The Hit[m]an (PendragonXeno94+Kei])

[Kei]

Thousands of people passed by going through their daily lives while among them sat one who wasn't constantly on the move  like the city around her. This city was neat and organized and the people all moved with a purpose, but for one out of place young woman the city was a chaotic blur and she absolutely loved it. Having come from a large city herself, the hustle and bustle of daily life was nothing new for her, but the people and the places here were decidedly different from back home and it made her strangely giddy to think of getting to explore it all. She was nothing special to the people here, just another tourist, and that was fine it was how she wanted it to be. She wasn't just her father's daughter here, instead she was just another face in the crowd; something she'd never gotten to experience before in her life.

For Evanna West, coming here was a great escape and she was fascinated with each and every thing around her. She'd found herself an out of the way bench and was currently distracted by sketching everything she saw around her. The people, the towering buildings, even the flowing traffic were all a great source of interest for her and it was all very soothing to the young woman. Green eyes were intent on the paper in front of her, and from the charcoal stains on her hands to the splatters of paint all over her fitted jeans it was clear she was far removed from the well dressed people around her. Her auburn hair ran in soft waves around her head, pushed around by the breeze as she continued her work. She realized she should have left home for a vacation like this years ago, and though she knew she was only here for a short time, she was determined to make the most of it.

Yes, she was going to enjoy this little adventure of her's to the best of her ability. And just maybe the time away would help things back home to cool off for the time she was ready to return. That was the hope, at least.

[PendragonXeno94]

Making his way through the bustling streets of Kyoto, he made himself almost blend in with the crowd. By now, most people were leaving from work and heading toward the train station or simply walking back. As he adjusted his cuff links, Isao Uneo kept up a composed appearance with his neat suit and nicely slicked back hair pulled into a long ponytail. The city was more or less always bursting with life, though he didn't quite see it that way.

Every movement, every second glance, every breath taken was meticulously calculated. The gray and blue that dotted his dark chestnut eyes were concealed under a pair of Cartier sunglasses as his eyes scanned the people in front of him. A smirk broke his lips, knowing that a certain woman walked these streets not an hour ago... he wished he could be at Lake Biwa just to see the looks on the detective's face when some poor passerby showed him the body. Knowing him, the detective would be cursing upon seeing where she was shot right between the eyes. But Isao knew better than to stick around after the deed was done. It was always fun to cover his tracks and have the police run around and never get a single lead.

As he slipped through the crowd, he turned to see a young woman sitting on a bench. From what he could tell, it was obvious that she was drawing something. He slipped back out of the crowd, standing next to the bench and doing anything he could: readjusting his cuff links, taking his jacket off and fanning himself some, all the while looking over his shoulder every now and then to catch glimpses of what she was drawing.

[Kei]

It was her growling stomach that finally made Evanna look up from what she'd been doing for the last few hours. She shook her head, grinning at herself for forgetting to eat again and knowing her brothers would tease her if she were back home for forgetting about something so important. Then again, her brothers thought her art was just a passing fancy and thus never paid much attention to it beyond that. The thought made her frown and she shook her head again to clear it of the dark thoughts that threatened to come forth. Pushing her long hair out of her face, she sat back on the bench and stretched, suddenly becoming aware of someone else nearby.

Years of living in a big city had her wary, but her naturally friendly nature overrode the need for too much caution and besides that they were in a crowded place so she felt safe enough. Thus she looked up into the face of a man with dark sunglasses covering his eyes and offered him a warm, friendly smile that made her green eyes light up because she was happy to be around people. She wasn't certain if he spoke English or not, and her Japanese was only passingly good, so she'd go with a greeting in her language then switch to the one she'd learned if it looked like he didn't understand. Besides, she'd been around enough people to know when someone was curious about what she was doing. "G'afternoon, Sir. Did you want to sit down? I can scoot over."

