shadows of the night [chemistry]

[♥Picasso]

Cadoc}

As the ebony canine stalked the streets of the slums, the wind howled around him. It had recently rained, leaving the damp scent hanging in the air. Cadoc was finding it difficult stalking his new victim. His face was grim as he ploughed through the howling wind. The air rushed through his thick coat, still making him shiver involuntarily as he tried to shadow himself to the buildings. It was the dead of the night; Cadoc's favourite time to work. It would be so dark, usually only the night cats would be out tonight. Cold and a little tired, Cadoc hoped to find this blasted dog as soon as possible. His client, a Golden Retriever who had been attacked, raped and half-blinded by the dog had come to Cadoc, hoping he could kill the bastard. Cadoc had taken the scent that was still left on the retriever, and in return the bitch would give him food and shelter for the night. Now he was trying to trace some mysterious scent that Cadoc was finding increasingly difficult to follow.

His nose lowered to the ground in a hope that he would find the scent stronger, however it was fading from the recent rain. Cursing, Cadoc squinted through the night. He remembered the retriever's words, "He's small but vicious. His coat is completely white, all but for his left ear, which is brown." Perhaps Cadoc would have to rely more on sight and recognition than scent. He sighed and continued to walk down the path between the slums. These old shacks were all but falling apart around him. The iron roofs were rusting away from the constant lack of care and many had fallen into themselves. He glanced about, wondering where such a dog could hide in this place. Cadoc was sure that his victim was around here somewhere, probably sleeping peacefully. A wry smile appeared on his lips. Not for long. Soon he will be sleeping eternally.

Cadoc suddenly got a scent of something. Not the same as his victim, but of meat. Rabbit. His stomach growled impatiently. Cadoc hadn't eaten in several days and was longing for a decent meal. Licking his chops, Cadoc knew someone was nearby if a fresh kill had been made. Following the scent of the corpse, it led Cadoc into one of the run-down shacks. His eyes had to adjust to the sheer darkness of the room, before he spotted a slumbering canine in the corner and a half-eaten dead rabbit by his paws. Cadoc's eyes widened with excitement at the rabbit. Perhaps he'd get two meals tonight. Slowly but surely, Cadoc took each step forward, growing closer and closer to the canine. He recognised the brown ear immediately and knew this was him. He was smaller than Cadoc had anticipated and wondered how such a small dog could be so vicious to a retriever. Nevertheless, Cadoc approached with caution.

The black dog was inches away from the dog's throat when the other canine's eyes flew open. Cadoc stumbled with surprise as his soon-to-be victim started snapping his jaws furiously. There was no conversation as he began to advance on Cadoc, eyes blazing angrily. Wary, Cadoc took a step back, not wanting to fight him. He hated it when he had to fight with his victim. He wanted death to be quick and painless, but this dog was going to make it impossible for him. Taking a deep breath, Cadoc launched at the smaller dog, but the dog had it coming and easily dodged, sending Cadoc stumbling. Cursing underneath his breath, he suddenly felt teeth latch onto his flank and Cadoc howled in pain as he tried to gain the upperhand.

[* chemistry]

