Party Crasher (Rugs)

[Poludnica]

No, Danica huffed as she began looked over the male's features. The interest was unmistakeable, the curiosity lingered in his yellow tinted eyes. The man's unmasked face had little to hide for someone like her, skilled in reading social cues like a dog was in finding bones. Gaze moving from her body, wrapped in an expensive dress to surgically crafted face. The desire was easy to read but there was also something darker, something much more sinister she could feel.

”You are awful!” The woman hissed through clenched teeth. How one could have been so merciless? Even her father had standards. She hated this male for dragging her into this mess, hated with the very core of her being and as her anger grew so did fascination of the sick nature the assassin presented.

The smug bastard smiled which only provoked the violent response. He didn't step back; didn't stop her in any manner but took the blow without any reaction. Danica hesitated, stepping back. Her hand was burning like fire, the slap was strong and she was strong for a woman thanks to the constant dance training but the male didn't even seem to feel it. Who is he???”Flashed in her mind. It only made her more scared, fear clearly visible on impeccable features.

”Shut up, it's not simple, it's murder.” Despite the defiance one may spot crustal tears watering her verdant eyes. Danica was still holding her palm close, rubbing it diligently. Her fragile veins were most likely already rupturing. As her thoughts were scattered mess the assassin was calm and collected, even after the display of Danica's temper. Goading her with stares roaming her body. ”Scum.” She repeated with much more insistence.

”You could feel your own ego, maybe.” The human responded defensively, taking a step back but meeting the wall of glass behind her back. Cool surface caused a goosebumps form on her skin, or maybe was it fear...Danica stared at the sharp canines wandering if they could bite through human's throat easily. The chuckle didn't bring any mirth, not for her.

He claimed she was curious, that might have been truth as the woman couldn't deny he was handsome but with all that came darkness. “What are you?” The woman's eyes narrowed slightly, as she was sensing something more than a simple fallen Jedi. Yes, she was curious, but maybe not in the way this male wanted her to be. Danica had always felt attraction toward the men of vague moral standing, this was not an exception but he was also raising all the red flags in her mind. Racism was just a defense, something she had learned early in her life even if disagreeing with it with her whole being...sometimes literally. For now it served as something to keep a safe distance from a male who was an embodiment of danger which drew Danica probably to meet her doom. Humans were after millions of years of evolution still the same, with instinctual needs that reigned supreme - the  Firrerreo was still an alpha male and Danica just couldn't deny he was attractive. Didn't mean she would act foolishly on that desires...

[Rugs]

The more and more she fought against him, called him scum, everything, the more Nieraan felt amusement rippling through him. She called him awful, said he was scum, denied that no matter what she thought, he'd only brought to the old man the same fate that she was clamoring for him to give the unknowing couple.

She denied her interest in him, and called it only his ego, but he knew as well as she did that she was trying to fool herself.

"You're not very good at lying, you know," he told her with a knowing little smirk on his face. "It's hard to lie to people like me."

The woman took a step away from him. She very probably would have taken more, if it weren't for the massive window that led out to the balcony behind her. Instead, her retreat was cut short, and her back was pressed against the smooth, clear surface of the window.

Nieraan shook his head slightly and closed the distance again, returning it to where it'd been before. There was something predatory in his gaze as he looked at her. She was stronger than she looked, that he could freely admit. Though now that he could see her, he could see the signs of strength--the slender figure, the supple muscle giving shape to her body. He suspected that she was no soft, ordinary wealthy woman.

But he was better. Stronger. And she knew it was true, no matter how many ways she tried to say it wasn't.

“What are you?”

"What am I?" Nieraan asked. He shrugged and smiled faintly at her, showing hints of amusement at the little game they played. Then he reached forward with his hand, toward her face. A stray lock of hair and come free, and he tucked it back into place with a very gentle finger. "Just an assassin, milady." Even though he used the honorific, there was a little twist on the word. It was amused, playful. Sarcastic. "Just what you were looking for, unless you've changed your mind about the couple?"

Another flash of amusement flared in his eyes and in the little turning up of his lips as he turned around and left her, striding back to the bed. "I'm also a man that you think is attractive, but can't seem to be able to admit to yourself." He chuckled to himself as he started pulling the sleeveless top of his undersuit up over his head. The bare muscles of his back rippled as he brought his arms back down and set the piece of clothing back down casually on the bed.

And now there was more to be seen. He was bare to the waist, and as finely sculpted and defined as the glimpse of his body through his shirt had suggested. But it was the scars that she could see now. Eleven of them, faint with age, criss-crossing his back. He knew they drew the eye, but ignored them, not missing a beat as he continued speaking with his back turned to her.

"Maybe it's because you feel a glimpse of what I am. But I have to wonder, if any of you feels a thrill at knowing what I'm capable of doing, or at the thought of knowing some of the darkness that colors who I am." Even though she couldn't see his face, he grinned, showing both of his canines. "Or if you're only a frightened little lamb..."

[Poludnica]

Now that was just a load of crap. Danica was great in lying. Lying was her second nature; her middle name and probably a second surname too. But the male was also right; it was nearly impossible to lie to a force user , a painful lesson from few years back...She cursed out her luck again. Always meeting wrong type of men, always. It was like a plague. All of them crazy, unstable and this one downright evil. The woman held her breath back once the a Firrerreo  came closer and closer...Closing the gap between them yet again, cutting off any possible escape route. ”You flatter yourself, I like men, not boys.” She snapped. It didn't matter how old the alien really was, he looked younger than her. It was also a way to use a veiled insult in a true passive aggressive way not many could pull off.