She did so too, laying her sketch pad flat and getting right to the point of things. "You seem curious, want to see what I've been working on?" If not, she'd apologize and she knew enough about this culture to know that so long as it was meant honestly and respectfully usually that was all that was needed for a misunderstanding. And if he hadn't understood a word she'd just said, she'd try the greeting in his language instead.

[PendragonXeno94]

While Isao was checking his watch, he suddenly turned his head when the woman spoke. He blinked once, shaking his head before he watched her scoot over. "Thank you," he replied. "You didn't have to." He was fairly fluent in English as it was a requirement for his line of work whenever he traveled. As he sat, he finally got a good look at the woman. From the way she spoke he concluded that she was American, and like most Americans he had met, she was friendly enough. He folded the jacket over his lap before he heard her ask him something else.

"Yes, I would love to." He noticed her sketches while he moved to cross his legs. "I couldn't help but notice that you've been sitting there for a while. Are you an art student?" Of course, he couldn't remember the last time he actually sat down and conversed with anyone that didn't pertain to contracts, but it was a nice change of pace, he supposed. He hadn't really seen her around before, either; he knew of the university that was close by and he had seen several exchange students in passing.

He scanned the crowd a fifteenth time, trying his best not to smirk again.

[Kei]

A bright grin lit Evanna's face when she realized this man knew the English language. That was good, it made talking with him easier. She really hadn't had anyone to talk to since leaving home and this was a nice change of pace even if it was only for a little while.  At least he seemed polite enough. "You're welcome, and it's no problem since I didn't need to take up the entire bench in the first place." She pushed back her mass of hair and took the time to pull it back into a haphazard braid over one shoulder before nodding as the man now sitting next to her agreed to wanting to see her sketches.

She handed the sketch pad over, comfortable in letting him look through it at his leisure. She shrugged at the question about him having seen her sitting there a while, but then shook her head. "No, I'm not a student anymore. I did study art in college back home, but I'm here visiting for a few months. Call it a vacation, I guess, but it also is so beautiful here it helps with my muse." She loved talking about what she did, and he seemed at least mildly interested so that was something. She was silent for a long while before thinking of something else to add.

"Honestly, I've just been sitting here observing everything going on. I love watching the world go by around me sometimes because it reminds me of how I'm such a small part of something so very big and amazing. And then sometimes I see something and have to draw it and I forget where I am for a while. Actually, I was about to head to go get lunch since I seem to have missed it some hours ago. I get that way sometimes." She flushed slightly, embarrassed to be blabbering to a complete stranger. "Sorry, I'm sure you didn't want to know all that. I guess I'm very chatty sometimes."

Also she greatly disliked not being able to see a person's eyes when she spoke to them because, as a general rule, she'd learned from a young age that if a man is hiding his eyes he is likely lying about something important. Not that it mattered since he was probably waiting on someone then they'd never see each other again in such a big city, but it was a pet peeve of her's. Instead of commenting about it though, Evanna forced herself to focus on the world around her once more and gave the poor man next to her some probably much needed silence.

[PendragonXeno94]

The woman's bubbly personality amused him. She seemed so eager about practically everything. Looking over her sketch, he let his gaze linger over the drawn figures walking along and the skyscrapers towering over them. He also noted that it was a particularly sunny day and a little warmer than usual. He looked over her sketch again, noticing little things he hadn't previously."You're quite good. It's better than what I would have done." He never considered himself an artist in the usual sense, though many would argue he was an artist in his own right, even if it was unconventional.

He, being the polite one, let her chat his ear off some more before he heard her pause. "No, it's alright," he told her. "I don't normally get to talk to anyone because I've been busy with work." Chuckling at her flushed cheeks, he rolled his neck before letting his eyes meet hers. He took off his sunglasses for a moment. "If you don't mind, I could you take you out for a... late lunch? Perhaps take you around the city after that? I wouldn't want you to waste your vacation not being able to see everything that there is to be seen."

He didn't want to just get up and expect her to chase him down, though he had done that with others before. Since she was visiting his homeland, he wanted her to get the most of it, and having someone who knew the area would probably help her.

