Grey Skies {Mila/Ryuzaki Support B}

[Mila]

It had been a week since the incident involving kidnappers and secret underground tunnels. The city watch had launched a bit of a formal investigation to the matters of the hidden tunnels but could not find any substantial clues as to whom was responsible for the kidnappings. Mila tried her best to go about her days as normal. But lately she felt like she was being watched. Everywhere she went she swore she could make out the silhouette of the same man looking at her from the street corners. Sometimes she would see someone glancing at her through the windows or though the shadows of the back alleys. It was starting to affect her sleep and concentration. Few people knew what actually happened in the underground tunnel and even fewer knew she had been almost kidnapped. She had been forced to sleep in her tiny room in the guild with the window closed out of fear, but that in turn triggered her other fears.

She tried to keep herself distracted with little errands, but even doing something as simple as writing a letter seemed to annoy her. So on one of the days off she had from the guild she decided to head out and talk to someone. There was one other person she knew of that was involved in the incident of the tunnels that was still in Santaruz. She took a quick bath in a washtub and got herself ready to head out. She noticed that the skies above the city were grey and dull. The air was thick with humidity, the birds, and stray animals, had seemed to disappear. Yep. It's going to rain. She made a quick pitstop at the bakery and bought a few loaves of bread. Then down to the market for some cheese and fruit. She stuffed the goodies into a basket and pulled it under her thick cloak. That same man was eyeing her again this time from a distance. Can't lead him to Ryu. She circled around the market a few times taking her time to do things until she could no longer see the man. By the time she made her way up to 404 Shining Court it was already noon.

She raised her hand to the door and knocked twice. Please be home. Please be home. Please be home.

[Ryuzaki]

A week passed, a week much longer than any Ryu had ever known. Mila had disappeared, and the assassin feared the worst. Day after day and night after night he prowled the streets, searching... Searching for anyone. For Charles the Mangy, or the shaman, or Mila. But there was nobody but a shadow who seemed always to be following him. A few times, he gave him the slip and managed to get behind him. No doubt about it, it was a tail. So the gig wasn't over yet... He just had to figure out how to snag the tail. He always disappeared near nightfall... Perhaps he was wiser than the assassin anticipated. For in the night, he would be no match for the assassin.

The morning had begun like any other... The assassin rose, donned his clothes but not his cloak, and set to making breakfast. He was confident that he was safe in his own house, and so ate leisurely. By midmorning, he had finished his meal, and a quick glance outside showed him that rain seemed all but inevitable.

He'd stay inside for the day. Let the tail soak himself waiting to find him; he would not appear. Today, he would relax. Perhaps he would sharpen his weapons.

That was exactly what he was doing when a sharp sound jolted him out of his serene stupor, cross-legged on a mat on the floor.

"Who...?"

There had been two knocks. That was the safe number. Could it be Rogus? Or Charlotte? Burgid? He'd seen none of his old associates for a long while.

But a peek through the improvised peephole he had constructed from a warped board revealed something that set Ryu's heart racing much faster.

Mila. Alive and well, it seemed like.

The assassin opened the door quickly, grabbing her by the arm and pulling her inside before closing the door as quickly as he had opened it, then replacing the heavy bolts and locking mechanisms he'd added on.

"Where... What...

I'm honestly more concerned and confused than I usually like to admit.

Mila. You're alive. Here, sit... I'll make some tea. Make yourself comfortable. Tell me everything."

The assassin flew around the house, preparing a pot of tea from the last dredges of a bag, grabbing some sad-looking salad, and pulling up the one comfortable chair he owned before half shoving, half easing her into it with a mix of chivalry and pure nerves.

Once he had the food and drink settled, the assassin slid his weapons off the table into a heap, unhooking even his bandoliers of daggers and tossing them to the ground as he sank into a rickety wooden contraption that looked more like a failed attempt at an abstract sculpture than a chair.

"What happened? Where did you go? I've been looking for you all week... What happened?!"

So much for silent, cold, and composed.