Anger made a crimson glow to flush on her cheeks when the assassin put his hand close to her face. Danica nearly snapped her teeth to bite his fingers off like a wild animal. Like back when she had been an unruly child, especially when scared. ”Take your hands off me!” He had a point, she wanted them dead and kind of ...hired him or at least tagged along which didn't make it easier. To know someone like this assassin, who probably could barely read. This caused a new wave of stingy irritation bite on her muscles, making them tense and rigid. ”Attractive ? For a boy, maybe?” She added, trying to wipe that smarmy bastard's smile off his face. Danica wanted to slap him again, and again until he learned how to treat a woman of her standing. Instead, the human just balled her hands and pressed against the window, leaving smudges warmth on their surface.

Her green eyes fixed at the being before her, not losing any detail. He looked like someone who didn't do anything in his life but worked out. Wiry muscles and bones, giving him strangely angular frame. His features might be the one of a young man but a body of a veteran warrior. The scars looked painful, burns and cuts at the same time – a lighsaber, of course. Someone had beaten him up pretty good, not that it worried her, if Danica had a fancy laser sword, she would be up to. If only with its hilt.

”Killing a helpless old man is hardly any achievement. “ The woman retorted but with less confidence but anger was still there, boiling under the surface ready to explode. ”After getting those scars you only go for a weak prey? Negotiating takes skills, slaughtering weaker than you only makes you into a sick f*ck.” Her voice trembled from both, fear and fury . There was darkness in this male, she couldn't deny it but Danica also didn't belong to a scardy lot, or rather was a part of a very impulsive kind of women, which could be called reckless, if not plainly foolish.

[Rugs]

The woman spewed more denials, even as Nieraan spoke. It seemed that now she was going to take to calling him a boy. He could at least see the line of attack; he had a youthful face, after all, but there was an amusing irony in it. Chances were, he was older than she was.

Especially if the way she acted was any indication.

”Attractive ? For a boy, maybe?”

"So you admit it," he said casually, back still turned to her. The truth was, he knew she was trying to anger him. She was trying to insult him, make him lose his temper, to put him in his place, as it were. All of her antics might have garnered more of a response for him, if he didn't have the talents that he did, or if he was as untrained in them as she was.

But, unfortunately perhaps, for her, that wasn't the way things were. The Force was his and he knew well how to use it, and it was easy to read her with his particularly honed senses. She was truly disturbed by what he'd done, yes; he could feel that. But she was naive, and for all her yelling and screaming at him, when she looked at him, he could feel the interest stirring below the surface. He could feel her curiosity, even as she hurled insults at him. That was where the amusement came from.

There was a lull once his shirt was off. Even if he couldn't see her, he could feel her eyes staring at his back. It was no cursory glance either; she was taking in detail, and more than just that of the scars old scars that crossed it.

But of course, she couldn't admit how she felt.

”Killing a helpless old man is hardly any achievement.“

"Funny," Nieraan replied, "I don't remember ever saying it was." A smirk was slowly touching his lips. She didn't sound as confident in her accusal. Emotional still, but it seemed some of the assurance in her words was fading.

”After getting those scars you only go for a weak prey? Negotiating takes skills, slaughtering weaker than you only makes you into a sick f*ck.”

Silence hung for a moment. And then, a laugh. A short laugh, but it was clear and sincere.

"Do I only go for weak prey?" Nieraan turned his head slightly, so he could look at her from the corner of a single yellow eye. "I had thought that you were more than 'weak prey,' but if that's what you insist on being..."

[Poludnica]

”Pony like cute is not attractive.” The male was becoming more and more infuriating. Danica didn't like when someone could read more and thanks to the Force the man definitely could. Tingling sensation of familiar feeling of anger coming in waves, anger she would have hard time containing, swept through her body.

Is he so deluded? Danica felt only revulsion at the what he was implying, at least tried to feel. She didn't believe herself to be so disturbed to consider sleeping around with killers and sociopaths...Not that she hadn't done it before. Biting her lip, Danica tried to keep the wave of fury at bay, but more and more cracks appeared in her mental dam. ”Don't let you mind wander - it's far too small to be let out on its own “ She risked moving toward the doors once the male wasn't looking but even with his eyes turned away he seemed to know what the woman was going to do. Always a step ahead. It was making her more irritated than scared.

The jab about Rioman was left ignored as Danica searched of any way out if the things would turn out badly. The human knew she was goading the assassin, provoking him, especially when all her insults were met with amusement or blatant laughter. He was called a sick bastard but it only made him to chuckle. What kind of damaged creature the male really was? Danica couldn't remotely predict his actions and behaviour, either because he was so alien or too disturbed.

The woman turned, her head whipped, letting black hair to fall on her back, free from the broken band. Azure, jewelled band fell on the ground. Danica picked it up slowly, her verdant eyes fixed on the alien before her. At first in complete silence but the expression marring her surgically sculpted features betrayed all the emotions ranging from anger, through fury to pure hatred.

”You are not even beneath my contempt. “ She said and with surprising speed for such a woman, Danica took the nearest apple from the basket of the fruits and threw it, aiming in the back of the male's head. If he dodged she had few more things lying around, including some pears, banana and limes. A cantaloupe was there too...Whoever out this greeting basket here probably didn't suspect it could be used as ammunition but Liviana family was resourceful. Always.

[Rugs]

"So you do think I'm cute, then," Nieraan answered deftly. The woman kept insulting him, but in her anger it was easy to turn them back on her. It was simple to twist them to suit his own goals rather than the ones she meant them for.