[Kei]

Evanna held her silence as her companion looked over the sketches she'd been doing. She flushed again at the sudden and unexpected praise. "Oh, well thank you. They're really just doodles, but I'll take the compliment." Especially because she normally didn't get them in regards to her art. About her appearance, yes, but never about something she felt mattered. She couldn't help but scowl at the sudden chuckle from her companion over her embarrassment; though it was sort of nice to know she wasn't the only one that got so caught up with work she forgot to socialize. Although she also wasn't expecting him to suddenly remove his sunglasses to meet her eyes. She gave him a bright small because, really, he did have pretty eyes. And she so wasn't going to tell him that, nope.

Instead she found herself flushing again at his sudden invitation to lunch. She fiddled with the ends of her hair, feeling suddenly shy as she stared at her feet before remembering to act like an adult instead of like the very young adult she actually was. She could do this, it was just lunch with a very handsome stranger. Nope, she wasn't thinking like that! Giving herself a mental shake, Evanna cleared her throat to steady herself and looked back up to meet the gaze of her companion head on and with all the confidence she could manage. "That's...very kind of you Sir, but I wouldn't want to impose on you. You look like someone who's usually busy with things and I wouldn't want to inconvenience you."

It went against her nature to cause others any sort of trouble if she could avoid it. But maybe he was just being kind in offering the clearly new to the area American some company for a short while. What was the worst that could happen? And anyway, it wasn't like she couldn't defend herself. Okay then. Mind made up, she finally took some initiative and moved the conversation forward. "I-if it wouldn't be a bother though, I wouldn't mind the company for a while. Um..." She looked him up and down for a moment trying to decide how to greet him properly then decided just to go for it. She turned her body towards his and held out a hand cautiously. "Dunno if you shake hands, some people don't, but I figure I might as well introduce myself if you're going to be so kind to me."

She took another breath before continuing. "My name is Evanna West, and it's a pleasure to meet you, Sir." And boy did she really hope her age wasn't showing through in her behavior just now. That would be completely mortifying.

[PendragonXeno94]

Isao chuckled to himself. He took her reaction to mean that she didn't exactly get complimented on her art that often. Surely, she had enough people complementing on her appearance, and the scowl he received from his response to her blushing made him almost chuckle more. It just seemed so... adorable in a way. He did, however, gauge the way she acted when he asked her to take her out and show her around. "You're not being a bother. I wouldn't have asked otherwise." Although, he also noted that she seemed a little distracted until she somewhat confidently answered him.

He was about to stand when she seemed to have changed her mind. Seeing her turn her body towards him and extending a hand, he smiled. "Heh, there's no need to call me 'sir.'" While he usually didn't shake hands, he took her hand into his and gently shook. "Isao Uneo. The pleasure is all mine, Evanna." He quickly added, "You have a lovely name, too." It certainly wasn't a name he heard of before.

Finally standing, he put his jacket back on and helped Evanna up, gently cradling her sketchbook and art supplies as he began to walk. "There's a place not far from here that has excellent takoyaki." Figuring that they wouldn't get there for some time, he tried to think of other things to talk about. "What brought you here, if you don't mind me asking?" He knew she told him that she was there on vacation, but it was always interesting to hear tourists explain why they were there.

A few young girls skipped past, but not before seeing him and almost sighing at the sight of him. Quietly huffing to himself, he did his best to ignore them as he assumed that they were still in school.

[Kei]

Evanna took note of just how closely her companion was watching her and took that to mean he was a perceptive person so she wasn't really bothered too much by it. He wouldn't be the first person in her life to watch her thusly, after all. At least he'd made the offer honestly and seemingly with good intentions, that helps her not feel like a burden at least. Her smile was back once she saw one cross into his expression as he took her hand, seemingly amused with her calling him 'sir'. His hold was gentle as he shook her hand and he introduced himself. She couldn't help the flush that crossed her face as he complimented her name; because that certainly never happened. She'd been told it was odd and unique, but never lovely. Still, she didn't mind. "Sorry, the sir part was just a habit. And um...thank you, I think you're the first person to tell me that. Though, to me, your name is extremely interesting as well, and certainly it's not a name I've ever heard before."

