Final Kingdom MUSH - User contributions [en]

Mission: Mugwort

2014-03-03T05:17:11Z

IvoGalvan:

{{Log Header
|Date of Scene=2014/03/03
|Location=Eastern Continent - Bare Desert
|Synopsis=Beneath the shifting dunes of the Bare Desert south of Fluorgis, down where the sand thickens into stone, tortuous tunnels snake, their dark stillness a refuge for strange life forms. Within one of these capricious tunnels our heroes now wander, seeking one such creature in particular: the omnivorous Mugwort.
|Thanks=To everyone for making time for an awesome scene!
|Cast of Characters=Ivo Galvan, Reize Seatlan, Faruja Senra, Jean Faraven, Deelel, Emi Dennou, Mir Clarence
|pretty=yes
}}
:'''[[Ivo Galvan]] has posed:''' Mission Mugwort has commenced. Beneath the shifting dunes of the Bare Desert south of Fluorgis, down where the sand thickens into stone, tortuous tunnels snake, their dark stillness a refuge for strange life forms. Upon these crumbling cylindrical walls, bioluminescent mosses grow, ekeing out survival from the scarce nutrients in this arid earth. Sandworm larvae feed off these mosses, and in turn are fed upon by man-sized sand crabs, near invisible as they lurk in the sand and shadows. But most dangerous of all are those sandworms which endure til their carapaces harden to diamond strength and they grow to preposterous size, going on to create more tunnels such as these and heedlessly collapse those in which they were born. Those mosses and parasites and precious stones which cling to the backs of these full-grown sandworms are carried with them, to eventually begin the cycle anew. But more creatures are symbiotic on the life of the sandworm than just these. Within one of these capricious tunnels our heroes now wander, seeking one such creature in particular: the omnivorous Mugwort. Ivo steps forward cautiously, sensitive to the occasional trembling of the tunnel walls, indication of sandworms passing far in the distance. The Shard Seeker Device dangles before him, illuminated by the glow of the moss around, pointing resolutely forward. This consistency is novel. The Device remains malfunctioning, unable to properly detect World Shards, though Ivo tends not to widely share this fact. Instead, it has a tendency to point toward concentrations of magical potential, such as caches of treasure or dangerous monsters. Unfortunately, it remains impossible to tell the /difference/ between monsters and treasure. But in this case, it doesn't matter. "Remember," Ivo murmurs, "the Mugwort spreads its vines far long the ceilings of tunnels and caverns, so its light-sensitive tendrils extend far beyond the main body, and carry back whatever parasites and minerals it can grab from the backs of sandworms." The other hand holds Hauteclare, its blade rubbed black with particulate matter. "As long as we can make it to the main plant, we can acquire the seed pod we need. But we have to be careful of those special tendrils, and of the sand crabs that sometimes hide amongst them." The 'monster' in this case is something of a hoarder. "Don't let the Mugwort mug you, friends."

:'''[[Faruja Senra]] has posed:''' "Follow the glowing plant life, try not to get thrust into compromising or lethal positions by harmful plant life, and attempt to not be devoured by sand crabs before acquiring a plant's seed." Summarizes Faruja rather swiftly. Frown. Shrug. "...Never in my life would I hath thought I would be upon such an errand. Ahh, well, if naught else ye keep me from death by boredom, Ser Galvan. Onwards and forwards, dear friends, no godless plant nor carnivorous crab shalt stop us from our most...right...hol...no, hmm. Bah, we art an adventuring company. TO GLORY!" Faruja shakes his spear forward, and follows the glowing vines onwards, tail flicking behind him, voice echoing nicely beneath the sand. Hopefully Ivo wasn't counting on stealth.

:'''[[Mir Clarence]] has posed:''' "Ergh..." Came the grossed out grumble of a certain fairy girl accompanying the group. That girl would be Mir Clarence, their employer. Now, it probably would have been a better idea for her to wait in Fluorgis, but...well, her business was ground to a halt without this special ingredient. There was literally no point sitting around and doing nothing when she wouldn't be making money anyway. And so here she was, plodding through the caverns with the other Shard Seekers...and company. But these dank caverns left plenty to be desired. "...Why couldn't it have grown somewhere less gross?" Mir asked aloud, though to no one in particular, edging away from a wall seemingly slathered with some sort of slimy, moss substance. She sure as hell didn't want to touch any of that. Not if she had a choice! She wore a sturdier outfit for this trip. A dress and vest of deep blue, mired with zippers. Surely they must have served some purpose. Her shoes were similarly colored, and her arms were protected by a pair of long gloves. A simple white underskirt peeked out below to complete the outfit. Must have been her travel clothing. She held no weapon. Probably a dumb idea, but she wasn't a fighter anyway, so bleh! Mir's eyes fell upon the two who spoke previously, eyes settling first on the Burmecian. ...Well, they weren't a huge surprise to her. But it was rare to see one decked out in...Ivalician armor? She couldn't be sure. In any case, the way the knight carried himself caused the girl to shy away a bit, now just a few steps behind Ivo and his still less than spectacular cape. His joke about Mugwort mugging people drew an exasperated sigh from her. "Why don't we let it mug you and take that dusty rug off your back? You could use a new one."

:'''[[Emi Dennou]] has posed:''' Emi Dennou has come on her lonesome today in order to muck around with SHard Seekers and possibly get a chance at the Mugwort's stash. Sure, the Mugwort might mug her, but she's poor. The Mugwort's probably rich! Maybe she can feed her annoyingly sized family. Or buy them more clothing options. For some reason costumes are more expensive than super weapons of doom sometimes. She has her rifle with her, but is otherwise unarmed. She is quiet for the moment, too. Because she's staring in awe at the fairy.

:'''[[Jean Faraven]] has posed:''' Jean Faraven says, "That about matches our intelligence on them as well." Jean's gruff, gravelly voice came on the heels of Ivo's debriefing on Mugwort with conditional approval. "You've got more problems than a few lifted items if the vines manage to get a hold of you though." The lit end of the Hound's cigar provided vague, swaying cue to the mercenary's position in the party's rear vanguard, ensconced amidsts the darkness, "They're tenacious. A surface root once got a hold of one our APCs as it drove overhead-must've gone more than 15 yalms before noticed we'd been ripping up everything behind us. Had to scrap that whole axle." A puff of smoke wafted down the tunnel at the end of story, and Jean kept his eye trained on Ivo's back up ahead. The infamous SeeD instructor had join for reasons largely opaque-seeming, though his desire to help out the Shardseekers seemed genuine enough. His steps were careful and perfectly in tune with Garden's rules of engagement for subterranean warfare, eye and ears alike peeled for even most minute disturbance. The rest of the part's banter washes over him without comment-he's got to be ready for trouble. Anubis was drawn and ready at the seasoned fighter's side-it's darksteel burnished less poised to provoking any unwanted response from their quarry. Still, a liberal layer of dust has been applied to it just in case."

:'''[[Ivo Galvan]] has posed:''' "You summarize well, Ser Senra," Ivo remarks, unable to suppress the upturning of the corners of his lips. "Your exposition is outmatched only by your gallantry." Even as Faruja's zealous outburst invalidates the need for stealth, Ivo just grins, as ever preferring amusement at the expense of strategy. But within his lively eyes is, as ever, real affection. He's grateful for Faruja's company on this strange venture. "I live to divert you, of course." In more ways than one. "But this venture serves to restore our sailing vessel, and facilitate more righteous pursuits." Could be righteous, anyway. In theory. Why not? "Mocking my cloak... how nostalgic. Never fear, Ms. Clarence," the erstwhile knight assures, privately all the more amused that Mir veers away from Faruja and toward him. Appearances can deceive, my dear. "This dusty rug of mine will be the first to be sacrificed, should any stray tendrils snake your way. Though I would be honored if, should that occur, you'd offer me a substitute. Do your nimble fingers weave as well as bake? For some reason, costumes are more expensive than super weapons of doom sometimes." She seems nervous, as well she should be, so Ivo tries to keep her talking. It's the nice thing to do. Besides, teasing her is inherently enjoyable. "All well over there... Emi?" Ivo tries to pass off the brief pause with a little stretching of his neck, to demonstrate that he didn't at all hesitate over which sister was with them this time. Look, sure Emi's the one who usually kicks it with them, but it's been a while. "How fares the Network? Any, uh, electro-magnetic vibrations in the vicinity? Or just vibrations? Say, caused by passing sandworms?" If she's got any sensitivity to the proximity of the beasts, that'd be quite helpful. If not, she's still got that friggin' rifle. And even if he can't get any intel from the Legion, the grizzled master is here. Information is always best dispensed in the form of a 'back in my day during the war' narrative. Ivo listens intently, still a little awed by Jean's presence. "I'll keep that in mind." 'Good thing I didn't bring my APCs!' he decides not to say. But there's one thought he can't quite repress. "Er, Sir Faraven, are... are you smoking? In an underground tunnel?" Within moments, however, it ceases to matter. The tunnel begins to broaden, until it opens entirely into a vast cavern and a spectacular sight. The walls are patterned with glowing moss, looking like the playful art of some child god, revealing that the ceiling above is festooned with vines. Most are green and simple and dangle down, some reaching the floor. But other vines are striped with red and twitch menacingly, occasionally lashing out automatically at the glowing moss on the walls, producing a sharp whip-crack sound. The floor below-- "Damn..." --is one vast sinkhole, sand slowly pouring into what appears an endless void, preventing passage to the continuation of the tunnel on the opposite side of the cavern. Simply walking across is not an option. But the light-sensitive 'hunter vines' above pose their own problem. And with the occasional faint rustle, some may espy a sand-colored pincer or two poking out from behind patches of those vines, revealing the sand crabs clinging to the ceiling. "We've got to get all of us across," Ivo murmurs. Eyes narrowed, he reaches out to speculatively tug one of the normal green vines that hang low; it stays fast. "If we use the safe vines and the walls, and don't show the hunter vines any light, we should be able to climb or swing across. But if there are crabs hiding up there too, and they catch us while we're climbing..." He glances around his allies. "We'll have to pick them off in advance as we cross. Hey, Reize! Job for a hunter!" He turns toward the darkness from whence they came. "Reize? How'd the rear guard go? Didn't get lost, did you? Ha ha! Ha." Silence. "As anticipated," he mutters under his breath, "more or less."

:'''[[Faruja Senra]] has posed:''' Faruja Senra has never seen a fairy before, and he can't help but catch the occasional curious glance to the tiny woman. This is probably a bad idea when he's more or less acting as the damage-soaking member of the party. There's smiles involved, though. Smile! Friendly Templar-armored rat! Guaranteed not to burn you for Heresy! Really! "Worry naugh, M'Lady, this is nothing! Why, one time, Ser Seatlan's...erm.../imaginative and unique/ map-reading skills led us deep into the sewers of Fluorgis. Whereupon part of its maintenance tunnels collapsed. With my armor, well..." Do the math. Faruja had to have that particular set melted down and reforged to get rid of the stench. "In short, it could hardly get worse than a bit slime, hmm?" Someone had to say it. There's also a Dennou, and a rather competent sounding man adding on to Ivo's words. Faruja gives several nods in appropriate, polite places. Wince. "...let us pray then, that 'tis not we whom need scrapping" Sigh. "Never boring indeed." A glance back, and a Dennou has a rifle. Already, the rat's looking a little more confident with cover fire at the ready. "Now, now, Ser Galvan, ye art fit to see me blush! These sorts of things /do/ appeal to our young squires, ye know. Why, one time..." Ivo's words deftly interrupt another story from the Burmecian. "...Truly?" His voice is hopeful, if suspicious. He /knows/ you, Ivo Galvan. The smile he wears all but promises he'll be there. Sinkholes. Hungry vines. And an utter inability to just leap across. The dragoon just looks /irritated/ at this point. "Hath I ever told ye lot that I /hate/ caves. No rain, no proper sky to just leap into." Mutter mutter. Then, he's turning back to try to spy Reize. "If he appears on the other side ahead of us, I /SWEAR/ I shalt swat him senseless." Faruja starts trying to spy a decently safe path across, peering up at little crab-pincers above.

:'''[[Emi Dennou]] has posed:''' Emi Dennou is still staring at fairy. Sure, she's grumbling. Sure, she's complaining. But by god, she's still a fairy and that's all that matters in Emi's eyes. Through that blank, passive stare, the heart stirs--aye! She is subsumed by adoration and love for a creature she had never seen before, but always longed to. Not enough to actually listen to what she's saying, of course, just knowing that there are tiny people with wings is enough for her. She sighs, happily, and says, "Yes." to Ivo. And ugh he has more questions. "Well." and then. "Sure." Very helpful there Emi. She is not so inattentive that she ends up walking into a giant sinkhole, but she does stop, and look towards the vines, and then frowns. She supposes it's her duty to let Faruja be the guinea pig.

:'''[[Mir Clarence]] has posed:''' The mention of 'stray tendrils snaking her way' caused Mir to clam up and shudder. She most definitely was just assaulted by a horrible mention image. "S-Shut up! Don't jinx it!" Pouting angrily, Mir averted her eyes. "That's the last thing I need today!" Taking a deep breath after, Mir crossed her arms and tried to settle down. "...Weave?" She asked, tilting her head a little. "...Mmn..." Thinking for a bit, the fairy gazed upwards, soon realizing that was a mistake at the sight above. "....." Grimacing, Mir looked on ahead and finally answered. "Y-Yes, I can sew..." She seemed rather hesitant about it, but made no further mention of it. "Not that it's any of your business anyway!" Whoops, the attitude came back. At that moment, she could swear something was boring holes into her back. Feeling a shiver run up her spine, Mir slowly turned her head a bit to look, finding some girl staring at her. Oh, it was her. They were only briefly introduced. Deciding to ignore it, the girl looked on ahead and kept on walking. "......" Until the feeling became too much. Looking directly at Emi now, she frowned suspiciously and spoke. "W-What are you staring so hard for!? Can I help you?" But then that same 'stared at' feeling came from another direction. Hearing Faruja speak, Mir turned to look, assuming she was being addressed. ".....I guess." She mumbled in response to his story about Reize's genius escapades in Fluorgis' sewers. Boy, she was glad she wasn't there. "...That doesn't mean it's not still gross though." She wasn't going to concede on that point. Jean, of course, still intimidated the girl. Which of course made her steer clear a couple steps away. She was trusting of his skills, but how to even talk to the man? Thinking back on their first meeting at the Shard Seeker's HQ just caused her to get embarrassed all over again. Oh god, was she blushing? No! Get away! Go home blush, you're not needed today! What the others would see was a rather amusing sight of the small girl frantically rubbing her face to try and get rid of her embarrassment. ...That's not how it works. Finally arriving at the sinkhole, Mir paused and stared down into it, ".....Seriously?" Now she was glad she wasn't an adventurer. "Um...I can fly, but...that doesn't really help you guys, does it?" She mentioned casually, her wings fluttering as if to make a point. A curious green dust fell from them with each movement.

:'''[[Reize Seatlan]] has posed:''' Where has the leader of the Shard Seekers been? Ideally, he should had been taking the rear with Ivo, making sure that the creatures were not following them. That earlier idea had been for the young hunter to keep watch and possibly strike them first. Unfortunately, Reize had ventured on because he had the idea of mapping the place for the group. Of course, he was also hungry. Nearly an hour later.... The group can see that the boy is ahead of them, alright. However, the boy is approaching their way. Fast. ...Wait. Fast? "INCOMING! I WAS HUNGRY, OKAY?!" ...Leave it to Reize to try to eat one of them. They? Clamp. Clamp. There are about a dozen of angry, massive sandcrabs right behind Reize. Dust is kicking off as they are sprinting out after the boy pretty fast. Their claws make that clanking noise as they charge ahead. 

:'''[[Jean Faraven]] has posed:''' Jean did not do terribly much to dissuage Mir's gruff impression of him. He was, after all, a professional soldier-a bit of a roughneck at that-and that was bound to result in some significant disconnects with civilians once in a while. Didn't matter much from his perspective so long as they could all look together. And from the looks of it, the odds of the seemed reasonable so far. Faruja looked like he could do his job competently, though perhaps with more spirit and verve than the Hound employed himself. Paladins tended to be that way. Emi hadn't said much, but Ivo's recommendation carried enough weight with Jean that it would be good enough unless actions proved otherwise. The aforementioned knight himself has already been witnessed in battle by the SeeD's appraising eye. As for Reize....where was he? "Huh..." Jean looked over his shoulder with a raised brow, rubbing out the cigar just as Izo had mentioned it (He'd been savoring the flavor), "Strange, could have sworn he..." Sneaking off like that, he ought to put him in the recon division!! It's not long before the mystery solved itself though, just as they'd come upon a sensitive scenario, naturaly. A low, guttural curse of some sort menaces from Jean's throat as he adopted a forward stance in anticipation of the enemy's arrival. "No explosive spells!" He barks out on aftertrhough, "These tunnels aren't secure, you could collapse them on us!"

:'''[[Ivo Galvan]] has posed:''' Despite their predicament, Ivo offers Faruja a smile to match. He hopes you will be there, Faru; he hopes you will. But first they have to make it through here. "It does look like a dangerous jump, doesn't it? Hard to know where it's safe to land," Ivo ponders, regarding the chasm. In fact, upon further analysis, it looks as though Faruja /could/ make it across with his abilities; it would just not necessarily be of help getting everyone /else/ across. "Do you think you could make it up to the ceiling, though, Ser Senra? If you were able to spear some of these nasty crabs before we're ambushed by them in the midst of our clambering... but pray do not risk the sinkhole." Ivo can't know Faruja's limits so well as Faruja himself. Fortunately, there is some superb intel from Emi on the way. "Okay." Pause. "Uh huh." Pause. "I see." No, he does not. He does not see at all. But he assumes none of them are in any immediate danger. Furrowing his brow briefly, he sidles over to Mir, who is rubbing her face to some unknown but decidedly endearing end. "Ms. Clarence," he murmurs, "do you think /you/ could ask if she can sense any sandworms in the vicinity? She seems to be paying more attention to you at the moment." His own gaze diverts with interest to the fairy dust falling from the girl's wings before quickly return to meet Mir's gaze, lest staring prove brash. "So long as we remain aware of the location of our foes, I shall look forward to making it through unscathed, and receiving a new cloak from your lovely hands." He'd never dream of being /unintentionally/ brash. "Use your wings to preserve yourself," he adds, turning as he hears faint sounds beginning to emerge from the tunnel on the far side. "So long as you stay out of reach of the red-striped vines, we'll take care of the fighting--" He finishes turning. "--a little sooner than expected." Hauteclare's blackened blade emerges from its hilt with a click. "Reize!" Ivo shouts. "I'll cover you! Climb up a vine, but watch out for more crabs!" The floating sword reflects no light as it pierces forward across the chasm, controlled by flicks of Ivo's wrist, as he aims for a more damaging lower angle, the luminescent moss his guide. "I assume, with your quantity of love interests, you're well versed in crab evasion!" Ivo, there are ladies present. "Guys, we have to get across as soon as we can and help him!" He nods at Jean's advice. "Unless your ranged attacks are pinpoint, close in!" Speaking of Jean's advice, obscuring the metallic gleam of his sword was a great choice. Unfortunately, Ivo, acting in haste to protect Reize, forgot one important detail: when he engages Hauteclare's gravitational power for distance fencing, an orb of energy pulses at its hilt. Satisfied as one crab harassing Reize is skewered by his dancing sword, Ivo glances down at his hand, blanches, and looks up. "Oh, n--" Two red-striped vines lash down, ensnaring his sword arm. "Gaahhh!" Whereupon Hauteclare's dangerous blade promptly starts flying everywhere, still controlled by Ivo's flailing. "W-watch out!!"

:'''[[Emi Dennou]] has posed:''' Emi says, after some deep thought, "I heard pixie dust can help you fly." She reaches out and catches some of that curious green dust and thinks of the most wonderful things. Like wishes, princesses, and kings. Except she can't actually think of any of those so instead she ends up thinking about cylinderic test tubes, shadow monsters, and Empties. Emi fails to spontaneously learn how to fly. But she says, "Perhaps another time." She is squinting along a bit more than normal which suggests she might sense /something/, but she has at this point stopped gaping at fairy. "No, I don't think there are any sandworms present, Ivo." She seems assured of this but makes a small ammendum. "Unless of course sandworms here can spew enough voltage that I can sense it from this distance. Then I suppose there likely are sandworms around." But that'd be ridiculous. She reaches for a vine, only for a blade to start spinning around. She tries to repel it away from her electromagnetically but if that doesn't work she'll probably get comically bonked by the hilt instead.

:'''[[Faruja Senra]] has posed:''' Faruja is already moving to interpose himself between Emi, and the onrushing horde of sand crabs. His spear is at the ready, glowing white, as the Paladin gets ready to do his duty. What's his tail doing? Rubbing down his face in exasperation. "...That is not Reize at the other side of this bloody place, being followed by a horde of skittering insectile death. 'Tis not. 'Tis a welcoming committee of Viera and werewolves. Really." Faruja looks. It's Reize. Deep breath. "BY AJORA'S PANTALOONS, REIZE! ALL YE ART MISSING ART TINY PITCHFORKS IN THEIR BLOODY PINCERS YELLING 'BURN THE WITCH'" Oh, he's so going to swat Reize. A swift nod to Ivo. "Up, and over, methinks." With a nod to his compatriots, he's already leaping into the air. Light flares around his spear, and Faruja drops into a mid-leap roll. Using it much like some light-infused halberd, he tries to strike a few of the ceiling-wards sand-crabs. But now? Most of his attention is on that horde threatening Reize. "Split Punch!" Thrust! White swords of pure magical energy erupt from the ground to strike at some of the little critters. Rather than risking ending up in that sinkhole, Faruja smartly wraps himself in white light, Warping back closer to the ceiling as he alternates between assaulting ground and ceiling based sand crabs in a magical, acrobatic dance of death.

:'''[[Mir Clarence]] has posed:''' Ivo's question gave Mir a moment of pause. "Eh?" Turning her head a bit, she glanced at Emi. And then back to Ivo. "...Fine." That was easy enough to do. Even if that girl creeped her the hell out. Seriously, what was with all the staring? ...She hoped that Emi wasn't one of those creeps who wanted fairy dust. She's lost count of the amount of times she's had to kick someone where the sun doesn't shine over nonsense like that. Wait, she felt a hand by her wings. "....That doesn't work if you take it without permission." Mir spoke through gritted teeth, looking incredibly annoyed right now. It didn't end there though. The shard seeker strategist began talking again, which turned her attention back to him. Something about a new cloak and lovely hands. "Huh!?" Exclaiming incredulously, Mir's face lit up like a christmas light. "W-What are you saying!? I never said that I--!" Looking positively scandalized, the fairy angrily shoved Ivo to turn him around and and back on target. "Stop talking about stupid things and do your job, idiot!" Grumbling, Mir's wings began to flutter rapidly as the girl's feet left the ground. Her body moved into the air and she remained aloft, watching as... ...Wait, was that Reize? "You have /got/ to be kidding me." She growled, resisting the urge to facepalm. Oh no, she wasn't about to deal with all that. Floating higher, Mir's wings kept her in flight. "Uh! ...Well, I can at least help with some magic?" Hands aglow with a red aura of energy, the fairy spread her arms, releasing a shower of empowering magic. All those present would find their strength curiously boosted by some arcane force. "Now kill those things! I don't need to--wha!" She jerked downwards as a vine wrapped around her leg. "What the--Hey! Let go! This isn't funny!" Mir cried, tugging at the vine wrapping around her lag and traveling upwards frantically. "

:'''[[Reize Seatlan]] has posed:''' The pincers are snapping rapidly. << BURN THE WITCH! BURN THE WITCH! BURN THE WITCH! BURN THE WITCH! >> ...Close enough, right Faruja? "Crap, crap, crap, crap!" The boy looks back to see one of the crabs chasing after him. As it launches a claw at his head, the boy yelps and ducks his head low. "ACK!" His antenna hair is shivering in fear, curling up to a ball. The boy looks over at Ivo in the midst of the run. He is told to get a hand over one of the vines, "Got it!" As the boy runs towards the ledge, he looks over the vines that do not look too threatening. He latches onto one of the vines. "Got it!" Pause. Crab evasion? The boy turns his head at Ivo, "But the Momma Crab ended up beating me up back at the des-" *SNAP* "OWOWOWOWOWW!" Annd lo behold, one of the pincers grab the boy by his antenna hair. The boy takes a boomerang from his side to start thwacking at the pincer. "Get away from my hair!" The boy snaps, grumbling as he now uses the moment to climb to the other side while trying to avoid getting pinched. 

:'''[[Deelel]] has posed:''' So many lost souls had found their way home, it had been quite busy at the seeker's base since Reize, Ivo and others had returned from their wanderings across the world of ruin and beyond. So Deelel was lagging a bit behind, and putting her light staff to use, she's also got a strange cloak on over the rest of her clothing where the embroidering if you could call it that glows a faint blue. Deelel is one of those people who never really is lacking for a light source of some sort. "Faruja? We just end up in the most delightful places, don't we?" She keeps an eye on Reize, Mir, Ivo, Jean, Faruja and Emi as she moves to avoid any pit falls. She Bounces about along as Reize now falls prey to a monster as she tries to catch up. "This is the worst possible time for a haircut!" She follows Faruja's idea and her disc comes of her back, humms to life, and is shortly flying through the air into the horde. "Shouldn't crabs be the ones on the dinner plate, Faruja?"

:'''[[Jean Faraven]] has posed:''' Jean wasted no time in claiming a vine for himself and settling in a for a tense, hurried crossing of that pernicious sinkhole. He kept one hand on the vine and the other on his gunblade, nigh sure he'd need to be using somewhere in the midst of this messy affair. The opportunity doesn't quite come from the angle he expects. The Hound's keen eye spots the gallant knight's error before he does, his voice raised in alarm just as Ivo admires his own handiwork, "Ivo, your hilt!!!!" But it's too late-the mugwort has sensed prey. A hissed curse passed between Jean's teeth as Hauteclaire's ingenous mechanics were turned upon the whims of fate, narrowly and superbly twisting his body (All thanks to those daily core exercises at Balamb!) between the two of those deadly gravitational distortion. Unfortunately, even the storied Jean Faraven couldn't do all that /and/ keep on of the blades from severing his vine. There's a quick titch of the lips, and the SeeD falls into the darkness. Is this the end of Jean Faraven?! /Not quite/. A powerful BANG coincides with a flash somewhere in the dark as Jean rockets back into sight, the smoking casing ejected from Anubis's revolver telling enough. One more pull of the triggers results in another burst of wild momentum that Jean manages to use to his advantage, launching himself at the side of the the tunnel and righting himself so that his feet hit square on a flat (If somewhat vertical) surface. His kneesinstinctively bend-inherent junctioned power augmented by Mir's empowering spell-and push, precipitating a powerful kick-off that launched Jean across the chasm in a high-speed maneuever, grabbing and errant vine along the way as he streaked towards his target: Ivo Galvan. "BE READY!" The Hound Commanded, tossing the vine Ivo's way and-in the same instant-thrusting Anubis out in attempt the cleanly cut right through the vines entangling the knight and his weapon.

:'''[[Ivo Galvan]] has posed:''' Moments before he is ensnared, Ivo is graced with Emi's more straightforward response. "Mm, that's good to hear," he murmurs, nodding with satisfaction. Pause. "Wait, wh--" Then with the orb of energy and grabbing vines. "Superb, Ser Senra!" Even in his predicament, with his floating blade endangering his comrades, Ivo can't help but be impressed at Faruja's prowess, efficiently dispatching the foes harrying Reize while keeping himself safe through mid-air teleportation. The nezumi must be quite fun to play in the Final Kingdom fighting game. "Oh ho!" But the flying fairy comes to Ivo's aid, after he is forced to endure a shove he quite rightly deserves. Empowering magic descends upon him, and with his physical strength redoubled, he is able to tear free from one of the red-striped vines that ensnare him, regaining functional control of his blade moments after Emi's magnetic pulse deflects it from harming her. "Much obliged, Ms. Clarence! Now, as for that job of mine--" And with Hauteclare restored to him, a flick of his wrist is sufficient to slice through the vine that has assailed her. "How's my performance?" As long as the pulse of energy his ability requires doesn't attract too many of the vines, he's actually well suited for this task. Of course, while he can just manage to control Hauteclare, he's still struggling with the remaining vine-- which is when Jean, explosively leaping, comes to his rescue. "Yes, sir!" Ivo blurts out instinctively at the Hound's shout, and the moment Anubis cuts through the remaining vine, just as it threatens to drag Ivo into the abyss before him, he leaps toward the vine Jean tosses him, soon swinging free. And free to banter again. "Reize, use your Ahoge Beam! Oh, wait, sorry. Ahoge, use your Ahoge Beam! It can hear, right? It's definitely heard me before," Ivo asides into the darkness. But it looks like Reize is going to be safe for now. The knight-very-errant bravely swings toward a plain green vine dangling over the chasm, then begins to swing to the next, switching from vine to vine to avoid the crabs clinging to the ceiling above. As he turns, he glances back to check on their allies, and sees Deelel emerging from the tunnel following them-- clad in a glowing cloak. "Deelel, no!" he shouts, eyes widening. "Extinguish your light sources! The Mugwort's vines are light-sensiti--" Numerous red-striped vines immediately stop what they are doing and lunge toward Deelel, threatening to ensnare her and carry her off into the darkness of the other tunnel. Is she doomed to a fate too hot for TV? Either way, Ivo's impromptu jungle swings carry him across and at last into the midst of the fray, where, opting for close-range to avoid attention, he fences with the remaining crabs, darting and dancing across the sands. "Let's finish these off and push forward!"

:'''[[Faruja Senra]] has posed:''' Ear-perk. It's Deel! Suddenly, these crabs are looking tasty. A tasty, Reize-witch pinching mob. The rat's stomach grumbles. "This, my dear, is either a gift of scrumptious sand-crab delights, or punishment for our crustaceon devouring ways! I shalt leave it to ye to decide upon that one. Charbroiled crab for everyone!" Warp! Fall! Spear-thrust! "Crush Punch!" Cue flaming swords leaping at sand crabs. "Faster, Reize! Come now, use that speed ye showed at the Games!" He's more encouraging this time, and definitely worried for the boy. Hopefully he'll get up that vine! Ivo gets a grin, but Faruja is too busy air-comboing and making like Testament in the air. At this rate, he should be able to cut a decent path across the area, following the good vines primarily, trying to destroy the sand crabs above those vines in particular. When Deel is about to get snatched? The rat tries to Crush Punch the vines, likely setting them on fire if it hits. "Deel!"

:'''[[Emi Dennou]] has posed:''' "It fell off on its own." Emi tells Mir. She is about to make a grab for a vine, but stops for a moment and tilts her head curiously as she stares at the sky. She looks around towards that floating blade and ducks again. "Mm...." Shegrabs a vine, swinging over to Ivo and throwing herself off to land by him. She leans in and elects to murmur him. "Ivo, about that electrical disturbance. It appears to be getting closer. Are there electricity breathing sandworms after all?" She frowns and doesn't seem to quite believe it even as she's asking it. Because it really is ridiculous.

:'''[[Reize Seatlan]] has posed:''' As the pincers keep coming at his hair, his antenna hair cracks like a whip at the claw, sending it coiling back in fear. The antenna hair *hisses* in warning. Reize, meanwhile, is busy trying to get away from the claws, Reize is looking over to see the one person who could ruin things faster than he could. Deelel glowing with the bright light. In an area that is filled with a light sensitive creature. "...Ahh..." Reize doesn't quite convey his thoughts because 1) Ivo has already conveyed it, 2) the tentacle is preparing for a different avenue of things. A boomerang is tossed towards the offending tentacle. The boy is hurrying in his climbing, looking to get to the other side. ...Suddenly, crabs appear before Reize on the vines. Crab Battle! "...Uhhh..." Reize has a look of horror on his face, "ACK!" He makes a dive outward, all of the crabs latch onto him, but Reize swings along that last vine and he rolls on the ground for a 'stop, drop, roll' maneuver to shake the crabs off of him. 

:'''[[Deelel]] has posed:''' This was Deelel's first time meeting Jean, but he seems ti know Ivo well enough form the sounds of things and he's holding his own quite well, not to mention pulling up quite a stunt to boot as he rockets back in. "Not bad Faruja. Not bad at all!" She's keeping Jean's warning in mind and Mir seems to got Ivo well in hand too. "Wait what?!" Putting out the light sources could be a bit problem for her some of them are always active she banishes her cloak that helps but there's still some and turning on her disc to use as a weapon well that's going to make more light which will attract more. Deelel is grabbed by some of them and she's struggling to not be pulled off into the other tunnel because it would be way too hot for TV and she doens't seem very keen on it. "Of all the glitched up..." She's reduced her light out put a good deal, still shes' held and tyring to get free as they attempt to constrict her as she desperately tries to grab on to a point on the cave floor!

:'''[[Mir Clarence]] has posed:''' Released from her unbidden bonds, Mir let out a shaky sigh and glared at Ivo. "Performance? I'd give it a C." Whatever that meant. She wasn't going to explain. Good thing too, as things seemed to be reaching a crescendo of ridiculousness. "...Whoa." Actually awed by Faruja and Jean's display of abilities, Mir found herself struck speechless. "...I guess these guys can pull their weight after all." A wriggling tendril nodded it's 'head' right by her, as if watching the epic scene itself. "Yeah, no kiddi--wait." Freezing, Mir slowly turned her head to make sure she wasn't seeing things. "........" The tentacle waved at the girl. Maybe she was just seeing things in her mind, but she could swear this damn thing was making fun of it. "........NOT AGAIN." And like that, Mir flew off, in a desperate race to avoid getting snared again. "Not funny, not funny, not funny, not funny!"

:'''[[Jean Faraven]] has posed:''' Jean is moving too fast to confirm whether or not Ivo manages to get hold of the vine, though it's well within his capabilities. The human, grimacing bullet continues on his wily way, landing against the other end of the tunnel in much the same way as he'd done before. This time he gets a good look at some idiot shining a light at the chasm's edge, which would've been enought to make him spit his cigar out if he still had it with him. "Who the /hell/ is that?!" The Hound snarled incredulously, already bounding off as the mugwort vines advanced on the hapless agitator. His angle wasn't right to be able to offer any assistance, so he delegates to Ivo and Reize, "Handle it!!!" The SeeD had his sights set on biggest fish to fry. Or well, crustaceans in this case. Cerberus keens through Jean's weathered head, three pairs of eyes glowering somewhere far away and dark as formless power was junctioned unto Anubis's dark blade. The specialist twists his abs, putting just enough spin into his motion to turn him into a deadl whirl of blades and pinpoint muzzle flares as careened across the opposite end of the sinkhole, pulling gunblade's trigger three times in succession at add a lunatic fringe to his already dizzying manuever. At least a dozen crabs went flying in a straight tear across their ranks, some in various pieces and all of them quite fried in the electrice sizzle left in Jean's wake. The Hound himself stands the end of his handwork: A clear, albeit temporary path forwards, having taken Ivo's directive to heart. "Quickly!" He gestures.

:'''[[Ivo Galvan]] has posed:''' Ivo stabs clean through another crab as it lunges at him, rearing back to kick it off his blade as Faruja clears the way above. "As soon as you make it to the other side, head toward the tunnel!" he shouts, brushing his hair back from his serious countenance with a gloved hand. C for /Cool/, Mir. "There's no need to fight this battle as long as we make it through! The main Mugwort plant can't be far!" It's then that Emi is beside him, and whispering in his ear. "Wait, you sense one? Then-- wait." Ivo is starting to piece this together. So, she can't sense vibrations in general any better than the rest of them, but she /can/ sense electricity. But sandworms aren't any more electric than anything else. But she's sensing an oncoming source of electricity. So-- "Whatever it is," he swiftly concludes, "we've got to complete this mission as fast as we can. Can you provide us covering fire while we move into the tunnel here?" Most of the crabs around them are dismantled thanks to their efforts, but some are still swarming down from the walls, chasing Reize's offending hair. And Mir is-- "Ms. Clarence, fly this way!" He can unleash Hauteclare again, but if he does, the light source is sure to attract the vines all over again, and won't end up being much help to the fairy girl after all. Only if it gets desperate will he do so. And the only one desperate here is Deelel. "See, the problem with missing the exposition at the /beginning/ of the dungeon crawl is that--" No one cares, Ivo. Anyway, one of Reize's boomerangs is soaring toward the tenta-- vine-ensnared program in any case. Will it be enough!? It may have to be, because they've got to keep moving. There may be a big monster coming, and the Mugwort is close. "Deelel, can you shut down your lights completely?" Ivo calls as he heads toward the tunnel mouth. "If not, you may have to play decoy against the big guy! Can you handle that?" This may not be a question if she can't free herself right now. But they've got to go while the going is good. Crabs are coming down from the walls and-- then Jean careens in and blows almost all of them to smithereens. Ivo spends only a moment in speechless admiration. He can only spare a moment, but it deserves at least one. "Come on, everyone!" And now the moment has passed, and it's time to get out of here!

:'''[[Deelel]] has posed:''' Deelel is struggling with the tentacles they are pulling her away, to likely a very bad fate. She has th means to cut herself free, but that would draw more of the things upon her. She's about to risk it when Faruja seems to be coming to her aid, and soon Deelel's going to owe the Templar her bitmap once more. It seems they have got into the habit of swapping saving each other behind. The vines catch on fire, ironically causing more light it also enough for Deelel to break free as they are withering in pain. She starts running, running as fast as she can. It would have been worse had Ivo not warned her, oh so much worse. She's much like Mir, she wants to get out of range of these things. Hopefully the burning ones will distract the others giving them all a chance to flee properly. "Keep clear of this!" she pulls what seem to be a hockey puck like thing off her hip and then fiddles with it as she flees. Most of Deels's lights are gone, her disc is about the only thing giving off a faint bit of light, but it's very fant. Her cloak is gone, and then Deelel gets an idea she takes hee disc and shoves it down her shirt with a bit of effort, but it's enough to smother the light for the most part. It may not be comfortable but it will do! "I got all I could and I do have a distraction, and if they like light? I have a distraction for them. I could make use of a light grenade, that should distract them!"

:'''[[Reize Seatlan]] has posed:''' As Reize continues to stamp out the last bits of the crabs on him, the boy is shaking himself off. He kicks against the face of one of the crabs to send it sprawling out into the chasm. Reize exhales a sigh of relief, looking over towards Jean and Ivo, especially when Jean tells him to handle the mess. However, it looks like Deelel has things handled. The boy suddenly gets an idea. As the vine was chasing after Mir, the boy takes the idea of getting a torch from his pouch and he lights it up. Light sensitive... let's get a torch that lights up as bright as can be. "Hey! Over here!" As if trying to get the attention of the creatures, Reize tosses the torch down the chasm to get vines to chase after it. "Let's move!" The boy is ready to move off. 

:'''[[Mir Clarence]] has posed:''' "I'm trying!" Mir yelled, weaving and swerving around to avoid being grabbed. ...And mugged. That too. Not that she had anything worth mugging. Unless the plants were fond of clothes. Wait, all those zippers were metallic. "...Craaaaap!" Redoubling her efforts, the girl's speed increased and while she was fast approaching Ivo's position, she spun in mid-air and thrust her hands forward, unleashing a sudden strong gust of wind. It wasn't cutting, so there wasn't much actual harm to be done, but it should at least be enough to throw those damnable, intrusive things off course. "Do your job! If I end up getting stripped, then you're not getting paid!" Mir was regretting wearing what she was right about this moment. She was going to have a stern talk with the designer who made these clothes after this was over! Reize's torch gambit seemed to work for the moment as several of them 'spied' the thrown torch, verring off to chase after it instead. "Phew...Thanks." That out of the way though, the fairy turned back around and resumed proper flight, moving forward. "Are we there yet!?"

:'''[[Jean Faraven]] has posed:''' One by one, everyone manages to get with the program and push forward. Jean grunted before doing the same, the fire of battle dancing eagerly in his blood. "Oh, there'll be more for everyone before this is done." He'll insist to Mir's complaints, giving voice to his sneaking supicions. They might be getting closer to their goal, but something else was getting closer to them. The sound of footsteps beat on in the encroaching expands of the tunnel, and in the brief lull of silence that follows Jean can hear the familiar sound of his own heartbeat hammering away in his chest.%R "Be prepare." The SeeD's wrist snapped, a flick his thumb knocking the revolver of his gunblade up so he could quickly fill five new bullets in the chamber before snapping it shut with another flick in on fluid, stylish motion, "When it happens, you'll only see it for a second."

:'''[[Ivo Galvan]] has posed:''' "Nice work, team!" Ivo calls out, following the path that Jean has cleared and that Emi is keeping open with her covering fire. Deelel has extinguished most of her lights and mentions quite a useful ability. "Alright, sounds good! Redeem yourself when the time comes, okay?" Despite his words, Ivo is grinning, winking at the program as he runs. And Reize has pulled a torch out of his bag of tricks, causing the light-sensitive vines to surge toward the inky blackness of the sinkhole, only to singe themselves on the fire they're hunting. Such is the fate of non-sentient beings. "You being stripped would be payment enough," Ivo demurs, barely stifling his grin as Mir flies past him. "But perhaps another time." Amongst this crew, it's not that unlikely, even with Faruja as steadfast protector of ladies' honor. Eventually Reize'll trip and get his ahoge stuck in a zipper, and before you know it Chris Hansen will be knocking on the door to Shard Seeker Headquarters. For now, however, Ivo follows Jean into the other tunnel, pausing to catch his breath in the darkness and then nodding. "Right," he murmurs as they approach an abrupt turn in the passage, fishing out the Shard Seeker Device to avoid some branching paths, one of which display suspiciously Reize-sized footprints. Speaking of which. "Hold my hand," Ivo insists, grabbing onto Reize's arm. "So that--" Maybe now isn't the time to insult Reize's direction sense. The boy is sensitive, and they need to stay calm. "--I don't get scared." Aww. "Alright, everyone--" The final bend. In fact, the Device is no longer necessary, the swordsman belatedly realizes; the vines along the top of the tunnel travel thickest to their source. The Mugwort is a heartbeat away. "Let's end this!" The next cavern is much smaller than the last, made to seem all the smaller by the vast plant which fills it. Reigning over it is a giant pitcher which bubbles and gurgles, within which all manner of matter is melted down and consumed, and beneath it dangle their prize: rich green seedpods, able to be ground into an aromatic powder. But beneath that still glitters gold, various baubles and trinkets, the most conspicuous of which appears to be an odd silver-lensed pair of sunglasses. Occasionally stray red-striped vines slap at the gold pointlessly, acting on instinct. But those vines pause now, hovering like hungry serpents. "Now! Deelel, the grenade! Let's get what we need and get out of here!" Flipping the Device back inside his sleeve, Ivo launches Hauteclare's blade from its hilt, pulse of energy firing up, and sends his sword whirling into a multitude of vines as the Mugwort immediately becomes a flurry of activity. There are too many vines to count. "We've got to--" That's bad enough. "Er--" But the oncoming tremors may soon become something even worse. "--do you all feel that--?"

:'''[[Reize Seatlan]] has posed:''' After everything is cleared, Reize blinks over at Ivo, then he exhales a sigh at his comment towards Mir. Shaking his head, adventurer lifts his shoulders with a shrug and then he looks back at the group, "Everyone alright?" Once the group are collected, Reize follows into the tunnel. Once Ivo pulls the Shard Seeker Device, the boy looks at Ivo, "Huh?" Hold Ivo's hand? "...Oh. Okay." It is the instant that Reize's hand touches Ivo's that the area shows a faux light in the background, filled with pink sparkles and a shine. A shimmer sound echos from the hand's holding. Reize offers a beaming smile, "Don't worry Ivo, I'll protect you!" The light shining with the pink background is accented by the cherry blossoms. Shimmer...! As they continue to explore the next cavern, the area is filled with lots of plants. Reize has one important question to ask Ivo. It kind of hit him. "What does the love interest thing have to do with crab evasion?" However, they see the prize. The rich green seapots, the odd silver-lensed pair of sunglasses and those red vines. ...Uh oh. Reize releases Ivo's hands and he draws both boomerangs. "Here we go---" And the tremor. "...Buh?" 

:'''[[Deelel]] has posed:''' So far, so good. They hadn't lost anyone and Reize is right, it's very much time to move,. She's not slowing down, and she sees Mir is all right, she nods once to Ivo. She's got the grenades ready she'll just have to throw them and she pauses for a moment as she looks at Ivo, whom is flirting again she sees. Well no harm with words and it's Mir's call anyway! She keeps with the group and then now the call goes out, she arms it and takes the puck like weapon. Which soon is sailing through the air heading where Ivo suggested the thing is emitting some light now that it's armed and as the timer tick down it will explode with a good deal of force, likely taking out things near it and making a very powerful flash of light as it does so. They have their distraction hopefully, right? But then the ground shakes. "...uhoh."

:'''[[Mir Clarence]] has posed:''' "Don't make me hit you! You idiotic--" Pause. "...What the hell?" Mir spoke aloud, staring incredulously at the source of all their troubles. "I'd heard stories, but...ugh. It looks even more gross in person!" She shuddered, deciding to ignore the decidedly bromantic moment happening beside her. "Get a room, morons. You're not getting paid for that!" Rolling her eyes, she stepped forward, peering down at the green pods. "...Oh! There they are! Finally!" Smiling happily, Mir clapped her hands together, about to float down and start collecting, but then-- "Huh?" Another pause as the fairy halted her advance. "...What was that?" She hoped that it was going to be something good. Like a flock of chocobo stampeding on by underground! Chocobos were cute! ...But no. She was more than certain that it was going to be something terrible. "....You guys have fun with whatever that is." A step back. "I'll just...be over here. Yeah." Another stepp back. She raised a hand and casually cast another spell, this time emanating an earthy, yellow aura as some sort of power mixed itself with those present, boosting their defenses a bit.

:'''[[Jean Faraven]] has posed:''' Jean's eye squinted when Izo ask Reize to hold his hand, and even more so when he said. oO(Oh, is /that/ how it is?)Oo He thinks, deciding it's definiately none of his business in general and doubly so when on a mission. "Just focus on the task at hand." He offers, keeping his guard up as they press into the inner sanctum of their chosen quarry...! And not a moment sooner as that powerful vibration comes up behind them. It was like the approach of a locomotive...no, maybe even worse than that. "Only one thing that good be.." Jean tossed a narrowed eye back at their passage, his mood unmoved yet, though a bit more urgency creeps into his tone when he jerks his head at the buds on display, "Grab them! We're going to have to find another way here!" With Anubis in both hands, Jean looked back and forth between a devil the knew and a devil they didn't, weighing each option succintly. In the end, his gaze lifted upwards.

:'''[[Emi Dennou]] has posed:''' Emi, distracted as she shoots electricity around, says, "Reize being stripped?" She doesn't sound surprised. She eventually tops, more to save juice than anything, and makes her way back towards the others. She hears the tremors but frankly she's more concerned by the heavy electricity pushing towards their direction. It makes her feel uneas-- --she rethinks the matter. No, actually, she's way more concerned about those tremors. She would rather not be crushed to death or slowly starve to death either or anything of that sort. "It may not be so easy to depart, This One supposes." Emi adds unhelpfully.

:'''[[Ivo Galvan]] has posed:''' Even as Hauteclare dances amongst the red-striped vines, warding them away from the retreating Mir, Ivo gazes into Reize's eyes, an aura of cherry-blossom pink suffusing the two. "Reize..." Softly, he smiles back at his younger friend, stepping closer, hands still intertwined. "I..." The angelic light of yaoi emanates from them both. And light, of course, attracts the Mugwort. "...don't have time to explain right now!" Ivo exclaims, leaping apart from Reize as the vines, as though punishing them for their near-transgression, hammer down on the sand where they once stood. "You'll understand when you're older!" Maybe. "For now, let's ensure we live to see that day!" Another vine lashes at his hilt, but with the assistance of Mir's defense spell, Ivo just turns and takes the lashing tendril on his buckler, mostly unscathed. "Much obliged, Ms. Clarence!" Promptly shielding his eyes from Deelel's grenade, Ivo breathes a sigh of relief at the respite it grants, the vines all piling up on each other to instinctively attack nothing at all in the corner of the room where the explosive landed. "Nice work!" he calls to the program, before, heeding Jean's words, sending Hauteclare whirling down to slash at one of the seedpods and cut it free. "You all heard Jean! Someone grab that, and whatever else you can!" Emi's right. Getting out of here may be the real hard part. "We've got to secure an escape route before--" BOOM Smashing through the wall and ceiling with a deafening crash, sending shards of rock and torrents of sand everywhere, a roaring monstrosity emerges, its face half the size of the room itself. The Mugwort, already bewildered (as much as a non-senient being can be) by various distractions, lashes what remaining tendrils it possesses at the various minerals encrusted in the sandworm's carapace. Ignoring this quasi-assault, the sandworm opens its circular maw yet wider, and with an unearthly howl-- BZZORCH The sandworm fires a lightning bolt out of its mouth. As the roof caves in from the impact, sand pouring in from the dunes above and half-obscuring all in grit and chaos, and sunlight illuminating the surroundings as a crevice to the surface appears above, one voice can be heard cry above the din. "What the hell did that thing eat!?"

:'''[[Reize Seatlan]] has posed:''' There were two things that interrupted the moment. One was Mir snapping them into attention. The other moment was the vines snapping their way to swat them out of the 'moment' between Ivo and himself. Noticing it at the last second, Reize releases a yelp and he springs back into a back handspring. After he gets away from the creature, Reize looks over towards the vines. Once Mir's defense spell activates around him, Reize beams at the fairy, "Thanks!" The boy launches out towards the treasure to procure those sunglasses. It looks like it is one of their treasures. "Got it!" And not a moment too soon. The Mogworth makes its presence known. And it is not too happy. "...Uh oh." Even worse, the creature releases a bolt of lightning from its breath. The stench of its odor invades the air, forcing the boy to cough as he ducks into cover. The boy looks over towards the opening at the crevice. The opening gives Reize an idea, "Okay! I can do this!" Reize puts the boomerangs back to his side to procure his most valued equipment in his inventory. The Hookshot. Mighty Hookshot, do not fail him now! Reize swings his arm out and the hookshot shoots upward towards the opening to latch onto it. 

:'''[[Mir Clarence]] has posed:''' "Actually, where ARE we going to get out of here fro-" BLAM A cavern wall was blown open as a giant sandworm tunneled it's way into the chamber and then...fired a blast of lightning from it's mouth. "What the hell!? In what world do Sandworms fire lightning from their mouths!?" Panicking, she scrambled into flight, making a beeline for the treasure trove of pods below. She wasn't going to leave here empty handed! The fighting could be left to the people she hired anyway! And so, weaving through a few stray tentacles, Mir began grabbing as many pods as her arms could handle. Knowing that the Mugwort was just above her, able to drool on her and melt her bones or something. ...What an unpleasant thought. Amid the rushing sand, stone debris, and all the chaos, it would seem the plant was distracted enough with the sandworm invasion to bother going after her. Thankfully. The last thing she needed now was to get stripp-wait. Something tapped her on the shoulder rather politely. "Huh?" Pausing in her collection efforts, the girl turned her head to look. ...And came face to face with an idle tentacle. It waved almost cutely, as much as a plant could anyway, and then-- "Wha--HEY! Let me go, you stupid--" --It grabbed onto her, tugging at her clothes in particular. It really wanted those zippers. Shiny, useless array of zippers. "Damn it! This isn't funny! I need that! Hey! Not there! Ahahahaha! That tickles!" ...Welp.

:'''[[Deelel]] has posed:''' Deelel notices Jean is very concerned about what's happening. She does not have enough data to know what it is, clearly if Ivo and Jean know? It's the smart choice to listen there's no argument as she turns to flee with them, it's very much time to go. "Understood, let's get out of here then!" She will totally ask later. She then becomes aware of it, it's a sand-worm, oh that's bad, very bad. Wait, did it just?. "I do not know." she goes for her baton, leading it shutdown for the moment as she darts through the plants trying to make good her escape, and the Mir gets into some more trouble. Oh this could be bad...she could arm her disc but that would just make things worse! She however recalls something that's resting int he back of her discmount she pulls a seemingly normal looking charkram and throws it hopefully severing the vine, or vines that are holding on to Mir's zippers!

:'''[[Jean Faraven]] has posed:''' Jean's foot slipped slightly when that sandworm made it's destructive entrance into the fray. Fortunately the hounds instincts are just a hair sharper than his judgment so he's not still standing there a heartbeat later when the scorch of lightning cracks like a whip across his former location. A few idle tendrils of electricity writhe along the SeeD's boot heels as he land and glowers at the subterrane behemoth's presence, "Adaptive biology!" He shouts out to Mir's rhetorical question, "It gets that big, it generates tremendous static electrcity as it burrows within earth. Must've developed some way to...store and release it." A tremendous opportuntiy of research for Balamb Garden's Biology club, but not so pertinent to the task at hand. The kaiju-esque struggle that seems about to take place between the sandworm and the mugwort is cut short by the rumbling overtures of the cavern over their heads, and in a half-blind blaze Jean rushes to grab a fistful of seed pods as all comes tumbling down. Darkness, darkness and motion. The Hound always felt closest to his chosen Guardian Force in moments like this, and he could not deny the presence of the fiery hellhound's will deep withing the bottom of his stomach, a burning urge to drove him to kick, inch forward, to survive. A lone fist suddenly erupted from the desert's sloping surface, still clutching furiously at it's green prize as the rest of Jean summarily follow, hacking sand and curses alike out into the air as he dragged the rest of his lower torso out of the near-burial mound. "A little bit rough, but i've hard worse assignments." He was going to have to clean his uniform at least three times to get the sand out, though, "Everyone accounted for?"

:'''[[Emi Dennou]] has posed:''' Emi gets clobbered by some shattering rock. It doesn't knock her out, but it does send her sprawling to the ground. Dennous are not especially known for durability. Generally they prefer to not get clobbered by debris and avoid the all problem. She groans in pain and stumbles as she crawls back before she slowly stumbles to her feet, dizzily. Ugh. This isn't that great. Normally she might be a bit more suspicious of Jean's explanation but now that she has a head wound, it makes perfect sense to her. Bludgeoning to the head: The best way to obtain teamwork cohesino! She draws on the Sandworm's own electricity, using it to help propel her up and towards the exit as well.

:'''[[Ivo Galvan]] has posed:''' Amidst the chaos, Ivo catches glimpses of his allies in action. Reize snags the silver glasses. Mir and Jean, it appears, have managed to grab quite a number of the precious seed pods. Deelel is freeing Mir from her current-- "Well, then." Summoning Hauteclare back to its hilt with a click and sheathing it, Ivo scoops gold coins and baubles into his cloak while watching Mir struggle out of the corner of his eye. "You can do it, Ms. Clarence! I believe in you!" It's almost as good as support magic. /Almost./ Whoa, just one more zipper and-- "Adaptive biology, huh?" Ivo nods. That sounds convincing. Let's go with that. More importantly, with the agitated sandworm audibly charging up for another shot and the Mugwort lashing every which way, time is swiftly running out. "It's now or never, Seekers! Let's get out of here!" Spinning on his heel, abandoning half the treasure where it lies, Ivo turns to Reize and grins, eyes bright with the rush of the madness about them. "Mind a passenger?" And as the sand pours down about them, propelled by the Mighty Hookshot 2.0, Ivo soars to the surface, one arm about Reize and the other clasping the hookshot's handle with him, where the two of them explode through the sand. "Here!" he calls in reply to Jean, spitting out sand. "Mission, uh..." Seedpods, check. Some cash, check. Silver Glasses, check. "Mission complete?"

:'''[[Mir Clarence]] has posed:''' Just one more zipper and... SCHWING Deelel's chakram severed the vine that would have been the gateway to her eternal shame and embarrassment. "Th-Thanks...!" And without a second further's thought, Mir took flight, escaping upwards with the pods in her arm and her undone clothes being held together. "I swear to god, I hope you choke!" She yelled down at the Mugwort plant before burting through the sand with a gasp. Landing in thee sand some ways away from the new formed sand pit, Mir just settled down into the sandy ground, grumbling to herself and redoing the zippers of her clothes. "...I guess we made it." Letting out a huge sigh once she was done, the girl glanced at the others and managed a smile. "...It was a little rough around the edges for some of you." Ivo and Reize are given pointed stares at this. "...But otherwise, that wasn't bad." he glanced down at the pods in her lap. "Yep, I think we've got plenty! I should be able to make something good with this!"

:'''[[Reize Seatlan]] has posed:''' As the hookshot manages to get a grasp at the opening, Reize is prepared to pull upward. However, Reize is not alone. He has a passenger with him. "Ooii! Ivo!" The boy has a beaming smile before they shoot up into the sky. Or at least, out of the underground path. They arrive out within the desert! The surface! "Hee!" The boy beams, holding up the sunglasses. "And we have another prize to boot!" > Reize Seatlan obtains [Silver Glasses] > The item prevents [Blindness] and allows for low-light vision to see what's lurking in the shadows. The boy beams, "Mission accomplished, everyone!" 

:'''[[Deelel]] has posed:''' Deelel catches her weapon on the return pass commenting. "Don't worry about it let's get going and I agree that thing needs to ie in fire." Deelel keeps moving with her companions. It's time to go and she will not tempt fate further. "I'm all right, everyone else?" She looks to Reize for a moment. amd the basic has a big old grin on her face. "Good going and I never thought I'd be so happy to see so much sand..."

Mission: Mugwort

2014-03-03T05:16:14Z

IvoGalvan: Created page with "{{Log Header |Date of Scene=2014/03/03 |Location=Eastern Continent - Bare Desert |Synopsis=Beneath the shifting dunes of the Bare Desert south of Fluorgis, down where the sand..."

{{Log Header
|Date of Scene=2014/03/03
|Location=Eastern Continent - Bare Desert
|Synopsis=Beneath the shifting dunes of the Bare Desert south of Fluorgis, down where the sand thickens into stone, tortuous tunnels snake, their dark stillness a refuge for strange life forms. Upon these crumbling cylindrical walls, bioluminescent mosses grow, ekeing out survival from the scarce nutrients in this arid earth. Sandworm larvae feed off these mosses, and in turn are fed upon by man-sized sand crabs, near invisible as they lurk in the sand and shadows. But most dangerous of all are those sandworms which endure til their carapaces harden to diamond strength and they grow to preposterous size, going on to create more tunnels such as these and heedlessly collapse those in which they were born. Those mosses and parasites and precious stones which cling to the backs of these full-grown sandworms are carried with them, to eventually begin the cycle anew. But more creatures are symbiotic on the life of the sandworm than just these.

Within one of these capricious tunnels our heroes now wander, seeking one such creature in particular: the omnivorous Mugwort.
|Thanks=To everyone for making time for an awesome scene!
|Cast of Characters=Ivo Galvan, Reize Seatlan, Faruja Senra, Jean Faraven, Deelel, Emi Dennou, Mir Clarence
|pretty=yes
}}
:'''[[Ivo Galvan]] has posed:''' Mission Mugwort has commenced. Beneath the shifting dunes of the Bare Desert south of Fluorgis, down where the sand thickens into stone, tortuous tunnels snake, their dark stillness a refuge for strange life forms. Upon these crumbling cylindrical walls, bioluminescent mosses grow, ekeing out survival from the scarce nutrients in this arid earth. Sandworm larvae feed off these mosses, and in turn are fed upon by man-sized sand crabs, near invisible as they lurk in the sand and shadows. But most dangerous of all are those sandworms which endure til their carapaces harden to diamond strength and they grow to preposterous size, going on to create more tunnels such as these and heedlessly collapse those in which they were born. Those mosses and parasites and precious stones which cling to the backs of these full-grown sandworms are carried with them, to eventually begin the cycle anew. But more creatures are symbiotic on the life of the sandworm than just these. Within one of these capricious tunnels our heroes now wander, seeking one such creature in particular: the omnivorous Mugwort. Ivo steps forward cautiously, sensitive to the occasional trembling of the tunnel walls, indication of sandworms passing far in the distance. The Shard Seeker Device dangles before him, illuminated by the glow of the moss around, pointing resolutely forward. This consistency is novel. The Device remains malfunctioning, unable to properly detect World Shards, though Ivo tends not to widely share this fact. Instead, it has a tendency to point toward concentrations of magical potential, such as caches of treasure or dangerous monsters. Unfortunately, it remains impossible to tell the /difference/ between monsters and treasure. But in this case, it doesn't matter. "Remember," Ivo murmurs, "the Mugwort spreads its vines far long the ceilings of tunnels and caverns, so its light-sensitive tendrils extend far beyond the main body, and carry back whatever parasites and minerals it can grab from the backs of sandworms." The other hand holds Hauteclare, its blade rubbed black with particulate matter. "As long as we can make it to the main plant, we can acquire the seed pod we need. But we have to be careful of those special tendrils, and of the sand crabs that sometimes hide amongst them." The 'monster' in this case is something of a hoarder. "Don't let the Mugwort mug you, friends."

:'''[[Faruja Senra]] has posed:''' "Follow the glowing plant life, try not to get thrust into compromising or lethal positions by harmful plant life, and attempt to not be devoured by sand crabs before acquiring a plant's seed." Summarizes Faruja rather swiftly. Frown. Shrug. "...Never in my life would I hath thought I would be upon such an errand. Ahh, well, if naught else ye keep me from death by boredom, Ser Galvan. Onwards and forwards, dear friends, no godless plant nor carnivorous crab shalt stop us from our most...right...hol...no, hmm. Bah, we art an adventuring company. TO GLORY!" Faruja shakes his spear forward, and follows the glowing vines onwards, tail flicking behind him, voice echoing nicely beneath the sand. Hopefully Ivo wasn't counting on stealth.

:'''[[Mir Clarence]] has posed:''' "Ergh..." Came the grossed out grumble of a certain fairy girl accompanying the group. That girl would be Mir Clarence, their employer. Now, it probably would have been a better idea for her to wait in Fluorgis, but...well, her business was ground to a halt without this special ingredient. There was literally no point sitting around and doing nothing when she wouldn't be making money anyway. And so here she was, plodding through the caverns with the other Shard Seekers...and company. But these dank caverns left plenty to be desired. "...Why couldn't it have grown somewhere less gross?" Mir asked aloud, though to no one in particular, edging away from a wall seemingly slathered with some sort of slimy, moss substance. She sure as hell didn't want to touch any of that. Not if she had a choice! She wore a sturdier outfit for this trip. A dress and vest of deep blue, mired with zippers. Surely they must have served some purpose. Her shoes were similarly colored, and her arms were protected by a pair of long gloves. A simple white underskirt peeked out below to complete the outfit. Must have been her travel clothing. She held no weapon. Probably a dumb idea, but she wasn't a fighter anyway, so bleh! Mir's eyes fell upon the two who spoke previously, eyes settling first on the Burmecian. ...Well, they weren't a huge surprise to her. But it was rare to see one decked out in...Ivalician armor? She couldn't be sure. In any case, the way the knight carried himself caused the girl to shy away a bit, now just a few steps behind Ivo and his still less than spectacular cape. His joke about Mugwort mugging people drew an exasperated sigh from her. "Why don't we let it mug you and take that dusty rug off your back? You could use a new one."

:'''[[Emi Dennou]] has posed:''' Emi Dennou has come on her lonesome today in order to muck around with SHard Seekers and possibly get a chance at the Mugwort's stash. Sure, the Mugwort might mug her, but she's poor. The Mugwort's probably rich! Maybe she can feed her annoyingly sized family. Or buy them more clothing options. For some reason costumes are more expensive than super weapons of doom sometimes. She has her rifle with her, but is otherwise unarmed. She is quiet for the moment, too. Because she's staring in awe at the fairy.

:'''[[Jean Faraven]] has posed:''' Jean Faraven says, "That about matches our intelligence on them as well." Jean's gruff, gravelly voice came on the heels of Ivo's debriefing on Mugwort with conditional approval. "You've got more problems than a few lifted items if the vines manage to get a hold of you though." The lit end of the Hound's cigar provided vague, swaying cue to the mercenary's position in the party's rear vanguard, ensconced amidsts the darkness, "They're tenacious. A surface root once got a hold of one our APCs as it drove overhead-must've gone more than 15 yalms before noticed we'd been ripping up everything behind us. Had to scrap that whole axle." A puff of smoke wafted down the tunnel at the end of story, and Jean kept his eye trained on Ivo's back up ahead. The infamous SeeD instructor had join for reasons largely opaque-seeming, though his desire to help out the Shardseekers seemed genuine enough. His steps were careful and perfectly in tune with Garden's rules of engagement for subterranean warfare, eye and ears alike peeled for even most minute disturbance. The rest of the part's banter washes over him without comment-he's got to be ready for trouble. Anubis was drawn and ready at the seasoned fighter's side-it's darksteel burnished less poised to provoking any unwanted response from their quarry. Still, a liberal layer of dust has been applied to it just in case."

:'''[[Ivo Galvan]] has posed:''' "You summarize well, Ser Senra," Ivo remarks, unable to suppress the upturning of the corners of his lips. "Your exposition is outmatched only by your gallantry." Even as Faruja's zealous outburst invalidates the need for stealth, Ivo just grins, as ever preferring amusement at the expense of strategy. But within his lively eyes is, as ever, real affection. He's grateful for Faruja's company on this strange venture. "I live to divert you, of course." In more ways than one. "But this venture serves to restore our sailing vessel, and facilitate more righteous pursuits." Could be righteous, anyway. In theory. Why not? "Mocking my cloak... how nostalgic. Never fear, Ms. Clarence," the erstwhile knight assures, privately all the more amused that Mir veers away from Faruja and toward him. Appearances can deceive, my dear. "This dusty rug of mine will be the first to be sacrificed, should any stray tendrils snake your way. Though I would be honored if, should that occur, you'd offer me a substitute. Do your nimble fingers weave as well as bake? For some reason, costumes are more expensive than super weapons of doom sometimes." She seems nervous, as well she should be, so Ivo tries to keep her talking. It's the nice thing to do. Besides, teasing her is inherently enjoyable. "All well over there... Emi?" Ivo tries to pass off the brief pause with a little stretching of his neck, to demonstrate that he didn't at all hesitate over which sister was with them this time. Look, sure Emi's the one who usually kicks it with them, but it's been a while. "How fares the Network? Any, uh, electro-magnetic vibrations in the vicinity? Or just vibrations? Say, caused by passing sandworms?" If she's got any sensitivity to the proximity of the beasts, that'd be quite helpful. If not, she's still got that friggin' rifle. And even if he can't get any intel from the Legion, the grizzled master is here. Information is always best dispensed in the form of a 'back in my day during the war' narrative. Ivo listens intently, still a little awed by Jean's presence. "I'll keep that in mind." 'Good thing I didn't bring my APCs!' he decides not to say. But there's one thought he can't quite repress. "Er, Sir Faraven, are... are you smoking? In an underground tunnel?" Within moments, however, it ceases to matter. The tunnel begins to broaden, until it opens entirely into a vast cavern and a spectacular sight. The walls are patterned with glowing moss, looking like the playful art of some child god, revealing that the ceiling above is festooned with vines. Most are green and simple and dangle down, some reaching the floor. But other vines are striped with red and twitch menacingly, occasionally lashing out automatically at the glowing moss on the walls, producing a sharp whip-crack sound. The floor below-- "Damn..." --is one vast sinkhole, sand slowly pouring into what appears an endless void, preventing passage to the continuation of the tunnel on the opposite side of the cavern. Simply walking across is not an option. But the light-sensitive 'hunter vines' above pose their own problem. And with the occasional faint rustle, some may espy a sand-colored pincer or two poking out from behind patches of those vines, revealing the sand crabs clinging to the ceiling. "We've got to get all of us across," Ivo murmurs. Eyes narrowed, he reaches out to speculatively tug one of the normal green vines that hang low; it stays fast. "If we use the safe vines and the walls, and don't show the hunter vines any light, we should be able to climb or swing across. But if there are crabs hiding up there too, and they catch us while we're climbing..." He glances around his allies. "We'll have to pick them off in advance as we cross. Hey, Reize! Job for a hunter!" He turns toward the darkness from whence they came. "Reize? How'd the rear guard go? Didn't get lost, did you? Ha ha! Ha." Silence. "As anticipated," he mutters under his breath, "more or less."

:'''[[Faruja Senra]] has posed:''' Faruja Senra has never seen a fairy before, and he can't help but catch the occasional curious glance to the tiny woman. This is probably a bad idea when he's more or less acting as the damage-soaking member of the party. There's smiles involved, though. Smile! Friendly Templar-armored rat! Guaranteed not to burn you for Heresy! Really! "Worry naugh, M'Lady, this is nothing! Why, one time, Ser Seatlan's...erm.../imaginative and unique/ map-reading skills led us deep into the sewers of Fluorgis. Whereupon part of its maintenance tunnels collapsed. With my armor, well..." Do the math. Faruja had to have that particular set melted down and reforged to get rid of the stench. "In short, it could hardly get worse than a bit slime, hmm?" Someone had to say it. There's also a Dennou, and a rather competent sounding man adding on to Ivo's words. Faruja gives several nods in appropriate, polite places. Wince. "...let us pray then, that 'tis not we whom need scrapping" Sigh. "Never boring indeed." A glance back, and a Dennou has a rifle. Already, the rat's looking a little more confident with cover fire at the ready. "Now, now, Ser Galvan, ye art fit to see me blush! These sorts of things /do/ appeal to our young squires, ye know. Why, one time..." Ivo's words deftly interrupt another story from the Burmecian. "...Truly?" His voice is hopeful, if suspicious. He /knows/ you, Ivo Galvan. The smile he wears all but promises he'll be there. Sinkholes. Hungry vines. And an utter inability to just leap across. The dragoon just looks /irritated/ at this point. "Hath I ever told ye lot that I /hate/ caves. No rain, no proper sky to just leap into." Mutter mutter. Then, he's turning back to try to spy Reize. "If he appears on the other side ahead of us, I /SWEAR/ I shalt swat him senseless." Faruja starts trying to spy a decently safe path across, peering up at little crab-pincers above.

:'''[[Emi Dennou]] has posed:''' Emi Dennou is still staring at fairy. Sure, she's grumbling. Sure, she's complaining. But by god, she's still a fairy and that's all that matters in Emi's eyes. Through that blank, passive stare, the heart stirs--aye! She is subsumed by adoration and love for a creature she had never seen before, but always longed to. Not enough to actually listen to what she's saying, of course, just knowing that there are tiny people with wings is enough for her. She sighs, happily, and says, "Yes." to Ivo. And ugh he has more questions. "Well." and then. "Sure." Very helpful there Emi. She is not so inattentive that she ends up walking into a giant sinkhole, but she does stop, and look towards the vines, and then frowns. She supposes it's her duty to let Faruja be the guinea pig.

:'''[[Mir Clarence]] has posed:''' The mention of 'stray tendrils snaking her way' caused Mir to clam up and shudder. She most definitely was just assaulted by a horrible mention image. "S-Shut up! Don't jinx it!" Pouting angrily, Mir averted her eyes. "That's the last thing I need today!" Taking a deep breath after, Mir crossed her arms and tried to settle down. "...Weave?" She asked, tilting her head a little. "...Mmn..." Thinking for a bit, the fairy gazed upwards, soon realizing that was a mistake at the sight above. "....." Grimacing, Mir looked on ahead and finally answered. "Y-Yes, I can sew..." She seemed rather hesitant about it, but made no further mention of it. "Not that it's any of your business anyway!" Whoops, the attitude came back. At that moment, she could swear something was boring holes into her back. Feeling a shiver run up her spine, Mir slowly turned her head a bit to look, finding some girl staring at her. Oh, it was her. They were only briefly introduced. Deciding to ignore it, the girl looked on ahead and kept on walking. "......" Until the feeling became too much. Looking directly at Emi now, she frowned suspiciously and spoke. "W-What are you staring so hard for!? Can I help you?" But then that same 'stared at' feeling came from another direction. Hearing Faruja speak, Mir turned to look, assuming she was being addressed. ".....I guess." She mumbled in response to his story about Reize's genius escapades in Fluorgis' sewers. Boy, she was glad she wasn't there. "...That doesn't mean it's not still gross though." She wasn't going to concede on that point. Jean, of course, still intimidated the girl. Which of course made her steer clear a couple steps away. She was trusting of his skills, but how to even talk to the man? Thinking back on their first meeting at the Shard Seeker's HQ just caused her to get embarrassed all over again. Oh god, was she blushing? No! Get away! Go home blush, you're not needed today! What the others would see was a rather amusing sight of the small girl frantically rubbing her face to try and get rid of her embarrassment. ...That's not how it works. Finally arriving at the sinkhole, Mir paused and stared down into it, ".....Seriously?" Now she was glad she wasn't an adventurer. "Um...I can fly, but...that doesn't really help you guys, does it?" She mentioned casually, her wings fluttering as if to make a point. A curious green dust fell from them with each movement.

:'''[[Reize Seatlan]] has posed:''' Where has the leader of the Shard Seekers been? Ideally, he should had been taking the rear with Ivo, making sure that the creatures were not following them. That earlier idea had been for the young hunter to keep watch and possibly strike them first. Unfortunately, Reize had ventured on because he had the idea of mapping the place for the group. Of course, he was also hungry. Nearly an hour later.... The group can see that the boy is ahead of them, alright. However, the boy is approaching their way. Fast. ...Wait. Fast? "INCOMING! I WAS HUNGRY, OKAY?!" ...Leave it to Reize to try to eat one of them. They? Clamp. Clamp. There are about a dozen of angry, massive sandcrabs right behind Reize. Dust is kicking off as they are sprinting out after the boy pretty fast. Their claws make that clanking noise as they charge ahead. 

:'''[[Jean Faraven]] has posed:''' Jean did not do terribly much to dissuage Mir's gruff impression of him. He was, after all, a professional soldier-a bit of a roughneck at that-and that was bound to result in some significant disconnects with civilians once in a while. Didn't matter much from his perspective so long as they could all look together. And from the looks of it, the odds of the seemed reasonable so far. Faruja looked like he could do his job competently, though perhaps with more spirit and verve than the Hound employed himself. Paladins tended to be that way. Emi hadn't said much, but Ivo's recommendation carried enough weight with Jean that it would be good enough unless actions proved otherwise. The aforementioned knight himself has already been witnessed in battle by the SeeD's appraising eye. As for Reize....where was he? "Huh..." Jean looked over his shoulder with a raised brow, rubbing out the cigar just as Izo had mentioned it (He'd been savoring the flavor), "Strange, could have sworn he..." Sneaking off like that, he ought to put him in the recon division!! It's not long before the mystery solved itself though, just as they'd come upon a sensitive scenario, naturaly. A low, guttural curse of some sort menaces from Jean's throat as he adopted a forward stance in anticipation of the enemy's arrival. "No explosive spells!" He barks out on aftertrhough, "These tunnels aren't secure, you could collapse them on us!"

:'''[[Ivo Galvan]] has posed:''' Despite their predicament, Ivo offers Faruja a smile to match. He hopes you will be there, Faru; he hopes you will. But first they have to make it through here. "It does look like a dangerous jump, doesn't it? Hard to know where it's safe to land," Ivo ponders, regarding the chasm. In fact, upon further analysis, it looks as though Faruja /could/ make it across with his abilities; it would just not necessarily be of help getting everyone /else/ across. "Do you think you could make it up to the ceiling, though, Ser Senra? If you were able to spear some of these nasty crabs before we're ambushed by them in the midst of our clambering... but pray do not risk the sinkhole." Ivo can't know Faruja's limits so well as Faruja himself. Fortunately, there is some superb intel from Emi on the way. "Okay." Pause. "Uh huh." Pause. "I see." No, he does not. He does not see at all. But he assumes none of them are in any immediate danger. Furrowing his brow briefly, he sidles over to Mir, who is rubbing her face to some unknown but decidedly endearing end. "Ms. Clarence," he murmurs, "do you think /you/ could ask if she can sense any sandworms in the vicinity? She seems to be paying more attention to you at the moment." His own gaze diverts with interest to the fairy dust falling from the girl's wings before quickly return to meet Mir's gaze, lest staring prove brash. "So long as we remain aware of the location of our foes, I shall look forward to making it through unscathed, and receiving a new cloak from your lovely hands." He'd never dream of being /unintentionally/ brash. "Use your wings to preserve yourself," he adds, turning as he hears faint sounds beginning to emerge from the tunnel on the far side. "So long as you stay out of reach of the red-striped vines, we'll take care of the fighting--" He finishes turning. "--a little sooner than expected." Hauteclare's blackened blade emerges from its hilt with a click. "Reize!" Ivo shouts. "I'll cover you! Climb up a vine, but watch out for more crabs!" The floating sword reflects no light as it pierces forward across the chasm, controlled by flicks of Ivo's wrist, as he aims for a more damaging lower angle, the luminescent moss his guide. "I assume, with your quantity of love interests, you're well versed in crab evasion!" Ivo, there are ladies present. "Guys, we have to get across as soon as we can and help him!" He nods at Jean's advice. "Unless your ranged attacks are pinpoint, close in!" Speaking of Jean's advice, obscuring the metallic gleam of his sword was a great choice. Unfortunately, Ivo, acting in haste to protect Reize, forgot one important detail: when he engages Hauteclare's gravitational power for distance fencing, an orb of energy pulses at its hilt. Satisfied as one crab harassing Reize is skewered by his dancing sword, Ivo glances down at his hand, blanches, and looks up. "Oh, n--" Two red-striped vines lash down, ensnaring his sword arm. "Gaahhh!" Whereupon Hauteclare's dangerous blade promptly starts flying everywhere, still controlled by Ivo's flailing. "W-watch out!!"

:'''[[Emi Dennou]] has posed:''' Emi says, after some deep thought, "I heard pixie dust can help you fly." She reaches out and catches some of that curious green dust and thinks of the most wonderful things. Like wishes, princesses, and kings. Except she can't actually think of any of those so instead she ends up thinking about cylinderic test tubes, shadow monsters, and Empties. Emi fails to spontaneously learn how to fly. But she says, "Perhaps another time." She is squinting along a bit more than normal which suggests she might sense /something/, but she has at this point stopped gaping at fairy. "No, I don't think there are any sandworms present, Ivo." She seems assured of this but makes a small ammendum. "Unless of course sandworms here can spew enough voltage that I can sense it from this distance. Then I suppose there likely are sandworms around." But that'd be ridiculous. She reaches for a vine, only for a blade to start spinning around. She tries to repel it away from her electromagnetically but if that doesn't work she'll probably get comically bonked by the hilt instead.

:'''[[Faruja Senra]] has posed:''' Faruja is already moving to interpose himself between Emi, and the onrushing horde of sand crabs. His spear is at the ready, glowing white, as the Paladin gets ready to do his duty. What's his tail doing? Rubbing down his face in exasperation. "...That is not Reize at the other side of this bloody place, being followed by a horde of skittering insectile death. 'Tis not. 'Tis a welcoming committee of Viera and werewolves. Really." Faruja looks. It's Reize. Deep breath. "BY AJORA'S PANTALOONS, REIZE! ALL YE ART MISSING ART TINY PITCHFORKS IN THEIR BLOODY PINCERS YELLING 'BURN THE WITCH'" Oh, he's so going to swat Reize. A swift nod to Ivo. "Up, and over, methinks." With a nod to his compatriots, he's already leaping into the air. Light flares around his spear, and Faruja drops into a mid-leap roll. Using it much like some light-infused halberd, he tries to strike a few of the ceiling-wards sand-crabs. But now? Most of his attention is on that horde threatening Reize. "Split Punch!" Thrust! White swords of pure magical energy erupt from the ground to strike at some of the little critters. Rather than risking ending up in that sinkhole, Faruja smartly wraps himself in white light, Warping back closer to the ceiling as he alternates between assaulting ground and ceiling based sand crabs in a magical, acrobatic dance of death.

:'''[[Mir Clarence]] has posed:''' Ivo's question gave Mir a moment of pause. "Eh?" Turning her head a bit, she glanced at Emi. And then back to Ivo. "...Fine." That was easy enough to do. Even if that girl creeped her the hell out. Seriously, what was with all the staring? ...She hoped that Emi wasn't one of those creeps who wanted fairy dust. She's lost count of the amount of times she's had to kick someone where the sun doesn't shine over nonsense like that. Wait, she felt a hand by her wings. "....That doesn't work if you take it without permission." Mir spoke through gritted teeth, looking incredibly annoyed right now. It didn't end there though. The shard seeker strategist began talking again, which turned her attention back to him. Something about a new cloak and lovely hands. "Huh!?" Exclaiming incredulously, Mir's face lit up like a christmas light. "W-What are you saying!? I never said that I--!" Looking positively scandalized, the fairy angrily shoved Ivo to turn him around and and back on target. "Stop talking about stupid things and do your job, idiot!" Grumbling, Mir's wings began to flutter rapidly as the girl's feet left the ground. Her body moved into the air and she remained aloft, watching as... ...Wait, was that Reize? "You have /got/ to be kidding me." She growled, resisting the urge to facepalm. Oh no, she wasn't about to deal with all that. Floating higher, Mir's wings kept her in flight. "Uh! ...Well, I can at least help with some magic?" Hands aglow with a red aura of energy, the fairy spread her arms, releasing a shower of empowering magic. All those present would find their strength curiously boosted by some arcane force. "Now kill those things! I don't need to--wha!" She jerked downwards as a vine wrapped around her leg. "What the--Hey! Let go! This isn't funny!" Mir cried, tugging at the vine wrapping around her lag and traveling upwards frantically. "

:'''[[Reize Seatlan]] has posed:''' The pincers are snapping rapidly. << BURN THE WITCH! BURN THE WITCH! BURN THE WITCH! BURN THE WITCH! >> ...Close enough, right Faruja? "Crap, crap, crap, crap!" The boy looks back to see one of the crabs chasing after him. As it launches a claw at his head, the boy yelps and ducks his head low. "ACK!" His antenna hair is shivering in fear, curling up to a ball. The boy looks over at Ivo in the midst of the run. He is told to get a hand over one of the vines, "Got it!" As the boy runs towards the ledge, he looks over the vines that do not look too threatening. He latches onto one of the vines. "Got it!" Pause. Crab evasion? The boy turns his head at Ivo, "But the Momma Crab ended up beating me up back at the des-" *SNAP* "OWOWOWOWOWW!" Annd lo behold, one of the pincers grab the boy by his antenna hair. The boy takes a boomerang from his side to start thwacking at the pincer. "Get away from my hair!" The boy snaps, grumbling as he now uses the moment to climb to the other side while trying to avoid getting pinched. 

:'''[[Deelel]] has posed:''' So many lost souls had found their way home, it had been quite busy at the seeker's base since Reize, Ivo and others had returned from their wanderings across the world of ruin and beyond. So Deelel was lagging a bit behind, and putting her light staff to use, she's also got a strange cloak on over the rest of her clothing where the embroidering if you could call it that glows a faint blue. Deelel is one of those people who never really is lacking for a light source of some sort. "Faruja? We just end up in the most delightful places, don't we?" She keeps an eye on Reize, Mir, Ivo, Jean, Faruja and Emi as she moves to avoid any pit falls. She Bounces about along as Reize now falls prey to a monster as she tries to catch up. "This is the worst possible time for a haircut!" She follows Faruja's idea and her disc comes of her back, humms to life, and is shortly flying through the air into the horde. "Shouldn't crabs be the ones on the dinner plate, Faruja?"

:'''[[Jean Faraven]] has posed:''' Jean wasted no time in claiming a vine for himself and settling in a for a tense, hurried crossing of that pernicious sinkhole. He kept one hand on the vine and the other on his gunblade, nigh sure he'd need to be using somewhere in the midst of this messy affair. The opportunity doesn't quite come from the angle he expects. The Hound's keen eye spots the gallant knight's error before he does, his voice raised in alarm just as Ivo admires his own handiwork, "Ivo, your hilt!!!!" But it's too late-the mugwort has sensed prey. A hissed curse passed between Jean's teeth as Hauteclaire's ingenous mechanics were turned upon the whims of fate, narrowly and superbly twisting his body (All thanks to those daily core exercises at Balamb!) between the two of those deadly gravitational distortion. Unfortunately, even the storied Jean Faraven couldn't do all that /and/ keep on of the blades from severing his vine. There's a quick titch of the lips, and the SeeD falls into the darkness. Is this the end of Jean Faraven?! /Not quite/. A powerful BANG coincides with a flash somewhere in the dark as Jean rockets back into sight, the smoking casing ejected from Anubis's revolver telling enough. One more pull of the triggers results in another burst of wild momentum that Jean manages to use to his advantage, launching himself at the side of the the tunnel and righting himself so that his feet hit square on a flat (If somewhat vertical) surface. His kneesinstinctively bend-inherent junctioned power augmented by Mir's empowering spell-and push, precipitating a powerful kick-off that launched Jean across the chasm in a high-speed maneuever, grabbing and errant vine along the way as he streaked towards his target: Ivo Galvan. "BE READY!" The Hound Commanded, tossing the vine Ivo's way and-in the same instant-thrusting Anubis out in attempt the cleanly cut right through the vines entangling the knight and his weapon.

:'''[[Ivo Galvan]] has posed:''' Moments before he is ensnared, Ivo is graced with Emi's more straightforward response. "Mm, that's good to hear," he murmurs, nodding with satisfaction. Pause. "Wait, wh--" Then with the orb of energy and grabbing vines. "Superb, Ser Senra!" Even in his predicament, with his floating blade endangering his comrades, Ivo can't help but be impressed at Faruja's prowess, efficiently dispatching the foes harrying Reize while keeping himself safe through mid-air teleportation. The nezumi must be quite fun to play in the Final Kingdom fighting game. "Oh ho!" But the flying fairy comes to Ivo's aid, after he is forced to endure a shove he quite rightly deserves. Empowering magic descends upon him, and with his physical strength redoubled, he is able to tear free from one of the red-striped vines that ensnare him, regaining functional control of his blade moments after Emi's magnetic pulse deflects it from harming her. "Much obliged, Ms. Clarence! Now, as for that job of mine--" And with Hauteclare restored to him, a flick of his wrist is sufficient to slice through the vine that has assailed her. "How's my performance?" As long as the pulse of energy his ability requires doesn't attract too many of the vines, he's actually well suited for this task. Of course, while he can just manage to control Hauteclare, he's still struggling with the remaining vine-- which is when Jean, explosively leaping, comes to his rescue. "Yes, sir!" Ivo blurts out instinctively at the Hound's shout, and the moment Anubis cuts through the remaining vine, just as it threatens to drag Ivo into the abyss before him, he leaps toward the vine Jean tosses him, soon swinging free. And free to banter again. "Reize, use your Ahoge Beam! Oh, wait, sorry. Ahoge, use your Ahoge Beam! It can hear, right? It's definitely heard me before," Ivo asides into the darkness. But it looks like Reize is going to be safe for now. The knight-very-errant bravely swings toward a plain green vine dangling over the chasm, then begins to swing to the next, switching from vine to vine to avoid the crabs clinging to the ceiling above. As he turns, he glances back to check on their allies, and sees Deelel emerging from the tunnel following them-- clad in a glowing cloak. "Deelel, no!" he shouts, eyes widening. "Extinguish your light sources! The Mugwort's vines are light-sensiti--" Numerous red-striped vines immediately stop what they are doing and lunge toward Deelel, threatening to ensnare her and carry her off into the darkness of the other tunnel. Is she doomed to a fate too hot for TV? Either way, Ivo's impromptu jungle swings carry him across and at last into the midst of the fray, where, opting for close-range to avoid attention, he fences with the remaining crabs, darting and dancing across the sands. "Let's finish these off and push forward!"

:'''[[Faruja Senra]] has posed:''' Ear-perk. It's Deel! Suddenly, these crabs are looking tasty. A tasty, Reize-witch pinching mob. The rat's stomach grumbles. "This, my dear, is either a gift of scrumptious sand-crab delights, or punishment for our crustaceon devouring ways! I shalt leave it to ye to decide upon that one. Charbroiled crab for everyone!" Warp! Fall! Spear-thrust! "Crush Punch!" Cue flaming swords leaping at sand crabs. "Faster, Reize! Come now, use that speed ye showed at the Games!" He's more encouraging this time, and definitely worried for the boy. Hopefully he'll get up that vine! Ivo gets a grin, but Faruja is too busy air-comboing and making like Testament in the air. At this rate, he should be able to cut a decent path across the area, following the good vines primarily, trying to destroy the sand crabs above those vines in particular. When Deel is about to get snatched? The rat tries to Crush Punch the vines, likely setting them on fire if it hits. "Deel!"

:'''[[Emi Dennou]] has posed:''' "It fell off on its own." Emi tells Mir. She is about to make a grab for a vine, but stops for a moment and tilts her head curiously as she stares at the sky. She looks around towards that floating blade and ducks again. "Mm...." Shegrabs a vine, swinging over to Ivo and throwing herself off to land by him. She leans in and elects to murmur him. "Ivo, about that electrical disturbance. It appears to be getting closer. Are there electricity breathing sandworms after all?" She frowns and doesn't seem to quite believe it even as she's asking it. Because it really is ridiculous.

:'''[[Reize Seatlan]] has posed:''' As the pincers keep coming at his hair, his antenna hair cracks like a whip at the claw, sending it coiling back in fear. The antenna hair *hisses* in warning. Reize, meanwhile, is busy trying to get away from the claws, Reize is looking over to see the one person who could ruin things faster than he could. Deelel glowing with the bright light. In an area that is filled with a light sensitive creature. "...Ahh..." Reize doesn't quite convey his thoughts because 1) Ivo has already conveyed it, 2) the tentacle is preparing for a different avenue of things. A boomerang is tossed towards the offending tentacle. The boy is hurrying in his climbing, looking to get to the other side. ...Suddenly, crabs appear before Reize on the vines. Crab Battle! "...Uhhh..." Reize has a look of horror on his face, "ACK!" He makes a dive outward, all of the crabs latch onto him, but Reize swings along that last vine and he rolls on the ground for a 'stop, drop, roll' maneuver to shake the crabs off of him. 

:'''[[Deelel]] has posed:''' This was Deelel's first time meeting Jean, but he seems ti know Ivo well enough form the sounds of things and he's holding his own quite well, not to mention pulling up quite a stunt to boot as he rockets back in. "Not bad Faruja. Not bad at all!" She's keeping Jean's warning in mind and Mir seems to got Ivo well in hand too. "Wait what?!" Putting out the light sources could be a bit problem for her some of them are always active she banishes her cloak that helps but there's still some and turning on her disc to use as a weapon well that's going to make more light which will attract more. Deelel is grabbed by some of them and she's struggling to not be pulled off into the other tunnel because it would be way too hot for TV and she doens't seem very keen on it. "Of all the glitched up..." She's reduced her light out put a good deal, still shes' held and tyring to get free as they attempt to constrict her as she desperately tries to grab on to a point on the cave floor!

:'''[[Mir Clarence]] has posed:''' Released from her unbidden bonds, Mir let out a shaky sigh and glared at Ivo. "Performance? I'd give it a C." Whatever that meant. She wasn't going to explain. Good thing too, as things seemed to be reaching a crescendo of ridiculousness. "...Whoa." Actually awed by Faruja and Jean's display of abilities, Mir found herself struck speechless. "...I guess these guys can pull their weight after all." A wriggling tendril nodded it's 'head' right by her, as if watching the epic scene itself. "Yeah, no kiddi--wait." Freezing, Mir slowly turned her head to make sure she wasn't seeing things. "........" The tentacle waved at the girl. Maybe she was just seeing things in her mind, but she could swear this damn thing was making fun of it. "........NOT AGAIN." And like that, Mir flew off, in a desperate race to avoid getting snared again. "Not funny, not funny, not funny, not funny!"

:'''[[Jean Faraven]] has posed:''' Jean is moving too fast to confirm whether or not Ivo manages to get hold of the vine, though it's well within his capabilities. The human, grimacing bullet continues on his wily way, landing against the other end of the tunnel in much the same way as he'd done before. This time he gets a good look at some idiot shining a light at the chasm's edge, which would've been enought to make him spit his cigar out if he still had it with him. "Who the /hell/ is that?!" The Hound snarled incredulously, already bounding off as the mugwort vines advanced on the hapless agitator. His angle wasn't right to be able to offer any assistance, so he delegates to Ivo and Reize, "Handle it!!!" The SeeD had his sights set on biggest fish to fry. Or well, crustaceans in this case. Cerberus keens through Jean's weathered head, three pairs of eyes glowering somewhere far away and dark as formless power was junctioned unto Anubis's dark blade. The specialist twists his abs, putting just enough spin into his motion to turn him into a deadl whirl of blades and pinpoint muzzle flares as careened across the opposite end of the sinkhole, pulling gunblade's trigger three times in succession at add a lunatic fringe to his already dizzying manuever. At least a dozen crabs went flying in a straight tear across their ranks, some in various pieces and all of them quite fried in the electrice sizzle left in Jean's wake. The Hound himself stands the end of his handwork: A clear, albeit temporary path forwards, having taken Ivo's directive to heart. "Quickly!" He gestures.

:'''[[Ivo Galvan]] has posed:''' Ivo stabs clean through another crab as it lunges at him, rearing back to kick it off his blade as Faruja clears the way above. "As soon as you make it to the other side, head toward the tunnel!" he shouts, brushing his hair back from his serious countenance with a gloved hand. C for /Cool/, Mir. "There's no need to fight this battle as long as we make it through! The main Mugwort plant can't be far!" It's then that Emi is beside him, and whispering in his ear. "Wait, you sense one? Then-- wait." Ivo is starting to piece this together. So, she can't sense vibrations in general any better than the rest of them, but she /can/ sense electricity. But sandworms aren't any more electric than anything else. But she's sensing an oncoming source of electricity. So-- "Whatever it is," he swiftly concludes, "we've got to complete this mission as fast as we can. Can you provide us covering fire while we move into the tunnel here?" Most of the crabs around them are dismantled thanks to their efforts, but some are still swarming down from the walls, chasing Reize's offending hair. And Mir is-- "Ms. Clarence, fly this way!" He can unleash Hauteclare again, but if he does, the light source is sure to attract the vines all over again, and won't end up being much help to the fairy girl after all. Only if it gets desperate will he do so. And the only one desperate here is Deelel. "See, the problem with missing the exposition at the /beginning/ of the dungeon crawl is that--" No one cares, Ivo. Anyway, one of Reize's boomerangs is soaring toward the tenta-- vine-ensnared program in any case. Will it be enough!? It may have to be, because they've got to keep moving. There may be a big monster coming, and the Mugwort is close. "Deelel, can you shut down your lights completely?" Ivo calls as he heads toward the tunnel mouth. "If not, you may have to play decoy against the big guy! Can you handle that?" This may not be a question if she can't free herself right now. But they've got to go while the going is good. Crabs are coming down from the walls and-- then Jean careens in and blows almost all of them to smithereens. Ivo spends only a moment in speechless admiration. He can only spare a moment, but it deserves at least one. "Come on, everyone!" And now the moment has passed, and it's time to get out of here!

:'''[[Deelel]] has posed:''' Deelel is struggling with the tentacles they are pulling her away, to likely a very bad fate. She has th means to cut herself free, but that would draw more of the things upon her. She's about to risk it when Faruja seems to be coming to her aid, and soon Deelel's going to owe the Templar her bitmap once more. It seems they have got into the habit of swapping saving each other behind. The vines catch on fire, ironically causing more light it also enough for Deelel to break free as they are withering in pain. She starts running, running as fast as she can. It would have been worse had Ivo not warned her, oh so much worse. She's much like Mir, she wants to get out of range of these things. Hopefully the burning ones will distract the others giving them all a chance to flee properly. "Keep clear of this!" she pulls what seem to be a hockey puck like thing off her hip and then fiddles with it as she flees. Most of Deels's lights are gone, her disc is about the only thing giving off a faint bit of light, but it's very fant. Her cloak is gone, and then Deelel gets an idea she takes hee disc and shoves it down her shirt with a bit of effort, but it's enough to smother the light for the most part. It may not be comfortable but it will do! "I got all I could and I do have a distraction, and if they like light? I have a distraction for them. I could make use of a light grenade, that should distract them!"

:'''[[Reize Seatlan]] has posed:''' As Reize continues to stamp out the last bits of the crabs on him, the boy is shaking himself off. He kicks against the face of one of the crabs to send it sprawling out into the chasm. Reize exhales a sigh of relief, looking over towards Jean and Ivo, especially when Jean tells him to handle the mess. However, it looks like Deelel has things handled. The boy suddenly gets an idea. As the vine was chasing after Mir, the boy takes the idea of getting a torch from his pouch and he lights it up. Light sensitive... let's get a torch that lights up as bright as can be. "Hey! Over here!" As if trying to get the attention of the creatures, Reize tosses the torch down the chasm to get vines to chase after it. "Let's move!" The boy is ready to move off. 

:'''[[Mir Clarence]] has posed:''' "I'm trying!" Mir yelled, weaving and swerving around to avoid being grabbed. ...And mugged. That too. Not that she had anything worth mugging. Unless the plants were fond of clothes. Wait, all those zippers were metallic. "...Craaaaap!" Redoubling her efforts, the girl's speed increased and while she was fast approaching Ivo's position, she spun in mid-air and thrust her hands forward, unleashing a sudden strong gust of wind. It wasn't cutting, so there wasn't much actual harm to be done, but it should at least be enough to throw those damnable, intrusive things off course. "Do your job! If I end up getting stripped, then you're not getting paid!" Mir was regretting wearing what she was right about this moment. She was going to have a stern talk with the designer who made these clothes after this was over! Reize's torch gambit seemed to work for the moment as several of them 'spied' the thrown torch, verring off to chase after it instead. "Phew...Thanks." That out of the way though, the fairy turned back around and resumed proper flight, moving forward. "Are we there yet!?"

:'''[[Jean Faraven]] has posed:''' One by one, everyone manages to get with the program and push forward. Jean grunted before doing the same, the fire of battle dancing eagerly in his blood. "Oh, there'll be more for everyone before this is done." He'll insist to Mir's complaints, giving voice to his sneaking supicions. They might be getting closer to their goal, but something else was getting closer to them. The sound of footsteps beat on in the encroaching expands of the tunnel, and in the brief lull of silence that follows Jean can hear the familiar sound of his own heartbeat hammering away in his chest.%R "Be prepare." The SeeD's wrist snapped, a flick his thumb knocking the revolver of his gunblade up so he could quickly fill five new bullets in the chamber before snapping it shut with another flick in on fluid, stylish motion, "When it happens, you'll only see it for a second."

:'''[[Ivo Galvan]] has posed:''' "Nice work, team!" Ivo calls out, following the path that Jean has cleared and that Emi is keeping open with her covering fire. Deelel has extinguished most of her lights and mentions quite a useful ability. "Alright, sounds good! Redeem yourself when the time comes, okay?" Despite his words, Ivo is grinning, winking at the program as he runs. And Reize has pulled a torch out of his bag of tricks, causing the light-sensitive vines to surge toward the inky blackness of the sinkhole, only to singe themselves on the fire they're hunting. Such is the fate of non-sentient beings. "You being stripped would be payment enough," Ivo demurs, barely stifling his grin as Mir flies past him. "But perhaps another time." Amongst this crew, it's not that unlikely, even with Faruja as steadfast protector of ladies' honor. Eventually Reize'll trip and get his ahoge stuck in a zipper, and before you know it Chris Hansen will be knocking on the door to Shard Seeker Headquarters. For now, however, Ivo follows Jean into the other tunnel, pausing to catch his breath in the darkness and then nodding. "Right," he murmurs as they approach an abrupt turn in the passage, fishing out the Shard Seeker Device to avoid some branching paths, one of which display suspiciously Reize-sized footprints. Speaking of which. "Hold my hand," Ivo insists, grabbing onto Reize's arm. "So that--" Maybe now isn't the time to insult Reize's direction sense. The boy is sensitive, and they need to stay calm. "--I don't get scared." Aww. "Alright, everyone--" The final bend. In fact, the Device is no longer necessary, the swordsman belatedly realizes; the vines along the top of the tunnel travel thickest to their source. The Mugwort is a heartbeat away. "Let's end this!" The next cavern is much smaller than the last, made to seem all the smaller by the vast plant which fills it. Reigning over it is a giant pitcher which bubbles and gurgles, within which all manner of matter is melted down and consumed, and beneath it dangle their prize: rich green seedpods, able to be ground into an aromatic powder. But beneath that still glitters gold, various baubles and trinkets, the most conspicuous of which appears to be an odd silver-lensed pair of sunglasses. Occasionally stray red-striped vines slap at the gold pointlessly, acting on instinct. But those vines pause now, hovering like hungry serpents. "Now! Deelel, the grenade! Let's get what we need and get out of here!" Flipping the Device back inside his sleeve, Ivo launches Hauteclare's blade from its hilt, pulse of energy firing up, and sends his sword whirling into a multitude of vines as the Mugwort immediately becomes a flurry of activity. There are too many vines to count. "We've got to--" That's bad enough. "Er--" But the oncoming tremors may soon become something even worse. "--do you all feel that--?"

:'''[[Reize Seatlan]] has posed:''' After everything is cleared, Reize blinks over at Ivo, then he exhales a sigh at his comment towards Mir. Shaking his head, adventurer lifts his shoulders with a shrug and then he looks back at the group, "Everyone alright?" Once the group are collected, Reize follows into the tunnel. Once Ivo pulls the Shard Seeker Device, the boy looks at Ivo, "Huh?" Hold Ivo's hand? "...Oh. Okay." It is the instant that Reize's hand touches Ivo's that the area shows a faux light in the background, filled with pink sparkles and a shine. A shimmer sound echos from the hand's holding. Reize offers a beaming smile, "Don't worry Ivo, I'll protect you!" The light shining with the pink background is accented by the cherry blossoms. Shimmer...! As they continue to explore the next cavern, the area is filled with lots of plants. Reize has one important question to ask Ivo. It kind of hit him. "What does the love interest thing have to do with crab evasion?" However, they see the prize. The rich green seapots, the odd silver-lensed pair of sunglasses and those red vines. ...Uh oh. Reize releases Ivo's hands and he draws both boomerangs. "Here we go---" And the tremor. "...Buh?" 

:'''[[Deelel]] has posed:''' So far, so good. They hadn't lost anyone and Reize is right, it's very much time to move,. She's not slowing down, and she sees Mir is all right, she nods once to Ivo. She's got the grenades ready she'll just have to throw them and she pauses for a moment as she looks at Ivo, whom is flirting again she sees. Well no harm with words and it's Mir's call anyway! She keeps with the group and then now the call goes out, she arms it and takes the puck like weapon. Which soon is sailing through the air heading where Ivo suggested the thing is emitting some light now that it's armed and as the timer tick down it will explode with a good deal of force, likely taking out things near it and making a very powerful flash of light as it does so. They have their distraction hopefully, right? But then the ground shakes. "...uhoh."

:'''[[Mir Clarence]] has posed:''' "Don't make me hit you! You idiotic--" Pause. "...What the hell?" Mir spoke aloud, staring incredulously at the source of all their troubles. "I'd heard stories, but...ugh. It looks even more gross in person!" She shuddered, deciding to ignore the decidedly bromantic moment happening beside her. "Get a room, morons. You're not getting paid for that!" Rolling her eyes, she stepped forward, peering down at the green pods. "...Oh! There they are! Finally!" Smiling happily, Mir clapped her hands together, about to float down and start collecting, but then-- "Huh?" Another pause as the fairy halted her advance. "...What was that?" She hoped that it was going to be something good. Like a flock of chocobo stampeding on by underground! Chocobos were cute! ...But no. She was more than certain that it was going to be something terrible. "....You guys have fun with whatever that is." A step back. "I'll just...be over here. Yeah." Another stepp back. She raised a hand and casually cast another spell, this time emanating an earthy, yellow aura as some sort of power mixed itself with those present, boosting their defenses a bit.

:'''[[Jean Faraven]] has posed:''' Jean's eye squinted when Izo ask Reize to hold his hand, and even more so when he said. oO(Oh, is /that/ how it is?)Oo He thinks, deciding it's definiately none of his business in general and doubly so when on a mission. "Just focus on the task at hand." He offers, keeping his guard up as they press into the inner sanctum of their chosen quarry...! And not a moment sooner as that powerful vibration comes up behind them. It was like the approach of a locomotive...no, maybe even worse than that. "Only one thing that good be.." Jean tossed a narrowed eye back at their passage, his mood unmoved yet, though a bit more urgency creeps into his tone when he jerks his head at the buds on display, "Grab them! We're going to have to find another way here!" With Anubis in both hands, Jean looked back and forth between a devil the knew and a devil they didn't, weighing each option succintly. In the end, his gaze lifted upwards.

:'''[[Emi Dennou]] has posed:''' Emi, distracted as she shoots electricity around, says, "Reize being stripped?" She doesn't sound surprised. She eventually tops, more to save juice than anything, and makes her way back towards the others. She hears the tremors but frankly she's more concerned by the heavy electricity pushing towards their direction. It makes her feel uneas-- --she rethinks the matter. No, actually, she's way more concerned about those tremors. She would rather not be crushed to death or slowly starve to death either or anything of that sort. "It may not be so easy to depart, This One supposes." Emi adds unhelpfully.

:'''[[Ivo Galvan]] has posed:''' Even as Hauteclare dances amongst the red-striped vines, warding them away from the retreating Mir, Ivo gazes into Reize's eyes, an aura of cherry-blossom pink suffusing the two. "Reize..." Softly, he smiles back at his younger friend, stepping closer, hands still intertwined. "I..." The angelic light of yaoi emanates from them both. And light, of course, attracts the Mugwort. "...don't have time to explain right now!" Ivo exclaims, leaping apart from Reize as the vines, as though punishing them for their near-transgression, hammer down on the sand where they once stood. "You'll understand when you're older!" Maybe. "For now, let's ensure we live to see that day!" Another vine lashes at his hilt, but with the assistance of Mir's defense spell, Ivo just turns and takes the lashing tendril on his buckler, mostly unscathed. "Much obliged, Ms. Clarence!" Promptly shielding his eyes from Deelel's grenade, Ivo breathes a sigh of relief at the respite it grants, the vines all piling up on each other to instinctively attack nothing at all in the corner of the room where the explosive landed. "Nice work!" he calls to the program, before, heeding Jean's words, sending Hauteclare whirling down to slash at one of the seedpods and cut it free. "You all heard Jean! Someone grab that, and whatever else you can!" Emi's right. Getting out of here may be the real hard part. "We've got to secure an escape route before--" BOOM Smashing through the wall and ceiling with a deafening crash, sending shards of rock and torrents of sand everywhere, a roaring monstrosity emerges, its face half the size of the room itself. The Mugwort, already bewildered (as much as a non-senient being can be) by various distractions, lashes what remaining tendrils it possesses at the various minerals encrusted in the sandworm's carapace. Ignoring this quasi-assault, the sandworm opens its circular maw yet wider, and with an unearthly howl-- BZZORCH The sandworm fires a lightning bolt out of its mouth. As the roof caves in from the impact, sand pouring in from the dunes above and half-obscuring all in grit and chaos, and sunlight illuminating the surroundings as a crevice to the surface appears above, one voice can be heard cry above the din. "What the hell did that thing eat!?"

:'''[[Reize Seatlan]] has posed:''' There were two things that interrupted the moment. One was Mir snapping them into attention. The other moment was the vines snapping their way to swat them out of the 'moment' between Ivo and himself. Noticing it at the last second, Reize releases a yelp and he springs back into a back handspring. After he gets away from the creature, Reize looks over towards the vines. Once Mir's defense spell activates around him, Reize beams at the fairy, "Thanks!" The boy launches out towards the treasure to procure those sunglasses. It looks like it is one of their treasures. "Got it!" And not a moment too soon. The Mogworth makes its presence known. And it is not too happy. "...Uh oh." Even worse, the creature releases a bolt of lightning from its breath. The stench of its odor invades the air, forcing the boy to cough as he ducks into cover. The boy looks over towards the opening at the crevice. The opening gives Reize an idea, "Okay! I can do this!" Reize puts the boomerangs back to his side to procure his most valued equipment in his inventory. The Hookshot. Mighty Hookshot, do not fail him now! Reize swings his arm out and the hookshot shoots upward towards the opening to latch onto it. 

:'''[[Mir Clarence]] has posed:''' "Actually, where ARE we going to get out of here fro-" BLAM A cavern wall was blown open as a giant sandworm tunneled it's way into the chamber and then...fired a blast of lightning from it's mouth. "What the hell!? In what world do Sandworms fire lightning from their mouths!?" Panicking, she scrambled into flight, making a beeline for the treasure trove of pods below. She wasn't going to leave here empty handed! The fighting could be left to the people she hired anyway! And so, weaving through a few stray tentacles, Mir began grabbing as many pods as her arms could handle. Knowing that the Mugwort was just above her, able to drool on her and melt her bones or something. ...What an unpleasant thought. Amid the rushing sand, stone debris, and all the chaos, it would seem the plant was distracted enough with the sandworm invasion to bother going after her. Thankfully. The last thing she needed now was to get stripp-wait. Something tapped her on the shoulder rather politely. "Huh?" Pausing in her collection efforts, the girl turned her head to look. ...And came face to face with an idle tentacle. It waved almost cutely, as much as a plant could anyway, and then-- "Wha--HEY! Let me go, you stupid--" --It grabbed onto her, tugging at her clothes in particular. It really wanted those zippers. Shiny, useless array of zippers. "Damn it! This isn't funny! I need that! Hey! Not there! Ahahahaha! That tickles!" ...Welp.

:'''[[Deelel]] has posed:''' Deelel notices Jean is very concerned about what's happening. She does not have enough data to know what it is, clearly if Ivo and Jean know? It's the smart choice to listen there's no argument as she turns to flee with them, it's very much time to go. "Understood, let's get out of here then!" She will totally ask later. She then becomes aware of it, it's a sand-worm, oh that's bad, very bad. Wait, did it just?. "I do not know." she goes for her baton, leading it shutdown for the moment as she darts through the plants trying to make good her escape, and the Mir gets into some more trouble. Oh this could be bad...she could arm her disc but that would just make things worse! She however recalls something that's resting int he back of her discmount she pulls a seemingly normal looking charkram and throws it hopefully severing the vine, or vines that are holding on to Mir's zippers!

:'''[[Jean Faraven]] has posed:''' Jean's foot slipped slightly when that sandworm made it's destructive entrance into the fray. Fortunately the hounds instincts are just a hair sharper than his judgment so he's not still standing there a heartbeat later when the scorch of lightning cracks like a whip across his former location. A few idle tendrils of electricity writhe along the SeeD's boot heels as he land and glowers at the subterrane behemoth's presence, "Adaptive biology!" He shouts out to Mir's rhetorical question, "It gets that big, it generates tremendous static electrcity as it burrows within earth. Must've developed some way to...store and release it." A tremendous opportuntiy of research for Balamb Garden's Biology club, but not so pertinent to the task at hand. The kaiju-esque struggle that seems about to take place between the sandworm and the mugwort is cut short by the rumbling overtures of the cavern over their heads, and in a half-blind blaze Jean rushes to grab a fistful of seed pods as all comes tumbling down. Darkness, darkness and motion. The Hound always felt closest to his chosen Guardian Force in moments like this, and he could not deny the presence of the fiery hellhound's will deep withing the bottom of his stomach, a burning urge to drove him to kick, inch forward, to survive. A lone fist suddenly erupted from the desert's sloping surface, still clutching furiously at it's green prize as the rest of Jean summarily follow, hacking sand and curses alike out into the air as he dragged the rest of his lower torso out of the near-burial mound. "A little bit rough, but i've hard worse assignments." He was going to have to clean his uniform at least three times to get the sand out, though, "Everyone accounted for?"

:'''[[Emi Dennou]] has posed:''' Emi gets clobbered by some shattering rock. It doesn't knock her out, but it does send her sprawling to the ground. Dennous are not especially known for durability. Generally they prefer to not get clobbered by debris and avoid the all problem. She groans in pain and stumbles as she crawls back before she slowly stumbles to her feet, dizzily. Ugh. This isn't that great. Normally she might be a bit more suspicious of Jean's explanation but now that she has a head wound, it makes perfect sense to her. Bludgeoning to the head: The best way to obtain teamwork cohesino! She draws on the Sandworm's own electricity, using it to help propel her up and towards the exit as well.

:'''[[Ivo Galvan]] has posed:''' Amidst the chaos, Ivo catches glimpses of his allies in action. Reize snags the silver glasses. Mir and Jean, it appears, have managed to grab quite a number of the precious seed pods. Deelel is freeing Mir from her current-- "Well, then." Summoning Hauteclare back to its hilt with a click and sheathing it, Ivo scoops gold coins and baubles into his cloak while watching Mir struggle out of the corner of his eye. "You can do it, Ms. Clarence! I believe in you!" It's almost as good as support magic. /Almost./ Whoa, just one more zipper and-- "Adaptive biology, huh?" Ivo nods. That sounds convincing. Let's go with that. More importantly, with the agitated sandworm audibly charging up for another shot and the Mugwort lashing every which way, time is swiftly running out. "It's now or never, Seekers! Let's get out of here!" Spinning on his heel, abandoning half the treasure where it lies, Ivo turns to Reize and grins, eyes bright with the rush of the madness about them. "Mind a passenger?" And as the sand pours down about them, propelled by the Mighty Hookshot 2.0, Ivo soars to the surface, one arm about Reize and the other clasping the hookshot's handle with him, where the two of them explode through the sand. "Here!" he calls in reply to Jean, spitting out sand. "Mission, uh..." Seedpods, check. Some cash, check. Silver Glasses, check. "Mission complete?"

:'''[[Mir Clarence]] has posed:''' Just one more zipper and... SCHWING Deelel's chakram severed the vine that would have been the gateway to her eternal shame and embarrassment. "Th-Thanks...!" And without a second further's thought, Mir took flight, escaping upwards with the pods in her arm and her undone clothes being held together. "I swear to god, I hope you choke!" She yelled down at the Mugwort plant before burting through the sand with a gasp. Landing in thee sand some ways away from the new formed sand pit, Mir just settled down into the sandy ground, grumbling to herself and redoing the zippers of her clothes. "...I guess we made it." Letting out a huge sigh once she was done, the girl glanced at the others and managed a smile. "...It was a little rough around the edges for some of you." Ivo and Reize are given pointed stares at this. "...But otherwise, that wasn't bad." he glanced down at the pods in her lap. "Yep, I think we've got plenty! I should be able to make something good with this!"

:'''[[Reize Seatlan]] has posed:''' As the hookshot manages to get a grasp at the opening, Reize is prepared to pull upward. However, Reize is not alone. He has a passenger with him. "Ooii! Ivo!" The boy has a beaming smile before they shoot up into the sky. Or at least, out of the underground path. They arrive out within the desert! The surface! "Hee!" The boy beams, holding up the sunglasses. "And we have another prize to boot!" > Reize Seatlan obtains [Silver Glasses] > The item prevents [Blindness] and allows for low-light vision to see what's lurking in the shadows. The boy beams, "Mission accomplished, everyone!" 

:'''[[Deelel]] has posed:''' Deelel catches her weapon on the return pass commenting. "Don't worry about it let's get going and I agree that thing needs to ie in fire." Deelel keeps moving with her companions. It's time to go and she will not tempt fate further. "I'm all right, everyone else?" She looks to Reize for a moment. amd the basic has a big old grin on her face. "Good going and I never thought I'd be so happy to see so much sand..."

The Hound Awakens

2014-02-28T06:56:21Z

IvoGalvan: Created page with "{{Log Header |Date of Scene=2014/02/28 |Location=Eastern Continent - Flourgis - Shard Seekers HQ - Lobby |Synopsis=With their subquest queued, Reize and Ivo spend the interim ..."

{{Log Header
|Date of Scene=2014/02/28
|Location=Eastern Continent - Flourgis - Shard Seekers HQ - Lobby
|Synopsis=With their subquest queued, Reize and Ivo spend the interim cleaning up Shard Seeker Headquarters to render them more presentable to future clients. Little do they suspect that their merry band is to be joined by a truly formidable force. This guest character can use as many potions as he likes.
|Cast of Characters=Ivo Galvan, Reize Seatlan, Jean Faraven, Mir Clarence
|pretty=yes
}}
:'''[[Ivo Galvan]] has posed:''' Some sidequests are their own reward. The long absences of the Shard Seeker captain and vice-captain have left their headquarters in dusty disarray and their finances in a worser state. The latter should be ameloriated somewhat come their venture into the sandworm tunnels in the coming days, when their redoubtable allies rejoin them. But the former can only be fixed with time and elbow grease. "If I had to die by choking..." And Ivo has one of those two things, at least. "...I think there are more appealing options than on dust." The dark-haired swordsman has temporarily acquired a salt-and-pepper look unbefitting of his youthful visage, looking down with a rueful smile at the long table he has only half-cleaned. A feather duster, left over from their bacon-frying maid party, is held in one hand, and already looks in need of a dusting-off itself. Light pours in through the windows of the wide lobby, displaying every scintillating mote dancing through the air. "I'd have rather waited until more help arrived," Ivo says mostly to himself, "but if we're going to receive any more clients, we can't have them leave as unimpressed as Ms. Clarence did, even if she did hire us." Thus does he begin dusting again, covering his mouth with a cloth and squinting as he goes. "Reize," he calls over his shoulder, looking away from a burst of grey. "Can you open another window in the kitchen?"

:'''[[Reize Seatlan]] has posed:''' "I can try to call the other Shard Seekers, but I haven't heard back from them as of late." Enter the leader of the Shard Seekers. This wayward traveler looks to be much younger than the more mature swordsman. However, there is always that youthful energy that the kid bears. It is the adventuring Boy with the Long Yellow Scarf. Reize spent the past couple of days sweeping the floor of all debris. Thankfully, their client was staying at the headquarters for a bit and baked some delicious apple pie. It was more than enough to warm Reize's stomach after trying some. While Ivo voices his complaint, Reize grunts, "That's why we must clean up the place! It will not clean itself!" He leans against the broom in hand, frowning slightly. "It took me a while to get the weed out and put them on Lily's side." He exhales a sigh, "...I don't know why she wants to keep those things." He grimaces. The young hunter shakes his head, "Sure, let me take care of that." The boy makes his way towards the kitchen, idly opening up the window. Fresh air comes blowing as the passage allows it to. The boy leans his head forward, taking in the brisk air with a pleased look on his face. "Ahhh, much better!"

:'''[[Jean Faraven]] has posed:''' The world was a crazy, chaotic place where you never knew how far you were going to get before a band of marauding horrors came by to ruin your day. As long as the people of the world were willing to pay good coin for a sword (or gun, or nunchaku, or whip) to do what they lacked the skill for, there would be a need for the young men and women of SeeD. And as long as there was a SeeD to do a job, Jean Faraven would be there to tell them how to do it. Yet it's not that most storied of paramilitary organizations that has brought the infamous Hound of Balamb far afield from his usual haunts, darksteel gunblade slung over-the-shoulder and half-smoked burning a lone ember into the dark. No...the students of Balamb were not the only young potentials in sore need of a guiding hand, and Jean meant to see to it. There is the creaking sound of old leather as polished boots came down succintly over dusty floorboards, the shuffle of fabric as a stranger crossed his arms and beheld the sight before him in a lone, brown eye that held high the scale of judgement in its appraising domain. "Well.." The instructor drawled with a puff of smoke, "I had heard the Shard Seekers were back in business, but from the state of this.." He kicked an overturned side emphatically, "It seems the cart has gotten ahead of the horse. Maybe I should come back later."

:'''[[Ivo Galvan]] has posed:''' "Maybe we could host another maid event with VALKYRI," Ivo muses, "only this time, the maids just clean." Alas, today his brilliant strategizing constructs merely castles in the sky. His gusty sigh does little to stir the remaining dust before him. At least the floor is clean, thanks to Reize's earlier efforts. But Ivo quirks a smile as his younger friend mentions Lily's peculiar preference. "I'm rather fond of her lack of conventional prejudices," he remarks, "even when it proves inconvenient." Or makes a third of the garden a weird mess of unattractive overgrowth. "I've elected to see it as a metaphor for our group. And your hair." Still smiling, he casts Reize a sidelong glance. "When we're out of debt, I'm finally buying you a comb... and if that doesn't work, giving you a dunk in the b-a-t-h." He's not a dog, Ivo. He can spell. Probably. The sound of boot on floorboard summons Ivo from his banter, and not only that. Insensitive to the spiritual as the erstwhile knight is, this presence is unmistakable. It has been a long time since their last encounter, but the one-eyed warrior is unforgettable. After all-- "Sir Faraven..." He's the only paternal figure who's ever seemed to remotely approve of Ivo. "Ah, no, please stay." Also, the background music probably changed to something much manlier. "Pardon our temporary disarray," Ivo continues, recovering his uncharacteristically shaken composure and placing his feather duster on the table, righting a chair and gesturing toward it in welcome. "We've taken a job already, as it so happens, so we're in a bit of a rush trying to straighten all this out. Er, would you care for some tea..." Brief hesitation. "...qui...la?"

:'''[[Reize Seatlan]] has posed:''' "...Not sure if I want to wear a maid outfit again." Reize looks thoughtful, then he gives a sheepish smile. "It was embarassing wearing one the first time when we did the event. I think I broke Sora earlier when he found out that one of the maids was me." It is a good thing Riku was not there. "Perhaps so, but it doesn't do anything for the garden." The boy squints at Ivo, "They are not particularly useful when you're trying to grow crops. They generally take up more nutrients, sunlight, water, and other resources that many of the other plants typically need." Reize rubs his forehead, "We generally kept them out of the garden back in Iselia." There is a brief moment where Reize looks reminiscent of his own village. However, he quickly shakes his head. "Nevertheless,-----HEY!" Reize's antenna hair points at Ivo with a hiss. The boy shoots his older friend a glare. "What is wrong with my hair?!"Pause. "I can spell, Ivo! I am a writer!" He grits his teeth, looking annoyed. "We'll see about that---huh?" The boy turns towards the sight of an older man who enters, "...Ivo, you know him?" It looks like Ivo does know the individual. The boy falls silent to allow the two to speak together. Reize is opting to start sweeping along the floor. However, Reize chimes in, "We separated due to an adventure that ended a bit rough. We were separated from the other members for months. However, we have been working on calling everyone back." He rubs the back of his head, "Thankfully, things have not turned out too badly here." 

:'''[[Jean Faraven]] has posed:''' Jean is going to tacitly pretend he did not hear Reize talking about wearing a maid uniform. It may well be the most charitable act he ever performs during his history of association with the adventuring troupe. "Funny thing about gardens.." He transitions smoothly, spinning back around on his heel and striding across the floor with the sort of natural swagger only experience could purchase when Ivo insists on his presence, "If you don't know what you're planting a head of time, you'll never be able to manage it." "Ivo has a good memory. We ran into one another way back, when the calamities were just starting. You all were a little rough around the edges, but I saw a good dynamic. There was potential." He just /glanced/ at the seat, and you could swear it somehow shook a bit of the dust off itself. When the Hound of Balamb seats himself in it his presence is no less demanding than from the operating chair in the Garden's infamous Situation Room. "Too bad about the separation, but a good group will come back together no matter the distances that keep them apart." His eye narrows on Ivo as he mentions Tea, relenting in its steely contemplation as the offer suddenly become one of alcohol, "Sometimes the right mission is all you need to find that special something again." He'll proceed to hold out a glass (Where did it even come from?!) to receive the potent drink, enjoying a stout gulp with the cigar smouldering in his other hand, "So, this job. Let's hear about it."

:'''[[Mir Clarence]] has posed:''' The squawk of a chocobo outside HQ, in addition to the rickety rolling of a wooden cart, would give those inside a hint that someone else had arrived. Muffled voices outside came next. "Okay Coco, watch the cart! And deal with any customers that come by!" A pause, and then it started up again. "...Hah? Of course you can do it! You're not like those /other/ Chocobo! Believe in yourself a little!" A dejected 'kweh' followed and then the front door of the Shard Seeker's HQ opened up with a click as a small girl stepped through. "Excuse me! I'm coming in!" She called out, hands resting on her hips as she advanced further in. "Anyone here? Anyone at all?" She was keeping her expectations low. Especially after last time. "Huh...looks like it's not the pigsty it was before...not bad." And a nod of appreciation.

:'''[[Ivo Galvan]] has posed:''' "Really? I thought I looked quite good as a maid." He didn't. "Well, I--" But Ivo is silent as Reize begins to talk about his home. Nostalgia is a rare occurrence from the ever-wandering boy, at least openly expressed, so he simply listens to the frankly-stated farming facts, a little more surprised than, upon reflection, he should be. "Yes, it is impractical," he concedes, no longer playful toward the topic. He'd like to hear more, but now likely isn't the time. For one, that antenna hair is /hissing/ at him. Somehow. "It's autonomous, that's what's wrong with it! Anyway, what do you write, picture books?" So much for no longer being playful. "Reize, the only thing you'll ever have to do with writing is as a character in slash fict--" Actually, maybe they don't need maids. Maybe they just need Jean to glare at the furniture every morning. "Reize, this is Jean Faraven, the Hound of Balamb." He has a good memory not just for personalities, but for the rumors and legends surrounding them, too. "He's a... teacher." Of gardening, presumably. Ivo has produced a flask from within his voluminous cloak and is pouring it into Jean's cloak. Amazingly, he actually had some. Or something close enough. "Yes, things haven't turned out... too badly," Ivo confirms, albeit with slightly different intonation than his younger compatriot. "But we've taken on a diverting little venture to square accounts." Euphemisms are probably useless around Jean, but speaking this way is in Ivo's nature. He's a little surprised by the Hound's seeming interest, but obliges by continuing. "Our client is a traveling baker in search of a plant that grows in sandworm tunnels beneath the desert, 'mugwort'. It feeds off parasites that nest in the carapaces of passing worms, and is sensitive to the faint flickering of light off the gemstones embedded within. It's thus doubly dangerous to seek, due both to its environs and to its apparent tendency to lash out at anything reflective, including metal equipment." Looks like his position in this group isn't purely for show. "The Shard Seeker Device should be sensitive to whatever treasure the main mugwort plant has incidentally collected, so as long as we can navigate the sand tunnels safely and snag a seed pod without losing our gear, we--" He stops as the door opens, and then smiles, brushing some of the dust out of his hair. "And here's our client now," he concludes, gesturing toward Mir.

:'''[[Reize Seatlan]] has posed:''' This is a boy who grew up in a forestly hamlet where there were wood-cutters, hunters, gatherers, and herbalists. The small hamlet consisted with people who played in integral roles to keep the place as a self-sustaining place despite of it being a small area. The boy mused over his Isalian pride. However, those thoughts soon burst away as Reize glares at Ivo regarding his hair. The boy squints at Ivo before his cheeks puff up. His indignanty is subsided with the guest about. Jean is an interesting person. "...Huh?" The boy blinks for a moment, "So you had heard of us when we first started?" He squints, then he looks over to see Ivo and Jean's interactions. However, the approach of the baker is what gets his attention. "Oooi! Mir!" The youth has a beaming smile, "Yeah, this is the client who hired us!" He gives a bright smile, "She bakes some great pies, too!" 

:'''[[Jean Faraven]] has posed:''' "By chance." Jean acknowledges Reize's interest with a slow shrug of his shoulders that suggested the young man shouldn't let that go to his head /too/ much. The tequila went down strongly, and he availed himself of a smaller sip as Ivo recounted the particulars of their assignment. Yes, there were codewords and euphemisms abound in the description-it was clear the Shard Seekers had fallen on something akin to hard times recently-but the Hound of Balamb was not here to twist the knife, at least not when there was no opportunity to learn from it. So he'll listen and drink, nodding his head at every other point and considering the best angles of attack from which to approach the drop. "Mugwort's a nasty customer like that. You'll certainly want to dull down the shimmer of any reflective gear you've got before going after it-a thin layer of good particulate should do the trick without compromising any function. Beyond that..." He scratched at his chin thoughtfully, puffing out a smoke ring or two, "Well, sand worms are known to be territorially aggressive. They navigate by the vibrations the feel in the ground, so just setting foot in those tunnels is like stepping on a spider's web. Not only that, if you're unlucky enough to encounter an old, big specimen..." He grunted, "Well, depend on your team. Who else have you got?" It's about then that Mir makes her apperance, and Jean nods his head, "Ma'am." He doesn't inquire about just /why/ she'd want the mugwort or anything, professional courtesy and all.

:'''[[Mir Clarence]] has posed:''' TIlting her head, Mir spotted Ivo, and then Reize, and then Jean. "Ivo. Reize. ...." There was a pause as she looked over Jean. "...And-oh." She took a few more moments to scrutinize the man seated in the main area. "......" And then suddenly her demeanor grew a couple times less energetic. "...H-Hello..." Who was this man? He was so intimidating, she couldn't find her voice all of a sudden. Like something had just grasped her throat and kept her from speaking clearly. "...." Smiling in a nervous manner, Mir averted her eyes, a bit of red staining her cheeks at Reize's praise. "I-Idiot, it's my job, so of course I'm good at it...Use your head." Feeling embarrassment setting in, the fair crossed her arms and looked another way to avoid making direct eye contact with the presence that was Jean, lest he somehow work some kind of mind control over her. "...I see you guys have been cleaning...it looks nicer than before. Slightly."

:'''[[Ivo Galvan]] has posed:''' Ivo half-suppresses a smile at Mir's charming reactions. The young woman puts on a tough show, and it's surely not all show, either; she would have to be tough to wander about the worlds like this without being a trained warrior herself. But Jean is a little much for most people to handle, and her flush is quite endearing. "That's right, use your head, Reize," Ivo says breezily. "Of course she's good at baking pies when she's such a sweetie pie herself." He really shouldn't antagonize their clients, but when a young woman is looking embarrassed, pushing their buttons is just the natural thing to do. "But thank you, Ms. Clarence," he continues, more graciously. "Sir Faraven here glared at the room and it abruptly cleaned itself." There goes all Reize's credit. "He is a man of many talents." Including expounding on further mission details. Ivo shuts up for long enough to take all this in. Some of these details were unknown to him. He had briefly considered dulling the shine of their equipment, but with this, it now seems imperative. "We've received word that our old friend Sir Faruja Senra will be joining us, and the Dennou sisters may as well. The former is a formidable warrior and healer, and the latter could offer observational support adequate to evading the worst-case scenario, a sandworm encounter." Ivo winces slightly at the thought of facing a big one. "If it comes to that..." But this time, he maintains his composure. "We'll manage, as we always have, I'm sure."

:'''[[Reize Seatlan]] has posed:''' Reize looks rather thoughtful towards Jean regarding their name being mentioned by chance. The youth smiles a little more, "Well, at least we managed to gain more of a reputation as the time has passed." He closes his eyes, "However, with our absence, it is natural that it died down." He gives a considerate nod. Although Mir chides Reize over him not using his head, the boy grins, "Well, of course it is your skillcraft, but it's always nice to hear someone being appreciative of your skill, right? Knight's Code: Sixty-seventh Vow: Always show appreciation towards others' craft as it lets them know that you care." The boy beams happily, then he glances over towards Ivo, who comments about Jean glaring at the room clean. ... ... His antenna hair flops low and the boy grumbles. Someone did not follow the Knight's Code! Reize chucks the broom in frustration, giving Ivo a 'ththhhpt' of a raspberry. ...And speaking of the broom? It's high in the air. As the boy moves towards the shelf to procure a few things. The broom is falling on Ivo's head. "Sandworms?" The boy glances over to his journal at the counter. "This would be interesting to note. It would be nice to do some bestiary entries again." He grins, "Normally, hunting in the forest is my specialty, but... I've gotten used to the desert." 