It helped that, despite his aggressive nature, it was hard to hurt Nieraan with an insult. After the life he'd been forced to live, few things got under his skin. There were a few issues that could press his buttons, but the woman didn't know what they were.

That was good for her. It ensured she simply amused him instead of angering him.

”Don't let you mind wander - it's far too small to be let out on its own."

Nieraan chuckled and chook his head again. She was slipping. "Come on, you can do better than that."

Eventually she would calm down. Her anger would wear itself out; it always did. Until that time came, though, he'd continue pressing his intents, finding chinks in the armor she tried to keep up against him. Eventually, the anger would fade, and curiosity would remain in its place. He was certain of it.

He felt her moving behind him. He didn't make any effort to stop her, though was quite aware of what she was doing. He was quite aware of the mounting fury in her presence. Perhaps the damn would burst and she'd let it all out. Maybe she'd put an end to the silly game she insisted on playing with him and they could find a better way to spend the few hours they had until it was time to go deliver his message.

”You are not even beneath my contempt.“

Nieraan grinned wryly. "Well I'm glad I'm above it, then." The Force flared a warning at him. He ducked. An apple whizzed over his head and slammed wetly into the wall. It left a little wet stain where the side broke.

The woman threw more things at him. Nieraan did not dodge this time. Instead he caught them in the Force, and one by one, the fruits stopped behind him, hanging harmlessly in the air. As she threw the last fruit, a cantaloupe, he turned on his heel and caught it smoothly in one hand, hooking it out of the air and bringing it down to his side.

With a wave of the other hand, he moved the other fruit and set them down lightly on a table, and did the same with the cantaloupe.

Then he looked at her, still with a small, subtle smile of amusement on his face and shook his head. His abs already showed very clearly, even when his stomach was relaxed, but he chuckled again and they worked a bit, etching deeper lines of definition into his stomach. Eight neatly arranged muscles defined his stomach, each of them hard, and each very visible. Yes, Kamirille's training and the exercise regiment she'd put him through, brutal as it had been, had been incredibly effective in molding his body into a work of art and a powerful tool. And as much as he had hated her, he knew it was her genes more than his father's that made him look the way he did.

"Anything else?" He asked. He didn't move toward her, simply stood where he was. She continued to imply that he was sick and twisted, yet wanted to employ him to kill a man and his wife. There were more similarities between them than she wanted to admit, and it was time to point that out.

"Are you that upset over the life of an old man? Would it have been any better if it had been one of the lords or businessmen that turned you away earlier in the night? A life is a life, no matter if you like them or not." Nieraan had been watching after all, while he scouted around from outside the building.

At the time, he hadn't put any stock into it, but he had seen her talking to some of the other guests. For what, he hadn't a clue, but there was a pattern. She would approach some of the guests, they'd talk, and then she'd leave. But it was the subtle expression of disappointment or anger on her face that told that something had gone wrong.

It was a guess on his part, but he was confident, knowing the nature of the people at the gathering.

"You need to relax," he calmly continued, "if I was going to do something to you, I would have done it a long time ago, when you insulted my blood." He paused for a moment and shrugged. "Or when I had you alone in that room. But here you are." He made a gesture toward her. "Safe."

"Besides," Nieraan went on, eyeing her body, "I would hate for your lack of control to ruin the delivery of my message tonight. Or any contracts you might have in the future..." He let his voice trail off and the words hang for a moment.

"After all. The only reason they aren't dead now is because I decided to go along with your plan. So if you've got anything else to get out, let's get it out, so you can stop hiding yourself from what you know is the truth."

The urge was there to smirk at her, but he held it down. "And from your impulses."

[Poludnica]

How it was humanly...or Firrerreo-ly possible to dodge without even seeing something coming your way. Unnatural, scary. The apple smashed against the wall, leaving wet, juicy trail on the expensive, decorated panels. Very tacky ones , so not much of a loss there. If only the exchange ended on this but with a small wave of his hand the assassin stopped every other fruity bullet Danica thrown at him. Shocked, she watched them levitating in the air. The cantaloupe was last, this one he caught it effortlessly.

What is he? Yet again appeared in her mind. A question that had an obvious answer – a Dark Jedi or someone trained by one at least, but that was a rational answer. For someone not familiar with the Force it looked like magic. That scared Danica a bit, no, that scared her a lot to the point she just shook her head, desperately trying to stop her chartreuse eyes from watering.

All blood seemed to leave her face, making porcelain skin even paler. ”Have you watched me all night?” That was a bit disturbing though unless the Force let him see such things. But that would make him into a god so most likely the assassin just prowled outside the windows. On second floor – that took some determination and resolve. ”It doesn't matter, you killed someone who I liked, I don't give a sh*t about others! You..you...creep!” The last word was much closer to the cry of fear than anything else.

”Relax? Safe? You kept me alive to get laid, you think I can't see how you look at me? So if you want everything out, here it is.” Danica suddenly stopped caring about his threats or even her own life. Anger overcame her senses as it happened not that rarely. ”You are not getting any!” At this came the discovery what really was the source of most of her distress. It was not death of Rioman, even threat to her life but that the male had treated her like some plaything for later but the worst part was it didn't change the fact he was attractive. That the darkness lingering around him was drawing. One might call Danica's fascination with dangerous men a sort of a hobby. A strange ambivalence as the Firrerreo's visage was handsome, luring and inviting but mentality abhorring. It made her cry, literally as two big tears rolled off her eyelashes, down pale skin of her face.

