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The assassin stood, looking at his bookshelf. His bedroom curtains-well, that were on the single window there-were open, showing what was a fairly sunny day. It was, however, still relatively chilly out, as it tended to be this close to the mountains.
The skull had caught his eye today, for some reason.
He had not been at his own home for a birthday before. Not that birthdays were super important to the young man; they had just come and gone normally. He had the house built after he had started his journey to hunt down his father in his twentieth year, and it was just about finished when he had joined the tournament with Ash and Shen.
This year, he had decided to have a more quiet birthday around said home, though Leona had come along with him. She had wanted to visit again, and they had agreed it seemed to be a good enough time to do it. She was able to get a little time off, and the two of them were not particularly into big celebrations. Most of the time, their friends would simply take them out for some drinks, and they were content.
Duo Lon knew he would end up having a few drinks with Shen in Shanghai when they were on their way home-and the entire group planned to come back one summer like they had done the last.
Reaching up, he took the skull down to look at it. His hair was in a loose tail, drying; he had gotten out of the shower, and his ample hair had just been washed, and brushed lightly over his dark gray carpet. His room decor was all in shades of black, gray, and a touch of purple; it was spartan, though had some of his favorite things in it. A full size bed, desk with his laptop, and rather nice stereo system, complete with a record player and a shelf full of a mix of underground, raw black metal vinyl and an array of books of all kinds. The young man didn’t own a TV-he didn’t care for anything on-but music and books were something that interested him for years.
The skull was from the first time he was blooded. The Hizoku’s assassins all had one, to remember where they came from. Likely immensely morbid to some, but to him, it was just a bone. The soul was long gone, somewhere in the realm of death. He most likely wouldn’t have even recognized it if he ran into it.
He had been the youngest Hizoku in what may have been a century to get one.
“Do you always look at that around your birthday? Reminds me of the play.”
Duo Lon turned and smiled softly at the soldier, who walked up behind him and touched one of the bigger scars on his back before leaning into his tattooed shoulder. He was planning on getting a bit more added when they went back to Shanghai after a few quiet days in the mountains where he had his home built.
“I think this is the first time I’ve actually been here for my birthday.” He turned the thing over, noticing the scratch marks on the top. He was a little sloppier in those days…though given where he was in his training, that would be somewhat understandable. Setting it back on the shelf, he turned toward her. “I apologize,” he said. “We were always taught to remember where we came from.”
She shook her head, smiling softly at him. “I didn’t say anything.”
He smiled back for a moment before going over toward his stereo; selecting a vinyl that he knew they both liked-he had gotten Leona interested in the music during the one fateful summer party that the Ikaris held-he put it on and walked back over to his bed to relax.
“I remember this,” she said. “Wasn’t this one of the first ones you put on that day?”
“I think it was,” he said. “It’s one of my old favorites. I know I brought a bunch of those along that day.” He wandered over and laid back on his bed, putting one hand behind his head as he crossed his legs. He adjusted his trousers-he wore nothing else at the moment-and let his eyes close as he let the music wash over him.
Leona joined, laying next to him. She had thrown on a pair of army trousers, her tank top, and a pair of socks-his house was warm enough for where it was, but a little chillier than their usual hotel or the Sky Noah, given its location. Duo Lon had a strange, nearly inhuman resistance to any sort of heat or cold-no one really knew why, but it likely had to do with his strange, slightly altered biology.
The two were extremely comfortable at the moment. They had showered together, and as it was, did far more than that in said shower, taking their time. It was cold out, the shower was warm, and given she had just arrived the day before and slept on the drive there and most of the night, the two were quite… touchy upon waking up. This, in turn, went into one of their intense sessions…the two still having a few scratch and bite marks scattered around their bodies from it.
The pair had discovered each other liked it rough behind closed doors. In public, they were quiet, reserved, and incredibly private. They had connected in ways they never would have suspected, at first just enjoying a physical, sort of friends with benefits type of hookup…that grew into something far more without them even realizing.
