Trigger Finger

Blackfridayrule · **Tips:** 0.00 INK by **Blackfridayrule** on Tue Jan 03, 2012 2:42 am

His offer to take her to her own place to gather a few things was met with an honestly grateful reply. Good. He could at least do something to make up for being a bas---- last night; he owed her a little courtesy. Of course, he'd have to find a car to...'borrow' for a while since he didn't have one of his own, but she didn't need to know that. It wasn't that Tristan couldn't afford a car--he could afford a few, if he wanted--but a car meant signing a title, getting insurance, getting licence plates, tabs....paperwork. Paperwork that would require a legal name, identification, to have his name out there for someone to track down if they needed to. No, the assassin couldn't have that. He was seen by others in his line of work as too simple and paranoid, but never once had he ever been worried about the police being on his trail. They never even came close. Tristan's caution paid off, that was for sure.
"Of course," he said. "We can do that after breakfast. You can shower, get fresh clothes..." he shrugged lightly. When she complimented his cooking, again he shrugged and said, "thanks. It's alright." Decent, yes, but Tristan could never cook like his dear old mum.

"Forget it ever happened...." she mused. She suggested a fresh start and for the first time since last night, Tristan turned to face her and looked into her eyes with his blue-gray ones. Again it took a moment to speak, but finally it came out. "I would like that very much," he told her with a slow nod. Truthfully, he knew too well that there was no forgetting it for either of them, particularly after he went and made a scene about it, but he would try his best to bury it. He hoped she would too. Pouring his unexpected roommate a glass of tea, he took a steadying breath and with it tried to rid himself of those memories.

A question burned on her lips and nearly escaped, but she cut herself short. Tristan knew already what she was going to ask, and for a while he debated answering her anyway. Regarding the tea, Tristan nodded. "It's not like what we had at home but...it's similar. Sort of. Anyhow, it does bring back good memories....makes me think of my family." That was more he'd said to anyone about his family but Mick since he left home for America and he already knew he wouldn't say more; that was a road neither of them needed to be traveling down. He almost said it reminded him of a time when things were simpler and easier, but he felt that was too much information for now. Mick would have disapproved of that judgement since he always encouraged Tristan to be more open with people for his own sake. Nix never really did let down those walls Mick worked so hard to break down. He doubted he ever would.

"Amber." He rolled the name around on his tongue like it was a strange and unfamiliar food, then nodded. "The night of the job, you can call me Jason. It's my cover name of sorts." There was a pause and then the closest thing to a smirk that had crossed his face in a full week cracked his hard, stony demeanor for a split second. "I told you to wait and not tell me? Hm. At least i thought something through..." He ate a few more bites of breakfast before looking in her general direction--again, not at her face--and asking, "you were going to ask where I was from, weren't you?" Tristan chewed the inside of his lip contemplatively. "I'll tell you," he said. "But I can't say i'm in much of a mood to answer too many questions about it...not all of home is full of pleasant memories...I'd answer a few but...not many." A beat, then, "I'm from Reidan. It's a small eastern country situated near northern Egypt. Very small." Somehow that took a lot of effort to get out, but Tristan knew Mick would be proud of him for telling her so willingly something that he generally kept a secret. "New Zealand was a lie...I don't talk about home much."

rizzyrat · **Tips:** 0.00 INK by **rizzyrat** on Tue Jan 03, 2012 3:18 am

Amber nodded with a simple bob of her head, her black curls bouncing slightly with the motion. She would wash them out later, thankfully. She didn't mind the look of curls, but for longer then 24 hours and it drove her mad. "A shower and some clean clothes. Now that is a simple joy i can partake in." She smiled down at her plate. In her life all she had were the simple joys. A good wash up after a long job, or just a long night, was a great pleasure to her. "I should warn you, my apartment is not grand or even really remotely all that ok, but you are welcome to make yourself comfortable while there."

When he agreed with her proposition of pretending the previous night had never happened she nodded. She knew she wouldn't truly forget, even after the job was over, but it was better to pretend then dwell. "Then as far as im concerned this is our first meeting." She shrugged and took the glass she was offered, bringing it to her lips to take a long drink. She nodded understandingly when he spoke about the tea and a wide rather honest smile touched her lips. "If there is one thing i can understand it is something like that. For me it's English Tea." She said softly. She turned her dark green eyes on him when he mentioned family. "Those are good thoughts." She said simply.

"Jason then..." She repeated his words, remembering the name for later. "Alright. Like i said, during a job my name is Honey. It's a work related name." She shrugged. At the sight of the change in emotion she smiled slightly. Things certainly were looking up between them. She just had to be more careful about how deeply she questioned things, and wait for signs that she was pushing the boundaries. With those guidelines this could prove to a rather simple partnership.

