Dier Casuana

coinshot. courier. corrupt to the core. [A roleplay blog for Elendel United]

[venturess]

     Another tic of irritation at his familiar tone. The real her, he said. No, he didn’t know the real her yet, hadn’t fathomed the snowstorm contained in a metal cage. This was the person she had been created to be, a machine built to perfection. By most definitions, perhaps this was the real her. For now, she would embrace it. She had to.

     Dier was nothing to her. He was a nuisance, an insect. It would have been so easy to kill him right then and there. He was already in hiding. The case would die, and nobody would ever ask any more questions. It was the perfect opportunity, and it was a wonder she didn’t take it. Honestly, the only reason she didn’t was because Ferra would object—albeit simply because she didn’t want anyone else breaking her toys. 

     ”I managed to pull the information out of her, although her involvement isn’t what I’m interested in. What I am interested in talking about”—she stepped toward him, closer than she usually made her own personal bubble; she wanted to see how the coinshot liked being in close quarters with a professional murderer—“is these threats you’ve allegedly been making.”

     She tilted her head up to grace him with a smile that was sweet and subtle as thallium. “I would very much like you do know that if you harm any of the people you threatened, I wouldn’t need a contract to kill you. I’d do it for free.”

     Her fingers itched to stick one of her obsidian knives between his ribs, but she was the pinnacle of control.

[diercasuana-blog]

    This was what Dier found most fun about Kalrien: that sense of unwavering control. Perhaps most people wouldn't find some cold-hearted, hard as stone will an amusing personality trait, but for Dier's purposes it was fascinating. He played with people, pushing them where they were uncomfortable, bending them until they snapped.

    Kalrien was nothing but control, however. Yes, she had her boundaries and her lines in the sand, and he was sure she'd follow through on her word if he overstepped them without fail, but so long as he stayed within them there was all kinds of interesting trouble to be found in toeing those lines and pressing against those walls.

    He stared her down as she stepped forward, a comfortably casual smile on his face. The move was undoubtedly meant to be threatening, but he wasn't afraid of her. So long as he didn't give her a true reason to kill him, he'd be fine. If she thought he was going to be scared by a close proximity with someone dangerous, she had apparently forgotten just how 'closely' he and Ferra worked.

    "I do so hope you mean that 'pull' Allomantically. Ellie is so very sensitive to Rioting like that. I can only imagine what she must have felt like. I suppose that can be some consolation for the discomfort your little manhunt has put me through, if Eliane had to be dragged through your Allomancy to get it."

    He turned his head slightly, but didn't step back. "Rest assured, I have no intention of ending up on the wrong side of your knives, dearest assassin. I've had my fun with little Ms. Lekal, and there are other ways to keep my sister cooperative."

    He gave a small chuckle. "So where does that leave us? I suppose you could attempt to arrest me on grounds of that warrant you and your police friends have been hounding me on. I don't believe you quite have the legal high ground at the moment, though. Instead, I think it best if we keep civil, don't you?"

[favorxte]

"Oh, I’m sorry, little one. Did I hurt your feelings?" Elle asked derisively and then snorted. "Here’s your fucking Vibe." She went and plucked a small packet from a shelf, checking everything to make sure it was there—since her products were quality, she was determined to make sure they stayed that way—and then Larelle handed the little baby his packet of drugs for whomever it was that he wanted to bully.

"Now get the fuck out of here. Your little whiny, perpetually injured act is grating on my nerves." She crossed her arms over her chest. Only an idiot would come to her and then act like this. 

[diercasuana-blog]

    Flaring his pewter up to possibly dangerous levels, he pushed himself ot his feet with a groan. He really shouldn't have been standing or moving at all, but pewter was very good at allowing people to do unhealthy things. His wounds weren't sealing up -- this wasn't Feruchemical gold or anything like that -- and while he would heal somewhat faster while burning and would be able to keep himself alive while it happened, burning up too much metalfire at one time was a good way to kill himself anyway.

    But like hell was he going to sit here and let Favor take verbal shots at him after suffering a more literal treatment from Eliane's Leecher dog. The pewter kept his pain at bay well enough for him to walk across the room and snatch the packet from her hand on his way out.

    "Always a rusting pleasure, Favor."

                                                                   [ END ]

[diercasuana-blog]

♟ luluwardwick

    If there was one thing Dier prided himself on, he knew a resource when he saw one. It was the reason he hadn't killed Eliane all those months ago: she was useful. And after that little encounter in Northern Park, it seemed there was a valuable resource sitting right under his nose all this time.

