The Shadow Assassin's home

My name is Cien. If you have enough to offer, I might have time to listen. [Zelda RP blog. Affiliated to Telma's Interdimentional Tavern]

[cientheshadowassassin]

Picking Apples

[cientheshadowassassin]

moonfallmerchant:

insidious-shadow:

His gaze never left the single, soft light emanating from the first floor of the house.  Waving dismissively at Cien’s remark, he merely grunted quietly.  “Maybe so,” Azrael muttered irritably.  Truthfully, he wasn’t entirely certain he’d eaten that morning – likely the cause of his sudden fatigue.  He stretched his shoulders, feeling a satisfying dull crack towards the top of his spine as he prepared himself.

Cien withdrew his enchanted mask from his satchel, and Azrael felt himself tense up unconsciously.  Though he trusted the man, there was something deeply disconcerting about a mask that revealed his true form.  It was different when he let down his glamour around Haeyin.  This felt as if Cien were staring directly through him, and his own inability to hide made him uneasy.

Regarding the two guards stationed across the street, Azrael felt his hand instinctively come to a rest at the hilt of the blade strapped to his hip.  “Haeyin, I don’t suppose you have any tricks up your sleeve that might come in useful?” he murmured.  They were already tasked with killing one man tonight; he would rather avoid killing any more.

“Damn it all,” Haeyin grumbled, clicking his tongue against his teeth as Cien emerged from the shadows.

Stepping closer to his companions, Haeyin’s eyebrows rose in surprise as he watched Cien withdraw a mask the he instantly recognized. Evidently, Azrael was as familiar with it as he was, tensing out of the corner of his eye as the sheikah donned the mask.

“A Mask of Truth… Well, I suppose I shouldn’t be surprised,” Haeyin mused, leaning back against the cool stone wall of the alley. “I have one myself, interestingly enough.”

He nodded absently as Cien informed them of the lack of additional security measures besides the guards posted out front. That certainly made things a bit easier.

“Our Sir Gala is a knight after all,” he said quietly, peering at the guards in question. “With influence such as his, there’s bound to be a few who would defend him. Whether that influence is loyalty or coin, however, I suppose we will have to see.”

Azrael’s tense words earned him a careful glance from Haeyin, but after a moment of searching his face, he nodded.

“Don’t I always?” Pushing away from the wall, he positioned himself just out of sight at the mouth of the alleyway and placed the stone mask back on his face. “Do not move, nor make a sound.”

Seguir leyendo

Cien watched in quite amazed silence as Haeyin toyed, somewhat wickedly, with the minds of the knights outside the home. To be perfectly honest, he was a bit jealous. That had been.... quite hilarious. He wished he could do things like that, but perhaps it was well enough with the abbilities he had now.

Once the guards were well and gone, he gave Az a pat on the shoulder and a hushed "You sure know how to pick 'em."

It was a two step process. First, a quick shadowstep next to the window, taking a quick peek inside to see if Mr. Gala had noticed anything. A candle was lit and there were dirty plate on the table, a discarded armor next to the bed, an empty bottle near the couch.... But their target, nowhere to be seen, at least on the lower floor. That'd make things easier.

Secondly, a quick slip under the door. The race earlier had been all excitement, but now he was a little spent... Shadowstepping under the door was not an easy thing to do. As he apeared on the other side of the door, he felt his right arm twitch and all his fingers straighten out for a split second. 'No more of that today, no sir...'

A quick look over. Gala wasn't around. There was quiet shuffling upstairs in one of the rooms, but nothing too concerning. Cien pulled out delicate tools, worked the lock in complete silence and very slowly opened the door for his companions. A masked face looked through a gap of the door.

Go time.

[cientheshadowassassin]

Picking Apples

[cientheshadowassassin]

moonfallmerchant:

insidious-shadow:

In the many, many centuries it had been since Azrael had first mastered shadow-stepping, he no longer felt the initial queasiness his younger self had once suffered from.  It was an odd sensation, slipping between dimensions in such a fashion, and though he knew he must have learned the ability slowly, he could not remember a time when it hadn’t been second nature to him.  As with most things, of course.

He was as light as a feather, moving faster than anything he had ever encountered in the surface world, fluid and mobile as the shadows he enveloped himself within.  It was almost addictive, that feeling of euphoric weightlessness; non-existence, if only for a temporary period.  If only it wasn’t so horribly draining.

Arriving at the East Road, Azrael waited in the shadows of the nearest alleyway, sagging against the brick wall beside him.  The house was modest for a knight, he thought.  The guards stationed by the door seemed bored, their polished armour shining in the dim light of the moon.  He would have to wait for Cien’s confirmation of their positioning, in order to determine how far into their rotation they were.

There was a soft, warm glow emanating from one of the windows in the knight’s house.  There would be no better time to carry out the mission.

Zipping through the streets at such speeds was proving more challenging than Haeyin had anticipated, and after nearly clipping himself on a few passing carts and store front signs, he decided to take an alternate route. In an instant he went from cobbled streets to tiled rooftops, running as fast as his legs and magic would carry him. From behind his mask, he grinned, enjoying the feeling of wind through his hair and the energizing light of the moon above him as he leaped to another rooftop. Occasionally he would glance around him, over his shoulder, from shadow to shadow, searching for any sign of Cien as he drew closer to the East Road.

Sensing Azrael nearby, Haeyin stopped short as he came to the overhead opening of the alleyway. Across the street was their target’s home, he assumed, judging by the guards stationed just outside. Quietly, Haeyin blinked from the roof down into the alley, stumbling a bit as he landed. He braced himself against the cool stone wall, removing the mask as he panted in an effort to catch his breath.

“I am not in nearly as good a shape as I thought I was,” he chuckled softly, looking to Azrael with an easy smile. “Did I beat Cien here after all?”

"No you didn't." Came from the shadows, as Cien stepped out with a big smirk on his face.

