Disclaimer: My co-writer and I own nothing but the Ocs.
Chapter Theme: 'Trust Me' - The Fray :::(Silver and Genesis' Theme 3)
The two women headed back down the steps, Genesis in an obviously bad mood, rubbing her still smarting cheek and glasses still noticeably missing from her face. She hadn't had the time to grab them and Silver had silently insisted they both leave immediately, figuring the woman could always go back for the glasses later (assuming they were still living later). As Genesis stalked down the steps beside her Silver was all but surprised to find the woman wasn't grumbling, as was often seen in cartoons. But she figured that was just a silly stereotype...
Silver blinked suddenly as Genesis walked smack into another person, both emitting startled "oof!" sounds and stepping back away from the person they had run into in surprise. As Genesis blinked up at the man he observed the odd women he had (literally) run into.
The man's hair was hidden beneath the dark hood of what seemed to be lower ranking assassins and he wore the shorter robes as well. Upon the belt on his waist were only five throwing knives compared to Altair and Malik's four (two on each side). Five o'clock shadow dotted his chin.
As Silver and Genesis observed the newcomer he did the same to them. The odd clothes unnerved him, so unused to seeing women wearing pants so freely. Not to mention the fierce glare upon the shorter one's face that screamed of aggravation and pent up aggression. It was a look that he was unaccustomed to seeing on a woman's face. And while all these things seemed strange, the man couldn't help his curiosity, though he knew he should take caution.
"Who are you?"
"It's customary to introduce yourself before asking someone her name." Genesis fires back, flinching again as she poked at her bruised cheek. The old man had some power behind his slap.
"Oh, u-uh, right!" he exclaims, blinking at the attitude he had received. It was venomous, but still forceful enough to send the man reeling a little, being so accustomed to timid women. "My name is Kadar A-Sayf."
Silver blinked, recognizing the last name as that of Malik's. Were the two brothers? She didn't bother asking, however, being more the type to blend into the background, away from people. Let the more open Genesis handle the newcomer.
"My name's Genesis, but for simplicity's sake you can call me Genesis." introduces the woman sarcastically. Silver was surprised as Kadar let out a laugh at the rude introduction. It seemed they had finally met a man who wasn't as easily offended as Al Mualim, Malik, and Altair.
"And what of you? What's your name?"
Silver startled, blinking in surprise at Kadar who watched her expectantly underneath the shadows of his hood. She didn't like speaking and dealing with those she didn't know of if she didn't have to and this definitely counted as one of those times...
"I'm... Silver..."
"If it would not be too much trouble, may I ask a question?" Kadar inquires excitedly, looking from Silver to Genesis for an answer.
"Didn't leave me much choice did ya buddy?" Genesis points out though without malice in her voice, to which Kadar chuckles nervously. "Shoot."
"Shoot...?" Kadar inquires slowly, not knowing of the terminology behind such a thing centuries ahead of now.
"It means go ahead, dum-dum." it was now Genesis' turn to snicker at the boy's confusion and even Silver found a bit of enjoyment in the boy's inquiring look. Kadar reminded Silver of an overly excited puppy.
"Oh!" Kadar's cheeks turned pink slightly in embarrassment for but a moment before he plowed on ahead. "If I may inquire about your strange clothes?" Seeing the raised brow of the confident woman [Genesis] Kadar quickly elaborated. "It's just I have never seen a woman wearing pants before! Much less anything as strange as your tunics..."
Genesis picked at the hem of her white jacket with the elaborate black and gray markings about the front of the torso. Beside her Silver busied herself with her hat as if to avoid answering the question herself. "We're from a land far, far away." Genesis paused, turning to look at Silver. "That sounds like the start of a cheesy fairy tale doesn't it?"
Snorting in amusement Silver nodded, "Yeah, it does."
"I see..." Kadar mumbled, wondering just what country allowed women to wear pants.
