SILENCE IS GOLDEN. ⁽ ᵃᵘᵗᵒᵖᶫᵃʸ ⁾

Kittens are too much for this gruff old grandpa to handle. He gives a quiet, solemn nod in agreement. He takes out his own tomestone and types on it before holding it out to her.

Kittens sleeping in beds are very important.

          READING THROUGH THE GLARING PHONE, she cannot help but put a hand over her lips, giving a silent laugh. if only he knew exactly what she was talking about, but he seems pleasant enough to carry on the idle chatter with. so she types out some more, lifting it for him in turn.

Though the seedy underbelly was hardly the place that a professional would normally be caught spending time in, there was always a lot that came through that one couldn’t help but at least spend some time trying to piece things together. And even if there were plenty of unsavory types who wanted to pick a fight or worse, Shalem was more than ready to deal with any trouble he might come across.

Still, when it came to actually catching the attention of someone more than just some attempt at thievery, it was enough for the assassin to pay attention. Of course, there came a bit of an issue with exactly who was speaking to him.

Well, the fact that they weren’t speaking at all. Sure, hand gestures were something that Shalem was familiar with, but sign language? Now that was beyond the assassin, even as professional as he prided himself in being.

“… I’m guessing you’re trying to to speak to me, yes? Or am I to imagine that you’re trying to show me how fancy you can be with your hands.”

          AH, SO HE DIDN’T UNDERSTAND. not too many knew of it, at least back in remnant, outside those who knew the best way to reach all corners. still, she could hardly fault him, a few blinks of her eyes fluttering between colors at his response. at the very least he had decided to acknowledge her and that, in itself, was more than enough to satisfy the mute in itself, enough to reach into her pocket to snag out one of the scrolls this placed calls cellphones.

          holding up a finger, she gestures for a moment longer, all before beginning to type into the screen. even if she didn’t know who he was, it would work well enough to finish up her statements and flip the screen toward him so he can read from it. how humorous it must seem to those passing by when one thought of it.

        allies were important beyond just one, single connection, that much she has learned  well enough in her background, let alone a recent failure that has long left her on her lonesome back home. and if he happened to be in that line of work and not some undercover enforcement, perhaps there could be a mutual understanding. so, she steps over, tilting her head with a playful smile.

         COOL GET UP. LOOKING FOR WORK HERE? signing these few words, she waits to see if he understands the silent language, starting off small conversation for now…

     for once, blake is grateful she is in the privacy of her room for no one to see the immediate shock and worry that strikes her. ruby and neptune’s name, along with where they lived. there’s some sort of lack of surprise when she sees her teammate listed– neo had it out for her, blamed her for roman’s death. but neptune had nothing to do with what was going on between them. he didn’t even know who neo was and yet she knew who he was. which meant that she may know who the rest of her loved ones were that were here – weiss, yang, pyrrha….sun. the clear unspoken threat against them sits horribly and leaves a bitter taste in her mouth. she didn’t want them to get hurt again because of her actions.

             there’s a fear that sits in the pit of her stomach – blake knows every word is meant. and she knows she can’t risk it, can’t let anyone know about this exchange. she would never forgive herself id they got hurt. nerves eat away at her, but she won’t let neo know the clear effect they had. not yet.

TO:☂

FROM: BLAKE BELLADONNA

[TXT] Fine. Have it your way. They won’t know anything about this.  [TXT] I’ll make sure they never do.  [TXT] But let me tell you something [TXT]I promise you. [TXT] I don’t care who you are. I don’t care what powerful friends you have made. I don’t care if your partner gets involved. [TXT] If you touch them, if you so much as SCRATCH them or even speak to them [TXT] I’ll be sure that this will be the last threat you ever make. [TXT] And that’s a gamble you don’t want to take.

          EYES FLICKER, COLORS SWITCHING BETWEEN each at the threat blake makes in her own retaliation. there is little concern on it, simply seeing it as a hollow threat---after all, she was simply talking back, right? the only reason her little leader triumphed was in circumstance, not true skill beyond opening an umbrella. so she settles, albeit briefly, with a flick upward of her lips of a smirk at the gamble which she is offered, instead anteing up on the claim just a bit further.