Not that they minded.
Absently rubbing at one of her thighs-which, underneath the trousers, held a fair few of those bite marks-she looked over at his arm, tracing a hand down one of the tattoos, examining it. She’d find something new every time, it would seem.
He glanced down as she checked. “Thinking about some more?” he asked. “Zhu would take you if I gave him the word.”
“Yeah, maybe,” she said. When they had come on vacation, she had gotten an industrial, mechanical looking design done on one shoulder that suited her very well. She had grown to like it, and had been considering adding a little more to it. “Are you going?”
“When we get back to Shanghai, I think so. He’s around and has some time open, and it’s almost tradition that I go back to him a couple of times a year.”
As a contrast to her mechanical-looking piece, Duo Lon’s sinewy, yet muscular arms were snaked with various horror-based, almost eldritch, necromantic looking designs. Terrifying spirits that looked both human and animal, bones, symbols of death, bits of writing which were likely some ancient incantations of a sort. She sometimes wondered if that was what the death realm looked like to the untrained eye. They were only about three colors; black, blood red, and a sort of bluish-purple making up the majority of the pieces, which stood out against his pale skin. They had surprised the soldier the first time she had seen them at the party-he had worn a sleeveless shirt, and before that day, while Adel and Whip were familiar with him, she had only seen him in his long-sleeved, long-necked coat.
Running a finger down his arm one more time, she repositioned again, propping herself up on his pillows. His bed was full-sized-suitable for his tall, long-limbed frame-and had a black duvet on the top, along with a set of dark gray sheets. Down in the furnished basement, he had a couch with a pull-out bed for guests, though it was a bit chillier down there in the winter than usual. He would usually have to light the stove down there to help, though his small bar was located down there as well.
“I was sort of hoping to get back here again,” she said. “Well…more than sort of.”
“I was glad to be able to do this. I kind of wanted a quieter year this year.” He paused. “I always appreciate going out with everyone.”
“No, I understand. Completely,” she said.
“And, well, we have plans afterward, anyway,” he chuckled. “I am not as reclusive as I used to be.”
“Me neither.” She peered out the window a moment, sitting up from her comfortable spot on the bed. The curtains were open enough to see the snow-covered trees outside. “It’s so beautiful out here right now.”
“We can go out again later.” Leaning over to check his phone, he saw the weather for the next couple of days. “It’s going up a bit. Things will be melting. It will warm up pretty fast after that, though the mountains keep it longer.”
“Do you…want to do anything special?” she asked.
“I already am,” he answered simply.
Leaning in again and enjoying the music and the company, Leona closed her eyes for some moments. Duo Lon’s heart beat slower than normal, but she had gotten used to it-the same for his cooler skin. She knew it was due to his training; once you felt the touch of the death realm, it stayed with you.
Somehow, this made her slide her arm over him absently, resting against him closer.
“Going to cook more today?” she asked.
“Definitely,” he said. “Tempted to roast something out back.”
“Making a fire out there?”
He shrugged. “I’ve been camping out in worse.”
“I’m up for it. I probably have, too.”
The pair simply laid there for some time more; at least two or three songs played through. Being vinyl, they heard it get to the end, with Duo Lon sliding out of bed slowly to go flip it over before returning. The harsh music really did have a certain quality played on vinyl; Leona had eventually wanted to get a similar setup to him.
Looking over at him as he scooted back to his comfortable spot near the bed, Leona leaned back against the pillow, somewhat against his arm. Smiling at her, he touched lightly under her chin with one of his long nails.
“I hope this isn’t too boring for you,” he smirked, knowing that she also preferred quiet holidays.
“I’m pretty sure this is about perfect.” Thinking for a moment, she absently looked out the window again at the snowy foothills. “Did you ever do anything for your birthday growing up?”
“Nothing much,” he said. “My name day would be recognized, of course, but for us…it was another year toward our training. The clan elders are pretty traditional…no cake or anything. We did get buns in the shape of a peach. Some of my brothers would sneak away candy from their trips to the city, though.” He chuckled. “As would I.”