"It doesn't really help us blend in though..." Silver pointed out logically. If anything they stood out much like sore thumbs and it would be a problem if Al Mualim allowed the two to live (not that Silver had high hopes of that happening after the fiasco that was Genesis and Al Mualim's confrontation).
"Oh!" Genesis turned back to Kadar, lightly smacking the side of her fisted hand into her open palm as the idea struck her. "Kadar!"
"Y-Yes?"
"How'd you like to do us a huge favor?" Genesis smiled. Kadar resisted taking a step back from the suddenly happy female. The smile seemed too out of place for the cocky woman.
"Genesis, you're scaring the poor man."
"Nonsense!"
"What is it?" came his hesitant query.
"And you say she was able to adequately defend herself against these bandits?" Al Mualim inquired, turning to look out the pane-less window. Below the training ring was in view with two contestants inside training against each other in swordplay. Around the ring were several others, either to cheer, gamble on the winner, or wait for their own turn to enter the fray. At the sides were more Assassins practicing their knife throwing abilities on the dummies set up.
"Yes, Master." Altair answers with a nod. Beside him stood Malik who confirmed this with a nod of his own, though both knew that with his back turned to them Al Mualim wouldn't be able to see the actions.
"It is true." Malik spoke up calmly as he remembered the event. "While nowhere near an expert at fighting, she was able to release the man's grip on her and kill him and another bandit easily enough."
"And what of the other one?" Al Mualim questioned. To be able to figure out what to do with both it was best he know of their abilities now, lest he make a mistake and lose a possible advantage over his enemies...
"That woman shows no potential at fighting," scoffs Altair, remembering how easily Silver had been caught.
"Which is not to say she does not have talent elsewhere." Malik defended. Both women were arguably strange. If Genesis could do something useful in one area than it gained to reason that Silver was the same, only she would be useful to the Brotherhood in other areas.
"And just what talents would those be, Malik?" Altair hisses, rounding on the man. Malik didn't step down.
"Information. Knowledge. Reconnaissance." Malik provided easily. "Not everything is solved with fighting! Information is just as powerful!"
"Enough!" thundered Al Mualim, making a slicing motion through the air to enunciate his point. Both men fell silent immediately, Altair allowing his prepared argument to die at his lips. "It is clear the abilities and talents of these strange women are yet to be fully realized."
"What do you plan, Master?" Altair inquires.
"For the time being they will be on a probationary period of sorts..." Al Mualim decides, mulling over his words before speaking them slowly. "It would be a shame to waste any assets they may yet bring to the table. For the time being they will be watched closely..."
"Yes, Master."
Nervousness bubbled up in Kadar's chest as he went about this 'favor' for the strange girls he had just met. Informing the man of their predicament of being unable to leave the fortress (due to Al Mualim's orders) but were quite tired of being stared at all of the time wherever they went due to their foreign clothing.
Thus the favor; Kadar heading out to grab them something with specifics in mind. For instance, Silver had merely stated no dresses though Genesis' specifics were more detailed. She demanded a lengthy tunic of sorts with baggy sleeves, something with a white hood, a bolt of white fabric, baggy pants and roughly a yard of red fabric a needle and thread.
What the overly-confident woman had in mind for all of that he had no clue, but he figured he might as well help...
Of course finding all of that was the problem in and of itself. He didn't know where to go to find fabric on its own, nor needle and thread, within Masyaf's marketplace. That was woman's work, after all, and not something Kadar had ever needed knowledge of. This left the poor journeyman to wander the small market, unwilling to ask for help and look like a fool. He had already found something that he figured would suit Silver's specifics and a tunic and pants for Genesis. It was just that damned fabric and thread...
"Hey, boy!" Kadar's gaze jerked to the direction of the man who spoke to him, the voice belonging to that of one of the shopkeepers. On the old shop keep's face curiosity was seen amidst the wrinkles and facial hair.
"Yes, sir?"
"What's you got there, lad? Seem to be a little out of your tastes, if you see what I mean."
