Lost in Paradise [Otome & Akiva]

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Today's job was different from usual. Perhaps it was a sign that she was moving up. The general idea was still the same. There was someone who needed to be removed from this world. But rather than give her free reign to plan how to go about it, the client insisted that the deed be done whilst in attendance of a certain party. Moreover she wasn't going to be alone. A partner more experienced in this line of work was going to take the lead in this operation and she was to meet them prior.

Well, she had no qualms about working with someone else if they were competent. What actually threw her off was the need to dress for the party. As taking jobs like this was her way of relieving stress, she would have greatly preferred to be a bit more comfortable. But alas the stance she would be taking for now was that the client was always right. She would be using this experience as reference though and depending on the overall outcome, she may decide to avoid taking up similar requests in the future. Unlike most people in this business, she was not at all desperate for the money or the reputation.

She arrived at the meeting spot wearing a short backless black dress, the design mostly chosen to allow her tail freedom and ease of movement. And it was certainly looking notably fluffier and more magnificent than normal. Apparently an animal mask was also required, but that at least didn't pose any problems for her. After all she already wore one whenever taking on work like this. Thus for the occasion she was simply donning her usual kitsune mask that would be quite recognizable to anyone who had ever met or heard of her, not that her name was that well known yet so far. She was grateful that she was allowed the mask because had it been the opposite and she needed to attend with her real face, then she would have flat out rejected this job. That was how much it meant to her. In any case the man she was supposed to meet was apparently wearing a black jackal mask. Frankly he wasn't too hard to find.

"You are the one?"

She would walk up to him from behind, noticing his braided red hair and jackal mask, just like in the descriptions. When he would turn around to face her, she would courteously greet him with a curtsy.

"Megitsune. Pleased to make your acquaintance."

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Her inexperience was showing as her partner for the day almost immediately offered her another alias to call him by. He politely returned her greeting which she found very professional of him, his deep voice and build letting her know that he was quite older. At this point his seniority in this line of work was still believable and she would have to depend on that. As he posed his question, a waiter approached them offering drinks and she graciously accepted a glass of punch that she took a sip from after slightly shifting her mask to the side to reveal her lips.

"I've been to a fair few parties but not for work. In a way, this would be my first dance."

There would be no reason to lie to her red-haired colleague. It would only hurt their mission if she pretended to be more than what she was. She hoped she wasn't too disappointing in that regard.

"I've only seen as much as the pictures that came with the job description. The masks do make it a bit tricky to find our man."

"But if I were to give my opinion, someone who uses blackmail and other unscrupulous methods is a bloody coward."

She took another casual sip from her punch before continuing. She was rather fond of the taste and though she had a few complaints about this job, she might as well enjoy what she could.

"In that case, our man would be the one accompanied by the most muscle, not counting our host of course."

She tilted her head slightly in the direction of one of the tables further from the dance floor. There was a man there chatting animatedly with a couple of women, bragging about something like he was king of the world that evening. Standing in key positions around the table were a bunch of guys on the lookout for anyone who carelessly approached, though they seemed to be slightly more lax when it came to ladies.

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Otome adjusted her mask back in place as she put down her glass on the standing table. Xerxes suggested that they dance, which she interpreted as a means of moving around inconspicuously, possibly to get closer to their target. It was certainly better than just walking up to them. This suggestion also meant that he could take the lead, as a man typically would in a dance. This was something she was willing to allow in account of his seniority here.

"Certainly I would love to have this dance."

She would hold out her hand and wait for him to grab it and assume position. There was a nice melody playing in the background and it was something she was quite sure she could dance to. All she had to do was let him steer. And they would continue their conversation as they moved about.

It appeared they had slightly varying opinions regarding their target which served to highlight to Otome the disadvantages of this being a masked party setting. Everything could have been much more simpler with a straightforward approach but she could only imagine that their client was expecting something. Though what he could gain from causing a commotion in his own party eluded her thoughts at the moment. She was confident it would come to light when they finally set out to do their part. But she couldn't help but feel a bit wary.

"Suddenly I feel rather silly. If we're going to be honest, there are just too many people who fit those descriptions here."

She spoke in jest but there was an ever so slight hint of malice in her tone. It was fortunate that she was wearing her mask. If Xerxes could see her expression now, then he would realize how little she was concerned about causing a bit of collateral damage that evening. It was their host's fault for setting things up like this. He'd better not regret it. Megitsune was ready to hunt.

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Perhaps her partner this evening was more perceptive than she thought. His proposition to be patient did not fall on deaf ears. Otome was still enjoying herself after all. In a way the dancing eased her mind a bit. He posited that their man could possibly get careless and take off their mask. With all the drinks going around, that wouldn't be unlikely though it would take time. Would it really be the best approach to wait or should they be more proactive? It wasn't a bad idea to properly discuss their approach so that they were at least on the same page.