He hadn't arrived much long ago, at most five seconds, but his trip through the shades was a rush of excitement he hadn't felt in quite some time. The queazyness that came with dimentional displacement had subsided with the years, but it still sat almost unnoticeable at the bottom of his stomach. 'Forgot breakfast' he thought, as he stood next to Az in the shadow of the alley, and patted the taller man on the shoulder. "Yours is getting sloppy, buddy. What, sagging with the years?"

He chuckled, and now that he was in stable ground and not floating through unexistance, he could get back into gear. The glamour faded as he turned his cape inside out back to it midnight blue side, pulling his hood up once it was securely closed with the metal pin.

He gave Az a glance as he pulled something out of his bag. It was a mask, white and red with a dull gold disk in the eye design drawn on it. He slipped it on like it was second nature. He recognized the now otherwordly technicolor apearance of Az through the eye of the mask, but focused on more important things. His friend hated when the sight of the mask lingered.

"No traps or enchantments, there's at least that..." The sheikah said, slightly muffled as he looked towards the house. "Didn't expect him to know anyone willing to defend him though. Imagine that."

[cientheshadowassassin]

Picking Apples

[cientheshadowassassin]

moonfallmerchant:

insidious-shadow:

He blinked, staring at Cien a moment after the younger man had referred to Haeyin as a “Freckled Snowball”.  Well… it was a fair nickname.  Azrael was mostly just annoyed and worried by the fact that it was a fitting name at the present moment.  He cleared his throat.

“I believe I uncovered enough today to… tie up any loose ends, after this,” he explained, looking towards the horizon.  “Perhaps nothing especially pertinent to our job today, but confirmation of the lad’s wrongdoings, in addition to… several individuals who aren’t particularly impressed with his behaviour as of late.  A handful the Guild will be only too happy to blame for what happens tonight.”  They should be satisfied with that.

The notion of an unused second floor seemed unusual.  Azrael rubbed his chin idly.  “It’s not entirely uncommon for, say, a shopkeeper to have a second floor for rent,” he thought aloud.  “Somehow, I doubt this is the case for our dear friend.  We should be cautious when entering, lest we land ourselves in a trap.  For all we know, this will not be the first attempt on his life.”

Pulling the hood of his cloak over his head, he glanced back towards his companions.  “I’ll head there now and try to gauge where the guards are in their rotations.”  After a moment’s pause, he added, “You can walk there, if you like.”  With the smallest, slightest of crooked grins on his face, Azrael walked backwards into the long and looming shadow of a nearby building, and he was gone.

Shooting Cien an unimpressed scowl upon being called such a silly name, Haeyin idly thumbed the impressions of the stone mask in his hands as he listened to Azrael share his discoveries with them. Truthfully he was only partially paying attention to his words, paying closer mind to his partner’s rigid posture and averted line of sight. He was definitely upset, even if he was doing his damnedest to hide it.

“Agreed,” Haeyin heard himself say softly. Even if this knight fellow didn’t appear to be ready to change his ways, it didn’t necessarily mean he was unaware of how others felt about him or his dealings. Better it be on the side of caution than to be caught off guard by the unknown.

Once Azrael had slipped away into the shadows, Haeyin inhaled and let out a deep sigh, his shoulders sagging a bit. He stared at that spot for a few moments before turning his attention to the path that lead to the East Road.

“He expects us to walk?” He scoffed lightly, looking to Cien with a playful smirk. “Which of us will get there first, I wonder?”

Affixing the mask to his face once more, Haeyin darted off across the square, leaving the young sheikah behind in a flurry of distorted magic and light.

Much ado about Mr. Gala not being missed, it was almost as if he would be, against all possible odds. Whatever it was he did to get his hands on ruppees to bet with, the sheikah figured it had to do with his position. Surely strongarming the populous would be easy as a knight, but someone might've gotten tired of the treatment. It was strange, the least it felt like there'd be loose ends the more it felt like there should be.

And just like that, Az was gone. In the middle of Cien mulling things over, he banished into the shade of the nearby buildings. Luckily, that was one trick Cien could actually replicate! He'd be sure to remove all his glamour once they were all there too.

He turned towards Haeyin in surprise, only to smirk right back as the mage dissapeared after issuing the casual challenge. "I wonder!"

Cien pulled up his hood and retreated into the shadows as well, bouncing from shade to shade, making his way across town through the hidden means of umbramancy.

[cientheshadowassassin]

Picking Apples

[cientheshadowassassin]

moonfallmerchant:

insidious-shadow:

Even if he had managed to get himself lost here, Azrael would have been able to find his friends in a heartbeat; all he had to do was follow the sounds of the irritated Sheikah and the delightful amused laughter of his lover.  At first, he had been worried they were quarreling – but it seemed that for now, at least, they were reasonably amicable towards one another.

He approached them at the fountain, Cien’s back towards him as he flipped his hair.  Crossing his arms over his chest, he regarded the Sheikah with a bemused smile on his face.

“Perhaps in my younger years,” Azrael offered gently.  “But I do not sway my hips like that.”  Laughing quietly, he shook his head.  “Sort of aggravates the leg, you know.”

His laughter died in his throat when he caught sight of Haeyin.  It was a momentary slip; he knew he should not react to the sight of his white hair when Cien was unaware of the implications of it, but for a moment Azrael forgot himself.  He was… angry, perhaps?  Worried.  How much had Haeyin expended?  How much longer did he have?

Clearing his throat, Azrael raised a hand, focusing on distorting the shadows around his face… and his companions.  Best to ensure no curious ears caught wind of their conversations, and that no wandering eyes registered their faces. “Other than scaring Cien half to death, I trust you two have managed to make good progress today?” he began.  “I… overheard some potentially very useful things today.  Do we have everything we need?”

Haeyin’s eyebrow rose, preparing for some sort of rebuttal when he registered movement just behind the young sheikah and looked up. Azrael stood with his arms crossed, regarding Cien with a similar expression.

