It wasn't meant to be anything but a warm-up for the big show tonight. Just a few jewels, a few trinkets, nothing of overwhelming importance or anything like that. Just something to make sure he was at the top of his game when he broke into the Commission with Miss Valentine. But as he closed in, he noticed something-- someone was already raiding his target. A cute girl, no less.
Well. This could be interesting.
"Quite the outfit you've got there."
So maybe he had cheated just a little to get there first. Honestly, he hadn't been planning to use the suit's abilities for this one, but it was just too sweet an opportunity to pass up, surprising the girl like that and getting the upper hand.
Not, of course, that he was one to talk about how she was dressed, though, given what his suit looked like... but damn. She certainly wasn't making it easy for him to keep his eyes to himself.
The moment she heard a voice she froze, remaining completely motionless until she figured out where the filtered sound was coming from. One hand was paused near her belt, ready to either draw a weapon or a distraction, depending on who this guy was.
Swirled verdant eyes flicked to the side and she caught sight of his mask; white skull, with a crimson "X" on the front. A similar scarlet marking on his chest, and there was no doubt in her mind that they were on his palms and feet as well. Realization settled, and the young thief let out a low, relieved breath. She visibly relaxed.
Oh yes, she knew who he was. Another thief, much like herself. There were a few differences between them, of course, but the principle of their line of work remained the same
( ... )
The mask, like the rest of the suit, being controlled by a neuro-interface, gave the impression of an arched eyebrow, and his voice's tone confirmed the playful amusement-- after all, it was a cute girl, and even if it was an insult, he'd take it in stride. As long as it didn't mean "runt". He had hated that nickname. Then again, given how tall she was, she'd hardly be one to talk.
"I do. This is just a warm up for something bigger tonight, is all. Well, was going to be. But my curiosity got the better of me when I saw you scampering in on my mark. Still... can't say I'm entirely disappointed with how things are turning out here..."
As he spoke, he circled the room casually, for all the world seeming as if he was just trying to get a better view of her, but, in his wake, though he certainly left a good number of gems and pieces of jewelry behind, the best and most valuable disappeared. If she was paying enough attention, it might even be said she was challenging her to a game of sleight of hand...
A catlike grin crossed her lips as she saw what he was pulling. She had been in this line of work long enough to catch it. She could play this game; hell, she had invented this game. As he circled she followed suit, crossing one leg over the other as she stepped lightly, making sure to stay across from him. She walked easily, used to diversions such as this, and made sure to spirit a few gems of her own to only Shiva knew where; it wasn't as if she had much of anywhere to hide them.
"Sweets. Universal nickname." No need to make him feel special or anything, though she had plenty of reason to. Winning him as an ally would be easy; not offending him would have to be put on the back burner for the moment. Sarcasm was a useful gift, but if she didn't watch her step it could go badly for her.
A thin, blonde eyebrow rose to mimic the look of his mask, and she cocked her head to the side as she walked. "Your mark," she repeated. "Well, first come first serve, huh?" A charming smile flicked over her face as she palmed an rather expensive-
( ... )
And what nice legs she had; not afraid to show them off, either. His kind of girl. Well, one of his kinds. He was... flexible. The eyes of the mask smiled, unabashedly running up and down her form casually as they slowly circled each other, picking the room clean bit by bit. Of course, this was just the easy part of the game, the prep while they set up the game...
"Rikku, huh? Heard you went after a Monacello's stuff a while back. Pretty gutsy."
Impressive, too, given how little equipment the girl seemed to use, how little it seemed suited for the job, and how her hair could get in the way. Of course, he couldn't let her know he thought that, not yet, at least. Wouldn't do for the prime thief in Reggio Calabria to go handing out compliments to his peers like candy... even if they were total hotties.
Sweets... Even if it was just a universal nickname, it wasn't bad, as far as they went.
"Considering that, isn't this a bit small scale for you, too?"
At the same time he was studying her, she allowed herself to scrutinize his form. He wasn't scrawny, exactly-more svelte. She could tell he was probably able to hold his own in a fight, even without that suit. Thinking of which, she realized how little she knew about it. But oh, would she do anything to get her hands on it-whether or not he was wearing the super garment
( ... )
It was a slick piece of tech-- truth be told, he wasn't entirely sure what to make of it himself. He didn't have the knowledge to know quite how it worked, and the only way he knew what it could and couldn't do was testing its limits himself. On one hand, the neuro-interface and nanites made it easy to hide and go into civilian mode, as well as allowing him to activate or create almost any weapon or tool he needed or could think off... but at the same time, the neuro-blowback from pushing the suits limits too far was a total and utter bitch. He remembered the first time it happened, he was curled up on his bed in unimaginable pain for more than a day, not even able to get up to get painkillers. Of course, it'd be quite useful if he had someone to help him know how to push it even farther, figure out abilities it had he hadn't thought of yet, and even improve it
( ... )
The blonde thief was only giving part of her mind towards the game now. He-as a person-was much more interesting. She knew nothing of his background, had no idea what he looked like. They were, in essence, polar opposites who just happened to share the same goal. This, more than anything, intrigued her to the point where she knew she had no other choice but to learn
( ... )
Even though X liked danger, liked risk, in a lot of ways, Rikku was much more of a daredevil than he was... running around unmasked-- virtually unclad, for that matter, not that he was complaining-- and more or less without any special tools, while also maintaining a fairly public profile as a mechanic, and, to top it all off, stealing from the families... He wasn't lying when he said she had guts. And that made her all the more attractive.