He asked her about the question she nearly let slip before. She glanced down and nodded. "Yes i was going to ask, but i thought it better to leave unasked. A persons home land can be one of those details they wish to leave unshared, though i am curious." She said softly. When he told her, her face lit up a little. She smiled softly. "Of course, if i ask something that is not something you wish to answer, please just tell me so. But... I haven't heard of this place, or if i have it was in passing." She shrugged. She bit the corner of her lip, thinking what might be a safe question to ask. "What is it like? The landscape i mean." She asked softly. "I assume it must be warm, if it's near Egypt." She tilted her head slightly, waiting for either and answer or to be told that was a question left to be unasked.

Blackfridayrule · **Tips:** 0.00 INK by **Blackfridayrule** on Tue Jan 03, 2012 2:34 pm

Amber warned him that her apartment wasn't very nice, and had he been in a better mood (though his currently was pretty good, all things considered) he might have outright laughed. Tristan wondered if there was a single place in this world besides the slums of India that had houses as bad as his, growing up. Certainly not here, he mused, remembering his old house. The large, square stones that made up the walls were thick and chipped and had endured some serious abuse on more than one occasion. All the plumbing and wiring was buried deep underground so that when the house itself got smashed to pieces by a falling bomb or RPG, all the vital innards of the place were protected. The walls had to be rebuilt at least six times that he could remember, and that pesky awning out front that was either severely tilted or falling down didn't last through Tristan's eleventh birthday before it caught fire and collapsed for its last time. Inside was just as simple as the rest of it--there was some metal furniture, including a padded sofa, a small card-table the family would sometimes eat around, and a very basic kitchen. And in west-district Reidan, 'basic' meant a small refrigerator, a brick oven, and a propane camping stove next to a low sink. The house had two bedrooms, one for the parents and one for Tristan and Cobian and outside, there was a pen made of wire fencing to house two goats--all the family could afford. However, in the center of the house was a door that led down a flight of stairs into a bomb-shelter where most of the family's food was kept, where a stockpile of supplies on a metal shelf covered one wall next to a very basic ventilation system. Down there was where the family kept all the things they held dear, and there were even two extra beds down there. Tristan remembered sleeping down there on more occasions than he could ever count.
The blonde turned to Amber and he shook his head. "Don't worry about it, it's fine," he assured her. If she had any idea what his home was like, she wouldn't have needed to apologize.

"First meeting...aye." He gave a nod and listened to her explanation of how English tea was her Reidanian Rooibos--something they had in common. But when she remarked on his thoughts of family, he did something he didn't expect and opened his mouth to speak again, though his voice was so quiet he wondered if it was even possible for her to hear. "They're about the only good I have left," was all he said into his glass. Part of him hoped she didn't hear that, but he'd said it anyway and there was no taking it back.

When the subject of his homeland came up again, her eyes were alight with curiosity--something that threw him off a little. After all, who would want to know about war-torn Reidan? There was hardly anything grand about the place, not like Paris or London or Rome. It was just Reidan; so small that there wasn't a single city in the whole place, just geographical districts and the Capital, which was merely a military stronghold and base of operations. It had no notable landmarks, no famous people, not even luxurious homes compared to America, even in the more wealthy east-district Reidan. Why would she care about something so insignificant? Inwardly he shrugged it off.
"If there's a question I won't answer, then i simply won't answer it, and as long as you don't try to ask it again, we'll be fine." Amber then asked about the landscape and what it looked like; Tristan thought a moment before answering, "Yes, it's very hot. It is a desert, after all. It's fairly flat...at least in the west-district where i'm from." Oh, that was painful to admit out loud. She wouldn't know the difference between the districts or the fact that west-district Reidan was dirt-poor (Nate, on the other hand, would never let him forget it). Still, he hated to admit it. "The west-district doesn't really have much to it...it um...it's closest to the other two countries in the Triad and so it sees more than its fair share of..." he paused, struggling to get the word out into the open. "...of war." Again, his ears burned from embarrassment and he felt the sudden need to free them of the blanket of hair surrounding them, slipping a hairtie from his wrist and pulling his wavy locks into a low ponytail. "East and North districts touch the coast...but i've never been there. Not the Reidanian coast, anyhow." He'd seen the ocean before during his tour in Ricaea; once they secured the area, he had the chance to swim in its warm waves. He'd never forget that.

rizzyrat · **Tips:** 0.00 INK by **rizzyrat** on Tue Jan 03, 2012 5:05 pm

Amber finished her plate just as she heard him say something, though it was quiet enough she second what she had heard. She glanced up and watched for a moment, deciding if she had truly heard, or if her mind was playing little tricks on her. "They're about the only good I have left." It had been quiet but she was almost sure she heard it, However, rather then say something and end up completely off base, she just smiled and turned back to her own tea. If he truly wanted to open up to her, even just a little, she would wait for that rather then push.