“You were far more dashing,” Haeyin insisted, chuckling softly at his response.

While he knew his hair and eyes lacked even more of their red color than the last time he saw, the fleeting look on Azrael’s face when he noticed hurt more than Haeyin thought it would. He wanted to say something, to reassure him that despite appearances he was alright, but with Cien there… They would discuss it later. 

For now, Haeyin moved closer, standing adjacent to his companions as Azrael warped the shadows around them. Smirking at the young assassin’s expense, he nodded and removed the bag from his back. 

“I believe so,” he replied smoothly, briefly withdrawing a small glass jar. Inside was a single rainflower blossom that he had acquired from the florist earlier in the afternoon. “This was easy enough to find, though I purchased a few other things as well to avoid later suspicions.”

“And you?” He placed the jar back in the bag, looking to Cien now. “You located the address?”

Even after the startle, a glance between his other two pals presented a very clear mind conversation that obviously, he was not invited to. So he wasn't gonna ask. Instead, he focused on the task at hand. It was always so nice of Az to use his shenanigans to help have privacy.

"Adress was located." Cien confirmed. "Two story house on the East Road, small, fairly empty and messy. No one was home, and most of the furniture seemed to be downstairs... Wonder why he even has a second floor." He didn't question it when he walked by, but that was a very strange choice, to have a bed and chairs and dinning table all on the ground floor.

The Shieikah continued. "Three windows on the front, patrols walk by every forty-five minutes, and there's only four guards on duty an any given time. Plan this out nicely and we can squeeze it by without being noticed..." It was all about timing.

With a big grin, he looked over at Az. "So me and mister Freckled Snowball over here got some juicy stuff, how about you?"

[cientheshadowassassin]

Picking Apples

[cientheshadowassassin]

moonfallmerchant:

insidious-shadow:

It wasn’t Telma’s, but the residential tavern was cozy enough.  He’d taken a seat at the farthest table from the door, and from the looks of the corner it was located in, it was all but forgotten about.  The nearest overhead light had burnt out, to no one’s notice, and there was an abundance of cobwebs at Azrael’s feet where a spider lay suspiciously still, awaiting its next meal.  Hardly ideal for someone wanting to enjoy a drink, but reasonable enough for what he was here for.

While his companions did their own work, Azrael spent his day listening.  Sipping quietly on his drink, a carefully chosen lager he knew he would not be eager to finish quickly, he thoughtfully tuned in to each conversation that took place around him.  For the most part, there was nothing particularly interesting to focus on; petty tavern arguments, drunken men boasting of their prowess, lewd remarks towards the barmaids.  A few hours in, however, Azrael found what he was looking for.

A singularly disgruntled farmer was muttering quietly about an individual who had vexed him, some self-obsessed upshot who had made it all but impossible for the man to collect what he was owed.  “Come on, Barker, you can quit being vague about it – we all know who you’re talking about,” said a nearby barmaid, smoothly taking his empty stein as she made her rounds.  Mumbled agreement, several anecdotes shared from nearby patrons… just how many people had this knight vexed?

On the one hand, it made getting the job done easier; whenever the fallout came, there would be numerous local suspects to investigate before the Guild ever came into question, which left them with more than enough time to cover their tracks.  On the other hand, Azrael still wasn’t sure the lad deserved to die for his errors.  Few ever did, he thought – but if assassinations were rooted in morals, they would be few and far between.  He missed the days he’d been called upon to assassinate tyrants, dictators in far off lands who persecuted their people.  He much rather enjoyed those sorts of missions.

Having gathered all he felt he could from the tavern patrons, he stood smoothly and drew his cloak back over his head, leaving a few blue rupees on the table as he made his exit.  It would be dark soon, and Azrael needed to regroup with his friends before they set out the finish the job.

It hadn’t been terribly long after Haeyin arrived at the cafe that night began to settle, the lamp posts emitting a soft glow against the dreary sunset sky. The drink he had ordered had long since grown cold as he waited there, seated at one of the outdoor tables. He had been pretending to read, occasionally looking up from his little book of herbology to survey the town square, when a familiar presence caught his attention. Haeyin glanced across the square, his light pink eyes darting from face to face to face - and then back one.

Cien?

He squinted, scrutinizing a cloaked figure standing near the fountain. It was a different color than the one he previously had on, and his facial tattoo was gone, his hair pitch black, but it was him alright. Though Haeyin sat out in the open, it didn’t appear that Cien had noticed him yet due to his current appearance…

Haeyin closed his book and reached to pick up his bag in one fluid motion. He stuffed the book inside, rummaging around for a moment before withdrawing a rather plain looking mask made of stone. Grinning, he dropped a few rupees on the table, affixing the mask to his face before leaving the cafe patio.

Though there weren’t many people out an about now, Haeyin appeared to remain unnoticed as he drew closer to his sheikah associate. The perception altering effects of the mask continued to work their magic as he walked up beside Cien, kicking a pebble across his path to draw his attention away even further. He waited until he looked away, then tapped his shoulder, sidestepping with ease in order to avoid getting bumped into. He did this a few times, each time tapping or tugging on a piece of the young assassin’s clothing, until he could no longer contain his laughter.

He doubled back, putting a few feet of distance between himself and Cien, and reached to remove the mask from his face. Instantly, the curtain was lifted and he stood for all to see, including Cien.

“You really need a better disguise, my friend,” Haeyin teased, amusement clear in his eyes as he grinned at the lad.

Cien was mostly focused on looking around the place, partially to support his visage of a lost tourist, and also because this... was new. And interesting, all things considered. Even with all the grey, this version of castle town had it's charms, it could just use some more plants.

Suddenly and without warning, he felt a tap on his shoulder. He turned his head quickly to see, but met no one on that side, or the other. Then there was another tap! And a tug! And then on the other side, and it kept switching and switchcing and switching!! ARGH, THIS WAS INFURIATING!