Even from this close, though, it was impossible to tell that they were made of nanites-- the only way anyone would ever know was if they had a superhuman sense of touch, or sight, or had seen the suit in it's nanite form, retreating from his body.
Letting his free hand fall to just above her waist, just a little behind her, he let the fingertips of the gloves brush teasingly, lightly against her tanned skin as, with effortless, playful grace, he launched them into a swirling Viennese waltz.
Had he asked why she allowed herself to be a public figure, she would have laughed. Not many people paid attention to people like her-people who believed different things from the norm, who didn't play by the rules of acceptable society. Living a double life, having the ability to be a normal person as well as a top-profile thief, was invigorating for her. And it was easy, after she had spent a year perfecting her lifestyle. She wasn't one to venture out of the garage much-if she did, she always made sure to disguise her eyes. They were too noticeable, with their abnormal swirls. Everything else was just a matter of wardrobe. People who came to her garage were blessed with the sight of her in considerably less clothing than those who glimpsed her in the streets
( ... )
Interesting. So, she knew how to waltz, despite being a thief, and, of all things, a mechanic. Perhaps they weren't so different after all... While he may have hidden his secrets behind a mask, though, she, cunning girl, was hiding all of her secrets in plain sight... Quite the little mystery, what did show hinting teasingly at what didn't... One he wouldn't mind unraveling in the least.
Normally, he might have thrown in some comment trying to pry a little into her life, but the little tune she was humming was pretty, and so was she, and she wouldn't be hard to find at all, from all appearances. Close as they were right now, and enjoyable as this was... questions could wait.
Of course, while they danced, she wasn't the only one trying to figure out where the pouches where on her dance partner's belt and what they held. One of the fun things about the neuro-interface... he could look at one place and seem like he was looking at another.
And there it was; she could feel an abnormally-shaped object in one of the bags near his side. And perfect timing--literally. There was a spin coming up in the waltz, at least the version she knew. Idly, she wondered if he knew the same one; for such a simple dance, there were certainly enough versions of it.
During the initial spin, she flicked the clasp on the pouch and picked out the first thing her fingers touched, hiding it in her palm. Then she was out, holding on to his hand with hers as the other went across her body and then out, ending in a perfect straight line that ran from the base of her neck all the way down to her fingers. She smiled charmingly before spinning back towards him.
On the second turn, while her back was to him, she slipped it into her own bag. None of this too longer than a half second, and she reentered the dance as smoothly as she had exited.
She was good-- dancing, stealing, and looking damn good doing it. Okay, so, maybe he wasn't warming up quite the way he expected to. But it was definitely worth it. After all, this was the most serious-- and most dangerous-- job he had taken on in a while. If he couldn't steal a kiss from a pretty girl before he rushed off into danger, a dance and a game with one who was good at both certainly wasn't a bad deal
( ... )
Appearance had only been half the battle on her way to becoming a thief. Her own brothers had never paid much attention to her-Keyakku had taught her how to fight out of necessity and Brother had schooled her in engineering because Cid hadn't been prepared to. Neither of them had taken much interest in her as a person until she had turned fourteen and gotten her first boyfriend; then they couldn't bug her enough. Only after a few spars, in which she proved that she could take care of herself, did they back off
( ... )
Okay, so maybe she was the smallest bit out of practice, or she had just made a mistake, like all the best do, or that had been calculated to distract him from thieving hands elsewhere. Whatever it was, he had to admit, it was cute, as was the sheepish grin.
He had to admit, without the guild around, it had been far too long since he had played the game, and he had missed playing it.
Not missing a step, the thief glided across the room with her, pocketing in his swirling cape the "trinket" he palmed from her back pocket while dipping her. He had to admit, he was almost tempted to check to see whether the scarf was concealing any little gems, aside from her neck. Well, he was also tempted by a lot of things about her. Tempted to do a lot of things that would be highly unprofessional. Especially in this setting. Part of what made the thought so attractive
( ... )
Lulling marks into a false sense of security with her ditzy façade had more or less kept her in business for the year she'd been in the city. A lot of people-especially those that were exceptionally wealthy-didn’t bother to look beneath the bubbly blonde's outside. They saw a cute call girl sort of person, while there was usually so much calculation and scheming going on behind that smile that even Rin would be proud. After all, he was pretty much the master of masquerading as someone he wasn’t
( ... )
Well. This could be interesting.