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[atrb=background,http://i963.photobucket.com/albums/ae113/gimble2355/table1middle.jpg] [scrolly:h(310),w(199),sy] It was late in the night, the thick layer of clouds blocking out every last ounce of light from the moon. Darkness had engulfed the small town, and the only sound to be heard was the howling wind. It rattled through the streets, making window panes tremble in their frames and doors dance back and forth, sometimes slamming closed. It had rained recently, and the ground was still damp from the shower, making walking silently exceptionally easy. The shadowy feline slipped through an ajar door into the alley, disappearing into the shadows of the night. Her client had just left, a golden retriever lacking an eye. The canine had been raped and half-blinded by a small but ferocious dog. His rank scent still lingered in her nose, and her mind imprinted it solidly into her memory. Now, she wouldn't forget it. The ebony creature padded silently into the slums, heading for the place the retriever had last seen the vicious bastard, ignoring the cold that stung at her skin. In a few weeks, her winter coat would come in and the she-cat would be mostly protected from the icy temperatures. The assassin slunk into the alleyway where the white canine was last known to be, stopping in the shadow of the wall. The ebony she-cat opened her mouth, breathing in the scents of the night. Luckily for her, there was still a lingering hint of the dog's scent on the ground, and the feline smiled internally. Setting out again, the cat advanced quickly but cautiously, her senses alert to everything out of the ordinary. It wasn't long before the quiet sound of pawsteps in front of her hit her sensitive ears. The steps, although muted, were accompanied by the distinctly canine clicking of claws on the bitumen, and the feline could tell by the sound of those paws that the canine was quite large and had a weight much exceeding hers. Cautiously, the feline registered the nearest tree and, unsheathing her sharp claws, proceeded to pull herself quietly up the tree. She pounced onto the rooftop next to the tree, looking down into the alley. It was a shepherd, a mix obviously, quite large but the bones of his hips protruded slightly. He was thinner than he should be. She studied his body language. His face was set and grim, as if he had some very important job to do and he stalked with his step determined. But what was most interesting was that he seemed to be following the same scent she was. The feline started following the dog, for he seemed familiar. Hadn't she heard of him before? She searched her memory. Yes, she knew who he was. He was another assassin like her, but his name was known as the Night Assassin. She had heard rumours that he was an ebony shepherd mix, and this one fit the bill. He had a mode of operation slightly different than hers. She never showed herself to her clients, but he did. Could it be possible that their paths cross? But this time, could it be they were hunting the same target? Time to find out. The feline slipped back down into the alley, following the canine at a distance and using the shadows to conceal herself but keeping a trace on the scent of her victim. Indeed, the canine seemed to be leading her directly to the bastard she was supposed to kill. A new scent hit her nose at that moment. The juicy aroma of a rabbit. Did her target have a meal? The sudden perk in the dog's body language led her to think he had caught the scent too. So he was heading towards the target. She smiled internally; this would be interesting. The canine in front of her slipped into a small house. The she-cat pounced onto the sill of the window, silent as a shadow. She would have a front seat view on the action inside the room. The victim was seemingly asleep in a corner, a rabbit laying half-eaten on the ground. Ignoring the hare, the assassin slipped silently towards the dog. He was good, she had to admit. His pawsteps were silent, controlled. He knew what he was doing. The feline watched in silence as he approached. Closer, closer. . . At the last second, the victim's eyes flew open, and his powerful jaws snapped at the assassin's face. The shepherd took a step back, the other dog advancing towards him. Well, this would certainly be interesting. The she-cat's fearsome yellow eyes caught every detail of the action. The smaller dog was powerful and bulky, she would have to beat him with speed, agility and flexibility, her speciality. The larger seemed unwilling to fight, but it didn't stop him from pouncing at the white dog. Unfortunately, he seemed to have underestimated the ivory bastard. The canine side-stepped him and launched himself at the Dutch shepherd's flank, his teeth latching on firmly. The assassin howled in pain. The ebony she-cat decided it was time to act. The she-cat raised herself in a flash, evaluating the possibilities. The bastard was only an inch or so taller than her, but a lot more powerful. The cat pounced, a hiss escaping her jaws, flying in a graceful high arc and landing squarely, claws unsheathed, right onto the white dog's face. Her front paws slashed viciously at the canine's eyes, scratching deeply the right and lightly in the left, enough to blind him in one eye and severely impair the sight in the other. The dog howled in pain, letting go of the larger dog. He charged forward, snapping his jaws blindly. Crouching, the female pounced as high as she could, twisting in mid air, this time landing on the white dog's back. She gave a cold smile. Holding on in with her front claws, the assassin slithered the front of her body under the dog's neck, the hindquarters holding on firmly to his back. Her jaws opened, revealing deadly sharp teeth, which she sunk deeply into the dog's neck, severing the arteries. The metallic taste of blood filled her mouth, but she couldn't let go, otherwise the dog writhing underneath her would turn his head and be able to get a hold of her. The white bastard was powerful though, and she couldn't hope to hold on unless the larger shepherd did something. . . ---------------------------- words; 1082 muse; 10/10 tags; Picasso with Cadoc! <3 notes; Holy smokes, my muse was on fire! Well, first posts with new characters do that to yah :3 [/scrolly]

[♥Picasso]

Cadoc}

Cadoc flinched as the other dog went to attack him again. He felt blood ooze from the wound on his side. He briefly glanced at it and assured himself that it wasn't a serious injury. It would scab over and heal within a few days and probably wouldn't even leave a scar. He backed up a little, keeping his eyes focused on the dog before him. It was difficult to keep focused when it was so dark. Cadoc didn't have good eyesight in the night, despite being the Night Assassin, and was finding it tricky to actually aim a blow at the dog. He was just about to launch an attack at the smaller dog when he saw a black blur and a feline attacking at the dog's face. He paused, stunned. He hadn't even scented another animal, let alone a feline, and wasn't quite sure what to make of this. Why was she helping in this fight? Unless she had qualms over this dog as well. Perhaps she was getting her own revenge? Or maybe she was just bloodthirsty, and was aiming to attack Cadoc as soon as she was done blinding this dog.