:'''[[Jean Faraven]] has posed:''' "Field work in the desert has its challenges." Jean grunts, "For one, sand gets everywhere." He lifted his one-eyed gaze to Mir, dialing down the stoic a bit, "I was just dropping by to check on these boys. Seems you know them a good deal more than I do." Was there indeed more to this young woman than met the eye? The Hound would keep note. Ivo's roster is technically sound, to be sure. Healers, attackers and heavy hitters to round out every role a functioning mercenary group needed. Yet he couldn't avoid feeling the sense that it was all a bit too neat and orderly. Maybe it was just instinct, but the fact that their plan was hoping /not/ to run into enemy contact rather than planning specifically for it.. "If it comes to that..." Jean finished off the tequila and slammed the bottom of the glass squarely down on the desk, shaking the dust off it in another powerful demonstration of his powers, "You'll have me along as well." The seasoned soldier will rise from his chair like it was all settled and done, casually re-adjusting Anubis so that the gunblade didn't chafe over his shoulders, "Just so happens I have some free time...not only that, but we've been meaning to start mapping out the sandworm tunnels back at Balamb for a while. They could make for effective underground bunkers once the sandworm problem is dealt with." His arms cross, and the full weight of Jean's regard comes down on Reize in particular, "What do you say, Reize Seatlan? Am I good enough for your team?"

:'''[[Mir Clarence]] has posed:''' Ivo's praise just drew even more embarrassment from the girl. Cheeks reddening further, though this time it was definitey from anger. "Now you're just making fun of me! Shut up before I dock your hazard pay!" Pointing indignantly at the Shard Seeker strategist, she used her other hand to wipe her cheeks, as if that would make her blush go away. It didn't. Calming down just a little, Mir glanced at Reize and managed a small smile. "...Yeah, it is nice sometimes. When a customer tells me how much they enjoyed what I made. ...It's a good feeling." She fell quiet for a few moments there, recalling past service encounters. Jean's voice snapped her out of her idle reverie however and she once again remembered the man's imposing presence. "....." Oh man, what the hell was she supposed to say around these sword swinging, monster slaying types? Words caught in her throat again and she just...stood aside, rubbing an arm uncomfortably. Well, at the very least, he looked like he'd actually pull his weight. Unlike Twig Boy, and Dusty Cape here. "....Hehe-" The thought made Mir smile, forgetting her nervousness for a moment. It was then that she decided to speak up. "...Ahem. A-As the client here, I'm willing to throw in a bit extra to have him along. He looks...really capable." More than you guys.

:'''[[Ivo Galvan]] has posed:''' Ivo's smile broadens into a grin at Mir's continued reactions, which he mostly stifles at her outburst. He's rather missed this sort of interaction, to be honest. Most adventurers are either too thick-skinned or too soft-witted for this kind of repartee. "Well, I wouldn't want that," he murmurs lightly, averting his eyes toward the thoughtful Jean. He doesn't bother to look Reize's way as the boy starts chattering something about Knight's Vows again. Ivo is a knight, probably, and he's never heard anything about these vows. They go in one ear and out the other. There's definitely nothing Ivo needs to see Reize's way. Besides, what Jean is saying is blowing Ivo away. Some part of him might have hoped against hope that this was the cause of Jean's interest, but Ivo never truly anticipated this. His eyes widen slightly, not bothering to obscure his true sentiments. Mir's assessment is quite correct. Quickly, Ivo, as Shard Seeker strategist, must advise Reize on the correct course of action. With absolute resolve in his eye, the swordsman turns, mouth opening-- "Reizsfhh--" --and promptly clacking shut as a broomstick lands directly on his head, clattering to the ground. He stands staring into space for a moment, brow furrowed in an expression of mild perplexity, before stepping back and, with a thoughtful air, settling onto their dusty couch. "Ggrhfn," he concludes, and slumps forward. Reize, it's up to you!!

:'''[[Reize Seatlan]] has posed:''' "Yeah..." Reize murmurs in agreement with Jean, "Tell me about it." The boy looks over towards the surroundings, "I actually had to learn my way around the desert when I first traveled there with Shiki. We were supposed to meet here in Fluorgis with Ivo and Lily." He thinks over the ordeal, "It is amazing when you realized that you had to fight a cactaur for their juices." Even more amazing that Reize was made into a pincushion. That day was sad times. The boy looks over at Mir once her smile grows. It is good to see her happy, even if it is to hear someone compliment her works. After all, nothing is more meaningful than being appreciated. Once the soldier makes his interests known, the boy blinks a few times. "Really?" The boy smiles once more, then he grins happily. "Of course! We would be glad to have you in the team!" It actually goes without saying. Reize is not going to turn help away, especially when this man seems to have some kind of experience. It's almost a fatherly atmosphere. Of course, Reize has forgotten about Ivo. Why? Well, Ivo broke Knight's Code, Sixty-seventh vow. Right now, Ivo is DEAD to Reize! Hmph!

At Least It's Not a Fetch Quest

2014-02-24T06:44:34Z

IvoGalvan: Created page with "{{Log Header |Date of Scene=2014/02/24 |Location=Fluorgis - Shard Seekers HQ - Lobby |Synopsis=In which Reize's specialty compensates for the consequences of Ivo's absence, an..."

{{Log Header
|Date of Scene=2014/02/24
|Location=Fluorgis - Shard Seekers HQ - Lobby
|Synopsis=In which Reize's specialty compensates for the consequences of Ivo's absence, and the Shard Seekers get back to work, thanks to a new and understandably dubious acquaintance.
|Cast of Characters=Reize Seatlan, Ivo Galvan, Mir Clarence
|pretty=yes
}}
:'''[[Ivo Galvan]] has posed:''' "Upon reflection--" Ivo stares vacantly at the crumbling parchment strewn on the table before him, inked with figures and numbers and what appear to be numerous question marks, the dust upon his hands rendering them nearly as white as his pale countenance. "I should have anticipated this." The absence of the Shard Seeker strategist, self-appointed though he might be, has not been kind to the clan's logistics. Suffice to say, despite their success in defending Fluorgis previously and the respect they still enjoy, the finances required to upkeep their headquarters and the expenditures associated with endless adventure have left something of a mess. Specifically, a mess of bills. Unpaid bills. Long overdue bills. "I had several long ventures in mind," he murmurs, "in pursuit of anomalies detected by the device, but we may have to reserve those plans until we deal with these pressing matters. I'm not sure we can even afford provisions for the Saga at this point." Assuming they don't have to sell it. The Shard Seeker Device remains unperfected, but its capacity to detect strange magical artifacts and absurdly dangerous monsters, if not necessarily World Shards, remains quite high. While as heroes World Shards are the priority, as adventurers, all of the above are suitable excuses for a quest. Or at least-- "Reize," Ivo calls, looking up from his workdesk toward the rest of the lobby, regaining some of his composure, "we may have need of your specialty again. We may need to pursue..." He quirks a smile. "...a sidequest."

:'''[[Reize Seatlan]] has posed:''' It has been a busy day and that left Reize to go into the HQ and get Lynn aquainted with her quarters. She gets to have the ladies bunk area at the HQ. Sure, she'll have to be roomed with the other females, but she won't have to worry about any interloper. ...Well, unless Reize ends up getting knocked in the room somehow. It's happened before. This leaves for Reize to meet back with Ivo. Reize takes the moment to look over where Ivo is staring at. He glances over the parchments and he scratches his head. "...So that's what they were?" He looks over towards the paper, "I looked over those. I saw lots of numbers, and tossed them back on the table." He offers a shrug. Frown. "Wait, what?!" The boy looks over at Ivo, "So we are having money issues?" He furrows his eyebrows. "Ugh... too much adult stuff that is annoying." He puffs his cheeks, the antenna hair flipping up angrily. Once Ivo brings up an important matter. Reize's eyes light up. There is a glint of hope in his eyes as he hears those magic words. "...Side quests?" See those eyes become starry as the night. They glisten with fondness. "...Sidequests...~"

:'''[[Mir Clarence]] has posed:''' While the intrepid adventurers were busy discussing their utterly abyssmal lack of funds within, from outside, someone was approaching the headquarters of these so-called Shard Seekers. A girl with long, green hair tired back into a ponytail by a blue ribbon. She was short, at five feet tall, and her eyes were oddly pink. All in all, she could have been mistaken for a child at first glance, but the way she carried herself at least suggested that she was more mature than she appeared to be. "Wait here, and watch the cart, okay?" The girl spoke to her company, which as it turned out, appeared to be a chocobo decidedly much larger than she was. The feathery tassels flowing from either side of it's head suggested that it was in fact a chocobo from Pulse. A wild one, that for some reason this girl made company with. And being dragged along behind the feathered creature was a large, red merchant's cart. There was a small space that held greens, likely for the girl's chocobo companion. The rest of the space was taken up by a decidedly large, closed receptacle that offered no insight as to it's contents, save for a small smokestack billowing up and out of the top from a vaguely chimney-like opening. She, and her cart carried a scent of baked apples and spices. Perhaps a hint to her occupation. Nonetheless, here she stood, staring up at the building in contemplation. "...Maybe I should check out Clan Gully first." Somewhere, a boy in a stupid, red hat sneezed. Poor kid. The chocobo offered a 'Wark!' in response, and the green haired girl smiled a little in amusement. "Yeah, I guess we should check here first, since we're already standing out front...You're right!" Did she actually understand, or was she putting words in the bird's mouth? Who knew. A nod was given, and then she stepped forward, a gloved hand grasping the handle and turning... Opening it, the girl stepped inside. "...Helloooo?" She called out, walking into the Shard Seeker's HQ, curiously eyeing the front foyer. "...Wow, this place looks less impressive than I thought it'd be..." The girl muttered to herself, disappointment gradually filtering into her expression. "...Do the people who supposedly saved this city really have a place so unkempt...?" Now she was thinking about turning around and checking out Clan Gully even more...

:'''[[Ivo Galvan]] has posed:''' "Sidequests!" Ivo affirms. The door opens, bearing with it the scent of sweet fruit and wild yeasts upon the breeze, and the erstwhile knight looks up from his friend's reverie with a smile. "And what decent adventurers have a well-kept home?" is his easy reply, stepping forward toward the entrance and raising his hand in greeting. The lobby is quite in disarray, and the spaced-out boy and dust-strewn man do little to offer a better impression, but Ivo, as always, is undaunted. "Welcome to the headquarters of the Shard Seekers, young miss. I am Ivo Galvan, vice-captain, and this is our leader, the redoubtable Reize Seatlan. His will to aid those in need is as unerring as his sense of his direction errs." A flatterer as always. "Please, tell us what ails you. How may we be of service? Ah, would you like some tea?" Ivo turns toward the open kitchen in back, its windows revealing a garden once cultivated with great care. "Assuming they haven't cut off our access to the Fire Crystal's power already," he mutters under his breath, stepping over to the stove and adjusting the dial. He pauses for a long. "My apologies. We seem to be out of tea," he then says, turning around with the same smile. "May I offer you a glass of cold water instead?" That's definitely a tin of tea leaves right there on the countertop.

:'''[[Reize Seatlan]] has posed:''' Sniff sniff. Sniff sniff. The arouma of the delicious baked apple bread is catching Reize's attention. It flows through his nostrils and he leans his head away to the side. "Mmm... this smells good." He happily turns his direction towards the entrance. It is then that the person responsible for the smell makes her entrance into the facility. He looks over the woman and greets her with a bright smile, "Ooii!" Waving a hand at her direction, Reize offers a sheepish smile. "Apologies. ..It's been a while since many of us came here. We were on a voyage that...did not turn out so well. We've been gone for so long, so it's not in the best shape. We'll likely begin handling some clean-ups, soon." He laughs sheepishly. As Ivo introduces him, the boy offers a wave and a bright smile. As Ivo hypes up Reize's convention, the boy brightens even more. "Yeah!!" ... ... "... Wait, what?" Reize turns towards Ivo, shooting him a glare regarding his sense of directions. He frowns towards Ivo and then he looks over to the sight of the headquarters. "... It has definitely been far too long since we've taken care of the place." 

:'''[[Mir Clarence]] has posed:''' "....." Mir is silent, as she offers no response to the two, but a mildly incredulous stare. That boy must have been twelve! And that man's cape was shabby! "Well, I guess you /do/ have a point. After all, there goes the saying, 'a knight in shining armor has never witness true battle.'...Or something." She shrugged onchalantly, dismissing her own point as soon as she'd made it. "Ivo Galvan...I think I heard that name at the town hall. ...For some reason, they told me to look for you and not..." She trailed off and stared at Reize. "...Him." So that was Reize Seatlan. Leader and apparent 'guild master' of the Shard Seekers. Were these people doing drugs? He didn't seem that capable to her. ...But then, judging by appearances was never really a great idea. The girl gave a sigh and stepped inside. At the very least she could explain her case. Helping herself to a nearby chair, she smoothed out her skirt and looked over at the Shard Seeker strategist. "Tea? Well..." Nope. They were so broke, their power was cut off. "......." Ner eyes narrowed, unimpressed. "...Nevermind." Okay, how she just felt bad for these people. Have these heroes fallen so far so that couldn't afford to boil a pot of water? Sure, she had magic, but she was a guest! Heaving a sigh, the girl closed her eyes and then took another deep breath. "My name is Mir. Mir Clarence." She started, opening her eyes and turning her pink eyes upon the two present. "...I came here because I have a job that needs doing. And I'm not a strong fighter." Simple enough so far. "I need to gather some ingredients in the desert. Some flowers that grow in a network of caverns located somewhere in the desert. I was told there were a lot of absurdly dangerous monsters lurking about, so I'm not dumb enough to try and solo this." Okay, that was a bit more complicated, but still simple in theory. "Of course, I can pay. Hansomely. But..." Mir narrowed her eyes and looked between Reize and Ivo. "...I'm not so sure I came to the right place. You guys look kind of weak." Ouch.

:'''[[Ivo Galvan]] has posed:''' "All in good time," Ivo says to Reize with aplomb, his confidence seeming to grow with every embarrassing setback as though to counterbalance. Yeah, she definitely noticed the whole stove thing. Damn. But as she explains the mission, Ivo's smile grows a little keener, and in growing keener a little more honest too. For all he's willing to posture in the name of securing work, this does sound precisely up their alley. And how long has it been since they took on a mission like this together? They'll have to send out the call and see who's able to respond. Aimlessly wandering the worlds is all well and good, but even the once-nobleman has a fondness for ventures such as these. "You've come to the right place, then," he says, and a bit of his bombast has gone; he sounds like he means it. "We have experience navigating desert caverns, as evidenced by our recovery of the Phoenix Pinion Fossil." Perhaps Mir has heard some of the specifics of their fight to protect Fluorgis. "Foraging and salvage are specialties of ours as well." Easing his scabbard off his hip and lowering it below the counter, he fills mugs of clear water from a basin with the other hand. "Give us a day and a half to summon our comrades, and we'd be prepared to move out immediately after." And then she drops the bomb. "Ha ha ha!" Ivo chuckles, unfazed. "A plain-spoken woman is good, and a straight-talking client is better. I can trust you hide nothing of note from us. But by contrast, Miss Clarence, I assure you--" He leans against the countertop facing her, one elbow upon the stone, the other arm dangling out of sight. "We are more than meets the eye." Slowly he siles. "Your water, if you please." And then, lowering slowly from above into visibility, a hiltless sword blade floating parallel to the floor, one of the mugs of water balanced carefully upon it, right in front of Mir. Still smiling, Ivo lifts his hidden hand, showing Hauteclare's hilt with an orb of energy pulsing where the blade should be, and with a faint twitch of his wrist, the poised mug drifts harmlessly into reach.

:'''[[Reize Seatlan]] has posed:''' "Buh?" Reize looks over Mir with a frown. She does not seem too friendly, overall. The people at the town hall telling her to see Ivo and not him? This draws a frown on his face. "What?!" He grits his teeth, "Those jerks." He shakes his head, lifting his shoulders with a shrug. "Ahhh..." He cannot help but to look around the area a little more. "...Uhh... Wow. It looks like we have left the headquarters far too long." As Mir finally introduced herself, the boy brightens, "Pleased to meet you, Mir!" Kind of. She doesn't give off a friendly demeanor, after all. The boy blinks for a moment at the assignent. "We'll take it!" And then, she claims that they look weak. "Hey! We are not weak! We've done many of the tasks that have been given out to us! Don't take us so lightly!" He glances at Ivo, then he gives a grunt, "We've also taken up many tasks by other people. We've freed spirits that were held captive, restored a world that was once lost. The Shard Seekers are very capable of handling the task." A smile grows, "The least likely people are more likely to prove you wrong." 

:'''[[Mir Clarence]] has posed:''' Mir watched the two of them, and their wildly different responses to her accusations of weakness. She still wasn't impressed, and shook her head with a sigh. "Uh-huh." Smiling, she crossed her arms as well as her legs. "Really? You look like a twig from where I'm sitting." And then to Ivo. "And you look like someone who ought to be sitting behind a desk rather than swinging a sword." That said, the girl shrugged once again. "But sure, maybe I might be wrong. I have heard tell of your group's exploits. ...Traversing caverns, recovering lost artifacts, defeating dangerous monsters and heartless..." And then the girl smirked. "But you know, I hear Clan Gully has done all that, and more. Plus they're bigger. ...And I hear their leader, Luso Clemens is exceptionally skilled for his age. I've even heard stories of him taking down undead fiends without so much as a scratch on him." Okay, now she was playing the field, verbally poking at them to see if any buttons were to be pushed. "Why should I not go to them with the job?" Ivo's assurance that they're not as weak as they appear drew Mir's gaze. "...?" She watched as the knight errant performed his little sword show, levitating the blade over to the girl, till the glass of water was in reaching distance. "...." She did eventually reach out and take it. "So your sword is broken. Awesome." Despite saying that, there was a teasing sort of smile adorning her face. She understood the ability at a glance, but it was more interesting to make fun of him. "Are all of your weapons malfunctioning?" Reize is given a look after and Mir tilted her head a bit. "...Maybe. But I've got money on the line here. I'm not paying for blind faith and heroic optimism." Blunt.

:'''[[Ivo Galvan]] has posed:''' Ivo grins broadly at Mir's provocative smile. "I assure you, my weapon functions perfectly well." And so does his sword. Hauteclare's blade, unburdened of its mug, floats back to its roost, rejoining with its hilt with a solid click as the desk-duty knight sheathes it in a single smooth motion, approaching the elegance of his samurai teacher. "As with your money, so shall be our lives," is his smooth reply, "a bet we are fully prepared to make, as we have before. You will not regret employing the Shard Seekers, Miss Clemens." He steps out from behind the counter, bringing Reize a mug of water of his own. "Your money guarantees you success, and a significant entertainment value. The former you pay for--" And he claps his other hand on Reize's shoulder. "--and the latter is free." Whereupon he leans in toward Mir conspiratorily. "And you didn't hear it from me," he says in a hush, "but I hear Luso Clemens has fallen into a life of vice and dissipation, and has banished all but scantily-clad de-equipped Viera from his Clan, with whom he lounges about in disgrace. Some say he has been undone after failing a hero's trial for a magic sword. I say he simply gave into an ever-present temptation." He pats Reize's shoulder again. "And who can blame him, eh, Reize?" Assuming Reize hasn't already left the room to join Clan Gully.

:'''[[Reize Seatlan]] has posed:''' A smile grows as she mentions about Clan Gully. The boy cannot help but brighten, "Clan Gully is a great clan as well! Luso is skilled, but he and I are evenly matched!" The youth smiles, "Luso's a good friend of mine, actually!" He considers, "...Getting his help would be good as well." He taps his chin, giving a thoughtful look a little more. Now, when she mentions about the money on the line, Reize turns his head to meet with her. "We are as good as our word and your money will be well spent if you choose the Shard Seekers. We've done a lot for this place. The reason for this place's state is that many of us have been dealing with other tasks that drew us away from our main base." He furrows his eyebrows, "Besides, while you are worried about your money, my friends and I will be putting our lives on the line. We never backdown from anything." Reize looks over towards Ivo when he starts explaining about Luso's fate. ... ... "Wait. What?" 

:'''[[Mir Clarence]] has posed:''' MEANWHILE "ACHOO!" Luso Clemens, boy wonder, and leader of Clan Gully wiped his nose after another heavy sneeze. "Ergh...is someone talking about me?" He mumbled, looking left and right warily. "...I bet it's some two-bit half knight with a really shabby cape..." He mumbled, from atop of monster carcass. "Oh well, time to cash in this mark!" And then he hopped off, chopping off a horn and striding off back to town. Wherever he was.

:'''[[Ivo Galvan]] has posed:''' "Wait for us, Luso!" cried the small group of unarmed bikini-clad Viera there for moral support, following behind him.

:'''[[Mir Clarence]] has posed:''' "Are you talking about your sword now? Or did you mean your d-" A loud crash of pottery, followed by a chorus of feline screeches outside drowned out whatever it was that Mir was saying. Followed by another 'God damn it!'. Wonder who that was. Still, the conversation went on unhindered. "...I'll be sure to remember that, next time I check out Clan Gully then." Shrugging, she listened to both Ivo and Reize's appeals, as well as their resolute promises that her money would be well spent. "....Alright. I'll give you guys a chance. Shabby looking as you might be." Smiling a little more genuinely, she nodded. "Maybe you will surprise me." And if not...well, that was on them. Finally at the moment, she took the time to down a bit of the water from the glass she was holding. "Okay, How's 10000 Gil sound? 2000 of that is bonus for risking your lives. And you're only getting half up front. Deal?"

:'''[[Ivo Galvan]] has posed:''' Uh, what was the Munny to Gil conversion rate again? Wait a minute, is there even such a thing? It's a hard bargain, but given the bills that Ivo has seen already, he's practically salivating at the prospect of a 5000 Gil advance. Moreover, clever though he may be, he does /not/ want to go toe-to-toe with this young woman in a haggling match. If he were lucky, he'd come out no worse than he started. Best to take her fair price. He'd be able to get more out of a less savvy client, but none seem to be in evidence. And he'd better say something before Reize, because that guy would agree to take on a quest for a funny-looking pebble, convinced it was a key item. And then, frustratingly enough, it would be. "I'll ensure your surprises are pleasant," Ivo says, grinning again and crossing his arms. He's pretty sure she said something sassy, but he couldn't hear her over all the cats. Must be Youtube Alley over there. "Sounds good to me. Chief?" Presuming Reize assents, Ivo soon turns to busy himself with the preparations. There are allies to contact and supplies to gather. And the power to turn back on, if the bills aren't too high...

:'''[[Reize Seatlan]] has posed:''' Reize gives things a lot of thought. There is a contemplation of the matter. The Shard Seekers are running out of money. They haven't done anything to upkeep the place. ...They need to acquire funds to pay the bills. This was likely not a good time to get Lynn involved with them, in retropect. Nevertheless, Reize knows the situation wella nd what it can be spelled out as. "Yeah, it is a deal." Sigh. It is time to get this place running again. It is the Shard Seeker's second home.

Turnabutt is Fair Play

2013-07-03T00:02:51Z

IvoGalvan: Created page with "{{Log Header |Date of Scene=2013/07/02 |Location=Eastern Continent - Flourgis - Shard Seekers HQ - Lobby |Synopsis=What begins as a visit to the Shard Seeker headquarters by t..."

{{Log Header
|Date of Scene=2013/07/02
|Location=Eastern Continent - Flourgis - Shard Seekers HQ - Lobby
|Synopsis=What begins as a visit to the Shard Seeker headquarters by the irrepressible Ivo Galvan and his bewitching pseudo-prisoner Alicia becomes a farce of epic proportions once Morrighan Alazne arrives having left her memories behind. An ensemble cast of half-naked warriors, shades-wearing Judge apprentices, bicurious mind-linked detectives, and all manner of eccentric characters converge. Baths are taken. Vengeance is sworn. Victory is achieved. Sweet, sweet victory.
|Cast of Characters=Ivo Galvan, Riku, Shiki Misaki, Deelel, Morrighan Alazne, Angantyr Vespar, Emi Dennou, Royce, Alma Hyral
|pretty=yes
}}
:'''[[Ivo Galvan]] has posed:''' With stars falling and shards appearing, the Shard Seekers and their questionably functional device have been on the move, sailing the seas of Phantasia past strange new shores. So far, all detected anomalies have resulted in wild goose chases and the typical outrageous shenanigans, but needless to say, that hasn't gotten Reize and company down. Soon enough, the crew of the Romancing Saga III, that ship of fools, is sure to find something of note. (As soon as we have time to host a big scene, that is...) Thus, having not returned to the Shard Seeker headquarters in a few weeks, Ivo Galvan, knight very errant, arrives through the door with a swish of his dusty blue cloak, amiably smiling despite his fatigue. "Here we are," he announces to his voluptuous companion. "I'm not sure if any of our friends are around at this hour, but feel free to relax." The lobby of their converted warehouse is as charming and homey as ever, even if it's gotte a little dusty. "You should take a look at the garden out back. Lily and I put a lot of love into it." Just imagine, Ivo working hard in the dirt. It happened! "There's an outdoor bath, too, if you'd like to refresh yourself." He looks hopeful.

:'''[[Royce]] has posed:''' Alicia regards the rather plain looking accomodations with a wry smirk, doing her best to humor her temporary 'captor' as she has for the last several days. Ever since her discovery on the ill-fated ship of ghosts, she's been forced to put on a charade for the sake of keeping her true identity a secret. Not for lack of power; she could easily summon up a great host of the dead to destroy these foolish mortals at a whim. Even the empty stretches of sand that surround this bustling oasis hide the bleached bones of countless centuries. Her desire to remain undiscovered simply stems from the fact that being hunted around the world tends to make it more difficult to do the things that she requires to progress her research. The witch's time in captivity has given her much freedom to merely sit and think, something she has precious little of normally despite being hundreds of years old. Her symbiotic companion is the only person she truly trusts, having proven both capable and interested in keeping her alive, but his mad obession with unearthing the secrets of the universe would have burned her out ages ago were she not possessed of an unknown source of immortality and ample amounts of patience. It is the latter which she puts to good use now. Slipping through the front door of the Shard Seekers home and primary base of operations, she hums thoughtfully at Ivo. "Perhaps later, I am certainly in dire need. This heat is quite dreadful, it is a wonder that anyone can live here."

:'''[[Ivo Galvan]] has posed:''' "Perhaps you're overdressed." Oh, Ivo. "Once I've taken care of some routine business," the young swordsman continues in a more casual tone, glancing over his shoulder and turning his composed yet easygoing smile back to 'Alicia', "we'll go see the main plaza, and you'll understand. Fluorgis is constructed over a vast aquefier, and the Fire Crystal powers countless fountains all along the staggered steps of this city. We came here for the Crystal, but we stayed for the same reason everyone else did." A diverse and typically tranquil place before the fusion of worlds, the appearance of the engineers of Karnak and so many other strange people threw Fluorgis into an unfamiliar confusion and tension, but the city has gained great solidarity after the events of the shadows that were cast over it. "Are you familiar with the Crystals of the World of Ruin?" Ivo sets down his sword Hauteclare and takes off his cloak, stretching and walking over to the portion of the main room that has been made into a make-shift kitchen. There's a bulletin board over there he now peruses. "Maybe your sister is interested in them, given her inclination toward sources of magic." As always, even though Ivo's behavior toward the witch is utterly blithe, something about his self-possession makes it unclear just how much of her story he believes, if any of it. By this point, the truth is probably fairly obvious: he just doesn't care. She's extraordinarily beautiful, clever, and fascinating, and Ivo takes pleasure in spending time with her. He doesn't presume she likes him, but he's hopeful she might let down her emotional defenses eventually, if only to see what lies behind them. That he wants that goes to show how little he suspects.

:'''[[Royce]] has posed:''' Alicia offers a bland smile that doesn't show in her eyes at the jest. It's the same expression she's come to rely on to get past the incessant teasing that Ivo throws at her at every opportunity, no longer even bothering to put much effort into trying to accomodate his perverse sense of humor. It's like a game of chess that they've both been playing for days now, both learning the way the other will react to various things. He tries to twist her words and use them to fuel flirtatious exchanges and she does her part to deflect his advances with vague answers and subtle suggestions that never manifest into palpable results. The mention of crystals causes a stab of pressure to lance through her mind but as always the sensation is merely noted rather than felt, her body practically immune to such simple stimulation as pain or pleasure in all but the most extreme cases. She feels the prescence of the book flood into her consciousness, his mind straining to maintain their invisible connection via the distance between them. Royce had hidden it on the ghost ship to avoid any unpleasant questions from rising about its rather ghastly appearance and ever since then she has left its transportation to a small group of the undead which has followed them about ever since. The presence listens to the short explanation of the crystals and she doesn't even need to wait for it to speak to know what it wants. "No, I've never heard of such a thing. My sister typically hunts down ancient artifacts or forbidden tomes which have been lost or sealed away in dungeons and vaults. However, if they contain the power to keep an entire city alive in the middle of a grand desert such as this... yes, this sounds like something she would be /keenly/ interested in."

:'''[[Morrighan Alazne]] has posed:''' Morrighan...or rather, Kara, as Avira had named her in her currently memoryless self, had heard tell of several adventuring groups recently. She was already acquainted with the TDA, having been assisted by Emi and Avira. But then there was VALKRI, Clan Gully, and the Shard Seekers... Someone had recommended that she go with the latter, considering that the former were just a bunch of maids and butlers(allegedly), and Clan Gully was more specialized in taking down Marks. Not quite sure what most of that meant in the first place, Kara decided to head out and find the Shard Seekers first. Hitching a ride on an airship, she eventually arrived at Fluorgis' port. The dark elf made her way off deck after awkwardly thanking the crew for the ride and then headed off into the streets. "...It's...hot..." She mumbled, shielding her eyes from the rays of the sun. No one had told her that Fluorgis was so hot! And it didn't take long for the girl to get lost in the city. Eventually, after some time of aimless wandering, Kara decided to ask for directions. It didn't take long before someone just gave up and personally led her to the Shard Seekers HQ's front door. Thanking her exasperated benefactor, she then proceeded to open the door and step inside, having never learned to knock just yet. "Um...excuse me?" She spoke out, stepping in further into the main foyer of the building.

:'''[[Ivo Galvan]] has posed:''' Hmm, looks like Zia and Skoll have been busy, and there's been some chaos involving Faruja's religion. Nothing the others can't handle so far, though. Ivo will make sure to keep abreast of events in case his friends find themselves in dire need of aid. "According to what I've heard from the natives of the lands which fused to make this world," he says, turning away from the bulletin board, "the Crystals used to keep the elemental balance of the world intact, and to harness their power was to harness the power of the planet itself. But there were four Crystals on each world, and each of the Crystals of /this/ world seems to have come from a different one, or so it seems. Regardless, the temporary suppression of the Fire Crystal didn't seem to have any effect on the World of Ruin at large, so while still powerful, it doesn't seem like the Crystals are /as/ powerful as they used to be." The dark-haired youth grins lopsidedly. "Maybe that's why the world is eternally unbalanced." Stepping back into the main room, his grin broadens to become radiant, eyebrows lifting slightly as he approaches Alicia again. Even as she perpetually diverts his advances, she /also/ doesn't seem to care too much about what he does with or sees of her body -- which would make him a little sad if it didn't make him so, so happy -- so he seems to think he has a chance here. "Now, about that bath--" But it's just then that a very familiar face with a very unfamiliar tone of voice shows up at the door. Ivo stops, grin turning fixed, then faltering as waves of confusion, unsettledness, and actual honest-to-goodness concern (someone snap a pic) assail him, before settling on-- "Morrighan?" --a very calculating expression. "Is that... you?"

:'''[[Emi Dennou]] has posed:''' Emi and Imi had no idea that Avira was a maid. Maybe she's a butler. But they are on the way to the Shard Seeker HQ for completely different reasons. Imi also had Feige-related issues which, at the moment, have been solved thanks to a liberal amount of violence done to her person. See Max's cutscene for what happened to her head, young viewers! On second thought maybe not, it may be inappropriate--no no, don't go see it anyway! Arggh! This is why your parents are fed up! Emi notices Morrighan--not that she sees her as such--heading into the Shard Seeker HQ. She squeezes Imi's hand briefly before advancing on her own, she better get to them first though she really imagines they forgot she gave her a warning about Imi in the first place--better stay safe. "Good to see you again," She tells Morri. "We are here on unrelated business--it seems we have a habit of running into one another, The Network is a bit embarrassed (not really)."

:'''[[Royce]] has posed:''' The witch soaks in the information and files it away, knowing that even as she does so the details are being scrawled into the endless pages of the Necronomicon somewhere nearby. She puts on a casual air, feigning mild interest in the crystals while she wanders about the lobby, peering at various things that happen to catch her eye. "Fascinating," she says when the short exposition is over with. And she means it for once. More research will have to be done on these magical sources in the future once she finds a way to escape her current situation in a manner that pleases her. The creaking of the door behind her causes the woman to turn and she peers with a friendly gaze at the new arrival. Alicia fights down the urge to reach for her guns as the elf steps into view. This person... she knows her from the forest. She was the one who called forth that creature, the one they called Lich. But something feels different now. Casting a glance sideways at Ivo, she quirks an eyebrow at the gamut of expressions that his face twists through in a handful of moments. They know each other? How interesting. Yet more voices chime in unexpectedly and Alicia gives an amused sigh, crossing her arms over her chest. "You seem to be quite popular, Ivo. We've been here no more than a few moments and you've already got women clamoring at your door."

:'''[[Morrighan Alazne]] has posed:''' Silence as Kara's eyes fell upon Ivo. "......" Were those roses and shoujo sparkles littering the surroundings? -Oh no, no, just a hallucination. Still, after a moment of continued silence, she spoke. "...Morrighan? Who's that?" Tilting her head slightly, the dark elf slowly raised a hand and pointed to herself. "...Do you mean me?" She went on to ask, adopting a horribly confusd expression. This was the first person to actually call her by name. If only she had found him sooner. But considering what has already happened, Kara wound up shaking her head. "...My name is Kara." She said, pointing to herself still. "A nice lady called Avira named me." She seemed rather proud of that, if the small smile growing on her face was any indication. She had a name now! She was normal! ...not. Emi's voice briefly took her attention away from within and she looked aside at her. "Oh. Emi...hello. ...Did you come to see these Shard Seekers too?" What a coincidence. Either way, Kara's expression remained mostly blank, barring a slight smile from earlier. And then Royce's comment caused her to look in that direction, tilting her head slightly once again in confusion. "...What does clamoring mean?" And so it began.

:'''[[Ivo Galvan]] has posed:''' "Are you jealous?" he asides to Alicia, again hopeful. But for the most part he is absolutely fixated on Morrighan, or 'Kara', apparently, his eyes progressively widening despite his mask of self-control. Even Emi and Imi, some of Ivo's favorite people, get merely a distracted nod -- hopefully they remember Alicia from the mission and don't need to be re-introduced -- as he steps forward. Slowly his confusion melts away, his eyes beginning to soften, revealing a depth of emotion Ivo has hitherho hidden from the world. He swallows silently, pushing back a vast ocean of heartfelt longing. "Kara... no, Morrighan... you don't..." His blue eyes have moistened. "You don't... remember me?" Stepping forward, Ivo reaches out to gently take the dark elf's delicate hand, clasping it with both of his own and pressing it to his chest. "It's me, Ivo... your boyfriend." There is a long pause. He trembles faintly. "Darling!" And then he pulls her close in an impassioned embrace. "I feared I'd never see you again," he whispers. "You've returned to me at last, and yet... how cruel!" He manages to pull himself away from the no doubt startled woman, but his hands remain on her arms. "I'm sorry, this must be so confusing for you... but how can I keep myself away now that you're back...?" Ivo appears deeply pained. This superbly masks his actual thought process, which is more or less along the lines of: wow, Morrighan always had a nice body, but she /really/ has a nice body.

:'''[[Emi Dennou]] has posed:''' Emi says, "That's right." She didn't quite hear everything on her approach, but she catches that she's apparently named Kara now? Avira named her? She supposes that's what she'd do, she never really understood the fascination with names. "Kara then---would you like us to call you that?" Emi asks, and is about to inquire further when Ivo sweeps Morrighan into a mighty embrace. Imi remains outside for the moment, but Emi frowns faintly. "You are a louse, Ivo Galvan." Emi does her best Dorothy Waynewright impression. Though did he say---Morrighan? Emi looks at Morrighan, then to Ivo, then to Morrighan. "It's a little racist to assume, Ivo." She adds.

:'''[[Royce]] has posed:''' Not in the least. "Perhaps a little," the witch replies, smirking at the elf's innocent reaction. Oh, Ivo is just going to eat this up. And sure enough, the knight proves once again he and chivalry are destined to be mortal enemies. "Oh dear." Alicia puts a finger to her temple at the utterly ridiculous drama unfolding before her. But at the same time, behind her mask of aloof playfulness, she is utterly fascinated. This is just like her soaps! What happens next?! Does she know about Ivo's unfaithfulness? Has Morrighan been seperated by fate, only just now to be reunited with her true love? Is Ivo really her brother?!

:'''[[Morrighan Alazne]] has posed:''' Wow, this man seemed to be really bothered by something. Why was that, considering the fact that she had no idea who he was? "Um...remember...you?" She asked, remaining still as the man in the blue cape took a step forward, taking her hand. Upon revealing that he was supposedly her /boyfriend/...Kara, or rather, Morrighan just blinked slowly in response as she processed the revelation. "...What does boyfriend mean?" But there was little time to question anything else as Ivo suddenly pulled her into an embrace. The elf's eyes widened slightly for a moment at that. "...Huh? ...wha....?" This was all happening so fast and she was having a hard time keeping up with everything. She didn't get a chance to answer Emi's inquiry regarding the name situation. Upon parting, she looked up at Ivo, furrowing her brows in confusion. "...This is confusing. I don't know anything about whatever you're saying..."

:'''[[Ivo Galvan]] has posed:''' "Kara..." It's evident that it pains Ivo to use this different name, but that out of deference to Morrighan's confusion, he'll do so. (Sometimes, the evidence lies.) "You don't even remember that much? A boyfriend is... we shared everything with each other. Everything," he emphasizes for some reason. "Absolutely everything." We get it. "We were close, like this." No longer able to keep her at arm's distance, he pulls Morrighan to him again. Man, she's soft. No, focus, Galvan! Focus on the performance! "We... we /loved/ each other, Kara. And I..." Gently, he lifts her chin with a brush of his fingertips. "...I still love you." Completely ignoring his karma meter plummeting deep into abyssal negatives, Ivo leans in and, as long as there is no justice in this world, kisses Morrighan on the lips. Should he succeed, his own giddy delight at getting away with this outrageous nonsense begins to give away a little bit to-- uh, well-- she really is a good-looking woman, isn't she? Uh-- Just as, you know, part of the joke, just to see how far he can get, you understand, Ivo's hands slip down to Morrighan's lower back, and then a little bit lower, and a little bit lower still-- and then, just a little bit-- *squeeze*

:'''[[Emi Dennou]] has posed:''' Suddenly Imi bursts in. "ARE WE PRACTICING BUTT GROPING NOW?" Imi asks with a big smile. :D :D :D :D :D. "...The Network would like to note that Imi has been desynched for quite some time." Emi says. "But is now a part of The Network again."

:'''[[Morrighan Alazne]] has posed:''' "Huh...?" Kara mumbled quietly, staring up at Ivo as he explained the whole boyfriend thing. "Shared...everything? That's-" And then suddenly she is pulled close again. ...Being hugged like this actually was kind of nice. But something seemed off...Some little detail bothering her, but she just could not figure it out. "...We loved each other?" She heard about! Alma explained love to her! And it made absolutely zero sense at all! ...She actually was a part of that? How curious. Her momentary reverie was interrupted as Ivo gently lifted her chin, making her look up at him again. "....Um...I-mm!" And again, the girl found herself cut off, this time as the knight errant's lips connected with her own. ...This was something she had no idea about. What was he doing? Why did he do it? Was this /love/? It made no sense to her. And then a sensation down below caused her eyes to widen in surprise. His hand was somewhere it shouldn't be. ...Not that she would know such a thing. But there was one very disconcerting detail about all of this that Ivo should have noticed by now. Despite kissing and groping her, she had put up absolutely zero resistance at all. She was completely vulnerable. Completely open.

:'''[[Royce]] has posed:''' Alicia watches with rapt attention, no longer even pretending to be too aloof to care what's going on. She nods quietly at Ivo's explanation of what a relationship shared by two lovers should be. At his declaration of love she clenches her fists, but not out of anger, out of whatever small sliver of emotion passes for excitement or perhaps anticipation within her hollow mind. When he leans in for the kiss, she leans foward as well, shadowing his movements from the far side of the room. Just a little bit closer... a little bit... YES! The witch's fingers squeeze tightly and she gives a satisfied nod. But wait, there's more! His hands are drifting downards; is he really going for it?! The lower Ivo's hands slide the higher Alicia's eyebrows raise until she's practically wide-eyed. If she were sitting down she'd be on the edge of her seat at this point. And then that magical moment is shattered. Almost mechanically, the witch's gaze shifts from the hugging couple to the small Dennou girls, her head swiveling slowly until her lone red eye is locked onto them. She doesn't speak, nor does she have to. She burning crimson eye says everything.

:'''[[Alma Hyral]] has posed:''' So Alma has finally come to the headquarters of the illustrious shard seekers. Riku had finally convinced her that Reize was no desert harem master and was in fact, as decent as one could get outside of brain damage, which finally gave her the courage to come to Fluorgis on her own. She supposed that it would have been better had Riku or Faruja introduced her to them... but Riku wasn't available due to training and Faruja was kind of a jerkface who had fined her munny she didn't have for blessing him then enslaved her in the kitchens in Mullonde for a few days. She'd put on her rather frumpy white mage robes with the red triangular trim for the occasion, and had her hair up in it's typical bun. Since the door was open, she just walked right in, her gaze falling upon Emi immediately with a cheerful smile, "Hey Emi, how's it going?" She hadn't met Imi yet though, so despite her Dennou rep being high, no faceplate. "And hey there, which node are yo..." But that introduction is interrupted by looking upon the Dark Elf she'd met in Traverse Town being kissed and butt groped by a man in the lobby. Her eyes widen in, both horror and a little fascination, like she'd walked in on something she shouldn't have. A moment later she's murmuring to Emi, while her cheeks are flushing a deep scarlet, "Do.. do t-they know each o-other that well? Is her m-memory back?"

:'''[[Ivo Galvan]] has posed:''' This is incredible. This is unbelievable. This is-- "Wrong!" Ivo stumbles back from Morrighan, wild-eyed, looking as though he's gazed into the abyss and driven to the verge of madness. He whirls away, clutching at his head. "This is all wrong!" You just figured that out? "It has to be the /haughty/ Morrighan!" That's not what's wrong about it!! Taking deep breaths to calm his rattled nerves, Ivo eventually regains his composure and turns back to the dark elf, clearing his throat. "Uh, that is to say," he manages at last, slowly getting back into character, "Kara, though my heart yearns for you, I long for the person you once were. Please, let me assist you in recovering your memories. If you have any leads at all, I'll follow them with you. If you don't, join us on our adventures, and we're sure to find something. It's... very important to me that you return to who you once were." He takes Morrighan's hand again. "And then, once you're back to how you were..." At last, he smiles. "Promise me you'll kiss me again." Teethping. Registering Imi's dramatic entrance causes Ivo's expression to briefly glaze over before he grins. "It's /always/ time for that," he says lightly, seemingly back to his old self as he turns to quirk a brow at a new entry. "Hey there," he says, raising a hand to Alma in a casual salute. Does he feel nothing? "Welcome to the Shard Seekers headquarters. I'm Ivo Galvan, co-founder. May I be of assistance?" If you need some groping, he's your man.

:'''[[Emi Dennou]] has posed:''' Imi reaches forward and grabs Ivo's ass because why not? "Imi," Emi scolds before getting distracted by Alma. She'd scold Ivo too but she's not actually all that sure he wasn't in some relationship with Morrighan but then again she is ALSO pretty sure she's not Morrighan, though less so now. "Maybe," Emi whispers to Alma. "...That one is Imi, we rescued her. Imi, say hello to Alma." "One moment," Imi says, grope grope.

:'''[[Royce]] has posed:''' And then Imi redeems herself almost immediately. Whatever scorn or annoyance had been caused by the sudden interruption melts away as the small girl cops her own feel. Knowing from her research and experience mingling with humans that this should be an amusing situation, the witch puts a hand over her face to stifle a giggle. In the back of her mind an entirely different thought process is churning away, however, as possibilities race to fill in the gaps. Who is this mystery girl? Is Ivo in a scandalous relationship with someone so young? Or is Imi the kind of person who goes around groping people at random? What terrible parents would allow this kind of behavior? IS THERE A HIDDEN LOVE TRIANGLE BENEATH IT ALL?! On the surface, Alicia's amused mask remains seamless as she strides across the lobby floor to stand among the others. She gives Alma and the Dennous are bright smile and Ivo a playful pinch on the rear because why not?

:'''[[Morrighan Alazne]] has posed:''' And then suddenly all at once, Ivo was off of her, saying something about this being wrong. "....?" Now she was even more confused. "...What did you just do?" He said 'kiss'. That was a kiss? "...Why did you do that?" And he was still calling her Morrighan. ...Maybe that was actually her name? She couldn't be sure. Blinking slowly a couple times, she just listened to his spiel about her going back to how she 'used to be'...did he know her? Best to ask! "...They say I lost my memories...did you know me? ...Were we actually...?" No Morrighan, he's being a terrible person! Still, the fact that Imi and Alicia were now copping their own feels sort of evened things out...somewhat. Taking a step back, the elf currently known as Kara watched the shenanigans taking place with a blank expression on her face. "....Um....okay." And then she actually agrees to the kiss thing. Such is the fate of someone who had no idea who they previously were! But deep down...she felt like slapping this man for some reason. And she had no idea why either. At that moment though, she finally took her attention away from the perverted knight errant and looked to the others, noticing Alma at last. "Oh...Alma. Hello..." A small wave accompanied the greeting and she smiled slightly.

:'''[[Alma Hyral]] has posed:''' Whether or not she needs groping is up to debate. Whether she wants it from Ivo, someone she has barely met, is not. She offers Imi a cheerful smile, "Imi! It's good to meet you for real. They rescued you from Feige? And.." Imi continues groping Ivo's posterior. "..why are you..?" More blushing on her side. She steps a little closer to Morrighan, as if to interpose herself now that Ivo has finally stopped sucking her face, "Hey.. it's good to see you again." And then Ivo addresses her and she's looking at him with an expression of flustered consternation, the deep scarlet flush still on her cheeks. She takes a single fingers and pushes up on her glasses, before crossing her arms, not bothering to introduce herself as a slight stammer creeps into her voice, "W-Were you really t-taking advantage of an a-amnesiac? I mean Faruja w-warned me about the great I-Ivo Galvan's lecherous w-ways but.. /really/? Are you t-trying to give her more s-soul more scars?" She grumbles to herself, "...at least you s-stopped."

:'''[[Riku]] has posed:''' Annoyed Riku is Annoyed. Being out in Fluorgis in the middle of the day in the blinding sun usually isn't a problem. He had almost gotten used to desert conditions. But the teenager was gripping the mirror shades around his face and pressing them to it as if it might offer some balm to his stinging eyes. He has a moderate headache (No, not telling why either) but he was in a good enough mood to ignore that as he goes where he usually goes in a thoughtful and usually good mood. Checking up on people. It's only keeping tabs when surveillance is involved. (Which it's not. ... anymore.. >.>) Riku enters the shard seeker compound and looks around for signs of life. "Hello!" he calls from the outside. (Why did he start from the outside bath? Well. Forwarned is forarmed.) before venturing inside.

:'''[[Deelel]] has posed:''' There had been a lot going on Deelel's life with the recovery of the laser plans, even more so her mind being restored from it's previously stunted and more childlike state had done wonders for her fitting in. Still she was part of the seekers and even if she was busy? She should still check up on her friends after all right? She'd been through a lot with them and they had no idea about what had happened to her. So outside the HQ one wold here the strange sound that could only be made by a light cycle of some sort as the alien machine pulls up outside Deelel presses a control i9nside and the entire thing becomes transparent then wireframes and vanishes back into the rod from which it game. With a quick motion the rod is attached to right leg and she strides in. She enters the lobby calling out as she enters, just a moment after Riku. She has no idea of the chaos that's going on inside at the moment. She's about to get a crash course in human behaviour in a moment. "Hey, I'm back! I'm sorry I have been away for so long there's been a lot going on with my world and I had to take care of it." So now she looks around as she realizes there's several people in the lobby and something clearly is going on at this point.

:'''[[Ivo Galvan]] has posed:''' Ivo really should have known better than to say that to Imi. But perhaps it's understandable that he's distracted. "Yes!" he breaks character to shamelessly gloat, actually pumping his fists in the air as Morrighan agrees to his demand, because at this point, why not? "You won't regret this, Kara." That may be the biggest lie he's told yet. He doesn't bother to confirm his story again; that was a transcendent performance, and he probably won't be able to replicate it in this state. "Together, we'll-- ahn~" When that comes out of his mouth, Ivo actually blushes. So there's a way to embarrass even Ivo. Well, it makes sense that it happens only when he does something involuntarily, considering how rare that is. "Imi, I know I said 'always time', but, uh... maybe you'd like to work with more material?" Recovery, 1000 points. "I think Alicia has-- ahn~" So that's where she went. Ivo's ears have turned red. "S-seriously, you two..." It appears everyone has their weak point. "Kara, you must be exhausted from your travels and the heat," he says, trying to recover himself. There has to be some way to distract these women. Fortunately, his genius pulls through once again. "Why don't you take a bath out in the garden?" he offers, amiable smile returning. "Alicia said she was interested in one as well." Is that how it happened? "Why don't the two of you take one together?" The cosmos has given to Ivo. Now he gives back. "It was wrong of me," Ivo readily confesses to Alma, though again, we now know how he ranks moral versus aesthetic wrongness, "but, please understand: I was carried away by my passion at seeing her again." Passion isn't quite the right word. "Of course I stopped once I regained my senses." There's a long pause, before Ivo's smile broadens, looking pleased. "Faruja said I was great?" Selective hearing. And then Riku enters, leading Ivo to quietly thank the cosmos again for having the boy miss his moment with Morrighan. The cosmos must be happy with the bath suggestion. "Oh, Riku, I didn't realize you were in the garden," Ivo says warmly. Now that his mission is complete and he's back to his usual self, he's glad to see Riku, as always. "Have you had a chance to take a look at our new ship?" "Nice shades," he adds.

:'''[[Emi Dennou]] has posed:''' Imi doesn't have parents. In fact, Emi hasn't quite explained to Imi that she's kind of a mom now. More accurately, she's a mom-sister because it's a clone. She doesn't interrupt Imi or Royce's buttgrabbing. After all, Turnabutt is fair play. She does ultimately pull her hand away and asks, "New material?" She glances to Alma. "It is the Shard Seeker way, The Network has hypothesized that the organization is not unlike one of those hippy communes preaching free love." She nods and says, "I am done with Ivo's butt." kindly. "You can use it now." Emi is having a harder time. Is she Morrighan? Is she Kara?? Well she doesn't know, but Ivo seems certain. And the troubling thing is, Emi is feeling like she'd rather...not be Morrighan? But that's an inappropriate line of thought for a detective, she thinks. If she is Morrighan then she should help her return to normal. But she's not sure that's actually a) helping and b) /helping/. "Did it ring any bells?" She asks of her curiously. "in any event, this one doesn't wish to crowd...is there anything you require, however?"

:'''[[Royce]] has posed:''' The noise that Ivo makes brings an evil smirk to the witch's face but she doesn't press the advantage. It's more fun just to tease him and Imi seems to be doing more than her fair share of squeezing. She does give him another pinch on the arm, however, before stepping back to make room for yet more arrivals. Riku and Deelel's entrance causes her to tilt her head curiously at them. The boy looks like someone she might see walking down the streets of Manhattan but the strangely garbed woman is something new to her. "My my, it's like someone set off an alarm and they all just came running." These Shard Seekers seem to have quite a few allies. She'll have to be even more careful now.

:'''[[Morrighan Alazne]] has posed:''' She nodded to Alma's greeting, continuing to smile slightly. "It's...good to see you too..." Watching as she then went on to admonish Ivo for being a pervert, Kara offered no real discernible reaction. "...He was taking advantage of me?" She asked, leaning forward a bit. "...Is this what you were talking about the other time before?" Curious. This was becoming complicated. And complicated was annoying. Shaking her head at Ivo's suddenly exclamation of triumph, which the elf had failed to understand, she remained silent at his reassurance that she 'wouldn't regret this'. She probably would. At some point anyhow. It looked like the girls caught him in a moment of weakness however and rather than take part, she continued to remain back, watching with a curious gaze. "...A bath?" Ah, right. She hadn't had one in a bit of time by this point and Fluorgis' weather certainly didn't help matters. Taking a moment to consider, She then wound up nodding. "...Okay." Her eyes then moved over to who she assumed was Alicia based on previous snippets of conversation she had overheard. ...And then back to Ivo. "...Where is this bath?" Rolling for sense ulterior motives check. Immediate failure. Her eyes move over to Emi after and she just stared silently for a few moments. ".....?" Apparently no bells were rung. None whatsoever.

:'''[[Alma Hyral]] has posed:''' Alma keeps her arms crossed, though her pose gradually relaxes as Ivo explains himself and apologizes. Still, she doesn't appear fooled. Instead she transposes the word passion with /lust/ and the phrase /regained my senses/ to /...realized that if I went any further I might literally damn my soul/ in her head. A hand reaches up to rub the side of her face, as she gives him a look of bewilderment, "You are a piece of work. But let's start over. My name is Alma Hyral, it's a pleasure to meet you sir?" Yes the question mark is intentional. She breathes out a sigh, looking sidelong at Kara/Morrighan/Random Dark Elf(?) giving her a more supportive smile and a hopeful look, "Why are they all calling you Kara, did you remember your name? He was taking advantage of you. And no.. that was /not/ what I was talking about from before. This was decidedly more dastardly." She doesn't explain herself any further though right now, even though she knows that Kara(?) will need it. She gives Alicia(?) a sidelong look, her expression becoming ruminative briefly, before smiling and offering a tentative nod, and a more cheerful smile. Though she wonders at why /everyone/ is playing with Ivo's butt all of a sudden. And then she looks at Imi, that scarlet flush creeping back onto her face as she blurts out, "I don't w-want Ivo's butt!" Wait did she really say that!? Her look became chagrined, her teeth are clenched as she enunciates her next words, "...What I mean to say is that even if they believe in free love they should show more... class?" "I don't believe I caught your name Ma'am." And then a wild Riku appears, and that puts her in an ordinantly good mood. "Uh, hey Riku, I thought you had your training sessions today so.. I came to meet the Shard Seekers.. How are you doing, is everything alright?" She gives him a look of concern, before she takes Kara(?)'s hand to prevent her from going to take a bath anywhere in Ivo's proximity. and kind of ushers her forward towards him, "This is the person I told you about.. the one who needs.. help." A moment later she's giving Deelel a smile and a nod, "Hey there. Have we met? You look.. familiar." She hasn't had much experience with programs though, so she can't exactly place her where.

:'''[[Riku]] has posed:''' Riku reflexively pushes the shades even farther up his nose when Ivo comments on them. He fidgets with a long black glove and then shakes his head. "Thanks." he says wryly. "I thought I might pick something up to shield against your blinding smugness. What. There are... what." he looks around. "Five woman around you and over half of them aren't hitting you? Somethings wrong here." He replies to Royce with a smirk. "Thus, the alarm." he stares at her for maybe a little too long before.. He chuckles, letting his annoyance evaporate in the heat as he notices Alma. "Alma. I'd introduce his nibs if you haven't already met, the co-leader of the Shard Seekers but he makes a far better impression when left on his own." He looks vaguely over at Morrighan and frowns slightly as if trying to recall something. Then Emi/Imi -- who butt into his chain of thought and as always with legionettes, somewhat derail it magnificently. "It's also not unlike a pub where the first drink is free. Everyone's happy. There are good feelings all around. You just never know what it's been spiked with." His amusement lasts until Morrighan's confusion and then it starts to frost over. He glances at Alma, then at Morrighan. "Alma." he says evenly as he leans against the wall, arms crossed. ".. Yeah. I've got training later on in the day, but what are they going to do. Kick my ass for being late? They do that anyways." He does not look at Ivo. This may be a bad sign. "..taking.. advantage of.. whom,. exactly?"

:'''[[Ivo Galvan]] has posed:''' Ivo Galvan has a new nemesis. "Charmed," he says mildly, smiling ever so slightly, his unblinking gaze fixed on Alma Hyral, Enemy of His Fun. What a dull-looking woman. Well, with these worlds so populated with extraordinary specimens of the femininity, perhaps such mousey characters are diverting for variety's sake. But only in context. At last, Imi has mercy, though he looks a bit dismayed at her generosity. "No, my butt can only handle so much..." After all, he spends so much time talking out of it. Alicia's pinch on the arm causes him to give her a rather flustered look, which may be the first time she's ever seen his face like that. But Kara's question causes his head to snap back around, his expression reverting to another good-natured smile. "Out in the garden. You should see it," he encourages. "Truly lovely. We put a lot of work into it." That much is true. Ugh, and his new nemesis is trying to usher the dark elf over to the one person prepared to punish Ivo for his transgressions. She has good instincts, he has to give her that. There's not a lot he can do now without arousing suspicion. He tries to tread carefully around Riku, which is usually a fruitless endeavor. "I'll have you know I'm extremely popular," he involves the pale-haired youth, grinning as he says so himself. "Training with whom?" he interrupts, trying to prevent the topic from straying to his recently increased sins. Someone's got to do something to keep things lively-- But whom?

:'''[[Deelel]] has posed:''' It is perhaps for the best Deelel missed the moment between Morrighan and Ivo. It would have become 20 questions and they'd not be ones that would have made things incredibility awkward for everyone involved. So it seems cosmos is smiling on Ivo yet again. Or perhaps setting him up for something else far worse down the line, only cosmos would know for sure. Romance was not an alien concept to the program, far from it. Yet? Her people didn't have the hard wired directive to procreate like organic life had screaming in the back of their mind. Still she raises one blue eyebrow at what she beholds Imi and Royce are doing. Wait is that a another Dennou? Yes, yes it seems to be, she jut tries to not process just what happened with Royce and Imi. On the other hand the Shard Seekers and friends seems to be very energetic today from the looks of things. "It does seem like that, doesn't it it miss." Deelel pauses for half a second as Alma introduces herself and with all the new people she should be doing the same as well it's only polite right? "Greetings, my name is Deelel. It seems we have quite a few guests or new members since I last checked in?" She's not foolish he's pretty sure now Ivo was indeed up to something but just not what, then again it wouldn't be Ivo if he wasn't doing something right? Also for those who have not met Deelel before there would be a strange digital warble to her voice, it's not over powering but it's there if you pay attention to her speech. Alma does get a reply however. "I'm not sure, there's been several conflicts where things got pretty crazy so we might have seen each other there. Or you met someone else from my world. We tend to stand out in this world." Still what the heck is a hippie? She'll have to go look that up when she gets back to somewhere with a data network she can access. She does know what a commune is however. So she can take some guesses. Now Alma mentioning the whole taking advantage of thing gets her looking at Ivo for a moment before turning back to Alma and Riku. "Wait taking advantage of someone?" Somewhere chibi Deelel is facpalming so hard she's getting crack lines on her face.

:'''[[Emi Dennou]] has posed:''' Emi vaguely recalls that Alma said Riku might be able to help this lady. She looks at him for a few moments and, then, considers the possibility that Ivo was...pretending to recognize her as a similar dark elf in appearance in order to get smooches and gropings in. She frowns faintly and gives Imi Because a stern look. "...This one can show you where it is, if you'd like." The name didn't seem to stir anything. "Would you prefer this one uses Kara or Morrighan at present time..?"

:'''[[Royce]] has posed:''' As Alma reaches out to take the dark elf's hand she will find her fingers digging into something decidedly more cushy than a palm is supposed to be. The witch swiftly but casually interposes herself between the small girl and Kara, bumping Alma's attempts to pull her back to her senses aside with her hips which may inadverdantly cause Alma to take her turn at toosh grabbing whether she planned to or not. Alicia pauses long enough to peer over her shoulder at the white mage and give her a coy wink before she applies her hands to the other woman's back, quickly driving the docile amnesiac fowards in the direction of the outdoor bathing area. "That sounds like a wonderful idea! This heat is simply dreadful," she leans up close behind Kara and smirks at her. "Don't you agree? Come now, let's get out of these sweaty clothes!" She doesn't give Kara/Morrighan time to argue or answer any of the questions being directed at her. This timely intervention may fulfill Ivo's fantasy but is it going to save him from getting in trouble? Either way, time to add another item to the list of 'Reasons why Ivo is going to Hell'.

:'''[[Morrighan Alazne]] has posed:''' 'Kara' looked back at Emi as Alma attempted to take her hand and lead her away from Ivo and his shenanigans. "Um...Kara...Morrighan...I don't know...Avira named me Kara, but people are telling me my name is Morrighan..." She looked down briefly, appearing lost. "...I just don't know." Of course, Alicia's timely...or perhaps shapely, intervention caused the girl to remain where she was. But not for long. Feeling a hand on her back, the dark elf was given no time to address Riku, the supposed person Alma had said could have an idea about what happened to her. "Um..." Alicia's voice catches her attention again and she glanced aside at her. "...Okay..." Ah, she had absolutely zero resistance and allowed herself to be ushered off in the direction of the outdoor bathing area. This was kind of sad now.

:'''[[Angantyr Vespar]] has posed:''' Angantyr Vespar is out in the outdoor bathing area because walking the desert is extremely dirtying. Right now, he has a helmet on, the helmet...for some reason, has a hairnet on. Why? Earlier... "Really, you are SO SERIOUS.." "Look cat, seriously go away. I don't care what your name is." "NOBODY MAKES ME DO ANYTHING!" And now the hairnet is attached to his helmet. He might have to get a new helmet. He also can't remove the helmet. He might need someone magically inclined to decurse the helmet. <GOOSEHONK>ing Khaos. He is litterally in only a pair of bathing trunks. Shirtless and mostly pantsless. The body of the Mercinary is hard, muscular, and able to give nosebleeds to ladies for miles away. Yes you can grind meat on those abs. Is is contemplating his luck about the damned cat.

:'''[[Alma Hyral]] has posed:''' /Achievement Unlocked: Shard Seeker Buzzkill - Became Ivo Galvan's Nemesis./ And yes, she certainly was dull and mousey. Nothing to see here. MOVE ALONG wandering eyes! She offers a wan smile towards Riku, "Well if they wanted to really punish you, I'm sure there are far worse things they can do than tanning your hide..." She says this idly, but isn't more specific since she doesn't know if Riku wants that advertised. In response to Riku's question though, her eyes flick subtly towards Kara(?) and that's all she has to say on that matter of who is being taken advantage of. A moment later she's looking Deelel's way, examining her more closely. "I'm glad we finally got the chance to meet.." Though she was curious about what Deelel was, and what's up with the skintight body suit? All questions for a later time. Kara answers her question, and she nods, her expression ruminative, "Well, I'll just call you Kara for the time being... this is Riku, and I believe he might be able to help you..." But then /ALICIA INTERRUPT/ as she is LITERALLY bumped out of the way, and the girl literally flails for a moment, before falling forward into a heap, her face turning to the side at the last moment to spare her glasses. Nope, no inadvertent toosh grabbing.. just /Ow/ and /Wince-worthy/. As Alicia starts to take her towards the baths. she looks up from her awkward position on the floor, pushing herself up while giving the two a look of consternation, "Um, Alicia, might you consider waiting until later...?" And then Shirtless Angantyr. And she's gaping at the man, her eyes wide, first because he's shirtless, and that is all sorts of awkward for her. And second.. because she's gawking at the man she saw standing over Emperor Gramis' corpse fighting Judge Constantine and Max. This.. this would not go well.

:'''[[Riku]] has posed:''' Riku's expression frosts over at the 'Charmed' and stays that way. His voice however reminds light and casual as he gestures vaguely. "Accelerated Judge-Cadet training. Archadian army." He takes in a breath through slightly grit teeth and relaxes, reminding himself that he's a guest here. "It's nothing Deelel. It usually is." he waves it away with a razor edged smile. "Reize out on adventure, Ivo? I'm surprised he's not tied to a stick and being used to divine trouble. You guys found anything yet?" Yep. Completely nothing to see here folks. Move along. Move along. He looks at the interplay between Royce and Alma, then between Royce and Ivo and raises his eyebrows. He then feels magnificiently uncomfortable and leans away from the wall. He goes to help Alma to her feet, his back and shoulders stiff. "..Look." he says shortly and sharply. "I just wanted to see how you guys were doing. Obviously, you are getting along swimmingly." He doesn't even know what to do with this situation. Usually, from the little he knew of Ivo, this was harmless. But-- the implications of .. whatever is going on here? He just doesn't want to have anything to do with it. "You know what? Nevermind. Later." he growls and turning around, moves back through the courtyard past the outside bath to get out of this situation. (He probably won't manage to do so before things get much worse. More's the pity) He just.. stops. In the lobby. Riku just slows down to a stop. His fingers very slowly curl into fists and he just.. stares at them. A very, very faint snarl can be heard. Almost inaudible.

:'''[[Ivo Galvan]] has posed:''' "Only trouble," Ivo quips back to Riku. "Join us sometime." Whereupon Alma takes a spill. Alicia is merciless. She's almost as bad as Priel. "You alright?" He's awful, but he's not /that/ awful. Probably. "I knew hers was big, but I didn't think it was /that/ big." Fear the power of Alicia's toosh. Ivo should probably stop assuming that jokes improve every situation. Well, then again, maybe he just doesn't care either way. "Uh, hey, Riku..." He was going to turn away satisfied that Riku had helped his new nemesis out, but this situation seems to have agitated his face-turned ally. Now Galvan has two equally good reasons to walk out to the garden, following the witch and the dark elf-- and then practically bumping into Riku as the boy stops. "What's the matter with..." He trails off as Angantyr enters, dripping and radiant. "...oh." Completely unaware of everyone else's reactions to Angantyr's appearance, he slowly sidles past the brawny warrior, eyes still widened. "Well," he finally says, "I'll just leave you to it." To what? The answer is: whatever a muscular man in a helmet with a hairnet on it does. Which is to say: whatever he wants, as it will probably be great. Incredibly enough, however, Ivo has more pressing concerns. "...hope there's no rust in the bath..." And he exits into the garden, determined to ensure the success of this ultimate cosmic quest.

:'''[[Emi Dennou]] has posed:''' "Miss," Emi walks along with Royce. "I request that we be gentlemen about this," She uses gentlemen because she thinks that's the word a detective would use, maybe she has some Naoto in her. "This one understands that much of this is the ritual of the Shard Seekers, but--" Imi looks at Angantyr. She approaches him, a faint frown on her face. And then, slowly, she reaches forward and-- *honk dat ass!* Imi then removes her hand and stares firmly at Angantyr. "Hello Angantyr, The Network greets after a long period of not seeing you."

:'''[[Deelel]] has posed:''' Deelel could understand the issue about one's memory, the majority of her life had been locked away from her for a number of years. So there was sympathy did she know who Morrighan was? Enough to know of her even if she'd never directly fought her before. Well a lost memory can mean getting a new out look on life so perhaps that's why Deelel says nothing. Maybe Morrighan if things don't end in disaster? May have things go better for her. Either way she looks at Morrighan as she's heading off towards the bathing area, not sure if she should say a thing on the matter. Deelel would be happy to answer even as strange as her body suit was here it was a little more like a user outfit than perhaps it would be on the grid.; She's just accepted sometimes she ended up with a skin change when she went somewhere. "I'm glad to meet you as well." Someday though Alma will find out about the suit and perhaps more than she realized about Deelel and the few others like her that have gone boldly where not program has gone before! She falls in with the group heading for the baths he was pretty dusty too. Ang gets surprised look on her face, she knew users could take their gear off, but why the heck does his helmet have an hairnet? Riku pulls of a quick save distracting her from Ang's situation and she grins at his question about Reize. Because there's only a binary answer to this one. "Yes if he's not here he's out likely getting into trouble somewhere or will end up bringing someone new back here sooner or later. It is just how he is." Alicia meanwhile thinks a bath is a good idea as well and lets face it? Everyone here likely needs one with how the dust is in the city. Too bad no one has like a stock pile of super soakers around here somewhere. She's about to say something to Ivo but he ducks out to do some 'maintenance' clearly yes that's what he's totally up to.

:'''[[Royce]] has posed:''' If she senses the tension that arrives with Angantyr as he comes shuffling into the lobby in all his boxer-clad, hair-net enhanced glory, the witch doesn't show it for a moment. She scoots her hapless victim ahead of her without much trouble as Kara seems to be putting up no resistance which allows her to give the young girl who tags along at her side some of her attention. Alicia tilts her head look at Emi, still smiling like she knows some secret that no one else does. "Gentle? Don't worry, dear, I can be very gentle when the need arises. I'll take /good/ care of our friend here." There is a sudden bump as the elf infront of her stops suddenly. Alicia, in turn, runs into her back and squishes the both of them up against the rock hard body of the dark knight. He probably enjoys it more than they do. "Whoops, pardon us~" She maneuvers Kara around Angantyr like a buggy by her shoulders, continuing their trek out to the baths.

:'''[[Morrighan Alazne]] has posed:''' Kara had glanced back to look at Emi when she went bumping right into Angantyr. Whoops. "Whuh-!" She sputtered faintly in surprise, looking up...and up some more in order to see just who she had run into. "...." She didn't know this man. And that helmet didn't help matters. But there was little time to do much more before Alicia ushered her away and off to the baths again. "S-Sorry..." She mumbled to the Dark Knight before they were off. But coming outside, the dark elf couldn't help but look around curiously, oblivious of any sort of ulterior motives, this building and the things it contained interested her. She hadn't seen an outdoor bath before. How intriguing. "Um...Alicia? ...Are we going to be going in at the same time?" Kara ended up asking somewhat meekly as she continued along. She had never heard of such a thing before.

:'''[[Angantyr Vespar]] has posed:''' Morrighan bumps into Angantyr. "Well hel-" He pauses looking at her. There is a subtle shift for those senistive to darkness...something is pulling... But Alicia manages to distract Ang enough, as wella s Morrighan's reaction...after all he was expecting her to do something haughty, not look at him shyly and walk away embarrased... Not to mention...something...was off. He can't pin it down... HONK. Ang turns to glare at...wait nobody? He looks down. Oh a Dennou. He looks at her for a long moment, "Sorry, but I think I am a bit too old for you, there are other...issues too, I am sorry, but our love can never be." he says, in a somewhat...humorous manner to Imi, and gives her a pat on the head. "Yes, it has been a while, I've been...preoccupied." He says, walking by the rest... "More importantly why is SHE here? Because unless it's good I am going to go claim that bounty."

:'''[[Alma Hyral]] has posed:''' Riku helps her to her feet, and walks towards the baths, when he too stops and places his attention squarely on Angantyr. And while her gaze was focused on the elephant in the room.. A moment later she practically apparated at Riku's side, no magic required. There was a soft buzzing in her linkpeal, and she murmured a few words back. Normally she would wonder why Imi was groping Angantyr as well, but this is the first time she'd met Imi, so she was starting to think this was normal for her. Alma categorizes Imi as the most lecherous/curious node of the Network somewhere in the corner of her mind where she stored all of her info on Dennou ecology. Then again, those abs.. /STOP THINKING ABOUT THAT/! She was totally not staring at the abs of one of her boyfriend/friend/crazed associate's nemesis and assassin of the Emperor of the House she worked for... Instead she was thinking of another set of.. You know what, this is serious time. And Alma's mind shoves all those thoughts down into a well, until later. When she might bother diving down there to retrieve them. She swallows, and ventures to answer before Riku tries on his own.. best to, minimize their interaction as much as possible. "...she's lost her memory, she's an amnesiac and doesn't even understand basic concepts anymore because someone decided to.. carve out part of her soul. Or just erase it. I don't even know. Who is she? Why does she have a bounty on her head?" That's right.. direct the subject away from /MURDER/. Maybe it'd even work. A glance at Riku told her that it almost certainly would not.

:'''[[Riku]] has posed:''' Riku looks puzzled for a moment and then it registers what the legionettes have been up to. Epic. Facepalm. His shoulder shake and he laughs, a little too loudly for what it was merited. "Angantyr." he says in a neutral voice. "I think that bounty has already been claimed, one way or another. It's probably best to leave her to her fate." he smirks at this, slamming a hand into a closed fist very lightly in irritation. He then looks after where Ivo has gone. "Boy. A lot of things have changed since I left here. Maybe not as for the better as I thought they'd be." A pause. There are bath schenadigans but those are sort of out of mind for the moment (Sadly).

:'''[[Emi Dennou]] has posed:''' "Alas, I am so dismayed." Imi quips back. "But are you certain she is Morrighan? She looks similarly, yes, but her personality is completely different. And she has no memory." She frowns a bit. "Even if she /was/ Morrighan, it would be akin to turning someone else in for the bounty of another." Emi looks up towards Angantyr and says, "Please do not turn her in, The Network notes--" She pauses in her following as Riku claims the bounty has been taken. Emi cups her chin faintly. She thought this soul chicanery would be difficult to do, but Garland probably could. She isn't sure what he did, but sure--he probably could do this. It was a somewhat safe assumption. "...Understood." She says. "Thank you, Riku." And then she walks after the other two. "Do you mean 'good care' in the straightforward manner or in the manner one typically inferred into innuendo and shameful activities, The Network uses the word 'shameful' in terms of common parlance as The Network has no shame." She looks to Morrighan. "We will refer to you as Kara for the time being."

:'''[[Deelel]] has posed:''' Deelel watched Alicia and Kara head off. Perhaps there are too many people going for the bath. She doesn't really need it like that badly the users need it more than her really. Though Angangtyr's whole helmet bit has her just peering at Ang as he brings up the bounty. Okay things could get crazy for the moment and then goes Imi. Okay she just doesn't know some days she really does not. Though Ang was certainly worthy of being a statue subject she must admit she's got other things on her mind. "That is correct, wait wait. Someone did?!" She stares at Alma with a look of horror on her face. "I thought that was a terror only my people could know I didn't think that was possible for ... humans or anything else from these worlds." She looks over to Alma, she knows indirectly but there are people here with first hand experience. Now no long with the bath on her mind the puzzle of what happened to Morri comes to mind. Seriously who the heck could do that to a user. She grips at the disc on her back without thinking about it. Basics one could, heck they could do it to themselves if one had enough ranks in evil computer science. Still to hear this had happened that Morri was basically a user stray. Was mind boggling to her.

:'''[[Royce]] has posed:''' Alicia smiles smugly though the expression is hidden from the elf as she is pushed ahead of her, gently but firmly guiding her towards a soapy fate. "But ofcourse, dear. Never seen an outdoor bath before?" She squeezes her shoulders in a manner that is supposed to be reassuring. "Just think of it like going for a swim in a heated pool, only there aren't any clothes involved." The din of conversation vanishes to a dull murmur as the two of them move beyond the lobby and out into the gardens, crossing the wide stone platform towards the tall wooden walls that divide the hotspring from the rest of the yard. She catches bits and pieces of their discussion but ultimately isn't particularly interested in that any more than she is in this bath. It's all part of the charade. The more she can do to take Ivo's mind off the question of her origins and past deeds the easier it will be to catch him off-guard. The witch gives Emi a coy smile. "Hmm, I wonder? Would you like to come along and find out?"

:'''[[Morrighan Alazne]] has posed:''' The talk going on behind her failed to register as the oblivious elf left the lobby with Alicia. Bounties? Ahahaha, someone beat you to that Angantyr! Crossing the stone platform and arriving to their destination, she replied to Alicia in a somewhat distracted manner. "Um...No, I haven't...it sounds strange." And a pause. "...But I'm kind of curious now." Emi's questioning of the nature of the other woman's intentions towards Kara failed to register in any deep way. Too many words she didn't understand! Innuendo? Parlance? Shameful? What? Besides, the bath was much more interesting than their discussion. It was a pool! ...And there was steam coming from it! How did that work? Engrossed in the sight, Kara wound up leaving the two to kneel down by the hot spring's edge to poke at the water with a finger. "Ooooh...."

:'''[[Angantyr Vespar]] has posed:''' Angantyr takes a moment... He exits the room. There is some shuffling, and then he comes back out with most of his armor on. He's adjusting the last bit of it to slide it over his ROCK HARD CHEST. That's right Alma, there is NO ESCAPE from the MEAT GRINDER that is ANGANTYR'S MANLY CHEST. You will forever desire it. Finally, the armor is on, and the mace is locked back into his back. "Wait." he pauses. "Did you say her soul was carved?" he pauses...a month or two ago he'd laugh...now... Now...he just shakes his head. "Well...then she got her reward it seems. It takes no genius to figure out who did this to her...given who she angered and what she effectively did to him. This is often where blind grabs for power end up." he shrugs, "No, I am not going to turn her in...even I am not so heartless. Money is money, but somethings aren't worth a Gil." he says. He looks at Riku, "Sup. Haven't seen you sense that time you stopped me from putting that /monster/ down." he sighs, "Whatever, you didn't know. How could you. I ain't going to hold it against you." Angantyr is seemingly pretty forgiveful...typically he's pretty vengeful. He looks down at Imi and kneels down a little to look at her better, "So how have you girls been? Nothing too exciting I hope? Is Garland still causing your friend Mercade trouble? I was hoping he'd get bored and go back to just being ambivilant again." He mutters... Alma gets a look, he doesn't know her. But her words confirm what he thought.

:'''[[Alma Hyral]] has posed:''' Alma visibly pales, her ashen skin becoming an even more sickly shade of grey., as Angantyr gives his own theory on what occurred. Given her previous conversation with Riku she's going to guess that Angantyr means, /Scary Armor the Greater/, especially since he later names Garland. She has no idea that Angantyr is /Scary Armor the Lesser/. She suddenly felt very nauseous. More than nauseous as she thought of the greatest manifestation of Chaos carving out.. the soul of whoever that Dark Elf woman is. But there's enough awkward already, and so instead of risking retching, she casts a preemptive Esuna spell on herself, with a hand placed squarely on her stomach. Sometimes knowing white magic had its benefits. And then she's thinking about the manly chest aga... /THUMP/ She taps her fist idly against her stomach. Alright. Enough of that. She looks between Angantyr to Riku, her expression bewildered, before it falls back onto Angantyr, "What monster are you talking about?" Another look at the interaction between Angantyr and Legion and she hesitates, only venturing, "Well.. Avira told me she was still be harassed about a month back when I cooked dinner for VALKYRI... I haven't had the chance to talk to her lately." That's right, keep the conversation civil.. she didn't feel any compulsion to introduce herself to the assassin, but she didn't want Riku to freak out and go all /Jazzhands/ darkness here. Especially given the Darkness she'd felt off Angantyr while he was fighting in the Senate. That'd be bad.

:'''[[Emi Dennou]] has posed:''' "OK." Emi says. Her concern seems to be more for Morrighan than herself--The Network has no body shame and even as she starts undressing, she doesn't blush, stammer, or rush. She just methodically does the job the way one might expect from a robot. A stripper robot, but still a robot. It's not especially sexy. She stashes her clothes nearby but out of range of nearby splashage. They are neatly folded. so as to prevent undue creasing. She goes into the bath, neutrally, and looks towards Kara. If she is Morrighan, she wonders, why does she care what she thinks again? It isn't that she hated her, but she didn't really care for her--that's how she'd put it. She didn't care for her. "Kara, may The Network ask a pair of unusual questions?" She asks. Imi behaves this round.

:'''[[Royce]] has posed:''' The witch gives a faint laugh at Emi's boldness and Kara's strange naivety. She follows suit after the Legion node's example and disrobes, though her outfit is a little more complicated and takes a bit of time to remove. Eventually, however, her armored boots and gauntlets end up sitting atop a haphazard pile of clothes and she slinks into the warm pool as well. "Come on," she motions to Kara after finding a suitable place to sit. "Don't just sit there like log. The water feels great!" She splashes a handful or two of the water at the elf to get her moving then turns her gaze back to Emi. "Hmm. Perhaps introductions are in order. I am Alicia." She puts a hand on her chest to indicate herself, offering nothing else but her name. "You?"

:'''[[Deelel]] has posed:''' Deelel is now unaware at what's going on t the bath as she's out here conversing with other people perhaps its for the best right? She looks back at Angangtyr's chest, I mean face for a moment. "It sounds like a process that exists in my world but it's rare, dangerous and generally seen as criminal. Though I doubt the results are all the two have in common." She shivers for a moment thinking about strays, it wasn't a pleasant end not one at all really. She tries to get it out of her mind but the mention of Garland causes her to just pause even more so at the talk of soul carving. She looks at Angantyr for a moment without saying anything as for Alma she is also getting some attention as well there's something else going on here but Deelel's unaware of the important bit of history between Alma, Riku and Ang. "I not heard word of Garland from Alan since then so I thinks have been all right there as for what happened to her? We call tat being a stray on my world. No memories of who they are or anything about what they were supposed to do. Generally one can't be recovered from such a state unless certain things are done and even then those can be nearly as bad as what caused the memory loss in the first place."

:'''[[Morrighan Alazne]] has posed:''' Broken out of her blissful surveillance of the water's surface, Kara perked up as Emi addressed her. "...unusual questions?" Hah, as if she knew what unusual even was. Nodding her assent to the inquiry, the elf quickly stood at Alicia's splashing and began to undress as well, not really thinking too hard about what she was doing. After a bit, she was down to nothing, her clothes hastily set aside with little care for how they were kept, and proceeded to try the water. Slowly stepping into the water, one foot went, and once she decided that it wasn't a horrible danger, the rest of her followed, sinking down to sit. "It does feel nice..." She mumbled after a moment of silence to decide what she thought. "...what did you want to ask me?" Kara then asked, looking towards Emi again once she had settled in.

:'''[[Shiki Misaki]] has posed:''' Shiki Misaki's at work! She got a guy who needed a rip in his pants fixed and someone that wanted a Cactrot mascot costume made, which is why she's carrying it behind her in a cart. She wonders how he's going to stand up in it. And she walks past Deelel. "Oh, hey, what's going on here? What's the word on the street?"

:'''[[Riku-Proxy]] has posed:''' Riku keeps getting distracted (and no, not by the meat grinder-- although he does quickly visualize stuffing Angantyr INTO one for a brief vicious instant) because of the communal bathing social going on not too far away which preys on his mind. Which he totally tries to ignore because of /several/ factors. Most of them in his general vicinity right now. "Yeah." he says in a voice harsh enough to sandblast rocks into powder. "You know. I've always regretted that decision. What have judge magisters ever done but mess with my life?" That this actually made his life considerably better is left on the cutting block floor. A carefully measured voice continues. "You should be careful, Ang." he admonishes the mercenary. "All this forgiveness is smothering me. Aren't you the same guy who hunt me across half the cosmos for kicking over his stew?" he tchs in amused annoyance. "You and I've got to catch up sometime. Or at least spar. It's been too long between beatings. I might get a complex. The last thing I need is an ego problem to go with the brooding."

:'''[[Shiki Misaki]] has posed:''' Shiki Misaki only just realises something. OMG it's Riku he's like literally right over there omg omg omg. "Eek!" Briefly considers putting on the costume and wackiness ensuing. Realises no, that would violate the terms of the contract. So instead she's just going to sort of stand there, starin' at Riku awkwardly, and trying to make it look like she is not staring at Riku awkwardly.

:'''[[Angantyr Vespar]] has posed:''' "Sure. Look me up sometime." Angantyr says, "Though we'll try without almost accidently killing you." Ang says with a shrug...he catches the sarcasm in the tone, the growly nature of some of his words...whatever, he isn't going to push it. Not worth it. "Yeah. I'm full of <GOOSEHONK>ing forgiveness lately. Just like some sort of santa claus of forgiveness. I am so forgiving they might call it Angantyring." Of course, Angantyring is what happens to people who /make him mad/. However, he's seemingly chill. He just powers through the conversation. "Oh you know Avira?" he says to Alma. Also note there his helmet has a hair net on it for some reason. It is still there. "I'm sort of in VALKYRI myself. It's...complicated, lets just call it that."

:'''[[Emi Dennou]] has posed:''' "This one is called Emi." Emi tells Alicia. "This one is a part of The Network, a group of entities presently consisting of 6 sisters." She is always compelled to add 'presently'. "You're an official member now?" Imi asks of Angantyr, in the meanwhile. "Hello Shiki!" she waves at her. BACK AT BATH "This one inquires as to what brought you to the Shard Seekers." She looks towards Morrighan, observing as she enters the bath as well. Perhaps all that worry was for nothing. "Yes. First off, The Network was wondering if you saw--" She pauses to correct herself. "This one was wondering if you saw her as a friend. Friend is being defined as entities that care about and look after one another."

:'''[[Alma Hyral]] has posed:''' And then Shiki appears in a cart, with a small shriek, and Alma is just, startled. She looks over at her, giving the girl with a cart a puzzled look. "Um, hello there." Wait, why is she staring at Riku? Must be another person that has a history with him. Sometimes it seemed like they were as numerrous as the stars. At the growly interchange between Angantyr and Riku, the /accidentally kill/ part causes her to cringe visibly. Oh sweet Cosma please don't let this be happening... She doesn't respond on Riku's sarcastic remarks on what the Judge-Magisters did for him. She had a feeling that any inquiries on what happened would likely make the situation /far/ worse. She sucks in a deep breath, letting her recenter herself, before managing a wan smile, "Yes.. I know Avira. She's a.. well I don't know if you can call her a friend or an acquaintance, really, it's been a while.. I cooked a dinner for VALKYRI a while back. Healed her after a duel where someone from the Church of Glabados, named Ophelia, tried to kill her.." She keeps her expression calm, civil, as he mentions he's from Valkyri, "I.. Oh. I had no idea. That does sound.. complicated."

:'''[[Riku-Proxy]] has posed:''' "Yeah. That would help." Riku says brightly, chuckling a little to himself. "I did push a little too hard, didn't I." he gestures and shrugs. "Well. Everybody gets what they've earned, pretty much." He looks over at Alma. "Yeah. He saved them from Scary Armor the Greater stomping them flat in a literal and metaphysical sense." he then looks at Shiki and smiles. He looks at the costume, then at Shiki and walks over towards her. He waves, fully aware of the situation and it's possible irony. "Hey. What do you got there?"

:'''[[Deelel]] has posed:''' Deelel looks over to Shiki she hasn't seen her since their questing some time ago she grins a little bit at her friend and replies "Strangers , people visiting, and some actually rather grim things." She doesn?t' say what just yet as well Riku seems a bit on the tense side of things then Shiki gets all well awkward about Riku being here and she's trying to not look at him. She does seem to have ideas at this point about what might be up with Shiki and Riku. "Things often get complicated in life in my experience..."

:'''[[Morrighan Alazne]] has posed:''' Teetering back and forth casually, Morrighan, or rather, Kara listened to Emi's questions intently. The Shard Seekers? ...Well that was easy. "I asked around in Traverse Town after I had met with Avira. People told me about VALKRYI, Clan Gully, and the Shard Seekers..." Turning her blank gaze to the water, she continued to speak. "I was told that I should go to the Shard Seekers since VALKRI is allegedly just a group of maids, and Clan Gully specializes in taking down dangerous Marks..." Pause. "...What's a Mark? Why is it dangerous?" Having slipped that question in there, Kara raised her head to look at Emi again, considering her second question. "......" She stared for a few seconds before gradually, a small smile found it's way onto her face. "...Emi has helped me out a lot despite the fact that I've been causing trouble..." The elf nodded at that, continuing to smile. "...I'd rather nothing bad happened to you...does that mean you're a friend?"

:'''[[Shiki Misaki]] has posed:''' Shiki Misaki does one of those awkward little semi-waves, where you hold your hand up and wiggle all of your fingers back and forth at once, and then Riku is wandering over oh cripes this is like the first time she's seen him in like six months what do I say what to do well he /is/ asking me a question maybe I should answer it that's a good start. "/Cactaurs/!" One finger in the air. Shiki looks at her finger. "/Cactaur/. Singular. Costume of. Costume of a cactuar, it's not exactly perfect because I needed to do something about the legs so they were better articulated and I don't know what this customer wanted it for but they're not going to be able to hold their arms and legs at right angles so I figured it was for the best how are you doing Riku I haven't seen you in a while what's going on?" /Yeah/.

:'''[[Angantyr Vespar]] has posed:''' Angantyr pauses... "What?" He asks, moving to face Alma completely, "Ophelia?" A pause...then.. "Did...kind of <GOOSEHONK>y? Laugh like a villian? Have katana and hits like a truck?" And is a bloody vampire? Well, it's hard to tell if that one got out...and worse the SSs are friendly to a certain Church Mouse. Angantyr growls...damn it, Avira didn't tell him this...but maybe she was also trying to fight her own battles...but this one might have been brought to her because of him...and that doesn't sit well with him. He'll have to talk with her. Oy...his life... "Yes. Complicated. Very. Its...a long story that I won't get into. Scary Armor the greater is part of it.." That is a funny name for Garland, but nothing about Garland is funny. "...I should leave, I think. I should probably...go back to Traverse."

:'''[[Royce]] has posed:''' Alicia relaxes against the flat surface of a rock, putting on a small pleasant smile as the conversation starts up. This certainly beats being forced to follow Ivo around all day. While the mental sparring is somewhat engaging, she's started to grow weary of his presence. She has work that needs to be done and being stuck as a 'willing' prisoner due to poor timing isn't something she intends to let continue for much longer. "You have a rather odd way of describing a family, girl. I've never heard siblings refer to each other as 'entities'. You are human, are you not?"

:'''[[Alma Hyral]] has posed:''' Alma listens to Angantyr with a feeling of dread about her, and eventually nods, "All of those things. A completely arrogant Ordallian <GOOSEHONK>. Hates everyone from Ivalice, and insults everyone, all the time." Cursing there didn't even make her blush, her experience there with Ophelia was simply that horrible. "And more like eight Katanas? Some absurd number. She put Avira into a chokehold with her legs and was trying to kill her, I'm pretty sure of it. Might have succeeded too if her.. master, Alexander or something.. don't remember his full name, but he was actually a pleasant fellow, stepped in." She looks over at the exchange going on between Shiki and Riku, then back at Angantyr. "That name.. comes up far too often lately..." Which was entirely upsetting to her, but she tried to keep her tone neutral, not quite succeeding. Another glance at Shiki, as she dares to ask the question, "Oh um.. what do they need a Cactuar costume for?"

:'''[[Emi Dennou]] has posed:''' Emi considers how to answer Alicia. Eventually she says, "We are mostly human." She has of course found out more details about her identity just yesterday but she's been hesitant to just accept it. Still, she supposes it explains their original name. "Likewise, we are only partially seperate entities. We do not wish to be deceitful." She thinks about VALKYRI being a grou of maids. That has come up more than once. "The Network doesn't believe you heard the truth when you were told it was an organization of maids." Who told her that? Emi supposes some mysteries will likely remain as such forever. "There are worse places to be than here, however. The Network just warns that the situation is a bit strange here." FLASHBACK Imi pinches Ivo's butt PRESENT "Some get used to it faster than others." She adds. She sinks, somewhat, in the water and looks at Kara as she answers. She pinkens faintly, it's totally the heat though not embarrassment. "...Yes, this one would think so--though it hasn't been trouble--but further, then, if you do remember your past..." She looks at the water. "...Will you promise not to tease us for being your friend?"

:'''[[Riku-Proxy]] has posed:''' Riku rubs the back of his head. "Uh.. yeah. I can see that." Going to? This is awkward city. Population. All of you in the studio audience. There is a tick cross on Riku's head but it becomes smaller and smaller and then poofs out of existence as he stuffs it back into the background noise. He looks curiously at the costume. "Hmmm.. yeah. I've seen those things before. Why would anyone dress up as something like that?" he chuckles. "Is this what you've been up to?" Nothing but curiosity there. No judgement. "Maybe.. that'd be for the best." He says in Angantyr's direction. "Also... why is there a hairnet.. on your helmet?"

:'''[[Deelel]] has posed:''' Deelel blinks for a moment at the mention of Cactarus she's head of the creatures but she's never ever seen one before. She looks over the master clothes maker for a moment as she speaks and Ang now is also planning to leave. She may have some things of her own to take care of as well. She's checked in with the seekers everyone is okay too. Though she's listening to Alma's story about Avira and that gets a concerned look. Who is that insane that they could do that to Avira. "Ophelia? I'll keep myself on guard for someone like that. Also yes what is the need for the costume?"

:'''[[Shiki Misaki]] has posed:''' Well, now you know what a Cactuar looks like, Deelel. Sort of. Imagine more angular limbs and you're there. "It's just taken about a week!" Shiki says modestly, almost instinctive. "I don't actually know what the reason for it is. The guy was very technical, but not really one for small talk...? I think it had something to do with uh, Dresspheres, though? I'm not actually sure what one of those is. It sounded interesting though, I just haven't been able to find any, ah, books about it in the Fluorgis libraries..." "But yeah! That's what I've been doing. I make clothes, repair clothes..."

:'''[[Riku-Proxy]] has posed:''' "Have you tried an adventurer's guild, maybe somewhere in Traverse? They might have some bestiaries that might help more." Riku focuses on Shiki to keep himself from focusing on /other/ /things/ some of which may get him in trouble, dead or other things he didn't want to be right now. "Anyways. I just dropped in to see how you all were getting along." his smile is sarcastic and bitter and.. something else, maybe a little sad. "See you later, Shiki. I've got to get back." he looks over to Alma as if asking if she was coming as well as he starts to leave the area.

:'''[[Royce]] has posed:''' "Mostly human. What a curious answer." The witch leans forward and rests her chin on a hand, peering at the girl with her singular eye. Somehow the absence of its twin makes her gaze seem more intense, as if all of her concentration were focused there for the lack of it. The blood red color of her iris isn't particularly comforting either, though such things are less unusual amid this land of fantasy. Back in Manhattan, she'd been forced to use magic to conceal it. Alicia visually dissects Emi for several seconds as if trying to figure out what makes her unusual from simply staring at her but ofcourse nothing comes of it. "Consider my interest piqued. What manner of being are you, that you are not completely seperate from your sisters? Golems? Androids? Bound by magic?"

:'''[[Alma Hyral]] has posed:''' Alma decides to take him on that, primarily because Emi is watching over Kara(?)/Morrighan(?). She has a feeling that Emi won't allow anything /too wild/ to happen to the amnesiac woman. But then again, she has absolutely no shame. Which is probably why Ivo was able to put the moves on her. She has a feeling there's more that Riku wants to say, or wants to do in regards to the Dark Elven woman but.. it wasn't likely to happen in the crowd. He was secretive like that. So she walks over beside him, smiling to Shiki, "Well um, it's good to have met you. Maybe I'll contact you in the future, to do some seamstress work." Mostly because she didn't want to overload Seloria with requests while she was getting established. Selly had enough problems without her endless fashion questions. And as she's walking out of the Shard Seeker's Headquarters, Alma asks Riku in mischievous tone, "Exactly.. how late, do you mind being?"

:'''[[Angantyr Vespar]] has posed:''' Angantyr pauses on his way out... He mutters... "If you see a cat named Khaos? Run. Run far far away, never look back, and pray to god he doesn't play chase." he says, muttering. And then he leaves... He needs to find a decurser.

:'''[[Morrighan Alazne]] has posed:''' Kara stared at Emi, blinking slowly all the while. "...Are you okay?" She asked after, leaning forward a bit to inspect her face. "Your face is changing color...is that normal?" Unable to resist, she reached out and poked Emi's cheek with a finger out of curiosity. "Oooooh...." Amazing. At the subject of remember her past and all that, the dark elf paused. "...Why would I make fun of you? You're my friend, aren't you?" She fell silent for a couple seconds after before speaking up again. "...Did you know who I was?" She had suspicions, but it seemed like no one was telling her now. "...Was I bad person?"

:'''[[Deelel]] has posed:''' Deelel now dos indeed know about the costume and it?s origins and the term Dresssphere is a new one to her. Just what is that anyhow? She'll file that away for later research as she's curious about it. "You might wish to try further aboard for information or hit a world that still has a functional internet of some sort, it might help with your searches. I really should get some ... clothes from this world shouldn't I." She waves to Riku as he departs and wonders what's got him going but then again he's got a lot of things likely keeping him busy at this point. She gives Alma a wave before she turns back to Shiki. "Sorry about vanishing like I did. I got myself into a lot of trouble but ... it worked out. It also got my mind fixed. I'd forgotten most of my life until it was fixed." That was quite a surprise in user understanding she was several hundred years old.

:'''[[Emi Dennou]] has posed:''' Emi doesn't seem to be anything but human. Green hair might be considered odd--her hair had been modified for tracking purposes. She thinks about how to answer Royce and eventually admits, "Uncertain. But we are confident in our prior answer. We are not androids or golems, however." She couldn't answer that last one, though. Morrighan gets most of her attention, though, only reddening more at the poke--though perhaps less than what normal people would expect. "...Possibly. If you were Morrighan, then we did." Emi smiles faintly at her, though, since she is being pretty much 'the adorable'. "We could not say whether Morrighan was bad or not--we don't like to comment on people like that--but we did not like her. She did not seem to like us either." Emi frowns again. "But we like you."

:'''[[Morrighan Alazne]] has posed:''' Hmn...that wasn't much of an answer. It would seem like she wouldn't be getting many details from this one. That is, if she was even this Morrighan person in the first place. But all signs were pointing to 'more likely than not'. "I see...Well, that's okay. I don't remember anything anyway, so..." She shook her head at that and scooted over to Emi, pulling her into a hug. "I like you too. Thanks for being my friend, Emi." Where did she learn this? Oh wait, Ivo. Just earlier. ...Well, it could have been much worse! Maybe.

:'''[[Royce]] has posed:''' Alicia hums thoughtfully and then sits back, realizing she isn't going to learn anything useful this way. Yet another mystery and one that she doesn't have the time to investigate properly. Despite being immortal she never seems to have enough time to do everything that needs to be done. The exchange between Emi and Kara holds no interest for her, so the witch closes her eye and relaxes, allowing the warm water to soak up all of the aches and sweat infusing her body. She isn't actually bothered by such things, infact she hardly even notices little bits of unpleasantness like that, but it seems fairly obvious that a place like this would cause discomfort to the average individual so she simply attempts to blend in. The calm of the bath is agreeable to her as well. No monsters, no angry heretics, and even the book has retracted its talons from her mind for the time being, though she can still feel it lurking in the back of her mind like a sleeping beast waiting to be roused by the slightest change.

:'''[[Ivo Galvan]] has posed:''' Ivo Galvan knows when to be inconspicuous, believe it or not. Having verified that the bathing pool is sparkling clean, he, in his giddy state, found his wandering eyes settling upon parts of the garden that had gotten unruly in his absence. Scurrying off to the corner, he busied himself unobtrusively while glancing furtively in the direction of the women taking off their clothes. Unfortunately, because Ivo has the absolutely barest minimum of decency, he averts his eyes when Emi undresses, meaning that by the time he looks back all of them have gotten in the water. /Curses./ Oh, wait, no, now Alicia is reclining on a-- wow-- okay-- wow. He's been kneeling with a weed half-pulled out of the ground for about twenty minutes now, but he moves at last when 'Kara' embraces Emi, his eyes slowly narrowing. "Excellent," he murmurs under his breath. Despite being on the other side of the garden, he leans toward them. "Now /kiss/."

:'''[[Shiki Misaki]] has posed:''' "Man, I didn't even know the internet still existed! If it's a thing, I totally should. I mean, I used to have a tumblr! /And/ a livejournal!" "Ohh, Dee, if you want clothes you've /got/ to let me help you. We could go to the 104 building! Oh, you'd look /great/ in Jay-oh-tee-em." "Uhhh, but if the internet doesn't work, I can try! I haven't been back to Traverse in a while. I hear WildKat is really popular these days too." "Oh... it's nice to know you're doing OK, Riku... I'm sorry we couldn't spend more time together! We really should..." Shiki looks sad, because it's unfortunate to meet him again and part so soon. But it's time to go! So she waves to Alma, and tosses her a... business card. "Call me!" She turns back to Deelel. "Wow... everyone else is going on so many different adventures without me knowing about it. I guess we're all really busy, huh? I've mostly been trying to just... train with my staff and keep a steady job to pay the rent on the HQ..." Then suddenly, Shiki's eye twitches. "...I just got this weird feeling. Like I need to smack Ivo."

:'''[[Emi Dennou]] has posed:''' Emi isn't unwilling to provide details, but she doesn't like being rude by saying unpleasant things so her instinct isn't to give any major stories--but she did at least suggest Morrighan may have not exactly excelled at friendmaking--Dennous don't seem especially hard to befriend. Ivo will be no doubt pleased to see Emi not only get hugged but be /perfectly fine/ with hugging back. It's not unlike a promise, right? If Morrighan /does/ grope her butt at this point in time, she will inquire about it, otherwise she says, "...Thank you, too." Either way, something draws her attention, her head turns to look /directly in Ivo's direction. She stares for a moment, as if looking right at him--but either doesn't see him, or doesn't care, as she turns back to Morrighan. "Then it isn't any trouble. I will help you anyway I can, all of us will." She smiles, relieved. Life has been a bit rough lately, with Imi's kidnapping and all of that mess, so it's nice to have some good news. "Alicia...what brought you here?"

:'''[[Deelel]] has posed:''' Deelel says "It's functional in Manhattan and sooner or later the Mayor of Transverse Town will likely set up a network of some sort in the city itself." She pauses for a moment. She grins a little bit. "All right I think I can make an attempt at that, Shiki. Just say when and I should be there. True the network's not huge but there's something up in Manhattan I think the Library and one of the universities has managed to get something up. Either way there is something there." "You do better than us on that part, and ... you likely do. He's been umm himself today!"

:'''[[Morrighan Alazne]] has posed:''' The elf suspected of being Morrighan nodded slowly and remained in the hug for a bit longer. "Thank you, Emi. I'm not really sure what's going on still, but I appreciate the help you're giving me." At that moment, one of her hands began to inch lower...and lower...and lower...wait a second, don't me that she was about to do the same exact thing Ivo was- *squeeze* ...Yep. She learned from the best. ...Or rather, that is to say she learned from the /worst/.

:'''[[Shiki Misaki]] has posed:''' "Ooooo..." "Ha ha, awesome! NOTHING stops the internet!" Shiki says, voice giddy with elation because even though it seems small, it's something important to her- communication, and a triumph of people over the isolation the Heartless have inflicted on them. "Hee hee, aww, that makes me feel a lot better than you'd think, Dee. It's just kinda like-- I'm glad to hear everyone is working together, you know? I love to hear about how everyone helps everyone else out." "Now, let's go find Ivo, I'm sure he's doing /something/ to deserve a noogie..."

:'''[[Royce]] has posed:''' The witch's eye slides open slowly and evenly, like a mechanical shutter being raised. She turns to look at Emi once again, still wearing a gentle smile that seems both infused with kindness and caring and yet utterly detached from the emotions it portrays. Something about the way her smile seems not to reach her eye or the fact that she's not yet allowed anything but that same amused grin to show makes it feel disingenuous. "A boat," she answers with a slight smirk.

:'''[[Emi Dennou]] has posed:''' *squeeze* Emi blinks, slowly, distracted from Alicia (though she admits the quip was funny if strange because they are in a desert city?) "Kara," She asks. "What are you doing with my butt?" It should be noted that Emi's butt is /genetic perfection/ with some variance depending on personal tastes in rear ends.

:'''[[Ivo Galvan]] has posed:''' Ahh, what /is/ Kara doing with Emi's butt!? There's water and steam in the way! Ahhhh! Such sweet agony.

:'''[[Shiki Misaki]] has posed:''' "Maybe more than just a noogie," Shiki says to herself. These are extra words so the scenelogger grabs this! Ohhhh extra words!

:'''[[Morrighan Alazne]] has posed:''' Kara smiled obliviously at Emi's question, her hand still on Emi's rear end. "Ivo showed me that if you really like someone, that you do this." If one strained their ears, they might be able to hear a crow flying high in the skies above going 'Aho! Aho! Aho!' ...Or maybe not. But it only got much worse from there. "He also showed me that when you like someone..." She leaned closer then, their faces scant millimeters apart. "...that you do this." And then she attempted to enact the second part of Ivo's terrible example, attempting to kiss Emi. Cue hand shield!?

:'''[[Royce]] has posed:''' Alicia seems at first confused by the interruption but then grins woflishly as she figures out what's going on. Ivo's nonsense actually worked on someone? Will wonders never cease. But then the confused and clearly impressionable elf doesn't seem like too difficult of a target so perhaps he just lucked out and got the easiest mark ever. In either case, she's not about to let him win this time. The game never ends, Galvan, and this witch still has a few tricks. For no reason that seems obvious, Alicia gets to her feet. Her excessively long silver hair, now drenched from soaking in the bath, clings to her back like a cloak but it's heavy and thick enough that it creates a shimmering barrier between the two girls just as Kara closes in for the kiss. Alicia turns and smirks over her shoulder directly at the peeping tom, waggling a finger back and forth in the air playfully. Not this time, Ivo.

:'''[[Emi Dennou]] has posed:''' How does Emi keep getting in these situations. She is pretty sure it is entirely Imi's fault. "This one isn't sure that is the whole of the--" Oh please like there will be a hand shield. This is Shard Seeker territory, the bar is /way below sea level/. Emi's shoulders shoot up in surprise as-- Smuuuchuuuu --Emi says, "Ah, well..." pause, then--another one. THIS PERSON SUMMONED THE FIEND OF EARTH MAYBE--She also summoned the fiend of fanservice. Emi says, "Um, well. You are a good kisser, The Network will grab your rear if you want, but The Network is considerably certain that these acts are typically reserved for lovers." Pause, "But if you are certain, This one will engage in your preferred ritual."

:'''[[Deelel]] has posed:''' Deelel nods in agrement to Shiki as she moves to follow her firned out. "We best go deal with him before he gets himself killed."

:'''[[Ivo Galvan]] has posed:''' At last, the steam clears, and our hero is treated to the sight of a delightful and very damp embrace. Somewhere in the back of the mind of the consummate aesthete there are intertwining the threads of two very different pleasure centers, the Novelty AKA I Can't Believe This is Happening center and the-- well, the more straightforward one, as much as he'd prefer to claim that everything he experiences is based on a conscious choice. Ivo's grip then tightens upon the remaining roots of the weed half-torn from the ground, his eyes widening as Kara speaks some immortal words and leans in. No, it can't be. It is! Somewhere, Reize's pendant is glowing as a wish is about to be fulfilled. Ivo is about to witness one of the most extraordinary and glorious sights of his career as a mischief-maker, and it's all thanks to his faithful ally Alicia, who-- *rip* --has utterly betrayed him. The weed at last tears free of the ground as Ivo glares at her with stony eyes and a flat expression. But as comical as his frustrated visage is, he can't resist her teasing smirk. He grins as she waggles her finger at him, and shrugs nonchalantly, as one caught red-handed does not bother denying their crime. He has to admire her, honestly; her timing was perfect. Also, when she turns like that, he can kind of see her butt behind her hair. Yes, 'sweet agony' is the apt phrase.

:'''[[Morrighan Alazne]] has posed:''' And Morrighan succeeded. On one hand, the fanservice gods must be pleased. On the other, the gods of logic must be facepalming craters into their faces right about now. Parting with Emi, the elf just tilted her head slightly. "...Oh. ...You mean they're not the same?" Combining Alma, Emi, and Ivo's explanations of friends and lovers, it all seemed incredibly similar to the girl. Which would probably explain this fiasco. "...Did I get it wrong then?" Her blank expression gradually turned to an apologetic one as she retracted her hand from Emi's rear end finally. "...Whoops." And that was the flattest, most emotionless whoops one probably could have heard in a while.

:'''[[Emi Dennou]] has posed:''' Emi is very logical, she just--again--has no shame. Not too long ago she wasn't much better off than Morrighan is right now. She doesn't see kissing and buttgrabbing to be a big deal. "No, I think you are quite adept at kissing. And--yes. It is complicated, The Network agrees." She looks over towards Ivo as he is all redhanded. She raises a hand and-- --waves at him.

:'''[[Royce]] has posed:''' Her mission accomplished, Alicia winks at the shameless voyeur. Teasing him just a bit more, she reaches her arms over her head and stretches, turning just far enough to the side to give a hint of her curves around the edges of her body and hair without actually revealing anything, before she sinks back down into the steamy water. "Quite the show you're putting on," she asides to the other two women as she starts reclines against the rocks once more. The thick white mist floating on the surface of the bath obscures her body into little more than a dark silhouette from the shoulders down, preventing Ivo from getting a really good look at her plentiful assets, but she does this more to tease him out of some hope that it causes him actual distress than any sense of modesty.

:'''[[Morrighan Alazne]] has posed:''' That misunderstanding out of the way, Kara just nodded. "...Thank you. You were rather nice to kiss as well." She says openly, as utterly devoid of shame as Emi was. It was left at that though as Emi turned her attention elsewhere. The elf's eyes followed to spot Ivo. "......" If she was supposed to feel scandalized or obligated to protect her modesty, she certainly didn't. Instead, she just raised a hand a bit and waved to him as well. Maybe Alma was right. Maybe she did need a babysitter. Today's events only cemented that fact.

:'''[[Ivo Galvan]] has posed:''' Ivo half-heartedly waves back at Emi and Kara, smiling weakly. No need for stealth any longer, he supposes. "Ohh--" he blurts as Alicia stretches seductively, half-rising to his feet just in enthusiasm. You must understand, Ivo Galvan is a lover of beauty, and the bodies of these women are works of art. He is an /artiste/. It's totally different from being a voyeur. Overhearing Alicia's rather hypocritical comment, Ivo stands and tosses the weed to the side, thinking perhaps he's missing something, but through the steam it appears that whatever happened, he already missed it. Typical. Still, what Alicia's doing right now is much more on the sweet side than on the agonizing. Actually, considering how much he enjoys being teased, maybe Ivo is less of a voyeur and more of a mas-- "Ahem," he clears his throat, interrupting the narrator and also politely announcing his presence as he approaches the bath, looking away respectfully, not that he was /staring this entire time/. "How're you girls doing? Do you need anything to drink from the icebox? I wouldn't want anyone to faint." If that happened, they might need to be resuscitated. ...Damn!

:'''[[Morrighan Alazne]] has posed:''' Kara shook her head at Ivo and rose up out of the water, taking a tower to dry off...right in front of Ivo. At least he was looking away. Once she finished, she grabbed her clothes and began to leave. "...I think I'll be fine. I'm..." She trailed off, pausing to think for a moment. "...going to look around." And probably pass out in someone's bed. Maybe Ivo's. Unintentionally. All the while, she had forgotten to get dressed as she disappeared back into HQ. ...She definitely needed a babysitter.

:'''[[Emi Dennou]] has posed:''' Emi stands herself up as well, "Alright," She says, "I think we've been in here a bit too long, anyway." She sploshes through the bath, steps out, and reaches for another towel, drying out her hair first and working her way down. "I could use some water." Emi adds.

:'''[[Royce]] has posed:''' "I think I'll be staying for a little longer," Alicia chimes in. "Be a dear and bring me some wine, would you?" Wasn't she supposed to be a prisoner? Since when do jailers offer mini-bar service? Well, since he offered, might as well take advantage of it.

:'''[[Emi Dennou]] has posed:''' Emi isn't surprised at all. She knows how this works now with the Shard Seekers. Being their prisoner is basically vacation. "Fine tastes." She says, wrapping the towel around herself as she heads to her clothes.

:'''[[Ivo Galvan]] has posed:''' "With pleasure." Is he replying to Royce, or watching Kara go? "Yeah," he murmurs distractedly, "I could use some water too." He watches the dark retreating figure until she leaves his view. "A bucket of it."

Ship of Fools

2013-06-12T06:20:02Z

IvoGalvan: Created page with "{{Log Header |Date of Scene=2013/06/12 |Location=Hawaii |Synopsis=Aboard the Romancing Saga III with two women operating under pseudonyms for two very different reasons, Reize..."

{{Log Header
|Date of Scene=2013/06/12
|Location=Hawaii
|Synopsis=Aboard the Romancing Saga III with two women operating under pseudonyms for two very different reasons, Reize and Ivo, relaxing off the coast of Hawai'i and taking stock of their future plans in the absence of their allies, are confronted with an extraordinary opportunity, one of which all men dream. Our heroes seek to seize their destiny. All things considered, they probably do.
|Cast of Characters=Ivo Galvan, Reize Seatlan, Royce, Violet
|pretty=yes
}}
:'''[[Ivo Galvan]] has posed:''' If the world is at war, no one told Hawai'i. Ivo Galvan emits a gusty sigh as he reclines in white board shorts on a long folding chair atop the open deck of a rather battered but sturdy seafaring vessel, the chipped and peeled paint on the ship's side emblazoned with the words ROMANCING SAGA III. Despite its somewhat weathered appearance, the ship is kind of cute, and sufficiently large for ocean travel, with its cabin and below-decks area offering servicable if cramped living quarters. Still, the Shard Seekers are used to living in what is essentially a converted warehouse, and once again, little touches serve to make the place seem more well-loved than worn-down. Despite the glorious beaches visible in the distance and the gentle rocking of the waves, Ivo seems a little depressed, as least as far as one can tell behind his sunglasses. After their escapades in Port Royal, Raiya left in a huff, and he hasn't seen her since. On top of which, Church goings-on required Faruja and his allies to return to Fluorgis, diminishing the ranks of their merry band just when Ivo could have used some friends to cheer him up. It doesn't help that rumors have it that tensions are high in the world as a whole, and the intriguing news of falling stars is a little less exciting with their currrently abbreviated party. The Shard Seekers are the proud owner of a new ship, and Ivo should probably explain that to Reize and Violet now that he's dragged them all the way here. He promised Faruja that he'd try to keep an eye on Alicia, too. But right now, he just can't muster up the energy. Ah, he wanted to see Sensei in her swimsuit... He sighs again, the warm sunlight upon his bare chest unable to soothe his wounded heart. He'll never recover. "Oh, they're cute." Sunglasses sliding slightly down the bridge of his nose, he straightens to look off at the distant shore toward a group of frolicking girls.

:'''[[Reize Seatlan]] has posed:''' Hawai'i is a great place to relax and enjoy the sunny weather. It's bright and beautiful, perfect for folks to enjoy the weather and have fun in this atmosphere. Here are the Shard Seekers, atop a medium-sized boat at the open deck. Reize himself is sitting over towards the vessal's edge, wearing a pair of black shorts while having a thin-framed white shirt. He is without his long-yellow scarf as well, but he does have the pendant on. Why is Reize not wearing his adventure attire? Well, he is getting the ship ready and has been marveling at the structure. As he wanders about, the boy looks over at Ivo, "Wow! This ship is amazing!" He pauses. "...How did we find this again?" 

:'''[[Royce]] has posed:''' Royce is here as well, though given the choice, she would much rather not. After being taken into 'protective custody' by the Shard Seekers on the insistance of their ally and friend, the witch has had little room to manuever or plan an escape that wouldn't involve merely using brute force to bust her way out. Between Ivo's constant advances and hawish overwatch and Reize's odd ability to show up every single time she's had a moment to try and slip away, Royce has found herself trapped. It'd be something of a nightmare if she weren't immortal and incredible patient. As such, 'Alicia' lies stretched out on the deck of the ship soaking up the sun. Her ability to tan isn't something she's terribly worried about but the knowledge about normal human behavior she's gleaned over the centuries indicate that this is something expected for woman her age. The witch's overcoat and thick metal gauntlets and boots have been set aside for the time being, revealing even more of her pale skin to the gazes of any onlookers. Her long silver hair makes for a decent padding in the absence of a towel and has the added effect of reflecting the warm golden glow overhead, making her even more radiant than usual without the need for any extra magical charm.

:'''[[Violet]] has posed:''' Both boys may have been up on the deck of the ship for some time before Violet peeks her pale head out, flushing a deeper shade of red as she looks around tentatively. She edges an inch out from the door that leads into the ship itself, but she holds a thick blanket around herself, clutching it closed between her hands in front of her. This was probably a bad idea. Yeah, probably a bad idea. Violet, or rather Annalise, sweatdrops to herself as she takes a deeper breath and takes a few steps out, trying to ignore everyone (and what possible odd glances there may be) as she plops herself into one of the chairs on deck. Pausing a moment, she hesitantly glances up at the Witch a few feet away, seeing how relaxed the young woman (a few years older than she is clearly) is despite the lack of attire. Was Violet the only one nervous? Probably... Violet sweatdrops to herself again.

:'''[[Ivo Galvan]] has posed:''' Was Ivo ever not in a good mood? He's smiling affably now as he straightens, looking over at the spirited boy who has been roaming about and admiring their new means of conveyance. "I acquired it in Port Royal from a desperate young merchant with a weird name. Trio or something." Ivo furrows his brow, trying to recall, then shrugs and shakes his head. "Something dumb like that. Name of someone who'd end up piloting a giant robot in some overwrought animated drama." Is that a valid category? "Anyway, it could use a little touching up, but I'm quite fond of it already," he continues, smiling again. "We should be able to make our way around this collection of worlds easily now, and see if we can find out where the ship with Lich on it went. If there's a chance there actually was a World Shard on there, we've got to find it. Regardless, we need to keep testing and refining the Shard Seeker device." It led them into quite a scrape that time, needless to say. Ivo would love to see a montage of the numerous occasions in which Alicia has almost escaped only to run right into Reize -- who each time is doubtless either doing something ridiculous or just plain lost himself -- but he'll content himself with admiring her frankly extravagant body. "It's a sin to look so good," he remarks, grinning at the reclining woman, his jesting tone not obscuring his appreciation of this sight, particularly her glimmering hair. "No wonder the Church is hunting you down." At this rate, you'd better ask them for sanctuary. Annalise's nervous arrival just make Ivo look all the more amused. "It's a little hot for blankets, Violet," the knight-errant says gently, trying not to get too carried away with teasing her. He doesn't know the Princess too well, but if they're going to be travelling together in close quarters, best to build trust before, you know, abusing it. "Why don't you relax? That's what this world is all about. Believe me. I was stuck here for a while." For a given value of 'stuck'. Ivo's gaze drifts inexorably back to Alicia, but surprisingly, his brain remains active while he ogles her -- in purely aesthetic appreciation, of course -- and after a moment he speaks again. "By the way, Alicia, do you have any leads on the location or activities of your sister? If we're going to clear your name, we should find her first." He's smiling affably again, looking as relaxed as he's encouraged Violet to be. "Even if our Shard Seeker device is still a prototype, it seems to lead us toward centers of powerful magical energy. If you don't have any information right now, and you suspect she's engaged in magical activity, following us wouldn't be the worst thing you could do." He almost doesn't sound like he has an ulterior motive -- almost. But seriously, does Ivo actually /believe/ this outrageous soap opera story? I mean, if he /didn't/, or even if he had doubts, then Alicia is clearly a mysterious beautiful woman with a fascinating secret whose dark allure beckons men toward a perilous journey into-- Oh, wait.

:'''[[Reize Seatlan]] has posed:''' With a glance back, Reize takes the moment to take a look at the crew. He can see Ivo, who is finally looking at the girls despite being down earlier. Then, there is Royce, who had been under their watch on the request of Faruja. Reize takes a moment to look over the woman, then he squints. It takes Reize a bit, but he finally moves over towards 'Alicia'. "So, it looks like Faruja doesn't trust you." He blinks, "...Why is that, again?" And then, Reize looks over to see Annalise arrive, covered with a thickblanket around herself. "ooi! Violet!" There is a moment, however, when his hazel eyes meet upon her crystal blue eyes, that the boy starts to flush slightly. Ivo's explanation earns the attention of the young adventurer. His eyes flutter shut and he gives a nod of nderstanding, "I see. Well, once we find the ship, we'll have to delve deeper. That may likely involve us..." Swimming. Swimming. Swimming. Reize is undergoing a flashback of his time within the water. It involed the raging tides of the waterfall smashing and smacking him around. Desperately trying to swim within away from the tide. Except, he could not swim. A moment later, Reize is curled up into a ball, shade of horror befalling him. "...I will pass on swimming." Q_Q

:'''[[Royce]] has posed:''' Alicia lifts her head off the deck and winks at the obvious flattery from her constant admirer. Right now she's operating on the assumption that everyone bought her completely ludicrous story about a twin sister. Whether or not that is true, they atleast seem to be playing along - Ivo because the thought of two Alicia's is enough for him to waive any other concerns away and Reize because he's just that gullible. Violet is something of a non-entity to the witch; she doesn't factor into her plans one way or the other. If she gets in the way, she'll suffer the same fate. Reize's question causes the woman to sit up and stretch, leaning against the nearby surface of the hull. She puts on her best apologetic look as she does so, playing up the part as best she can. "It would seem he ran afoul of my twin sister. She has turned to the darker forces of magic and can be very brutal and unforgiving. It is not surprising that he mistook me for her." Casting her gaze to Ivo, she shakes her head. "No. My sister is quite skilled at remaining hidden when she wishes to. It is why I have been unable to chase her down, she knows that I am seeking her out. Even though she could probably win if it came to blow, she has no reason to fight when she can simply evade." At the mention of their device, the witch looks surprised then thoughtful. Yes... yes, that will do nicely. "I suppose that it could not hurt to try," she agrees with a faint smile. "My sister desires power. If there is magic to be found, then she will eventually attempt to take it for herself."

:'''[[Violet]] has posed:''' Violet couldn't help but give Ivo a flat glance as he points out the towel she clutches around herself. As if he had stated the obvious. Or mocking her and she didn't appreciate it. She was already nervous enough! She exhales a long sigh as she listens half-heartedly, mostly gathering her courage for a long moment before pushing off towel and spreading it out on the hair behind her. The pale ruffles of her swimsuit was not someone she was used to. Or wearing a swimsuit period. It was far, /far/ less clothing she was accustomed to wearing. It felt as if she was wearing only her undergarments. The young woman flushes deeper as she dips her chin, hiding part of her face behind her loose pale blonde hair and daring to glance up only to peek at Alicia when she sits up to stretch against the hull of the ship. Violet might not be sure what the witch's relationship is to the Shard Seekers, or if she was one herself and she's just never met Alicia before. Whatever it was, there seemed to be a sticky situation involved.

:'''[[Ivo Galvan]] has posed:''' "Don't worry, Reize," Ivo offers as encouragement. "If you end up in the water, just make sure to hold firmly onto a floatation device." He's staring straight at Alicia stretching as he says this. "Fantastic," he says, removing his sunglasses and straightening at Alicia's smiling reply. "Then you'll travel with us until we can clear your name for good. We're sure to find your sister eventually if we keep following the Shard Seeker device in search of anomalies." His argument has a lot of holes, but he's patching them up with enthusiasm. Typically, the nonchalant knight-errant doesn't display so much evident eagerness. "Welcome to our merry band, Alicia. Let me know if there's anything you need, and I will gladly be of service." He seems happy. "Sunscreen applied, bikini top tied, anything at all." Too happy. But his ardor fades to be replaced by a much more relaxed smile as Violet bravely lets the blanket drop and reveals-- "It suits you, Violet," the Shard Seeker strategist says gently. "You look great." Adorable, really. She has good taste, he decides. Doesn't seem to say much, though. Maybe he should make a little more effort to seek her contributions. "What do you think? Ready to follow the winds and the Shard Seeker device? Or is there anything else you wanted to do? There may not be as many of us for a while. The world's heating up again." Though not as hot as a Hawai'i summer. "Should be an intimate cruise," he adds, teasing no one in particular.

:'''[[Reize Seatlan]] has posed:''' It takes a few moments, but Reize finally recovers, especially with the encouragement of his strategist. "Right, right.." He adds while rubbing his forehead. He then turns around to face the group. So, Alicia's twin sister is responsible for Faruja's distrust. He furrows his eyebrows. "Well then, we will have to make your twin sister answer for her ways!" He slams a fist into his palm. Then, he turns around to see Annalise's outfit. !!! "Errr..." Pause. "...Eh heh. Violet. You look great!" It is a bit of a pause as the boy glances towards her. There is a bit of awkward silence as he turns her way. That silence is accented by the flush forming on his cheeks. And then, he starts shaking his head. "Okay, so we will start adventuring to find the ship!" His fist raises high, "We will find the shard!" 

:'''[[Royce]] has posed:''' Alicia smiles more brightly, a look that genuinely seems happy at the news of being allowed to travel with this small band of goofballs. Happy isn't quite the right word for it, however, since she's incapable of feeling that strongly about anything. More like, pleased at the opportunity that this will provide, which is something far more sinister than what Ivo is thinking. In the mean time, she's got an image to keep up though. The more she can wrap her benefactor around her finger the easier it will be to get away with her plans. Sporting a knowing smile, Alicia crawls on all fours back over to the section of the deck where she was stretched out previous and lays down on her stomach. She holds up a hand and somehow there is a bottle of suntan lotion in it. The woman waves it back and forth in the air enticingly, clearly smiling at Ivo as if to say, 'Ask and ye shall receive'.

:'''[[Violet]] has posed:''' Violet tentatively lifts her pale blue eyes up at Reize, pausing a moment longer before his complement turns her a fierce shade of red. "T-thank you." she murmurs softly. "I feel strange wearing it. Its the least amount of clothing I've worn." the girl admits, though she instantly regrets it and if possible burns even brighter. Maybe she shouldn't have admitted to something like that... Exhaling a small sigh, Violet lifts her gaze towards Ivo. Appearing thoughtful for a quiet moment. "Actually... there is one thing I would like to do sometime. I mean, if it actually happens in a village we were traveling through." A small smile tugs at her lips. "I would like to go to a festival sometime. With games and dancing. I think it would be fun to dress up and attend a festival, or... a ball even." Parties are always fun after all. Her pale eyes glance towards Alicia when the woman moves across the dock to stretch herself out, holding up a bottle of suntan lotion as per Ivo's hopeful suggestion. Its enough to give Violet pause before she gives a small glance at Reize, watching him for a thoughtful moment. "Should... you rub lotion on me too?" That's the custom here, right?

:'''[[Ivo Galvan]] has posed:''' Ivo will wrap around literally whatever. Finger? Finger works. How about the mast? He could wrap himself around the mast. This is the best adventuring party ever. He's already on his feet, sunglasses clattering heedlessly to the ground. "My knightly sense is tingling," he announces. "There is a damsel in distress." Is that what you call it, Ivo? Your 'knight'? Alicia doesn't need to entice him a second time. Though she can if she wants to. That'd be great. No, despite his evident enthusiasm, Ivo's grin is as mirthful as it is avid, and his eyes, now revealed, don't show himself to be as carried away as he's making himself out to be. Beyond the straightforward pleasure of Alicia's totally hot body, there's the more refined pleasure of her unreal elegance, like that a woman far older than she appears, or some alien or goddess taken earthly form, not quite fully human; he can't quite put his finger what it is about her, and it fascinates him. But beyond even that, there is what Ivo loves most of all: the game. She seems so calculated, like him. He will gladly be manipulated if it means an entertaining situation that seems to harm no one, and if it offers the opportunity to potentially learn more about this mysterious woman. I mean, how dangerous could her mystery be? Blithely unaware of just how tragically correct and yet completely wrong his intuitions are, Ivo passes by a pumped-up Reize along the deck and conveniently pounds their fearless leader's upraised fist. "That's the spirit! I'll be counting on you, Reize, to keep our morale high during long, arduous trips by sea. Rocked constantly by the waves. With nothing in sight but endless water." His hand is resting on the boy's shoulder-- reassuringly? "All on you, chief!" he concludes brightly. He looks over toward Violet, perhaps thinking of saying something mischevious, but the older swordsman looks visibly startled when the incognito princess voices a distinct desire, blinking once, and then smiling broadly. "That does sound fun," he says, a hint of fraternal affection in his voice. "We'll be traveling a lot and searching for rumors, so I wouldn't be surprised if we ran into one. If we do, we'll be sure to stop." His smile widens into a grin. "Actually, I love festivals and balls, too." And dressing up. But he loves the prospect of rubbing suntan lotion into Alicia most of all, and he's about to turn on his heel and rush to his 'damsel in distress' when Violet suggests a similar scenario on her side-- whereupon Ivo freezes, eyebrows shooting up in something approaching alarm. What's wrong? What has he realized? "Reize..." Hissing this, he claps his hands on Reize's shoulders and leans in. "/This is it. These are the big times./" Ivo looks dead serious. "/We can't screw this up./"

:'''[[Reize Seatlan]] has posed:''' The two gaze at each other for a couple of moments. In the empty air, there is the unspoken intimacy between the two. The eyes do not leave each other, but when she does finally acknowledge his compliment, Reize moves his hand over to the back of his head with a sheepish smile. He coughs slightly, then he turns towards Ivo and Alicia at the act of putting the oil on her. The way that Alicia had turned over for Ivo, the boy does look at Violet's suggestion. ... ... *DOIINGG!!!* Antenna hair: Up! The boy coughs a bit, then he starts to shake a bit, "S-su-sure..." Before the boy gets closer to Violet, however, Ivo did catch him and places his expectations upon him. The boy brightens a smile, until his older companion begins describing their adventure of the sea. ...Suddenly, Reize is not looking too hot. A shade of green follows through. The reassuring pat earns a faint smile, "Y--yeah..." Urp! "...Sure." As the boy starts moving closer towards Violet, Reize is turning towards Ivo. There is a deep look of uncertainty on his face. In fact, Reize leans over to stage-whisper out towards Ivo. ...Though, considering that both Alicia and Violet are able to hear it, Reize is NOT doing a good job of it being secretive. They can't screw it up. 'W-h-what do I do?!' The boy looks worried, suddenly self-conscious over the matter. Nevermind that the bubbling feeling is rising. Not the good kind. It is held in, yet his eyes now lock onto Ivo in askance. 

:'''[[Royce]] has posed:''' It doesn't take much to figure out Ivo. Even someone like Royce, who is barely even able to be considered human as far as her thought processes go at this point, can tell that he's interested in her physical form. From her time studying human interaction and centuries of practical application, she's well aware of the power that physical attraction has. And she's gotten very good at using it to her advantage. Ivo's distraction causes her to put on a mock pout and peer coquettishly over her shoulder at him through her lone eye. The hand holding the lotion sags towards the deck of the ship with disappointment. "Oh... did you change your mind?"

:'''[[Violet]] has posed:''' Violet smiles, happy even at the prospect of attending a festival or even a fancy ball. She may even have to do some shopping for the occasion should it ever arise. Fun. She giggles to herself as she glances up at Ivo, blinking at him curiously as he pulls Reize aside with hushed tones. More guy talk? Her pale eyes blink at them for a brief moment before shifting her gaze to Alicia, watching as the woman pouts softly and tries to urge Ivo back to her. Not that it'll take much Violet assumes. Looking back to Reize, the sudden green color in his face causes something of a concern, even worry as the girl frowns gently. "Reize... are you okay? You don't look so good..." she asks when he moves closer, only the next moment turning away again to whisper (loudly) at Ivo. A small amount of color flushes her cheeks as Violet pulls her gaze away with some shyness. Reize's self-conscious making her self-conscious now.

