to catch an assassin; [kiah]

[ミSailor彡]

E M E R Y  L A Y N E     I find my usual spot. Right by a small lake towards the edge of the district. I'm not ashamed of much but this is the spot I come to indulge in my "guilty pleasure." Most people wouldn't say it's so bad, but due to the nature of my personality, I choose not to share this hobby of mine with anyone. My mother meditates. Full blown, lays out a mat in the yard and sits and hums to herself kind of meditate. Throughout my life, as my pent up anger started making more and more appearances in our home, mother would always suggest that I sit down and try to meditate. I'd always snort a laugh at her and criticize everything about it. How is that sitting and humming nonsense supposed to accomplish anything? It's ridiculous. It's idiotic. It's futile and accomplishes absolutely nothing. And I went a few years thinking this until the day I realized my anger was taking over. It defined my life. And I start to realize there's no real reason behind my anger. There was nothing to know about me other than my anger. And the thought had spiraled me into a pit of depression. What did I do to myself? I had alienated everything and everyone good in my life. I decided for the sake of my sanity, I'd at least try to take my mother's advice. I came to this very spot the day I decided to try it and it changed my life.  It helped me manage my anger, helped me manage my thoughts. And from that point on, there was no looking back. Of course, my pride was something that I could never control, so I kept my meditating to myself. I was too embarrassed to admit to my mother that her advice actually helped me. This secret was one that would stay with me. I remember prospecting this area, staking out and making sure no one came through here. After a week, I had decided that this was a safe place to practice my new hobby. And it has been for the last three years.      I laid my mat out, right by the water as I always do. I sit myself down, crossing my legs and resting my arms on my knees. I take a few slow,  deep breaths. In through my nose, out through my mouth. I lose myself in the suns reflection on the water, shining light into my eyes. Clearing my head, I look for the small part of my mind that carries peace. There it is. I mentally reach out for it as I close my eyes. The sensation that takes over my body is like nothing else I've ever felt before. This is one of the few things that can make the notorious scowl disappear from my face. The muscles in my face start to relax and my shoulders fall into a slight slump. I've reached the point of almost nonexistence. I feel like a ghost, floating above the water, soaking in all the energy radiating from the plants and soil and trees. This is my place where I truly feel like a human being again. A real human being, not just a seething ball of senseless anger. I feel like Emery Layne, the blank canvas. Waiting to be painted into a decent person. I had to have been born a decent person, can I backtrack myself to that person again?      Suddenly, I'm interrupted by an undeniable sense that someone is near. I've felt this before and it's always been an occasional rabbit or squirrel passing through. But I can never be too cautious. I open my eyes and quickly spin myself around and survey the open space behind me. I see nothing. No trace of life or movement. I call myself paranoid and turn back around but I can't shake the feeling enough to immerse myself fully back into my meditation. I sigh and decide this must be the end of my session today and lean back and just watch the water. I suppose this could be peaceful enough. But the creeping feeling in the back of my mind won't go away. I'm very rarely wrong about these things but eyes have never lied to me. I decide to test them anyway. Without even looking back behind me, just keeping my eyes fixated on the water, I try to clearly shout, "Is someone there?" I might just make an idiot out of myself, talking to no one. But I just need to be sure.  template by chelsey

[k!ah]

DEMITRI

Being an assassin wasn't a walk in the park. The job itself was rather difficult, well for most, for me it was like stealing candy from a baby, which, trust me, wasn't very hard at all. Today I had just finalised the death certificate for the one and only Bender Fortly, an old man, a pervert too. But this guys wasn't into the gorgeous woman who walk around the streets but the young boys who play in the playgrounds. The leader had assigned him to me with a scowl of disgust and I had rid him from this world effortlessly and in a way where I knew he would not be forgotten. I had chopped of his arms first, blood had gone everywhere but lucky me had worn a plastic raincoat and boots for that precise reason. after that, I had seed them to his forehead, like horns of the devil. His eyes had been wide, open and I never closed them. I pulled bak his chubby cheeks and stapled them with a staple that was used in surgery to staple the flaps of his checks to his bottom eyelid making his face stretch into an unnerving smile.

I had then broken each of his legs and laid him on his stomach so that his chin rested on the tiles o his small home. After a moment I had browsed his computer printed off a few of his revoulting pictures and stapled them so that they climbed his arms- an art gallery of his own. The whole process had taken time and the man hadn't died straight away, he had bleed out slowly, feeling every slice of my blade, every punch of my staple gun. Each time he cried out loud, his voice muffled by the rather disgusting sock I had shoved down his throat. 

