For the Love of Evil

[Skylar]

Her mouth was slightly agape as he spoke. Was this some kinda twisted game of wits? Innuendos tossed back and forth to see who could trump who? Or was her mind so far in the gutter that she was completely lost!? At any rate, she hated to lose....

“Doesn't sound so bad to me.” She said it without looking at him, her brow raised ever so slightly along with the corners of her mouth.

“I actually just got here today. Well...earlier today.” She ran her hand across her leg, and felt no more glass finally. “I hopped a ship and this is where I ended up.” She stood and looked around, spotting the bathroom, only to disappear inside.

She was gone only seconds before coming out with a damp wash cloth. “So yeah, I am a bit confused....as you put it.” First she washed her face, the cut there not as bad as she thought. Then she moved on to her leg, running the wet cloth over the blood stained flesh that underneath was creamy pale, and less then flawless now.

“Thanks for saving me though...” Her voice was small. Thanking people wasn't usually something that she did. But he didn't have to do it, and it probably saved her life that he did. “What's good with those clothes and that date you mentioned earlier?” Her eyes were now locked on him, scanning over him and his unusual....appendages.

[Syntaphar]

Dario raised an eyebrow at Frankie, nearly puzzled by her response. He answered on instinct though, his conscious mind busy with other worries and tasks at the moment. "Fine then, if it doesn't sound bad, go ahead and try it. But when you get ripped apart, don't come crying at me. As for me, I prefer to be the one ripping other people to shreds. That's more my thing, if you hadn't figured it already. All it takes is the proper tool for the job."

With that, he crouched down and whipped a knife out of his pant leg, spinning it around in his hand. He always moved a bit better without the wire in. He listened to her speak to him, trying to catalog all she said and still unable to categorize her as a person. " Well, you picked a hell of a time to come here. Strange things are afoot in this town. And you're welcome for the save. Couldn't just leave you there. And wait a minute, when did I ever say it was a date? I just said we were gonna give your night another try!"

He spun around to face her with a devilish grin. "And you're on. we'll start preparing tonight."

[Skylar]

She couldn't help herself. No really..she couldn't. She tossed her head back and laughed harder then she could ever remember laughing. She placed a hand on her stomach, holding her ribs. “You know Dario, I'm not sure what to think about you. But none the less, you're right about one thing. Every trade has a tool needed to get to the climax of a job.”

“I actually didn't chose to come here. I was headed somewhere else and jumped the wrong ship I think. That's in the past though, I'm here and here is where I'm staying. Least for now.” Her laughter had died down to a few sporadic giggles.

She got up, and tossed the wash cloth on the table. Leaning closer to him now, dangerously so perhaps, her voice lowered to an almost seductive whisper. “For the record, my night was a date. So a date it shall stay.”

[Syntaphar]

Dario couldn't help but laugh with her. He wasn't sure what to think about her either, but he always could go for a laugh where there was none previously. He spun the knife a last time and slid it back into his pant leg. He had several more hidden in key locations, but that was his main one at the moment. He smiled as she leaned in, and when she whispered at him, he chuckled and responded "Well, that's just fine, but let's not get TOO far ahead of ourselves. Put your pants back on, if you would, cause we're heading out tonight.

It had been a while since he had pulled a straight theft, and he wanted to treat it right, with a little flair he always added to this sort of mission. He reached into a duffel bag near the bed and withdrew a black porcelain mask, in the style of the classical crying theater mask. He tied it to his face and spun it around so it was on the back of his head instead. He looked at Frankie, wondering whether she really wanted him to go through with the theft, or if buying was fine. He could go either way. "Well? What are we doing tonight, if you have a preference?"

[Skylar]

Her pants had tiny tattered holes stained with blood on them. She grabbed them and held them up, looking over them. Least if it were dark, it wouldn't be as noticeable. With a shrug, and nothing else to put on for the moment, she slipped her legs one at a time back into her pants and fastened them up quickly.

“Truth be told, it really doesn't matter. I just...gotta get outta these clothes.” She held her hands out, offering him to look over her. She was a mess really. Blood stained shirt, blood stained pants. Hair now pulled back sloppily. She shook her head.

“Clean clothes, and a hot bath, and I'll be a new woman.” She smiled and ran her hand over the top of her head to smooth back her hair. “Got anything that smells nice in that bathroom? Might be nice to actually feel like a woman again...”

