closed

[burningnow]

Characters: Dahlia and Fugaku
Content: Fugaku attempts to teach Dahlia how to use a knife. Use your imagination.
Location: T Saloon
Time of day: Early evening
Warnings: With these two? Language, violence, blood, and plotting at the very least.

It seemed that this world, though it had no war like the one back home, was plenty violent when it

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[porcelaindahlia]

Dahlia had managed to escape her sister's fussing long enough to go back to the shop and make herself a cup of tea. While the business was still closed, and the insides wrecked, she was still able to maneuver her way around. Slowly.

She sat alone in one of the far corners of the store, her injured leg limply dangling from her chair. Her brown eyes shifted to the door as the bell rang and Fugaku entered. "Fugaku," she repeated calmly, just loud enough for him to hear her.

[burningnow]

Well. Something had done a number on her alright.

He gave the knife another twirl before walking in all the way. Just a habit of his that had never been broken because there had been no need to do so. “You’re still alive. That’s good.”

[porcelaindahlia]

Dahlia took another sip of her tea and sighed. She wasn't hungry in the least, but she forced the tea for a lack of anything else. "Only barely... And it's all thanks to that moron, Phoenix."

She was much paler than usual. She closed her eyes as she lowered her head into her palm.

[burningnow]

Fugaku spent a moment trying to figure out exactly how much of Dahlia's actions were real and how many were just dramatics. With civilians, it was hard to tell. Hell, with women, kunoichi or otherwise, it was damn hard to tell.

"How'd he manage that?" Fugaku asked, skeptic. The guy wasn't a fighter, but someone with a knife could do damage if they put their mind to it. Maybe that was it.

"Never mind. Let me see it. I might be able to help."

[porcelaindahlia]

Dahlia glanced back at Fugaku, shrugging her shoulders. "Don't ask me... One moment I'm being mauled by crabs, the next he's batting them off me..."

She maneuvered herself around in the chair and hitched her skirt up, revealing the crab bite near the top of her thigh. "Anything helps at this moment."

[burningnow]

Ah. So that was how it had gone down. Interesting that he'd helped her, considering what Mia's crowd thought of Dahlia. It was something to keep in mind for later. Maybe it would become important. Maybe not.

He moved forward, and then knelt down, frowning. A bite indeed. The blood was clotting, but yet....not. It was still bleeding. What the hell?

Fugaku clicked his teeth, and formed seals. "I can't heal that. Not completely. But I can make the pain go down a little."

Hands glowing, Fugaku showed her his palms, waiting for an order.

[porcelaindahlia]

Dahlia didn't look pleased that he couldn't completely heal the wound. That meant she'd have to go begging to someone else to do the job. Sighing heavily, she nodded her head at him. "Do what you can," she told him quietly. "Anything is better than nothing at this point."

[burningnow]

Some people just couldn’t relax. Fugaku didn’t really blame Dahlia, though. He wouldn’t like having an injury like that; having seen too many instances of infection and the skin rotting off the bone, like it didn’t know the person wasn’t dead. There were some things that couldn’t be healed, but you always had to try. That was the duty of a shinobi.

“Hold still,” he murmured, and placed his chakra-glowing hands over the bite.

[porcelaindahlia]

Dahlia stared at his hands as he worked his magic over her wound. She shifted her brown gaze to him, her face unreadable. How long would it be until he betrayed her just as everyone else did? Would it be before or after she betrayed him? She took a deep breath in and exhaled slowly.

"Have you been following Phoenix as we planned?" she asked softly.

[burningnow]

“Yes. He hasn’t seen me,” Fugaku said before she could ask.

The bite was something that both fascinated Fugaku and made him very wary. He’d seen something like this before, only it had been from a jutsu and worked a hell of a lot faster. Deciding to keep that to himself wasn’t hard.

“That’s all I can do. My apologies.” Fugaku removed his hands. The bite was still there, but the bleeding was down….somewhat, and hopefully the pain as well.

[porcelaindahlia]

She glanced back down at her wound and sighed. It didn't look that much better... but he had been right. It wasn't nearly as painful as it had been before. Pursing her lips, Dahlia let out a sigh. "It can't be helped... the pain has at least subsided a bit."

"I've been thinking..." she murmured after a pause. "The poison? I want her to ingest it, through her tea or coffee..." Even more so, Dahlia wanted to be there, watching her writhe in pain before finally blacking out. But she knew that would never do... that would never work.

[burningnow]

Fugaku eyed the blood on his hands for a moment, and wondered how much work it would take before it washed off. Then he scowled, biting his lip for a moment, hard enough that it hurt, and almost drew blood. Complications. He didn’t want any of those.

“Won’t work with the poison I have,” he said, sharply. “The body rejects. It hurts, but isn’t a sure kill. If you want her to die that way, I’ll have to find something else.”

[porcelaindahlia]

Dahlia turned her narrowed eyes onto the assassin. She didn't like hearing that phrase. "I suppose we'll have to find something that will work, then," she quipped. "I have no doubt you'll find a way to make things work out."

She took a sip of her tea and glanced away. "There are people here that love nothing more than to solve mysteries... Especially when someone dies, I'm sure. It needs to be absolutely undetectable, and it cannot be traced back to us at all."

She paused and glanced back at him. "If anything, perhaps having someone witnessing her with 'Phoenix' before she dies will keep others from pointing fingers our way-- my way."

[burningnow]

Of course he’d find a way. That was what Fugaku did. He was a shinobi; they adapted. “As you order,” he said, toneless.

It was his job to kill people. What he was good at. Fugaku didn’t question it. There were things in the world that weren’t meant to be probed, and that was one of them.

“I can find Arsenic here,” Fugaku said, looking at her eyes, his own very blank, “but you cannot be in the area when she dies. I don’t give a damn how much you hate her. Give me your word that you won’t try to watch.”

She’d probably lie, of course, but he’d probably be able to tell. It was a start, anyways.

[porcelaindahlia]

"Arsenic would be perfect," Dahlia cooed, straightening out her tea set. She stared blankly at him when he told her she couldn't be in the area when Mia died. Finally, with a sigh, she relented. "As long as Mia Fey ceases to breathe, I will be fine with not being in the area. Tell me how far away I need to be, and I will."

She closed her eyes and shook her head. "There are those who will come after me no matter how little it links back to me. Her precious Diego, for example. I just have to think the wrong thing and he'd be at my neck."

[burningnow]

And that was as close to a guarantee as he was going to get. Fugaku accepted it with a nod, knowing better to demand things of people that they just wouldn’t, or couldn’t give. There were limits to what could be asked and what could be given. For a shinobi, it was best to understand them. “Be here,” he said, indicating the shop. “You have a reason. It’s better if someone sees you, but don’t invite someone over. It’ll attract attention