Her question about what his home land was like was answered. She smiled listening, completely intrigued about the place. She tilted her head slightly when he mentioned districts. She thought back to other man, Nate or something like that. A question started forming in her mind and she opened her mouth to ask, then thought for a moment. Perhaps it would be one of the questions that sparked the mood she had seen the night before. Then again, the two men had openly spoken in the same language in front of her and charlie, so it seemed like a logical question to be asked. She decided to go for it and hoped that if it was too personal a question, that it would just be shrugged off.

"The other man, Who Charlie came with, is he from the same country?" She asked softly, the corner of her lip finding it's way between her teeth as she waited for an answer. She watched Nix carefully, looking for any signs she was crossing lines, though so far it had been a very relaxed conversation. Perhaps if this question was received well she would be able to continue with a few more, though she planned to keep them fairly simple, and not to dig too deep. She was becoming increasingly interested in the man, and though part of her thought that might be a bit dangerous, another part wasn't so sure.

As she thought back to the rest of what he said she remembered the word 'war.' That did bring up it's share of questions but everyone she knew would be over the line without even giving it much thought. She brushed tose questions away, saving them for later. She didn't think she would get a chance, but if the opportunity came up and seemed like an alright time, she would remember the questions and ask then, though she doubted she really would. One question she did let slip, one of the less important ones she felt. "when did you leave?" She had wanted to ask why, but when seemed like a better option at the moment.

Blackfridayrule · **Tips:** 0.00 INK by **Blackfridayrule** on Wed Jan 04, 2012 4:24 am

Amber's next question was about Nate, which made an almost involuntary scowl form on his brow like he'd tasted something rancid. "Nate..." the word was spoken like its very syllables were a curse. "No....Nate is not Reidanian....he's from another country, the one to the west of us. Ricartha. There's one other....relevant country, Ricaea, and the three of them we call down there the Triad. To say that we don't like each other is...an undersatement. A large one. Ricartha and Reidan are currently at war against Ricaea...." this, he admitted quietly. "And while we're allied currently, Ricartha and Reidan are far from being agreeable. You may have noticed, but Nate and I don't get along, and it's not always because of our business dealings...there's a great deal of history there..." Nix cleared his throat uncomfortably and distracted himself with his glass of tea.

And then came a simple question, one that seemed to echo and resonate in his mind. And goodness, what a question it was. Amber asked when he left home and he found that he honestly had to think about that for a moment. The 'when' was not so much what gave him pause as the 'why', but his reasons for leaving were directly related to the era of his life he was in. Tristan wondered, why? The most obvious answer was because Tristan was quite literally dirt poor and there weren't many jobs that weren't somehow military related in Reidan and he wanted nothing to do with that once he was finished with his required duty. America promised opportunities. But more than that, Tristan knew he had nothing left. His family was gone, his closest friends were still in the throws of a ruined Ricaea and he was left to sit alone in a hostel--a place where those without homes stayed free of cost until their own homes were rebuilt. Tristan's was gone when he came back--a sour welcome to a man who'd sacrificed so much for the cause. His family was gone, and everything around him was a painful reminder of everything he'd lost. Tristan couldn't stay. He wouldn't.
"When did I leave...?" Part of him wanted to tell her it was when he realized he had nothing and no one left, but instead he simply said, "Five years ago." That was all he said regarding that. His eyes looked into hers and begged for her to ask something else to change the subject, something, anything. That was a dark time in his life (as though the current one wasn't dark enough) and in no way did he want to revisit that.

rizzyrat · **Tips:** 0.00 INK by **rizzyrat** on Wed Jan 04, 2012 4:48 am

Amber could see the tension build after her question, though he still answered. She listened and as she did so, she clasped her fingers together. "Oh, i see, So your countries are fighting together but it's not exactly a good partnership." She gave a small smile. "I understand. She could tell the conversation was become tenser by the second, understandably so. When her next question was answered she even saw pain in his eyes and knew it was time to end her questions. "I see." She gave a soft nod. "Thank you for answering those questions, but perhaps we should get on with the day? There is quite a bit to do before the job." She said softly, hoping the subject change was in the right direction.

She still had questions for him, though now they were all about the job. "Since it's supposed to look as seamless as possible, is there a specific thing i should know or wear? Or any specific things i should say or do that a woman of your choice would do?" She crossed her arms as she spoke, wondering if this would be a standard job or if she would have to remember anything extra. "I am not sure if there is something i need to know, so i thought i would ask. Charlie didn't exactly give much of a heads up before he came to the bar." She rolled her eyes slightly. "Im sure you noticed."

she stood and lifted her plate, moving it to the sink to save Nix the trouble. She was used to doing her own dishes anyway and she hated making people do things like that. "Charlie is like that though." She mumbled, turning to lean against the counter. She smiled when she turned. "Again, thank you. That was good." She smiled. She returned to where she had been a moment before and sipped at her tea.