    Or, well, dancing under his nose, he supposed.

    These days, he tended to keep his schedule 'flexible.' With this warrant out for his arrest, he needed to make sure his location couldn't be pinned down easily at anytime. He still got all the things he needed to done, but he was liable to change plans and drop by various locations unexpectedly now.

    Lulu wasn't difficult to find. She'd become popular in her time there and Ferra seemed to be finding more reasons to put the girl front and center whenever she could. As her routine finished with a flourish of sequins and flashing light, Dier made sure he was there by the backstage door.

    "Well done, Luci," he said, opening the door for her. "I wonder if I might catch a word with you between acts?"

[venturess]

     Kalrien was nearly finished. She was tired and she felt cold inside, absent of everything she imagined a person who had just committed a gruesome murder should have felt. She heard a noise behind her and her hand automatically went to her gun. She had it out of its holster and pointed at the source in a moment.

     It was almost alarming how quickly the emptiness turned into anger. No—perhaps ‘anger’ was still too ambitious a term. Kalrien Venture’s emotions were always contained, and when something angered or frustrated her, it was always cold. Acting in the heat of the moment was never the right thing to do. She had always needed time to deliberate. To plan. So, seeing Dier Casuana in front of her, she lowered the gun and gave a smile, all teeth and poison.

     ”I should have guessed Ferra’s lapdog would be here to check up on me at some point. Mind where you step”—there was an edge present to her tone that wasn’t there when she was simply Detective Venture. It was the blade of a knife sharpened to perfection. “I don’t want to clean your pawprints up after all the work I’ve done.”

     She placed the final touches. It wouldn’t be traced back to her, but it was obviously a gang-related hit. That was the job—that was what she was being paid for. “Just ‘Kalrien’ should suffice, but I trust you understand if I would prefer to never hear you utter my name.”

     Kalrien paused, a slight tic of irritation crossing her expression at the bloodied latex gloves on her hand. These, she removed, to be disposed of, and stepped away from the scene. Honestly, if Dier wanted to leave evidence of his presence at the crime scene, it would work out for her. “Of course it was a ‘nice hit.’ I’m not being paid for mediocre work.” It was almost tempting to shove him as she passed him by, but instead, she brushed by him delicately, almost intimately. “Do tell me what you’ve been up to, darling. It’s been far too long since we last caught up.”

     No idea why that was, of course.

[diercasuana-blog]

    He chuckled at the term 'lapdog.' It was almost amusing, the way both she and Elle tried to get at him about his relationship with Ferra. As though it were something he was ashamed of, as though it were something he was insecure about, when in actuality it couldn't be farther from the truth. He knew what he was and he knew his place, and an offhanded dig from an outsider wasn't about to get his feelings hurt. He rather enjoyed his relationship with Ferra, and Kalrien could call it whatever she wanted. It wasn't about to bother him.

    "You're almost pleasant to speak with, like this," he said, raising an eyebrow. "It's amazing what a difference getting rid of that holier-than-thou attitude can do for your personality. What a surprise, I think I might actually like the real you, deep down underneath all those lies you put forward in public."

     Not that he didn't lie when he was out with the 'civilian' population, of course. But there was a difference in the way he and Kalrien went about it. To him, the act he put forward was almost a game, see how many hints of his real self he could let slip through without people catching on. He played with those unaware of who he really was, made a sport of them.

     This woman was leading a double life. Kalrien couldn't afford to let her true colors slip through when she was with others, couldn't let the assassin show. It was remarkable how different her demeanor was when she wasn't holding herself back in the act.

     He watched her carefully as she brushed past him, keeping his steel on and tracking those blue lines intently. "As for my lack of contact, I do apologize. I've run into a spot of trouble recently, had to stay away.  Some trouble with an informant who couldn't keep her mouth shut and a pair of cops making life difficult. I don't forsee it being a problem for much longer."

    He inclined his head toward her. "Speaking of Eliane, how is she? I have so missed dropping in on everyone in Northern Park. Tell me, did you break her in interrogation, or did she tell you everything willingly?"