"Very well. Correct me if it's wrong to assume so but I'd interpret our host's wishes of holding it here as wanting to make the man's fall a spectacle of sorts. It's either that or there is someone else in attendance today that our host wishes to pin the fall on."

Xerxes had suggested that they lead the target away from this open area. But in her opinion a commotion would be raised whatever happened. It was only a matter of whether they chose to deal with it sooner or later. She was almost certain that their host was likely watching their moves from somewhere and he would act once they had done the deed.

"If you insist on taking action somewhere away from prying eyes then there's always the option of passing an anonymous message through one of the waiters. Perhaps requesting a private meeting. It's fortunate that there are two of us. One can wait at the meeting spot while the other kept an eye on the man and followed him there."

A simple but discreet plan. It was one that she personally had experience with. Somehow men were quite easily open to entertaining anonymous messages from mystery women. They would drop their guard at the mention of a lady's invitation. And it was sickening. Yet at the same time these were the type of prey that were amusing to 'devour' and erase without a trace. She could never grow tired of knocking people off their high horse and watching them grovel for mercy.

Though of course they would need to find their man first. Everything would start with that.

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"Then let's go with that. I'll be counting on you to back me up."

She was glad to know that her partner was quite receptive of her idea. Steering themselves back to the edge of the dance floor, they stood by another table waiting for an unwitting accomplice to approach them of their own free will. In the meantime, Otome reached for one of those blank cards they left out that people wrote on for impromptu business cards. It was a simple enough note. She wrote that she had heard of the man's success in his latest deal and so she had a 'business proposal' for him. She then 'signed' it with a kiss mark. In her mind it was probably better that it came off as a little unprofessional as it would 'hint' that she had other things in store for the man that might appeal to his interests.

When a waiter finally approached, she passed him the card with the invitation and asked if he could deliver champagne to the man as well apart from her note. There was no objection on the waiter's part which made her think that they were probably used to this sort of thing. Discrete 'business dealings' was probably a staple at these high end parties and the waiters were all prepared to accommodate any requests by the guests. When the waiter finally left, she turned to address her partner once more.

"I'll be going on ahead to the Butterfly Room then. I hope they don't keep me waiting too long."

The party venue had a number of private meeting rooms available for anyone who wished to speak with each other away from any onlookers. The room that Otome chose was more akin to a lounge than a more formal meeting place. This helped with the impression she wanted to setup for their target, as well as being a place that wasn't too cramped for her to utilize her quirk if necessary. Since she had requested for a private meeting, she was hoping that the man would enter the room alone and that any guards accompanying him would be waiting outside. She would leave it up to Xerxes to decide when he wanted to get involved, otherwise she simply expected him to keep watch at the minimum.

The room was at the end of one of the halls leading out from the party venue. There would be a single entrance from the hall. The windows of the room were large. The glass panels were around two thirds of the length from the floor to the ceiling and offered an excellent view of the outside. The room was also dimly lit to set a certain mood. Otome sat on a single couch facing the doorway so that when someone entered, she would be the first one they would see. There were a couple of glasses and an unopened wine bottle on a nearby table as though those who prepared this room knew exactly what guests would be using it for. The girl was starting to feel a bit excited in more ways than one.

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When the man would finally enter the room, he would find Otome seemingly look up as though she had been absentmindedly staring at the floor the entire time. This was already the beginning of her elaborate ruse. In truth though her head was tilted down, her eyes were alert and focused on the door the entire time. She was an actress of fair skill and knew exactly how to feign vulnerability and being unguarded by means of body language. Years of playing the innocent good girl have allowed her to make use of what she had learned then.

Her tail began to slowly wag side to side in a rather hypnotic motion. This was yet another ruse to lure the target into thinking that her tail betrayed her true emotions and feelings. Though in this case, being 'excited' to see the man wasn't completely a falsehood. But her reason for expressing so would be very different from what he might have been thinking.

Unlike with her partner earlier, Otome would greet the man with a bow whilst clasping her hands in front of her, portraying the image of respectful but meek subservience. The intention was to give him the impression that she did not stand there before him today as an equal but as someone below, likely just another messenger for a nonexistent 'boss' and also an 'offering' of sorts if the man interpreted it that way.

And see it that way he did. Coming forward with his pompous and braggart attitude, his own greeting exuded his sense of self-importance. Otome was glad that she was wearing a mask because that allowed her to at least smile underneath since she could not laugh to savor the humor of the moment. He was exactly the kind of man she was hoping he would be - in other words someone that disgusted her to her bones and would be very amusing to slowly and painfully end.

It didn't take a genius to figure out what was going on in his mind as he stared at the 'defenseless' Otome who turned around and lowered her tail, exposing her pale shoulders and bare back, seemingly glistening invitingly in the low illumination of the room. She turned her head sideways as if asking him what he was waiting for and the man was more than eager to make his advance and wrap his arms around her petite shoulders and smother her with his 'affection' in all of her exposed places.

