RP:Race for the Mark
Characters
Satoshi is being very cloak and dagger today. Almost literately, as the masked vulpine idly lurks near the entrance to the Human's embassy, bladed gauntlets tucked within her cloak while she waits for the mark to emerge. Nothing particularly impressive has been said about the mark's abilities, and so the little assassin plans to make this a simple surprise-and-stab, getting her in and out of the place quickly so that she can return and collect her bounty before lunch.
Mahri isn't quite so...well, lets say she doesn't see the point in being in a disguise of any sort. Quite frankly, the free-lance assassin has no plans to allow her mark to live long enough to be able to describe her, let alone anyone who might witness the act. Call it sloppy or cocky, but the lupine chose to be casual in her pursuite of the human. She had quite the advantage there, in that while looking human, she was anything but. Not that the olfactory senses of the mark would be able to tell that. With her dark hair pulled back into a constricting braid, Mahri strolls towards the Embassy. Tucked within the weave of plaited hair is scattered a few darts, masquarading as decorative floral insertions. Who would suspect, right? It isn't until she is almost near the door and ready to request a private audience with the Ambassador that a familiar scent reaches her. Silver-gray eyes scan ahead, peering intently into the shadows though her step neither falters nor slows. Fingers twitch, immitating the need to scratch as they reach for the smooth wood that served as the hilt of her ever-present dagger, which is as usual strapped firmly to her thigh.
Satoshi is a touch slower in recognizing the approaching scent, thanks to that damnable impish mask of hers, and with a vague hint of alarm realizes she's forgotten a vital piece of her disguise: the scent-altering perfume. Cursing under her breath, the black and white 'cat' casually pushes herself off the windowsill she's been leaning on, moving toward the door with something of a reluctant air--but just quick enough to hopefully cut off the druid before she enters first. 'Jelko' can't quite help glancing back at Mahri then, wondering just what is about to go wrong in what was meant to be an easy mark.
Mahri had just grasped the doorknob when that slight figure blocked her way. "Are we really going to fight about this?" she asks drolly, slowly letting her hand drop from the means of entrance. "I don't have bones to be throwin' at ye." Slanting a look towards Satoshi-in-disguise, the lycan folds her arms with deceptive casualness and leans against the door-jam with an arched brow. "I mean, seriously, Kitten," she says quietly, so anyone inside won't hear through the thick door..just in case, "Do you expect to get in there in that get-up?"
Satoshi matches Mahri's stance with her own on the opposite side of the door-jam. "Oh, it's commonplace enough and all the rage in Kelay, especially with the cats. Really, Puppy, I don't think they'll expect a thing from me..." Satoshi trails off before, in a flash, she's lunging for the door to force it open and slip past Mahri. Even if she has to struggle to get past the lycan, she'll still be able to yell in a perfect imitation of frantic alarm, "A-ambassdor! She's trying to kill you!" Satoshi does so love Mahri, so much so that she lets her play the role of decoy and guard-fodder.
Satoshi wishes she knew how to pre-plan better. Things are about to go wrong, she can just feel it..
Mahri knew the vulpine well enough to expect some sort of trick. And there we have it. The lunge is met with a glare and a push from her own side of the door to intercept the fox-kit-vampire. While the bloodsucker is quick, so is Mahri. Cursing inventively, she snarls at the little killer, "Ye f'got t' remove t'e mask." There's a sense of satisfaction to be had there and will be reveled in later when it's herself who is snaking her arms around Satoshi so that as soon as the door is opened it looks as though it were Mahri herself who'd been calling out. Slipping into the roll of Amabassadorial (new word, for real) savior, the woman gives the shocked faces of the secretary and scrawny guard a frantic look, "Quick, before the assassin gets away, tie her up! Or him!" Her grasp around the vulpine, of course, won't be nearly as secure as it appears and Satoshi will have all the opportunity she needs to break the hold and escape.
Satoshi called it, she really did. Although she wishes she hadn't while she's busy squirming in Mahri's hold. A quick glance around the room shows her a bewildered guard warily approaching--must be a newbie--and the secretary frozen in place like a mouse. Satoshi grins then and whispers to Mahri, "Race you" even as she gives one final wriggle to achieve freedom. The lycan's offered a parting gift of an elbow to the gut before the kit charges at the guard, the poor boy faltering at the leering imp's face just long enough to find himself abruptly knocked to the floor with Satoshi's boots planted on his chest. "Slow-poke," the fox snarls, leaping off with a harsh shove to land upon the secretary's desk, clawed gauntlets brandished.
