There he was. With his stupid face, sitting on one of these stupid chairs of this stupid theatre class with old lights and scruffy curtains. And she looked even more stupid, standing like that without saying anything for almost a full minute now. She shut her face and wished to keep it as neutral as possible. Because honestly she had no idea how she was supposed to feel, so conveying it on her face was not even an option.
After some awkwardly silent time, she sighed, and pulled out her phone. She searched for that email, and pulled out one of the pictures of them kissing in Berlin.
She strode towards him, and when their gaze met for half a second she was sure her heart forgot to beat.
She stretched her phone for him to see the picture. His face was totally blank too, so blank she almost felt like slapping him to get a reaction. A genuine one, not these faked ones he pulled out sometimes when he didn't enjoy the situation. One of these real expressions she had only seen when they were alone.
He raised an eyebrow as he assessed the screen.
"I want to know why your colleagues stalked us.", she said, her face stern and her voice cold, but she cursed inside her head because she heard it break in the last two syllables. She was sure he noticed it too.
She knew why his colleague had stalked them, Iris had told her. But this was a test. To see if he'd say the truth. For once.
"My colleague…", hearing his voice made something tilt in her. But she erased it as soon as she noticed. Even if it was too late for it not to trigger longing memories.
"A man's colleague was ordered to do so."
She was about to get mad and tell him this wasn't a full answer. Had Iris not explained it all to her before, there was no way she could have understood this strange situation.
But, since she was drained of all kinds of emotions, she decided to let that pass. Because there was another question burning her tongue.
"I know." She gulped down, and searched for the other picture. The one with the pretty lady in the white fluffy dress and him by her side.
"Now-", there was a weight strangling her in he throat. Don't be stupid. Why the hell are you so touched by all of this? He's a stranger.
"I want explanations for this."
He watched the picture and sighed. A sad, disappointed sigh, and she almost fumed because how in the world is HE the one disappointed by all of this?!
"A girl should have never entered the House of Black and White."
She waited, for the rest of his explanation. It never came. She clenched her teeth.
"Is that all I get?", her eyes went big and she pushed the confusion away to better fume.
"Your freaking colleagues stalk me, threaten me, make me believe I'm some home-wrecker or some shit, and all you find to tell me as an explanation is that I shouldn't have gotten in your stupid detective group?!", she tightened her jaw and restrained the urge to slap him. Oh- how she wanted to slap him. And then let her hand melt down on his face and feel the spikes and ridges of his unshaven beard and explore them with her lips too.
His gaze became hard on her but she held it. Don't you dare use that authority on me
"Lovely girl.", something tingled in her stomach.
He looked at her, a slightly distressed look that she thought she'd never get from him. Then he frowned, and something must have tilted in his mind because his breathing changed.
He approached her and she stepped back.
"Jaqen what are y-"
"Shh-" he implored. He got closer and she wanted to shove him back. She didn't know if she'd have the psychological strength though. She didn't want him to hug her or something. It wouldn't change anything, it wouldn't explain anything. Plus neither of them was really a hugger, so what the heck was he doing?
His hands slipped underneath her jacket and made it slide to the ground. Why the hell was he undressing her?! She tried to fight back but then he was holding her wrists. Her bag fell on the ground, and the next thing she knew he was pulling her towards that dark and messy room that served as a backstage.
"What the hell is wrong with you?!", she hissed. What the hell did he think he was doing?! She wanted to punch him in the face and run away, and then destroy every single memor-
"They put mikes.", he was strangely calm and she was so in the mood to fight.
"What do you-", she spat, but then realized.
"They…they put mikes?", she whispered.
"On… my stuff?", a strange feeling held her guts, and she looked back at her jacket splayed on the ground a few feet away, her bag laying next to it.
"They're probably not activated yet, but it's better to be safe and… get away from them."
Arya remembered the distress in Iris' eyes when she told her the chief shouldn't know that they're meeting. What would happen if he discovered about it? Part of her wanted to know, some other part kind of feared his reaction. Fear? Why fear? He's just an old guy!
"Jaqen, what…", she looked at the jacket again. She took his hand and pulled him gently further in the dark room, until they were quite far from the spying cloth.