:'''[[Ivo Galvan]] has posed:''' Ivo, hands still clenched on Reize's shoulders, looks over at Alicia as she speaks and proceeds to make fullest use of her charms. Sweat beads at his brow, and rather than answer, he snaps his gaze back at Reize, who is starting to look a little overwhelmed. But Ivo doesn't have the patience for this right now. He turns a baleful eye on his brother in arms. "Pull yourself together, man!" Ivo whispers hoarsely, the taller youth shaking Reize violently by the shoulders, seemingly not hearing Violet's concerned query. "This is the moment we've been training for!" Who's we? Training how!? "Many men would gladly die to be in our places right now! We cannot fail to live up to their aspirations!" He's sort of forgotten to whisper at this point. "With these hands," he exclaims, continuing to use said hands to shake Reize like a can of soda, "we must fulfill our destiny, and massage lotion into the glistening skin of these gorgeous women! Reize!! Can you do it!?" Ivo gets so worked up, he only belatedly seems to remember that the languid witch awaits him, and he abruptly releases Reize, suddenly snapping into a bright smile as he looks over at his voluptuous target. "Coming, my sweet!" Glory awaits!

:'''[[Reize Seatlan]] has posed:''' Sadly, Ivo had mentioned the travels of the sea and the motions that the tide would put him through, setting the motion of that motion sickness. However, Reize had tried to keep his composure for so long. He was not a weak-willed boy, but there was something about the sea travel that did not make him feel well. Violet's question of his well-being earns her a smile as he faces her. He gives a slow nod, trying to reassure Violet that he is well. However, he manages to distance himself from her until he is at a safe distance. ...And then Ivo grabs him and starts shaking him like a soda. @_@ 'Can you do it?!' As soon as Reize is released.... "BLARRRGGGUGGHHHHHHH!!!!!!" Glory has crashed for Ivo. 

:'''[[Royce]] has posed:''' The look on Alicia's face as Ivo gets hosed down is one of amused disgust. She winces but it's mixed with an attempt to hold back a laugh and she has to put the lotion down to cover her mouth so it doesn't escape. Alas, Ivo, your moment of glory has passed. "Ohoho...", she giggles. "That's unfortunate."

:'''[[Violet]] has posed:''' Reize's reassuring nod to her earns a small smile from Violet, hopeful even if only for a moment. It doesn't last very long as the moment that Ivo begins shaking the younger boy does everything explode. Poor Ivo gets upchucked on... Violet is instantly on her feet and hurrying to the boy's side, filled with overwhelming concern. "Reize, are you okay?!" Alicia may be laughing, but Violet isn't! "We need to get you downstairs to bed, before you get any worse."

:'''[[Ivo Galvan]] has posed:''' Ivo's consciousness floats in an endless void. Seeking to be anywhere other than where it is, it reflects upon disconnected thoughts and questions. Should he start carrying a flask, like Faruja? On a scale of one to disowning, how disappointed would Sensei be? Is this better or worse than being kissed by Reize? There are no obvious answers to these profound and searching questions, but one conclusion is, if not certain, at least fairly likely. Their destiny-- Wordless and stoic, his face a mask of distant composure, Ivo turns, walks calmly to the side of the ship, and jumps off into the sea. --was probably this. Splash!

The Saga Continues

2013-06-12T01:54:35Z

IvoGalvan: Created page with "{{Cutscene Header |Date of Scene=2013/06/11 |Location=Port Royal |Synopsis=The Shard Seekers acquire a sailing vessel. |Cast of Characters=Ivo Galvan, Young Merchant }} "She n..."

{{Cutscene Header
|Date of Scene=2013/06/11
|Location=Port Royal
|Synopsis=The Shard Seekers acquire a sailing vessel.
|Cast of Characters=Ivo Galvan, Young Merchant
}}
"She needs some work, but she'll... she'll be good to you."

Ivo looks up from inspecting the hull and smiles reassuringly at the nervous young man by his side, nodding with the breezy confidence of someone who knows he's getting a good deal. "I have no doubts. I'll take good care of her."

"Do you, um, have any prior experience with the maintenance of sailing vessels?"

"No, but I'm an engineer by training." The knight-errant has already swirled his cloak over to look over some areas where the paint has worn and chipped, confirming that the underlying material is still in good condition. "I've recently gotten a little experience working with airships. Can't be that different."

"Er, actually, there's a lot that--"

"So why the name?" Ivo interrupts, still smiling broadly as he glances over, effortlessly keeping the other young man at Ivo's own path. It's almost sad to watch. "I loved it as soon as I saw it."

"R-really? Most people just think it's strange." The long-haired merchant's son smiles weakly back. "Our family name is 'Romanza', so when my father said he wanted his first ship called the 'Saga', the painter misunderstood and-- well, it ended up like that, and we stuck with it. This is the third, but it was always smaller than the other two, and was never retrofitted. I'll be heading back to Luca soon on a different ship, and it would cost more than it's worth to get someone else to sail this one back..."

"We're lucky we found each other."

"Oh, um, yes. If I might ask, Sir Galvan, why do you seek a...?"

"Easiest way to get around Phantasia efficiently," Ivo replies succinctly. "If we need to travel between the Roving Islands, we have a mobile base; if we need to head to the Mountain, we dock in Port Royal. We're adventurers, you know. Besides, you've heard the rumors about those falling stars, right? If some have landed on any of these islands, we'll be the first to find them." It seems easiest not to explain World Shards and the Shard Seeker device, or mention that there may be a grim dreadnought of the undead with Lich on it floating around somewhere. Who knows? Could be at the bottom of the ocean right now.

Better to be optimistic.

"That's quite sensible," the long-haired youth says. "So in this group of yours, are you the... strategist?"

Ivo looks briefly surprised at the odd question, before becoming amused. "Only when they don't know any better."

"I've always wanted to be a strategist or tactician or some sort," the merchant continues wistfully, seemingly off in his own little world. Ivo arches a brow at the thought of this neurotic-looking flower child in charge of anything, but is discreetly silent. "I've always helped with the books and helped my father since I was young, but someday I'd like, I don't know... to go on to bigger things."

"Maybe you'll get your chance someday," Ivo encouragingly offers, "D... sorry, what was it?"

"Oh," the young man says, embarrassed, nervously running a hand through his indigo hair and smiling, "it's Duo. Duo Romanza."

"Well, I'll take care of it from now on, Duo," Ivo says, looking back at the ship's side, "your Romancing Saga."

"Please do."

Party Like a Pirate

2013-06-07T06:08:12Z

IvoGalvan:

{{Log Header
|Date of Scene=2013/06/07
|Location=Port Royal
|Synopsis=Celebrating the success of their treacherous expedition into the Ship Graveyard, the Shard Seekers and friends gather in Port Royal for a party in grand style, replete with music and dance and drink, mostly drink. Chaos is par for the course in this once-orderly city by the sea, and it is to the sea that the Seekers will be called once again, while Darkness lurks on the horizon -- for more than a few of them. But until then, Fate shall smile its crooked smile, love shall blossom, and kisses shall miss their mark. Like, /really/ miss their mark.
|Cast of Characters=Ivo Galvan, Reize Seatlan, Faruja Senra, Raiya Fujihara, Riku, Katyna, Deelel, Maira, Morrighan Alazne, Emi Dennou, Violet, Leon, Arkham Fisher
|pretty=yes
}}
:'''[[Ivo Galvan]] has posed:''' Say what you will about pirates, they sure know how to party. Port Royal is ostensibly under stern military control, but with its isolation from the world from whence it came and the loss of its typical trade routes, adrift ships have gathered here and made it a wilder hub of commerce than ever before. With the government working overtime to keep the basic amenities of civilization operative and deal with the fantastical elements now passing through, to say nothing of the lurking Heartless in darkened alleyways, pirates disguised as merchants -- or just stepping off of sinking ships -- find ways of slipping in. Scoundrels and wastrels and the dissolute of all color and creed find their way here, in what is a shipping-off point for the farthest reaches of the multiverse, vaster even than the oceans of the World of Ruin. Ivo Galvan fits right in. He's laughing at the bar now, slightly flushed, bantering with the bartender as a jaunty tune plays and uproarious misfits caper and bound in the background. It looks like there's something approximating a dance party in progress. Once again, the Shard Seekers have let it be known quasi-publically that they'll be gathering here to celebrate their recent success in the Ship Graveyard, so who knows who'll be showing up this time. Still, as much as Ivo's evidently enjoying himself, lurking in the back of his mind is the thought of the escaped Lich, and the possibility of a vanished World Shard with him. More worrisome still, in a way, is the thought that there never were a World Shard, that the Shard Seeking device is as likely to detect monsters and magical trash as the worlds they seek. But there's only one way to find out. And that's the other reason they're here.

:'''[[Riku Bot]] has posed:''' Riku is about as entertained by the afterparties of a shard seeker adventure as the adventure itself, so he finds himself navigating through the unfamiliar crooked alleyways and gangplanks of Port Royal with a vague air of confusion. (This does not go hand to hand with vulnerability however, as some pirates find out when they corner him in an alley.) Sometimes looking so young as it's disadvantages, even when said teenager as a sword at their hip that they are willing to use (Even if to only part your belt from the rest of your pants and cause somewhat of an embarrassing and awkward silence for several moments) This only happens once. When he pushes his way into the bar, he raises his eyes up to the ceiling and wrinkles his nose slightly as he looks around. He moves towards the bar and takes a seat not too far away from Ivo. "Why am I thoroughly not surprised? Another adventure at the bottom of every glass, Ivo?"

:'''[[Raiya Fujihara]] has posed:''' A samurai walks through the streets of Port Royale this night. And she ends up walking into the bar that Ivo has found himself in. The blonde-haired woman was wearing a fancy black kimono with a purple sash around her waist that keeps the kimono tight to her body. A fearsome sheathed katana is proudly displayed in the samurai's sash and the sleeves of her kimono move from time to time to reveal that she was wearing black armguards underneath her clothes. Both her katana and her long blonde hair sways as she steps carefully around a fallen drunk 'merchant' and heads further into the depts of this hive of scum and villainy. And speaking of scum and villainy, Raiya soon spies Ivo at the bar. Riku is noticed as well, but she does know him that well as they have only encountered each other once or twice before. Ivo looks exactly how Raiya remembered him despite it being months since they last saw each other. He appears to not have changed one bit for better or for worse. With a sigh, Raiya quietly walks up to the bar and edges her way in near where Ivo was. A katana is a keen instrument to cause people to gain way. "Fate has finally seen it fit for our paths to cross again." She says face-forward in her typical stoic manner before attempting to gain the bartender's attention to get a drink for herself. Riku is turned towards now. "And I have not seen you since you dueled Ivo in what feels like ages ago. It seems that Fate has a unique sense of humor to reunite....." A loud noise behind her causes the samurai to turn and face the table where Reize had lept to just as her hand reaches her katana. And there was Reize. This was some reunion indeed.

:'''[[Reize Seatlan]] has posed:''' The last two times that he got drunk, he woke up curled up to a girl. Wait. What? Nevermind that. Reize is going to avoid getting drunk this time! He recalls what happened last time, so he is going to avoid getting into suc awkward situations. Nevertheless, the time is for celebration. And celebrate they shall. Reize is standing on one of the tables. Here the boy is, extending a hand into the air triumphantly while the people in the bar listen to the boy with rapt attention. Though, it could be because that they are drunk out of their minds. "And there we were, faced with the fiendish presence of a horrifing monster. No. A demon. ...Worse yet, a /Fiend/." The boy walks along the table, "Ghastly creatures, the fallen risen again, /all/ of them were our obstacles! It took great teamwork on all of our parts! Ivo saw the window of opportunity and grabbed the barrels of explosives and we loaded it in! Faruja, our trusted holy knight, kept the ghastly monstrocities at bay while we could load the ship..." "And then.." Both hands come apart as Reize jumps into the air. "BOOOOM----ACCKKKK!!!" The moment he lands on the table, it splits apart and crumbles from the forceful jump the boy takes. The result is essentially Reize landing hard on his butt. This results in a roar of drunken laughter at the boy's predictament. "Atatatatatatataaa...." His antenna hair looks about as beaten up as Reize.

:'''[[Faruja Senra]] has posed:''' While a certain Dennou may have dropped yet another worry into the Templar's lap, Faruja Senra is determined to enjoy himself. It's been some time since he's really been able to seperate himself from his troubles, and the stress is wearing on him. A certain field medic and Sister of the School of the Word may spy an increasing number of grey furs amidst what should by all rights be unblemished white fur, the same perhaps going for a Certain Fire Mage. Easil noticed, really, as the Templar has taken it upon himself to properly escort the two Ladies to the Shard Seeker's little shindig; a Lady in each arm should they allow it. At least until they're at the door, whereupon he'll open it for the women. Clad in local clothing rather than his usual attire, a spear regardless on his back, he may look more like a traveling Burmecian nobleman to those familiar with his kind. The fact that he picked the clothes up locally, being ones in theory fit for common pirates where his homeland believes it to be rich fashion pleases the Templar greatly. If only there were nobles for him to gloat at over the fact! "Ahh, the smell of precious water. A touch of rain, and all would be well within the world. After thyselves, my dear, dear friends and associates. Please, let us enjoy ourselves, Sister Fisher, Maira. A life of naught but toil is to forget the gift given us by the Lord that is life!" The rat's all smiles as he ushers in his companions. "Ser Galvan, already at it without us, hmm? Tsk tsk, my friend! Lord bless, dear barkeep? Something local and spiced! Whatever the ladies desire, 'tis upon my coin." A glance to the pair. "And I shan't hear of protests!" Reize leaps, and falls, the boy's charisma far outshining his leaping skills. "My, my, my. The table doth be a most powerful foe, Reize! Yet it could not stand against thy might!" Grin! It softens slightly upon seeing Riku. The rat bows. "Lord bless, Riku." He offers, far more evenly than last time. Be proud, emo guy, the rat's /trying/! Blink. The sight of a certain samurai gets the rat's attention, having not even made it to the bar quite yet. "Good eve, Lady Fujihara! 'Tis been some time!" Bow. Smile! Sigh. The rat takes his drink. "So many faces, hardly do I know where to begin introductions." Sip. For his complaining, he looks quite pleased at the turnout.

:'''[[A Certain Fire Mage]] has posed:''' And so, once again, Angantyr misses out on Maira in a wench outfit. This is apparently a thing that simply happens when she enters Port Royal. Costume change-mandatory. SHRUG!? Its all part of the fun. It was Faruja's idea that she come with him to this party, knowing how she loved a party, but also knowing she was kind of...reluctant to get into any more trouble after what happened at Serendipity. Thus, she had a nice, knightly escort! Her good friend Faruja, and perhaps, if she managed not to be on fire at all, she's make a new friend in Miss Fisher. As soon as she moves into the room she spots Ivo at the bar and gets a plan in her head. She holds her finger to her lips then begins to creep toward Ivo, quietly moving through the rowdy atmosphere to then fling herself up and onto his back, clinging like a little money and laughing. "Surpriiiiiiise! Hey everyone!" she calls, smiling warmly to everyone she knows. "Congratulations!" she continues. "What are we drinking, eh?"

:'''[[Violet]] has posed:''' This kind environment, a bar full of partying pirates, is out of her element. Totally. And only read of in books. But this kind of night if worth celebration, so most of all rules went out the window. At one point Violet is handed a colorful drink of some sort (punch?), and looking over it curiously for a short moment she smiles at whoever it was that slid it in her direction. A young man in his twenties it looks like. And very likely a pirate himself. People party happily and the young woman chuckles softly to herself as she takes a drink, her bright eyes curiously scanning the crowd around the bar, only to see Reize standing on a table. It figures. And Reize jumps and essentially breaks the table in two as he lands...

:'''[[Katyna]] has posed:''' Woo, party time! Kat had only taken part in a little of the previous day's adventures, but she was still looking forward to chillaxing and having some fun! Ooh, and drinks too, like she wasn't hyperactive enough! And so the ember knight bursts onto the scene, dressed up in a somewhat piratish outfit herself as she dances through the crowds to the music, yelling and singing and clearly half drunk. There are so many familiar faces right now that she doesn't know who to approach first. Unfortunately in her current state, she dizzily spins and twirls so much that she ends up bumping into Ivo from the front, even as Maira attacks him from the back. "Ooh, heey!"

:'''[[Deelel]] has posed:''' Deelel sometimes finds her clothing changing as she hops from world to world this is one such of those times. this is one of thsoe times she finds herself with a bandan on that has a little green demon holding a pitch fork rather than a skull and crossbones. Long pants, pirate boots and a tank top of all things. The thing is all the stiching of the clothing has the glow lines her normal wear tends to have. So here she is taking in this strange place isn't there where Zeke is from and she's right behind the Templar. "I don't like large bodies of water still." She frowns a little but she'll deal with it and it's hard to be misrable with Reize about too. "Reize! Hello!"

:'''[[A Certain Medic]] has posed:''' You so rarely see Sister Fisher in aught but her habit that you might forget she came in any other flavors. Truth be told, she might have, too, but the Father knows there're enough shops around Port Royal who know how to stuff a girl into a dress; it's sort of plain and modest, for the place and occasion, the sort of thing that might be the best dress a fisher-girl owned, but she certainly wears it like it's hers. Ser Senra hauled her out here, under initial protest, but the Port is her sort of town, to be honest, and she's smiling wide as her knight makes a round of introductions. She recognizes... really nobody here, except the girl she came with. Maira. Yes. And she knows Reize immediately as he lands through a table; that couldn't be anybody but Reize. And, there's a Dennou, somewhere around. There's /always/ a Dennou somewhere around. "You shan't, you shan't from me, I'll swear it," Arkham responds to Faruja, because she's in the process of securing a worrying amount of dark rum for herself. It's medicinal, you know. On further thought, she calls up another for a certain fire mage, and passes it along. "Go on, it'll, it'll warm you right up."

:'''[[A Certain Railgun]] has posed:''' A certain scientific railgun (except it's also basically just magic anyway honestly but that's besides the point) is dressed like a pirate. This is actually Emi Dennou, as an aside, she has a name. She has an eyepatch on. She also has a scimitar at her side that seems to be made out of plastic. She is coming along with Maira. There's apparently an escort too, who is a mouse knight, and Emi's impassive gaze doesn't suggest that she dropped 'yet another worry' into his lap. In terms of anime, she is in a super deformed state of bland reactions. But in reality, she's just sort of gazing ahead with a blank stare. "It is never chilly around Maira." She says. "For one reason or another. How are you, Arkie?"

:'''[[Ivo Galvan]] has posed:''' "Well, well," Ivo turns with an exaggerated leer as Riku sits down next to him, lifting his half-full glass in toast. "If it isn't the lovely Rachel. Must you steal my heart only to leave for months, and then at your whim to reappear and-- oh, /I'm/ sorry," he then appends, in mock astonishment, "it appears you are her distant cousin Riku. Perhaps you could summon her, old friend? If the ritual involves women's clothes, I think this tavern shall provide." As if on cue, a loud and delighted squeal briefly pierces the ruckus, and a garter is flung across the room, passing in and out of view. "If only in bits and scraps." He seems to be in a good mood. Reize's ever-glorious storytelling doesn't hurt, and Ivo's laughter is among the chorus as the table splits beneath the boy, though his is more good-natured and affectionate than spiteful. "Yeah, like that," he chortles, "except the table was a ship, and Reize was a big skeleton, and his scarf was a robe. Although his scarf is long enough to... be..." Ivo's flushed cheeks turn pale, before flushing yet brighter. "...Sensei." Eyes on Raiya's ever-stoic expression, the slightly intoxicated knight-errant feels his heart skip a beat. He cannot find the words. Eager to see her again, frightened to see her again, ashamed of his disappearance, fearful that she had left without him-- that she had already left on her quest-- that she might even be-- "I've missed you." Though words leave his lips thoughtlessly, before he can think of anything clever or charming to say. All can he think of is her profile, never forgotten. No, enough with the jokes, enough with prodding her like a boy at recess. Can't he be honest for once in his life? He can. He's changed! "I feared that, in my absence, you had-- oomph!" Whereupon a, shall we say, very appealingly clad Maira leaps upon Ivo back, sending him staggering forward, and Katyna dizzily bumps into him from the front, leaving Ivo with two attractive women momentarily snuggled against him, with his widened eyes still on Raiya. "Aha... ha ha ha... ladies..." Ivo clears his throat, trying to seize the moment again, but it's gone, and besides, was Katyna always so cute, and Maira always so soft? Yeah, she totally was. And he totally hasn't changed. Turning to try to smile at the friend clinging to his back, he sees Faruja and grins, realizing he's the one who brought the babes to the party. "What's this," he cries, "you outdo me, my brother! I have the advantage in drink, but you, sir, have the advantage in company! Where did you find these beauties?" What are you complaining about, Ivo? Half of them are clinging to you now. Belatedly, he seems to remember that Raiya is standing right next to him, and a little uneasily, he asides to her, "Not that I'm /interested/ in where he found them." It's just so convincing.

:'''[[Reize Seatlan]] has posed:''' The boy is in a very dizzied state. Reize is reaching a hand into the air. "I'm okay." He slowly turns over and pushes himself up to his feet. His eyes lift over towards Deelel, then he waves a handher way, "Ooii, Deelel!" And then, his eyes fall upon Faruja, "Oooi, Faruja! Maira! --Err.." Pause. Who was the person? "Err..." The boy is drawing upon a blank. Nevertheless, Reize brightens into a smile, "This is a celebration! We beat a Fiend and it from haunting the people! This is a victory for the Shard Seekers!" The boy raises a hand towards a mug. He sniffs the mug, making sure that this is an actual drink. After confirming that this drink won't suddenly change him like the last two instances, Reize is cheerful once more. His eyes fall upon Violet, and then Ivo and the others. Triumphantly, the boy raises the mug to the heavens. "FOR VICTORY!" And the rowdy men actually join the boy with the raised mugs, because why not? It's a celebration. Drinking for all. 

:'''[[Riku Bot]] has posed:''' Riku looks at Raiya and raises his eyebrows. He gets up and bows slightly to Raiya in respect, offering her a seat somewhere near him. "A extremely dark sense of humor. Believe me." He snorts and begins to continue when Raiya turns away, his eyeline following to... sigh. Reize. Just Reize. Riku puts his face in one hand and just laughs into it, shaking his head back and forth. "I see Great Ocean Adventurer is already having fun." This is when Ivo starts in and he laughs sheepishly. "I think the ritual involves far more drink than either of us have had and the element of surprise. It's no fun when youre expecting it." he grins. "Which I think is an embarrassment I'll save for when it's again needed to teach the general population the grace and culture of Ivo Galvan." Oh the dripping sarcasm there. Riku turns to Faruja with a laugh as Ivo is tackled by a flying firemage and an ember knight and-- he takes a deep breath, swallows his ire and bows in return. "Lord keep you, ser Faruja." He tries to keep the 'Because only well meaning idiots like Reize would take you otherwise' off his face. He's trying as well. And the mental gripe turns out to be only halfway sincere, which surprises him a little. He waves and takes a seat as he starts chuckling again at Reize's antics. Yes. The costume changes are all mandatory. All of them. "Survival." He gestures to Reize. "I think the templar has the right idea. That table /was/ a terrible foe. It's been slain in the name of justice and moderately good storytelling, I suppose. I'll drink to that." He looks to Violet and Katyna and smiles slightly at them both, leaning up against the bar as he looks over the crowd and takes in what is going on around him quietly. He doesn't greet Deelel but he doesn't scorn her either, nodding slightly to the program and to A Certain Medic politely. A Certain Railgun Riku is kind of privately wishing was pointed in a different direction, but he waves at them as well.

:'''[[A Certain Fire Mage]] has posed:''' Maira lets herself fall from Ivo's back, smiling all the while. "It's good to see you Ivo, and in good spirits! Oh! Raiya!" she says, then springs forward to hug her. Yes, hug her. This is happening. HUGS FOR EVERYONE! "Its good to see you too! Look, Ivo, found after all this time! If you haven't had a word with him yet I'd better leave you to it," she says, then leans in to whisper to Raiya briefly before she turns and takes the offered rum from Arkie. "Warm me up?" she asks, laughing. Emi has it right! Maira reaches to take Arkie's hand and lays it, unabashed, on her cheek. "I am always warm!" she replies. Indeed, her skin feels very warm, like someone with a high fever or a rock that has been sitting in the sun. Except, as Ivo is so keen to repeatedly notice, soft. Maira downs her rum then. She'll get good and drunk, gosh darn it! Maybe then she'll stop feeling like every shadow was suspicious--ready to eat her. Recognizing Riku, Maira takes a seat nearby and smiles. "Hey, Riku! How are you? I haven't seen you in a while. What have you been up to?" she asks. Oh Katyna is here too!? Wave! Beam!

:'''[[Faruja Senra]] has posed:''' Siiip. Faruja watches, stifling a snicker with his drink as the Fire Lady makes her way towards Ivo. Turning to Deel, he claps the woman on the back. "Now, now, now! 'Tis naught to fear, should one fall, I am quite adept at swimming. Nothing to worry about. Ahh, but mayhap a good dip in the cool waters would do thee well, hmm, Deel?" The Templar's not yet caught onto the whole 'Programs hate water' idea. Two women barge onto poor Ivo. The Templar can't help but laugh, shaking his head. "Oh, my, how /popular/ Ser Galvan! Lady Katyna, greetings my dear!" Tapping on his glass lightly, he gestures to Arkie and Maira. "For those whom may not have had the pleasure, 'tis my great honor to inroduce Lady Maira, a mage of no small renown, beauty, and skill..." Turning, he gestures to the Sister making her way over to the bar. Her words almost have the rat sniffling. His medic /drinks/ like a normal person. He knew he liked this girl for a reason. "And the ever reliable, loyal, pious, intelligent, Sister Fisher of the Holy Church's School of the Word, whose knowledge shall make a library seem paltry in comparison!" His compliments done, he walks over to clink glasses with Arkie. That is a /lot/ of rum. "My, my. Methinks a drink contest shall be in order soon, Arkie." Seriously. Can she really drink all that? Dennou! If Ami were here, he'd likely be getting pets by now. Somehow, despite the embarrassment it involves, the lack of the animal-loving sister saddens him. A drink is quickly passed to Emi. "Drink well, my dear, and enjoy the celebration!" At the least, the Burmecian doesn't seem to blame Emi for dropping said worry upon him. Indicating said beauties, Faruja gives a modest bow. "Why, a humble knight always seeks to ensure the safety of pious, outstanding individuals such as those that have blessed this undeserving Templar with their presence. Indeed, 'tis been my pleasure to see them towards an enjoyable night." When in doubt, play the part of the virtuous knight, if you can't beat the suave of one Ivo Galvan! What's this? A toast!? A glass is raised. "To victory, and righteous glory!" Calls out the rat with feeling, clinking glasses with a nearby pirate. At Rikku's return, the ratling crosses his chest. He'd not take the boy as pious, but he appreciates the manners. Some cynical part of him didn't think Riku was capable of it. It actually brings a smile that he can't quite suppress.

:'''[[Deelel]] has posed:''' Deelel is lauahging a little bit, she's just happy to be out of prision now at this pont and she's going to enjoy herself in the companty of friends and that's how it's hopefully going to be tonight. She can't get intoxicated. Well not off human things alway and she's now just watching Ivo and she laughs a little bit. She's jut happy to see IVo from the sounds of it meanwhile Reize returns her greetings and she seems to be in a good mood. Though since she was on ice she has no idea what the Victory was but given how big the party was it clearly a major thing. Very clearly a major thing from the sounds of it. She kinda of falls in with Faruja at this point as jhe makes the introduction of some of his guests. She's also joining in the torat like everyone else but this is certainly strange user fuel today... She looks over at Riku and gives him a polite wave she's long ago let any issues with him go from the looks of it. "Greetings, Riku."

:'''[[Violet]] has posed:''' Violet chuckles with much more mirth than usual at the activities around her, but if there were anything of an indication it might be the color in her cheeks and the empty mug in hand. Though she's given another just before Reize lifts his mug. Smiling brightly, she lifts her new drink up in the air above her head as well. "For victory!" she giggles. Taking several drinks from her glass, Violet hiccups and places the mug on the bartable with a bit more force than intended. She pushes herself to her feet as she starts threading her way through the crowd of people. With a bit more ease than she had when they arrived. "Who wants a dance?!" she giggles.

:'''[[A Certain Fire Mage]] has posed:''' "Wait! Am I missing a toast!?" Maira asks, suddenly alarmed, she grabs her drink and raises it. "TO VICTORY! YAAAAY!"

:'''[[A Certain Railgun]] has posed:''' Emi naturally has no idea what Riku's issue is and, so, takes the closest possible seat nearest to Riku, even going so far as to scoot the chair even closer to Riku. She ends up 'toasting' about 1.5 seconds after everyone else, holding the glass up for a few moments before lowering her hand. "Hello Riku." She says. "The Network has not seen you in some time. How are you today?" SHe tilts her head a bit, perhaps hoping to see a key embedded in Riku Bot's back.

:'''[[A Certain Medic]] has posed:''' "Glory to who takes it!" Arkham manages to get that one out without stammering, adding her voice to the Seekers' joyous din. "I'm, yes," she acknowledges Faruja's extensive introduction with a fetching blush that doesn't quite fade out, "Arkie. I patch him up after, after he goes out partying." Her glance suggests that just to look at him you could see where this would be necessary. The necessity suggests to her that there's too much rum in her glass; she does something about that. "I live, Dennou," she responds, to Emi's retreating back. Riku seems to be her target, and she gives him a nod of acknowledgement, in case he catches her staring. She's not quite warmed up enough yet to approach him herself. Reize is right here, though, at the epicenter, where she has only drifted. "I haven't, haven't managed to join you yet, you know, but I will~" She isn't /much/ taller than him, come down to it, so she can't do much leaning down and being cute, but she tries. If she can wedge her way past anyone.

:'''[[Reize Seatlan]] has posed:''' There is a bright grin that forms as Riku joins in. At first, Reize lets his friend's words go over his head with the table. Then, the boy blinks. ... ... "Hey!" It is then that the young boy beams as Maira and the others finally join in their toast. That smile grows, right towards Faruja, "Oh, thanks!" He is now reminded of the girl's name. "Sister Fisher!---Errr Arkie! Good to see you again. Er-join? ---" And Violet is starting to act strange. He blinks and he starts getting up to his feet. "Errr, one moment, Arkie!" "Oooiii! Raiya!" The boy waves a hand towards her. As he rushes over towards Violet, the boy smiles, "Hey, are you okay..?" And then, it hit him! Not many people know her! "Ahem, I do have an announcement!" He placs an arm around Violet, offering a smile to the group. "So, I don't think many of you all have met her, but.." He offers a wide grin, "I want to introduce one of our newest members of the Shard Seekers, Violet!" He boy lifts a finger into the air, "She is an excellent swordsman!"

:'''[[Raiya Fujihara]] has posed:''' Raiya bows to Faruja when he calls over to her and offers a faint had wave towards Reize. It is Riku's politeness and his bow towards her that causes Raiya to actually smile faintly. She was pleased to see such good manners still existed in this day and age. The bow is returned promptly and she takes the offered seat at the bar just in time to recieve her amber colored drink. "Fate has no other kind," replies the samurai darkly just as she overhears a few choice words from the busy Ivo. Those few words are enough to cause the woman to completely stop in motion, her drink held aloft mid-air. Saying such a thing in a place like this? Raiya quickly finishes her drink long before the toast started. She calmly turns her head to focus her green eyes on Ivo and simply nods her head gently. It is a small gesture, but she hopes that Ivo was not too distracted to miss it. The Maira/Kat tag-team attack causes Raiya to purse her lips together and look to the bartender for another drink. She just might need it. Before Raiya have really recover, she gets HUGGED by Maira which causes the Wutai swordswoman to blink a few times in surprise. But it is what is -whispered- to her that causes Raiya to lock a slightly wide-eyed gaze with Maira. The stoic samurai is struck speechless for a second.. Thankfully, another drink arrives just in time. Raiya raises her glass, glances towards Maira and then to Ivo, and then drains it completely. Riku gets a pointed look next. Fate and its cruel sense of humor indeed.

:'''[[Ivo Galvan]] has posed:''' "For victory!" Ivo can't but join in Reize's toast, laughing again at their spirited young leader's irrepressible enthusiasm. Even if they didn't find a World Shard, everyone seems happy to have helped others and brought Light to the land in some small way. Perhaps it's the drink, but Ivo finds this extraordinarily comforting. Even now, there was some small part of him that worried that if the Shard Seeker device turned out not to work properly -- or at all -- their partnership would fall apart, that the little home they'd carved out for themselves in a corner of the multiverse would crumble. But their friendships are stronger than that. He's going to do his best to realize their hopes, and find the worlds of those who have lost them. Not, however, simply because he fears the consequences of failure. "My grace and culture are beyond impugning," he retorts to Riku, though as he's laughing as he says it, his indignation is not particularly persuasive. "Just ask Avira. If such a brute calls me a scoundrel, you know I'm the picture of propriety." Is that how it works? "Eh? Don't tell me Her Highness is..." As it's Riku's turn to be beset by women, Ivo's gaze strays to the wandering Violet, who seems to be having almost a little /too/ much of a good time. His grin broadens, but as amused as he looks, he keeps his eyes on her. If it looks like she's getting in over her head, and Reize is otherwise occupied, he'll intervene as smoothly as he can. But he's not quite ready to leave the bar just yet, if he can avoid it. He does catch Raiya's nod, as well as her pause, and these subtle gestures again cause his heart to jump up into his throat. How hopeful, how terrified, how thrilled he feels at his teacher's acknowledgments of his affection, at the hints she reciprocates, at the reminders of the great divide between them and the sweetness of their intimacy in what need not be said. Still, gazing upon her grace and dignity, he can't help but feel, as always, profoundly unworthy. Probably because he /is/. Which makes him exceedingly nervous when it appears that Maira has whispered something to Raiya that has given the woman pause, and then driven her to drain her pause. "Ahah, bottom's up," Ivo says, to cover his tension, before draining his own. "Alright, next one's on me!" he adds spiritedly, aiming to clear the air. "Ha ha, reminds me of the last time I bought you a drink, at the New Year's festi..." Stupid. /Stupid/. Memories flood back. "S... so... did Maira say something to you?" he tries, a little hoarsely. "Something good about me, I hope." Why does he suspect it's something likely to make his life a lot more complicated?

:'''[[Riku Bot]] has posed:''' Riku mutters "more like -- for free beer. It might as well be. //-For Reasons-\" with a chuckle as he leans on the bar. He toasts 'for reasons' with the rest of the victory crowd. When the flying firemage rockets back and forth in a pinball fasion into his vicinity, Riku gives her a small smile. "Hello Maira. Mostly keeping out of trouble and suffering fools gladly." he jerks a thumb backwards at Ivo. "Living over in Archades right now, training to be a Judge Cadet. What about you? What trouble have you gotten yourself into?" He looks away from Maira for a few moments to look over at Faruja. "A drinking contest? That would be something to watch with this crowd. Beep Boop. Riku - Bot is not that kind of bot, but he does seem rather wound up about something. Maybe the springs are all internal. Maybe eventually something will just go 'SPROING' in an amusing fashion. "Hello Legionettes." he says politely, having not seen enough enough to actually determine (or remember) whose names they were. He doesn't seme to have any problem with them scooting up close though. "Keeping myself busy. What have you and your sisters been up to?" Riku looks over at Ivo, then back at Raiya with an expression that is VERY near to rolling his eyes up towards the gods in askance but manages to be just short of that. He raises an empty mug in return and sets it back on the bar. He looks over at Reize as he introduces Violet, and a modicum more interest enters his expression as she is introduced as a swordsman. "Is she? Well-- gathering another group to put your bacon out of the fire on a regular basis, 'Harem Master of Fluorgis'?" the words almost echoing in those fingerquotes.

:'''[[Morrighan Alazne]] has posed:''' And right at that moment, a dark portal opened right in the middle of the establishment, causing all patrons to suddenly quiet down all at once as Morrighan stepped through. She wore the same extravagant black dress that she was quickly becoming known for. Once she had stepped through completely, the portal closed behind her. "......" Her eyes were closed and after a moment of silent contemplation, they opened once she had realized that things were a little too quiet. "...What? What are all you plebeian fools staring at? Have you never bore witness to a visage as radiant as mine before?" Pause. "Hah, perhaps not! But nevertheless, mind your manners!" One should not dark portal in wherever they pleased. That fact had become apparent right about now. ....Or not. After a moment more of being stared silently at by the entire establishment, everyone suddenly went right back to their own usual rowdy business. "Hmph! That's what I thought!" Morrighan huffed, not realizing how close she was to getting murdered...or at least captured and tickled to death as interrogation. "Aha, there you fools are." She called out afterwards, taking note of several familiar members of the travel group she was forced to deal with for now as she approached. "This is the nonsense you have decided to engage in? ...Why am I not surprised." And that statement was accompanied by a roll of the eyes.

:'''[[Violet]] has posed:''' If no one had accepted her offer for a dance, Violet would have pulled someone into a dance anyway. Right now she didn't really care so long as there were some dancing! But before any of that happened, Reize appears at her side. Finally! Someone to dance with! Violet beams for but a moment before he raises his voice, blinking her eyes at him as the boy gains the attention of several people nearby. If she was in her right mind the girl would have been embarrassed by the spectacle of it all. Luckily for her, she wasn't. Chuckling, Violet reaches out to grab at his arms. "Hey, dance with me. No one else wants to dance with me and I... I am feeling very good right now. Very good." She very adamantly wraps her arms around Reize's shoulders as she giggles, hicking once as her crystal blue eyes glance up at Riku nearby. Listening, the girl makes a face and shakes her head quickly, "No. No harem." her words are mumbled. "I didn't want to guilt him either."

:'''[[A Certain Medic]] has posed:''' An attempt was made. Yes. Arkie doesn't have far to straighten, and she raises her glass again in salute to Violet, apparently the newest member of the Shard Seekers. "Na zdravje!" What you do after you say that is you drain your glass, which she does. Such an establishment is this that someone's already handing her its successor before she's found somewhere to set the empty. A good club. Enough of obstructing traffic, though; the, er, Sister of Ajora takes a sizeable sample of her new glass of rum, just to make sure it's the right stuff. It's definitely the right stuff. She flows through the crowd like someone who has a lot of experience navigating drunk people, and washes up near Maira, and Emi and Riku and something like half the rest of the party. It's a good place to be, here. "Did you like this one, Mair--" One should not portal in wherever they pleased, no, Morrighan. 'There you fools are.' Arkham waves cheerily to the... the madwoman. Yes. Here we fools are. Join us. There's punch.

:'''[[Maira]] has posed:''' Maira has finished her first glass of dark rum and it has been nicely replaced with another before she even noticed! It is some kind of magic, truly! Maira sips, turning toward Riku, blinking. "A...a judge?! Wh-why would you want to do that!?" she asks. "You're far too nice for that!" Maira has clearly been exposed to a very bias opinion of Judges. I wonder why! As he asks what trouble she has been getting /herself/ into, she seems to sober, her wide eyes fae-like as she answers, very seriously, "All of it." Maira then senses a dark portal opening and promptly hits the floor as if someone had opened gunfire, aiming to disappear. Oh. It's just Morrighan. OH <GOOSEHONK> IT'S MORRIGHAN!"

:'''[[Leon]] has posed:''' The former Dark Knight has not been having a good past couple of days; ok one night may be the exception; but whatever. The day to get ready to move out was upon them and it would seem someone missed the memo cause the 'maiden of light' decided to go out and celebrate with some friends. Not that Leon could blame them, but of all the places to track her too-- why did it have to /HAVE/ so many people in it. The former dark knight would not be easy to make out beyond a few wisps of darkness that trailed behind each of his steps; very hurried steps at that. He had a dark hooded cloak over his body including it wrapped around to even hide his body from the front for the most part. His face hidden in darkness beyond the golden red eyes the glowed gently out from its shadows and maybe the bit of light that might expose the lower part of his face. He was wearing a pair of dark denim jeans. Black boots, gloves to match, and a dark grey shirt. Over his right arm was a armored bracer that went over part of his elbow for added protection and a sword on his hip for his left hand to reach for if he needed too. He would have his bow on hand, but that was with his stuff he had packed. As he moves into the bar he actually has to lower his head. So many people. So many /people/ in one place. The sound isn't what bothered him, it is what his eyes could see that many others could not see. The brightness of each individuals heart or the darkness of it. Each heart of light calling out to him, like a hunger he had to suppress back. He couldn't walk around forever with his head down, so Leon forces himself to look up and gaze over the people. He just had to find the one person here who radiated the most light and he find Maira. How hard could that be? Yeah. How hard could that be...

:'''[[Deelel]] has posed:''' Deelel is lowin her mug from the toast now that that's over back to the main event of the party itself right? She is just in good spirits even as her friends talk and catch up about all sorts of thing she finds herself gravitating a bit away from Ivo for the moment as he's clearly already catching up with Maira a good bit. Well she was in good spirits but isn't that Morrighan? Deelel goesn't go for a weapon thankfully but she tenses up as if she's expecting trouble and she dirfts away from Faruja for the moment as someone else enters Leon whom she's not aware is the very dangerous dark knight she met in a rather bad situation catches her attention for a moment whom is that? She wonders but well there's Morrighan and she's not going to let her end up being a kill joy for this party. She dirfts away from the Templar. "Faruja I shall return." She seems to be making a beeline to Riku, as why the heck not she's not talked to him in some time right? "It seems your doinf well for yourself as of late, Riku."

:'''[[A Certain Railgun]] has posed:''' "Well," Emi says. "Causing Alma and Faruja trouble, it seems like." She frowns a bit. "There is apparently someone keeping tabs on us, The Network thinks we have almost tracked it." Emi has gotten used to random dark portaling and is wondering if they'll ever learn to walk, but besides that she is not especially troubled. She leans in to Arkham and murmurs to her, "Do not worry, she is just like that." She looks down at Maira who threw herself to the ground and seems confused. "This one was wondering however...how well do you know Alexandria?" This question, naturally, to Robo-Riku.

:'''[[Raiya Fujihara]] has posed:''' Ivo does have a long way to go still. But what can one expect when he has been so profoundly negligent of his lessons with Raiya? The tension and mystery behind what Maira said to Raiya seems to be just killing Ivo. As a practiced swordswoman, it would be foolish of her to give up such an advantage over her errant student. He lets him boil in his own thoughts for a moment before casually turned her head towards Ivo. She smiles broadly and tilts her head to the side slightly. "I am not going to tell you what she said for that would defeat the purpose of her whispering in the first place." The samurai then turns to look forward, but flickers a knowing glance over at Ivo as she turns back around. The already rowdy bar was getting more frantic with more people walking and...teleporting in like that. Raiya has to maintain focus on the matter at hand and that mission seems to be getting another drink at the moment. The introduction of the Violet the -Swordswoman- causes Raiya to turn and wave an armored hand towards her. It was always pleasant to meet a fellow sword fighter. There weren't as many as one would think these days with so many other more exotic weapon choices at one's disposal.

:'''[[Faruja Senra]] has posed:''' What does a Templar do while a new member of the Shard Seekers is inducted? Bow, smile, and acquire another bloody drink. "Lady Violet, is it? Well then, my dear, allow me to introduce myself! Temple Knight Faruja Senra of the Most Holy Church of Saint Ajora Glabados.You shall find no better a group of companions than within the Seekers." Pause. Smile. "Excepting the Holy Church, of course." You /know/ you want to join. We can do stuff like this and get away with it, unless you're a nun. "Hmph! My size means nothing, Riku, 'twould be a true feat to drink me beneath the table!" Proclaims the ratling to Riku proudly. That almost may sound like a challenge. Pause. Peering at the young Judge, the rat squints. "...A metaphor about dogs and fleas seems appropriate, however, I do believe I used that one recently." Blast you Dennou, stealing all of his good ones! They have a cooldown you know? Suddenly Morrighan. Faruja lets his spear slip back upon his back, the ratling ceasing his sudden urge to stab a Darkness Portal user. Unfortunately, this is one he can'st stab. "Lady Morrighan. What a..." Pause. He swallows his drink. "...a.." There's gotta be a polite, truthful word here. "Lord bless." Ends the rat lamely, walking over to Maira to try to help her up. "Worry naught, Maira, harm shan't come to thee. Correct, Lady Alazne?" The rat pointedly looks at his church associate. A wave to Deel. "Enjoy yourself, Deel." Arkie's comments have him sighing. "Unfortunately, I do believe I shall be the source of a multitude of grey hairs for our dear Sister Fisher."

:'''[[Reize Seatlan]] has posed:''' Reize beams as everyone welcomes the introduction of Violet. However, Reize DOES have to squint at Faruja as he tries to subtly recruit his newest member. Hrrrmmm... e_e And then Riku's comment. "Wait, what?" Reize turns his head at Riku, furrowing his eyebrows before making a face. "Oooiii! I am no Harem Master! Where did this come from?!" The boy just about flails until Violet gets his attention. "Huh?" So, she wants the boy to dance with her. Reize offers her a smile, before he laughs. "Well, okay!" Shewants to dance, after all. Though, the arms sweeping over his shoulders adamantly does put his head right against her bosom. Cheeks red. *DOIIINNNGG!!!* And antenna hair up. "Music! Play music!" Topic change! Quick. Or something!

:'''[[A Certain Railgun]] has posed:''' "Play music," Emi says. "The Harem Master demands it." She waves a harem master reize flag.

:'''[[Maira]] has posed:''' Maira would likely be a lot easier to see if she hadn't just dramatically thrown herself to the floor. She was jumpy, alright!? Morrighan is something to worry about. Where Morrighan went, the wrath of Garland went with her, Maira seemed to believe, and as she'd already seen enough of Garland's wrath she was pretty worried about this establishment and its current inhabitants! Maira looks up toward Faruja, giving him a 'you don't understand' look while she reaches up for her rum and downs the rest of it. Hiccup. Then music comes on. There's something about a harem master, but Maira brushes over that in favor of listening to the music. That gets her to her feet again. Time to dance! The woman begins to turn, spinning mad circles that are bound to make her quite dizzy. It is then that she bumps into Leon, rebounding off him with an "Ooof!"

:'''[[Reize Seatlan]] has posed:''' "Arrggghhh I am not the Harem Master!" shouts Reize.

:'''[[Faruja Senra]] has posed:''' Siiip. Faruja smiles. "A certain Lady Hyral would have me believe otherwise, dear Ser Seatlan! Here, think naught of it. Wear thy moniker with pride!"

:'''[[Morrighan Alazne]] has posed:''' Morrighan's eyes met Faruja's first and she silently regarded him with a smirk. He wanted to say something insulting. He totally did, but he instead decided to tend to Maira. "...No harm?" She repeated, looking over Maira impassively. "....I wonder about that." She spoke casually, idly checking her nails meanwhile. "I do recall after all what happened back at the tree...hmn, I suppose I could have my revenge." Pause as Morrighan looked over the fire mage again, smirk still on her face. "But judging from your demeanor and the...'aura' about you, I have a feeling that you already have enough problens on your hands, hm~?" Whatever could she be talking about, I wonder. "I suppose I could just follow you around and eventually, something terrible would happen to us both. Ohohohoho~" And there went that laugh again. At least Avira wasn't here to hear it this time!

:'''[[Violet]] has posed:''' Seeing Raiya waving towards, Violet smiles easily and frees and arm just enough to wave back, just before Faruga Senra introduces himself to the girl. She blinks her bright crystal blue eyes at him for a split moment before smiling brightly to him in return. Letting go of Reize completely, her hands touch at her skirt as she smoothly dips herself into a graceful curtsey, one that is clearly practiced. "It is a pleasure to meet you as well, Sir Knight Faruga Senra of the most Holy Church of Saint Ajora Glabados." Such a mouthful! Even tipsy she said it right. If Violet realizes that he had tried to recruit her into the church, there's no indication. She's too far gone. Returning her arms around Reize's shoulders, the girl giggles to herself and starts to dance. Music or no music. Luckily he notices that there isn't any music and calls out over the crowd of people for some sort of music to dance to. Violet was enjoying herself so much that she almost didn't hear the conversation going on around them. Almost. "Lady Hyral?"

:'''[[A Certain Nun]] has posed:''' What do you mean 'unless you're a nun'. A Certain Nun is currently into her eighth ounce of rum, and she's only leaning on this table here because she expects the intervening space to be filled with Maira once her knight finishes helping her up. Arkham very nearly seems content to let it happen-- I mean, Maira hit the deck under her own power, presumably she knows what she's doing-- but would she have any room to be reproachful, then? It's too late, she's already been fully assisted, though. Arkham is forced to dodge her as she goes whirling off in pursuit of the beat, leaving the nun and the rat to attempt an exchange of shrugs. Reize wails a protest; Arkie retorts, "You have to keep a positive attitude, man! You'll never get anywhere that way." She's prevented from handing him booze because Faruja has already filled his hands; she'll settle for getting outside of more rum herself. ...now, y'understand, she's only leaning on Faruja because he's convenient, y'understand.

:'''[[Ivo Galvan]] has posed:''' Ivo, hastily sipping his new drink and too nerve-wracked to notice Riku's mocking pantomime behind him, seeking an opportunity to regain his typically unflappable composure, has the nice excuse of Morrighan's preposterous arrival to distract him. "Well, if it isn't Her Radiance herself," Ivo calls the lady Alazne's way, raising his glass in feigned salute, grinning with unfeigned delight at her inimitable behavior among these ruffians. "I'm glad to see you've gotten over your shame and distress at having been the one responsible for the appearance of the monster we had to heroically overcome." Indirectly, but still. "I'm sure you experienced that for /at least/ three seconds." What a generous estimation. Ugh. Ivo's triumphant moment of being able to make fun of somebody /else/ is swiftly dashed at Raiya's amused response to his desperate query. Grr, what is he thinking, asking straight on like that. He /is/ out of practice. He can't let her get the better of him like this. Raiya's knowing glance catches Ivo looking frustrated and abashed -- he /really/ wants to know what Maira said -- but cajoling would be futile. Instead, becoming amused at his own predicament, he grins at his erstwhile teacher, raising his glass again. "Then this is a challenge to loosen your lips," he says warmly, "one which I take to eagerly. Have I not succeeded in the past?" It takes a heck of a lot to get Sensei to blush, but when it happens, it's so worth the effort. Then, in response to Reize's plaintive cry, music picks up, a jaunty dancing tune. Reize seems to be, uh, occupied with the Princess, and Maira has somehow disappeared -- Ivo missed her practically throwing herself to the floor -- and Riku is still crowded around by girls, leaving the Shard Seeker swordsman with no distractions as he turns the brightest of smiles on his teacher. "Well, then, Asteria," he murmurs, leaning in slightly, "to celebrate our reunion, will you favor me with a dance?" He plays it cool, but the thought of touching her is a little too exciting for him to admit. Deep breaths, Galvan. /She's/ supposed to blush.

:'''[[Riku Bot]] has posed:''' Riku winces slightly at the dark portal, his mood souring just a little around the edges. He adds a low level glare to the silence of the rest of the bar until everyone goes back to being rowdy in which case he pointedly ignores her for the sake of his good mood. It's not like he hadn't done similar things, some of them stew-related. When nothing comes of it, he relaxes and goes back to what he was doing. Shooting the breeze into a tattered mess. "Guilt is something Reize does very well. He just looks at you earnestly and guilts you into behaving." at this he flicks his eyes over at Faruja before looking away. That poor, poor breeze. He looks down at Maira on the floor, trains a glare in Morrighan's direction again, sighs, and then offers her a hand to get her back onto her feet. "It's alright." Riku tells her with a smirking aside. "From all accounts, maybe I'll rub off on--" THUD. Riku flattens himself against the floor. "You know." He says to Maira. "Maybe you had the right idea. But she is up and off again before he can call her back, before he can WARN her. The teenager clutches his chest, teeth grit as he rose up to his knees and then to his feet. Robo-Riku opens his mouth and then closes it, shaking his head at the Legionettes. As he passes Deelel, he shrugs by them. "I'm sorry Deelel. Just-- give me a moment." he scans the crowd in a perfunctory fashion. He knows where they are. He knows WHO they are-- and suddenly this afterparty got a lot less fun. But he had to pretend. Sending everything to a screeching halt would come in a few minutes. Possibly seconds. Riku makes his way towards the hooded stranger, his face pleasant but his eyes VERY wary. "So sayth the Harem Master! Uh-- Forsooth?" Riku says over his shoulder, voice overcheerful. (Well. That doesn't take much.) Then back to Leon. Smile. No. It is not a pleasant smile. Oh no. "Good evening." he says very quietly and at close range. "A word please, before we begin?"

:'''[[Faruja Senra]] has posed:''' Plan 'convert Violet' failed. Faruja sighs. Blast! "May our efforts together prove fruitful M'Lady!" Squint. Faruja peers about as hard as he can. "The Lady is a friend. Kindly forget thoughts of revenge." The last thing he needs is the two women fighting, so much as he'd /love/ to strangle the elfess. Faruja Senra has a nun to support. Cue rat-like support! Faruja uses his tail and shoulder to help keep Arkie aloft as he too goes into 'devour alcohol' mode. That look from Riku is utterly ignored. What's this about behaving and not murdering people? The rat helpfully re-boozes his nun. "Ahh, excellent...why, this drink gives life to my tongue!" Faruja, looking slightly wobbly by now, breaks out into song. While an excellent dancer, he is in fact a horrible singer. "Ohhh, I feel in to a burning ring of fire~" "I went down, down, down, and the flames went higher~" He's utterly off key the entire time. Hopefully he doesn't destroy poor Arkie's eardrums.

:'''[[Leon]] has posed:''' Leon was trying to look around without, well, giving to much of that 'I am not well' vibe. However suddenly there is a very bright light and that very bright light bumps right into him. As Maira goes to rebound, the man with his hooded cloak quickly snatches out his arm to grab a hold of her arm. His hand, even with the glove on is radiating a bit of darkness that is wisping around his arm. Though it seems to stay /away/ from her. Like she was some painful thing to even touch. Leon grimaced a bit behind the hood, he did however glare over at Morrighan as she makes her remark toward Maira. He gave a sneer toward the witches direction. "And if you follow her, you will find yourself perhaps becoming an offering to trouble in her stead. Do /not/ threaten my friends." Those golden red eyes glow brightly, almost taking on more of a gold color then a red one. He looks then at Maira. "..are you.." He then actually has to look down, gritting his teeth tightly. "Are you alright?" However there was suddenly now someone in front of him, who may be thinking he was out to hurt Maira. Siiigh. So he lets her go and just stares down at Riku. Those golden red eyes looking directly into the boy's. Teenager versus the almost twenty year old (if he was in fact twenty now. He hasn't still done the math on his mind vs body yet). "..and evening." Leon says back calmly. "..and begin what?" Head cant. Clueless as ever. Those his eyes do gaze over to Maira, since well, she had become the information book of things he had done while he was the Dark Knight. He was wondering if this kid was one of this individuals he has pissed off in the past.. and if so-- what did he do? Kick his favorite ball into a car? Hey. That is what his mind-space was doing /right now/. It goes kinda like this... Chibi armored dark knight kicking a ball into the street and over a ledge. 'Ha ha ha. Your ball is now to darkness. Ha ha ha. Now to steal a doll.'

:'''[[Deelel]] has posed:''' Deelel says "I will Faruja! I will." Reize is looked over for a moment and she starts laughing at the harem comment she's holding her sides n short order as she can't seem to stop for the moment. She nods to Riku "Don't worry about it." She kinda sees Riku has business to tend to so she'll leave him too it also Faruja's off key singing is causing Deelel a good deal of agony. She can hear just by how much Faruja is off.

:'''[[Morrighan Alazne]] has posed:''' "Oh look, it is the fool with the shabby cape. How I so missed your obvious shabbiness." Morrighan spoke with a deadpan tone, her eyes narrowing in annoyance just at having to see the idiot's face. "Shame, you say? Oh sure...I suppose I may have felt just the tiniest fraction of a twinge of regret at having ripped out a portion of Garland and inviting his otherworldly wrath upon us all." Pause. "...Or perhaps not." Cue flighty shrug! Riku's glare could be felt vaguely boring into the side of her head, but the dark elf made no effort to bother addressing it. It was not like people never glared at her before. In fact, that was probably the norm. And it was mildly amusing most of the time. All that said and done, she supposed a drink wouldn't hurt at the end of the day. And so she approached the counter, haughtily demanding some manner of prissy drink in the most irritating manner humanly, or inhumanly possible before taking her glass and observing the others again. "Sir Senra, your singing is utterly atrocious. Do the world a favor and never open that maw again." Bluntbluntblunt.

:'''[[Reize Seatlan]] has posed:''' "I hope these aren't rumors flying around in Fluorgis." Reize lowers is head, comical river of tears flowning down his cheeks. The young boy even addresses Arkie with a grunt "Bah! I am an adventurer! Not a harem master!" Then, he blinks for a moment towards Faruja's statement. Even as Violet speaks out the name, the boy squints. "Lady Hyral? Who is she?" The boy doesn't seem to know anyone. The boy does, however, try to keep the motion of the dance going, if only to keep Violet entertained in her current state. And then, Reize is looking at the booze. "...Bottoms up." Time to ignore this all! Drink drink!

:'''[[Morrighan Alazne]] has posed:''' Leon's statement caused the elf to look towards the dark knight, smiling mockingly. "Oh my, I am so filled with fear. My legs are shaking. My breath is bated." Morrighan spoke in a mocking dramatic tone, taking a hand to her forehead. "Oh dear, whatever shall I do now!?" A pause at that, and then she let her arm fall back. "Hah, your words mean nothing to me. Do not waste your breath." And then the mocking act was dropped as the dark elf took a sip of her drink.

:'''[[Leon]] has posed:''' Leon cuts a glance over at Morrighan with his eyes narrowing and the ground under his feet continues to even further darkness and spreads out a bit more. He lets out a small growl, but brings his focus back to Riku. He was already on a beating down timer. He didn't have time to deal with all this and he was pretty sure no Ice Angel was going to appear to calm down this darkness now if it was to get out of control.. again.

:'''[[Violet]] has posed:''' Violet blinks her crystal blue eyes over Reize shoulder at Faruja with utmost confusion for a moment before she frowns. What? What just happened? Yeah, she's confused now. Someone had handed a beer to Reize at one point in the dance as her bright eyes watch his as he takes a few deep drinks. A smile tugs at her lips at this, "What is that? Does it taste good?" Yes, she's that innocent.

:'''[[Maira]] has posed:''' Maira wouldn't have listened to the warning anyway. That was Leon! Leon was a good friend, and she had to help him. She knew he would be coming, with the same certainty as she knew when they met in Fluorgis, back when he was still the Dark Knight. Dizzy, she would have fallen over if Leon hadn't grabbed her. She smiles though, at least until he looks at her and she can see his eyes, at which point she looks understandably concerned. Afraid too, but not for herself. Maira reaches up to place her hand briefly against Leon's cheek, looking into his eyes with growing alarm. "Oh Leon...it is time to go, isn't it?" she says. Maira turns then and looks toward Morrighan, squaring her shoulders. "I'm not unable to take care of problems, Morrighan," she says steadily. Leon's darkness radiates, the mist reaching outward--but it shies from Maira, giving her a wide berth. Riku approaches, and Maira looks toward him, confused. Did he know Leon?

:'''[[Riku]] has posed:''' Riku looks between Leon and Maira and then LOOKS at Leon. The teenager appears to be just staring straight past Leon and into him and -- somewhere there is a doll being stolen by darkness. Mwa ha ha. Riku's player sighs and gets the 4th wall spackle. The teenager goes through a complicated set of expressions starting with anger, then going to incredulity, then amusement, then horror. It seems to have stopped on horror because Riku takes a step back (and has to. Big dude, this one) and takes him in and then turns to Maira. "Maira. Can I--- borrow your friend for a minute or two before you go?" he looks over at Leon. "You and I need to have words. It's a party." he smiles but the horror never leaves his eyes. "Everybody talks at a party."

:'''[[Raiya Fujihara]] has posed:''' No matter what, it seems that Raiya always ends up on top when it comes to all things Ivo. First the duel, and then...oh dear. Raiya was merely attempting to enjoy her drink when Ivo delivers his usual 'charm'. One hand remains on her drink while her other hand reaches down to her sheathed katana. It only takes her thumb to unsheath the blade just a little bit, but she hopes the warning would be clear. The samurai lowers her glass to the bartop and turns in her seat towards Ivo. "You have not seen me in months and that is the best you can do? You are still the student." She tsk tsks and turns back around only to bear witness to Ivo's grizzly second attempt. Her head raises slightly and she looks back coyly at Ivo when he calls her Asteria. "You remember, good. It seems that not everything I have taught you has been lost." The Wutai ronin now stands up and looks to Ivo expectantly. "Yes, I accept your offer. Please don't embarass yourself," says Raiya encouragingly before letting a coy little smile descend onto her face.

:'''[[A Certain Railgun]] has posed:''' Emi looks towards Violet and says, "Yes." Oh that was easy. She isn't really feeling this actually, though it's nice to see them all so happy. She stands herself up, setting down her glass, and flips up her eyepatch. "Ivo, thank you for inviting us, but I think this one will be going now, we had fun, The Network tries to soothe over Ivo's feelings so he does not realize they were actually kind of bored." She bobs her head one last time to Riku before flipping down the eyepatch again and making her way out. With Arkie getting super omega drunk and Maira taking care of her suitors, it seems to be a good time to get on out of here and, with luck, find more work to do.

:'''[[Reize Seatlan]] has posed:''' With the beer mug in his hand, Reize is looking over Violet. "Haha, yeah! It tastes good!... I think!" The boy takes another swig of the mug, and then he offers it over towards Violet. Despite his state of getting tipsy or falling towards the edge of drunkeness, the boy manages to NOT spill the beer on the Shard Seeker's newest member. Instead, Reize spins around for a moment in the midst of the dance. "Heeee..!" In his drunken state, he thinks to have grabbed Violet. ...Instead, it's Riku who is the target of being plled close to Reize. "You dance great, *hiccup*." And a smooch.

:'''[[Emi Dennou]] has posed:''' Emi Dennou misses the best part of the evening, apparently!!

:'''[[Leon]] has posed:''' The former Dark Knight's eyes soften a bit at Maira's touch, however he quickly looks away from her. Almost as if he wants to just swiftly move away from her really. It was-- getting difficult. Very difficult now. "We will need to go soon, Maira." He says calmly, even with his teeth slightly gritted. Leon stares at Riku as he watches him step back and then he asks if they can 'share words' outside. He then looks between the two then back over at Maira. "..we will.. go once we two are done talking. Enjoy yourself while you can Maira." He then peers back at Riku, unsure of why this teenager now seems so afraid of him. What did this boy know he didn't know? That was the aggravating part! Then suddenly-- INTURRUPT! Reize swoops in and takes Riku-- then kisses Riku. Leon can only stare for a moment before he blinks a few times. "...huh." He then looks at Maira and shrugs. "We might be leaving early. This could be spilling into a bar fight soon. Just saying." He has been in enough of them back before Fynn was part of Palamecia.

:'''[[Morrighan Alazne]] has posed:''' Watching Reize drunkenly stumble about in what he apparently thought was dancing, she continued to occasionally sip from her glass. And then the fool went and grabbed the wrong peron. "Pfft- Oh my." Well, perhaps there was a good reason for coming to this hovel now. Thank the lord she decided to stick around. "Ahahahahahaha! I wish you two the best of times~" And casually, she had created a new Memory Sphere, snapping a picture of the moment.

:'''[[Violet]] has posed:''' Violet watches the beer curiously for a moment before she chuckles, amused too easily perhaps while Reize drinks his mug of beer. The boy breaks away amidst their dance for but a moment before he leans back to her, but... misses. The young girl blinks her pale blue eyes through her buzz as she watches him lean in to pull Riku close and kiss him. Violet blinks a second time. "Re... Reize?..." Her gaze shifts from him to Riku, as if trying to search for an answer in his face but finding none. What's going on?

:'''[[Maira]] has posed:''' Maira takes a deep breath and steps back from Leon, nodding. "Alright. I'll be ready," she tells him, glancing between him and Riku, wondering what would be said between them that she could not hear. Enjoy herself while she still could? That sounds quite ominous. Ah, but they are about to throw themselves into the darkness, aren't they? Maira turns then to see Reize grab Riku and...kiss him!? Maira slaps her hands to her mouth in shock. Oh MY! She looks back to Leon, nodding dumbly before she scurries back to the bar, finishes her drink, then looks around. Enjoy while she can...enjoy while she can... So Maira dances. Shenanigans abound around her, and Maira dances with herself, spinning in small circles, adding some of the footwork Margaux had taught her recently. Twirl, twirl, spiral upward. Take flight. She simply weaves through the crowd, perhaps a few random people giving her a twirl before she moves on, singing along to the song that's playing even though she doesn't really know the words.

:'''[[Riku]] has posed:''' Riku waves to a Certain Railgun in a more relaxed manner than he marched up here to the front of the rowdy tavern but never takes his eyes off Leon, his backteeth still grit. He is REALLY in a prickly, near Attack mode glaring match although the whole horror thing is eating away at his anger because. Well. Because reasons. Which is why, an extremely beery Reize stumbling into him and grabbing him out of nowhere goes completely uncontested. And -- Yep. There's a memory right there. Well, if you can get it out from the mental scarring involved. Riku grabs the younger boy by the front and pushes him backwards-- but then pulls himk forwards. "HEY!" He growls with the most chillingly ANGRY smile on his face. "Let's skip to the end of this drama shall we?" He puts a hand to his head. "Ahehe.. I cannot take it anymore Seatlan. We've just.. grown too apart." He attempts to kick Reize's feet out from under him. "You never call!" SLAM. He attempts to knock the younger boy against the floor hard enough to stun. "You never write" SLAM SLAM. "I feel so /USED/--" He grabs up a stein. "A TOAST. To my dear and GOING to be departed friend Reize. May he remember JUST enough to be happy, and not enough to start running." he then promptly dumps the full stein over Reize, attempts to wrench him to his feet and push him, bodily, in the direction of Violet. "MUSIC. MAESTRO." he grits out in a snarling smile.

:'''[[Ivo Galvan]] has posed:''' Ivo has no problem with Raiya being on top. The party seems to have gotten quite lively, and several, including Faruja, seem to be far gone enough that there's no point in announcing the Seekers' tentative future plans here. The knight-errant will write a missive or something. His roving gaze is drawn to Emi as the Legionette departs, and the young swordsman blinks before smiling slightly and raising his hand in salute. "Hey, I understand. It's wild in this town. I'm glad you came -- and joined us on our adventure." Even if their main contribution was to tame (questionably) a pet skull and suggest that ghosts have a right to live (very questionably, for several reasons) too. Actually, whatever happened to that skull? The world will never know. The telltale clink of Raiya loosening her blade -- a sound that Ivo is somewhat sadly familiar with, which should /probably/ tell him something -- never fails to cause the hairs to rise on the back of Ivo's neck and draw his attention. And then she provokes him! Needless to say, he grins all over again. So she wants him to upgrade his innuendo, then? He /likes/ this game. He told himself he'd make her blush, but that coy look of hers is enough to turn his cheeks just a little rosy again. The drink doesn't help, obviously. "I remember plenty," he quietly responds, before grinning again at her acceptance. "Don't embarrass myself?" he chuckles as he reaches out to gently take his teacher's hand. "You truly are a demanding instructor." You really couldn't ask anything more difficult of Ivo. Say what you will, Ivo's dancing skill is not to be dismissed. He was once a gentleman, at least in one sense of the term, and his fighting style is dance-like enough as it is. The music is energetic, but he leads calmly, hands steady despite his intoxication, and seems to be giving it his all -- though he does pull Raiya closer than perhaps his necessary. The achingly familiar scent of her hair makes his efforts extraordinarily difficult, but he heroically perseveres. At least until they sweep past Reize and Riku in the act of-- uhh-- "I was going to suggest we emulate them," Ivo confesses to Raiya under his breath, "but I'm reconsidering," he concludes as Riku finishes stomping Reize into the ground and emptying the rest of his drink on their fearless leader. Ivo also never writes. "Cheers!" he offers hastily, in response to Riku's 'toast', as Reize ends up summarily hurled toward Violet. Good luck, Reize! Ivo will be cheering you on from the other side of the room. Espying Maira dancing her way through the room, he attempts to catch her eye and grin, maybe just a /little/ proud at dancing with Sensei, or at least not being stabbed by her yet, which is also an accomplishment. Aaaaaahhhh /what did Maira say to her/

:'''[[Reize Seatlan]] has posed:''' *hiccup* "..Violet?" Pause. "Waaiiiit, you're not Vi--ACK!" The boy is promptly shoved backwards and then he is yanked forward! Hiccup. Upon seeng that chillingly angry smile, Reize cannot help but sweatdrop. "Errr... *hiccup*" First, Reize is grabbed by the head, already kicked towards the ground. "ACK!" Slam! Thereis a lot of pain in the midst of the kicks and the slams. And then, the drink is poured onto him. Pulled back up, he is tossed right towards Violet. Both arms open. Violet may find that Reize is going to fall onto her in an embracing hug. Off to the ground the two go! ...Likely right onto her bosom. 

:'''[[Maira]] has posed:''' Maira dances right by Ivo and Raiya, pausing briefly to place her arms around them both, pulling them together into a sudden group hug that just so happens to leave Ivo and Raiya pressed close up against each other. She looks up at them both, smiling with extraordinary warmth. "Don't dance around each other, dance /with/ each other, okay? Life is really short you know. Take care of this fool, will you?" she says to Raiya, then detaches and spins back off into the crowd like a pinwheel.

:'''[[Ivo Galvan]] has posed:''' Ivo suddenly doesn't care what Maira said anymore. maira you're the beeeeeeeest

:'''[[Leon]] has posed:''' Leon can only watch as Riku takes apparent long hatred out on Reize and winces a little. "That is going to leave a mark." He murmurs gently and then watches Maira just dance carelessly around. He then sighs back then and tilts his head off to one side. Until his mind snaps him a warning message as he suddenly finds his vision fluxing a bit and he gives his head a good shake before placing his hand up near his face, and just forcing himself to lean up against the wall. "..damnit.." He murmurs only to himself. So, he peers over at a half drank bottle of rum that has been left on the table. He snatches it up and then goes to drink it down. Hey, if he was going to be in misery standing around trying to ignore the pain of a hunger, he may as well try to get himself a bit tipsy-- if maybe drunk. Or-- well-- Riku will come back and maybe he will have a bottle for self defense!

:'''[[Morrighan Alazne]] has posed:''' Having recording the proceeding display, Morrighan had turned away form the shenanigans, playing back Riku's glorious outburst to herself. "...Ehehehe, this is glorious." Tucking it away, don't ask where, she turned back to the proceedings at hand, finishing off the rest of her drink casually while watching the others. Even if these people continually irritated her with their penchants for stupidity, heroics, and eerily timed sarcastic quips...they were quite entertaining in the end. "This may not be so bad. ...For now." She murmured to herself, nursing her glass of just ice now.

:'''[[Violet]] has posed:''' Violet stares with confusion and a little bit of disbelief as Riku pushes him back, kicking Reize to the ground, among several slams and a drink poured over him. Just before he's pushed in her direction. The girl blinks once as Reize is shoved, literally, into her arms. Making her fumble backwards several steps before they fall to the floor. And his face lands in her chest. Color flushes in her cheeks, but her head swirls still and the most Violet can do is gingerly help Reize off of her pillows. "Reize? Are you okay?" He probably wasn't. Stomped, kicked, and beer poured over his head. Not to mention kissing a guy. She exhales a breath as she uses a hand to brush Reize's dark hair from his forehead, "I think... you should head to bed. I think you may be drunk." Violet mumbles, promptly frowning to herself. "I think /I/ may be drunk."

:'''[[Riku]] has posed:''' Riku gets his temper back under control and spins around to face Leon. Now, seeing that NOBODY has died (/YET/-- looking at you Reize) The idea that he might have been mistaken flickers across his mind and is then discarded. No. He knows this. He knows this-- very well. "Excuse a momentary interruption." he says with forced calm. "Imagine what I do to the ones I don't like." Riku chuckles darkly. "A word, sir?" he moves towards the entrance and out and AWAY from the drunkenness and the dancing.

:'''[[Leon]] has posed:''' Leon watches as Riku finds his way back to him. "Long as this doesn't involve a make out in a dark alley. I think I will be fine having a word with you." Yes there was a dry sort of placement to his words where almost could be taken him as being honest, when there was no honesty at all.. Beyond he was fine with having a word with Riku. He downs more of the bottle before he places it back on the table and follows Riku out. He glances back over his shoulder where Maira was. He his eyes wince a little bit as he watches flicker of-- something cross over his vision, almost like funnel to her and he has to shake his head to shake it off once more. Now the question was-- what did this kid want?

:'''[[Raiya Fujihara]] has posed:''' Asking Ivo to not embarass himself suddenly does not seem like such a tall order in lieu of Reize and Riku's wonderful escapades. It would be quite hard to top -that-. But she dares not say this aloud as she believes it within Ivo power to do such a thing. Raiya pauses to watch Reize tumble over and over until he lands on Violet. She can only shake her head from side to side. Oh Reize, he hasn't changed one bit either. Ivo was going to have to try harder than that to cause Raiya to blush then eluding to what happened that one fateful night a few months back. "I feel that the events of that night will be remembered far longer than any lesson I ever gave you." The samurai swordswoman deadpans with a smirk as she begins to dance with Ivo. And Ivo probably should have written her. Ivo's comments, his moving closer, and then MAIRA all happens in quick succession. This leaves Raiya quite close to Ivo. She can only sigh and lean her head against Ivo's chest as they dance. Fate can be cruel indeed, but it would be foolish to try to ignore it when the stars seem to be aligning this way. Maira does get a slightly icy glare from the samurai for Ivo certainly didn't need any more -encouragement- in this area.

:'''[[Reize Seatlan]] has posed:''' Mmm... The warmth, soft pillows. It is nice and pleasant to rest his head down against them. In fact, Reize is placing his hands against Violet's side. It is then that she catches his attention when she speaks to him after being pushed from his pillow. Nevermind the fact that the bones are deeply sore, the boy remains in good spirits. Sure, he was stomped on by Riku, but that won't bring him down! The boy brightens a smile at Violet, getting up to his feet and he brings her up. "No! *hiccup!*" The boy holds onto her closely. "Let's dance!" It is then that Reize is pulling the young woman closer to him, bringing hr into the dance. In the midst of it all, the young man holds onto the woman closely. And then, he pulls away to a spin. Woops! In the boy's wonderful spin, he is stumbling right towards Ivo. This will be a bumpy moment. 

:'''[[Ivo Galvan]] has posed:''' "That wasn't one of the lessons?" Ivo's mock innocence can't mask his obvious pleasure at this turn of events. As if the night couldn't get any better, Maira, like an angel and cupid rolled into one, brings him yet closer to the elegant blonde in his arms, until her head is resting upon his chest. She may be able to hear his heart skip a beat again. Yet once this happens, Ivo's nervousness seems to fade, his movements becoming more natural, his smile becoming gentler, less jovial and more simply-- happy. Being with his friends, on an adventure, close to a beautiful woman he respects and admires-- this is where he wants to be. There's no reason to get caught up in what he should or shouldn't do. He trusts these people. He trusts her -- and she trusts him, somehow. Leaning his chin down, Ivo's cheek brushes gently against Raiya's hair as the two of them dance, and the young man who so often struggles to manage social situations and enjoy them from afar finds himself caught up in his own little world, all else forgotten. "Asteria," he murmurs, his lips near her ear. "I never imagined I'd be lucky enough to see you again like this." Fate may be cruel in that it offers these moments only to snatch them away. But for now, all is shrouded in a haze of rosy light. "I don't deserve such happiness." Well, that's true. There is a convenient lull in the music as the musicians pause, and their movements naturally slow as well. Unthinkingly, Ivo's hand lifts up, his fingers gently caressing Raiya's chin, attempting to slowly tilt her face up toward his. "Listen," he says softly. His nervousness was gone, but now his body is tingling all over with anticipation. "I... I know it's crazy, but I... that is, I think I..." His lips are too close to hers. He can't stand it anymore. He-- "Oomph!" --is heavily bumped into, turning, stumbling wide-eyed, one of which eyes is promptly stabbed by a stray ahoge-- "/Aargh/!" --until his face plants against-- "Mmmphh!?" And thus did Ivo and Reize's lips finally meet. There is a long pause. When Ivo staggers back, his expression is carefully flat. This is what he always does when he's calculating how to react to a social situation. In this case, it's also disguising deep trauma. But Ivo's always got to make the most of moments like this. It's so important to have a sense of humor about it all. "Well, on the bright side," he says, "I got an indirect kiss with Riku." He pauses, before shuddering violently and clutching at his head. Yes-- fate is cruel.

:'''[[Emi Dennou]] has posed:''' Emi Dennou misses the new best event of the evening. Again.

:'''[[Morrighan Alazne]] has posed:''' Alas, Morrighan was not fast enough to catch this moment. All she could do was stare incredulously as the situation played out. "......I...am at a loss for words."

:'''[[Maira]] has posed:''' Cupid-Maira eventually gets so dizzy she can't stand up anymore, and flops into a vacant chair, leaning forward over the table to watch Ivo and Raiya, glassy eyed from drink and emotion. They really are cute together. Hopefully they'll stop being silly and just let themselves be happy. She's jealous, but not the way she use to be. Really, it warms her heart to see something beautiful work out. Eyes close, and Maira drifts off to sleep right there at the table, wondering still what Riku and Leon were talking about. Tomorrow, Palamecia.

:'''[[Violet]] has posed:''' A rosy hue colors her cheeks for a moment as Reize nuzzles, before he stands up to his feet just long enough to reaches for her hand and help Violet stand as well. And his smile... Even buzzed she feels part of her melt to see him smile at her. She giggles as he pulls her close to him, demanding to dance some more. Its perfectly alright with her. Arms wrapped around his shoulders, for a moment or so they dance closely to the music. Just before Reize spins again. And lands right on Ivo this time. Of course.

:'''[[Reize Seatlan]] has posed:''' In the midst of the kiss, there is a pause. Time itself slows down. Slowly. It becomes a stand still. Nothing else is around. It is just Reize and Ivo in the midst of the kiss. As the lips finally meet, after so long... ....The background becomes pink. Cherry blossoms fall from the heavens. The wind sweeps those petals along the air, whisking them away from both Reize and Ivo. This moment is shared. It's perfect. "Pfftttthhtpuh puh puh puh." Or not. Reize lowers his head, now giving comical tears as a shade of darkness appears over his face. "...We're going to bed," he complains to Violet as the comical tears roll along his eyes. 

:'''[[Raiya Fujihara]] has posed:''' Raiya really should not let her expectations get the best of her. Ivo sounds like he is just about to say something real to her when Fate decides to have the last laugh. Reize collides with Ivo and they have their first (?) kiss. The samurai can only close her eyes and walk back towards the bar with the shake of her head. "Tch," mutters the blonde at her own foolishness as she finishes the rest of her drink. She waves down the bartender and motions towards Ivo. "My tab is on his." She instructs coldly before turning to leave the bar promptly. Before she ducks out, Raiya does turn back towards Ivo. "You still have a lot to learn, Ivo." And then she was gone.

Party Like a Pirate

2013-06-07T06:07:33Z

IvoGalvan: Created page with "{{Log Header |Date of Scene=2013/06/07 |Location=Port Royal |Synopsis=Celebrating the success of their treacherous expedition into the Ship Graveyard, the Shard Seekers and fr..."

{{Log Header
|Date of Scene=2013/06/07
|Location=Port Royal
|Synopsis=Celebrating the success of their treacherous expedition into the Ship Graveyard, the Shard Seekers and friends gather in Port Royal for a party in grand style, replete with music and dance and drink, mostly drink. Chaos is par for the course in this once-orderly city by the sea, and it is to the sea that the Seekers will be called once again, while Darkness lurks on the horizon -- for more than a few of them. But until then, Fate shall smile its crooked smile, love shall blossom, and kisses shall miss their mark. Like, /really/ miss their mark.
|Cast of Characters=Ivo Galvan, Reize Seatlan, Faruja Senra, Raiya Fujihara, Riku, Katyna, Deelel, Maira, Morrighan Alazne, Emi Dennou, Violet, Leon, Arkham Fisher
|pretty=yes
}}
:'''[[Ivo Galvan]] has posed:''' Say what you will about pirates, they sure know how to party. Port Royal is ostensibly under stern military control, but with its isolation from the world from whence it came and the loss of its typical trade routes, adrift ships have gathered here and made it a wilder hub of commerce than ever before. With the government working overtime to keep the basic amenities of civilization operative and deal with the fantastical elements now passing through, to say nothing of the lurking Heartless in darkened alleyways, pirates disguised as merchants -- or just stepping off of sinking ships -- find ways of slipping in. Scoundrels and wastrels and the dissolute of all color and creed find their way here, in what is a shipping-off point for the farthest reaches of the multiverse, vaster even than the oceans of the World of Ruin. Ivo Galvan fits right in. He's laughing at the bar now, slightly flushed, bantering with the bartender as a jaunty tune plays and uproarious misfits caper and bound in the background. It looks like there's something approximating a dance party in progress. Once again, the Shard Seekers have let it be known quasi-publically that they'll be gathering here to celebrate their recent success in the Ship Graveyard, so who knows who'll be showing up this time. Still, as much as Ivo's evidently enjoying himself, lurking in the back of his mind is the thought of the escaped Lich, and the possibility of a vanished World Shard with him. More worrisome still, in a way, is the thought that there never were a World Shard, that the Shard Seeking device is as likely to detect monsters and magical trash as the worlds they seek. But there's only one way to find out. And that's the other reason they're here.

:'''[[Riku Bot]] has posed:''' Riku is about as entertained by the afterparties of a shard seeker adventure as the adventure itself, so he finds himself navigating through the unfamiliar crooked alleyways and gangplanks of Port Royal with a vague air of confusion. (This does not go hand to hand with vulnerability however, as some pirates find out when they corner him in an alley.) Sometimes looking so young as it's disadvantages, even when said teenager as a sword at their hip that they are willing to use (Even if to only part your belt from the rest of your pants and cause somewhat of an embarrassing and awkward silence for several moments) This only happens once. When he pushes his way into the bar, he raises his eyes up to the ceiling and wrinkles his nose slightly as he looks around. He moves towards the bar and takes a seat not too far away from Ivo. "Why am I thoroughly not surprised? Another adventure at the bottom of every glass, Ivo?"

:'''[[Raiya Fujihara]] has posed:''' A samurai walks through the streets of Port Royale this night. And she ends up walking into the bar that Ivo has found himself in. The blonde-haired woman was wearing a fancy black kimono with a purple sash around her waist that keeps the kimono tight to her body. A fearsome sheathed katana is proudly displayed in the samurai's sash and the sleeves of her kimono move from time to time to reveal that she was wearing black armguards underneath her clothes. Both her katana and her long blonde hair sways as she steps carefully around a fallen drunk 'merchant' and heads further into the depts of this hive of scum and villainy. And speaking of scum and villainy, Raiya soon spies Ivo at the bar. Riku is noticed as well, but she does know him that well as they have only encountered each other once or twice before. Ivo looks exactly how Raiya remembered him despite it being months since they last saw each other. He appears to not have changed one bit for better or for worse. With a sigh, Raiya quietly walks up to the bar and edges her way in near where Ivo was. A katana is a keen instrument to cause people to gain way. "Fate has finally seen it fit for our paths to cross again." She says face-forward in her typical stoic manner before attempting to gain the bartender's attention to get a drink for herself. Riku is turned towards now. "And I have not seen you since you dueled Ivo in what feels like ages ago. It seems that Fate has a unique sense of humor to reunite....." A loud noise behind her causes the samurai to turn and face the table where Reize had lept to just as her hand reaches her katana. And there was Reize. This was some reunion indeed.

:'''[[Reize Seatlan]] has posed:''' The last two times that he got drunk, he woke up curled up to a girl. Wait. What? Nevermind that. Reize is going to avoid getting drunk this time! He recalls what happened last time, so he is going to avoid getting into suc awkward situations. Nevertheless, the time is for celebration. And celebrate they shall. Reize is standing on one of the tables. Here the boy is, extending a hand into the air triumphantly while the people in the bar listen to the boy with rapt attention. Though, it could be because that they are drunk out of their minds. "And there we were, faced with the fiendish presence of a horrifing monster. No. A demon. ...Worse yet, a /Fiend/." The boy walks along the table, "Ghastly creatures, the fallen risen again, /all/ of them were our obstacles! It took great teamwork on all of our parts! Ivo saw the window of opportunity and grabbed the barrels of explosives and we loaded it in! Faruja, our trusted holy knight, kept the ghastly monstrocities at bay while we could load the ship..." "And then.." Both hands come apart as Reize jumps into the air. "BOOOOM----ACCKKKK!!!" The moment he lands on the table, it splits apart and crumbles from the forceful jump the boy takes. The result is essentially Reize landing hard on his butt. This results in a roar of drunken laughter at the boy's predictament. "Atatatatatatataaa...." His antenna hair looks about as beaten up as Reize.

:'''[[Faruja Senra]] has posed:''' While a certain Dennou may have dropped yet another worry into the Templar's lap, Faruja Senra is determined to enjoy himself. It's been some time since he's really been able to seperate himself from his troubles, and the stress is wearing on him. A certain field medic and Sister of the School of the Word may spy an increasing number of grey furs amidst what should by all rights be unblemished white fur, the same perhaps going for a Certain Fire Mage. Easil noticed, really, as the Templar has taken it upon himself to properly escort the two Ladies to the Shard Seeker's little shindig; a Lady in each arm should they allow it. At least until they're at the door, whereupon he'll open it for the women. Clad in local clothing rather than his usual attire, a spear regardless on his back, he may look more like a traveling Burmecian nobleman to those familiar with his kind. The fact that he picked the clothes up locally, being ones in theory fit for common pirates where his homeland believes it to be rich fashion pleases the Templar greatly. If only there were nobles for him to gloat at over the fact! "Ahh, the smell of precious water. A touch of rain, and all would be well within the world. After thyselves, my dear, dear friends and associates. Please, let us enjoy ourselves, Sister Fisher, Maira. A life of naught but toil is to forget the gift given us by the Lord that is life!" The rat's all smiles as he ushers in his companions. "Ser Galvan, already at it without us, hmm? Tsk tsk, my friend! Lord bless, dear barkeep? Something local and spiced! Whatever the ladies desire, 'tis upon my coin." A glance to the pair. "And I shan't hear of protests!" Reize leaps, and falls, the boy's charisma far outshining his leaping skills. "My, my, my. The table doth be a most powerful foe, Reize! Yet it could not stand against thy might!" Grin! It softens slightly upon seeing Riku. The rat bows. "Lord bless, Riku." He offers, far more evenly than last time. Be proud, emo guy, the rat's /trying/! Blink. The sight of a certain samurai gets the rat's attention, having not even made it to the bar quite yet. "Good eve, Lady Fujihara! 'Tis been some time!" Bow. Smile! Sigh. The rat takes his drink. "So many faces, hardly do I know where to begin introductions." Sip. For his complaining, he looks quite pleased at the turnout.

:'''[[Arkham Fisher]] has posed:''' You so rarely see Sister Fisher in aught but her habit that one wouldn'

:'''[[A Certain Fire Mage]] has posed:''' And so, once again, Angantyr misses out on Maira in a wench outfit. This is apparently a thing that simply happens when she enters Port Royal. Costume change-mandatory. SHRUG!? Its all part of the fun. It was Faruja's idea that she come with him to this party, knowing how she loved a party, but also knowing she was kind of...reluctant to get into any more trouble after what happened at Serendipity. Thus, she had a nice, knightly escort! Her good friend Faruja, and perhaps, if she managed not to be on fire at all, she's make a new friend in Miss Fisher. As soon as she moves into the room she spots Ivo at the bar and gets a plan in her head. She holds her finger to her lips then begins to creep toward Ivo, quietly moving through the rowdy atmosphere to then fling herself up and onto his back, clinging like a little money and laughing. "Surpriiiiiiise! Hey everyone!" she calls, smiling warmly to everyone she knows. "Congratulations!" she continues. "What are we drinking, eh?"

:'''[[Violet]] has posed:''' This kind environment, a bar full of partying pirates, is out of her element. Totally. And only read of in books. But this kind of night if worth celebration, so most of all rules went out the window. At one point Violet is handed a colorful drink of some sort (punch?), and looking over it curiously for a short moment she smiles at whoever it was that slid it in her direction. A young man in his twenties it looks like. And very likely a pirate himself. People party happily and the young woman chuckles softly to herself as she takes a drink, her bright eyes curiously scanning the crowd around the bar, only to see Reize standing on a table. It figures. And Reize jumps and essentially breaks the table in two as he lands...

:'''[[Katyna]] has posed:''' Woo, party time! Kat had only taken part in a little of the previous day's adventures, but she was still looking forward to chillaxing and having some fun! Ooh, and drinks too, like she wasn't hyperactive enough! And so the ember knight bursts onto the scene, dressed up in a somewhat piratish outfit herself as she dances through the crowds to the music, yelling and singing and clearly half drunk. There are so many familiar faces right now that she doesn't know who to approach first. Unfortunately in her current state, she dizzily spins and twirls so much that she ends up bumping into Ivo from the front, even as Maira attacks him from the back. "Ooh, heey!"

:'''[[Deelel]] has posed:''' Deelel sometimes finds her clothing changing as she hops from world to world this is one such of those times. this is one of thsoe times she finds herself with a bandan on that has a little green demon holding a pitch fork rather than a skull and crossbones. Long pants, pirate boots and a tank top of all things. The thing is all the stiching of the clothing has the glow lines her normal wear tends to have. So here she is taking in this strange place isn't there where Zeke is from and she's right behind the Templar. "I don't like large bodies of water still." She frowns a little but she'll deal with it and it's hard to be misrable with Reize about too. "Reize! Hello!"

:'''[[A Certain Medic]] has posed:''' You so rarely see Sister Fisher in aught but her habit that you might forget she came in any other flavors. Truth be told, she might have, too, but the Father knows there're enough shops around Port Royal who know how to stuff a girl into a dress; it's sort of plain and modest, for the place and occasion, the sort of thing that might be the best dress a fisher-girl owned, but she certainly wears it like it's hers. Ser Senra hauled her out here, under initial protest, but the Port is her sort of town, to be honest, and she's smiling wide as her knight makes a round of introductions. She recognizes... really nobody here, except the girl she came with. Maira. Yes. And she knows Reize immediately as he lands through a table; that couldn't be anybody but Reize. And, there's a Dennou, somewhere around. There's /always/ a Dennou somewhere around. "You shan't, you shan't from me, I'll swear it," Arkham responds to Faruja, because she's in the process of securing a worrying amount of dark rum for herself. It's medicinal, you know. On further thought, she calls up another for a certain fire mage, and passes it along. "Go on, it'll, it'll warm you right up."

:'''[[A Certain Railgun]] has posed:''' A certain scientific railgun (except it's also basically just magic anyway honestly but that's besides the point) is dressed like a pirate. This is actually Emi Dennou, as an aside, she has a name. She has an eyepatch on. She also has a scimitar at her side that seems to be made out of plastic. She is coming along with Maira. There's apparently an escort too, who is a mouse knight, and Emi's impassive gaze doesn't suggest that she dropped 'yet another worry' into his lap. In terms of anime, she is in a super deformed state of bland reactions. But in reality, she's just sort of gazing ahead with a blank stare. "It is never chilly around Maira." She says. "For one reason or another. How are you, Arkie?"

:'''[[Ivo Galvan]] has posed:''' "Well, well," Ivo turns with an exaggerated leer as Riku sits down next to him, lifting his half-full glass in toast. "If it isn't the lovely Rachel. Must you steal my heart only to leave for months, and then at your whim to reappear and-- oh, /I'm/ sorry," he then appends, in mock astonishment, "it appears you are her distant cousin Riku. Perhaps you could summon her, old friend? If the ritual involves women's clothes, I think this tavern shall provide." As if on cue, a loud and delighted squeal briefly pierces the ruckus, and a garter is flung across the room, passing in and out of view. "If only in bits and scraps." He seems to be in a good mood. Reize's ever-glorious storytelling doesn't hurt, and Ivo's laughter is among the chorus as the table splits beneath the boy, though his is more good-natured and affectionate than spiteful. "Yeah, like that," he chortles, "except the table was a ship, and Reize was a big skeleton, and his scarf was a robe. Although his scarf is long enough to... be..." Ivo's flushed cheeks turn pale, before flushing yet brighter. "...Sensei." Eyes on Raiya's ever-stoic expression, the slightly intoxicated knight-errant feels his heart skip a beat. He cannot find the words. Eager to see her again, frightened to see her again, ashamed of his disappearance, fearful that she had left without him-- that she had already left on her quest-- that she might even be-- "I've missed you." Though words leave his lips thoughtlessly, before he can think of anything clever or charming to say. All can he think of is her profile, never forgotten. No, enough with the jokes, enough with prodding her like a boy at recess. Can't he be honest for once in his life? He can. He's changed! "I feared that, in my absence, you had-- oomph!" Whereupon a, shall we say, very appealingly clad Maira leaps upon Ivo back, sending him staggering forward, and Katyna dizzily bumps into him from the front, leaving Ivo with two attractive women momentarily snuggled against him, with his widened eyes still on Raiya. "Aha... ha ha ha... ladies..." Ivo clears his throat, trying to seize the moment again, but it's gone, and besides, was Katyna always so cute, and Maira always so soft? Yeah, she totally was. And he totally hasn't changed. Turning to try to smile at the friend clinging to his back, he sees Faruja and grins, realizing he's the one who brought the babes to the party. "What's this," he cries, "you outdo me, my brother! I have the advantage in drink, but you, sir, have the advantage in company! Where did you find these beauties?" What are you complaining about, Ivo? Half of them are clinging to you now. Belatedly, he seems to remember that Raiya is standing right next to him, and a little uneasily, he asides to her, "Not that I'm /interested/ in where he found them." It's just so convincing.

:'''[[Reize Seatlan]] has posed:''' The boy is in a very dizzied state. Reize is reaching a hand into the air. "I'm okay." He slowly turns over and pushes himself up to his feet. His eyes lift over towards Deelel, then he waves a handher way, "Ooii, Deelel!" And then, his eyes fall upon Faruja, "Oooi, Faruja! Maira! --Err.." Pause. Who was the person? "Err..." The boy is drawing upon a blank. Nevertheless, Reize brightens into a smile, "This is a celebration! We beat a Fiend and it from haunting the people! This is a victory for the Shard Seekers!" The boy raises a hand towards a mug. He sniffs the mug, making sure that this is an actual drink. After confirming that this drink won't suddenly change him like the last two instances, Reize is cheerful once more. His eyes fall upon Violet, and then Ivo and the others. Triumphantly, the boy raises the mug to the heavens. "FOR VICTORY!" And the rowdy men actually join the boy with the raised mugs, because why not? It's a celebration. Drinking for all. 

:'''[[Riku Bot]] has posed:''' Riku looks at Raiya and raises his eyebrows. He gets up and bows slightly to Raiya in respect, offering her a seat somewhere near him. "A extremely dark sense of humor. Believe me." He snorts and begins to continue when Raiya turns away, his eyeline following to... sigh. Reize. Just Reize. Riku puts his face in one hand and just laughs into it, shaking his head back and forth. "I see Great Ocean Adventurer is already having fun." This is when Ivo starts in and he laughs sheepishly. "I think the ritual involves far more drink than either of us have had and the element of surprise. It's no fun when youre expecting it." he grins. "Which I think is an embarrassment I'll save for when it's again needed to teach the general population the grace and culture of Ivo Galvan." Oh the dripping sarcasm there. Riku turns to Faruja with a laugh as Ivo is tackled by a flying firemage and an ember knight and-- he takes a deep breath, swallows his ire and bows in return. "Lord keep you, ser Faruja." He tries to keep the 'Because only well meaning idiots like Reize would take you otherwise' off his face. He's trying as well. And the mental gripe turns out to be only halfway sincere, which surprises him a little. He waves and takes a seat as he starts chuckling again at Reize's antics. Yes. The costume changes are all mandatory. All of them. "Survival." He gestures to Reize. "I think the templar has the right idea. That table /was/ a terrible foe. It's been slain in the name of justice and moderately good storytelling, I suppose. I'll drink to that." He looks to Violet and Katyna and smiles slightly at them both, leaning up against the bar as he looks over the crowd and takes in what is going on around him quietly. He doesn't greet Deelel but he doesn't scorn her either, nodding slightly to the program and to A Certain Medic politely. A Certain Railgun Riku is kind of privately wishing was pointed in a different direction, but he waves at them as well.

:'''[[A Certain Fire Mage]] has posed:''' Maira lets herself fall from Ivo's back, smiling all the while. "It's good to see you Ivo, and in good spirits! Oh! Raiya!" she says, then springs forward to hug her. Yes, hug her. This is happening. HUGS FOR EVERYONE! "Its good to see you too! Look, Ivo, found after all this time! If you haven't had a word with him yet I'd better leave you to it," she says, then leans in to whisper to Raiya briefly before she turns and takes the offered rum from Arkie. "Warm me up?" she asks, laughing. Emi has it right! Maira reaches to take Arkie's hand and lays it, unabashed, on her cheek. "I am always warm!" she replies. Indeed, her skin feels very warm, like someone with a high fever or a rock that has been sitting in the sun. Except, as Ivo is so keen to repeatedly notice, soft. Maira downs her rum then. She'll get good and drunk, gosh darn it! Maybe then she'll stop feeling like every shadow was suspicious--ready to eat her. Recognizing Riku, Maira takes a seat nearby and smiles. "Hey, Riku! How are you? I haven't seen you in a while. What have you been up to?" she asks. Oh Katyna is here too!? Wave! Beam!

:'''[[Faruja Senra]] has posed:''' Siiip. Faruja watches, stifling a snicker with his drink as the Fire Lady makes her way towards Ivo. Turning to Deel, he claps the woman on the back. "Now, now, now! 'Tis naught to fear, should one fall, I am quite adept at swimming. Nothing to worry about. Ahh, but mayhap a good dip in the cool waters would do thee well, hmm, Deel?" The Templar's not yet caught onto the whole 'Programs hate water' idea. Two women barge onto poor Ivo. The Templar can't help but laugh, shaking his head. "Oh, my, how /popular/ Ser Galvan! Lady Katyna, greetings my dear!" Tapping on his glass lightly, he gestures to Arkie and Maira. "For those whom may not have had the pleasure, 'tis my great honor to inroduce Lady Maira, a mage of no small renown, beauty, and skill..." Turning, he gestures to the Sister making her way over to the bar. Her words almost have the rat sniffling. His medic /drinks/ like a normal person. He knew he liked this girl for a reason. "And the ever reliable, loyal, pious, intelligent, Sister Fisher of the Holy Church's School of the Word, whose knowledge shall make a library seem paltry in comparison!" His compliments done, he walks over to clink glasses with Arkie. That is a /lot/ of rum. "My, my. Methinks a drink contest shall be in order soon, Arkie." Seriously. Can she really drink all that? Dennou! If Ami were here, he'd likely be getting pets by now. Somehow, despite the embarrassment it involves, the lack of the animal-loving sister saddens him. A drink is quickly passed to Emi. "Drink well, my dear, and enjoy the celebration!" At the least, the Burmecian doesn't seem to blame Emi for dropping said worry upon him. Indicating said beauties, Faruja gives a modest bow. "Why, a humble knight always seeks to ensure the safety of pious, outstanding individuals such as those that have blessed this undeserving Templar with their presence. Indeed, 'tis been my pleasure to see them towards an enjoyable night." When in doubt, play the part of the virtuous knight, if you can't beat the suave of one Ivo Galvan! What's this? A toast!? A glass is raised. "To victory, and righteous glory!" Calls out the rat with feeling, clinking glasses with a nearby pirate. At Rikku's return, the ratling crosses his chest. He'd not take the boy as pious, but he appreciates the manners. Some cynical part of him didn't think Riku was capable of it. It actually brings a smile that he can't quite suppress.

:'''[[Deelel]] has posed:''' Deelel is lauahging a little bit, she's just happy to be out of prision now at this pont and she's going to enjoy herself in the companty of friends and that's how it's hopefully going to be tonight. She can't get intoxicated. Well not off human things alway and she's now just watching Ivo and she laughs a little bit. She's jut happy to see IVo from the sounds of it meanwhile Reize returns her greetings and she seems to be in a good mood. Though since she was on ice she has no idea what the Victory was but given how big the party was it clearly a major thing. Very clearly a major thing from the sounds of it. She kinda of falls in with Faruja at this point as jhe makes the introduction of some of his guests. She's also joining in the torat like everyone else but this is certainly strange user fuel today... She looks over at Riku and gives him a polite wave she's long ago let any issues with him go from the looks of it. "Greetings, Riku."

:'''[[Violet]] has posed:''' Violet chuckles with much more mirth than usual at the activities around her, but if there were anything of an indication it might be the color in her cheeks and the empty mug in hand. Though she's given another just before Reize lifts his mug. Smiling brightly, she lifts her new drink up in the air above her head as well. "For victory!" she giggles. Taking several drinks from her glass, Violet hiccups and places the mug on the bartable with a bit more force than intended. She pushes herself to her feet as she starts threading her way through the crowd of people. With a bit more ease than she had when they arrived. "Who wants a dance?!" she giggles.

:'''[[A Certain Fire Mage]] has posed:''' "Wait! Am I missing a toast!?" Maira asks, suddenly alarmed, she grabs her drink and raises it. "TO VICTORY! YAAAAY!"

:'''[[A Certain Railgun]] has posed:''' Emi naturally has no idea what Riku's issue is and, so, takes the closest possible seat nearest to Riku, even going so far as to scoot the chair even closer to Riku. She ends up 'toasting' about 1.5 seconds after everyone else, holding the glass up for a few moments before lowering her hand. "Hello Riku." She says. "The Network has not seen you in some time. How are you today?" SHe tilts her head a bit, perhaps hoping to see a key embedded in Riku Bot's back.

:'''[[A Certain Medic]] has posed:''' "Glory to who takes it!" Arkham manages to get that one out without stammering, adding her voice to the Seekers' joyous din. "I'm, yes," she acknowledges Faruja's extensive introduction with a fetching blush that doesn't quite fade out, "Arkie. I patch him up after, after he goes out partying." Her glance suggests that just to look at him you could see where this would be necessary. The necessity suggests to her that there's too much rum in her glass; she does something about that. "I live, Dennou," she responds, to Emi's retreating back. Riku seems to be her target, and she gives him a nod of acknowledgement, in case he catches her staring. She's not quite warmed up enough yet to approach him herself. Reize is right here, though, at the epicenter, where she has only drifted. "I haven't, haven't managed to join you yet, you know, but I will~" She isn't /much/ taller than him, come down to it, so she can't do much leaning down and being cute, but she tries. If she can wedge her way past anyone.

:'''[[Reize Seatlan]] has posed:''' There is a bright grin that forms as Riku joins in. At first, Reize lets his friend's words go over his head with the table. Then, the boy blinks. ... ... "Hey!" It is then that the young boy beams as Maira and the others finally join in their toast. That smile grows, right towards Faruja, "Oh, thanks!" He is now reminded of the girl's name. "Sister Fisher!---Errr Arkie! Good to see you again. Er-join? ---" And Violet is starting to act strange. He blinks and he starts getting up to his feet. "Errr, one moment, Arkie!" "Oooiii! Raiya!" The boy waves a hand towards her. As he rushes over towards Violet, the boy smiles, "Hey, are you okay..?" And then, it hit him! Not many people know her! "Ahem, I do have an announcement!" He placs an arm around Violet, offering a smile to the group. "So, I don't think many of you all have met her, but.." He offers a wide grin, "I want to introduce one of our newest members of the Shard Seekers, Violet!" He boy lifts a finger into the air, "She is an excellent swordsman!"

:'''[[Raiya Fujihara]] has posed:''' Raiya bows to Faruja when he calls over to her and offers a faint had wave towards Reize. It is Riku's politeness and his bow towards her that causes Raiya to actually smile faintly. She was pleased to see such good manners still existed in this day and age. The bow is returned promptly and she takes the offered seat at the bar just in time to recieve her amber colored drink. "Fate has no other kind," replies the samurai darkly just as she overhears a few choice words from the busy Ivo. Those few words are enough to cause the woman to completely stop in motion, her drink held aloft mid-air. Saying such a thing in a place like this? Raiya quickly finishes her drink long before the toast started. She calmly turns her head to focus her green eyes on Ivo and simply nods her head gently. It is a small gesture, but she hopes that Ivo was not too distracted to miss it. The Maira/Kat tag-team attack causes Raiya to purse her lips together and look to the bartender for another drink. She just might need it. Before Raiya have really recover, she gets HUGGED by Maira which causes the Wutai swordswoman to blink a few times in surprise. But it is what is -whispered- to her that causes Raiya to lock a slightly wide-eyed gaze with Maira. The stoic samurai is struck speechless for a second.. Thankfully, another drink arrives just in time. Raiya raises her glass, glances towards Maira and then to Ivo, and then drains it completely. Riku gets a pointed look next. Fate and its cruel sense of humor indeed.

:'''[[Ivo Galvan]] has posed:''' "For victory!" Ivo can't but join in Reize's toast, laughing again at their spirited young leader's irrepressible enthusiasm. Even if they didn't find a World Shard, everyone seems happy to have helped others and brought Light to the land in some small way. Perhaps it's the drink, but Ivo finds this extraordinarily comforting. Even now, there was some small part of him that worried that if the Shard Seeker device turned out not to work properly -- or at all -- their partnership would fall apart, that the little home they'd carved out for themselves in a corner of the multiverse would crumble. But their friendships are stronger than that. He's going to do his best to realize their hopes, and find the worlds of those who have lost them. Not, however, simply because he fears the consequences of failure. "My grace and culture are beyond impugning," he retorts to Riku, though as he's laughing as he says it, his indignation is not particularly persuasive. "Just ask Avira. If such a brute calls me a scoundrel, you know I'm the picture of propriety." Is that how it works? "Eh? Don't tell me Her Highness is..." As it's Riku's turn to be beset by women, Ivo's gaze strays to the wandering Violet, who seems to be having almost a little /too/ much of a good time. His grin broadens, but as amused as he looks, he keeps his eyes on her. If it looks like she's getting in over her head, and Reize is otherwise occupied, he'll intervene as smoothly as he can. But he's not quite ready to leave the bar just yet, if he can avoid it. He does catch Raiya's nod, as well as her pause, and these subtle gestures again cause his heart to jump up into his throat. How hopeful, how terrified, how thrilled he feels at his teacher's acknowledgments of his affection, at the hints she reciprocates, at the reminders of the great divide between them and the sweetness of their intimacy in what need not be said. Still, gazing upon her grace and dignity, he can't help but feel, as always, profoundly unworthy. Probably because he /is/. Which makes him exceedingly nervous when it appears that Maira has whispered something to Raiya that has given the woman pause, and then driven her to drain her pause. "Ahah, bottom's up," Ivo says, to cover his tension, before draining his own. "Alright, next one's on me!" he adds spiritedly, aiming to clear the air. "Ha ha, reminds me of the last time I bought you a drink, at the New Year's festi..." Stupid. /Stupid/. Memories flood back. "S... so... did Maira say something to you?" he tries, a little hoarsely. "Something good about me, I hope." Why does he suspect it's something likely to make his life a lot more complicated?

:'''[[Riku Bot]] has posed:''' Riku mutters "more like -- for free beer. It might as well be. //-For Reasons-\" with a chuckle as he leans on the bar. He toasts 'for reasons' with the rest of the victory crowd. When the flying firemage rockets back and forth in a pinball fasion into his vicinity, Riku gives her a small smile. "Hello Maira. Mostly keeping out of trouble and suffering fools gladly." he jerks a thumb backwards at Ivo. "Living over in Archades right now, training to be a Judge Cadet. What about you? What trouble have you gotten yourself into?" He looks away from Maira for a few moments to look over at Faruja. "A drinking contest? That would be something to watch with this crowd. Beep Boop. Riku - Bot is not that kind of bot, but he does seem rather wound up about something. Maybe the springs are all internal. Maybe eventually something will just go 'SPROING' in an amusing fashion. "Hello Legionettes." he says politely, having not seen enough enough to actually determine (or remember) whose names they were. He doesn't seme to have any problem with them scooting up close though. "Keeping myself busy. What have you and your sisters been up to?" Riku looks over at Ivo, then back at Raiya with an expression that is VERY near to rolling his eyes up towards the gods in askance but manages to be just short of that. He raises an empty mug in return and sets it back on the bar. He looks over at Reize as he introduces Violet, and a modicum more interest enters his expression as she is introduced as a swordsman. "Is she? Well-- gathering another group to put your bacon out of the fire on a regular basis, 'Harem Master of Fluorgis'?" the words almost echoing in those fingerquotes.

:'''[[Morrighan Alazne]] has posed:''' And right at that moment, a dark portal opened right in the middle of the establishment, causing all patrons to suddenly quiet down all at once as Morrighan stepped through. She wore the same extravagant black dress that she was quickly becoming known for. Once she had stepped through completely, the portal closed behind her. "......" Her eyes were closed and after a moment of silent contemplation, they opened once she had realized that things were a little too quiet. "...What? What are all you plebeian fools staring at? Have you never bore witness to a visage as radiant as mine before?" Pause. "Hah, perhaps not! But nevertheless, mind your manners!" One should not dark portal in wherever they pleased. That fact had become apparent right about now. ....Or not. After a moment more of being stared silently at by the entire establishment, everyone suddenly went right back to their own usual rowdy business. "Hmph! That's what I thought!" Morrighan huffed, not realizing how close she was to getting murdered...or at least captured and tickled to death as interrogation. "Aha, there you fools are." She called out afterwards, taking note of several familiar members of the travel group she was forced to deal with for now as she approached. "This is the nonsense you have decided to engage in? ...Why am I not surprised." And that statement was accompanied by a roll of the eyes.

:'''[[Violet]] has posed:''' If no one had accepted her offer for a dance, Violet would have pulled someone into a dance anyway. Right now she didn't really care so long as there were some dancing! But before any of that happened, Reize appears at her side. Finally! Someone to dance with! Violet beams for but a moment before he raises his voice, blinking her eyes at him as the boy gains the attention of several people nearby. If she was in her right mind the girl would have been embarrassed by the spectacle of it all. Luckily for her, she wasn't. Chuckling, Violet reaches out to grab at his arms. "Hey, dance with me. No one else wants to dance with me and I... I am feeling very good right now. Very good." She very adamantly wraps her arms around Reize's shoulders as she giggles, hicking once as her crystal blue eyes glance up at Riku nearby. Listening, the girl makes a face and shakes her head quickly, "No. No harem." her words are mumbled. "I didn't want to guilt him either."

:'''[[A Certain Medic]] has posed:''' An attempt was made. Yes. Arkie doesn't have far to straighten, and she raises her glass again in salute to Violet, apparently the newest member of the Shard Seekers. "Na zdravje!" What you do after you say that is you drain your glass, which she does. Such an establishment is this that someone's already handing her its successor before she's found somewhere to set the empty. A good club. Enough of obstructing traffic, though; the, er, Sister of Ajora takes a sizeable sample of her new glass of rum, just to make sure it's the right stuff. It's definitely the right stuff. She flows through the crowd like someone who has a lot of experience navigating drunk people, and washes up near Maira, and Emi and Riku and something like half the rest of the party. It's a good place to be, here. "Did you like this one, Mair--" One should not portal in wherever they pleased, no, Morrighan. 'There you fools are.' Arkham waves cheerily to the... the madwoman. Yes. Here we fools are. Join us. There's punch.

:'''[[Maira]] has posed:''' Maira has finished her first glass of dark rum and it has been nicely replaced with another before she even noticed! It is some kind of magic, truly! Maira sips, turning toward Riku, blinking. "A...a judge?! Wh-why would you want to do that!?" she asks. "You're far too nice for that!" Maira has clearly been exposed to a very bias opinion of Judges. I wonder why! As he asks what trouble she has been getting /herself/ into, she seems to sober, her wide eyes fae-like as she answers, very seriously, "All of it." Maira then senses a dark portal opening and promptly hits the floor as if someone had opened gunfire, aiming to disappear. Oh. It's just Morrighan. OH <GOOSEHONK> IT'S MORRIGHAN!"

:'''[[Leon]] has posed:''' The former Dark Knight has not been having a good past couple of days; ok one night may be the exception; but whatever. The day to get ready to move out was upon them and it would seem someone missed the memo cause the 'maiden of light' decided to go out and celebrate with some friends. Not that Leon could blame them, but of all the places to track her too-- why did it have to /HAVE/ so many people in it. The former dark knight would not be easy to make out beyond a few wisps of darkness that trailed behind each of his steps; very hurried steps at that. He had a dark hooded cloak over his body including it wrapped around to even hide his body from the front for the most part. His face hidden in darkness beyond the golden red eyes the glowed gently out from its shadows and maybe the bit of light that might expose the lower part of his face. He was wearing a pair of dark denim jeans. Black boots, gloves to match, and a dark grey shirt. Over his right arm was a armored bracer that went over part of his elbow for added protection and a sword on his hip for his left hand to reach for if he needed too. He would have his bow on hand, but that was with his stuff he had packed. As he moves into the bar he actually has to lower his head. So many people. So many /people/ in one place. The sound isn't what bothered him, it is what his eyes could see that many others could not see. The brightness of each individuals heart or the darkness of it. Each heart of light calling out to him, like a hunger he had to suppress back. He couldn't walk around forever with his head down, so Leon forces himself to look up and gaze over the people. He just had to find the one person here who radiated the most light and he find Maira. How hard could that be? Yeah. How hard could that be...

:'''[[Deelel]] has posed:''' Deelel is lowin her mug from the toast now that that's over back to the main event of the party itself right? She is just in good spirits even as her friends talk and catch up about all sorts of thing she finds herself gravitating a bit away from Ivo for the moment as he's clearly already catching up with Maira a good bit. Well she was in good spirits but isn't that Morrighan? Deelel goesn't go for a weapon thankfully but she tenses up as if she's expecting trouble and she dirfts away from Faruja for the moment as someone else enters Leon whom she's not aware is the very dangerous dark knight she met in a rather bad situation catches her attention for a moment whom is that? She wonders but well there's Morrighan and she's not going to let her end up being a kill joy for this party. She dirfts away from the Templar. "Faruja I shall return." She seems to be making a beeline to Riku, as why the heck not she's not talked to him in some time right? "It seems your doinf well for yourself as of late, Riku."

:'''[[A Certain Railgun]] has posed:''' "Well," Emi says. "Causing Alma and Faruja trouble, it seems like." She frowns a bit. "There is apparently someone keeping tabs on us, The Network thinks we have almost tracked it." Emi has gotten used to random dark portaling and is wondering if they'll ever learn to walk, but besides that she is not especially troubled. She leans in to Arkham and murmurs to her, "Do not worry, she is just like that." She looks down at Maira who threw herself to the ground and seems confused. "This one was wondering however...how well do you know Alexandria?" This question, naturally, to Robo-Riku.

:'''[[Raiya Fujihara]] has posed:''' Ivo does have a long way to go still. But what can one expect when he has been so profoundly negligent of his lessons with Raiya? The tension and mystery behind what Maira said to Raiya seems to be just killing Ivo. As a practiced swordswoman, it would be foolish of her to give up such an advantage over her errant student. He lets him boil in his own thoughts for a moment before casually turned her head towards Ivo. She smiles broadly and tilts her head to the side slightly. "I am not going to tell you what she said for that would defeat the purpose of her whispering in the first place." The samurai then turns to look forward, but flickers a knowing glance over at Ivo as she turns back around. The already rowdy bar was getting more frantic with more people walking and...teleporting in like that. Raiya has to maintain focus on the matter at hand and that mission seems to be getting another drink at the moment. The introduction of the Violet the -Swordswoman- causes Raiya to turn and wave an armored hand towards her. It was always pleasant to meet a fellow sword fighter. There weren't as many as one would think these days with so many other more exotic weapon choices at one's disposal.

:'''[[Faruja Senra]] has posed:''' What does a Templar do while a new member of the Shard Seekers is inducted? Bow, smile, and acquire another bloody drink. "Lady Violet, is it? Well then, my dear, allow me to introduce myself! Temple Knight Faruja Senra of the Most Holy Church of Saint Ajora Glabados.You shall find no better a group of companions than within the Seekers." Pause. Smile. "Excepting the Holy Church, of course." You /know/ you want to join. We can do stuff like this and get away with it, unless you're a nun. "Hmph! My size means nothing, Riku, 'twould be a true feat to drink me beneath the table!" Proclaims the ratling to Riku proudly. That almost may sound like a challenge. Pause. Peering at the young Judge, the rat squints. "...A metaphor about dogs and fleas seems appropriate, however, I do believe I used that one recently." Blast you Dennou, stealing all of his good ones! They have a cooldown you know? Suddenly Morrighan. Faruja lets his spear slip back upon his back, the ratling ceasing his sudden urge to stab a Darkness Portal user. Unfortunately, this is one he can'st stab. "Lady Morrighan. What a..." Pause. He swallows his drink. "...a.." There's gotta be a polite, truthful word here. "Lord bless." Ends the rat lamely, walking over to Maira to try to help her up. "Worry naught, Maira, harm shan't come to thee. Correct, Lady Alazne?" The rat pointedly looks at his church associate. A wave to Deel. "Enjoy yourself, Deel." Arkie's comments have him sighing. "Unfortunately, I do believe I shall be the source of a multitude of grey hairs for our dear Sister Fisher."

:'''[[Reize Seatlan]] has posed:''' Reize beams as everyone welcomes the introduction of Violet. However, Reize DOES have to squint at Faruja as he tries to subtly recruit his newest member. Hrrrmmm... e_e And then Riku's comment. "Wait, what?" Reize turns his head at Riku, furrowing his eyebrows before making a face. "Oooiii! I am no Harem Master! Where did this come from?!" The boy just about flails until Violet gets his attention. "Huh?" So, she wants the boy to dance with her. Reize offers her a smile, before he laughs. "Well, okay!" Shewants to dance, after all. Though, the arms sweeping over his shoulders adamantly does put his head right against her bosom. Cheeks red. *DOIIINNNGG!!!* And antenna hair up. "Music! Play music!" Topic change! Quick. Or something!

:'''[[A Certain Railgun]] has posed:''' "Play music," Emi says. "The Harem Master demands it." She waves a harem master reize flag.

:'''[[Maira]] has posed:''' Maira would likely be a lot easier to see if she hadn't just dramatically thrown herself to the floor. She was jumpy, alright!? Morrighan is something to worry about. Where Morrighan went, the wrath of Garland went with her, Maira seemed to believe, and as she'd already seen enough of Garland's wrath she was pretty worried about this establishment and its current inhabitants! Maira looks up toward Faruja, giving him a 'you don't understand' look while she reaches up for her rum and downs the rest of it. Hiccup. Then music comes on. There's something about a harem master, but Maira brushes over that in favor of listening to the music. That gets her to her feet again. Time to dance! The woman begins to turn, spinning mad circles that are bound to make her quite dizzy. It is then that she bumps into Leon, rebounding off him with an "Ooof!"

:'''[[Reize Seatlan]] has posed:''' "Arrggghhh I am not the Harem Master!" shouts Reize.

:'''[[Faruja Senra]] has posed:''' Siiip. Faruja smiles. "A certain Lady Hyral would have me believe otherwise, dear Ser Seatlan! Here, think naught of it. Wear thy moniker with pride!"

:'''[[Morrighan Alazne]] has posed:''' Morrighan's eyes met Faruja's first and she silently regarded him with a smirk. He wanted to say something insulting. He totally did, but he instead decided to tend to Maira. "...No harm?" She repeated, looking over Maira impassively. "....I wonder about that." She spoke casually, idly checking her nails meanwhile. "I do recall after all what happened back at the tree...hmn, I suppose I could have my revenge." Pause as Morrighan looked over the fire mage again, smirk still on her face. "But judging from your demeanor and the...'aura' about you, I have a feeling that you already have enough problens on your hands, hm~?" Whatever could she be talking about, I wonder. "I suppose I could just follow you around and eventually, something terrible would happen to us both. Ohohohoho~" And there went that laugh again. At least Avira wasn't here to hear it this time!

:'''[[Violet]] has posed:''' Seeing Raiya waving towards, Violet smiles easily and frees and arm just enough to wave back, just before Faruga Senra introduces himself to the girl. She blinks her bright crystal blue eyes at him for a split moment before smiling brightly to him in return. Letting go of Reize completely, her hands touch at her skirt as she smoothly dips herself into a graceful curtsey, one that is clearly practiced. "It is a pleasure to meet you as well, Sir Knight Faruga Senra of the most Holy Church of Saint Ajora Glabados." Such a mouthful! Even tipsy she said it right. If Violet realizes that he had tried to recruit her into the church, there's no indication. She's too far gone. Returning her arms around Reize's shoulders, the girl giggles to herself and starts to dance. Music or no music. Luckily he notices that there isn't any music and calls out over the crowd of people for some sort of music to dance to. Violet was enjoying herself so much that she almost didn't hear the conversation going on around them. Almost. "Lady Hyral?"

:'''[[A Certain Nun]] has posed:''' What do you mean 'unless you're a nun'. A Certain Nun is currently into her eighth ounce of rum, and she's only leaning on this table here because she expects the intervening space to be filled with Maira once her knight finishes helping her up. Arkham very nearly seems content to let it happen-- I mean, Maira hit the deck under her own power, presumably she knows what she's doing-- but would she have any room to be reproachful, then? It's too late, she's already been fully assisted, though. Arkham is forced to dodge her as she goes whirling off in pursuit of the beat, leaving the nun and the rat to attempt an exchange of shrugs. Reize wails a protest; Arkie retorts, "You have to keep a positive attitude, man! You'll never get anywhere that way." She's prevented from handing him booze because Faruja has already filled his hands; she'll settle for getting outside of more rum herself. ...now, y'understand, she's only leaning on Faruja because he's convenient, y'understand.

:'''[[Ivo Galvan]] has posed:''' Ivo, hastily sipping his new drink and too nerve-wracked to notice Riku's mocking pantomime behind him, seeking an opportunity to regain his typically unflappable composure, has the nice excuse of Morrighan's preposterous arrival to distract him. "Well, if it isn't Her Radiance herself," Ivo calls the lady Alazne's way, raising his glass in feigned salute, grinning with unfeigned delight at her inimitable behavior among these ruffians. "I'm glad to see you've gotten over your shame and distress at having been the one responsible for the appearance of the monster we had to heroically overcome." Indirectly, but still. "I'm sure you experienced that for /at least/ three seconds." What a generous estimation. Ugh. Ivo's triumphant moment of being able to make fun of somebody /else/ is swiftly dashed at Raiya's amused response to his desperate query. Grr, what is he thinking, asking straight on like that. He /is/ out of practice. He can't let her get the better of him like this. Raiya's knowing glance catches Ivo looking frustrated and abashed -- he /really/ wants to know what Maira said -- but cajoling would be futile. Instead, becoming amused at his own predicament, he grins at his erstwhile teacher, raising his glass again. "Then this is a challenge to loosen your lips," he says warmly, "one which I take to eagerly. Have I not succeeded in the past?" It takes a heck of a lot to get Sensei to blush, but when it happens, it's so worth the effort. Then, in response to Reize's plaintive cry, music picks up, a jaunty dancing tune. Reize seems to be, uh, occupied with the Princess, and Maira has somehow disappeared -- Ivo missed her practically throwing herself to the floor -- and Riku is still crowded around by girls, leaving the Shard Seeker swordsman with no distractions as he turns the brightest of smiles on his teacher. "Well, then, Asteria," he murmurs, leaning in slightly, "to celebrate our reunion, will you favor me with a dance?" He plays it cool, but the thought of touching her is a little too exciting for him to admit. Deep breaths, Galvan. /She's/ supposed to blush.

:'''[[Riku Bot]] has posed:''' Riku winces slightly at the dark portal, his mood souring just a little around the edges. He adds a low level glare to the silence of the rest of the bar until everyone goes back to being rowdy in which case he pointedly ignores her for the sake of his good mood. It's not like he hadn't done similar things, some of them stew-related. When nothing comes of it, he relaxes and goes back to what he was doing. Shooting the breeze into a tattered mess. "Guilt is something Reize does very well. He just looks at you earnestly and guilts you into behaving." at this he flicks his eyes over at Faruja before looking away. That poor, poor breeze. He looks down at Maira on the floor, trains a glare in Morrighan's direction again, sighs, and then offers her a hand to get her back onto her feet. "It's alright." Riku tells her with a smirking aside. "From all accounts, maybe I'll rub off on--" THUD. Riku flattens himself against the floor. "You know." He says to Maira. "Maybe you had the right idea. But she is up and off again before he can call her back, before he can WARN her. The teenager clutches his chest, teeth grit as he rose up to his knees and then to his feet. Robo-Riku opens his mouth and then closes it, shaking his head at the Legionettes. As he passes Deelel, he shrugs by them. "I'm sorry Deelel. Just-- give me a moment." he scans the crowd in a perfunctory fashion. He knows where they are. He knows WHO they are-- and suddenly this afterparty got a lot less fun. But he had to pretend. Sending everything to a screeching halt would come in a few minutes. Possibly seconds. Riku makes his way towards the hooded stranger, his face pleasant but his eyes VERY wary. "So sayth the Harem Master! Uh-- Forsooth?" Riku says over his shoulder, voice overcheerful. (Well. That doesn't take much.) Then back to Leon. Smile. No. It is not a pleasant smile. Oh no. "Good evening." he says very quietly and at close range. "A word please, before we begin?"

:'''[[Faruja Senra]] has posed:''' Plan 'convert Violet' failed. Faruja sighs. Blast! "May our efforts together prove fruitful M'Lady!" Squint. Faruja peers about as hard as he can. "The Lady is a friend. Kindly forget thoughts of revenge." The last thing he needs is the two women fighting, so much as he'd /love/ to strangle the elfess. Faruja Senra has a nun to support. Cue rat-like support! Faruja uses his tail and shoulder to help keep Arkie aloft as he too goes into 'devour alcohol' mode. That look from Riku is utterly ignored. What's this about behaving and not murdering people? The rat helpfully re-boozes his nun. "Ahh, excellent...why, this drink gives life to my tongue!" Faruja, looking slightly wobbly by now, breaks out into song. While an excellent dancer, he is in fact a horrible singer. "Ohhh, I feel in to a burning ring of fire~" "I went down, down, down, and the flames went higher~" He's utterly off key the entire time. Hopefully he doesn't destroy poor Arkie's eardrums.

:'''[[Leon]] has posed:''' Leon was trying to look around without, well, giving to much of that 'I am not well' vibe. However suddenly there is a very bright light and that very bright light bumps right into him. As Maira goes to rebound, the man with his hooded cloak quickly snatches out his arm to grab a hold of her arm. His hand, even with the glove on is radiating a bit of darkness that is wisping around his arm. Though it seems to stay /away/ from her. Like she was some painful thing to even touch. Leon grimaced a bit behind the hood, he did however glare over at Morrighan as she makes her remark toward Maira. He gave a sneer toward the witches direction. "And if you follow her, you will find yourself perhaps becoming an offering to trouble in her stead. Do /not/ threaten my friends." Those golden red eyes glow brightly, almost taking on more of a gold color then a red one. He looks then at Maira. "..are you.." He then actually has to look down, gritting his teeth tightly. "Are you alright?" However there was suddenly now someone in front of him, who may be thinking he was out to hurt Maira. Siiigh. So he lets her go and just stares down at Riku. Those golden red eyes looking directly into the boy's. Teenager versus the almost twenty year old (if he was in fact twenty now. He hasn't still done the math on his mind vs body yet). "..and evening." Leon says back calmly. "..and begin what?" Head cant. Clueless as ever. Those his eyes do gaze over to Maira, since well, she had become the information book of things he had done while he was the Dark Knight. He was wondering if this kid was one of this individuals he has pissed off in the past.. and if so-- what did he do? Kick his favorite ball into a car? Hey. That is what his mind-space was doing /right now/. It goes kinda like this... Chibi armored dark knight kicking a ball into the street and over a ledge. 'Ha ha ha. Your ball is now to darkness. Ha ha ha. Now to steal a doll.'

:'''[[Deelel]] has posed:''' Deelel says "I will Faruja! I will." Reize is looked over for a moment and she starts laughing at the harem comment she's holding her sides n short order as she can't seem to stop for the moment. She nods to Riku "Don't worry about it." She kinda sees Riku has business to tend to so she'll leave him too it also Faruja's off key singing is causing Deelel a good deal of agony. She can hear just by how much Faruja is off.

:'''[[Morrighan Alazne]] has posed:''' "Oh look, it is the fool with the shabby cape. How I so missed your obvious shabbiness." Morrighan spoke with a deadpan tone, her eyes narrowing in annoyance just at having to see the idiot's face. "Shame, you say? Oh sure...I suppose I may have felt just the tiniest fraction of a twinge of regret at having ripped out a portion of Garland and inviting his otherworldly wrath upon us all." Pause. "...Or perhaps not." Cue flighty shrug! Riku's glare could be felt vaguely boring into the side of her head, but the dark elf made no effort to bother addressing it. It was not like people never glared at her before. In fact, that was probably the norm. And it was mildly amusing most of the time. All that said and done, she supposed a drink wouldn't hurt at the end of the day. And so she approached the counter, haughtily demanding some manner of prissy drink in the most irritating manner humanly, or inhumanly possible before taking her glass and observing the others again. "Sir Senra, your singing is utterly atrocious. Do the world a favor and never open that maw again." Bluntbluntblunt.

:'''[[Reize Seatlan]] has posed:''' "I hope these aren't rumors flying around in Fluorgis." Reize lowers is head, comical river of tears flowning down his cheeks. The young boy even addresses Arkie with a grunt "Bah! I am an adventurer! Not a harem master!" Then, he blinks for a moment towards Faruja's statement. Even as Violet speaks out the name, the boy squints. "Lady Hyral? Who is she?" The boy doesn't seem to know anyone. The boy does, however, try to keep the motion of the dance going, if only to keep Violet entertained in her current state. And then, Reize is looking at the booze. "...Bottoms up." Time to ignore this all! Drink drink!

:'''[[Morrighan Alazne]] has posed:''' Leon's statement caused the elf to look towards the dark knight, smiling mockingly. "Oh my, I am so filled with fear. My legs are shaking. My breath is bated." Morrighan spoke in a mocking dramatic tone, taking a hand to her forehead. "Oh dear, whatever shall I do now!?" A pause at that, and then she let her arm fall back. "Hah, your words mean nothing to me. Do not waste your breath." And then the mocking act was dropped as the dark elf took a sip of her drink.

:'''[[Leon]] has posed:''' Leon cuts a glance over at Morrighan with his eyes narrowing and the ground under his feet continues to even further darkness and spreads out a bit more. He lets out a small growl, but brings his focus back to Riku. He was already on a beating down timer. He didn't have time to deal with all this and he was pretty sure no Ice Angel was going to appear to calm down this darkness now if it was to get out of control.. again.