Mahri oofs and doubles over even before she can accept the assassin's challenge. Quick to regain her breath, Mahri's glad she skipped breakfast that morning. Racing for the door, that poor scrawny-bastard-of-a-guard finds himself stuck with a dart in his neck, almost as soon as he scrambled to his feet to chase Satoshi. Unfortunately, this time it's not with a paralyzing or knock-out agent and when he slowly slides to the floor, the glaze of death in his eyes has already banished the flicker of life in them. The secrety should have stayed home that day. Confronted with the prospect of the kit-vamp's glinting metalic claws, her eyes roll and she slumps into a dead faint under the desk. The table laden with food and drink is ignored in favore of getting to the door before Satoshi. They just might end up shoulder to shoulder and stuck for a moment before Mahri wrenches her body slightly and tumbles forward into what appears to be a passionate...discussion..with a blonde wearing next to nothing about the pro's and con's of ...free enterprise among the fairer sex.
Satoshi's slightly delayed in racing Mahri to the door, having paused long enough to wrench one of the smaller shields from the wall and heave it above her head. With a grunt of effort, the kit-vampire moves sharply and sends the shield spinning through the air like a vertical discus, aimed for Mahri as the lycan reaches the door. Pity the wolf has decided to twist aside--likely preemptively assuming she'd be wedged in the door with Satie--as the flying shield completely misses her and sails straight into the room. ...And directly into the well-endowed chest of the ambassador's ... business partner, knocking her off his knee with a strangled cry and a crunch of bones.
Mahri felt the rush of air as the sheild goes flying by, and the falling bimbo gives Mahri the opening she needs. Taking note that the ambassador is a rather well kept male of just above average height with the muscle mass to match. She doesn't hesitate long though. While the human is busy wrappng his head around the matter, Mahri is simultaniously withdrawing dart and dagger. The dagger, it's silver blade catching lamplight, is meant to distract while the dart is thrust forward. The dagger zings past his head, causing him to look over his shoulder and exposing his throat to the second flying projectile. Now, if that bloody little kit can manage to stay out of the way, it should hit the mark squarely in the juggular. At least, if it does, by the time the Ambassador realizes he's dead..well, he'll be dead.
Satoshi damn well won't stay out of the way, and isn't far behind the shield, meeting Mahri through the door as she's prepping the dart. " 'scuse me, miss," the kit calls, lightly knocking against the lycan's side to disrupt her otherwise perfect aim. Really? Did Mahri honestly have to poison that poor chair? It was an innocent! Satoshi might have paused long enough to remorsefully bow her head to slain furniture, if she weren't so preoccupied with planting herself directly in front of the ambassador as he looks back from dagger and crumpled blonde lady-friend at his feet. "Boo," the little assassin says, silver claws poised to plung into the man's chest, so long as there isn't any interference. I'm looking at you, Puppy.
Mahri isn't about to be one-upped by some scrawny little bloodsucking Kitten! The stumble, while not exactly the best start, turns into a spring which hopefully lands the lycan precariously on the kit's shoulders. She won't be there long, however. Smirking down at the incredulous look upon the ambassador's face, Mahri uses her forward momentum to push off her perch and leap at the man. It is a simple wonder that no one else has accidentally come upon the two competators in a game only they understand the rules to, "This one's mine, Kitten." And, since she's landing on and falling with the man, Mahri will pin him with her knees against shoulders. One last and final dart is pulled from the braid and plunged downwards. Now, if that fecking vamp would stop interfering, it won't go to waste. If not..then this is going to get really hands on.
Satoshi's marginally grateful for her mask, as it's keeping her from actually kissing the ground when she's leapt upon and back off again by Mahri. Forcing herself up from the impromptu faceplant that being a springboard elicits, Satoshi glares at the lycan that's got her mark pinned. -Her- mark, dammit! No one's taking that from her, Puppy or not! She just needs... a distraction, just long enough of a pause from Mahri so that the kit can get back on her feet. "Mahri! I... I'm pregnant!" Probably not the best method--and truly a blatant lie, but if such a statement is going to give anyone pause, it's the druid--likely, a pause from sheer horror. And that's all Satoshi will need to lunge forward to tackle Mahri and bring them both crashing down on the hapless ambassador.
Mahri is not going to be distracted this time! She is't she won't she will not be distracted! (Thank you Dr. Suess) Until the announcement is made. Just shy of piercing skin that's slick with sweat, the needle comes to a halt and Mahri whips around to give the masked kit a wide-eyed look of utter surprise and disbelief. At least that gave her a chance to see the attack coming. Fortunately for her, the inevitable lunge also draggs the dart along the exposed throat of the embassador, effectively getting the fast acting poison into his system. Unfortunately for him, it's not enough to bring out the swift painless death she'd hoped for. The woman can be compassionate..occasionally. With Satoshi and her rolling on the floor, since there is no way in hell Mahri is going to let the kit get the better of her and simply does whatever is necessary to keep from ending up beneath the assassin, the mark gurgles and convulses as the toxin slowly stops his heart and lungs from working while misfiring synapsis in the brain. Eventually the two have to hit a wall..hopefully it's before someone decides to come and investigate the commotion.
