getting revenge for your family." She pointed out. It seemed like the most important thing to point out first; even a thief who lived an arguably less troubled life could understand that. At least she wasn't doing it for fun; there was relief in that.

As she caught the eyes finally offered to her, she felt a little lost in them. For a short-lived relationship full of indirect comments, everything was suddenly hitting home pretty hard. It led her to the most obvious point available; "Goldcrest's a pretty lonely place, too. It can be, I mean. But that kinda solitude's never been my thing."

[Talia Bracken]

She didn't think there would be many people who'd judge her for getting revenge. That at least earned a smile that wasn't so distant. Even if it was still small. That had been the first thing on her mind when it happened. "That's good." She offered back softly. It felt odd to be telling this much. But good too, in an odd sort of way.

She held the gaze after all that. Goldcrest could be a pretty lonely too, but that kind of solitude wasn't her sort of thing. Again smiled. This time it was a little easier, and came with a soft chuckle. "Getting close to people can be dangerous in my line of work." Unless of course it could benefit a job. But even that came with risks. Yet here she was with a thief who'd seen her kill. Heard her past story. Someone she really should dispose of. But she hadn't, and didn't have any plans to if Talia was being honest with herself.

[Lucy Serrano]

Lucy pursed her lips uncontrollably as she considered the concept of danger in tandem with people like them. For herself, she found danger in a different sense. She was the danger to the person she arguably cared most for, and the saviour to the next. Two people were two too many, so why was she insistent on adding a third to a roster like that?

But there was the difference. She might have been known to so few, but it seemed like this girl was known by no one. Were there any connections in this city? Or anywhere after the outcome of the story she just gave?

"What's so dangerous about knowing you?" She asked genuinely, like her mind couldn't totally wrap the fact.

[Talia Bracken]

She pursed her lips and considered the words. Talia didn't mind the silence, brief as it was. It helped her recover. And let her ask a question. What was so dangerous about knowing her? A valid inquiry, especially after that story. Genuine too, from what she could tell. Talia glanced back over the waters for a few seconds.

"I deal in darkness and death." The statement brought about a dry chuckle as blue eyes turned back. "As dramatic as that sounds, it's true. My kind of work is thankless, and can get me a lot of enemies if someone found out I was the one wielding the blade. I understand what it's like to lose a family member. You don't really think too far past the easiest solution." It would be far too easy to kill the tool rather than the one behind it. "And anyone close to me could be used against me. To draw me out, get information, or a number of other things."

[Lucy Serrano]

Lucy nodded her head a few times, almost idly. She could picture the issues brought up perfectly. But she couldn't help the way she smiled, like she almost looked through every issue posed.

"Sure, that makes sense for the most normal, every day people. But who's to know who you befriend in the underbelly of a place like this?" Lucy explained. On a personal level, she understood such a danger, but it hardly existed for herself. She understood it far more than most other people would.

"I don't exist as a person you can just run into. There's no story here." She had no paper trail, and it wasn't as if every single person in the city could gain access to the guild she worked in tandem with. "You found me. You should know; there's no home address for me, just decades of a legacy being upheld."

[Talia Bracken]

She nodded idly and eventually smiled. It was a curious sight. Confident almost. Sure it made sense for most normal people. But who's to know who she befriended in the underbelly of a place like this? It was a good point, yet Talia knew some of her employers. Still, this was a thief. She didn't exist as a person to just run into. There was no story. And that was far different than most.

She found her. There was no home address for her, only decades worth of a legacy being upheld. Talia smirked slightly at that. "Oh? Well now I feel special." She said it playfully. Yet it felt like something of a compliment. She had managed to find the thief, all just to see if she could. She was curious. Something that rarely occurred. And now she found herself wondering again. "I guess the real question then would be if you really wanted to 'know' an assassin."

[Lucy Serrano]

There Lucy saw a glimmer of the personality she remembered. A hinted joke that forced her smile into the threat of a grin before it filtered back to the more genuine again. It was hard not to get caught up in the far more personal aspect of this conversation; when it came to companions, genuine moments were still rare.

Effort wasn't wasted, and when she was asked if she really wanted to know the assassin she now had a name and a story for, Lucy thought the answer was obvious.

"You?" Lucy asked quickly, but she didn't wait for confirmation before she continued; "Yeah. Whatever version of yourself you're keen to give. I'm in no position to judge."

[Talia Bracken]

There was a smile that nearly turned into a grin at her little response. She couldn't help but say it. Speaking so openly felt odd to her. It was more than a little rare. But once she started, it felt a little hard not to let it run its course. She didn't waste much time in answering Talia's question. Yes; whatever version of herself she was keen to give. She was in no position to judge.

Talia chuckled. It felt different hearing that. Getting acceptance despite being what she was. Although as she said, she was in no position to judge. "What with us being such upstanding citizens and all." The joke helped lighten the mood for Talia. They'd reached the peak of her genuine moment and were descending back to what felt normal. Or at least as "normal" as things felt between the two of them. "But thanks. I'm keen to give you both, seeing as you've met both."