Blackfridayrule · **Tips:** 0.00 INK by **Blackfridayrule** on Thu Jan 05, 2012 5:39 pm

((sorry friend, it may be some time before I post again. My computer is in for repair, I have a 3 hour class every day and I've just been cast in a play, so I can't get to a computer as often as I used to. But a post will come, I promose!!))

rizzyrat · **Tips:** 0.00 INK by **rizzyrat** on Thu Jan 05, 2012 8:40 pm

((alright. Thanks for the warning ^__^))

Blackfridayrule · **Tips:** 0.00 INK by **Blackfridayrule** on Fri Jan 06, 2012 6:43 pm

Tristan gave a slow, thoughtful nod. "Yes...we weren't always allied. That's how it goes in the Triad--for ten years you might be allied with your neighbor to the east but not to the north, and then in a flash you'll be allied with the neighbor to the north and not the east. Sometimes it's just two nations, other times all three are involved...That's usually how it goes. I've never seen peacetime since we were at war with Ricaea when I was born, so when I came here, it was a little difficult understanding that you don't have bomb shelters, you have basements, and you're not afraid of being carpet-bombed. That took some getting used to..." He became thoughtful at that, but his thought-track wasn't so grim; it was actually somewhat amused as he remembered his first month living in the states. Having nowhere and nothing, Tristan turned to his friend Mick and stayed with him in his beachside Florida home until he got on his feet (a bit, anyway). Come the fourth of July, Tristan heard the fireworks outside and instinctively thought they were bombs, not playful explosives, so he ran down to Mick's basement and tried to drag his friend down there with him despite the older man's shouts of, "Easy, Tristan! They're fireworks! It's alright!" The two had a good laugh about it the next day.

When Amber suggested they move on, the blonde almost too eagerly gave a hearty nod and said, "probably should, yeah." Tristan could talk about work until the cows came home--it was just something he did and required nothing but perhaps his work-name on occasion. Talking about home, about himself was much harder. "Nothing too specific...but i suppose for the sake of looking refined we probably shouldn't clash with one another's outfits...I'll leave that to you; i don't have a preference either way.
She asked about 'a woman of his choice' and he almost turned to scowl at her, though he curbed the inclination and instead put his dishes in the sink. Choice....did he have a specific type? If he did, he couldn't put a finger on it for the life of him, though he tried to think back to all his previous relationships to find some sort of correlation. There was Avery from late childhood and then Callie from his teen years...but they were so vastly different that to find a connection between the two would be impossible. Besides, in the end, the partnerships never lasted (not that he didn't try). Tristan's mind drifted to his most recent...endeavor. He couldn't call it much of a relationship, at least not in the romantic sense because it never turned into anything more than a close friendship. He even struggled to admit to himself how he felt about her and most of the time denied that anything was ever to that level in his mind. Then again, he wondered to himself for the longest time and then knew for sure when Mick brought it up that he had feelings for her.
Viktoria.
Tristan grew silent for a while as he remembered her, the dark-haired beauty of Northwest Reidan that always seemed so far out of his reach. She was no aristocrat, either by American or even Reidanian standards and she lived just barely on the edge between the north and west districts, but she was still miles more 'well-off' than he ever was. What would someone like her want with a dirt-poor ruffian like him? Somehow though, she took a liking to him and in the years leading up to his deployment, the two became friends. In fact, she deployed in the same company as Tristan and was with him until the end.
The very bitter end.
Tristan hadn't seen her since he was honorably discharged and left the country to seek his fortune in the states. He hadn't spoken to her, either, though he knew that she, along with the rest of his company, didn't know whether or not he survived his last encounter in Ricaea and then assumed he was dead since no one had seen or heard from him since. More than once he considered trying to write a letter and once he actually sat down to do it but by the time he gave up, there wasn't a single drop of ink on that page. He couldn't do it. Besides, a part of him took solace in his newfound anonymity.

Finally Tristan spoke. "Ah, I don't really have a 'type', per se....perhaps Jason does," he said, speaking as though is work name was another entity. "I don't know. I'm used to working alone so...you lead, I'll follow." Regarding Charlie, Tristan scowled, finishing the last of his tea and pouring himself another glass. "From what I remember of that man, he's a real bas----. He and Nate both. But I dont' know if there's anything specific you need to know yet...I still haven't read that file, and maybe I'll scrape up something of a strategy after that but...i dont know yet."
Amber complimented his cooking again and once more he just sort of shrugged it off wordlessly.

rizzyrat · **Tips:** 0.00 INK by **rizzyrat** on Sat Jan 07, 2012 12:25 am

Amber listened to him explain the triad, and how it worked. She nodded and shook her head. "It sounds like a harsh lifestyle, surrounded by war all the time." She smiled softly. "It must have been some relief coming here, where it's not like that. Well, not on the surface anyway." She said the last part quietly, more to herself then anything. She glanced back and nodded with a light smile. "It certainly must have been an interesting change to make."

