ASSASSIN.

@kxmbat-veterxn continued from ˏˋ°•*⁀➷

.｡*ﾟ+.*.｡ ❝ I know no amount of words shall ever erase my wrongdoing… ❞ she swallows, suddenly parched, ❝ but I am sorry for my actions. My service to Shao…it was never a path I chose. It was one that was forced on me at a young age. You’re no stranger to that brutish tyrant or his cruelty…he was merciless with his assassins. Perfection was all that was accepted in his creed and failure? Insubordination? They were met with punishments arguably worse than death…all that was left to do was submit. ❞ Sighing, Jade pushed up until she was sitting upright, the majority of her weight balanced on her hips. 

Avoiding the other’s gaze, she continued. ❝ I’ve spent millennia numbing myself to all of the atrocities I commit under his command. Told myself my sins were a necessary evil. When I held you captive on that island I didn’t see you as I see you now. I didn’t see a man with strength of heart, courage and honor. …You were merely a means to completing the objective I was given at the time. ❞ Shaking her head and blinking back moisture, she meets Jax’s eyes again. ❝ I am deeply sorry Jackson. Truly, from the bottom of my heart. ❞

Before he even had a chance to speak back to her...he was cut short, yet perhaps it was needed. He listened to her words with ears open and attention only focused on her. This was the first time Jax had ever heard of anything of her past. And was she said was true, he was no stranger to Shao's way of ruling...one that left bodies seemingly everywhere.

Were they so different? In many ways, yes of course. Yet in one minor way...they shared something in common. Both weighted down by past actions, hating the sins committed under the control of a dark leader who held power over them. As their gaze met again, he could see the forming of tears she was seemingly fighting back. "I cannot forget the things that have happened. Those scars stick with you wherever you go." He then rested his hand close to hers. "But I forgive you. And...if you would like, I would like to see what this road has for me and you...if you'll have me."

.｡*ﾟ+.*.｡ Hearing Jackson’s words of forgiveness directed at her sent the dam of emotion Jade was keeping together bursting apart. Tears welled in her emerald gaze before spilling over onto her face, racing down both cheeks before meeting at the cleft of her chin and finally dropping onto the blankets below. She watched the man in bed with her as if he would vanish at any moment, in total awe of the sagacity he held. 

Shaking herself out of her trance, Jade reached up to wipe hee tears away before meeting Jax’s eyes with a timid look. ❝ If anyone should be asking that question it should be me. ❞ She notes. ❝ But yes. I am more than willing to see this through. I suppose you could say that I’m eager to see where it leads. ❞ And it was true. Jade had always wondered what the bond between her, Kitana and the Earthrealmers would look like if the two edenians had met them all without the shackles of Shao’s rule hanging over them.

.｡*ﾟ+.*.｡ Jade retains her sunny disposition even as her child’s expression shifts into something more stoic. Whatever news they had to inform her of could wait until they had a proper greeting. Which also gave her a moment to steel herself against whatever unpleasantness might be approaching.

Jaed rarely appeared as the first to greet her upon returning to their family home. Their presence was not a harbinger of bad news—not by any means as Jade welcomed the sight of each of her children—but it did mean that something serious had occurred while Jade was away. Not only that but it warranted the attention of the family matriarch.

Shaking away her anxiety, the assassin steps closer and cups the other’s face in one palm. With eyes overflowing with fondness, she says, ❝ You are a sight for sore eyes. ❞

❝ I was hoping to revisit the gardens… Well, best not to waste any time then, ja? ❞ She’s grateful that the tremor she feels beneath her skin is not reflected in her tone. ❝ Lead the way habibi, I will follow. ❞

⸻ it appears the urgency of the undiscussed situation has been relayed, easily seeing the determination of his mother's desire to keep a joyous tone; it was not his pleasure to relay this, but she would have noticed immediately. ❝ I am sorry you had to return to this, but this may not be as harsh as it seems. ❞ an attempt to soften the possible blow. while not as repulse to affection as jiaman was, jaed only let his mother's palm sit along the curve of his cheek for a second, not wanting her to fall too deep into a pseudo-feeling that it was nothing before gently taking her hand and guiding her along the path of the back garden, steadily walking along the trail of saffron bricks pushing through isles of lush greenery that held contrast marble statues of his own creation amidst sweet roses and hanging lilies. though she probably couldn't see them, jaed gave a grief glance to the upper window, knowing those who were aware of what happened were spying in worry.