[Rugs]

A dark, knowing little smile touched Nieraan's features. "I've watched everyone at this party," he answered. Maybe not everyone, but he'd seen a lot. It was amazing what some big windows and patience could get you.

But if she thought he'd spent most the night watching her, she was mistaken. She wasn't why he was here, after all. She was just a bonus.

"After all," he added, "I had plans here before I even knew who you were. Do you think I'd just walk in the front door without doing any scouting?" A rough snort broke from his nose and he shook his head. "Gimme some more credit than that."

”It doesn't matter, you killed someone who I liked, I don't give a sh*t about others! You..you...creep!”

"So you admit it, then," Nieraan responded, continuing to press the weight of his argument against her. "You don't care what happens with the life of another, so long as they don't mean anything to you." His voice was smooth, even and steady, but his eyes were sharp. Even if he didn't act like it all the time, Nieraan was not a fool; he was not another Sith that thought only with passions and never with the mind.

"But here, I'm the monster. Only me." He chuckled and shook his head. "Call it what you want."

”Relax? Safe? You kept me alive to get laid, you think I can't see how you look at me? So if you want everything out, here it is--You are not getting any!"

That made Nieraan lift a brow. He wouldn't deny that his attraction to her had kept her from coming to harm, but it wasn't the whole of the matter. She knew things about the people he was out to kill, and any information he could use against them was useful. But it was another outburst from her, drenched with emotion.

If he couldn't find a way to calm her, her threat might turn out to be true.

"Would you rather I look at you with disgust then?" One of his dark brows arched slightly. "You are very pretty, I won't deny it. But, do you think I don't see the way you look at me?" His yellow eyes looked into her emerald. Even now, she was doing it. Her eyes were looking at more than his face, but she was so conflicted.

Something would have to be done about that. Nieraan decided to roll the dice.

As she began to cry, he walked over to her. He stopped close to her, but not as close to her as he had been; his dominance had already been asserted. Now she needed to be calmed.

For a moment, Nieraan stood before her, watching her cry. Her skin was different than his, creamy and pure, where his own was, for the moment, faintly gold. Her eyes, her nose, the full shape of her lips were beautiful together. Even two tears rolling down her cheeks found a way to add to her beauty. It would be a shame to miss something so lovely.

Nieraan reached out, and took one hand in his. He held it gently--he'd noticed she seemed to bruise easily--but firmly. No doubt she would object and push against him, but he guided it up and out until it came to rest on his chest. Solid muscle was beneath, very firm, even if it was relaxed. But that wasn't the point.

Through his guiding, he'd brought her hand to rest slightly on the left side of his chest, over his heart. Maybe touching him and realizing her skin wouldn't burn on impact would help ease her doubts and fears about him. There was more to it than even that, though.

He realized some of the abilities he'd shown her. He'd choked a man without touching him, he'd consistently read her emotions, and he'd stopped the fruit she threw at him with little more than a lazy wave of a finger. Maybe that scared her. Maybe it was part of why she cried now.

But beneath her hand was his heart, beating regularly. No matter his powers, he was a mortal, just like her. He was dark, and he was very, very powerful, but his heart still beat in his chest. Perhaps if she felt that for herself, her nerves would calm again.

For a few moments he held her hand there, and looked at her quietly, patiently. For once, he said nothing, only waiting to see how she responded.

After a moment, he let his hand go. And part of him really, truly hoped that when he did, hers would still remain.

[Poludnica]

”Sure...” Danica pressed her back against the wall again. Her dark expression grew even darker as mind raced. The idea of being watched was something she was very sensitive to, especially when learning Devon's men paid a lot of attention to her on Coruscant. This invasion of privacy was equally terrible as an idea of being treated like a play thing.

”At least I care for some people.” The woman snapped back. There seemed to be two types of air in the room. Fiery aura of anger and cold rush from the assassin. Danica's heated emotions balanced by Firrerreo's calm demeanour. ”Monster is an understatement “ She added, crossing her arms in haughty manner.

With disgust?My oh my, did he think awfully highly of himself. Echoed in her mind. There was only couple of men who had looked at her in this manner and it stung as she why they did so. ”Maybe.” Danica wanted to shrug indifferently but tensed muscles wouldn't let her. It was only for the sake argument anyway. ”And you are just seeing things.” There was no way to run, especially when his yellow irises caught with her own green gaze, as if his sheer power of will managed to keep her in place. It was impossible to see so subtle changes, the way her eyes enjoyed the sight of this dangerous male but mind screamed warning.

As more and more tears began to flow down her cheeks, Danica could feel the man coming closer. She turned her head away, vaguely expecting him to do something violent, maybe even kill her but at the moment sadness and regret became dominant feelings, the woman had no more strength to fight.

Her eyes closed tightly, muscles tensed in entirety of her body. For a brief second she peered through half-opened eyelids. A glimpse of gold bundles of muscles, couple of faint scars, her gaze fixed on it before escaping again followed by a small whimper when she felt another's hand closing on her wrist, leading slender digits away from her body.

The hand rested on something warm only after a moment Danica realised what it was. Her eyes fluttered open, letting couple last tears to drop from the dark eyelashes. The woman's first reaction was to take her palm away but the male's grip was strong. Aside from that he did nothing, letting pink fingers to trail his gilded chest where his heart was. Danica could feel steady rhythm, a bit off, not an equal second human would have but it was there. Her own chest was pounding like a scared rabbit in a cage.