He was about to reach into his bag when then came that snively little giggle, like a child's laugh in a fucking nightmare. He figured it would have to be someone who could stay hidden, and who else but an arcanist out for his fucking balls. As the redhead finally spoke words and not mocking giggles, Cien shot him a glare and, against his better will, a pout.

"Yoo need a bewer dishguisesh mah freend, meh meh meh...." The sheikah mocked, mostly to himself. He took some steps closer to Haeyin before continuing, now on a slightly more audible tone.

"Not all of us can boast of the skills you and Azzy have, you know? Some of us have different areas of expertise or whatever." He shrugged. "Though speaking of which..." Cien put a hand on his hip, the other theatrically flipping his ponytail to the side. 

"With this get up, don't I kinda look like that crooked boyfriend o' yours~? I thought you might like it and everything!" Hip sway left, hip sway right.

[cientheshadowassassin]

Picking Apples

[cientheshadowassassin]

moonfallmerchant:

insidious-shadow:

As Haeyin suggested potential starting points, Azrael nodded in agreement.  “Good thinking,” he noted.  “I can start at the bar, see if I can gather some intel on the lad’s whereabouts, his usual haunts.  See if you can scrounge up some disguises for you and Cien, I… would rather maintain our anonymity.”  He hardly wanted a repeat of what had happened with Elenika.

Cien opened the tavern door, and Azrael made a noise in the back of his throat at the sight of rain.  His knee always suffered with damp cold, it seemed.  From the looks of his Sheikah friend, however, Cien seemed to be having a much harder time with the realization of Telma’s pocket dimension than Azrael was with the present weather.

Clapping him on the back, he smiled crookedly.  “Upkeep is pricey for a place like this,” he teased Cien gently, giving him a wink.  “The rafters get awfully clogged with those blasted ticktockies, you know.”  As to what a ‘ticktocky’ was exactly, Azrael figured he would leave that to Cien’s imagination.

Drawing his hood over his head, he mentally braced himself for the cold.  “It’s best we keep our distance from one another during the day, can’t be arousing suspicion,” he called behind him as he left the tavern.  “I’ll seek you out at nightfall, and we can finish the job together.”

While Haeyin still felt uneasy about his presence, Cien’s enthusiasm was admittedly refreshing, and he found himself chuckling in response to the young man’s confusion upon opening the front door to the tavern. He reached out and gently touched Azrael’s hand with the back of his own; a reassuring gesture, as he was no doubt grumbling about the weather beyond that door. The pain of his knee was always worse when it rained.

He shook his head as he watched him leave then, amused by the comment he left Cien with before venturing off. Haeyin realized at that moment that he stood alone with the sheikah now, and glanced in his direction. He might as well try to get along with him if they were going to be allies for the time being. 

“I’ll be heading to the florist, and then to the cafe in central square to see if I can gather any further details on this man,” he announced, pulling the hood of his cloak over his head. “Meet up with me once you’ve secured the location of his home on the East Road, I have a mask or two that would suit you should you find yourself without a decent disguise.”

“Until later, then.” Haeyin allowed a smile to his face as said his farewells, stepping out into the rain and the cold. As he made his way down the alley way and onto the main road, he tried to determine the current time of day here. Perhaps mid-afternoon? It was hard to tell with the dark clouds blocking the sun, and as he surveyed his surroundings, there didn’t appear to be many people out and about either due to the weather.

Hm.. Perhaps he could use that to his advantage. Taking cover beneath a small overhang, Haeyin took a moment to dispel his glamour. While he had little concern about anyone in this time recognizing him as the mask salesman, all save for Azrael were in the dark about his condition, making his increasingly silver hair and light pink eyes the perfect disguise for a mission that required a certain anonymity. What better face to hide behind than the one that no one knows about?

He continued down the road, passing several storefronts and a few citizens trying to escape the rain, until he came to the florist’s cart. It appeared Haeyin had caught her just in time, for she appeared to be closing for the day. After pleading with the woman, she agreed to his patronage, and Haeyin set to work. While he understood time was a factor, he couldn’t help but take his time as he admired all the fragrant blooms the woman’s shop had to offer.

Despite this, it wasn’t long before he was satisfied with the herbs and flowers he had selected, with the majority of them unrelated to the mission at hand, save for the rainflower blossoms he added to the mix. The florist wrapped and packaged Haeyin’s purchases and he thanked her graciously, placing a cordial kiss to the back of her hand before he departed.

That was simple enough, he mused, placing the floral canisters into his ruck sack. The rain had died down to a light drizzle now, and as Haeyin made his way to the central square of Castle Town, he wondered if his companions were fairing just as well.

Cien was nothing if not a man that could think on the spot. Left alone at Telma's, the last straggler of their little team, the sheikah considered the course of action he was to take. Heayin would be kind of enough to provide him with masks, surely enchanted in some way, if he were to need them, but he'd rather not garner favors from the redhead quite yet. Besides, he had his own way of camouflage.

Before leaving the bar, he took off his cloak and turned it inside out before putting it on again. While a dull, deep blue on the outside, the inside of the cloak and  a dark, greyed green, perfect for a simple traveler. With a pass of the hand over his face, a thin, purple mist covered him, leaving him slowly as his tattoo seemed to dissapear and his white hair turned a deep midnight black. Pass the eyes, he seemed like a completely normal, sheepish vagrant!

Cien finally waved goodbye to Telma as he exited the bar, stepping out into this other Castle Town, and closing the door behind him. He regretted this immediately.

"Ah, fuck... Should've asked how to get back..." He cursed himself, but after some mental self-slapping, he finally climbed the stairs and into this new place.

If not for the market stalls and the people, this entire place would be grey. It was all cobblestone and iron, scarce greenery and a bit of dirt, currently turning into mud. The ground beneath his feet, being hurriedly traversed by others, would soon turn into a mess, and while he hated working in rain, to him it was all the better. Tracking anyone, specially himself, was difficult in this weather.

