Lion's Rest--Hallow's End (Open to all!)

[Cillian]

A child’s shriek followed by high pitched giggles seemed to be the only noteworthy sound coming from the otherwise tranquil park. A small gust of wind made the young paladin’s eyes squint—the air was cooling as the weather normally does this time of year and Hallow’s End quickly approached. He was never comfortable on Hallow’s End for various reasons, but he tried to remain spirited.


A quick shift of his weight became necessary as he realized he had been absent mindedly staring and standing awkwardly in the walkway of the park. A group of students had bumped into him as they went walking by, casually carrying tomes and other scholarly supplies. They had been understanding enough, but it snapped Cillian out of his daze. He sighed and was slightly embarrassed despite no one taking any direct attention; but such is human nature.


He wandered to a bench and took a seat. Here he could brood and be lost to his thoughts. He slouched over and put is fingers up to rub the bridge of his nose. There he sat for a good while eventually running the same hand up into his auburn hair and with a stretch, sigh, and grunt he relaxed and began one of his favorite hobbies—people watching.

((Link to Cillian's description - added by Kat.))

[۞ KAT ۞ AKA Red Viper]

About thirty feet away, a small amount of time after Cillian had settled in to people watch, a female's voice cut through the otherwise tranquil air.  It was irritated, harsh, accentuated with hints of alcohol and lack of sleep.

"By Elune ye little fckin rats look where ye be going!"

Should he look to its source, he would find it spilling from the dark red lips of a woman wearing a grinning split skull  tabard.  Her fiery hair was up-swept into a messy bun atop her head with loose strands of fire tickling her high cheekbones.  In her right hand she carried a silver hip flask, her arms raising in the air as the mill of excited children ushered by her like a swarm of rats before disappearing. 

Her arms lowered and she stared after them a moment, her expression hidden from him.

After an exaggerated huff she turned her head back and squared her feet as if there was a hurricane cutting through, and took another drink before smacking her lips and squaring her shoulders.

[Cillian]

He had just began to dose off into a trance, but only ever so slightly as the woman's voice cut through his haze. His eyes moved from the blank nothingness and occasional passing person they had drifted in and out from to the woman. They slowly ran along every bit of her figure and a small smirk cut its way across his fair face--he had recognized this woman from a few nights ago; he had a small hope that he'd see her again. 

He leaned forward on the bench and he proceeded to wait and see if she would take note of him. He figured he could yell for her--but that's out of his comfort zone. Besides, he was quite relaxed on the bench and he didn't want to move.  He would tilt his head as he watched the fiery haired woman. He was surprised she made it back from the Tomb which she had inquired about his help in investigating. If she did indeed go it's impressive she made it back he thought to himself. 

The bench he had been sitting on was located under a tree, and had recently gathered leaves, dirt, and other bits of nature. He didn't care to wipe the seat off before he sat down, but he figured he should wipe it off if she came over. A few casual wipes cleared most of the debris from the seat and he returned his gaze towards her direction. 

[۞ KAT ۞ AKA Red Viper]

Releasing an impressive belch Kat began to walk in his general direction... twenty feet... fifteen... She didn't really seem to have any set destination in mind. She was simply meandering about, stopping every now and again as if listening to someone beside her that wasn't there. Once in a rare while her sour features would melt away and she would snort a laugh.

Anyone who came near her in passing she raised a brow, her back stiffened, shoulders went back and chin jerked up and stared at them, meeting any gaze they happened to shoot back at her... until they were without of reach, at which time she relaxed, slightly.

Her golden amber eyes did happen to sweep over Cillian, but she didn't appear to -see- him, merely a broom dusting over a floor .

Ten feet away now she was about to pass him.

[Cillian]

He merely continued to watch the woman and her seemingly drunken behavior--studying them as any detective worth their salt does. He came to the notion that she was not entirely unlike himself; talking to those who aren't there for example. He only questioned if her display was alcohol driven or if the fraying effects of the human psyche afflicted her as well. He would have to wait and see.


"Hey." He blurted out once she was in earshot. He would pause a moment to see if his interjection was enough. But he grew impatient.

"Miss Kat" He said with a sharp and confident tone. His blue orbs narrowed as he awaited a response from the woman--perhaps her drunken state made her immune to such vocal cues.

[۞ KAT ۞ AKA Red Viper]

Initially she ignored the 'hey', after all, to her it came from no one worth her time, just some other likely annoying individual wanting the attention of someone better than them to make them feel special.

The second call however made her stop. The tone carried enough of what she had decided was 'worth her time' to pause her steps. The 'Miss' however caused her to bristle and face him directly.

Glittering eyes sized him up, finally seeing him but not yet recognizing him. "LADY Kat, fer f*cks sakes!" she snarled pressing her knuckles into her hip, shifting her weight.