[Mila]

Please be ho... She heard a series of clicks from locks unlocking and then Ryuzaki's arm pulling her into his humble abode. Mila barely had time to register what hat happened but she soon found herself sitting down in a chair. She took a moment to breathe then put the basket of food she brought down onto the table.

"It's.. good to see you too Ryu." She spoke with a touch of sarcasm in her voice. She carefully undid the button that held her cloak together and placed it on the chair. This left her in just her boots, pants, sleeveless top, and leather guard. The leather guard did well to hide most of her chest as well as provide some mild warmth. Although she looked like her old self, her eyes told a different story. They looked so tired. The light bags and dark circles under her eyes told anyone she had uncomfortable nights.

"I.. brought some food. Uhm.. It's a thank you. The baker's daughter told me she was saved by a silver topped blur. That's you. And.. it's also a thank you from me. I saw you ..from the back of the wagon." She shook her head lightly.

"There's some.. fruit and cheese in there too." She put her hand to her mouth in order to hide a yawn.

"I'm sorry. Sleep.. has been difficult... this week. It's going to start pouring soon. The skies are getting darker.. I suggest.. lighting a lamp. As to what happened.. well.." She pulled from her pocket the remains of the torn up emblem she recovered from the wagon. She took a moment to collect her thoughts.

"I.. was in the wagon while you went after Oya. Oh.. right.. you probably think he's still Charlemagne. Charly.. is an alias he uses. The man is dangerous and a talented fighter. At one point in time he and I fought together against a bunch of monsters. Thought.. he was an okay guy." She sighed. Now we know better.

"..I found that in the wagon along with the other captives. Managed to get out.. before arriving at the final destination.. I'm.. not familiar with the emblems of the Lycian land.. all that i know is.. that.. they look like two sword hits. The rest of it's all cut off. As to where I've been? I've been lying low in the comforts of the guild. Someone has been following me though. I had.. to circle around a lot before I lost him. Before I came here." She looked up at him. The tea pot began it's familiar whistling noise signaling that the contents of the teapot were sufficiently hot.

[Ryuzaki]

Mila seemed to melt into the chair of her own accord, slumping down and placing some food on the table as she undid her cloak to make some sort of cushioning. As she settled herself, Ryu set to work pouring two mugs of tea, slicing the bread and cheese, and filling two plates with food.

As Mila mentioned lighting a lamp, Ryu shook his head, amazed at how the simplest things slipped his mind. He needed to calm down and focus.

The assassin steadied his hands and lit a few candles, filling the room with a warm glow and exposing just how his friend looked.

To be frank, she looked awful. As if she'd come through some trauma. It was horrifying, actually, and as the story progressed, Ryu became more and more wary, angry, and vindictive. So Charles the Mangy was actually Oya, a talented warrior... well, Ryu knew how he fought. The axe was no match for his skill with the sword. Charles the Mangy... Er, Oya... would fall at his hands. As payment for his offenses against Mila.

So Oya was working for a Lycian noble, hmm? Kidnapping. Probably extortion as well. A whole racket. And the head man had enough wealth to hire two assassins to try and tie up the loose ends.

"Aye, I've had a tail as well. I've been trying to corner and neutralize him, but it's been harder than I expected."

Ryu shook his head.

"Eat, Mila. You've been through hell. What can I do for you? Is there anything I can help with? Really, anything at all... It troubles me that you're so out of sorts. You look ready to collapse. I'm worried."

[Mila]

“Thank you.”

It didn’t take long for Mila to start eating the plate of food Ryu prepared. She took her time munching on sliced bread smeared with cheese. Occasionally she popped small bites of the sweet fruit into her mouth. The mage took small slow sips of tea. While it wasn’t as good as one of her home made blends, she appreciated the gesture. She watched him as he began to light candles and small lamp. It helped to bring a sense of warmth to the small place. Now she could make out some more features of the place. She could see a small kitchen, a closet, a bed, along with a small area that Mila assumed near used to keep his weapons in order. As she could see on a tiny table a whetstone along with some small jars of something, probably oils.

“I will.. admit I’ve gotten into trouble before. But.. none quite to this scale. To have assassins..” She then looked up at Ryu.