Satoshi listens to the sweet sounds of her prey's death rattle, which she's quite certain has been caused by one of her katar-claws piercing his chest in her forward tumble with Mahri. Like poision from a little dart could cause -that- grand of a death-throe. Puh, laughable. And Satoshi -would- be laughing right now, but wrestling with Mahri comes first. Scrapping with the wolf brings out the worst in Satoshi, and she can't help a few bites here and there--which she'll regret later. Or sooner, as the nausea-inducing lycan's blood is already making her dizzy. At least, if she's lucky, Mahri will have picked up a few shallow cuts from the kit's silver-plated blades, trading lycan-poisoning for silver-poisoning. What good friends we are, Satoshi muses as, at last, the two do indeed hit a wall, quite literately. And unhinge the shelf above them, dropping upon them a torrent of books, a crystal ball, and a few other odd trinkets. And what was that? The sound of the embassy door? Is the second guard returning from his lunch break so soon?
Mahri 's breath comes in quick hisses between her teeth. The bites were a bitch since the vampire's saliva is just as toxic as the lycan blood to one another. However, add onto that the scratches of silver-tipped claws and the lycan is in pure agony. Not that she'll let Satoshi know that. With the tumble of brick-a-brack and the opening of the outter door, the lycan finds herself burried under junk and kit. Even if Satoshi doesn't become still, Mahri does. Not, mind you dear reader, that she has much of a choice in the matter. Glaring up at the maskd face, Mahri says in a voice much to low for mortal ears, "This was my mark and I killed him. Now, go take care of that bloody guard before we both get caught and I can't collect the reward." How Satie was going to get out from under a mountain of a mess was up to her.
Satoshi, with mask askance, glares haughtily at the wolf beneath her and hisses back in just as quiet a whisper. "He was my mark and my blade killed him. -You- take care of the guard. I've got two deaths to your one in here, so it's time you caught up." Satoshi falls quiet then, and just in time, as the guard steps into the room with sword drawn and narrowed eyes scanning the scene. For a long moment he simply stands and stares, trying to process it all, before turning to race off in search of the killer. Only to stop suddenly at the door, gazing locking on the mound of books and baubles. Had that been the end of a tail he'd seen? A braid of black hair? Slowly, the armored guard approaches, sword at the ready when he moves to kick one of the tomes aside and reveal what's beneath.
Mahri grinds her teeth as any remark she might have made would have ended with them going at each other again. The scent of the guard grows stronger so..he must be getting closer. Keeping an ear out and her eyes on the vampire, she listens until in her judgement he is close enough to..wait for it..wait for it..that foot pendulums forward and Mahri's hand is thrust out to catch that boot just before it connects with either Satoshi or the lycan. Keeping the forward swing going, Mahri adds some extra force and shoves that leg upwards so the guard goes sprawling all over the swept-clean desk that used to belong to the ambassador. Stunned and with his breath forced from his lungs, he lays there gapping like a fish to suck in air again. "Get off," Mahri growls while at the same time using her free hand to shove Satie through the rubble. Two deaths her arse, the kit can't count. Storming to the wall, she jerks her dagger out of a stud and makes swift work of finishing the new addition to the body count. "Ambassador, guard," she ticks them off her fingers, "I killed two." Resheathing the weapon, she reaches for the kit's arm to haul her from the offices. "Now, I'm going to collect that bounty and ~you~ are going to hightail it somewhere safe." High-handed, idn't she? And bossy too.
Satoshi is compliant enough to be shoved aside by Mahri when she goes for the guard, and during that entire bit of murdering, the kit untangles herself from the books and straightens into a stand. She even offers Mahri a nod of approval once the guard's been finished off. "Not bad. Two guards for you, goldie and ambassador for me. Nice and even. Oh," and here the kit's eyes go wide in feigned innocence. "but you won't be able to get a bounty off those two. What a pity~." Giving Mahri a merry grin, Satoshi tugs her mask back into place and makes for the door with unsteady but still dignified steps, pausing to toss a small object to Mahri. "Here. Drop by, we can talk business, find you some bounties. Steadman can point the way."
Satoshi gave 1 shadow-laced insignia to Mahri.
Mahri deftly catches the object before muttering, "Steadman? Ain't seen 'im since the fire.." But she'll study the thing for a bit before leaving herself. After all, she now had to find that feline who'd contracted the hit in the first place..