"What does all of this mean?"
He shut the door of the small room, and his arms looked inviting. But she held her breath and didn't snuggle up in them. Neither of us are huggers
"Lovely girl, this man is so sorry, he wishes…", he tightened his jaw, and the words seemed difficult to utter.
"He wishes you had never met him."
She rolled her eyes and sighed angrily.
"Get over with your stupid apologies and tell me what the hell is going on! What does this mean?! I don't-… I don't understand, why would they put mikes? And why… why are you so serious?! It's just a group interested in psychology, right?!"
His smile looked as confusing as him. His skin looked warm and she wanted to feel it against her own. And his lips looked soft… so soft and full and God she swore if she ever thought about how soft and full his lips were again she'd slap herself.
"A man guesses they made a girl fill up all the personal informations already.", he sighed.
She looked at him and nodded.
"They… they didn't tell me they'd put…", she thought about that jacket. How did she not notice if there were mikes? What the hell?
"This man knows, they do the same with everyone. He knows they offered a lot a money, too. There is no stepping back now, but a girl knows this.", the guilt in his eyes made her feel awful. She kind of regretted ignoring him this whole time. Somehow it felt like things would have been different had she not acted like a brooding child.
He took her shoulders gently in his strong hands, and made her sit on an old chair that was there. He sat next to her and remained silent for a little moment. Then, she heard him take a breath in, and the sound of his voice resonated in her chest. He probably smoked, she quickly noted, although she had never seen him. There was no way his voice was naturally like that.
"When this man had just turned eighteen, he got into a fight with a guy who had sexually assaulted a man's former girlfriend. The rapist's father was a wealthy company's director, and his money prevented his son from getting into trouble. But the boy a man was once would not let that go unpunished.", his eyes drifted away, and she shifted awkwardly. This might have been the first time he openly talked about his past. Actually, this might have been the first time he talked about his past at all. All the other times she had had to squeeze the words out of him. Finally, a part of her thought. The other was like: Why the heck is he talking about his childhood now?
"The rapist was not in a really good shape after that fight. A man had made sure to leave him in a dark alley, where there were no cameras nor people, so no one would know who was guilty. A couple of days later, the rapist was reported missing. That was the day a boy received a strange email, from a luxury brand of beauty products in one of the affluent streets of Berlin."
A weight formed in her throat. She didn't want to feel it, but there was an urge to take his hand in hers.
"The email had pictures in them. Of a boy fighting a rapist in a dark alley. Only pictures, and one sentence that stated how many years of prison the boy risked now that the body had disappeared."
"The guy was dead?"
He didn't answer, and his gaze was still far. After a few seconds of cold silence, she thought she had lost him, but he licked his lips and blinked.
"I didn't kill him. I know I didn't. But a week later, the police found his dead body anyway.", he murmured.
That was a punch in her guts. For some reason. Not that she considered killing a rapist was a great loss for humanity. But if he didn't do it, then…
He passed his hand over his mouth and chin, and crossed his arms.
"So a man went to that luxury shop, and met the chief. He offered a lot of money, and safety, as long as I worked for him."
"But… what are you working on? It's just… studying psychology…"
"Yes, studying psychology…", his eyes met hers. They were gold and blue and honest.
"But once you've discovered the monsters, what do you think they do with them?"
Oh my God
He probably saw her eyes grow bigger.
"Oh-", her voice broke.
"Lovely girl, this was not meant to frighten you-"
She tried to calm her breathing and clenched her teeth.
"I know, I know.", she tried not to panic and act as casually as possible. Act as if you knew what to do-the rational part of her thought. But the other kept swearing. Oh my fucking God what the hell did I engage myself into and now it's fucking too late I gave them all the infos about all the members of my family, my bank account and fuck-
"So… they're… killers?", her fingers were cold now.
"Well, they prefer to call it acceleration of the American imprisonment process for untouchable criminals. They have support from the authorities, that's… how it works.", he still wouldn't look at her. She snorted, but wasn't sure it really amused him.
All will be fine. It has to be fine. I'll help San with the bills. It'll be fine.