“Well.. to have the ‘I want to kill you’ kind of assassins chase after me. It is disturbing.”

She closed her eyes for a moment. As if taking a mental snapshot of this place, of this moment, she tried to relax herself. Outside the rain had started. She could hear the light patter of water hitting the roofs of the neighboring homes, it was soothing at first. Then it started to rain harder, the sky outside gave a small flash of lightning, followed by the roar of thunder. Mila visibly cringed at the thunder. Lightning she was perfectly fine with, but thunder not so much. Thunder reminded her of the rocks of the cave in.

“Ugh..” She buried her face in her hands.

“I feel like I’ve gone through hell. All I want to do right now is sleep. To sleep the sleep of a thousand sleeps… I.. was hoping to do that today.. but not with this thunder. Not.. with all the nightmares or the thought of waking to see a man with a dagger to my neck..” She pulled her face from her hands. The palms were now wet with tears. As much as she tried the mage couldn’t hold back her emotions anymore. The stress of the week had finally pushed her past her limit and now all she could do was cry. She grabbed the sleeve of her cloak that was dangling on the chair and sobbed into it. After a few moments she pulled her red and wet face out from the cloth. It took her a while to compose herself before she started speaking.

“I..am sorry you have to see me like this.” The thunder roared again. The mage cringed once more.

“I just feel so helpless.” And feeling helpless sucks. So much. Her mind tried to recall the last time she felt this bad. The only real moment she could recall that happened fairly recently was during her recovery in Eturia. After the whole incident in Nabata, she was stressed out from the recovery, the inquisition, the state of affairs, her pain, the night mares. She started to think.

How.. did we even get through that.. And then it dawned on her. She remembered now.. she was under the care of a particularly helpful maid. The maid was a rather buxom, blonde, beauty, who would keep her company during the nights when the nightmares were at their peak. She bit her lip lightly at the thought. Ah. Sarah.. you glorious golden ray of sunshine you. But I can’t fly to Eturia to be in your loving embrace. There was a bit of pink to her cheeks now. She shook her head. Come on think rationally. But the more she thought the more she realized what she had to do.. well more like what she wanted to do. She glanced over at Ryu.

"Ryu...I need you to make me tired.” Well that could have been worded better.

[Ryuzaki]

As the young woman began eating the spread, Ryu acted likewise, and they soon had a decent, if light, meal. He also watched her as she looked his home over - her eyes took everything in, even though she looked about ready to collapse. They were pretty eyes, Ryu thought to himself. He really liked them.

When she spoke, Ryu gave a small smile. He had, he supposed, chased after her. It was true. But his intentions were most definitely not to kill her, and he was glad she'd understood that. Then the rain started, and the sound of the water pouring down created a grey background, a fuzzy blanket of sound that set the assassin more at ease. He loved the rain - and the harder the rain, the better.

As the mage wilted at the sound of thunder, Ryu looked visibly distressed, trying to figure out exactly what to do in such a situation. He had to help her through this somehow. As Mila began to cry, the assassin picked up his own heavy cloak and wrapped it around her snugly, making a warm cocoon around her torso. He then moved behind her and began rubbing her shoulders, firmly but in a soothing manner as he tried to bring peace to his friend.

"It's okay, Mila. It's going to be all right. For any dagger you face, I'll have two ready in your defense. Don't worry. I'm here. I will protect you, and I'll get you through this. You're strong."

Mila shook her head, and Ryu could only wonder what made her so upset. He knew that it was traumatic, but he couldn't help but wonder if there was some other reason this Oya character's betrayal hit her so hard. Perhaps they had shared a tight bond?

And then she tilted her head back, glanced at him, and muttered "I need you to make me tired."

What on earth?

Ryu's mind instantly flew to the best possible scenario, but that was quickly dismissed. There was just no way, right? And so he thought through the others. Sure, he could drug her, but he doubted she just wanted to be knocked out. That sort of rest wouldn't solve much. Perhaps he just needed to work her through all of the experiences, so that she could come to terms slowly? But she seemed so worn and bedraggled... He just wanted to help her relax.

