[1 v 1] Keep your enemies close (Bix / Needle)

[Enoh Love]

The hallway appeared, and Needle was admittedly curious. She had never heard of a mysterious hallway, nor had she ever been down it; that much was clear as she headed in blind, unable to follow her and her sister's trail of invisible ink that usually dotted the floors and walls to keep them from getting too lost. This place was new, unmarked and unexplored; thus, she had to explore it;. The hall lead to an open area, and through her limited vision she could see what looked like a great house looming ahead.

An entire house attached to the school?! It must have been the home of someone important to the school! Now she couldn't resist it, she had to see (well, experience) the area. On the plus side? If she was found and scolded, she had an excuse. A really good one; she got lost, which wasn't entirely false.

It took her a while to find the door, patting around anything that seemed to protrude from the front wall (damn windows, you were her bane), and after that it didn't take long to start wandering the house itself, trying to stick close to the walls and walking carefully where she couldn't. She walked all over the place, and soon the winding, twisting corridors became too overwhelming for her.

What she thought was an exit turned out to be a new room. The room she had just left changed while her back was to it; she became lost quickly, very lost. However, instead of being distressed she decided to be productive, and just knelt where she had been standing, in the middle of a random room in a very confusing house.

She knelt there, her hands folded neatly on her lap, staring ahead of her with her back regally straight. If she was lost, she merely had to wait for someone to find her, right? Moving was not a good idea when trying to be discovered, after all.
 

[iloveyouDIE]

Someone did find her. Bix knew the house was confusing but he generally was able to find visual cues that pointed him in the direction of OUT. The hunter, of course, was not looking for an exit. He'd only just gotten there and was beginning his patrol.

The room he entered was large, like an old fashioned ballroom, but the dancing figures were merely mannequins in poses. Everything in the room was black and white, like an old movie, except for a familiar looking young woman kneeling in the middle of the floor.

Bix recognized her from his first time in the house. She'd been caught his squad and taken to the cages. He remembered her enraged friends and how crazy everyone had gotten. Back then he was still boggled, struck by how human they seemed.

"Hello?" Bix's voice echoed slightly in the large room. He called out only because she hadn't seemed to acknowledge his entrance to the room, nor the room itself. She just sat straight.  

[Enoh Love]

She had heard the footsteps long before their owner announced himself, she merely stayed quiet, observing his shape and form with her limited sight. The way he walked and carried himself was alien to her; she didn't know him, not even in passing. A stranger in a strange place should have made her uncomfortable and yet she did not feel threatened. Off, yes. Threatened, no.

"Hello." Needle responded quietly, her head tilting up to finally acknowledge that she was actually looking at him...or at least in his general direction. "Are you lost as well?" She asked, not yet getting up; she wasn't sure if she wanted to, or if this one could help her out of here.  

[iloveyouDIE]

"Figuratively or literally?" He joked poorly, smirking, but her features were dead pan and he got no reaction. "Are you lost? I sort of just got here.."

Bix peered around the ballroom, eyes scanning the mannequins. Maybe this was some trap? Usually by now the other party was pulling a weapon or attacking him.  

[Enoh Love]

She may have been deadpanned, but rest assured she was pondering his question. In the end she smiled, her head tilting just a little bit. "However you prefer to answer, stranger. However, myself? Going by your example... Figuratively, no. I am very well aware of who I am and where I am going in life, however..." She sighed, her kneeling stance relaxing with the slightest of slouches. Years of intense training wouldn't quite allow anything less than that. "I am very much lost in the literal sense." Through her mask she was staring at him intensely, enough to register the slightest tilts of his head; when she had seen that in the past it meant they were either surveying the scene to get a feel for where they were, or---

"Is everything all right, ah...?" She trailed off, not quite sure how to address this person, and 'stranger' was going to become very rude very fast.  

[iloveyouDIE]

"Well you're already a step ahead of me then." He laughed a bit. At least when it came to life. Bix didn't see anything lurking or hear any abnormal whispers or creaks. He visibly relaxed, standing straight.

"Everything seems fine. You can never be too careful. Dangerous people hang out in here." Bix continued to wonder why she hadn't moved. "Are you alright?"

When she Ahh-ed him his mind reeled. Real name? Fake name? It didn't really matter. By his coat he figured she knew he was a hunter already. So why wasn't she running.

"I'm Bix. You are?"  