"Please tell me.", she twisted her fingers around the cord of her sweater. There was a strange fear in her stomach. Well, it wasn't that strange, in the end. The fact that she might have joined a horde of killers was a pretty good justification for the pressure she felt in her. She hated it too. But the fact that his eyes were finally on her now reassured her.
"What's gonna happen now?"
"A girl will work for them as well. Considering what she's interested in, she will probably be tutored to enter the research department."
"Which department are you part of?"
"Field."
She frowned, but he wouldn't develop, and she wasn't entirely sure she wanted to know. Was that the department that handled the… murders? I should probably get away from him…
Well, considering the weird situation she was in now, she probably should've gotten away from him four months ago since that first theatre class. She chose to be oblivious. Acceleration of the American imprisonment process for untouchable criminals… right. So in the end, what they were doing was just… justice? And if the authorities supported it… it could only be right. Right? Why make it secret then? She erased the question. Jaqen was part of that thing. So she'd trust it.
"Okay… So if I understood right… we're not allowed to see each other outside of that restaurant thing."
"No.", his tone was dry.
"This meeting will not happen again. This is the last time a lovely girl came here."
She was disappointed. I shouldn't care. I don't care about him. He lied to me. About… whatever it is he lied about. I shouldn't trust him, she tried to be logical. But she was disappointed nonetheless.
"But please, lovely girl, each time you come back from the House of Black and White, change your clothes before you go out again. For… your privacy. They will try to watch you, but you don't have to always play their game. Cherish the freedom you have."
His eyes were serious and… gooey. She snorted. And then laughed. So hard she was shaking. He looked startled but that only made her laugh harder. Ah, the nerves popping.
"I, hahaha…", she tried to control the tears at the corners of her eyes from the giggles.
"Only a few days ago, I thought you were like, married with a bunch of kids! I don't know what the fuck happened, but I think I'd rather be your dirty mistress than be involved in all of this mess.", she kept laughing, her body out of her control. She snuggled up in his arms, unsure elsewhere to seek comfort. He looked surprised at first (and honestly she was surprised she did it too), but he gave in and circled her skinny shoulders with his arms. God, she had missed that. All of it. The scent, the warmth, the feeling of him being close.
"What's the deal with that wedding picture, then? Did they photoshop it to threaten me?"
"No, it's… this man is a field agent, that job involves… sometimes changing his identity. For an observation mission once, he needed to be a married man. The woman is one of his colleagues, also in disguise.", he was still serious, but she could read in his gleaming eyes that her loss of control her her giggling was amusing him. She wanted to kiss him. He had a beautiful face. But she clenched her fists and didn't. This scene looked so unreal honestly, she probably needed 56 hours of sleep to take it all in and process what had happened in the last 24 hours.
She stayed in his arms. Some part of her dreaded to let him go. Like, what would happen if we saw each other outside of the House?
He obliged and held her too, and they stayed here, in the quietness of that room. At some point she could feel his breath against the back of her hair. This was probably not a really comfortable position for him, since she was quite small, and he quite tall. But she didn't care. Images flashed in her mind, reminding her why she liked him. She should have shoved them away. But she didn't find the force. So she let the pictures of Berlin invade her thoughts, the image of his arrogant eyes when he knew he was pushing her off limits, or when his lips curved like that when she surprised him with her cynicism. Or the sweetness on his face when he had handed her these maths and chem books to make studying for her semester easier. God, there was so much more she wanted to know about him.
"Arya?", he broke the silence. He hadn't called her by her actual name on many occasions.
"Promise this man you'll stay in the research department."
She looked at him, and he looked too serious to be contradicted. She wanted to ask him what that all meant, the departments, the research. She wanted to ask him what his job was in the field department. She wanted to ask him if he had… killed… already. She doubted that he had, but… some sick part of her was strangely fascinated by the fact that he might have. She kept the questions for herself, and nodded. She wasn't entirely sure what he meant, but she nodded.
The ride on the way back home was strange. The bus was almost empty, and winter was here, so it had been dark for a long time. She pushed herself out once she reached her bus-stop. She lacked her usual appetite once she got home. She simply got rid of her shoes and stumbled on the bed, falling in a deep, deep sleep.
