here you go @fredhincanada @eminerale and everyone else who wants to read it:
“Can you please, just, stop pacing and sit back down? You’re going to wear a hole in my birchwood flooring,” Angelina said for the fifth or sixth time to Neeku.
Not wanting to listen right away to the pretty princess priestess -Neeku giggled to herself, but unfortunately Sheeba still wasn’t available to appreciate her alliteration humor, which made her sigh outwardly- the young assassin finally stopped after another two or so circuits and hopped back up on the gurney. Putting her head in her left hand, she sighed again.
“Look, I know this seems, well…” Angelina began.
Neeku interrupted her. “Crazy? Idiotic? A trap? Take your pick, they’re all an accurate description of what you just told me.” She watched the blonde priestess stiffen further with each word she said. Neeku held up her hand placatingly. “I’m not saying that I’m not grateful for you saving my body while I was feigning death, I truly am, but I don’t think committing suicide is a good way for me to show my appreciation.”
“Do you really think I would go to all this trouble to save your life JUST to ask you to throw it away? What kind of monster do you take me for?” Angelina snorted as she put her hands on her knees and leaned forward, glaring at Neeku. The young assassin started humming to herself, and realized it was because she could see down Angelina’s top from this angle, so she quickly got down from the gurney before she started blushing.
Stuttering slightly, Neeku spoke up, restraining herself from pacing again. “No, it’s, well, not that, of course I don’t think you’re a monster! Prissy and judgmental, yes; but a monster, not at all. I’ve met actual monsters, and you don’t strike me as one.” Looking over at Angelina, the only response she got was a raised eyebrow and her arms crossed across her chest, which did not bring Neeku any comfort. Looking away, she started to pace but stopped herself, growling in frustration.
Spinning around, Neeku thought of a way to drive her point home. “So, you know how I can’t speak to Sheeba in here, nor can She speak to me, correct?” Looking at the young priestess, Neeku saw her begin to shake her head, then stop herself. “Is there something you want to say, Angelina?” the young assassin asked.
Angelina seemed unsure, then took a deep breath. “I just think it’s cute and sweet how you pretend that a Goddess is talking back to you. You don’t have to lie on my behalf, I won’t think less of you.”
“Call me a liar one more time, I…wait, what do you mean, ‘pretend that a Goddess is talking back to you’? You don’t talk to Frea?” Neeku waited for a response, her anger melting away as quickly as it appeared. She unclenched her jaw -and her left fist, which had happened involuntarily- and schooled herself to be patient.
Tucking a stray strand of blonde hair behind her left ear, Anglina hemmed and hawed. “I mean, of course I talk to my Goddess! It’s called ‘praying’, which seems silly that you don’t know that term. I mean, what kind of teaching did you have when joining your religion, I have to wonder. It’s a sad state of affairs when…”
Neeku slid up to Angelina and pressed her index finger against her lips, shushing her; granted, she had to stand on her tiptoes to do so, but it was satisfying to see it work so well. Plus, being this close to her she could breathe in and smell the daffodils and lilac on the young priestess’s skin. It was nearly intoxicating. “You’re stalling and deflecting, which is absolutely adorable, but you still haven’t answered the question. Do you, or do you not, talk to your Goddess? Because I’m telling you, I do. Not only do I serve Her, but She’s one of my oldest friends in this world. I love Her as She loves me.”
Angelina drew herself up and leaned her head back, so Neeku put her left hand back down. Closing her eyes, a single tear fell down one cheek. “No. No, I can’t say that my Goddess talks back to me. I HAVE to trust that She hears my prayers -faith in a higher power and all that- but I’ve never had an actual conversation with Her.” Quietly, she practically whispered. “That sounds very lovely.”
The urge to hug and comfort the young priestess was overwhelming, but unsure how well it would be received, Neeku settled for rubbing her right arm consolingly. “Why doesn’t She respond?” she said softly.
“Oh, I don’t know. I was taught that it’s like how we can’t hear conversations very well when we’re in a crowd, which is why Frea doesn’t respond, since She can’t really tell who’s talking to Her or how long ago it was.” Angelina sniffed once, and patted Neeku’s hand with her left one. She then stepped back slightly and brushed away the tears with the tips of her fingers, trying to compose herself.
Settling back on her feet normally, Neeku gave that some thought. “I suppose that makes sense for us. We’re mortals, yes? Our senses are limited. But these are divine beings! I would just assume that a being with that much power wouldn’t be bound by our fleshy restrictions.” Seeing Angelina stiffen with hurt over her words, Neeku kept speaking. “Then again, what in the Hells do I know, right? It’s not like I’ve had lots of priestess training or anything like that. I’m just a lowly assassin, right?”
“Is that a short joke at your own expense? I would’ve thought that ‘beneath’ you,” Angelina sniffed, but she smiled when she said it.
“At my height, there’s not a whole lot that’s ‘beneath’ me,” Neeku shot back, grinning as she did so, and it brought a throaty chuckle to Angelina. They stared at each other for a few seconds before Neeku cleared her throat. “I, uh, I think we got off topic,” she said.
“You’re right, I apologize for interrupting you. Please, continue,” Angelina said.