“Could I ask about your brothers?” she asked curiously.
“Of course,” he said. “I…haven’t seen any of them in awhile. I think I last saw one when I was eighteen. We go off on our own training at that point.” He sat up, moving closer to his nightstand where his ashtray was, grabbing his pipe and starting to pack it. “I am not even sure of their status,” he said, the unspoken part of that being who was even alive. “But…Bai, he is two years older than I...but he's also te shortest of us. He and I never always saw eye to eye. Very stubborn,” he chuckled. “I don’t think he ever got over me being selected over him for jobs, despite being the third in line."
“Felt like he was supposed to be up first due to age?” Leona sat up, crossing her legs.
“Sort of like that, yes. When you have a clan hierarchy, the eldest can sometimes get it through their head they are in line...but the Hizoku do not only look at age. He actually trained some with Lin…very good with poisons.” He finished packing his pipe, as Leona grabbed the lighter to help him light it, always enjoying the smell. “Then, Yuze…” he trailed off, laughing. “Yuze's the loudest. He’d get on with Shen very well. About the same height and size, too. Probably would wreck several bars.”
This caused the soldier to smile again. She did that a lot more, lately. “Wild?”
“Yeah. In trouble more often with the elders. Probably the most of all of us.”
Leona snorted laughter. “Oh boy."
“Affinity for fire…not that it was a surprise to anyone. While usually, an element does not dictate one’s personality…he lived up to the stereotypes. He even had his braid and bangs colored a bright red.”
“He’s older?”
“Just by a year...he doesn't mind as much as Bai, because he'd rather not do the work," he chuckled. "Then there’s Zhang…who is likewise skilled with poisons…but that’s not uncommon among us. He was always the most easy-going of my brothers. Very calm. So much so that some of the elders doubted his ability…but he has shown time and time again he is just as skilled and strong.” He looked out the window as he blew out a stream of smoke. “He never minded my half sister, Xiao Lon, as well,” he said.
The soldier knew there were some issues there; he had explained to her earlier on in their relationship that his brothers mostly had issue with her and her late mother, given the infidelity involved, and the brothers had mostly quite liked their own mother, who had likewise since passed.
"Was…Bai the only one you had problems with?" She was now very much into hearing what he was willing to tell about his family. She was always curious, and he had discussed them lightly before, but never by name.
Perhaps, not really having much in the way of her own blood family around anymore, she wanted to hear about her lover’s…or at least what was left.
"Yes. The others tended to be a bit more easygoing. I think my...parents may have been a bit stricter on him, too." He puffed his pipe again. "Shan and An are twins. They have an affinity for wind and earth…though Shan was nearly as tall as I, and much more hot-headed than his brother, and he was excellent with earth.” The folks who studied earth-focused qi tended to be more level headed, while wind tended to be more wild and chaotic; somehow, his twin brothers had not fallen into this stereotype. Rubbing his chin for a moment, he looked over at her. “When they had left, they had not yet been blooded. If they followed everything…they would be, by now.”
Leona nodded knowingly. She knew members of that clan typically had their first jobs at around sixteen…Duo Lon being an exception by being two years younger than that.
“They weren’t the youngest, right?”
“No, I have three more,” he said with a smile. “Growing up was interesting.” Blowing out a few smoke rings this time, he looked back over. “Jianyu was always into art. Ever since he was very young. Yet another skilled with poisons. They are the sort of backbone of the clan, I guess you can say. But he’s also funny. Especially for our clan. Sai liked him, the one time he met him. He’s…probably of that age now, too. Close to sixteen.”
“And then…two younger?”
“Yes. They wouldn’t be over thirteen or fourteen. Liu is the second youngest. He is skilled with lightning. Very shy though,” he said, a smile growing on his face. “Like the polar opposite of my old teammate.”
“Benimaru,” the soldier answered as she changed position casually, tucking up against him. This made her chuckle as she decided to take the soldiers free hand, randomly examining his nails and a couple of the scars that were scattered on them.