far enough for privacy, mostly because jaed had something the others did not catch ... something the absent intended for jaed to find and relay to jade and no one else. once they were settled along the patio, making sure jade was in something of a comfortable position, the youngest of her triplets decided not to delay. ❝ it's regarding jasminis ... they've left. ❞ initially, they would have said they were gone, but unfortunately 'gone' had a terrible connotation for their family, and this wasn't the case. however, this was no contrast, especially given the particular child in question. while he was sure jade loved all of her children immensely, so many personalities sparked different reactions in context; jasminis, while their name as lovely as the jasmine origin, often made everyone anxious or ill at ease for either their own sake or someone else's ...

.｡*ﾟ+.*.｡ Her smile brightens and then fades as her affection is briefly accepted and then redirected. It was clear that Jaed did not want to delay this anymore than he already had. With a light squeeze of his hand, she follows him through the gardens, her mind racing as they walk in silence. Fabrications of the  news Jaed held for her rampant, each one more worrying than the last. Jade couldn’t help but assume the worst and brace herself for the onslaught of despair it would bring. Her poor family had suffered the tortures of the damned and more than once before. 

At least the path Jaed led her through was a joyful wonder. An invigorating stroll through the gardens where she could take in the vibrant life and expressions of art surrounding them, no matter how brief their visit may be. It was serene. Tranquil. Jade made sure to take deep breaths as her youngest triplet led her to the patio, allowing the floral air to bring her a soothing calm. She feels like she’s in a daze as she takes a seat and tries to relax, watching Jaed with a strangely blank disposition. 

Her ears detect the words that come from her youngest triplet. They resonate in her mind. Mist gathers around her eyes as moisture builds but it’s quickly blinked away. 

❝ Left…? ❞ She mimics the last word, unsure as to why it feels so foreign coming from her lips. ❝ He left… ❞ Quivering hands lift to drape over her eyes, shielding them from view. ❝ I gather he didn’t leave any hints as to where he planned to go. ❞

.｡*ﾟ+.*.｡ To no one’s surprise, Jade felt an immediate and immense rage. That was the only thing she could ever bring herself to feel for the woman known as Tanya. The ambassador. The betrayer. Clever as any devil with the beauty of a tempting siren and a heart blacker than Shinnok’s. A hundred thousand years could pass on and Jade would still hate her down to her bones.

Her fingers twitch—eager to reach for either her bo or glaive—but she keeps both hands still. She refused to be baited by her.

❝ Tanya. ❞ Even her name was spoken with the centuries worth of disdain. Emerald eyes harden as Jade releases a shaking breath, forcing herself into a calm facade. ❝ Still slithering your way through the realms I see. ❞

.｡*ﾟ+.*.｡ A sneer. The viper still spoke with such camaraderie, as if their bond hadn’t morphed into something twisted and dripping with a deep seated resentment over the course of millennia. To an unknown stranger it might have been taken as innocent, inviting even, but Jade knew better. As dazzling green eyes met milky white the assassin asked herself how she ever stood the company of the woman opposite of her. 

❝ Why would I ever assume such a thing? ❞ Jade offers Tanya her best imitation of a smile. She takes a languid step forward, her gaze colder than any tundra. However, her question was genuine even if the expression she wore was not. ❝ After all Tanya, each time we meet I leave you with the same message. That someday I will be your end. ❞

.｡*ﾟ+.*.｡ Rhythmic clicking echoes through the foyer of the Emerald Manor as Jade makes her way through. She’s dressed in casual wear: a forest green saree with golden embroidery and brown detailing, heavy golden accents and soft, plush kitten heels. Her hair lacked its usual braid but fell all the way down her back and past her waist. A light brown shawl kept the rebellious strands of hair from her eyes.

She was comfortable. Resting. The palace would not have her presence tonight.