:'''[[Violet]] has posed:''' Violet blinks her crystal blue eyes over Reize shoulder at Faruja with utmost confusion for a moment before she frowns. What? What just happened? Yeah, she's confused now. Someone had handed a beer to Reize at one point in the dance as her bright eyes watch his as he takes a few deep drinks. A smile tugs at her lips at this, "What is that? Does it taste good?" Yes, she's that innocent.

:'''[[Maira]] has posed:''' Maira wouldn't have listened to the warning anyway. That was Leon! Leon was a good friend, and she had to help him. She knew he would be coming, with the same certainty as she knew when they met in Fluorgis, back when he was still the Dark Knight. Dizzy, she would have fallen over if Leon hadn't grabbed her. She smiles though, at least until he looks at her and she can see his eyes, at which point she looks understandably concerned. Afraid too, but not for herself. Maira reaches up to place her hand briefly against Leon's cheek, looking into his eyes with growing alarm. "Oh Leon...it is time to go, isn't it?" she says. Maira turns then and looks toward Morrighan, squaring her shoulders. "I'm not unable to take care of problems, Morrighan," she says steadily. Leon's darkness radiates, the mist reaching outward--but it shies from Maira, giving her a wide berth. Riku approaches, and Maira looks toward him, confused. Did he know Leon?

:'''[[Riku]] has posed:''' Riku looks between Leon and Maira and then LOOKS at Leon. The teenager appears to be just staring straight past Leon and into him and -- somewhere there is a doll being stolen by darkness. Mwa ha ha. Riku's player sighs and gets the 4th wall spackle. The teenager goes through a complicated set of expressions starting with anger, then going to incredulity, then amusement, then horror. It seems to have stopped on horror because Riku takes a step back (and has to. Big dude, this one) and takes him in and then turns to Maira. "Maira. Can I--- borrow your friend for a minute or two before you go?" he looks over at Leon. "You and I need to have words. It's a party." he smiles but the horror never leaves his eyes. "Everybody talks at a party."

:'''[[Raiya Fujihara]] has posed:''' No matter what, it seems that Raiya always ends up on top when it comes to all things Ivo. First the duel, and then...oh dear. Raiya was merely attempting to enjoy her drink when Ivo delivers his usual 'charm'. One hand remains on her drink while her other hand reaches down to her sheathed katana. It only takes her thumb to unsheath the blade just a little bit, but she hopes the warning would be clear. The samurai lowers her glass to the bartop and turns in her seat towards Ivo. "You have not seen me in months and that is the best you can do? You are still the student." She tsk tsks and turns back around only to bear witness to Ivo's grizzly second attempt. Her head raises slightly and she looks back coyly at Ivo when he calls her Asteria. "You remember, good. It seems that not everything I have taught you has been lost." The Wutai ronin now stands up and looks to Ivo expectantly. "Yes, I accept your offer. Please don't embarass yourself," says Raiya encouragingly before letting a coy little smile descend onto her face.

:'''[[A Certain Railgun]] has posed:''' Emi looks towards Violet and says, "Yes." Oh that was easy. She isn't really feeling this actually, though it's nice to see them all so happy. She stands herself up, setting down her glass, and flips up her eyepatch. "Ivo, thank you for inviting us, but I think this one will be going now, we had fun, The Network tries to soothe over Ivo's feelings so he does not realize they were actually kind of bored." She bobs her head one last time to Riku before flipping down the eyepatch again and making her way out. With Arkie getting super omega drunk and Maira taking care of her suitors, it seems to be a good time to get on out of here and, with luck, find more work to do.

:'''[[Reize Seatlan]] has posed:''' With the beer mug in his hand, Reize is looking over Violet. "Haha, yeah! It tastes good!... I think!" The boy takes another swig of the mug, and then he offers it over towards Violet. Despite his state of getting tipsy or falling towards the edge of drunkeness, the boy manages to NOT spill the beer on the Shard Seeker's newest member. Instead, Reize spins around for a moment in the midst of the dance. "Heeee..!" In his drunken state, he thinks to have grabbed Violet. ...Instead, it's Riku who is the target of being plled close to Reize. "You dance great, *hiccup*." And a smooch.

:'''[[Emi Dennou]] has posed:''' Emi Dennou misses the best part of the evening, apparently!!

:'''[[Leon]] has posed:''' The former Dark Knight's eyes soften a bit at Maira's touch, however he quickly looks away from her. Almost as if he wants to just swiftly move away from her really. It was-- getting difficult. Very difficult now. "We will need to go soon, Maira." He says calmly, even with his teeth slightly gritted. Leon stares at Riku as he watches him step back and then he asks if they can 'share words' outside. He then looks between the two then back over at Maira. "..we will.. go once we two are done talking. Enjoy yourself while you can Maira." He then peers back at Riku, unsure of why this teenager now seems so afraid of him. What did this boy know he didn't know? That was the aggravating part! Then suddenly-- INTURRUPT! Reize swoops in and takes Riku-- then kisses Riku. Leon can only stare for a moment before he blinks a few times. "...huh." He then looks at Maira and shrugs. "We might be leaving early. This could be spilling into a bar fight soon. Just saying." He has been in enough of them back before Fynn was part of Palamecia.

:'''[[Morrighan Alazne]] has posed:''' Watching Reize drunkenly stumble about in what he apparently thought was dancing, she continued to occasionally sip from her glass. And then the fool went and grabbed the wrong peron. "Pfft- Oh my." Well, perhaps there was a good reason for coming to this hovel now. Thank the lord she decided to stick around. "Ahahahahahaha! I wish you two the best of times~" And casually, she had created a new Memory Sphere, snapping a picture of the moment.

:'''[[Violet]] has posed:''' Violet watches the beer curiously for a moment before she chuckles, amused too easily perhaps while Reize drinks his mug of beer. The boy breaks away amidst their dance for but a moment before he leans back to her, but... misses. The young girl blinks her pale blue eyes through her buzz as she watches him lean in to pull Riku close and kiss him. Violet blinks a second time. "Re... Reize?..." Her gaze shifts from him to Riku, as if trying to search for an answer in his face but finding none. What's going on?

:'''[[Maira]] has posed:''' Maira takes a deep breath and steps back from Leon, nodding. "Alright. I'll be ready," she tells him, glancing between him and Riku, wondering what would be said between them that she could not hear. Enjoy herself while she still could? That sounds quite ominous. Ah, but they are about to throw themselves into the darkness, aren't they? Maira turns then to see Reize grab Riku and...kiss him!? Maira slaps her hands to her mouth in shock. Oh MY! She looks back to Leon, nodding dumbly before she scurries back to the bar, finishes her drink, then looks around. Enjoy while she can...enjoy while she can... So Maira dances. Shenanigans abound around her, and Maira dances with herself, spinning in small circles, adding some of the footwork Margaux had taught her recently. Twirl, twirl, spiral upward. Take flight. She simply weaves through the crowd, perhaps a few random people giving her a twirl before she moves on, singing along to the song that's playing even though she doesn't really know the words.

:'''[[Riku]] has posed:''' Riku waves to a Certain Railgun in a more relaxed manner than he marched up here to the front of the rowdy tavern but never takes his eyes off Leon, his backteeth still grit. He is REALLY in a prickly, near Attack mode glaring match although the whole horror thing is eating away at his anger because. Well. Because reasons. Which is why, an extremely beery Reize stumbling into him and grabbing him out of nowhere goes completely uncontested. And -- Yep. There's a memory right there. Well, if you can get it out from the mental scarring involved. Riku grabs the younger boy by the front and pushes him backwards-- but then pulls himk forwards. "HEY!" He growls with the most chillingly ANGRY smile on his face. "Let's skip to the end of this drama shall we?" He puts a hand to his head. "Ahehe.. I cannot take it anymore Seatlan. We've just.. grown too apart." He attempts to kick Reize's feet out from under him. "You never call!" SLAM. He attempts to knock the younger boy against the floor hard enough to stun. "You never write" SLAM SLAM. "I feel so /USED/--" He grabs up a stein. "A TOAST. To my dear and GOING to be departed friend Reize. May he remember JUST enough to be happy, and not enough to start running." he then promptly dumps the full stein over Reize, attempts to wrench him to his feet and push him, bodily, in the direction of Violet. "MUSIC. MAESTRO." he grits out in a snarling smile.

:'''[[Ivo Galvan]] has posed:''' Ivo has no problem with Raiya being on top. The party seems to have gotten quite lively, and several, including Faruja, seem to be far gone enough that there's no point in announcing the Seekers' tentative future plans here. The knight-errant will write a missive or something. His roving gaze is drawn to Emi as the Legionette departs, and the young swordsman blinks before smiling slightly and raising his hand in salute. "Hey, I understand. It's wild in this town. I'm glad you came -- and joined us on our adventure." Even if their main contribution was to tame (questionably) a pet skull and suggest that ghosts have a right to live (very questionably, for several reasons) too. Actually, whatever happened to that skull? The world will never know. The telltale clink of Raiya loosening her blade -- a sound that Ivo is somewhat sadly familiar with, which should /probably/ tell him something -- never fails to cause the hairs to rise on the back of Ivo's neck and draw his attention. And then she provokes him! Needless to say, he grins all over again. So she wants him to upgrade his innuendo, then? He /likes/ this game. He told himself he'd make her blush, but that coy look of hers is enough to turn his cheeks just a little rosy again. The drink doesn't help, obviously. "I remember plenty," he quietly responds, before grinning again at her acceptance. "Don't embarrass myself?" he chuckles as he reaches out to gently take his teacher's hand. "You truly are a demanding instructor." You really couldn't ask anything more difficult of Ivo. Say what you will, Ivo's dancing skill is not to be dismissed. He was once a gentleman, at least in one sense of the term, and his fighting style is dance-like enough as it is. The music is energetic, but he leads calmly, hands steady despite his intoxication, and seems to be giving it his all -- though he does pull Raiya closer than perhaps his necessary. The achingly familiar scent of her hair makes his efforts extraordinarily difficult, but he heroically perseveres. At least until they sweep past Reize and Riku in the act of-- uhh-- "I was going to suggest we emulate them," Ivo confesses to Raiya under his breath, "but I'm reconsidering," he concludes as Riku finishes stomping Reize into the ground and emptying the rest of his drink on their fearless leader. Ivo also never writes. "Cheers!" he offers hastily, in response to Riku's 'toast', as Reize ends up summarily hurled toward Violet. Good luck, Reize! Ivo will be cheering you on from the other side of the room. Espying Maira dancing her way through the room, he attempts to catch her eye and grin, maybe just a /little/ proud at dancing with Sensei, or at least not being stabbed by her yet, which is also an accomplishment. Aaaaaahhhh /what did Maira say to her/

:'''[[Reize Seatlan]] has posed:''' *hiccup* "..Violet?" Pause. "Waaiiiit, you're not Vi--ACK!" The boy is promptly shoved backwards and then he is yanked forward! Hiccup. Upon seeng that chillingly angry smile, Reize cannot help but sweatdrop. "Errr... *hiccup*" First, Reize is grabbed by the head, already kicked towards the ground. "ACK!" Slam! Thereis a lot of pain in the midst of the kicks and the slams. And then, the drink is poured onto him. Pulled back up, he is tossed right towards Violet. Both arms open. Violet may find that Reize is going to fall onto her in an embracing hug. Off to the ground the two go! ...Likely right onto her bosom. 

:'''[[Maira]] has posed:''' Maira dances right by Ivo and Raiya, pausing briefly to place her arms around them both, pulling them together into a sudden group hug that just so happens to leave Ivo and Raiya pressed close up against each other. She looks up at them both, smiling with extraordinary warmth. "Don't dance around each other, dance /with/ each other, okay? Life is really short you know. Take care of this fool, will you?" she says to Raiya, then detaches and spins back off into the crowd like a pinwheel.

:'''[[Ivo Galvan]] has posed:''' Ivo suddenly doesn't care what Maira said anymore. maira you're the beeeeeeeest

:'''[[Leon]] has posed:''' Leon can only watch as Riku takes apparent long hatred out on Reize and winces a little. "That is going to leave a mark." He murmurs gently and then watches Maira just dance carelessly around. He then sighs back then and tilts his head off to one side. Until his mind snaps him a warning message as he suddenly finds his vision fluxing a bit and he gives his head a good shake before placing his hand up near his face, and just forcing himself to lean up against the wall. "..damnit.." He murmurs only to himself. So, he peers over at a half drank bottle of rum that has been left on the table. He snatches it up and then goes to drink it down. Hey, if he was going to be in misery standing around trying to ignore the pain of a hunger, he may as well try to get himself a bit tipsy-- if maybe drunk. Or-- well-- Riku will come back and maybe he will have a bottle for self defense!

:'''[[Morrighan Alazne]] has posed:''' Having recording the proceeding display, Morrighan had turned away form the shenanigans, playing back Riku's glorious outburst to herself. "...Ehehehe, this is glorious." Tucking it away, don't ask where, she turned back to the proceedings at hand, finishing off the rest of her drink casually while watching the others. Even if these people continually irritated her with their penchants for stupidity, heroics, and eerily timed sarcastic quips...they were quite entertaining in the end. "This may not be so bad. ...For now." She murmured to herself, nursing her glass of just ice now.

:'''[[Violet]] has posed:''' Violet stares with confusion and a little bit of disbelief as Riku pushes him back, kicking Reize to the ground, among several slams and a drink poured over him. Just before he's pushed in her direction. The girl blinks once as Reize is shoved, literally, into her arms. Making her fumble backwards several steps before they fall to the floor. And his face lands in her chest. Color flushes in her cheeks, but her head swirls still and the most Violet can do is gingerly help Reize off of her pillows. "Reize? Are you okay?" He probably wasn't. Stomped, kicked, and beer poured over his head. Not to mention kissing a guy. She exhales a breath as she uses a hand to brush Reize's dark hair from his forehead, "I think... you should head to bed. I think you may be drunk." Violet mumbles, promptly frowning to herself. "I think /I/ may be drunk."

:'''[[Riku]] has posed:''' Riku gets his temper back under control and spins around to face Leon. Now, seeing that NOBODY has died (/YET/-- looking at you Reize) The idea that he might have been mistaken flickers across his mind and is then discarded. No. He knows this. He knows this-- very well. "Excuse a momentary interruption." he says with forced calm. "Imagine what I do to the ones I don't like." Riku chuckles darkly. "A word, sir?" he moves towards the entrance and out and AWAY from the drunkenness and the dancing.

:'''[[Leon]] has posed:''' Leon watches as Riku finds his way back to him. "Long as this doesn't involve a make out in a dark alley. I think I will be fine having a word with you." Yes there was a dry sort of placement to his words where almost could be taken him as being honest, when there was no honesty at all.. Beyond he was fine with having a word with Riku. He downs more of the bottle before he places it back on the table and follows Riku out. He glances back over his shoulder where Maira was. He his eyes wince a little bit as he watches flicker of-- something cross over his vision, almost like funnel to her and he has to shake his head to shake it off once more. Now the question was-- what did this kid want?

:'''[[Raiya Fujihara]] has posed:''' Asking Ivo to not embarass himself suddenly does not seem like such a tall order in lieu of Reize and Riku's wonderful escapades. It would be quite hard to top -that-. But she dares not say this aloud as she believes it within Ivo power to do such a thing. Raiya pauses to watch Reize tumble over and over until he lands on Violet. She can only shake her head from side to side. Oh Reize, he hasn't changed one bit either. Ivo was going to have to try harder than that to cause Raiya to blush then eluding to what happened that one fateful night a few months back. "I feel that the events of that night will be remembered far longer than any lesson I ever gave you." The samurai swordswoman deadpans with a smirk as she begins to dance with Ivo. And Ivo probably should have written her. Ivo's comments, his moving closer, and then MAIRA all happens in quick succession. This leaves Raiya quite close to Ivo. She can only sigh and lean her head against Ivo's chest as they dance. Fate can be cruel indeed, but it would be foolish to try to ignore it when the stars seem to be aligning this way. Maira does get a slightly icy glare from the samurai for Ivo certainly didn't need any more -encouragement- in this area.

:'''[[Reize Seatlan]] has posed:''' Mmm... The warmth, soft pillows. It is nice and pleasant to rest his head down against them. In fact, Reize is placing his hands against Violet's side. It is then that she catches his attention when she speaks to him after being pushed from his pillow. Nevermind the fact that the bones are deeply sore, the boy remains in good spirits. Sure, he was stomped on by Riku, but that won't bring him down! The boy brightens a smile at Violet, getting up to his feet and he brings her up. "No! *hiccup!*" The boy holds onto her closely. "Let's dance!" It is then that Reize is pulling the young woman closer to him, bringing hr into the dance. In the midst of it all, the young man holds onto the woman closely. And then, he pulls away to a spin. Woops! In the boy's wonderful spin, he is stumbling right towards Ivo. This will be a bumpy moment. 

:'''[[Ivo Galvan]] has posed:''' "That wasn't one of the lessons?" Ivo's mock innocence can't mask his obvious pleasure at this turn of events. As if the night couldn't get any better, Maira, like an angel and cupid rolled into one, brings him yet closer to the elegant blonde in his arms, until her head is resting upon his chest. She may be able to hear his heart skip a beat again. Yet once this happens, Ivo's nervousness seems to fade, his movements becoming more natural, his smile becoming gentler, less jovial and more simply-- happy. Being with his friends, on an adventure, close to a beautiful woman he respects and admires-- this is where he wants to be. There's no reason to get caught up in what he should or shouldn't do. He trusts these people. He trusts her -- and she trusts him, somehow. Leaning his chin down, Ivo's cheek brushes gently against Raiya's hair as the two of them dance, and the young man who so often struggles to manage social situations and enjoy them from afar finds himself caught up in his own little world, all else forgotten. "Asteria," he murmurs, his lips near her ear. "I never imagined I'd be lucky enough to see you again like this." Fate may be cruel in that it offers these moments only to snatch them away. But for now, all is shrouded in a haze of rosy light. "I don't deserve such happiness." Well, that's true. There is a convenient lull in the music as the musicians pause, and their movements naturally slow as well. Unthinkingly, Ivo's hand lifts up, his fingers gently caressing Raiya's chin, attempting to slowly tilt her face up toward his. "Listen," he says softly. His nervousness was gone, but now his body is tingling all over with anticipation. "I... I know it's crazy, but I... that is, I think I..." His lips are too close to hers. He can't stand it anymore. He-- "Oomph!" --is heavily bumped into, turning, stumbling wide-eyed, one of which eyes is promptly stabbed by a stray ahoge-- "/Aargh/!" --until his face plants against-- "Mmmphh!?" And thus did Ivo and Reize's lips finally meet. There is a long pause. When Ivo staggers back, his expression is carefully flat. This is what he always does when he's calculating how to react to a social situation. In this case, it's also disguising deep trauma. But Ivo's always got to make the most of moments like this. It's so important to have a sense of humor about it all. "Well, on the bright side," he says, "I got an indirect kiss with Riku." He pauses, before shuddering violently and clutching at his head. Yes-- fate is cruel.

:'''[[Emi Dennou]] has posed:''' Emi Dennou misses the new best event of the evening. Again.

:'''[[Morrighan Alazne]] has posed:''' Alas, Morrighan was not fast enough to catch this moment. All she could do was stare incredulously as the situation played out. "......I...am at a loss for words."

:'''[[Maira]] has posed:''' Cupid-Maira eventually gets so dizzy she can't stand up anymore, and flops into a vacant chair, leaning forward over the table to watch Ivo and Raiya, glassy eyed from drink and emotion. They really are cute together. Hopefully they'll stop being silly and just let themselves be happy. She's jealous, but not the way she use to be. Really, it warms her heart to see something beautiful work out. Eyes close, and Maira drifts off to sleep right there at the table, wondering still what Riku and Leon were talking about. Tomorrow, Palamecia.

:'''[[Violet]] has posed:''' A rosy hue colors her cheeks for a moment as Reize nuzzles, before he stands up to his feet just long enough to reaches for her hand and help Violet stand as well. And his smile... Even buzzed she feels part of her melt to see him smile at her. She giggles as he pulls her close to him, demanding to dance some more. Its perfectly alright with her. Arms wrapped around his shoulders, for a moment or so they dance closely to the music. Just before Reize spins again. And lands right on Ivo this time. Of course.

:'''[[Reize Seatlan]] has posed:''' In the midst of the kiss, there is a pause. Time itself slows down. Slowly. It becomes a stand still. Nothing else is around. It is just Reize and Ivo in the midst of the kiss. As the lips finally meet, after so long... ....The background becomes pink. Cherry blossoms fall from the heavens. The wind sweeps those petals along the air, whisking them away from both Reize and Ivo. This moment is shared. It's perfect. "Pfftttthhtpuh puh puh puh." Or not. Reize lowers his head, now giving comical tears as a shade of darkness appears over his face. "...We're going to bed," he complains to Violet as the comical tears roll along his eyes. 

:'''[[Raiya Fujihara]] has posed:''' Raiya really should not let her expectations get the best of her. Ivo sounds like he is just about to say something real to her when Fate decides to have the last laugh. Reize collides with Ivo and they have their first (?) kiss. The samurai can only close her eyes and walk back towards the bar with the shake of her head. "Tch," mutters the blonde at her own foolishness as she finishes the rest of her drink. She waves down the bartender and motions towards Ivo. "My tab is on his." She instructs coldly before turning to leave the bar promptly. Before she ducks out, Raiya does turn back towards Ivo. "You still have a lot to learn, Ivo." And then she was gone.

The Fiendish Dreadnought

2013-06-03T06:20:18Z

IvoGalvan: Created page with "{{Log Header |Date of Scene=2013/06/03 |Location=World of Ruin - Ship Graveyard |Synopsis=To liberate Carwen from the scourge of undead that threaten to plague it, the Shard S..."

{{Log Header
|Date of Scene=2013/06/03
|Location=World of Ruin - Ship Graveyard
|Synopsis=To liberate Carwen from the scourge of undead that threaten to plague it, the Shard Seekers and friends bravely set forth to the Ship Graveyard, a festering nest of rotted wood and flesh. Little do they realize that two very different forces work against them, and that one is a power beyond what they could have imagined. So when combat prowess comes to no avail, our heroes must turn to the final staple of JRPG protagonists in dramatically getting out of a sticky situation: a mini-game. Great! Bad! Great! Epic Fail!
|Cast of Characters=Ivo Galvan, Reize Seatlan, Faruja Senra, Riku, Emi Dennou, Morrighan Alazne, Royce
|pretty=yes
}}
:'''[[Ivo Galvan]] has posed:''' The fog is as thick as a mire, so heavy it seems it should sink beneath the waves, yet it drifts like a massive spectre. Beyond it, invisible, creak the rotten wood of decaying vessels, like the groans of the long-dead. This is the graveyard of ships which never reached port. Rediscovered near Carwen, to which it once lay close, a profusion of undead have begun to stray beyond its limits and beset the thriving townsfolk. The company formed by Reize and his friends heads now to learn the cause of this new threat and explore this sinister place, so that fear does not give way to darkness. But the Shard Seekers in particular have a special reason for being here. The brightest illumination, glaring against the soupy grey around their small boat, comes from the Shard Seeker device in Ivo's off-hand, where the crystalline 'magnet' strains on its chain and glows with red laced with gold. The chain is attached to a hand-guard for easy carrying, and a compass is installed in the guard for navigation, but the knight-errant has guided the prow based most on the device's light. Though he is wont to smile with amused curiosity even in the face of adversity, the blue-cloaked swordsman's expression is particularly grave, allowing his face to reveal his inner thoughts as he stands with his back to the others. It's not obvious what would be troubling him so much. He's never before displayed a distinct distaste for the undead. And the signal is very clear. And as it's a Shard Seeker device, the signal must indicate the presence of a world Shard. Isn't that how it works? Soon, the hulking mass of a splintered ship emerges before them, the adventurers' boat glides up, locating a possible point of boarding. Beyond the sundered wood, nothing is immediately visible. "It'll be difficult to navigate from here," Ivo remarks, and even though he instinctively speaks softly, his voice cuts through the emptiness all too clearly, only to seem to fade as soon as it meets the fog. "Supposedly these ships are all tangled together. I think it's best to board here, mark our location, and traverse them on foot until we reach our destination. I don't want to face resistance on the water, stuck between vessels." When he turns to regard his allies, he is smiling amiably again, as though nothing is amiss. "Shall we begin?" he asks lightly as he turns. But of course, all his allies have been stuck on a small boat with each other for the past hour or so, so-- it's not a sure bet that his smile will be met with smiles.

:'''[[Reize Seatlan]] has posed:''' With the fog as thick as butter, one could have to take a hot knife to get through the dreadful fog. This presence of the darkness offers no sort of solstace. Instead, the fears and terror of the people hold true in such a dreary place. The atmosphere is the for the den of darkness. Despite of the darkness, there stands the illumination that dares to face the darkness. It dares to face the unknown. The Shard Seekers. They are travelers from afar, seeking to find the cause of the mess and put a stop to it. The group are led by the everpresent Shard Seeker device, which gives a good signal of something. "...Could this be a World Shard?" The boy look ahead, then he grunts while he rubs the back of his head. "Don't worry guys!" He offers a grin, "I am sure that we'll recover the shard!" And then, the hulking mass of a splintered ship fades into view. It is ghastly and surreal on how it manifests. Reize's eyes lift up, his jaw gaping in shock and awe. "...Wow..." So, one has not really messed around with the undead too much. It is amazing, it is--- One second. BLURRGGGHHHHH!!!!! Reize is leaning againt the outer side of the boat. BLURRRGARGGHHH!!!! Either seasick or the stench of the ship's presence. Who knows? Ivo's question of initiative is met with a thumbs up. BLURAGRGGGHHH!!! And that.

:'''[[Royce]] has posed:''' Though hidden by the fog and the darkness, there is another already here, a presence of darkness that conspires great evil amist the bones of the long dead vessel and its cursed crew. Words long lost and best forgotten spill from the lips of the hooded figure astride the deck of the rotting ghalleon, arcane phrases and fell incantations that flow in a steady stream of sound that is both utterly nonsensical and blissfully enticing. The darkness around her oozes dully glowing smears of unearthly red light as if reality itself were bleeding from the terrible magics being woven here. True blood is mixed within as well, dark crimson patches staining the grimey planks. Most of it has been used as a form of paint to create a massive ring of concentric circles in which the ominous figure now stands at the center. Indecipherable runes and symbols meticiously fill the gaps as the rings grow ever smaller, each one hand-drawn with the care of a master calligrapher. The entire thing still glistens wetly as if only recently drawn and strangely shows no signs of drying along either the outer or inner edges to show any signs of where the artist may have placed the first stroke. Only the small haphazard pools of slowly expanding red at the figure's feet seem to be fresher than the others. Red trails down the smooth face of the dark sorcerer in thin rivulets from the corner of their eyes as if tears of blood had sprung forth at the horror of what was being attempted here. Unfortunately, that is not the case for such sentiment might give away some small hint of humanity left within, a spark of conscience onto which people might grasp to dissuade her from the evil deeds she does here. Royce has neither. No it is merely the price that her body must pay to unleash the power that is required for this ritual. Nothing is ever free, the book has taught her that much atleast. The tome floats before her in the darkness and, though she cannot discern any source, it seems to radiate a baleful light. Each letter on its pages sears into her mind as her eye plays across the surface, absorbing the foul words necessary to summon up the power needed to take control of this grand bastion of the dead, only to be forgotten as the text translates into sound on her lips in a rising crescendo that sounds like singing. She does not envy the knowledge that passes through her body. She is merely a vessel, the tool through which her savior and symbiote acts, and such things are not hers to know. Despite her lack of emotion, the witch can still feel the wrongness of what is happening here, an unnatural sensation that she is rather glad does not touch her in full. The Seekers and their allies are not so lucky as to have such protection. The moment they breach the wall of fog and come face to face with the mighty ship a feeling of intense nausea rolls out to meet them as if they had passed through some invisible barrier holding it in. Voices can be heard from above, almost choir-like in their incessant chanting.

:'''[[Emi Dennou]] has posed:''' Imi and Ami are on the boat, both carrying semi-automatic rifles and wearing visors on their head. They have been very nervous about being on the water and have inquired the length of time to get to their destination repeatedly so far. Imi smiles back to Ivo but it's strained but they immediately hug one another in fright once the nausea and, more importantly, the fog and spooky voices are unleashed. They don't know how to swim after all.

:'''[[Faruja Senra]] has posed:''' On the list of the many things Faruja Senra hates, undead very nearly tops the list. The dear departed, yanked from their deserved rest, souls denied the comforting light of Faram, the mere thought moves the Burmecian to righteous anger. Therefore, the trip on the boat has had one particularly silent Templar, his voice only breaking his silence in prayer. He couldn't keep his aura of holy down right now if he tried, the ratling acting as his own light source in this wretched place. Only once they arrive, and Ivo mentions the plan does the ratling finally speak. "The shattered corpse of a world amidst the shattered remnants of ships. 'Tis almost fitting were, it not for the souls trapped within. Faram grant them rest." Glancing up, a feeling of nausea very nearly has him losing his lunch, the ratling stopping to gag over the side of the boat much like poor Reize had a moment earlier. Cough. "It seems...we are not alone. These lights do not bode well, nor 'tis likely their creator is of pious or well-meaning mind surrounded by such death and decay. Quickly, I fear for the Shard's purity to be kept in a place such as this." In goes one Temple Knight, recklessly pursueing any signs of 'upwards' and towards that horrific chanting.

:'''[[Morrighan Alazne]] has posed:''' Having been stuck on a less than sizable boat for what seemed like an eternity with that shabby blue caped man and his equallyshabby cohorts left Morrighan in a less than pleasant mood. Was this nonsense REALLY that important that the church had to send them off to assist these fools? How utterly prepostrous! The appearance of their target...and it's stench caused our dainty little mage to immediately cover her mouth lest she accidentally join Reize in his retching. Nevermind /his/ reasons for doing such. "Ugh, this stench! ...Why must /I/ be subjected to this nonsense!?" Needless to say, Ivo's good natured proposal that they begin is met with a glare. This all went against everything she stood for! And offended her sensibilities! This is not fair! ...Really, it isn't. "Whatever! If you fools must delve into this foolishness, then do so! But get it done with sooner rather than later!" That incessant chanting certainly wasn't helping matters either.

:'''[[Ivo Galvan]] has posed:''' "It is strange, where World Shards show up," Ivo murmurs, his lips tightening slightly, his expression turning neutral and ambiguous. It's in situations like this that he is unsure whether to let his doubts in the functionality of the device be known. Would it undermine morale at a crucial time? Would the knowledge that their adventures might be wild goose chases debase the very premise of the Shard Seekers? He turns away. "Either way, I think our fundamental objective should be to alleviate the concerns of the townsfolk," the self-appointed strategist says, forcing some spirit back into his voice. I mean, look at Reize, he's keeping his spirits up despite-- ooh, there he goes again, nice distance this time. "IF we find a Shard, so much the better, but let's not risk our lives more than we have to." Perhaps it is a skewed morality that would sacrifice a world for a single life. But there are countless worlds in this vast universe. And Ivo only has so many friends. It's then that the stench hits and the chanting begins, and the swordsman recoils, covering his nose with a gloved hand and arching an eyebrow. "Well, that was fast," he remarks wryly as he leaps from the boat, stopping as Faruja charges ahead to ensure their vessel is well-secured, close enough to the gutted ship so that the Legions don't face much risk of falling in, hopefully. He then turns to follow his undead-hunting friend at a bit of a distance-- "Really, now." --when he stops in his tracks, halting his advance upward. "You need to bathe. Have you considered the ocean?" From the noxious mists have emerged shambling figures, some draped in rotting flesh, others mere withered bone, and soon specters begin to float from between the splintered planks. Ivo draws his sword, a pulse of energy passing from its pommel up its blade as he takes a step back. "Faruja!" he shouts. "Don't advance too far, they'll cut you off!"

:'''[[Royce]] has posed:''' The shrill ghostly chorus hits a new pitch as the power of the ritual begins to move into its final stage. Whether or not this is due to the arrival of the heroic interlopers spurring the mysterious source of the dark magic onwards or mere bad timing on their part is impossible to know. In either case the chanting begins to pick up into an almost frenzied state and, as if responding to some siren call drawing their spirits back from the depths of Hell, the dead rise once more. A wave of pressure assaults the band of investigators as the first undead arise to confront them. It is not a physical thing that presses them into the deck but rather the aftershock of a powerful presence that rails at their minds, dozens of invisible claws digging into their consciousness and trying to establish a foothold. The sensation lasts only a moment, however, there is a lingering cloying feeling that permeates the air.

:'''[[Reize Seatlan]] has posed:''' Where is Reize at right now? "BLUAGGHHH!!" He is still at the edge of the ship, losing what little bit of lunch that he had left. However, the time passes and the boy is feeling a bit more into things. Granted, he is still out of it. The boy beams at the group, looking ahead at the ship. "I'm ready! Let's get this do--..." Insert that nauseating air that comes rolling around. The choir-chants are heard, but the stench is what gets to him. This time, Reize /bites/ down that urge to start losing more of the lunch. Instead, he covers his nostrils and grumbles. "Let's do this!" The boy gives a very determined look, then he tightens the grip of his boomerangs. When the specters start floating about, Reize draws upon his will and he steps into his stance. "Okay! We can do this, everyone! Let's get into the heart of this ship!" Reize charges, with a boomerang flung from his hand and aiming for one of the specters.

:'''[[Morrighan Alazne]] has posed:''' Morrighan just sighed as she stepped off the ship, continuing to cover her mouth with a hand. "They do not pay me enough for this." Was all she said as the others all prepared to face what came ahead. The pressure and the energy lingering in the air...somehow, it was familiar. "I could swear I have felt this somewhere before..." Musing to herself, she watched as Reize ran off to be an idiot hero. "I hope /that/ is not all of the tactical prowess collectively possessed by your little group." Morrighan grumbled to no one in particular, narrowing her eyes at the boy's stupidity. Oh well, he was not her problem. Putting that aside for now. The mage would begin to move after the others, bringing up the rear just to be safe. %t After all, it wasn't her job to fight! Nope!

:'''[[Riku]] has posed:''' "Let's not risk our lives more than we have to?" Riku appears from off camera, where there has been some disturbing noises. (Best not to ask. Where did that squid get a lawnmower?) "Times really have changed. I thought the Shard Seeker motto is. -See this trouble attached to our faces. Ahh~ Ahh! Get it off.- " Riku coughs from the miasmic fumes, grumbling something under his breath as he shivers and glares rather imperiously at the shambling figures. "Which sometimes grates on the nerves with you guys ringing the dinner bell so often." The chanting pretty much slides off him as he advances not too far from the main group. Damn those Guest Characters. They snark at you and then steal all your potions when you aren't looking.

:'''[[Faruja Senra]] has posed:''' Suddenly, undead! The rat scowls, one ear tilting towards Ivo. "Quite! It shan't do to fall amidst these lost spirits, far too many souls awandering as it stands! Let us see what we can do about fixing that problem." Case in point? Faruja rounds on the nearest of the deathly creatures, a rusty and likely tetanus-covered sword falling to the ground as the skeleton's arm does much the same as the Burmecian lashes out with his holy spear. Just as he's about to perform a killing (re-killing?) blow, a wave of pressure knocks him upon his tail. Something sickly tries to claw its way into his head, the Templar's soul and body rebelling in a brilliant flash of white light, the scent of incense and smoke left behind as he manages to get it down to a reasonable non-blinding level. The scowl the rat wears, as Morri continues to complain, looks as though it's trying to take over the entirety of the rat's face; difficult, given it's a muzzle. "M'Lady Alazne, if 'tis pay that so bothers thee, then let us see about cleansing these lost souls and deal with whomever or whatever is agitating them so. Give me the culprit's head, and I shall see to it that thy pay is doubled. Thrice if we bring the wretch back to the Holy Office." Time to appeal to her greed. Piety surely wouldn't work! Standing up, Faruja would shift his footing, backing off to try to cover the presumably downed Reize. "Quite alright, Ser Seatlan?" A fuzz-tipped tail will try to yank the boy up, should he need it. Templar tank go!

:'''[[Faruja Senra]] has posed:''' Ear-perk. Sigh. "Such a pity, these fallen ones shall taste naught but steel and cleansing magicks!" Retorts the rat in Riku's general direction.

:'''[[Ivo Galvan]] has posed:''' Ivo ejects the blade from his sword's hilt, an arc of crackling power connecting its cutting edge from the grip in his hand as flicks of his wrist guide a distant assault on his slowly advancing foes. A zombie is slashed thrice and felled as its legs are cut out from under it; a skeleton is beheaded and fumbles to retrieve its rolling skull, bones clattering right off the edge of a deck and shattering lower down. But when the steel strikes at a specter the blade passes through as though the monster were mist. The poised knight grimaces as Hauteclare reunites in his hand. "Reize, watch out!" he calls. "I don't know if physical strikes will work on these ghosts!" As he attempts to charge a pulse of energy about his sword, he looks over his shoulder at Morrighan, managing to look wry but unworried. "Milady, do you perhaps have a /spell/ or two that might be adequate to overcoming immaterial foes?" He's pretty sure he's heard that white magic can do that. "Having seen you on the offense recently, I'm sure you will be quite effective." Better that than expecting her to heal him. "Now then..." An ethereal energy has begun to swirl about his blade, and Ivo points it at a small set of foes almost upon him. Face tight, sweat beading at his brow, but composure unshaken, he waits for several agonizing moments before raising the sword above his head. "Begone! BANISHING BLADE!" And slashing down, a gale of pearlescent power bursts forth, eliminating a cluster of four otherwise imperious adversaries. Once hit by a form of energy they're vulnerable to, the specters seem rather frail. Ivo heaves a sigh and steps closer, ignoring for now the other ghouls and ghosts still closing in. "Faruja, you okay?" He shouldn't have worried. The Burmecian rejoins them, having enhaged in some holy light cleansing. Ivo is smiling slightly and turning to face an oncoming skeleton when he flinches suddenly, a creepy crawling sensation causing him to seize up. "What on-- gahh!" He is thus only barely able to deflect the oncoming attack in time, Hauteclare crossed with a rusty cutlass pressed up close to his head. He glances over his shoulder, but new foes are already crowding around, no doubt harassing his friends nearby. "Riku! Get this trouble off my face!" They haven't time to dawdle here. If whoever is causing this is up on the top deck, they've got to press onward before the culprit escapes!

:'''[[Royce]] has posed:''' It would seem we are no longer alone here. The deep grating voice punches through the fog of trance that had permeated Royce's entire being, her mind and body both locked in ritual that required her full concentration. The witch opens her blood-encrusted eyes but instead of the empty expanse of the ghalleon's deck her vision is overlaid upon an image of several individuals as they disembark from a ship with weapon's drawn. "That man again.". Despite the distraction from her task the magic of the spell has reached the point where its energies are self-sustaining and nigh unstoppable by any but an exceptionally skilled sorcerer. Even though it would be best for her to go down and nip this problem in the bud herself, her body remains the focal point for all of that terrible magic so she can do little but watch and direct the creatures that rise up as if in anticipation of having a guiding will. This adventurer is becoming a nuisance. How fortunate that he has happened upon us now. This ship will be the tombstone for yet another band of fools and our armies shall grow all the larger for their efforts. Royce focuses her mind into the undead, seizing control of their broken lingering wills. It is an all-together unpleasant feeling to be so intimately connected to death but, as with all things, the disgust that a mortal might experience simply does not exist within her. Necromancy has been her way of life for hundreds of years now in the most literal sense. However, the ghosts and zombies that flood the hallways respond to her sluggishly, almost as if fighting her control. That shouldn't be happening. Only the most powerful of undead monstrosities retain their own minds and even fewer still can fight the influence of such powerful magic. A tiny frown of effort works its way onto the witch's face. She need not relay this development to the book. It already knows. But she does so anyways, perhaps out of habit. "Something is fighting me."

:'''[[Reize Seatlan]] has posed:''' "What do you mean that physical strikes may not work on these ghosts?!" Reize whips his head back, snapping at Ivo with an irritated look. Just like that, the boomerang whizzes over the ghastly creatures. They idly turn to face the direction of the boomerang's trajectory. They tilt their head over to the side with a curious look. Then, their heads creen straight towards the boy. Reize stares. "...Oh." Suddenly, one ghastly creature flies over towards Reize's face and it latches on to dear life. There is that moment of uncomfortable silence. The chills of the nauseating wind passes by as Reize is taking this all in. "MMFFFGHHH!!GHHHHEEHHHHHOOHHHH!! (HEELLLP! GETITOFF!)" The boy is flailing his arms around. [Reize's attacks are ineffective against ghosts.] The boy flails and runs around until the ghastly creature forces Reize to hit his face on the ground. The boy is clutching himself in pain. Thankfully, Faruja is moving to yank him up with the tail. Ghost is gone. "Thanks..." He says with a delirious tone. 

:'''[[Riku]] has posed:''' Having your legs cut out from under you must be a going trend because several zombies join in on the hip new sensation courtest of Archadian steel. A skull from one of the zombies plonks over the side of the ship as Riku neatly cuts the neckbone connecting the body to the rest of the bonehead. Several of them corner Riku in short order including one of the spectres, knocking Riku off his feet in the process of dodging several ridiculously unhygenic hooks and a rusted knife. "Just visualize all the moaning dead as Ivo, and I don't think you should have any trouble." The teenager says as an aside to the white mage, smiling and rolling back onto his feet as if this were a pleasant summer holiday instead of a nauseous lurching scramble for survival against the hoards of the not so recently deceased. He flinches visibly from the scraping but its-- somehow muted, as if trying to penetrate a thick level of fog to reach his conscious attention. Or jello. Black Raspberry and Lemon jello with twinkling twilight bits stuck in the mold. Fear the emo ham in a good mood. The teenager fights free of the trio temporarily, slamming a booted foot into the kneejoint of the offending skeleton nearest to Ivo, an armored fist smashing into the elbow joint causing the rusted cutlass to fall towards the deck. Riku kicks the cutlass up into his hand and proceeds to slash the offending skeleton into several equally sized pieces. "NEXT~" he calls out cheerfully, whipping around to confront the original three with a big predatory smile. He looks away from the skeletons to offer Reize a hand back to his feet, not rubbing in the 'I told you so' other than by smirking. A class act, that one. Class act.

:'''[[Morrighan Alazne]] has posed:''' A sigh. "Sir Senra. If you believe that I am one to be enticed by such an obvious ploy, then you insult both of our intelligences." Morrighan was not a certain wayward dragon after all! Let's not mention names. "But I suppose that watching you all get overwhelmed by a swarm of undead /would/ make things more troublesome." That said, the dark elf raised a hand slightly, having to focus a bit harder than usual in order to channel light magic instead of dark. "Do me a favor to try not to prove your incompetence by dying. Though I suppose I could only find it all the more amusing." Was her response to Ivo. Her magic manifested as multiple spheres of light radiating about her form. Following after the others, all Morrighan had to do was glance at any offending target to cause one of the spheres to fire off as a single ray of light. A laser in other words. Impact with any offending undead rendered most vaporized in a single shot, but some stubborn ones took two or three. And with one light sphere gone, another would replace it. "....." Falling strangely devoid of complaints then, Morrighan's eyes had narrowed as she moved along with the group. "...Something is not right." Something much more profound than the undead already before them. Something familiar... "But that is impossible...Surely I must be mistaken." She hoped she was wrong anyhow.

:'''[[Emi Dennou]] has posed:''' Ami and Imi have been hesitant to get on the SHIP OF EVIL. Ami, eventually, hesitantly steps onto the ship of evil and makes heir way to gradually catch up with the others, they're a bit behind, however, and they communicate in soft whispers as they advance on Ivo's position. "Are there really ghosts on this...?" Ami asks of Imi. "Haha, I hope not. That would be a bit much, this one supposes." "Yes, yes..." Ami nods slowly. "...There won't be any ghosts, or undead, or anything like--" A skeleton head that had recently been beheaded by Ivo flies past Ami. "..."

:'''[[Faruja Senra]] has posed:''' Thank Faram for friends, and associates. Between Riku's and Ivo's swordsmanship, Morrighan's blinding magics, it seems as though they have a fighting chance! Still, the hallway is littered with the blasted undead. Glancing to Reize, the Burmecian sighs. "/Do/ remind me to find an enchanted boomerang, dear Reize! For now, ignore the incorporeal. Allow me!" Thrust! "Faram's wrath strike down the unblessed! Holy Explosion!" Right at the tail end of Morri's lightshow, the Burmecian adds his own, a line of the deceased vaporized by falling blasts of holy anger. One may have to watch for a few new holes in the wood, however. The Burmecian isn't quite as magicall in-tune as the elf, but the entire blasted place feels /wrong/. "My deepest apologies, mayhap the Lord shall see fit to sharpen my guile before the next. Merely thinking of morale!" That's totally it, rat. Totally. Hey, wait. They're missing a pair of Dennous. Noting a touch of reluctance upon the pair, Faruja puffs up his chest. "Lady Ami, Lady Imi, we go forth into this debased, unhallowed place to cleanse it of its evils! Surely the Holy Prophet and the Divine Father guide our hands towards victory, so long as we hold Him in Heaven within our hearts! These foul, unholy wretches shall be as noth..." Apparently, the group missed three zombies. These zombies happen to have formerly been monks. Grab. The trio of undead mooks proceed to punch, kick, and finally suplex the Templar into the ground. Current Faruja Status: /.@

:'''[[Reize Seatlan]] has posed:''' It is a good thing that Reize has friends. Everyone is rather competent in handling the undead. Reize is not exactly in the best of capacity in handling this type of situation. This is one of those cases where the darkness has a deep edge against the boy. There is virtue of resiliency despite of the odds. While Riku helps the boy up, Reize turns to see his face.And that smirk. MuttermutterstupidRiku. Reize has steam comig from his head. It doesn't help when Faruja adds his comment regarding enchanted boomerangs. "Grrr, I'll show you..." Reize reaches into his pocket to pull out his fearsome tool. The hookshot. As the former monks rise to their feet, they have started to assault Faruja. Reize's eyes widen and then he looks straight towards the sail. "I got you, Faruja!" The young man activates the mechanism of his hookshot, which extends and latches against the sail. Reize comes flying out towards the undead mooks, lunging forward to start diving at the group with a kick, then he spins back up to his feet. He spins around to kick both of the mooks. Both hands slam onto the ground, keeping him propelled as he twists about for a sweeping strike at the skeletons! "Take that!" Pause. "..Wait, where did my hookshot go?" Meanwhile, that hookshot hangs on top of the sail.

:'''[[Ivo Galvan]] has posed:''' "Ser Senra, perhaps the pontification can-- oop." Pulling himself together, Ivo, recently rescued by Riku's proficient display, leaps toward the felled Faruja, but finds he doesn't have enough time to charge up his Banishing Blade technique before he lands. Yet when Reize leaps in, lashing out with a kick that knocks the erstwhile assailants back, Ivo skids, pivots, and pulls off an Assist Attack, belating unleashing a burst of energy just large enough to blast the undead the rest of the way and off the edge of the ship. Combo damage multiplier! "You're a man of principle, my friend," he assures the nezumi as he helps Faruja up, his light-hearted tone mostly masking his fatigue, "but I expect the heavens will be most pleased to see you still standing, as will I." He turns his smiling face toward Morrighan, that smile swiftly turning lopsided. "Milady, a little restoration, if you please." Yes, swords flash, lances gleam, Legions are traumatized, magical lasers go pew, pew, pew (one only hopes). With their powers combined, the heroes -- however reluctant some of them -- at last sweep the lower deck clean of the walking and floating dead, for the moment. Ivo rolls his shoulders, shaking out his cloak, and sets his sights on a splintered path up what was once a staircase, toward from whence the eerie incantations emanate. His earlier worries forgotten, he occupies his mind with a more immediate concern. "Let's get up there while the getting's good," he quips, glancing over to confirm that Reize has indeed recovered himself thanks to the aid of their friends. You'd think he'd be a little more distraught when the boy was running around with a soul-sucker strapped to his face. These things have a way of working themselves out. "Glad to see our supporting fire has arrived," he adds, flashing a grin at Imi and Ami. He wants to keep their spirits up, but he doesn't want to waste any time. "We're going to advance, so can you two watch our backs?" There's no undead that way. I mean, what undead? "Reize, make sure the girls don't get lost, okay?" They were brave to come, but they seem a bit shaken up right now. Not that he wants to pre-empt the fearless leader, but heavens forbid he encounter another ghost. "Er-- on second thought-- Imi, Ami, do you think you could, uh, help Reize get his thing?" And so the helper becomes the helped. With that, Ivo is dashing up the stairs, braving creaking planks and rotting wood to dart his way up the remnants of decks as scattered foes lurch in from the sides, trying to ignore them for now. He's not the fastest, but he is determined. And within moments he will espy a distant figure draped in shadows... "You there! Are you responsible for this chanting?" Lowering his sword, he continues to approach until he can get the figure in view. "I'm a big fan. Do you have a recording? Also, did you know there are undead roaming around here? Quite terrifying, really. Why don't you join... us...?" Wait, does he recognize this person?

:'''[[Royce]] has posed:''' As if the admission that something is wrong were the final words to a spell of disaster, a chain reaction suddenly cascades through the undead yet to reveal themselves. Many of them seize up violently, momentarily paralyzed as dark energy floods into them in even greater quantities than before. The heavy pressure of an evil and malevolent power surges outwards anew, puncuated by a deep and ominous roar that shakes the ship so hard that the ancient boards rattle in unsettling ways. Up on the top deck the witch is likewise overwhelmed. Unspeakable energy races through the air, tracing the pathways of magic that she has extended into the undead and burning them out like the fuses of a cannon. Only the quick intervention of the book severes the lines before the incredible counter strike can render her to ash. A pillar of sickly red light erupts from the center of the ritual circle, neon power streaming upwards into the fog and sky, painting both awash with bloody crimson tones that burn away the night for a few blinding moments. It also puts a pretty solid beacon up for the heroes to follow. When the light fades Royce is no where to be found on the deck. She is, infact, now embedded in the wall of what used to be the captain's cabin. Shattered doors and broken glass create a trail of destruction that leads over to the fallen witch. The book is clutched tightly in her arms, shielding it from harm with her body though its horrid pages would require far worse to actually be destroyed. It takes her a few moments to recover but the woman quickly pushes her way out of the mess of water-soaked wood and assesses the situation. She's been completely repulsed. Cutting the ritual off like that has left her body weak and in no position to fight. The adventurers ironically are now in better shape to deal with whatever it was that usurped her magic. Fortunately, she has a way to deal with this. Flipping the book to a certain page, Royce mutters a swift incantation and her body is cloaked in a silhouette of white light. The magic infuses itself into her clothes and they begin to shift and change into a less sinister form. Spikes and metal blades recede and black melts away to be replaced by the purest white. The massive cannon upon her back mutates as well, shrinking and bleeding into the shape of twin flintlock pistols which hang from a loose chain around her hips. The transformation takes only a few moments and as the eye-searing burst of necromantic energy begins to fade, Ivo is greeted by a familiar face as Alicia strides out of the shattered doorway. "Oho? Have you come to plunder this ancient ship's pirate booty as well, Ivo Galvan?" The witch has lowered her hood and her dazzling silver hair now glitters in the faint moonlight that filters through the fog. She gives the knight a bright smile. The witch looks practically the same as before only less threatening and dark. Her outfit is now white though no less revealing and anyone who has seen her in the past will likely be able to see right through the flimsy disguise if that's even what it's supposed to be. Alicia winks at him playfully. "Or are you just after mine? You certain seem to chase it often enough. It seems I cannot turn around without finding you in my shadow, fufufu."

:'''[[Riku]] has posed:''' "Does the thought of your death amuse a lot of woman Ivo or are you just REALLY that good?" Riku is about to continue the ribbing in exactly that same vein when there is suddenly a great deal of Rat punching, kicking and suplexing. And in another and darker time there would simply be a call for popcorn and maybe a good video camera used to capture the moment. But instead-- Riku sighs, wincing at the thrashing. He is about to intervene but he is glad to see that the church rat is well taken care of within his group. Except -- oh look. It's that damn hookshot again. Riku is actually surprised Reize hasn't /already/ lost it. Or maybe this is the 12th or 13th dynasty of said hookshot. He looks at the thing dangling on top of the sail and then looks down at Reize. Sometimes silence and a shake of the head can say it all. When there is a disruption in the force however, Riku takes a hit like he'd been clawed in the stomach and then punched through a wall (perhaps in reverse order) The teenager groans slightly before sagging to his knees, nearly blacking out for a moment from the shockwave of dark energy from the ritual magic. This is a /really/ bad thing, with those zombies descending on him and he plummets to his knees just before he is showered by bones and rotten flesh (Undead hunting. As sure a way as anything to love showers) He grimaces, rubbing his chest for a moment as he shrugs aside the bone bits and staggers to his feet. He narrows his eyes and peers around. Oh yeah. A bloody beacon that pierces the night sky? And they? Going /right/ towards it. This sounds like such a good plan now. And-- Alicia. There is a glare in your direction. Oh yes. Captain, set phazers to GLARE.

:'''[[Emi Dennou]] has posed:''' Ami walks back a bit and ducks down in the darkness as if to pick something up. She returns, looking over to Faruja, her head tilting. She blinks a few times as he gives what is practically a sermon. And then she says, "This one would not think to understand Faram's will," humbly. "Look what I found?" She holds up skeleton head that is still biting the air. "--The Network thought about taking it as a pet--" She begins, but a series of undead mooks start plowing into the templar even as Ami watches. "..." Ami reaches out with one hand and unleashes a wave of electricity, trying to knock them back through force rather than through voltage. "His thing?" Imi asks. "Oh my... but this isn't really the time..." She turns her head around a bit before noticing that Reize has left his hookshot out. Imi raises a hand, intending to magnetically draw it to her hand. Hopefully this won't get too awkward.

:'''[[Morrighan Alazne]] has posed:''' These fools certainly seemed all too adept at this action hero nonsense. Morrighan could scarcely resist rolling her eyes at the display of varied combat prowess between those in this little group. ...And then there was Faruja getting the stuffing beat out of him by a trio of zombie monks. "...Pffft-- ehehehe..." Unable to resist, she brought a hand to her mouth as she witness the thrashing. Sure, she could have spared her colleague with a well place volley of light rays, but...the show was too amusing to break up. Thus once their allies finally stepped in, Morrighan could only sigh and lament the end of the show before stepping forward. "Yes, yes..." Holding her hands out, she channeled healing energies over to Faruja, tending to the bruises gotten from the beating he just took. The amused smile never left her face however. As Ivo ran off to see just what was going on above, Morrighan has just about finished with Faruja. "There. Done. Now try not to wind up taking another beating like that." Pause. "...Or if you really must, I suppose I should just enjoy the show." Blunt enough? Nah.

:'''[[Reize Seatlan]] has posed:''' "You got it, Ivo! With my sense of directions, I'll be able to lead the two! Just let me find my---" It takes a moment for Reize to take a look up to see where his greatest tool is located. He can see it hung in the air, suspended along the sail. The boy stares up for a couple of moments, and then he looks over at Riku. ... ... His head hangs low as his antenna hair flops low. Comical tears roll along his eyes. Reize does quirk an eyebrow at Imi and Ivo, "...My thing?" He grumbles. "It's a hookshot! It is my hookshot that Skoll made for me!" He looks up, then he turns to see that Ivo is makingh is way up the stairs to handle some sort of the affairs. ---And then the ship shakes by that ominous roar. "Buh?!" He tries to hold on, keeping some sort of balance as the ship undergoes its violent shift. However, Reize loses his balance and falls off to slide against the ground. And the hookshot falls right into Imi's hand from the magnetic pull.

:'''[[Faruja Senra]] has posed:''' Between Reize's deft martial arts, a certain elf's healing, and an errant knight's encouragement of said healing, Faruja is up with only his pride wounded. "Dear Lord, kindly do not hesitate to slap my muzzle closed should it run overmuch, Ser Seatlan. Much obliged, and well done. Thy skills and prowess grow." There's a hint of pride for the young adventurer. The young boy's no greenhorn anymore! Stab! Another zombie down. "Terribly sorry about the hookshot." Smile. Faruja's tail manages to sway despite the seriousness of this whole endeavor. "Truly, 'tis my desire to remain upon this patchwork world until the Lord sees fit to call me. A Templar shan't shirk his duty, Ser Galvan, yet so too must one know /sense/. This place is in need of an army, not a single band to cleanse utterly. Let us do what we can about this...spell or ritual, or whatever foulness is afoot!" The elf's laughing at him. His tail makes a gesure in the air that's air from polite in his homeland. "At thy /pleasure/, dear Lady Alazne. Mayhap I shall keep a sphere of our next engagement for thy entertainment." Counters the rat, having to step around the sarcasm he leaves behind. Or maybe that's just undead parts. As for the Dennous? "The unhallowed dead are not pets, Lady Ami! Remind me, and we shall see upon getting thyself something less likely to consume thee in thy slumber! A wyvern, perhaps." Because Ami Dennou with a massive flying lizard would have no downsides whatsoever. The backwash from the red pillar, once they're upon the deck, knocks the rat upon his back. Briefly knocked out in the entire exchange, he finds a voice speaking. A familiar voice, followed by a familiar sight. The Templar's grip upon his spear tightens, eye going wide, trembling as he slowly gets to his feet. Only belatedly does it register that one Ivo Galvan and the Witch who attacked not one, but /two/ holy sites stands before them in what is possibly the worst disguise he has ever laid witness to. An incantation, and in a swirl of white light, Faruja is first sucked up then deposited before 'Alicia'. Reaching out, spear upon his back, he'll attempt to first grab the girl's gun arm, while the other clawed, gauntleted hand goes for the throat. Should he manage to wrestle her flat against the doorframe? Faruja shall squeeze, and hard, looking as though he's attempting to simply crush her windpipe. "My, my, my, my, my! So we meet again, mmm, Witch!? I should have /known/! What evil seek thee to create here? Defiling a temple not enough for thee, hmm? Raising the bodies of those soldiers, slaying good men, and causing dear Templar Stannus to run? 'Twas one of the very men that saved my life when I was thrown into this wretched, accursed world! Desertion...know thee the punishment for that!? Death. DEATH! A good man dead! What is worse? He took his /own/ life before my very eyes from SHAME! Shame caused by thy blasphemous, heartless actions! This...this shan't kill thee, of course. But /do/ have the decency to SUFFER FOR THE LIVES THAT HATH FALLEN BY THY HANDS AND THE SIN BROUGHT UPON THIS WORLD BY THY OWN DOINGS!!!" Faruja's rant can probably be heard all the way into the decks. The Templar shall have to interrogate his friend over the matter later. For now, Faruja Senra has to strangle a Witch.

:'''[[Emi Dennou]] has posed:''' Ami thinks about Faruja's comment. "If you hallow it, can it be a pet then?"

:'''[[Ivo Galvan]] has posed:''' Ivo is not the most spiritually sensitive, but even he can't miss the pillar of red light from the top deck he is approaching, and gritting his teeth, he spurs himself onward, stumbling through the disorientation with a resolve only those who know him well would know he possesses. If the ritual is finishing, he hasn't a moment to lose. But what he sees-- "...Al...icia..." --slackens his jaw and causes him to stumble in his tracks. "You look... unblemished." Ivo is a lover of beauty. His public admiration of attractive women is a social ploy to provoke interesting interactions, and it's rare that he is swept away. But a person can be the cause of an aesthetic experience as well. Amidst the silvery fog and moonlight, Alicia's radiant figure causes Ivo's throat to dry up despite himself, and that she is the last person he expected to find her is all else it takes to leave him utterly stunned. "...but I can't be sure until I examine you thoroughly." And there is so much skin to examine. Ivo recovers with a smile, seeming to have passed over the whole 'obvious suspicion at what this random woman is doing here' stage. "Is your booty intact? I would hate for your treasures to be plundered. I retain hope you'll lend them to me freely." As the others arrive, though, Ivo seems to become distracted, as much as he's visibly enjoying this interaction. Glancing down at his wrist, he contorts his hand a bit and dislodges the Shard Seeker device's magnet, letting it dangle free again, and it appears to be glowing all the stronger now, pointing through the fog. He walks to the edge of the top deck, trying to peer toward where the lodestone poinnts. "It's a few ships away, but... that has to be it... whatever it is," he mutters. "It's just a question of breaking through... if we can move across the rigging here from the top deck, we might be able to get there directly..." But when he turns back to his fellows-- "Faruja, what are you doing!?" Ivo, shocked, steps forward, reaching out his hand. "You'll kill her! I don't know what's happened between you two," he says, more gently, "and I'm sure you have good reason for your fury, but she and I have helped each other before, and she never seized any opportunity to harm me." That he's aware of. "More importantly, the device is saying that the source of the disturbance isn't here. Pillar aside..." He does quirk an eyebrow at Alicia about that. "What exactly happened here? Are you here just for treasure? I wouldn't pry, but if my friend here suspects you..." Well, not that she can reply unless Faruja lets up just a little bit. Still, believe it or not, Ivo puts the mission before women, at least when the lives of his friends are on the line. "Reize!" he calls down belowdecks. "The source of the anomaly is a few ships down! Can you make it up the rigging and cross via the tangled ropes? You should be able to avoid most of the undead that way. Just, uh..." Short pause. "...watch out for ghosts, okay?"

:'''[[Royce]] has posed:''' The witch's eyes widen in surprise as she is beset upon with little warning. She opens her mouth to protest as the first clawed hand wraps around her arm but the second cuts her off with a strangled gurgle before the first word can finish forming. Alicia closes her eye against the impact as it jostles her to the bone despite the pliant surface of the old decayed wood. Her free hand comes up to wrap around Faruja's hand, attempting to pull it loose enough that she can get air into her lungs long enough to speak, but her strength is no match for the raging templar. Finally, the woman manages to gain a short reprieve and she barks out a single word that distorts the air around her aggressor. "Stellio!" There is a sharp pop and a flash of light engulfs Faruja, lasting only as long as the flash of a camera bulb. And then he is gone. Alicia sags to her knees and takes a deep breath, rubbing at the red bruising that is already forming around her neck. "It... was not... me..." The witch stares down at the deck pointedly as if talking to it. But the only thing to be found there now is... a lizard? A newt to be precise; a newt with one eye and a tiny spear. Alicia looks downcast as she peers at the Faruzard. "Sorry about that. But you have mistaken me for someone else, though your error is understandable." Her head tilts up to regard Ivo mournfully. "I... have a twin sister, you see. An identical twin sister." She pauses again before adding. "An /evil/ identical twin sister." If she were a Dennou this is where Royce would add 'the Network bses with a completely straight face'.

:'''[[Riku]] has posed:''' "..And I see Faruja's the same." Riku murmurs to himself quietly, rubbing his face and trying to get some of the undead goo off as he approaches the decks. "For good or ill." He wipes down the sword and advances with the point held low but at the ready. He looks up at the rigging and the tangled ropes. "What I wouldn't do for a working teleport." the youth says under his breath, training the glare lasers at the world in general for a moment before the good humor returns somewhat more sluggishly. He lets Ivo handle Alicia (Or rather. Ivo handle Faruja handling Alicia far too roughly for civilized television-- or Alicia handle herself by handing Faruja the opportunity to experience being a newt) and looks at the Legionettes with the claimed hookshot, then up at the ropes again. "This doesn't look too hard." he says at Reize, teasing. "What could possibly go wrong?" adding his contribution to the Shard Seeker bank of 'Things you just do NOT say'.

:'''[[Morrighan Alazne]] has posed:''' Morrighan was one of the last to venture above, having heard the commotion coming from Faruja and likely would have even a mile away. Sheesh. Nevertheless she took her sweet time, resulting in the first thing she actually saw when she arrived being...Faruja not quite up to size. "...Well then." This is familiar. Her eyes slowly turned over to 'Alicia', eying her with a fair bit of suspicion. Oh that spell was entirely too familiar. Having been on the end of it once. At least it wasn't her this time! That was important! "...I must say, Sir Senra. This form suits you a lot more." A mocking smirk followed that statement. "...But I suppose our superiors would not be pleased to find a newt in place of a rat. Alas." That said, the dark elf raised an arm, palm outward and pointed at Faruja. "Do try not to murder her this time, yes?" After that, dark magic built up, slithering over Faruja's lizard form and searching for the source of the spell. Having broken it once before, it only took a couple seconds before it was found, and then-- snap. "There." An identical flash of light and Faruja was back to normal. "Now, be a dear and at least attempt to use your brain this time, hm?" And after that was said and done, Morrighan simply crossed her arms and looked at the others, awaiting to see what would come next. Did they really think /Reize/ would be able to pull this off without something blowing up in spectacular fashion? She didn't.

:'''[[Reize Seatlan]] has posed:''' Reize wanted to make sure that Faruja was safe. Knowing that the paladin is safe once more, the young adventurer smiles. "Thanks, Faruja! However, let's get back to dealing with the undead here!" The young boy glances over, peering closely as the situation sems to grow quite a bit worse. Reize turns towards the backwash of the red pillar, frowning deeply. However, it is when Faruja disappears before Reize blinks, "Eh?!" While Reize can't quite see the situation above, he can sure as well hear it. Reize shouts, "Ooii! Faruja! What are you doing?!" Ivo soon comes down after several moments, "Eh?!" He looks up at Ivo, "Yeah! I should be able to!" He looks over towards Ami and Imi, "Hey, if you see any ghosts pop up, could you blast them?" Reize turns to take off towards the tangled ropes. He looks over at Riku, "...Time to find out!" And Reize is off... ....Wait, what are those forms...? Ghosts! Lots of them appear. They all eye Reize. 

:'''[[Emi Dennou]] has posed:''' "Why make those that have already perished suffer more in unlife? It's so cruel." Ami says, still holding the chattering skull. It struggles to pry itself out of Ami's hand and start biting well okay it's Reize by default. "I'm sorry to hear about your evil twin sister." Imi says. "The Network understands sisterly bonds can be tough sometimes, but you should persevere, and perhaps encourage her to be less of an evil twin sister, and more of a tightly bound sister who will cooperate with you and gang up against others with you, this one feels." Ami nods faintly. "Yes of course. Sisters are important." She pats the skull's head. "We will watch for ghosts, and try to protect them....from those that don't understand."

:'''[[Reize Seatlan]] has posed:''' "OOOOWWWWWWW!!! FIRST THE GHOSTS, NOW THIS!" cries Reize. 

:'''[[Emi Dennou]] has posed:''' "Hey stop it, behave..." Ami says. "Behave. Bad skullhead. Bad!" She tries to pull the skull away.

:'''[[Faruja Senra]] has posed:''' Faruja's head turns, eye staring at Ivo's own, the special brand of madness given to particularly zealous individuals dancing within. His hand only squeezes all the tighter for the man's word. "'Tis naught but the plaything of the Fell Abyss within this one, Ivo Galvan! Let not thy desires overcome thy sense! Exploring amidst that foul ritual!? Thy intellect and senses are keen. Be not the inconsistensies damning? But if 'tis proof that thou doth desire, allow me but a /moment/. Death comes not easily to this one. A limb ripped asunder? An explosion, nearly slaying myself in the process? Paltry! Her blighted flesh seeks to knit itself back no matter what harm doth befall her. Twisted, black magick of foules..." The rat's second rant, and would-be murder is interrupted with a single word. Faruzard looks up. Glaaaaare! He speaks a stream of words in newtish, no doubt causing lizards everywhere to faint and tiny little newt hatchlings to bawl their eyes out. He's also ridiculously cute. Hopefully Ami won't take /him/ home for a pet! Spell broken! Standing, still shaking in rage, his eye is latched onto 'Alicia'. Her explaination leaves him speechless, only pride keeping him from literally frothing in rage. Give the rat a moment. At this rate, he'll need blood pressure medication. "...Much obliged Lady Alazne. Should the lying Witch so much as /breathe/ a blasphemous word, kindly reduce her to dust M'Lady." Sigh. "...We've a boy to rescue." Thrust! "Absorb power in the sky and strike! Lightning Stab!" Ker-crack! The rat shall attempt to lesson the amount of ghosts assaulting the poor adventurer. Just don't evade into them Reize!

:'''[[Ivo Galvan]] has posed:''' Evil identical twin sister. Identical twin sister. Twin sister. "You have a twin sister!?" Ivo practically shouts, his desires momentarily overcoming his sense -- did someone warn him about that? -- eyes widening like a man gazing for the first time upon a lost paradise. He's narrowed his focus to what strikes him as the important bits, news so exciting that the very possibility causes him to forget all else. "Where?" Wait a minute. "Is that why you're here, among all these undead, with these strange rituals going on? Could you be looking for her?" Sometimes, Ivo has a strong intuition. Occasionally, he jumps to conclusions. In this case, he's in a bit of a hurry, and besides, he would prefer it if Alicia turned out to be a more sympathetic figure. He's a compassionate guy like that. "How's your health, Ser Senra?" he then offers in a more reasonable tone, composing himself, as Morrighan works her magic and gets the Burmecian back in a bipedal state. "Transformations haven't left you queasy, have they?" It occurs to Ivo embarrassingly late that this twin sister story is, well, pretty preposterous, whatever the circumstances that have led his allies to doubt Alicia. But they don't have the time to hash this out here, regardless. "If we keep an eye on Alicia for now and leave with her, can we discuss this matter later? I have a bad feeling about staying here any longer than necessary..." It's just as he says that, hearing Riku's encouragement, that he turns about and sees Reize having scampered his way up the ropes and beginning to make progress until, well, the inevitable occurs. "Reize! Damn..." He turns back. This ship won't stay cleared forever. They have to move on while they still can and get the job done so they can retreat before their path back is blocked. "I can't get to him in time like this. Riku, do you think you can reach Reize? Just please make sure he doesn't get knocked into the water. I'm sure Imi and Ami can handle the ghosts." He turns and looks down toward the Legions to confirm the situation, and overhears the conversation in progress, whereupon he promptly spaces out. "...Tightly bound sisters..." Several moments pass. "...uh, maybe we should handle those ghosts, too..." Looks like Faruja is on it, and Morrighan is left to guard Alicia. She'll be fine, right? Right. Alicia only has those guns. And her pistols. Actually, Ivo is a little curious whose guns are-- "I'm going to go on ahead, alright?" he says to the two women. "Call out if there's trouble." He wants to know about that red pillar himself, but that'll have to wait. These undead certainly won't. Being on the top deck, Ivo takes a different route, leaving Reize to his allies so that he can push forward, following the glowing light at the end of the Shard Seeker device, clambering atop rigging and pulling himself as quickly as he can along ropes, scrambling over splintered masts and the entangled wreckages of ships long since collided. As he does, his eye is drawn to the light of the device, which grows ruddier and darker, the gold laced with traces of shadow, and for some reason a shiver runs down his spine. Something about this isn't right. Something about this isn't like what should-- GWOOOOOOOOOOOOOOHHHHHHHH An unearthly roar sunders the night. What bursts forth from the nearby ship that was Ivo's objective seems to be a pillar much like the one that erupted from Alicia's location, but silvery and effervescent. Moments of horrified viewing will reveal, however, that the spectacle is no magical display but a veritable /column of spirits/, ghosts and spectres and ghouls roiling their way up from that frigate, countless and terrible. Their eerie luminescence reveals a ship that has been-- supplemented. Where it has withered and cracked like so many others, bones and sedimented shadow have caked like dread mortar to fill the gaps. It is as though the ship itself has become some unholy embodiment, an unapproachable massive blight. And as the pillar of spirits part, revealing the shattered deck, the source of that cry is revealed. It is enormous and skeletal, clad in a ragged robe of royal purple as large as a tapestry, crowned with a sinister spiked helmet. Lightning crackles about its bony hands as it curls in on itself with a resentful hiss. It emits a wave of tremendous quaking power by its mere presence. And there is one among the party who will, at least, recognize it on sight. It is Lich, the Fiend of Earth.

:'''[[Ivo Galvan]] has posed:''' "Gaahh!" Struck by the extraordinary foe's preternatural oppression, Ivo, who had endured so well thus far, loses his grip upon the ropes and plummets to the ship below him, one ship ahead of his friends and one away from the profane floating fortress ahead. He grunts and rolls, only to splinter through the wood and land on a lower deck, still visible to his friends through the gaping holes in the walls of the rotten ships. "Damn..." Spitting dirt, he gets to his knees. "What the hell are we supposed to do..." Forget World Shards, if there even is one. The source of the undead plaguing Carwen is a /Fiend/. Are any of them ready for this kind of fight, on /this/ battlefield? Shaking his head, Ivo twists and bumps his shoulder against a barrel, and blinking, he looks over. There appear to be many of them on the deck of the ship he's rolled onto, and he wipes away some of the dirt to reveal the label. DANGER: EXPLOSIVE "...Reize... Hey! Reize!" Ship Loading Minigame... "Your expertise is required!!" Start!

:'''[[Riku]] has posed:''' Riku looks to the legionettes performance of Mr. Skullhead and his mind is officially blown. There can be sparks seen and perhaps a little bit of smoke as he looks at them incredulously. We're sorry, the guest character you have dialed is temporarily out of service. Please try again later. Riku looks up at the tangled ropes and shakes himself out of his Confused Funk. He scrambles up the rotten wood with dexterity, sheathing the sword briefly to make use of both hands. He gets up to Reize and the hoard of O_O ghosts just as Faruja starts to lay into them. He grabs a rope, starting to make his way over --- And then Lich makes their entrance. The preternatural shock wave is only momentary, but it's enough to freeze blood and blacken vision and the rope slips from Riku's fingers as his body spasms from the wave of darkness. He falls from the rigging, his only saving grace from tumbling to the rotted deck being his foot being snagged on the ropes. The consequence of this? --Being a very tasty and inviting target for every ghost and zombie within range. Riku struggles and thrashes, trying to right himself as everything looks pretty flipped upside down.

:'''[[Royce]] has posed:''' The witch takes a step back as the magic of her curse is undone in short order by another. Her eye drifts over to Morrighan, instantly recognizing the dark elf from their encounter but she feigns a look of surprise at her magical prowess. "My, it seems there is another here who knows a little black magic. How interesting." The smile returns to her face as it seems that pretty much everyone is willing to buy her story, except for the irrate nezumi. Just according to plan. One rather odd side effect of waking up with no memories of /anything/, including ones own personality, is that Royce has literally had to relearn how to behave in a belieavable fashion in order to survive. Her zombie-like lack of emotions only makes this challenge all the more difficult. But as the years slowly rolled by there came along a solution. Television! In particular, the witch has an almost freakish obession with soap operas. Drama! Excitement! Completely normal and not ridiculously fake human interaction! All of the things that she's missing in her life. It also happens to be where she got the evil twin idea. Clearly if it's shown on tv then people will believe it's true. Faruja obviously needs to watch more tv to understand her brilliance. Alicia nods sadly at Imi. "Yes, it's quite the terrible thing. We both learned the art but she was always of a darker nature than I." She's also wearing white now. Clearly not evil. "I have been chasing her for many years to try and persuade her to give up her evil ways but alas my efforts have been unsuccessful." Ivo's attept to be gallant is observed from the deck. She does not lift a hand to help him when it fails miserably, though. She was told to sit still and behave after all. Mentally, Royce shoots an 'I told you so' towards the dark book which is now hidden in the captain's cabin and the sound of a soft thump can be heard as it tips forward onto the deck in the hard-cover version of a facepalm.

:'''[[Faruja Senra]] has posed:''' Faruja's mind has taken up a mantra while Ivo gets lured in by our resident Evil Necromancer. 'Must not kill the Witch while companions are in danger. Must not kill the Witch.' Then, Ivo does something horrific. He uses logic, and 'being reasonable'. 'Must not strangle Ivo. Must not strangle Ivo.' Thoughts that no doubt have met many minds, most of whom likely female. The short rat seems to deflate, casting one more glare to Royce. "...Agreed, Ser Galvan. Ensure she doth not slip into the night while we work, hmm? Keep thy eyes upon her." As Riku comes into /issues/ with ghosts, the rat is on it, trying to not think of the irony of attempting to save the life of someone he swore to kill. Lightning stabs for everyghost! The aura of sickening power gives the rat just enough time to throw up a shield, and slam his weapon's point into the wood of the deck. Bracing himself, the pure power of Lich sends him gliding down the deck, spear and claws ripping up a gash from one end of the ship to the other. The downside? This means there shall be one rat overboard. Excuse him while he tries to not drown this turn.

:'''[[Reize Seatlan]] has posed:''' There is the everpresent of horrible luck that befallens Reize. They are in the form of many ghosts that are looming over him. Numerous of those wicked, undead beings manifest around from the ship, hovering in the air with an ominous gaze. All of those eyes pinpoint straight towards the boy. They stare at Reize. And stare at Reize. .... and stare at Reize. And. Stare. At. Reize. "... Crap." The ghosts bullet straight towards the boy, seeking to drive him off of the rope and to have him fall into the water. "Gaaahhh!" As much as Reize tries to hold on, it is going to be difficult to remain on if the ghosts are successful in knocking him out of the picture. Thankfully, a bolt of lightning strikes down. In fact, several bolts of lightning make impact against the ghosts, who wither away. "Ah...!" Reize turns his head, seeing Faruja, "Good going, Faruja!" The boy beams. It is sudden. There is a preternatural shock wave discharged. That essence has the boy's body shudder violent. That impact even knocks him off of the rope, "Gaaaaahhhh! Imi, could you toss me my hookshot?!" And then, he lands harshly against the path near that anomaly. It even starts to shake up the pendant, which starts glowing. As the pendant emits a glimmering light, that low of magic starts to resonate. Parts of the darkness in the sky slowly breaks away, allowing a speck of a window to open. That window reveals a star. As the glinting light sparkles along the pendant, it begins glowing rapidly. His eyes gaze into that anomaly, his gaze harden as he stares deep. ...Until he hears a voice calling him. It's Ivo! Reize turns his head at Ivo, "Huh?!" Then, the boy brightens, getting back up t his feet. "You can count on me!" His eyes fall upon the presence of Lich. ...So, that's the source of it all. Reize's gaze now tighten with filled determination. 

:'''[[Morrighan Alazne]] has posed:''' "Uh-huh..." Nodding slowly, Morrighan just stayed put letting the others do that whole hero thing. 'Alicia's' comments about black magic cause her to look the other woman's way with a narrowed gaze. "Indeed. How interesting." No, her patience was running thin. She wanted to be gone from this blasted place already. It smelled, there were undead everywhere, and some suspicious woman was hiding behind a prepostrous story and being generally unpleasant, and gah! "Oh yes, of course. Leave me with her." She mumbled, rolling her eyes after. Well, there were worse things to do than have to watch a suspicious individual. "Alas..." Of course things are not going to go quite that smoothly. The eruption of darkness and undead and SOULS immediately drew Morrighan's gaze. That familiar feeling was flaring up again. There was no mistaking it this time. "...You must be joking." But no, it as no joke. It was LICH. The very same fiend that she had wound up summoning in all the nonsense back at the Iifa tree long ago. "So this is where you got off to." And then suddenly, nonchalance. Or more accurately, nonchalance to hide a very profound feeling of dread. If Lich was here...was Garland anywhere nearby? She couldn't help but look about from where she stood. Even if it wasn't the case. "...No, he is not here. I must be getting paranoid." Sigh. "I must warn you fools! That being up ahead is far more powerful than anything you have faced before! Do not take it lightly!"

:'''[[Ivo Galvan]] has posed:''' Ivo stares down the Fiend of Earth from a ship away, bracing himself against the potent force emanating from Lich's fully revealed form, struggling not to lose heart at the sight of the sheer number of specters which now wreathe that dreadnought, like purgatory afloat. Taking Lich on like this would be suicide. The Fiend seems to have barricaded itself here and systematically turned its home into a fortress of its own element, surrounding itself with defenses. Yet there are a few odd points that, now that he is more highly alert, call on Ivo's attention. This creature does not seem all that well adapted to the water. Why would it lurk on a boat? Furthermore, why are all its energies devoted to defending itself? Other than the sheer terrible majesty of its presence, Lich does not seem able or willing, it is not clear which, to attack them directly from a distance. What exactly is it doing here? "Morrighan!" Ivo shouts back, hearing the dark elf call out a rare warning. "What do you know about this monster? What is it doing here? If you know anything, this is the time to tell us!" Ivo was enjoying teasing her just the other day, but right now his voice is all business. And business looks bad. Turning, he sees Riku dangling from a rope and Faruja skid off of a deck and fall with a splash into the water. "What a disaster... Riku? Are you alright!?" It looks like Faruja was at least able to offer some support before being flung from the ship, so Riku may be able to help himself the rest of the way, but Ivo doesn't want to find out what might be lurking down there. Who is left to help? The Dennous avoid the water, so-- "Alicia! Can you help pull Faruja from the water!?" Yeah, he knows, he knows. But she only turned him into a newt, and she didn't squash him. She might know some witchcraft that could help in this situation. At worst, she'll have to dive in and get all wet. And by worst, he means, best quest ever! For now, someone has to try to face down this monstrosity, and at the moment it seems like only Ivo and Reize are available. "Reize, we can't attack head on," he explains loud enough to be heard as he leans down to start pulling at a barrel, "but if we can load some of these onto the other ship through gaps in the wood, and then aim some fire over there, we should be able to generate a big enough blast to push it away from the rest of the flotilla and send it to sea-- or even sink it!" It's like Fiend jenga. With bombs. "It's a bit of a stretch, but it may be..." Grunting, getting a good grip, he hefts the barrel up and positions it on his shoulder, the slender young man huffing and beginning to rush dangerously close to the edge of the deck. "...our best /shot/!" With that last cry of exertion, Ivo launches with a last spin, and manages to send it sailing right over the water and neatly into one of the gaps in the wall of the undead barge, where it rolls neatly to a stop. Great! "Naturally."

:'''[[Riku]] has posed:''' And hey-- who happens to be actually good at Ocean Terrain? That guy you swore to kill. Funny that. Riku untangles himself and slices through some of the netting to fling himself into the ocean after the templar (because wearing armor and ocean? Hey. Not cool.) He tries to assist Faruja in drowning this turn. Wait. No-- The other option. The one that is helping to get the templar back onto the smelly ships so they can leap back into the fray. Sometimes in a more or less literal fashion.

:'''[[Royce]] has posed:''' Alicia also seems to be enraptured by the awesome presence that has revealed itself. As before the sight of such a fearsome undead construct is incredibly interesting to her because such a feat still remains out of her grasp. To be able to destroy and research this fiend or better yet capture it and reverse engineer, now that would be a prize. Unfortunately, even at her full strength, Lich managed to repel her efforts to take control. Now, wounded as she is and unable to unleash her full magics, it's not even a distant possibility. Ivo's request that she aid his ally is met with a quirked brow. The witch turns and wanders over to the side of the deck, apparently unphased by the burst of dark power that heralded the arrival of their new terrible foe. She leans forward and peers down at the murky water but the fog makes it difficult for her to spot the fiesty templar. Atleast, that'll be her excuse. Unfortuantely, Faruja has actual allies willing to save his furry hide. The witch clicks her tongue against her teeth at the rescue and turns her attention back to the mini-game of barrel chucking. Now how can she make this go very badly and look like an accident. She could set fire to the powder but not in anything resembling a subtle manner. She could attempt to direct the spectres down at them but again that would be too obvious. Looks like she'll just have to hope they screw this one up on their own for the moment. But with Reize leaping in to help, that's a safe bet.

:'''[[Faruja Senra]] has posed:''' More and more, Faruja is finding this whole 'killing Riku' thing may have been a bad idea. He'll have to mull it over later, his lungs rebelling as they typically aren't of the habit of breathing water. Flopping onto deck, he takes a good minute coughing up said liquid. When he can finally speak, he glances to Riku. "...Mayhap my judgement doth be clouded upon thy visage, Riku. Thank you." He'd speak more, but there's evil afoot, and they have a job to do. Now once again breathing air, he chugs an ether. Another incantation, and... Roarrrrr! The bulk of Arista the wyvern warps into existance, the rat holding a quick conversation. Turning to Riku, he nods. "Care for a touch of arial bombardment?" The Templar will grab an explosive barrel before leaping upon Arista's back. Whether Riku gets on or not, they'll soon be in the air!

:'''[[Morrighan Alazne]] has posed:''' Oh, they want to know? Well, that was easy enough. "Ah...hmn...Well. How do I explain this..." Morrighan casually mused despite the situation before her. "I suppose you could say that I originally summoned that thing you see before you. It's name is Lich, and it is a being known as a 'Fiend'. As far as I understand, it's power far outstrips any usual Eidolon, Aeon, Guardian Force, or what have you." Pause. "Also, this thing seems to be a part of the being known as Garland." Yeah, let's not forget that. Morrighan just smiled as she rattled off all that information, not seeming to be worried for their well beings. "All of that said...have fun! And do try not to be crushed into nothing!" Nope. Not worried for them a bit. They were big damn heroes, they'd handle themselves. Yep.

:'''[[Reize Seatlan]] has posed:''' Things are looking bleak for the traveling heroes. It seems that the presence of Lich is one that is everpresently bad. It only spells worse things from here on out. It is one that the Shard Seekers have to do something about! Reize looks up at the fearsomeness of the Lich. He looks over towards Morrighan, who seems to know the Fiend, "...Eh?! What is that?!" He turns to face Ivo, who has a plan. "Eh?!" He calls out from the ship, then he furrows his eyebrows. "...Got it!" Gameplan. Check. When the young boy moves towards one of the barrels nearby, Reize gets a good grip. "Ngghhh...!" He gives that exertion of tossing the barrel towards the gap. It doesn't leave ship. No Good! "...Grrr." Toss! Great! And a barrel rolls over to fall on Reize's back. "GACK!" Epic Fail!

:'''[[Faruja Senra]] has posed:''' From above, Faruja and Arista both wince. "Worry naught, Ser Seatlan, one's spine is oft more resilient than expected!" Frown. "Trust me, 'tis not uncommon for myself! Ahh...mayhap Lady Misaki shall give thee a backrub after this!" Encouragement go.

:'''[[Riku]] has posed:''' "You wouldn't be the first." Riku says calmly and without rancor. He even manages to smile slightly. "Let's do it." He looks at Arista a little tenatively but then gets up on the wyvern along with the templar and DEATH from ABOVE. As opposed to Death in the Water. Death on either side and Death squishing Reize like a jelly donut to the floor. "...owch."

:'''[[Ivo Galvan]] has posed:''' "You /summoned/ it?" Ivo shouts back at Morrighan. He's a little indignant, but somehow, perhaps bizarrely, this doesn't entirely surprise him. Frankly, more of his mental energy is devoted to marvelling at how carelessly she's willing to reveal all this information about herself; she sincerely does not care what they think. Anyway, what does surprise him is the name she mentions. "A /part/ of Garland?" 'The being known as Garland', she says. Maira mentioned him earlier as a dangerous figure chasing her, some sort of Shadow Lord. Is a creature like this just a fragment of Garland's power? Maybe Ivo was a little overconfident in offering to help. Just a little. "Well, seeing as you're in some way /personally responsible/ for this, can you at least provide some support for our allies?" he calls back. Despite the situation, he sounds almost amused, if only because of how ludicrous it's all become. He gestures up at the wyvern which Faruja has summoned and intends to take to the sky. "He's going to be beset by ghosts if he ascends too high! Can you clear a path for him?" All the specters from that eruption before are still lurking above, and will no doubt descend in a swarm if they don't hurry. "Alright, well, Reize, do you think your pendant can ignite the--" And the barrel that landed oon Reize's back rolls over to collide with Ivo's legs just as he turns, causing him to trip and fall to the ground. "Argh!" Bad! "I didn't even throw it!!"

:'''[[Faruja Senra]] has posed:''' "Up then! Off we go." A tail will help Riku up, the rat glancing to Arista. "No. This one is not to be eaten before /or/ after the flight. Riku is not an in-flight meal either, smart tail!" Arista notably sulks even as she flies upwards. Ear-perk. Really, Lady Bishop? /REALLY!?/. This is whom you hired into our Church? Pushing down his desire to murder one of his own Church members for hiring a Daemon-summoner as an ally, the rat concentrates. Head (and barrel) as flat to Arista's back as he can, the trio ascend to a respectable height as the wyvern catches an updraft. Then, with one mightly flap of her wings, she begins to descend, all claws and teeth towards any specter that might try to get in the way. "Lady Alazne, kindly do as Ser Galvan says!" In his free hand, he aims a few judicious shots of Holy and Lightning based spear skills , before chucking his barrel! The object lands neatly upon the offending ship, hopefully near enough to the side of the deck where it can blow a hole in part of the side! Then, Faruja shifts his weight, urging Arista to swoop around in a breakneck turn. "'Twould be well advised to hold tight, Riku! A fall from this height into the water at this speed would be fatal!'

:'''[[Reize Seatlan]] has posed:''' "..Wait, what?" Reize blinks, his head creening up at Morrighan as sheexplains about the Fiend. It is Lich, a fiend. It has more power than even an Eidolon. Now, it is the next part that bothers him. It is a part of Garland. Reize's eyes harden at the mention of Garland. It had been a long time since the boy dealt with him. It is the prince, long ago, who fell from Garland. The prince became a Heartless. That man. Reize's eyes narrow as he starts to stand up to his feet. Just as the barrel falls away from him and Ivo, Reize is taking a deep breath. The flow of magic manifests along his hand before he brings his arm to the side. As flow of magic trinkles along his hand, the relic begins pulsating with its light. The light becomes brighter as he lifts a hand into the air. A glowing tarot forms in place. As the glittering tarot dances in his grasp, Reize sucks in a breath. "Flickering flame... burn." The tarot shatters. "Fireball!" His hand drops. Soon, three balls of fire manifest around his hand, then it flies straight towards the ship. Time to cause a detonation. For high score.

:'''[[Royce]] has posed:''' Alicia looks worried as the barrels are manhandled in a most unprofessional fashion. It's fortunate that they're at sea and everything is too soaked to create any sparks otherwise that might have ended badly and she doesn't want that. Today is also opposite day. Ofcourse, the witch isn't really invested in their fates either way. Seeing them destroyed here would prevent any further interloping, especially since Ivo seems to have an odd habit of showing up in the same places as herself. On the other hand, having fewer allies about to deal with their current situation could prove troublesome, especially now that she knows of its nature. There are now not one but two people who have tried to wrest control of Lich away from itself. It may not be terribly forgiving. On the other other hand (one two three... wait), she could probably just dive into the ocean and drift back with the tides. There are a few benefits of being partly immortal. But if they survive this that would only heap more suspicioun on her. Best to just sit tight and watch for now.

:'''[[Morrighan Alazne]] has posed:''' Sigh. "I suppose it would not cost me anything to actually assist you." Waving a hand outwards in a cavalier manner, the light orbs continuing to orbit her form fire outwards, aiming to purify any specters that got too close to Faruja and Arista, opening up a path for them to fly through without hinderance. Meanwhile, the dark mage looked on as the barrel shenanigans went on, seeming rather amused with the turnout. The sight of Reize and Ivo failing spectacularly caused a smile to grow on her face. Ah, such a sight would never get old, would it? Nope, it wouldn't. But nevetheless...that boy's pendant certainly seemed to be a point of interest. Morrighan didn't think the idiot had any magical capabilities at all. Yet here he was...casting a basic fire spell. Facepalm. Oh well, it should do the job! ...Maybe. Or not. That /is/ a Fiend.

:'''[[Riku]] has posed:''' Riku actually loves flying. He just is very nervous when the source of that flight may potentially eat him. It's the little things that make your flight experience uncomfortable-- like a lack of peanuts. The teenager clings to the wyvern, yelling into the wind at the breakneck turn and then starting to laugh a little, trying not to close his eyes at the dizzying turns of perspective. "Yeah. Being smeared across the ocean sounds like a bad plan. Remind Reize and Ivo not to manage it. At this rate? They might." He huddles back against the Wyvern and grits his teeth against the oppressive pull of the fiend's darkness. The world swum in and out of focus-- and not just because of the manuevering.

:'''[[Ivo Galvan]] has posed:''' The Dread Ship Lichcraft goes up like a light. The barrels that Ivo and Reize had thrown explode first, and with the addition of the natural impact of the pendant's power send the skeletal vessel hurtling away from the rest of the Ship Graveyard, ropes and rigging tearing and masts splintering as the floating fortress is sent hurtling into the fog. It's then that the barrel which their air support launched from above ignites, tearing a hole in the side of the corrupted frigate and causing it to list to the side, slowly taking on water. Emitting a shrill, keening wail, Lich summons its minions to its side, and in the distance skeletons and zombies can be seen shambling down toward the great wounds in the ship, seemingly attempting to clumsily bail out the water that the Lich's home is taking on. Zombies are swiftly washed out into the ocean, and skeletons stare philosophically at the gaps in their bony hands. This may take a little work. But whatever Lich's fate, it seems satisfied, for whatever strange reason, to be left alone. Its ship is slowly sinking as it fades away into the distance, to be carried on by the current or sunk to the bottom of the sea, but at least to molest Carwen no longer. If there were any Shard guarded by Lich, it will not be accessible to them today. But they didn't have much choice in the matter. And besides-- "Maybe we'll attempt an underwater expedition later," Ivo offers as words of encouragement, a little breathless with exhaustion. --he kind of doubts it anyway. As the presence of the Fiend slowly fades, the threatening miasma lightens with it, and the undead cease to stir so fitfully. But the Ship Graveyard is far from a safe location. "Everyone alright?" he calls. "Let's get back to the boat before we get into any more trouble for now. I think we've had more than enough adventure for one night." He pauses, catching sight of Alicia, who seems to have been waiting patiently on the other ship, and reconsiders. "Well, almost enough..." That's one adventure you're underleveled for, pal. "That's what grinding is for," Ivo mutters under his breath, before turning to look at Reize, smiling down at their fearless leader. "Nice shooting, chief. With barrels, too. I never doubted for a minute your special skill would come in handy." He did, though.

:'''[[Faruja Senra]] has posed:''' "Now, now, now. Ye of little faith, et cetera, et cetera." KABOOOM!!! "Well done Sers and Madame, well done!" Once more upon the deck, Faruja leaps down. The first thing he does is toss poor Reize a Cure. Faram knows he needs it after that back-crushing. Then, he'll watch the ship sink. "May thy pallid gaze never trouble the world of the living, nor dead again foul, unholy being!" Yells the Templar before going on battlefield medic duty.

Teatime Tomfoolery

2013-05-31T04:56:28Z

IvoGalvan: Created page with "{{Log Header |Date of Scene=2013/05/31 |Location=Traverse Area - Traverse Town - WildKat Cafe |Synopsis=Rumors swirl about Ivo and Morrighan, and the two sit down for tea prio..."

{{Log Header
|Date of Scene=2013/05/31
|Location=Traverse Area - Traverse Town - WildKat Cafe
|Synopsis=Rumors swirl about Ivo and Morrighan, and the two sit down for tea prior to their upcoming adventure to discuss what to do about it. And by discuss, we mean propose a devious plan. In public, before prying eyes, and within earshot of the target in question. Skulls are gripped and tea is sprayed, but it could be worse -- right?
|Cast of Characters=Ivo Galvan, Avira, Vespa, Morrighan Alazne, Ramza Beoulve, Artemis Eurus
|pretty=yes
}}
:'''[[Ivo Galvan]] has posed:''' Even the rantings of an outraged dark elf can't get Ivo down. With the smile of perennially pleased, the blue-cloaked swordsman urbanely sips his tea, seated within the WildKat Cafe, his recently purchased packages by his side. The Shard Seekers will soon venture to the recently rediscovered Ship Graveyard and investigate the source of the profusion of undead emanating from within, as well as the anomaly which the questionably-fonctional Shard-Seeking Device has detected. Carwen didn't quite have everything the group needed, despite the diversity of products that pass through the lively port town, so the knight-errant took a jaunt through a Portal to sort out the rest. Now he just has to figure out how to deal with Morrighan here. He's ordered her tea, which should arrive soon, but he doubts that will do much to placate her. To be honest, he didn't expect those rumors to spread quite so swiftly, but he couldn't ask for more. The question is how to play this. What's this woman's connection with Avira? Why did she have the maid-costume video that started this whole mess in the first place, and why did she want it back so badly? Depending on the answers to those questions, his relationship with this lady could change quite drastically. At least it can't get much worse than it is now.

:'''[[Vespa]] has posed:''' Things have been a bit slow as of late well the paying jobs for Vespa anyway, somehow she got roped into working at the Wildcat cafe! She not sure how it happend mabye it has somehting to do with the outfit. She not very good at her job being rude to costomers being slow at taking and getting the orders most of the time she just sits aroud chatting with people that come in! It's amazing she hasn't been fired yet. Right now she on a break, which has gone on for most of the afternoon! She drinking some tea and having some cake..

:'''[[Morrighan Alazne]] has posed:''' "......" Staaaaaaaare. That was all Morrighan did for the moment. No, not even the promise of tea and rest would placate her. A couple more rounds of staring and then finally the dark elf had gotten fed up. "Argh! Explain to me WHY people seem to think that I would have deigned to do any sort of illicit nonsense with someone as shabby as you!? EXPLAIN!" Demanding now, she pointed straight at the knight-errant across from her. "This makes no sense at all! I just...how can I...Grrrr!" Losing the ability to /even/, Morrighan stewed in anger for a couple moments, looking downwards in thought, her eyes studying the surface the table. And then all at once- "YOU! Fix this! NOW! It is obviously YOUR fault! So do somnething about it! Immediately!" Yep. Things were going well.

:'''[[Ramza Beoulve]] has posed:''' Ramza is already here in the cafe, seated in a booth in the back across from Artemis. the young heretic leader was actually drinking milk, rather than tea. Tea from traverse town was likely to be from tea bags, rather than.. well let's not go into it, other than to say, you didn't want to serve tea bags to Artemis. Instead, he was showing her the glory of /waffles/. In this case, his were slathered with cream cheese and strawberries, with a nice flaky crust. Whether or not she'd had waffles before, he'd still insisted. He was wearing his usual armor, and both of his weapons were crooked up against the wall of his side of the booth. And then.. Morrighan would draw some a stare from him Ramza Beoulve would look towards Artemis, and simply shrug his shoulders. "It looks like they're having some sort of lover's spat. Best to leave them be." He took another bite from his delicious waffles.. Ahh waffles.

:'''[[Artemis Eurus]] has posed:''' Waffles. What a ridiculous word! When these 'waffles' appear, Artemis examines them for a while, then tries a bit. Huh. Interesting. "Hmm...bit too sweet for my tastes," she informs Ramza. Art looks over her shoulder toward Ivo and Morrighan, eyebrows rising beneath her mask. They are being disruptive. Artemis is contemplating throwing something. She is, perhaps, a bit grumpy that she missed a fight recently. "I suppose so," she replies, shrugging her shoulders lightly as she nudges Ramza with her foot beneath the table.

:'''[[Avira]] has posed:''' Rumors spread fast. For this, Avira was grateful because that meant older rumors are supplanted by the new ones and the old ones die in obscurity. ...most of the time. It actually didn't take much to rekindle older ones. Fortunately, in the case of Avira, the town is busily chatting about Ivo's sordid past with Morrighan. All sorts of speculation comes from this from the mundane 'I saw them bump into each other on the street once' to 'long lost lovers.' Even for someone who only plans to be in town for a little while, Avira's heard her fill of these rumors-well, more specifically, she's had her fill of hearing about Ivo's so-called love life. The incessant talk only spurs her errands that much faster. Ready to leave now, Avira makes a detour to the Wildkat Cafe. She heard Vespa was working here tonight and Avira wanted to drop by to say hello before departing, giving her fellow VALKYRI a heads-up as to where she was going. The scarred woman pushes through the front door to the cafe. No sooner than she sets foot inside does she hear the screech of an all-too-familiar voice. Morrighan. Avira's muscles immediately tighten and she spots the dark elf, sitting across from...oh /no/. Ivo Galvan. She lingers in the doorway for a few seconds, reflecting on how much of a lover's spat it sounded like the two were having, before quietly sidestepping. She does absolutely nothing to call attention to herself and moves to Vespa.

:'''[[Ivo Galvan]] has posed:''' "We must look good together." Ivo Galvan, helping. "See?" He tilts his head over his shoulder at the comment about a lover's spat overheard behind him, not turning around but assuming it must be about them. Or rather, even if it's not about them, it's most entertaining to pretend that it is, which is what Ivo fundamentally values. Also, it's probably about them. "Unfortunately, milady," Ivo continues, quickly moving on as he leans forward and finally sets down his teacup, "rumors spread like wildfire, and efforts to contain them typically fan the flames." He's still smiling. "I humbly suggest we consider how to use these rumors to our advantage." Ivo reclines backward, his nonchalance a stark contrast to the elf across from him. "I have no doubt you think such a thing impossible, but hear me out." There may be no way to go about this without incriminating himself, he reflects, but he can at least be indirect about it. "I have reason to believe," he says at last, "that the sphere you were seeking contained embarrassing imagery of one Avira, leader of VALKYRI, which was later released to the public." Yeah, who did that? "Now then, what is your relationship with her? Why would you possess such a thing?" Ivo's smile spreads into a grin. "That woman has been a hindrance to me in the past," he glosses, "and it may well be that the foe of my foe is my ally." Internally thrilling at his own cleverness, Ivo fails to notice Avira's stealthy entrance, and awaits Morrighan's hopefully impassioned response.

:'''[[Vespa]] has posed:''' Vespa looks over at Morrigahn, boy she is loud. She Ivo is sitting with her, she frowns seeing Ivo there too andif she has to serve him he getting a pot full of coffee on his lap. Her mood britens a bit and she smiles as she spots Avira and waves to her iviting her to her table where she is sitting. Oddly, suddnely she has a craving for Waffles...

:'''[[Morrighan Alazne]] has posed:''' "We do not." Ramza's offhand comment only caused Morrighan to fume even more, but...oh well, there was no more point getting loud. Taking a deep breath, she let out a sigh before speaking. "And how, pray tell, are we to use something as asinine as this to our advantage?" Her tone was suspicious and guarded. There was no believing anything Ivo said just yet. As he began to explain about the sphere, the dark elf only narrowed her eyes. "Reason to believe? That is exactly what was on it!" And now it was gone. Forever! Why gods!? Another moment to calm down and then Morrighan continued. "I was wondering who spread those images. Now I know." Let's casually put the blame on Ivo. "My relationship with her? I hardly believe that such a thing is any of your concern now. What happens between that insufferable gorilla and I is our business." That said, she crossed her arms in a huff and leveled an irritated glare at Ivo. "Besides, even if I were to impart such info, what does it mean to you anyway?" Avira should thank her lucky stars that neither of them hadn't noticed her just yet.

:'''[[Ramza Beoulve]] has posed:''' "Too sweet?" Ramza would actually chortle. "My goodness. Are you saying that you prefer something /bitter/?" Not that he'd imply her tea was /that/ bitter.. he wanted to keep his hand. Looking up as Avira entered, he'd offer a smile her way, but wouldn't actually wave.. best not to /openly/ associate himself with her. He'd give Morrighan and Ivo another sidelong glance. He couldn't actually hear the conversation now, so he'd murmur something towards Artemis. "There now, they've calmed down and are starting to whisper sweet nothings into each others ears."

:'''[[Artemis Eurus]] has posed:''' Artemis smiles slowly to Ramza, sliding her foot up his leg beneath the table. She leans toward him with a smile. "Well Ramza, I cannot abide someone upstaging us," she says, getting up to move around the table and sit on his lap, arm around his shoulder as she leans down to press a kiss to his hear lobe. Oh wait, that wasn't a challenge? Oh well.

:'''[[Avira]] has posed:''' Well now. That little conversation took an interesting turn. Avira remains silent, her eyes narrowed now, her rigidness the fault of something else entirely now. She can read between the lines quite easily now. Ivo still had that sphere. Morrighan wanted it back. But Morrighan was not interested in sharing the story behind it. Interesting. She had to wonder why exactly. Was Morrighan defending her? Silently, she slips over to Vespa's table and sits down. Keeping her voice down, she speaks to her fellow VALKYRI. "Hey." she murmurs, "Only here for a little while. I found a lead in the New Orleans Bayou. Something about a monster? Just wanted to pass that on, in case you want to come along." She pauses, looking over to Ivo and Morrighan, "Do me a favor and eavesdrop on those two for me."

:'''[[Ivo Galvan]] has posed:''' Ivo will neither confirm nor deny these allegations. "'Insufferable gorilla'? That's a good one." Ivo replies lightly, disarmingly, still smiling as he piles on. "She is ape-like, isn't she? Prehistoric in her brutishness." Memories of being punched in the gut drift back. His amused tone is authentic, because this whole situation evidently amuses him to no end, but it hints at the possibility of solidarity. "I didn't mean to pry; I only sought to confirm my suspicions that you have suffered her presence as I have." Folding his arms now, he leans forward again, gazing into Morrighan's eyes, his smile subsiding until it plays faintly about the corners of his lips. "Just think. Now that we are inextricably associated in public opinion, why not use this association to show Avira for what she truly is to the world? Together, we can do what we could not do alone to avenge ourselves." Let's be clear: Ivo has long since stopped having any actual aversion to Avira. At this point, his sense of quasi-rivalry with her is more or less a source of pleasure. In fact, though admitting it would sort of ruin his fun, he likes her, or who she's become. But this is just way too funny. Who knows what this crazy dark elf will come up with? More importantly, if he can turn Morrighan's fury into an alliance-- what a coup! "Together, we will be an unstoppable force towards the realization of Avira's eternal shame!" And it's not like anyone will actually get hurt, right? --is what he thinks, with Avira like ten feet away.

:'''[[Vespa]] has posed:''' "Sounds fun. I wanted to explore more of that place anyway", Vespa says whispering back to Avira. "Got it. I'll keep an eye on them.."

:'''[[Ramza Beoulve]] has posed:''' Ramza would pick out certain words from the conversation, but they made no sense whatsoever. /Insufferable/ /Gorilla/ /Inextricably/ /Avira/ He'd give Artemis a teasing look, as she kissed his earlobe, and state to Artemis.. "My goodness. They have the strangest pet names for each other... I don't know what Lady would be flattered by being called a Gorilla, but apparently she is.." As he cants his head towards Morrighan. He'd then kiss Artemis lightly the side of her neck, before stating, "...And.. I think that they're trying to get Avira involved in their torrid love affair. Still, I'm rather certain that Avira is with Mercade, and will have nothing of that sort of debauchery. Those two appear to be quite shameless." He'd wrap one leg around hers, before pressing another kiss to her earlobe. "Then again, who are we to talk?"

:'''[[Artemis Eurus]] has posed:''' "How scandalous," Artemis replies quietly, laughing breathily as she feels his lips on her neck. "Utterly shameless." "Tch...how I have corrupted you!" she says, smiling proudly. Is there a closet nearby?

:'''[[Morrighan Alazne]] has posed:''' "Have you lost your mind?" And that was the first thing to leave Morrighan's mouth after hearing out Ivo's rousing spiel. "I have absolutely zero intention of becoming an unstoppable force anything with--" Okay, that's it. Ramza's comments were not going unheard. Her ears weren't there for nothing after all. From zero to sixty in a millisecond flat. "YOU! Over there! With the face!" She called out, pointing at Ramza. "This blue caped buffoon, and I-" Morrighan began, gesturing to Ivo and then herself. "-Are NOT lovers! I would rather die before I entered into any sort of arrangement like that with him!" Oddly enough, she didn't bat an eye at the fact that he and his companion were all but making out. Nope.

:'''[[Vespa]] has posed:''' Mental note Morrighan and Ivo are lovers. She have to tell Avira that... She causally sips her tea she finding this all very enterating.. She should get more cake.

:'''[[Avira]] has posed:''' Vespa will notice that Avira looks a little angry right now, "...or I could just nip this in the bud right here..." Though it seems like Morrighan is having none of that to begin with, swiftly rebuffing Ivo's advances. Again, this strikes her as a little strange. She was fairly certain that Morrighan would just jump at an opportunity to humiliate her. Standing up, Avira leaves Vespa's table and circles around, staying out of at least Ivo's sight until it's far too late. He's probably busy addressing the dark elf or the heckling Ramza. ...Ramza. Ramza and his tea lady? Now that's interesting. Slipping up behind Ivo, the knight-errant would feel nimble fingers threading themselves through his hair along the back of his head. "Ivo, Ivo, Ivo." Avira says quietly, "Please. I would like to remain out of your relationship drama." Her fingers tighten and she leans down, her head over Ivo's right shoulder, voice low in his ear. "If that isn't too much trouble."

:'''[[Ivo Galvan]] has posed:''' "A shame," Ivo murmurs, though he doesn't look particularly disappointed despite failing his Charm roll against his stubborn companion, the swordsman's eyes still sparkling as he leans back again. "But I think when you find that these rumors will persist despite your best efforts, you will begin to see reason, and the benefits of cooperation. What did I say?" he then adds gently as Morrighan begins lashing out at someone behind him. "The more vehemently you deny it, the more you seem like you have something to hide." Barely able to suppress his smug satisfaction and overall delight, Ivo takes up his teacup with a nobleman's poise and takes a long elegant sip-- "PFFFFFTTTTTTTT!" --before spraying tea all over Morrighan's front. Avira can feel the shiver run up Ivo's spine as, wild-eyed, he freezes like a startled deer, the eerie sense of unfamiliar fingers coupled with Avira's low voice devastating his typically well-cultivated composure. A horrified grimace substituting for his daylong smile. Oh no. Oh no, oh no, oh no. SHE'S GOING TO CRUSH HIS SKULL WITH HER BARE HANDS "Avira, what a... surprise," is all he can say, somehow concluding that even a little white lie like 'pleasant' might be the straw that broke the camel's back, and by camel's back we mean Ivo's skull. "How is your nose? All better, I hope." Not that anyone could tell the difNO THIS IS NOT THE TIME "I wouldn't dream of entangling you in my affairs," he manages. He'd much prefer to undermine her from a distance. Certainly more distant than this. "Please pardon my typical excess. I sought only to amuse my companion. Am I not amusing? Ha ha." spare my life

:'''[[Ramza Beoulve]] has posed:''' You with the face? Ramza would give Morrighan a look that suggests /Who? Me?/ with a beguiling look of mock innocence. He'd offer a grin after a time, "If you say so, M'lady. Who am I to judge a woman's heart? It is not for me to cast aspersions on anyone you would, or would not enter into a tryst with. And if it is not to be with this man, then I wish you luck in finding your one true love." He'd then mouth to Artemis the word /Fickle/. Nope, no closets, besides, first he'd like to see what Artemis would do in response to the sudden /shouting/ over at them. He might have to prevent her from drawing her sword. It happened often enough.

:'''[[Morrighan Alazne]] has posed:''' ".........." And sitting right in Ivo's line of fire, Morrighan's face was covered in tea and spittle...which dripped down her face and neck and into other bits. ".......You...." She lowered her head, beginning to twitch angrily as a sickening dark aura began to envelop her form. "....I cannot believe that you just..." Suddenly Ramza and Artemis were nonissues in the presence of this rapidly becoming insufferable wannabe knight. "I will kill you." The dark elf muttered, raising a hand in which a black sword began to take shape, turning and taking aim at Ivo blade first. "I will kill you, I will kill you, I will kill you, I will kill you, I will kill you, I will kill you, I will kill you, I will kill you, I will kill you, I will kill you, I will kill you, I will kill you, I will kill you-" And then her head snapped up with a horribly indignant glare. "I WILL KILL YOU, YOU UNCOUTH, SHABBY CAPE WEARING, TERRIBLE HAIR HAVING SCOUNDREL!"

:'''[[Avira]] has posed:''' "Oh, I am much better." Avira says casually, digging her fingers into Ivo's skull just a little bit more. "I trust you're doing well? Staying out of trouble? Not making grandoise plans of slander?" Crush Ivo's skull with her bare hands?! If only she had that sort of strength. Even in her wildest, most determined moments, that sort of superhuman strength to crush bone still evaded her! Though the huntress is quite angry at Ivo's plans to team up with Morrighan to create some kind of perpetual shame machine, it doesn't stir the sort of anger inside her that would lead to life-taking. Morrighan on the other hand seems to easily switch to such once Ivo sprays her with tea. Avira withdraws her hand and neatly sidesteps. "Well then. Lover's spat or not." Or Not indeed. "I certainly do not want to get between the two of you." Smirking, Avira gives a mock bow, hooks her thumbs onto one set of belts around her waist, and saunters off. Her work here was done. She'd have to ask Morrighan what the deal was later-in this condition, she was certainly in no mood to talk.

:'''[[Vespa]] has posed:''' Vespa muches on her cake, mabye working here wasn't so bad after all she thinks, watching Avira nearly rip Ivo's head off. Thoght she not sure Avira has the streght for that Vespa on the other hand. Mabye, thought she woudn't want to get her outfit dirty and then she have to clean it all up. Too much troulbe. She smiles and causally waves to Avira as she leaves..

:'''[[Ivo Galvan]] has posed:''' Forgive Ivo for exaggerating Avira's strength in his moment of panic. Don't forgive him for anything else, though. Seriously. "I wouldn't dream of it," is all he has time to say before Morrighan completely loses it. Avira's sidestepping conveniently gives Ivo room to fall backward in his chair, toppling over and landing in a heap. Stumbling to untangle himself from his cape, he lurches out of the way of Morrighan's /actually violent/ strike. "Hey!" he cries, visibly shaken. "You're going to hurt someone like that--!" No one was supposed to actually get hurt! Especially not him! Even mastering a beautiful sword dance cannot make violence any less fundamentally distasteful to Ivo, and this is no place for a dance. Abandoning his packages for now, he flees toward the door in a desperate attempt to escape Morrighan's wrath. He's quite fleet, though not so swift as to avoid her angry shouting. "There's no need for bloodshed!" The whole of Traverse Town can probably hear that at this point. "And my cape is not shabby!!"

:'''[[Morrighan Alazne]] has posed:''' Despite how angry she was, and her incessant threats. Morrighan's initial strike seemed to miss the mark intentionally. Though only a keen eye may have been anle to tell. With Ivo out the door fleeing for his life, Morrighan's dark aura began to recede, herself panting and catching her breath. But before all that... "YOU CAPE IS ESPECIALLY SHABBY!" She yelled after him, leaving it at that. "That fool! And to think that I must accompany his like on some nonsense journey. ...Why must I constantly be mixed in with nonsense?" Morrighan lamented, not seeming to question anyone in particular. All that said and done though...She needed a bath! There was no way that she would deign to continue on with her day having been sprayed with someone else's tea! "I suppose I shall take my leave of this hovel as well." And with that, the dark elf stood, making her way out as well. As she headed into the streets of Traverse Town...a small smile began to edge onto her face. "...That was rather liberating however."

:'''[[Ramza Beoulve]] has posed:''' The Dark Magic would snap into play... It would miss it's mark. Ramza and Artemis would stop, briefly.. Ramza would stare at Morrighan, wondering if he needed to intervene... His hand already toying with a belt pouch... And then Morrighan would walk away.. Ramza would just look at Ivo and state.. "Ser, perhaps you should let passions cool off before you attempt courtship again...." He'd wink at Avira, before turning back to his conversation with Artemis.

A Promising Start

2013-05-30T14:08:46Z

IvoGalvan: Created page with "{{Log Header |Date of Scene=2013/05/30 |Location=Northern Continent - Carwen |Synopsis=Traveling south to the port town of Carwen chasing rumors of a den of undead and an anom..."

{{Log Header
|Date of Scene=2013/05/30
|Location=Northern Continent - Carwen
|Synopsis=Traveling south to the port town of Carwen chasing rumors of a den of undead and an anomaly detected by the Shard Seeker device, Reize and company reunite with some old friends and meet some new ones in preparation for their challenging quest. Almost immediately, people are shouting and pouncing on each other. It's a promising start.
|Cast of Characters=Ivo Galvan, Reize Seatlan, Faruja Senra, Katyna, Riku, Morrighan Alazne, Emi Dennou
|pretty=yes
}}
:'''[[Ivo Galvan]] has posed:''' The port of Carwen basks in the fresh breeze which drifts in from the sea, tinged with salt and promise. Amidst the pleasant bustle of this neatly laid-out town, it is easy to forget that within the World of Ruin, the Darkness is ever only momentarily at bay. But for all that business continues seemingly undisturbed, worrying rumors have begun to spread of the return of a sinister place which threatens this rare tranquility -- and offers opportunity to any aspiring adventurers. Ivo Galvan leans back in his seat, sipping a refreshing ale by a waterway near the ocean at one of Carwen's many bars with outdoor seating. His cloak draped over the back of his chair, the Shard Seeker swordsman reclines with a practiced combination of poise and nonchalance, gaze sweeping his surroundings and the passerby with a tireless curiosity. Reize and Violet are resupplying, leaving him alone with his thoughts to await their other companions. Once upon a time, before the fusion of the worlds, near Carwen lurked the terrifying Ship Graveyard, where all manner of ghosts and ghouls arisen from the felled sailors of the ages would congregate and at times roam from where they festered. When Carwen was ripped from its homeworld, the Ship Graveyard was thought lost -- until now. It was rediscovered when undead began to reappear with alarming frequency. And it just so happens that Ivo, together with his friends north of here in the Fruit Village a day before, detected an anomaly on the Shard Seeker in precisely that direction, which lead them here and to the rumors. Given the prospect of so many undead, it seemed prudent to call on friends more practiced at dealing with such foes. Besides, he hasn't seen Faruja in too long. He's not quite sure who will respond to the call, as is the way of such things, but he heard that Faruja might be bringing an ally from the Church for additional support. The more the merrier, by Ivo's measure. What could go wrong?

:'''[[Riku]] has posed:''' Riku was not actually given an invitation to this soiree. Riku, inevitably, makes his own rules and then breaks them by virtue of being too cool for such constraints. (Also-- because a certain teenager got extremely tired of walking everywhere and with the stubbornness of legends, attempted a very short distance portal back to his apartment) And finds-- neither his apartment nor Upper Archades. Apparently there is fruit involved. So inevitably, in the lands north of Fruit Village that there is a silver haired teenager making a big splash by warping just a few feet above the surface of a small pond. -SPLASH- Riku sits there with a frog on his head for a minute or so, taking in a few breaths and contemplating his life with a sort of wry amusement. The teenager wears a mottled green duster, an articulated claw gauntlet reaching all the way to one shoulder, the metal claws pulling through the soupy mud. He looks up at the frog on his head. "Well. That could have gone worse." he says with sighing equanimity, gently scooping the frog out of his hair and releasing it at the other edge of the pond. Riku then pulls himself out of the mire, stretching and emptying a bit of water out of one ear before he takes a look around at his situation and surroundings.

:'''[[Katyna]] has posed:''' Having been a bit bruised since her little staged tournament back in Manhattan a few days ago, Katyna was already back in action, and eager to find the mysterious Sister Felicia who was after her life..However, she was also just as eager to find any traces of Lord Fessner's ghost..If it indeed lurked among the living still. Her travels had taken her all around the world, although due to her reluctancy to open dark portals if she could help it, Kat mostly relied on her winged familiar to get around. And even then, she wondered if she could trust the dark dragon for much longer. Still, here she is, not one of Ivo's troupe, nor here to specifically help him. All the same, Katyna had heard of the rumours of ghosts here, and was curious to see if those rumours were indeed true. And so today finds her wandering among the many waterways of Carwen, incidently heading towards the general direction of Ivo and his troupe as she goes over the events of the other night in her head...

:'''[[Reize Seatlan]] has posed:''' Unfortunately for Riku, there is large, flying bag moving out towards his way. It's a ruck sack, but it is filled with clothes. However, with the mass of clothes stored inside, is a bit heavy. "There!" Turning away, Reize is turning towards one of the sailors while holding onto his own knapsack. "Like that?" "Like that, kiddo! You'll be like a real sailor in no time! We toss it like that to load them into the ship! Just remember, with all of your might!" "Okay! Should we worry about getting the rucksack?" "Nah." ...Reize did not notice Riku as there, unfortunately. Reize and Violet were handling some resupplying for the trip. They left Ivo out on his own to handle his own thing. With the amount of supplies that they use, it is important to make sure that everything checks out. However, Reize ran into a sailor who was willing to teach him on ship handling. Training for [Ship Loading] mini-game complete!

:'''[[Emi Dennou]] has posed:''' Ami and Imi are in attendance today. They are making their way through the port. They seem to be discussing something at length with one another in hushed tones. Ami has probably said more words today than she does on most days already, but she has been speaking them so quietly it's impossible to hear. The two spot Ivo and slow down as they head in his direction. They wave simultaneously at him. /For Now/

:'''[[Faruja Senra]] has posed:''' Really, Faruja likes Ivo's taste. In bars. He likes his women with tails and good massage skills. The man always manages to find a bar both a. low class enough to not enflame his anti-noble sentiments and b. safe enough to not get shanked. Always a plus. The Templar walks down Carwen's street, trying to think more of a pleasant time with friends than the woman he's brought along. Calling her an ally is true only in the political sense. Not too long ago he'd want nothing more than to see her at the end of a rope in Mullonde's gallows. If he's honest with himself, as useful as she is, that much hasn't changed. Curse that damn Count! But she's /useful/. Bringing along a specialist in Darkness alongside his own rather forceful undead slaying skill makes sense, even if he's not happy about it. If nothing else, Faruja is a professional. "Ser Galvan! Lord in heaven, 'tis been too long my friend!" A certain wolfess has had her influence, it seems, as the rat leans in to embrace him with a heart half-hug, half manly-slap-on-the-back; a gesture given to brothers, and very close friends in his homeland. Only after, remembering the elf's presence, does he back off with a slightly embarrassed flush. A polite bow. "Well met, my friend, and Lord bless. Please, allow me to introduce an...associate of mine. Lady Morrighan Alazne." For now, he doesn't yet notice the others, too caught up in seeing his favorite not-a-fake knight!

:'''[[Morrighan Alazne]] has posed:''' Morrighan had accompanied Faruja to this only because the higher ups had asked. Otherwise, she would have sent the rat in the tin can off on his own. She was sure he'd not miss her either. But alas, here she was. Walking along with this tiresome zealot. Joy. Arms crossed and eyes narrowed, Morrighan already looked as if she was suffering enough. Listening to Faruja address a supposed acquaintance, the dark elf's eyes turned to the sight slowly, taking in just who he was speaking to. "......." A pause. Cue a rather painfully long moment of staring. And then the sound of her templar companion introducing her brought her back to reality. "YOU." She all but cried angrily, pointing indignantly at the man in the blue cloak. "Finally, I have caught sight of you, you wretched thief!" Oh boy. And right off the bat, pleasantries are dropped. Or more accurately, they were never even given a chance to take hold. "How can one man be so impossible to find? Are you some manner of illusionist? Is that it? I demand answers! Daring to make a lady search under every rock for you and your shabby cape! You should be ashamed!" Crossing her arms in a huff, Morrighan leveled a glare at Ivo, finishing off her angry spiel with one last statement. "What do you have to say for yourself!?"

:'''[[Faruja Senra]] has posed:''' Faruja's good cheer evaporates like ice cream in Fluorgis' desert. With a quiet sob, Faruja places his muzzle into his palm, shaking his head. "By Ajora's waistcoat, Ser Galvan."

:'''[[Ivo Galvan]] has posed:''' Little aware of Reize's shenanigans and Riku's plight despite his roaming gaze, Ivo rises languidly from his seat at the sight of two of the Dennous, raising his hand in salutation with an amiable smile. "Imi, Ami," he greets good-naturally, at least ninety-percent sure that he has their names right. "Glad you could join us. Thanks for waving this time, Ami." His nose was smarting for a while after that headbutt. It's over their shoulders that he sees a familiar and long-unseen face emerge from the crowd, and his eyebrows lift in surprise. He doubts that she could have gotten the message, but if this is a coincidence, it's a fortuitous one-- "Katyna!" he calls, his smile broadening. "Long time no see. Care to join me for a drink? My treat." Ivo, when you're being nice to girls, at least try to make it sound like you're not ambiguously trying to pick them up. But the knight-errant's expression of lively enjoyment pales in comparison to the heartfelt pleasure that lights up his features when Faruja arrives. Though, as men are wont to do, the two of them have not dwelled on it in conversation overmuch, Ivo considers Faruja a true friend, and is grateful for the trust and respect of one who -- despite their ostensibly similar occupations -- stands at a far distance from him in many ways. "I have been the lesser for your absence, Ser Senra," Ivo replies, grinning as he easily accepts and reciprocates the embrace, placing his hands on Faruja's shoulders. "You look well. Has something good happened? A little tail, perhaps?" Irrepressible as always. Though perhaps his timing could be better. Ivo has only just had time to glance over behind Faruja to get a glimpse of the dark elf and get a sense that he has maybe seen here somewhere before, whereupon she unleashes a woman's fury upon him. He is very still for a few moments, poker-faced, as he does when he is carefully calculating just what social approach he wants to take. But when she fails to be specific about the nature of his crime, that poker face starts to seem more like the struggle to repress a smile. "Forgive me, milady." Stepping back from Faruja, he bows to her gallantly. "Your beauty was such that I could not contain myself." Wait, what? "But though I apologize for whatever you have suffered," he says, utterly serious, even resolute, as he raises his head, "I could never regret the theft of your virtue."

:'''[[Riku]] has posed:''' "Hello Katyna." Riku rather soddedly greeted the wandering warrior from the side of the trail, near a pond that seems to be now populated very several extremely confused or startled amphibians. He raised a hand, waving idly while looking around at the waterways and byways with very little actual knowledge of the area that he just barely manages to keep off his face. He is JUST about to say something else when-- Dodge Check: FAIL Player: What. Did someone swap out my dice again?! How can I be cool and nonchalant with a knapsack on my head?! Riku takes a knapsack to the head. The teenager lets out a startled 'OOFMPH' and whatever words he was about to utter are lost as the clothes drive into his back, and his face goes straight into the dirt so fast he does not even have time to get his arms beheath him. "I take it back. It could go much.. much better." Riku coughs and rolls out from under the offending --- bundle? He pokes experimentally at the bludgeon and then starts to laugh softly. ".. felled by laundry." he whacks a hand to his face and shakes it back and forth with a chuckle. "Alright." he bellows in mock anger as he gets back on his feet. "Whose the guy with the ranged weapon, huh? You have a permit to chuck laundry at bystanders?!"

:'''[[Katyna]] has posed:''' Katyna grins and nods at Ivo. "Long time, no see! You been gettin' into trouble again?" She winks playfully, seeming to enjoy teasing him. Ooh, Riku's here too! She waves cheerfully to him, chuckling a bit at his water drenched form, "Heey, you okay? Didja missfire a portal again?" As for Faruja, he gets a cheerful smile and nod, although she peers warily at Morrigan, "Heh, Faru, whatcha up to?" Oh yeah, that's the dark elf who was working with Valos, isn't it? "Can she really be trusted?"

:'''[[Reize Seatlan]] has posed:''' It is a while after the boy manages to settle everything out at the dock that he finally makes his way into the bar. Reize is busy holding an arm as he rolls another arm, trying to get the kinks out. Ahh, much better. Arriving into the bar, Reize waves a hand out towards the crowd of folks, "Oooi! I ended up learning how to load a ship!" The young man brightens happily, "So, when we need to load the ship, I can handle that job!" The eyes fall upon recognizing a couple of familiar faces, "Ooi! Faruja! Katyna! ...And ...Ivo's old friend?" The last one is referred towards Morrighan, who is giving the older brother-figure a verbal lashing. Riku may have an idea the perpetrator of the flying laundry. Because every bit of Riku's misfortune points back to Reize. Totally. 

:'''[[Emi Dennou]] has posed:''' "Umi was the one who headbutted you, The Network explains that all this one did was open the window for her." She starts, as if she's going to duck behind Imi, but ultimately just steps away. "Haha, it seems I have bothered some of my sisters with my inclinations." Imi smiles. "Oh well. Sorry for the trouble. Did you need help with anything, Ivo?, The Network wonders before being reminded of Faruja's existence." The two glance towards Morrighan. Then they sloooowly look back towards Faruja. Imi's eyes have gotten a little Emilike for a moment there. Ami, at least, approaches and starts patting Faruja on the head as soon as possible.

:'''[[Faruja Senra]] has posed:''' Faruja's white fur is quickly colored red at the mention of 'tail'. Looking away, he chokes for a bit on his words, before coughing. "H...hardly! 'Twould be unconscionable to make advances upon the Lady while still so early within ou..." Pause. You're in /public/, Faruja. It's improper! A smile creeps up from his embarrassment, despite the anger of his elven companion. It only makes him smile that much more, now reunited with a dear friend. "Thy tongue of silver, and heart of gold most pure hath been a loss for so long. To count myself amongst thy company once more is a pleasure and an honor. This humble servant of the Lord is /unworthy/." There's exaggeration, friendly exaggeration, but the sentiments are true enough. Always unusual, so very different from himself, he knows a good person when he sees one. The rat would think less of the world without Ivo Galvan in it, even with enraged woman following the man around. Still, matter at hand. Ivo's words have him facepalming all the harder. Crawling out of his impromptu sobbing, the rat tries to play peacemaker. "Now, now. /Certainly/ there is a logical explaination to this whole thing. Ser Galvan is a most..." Pause. Upright? Virtuous? "gallant and brave man. No doubt any theft was entirely accidental, and my dear friend would be /overjoyed/ to see proper reparations made to servant of the Holy Church." Peeeer! Faruja looks pointedly at Ivo. Be /good/, Ser! Blink. It's a Katyna! "Lady Katyna. Lord bless. Ahh, but merely paying a visit to dear friends before the lot of us see to a loyal undead problem." The rat can't help a slight hint of sadness in his voice. Things are just so /awkward/, what with her still likely working with Ramza. At least no one's given him orders to arrest her. Ear-perk. A familiar voice is on the wind. Inwardly, the rat shakes in rage. It's /HIM/. That filthy, vile, TRAITOR. Falling into a deep silence, he barely moves, every ounce of discipline and awareness used to keep himself from trying to erase Riku from this mortal coil. It'd ruin the reunion. Nevermind blemish the Church's name here in Carwen. The rat has dreams. He'll not peril them before they are even laid out into action. "...Riku. 'Tis been some time." Comes the rat's greeting, the Templar's voice simply /tired/ for a moment. Some part of him, the one that Reize touched upon during that night in the rain, feels for the young man. Despite it all, he can't quite hate Riku entirely. Distraction, go! "Reize. Reize Seatlan. Dear precious Lord, my friend, good eve! A ship, you say? My, my, my! I shall have to introduce thee to my friends in the Linblum airship yard! Put thy newfound skills to use!" Grin! Reach! The Templar ruffles the boy's head in greetings. Ami! Emi! The smile he favors the women with is warm, but perhaps a touch apologetic in nature. He didn't miss that look. His tail flicks, in a vaguely shrug-like manner. Allies; can't live with them, can't hang them very easily. "Ahh, Lady...Umi, nay...Imi!" Pause. He's being patted. Sightly lightly, trying to look dignified, he /smiles/. Pat pat pat. Long-suffering rat is long-suffering. "Lady Ami! 'Tis been far too long, my dears. Lord keep and guide thyselves, and all of thy precious siblings."

:'''[[Morrighan Alazne]] has posed:''' "........" Error, Error, there appears to be a disconnect in communications. Morrighan's eyes narrow at Ivo's answer. Not contain himself? From what? Wait a moment, what was he talking about here!? "......" Another bout of silence before she strode towards the blue caped knight and raised a hand. Smiling happily, it looked as if all was well before- "FOOL!" And then the hand was brought down, aiming to slap Ivo upside the head. "That was not at all what I was referring to! In fact I have never even shared a- Oh forget it!" Huffing in irritation again, the dark elf rest her hands upon her hips and continued to glare at Ivo, choosing to elaborate a little more this time. "I speak of the fact that you continue to hold posession of a certain object of mine! My memory sphere!" Holding a hand out, she stared expectantly at him, as if Ivo would just place the object back into her hand just like that. The sight of the two clone sisters however draws a small smile from Morrighan and she glanced over there way. "Oh, hello there. I failed to spot you earlier." Well, that's one person...or people that the dark mage didn't automatically hate. That little spot of kindness immediately evaporated after and she went back to glaring at Ivo with her hand held out.