When I was finished I had shrugged off my blood covered plastic protective gear and buried them somewhere where they wouldn't be found. My work may seem sloppy to you, but I never left the peacekeepers a slightest clue to whom it was who had turn this disgusting man into a work of art worthy of their attention. I was always careful, thats why I was one of the best. Yes my worked was more untraditional compared to the quick slit in the throat before jumping from a window and disappearing into the night air. That... That was too simple. I mean don't get me wrong, I was a simple guy... but when it came to my work I took pride i what I did, I loved to make my victims into something that was worthy to be remembered. You see no one was going to remember that pedophile who preyed on young boys. But they would remember that pedophile whose body was mutilated who preyed on young boys. 

Now I walk down the streets of my home, hands in pockets a whistle slipping past the guard of my lips. Today had been a rather productive day and after completing my assignment  I had the rest of the day to myself. I had no idea what I wanted to do but I didn't know that I wanted to escape the city for a while and enter my element. It had been quite a while since I hd ventured to the edge of the district where a small forest sat a river running into its depth. Smiling I begin my travel towards the place, my hands itching with anticipation. 

It doesn't take me long to reach the forest and when I do I instantly begin to climb the closest tree, my hands clasping onto onto the rough wood for only moments before climbing higher. In moments I am high enough to feel like i am free, wind hugging my body tightly. My smile grows and I leap from the tree my whole body suspended in thin air or a mere few moments before gravity catches it and thrusted me towards the ground- only I don't hit the ground. My hands catch the branch of a tree next to me stoping my bodies decent. My legs swing out in front of me and I let go of my branch again my whole body moving forward with momentum. 

This is what I loved about my life. My ability to fly through the air so easily without any hesitation. 

My feet hit the ground and instantly my body curls in so that my shoulder hits next momentum helping me come out in a cat like crouch. Smiling I stand up straight my feet carrying me towards the water. As I walk I pull of my shirt and hang it on a tree that was down my that. The water was in my view now- stopping I crouch down so that you are hidden from view. On the shore to the small river was the figure of another human being, a woman. My smile slips from my face replaced by a frown. I tilt my head to the side slightly and watch as she turns around her eyes searching the bushes in which I hide. I see her lips move and words slip out. I smile. She was clever. She knew someone was out here, that impressive. 

I climb to my feet and wander closer to the girl, my feet make no sound at all. It only takes me a moment to be standing almost directly behind the girl, "Is someone there?"

An over confident grin slips onto my lips and I lean down, so that my lips were close to her ear, and then I let out a small stream of air, "no."

[ミSailor彡]

E M E R Y  L A Y N E     The stillness of the air after I speak is unsettling. Birds stop chirping, the slight breeze runs quiet and I can no longer hear the ebb and flow of the water in front of me. The scenery has just become mute, as if time has frozen still. I feel a shiver run from the bottom of  my spine up to my  neck and back down again. My stomach turns, I feel my heart slow and my gut is screaming for me to leave, just get out of here. As I'm about to pick myself up, I feel a breath graze my left ear and my body freezes as the breath spills out the word,     "No."     It's takes only a matter of milliseconds for me to fling myself around onto my knees and I've come face to face with a man with dark hair and almond shaped eyes. I can almost feel my pupils dilate as they struggle to focus through the fear. A very, very small part of me becomes relieved that it isn't a member of my family who has happened upon my secret spot. But the majority of me is still struck in fear as I stare at the being in front of me. My mind is pacing back and forth trying to figure how he got so close without me noticing. I've never, in the history of my life, have had anyone sneak up on me. I know he can sense my fear, I haven't done a very good job of hiding it. I desperately try to wipe those feelings from my face, trying to regain my composure, but I know he's already seen every shred of emotion that has escaped my eyes.      We sit there, locking gazes for a moment. I'm searching through the repertoire in my mind of witty things to say but I've come to a loss. This man is obviously dangerous and I doubt there's much I can do to defend myself against any damage he may want to cause me. I'm desperately thinking back to remember if I'd done any harm to someone or pissed off anyone important. Pissed them off enough to send someone after me but again, I'm at a loss. I finally catch my bearings and shake the uncertainty from my eyes. The lines in my forehead that were formed from worry changes into my infamous scowl. I scoot back to give myself some distance, in case anything I say triggers any kind of violence.      "Who the hell do you think you are sneaking up on me like that? Do I know you?" template by chelsey

[k!ah]

DEMITRI

My grin only grows as the girl whips around, her eyes wide, her lips open in that comical O shape. A chuckle slips past my own ill lips as I lean backwards, crossing my arms across my bare chest, my laughter only growing. I have always been one to be, what you may call, a little shit. The leader of my ‘family’ as always had a weak spot for me and my extremely unappreciated sense of humour. Their was not many people that he actually treated with affection as he was the leader and he had to be strong the others had to fear him, but not me. Me, he actually loved, showed affection. He liked my humour, he laughed at my horrible jokes, unlike Errol, that uptight freak. He was a stiff and begging around him was like being around a brick wall.