“Indeed. But he was always so studious. Finally, Feng is the youngest…and I must say, while I care for all of my brothers-even Bai-Feng I have a particular fondness for.”
“What’s he like?”
“Curious. And…has a rare affinity for necromancy. Like myself and m…Ron. I…worry a bit about him.”
“Because of his curiosity?”
“Yes. Along with this affinity.”
She wrapped one of her hands around his, giving it a light squeeze as he shifted his leg, and took a puff of his pipe with his free hand. He squeezed hers as well as he leaned back, looking off to one of his bookshelves.
“If he took after you…I’d like to think he’ll be well.”
“Yeah,” he said. “We liked to talk a lot when we would see…I was so often on training when they were growing, though. I remember him being excited to move on from striking sand.” He finished his pipe, putting it off to the side as he tapped it out, freeing up his hand to put behind his head. “My younger half-sister…Xiao Lon. I always tried to look out for her. Her poison was some of the strongest, though her body was more frail than normal. She still had training, but took to poisons and weapons instead.”
“You said…there were some issues.”
He sighed. “Ron…had me young. Both of my parents were in their teens. You know how it is.” He opened and closed his hands. “People in the clan…mature quickly, though, and my first memories of him were of a typical father, regardless that he was just in his early twenties.” It was the first time she heard him refer to him as ‘father’, but she supposed in the past sense, she understood.
“I could sort of tell,” she said knowingly.
Duo Lon touched her shoulder lightly. “You had to mature quickly too, I know.”
“Yes…but even then, while I was trained, I was not put on the field until I was eighteen.” She leaned her head down into his hand, almost instinctively.
“Anyhow…it was a couple of years later, when Ron had met the other woman…and yes, had an affair. He did later regret it…but the damage was done. I was too young to really understand it at the time, as she had just had Bai, and Ron was away on a long mission. Xiao Lon is about nineteen now, I’d say. She…if anyone was not suited for the task of assassin, it was her. She hated it. She has not taken many missions. I am…almost thankful that the few she had taken were done with poison from a distance."
“I…remember you saying she’s fond of Ron?”
He leaned back, sighing again; he was not at all bothered by Leona’s questions. If anything, he was quite happy to be discussing this with someone he cared about. “Ron was kind to her at first,” he said, “My mother was not. Eventually Ron distanced himself from her as well to placate my mother, but I would try to keep her company. Two of my brothers didn’t mind her, either…but others blamed her for my parent’s changed relationship…though my mother passed away soon after Feng was born.” He shook his head. "She is...very idealistic. She thinks that there's something good left there."
She nodded knowingly.
He sighed, shaking his head. "It's fine. I know my duty. But I was glad to get to talk about my family again."
"I liked hearing about them."
He touched under her chin gently. "Mind...if I ask you something, now?"
"Of course."
"Have you...remembered anything since the end of the last tournament?"
Leona sat on the bed, her legs crossed as she looked down at her hands. Duo Lon had proceeded to spill quite a bit of his past to her right now…and she could tell it was something that did somewhat trouble the young man to talk about, regardless of how close they were.
“I remember…a carnival,” she said slowly…to the assassin’s surprise.
“Hmm?” He blinked, confused.
“I was younger. Maybe around five? But I remember being there with my parents. I don’t remember much else. Just…that I think I enjoyed it.”
He reached a hand over to hers, the soldier taking it and giving it a squeeze.
“A good memory?” he asked.
“Y…yes,” she said, a sad smile appearing on the corner of her mouth. “I…remember the smell of…fried food?” she blinked suddenly. “They…sort of smelled like the youtiao, when you make it.”
Cocking his head to the side, he leaned back against the wall. “Like fried dough?”
“Yes.”
“Want to make some?” he asked. “I…don’t really do cake, unless someone else gives it to me.”
She looked over at the kitchen, before looking back at him.
“Please.”