On the morning, she felt a buzz in her head, and saw a circle of haze around her. God, did this really happen?
There was Jon's voice outside the room, and Sansa's. The images of the white corridors flashed in her mind. The face of Jaqen flashed too, kind and mysterious. She kind of wished he were he right now. Just that he were here, asleep, allowing her to share his warmth.
Hell, I hope this was not just a huge mistake.
The day went by as usual. It was a quiet day, all her Sundays usually were. It was Sansa's day off, and Jon didn't have any work to do either, so they all went out with Nymeria and Ghost, found some diner to eat in. During their meal, Sansa asked Jon about Ygritte. Arya noticed him being quite evasive. Things were probably not going too well between the two. She didn't know if she should be happy about it or if it should pain her for him. So she forgot about it. She also forgot about the fluttery feeling in her stomach when he put his arm around her shoulders when they walked. Well, she tried really hard, with all the voices yelling Freak! in her mind.
They came back before it was dark. When it was 6:30pm, Arya sneaked out, and found herself just in time before the marble stairs of the House of Black and White.
7 sessions left, and her mentoring would begin. Serious shit, would begin. A part of her imagined Jaqen being her mentor. How nice would that be? She usually wasn't very good with strangers, so it would help her quite a bit. And… Jaqen was Jaqen, being taught by him would allow her to spend some time with him if they were not allowed to see each other outside of this strange place.
Chameleon came by to open the gate for her. Just like the day before, she got rid of her jacket and her bag in a plastic wrap that he took to the chief's office. For the first time in her life last night, she had paid attention to tidy them in the closet once she had gotten home. She didn't have anything to hide in that tiny flat, but she'd rather not have a bunch of stalkers listen to her conversations with her siblings. Especially with Jon, part of her had thought. They're like, experts on human behaviour and stuff… she didn't want them to find things or signs betraying that sick "sort of desire thing" that she hadn't figured out how to hide yet. Even if she was pretty proud of herself for acting so casually around him. Like, in the end, it was just like with Jaqen. It was only physical attraction. But still. He was like a brother and she didn't want anyone to know.
Again, she filled in a bunch of papers that the man gave her. This time there was more writing, not just ticking boxes.
"According to your answers so far, it looks like you'd be pretty useful in the research department, darling.", he said, after handing out the fourth piece of paper.
"What would I do there?"
"Observe suspicious people's action, note them, and prepare everything the field agents need to observe them irl. Your job would also include making resumes of their actions to communicate to the chief, so that he later communicates them to the authorities, and they decide what we do with them."
She nodded. Damn, so they really are killers… Part of her thought she probably should be afraid. But that part didn't win over the other part.
"I believe you've seen your theatre teacher yesterday.", he added, his voice lower.
She shook her head quickly from left to right, and blinked a few times.
"Don't worry, Iris told me you guys would meet. I'm on your side. He probably explained you a little bit more about everything that's going on in here.", he continued, and she didn't know if she could trust him.
"He probably kept a lot of it secret though. He likes to give everything a super mysterious twist. Or maybe he thought you were a fragile little flower who couldn't take it all in, but if you're here, someone's gotta tell you at some point."
He took a breath in and leaned against the white wall.
"The deaths of targets are rare. Very rare. And they're always natural, never cruel. A poison that makes your sleep eternal, or an unfortunate fall. That's a very kind way of getting rid of them if you ask me, the criminals who require such extreme measures have done so much bad it sometimes pains me to see them go so easily. A lot of rich folks think money will keep them from any harm. Most of them are still right, but thanks to this House, some of them still pay their debts."
"So… in the field department… you observe people, and eventually, you… kill one of them?"
"Not always. Sometimes it's just observation, to see the extent of their crimes and provide the authorities enough content for a fair judgement. Sometimes, field agents build a crime around the target to make him look like he's guilty and still get him to go to jail for his real crimes. But they keep everything secret because our ways of operation aren't always super legal either."