[Syntaphar]

Dario looked at the pants Frankie had and tsked at them, shaking his head slowly side to side. That falling restaurant really did a number on her, and he couldn't help but figure that was the first time anyone had had that thought in human history. He looked up and down her and smiled. "But Frankie, you look stunning in red! I see what you mean, though. Go take a look in the bathroom, there are a few things I have and a few things the hotel provided. Have a nice long relaxing wash, and by the time you're out, you'll have a brand new set of clothes. This should be no problem at all."

Dario spun the mask around his head again so that it faced forward, making him look rather solemn and intimidating. He stepped over to the door of bathroom and held it open for her, and then sauntered back over to the bed, putting his coat back on. He always did dress to kill. If Frankie could discern a wink through a mask, she would in this case. He dashed out the door, saying only "The race is on, miss!"

[Skylar]

She shook her head at his words. His silliness making her laugh quietly. Truth was, she did look stunning in red, but not when it was her own blood.

She found him rather charming, oddly enough. Normal guys were just so...normal. Again she laughed, only this time at her own thoughts. She tossed a look toward the bathroom, a bath sounded heavenly. With a nod, she moved over to the door that was now held open for her. “Thank ya sir.”

Walking past him, she stopped just long enough to take to her tip toes and kiss the cheek of the mask, leaving a small smudge from her lips. She had noted the wink, a half smile still held true to her features. "Stay safe."

With that he was out the door, off to get her clothes. She would almost bet that he would pay for them before steal them, but none the less it was kind of him to allow her to stay while he went out for her.

She turned the water on in the tub, and dropped the stopper in the drain. Slowly she searched though the stuff in the bathroom. She was finally satisfied when she found some girly smelling shampoos and soaps- a light floral scent.

Dumping a bit in the water, she discarded her clothes on the floor and sank down into the hot water. Man, it felt so good, the warmth, the bubbles overtaking her....she closed her eyes and lost track of everything...

[Syntaphar]

Frankie didn't have to know he was buying the clothes, right? On some level we wondered if she figured he would, but he might as well not say anything and let her think what she was going to think. He figured he might as well leave the reward box there, as he expected to be back before much snooping around could be done, and he could probably find her if she left with it. Luckily enough, there was a clothing store not too far away, this being a nice neighborhood and all.

Stowing the mask away in his jacket, Dario fetched a few pairs of jeans and a couple tank tops, just some basic utilitarian garb.. He didn't know if that was what she liked to wear, but it would do, and he didn't want to spend too much time picking things out. He was getting strange enough looks already. He decided not to look the cashier in the eye as he paid for the clothes. He walked out peacefully and went back to the hotel, reattaching the mask to his face. Walking in, he said rather loudly: "I'm home! How are you doing?"

[Skylar]

His voice startled her. How long had it been?! The tub was still full of bubbles, and slowly she pulled her hands up from the water and noticed they were only a little pruney. She sank back into the water, dunking her head under this time.

“Welcome home honey, how was your day!?” The sarcasm in her voice was unmistakable, though she hoped for at least a laugh from him.

She poured a small amount of the shampoo in her hand and suds her hair up in a bit of a hurry. She didn't want him to think her all girly for enjoying her bath as much as she was. Truth was, she couldn't remember the last time she had this kind of time to actually enjoy one, so she might as well now.

[Syntaphar]

Dario laughed silently to himself as he walked back into the hotel room and took his coat off once again. Careful to hide the bag the clothes came in, and careful also not to let it crinkle too loudly, He withdrew the outfits and reached his arm into the bathroom with them, not actually looking in. He dropped them on the sink, silently waved and pulled his arm back out. He matched her sarcasm. "Oh, just another day, dear! Falling buildings, framing office workers, obtaining clothes for you, pretty normal!"

Dario walked around the hotel room a minute, finally deciding to stow the bag from the clothing store in the bottom drawer of the dresser. He walked back over to the bathroom door and gently knocked. "Hey, take your time in there. I'll be out here doing... um... whatever." He honestly had no idea what to do in there. It's doubtful he ever spent so much time in that room at once during the entire trip. Finally, he settled on wiping off his knife collection, which he spread out on the bed.