Her head rolled to the side as she narrowed her eyes upon him, before her shoulders slowly eased in his direction, following her gaze.

"Da f*ck do ye want," she inquired with a sharply raised brow, her body tensed assessing if he were friend or foe.

[Cillian]

His eyebrows raised in a small display of satisfaction when he got her attention he had a feeling his particular use of -miss- would land a hit. "Mm. That's the word." He gently released the small pebble he'd been rolling around in his hand since he wiped the bench clean. It fell to the grass without much distinction--he had intended to lightly throw it at her if his calls didn't work.


A sly smirk clung to the side of his face as he realized she didn't immediately remember him from the other night. Perhaps it was due to the obvious alcohol, or maybe it was because he was of little note to her. Either way he didn't care.


"I had taken you for someone aware, keen, and resourceful... perhaps I was mistaken. Forgetting faces a few scant days after meeting someone. Tsk tsk tsk." He shook his head, "Seems I need to work on my observations skills, yeah?"


His eyes met her general gaze for a moment and then they fell down to the grass of the park, "Drunken park walks... not a bad hobby I suppose. Everyone needs their fix." He paused for a moment, "A risky venture during Hallow's End--it's wise to remain sharp... so many are up to devious tricks... one wouldn't want to fall prey..." His voice trailed off as his smirk faded.

[۞ KAT ۞ AKA Red Viper]

She saw everything, although she wasn't readily letting on. Her eyes watched his fingers rolling the rock, had dusted over the oddly cleaned bench and the pile of fresh debree near his feet, saw the rock drop, hear the tone of his voice... it was speaking in familiar tones. He knew her. How. As he continued to talk she toyed with his voice, bouncing it about her memories until it chimed against a fresh one.

"Seems I need to work on my observation skills, yeah?" he inquired with a shake of his head.

A brow rose as she fixated on his face, the cut of his jaw, color of his hair. He was still talking as she studied him, his words a dull drone outside of her ears. Drunk...hobby...fix... She nodded absently to the words that did register as recollection brought her awareness back from under water and things were clear again.

"...It's wise to remain sharp..."  he continued on.

By now she was grinning at him. He was the man who had almost impressed her the other night. She snorted. The one who had wasted her valuable time stringing her along, not giving her an answer until it was time for him to leave anyway.

"Do I honestly look like a woman who would be easy prey? Aye, if ye think I do, ye indeed need to work on yer skills." Without waiting for an invitation, she planted her ass next to him on the bench, leaning forward, her weight on an elbow pressed against her thigh, flask dangling from that hand.

"Ye be that asshole from the other night. Aye, I remember ye. Ye did a decent job keeping me attention. Not an easy task."

[Cillian]

He leaned back and relaxed on the bench a curious and subtle smile rested on his lips, "Mm. She speaks."


He eyed the flash in her hand, "I'd nearly thought your trip to the Tomb had made you daft... or at least spurred your mind enough to make you question it all... Can have that effect on those not mentally sufficient you know." There was a clear witty tone to his voice, now that he had her attention a part of him wanted to push some buttons. Get a feel for the real temperament of this woman; she had drawn his interest a few nights prior he'd readily admit.


"Although if you did go--" He paused as his eyes moved to hers, "It would seem you came out in one piece. Probably would've been better had I had the time to spare. I could've used the gold, and well, I'm sure it goes without saying you and your friend could've used an extra, experienced hand--make the whole trip a little more, well, certain."


He leaned forward slightly, and ran a hand along his stubble, "So then tell me Miss Kat, if you would, did you end up going to the Tomb? Surely my leave didn't stop you?"

[۞ KAT ۞ AKA Red Viper]

She allowed him to talk, her eyes mirroring various emotions as he spoke. Unimpressed. Amused. Self-assured. Then he went and called her MISS Kat again. This rewarded him with a nice shot to his shoulder with her free hand (Hardness scale 3.5).

"Ye sit there yammerin on about yer f*cking skill and feigning worry about if I had been mentally sufficient enough er not to make it outta the Tombs, yet ye just keep on showing ye be the one that may not be mentally sufficient to recollect me proper f*cking name.  Ye hadn't played so dumb the other night," her eyes narrowed as she held up a warning-filled finger, "so don't be playin dumb now.  I don't like -dumb-.  Ye won't hold me attention that way.  f*ck up again I won't be so gentle."