"How... would you like me to make you tired? I could continue to massage you... Or if you... perhaps... were intending something a bit more vigorous, I have a large bed... You're welcome to stay as long as you like, and whatever you need... I mean, honestly, whatever... I'll provide for you."

So many emotions. He'd trained himself to ignore them, but here they were, swirling all over... But honestly, Mila was in need... And what could it hurt?

[Mila]

Mila visibly blushed at Ryu's actions. It wasn't often she got a chance to really sit down and have someone else touch her or be affectionate. Yes she had family, and her family loved her. Growing up in the guild meant that everyone looked out for one another but they also looked out for themselves too. There wasn't really too much of a chance to be all touchy with one another when there was always some sort of task or job to do. The only people who really gave her any sort of attention were Duma, her deceased parents, and Sarah. Has it really been half a decade since Sarah? If anything she was the most affectionate of the bunch since she always liked to give out hugs to make people feel better. Wait did he just imply what we were thinking? Are you thinking what i'm thinking? Then Ryu managed to massage a part of her neck she knew was sore. Sweet skies above that's perfect. I could never undo that knot no matter how many times I stretch.

"I..I.. think.. we are thinking along the same l-lines." She wasn't sure where this bout of nerves came from. Then he touched a rather large bruise. She cringed again.

"Ah! Ow! T-there's a bruise there careful." She guided her hand over to where the mark was. It was on her right shoulder. It was a temporary reminder of where she landed when she pushed herself off the wagon. Next time maybe she should try landing on her feet. She cleared her throat and tried to compose herself. Come on. Mila. Don't let the touching distract you. Try to treat this professionally? Yeah lets go with that. Professio-- Her thought was cut off, Ryu found another knot. She was fighting her body's natural urge to moan. She was starting to feel like she was going to melt into a puddle. This.. is the most relaxed we've been since ever.

"I will admit.. the massage is helping. But it's not enough. I need to get so tired that not even the worst thunder or nightmare can wake me up. Sleeping potions run the risk of becoming addictive.. so I can't use those. Physical exercise helps but, it's too dangerous to go outside and run laps. So.." She got up. She gently removed the cloak Ryu put on her and put it on top of hers. As she started to explain her logic Mila carefully started to undo the buttons that held her leather guard in place.

"I'm going to have to go an alternate route." She sighed softly as she freed her chest from the burden of the leather guard. Freedom! This just left her top half in her plain sleeveless shirt. She looked around the room again.

"This place does not have a woman's touch at all. So, I am going to assume you are single. Becasue.. I.. honestly do not need homewrecker tacked on to my list of worries right now." She smiled softly and began to take off her boots. Her feet touched the wooden floor for the first time and she wiggled her toes lightly. Her nails were painted in the same pinkish red as her lipstick.

"I.. really hope your picking up on what i'm requesting.." Don't make me spell it out. Please don't make me spell it out. She just needed this to be a one night thing. No strings attached. Just so she can ware herself out to the point of glorious sleep.

[Ryuzaki]

"I..I.. think.. we are thinking along the same l-lines."

What?!

Was he hearing this right? As the assassin continued his massage, his mind started to race through any possible way Mila could be thinking along a different 'same line.' The lines were beginning to blur in his mind when he hit the bruise, and thankfully, that brought him back to his senses. A bit.

"Sorry."

Quickly adjusting, he continued to knead her gently but firmly, but the rate of the massage began to increase as she slowly went through the options that didn't work. No drugs, but exercise... Indoor exercise...

"I'm going to have to go an alternate route."

Wonder what that could be?

As Mila stood up and removed his cloak, Ryu looked, his face gently smiling even as he shuffled his feet, slipping out of his shoes in an attempt at discreetness. He needn't have worried. The mage continued, sloughing off her chest guard and allowing the assassin a nice view of her from head to toe, slightly in profile as she once more surveyed his home.

Yes, she was indeed quite beautiful. The skin of her arms looked warm and soft, and her hair, which fell gracefully around her face, accentuated the inviting line of her pink lips. Delicious, indeed. He could feast upon her, taking in that faint aroma he could detect... That warm scent, calling him. He could barely contain himself.

