Daisies

"Life however beautiful is a tragedy"

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FOR THE FIRST time in a long while, she looked harmless and the mask always protecting her face gone as the fair skin soaked in the morning rays.

Her penned, fingerless gloved hands scribbled neat and quick strokes and arcs on the drawing pad as she took in the mixed scent of the flowers, her onyx eyes quickly flitting through the garden before replacing the pen with another, a different color.

The mysterious fighter and assassin picked up on the familiar soft and light steps approaching her as she sketched.

A long braid of gray hair cast beside her, sharp eyes soaking up her sketch.

The eld, although aged had light steps of an assassin and sharp eyes that could read every underlying detail of a situation or maybe kill.

"It's a nice sketch, what you're working on there, I can almost see it coming to life" the comment did not deter the younger from picking up another colored pen, gray this time, and finishing off the sketch.

"Hmm" the aged woman breathes "Yes, daisies are colorful, but yours are way more colorful than the ones we have here, and maybe darker" she continues without a response.

"What's the first thing that comes to mind when you see them?"

"Daisies" she clears up when the younger looks up in confusion.

"Death" was the strong response causing the eld to shake her head in disapproval.

"No child" she counters "rebirth, Hope, new beginnings, but it could also mean death in some way"

"Ironic, isn't it, life however beautiful is a tragedy, just like flowers" she gestures to the blossoming flowers around them "or daisies to be exact"

She sits beside the young assassin "Tomorrow's her anniversary, the fifth year since Kim Aeri's....." she trails off, breathing out in conflict.

"Death" the younger completes with the eld nodding in confirmation.

"You got the Black Rose on the first year, will you be getting another this year?"

The assassin's focus on her sketch gave the answers, leading to another question.

"Which one?" the woman points a wrinkled finger to the large garden "There's a lot to choose from".

The elderly clicks her tongue in disapproval when the assassin's eyes settles on the asphodels

"No Xiamin, not the asphodel, although I think you've unconsciously made a choice, a really good choice"

The assassin's fingers paused their neat movements on the sketch pad, eyes twinkling at her complete sketch as she pulled on the loose threads of the thumb hole on her faded black wrist warmers.

"Daisies" the woman stands up, slowly taking the path back into the house "Really colorful daisies"

"I have the chrysanthemums ready for tomorrow" she calls out opening the back door to the kitchen "but I guess I'll be adding a daisy to the bouquet".

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The night was at it's darkest. No sign of the moon through the tiny slit between the curtains on the glass walls as a figure, barely visible silently moved about the room.

Bare feet padded lightly on the soft carpets as the figure approached the slightly lighted desk table, crouching over the powered laptop as drops of water rained down her wet black hair falling over her face and dark eyes and drenching the table.

Her razor sharp eyes narrowed at the blinking red notice on the screen 'Tracking failed'.

She sighed, slim fingers running through the wet bob and tucking the stray stands behind her ear to reveal the styled undercut as the screen flickered, buzzing for a while and green texts slowly popping up on her screen.

"You're persistent"

She froze, eyes squinting at the text as another popped up

"You keep tracking me.. you must have a reason"

Green question marks popped on the screen continuously as she quickly pulled the chair back, dropping on it as her fingers clicked away on the system.

"The broadcast five years back, that was you" she typed, hesitating for a moment before sending and tapping her nails impatiently for a reply.

"You're good... not so good at masking your location though" she scoffs at the reply, watching as another text popped up.

"As much as it's fun watching you try to track me, I'm getting tired of the cat and mouse games....

..... do you dare? Date and time?"

Her fingers were quick to type a reply "tomorrow, 17 O'Clock..... Find me".

She shut the system, relaxing into the seat as she ran both hands through still wet hair, blinking away the water drop on her long eyelash, her unfocused gaze staring into the dark.

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"You've got CIRO agents on your tail, deliver the package earlier than scheduled at warehouse B63, and lay low for a while" the pale, dark haired hacker winced, pulling out the comms in his left ear and massaging his temple in irritation as the person on the other end cursed out.

"No shit Jae Hyun, we can't have the guns getting busted before you ship them to Dohyun in North Korea" Chen Feiyu fired back, sighing after a moment as his fingers began working on the keyboard.

"Fine, at least lay low till I get them off your ass"

"Li Yan?" his call signalled the rivaling click of a keyboard from the desk behind his which ended as soon as it began with the screech of the seat being pushed back and shuffles following up.

"Done" Jung Li Yan announced "I just blurred their satellite imaging, won't be back up for another hour"

He took a beanie from a drawer, tucking his bright, red locks underneath it and wearing the black mask over his head and up his lower face as he pulled up his hood, shortly eyeing the blinking red dot on his smart watch as his eyes took in the time, 3pm.

From the desk ahead, his dark haired partner peered over the computers, mischief dancing in his eyes.

"Hot date?"

Jung Li Yan's brows arched, eyes mirroring the same glint of mischief "Really dangerous one".