:'''[[Ivo Galvan]] has posed:''' Ivo leaves Morrighan to sputter for a little while. He clucks his tongue quietly as Legion corrects his misapprehension. It just goes to show that ninety percent isn't a hundred percent. "I thought for sure I-- inclinations?" The swordsman looks vaguely curious, even baffled, but doesn't pursue the topic, instead smiling again. "Yeah, thanks for coming. We're taking a crew into the Ship Graveyard, as undead have started plaguing the town and the Shard Seeker device picked up some sort of reading nearby. We're not quite sure what we're walking into, but as long as we stick together, we should be fine." It's that kind of groundless but convenient confidence that Ivo prides himself on being able to deliver, and he turns his smile on Katyna, broadening into a grin as she teases him. He's always liked her attitude. "Not if I can help it, or there are pretty girls involved. So yes, most likely." He's turning that grin on Reize to greet their fearless leader when Katyna's comment and familiar tone causes Ivo to freeze, his expression growing uncharacteristically rigid. "Misfire a..." And then Faruja's cold but cordial words to the white-haired youth cause Ivo to spin about, his eyes widening, even Morrighan's wrath temporarily forgotten. "Riku...!" He doesn't know what to expect, but for all Ivo's lack of spiritual sensitivity, looking into the young man's eyes, he knows right away that Riku's long journey, one way or another-- has gone well. Ivo's shoulders actually sag in something approach relief. He always feared Riku, the youth's inordinate power, the strange war he fought within himself, but knew that at the same time Riku was strong and reliable. To see him like this, apparently more at peace with himself-- "You look well," he says softly, smiling slightly. Ivo feels somehow a little left behind. He might be about to say more, but a firm slap redirects him. (Gentlemen don't dodge. Also, he wasn't paying attention.) "Never even shared a--?" He's like a shark scenting blood with that smile. "How could I forget such words? Do go on." The knight-errant lets his gaze roam over Morrighan in an extremely deliberate manner while she continues on, but his expression stills just for a moment at the mention of a memory sphere, a hint that he's processing again. "But whatever do you mean? I do hold a memory sphere, but what would make you think it is yours? Ser Senra has kindly vouched for my character." Always a mistake. "It is highly unlikely the contents match what yours held." Yeah, sorry, he recorded over the Avira maid outfit when the maid cafe incident made it pointless to blackmail her. Though it's... strange that he doesn't offer to just show the sphere's contents.

:'''[[Riku]] has posed:''' "Yes. Unfortunately." Riku grunts at Katyna, rubbing the back of his neck in a 'lingering aggravation' sort of voice which peters out to actual amusement. "I should have known." he looks momentarily awkward and -- then chucks that to the side as well with the rest of the laundry. "SEATLAN." he yells in a voice of 'There are daggers coming right at you, Reize Seatlan. Duck.' and advances in his slightly sodden state towards the bar. He then stops when he spots Morrighan, and then Legionettes, and then Faruja, and then Ivo. This is the point where vague confusion crashes with annoyed contempt crashed into surprise and bemusement. Even Judge Cadets get mental traffic jams. Somewhere, a great deal of mental yelling and sarcasm later, Riku snaps out of his momentary trance and decides, for the sake of his sanity, to ignore Faruja. This works up until they speak to him and he very slowly drags his eyes to Faruja. He looks.. almost pitying for a moment and then grits his teeth and attempts to be polite. "..Hello Faruja." Go go distraction! Riku looks at Ivo as if searching for something and smiles very slightly as he shifts his feet. "Let me guess." The teenager says in a very, very dry voice to Ivo, smirking slightly at the slap that gentlemen (and people not paying attention) don't duck. "..A tribe of amazon woman, a world in peril and several months supply of tanning oil?"

:'''[[Emi Dennou]] has posed:''' Faruja nearly goes through every Dennou in an attempt to get the name right. "Ami." She says, pet pet pet. She doesn't seem to show any sign of stopping. "This one apologizes for not visiting more, it seems." Though it's because they don't really want to get TOO involved in this heretic business. "Yes, we solved the matter, but it seems it wasn't quite so solved." Imi 'explains' to Ivo, still all a smiles. "Faruja is vouching for your character? Oh dear." She looks to Faruja. "You're such an innocent, Faruja. Don't worry--" Ami pets. "Riku, we also haven't seen you in quite some time. Golly." Imi adds.

:'''[[Katyna]] has posed:''' Katyna beams at the sight of Reize, but is careful to hold herself back from hugging him or anything. After what Emi told her about him having a fiancee, she's feeling a bit awkward now..Doubly so that he still reminds her terribly of her beloved Razan..Urk..Awkward! Instead, she just smiles quietly at him. "It's been a while. It's good to see you again, as always! And you too, Emi! Glad to hear you sorted things out..Heh." She grins a bit impishly at that. "Oooh, ghost hunting, huh? Mind if I tag along? I just happen to have a ghost or two of my own that I'm looking for!" She grins, "Sounds like fun!" as for Faruja and his new associate, Katyna just arches a brow at Morrighan and shrugs, "well, if you trust her...." As for Ivo...Kat just makes a face at him when he seems to make advances towards Morrighan. "Hah! Isnt' that just typical of you!" As for Riku, she just nods thoughtfully. "Hmm, that's strange though. I wonder if that's gonna happen to me eventually too." she shrugs and grins, "Heey, are you gonna come ghost hunting too? Sounds like fun!"

:'''[[Reize Seatlan]] has posed:''' There is a grin awarded towards Faruja. The nezumi approaches him and the boy grins, "Faruja! It's good to see you again!" Wit the note of the Lindblum ship, Reize rubs his shoulder with a grin, "Of course!---" And he is brought over to have his hair ruffled. "Hahaha..!" It takes a moment, but the antenna hair sticks out again. It feels to the left, and then to the right. ...And it points at Faruja with a /hiss/ before straightening. Ah, the antenna hair. As his last name is shouted, Reize instinctively ducks for cover before he turns to see the source of the voice. "Riku!" Nevermind not knowing why Riku is shouting at him, Reize is happy to see his friend! In fact, Reize swoops over and places an arm around his friend, "It's good to see you again! It's been too long! You came at a good time! We are going to have an adventure!" And the boy turns to face the Dennou sisters. "Ah! Ami, Ii! It's been a while!" While Katyna greets him, the boy nods, "Yeah! A few of the Shard Seekers and I have been going out on adventures. We made no progress for some time, but... we did find something very awesome!" Reize reaches into his pouch, procuring the gummi piece. "...It's not edible." A brief demonstration is made a couple of times with attempted bites, then he gives a look of 'bleh' from the lack of success. Hrm, "Violet's likely handling some more shopping." 

:'''[[Faruja Senra]] has posed:''' Memory sphere? Faruja glances back and forth between the pair, not bothering to hide his confusion. For once, it truly seems as though Ivo's innocent. "I stand by my words, Lady Imi." Comes the rat quite seriously. People give Ivo a lot of guff, himself included at times, but he'll be darned if he's not going to stick up for the man every now and then. Smile. Pat pat pat. The Templar relaxes slightly, allowing the animal-loving Dennou to pat away. "Quite alright, 'tis my fault entirely. Still working with dear Ser Mercade? How fares the man? Ser Sherman? Come to Mullonde some time, or the Seeker's headquarters. Lunch and tea, hmm? 'Tis long overdue for my to learn more of you all." Pause. Frown. He quickly smiles again, though it's forced. "Ser Hanlon is...recovering?" Concern etches his face. 'Trust'. 'Morrigan'. The rat falls silent again. "The Lady and I are associates." He can neither confirm nor deny any trust issues going on here, Katyna. The rat is hissed at. By /hair/. Faruja's eye squints. Point! "Now, see here, thy troublesome piece of hair! Respect one's elders!" Up goes Faruja's tail. It waggles threateningly, several bits of tail fluff shaking imaginary sticks while complaining about kids. Get off our lawn! Reize /hugs/ Riku. That boy's capacity for forgiveness never fails to amaze him. His gaze once again finds Riku. If Reize has forgive him...can he truly continue to hate this lost soul, this boy who seems /changed/ from the one he sought to slay? The thought is troubling. Faruja turns away. He glances to the gummi, good brow rising. "...Curious, Reize." Wince. Sigh. "'Tis not flan, my friend." The rat reaches into his robes, pulling out a flask. He takes a looong swallow. He'll need it. Not once does he move away from patting Network hands. It's offered to Imi. "A drink, M'Lady?" Because offering a hive mind alcohol is the /best/ idea.

:'''[[Morrighan Alazne]] has posed:''' "If I were to believe every little thing tht escaped this man's mouth, I would have been six feet under a long time ago." Not true. "Now cease your usesless posturing and hand it over! I know that I lost it in your presence! I remember that much now!" And it would seem that she was still not going to give up. Grabbing onto Ivo's shirt, Morrighan began to shake him incessantly. "I want it back! I want it, I want it, I want it! It's mine, I worked hard for that, I demand that it be returned to my possession immediately! Now! With haste!" And now the dark mage moved on to spoiled demands. Comments regarding trust issues and the fact that people were staring at her gave the dark elf no pause. She was a woman on a mission. And that mission was slightly less noble and perhaps a bit vain, but damn it, it was a mission nonetheless!

:'''[[Ivo Galvan]] has posed:''' Ivo grins lopsidedly and even looks slightly abashed, quite the rarity, as Riku offers -- as is typical -- an eeriely accurate assessment. "Well," he demurs, "I wouldn't call them amazons." So, yes, pretty much spot on. "Though I did learn that you're supposed to remove your clothes before swimming," he quips back at the soaking-wet sword prodigy. He just grins when Reize embraces Riku, though. He missed this kid too. "Yeah, join us, Riku. We could use your help. And I could always use someone else to mock." Who is he kidding, he doesn't need anyone else than Reize. Most of Ivo's attention is occupied by dealing with Morrighan -- as in, exacerbating the situation -- but Imi's obscure comments keep tweaking his social instincts. "To what matter are you referring, Imi?" he queries, glancing at who he is /pretty/ sure is the correct Legion. Right, the one not petting Faruja. "That's right," he recalls, "you and the others share experiences to a degree, don't you? Did something happen to cause trouble for all of you?" Oh, Ivo, as if you need the Shard Seeker device to lead you into trouble. And Katyna's offer of assistance gets a warm nod from him. "Your company is always a pleasure," he replies. He knows little about the young woman, even now, but their banter is eternally entertaining. And what does Ivo love more than banter? "Pffftt..." Oh, Reize continually trying to eat that gummi, that's what. "I know you said you'd be the judge, but haven't you judged by now, chief?" he jibes. "Not that I doubt the complexity of analysis your taste buds are capable of, but maybe I should take it back to the laboratory in Fluorgis first." Unless someone else here knows about Gummis. Ivo flashes a reassuring smile to Faruja, which looks like it says, 'Thanks for sticking up for me, man,' but actually says, 'Don't worry, she'll never be able to prove I took it.' Before he can speak, though, Morrighan has seized him and begun shaking him violently. He does not resist; in fact, his hand moves behind his back, subtly slipping into his pocket. When she's finished throwing her fit at last, he nods solemnly, a little too calm. "If the sphere is yours, I will surely return it," he says gravely. "But I cannot imagine that it is. Here..." And his hand emerges from his cloak, extracting a memory sphere. It sure looks familiar, but they all look rather similar. For a moment, Ivo looks just a little regretful, before he activates it. The video is just... a field of blue. But the audio comes in quite clearly, a series of desperate female cries. 'I want it, I want it, I want it!' Then silence. "Oh, dear," he murmurs, "it seems I accidentally hit record while I was reaching into my cloak for it. I do regret the loss of my previous video." He actually sounds quite sincere. He probably won't be able to get video of Raiya and Priel in the Shard Seekers HQ bath for a long time, if ever again... "I do think," he then adds with a sparkle returning to his eye, "I'd like to keep this audio, though."

:'''[[Riku]] has posed:''' "Hello trouble and all of your incarnations." Riku says to Imi, although he says it in a relatively friendly manner. "So-- you are all going on a mark hunt or just investigating places where you are all likely to get your noses and or other parts bitten clean off?" he chuckles faintly. "This somehow does not surprise me." Riku turns to Katyna and shrugs. "I don't know. Maybe. Just be looking out for it. Sometimes portal errors are not quite so nice as just falling out of a ---GWACK" Reize. Just.... Reize. Riku sweatdrops so intently that he just almost suffers another mental crash before he starts to smile. (Boy. That combination with the red cross marks is sort of scary) and puts an arm around Reize, his friend and long lost adventurer pal after his moment of inedible 'bleh' (although this movement looks suspiciously like a headlock) "An adventure? Wow. I never would have guessed! ALSO. Point of fact, Seatlan. Just for future reference. I am not a /laundry/ /HAMPER./" -!Ruffle hair with malice of forethought!- Also-- staying out of the way of a lady with a mission. FAR out of the way. Although he is considering if they have any popcorn on this adventure cruise. "I'm glad to see you haven't lost your edge, Ivo." Riku says this in a dry voice, unable to contain a snicker as the shaking continues and is then followed by some underhanded recording schenadigans. Which he does not protest, being someone liable to use them himself. "What a shame." he says with a straight face. (Mostly)

:'''[[Emi Dennou]] has posed:''' "Well, long story short--" Imi begins but Ami uses a free hand to cover her mouth. "Mmhpmhpmhpmhpmhph." She pets with the other hand. Imi blinks twice at the offer of a drink and seems to consider it. And eventually she gives her answer. "Mmph!" Hm. This may be tricky.

:'''[[Katyna]] has posed:''' Katyna smirks at Ivo and shakes her head at his clothing comment. "Shessh, never learn, do ya?" Although she is quite surprised when Reize hugs Riku, "Wow, you got guts, even I'd never try that, heh.." She is curious to see his response too. "Soooo, about those ghosts...." Kat peers eagerly at Ivo.

:'''[[Reize Seatlan]] has posed:''' It is the expressive antenna hair Versus the burmecian's tail! This epic battle is one to go down in history! It maintains its hecked position until Reize mutters to bat the hair a bit, then he goes on as if it never happened. "I didn't want to give up yet, Ivo! It has to have some taste to it! ...It doesn't." His head hangs low. It is then that Riku, who has those scary cross marks, places an arm around Reize. So, Riku is hugging him as wel! ...Wait, why does the grip feel a bit tight? This is suspiciously like a headlock. "...ACK!" As if to emphasize Riku's point on the laundry hamper, Reize is ruffled with gret malice. "AckI'msorryIwaslearningtoloadashipowowowowowowoww!" His antenna hair looks scrunched up. At this point, it looks like it had taken a beaten. In act, he stumbles around. Reize's current look: @_@

:'''[[Faruja Senra]] has posed:''' Ami performs Dennou Interrupt upon her sister. A red eye blinks, peering at the two. Smile. Sigh. Faruja shakes his head. "It shall be a pleasure, then. Scones and mint tea suit Fluorgis' weather perfectly!" Of /course/ that mumbling was a yes! The Templar smiles like a happy pseudo-englishman-rat, tail swaying. "Send Ser Hanlon my regards. Should any support be required, at but a word." The rat has the good taste to not say 'offer the man a hand.' Out loud, anyway. Ignoring Riku-based headlocks and REize hugs, Faruja manages conversation for the sake of politeness. "I prefer to do the biting, myself." A glance at his own body. "...Though I /do/ seem to have a habit of losing important bits." Frown. Amazons. Oil. Then Ivo plays that memory sphere. Faruja is left with a bleeding nostril. A memory sphere that Morrighan wants rather desperately. The look he gives the woman is searching, as the rat puts two and two together. Cue an even larger nose bleed. Pardon the rat, he's going to be stemming a blood rush with his handkerchief for a while, and praying for a cold shower soon.

:'''[[Morrighan Alazne]] has posed:''' "....YOU DID WHAT!?" Morrighan cried, gripping Ivo's shirt tighter while glaring up at him. "HOW COULD YOU DO SOMETHING LIKE THAT, I WAS LOOKING FORWARD TO FINALLY HAVING THAT SPHERE BACK IN MY POSSESSIONS NOW WHAT AM I GOING TO-" Pause as Ivo actually plays what's on it. That was her. From just now. Did he really just...? That audio did sound horribly wrong out of context. "If you think that I will just let you off with that audio, you have another thing coming." She raised a hand then, making a finger snapping motion. "I made that sphere from my very own time magic. I can erase it in much the same manner if I so choose."

:'''[[Faruja Senra]] has posed:''' /Siiigh/. "Ser Galvan, my dear friend, please give Lady Alazne the bloody sphere."

:'''[[Ivo Galvan]] has posed:''' At last Ivo has found, in Riku, someone who appreciates his genius. Or whatever it is that Ivo has. Cunning? Unflappabllity? A distinct lack of shame? He just barely manages to suppress a grin at the young man's comments, before turning back to the others to let Reize and Riku get their erstwhile bromance on. Clearly, Ivo is not the possessive type. If he sees any problem with Faruja offering the muffled clone a drink, he does not say so. This is no doubt fully intentional. Instead, he turns to the ever-lively Katyna. "I wish I had more details for you," he remarks in a placating tone, "but we may just have to go see for ourselves to discern the nature of the undead. Regardless, something surely awaits us there, and the townsfolk will be grateful if we rid them of whatever menace is causing the surge in ghoulish incursions." He pauses and grins. "Besides, now Reize knows all about loading boats. I'm sure that'll come in handy in the Ship Graveyard." A minigame in a dungeon? Well, lacking any mine carts at sea... "Biting? Ser Senra, how bold." Ivo will never fail to seize an opportunity to turn casual polite conversation into innuendo. "I know you for an ardent man, but I hope you spare the ladies' skin." Or-- fur. Well, it doesn't matter. It turns out he didn't need to pile on at all. The insinuations Ivo laid out around Morrighan's attempt to recover this sphere are working like a charm. Surely she'll back off now-- Or she'll play her trump card. "Urgh..." Without the video of Avira -- which must have been what she was seeking, which makes him rather curious, though he can't ask about it without incriminating himself -- there's no reason why Morrighan wouldn't dematerialize the sphere. He hates to admit it after coming this far, but Ivo may be cornered. Just as he struggles to think of a way out, considering that despite her personality she might be bluffing, Faruja cuts it, and there's no way Ivo can refuse him. Carefully masking his disappointment, Ivo bows graciously to Morrighan. "Pardon my intransigence. The sound of your sweet voice is not easily relinquished. Of course, what is mine is yours." Yeah, he's still not going to admit it. Handing over the sphere with a smile, as though he's glad to do so, he then adds, letting another little twinkle of mischief into his eye, "I'll simply have to coax you into speaking those words another time." He's also not going to give up without a parting shot.

:'''[[Morrighan Alazne]] has posed:''' Much to Ivo's pleasure, that last jab causes red to blossom all over her face. "Wh-What!? Excuse me? did you just--? But I....how did....I....!" It would appear that she was at a loss for words. Continuing to stammer for a couple more seconds, Morrighan eventually just gave up and reared back with a hand. "YOU ABSOLUTE FOOOOOOOOOOL!" The sound of the slap that followed could be heard for miles. Across oceans. Possibly across worlds. Just another day in Carwen.

Fruit Fight

2013-05-29T14:13:29Z

IvoGalvan: Created page with "{{Log Header |Date of Scene=2013/05/29 |Location=Fruit Village |Synopsis=Fresh after having completed a rather silly sidequest for the depressed denizens of Fruit Village, Rei..."

{{Log Header
|Date of Scene=2013/05/29
|Location=Fruit Village
|Synopsis=Fresh after having completed a rather silly sidequest for the depressed denizens of Fruit Village, Reize and company encounter a few familiar faces and decide to see what they can do to make the place a little livelier. It gets messy.
|Cast of Characters=Ivo Galvan, Reize Seatlan, Shiki Misaki, Nagetta, Royce, Violet
|pretty=yes
}}
:'''[[Ivo Galvan]] has posed:''' "Well, they seem satisfied..." Ivo regards one of Fruit Village's hooded denizens with a lopsided grin, leaning casually against a stout carrot as tall as him. "...I think." The Apathetics have crowded around the jar of Crystal Nectar set before them, a rare sweetener distilled from blossoms within the nearby Macalania Forest whose petals open only under a full moon. The village had run dangerously low, and the next full moon was not to be in two weeks; without their supply of additional sugar, the depressives who dwell amongst the grapes and berries were sure to plunge into utter despair. Reize and friends had to fight their way into the heart of the woods and devise a way to trick the flowers into opening by a complicated means of refracting the moonlight, which totally didn't work. But it turned out that the giant monster they disturbed had such big moon-like eyes that the luminescence glinting off them did the trick. Cue about an hour of running around luring the monster into looking at the rare flowers scattered amongst the trees. So it goes. "I can't identify the uses of this at a glance," the knight-errant says, tossing a small squishy object toward Reize, glimmering the hue of healthy ripe berries, "but it's their treasure, so maybe it's got some use. A 'Gummi', I think one of them said? They don't exactly enunciate well. But apparently it's inedible." Ivo crosses his arms, his surroundings bemusedly. "Unlike everything else here." After a moment, he sighs. "...not exactly the fruits I was hoping to see." He does seem to have been glancing around with a less curious and more hopeful tinge than usual. Did he meet someone in the forest on his way here?

:'''[[Nagetta]] has posed:''' A village made of fruit? It's surprisingly managed to stay intact even with the hungry lamia around. Hopefully she wouldn't attract too much attention. Of course Nagetta's confused to why the people are so depressed. Maybe they were tired of eating fruit all the time? She can imagines it would get kind of old after a while. She's kind of tempted to stay here but she'll never find her father by doing that. "What's going on?" She got here kind of late it looks like.

:'''[[Reize Seatlan]] has posed:''' "What kind of fruits did you expect?" This is coming from Reize, who had been eyeing the gummi for some time. The boy had been poking at the gelatin substance. For the most part, Reize is still recovering from the ordeal of the adventure, having to act as the lure to get the monster with the moon-like eyes to actually FOLLOW him and look at the flowers without mauling him. ...It was a success, except for the mauling part. The mauling part. The mauling part sucked. Nevertheless, Reize is reaching for the squishy object. "I'll be the judge of that." He brings the squishy object towards his mouth, and then... *CHOMP!* ... ... "Pluh!" The boy spits and sputters. He lowers his head in comical tears, "...Not edible." Then, he looks over towards the group of men around. "Well, at least the people in this village are not in total despair." Over from afar, "OH MY GOD! My life is in ruins! ...First, it's Rhinotaur Ravager, then it's getting beaten up by every single monster like their punching bag! And then everyone beats me up! Now, I am stuck eating this fruit-- with this fruit right here! My life cannot suck any worse!" On nom. Sweatdrop from Reize. "...Okay, almost not in total despair." 

:'''[[Royce]] has posed:''' Among the countless hooded residents that line the streets and hanging walkways of the Fruit Village a lone figure can be seen wandering. Like the others her face is hidden from view by a deep cowl that casts her features into dark shadow - but that is where the similarities end. Where the multitude of faceless Apathetics are draped from head to toe in drab brown robes, Royce's ample curves are clear to see beneath her revealing attire. She pays no mind to the moans and lamentations that rise up around her in passing, the melancholic cries of those who have already lost the last vestiges of their hope washing over her with little more effect than a passing breeze. Beneath the shadows of her hood the young woman's face is a mask of utter neutrality. She does not seem annoyed by the ceaseless din of bemoaned fates nor is there any hint of sympathy to be found. Her own emotions were burned away long ago, there is nothing left for her to feel. No hope. No despair. Just emptiness. The witch arrived some time ago, long before these errant knights returned with their task completed. Her own purposes for being here are a mystery. She stalks through the expansive stretch of fruit-filled garden. Everything here is made of edible materials it seems. The tree-like carrots, the leafy cabbage shrubs, even the ground upon which they walk seems to be some sort of melon or berry. Occasionally, she stops to take samples. They are not eaten, however, but tucked neatly into small glass vials as any other specimen might be treated. Perhaps it is wise not to eat the fruit here. It could be the reason for the dour demeanor of those living here which is so completely at odds with the colorful and whimsical terrain.

:'''[[Violet]] has posed:''' Fruits again? Didn't this topic come up at some time before now or is it just Violet's imagination? The pale blonde girl frowns softly to herself with apparent confusion as her crystal blue eyes glance between Reize and Ivo. Was this another guy thing? It didn't seem like it. As Reize actually chomps down on the squishy object that was tossed at him (his taste buds in horror), her attention is pulled towards the voice from afar. A hand instinctively resting on the hilt of the blade at her side. After a pause she exhales a small breath, "So, what do we do with the treasure now. Return it to the village?"

:'''[[Ivo Galvan]] has posed:''' "The fruits of victory." Rather than elaborate, Ivo watches poker-faced as Reize declares his intentions and then proceeds to bite into the Gummi, with predictable results. Whereupon even Ivo's vaunted composure cannot endure, and he sputters into his glove, shoulders heaving with choked-back laughter. "Reize, I'm going to call it right now," he says between gasps. "Any time you say 'I'll be the judge of that,' something bad is going to happen." Although, to be fair, Ivo, when Reize is involved, regardless of the circumstances, there are pretty good odds on 'something bad' happening. "Well, you can't save them all," the Shard Seeker swordsman says as he recovers, attempting to reassure his younger friend. "Look, some of them seem to have been cheered up a little." From close to where the first wailing voice came from, "Amongst the fruit, I feel so at peace. It's as though I belong here... as though I am one with the fruit..." More bemusement from Ivo. "I... think that's cheer, anyway." He turns with a smile as Nagetta slithers up. "Oh, you heard the call, huh, Nagetta? Thanks for showing up, but we managed to take care of it. Feel free to enjoy the fruit, though." So saying, he plucks a ripe tomato within arm's reach. "I'm not sure they'd notice even if you knocked down a building." He pauses. "...Still, just in case, don't knock down any buildings." "Well, I /think/ they gave it to us," he replies to Violet, turning to their ally. It /is/ hard to tell exactly what these weird characters want. "If we don't need it, we can give it back. I'm curious about the nature of the material, though. It seems to have strange adhesive qualities. Maybe-- oho!" His gaze pulled off to the distance, Ivo's eyes brighten and his amiable smile broadens into a livelier grin, lifting a hand still holding a tomato in salute. "Alicia! Over here!" He beckons to the voluptuous woman in black, looking quite pleased. Some intuitive part of him, not manifesting in his expression, reacts with a chill to the glimpse he gets of Royce's almost inhuman expression of neutrality, but in his delight he brushes it aside. "I see you've joined your brethren in sweetness." Ugh, he's insufferable.

:'''[[Nagetta]] has posed:''' "Oh, sorry I wasn't able to help..." Nagetta feels a bit bad about that now. Still, she's not going to pass up free food. She'll try not to knock over any buildings though. She doesn't want to hurt any innocent people. "They still sounds kind of down though. And so does Reize." Her sharp hearing can't help but to pick that up. At least the people didn't here don't seem bothered by her presence. "Maybe there's something else we need to do?"

:'''[[Reize Seatlan]] has posed:''' A glare is shot at Ivo in response to his comment about the boy's judgment capabilities. Reize grumbles as he eyes the gummi before him. he debate trying to take another bite, but he already knows that it won't be successful. Still, determination and stubbornness is pressing him to try. After a few more bites with no success, Reize hangs his head low. "...I'm hungry now." He looks at Violet, "I suppose we should see what this thing is used for. Maybe we can find some sort of clue about this. It's not edible, I can tell you that!" At the other voice, however, Reize blinks, "...That's cheer!" The young boy turns to see the presence of another woman, then he looks over towards Nagetta, "Ooii! Yeah, it looks like you missed out on things." Reize considers Nagetta's words, then he shrugs, "Beats me. For now, we probably will head back to base and look into this gummi that we found." 

:'''[[Royce]] has posed:''' As is always the case, Royce's senses are keyed up to high alert. No matter that this world may not be the one in which she has spent over five hundred years in constant battle for her survival and supremacy among those who still know of the existence of magic, danger can lurk around every corner. She may be ageless but the voice in her head is keen to remind her that she is not immortal. Upon hearing her name called, or rather, that of one of her many aliases, 'Alicia' slowly swivels her head sideways with almost mechanical precision to regard the source of the interruption to her work. And it just turns out to be that guy she met in the forest. The witch is not capable of feeling annoyed but her eyelids drop slightly in a faint display of irritation. Fortunately, the upper half of her face is still cloaked in shadows so it goes unnoticed. The woman quickly puts her utensils back into the small satchel at her side and reaches up to free her head from the confines of the loose hood. A sight not unlike that which Ivo witnessed upon their first meeting is presented as her silver hair flows elegantly down around her shoulders and back but it lacks the magical glamour that she was able to wield in the moon-lit forest. "And I see you've not yet learned I'm immune to your silver tongue, fufufu."

:'''[[Violet]] has posed:''' Glancing back at Reize as he shoots Ivo a glare before bitting into the Gummi again, Violet blinks her pale eyes lightly with some surprise before she lifts her free hand, trying to cover a smile behind her fingers. It was funny. And after a moment of holding in a chuckle she manages to press her lips together to keep it in, her attention pulling away to other matters as more people arrive. And a witch? She's only heard of witches in fairy tales.

:'''[[Ivo Galvan]] has posed:''' "Men are blessed with boundless optimism," is the swordsman's reply, still grinning, his attention primarily focused on the silver-haired witch, "and I've yet to reveal all my tongue's tricks." Ivo, the children. "Everyone, this is Alicia. She's the reason I was able to help us navigate Macalania and find those flowers; we teamed up to gather some rare herbs earlier. Alicia, these are my friends, Reize, Violet, and Nagetta." He jauntily gestures toward each in turn. "Reize is our fearless leader. Just now, he tried to fearlessly eat some sort of building material. It's such courage that inspires our confidence in him." To be fair, Ivo, all of the building material in this village is, in fact, edible. As if recalling this, he glances down at the tomato in his hand, which he seems to have plucked just out of lack of anything better to do. Now, however, his eyes have narrowed in thought. "Something else we need to do, huh?" The lamia's question has made Ivo contemplative. "Hungry, huh?" Reize's forlorn comment has-- caused the corners of Ivo's lips to quirk up rather forebodingly. "Maybe what they need is some sort of diversion. Some sort of entertainment. Like a performance, or a game. Like maybe a..." And then, with no further warning, he whirls his arm around and HURLS the tomato straight at Reize, now grinning hugely, eyebrows shooting up. "Fruit fight!!" Whereupon he dives behind the massive carrot he was previously leaning against for cover, as several of the Apathetics slowly look over, vaguely stirred by the ruckus.

:'''[[Nagetta]] has posed:''' "Well, there's plenty of fruit here. Unless you're tired of that. I don't know how long you've been here for..." Nagetta suggests to Reize. "Do you want me to go back with you?" She figures they might be tired and need some extra protection. Her attention turns towards Violet and Alicia. She doesn't believe that's she's met them before. "Hello..." She's interuptted by Ivo throwing the tomato at Reize. She looks a bit confused about what's going on.

:'''[[Reize Seatlan]] has posed:''' Reize had long given up on the gummi, no longer finding it edible. Instead, Reize focuses on Ivo's friend, offering her a smile, "Oooi! Yeah, I'm the leader of the Shard Seekers. Pleased to meet you!" At Ivo's jive, Reize's antenna hair directs itself at Ivo pointedly. The boy furrows his eyebrows, trying to figure out what to eat. As he muses for food... *SPLAT!* The boy gets a facefull of a tomato. The red splot covers his face as he staggers back. "Oof!" It is then that Reize directs his gaze at Ivo, getting a tomato from the side. "Grrr.. I'll show you!" Reize is winding the pitch. He flings the tomato towards Ivo. ...Except that it sails past him. Or nowhere near him. It's destination: Violet's bosom. 

:'''[[Royce]] has posed:''' "Oho... /quite/ optimistic, indeed." The witch rests her hands on her hips in a mildly chiding fashion as she gives Ivo an amused smirk but her cyclopean gaze is drawn towards his companions upon their introduction. A young boy, a slightly older girl, and... a naga? That last one makes her eyebrows rise slightly. Since when were monsters friendly with humans? How interesting. "Quite the entourage." Alicia dips her head in greeting to the others, giving them a warm smile each in turn. She goes quiet for a few moments, pondering something to herself. And then there's fruit flying around. How bizarre. The witch's mind scans through her collected years of experience trying to place such an event outside of foolish children's games but it would seem that Ivo is indeed just that immature. Her bangs flutter as she exhales in an exasperated fashion. There really isn't time for this sort of a distraction. The secrets she seeks aren't getting any closer while she fools around here. Still she doesn't want to make it obvious she's trying to slip away. Alicia taps her chin for a moment and then bends down to scoop up some of the gelatinous mass from one of the walls of a nearby hut. It feels much like jello. She hasn't had time to properly analyze the stuff but it doesn't seem to be melting her armor so the woman just shrugs and then turns and flings the stuff towards Ivo, aiming for his face. If she can blind him for a few moments she'll be home free!

:'''[[Violet]] has posed:''' Violet blinks her pale eyes blankly as a tomato is suddenly thrown through the air. By Ivo. And Reize ends up with a face-full of tomato. tBoth hands snap up to cover her mouth instantly, once more keeping in the laughter that threatens to spill out. Never before has she seen such antics. And Reize was preparing a counter strike! As he throws, Violet curls her fingers against her chin as she glances towards Ivo, where she expects the tomato will land. Only... The tomato splats in the precise center in her chest, allowing the girl to blink blankly with surprise for a full moment. Then, she burns a bright a red as that tomato, her hands quietly trying to push off the mushed pieces, but it was already too late. The juices had splattered everywhere.

:'''[[Ivo Galvan]] has posed:''' With opponents like these, Ivo has nothing to worry about. The still-grinning knight-errant emerges from behind cover to watch with amusement as Reize's half-blind and wild throw goes just about where you expect it would. "As usual, the fates benefit you in ways you fail to appreciate," the alleged elder of the group says, shrugging and shaking his head in mock resignation before his grin resumes and he turns to where, near him, Royce appears to be examining the wall of a building. "You see that, Alicia? It'd be wisest if you took off your top in adva--" SPLAT. A mass of gelantinous goo lands square in Ivo's own face, karma doing what it does best, and stunned, he staggers back at first, but bumps right into the carrot he was hiding behind and ends up slipping in some of the stray goo and stumbling forward instead, arms whirling in an effort to regain his balance. But it is futile, and his critical fumble sends him careening forward, goo-splattered face first-- "Waaahh!" --straight toward Royce's chest. Maybe Ivo /has/ been spending too much time around Reize.

:'''[[Nagetta]] has posed:''' "Why are you wasting food?" Nagetta's puzzled by this. Humans could be so confusing sometimes. Of course she bets they've never had to eat people in order to survive. It seems like she doesn't quite grasp the concept of a food fight.

:'''[[Reize Seatlan]] has posed:''' "I got you, Ivo!" The boy shakes a fist as he tries to wipe the tomato juice from his face. He is currently blinded a bit by the juices. However, the boy starts wiping his face once more to clear the tomato gunk out. It is then that the boy finally sees the fruit of his labor. All on Annalise's chest. "Uhhh..." Reize stares for a moment, "...Oops?" The boy turns to face Nagetta, "It's not waste of food! It's all for fun!" 

:'''[[Royce]] has posed:''' Direct hit! Alicia smugly grins as her tactic pays off despite the horrid aim of her shot. As a witch, she knows full well the power of luck and today it has favored her greatly. Now all she has to do is slip away quietly while these buffoons play games... 'Waaahh!' A sudden muffled outcry comes from nearby and despite her better sense, the woman turns to see what has happened. A look of wild surprise overwhelms her as Ivo's goo-covered face comes sailing towards her with his body rushing desperately to keep up. There isn't any time for her to dodge and her form of magic isn't the sort that is called up on a whim which leaves her only the option to brace and prepare for the worst. A final stumble causes the tall lanky man to pitch headfirst. The ground here is soft enough that he doesn't have to worry about any permanent damage from taking a spill but something far softer and bouncy catches his face in a crevasse that almost seems custom molded for his face. *Boing* Alicia slowly opens her eye to assess the damage. Well that wasn't so bad, she barely even felt... And the reason for the cushioned impact then becomes quite obvious. The witch stares at him for a moment not quite sure how to react to this. There are several responses that seem appropriate, most of which end up with Ivo in a smouldering heap. But his friends might take offense to that. Aha! Idea! Alicia reaches up and wraps her hands around the back of Ivo's head, pressing him further against her ample bossom. "Oh my! Are you alright? You didn't hurt yourself did you?" Nevermind the fact that he can't breath now. The fruity paste makes for a wonderful sealant on any gaps that might have allowed air down into her cleavage. No one will blame her if he accidentally dies doing what he loved, right?

:'''[[Violet]] has posed:''' 'Oops.' The flush still lingers in her cheeks as Violet gives Reize a mildly flat glance. But he makes a mistake. The moment he turns away to reply to Nagetta, the girl smoothly swipes a whole tomato and promptly throws it back at him in return. Retaliation!

:'''[[Ivo Galvan]] has posed:''' Ivo dies and goes to heaven. Or so it seems to him, when he emerges from his jelly-induced confusion to find himself enveloped in a pillowy softness and sweet aroma, light-headed and graced with a sense of profound tranquility and satisfaction. Lying there, stunned, it takes the muffled gallant several moments to realize that his air is completely cut off, and several moments more to realize that he is trapped. By that point his daze has intensified, and he hears Alicia's seemingly concerned words from far off, feeling himself drift into slumber. Little does he realize it would be an eternal slumber, or that it would not be such a peaceful rest once Royce had her way with him. If he did, he would definitely-- probably-- well, regardless, it appears that our hero is on the verge of defeat from the witch's ultimate attack. But the swordsman's twitching arm ends up catching on a vice which had trailed its away about the house next to them, and a sudden tug sends a whole bushel of huge grapes, swollen to the size of oranges, scattering down upon the two, splattering them both with juice and freeing Ivo just in the nick of time. He collapses back, gasping for breath, eyes glazed over. "I saw a light," he murmurs, stupefied. "And it spoke to me and said, 'What do you think this is, an adventure game from the 90s? This isn't one of your Bad Ends.'" He pauses, and then furrows his brow, mind seeming to clear. "Not sure what that was about, frankly." Well, you almost had him, Royce. Clearly, it's the most effective technique for killing Ivo. You should probably try again. And again, and again. One way or another, he's sure to become your zombie slave.

:'''[[Reize Seatlan]] has posed:''' After the tomato falls over to the girl's chest, Reize is still in the daze. Errr.. Oops. The tomato is splattered all over her chest. ... All over her chest. All of over. Wait. Wait. Wait. ... Is this what Ivo ends up thinking about? Oh right, Reize is talking to Nagetta about the wonders of the food fight! Nevertheless, Reize is creening his head over towards Violet, "It was a--.." WHOMP! Reize gets a face full of tomato. And he trips against the gummi. GUMMI'S REVENGE! Reize is rolling down the hill. Rolling... and rolling. Meanwhile... The hooded figure snaps at the other hooded figure, "You fruit! You can be all with the fruit that you want! It suits you, you fruit! I am going to go back to being a great fighter and introduce the world to Rhinotaur Ravager to get revenge--..." Reize slams RIGHT into the hooded figure. Reize's status: x_x Hooded figure's status: x_X Both collectively groan. 

:'''[[Royce]] has posed:''' Yes, just a little bit more. The necromancer smiles darkly as she feels the life ebbing from the fool held helplessly in her grasp like a fly in a spider's web. Her hand presses him down firmly and despite his struggles the strength to fight back has already escaped him by the time he realises what's going on. As fate would have it, the very same fruit that has glued him to a little slice of heaven is the savior for the unfortunate knight. An onslaught of massive grapes comes tumbling down atop the witch and while her body might be nearly indestructible due to the magic binding it together, she is no more resistant to being pummeled by oversized fruit. Alicia staggers backwards and lands heavily on her rear. The massive cannon on her back makes a wet splat as it digs into the plaible ground but otherwise she is unharmed - and so is Ivo. She clucks her tongue at this realization but that could easily be miscontrued for annoyance at being knocked down. "Ooof! Well... that was unfortunate! Are you alright?"

:'''[[Shiki Misaki]] has posed:''' Shiki Misaki puts up an umbrella, because she was totally here this whole time and just watching things go nuts, you know. She also hands Reize a handkerchief. "What."

:'''[[Ivo Galvan]] has posed:''' "Somehow," Ivo replies blearily, tragically unaware of Reize's hilarious fate, half-consciously wiping the remnants of goo from his face. "Actually," he adds in a speculative tone, "I feel really good, for some reason. What exactly..." Wow, he /must/ be disoriented. "...oh, you're a mess," he notices at last, clearly unaware that he and his beloved cloak have suffered a similar fate at this point. He retains the self-possession, at least, to manage another grin. "Why don't we take a bath? That pool in Macalania Forest looked like--" Blessedly, the vines that he destabilized at last tear free of their moorings just at this moment and their thick trunk collides with the back of his head, flooring Ivo and stunning him all over again. It seems like the Shard Seekers are more or less incapacitated for now. At last, Royce has her chance to escape. Surprisingly, though, the Apathetics look somewhat less apathetic than before. A large crowd of them are staring at where the fruit fight took place, no doubt having not seen such a display of exuberance in quite some time, and look unusually engaged. It probably wouldn't be too wise to try finish anyone off under these circumstances. Still, maybe this means that Ivo's ploy to 'complete the quest' wasn't so bad after all. It's probably a coincidence.

The Bewitching Woods

2013-05-17T06:19:24Z

IvoGalvan: Created page with "{{Log Header |Date of Scene=2013/05/17 |Location=Northern Continent - Macalania Forest |Synopsis=Pausing to take in the extraordinary vision of the Northern Continent's crysta..."

{{Log Header
|Date of Scene=2013/05/17
|Location=Northern Continent - Macalania Forest
|Synopsis=Pausing to take in the extraordinary vision of the Northern Continent's crystal forest on his way to Fruit Village, Ivo encounters a black-clad nymph who turns out to be just his type -- or so she pretends to be -- and Royce encounters a knight-errant eager to assist in her moonlit errand. But then, perhaps pretending /is/ Ivo's type.
|Cast of Characters=Ivo Galvan, Royce
|pretty=yes
}}
:'''[[Ivo Galvan]] has posed:''' "That kid..." Shifting his cloak back on his shoulders as he rests his hand on Hauteclare's hilt, Ivo murmurs to himself in a tone of mingled and mild affection and frustration-- "...to think he's already wandered so far." --all belied by the wonder sparkling in his eyes. He is staring up at the crystalline beauty of Macalania Forest above him, standing poised upon a narrow and twisting pathway cut through the brush. The trees about him scintillate with the refracted dusk, the sun having settled beneath the horizon and painted the sky a darkening navy blue, and the rustling of the wind through glass leaves is like the tinkling of chimes. It is not too much farther to the Fruit Village, where last Ivo heard Reize's merry band has stopped, and where the knight-errant hopes to catch up with his still more errant friends. "I have to worry about his fixation on fruit." He doesn't look worried at all. Actually, thinking about that seems to amuse him, for some reason, but not so much that he is distracted from the natural beauty around him. He'd heard rumors of this place, but seeing it in person is something else entirely. The Shard Seeker swordsman's curiosity is never sated, but-- "It's definitely good to be back." A sight like this can tide him over for some time.

:'''[[Royce]] has posed:''' Beauty. It is a concept both familiar and foreign to the woman that wanders through the forest as the sun edges its way below the ragged line of the horizon. The labyrinth of gnarled and twisted trees makes it difficult to see very far even among the leafty pathways that meander high above the ground like natural catwalks. As the daystar disappears amid the crystal lattice of leaves and foliage it casts a kaleidescope burst of color through their transluscent forms painting the smooth canvas of her pale skin in a myriad of hues the likes of which she has seen only in the workings of fae magic. Some small part of Royce recognizes the display as the magical sight that it is and she pauses midstride to turn her head at revel in the moment of indigenous splendor. The thought is fleeting, however, and the faint trace of a smile fades immediately from her features as they return to the drab and expressionless mask at the rumble of the presence in the back of her mind. Do not dally, girl! We are not here to indulge in your childish fascination with sparkles and rainbows. The night is upon us now! Soon the moonwither will blossom and we must be sure to collect ample specimens afore the dawn. Royce does not bother to protest the insistence of the voice, knowing full well the futility of attempting to sway it with what little emotional desires she has left and fully aware of the pain it can inflict should she test its impatience. Though many might consider their relationship to be one of master and slave, she sees it as more symbiotic. The inhabitant of the book protects and guides her with the knowledge of untold ages and she in turn acts as its hands on the physical realm. It's not a bad deal, all in all. For the next hour or so the witch makes her way along the well-worn trails that lead through the forest proper, stopping every so often when the tell-tale signs of magic from the locator spell she can conjured up draw her away towards one of the elusive flowers. It takes several minutes to extract the essence, the volitile nature of the plant requiring that she distill it's petals on-site. Beakers and phials clings softly among each other in the ordinary woven basket she carries and with the hood drawn up on her short black jacket, she could easily pass for a far more sinister version of Red Riding Hood. The wanderings of the evening carry her far, though she passes no other living soul save the occasional creature that calls this mystical place home. That is until she steps from the underbrush directly into the path that Ivo currently occupies. She almost doesn't seem him at all, so focused is the young woman on her task and the guiding beacon of light visible only to her spellbound eye. However, the dark presence in her mind is quick to correct the error. A sharp burst of pressure, like nails digging directly into her brain, causes her to seize up and instinctively she whips her head to the side in search of the source that prompted the warning. Her lone eye falls upon the wandering knight almost instantly, a glimmering coal of neon red beneath the shadow of her deep hood. There is a moment of silence as she considers the man before her, mentally deciding on a course of action which gives him time to take the initiative should he so choose.

:'''[[Ivo Galvan]] has posed:''' Ivo, too, has encountered no other wanderers within these breathless woods. Perhaps that is why he has taken to murmuring to himself, providing a sound to accompany, on occasion, the sylvan whisperings above and his boots on the ground below. It is in a moment of contemplative silence, however, that Royce steps into view, and the knight-errant turns quietly, his eyebrows lifting. A slight smile of interest quirks up the corners of his lips, his boundless curiosity piqued by this new arrival. His gaze shifts to her eerie eyepatch, rifle swathed with chains, the tattoos upon her belly, and her... ample specimens. Soon she notices him, and she whips her head around immediately, saying a little about her already. Considering his options, Ivo reflects on how he ought to treat with a woman such as this. * * * "You said it's called a 'DVD'?" "Yeah, a form of recorded entertainment. This one's called 'Entrapment'." Ivo settles down upon a couch in the small Manhattan sublet, dressed for this world in a sport coat and jeans, next to Reize, and picks up the remote. "The guy at the store said something about a 'laser scene' being worth seeing." Eventually, the beautiful actress wakes up naked in the distinguished old gentleman's bed, while he sits sort of bizarrely in the corner, and as she demands to know the circumstances, he leans back and offers, in his thick accent, timeless words of wisdom. "Rule Number One: Never carry a gun. Rule Number Two: Never trust a naked woman." * * * She's only half-naked, and /she's/ the one with the gun, but Ivo is pretty sure the old man's lessons still apply. "Breathtaking, isn't it?" Ivo's hand has left the hilt of his sword as though it were never there, his posture relaxed and smile amiable. Though his eyes are clear and focused on her own, there is a tranquil air to him, that of one whose soul has been touched by these surroundings -- as indeed it has. "Pardon me for disturbing you," he continues, his somewhat laidback tone contraposing the politeness of his words. "From the look of your garb, you must be--" He sizes her up, a little exaggeratedly. "--in mourning." It was the color that struck him!? "My condolensces," he says, inclining his head in a small bow, "upon the tragic loss of your decency." What's tragic is that he /still/ couldn't resist a joke.

:'''[[Royce]] has posed:''' The rather casual question hits Royce strangely as she is sizing up the level of threat that this person represents, trying to decide if he might have suitable parts to carry back to her lab or if she should just annihilate him completely and leave no traces for passersby to find. However, unlike the reaction of most to her appearance on first glance, he does not panic or become wary. This alone ironically makes her even more cautious of /him/ but the chance to take the rarely used Option C - have a normal human conversation - is one that she is not keen to pass up. "Yes." She pulls away the hood that obscures her fair face, allowing a veritable ocean of silver-white hair to spill out over her shoulders. The light of the crystalline trees pours down from all directions upon this new reflective surface and, as if she had planned for this, her hair practically seems to shimmer in a flow of rainbow sparkles. Just a little touch of the old charm magic, just to prove she's still capable of drawing attention where she wants it. In the short instant that it takes to reveal her face, Royce allows her features to soften up and shift into a more innocent and girlish mien and when she looks upon Ivo once more it is with a bright and coy smile. Both of her hands shift to wrap about the handle of the woven basket and she holds it infront of her waist, forcing her arms to press in against the side of her breasts, pushing them outwards in a way that cannot be definitively proven to be on purpose. The witch allows a giggle to escape her lips and she turns sideways in a fake display of modesty. "Don't say it like that, you'll make me blush!" She pauses and smirks over the top of an exposed shoulder. "Though, I suppose I should be flattered that you noticed me with all of these pretty trees around."

:'''[[Ivo Galvan]] has posed:''' Sometimes, non-magical charm works well enough. Ivo, unaware of how perilously close he came to being dissected, is merely relieved to see that she doesn't regard him as a threat, or at least no longer does. But relief is swept away by wonder all over again as he bears witness to radiant beauty once more. His eyes widen as his gaze follows the tumble of her hair, which glimmers like spun moonlight in light made ethereal by the trees above. "Breathtaking," he repeats, and this time, it's not even an intentional compliment. It's uncommon for Ivo to lose his composure, but his aesthete's sensibility is always an avenue toward imbalancing him. So it is that Royce times her questionably intentional and seductive gesture well, and Ivo, typically proud of his own self-possession, spends several moments staring at the young woman's appealing assets before remembering himself and abruptly looking back up. "Ah ha ha..." Looking at her face isn't too bad either. Was she that cute? "I couldn't resist." She has a sense of humor, too. Ivo grins, this unexpected encounter getting better by the minute. "Not at all," he replies rather grandly to her last comment, before spreading his arms wide, still with a lively grin. "In this forest of wonders, it's only natural that I would mistake you for a nymph. Or am I not mistaken?" As is usual, he shows absolutely no shame. The hammier the compliments, the more into it he gets. "Ivo Galvan, at your service, I hope," he says in a way that cannot be definitively proven to be suggestive, placing a hand upon his chest, grin subsiding into a warm smile. "And you, fair nymph?" After a moment, quirking an eyebrow slightly, still smiling, he nods over her shoulder. "And what's /his/ name?" He seems to be referring to Royce's conspicuous gun.

:'''[[Royce]] has posed:''' Ivo's suggestion that she may be a forest fairy of some sort is ironically not far off the mark. While she was human once upon a time, the intervention of the Weird Sisters has linked her life to that of their fae magic and in turn granted her a measure of their eternal existence. An existence that has since been defiled and corrupted through the dark necromancy of a being nearly as old as time. Royce's carefully suggestive posture and tone of voice are completely fake, the capacity to truly display such emotion having been seared from her mind centuries past in her misguided quest for power. Instead what Ivo sees is the result of years of careful observation and practiced mimicry. Though she may not truly understand the drive or motivations behind her actions on anything but a logical level, she knows the effects that they can have on other people. Ivo's reaction falls well within the anticipated outcomes of her flirting and so she carries on as planned. "Fufufu, you flatter me, Ivo Galvan." Her voice is soft and ephemeral, almost as a reflection of their surroundings. Another little piece of magic at her disposal. The tone, however, is somewhat flat and monotone; not entirely displeasing but the trait is there. Royce's smile deepens and she turns further away, now peering at him through her good eye over her shoulder. "Hmm. You can call me Alicia. This big guy doesn't have a name but," she wiggles her hips back and forth right in time with that word, causing the heavy weapon to shift on its chains noisily, "He does like to introduce himself to people who think of doing untoward things to innocent young maidens in the forest."

:'''[[Ivo Galvan]] has posed:''' Though Ivo has a few conspicuous blind spots in his ability to read the emotions and intentions of others, it takes great skill to fool him into taking feigned sentiment for true. The Shard Seeker swordsman would not expect for a moment that within Royce's breast lies a cold heart dull to this play. Perhaps what has taken him in more even than her charms -- to which he often pretends to be more receptive than he is -- is the intuition that there is a double-layer to her words, her way of projecting maidenly modesty with a glimmer of greater maturity behind it. It's exactly the sort of personality that appeals to him. It's a little like his own personality, really, if you inverted the modesty. And it's a classic strategy that he's fallen prey to: to layer an obvious ruse over a subtle ruse. Who'd imagine that her /whole/ persona is a ruse? "Not as much as your clothes flatter you," is Ivo's easy reply, the young man pleased with what he thinks is a mutually entertaining back-and-forth. Her flat tone, a little at odds with her wondrous voice, is chalked up to the same juxtaposition of her girlish charms and womanly maturity. Ivo is too caught up in the moment to suspect more than that. "Alicia..." He tests out the name while admiring the way her, uh, gun, er, shifts. "I too am the born enemy of such scoundrels," he proclaims unhesitatingly, with the same ironic twinkle of amusement in his eyes. "As I do have a name, perhaps I can join forces with that big fellow and, with our powers combined, fend off any erstwhile ruffians." What power in a name? Well, a witch would know. "May I assist you in whatever errand you're about?" His tone turns a bit less outrageous, and more sincere, as he smiles amiably again. "I could quicken your efforts, so that you might get to less lonely ground more swiftly." He can catch up with Reize later. This is more important. Like, way more important.

:'''[[Royce]] has posed:''' Royce says nothing back to him at first, merely offering another coy smile in response to his obviously playful banter. Despite the pressing insistence that her associate was even now hammering against the walls of her mind, she finds herself enjoying the strangely unexpected encounter. She has no intentions of taking it beyond words, ofcourse, but it is a pleasant distraction from the endless search for knowledge and power that typically drives her from day to day. "Hmm, I am not so sure you two would get along, I am afraid. He does get /ever/ so protective." She turns to face Ivo once more at the mention of work, her facade fading a little as she ponders his offer seriously. Having another set of hands around to search for the flowers would certainly lighten her workload but his lack of proper knowledge in the care and handling of the poisonous blossoms would either send him to an early death or, at best, destroy the flowers. She puts a finger on the front of her lips, tapping at their full plush surface in a thoughtful manner for several seconds. Finally, she smiles at him again and nods. "Well, I suppose that I could use a helping hand. Do you know anything about alchemy?"

:'''[[Ivo Galvan]] has posed:''' Perhaps it's not all in Ivo's head. Every time she smiles, he smiles a little wider, encouraged by her own enjoyment. Though he can put on a show of base motives, at his best, the urbane adventurer aspires to a world of pleasant diversions which he hopes to share with all those inclined to participate, and every time someone reciprocates his antics, he feels himself to have found a kindred spirit of a sort. Of course, the base motives aren't /always/ a show. "Ah," he remarks ruefully regarding her gun, "an elder brother." A familiar scenario, Sir Galvan? If she keeps drawing his gaze to her lips like that, he'll affirm any query. But Ivo seems to take her question seriously, reaching up to cup his chin thoughtfully. "I was an engineer by training," he says, perhaps surprisingly, "but my general education included chemistry. Still, it's always hard to know what of my knowledge still applies in these new worlds." He pauses for a moment, then smiles again, looks rather intrigued by the prospect of whatever challenge is in store. "If your endeavor involves a delicate procedure, perhaps I could observe briefly, and assist you once I have a grasp of the process?" Wow, how reasonable. "I'm a quick study," he assures her. "And very dedicated. Ardent, even. I also possess extraordinary stamina." Yeah, never mind.

:'''[[Royce]] has posed:''' Royce allows her lips to tweak upwards ever so slightly at the clear double meaning that is becoming obvious behind the man's words. She cannot help but to respond in kind. "Oh, you have no idea how nice it is to meet a man who knows how to grasp things... delicately," she says playfully. "My work is quite ardous and taxing but I'm sure someone with your hardy constitution could go aaall night." She gives him a wink that clearly conveys her lack of sincerity in this exchange but she does open the basket and set it down on the pathway between then. Several vials are taken out, each filled with a viscous liquid of some sort in an array of bright colors. The witch lays them out infront of her and kneels down, leaning forward to point at the first one. "Now pay attention and try not to get too distracted up there, fufufu. Your life may depend on it." She winks again. Surely she's joking, right? Either way, Royce proceeds to show him the method by which she is distilling the essence of the flowers she seeks, finishing up by wandering off for a few minutes to find a sample to show him once she's sure he has the basic idea down. The process is not terribly difficult but carelessness could seal his fate.

:'''[[Ivo Galvan]] has posed:''' Ahh, he wants to grasp them. "I won't let you down," Ivo valiantly replies, his enjoyment tempered only by the regretful knowledge that there's a ninety-percent chance she's one-hundred percent joking. "With my help, you'll finish faster than you've ever finished before." You mean the job, Ivo, the /job/ will finish. Ohh, from this angle, he can almost see-- "Of course," the knight-errant says, all business, as he settles down on his haunches to watch close-up, smothering his profound reluctance to lose his vantage point. The 'extraordinary stamina' line is questionable, and it's possible Ivo doesn't even know what ardor feels like, but the rest of his big talk seems to be more or less as billed. Though he's a little lost at first, as the techniques involved obey different principles than those of his homeworld, once he gets a sense of the context, the knight-errant seems to pick up easily. Moreover, his diligence belies his exterior; some blend of mental rigor and an eye for detail allows him to repeat processes he's studied with exacting accuracy. At the very least, it doesn't seem like anything's going to blow up in his face, unless her allegedly protective gun decides to. "You made it sound so difficult," Ivo eventually remarks, in a deliberately breezy tone. "I'll be bored if I'm not further challenged. Why not try distracting me during the hard parts?" Maybe it should.

:'''[[Royce]] has posed:''' "Oh, don't worry," Royce says, leaning in close for a moment, her voice turning sultry and soft. "I know /exactly/ how to make the hard parts more enjoyable." BY THE BLACK SOULS OF THE DEFILERS, GET ON WITH IT, GIRL. If the sun rises before we meet our quota, I shall remind you the folly of failure! Her eye squeezes shut against the railing voice, her brain feeling as if it is being rattled around in her skull. The witch recovers after a few seconds, her vision swimming as she gives Ivo another forced smile. "Now hold still a moment." Royce chants a few arcane words and her clawed metal fingers cut symbols that linger in the air like ragged red wounds. Reaching out to touch his forehead, she utters a final word of power and the symbols fly into his eyes, searing their magic into his mind. The process is a little painful but nothing overwhelming. Retracting her hand, the young woman quickly scoots the impliments on the ground over towards him and gives him a sizeable cloth to bundle them all up. "Now, simply follow the glowing lines in the air and you will find more of these flowers. You must hurry because they only bloom at night. Get me as many vials as you can, okay~?"

:'''[[Ivo Galvan]] has posed:''' Ivo is officially smitten. He's in the midst of reveling over how this is, like, the best forest in the world, when his merry grin falters and his eyes sharpen with concern as for the first time Royce lets her facade fall, even if only briefly, and seems to experience a moment of pain. Not that our young gallant is surprised to see that this gylph-laden minx is suffering from something or other, but if it can crack her considerable self-control -- not that he's aware just how /much/ she has -- it has to be intense. "Alicia, are--" He doesn't have time to finish before she touches his forehead. He'd prefer bare skin to gloves, but physical contact is enough to distract him into silence even before the spell infuses Ivo, visibly startling him. "Hrghh..." He grimaces, but recovers from the pain, and rather than reacting negatively to her failure to warn him to brace himself or anything, he grins a little lopsidedly. "Oh, is that what it was?" Not quite, Ivo. Oho, so it's a time trial? Then it's more interesting than he thought. Looking almost boyish with eagerness, a side of himself he typically tries to disguise, Ivo takes up the equipment and nods. "You won't be disappointed," he says confidently, without any particular basis. "Think of an appropriate reward for me, won't you? Or, better yet, an inappropriate reward." And with that, he's off. Good call, Ivo. The appropriate reward would be shooting you.

:'''[[Royce]] has posed:''' Royce stands up and gives him another overly playful wink, continuing to play the part that seems to have enthralled her new acquaintance in this short drama. "Make me happy and I'll be sure to return the favor, fufufu." She scoops up the basket filled with her remaining supplies and heads off in the opposite direction of whichever glowing line leads Ivo away. The voice continues to grumble but it dies down to a low grinding rumble instead of an insistent pounding in her head before fading entirely into the background noise of the forest itself. With two people, one of which might or might not survive long enough to be useful, looking for the flowers she has an even better chance of getting all she needs in time. Not that they couldn't have simply come back again the next night but the book was rather badly impatient for something almost as old as humanity itself. The witch disappears into the forest and immerses herself back in her work. For some reason she continues to keep up the facade of cheerfulness despite Ivo being quite far away. Perhaps she's merely being cautious but something tells her that this expression and attitude is far more... suiting somehow. Like it belongs. Carefully, to avoid the notice of his thrall, the dark presence within the book supresses these thoughts until they vanish completely. Such encounters were necessary for the woman but they always brought trouble with them and once more he is forced to wipe away the faint presistant traces of memory that somehow keep resurfacing. Some day, he would find the secrets he sought and this vessel would no longer be necessary. But after thousands of years, hopping from body to body, he was willing to wait as long as it took.

Historical Events

2013-05-16T07:15:59Z

IvoGalvan: /* Manhattan */

= Year 0 =
Formation of the World of Ruin.

== September ==
Scrooge McDuck's Seasalt Icecream recipe is stolen by Magica De Spell and her heartless minions. Heroes and adventurers are hired in order to find back the recipe!

== October ==
The Seasalt Icecream Recipe is gathered, once in pieces, now whole again. This is the first reveal of Sora, during which he unlocks the World Shard that was hidden within the recipe. Since then, a tram runs between New Orleans and the Traverse area bounded Bodhum.

Meanwhile, somewhere far darker, Shadow Lords ponder the fall of Manhattan.

== November ==
Bad tidings befall Manhattan, as the Shadow Lords start their dark workings within the city.

== December ==

==== Manhattan ====
Things finally go awry in Manhattan. The digital machine that gives access to the Grid is stolen from Flynn's arcade by LEXUS, and subsequently stolen by ShinRa from said Shadow Lord. Heartless become more and more common, until finally the Shadow Lords trick the heroes by forcing them to split up their forces in multiple locations - while they use the key to the world to plunge the city and world into darkness. Valiant defenders do their best, but not only is the Empire State Building stolen by LEXUS and placed onto the Grid, so too do the rest of the Shadow Lords succeed in their task. And with the fall of Manhattan, so has Atlantis.

Immediately, plans start forming to return Manhattan to its former glory. But... is such a thing even possible?

During the first month following the lost of the city, two figures got lost in the darkness that claimed Manhattan, and managed to find a way out alive : [[Riku]] and [[Will Sherman]].

==== Serendipity ====
A joint effort between Don Corneo, Chocolina and The Queen of Cards to look for the missing artifacts that would bring back to the foreground the land of eternal carnival known as Serendipity. After a casino overrun by heartless, an encounter with a Chocobo Eater, and a crawl through Timmy's Old Well, the land was restored.

= Year 1 =
== January ==
Strange things start happening around Fluorgis. At first, it's nothing that your average adventurer can handle. But as things continue along, the city starts losing its shine.

Heroes also find out that the way to restore Manhattan exists, and this needs to be done by finding all of its shards and combining them. One of them in particular is offered as a reward by Hades in an all-out tournament!

== February ==

==== Fluorgis ====

The Shard Seekers and other adventurers stand at the center as this city marked by the defense of its clans and the Fire Crystal comes under attack! Baron is involved, but ends up denying all involvement. Many heroes from all around the worlds come to protect this city and the 'togetherness' it stands for. What's more, the Fire Crystal is saved from a far darker fate!

==== Manhattan ====

Heroes continue to hunt down the shards for Manhattan. Having obtained the shard from Hades, little stands in their way from completing their intended mission. Or... is there?

An ultimatum, a single warning, was thrown over the inhabitants of Traverse Town, simply telling them that they will be the next ones to lose their own. The group of adventurers that joined to stop them were unfortunately unable to stop them... and yet, the Shadow Lords simply left without taking the town, only saying that this was a proof that no matter what the 'heroes' attempted, they would always be a step ahead of them.

==== Pride Lands ====

A shard was discovered, opening the path to a new world, known as a Pride Lands. The first step through the portal revealed how any creature moving into that world get transformed into an animal. It would seem that the world beyond it is a land of wild animals, in a mix of jungle, desert mountains and savannah.

== March ==
The heroes have to go into the underworld to retrieve Manhattan's Dusk Princess, Avira, in order to restore Manhattan. And after a gambit of their own, the heroes distract the Shadow Lords long enough to combine the shards and venture into the dark wasted Manhattan in order to return its light. And after a long struggle, as a group, they succeed - creating further hope for the future.

<headertabs/>

Shore of Memories

2013-05-16T04:49:25Z

IvoGalvan: Created page with "{{Log Header |Date of Scene=2013/05/16 |Location=Traverse Area - Bodhum - Beach |Synopsis=Ivo, returned from his long absence, and Maira, weary from her long struggle, meet ag..."

{{Log Header
|Date of Scene=2013/05/16
|Location=Traverse Area - Bodhum - Beach
|Synopsis=Ivo, returned from his long absence, and Maira, weary from her long struggle, meet again at last, so that knight and princess may come to terms -- and join hands and hearts in friendship.
|Cast of Characters=Ivo Galvan, Maira
|pretty=yes
}}
:'''[[Ivo Galvan]] has posed:''' A lone figure stands on Bodhum's beach, his elongated shadow splashed across the sunset-hued sands. The horizon is a cascade of orange and indigo, and the waves are dark and gentle, their sound a soothing rhythm. He faces away from the ocean, blue cloak and shirt's high white collar rustling with the occasional breeze, gazing down at the lit display of the pristine replacement cellphone in his hand. "The beach, huh..." Ivo has seen much of the beach these past few months. "Appropriate, I suppose..." But this shore-- "Could be I'll need to be forgiven all over again." --is special. Ivo smiles to himself, but there's no trace of irony. His eyes are soft and warm as he looks down at a list labeled Call History, with just one item: a connected call between 'Me' and 'Maira'.

:'''[[Maira]] has posed:''' Maira was pretty surprised to hear from Ivo, but since she was still in town she agreed to meet with him. Yeah, he'll be needing an explanation and it may not be good enough. Maira shows up in a pale blue sundress with a bit of lace around the neck, her feet in sandals. She's about ready to get going--to where she wasn't even sure yet. But she can do this first. It was weird to see Ivo after all this time. She gives him a look over. He looks....well fed. He looks...tan! Maira blinks. "Uh....hi Ivo. I'm glad to see you are well...puzzled, but glad."

:'''[[Ivo Galvan]] has posed:''' She seems a little different now. "Hey, Maira." As anticipated... more or less. "You look lovely in that dress." Typically he wouldn't be Ivo if he didn't add just a hint of a suggestive tone to a compliment like that -- just enough to make a self-conscious girl blush, not enough to get justifiably called out -- but there's none of that right now. The knight-errant closes his phone, slips it into his cloak, and straightens, smiling as the fire mage approaches. "There were a few close calls, but it all worked out," he says, explaining by way of not really explaining. "You know, when I thought I was going to die, I saw your face and heard your voice." Grinning now, he spreads his arms in a shrug. "I heard Avira too, but she was mean to me." Well, if he's joking at a time like this, he hasn't changed /too/ much. "I'm sorry." His grin has faded, as swiftly as it arrived. "I didn't have any way of contacting you -- or anyone. You look like you've been fighting your battles without me. I've let you down as a knight... no, as a friend." After a moment, though, he smiles again, ever so slightly. "I can't keep apologizing forever, huh?" Maybe he sounds a little wistful there, for a moment, but he changes the subject, his tone turning more serious, in case anyone thought he was just going to keep talking about his feelings or whatever. "How are things? You look a little grim."

:'''[[Maira]] has posed:''' She doesn't blush. She doesn't even seem to hear the compliment. She simply tilts her head slightly as if he were a strange creature she was trying to figure out. When he says he'd seen her face and heard her voice when he'd had a close call (assumably with death) she raises her eyebrows, then smiles slightly. "Along with other ladies, I'm sure," she says. She does immediately feel a little bad about it though. She sighs. Maira shrugs her shoulders and looks out over the water. "You didn't fail me at anything....I just wish you'd have told someone...but if you coudn't, well--I was worried something really terrible had happened to you," she says, frowning now. "Yes I've been fighting...I've been fighting for my life. Sorry, if I look grim. There are some very scary people who want to see me dead or eternally miserable."

:'''[[Ivo Galvan]] has posed:''' If anything's strange about Ivo-- "Other ladies? No... Well, one or two." --it's that he seems like he's hiding a lot less. "I'm sorry I worried you... but I'm grateful you were." He's smiling again, reaching up to brush his dark hair away from his blue eyes; it's gotten a little longer. "Hey, you're not the one who needs to apologize. Sounds like you've made some powerful enemies. But I'm sure you have faithful allies, too. You're a woman who inspires the trust and love of others." A woman-- definitely no longer a girl. "You know... Maira..." For the first time, Ivo falters slightly, glancing away, lips parting but issuing no words. He furrows his brow faintly, exhales quietly, and then looks back, his eyes having cleared. "I've been thinking about what you said about me here, last time." The sound of the waves. "You were right, of course. I played with you because of my own fears, my sense of unworthiness. Still, you forgave me. And I've realized... you're still a bigger person than me." He straightens, smiling again, raising his hands palms-out. "I don't mean that in a self-loathing way. I just mean... I have a lot of growing to do, and I don't know exactly what that'll take, so I can't... ask anyone to wait for me to finish, you know?" He slowly lowers his arms. "I do know one thing I'll need, though." His smile fades until it is only a ghost of itself. "Your friendship." But as a ghost, it remains. "Do I still have it?"

:'''[[Maira]] has posed:''' Maira's eyes soften. She's still the same person, she's just tired, weighed down by her fears, but there is also a confidence there that had been somewhat lacking. So much has happened in so little time. Some changes take a long time, some sneak up on you. Some are worked in a moment--a heartbeat. "I'm not a bigger person than you Ivo...I'm...just me, and I'm just trying to do the best I can and heh, pretty consistently coming up short. I'm glad though, that what I said stuck with you. I hope that you will be kinder to the people who care about you, in whatever way they care about you. Raiya is really worried, and angry. I hope you'll be kind to her. I think you two would make a great couple," she says with a sincere smile. There isn't an ounce of jealousy left...how strange. "My friendship? Ivo, of course," she says, reaching out to take him by the hand, then covering that hand with her other. As always, her skin is warmer than average, her inner flame burning strong. "Just try not to disappear and not tell anyone, that's all I can ask! I can't blame you for...whatever happened. Well maybe I could, but what would be the point?" she asks with a smile.

:'''[[Ivo Galvan]] has posed:''' "You're better than you think you are," Ivo murmurs, in a strange tone; it may take a few moments for it to be apparent that his tone is strange for him because it is one of complete sincerity. "You shine with a special light; it's warm by your side. I think... you have something to give these worlds. Trust me." He pauses for a moment, then grins. "Well, I guess that's a lot to ask!" It's a joke. "R... Raiya..." The thought of his teacher causes Ivo to wince slightly, evidently with the thought of the punishment he's likely to endure-- and, so distracted, Maira's next comment seems to completely blindside him. "Us? Couple? Ahah, that's..." He trails off into silence, smile half-fading, as his gaze shifts off to the side, focusing on nothing. And then he flushes, just a little. "Yeah... maybe you're right." When he looks back at Maira, he's smiling almost bashfully, but that soon broadens into a warm grin as she takes his hand, and when she adds her second hand he does as well, clasping hers and squeezing slightly. "I'll certainly try," he says. "I prefer to be with my friends. I don't," he adds softly, "want to be alone anymore." A few moments pass. "Oh, right, of course it's warm by your side," he remarks, just realizing it. "You're on fire half of the time."

:'''[[Maira]] has posed:''' Maira laughs lightly, nodding. "Yes...yes I am. I had kind of relapse...kept lighting on fire in my sleep. Almost burned down VALKYRI HQ...luckily Perci solved that by getting me some...sleeping pills? I don't know, but they made it so I didn't dream so much," she explains with a shrug. As for what she could do for the worlds, she blushes at that. "Heh...I don't know. I did something recently a lot of people want to know how I did--that's a reason one of the Shadow Lords is after me. There was this...being...calling himself the Dark Knight. He was terrible, murderous, going around the world 'testing' people, killing...he was a font of darkness. But I've known people with a lot of darkness, and his wasn't /right/. It took me a while to figure out, but there was a person locked away in there, and I used my....Light...to find him and break him free. He was apparently a creature of an Emperor named Mateus--who is likely very angry with me," she sighs.

:'''[[Ivo Galvan]] has posed:''' "At least you don't have to worry about your clothes anymore," Ivo says lightly. "Worst mistake I ever made." He's grinning. "So that's what happened." He listens to her story, and is surprised by his own intuition. Typically, Ivo is not a spiritually sensitive person, but he does tend to read people well, and closeness to Maira had vaguely clued him it that there was something-- particularly comforting about her, something her spirit represented, that everyone could pull together, that everything would be alright. "Shadow Lords and Emperors... seems like things are getting a little hot. Good thing you're hot too." Though his words are playful in a lively sort of way, they're not teasing or prodding in the manner they used to be. "If you wield the power of Light, then--" Memories of Jasmine, of the power she wielded. "--doesn't that make you some sort of-- Princess?" He places his hand on Hauteclare's hilt, smile broadening. "So you must be in need of knights." He lets that sentence linger, before: "I'll let you know if I find any." Another grin. "I may only be a knight-errant, in all too many senses of the term, but when you need my help..." Another smile. "...I think I can err on the side of Light."

:'''[[Maira]] has posed:''' Maira rolls her eyes at the same old teasing, but she bears it better than she once did. She's grown use to Ivo, and more use to...well...life. The woman shrugs, reaching up to idly run her hands through her hair. "That's what most people think, but we don't know how to confirm this or anything. We're working on it. But right now I'm trying to help Leon--the former Dark Knight--to stay himself. Mateus did something to him very strong and complicated, and I guess I couldn't break it completely...but I hope I can at least hold it at bay," she explains. She turns to Ivo again, smiling as he talks about knights and princesses. "Heh...it's all pretty silly, but--its really dangerous Ivo. Not only Mateus, but....Garland. He's sworn to 'break me'. If you're going to try to protect me, you need to know what you are up against."

:'''[[Ivo Galvan]] has posed:''' Ivo, always smiling slightly, nods as Maira explains. "I hope so too. If anyone can, it's you." Seeing the blonde smile at his words warms his heart in a familiar way, and he experiences a rush of nostalgia and affection. But he is abruptly brought back to reality when she quotes Garland, and Ivo's smile instantly vanishes, his expression turning grim, eyes narrowing. "He's got some debaucherous tastes," he remarks, but behind his quip is ice. "If he's going to try, you'll have to be the last, after me and all your friends." Eventually, he softens. "Don't worry. I'm not going to lose to some Shadow Lord." And, of course, he grins. "Handsome fighters always win."

:'''[[Maira]] has posed:''' Maira laughs lightly. "I hope so Ivo!" she replies. Then Maira tilts her head toward her link-pearl, listening, responding a few times quietly, then jumping to her feet. "Ivo! Trouble over in Traverse, a friend is hurt really bad. Let's go!" she says, grabbing him by the wrist and hauling him after her!

Where Has Ivo Been?

2013-05-15T03:04:27Z

IvoGalvan: Created page with "{{Cutscene Header |Date of Scene=2013/05/14 |Location=Hawaii |Synopsis=In which several months' absence is exploited for comedic effect. |Cast of Characters=Ivo Galvan, Maira,..."

{{Cutscene Header
|Date of Scene=2013/05/14
|Location=Hawaii
|Synopsis=In which several months' absence is exploited for comedic effect.
|Cast of Characters=Ivo Galvan, Maira, Priel Aylin, Raiya Fujihara, Avira
}}
The deck sways beneath the young swordsman's booted feet, his blue cloak rippling in the ocean breeze, hand on Hauteclare's hilt in a posture too nonchalant to be unintentional. "The anomaly that the Shard Seeker device detected should have been here," Ivo says to the ship's captain, surveying the cerulean expanse where sea meets sky. In his off-hand is not said device but a chart inked with an engineer's clean lines and tight scrawl. "I left the prototype behind, just in case, but if there's a chance that it reacted to a World Shard--"

Suddenly, the ship begins to tremble with an overwhelming force, and as Ivo crouches to regain his balance the sailors rush around him. 'It's a whirlpool!' one shouts. 'Impossible! It came out of nowhere!' cries one from the rigging. Seeing the hardened veterans around him in a panic, Ivo grits his teeth, clear eyes hardening.

"This is ridiculous," he mutters. "I can't die here. I have to think... of all the women who would cry!"

And before him, the ethereal visage of remembered beauties blossoms.

"I'd cry if you died!" Maira says earnestly, before faltering slightly. "Though you mostly make me cry by being alive, so, all things considered..."

"All the same to me," is a smirking Priel's blase contribution. "Whether you live or die, I'll be laughing at you."

"No, he must live," Raiya demurs, "so that when he returns, I can kill him."

"Why am I here!?" shouts Avira. "I don't want anything to do with this!"

"I don't want you here either!" Ivo shouts at the sky. "Get out of my heeaaAAAAA--"

* * * SOME TIME LATER * * *

"So you're alive."

Dazed and bedraggled, Ivo haltingly lifts himself to his feet, blank gaze sweeping the pristine beaches around him before settling upon the powerfully-built dark-skinned man in sunglasses who has spoken. "So it seems," the knight-errant murmurs distantly. "Ivo Galvan, Shard Seeker. Where is this, and who are...?"

"A 'Shard Seeker'? I expected something like that. We don't see too many swords around here," the man rumbles, tilting his chin down to regard Ivo over the rims of his shades. "This is Hawai'i, Seeker, and I am... Bubbles. Cobra Bubbles. Ex-CIA."

"What's an 'Ex-CIA'?"

"It's like being in the CIA... but extreme."

"Lacking any context, I'll elect to be impressed."

"Let me be frank," Cobra says. "We've begun having some troubles in paradise, and we need some Portal-wanderers like you to help take care of it. Our government is trying to hide the existence of the Heartless to avoid throwing people into a panic, but they've begun roaming the beaches, and we don't have enough people who can fight them."

"I'd like to help, of course," Ivo replies, regaining his composure, "but my mission went wrong, and I have to return to my allies and report. If you could help me get off this island, I could return with them and--"

"We don't have that kind of time. No one is coming to the beaches anymore because the Heartless are scaring away all the gorgeous women--"

"I'll do it."

* * * THREE MONTHS LATER * * *

"Ah ha ha ha!"

Ivo is on a yacht off the coast, in a swimsuit, holding a glass of champagne with his arms around two bikini-clad women, laughing with delight.

"I love Hawai'i!"

Whereupon he pauses, and eventually furrows his brow in contemplation.

"But I... feel like I've forgotten something."

Celebration in Fluorgis

2013-02-28T04:17:09Z

IvoGalvan:

{{Log Header
|Date of Scene=2013/02/26
|Location=Fluorgis - City
|Synopsis=With the Shadows Over Fluorgis passes, the city undergoes a celebration. Drunks, music, merriment all around. Some shenanigans are abound.
|Cast of Characters=Ivo Galvan, Reize Seatlan, Lily, Zeke, Faruja Senra, Skoll Ulfang, Tifa Lockhart, Zia, Katyna, Deelel, Maira, Vespa, Lenn, Luso Clemens, Percival, Evja, Annalise
|Tinyplot=Shadows Over Fluorgis
|pretty=yes
}}
:'''[[Reize Seatlan]] has posed:''' Celebration is abound. The nightly air has brillaint lights displayed over the city. The vendors have shut down their shops, but instead have donated food and products to the occasion. The city is celebrating the freedom of Fluorgis from the Heartless. Many of the adventurers have gotten together to especially celebrate the christening of the Shard Seekers, now that they have become an official clan. The atmosphre is filled with people being cheerful. Out within the pub, people are laughing and singing. Outside, there are dancers everywhere. Reize arrives at the city, looking a bit beaten. "Whew! We finally made it and---...buh?!" Reize's eyes widen, looking ahead. Earlier, he was at Dias Plains, and thankfully arrived through the kindness of Mysidia's wizard. However, he is not alone. A cloaked figure is with him as he arrives at the wonderous oasis of a city in the desert. 

:'''[[Zeke]] has posed:''' Zeke had, by all accounts, been in Traverse town earlier that day plotting some sort of sorted affair involving Tortuga and Pirates. So what was he doing here? He was enjoying himself that's what! Fresh change of clothes, coin in his pockets, and he had other people doing all the little things that would make Business go smoother. Now how'd the good captain get from There to Hear? If I said Sea Turtles would you kill me? Probably so let's just leave it completely up in the air. After all this man's laughing, Having fun, he's got a drink in one hand and a noisemaker in another and doesn't seem to care that his dancing is about a coordinated as a fish floppin 'round on deck. Yes friends. Ezekiel Fawkes is many things but a coordinated dancer is not one of them.

:'''[[Luso Clemens]] has posed:''' With hard won victories came hard celebrations. And it looked like tonight was not going to be an exception. Luso Clemens, temporary-but-looking-to-be-permanent leader of Clan Gully walks the streets of Fluorgis with a wide grin on his face. His small arsenal of swords remains strapped behind him as usual and his arms are crossed behind his head in a lazy fashion, eyes sweeping across to observe the celebrations. "Wow, they never do fail to party hard in Fluorgis! I almost forgot what it was like around here when they got started! ...Almost!" Chuckling to himself, the hunter continues on, watching the dancers dance, sampling some food here and there, and looking out for any familiar faces...

:'''[[Annalise]] has posed:''' It feels weird, make that //extremely// weird to be walking around so much. And it made Annalise more than a little tense to be out in the open. She had Reize had arrived at the edge of the city more or less walking together, if begrudgingly so. And she still hadn't even introduced herself. Just as well. As they make their way to the edge of the city her bright blue eyes blink with honest surprise to see it decorated for a celebration of some kind, even villagers already down several empty cups with a different kind of celebration as everyone's so joyous. "Is... one of the royalty getting married?" she asks with uncertainty. Why else would it be such a big deal. "Or... has a war ended?"

:'''[[Zia]] has posed:''' Two days of hard-fought battles would have left their mark on anyone, but the wonders of stone sleep have left most of of her external wounds healed, even the bad burns she'd suffered at the hands of the Dark Elf. Her usual attire has been traded off for an outfit that certainly looks more fitting of a mage. Her usually bandaged-covered arms have silken bands over them, the trailing edge flowing down like water. The main core of the outfit is a dress which clings to the curves of her torso, bare at the midriff and with a long flowing loincloth. For those who remember a certain mage from another mush, Zia apparently has been diving into her closet. It's a quite stunning look. Being out and about with so many people has the female gargoyle looking a bit shy, standing at the edge of the partygoers, looking uncertain, but at least she's here. Reize's sudden arrival draws her attention, and for all that she hasn't had many encounters with him since joining the Shard Seekers, Zia offers a welcoming enough smile, "Ye look like hell." She walks over with slow steps, talons clicking. "Everythin' alright?" Party can wait a minute or two. Besides it gives her an excuse not to socialize.

:'''[[Faruja Senra]] has posed:''' Click. Click click. Faruja snaps open his Ma Belle repeatedly, the Burmecian frowning as he looks at the text from Hati. Sigh. Swallowing down the last of his fourth ale of the night, he tries to pry his thoughts away from his growing number of problems. "Ser Seatlan, Lady Zia!" he calls out, walking towards the pair, trying to put on a warm smile. With Zia and Reize about, it's easier that it might have been.

:'''[[Lily]] has posed:''' "He's baaaaaack!" Lily felt the familiar presence of something far off, and so when Reize is on the way to Fluorgis... There stands Lily, atop a merchant's cart, at the desert's edge, waving her arms wildly to the distant figures and screaming out happy squeals to accompany those wild gesticulations. The city is celebrating and even Lily's apparently found her part of the fun!

:'''[[Lenn]] has posed:''' Lenn steps out of the HQ, to find the party ongoing. She's leaning on her staff, weakly, as if having slept until NOW hadn't fully recovered her. She smiles, however, as Lily points out Reize. She starts hobbling her way over.

:'''[[Reize Seatlan]] has posed:''' There they are. Reize looks ahead, surveying the city. There are familiar faces everywhere; he can see Lily atop a merchant's cart, waving at him. % He smiles at her, but then Zia notes his presence. "Ooooooiiii! Zia!, Luso!" He waves her way, "Yeah! Uhh... My new friend and I had a giant monster to deal with." He huffs a grunt. Regarding Annalise, "We'll a party is going on because Fluorgis had the threat of Heartless, but we defeated them and got rid of the root of the problem!" he brightens upon seeing Lenn awake, "Ooooiii! Lennn!" Then Faruja, "Faruja!" he brightens. It is a time for merriment. The people are dancing and the bards have emerged from their homes and bars. As bards emerge, they play song music of merriment! The festives happen.

:'''[[Zeke]] has posed:''' Zeke continued his unrythmic dance (curious given he's so good wit ha guitar) til he spotted Faruja, A Gargoyle and... some other guy (aww don't worry Reize you're the NORMAL looking one here.) "Fancy seeing you out here Sir Knight." He doffed his cap to Zai before continuing. "You are a facinating sort, 'afore now I always thought Monks an Knights an such had to be celibate, no drink, no parties, none of the enjoyments o Life. Ye seem t'be provin that conception misbegotten." While at a glance he was all smiles and having a ball there were little tells that hinted at ongoing 'issues'. "So who's yer friends here if I might ask?" He gestured to Zai and Reize. "If I be intrudin apologies both of ye, but this seems t'be a celebratory occasion."

:'''[[Skoll Ulfang]] has posed:''' Skoll has been missing ever since the final battle in Fluorgis. He helped both Zia and Lenn to the Shard Seekers HQ, and then left through a Dark Portal. He could not remain still for too long. But yet, when he heard there would be festivities, he couldn't convince himself 'not' to go. As such, he wanders into the gates a little behind Reize, staring wide-eyed at all the dancers and what-not. He's taking his time journeying further into the city. That's when he notices the Shard Seekers, waving Reize hello, and he can't help but smile a little. Such a warm family this is. His gaze skips to where Zia stands then, and actually has to do one of those double-takes at her outfit. When'd she get /that/? It certainly looks absolutely gorgeous on her. The blue with the white. Still, a noble wolf has to keep his cool! So Skoll casually continues to walk forwards, removing one hand from his pockets and making a little finger-motion near his nose to wipe away a tiny drop of red, and just keeps on walking until he stands right in front of Zia, and then bows his head to her. "You look... ehhh." Come on wolf! You can do it. "Ehhh." Just say something awesome! Tell her she's gorgeous. "Pretty." Close enough! He then glances back to the others, and spots Faruja... and points at him. "You!" He suddenly shouts at Faruja... before kneeling down and dropping a satchel from his shoulder, and taking out a big bottle of what looks to be red wine. "... would enjoy this, I think?"

:'''[[Annalise]] has posed:''' And there's a sudden convergence of people. People and creatures. All heading in there direction at once. That puts the cloaked figure on defense as she takes several steps back, a hand curling at the clasp of her cloak with curled fingers. Though... Reize seemed perfectly at ease. Her bright eyes blink at him before she frowns beneath her mask at herself as she listens. "Heartless..." she murmurs. "You mean like the ones that--" This is common knowledge, right? The Heartless? It seems as if everyone knew about them and in this part of this world he said they had eradicated them. That's a good thing. Annalise continues to frown gently to herself with confusion as the hand at her chest slowly lowers to her side. She wasn't in any immediate danger, despite the nagging in the back of her mind that she had to be careful just in case. But that's always been there.

:'''[[Luso Clemens]] has posed:''' Luso grins upon spying Lily waiving off to to Reize and turned, a meat skewer in his hand as he waved over and approached. "Heeey! Reize! Lily! Faruja! Everyone else! Nice to see you're all okay!" He greeted, biting into the meat and chewing for a moment before continuing. "But yeah! Fluorgis sure went through some crazy times, so it's a relief to see everyone laughing and celebrating now! Takes a load of my shoulders! And everyone else's too, I bet!" A silly laugh escaped from Luso then as he glanced at the others, taking note of Lenn, the elven mage looking girl. His eyes then went over to Zia, raising an eyebrow at her. He'd seen Gargoyles at this point, but her state of dress was unusual for what they usually wore! It was nice! Zeke is given a look then, he looked like a pirate! Maybe he was a sky pirate with a bounty!? ...But tonight definitely wasn't the time for that and so he let it go, eyes glancing at Reize's cloaked companion. "Say, who's this, Reize?" He asked, jerking a thumb at Annalise curiously.

:'''[[Tifa Lockhart]] has posed:''' A shadow appears over Reize suddenly. When he turns around, its the beak of a pure red chocobo that is about to gnaw on his hair. ^o^ But before the beak can clamp down, a hand comes and pushes the beak closed. The barmaid and owner leans over a bit from her riding saddle, shaking her head "No eating Reize's hair, its not gyshal." The chocobo looks a bit downcast, but then Tifa gives her a clump of actual gyshal greens. The chocobo perks up right away, and trots off after the barmaid jumps down, shaking her head "Reize, you should change shampoo brands or something." She smirks, crossing her arms over.

:'''[[Zia]] has posed:''' "Sometimes, Ah'm amazed tha people call me a trouble magnet. Ye've got te have a pretty strong one, yerself. Yer both alright, then?" Zia asks, her wings caping over her shoulders as she moves to the side to give them room. She's no healer if they do have injuries, but... luckily there is Faruja! She doesn't miss the way he looks at his phone, her head tilting slightly, "Is somethin the matter, dear mouse?" There's concern in her expression. It's a look that doesn't get to linger long. Politeness has her looking towards Zeke, offering him a shy sort of smile. She'd leave it to Faruja to handle those introductions, since clearly he knows this man, and she doesn't. To add to the mess, Skoll's appearance has her brightening slightly, "Well, look who came back. Ah didnae think ye'd be comin. Been off lone-wolfin so much these days." Her usual light-hearted attitude comes with a smile for her werewolf friend. His compliment is met with a soft laugh as she draws a strand of hair back over her pointed ear. "Always with the fine words, lad. Thank ye, though." With the newcomer backing up slightly, Zia at least tries to show that she means no harm, "Ye dinnae have te be afraid lass. There isnae anyone here tha' would harm ye."

:'''[[Vespa]] has posed:''' Vespa always did enjoy a festival, this one was looking very lively. Lots of people mingling and dancing and enjoying themselves. T, some people are pointing and gasping at her she overheaing them saying. 'it a maid!" "mabye it one of theo Valkri maids!' She look a bit embrassed not use dto this much attention. Thankfully she doesn't have her huge axe out or people would know it was her from the other day fighting here. She looks around for somewhere to grab some food

:'''[[Faruja Senra]] has posed:''' Faruja can't help but nod along with Skoll. "...As radiant as any white-winged angel that 'twould walk the soil of this place." Go Templaric poetry! "Ser Clemens! Ser Fawkes! My, my, my, Lady Lockhart! Dames and Sers, good 'eve and Lord bless you all!" He greets to his various friends and companions. To the Gargess, he smiles slightly, rubbing his head. "A..." Pause. Girlfriend? Lover? Student? "friend of mine has sent a rather odd message. I...worry." There's a quick, meaningful glance to Skoll. "Ahh, yes! Introductions. Ser Fawkes, allow me to introduce my companions! Lady Zia of Manhattan, a fellow Shard Seeker and mayhap the most beautiful Gargoyle to ever walk this earth! Ser Ulfang, a strong and honorable warrior...nay, knight of more 'modern' times, a friend and Shard Seeker as well. Ser Reize Seatlan, our glorious leader and a most adventurous young fellow! Lady Tifa Lockhart, never more gallant a monk nor talented a bartendress to be found! Lady Lenn, a more than adept healer, Shard Seeker, and gentle heart! Ser Luso Clemens, adventurer, gallant warrior, and current head of Clan Gully! And the young Lady Lily, a Shard Seeker and mage of great skill!" A bow is given to Zeke, as he turns to his companions. A deep breath. "I trust I have not left out anyone? Sers and Dames, Ser Ezekiel Fawkes, a merchant captain, brave man, and overall good soul." The rat is sure to inspect Reize, and really anyone who's injured. That is, /after/ taking the wine bottle. He inspects it, and grins. "Ser Ulfang, I should like to hug you! In fact!" Yup. Enter manhug.

:'''[[Lily]] has posed:''' "REEEEIIIIIIZE!" Lily hops off the cart - only lightly stumbling on landing - and charges off for the boy with her arms spread wide. Giggling up a merry storm, the first thing she does is simply LAUNCH herself at him to hug tight, at first not seeing to pay any mind to his new friend. Not until she's all but squeezed the breath out of him anyways. Then she looks over at Annalise with some confusion.

:'''[[Zeke]] has posed:''' Zeke twitched at Skoll's sudden loudness, but before he could get any weapons loose from where he'd tied them back (hey he wanted to make it difficult to get to in case he got smashed drunk but didn't want to completely DISARM in case he needed t'fight) Skoll came up with the wine. This caused him to grin rather broadly and doff his hat to the big guy. "Pleasent fellow." Wait Big Bird! Zeke grumbled at the thing to try discouraging it from nomming hair. He's had horses do that before. Yea, the sea captain knows how to work a horse. Go figure. Tifa showing up caused him to grin rather wide. "Fancy seeing you here lass." Genuine happyness here. None of that fake show stuff goin on. He liked Tifa. She was a good cook, made with good drinks, and was a good ear for troubled sorts. "Who's watchin th'bar?" Then introductions! He bowed politely to the crowd at large. "Shard Seekers hm? Lemme guess, trying to find bits and pieces of the worlds an figure out how to fix things?"

:'''[[Katyna]] has posed:''' Katyna had been keeping to herself lately, particularly after what happened in Archades. She hadn't been seen around VALKYRIE lately even as her travels had taken her further to some more obscure locations around the world. However, having helped out in Fluorgis from time to time, and having not dropped by to visit Reize in a while had drawn her to the city that had been recently plagued with lots of heartless. She is quite pleasantly surprised to see there is a party on, and she simply cannot resist gazing up at all the 'pretty shiny' lights and other decorations. "Ooooh...." amber eyes widen in wonder and awe at all the decorations as she wanders through the busy crowded streets, keeping an eye out for Reize and Faru. She was certain she'd find them here at least, right?

:'''[[Lenn]] has posed:''' Lenn continues to hobble over to Reize, the staff slipping out of her hands, as she starts to fall over towards the young adventurer.

:'''[[Skoll Ulfang]] has posed:''' "Well, I am sure I have some finer words in my arsenal." Skoll answers Zia, raising a hand to his neck and rubbing it like it were a sore spot, and smirks awkwardly at her for a little moment, before stepping out of the way. After all, Zia is trying to say hello to the newcomer. That's when the werewolf youth notices Faruja giving him that 'glance' and he feels something sinking in his stomach. But then Faruja goes onto a whole different topic of introducing people, and Skoll ends up being allowed a few moments of worry while he lets him speak, gazing over the people here, while getting closer to Faru~ AHGODMANHUG! No actually, Skoll doesn't care. The werewolf gives Faruja a hug back, and then gives him a worried stare while he holds him. This /may/ be misconceived by others to be something else. "What is wrong, Fara~ ehh, Faruja?" Skoll asks him, while holding him. Gazing into his eyes. Being this close makes it easier to whisper.

:'''[[Luso Clemens]] has posed:''' "Likewise, Faruja!" Luso greeted, raising a hand to the Templar. Upon the hearing the string of introductions he glanced towards Zeke and gave the man a quick salute. "Nice to meet you too, Mr. Zeke!" He spoke to the maybe-a-pirate, resting an arm on the grimoire strapped to his side. Watching Lily tackle hug Reize, the boy couldn't help but chuckle. "Hahaha...never change, you guys. Never change..." Rubbing the underside of his nose with a finger, Luso then glanced off towards Skoll, raising an eyebrow. The name was familiar. He's definitely recalled Reize mentioning him at one point, but in what context? Cue jeopardy theme as he tries to remember. Do do do dodo do do dooooooo~ Ding! "Oh right! Hey! Mr Ulfang!" Luso called out to the wolf man, waving an arm as he approached. "I've gotta ask you something!"

:'''[[Maira]] has posed:''' Among the crowd, Maira is dancing. While she is a bit embarrassed about the recognition she has gotten for her part in saving the city, she understands it is terribly rude to turn it down when someone offers to buy you a drink. Maira has been bought oh....six drinks so far. To say that she is chipper and somewhat beyond embarrassment is an understatement. She's abandoned her shoes long ago and has been reeling among the enthusiastic dancers for well over an hour, joyous and shining, giggling with wild abandon. Her current partner is a random young man from the city who is also quite drunk and accidentally swings her a little far out--causing her to crash right into Vespa. "Eep!"

:'''[[Reize Seatlan]] has posed:''' Reize remembers Zeke! It has been a long time! "Oooooiiii! I remember you!" He lifts a finger to say his name, but it all comes out blank. "Uhhh..." Pause. "Uh..." ...Just not his name. Nevertheless, Reize remembers him! It was long ago when he first arrived! He shakes his had, "No trouble to all! This is for all of us to enjoy!" The presence of the Noble Wolf is regarded with a smile. "Glad you can make it, Skoll." Reize is happy to see the big brother of a wolf. A shadow looms over him. That shadow. Oh boy. With the shadow looming, Reize's antenna hair twitches, unaware of the fate that behold them. However, Tifa interceps the attempts and the boy faces her, "Heee! Tifa! Glad to see you." He mutters, however, at her comment of his hair. "...Bah!" He puffs his cheeks with annoyance, but he does sigh a moment later. "They love biting my hair. His interaction with Zia, however, is regarded with a smile. "Hee!" Then to the gargoyle's question, "Yeah! We're alright! We're safe!" He glances at Anna, "Oi, she's a friend!" But, whe Luso comes within he vicinity of the area. He moves towards Luso to bring his fist out for a BRO-FIST moment. "Luso! Glad to see you!" The cloaked person? He turns his head to regard her, "Uh, she got here... had a tough time, but uhh... I don't know her name." Faruja's introduction of the group earns a huge smile from Reize, "Ahahahaha, thank you, Faruja!" He gives a smile towards the nezumi. However, when Lily charges in full bore, Reize blinks and he yelps. When she jumps out at him, the boy acks and he laughs, hugging Lily close. "Glad to see you too!" Then, at Zeke. "Ideally, yes. Tht is why the Shard Seekers exist. We've found our first World Shard, too!"

:'''[[Annalise]] has posed:''' Though Zia reassures her that she wouldn't be harmed, the Cocobo... "Aah!" Annalise instinctively ducks her cloaked head out of pure reflex as the large beak comes down, only to be swatted away from Reize's head at the last moment. These people are going to give her a heart attack! Though the rat person that introduces himself as Faruga Senra is speaking to Skoll, she herself catches most of the introductions as well, her bright blue eyes beneath the mask glancing to each person in turn to memorize their faces, appearing curious. Even Reize gets a curious look when Lily literally launches herself at him with a bone-crushing hug. He was certainly popular. When Luso asks Reize about her identity, the cloaked and masked girl smirks just slightly at him, "No one of importance, I assure you. Evidentially just a traveler." Traveling from her world to this one, but it was true.

:'''[[Reize Seatlan]] has posed:''' As for the faling Lenn, Reize quickly sweeps over to catch Lenn, "Lenn!" Okay, Reize is now worried. 

:'''[[Vespa]] has posed:''' Vespa looking around starting to get into the mood with the crowd, she buys herself a drink watching the crowd dance. She smiles sand start tapping her foot along with the music. The dancers or did she get a bit closer it hard to tell with these numbers. One gets a bit too close. "Hey watch it!", but it too late and the dancer smashes into her the both of them falling over Vepsa drink spilling all over her. "Watch what you doing next time!", she a bit uspet. Till she sees who it is. "M-maria?"

:'''[[Lenn]] has posed:''' Lenn smiles softly in Reize's arms. "Sorry... I guess I'm still a bit weak..." She leans on her fiancee. "So, your adventure went well?

:'''[[Tifa Lockhart]] has posed:''' Tifa Lockhart salutes Zeke with a smile "Hey there." She looks around. Quite the gathering here after all. She blinks a bit at Annalise's reaction "Don't worry, Premium Heart is all nice." She points at the red chocobo trotting away happily toward a small grass patch, plopping herself down on it. "You can even go pet her if you want to." She smiles. Turning back to Zeke, she shrugs "I don't need to be there all the time, there are others to tend to it when I'm not. Otherwise I'd never get on the cool adventures either huh?" She laughs a bit at that.

:'''[[Zia]] has posed:''' And then Faruja has to go and take Skoll's compliment and turn it into one of his runs of poetry. The poor gargoyle flushes a shade of pink, biting at her lower lip. "Ye do me too much honor as always, my good mouse." She looks curiously at him, following his eyes towards Skoll, but the connection isn't there. "Hopefully it isnae anythin te be concerned over." Lately, there always seemed to be some trouble brewing, and for once it might be nice to forget it all for one evening. Her tail twitches at her side as the Templar goes about making introductions. Most of them are ones she knows, but there's a couple which garner a nod of her head and a sweep of one wing forward in a graceful bow. "A pleasure te meet ye, Ser Luso Clemens, Ser Ezekiel Fawkes." She still hasn't gotten used to names yet, or dropping full titles. There were relatively few people that the gargoyle even refers to on a first-name basis. Old habits die hard. Somewhere, there is a flash. Someone is taking another photo of 'Solva' and 'Fara'. Clearly the two are destined lovers, because they are brought together even here! The yaoi fangirls will approve. Zia can't help but smile a bit at the hugs, both between those two, and then Lily and Reize as well, although with them it's more 'cute'. Then he's got Lenn falling into his arms, too. Ahh Reize, women falling all over him. With a glance back at the mouse and wolf, Zia raises an eyebrow. They're busy, so she looks over towards the young captain, "So, would a captain be so kind as te do a lady the honor of a dance?" The two she would normally ask are distracted, so... their loss.

:'''[[Lily]] has posed:''' Once released, Lily turns to Lenn a moment later... "Ah--" But Reize catches her first. Lily breathes out a sigh of relief, then returns to giving Anna a quizzical look while tidying up her robes with a few quick tugs. "But you must have a name!"

:'''[[Maira]] has posed:''' Maira tries not to fall all over Vespa, but she's drunk and her head is spinning! "Eeee! I'm so sorry!" she says, fussing over Vespa now. "I can fix this. I've gotten better. Lets see lets see..." she says, then concentrates on the wet spot on Vespa's clothes and begins to draw the liquid away with her magic, the droplets all condensing into a bubble that then flies off toward a bush--and hits someone else. But hey, what are they doing in those bushes anyway!? Maira looks back to Vespa. "Hey Vespa! Are you alright? I haven't seen you! We'll get you another drink, okay? Eeee! There are so many people here!" she adds, bouncing with excitement. "There's Faruja! FARUUUUU!"

:'''[[Zeke]] has posed:''' Zeke looked mildly impressed. Actually he thought he remembered Reize from that business where Gilgamesh went crazy(er) and tried to kill everyone. "You... wouldn't happen to know what happened t'that big fella? Grey skin, bombastic attitude, pile of green rocks fer a dog?" That was one fellow he liked. "I really like him. HOpe whatever state he'd gotten in was fixable." Nevermind he idnd't know Gilgamesh that well but still. Sentement and all that. "I thought Everyone was lookin fer these things. Also wait... you work with Emi, Umi... and that whole Legion Network Hivemind spooky thing ya?" He tried sounding sociable but he had a few dozen questions. "Don't get me wrong nice people, though the thing with eating shoe was strange but.... the whole network business is odd." Then his ear perked. Dance? "Gods in Heaven and Earth lady." Zeke went white at ht e prospect. "I have a hard enough time not stepping on people's feet much less tails, claws, and being a human wrecking engine out there." He tried bowing to Zia and clicked his tounge, mostly because he could. "If you want though I can but... it's not pretty." Guy can run rigging like it was nothing. Storm tossed seas were like flat ground to him. A dance on non-moving earth and a capible partner though sent him into fits. Oi.

:'''[[Katyna]] has posed:''' It doesnt take long for Katyna to spot the life of the party, and naturally Reize is in the center of it all! She grins and waves, darting towards him, but unlike some of the others, she doesnt hurl herself at him or anything. Still, he's given a warm smile after the last time she had seen him. "Reeize! Heey! I knew I'd find you here! It's been so long! So this is what you've been up to, huh?" She glances around at the others gathered, noting Faruja and Maira whom are also given warm smiles. "Faru...Maira! Heh, good t'see y'all again.." Katyna unfortunately, did not catch Faru's comment about Hati, nor has she checked her phone for messages. "How's it going, y'all? I'm relieved to see the city's peaceful once again..." Lily's also given a grin and chuckle when she hugs Reize. Cute as always, "Hey again, Lily, taking good care of Reize, I see?" When Vespa gets drink all over her, she chuckles, moving towards her, offering a napkin. ooh wait, she remembers her. She was trying to stop her from stealing puppies..But she's also a VALKYRIE member. "Hey you again. Here, try this." Then Maira steps in and dries it with her trick! "Ooh, that's soo awesome! You gotta show me that one some time!" Ooh and there's Tifa! So many familiar faces! "Hi Tifa! Didja mix any good drinks for this party?" Out of the corner of her eye she recognizes Zia and Skoll, the former whom she vaguely remembers from the battle against Manhattan, and of course the latter as Hati's annoying brother. Grr, do not like! For now, Kat pretends not to see them, focusing upon her VALKYRIE allies, and the Shard Seekers that she actually likes.

:'''[[Faruja Senra]] has posed:''' By the smell, Faruja may just be a touch drunk, likely explaining the man(rat?) hug. "Hati. She sent me a message. 'Tis...fine on the face of it, however..." Letting go, Faruja quickly forwards the message to Skoll, before putting away the phone. "Mayhap I am simply paranoid." Luso and Reize gets bows and smiles, though it all may seem a little forced. Then, he turns to annalise. "Good 'eve, M'Lady! I pray you shall enjoy the days' festivities!" Sigh. Was that another photo? Faruja facepalms. ".../Tell/ me the rumors have died down, oh dear, sweet 'Solva'?" As for Zia, he shakes his head. "Naught but the truth, M'dear! Naught but the truth!" Grin. Of course, by now he's lost out on a chance to dance. Frack. Ahh well, there shall be other opportunities! For now, he moves over to Maira. Conveniently, there's now a glass of wine offered to her, courtesy of Skoll's bottle. "Lady Maira! Ahh, Lady redsvaren! You look well, both of you!" He's sure to not be too distracted by said bouncing.

:'''[[Evja]] has posed:''' A certain Vieran Judge was here tonight as well, though in attire quite a bit different from normal. Normally Evja would simply wander about with 'her' white cloak, a symbol of being a Judge, symbol magically emblazoned onto the back. Today, though? The Viera was in a full on expensive-looking dress, http://fc09.deviantart.net/fs4/i/2004/242/d/0/Dress_design.jpg , this one in fact. Or one quite similar anyways. Though Evja still had that Judges Cloak on, the white stood out in stark contrast from the black and gray of the dress. Perhaps it was for the celebration of things that Evja, in fact, had gone through these lengths to look so prim. The Viera still had her normal Veil on, however, long hair combed out straight and hanging free with the exception of a semi-thick braid keeping the sides of her hair pulled back and out of her face. With her hands inside hidden pockets in the cloak, Evja keeps it wrapped around herself while she looks about at the festivities, walking along quietly, ears erect but otherwise not looking too alert past semi-interested in things.

:'''[[Vespa]] has posed:''' "It's okay nothing broken.", Vepsa says watching at Maria pulls the liquid off her outfit. Handy trick she will have to ask about that one later. She laughs lightly as the liquid hit someone(s) in the bushes. She helps Maria back up as she waves to Faruja. She waves back to him as well. Maria voice loud enough for both of them.

:'''[[Deelel]] has posed:''' Where has Deelel been? She's been working on her latest art project but that's going to have to wait as she's realisee it's about time for the party. Well she's late, it's kinda funny in a way the basic had got her sense of time all muddled up but here she is coming to join the party. She's as she always is in traverse town. Deelel isn't one for changing clothing, or she's got a million of the same outfit it's hard to rell really but here she is she might end up well? Behind Zeke like some sort of ninja. "Captain! Greetings!" Now where was Faruja, Lily, Maira and Reize? She'll find them sooner or lter.

:'''[[Maira]] has posed:''' "You will dance with me later, right Faruja?!" she calls, remembering what a fine dancer Faruja is. Maira smiles to Vespa, nodding then. "Oh good...gosh everyone just keeps putting drinks in my hand..." she says, and just like that someone walking by gives her another one. "See!?" she says, but passes this one to Vespa since she spilled hers. When Katyna appears, Maira turns and without any warning, glomps her. "Katyna! Where have you been!?"

:'''[[Skoll Ulfang]] has posed:''' Skoll gives Reize a little wave in regards to being named, and smirks at him, but otherwise leaves the youth be. He's not getting into any trouble he needs to get him out of after all. Luso on the other hand, catches his attention. But first there's Faruja. He lets go when he mentions his sister and the fact that he'll forward him the message. "I hope you are right, friend ratling." Skoll answers him, and is just too late -- for Zia tries to make off with Zeke. A little dejected, Skoll's ears fold down, and he moves over to Luso while leaving one hand in his pocket with his phone - waiting for the buzz of that message to arrive. "That's me, Skoll Ulfang. 'sup? Luso - it was - right?" Faruja was pointing people out when he was introducing people, and Skoll /actually/ paid attention! He also noticed that Faruja had pointed out Katyna, who is... pardon the pun... pointedly avoiding him. But then Zeke goes ruining his chances with the gargess, and Skoll calls out towards the pale white skinned gargess. "I'll take that dance, if he won't have it!" He calls out, before quickly glancing back to Luso. "You wanted to ask something?" Better get this out of the way first though. But he does turn and bow towards Zia, holding out a hand in one of those manners one might expect from someone whose lived in a royal house's court for much of his life. And in a ways, that is true -- just look at the Gaudium Lords. Of course, he quickly checks his phone when it buzzes, just from the corner of his eyes, before looking back up to Zia. Hati had something come up. No big deal, right? So then why is he feeling inclined to trust Faruja's instincts on this?

:'''[[Annalise]] has posed:''' At the tug to her cloak, Anna blinks her bright blue eyes beneath her halfmask once before turning her hooded head towards the sensation, seeing a very adorable Lily blinking back at her with a curious look. The other girl couldn't be any older than herself. "Um..." she hesitates. "Well I //do// have a name, its just... it isn't safe for me to give it..." she admits quietly. "I've always had to keep my identity secret in the past for my protection. My father--" Anna snaps her mouth closed and something else washes over her features. "I'm sorry. I'm being rather rude, aren't I. I apologize for my rudeness."

:'''[[Luso Clemens]] has posed:''' "Huh, just a traveler huh?" Luso mused pausing in his walk towards Skoll to glance at the stranger with a raised eyebrow. He looked at her suspiciously for a moment before just shrugging his shoulders and smiling. "Well alright! Nice to meet you then, Mystery Traveler X! Heh heh heh!" And with that, he turned away from Reize and Annalise, focusing his attention back to Skoll just in time to hear his response. "Reize tells me you're the one who made that awesome chain shooting hookshot thingy!" He explained, making gestures with his hands that didn't at all get the point across, but served to make him look more like a kid in a candy store, exciting to just be in the place. "I was just wondering; where can I get me one of those? How did you make it?" Funny that he never forgot about that hookshot all of this time. Talk about misguided persistence! The heated battle for Zia's hand in dance went totally unnoticed by Luso in the end. Hookshots mattered more than dancing with girls! That could come later!

:'''[[Reize Seatlan]] has posed:''' Sigh. Reize holds his fiancee, then he hugs her close to him. "Oi, Lenn, are yyou alright?!" Though, she does mention that she's a bit tired, "Yeah, but you rest..." He moves to set her against one of the walls. He smiles faintly at her. Anna not giving a name further complicates things. The boy makes a face, already growing annoyed. "Ugghhh.... One of those types." However, he looks over towards Katyna, "Ooooooiiii Katyna!" He then grins, "We saved Fluorgis and the Shard Seekers are officially a clan!" "Ooiiiii!----" Then, his eyes drift towards Maira. "Ooiiiii! Maira!" And then... REIZE REMEMBERS SOMETHING! "Oh! Maira! Felix Cheshire wanted me deliver you a message!" Pause. "He said you looked great last time he saw you!" Reize has completed the [Cheshire's Message] Side Quest!

:'''[[Lily]] has posed:''' Lily taps her cheek for a little bit... while peering all the while at Anna. "Then I'll call you Violet." She proclaims simply, although why this choice of all things is rather hard to tell.

:'''[[Vespa]] has posed:''' Vespa aquires drink +1! She seeing alot of familar faces here tonight. She smiles shakes her head a Maria enthisam tonight. "Hello again", she says to Katyna. She takes a sip of her drink.

:'''[[Zia]] has posed:''' First she gets ignored in favor of a celphone and conspiratorial whispers and far too suggestive man-hugs, and then the good captain doesn't even have the grace to take her offer of a dance. "Oh fer the love of..." Here she had gotten all dresed up and no one, apparently, was interested in taking her dancing. It's probably the first time she's even had a /chance/ for these kind of festivities, especially the way humans tended to see gargoyles as monsters. "Ye disappoint me, good sir, but Ah suppose Ah lass cannae force a man te dance with her." She gives him a bow. Turning, there is a moment where she lets out a sigh, but then Skoll takes up the declined offer. "Aboot time one of ye bothered." She walks over, swating at the wolf's tail with her own. Oh, it bares mentioning that that tail has a certain ribbon on it, too. Luckily, the gargress doesn't seem to annoyed as she walks over to join Skoll and Luso. "G'eve sir." She offers to him, then steals Skoll's arm. He isn't getting away from her. She's getting a dance with him, and with Faruja, even if she has to stalk them all night.

:'''[[Katyna]] has posed:''' Katyna's smile fades a bit when Faru mentions Hati's name. "Huh? Hati? where is she? She couldn't make it? How come?" However if it was important...Especially if it was...Related to *that*, Katyna is sure that her 'sister' would have pass the message to her as well. "Huh..." she checks her phone then, and frowns, whapping it a few times. "Darnit, battery's dead. I'll have to check later." She smiles back at Faru. "Dont worry! I'm sure it's fine, but just to be sure, I'll check up on her later, 'k?" Briefly, Katyna glances towards Skoll, remembering Hati's words, and she tries very hard to force a smile. "Oh. Hello again. What's that weird thing around your neck?" She makes a face, "Pretty weird fashion statement.." when it seems he's about to go dancing with Zia, it makes her relax just a bit. At least she wont have to 'accidently' knock him to the ground, or spill wine on his dumb clothes. Then, Maira glomps her and she chuckles, hugging her, "Hey you! Sorry, been...Err...Busy..." There's a strange look in her eye as she says that , as if Kat was up to no good. With the Kat, no one ever really knows though! Reize is also given a smile and nod as she moves over to hug him if he'll allow it. Not many people are hugged by Kat, but she's learned to trust Reize and Maira thus far at least. "Reize! It's good to see you again..I'm glad! Congratulations! You've done a good job of protecting the city..." Finally, Kat glances around, then back at Reize, "Sooo, care to introduce me to your friends? Who is the mysterious Gargoyle girl?" who indeed? "Ooh, and look, a pretty bunny!" Kat peers curiously at Evja and grins, "Beautiful dress!"

:'''[[Zeke]] has posed:''' Zeke totally wasn't trying to setFaruja up for a dance. Nevermind he didn't know he was sweet on the gargyle lass. Zeke himself simply didn't want to get his head ripped off after stepping on the lady's foot. Oh hey Deelel! He turned and grinned wide at the Basic. "Uh they're all right here." Arm gesture to Reize and company. "What brings you roundabouts here cani get yo ua drink? HOw about something to eat? Maybe we can talk about these computer things or something." Pleasegodgetmeawayfromthisdancething. Meep. Then he pointed to Skoll. "HE wants to dance with you. Dance with him!"

:'''[[Tifa Lockhart]] has posed:''' Tifa Lockhart smiles and wavse to Katyna "I wasn't invited to mix drinks, but if they needed my expertise I'll gladly offer it." She grins. "She didn't dress up for the occasion, because she knows its the middle of the desert, she wasn't going to dress too heavy for this. She looks around for some of the said food and drinks thoguh, wanting to pick at some while chatting up with the friends.

:'''[[Faruja Senra]] has posed:''' To Maira, there's a grin. "Why, of /course/!" Case in point, the ratling's quick to take Maira's free hand, spin her about, dip her, and then... That scoundrel, he tickles her on the nose with his tail! Straightening her up, he gives the woman a tight, friendly hug; lacking in his usual hesitance for PDA. Blame the alcohol. Which, he's quick to pour himself a glass and suck it down. "Ahh, an excellent vintage Ser Ulfang. I never knew you to have such good taste!" A mental note is made to take the pair of wolves wine tasting one of these days. Speaking of people who look great, is a certain Viera. As she walks by, the rat has to blink and stare a moment or two. It's that cloak of the Judges that helps matters. "...Lady Adjudicator!?" By now, he's feeling positively underdressed. "You look lovely! Lord in heaven, never would I imagine you in such a fine gown!" From the looks of things, the Burmecian approves. It doesn't even occur to him to remember certain things he's learned recently about the Judge! To Katyna, the rat tilts his head. "I wish I knew., M'Lady." Pause. A nod. "Yes, yes. Mayhap 'tis the truth. Will you? Oh, thank you Lady Redsvaren!" The ratling may just seem a little overworried for Skoll's sister, even moreso than usual. Earperk. It seems Skoll has the first dance! Faruja smiles. "Do be careful of yonder tail, Ser Ulfang!" he calls out good naturedly, not seeming /too/ upset. After all, there's a certain wolfess lingering in his heart by now.

:'''[[Annalise]] has posed:''' Reize's comment of to the side is heard, and Annalise shoots him an annoyed glance for a moment's instance before she turns her full attention to Lily. Her expression softens at that and she actually smiles, a gentle and genuine warmth flowing through her as she chuckles. "That works. We can both be flowers." Already she was feeling a kinship with the other girl, Lily, and it makes Anna hesitate for a short moment before her small hands emerge from her cloak to reach up to her hood. Gently brushing back the dark brown fabric a pale gold waterfall cascades over her slender shoulders along the curve of her back, highlights sparkling with the sunlight. "I... haven't had much interaction with people, to be honest. Not closely to big groups like this I mean."

:'''[[Maira]] has posed:''' Maira looks over toward Reize, blinking. Mr. Cheshire? Who was that? Cue flashback. Maira is standing in SS HQ, taking off her top so Ivo can 'measure' her for her fireproof clothes, then this weird guy appears and is all staring at them... Maira turns bright red! Th-that's completely inappropriate! Luckily, she is rescued by the power of Adorable Faruja wields with such finesse. Maira giggles as she is spun, dipped, then tickled. Once on her feet again, she hugs Faruja affectionately and places a little kiss on his muzzle. "You are so adorable Faruja!" she says, then looks over to say hello to others. "Oh hi Skoll! Nice to see you! Have fun dancing!" she calls.

:'''[[Deelel]] has posed:''' Deelel looks over at Deelel "I'm fine on energy for now! Oh I umm live here I'm with the shard seekers!" She seems in a very chipper mood given the darkness has finally been lifted from the city itself. "Well dancing you know that might be fun!" She looks a Zeke "Care to dance, come on it's a party. One needs to have some fun in their life!" There's no escape Zekek!

:'''[[Skoll Ulfang]] has posed:''' "Ah, the Hookshot. I made it. In order to do so, I'll need things li~..." Whup! Zia steals his arm, and Skoll comes upright along with her. "I do note, I am not sure my brand of dancing is the same as what you are used to." He then glances back to Luso. "Tell you what, ask Reize for my number, I'll send you a list of things I'd need to make another one." So he explains, before walking Zia closer to the middle of the plaza where folk are dancing... And then halts for a moment as Katyna tries to grate on his nerves for no particular reason. "Hello Katyna." Skoll answers the girl. "The collar isn't a fashion statement. It's a magically forced tracker and parasite on me - if you must know. I'm sure my sister can explain it to you better. Now if you'll excuse me?" And so he continues on, giving Maira a little wave as she calls over at him, and finally arrives... lets go of Zia, and then begins to dance... Well... With a lot of hip-movement and motions towards her, drawing her in with hand-motions and making for grabbing her waist or hand, and otherwise keeps swinging around her in a contant motion of getting close and then parting again. There's something very raw about his motions however, and it's obvious that the werewolf is holding back... his more tribal nature. "We'd normally dance around a fire." He explains as he pulls Zia close again once. "Many of us, under the rhythm of the drum... our bodies painted."

:'''[[Evja]] has posed:''' Suddenly, someone spoke out about 'Pretty' and 'Bunny'. Evja turned to level a rather uncompassionate look towards Katyna before sighing and saying quite simply, "I would imagine that you would not enjoy being called an ape? A Viera is just that, and... not a bunny..." she trails off towards the end and looks towards Faruja, blinking at the rather vocal and happy announcement of her title, as is so given by him anyways. Lady? So he didn't know? Or was simply being polite? Well, might as well lean towards the former. But, back to Katyna, "Thank you, however, for the compliment. I will forgive you in exchange for a carrot?" With how even Evja's tone has been since she started speaking to Katyna, hard to say if that's a joke, or an honest offer to forgive the bunny remark for nothing other than... well, something most would associate with rabbits. Then back to Faruja. "Hello you. Out here all alone - I was quite certain your doting wolf would be out here with you given she did not seem to accept my invitation to join along with me." Even with the phrase 'doting wolf', it didn't sound harsh so much as... well, something to try and tease Faruja about.

:'''[[Luso Clemens]] has posed:''' "Things like....?" Luso asked, looking rapt with attention. But then came Zia creeping over to him and Skoll and taking the werewolf by the arm. She then dragged him off. "Noooooooo.....oh well!" Luso shrugged, recovering rather quickly. Instead, he just waved and grinned at the departing dance couple. "Have fun!" There would be other chances to complete his life's goal...the goal of obtaining a HOOKSHOT to add to his arsenal of weapons! % Yes.

:'''[[Reize Seatlan]] has posed:''' ? His eyes drift towards Maira, looking rather confused. However, the moment that Lily calls the girl Violet, Reize cannot help but smile. It is funny, realizing that the girl was once given a name by him. And now, Lily has given the name to her. Even if Annalise flashes the boy with an annoyed glance, he is still in good spirits! Nothing's going to deter him! As Katyna asks about Zia, Reize glances over to her, "Ah! This is Zia, and... this is Skoll!" He gestures to the wolf,who is interacting with Luso, "And the other one is Luso!" Then, he gestures to he stranger, "And this is Violet." His attention returns to Lenn, "Hey, Lenn..." He approaches her, "...Shall I escort you back to the HQ?"

:'''[[Zeke]] has posed:''' Zeke facepalmed at Deelel's request to dance. "Lass. I'l dance, but I can almost gurentee you won't like it." What followed involved lots of near mises, Zeke's feet acting like they've been bewitched, and at least a few instances of Deelel's feet getting stepped on. This from man who thought nothing of hopping from rigging to rigging to building to ground with the practiced grace that shouldn't belong to human kind.

:'''[[Lenn]] has posed:''' Lenn smiles to Reize, and leans over to kiss the boy's cheek. "I was going to simply find somewhere to sit. You were part of this fight, too..."

:'''[[Katyna]] has posed:''' Katyna smiles and nods at Faruja. "Sure thing, no prob....By the way.." She leans in conspiratorily towards Faru's ear, "Hear she's got the hots for you! You should ask her out on a date, hmm?" wink wink! nudge nudge! But, she'll have to track down Hati first! For now, Kat's determined to have some fun! When Skoll gives a rather surprising answer, Katyna's grin turns into a frown. "Wuh...What? That....Er..." She stares at the collar, scratching her head in confusion. Although she'd like to see him get punished, that seems a bit much. "Gee...That's..Sorry to hear that.." Then he walks off with the one named Zia. "Heh. Good Riddance.." she murmurs softly to herself before glancing back at Reize as he introduces the others. "Heh, I know dog breath." the way Kat says it makes it pretty clear that she's not very keen on him either. As for the others, she nods and smiles to each in turn. "Hi Luso, Lenn, Violet. Nice t'meet y'all! What do ya think of this party, hey?" Well, it seems Maira has her hands full with Faruja, and dance music is starting. Darn, she needs a dance partner. "Heeeey Reize!" She grins impishly, reaching for his arm, "Y'wanna dance? I promise I'll be gentle!" Impish grin!

:'''[[Lily]] has posed:''' Lily sprouts a grin at Annalise, full of her typical playfully happy attitude, then bounds over to Reize and Lenn to give Reize another hug-- And, without warning, lunges up to plant a SMOOOOOOOOCH right on his lips right then and there. It 'd only last for a few seconds though! "No more Heartless! No more heartless at all! It's finally safe here!"

:'''[[Katyna]] has posed:''' When Evja takes offence, she blinks, "Oooh, A Viera! Sorry, never met one before! Well I think you're very pretty! Err.." She sweatdrops when he offers to give her a carrot, missing the joke it seems. "Hah! Sure!!!"

:'''[[Zia]] has posed:''' Well, it isn't as if the gargoyle was planning on dragging him away mid-conversation, but if he comes along with from that small tug, who is she to argue. Of course, the girl does stop at the sight of a beautiful looking bunny-girl. Now, maybe such creatures existed in the animation of her world, but certainly she hasn't had much opportunity to see one in person. Pointed staring at strange race she's never seen gets interrupted by Skoll continuing to walk forward. Yoink! Zia doesn't notice Reize pointing her out to someone else, although she had caught the comment from Skoll. "Friend of yers?" She asks hesitantly as he shifts her out onto the dance floor. At first, when he starts to dance, she just stares at him. It takes her a moment to figure out exactly what he wants her to do, but the motions are easy enough. Her feet don't exactly go in the right places, but at least after a short bit, she manages to keep up. "Ye dinnae dance like anythin Ah've ever seen." At one point, she makes a mis-step, and ends up actually falling against his chest, ears drooping, looking a little embarassed at it. There's a few beats of music before she steps back, trying to catch her breath and get back into the rhythm. "Ah would imagine it was a sight te see." After a pause, she laughs nervously, "Did yer kind have anythin slower? Ah'm afraid Ah'm nae doin ye justice as a dance partner like this."

:'''[[Faruja Senra]] has posed:''' At being called adorable, Faruja flushes beneath the fur! "My, my, my...that /is/ new!" Somehow, he likes it. He waggles his nose at Maira before taking in the exchange between Katyna and Skoll. Wince. Skoll's dancing does get the rat's attention, studying it with an eye only a lover of art could give. Eventually, he nods at least half-approval. "Energetic...mmm. Could use more coordination, far too random. More grace...no, no. Would lose its tribal charm." Mutters the rat appraisingly. At least, as long as there's not too many grabs there! "D...doting wolf?" Flush! Cough. His momentary embarrassment fades into worry once again. "...Truly, I wish she were amongst us." "Two ears fold back as he's whispered to by Katyna. The rat stumbles! Thud! Right on his rear. Cough! "Th..mayhap. Mayhap I shall!" He tries to sound confident, and fails utterly. Standing, he bows to the two 'Ladies'. Then, he passes by a random server. "Lady Adjudicator, do allow me the honor of a dance tonight, hmm? I pray thy wounds have healed" After hearing her reply, he bows, before tending to the rest of his companions. Twirling away, he'll start distributing alcohol helpfully. Making the rounds to his friends, he stops before two in particular. Those two being Reize and Lenn. "Ser Seatlan! Lady Lenn! A toast to our victory!"

:'''[[Deelel]] has posed:''' Deelel says "Well we'l have to see." Deelel is polite enough to not make issue of getting stepped on though this form of dacning isn't what she really expected it to be given what little in the way of dance basics do have. Still her feet, ow, ow crunch, ow!

:'''[[Luso Clemens]] has posed:''' Katyna gets a cheerful wave from Luso as he turned towards the rest of the group, heading over. "Katyna, right?" He's seen her around here and there, but they've never gotten a chance to really talk before. Guess that was being fixed now! "Yeah, this is really some party! Look at everyone! Dancing their lives away, drinking up a storm, eating delicious food...! Man, parties in Fluorgis are crazy!" And he wasn't lying either. "Alright, since Skoll got kidnapped, I guess I've got nothing to do!" And with that said, the boy offered Katyna a hand, grinning all the while. "What do you say we have a dance? May as well do that while we talk, yeah?" Logical or stupid? Your pick.

:'''[[Annalise]] has posed:''' The smile on her lips falters when Lily turns and around and practically bounces towards Lenn and Reize just before giving the boy a full kiss on the lips. Anna blushes brightly. Such boldness. A small frown of uncertainty forms in her expression, thoughtful while she looks over the group of people. Everyone celebrating, everyone already knows one another and celebrating with victory over an evil that had been triumphed. She felt so out of place here. Anna gently shakes her pale blond head to herself as she lifts her arms and brushes back her plain brown cloak, revealing the dark navy dress and full white ruffles. Clearly not a dress for a traveler, much less one meant for everyday wear. http://tinyurl.com/aggd6ge

:'''[[Vespa]] has posed:''' Vespa takes a step back, from the dancing crowd taking another sip of her drink, she goes and grabs some meat-on-a-stick from a stall. She just content just to watch the crowd dance.

:'''[[Reize Seatlan]] has posed:''' Sigh. Given that Lenn is still looking worn, Reize leans over to return the kiss towards Lenn's cheek. "Alright. Just don't overwork yourself." And then, Reize looks over towards Kat, "Oh! Sure, I wouldn't-" So, Katyna has Reize's arm. Defenses are down. Lily leaps up towards him. !!! Reize is given a deep smooch right on his lips. *DOING!!!!* The antenna hair rises up. It looks like he may end up dancing with Lily AND Katyna--though, Luso is cutting in. Not that Reize minds. However, seeing Annalise undo the cloak, Reize blinks for a few moments. In the midst of it all, his attention drifts towards Faruja as he hands over the alcohol their way. Reize at first, reaches for it. However... THE LOOOMING PRESENCE OF MR.MEW TOWERS OVER REIZE WITH FLAMES RISING AROUND HIM! MWA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA!!!! "GAH!" Reize turns around. ...No. Mr. Mew. Maybe that was Reize's imagination. "Ahh...." Reize takes the drink, "A toast to our victory!" What can go wrong from this drink?