The first step was locating a helpful guard, one that looked young, eager to help, defeated from having to stand on the rain. Right next to the alley, a young lad in armor, not much older than 18, was perfect for what he needed. Cien aproached him and spoke in that very funny way, apologetic but smiling, quick but meek, as the foreigner he was supossed to be. Asked for an old buddy o' his, too long since he saw the devil, he said. Good ol' Gala, a knight like the lad, surely he'd know him! And while the lad was a bit overhwelmed, he was very helpful.

The house looked like every other around here, just a section of the cobblestone wall, not even a sliver of lawn in sight. Cien passed by, confirmed the name on the small sign at the door, and continued observing from the corner of the road, pretending to cower under a roof. Two floors, three windows at the front, rudimentary lock. For what he saw in a quick glimpse, house was pretty barren and in dissaray. Messy, a single man, his life wasn't well put together right about now.

Knights patrolled by the place every 45 minutes or so, and there always only seemed to be about four walking by at any given time. 'Limp, Plump, Beanpole, Freckles...' He thought to himself, Freckles walking by once more. Limp was next, and if this kept up, by nightfall they might have a run-in with Beanpole, depending how long they took. Not much to get out of the place without breaking in, something better done in the cover of nightfall, so Cien made his way to the centre of Castle Town.

Nice fountain.

[cientheshadowassassin]

Picking Apples

[cientheshadowassassin]

moonfallmerchant:

insidious-shadow:

Rubbing his chin idly, Azrael nodded along as Cien spoke, describing the details of the mission.  Truthfully, he was only partially paying attention; he’d realized at exactly that moment he’d forgotten to shave, and he already knew it was going to irritate him for the rest of the day.  Perhaps even more than the worried glances he was receiving from Haeyin and Telma would unsettle him.

He crossed his arms over his chest.  Probably not.

“From the sounds of it, this chap’s got a bit of a reputation, so interacting with locals mightn’t be a bad idea,” Azrael pointed out.  “I imagine the lack of urgency matches his own, if he’s accrued this much debt.  Whoever Crow is, they seem confident our target isn’t about to change his ways… or plan an escape.”

Cien handed him the ad, and Azrael had a moment to take a closer look at it now that it wasn’t obscured by cat pictographs.  He was well aware of just how long it had been since he had taken a mission from the Guild, and equally aware of what the consequences might be if he didn’t take this one.  Sighing, he addressed his friends.

“Well, I didn’t have anything else planned today,” he responded in weary resignation.  “Am I going to have to worry about chaperoning the pair of you while we’re out?  I’d rather you didn’t attempt to kill each other… I’m quite attached to Haeyin, you see.”  He nudged his partner playfully with his elbow, as if to further drive home the point.

Haeyin stood at Azrael’s side as he leaned forward, scrutinizing the flyer the young sheikah had presented. The symbol of the Guild was emblazoned across the top for all to see, and he clasped his hands together as he skimmed the mission details, occasionally stealing a curious glance at Cien as he spoke.

It had been quite a while since he had done any workings with the Guild, usually tagging along with his companion on his own missions when he did. Unlike Azrael, and Cien it seemed, Haeyin was not bound by the rules of the Guild, having never officially been made a member. Despite this, they had reached out to him in the past, seeking to hire him as a contractor for his unique skills as a mage.

As he continued to look over the mission details, Haeyin noted that Cien had a point. Whoever Crow was, the goal behind this mission appeared to be about sending a message; while his knowledge on flower symbology was a bit spotty these days, he recalled that rainflowers were sometimes used as a sign of atonement. In this case, it would appear the target would be atoning for his gambling ways with his life.

When Azrael spoke up again, he nodded in agreement. “In which case, we could use our time wisely and gather as much information as possible. There’s a florist on the South Road, so obtaining the flower from there shouldn’t be too difficult. The bar is also there; surely someone will know a thing or two about the target.”

He rubbed his arm where his partner nudged him then, grinning slyly in return, “Fear not, I promise to play nice with your friend, Az.”

Haeyin looked to Cien rather pointedly as he continued, “So long as he keeps his hands to himself. Though if it’s disguises we require, I’m sure I have something that will suffice.”

With everyone in agreement, Cien gave a playful salute to Haeyin, a sign he would not even glance at his direction if he didn't have the absolute need, and gestured to the door of the bar.

"If that's the case, sooner we get there, sooner we get paid, huh?" While he didn't like playing the greedy angle, specially with his friend present, it was better he did for the time being. He rather chalk up his attempted robbery of his friend's.... boyfriend? On having nothing to eat with, rather than 'I could, so I did.'

East Road of Castle Town, so had said the ad. That wasn't too far at all! Cien looked back at his partners in crime as he grabbed the doorknob.

"Come on, let's go, we're losing daylight!"

However, as he looked back and swung open the door, everything was.... different. Gray cobblestone covered the walls and floors of what seemed to be an alley bellow floor level. Cold air hit him suddenly, and just then he noticed the sound of rain, and running water. It hadn't rained since he arrived at the tabern, and the day has started out sunny.

He focused hard on the inside of the bar, and found the sounds of water didn't make it past the door. He once again looked back, at Az and Haeyin and specially Telma.

"....So! That's a thing! Um... Alright, guess this is why this place is expenssive to stay in, huh?" He chuckled awkwardly, shaking the feeling of unease. That Castle Town wasn't this Castle Town, point one. Point two, and the most bothersome of them both....

In that Castle Town, it was raining. Fuck rain. Goddamn his luck.

[cientheshadowassassin]

Picking Apples

[cientheshadowassassin]

moonfallmerchant:

insidious-shadow:

Slow understanding crossed his face as Haeyin spoke, and Azrael nodded gravely.  It suddenly made sense, his violent outburst and continued distrusting behaviour.  Had it been any other meaningless trinket, Haeyin would likely have been bothered at most but ultimately gotten over it… but Vahari’s necklace was practically sacred to Haeyin.  Rightly so.