[diercasuana-blog]

♟ venturess

    Dier hadn't quite known what to think when he'd found out just who was going to be doing Ferra's dirty work for her. As much as he loved bothering Kalrien Venture, both of them working for Ferra, this just seemed a gift from on high. A part of him was surprised, but deep down, he couldn't say it didn't make sense. Top-tier assassin Kalrien Venture.

    There'd always been something cold behind those eyes. He'd thought it was the law, but how satisfying it was to find it was murder instead.

    He stayed aloof, but he kept an eye on her through the evening while making rounds. The kill itself was fairly quick, well timed, well executed. Most of the time seemed to be dedicated to cleaning up the scene of the crime. He decided not to get in her way, but as soon as she was done, well.

    It was high time they met on more honest terms, he thought.

    Rather adept at letting himself in from above, he made sure she was turned around before dropping down behind her. He had some coins on hand, but he had a feeling this wouldn't turn to a fight. They were on the same side now, right? He had a feeling she would be much less pleased about that fact than he was, of course.

    He gave a slow round of applause as he stepped forward casually. "Detective Kalrien Venture. How interesting it is to meet you here. Or I suppose there's no need to call you 'detective' is there? Would you prefer 'Spectre' instead?"

    He nodded toward the immaculately arranged crime scene, careful not to do anything to mess up however she'd set it. "It was a nice hit. Color me impressed."

[luluwardwick]

Luci strode into the backstage area, giving Dier a nod of thanks as she passed him. She took in her surroundings with mild interest (this was her new base of operations, after all) but it wasn’t really all that interesting to begin with. Pretty standard, if not a bit higher class than the places she’d worked in before. But that was to be expected. Most of her attention remained on Dier and his line of questioning.

"Heh, well. It did happen pretty naturally." She said, taking a few steps down the hall away from Dier before stopping and turning to face him. "When I finished school, my parents expected me to go on to university. I didn’t like that plan and suddenly found myself in a situation where I had to get by without their help. Turned out, dancing was the best way for me to make enough money and have the most fun." 

There really wasn’t much more to it than that. Except that her motivations in not going to school and getting away from her parents had more to do with her future plans rather than maintaing her standard of living (even though that was important, too). But for now, Dier had all the information he needed. She wasn’t lying, after all, she was just not sharing the whole truth.  "I wouldn’t say I aspired to is so much as used it to my advantage." She let her mask drop a bit so that Dier could catch a glimpse of the real her, the capable her, and not the ditzy brat that most people got to see. It was another risk, she couldn’t fully trust Dier, after all. But she’d have to at least do her best to ally with him if she wanted to get anywhere in this operation.

[diercasuana-blog]

    Dier nodded slowly, in part for himself, and in part to acknowledge the slight break in the façade. He'd had a feeling this one wasn't as airheaded as she'd seemed, though truth be told, very few of the girls here were. They were smart enough to realize that the clintele was looking for a fantasy that was good looking and stupid enough to be easily swayed into anything these men might suggest.

    Honestly, Dier almost pitied the poor fools who were taken in by the ruse. Ferra and her girls played them for all they were worth. There was something incredibly attractive to him about these dancers, though he'd always found it to be their cunning, rather than any physical assets they might posses. There was just something alluring about a woman who knew exactly what she was doing and had complete control of her situation.

    And he'd already been taken by the pinnacle of that archetype.

    "Well, Ms. Luci, I have a feeling you're going to fit in here nicely. You've seen most of the establishment now, and if you don't have any more questions for me, I have a bit of an idea. I don't know if you spend much time over in the Second Octant, but there's an intriguing little coffee shop over there I would love to show you."

[spannerboop]

For a second, she did think he was going to kill her, despite her earlier rationalising. But then he suddenly let go and she hit the ground with her knees. Immediately, she sucked in as much air as she could. She honestly didn’t care what Dier thought of her right now. One hand was making sure she even still had a neck while she used the other to steady herself.  

Even if he hadn’t choked her properly, it was enough to send her mind into panic and think she was being choked. She coughed, pushing herself back. She forced herself to realise she was fine and tried to force herself to believe she would be fine.

As it started to settle in, she glared up Dier. She should run. She needs to run. And figure out some way to explain the bruising. Slowly, she pushes herself up, hand still rubbing her neck . Looks like her hair would be down tonight. She doesn’t have anything left to say to Dier. She realises she can’t leave unless he lets her. She could try to run, but with the amount of jewelry she’s wearing, he’d be able to just Push her against something and keep her there. So she just gave a look silently asking if this was over as she backed against the wall again. 