[Enoh Love]

"Against my will, I assure you." Needle gave the softest of chuckles, though it was by no means a happy one. She didn't want to know where she was going with her unlife; she wanted to experience what it was like to have a future with a giant question mark above it like others her age. Knowing that she was going to be in pain and tattooing for the rest of her unnatural life was both a blessing and a curse.

"...Really? I was not aware! Perhaps...I should not have been still?" Her back straightened again, looking this way and that while tilting her head on occasion as if trying to detect if anyone else was around. When she heard nothing, she relaxed and gazed back up at him, her smile coming easier now. "I am, thank you! I thought perhaps staying in one place would get me found, at least in that I was right! Thankfully you found me before those so-called dangerous ones did." The Engraver climbed back to her feet by shifting her weight, her hands remaining folded against her even as she stood.

"Bix, then. It is a pleasure to meet you! My name is Needle." As she introduced herself she bowed low, her long hair sliding over her shoulders.  

[iloveyouDIE]

Bix had been counting on the name to job his memory about the ghoul but he was sure that Needle hadn't been it. Did she have a sister? A twin of some kind? His memories were cloudy on the event.

"This is the Haunted House. No one told you about it? It's pretty dangerous." He was trying to be vague as possible

She seemed very proper and Bix approached slowly since she didn't currently appear to be aggressive in any way. Perhaps she was one of those Halloweeners that were more open to the hunters? But there was something off about her movements. He couldn't see her eyes but sometimes the cant of her head just looked in the wrong direction or slightly off center.

Did she have trouble seeing?

"Needle? Very appropriate." He smirked. "I like your tattoos.. very cool." Even if all the needles freaked him out a little.  

[Enoh Love]

"Ah, no...I am afraid my interactions in the school have been...limited. I have been taking care of my sweet Sister." Needle's hand raised then, tilting her head into her almost purple palm, her lips setting into a small frown; the full extent of the worry she had for her sibling was left for her hidden eyes, and only hinted at in her voice. "The poor thing has had too many run-ins with the dangerous sort." She lamented with a sad shake of her head.

"My...? Ah! Yes, I am quite fond of them." She extended her hand just enough to admire her own tattoos. "This is my own work! One day they will cover my entire body!" Suddenly, excitement was creeping into her soft voice, her movements a little more animated as the topic changed to something she loved. "Do you have any tattoos, Bix?" If he did, his clothes must be covering them.  

[iloveyouDIE]

Sister! So she was the sister. Needles clues filled in the picture for him. This one hadn't been to the haunted house and probably hadn't met any hunters yet.

He saw her get a bit excited when he mentioned her tattoos and suddenly he was interested. "Yourself? That's awesome! I don't have any but I'd like to get one." He'd been thinking about it. "Something on my arm maybe?" He patted his upper arm. "But like.. big? Like down to the elbow maybe? Half-sleeve?"

Bix watched her. He realize slowly he was just chatting up this.. creature. He couldn't tell if she was a ghost or a monster yet. Not enough clues. But he was just talking to her like he they were normal friends. Already he knew this would be a problem. If not right now, then down the road. Especially since he knew he wouldn't be shooting her today unless something drastic happened.

He was willing to shoot when they pulled weapons on him. He was willing to shoot when they were slathering dragon and gigantic beasts, he was even willing to throw rocks at the ones who were too stupid to help themselves. This ghoul didn't fit those categories and he wasn't on a mission.

He was allowed to just chat, right?

"Do you need help finding your way out?" He came closer to her and offered her his hand tentatively, if she needed guiding.  

[Enoh Love]

"A good starting place! My first was my hands, ah such pain~" There was something breathily happy about those last few words, her fingers flexing the slightest bit as she recalled her childhood, stabbing herself with an ink stained needle for the first time. "My kin and I tattoo for our livelihood, we do not take image requests per se, however they are individual and unique to the one requesting it. I would be happy to tattoo you, Bix, especially since you have been so kind to me." Needle had no idea she was offering her services and accepting help from the 'enemy', and especially not the enemy was was partially responsible for the kidnapping of her twin. This would have gone much differently if she had; she would have actively tried to make him her newest pincushion.

"I would appreciate that, thank you~" She sighed, her head tilting down to better see the extended hand; she loved contact, thrived on it. Since her arrival at the school and learning that contact was generally welcome and often freely offered, she took every opportunity to do so. It was partially the reason as to why she slid her cold hand into his, but kept enough of a distance to try and avoid puncturing his arm with hers.

"So, Bix, tell me about yourself! Do you live here? Are you attending the academy as well? Are you a Reaper? I pardon the question but...I am afraid I can not tell." Suddenly, she was all questions.  