"Quite the outfit you've got there."
So maybe he had cheated just a little to get there first. Honestly, he hadn't been planning to use the suit's abilities for this one, but it was just too sweet an opportunity to pass up, surprising the girl like that and getting the upper hand.
Not, of course, that he was one to talk about how she was dressed, though, given what his suit looked like... but damn. She certainly wasn't making it easy for him to keep his eyes to himself.
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Swirled verdant eyes flicked to the side and she caught sight of his mask; white skull, with a crimson "X" on the front. A similar scarlet marking on his chest, and there was no doubt in her mind that they were on his palms and feet as well. Realization settled, and the young thief let out a low, relieved breath. She visibly relaxed.
Oh yes, she knew who he was. Another thief, much like herself. There were a few differences between them, of course, but the principle of their line of work remained the same ( ... )
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The mask, like the rest of the suit, being controlled by a neuro-interface, gave the impression of an arched eyebrow, and his voice's tone confirmed the playful amusement-- after all, it was a cute girl, and even if it was an insult, he'd take it in stride. As long as it didn't mean "runt". He had hated that nickname. Then again, given how tall she was, she'd hardly be one to talk.
"I do. This is just a warm up for something bigger tonight, is all. Well, was going to be. But my curiosity got the better of me when I saw you scampering in on my mark. Still... can't say I'm entirely disappointed with how things are turning out here..."
As he spoke, he circled the room casually, for all the world seeming as if he was just trying to get a better view of her, but, in his wake, though he certainly left a good number of gems and pieces of jewelry behind, the best and most valuable disappeared. If she was paying enough attention, it might even be said she was challenging her to a game of sleight of hand...
Reply
"Sweets. Universal nickname." No need to make him feel special or anything, though she had plenty of reason to. Winning him as an ally would be easy; not offending him would have to be put on the back burner for the moment. Sarcasm was a useful gift, but if she didn't watch her step it could go badly for her.
A thin, blonde eyebrow rose to mimic the look of his mask, and she cocked her head to the side as she walked. "Your mark," she repeated. "Well, first come first serve, huh?" A charming smile flicked over her face as she palmed an rather expensive- ( ... )
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"Rikku, huh? Heard you went after a Monacello's stuff a while back. Pretty gutsy."
Impressive, too, given how little equipment the girl seemed to use, how little it seemed suited for the job, and how her hair could get in the way. Of course, he couldn't let her know he thought that, not yet, at least. Wouldn't do for the prime thief in Reggio Calabria to go handing out compliments to his peers like candy... even if they were total hotties.
Sweets... Even if it was just a universal nickname, it wasn't bad, as far as they went.
"Considering that, isn't this a bit small scale for you, too?"
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Even from this close, though, it was impossible to tell that they were made of nanites-- the only way anyone would ever know was if they had a superhuman sense of touch, or sight, or had seen the suit in it's nanite form, retreating from his body.
Letting his free hand fall to just above her waist, just a little behind her, he let the fingertips of the gloves brush teasingly, lightly against her tanned skin as, with effortless, playful grace, he launched them into a swirling Viennese waltz.
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Normally, he might have thrown in some comment trying to pry a little into her life, but the little tune she was humming was pretty, and so was she, and she wouldn't be hard to find at all, from all appearances. Close as they were right now, and enjoyable as this was... questions could wait.
Of course, while they danced, she wasn't the only one trying to figure out where the pouches where on her dance partner's belt and what they held. One of the fun things about the neuro-interface... he could look at one place and seem like he was looking at another.
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During the initial spin, she flicked the clasp on the pouch and picked out the first thing her fingers touched, hiding it in her palm. Then she was out, holding on to his hand with hers as the other went across her body and then out, ending in a perfect straight line that ran from the base of her neck all the way down to her fingers. She smiled charmingly before spinning back towards him.
On the second turn, while her back was to him, she slipped it into her own bag. None of this too longer than a half second, and she reentered the dance as smoothly as she had exited.
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He had to admit, without the guild around, it had been far too long since he had played the game, and he had missed playing it.
Not missing a step, the thief glided across the room with her, pocketing in his swirling cape the "trinket" he palmed from her back pocket while dipping her. He had to admit, he was almost tempted to check to see whether the scarf was concealing any little gems, aside from her neck. Well, he was also tempted by a lot of things about her. Tempted to do a lot of things that would be highly unprofessional. Especially in this setting. Part of what made the thought so attractive ( ... )
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