As she looked around and gave her wry comment, Ryu smiled and softly jibed back.

"Aye, Mila... Though I'd let you wreak havok on house and home if you wished. Maybe the charred, wrecked look would make the place more cozy."

The boots came off, and as she did so Ryu removed his flowing shirt, then moved gracefully forward, his arms gently wrapping her in an enveloping embrace as he tilted his head down, his mouth resting near hers, his voice coming in a murmur as if from afar.

"I'm picking it up, Mila... And I think I can give you exactly what you need. Exactly what you need."

The assassin's fingers began to work their way over her back, pressing and gently caressing as they made their way almost on their own under the hem and began swirling over her lower back. The ball was rolling now; it was up to Mila how fast or slow she wanted to progress.

[Mila]

Wreak havoc on house and home. Woah. Wait.. did you not get that? I meant so that I wouldn't be the reason of a potential break up between you and who... FOCUS! Ryu had taken off his shirt now. Oooh. She wasn't going to lie, the mage did like what she was seeing. Now he had approached her and wrapped his arms on her body. He's soft. She wasn't expecting that. She wasn't expecting a lot of things. She had to tune out her brain and just let her instincts take over. Oh.. the lower back. Don't.. laugh.. don't twitch.. Don't be ticklish! She curled her toes in an attempt to stave off the urge to shudder or pull away from him. She leaned forward and got up on her tip toes and her lips met his. There was no going back now.

By morning the pair were sharing a bed together. Under the covers, Mila had her arms wrapped around the assassin and using him as a body pillow. She was asleep, for the first time in a week she was sleeping soundly. It was a sweet dreamless sleep, that would hopefully help to set her mind at ease. Her hair was loose and appeared to have a small smile on her face. The rain of the day prior had passed over them. The thunder or noises of the wind and rain hadn't disturbed the mage at all. Now the world outside the home was bright and sunny. It would be late morning before the mage started to stir and wake from her slumber. She opened one eye and the light of the day greeted her.

"M..ngh... Morning?" She questioned.

[Ryuzaki]

"Mmm."

As Mila's lips met his, Ryu picked her up, and as they tumbled into bed, the last of his reservations blissfully faded away...

And then, far too soon, he was awake, looking down with that peculiar mix of possessiveness and adoration that new lovers usually possess. Mila was still sleeping, and Ryu closed his eyes once more, his fingers curling up from where his arm lay under her neck and gently running through her hair as he let his mind slowly fade away.

And then he heard her voice come floating up, thick with sleep and much steadier and like the normal Mila.

"Morning?"

"Hey, there, Mila. How do you feel?"

Ryu's fingers considered to gently caress her hair, and he smiled down at her, quickly pecking her on the lips before continuing his greeting.

"You look... So much better. And I don't mean to say you didn't look beautiful last night, babe. But you look like a flower that's just been watered and has come back from a wilt into a full bloom. You look full of life and vivacity. I'm amazed."

Honestly, in hindsight, most of yesterday, last night, and the early morning had been one amazement after another. He'd never thought... Actually, that was the most foolish part. There should have been no grounds for assumptions. He should know that, of all people.

But now, he was simply content to lie, with Mila wrapped up over and under and all around him. It was incredibly comforting, which surprised Ryu. He wasn't usually one for big displays of affection. But this was different.

[Mila]

She gently pulled herself off of her human body pillow and rolled over in bed. She blushed lightly at Ryu's comments and actions. Her head now faced up towards the ceiling. Eventually she got a chance to sit up and start stretching her arms. Despite the noises and cracks her joints might have made, she did feel good. Fuzzy memories of last night started to make their appearance in her mind. It sent a warm feeling through her chest and gave her more of a pink tint to her face.

"Well I admit.. I do feel good. I feel better. It's amazing what sleep..er.. and actions.. can do to a person." She lied back down this time using Ryu's arm as a pillow.

"It's.. a bit too early for metaphors. But.. uhm.. I.. have to thank you. You did what I asked.. and give me what I needed. I feel rested for the first time in a while." Her mind was trying to separate out the events of yesterday and the reality that she had to face today.