She ran his name over in her head, remembering how he'd pronounced it so she didn't mess it up. She watched him stand back up and place his jacket back on before helping her back to her feet, and she noted he still held her art supplies and sketch book and made a mental note to get them back at some point. She began to  follow as he led her towards the place he had mentioned. After a while, she looked back up to him as he began to speak again. She winced slightly at the mention of what had brought her there, but covered it with an easy smile a moment later. "Well, I don't mind you asking but I'm not sure how interesting you'll find the reason." She shrugged before actually answering the question. "I'm here because I wanted to go to a place that was different from anywhere else I'd ever been before and far enough away that know one knew who I was. I enjoy being just another face in the crowd, it's not something I get very often back home."

She looked lost in thought for a long moment before shaking her head again and looking up in time to notice a group of young girls watching the man by her side. She heard him huff at their antics, and couldn't help the small snort of amusement that left her. She wondered if it bothered him that they clearly thought he was attractive or if it was just because they were young and he was ignoring them. Either way, that also led her to wondering if he'd be equally as dismissive of her if he knew how old she actually was. Best to keep that to herself then. Instead, she furthered the conversation rather than letting things fall to uneasy silence. "So then, I have a question for you now if you don't mind. You're dressed very nicely; pressed suit and clean cut lines and clearly there's a lot of attention to detail there. So what exactly do you do for a living? You look like a businessman, but something tells me there's more to it than that."

Honestly he sort of reminded her of some of her father's friends from back home, but she immediately dismissed the notion the second it formed. No way way she that unlucky.

[PendragonXeno94]

Isao didn't pay any mind to her noticing how he was. It was just a quirk of his that some people absolutely hated. Once she replied, he nodded. "I see." He was beginning to wonder how old she was since she called him "sir" out of habit. When she mentioned that his name was interesting as well, he nearly grinned from ear to ear. "That's a first."

While they walked, he listened to her reasoning of coming to Kyoto. The way she explained it had him arch an eyebrow. Though there was something off about her answer. "Well, it's always nice to just blend in." It was best not to press her on and find out exactly why she was here. Once the girls were out of sight, he looked over his shoulder, seeing them at the curb and still fawning over him. It wasn't something that was out of the ordinary, it was just simply annoying when women he had never seen before practically fell at his feet and acted so desperate for his attention. Still, at least Evanna wasn't like that.

"Hmm?" He barely registered that she asked him a question before proceeding. "I am a business man of sorts, yes," he said. "But not in the conventional means." And that is all you'll get out of me, he wanted to add, though he held his tongue as he knew they were less than two blocks away from where they were going. He overheard someone frantically telling their friend that a woman by the name of Kayuga Tanaka was just found dead by Lake Biwa, and there was no evidence that the killer was there; the body had to have been dumped there. He couldn't help the small smirk that crossed his expression.

"We're almost there," he told her.

[Kei]

Evanna smiled to herself over the reaction she got to her words regarding her new friend's name. It was a reaction she didn't get out of people much, so she enjoyed it for the brief glimpse of honesty it provided her. She caught his expression at her answer to his question, then offered him a cheeky grin once he answered her question and decided to see what he thought of a bit of friendly teasing. "Conventional is overrated anyway. Though I guess that means I could say I have a bit of an unconventional reason for being here as a tourist." She shrugged and continued walking beside him, paying no mind to the gaggle of girls still eying him like a piece of candy.

She nodded to his words about almost being at their destination, and left the rest of her statement unsaid. If she gave him the real reason, that would be telling. Which would make her very boring indeed, and somehow that wasn't how she wanted to be while she was here. She let an easy silence fall between them before giving him a bit more information to work with so the conversation could stay easy between them. "I  love to travel; especially since I very rarely get to do it. It's my chance to see others places and cultures and also it's a chance for me to be whoever I want to be. I can just be who I am and not what everyone expects from me, it makes this all very exciting to me."