Cadoc found it terribly ironic that this dog was now half-blind. A decent punishment for blinding another canine. He let out a small smirk of amusement, before watching as the feline launched again at the furious dog again. He was a dead dog walking. If the feline failed to take him down, then Cadoc surely would. He surged forwards as the cat sank her sharp teeth into the dog's throat. A killing blow. Cadoc was mildly impressed with this feline. It didn't take long for Cadoc to see that the cat was now struggling to keep the writhing canine at bay. He leapt at the dog, throwing the white canine to the ground. He pressed two paws against the dog's flank pressing down on his chest. He felt the bones creak uneasily. It wouldn't be long now. He looked down into the deep, brown eyes as it gasped for breath. His limbs barely flinched as he gradually lost more blood. The crimson blood pooled around his neck, soaking his fur. Cadoc watched grimly as the dog clawed for each, aching breath. It was only one more minute before the canine beneath Cadoc grew still. His eyes glazed over, staring unseeingly into the distance. Dead.

Cadoc stepped off the dog, avoiding the puddle of blood and slinking into the shadows. He would reek of the dog's blood nevertheless. The retriever would believe him. Unless the feline told her otherwise. He glanced over at the ebony cat, smaller than both Cadoc and the corpse. He narrowed his eyes, unsure of how to approach the topic. Who was she? Was she going to attack Cadoc now? He didn't want to fight another. He was already weak from the fight, especially with no food in his belly. He quickly glanced hungrily at the rabbit in the corner. His stomach was achingly empty and he longed to go to the rabbit and rip the flesh from its bones. As long as he returned to the retriever, he would get a decent meal from her. She promised something good. Something juicy. He licked his lips at the thought.

Finally, he set his gaze back to the feline, "Who are you?" He asked suspiciously. He stared down at the corpse. Why would a feline want to kill this dog? Unless she was part of the Iris Pride. Perhaps she wanted to kill all dogs. Rolling his eyes at the blasted war, Cadoc decided not to wait for a reply. He was hungry and wanted to find the retriever as soon as possible so that he could get his meal. He stalked back into the night, keeping to the shadows. The moon illuminated the way as he traced his steps back. It would probably be a twenty minute walk, at least. Perhaps more if the retriever had moved from her shelter. Twenty minutes was nothing compared to the meal that was waiting for him.

All thoughts of the feline left his mind. He wasn't interested. The retriever didn't have to know that he got help from a cat. He would tell her that he slit the dog's throat and he would get his meal. As Cadoc gazed up at the sky, he saw clouds approaching. Thick, dark, black clouds. More rain. Cadoc sighed grimly. It was a good job the retriever was providing shelter for him as well. He didn't want to be sodden through with rain. Perhaps the retriever would let him get close to her as well. Unlikely from the rape. Still, Cadoc wouldn't mind. As long as he got a roof over his head and was protected from the rain. He continued along the street.

[* chemistry]