He never made it. Before he could lay a single finger on her fair skin, he found himself hoisted up above the floor with something thick and warm tightly wrapped around each of his limbs, his torso and around his head and neck such that he effectively couldn't speak and had difficulty breathing. Only his eyes and ears were not obscured as he tried to makes sense of what was happening, quickly looking around the room and then at the girl just a couple of feet below him. His eyes widened as he realized that the lone tail that she had earlier was gone and replacing it were these large furry things surrounding her. He couldn't make them out because of the low light but he was smart enough to figure that the very same things were the ones restraining him at that moment.

He tried to shout to alert his guard but could only make a soft muffled noise. Otome turned back around to face him and slowly put up a finger to where her lips would be under the mask as if playfully telling him to keep silent. Well he wasn't a totally gutless prisoner at least and in fact only struggled and tried to shout some more which she found quite amusing. There was a shift in movement that caused the man to let out a piercing yell of pain, or at least it would have been one if he wasn't gagged. His right arm that was previously bound suddenly fell limp as it was released after having been broken in several places as well as dislocated.

This. This was the amusement she had been craving all night. The man's expression had quickly changed into fear after that excruciating experience and was staring at her in terror as he began to sweat and shiver. She could not get enough of it and it sent tingles down her spine. There was another shift in movement, again causing the man great agony. This time what fell limp as it was released was the man's left leg. He was reduced to being on the verge of tears, to which Otome finally couldn't help but let out a soft audible laugh and sigh.

She figured she shouldn't get too carried away. She was only supposed to kill him and her partner was waiting. It would be rude to take too long. As a final act of fun, the man's left arm was the next to fall, but while he was still in the middle of 'screaming' in agony, she went ahead and snapped his neck too, finally silencing him.

It was great while it lasted but now they had to confirm that the objective was completed. At the very least she felt that she needed to discuss with her partner how to ultimately dispose of the now dead target. Her tails gently lowered him on the couch, dexterously positioning his limbs and head in a way that made it seem like he was only sleeping. It would be her little joke to Xerxes should he come to inspect the body himself.

Walking towards the door, her tails reverted back to their single form as she peered outside to check if there were any onlookers or guards. If everything went according to plan then Xerxes would be there, having taken cared of anyone who might get in their way. True enough there he stood. The opening of the door should have caught his attention so she didn't bother stepping out of the room itself. Instead she gestured inviting him inside so that they could discuss the next phase of the operation.

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She watched and listened carefully as the man entered the room and commented on her work. Specifically she was looking for any signs of him being satisfied or otherwise displeased. Confident as she was, she was also quite careful, and in this line of work she did welcome criticisms. Anything that could make her more effective and more useful would be good to know.

But it seemed there was none of that. Xerxes even humored her joke and referred to their target as sleeping like a baby. Perhaps she was just overthinking it a little after all. She was glad to hear that he had indeed taken care of a potential nuisance for her. The plan had worked out. However he reminded her that certainly another guard would come looking not too long after. So he tried to confirm how they would like to end tonight's festivities. The waiter was also another lose end that he brought up as it might need to be addressed.

Otome pondered all this for a moment. She couldn't help but notice that tonight she was being made to make most of the big decisions. Well, it was a learning experience so it's not as though she was opposed to it. But she was starting to feel like she was being tested deliberately. It was fun in its own way at least. Having had her fill of a little blood spilling she had been in a much better mood. Not that there was literally any blood spilled on her part. But if Xerxes wanted to proceed with her methods than she figured it was fine.

She walked towards the window pressing her hand against it as she took in the view for a few seconds before turning back around to speak.

"We could probably make it seem like an accident. It would draw attention away from us as well."

She reached for the wine bottle beside the couch, opened it and then proceeded to empty the contents over the targets mouth, not caring if quite a bit of it spilled all over his clothes. There was no need to be neat at this phase. In fact, the crazier it looked, the more believable it might be. Her single tail then stretched out and wrapped around the lifeless body, bringing it over close to the window that she proceeded to open, letting in a bit of the evening breeze.

"He had a little too much to drink you see, and when he opened the window to get some fresh air, he lost his balance."

The broken bones and dislocated limbs as a result of her handiwork wouldn't look out of place on someone who fell from a great height. It was the perfect camouflage in her opinion. Her tail didn't leave any prints either.

"As for our helpful waiter, well I assume you'll be collecting what is due you from the client later on. The waiter works for him. I'm sure he can pull the necessary strings to take care of that for us. An extra service fee if you will. I'm not particularly concerned about the pay so he can dock it from my share if needed. I'm satisfied with having my little fun."

She neglected to mention anything about the guard on purpose, mostly because she had no idea what state he was in after her partner dealt with him. He would have to figure that out himself. She waited for Xerxes' comments on her suggestion before letting the target go on his trip. After all the grounds weren't exactly empty. It was sure to cause a commotion once he took his tumble. And it would be that same commotion that they could use to slip away.

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