"And what about… my theatre teacher?", the question slipped under her guard. She had sworn herself she wouldn't ask about him. She wanted to be casual about everything that concerned him, she wanted him to be just a teacher she had kissed a few times for the fun of it in her mind (like some student teacher kink or some shit). She failed at it, but she never thought she'd fail this bad. She sighed, wanted to erase her question when she saw one of Chameleon's brow lift.
"Fox is currently undercover as a German theatre teacher slash comedian thing. But you already knew that."
Fox?
"But… who is he studying?"
Chameleon frowned.
"Well, you're… not allowed to know. No one is, except from Fox, the research team that's taking care of the case, and the chief. Here in LA, there are three research departments, and three field agents departments. There are two pairs in each department, and two field agents pairs plus two research pairs makes a team. The teams don't know each other, and they don't know either what the others are working on. It would be too dangerous to let all these infos circulate. Only the care Team interacts with everyone, but they don't know a thing about the missions. They only tend our wounds, feed us, dress us when need be. They also help us release all the stress that builds up during the missions. They have their ways, we would all be crazy pricks by now had they not been here."
Yeah, that made sense actually.
"And which team am I going to be part of?"
"That depends on who mentors you. If you're interested in research, that'll probably be Iris since you guys already met, so you'll be on Team B with her.", he looked at her and smirked.
"Can't wait to see which flower name you pick. It better be a pricky one."
"Flower name?"
"Iris isn't her real name, as Chameleon isn't mine. They're codenames. Never tell your real name to anyone here, even the chief. Each agent of the research department of Team B has a flower name. That's how we recognize who's part of which team. The field department of Team B has animal names, like Chameleon or Fox."
"Okay, so… that means I'll take care of planning the trips for the field agents of Team B, and analyse the people around them?"
"Yes. You'll be here in an office, and you'll be in contact with them during their mission. Then, when they come back here, you'll meet with them and discuss and plan and whatever. Iris will give you more details. Each pair takes care of another pair. If you become Iris' partner, you'll be the research pair of the Fox and his new partner."
She tried to restrain the smile again, but she must've failed, because his grew wicked.
"There aren't many restrictions in the research department, it's quite the safest way to play the game. You only have to be here when the chief tells you to, and do your job when your field pair is on a mission. You can't meet with your colleagues outside, especially with your mentor, but the chief's safety team won't be watching over you as strictly as they do with the new field recruits. So if you still insist on breaking the rules and meeting with certain people, it's actually not that hard.", his eyes shone, and his smile was arrogant, as if he were an older brother encouraging her to mess around.
She frowned. Why was he telling her this? True, that she did want to see Jaqen still, but… how could he know?
"He won't do you though.", his smile was crooked.
"I'm sorry?", she asked. She wasn't sure if she had understood right.
"He doesn't do virgins. That's in his stupid code."
She had understood right.
"Why… why are you telling me this? I don't care.", she lied. One second later she realized she should've rolled her eyes to make herself more convincing. And… was it written on her face that she was a virgin? That kind of annoyed her for some reason.
"You don't care that he won't do you, or you don't care about his stupid code?", he asked with a mischievous grin.
"Both.", she wanted her answer to sound cold and sure.
"No, you do care.", he said, striding closer, until she could sense him behind her. Ugh-what was the point in lying to a professional liar detector? She felt tiny with him preying over her like that. She should probably get up that chair and punch him in the face. But she froze herself in place. Don't fume. He's just being an ass.
"It's okay, you know. He's quite the handsome guy. You think I didn't see those pictures in Berlin? That wasn't a curiosity kiss, darling. That was fiery. Ooh, the mere mention of him made your panties wet, I'm sure. Such a shame he abandoned you in front if that hotel door."
"Shut the fuck up.", she sounded like an angry little girl, but she found nothing else to throw at him. She tightened her fists on the side of the chair.
God, he was such a pain in the ass. And this was an embarrassing situation. And she hated him. She hated everyone in this darn house.
"Now, don't be shy. He feels it too, you know? He sees it when you press your knees together because the feeling in your stomach is unbearable, he senses this tension too." How the hell did he know she squeezed her knees together when he was around?!
