Adventurer who owes their success to all of their companions who didn't make it.
Because they killed them.
Elora loitered by the banquet table, thoroughly stressed out by the ball.
Partially because it just, it really wasn't her type of event. Bunch of aristocrats flaunting their wealth as loudly and obnoxiously as possible, not at all her idea of a good time.
Mostly because Devaedra had noticed someone a little while ago and beelined for her, dancing and drinking and whispering sweet nothings into her ear until she whisked the girl away, giggling, to her presumed demise.
That had been about 15 minutes ago, and if Elora wasn't having fun before she certainly wasn't now, worried sick that their night's trajectory was about to take a stark turn to the gallows.
Why did she agree to this? She didn't have the stomach for it. Being friends with an assassin was one thing, when the job was just an abstraction, when she could pretend that assassin was just a descriptor of her role in an adventuring party, when she didn't have to keep calm under pressure.
"Are you not going to dance?" Slurred some noblewoman in a gaudy dress.
"Centaurs don't dance. Not like this." Elora responded, still fidgeting and scanning the room. "More prancing in meadows than all this twirling and precise movement."
The woman nodded in understanding. "You know, I do dressage, you know." She said, letting the statement sit in the air for a moment before continuing in a lowered voice. "I bet I could get you to dance."
"Wouldn't that be something." Devaedra said icily, appearing out of nowhere.
"Oh! Devaedra!" Elora squeaked, looking around to try and figure out where she could possibly have come from.
"Unfortunately, we really must be going." The elf continued, gently stroking Elora's side. "Had just about too much fun for one night, haven't we sweetness?"
Ah. Right.
"Yyyyyyes, yes, we're going now." Elora said as the assassin hopped on her back, the two quickly leaving the noblewoman and her bizarre assertions behind.
They left the ball in silence, and were far away by the time Elora worked up the nerve to speak.
"So um, that girl..?"
"Dead." Devaedra stated plainly.
"Ah."
Elora knew this of course, but it was still...
"The two of you seemed to be having fun, before you... y'know."
Devaedra shrugged. "Oh, sure. Need to get her alone somehow."
Elora knew she shouldn't ask more questions, it wouldn't make her feel better about it, but-
"Was she nice?"
"I didn't really get a read on her, Elora."
"Did she... deserve it, do you think?"
"Elora."
"I mean, was she like a crooked baroness, or-"
"I don't ask."
Elora frowned. "You don't get curious?"
"Nope. Believe me, knowing doesn't help."
She didn't really know what to say to that. She supposed that was why she was a gardener and not an assassin.
"Do you do that a lot?"
"Assassinate people?" Devaedra said, crooking an eyebrow.
"No! The dancing, and whispering, and such."
"Depends, I suppose. It doesn't work in every situation, but it's a pretty decent low-risk move at parties."
"Oh..." Elora mumbled.
"Oh?"
"Well, doesn't that seem so sad? They're probably really happy, and then you kill them."
Devaedra leaned into her back.
"The people I use it on probably aren't thinking of living a happy life with me, Elora." She hummed.
"Still-"
"And I think it's a rather kind way to do it, make their last thoughts happy ones, hm? No big thing."
"I guess."
"Elora."
"Mm?"
"Elora."
Elora turned her head.
"Wha-"
And it was then that Devaedra kissed her, and she stopped in her tracks. The elf was forceful, but soft, and Elora let her eyes flutter shut as Devaedra cupped her cheek and-
Jabbed a finger into the side of her neck!
"Wh-"
"That's where I would kill you. Well, not you you, but- usually."
Elora was mortified.
"Wh- But- You-"
Devaedra released her and leaned back, a blush creeping across her grey skin.
"Heh, I actually feel kinda weird now, I don't think I've ever kissed somebody without killing them before."
"What." Elora squeaked.
"It's not a bad weird. Just weird." The assassin elaborated, shrugging. "I'm glad it was you, I think."
"What."
"Oh, am I a bad kisser? I don't really get feedback ever, so-"
"It was fine Devaedra why did you kiss me?"
"I don't know! You were asking questions, and I figured I wouldn't mind kissing you and having you live, and I thought you probably wouldn't mind?" She explained, her voice heightening. "It's- It's not a bad way to kill people, is what I'm demonstrating! You would have felt pretty happy before dying, right?"
Elora pondered, putting her fingers to her lips and feeling her face turn red.
"Y-Yeah, I think so."
"See?"
