Ch4 - Family ties

Everyone needs a day off.

Purpura was walking down the street of a town.
Not a large town, but well populated.
He was in 'civilian' clothes, his hair not stained with blood.
His ears were up, but his tail was wrapped around his waist.
He was wearing a jacket though, and it was pulled over his tail anyway.
His clothes were tinted purple, as he realized most of his 'civilian' clothing was.

Perhaps he should invest in clothes that weren't purple.

He walked the street bored, he stopped at a small shop, and went inside.
Inside the owner was polishing a knife.
The owner was a large fat man, the man's hair was greasy, as was his shirt.
But it was a polishing grease.
Purpura walked up, and stood in front of the man.
The man looked up, "You again?
Geez, look I don't have anything for you."
Purpura growled, before grabbing the man's shirt and pulling him across the counter.
"OKAY! OKAY!" the man squealed, and Purpura released him, dropping the man on the floor.

Purpura wiped his hand on a nearby rag, to wipe the grease off.

The man got up, he had a rather light step for such a big man.
He grumbled as he walked over to a cabinet.
"I don't understand why you insist on tormenting me."
He opened the cabinet, and pulled out a set of seven vials.
Each vial had a different color liquid.
"Alright, which one you want this time?"
Purpura examined them, and gently picked up the vial with blue liquid.
He gently stirred the mixture about, before pulling the cork off, and sniffing it.
He recorked the vial, and set the pendant he'd acquired a couple weeks ago down.
The man looked at the pendant greedily, and picked it up.
"Oh, look at that stone! It's flawless.

And the detailing in the metal!
This is some fine craftsmanship!

Where do you even acquire these things?"
Purpura glanced at him, before giving a rather wicked smile, and walking out.
The man grumbled, "I'd be more surprised if he did answer."
Purpura walked along, putting the vial in his pocket. 
He walked a couple blocks, tying his ears down.
He gently moved his hand from his other pocket.
Blood followed, and he quickly stained his hair, before walking into Kipsy's shop.
Kipsy was busying himself, and turned to see Purpura.
"What the- why are you in street clothes?"
Purpura squinted in a small glare.
"Fine, fine. The client paid in full.
We got all the bonuses, apparently he loved the show you put on.
It's to bad he wont be hiring again."
Purpura went and flopped into his normal chair.

He never sat properly in the chair.

Kispy continued, "Turns out, he wanted the target dead because the lord killed his sister after she birthed the lord's 3rd daughter.

Killed them both.

Guess that's why he wanted the baby boy dead too."
Purpura looked bored, and disinterested.
It wasn't his business why he was hired.
Kipsy researched the clients, and targets.
Lack of attachment ensured the job got done properly.
"Fine, fine." Kipsy said, "No interesting assignments.
Plenty of lame ones, nothing with a time crunch.
You're always popular.
Also, you got three new requests to meet you.
Names... Dezkan, Treesa, and Lesly.
Interested?"
Purpura shook his head no.
"Fine, keep up that mysteriousness.
Everyone loves a mysterious bad boy."
Purpura rolled his eyes.
"I'll send you a message if anything interesting pops-up.
I know the drill. If nothing good comes in a week, we'll look at these lame ones.
You wanna take them with you? So you can pick?"
Purpura shook his head, he had a good feeling something interesting would come up.
"Alright, then we're concluded. Ah! Your payment!
Even with you 'losing' your bag, we've a... VERY nice profit.
Anything you wanna do with it?"
Purpura nodded, and got up.
He picked up a piece of paper, scribbled down a name, and number.
He then walked towards the door.
"What who? Gah, I'll figure it out.

The rest will go into your account, like normal.
Also, be happy you give off a demonic aura, otherwise people would think you were human!"
Purpura shrugged, before hitting the street.
Human were extinct. Though people would tease.
Everyone was some sort of demon, or monster.
Many creatures had a very 'human' appearance.
A humanoid appearance was easier for many to maintain as well.
Certain species just had a natural human build, such as nekos.
The only physical differences were cat ears, tail, and claws.
As well as an ability to purr.
Purpura knew without some sort of demonic feature he appeared human.
Humans had been populous at some point so legend says.
The demons had to hide.
Legend says creatures got tired of hiding.
After revealing themselves, some humans rejected, many accepted.
Demons, being stronger, were easily able to defeat any humans who attempted to kill them.
The ones who accepted eventually breed with various creatures.
Now, many had a bit of human in them, but a pure human was unheard of.
Certain species insisted on purity, others did not care.
Nekos didn't care, mostly because their traits were naturally dominate.
It didn't matter what kind of mutt you were.