[diercasuana-blog]

    She watched him, but she didn't try to leave. Were those instincts, telling her she was not allowed to end this until he so deemed? Did she simply not want to turn her back on him? Whatever her reason, it was the correct response.

    He stepped away, glancing upward to gauge the best route upward. He dropped his coin, giving it a quick Push to snap it against the ground, but letting up before it Pushed him upward.

    "As you seem to have learned your lesson, I think we can consider this little chat done, dearest Ema." He gave her a smirk that was calculatedly off-putting. "I do so hope I won't have to give you a reminder anytime soon. Enjoy your chat with my sister."

    He looked upward again, calculating trajectory, then Pushed upward. He'd intentionally put the coin slightly off center from where he needed, so to correct his angle, he took hold of every blue line pointing to Emalyn, and Pushed against those. Hopefully the move would throw her back into the wall. That would just be the gilding on the filigree.

[hackerjaxmoved-blog]

         An eyebrow raised at the question, and he slumped back a bit, lounging 

      on his elbow at the top of his perch.  It occurred to him how rarely people       people asked him such a thing.  He kinda figured it was probably the way       he dressed.  Or maybe just his demeanor.  Rust, could be both.                                                                                                                       Who cared?

         ”Nothing, really.” He answered with a shrug, squinting over Dier’s head       at the skyline behind the coinshot.  ”Well, nothing official.   Hard work and        commitment have never really been in my wheelhouse, so I just, you know,       dip my fingers in whatever’s available.  Mostly tech-related stuff, though.       Hacking, encryption, programming— I’m your guy.                                                                    Especially if you want it done on the DL.”

         Jax leaned back fully, emphasizing a yawn that caught up with him now      that his heart had finally stopped racing and he was more or less comfort-     able.  He reached into the side pouch of his backpack and retrieved an apple     he had stored there, taking a large, crunching bite.

                                    “I ain’t cheap though.”

[diercasuana-blog]

    Dier leaned back, crossing his arms in a relaxed position. Quite the fascinating little acquaintance he was meeting here. Now that he thought of it, hadn't there been a 'Jaxinn Reese' in Eliane's database? He would need to look back into that file. This Mr. Reese could be a valuable contact.

    "That's quite an interesting line of work. How did you get into something like that?"

[luluwardwick]

Luci kept her face impassive as she was lightly reprimanded for her misstep. What upset her wasn’t Dier’s words (no, he was actually quiet polite) but the fact that she had misread the situation. She should have known better: blathering about her new boss’s implied criminal activities to her second in command wasn’t the best idea she’d ever had. She had let her guard down far too soon.

But, it was too late to take back her words now. And she wouldn’t making a similar making again anytime soon. No, she couldn’t fuck this up. It’d taken a lot of hard work to get to this point, and she still had a lot more climbing to do. Luckily, even though she was busy  beating herself up about such a stupid mistake, it seemed like Dier had chalked it up to newbie overconfidence. Hopefully.

"Gotcha. Don’t you worry, dumb is definitely something I can play."  There was no use in apologizing. After all, he was the one that had asked her to talk! No, it should be obvious enough to him that she had recognized her mistake and wouldn’t be making it again. He was right, of course, if Ferra wanted her to know something, Ferra would tell her. She would just have to do her best to become relevant enough on Ferra’s radar. “I’ll be sure to take that advice. Thanks.”

[diercasuana-blog]

    Luci seemed to be blaming herself for slipping up, but in Dier's mind, it was his fault. He'd tricked her into it. Luci was a part of the Yomen operation now, even if she was still on the fringes, and part of what he did was make sure that there weren't going to be any security leaks from the girls on the floor. Sometimes the best way to shore up a weak point was to call attention to it.

    As far as he was concerned, that little exchange had gone swimmingly.

    He held the curtain up for her that led to the backstage hall. "After you. As a way to give us something to talk about other than Ferra, may I ask how you became a dancer, Luci? There aren't many who would aspire to this, but you seem to take to it naturally."

[spannerboop]

She’d just slapped Dier. Survivor help her she just slapped a murderer. She couldn’t of reacted even if she wanted to when that bar came at her. She knew the second it hit it’d be leaving a bruise. Probably nothing that’d hurt her too much, but it’d be visible for a little while. The next second she registered his hand around her neck and and hers immediately went up attempting to pry them off. They wouldn’t ever do much.