Crossing her legs to give him a good eyeful of her muscular, natural honey-brown skinned thigh she tisked, "Yer leave that night didn't stop me.  Me mood merely changed and I chose not to go.  Not sayin me want fer sh*t in there has changed- coz it aint.  I do need to go back. ..." her eyes trailed away from him to become fascinated (not really) with a nearby hedge, tone becoming wistful, "Buuuut... only with the right, 'experienced' aid.  Shame I wasn't able to find the extra help yet. " Her gaze rolled languidly back to him, cheek pressed into her shoulder as she dipped it to peer over it with a raise of her brow, "Know anyone ye would recommend?  Preferably someone who got the mental fortitude to remember how to say me name properly."

[Cillian]

His features flashed a brief expression of contempt as she popped his shoulder, and that had annoyed him, but only for a moment. His smirk reappeared and his eyes were pulled to her toned thigh.

"Mm. A temper." He muttered to himself--even though this wasn't news to this keenly aware individual. His eyes lingered for a moment before moving to the general direction of her face. "-Lady- Kat... I do believe I could find someone to accompany you... they'd need to be able to withstand your striking blow, however..." He said with a facetious tone.


"Alas..." He said with a sigh, "If you had only asked the other night with this level of venom and heavy handedness." He said in reference yet again to the shoulder punch, "I may have been inclined to drop my prior engagement. I could've proven my intelligence and worth." Part of him grew tired of this game--but the other had just began to enjoy the spirited conversation with someone so lively.

"Now you seek someone else. A second place prize..." his eyes drifted upwards as he relaxed back on the bench, "But you don't seem like a second prize type of -Lady-... So happens I cleaned up the log of contracts I'd taken. So if you would like accompaniment to help you get whatever it is you desire from that Light-forsaken tomb, all you'd need to do is ask..." His head tilted as he studied a particular cloud drifting in the sky, "and settle on a payment amount, of course."

[۞ KAT ۞ AKA Red Viper]

The moment of contempt that touched his features for even the briefest moments made her grin. She vaguely wondered what he woulda done had she not been so gentle.- And then he was smirking again. Hmn. Quick to recover, and he liked what he saw. Why wouldn't he.

He was sitting on her left side, so she heard him murmur something about a temper, though didn't let on. What he thought was a small display of her temper was actually just her flirting. Had it actually been her temper, she would have aimed to send him tits up on the ground.

When he finally said her name right, she regarded him levelly, and was presented with almost a genuine smile. Though fleeting, her eyes warmed, and lips tugged up pleasantly.

Buuut then she blinked and it was gone.

"Had I 'asked' fer yer help the other night, as ye suggest, the odds were just as favorable fer ye to get scared off. I don't know what kinda man ye be, yet. Contrary to popular belief, I do TRY to be nice from time to time."

Hiding her flask away, she crossed her arms over her large chest, ballooning them out and squishing them together as she did so that they resembled a pair of perfectly risen buns peeking out from around the scoop neck of her tabard. He was right. Second prize was an insult to her.

When he was done speaking this time her features had become bland. "Ask? Really? Ask? I think I did enough flowery 'askin' the other night." she leaned her torso toward him, her arms still crossed, voice dropping to a rumbling purr, "Ye got me attention, so ye are gonna join me and me associate into the Tombs. And, we will be fine and make it out in reasonable shape. " her tongue poked out to wet her lips as her eyes danced over his face coming to rest into his eyes, "And should ye do a good job, ye will get more than adequate payment...plus whatever spoils inside along the way.."

[Cillian]

He continued to study the clouds he could see through the branches of the tree as she spoke. Occasionally he would give a nod, or a slight shrug, but otherwise he remained fixed on the sky. "Mm. The other night I had prior agreements, and what sort of contract worker would I be if I had broken those agreements? Not a very good one. So really, no amount of flowery talking would've pulled me away. But now I've taken care of those." He said as he very consciously ignored her words "... just as favorable fer ye to get scared off..." he didn't feel the need to dignify that with a direct response. She was right about one thing though, she wasn't aware of the kind of man he was--not yet at least.


He casually let his gaze return down from the sky only to be met by the woman leaning in on him--bearing much which would demand many a diligent man's attention away. Needless to say it wasn't long at all before his eyes fell and began to wander. He cared little if she took note. Life is short and uncertain, and that's that.


"Mm?" He mumbled not entirely paying attention to her purring voice for very certain reasons. But it was momentary. He had indeed heard her words despite his lack of attention and shortly after he lifted his eyes to meet hers. There was a glimpse of satisfaction when she admitted that he had held her attention.

"Mhm." Is all he had prepared as an answer.


He ran a hand through his auburn hair and recollected his thoughts. "Yes. Lady Kat, if the pay is as good as you're letting on then you've got yourself a helping hand." And just like that his eyes fell again... there was little he could do to resist. "So when do we set off?" He asked in a confident voice.

[۞ KAT ۞ AKA Red Viper]

Oh but he was infuriating. She had a feeling he was doing it on purpose however, and that equaled out the infuriation and replaced it with amusement. And look at him trying to ignore her too...