The fear that panted her face only makes me laugh harder, my almond shaped eyes alight with amusement- “you should see your face!” I manse to get out between bursts of laughter. There was only one problem, though, the girl seemed to not find it funny. Like, not at all.

My laughter dies on my lips as I take in the fear which still floated in her eyes. At first I had just thought it was a reflex to shock, but now I realise that I may have pushed this total stranger a bit to far.

After a moment she wipes her face clean, any shred of fear gone in a blink of a moment. But it was too late, I had already seen it, I had already had my laugh. Our gazes lock and yet again I fight back the urge to allow a grin to paint itself across my lips, resting to rubbing a hand along my chin instead- coaxing the grin into hiding. Looking into her eyes you can see her mind working. It was like looking behind the face of a clock, at all the little metal wheels working together to produce one coherent thought, or meaning to what was happening. I tot my head to he side slightly, studying her gaze just as intently as she studies my own.

Suddenly a scowl paints a picture on the girls face, making you raise an eyebrow in question.

"Who the hell do you think you are sneaking up on me like that? Do I know you?” She says rather aggressively scooting backwards, away from me. This only makes me take a step forward, and I crouch down so that my eyes are level with her own, my ability to hold back my nasty grin no longer possible. I knew how to deal with people. People were my thing, I dealt with them everyday. I dealt with criminals, I dealt with pedophiles and I dealt with monsters. But I had also dealt with victims. With people who had been victims to the monsters that I killed. So dealing with this girl was no problem, she was like a gift compared to other things that I had seen.

“Who do I think I am…?” I say slowly, my made rubbing the bottom of my chin in mock question. “I could be many things I could be a murderer, I could be a comedian I could be one of those games obsessed people. There are so many things I could be- who do you think I am? Who do you want me to be?” A cocky grin replaces the mock question on my face as I move so that I am sitting down in the dirt, my arms resting easily on my bent knees. “And as for the do I know you part… Well I could no you, but I don't know you, but would you like to know me?”

[ミSailor彡]

E M E R Y  L A Y N E    He scoots closer to me and I'm not sure if the grin that outlines his laughter should puts me at ease or just make me feel uncomfortable.  He starts teasing me and this only angers me more and I start to feel dumb for being so scared. I'm generally not one who does well with condescending people. Those are usually the kind of people that get my fist in their face. I remember the instance when I was twelve. I had been sporting my short haircut for about a year. There was a girl, probably two or three years older than me, who kept making comments about how my haircut made me look like a boy. "Emery is a boy name anyway!" "Look who got a sex change!" "Did you really think you could pull that look off?" Let's just say she earned herself a broken nose and a black eye. I laugh every time I see her now and I know she'll never forget me because after her nose healed, it slanted to the left a bit, making her look like a witch. She got what she deserved. And if this boy keeps on, he's gonna get something too. I don't care how sneaky he is or how dangerous he might be. When I see red, there's no amount of fear that could stop me.      His hand grazes his chin, as if he's having a difficult time contemplating the answers to my questions.      “Who do I think I am…? I could be many things I could be a murderer, I could be a comedian, I could be one of those games obsessed people. There are so many things I could be- who do you think I am? Who do you want me to be?”     I can't help but roll my eyes. Oh, what a smart-ass. I mean, I guess I can be a smart-ass myself sometimes but you can go ahead and call me hypocritical because I don't take it as well as I can dish it out. I haven't had my daily dose of meditation and my patience is running low. He looks about as casual as can be as his arms rest comfortably on his knees.      “And as for the do I know you part… Well I could know you, but I don't know you, but would you like to know me?”     My grimace softens a bit at this gesture. An attempt to be nice? Make friends? Or is he being a sarcastic jerk? I can't seem to be able to tell the difference because at this point, I'm just glad he's not trying to hurt me. It may be my paranoia, but when someone sneaks up on me like this, I assume they want to hurt me. It's the sad truth but I don't have any friends. Especially not the kind to sneak up behind you, cover your eyes and playfully shout, "guess who!" I do want to know him at this point though. I want to know what he's doing out here. After months of coming here, I've never seen so much as a single soul even casually walk by. I'd consider this spot to be a little remote considering the size of our district. But could I really be naive enough to think that no one would ever happen upon this spot? It is beautiful, after all. But I'm selfish. And I don't want anyone else to have this spot other than myself.      "Yeah, I do, actually. Who are you?" template by chelsey

[k!ah]

DEMITRI

"Yeah, I do, actually. Who are you?"

I smile, a smile that was patronising and yet so mysterious. My lips pull back to show a perfect line of teeth and a small chuckled escaped my body my hands clapping together happily. She wanted to know who I was. It was a pity really, that I was going to have to lie. No one can know who I am. No one. "Who am I? Like I said before I am so many things. You want to know who though? I never said I'll tell ya. How abut we play a game. And for every time I win you answer one of my questions, every time you win I'll answer one of yours? Yes? no? yes?" My smile grows into  knowing smile and I tap the end of my chin with a long finger, a wink tossed in the girls direction. 