[iloveyouDIE]

When her hand touched his own a chill ran up his arm and down his entire spine. It was cold and unnatural. Every hunter instinct, every extra sense he had screamed of wrongness. This was a creature of Halloween. His hand was noticeably warmer than hers and though she couldn't see it, his face flared with heat as he got nervous. But wasn't this part of the job? Get close to them, talk to them, perhaps go as far to get the to his side? He would use that as his excuse for kindness, if it came to that. Some of the other hunters had 'friends' amongst the students. They didn't talk about it but you could tell in the battles. They all recognized one another.

"That would be cool but.." Bix needed a reason to not get tattooed by a monster. He couldn't tell her that he was terrified to get FEAR infected or some other freaky thing. "..I already promised my friend I'd go with her to a special place for the tattoo. Thank you for the offer. Maybe when it's done you can tell me if it's a crappy tat or not?" Did he just propose meeting up with her again?

In his head Mina hissed uneasily. Hunter ghoulsss are one thing... but you can't date them.
I wouldn't DATE her. What if I can get to know her.. for weaponization or something?
Mina's annoyed hiss meant she knew he wasn't being fully honest with himself.

"No I'm umm... older. I'm done school." Bix again bent his own truths. "I'm ummm.. well I can't tell you what I do. It's a secret." He teased her a little but he decided to swing it as if he were a Boogeyman. He knew of them a little from mission reports and seemed like the closest to a good alibi as he could get. "But I'm on patrol here. I'm sort of a rookie."

Bix was actually mentally congratulating himself on a good story.  

[Enoh Love]

"I understand; it would not be right to break a promise to a friend." A promise was a promise, and Needle did quite believe in them; she adhered to them too, but a few times she did try to cleverly get around them. It never worked, and she never was upset over it; after all, she wouldn't have made the promise if she didn't need or want to! "I would be happy to pass judgement on their workmanship! You will have to contact me when you get it done." How she had no idea; she was a student, and whats worse she was a student without a phone.

Something about Bix felt off to her. She couldn't put her finger on it, but he wasn't like anyone she had ever met before, literally. No warning bells were going off and he was being incredibly nice to her, so she decided to not put too much stock into it. After all, he did just admit that he was older and on a secret mission; maybe that's why he felt off! Sometimes the adults of other clans felt off to her! Just...never like this.

No matter.

"A secret? Oh but I am so good at keeping secrets!" Needle was almost pouting, almost, but she knew secrets were secret for a reason. "Should I keep it a secret that I met you?" Instead of dwelling on her pouting, apparently teasing back was a good idea. "Ahhh...I am so curious!" Her free hand came up to press against her chin thoughtfully, her pale face tilting up towards the ceiling in thought.

"Tell me something else about you, Bix. Something that is not a secret!"  

[iloveyouDIE]

"Secrets are fun. Why not? I'll keep meeting you a secret too." Unfortunately Bix did have some small experience with girls. They generally liked this sort of thing. The thrill of the secret. "My superiors probably wouldn't like it anyway. Not supposed to fraternize with the students."

Bix started to walk for the door finally, leading Needle in what he could only assume was the way towards Halloween. He wasn't positive what it was like on their end, but (he thought) it was the opposite of the way he came. Generally the house decided where you went in the end anyway. The next room looked like everything was made from cut paper and strings, like a massive puppet show made by a kindergarten class. Bix wondered about this house sometimes...

"Hmmm well.. Bix isn't my real name." He laughed a bit. "But that's what I go by. But, shhh, my REAL name is a secret." Another tease.  

[Enoh Love]

"My lips are sealed." Needle smiled at him, pressing her free index finger against her lips. She was indeed the type to read Teen Scream magazines and most recently trashy novels, but they were out of curiousity more than function; nobody seemed eager to explain (or give her the experience of) these things, so she turned to whatever she could get her hands on for the answers. "Ahh...then for the sake of your job I will be diligent, thank you for taking the time to help me." She repeated again, eternally grateful to him for helping her get un-lost. You could never thank someone enough, at least thats what she was coming to learn.

"..." Unable to fully appreciate the room around her, she instead turned her head to stare up at him, her lips pressing into a thin line. "I do believe that is cheating!" Sure technically it was something new, but...but he was still keeping it a secret! AND he was teasing her about it! That wasn't very nice! "Is there anything you can tell me that is not a secret?" She was eternally curious about this kind stranger, and he wasn't being helpul!