If you had neko blood, you had physical neko traits.
Being half neko, half blood demon, it was useful.
A thin frame, light step, great balance, and nine times out of ten, he'd survive a fall without a scratch.
Purpura walked along, walking for a long while eventually leaving the town.
He kept walking thru the nearby forest, until he came to a small house in the woods.

He gave a little smile, then a frown, and walked up.
The house had clearly been here for decades.
He went inside, it was silent, eerily so.
He hung his jacket, and walked to the kitchen.
He grabbed some bread, not really hungry.
The quiet was nearly deafening.
He finished and sighed, before going to a door,

The door lead into the basement, and he went down.
The stairs ended, forcing a choice between left or right.
He went left.
There was a training room, mats and dummies.
Various weapons. Purpura walked by ignoring it all.
He walked to another door.
It was a bed room, with a decently sized bed.
Purpura sighed, and tossed his shirt into a basket.
He then dropped onto the bed.
He just laid there, face in the sheets.
Before he pulled the vial out of his pocket, and put it on the nightstand.
It was next to other vials, though they were empty.

The next morning Purpura awoke, and showered.
He dressed and went up the stairs.

But, before he opened the door though he paused.
There was noise.
Someone else was in the house.
He pulled blood from the floor, forming a red sword.
Purpura quickly burst thru the door, with the sword about to strike.
There was a screech, followed by the person dropping to the floor without being hit, though cowering.
Purpura stared at the 'visitor' the male had black hair, cat ears, black eyes, and matching tail.
A black cat.

Purpura sighed, and the sword disappeared.

The blood soaking into the floor.
The black cat got up, "Why'd you scare me like that?
I said I was gonna visit today.
I gave two weeks' notice, and sent reminders.
Just to avoid you nearly killing me!
Instead... Well... Now, I need a change of underwear..."
Purpura shrugged, and sat down.
"How have you been holding up?" the black cat continued
Purpura just looked to him.
The black cat sighed, "He couldn't have vanished forever."
Purpura got up quickly, and went to a cabinet and pulled out a scroll.
He tossed it to the cat.
The cat caught it, barely, "Oh!" he exclaimed, and opened the scroll.
"He's alive! And returned to his work as an assassin!"
Purpura sat, in an engaged position.
"You're right.

It's possible, he's just bored.
Yea... I suspect his family would have guards, arresting anyone who even looks like you."
Purpura raised one eye brow.
"Oh... I guess that's true.

They wouldn't arrest anyone, to risky.

Just kill them to be safe."

Purpura nodded, and sat back.

"But you have to try something.
I'm sure the world is confused as to why Black isn't taking contracts..."
Purpura stared up at the ceiling.
"Come on, surely you've got some sort of plan.
Fine, don't tell me.
Just do something!
Wait... You're gonna catch him out while he's taking down his own target!
You could never get close to him, his family would make sure of that.
But if he's been taking jobs...
If you can anticipate one, or get lucky!"
Purpura rolled his eyes.
The black cat smiled, then frowned
"Your throat hurt?" he asked, leaning to touch Purpura's neck.
Purpura flinched back, avoiding the cat's touch.
"I'll take that as a yes.
Have you gone for more healing?"
Purpura got up, and turned away.
"No punishing yourself because he's not here to make it challenging!
He wouldn't want that. And you know it.
He'd want you at the top of your game!"
Purpura turned to the cat, with a glare.
"Fine! I'm leaving."
The cat got up, and went to the door.
"Oh, and you really should visit mom.
Mom gets worried about you living here all alone."
The cat then stepped out the door.
Purpura sighed, and the door opened again.
The black cat poked his head back in.

"By the way, Rose escaped again.
We have no idea where she went.
But she left you a note in her cell."
He tossed purpura a note, before leaving again.
Purpura held the piece of paper, and opened it.
Scrawled in blood, it barely legibly read
'D-
Let's play again
-Rose'
He crumpled it up, and tossed it, like he didn't have enough problems.