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[atrb=background,http://i963.photobucket.com/albums/ae113/gimble2355/table1middle.jpg] [scrolly:h(310),w(199),sy] The taste of blood had invaded her mouth, bitter-sweet in connotation, but ever so satisfying. The taste of a good fight, the taste of a small victory. She let go of the dog's neck, keeping a hold on the dog's back with her claws, pushing her whole bodyweight on top of the ivory dog. She struggled to keep him onto the ground, his writhing body a lot stronger than she was. Using her powerful back legs, the ebony creature launched herself from the canine's back, landing softly to his side. Unfortunately, he seemed to have sensed the direction of her fall and even though he was bleeding heavily from his severed arteries, the bastard didn't seem to want to give up the fight. He pushed himself onto his legs and snapped his jaws blindly in her direction. Giving no sound indication of where she was, the female lashed her claws out at his nose, opening gashes on the canine's soft skin. The canine bunched himself, preparing to spring onto her. She gave a soft hiss, readying to dodge his charge. Luckily, she didn't have to. The large shepherd leapt at the dog, knocking him easily over and throwing his bodyweight onto the ivory dog's ribs. No matter how hard the white canine writhed, he couldn't get out of the shepherd's hold. The she-cat got to get a good look at both dogs up close and personal for the first time. The white canine had a vicious face, his short muzzle wrinkled in a snarl even though he was fighting a loosing battle, anger and anguish blazing simultaneously in his blinded eyes. He was a fighter, a survivor. He took what he wanted to take when he wanted it, and crushed anyone who got in his way. A sadist by nature, he liked to see pain and inflict it. The she-cat walked calmly in a circle around the struggling pair, surprised and impressed to see that the shepherd held the ivory dog's gaze as the latter choked on his own blood, gasping for breath. He was weakening now, and his gasps were more and more feeble. The white dog gave one last look at her as she passed, and she met his brown eyes with a gaze of pure ice. He deserved to die and she knew that he knew it too. He gave one last gurgling breath before he stilled, life extinguished from his body. His eyes lost their light and now stared, unseeing, straight at her. He was dead. The she-cat raised her intense yellow eyes onto the one she knew to be the Night Assassin. His Dutch lineage was clear in his boxed muzzle and long body, but there were minute traces of another lineage somewhere in there. His amber eyes were rather emotionless, much like hers. He stepped off of the corpse, taking care in avoiding the blood as he slipped into the shadows. The she-cat settled herself in a sitting position, her tail curling gracefully around her paws, studying him. He did the same, and his dark eyes narrowed as he looked her over. She held his gaze evenly. He was probably wondering who she was and why she helped him. Pertinent enough questions. She made no attempt to speak, for she knew he would bring up the subject. Why talk unnecessarily? So she waited, her fearsome yellow eyes still set on his face. He glanced at the half-eaten rabbit, burning hunger in his eyes. That was probably how he worked; kill someone, get a meal in return. She did too, to a certain point, but when times were peaceful she was perfectly able to hunt for herself; only a mouse sufficed most of the time. His tone was suspicious when he addressed her. Who are you? The she-cat gave a small smirk, her yellow eyes holding a hint of mockery. Oh how she liked to play with others. ” Well, I'm sure if you think long enough and hard enough you'll find the answer in the end,” she said, her smirk not leaving her lips. He didn't seem interested in her reply though, and he got up, exiting the small house. He didn't seem to be interested in anything except satisfying his stomach. The she-cat hesitated. Well, wherever the shepherd was going, the golden retriever would be there in the end. He would certainly find her. After all, she had his meal. And her sense of a well-done job wouldn't let her leave the shepherd to get all the credit. The charcoal feline rose to her feet, daintily avoiding the pool of dark blood and proceeded to follow the canine into the alley, staying a step or two behind him, in case he decided he would rather like her as a meal instead. ”I'll give you a hint. You aren't the only one that does the job you do, Night Assassin,”

[/color] she said, pronouncing the name distinctly, slowly. With any luck, she would be able to strike up a conversation with that, even though he didn't seem the talkative type.[/justify]

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words; 845
muse; 10/10
tags; Picasssssso with Cadoc!
notes; --
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[♥Picasso]