She looked at him with a fake disgusted expression on her face in hope to make him shut up.
"That's the stupidest bullshit I've ever heard.", she spat.
It didn't work. His grin only grew wider.
"Deny it as much as you like, sweetheart."
He kept circling around her like this was some interrogatory and she was the main suspect. She hated it. She rolled her eyes. Goddamn it, does he ever shut up?
"But believe me, he wants to be deep up in there."
She clenched her teeth and exhaled sharply. Ugh-how long would this last?!
"I don't care what he wants, I don't care what you think he wants, shut up and leave me alone before my fist ends up in your face."
"Oh, why so aggressive? It looks like you're defending yourself from something, darling. Is that so?"
She tightened her jaw. Shit-she had played his game without even knowing.
"He wants you, and you want him. You can't lie to me sweetie, that's undeniable. I don't understand how I'm the only one who sees it. And there's nothing like a good fuck, I understand how it turns you so obsessed.", his smirk was unbearable.
"But he won't do you.", he kept saying that as if it was meant to piss her off. And it worked.
He took another step towards her until she could feel the heat of his body almost pressed against hers.
"And you're both turning mad. Ah, the tricks of nature, eh? How crazy is it, that we turn back into savage beasts in the presence of some people?"
He lowered his head for his blue eyes to be levelled with hers.
"And yet you have to leash the beast, because of all of these stupid rules."
She turned her head away and sighed angrily. She wanted to slap him. She really did want to hurt him badly. But how could she? Every fucking word that got out of his fucking mouth was so, so true. How could he know all this?
"That's where I can help.", he added, making his voice lower than usual, and Arya turned her eyes back to his. They were now full of…some gleam thing that disgusted her.
"I can make you squirm and see stars, darling, you need only to say the word."
She turned her head, grossed out and frowning. She felt like spitting at him.
"Shut the fuck up. Who do you think you are?!"
"You could imagine that I'm him. I don't mind.", he continued, and this was evolving into something totally out of her control. Well, she had never had any control in this whole conversation.
He leaned forward to whisper in her ear.
"I could do things to you, while you convince yourself that it's him…He could come find you in one of the rooms of this place tonight while you're tossing and turning in your bed unable to find sleep… You'd hear the lock of the door turn and he'd slip in the gloom, so that you're unable to see him move, and then you suddenly feel his breath burning with desire against your neck…", damn it-was that dirty talking? God, she wanted to slap him and yell at him to shut the fuck up, but then she felt the burning breath on her neck and oh- images he was crafting started to pop up in her head, and she was getting lost between reality and that heat too quickly spreading in her.
"He would pull the blanket away, and run his broad hand over you, feel your skin react under his touch. When he would decide that the clothes are too annoying, he would slip underneath your top to feel the softness of your breast, graze your nipple with a thumb until you're writhing for more… but he would continue, tease every inch of your body until you're begging for him to touch you down there, until the fire that has started in you ravages everything and his hands only act as gasoline… until he finally drags two fingers along your slit and he groans at how wet and ready you are…", the air in this small room was stifling now.
"But he's a pretentious little bitch so he'd continue being soft and toy with you until you're pleading… Please Jaqen, please you breathe over and over again, until finally he climbs on the bed and on top of you, you feel his weight and his warmth, his gentle kisses the side of your jaw. The sound of the buckle of his belt raises the thrill in you, and you think Finally, you've been ready for that high since you first set your eyes on him, he moves your legs and spreads them easily, and you feel the hot tip of him ready to claim you at your entrance, hot steel sliding against you… You close your eyes to feel more and you moan already at how good this is going to feel after all this tortuously slow teasing, until finally he leans down before the decisive move and whispers in your ear with his deliciously hoarse voice: I don't do virgins."
She felt like falling and then suddenly everything was real again.
"Go to hell.", she swore.
"I suppose that is a rejection of my offer?"
"Go fuck yourself.", she felt a bitter taste in her mouth.
"And stop playing that game with me."
He grinned again, seemingly content.
"Oh please, my games are much more entertaining than his never ending teasing. At least there is an outcome to my promises. And don't tell me it's not a fountain down there.", this pretentious asshole continued.