She heard the nearby conversation about someone being found dead and rolled her eyes before shaking her head and putting a smile back on her face. She'd seen death so much in her life she was sort of numb to it all, but no sense in letting this man see that. She could play normal very well, thanks to her father. Not that she thought killing was right, more that she'd grown up in a world that had taught her that sometimes it was best certain people disappear before they could hurt you or your family. That didn't necessarily make it right, but it was just a fact of life she accepted. Mentally giving herself a shake again before she said or did something she shouldn't in front of a stranger, instead Evanna settled for a question that she felt was safe enough. "So...I've never had takoyaki, is it any good?"

She thought about it before continuing on in the same vein for the conversation. "Also, since you did offer to show me around, where is the best view in this city? I'd like to see it at some point before I leave. Not to mention the architecture here is really beautiful." She realized she was babbling again and flushed lightly; ducking her head to hide her expression underneath her backs and glancing sideways at her companion. She really needed to stop doing things like this, it made her seem very young.

[PendragonXeno94]

"Do you now?" he asked, already more curious as to why she was here. It seemed to him that she wasn't exactly a tourist in the first place, though figured it was best to not press the issue like he previously decided. It seemed as though she wasn't trying to get in his pants like the gaggle of girls seemed to be all too eager to do. "Well, I would love to do more leisurely travel and not for business. That way I can see more of what there is instead of just seeing it in passing. Just last year, I got to go to Germany for a week, but I didn't get to see much." Someday, perhaps. "Although I managed to see all of Las Vegas when I went," he added, laughing slightly.

He noted how Evanna rolled her eyes at the mention of Kayuga being found dead. He was almost relieved that she didn't seem to notice his attitude towards the news. Instead, he listened to her inquiry before continuing after an easy silence between them. "It is," he said. "It's a fried batter ball with small bits of octopus, green onion, and ginger. I try to get it when I can." Chuckling at how she asked him about where the best view was and her blushing in embarrassment, Isao found himself patting her shoulder.

"Yes, Kyoto is a beautiful city. I know a few lesser known spots where the views are great." The way she acted made him think that she was almost, if not already in her early twenties. He wasn't one to chase after younger women, but it wouldn't have been the first time, either. But he wasn't about to tell her his age, worrying that she might not want to be seen with the likes of him... not that he wasn't overthinking it.

[Kei]

She snorted at the sudden curious tone that entered her companion's tone. "Oh yes, definitely, but that would be telling." The cheeky grin was back in place and she was definitely enjoying herself. Very few people back home would talk with her this way, let alone enough that she would be comfortable teasing them in such a way. It was...really nice actually. Green eyes lit up at the mention of the places Isao had travelled though it was disappointing to know he didn't really get to enjoy most places he went. Another snort of amusement left her at the mention of Las Vegas though. "Ah Vegas, I've been there a few times before. I never did enjoy going to the city proper; though I found the outskirts to be quite remarkable at night. And that place has a skyline that is definitely a sight to see in the dawn or dusk hours."

She shifted to look more fully up at the man next to her as the conversation continued; noting how much taller he was than she was. It was nice to walk next to someone taller than her and not feel like he was looking down at her for a reason more than just conversation. This let her relax a bit more as she considered what the food she was going to try actually was. "Well, never let it be said I won't try anything once. I can add it to the list of interesting things I've eaten over the years." She caught his chuckle of amusement at her embarrassment and had to immediately fight the urge she had to nudge him for doing so. Evanna was a tactile person by nature, but she barely knew this man and he probably wouldn't appreciate it so she withheld.