:'''[[Percival]] has posed:''' It was a time of celebration. A magical evening in which the conquering heroes were hailed as the champions that they were. Percival was no exception. He was doing an excellent job of playing a champion wallflower. Or was it roofflower? Hard to say. Either way he was watching the celebration from above, and generally just brooding. It hit him that he was being both a little boorish and boring at the same time, but he had a purpose to that, he was searching from above for a certain besotted Burmecian Templar. He swore that it was like searching for a needle in a hays...Oh there he was, that actually wasn't all that difficult. Maybe if he were a little less self-absorbed during his little pity party he might have caught sight of him hours ago. How very embarassing. Descending down into an alleyway took only moments for the Gargoyle, but then came the part of winding about the celebration. That he did, very deliberately, and he still managed to almost trip over a few people as the large Gargoyle tried to bumble about the crowd. Once he finally crossed the throng though, he actually kept his distance from Faruja. He looked like he was having a good time, and the news he had to deliver would only darken the mood. It didn't take long for him to decide to keep it to himself until the oppurtunity was right. He moved away gradually, taking his place at the edge of the festivities, on ground level. He had made the very significant transition from roofflower to wallflower. Now that, was progress!

:'''[[Katyna]] has posed:''' Katyna smiles at Luso and nods. "Sure is! Check out all this alcohol! Not as good as Tifa's but still great!" She grins at Tifa, "No, really. But hey, it's good to see y'all again too! I finally got to check out Cloud Nine! It's pretty awesome, what with Twilight Detective on the upper floor! Nice job!!" She looks back to Luso, arching a brow, "Eh? Skoll got kidnapped...Again? Man, that guy's a trouble magnet.." she sighs, "I suppose it has something to do with that darned collar, huh?" Guess she'll have to ask Hati about that one too, some time. She grins as she's offered a drink, taking a good long sip before raising the glass to the others. "Cheers! To Fluorgis' future!" then, whenever that's done with, Kat glances curiously towards Reize.. Well..She was hoping to dance with the boy, but it seems he has his hands full with all those girls. Kat cant help but chuckle a bit as Lily smooches him, wondering if she'd perfected the technique after Kat's little demonstration with the mistletoe. "Err..Guess you're a little busy right now, hey?" Another glance and grin back at Luso, "Sure, why not? I'd love to!" And she offers him her hand. Let's just hope she doesn't clutz this one out, Kat's not known for being terribly graceful, even if she is very enthusiastic!

:'''[[Skoll Ulfang]] has posed:''' "Friend of my sister's. Seems to dislike me for reasons that are beyond me." Skoll answered Zia's question regarding Katyna - or at least, he figured that was who she was refering to. A little ways into the dance, when she finally falls against his chest, Skoll slows his dance and puts a hand to Zia's back and looks down at the embarassed gargess. The big droopy ears were adorable. Not that he'd tell her something that embarassing! "I'm afraid we don't have much slower. But I can try and adapt to what the people here seem to be doing." He looks over to a pair which is doing one of those typical slow waltzing dances. He just watches them for a while, whilst swaying a little along with Zia still resting against himself, before picking up on their movement. He's no perfect dancer, but he's a warrior who knows where his feet belong! It isn't hard for someone who is so versed in the art of chains and maneuverability.... and more than that - the stealth of nature's hunt - to adapt. Now if only his tail would not keep slapping people who get too close - wagging, as Skoll is happy to dance with the pretty gargess. His eyes constantly on her. And in his mind? 'Am I staring too long? No, don't look into her eyes too long. Don't look at her neck, she might think you want to bite. NO NO NO! Don't look that low! Up eyes! Up! Ehhh... Nose! ... Noses are weird. Gosh she is pretty... her nose doesn't look weird.'

:'''[[Zeke]] has posed:''' That's the thing about parties. Especially with parties when in a land where the drinking age was 'it's probably safer than the water'. Zeke could be spotted somewehre along the way rolling a barrel of rum along. And by rolling he was standing on the barrel walking on top of it as it rolled. This from a guy who couldn't dance. "WHO WANTS A DRINK?"

:'''[[Luso Clemens]] has posed:''' "Oh, Tifa's alcohol, huh?" Luso mused, glancing at the woman in question. He had visited her previous bar, Seventh Heaven, before. He never did get to try a drink. But hey! Sea Salt Ice Cream! That was just as good, if not better! And so all was right with the world. The mention of Skoll's collar caused the boy to chuckle and cross his arms, glancing back at Skoll and Zia as they danced. "Heh heh, well, I wouldn't know anything about that now. It looks like the best kidnapping he's had in a while now though!" Watching Reize deal with his gaggle of girls just made Luso chuckle more though. "Man, Reize. You've got girls around you almost twenty four seven. Must be exhausting!" He shook his head at that though and looked back to Katyna. "Excellent! Let's do this then!" He cheered, taking her hand and leading her off. "Good luck with all that now, Reize! Don't do anything I wouldn't do!" He called out to his friend as he lead Katyna off. Once finding suitable space, he took her hand properly, standing in front of her. "I've gotta admit, I'm not that good of a dancer myself, but I won't be stepping on toes! I'm not that bad now!" And with that said, Luso brought his other hand to Katyna's waist, leading her into a simple, but energetic dance, following the lead of the other people dancing and celebrating. "Let's just have some fun!"

:'''[[Tifa Lockhart]] has posed:''' Tifa Lockhart smiles to Katyna, nodding. Its a great spot, much more in the middle of things in Traverse than in Goug, but I still go back to Goug once in a while. Both are inns too, so its always busy, whether its food or drinks, or just keeping the place tidy." She picks up a glass of the drinks, sipping socially for once, rather than serving.

:'''[[Lily]] has posed:''' After pulling way Lily icks her lips and folds her hands, still in a giggly happy mood. THERE IS MUCH CAUSE FOR CELEBRATION HERE. Even if she hardly knows anything of wht's going on through all this chaos and people. There is noise and dancing and music and food and all kinds of things but... But she seems happy just hanging around this group with a triumphant grin to show the whole world.

:'''[[Zia]] has posed:''' Right now isn't a good time to try to delve into the werewolf's family and their extended aquaintences, especially when she's trying so hard to keep up with his dancing. Luckily, after that stumble, the wolf does slow down a bit, even if it isn't one of his native dances. Zia leans in, keeping herself from flushing too much by just letting her head rest on his shoulder as they sway. She's not perfect at it by any means, but at least she's fairly light and graceful on those large taloned toes. Oblivious to his myriad of thoughts, she laughs softly. "We didnae really dance much. Ah used te watch m'mum 'n da sometimes. He would just twirl her around 'n they'd laugh like there they had nary a single care in the world." Tonight, she wanted to do that, to close her eyes, dance with a couple of handsome young men, and forget. Forget about the Heartless out there, the undead threatening the temple in the desert, and the Gaea sisters threatening Skoll. "Ye know, yer goin te cause some damage with tha thing." She notes about his tail, her own stays tucked to her side. When there is a break between songs, she pauses to look around, only then noticing Percival looking more like architecture than normal. "Thank ye fer the dance." She offers Skoll with that flush still lingering. She holds his hand for a moment longer, then leans up on tip-toes to leave a kiss on his cheek. "Ah'll see if Ah can save another one for ye later. Ah think Ah need te go see wha's troublin the young squire." She motions at Percival. "Go sweep some other young lass off her feet." Her smile lingers, hand reluctant as she finally releases him and weaves her way through the crowd towards Percival. "So, can Ah depend on a young knight fer a dance?" She asks, holding her hand out to him without too much pretense. She can certainly shake him down for questions while she's got him isolated on the dance floor.

:'''[[Vespa]] has posed:''' "I'll take one!", Vespa shouts to Zeke! She smiles holding out her glass for him to full! It's a festival so she going to drink as much as she can!

:'''[[Evja]] has posed:''' With Faruja seemingly becoming rather distracted, and the carrot-fetcher occupied by dancing, Evja closes her eyes and reclines against a nearby wall, watching the festivities and considering who to approach if any and where to go. As her attention wandered, they came to various people in the crowd. That one kid from Gully, several members of the Shard Seekers, dog ears. Wait, dog ears? Evja stared a bit closer as if trying to figure out if it was Hati and... nope, not Hati. Though the fellow was male. Ah, right, she'd seen him before at the Pridelands ordeal where he turned into a wolf. Mm... And he had said something about 'sister' there, with Hati recently speaking of her family. Pushing away from the wall, Evja approaches Skoll and asks softly, "You would not happen to know a girl by the name of Hati, would you?"

:'''[[Zeke]] has posed:''' Zeke proved he was strong as well as swift of foot by backflipping off the barrel and lifting it, all couple hundred pounds of rum and wood, onto a table before tapping it and pouring Vespa's glass and passing it back before getting on top of table and barrel. "FREE DRINKS! WHO'S THIRSTY!" Gods he was gonna be sore in the morning. He wished manhatten were still around since he'd need asprine. LOTS of asprine.

:'''[[Katyna]] has posed:''' Katyna smiles and nods to Tifa. "You're quite the best barmaid I've met yet! I need to head back to Traverse..Eventually. But first, I need to deal with some...Stuff!" shady smile. Dont mind her, nothing to see over here! She glances back at Luso and smiles, "Heh, I guess he is. Well at least he'll be busy with her.." which suits her just fine. That collar of his has her curious though...Hmmmm...... Zeke offers more drinks and she grins at him, taking one, "Thanks! Dont mind if I do! Lesse, maybe I can dance even better if I'm drunk!" she grins and winks at Luso as he leads her to the dance floor. "Well actually, my friend Razan once taught me to dance, but..." But hopefully, she'll still remember those steps! Katyna breaks out into a lively Salsa step them, seeming to dance quite well in her semi drunken state..Well..Erm, mostly..Except when she accidently steps on Skoll's tail! Really, it totally was an accident! Of course she didn't do that deliberately! "Ouch! What was that! Sorry! Haha!!" she calls out randomly, not really knowing whose tail she stepped on! She does catch Evja's comment however, stepping near him and arches a brow, "Heh, you a friend of Hati's too? She's not here, sadly..." She glances back at Luso again, "Oh yeah, I wanted to ask, soooo are you a Shard Seeker then?" Bah,. she's all over the place to day, it seems!

:'''[[Annalise]] has posed:''' It looks like everyone is off doing their own thing now, the people she was introduced to moments before either dancing or drinking, just enjoying themselves in general. It made Anna a little bit envious that they have friends to do so with. Her soft lips part with a small breath as she dares a step forward, moving through the moving crowd, simply watching people and creature-people with open curiosity. Exploring what she could, she's stunned at the fire-breather that takes a deep inhale before tilting his head up and releasing a long stream of fire up into the air above the heads of the crowd.

:'''[[Ivo Galvan]] has posed:''' You'd think Ivo Galvan would be in the midst of the fray from the beginning. There's nothing like a festival to get a lively light glittering in the Shard Seeker swordsman's blue eyes and awaken his curious nature; it's a setting in which he can browse all he wants without consequence and participate at his leisure, which suits him just fine. Besides, while he doesn't much like to fight, he does very much love to dance -- at least, he loves going to dances. But when Ivo at least arrives on the scene, his cloak rippling down the darkened streets lit by brilliant lanterns -- testament to the renewed strength of the Fire Crystal -- he hovers on the sidelines, perhaps beneath notice for a little while, a drink in his hand and the other hand on his hip, smiling mildly. He still looks a bit tired; in fact, he's been about some business, dealing with the Shard Seekers' elevation to real Clanhood, helping sort out the public display of the Desert Rose, and sharing a few words with Cid Previa about the state of the Crystal. But there's nothing strained about his expression. He looks relaxed, at peace, happy to take in the energy of his surroundings. He raises his glass in toast, to no one in particular. This is, after all-- "To us." --what they were fighting for.

:'''[[Deelel]] has posed:''' Deelel feet are very abused but she maintains good spirits even as the party rages on, she will delcine drinking as she's got no need to gert more energy right now, after. She'll sit down for the moment and look over the various party goers, she seems to be humming something as the young lady has a plan, there's a party there should be music as she sees it here...

:'''[[Reize Seatlan]] has posed:''' Reize IS popular with the girls, isn't he? With Lily and Lenn, he does have people to depend on all around. However, despite of it all, Katyna was supposed ot be his dance partner, but she quickly got snagged by Luso. That may be a good thing, considering how swamped he is. The boy laughs towards Luso, "Ahhahahaha... Y-yeah." He is sheepish, but all in all, he is accepting of their hearts. Even if it does feel odd with the attention... "Drinking up!" Drink. Drink. Fortitude Check. > NOPE.jpg Hiccup! Reize is now looking a little dizzy. However, the boy wraps an arm around Lily, then he reaches for 'Violet'. Yoink! And of course, Lenn. Yoink! "Let's dance--*hiccup*!"

:'''[[Zeke]] has posed:''' Zeke busied himself by pouring glass after glass after glass of rum and started arranging them to form the parimiter of something just as several rather tiny fellows came over with bowls and platters of stuff he started filling the inner part of the design with. Time passed and Zeke stepped back eying the display before nudging this and that then calling it good. Ladies and Gentlefolk. Boys and Girls of All Ages. The Party Octopus. Tenticles were drinks, The eyes were platters of cheese snacks. The forehead was chocolate, and the rest was fruit with coldcuts and sandwiches around where the tenticles gathered. Zeke stood back with mug in hand and sandwich in the other trying to figure where Tifa was. He wanted her opinion on presentation. Sure that wasn't HIS food or booze but c'mon. He had to get SOME points for trying to keep people fuled right?

:'''[[Lenn]] has posed:''' Lenn had found herself a seat, and had a drink pressed into her own hands... She'd never had alcohol before, so, why not? Fast forward to 5 minutes later, the weakened elven beauty has a deep rosy color on her cheeks, and is smiling at Reize. "Sho handshome. My Hushban.." And she finds herself quickly drawn up, practically falling over immediately unless someone catches her.

:'''[[Skoll Ulfang]] has posed:''' Skoll keeps the dance slow and easy for Zia after the earlier little trek. "That must have been nice. I generally just danced with the whole tribe. Never really just with the close family. We were all... one big family." Or so he'd like to believe. But Omegas were not to dance. And some were too busy playing the drums. Things weren't equal back then. Still, he too is dancing for the same reason as Zia right now. To forget about the trouble that brews over his head. Over other peoples' heads. But also... because he enjoys Zia's company. And that's exactly when, when the girl lingers in that hand-holding touch, that he continues to stongly hold hers. The little kiss to his cheek has him blushing a little, and the werewolf casts a grinning gaze back upon her. "You are quite welcome, my lady." He answers her, and lets go when she finally does pull away from him - trailing his fingers against the underside of hers as she does so, until she's out of his reach. He then grabs his tail in an attempt to get it to STOP WAGGING so damn much... and walks out of the dancing crowd as he's spoken to by Evja. He's just about to comment back when Katyna suddenly steps on his tail. There's this loud YELP! sound, followed by the werewolf rubbing his tail. Seems he'd not held onto it well enough, and now he's stroking the fur carefully, and checking for kinks. When Evja finally gets within arm's range though, he looks up... still petting his tail. She's a rather pretty looking viera in that getup. And when they mention Hati, the youth smiles and nods. "Yeah, that's my sister. What about her?" He then glares back towards Katyna, who'd stepped on his tail. That's when he notices Annalise all alone - staring at the firebreather. Better keep Faruja away from said firebreather. If she'll notice him, Skoll actually motions at Annalise. Hey, Zia'd told him to go dance with someone else as well. And he's still in the mood to dance.

:'''[[Reize Seatlan]] has posed:''' Reize totally catches Lenn as she is Reize's dance partner!

:'''[[Percival]] has posed:''' He'd almost gotten finished counting the cracks in the pavement. It was positively scintillating. So much so that when Zia approaches him, he's so startled by her voice that he stands bolt upright looking around hurriedly in a pretty comical fashion. Yep, he was the very picture of composure that one. Then he gives her an almost dumbfounded look. Was she really asking 'him' to dance? Apparently so. "Uh..um. Well certainly Lady Zia, if that is your wish. I...I mean you can always depend on me for anything." Smooth Perci, smooth. A beautiful Gargess asks him to dance and THAT was your response? Alright, he thought, you can still recover gracefully. Percival gently put his hand within Zia's and allows her to lead him to the dance floor. Luckily for Zia's feet once they are isolated on the dance floor, he actually was not that terrible a dancer. Perhaps he even seemed to sense that she preferred something a bit more subdued as he shifts from allowing her to lead, to him doing the same as he starts the steps of a slower version of a Viennese Waltz. His wings even made for a rather effective tailcoat. His tail even got into the rhythm of the music as it shifted and moved along with the steps. Wait, was he actually having fun? After a while, Perci even managed a smile. He was even making eye contact with Zia, though everything in his demeanour showed that the dance was a merely a friendly one, and he considered it nothing more than that. It still didn't make him less anxious about it.

:'''[[Luso Clemens]] has posed:''' "I dunno about dancing drunk and all that, but hey!" Luso commented lightly, following after her movements easily enough. "If that floats your boat, then who am I to say otherwise, huh?" Laughing lightly, the boy didn't think to hard about what steps to take or how good or bad he was doing, he just danced and enjoyed himself. And then Katyna attempted to step on Skoll's tail, though Luso didn't realize it was Skoll. Whoops. "H-Hey, let's watch our steps now...Don't wanna end up getting into some fight in the middle of a celebration, yeah?" He suggested with a sheepish chuckle, sweeping her along into a more courageous dance move. At the inquiry of being a Shard Seeker, Luso totally gave her a look that pretty much asked 'really?'. "Ahahahaha! Me? A Shard Seeker? No way!" The boy denied, giving a quick handwave at the notion. "Those guys are awesome, but I'm the Leader of Clan Gully! I've got my own adventures to go on and my own people to look out for. Though that's not to say we don't work together now and then!" He tilted his head slightly then and raised an eyebrow at Katyna. "What about you? What's your story? You're not in the Shard Seekers, are you?" He was pretty sure she wasn't anyway.

:'''[[Maira]] has posed:''' There a thing about drinking a lot. All that drink has to go somewhere... Thus Maira returns from a pee break, only to be immediately handed another drink. She's so tipsy she's not even sure where they are coming from anymore. They just appear like magic and she begins to sip them. Blurry eyes scanning the crowd, Maira spots Ivo. She wouldn't where he was! She'd expected him to maybe be flirting up a storm with the pretty girls eager for attention. Maira moves up behind him and taps him lightly on the shoulder, smiling widely. "Ivoooo..."

:'''[[Evja]] has posed:''' Blinking, Evja turns to look at the one who had not seen a Viera before, before nodding. "We are... well enough acquainted." but fails to go into the depths of just how. Though all considered, Evja didn't intend to sound upset or standoffish, she was just... short, at times, as for what was to be said. Back to Skoll, though, Evja asked simply enough, "Is she well? It seems both Faruja and I invited her here, yet it would seem she has otherwise been occupied. I am aware we all have lives, but I do worry in these vast worlds."

:'''[[Lily]] has posed:''' YOINKED! Someone will have to explain this mysterious magical drink that's made Reize surprisingly grabby all of a sudden. Yet again, Lily doesn't know WHAT is going on as she's clumsily handled but it is amusing enough to be worth some laughter over at the others here. She returns the group hug-- not at all sure about whatever this dancing thing is!

:'''[[Annalise]] has posed:''' Annalise blinks her bright blue eyes blankly as an arm boldly wraps around her waist and pulls her close, and it was only after she realizes that it was Reize that the girl blushes a deep cherry red. "Hey!" He has a strong grip drunk! "I think you already have enough dance partners." When he reaches for Lenn Anna herself catches the opportunity to free herself, if that's even possible. Really. She doesn't even know the guy! Whether or not Annalise does manage to free herself, she gives the people around her a quick glance to see if anyone had noticed, which unfortunately there has been a few (may all of them)... Meeting Skoll's eyes, the pale blond girl pauses for a moment of hesitation before lifting a small hand to quietly wave in his direction, though clearly she must find something disturbing with his ears as she keeps glancing up at them. It was a very odd look indeed, as she's never seen a half animal and half person before.

:'''[[Katyna]] has posed:''' Katyna blinks at Skoll as he glares back at her. "What!? I said I was sorry! Meh!" She sticks her tongue out at him, about to turn her back on him and pay more attention to Luso when Evja pipes up about Hati again. Unfortunately, Kat's also a little concerned about Hati as well, although her phone is still recharging on a nearby wall..Somewhere.. "Erp, Hati's tougher than she looks, she can take care of herself..But..I've already promised to check up on her after this. Don't worry, I'll make sure she's okay.." She smiles and winks as she watches Evja thoughtfully, wondering how she knows her 'big sis'. She glances back to Luso again, arching a brow. "Huh, Clan Gully? never heard of 'em, what do they do?" However, she shakes her head when he asks if she's part of Shard Seekers. "Nah, I'm part of VALKYRIE, actually. An all girls super hero team, led by the awesome Avira!" Of course she's also part of that...Other group. But..Heh, let's not go there, shall we? "Haha, Well that's awesome, you're a pretty good dancer! I hope I'm not too clutzy! I suppose a drink or two's good for energy though, hey?" Grin. She's careful not to step on Skoll's or any of the Gargoyles' tails from now on however, not wanting to make a *total* fool of herself.

:'''[[Zia]] has posed:''' Seeing flustered men no longer surprises Zia in the least bit, so she's patient as she just holds out her hand, looking quite expectant. Thankfully, there are no excuses from this one, otherwise she might have had to fall to more nefarious wiles to get him out on the dance floor. "Ah certainly appreciate tha, lad." She smiles, not seeming to mind him stumbling over his words. She does lead the way at first, but when he shows that skill with the dance, she lets him take the lead. Zia isn't as experienced with dance, but she is certainly trying to play the part. Watching something on television and in movies is a far cry from actually being able to immitate it in real life. Still, getting him to smile is worth the effort. "There now. Tha's the young gargoyle tha came te me te plege his protection. The troubled look doesnae suit ye." The dance may have all the closeness of one done in a noble court, but she seems to enjoy it none the less. "Care te tell me wha's nippin at yer tail?" Her head tilts, looking at him with a raised brow, letting her own tail twitch in his direction, as if adding emphasis to the question.

:'''[[Ivo Galvan]] has posed:''' So, more or less as one might anticipate, it takes about three seconds from Ivo's expression to go from 'Something Approaching Manly Satisfaction' to 'This is Going to Be Hilarious'. Maira is extraordinarily popular tonight, surprising no one, and significantly more drunk than Ivo. He turns bemusedly as she taps him on the shoulder, but at her wide smile and the drawling out of his name, he doesn't even bother to suppress his own playful grin. "What's this?" he remarks, seemingly amused. "I thought I'd have to get in line to talk to you tonight, Maira. What happened? Did you light a suitor on fire?" He's making fun of her already, but there's a fondness in his tone and gaze that suggests all is in good fun. "Well, I'm ever willing to hazard your flames. I've been training, after all." So he claims. He finishes the last of his drink and sets the glass down on a nearby barrel before, cheeks slightly flushed, his grin softens into a smile and he extends his hand. Though his posture is as confident as ever, there's just a hint of uncertainty in his eyes that's never been there before, not that anyone will necessarily notice. She may have forgiven him his wrongs, but-- he still isn't quite sure what is it about him hurts the women he cares for. Still-- "May I have this dance, Maira?" Right this moment, he knows exactly what he wants.

:'''[[Reize Seatlan]] has posed:''' Welp. Since Violet is being a spoiled sport, she is no longer Reize's concern. And unfortunately, Lenn has to sit this on out as well. Alas. However, this means one thing. Lily has Reize's full attention. It's just Reize and Lily, no one else. In the boy's drunken stupor, the grabby drunk boy is holding onto Lily's hand while the other hand moves to her waist. Suddenly, a rose is tossed out of nowhere... And Drunk!Reize catches it with his teeth. And he takes Lily for a tango! 

:'''[[Maira]] has posed:''' Maira is indeed /quite/ drunk. She's not sure if she's popular or someone is actually trying to get her to accidentally light the whole place on fire. Really, it could be either. Subtle play of a Shadow Lord?! Okay, probably not. Maira giggles, shaking her head. "No no, I've just been dancing--but someone keeps giving me drinks and I just--they said its rude not to drink them so--hiccup--I have been," she answers, sipping before she puts her drink down as well. Maira takes his hand and tries to curtsy, almost falling on her arse when she does so, which only leads to more giggling. She'll then allow herself to be pulled off for a dance. "You--hic!--still look tired Ivo. You need to rest. And eat red meat--hiccup--but mostly sleep."

:'''[[Skoll Ulfang]] has posed:''' Skoll is ignoring Katyna - as well as her appology - by now. After all, he always felt like she had it out for him, so he's not likely to believe her excuse - no matter how honest and true it may have been in that moment. Instead, he concentrates on Evja. "Not sure. I think she may just not have wanted to show up to such a large group of people. I'm sure she's fine." Skoll tells Evja. Or is he just telling himself that to get rid of that nagging feeling at the back of his mind? The werewolf then moves to make his way over to Annalise, and ends up actually kneeling before her after she'd waved at him. It must be so strange for her indeed. But in Fluorgis, there are many strange creatures. Bangaas, Seeq... "Would you dance with me?"

:'''[[Deelel]] has posed:''' Deelel is sittign near the barrel and she looks over to the Captain as he gets the party going with the drinks she'll leve those into that to have some fun as she keeps humming along some song she seems to be putting together in her head. She may be done soon as she's mentally working at a speed faster than a human mind could run for all of her seeming to be human. Not insanely so but it's what she's made for.

:'''[[Evja]] has posed:''' With both Katyna, and Skoll seemingly dancing, and 'unconcerned' about Hati, Evja gives a simple nod and turns to leave them be, wandering quietly towards a stand that she personally knows always has lots and lots of vegetables. They always did have nice carrots.

:'''[[Percival]] has posed:''' And lead he does. Once he feels that she has the basic steps down, he even mix in more sweeping turns, and even an impromptu dipping of his extraordinary dance partner. Though not too far back. He was quite experienced at the dance, but that doesn't give him any protection when Zia bluntly asks what's bothering him. In fact he stumbles so badly that he ruins the entire dance by coming close to dropping Zia. The squire was a smooth one after all. He still recovers his step rather quickly though, even attempting to unfurl one of his wings and incorporate it into the sweeping movements of the dance to make it look like it was intentional. How best to answer that? Well he couldn't lie to her. She was a PRINCESS after all, and a Gargoyle. Alright, the God's honest truth would have to serve. He still lowered his voice, but tried to blurt it out quickly to her. "I'm a terrible sinner who failed in a task that Faruja gave me and the end result is that a Burmecian woman committed suicide for me killing her brother, who was attempting to kill the Alexandrian priestess that Faruja set me to escorting. The priestess turned out to be a vampire. Oh and since I was a fool and buried the Burmecian woman that she'd bitten, she's risen from the dead as an unholy creature of the night." Honesty! Oh wait, he just realized how that terrible that must have sounded. Honesty was a terrible idea! His anxiety must have caused him to pick up the pace of the dance just a little without even noticing he'd done so.

:'''[[Annalise]] has posed:''' And Reize whisks Lily away into a sudden tango. At least she wasn't trapped in all of... that... Just what is it about the people in this universe anyways? Her soft lips part with a small sigh of relief, though the moment is fleeting as Skoll approaches and smoothly bends down into a kneel before Anna. And something hard forms in the pit of her stomach. Did he know? He couldn't possibly know. "Um..." her rich blue eyes glances at Skoll's ears. They look like they work and everything. "Sure. I mean, if you don't mind if we avoid that." Annalise gently raises a hand to motion towards the tangoing Reize and Lily. Clearly they were drawing allot of attention.

:'''[[Ivo Galvan]] has posed:''' A woman next to Ivo glances down at the bouquet of roses in her hands and blinks, looking a little perplexed. Didn't she have another rose just a moment ago? And what was that flicker of red she saw flying through the air toward that drunk boy in the dance floor? Ivo looks innocent as he gently leads Maira onto the dance floor, which more or less involves him making sure she doesn't fall over and carefully leading her through the throng of people. He intwines the fingers of one hand with her own, the other hand settling on her lower back, keeping her close enough to support her but not so close she's crushed against him, tempting though that might be. Actually, her excessively vulnerable state seems to be bringing out a different side of Ivo. He smiles down at her warmly as he begins to lead her through the dance, effortlessly matching the tempo of the music. Soon he can't resist adding little flourishes, though he focuses mainly on keeping Maira out of harm's way -- or anyone else's. "Sleep?" he responds, still amused at her current state. "That sounds so lonely. Even if I'm tired, I'd rather be with others on a night like this." He twirls Maira (not too quickly) and then dips her (if only to catch her in case she wobbles off balance), and holds her there for a moment, his smile widening as he looks down at her, face momentarily close. "Unless you're offering to sleep with me." Zero to horrible in ten seconds flat.

:'''[[Luso Clemens]] has posed:''' "Heh! What do we do? Let's see..." Luso mused, smiling in amusement as he danced with his partner, feigning deep thought at the same time. "We fight monsters, serve the people, take down heartless, Negotiate, and other stuff!" He replied confidently, nodding his head a couple times. Seeing her interaction with Skoll and Zia just made him look away and laugh a bit. "Told ya!" At the mention of VALKRI though, Luso glanced back to Katyna and whistled in appreciation. "Ohhh, so you're in that VALKRYI group!" He spoke casually, nodding understandingly. "I've heard of them! They're getting a pretty big reputation these days..." And then Ivo happened. "............Dude."

:'''[[Katyna]] has posed:''' Katyna nods in agreement with SKoll. Yeah. Probably nothing. Nothing at all to worry about! Wheeee!!! This alcohol is making it hard for her to focus! She does however, notice Ivo out of the corner of her eye asking Maira to dance. "Hey Ivo, behave yourself, 'k? I cant forgive you if you take advantage of Maira!" Kat grins and winks impishly at him as she smoothly transitions into a Tango step when the music changes, swirling in towards Luso, then out again, her arm reaching out in a sweeping motion..Close enough to touch Ivo...And snag his belt! Oh yeah, that was like, TOTALLY an accident! Totally NOT the quick-fingered work of a former thief! Nope, no way! Kat's totally innocent..TOTALLY! Ahem! She glances back at Luso, twirling back in and grins, "Cool, sounds like fun! We should team up some time! It'll be a trip!" Kat beams and nods when he expresses recognition at *that* VALKYRIE. "Yup! Guess there's only one! Are they that famous now? I wonder if they're..." Suddenly, her fully re-charged phone rings loudly, giving off Hati's unique dialtone. "Hati.." She blinks, "Excuse me..I gotta.." Heart pounding, she gets a baaaad feeling about this as she untangles herself from Luso's graps, reaching her phone as she listens anxiously to the message. "Wuh...You went to...But alone..? HATI!! Wait for mee!!!!!" snapping the phone closed, she glances only briefly towards Evja and Skoll and Faruja, a strangely..Frightenned look in her eyes...And then turns and darts off into the night..

:'''[[Lily]] has posed:''' A pity that Lily has absolutely no idea what the heck this is, being swung all around by a drunken Reize - DOES HE EVEN KNOW HOW TO DANCE? She's still laughing the whole while, not caring a bit about what ever this is SUPPOSED to be!

:'''[[Maira]] has posed:''' Ivo will have his work cut out for him. Maira isn't exactly graceful normally, and has never really been taught to dance. She can follow, and she has a keen ear for music, but she's /very/ drunk and Ivo will likely need to concentrate on just keeping her on feet while they dance. Which, apparently isn't such a concern as he dips her, and suddenly she's not really on her feet anymore anyway! The world is very....spinny...but seems to focus as she finds Ivo's face quite close to hers. They've been in this position before. Closer, even, but that was a while ago, and before certain...talks. Maira blushes at his question, but ultimately, she doesn't answer it. "We....still need to talk...you know," she replies breathlessly.

:'''[[Reize Seatlan]] has posed:''' And Reize, thanks to the bro-ship of Ivo, is armed with a rose for the dance. As Lily laughs, Reize is happily holding onto his beloved for the tango. People are actually cheering and laughing. Given how well known that the leader of the Shard Seekers is, many of the clan members are clapping. For the most part, they are rather amused. But, the people know, Reize Seatlan, the leader of the Shard Seekers, is the dependable one. Meanwhile, a pig-tailed girl is emerging from the crowd of people. She is well-dressed for the day, wearing her regal attire. It's Maria. While watching the gathering of people, and she is patiently waiting /her/ turn to dance with the drunken boy, and she has a touch of amusement. Meanwhile at the higher class home... "I cannot believe that those Shard Seekers got approved. ...I oughta.... Where is Maria?" Pause. Pause. Councilmen Averroe lifts a fist in the air. "SSSSSSSSSSEEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAATTTTTTTLLLLLLAAAAAAAAAAAAAANNNNNNNNNNNNN!!!!!!"

:'''[[Zia]] has posed:''' The white gargoyle trusts Percival enough so that she doesn't really notice the slip up and him having to cover for it. Maybe she suspects a little, but she doesn't let on, continuing with the motion until he slows to give her the long-winded explination that would leave most high spirited girlscouts in the dust. "Tha's... a mouthful." She slows, slipping her hands up so that they come to rest on his shoulders, swapping the waltz for just the swaying of two people who were more engaged in talking than dancing. Rocking back and forth, zia pauses for a moment to sort through everything that he had said. "Calm yerself, lad." Her voice is soft and calming, itself, almost with a soft croon to it. "Ah dinnae think tha he would set ye out on a task like tha if he knew tha there would be tha sort of trouble involved." She tries to look at his eyes, doing that thing where she ducks her head to make sure he doesn't hide from her in the process. "If ye tried te do the right thing, 'n faught wi all ye had, then there's no shame or sin in it." Ahh, religious types. Zia will never really understand the weight they put on themselves when it comes to their own mistakes. "Ah think if ye just talked te him... Ah doubt he would be so cold hearted aboot it as ye think. In the end, it falls te the Church and the Templar if they hadn't sent enough people te protect her."

:'''[[Skoll Ulfang]] has posed:''' Skoll gracefully takes Annalise's hand, taking note of her posture as he bows before her. Something seemed off - something his instincts were picking up on. But he quickly declares it not important and gets up to lead the girl into the crowds. He'd bowed before Zia too, just before taking her to dance - if Annalise remembers. So perhaps that will ease her mind a little? The werewolf grins widely at the girl. "We'll take something slow then." The waltz others were doing, what he'd tried with Zia earlier, that will work. And so, he begins to slowly step and walk in circles with Annalise. Step in, step out, step in, step out. The werewolf makes for a decent dancer still, but when Katyna suddenly acts up and calls out his sister's name, he halts the little moment with Annalise. He catches that glance, and quickly looks to Faruja. Why would Hati call Katyna if she was in trouble, and not him? That doesn't seem right. But clearly, it was enough to freak Katyna out. "Excuse me." He turns to Annalise. "I am so sorry, I make for a terrible dance-partner, to take you into my hands and then abandon moments later. But Hati is my sister... and it seems something is wrong. I must follow that girl." He bows his head. "Please forgive me." The werewolf then turns and attempts his best at chasing Katyna.

:'''[[Ivo Galvan]] has posed:''' Ivo's smile softens at Maira's response, and some of the impishness fades from his eyes, but her words don't seem to displease him. "Yeah, you're right," he says quietly, still holding her in the same position, cradling the blonde's body and supporting her almost entirely. "Maira, I--" The sound of leather slipping against fabric. "--" And the sound of cloth unfolding, as, upon Ivo's belt being deftly removed by Katyna, his pants drop to the ground, revealing blue boxers which he must have gotten in Manhattan. Ivo stands there, deadpanning in silence for a few moments as he stands, pantsed, in the middle of the dance circle, still holding Maira quite closely. Eventually, he looks evenly into Maira's eyes. "Fate has spoken." Someone please stop him.

:'''[[Annalise]] has posed:''' Annalise naturally slips her small hand into Skoll's when he takes it, a practiced motion it seems, much like the bend of her knees as she dips into a graceful curtsy just after he bows to her. The pale blonde girl tries to give him a small, reassuring smile so that he knows at least that she isn't put off by him. And as he begins to lead her into a slow and gentle waltz, Anna smoothly steps in time with him in such a way that it was almost as if they were gliding. If the werewolf was a decent dancer, then she would be considered remarkable. The shift of his attention was evident the moment he glances up, and it showed in the way that he dances that he's distracted. Though Anna doesn't take it personally. At least he apologizes. Offering a small smile, she dips her chin with a small nod, "Of course." Releasing her, he bows just before taking off after Katyna.

:'''[[Maira]] has posed:''' Maira's fingers clutch at the arm of Ivo's shirt, her grip tightening lightly as she looks up into his eyes-- Then, hearing a strange sound, Maira looks down. !!!!!!!!!! Then, of course, she bursts into flame.

:'''[[Reize Seatlan]] has posed:''' And with poor Lily getting dizzied, Reize finally lets her go. ...And only to get snatched by the councilman's daughter. Yoink! Meanwhile, the other clan members get some more drinks to offer Reize. ...And all of them _WINCE_ over Ivo's fate. 

:'''[[Percival]] has posed:''' It takes him a bit of time to adjust to the swaying. His arms moving around her waist. But he's not really looking at her anymore either. Maybe he feels like he doesn't deserve to. Or maybe his eyes are misting up a little. He would have preferred a shocked response he thinks to one of understanding. "Its...There's..." He'd decided by now that perhaps full and complete honesty about his troubles in the midst of a celebration wasn't the best policy. "...there's more but, now isn't the time." A laundry list of his failures wasn't going to change things after all. "I'm not very good at what I do, Lady Zia, and its beginning to catch up with me. Just...be careful for the time being."

:'''[[Evja]] has posed:''' Walking back, Evja happens to spot Ivo's mishap just in time to say, "Really... such a tacky color." Not that the Viera could really say much... given he was crossdressing /hard/ tonight.

:'''[[Ivo Galvan]] has posed:''' It's alright. Ivo has been training for this moment! Now, he can-- "Gaaaahhhh!" Ivo emerges from the inferno stumbling over his own pants, covering his sooty face -- minus most of his eyebrows -- with his hands, and reeling toward the sidelines, where he will most likely disappear for now to treat his burns and gather what remains of his dignity. "...my training... wasn't enough...!" It's fire, Ivo.

:'''[[Zia]] has posed:''' The white gargoyle watches Percival for a time, perhaps seeing just how deep this goes. "Tell he wha, come on." She reaches up to touch his cheek with one hand, taking his taloned hand in the other. Moving to lead him off of the dance floor, Zia gives a glance around, missing Skoll's sudden departure, and not seeing Faruja at all. Maybe she'd have time to steal those dances with them later. "Let's go sit a spell inside. Ye dinnae seem up te a celebration, anyways." The girl doesn't seem like she'll accept 'no' for an answer just now. Alas, poor Percival, at the whims of women.

:'''[[Maira]] has posed:''' Maira, rather than running off, just sort of lays there until the fire goes out, at which point...well...she's fallen into a drunken sleep. <3 Ni ni Maira. Next stop, Hangover Town.

:'''[[Luso Clemens]] has posed:''' Finished with his dance, Luso bid Katyna farewell before backing off to the sidelines again. "Phew, this has been quite a festival so far, but I think I'll go check out the rest of the festival." He spoke out loud, crossing his arms behind his head and walking off. Reize's nonsensical drunken dancing and Ivo's.....being Ivo draws a light chuckle from the boy as he merged into the crowd, moving along on his way.

:'''[[Reize Seatlan]] has posed:''' It is a night of merriment and enjoyment. The city has undergone strife over the past month. This is the month where a clan had to prove themselves with the help of their friends. The trails hallmark the fact that a world can be saved from the Heartless taking it over. ...It all requires Heart.

Tomcat and Princess

2013-02-27T10:29:38Z

IvoGalvan: Created page with "{{Log Header |Date of Scene=2013/02/27 |Location=Fluorgis - Shard Seekers HQ - Garden |Synopsis=Hung over and exhausted from the previous night's celebration of the liberation..."

{{Log Header
|Date of Scene=2013/02/27
|Location=Fluorgis - Shard Seekers HQ - Garden
|Synopsis=Hung over and exhausted from the previous night's celebration of the liberation of Fluorgis, Ivo is napping in the garden when the Shard Seekers' newest guest, Annalise, stumbles across him. She seems to have found herself among an unusual cast of characters -- though it turns out she's not so normal herself.
|Cast of Characters=Ivo Galvan, Annalise
|pretty=yes
}}
:'''[[Ivo Galvan]] has posed:''' "...uuh..." Ivo Galvan, Shard Seekers big brother figure and not-so-secret mischief maker extraordinaire, looks in little state to be either this fine morning, lying on his back on the grass of the garden behind their headquarters, cloak folded over his head to shield his eyes from the desert sun. Shirt unbuttoned and limbs akimbo, even the burns he suffered due to Maira's 'outburst' last night don't ache as much as his head right now. After working all night and showing up late to the dance, then getting immolated for his troubles -- though he deserved it, of course -- the knight-errant went on to party as much as he could before the festivities wrapped up. "...mission... accomplished." And now he's paying the price. Still, though his eyes are hidden, and he groans softly from time to time, the young swordsman's lips are upturned in a faint smile. It's been a long road getting here. But at last, the Shard Seekers are in business.

:'''[[Annalise]] has posed:''' "Sounds like you had a long night too. Honestly I think the wine suspect." murmurs a voice, feminine. Just above where Ivo lays on his back bends the cloaked girl from the night before, the hood over her head but several pale blonde locks to one side pulled out from inside the hood. Her deep blue eyes blink calmly at him, and the mask... is gone. The mask she had been wearing the night before having disappeared, her identity is open and the young girl simply watches Ivo with passive curiosity.

:'''[[Ivo Galvan]] has posed:''' "...Hm?" Ivo stirs at the sound of an unfamiliar, pleasant voice. He pauses for a moment, laying where he is, before he reaches up and idly flips his cloak back away from his eyes, brushing it back to provide a better cushion and revealing his now soemwhat unkempt dark hair and heavy-lidded blue eyes, tilting back to look up at the blonde above him. His slight smile broadens subtly and, languidly, he crosses his arms behind his head. "Better than the long nights I've been having," he replies amiably, sounding good-humored despite his condition. "I'll take pretty girls at a festival over old engineers in the bowels of the earth any night of the week." Just the thought that he won't have to spend interminable hours in Fluorgis's Crystal Room fills him with a relief that almost outweighs the hangover... almost. "You must be one of Reize's friends." That's why he's the strategist. No, honestly, it's a safe bet that almost any girl who shows up here is one of Reize's friends. "Ivo Galvan, co-founder of the Shard Seekers. Charmed... unless the dreamlike haze that surrounds you is just because of my squinting." His smile broadens more, though he doesn't stop squinting. That sun is /bright/. "Did you enjoy the celebration, Milady...?"

:'''[[Annalise]] has posed:''' He was like a cat. A very smug and self-confident cat lounging in such a way that anyone knows that he considered himself the boss of his domain. And his smile only proved that. She listens for several moments before Anna lists a pale brow at being referred to a Reize's friend, but the flattery is neverending. "The first time I met him I knocked Reize off his feet." she murmurs. It wasn't a lie. "I'm not sure if you could call us friends, but at least we're civil and that's the most you can hope for with anyone." Her sapphire blue eyes blink lightly before she straightens the curve of her back so at least she wasn't kneeling over Ivo. "It was different than I'm used to, but I hear that it was a night worth celebrating."

:'''[[Ivo Galvan]] has posed:''' "I'm not at all surprised. I'm sure you floor men all the time." Ivo sounds amused, not flirtatious. No doubt he's imagining all the likely scenarios in which Reize was knocked over, or onto Annalise, or onto some other poor girl /by/ Annalise-- with Reize, the possibilities for romantic comedy are never-ending. Ivo's constant enabling of such situations is hardly even necessary, though it does play some part. "Oh, I don't know about... ouch..." The alleged adult -- he's not a teenager, so by Shard Seekers standards, he's practically ancient -- pushes himself into a sitting position, causing his head to start aching all over again, but he weathers the storm and at last manages to look at the mysterious blonde face to face. "...about that. Keep your hopes high, Milady. That's what staves off the darkness." His tone is light and playful still, but that doesn't sound quite like a joke. "If he trusts you enough to bring you here, you're closer to friendship than you think." He neglects to mention how easily Reize trusts people. "Yes, we and the city had plenty to toast to. The sky, for one." He points upward toward the blue expanse, indicating a distinct lack of the dark and forbidding clouds which had shrouded Fluorgis for the past month. Then he pauses, and grins. "Or are you new in town? It was just a few days ago that this city survived a great battle. The repairs will take a while longer." More side-quests for them, anyway. "The hunger of the Heartless is never sated, it seems..."

:'''[[Annalise]] has posed:''' Annalise lifts a pale brow at him again. He was certainly an interesting one. "My hopes high? About what?" He goes further into explanation and her sapphire blue eyes narrow curiously at him for a longer moment still before she tilts her head at Ivo. "That might be true, but I'm not even sure if I trust him yet. Or you for that matter. With as many assassination attempts on my life as I've had, caution is a necessity." Not to mention she's never had a friend before, let alone multiple friends. But that in itself she isn't putting much hope towards. It softens the blow of disappointment. Another thing she's had to live with. When Ivo points towards the blue sky, Annalise glances up as well. A clear blue sky with nothing of a sort odd or strange to it. "Yes, very new. Not even a day, actually." Her dark eyes blink again and she glances down at the older boy. "I heard about the battle too. Not the details, but that you had survived and were victorious. Very admirable and commendable. No doubt after this you'll be in search of more shards, now that the city is safe?" Does she seem too curious? Really she's just trying to make conversation.

:'''[[Ivo Galvan]] has posed:''' Urgh, on second thought, maybe he'd better lay down again. With a little sigh, Ivo, as though depleted by the mighty effort of lifting his arm to point skyward, slowly sinks back down onto the comfortable grass, resting his head on his folded-up cloak again, the high collar of his shirt rippling in a faint cooling breeze. "Well, feel free to assassinate me," he groans. "Otherwise the monster rampaging around inside my skull might break loose." Hopefully, she will take neither of those statements seriously. "You'll see Reize's purity of heart for yourself, Milady," he continues, tone calmly confident, half-closing his eyes to watch the play of light filtering through his eyelashes. "I'm another story, of course. I wouldn't trust me for a minute, if I had any sense." He sounds like he's in a good mood, despite his hangover. Well, considering how much the Shard Seekers have accomplished, he may have a right to be. "Mmn. No doubt," he replies lazily to her last question. "The Mark One seems to be working, but... well, I suppose we'll be field testing it either way." Failing to elaborate on what the 'Mark One' is, beginning to drift back into slumber, Ivo's body continues to relax. "All the countless worlds are out there waiting... for now, though... this one is..." With a ghost of a smile, he trails off. "...so..." Oh, he wasn't asleep yet? "...should I just keep calling you 'Milady', or...?"

:'''[[Annalise]] has posed:''' "Don't even joke about that." Annalise murmurs, her voice kept perfectly even though she doesn't look at him. She could have reacted worse, she supposed, but he probably didn't realize the extent of an assassination attempt let along multiple over one's lifetime could effect a person's outlook. It probably never even occur to him. Parting her soft lips with a mild breath, the cloaked girl turn just slightly before lowering herself to sit on the ground with an almost practiced, regal grace. "Of course I do. I'm just not sure how ignorant he is. That's what can get people killed." Anna lifts a pale brow once more as she turns her head, giving Ivo a sideways glance when he warns her about trusting him. More likely than not it was just a way to keep her on her toes, but still she makes a note of it. "If Reize formed the Shard Seekers alongside you, then he must have a reason to trust you. Or are you saying that even that trust is misplaced?" As relaxed as he appears to be, it was difficult to even say if Ivo would even answer her questions. Not that they were anything more than passing curiosities. He just seemed to fall into a dozing state. "If I gave you my name, would you even remember?"

:'''[[Ivo Galvan]] has posed:''' "Hm..." Yet another woman who doesn't appreciate Ivo's wit. Well, not everyone can have good taste. If Ivo detects her tone, he doesn't show it, and he doesn't stir as she seats herself down next to him. "Oh, Reize is ignorant alright," he confirms without hesitation, though his words are slowed by his half-asleep state. "That's what his friends are for." His faint smile widens again, if only for a moment. "A heart like his attracts worthy individuals. Myself excluded, of course." For some reason, her interrogation brings another smile to Ivo's face, this one lopsided, and he deigns to open his eyes for a moment to look up at her. "You're too serious," he chides. "Women mustn't be too literal-minded. Bantering is an important survival skill." Socially, at least. But it doesn't have much to do with men or women. Ivo just likes to banter in general. He is an equal-opportunity banterer. "Hrmm... questions like those tire me out." It's obviously a convenient excuse for his being so tired to begin with. "Decide for yourself whether I'm trustworthy, Milady." He's beginning to doze again already when she asks her last question. "How rude," he drawls, despite not sounding offended at all. "Don't they teach you to introduce yourself in response to an introduction in Princess School...?" It's a joke based on her attitude and demeanor, but Ivo may, in this case, be a little closer to the mark than he himself realizes.

:'''[[Annalise]] has posed:''' Annalise gives him a brief flat glance before she exhales a breath and glances back up at the clear sky once more, pausing with thought. "I probably am." And she has plans to change that. She promptly shrugs a slender shoulder at him, not really caring one way or another about his thoughts on his own trustworthiness. People are always biased when it comes to themselves in any case. However, Ivo's following words give her enough pause that she begins to wonder if he actually knew something or if he was just stupidly lucky. What are the chances that anyone in this realm would knew who she was? They weren't even in her kingdom any more. Watching him for a silent moment longer, the cloaked girl silently pushes herself to her feet, her small hands lifting from under her plain brown cloak to lightly brush back the hood of her cloak, allowing a waterfall of pale blonde hair to cascade over her shoulders like a sunlit waterfall. Brushing back the folds of the cloak just enough to reveal the full skirt of her gown, her sapphire blue eyes blink slowly at Ivo as she lightly pinches the skirt just enough for a smooth curtsey. "Princess Annalise Lancastrian, of the Castria Kingdom." she murmurs lightly while she formally introduces herself. "Not princess school, no. However I did have an etiquettes tutor. Though I suppose I'm being a bit too serious again."

:'''[[Ivo Galvan]] has posed:''' Ivo, on the verge of passing out, abruptly opens his eyes at the young woman's acknowledgment of her over-seriousness, and for the first time she seems to surprise him, one dark eyebrow raising as -- still squinting a little against the sun, but not as much -- he grins up at her. He thought it more likely that he'd be scolded. It seems like this girl is an interesting one. Turns out, more interesting than he realized. Ivo's met more than a few princesses since the loss of his home world. Once Annalise has spent more time here, she'll likely understand. As it is, spurred on by her formality, with what strength he has Ivo forces himself to one knee and -- still smiling -- turns his previous lackadaisical posture into a passable version of a knightly bow, all without ever having to actually stand up. "And you have been taught well, your highness. Forgive my earlier jests." When he pulls himself together and starts sounding serious, Ivo actually seems rather reliable. Then he has to reach up to stifle a yawn. "...uughh..." Ohh, and this headache is just too much. "...okay, no more courtly formality until the afternoon..." Ivo slumps back down, seemingly convinced he's sufficiently met the quota for respecting royalty. But then, there are all too many lost princesses. Best not to ask what happened to this one's kingdom, not in his current state. It's likely the same that happened to everyone else's. "Well, serious or not," he concludes in a soft voice, eyes closing as he nestles into his folded cloak, "you're welcome here for as long as you like, Princess. The Shard Seekers HQ is open to you..." His voice trails off again. "...especially... if you know any hangover cures..." They don't typically teach those in etiquette school, Ivo. "...zzz..." Ah, too late.

Shadows Over Fluorgis

2013-02-23T18:12:30Z

IvoGalvan:

-- The Story as Told By Rumors Posts --

RISING DARKNESS AROUND FLUORGIS: 1-3-2013

Throughout the various regions of the Eastern Continent, rumors have spread from various adventurers and travelers who braved through the desert. While it is known that the creatures of darkness haunt those who travel, the word has rapidly spread that the frequency of the encounters have risen.

******

"...I d-d-d-don't know what happened. One moment, my crew and I were delivering goods, the next moment, all of those little creatures with the beady yellow eyes were jumping over my caravan!"

"I lost good men to those monsters."

"I'd never seen that many come out the last time I made my trip here!"

******

Word of mouth has reached that many of the encounters became more frequent as they crossed through the Bare Desert in approach to Fluorgis. Speculations rise over the increase of encounter ratings with the Heartless. However, no definite conclusions were made.

DESERT ROSE RECOVERED: 1-13-2013

Word from Fluorgis reaches Luca and Traverse Town, and from there sweeps across the worlds, of an admirable feat that kindles hope in the hearts of those beset by darkness: the Desert Rose, a legendary crystalline artifact which blooms once every hundred years -- the last of which was plucked 500 years ago, prized by Fluorgis, and then tragically shattered -- has been recovered by two rival groups of adventurers who cooperated. The Shard Seekers, who do not seem to have much luck finding World Shards but do pretty well with side-quests, and VALKYRI, skilled warrior women who moonlight as maids (it is generally accepted), set aside their differences and returned in triumph to the desert city, where they split the reward and the honors. The Desert Rose will be housed in the museum where the previous one was centuries ago, and visible to the public, its pedestal engraved with the names of those who retrieved it.

Legend tells that the Desert Rose reveals some secret when in full bloom. Shockingly, examination of the patterns on the petals has revealed what appears to be a map leading deep into the desert. The government of Fluorgis encourages adventurers to seek out this harrowing destination. Yet the city itself is in need of support. The sands about it are rife with giant agitated Sandworms, its famous fountains are malfunctioning, and Heartless emerge with unsettling frequency from its darkened alleyways, making it difficult for tourists to come see the beauty of the Rose. Will heroes drawn to the promise of adventure come and help protect it from its bizarre new perils, and discover their source?

Incidentally, rumor also has it that VALKYRI and the Shard Seekers are jointly releasing a maid-themed calendar. Most popular is the demure yet alluring Burmecian, Fara Serietta.

CHANGES IN FLUORGIS: 2-8-2013

The atmosphere around Fluorgis has changed. Slowly, the presence around the prosperous land of Fluorgis is slowly detiorating. With the dwindling number of adventurers through kidnapping and the rising presence of the Heartless, the normally docile creatures surrounding Fluorgis and the neighboring area have become abnormally violent. Although the water was purified of contamination, people have noticed that the once plentiful water has slowly dwindled.

People are becoming increasing worried over the changes around the city. Exporting has decreased, causing the prices for goods to rise.

Rumor has it that the cause is the weakening of the Fire Crystal.

BARON DENIES EVERYTHING: 2-20-2013

The culprit behind the increasing malaise over Fluorgis was apprehended and revealed to be Cornelius Baigan Jr., Guard Captain of Baron. Investigators allege that Baigan, utilizing rings called Obsidian Signets, was able to release darkness into the skies above the city and induce the proliferation of Heartless and other such disasters. This is said to have been part of a plan to suppress the light of the Fire Crystal, on which Fluorgis is powered and subsists, so that its defenses would be lowered and the Crystal made vulnerable to Baron's predations. With Baigan imprisoned, the shadows over Fluorgis have ceased to expand -- but, instead of decreasing, have begun to condense forbiddingly as though in preparation. The government of Fluorgis is bracing itself for whatever is yet to come.

With Baigan and Morrighan Alazne both accused of diverse crimes, the military nation of Baron has denied all knowledge of or affiliation with their activities, and is rumored to be privately seeking to smooth over ruffled feathers with Archadia (as Rabanastre is Fluorgis's neighbor) and other shadowy figures. The King of Baron did not issue an official statement, as he is said to be on a romantic getaway vacation with Queen Brahne of Alexandria, his frequent guest. However, his chief adviser, Lord Commander Golbez, stated that

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zkx3KcO7TCs

SHADOWS OVER FLUORGIS LIFTED: 2-23-2013

The day of reckoning has come and passed, leaving Fluorgis battered but intact, the Fire Crystal glowing still, and blue skies above. When the shadows above the city, cut off from their source of replentishment by Baigan's capture, condensed and unleashed a hail of darkness upon the streets, many brave volunteers stood fast against the powerful enemies that gathered. When the city teetered on the brink of collapse, the Fire Crystal was borne from the city by their secret weapon, the Fire-Powered Ship, retrofitted as a powerful prototype airship. The ship plunged into the darkness, guarded by a small trusted group of adventurers, and was beset by one of the Fiends associated with Baron in a last-ditch attempt to seize the Crystal.

Desperate battles were fought both above and below, but just as it seemed the Heartless would be repelled, the smothering shadows at last managed to suppress the light of the Fire Crystal entirely. As the Fire-Powered Ship plummeted, the phoenix pinion fossil recovered from the desert by following the map inscribed upon the petals of the Desert Rose awakened, and its pure blinding light mingled with the hopes of all who had fought to defend Fluorgis to reawaken the crystal and at last banish the darkness and clear the skies.

Celebrations are to be held all over the city as it begins to rebuild and recuperate, and all those who fought to support Fluorgis will be richly rewarded. Realizing how much they depended upon the help of others, the council which governs Fluorgis has elected to loosen restrictions on forming clans and the payment limits on non-clan adventurers. A tribute to this historic occasion will be placed in the fountain city's main plaza, and at last, the Desert Rose will be placed on public display as a symbol of what can be achieved when different interests work together for a common cause.

Most striking of all, however, and cause for festivities in its own right, is the recovery of a World Shard from the remains of the phoenix pinion fossil. Though it is to undergo some examination by the city's scientists, as such items are exceedingly rare, it shall be restored as soon as possible. Rumor has it the Shard contains a small segment of a city called 'Tokyo'.

Unfortunately, a rampaging armored Heartless wielding two giant scimitars happened to tear into the building which was housing the imprisoned Baigan, and his whereabouts are unknown...

{{Tinyplot}}

The Obsidian Ring

2013-02-20T20:06:43Z

IvoGalvan: Created page with "{{Log Header |Date of Scene=2013/02/16 |Location=Fluorgis - Airship Port |Synopsis=As the shadows darken over Fluorgis and spirits fall, and the flickering of the city's power..."

{{Log Header
|Date of Scene=2013/02/16
|Location=Fluorgis - Airship Port
|Synopsis=As the shadows darken over Fluorgis and spirits fall, and the flickering of the city's power and malfunctioning of water pumps lead to fearful rumors that the Fire Crystal itself is being suppressed, a Legion of lookalike detectives uncover a startling lead. A hooded figure has been spotted on high rooftops unleashing plumes of darkness into the air, leading to the thickening of the black clouds -- and, perhaps, the increasing incidence of Heartless.

The mysterious villain is spotted fleeing to the Sky Port, even though most flights are grounded due to the treacherous skies, apparently aware the jig is up. Acting quickly, the city of Fluorgis puts out a public alert to apprehend the fugitive. A crucial confrontation approaches. Will the force behind the Shadows Over Fluorgis be revealed at last?
|Cast of Characters=Reize Seatlan, Lily, Faruja Senra, Tifa Lockhart, Deelel, Baigan, Kaydin, Zargabaath, Leida, Palom, Emi Dennou, Gabranth, Evja, Margaux Fleury, Raine Arland
|Tinyplot=Shadows Over Fluorgis
|pretty=yes
}}
:'''[[Baigan]] has posed:''' The chase is on. Assiduous investigation and comparison of scattered eyewitness accounts at last exposed a possible culprit behind the malignant shadows overhanging Fluorgis, and none too soon. The oppressive malaise which has fallen over this once-lively desert city has grown worse despite the valiant struggles of so many to beat back its dark tide, and while time and again the symptoms have been dealt with -- Heartless, monsters, structural failures -- the cause had been unclear. But reports indicated that a suspicious hooded figure has been seen atop tall buildings in the city, corresponding to moments in which the darkness gathered thickly and dangers emerged. Yet the only clue left behind at each scene revealed little, though always the same: a dull black obsidian ring. At last the hooded figure was trailed back to a furtive hiding location, but before a trap could be sprung, the suspect attempted to flee unnoticed, apparently aware that the jig was up. All pretense of subtlety gone, the city of Fluorgis put out the alert, and a desperate hunt began. The suspect's efforts to shake pursuit were futile, and moments before he or she was spotted rushing into the Fluorgis Airship Port, forcing a lockdown of all air traffic. When the heroes arrive on the scene, either in hot pursuit or having been informed of the suspect's new location, they'll see that the once-bustling aerodrome's sad state is symbolic of what has happened to the City of Fountains as a whole. Most of the smaller airships are grounded, unable to safely pass through the monster-ridden shadows above, and the lights have been dimmed to save power; the rationing of energy and water have fostered rumors that the Fire Crystal, upon which Fluorgis relies to survive and thrive in these hostile climes, is somehow being affected by the darkness, leading to further fear and consternation. But now, at last, there is a lead. For the sake of the people's hopes here, this suspect cannot be allowed to escape. But where are they? Eeriely empty and silent, the dome, ringed by hangers like the spokes of a wheel, has been vacated -- and long ago lost its buzz of activity in any case -- the desks at which booking agents worked left unmanned, some paperwork still strewn about. The airships line the surrounding hangers like the husks of great dead insects, still, behind which anyone could be lurking...

:'''[[Reize Seatlan]] has posed:''' "After him!" Those words were exclaimed by the leader of the Shard Seekers, Reize. With the shadows looming over the city, the boy had been one of those that had been trying to investigate what happened to their home. With the culrpit finally made known, the boy gathered the Shard Seekers in pursuit. "Leida, ready your arrows, Lily, block his path! We cannot let him escape!" However, their chase leads them into the darkened airport. The boy's eyes widen. "..It's dark." He reaches to his side, retracting a torchwood and he lights it ablaze. With the small fire roaring, Reize is using it for light. "... We've come too far. We cannot let him escape!"

:'''[[Faruja Senra]] has posed:''' Gathering a few eyewitness accounts is trivial for one Inquisitor Sarah Diamonde. Visiting the city to check on the works of the various guardians and priests of the Glabadosian Church that have come to help the beleagered city in its time of need, she'd linked up with Faruja fairly swiftly. Some exchange of information, and a /very/ timely leap to a rooftop by Faruja, and the chase is on! Leaving the Inquisitor to handle things with the holy men and women, Faruja is a leaping blurr after the hooded figure. Making his way into the airport, the ratling swiftly spies Reize and company, spear slowing white as he holds it before him. A swift nod is given to the others. "Reize, Ladies." Greets the rat, before he's back to peering about with his spear-flashlight, all professionalism and business today given whom they're after. Magic is handy. "Craven coward, come out and face the Lord's children with honor..." Snarls the rat quietly, taking up a defensive position alongside Reize. He /does/ seem the sturdiest of the group.

:'''[[Emi Dennou]] has posed:''' There is a mystery here. The investigation has yet to reveal names, but an individual has been noted present at various locales where these mysterious assaults upon Fluorgis happened. And a ring at each location. Emi has, naturally, informed the TDA about this but they might not be able to get here in time--being situated in Traverse Town--she has in fact been hoping to talk out a plan with the TDA to capture this man before he got away, but as it turns out even as she's lying in wait, the suspect takes off! Emi sends off a quick few messages on her CELLPHONE even as she gives chase. The game... IS AFOOT! It's hard to tell where initially the target is heading, but it soon becomes apparent enough. She sends an update via cellphone (or Dennous). "The airship not-a-graveyard...!" Emi remarks to herself. "Is he going to use one to escape...?" But surely not everyone could fly an airship--can the mysterious holder of the Obsidian Ring(s)? She slows down upon entering the airship port. She looks around around, keeping her eyes open. If he gets a ship off the ground--or worse has another exit--they could lose the suspect, and any hope of finding answers, forever. Reize is here too, she tells herself--and indeed, Imi has come along with the Seekers, allowing for some coordination between the two. Emi takes another route. Everybody in the same place is a poor trap, she tries to step around, intending to use herself--and whomever has come along with her--to provide a 'pincer' search so as to close off any possible escape. She does wish everybody would stop yelling out their positions, though.

:'''[[Gabranth]] has posed:''' Information had indeed made its way to the Judge Magisters as they were checking in with the shipments being made here. Once such information had been confirmed, the Judge Magisters were always quick to not only go after the trouble maker, but make sure that their last orders were to be followed. They were here to aid this city by orders of the Senate of Archades and by his Emperor's wishes. The dark armored Judge Magister moves quickly through the streets and for once, one may actually see this judge actually /running/. As Gabranth was on the hunt for the suspect and would not be lead off quickly, however his steps have to quickly slow down at times with sharp turns or people that may get in the way that he was able to avoid with ease. Yet when they entered the Aerodome, things became very different matter. A closed space with docked Airships was always a dangerous place to go chasing someone into. So here, Gabranth stands outside, watching with those blue eyes starting to turn amber gold. Waiting for Zargabaath, who was far more a master of airships; along with docks. For now the Judge Magister waits like a patient hound. His cape barely moving in the wind and his eyes watching the entrance for any further movement.

:'''[[Tifa Lockhart]] has posed:''' A FEW MOMENTS AGO Tifa has come to Fluorgis once again! This time, she was here for some community service. The tall red chocobo that she rides is lugging around a small cart, a hand-painted sign written 'Seventh Heaven @ Home', probably just some attempt to say that she's bringing the drinks to you instead of people going to the bar. And with the state of things in Fluorgis, its a good service, she's making godd business. People are thirsty, and in need of things to dull themselves to the constant heartless invasions, hypnotic frogs or man eating vegetation... Yeah, this city is a treasure trove of problems, so why not try to give them a bit of a smile while she's here at least. And that's when she crosses Reize's team, and Premium Heart does what any chcoobo would do. Chase after that moving clump of gyshal! ^o^ Which is reize's hair. So Here's a Tifa trying to get control over her chocobo as it speeds after Reize toward the port "AAAACCCCCKKKK!" NOW Tifa rubs her rear a bit as she walks into the dark place. Apparently ejected from her chocobo after it lost sight of Reize. Tifa didn't though, so she moves after the others, grumbling a bit. She's going to make Reize get a new hair color, when she gets a chance. She wasn't here to play heroes though, so she doesn't know what's going on. "... Uhm, so, wassup?" Awkward attempt at getting up to speed, engage.

:'''[[Margaux Fleury]] has posed:''' The Death Corps has seen better days. Their numbers have dwindled, their leaders absent, and their remaining members hunted by opportunistic members of the nobility who would like nothing more than to see the order wiped out. But, the survivors of the Corps will not be wiped out easily. One such survivor, Marguerite de Fleury, now seeks new allies and prospective sympathizers in the city of Fluorgis. Unfortunately, it seems that Fluorgis has their own set of dire problems. The current desperate investigation may just be the 'in' that Margaux needs to begin diplomatic negotiations with the city itself. Failing that, the once dancer will be satisfied in at least assisting in protecting the innocents of the city from forces beyond their control. The sudden patter of numerous people running through the airship port rouses Margaux's attention. The blue hooded and cloaked figure steps out from an alleyway to witness a most curious menagerie of individuals dash past her. Apparently, they all know something that she does not. The fencer shrugs her shoulders and joins in the chase, the hood of her cloak falling back as she sprints to catch up with the others.

:'''[[Deelel]] has posed:''' Deelel was back in Fluorgis, if he wasn't in Traverse Town she was hanging out this way, more and more. Given MCP had won the election she was becomng uncomfortable to say the least. So here she was back in town but more things are going just well bad here this has left the basic pretty concerned. When the trouble started she'd been at the HQ for the shard seekers working on something. A moment later she's teating up the ground behind Reize, Lily and Leida. "I'll attempt to cut them off, if I can."

:'''[[Zargabaath]] has posed:''' Judge Magister Zargabaath was part of the original group attempting to catch the strange cloaked figure. But when the subject bolted and the alert was raised throughout Flurgois, he has stayed hot on the mystery man's tail ever since. It certainly helps that the mysterious person eventually gets driven to the Airship Docks, a location he is quite familiar with. He slows upon approaching the Aerodome itself, letting Reize and his group enter first without stopping them. "So he is within." A low, displeased rumble matches his vocal tone, apparently knowing there are still airships within. Perhaps even one of his own Valfarres. "Let us enter another way. We shall seal his escape accordingly." He motions for the other Judges to follow him, moving away from Reize's group and heading towards another entrance. Meanwhile, the Judge of Reason's Arcadian airships -- the 12th Imperial Fleet -- have settled into a circular formation surrounding the dark clouds above Flurgois. They are not close enough to be affected by the darkness, but they are prepared to deal with whatever attempts to escape past them. Occassional firepower could be seen lancing across the skies if a monster gets too close to the aerial barricade, but it is sporadic at best.

:'''[[Raine Arland]] has posed:''' Having arrived in Fluorgis earlier, Raine found that things were not quite what he was expecting from the city. Not too long after, news of some sort of 'culprit' spread throughout and soon nearly everything was put on lockdown. How was a guy supposed to get some rest and relaxation like this? "This has got to be a joke..." He mumbled, his arms crossed as he walked through the city. There was no discernible weapon to be seen on him, but he walked with a certain poise that suggested he wasn't defenseless. In his head, a voice not his own echoed 'Go to where the action is then. Assist with the matter. The sooner it's over, the sooner you can 'relax', no?'. Raine sighed and rolled his eyes. "...Sounds like trouble." Despite saying that however, he set off towards the Airship Port and the Aerodrome. He took his time getting there however and was likely the last on the scene. The darkened state of the Aerodrome was...rather telling of the situation as a whole. And he didn't actually know a whole lot. All the Dark Enforcer cared for at this point was for the city to return to normal. And the fastest way for that to happen was for this craziness to cease. "Kinda dark." He commented off handedly, looking left and right impassively. His left eye, which seemed to be a pure red, offsetting his much more normal green one, began to glow as he stepped into the darkness. 'Oh yeah? It's dark? Well, no sht sherlock!' The voice in his head snarked at him, causing Raine to frown in utter annoyance. "Do me a favor. Shut the hell up." He could see others ahead now. Probably here to assist as well. May as well join them. And so he set off to approach, bringing up the rear.

:'''[[Palom]] has posed:''' Darkness seems to be encroaching on the world everywhere! It is practically the duty of those with power and skill like Palom to fight them off! Mysidia's in pretty good shape, with its mages... right now, this Fluorgis place is in danger! And this is a chance to strike a major blow for the light! By blowing up a shadow behind the shadows! Look. Bad guy is here. Palom is here to blow up bad guy! Palom doesn't like to make things too complex. Following people into the airport, he spies Reize and Faruja, and waves to them. "Hey! You guys here to stop Mr. Shadowy Cloak guy too?" He takes up a position beside Faruja, the trusty white magic rat guy! "Yeah!" He echoes, raising a fist. "Come out an' face us! The Genius of Mysidia is here to make you pay for your crimes!" he has commited crimes right? If not it still sounded dramatic!

:'''[[Leida]] has posed:''' The soft patter of bare feet echoes through the dusty streets as the young princess struggles to maintain the breakneck pace required to keep stride with her agile guardian. The faint hints of movement catch her eyes in the distance as the object of their pursuit darts in and out of sight around street corners and through alleyways, leading them a merry chase as half the city seems to come to life at once to join the hunt. The mad dash eventually carries them to the airship port. Leida staggers to a halt as the rest of her group pauses to gather their bearings. Her hands come to rest on her knees and she breathes heavily, clearly not in shape enough for such intense running. But she couldn't complain about the necessity of it. If this hooded figure was related to the steady dwindling livelihood of the city then they had to be apprehended. As she often was the one who did the daily shopping and local errands for the Seekers, the princess had her finger on the pulse of the city through the sheer amount of gossip that came her way whilest wandering the markets. Rumors and stories traveled like wildfire through a place like Fluorgis, all one had to do was listen. Things are bad and getting worse. Leida glances over at the templar when he encounters their group, giving him a polite bow after a few moments when she has regained some composure. However, she decides the gesture will have to suffice for now given the circumstances. Unslinging the great bow from her shoulders, the princess draws forth an arrow and nocks it, though she hangs back for the moment to look around. Unlike the others, her corrupted eyes needed no light or adjustment to the lack of power in the facility. She takes in the abandoned desks and scattered remnants of paperwork, as well as the many docked ships lining the various gates. "They could be hiding anywhere..." she whispers.

:'''[[Evja]] has posed:''' "Right." That's the echoy sound of Evja, a Jylland Judge, accompanying the Archadian ones. He'd taken a slightly different route to the Aerodome, weaving in and out of the alleys that he knew better than the others just in case said figure dipped down into them to try and escape. Of course, finding nothing there, he emerged at the airport at almost the same time as Zargabaath had, in time to hear what he said. "I shall get atop and see if I cannot spot him from above." And that's just where Evja goes after hopping swiftly along various things, leaping up and up until he gets atop only to make his way towards an opening and squat down to study the inside as best he can. All the while hoping he doesn't get swarmed by any beasts that are looking for a target.

:'''[[Lily]] has posed:''' Lily's all but flying behind Reize. The wind carries her swiftly forward towards the docks along with the Shard Seeker leader. It's the only way she can keep up, but she's started speeding up sfast enough that ripples of mist form bow shock in front of her from her filmy mystical aura that shows her use of magic. Riding an airstream of her own making she practically skiis over the ground, propelled at great speed without having to use her legs much! Which is good, because she's so very prone to tripping when she does. "With this many people he won't go anywhere! We're going to do it! We'll save Fluorgis!" Brimming with determination, she all but takes off a foot higher, zipping for the docks and aiming to track down and intercept this mysterious troublemaker!

:'''[[Baigan]] has posed:''' In the unsettling dimness of the abandoned aerodrome, as his pursuers behind to spread out about the premises, a hooded figure huddles behind a small airship shrouded in a cloth tarp. "This is bad, Boss," a nasal voice stage-whispers. "Shut up," the hooded figure hisses back. "But Boss--" "I order you to shut up!" the figure snaps under his breath. "If you talk, you'll transform, and you remember what happened the last time you transformed. How am I supposed to wear a ring when my hands keep turning into snakes! Do you know how hard it is to see a black ring on the ground when I'm skulking around in the middle of the night? Well, do you?" "No," is the sulky reply after a lingering silence. "/Indeed/." "We offered to help, Captain," a more sophisticated voice offers. The three voices speak quietly, but Evja's keen ears and high position will allow him to eventually pick up on some of this dialogue. "If you had just allowed us to taste the ground so as to fully utilize our senses--" "I will not tolerate the licking of gifts from His Majesty!" Furtively peering out from behind the hull of a ship and then lurching back, the hooded figure sighs in exasperation. "But it appears we will have to make use of our trump card in any case. Archadian judges... we can't afford to be identified. Hmph!" No doubt on the verge of being discovered in any case, the hooded figure leaps resoundingly atop of the small airship, revealing himself, and wrests the cloth from it. The model is unfamiliar, and certainly nothing by any of the nearby kingdoms, but it appears to be a fighter or reconnaissance ship with room for only a couple people, and its sleek build and large turbines suggest an emphasis on speed. Still shrouded in cloak and hood, the figure shouts out, just in case anyone hasn't already seen him. "Fools!" a pompous male voice cries. "Your futile struggles are at an end! This city is finished, and you all with it! This Obsidian Signet shall mark your ruin!" Outstretching his gloved hand, in his open palm is revealed a black ring much like those discovered throughout the city -- but this once pulses with a sickly miasma, seems to tremble with gathered dark power. Raising his hand up toward the dome above, the hooded figure clenches his fist, and a plume of black mist-like energy bursts forth, a veritable torrent of darkness which begins to colaesce into Heartless after Heartless, splitting bloblike until the floating creatures take on colors, the red becoming wreathed in flame, the blue crackling with ice, and many others taking on varied elemental powers. Seemingly at once, the Airship Port is invaded by a profusion of small but dangerous airborne enemies! "Haaa ha ha ha ha!" Laughing mercilessly, the figure leans down toward the cockpit of the mini-airship he stands upon. "You're too late to change your fate," he gloats. "The groundwork has already been laid for your demise! Now," he mutters to himself, "with the help of Sir Glayffe's upgrades..." The little airship revs to life, big turbines whirring, and begins to lift off the ground -- before there's an odd popping sound, the sound of grinding gears, and it begins to sag to one side, wobbling in the air, refusing to rise any higher. "What--" A small explosion near the cockpit causes the figure to throw up his arms and blows back his hood, revealing the stunned and now sooty face of one Cornelius Baigan, Vanguard of Baron. He stares vacantly at nothing for a moment, before deadpanning. "Yes, well," he begins awkwardly, seeming to have lost his pace. "That is to say... ha ha ha, I was hungry anyway! Sssssnacktiiiime!" Tearing free from his now-useless disguise, Baigan assumes his giant snake-armed form, balancing himself precariously on the sort-of-operational mini-airship as sorcerous color-coded Heartless float about him, and three maws laugh in unison, the nasal gold-fanged snakearm with a savage joy, the monocle-wearing snakearm somewhat dutifully, and Baigan himself a little hysterically.

:'''[[Gabranth]] has posed:''' The Judge of Ambition gave a nod to the other Judge Magister before watching the other Judge head for the roof top. He quickly goes to follow Zargabaath, letting the older Judge Magister take the lead this time. This was his turf, he knew better. When they arrive inside the Airport, he moves about carefully. There was a gently clank of metal on metal, as the sword sheaths gently tapped against the armor platting on his legs firmly held by straps to the black leather pants. His amber eyes now fully in color gaze around, until the hooded figure stands up and proclaims the fact he wont be defeated and that this city would fall. This causes the Judge of Ambition to draw out his Highway Star Saber and then when the darkness is summoned; he pulls out the chaos blade. There was a low rumble in protest, but no words were spoke. Yet when the Airship the cloaked figure was about to take, suddenly fails, he only glances for a moment to Zargabaath before he just shakes his head. "..Fool." He murmurs out. Soon though, Gabranth leaps up, landing up ontop of one of the Airships, before running across them, then using his dark magic to volt him up to a catwalk above in order to get around the Heartless, before leaping down and landing right behind Baigan. Both swords still drawn and he points the Highway Star Saber at the snake man, "This city is under the protection of Archades Empire along with her allies! You are cease all operations at once!" He bellows out, the helm only amplifying that British accent. "Failure to comply will lead to far worse things then this!" It would seem a 'warning' shot was not the Judge Magister's style. At least not after what Baigan had done. Soon the Judge of Ambition raced forward, slashing out his Highway Star Saber in attempt to give his own version of a 'warning' slice.

:'''[[Reize Seatlan]] has posed:''' "Oi! Tifa! Faruja!" Reize turns to face the girl and the mouse, and then he brightens, "I'm glad you're here! We found the culprit! However, he is somewhere in this area! He cannot have gone far!" With the judges not too far from the group, Reize watches the route that they take, and then he looks over towards Emi as she takes a different route. A boomerang is drawn while the other remains on his side due to the torch at hand. "With the Judges sealing any chance of his escape, this gives us more time to try to find him." His eyes catch Palom entering, a look of horror briefly flushes his features. "...Yeah, just don't blow up this place area, alright?" Reize is not too trusting on the younger kid's ability to control his magic, considering the damage he caused in Traverse Town. Suddenly, the culprit reveals himself. "Wh--what?!" Reize's eyes turn towards the direction of the hooded figure, "There! Everyone, there he is!" Reize narrows his eyes and he charges ahead. Fueled by indignant anger, Reize charges ahead. But when the culprit unveils the strange looking airship, Reize blinks, "...Eh?!" The use of the ring has /created/ Heartless, "...WHAT?!" Reize gives a roar of anger, now twisting the torch in his hand as the other boomerang takes a guarded position. He sweeps his leg out and he shifts his stance. The situation escalates as the ship stars to roar to life. The explosion causes him to wince, and then he looks up at Baigan. "Who are you?! Why are you here?!" Then, his teeth grits. Reize snaps, "I will beat the answers out of you!" The boy charges forward, "Lily, Leida! Clear the way for me!" The boy is springing along the smaller ship, using it to close the distance from Baigan and himself as he thrusts forward. He knows the Heartless will get in his way, but he'll depend on them to clear the way for him. Reize bolts towards Baigan like a comet, aiming to deliver a spinning kick towards his head. "JERK!" 

:'''[[Faruja Senra]] has posed:''' Faruja can't help but smile briefly upon seeing good, reliable Judge Magister Zargabaath. The man had fought in defense of the Faithful, and certainly earned some brownie points there. A nod to the Judge Magister, as well as his equally Judge Magister-like companion, and the pair leave to presumably cover the other exits. Good plan. Leida gets a swift half-bow, and the Judge Bunny goes up top. Saves the rat the role, and he has to cover the squishy members of his party anyway. Palom arrives, and calls out rather loudly. While perhaps not the smartest move, it certainly brings a smile to Faruja's muzzle, if a grim one. If /only/ the culprit would so easily just walk out! "Caution, Young Master. These ships are the key to the economy of Fluorgis. Resort to flame only upon last resort." He warns, not scolding the boy for the outburst. The rat has half a mine to go through the usual 'come out Heretic or we slay you all' routine. And then the culprit causes such to be utterly unnecessary! Even before the rat can condemn the man, the airship he's on begins to break down. The whole thing is /just/ timely enough to cut off his first round of pious raging. Instead, he just smirks. At least until the ensuing snake-arms, and Heartless. /That/ has the Burmecian's tail whipping about and his spear pointed at the man. "Cornelius Baigan of Baron, I presume? Nay, nay...WITCH Baigan! And Witch I name thee truly, for proof of thy Heresy lies plain before us! 'Twould be in thy best interest to make thy peace with the Lord, for no earthly title shall prevent thy punishment for thy crimes within this city, nor the gross violations of Heavenly laws! Cast thyself before us, lest we see to thy punishment summarily!" Yells out the ratling, before thrusting his spear. A duo of energy blades will fall, seeking out the conveyance upon which Baigan rides! A nod to Reize. "Be on thy guard, Ser Seatlan, for this wretch is obviously corrupt heart and body!" Faruja warns, before the boy's off and charging. An ear perks to the Judge Magister's warning as well. They'll have to fight over whom gets Baigan later. Or maybe even share, who knows. Certainly he can survive /two/ torture sessions from Inquisitors and Imperial Agents alike!

:'''[[Evja]] has posed:''' "..." Evja stared from his perch and listened, lifting his helm a tiny bit to hear just a bit more. Though when the darkness began to pour out and the figure made himself known, Evja did the next best thing to try and ensure the man wouldn't be leaving. The Viera took not one, or even two, but three leaps into the air before summoning two large crystally-silver lances and slammed down like a Comet from the Heavens, quite literally attempting to harpoon the spears into one of the wings and with any luck, snap the damned thing off. Not to mention the Judge using his entire weight to slam towards the part of the ship Baigan was standing on. He wasn't sure how stable it was, but it might serve to unbalance Baigan against the incoming attack. Those Heartless were going to be an issue, though, and Evja knew it. Magic was his weakness. Pray Zargabaath took to using those magic cards of his again to offer some amount of protection.

:'''[[Lily]] has posed:''' Don't ask Lily to make sense of half of the events going on. She looks about confusedly, taking in events as they occur... but her attention's focused squarely on this... revealed troublemaker. And it goes very sour as the Heartless show up. She swoops in with Reize and Leida, and... magical power floods out from her. The howling winds, the raging flames, these powers reach out to Reize and Leida both to fill them with greater zeal in defense of the city while Lily herself barrels at the small mage Heartless, readying her magic!

:'''[[Kaydin]] has posed:''' Kaydin enters the area, having heard someone similar to Baigan had come here. He pulls his hood off, revealng his face as he draws closer, gripping the sword as he approaches Baigan. "CAPTAIN CORNELIUS BAIGAN!" He yells as he watches the snakelike man intensely. He aims his sword at the man. "You have let yourself be twisted by the darkness and corruption." He says as he just walks closer to the oncoming battle, glancing about at the various figures, from his side it looks simply like everyone is an enemy to him but he just focuses on Baigan for now.

:'''[[Palom]] has posed:''' "Does anybody else hear voices?" Palom asks, as mysterious shadows keep talking. And then... heartless appear everywhere! "Look out!" The young mage raises his staff, chucking fireballs like fireworks amongst the cloud of monsters in the sky! And then... The snake-armed man appears! "You! You're one of those monsters that works for Baron! I'm not gonna let you hurt another city!" Palom turns and focuses his magic, trying to sicken and weaken the man from Baron!

:'''[[Tifa Lockhart]] has posed:''' Tifa Lockhart doesn't need to be told much, when she sees Baigan doing his little evil speech there... She has a 'yeeeech' face, watching the snake-armed general. That certainly doesn't seem like pleasant company. Even less the heartless floating around him. So if he can summon those, he's definitely bad news. "What is the deal with that black ring, you think?" Nothing good no doubt, but if she has to knock the ring off Baigan to turn the situation around, she certainly ins't against it. She's not too keen on the little sorceror heartless though :/ Mind you, she's not keen on the snakearms either, but at least she can punch those. Those heartless will probably try to fry her before she can get close, and she doesn't like that! "Let's do it then!" She displays a bit of acrobatics, leaping up, making a skillful 'wall jump' as she reaches for some of the overhead catwalks that undoubtly serve for the airship maintenance. From there she vaults over the railing, using this as a new jumping point as she launches herself toward the airship, slightly from above Baigan, and then crashing down toward him leg first into a strong kick. If he dodges, she might just crash through the floor of the airship, so its a win-win. Really.

:'''[[Raine Arland]] has posed:''' Frown. "And I thought you were crazy." Raine mumbled to himself, his arms still crossed. In his head a scoff was heard as the voice replied. 'Are you comparing me to this whackjob? I'm insulted.' Raine rolled his eyes soon after and sighed. "Yeah, I'm sure you are." With that said, he held his hands out in front of him close together, causing a bloody substance to form. Grasping it with one hand, his other hand move to the side, spreading the substance with began to glow a harsh red. And finally, it calmed down, forming into an obsidian blade blade with glowing lines of red pulsating throughout. With his trusty weapon formed, Raine swung it downwards at his side, testing the weight out casually. "Alright. Let's get this party started, huh?" A small smirk formed on his face then as he angled the sword at his side, both hands grasping the handle. 'That was corny.' Was all the voice in his head had to say, causing the boy's mood to dampen. "...Didn't I say to shut the hell up?" Oh well! A swing of the sword caused a flow of bloody red energy to fly out at the heartless, whirling into a crescent shaped projectile. Once the attack was in range, Raine held his weapon back, grinning lightly as he then added. "Ignition." From there, the shockwave abruptly exploded, dramatically increasing the range of the attack to cover more of the heartless.

:'''[[Zargabaath]] has posed:''' Judge Magister Zargabaath slips into the Aerodome and walks carefully through abandoned docks, walking alongside his fellow Judge Magister. He remains unarmed for the time being, fully focused on finding the target of the chase. Only for a hooded figure to leap on top of a covered airship, ripping the covering free and revealing a design Zargabaath is unfamiliar with. Then the hooded figure summons small floating Heartless, elemental aspects tinging their forms. Oh no. By the Dynast-King, no. This will not stand. He is briefly distracted when the airship attempts to take off and fails with an impressive explosion from the cockpit, wincing faintly. The poor airship... no, no time to pity the technology now. He stands back for a moment, raising his arm as a card appears between his fingers. "For now, this shall have to do." It disappears in a flash of light, the rays of which alight upon all three Judges, and Zargabaath unsheathes his swords from underneath his cape. If nothing else, he will ensure no Heartless escape this place.

:'''[[Emi Dennou]] has posed:''' "This city is not finished," Emi says. "As long as--" And then she proceeds to say heroic things for about 4 seconds before stopping herself since really she isn't the sort of person to give speeches, it's just that this fellow was so dramatic she felt compelled to. So she just cuts herself off. Don't worry that her heroic dialogue wasn't actually noted here, it was nothing special since Emi is not very good at this sort of thing. Emi braces herself for the mysterious figure's mysterious assault when KABLOOIE--everything just got a whole lot less mysterious. "Baigan?" She says. Does this mean Mr. Snaggletooth is a part of this too? Such betrayal! Well okay, she's just going to have to deal. She's not sure she can handle the MIGHTY POWER of Baigan, however. FLASHBACK Emi misses Baigan. Emi misses Baigan. Emi misses Baigan. Emi misses Baigan. Emi misses Baigan. THE PRESENT Wait did Faruja call him a witch? She thought witches were ladies? He'd probably be a Warlock or something. Well, she better not fret it--she actually doesn't care that much, but it's just a curious thing that drew her attention. Needless to say this makes her 'pincer plan' pretty pointless. "Baigan..." She says, a bit stunned. "Well... alright then...!" She swings back a hand and then flings it forward, sending a wave of electrical sparks for Baigan because, well, she has to actually hit him eventually, right? She'll figure out the Heartless in a moment. "Why were you doing this...?" Emi asks. "Were you after the Crystal, The Network inquires."

:'''[[Deelel]] has posed:''' Deelel is not a happy basic and sees well the source of the problem is clearly Baigan he was part of teh seige of Manhattan if she wasn't mistaken and if not his forces were certainly there that being Baron had had a hand in it. She'd already heard tell of one of Baron's mages attemping to consume part of the Ifia tree for summoning Lich, whatever they are doing here she fully intended to stop them. "Lily just focus and support those you can!" The basic calls out as she joins the other shard seekers in going after Baigan and she's more than happy to help. There's enough people on snake man that she's going oto focus on the fodder and away she goes disk in hand and she rapirldy throws it into the heartless tanks attemping to keep them off blance this is just an opener for a much larger chain of attacks, from the looks of it.

:'''[[Margaux Fleury]] has posed:''' The appearance of Judge Magisters and a Judge from the war-mongering nation of Archades causes Margaux to flinch. The revolutionary is intrinsically wary of those authority figures who wield such unchecked power, but it seems that they were on the same side in this conflict. These were indeed strange times they now lived in. And the mastermind behind this whole debacle is revealed to be none other than Cornelius Baigan of Baron who was just another crony from yet another war-mongering nation that was not Archades. Margaux gently pushes her royal blue cloak aside to reveal her sheathed weapon. The slender blade with a majestic phoenix engraved on its hand guard slides out from its sheath and into its owner's hand in short order. She then begins to bounce back and forth as if to keep in time with some unheard music in the air. Now ready, Margaux springs into action. The dancer uses her agility and uncommon speed to quickly climb her way up some scaffolds and then LEAP onto the airship in which Baigan is located. To ease her landing, she tumbles into a roll before kipping up onto her feet with rapier in hand. Oh dear, it appears as if she has leaped into a crowd of Heartless minions. This could end quite poorly for her. Thankfully she did see that there were others nearby including Kaydin who she had met before. Greetings will have to be put aside for now as this Heartless horde must be dealt with first. Keeping in step with the pounding rhythm in her head, Margaux raises her rapier and awaits for the first Heartless to come at her. Let their deadly dance begin!

:'''[[Leida]] has posed:''' Leida's eyes search painstakingly through the various shadows and alcoves that she can see from her position at the entrance of the port, finding little but the darkness filling the area. However, before any of them can make a move deeper into the facility to search properly the culprit, perhaps aware that his capture was nigh, chose to reveal himself in dramatic fashion. The princess gasps audibly at the sight of the serpentine creature astride the airship. "Is... is he an oni?" It was her first time seeing such a creature, though the books of lore in her world had often mentioned that evil spirits could take on whatever form they wished. More likely this was merely another form of monster found in this dark amalgamation of worlds. Whatever the case, his control, or atleast willingness to call forth, the Heartless labeled him an enemy. The grip on the arrow in her hand tightened as Reize declared his intent, giving her little time to prepare or even acknowledge his call for assitance. Taking a deep breath, the girl lifted her bow swiftly, going through the motions of taking aim and drawing back the deadly projectile. Her countenance takes on a focused serious look, completely unnatural on the timid princess' soft features, as she focuses on the floating elemental Heartless. A sharp twang announces the first projectile unleashed as Reize dives head-first into danger, as usual, tearing through the dark dome of the airship port with a streak of darkness trailing in its wake, even as Lily's magical power surges up around her.

:'''[[Baigan]] has posed:''' Baigan snarls at his adversaries as the Heartless about him begin to spread out, the listing airship upon which he perches at least buoying him off the ground and leaving more room for his minions to advance. His unblinking eyes narrow and he looks, as much as his twisted serpentine features can show emotion, frustrated as Judge Gabranth lands behind him and announces his warning. "Tsssk," he clicks his forked tongue. "To think that I would face Archadesss here. Doesss your nation not know opportunity? Why assssisst Fluorgiss when you might exploit itss weaknessss? There is no helping foolsss!" So sayeth the man-monster surfing the crippled airship. Baigan bats aside Gabranth's blade with one scaled snakearm, in this case Sir Snaggletooth, Esq., whose monocle goes flying off from the impact. "Ssstupid boy!" Baigan lifts his other snakearm toward Reize, and before the hapless protagonist's kick can connect, he's intercepted by a shattering explosion as the obnoxious Snakesuation pops like a balloon, if balloons were bombs. As Baigan sneers, the snakearm he's destroyed already begins to regenerate, the Snakesuation looking rather dazed as he grows back, somehow still with that distinctive gold fang. "You could not fathom our gloriousss planss if you tried! Kneel and sssubmit to the almighty will of /Baron/!" In case anyone hadn't figured it out yet. A witch? Well, he does float, at least with the help of airships. Baigan hisses in irritation and huddles behind his own scaly hide as Faruja's lightning of judgment rains down, Baigan's own considerable size ironically protecting his means of conveyance. Yet as Baigan recoils defensively from Faruja, he does not see Evja streaking down, to /slam/ with devastating force against the airship, rending an entire turbine off with a horrible screech of metal. "Whoooaaaaa noooooooooooo," is Baigan's oh so villanous cry as the airship now begins to turn in circles, its imbalance causing it travel in an elliptical loop. "Evasssive maneuversss!" Nobody's going to believe this was part of your plan, Baigan. It is then that Kaydin shouts, and Baigan looks up from his predicament, unblinking eyes widening. "Sssir... Sssir Kaydin?" he asks. There's a moment of silence before: "You've come to assssisst me in my moment of peril! I knew you could never betray us! HAIL BARON!" So maybe he didn't actually hear what Kaydin said. He certainly seems happy to announce to everyone that Kaydin is his ally, in any case. The Heartless swarm in to take the brunt of Palom's fire, and Baigan grunts as Tifa's kick slams against his shoulder, briefly driving him to one scaled knee before he shakes off the damage, hissing viciously. As Raine's shockwave tears asunder several of the floating Heartless, Emi's lightning lances in, and Baigan, a little more overwhelmed than he would like to admit, flinches back against the stinging sparks. "Hmph, that pessky girl..." The snake-man's eyes narrow, before he begins to cackle again. "Your inquiresss are ass futile as your ressisstance to Baron's might! You sshall die never knowing of our perfect plan!" "That's right! It's a brilliant plan, Boss!" the Snakesuation exclaims. "I especially like how once the Crystal is temporarily disabled, Fluorgis will be left powerless, and nothing will be able to stop Baron from--" *BOOM* "Ssir Ssnaggletooth!" Baigan exclaims without missing a beat, ignoring the smoking stump of his arm where the Snakesuation was moments before. "Finisssh that girl once and for all!" "But Captain," says the remaining snakearm in a gentlemanly tone, glancing around in search of his lost monocle, "surely there are greater threats than a mere--" *BOOM* As Baigan regenerates his thoroughly chastised snakearms once again, the Heartless go to work, retaliating against the heroes with bolts of lightning, orbs of darkness, and bursts of icicles. Deelel's disc glances off of a hastily raised magical shield, as does Leida's arrow, revealing that these Heartless appear to have some advanced defensive capabilities. At last, with a shout of fury, Baigan begins laying about with his poor brutalized snakearms, blowing them up in the general vicinity of his surrounding foes, attempting to hurl them into the air and toss them back to the ground, and sinking in his fangs whenever he can to leech their essence, as his damaged airship trundles around in a small circle, weaving him between the heroes. Needless to say, the Snakesuation and Sir Snaggletooth are quite overworked.

:'''[[Gabranth]] has posed:''' The Judge Magister raises up his arm to block the incoming blow, however the sheer force, knocks him off his feet and slamming him into one of the rafters above. The loud clang was obvious and the rafter was dinted from it. However the Judge of Ambition repositions himself by stepping on a dark run for a moment, before leaping over to another rafter. He doesn't answer the snake-man's question. He doesn't have too. Beyond what he then says simply. "Very well then." Gabranth then leaps off, before coming down with both of his swords for Baigan once more. Then once he lands, he spins around and attempts to slam down his Chaos Blade once more on the snake man to make sure he gets slammed into the earth, before he comes around again with the faster, lighter Highway Star Saber.

:'''[[Reize Seatlan]] has posed:''' Kaydin is here. Wait, what? Reize's eyes quickly shoot a glance towards Kaydin. This causes the young boy to tense, that distrust lingering. Given the last time that he worked with the man, the boy was abruptly backstabbed long ago. The howling winds and the roaring flames engulf the boy, imbuing him with great power and increased speed. The Shard Seeker leader blurs for just a mere second before he races towards Baigan with that aimed kick. Suddenly, the explosion from the Snakesuation strikes him. That combustion abruptly knocks the boy from his course, sending him to join the ground rather harshly, "Ooff!" He groans, wincing as he hugs his arms. He turns his head over towards the snake man. "...Baron...?" It all slowly comes back to him. Something that Kaydin said so long ago rings in his mind as he suffers the pain. ~ "All Baron is trying to do is to gain the crystals so that we may be able to defend our borders better from the heartless." ~ "..Y..you're trying to steal the crystal... aren't you...?" Reize is slowly staggering to his feet, looking over to see he others closeby. "I won't let you!" As those fangs seek to take the boy into the air, the young man manages to hold onto the snake arm. However, as the fangs open up to sink into him, "ACK!" He leans his head away, trying to avoid being in that threat range. Instead, the boy reaches for a stick from his pouch to stick it into the mouth of the serpent. With his torch at hand... Reize takes out the weapon, winds it over. And then the young man tosses it downward, letting the flames descend to hopefully set Baigan on fire while he's wrestling with the snake arm. "Whooooaaaaa!" 

:'''[[Tifa Lockhart]] has posed:''' Tifa Lockhart isn't sure she understand what the snakeman is talking about, and even less the snakearms. She's thoroughly confused as the General explodes his own arms, as she flips backward on top of the airship, out of range of the fire it produces through it. "So you are from Baron, even more reason to kick you out of here, Baron has enough fangs everywhere already!" Almost as bad as Shinra, really. She snake bites are easily evaded, kneeing one of the snakeheads under the chin to make it close that gaping out with force, and then roundkicking that head into the other one's path, so the poisonouns fangs end up closing on its kin's neck. She doesn't want to stick close enough to see what else it cna do right now, instead she slides underneath the assault, grabbing Baigan's feet, and lifting him up mightily... but not very high, all she wanted was enough leverage to SLAM him back down on the airship's deck. She CAN use him as a club to destroy the airship, right?

:'''[[Zargabaath]] has posed:''' Judge Magister Zargabaath grimaces as his helm is struck by an orb of darkness, staggering him for a moment and leaving him open to the elemental attacks that follow. Icicles pierce through leather armor, drawing blood, and a bolt of lightning sends him to one knee as static electricity sparks across his armor panels. He surges back to his feet, ignoring injury and occassional sparks, crossing his swords in front of himself. "So be it." He charges at the Heartless themselves, blades flashing in the light of magicks and metal striking metal as they uncross in their midst. He spins as a whirling dervish--one slicing with poisonous intent, the other seeking to hamper any of those 'floating mages' it touches.

:'''[[Evja]] has posed:''' Success! Just as Evja stood up, though, he wound up falling backwards to avoid a bite from the snake-armed man as well as having to jump straight up into the air after tumbling a moment to try and get out of the way of the explosion. "Tch... what a pain." Evja had /no/ idea what the heck this fellow could do, or would do, or was doing, but in the end, it could be worse. Taking a few kicking jumps away off the eliptical airship, Evja lands on another and looks around to take stock of things. Still a ton of Heartless. Thankfully there were lots here taking care of things. However, one thing no one else seemed to be doing, from what he could tell, was disabling the airship. If it continued to spin out of control like this, the damned thing could spin out and damage other airships! Taking a running leap and a series of jumps off of various things, Evja ascends again only to dive once more. This time, though, he holds onto two more spears he pulls out of nowhere, attempting to disable the other side of the airship. He'd leave the Heartless to the others - for now, he was dealing with the airship. Gabranth and the others could handle the snake...man.

:'''[[Palom]] has posed:''' Palom is battered by the magical attacks of the heartless -- even his defenses can only withstand so much! "You... hiding behind your monsters... You won't take another crystal!" Palom begins gathering powers, and then hears the snake-man shout about another ally -- Palom's gaze follows Baigan's, to see-- "YOU!" The boy's face fills with rage. "Isn't one town enough?! This crystal isn't yours... and you're not going to hurt any more 'Star fire, come forth and deliver your judgement! Fi-RAGA!' The last couple of syllables are a shout -- Glowing red sparks fly out of his staff, first held out to his side, to sweep them across Baigan and his horde... and then as he approaches Kaydin, he stops and thrusts the staff forward, shotgunning several of the sparks at the dark knight! "Taste the revenge of Mysidia!" He's pissed! As for the spell, well... You know in sci-fi anime, when there's that huge cloud of approaching missiles, and someone sweeps a beam across it, and then a moment later there's a chain of explosions rushing from one side to the other? It's like that, without the missiles and the beam -- just a cascade of fiery blasts!

:'''[[Leida]] has posed:''' The glinting tip of the arrow unleashed by the princess crashes loudly into the magical barrier of the Heartless as they rise to challenge the assembled heroes on Baigan's behalf, the projectile shattering into useless shards of wood that rain down onto the floor below. An exhaggerated look of annoyance crosses Leida's face at this, her teeth gritting as she glares darkly up at the floating creatures. Her hand darts down to the quiver hanging crosswise against the small of her back, drawing forth another arrow but before she can put it to the bow string the explosions of the mutated commander's body parts draw her attention off track and knock her out of the combat trance. The girl stares up at the wildly careening airship, wincing as Reize's usual lack of forethought gets him a face full of snakey doom. But what really suprises her is the hissing dialogue that passes between each of the arms and their owner. "T-they can talk?!" Did that mean each of the arms were seperate creatures, each fused together by some strange magic, or was he like a hydra or an ogre? Leida's natural curiosity towards myth and lore snatches up her attention for several seconds and it is only the sudden explosion of crackling electrical magic that snaps her back to the more pressing threat. A shrill scream escapes the girl as she attempts to throw herself aside, managing only to add more momentum to the thunderous impact as it tosses her through the air. She lands roughly several feet away, pressing a hand over the black singed section of her side. Despite the pain of the wound, she manages to shake off the debilitating shock as her corrupted body reacts of its own accord to mend the seared flesh. Having no desire to make herself an easy target, Leida quickly scrambles to her feet and snatches up her body once more, looking around to find some manner of obstacle to provide cover for her frail form. Her eyes settle on a nearby stack of crates not yet taken to the market and she takes off at a dead run, quickly ducking behind them as she once more draws back her towering bow. This time the girl allows herself the necessary preparation to get a good bead on the floating devils, arrow drawn back and held level with her cheek as she waits for the right moment to strike.

:'''[[Faruja Senra]] has posed:''' A figure leaps along scaffolding and then airships to meet the heartless. Faruja's single eye spies the phoenix symbol, and takes in the general look of the woman. Slowly, a smile comes to his muzzle. "Mmm...one of Ser Folles'?" The rat mumbles to himself as he watches her in action briefly. She seems skilled! He makes a mental note to talk to her if she survives. Baigan lets loose with some /very/ useful information. From the sounds of things, Baron's intent on attacking Fluorgis! Not that it really surprises the rat. They're aligned with Alexandria after all. "I see that you refuse! Then prepare to...SQUEAK!" Snake arms smack and generally knock around the small ratling, getting him nice and bitten and generally tossed around. Then lighting crashes down upon poor Leida! Quickly rushing to her side, and seeing the Corpse Brigadette being smacked around, he's quick to offer both healing. "Lady Leida, behind me if you will, or near enough that thy arrows fly true. Lady Lily, the same!" Clearly he intends to protect the girls. Then Leida finds herself cover behind some crates. He nods, letting the young woman choose rat or crates as desired. An ear perks. Kaydin. "Which is it, Dark Knight? Make thy allegiances known! Friend or foe, I shan't see any ambiguity here!" Still, at least he's not rampaging against the the man instantly! There's killing and healing to do, after all. Tifa makes to use Baigan as a club to destroy an airship. This brings a /grin/ to Faruja's muzzle. "And upon the rocks of perdition shall the back of the Witch be broken! Or mayhap in this case, the airship."

:'''[[Faruja Senra]] has posed:''' Wince. Sigh. "Be /careful/ Young Master! Set naught the merchant ships aflame!"

:'''[[Emi Dennou]] has posed:''' There's a lot of folks here, surely not even the mighty (Cornelius) Baigan can handle all the forces arrayed against him. Then again, he has Infinite Snake Arm Explosion Works and it's this that detonates off on Emi and sends her flying back several yards. She zigged when she should have zagged. She is dizzied when she lands too, little Cronus fairies dancing around her head which is as adorable as it is disturbing. She rubs at her forehead and gestures vaguely at Imi, who points a finger at herself in a confuzzled manner, and then Emi squints her eyes tight and falls back over. She observes the tiniest mage unleashing fireballs everywhere. And on Kaydin too for that matter despite apparently him being against Baigan.She'll have to be careful in case she has to subdue Palom too. "So...you were going to take over the city with the Crystal weakened...and then take the Crystal for Baron." She's unsure what's weirder, that Baigan came up with this plan or--okay that's actually the weirdest part. "...This one commends your strategy. That was a good plan. Unfortunately for Baron, the plan has failed. And now it is time to make an arrest." After all, now that his identity is confirmed, actually fighting him has little purpose beyond that part. Well and payback, but that's not really Emi's style. Managing to get up after another attempt at standing--Emi jogs towards Faruja and Lily, trying to get in range of Faruja's healing auras. She swings both hands up and unleashes--yes!--more electricity, trying to draw some strength back into herself while she's at it! "Yes," Emi agrees with Faruja. "And please do not assault temporary allies." Well she thinks they are anyway.

:'''[[Deelel]] has posed:''' Deelel is seeing all of the heartless swarm, there's a glitch of a lot of the things and they just keep comming. While her friends deal with Baigen she's just dog piled and it's prety bad she seems to vanish unde the dark tide for the momen she's being well just pummpeld bt the things and it's leaving her pretty darn dazed the basic fights to get free but isn't taking any hostile action as t the moment as he tries to back up and run a fw command lines to hopefully give her another chance but she's been hurt pretty badly from that intial assault.

:'''[[Lily]] has posed:''' "So much yelling and posturing..." Lily swings about, nimbling putting herself behind cover of some shipping craters where the Heartless will have a harder time seeing her, maybe, while she listens and plans and gathers her focus. When Lily pokes out from behind the crates, it's to stretch her hands out. Tendrils of magic float out towards Reize and Deelel... carrying an infusion of vitality, the raw stuff of life. As that light touches them they'll feel it - their stamina returning! Then she hops atop the crate, cups both hands to her mouth and yells to ensure she can be heard! "WHAT IS BARON?!"

:'''[[Emi Dennou]] has posed:''' "AN EXPANSIONIST NATION ON THE WESTERN CONTINENT NOTED FOR THEIR USE OF AIRSHIPS, DARK KNIGHTS, AND MONSTERS IN THEIR ARMY." Emi shouts helpfully to Lily.

:'''[[Faruja Senra]] has posed:''' "NAUGHT BUT A PACK OF HEARTLESS-SUMMONING HEATHENS AND HERETICS DEVOTED TO NAUGHT BUT CHAOS AND THE DESTRUCTION OF INNOCENTS." Faruja tacks on, with proper Churchie flair. Also proper Churchie volume.

:'''[[Emi Dennou]] has posed:''' "MY ANSWER IS MORE OBJECTIVE." Emi counters. "JUST TO NOTE THAT, LILY."

:'''[[Margaux Fleury]] has posed:''' Margaux de Fleury is ill-equipped to handle this flying magical menace as she lacks both an easy way to physically get to them and magical defenses of any sort to defend herself with. This proves to be quite the counter against the dancer as she takes a conjured icicle to the chest. The deadly ice shatters against Margaux's coat of plates that protects her, but the sheer impact of the attack knocks her down onto the deck of the airship. Miraculously, she keeps hold of her rapier through this and once more kips up onto her feet. It is now that she acknowledges the observation and timely assistance by Faruja. "Messire, my thanks to you and good luck to you in this battle," Margaux first salutes the Templar mouse with her rapier before spinning in a pirouette that ends in her staging an elaborate bow towards Faruja. "And please leave Messire Kaydin alone. I believe him to be just and not at all like the foes in front of us now." Simply, the show must go on no matter what stumble a dancer makes and Margaux is prepared to do just that. Margaux breathes deeply and then extends a leg out to her side in preparation. Her leg is drawn slowly in front of her as her dance begins. In slow, measured movements, the dancer advances on the nearest cluster of Heartless before letting her dance break out into a much more erratic series of dance moves. The woman's bright blue cloak flaps through the air as she moves, bringing a sudden injection of color onto the deady battlefield as she dances. Finally, the distance now closed, Margaux drops back into a half crouch before springing up through the air towards one of the Heartless with the pointy end of her rapier leading the way.

:'''[[Kaydin]] has posed:''' "I truely wish I could help you, Captain Baigan, but I cannot. In our quest to defend our borders we have become those forces that we fear will attack us. How many people have we let become heartless when Manhattan fall? How many innocent people are here now you are willing to kill? When will it end?" Kaydin asks sadly as he watches the being. His body radiates darkness for a moment as he focuses his strength. "I cannot attack you Captain but I wont let these heartless run rampant." He says as he would begin to go towards them now. Atleast he would until he saw the fires come and he tries to dodge it only to be blasted back. "Great, another whiny magic user from Mysidia." He says sounding annoyed as he would spin the chain which connects his sword, to strike several heartless. "Hit me again Mage and I will hit back." He warns.

:'''[[Baigan]] has posed:''' Baigan's now somewhat ridiculous little airship continues to limp in circles, puttering about to bring him in range of whatever fools dare defy the almighty etcetera etcetera, and serves as a kind of double-edged sword: what puts his enemies in range of Baigan's attacks correspondingly puts Baigan in range of their attacks, forcing him to fight a battle on innumerable fronts. The Heartless about him unleash magical blasts heedlessly, to the detriment of the environment around them; lightning bolts leave smoldering marks on the floor, tables and desks frost over, and stray fireballs veer dangerously close to parked airships before dissipating. While Baigan is the culprit here, his Heartless minions, summoned by the Obsidian Ring, are more likely to do lasting damage to the Aerodrome unless they are quickly stopped! Baigan flinches as his already-overworked snake arms take Gabranth's punishing slashes on their ever-regenerating scales. The Judge of Ambition seems to have little interest in further conversation, but Baigan's consternation is evident. "Baron and Archadia need not be enemiesss!" he hisses. He didn't want it to come to this -- Lord Golbez was insistent that none know of their involvement, given how Rabanastre and Fluorgis are neighbors -- but now that the worst has happened, he has to try to make the most of it. "With our unified might, we could bring order to thisss chaotic world, full of rabble and brigandss! What is one vagrant city worth? The Crystal ssshould be ourss, sso that all rebellious elements might be ssilenced!" He spreads his snakearms. "Baron sseeks only the Crystal, not conquessst of this land! If Archadia wishes to spread its dominion beyond Rabanasstre... it sseemss to me our goalss are in line!" Baigan's slitted eyes glitter, certain that the Judge Magisters will see reason. Unlike certain boy adventurers! "Hrrghh, get away already!" Baigan snaps impatiently as Reize leaps in again, the Snakesuation snapping out to knock Baigan's smaller assailant away, maw opening wide in an attempt to snare Reize. Instead, the Snakesuation gets a mouthful of torch, and promptly begins to wail, beating himself against the ground in a futile attempt to put out the flames. Baigan, wincing -- feeling all of this pain -- eventually sighs and, seemingly out of pity, detonates the Snakesuation yet again and puts him out of his misery. How many times can Baigan do that!? It's a neat trick, but it can't stop Tifa from kicking poor Sir Snaggletooth out of the way and seizing the towering snake-monster bodily. "What--!?" Baigan may be big, but he's already in a precarious position as it is, and being rather unbalanced, Tifa is able to slam him down on his own airship, causing the control panel to crumple under his weight. Alarms wail as the systems begin to spark, and Baigan, digging his face out of the wood and metal, looks warily down at what remains of his battered transport. "Perhapsss," he murmurs to himself, "I sshould hassten my retreat..." But he may not have the chance. As Judge Zargabaath cuts a mighty swath through the ranks of the floating Heartless, rending them asunder and leaving mere poofs of shadow in his wake, Baigan espies Judge Evja descending once again, now fearful of the bunny-eared lancer. "Curssse you--!" Reaching out with poor Sir Snaggletooth, Baigan attempts to intercept Evja with a precise detonation, but he is a moment too slow, and as Evja once again slams cripplingly against the airship, Baigan stumbles from the impact, jarring his aim and causing the explosion to only graze his foe. This time, Evja doesn't tear out the whole turbine, but it begins to spark wildly and make choppy noises, the whole floating thing beginning to tremble forbiddingly. Can snakes look worried? Because Baigan is starting to look kind of worried. Maybe that's why he answers Emi, a little distractedly. "Well, in all fairnessss, it was mossstly Lord Golbez's plan, but some of the detailsss were left up to-- argghh!" He spasms as Emi's electricity arcs down, but seems to have been shocked back to his senses, and shakes off his worries with a snarl. It is a shame that Heartless are not well-equipped to appreciate the glory that is Margaux's deadly dance. For all the beauty of her elegant movements, the fencer's poised strikes are fled by the floating Heartless, which summon magical shields to aid them in deflecting her aggressive strike, but her assault thoroughly distracts them from attacks raining in from other sources: Palom's magic -- though it does not reach Baigan himself -- and Kaydin's attacks hit home. Kaydin's words are wise and thoughtful, as well, indicative of his change of heart, and Baigan turns-- only to see Palom attacking him. "Fight well, Sssir Kaydin!" Baigan exclaims. Yeah, Baigan definitely didn't hear him again. Though, in fairness, Baigan is a little preoccupied flailing about as wildly as he can with his visibly exhausted snake arms, who don't really seem able to do much right now other than let Baigan bash them against anyone in the vicinity, trying to knock people away from his now barely-functional means of escape. The Heartless, meanwhile, seem to be switching to fire, and little plumes of flame rain from above, turning the battlefield into a warzone!

:'''[[Tifa Lockhart]] has posed:''' Tifa Lockhart was still holding to Baigan's feet when the snakes counter-attacked, sending several of those nasty bites her way. "If you want to leave, I'll help you find the way out!" And by out, she means off the airship. And by off the airship, she means where everyone is right now. Don't think Baigan will get out of this one that easily, nope. Grabbing the last snakearm as it attacks her, squeezing it firmly around the neck eve as it lodges its fangs into her arm "Bite me all you want, you're just giving me more openings." Holding on that arm, she kicks Baigan up, and then roundkicks him down toward the others. And before he can get back up, she goes for a a dropping knee to his throat, going for vital points. Everyone needs to breath after all, that should knock some air out of him at least.

:'''[[Faruja Senra]] has posed:''' Poor Emi, not getting into healing aura range in time! Worry not, though: there's plenty where that came from, judging from the fact that he instantly starts throwing about more curing spells with rapid incantations, tail pointing at those he marks out. Seems the Templar's gone into 'heal your allies and soak damage like a proper Holy Knight' mode. It also gives him a good moment to survey the battlefield. "May the Saint grant you strength, Emi Dennou, that thy weapon's aim be unfaultering and its power unyielding before those whom would summon the Heartless!" Comes encouraging, magically infused words to the Network. Capable, /and/ polite. Faruja returns the Brigader's salute with a Templaric one. "The holy Saint shall guide us through, if we but have /FAITH/ oh brave Dame! Hold HIM within thy heart, and though the body may fall, dishonor never shall touch thy soul!" Comes his pious, heartfelt encouragements, playing the battlefield morale officer. He's no natural leader of men like Wiegraf, but he can at least stirr hearts when it comes down to it. Emi gets a nod, only adding to the words of the others. "Quite. Thy actions this day are a testament to thy spirit, oh Knight Kaydin! Mayhap with such deeds, thy country may yet be redeemed! Let us all lay blade to these wretches and Abominations against the Lord!" Snort! The rat turns to the pair of Judge Magisters. "Honorable Judge Magisters of Arcadia, do not allow this Heretic wretch to draw thy nation into their schemes! For to do so would be to throw away /all/ notions of piety before Holy Faram, and to give into TEMPTATION AND SIN! Let us strike this Heretic, for the good of all of Fluorgis!" More encouragements even as he heals, his words having some amount of magical, strengthening effects even if his words themselves don't inspire. A snakearm whistles his way, only to be neatly battered away with the end of his spear. Seeing the plumes of fire raining down, the Burmecian does his best Neo impression. Time seems to slow as Faruja defies gravity in his leap towards the Oni-hime, literally throwing his body over her in an attempt to protect her from the flames. "Doth wounds touch thy body, M'Lady?" Faruja gasps out amidst squeaks of pain. Burning fur can be smelled on the air, the rat trembling as his most hated element assaults him. Again.

:'''[[Gabranth]] has posed:''' Judge Magister Gabranth quick steps around as the snakes arms are flailed out in attempts to strike him. Those amber eyes starting to glow more brightly in the shadows of helm where they are almost obvious actually. "I believe you mistaken me with the Judge Of Reason." He states flatly. The Judge Magister then quickly parries around one of the snake blows, before doing a quick strike. "The Archades Empire does not step so low as Baron has stepped. Your actions here speak poorly on Baron and when warned that this area was under our protection, you continue your attack." There was sudden a blast of darkness, before Gabranth reaches out his hand, as if trying to use the sudden dark energy around them to actually pull Baigan off the ground. Trying to chock him slowly if it got a hold of him. There was nothing there, at least it didn't look that way beyond the dark fog that was gathering. "Your words are lies. Just as forked as your tongue. Conversation is over." Gabranth says coldly before that dark fog suddenly sparks with dark electricity, before it suddenly forms shards of darkness that spear across and around Baigan, attempting to pierce right into him and explode on impact; and if that chock hold did get him, it releases just as the shards fire. It was some time after this a wave of holy magic moves in and the Judge Magister glances over in the direction of the mystic art. Giving only a minor nod as he starts to reposition himself for another attack on the Baron's lackey snake-man.

:'''[[Reize Seatlan]] has posed:''' There are a couple of things that Reize really has to worry about. #1: Baigan's snake-fangs trying to bite his faceoff. #2: Palom's potentially performing fatricide on /allies/ fighting on the ship. The explosion of flames catches the boy's attention, causing him to panic. "Ooooooiii! Watch where you are casting!!" He snaps. Even Lily has gotten better about her use of magic going everywhere. What makes the situation less painful, however, is Lily's use of magic. The healing aura touches him, slowly ebbing the pain from the initial explosion and mentally refreshes him. There is relief, however, when the flames ignite to the snake head. It comes toa surprise as it explodes once more. "Gah!" The boy looks over to the judges who Baigan is trying to appeal to. "..Huh...?" Conquest...? No. Not going to listen to Baigan. However, the boy is still planning to deal with his target. Once Baigan's snake-head strikes out to bite onto the boy and knock him away, Reize instead charges into the range of Baigan and he lunges out a diving kick. "SKY RAIDER!" Then, Reize withdraws the other boomerang. Now dual-wielding his boomerangs, Reize pushes forward to charge ahead. "I won't leave! You, however..." Reize takes the more aggressive approach. While Tifa moves in to kick him up, Reize lunges forward with his boomerangs at his back; both of the weapons swing across to give resounding thwacks at his back. And when Tifa moves towards dishing the roundhouse kicks, Reize is striking with the same motion from behind the snake man. "Haaaaaaaa....!" While Tifa goes for the throat, Reize bolts off of the ground and whirls towards Baigan with two spinning kicks. "----WILL LEAVE FLUORGIS WITH BOOTS ALL OVER!" 

:'''[[Evja]] has posed:''' This foe was curiouser and curiouser! Exploding snake arms! Talking snake hands! ... was he trying to convince the Judges to betray Jylland? Faruja, naturally, gets a speech shouted towards Zargabaath and Gabranth, as if they would actually side with Baron. "For a man of the cloth, Senra, you have little faith in those who aid!" Evja's voice echoes loudly through the area, almost chidingly, before moving to stand beside where Gabranth and Zargabaath were, pulling out /two more spears/, the other four still lodged within the aircraft, pointing them towards Baigan. "I, Evja, Judge Magister Errant of Jylland stand beside them in full faith of their intentions!" And with that said, Evja charges after Baigan, wherever he wound up. Using his arm as something for the snakes to take hold of, Evja reels his other arm back and attempts to ram it straight through Baigan(or at least jab him good) and use it to flip the man right over the Judge and attempt to slam him right down onto the floor beneath them. Hard.

:'''[[Lily]] has posed:''' "There's mean NATIONS now?!" Lily sounds absolutely flabbergasted at the answers she's getting. Nations are supposed to be good places, right? Safe from the Heartless and the darkness and the beasties out there? ... With all that out there, why fight each other? She frowns. Frowns deeply... but shakes her head quickly to snap out of it-- just in time, too. Because here comes the fire. "Faruja, look out!" Fire? Fire Lily can deal with. She hurls herself out in front of it, arms outstretched, and from her hands... light spreads out into a shimmering cerulean-white barrier. Much of the attack's force is ablated, fires not only stuffed but... seeming to come unraveled. The magic fueling the spell itself is being ripped from the flames. The orange-red blaze that engulfs Lily - who still ends up subjected to a mighty painful blaze-- starts turning blue. Though, for a few moments, she's heard yelling in agony amidst it, the blue flames swirl around her, ripped apart into a swirling accretion disk of dust-sized glints of light. Her aura strengthens considerably, raging outwards, and the two other elements that had been missing earlier join in. Where wisps of flame meet swirling winds, streams of dust and cold mists intertwine with them... and all four are swiftly subsumed into the faintly pulsing, shimmering barrier. Lily's preparing for something, but what? Seems she is getting much better at controlling her magic. "Sock him hard, Reize! We don't want them here!" Faruja, bless the ratladin, will enjoy the benefits of proximity to her aura... the power of the earth infuses his body, meshed with the calm focus of flowing water!

:'''[[Palom]] has posed:''' Palom is stunned as if by a slap. "You... you killed innocent people and you call me a /whiny mage/?! Do you know who I /am/?!" The little boy puts a hand on his hip. "I am Palom, The Genius of Mysidia! The future Sage! And /I/" he holds his hand to his chest, "am going to teach /you/" he points at Kaydin, "A lesson!" Fire rains down from the heartless! Palom just fires a spray of ice upwards to counter it, with an annoyed /I am _busy_ here/ look on his face.

:'''[[Zargabaath]] has posed:''' Judge Magister Zargabaath ducks his helm and pulls his cape tightly around himself, the thick leathery material protecting his body from the fireballs. Unfortunately it does not do much good, the fire falling upon him and burning him about the helm and shoulders. Not good. If this fire keeps up, the airships could catch fire themselves... and that /really/ won't be good. He uncoils from his defensive stance and rises, blades rising to the ready. "Do not fear, Templar Faruja. Our orders are clear and absolute." He barely hears Gabranth's statement to Bergan confirming his own stance, and smiles beneath his helm as Judge Evja--a Judge not of Archades, mind--speaks in their defense. "We are here in defense of Flugoris, and thus shall we fight until threats are negated!" His swords blaze in holy light as he uses nearby crates as a springboard, lunging towards the floating Heartless mages. He spins in mid-air, trying to catch as many of the Heartless as possible while siphoning their strength to replenish his own.

:'''[[Gabranth]] has posed:''' Gabranth then cuts a glance over to Evja as he continues to move, "Thank you for your trust, your honor."

:'''[[Margaux Fleury]] has posed:''' Margaux's dance had seemingly little effect on the Heartless in front of her. It -was- quite hard to dance in knee-high leather boots and a coat of plates. But the idea of wearing even less in a fight like this is not a very comforting thought for the dancer. Her rapier cannot seem to penetrate through the magical shield of her foes and she ends up falling back down to the ground in quite a hurry. In a display of catlike grace, Margaux lands on her feet and purpsefully rolls forward to take the shock out of her landing. This results in her being almost next to Kaydin. "Messire Kaydin, 'ave you come to save the day again?" Margaux proposes with a wink before her eyes dart up towards the incoming fireballs. Uh oh! Her rapier is sheathed and the dancer immediately launches into a series of back handsprings that transiton into a multitude of back step outs that causes her to flashdance her way out of harm's way. Safe for now, Margaux glances back over to where Faruja is doing the good work of the faith. She politely nods her head towards him in appeciation for his effort before raising two gloved her hands above her head. It was time for her next dance. Her movements begin slow as she once again careens through the battlefield gracefully. And then, her tempo speeds up as her dancing increases with more and more speed. In a blink of the eye, Margaux de Fleury has closed the distance with the Heartless and has drawn her rapier once more. Margaux moves her left leg behind her and then brings it forth into a slow, full body spin now. This pattern continues on with her speeding up and then slowing down in alternating fashion. Should her hypnotizing dance be successful, Margaux with skewer any approaching Heartless with her blade mercilessly

:'''[[Emi Dennou]] has posed:''' So it was Golbez's plan! Emi knows not Golbez but he's clearly a dire mastermind, constantly plotting and scheming to assure Baron's dominion across the World of Ruin! Even now, he is likely hatching a new vile scheme! MEANWHILE Golbez plays chopsticks on his organ. HERE Emi takes a moment to catch a breather. Faruja lends her a hand with magical words and, well, healing magic which is--technically speaking--a lot more beneficial. She breathes out. This is not really how Faruja usually talks, maybe it's part of his role, to be bombastic and encourage his allies. Thinking of it like that, she manages to smile faintly. Which is shortly wiped off her face by a flailing snake arm. She sends a quick signal to Imi, swinging up her rifle and remaining crouched, firing at the airship itself. It's falling apart, yeah, but it's not a lot of damage in of itself, it's just to try and hamper Baigan's escape even further, even if it's just by a little bit. "Surrender." She tells Baigan. "If not for yourself, for Mr. Snaggletooth." Imi meanwhile has been given instructions. She's not typically a frontliner, but she charges ahead with a mighty shovel, leaps into the air, and attempts to super ultimate combo strike Baigan upside the head with her shovel! PERHAPS SHE WANTS TO KNOCK HIS PROPELLER HELMET OFF! "Hi there! This one is Imi, The Network apologizes for shovel inconveniences!"

:'''[[Deelel]] has posed:''' Deelel is paying somewhat attentio to Baigan and his rants but she's not focusing too hard on it. Baron as a whole is glitched they are as power hungry a the MCP but shockingly with out a lot of the class he seems to have. MCP was at least efficent and not wasteful far as Deelel was concerned. If anything the Archadian empire's rejection of working with baron was points in that coutnry's favour even if they had a reputation of being agressive. They were smart enough to not play with fire and get burned from an outside view like hers. Deelel isn't really sure what to do with Kaydin she just keep her distance as the Heartless have come she makes use of her disk to block and control the enemie attacks she's paid attention to tron and realised there's a whols warm she shifts waces and otherwise either deflects or keeps the enemy the heck out of her way. She then turns about and just brings about everything she had against the heardles she's without mercy for them. She'll go for the head, limbs, things she's not do to another basic or anyone else. These things are not people they are things that hunger to consume people. All they do is eat and spread she's not about to let them carry on as they please. "Could someone please cast mute on Baigan!"

:'''[[Tifa Lockhart]] has posed:''' Tifa Lockhart says, "I just kneed him in the throat, does that count as a Mute?"

:'''[[Faruja Senra]] has posed:''' Faruja Senra says, "Make it thrice, Lady Lockhart! One can never be certain with these tricky knaves!"

:'''[[Leida]] has posed:''' As her attention returns to the battle, so too does the unnatural focus that grips the princess in situations such as this when her life or that of her comrades is on the line. She concentrates on the motions of her body, positioning herself with the utmost care for the precision of the kata so much so that it almost achieves ritutalist levels. The usual stammering shy demeanor melts away as she inhales deeply, leaving only cold determination and the piercing intensity of her glare leveled upon the distant darting forms that pollute the air. The grinding sound of tension touches her ears as the great bow is lifted up over her head and then slowly lowered, the bowstring going taut as Leida's slender arms somehow manage to bend the stout arch of wood to their will. An arrow easily the length of her entire arm slides softly against the worn surface as it is drawn back until the shaft sits level with her cheek. Her body becomes statuesque for several seconds, time seeming to dilate for a few long moments as the demon's gaze focuses on its target. And then the time comes. Several of the Heartless flitting about align, their evasive movements bringing them into a single row comparative to the small girl's position. She lets loose her arrow and the projectile explodes into motion with a sharp twang. Dark fire engulfs the deadly missile and as it streaks through the air, Leida speaks outloud. "Lend me your aid!" With a brilliant flare of neon green light, twin arcane fireballs erupt to life in a binary orbit about the missile. Though none but herself can hear the voices of the lond-dead spirits, their cries of annoyance echo through the port to reach her ears. 'Wha--this is a pretty rude way to wake someone up, kitteeen!' 'I-I say, couldn't you have planned aheeead?!' The blazing orbs of eldritch fire peel off at the last second and begin to ricochet about the floating mass of Heartless, swirling this way and that as they unleash their dark curses upon the enemies of their master. Meanwhile, the moment her arrow is loosed, Leida finds herself being tackled by a flying rat! Faruja's timely intervention only narrowly avoids getting his own flesh penetrated by the corrupted missile but he accomplishes his goal of absorbing the raging flames as he come crashing down on top of the princess. Clearly confused, she blinks back up at him for a moment, back to her old self thanks to the sudden distraction of burning fur. "A-ah! Faruja-san! Are you alright?!"

:'''[[Kaydin]] has posed:''' Kaydin notices the fire coming down and when Palom makes his declaration. "Okay so your the biggest whiny mage of Mysidia." He says as he pulls the chain back and holds his sword at ready as he watches Palom. "Either way, future sage, we got bigger targets, so try and kill me another time."