The shock from this experience and sudden relief that despite all the assassin didn't kill her forced a sigh of relief to escape from her lips. Once her hand was free, Danica stumbled over to the bed and sat down slowly, feeling dizziness and nausea but she was calmed a bit, if only enough to stop her from screaming and throwing things.

[Rugs]

She opened her eyes. Relief moved through her while he held her hand to his chest. Whatever she'd been expecting, it wasn't this. As far as he could tell though, she didn't mind beyond the expected initial reaction of trying to pull her hand away.

A sigh of relief broke from her full lips, and Nieraan felt the anger collapse away from her presence. Some of the fear melted away as well, and once he released her hand, she felt calmer as she stumbled away from him and over to the bed.

Nieraan turned after her, watching what she did. She just sat down on it. He could still feel she wasn't completely at ease, but she'd gotten a step better. At least she wasn't throwing things at him anymore.

Still, if he wanted what he was after, she'd have to feel more comfortable, and that meant he still had some work to do.

He'd have to be careful. She was volatile. Don't want to set her off again.

After a few moments, he moved over to the bed as well. He climbed smoothly onto it, pushing some of his discarded clothes out of the way and sat a bit behind her, with his legs crossed.

"You're tense," he said quietly. It was a simple statement of fact. He reached out to her, putting his hands her shoulders and started to work them, trying to ease out some of the tension in the muscles around her neck and shoulders. Trying to get her to be more at ease with his touch. He was gentle and careful; he didn't want to set the volatile woman off into another rage.

"Why are you so afraid of something natural?" he asked, and for once, he was asking her an honest question. In his eyes, there wasn't a problem with allowing the wants and urges of the body to have their way sometimes. Here they were alone, had a good deal of time to themselves. She was obviously attractive to him, and he hadn't missed the way she looked at him.

So then, why not indulge every now and then? Love didn't have anything to do with it. Just instincts, pure and plain.

"What harm do you think will come from it?" Nieraan continued quietly. A little smile pulled at the corner of his lips. "What good is being intrigued in the darkness, the danger you feel around me, if you never take a chance to explore it?"

[Poludnica]

The bed collapsed a bit under weight of another person. Danica inhaled sharply, expecting another touch but the assassin kept his distance. She could feel his presence behind her, warmth of his breath whisking her neck. Tense? For the first time in her life, Danica witnessed a man being slaughtered in cold blood and was met with veiled threats from a fallen Jedi, it would leave anyone in distress. ”Oh no, I am very very relaxed.” Sarcasm vibrated in every syllable up until the moment she felt warm hand placed on her pale skin. A yelp of surprise rang in the room as the male began to move his palm along pale flesh of her back.

She could feel her nerves searing under the Firrerreo's touch. ”We are of different kinds, it's not natural.” Danica responded, but only to buy herself time. There was never time a species was a problem as long as all human attributes of attractiveness were there, this wasn't the point, however. The woman slowly weighed all the sides. Was it worth it? She was not an easy floozy, never been with a men who she knew for only a moment but it was about survival now. Turning someone like him down could end up terribly, especially if he decided to take it anyway. He was handsome, true, but it took much more to woo her, much, much more.

Her body relaxed slowly, with every stroke of the gentle palm. It flashed in her mind how someone so cruel could be so gentle at the same time. Danica let her back to slowly press against the male's bear chest. Harm? Did he never think about consequence? ”For you maybe no harm, but I am a woman. I don't even know your name.” She whispered, trying to hide fear that nestled in her stomach with only a tinge of excitement at the danger the situation put her in.

Delicate hand came up to stroke the assassin's cheek, to her surprise she didn't feel revulsion though it was far from anything titillating. There was too much fear and the memory of the dying man were still fresh in her mind. ”There are things to be done, maybe later.” She said, pulling up from the bed with only a small brush of lips on his golden cheek, not betraying if it was a promise or a polite refusal. Her frame seemed much more relaxed now as if there was certain agreement made or if knowledge of what the male really wanted was enough to deem he wouldn't kill her just like that.

[Rugs]

”We are of different kinds, it's not natural.”

Nieraan's brow furrowed slightly. What did species matter? He didn't say anything, though; just kept working at her neck, pressing the tension away from her.

There was some resistance to his work at first; it almost seemed as if she tensed more when he touched her, but as he worked, he felt her body relax. She even eased back, leaning her back against his hard chest.

”For you maybe no harm, but I am a woman. I don't even know your name.”

"And I don't know yours," he pointed out as he continued to work her neck and shoulders. "Not even the faintest idea." It was true, but he hadn't really been concerned with her name. Getting to know as a person wasn't on his list of priorities, not right now. Perhaps later, once the couple had been dealt with, but for now, Nieraan's goals were fueled by primal instincts. Little more.

"But, if you must have a name..." He spoke as she reached up with a hand. Her fingers brushed lightly against his light golden cheek, and he paused for a moment, looking down at her. "Aurelius."

The woman, whoever she was, was relaxed now, in body. But he could still feel the knot of fear in the core of her presence, gnawing at her, and opposing his efforts to calm her.

”There are things to be done, maybe later,” the woman said. She got up from the bed, with a light brush of her lips to the side of Nieraan's cheek.

Nieraan's golden eyes followed her as she stood, moving away from him. The first thought that came immediately to mind was that this was a rejection. She was too afraid to take a chance, and so decided to spurn him instead. That might have lit a spark of irritation in him.

A maybe was not a no, though. Not necessarily. There was work for both of them to do, to prepare to kill the couple. But how could she even know if he'd be around after that?