"I had fun." She was sincere and still very red faced. You were very fun. She then blinked hard her eyes were still trying to focus on the day. She rubbed the palm of her hand over her forehead then ran her hand through her hair. She found herself starting to cling back to her silver haired companion. He was warm. And the world around them was cooler due to the rainstorm last night. No no.. now come on. Up. We've got work to do. First time we can focus in a week. Gotta think on what to do next. She shifted again and forced herself to sit back up.

"Uhm.. breakfast?" Food. Food and water sounds like a good first step in planning what to do next. Blech.. and maybe rinse our mouth. Morning breath is strong. She slowly shuffled herself out of the warm bed and scrambled into her clothes.

[Ryuzaki]

"Aww, don't thank me. It was a team effort, and I think that we both have come out much better than we came in. I feel good too. It was a lot of fun. You're quite fun, Mila. And warm, and cuddly too. What a killer combination... More dangerous than my sword!"

Ryu laughed lightheartedly as Mila rose. He too dressed, and then stretched, feeling his muscles and sighing happily. What wonders a night of good lovin' could do to a person. He felt renewed and restored, and he hadn't even felt bad beforehand. Mila looked wonderful. Like she'd had all her troubles wiped away. Obviously, that couldn't be the case, but... It was still nice to see her in such good spirits.

"Breakfast indeed! We still have some cheese, and some fruit, and I have a surprise..."

Ryu rifled around in his small cabinet that served as a pantry, pulling out what appeared to be a large rectangle. Taking it in his hands, carefully, he pulled from the skin bag a smaller rectangle, broke it in two, and handed one to Mila before replacing the bag and walking back over to stand near her, breathing deeply to inhale her scent - and that of damn good chocolate.

"I hope you like chocolate - I got this right after last week, and thought I'd share it with you. But then I didn't see you, and I got worried. But now you're back, and here with me, in a way I'd never dreamed of... So I guess it's a fitting time to celebrate. And what the heck, we can buck tradition and have chocolate for breakfast. We're kidnapper-hunters, after all. Big-time folks."

Ryu smiled. He felt he was genuinely at peace. Happy, serene, and unfazed by anything yet to come.

[Mila]

"Heh.. yes it was quite the team effort." She smirked lightly. She was still a bit groggy from waking up so any jokes that were said were kind of half registering in her head.

"I highly doubt that my cute and cuddly self is worse then your blades." She took a seat at the table and began to evenly distribute the leftovers betwen them. Then Ryu presented her with something really sweet. She recognized the sweet scent that came out of the bag.

"Oh man! Chocolate. Now that's a treat. I'm used to having tiny little pieces in my trail mix. It'll be nice to have a large piece by itself." She smiled softly and accepted the piece offered to her. She took a bite of the heavenly substance and savored it. She then broke a piece off of it and fed it to Ryu in a bit of a cute manner. She sighed softly and retook her seat. As much as she enjoyed the fun and games she needed to get serious. We aren't here to build this sort of relationship. She had to remind herself.

"Ah.. Ryu. As much as I hate to burst this little bubble of celebration... I must. We're adults.. You are right we're kidnapper hunters. These guys have scary people who won't stop till we are dead. Or until your dead and I'm living my new life as a slave." She shuddered lightly. With a clearer head, the reality of the situation was starting to sink in. She leaned into the back part of the chair and took a slice of bread.

"I.. I think I need to leave Santaruz, at least for a little while. It's too dangerous for me to linger. And as much as I want to.. I know I can't have you protecting me all the time. We.. have other lives. Jobs. You've got.. people to kill. I've got monsters to hunt." She went and spread some cheese over her piece of bread.

"I.. think i'll make my way to Bern. Perhaps find some clues along the way. Slavers.. traffickers like this are bound to have connections to outside territories. I do not think the assassins will tail me that far." She sighed again and started to eat the left over bread.

[Ryuzaki]

"Mmm. Thank you, Mila."