[Skylar]

She noticed his arm drop the clothes onto the sink and her laugh grew louder. But man...those fresh clothes were calling her. She couldn't wait to put them on. New clothes, actually new...not previously owned. She was totally excited.

She rinsed her hair, washed her body, blah blah blah, and felt fantastic. Soon she was out, dried, and standing in front of the mirror looking over her body and it's new battle scars. They weren't as bad as she thought they would be, but they'd sure as hell leave interesting scars.

Not too long after Dario had arrived back, she was coming out of the bathroom in a clean pair of jeans and a tank top. “You're good.” She smirked as she plopped down in the chair, right where shes left it. “These clothes fit perfectly.” Again she held her arms out, offering him to look over her. She knew she wasn't a bad looking woman, and in a way she was taunting him.

Her eyes turned to the blades now, something that had always fascinated her. Her lips puckered in a silent Ooo as she leaned forward, looking over them more closely. “Nice collection you have there Dario...”

[Syntaphar]

Dario was on his fourth knife of the ten he had laid out. All of them were from vastly different places, and each had been used to do a job there. He smiled up at Frankie, who looked quite nice actually in her new clothes, mostly because she was so happy with them. He took his time looking over her as she spread her arms out in invitation. With a self-confident but playful smile, he said "I'm not good Frankie. I'm simply the best. When I'm sent on a job, I settle for nothing less but my employer's complete and total satisfaction."

He looked back down at his collection as she did, starting to work on the fifth knife, a long, smooth-bladed one. "Thank you. This one, I used for a job way out across the sea. Was hell getting the boat clearance, but doing jobs has a way of getting you the means for better jobs. Heh, I guess they say there's a bit of a lunatic in every collector. Think that's doubly so for knife collectors like me?" He thought to himself for a moment, looked up at Frankie with another smile and turned his attention back to the knives.

"Nah, I think the two facts are unrelated."

[Skylar]

She offered him nothing more then a smirk while the wheels in her mind turned and turned. “You know..” She wet her lips and let an airy laugh escape her parted lips before continuing. “I'm not really your employer, because, I offered you nothing in return.” She winked at him, and sat back in her chair once more.

There were a few things on her mind, some she wished to bring up, some she didn't and some quite frankly she didn't wanna know about. However.... “Why were you sent to kill Xavier?” It was blunt. Straight to the point, and her eyes were locked to him.

There was no smile upon her face, no hint of joking. She really wanted to know why Dario was sent to kill the man that, while arrogant, was nothing but nice to her.

[Syntaphar]

Dario rolled his eyes innocently when Frankie took issue with his choice of the word employer. "Why, of course you offered me something in return. You have your clothes, and I have your gratitude. Deal over, contract complete." His playful smile weakened a bit when she asked about Gottheit. He started crafting an elaborate lie, but he figured he didn't have anything to lose by telling her the truth. It's not like the mission was registered as top secret. He took a deep breath as he recounted what actually happened when he got the job in his mind.

"I am a freelance assassin, first of all. This means that this job was not personal to me, and whether it was personal to my employers is none of my business. As near as I can tell, Gottheit was a soldier for the longest of times, or more accurately somewhere between a soldier and an assassin. He was a general problem solver, let's say. At some point, on a desert mission, he was supposed to have died. Bled out from a wound. But believe it or not, he came to work with my employers, the Syndicate, several months later. Over time, the Syndicate realized that there was something wrong with him. He was dangerous, and death followed him around. They basically wanted me to turn his on-the-books fake death into an off-the-books real death. And they paid me quite a bit just as a down-payment. And as you saw, the attempt didn't go so hot. I was close though, damn was I close."

He looked at her solemnly. "And given the chance, I'm going to try again. That's my job, and just the way it is."

[Skylar]

She hung on his every word, taking them for what they were worth, and by the sound of his voice, they were worth gold.

She nodded to his words, and while they were slightly shocking, they explained a lot, and she respected him for being honest with her. The fact was, now that the initial shock of the day had warn off, she didn't know Xavier, save for what he told her, and honestly, he could have told her whatever he wanted.

“I understand.”

She bit down on her bottom lip, her leg bouncing as she thought. “So what does this mean for me?” It may strike him odd, her question, but...it was what was on her mind. “I assume you aren't going to kill me, as you didn't have to save me to begin with. But...what now?”