TO: BLAKE BELLADONNA FROM: ☂

     blake wasn’t foolish enough to take her words as empty threats– if anything, she knew that neo was not as innocent as she seemed. she shouldn’t be letting the other get under her skin so easily and yet, just as she was to neo, the criminal knew what buttons to push. to say one thing that would stick for hours upon hours….upon hours. 

TO:☂ FROM: BLAKE BELLADONNA

[TXT] I may have caused them pain.  [TXT] And may do so again, but at least we weren’t desperate enough to put our faith in a lost cause. [TXT] You put your loyalties in Cinder and look what happened.  [TXT] Roman, defeated by his own hubris… [TXT] And you, tossed off the ship like a toy that lost its worth and left in the gutter for the next person to find. [TXT] That is no one’s fault but your own. 

          THERE WAS A MODICUM OF truth in blake’s words. causes that were lost, placing their bets into the side which they did. yet to claim it was in faith would be a lie in itself. roman said it well in those moments atop the ship, grimm swarming them as ruby clung so valiantly to the side, trying not to fall. it was hardly what they had to gain---if anything, it was what they couldn’t afford to lose. and, in her case, she had lost it all regardless of the side which she took, all because of some child who wished to play wannabe hero like the rest of them.

TO: BLAKE BELLADONNA FROM: ☂

   despite the other not being able to clearly see her expression, blake knew that neo knew exactly what she doing. trying to rile her up, to get the faunus to dwell on past mistakes and failures. golden hues narrow at that one word– failure. blake wasn’t a saint by any means. she had her fair share of them and having someone trying to use that against her angered the feline. what was neo’s plan? mess with ruby’s teammates instead of the leader herself? hurt them to hurt her? whatever it was, blake wasn’t going to give in as easily as the other may like. if she wants to play this game, then fine– blake will play along, but not without taking out the claws in the process.

 TO: ☂ FROM: BLAKE BELLADONNA

[TXT] Failure, huh? [TXT] You would know first hand about that, wouldn’t you? [TXT] I believe your biggest one goes by the name of Roman, right? 

         THERE WAS A KNOWING. SOMETHING inevitable that such would be twisted toward her in retaliation. even if she never truly faced this particular member, adept mostly in the two siblings, she had heard enough to gather the sharpened wit behind such a docile expression. even if she was not so riled, the words alone nestle itself like salt in the freshly mending wounds, a latent danger that slowly begins to bubble forth at the utterance of his name, offering only the most earnest of promises with her next set of words.

TO: BLAKE BELLADONNA FROM: ☂

     it no longer came as much of a surprise when those from back home arrived here. who they were or what they did back on remnant hardly seemed to matter to the people in charge of this place– all that mattered was tossing them into this place with the rest of them. if Blake wanted to, she could see just when they showed up by simply using her phone but opted not to because not everyone was someone that could be considered a friend.

     so when her phone goes off, she assumes it’s Ruby. or Weiss. yet when fingers unlock the device and open the message, it’s neither. eyebrows furrow as she taps the link. the video app opens and it takes for her confused expression to turn to that of annoyance.

                 seriously? a freaking cat video?

   TO:  ☂    FROM: BLAKE BELLADONNA

[TXT] no, it’s not me. [TXT] nor is any other cat video me.

          AH, THERE IT WAS. THE response she was so wholly expecting, laden with malicious intent despite how innocently posed it all was, even when she knows well the unfortunate faunus would see through it all the same. yet it was hardly the cat video alone that neo focuses on, simply a tool in order to strum up any form of interaction with the comrades of her actual target, the unfortunate leader of the team itself. there were more ways to hurt someone than through violence, especially for a bleeding heart like hers, and she would surely remind them that at every turn, starting with the simplest texts.

TO: BLAKE BELLADONNA FROM: ☂

          STEAM UNFURLS FROM THE COFFEE, hardly scalding gloved hands as she takes a large gulp. eyes flutter at a nearby cafe drinker, tilting her head before bringing out her phone for text-to-speech. with the sweet smile on her face, one could only think she was going to be sugary, right?