She gave a small nod when he spoke. "Perhaps you should come with me when i go get everything needed." She ran a hand through her hair. "Though it wont be much fun im sure." She shrugged and gave a faint smile. "Though if we did that it would be easier to come up with something that matched better." She pulled out the card Charlie had tossed her. "It's on him." She said softly.

When Nix turned his back to her she sat patiently waiting for him to speak again. It seemed he was lost in thought. She gave a light smile when he spoke again. "Alright. Well, if you do decide there should be something specific just let me know and i'll make sure to remember it." She brushed her hand through her hair again as she watched him. "I should go and pick my things up soon." She added to the end, though it wasn't directed at anyone. She looked back up at him and toyed with a ring on her finger. "Is there anything you wanted to do before or after that?"

Blackfridayrule · **Tips:** 0.00 INK by **Blackfridayrule** on Tue Jan 10, 2012 4:06 am

(again, sorry for all the delays...the battle against my computer isn't yet over, so bear with me)

Somewhere deep within the blonde assassin was a desire he hadn't felt in a long time, one that he usually suppressed and choked down with such vigilant resolve that it nearly never came to the surface--most of the time, it hardly crossed his mind. This time, it did, and more than that it was strong enough that he acted upon it. Contrary to his usual cold-shouldered, cryptic routine, Tristan once again found himself speaking, opening his mouth, opening the dusty jar he'd kept all these thoughts in, and for just a little bit longer, he was more transparent than he'd been in a long time.
"It's strange..." he said, almost hesitantly, like this wasn't something he truly wanted anyone to know. "When you don't understand peace, you don't realize that war is anything but normal. War is war. War is life. War is normal. It's...its what we do in Reidan--everybody. Every man and woman at a certain age is required to enlist in some form of service for two years, but not everyone is on the front lines. Some work at the base and do paperwork, some work at hospitals...most end up seeing battle firsthand, though. And it's just what you do. You don't see anything wrong with it because it's so normal, not until a man in a crisp uniform comes marching up to your doorstep with a letter that informs you your parents--"
Whoa.
Tristan felt himself elevating, ranting, even, and just before he went too far he reeled himself back in abruptly. Tristan shut his mouth tight, looked sharply away from Amber, and just like that, the walls were back up again and the more distant man, Nix, took the place of the more transparent Tristan. In a quiet voice, he admitted, "Yes. Coming here was strange" but he said not a single word more on the matter. Instead he cast Amber a venomous though purposefully subdued glare that warned her not to dare to continue the subject any longer. Nix was done talking about home. Home was behind him and where he needed to focus was his job. This job.

"We should go and do that, then," he said softly, not looking her in the eyes. "I dont know what do do after that...i don't care. Just promise me you won't ask questions about the car." With that, he finally did look at her, and his expression was almost as stern as the last one he shot her way. Tristan didn't own a car, and the less she knew about where he was going to get the one they were about to use, the better.
Nix moved about the hotel room in search of a messenger bag, and upon finding it he said, "Lets go. Wait in the lobby until I drive up." And then he was gone, shooting down the hall at a brisk pace to the elevator without waiting for Amber. He made his way outside of the hotel and down the street a ways, his eyes open for a possible mark. Finally he found one--a truck--and with the speed and skill possessed only by Reidanian infantrymen and professional automotive thieves, he picked the lock and hotwired the car as though it was normal. Tristan drove the truck up to the front of the Zuritasse and waited for Amber to join him.

rizzyrat · **Tips:** 0.00 INK by **rizzyrat** on Tue Jan 10, 2012 4:33 pm

((It's alright. Not to long ago i had a computer die >__< take your time!!)

She listened to him speak and smiled softly. It was a little strange to hear the man who had less then 24 hours ago been so violently against talking about anything, speak to her openly in this way, and she wondered how long it would last. Of course, that question was answered quickly. She watched as it looked like he sucked back up into himself and the cold exterior returned. The warning glare was hardly necessary, but she understood none the less. She wanted to know the rest of the unfinished sentence, but taking the conversation any further would only end them in a bad place. She gave a short sort of nod to show she understood, the conversation was over.