–
About twenty minutes later, the pair were standing in the kitchen over a wok filled with hot oil as Duo Lon grabbed some of the dough-stretched out in a long stick-to drop it in. The sizzling smell went through the house as Leona closed her eyes for a moment, breathing it in.
He looked at her curiously. “Is this…the first time you remembered? I’ve made this before.”
“Yes,” she said. “Even though it’s not the same thing…the smell, it’s reminiscent.” She looked up at him, her expression somewhere between relief, with a touch of sadness. “I don’t remember the whole day or anything…but it’s something.”
He looked down, swishing the dough around and putting more in. “I remember cooking this a few times, too. For my youngest brothers. When I would see them, that is.”
“That’s right,” she said. “You weren’t at the main village the whole time.”
“Yes. Saw on holidays and the like.” He went back to stirring, pulling one of the hot sticks out and placing them on a paper towel next to the wok.
Walking over, Leona took a hot one and sniffed it, smiling. She sprinkled some powdered sugar that was on the side over it, and took a bite, not minding that it was almost burning her mouth slightly. After swallowing, she smiled again, looking almost like she was trying to hold back some emotion.
“It’s…close.” She leaned on the counter, looking at the item. “I remember cotton candy, too.”
“Unfortunately…I cannot make that here,” he said. “But I hope these will suffice.”
She looked up at him, one hand running down one of his arms again. She absently paused at what looked to be like a demonic, ghostly face blending in with some strange symbols. “This is your birthday,” she said. “And you’re doing something for me.”
He shrugged, taking the last stick out and setting it aside, turning off the flame. “I didn’t celebrate often, like I said. And you seemed like you needed this.” Grabbing one of the hot sticks, he swirled it in some of the sweetened soy milk he had on the stove. “I like these anyway,” he said with a smirk.
Not even bothering to sit at the table at the moment, the two leaned over his counter and continued to eat the oil-soaked fried dough as one of the records he had put on continued to belt the frightening music through his rather nice speaker system.
Looking out the window over the snow-covered foothills and forest, she swallowed her bite before going to grab another to sprinkle more powdered sugar over it, really making her think of funnel cakes. “I remember that camping trip,” she said.
“I don’t think I can forget that.” The assassin had a tiny gleam in his eye.
“Are there any of those…old cabins you said you used to stay in? Is that…classified?”
“They move constantly,” he said. “They’re kind of a secret…but not necessarily a clan secret. I’d be surprised if we were the only people to ever stay in one. We don’t own most of them, if that’s what you mean. I am sure someone getting lost in the woods had found refuge in one of them once in a while. But I am sure some are still out there, though much further away than where I live.”
Leona found it all fairly fascinating. While neither of them grew up in typical lives and trained young, his ‘missions’ had started far younger than hers had. It was a very different situation, she understood; his clan was one of the more strange things she had gotten to know about. Heidern and the Agents knew some things here and there during the one tournament a few years back, and she had learned some from Duo Lon himself, but the idea of a clan that dated back to the times of the Three Kingdoms was quite wild, even for her.
And she had witnessed quite a bit during her time.
Polishing off another piece of rather delicious youtiao, she looked over at him and rubbed her hair.
“Can I make you a drink, at least?” she asked. “I picked up a few things from the guys. At least…I can do something for your…special day, here.”
Barely standing up from his spot leaning over his counter, he smiled softly, reaching an arm up to the cupboard to grab two glasses in his large hand, setting them down.
“I would like that. Thank you.”
Peeking into his liquor cabinet, Leona rubbed her chin, trying to think of something. Ralf and Clark had shown her a couple of websites with all sorts of monstrosities on them, which she had combed over out of curiosity. She wasn’t much of a kitchen person-strictly things like rations and the like-but she had gotten a little more practice over the past couple of years.
Knowing his tastes, she started to remember a drink from the site. It was fairly simple, and she found the absinthe and champagne quickly enough.
Duo Lon simply blinked, letting her mix it up. A smile appeared at the corner of his mouth.