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[atrb=background,http://i48.tinypic.com/34ipabl.jpg] Cadoc didn't understand the black cat's reply to his question. If he thought long enough and hard enough? Cadoc wasn't much of a thinker. He wasn't clever nor stupid. He had the common sense of an average canine. So when this strange feline told Cadoc that, it puzzled him. What would a feline be doing out here, helping Cadoc destroy that one canine? She could have picked any dog to kill off, so why did she choose one that Cadoc had already been advancing on? Or was she just a feline passing by, heard the commotion, and decided to step in? As Cadoc started to walk, he heard the ebony feline start to follow him. He looked around at her and breathed in her scent. This had not been her first kill, that was for sure. She reeked of death and blood. A sadist? Did she take pleasure in killing for no reason? He sighed. There were many branches Cadoc could take in guessing what this charcoal cat could be, but all were reaching a dead end. Pacing down the alleyway, Cadoc wondered whether this cat was going to follow him all the way back to the Retriever. He was unsure whether the other dog would be welcome of a feline. It was almost impossible to see another animal's stance on the war, unless they smelled of the Iris, Tempest or Lexis. He gazed back at the strange cat. A loner, like him. Interesting. She clearly didn't seem to mind dogs if she was following him like this, so that meant she hadn't killed the dog back in the house for the simple reason of hating dogs. Cadoc crossed it off his list. It was then that the cat spoke up again. He paused at the mention of his alias. Night Assassin. Cadoc knew that cats and dogs now spoke about him. He wasn't exactly famous, but his name was travelling around. Cadoc was careful not to let slip of his real name. It was nice, in a way, having an alias where people didn't know the real you. Finally, realisation dawned on the Shepherd, and Cadoc stopped in the middle of the alley, turning on the cat. A small smile appeared on his lips. Of course. How had Cadoc not noticed before? She even carried the small scent of the Golden Retriever that Cadoc had visited a few hours previous. He had never met another assassin like himself, especially one who had been given the same victim by their client. Why had the Golden Retriever hired the both of them to kill one, small dog? Had she not thought Cadoc was good enough on his own? Cadoc felt a little insulted at that. How dare she! Cadoc was perfectly capable of taking down a dog single handed. Although Cadoc had got into a bit of the scuffle with his most recent victim, it wasn't like this cat had saved him. Cadoc would've recovered. Snorting, Cadoc looked the cat up and down. She was small. Stealthy. An advantage for an assassin. Her coat, the exact same colour as Cadoc's, was also good for being undetected during the night. Although small, Cadoc could see her potential. "An assassin," Cadoc concluded with a slight twinkle in his eye, "And does this assassin have a name?" Cadoc was not going to be giving out his birth name to this feline. She knew him as Night Assassin, and that would be that. He wondered how she could have possibly known he was the Night Assassin, unless she'd been tracking his work, perhaps watching him? How many others were watching him from afar? A sense of dread settled in his stomach. If he was becoming well known, then there was more of a chance that he was going to become the bounty. Someone would soon start targeting him and want him dead. Cadoc internally noted to be more careful. He couldn't trust anyone. As he stared at this feline, he knew he had to be guarded. Don't turn your back.

[* chemistry]

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[atrb=background,http://i963.photobucket.com/albums/ae113/gimble2355/table1middle.jpg] [scrolly:h(310),w(199),sy] Her words seemed to throw the canine into confusion, making the ebony feline smile internally. Words were something she could weave into another's brain, playing games with their thoughts and turning their beliefs upside down. They were as much as a weapon as her teeth and claws. Sometimes even more so. The things she could do with words. . . She could inflict wounds that scarred more than anything physical. This canine, with his emotionless eyes and methodical way of doing his job, didn't seem the type that had many friends, or much family which was close to him. A loner, most definitely by nature, maybe not the cleverest, but intelligent in his way and definitely logical. He probably didn't enjoy killing, but considered it as a job. His emotions were a rather flat line, unlike the usual roller-coaster most creatures experienced with their sentiments. In that way, the two assassins were quite similar. The black canine turned his head and gave her a look, to which she answered with a playful twinkle in her fierce yellow eyes. Will you figure out who I am? They could almost be whispering to him. It was almost a test, a test of character. Would he play the game, or would he stay out of it? The dog was in motion once more, setting a tranquil pace towards the golden retriever's lair. Every step he took was four times the distance she could cover on her much shorter legs, which meant she almost had to trot to keep up with him. Her size was both a blessing and a hindrance. She could dream of taking on large dogs on her own, which was why she kept a few steps behind the Dutch shepherd so that his movement could alert her in time. In which case her escape would be quick. His small stature helped her to slide into cracks and crevasses only inches in width. A valuable tool for a spy like her. Suddenly, the dog stopped dead. There we go, she thought, a smile pulling her right lip. He turned, a small grin on his maw, the realisation in his eyes. The feline's yellow eyes locked with the canine's brown, measuring his reaction. A tiny flicker of anger contracted his features, barely noticeable. The ebony dog was probably insulted that the retriever had hired two assassins to do the same job. It was a small dog, but if one of them failed to kill him, the other would have finished him off. The golden was smart. She ensured that the white bastard would end up dead either way, which for her was a great deal. The dog's eyes turned calculating as he looked her up and down. He was obviously evaluating her. Her cold eyes looked calmly back at him, supporting his exam without blinking. There was a new light in his eye when he said his next words. An assassin. And does this assassin have a name? Her eyes narrowed playfully, her one-sided smile appearing again. Between assassins, she could probably give him her name she gave to her clients. Black Widow. How befitting for an assassin that uses poison often. If he were to tell everyone what she looked like, his words would just get lost in the many rumours that coursed around the city on her appearance. And if not, she could do something about it. Kill him? Or maybe something worse. ”Most know me under the name of Black Widow,” she answered, her fearsome eyes not leaving his. Had he heard of her? Well, time to find out.