It was possible that this was a woman that knew she was beautiful and easily drew men's attention. Nieraan wouldn't be surprised if this was part of a game she was playing, teasing him and then drawing back before anything could be done.

We'll see, he thought, looking at her.

"Alright," the Firrerreo said, pulling off his armor's boots. His eyes met hers again. There was something different in them this time. Slight, barely noticeable. "Later.

"Come on then. If you want to plan, we have planning to do."

[Poludnica]

What kind of name was that? It didn't match his species culture, as far Danica could tell, it seemed more ancient. ”This is not a Firrerreo name.” She just said, not implying if it was more curiosity or suspicion of a lie. Her own name, the woman decided to keep for herself, leaving it without any comment. Not like he was really looking for it; probably for him it was not more important than getting her naked. There was a growing defiance in Danica to be used like that then again she never before had any calms to just have a man for the sake to have a trophy. And someone like a dark jedi was a trophy for sure.

The expression in Aurelius' eyes was hard to read. Probably a bit of irritation, frustration, maybe longing. Danica was still scared, still unsure of her safety to just let herself forget completely in his touch. That trust had to be built.

The way he said 'later' send a cold chill down her spine, prickling on her skin. As if he was sure of himself so much. How a creature like that could handle rejection? Would he kill her? To sleep with someone reasonably attractive was still much better than death but Danica would never sell herself cheaply. Her mind was firmly set on 'no and weasel out' for now...for now. There was a spark of interest; an ambivalent feeling lingering beneath all the fear. A curiosity if she would tame him.

Slowly, Danica made her way back to the male, pushing gently the heavy boots aside with a heel of her shoe. With only a moment of hesitation the woman leaned to kiss him, not softly this time but to leave traces of her expensive crimson lipstick on the golden skin. If he allowed it to happen, Danica would let the kiss linger for a bit before pulling away and closing herself in the bathroom to catch a breath without a word of explanation.

”A plan is simple, you put on suit, we go into VIP rooms.” She said through the closed doors, now let me rest for a bit. There was anger ringing in her voice mixed with irritation and something more.

[Rugs]

Nieraan's only response to the woman's comment on his name was a dismissive shrug. So it wasn't his given name, but it was his name. Besides, she was a Human woman and he was likely the first Firrerreo she'd ever seen before. What did she know about their names?

She was right, though, if she didn't think it was his true name. It was a name he'd chosen for himself, one that tied him more strongly to the Sith Order. In the company of his peers, he rarely used it, but it had its uses when dealing with people he didn't know.

Movement caught his eye as he dropped his second boot onto the floor, and when he looked up, the woman was standing over him. One of his brows arced, and then she closed in on him, pressing her lips again to him in another kiss.

Only this time, it wasn't the same light, fleeting brush of lips that the first had been. This was much more real.

For once, the woman truly managed to catch Nieraan by surprise. His muscles knotted briefly, and then he relaxed, letting her go on until she broke off and backed away a few moments later.

Nieraan just looked at her, hints of the surprise he felt breaking through the carefully held mask of calm he'd been keeping on in front of her.

Their eyes met for a moment, and Nieraan tried to read the woman again. Nothing had changed; she was still the same woman she'd been a moment ago, and the fear she felt toward him was still there. The curiosity, the attraction was still there beneath it all, but there was something else. Some desire he couldn't quite place his finger on.

She quickly turned and retreated into the bathroom, putting a door between them.

”A plan is simple, you put on suit, we go into VIP rooms. Now let me rest for a bit."

Simple, Nieraan thought, looking in the mirror to where she'd kissed him. A scarlet outline was pressed against his gold skin, in the shape of her lips. Tonight will be anything but simple.

While she did whatever she was doing in the bathroom, he began to go about stripping out of his pants so he could see how well his stolen suit would fit. All the while, he let his mind wander past the planned murder, pondering if he was as in control of the little game they were playing as he thought.