:'''[[Baigan]] has posed:''' "Oh, actually, that would be great," the harried Baigan replies to Tifa, his attention split amongst his many assailants. "Ssspying wass never really my forte to begin whHRRKK--" Getting kneed in the throat is also not his forte. Joke's on you, Tifa, Baigan has three mouths! "I'd like to see /your/ openings, baby!" supplies the Snakesuation. Okay, no, joke's on him. "Tsssk! All you Judges look alike to me in any case!" Baigan snaps at Gabranth once he gets his breath back. To think these fools would fail to fall on their knees in gratitude when mighty Baron negotiates! That's the only stooping that Baron does. But it looks like Tifa isn't the only one who wants to take Baigan's breath away. He gurgles, slitted eyes bulging, as Gabranth's dark magic takes effect, and shards of darkness tear against his scaly hide, sending Baigan staggering, teetering and nearly falling off his perch. Even worse, the Judge's attack lowers Baigan's defenses, and Reize's diving kick slams against the side of Baigan's big stupid head. "Nyggaaahh!" Several more spinning kicks smack into him, and Baigan flails in fury, but his snakearms can't seem to see straight at this point from all the punishment they've taken (mostly from Baigan). But the worst is when that pesky Evja lunges in and lands another devastating blow. This time, there's no hope for the snake-man, completely discombobulated from the endless assault. He roars in pain and rage as his scaly shoulder is speared through, and flipped over, his massive weight drives down /into/ the half-destroyed airship beneath him. With a deafening explosion, the vehicle is torn asunder, and Baigan plunges right through it, sending shrapnel spraying everywhere, his bulk embedding in the floor. It looks like his means of escape is gone for good, now! As Zargabaath leaps to obliterate any Heartless which dare approach, and Margaux's more rapid dance and flitting rapier pierces through the Heartless before they can raise their shields to defend, many others occupied by Deelel's constant movement and attacks or damaged by Leida's orbs of eldritch fire, Baigan rears back to his feet, enraged, abandoning all strategy. "Cursssse you aaaall!" he howls, his route back to Baron obviously blocked. The Darkness which floods his veins precludes surrender. With a surge of fury, he shakes off Emi and Imi's coordinated assault -- with the airship destroyed, her rifle shots glance off his scales instead, and he swats aside the inconvenient shovel -- and becomes a blur of sinister serpentine viciousness. "SSSLAY THEM ALL!" he demands off his own arms. "Boss, we're tired!" the Snakesuation protests. "Perhaps after a brisk constitutional," Sir Snaggletooth suggests. "Ssslaaaaaay theeeeem," Baigan snarls, as his arms wail as they are stretch to flail at all the foes about him, "aaaaaaaall!" The remaining Heartless, their numbers less than half what they once were, gather to him, rising above so that they might rain magic down upon the others, trying to stay out of reach while Baigan's unrelenting fury commands the ground.

:'''[[Zargabaath]] has posed:''' Judge Magister Zargabaath grabs one of the floating Heartless and vaults himself towards the ceiling, barely managing to grab hold of a support beam as more spells pound into his armor. Ice shatters against metal, wind tugs at leather, and darkness seeks a chink to darken one's heart. He swings himself onto the beam and crouches, balancing himself accordingly. "That is quite enough out of you." The Judge of Reason stalks along the beam, swords losing their holy edge but not the sharp intent behind them. "Now. FALL." He leaps off of the beam, angling towards the Heartless gathering around their beleagered summoner. He lashes out with his swords once more, not caring if he strikes merely Heartless or catches Baigan in the process. If nothing else, at least he could drive down these annoying Heartless for the others to destroy.

:'''[[Faruja Senra]] has posed:''' A light squeak of pain exits the rat's muzzle, slowly getting up after being set ablaze. Lily's timely intervention of standing before him and absorbing said fire certainly helps. "Oh, Lord bless you, Lady Lily!" Comes a slightly trembling voice, as his phobic fear eeks away. Indeed, merely being near the young girl has him feeling stronger. Nodding swiftly to Leida, he casts her a smile. "'Twould require much more than such paultry flames to extinguish my life, Lady Leida. Hold fast, for the battle is not yet won!" The ratling stands firm, doing his best to guard the pair. A single red eye first stares back at Evja. Judge Zargabaath's words so many moons ago before the battle in Manhattan echoes back within his head. Arcadia and Alexandria have always striked him as far too similar. "...Say such words again, with corpse-ash upon thy footclaws and thy abode in flames wrought by mortal hands." The rat mumbles. But, to his knowledge, they weren't Heretics. A small salute to the Judge Magister of Reason. "As always, thy words bring my heart to ease! Then the Church stands beside thee, and my spear as well! In the name of the Saint, Holy Faram, and all homes lost beneath Heretical boots, I cast thee DOWN wretch!" Seeing Baigan be thrown into the exploding airship has the rat feeling quite good about how things are going, at least before magic is rained down upon the two women. Dropping his spear, he snatches them up, shielding them bodily once again. By the time the rain of magic and general attacks from the snakey-Baigan are done, the rat's back is a horrific mess of burns, wounds, and blood. In other words, it's an average day for the Burmecian as of late. Falling to a knee, the ratling gasps, barely able to move. All he can do is throw his spear at the twin threats of Baigan and the heartless. Glowing with holy energy, the thing will quite simply explode when it nears them.

:'''[[Tifa Lockhart]] has posed:''' It would seem that being a point blank range with a knee in the snakeman's throat is one of the worse possible places to be when the snakes unleash their venomous fury. It cuts through lots of skins. The snake wanted to see an opening from the barmaid, they just tore her a new one D: And not in the sense they would like either. Adrenaline is mostly what keeps the barmaid from cumbling, her eyes losing focus because of the poison starting to affect her. She grrs, shaking her head free as she moves back to her feet, being thrown off by the attack, her back against some railing behind her. "How about I make YOU a new opening?" That's when her fist charges up with her ki energy. And then she launches in, a foot against the railing. But its not her right fist that comes in contact. Its her left arm, elbowing the nearest snake arm up, using her lightning quick movements to slip into the opening, and grabbing the snakearm, stretching and making a move parent to a judo toss, lifting a leg to flip the general up and over, just enough momentum to grab him and slam him down again into the ground. While the monster-man is down, her left fist strikes straight down, hoping to punch a hole straight into his chest, and then follow it up with the right fist, releasing the explosive of her limit break right INSIDE of him. Let's see him breathe with that hole now.

:'''[[Gabranth]] has posed:''' The Head Judge Magister narrows his eyes at Baigan as he yells how all the Judges look alike. How wrong he was. They were very different, though this fellow was starting to strike up to be a fool. "I tire of this." He growls lowly. As Baigan suddenly unleashes his snake-y rage, the Judge of Ambition charges right in when the Chaos blade at ready. One of the arms tear into the leathery section of his shoulder, biting down into his body, yet the dark energy starting to seep out from the Judge Magister doesn't make it easy for the poison to take hold. Another strike is quickly parried away by the Highway Star, as the snake arm finds itself biting into the very blunt side of the short sword. Yet the other arm gets another blow in, tearing into a part of his lower armor that wasn't protecting by metal, yet by leather once more. Blood gently was drawn from the arm, dripping gently onto the ground. Gabranth then took a few steps back before he snarled at Baigan. Those gold eyes now glowing straight out of the helm as the dark mystical energy fogged around Gabranth's feet. He then crossed his blades together as the dark mystical energy started to rise, creating a rune behind him. The rune started to spin slowly before it started to speed up. Dark electricity zapped out from the rune, as Gabranth continued to keep his blades crossed. His voice was stern, an almost snarl behind it. "Baron was a fool to attack a land under our protection." The swords were slowly uncrossed, gently extending out, as the rune soon started to create a dark shadow over the area between him and Baigan. It was the only warning people may have had to get out of the way; but this time. This time he had the strength to focus this attack. "You saw our ships." The Judge Magister then chuckled softly. It was a extremely dark chuckle. "Yet you continued your scheme." His eyes narrowed behind the helm. His voice then went flat, cold, precise. "Now be judged." Then with a roar, he slashed out the blades in the air. The rune seal breaking behind him, before it blasted unholy energy forward, almost attempt to freeze time between him and Baigan. Then the Judge Magister rushed forward with unnatural speed as the screams and cries of a thousand voices echoed out from the vortex. The blades swung around in a fury of blows. Before he spun around and then slammed his heavy leather boot for the chest section of Baigan yelling loudly. "BEGONE!" and with the kick the dark energy shattered in dark purple light that exploded out like shattering glass.

:'''[[Lily]] has posed:''' Heeeeere comes more magical rain. Lily takes shelter behind Faruja with a yelp, but the sheer buildup of power she's maintaining is not slowing down one bit. A roaring, burning aura's surrounding the girl formed of pure mana. It shimmers, pulses, and blazes quite unevenly, roiling and churning with thick currents forming and swirling around in it, and cerulean arcs of light splashing out from it to lash at the ground. The aura thins only because it begins to expand several feet higher and wider... at the same time... "Go away, Baron." A new source of light illuminates the docks. Where before there was empty air between the participants of this battle, now tiny motes of light glint. Those with any grasp of magical senses would feel all the ambient mana being gripped on at once... and then massively TUGGED. The lights swirl in towards Lily in a matter of seconds, quickly stabilizing into a second... much larger accretion disk of burning light. The girl smiles. It's not a pleasant smile. It's an ANGRY smile, triumphant with victory. "GO HOME AND LEAVE US ALONE!" And maybe a tad cocky. odd for her! All at once, the rotating swarm of coaelscing magic's sucked into a single point between her palms. Hardly the size of a grain of sand, it gleams like something of the night sky... "STAR CATACLYSM!" Those without the sense to shut their eyes or look away may be momentarily blinded as a wall of solid white encompasses EVERYTHING, pure energy erupting with phenomenal force. Lily's engulfed, merely a silhouette within the expanding dome of white that spreads from her and disperses. The ground just around her's completely molten - it's a good thing she's somehow managing to hover OVER it. Massive streams of light blast every which way straight at heartless, and those who evade the initial flares of mana must instead contend with the tsunami-like force of the remaining wave before it completely disperses. Miraculously, none of Lily's allies will be outright harmed by the magical attack, but the resulting BOOM and lightshow is deafening and blinding.

:'''[[Evja]] has posed:''' Success! Ohshi--BOOOOOOM! Evja goes flying through the air and smacks a dent into a nearby airship, Thankfully the armor takes the shrapnel and scatters it, too strong for simple shrapnel to pierce, but the impact /did/ do quite a bit of damage. Not to mention it twisted an arm in a rather wrenching fashion. Sliding off the airship, Evja grumbles in pain before joining in the fray try and deal with the remaining Heartless. Whereas before he had been dealing with Baigan... well, Baigan had attention being paid to him at the moment. Evja's six spears vanished, four that were in the airship impaled and two that had fallen to the ground when he got knocked away, and he grabbed two again before leaping into the air and jamming them towards a Heartless, quickly bouncing off a nearby airship with a quick flicker in and out of sight thanks to his Faerie Shoes and repeating this Ad Nauseum until he found himself without targets, or knocked out of the sky.

:'''[[Emi Dennou]] has posed:''' "Deflected the shovel...The Network is shocked." Imi says as she stumbles back, bracing her shovel before her. Of course, Baigan has his own counterattack, lashing out with shovels. BUT DO NOT UNDERESTIMATE THE AID A SPADE CAN PROVIDE! Spinning the shovel in front of her like a bo, Imi deflects the various snake strikes, batting them away with the shovel. Lily calls them 'Mean Nations', Emi thinks, that's kind of adorable. She wants to go over and give Lily a pat on the shoulder right now. But that will have to wait. "Lily." She says. "...Lily, be careful of the...the airships, Lily." Okay no super massive stream of doom light. It's so blinding she can't actually tell the collateral. "Emi, The Network requests help!" Imi says as a snake bites off the handle of her shovel. Emi nods and then spins on a heal, reaching into a pocket, and withdrawing a coin into her hand. She looks not towards Baigan, but to Snakesuation (Snaggletooth is still cool). She flicks the coin in the air and says, "Open wide!" And she flings the coin forward in a sudden hefty burst of electromagnetic force, the coin reaching supersonic speeds as it blasts forward for Snaggletooth's mouth, electricity fanning out around it in bursts of high voltage!

:'''[[Deelel]] has posed:''' Deelel loks at the heartless as they rain decution down upn her and the others, while she keeps them busy she's not really doing much damage, she does however set up her allies to just rip into the heartless she's not in a postion to too much damage but she keeps going for wha's left of the heartless to clean house. "They are really getting on my nerves." Does she even have them she doesn't know but she's picking up user speak pretty fast.

:'''[[Palom]] has posed:''' "/Whiny/?!" Palom fumes. "We'll see who's whiny!" He steps back, holding his hand forward. His robes, cape and braid begin to billow in nonexistant wind as he channels his magical might to bend the physical world to his will. 'Darkness beyond twilight, deeper than the blackest void... Inscribe power that decays the world into the very air, and with it, burn away the enemy who stands before me!' Palom's eyes suddenly glow brightly, and there's a feeling of great magic gathering around Kaydin... 'Face the ultimate spell of Mysidia!FLARE!' There is the briefest blue flash in the air around Kaydin and the ground under his feet, as both are ripped apart by Palom's magic and their energy used to fuel an explosion as bright as the sun! Palom has braced himself, by now used to the shockwave that washes over him and the blast of hot air that sets his cape and braid fluttering behind him in the harsh light of the blast... And then the heartless chill and freeze him with magic and he feels suddenly sick. "Rgh... Can't you see I'm /busy/?! Stop getting in my way!" He glares at them and points his staff up at them, and the sky too is filled with a blast of immense magic power, lighting up the battlefield like a second sun! ...Again. A second second sun.

:'''[[Margaux Fleury]] has posed:''' Margaux de Fleury finally found her rhythm. The Heartless ensnared by her dance are dispatched one by one. However, a dancer's work is never quite done as there seems to be plenty more Heartless that need to be dispatched. Perhaps it was time for the encore? The dancer looks around at the state of her allies and then towards her enemies. It was time for the encore. The Blade Dancer takes her rapier up in her left hand and adopts a semi-crouching fencing position with her right hand being placed at her side for balance. Her blue eues quickly move from foe to foe as she decides on her route through her foes. And then, she finalizes her planned routine in her mind. All that was left was the execution. Margaux shifts her weight to her back foot and then quickly explodes forward towards the closest Heartless. Her speed is uncanny as she weaves through the numerous Heartless, stabbing and swinging her rapier as she proceeds to her planned destination. Those witnessing it will be hard-pressed to keep their eyes on the dancer for long as she continues to acrobatically bob and weave her way through the Heartless horde. It was hard for Margaux to keep concentrated on her blade walking with so many other things going on. Palom was attacking Messire Kaydin and Faruja looked pretty beaten up himself. Tsk tsk. She surely hopes that the Templar survives this fight as well as Kaydin. It would be sad to win but to have those who assisted her perish in this fight. Unforunately, there is little for Margaux to do at the moment.

:'''[[Reize Seatlan]] has posed:''' There is successful purchase in his strike against Baigan. The dive kick, the assault from the others is wearing don on Baigan. This is frustrting the man who is trying to invade their home. Their home. It is then that Baigan's arms wail around. Those fangs tear towards the boy's path. Racing his way, the boy's eyes widen, "...Buh?!" As those serpentine fangs race his way, they sail and burl over his way. "Eh?!" Those fangs pierce against the young boy, "Gaaaahhhhh!" Both eyes widen, the youth is flying acorss the air and he lands off of the airship. "Nggghhhhh..." Reize is not in good health. He is in pain. Very bad pain. His eyes lift up towards Baigan with a growl. His eyes fall shut. To make mtters more painful? Uhh... Oh hey, Palom is casting. "Everyone clear the way, now!" The boy quickly spins around and dives for cover. Between this and Lily's explosion, Reize is wondering how much collateral damage could Fluorgis withstand. "This is our home." Their home is in danger. Reize's fist tightens as he lifts his gaze towards the sky. His resolve manifests as he lifts to the ship. His eyes drift towards his friends. All to them that continue to fight. There have been many people that have stepped in to the time of Fluorgis's need. It's good to have allies. "...Just as everyone has said, Baigan." A tarot is drawn in his hand. It is then that the ever mysterious pendant gleams. Magic is gathering around the boy, drawing upon the area around him. As the tarot lights ablaze, Reize is gathering more of the power around him and he brings the tarot over to the air. With the essence spiraling in his grasp. The boy tightens his fist. That pendant gives off a light as bright as the sun. It is picking off of another presence. Lily's crystal will likely light up. "Flickering flame, burn." The tarot shatters. "FIREBALL!" Three flaming orbs ignite around him. They spiral around the boy. When they join together, they spiral around each other and mix into one fireball. But as it races towards Baigan.... "CONTROLLED!" Though the power of Reize's will, that 'fireball' shapes itself into a thin arrow. "FIRE ARROW!" What was once fireball, an orb of destruction, has been focused and channeled to a precisioned arrow of strong force. It's target... Baigan.

:'''[[Leida]] has posed:''' Despite the words of reassurance given, Leida's concern for the well-being of her ally is etched into her youthful features quite plainly. She climbs to her feet after a moment, taking a moment to gather her wits as the battle crescendos towards the climax. The nameless souls brought forth at her command continue to dart about admist the Heartless but their efforts to actually harm them are akin to young kittens trying to be ferocious at looming predators and they bounce about harmlessly while spouting their mixed crude and sophisticated but equally nonsensical banter. The princess, meanwhile, is distracted watching Baigan's rather impressive last stand amid the deaththroes of his personal escape craft. She winces empathically at the damage those flailing monstrous limbs of his deliver, subconsciously holding her side where the previous magical assault still oozes thick black blood. Thus distracted, Leida fails to notice that the Heartless have not yet been reduced to a nonthreatening level and they continue to harry the back lines of the battle with magical destruction. Faruja's swift intervention once more saves her from her own foolish lack of focus, sacrificing his own safety to ensure that the wicked spells do not reach them. Eyes going wide, she reaches up to catch him as he falls, struggling with the weight of his armored body. Her distress is magnified upon seeing the ruin of Faruja's back and she chews her lower lip in worry, glacing about for a source of aid to render to him. Lily, however, is too busy unleashing doom upon everything in sight and no one else that she knows is nearby. With little choice left, Leida sucks in a deep breath and takes a gamble. "Faruja-san... f-forgive me if this feels less than pleasant!" Bringing her blood-stained hand up, she rubs the tainted ichor across his wounds, praying to all the gods and spirits that it does the same for him that it does for her.

:'''[[Kaydin]] has posed:''' Kaydin tries to evade the attacks but in the end, heartless combined with treachous mysidia magic has blasted Kaydin badly. Every ounce of him wanted to just go home and go back to sleep, or maybe try and kill the runt, but if he did then all the others would be on him. So he wondered if anyone will notice him missing.

:'''[[Faruja Senra]] has posed:''' Faruja is almost dead weight in Leida's arms, good thing he's very small for his kind, and light besides! Thus, she's mostly going to be struggling under plate mail, which /is/ decidedly heavy. That last attack took everything out of the rat, wincing as Lily's great power flashes over the area. He doesn't care about his own, horrifically painful injuries. All that matters is Fluorgis being safe. "....Lady...Leida?" The rat mumbles deliriously. Then, she applies the blood. Faruja's eye goes wide. His muzzle opens, the Templar screaming wordlessly as Leida's blood is slathered on his wound. That tainted ichor goes to work immediately, seeping in, trying to both heal and corrupt the Templar's body. Faith is a weapon indeed, and it turns upon that which would corrupt. White fire erupts from Faruja's back, the very Light within his own soul raging as it seeks to obliterate the corruption introduced. The dark ichor glows red hot as it's burnt away by the very fires of the Templar's soul, and it scours the flesh corrupted. Once again, the smell of burning flesh arises as his own soul cures the illness, at the cost of even more of the rat's own health. Down the rat goes, still lightly aflame with white, purging fire. At least, from the looks of things, his own wounds are being cauterized in the process.

:'''[[Raine Arland]] has posed:''' MEANWHILE. "Sheesh, look at them go. Did we even really need to help?" Raine mumbled to himself, standing far back, leaning against a wall and watching the epic battle play out. His arms were crossed and his sword was stabbed into the ground next to him. 'Wow, this was a massive waste of time. We could've just sat back and let the heroes here do all the dirty work all along!' This caused him to frown in irritation. "Well if I recall, /you're/ the genius who told me to go and help out because it would have been faster." A laugh echoed through the boy's mind then and the voice replied. 'And you're the one who listened. So who's the real <GOOSEHONK> here?' "...Tch."

:'''[[Baigan]] has posed:''' It was over the moment Baigan's airship was destroyed. Still he unleashed his wrath upon his gathered foes, having at last lost himself to the Darkness, his monstrous blood demanding blood sacrifice. Amidst the wreckage of his ship and his plans, the once-noble Vanguard of Baron lays about with his fanged arms, their wounds no longer regenerating, their unblinking eyes glazed over with a milky haze. Yet he cannot fell his determined adversaries, no matter how grievously he strikes them, and the assault that is turned on him overpowers him utterly. Sharp swords, empowered spears, fists punching holes in his hide... the Heartless above are showered with magical might and run through with spears. Baigan, thoroughly Judged, sinks onto one knee, body trembling with the mere effort of remaining conscious. "F... for the glory... of Baron..." he hisses, rearing up, unable to stand but still planning one last furious attack, raising a snake arm in preparation-- until a simple coin strikes against it, and Baigan has time only glance up in confusion before a torrent of lightning passes through him, leaving him smoking and still where he is. As Flare magic echoes in the background, overtaking the remaining scattered Heartless and shaking the hulls of the surrounding parked airships, the glass in the Aerodrome above cracking from the sheer power of the magic being unleashed here, and Margaux's brilliant blade dance finishes off the last of the shadowy foes, Baigan is as still as a statue, paralyzed. With the last of his strength, his eyes swivel, drawn by an intense brightness, like a tunnel of light which perhaps some part of him imagines promises salvation, some manner of escape. "Ssso... bright..." The arrow of fire pierces him, passing through. His very form seems to waver, and then to glow, heating up like the sun. And then the boundaries of his body begin to burn away, slowly disintegrating, until left in a ragged heap on the ground is Baigan in his human form, unconscious and alone.

:'''[[Reize Seatlan]] has posed:''' Reize is beaten. So is everyone else. THe boy is glancing towards the goup that are currently in the vicnity of the area. He looks at those who have banded together. It's reassuring to know that the people have gotten together. "Is everyone alright..?" And then, the boy looks over to see Faruja and the interaction between him and Leida's healing. ...!!! "Faruja!" The boy yelps, running over and slides in nearby before dropping to a knee. "Faruja!"

:'''[[Gabranth]] has posed:''' Judge Magister Gabranth stands there as the light glows and it seems Baigan slowly returns to his human state. Gabranth slowly sheaths his swords. His eyes slowly dimming of their gold light as they slowly return back to their blue color in the shadows of the ornate helm. His breathing was a bit ragged and his left arm slowly just feel to his side. Blood gently starting to easily be seen against the black leather. Yet whatever pain he may be feeling, he was ignoring. Better or for ill. His attention turns over to Evja. His eyes study the Clan Judge before he walks over and slightly beside him. His body standing one way to the other Judges as he speaks with a hushed voice. "..We are glad to be of assistance. The Baron snake is for you and those of this city to do with as you see fit." He cants his head. Looking at the damage caused here before he starts to walk on. He does past by the Church knight, noting the smell of burning and shakes his head. There was little he could do for Faruja in his current state. In that hidden current state he was not showing beyond the fact his gate was a tad bit off. He steps up to Zargabaath and gives a gentle nod, before he continues his way out.

:'''[[Palom]] has posed:''' When the light fades, Kaydin is gone. "Hmph!" That showed /him/, thinks Palom. Revenge feels strangely unsatisfying. Although, the thought that the dark knight will never hurt anyone again gives him something to be proud of. The young mage turns back to consider the main fight. Heartless destroyed, and Baigan of Baron fallen unconscious. Palom walks over to give him a kick in the side. "That's what you get for stealing crystals!" He looks around at the others. "So what do we do with him now?" He /could/ finish the job, but... exploding an unconscious man seems wrong somehow. Also something is happening with Faruja. "Faruja! What are you doing to him?!" the young mage rushes over!

:'''[[Leida]] has posed:''' Leida's own reaction to the sudden gout of holy flame is far less stoic. She shrieks as the white conflagration rises up to purge the corruption of her blood, engulfing her hand upon his back in the same instant. Reactionary instincts kick in and she yanks the hand away as if the templar's wounds were the surface of a hot stove, letting his heavy body clatter to the floor in the process. Dark acrid smoke rises in heavy thick fumes from the princess' hand. The skin is blackened and burnt, almost cauterized like the surface of Faruja's back except her own tainted vitality is already seeking to repair the damage. Black blood bubbles and oozes from the weeping cracks of her ruined flesh and the girl takes several steps back, her eyes screwing shut in pain and regret as others rush over to aid him. "I-I am sorry! I did not... I was only...!"

:'''[[Margaux Fleury]] has posed:''' And voila! Margaux's blade dance finishes just as the glass above her shatters to add an extra flare to the dancer's end pose from her final lunge through one of those damnable Heartless. The fencer sheathes her rapier deftly before offering a grandiose bow since her dance is complete. But was anyone watching? The dancer stands up straight now and looks around. "Messire Kaydin?" The Dark Knight was nowhere to be seen. "Messire Zealot?" And Faruja seems to be gone...no wait...that smoking, burned, lump of the ground must be him. Alas, it seems this artist will continue to go unnoticed for the time being. With a flourish of her bright blue cloak, Margaux waltzes on over to the fallen mouse and the dark mage nearby. She knows not who Leida is nor how to really care for Faruja's wounds. Margaux reaches up for the clasp of her cloak and undoes the device. Gently, she takes her cloak and attempts to lay the cloak over the burned body of the person who had assisted her so greatly in battle. It may not be much in the ways of helping him, but she will atleast let Faruja keep some of his dignity so passerbys will not gawk at his wounds until real medical help comes. Margaux dips her head in a silent prayer before looking around at those nearby. "Where is the nearest 'ospital?" Not the most eloquent thing to say in this situation. However, it seems the practical thing to ask. She will leave the dealing of justice towards Baigan and Leida to someone more capable of judging guilt or God. Whoever acts first, really.

:'''[[Emi Dennou]] has posed:''' Emi lowers her hand and then approaches Baigan. She looks around afor a moment and then withdraws from a pocket, a recent purchase: A pair of handcuffs. But then she looks down at Baigan. He's in human form, but he can just turn his arms into explosive snakes? So maybe using this on his arms isn't a good thing. She looks down instead and then, with a nod to herself, crouches down, intending to link the cuffs around his ankles instead. She straightens up and says. "Case complete." She looks over her shoulder. "WIthout Baigan stirring up trouble, hopefluly Fluorgis will turn to normal soon. The Network thanks the Shard SEekers for their help...and remands this man to your custody. With this, Reize..." She turns towards him in particular. "With this there is no way they could deny you proper clanship. With this, our debt to the Shard Seekers for their hospitality and their assistance in saving us is repaid. Now nothing needs to weigh down our bonds." She smiles suddenly. "Thank you for your perseverence."

:'''[[Faruja Senra]] has posed:''' Faruja is little more than a slumped, partially burning figure as the others rush over to him. At least he's still breathing, but his face is one of utter agony even in his unconsciousness. Within his dreams, Burmecia burns once more. The cloak that soon coats his body may as well be a Faram-send, as the touch of cloth seems to extinguish the flames. A shudder, and the rat drifts to a far less painful sleep. It seems that Margaux has done her good deed for the day. r

:'''[[Zargabaath]] has posed:''' Judge Magister Zargabaath lands on the ground, whirling around to aim blades at Baigan in preparation for counter-attacks... Only to see Baigan collapsed on the ground, completely human and completely out cold. It was tempting, so very tempting, to kill the Baronite and be done with it. But that would be overstepping authority plus cold-blooded murder. He steps back, sheathing his blades under his cloak and glancing around uneasily. Fires have to be put out, damage has to be calculated... He catches a glimmer of red on the side of Gabranth's armor. Oh dear. Yes, allies need to be tended to as well. He gives Gabranth an understanding nod in response as the Judge of Ambition leaves first. He watches the others for a time gathering around poor Faruja, then turns his helm to Evja. "Judge Errant, deal with Baigan as you see fit. I will send assistance as soon as I am able." And with a swish of his cape, he follows Gabranth out at a much faster walk than his comrade. Faruja is in good hands, and there is little he can do for the Templar--but for his fellow Judge Magister, he can at least ensure the Judge of Ambition can make it to a proper medical facility in one piece.

:'''[[Reize Seatlan]] has posed:''' First, Palom is given a glance over, "I don't know!" Then, he looks over towards Faruja and then Leida, "Leida, get in contact with Lenn. We need to get to the headquarters fast!" And the arrival of a stranger draws his attention, mostly because of the question. "We have a healer on standby at our headquarters." Reize is moving to pick Faruja up. His attention is focused towards Emi, givng her a smile. "Thank you, Emi. You helped us a lot." The debt is repaid and all. The cloaked covered Faruja will be taken to the HQ fast. 

:'''[[Deelel]] has posed:''' Deelel sees Palom starting to cast, the user is not even prehaps a fourth of the way compiled and still he could likely take down a Recongiser on his /own/ that was something rather fersom when she thought about it so when the flares come she's get to cover, when it fades she pokes her head out form where she was hiding and looks left then right seeing it's safe she'll follow the other Seekers back to the HQ to help where she can.

:'''[[Lily]] has posed:''' Lily drops to her knees after unleashing that spell, panting. It is a great deal of time before she's ready to stand again, but she does. Woozily. just in time to witness the torment Leida's attempts to heal Faruja result in. Lily claps both hands over her mouth to stifle a gasp of horror... and promptly charges for the Paladin and Leida! ... charges... "---AH!" And stumbles over her own robes. CRASH-THUMP. Face-down near the paladin with a faint whimper.

:'''[[Leida]] has posed:''' Leida doesn't bother arguing, despite the fact that her own injuries are still smoldering. But she has no one to blame for that except herself. How stupid. Ofcourse no decent person would react to her vile blood favorably. The command to fetch help is more than welcome; she just wants to be anywhere but here right now. Turning away, she tucks the injured hand against her chest and dashes back into the city to warn Lenn of the eminant arrival of the wounded templar. By the time they arrive, she herself is no longer in the building, having vanished into the city once more.

:'''[[Margaux Fleury]] has posed:''' The now cloakless Margaux nods her head towards Reize when he comes to Faruja's side and explains where he will be taken. That was good enough for her. "Please ensure that the messire recovers," implores the woman lightly before watching Lily fall arse over elbows down onto the ground. She nearly places her face into the palm of her left hand, but plays it off by merely taking a moment to wipe some sweat from off her brow. "Are you alright?" The red-headed fencer asks as she crouches near the fallen girl. The departing Judges get a look, but the Death Corps member was not about to start another fight against such odds. So they only get an icy glare from the revolutionary. And speaking of the Death Corps, she really did not get anywhere in crafting goodwill for their cause. All Margaux might have done was incur the wrath of yet another nation against their order and nearby get killed as a result. Oh well, it could be worse. Faruja's slumped body get a small look when that thought crosses her mind.

:'''[[Raine Arland]] has posed:''' "....And now they're dropping like flies." Raine commented lightly, watching Faruja's minor crisis as well as how tuckered out everyone else was looking in general. After a bit of thought a sheepish spile found it's way to his face. "Heroism is tough work, huh?" His left eye glowed a bit and the voice in his head responded in kind. 'It's too much work. So don't be a hero. Ever.' Words of wisdom from the centuries old, talking demonic sword. Rain just nodded and pat the pommel of his sword, causing it to sink into the ground as if it were never even there. And then he turned and walked out of the aerodome, arms crossed behind his head all casual like. "I could use a slice chocolate cheesecake right about now." 'You <GOOSEHONK>ing fairy boy. We've got waves to make and you want CAKE...!?' The voice in his mind echoed in exasperation.

Time of Rest, Seeds of Conflict

2013-02-20T20:01:59Z

IvoGalvan: Created page with "{{Log Header |Date of Scene=2013/02/15 |Location=WildKat Cafe |Synopsis=Faruja, Maira, Ivo and Raiya gather by coincidence at the WildKat Cafe, each depleted by their differen..."

{{Log Header
|Date of Scene=2013/02/15
|Location=WildKat Cafe
|Synopsis=Faruja, Maira, Ivo and Raiya gather by coincidence at the WildKat Cafe, each depleted by their different endeavors. Will these good friends be tested by tensions which simmer beneath the surface, born of unexamined flaws?
|Cast of Characters=Ivo Galvan, Faruja Senra, Raiya Fujihara, Maira
|pretty=yes
}}
:'''[[Faruja Senra]] has posed:''' Faruja Senra's week, as seems to be typical these days, has been horrible. Giga Flared in the face, and then dealing with the mess beneath the local traverse town church (again) has the rat in need of some relaxation. Thus, he is at his favorite cafe, the WildKat. Mostly due to it's rather charismatic owner, and the quality drinks it serves. Thus, Faruja has tea. While it's not quite BATTLE TEA, it's more than good enough. He's sitting near a window looking out upon the town itself, the ratling's legs crossed and tail flicking lightly in between sips of warm liquid. If only he had some company! Faruja finds himself thinking after the good fire magess of Valkyri, and how she so bravely took blows for him. A frown comes to his muzzle. Hurt on account of /him/! Cue guilty rat.

:'''[[Maira]] has posed:''' Funny, Maira was also thinking about Faruja, and hoping that he didn't feel too badly about her defending him. He'd done the same for her many times! He was injured, how could she let him be hurt when he was injured? She couldn't have known just how out of this world powerful Makenshi truly was. Still, she hopes Faruja is doing well and has been staying out of trouble, but she seriously doubts that last bit. Lo and behold! As she walks into the cafe her eyes settle on him, her plush lips curving into a warm smile as she crosses the room toward him, examining him to see if he is alright for hugs!

:'''[[Ivo Galvan]] has posed:''' Ivo, in contrast to his friend and ally Faruja, has been exposed to little physical danger as of late, but his youthful features show signs of extreme fatigue, his usually curious gaze dimmed and affable smile somewhat subdued as he enters the cafe. Hands slipped into his pockets, white and navy blue scarf wrapped about his neck and shoulders, the knight-errant's posture is a little less poised, his pace more listless. Stuck in Fluorgis working day and night in the depths of the city on the Fire Crystal, the Shard Seeker swordsman has had little time for rest, let alone adventure. Though his work is secret, the whispers on the wind persistently suggest that the shadows over the City of Fountains are dimming the Crystal's light, threatening to short-circuit Fluorgis's power source. Even if that's not true, those rumors produce fear and uncertainty. That makes Ivo's work all the more desperate. But at least with a moment to himself, he took off for Traverse Town under the pretense of securing more supplies for the group, what with prices in Fluorgis so high. It's not such an urgent task. What's most important is that he energize himself somehow. So the first stop is the cafe. Last time he was here, it was pleasantly relaxing. He pauses to hold the door open, and seems a little more refreshed already as he turns to broaden his smile at the woman with him. "After you, sensei," he says gamely. At least the playfulness in his voice can't be suppressed by exhaustion. He ran into Raiya at headquarters, and she's joined him on this little stint. Only once he turns does he see-- Maira and Faruja in a passionate embrace!? Ivo's eyes widen slightly. "Faruja!" he calls, sounding slightly alarmed. Could this be a terrible misunderstanding? Could Ivo be about to display some unexpected-- "For goodness sake, man, when are you going to let someone else take a hit?" He's grinning, his tone one of fond bewilderment. "You look like you've come out of the oven. What happened to your face?" Oh, right. Faruja was beat up the last two times he saw the Burmecian too. "This is a bad habit of yours." And Ivo knows bad habits. "Hey, Maira," Ivo then says, turning his grin to the lady mage. He's straightened his posture by force of will, pushing back his fatigue. "Good to see you. You've met Raiya-sensei, right?" What's this? No flirtatious banter? Is he behaving himself? He /must/ be tired.

:'''[[Faruja Senra]] has posed:''' Faruja's bandages look fresh, and there may even be a little bit more burn damage than usual. A touch of fatigue is in his eye too, maybe even a gray fur or two visible if one really looks. Stress and recent happenings as well as a Giga Flare are a good way to age prematurely! But no rib brace, at least. Despite everything, the sight of one Maira has the rat standing up. Very nearly does he knock over his tea! The ratling very simply walks up, and offers his arms. Ahh, but he could use a friend, and a hug! "Dear Maira, how are you? Lord bless my friend, doth thy wounds mend?" His eye wanders that head of hers! The ratling still remembers the horrible scalp wound she suffered! Earperk! A voice hits the rat's ears, and the Burmecian turns. At first, a look of intense irritation is given Ivo. He's the one who, however indirectly, had him extorted for a love letter! It lasts all of five seconds, before it melts into a fond smile tinged with concern. "Ser Galvan, good 'eve! And Lady..." Asteria? Fujihara? Given where they are, and her attire he plays it safe. "Fujihara. An honor as always M'Lady. Come, Ser and Dame, join us! The pleasure is all mine!" A bow to the pair, and he'll gather seats for all three of his friends. "Let us just say, good Ser, never underestimate the power of ruthless men and Nu Mou with impeccable aim with spells of fire." A brief glance is given to Maira, guilt clear in his features. "...So many seem to tell me. Unfortunately, others seem to take blows for me oft these days." Hati too. Frown. "I trust overwork touches naught upon thy brow?" There's no sarcasm in his voice. He knows Ivo being tired when he sees it.

:'''[[Maira]] has posed:''' Seeing Faruja's arms open, Maira happily steps into them, though she keeps her embrace gentle, as Faruja is obviously either still injured, or injured again. Likely, it is both. Maira shakes her head a little, though she is obviously grateful he is still in one piece. "Faruja, you really should take a bit of a rest...yes, yes I'm fine. Still a little woozy sometimes and I get some headaches, but mostly I am much improved," she informs him with a smile. Ah! Another familiar voice! An Ivo voice! Maira is immediately conflicted, her insides tying themselves in a neat little knot. "Ivo! Good to see you--" she begins, then balks. "Y-you look terrible...are you alright?" she asks with genuine concern. Oh, wait, he wasn't alone! Maira turns to greet Raiya, her smile warm for her, though growing shaky as she takes the situation in mind. Ivo and Raiya came together. Maybe they are...on a date. "Hello Raiya! It is nice to see you too! ...You look much better than Ivo, have you been beating him up?" she asks, taking a seat once Faruja offered. He probably even pulls her chair out for her. Cause he's a TRUE KNIGHT.

:'''[[Ivo Galvan]] has posed:''' Ivo can feel Raiya's sharp gaze on him, carefully maintaining his smile, and thereby doing his best not to reveal that the presence of his sensei might have something to do with this unusual good behavior. Teasing comments he could make to Maira scroll through his mind, which regretfully he pushes aside. Distracted by this, he only catches Faruja's baleful stare at the tail end of it, his eyebrows lifting -- but when the nezumi smiles, Ivo grins back, a little more amused than before. Was he indirectly responsible for something? If he's forgiven, then it was probably funny. He'll find out what it was, and have a good laugh. ...You shouldn't forgive him, Faruja. "I've learned to fear fire," he says nonchalantly. "Particularly at close range." He casts Maira a sidelong glance, some of that sparkle returning to his eyes. Ohh, he can't resist, can he. It's like an extreme challenge: teasing Maira so obliquely that his sensei doesn't notice. Maybe he has a death wish. That would explain a lot. "Ah, well, that's..." Seeing the both of them so concerned does make him feel better, even if he should be ashamed to be showing his weakness. He should have known better: even if he tries to look cool, there's no hiding the dark circles under his eyes. "I look terrible? How cruel," he replies divertingly, his irrepressible grin failing to sustain his mock woundedness. "Whereas you look lovely as ever." Maira's question to Raiya surprises Ivo, and seems to impress him, his eyes lighting up before he covers his mouth and feigns a cough to hide his amusement. "That's right," he confirms. "Sensei is a believer in tough love." He opens his mouth as though he has more to say, but visibly restrains himself, and instead looks toward his teacher. "Raiya, may I get you some tea?" Better quit while you're ahead, Galvan. ...Or at least, have a head.

:'''[[Raiya Fujihara]] has posed:''' Faruja and Maira were always pleasant company to keep. Raiya smiles easily and quite naturally towards them. "Please, Raiya will suffice. I hold no landed titles to my name." She was still Crescent Asteria, but she was not about to ask everyone to call her by that. Maira's inquiry of whether or not she was the reason Ivo looked the way he did catches the samurai off-guard. Something apparently has caught her tongue. This malady is quickly healed when Ivo makes a smart comment of his own. The hawkish look from before is replaced to that one of a coiled snake. Ivo and the others might even swear that her hand flinched juuuuuust slightly closer to her sheathed katana. "Apparently not tough enough. I shall have to remedy this next time." The offer of tea does defuse the ticking time bomb for now. Raiya nods her head in affirmation. "Yes please, and we have known each other long enough that you already know how I like it." The blonde ronin freezes and shoots a dagger towards Ivo. "....like my tea." Asteria coughs into a clenched fist as she seats herself without further adieu. It seems that Ivo was just as much a bad influence on her as vice-versa.

:'''[[Faruja Senra]] has posed:''' Faruja's hug is warm and close, almost one reserved for family; her kindness drawing many an inward comparison to his dear departed mother. He's also quite happy for the lightness, his burns quite stinging even with Hati's burn ointment. Pulling away, he pulls out a seat for the woman, truly like a proper knight! Someone should be taking notes~ "Physician, heal thyself, is it? Yes, dear Maira, I am well overdue for such rest. Of the body, at any rate, far too much for my mind to yet still." The local church's problems, Burmecia and Cleyra, Alexandria, Fluorgis, his rather tangled love life and personal attachments. Poor rat's utterly swamped! Reaching into his robes, he'll hand over a wrapped pouch of herbs. "Steep these in hot water. They should help with the symptoms. However, they will likely make you drowsey, 'tis best to take before the night's repose." Don't worry, Ivo, all will be forgiven when he finally catches you alone! The rat owes the Knight-Oh-So-Errant a good beating and/or duel for the dragon-related suffering in his life. His real wrath is reserved for the dragoness, however. But never let it be said that he's not willing to step up and set things in motion. "Quite. Fearsome, flames. Or worse, flames of the heart, and those amongst us that would toy with them." Ivo gets a meaningful glance despite the rat's cryptic words, one full of quite a bit of barely contained rage. "Resting is for those within the Lord's embrace." The rat finally quotes concerning his own, and Ivo's injuries/tiredness respectively. There's simply too much to do. A small nod, and a smile from the rat, his previous foul mood towards shoved aside. Raiya is always pleasant, when not plotting war. The Burmecian even has the decency to turn aside and cough himself at Raiya's 'correction.' Ignore the slight blush to his features. "Mayhap I shall join you in educating our dear mutual friend, hmm, La...ahh, Raiya. I do believe it shall be most...enlightening for him, would you not agree?" Oh, Ivo, you're now doomed.

:'''[[Maira]] has posed:''' At Ivo's teasing comment, Maira does indeed blush. She remembers quite well the incident he is referring to, even if no one else would! Though she blushes, she meets his eye, determined not to look away. She's not sure why. It is the same instinct that tells you not to run from a predator--you don't want yourself to be seem as prey. Still, she is grateful the conversation moves on! "I'm sorry Ivo, I mean you look tired. Very tired. You haven't been sleeping much. You could probably use some potions and some sleep," the healer in her informs him. And if orders are going out? Maira orders some tea too. And a scone. And one of those cookies. And a muffin. She intends to eat /all/ of them. Maira looks back to Faruja now, taking the packet of herbs. The mage brings it to her nose and gives it a discerning sniff. "Birch bark...valerian...chamomile...hmm, and a bit of something else...licorice root?" she asks. Healer talk, GO! Maira is a bit more observant than she use to be when it came to flirtatious talk (Ivo is completely to blame) and the banter between Ivo and Raiya does not go unnoticed. Oh...oh maybe they really /are/ on a date. Maira suddenly feels very small. Looking toward the beautiful, graceful, and so...ladylike samurai, Maira cannot but feel she has been pushed to the wayside. After all, why would Ivo want her if he could have Raiya? Maira looks down at the table, very intently, trying to push those thoughts away--she can feel sorry for herself later.

:'''[[Ivo Galvan]] has posed:''' Ivo senses imminent danger, fight-or-flight instincts activating as soon as Raiya's expression becomes a little more predatorial. "Not tough enough..." he murmurs under his breath, grin turning lopsided, gaze nervously averting. A shiver goes up his spine -- but is it fear? Maybe it's better not to ask. At least he has his out, when Raiya accepts his offer. He might not be at True Knight level and pulling out people's chairs, but he's getting tea for a lady, so at least he can maintain his knight-errant status -- if more errant than knight. As soon as his composure returns, however, his teacher makes an-- unusual slip. Ivo pauses, his expression growing very still. It turns out he doesn't need to say anything-- even /more/ surprisingly, Raiya fills in the blank. The mere fact of acknowledging the alternate interpretation of her words causes Ivo's eyebrows to shoot up, though he puts all his effort into keeping the rest of his face unmoved. Most likely, he's fiercely repressing whatever follow-up he wants to offer. But then again, there's something a little too fixed and distant about his gaze, as though he too is embarrassed by Raiya's slip. "Of course," is all he can say in the end, his tone a little ambiguous, not turning back to look at her, before going to get the tea ... and a scone ... and a muffin ... and a cookie. He returns renewed, smiling and mildly amused, even looking a little less tired than before. "A woman should have a healthy appetite," he remarks approvingly, though maybe it's just his way of teasing Maira as he sets down her requests before her, and then begins to serve the tea. He's re-entered the conversation in time to see Faruja's dubious look and comment about flames. "Flames of the heart? If you're having indigestion..." Yeah, Ivo, you're just asking for enlightenment. But his smile wavers slightly and his flippant comment dies out when he sees Maira closely inspecting the table before her. While he tends to read people all too well, the emotion on her face isn't one he recognizes, and that itself makes him feel a bit uneasy. "...Yeah, I am tired," he says instead, his voice softening. "You're right, Maira... it's been a while since I took a load off." Shoulders slumping, he smiles at the fire mage, no longer playful, no longer trying to push through his fatigue. He sinks into a seat at their table. "Anything you'd prescribe?" He considers a joke about tender, loving care, but for some reason, his heart isn't in it. Probably just too tired now, he reflects. Flames of the heart, huh...?

:'''[[Raiya Fujihara]] has posed:''' Raiya has come a long way from when she first earned the title of 'Crescent Asteria'. In those days, there was only war to plot and a war to fight. There was still very much a war going on now, but there were also...other things to be concerned with that the Asteria of old would not have considered. The differing responses to her lazy tongue causes Raiya to grimace slightly. Quite obviously, they both noticed the implications of what she said. How foolish of her to say anything at all, but it was better to head Ivo off at the pass than to let herself be ambushed. Raiya does not blush at her own words though. It was indeed an unfortunate thing to bring up in polite company. However, she was not ashamed of her actions as both a samurai and as a woman. Maira does get a sympathetic look though. The Wutai ronin was a proud warrior, but she still had eyes to notice her unfavorable reaction. She all too well knew of Ivo's flirtatious history with the other woman and the complications that were present. "Maira," begins Raiya. "How have you fared as of late? Keeping Avira safe I hope?" She asks with a demure smile on her face. Yes, bringing up Avira was not probably the smoothest transition in the history of social awkwardness...but Raiya was trying to be tactful now that she had already foolishly mispoken once. The arrival of tea gets a simple, courteous nod from Raiya. Very good, Ivo.

:'''[[Faruja Senra]] has posed:''' That is a lot of food. Someone's hungry! It actually has the Templar smiling a bit. A healthy appetite means someone's recovering! Beneath the table his tail sways gently, contentment clear in the motion should anyone be familiar with his kind's physical expressions. One can tell a lot by looking at a nezumi's tail, after all. "Ahh, my my, Maira you are a Dame and a scholar true! Much so. A touch of pepper and extract of sugar cane to go down that much more easily." The woman gets a look of even greater respect. So much as he respected (and feared) her powers of fire, the signs of a fellow healer gain her all the more brownie points. Could anyone really fail to like, or even love, Maira? "Good, dear Ser Galvan, our mutual..." Pause. What /was/ Priel anyway? "Associate needs learn a touch more respect for delicate matters and less outright greed." Comes the Burmecian's more direct response. Tired himself, he leans towards the more blunt military line. His regard for the man does brighten though, if in sympathy. "Difficult times, my friend. Let us all perservere. And rest while we can." Sipping his tea, the rat closes his eye. Far too much has happened for the rat as of late, and so little rest. Teeter. Slowly, the Burmecian leans towards Maira. Tilt! Maira will find herself supporting a lightly snoring Templar, the nezumi finally succumbing to fatigue, warm tea, and the simple joy of the company of friends. It says much of his trust of the woman to use her as a pillow so as his head rests on her shoulder. Even his tail is wrapped about one of the magess' ankles! "So warm..." Mumbles the ratling as he drifts off to sleep.

:'''[[Maira]] has posed:''' All Maira can think is that Katyna must be right. At least until food arrives. Momentary reprieve from gloomy thoughts by the presence of food. In this, Maira is a simple creature. She eats happily, simply smiling at the mention of her appetite. She must have an insane metabolism. After all, she runs hot. She has to fuel that inner flame with /something/. When Ivo asks her advice and seems to be serious, Maira gives it some thought. "Well, I'd need to know more if you are sick, but by the looks of you, you just need sleep and a few healthy meals. Lots of greens, some beets, red meat...bring some of your color back," she observes, still holding the little pouch of herbs Faruja had given her. These would come in handy later when she tried to sleep. Maira looks up to Raiya then, the shadow of a smile returning. She doesn't dislike the samurai, no matter the circumstances. It simply doesn't seem to be in Maira to hate someone. Envious, yes... "Heh, she's been working very hard for the Hades cup. I'm making sure Angantyr doesn't work her too hard though," she replies. She looks down again, her brow drawing together at the mention of Angan, another knot in her stomach. This is /really/ annoying. "We had a run in with a very...bad....guy," she begins, failing the use of her mental thesaurus. "He came for a guest of ours and he almost destroyed our HQ completely--that's how I got wounded, if you were wondering," she says, quietly, giving Ivo a brief look. No, he hadn't asked about how she'd almost been blown up by a laser dragon! Maira looks over then, finding that Faruja is tilting toward her, falling asleep. She blinks, then giggles lightly, putting an arm around the rat knight to help support him. It is a sisterly affection. "Poor Faruja...you'll have to carry him somewhere to sleep later Ivo," she tells him. Obviously. He does so love to carry people, doesn't he?

:'''[[Ivo Galvan]] has posed:''' Ivo smiles with a hint of amusement at Raiya's silent nod of approval. That tends to be the extent of the praise he gets, so, being him, he enjoys whatever he can get. Somehow even being praised by his sword tutor makes him look a little mischievous, like he's getting away with something. Then again, every second she isn't reaching for her tanto, he's technically getting away with something. "Oh..." Faruja's comment about their mutual 'associate' causes Ivo to purse his lips, perhaps to hide his smile. Of course, he should have guessed it was something Priel did. "Yes, well..." But he can afford to dodge a straight answer this time. Faruja looks to be on the verge of passing out. Ivo's smile turns affectionate as the Burmecian slumps onto Maira. "No fair," he says lightly. "I'm supposed to be the tired one." Ho ho, how should he follow this up? Maybe 'Is she? Your other shoulder's free, right, Maira?' Or perhaps, 'Sensei, are you warm too?' Or... uh... actually... upon reflection... let's not. "Yeah, I haven't been eating well," he concedes instead, smile softening again. "I haven't been back to headquarters often enough to cook... and engineers have a way of devouring whatever they can get their hands on. I'll fix that." Ivo still hasn't seen Cid Previa take a break, and is beginning to suspect the crazy old coot is a machine himself. "Angantyr?" That's an unfamiliar name. "Who is that, Avira's boyfriend?" Ivo sounds highly amused at that prospect. Oh, Ivo, you're the worst. Maira's expression is getting weird, and the swordsman finds himself increasingly troubled. When she brings up the attacker, Ivo's eyebrows shoot up. "What? VALKYRI HQ was attacked? How did I not--" He cuts himself short, and then slumps. "Right," he mumbles. He's not usually so out of the loop, but being cooped up all the time will do that. "If there's anything we can do to help--" he begins, straightening. The Shard Seekers and VALKYRI may be rivals, but after working together to acquire the Desert Rose, they're hardly antagonists. But then he's thrown off. "How you got--" Urk. Already caught flatfooted by what he's missed, there's no way he can maintain his cool when he realizes he's missed what's right in front of his face. Maira just gives him a simple look, but Ivo flushes, visibly embarrassed. He could make an excuse -- he was distracted by Faruja's wounds coming in, after all -- but that would just be stupid. "I should have asked," he says apologetically. "You've had it rough too, Maira." Maybe she'll forgive him after the pastries. "...I'm glad you're alright." At least Maira seems to brighten a little at Faruja's naptime. The sound of her giggle causes Ivo to smile naturally, and he leans back in his chair, recovering and relaxing a little. "As long as I don't have to run," he replies laconically, reaching up to loosen his white and blue scarf, before his smile widens. "There," he adds softly, seeing the affection back on Maira's features. "It's better to see you smiling. You've been looking a little worn-out yourself, Maira." Staring at the table and all. "Is everything alright?" He glances at Raiya, in case she's figured out what's up with her. Terrible. He's just terrible.

:'''[[Raiya Fujihara]] has posed:''' My, my. It seems that their polite Burmecian companion was more tired than he had seemed. Raiya would make sure that Ivo follows through on carrying Faruja back. The exercise would do him well despite him being tired. She was still his teacher in the end despite their close relationship. The talk of VALKYRI HQ being attacked causes a grim look to appear on Raiya's face. "Foul news for my ears. Was is that strange man who attacked Avira and I?" A noticeable injection of actual anger of perhaps frustation had entered the samurai's voice. "This world seems to be increasingly ever filled with bad men. One would be hard-pressed to find an actual good one, I'm afraid." Another side-glance is offered towards Ivo and Raiya's expression lightens somewhat before darkening again when Ivo begins his further interrogation. Her eyes narrow and the slightest shake of her head is given before she now turns to Maira. "Tell me Maira, have you ever been to a place called 'Kosta Dell Soul'?" Raiya seems to think a change in converstaion from talking ABOUT RELATIONSHIPS is in order. But will Ivo notice? The slightly pained expression on the samurai's face shows that she is less than optimistic over this prospect.

:'''[[Maira]] has posed:''' At mention of Angantyr being Avira's boyfriend, Maira becomes quite flustered. "No--I mean, maybe. I mean...I don't actually know, it's very complicated you see. She has....a few..and I'm not...nevermind. Angantyr is--well he's a good friend to us both," she replies, unaware how completely transparent her thoughts are. Seeing Ivo embarassed though, that is a rare treat! "Oh, its okay! I'm really fine. Our roof just kind of...well some of it sort of fell on my head," she says, shrugging a little. "We've all been working hard, haven't we? Its a busy time," she says, taking another bite of cookie. Does she look worn out? Likely. She's been a little more troubled as of late, something she's not grateful for in the least! Such seemingly silly things. Maira looks up to Raiya, summoning what she hopes is a courageous and not at all hurt smile. "You'll have to look after Ivo, make sure that he takes some time to eat and rest--at least in between beatings, right?" she throws in a joke at the end, so as to feel a bit less wretched. At mention of Costa Del Sol, Maira blinks. "Oh, yes, I was there once. Beachy place, warm and sunny. Reminds me I still need to learn to swim. Angantyr is going to teach me," she comments with a nod. Buuuuuurn.

:'''[[Ivo Galvan]] has posed:''' "Good or bad, at least I'm not ugly," Ivo says with mock nonchalance, but he's smiling, half because he knows he deserves to be given a hard time and half because he knows how Raiya feels about his character, and her trust still humbles him. There are others who trust in his good nature as she does, of course, but she was one of the first to voice it, and she states it so straightforwardly he still hasn't gotten used to it. It's hard to hide that he doesn't believe it. But he tries. But maybe he should question his own worthiness a little. He looks a little blank at Raiya's warning gaze. Asking Maira how she's doing is the wrong tack? Perhaps he was too indelicate. Still, if Raiya's picked up what's eating at Maira, Ivo still can't figure it out. After a moment, though, Ivo nods slowly and falls silent, letting her change the subject. Maybe it's, you know, a feminine problem. Being quiet gives him the opportunity to enjoy Maira being flustered, though there's little sense of triumph considering he was the one embarrassed moments ago. "Avira has a few what?" he chuckles. It's fairly clear from his expression he'll never believe for a minute the VALKYRI leader has any genuine love interests. "Sparring partners?" But Raiya seems to really want to move the topic away from relationships, for whatever reason, so he doesn't push any farther. Still, who is this Angantyr character? This sounds humorous, Ivo thinks from his lofty position of emotional distance. That distance keeps getting compromised every time Maira shows a hint of strain about her smile. Ivo's uneasy intuitions grow in intensity. This is bizarre: he can't read her expression, he doesn't know what Raiya's trying to tell him, and he doesn't know what this feeling is. Is it just that he's tired? He's totally off his game. When was the last time he felt so out of his depth? Too weary to hide his emotions, Ivo looks at Maira in visible confusion as she speaks to Raiya, saying nothing. The fire mage seems really out of sorts. Maybe he should take her back to the chocobo races. Or maybe-- "Ah, Costa," Ivo says, relaxing in his chair again. "Once we banish the darkness from Fluorgis, we should gather there for a celebration." Now that's a lively thought. Distracting himself from his unease, a little of the sparkle returns to his eye. "I hope both of you are--" Who is what now? Thump-thump. Ivo's heart skips a beat, and there's no longer any denying this unease. What bursts into his mind is not the mental image of him embracing Maira in the water during their ill-fated lesson, but the kiss at the chocobo circuit. That was just a moment of passion, though, right? That was something nice and charming. It didn't have /consequences/. It didn't change anything. So why are his lips tight, his brow furrowed? Ivo looks as puzzled as he does displeased, even if only for a flash before he instinctively forces the emotions from his expression. "Does he have a ring of fire resistance?" It's a joke, more intended to cover up Ivo's momentary lapse than anything, but, conveniently, it's also opposing that displeasing outcome. "I'm still looking for one, but once I find it..." He shrugs good-humoredly, electing to trail off, looking back at Raiya. "I'm a worse teacher than I am a student," he asides, by way of explanation. But inside, his thoughts are tangled. 'Once I find it'... then what? What's he trying to do, anyway? Keep things interesting, right? Have fun with everyone, right? But that somehow doesn't seem quite so honest when he feels-- less distant from the situation. Ivo often feels the desire to free himself, but rarely the urge to grasp hold of something slipping away. And grasp hold of what? He's not sure what to make of it.

:'''[[Raiya Fujihara]] has posed:''' Raiya, the stoic samurai, is true to her namesake for the next few moments. There was tea to be enjoyed and some of her own thought to be considered. She was aware of both Maira and Avira's affections towards Ivo. Back before things got complicated, she was going to spoke to both Ivo and then those two about it. Raiya's own intrusion into these relationships would make her a hypocrite to speak to them now about such things. A glance is afforded towards Ivo inbetween sips. But, perhaps she should still say something to Ivo about it. In the end, the samurai sighs to herself as she bares witness to Ivo's internal turmoil. It seems her younger companion is still confused about what he does and does not want when it came to things. He was also still quite clueless in picking up that he, or his implied preferences, was irking Maira. Vapors from her tea are breathed in once more as Raiya loses herself in self-contemplation for a time. "Ivo, would you mind a word in private?"

:'''[[Ivo Galvan]] has posed:''' Even as Ivo runs his mouth with a light tone, keeping the conversation going, his intensifying unease intertwines with a worry that he, too, is a hypocrite. But he's not sure what /about/, which is what bothers him more than anything. It's like he wants something both ways -- but what is it he wants, in the first place? More possibilities, is the usual truth, not that he shares his oft-scorned ideal openly: a flourishing, wide-open world, without violence or destruction. But now there seem to be some possibilities he doesn't like, that have nothing to do with anyone getting harmed. Possibilities like... Maira kissing some other guy. Oh. Oh, right. /That's/ the hypocrisy. Ivo, having lapsed into silence, slowly looks toward Raiya, and he looks a littler paler than before. He was already pale from fatigue, so it might not be too apparent, but-- perhaps he just got a little less clueless, just a little. His teacher times her question well. "Not at all," he says, a bit weakly. "Pardon me, Maira," he murmurs. It could just be exhaustion that makes his smile falter. He rises, and follows Raiya's lead. He's still in a bit of a daze. It's not that he understands Maira's feelings yet. But if he admits to himself that he's feeling a little possessive of the warm, kind, trusting fire mage, then-- at the very least, his behavior is unfair-- and his distance, insincere.

:'''[[Raiya Fujihara]] has posed:''' Raiya does not lead Ivo very far. They only make it out of eyesight from where they were once seated before she gestures abruptly towards an empty booth against the wall. Whether or not Ivo complies with his teacher's wishes, she takes a step closer to achieve conspiratory distance between them. "This is a talk that I meant to give a long time ago." The blonde sword-fighter begins with grim determination in her voice as if this was a pre-battle speech. "Ivo, what I speak of next might not seem like a matter of grave import, but it is." A pause. "You are aware of the effect you have on women?" Raiya begins with a severe look aimed at Ivo. She seems to be watching him like a hawk again. Or maybe perhaps..a vulture.

:'''[[Ivo Galvan]] has posed:''' Ivo, a little out of sorts, blinks as Raiya steps close, and for a moment is awkwardly still. He hasn't been this physically close to her in a little while, and it feels good. So why, then, does there now seem something vaguely wrong about the fact that it feels good? Isn't it harmless? He must have crossed a line somewhere, but... where was it? The older brother to so many in the Shard Seekers, Ivo's persistent confusion makes him feel a lot, well, younger than he has in a long time. He's getting the sense there's a whole side of the world he, for all his roving curious vision, hasn't seen. And that -- rather than any enforced self-discipline -- makes him obedient. He's silent. Whatever she has to say, he'll listen. It must be serious if she-- "Eh?" Ivo stares blankly at Raiya. "The... effect..." His lips slowly start to twist into a grin, he slowly begins to lift his hands, palms out. Like, this has to be a joke; he should play it off somehow. But, no, it isn't, and anything clever he might have said dies away, and his hands lower, and his grin disappears before it fully forms. "Of course," he instead states, meeting his teacher's eyes straightforwardly. "I don't have any pretentions about being anything special, but... I know how to tease, and charm, and embarrass, and delight. I can ruffle women's feathers. It's interesting to do, and makes them interested in me... and eventually, it gets them to trust me." Testing boundaries, pushing them just a little bit, never too far. Keeping it fresh, keeping it fun, a little risky, but never unsafe. The bad boy who isn't really bad. "Because I... don't want to hurt anyone." Only once he says that does Ivo's clear-eyed gaze cloud, and he begins to look uneasy again. It's a fairly elaborate social strategy. He figures out what people's buttons are, keeps his distance, and pushes them lightly from afar, producing effects but not 'consequences'. Right? "That's all," he adds, a little unnecessarily, now in a slight tone of protest. Rather than defensive, though, Ivo just looks a bit confused again, like he can tell there's something off, like he knows he's missing something. "That's the 'effect'." That uneasiness is growing. "There's nothing more."

:'''[[Raiya Fujihara]] has posed:''' There are times when Raiya begins to feel her age. The hardships she has had to endure has aged her more than time would have alone. And yet still, she began to feel older with each passing day despite certain indulges she recently participated in that were reminiscent of her own youth. Older brothers don't flirt with their younger sisters. Ivo was much more akin to an older brother's mischevious friend even if he had good intentions in there as well. "Why is a katana only sharp on one edge?" Raiya asks rhetorically of Ivo with a pat given to her own weapon. "So that it only cuts one way. What you are doing now is wielding a double-edged sword. It is only inevitable for you to one day be cut by such a blade as long as you wield it recklessly." The sword metaphor may be lost to Ivo, but Raiya was a samurai afterall. This was where her mind usually went first. A suddenly tired looking woman sighs slightly as she adjusts her weight to her left side, her katana hanging lower slightly. "Despite your best intentions, your actions will hurt others. You must already have witnessed some of this already. Please be wary of your flirtations. As harmless as they might seem, they are your double-edged sword when you use them on those with whom trust you." Raiya looks ready to say more, but she ceases in her attack for now.

:'''[[Ivo Galvan]] has posed:''' It's not always easy to tell, but the best evidence against Ivo being a womanizer /is/ his attitude toward the Shard Seeker girls: Lily, Leida, Shiki, Sassaral, and even Lenn -- though he's comfortable teasing the elf more than most, as she's a little, well, older -- are all regarded with a platonic affection. Around them, sometimes, Ivo even starts to seem dependable, every once in a while. The only women he's attracted to are the ones that, well, he's brought into the fold himself. But maybe that's the problem. Brotherly affection depends on a certain distance. There are some women with whom he wants to grow closer. And if everything about the way he comports himself with women, the way he thinks he builds the trust he's looking for, depends on a certain distance... "Double-edged..." What is trust, exactly? What does it demand from /him/? "...you think she..." Ivo's not quite so sure anymore. "...And what about you, Asteria?" It's a counterattack, but not a diversion from his own fault: an honest question, his voice very low, his eyes soft and focused on her own. He hasn't brought it up since then. So carefully, he hasn't brought it up. Training by her side, restraining himself from his usual jokes, lest it be brought up, lest it damage what they already have and confuse what they need to do-- the memory of what happened that night. "Have I hurt you?" He thought he'd be terrified to ask this question. "Could I?" But, strangely, he feels somehow-- perversely-- hopeful.

:'''[[Raiya Fujihara]] has posed:''' Raiya has seen this before. An opponent attempting a late parry to turn aside her blow, hoping to redirect it. The problem is that Raiya is not going to be so easily turned aside. "I am all too aware that my actions have consequences," begins the samurai in a quiet tone that hints of possible...anger..no perhaps regret. "My actions have caused people I trusted to die." The suddenly morbid swordswoman tilts her head to the side as he asks if he had hurt her. A weary hand is raised and press against Raiya's own forehead before dropping her hand back to her side. "I do not bleed so easily these days." The samurai is frowning now. "Perhaps it was wrong for me to get too close. I should have left such things for the past." Her words are strong and unpleasant. But so is her expression as if some chinks in her armor have just been realized.

:'''[[Ivo Galvan]] has posed:''' Consequences, huh? Ivo lost his mother, then his father, then his world. Somewhere, it's suspended, crystallized in time, and he drifts on without it. The people and things that might have given him purpose had verged on emptiness before the Heartless arrived, and no matter how much he cares, no matter what friends or purposes he binds himself too, it's hard to make sense of loss now. But maybe he's beginning to understand again, every time his closeness to another is threatened, when he's pushed to realize he has to make a choice about what sort of relationship with someone he's supposed to have. Maybe it's that he always felt powerless, that his failure was predetermined. Maybe that itself became a kind of shield. But Asteria hasn't forgotten the taste of loss. Ivo listens to her in silence. Of course, she is strong, does not bleed easily. And it's not a question of which of them is the stronger. "I know, but..." It's a question of... When she frowns and speaks, he flinches. The younger man looks briefly as though he's been physically struck, a faintly queasy expression passing over him. "Don't say that," he says quietly, a little hoarsely. "Even if it was just a dream... don't say it was wrong, don't regret it. I wouldn't want... that is, I don't want..." But he trails off. Her harsh words are terrible to him. He doesn't what he doesn't want. But what /does/ he want? Isn't he a man? Isn't this a moment where he proclaims his true desire? But he feels unready, confused, empty. Pathetic. "I guess we've both got our armor on," he finally says, sagging slightly, eyes dull. "And... for good reason, you especially." Ivo has less of an excuse, and he knows it. "Anyway... you're right. I don't fully understand, but... if I'm committed to not hurting people, I need to ask myself what I really want. I thought I knew, but..." His uncertainty seems to be worse than he thought. "...maybe... there'll come a time when we can remove this armor," he eventually says, voice quiet, eyes averted. "...and then... maybe... we'll know."

:'''[[Raiya Fujihara]] has posed:''' "Tch." Raiya intones when Ivo speaks of what happened as if it was a dream. Sure it was probably a misspoken word on his word to call what they did a dream. What happen was very real for Raiya, perhaps too real for everything that is going on in their lives. The cynical samurai now puts on a different set of armor. A smile crosses her lips as she gestures openly with her hands. "Perhaps my tone was too harsh. I sometimes forget my own rigor when it comes to my words. I..." Raiya closes her eyes briefly before reopening them. A new surge of courage pulled from somewhere within. "This is why I worried that I had gotten too close. I should have spoken about this before that night. What you do is unfair and unkind to others." The blonde samurai tsks at herself before reengaging. "Again, I speak with an implicit stiffness to my tone and for that, I am sorry." Raiya glances back to where Maira and Faruja were resting. "I know you mean no ill. I am merely reminding you that people will be hurt by your words. And some are ill-equipped to handle that. Not everyone is a veteran soldier who can take a blow on the chin from time to time." The samurai shifts her feet uncomfortably now. "And one like yourself might be better suited to care for the needs of those who have those vulnerabilities."

:'''[[Ivo Galvan]] has posed:''' A small tragedy, the chasm between them, the irony of their attitudes toward that new year's night. Because for Ivo, too, what happened was more real than this, than their relation of student and teacher, than anything-- but precisely because of that, to admit it was more than a dream would be to shatter this false reality. Thinking it's Raiya who needs what they shared to be a dream, who needs to focus on war and not on love, Ivo is too fearful and too confused to declare it otherwise. Just don't say it didn't happen, he thinks, don't say it was a mistake; it can have the barest substance, as long as it stays true. But of course, it's a farce to say it's for her sake. What's he actually afraid of? If he presses her on what that night meant, and she says it meant nothing-- That thought is too awful for words. It can mean anything, as long as it doesn't mean nothing, is what Ivo thinks to himself. But that only serves to disguise that, deep down, Ivo himself doesn't know what it meant, and isn't ready to decide. That 'anything' is safest for now. Keeping it as 'anything', not pinning down what it meant, just continuing on and leaving possibilities open, is-- Unfair and unkind. "No, I... you're right," Ivo murmurs, unable to meet his teacher's gaze, "you're right." He's silent for a moment. "I thought not hurting people was just a question of technique," he eventually says, eyes distant. "But I may be going about this all the wrong way." He closes his eyes and takes a deep breath. Fatigue, forestalled by the seriousness of his interaction with Raiya, crashes into him like an avalanche, so much so that he actually sways on his feet. Opening his eyes, he manages a slight, woozy smile. "I have to think hard about this," he says. "I may continue to make some mistakes as I figure this out... how not to be unfair and unkind." It doesn't occur to him how few people he'd take that from. He trusts Raiya's advice, and her assessment of him, entirely. "I'm a poor student, but... learning this seems what's most important." Learning how to grow up. Learning to be mature, like Raiya. To finally reach her level, no longer a young man before a grown woman. Would he feel worthy of her then? "I'm going to need your advice and perspective, if I fall out of line again," he manages, fading, but showing his resolution. "So please... continue to teach me, sensei." He still has a lot to learn.

:'''[[Raiya Fujihara]] has posed:''' Raiya did not want to push Ivo too hard when it came to these matters and when it came to training. There was a lot on the young man's shoulders that would have surely crushed a lesser man. However, being too much of a soft touch would not help matters either. These were harsh times in which they now lived. Entire worlds were being destroyed and new innocents were slain everyday. Those that were left. Those who chose to fight could not fail. They had to be stronger, faster, and smarter than their foes. And they could not be planting seeds that would in time destroy each other. The young man before Raiya could be a stalwart leader in the times to come. He could be so much more than even he might realize....than even what the samurai herself could foresee. She had to keep pushing him on multiple levels.....for her sake...for everyone's sake. The Ronin from Wutai keeps a stern look on her face as she listens to Ivo work through what she told him. "You are not a poor student. You have already learned a lot from me." She attempts to take another small step forward and then brings a closed fist towards Ivo's chest. She then gently outsretches two finger and tries to press them against his chest while she looks up now to make eye contact with him. "You still have much to learn from me, yes. But not all lessons will be as harsh as this one." Her fingers linger a moment before she drops them down to her side. "You are strong Ivo. But the Shardseekers need you to be stronger." Her voice drops now and softens."-I- need you to be stronger too."

:'''[[Ivo Galvan]] has posed:''' Ivo could not imagine that Raiya thinks so highly of him as to envision him as a future leader. It is difficult enough for him to accept her trust in his fundamental goodness. Even if she told him straightforwardly of her high hopes, he would not be able to believe her. Caught up in fatigue and self-doubt, at first the young knight does not see past his teacher's stern expression. He is still struggling to get to the depths of her accusation that his manner towards women is unkind and unfair. Everyone enjoys themselves, right? Isn't trust built by the pushing of boundaries between people who mean no harm? Yet the memory of Maira's unhappy face from moments ago instills an uneasiness he can't shake. Trapped between the unwillingness to place his heart in the hands of others and his inability to accept that someone such as him, whatever his merits, is ultimately lovable -- in some ways too proud, in some too ashamed -- he cannot yet grasp what it is about his social ways that hurts others. And why only certain others? Why only the women he cares most about...? She compliments him then, which stirs the young man back to reality, and he meets her gaze, a little surprised as always. He is never able to expect her kindness, and it always touches him. "Asteria..." He has learned a lot. Even his attitude toward swordsmanship is changing. His style always frustrated him as an imitation of his father's, and he vacilated between making it more aesthetically refined to suit his own personality and trying to make it live up to his ideal. But the addition of his teacher's techniques, pursued at first to get closer to her and because it was interesting, have begun to make his fighting style something else entirely, what it could not have been before. And more importantly, though he was always diligent (however much he pretended not to be), he has come to enjoy the practice on a level he never quite understood before. There's something at the end of this road, he knows it, but he doesn't know what. He wants to follow it. He wants to make her proud. He wants to be worthy of the trust she's bestowed upon him, and to understand what it is she sees. Raiya may feel his heart quicken at her words, through her fingers placed upon his chest, and though his soft expression does not change as he meets her gaze, his cheeks flush subtly at the memory of a lesson less harsh. A sense of yearning seizes him unexpectedly, but just then she lowers her hand, and Ivo is left staring as her last words are spoken, quieter than before. Some part of him knows, of course, that she relies upon him. But hearing his elegant swordmistress say it makes his blood rush through his veins, feeling a heat that Ivo -- curious and self-possessed, charming but often distant -- rarely experiences. "I..." He steps forward unthinkingly, even though the two of them are already so close, and his arms reach out as though they have a life of their own. "...I won't let you down." And should he be allowed to, his arms will wrap about her, pulling her close into a warm embrace, succumbing to a desire for intimacy that normally he might repress, and finding himself nestling his head next to her blonde hair. "I promise."

:'''[[Raiya Fujihara]] has posed:''' No one knows what the future has in store for them. But Raiya knows that a new generation of leaders must rise. With worlds being destroyed and innocents being preyed upon by Heartless, a new sort of strength will be needed. And should this strength faill then the future will be bleak indeed. Raiya Fujihara knew she was not one of these leaders. She was a samurai, a servant. Her destiny was to use her sword to destroy her enemies or die in the attempt. It was not her destiny to be a leader like she thinks Ivo will become. And why not? There was a nobility to his soul, he had skill with a blade, and also had a cult of personality around him. All he needed was an army behind him and the Shard Seekers were shaken up to perhaps become that one day. But Ivo was also no perfect as no one was. And Raiya was no master blacksmith. There was only so much she could teach, so much she could forge out of the swordsman before her. And then, he would have to find his own fate. There were grave matters that Raiya still needed to tend to; battles that needed to be fought and wars that needed to be won. She would not be able to do it alone....she would not be able to it -successfully- by herself. And yet, she felt that success was maybe not her destiny either. But what about Ivo? What about herself? What about them? What Ivo has to say to Raiya next brings back memories and reopens old wounds within Raiya. Her eyes close momentarily as something in her wants to cherish a moment like this. That she has potentially found somone else you cared about her in a way that few did. But Raiya's eyes reopen. She could not indulge in such fantasies anymore. A hand is raised to protest Ivo getting closer, but it is half-hearted in her defense and does not Ivo from getting closer in the end. "We are not alone," points out Raiya softly. They were indeed still in the middle of the cafe that housed Maira and Faruja not too far off from them. "And we cannot ignore Maira." They could not or atleast should ignore that she was both here and a factor in all of this somehow.

:'''[[Ivo Galvan]] has posed:''' The future is open, and for Ivo, thanks to the new friendships he has found and the new possibilities tethered to them, many paths are available, some glorious, some tragic. But right now there is only the present, and in the part of the cafe the two of them have stepped into, dangerously close to where the napping Faruja and the fire mage tending to him still sit, Ivo allows himself to sink into Raiya's soothing aroma, pulling her close to him, unashamed. 'I want to be close to her.' That was all he had thought, were that impulse to be given coherent form. It was a pure desire, even innocent, from a young man otherwise so deliberate. It /could/ have been a hug between friends, potentially. But now that he /is/ close to her, he realizes that what had been a slight resistance from her, which he hadn't even noticed at the time, has been overcome. All at once, a powerful masculine urge struggles to supplant Ivo's prior open-hearted motives; the thought that this strong and admirable woman would yield to his touch intermingles with the memory of her body. It's just for a moment, but his posture subtly changes without his realizing, his embrace tightening slightly, and his head moves, cheek brushing against hers, breath warm against her hair. Ah, why must it be the women he most cares for with whom his self-control grows lax? Well, maybe it's understandable. Raiya's warning is thus well-timed. Ivo blinks and reluctantly masters himself, pulling away and looking at his teacher's face again, taking a step back from her body but not removing his hands from her sides just yet. "That's right," he murmurs. "I mustn't be unkind... or unfair." He pauses for a moment, then grins. "So, in the name of fairness, I should embrace Maira too, right?" A moment passes. "I'm joking," he assures her. "It's a joke."

:'''[[Raiya Fujihara]] has posed:''' Raiya is still very much human in the end. But, this was neither the time or the place to be acting like lovebirds. Especially when there was unresolved tension and unsaid conversations to be had about this very subject with a person only a couple of feet away. Whatever urges Ivo felt would have to be curtailed until such matters were resolved one way or another. If not, they were all playing with fire and perhaps a quite literal fashion since Maira was a fire mage afterall. The blonde samurai sees little humor in Ivo's 'joke'. His insistence that it was indeed a joke does little to help his cause too. Her eyes nearly roll back into her head at Ivo's reaction or perhaps his self-defense mechanism kicking into place. "Think about what I have said. You may be better off taking the warmer, kinder path." She says stoically as her eyes divert down towards the ground and the samurai turns to leave the cafe now, her piece said.

:'''[[Ivo Galvan]] has posed:''' Ivo just wanted to inject a little levity! It's not as though the involuntary expression of physical desire is something he feels the need to cover up or distract attention from. ...Okay, it's a self-defense mechanism. "Ah, Sensei..." The young swordsman raises his hand slightly, hinting at his unwillingness to be parted from her, but Raiya has better sense than he does. She looks away from him and turns to withdraw, and he lowers his arm, blue eyes briefly wistful. "Yes..." The warmer, kinder path, huh? But what can he do? Is it just a matter of reading people's vulnerabilities better, of not being as mischievous with the more sensitive, of holding back his fundamental urge to make situations 'more interesting'? It feels like he's still missing something important, something that makes his relationships with women like Maira and Raiya different from others. Somehow, against his own uncertainty, he is hopeful that there is some way to be himself without harming others, that the way he lives -- however pesky at times -- is fundamentally worthy. But what is it he really wants? Looking from Raiya's retreating back to the table at which his friends sit, and then back to Raiya again, it is that question which stirs within Ivo again. What does he want? To return to his home world and face his fate? To shake off the shackles of his past and at last be free? To fight alongside these new friends? To learn what it is to love? Somehow, Ivo gets the sense that until his heart, wavering between Darkness and Light, knows what it most yearns for, he won't be able to be the man that any of these women deserve. "...I'll think on it." But perhaps it is they who will help him decide.

:'''[[Raiya Fujihara]] has posed:''' Appearing flustered, unsure, or even too emotional at this junction would undo much of the work Raiya has done or atleat she thinks so in her mind. Ivo not following her was also a lucky chance of fate. They were not gone too long that anything could really be suspected and Raiya was able to plant the seeds that she wanted to. The samurai had not even considered that Ivo would ever fall into darkness. She spoke of a more base and less dramatic choice. Her stoic sensibilities and tragic path versus Maira's youthful exuberance and happy demeanor. Ivo would most likely be able to find happiness with Maira than with her. Maybe it was for the best that she pushes him away now. Raiya's thoughts on what must be done in Wutai were not pleasant ones. She did see any outcome in which did not end in tragedy. But there were greater things at stake than Raiya's own foolish happiness, than her own foolish life. The ronin stops near the entrance of the cafe and turns so that she is silhouetted against the door leading outside. Thoughts of what could never be run through her head as she slowly turns and departs the cafe for good.

Maid Cafe: The Bacon Episode

2013-02-20T19:56:16Z

IvoGalvan:

{{Log Header
|Date of Scene=2013/02/16
|Location=Traverse Town
|Synopsis=The Shard Seekers and Valkyri put up a Maid Cafe for gaining some coin - for charity
|Cast of Characters=Ivo Galvan{{!}}Eva Galvan, Reize Seatlan{{!}}Bacon-kun, Reize Seatlan{{!}}Rei Seatlan, Faruja Senra{{!}}Fara Senrietta, Leida{{!}}Bacon-chan, Mercade Alexander, Tifa Lockhart, Terra Branford, Sarisa, Gilgamesh{{!}}Girlgamesh, Sammy Colt, Avira, Maira, Vespa, Sora, Hati, Lumeria, Minerva, Angantyr Vespar, Navya, Emi Dennou, Margaux Fleury, Raine Arland, Skoll Ulfang{{!}}Solva Ulfang
|Tinyplot=Shadows Over Fluorgis
|pretty=yes
}}
:'''[[Eva Galvan]] has posed:''' The swish of skirts, the chime of little bells, and the heady aroma of sizzling bacon: these herald the grand opening of the One Day Maid Cafe, which has taken over a vacant storefront in Traverse Town for the noble purpose of raising spirits, raising funds, and dressing up the whole cast of VALKYRI and the Shard Seekers as maids. Within the ornate and inviting doors lie tables neatly draped in white tablecloths, delicate little menus printed with 'BACON' and 'TEA' in almost challengingly bold type, and of course, a diverse crew of amateur maids (though some more experienced than others). At each table also appears to be a printed booklet with images of the maids, to facilitate individual requests, should there be any. The staff are hard at work, waiting and clearing tables and moving in and out of the kitchen, some assigned to stand by the door or outside to attract customers. There is quite the bustle, if perhaps primarily due to the utter confusion of the citizenry, but each maid seems to have found their role. Though not making herself prominent, presiding as a hostess to lead guests to their tables is Eva Galvan, the beauty mark by her blue eyes drawing one's gaze to their perennial look of mild amusement. Refined and self-possessed, she curtseys to new arrivals, her smile almost sly. "Welcome, Masters and Mistresses, to the One Day Maid Cafe." She seems quite comfortable in her frilly dress and dark stockings, or at least is happy to pretend to be such. Privately, she wonders why no one has requested her.

:'''[[Rei Seatlan]] has posed:''' One of the maids is cheerfully bouncing and skipping along the entrance. Particularly, this maid is skipping alog Ivo as she presides herself as the hostess. 'Rei', the leader of the Shard Seekers, is wearng a blue petticoat with the white apron infront.

:'''[[Rei Seatlan]] has posed:''' "Ooooooiiiiiiii!!" She starts twirling around, shooting a hand to the sky. "Welcome masters~! To the maid cafe!" Left leg, thrust hand. Tilt head over and bring both hands to her cheeks with a bright flush. "We will do our best to serve you!" Then, she binks, "Oh! Right!" Bowing, 'Rei' beams, "Welcome, masters!" 

:'''[[Bacon-chan]] has posed:''' "Oh no, there is no way you are getting me to wear a Maid Uniform again!" Skoll tilts his head up as he's talking to Ivo, trying to look imposing. The youth crosses his arms. "You may have managed to get me to wear one last time, but there's just no chance that I will wear one again." "You just stay away from me." "I would never wear that thing in my life." "Never." "I'm not doing this." "It's just not going to happen Ivo..." "There's just no way I am ever going to be wearing a..." << !! GILLIGAN CUT TO THE NEXT DAY !! >> "Maid Uniform..." "I... hate you /so much/ right now..." Skoll's tail is all bristled up, and he is giving Ivo the deathstare while holding a frying pan in one hand and a spatula in the other. He's dressed up in a rather extravagant black maid dress from an era long past, with a white apron in front of it. The slightly lengthy miniskirt hides the top half of his upper legs, and has white frills at the edges. Someone figured it'd be funny to add a Sigil at the back of the uniform. Which is basically THIS: http://tinyurl.com/baconchan The worst part is that with his hair combed -- which took about a day of work -- and put into a pony tail... Skoll actually looks like a rather attractive flat chested girl. He's waving the fryingpan at Ivo for a moment as he announces that the cafe opens, and then quickly hides it behind his head. Between his teeth, he whispers to him again; "Hate you... so... much..." Before he turns around and trods off towards the kitchen, his 'slender tail' wagging slowly as he tries to do his best to stay up straight on /heels/.

:'''[[Navya]] has posed:''' Navya did not want to be a maid. She left home because she wanted adventure, and adventure does /not/ include cleaning up. Fortunately, she had it explained to her that the purpose of a maid cafe was not, in fact, to clean the cafe, which is a load off her mind, because Navya is approximately awful at cleaning things. Generally she just tends to break them instead. Navya has one advantage over about half the maids, and that is that she is actually a girl and thus only feels moderately silly in the proper outfit instead of /very/ silly. Hers is red. She likes red, even if it is probably not any kind of traditional maid colour. She also rivals Reize for sheer energy, though hers is oriented a little differently: "Hey! Come on in! We've got tea and bacon!" Some things never change.

:'''[[Tifa Lockhart]] has posed:''' Tifa Lockhart has volunteered to help out with the one day maid event. Hey, its for a good cause after all. And its not like she's not used to doing this kind of work. Although she's not used to wearing these clothes... her dress is somewhat frilly, in black with a white apron over it. The dress leaves the shoulders bared, but still covers the arms with some kinds of loose half-sleeves, which also bares most of the forearms and hands. She's wearing the customary stockings as well, in white, along with the black shoes, which might attract attention to her strong legs doing so ( something like this http://img202.imageshack.us/img202/306/199730kaichouwamaidsama.jpg ) Anyway, she's moving between the tables, nothing that special for her, although its usually as a barmaid, not as a 'maid' only. But still, she's playing the part with all of her charms, smiling brightly as she carries the drinks on a platter, perfectly balancing it with one hand. She shakes her head at Eva and Rei around her though. How did this happen exactly, she wonders. Was it a bet that they lost? She might have to ask later. Right now, she has people to serve, bowing couteously "How may I serve you, Master?"

:'''[[Avira]] has posed:''' Hey, it SEEMED like a good idea at the time! But in retrospect, Avira is actually seriously regretting agreeing to this. At the very least, it seems the rest of VALKYRI was alright with the prospect. In fact, Avira is likely the person that seems to object to it the most in her little group-and those objections have gone unvoiced. She's been steeling herself the whole day, her eyes harsh and cold as she greets each patron in turn with a carefully controlled voice. With each welcome, she seems to deadly serious to be working here, especially alongside the likes of "Rei." Complicating the matters, amongst her skirts and ruffles, the leather belt to which her weapon is attached is still present, pinning the spine just beneath the large black and white bow at the small of her back. "Please. Do come in." Avira deadpans, the look in her eyes betraying the fact that she's slowly dying on the inside.

:'''[[Sora]] has posed:''' Sora missed the ambush-guys-to-be-maids-night in the Shard Sheekers HQ. He has never been happier. Sora shows up at the front door, bouncing slightly in his clown shoes as he peers at Rei. Nope, no clue. Can't confuse Avira, though - Sora gives her a friendly nod as he slips into the cafe. "Whhhhhoa."

:'''[[Emi Dennou]] has posed:''' EARLIER Peta says, "Grrr... This better be worth the payoff...." "Doesn't matter, you owe us one, Pete...A." One of the Beagle Girls says. "We're going to infiltrate their maid cafe and then rob all th eriches for ourselves! Heh heh heh, it is foolproof!" The Dennous are fulfilling various roles around the Maid Cafe. They have, in fact, all come though Omi is predictably being a Tsunmaid whereas most of the others are being Reimaids, and then of course Umi is a Cheery Maid who goes out of her ways to happily help the other customers. Peta and the Beagle Boys are in horrible disguises (that nonetheless work) and Peta is gleefully working a man in the corner who seems absolutely infatuated. "Mmhmm, Mmmhmm, oh stooop." Peta says. "You're going to make me all ablush!" Emi is (probably) actually female as well and she looks towards NAvya, then Reize, then rubs the back of her neck, then says, "...Uncertain if we can do this...with such energy..." Emi says. Umi elbows her in the side. "Maybe that hunk PING will come by huh?? THe Network teases. "...Nhhnmm..." Emi replies.

:'''[[Vespa]] has posed:''' "This is like living in one of Reize dreams..", Vespa say to herself looking around at all the other girls dressed in maid outfits, and one or two guys.. She doesn't look happy to be here. At. All. "How did I ever get roped into this?", she remebers now the rest of her group the VALKRI, she still not sure how she became a member of that, asked her she coudn't say no. They said she be pefect for this,and she does wear a maid outfit all the time. She takes a deep breath putting on a smile. "H-hello there Masters! Welcome to the cafe! We go tea and bacon! Yes Bacon." Doesn't anyone know how to cook??

:'''[[Girlgamesh]] has posed:''' This is a Charity Maid Cafe. It is a cafe that puts all its proceeds to charity. It is a cafe being run for charity. It is a cafe to which money will be donated, which will then go to charity. This charity will probably be something like 'give money to orphans' or 'give money to people who lost their worlds' or 'give money to sick kids with diseases that ordinary people can't pronounce but should feel bad about anyway'. That's what charity cafes generally do, after all. They give money to people who TOTALLY DO NOT DESERVE IT. Who cares about orphans? Seriously. They just take up space and cry and smell bad and starve to death. How is that worth money? Who pays for that? Suckers, that's who. Suckers are the best form of money. Ever. Nobody ever told Gilgamesh that the charity couldn't be 'The Gilgamesh Foundation For Getting Gilgamesh Stuff.' Nobody ever said WHICH SPECIFIC CHARITY it was for, after all. But that left Gilgamesh with a problem! Gilgamesh was, after all, a twelve-foot-tall grey man in a red cloak, backed by a giant green dog. That was kind of distinctive! How could he CUNNINGLY INFILTRATE this HIGH-SECURITY SHARD SEEKERS MONEYMAKING OPERATION, run entirely by attractive women who are ABSOLUTELY NOT IN ANY WAY MEN IN DRESSES AT ALL? Hmmm! This was a four-drink brain teaser, which of course actually meant that Gilgamesh would pretend like four drinks actually affected his impossible, insane nonsense biology, then say what he was going to do anyway, loudly, to a bunch of people who really didn't care. Which he did. And they still didn't care. At all. He even said 'Eureka', and he was pretty proud of that, because 'Eureka' is a great word to say over and over and over until it loses literally all meaning. He'd said it a few times, just to see if they were paying attention, but of course they weren't, so. ANYWAY THAT ALL HAPPENED LIKE AN HOUR AGO. YOU DON'T CARE ABOUT THAT. ALL YOU CARE ABOUT IS THIS PART RIGHT HERE. I, THE OMNISCIENT NARRATOR VOICE, HAVE HIGHLIGHTED THIS PART RIGHT HERE SO YOU KNOW THIS IS WHERE THE IMPORTANT STUFF IS. In the middle of the cafe is a maid that no one remembers hiring. She is five feet tall, because short women are cute; she has white hair and grey skin, white eyes, and a covered face, lending an air of mystery to her. Her outfit is a juxtaposition of a real (bright red) maid suit, polka-dotted wool socks for that 'crazy hipster girl' appeal, polka-dot panties that nobody can see, and a low-cut cleavage window despite having a covered face. Also, /real cleavage/. In her arms is an adorable, astoundingly dour green puppy dog of some unnameable breed, whom you would SWEAR is scowling at the entire affair. "Hiiiiiiiiiii~! Is everybody all PUMPED UP? Because I know I am!" Bounce. Bounce. Bounce. This is the part where you get brain bleach as you remember that /Gilgamesh is a shapeshifter/.

:'''[[Emi Dennou]] has posed:''' Pete glowers at Girlgamesh once the man he's flirting with starts peering over lustfully at Girlgamesh. Emi raises a small digital camera and snaps a picture of Girlgamesh.

:'''[[Fara Senrietta]] has posed:''' Clack clack clack comes the tapping of heels as the beautiful Burmecian maid Fara Senrietta moves beside her fellow maids. Where many have chosen to wear traditional black maid outfits, the ratling has adorned herself in overwhelming amounts of white and pink. Crossing her hands in front of herself as Ivo welcomes the first of the guests, the prim and proper Burmecian Maidess dips into a low and practiced curtsey. "Welcome Masters and Mistresses. It shall be my utmost pleasure to serve thee. Lord bless, oh honored ones." Comes the welcoming, warm voice of the ratling as she peers about. Inwardly, Faruja is shivering. He's in a dress, welcoming a bunch of people to a cafe! He'll be the laughing stock of the Church! His mind whirls back to how he ended up here. --Three Hours Earlier-- A robed woman steps into the building rented for the Cafe. Beside her, two white mages carry bundles of clothing. One Templar is soon faced with a trio of grins. "...Lady Inquisitor?" The woman grins, adjusting her glasses as light shines off of it. She chuckles ominously, shadows looming over Faruja as he's backed into a corner. "...M'Lady?" "Oh, my dear boy, time to get you ready for your new duties~ Hold him down, girls~" Throughout the building, Faruja's screams can be heard as he is transformed into a pink and white travesty. --Now-- Fara's smile remains, even as she tries not to think of the shards of her dignity quite neatly broken on the floor. People step in that she /knows/. A blush colors her white fur, looking away bashfully as she awaits someone to seat, and tries not to stare too much at the bouncing Girlgamesh maid.

:'''[[Maira]] has posed:''' "I feel pretty, oh so pretty! I feel pretty, and witty and gaaaaaaay...." Boy, you're not the only one. Maira is ready to serve the first customers, holding a tray with a teapot and cups arranged all nicely next to plates of perfectly cooked bacon. She is wearing her maid costume happily it would seem (thus the singing). She's drowning in ruffles, ribbon and lace! The bodice of her outfit is filled out perfectly, the filling? Ample, smooth and creamy skin, so beautifully rounded--AHEM. Maira walks by Avira and smiles brightly to her. "Eee Avira you look so cute!" she says as she passes, moving past Ivo, er, Eva, shoots him a warm smile before she scurries off to serve some customers! Maira looks to Girlgamesh and replies with a winning smile. "Yeah! Lets do this! WOOHOO!"

:'''[[Lumeria]] has posed:''' Of course the maid cafe is missing one thing. Actual customers. Besides Lumeria wouldn't be caught dead in maid clothing. She's used to having people wait on here after all. Of course she wasn't expecting to see this many maids inside, even if half them are in drag.

:'''[[Hati]] has posed:''' Somewhere in the background of all this, a certain white gargoyle is dutifully donned in a made outfit, one that keeps accidentally riding up now and again as her tail pushes the skirt around. Embarassed, Zia seems to be contented with cleaning dishes and staying out of the limelight. Her ears are tucked down, set with an eternal blush locked on her features. As for Hati, well... as much as she might hang around with the members of VALKYRI at times, she isn't an official member, and thus she is immune to the need to dress up in such costumes. Instead, she's actually among those who have grouped outside to get a look at the event, watching with a bemused look on her features. Let's see, besides all the various members of the Shard Seekers and VALKYRI, there is a certain Burmecian, as well as her brother who have been roped into this mess. This is going to be fun. As she steps up to the host(ess), "If you find a way to get Skoll to do a musical number, I'll donate a couple hundred." She notes in a stage-whisper. "As for requests... I'd love to be served by Fara." Oh curses, Hati must have already heard the nickname. The wolf snickers wickedly.

:'''[[Mercade Alexander]] has posed:''' Okay, so, he had to bite. This place opening up is just something he had to look into. Mercade peers at the giant TEA and BACON signs, and he perhaps makes the biggest mistake of, oh... The last week or so, and steps into the place. He looks over the array of maids before him in shock, many of them familiar, some less so (though where has he heard that greeting before?), as well as a certain Keyblade Wielder that he has somehow missed finding so far. "... Sora?" HE pauses, and looks over the positively maid-infested place. there has to be what, TWENTY FIVE maids in here or somethi- Suddenly, he stops, looking directly at Avira as if his mind was trying to process her somehow wearing something that... girly. He swallows, slowly, and looks aside at 'Eva' in confusion. "So... uh... How does this place... work, exactly? I've never seen anything like it."

:'''[[Navya]] has posed:''' Navya looks, briefly, at Gilgamesh. OK, Girlgamesh. Navya doesn't recognize him because she's not that good at this. Then at Tifa. Then at Maira. Her expression momentarily shifts to something a bit closer to a scowl before she goes back to grinning (mostly authentically) and waving at people. Her tail won't stay still. It makes her skirt move weirdly. Maybe she's on edge with all the people?

:'''[[Leida]] has posed:''' Today is a special day. A day that has been long in planning, born from a wild whim that gripped one of the Shard Seeker's illustrious leaders. The One Day Maid Cafe as it has come to be called is a rather bizarre sight even amid the usual bustle of mis-matched travelers from various worlds that constantly drift through Traverse Town. When Ivo had explained to the young Japanese princess what exactly the western concept of a maid was she had been fairly excited. Getting to wear a pretty frilly dress was something she has never experienced before and cooking and cleaning was most of what she did around the base anyways so it seemed like a natural activity for her to excel at and she was always on the look out for ways to make herself a useful member of the group. However, despite her obviously qualifications, there was a far more insidious purpose behind Ivo's inclusion of the somewhat plain looking young girl in the roster. While she was certainly able to be cute and helpful, her ability to fill out the uniform, so to speak, was rather lacking. Nor was her timid personality all that optimal for serving a variety of strangers wandering in off the street. Instead of finding a lacy black maid outfit waiting for her in the back room, poor Leida came face to face with her horrible destiny. She stared at it for a long time, not quite comprehending what it was she was looking at until Ivo assisted her into the outfit and turned a mirror upon her. She had never wanted to shrivel up and die so much in her life. However, her honor was at stake here! Leida has promised to aid in any way and by the spirits she was going to cling to the last shreds of dignity she has left even if in doing so she discards them at the same time. It was a paradox really. A paradox made of bacon. Out in front of the repurposed building a figure stands beside the large sign indicating their one-day charity event. People stop to stare at this figure, some politely coughing and moving on, while others outright burst into laughter. Upon first, second, and third glance (it's really hard to just look once), the figure does not somehow change shape into something less ridiculous. As much as she might wish otherwise, Leida stands in the street completely encapsulated in a large mascot suit that looks like a giant strip of bacon. "Um... please, come in to visit our wonderful cafe! We have an amazing variety of tea a-and naturally... bacon!" The look on her face is all smiles as she tries to entice passerbys into the store with waving arms and comical gestures but it's clear to anyone looking close enough that she's on the brink of crazed laughter at the sheer stupidity of situation.

:'''[[Margaux Fleury]] has posed:''' Marguerite de Fleury audibly groaned when the remnants of the Death Corps agreed that this was their best opportunity to speak with the leaders of both the Shardseekers and VALKRI. Some of the other members of the Death Corps loudly groaned in return when it was Margaux who was picked to be their envoy. It seems that this was a day of dreams being crushed left and right. And so, Marguerite was here as commanded. The fencer was dressed head to toe in her leather and wool travelling gear that consisted of knee-high boots, blue and gold striped trousers, a fancy coat of plates, long leather gloves, a long blue scarf, and a swordbelt with a rapier. The dancer supresses any internal turmoil and expresses a jovial smile as she approaches the One-Day Maid Cafe. "Um hello," greets the redhead simply to the group of normal and slightly abnormal maids. Okay...maybe they all are slightly abnormal to be honest. "Please be so kind to direct me to the leader of either the Shardseekers or VALKYRI. I wish to speak with either of them." Margaux says with a particularly nasally pronounciation to her vowels. It seems that she thinks the direct approach is best as the less time she spent here....the better.

:'''[[Minerva]] has posed:''' Minerva had thought about the maid cafe and thought it would be amazing she didn't realise that some people would be ahem helping who wouldn't be part of VALKYRI, she'd thought TRON might end up playing the bulter or something. Still here she was done up like the hired help and she was going to have a fun with it. She at least seemed to be well ready and in a good mood. She might even make use of her abilities to make things easier like with the drinks being chilled and such. She's in a standard french maid outfiot and is already working making sure tables are clearn or just about anything else.

:'''[[Minerva]] has posed:''' Minerva had thought about the maid cafe and thought it would be amazing she didn't realise that some people would be ahem helping who wouldn't be part of VALKYRI, she'd thought TRON might end up playing the bulter or something. Still here she was done up like the hired help and she was going to have a fun with it. She at least seemed to be well ready and in a good mood. She might even make use of her abilities to make things easier like with the drinks being chilled and such. She's in a standard french maid outfiot and is already working making sure tables are clearn or just about anything else, that might ruin the first impression of the customers.

:'''[[Girlgamesh]] has posed:''' Gilgamesh is in this for money. (S)he is absolutely apathetic to things like 'moralty' or 'shame' or 'common decency'. (S)he is completely willing to throw all of you under a bus to steal muny that would probably be going to something lame and undeserving anyway. Give your money to Gilgamesh! Gilgamesh is the only woman in this room who matters, because Gilgamesh is the sexiest woman in the room! ...excuse me. I think I just threw up in my mouth a bit. Do I really have to read this? It's inappropriate! This is a children's game, for Walt's sake! I mean, really. There's strange things, and disturbing things, but this is strange *and* disturbing, and I won't read it! No, I refuse. You can't pay me enough to read...how much? ...hm, well, alright. Ahem. Gilgamesh tosses tiny puppy Enkidu up into the air. Tiny Puppy Enkidu goes flying, that same absolutely dour look on his face shifting from slow apathy to a look of absolute horror. A look of terror, a dawning realization that his night is about to be ruined literally forever and ever and ever and ever and ever, as he goes falling, falling, falling- Bounce. Bounce. "Ta-Daaaaaaaa~," Gilgamesh chirps, bouncing on her heels before she bows. Low. Enkidu comes tumbling out, shudderng and shaking, and possibly sniffling a little bit. The puppy wobbles for a moment, stands up, and wanders into a corner, sitting down to wrap its forepaws around its legs, eyes wide and horrified, as though it has just witnessed something terrible. "For my next trick...pay close attention, okay?! Nothing up my shirt..." Sigh. My life as a narrator is one of torment. Lovecraft inspectors have /nothing/ on this job...! "Ta-da08:40, 17 February 2013 (CST)~~! Instant sword!"

:'''[[Angantyr Vespar]] has posed:''' Angantyr typically would eschew such embarrasing events, but... Well, okay, he wanted to actually see certain people in a dress without having to be forced into it, or well, lighting themselves on fire. Angantyr could not help but come, if not to 'aid' Avira beat out the Shard Seekers in getting more money...but also because he is apparently a masochist. We'll go with that, sure. Angantyr walks by the Bacon Mascot, and he looks down at the poor young girl, staring at her with that stare that the Dark Knight can inflict on others. That serious deadpan stare, that stare that almost makes certain people wince with the threat of his disapproval. "You forgot your sword." he says, and walks inside. "Never forget it, even while dressed as such." Walking into the cafe itself he just stares at everything. Everything. He pauses, trying to figure out who is probably a girl and who is not a girl. For a brief moment, a few people are easily spotted...a few more genuinely confuse him. He at least knows there are TWO who he can rely on. "I have come seeking service, just like at home!" he boldly declares, his voice easily ringing through the establishment, demanding attention. Before he reaches into elsewhere...and drops a solid gold brick onto the counter. "I will only accept the service of a woman." He looks at Girlgamesh. He just stares for a long moment, he turns away, taking a few moments to apply memory loss to himself. "Service. Now."

:'''[[Solva Ulfang]] has posed:''' @emit It doesn't take long for the cafe to start filling with a certain... watermouthing scent... of bacon. Remember how people were saying that there was tea and bacon? Well, they got the bacon down alright. It's one of those days that all Americans are reminded why they love bacon so much. It reminds both Shard Seekers and Valkyri why they miss Skoll - who has been wandering for such a long time now. It's the smell. The smell that always entered their houses when Skoll was around. That delicious smell of fried bacon, spiced with the werewolf's own 11 secret spices. The werewolf at least is in his element in the kitchen. There's a bunch of little tickets hanging in front of Skoll, and he's preparing a good amount of food ahead of time. --------- THE MENU! Bacon Bacon Weave Bacon Salad Filet Mignon wrapped in Bacon Bacon flavored icecream Bacon flavored shaved ice Bacon Milkshake Bacon Tea Bacon Cookies Chocolate covered Bacon And... Tea -------- The werewolf actually hears the sound of his sister, so he comes and steps out into the room as people start flowing in, and stares at his sister with a moment, before moving one hand. He points two eyes at his own, then at her, then back at his own, and back to her again. /I am watching you/! Clearly, he doesn't think he's going to be doing any darn music numbers.

:'''[[Navya]] has posed:''' Navya becomes progressively more irritated at Gilgamesh and /doesn't even know why/.

:'''[[Rei Seatlan]] has posed:''' Let it be known that Reize had to play his part as the spunky little maid. It took a lot of mental preparation for this, but god, did he manage to do it. Sure, it is going to be pretty awkward. If Shiki and Lenn were here, it would be... difficult to explain this to them. Nevertheless, the flat-chested maid has plenty of spunk. Only to be rivaled by Navya. Her eyes cut towards the gria, that twinkle of rivalry forming. MAID BATTLE! Sora's arrival, however, is met with a cheerful smile. "Sooorrra~, welcome to the Maid Cafe!" She spins around, lifting a hand into the air. "Remember everyone, all fundings and proceedings are going for the aid of the refugee organization Hearts Intwined and providing aid to the citizens of Fluorgis!" And then, there is a five foot tall maid with white hair and gray skin near the area. Rei squints her eyes, scratching her head. ...She doesn't remember this maid being bout. Squinting. Rei turns to face Eva, "Oii, where's Leida? She is naturally fitting for he job." --- Camera pans to poor Leida as the bacon mascot. Back to Rei, he rubs her chin. Adventurers are passing by every once in a while. Many of them that know Reize, well. All of the adventurers from Fluorgis collectively look at Rei. "..." One of the other clan members says, "...She's kinda cute." Meanwhile, Rei hears a voice calling for the leader of the Shard Seekers and VALKYRI. "Ooooiiii!" Rei calls out to the dancer. A hand rests to her chest, "I'm the co-leader of the Shard Seekers along with Eva and..." A hand gestures to Avira, "Avira is the leader of VALKYRI!" Girlgamesh's performance, however, earns this response: D:

:'''[[Vespa]] has posed:''' Vespa walks over to a table. "W-w-hat can I get you Masters?", she says giving a smile "No, we don't have that just tea and bacon. "Three tea it is!", she bows off to get them thought on the way there one of the gives Vespa a light slap in the butt! She erks and grumbles to herself doing to best to ingore it. "This is all for a good cause..", she says silently to herself. She watches "Girlgamesh" peformace.. "This is going to be one of those nights..."

:'''[[Eva Galvan]] has posed:''' Well, the mystery of Eva's lack of popularity is unfathomable, but that doesn't seem to stop her from enjoying herself. "That's the spirit, chief...tess," she self-corrects, smile broadening at Rei. It just goes to show they've got good crews. Almost everyone eventually relented-- er, was willing to help. Admittedly, sometimes they seem to have more maids than customers, but even at worst that just leads to more opportunities for amusement. Like Avira's expression. He could look at that forever. At least, forever until Maira bounces past, Eva's gaze sliiiiding away from her rival to her rival's best friend, that amused smile abruptly smothered by a careful poker face. But Eva can't help responding to Maira's smile with one of her own, watching as Maira scurries off to join that mysterious new babe. Focus, lady knight, focus. Just in time for some customers. Eva assumes her self-possessed smile again and curtseys to Hati, only to nearly break composure and sputter at the werewolf's suggestion. Valiantly, she endures. "We endeavor to please, Mistress," is her amused reply, eyes dancing. "Ah, Fara, one of our most popular maids. You are in luck! She is available right now. Fara, darling!" Eva calls out to Fara Senrietta. What are friends for? Mercade's arrival only improves Eva's mood, the hostess barely suppressing a grin. "Why, Master," her, let's call it husky, voice replies in a mild tone, "do not concern yourself with the specifics. Allow us to serve you, and relinquish your cares unto us. In fact, I have just the maid in mind for you. Avira!" she calls sweetly, before leaning toward Mercade conspiratorally. "If you order the photo calendar now," Eva explains quietly, "it's half-off." And who could be in the photo calendar? Margaux's arrival elicits another curtsey from the attentive Eva, and the question brings a serene smile to her face. "I am afraid the leader of VALKYRI may be... momentarily occupied..." At least, if Eva has anything to say about it. "...but the leader of the Shard Seekers is right here, if it please you, Mistress." And she gestures toward the spirited Rei. --Oh, she's on it already.

:'''[[Rei Seatlan]] has posed:''' With the gold bar eyed, Rei calls out, "Avira! It looks like he'll be requiring your services!" Though, she looks at Girlgamesh, this time the tone is uncertain. "..Or maybe she can be of service as well..." Pause. Sweatdrop. "...I think." 

:'''[[Tifa Lockhart]] has posed:''' Tifa Lockhart sweatdrops a bit at the puppy tossing show and bouncing... and then sword showing. ... Wait, what sword was that? She wasn't at the right angle to see it. ... Ptobably for the best too. She hips bumps Reize as she walks past him, just to get his attention "You're supposed to call them Masters and Mistresses, that's what a maid is about." Even the strong barmaid plays the part after all. She moves toward Skoll at the kitchen area "I got two orders for bacon salad, and someone that asks if its Kosher." She doesn't know what that means. Just relaying the question.

:'''[[Avira]] has posed:''' DYING ON THE INSIDE. Not even the thought of charity is cheering Avira up right now! Though at least she seems to be masking her misery well enough. Her surliness at least contrasts nicely with all the cheerful, cheerful CHEERFUL maids bouncing around. Including that Maira that bounces by. "..um...thanks.." she mumbles, her gaze gradually drawn by 'Girlgamesh.' "Who...who on earth is that?" she blurts out. "It feels like we've had more maids than..custo...mer..s..." Avira is, nonetheless, watching the door as they do get a few people. Sora of all people. As was the 'custom', she bows to him as he steps inside, but her greeting is stolen away before she can say anything! Not that she especially minds but... Just as she looks up, she takes notice of two things: - Mercade - Angantyr Avira pales a little. It isn't that either of them haven't seen her in a maid outfit. They were both present for the Baron incident! This particular version is a little less modest than what she was forced into in Baron. Oh NO, someone is shouting about her and pointing her out!! Hopefully Girlgamesh's performance will immediately override any possible attention to-yeah Avira scurries away immediately. She zips over to Eva and Mercade, giving him a poisonous look before- "Wait-" she looks over at Rei incredulously. "You mean serve both of them at the same time?!"

:'''[[Fara Senrietta]] has posed:''' Fara may be a maid, but she's still a man. Her single eye watches a tail keep tilting up a skirt on a certain Gargess. That little moment of happiness amidst all ofthe inner embarrassment is interrupted as he hears a familiar voice. It can't be. No. She's not here. Between watching Girlgamesh produce that sword, and the realization that thepink mass of frills that is Fara Senrietta is about to serve one Hati the wolfess, a look of utter horror dawns on her face. Gulp. Clack clack clack. Eva calls her up. A single pink claw is raised. "Coming Miss Eva!" Walking up to Hati, the ratling makes a low curtsey to the wolfess. Her entire face is lit up with red. "Welcome home Mistress. How may I serve you?" her hands go to the front of her dress, front lifted just a touch, the back threatening the same thanks to her swaying tail. Tremble. Tremble. Someone looks /horrified/.

:'''[[Lumeria]] has posed:''' Lumeria looks at the menu, "I'm pretty sure cafes serve more than tea and bacon." She eye-rolls a bit. "How exactly do you plan to make any money?" Was she the one with an ounce of common senses around here? "But since I'm thirsty, I'll humor you for the moment. Get me some tea...without bacon in it." She makes sure to clarify that.

:'''[[Maira]] has posed:''' Maira serves some of the people from Traverse who know her, smiling, jovial, and giving everyone an eye-full every time she leans over. Her customers appear to be happy, and will likely tip generously. Maira turns with an empty platter, noting more customers coming in, some of which she recognizes! "Mercade!" she calls, waving to him--though to no one's surprise ever, he is staring at Avira. Maira giggles. "We'll get Avira for you <3" she says, and yes, somehow the heart makes it's way very obviously into the sentence, with a sparkling cartoon heart that appears magically then disperses into glitter! Then Angantyr arrives, apparently being all grumpy and demanding, to which Maira can only giggle for some reason. It is likely due to mild /insanity/. Maira bounces over toward Angantyr and leaps upward (cause she has to) to give him a quick hug before leading him to a table. The hug gets some jealous glances. They want hugs too! "This waaaaay!" she sings, leading him to a nice table. "Ah....who do you want to serve you?" she asks with wide amber eyes. She's pretty sure he'll say Avira--OH WELL.

:'''[[Sora]] has posed:''' Leader of the Shard Seekers. Co-leader. Sora's head whips around to 'Rei' so fast that it would give him whiplash if he didn't comically overbalance himself as he puts two and two together. "Oh my god." He whispers, before Angantyr makes his big entrance and gets Maira'd, and Avira gets Mercade'd. Sora sinks into a chair at a empty table, holding his head in his hands.

:'''[[Navya]] has posed:''' Navya is generally pretty cheerful. It makes her a good counterbalance for Avira. Of course right now she's not so much, but that just sort of happens. Gilgamesh just picks up an occasional glower. And Rei, too... she narrows her eyes. Yeah, she saw that. Watching the crowd go by, Navya watches Avira go over to the front counter. And with gold! Navya steps up after her, curious more than anything else. She still must not have really gotten the message as to how she's supposed to be acting, so she falls back on her defaults. "Anything I can help with?" she asks, heading toward the cluster. The cluster with the gold, see. She likes gold.

:'''[[Solva Ulfang]] has posed:''' "Bacon salad! Alright..." Skoll nods his head at Tifa and follows her back into the kitchen area, trying to hide the slight blush that'd come to his face when he'd finally noticed Avira inside of the 'cafe' area. He quickly sets to making a bacon weave, glazing it into a bowl shape, shredding some bacon into the bacon weave, then sprinkling it with bacon bits, tossing the bowl a few times, then putting in some bacon croutons. It's probably the only thing that doesn't /actually/ have real bacon in it. The werewolf turns around and hands the order of two bacon salads to Tifa. "Sure, totes Kosher!" What the heck is Kosher!?

:'''[[Hati]] has posed:''' The sight of the magically appearing 'sword' from Gilgamesh only has the wolf staring for a moment, blinking as she stops mid-way to her appointed table. "What is seen, cannot be unseen." She murmurs to herself, and then rubs at her eyes before flopping unceremoniously into a seat. With her brother peeking out at her, Hati manages to lift her phone just in time to snap a series of still images of him doing the 'watching you' motion. Snickering to herself, the younger werewolf offers him a thumbs up, and then a wink. When her chosen server arrives, the wolf just breaks into a smirk, letting her eyes rove up and down, obviously barely containing laughter. "You know, I'd heard about this, but I never thought I'd believe it." She muses, but decides that rather than calling him out on it directly, she'll play along for now. "You can start by putting in an order for one of those filets. Tell my brother it's for me, he'll know how to cook it. Oh, and some tea, too. The normal kind, not the bacon." "Oh, and if you want an extra tip, wiggle that tail as you go." Ahh Hati, never one to miss a chance for vague sexual harassment. Poor mouse. With her order set, she lets her eyes rove over some of the others, bemused. This was worth the price of admission just for all the ackwardness.

:'''[[Terra Branford]] has posed:''' Terra enters the maid cafe with a shoulder-hunched diffidence typical of her, but exaggerated by the circumstances. She'd heard some of her acquaintences would be here--Ivo, Reize, Maira--and she wants to be supportive. Even though she doesn't really like what's on the menu. Bacon, that is. Slipping aside stealthily and seating herself alone, Terra feigns examining the menu until she realizes that no one will really believe that, since there are only two items on it. Then she notices Maira seat Angantyr, and realized she screwed this up. Kefka never exactly took her to restaurants, and she hasn't been to one yet while travelling. It's safe to say that this restaurant is going to permanently distort her idea of what a normal restaurant is like. Slipping out of her seat, Terra waits where Angangtyr had. He obviously knew what he was doing, all she has to do is imitate him. "L-listen, I am seeking service," she says in her version of a bold voice, which is a bit reedy. She recites what she heard. "Just like at home. I will... only accept the service of a woman?" She doesn't understand why that's part of the ritual, but Angantyr must know what he's doing. "Um, service now. Please. When you have time, I'm not in a hurry." She customizes it a bit.

:'''[[Emi Dennou]] has posed:''' Emi rubs at her cheek lightly. She slinks a little closer to Navya. She ... sh ethinks this is a safer place. She takes a few more photos for Max, not--however--hitting Navya with the camera yet. She doesn't want to get her in a scowly disposition after all ... no wait, it's Max--Emi raises the camera anyway, waits for it and... SNAPSHOT. Navya glowering at Gilgamesh. AChieved. "Navya, correct...?" Emi asks. "It is good to see of you again. The Network is pleased to be your coworker." She nods slowly, looking about as Umi starts shouting 'Kosher' repeatedly. Maybe they need to find someone to tend to? There's ... Hati, maybe? She looks towards lumeria, but she seems to already have a maid. Hmm. Hmmm. Oh there's someone. She nods to Navya. "We will tend to that one." Whether she meas we as an 'I' or we as in she and Navya, well that's up to her. She approaches Sora and curtseys to her, a neutral bland expression on her face. "The Network says hello. Ah, the Maid Network? Yes. In any event, how may we be of service to you this evening?" "Get more customers...!" The Beagle Girls hiss at Pete. "How..? That Girlgamesh is stealing all the good ones...!"

:'''[[Vespa]] has posed:''' Vepsa skillfully navigates around the rest of the maids and customers holding the tray in one hands, not spilling one drop! She sets the teas on the table. "Anything else I Can get you Masters? No I don't do hugs. I know the other maid did it to that customer. I don't do hugs.", the customers look quite dissapointed. Vepsa not getting any tips tonight. "Three bacon icecreams? Coming right up masters!", she goes back to get the order and get slapped in the on rear. Again. She starting to look irriated... "All for the money..", she mutters going to get the orders..

:'''[[Avira]] has posed:''' "Yes actually." Avira says to Navya, "You and Maira should get Angantyr. You are both real girls. He needs real girls to serve him." She glances over to Eva. And Rei. And Fara. While Fara did turn out very nicely, well... Avira clutches her fist, a firm look in her eyes, "I made a promise tonight. I will serve to my fullest, no matter to who!" Departing, Avira navigates her way back to Eva and Mercade and takes in a breath. "My apologies for that...interruption." she deadpans. "I am ready to serve you, Master."

:'''[[Bacon-chan]] has posed:''' Leida is so caught up in her routine that she hardly notices the approach of the glowering dark knight. Her mind is kind off somewhere else right now because focusing too much on the horrible misfortune heaped upon her at this moment might cause her overwhelming desire to commit ritual seppuku and stop shaming her ancestors to actually manifest. That is until he is right beside her when she turns to address the next wave of people on the street. Peering up at Angantyr through the small portal provided for her face, the princess has nothing to offer his chastisement besides a weak pitiful stare, her lower lip trembling as she tries to hold back the flood of tears. Not even a drop of sympathy for her situation. That's cold. She watches him march into the cafe and announce his presence in the usual boisterous manner, allowing a soft sigh to escape afterwards as her shoulders slump forward dejectedly. No respect, no respect at all. And then the weight of the top-heavy costume takes over and she finds herself teetering forwards. Too late, her arms pinwheel wildly at the air to try and reverse the flow but her slender frame is no match for the massive bacon suit and Leida inexorably crashes over onto the street, faceplanting without a shred of grace left.

:'''[[Mercade Alexander]] has posed:''' All right. So this is going to how it's going to be, is it? All right. "I don't know, it would be kind of unfair to make one maid do double duty when there's so many choices." Mercade says. "However, if they both have the same preference... They will need to settle things. It'd be only fair ihat the one who would offer more would be the one." He walks over to his own table, across from Angantyr. The battle lines are being drawn. In a maid cafe. Redolent with bacon and tea. The tension crackles in the air as Mercade pulls out... A bag of Munny. It's not insignificant, but... Mercade hefts it, and sets it down on the table. "I don't know if I can..." He rummages around in his coat, and then pauses, pulling out a Necklace, with a small folded paper. Mercade stops and stares a the necklace for a moment, a radiant sapphire in a pearl inlay inset, with diamond accents along a spiral golden chain. Mercade looks over ot the small paper, and glances in it for a moment. And odd look crosses his face, before he just shoves the paper away, and sets it down on the table. "All right. I think this should be able to match the offering." Mercade says, his eyes level with Ang's. He looks over at Avira, and tilts his head slightly. "Are you sure, Avira?"

:'''[[Sammy Colt]] has posed:''' What a day. After all the meetings, arguments and finally, decision to go ahead with outsourcing some 'heroes', Sammy's a little more than frustrated. Traverse town where was those goody-goodies, the Shard Seekers had their HQ and wouldn't you know it? Sammy pulled the short straw, again. That game had to be rigged. Even so, duty was duty and one must swear by the straw he picked. So, then, why is the Shard Seeker HQ empty? The Turk presses his head against the glass, trying to look inside before noticing, nay, hearing, NAY, feeling something wrong with the universe. His nostrils sniff the air for a moment as the smell of heavenly bacon passes by his nostrils. The Turk pulls away from the window before looking towards the direction of the Maid cafe. The nostrils flare again and Sammy's mouth holds back the drool. Something smelled absolutely like it needed to be investigated... For ShinRa... Yes. That's the ticket. Making his way to the front in an aroma-lifted state, Sammy examines the sign outside the cafe. Bacon and Tea... He had been cut off of bacon for a while because of the whole 'eating six packs in one sitting', the one sitting being the big Turk cook-out a few months back... He missed bac-Wait... Is that Reize in a maid outfit? Sammy remains outside the cafe whole his eyes scan the insides, noticing all the... cross-dressed maids. "Ah.. wha... Hunh?" He says in a completely lost manner as he mindlessly stumbles towards the door, not sure what to make of the situation.

:'''[[Solva Ulfang]] has posed:''' When Vespa comes into the kitchen, it seems Skoll has noticed that she's received a... slap on the rear. He is holding a black device for her. "If they slap you again, use this." He tells her, playing the big brother at the moment. He presses a button, and there's loud 'zapping' sounds at the end. It's a tazer. "I juiced it up a little with a lightning materia a while back." He notes, and drops it into her hands. "Now, you said three bacon icecreams right?" The werewolf makes it to the freezer and takes out two tubs of vanilla icecream. He then warms up two metalic extra-rounded spoons and grabs some of the icecream onto this flat stone platter, and then sprinkles some bacon into the ice, and begins to mix it using the big spoons. Apparently Skoll trained at Cold Stone icecream. It's not long before the order is done, and Vespa receives three bowls of bacon icecream.

:'''[[Margaux Fleury]] has posed:''' Margaux de Fleury is easily overwhelmed by all the eccentric individuals present. It seems that everyone really went all out for this charitable event. Would the Corpse Brigade do such a thing if it meant saving their cause? The mental image of the Wiegraf in a maid's outfit causes Margaux's mind to perhaps be scarred forever. When 'Rei' points out -who- the leaders and co-leaders of the two mercenary-ish organizations are, Margaux does her best to maintain her poker face. This would just have to be another performance, that's all. "All -three- of the leaders dressed up for this? " Margaux had anticipated that was atleast someone dressed normally that she could speak too. "That...is....very....admireable that the leadership would be so devoted to their cause to participate wholeheartedly." Again, maid-Wiegraf haunts her every thought. The redheaded dancer clears her throat. "Perhaps, I shall return another time, no?" But, she can't. Margaux already failed to get any real attention from SS when she participated in the defense of their city and it seems that VALKYRI's leader is preoccupied with her own battle of sorts. "Or, maybe I will ask for some service." What does Margaux need most right now? "A bottle of wine and a glass to drink it with, please. And quickly." She directes with a look in between Rei and Eva, the co-leaders of the Shardseekers.

:'''[[Girlgamesh]] has posed:''' ~Money money money~ Girlgamesh is vaguely aware that Navya is staring at her(?), but that's okay. Navya is just jealous, probably. Girlgamesh moves over to Angantyr, beaming up at him. Sort of. Her(?) face is covered, after all, from the nose down...but she certainly looks...what's this word? All the wannabe Japanese use it...ah, right! /Genki/. She looks very GENKI, as she stands there in front of Angantyr, her hands going for the gold bar to...to put it away, yeah! To store it. For safety. Safely. Then she starts rocking back and forth in front of Angantyr cheerfully. "How may I serve you, super-awesome rich master guy with lots of money to give to charity?" "I am VERY capable. At serving people, I mean. I, Gi-...iiiiiiiiiirrrrrrlga, am the best at serving people in the whole worlds! My maid expertise is known the whole world over!"

:'''[[Vespa]] has posed:''' Vespa takes the taster testing it out first. It lights up. "Thank you.", she says to the werewolf. "This is way more sublte than using my Axe", she says grinning a bit. She pockets the taser taking the tray of ice cream again skilling working her way thought the throng of maids and customers to her table.

:'''[[Tifa Lockhart]] has posed:''' Tifa Lockhart brings back the salads to the table "Thanks Solva~" She chimes cheerfully. Part of the 'play' is also not giving away everyone around, even if most of them are not really girls. Gotta how exactly that went through at their HQs though. "Guys, let's do a maid cafe!" "Yeah!" "And we'll serve bacon!" "YEAHHHH!" "And all guys will dress as girls!" "YEEEA-what?" "Too late, motion passed" "Damnit!" Well that's what she can imagine anyway. She moves back to the table with the order, checking in with the other table "Yes, the cook said 'totes kosher'." "I'll take 3!"

:'''[[Rei Seatlan]] has posed:''' Hipbump'd! "ACK! Sorry, sorry!" Maid Rei sweatdrops towards Tifa, forgetting the whole customs and courtesies of being a maid. "Uhh.. Master and Mistreses..!" She sweatdrops, trying to be a proper maid for the day. And of course, Rei glances towards Avira, "Sure!" However, it is the glance owards Navya, those eyes light ablaze. However, she quickly turns Sora, who is broken. "Uhh... Sora?" She looks worried at him. ...Until Terra! "Ooooiii, on my way!" As she approaches Terra, "Terra!" She skips over towards the woman, "Glad to see that you made it!" And then, his eyes turn towards the dancer once more, "Of course, mistresss! i'll be glad to serve ---..." Rei sees Leida's... spectacle. "Leida!" She calls out towards Eva, "Eva, help the lady, I'll tend to Bacon-chan!" The maid quickly sprints, holding the dress up. As she arrives outside, she kneels besides the crashing girl. "Are you alright?!"

:'''[[Angantyr Vespar]] has posed:''' Angantyr looks right at Girlgamesh. "No, And you put that back on the counter." he says as Maira secures him in a hug and already starts to drag him off. Avira's pretty cold... And the lady tries to mimic what he said, exactly. Angantyr pauses... "She's with me." thumbing at Terra, and walks with Maira towards a booth. But then... Mercade drops the dough down, causes Angantyr to look at him oddly, for a moment there is a look in his eyes, a glint...a dangerous one that Avira has seen before. Maira too. That look, that LOOK that has predated EVERY SINGLE TIME Angantyr has brutally destroyed someone. That is all of the warning they get before he... Nods only once towards Mercade, "I see adventuring has been fruitful to you as well." he says, with a sort of calm and polite tone. "Maira, get us and the young lady here tea and a plate of bacon." he says, with a rather...calm expression.

:'''[[Navya]] has posed:''' Navya is a lot more smiley the rest of the time. Really! Honestly, the hardest part about taking a picture of her is getting one that doesn't have a wing or something in the way; Navya's dress is not entirely made for someone who has a pair of wings and they tend to stick out at odd angles when they catch on the edge of the scooped back. Navya isn't entirely sure if she's supposed to listen to Emi or Avira in this situation. She looks momentarily perplexed. Fortunately, she has something she is absolutely sure of a moment later. "Hey! Put that down," she hisses at Gi(r)lgamesh. "You're not the safe box! Or I'll make you put it back!" Her tail flicks as she looks at Maira again, then Emi. Then Angantyr, who she doesn't know but knows Avira does. She tries to curtsey. It looks kind of awkward. At least she is an actual girl. But it looks like Maira's got it handled, and Navya's spirits fall slightly. Not chosen again!

:'''[[Fara Senrietta]] has posed:''' The little Burmecian maid wimpers as she's examined, turning her head away bashfully like a perfectly innocent little maid. She's even flushing as she takes the wolfess' order. She's being laughed at! Oh Faram, someone help her! A low curtsey, and Fara puts on her most charming, obedient smile. "I would be honor to serve thee, oh beautiful Mistress! Come, let me seat you so that ye may be made comfortable." As she turns around, she pauses. Two ears fold back. Holding her hands in front of her, she starts forward to a seat. One leg, then the other, in slow, measured, steps towards the table. That tail of hers wiggles and waggles all the way. Someone really wants that tip! Reaching out, Fara grasps the chair. Pulling it out, she curtsies once more. "Please sit, if you desire, oh lovely Mistress. I shall be right back with thy order." She starts off towards the kitchen, pink tail-tip flicking behind her as she tries not to die of embarrassment. "Miss Solva! Mistress Hati desires a bacon fillet, she said that you would know how best to prepare it! Tea as well plea...ahh!" It always gets worse. Not quite used to walking in heels, one of her shoes catches on the floor. Trip! A loud squeak exits Fara's muzzle as she goes tumbling! Out of a natural desire to right herself, up flips her tail, as she falls. Flipt. /Up/ goes the skirt in plain view of the wolfess he's serving. Someone's really gone all out for this maid thing. Frills and pink are clearly viewable to Hati before the now utterly red maiden rushes to cover her rear end and get to her feet.

:'''[[Maira]] has posed:''' Quite possibly being used in a battle she probably should never have gotten involved in, Maira nods to Angantyr and looks toward the young lady he refers to. Oh! "Terra! Oh it is nice to see you again! Yes yes, I will get the tea and bacon! Be right baaaack," she sings, then leans down to whisper to Angan, "be good!" After Maira has seated Angantyr and goes off and about her business, there are many interruptions and asks for hugs now that she's started something. Well, alright. Maira likes hugs. She will hug! She almost suffocates a twelve year old boy who hasn't quite gotten his growth spurt yet, but certainly has something to brag about, basically forever. Maira makes her way over toward Sammy, welcoming him with the customary bow with the addition of an enthusiastic skip toward him. "Welcome to the One Day Maid cafe! All for charity! I can lead you to a seat--I can serve you too if you'd like, uh, master?" she says, passing by Ivo. Master? that's kind of weird, but apparently part of it? Okay, whatever! "Iv--Evaaaa, we have another guest!" she says, leading Sammy if he will follow.