Balancing out the mix to the best of her ability-never having mixed these two particular alcohols before-she dropped a bit of ice in, and did the same for the second. When the two were suitably bubbly and colored not unlike some sort of strange venom, she pushed him one.
Sniffing it, he took a sip, finding the combination of flavours quite decent overall. “What’s this called?” he asked.
Taking a sip herself, she shivered; Leona was not much of an absinthe person, but she decided to give this a go.
“Death in the afternoon,” she said with a light laugh.
“Really,” he said, taking another drink. “How…fitting. And it’s quite good. At least I think so.”
“It’s a bit too bitter for me I think,” she said. “But I’m glad you like it.”
“I think the flavors work well for me. And the name even moreso.” He set it down, pausing to rest his head on hers for a moment.
Closing her eyes, she enjoyed the moment, setting her drink aside. Neither of them realized how much they had opened up; they just sort of did so, naturally.
“I…wish I could have remembered more,” she said. “I liked what I managed to remember. It didn’t…hurt as much. If…at all.”
“Give it time. More will come.”
“Yeah,” she said. Looking down at her glass, she took another sip. “I might only have this once in awhile.”
“I’ll need to serve some of this to Shen,” he said.
The pair found themselves moving back into the bedroom; their appetites and memories satiated for now, his room seemed to be the fortress they enjoyed spending time in the most.
As the two lounged on the bed, Duo Lon’s phone started to ring. Noticing it was Adel’s number, he smiled and picked it up.
“Hello?” he asked.
“Heya!” a voice on the other end said. It was Whip. “Adel was running down to the kitchen to grab something, but he asked me to call you. Happy Birthday!” she said. Covering the phone a moment, the assassin heard her mutter. “Hey. Get your own food.”
Chuckling as she came back on-knowing it was probably one of the cats-he shifted in bed. “Thank you,” he said.
“How have you guys been?”
“Relaxed,” he replied. “Been quite enjoying it.”
“Heya,” Leona said quietly from the other side.
“Hi!” Whip shouted from the phone.
Duo Lon started to hear another voice appear on the other side of the line. “I told you I’d be back with a snack for you. Are you guys both bothering her now?”
A slightly indignant growling-like sound appeared on the other end of the line. Turning, he looked at Leona.
“The cats,” he said.
“Awww,” she said, a soft look on her face. He knew she was quite the cat person.
“Here,” Whip said on the other end, clearly handing the phone to Adel.
“Hey there. Happy birthday!” the blond on the other end of the line said. “I figured to at least wish you one.”
“Thank you, as well. I promise, we will get together soon back in Europe.”
“Have you heard from Shen?”
“Yes. This morning. He was still awake from the night before,” he said with a laugh.
"Well, you enjoy yourselves in the middle of nowhere," he said on the other line with a grin, smiling as Whip scooped up Cinder to try to remove him from the snack table.
"We are, don't worry. Thank you for calling, though. It's nice to hear from you both."
“Anytime. I’ll let you go. We’re gonna eat before the cats take all of our food.” They could hear Whip in the background clearly trying to deter the pair of them. “We just wanted to check in. Tell Leona we said so long.”
“Thank you again. We’ll see in a few days.” Hanging up, he smiled and looked over. “They send greetings.”
“We’ll see them soon.”
“I can stay here for a couple more days, at least.”
“Same.”
Getting up again to replace the record, he put another favorite one before heading back to the bed. The covers were off and messed up, which was just fine to him, as it wasn’t like he was getting other guests at any time. He kept a neat house, though wasn’t too terribly bothered by minor things such as that.
Eyeing Leona, she read his mind and slid over to him, partially on top. Leaning in, she gave him a kiss that deepened for a few moments before she pulled back, his hand tracing down her face with the nails teasing her under her chin.
“Any plans to go hiking?” he teased.
She slid a hand into his and interlocked their fingers before she smiled softly, her other hand running up his side, sliding over a scar or two before it reached his shoulder. She leaned close, pressing her forehead to his.
“Maybe not yet.”