Don't ask questions about the car. what an interesting thing to say. She shrugged and nodded. "Alright i won't ask." She said softly. She had hardly left her seat when she heard the command to wait in the lobby before he was gone. She sighed and got up, grabbing her little hand bag and followed after the man. As commanded she stood in the lobby to wait. When a truck pulled up with Nix inside she walked outside and slipped smoothly into the passenger seat. She gave the location of her little apartment, Morningside courts, then sat back to watch the road.

Amber didn't have any intention of speaking, unless spoken too. Not at the moment. She didn't want to cause anything this early in the morning, so she figured now was a good time to let the man cool off. She didn't want to risk saying something completely innocent and sending him off because she spoke too much that morning. She had learned from Charlie that sometimes silence was key. It seemed those lessons might pay off for once.

Blackfridayrule · **Tips:** 0.00 INK by **Blackfridayrule** on Fri Jan 13, 2012 8:53 pm

Amber said not a word when she finally climbed into the car, save for the instructions to guide Tristan to her apartment. He didn't say anything either, and frankly he preferred it that way. He'd already spoken too much and too openly today for his own comfort and the chance to just be silent and withdrawn was too sweet to resist. He did, however, turn on the radio, flicking through stations until he finally just got sick of searching and settled on a station that played mostly light rock, edging sometimes into bands like Coldplay, even. To Tristan, music was music and as long as it wasn't screaming like a howling ape, devoid of melody, or opera, he listened to it and often halfway enjoyed most of it.

Tristan finally pulled up to the apartment and parked the car, stepping out to quickly survey the area with a quick sweep of his head. "Lead the way," he said. "Get what you need, and if you feel like you should get something....special for the job...we can do that while we're out. I don't care. I don't have anything to do today but read over that file....half of it's irrelevant junk but...." Tristan sighed and waited for her to lead the way to her apartment suite, hands stuffed in the pockets of his gray peacoat to ward off the morning chill. Oh, what he wouldn't give to feel the warm, dry sun on his back again....that would be some time....or the next time he went to visit Mick down in Florida. He needed to do that soon. Eventually. When he wasn't dealing with Nate and all his BS and didn't have to entertain...house guests. Later.

rizzyrat · **Tips:** 0.00 INK by **rizzyrat** on Fri Jan 13, 2012 9:15 pm

Amber slipped out of the truck when the parked outside of the small apartment complex. She gave a small sigh and nodded. "This way." She said softly, gesturing for him to follow her. She pulled out a key from her small hand bag. After a quick trip up the stairs to the second floor and a short walk down to the end of the complex, she stopped at a door, unlocked it and slipped inside.

The apartment was small, only one bedroom with a single bath and kitchen. There was a sort of makeshift hall/living room/diningroom area in the middle. There was a single couch with a blanket tossed over it in a makeshift bed. A small coffee table that was empty except for a small wooden picture frame with a photo of a young child. The kitchen looked about the same as the living room, empty except for a few things tossed here and there.

Amber left her bag on the table and walked to the back room, grabbing a bag and moving to her closet. The closet was the only really used space in the apartment, filled with rather pricy clothing that went from proper ball gowns to much more revealing street clothing. Amber was currently sorting through the middle section. She tapped her bottom lip as she thought, pulling a few choices down and folding them into the bag. She would have to pick that night which would be truly appropriate. When she was done she turned to a small wooden dresser and pulled out a few days worth of much less pricy clothing, some simple shirts and pants.

She then took the bag and left it by the door, looking at the blonde man. "make yourself comfortable. I'll be out in a few minutes." She said softly, turning to take herself into the bathroom for a quick shower. Amber showered for about 20 minutes, making it quick. She then dressed in something far more comfortable then the dress she had been wearing, choosing a simple shirt and pair of jeans. Shortly after she returned to the living room, slipped the picture frame in her bag and looked at Nix.

"Well that's pretty much everything i have to do here." She said softly.

Blackfridayrule · **Tips:** 0.00 INK by **Blackfridayrule** on Sun Jan 15, 2012 5:03 am

Tristan nodded silently and took a seat somewhat stiffly on her sofa, careful not to disturb anything. There was a time when he felt so comfortable in someone else's home, but not anymore. The moment he shut himself off from the world (or at least took the effort to, anyway) he began to feel so foreign in other people's homes...Mick was the only exception, because Mick's home was the one place in his life that stayed the same. As he waited for Amber, he shut his eyes for a brief moment....