Her steps have no real destination in particular but she soon finds herself standing before the blooming flower bushes in the gardens. The floral scent brings a serenity that she hasn’t felt in weeks and Jade kneels down to be in closer proximity. It felt good to be home again. ❝ You going to watch me all day love? ❞

⸺ the one jade perhaps believed had their eyes on her was more than likely not who she expected to see first. but during her brief absence ... something rather important ... something a bit alarming happened. no one else had the heart to tell their mother, so the one jade was addressing decided they would deliver the news, despite the possible heartbreak that would come from it. coming along the shadowed part of the gleaming foyer they had personally had constructed in honor of the edenian matriarch, the stoic child of jade stepped, soft but unwavering steps towards their mother until they were a few steps from being face to face ...

❝ welcome back, mother .❞ their voice is its usual, monotonous tone, dazzling green eyes garnered from jade herself focused in an indifferent gaze, expression without twitch of smile, in fact teetering into that of a small frown. normally, one of the happier siblings would have greeted jade with happier delivery, but those who were here to discover what they would have to tell jade agreed it would be best to let the youngest of the tumultuous triplets break the news and handle the possible reaction before letting her see the rest.

❝ before you settle in, there is something I need to tell you ... we should go to the gardens. ❞ the blatant crossing of their arms and the slight inflection would signal jade this was an extremely important situation, along with the fact that jaed never wasted his words on idle conversation.

.｡*ﾟ+.*.｡ Jade retains her sunny disposition even as her child’s expression shifts into something more stoic. Whatever news they had to inform her of could wait until they had a proper greeting. Which also gave her a moment to steel herself against whatever unpleasantness might be approaching.

Jaed rarely appeared as the first to greet her upon returning to their family home. Their presence was not a harbinger of bad news—not by any means as Jade welcomed the sight of each of her children—but it did mean that something serious had occurred while Jade was away. Not only that but it warranted the attention of the family matriarch.

Shaking away her anxiety, the assassin steps closer and cups the other’s face in one palm. With eyes overflowing with fondness, she says, ❝ You are a sight for sore eyes. ❞

❝ I was hoping to revisit the gardens… Well, best not to waste any time then, ja? ❞ She’s grateful that the tremor she feels beneath her skin is not reflected in her tone. ❝ Lead the way habibi, I will follow. ❞

It’s warm.

That’s the first thought that enters Jade’s mind as her mind wakes to the world. Her head is cradled by a soft wall of muscle, the lower region of her body still felt pleasantly sore and despite stifling a yawn she felt rather rested. Emerald eyes drift upward and a smile forms as the face of the man sharing her bed greets her.

Jackson Briggs.

Snuggling closer, the assassin leads two playful fingers over his chest. Not in an attempt to wake him, just light teasing. Jade felt comfortable still in bed with the earthrealmer, their legs a tangled mess under the sheets covering them. Outside the sun was just barely peeking over the horizon, leaving enough darkness for the stars to twinkle on.

What exactly was the move here?  From a man that went from not exactly trusting...an Edenian to now, sharing a space beside one.  Were the emotions just too high at the moment, or was this...something that was bound to happen? He didn’t know.  Yet as the morning sun was beginning to rise up, dark brown eyes then began to open...feeling a warmth close to him.  

For a moment, all he could do was lay there, eyes staring up at the sky.  What could he say?  His gaze turned to meet hers, metal fingers rubbing against the back of her hand.  “Hi....good morning.”  Start simple he supposed, had to deal with this one way or another.  “Glad you’re still here.”  

.｡*ﾟ+.*.｡ His voice makes her heart skip, the sudden sound of that rich, deep baritone making her jump inside her own skin. The greeting is cordial and proper, like he’s unsure of how to treat her or their predicament. Jade doesn’t hold it against him. She isn’t sure how to approach this incredibly delicate shift in their relationship either.

After taking a moment to stretch her limbs and resettle against his impressive physique, Jade giggles. ❝ Is that so? Well, then I am glad I remained to enjoy your embrace. Though I can’t say that your words do not come as a surprise to me. I wasn’t certain how you would take to my presence in your bed… ❞

An awkward beat of silence. The assassin nestled her head against Jax’s collarbone. ❝ I’ve always had the strangest feeling that both you and Ms. Blade despised me…and the few others like me who remain alive. ❞