Thus it startled her just slightly when she felt a hand gently patting her shoulder, then she realized he was trying to be kind and she smile warmly up at him. Then the conversation moved forward about the the sights of the city and  she listened with rapt attention. "I look forward to seeing that then if it's anywhere as pretty as you make it sound. Though just a warning, you may get stuck there with me for a bit because I usually like to sketch places I find memorable." She gave him another cheeky grin before shrugging and moving the conversation forward with the ease of someone that had been doing so for many years. "So then, since you've travelled more than me, what's the most interesting place you've ever been to? Even if you didn't get to see much of it."

She wondered that he hadn't been asking her more questions considering, but figured maybe it was just part of his disposition not to push. She almost wanted him to ask her something, but that was silly. This man was being kind to her and humoring her need to talk, and that was just fine.

[PendragonXeno94]

The more Evanna went on, the more Isao found her to be even more adorable than the moment before. He did want to return to the places he had been so he could actually go explore and not be tied down with work, though it didn't look like it would be that way for some time. He smiled at the mention of the skyline in Vegas. "That I got to see while I was there." It was always nice to be on his balcony and watch the sun rise or set before he went about his day. Though from what he recalled, he was mostly walking around the casinos just being one with the crowd as he surveyed his surroundings.

Opening the door for her, he followed behind her as he let her ramble on about sketching the skyline if she found it memorable. At her inquiry, he took a deep breath. "Well, the place I found interesting was Venice. It's basically a sinking city, but from what I heard, the Italian government is trying to remedy that. Though, it was nice to ride around in a boat the entire time I was there. I even managed to have a couple days where I could just walk around and go sightseeing."

Sitting at the sushi bar, one of the chefs waved to him and slid over. "Hey, Isao-san!" he said. "Gracing us with your presence again?"

Isao laughed. "I suppose so."

"Who is this?" The man wagged his eyebrows.

"Just a friend. And she doesn't know Japanese it-"

"Even better!"

"Asahi..."

Asahi quickly cleared his throat, glancing over at Evanna. "What can I get for you?"

"You're not asking me?" teased Isao.

"I already know what you want, Isao-san."

[Kei]

She felt it was kind of him to let her prattle on, but at he also didn't stop her she saw no reason to stop herself. Besides, she was enjoying his company. She listened quietly as he spoke of a city called Venice and she could just imagine how it had looked mostly covered in water. She'd never been, but it did sound lovely. She also noted that he opened the door to the restaurant for her and gave him a warm smile for being a gentleman. However, that smile faded and her expression went cool and considering for a moment as a man waved at them once they'd sat at the bar. She put on a polite smile, looking for all the world like a tourist that understood nothing, but she wasn't stupid. Just because she didn't speak the language didn't mean she didn't understand it.

She understood quite a few languages, it was a talent of her's that she learned them easily but couldn't speak them herself.  It made her good at learning secrets and was a talent she guarded carefully from  her father and his friends. If they knew...well she knew he wouldn't hesitate to use it. As to the man, the interaction started harmlessly enough and the two seemed on good terms so she decided so long as this man wasn't overly...well rude then she wouldn't do anything about this. Besides, it let her learn a bit more about her companion. She realized her expressions made it seem like she didn't like not understanding something being said, but that was for the best. It kept her secret, at least.

She learned that the man's name was Asahi and he was close enough to Isao to tease him about him brining a woman to eat with him. She had to wonder if he didn't do it often and that was why, or if it was that he did it very often and had a reputation over it. Either way, she'd take what information she could get.  She blinked slowly as the man turned to her and spoke in English for her, asking her what she wanted. Finally she gave him her best smile and decided the polite route was best in this situation. "Well, I was told this place had wonderful takoyaki, and as I've never had it before I might as well start with the best. Though I'd prefer water to drink if you wouldn't mind."

This man was certainly interesting, but she'd reserve her judgement for now. At least she figured he was a friend of Isao's or something, so that was good. Still...it was just a tad disconcerting to be spoken about so openly just because they believed she couldn't understand. It was to her advantage and she was very used to it by now, but it was still disconcerting. Oh well.