Partners in Crime

Escape

July 26th, 2023

"Dusk," The woman greets, a small smile appearing on her face, "You're as reckless as ever."

The words catch Dusk off guard, momentarily knocking the wind out of her as she struggles to compose herself, momentarily forgetting Xavia's presence. She gathers her thoughts, determined to respond in a way that doesn't betray her embarrassment.

"K-Kana?! What are you doing here?" She asks in surprise before recovering enough to realize how unprofessional she must seem right now.

"Aurelius' assistant called me up out of the blue," Kana comments, her lips curling into a knowing grin, "Imagine my shock when I found out you needed backup!"

Dusk glances at her partner, as if looking for some sort of confirmation or denial. The surprise is still evident in her eyes but she offers Kana a warm smile nonetheless.

"I guess we owe you one," She finally manages to reply, trying to keep the conversation casual despite feeling anything but relaxed in this situation.

"Certainly seems like it," Xavia grumbles, crossing his arms over his chest, clearly annoyed at the intrusion and the surprise of being saved by a stranger.

There's something particularly irksome about an unknown variable entering their already chaotic situation. When he called for backup, he had assumed Zane himself would come for them. 

His shoulders tense up as he glances between Dusk and Kana, trying to piece together who this woman is with what little context he had been given.

Dusk bites back a sigh at his obvious irritation, instead focusing on what she can do to help ease the tension, "Don't be so cranky," She chides lightly, "Kana's here because we needed help."

"That's great and all, but who the hell is she? And how do you know her?" He questions skeptically, glancing at Kana and assessing her with guarded curiosity.

"Kana was my mentor, Xav. She taught me archery and how to hone my nen abilities," There's a hint of fondness in her voice as she looks up at the older woman, "I trust her with my life," She adds softly, emphasizing the gravity of that statement by holding his gaze for a second longer than necessary before turning back to her old friend.

"After saving our asses, I guess I'd be an idiot not to," Xavia grudgingly concedes, "Not that trust comes easily for me."

"Ah, I see," Kana extends a hand for him to shake, remarking with an impish grin, "So, you're the famous Xavia that Dusk has been writing me about? You're right, kid, he is quite handsome."

Dusk, suddenly flustered by Kana's brazen remark, stammers again, "K-Kana! I didn't say... I mean," She glances towards the stoic man to gauge his reaction, "It was just a figure of speech or something..."

Xavia raises an eyebrow in intrigue, a slight smirk playing on his lips. He takes Kana's hand in a firm shake.

"Famous? I wouldn't go that far," He remarks dryly before focusing on Dusk's flustered reaction with amusement dancing within his dark eyes, "Didn't realize I was the main topic of your letters to Kana here," His tone holds a hint of teasing. It isn't often Xavia gets to see his partner off balance and he finds himself somewhat entertained by the sight.

The dark-haired woman clears her throat, trying to regain some semblance of composure, "It's not like that," She mumbles with a slight pout.

"You're no good at lying, Dusk. But go on, keep playing that game," The white-haired man retorts with a smug grin spread across his face.

"Like you are any better!" Dusk quickly fires back, crossing her arms over her chest, "Your face gets twitchy when you lie!"

She can't help but take note of his arrogant expression. It irks her, yet at the same time it makes him seem more... Approachable? Either way, there's something about this side of him that she can't quite ignore.