One thing was clear as Korriban's sun: he had a lot of work to do tonight.

~~~~~~~

A few hours later, he stood before the mirror, observing how he looked in his clothes. Surprisingly, they fit rather well. The old man had been a bit taller than him, and the pants were a little long, but it hadn't been much of an issue. Nieraan also much better built than he'd been, so he filled out his clothes more, and the effect came out quite nicely, emphasizing his leanly muscular form.

Not that he cared a whit about it.

"I hate wearing suits," he grumbled under his breath. More and more, he was starting to question the decision to go without his armor. But it was too late now; that was already packed up in a suitcase, which would be moved to the woman's ship so they could make a quick escape.

He hated having to go through all the gymnastics of getting ready even more. Finding a way to tame his shaggy hair had been a pain, and it still did its own thing, but it was better than it had been.

I guess.

Nieraan turned in front of the mirror, noting the pants were still a little loose on his slender waist. He tightened the belt a bit and figured it would be alright. He didn't have to look impeccable; just good enough to get to where he needed to for the kill.

"Well?" he asked, turning around to look at the woman with his arms held out slightly to the sides. His coat--the stolen coat--hung on a peg on the door behind him. His two main lightsabers were tucked neatly into pockets on the inside of the coat. She'd maintained that they wouldn't be needed. He'd insisted on having them if things got out of hand.

"How do I look?"

[Poludnica]

This confusion on Aurelius' face was exquisite to watch, finally catching the smug bastard off guard. When pressing her back to the bathroom's door, Danica decided it was absolutely worth it, but there was also a strange discovery in it – a pleasurable sensation lingering on her lips. She bit them down, looking in the large glassy surface of the mirror at the smudged crimson stain on her skin. With a sigh of relief, enjoying some alone time, Danica put on a fresh make up, removing all the signs of crying and vivid crimson streaks from the outline of her lips. Hair was gathered again in a nice, neat bun as if she hadn't been dragged down the hallway by a dark jedi.

It took good an hour and half before she left the bathroom, in a new, this time white cocktail dress, much shorter to give her freedom of movement. Stilettos were exchanged for much more comfortable flats. All of it from best designers of course...There was still some time left which Danica used to pack things, ignoring the Firrerreo at every possible way. Not looking at him, not talking to him and especially – not touching him. You could say she behaved as the male had a plague. Last hour the woman used for a short, restless nap, constantly waking up to check if it was safe.

Finally, when there was no other way around it, Danica looked over the alien and shook her head in disapproval. The suit looked shapeless too big in some places whilst much too small in others. But there was something off aside from the fact the clothing was not entirely fitting. ”You look like you have never worn a suit before...” She commented dryly and went back to the bathroom returning after few moments with a large hairbrush.

'You don't have lice? Right?” Danica asked carefully. If Aurelius didn't protest, she would proceed to brush his unruly hair a bit. It was actually a thick mane not hair, surprisingly beautiful if a bit neglected. Especially the color, it was hard to believe the male was born with it, what kind of protein would make it blue? Was it possible for a human to even get such dye? To a lot of Danica's dismay they were also clean, making her accusations rather petty.

Despite all the effort, the black bush didn't want to be prim and proper. Frustrated, the woman threw away the brush out of the open window. She didn't like it anyway...”No lightsabers, are you insane? What if the guards will see it?” Danica tried to reach for them.

[Rugs]

”You look like you have never worn a suit before...”

Nieraan snorted roughly. "Gee, I wonder why." He shook his head and looked back at the mirror as the woman ran back into the bathroom for Force only knew what. It looked fine to him. A bit loose, but at least it kinda fit. Oughtta be fine to pass me off for a few minutes.

The more he thought about it, the more he wished he'd just kept his armor and gone with his own plan. Too late now.

He looked over his shoulder when he heard the woman reemerging from the bathroom, and saw, much to his dismay, that she had a brush in hand. "Not this again..." he grumbled. His last bout with the brush had been... less than enjoyable. Simply put, his hair was wild. Thick. Shaggy. Hard to tame. That he'd been able to get it in line a little bit was testament enough to the work he'd put in before he ultimately got tired of it and stopped, and here the woman came, deciding to torment him further.

"You don't have lice? Right?”

"No, I don't have lice," Nieraan answered flatly. "Come on, let's get it over with..."

Surprisingly, her efforts were less traumatizing. Her touch was softer, more experienced with a brush. It didn't feel like she was going to pull his hair out as it had when he did it. Even so, her efforts proved to be in vain, as his hair wasn't going to cooperate without more serious treatment.

She threw the brush out the window. Nieraan chuckled under his breath.

”No lightsabers, are you insane? What if the guards will see it?”

"No," Nieraan said firmly, reaching out to hold her wrist and stop her. He let go after a moment and grabbed his coat, pulling it on over his shoulders. "They won't notice them. And what are we going to do if things go downhill? You can't fight, and I'm gonna have more than just the Force with me." The look he gave her was supposed to be serious, but he couldn't help but notice the way her new, snowy cocktail dress looked on her. It was shorter, showing more of her legs.

She was very pretty.

He shook his head and turned around, checking his coat in the mirror again. "We'll be fine," he muttered. "I already agreed to keep one of my sabers in the damn suitcase anyway."

A pause held for a moment, and he sighed quietly.

"You look nice, by the way."

[Poludnica]

Automatically, she braced herself as his hand lurched forward, gripping her wrist. Danica winced, trying to get free, thankfully Aurelius let her go after a short moment. ”From what I saw, you can just suffocate everyone in the room.” The woman snapped back. In truth things going awry might end up really, really bad for her. People here knew her and helping a murder was not a good PR. ”Pray that all goes right.” With this, Danica sneaked her hand to a pocket of a coat in last attempt to take away the saber. The thing was interesting to touch, sure, she had never seen one before, didn't even know how it worked. Of course the Firrerreo quickly sniffed the ruse. The force users were a frustrating lot.

This time, the woman decided to let it go, if only because the dark Jedi was still scary and despite majority of the thread gone, Danica didn't feel relaxed. Idly she wondered if he wouldn't just kill her after that. It was almost shocking how little distress the thought now brought, apparently a human can get used to any level of stress after a while. It didn't mean though staying sane afterward.