This…was what it was like to die? A frenzy of panic and fear? Is this what her father had felt? She couldn’t even force it down. She kicked wildly, or  as much as she could with the bar restricting her. Eventually it got through that she wasn’t doing much of anything with that and the initial idea of her dying here started to ebb away. 

If he wanted her dead, he’d be adding pressure. Or he would have done it already. This was a warning. And the rest of his words proved it. She struggled to breath, or even choke anything out. She knew there must be tears by now, and she didn’t even care. She just needed to be home. She tried to nod, force her body to relax, just something to tell him she understood. She didn’t even care if he knew just how terrified she was. She got her shots in, and she regretted ever making them. 

[diercasuana-blog]

    She kicked at him as he held her, but he'd held trained fighters who knew what they were doing. The ineffectual struggles of a girl like Emalyn were nothing compared to that. Pathetic. He was only holding her tight enough to lift her off the ground, not truly trying to choke her, but she gasped and sputtered nonetheless.

    For a moment, he was tempted not to let her go. To clench down and rid the world of one more Soother. See if Eliane tried making trouble for him after that.

    But he was already the lead suspect in one murder case, and he didn't much feel like making it a double. Besides, if he was going to kill Emalyn, he wanted to save it for a special occasion, not a spur of the moment rush.

    So he stepped back, grabbing his bar as he stopped Pushing against it, and dropped her. He sneered as he looked at her, brushing his hands off as though he'd had to touch something distasteful. Which, she was a Soother. So in a way, he supposed he had.

[heartlikeiron-blog1]

       ”If she’s not important enough to mention until she’s relevant, then what

   makes you think I’d want to waste my time meeting her?”  She shrugged    Dier’s arm from her shoulder and leaned onto the opposite arm of the     couch, casting a telling look in his direction.  

       ”Later, you’re going to indulge me with why she’s suddenly become rele-     vant.”  It wasn’t a request; she made sure her tone reflected that sentiment.     “But for now I need you focused on something actually important.  I’m meeting      with Father soon, there’s someone he and I need to deal with.  But afterwards      I want you to meet me.”  

       She stood, tugging at her short dress to straighten it with a wiggle of her     hips before reaching into the it’s top, pulling out a small folded piece of paper     between two fingers that had the location of a new warehouse she’d acquired     earlier today.  ”We’re going to go over that thing I need your help with.  Make     sure no one from my Father’s team knows where you’re going or why.                                                                                                                 That’s important.”  

       She handed the paper to him, free hand on her hip.  ”Don’t be late.  We’ve     got a lot of work to do.”

[diercasuana-blog]

    It seemed his knowledge of Eliane was not going to stay hidden for long. Dier didn't mind extremely much; intel and surprises were useless if never brought to light. Yes, he wished he'd been able to hold onto this one a little longer, but he had no intention of attempting to obfuscate it. Intentionally keeping secrets from Ferra Yomen was nothing short of a death wish, and he was rather fond of his life.

    Dier bowed his head in deference as he took the note, fingers slipping it into the inside pocket of his jacket for safekeeping.

    "Of course, dear," he said smoothly. "It won't be a problem."

---

    And it wasn't.

    He'd slipped out to make a few rounds and no one had questioned him. It was difficult to track a Coinshot who didn't wish to be followed and on top of that, Dier knew plenty of techniques to slip a tail. By the time he reached the warehouse, he'd been careful and thorough, and was certain no one knew he was there.

    He found an old window at the top of the warehouse with an antiquated latch lock. All it took was finding the right angle and a small Push and he was in.

    The glass was dirty enough to be opaque, so he leaned in, taking a good look around before entering. A small part of his mind said that this could be a trap, that Ferra could be shuffling him off, but he didn't think the possibility very likely. He was fairly certain she wasn't displeased with him but he wouldn't deny the possibility that there was something more to the situation than he was aware of, which could be dangerous.

    Still, he wouldn't sneak around like he was suspicious of her. Loyalty and trust went hand on hand, even when one was a bit of an act. He didn't know what he was walking into, so he didn't call her name.

    "I'm here," he said, not speaking above a normal talking voice. If she was here, she'd be listening for him.

[spannerboop]

He stepped back not a moment too soon. She took an eager breath, suddenly glad the wall was behind her. She had a feeling it was the only thing keeping her upright. She still couldn’t quite bring herself to look him in the face, despite the distance. 