"The rules are simple. We take tuns in stating a challenge, and then we do the challenge and the winner get to ask any question and the looser had to answer honestly. That way you will get t know how I am. How about it? Sounds fair right?" But honestly I would not answer.- well seeing as I had to loose first and I was defiantly not a loser.

Jumping to my feet I bend over to that my face was only inches away from the girls. Her hair is dark and short and cropped short around the head, almost looking like my own. Expect her had a more feminine touch to it and it matched her, making her face seem softer and more angelic in a way. "So? You up for it?" I lean back to that I am standing up straight, my lips still hooked up in a grin that could onlu be mastered to perfection after years and years of practice. Tilting my head to the side slightly I allow the question to sit in the air between us, hoping that she will take the bait and become a great source of entertainment for the day. Better than jut going for a swim. A swim would have entertained me for a while, but having this girl to pull along on a string would last a lot longer. 

I made a good choice. A choice that would only have rewards and allow my already large ego to grow. 

I extend my hand between us, ending the silence, almost like a peace offering. "Lets do this." I was almost certain that she would accept, their was something about the way her eyes gleamed at the thought of a challenge. She was one of them people, one who was quite similar to myself, might I add. A competitor. 

[ooc: omg so sorry this post is really short, I just felt like Dem had more to say as in speech than anything else. But I came up with idea for our competition. Like she could suggest something and then we could roll a two sides dice and that could determine who wins? Like allocate the number one to represent Emery and Two to represent Dem and if the dice was to roll a two Dem would win visa versa. Yes/no/idk?]

[ミSailor彡]

EMERY LAYNE

"Who am I? Like I said before I am so many things. You want to know who though? I never said I'll tell ya."

This guy. He's beating around the bush. Trying to be all coy and sly. I bet he thinks he's so clever because he took me by surprise. I try to conceal the sneer that's desperately trying to escape. What a stupid smile, and those stupid perfect teeth. He's mocking me and I feel myself turning red because I do not do well with being looked down upon. I'm ready to go off, my fuse has been lit and it's reaching it's end. But he interrupts my oncoming tirade with a proposal of sorts.

"How abut we play a game. And for every time I win you answer one of my questions, every time you win I'll answer one of yours? Yes? no? yes? The rules are simple. We take tuns in stating a challenge, and then we do the challenge and the winner get to ask any question and the looser has to answer honestly. That way you will get to know how I am. How about it? Sounds fair right?"

With that, he taps his chin and winks at me in an oh, so mischievous manner. In a right state of mind, I'd consider this a trick. But I could never resist a challenge and that will always be the reasoning behind my greatest triumphs, as well as downfalls. Along with my competitiveness, my curiosity is also tugging at me. I want to know who he is, where he's from, how he found me, what he does. Why do I want to know all this? I'm not even sure, myself. There's something about this character that makes me wanting to know more. Is it the way he managed to sneak up on me when no one else has been able to accomplish this feat? Or the mysterious way he talks and looks at me, right into my eyes and into my soul that strikes an odd sense of fear that takes all of me to conceal? When I get the answers from him that I want after I win these challenges- Oh, and I will win these challenges. There is no doubt about that- I suppose it'll come with some knowledge as to why I'm so curious about him in the first place. Do I want him to be some might being that's been lurking around the corners of the district, silently watching? Or do I want him to be some shmuck that just got lucky in being able to surprise me and my judgement has just been completely off? That'd honestly be quite disappointing but anything can happen, right?

He hastily jumps to his feet and bends over towards me to where his face is only inches from mine. I consider taking a swing at him, just to prove myself better, but I want to wait and just show him in the challenges. I see him inspect me, possibly analyzing what kind of challenge I'll be. Well, you just wait, buddy. I'll give you the ride of your life.

"So? You up for it?"

He stands back upright and stares me down with an overconfident smirk. Ill knock him down a few pegs and we'll see how that smirk holds up then. At this point, there's no doubt that I'm going to accept his challenge, but I just stare right back at him, letting him wonder. I squint my eyes and cock my head to the side, mockingly. It's my turn to control this meeting and I am going to command this competition. He'll be sorry he ever snuck up on Emery Lane. I believe he see's the determined look on my face because before I can answer he says,

"Let's do this."

Rolling my head from side to side, I pop my neck and back as I ready myself. I unzip my track jacket and throw it carelessly behind me, revealing a plain, white tank top underneath. As I run my hand over the back of my head, tossing my hair around a bit, I can't help but notice he's still watching.

"Alright then. Let's do this, indeed. Where do we start?"

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