O Death, Won't You Spare Me Over Another?

[oscarminer]

WHO: Edward Kenway and Teresa Hathorne
WHERE: Streets of Kaisou
WHEN: Late at night in March
WHAT: The reaper has come to collect his due.
WARNINGS: Death, blood, disturbing imagery, violence

♪ O Death

[Teresa is walking by herself down the streets of Kaisou very late at night. Even the late night partygoers have found places to sleep at this time. She walks briskly down the sidewalk, heels clacking crisply in the silent March air. Although she doesn't look like it, she is armed and ready to defend herself. Yet that confidence will prove to be her fatal mistake.

She turns down an alleyway on her way home. Teresa has always taken such circuitous routes back to the residence she's been staying at since February. She's wary and vigilant, but sometimes that's simply not enough to prepare one for the dagger in the dark.]

Comments

[jackdawvision]

[You wouldn’t recognize Edward right now—he’s turned his hair a dark brown and his eyes the same muddy color, slipped into more modern clothes, pulled on gloves. With the hood pulled up, he just looks like another vagrant haunting the city streets aimlessly.

He’s not. With his second sight on, he clocks Teresa the second she comes into view, and peels himself off the wall to walk a fair distance behind her on the sidewalk. When she turns down the alleyway, he turns down it as well.

If she turns, he’ll duck behind whatever cover is there—a dumpster, a trash can, a door left conveniently open—and wait until she’s not looking anymore. No magic for this one, beyond the magic that’s disguised his hair and eyes—he’s got to do this as cleanly as possible.]

[oscarminer]

[She seems to hear or sense something amiss. Teresa turns around abruptly to look behind her. However, all she sees is seemingly empty of people. Her eyes narrow for a moment as she waits for a few seconds. When nothing out of the ordinary happens, the blonde scoffs softly and turns to start walking again.]

[jackdawvision]

[It's as she's starting to walk again that Edward ducks out of cover and sprints towards her, triggering the hidden blade once he's close. He's aiming to drive all six inches of cold steel right into the back of her neck—it's a fast death, and a clean one at that. She deserves that much.]

[oscarminer]

[She turns at just the wrong moment, yet it's too late. Instead of a clean slice, blood spurts out from the gash to her jugular. Her eyes are wide with shock as she tries to find the wall to lean against. She collapses to her knees instead. Teresa looks up at him. Blood pours from the wound to her neck. Her eyes are almost red with malice.

And yet...

And yet... there is something akin to peace underneath it. Her brother. She can join....]

You... will never... be safe. [She gasps for breath and spits out the venomous curse:] You will join us... or you'll die. Albarea... fool... can't protect....

[jackdawvision]

[That could've gone better. But Edward flexes his fingers, the hidden blade sliding back out of sight.]

You couldn't protect yourself either. [He kneels down, his eyes level with hers, his voice cold as he watches her die.] I think we'll take our chances. Oh—if you see Hornigold where you're going, say hello to him from his old friend.

[oscarminer]

[She doesn't seem to hear him. Her gaze is faraway, seeing someone else.]

Theo....

[Teresa struggles to take her last breath, but chokes on her own blood in the end. She grows still and her body begins to go cold. The light of life is gone from her eyes.]

[jackdawvision]

[Theo. Hm.

He loots her body, comes up with her wallet and her phone. He sees that her phone has a password, and gives it up as a lost cause without even trying to crack it. These will all be going into the lake anyway, save for whatever cash is in her wallet—that is going right into his pocket.

With luck, people will see her body and simply believe it to be a mugging. As for Edward...well, he has to retrieve his clothes and dump what he's wearing right now.

He walks briskly out of the alleyway, his hood turned up to hide his face.]