"Well, uh-" Kadar stammered glancing down at the bundle of clothes in his arms. This was embarrassing. "These are for two young women, you see-" Before he could say more the old shop keep interrupted him, his eyes twinkling mischievously.
"Ah, I see! Quite the charmer, you are boy!"
"Th-That's not what it's about!" Kadar stammered again, cheeks growing heated at just what the shopkeeper was implying. All he wanted to do was be helpful.
"Found out the hard way that you were lost and rendered~," sang Genesis lowly, leaning up against the railing before the tall fortress, elbows resting against it as she gazed up at the structure blandly. It irritated her that she could not see clearly at long distances without her glasses... Beside her Silver watched the Assassins and the trainees below in the training ring curiously. "All alone in the dark forest of your thoughts~."
Genesis stopped blinking once before turning to gaze at Silver. "I just thought of something."
"That must've hurt," snickered Silver lightly, not looking away from the training ring below.
"Ha ha," came the sarcastic and dry retort. "But seriously we just sent Kadar out to buy us clothes..."
"Yeah...?"
"Isn't that like..." she paused glancing around to see if anyone was listening in or close enough to overhear if they so chose to. No one was. "This era's equivalent of sending a man to go buy tampons or pads?"
Silver looked up in thought at this before suddenly burying her face within her arms to muffle her loud laughter at the thought, face turning red from lack of breath. Genesis merely took that as a yes and continued to sing once again.
"Forever following a trail of fear that seems to lead to more dead ends and mysteries~, I'm losing hope of ever solving~ Hey!" she grunted catching the familiar frames between her hands as they soared through the air at her only to glare at the form of Altair as he swept by the duo. "Careful with those! They're fragile!"
Silver blinked, turning slowly to stare at Genesis. "I'm sorry, did you just say 'fra-gee-lay?'"
Genesis chose not to answer as she pushed the glasses back up onto her nose blinking around her contently with a smile on her face as everything became clear once again.
"For someone who seems to prize those strange contraptions you could smile now that you have them back." Malik scoffed as he stalked into view, brow raised at the strange woman who looked at him.
"I am smiling," Genesis answers, that small barely-noticeable smile still in place. Malik nearly called her a liar for it but decided better of it. Some people were just unable to express themselves easily, maybe she was really one of those types of people.
"If you don't mind my asking," Silver gulped as Malik's smoldering gaze turned to her, brow still raised in a silent bid to get her to go on. "What's going to happen to us?"
"You are to be allowed to live," Malik answered ignoring Genesis' scoffing at his choice of wording. She noticeably began to pout, eyes narrowing at the thought of the man who had the nerve to slap her outright across the face. "But one wrong move and you may have that privilege revoked."
"Oh, so living is a privilege now?" Genesis scoffs, ignoring Silver as the other woman attempted to get her to quiet down. "That's cute. You know what? I revoke your privilege to breath!"
"Just ignore her!" Silver placated nervously.
"Best advice I have heard yet," Malik appraised with a nod as Silver blinked in surprise. She honestly hadn't thought that would've worked. "However, there is a condition to you two living..."
"Oh? Am I to be tied and leashed like some damn dog?" Genesis scoffed, arms crossed over her chest.
"Behave!" Silver demanded, giving the woman a light slap to the shoulder. Once more to her surprise, Genesis actually listened turning her gaze away with a small "hmph!" It seemed the day was full of surprises.
"You are to be watched by either myself or Altair," Malik grunted, looking one to enthusiastic over this. "And it is just like the cretin for him to run off leaving me with this work." He sighed before glancing around, as if searching for someone. "Strange..."
"What is?" Silver asked. She had grown accustomed to this man, and when he wasn't in one of his moods he was quite easy to get along with, Silver had found.
"Usually my brother has already found me when I've returned from a mission..."
"Is your brother's name Kadar?" Another raised brow.
"I take it you've met already?"
"Yep!" Genesis pipes up, smirk on her face. "He's totally doing my shopping right now!"