As his lover spoke, Ryu's face smiled wryly and reluctantly. He'd known it would be coming. After all, Mila was far too independent and capable to think of settling into hiding, and je wouldn't think of pressing her to. He savored his freedom - to take it away from her would compromise the few moral fibers he had. They weren't by any means numerous fibers, but they were strong.

He knew, yet he was sad. Perhaps later... once they had finished some things. Maybe then she would be ready to make more commitments.

"I... I knew this would come up eventually. There's really nothing I can do... I suppose I should be grateful for the time we did spend together, for the adventures we had.

But I'm wistful, and I'm sure you must be as well. But nay, I can't hold you.

If you wish to, that's what you must do. I will... I don't know what I'll do. I don't suppose you'd let me accompany you... and so I suppose I will just drop back into the usual routine.

But before you do leave, let me neutralize the assassin you have tailing you. I'd like to do that, so that you can truly travel in peace. And it'll give me more peace of mind, as well.

I suppose then that is what we'll do... but to think...

No. I must not dwell on it. Just know this, Mila. Whatever happens in the future... whatever craziness befalls us, no matter what happens... I'll be there. Somewhere. In the shadows. In the crowds. Because I feel different about you, Mila. I've never felt this way before. It's a strange sort of feeling. But we'd better go... before I get too mushy and sentimental."

[Mila]

If I could have you accompany me I would. She thought to herself. From her understanding it seemed that Ryu wanted her to stay more. To be honest a part of her wanted to stay as well. She enjoyed the assassin's company in more ways then one. Ryu was one of the few people she's come to know who treated her with respect and understanding. And that meant quite a lot to her.

"..You make it seem as if I won't ever be back. You know that old saying.. Fate works in mysterious ways? I have no doubt in my mind we shall meet once more." As she thought about it she realized that it might as well had been fate doing at their encounter. Their first meeting which sparked this kinship was during a jail break. Their first real conversation was the hours after said jail break, where Ryu acted like a true gentleman. And now this second encounter was also tied with some sort of fate or luck. If Ryu hadn't seen her launch the first fireball at the kidnapper he may have never been involved in this plot. And then the two of them would not have shared a moment like today.

"I.. mean really. We jumped from jail break to travelers to kidnapper hunters and to.. well I guess now lovers? Or perhaps.. a 'companion with benefits'. Actually I like that term a bit better.. makes it sound a bit more.. respectable. No offense." Or perhaps therapist? She gently pushed her empty plate aside. She got up and took a seat at the table so she was now facing Ryu.

"All.. of that.. has to be driven by something. Although I.. do not know if I know what that something is yet. There are a bit more pressing issues on my mind at the moment to put more thought into it. But.. I would appreciate it greatly if you can at least nab those assassins tailing me.. you.. US. And remember.. you can call on me for anything monster related. Or related to these kidnappings." She shook her head. Then took another bite of chocolate. Calm down Mila. She tried to tell herself that, but her heart beat was quick.

"As much as I want you to accompany me.. I.. cannot.. accept it. Believe it or not.. you are quite the distraction." She spoke with a bit of a coy to her voice and some red to her cheeks.

"If I wish to make myself grow.. to be stronger... wiser. I cannot have distractions. No matter how good they are." She took a breath then bit more into the chocolate. Distract yourself from the distraction. Distract.. ok.. good. This IS some damn good chocolate. Right.. ok.. now refocus attention. She kept the last bit of chocolate in her mouth as her fingers went to work on her loose hair. She began to pull it back into a low hanging braid then clipped it into place. It gave her cheerful appearance a bit air of sophistication. She then got up and began to fix her clothes. Ryu was still close enough to her so she could tug and fix his clothes a bit too.

"Sorry, but that loose button was annoying me for some reason. But your right.. we should head out now. Before.. this becomes more difficult then it is. And although I.. do not have anything as poetic as your line about craziness and shadows.. I do have this." She got on her tip toes, gently tugged at the assassin's collar and gave him one last, chocolate flavored kiss. She pulled away gently and tapped him on the chest. I hope i did that right. What did the noble's in the books call it again? "Parting shot" ... I think i'm getting the military study mixed with my novels again. The mage quickly did a tour around the room, gathered her remaining things, and made her way out with the assassin.