[/justify]

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words; 600
muse; 9/10
tags; Picasso with Cadoc!
notes;
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[♥Picasso]

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[atrb=background,http://i48.tinypic.com/34ipabl.jpg] It seemed this assassin liked playing games. She knew exactly what to say and when to say it. Her eyes sparkled with a mischievousness and she seemed to enjoy talking in riddles and playing tricks. Cadoc briefly wondered how this cat came to be an assassin like him. What was her reward for killing a client's victim? Food like Cadoc? Questions bubbled up inside of Cadoc but he stayed silent. He had never met another assassin and he was intrigued to say the least. He wondered just how many assassins there were in the city, taking on jobs and killing victims yet going unnoticed. Cadoc had never come across any others, nor had he heard of others. There couldn't be that many, surely? Cadoc drank in the felines appearance curiously, before turning again to make his way back to the retriever's hideout. Their eyes locked again when she introduced herself as Black Widow. A fitting name. Cadoc had heard of the deadly spider and of course she'd want to name herself after something silent but deadly. He nodded in reply. "I can't say I've heard of you," He admitted with an indifferent shrug, "I don't tend to converse much with others at all actually." That was the closest Cadoc would come to admitting that he didn't communicate well. It had been a long time since Cadoc had last spoken to a canine or feline that hadn't been a client, and he felt strange to say the least. His family in the outlands had never been one to speak or communicate much. They discussed when they would find their next meal and make meaningless conversation, but other than that they would act like strangers around each other. Even the canine whom Cadoc had once mated with and had puppies was a mystery to Cadoc. Her name was lost in Cadoc's memory now. He rarely thought of his two puppies that would now be old enough to fend for themselves. He didn't even know their names. It was unlikely that he would ever meet them again. As Cadoc watched Black Widow following him at a faster pace, he wondered whether she had any family. He wondered what her past was like. How does one even get into the assassin business? It had been pure luck for Cadoc. If he hadn't found that dog when he first arrived in Hexasol, he probably would've starved to death. He was embarrassed to admit that he was incapable of hunting for himself. Cadoc rarely thought about what would happen if people stopped hiring him to assassinate, or if he made one mistake which brought his reputation down. He would end up starving to death. "I take it the retriever hired you," Cadoc drawled out dully, "A joint effort of murder. What did she promise you as a reward?" He glanced over his shoulder at the cat. She didn't look thin, nor plump, but she was most likely far more capable to hunt for herself than Cadoc was. She had the ability to sneak up and pounce. Cats had the advantage of being slender and silent as they stalk their prey. It has taken Cadoc many years to perfect his gait so that he can be as silent as possible, whilst for felines it comes naturally. For that he is jealous of their heritage.

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[atrb=background,http://i963.photobucket.com/albums/ae113/gimble2355/blackmiddle_zps496fa800.jpg] Silence settled between them once more. The sound of the wind rattling in the alley seemed to be amplified by the dip in conversation. The gusts ran their cold fingers into her fur, making her shiver ever so slightly. The fact that winter was approaching was something no animal could afford to ignore. Lately, there had been a mood shift in the large town; dogs and cats were readying themselves for the cold season, piling on a few pounds in the case of a prey shortage. Hunting would become more and more difficult in the next weeks, something that made the she-cat sigh. If food became short, she could start asking for food as a reward for her services, something she didn't usually do. Luckily, her shelter was in a strategic part of town; near enough to hunt in the centre of the city and far enough from it to be a short walk from the outlands, where larger prey roamed. Her eyes settled onto the shepherd once more, taking in his slightly starved appearance. He would have to gain weight if he wanted to survive at all this winter. It was precisely this lack of weight that made her wonder how he had come to Hexasol and how he had become an assassin. Canines usually made good warriors with their powerful jaws and excellent stamina, but the fact that this one had become a hit man was surprising. It must have taken him quite some time to manage to walk with such silence, something that cats were able to do from birth. How had he come to the business? Had he, like her, been trained to do it, or had he taken it up for some other reason? His thin body seemed to be recovering from a bout of hunger, which was unusual since the late summer had been quite plentiful, despite the drought of the earlier months. Were his clients his only providers of food? That was quite probable, since the dog had neglected the half-eaten rabbit despite being obviously hungry. The golden retriever had probably promised him a meal. The only reason the she-cat was returning to the retriever was to declare the dog dead, and stop this Night Assassin from taking all the credit for the kill. At her words, the shepherd gave a nod. I can't say I've heard of you. I don't tend to converse much with others at all actually. Well, she had been right, he was a loner. But something about the way he said those words made her think that that wasn't all the story. She let it slip. She didn't want to know this canine's entire life story. Certain aspects of him did spark her curiosity, but she didn't really care about every little detail of his existence. She gave a slight smile. ”You should try it from time to time, some actually have interesting things to say,” she said, another smile pulling her right lip. Despite the large population of canines and felines in the town, there seemed to be vast majority of them whose banter was totally uninteresting, which unfortunately made them a prime target for being toyed with. I take it the retriever hired you. A joint effort of murder. What did she promise you as a reward? When the she-cat had taken the job, the golden had offered food and shelter as a reward. The she-cat had refused both offers; she had already eaten, being perfectly able to hunt for herself, and already had shelter, one she had claimed for her own. The she-cat looked into the canine's eyes. ”She offered food and shelter, but since I already had those things, I refused,”