Emalyn watched him wearily. He didn’t want her dead. He was just here to make a mess of her and Eliane. That fact was comforting enough to get her courage up again. Not even a second after he’d finished his sentence, she bitch slapped him as hard as she possibly could. Absently, she was very glad she was wearing quite a few rings today. Storing had it’s uses. 

She didn’t even have any words. Really, she hadn’t even realised what she’d done until she felt the light sting on her hand. She’d just slapped Dier. Dier who’s killed people. She held her breath. She really couldn’t back down, not after doing something like that. She was dead either way probably. At least she could say hi to her dad, she supposed.

[diercasuana-blog]

    Dier’s ears rang as pain blossomed across his face. Her defiance was suddenly a lot less impressive to him. He touched his face, fingers coming away bloodied. Her rings had torn scratches across his cheek.

    Now that wasn’t at all allowable…

    In a heartbeat, he flashed across the space between them again, whipping one of the metal bars he carried from behind his back. He didn’t send it flying to hit her the way he had with Eliane; they were too close for that anyway. Instead, he just pressed it up under her ribs, Pushing hard as he grabbed her around the neck and lifted her off her feet. In a way, the bar was a kindness, a way to keep the pressure from being all on her neck, if one could say that anything done whilst threatening via choking them was a kindness.

    "This is not a game you want to play, little Ema. Trust me. You'd been doing so well thus far and I'd hate for things to have to get... uncivil between us. I'm very fond of this shirt and incivility tends to be messy. So I'll let you off with a warning here, as I'm in a good mood. Do not even think about touching me again or I'll make your life even more of a hell than you can imagine. You think losing your father was bad? Maybe next time I'll make you watch. Am. I. Understood?"

[spannerboop]

Well. He was right about one thing. She really wouldn’t last a day on the streets, not when she was playing hero like this. She flinched as he seemingly flew toward her, heart skipping at least three beats there. She shut her eyes tight, preparing for a hit. She wasn’t a fighter. She was going to be down any second. Her immediate thought was I’m going to die. 

But when she felt no impact, she looked up to find his face far too close for comfort. She paled visibly, taking in the words. She wasn’t okay with this. Is this what Eliane feels every time he walked her shop? She swallows hard, pressing herself against the wall. Damn it.

She couldn’t do this. She’d started a completely different game with him now and it was one she wanted to run as far away as possible from. She tried to steady her breathing, and even out her tone. She hadn’t ever felt this trapped in her whole life. She doubts there’s anything she can do about how fast her heart is pumping. He can probably see just how scared she is, but she wasn’t about to give in.

"Dier." She couldn’t quite bring herself to look him in the eye, "Fuck off."  It’s all she can really manage. She knew she wouldn’t be able to match him for much longer, but she was going to go down swinging if he wanted to play this game. Competition was a fairly large chunk of Emalyn’s life. She’d push herself until she collapsed. Or died, as this one seemed to be. She’d completely forgotten about the existence of her phone. 

[diercasuana-blog]

    He stayed close for a few more heartbeats, pressing the moment for all it was worth before stepping back with a laugh. Oh, she was terrified, but she didn't cave. That little spark of defiance was almost impressive. She tried to hold her ground even while cowering before him, rather than capitulating entirely the way his sister did.

    Then again, Eliane had seen firsthand, multiple times, what he was capable of. Emalyn had only suspicions and whispers.

     He clicked his tongue a few times as he chuckled. "How very inconsiderate of you. Rather rude." He stepped away, flipping a coin into the air absently. He'd use it to get away in a bit, but for now, it was good to have it out. "I like you, Emalyn. Try to stay out of trouble. It'd be a shame if my sister did something to get you killed."

[spannerboop]

Emalyn wanted to hit him. If he looked like a raccoon had kicked him out right now, she was ready to make him look like a family of Winter Soldiers had abandoned him. But the hurt swelling up in her chest was quickly drowning that out.

Everything he said made sense. She was well aware of just how much she didn’t know about Eliane. She knew exactly how unfair their relationship was. What she didn’t understand was why Dier would care. What was he trying to get out of this? Was he trying to hurt her?Make a rift between her and Eliane? Emalyn couldn’t deny the former would be working if that was his goal, but if Eliane had something to do with her father’s murder, that rift wasn’t happening until it was out of her mouth. Maybe she was a little annoyed that Eliane kept things to protect her, but it wasn’t enough for her to go yell her head off. 