“There’ll be no bloodshed at all,” Azrael insisted, glancing back and forth between Haeyin and Cien.  “Telma’s rules aside, I don’t believe that’s a very productive use of our time, especially since you’ve apparently already knocked some sense into this lad.”

Cien’s comment on “bite marks” seemed to draw Telma’s attention, and she looked to Azrael with one eyebrow raised.  He pursed his lips into a thin line, letting out a lungful of frustrations as he pinched the bridge of his nose.  “Come now, Cien – you should know by now that any mark left by me doesn’t glow,” Azrael sighed.  “I would hope that you wouldn’t need a reason not to rob Haeyin, but I imagine now that you know what he’s capable of it won’t happen again.”

Pausing, Azrael crossed his arms over his chest.  “Frankly, I don’t care what sort of issues you two have with one another,” he said simply.  “There’s work to be done, so if you’re down cowering behind Telma… perhaps you might like to join me on this ‘Crow’ mission.  Seeing as you’re obviously so strapped for coin you’ve resorted to attempted robbery.”

Haeyin’s crimson stare remained trained on Cien as Azrael spoke, and slowly his tense stance began to relax. He sniffed, folding his arms across his chest while gently brushing the gold pendant at his neck with his fingertips.

“I suppose you have a point,” he eventually conceded. The sheikah appeared content to stay out of arms reach of him for the time being, and that suited Haeyin just fine. The mention of glowing bite marks caused the color to drain a bit from his cheeks, and he looked to Azrael with an expression similar to the one Telma currently sported, though for different reason.

The marks may not glow, but Azrael did, information that only a select few were privy to knowing, among other things. He eyed the younger man suspiciously from where he remained half-hidden behind the bar. Just who was this Cien person? And.. just how much about Azrael did he know? These questions caused the edges of Haeyin’s mouth to twitch, an uncomfortable sensation bubbling in the pit of his stomach.

The mention of a mission distracted him, if only for a moment; Haeyin blinked and turned his attention back to his partner.

“’Crow’ mission?” he repeated curiously. Why would he be doing a mission involving birds unless… Well, unless it didn’t. He took into account their current company, and Azrael’s suggestion that Cien join him. A code name, then? “…something from the Guild?”

Cien climbed over the bar, finally leaving his hiding place to join the other two men. At a distance from the redhead-- Haeyin? -- and with plenty of room to flee if needed, of course! He showed the ad to both of them, the symbol of the Guild placed smack in the center of the piece of paper.

"By the looks of it. Lack of originality on the name, if you ask me." No one did, and yet the sheikah continued regardless, his volume dropping and his tone becoming strangely professional and... business like?

"Seems very run of the mill, a bit lacking in terms of information, but that's negligeable. Most important part seems to be the message it wants to send, and they weren't specific on any particular methods, so it must be low-profile, formality at most."

The shiekah eyed over the ad himself, his voice continuing to shift into uncharacteristically robotic and focussed. "Vague location, somewhat common name, we may need to resort to interacting with locals, but that can be helped... Really, the most sensible part of this would be procuring the flowers and the specific residence, but urgency doesn't seem to be a factor here. Surveillance of the area should be sufficient for both...."

He trailed off in thought, remaining silent for a few seconds before returning to his usual enthusiastic demeanor, handing the ad to Az and giving him the more common, wide grin he was usually seen with, seemingly unaware of the drastic difference between this and his mumbling murderspeak babble.

"Would like to have time to procure disguise, but I can manage. I'm down if you're both down~"

[cientheshadowassassin]

Picking Apples

[cientheshadowassassin]

moonfallmerchant:

insidious-shadow:

Everything seemed to slow to a crawl as Haeyin joined the party, and in the most peculiar way.  Truly, Azrael had been happy to see him, and had been about to introduce Cien to his partner when suddenly the red-haired man took on a frightening demeanor.  What had gotten into him?  What was this about a “thief”…?  Before he could interrogate Cien on the matter, the Sheikah was hidden beneath Telma’s skirts.  The barkeep seemed about as surprised and confused as Azrael was.

Crossing his arms over his chest, Azrael shot Cien a dull stare.  “I was about to introduce you to my lover… but I see you two have already become rather well acquainted, aye?” he remarked dryly.  “You certainly seem to be familiar with his wrath, Cien.  Why is that, might I ask?”

Subtly, but with clear intentions, he stepped between Haeyin and the bar counter, gently placing a hand on his shoulder.  It was rare to see him so angry.  He searched his face, concern apparent in Azrael’s expression as he struggled for some sort of hint as to why Haeyin’s mood had turned so suddenly.

Had he not been so furious, he might have found such a reaction to his presence amusing, jumping over the counter to cower behind Telma the way he did.

“I manhandled you, did I?” Haeyin sneered, red eyes boring into the younger man. His fingers twitched, his palms tingling as Azrael gently placed himself between him and the bar counter. Haeyin didn’t look up at him as he felt his hand on his shoulder, but made no attempts to push past him as he continued to glower at.. Cien, was it?

“Some weeks back, this sniveling coward came across my camp in the middle of the night, and attempted to steal Vahari’s necklace while I slept,” he explained stiffly. “I awoke before he could make off with it, and reacted accordingly.”

The volume of his voice increased, addressing Cien now, “And if you think that was the worst I have to offer, why don’t you step out from behind the counter? Or do you only prey on the sleeping and defenseless?”

“Hey easy now,” Telma chided, hands on her hips as she eyed Haeyin seriously. “There’ll be no bloodshed on my floors unless you feel like moping it up.”

Haeyin smiled, though it was far from a friendly gesture. “Perhaps he would like to accompany me outside then.”

Even with all the accusations, the threats, the very clear anger from the redhead and his most certain, deffinite incoming doom... All Cien could think about was deflecting. So he popped his head up, placing his chin on the counter as a hand, finger extended, followed.