Clearing her throat once more, Neeku was pleasantly surprised when Angelina turned and grabbed another waterskin resting by her chair and handed it to her. Raising the skin to cheer, the young assassin took a long drink before closing the skin up, setting it beside her and continuing. “I was saying that the reason I can’t talk to Sheeba right now is because your house has been sanctified to Frea, correct?” Barely waiting for Angelina to nod, Neeku kept talking. “So anywhere the members of your faith, the higher up clergy, live would also be sanctified, right? As would your churches or temples or whatever you call the places of worship.”
“Sun-gardens,” Angelina offered. “We call them ‘sun-gardens’.”
Neeku couldn’t help but roll her eyes at the piece of information. “Right, I can’t say that with a straight face. Anyway, since they’re also sanctified, I would have difficulty infiltrating them. Yes,” she held up her hand as Angelina tried to speak, “I am trained in ways of stealth that don’t require the magic of my Goddess to work, but they’re a LOT more difficult. Plus, there’s that whole ‘I only have one hand when not calling upon the shadows’ thing that makes climbing walls and picking locks just a tad more challenging.” As she said this, Neeku raised her left hand and pinched the air between thumb and forefinger before spreading them apart as far as she could, earning her a light chuckle from Angelina. “She stops being so prissy when she laughs,” she thought to herself, “and dare I say it, becomes…fun.”
“What happened to your right hand?” Angelina asked out of the blue, and when Neeku stared at her, eyes widening, she talked faster. “I mean, it’s a clean cut, so did you lose it during a mission, or did you offer it as a sacrifice, or…” she slowly sputtered out.
“Do you think that’s appropriate, asking someone about their disability? That’s just extremely rude of you!” Neeku asked, cradling her right wrist with a look of betrayal on her face, and as Angelina fell over herself trying to explain and apologize at the same time, burst out laughing. “I’m messing with you! No, I lost it when a trap I thought I’d disabled had a 2nd trigger and poisoned me with a tiny needle. If my mentor hadn’t cut the hand off, I would have died before he had time to prepare an antidote.” Images of glimpsing a tiny needle with a purple dripping tip, Jonah laying her down as he undid his belt and made a tourniquet just below her right wrist, pulling the leather tight as he told her it would be all right, asking her to close her eyes so she didn’t have to see him wield his machete against her, the agony of the cut and then blissful unconsciousness…some things you don’t forget, no matter how much time has passed.
She shrugged. “It was five or six years ago; I’ve had plenty of time to get used to it not being there. And, being able to summon a shadow-hand from darkness really does make it bearable. I’m just glad I’m ambidextrous, especially in certain things; otherwise, I don’t know what I’d do.”
Struggling to control her annoyance, Angelina asked, “Like going to the toilet?”
Turning so she wouldn’t see the blush blooming on her cheeks, Neeku squeaked out, “Something like that,” and tried not to imagine what she’d really been insinuating. When she’d gotten herself under control, she turned back around. “Anyway, what I’m trying to say is that I’m going to need information, and lots of it, before I commit to this. I’m not saying ‘no’ but I’m also not saying ‘yes’ just yet; does that seem fair to you?”
Begrudgingly, Angelina nodded. “I suppose it does at that. ‘Prepare for the worst, hope for the best, and settle for what happens’ is still great advice all these years later.”
“Is that some mantra that Frea says?” Neeku asked.
“No, something my father would say when I was being particularly obnoxious when I was younger,” Angelina said, and Neeku couldn’t stop herself; she burst out laughing, and after a pause Angelina joined her, both crying and barely able to stand from laughing so hard. After a minute or two, the laughter tapered off, and they both were finally able to stand back up again. “Goodness me, I haven’t laughed that hard in…oh I don’t know, years! I honestly can’t remember the last time I let myself just enjoy something for once!” The young priestess said, shaking her head fondly and wiping the tears from her eyes.
Before she had time to consider if it was wise, Neeku went up to Angelina, stood on her tiptoes and cradled the back of the young priestess’s head with her left hand, gently pulling her down for a soft kiss, both of their heads tilted in the opposite direction instinctually. After an eternity -or what felt like it- Neeku broke the kiss and set back on her feet, left hand now resting on Angelina’s right shoulder. Thankfully, both of them seemed to be slightly out-of-breath. “What, what was that for?” Angelina whispered.
“Like you said,” Neeku gulped out, “I couldn’t remember the last time I let myself enjoy something for once.”
“And,” Angelina said, swallowing before continuing, “did you enjoy it?”
“I did,” Neeku admitted. “Your lips are soft and taste of wine, I’m assuming you had with your lunch?” Angelina nodded, still gazing deep into her eyes. “So,” Neeku asked, more nervous than she’d been killing the Governor, “did you enjoy it?”
“Your lips are both rough and yet soft at the same time,” Angelina answered, and before Neeku could pull away, leaned down and cupped her face. “I like that. So yes,” she said, before being bold and stealing another kiss, “I did enjoy it.” She smiled languidly at Neeku, who couldn’t help but smile back. “But, I believe you said I need to go out and gather some information for you? And I’m sure you’d like to speak to your Goddess again. Shall we say you come back here tomorrow night, around 21st Bell?”
“Sounds like a date,” Neeku replied, and was rewarded with Angelina blushing at her words. “But, I think I should wait for nightfall before leaving your place, to avoid suspicion. Is that all right with you?” She couldn’t help but hold her breath waiting for the response.
Angelina grinned. “I am definitely ‘all right’ with that.” And Neeku sighed in relief.