His steps were putting her on edge. She needed a way out, and soon. If he had killed—or just been part of killing—her father, what’s to stop him from killing her too? She didn’t particularly feel like dying today, but she also didn’t want Dier walking off thinking he’d won.  She needed a little victory out of this too.

She crossed her arms over her chest, focusing on the urge to hit him rather than her anxiety. It should give her enough to hold out for a little while, “Do you really think I haven’t noticed any of that? We’ve already talked about it. One of our first talks, really. Being the reason isn’t exactly the same as actually doing it, is it?” She met his gaze, forcing herself to stay as calm as she possibly could, “If anyone, I have you to blame, I think.”

She didn’t know what she was doing. Mostly, she just really didn’t want to think of Eliane as her father’s killer. The other half just didn’t want to part of Dier’s game.  She’s pretty sure with her little last stand there, she would need to run soon. Too bad she hadn’t known about this earlier. She would have saved the sprint for now.

[diercasuana-blog]

    His eyes narrowed, fixing on her with a threatening glare as the last statement hung in the air. So she did have some idea of his involvement. Or she was taking a very good shot in the dark. It wasn't a difficult assumption to make, of course. Especially not considering that it was true.

    Still, he was the one making the threats here. He didn't take well to receiving them. Certainly not from a weak little Soother who wouldn't last a day on the streets. Time to show her that there were better kinds of Allomancy than her pathetic excuse of a power.

    He Pushed against an iron gate behind him, making it rattle as he skimmed across the space between them, getting right up in her face. He kept an eye on the blue lines pointing to her purse, probably keys, coins, and a phone. If she went for any of those, he'd be ready to Push them away. Sure, if she called the cops, he could get away before anyone arrived, but still. He wanted to end this conversation on his terms, not hers.

    "And what exactly is that supposed to mean, Little Ms. Lekal?" He all but snarled. "Come now, is that any way to greet a friend? It’s almost downright unsociable of you. And after all the trouble I went through to give you valuable information.

    "Eliane's little secrets have got you all tangled up in something you know nothing about, and what she's not telling you got your father killed."

[spannerboop]

The second he moved from the wall, Emalyn knew this wasn’t the same Dier she’d gone to ice cream with. This was a whole different ballgame. And she didn’t even play ball.

She tried to force down the growing anxiety. Thankfully she managed to keep herself from reaching for her phone. He’d been following her for awhile, if he knew this was a good place. And that just put her more on edge. She forced herself to act natural. 

Father again. She doubted he was sincere with the condolences, but that didn’t make her want to scream any less. She was so, so done with them. She barely caught the rest of his sentence, only snapping to attention at the last bit. Her face dropped, and it hit her that Dier might not have been the only one involved in the death. He wasn’t lying, she could tell that much, but why would Eliane ever do something like that?

“What?" She wasn’t sure what he was getting at, but the absurity of her best friend being involved in her father’s murder was enough to throw whatever else she was feeling out the window, "You expect me to believe that?" Even as she said that, she knew it was true. The look in his eye just dared her to deny it. 

[diercasuana-blog]

    He grinned, reveling in the feeling of control, of twisting the conversation exactly the way he wanted it to go. Manipulating the emotions of an emotional manipulator. Like he was taking revenge for all the hell his father put him through, returning the old man's abuses onto another of his kind.

    "You already do, I can see it." His smile was anything but friendly. "We can dance around this issue if you'd like, but you know I'm not lying. And besides, what reason would I have for lying to you? We don't have any kind of special relationship that I'd want to lie to protect. I'm not the one with a need to be liked that causes me to hide the parts of my life I'm not proud of. No, for those, you'd need to look to your best friend."

    His steps were slow, almost like he was circling her, though he didn't quite go that far. The message was getting across well enough already. He wanted to be threatening, not mindlessly theatric. "Haven't you noticed? The way she keeps secrets from you? How much do you really know about her? How much is she not sharing?"

    He shrugged slightly. "Don't take my word for it. Ask her. See if she's got the courage to deny it when you call her out, point blank. See if she dares admit that she was the reason her best friend's dad was murdered in cold blood."

[spannerboop]

Emalyn usually went on runs in the mornings. It was nice, having no one around and being able to left alone to herself for a little while. It was just her and the world for a little bit. Of course, by the time she was ending her run, most people were getting up. She had always timed it this way. By the time she was done frolicking through the paths, she was ready to interact with everyone.

