Once a Thief: Part 4
----- Travel Plans -----
"Nice view," the masked woman said softly. She knew the dangers of sneaking up on the dagger-ready assassin.
Tressa didn't turn her hooded head, continued looking at the city below, obviously recognizing the woman's light voice anywhere.
"A view fit enough for a midnight meeting?" Tressa slightly chuckled.
"If there is coin involved, of course." Kimura came to stand beside the sylvari, taking in the same view her companion had been analyzing.
Kimura blinked. "Of what?"
"The mask."
"Well, not when I'm working, I suppose." Kimura shrugged her shoulders. "I mean, I do have an alter-ego to maintain, you know."
"Oh right," Tressa grinned a glowing red mouth. "I forgot your other occupation: a waiter at the Emporium." She looked at the woman to gauge her reaction, which was exactly as she thought.
Kimura stuck her tongue out beneath her mask and her eyes winced. "Ugh. If I never set foot in that place again, it'll be too soon. Well, unless it's to put a blade between Spurlock's ribs." She paused a moment, considering her violent words. While the woman was a skilled thief and had seen her fair share of combat, it was far from her repertoire to assassinate someone, or even plan to murder them. She decided not to self-analyze herself and sighed, changing the subject. "I wonder if they want the outfit back?"
Tressa blinked. "I don't know," she said, returning her attention to the city-scape. "It wasn't… that bad."
Beneath her mask, Kimura blushed. She cleared her throat after a few awkward moments of silence. "You know, I may have to give up the flower cart, now that Spurlock knows who I am. I've caught his flunkies and goons on the lookout here in the Reach. Sad, actually, cause while I know I should lay low, I have a certain… fondness of this place."
"You know, the moonlight shines all over Tyria; not just here in the Reach." She paused a moment tapping her chin. "Thorns and brambles, I wish we could take them out."
Tressa watched the woman, staring a bit longer than she should have, at the woman's complexion and wavy pink hair. "So vibrant, your hair," she said, not meaning to.
"You think so? Hmmm… Well, it reminds me of a few flowers I know," Kimura winked with a sly grin.
The Black Rose tilted her head, considering. She pulled off her own hood, revealing fronds of black and red leaflets and ran a hand through them. "I have never been called a 'flower'. Most look at me and see only darkness."
Kimura rubbed the back of her neck, slightly blushing. "Well, I think it's… um… lovely."
"It is a necessity," Tressa said turning bodily to the woman, looking again at her hair. "For my coin, I do not know how you can stay hidden."
"Hence the mask," the woman chuckled. "I mean, I know I could just dye it, but, you know, what fun would that be?"
Tressa glowed softly as she asked the question, "Fun?"
Kimura smirked. "Yeah, fun! What do you do for fun? The entire time I've known you, I don't think we've ever talked about stuff, you know, outside of work. How do you blow off steam? (Something that doesn't involve someone bleeding out, obviously.) Do you drink, or fight, or find some sailors on the docks? Maybe read some books?" Seeing the sylvari's expression answered Kimura's question without ever hearing it. She sighed. "You know, you really do need loosening up…"
Tressa raised an thorny eyebrow and deflected. "Perhaps I should borrow your Emporium outfit?"
"Would you even know what to do with it on?" Kimura said, giggling a bit.
"I… Serve drinks?" Tressa thought back to their night there. "Or, perhaps allow men to grope me?" An impish grin was on her face.
Kimura decided not to take it as an insult. She shrugged. "Well, whatever floats your boat! But, I've been there and done that; don't really care to do it again. I may just go ahead and let you take the outfit for a spin." She said, winking at the sylvari.
Tressa cleared her throat, trying to act as nonchalant as possible, but her reds pulsated vibrantly. "I… uh…"
"So have you heard anything back from the Lady Paige Dejarin?" Kimura helped her companion's uneasiness out.
"Yes, actually. There was a black rose ordered from the flower stand, with her name attached. I cased the estate, but she was not around; we may be forced to await her return. I did, however, speak with one of her soldiers, Ariadne, I believe her name was. She is to contact us upon Paige's arrival."
"So, what do we do in the meantime?" Kimura ran her fingers through her hair, giving it a little twist at the end.
"What would you suggest?"
"Well, maybe we should just let it play out. I mean, I don't think breaking into any established trust - what little she may have for us - would be wise. I certainly don't want to break into her bedroom again. (Although the show wasn't bad.)" Kimura flushed and stifled a giggle.
"Agreed, but I actually meant about recreational activities," Tressa explained.
"Oh! Well, let's see… What would be fun for you? We can't really do too much here in the Reach with Spurlock's goons on the lookout, so we'd probably be better off going somewhere isolated, away from prying eyes… Oh! I know! Do you swim?" The woman's lime-green eyes sparkled at the idea.
"I soak in water once a week," Tressa said, matter-of-factly, as though it warranted no further explanation.
Kimura didn't know if it was a joke or a serious statement. She chuckled nervously. "I mean at a lake somewhere. Oh! Or at the beach! Have you been to Southsun? I've always wanted to go there, but I've never been. Barrox used to go on and on about it; how he courted some charr woman. I'm sure you heard him prattle on about it."
The Black Rose laughed. "Yeah; he wouldn't shut up!"
"I miss him," Kimura said after a moment. "And, Plopp too, of course. Quite a pair, those two: a charr that wouldn't stop talking and an asura which never said a word."
"Oh he spoke. To me, anyway." Tressa said with a coy grin. "And, I learned quite a bit from that asura."
"In their honor then… a visit to Southsun Cove? Something that doesn't hurt as much as talking about them?" Kimura looked away for a moment, trying to ignore the pain.
Tressa nodded, pulling her hood back over her head, dimming her red bio-luminescence and golden eyes. "Yes; let's do that. I wouldn't want you to dive back into the drink again."
Kimura slid her mask on. "No, I've had my fill."
"Good. I find you better coherent."
"Oh, so you were worried about me," Kimura said with a smile beneath her mask. She leapt from the building without waiting for a response.
Tressa sighed and tilted her head back, looking up in the sky. "Was I?" she whispered to the moon.
[To be Continued...]