"C'mon Vi, Cobian won't know. No one will."
"But Tristan!" Viktoria laughed softly. "You don't know how to drive, you've never had a car!"
"One thing you should know about westies...there's a small number of us who own cars, but we all know how to drive them." Tristan offered a mischievous grin. "C'mon. It's just a quick drive..."
Biting her lip, Viktoria agreed and hopped into the passenger side of a dusty, roofless jeep parked on the side of a North-District hostel. Tristan was quick to follow and with a smooth motion he hotwired the car and brought it to life with a spewing cloud of dust leaping from the wheels. As though the car was some kind of toy, the blonde jerked the wheel around despite the growing fog of fine desert dust that lingered about them. It grew thicker, thick enough that Tristan didn't see the lamp post--something he never saw in west-Reidan--and ran straight into it. There was a crunch, a chorus of screams, a jerking pull forward and then back again as the seatbelt did its job and kept him in the seat, then silence.
"Tristan!" Viktoria finally gasped, still unsure of her own condition.
"Vi...Vi...'m so sorry..." His voice was barely a murmur.
"Tristan, are you alright? I'm okay, I'm okay, just tell me you're alright..."
"Vi...call Cobian....get help...'m so sorry..."

Tristan blinked. He sat straight and tried to look around the room to distract himself from the old, dusty memories. To busy his mind, he took note of everything--the layout of the home, the lighting, the...picture of a child on the table. Nix tore his eyes quickly away from this as though he'd spied upon something either taboo or utterly sinful. Instantly it brought up questions about Amber--was it hers? A brother? A cousin?
No. No. He wouldn't want her to even wonder about his personal life and he wouldn't dare do that to her. A personal rule of sorts.

Amber emerged in fresh, casual clothing and announced that she was finished. "Fine." He rose. "Anywhere else you need to go while we're at it?"

rizzyrat · **Tips:** 0.00 INK by **rizzyrat** on Sun Jan 15, 2012 4:23 pm

Amber noticed when she came out that her companion seemed to be zoned out, until she spoke anyway. When he stood and questioned her agenda for the day she thought about it then nodded. "Well, there is a rather nice little shop back downtown. I suppose it would be a good idea to stop in and see if they have anything better then what i have." She patted the bag slung off her shoulder. "If they do, it would be better to have that then try to make something less fitting work." She shrugged. She checked the time on a small clock in the apartment quickly. "There might be something after that, but i'll have to find a phone first." She said softly.

Hopefully they aren't too busy. She thought to herself. it's been a while since i gave then any money... Her thoughts trailed off and she shook her head, turning back to Nix. "After that i pretty much have nothing to do until the night of the job." She pulled her bag further up on her shoulder, to keep it from slipping off. With one last scan around the room she turned for the door, leaving the apartment. She waited outside, so she could lock the door behind them when they left.

Blackfridayrule · **Tips:** 0.00 INK by **Blackfridayrule** on Tue Jan 17, 2012 8:11 pm

Tristan nodded and noticed her tone changed when she mentioned the 'something else' that she would need to do later. "You can use my phone when the time comes," he offered; His Reidanian upbringing was showing through his recently developed stoic exterior. "It can't be tracked, if you're worried about that sort of thing. Just don't go flipping through it or anything." He glanced around the room out of habit, as though he was making sure he'd gathered everything he needed before leaving even though he'd come in with only a small messenger bag. "Let's go, then."

Tristan followed Amber outside and, after she'd locked up, he headed back to the truck and hopped inside. As he turned the key, they were greeted once more with the sound of the radio. A rough and almost eerie song began to play as Tristan began to drive downtown...

You say, ' make me into something, give me a body". You say, "let me out of the bottle, make me into someone. You can give me life and I'll trade the potion you embody with trips down the well and a swing from a necktie remedy, necktie remedy...you can give me life..." Let me in, it's cold in this abyss. You'll raise your drinks up high and swallow to forget. You'll raise your drinks up high and swallow to for--

Tristan's hand moved swiftly forward to change the station; he didn't care what it ended up being. He didn't even care that he flipped to a station that played primarily hip-hop. It was noise. Obnoxious white noise. That's all that mattered.
"Where was it you wanted to go?" he asked, his voice somewhat gruff, though it was apparent that his frustration was not directed towards Amber.

rizzyrat · **Tips:** 0.00 INK by **rizzyrat** on Wed Jan 18, 2012 12:59 am

Amber was offered his phone to use. "Thank you, it doesn't matter much if it's traced, i never call from the same line anyway." She shrugged. "Though, untraceable is probably nice. should anyone come looking for me i doubt you want to deal with that." She smiled softly. "Though the only person who would really care about this particular errand is Charlie, and he knows where to find me." She shrugged. "So, i doubt you would deal with anything anyway." She smiled. "Im still grateful though." She added. "Not having to look for a phone will certainly make things easier." She ran her hand through her hair.

She followed him down to the truck and took her seat on the passenger side, holding her bag on her lap. She glanced down at the sudden station change, but shrugged it off. She really didn't care what played, or if anything played. When asked a question she glanced up and smiled slightly. "Its a small shop on the corner street. It's called Victoria's." She shrugged. The name made it sound like a rather dull place but inside many different clothing options, all of high value were set on display. It had become Amber's favorite spot to look, as she had never found anything that didn't catch her targets eye.