But then, there it was. His attention. He was a red blooded man after all. The way he boldly stared fueled her smirk. Shifting her arms just enough to cause the soft mountains to heave a bit more she chuckled throatily.

"Ye will get paid, depending on yer performance," her eyes danced, "How good ye be with yer hands... and all."

Jerking her chin at him she moved to return to her more upright position, no longer touching him and casually flicked a stray leaf from the bench, ignoring him now. "When might ye be prepared fer the task."

[Celeste]

((This is a very enjoyable read! Do go on!))

[Cillian]

The fair haired paladin brought a full smile to his face--his hands were common tools--so yes, of course he knew how to use them. His thoughts had certainly become amusing, and despite how inviting those thoughts were, this was a business deal, first and foremost. He pushed through the various scenarios in his mind to focus on the primary task at hand. Going to a place like that required one to be stocked, which he normally was, but he knew he needed to pick up a few components and goodies before they would set off.


"Mm." He let out and proceeded to take a long pause; mentally preparing a list of things he needed to get in his mind.
He checked the time and gave a shrug to himself before adding anything more. "Need to grab a bit of this and that. Won't take long. Should be set by the evening... And what about -yourself-?" He said playful, yet condescending tone. "When will you be ready, Oh -Lady- Kat?"

[۞ KAT ۞ AKA Red Viper]

The woman didn't have to be looking at him, or a mind reader to know what he was doing. At his first noise she turned her attention to the skies, as if suddenly discovering what had had his attention earlier. The sun glinted off her facial piercings and her amber eyes. Oh look.. that cloud looks like a dead body...

Then he was talking again. She decided to allow his tone to slide, after all, he was playing her game as far as she was concerned, so she was having an enjoyable time.

Turning her face to him she dipped her chin and stared at him through her lashes, a devilish grin tugging at her lips, "Me dear... I was born ready," a wink followed though there was little humor in her eyes, "the hand of Death will come fer ye... though fortunate fer ye it will be fer yer aid. This time." Nods. "Ye will hear from me soon."

[Cillian]

Realizing what she was doing made his smile shrink back down to a fiendish smirk. As far as he was concerned she was merely putting on a show and that she enjoyed the back and forth. He cut his conversation a little shorter due to the fact that she was supposedly returning his little eyes in sky play, but only because he wanted to drop some notion that he had 'fallen' for it.


He met her eyes through the lashes when she turned to him, and he leaned in just a bit. Just enough to show the interest in what she had to say; he figured it was time to change the game up. He listened and found himself a bit excited and enticed when she delivered her cool, calculated, and confident response--even if he could've predicted that her answer would be along those lines "...I was born ready." She was certainly an alluring one.


He merely nodded in response to her further comments. Truth be told... and it was obvious, he had deemed the need to take one more nice long look at the woman to be more important than formulating some sly response. Though the words did ring and land in his mind "...Ye will hear from me soon."

[۞ KAT ۞ AKA Red Viper]

As he continued to stare she snickered and leaned back a bit, reaching a hand out behind her to slip around the edge of the bench as she curled her spine and presented a very unobscured view of her assets. To accentuate the visage she inhaled deeply, as if she were one to appreciate the beauty of the day and all that sentimental bullsh*t, which caused her bosom to swell even more for a moment.

Suckling on the inside of her cheek she reveled in the attention, a snide grin on her lips. Of course he wasn't hard to look at, however she would never admit to that yet, nor let on outside of a joke if it were to serve her.

"Before I leave however, and make yer day with that view as I walk away... " her eyes meet his again, "Tell me more about yerself." Her legs crossed and uncrossed, ankle lightly circling. "Why ye sittin out here with me, instead of some lesser woman, like a wife er whatever sh*t people call each other now a days. Ye got any little sh*ts running around at home?"

[Cillian]

His eyes were pulled away from her figure and brought to meet her eyes. He was a bit taken back by her questioning of his personal life. Mixing business with pleasure? For this woman? Sure. But adding a personal touch--no matter how small (and no matter if she really cared)? That certainly made him pause. Only for a brief moment though.

He leaned in closer to her and raised a brow, "Come now, a lesser woman? I will always strive for the best--especially if the odds are in my favor." He narrowed his blue orbs and with a small smirk, proceeded to retract back to a normal sitting position.

"No Lady Kat, no wife, no kids. Even if I did I could never be in their lives for more than a brief moment. Need to go where the business is... as I'm sure you know." His large self shifted on the bench--little metallic clinks accompanying his movement.


"Now you... any significant others? I mean surely with your coin and -assets- you'd be able to have nearly any man you wanted. Surely. And you seem the type to... get what you want." He rattled off with a smooth and playful tone.