[/color] said the ebony feline, giving an indifferent shrug. Her eyes went cold once more, losing their tint of malice. Even she didn't really know why she still did that job. She had tried to do something else, but a loner life without anything to do was something she couldn't live. It was a job, a way of occupying herself, a way of living. Did she do it for the gratitude of the client, or for some other reason? She had no clue. Maybe she just did it because it was the only thing she had ever known.[/justify]

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words; 714
muse; 9/10
tags; Picasso with Cadoc!
notes; <3 [/color][/blockquote][/td][/tr][tr][td][/td][/tr][/table][/center]

[♥Picasso]

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[atrb=background,http://i48.tinypic.com/34ipabl.jpg] ooc; sorry for the long wait! Still trying to get used to Cadoc As Black Widow recommended Cadoc conversed with others more, he let out an audible snort of contempt. Unless it was business, he had no interest in making 'friends' or 'acquaintances'. The only reason he was speaking to Black Widow now was due to their same destination. They both had to go back to that retriever and Cadoc wanted to claim his prize. It was unfortunate that two assassins had been asked to bring down one dog, but he didn't dwell on it too much. As winter approached, Cadoc was feeling more and more wary about whether he would get many assassination requests. Many animals took shelter during winter and did not actively go out and find Cadoc, however winter was the worst month for the ebony dog. He needed to eat during winter, and he most definitely could not hunt in such cold weather with limited prey. Cadoc's spine twitched with a shiver at the thought of starving to death in just a few months. As the feline mentioned that she was to get no reward for the murder, Cadoc was surprised, and slightly embarrassed. Of course, this cat could hunt and fend for herself. She didn't need to get any food or shelter from her client, unlike Cadoc. That sparked thoughts in Cadoc's mind. If she was doing this for free, why did Black Widow do this? It seemed like a strange hobby to have if you were not getting paid for it. As much as Cadoc did not care about slitting throats and murdering canines and felines, he wouldn't do this is he wasn't being paid. The only reason he did it was so he got decent food and shelter for the night. Some lucky nights, Cadoc also got a female body to pleasure him, however tonight was not one of those nights. Instead, it would be a carcass and a place to sleep with the retriever. Good enough for Cadoc, certainly. Out of intense curiosity, Cadoc voiced his thoughts, "Then why do you kill? You enjoy being an assassin?" He questioned, gazing into Black Widow's eyes. He wondered what her biggest kill had been. He couldn't imagine she found it easy to kill a fully grown canine, but perhaps she knew her ways. Cadoc's largest murder had been a wolf. He had been lucky the wolf hadn't woken when Cadoc had sneaked into the room in which it had been sleeping. However, the wolf soon woke up when he bit into the wolf's throat. Wolves had thick fur and thick skin, making it a far more difficult job for Cadoc. Fortunately, Cadoc had been strong that night and gained the upper hand. It was mere minutes until the wolf lay dead beneath Cadoc. It was a feat Cadoc was certainly proud of. Cadoc debated telling Black Widow about his inability to hunt, however he decided against it quickly. It was rare to find a canine who could not hunt for himself, and the feline would most likely laugh or ridicule him. He didn't want to be belittled by a cat. Instead, Cadoc kept silent. He didn't need to explain himself to Black Widow. She could continue wondering why he didn't just hunt for himself.