She sat back in the seat, stretching her legs slightly. She turned to look out the window. There were still many questions rolling around in her head, but she was becoming better at pretending they weren't rolling around in her mind. The less she asked, the better things seemed to go. As the day wore on, things even seemed to be going fairly well.

Blackfridayrule · **Tips:** 0.00 INK by **Blackfridayrule** on Thu Jan 19, 2012 2:16 pm

Tristan stole a quick glance to Amber after her monologue about the phone, and he even cracked a dry, sarcastic smirk. What merited such an expression wasn't clear, however. "I can tell you i would very much not like to deal with more s---. I have enough of my own. So if you think your phonecall might lead to extra s---, then use my phone. Better safe than sorry." He gave a languid shrug without taking his eyes, icy as the road he drove on, away from traffic.

Tristan had no idea where Victoria's was, but he'd drive around until he found it. Navigaton was something Tristan was relatively good at. In truth, he had to be--it was part of his job as a Reidanian infantryman. Besides, West-Reidan didn't have roads. To give someone directions who didn't know the area very well was quite difficult. It required a special attention to particular landmarks; things like a home with a painted door, or the Sincarix fields. And if you couldn't ask directions, you had to guess with logic where your destination might be. So, in the Chicago streets, that's what Tristan did. He drove through the downtown area, scanning for sections that were more populated with clothing stores rather than banks and travel agencies, and he wandered there until he came upon the little corner store. Tristan parked close by and, again, slid out of the truck. As he waited for Amber, Nix glanced down to the thin layer of compacted snow that painted the streets and sidewalks, kicking it with the tip of his foot in resigned disdain. He remembered seeing snow for the first time, remembered the way it lifted his spirits for the first time since he'd lost everything, remembered how he let all his cares slip away as he and Mick hurled handfuls of the stuff at eachother's faces in London when they stopped there on the way to the states. Back then, Tristan still had trouble walking with any sort of speed and Mick was always very careful where he aimed his snowballs and made sure they were very loosely packed lest he aggrivate Tristan's injury. But Nix didn't care back then. Because back then, in that moment where his hands were numb from the cold and his face stung from clauds of snow, the blonde felt like he was finally free.
That feeling didn't last long.
Now Nix saw the snow as nothing more than a nuisance, something to be avoided and hated--and oh, did he hate it. All he wanted was warmer weather. The sun, unbarred by clouds or frozen air. Just warmth.

"Let's make this a quick trip," Tristan muttered. Whatever decent mood he was in earlier that morning was long since gone.

rizzyrat · **Tips:** 0.00 INK by **rizzyrat** on Fri Jan 20, 2012 12:27 am

Amber nodded. "It shouldn't cause trouble, but it's a nice thought knowing it cant." She gave a faint smile as she thought about the only other task she had to do. She sat in the truck in silence, her mind no where near the downtown area. She felt a little bad having him run her around like this, But he had offered and seemed alright with it. On top of that, they were things she needed to do. When the arrived at the shop she glanced over and gave a small nod. "Thank you, for all this." She said softly. "You really didn't have to do any of it." She said, just hoping she didn't seem ungrateful. She then got out of the truck and made her way inside the little shop. "I'll make it quick." She said.

"Welcome back." A kind looking woman said as she approached Amber. "I admit, i was wondering when you were coming back." The woman laughed lightly. Amber smiled. This woman didn't know her name, only that she carried Charlie's card and could afford anything in the shop with it. That was all the woman cared about, and so she was kind. Amber simply smiled. "I don't plan to stay long." She said simply. The woman nodded. "Of course. Well you know your way around, holler if you need anything." She smiled.

With a simple nod Amber turned and made her way to the back corner of the room. She knew where the best stuff was. With a quick scan of the shelves she spotted a rather nice Silver number, low cut with virtually no back. She thought back to charlie's explanation of her targets interests and put the dress in the back of her mind for later. It would be fitting, but no need to choose first thing and walk away from something potentially better. There were a few others that caught her eye. A black on similar to the red she had worn the night before, another deep red, though this one had a single shoulder and hung off the hip. In all, the Silver remained the best in her mind and slipped it off the rack and went to pay.

"Another good choice." The Woman said with a smile. "Is this all?"
"This is all."
The woman took the card and scanned it, handing Amber the receipt. Amber took it and slipped it in her hand bag then slung the dress over her arm. "Thank you." She turned and looked at Nix. All in all it had taken her no more then 30 minutes to find the dress, make the choice and pay. She walked up to Nix and gave a faint smile. "Well, i'm done." She said quietly.

Trigger Finger

a topic in Realistic Roleplay, a part of the RPG forum.

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