[Lucy Serrano]

Lucy wondered just how many people would feel uncomfortable in the presence of a known assassin. It wasn't the kind of information she was willing to pass around. There was a low level of trust that had to exist between them now if she were to let the thief live. She was holding a very crucial secret by way of an identity. That was no small feat.

Being an upstanding citizen was something she had never been suited for. She laughed at the fact, unsure as to just what she would do with her time if things ever became successfully strict in their city. Before she could even think to speak, she was sure they were back to some kind of normality. Usual semantics.

The thoughts that plagued her own mind, too. Surely.

"Just try not to kill any of my friends." Lucy added finally. Joking as it was, she supposed it was a real concept. The particular senator she cared for had a knack for going against the grain in the most irksome, potentially dangerous way, "Then we might have problems."

[Talia Bracken]

She laughed at the joke. Things were back to what they were, or close enough. It was comfortable. Yet then came a certain concern for her. Try not to kill any of her friends. Although joking, it had a trace of seriousness to it. Understandably. Then they might have problems. Talia smirked dryly.

"There anyone in particular I should avoid contracts for?" She didn't know who her friends were. She was a thief however. Talia partially doubted any of her friends would be important enough to have a contact on them. But the thief had surprised Talia so far. It was likely she could do so again. "Doesn't mean others won't take them, but at least I can assure you it won't be me."

[Lucy Serrano]

Very suddenly, Lucy had gone from giving little information about herself and getting so much in return to potentially offering up the names of the people most important to her. There was a natural sense of skepticism to the thought entirely; it wasn't that she doubted the assassin who just confided in her. On the contrary, and that was the worst part.

"There's a thief. He goes by Benny. He sleeps with taken people and often gets caught doing it." She explained. Really, on paper, her childhood friend sounded like he deserved to be killed. Or that he might be targeted by way of natural jealousy. She still laughed about it, but the sound hung low from her throat; "I've bailed him out a time or two. He's harmless, otherwise."

But he still mattered. And he was still the first person to be mentioned, arguably because the second in company like this seemed almost bizarre. "And," A slow drag of a single word. For once, she was the one looking away, "There's a girl in the senate. She's trying to change the world and dismantle a lot of corruption in Goldcrest. I'm pretty sure it's a matter of time with her." Because the second she got traction, she was definitely an achievable target.

[Talia Bracken]

The tables had turned. Suddenly it was she who had to give up personal information. Honestly, Talia hadn't expected her to really give up names. But she did. First there was a thief. Someone named Benny who slept with those already taken, and often got caught. Talia couldn't help but smirk a little and arch a brow. She had bailed him out a few times, but he was harmless. And likely unimportant. At least, not so much of an issue that Talia herself would be called upon to dispose of him. Unless he happened to get in the bed of someone particularly vengeful and powerful.

The second person was another matter entirely. It was understandable when she dragged out a word to stall. A member of the senate. Someone trying to change the world and dismantle the corruption within Goldcrest. She was pretty sure it was only a matter of time. It sure sounded like it. Talia's lips pursed and her brow furrowed. "Your first friend is probably never going to be in any danger from me. Unless he lays in the wrong bed. But the second..." Even without words it should've been obvious. "I have a feeling I know who you're talking about. I'll leave her be, but I already know she's bound for trouble." Grim words, but the truth was what it was. "The least I could do is warn you she has a contract for her death. As I said, others might take it; if that happens, I can't really interfere. But I can tell you."

[Lucy Serrano]

Relief for the fate of her partner in crime was a short lived affair. Lucy knew he could handle himself for the most part; he was built for the life they led in the city they called home.

The idea that the senator was known - worse, bound for trouble - was cause for obvious concern. She even looked panicked by the words before she found the means to control her face again. She knew it; it truly was a matter of time. She would grow from an annoyance to a grievance and it didn't take much to pull an assassin into the ranks. Lucy knew just how complex it was to break into her home, but it wasn't always difficult. Professionals made it look like a breeze.

"Why would you do that for me? Really." She asked, doing her best not to be skeptical of a person who already earned a baseline of trust from someone so untrustworthy.

[Talia Bracken]

Slight panick showed up on her features before she could mask it. Clearly this senator was someone she cared about. She'd looked a little relieved about her thief friend at least. Though it must've been only a small comfort. Senators were much more important. Thus more likely to be removed with a delicate hand. Especially ones that worked against the system. Talia had already taken jobs to get rid of high ranked nobles. A senator wouldn't have been a large step.

Another valid question. Why would she do that for her? Talia studied her face for a time. Traced the lines until she met her eyes. Why? She had to search herself for the answer. "Because I'm feeling generous." She answered with a surprising amount of honesty. "And because you're the first person I've told so much to." It was odd. Somehow special. Yet it felt delicate; a sort of "trust" that could shatter at any second. She wanted to try and preserve it. For as long as she could at least.