She absently walked down the sidewalk, now back in the city proper, fiddling with the water bottle trying to get it to clip back onto her belt. With more effort than she’s pretty sure is ever necessary, she managed to get in just as she turns the corner——to find Dier.

Immediately, she’s thinking of ways to get out of this. Kalrien told he to stay away, and she was fairly certain he had something to do with her father’s death the way Kal had worded it. For a full second, she couldn’t even find a way to respond. She just stared at him with a dumbfounded look. 

"U-um…y-yeah. Yeah! Uh, really, long time." She cleared her throat awkwardly. She hoped he took her hesitancy as shock rather than fear. It was a mixture of both, if she was being honest, but she really hoped he didn’t pick up on the fear part. She kept her distance, or as much of it as she could having almost ran into him, "Weird place to meet you, though. No one really hangs out here. On purpose." she looked him over, "And you look like a raccoon commune just kicked you out."

Just keep the conversation short and simple. To the point, but not so much that it seems out of character. Then she can probably call Kalrien and get her here to deal with this.  

[diercasuana-blog]

    He stepped away from the wall smoothly, moving with a predator's grace. One might not guess it at first look, but Emalyn was perceptive. She picked up details, especially when it came to other people. He'd found that reading others was a skill that most emotional Allomancers had developed well.

    Just another reason to dislike them, in his opinion.

    Regardless of his thoughts on the matter, one thing was clear. He had no intention of letting her feel comfortable here. She had a bit of a trapped look about her already, though that might have been from the surprise of seeing him. He was done playing nice, acting friendly towards Ellie's little group. It was time to be more himself.

    He made a face at her comment on his appearance, but didn't respond to that. "It's a good place to meet you, if one pays attention to the details."

    He kept his eyes fixed on her, watching her reactions. The way in which she responded to him would tell him more than her answers themselves would. "I heard about your father. My condolences. My father was murdered when I was around your age, you know. I'm sure Eliane must be devastated for your loss, considering her involvement."

[diercasuana-blog]

✘ spannerboop

     Dier had been made.

     That much was obvious from the fact that his name and picture were plastered all over the city, and there was an active warrant out for his arrest in every octant. What little he'd been able to find out said this was about the Lekal murder. Either he'd left some major evidence at the crime scene that he was unaware of...

     He'd had to go to ground almost completely, dropping all of his legitimate jobs and most of is illegal ones too. Outside of direct requests from Ferra or the other high-level Yomen members, Dier had almost completely dropped off the grid. An extreme annoyance, and one he planned to get to the bottom of quickly. Whoever had done this had clout, and it was going to take some major untangling to figure out how to solve it.

     His original plan had been to shake the answers out of Eliane, but she'd been making drops remotely lately and giving him the slip. Thus far, their meeting places had been public, and with her managing to avoid him, she could make the excuse that she hadn't known where he would want to set up a new meeting place.

     He'd even dropped by her apartment one night, only to find the window latch upgraded to one that was Allomancer-proof... and caught sight of she and that stupid Leecher curled up inside. He'd nearly broken the window in to kill them both right there, but he'd made the mistake of miscalculating a fight with Jace before and he wasn't about to barge in without a good plan.

     Seeing him there had surprised him though. It made things more difficult. Eliane had gotten herself a bodyguard and all she'd had to do was spread her legs. It seemed both siblings knew how to sleep their way into getting what they wanted. With a lecherous Leecher staying by her side, he'd have a hard time getting to her.

     Emalyn on the other hand, was much less protected.

     Oh, she had minders, probably because he was the lead suspect in her father's case and was still at large, but it wasn't a 24/7 bodyguard detail, and there were always holes. It took a few days of surveillance to figure out where he would strike

     Emalyn was an open wound for Eliane, a weak point. A chink in her armor. Eliane's guilt over having to keep her involvement in Emalyn's father's murder was eating away at her, he knew. That was why he had done it. The secrets she was keeping from her best friend were wrapping around her and he planned to pull those knots tight.

      If his sister wasn't keeping his secrets anymore, he saw no reason to keep hers.

     He made sure he was in the right place and leaned back against the wall, waiting for her to turn the corner. One of the most secluded places on Emalyn's walk home and she always passed this spot. Sure enough, right on time, she turned into the street.

              “ Hello, Emalyn. Long time, no see. ”