"Now to be fair...." He began, meekly. "You weren't defenseless and I had no way of knowing that?"

He heard a groan-like sigh come from Telma at that, but continued, popping out more from behind the counter to lean on his elbows. This time, he adressed Az.

"Listen if I had the slightest inkling he was connected to you, I would've looked for glowing blue bitemarks and been on my way! It really was just a huge missunderstanding!"

[cientheshadowassassin]

Picking Apples

[cientheshadowassassin]

moonfallmerchant:

insidious-shadow:

With his arms crossed tightly over his chest, Azrael wondered absentmindedly if the symbol of the Guild would ever become a meaningless motif for him – if, one hundred years from now, he might be able to forget what the twisting branches of the symbol had meant to him.

He sighed.  Wishful thinking, of course.

Telma took great care in ensuring the darker missions on her notice board were hidden to the untrained eye.  Several pictographs of feral cats and fluffy kittens littered the board, many of which were of Telma’s own feline companion.  The missions they aimed to conceal were carefully worded, as this particularly order was; signed “Crow”, an otherwise innocuous nickname, and titled innocently… but all the signs were there, including that unmistakable amulet that Azrael had come to know was a symbol for the Guild’s missions.

He wasn’t alone.  Another patron of the tavern had noticed this particular mission as well, and immediately Azrael understood why.  A smile spread across his face as he recognized his colleague, his hands on his hips as he regarded Azrael.

“Shout my name a bit louder, why don’t you?  I don’t think they heard you in the next town over,” he laughed, shaking his head.  “It is good to see you, Cien.  I trust you’ve been taking care of yourself.”

Haeyin adjusted his gloves as he padded lightly down the stairs, pulling them snug over his fingers and tucking the hem beneath the cuff of his sleeve. Nearing the bottom, he could hear voices coming from the tavern; laughter and hearty greetings. He recognized one of them instantly as Azrael, and sure enough found him standing across the bar as he entered the room. He was inspecting the notice board from the looks of it, but while Haeyin was sure he had heard someone else, he appeared to be alone. Crossing the room, he smiled warmly as he approached his companion.

“Anything of interest today, Az–”

The words caught in his throat as he came to an abrupt halt only a few paces away, an infuriatingly familiar face coming into view. It took a moment to process the shock of seeing him here, but that shock very quickly turned into a scathing rage as Haeyin moved to close the distance between him and the sheikah rogue.

“You.” He nearly spat the word, as if the young man’s very existence offended him. “I had hoped our previous encounter would be our last - what are you doing here, Thief?”

Az's pressence to pay much attention, but when the other man aproached to join their exchange? Oh, Cien noticed him alright.

He watched as a serene smile and peaceful eyes turned into a sour, raging look. Red eyes, amplified by red hair, burning holes in the back of his skull as the shorter men drew closer in firm steps, and Cien replied with raised hands and careful steps backward. He didn't make it far, as the geometry of the bar put an inconvenient chair from a nearby table right behind him.  

The sheikah laughed awkwardly,eyes darting between his old friend and his new.... friend. "H-Haha, well, you see.... the thing about that, uh..."

FWOOMP! Faster than one can say the word 'Abscond', Cien dashed towards the bar, jumped the countertop, landed, and hid behind the skirts of a very startled Telma, while only the bare minimum of his head poked from under bar counter, like the most pathetic of gophers.

"Now I'm not here for you, okay?! I was hoping I'd never see you again in my life!" He squeeked, from his hiding place. "I'm doing work, I'm just working here, alright?!"

He should've figured Az would have another weirdo tagging along with him, the guy atracted the oddest people! He was like... a planet. And his oddball friends were his moons. Planet Asshole and the Douchemoons. Now here he was! Clutching the skirts of a hefty barmaid and this time it wasn't because he was in a gutter, drunk off his marbles. Said barmaid observed the mess in silent confusion...

"....That wouldn't happen to be the guy that you said manhandled you that night, would it, honey?" Telma asked, bewildered at the mere thought. Him, truly? Then, she smiled and chuckled as she looked down at the side of her skirt. "The one that banged you up real bad and made you throw up on my floor?"

"HEY!" Cien pointed at her, acusing and betrayed. "You said you wouldn't say anything!"

"Oh I think embarassment's the last of your worries now..."

[cientheshadowassassin]

Picking Apples

The plan was to have a day of investigation. To go out, gather some intel, and come back; organize everything into a nice little pile for later. That was his plan, at first.

The sheikah made his way down the stairs, geared up and ready to go out, making a passing glance all around the tavern as he reached the bottom. An ingrained habit, always secure the room as fast as possible, notice anything that's different about the place before anything notices you. There was no one to notice him for now, other than the wonderful barkeep, but there WAS a change. Something miniscule that could've easily been overlooked by regular patrons.

In the wall near the stairs, dutifully overseen by Telma, was a plethora of cat pictures, carefully framed and placed in a pleasing order of varying shapes and sizes. From under one of them --a beautiful black cat with golden eyes-- , a small piece of paper peeked out, inconspicuous and utterly ignorable. Cien aproached slowly, grabbing the piece of paper firmly in the middle and gave a tug downwards, feeling something rip from under the picture and slipping it out with ease. An ad, hidden from view, sporting a familiar symbol on it... Maybe he could change his plans after all.

With a read-over, Cien commited the details to memory: the name and the job and the reason and the place... 'Signed: Crow'? The sheikah chuckled.

"Crow... Cool codename, asshole." He muttered mockingly. "Was 'Vulture' taken that day?"

He had every intention of taking the listing all to himself, but as he turned around his eyes met an imposing figure standing right behind, seemingly reading over his shoulder. What?! Since when--?! And then, the realization.... As Cien saw the eyepatch, the scars, the midnight black hair, his smile grew and his hands were placed on his hips. Another chuckle escaped him.

"Azrael Dobrev, you crooked motherfucker!" He exclaimed happily. "Fancy seeing you here! In town gardening, I assume?"