   Hearing his name called out brings a quick smile to his face, fingers tented in anticipation. Sounded like the macchiato he’d been waiting patiently for was ready. With a little hop, Neo removes himself from his seat, making his way to his rightfully deserved drink. With a gloved hand reaching out in eagerness, the small man makes his way towards the counter. Then something out the corner of his eye catches his attention. A young vibrantly colored woman had been reaching for his drink. The very nerve!

   Neo makes an attempt to swipe it from her, but recoils seeing her hand wrap around it within seconds. “Hey!!” Brow furrowed, he shoots a nasty look to her. Just who does she think she is? She doesn’t seem to be backing down either. The anger fades from his face and instead he laughs. “You’ll have to forgive me, My dear, but that is my beverage you’ve got your paws on.” Despite the difference in height, he stands firm before her, arms crossing his chest. Looks like he’s not going to back down either. “Maybe you misheard the barista, but they called for me. Not you.” Neo wasn’t a common name, so he honesty doubted that possibility.

   “Now if you don’t mind granting me my drink, I will be on my way.” He says this, but he’s already reaching for the cup again.

          EACH WORD ONLY SERVES TO fill the silence, one she willing offers toward his ramblings in light of her condition. even so, it was hardly as if the mute lacks bite, offering a rather nasty leer in retort to his own that he offers, even persisting after the laughter which he gives thereafter. annoying, the word resonates in her mind, though something about his spunk gives her a sense of admiration that he is not willing to back off just the same. tenacious as it was, there was no worth in a profit if there was no risk, or so a criminal mind may say.

          several shakes of her head greets him in response. his beverage? were she capable of laughing, she would only do so in kind. though it was hardly by design to keep it from him fully, she lifts her hand up, cup in hand, to sign the best she can with it. NEO IS ME. WHERE’S YOUR CREDENTIALS? maybe if he was foolish enough he might actually show her, merely a pot shot of her underhanded tactics weaving into altercations. before too long she notices the drink nearly spilling---almost on him no less---at her movements, slumping her shoulders as she puts it back down on the counter.

     Having to share a home with strangers for this long… It’s been a tad frustrating, honestly. How can one keep the Saints operational and organized while surrounded by potentially-nosy housemates?! Up until now, he’s done his best to keep his interactions with them minimal, keeping up his gentlemanly facade any time they’re around. But now… Now, it was finally time for him to plan on moving up in the world! Soon he’ll be able to obtain a brand new house, all to himself! No more tip toeing around with his nefarious plans! And most importantly, he can actually choose who has the privilege of being graced with his presence. And at the moment, only one woman fit that bill perfectly.

          ”Hmm…” A thoughtful hum rumbled in his throat, having gotten comfortable on the couch. With the house (temporarily) free from unwanted eyes, the mastermind had invited his partner in crime over to plan out where to move. “Cotes is a fine enough ward, don’t get me wrong… But I could certainly go for a change of scenery. But what about you? Any particular ward catch your eye?”

          let’s pick a new house together, @parasmol !!

         FINGERS TWIRL THE PARASOL GENTLY, unopened in regards to where they rest, as she lounges comfortably upon the sofa. even if there is an almost bored look to her, it is one more of contemplation than not, leaning against the criminal in white far too leisurely for comfort... were it truly any other but her, certainly. there is a silence between them (laughably so to anyone who might have ever heard them exchange conversation without knowing) despite the question posed to her. eyes blink a few times with a tilt of her head, shuffling through the various options they have to work with.

          maybe this was some sort of prank, sidling up to take some other person’s order in order to scam them. briefly she contemplates the strategy, making a mental note that such a tactic could come in handy one day, before she instantly wraps her hand around it without further hesitation.

          a silent proclamation that she wasn’t going to back down with what was hers.

          for now it was the least she could do until she could do, at least until she had reason to pursue her thirst for revenge once more...

TO: BLAKE BELLADONNA FROM: ☂

[ 1 / 1 ] This you?