Before they left, Danica went out on the balcony to see if majority of guests was gone. Her pale complexion gained a soft, pink glow in the face of the winter Naboo winds as she looked around A plume of steam rushed from her flushed lips as the woman returned to the room, closing the doors behind her. That was when Danica met Nieraan's gaze golden gaze again and plain, unhidden desire in it.

The compliment was rather simple, not what she was used to in her society where men could be very creative but it was genuine. Suspiciously genuine. Her eyes narrowed slightly and brows furrowed before the expression returned to indifference, followed by a shrug. ”I know.” Danica said
unsnapping her datapad from a wide hip; she unfolded it and watched the hour changing to 4 am. ”Lets go.”

The hallway was silent, majority of the guests didn't decide to stay overnight. Only the most drunk or from really far away were now napping in their rooms. Hopefully her hosts were hammered out of their ugly heads. Which was very possible since she had seen them way past the second bottle. Danica tried to remember every little insults the couple had made toward her, especially the fact she was a young girl playing big politics. They would see big politics now.

[Rugs]

The woman tried to sneak her hand into the pocket on the inside of his coat again to get at his lightsabers. Nieraan quickly saw through what she was attempting and raised his hand as her closed in on him. Instead of being able to grab his sabers, her hand was deflected slightly so her fingers only brushed the edge of the outside of the pocket and her hand came to rest on his side.

"No," he said again firmly. "These aren't negotiable."

She moved away from him, and he made another adjustment of her coat. A few moments later, once everything was in order, she approached again and told him it was time to go. Nieraan simply nodded and followed along.

They stepped back out into the hall for the first time in a few hours. It was quiet now; the sounds of the party had faded long ago, and the only noise that moved with them was that of their footfalls as they walked from the woman's room to the wing where the couple would be waiting.

"So what are you doing here anyway?" he asked quietly, glancing at the woman from the corner of his eye. She was a mystery to him--a beautiful enigma. That didn't matter when he was trying to get into her pants, but now that they had to work together. Knowing if she was here on business or simply as a rich guest would go a ways toward improving the temporary facade they'd have to put up.

They left her wing, moving through a main part of the compound. As they moved to the other wing, they approached some guards, who stood guard, waiting. "Take the lead," Nieraan muttered softly to the woman. Best if he kept a background role.

[Poludnica]

“Everything is negotiable.” Her hand moved away quickly from his touch, as if it burned. Through first few steps Danica was keeping the distance, somehow the awareness that Aurelius had lightsabers put her on edge even if it was Force he used to kill Rioman. There was really little noise he made, it was amazing how silent someone could be. It seemed that it was only her moving through the hallway, though thankfully a plushy rug was muffling noise of the woman's footsteps.

The silence was so overbearing, Aurelius' whisper made her yelp in a surprise. Ashamed by her own jumpiness, Danica threw the Firrerreo a gaze of irritation. ”Partying...?” She asked with an arched brow. She didn't feel like sharing anything with him yet. Not her name, neither her very public occupation nor even preferences. Danica was distrustful by nature and the fact Aurelius had killed a man in front of her didn't help. A things like trust should be earned.

The hallway ended , opening on a large interior, couple of guards was strolling around, visibly tired. ”Pretend you are drunk.” She hissed to her accomplice and without warning, grabbed him by arm, leaning against the firm forearm. Once without high heels Danica noticed that the Firrereo was at least good 2 inches taller than her which made things easier. Giggled like an inebriated teenager she pulled the male after her, toward the large balcony that opened at Naboo's landscape. It was right below the hosts' rooms. At least they were boasting about it loudly when making tours around the mansion...

One of the guards looked at couple curiously, maybe trying to place them but there were around five hundred guests of multiple races, no one would remember this number. ”Don't ask, just do.” The woman whispered and to add to the image of a drunk couple looking for some privacy, Danica stopped for a moment locking her lips with Aurelius' again but this time wrapping her arms around his neck like a very, very drunk lady. The guard turned his head away, embarrassed with the obscene spectacle but apparently it was a common sight as the human walked away shaking his head at the decadence of high societe.

When they reached the balcony, Danica pried herself from the Firrerreo's arm, putting even more distance between them, a blush of either anger or arousal, or both...crept on her cheeks. Not even make up could hide it. ”Don't make into something it wasn't.” She said breathlessly, fixing her hair and wiping off the smeared lipstick...again.

[Rugs]

Nieraan snorted and nearly rolled his eyes that woman's obstinacy. "Obviously," he grumbled irritably. If she was going to be like that, then fine. Let her. But if things broke down and they found a situation they couldn't talk their way out of, Nieraan would be taking over and doing things his way.

He walked the rest of the way in irritated silence, though his face was calm and collected and his body language relaxed, as if he'd been there all night. Black tie affairs were something he didn't break into often, but sneaking was sneaking. Relax, blend in, don't draw attention.

Except for when it was needed.

As they approached the guards, the woman grabbed him by the forearm and whispered something to him. "Pretend you are drunk."

"Eh?"

Without another word she was leaning on him and acting rather strangely, considering the cold shoulder she'd been giving him only a moment ago. Nieraan was taken by surprise, but went along with it, staggering loosely along until she turned to him and pressed her lips up against his. To say thiswas more surprising would be an understatement, but he went along with it, sloppily throwing an arm around her waist and acting like he was into it as she was pretending to me.

And maybe, on some level, he was.

Before long, the two of them wound up on a balcony, safely away from the guards. That was when the enjoyable facade ended. She pulled herself away from him and immediately put distance between them. She told him not to get any ideas, but she couldn't hide the gentle flush in her cheeks. Nieraan smiled wryly and gave her a little mock bow. "Of course. I would never...." Sarcasm floated on the edges of his words as his voice trailed off into silence.

Nieraan took a moment to look around, his breath misting clearly in the cool night air. I remember this place. It wasn't far from where he'd spent a lot of his time watching. "They're just above us," he muttered, feeling out with the Force even as he spoke. Two beings lit up clearly in his senses, tired but awake. "I feel them..."

He looked at the woman for a moment, calculating. "The way I see it we have to options," he said, keeping his voice low and leaning casually against the rail on the balcony's edge. "We can get up there quietly, and see how far we can pass off saying they requested our attention. Or I can climb up there..." His yellow eyes were bright in the soft moonlight as they looked up the building's side, then to her again.

"But, that means you'll likely stay here."