[rebe-p-arts]

“Hush now… It’ll be over quick.”

[cientheshadowassassin]

Bio stuff under the cut:

Basic Information

FULL NAME: Cien Adzinota

NICKNAME(S): Cien

AGE: 27

DATE OF BIRTH: February 18th

HOMETOWN: Hidden village in Spool Swamp, Holodrum

CURRENT LOCATION: Kakariko, Hyrule

ETHNICITY: Sheikah

NATIONALITY: Holodrum... ese? Holodrumese

GENDER: Male

PRONOUNS: Him/His

ORIENTATION: Homosexual

RELIGION: None

POLITICAL AFFILIATION: None

OCCUPATION: Assassin

LIVING ARRANGEMENTS: Anywhere that takes his money, he’s on the move a lot.

LANGUAGE(S) SPOKEN:  Hylian+Holodrumese

ACCENT: Western Holodum

Physical Appearance

FACE CLAIM: Avan Jogia (Tentative)

HAIR COLOUR: White

EYE COLOUR: Red

HEIGHT: 6′2″

WEIGHT: 200

BUILD: Athletic/lean muscle

TATTOOS: One on his face, the Sheikah Eye over his left eye. A Hidden one on his arm, of Shadowy origin

PIERCINGS: Ears

CLOTHING STYLE: .Comfortable clothes in greys and blacks with flexible midnight blue armor and cloack.

USUAL EXPRESSION: Smug asshole smirk.

DISTINGUISHING CHARACTERISTICS: The very fluffy white hair contrasted to the red eyes. 

Health

PHYSICAL AILMENTS: Missing right arm, it’s been substituted

PSYCHOLOGICAL CONDITIONS: None.

ALLERGIES: Raspberries

SLEEPING HABITS: Depends. Terrible when he’s without ocupation, sleeping and waking up late. On the job, he keeps mind of his hours, sleeps as little as possible if necesary.

EATING HABITS: .Also depends. With time and money, he’ll eat full meals three times a day. On the job, his meals can be as scarce as needed. Has a taste for beef jerky and bread.

EXERCISE HABITS: Stretches, runs, and practices combat often.

EMOTIONAL STABILITY: Solid 4? He can push himself to 5 if h’s got shit to do.

SOCIABILITY: A very distant, but friendly dude. If he latches on, he latches on FOREVER.

BODY TEMPERATURE: Mild.

ADDICTIONS: Alcohol.

DRUG USE: None

ALCOHOL USE: BOY HOWDY DOODY.

Personality

LABEL: The Assassin

POSITIVE TRAITS: Determined, Versatile, Self-confident, Loyal, Independent, Adaptable, Open-minded.

NEGATIVE TRAITS: Blunt, Cynical, Argumentative, Disrespectful, Mischievous, Tactless.

GOALS/DESIRES: Killing his dad. And money.

FEARS: Losing his loved ones, the very few he still has. 

HOBBIES: Befriending birds. Reading. Fuckin’

HABITS: Playing with whatever he has in his hands.

Favourites

WEATHER: Light rain

COLOUR: Green and blue

MUSIC: Slow, almost atmospheric music with disticnt and slow beats (Lo-Fi Hip Hop)

SPORT: Fuckin’ Dart Throwing.

BEVERAGE: Vodka. And Beer. And Rum. And wine. He’s very favorable on fruit wines.

FOOD: Garlic bread and beef stew.

ANIMAL: Crows and ravens. Also dogs.

Family

FATHER: Krau Haladi, on the run.

MOTHER: Liaz Adzinota, deseased.

SIBLING(S): None (that he knows of)

CHILDREN: None.

PET(S): At least one (1) crow in every city he goes to.

FAMILY’S FINANCIAL STATUS: They’re all dead.

Extra

ZODIAC SIGN: Aquarius

TEMPERAMENT: Either Sanguine of Choleric. (Possibly Choleric)

MORAL ALIGNMENT: Chaotic, jumps back and forth between Neutral and Good.

PRIMARY VICE: Greed? Possibly Gluttony.

PRIMARY VIRTUE: Humility.

ELEMENT: Water.

[cientheshadowassassin]

[rebe-p-arts]

they clean up real nice

YO, FANCY PARTY EVENT WHEN??

[rebe-p-arts]

Morning coffee with a side of HAIR

[estrangedarcher-blog]

A Drink in the Shade and other shadow puns

[cientheshadowassassin]

estrangedarcher:

The scoff about honor served to finally soothe the rest of her worries. No strict sheikah would react like that, and that meant he was okay in her non-existent book.

“Never heard of it!” She said, a bit cheerfully than needed as she took another drink. 

“And you know Cien, you’re absolutely right. We’re just two sheikah, probably far from home, drinking to excess. That’s basically a party, right? All we need is my friend Azrael– he gets it. And then it’d really be a party.” 

She was all smiles and grins again, even though the definition she was giving for a party might have edged on ‘becoming black out drunk.’ 

“Do you take jobs from the board here? Or do you just do your own thing?” She asked, tilting her cup a bit towards the mission board. 

For a moment, Cien was distracted. She couldn't possibly mean.... I mean, could she? What were the odds that out of every sheikah in the planet, he'd find the only other disgraced one, and that they had the same friends? That was a bit unbelieveable, if not absolutely ridiculous. Who knew, maybe just someone with an equally theatric name.

"I'm currently... freelancing right now." One could say he was in the middle of the Investigation phase, with Planning coming eventually. He finally finished his glass. He didn't pour himself a new one this time. "But I'll take one eventually. Gotta pay for my stay here, right?"

He grabbed the bottle by the neck and stood up from his seat. "Speaking of which, I should go back to my room. I have some correspondence to do still... I'm keeping this, by the way."

Then, with a surprisingly warm and inviting smile, he added "If you need anything, let me know, alright? Us dishonored disgraces, we gotta stick together." And with a wink, he turned and walked away.