"If you ever grow tired of this pompous bastard and his stupid code, you know where to find me.", he said before slightly bowing his head the way Jaqen usually did and leaving the room.
A few seconds passed and she shook her head to regain her senses. What the hell was that?
"Hurry. I need to teach you a few things about hacking street cameras before it's time for you to leave.", Iris said when she entered the room a few moments later. She unpacked a computer and approximatively eight thousand wires.
"Oh, and be careful with that one.", she added. She must have crossed Chameleon in the corridor on her way. Arya was still blushing and feeling weird.
"What's with him?", she asked. He was the most cocky man she'd ever seen. And somehow his manipulations had made something light up in her. Something she didn't want, something vicious and carnal and fake.
"He's been in the House for a long time. As you may have noticed he's a master in manipulation, and his favourite field is seduction. He was a master before I even got in. Back then he was even part of the training process.", she said, plugging in all of her stuff.
"Part of the training process? Like… he was a step?"
"Yes.", she said, slightly bored. She was ruling her face, Arya saw it.
"He used to be a test for young field recruits, to make sure they had mastered seduction and the body arts."
The body arts? Like…
"Yes, it is what you think it is. A couple of years ago, when we had to learn to be effective in every department, all the new students had to seduce him and eventually crawl up in bed with him to show the tricks they've learned before being sent on missions. This part of the training was removed eventually. New field recruits still go through it, but later in their mentoring process, so all the students from other departments don't do it. But now he's mad that he doesn't get to screw all the new recruits, so he tries his best to get the new ones to willingly hop under the sheets with him."
"So… he had sex with every single master in this house?", Arya asked, trying not to sound as bedazzled as she really was. How could anyone literally trick people in their bed and not feel guilty afterwards? How could anyone treat people like mere fuck-objects? And, wait-everyone? Like, men too? Like, Jaqen too? No, that couldn't-
"Yes.", her voice softened and Arya didn't like how it sounded like she was talking to a small child.
"Everyone."
"The German too, a long time ago.", she added with a smirk.
"I thought relationships between colleagues were forbidden?"
Her look changed, and despite her tries to hide it, Arya saw something move, far in her gaze. Was it… sadness?
"Well, he's kind of ignoring this rules, because it wasn't forbidden at all at first. Not so long ago, sex was considered just another way of getting the stress out after tough missions, along with the care-team's potions and the different relieve processes. But then there was… an incident with a team, that lead to the death of an agent because he refused to let his partner down when they were in trouble. So then the Elder decided to forbid this kind of relationships to prevent the agents from developing feelings for their partner."
There was a knock on the door, followed by the chief's entrance. He bowed his head at both women, and then addressed to Iris.
« Il y a un changement de plans. Nous avons besoin de la nouvelle recrue sur le terrain. »
Damn it, French again. Well, this time she understood quite a bit. They changed their plans and they need her on the field- wait what? Is he talking about Iris or me?
The door opened again, and this time Jaqen appeared, followed by another woman around his age, with black hair and a tanned skin.
« Non, chef, elle ne peut pas- », Jaqen tried to intervene. Wow, he speaks french too- He was hushed by a raised hand. God, it was weird seeing him obey so meekly. And it was weirder to see him in here.
« Chef, c'est ma mission ! Vous ne pouvez pas- », the black haired woman urged the old man. The chief frowned and looked terrifying for a split second. That was enough to make the woman shut up.
« Ma décision est prise. Elle a passé assez de tests, et nous ne pouvons pas risquer de manquer cette opportunité. Renard, tu lui feras une formation accélérée. Nous avons peu de temps. »
Wait wait wait, what? She had passed the tests? And they couldn't miss the opportunity? And… damn it, what did Renard mean again? Why did he say she was supposed to be taught quickly? What the hell is going on again?!
The other woman with black hair stormed off, seemingly very mad. The chief sighed, hearing her angry steps in the corridor.
"Miss.", he addressed to Arya now.
"We have a field mission for you. This isn't usually the way it goes, but we have an emergency, and you seem to be the only person fit for the job."