:'''[[Solva Ulfang]] has posed:''' "You're welcome hun." Skoll answers Vespa in the softest voice he can manage, nodding at the girl before turning towards Tifa's table. Oh yes, he heard that 'I'll take three' from afar. Those cute wolfie ears are good for something. And he quickly sets to preparing the salad, and catches the call for a plate of bacon. Wait, was that Angantyr? The moment he has finished those bacon salad, the werewolf is smirking as he prepares the 'bacon plate'. Bacon, bacon, more bacon... interweaving some bacon to lay the bacon onto. Sprinkle it with some bacon pieces. And when he's done, he picks up a bottle of BBQ sauce and writes onto the bacon: 'Gargess'. The youth then waits for Maira to come and pick up the bacon plate.

:'''[[Gilgamesh]] has posed:''' Navya mutters something to her(?). Girlgamesh looks a little annoyed, but she sets the bar back down. No point in trying to steal from- And then Ang turns her down! That will NOT STAND! "Oh, what, I'm not GOOD enough for you?" Now Girlgamesh has rapidly STOPPED being Girlgamesh; she's quickly transforming, in a most tremendously horrifying way, expanding and contracting and shifting in places. Those socks are just not holding up under the strain of a five-foot-five girl transforming into a huge grey man; nor is that skirt, not anymore. It's sort of...tattered. In rapid order, a huge, grey-skinned man in very little clothing (but very roomy polkadot panties) is standing inf ront of Ang, looking down at him, insulted. "I'm not PRETTY enough for you? Me, Gilgamesh? Do you think I'm ugly, is that it? Do you think that Gilgamesh, King of Heroes, is an unappealing woman? That the Master Swordsman is not as beautiful as a well-forged blade and as bouncy as a really great set of-" And then suddenly Gilgamesh becomes aware that he is back to being /Gilgamesh/, and not *Girlgamesh*, and he swallows. "Oops," says the giant, mostly naked man. Enkidu is also back to full size, though he's still shuddering in the corner in horror.

:'''[[Minerva]] has posed:''' Minerva is just well lurking about helpign people who are not so imporant however as she finishes up with one oter he comes over to poor, Sora and glancing back at the chaos around her and looks back to the young man. "Are you all right Sora? You seem ... to be not feeling so well." She's taking everything in stride but not everyone might do so. Also she does however try to not think of Girlgamesh.

:'''[[Tifa Lockhart]] has posed:''' Tifa Lockhart always pities Enkidu, and when she sees Gilgamesh appear... Well... she'll let the others handle the money handler... She's carrying a bowl of bacon bits to Enkidu in the corner, and petting his head comfortingly c.c

:'''[[Sora]] has posed:''' "I'm fine." Sora says to Rei(ze), even as he gets, er... Maid Network'd. "Ah, just... tea, right? That's what you're serving, tea and bacon stuff? Just tea, please." Sora sighs.

:'''[[Avira]] has posed:''' It's true. Angantyr has likely never seen Avira this cold before! But that icy facade melts for a few moments as she sees Mercade put down a significant amount of money either equalling or rivaling the gold bar that Angantyr just slapped down as payment. "M..mercade..." Then she sees Angantyr's reaction. Her eyes grow cold again and she stares him down, catching that glint. Those hard eyes betray a /knowing/ of Angantyr. A certain conversation they had in private. Should he be going back on his word right now-oh, well then. He's fine. Avira finally relaxes and turns to Mercade. "So, Master Alexander, what may I get you? We have-" she rattles off the menu, which she has taken the pains of memorizing. Suddenly, Gilgamesh. "YOU!!!!" The ice of her soul melts immediately. "WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE, GILGAMESH!? -excuse me for a second, Master Alexander." Avira withdraws the Spine, which she obviously kept on her for good reason. Good reasons like this. "OUT!" she shouts, chasing after the mostly naked Gilgamesh. "OUT!!!"

:'''[[Vespa]] has posed:''' "Here are your bacon icecreams Masters!", Vespa says giving the customers a smile. "Anything else I can get out Masters?", ugh she not sure how much more she can do this... "No I'm no doing hugs, or kisses. That's not on the menu.. If you want anything else FROM THE MENU ask okay?", she smiles going off to sever other customers, she get slapped on the rear, again. Seh turns around. "You get some specal extra sevrice Master!"", she whips out the taster "DIE", there a loud scream as she socks the pevert. "ANYONE ELSE WANT SOME EXTRA SEVRICE!?!"

:'''[[Raine Arland]] has posed:''' Raine had heard about this so called charity cafe involving maids or some such. That didn't really impress him. Rather, it was one part morbid curiosity, one part BURNING MANLY DESIRE to take part in bacon related food stuffs...Or something to that effect in any case. In any case, he steps through the doors of the cafe, hands stuff into his pants pockets. 'Kid, are you sure about this thing? I'm getting a baaaaaaad vibe already' A voice in his head echoed to him. "Yeah well, I'm curious. I want to see just what geniuses thought it'd be grand to run a maid cafe for charity now." Upon saying that, he raised a hand for attention, waiting to be seated. 'Don't say I didn't warn you now. I can sense these things!' The voice in his mind echoed again. "Yeah, sure, sure." Not listening. Nope.

:'''[[Sarisa]] has posed:''' From outside, ominiously, "If I, Princess Sarisa of Tycoon, don't get my KNIGHT, SER GILGAMESH, in /CLOTHED FORM WITH BLADE/, out here RIGHT NOW to PROTECT ME, then my KNIGHT is going to REGRET his STUPIDITY." There is a stalking noise of heels on the ground going away. Gilgamesh has duly been warned to GTFO and go find his pirate princess.

:'''[[Angantyr Vespar]] has posed:''' Angantyr pauses as he looks at Gilgamesh. "Put the <GOOSEHONK>ing money on the table and run." he says, praying to god...praying to whatever GOD Faruja prays to that he doesn't go...super Gilgamesh again. And then Avira was on it. "Oh huh, I keep forgetting you all actually have weapons." he says, and simply looks back to Terra, "Angantyr." he offers. And then looks at Vespa. "...That was a pretty mean right hook. Well done."

:'''[[Bacon-chan]] has posed:''' The princess doesn't move when she hits the pavement, merely laying face-down with her arms stretched out above her head. Even if she wanted to get up the heavy suit keeps her pretty well weighed down but right now she's perfectly fine just lying here in the gutter. Alone. Forsaken. Maybe someone will have pity on her and come give her a merciful end. The sound of her name being called fills her with hope in this regards. Leida struggles briefly, flopping back and forth like a beached fish as she tries to get the damnably flat costume to turn over onto its backside without much success. However, she recognizes the voice and immediately gives up with a sigh. Reize is far too nice to put her out of her misery. Instead she goes back to laying there like a rug, or a doormat as the case might be, and mutters up at him. "I-I am fine. Just resting a bit is all, ah hahaha ha ha..."

:'''[[Emi Dennou]] has posed:''' "Very well..." Emi says, staring into Sora's eyes. She just keeps doing this. Another Dennou eventually brings over a tea. She sets it down and starts staring at Sora too. And then another Dennou comes over and suddenly three Dennous are staring at Sora, right into his eyes. Emi nods once, and then spins on a heel to return to Navya while the other two continue staring at Sora. Peta says, "Yoohooo~" with a waved arm for Angantyr. "Navya." Emi says as she approaches her. "Still having trouble finding someone? Then this one has a suggestion...if there are not enough customers, then the trick is--likely--to start servicing other maids." She nods once. "IT is only efficient that way."

:'''[[Solva Ulfang]] has posed:''' Ah, Skoll can already hear the fangirl squeels as Faruja makes his order and then ends up faceplanting onto the floor, flipping up his skirt. Skoll quickly raises his hand to his shoulder-height and taps over on those high heels of his own, and then kneels down before him - covering part of Faruja's snout with the miniskirt for just a moment. "You okay, comrade?" Skoll asks him, moving a hand out to the mouse. He's blushing - but he's not blushing because of Faruja - but because of the comment that Hati suggested he knows how he likes her meat -- embarassing and reminding him that she /knows/ this is him. And so, 'Solva Ulfang' carefully draws Faruja up against 'her' chest, for a moment, before standing and taking one of his hands to help him up all the way. "Are you alright, brave mouse?" 'she' asks him, leaning in towards him to check for damages. He looked okay. 'Solva' pats 'her' hands past Faruja's skirt to flip it back down, and then turns around. That's when he notices Gilgamesh behind Faruja... He winces... and cringes... and turns around. "Think good thoughts... bacon... bacon... bacon..." And so he turns to quickly sear some filet mignon, baking in record time. Well, it really /has/ to be 'record time'. He's making it /blue/ for gods sake. Every second counts in searing that. Bacon is soon wrapped around it, and he sticks a little flag in it to keep the bacon stuck on one side, before handing this plate to Faruja.

:'''[[Gilgamesh]] has posed:''' You can just play Yakkity Sax for the next five minutes as Gilgamesh runs around and around and around the cafe, evading Avira in a most effective way. "W-what did I do?! I was just giving money to charity! The charity of me, Gilgamesh! C-come on, is it really all that bad?" He dances through food plates, runs across tables, and is generally disruptive for the next two minutes before he explodes out the door at Sarisa's call, likely leaving Raine with the mental image of a mostly-naked Gilgamesh quickly growing clothing out of nowhere around a pair of polka-dot panties rushing by him, followed by a huge green dog that looks like it's sobbing about...god only knows what. Gilgamesh has left the building.

:'''[[Navya]] has posed:''' Navya puts /her/ hand on the gold bar to make sure it doesn't wander off. mmm, gold, how she missed it But she isn't going to pocket it either. Especially not with Gilgamesh twisting, doing something - Navya's first reaction is to hit it with her hammer, but she doesn't /have/ her hammer, which means she has to use something else instead. Which is why, about two seconds later, Navya picks up an entire potted plant (it's fake) and rests it against her shoulder. "I can't believe that it was /you/!! Get out! Like she said. Or I'm gonna carry you out!" Worst maid.

:'''[[Angantyr Vespar]] has posed:''' Angantyr looks towards Peta, "Turn right back around." He says, with that tone that threatens to send his teeth back to him. One at a time.

:'''[[Sammy Colt]] has posed:''' Okay, so... What's Sammy supposed to do? I mean, this is a golden opportunity to get dirt on the Shard Seekers and all, but... that's just... weird, isn't it? Guys dressing as Mai-Hello? Sammy's mind snaps to a semi-lucid state as Maira speaks to him. "Oh, uhm. I was just. Uh..." Well, he's a little distracted by Maira's attire, obviously.. Or was that because some semi-naked man just passed by him. There's an endless confusion running through Sammy's head. Maybe it's from the bacon fumes? The Turk blinks twice as he makes a note to ask Rhia to work double-time on that memory-wiper ShinRa had opted for. He'd need it just to be able to sleep without shuddering after that. Deciding it best to NOT be near naked-running man, Sammy follows after Maid-Maira, but gives a bit of a clearing of his throat as some princess' voice rings through the cafe, demanding a knight of some sort. "Do you serve coffe?" He asks, putting his hands in his pockets as he is lead to a booth right beside Sora's. "Because I think I'm in some kind of nightmare." He says with a sigh. It wasn't the first time his dreams had gone straight passed weird and into 'strangeland'.

:'''[[Avira]] has posed:''' Good news! Avira has gotten pretty good at parkour! She is right on Gilgamesh's grey heels, vaulting over patrons and tables alike, in her pursuit of the master swordsman. Bad news! Maid outfits are not very conductive to being concealing during parkour. Sort of okay news: Avira at least doesn't notice just how much panty she flashes before she finally seems to chase Gilgamesh out the door. Well, semi-chase Gilgamesh out the door, as he seems to leave after being called off by a mysterious voice. Calming, she sheathes the Spine and hurries back over to Mercade, bowing deeply. "My sincerest apologies for that interruption, Master Alexander. Did you decide on an order?"

:'''[[Navya]] has posed:''' When Gilgamesh leaves, Navya lowers the fake tree. Actually, she puts the whole thing down, very carefully. "I guess that would be efficient," Navya says, "but I don't have any money or anything, which is why I'm /doing/ this in the first place." She's still kind of red-faced. It's hard to tell if it's because she's angry, embarassed, both, or something else.

:'''[[Vespa]] has posed:''' Vepsa looks more relaxed now. "Thank you", she says to Ang. "I feel much better now.", she pockts the taser. She thankfully missed the naked Gilgamesh. The table she was serving quickly pay for there meal two of them carrying there now uncousous friend out. No tip. "She goes over to another table. "What can I get you masters?", the pair look quite terrifed of Vespa...

:'''[[Hati]] has posed:''' Oh, the wolf is certainly keeping an eye on the twitches of that tail that moves in front of her as she's lead around to a seat. It's impossible not to just smirk most of the time, especially with the way that everyone is acting up the parts that they are playing. She'd certainly have to ask Faruja a thing or two about all this later, but perhaps it's just for a good cause. It doesn't stop her from enjoying the humor of it, though. A humor that turns to horror at the sight of Girlgamesh. Stare. Hati covers her mouth, suddenly feeling herself at a loss for appetite. Right, look anywhere but over there. She turns back just in time to see Faruja take that tumble. Normally, she might have been concerned for his sake, but really, the split second it takes to see what's underneath has her covering her mouth for an entirely different reason, this time to contain laughter as she quickly, stealthily snaps a celphone photo. The joys of someone always having a camera. Oh, and one of 'Solva' helping 'Fara' up, too. Quickly, she tucks the celphone back into her pocket, doing her best to look innocent, and genuinely failing, because... well, she isn't. The smell of bacon, and other cooking meats twitches her nose, making her close her eyes and just enjoy the scent of it.

:'''[[Terra Branford]] has posed:''' Terra smiles as Rei approaches her, feeling that she managed to successfully navigate the unfamiliar social context. She blanches, though, when she realizes Rei apparently knows her. "I had some trouble finding it," she hedges, examining Rei closely. REIZE?! Terra gesticulates mutely. Nothing in her life has prepared her for this. Fortunately, Rei rushes off to deal with something before Terra can decide if she likes it or not. Unfortunately, she's still mute with shock when Angantyr claims she's with him, and her vague gestures do not dissuade anyone. "Hi, Maira," she manages to croak, to the woman who helped her so much in the desert with her skillful and thoughtful use of magic. Though Terra hadn't been aware, Maira had been a little jealous of Terra's looks last time. This new outfit of Maira's demonstrates that there's at least one way in which she has no reason to be jealous of the slim, girlishly built Terra, and Terra notices. With no other option, she follows Angantyr submissively and seats herself. She doesn't even get a chance to object to bacon being ordered. She's meditating on her Maira-jealousy while staring vaguely downwards when Angantyr interrupts. "Oh! I am sorry. My name is Terra. How-do-you-do?"

:'''[[Mercade Alexander]] has posed:''' Mercade looks over to Avira as she melts for a moment. "Avira..." He pauses, and then he sees that Glint. A detective learns how to read people. He knows what it means when people twitch certain ways, where they might be going for hidden weapons, when violence builds in the air, thick and red as blood. And then the nods. Mercade nods back. "Thank you." He says to Angantyr, and sits down himself. "Sometimes, I surprise myself," He returns his attention to Avira, and opens his mouth to prepare to place an order when - GILGAMESH'D. Mercade cringes at the appearance of the strange shapeshifting thief. Especially one in such... clothing. Avira, however, gets more active than he's seen her all evening. And he's totally in favor of Avira enjoying herself. Maybe she'll chill out a bit. And then Avira does her thing. Mercade looks away as she engages in parkour. He knews how that dress is going to move. When the acrobatics are done and Avira gets back, Mercade smiles. As expected, she seems much happier. "Thank you, Avira. I'll have the bacon with a bacon salad, and some tea. No bacon in the tea."

:'''[[Sora]] has posed:''' If Sora even /nominally/ notices any of Avira's panty shots, he doesn't let it show. Kairi would be proud. However, getting stared at by at least two of the Maid Network is disconcerting. He blinks at them. "..." Oh, right, charity. Sora fumbles around in his pocket, then pulls out a decent-sized bag of munny, pushing it neatly across the table towards them. "For charity!" He says, proudly. He gets a lot of munny from heartless killing. It's a thing.

:'''[[Eva Galvan]] has posed:''' Eva's work here is done. Like, seriously, just making this happen was more than enough. The hostess watches the chaos unfold around her and smiles contentedly. Now all she needs to do is get Solva singing, and as far as she's concerned, mission complete. Naturally, as she's thinking this, tensions threaten to rise between Mercade and Angantyr regarding Avira and Maira, Leida falls over in front of the store, Terra is operating by imitiation, and a little boy over there looks to be having a mental breakdown. But Rei is on it, innocently fixing all of the problems Eva has indirectly caused as per their usual relationship, leaving her with a redheaded dancer. "Ah, Rei..." Naturally, he's off to help their adorable mascot Bacon-chan back to her feet. Idly, Eva reflects on the viability of Bacon-chan memorabilia. "Yes, of course, Mistress," is what Eva says to Margaux, curtseying gracefully. Eva has managed a level of elegance and refinement that suggests the type of feminity she most admires. She imagines this makes for an appealing synthesis. It's really more of an uncanny valley effect. "Please, allow me to serve you." She'd like to speak to Terra more, having grown interested in the half-esper after their adventure in the desert, but duty calls. Eva leads Margaux to a neat table and serenely seats her. "There is only tea on the menu, but of course," she says, leaning in to speak more quietly, "we endeavor to serve." Whereupon she leaves and soon returns with an unmarked bottle, serving ruby liquid from it into a fluted glass. Where did the wine come from? Did this place use to be a store or something? PREVIOUSLY "Someone's going to need this by the end of the day," Ivo reflects aloud as he puts a bottle of wine into one of the side cupboard. NOW Maira calls out to her about Sammy's arrival, and Eva looks over with a smile, faltering slightly when she sees just /how/ many people are lined up for Maira Hugs. He should have got his while the getting was good. "Ah, could you take care of this one, Maira darling?" she replies, before turning back to her current customer. "We are all devoted, Mistress, leader and member alike," she says at last, a belated reply while Margaux settles in. "Thus we are suited for service." Do her eyes look amused as she says this? "And what has brought you to our humble establishment?" The dancer seemed to have hesitated before entering. Eva gets the sense she has some reason for being here beyond the entertainment value. Entertainment value which increases as the mysterious and fetching Girlgamesh visibly-- reverts. Eva stares, features inscrutable, which allows her to look cooler than most people do while her brain is going, 'What. What. What.' And then Avira solves the problem. "Huh," Eva murmurs. "Sometimes violence /is/ the answer." She has her cellphone out for some reason. "Not quite enough for another calendar," she adds mysteriously. Five of eight Avira panty flashes, captured. Someone has to compensate for Mercade's decency, after all.

:'''[[Rei Seatlan]] has posed:''' Reize cannot help but to eye poor Leida when she finds herself in the situation where she seems... miserable. Kneeling over to her, the boy brings his hands over towards her shoulders to help her up from the ground. "Now, let's get you up! We can't have you looking down lke that!" She smiles, offering a bright smile. "Hey... how about we switch costumes?" Pause. "I think you will do us proud as one of the maids!" ...Perhaps give her some of her dignity back. Not quite a princess-level, but better than her current situation. 

:'''[[Tifa Lockhart]] has posed:''' Tifa Lockhart shakes her head as Gilgamesh makes an exit, and returns to her work at the tables. To their dismay, it seems every customer can tell its Reize and Ivo as well, so that'll be interesting conversations in the morning, she is sure of that. But for now, have to handle the customers, bowing elegantly as she greets them with the proper 'master' or 'mistress'. She doesn't have to use those terms normally, but its for the good cause. Who wouldn't like to have an obedient Tifa anyway? At least, those that would hope they wouldn't get on the receiving end of her steel-toed boots. She moves to the kitchen counter "Uhm, could I get a tea for myself too? I am getting thirsty handling everyone, and I'm not sure my stomach can handle the bacon right now." She's been surrounded by the smell for quite a while now. She's pretty sure she's going to have the smell stuck to her until she showers too. Bacon-Tifa, think that would sell?

:'''[[Raine Arland]] has posed:''' "....Dude." Raine mumbled, sidestepped as a /giant naked man and a green dog/ come barreling past him and back out into the streets of Traverse Town. Did he really just see that right now? A chuckle began to emanate within his mind and then a voice spoke up. 'I told you so-' "No. Shut up." Raine grumbled, turning right back around and stalking into the streets of Traverse Town, intent of save his sanity before it was lost to the darkness of this obviously evil place forever. "I had to be curious, why in the world did I have to be curious..." He mumbled to himself over and over and over while rubbing his temples, staving off a headache. Meanwhile the voice in his head just laughed at his expense all the way.

:'''[[Vespa]] has posed:''' "One bacon toast with bacon butter and extra bacon with bacon on the side with bacon?", Vespa looks a bit confused as she taks the order "And for you sir Bacon cofffe topped with bacon cream and bacon salad but hold the salad and extra bacon?", seems somone really likes bacon.. "Coming right up Masters!"

:'''[[Emi Dennou]] has posed:''' Emi looks down at Navya's tail, then up to Navya, then down to her tail again. Every aspect of her being tells her to grab that tail just to see what it feels like, but she knows that's a bad idea. She must resist! SHE MUST. She breathes out and says, "This...is a charity event. We do not think we are getting paid? The Network supposes we could stiff the charity." She doesn't even assign any value judgement based on that despite the obvious value judgement inherent in the words. The two on Sora are too busy taking money from Sora to look at Avira's underwear. Once taken they say, "Thank you," simultaneously and go back to looking at him. Umi however lets out a wooping noise and shouts, "Cute undies, Avi--MMPHHHHH!!!" The MMMMPHHHH is Omi grabbing Umi by the mouth and neck via the crook of her arm, in a position to just snap Umi's neck with nary a word.

:'''[[Maira]] has posed:''' Maira seats Sammy, giving him an apologetic and sympathetic smile. "It is kind of crazy, isn't it? Just try to relax though and know the money is for a good cause! And that several of the 'maids' lost a bet," she replies with a wink. "As for coffee, I'll check! I have a couple more customers, but I'll try to be speedy!" she tells him, then skips off toward the kitchen. "Sko--I mean--Ugh I don't remember what you were calling yourself, but do we have any coffee? Oh, good! A cup of coffee, and I need another plate of bacon and a pot of tea, two cups!" Then she turns toward Faruja, who is looking out of sorts, and without a word just hugs him tightly. "Cheer up Faruja!" Now, new tray in hand and a song on her tongue, Maira moves back out into the dining room, going back to Angantyr and Terra's table first. She places down the tray (yes, there is leaning involved in this), pours the tea, and places the bacon down. "Here you go! I hope you are enjoying yourselves so far. Terra, I'm glad to see you! I bet we could talk so much about magic. I live here in Traverse, you should come visit if you will be in town for a bit, alright?" Maira looks back to Angantyr and flashes him a bright smile. He hadn't assaulted anyone yet! She's so proud. When Avira is done chasing Gilgamesh out (she just can't even think about that now, too busy!) she gives her friend a quick and affectionate hug before she moves back to Sammy's table with his coffee. "I like your suit! Reminds me of something from home," she comments as she pours the coffee.

:'''[[Avira]] has posed:''' Avira certainly is a bit happier now-that little chase got her blood pumping! Though part of her now wishes she was off hunting a mark right now. On the other hand, well, Mercade is here. She smiles back at him, blissfully unaware of Ivo's lewdery. "Right away. I will be back in a moment~" Turning away, she weaves her way through the tables to the kitchen. "Oh miss chef~" she calls out, leaning over to not-Skoll. "One bacon with a bacon salad. And some tea. No bacon in the tea." Avira looks over her shoulder suddenly at Umi. "...wait, what?"

:'''[[Fara Senrietta]] has posed:''' The little mouseling sniffles upon the floor, an ear perking as she hears a picture go off. Oh Faram. No. A chorus of follow-up shots as several others do the same. There's even a sphere being made of the shenanigans within the area. A skirt covers her muzzle, and Fara looks up. Trying to ignore the fangirl squees in the background, the soft arms of Solva draws her against the other 'girl's chest. Gently, the ratling's arms wrap about Solva's chest, shivering in embarrassment as she buries her head within the ruffles of the wolf's maid uniform. "*sniffle*...Yes...*sniffle*...they...they all /saw/! My, my honor is /soiled/ forever! Oh, how will I live with the shame of their eyes upon me, Solva!?" Comes the 'distraught' maiden. Somewhere, the Inquisitor is proud of the rat's acting skills. Inwardly, Faruja just watches as the remains of his pride poof into nothingness. A cute, girly little "Eep!" escapes her muzzle as a hand helps her skirt back down, blush rising further. More squees and snapshots as she begins to untangle herself and move for the bacon. She glances over... Fara's jaw /drops/ at the transformed, mostly naked Gilgamesh. A /scream/ erupts from her muzzle, and she very nearly faints against Solva. "....Oh Faram, my mind! It /bends/ from this horror!" Give her a minute, Hati. Some things damage the soul. Then Maira comes up and hugs him. Soft...warm...cough! Fara gladly returns it, happy to have a distraction, and a friend. Sniffle. "...It was /horrible/ Maira! Oh, what is a Maiden to do?" The plate is taken, and with slow steps, she gently walks over to place the plate of bacon and tea before Hati. Smile. A bashful blush. "Here you are, honored Mistress. May I get you anything else? Sugar? Cream perhaps?" All the while, Fara's tips pile up, thanks to her mishap. Wardrobe malfunctions are money makers.

:'''[[Solva Ulfang]] has posed:''' Oh, but unlike Sora, Skoll notices that pantyshot. The werewolf is just turning around to accept one of the orders coming in when she falls. His eyes widen, and he quickly tilts his head back and puts his fingers at the bridge of his nose. There's a loud inhaling sniffing sound, before he turns away shyly, a blush on his face. "... it was black." He whispers to himself, before trudging off towards the counter and preparing the desired items. He just hopes he made enough bacon. But with two refridgerators full of bacon. Let's just hope none of those picking up a order heard him say that... LIKE TIFA! His heart skips, in fear she might have heard him state the color of Avira's panties. He ends up leaning against the counter as Tifa comes in muttering about bacon. "Of course. One moment." He quickly grabs a nice big cup, and pours her some nice non-bacon tea, and then moves to open a door that leads to the back yard. "Take a breather out there if you need it." He tells her, gently giving her the cup of tea and smiles at her like a rather... well... gentleman-like-girl? It's kind of a weird situation he is in. And then Vespa has to come with her order, and Skoll gives her a /look/... and then crosses his arms. "Tell them, no substitutions. You can't just go substituting bacon shreds with bacon-weave! Do you have any idea how much that bacon costs? Tell them no - no substitutions. If they don't understand my culinary brilliance, then too bad for them." That's around the time he moves to take the coffee-pot off of the stove and pours in a cup for Maira. "It's actually for the folk working today, to keep their energy. But if someone really has to have coffee..." He hands it to Maira. "And... just Skoll will work. Ivo forced the name 'Solva' on me." And to make matters worse, Avira comes in. Skoll immediately starts blushing red, and stammers a bit. "Ah, ehh... tea, black~EHH, I MEAN BACON! BACON! I SAID BACON!" Skoll turns around and his tail kind of just 'poofs up' rather adorably, and gets to work frantically on the order Avira just made.

:'''[[Navya]] has posed:''' "We /aren't/," Navya says with a sigh, "which is why I'm not just paying instead of dressing up! I would totally pay so I didn't have to. I don't even like cleaning! But I'm not going to cheat either. That's not the paravir way!" Navya thumps her chest, as if to prove it. Yeah, she doesn't entirely get the purpose of the maid cafe, really. Though she's starting to get the idea. Sometimes she's a little thick, though. (Okay, most of the time.) She's mostly gotten over Gilgamesh, for now. Rest assured she will be mad at him again later. Navya hears Umi. She very deliberately makes her tail point straight down to avoid wardrobe malfunctions on /her/ part. She doesn't want anyone looking at /hers/ (and this is why she never normally wears dresses)! It's not really the way it points normally, though.

:'''[[Bacon-chan]] has posed:''' Leida's face is somewhat scuffed up as she is rolled over to face the young maid leader of her clan. Seeing Reize in a frilly dress almost cheers her up but his suggestion that they swap clothes makes her balk. "Wh-what?! But... I... that wouldn't be...!" She trails off as a realization hits her. Someone is offering to take this horrible vile weight off her shoulders and she's /arguing/ with them. The girl promptly shuts her mouth with an audible click of teeth and stares up at him intently. "You... you would do that for me?" Leida's eyes are huge and cute right now, as if trying to further entice Reize to step in and take this misery away despite him already offering to do so. She must ensure there is no reason for him to back out!

:'''[[Angantyr Vespar]] has posed:''' Angantyr smiles at Maira, he is at least being civil...and he frowns for a moment as he looks right at Eva. RIGHT. At. Him. There is that dangerous glint again, but...he says nothing, at least, openly. Instead, Terra distracts him and he nods to her. "Good to meet you." he says, with a nod to her, "You looked like a fish out of water, so I thought you might need some help." he says, "Are there no resturants where you are from?" he asks, politely. There are lots of world... And then the bacon plate is delivered. He looks at it for a moment, narrowing his eyes, "He spelled the word that isn't even a word wrong." he says, just loud enough for Skoll to hear it, "Inform him if he is going to try and mock me, do so intelligently in the future. THERE WILL BE NO TIP!" he says, "Except for you only Maira." he softens immediately. Yes, he is looking at that clevage. Not even hiding it a little bit. He's human, damn it!

:'''[[Sammy Colt]] has posed:''' "Crazy's one way to put it." Sammy says to himself as Maira walks away. Though, to be honest, with his face in his hands as he wonders exactly how much sleep he's missed out on since China, his eyes seem a little fixed on Maira's figure as she walks away. *Snapping fingers noise in Sammy's head* Hey! Pay attention, find your mark! Sammy blinks twice and stiffles a yawn. He needed to find that Reize-maid and talk to her... him... it... Whatever. As his eyes scan about, Maira returns and Sammy instinctivly leans back into the booth, trying to act like he wasn't doing anything - standard Turk protocol, you know. "Thanks. I, uh, like your uniform. It's... " (Don't say bouncy) "..." (Don't say bouncy!) "..." (DON'T SAY BOUNCY) "Nice." (Nailed it.). Sammy lets his awkward silence hang for a moment as the coffee is poured. The small man takes a moment to watch Maira fill it up before he gives her a smile and reaches into his pocket, extracting a sack o' munny and putting it on the table. "So, I was wondering, how much would I have to give to 'charity' - " He probably doesn't know what that word means... Fundraiser would make more sense to him. "for a favour?" He finishes the sentence, probably not aware that it might sound like he was making a pass at Maira.

:'''[[Tifa Lockhart]] has posed:''' Tifa Lockhart fortunatly didn't hear Solva's comment, otherwise she'd wonder. Not that hers are black, or that she knows what Solva would be talking about anyway, but hey. She smiles "Oh, thanks, I'm okay, but I will need to wash the smell out of my skin once I'm done here." She takes the tea cup and sips from it, letting out a content 'ahhh' sound at it. She was parched. She wonders "... so you really like Bacon?" She asks the chef, but otherwise not disturbing the 'happy time' with Avira either. Well, its nice that people have targets for their affection (or infatuation?) at least.

:'''[[Vespa]] has posed:''' Vespa heads back to the kitchen. She looks at Skoll. "Do you want the taser back now? I don't think anyone else will touch me tonight..", she looks at her notepad. "And can I get One bacon toast with bacon butter and extra bacon with bacon on the side with bacon? and One bacon toast with bacon butter and extra bacon with bacon on the side with bacon? Someone really likes bacon..

:'''[[Fara Senrietta]] has posed:''' Ear-perk. Fara turns as he hears a choice set of words from Sammy. That single eye goes wide. A low, dainty squeak of anger rises. Light appears around her hand, and from the light, she pulls out a weapon of great power and destruction! "Nay! Do not despoil the honor of a fellow maiden! Maiden Maira, I shall protect thee!" The great weapon shines! A deft throw! What shining weapon of holiness shall be thrust towards Sammy? Fara Senrietta uses Throw Holy Feather Duster.

:'''[[Avira]] has posed:''' "We have black tea?" Avira asks, sounding confused, before realization dawns upon her and Skoll suddenly flounders all over himself. The dressed-up VALKYRI stands there, her face pale. How did he know the color!? Who else looked?! AHHH THIS IS TERRIBLE. EVERYTHING IS TERRIBLE. "H-hurry up!" Avira demands, flustered.

:'''[[Sora]] has posed:''' Sora sips his tea. After like, five minutes, he finally asks, carefully, "Are you just going to stare at me?"

:'''[[Hati]] has posed:''' While Faruja is distracted with his near faint at the sight of Girlgamesh, Hati decides to work the crowd. Her voice can be heard encouraging some of the 'fangirls' to donate, even ones who haven't gotten through the line yet for their chance to be served at the cafe. Some fine gentlemen in a top hat donates his headgear to the cause and soon enough it's overflowing with donations of munny. There's even a trio of girls who all call out in unison, in slightly off-key voices, "We love you Fara!" Followed by a gruff, male voice chiming in: "Yeah." By the time that the mouse actually returns with her food, Hati just nudges the hat in his direction, smirking slightly. "Seems like you're a popular mouse." She notes, looking from the already gathered donations, to the fangirls (and boys) lined up behind the table. "Shame I can't keep you all to myself. But maybe you could do me one more little thing?" She holds her fingers close together. The wolf waits until he's done defending the honor of the 'fellow maiden', taking the moment to test the food with a look of bliss on her features. Once Feather Duster is thrown, she looks back at Fara, clearing her throat, and doing a 'come hither' gesture, as if trying to lead the mouse in closer. Uh oh.

:'''[[Rei Seatlan]] has posed:''' Once Leida is scuffed up, Reize attempts to straighten her out and he looks her over once more. And then her reaction to him recommending that they swap clothes earns a smile. She is always that way, knowing that she is usually the type to turn back help. However, as she finally lets it sink in, Reize can see her huge, cute eyes draw him in. ...Arg. This also does not help that Reize has a weakness to cute faces. It shows when the cheeks turn red and his hands move to the back of his head. "Yeah! Let's do this!" He reaches his hand over towards Leida to drag her off. OMAKE! OMAKE! OMAKE! Final Kingdom Omake! Chibi Lily: What are you doing? Chibi Ivo: Watch. *grabs Reize's antenna hair and turns it to the side* Chibi Reize: *gives access to the Blitzball channel* Chibi Terra, Leida, and Sora: Ooohh.. Chibi Lily: Ooh! Let me try! *turns antenna* Chibi Reize: *Suddenly, 300* Chibi Faruja: *knocks everyone over* Yeeeeeeeesss! *pause* Err.. my apologies.

:'''[[Emi Dennou]] has posed:''' "What's a paravir?" Emi asks. "Are you a paravir? The Network has not heard that term before." "Mppphh!" Umi wiggles free enough to say. "I was just trying to say your under--UNFFGGHH.." Omi tightens her hold and Umi goes limp in her arms. Omi nods once to Avira and slowly drags Umi's body over to one of the storage rooms. Emi shakes her head slowly. She would like to be helpful here, but it's a difficult job and she doesn't want a comomtion. Hmm. "The Dark Knight is offering a job..." She tells Navya. "Ivo's cellphone." She looks to her. "...Could you obtain that with discretion? We have to wipe it. We will split payment with you for the case." "...Acceptable? The Network inquires." Meanwhile the two on Sora. One of them asks, "Would you like something else? The Network inquires." "Yes, we're baically here to stare at you."

:'''[[Margaux Fleury]] has posed:''' The very idea of people willingly acting as maids and being wholeheartedly subservient to complete strangers is something that Margaux does not want to think about too hard. It does not help that such maid cosplay reminds the woman bitterly of the Death Corps own war against the nobility who uses people in such a way. She also does not want to think about why they chose such outfits (especially the men in the room,, but they could have quite possibly never seen an actual maid before. In counterpoint, Maid-Wiegraf. The dancer looks as if she just tasted something bitter which causes Margaux to nearly miss what Eva said to her. The wacky hijinks and chases going elsewhere also contibute to Margaux's confusion and bewilderment. "Yes, of course. I forget that what defines a 'cafe' is now up for debate." She says in response to her request for some wine. "And please, " Some Munny is taken out for reinforcement. "Save your act for the other patrons as I, as you have already guessed, did not come here to be serviced by..." Blue eyes train on Eva for a moment. "...such -lovely- mademoiselles." It really took a lot of Margaux to say that with a straight face. "I am Marguerite de Fleury and have come here on behalf of the Death Corps." The dancer motions to herself now. "I was to make contact with the leaders of either the Shardseekers or this VALKYRI to ask for their help." Margaux now offers her most winning smile towards Eva. "Of course, I would not want to intrude on your....charity too much with such dire talk, but perhaps I could atleast arrange a meeting when everyone is dressed a little less...festively."

:'''[[Angantyr Vespar]] has posed:''' Angantyr, after hearing Sammy's words slowly leans his head towards him. This time, the look was not a glint... It was pure murder, pure unadultarited murder. He doesn't speak, but for once Farauja and he are on the same page... but then Fara produces a feather duster...and this causes Ang to just put his head into his hands.

:'''[[Solva Ulfang]] has posed:''' "Yeah, meat in general. I'm a werewolf after all." Skoll explains to Tifa. "So it kind of comes with the teritory." He keeps talking while listening to Vespa's order, and giving her the thumb-ups with one hand, and shaking the frying-pan with the other. "Can do, miss Vespa." He calls back to her. "Can you grab the bacon butter from the fridge for me?" And then to Tifa, not moments after; "And Tifa, mind if you grab some of the bacon from that cabinet over there and stick them into the toaster?" It seems that enough folk are asking for bacon-related items that he needs to get a bit of help on his cooking. And then Avira has to go pale and tell him to hurry up, and the werewolf just flusters up himself. "H... hurrying! Hurrying!" He tells her! Shake the bacon. Pour the bacon, add a new plate, clean the plate with a napkin, give to server, and when he's just about to give Avira her plate, and walks forwards, he ends up /snapping/ one of his heels just as he hears Angantyr call back to him - making him wince - and then he starts falling right on forwards towards Avira. Oh no.... Skoll just braces for impact. That plate is likely to go in the air. SOMEONE SAVE THE AIRBORNE BACON!

:'''[[Minerva]] has posed:''' Minerva is seeing Sora's helped she'll walzt away to find someone else to help or prehaps to just watch the chaos but yes those darn maid otufit are ahem certainly on the fanservicey side today. It's really part of the draw for the charity run. Minerva doesn't mind but still? The sanity points some are losing from some of the others in this maddnes.

:'''[[Maira]] has posed:''' Angantyr is being...uncommonly attentive. While she knows she shouldn't actually think too much of it, she can't help but blush, her cheeks turning rosey and the air around her becoming noticeably warmer. Returning to Sammy, she places the bag on munny in her apron with a bright smile. Those pockets are getting overly full. She's going to have to start finding new places to stuff money--That thought, yes, probably. Maira's eyebrows rise as he asks how much a favor would cost. Being the innocent she is, she doesn't interpret it at all sexually--thus the death glare from Angantyr and Faruja's super threatening feather duster get curious looks from Maid Maira. "Uhhh..." she says, then gives Faruja a 'you are endangering my tips!' look before turning back to Sammy. "What favor? Do you need something else?"

:'''[[Terra Branford]] has posed:''' Terra blinks at Angantyr. "Oh, there are restaurants in my world. I've just never been to any." Unless standing in the smoking ruins of a building counts as being in it. "They're very, ah..." Terra's politeness kicks in, "energetic, huh?" As the food arrives, Maira's bending at the waist makes Terra's lips pucker and take a journey to the extreme right side of her mouth in a bit of immature resentment. She looks away, but there's still something in the corner of her eye, /swaying/. Like the world itself hates her. Terra likes Maira, though, or most of Maira. She can happily talk to her even if it means, cruelly, that she needs to look at the maid while she's moving plates around. "Really? You'd let me visit?" Talking about magic! "Sure! I would love to do that. You're a great mage." Plates are falling, dusters flying, hate and love and frills everywhere. Terra looks down at her bacon. She can't even eat it. Picking up her tea, she sips. Too hot, needs cooling. She considers trying to do it with magic, but fine work like that was never her forte. "Maids have a hard job," she observes.

:'''[[Tifa Lockhart]] has posed:''' The feather duster is actually caught out of the air, a hand clasping around the handle and stopping it midflight, inches from Sammy's face. The barmaid, now a more complete look with a feather duster in hand, walks over to Fara, hand on her hips... And then reaches to pinch Fara's nose "Maids DO NOT toss their tools at the masters, no matter the circunstances. It is NOT the maid's place to question what the masters are doing, as long as they aren't hurting anyone. You're thinking too much into the choice of words here." Yup, Tifa has been taken her role seriously it seems, and not letting 'Fara' ruin it for all of the masters present either. "He hasn't touched her, so still your hand." And then she hands Fara the duster back, and 'sways' back toward the turk... it only takes an instant for her to go back into 'maid' mode it seems, as she smiles and curtsies "Pardon the impudence of my colleague, if I may be of any service to you, you only need to ask, master."

:'''[[Sora]] has posed:''' "Give me one moment..." Sora's finely tuned PROTAGANIST TROUBLE SENSES go on alert. He's up on his feet and into the kitchen in a matter of seconds, eyeballing the airborn bacon and the Skoll/Avira pile. He grabs the plate out of the air - and then the TRIANGLE BUTTON is pushed for: REACTION: SAVE THE BACON. Sora comically darts around the group as he collects the bacon, but his clown shoes provide a detriment, and he falls forward into the main room. The plate goes flying into the air again... only to land right in front of Mercade, bacon intact. Sora, however, goes flying right into his pair of maid Dennous. There may be some extra contact. "Waugh!"

:'''[[Avira]] has posed:''' Avira holds out her hands, ready to accept the plate so hastily prepared by Skoll. Her face is still bright red as the full embarassment of her earlier stunt to chase Gilgamesh out finally dawns upon her. What had she done?! But...but it was so much fun. She loved the thrill of the chase! Rushing after Gilgamesh over and under every obstacle- Oh there's a werewolf falling onto her. The tiny, scarred woman yelps suddenly as she goes pitching backwards and lands flat on her back. With a groan, she starts to squirm. "Oh no, the bacon! The bacon is going to-" Avira peers around. There is no fallen bacon. She flips herself onto her belly and looks out into the cafe proper. "It...got to Mercade...? Whew."

:'''[[Angantyr Vespar]] has posed:''' Angantyr nods once to Terra. "I see. Well, this is rather untraditional. Some resturants you just go to a counter and order your food, and they give it to you...others you have to wait to be seated, like this establishment, and you get a menue and some time to order. The second require you to tip...unless the service is not up to par." he says calmly, "Not tipping is a grave offense, and will get your food spit in." he nods once. "Oh you are a mage?" Angantyr asks, "I am a Dark Knight myself...if it wasn't bloody obvious." he offers, "You must have been cloistered then, if you've never been to a resturant." he takes a guess, trying to figure out Terra. "Yes. Yes it is. This is why you should tip Maira." he offers, with a nod, "She is a good girl." and then he grins at Maira blushes.

:'''[[Sammy Colt]] has posed:''' Sammy looks down at Maira as a duster stops inches from his head, which disappears as Sammy looks towards it. He could of sworn there was some kind of thing coming towrds him, like a glowing light. Damn being exhausted plays tricks on a person's mind! Maira asks what kind of favour Sammy's asking about and Sammy clears his throat. He pauses to hear a small commotion happening between a black-haired maid and a mouse-maid... A one-eyed mouse maid. Oh, beautiful, it's the rat-man that kicked his hiding can over a while back. Whatever she was giving him what for, Sammy was sure he/she/it deserved it. "Right, uh, the favour. Well, you see, I need some heroes to deal with a heartless infestation at one of my company's reactors that somehow got lost in the Great Wall of China." He states, like he was simply asking someont to fetch him his slippes. Then Tifa comes and offers her own services. Sammy smiles and pulls out another little sack of munny, tipping Ms. Lockheart merely because she pinched the nose of that annoying templar. "As I was explaining to the lovely Ms. here, I need some help with emptying my reactor of a lot of unwanted guests." He states, again probably not giving the best sounding tone - considering he's trying to act 'cool', like Reno.

:'''[[Bacon-chan]] has posed:''' Leida puts up no fuss when she is lead off towards one of the back rooms. She is, infact, more relieved than she has ever been in recent memory to know that her nightmare is over. The fact that Reize has decided to throw himself at the mercy of Ivo's nefarious plan sort of makes her feel bad but not enough so that she's going to refuse the offer. The two of them disappear for a few minutes as the exchange goes down. Leida heaves a sigh of relief as the upper half of the costume is pulled away, her slender body and long hair soaked with sweat. It's really hot inside those costumes! The girl fans herself with both hands for a few moments and allows the flow of air over her skin to cool her down. It is after a few moments of this that she notices Reize is staring at her. She turns to face him with a confused expression, hands quickly going up to smooth down her hair self-consciously. "U-um... what is it, Reize-san? Do I have something on my face?" The boy shakes his head, coughing as he politely looks away and points at her torso. Leida slowly peers down and finally realises her mistake. The costume was too tight-fitting to wear a shirt underneath. Back out in the main room, the sound of a girlish shriek followed by dull thud can be heard as the building shakes from some unknown impact. A few minutes later, Leida emerges from the kitchen wearing the maid outfit formerly adorning the young Seeker leader's body, her face still bright red. She's taken the time to comb down her messy hair and put on a little frilly lace barrette salvaged from the various maid supplies gathered for this event as well as a big bow which is tied about her waist like a sash. The princess steps out just in time to see the flying bacon crisis but all she can do is gasp while others leap to the rescue.

:'''[[Solva Ulfang]] has posed:''' Skoll ends up kind of 'frozen' on top of Avira for a little, his hands on either side of her and his head at the side of her chest. But when he rears up to look at where the bacon went off to, relieved that it make it to Mercade, and then looks down... that's when he just freezes up. His head goes from mildly red, to red, to TOMATO - as he is in that move-style 'almost kissing range' where the inevitability is just... basically there. Yet he manages to save himself the embarassment, and slowly pulls away from her, looking away shyly. "Y.. yeah, glad it got to Mercade okay." He whispers, then takes the damaged high-heel shoe off along with the other, and gets up before offering a hand to Avira, offering to help her get up. "Sorry." He mewls shyly, and just kind of /awkwardly stands there/ for a good few moments. He then glances back to Mercade. HOW DID THAT PLATE GET THERE!? If only he'd seen! He would have hugged his /new hero/.

:'''[[Tifa Lockhart]] has posed:''' Tifa Lockhart keeps her charming smile, although she's not sure that she understands what Sammy is talking about. But! "... So you wish for laxatives, master?" She offers up, trying to keep her voice low enough not to disturb the other patrons with the thoughts of this..

:'''[[Fara Senrietta]] has posed:''' That blush may just be permanent on Fara's features as she hears the fangirls (and boys) calling out to her. She even gives a little, bashful wave...then a blown kiss their way! As she turns about to address Hati, there's even a tail waggle. Two girls and a guy faint on the spot, sporting nosebleeds. The hat is taken with a barely hidden grin, both ears waggling. "Mistress, you have been most generous and helpful! Anything! Anything at all that you would desire! I am here to please and serve thee." An extra flick of her pink tailtip is given for emphasis. A maiden's honor and duty is to serve! She shall not fail her Faram given task in maidendom! The little mouseling shrinks under the weight of tip-endangerment from Maira. Squeak! Comes Fara's voice as her nose is gripped, several laughs sounding out, her knees knocking together and her tail curling beneath her legs. She looks on in /shame/ as she's lambasted by Tifa. When she's let go, feather duster in a frilly pocket, she curtsies low to Tifa. "Yes, Mistress Tifa...I...I am /shamed/! My honor is forever tainted! I must make amends..." 'She' turns to the crowd. A slow, nervous smile. "Please...patient Masters and Mistresses, help me repent in service to you all!" A cleared throat, and Fara turns back to Hati. Blink. That classic come hither motion. Slowly, oh so slowly, Fara leans in close to Hati. "Yes, Mistress? How may I be of service?"

:'''[[Navya]] has posed:''' "I'm going to be a parivir!" Navya is pretty firm about that. "They're awesome, they're amazing bodyguards who use magic swords and fight evil!! But I'm not one right now or anything. I'm just going to be someday." Emi offers her a job. Navya hesitates, standing up on tiptoes (and yes, she has forgotten about keeping her tail down). "I guess I can get the cell phone. I don't really know how, though. Maybe I'll just ask!" And that declared, Navya strides directly toward Eva/Ivo. Given she's dressed up as a maid, this does not mean a customer is coming and thus translate directly into profit. But she does slow down a little bit so she can see where Ivo puts the cell phone. Hmmmm.

:'''[[Vespa]] has posed:''' Vespa pockets the taser. "Thank you.", she goes to the fride and gets the bacon butter. She puts it on the conuter, she ahs and skolls falls over onto Avaria and bacon goes flying! But it saved by Sora. She quietly sneaks out of the kitchen. She sighs to herself feeling a bit lonely all of the sudden. Oh well, more 'Masters' that need service!

:'''[[Maira]] has posed:''' Ohh...Faruja thought the man was propositioning her! Now it makes sense. Oh, goodness! No wonder he got all up in arms (feather dusters). She smiles lightly in appreciation of the sentiment to Faruja, then turns her attention back to Sammy, her smile still warm--At least until he starts talking. Company. Reactor. These words come together in her mind and she realizes where she has seen that style suit before--just a glimpse, but... Maira is not very good at hiding her feelings, and for a moment she looks terrified. Oh come now Maira! He's one guy from Shinra, not the boogeyman! And he needs a job done--a job that pays, a job that Avira would probably want to take. But...but Shinra... Maira gulps. "Well, I'm in VALKYRI, we are available for such things but...I will have to ask our leader, okay?" she says, refilling his coffee before she retreats. Luckily, Maira doesn't hear Tifa, cause she might have fallen over! Back to Angantyr and Terra, looking a little flustered and bewildered. When Terra speaks though, Maira's smile returns in almost full force, her head nodding with enthusiasm. "Of course! I would be wonderful to have someone else to talk about magic with! You seem really nice Miss Terra," she replies. For a long moment Maira is eyeing a seat. Goodness, she's getting tired! It is tempting to just sit for a while...alas! "Alriiiight can I get either of you anything else?"

:'''[[Hati]] has posed:''' Since it's clear that Faruja has some 'repentance' to take care of, and she can't just monopolize his attention all evening, Hati continues to make her little motion until the mouse is right up close. then, she leans in and whispers something into his ear, and offers up a kiss on the cheek. Which promptly has another two fan-girls fainting behind the pair. This taken care of, the wolf just smiles to herself, "I think you've served me more than well. Don't you worry yourself. I'll be sure to leave a big donation in your name." She inclines her head, seeming to offer this as his 'release' to go deal with other customers. As for her brother, well... Hati can be seen snapping one more photo with her camera, and then well... she fades to the background to eat her meal, and then eventually wander off, snickering madly.

:'''[[Emi Dennou]] has posed:''' The Dennous turn to continue staring at Sora as he starts reaction commanding even as he bounces about like a maniac, saving bacon from truly dire fates. Sora flies towards the Dennous at such speed that he actually crashes into the two of them, sending both tumbling to the ground with him on top of them. Wait--did Imi just actually drag Sora down with her? It's a mystery. Imi recovers quickly, even with Sora's hand on her chest (his other happens to be perfectly situated on Ami's). She looks up into Sora's eyes and says, "I see... you truly are the main character, Sora. Only someone such as yourself would be able to get both of us down like this at the same time. Very well," She presses one of her hands against the back of Sora's head and cranes her head up, lips heading for his and-- GOOFY ADVICE HOUR! "Gawrsh folks! Hello again! This is another edition of good idea, and bad idea! Here's a good idea--paying attention to where you're going! And being wary of slippery surfaces!" He tosses a banana peel on the ground and says, "Hey Donald, can you come in here with your eyes closed, Hayuck!" "Why sure goofy, wak--" Donald walks in and then walks past Goofy towards the banana peel, "Say what are we doing WAAAAAAAAAAAAK WAK WAK WAK WAK WAK WAK WAK!!!" *CRASHTHUDSMASH* "Now that's what happens, shyucks! I feel a bit bad, but... Mickey! How about you do the same?" Mickey walks in, eyes open and says, "Sorry, no can do goof! It always pays to pay attention!" "Sure thing, Mickey!" Goofy looks towards the camera. "And now you know!" Emi nods along to Navya's description. "Mmhmm. Mmhmm..." She nods slowly. "That's fine, if that works." Emi smiles after her and then promptly acts nonchalant.

:'''[[Sammy Colt]] has posed:''' "That's a funny way to call heroes. I guess if that's your 'thing'." Sammy says, giving air quotes to 'thing'. "I was hoping to hire the Shard Seekers, or some other hero company to go to China and clear out the Mako reactor in the Great Wall. " He says with a shrug. "There's an infestation of heartless. -" He's cut off by the apology of Fara-maid, to which he can only smile to and give a one-shot chuckle. "- And, uh..." He turns back, his eyes glancing at the bodies of the two women before raising to their faces. He's got red cheeks, but he's doing a damn good job of staying professional about the whole situation. (Eyes on target!) his mind screams as he takes a sip of coffee and puts it down. Too soon to sip on the hot liquid without damage. The boy puts the coffee cup down and raises his eyes to the two maids now standing before him. (What would Reno do?) There's a mental pause as Sammy pictures Reno with the girls on his lap, laughing. (Nevermind. Act like Rude) "Sorry. Hot coffee." He says, now realizing that Maira had taken off. "... Weren't there two of you?" He asks before rubbing his temples, "Nevermind. Look. If you think you guys can handle taking out a horde of heartless, give my guys a call and we'll set up a payment." He states, placing a small business card of sorts on the table, one that has an animated chibi Sammy posing proudly. The name of the company is obviously a front and Tifa's probably seen that suit before. "For now, I'm gonna take this coffee to go, but here..." He says, pulling a larger sack of munny on the table for Tifa, "I hope this covers the cost of the cup" Obviously Sammy's bad with munny, the bag could probably buy fifty cups. Sammy stands up, with the cup o' coffee and gives Tifa a nod as he makes his way towards the door, now realizing that this was in fact reality. He'll need many hours of Dance Dance Retribution to get this out of his head.

:'''[[Avira]] has posed:''' Avira stares up at Skoll for a long moment before he manages to get up. Right away, Avira's hand goes down to her skirt to pull it down as far as possible so she can remain decent while lying there. The free hand reaches up to take the offered hand from Skoll. Pulling herself up, Avira glances away, flustered. "Just be careful in those heels, alright Skoll?" she laughs a little, reaching up to ruffle his hair playfully. "I'll help myself to the tea~" She steps past him and procures some tea before finally escaping the kitchen. Grinning lightly, she finally returns to Mercade's table and sets the tea down. "My apologies for the delay." She bows. "Will there be anything else, Master Alexander?"

:'''[[Eva Galvan]] has posed:''' Eva is faithfully serving Margaux to the best of her hostess abilities when she senses a dangerous gaze upon her, blinking and turning to see an unfamiliar knight glowering at him next to a smiling Maira. The hostess's amused smile fades, features turning distant as she regards Angantyr -- until her eyebrow twitches as his shamelessly obvious checking out of Maira. Damn it, Eva was trying to be /subtle/ about it; who does this guy think he is? Wait, is /he/ making Maira blush? That's Eva's job! Er, Ivo's job. ...This situation is a little disadvantageous. Furthermore, Eva's current customer demands her attention, as she seems to have slightly more serious intentions than most, so unfortunately the hostess misses Fara's valiant and righteous assault upon Sammy. Oh, and Margaux is being flattering, too! "The Death Corps? How grim." Rather than sounding flippant, Eva sounds more like she's being self-deprecating about her own current absurd straits, posture shifting away toward her idea of feminine grace and all at once looking a lot more like, uh, Ivo. He's saving the act, as requested. ...It was fun, though. "It's an honor, Lady de Fleury," he continues, more seriously. "I hope you'll forgive the inconvenient circumstances." The dancer's charming smile is met with one of Eva's own, this time affable rather than faux-serene. "I am sure both VALKYRI and we would be glad to speak with you about the matters for which you require our assistance. We are not always costumed, I assure you." Though festivity is somewhat par for the course. Cue Sora zipping around the room, perfecting the bacon collection minigame. Eva promptly snaps more photos with her cellphone, and then, unaware that Navya is watching, slips it back into its holding place: 'her' bodice. "The bacon is more popular than I anticipated," Eva remarks, her good-natured smile more Ivo-like than her previous performance after interacting with Margaux. But this causes a customer who has been temporarily ignored in all the ruckus, seated at a nearby table, to look over with a baleful eye. 'Not with me,' the convenient NPC mutters. '/I/ don't understand why this is all about bacon. What's so great about bacon?' There's a brief and terrible silence. But Eva does not look dismayed. Rather, her smile seems to grow, her gaze drifting toward the kitchen, before she represses it, carefully assuming her elegant posture from before. She may not qualify for Maira Hugs as the hostess rather than the customer, and she may not be the most-requested maid, but Eva can still make a little more magic happen. o/~ "Why bacon, you ask? What a query, my Master!" After all, Mistress Hati had a request. o/~ "Is this succulent scent not answer enough?" Eva steps forward, twirling her skirts with a pleasant smile, as her, okay let's just admit that it's mannish, voice begins to sing out, piercing the din. o/~ "Countless reasons I could offer, but t'would be faster..." And she raises her arms high, striking a pose. o/~ "To sing of how bacon's got the right stuff!" Because, let's face it, that's all we were missing at this point. o/~ "Crispy, crackling, glistening fat! A savory taste which melts on your tongue Its aroma will set your stomach to rumbling at The hope that you'll eat while the day is still young!" Eva learned out to dance at formal court balls, so she sweeps between the tables with a sort of refinement not quite appropriate to her lively improvised tune. As she moves past customers and fellow maids alike, she makes her way in the direction of the kitchen. o/~ "Bacon! With bacon before you, the world is so bright Its virtues are infin't, too many to list I could go into detail on each scrumptuous bite But I think at this point, you get the giiiist--" Whereupon he pauses, leaning fetchingly against a wall, and bats her eyelashes at the hard-working kitchen slave Skoll-- er, what did Eva force her to call herself, again? "But perhaps Solva can add a nice little twist?"

:'''[[Tifa Lockhart]] has posed:''' Tifa Lockhart takes the card and the monny, putting it away in pockets "I am afraid master that it is the wrong time to request services for anything else than food and drinks, as this is a charity event. But I would invite you to visit the Shard Seekers or the VALKIRI offices after the event or tomorrow for that kind of business." She answers as straightlaced as possible, given the circunstances. She's not even part of either group. And she has to wonder why the Turk came and offered work instead of asking for food. Maybe that turk really isn't all that bright. "I will try to relay the message of your desired contracting nonetheless." She offers with a smile still, and then brings him a refill of his bacon-flavored coffee. Slipping near Maira, she slips her the tip she got, a finger to her own lips to hush Maira about it. Well, even maids can look for one another after all.

:'''[[Sora]] has posed:''' Sora blinks as he lands firmly on top of both Imi and Ami. "Oh my /goodness/, I'm sorry Imi, but --" He hastily goes to remove his hands from their (precarious?) positions on their chests, even as he blinks at her words. "G-get both of you down?" Sora blinks a few more times, but then his voice goes oddly flat. Main character first kiss goes too: Imi Dennou. "Mph?"

:'''[[Mercade Alexander]] has posed:''' Mercade waits patiently. The chaos around him is just a... strange thing that he watches, growing distracted from the ongoing absence of Avira. Finally, there is a shout as a bacon order goes flying! Mercade braces for impact, but Sora goes flying past with the save! "Thanks, Sora!" Man, he's gotten a lot more... dynamic... than he remembered. He munches on bacon idly, wondering what's keeping Avira... And ah, there she is! with the tea, too! He looks over and takes a sip of the tea. Aaaaah, hot tea, just the thing to cut bacon. Mercade thinks for a moment as Avira apologizes. "Don't worry Avira, it's been rather... entertaining tonight." He gestues over to the other chaos over there. Yeah. That chaos. He then nods to Avira. "I did have something else for you." He pulls out a piece of paper, folded, and he slides it over to Avira so she can look at it.

:'''[[Bacon-kun]] has posed:''' The thud leaves the building shuddering from a very painful impact. Those few moment pass... Reize is stumbling out of the backroom, clearing away. IT IS BACON-KUN! And he looks beaten up. "Hehehee..." The boy staggers around, trying to remember how many fingers a person has. "I am Bacon-kuuuunnnnnn!!!" The boy passes everyone, wobbling out and around... And the boy hears the song. "o/` And bacon has that taste, that you won't forget... With just one biiiitee, your mouth will siiiiiiiiinnnnngggg!!!! o/`" The boy hops onto a table. "o/` Bacon, it's bacon, its unforgettable! Bacon, it's bacon, it taste good as sin! It's bacon, oh bacon, you cannot forget! It's bacon, it's bacon, it will be in historrrryyyyyyyyyyyyy!!! o/`" ..Reize falls off of the table. "ACK!" And about to land onto Margaux's lap. 

:'''[[Sammy Colt]] has posed:''' As Sammy makes his way to the entrance, there's a song of Bacon in the air. Perhaps the entire cafe is entranced, all but Sammy. The poor boy is not sure what's real anymore. Flying lights, busty babes paying him attention, Reize in a maid's outfit. Truly, this entire world was topsy-turvy. The door closes behind him, the score of the bacon ballade dimming as Sammy gives himself a shake of the head before taking another strong sip of coffee. He bites back the bitter taste of bacon coffee and open his eyes. Nope. Still awake - and hearing the bacon song. Traverse Town was truly terrifying sometimes. Deciding it best to save what's left of his sanity, Colt examines the coffee, tips it over on its side to pour it out on the floor and heads back to base. They probably spiked it anyhow. He takes a look back inside the Cafe to see Reize in a different outfit, standing on a table and singing. "... I think I'm gonna need a catscan." He says to himself as he flips open his communicator to set up an appointment.

:'''[[Fara Senrietta]] has posed:''' Ear-perk. Words float into the ratling's ear. They flitter through her brain, the implications slowly dawning on her just as soft lips touch her cheek. Not a single part of her /isn't/ red, and a slow drip comes from her nose. She's forced to absently take out a pink handkerchief, held to her nose daintily. The little maiden ratling can't even form words for a moment, her muzzle open just slightly. Gulp. Tail twitch. There's mention of a large donation. A curtsey is given, and she takes up the hat. "It...it was my utmost pleasure! Th...thank ye for thy donation!" Pause. Pauuuse. "May you return once more, that this lowely maiden may serve the Mistress again!" Those heels have her retreating at a rapid pace towards the customers. Too rapid. Trip! Flash! Cue more squeals and being helped up by a pack of fangirls and fanboys, all swooning over Fara. Her eye only remains on a wolfess, however, as she leads them all to their seat, properly getting down to her maidly business! This of course means putting in lovely background vocals to the bacon song, much like a backup rap singer, with frills instead of urban beat.

:'''[[Avira]] has posed:''' Finally, a genuine smile graces Avira's face. "Yeah, it is kind of chaotic." Ivo is singing a bacon song. Reize is joining in while wearing a bacon suit. Avira suddenly bites her lip and starts to sweat. She might be struggling to not join in the singing. "I'm glad." She says carefully to Mercade, "You've been entertained. I-" she sees that piece of paper being slid over to her across the table. "What's this...?" Now she's sufficiently distracted from the bacon song for a few minutes, unable to hold off looking at the paper.

:'''[[Minerva]] has posed:''' Minerva is just stoppping at the bacon song the monkg turned maid stares n awe at the bacon song. "...Do people truely got that mad for pork?" Pork isn't the biggest thing after all it's not exactly the most safe thing to eat in her world. Then she thinks about the last time she had bacon and feels like an idiot. Sjhe tehn just starts laughing as Reize falls she can't help it, she's almost in stiches at this point.

:'''[[Vespa]] has posed:''' @emit Vespa makes her way back onto the floor. "All I can smell is grease. It's going to take forever to get the smell out.", she blink at Reize jumps on the table and starts singing. About Bacon. "I need a drink. Of course it's Bacon beer. Why am i not surpised?"

:'''[[Navya]] has posed:''' Navya manages to see where Eva stashes the phone. Now, on one hand, that's a good thing. Navya has no problem with stealing it from there because that's not a girl and thus it's perfectly okay to grab. It's just that... she's not sure she /can/. And then... a song. Navya can carry a tune, but is awful with the lyrics, which is a distinct drawback in some worlds. She can't figure out what the hell Eva is going to sing before he sings it. But she comes up behind him anyway, harmonizing (admittedly with la-la-la) and acting as a chorus. This works until Eva leans against a wall and Navya walks /into/ the wall trying to stay behind him. Thump. "Ow!" Navya yelps, staggering toward Eva. But then she sees her opportunity. He's leaning against the wall. There will never be a better time than now. Does she dare? Is she just gonna go for it? Hell yeah. Eva's a guy. There's nothing there to grab. "Yoink!" She needs to get the phone, because... hmm. Maybe she should have asked about why first. What if this is a bad idea? What if it's /villainous/?? Surely a dark knight would never hire someone to perform villainous acts on their behalf!

:'''[[Terra Branford]] has posed:''' Terra follows along raptly at Angantyr's description. He may be unaware of how difficult a task it is to educate her on this, however. Her lack of context makes the little information she has all the more dangerous. "I see, so this is an unsual cafe." She can believe that pretty easily. "And, ah... what's it like to be a Dark Knight? It sounds scary." And a little evil. Terra smiles sunnily at Maira when she returns, not bent over this time. "I'd love to hear about your specialties... I don't get to talk about magic much, so I have a lot of ideas for topics." This somewhat childlike statement may give a glimpse into how Terra think about social interaction. Ideas for Topics. And now it's time for a song. Terra sips her tea. She doesn't care how hot it is, she needs a distraction. She doesn't want to look too closely at the various male maids, either. She finds them a little too interesting. "Oh, do you want to sit?" she invites Maira. She doesn't know waitresses don't generally do that.

:'''[[Solva Ulfang]] has posed:''' "N.. no no, not the hai~" d8888b.� .d88b. � .d88b. �d88888b�db� 88 `8D�.8P Y8.�.8P Y8.�88' �88� 88oodD'�88 88�88 88�88ooo �YP� 88[[User:Oathkeeper|Oathkeeper]] ([[User talk:Oathkeeper|talk]]) �88 88�88 88�88[[User:Oathkeeper|Oathkeeper]] ([[User talk:Oathkeeper|talk]]) � � 88 �`8b d8'�`8b d8'�88 �db� 88 � `Y88P' � `Y88P' �YP �YP� � � � � � � � � � � "~r..." Skoll's hair ends up breaking the little tie that has kept it into a neat ponytail, and it ends up becoming that mane-like mess again. A bit matted down, but still... it's wild and unkempt. The youth nods while blushing at her. "I'll he careful." He whispers... And then someone asks a question nobody should ever ask. /What's so great about Bacon/ An incredible rage suddenly comes up within Skoll, like a Faramite being told that their god is false! His right eye twitches. And then Eva begins to sing. His eyes go wide. He knows where this is going! No no no no! Shit! He tries to ignore him, making some more bacon in his fryingpan... and just happens to look around just as Eva bats 'her' eyelashes at him. He mouths something to Eva. '/I will kill you in your sleep/' And so Solva walks out into the opening holding that fryingpan, twirling once with a plate and that frying-pan and puts the plate before the man. o/~ "A beautiful thing, this bacon can be from miles away, people will hear its plea for its so delicious, and sure-ly everyone hears it; please - eat meeee!" o/~ Solva twirls once, scooping the bacon onto the man's plate and then taping the hard bottom on the back of 'her' hand, giving him a death-glare in case he's not going to eat the delicious meat! o/~ "And ..." o/~ This is when a big fat cat with a chef hat wanders in. "MEAT!?" Suddenly, in off-tune; o/~ "I'm delirious, I'm deserving, I'm desiring delicious meat. Doot doot dee-deet. Yeah, meat. Meat! Uh huh. Singing about meat. Oh, yeah." o/~ This results in the large cat - who sounded suspiciously like Elvis - being hit over the head by Solva's fryingpan for CRITICAL DAMAGE, for interupting 'her' song. "Ahem, where was I? Oh yes!" o/~ "You must always ask for bacon, it'll even help you befriend a kraken! and if your bacon is suddenly taken you must make sure it is never forsaken" o/~ o/~ "For bacon is the greatest haven't you heard the latest!? transformed into a beautiful beast? don't worry, bacon will help you be released!" o/~ "Take it away Eva!"

:'''[[Angantyr Vespar]] has posed:''' "I'm Leaving." Angantyr announces as the singing starts. He litterally stands up and walks for the door.

:'''[[Mercade Alexander]] has posed:''' Avira walks off with the note for a few moments. Mercade looks nervous. Maira... You better be right about this. And then she comes back, leans in and whispers in his ear. Mercade smiles, and nods back to Avira. "How about you go ahead and enjoy yourself and take your time. Do whatever you feel like, Avira." He gets back to his bacon entrees and his tea as well. The bacon /is/ good.

:'''[[Margaux Fleury]] has posed:''' The Death Corps was a rather grim name, but calling themselves the Corpse Brigade was not much better. And yet, she was sure that a fair number of their members would be very interested to hear Margaux give her report on her visit there. The ongoing shenanigans are considered when Eva explains they do not always dress like this. Eh, somehow she thinks Eva to be a liar since everyone put some time and effort in their costumes....and acts. If she had not fought alongside the Shard Seekers only a night ago, she would have truly believed that to be the truth. The obsession with bacon was somewhat worrying too. And then out comes a singing 'Bacon-kun'. My god. Oh wait, he's coming RIGHT FOR HER?! The seated Margaux can do little to dodge out of the way of the falling bacon boy as he falls onto her lap. "Oof, you are heavier than you look!" Margaux says gently to Bacon-kun as she attempts to help him off her lap with haste. Sadly, she thinks that were would be others here who would have enjoyed this little fall that much more. For Margaux, this is merely embarassing, but the dancer is practiced enough in her art to appear totally cool as a cucmber with this turn of events. She does unsheath her rapier and saber off the top of the wine bottle in short order. The blade dancer fills her glass up completely before taking a hearty swig from it. Her rapier is sheathed once more and her glass is soon refilled. The singing Eva gets a curt nod for her service and Margaux leaves a few coins on her table for her. She would have given a bigger tip, but the Death Corps needed every coin they could get. And without further adieu, Margaux de Fleury looks to leave this cafe as quickly as she can.

:'''[[Leida]] has posed:''' Leida, now the newest maid in the crew, steps tenatively out of the kitchen into the raging battlefield that is the cafe. Customers continue to flood in despite, or perhaps because of, the lack of a giant flailing piece of bacon to usher them into the shop. Bacon is flying, panties are flashing, Sora's becoming a man, and now Ivo is singing. The princess just stares in abject lack of comprehension at the scene unfolding infront of her. Chaos. Utter chaos is the only words she has to describe this. It might have been safer out front in the costume. And then Reize comes staggering in and immediately launches into the fray, boldly joining the impromptu song almost like they'd rehearsed it. Upon momentary reflection, that wouldn't surprise her in the least. Sighing to herself, Leida rubs her temple and stalks over to the nearest table where a group of men sit without food or drinks before them. Clearing her throat, the girl bows to them, offering her cutest smile and does her best to imitate the other women - minus Eva. Singing is not in her contract. "U-um... how can I... serve you, masters?" At this point she's not even sure they're listening what with all of the stuff going on around the room.

:'''[[Emi Dennou]] has posed:''' Emi isn't a dark knight and is totally trustworthy! Of course she ... never did explain now did she? And annoyingly, Emi notices that Angantyr is already leaving. She snaps a text over to ANg before hiding the cellphone away again. Imi and Ami are a bit busy, however. Ami is just looking askance, not really caring about her position but clearly waiting for an opportunity to get back on her feet. An opportunity that isn't coming because MUSHUUUUU. Imi pulls back from her kiss eventually and just lies there for a few moments before saying, "Oh, we should get up now, yes? The Network has run out of data at this point." She slides back, intending to get up on her feet. Ami continues to lie there and stare.

:'''[[Eva Galvan]] has posed:''' Eva continues striking that sassy pose while leaning against the wall, clearly waiting with bated breath for maid-Skoll to finish going through the pre-established Stages of Denial -- I Won't Do It, I Definitely Won't Do It, I'm Never Going to Do It, and I Hate You Ivo -- before picking up the next verse, and doesn't seem to notice as Navya thumps against the wall behind her. Eva is busy standing here and staring at Solva until she caves. And cave she does. Eva doesn't even bother to stay in character at this point, grinning hugely as Rei -- er, Bacon-kun now -- falls off a table mid-performance and Solva launches into epic verse after verse. The hostess is visibly delighted. Not only that, but the Dark Knight seems to be retreating in the face of Eva's magnificent performance. Ha ha ha, now only Eva can look at Maira's cleavage! Well, Eva and the rest of the customers. Still, it's a minor victory upon the battlefield of love, and all it cost was every remaining fragment of Eva's dignity. A small price to pay! Quietly immensely pleased with herself, Eva begins preparing her own next verse as Navya creeps up-- "Kyaah~" No one should ever have to hear Ivo cry out like that. Someone is clearly trying to get frisky! Twisting away, Eva bumps into Navya, who still has her hand stuck down Eva's bodice, and in a sign that the hostess has clearly been hanging around Reize for far too long, trips and tumbles to the ground, quite possibly bringing the would-be paravir with him, er, her, or whatever at this point. Solva calls out for assistance, but Eva can only look up in a daze. "Ah..." she mumbles weakly. "...I need a hug... where's Maira..." Oh, be a man. Maid. Man-maid. Ah, there she is. Gaze settling on the blonde mage, Eva reaches out dramatically, with a weak, trembling hand. "I can't... go on... Maira, only you can extol the glories of bacon... ugh." And then Eva's arm slumps, and she lies where she is, eyes closing, emitting one final sigh. Actually, she ran out of rhymes.

:'''[[Sora]] has posed:''' Sora hastily makes his way back to his chair, practically running towards it. It's safe in his chair. There are no Imi's to smooch him there. None at all! So he clears his throat. "I'm sorry."

:'''[[Maira]] has posed:''' Maira looks to Tifa as she slips some of the munny in her pocket, and returns the wink. A little Shinra money for a couple of women who have known their shadow won't go amiss. She should use a new pair of--well a lot of things probably! Maybe she'd by VALKYRI HQ a rice cooker! As Terra invites Maira to sit, she does so. If just for a moment. Her feet are so sore! She wiggles them inside her heels, wincing a little. "These shoes sure do hurt after a while...Oh! I don't get to talk about magic often either, especially not with an obviously talented mage. My specialty is generally fire,I'm really attuned to it--" Suddenly, song! Bacon song! Maira turns, enthralled, to find that Ivo has broken into /song/! Maira couldn't look more delighted! Reize joins! And Navya! Oh goodness oh goodness! Maira gets with the special effects, conjuring several lights of different colors to float around above the singers--which she then rapidly joins. She won't let you down Ivo! "Must....sing...." she tells Terra, then she's up again and rushing out to join them. While the other voices thus far have been male, Maira comes in with the perfect soprano accompaniment. ~/o "There is no other the food that gives my heart wings, the crispy deliciousness makes my heart sing! I have known starvation, I have missed many a meal, so please ladies and gentlemen hear my appeal!" ~/o "Don't take your bacon for granted, don't waist a crumb or I will be slanted toward saaaaadneeeess!" her voice rings, drawing out the note. Sparkles appear out of nowhere. ~/o "Enjoy our bacon and tea, and please of please give generously for the hungryyyyyy!" TADA!!! Maira twirls, giggles, then skips over to Ivo and throws her arms around him, laughing brightly.

:'''[[Bacon-kun]] has posed:''' Bacon-kun, or rather, Reize in a giant bacon costume met right onto poor Margaux. It was the bonding that she would have never wanted to do with the young boy. ...Or anyone. Poor woman. Nevertheless, Reize is in good spirits. The boy glances towards the maids, smiling at the fact. It is a good day. The large bacon costumed boy is waddling towards Terra, grinning at her. "Glad you could make it! Sorry that I couldn't chat with you, I had to take care of an important matter." The Maid Cafe has patrons from different walks of life. Many of them are residents of Traverse Town, others are refugees from Manhattan, and others are even adventurers and citizens from Fluorgis. Despite of the hard times that they have been facing, it is he simple act of comradery and enjoyment of the atmosphere that puts a smile to their faces. The combined forces of the ensemble is met with applause from the patrons. 

:'''[[Solva Ulfang]] has posed:''' And this is around the time that Skoll realizes just how much he's embarassed himself, walks along Ivo and Maira, waits for the girl to hug him, and then CONKS 'Eva' over the head with it. Revenge is his - before he walks back into the kitchen to go back to making bacon. Because really, that's what this is all about... makin' the bacon. Aaand Skoll is probably going to stay in that kitchen and not come out for a long... long... long time. Embarassed to death.

:'''[[Avira]] has posed:''' "Oh Mercade, I'd /love/ to, really." Avira sighs, dropping the whole 'master' bit for a second. "But I made a promise to be here. An agreement between two adventuring troupes. I am a woman of my word and I will fulfil this promise...no matter how humiliating it might be." She sighs, perhaps a little too dramatically, and slides the paper into her bodice. Then Maira joins the singing. Then Skoll. Then Anagantyr gets up and leaves. For once, she's speechless. She has nothing to sing to that. What rhymes with 'bacon' anyway?

:'''[[Navya]] has posed:''' Eva hits the high note. Navya didn't realize that it was so easy to keep /stuff/ in there. She actually has to rummage around a bit. Navya doesn't entirely realize what it looks like she's doing, either... at least until Eva practically falls on top of her. Navya yanks her hand out like it was on fire. Hopefully she's got the cell phone. She's pretty sure she's got something but she's not entirely sure, and honestly she doesn't want to stick around and check; with her hand balled up, she shoves anything she's grabbed inside her apron pocket. She'll check later to see if she successfully liberated the cell phone with pictures on it. "Sorry!" she says, with her face bright red, as Eva slumps. She didn't... knock him out, did she? He needs a hug? He can get /that/ from somewhere else. Navya tries to slide out from under Eva without waking him up again. This would be a lot easier if she was okay with just picking him up!

:'''[[Tifa Lockhart]] has posed:''' Tifa Lockhart keeps handling all of the other customers, at least those assigned to her, as she tries not to pay too much attention to the singing squad... She just hopes its not going tos care away the customers at this point. Its charity after all!

:'''[[Fara Senrietta]] has posed:''' Fara claps for the trio. Truly, it was a brilliant display of the joys of bacon. Suddenly, she's hungry. Giving a curtsey to the clients she's been serving, narrowly avoiding a tail-swat, she heads back to the kitchen with a certain wolf. Shoo! A smile sits on Faruja's muzzle. A hand digs into the garter belt for his stockings. Out comes a flask. Opening it up, he takes a long drag. It's then that he offers it over to Skoll. "Here you are, Lady 'Solva'. Drink up. 'Tis in your best interests." Yes, get the cook drunk. He'll need it.

:'''[[Emi Dennou]] has posed:''' The two Dennous with Sora stand themselves up. "No, this one is sorry." Ami bows her head. "Nice to meet you, Sora. If you need anything else..." She grabs Imi's hand. "...Please enjoy yourself and do not worry too much, The Network drags this troublemaker away." "Byyeee..." Imi waves as she's pulled off, likely shortly to be dumped in storage with Umi. Pete covers his ears as Eva's shriek. "Ghhk...this ain't worth it... We gotta get outta here!" The beagle boys exeunt with Pete.

:'''[[Terra Branford]] has posed:''' Angantyr flees without explaining a Dark Knight's life. He is the smart one. Terra still has Maira, though, and she is about to settle into magic talk like a cat into a sunbeam, when Bacon draws her away. "Ah, good luck?" she suggests. She's not positive she wants Maira to do what she's about to do more effectively. The song drives Terra to down her tea as an alcoholic might down whiskey: for strength, for numbness. It doesn't really help. She ends up hiding her face in her arms, and so when Reize greets her, her head snaps up. "Oh, hi! Ah, that's all right. I could tell how busy you were doing..." She searches for a word. "Your job." She looks him up and down. "You were dressed differently before." Terra has the rare ability to look at someone in all seriousness while they wear a bacon costume. So many things are strange to her that she simply can't say with confidence that this is weird, and so she acts as though it were normal.

:'''[[Eva Galvan]] has posed:''' Eva slowly opens one eye as Maira begins to sing, before smiling and rising to a sitting position. She realizes belatedly that she should check to see who put their hand down her bodice in the first place, and she glances over her shoulder curiously, but Navya is sliding away with her ill-gotten gain. Unaware that anything has been taken from her, Eva raises and watches with a grin as Maira performs, only to blink with pleasant surprise as -- Maira Hug! Ahh, soft. Eva sighs contentedly. It was all worth it. Somehow, she managed to pull this off without any disasters befalling her or suffering any ill fates-- *CLONK* Whereupon Solva's frying pan connects with the back of Eva's head and she slumps forward, poleaxed, sliding down Maira's front while still in the fire mage's embrace. LATER Navya examines what she has procured from Eva's bodice. It is not a cell phone: it is what appears to be a memory sphere. The recording it projects is first what appears to be an old movie of Avira in a maid outfit unhappily dusting around a castle. But that video is eventually cut off, only to display what appears to be an outdoor bath somewhere entirely different, as seen through what appears to be a gap in wooden stakes. Some young women, lightly clad at best, can be seen and heard chatting with each other as they undress. "Lily, don't run next to the water!" "Wooow, Lenn! Every time I see them, they get bigger!!" "Ah, n-no... don't touch them, please..." Despite the audio of others speaking, the recording focuses almost entirely on a scarred poised blonde and a redhead with a dragon-like tail, but both of them are mostly obscured by steam. "Tsk," a male voice quietly grunts with frustration. This causes the scarred blonde's gaze to snap up warily, as the redhead glances over with a curious smirk. "Oh, sh--" The recording cuts off. Strange.

:'''[[Navya]] has posed:''' Navya got something. She isn't entirely sure what it is; she'll check it out later. She might have some .../comments/ then. But right now she's darting off so that she can check out what she's got in private. After that, well, she'll look for Emi. This place is full - they won't miss her if she vanishes for a couple minutes...

:'''[[Sora]] has posed:''' "Bye?" Sora asks, faintly, before he drowns his sorrows in tea.

:'''[[Emi Dennou]] has posed:''' Emi will have her MISSION...GLANCING SUCCESS? meeting with Navya later, she finishes up her work before sneaking out as well to have this moment of confederacy with Navya and will, naturally, pay her somewhat for her work but as this wasn't the objective, well, hopefully it amkes up for things a little bit!?

:'''[[Reize Seatlan]] has posed:''' "Yeah, I switched with Leida because she... was not doing too well with the current outfit! I have to make sure that my friends are taken care of!" Never the type to leave a friend with a frowny face, Reize is moving over towards the suffering Sora. A hand is brought to Sora's hand and he tugs him to join himself and Terra. "Cheer up! All is for a good cause! The Maid Cafe has brought everyone together!" He grins at Terra and Sora, "And putting smiles on the people's face is what's important!"

:'''[[Terra Branford]] has posed:''' Terra doesn't want to let Reize down. She smiles, bright and wide, and nods. But her eye twitches a little.

:'''[[Tifa Lockhart]] has posed:''' Tifa Lockhart picks up a cup of tea and goes to sit Reize and Terra as the customers start to trickle down "I rather see you in that suit than in that dress, mind you Reize." She shakes her head "What made you do this anyway?" She has to wonder. All she can imagine is a bet gone wronng.

:'''[[Reize Seatlan]] has posed:''' "The Shard Seekers and VALKYRI went competed against each other for the Desert Rose, a rare artifact that shows up every hundred years. ..But we both essentially decided that.. we all won/lost, so we all wear the maid outfit. Then, we figured we can do something god for the people." Reize notes, "Hence, we decided to do this."

A Second Chance

2013-02-16T07:17:42Z

IvoGalvan: Created page with "{{Log Header |Date of Scene=2013/02/16 |Location=Traverse Area - Bodhum - Beach |Synopsis=Maira has enough of Ivo's childishness. Ivo realizes too late what it is he's missed...."

{{Log Header
|Date of Scene=2013/02/16
|Location=Traverse Area - Bodhum - Beach
|Synopsis=Maira has enough of Ivo's childishness. Ivo realizes too late what it is he's missed. Forgiveness, and a glimmer of hope. The future is open. But what path will they choose?
|Cast of Characters=Maira, Ivo Galvan
|pretty=yes
}}
:'''[[Maira]] has posed:''' Maira couldn't sleep. After their ill begotten trip to the Iafa tree, her nightmares were even worse than usual. A fresh dread filled her, a memory not far enough removed. Uist was with her again, quiet about the horror of that place and why he couldn't stay. Something about the dead in that place, something...Uist could not bring himself to speak of it, and to have her stoic and steadfast companion frightened was a truly novel thing. A warning she could not ignore. So, Maira had come to the beach that is forever in Twilight, plunked down on the sand and watching the waves, dressed in the fire-proof clothing Ivo had made for her--it was coming in /quite/ useful.

:'''[[Ivo Galvan]] has posed:''' Tomorrow is the day of the Maid Cafe, certain to be a moment of joy and laughter to punctuate the struggles that so many have been enduring in recent months. Ivo, for his part, despite his promises to sleep and eat better, remains perpetually fatigued. No matter what he might say, he can't tear himself away from the work Fluorgis has set to him in ensuring the Fire Crystal's power may continue to illuminate the night. Though still at times troubled by the burdens he has come to bear, his will to support the friends that trust him intertwines with his desire to keep that lively city strong. The darkness may have its uses, and Ivo still wishes to consign his past to the comfort of the shadows, but he cannot bear to see possibilities diminish, so many suffer, culture fade. Raiya's lecture after his last meeting with Maira, well-intentioned as it was, has also set to work a new uncertainty within Ivo's heart, but he hasn't the emotional reserves at this point to reflect on it. As soon as he arrived in Traverse Town, he threw himself into the work of setting up the cafe, keeping up appearances with some playful gestures, and tried to avoid thinking on his own shortcomings. But compelled to take a break at last, his listless wandering taking him to the beach, it threatens to collapse down upon him. Seeing Maira causes Ivo to stop in his tracks. The dark-haired young man brightens slightly, beginning to smile, and then freezes, faltering, silent. Whatever natural comment he was about to make dies on his lips. 'Unkind and unfair'... is he? And what should he do? It's too much for him to work out right now. Instead, quietly approaching, he sits down next to the blonde mage, leaning back on his palms on the sand next to her, tilting his face toward her with his usual affable smile. "Tomorrow should be entertaining," he says idly. "I'm looking forward to seeing you as a maid. You won't outdo me, though." Despite his jokes, his eyes don't have their usual playful smile, and eventually, his smile recedes. Maybe it's because he himself is troubled, but he suspects that whatever has put her in this mood won't be fixed by his messing about and distracting her. "Are you alright?"

:'''[[Maira]] has posed:''' Maira gets warning of Ivo's approach by a low growl from Uist, so she doesn't jump or seem surprised when he sits down in the sand beside her. Maira looks toward him, the shadows under her eyes almost as deep as his, but she summons a weak smile none the less. "Oh, hey Ivo...heh, I'm actually looking forward to it. It should be interesting." As to if she is alright, Maira nods. "Yes, I guess so. Just had a lot of trouble sleeping so I came out here. The sound of the waves is very soothing..." she trails off, not sure what to say next. There was a time when she was a lot more excited to see Ivo, but now? It is more complicated, sadness and insecurity rising to the surface to take precidence. It seem to be a theme. She's starting to wonder if some part of her actually takes pleasure in falling for people who don't actually want her.

:'''[[Ivo Galvan]] has posed:''' Ivo's expression softens, his eyebrows quirking at Maira's unenthusiastic response. Even if his instincts told him that, from the cast of her features, her troubles aren't ones he should attempt to drag her out of with jokes and teasing, he's usually confident in his ability to cheer her up. She seems to have cooled somehow, and he uneasily flashes back to the lecture he's being trying to forget, which causes him to glance away, averting his eyes briefly from the mage. His thoughts are a tangle, and he didn't want to dwell on them. Normally, interacting with Maira is fun and easy. For him, anyway... "Yeah?" he says weakly, before looking back at her, with only a ghost of a smile now. "I'm used to you lighting up when you're excited about something. Or lighting me up," he adds. His tone is certainly a twist from his usual playfulness; his teasing sounds gentle. More unsettled than usual, Ivo doesn't think to obscure that he's trying to cheer her up. "Seeing you dispirited is too much to bear. You illuminate the darkness." He smiles at her again, but hesitates, and looks away, eyes suddenly thoughtful. "Well, maybe I've taken that for granted," he murmurs, half to himself. "Taken you for granted. ...Even Reize is feeling the strain. He wanted to quit Fluorgis and go back to adventuring, follow his dreams. Somehow, I convinced myself I was the only one struggling. But pure-hearted people like you... it can't be easy to be so full of life. I probably just don't understand, lacking a pure heart myself." He grins back at her again, as if to not allow himself to grow overserious, but it's still a soft expression. "Of course, that gives me access to other abilities. Shall I rekindle your fire? ...No, let me guess, you're too tired right now. Ahh, typical." He shrugs, still grinning, but eventually his humor fades. He can't help but imagine Maira staying like this, somehow, never returning to the high-spirited, innocent young woman whose company he's come to enjoy and, well, expect. After all, why would she leave? Why would she change? "If there's something on your mind," he murmurs, "you can always tell me."

:'''[[Maira]] has posed:''' Used to her lighting up? Maira laughs a little, shaking her head as she brings her knees up to her chest. "I get tired too. I'll light up again, I'm sure. I just....I just don't have the energy, or a real reason to do so right now," she replies quietly. When he says she illuminates the darkness, Maira blushes only slightly, and is rather displeased with her body for doing it. Why does it have to betray her? Why can't she keep her emotions under control like most people? "Pure heart? Heh....I don't know about that," she replies, sounding genuinely unsure. People with pure hearts probably don't pine for people that belong to others. When Ivo cycles back to his teasing, even restrained as it is, the tight cord inside her simply snaps. She gets to her feet, taking a deep breath. "What...what makes you think that you can just...say things like that to me? Do you just think your words, your actions have no consequences? Do you not realize that you /hurt/ me?" she says, reaching forward to jab him with her finger. "I know that I am not smart, or graceful, or a highborn lady, or...or...any of those things. I'm an orphan from the slums, but I have /feelings/ Ivo, and they are just as real and strong as anyone's! I don't....I don't deserve to be treated this way. You flirt with me, you tell me you are trying to win my heart!? Well you could have had it! You could have had it and you throw it in my face because....because..." she has begun to cry by now, tears streaming openly down her cheeks, her face red and her breathing quick. The hands she gestures with are trembling....and steaming. "....because you don't think anything of it, do you? You don't think you are good enough to hurt someone like this...you just...you just can't even fathom it, can you?" Maira continues, something of understanding dawning--though it doesn't lesson the pain or the rage she's currently feeling. He's /very/ lucky to not be on fire right now. "W-well, I'm not going to let you toy with my feelings when you have Raiya and who knows who else--and I'm not going to fall in love with a man who is in love with my best friend, either! I'm just...I'm just not going to do it!" she shouts. This last part is probably obviously not about him. Maira turns away now. She begins to walk.

:'''[[Ivo Galvan]] has posed:''' Ivo is pleased to see Maira's cheeks tinge pink, and for a moment, he thinks that maybe it will all be alright. This is how it goes, after all. He has fun, she has fun. He pushes her boundaries a little bit, she finds ways to surprise him, and everyone enjoys each other's company. Something like this is harmless. Ivo physically relaxes, having not even realized his body had been storing tension. And privately, he begins to wonder if Sensei hadn't been overreacting a little bit. That Maira seems to doubt the purity of her heart makes the young man smile a little, and his lips part with the beginnings of some reply. Those words go unspoken. Face frozen in place, gaze going blank, Ivo looks up at Maira, stunned and speechless. When she prods him with her finger, he glances down at her hand, stupefied, as though he's never seen it before. Her words rain down upon him, and his fixed expression doesn't seem to be a defense behind which he's withdrawn; he is entirely unable to process this twist. This can't be happening. He can't begin to understand why it would be. This simply can't be real, and nothing could prove that it is. "Mai...ra..." Nothing except her tears. Ivo's features slowly, achingly, shift toward horror, and he awkwardly lurches to his feet as she trembles before him. Could have won her heart? He can't make sense of that-- for exactly the reason that Maira discovers. Ivo flinches back physically, as though struck, as he's seen through, and the stabbing sensation of her judgment at last begins to clear his confusion, even as he visibly reels. 'Ah,' some distant part of his conscious mind reflects. 'She got you.' For all her fury and sadness, her words sound almost pitying, at least to him and what little remains of his pride. To think that Maira would be the one to take him down. 'I underestimated her.' No, he realizes finally. He never saw her. And now it's too late. "...wa..." It's too late, Ivo. "...wait..." His voice is hoarse and soft, his body weaker and feebler than he can ever remember. But he sees her back turn, sees her begin to walk away, and his paralyzed limbs move despite him. He lunges out, and grasps at her hand with his own, as though from far away sensing its burning heat. He can't manage a real grip; he couldn't hold her in place even if he wanted to. But he reaches out, and touches her hand. Eyes widened, jaw slack, overwhelmed and bewildered, Ivo Galvan, so self-cultivated and self-possessed, for a moment looks more like a lost child than a charming knight. "...Maira, wait..." He doesn't know what he's saying. No worthy words come to mind. There's nothing left of his composure or distance. He's not quite sure how he's even still standing, after that. "Don't leave me," he hears himself say. "Please don't leave. Not like this. Don't..." He swallos, but his throat stays dry. "I was wrong... I never wanted to hurt you. Stay with me... don't go." He wants to explain, wants to tell her everything now, but he can't think straight. All he knows is that whatever he could have had with Maira -- a friendship or anything else -- is shattering before his eyes, and his words can only give voice to his rawest emotion, to what is now his deepest yearning-- "Forgive me."

:'''[[Maira]] has posed:''' Her hand is so warm it is like reaching out to grab a still glowing ember. It is a great testament to how her control of her magic has improved that she has not burst into flame. She doesn't turn, but she does stop walking, her shoulders shaking with repressed sobs. Despite everything, she listens. Despite all the hurt, the confusion, the anger...and yes, the pity too, she listens. This is an explosion that has been long building, she realizes. All the stresses she's undergone and all the small and large wounds both physical and emotional have built up to this. She didn't feel like she illuminated the darkness. She felt like she would forever be in someone else's shadow. And she was tired of it. Realizing that, a great burden was lifted from her shoulders. Maira didn't need to live in anyone's shadow unless she chose to be there. There were many things she could not change--other people's feelings especially. But she could at least change how she reacted to her own, couldn't she? She's hurt him. She can hear it--practically feel it in the air. Wasn't it only fair? She was allowed to have her say. It felt so good to get all of that out. Cathartic. Still, her heart aches. Maira can't say she didn't want to hurt him--she did. But she feels remorse for it now, and turns slightly toward him. Forgive him? Maira takes a deep breath, not reaching up to rub the tears from her eyes. She doesn't want to feel ashamed of them. One word is all she has, and from there? She doesn't know where it will lead. "Alright."

:'''[[Ivo Galvan]] has posed:''' She has hurt him. Ivo realizes it almost simultaneously with Maira, and it is nearly as stunning as that he has hurt her. He doesn't want to lose her. He wants her to stay by his side. And she has the power to change that. Should she choose, he and she will never be close again, he will never see that blush or those eyes or that smile, and no charm or calculation will change it, no nudging of boundaries or displays of good nature will recover what is lost. And it occurs to him then that trust is more than believing that someone won't hurt you; it is putting your heart in the care of someone who makes choices of their own. What is more surprising? That Ivo wants to know what this feeling is, wants to be able to put his heart in the care of another and believe, really believe, that he won't be rejected, not that he'll be judged worthy but that he won't be judged at all? Or that there are women in this world who have put their hearts in his care, young and stupid though he is? "Maira..." The skin on his hand is burning, singing as he speaks, but what he feels now-- "...Thank you." --is hope. When he asked for her forgiveness, he wasn't hopeful. He wasn't hopeful because he knew he didn't deserve her forgiveness. But that, after all, is the nature of forgiveness, to be bestowed on the unworthy. And however briefly, in Maira's teary eyes, Ivo gets a glimmer of a way out of the trap he has laid for himself, the despairing task of pursuing a sense of self-worth he can never justify, of being judged worthy by a dead man. He does not know why, but in that moment, lifted from the abyss, he is reminded of the version of himself which Jasmine's light showed him, and which seemed to him so impossible. He stands there, silent, holding her hand. "Ah," he murmurs at last, "it hurts." And, releasing her from his gentle grip, he looks down at the burns on his fingers and palm, and breaks into a rueful smile, the good humor of which cannot disguise the genuine, thrilling happiness in his eyes. When was the last time he asked for forgiveness from the bottom of his heart? When was the last time he had to? Did it always feel like this? "I don't understand love," he says then, words which seem to surprise even himself, but perhaps he is not used to speaking without a filter. Embarrassed, he averts his eyes, looking toward the water. "There's much I don't understand, but love least of all. I don't know how to love, or who to love, or... how to be loved. As I am, I'm bound to hurt more people. Maybe not many people..." He's come a long way without anything like this ever happening. "...but the ones who matter most to me, the ones who grow closest." He's silent for a moment. "I want to see you smile," he murmurs. "I want to see you blush at my words." He smiles again at that, and looks back at her, and then continues to meet her gaze. "I want you to accept me... to want to be accepted by me... to rely on me... to stay by my side. I want to find a way to be true to myself that doesn't hurt the hearts of others, that gives instead of takes. I don't deserve your trust, Maira. I don't trust myself. But..." He knows, now, that this is true. "...with your light, I can always keep fighting." Ivo smiles. "Like a real knight," he adds.

:'''[[Maira]] has posed:''' Maira is stunned. And confused. Very, very confused. Then, so is he. That is plain. It sounds as though he means it, it does....not what happens now? That questions remains hanging in the air between them. "Ivo..." She looks down then, noticing now that she has burned him. That startles her out of her confusion, as she forces her magic down so that her skin no longer burns, she reaches up to take his hand and cast a quick cure, her magic warm but not uncomfortable; sunshine on a spring day. It should be enough to erase that pain. She lets go of his hand and looks down at the sand, focusing on her breathing. "I...I will see you tomorrow, okay Ivo? I just...I need to go home." She has nothing left. She's exhausted. Thoughts just will not even come to her anymore. She starts walking again, looking over her shoulder once.

The Plot Thickens

2013-01-31T08:59:08Z

IvoGalvan: Created page with "{{Log Header |Date of Scene=2013/01/31 |Location=Fluorgis |Synopsis=Emi Dennou meets with the Mayor of Fluorgis, secures proper recompense, and investigates the strange goings..."

{{Log Header
|Date of Scene=2013/01/31
|Location=Fluorgis
|Synopsis=Emi Dennou meets with the Mayor of Fluorgis, secures proper recompense, and investigates the strange goings-on in the city. The relation between the shadows over Fluorgis and the Fire Crystal is discussed, and the source of the darkness is pondered. A mystery is solved -- but not quite the one most relevant.
|Cast of Characters=Emi Dennou, the Mayor of Fluorgis, Councilman Averroe, Maria Averroe
|Tinyplot=Shadows Over Fluorgis
|pretty=yes
}}
:'''[[Baigan]] has posed:''' Mayor Bartholomew Bates is in a pickle. And Fluorgis is the pickling barrel, the portly bespectacled man reflects, as he gazes out his large office window on the top floor of city hall, up at the sky. The dark clouds which have shrouded the city for a month now have briefly parted, blown by a wind from the east, but he knows that the shadows will return, and with them the Heartless. The mystery of this curse is paralleled in its inscrutability only by the city's government and bureaucracy, which continues to struggle to adapt to the city's new circumstances and possibilities. Fluorgis, after all, was not originally a desert city. The miracle of its success lies with the Fire Crystal, which powers the city's complex water pump system, and the engineers of Karnak who emerged with it. But while the politics of Fluorgis are atypically enlightened, adjustment still has not been easy. Traditionally, the Mayorship rotates between an elected council of equals, representing various communities and organizations within the city. Yet these communities have been scattered and undergone radical change, and new migrants to the city -- such as the engineers, and many others -- are not yet represented, leading to tensions and frustrations on all sides. Lead engineer Cid Previa's somewhat, shall we say, undiplomatic attitude toward the traditionalists has not alleviated the issues. Most of this is fairly common knowledge in Fluorgis. What isn't is the massive headache this has caused for Mr. Bates. With a sigh, he reaches up to rub his temples, nudging his spectacles up on his forehead. As regards their curse and its oppressive and meddling effects, Fluorgis can only do what it has always done: rely on adventurers. But even /that/ has grown complicated...

:'''[[Pumpkinhead]] has posed:''' Well at least he isn't Master Bartholomew Bates. Emi Dennou is a detective, not a politician, but a lot of skills within politics are used by other disciplines. Even so, it wasn't too difficult to get a basic understanding of the political spectrum and situation of Fluorgis. The dark cloud has been there for some time but it's still unclear what these monsters and heartless are after. Is it a Fire Crystal? Sure, that seems like an easy answer, but Emi isn't so sure. The Fire Crystal has been here some time, after all, and it doesn't feel like there's some manner of central intelligence guiding all these problems. So either it's NOT the Fire Crystal, or there's more to these seemingly unrelated occurances than Emi presently understands. Legion was made to be subserviant and docile and while they have not strictly followed this, following the rules is something they excel at. The Network has filed its paperwork in order to see the mayor and provided a brief but accurate summary of why--a desire to negotiate payment with regards to their long term occupational work within Fluorgis. There are other questions, of course, but part of following the rules is not showing all your cards because you might not get to be shown in at all with that attitude. She arrives five minutes early and informs Mr. Bates' secretary--or whomever filters in arrivals--that she has arrived. She has not brought along other Dennous to make this easier and simpler. Politics.

:'''[[Baigan]] has posed:''' "Mayor Bates, sir," quacks the secretary, a talking duck neatly dressed in a tailored suit, peeking his feathered head in the door. "Your appointment..." "Ah, yes," Bart mumbles, pushing his spectacles back onto his nose and turning, sighing weightily before pacing back toward his desk, settling his paunch down in his fine leather chair. "The representative of the 'Twilight Detective Agency', wasn't it? Do show her in. I always appreciate punctuality," he adds, withdrawing a pocket watch from his jacket, its delicate chain glintng, and glancing at it before returning it to his pocket. He blinks twice, takes a deep breath, and then manages a polite smile as Emi enters, inclining his head in greeting. "Miss Emi Dennou, wasn't it? Please sit." The mayor of Fluorgis looks more like a balding merchant trying to pay down his mortgage, but he possesses the weary composure that bespeaks a politician of the better breed. "Your services in defense of Fluorgis are much appreciated, as are those of VALKYRI and the... ah... the Shard Seekers." He shifts in his seat. "So many of our official Clans have lost their members or leaders in the fusion of worlds, and our closest neighbor, Rabanastre, draws adventurers as well." Two cities with clan systems just across the desert, who would've thought? "Were it not for the actions of independent agents and groups from across the stars, Fluorgis would not be experiencing this moment of peace." He taps a finger on the desk unconsciously, showing one plain ring. "But I fear we must continue to rely on your assistance for the foreseeable future... the dark clouds show no sign of abating for good."

:'''[[Pumpkinhead]] has posed:''' The mayor seems more like a man of money than of politics, but that suits Emi just fine. Money is something concrete and easy to understand. It is neccessary, for instance, to feed her sisters and while they can buy in bulk they do have some restrictions and complexities in their diet that don't make it exactly cheap for someone who primarily suppliments their income with part time jobs. She bows her head to the merchant--her face remaining impassive, her eyes have this naturally 'blank' quality to them that make her hard to read, a sort of deadpan face though there does not seem to be malice with her, it's more like she's naturally nonexpressive. She sits down where designated. "The Network thanks you and quickly apologizes for our 'quirk' in dialogue." Shehe raises her head and adds, "The Network does not mean to panic you, but we feel this is no random series of unfortunate events. The Network can't help but suspect these events are connected. If nothing else, these Clouds of Darkness," which hopefully isn't secretly Luneth's final boss. "--don't seem like something that can simply be waited out." "To further complicate matters, the TDA does require payment for its services, ultimately. While it is true we are unlikely to turn a blind eye even without payment." She feels being frank on this point will be more beneficial than hiding it. "Some manner of financial investment will encourage more support from our offices and ultimately, if this does go on long enough, if it gets in the way of being able to feed our sisters--our time resource will have to be skewed towards other tasks until we have a safety buffer in that regard again." She lets out a low breath and adds, "We understand these are troubled times and we are not an official clan. Nevertheless, this one has thought of two hypothesis as to why you may be undergoing this current trouble." "The first," She says. "Is the presence of the Fire Crystal. That 'light' may be sought out by these forces, in which case as long as it is present in the city, it is in danger. Unfortunately as removing it is not truly feasible for the city, as such if this is the case it will be required to properly deal with the cloud. The problem with this theory is that you've had the Crystal for some time and have had no problems, so we would suspect these dangers are--if they are related to the Fire Crystal--directed rather than incidental." She glances down at the ring. He paused when he mentioned the Shard Seekers. And for all they did, they weren't a proper clan in Fluorgis just yet. She holds off for the moment on pointing that out, as this other stuff is arguably more important.

:'''[[Baigan]] has posed:''' The poor mayor looks a little baffled by Emi's so-called 'quirk'. "The Bartholomew... er, that is, no, by all means," he harumphs, tweaking the corner of his mustache. These adventurers are from entirely different worlds, after all. Who knows what manner of cultural mannerisms they've cultivated. "Speak as you please." He seems a genial sort, though no doubt put upon by his current straits, and attempts not to be thrown off by her odd indifferent expression. Mr. Bates exhales through his nostrils as the young woman continues, leaning back in his chair. "It does seem to be the inevitable conclusion," he wearily concedes. "However dissimilar the problems themselves, it can't be a coincidence that so many vital areas of our city have been attacked almost simultaneously." Had the water treatment facility and the sky port been disabled by the Hypnotoad and the Court of Bomb, Fluorgis might have been rendered practically defenseless. "We have been making preparations under the presumption that we will have to hire adventurers for an extended period, rather than pay them mission by mission." So it seems that Emi's request is unsurprising. He smiles wanly and waves his hand, as though to put her at ease. "Have no fear. It took some doing, but the Council has agreed that, in our time of crisis, most groups of adventurers will be recompensed at Clan rates until the shadows pass, retroactively applicable to prior accomplishments. You may discuss the specifics with my secretary." 'Most' groups? 'Sharing theories' wasn't in his appointment book, but they are detectives, after all. Bart adjusts his spectacles and folds his hands upon his desk. "I think it is safe to tell you," he says, "that we believe much the same. The power of the Fire Crystal sustains us in the desert, and it is well-protected within the heart of the city." He smiles slightly. "We even have a contingency plan for transporting it from the city, if need be, though I cannot offer specifics." He leans forward. "But it is a target for other forces in this world. That we have gone unmolested for some time, I think, proves little. Even we have yet to fully adjust to this new world, or enter formal relations with all its many kingdoms. If someone seeks the Crystals, it is possible other targets were appraised before we were settled on. ...These are not my own ideas, of course," the mayor confesses, reaching up to fumble with his spectacles again. He pauses for a moment, and then frowns. "I must have your secrecy on this," he says quietly, looking more serious than he has before. "The Council would not approve of my sharing this information, and you must not disseminate it among the general populace, even if you inform your peers. The shadows above the city have..." He hesitates. "...begun to repress the Crystal's light, somehow. We fear that the malaise that has settled upon Fluorgis is more than fear and frustration at the Heartless and the dark. If this continues, it's possible that, even if the assaults continue to be repulsed, we will begin to lose power anyway." He then sighs. "But I know not if this is ploy, or coincidence, or..." For a moment, Mayor Bates looks very tired. But he snaps back to it, shaking his head. "Er, I'm sorry, you were saying... there was something else?"

:'''[[Pumpkinhead]] has posed:''' Most groups? It's not Emi's job to look out for the Shard Seekers and, indeed, doing so could harm her own position here. He didn't SAY it was the Shard Seekers who would not be paid fully, but that pause before saying their names certainly painted a few arrows in that direction. But even so, Reize was about to leave. He was about to leave and she convinced him to stay. Well, perhaps the better word would be 'guilted'. So maybe, in a sense, it is her job after all. But how is she going to go about it? Reize has mentioned this matter before to her and she guessed that he probably accidentally groped someone important, but she is not comfortable simply accepting that idea as truth. Look at her, she thinks to herself, worrying about the Shard Seekers when there may not even be a Fluorgis in a month or two. She hadn't mentioned the other alternative theory she thought of. Because ... well because she considered they might try to eject Zia if she mentioned that. Can't risk that, even if it is for Fluorgis. "Mm..." The mayor brings up some good points. "That is--true, if someone was after it, it may have simply taken them this long to get the idea in their head, or to acclimate to the new world, or any number of things." And if the Crystal's light is dimming, her second theory may very well be totally incorrect. It's a sad day when the power source of a city may be the easier problem to deal with than a princess. "They have struck at your transportation, your infrastructure, and your adventurers--the chief source of your protection. They have yet to succeed, but as you noted--the light seems to be dimming from the crystal. That is not a good sign, The Network admits, and also admits that even if we repel every attack..." It seems these people have thought what she thought already. Not too surprising, this is their home after all. They have a lot more at stake here than Emi does! She is given a secret. It is always important to not betray your contacts. "We will not inform the public of what you have shared. It would simply aid the invading force at this time if there was a panic on top of everything else." He asks if there's something else. And Emi, after arguing with herselves on the matter, eventually nods. "The Shard Seekers. You paused before you said their name, and you noted only 'most groups' would receive proper compensation. We suspect that is to say, the Shard Seekers will not be receiving full compensation?" Hey, detective. "The Network wonders why."

:'''[[Baigan]] has posed:''' The mayor himself may not be a brilliant man, but given his willingness to indulge Emi, he does seem the sort to listen to good ideas. What he presents to her is the outcome of both Fluorgis administrators and Karnak engineers putting their heads together to attempt to imagine who or what might be causing these disasters. And even so-- "Even if the Crystal is the target, and not just a means to an end, or an accidental side-effect," Bates says, half to himself, his gaze drifting, "/who/ or /what/ is behind it? Fluorgis has no political enemies, and no nation has attempted to intervene. We continue to be harried, and suffer from attrition, with no means of tracking from whence these clouds came..." They may have done their homework too, but at the end of the day, the Fluorgis leadership seems to have hit an insurmountable obstacle. The portly man shakes his head slowly before looking back at her, and nodding with relief at her response to his trust. "We... er, I agree. The people of Fluorgis are a lively sort, on which we pride ourselves. But this darkness... my highest concern," he admits, "even above the security of the city itself, is the morale of our people. Perhaps that sounds absurd, but I have never seen spirits so low. Even I feel unusually fatigued..." Well, he's just been working hard. "Do not those Heartless prey upon the faint of heart?" He expected to hear her second theory, but her question so takes him aback that he forgets all about her ever mentioning it. Detective Powers /Critical Hit/. "Er, ah, no, that's... why would... oh, I see..." Bartholomew Bates harumphs again, gaze flickering about the room, before settling back on the young lady before him and, feeling foolish for letting Emi agitate him, sighs weightily again. "Yes, I suppose you must be familiar with them. I'm afraid that's the case. I assure you, I tried to persuade the Council otherwise, but..." There is a frenzied quacking faintly from outside. "...well, I should not say--" And the door swings wide open, slamming against the opposite wall. "What's the meaning of this, Bates!?" Standing there, red-faced, is a veritable tree of a man, right up to the bushy hair and beard, his stocky build trunk-like and workman's hands gnarled like roots. The mayor, in response to this violent invasion, just sighs again and takes another glance at his pocket watch as though for confirmation. As the door swings back from inertia, the wall beside it shows numerous dents in the paint. "Councilman Averroe," the mayor says mildly, the exhaustion in his voice at its thickest. "And the young lady, lovely as ever." It's only then that, overshadowed by the big man, the girl entering behind him registers. Her blonde pigtails bob as she curtseys in her ruffled dress, and the warmth of her smile is unaffected by the man's wrath. The liveliness to her eyes speaks to what the mayor had said of the nature of Fluorgis's people. "You went behind my back!" Averroe barges on, heedless that anyone is in the room other than himself and the mayor. "I don't know what those damn Shard Seekers paid you, but I've already told you, they're not welcome in this city, and it's high time we ejected those foreign scoundrels!" "I sought only to apply the law equally, without exceptions," Bates continues, his mild tone unchanging. "Your influence, however, seems to be too great." "It's not a question of /influence/," Averroe shouts, shaking a meaty fist, "but of /justice/! The council knows what that Seeker tried to do to my daughter!!" At this, the girl lowers her gaze, but the light in her eyes does not fade, and a faint sweet smile still flickers around her lips. "Oh, Father," she says, voice confident despite her demure expression, "do be calm."

:'''[[Pumpkinhead]] has posed:''' No political enemies--but... "...There are those that would strike a city for power regardless of not being your enemy." Emi says. She can frankly think of some without even trying hard. And that's the problem, too many possibilities, by the time she finishes investigating them all Fluorgis will probably be in ruins. It's luckily a wealthy city. A poor city would not have been able to handle this for this long. Which nations would see this as the best avenue for taking down Fluorgis and nabbing its crystal? The Shadow Lords are the obvious option, maybe even Crime Inc--so it might not even be one of the empires. Perhaps its proximity to Archades is encouraging this route? Hard to say. She wishes Mercade were here. He'd probably have figured it out by now. One thing is clear though. They can't keep on the defense. And that's what sh'es going to have to tell the Shard Seekers and the TDA both. The Shard Seekers might especially be ideal due to their varied backgrounds making them have no doubt many strange resources that would make them hard to anticipate. "Mm...The Network admits to not knowing much about the Heartless, but they are attracted to great light. They no doubt would feast on this land if given the opportunity." SUDDENLY TOWERING MAN AND LITTLE ADORABLE GIRL She stands up, half expecting an ASSASSIN, but she is not precisely much calmer once she understands what's going on. For a moment that lazy look in her eyes is very focused indeed. and it stays this way. "Hello there." She says to the girl. "This one approves of pigtails." She bobs her head. Truly, this is a child who knows how to accessorize. But she straightens, stiffening faintly. "This one is not of the Shard Seekers. I am from the TDA." But it's hard even for a Dennou to say 'hey get over it' when it comes to protecting ones daught-- "Get over it, The Network advises." Oh right, The Network's experience with parenting is being sent off to die horribly for science! They don't really have the frame of reference here to worry about familial duty. "If Reize broke some law, then it only pertains to him," His name wasn't even mentioned BUT SHE KNOWS. "The Shard Seekers is an organization that has saved this city's water supplies, it has protected its airfields, it rescued the world from evil fear dimension mirrors. The Network could go on about their services to this city, but it is clear they have more than proven themselves--even to a casual observer such as ourselves." She looks to the young lady, then back to the Councilman. "If the Shard Seekers move to another city due to feeling unwelcome here--and at this point in your troubles, they have very good reasons besides that not to stay, then your city will fall even more quickly than it already is. The Network is not a Shard Seeker, but is advising this because in her sister's sort time here, she has fallen in love with the City of Flowers. She does not wish for this city to fall." She lowers her head and sighs. "Nor does this one, The Network admits. This one admits she anticipated this reason might be the purpose behind the Shard Seekers' troubles--but Reize is not a malicious individual. He is a klutz, he may even be a fool, but his intentions are noble. He was, in fact, set to leave this city. This one suspects part of it is his nature, but part of it was surely not that he was mistreated, but his people--the Shard Seekers--have been. What convinced him to stay, in spite of this, was because he truly wishes to help your people in spite of his own desires. But the truth is, he has already saved this city. The TDA may have helped, but we would not have known of this city's troubles without their presence here." She doubts that the Shard Seekers will actually leave, but that doesn't mean she can't use something Max taught her. Half truths. In order to make them think they might.

:'''[[Baigan]] has posed:''' "Aren't they cute?" the girl enthuses to Emi, looking up from the floor at the compliment, the daughter's veneer of well-bred manners easily overcome by her high spirits. "They're my favorite!" That and the opportunity to talk about hair with another girl instead of listening to her father rant. And rant he does. "/Reize/," he snarls, as the mayor looks at Emi in obvious shock and ponders whether she is a detective or simply a mind-reader. How little the mayor understands. But Councilman Averroe clenches his fist, gazing off into the distance through the window, at any moment likely to initiate a dissolve effect into a crimson-tinted flashback. "Reize," the girl sighs. Her flashback might be rose-tinted instead. "Th-the detective is quite right, of course," Bates begins, seeking to steer the subject onto a somewhat more reasonable matter. "The Shard Seekers might be only one group upon many to help us fight off the invaders, but they were the first to settle here, and they are partly responsible for summoning their allies to the cause. With the ranks of our usual Clans, depleted, we can't afford to--" "REIZE SEATLAN!" Averroe roars, having stared into the distance all this time, at last snapping back to glare at Emi and the mayor, or at least in their general direction. "When Maria went missing while the Heartless were at their most numerous, I would have given anything to get her back! But that scoundrel took advantage of my generous spirit! When I came with the search party to retrieve her, he was all over her!!" "I told you, Father," Maria exclaims, his daughter's tone growing heated, pigtails bouncing as her hands clench at her sides. "He didn't do anything! He rescued me from the Heartless. You saw us just as I caught him to prevent him from falling off the bridge!" "And /why/," her father retorts, "would he be backing off a bridge like a fool!?" He seems no more impressed now than when he first heard this explanation, and his daughter's expression, momentarily defiant, grows furtive. "I dunno," she replies. "Regardless, that boy can't be trusted with the fate of our city," Averroe concludes, crossing his broad arms. "Shall the noble tradition of clanhood be bequeathed to nothing more than miscreants and brigands?" Yet the mayor, normally so indulgent, is ignoring him, staring instead at Emi. "You mean... the leader of the Shard Seekers considered leaving the city?" The detective has cleverly omitted some important details, and from the unusually intense expression on the merchant's face, doing so has proven effective. "If any of the major groups abandon us now..." The speech sinks in, and Bates closes his eyes for a moment before, with a flash of resolution, he looks at her again. "I shall speak again with the Council," he says firmly, "and inform him of the dire situation. If Fluorgis falls, nothing else matters. Let the heroes of our city prove themselves in deed, and not be judged by rumor and reputation." "Rumor and rep--" Averroe sputters, his face flushing red again. "BATES!" he shouts, the room seeming to shake slightly, one of the pictures on the wall slipping diagonal. The mayor has to readjust his spectacles. "I won't let you get away with this! For my daughter's honor, I see to it that the Council has you replaced! Good /day/!" The man storms out, but this time, Bartholomew Bates doesn't even seem to notice. He's smiling slightly at Emi, his fatigue abated by a resurgence of spirit. "It seems I owe the... TDA... for yet another favor," he murmurs. "If there's anything more I can offer in the way of information..." "Do you..." Speaking of information, Maria of the pigtails has not, it appears, left with her father. She lingers at the doorway, looking at Emi, her hands folded behind her back. She bites her lower lip, but her eyes sparkle with happiness. "Are you... a friend of Reize's?"

:'''[[Pumpkinhead]] has posed:''' "They are." Emi says, nodding firmly. "Pigtails are the best hairstyle, though The Network admits there is no consensus on this topic." See she has pigtails because she's Emi so she's like the second one alphabetically (even if that has no impact on who was actulaly made first) and well okay Legion has weird reasons for doing things sometimes. Emi cannot read minds, but she doesn't explain that she has outside information than just this conversation. Like her first real meeting with Reize where he managed to tumble into Lenn's breasts. THAT LITTLE GIRL IS HIDING SOMETHING!!!!!!!! However she has pigtails so Emi just assumes she is a wonderful person. DETECTIVE CRITICAL MISS? Or maybe she'd rather not worry about this reason. AT least she can tell Reize why his clan's been having difficulties. Knowing what the problem is can sometimes be a relief in of itself. At least then you know. "You appear to be risking much with this." She tells the mayor, a small shift in her expression readily becoming apparent. "...You are a good mayor. Looking out for your people in this time cannot be easy." she bows her head lightly again. "This one thanks you." The shift is a bit more apparent--she has started smiling back. It's a bit melancholic this time, because fathers have reminded her of parentage and parentage has reminded her of how she cannot understand this man who came in yelling and that while perhaps today that was for the best--most people would have understood him, right? "Please let us know how the discussions go. If you need any detective work done--" She draws out one of the new business cards, setting it down. It leads to the office rather than Emi herself, but really the others are far more experienced than her anyway. "--It seems we have to figure out how to deal with these clouds. Anything you might know about how they are constructed, where they might be coming from, or what they are composed of would be helpful, though we do not mean to suggest you neccessarily have such information at your disposal." She is about to add more when the girl is talking to her. She had thought she left. She turns around to face the girl head on. "Yes. More than that, he has my respect." There isn't any lovey dovey stuff from her on this matter. She specifies respect because she considers that greater than friendship, at least in this case--it's easy to like Reize, but harder to respect him in a sense. "Is there anything you'd like me to pass on to him?" She assumes a thank you or something since apparently he had saved her. "...This one apologizes for speaking as such to your father, in any event. We do not really know how to deal with fathers."

:'''[[Baigan]] has posed:''' "Oh, it's always like this," Mayor Bates humbly demurs, but he puffs up a little at the compliment nevertheless, visibly pleased. Given that it is the council members that are elected, and not the mayor himself -- being drawn in turns from that group -- it's possible that Bart here doesn't get much face time with the populace of Fluorgis at large. Praise is a delicacy. "Still, this one... er, we... that is, the Mayor... hmm." He squints, confounded. But upon the flourish of the card, he straightens in his chair. "Thank you, Detective. If and when any new information reveals itself, I shall refer it to your office. If, by any chance, you are thereby able to track down the source of these dark clouds, all of Fluorgis will be in your debt." For all the fraught nature of his encounter with Averroe, Bates seems in a better mood than he was when she entered. No doubt his position is one weighted with worries. But could his faltering heart be the result of the malaise that he believes to spread throughout the city now, too? The adventurers which come from afar bring their strength of arms and keen wits, but they bestow upon the citizens of Fluorgis a yet more precious gift: hope. He already seems to be lost in thought, taking up a pen from his desk and scratching away at a memo, planning for his upcoming rematch with the council. But Maria was just waiting for Emi to ask. "If your investigations turn up how to deal with overbearing fathers," the pigtailed girl lightly replies, "be sure to tell me too." Maybe Emi isn't the only one, for all her inexperience. "Please, give Reize this! Tell him it's from Maria." She withdraws from her dress an envelope of fine -- and rather cute -- stationary, 'To Reize' written in elegant cursive on the front. The 'i' in 'Reize' is dotted with a heart. "And..." Her eyes sparkle, her smile widening. "Give him a kiss from me!" Whereupon she bursts into giggles.

:'''[[Pumpkinhead]] has posed:''' That really seems to be the crux of what they have to do, find where those clouds are coming from. Hopefully that is an option, that could be a lot easier than trying to figure out how to break them otherwise. Forever. Until time itself ends. The light is dimming. That's not good. It's so not good that Emi has thought this repeatedly. "We do not know the answer to that one." Emi admits. "But will be sure to search for answers." This is, of course, in reference to how to deal with overbearing fathers. She suspects, however, that while she does not have the answer, that girl is not in any trouble. "Though a friend said that the key to just about anything is to 'Look, Listen, and Think For Yourself'. We suspect you will be fine." Certainly in less trouble than Emi who now has been given the job of kissing Reize, something Emi had more or less vowed to not do. This could be Emi's toughest case yet. At least handing a letter over and saying it is from Maria should be simple enough. Right. What's the worst that could happen? Emi has yet to learn that one does not think such thoughts. "Good luck, sir." She tells the mayor, bobbing her head. "And thank you again for your time." The smile is gone because that little girl is terrifying and will no doubt be a terrifying politician one day. Even a Dennou can shiver as she heads out the door.

Reize's Decision to Depart

2013-01-31T08:30:30Z

IvoGalvan:

{{Log Header
|Date of Scene=2013/01/29
|Location=Fluorgis - Shard Seekers HQ
|Synopsis=Reize made preparations to leave at midnight. However, it was not without getting the notice of those closest to him.
|Cast of Characters=Reize Seatlan, Lenn, Leida, Emi Dennou
|Tinyplot=Shadows Over Fluorgis
|pretty=yes
}}
:'''[[Reize Seatlan]] has posed:''' It is the middle of the night in Fluorgis. It is also pretty peaceful. It is one ofthe times that the people can gaze into the night without worry. Or at least, it would be were it not for the Heartless that lingered. One person is emerging from the boy's dorm, geared up in his full traveling clothes. Majority of the essential things are taken with him. The young adventurer finally made the decision. He's leaving to go on his adventure again. The responsibilities of being the leader of the Shard Seekers have long over his head. He did not want to be the leader. Instead, just a simple adventurer. ~ "...You talk big about friendship and rainbows and love and peace, but...In the end, you just want to get out and travel." ~ Those words by Priel linger in his mind. The boy had considered the friendships that he had made with many people within the Shard Seekers something that he has held dear. In fact, Reize has considered it a driving force. However, in the terms of his role as an adventurer: It has gotten in his way. He has been too bogged down by the stay within Fluorgis and the affairs of Manhattan. So much is going on that has kept him restricted and constrained in the areas. In fact, dreams reminded him that he was essentially back home: Stuck in that small village, doing the same thing. Instead, it was a big city. It is in this midnight that he'll depart on his own. ~ "We trust you, chief. I know you'll be back." ~ Ivo's faith in him bring's reassurance. Yet, in the end, Reize has a desire to fulfill. He cannot do that remaining in Fluorgis. Sucking in a breath, Reize hefts the backpack over his shoulder and he starts to walk off towards the exit. It's time for him to leave Fluorgis and become a real adventurer again. 

:'''[[Lenn]] has posed:''' Lenn has been up late, working on her craft, and thusly, she's using an old bench from when HQ was once a workshop. She stands when Reize is on his way out. "Reize? Where are you going?" She looks concerned. "You were just going to leave?" And maybe just a little hurt.

:'''[[Leida]] has posed:''' The streets of the city are mostly empty at this late hour, the denizens of the City of Flowers safely locked away behind closed doors and shuttered windows to keep the ever increasing threat of Heartless at bay. Guards are stationed at various points throughout the thoroughfare, some wearing the armor and colors of the local law keeping offices while others are merely adventurers and sell-swords who have seen fit to pick up the slack out of a sense of duty or opportunity for coin. A cold breeze wafts in from the desert dunes beyond the walls, sweeping through the quiet valleys between buildings in a faint whistling howl that add an eerie element to the already ominious shadows that loom from every nook and crany. Leida shivers as she pads down the familiar paths leading from the gates to the small dusty building that she now calls home. It is not the chill of the air that makes her skin crawl so much as the sense of being watched in the dark. Her stay in Traverse Town had been a refreshing change from the constant opressive heat and she had chosen to make the journey back at night to try and avoid the worst of it for atleast a little longer. Moving with inspired haste, the small girl crosses the town in record time and slowly tests the doorhandle when she finally stands before the Shard Seekers base of operations. There is a soft click and a sharp creak as the portal swings inwards; clearly no one had picked up the duty of making sure the sand didn't get into everything while she was gone. Leida sighs softly at that but does so with a good natured smile. Atleast she'd have something to do. Taking a step inside, she pulls up short as Reize suddenly comes into view clearly dressed for traveling. This was nothing particularly new, their job often required some commuting but Lenn's sense of worry is infectious. The elf has been around him far longer than herself, if she's worried there might be good reason. "Ah... Reize-san. Going on a trip?" She offers the question with a smile, setting her own small travel bag next to the wall to relief her shoulders of the burden.

:'''[[Reize Seatlan]] has posed:''' It looks like leaving will be a bit more difficult than intended. He was hoping that everyone would be asleep when he left. It would make it easier for him to go on the trip. They would likely worry and want to come with him. Reize would have to slow down. However, this journey is something that Reize would have to do alone. ~ "But I can't imagine you not wanting to protect people in need, not being there at the moment we need you. That's just who you are. So when you need to, wander." ~ When Lenn manages to intercept him, Reize tenses slightly, but he relaxes a moment later. The arrival of Leida has te boy glancing over her way. A faint smile is given towards the two ladies while he adjusts his backpack, "I'm going to travel for a while." He lifts his head up, a rueful smile forming. "... It's been a while since I've traveled. With the situation in Fluorgis, I've put my focus too long. Ivo will be helming up the leadership role for a while." ~ "But isn't it nice to have some place to return to? No matter how long you're gone now?" ~ "I'll be back after my journey..."

:'''[[Lenn]] has posed:''' Lenn smiles, and walks over to Reize. "Well, I certainly can't stop you." She sighs, and wraps her arms around him, kissing his forehead. "Just promise me you'll be careful. I worry about you, you know."

:'''[[Leida]] has posed:''' The small backpack rustles softly as it settles against the floor, though Leida's hand pauses with the strap still gripped as he unveils his intentions. Slowly, she lets go and turns to face the young boy quietly, her serpentine eyes questing over his face for signs of trouble in an unusually bold manner. However, when he smiles she allows her own to return, exhaling softly. She understood immediately. Though people from her world were often quite content to spend the majority of their lives in one place, some people were afflicted with an eternal wanderlust. Their hearts simply could not be happy contained in one place for very long. Some of her brothers had been the same way, though she had never spoken to them much on the subject, she could see the delight on their faces when they rode off to from the castle to explore further and further from home. "I see..." She averts her eyes at the display of affection from Lenn, waiting for now while the older woman says her peace. She's got first rights on saying good bye, being his betrothed.

:'''[[Emi Dennou]] has posed:''' Grr!! Emi is unhappy. It's not about anything that happened to her, nor does it even involve the Shard Seekers. But she's grumpy. And tense. And she wants to do something. But because she can't think of what to do, she's being reckless and what's more she's desirous of something consistent. And what's more consistent than the Shard Seekers which seems more or less to be a party all ni-ight. She flings the door open and despite knowing this is the Shard Seeker HQ, walks inside without even making sure nobody's in the doorway or anything--she KNOWS that's just asking to trip into someone but by god, she doesn't care. Of course maybe her metaphysical awareness may protect her. It's a mystery. What she does say upon coming in is, "The Network enters coolly, and warns of a foul mood which is to say not a 'fowl mood' which would involve birds but in the sense of being a bit tiffy, The Network explains rationally."

:'''[[Reize Seatlan]] has posed:''' Reize finally explained his intentions. He has been growing unhappy remaining in Fluorgis. With the lingering feelings taking over, he feels that it is good to dispel it by traveling and depart from the place. In the end: He is an adventurer. It feels so much more comforting to be a traveler without the need to go back home. As Lenn moves over towards the boy, Reize looks up towards his fiancee, then his arms wrap around her as she giveshim a kiss towards his forehead. "...Yeah, I'll be alright." He gives a brighter smile, "I promise." He walks over towards Leida, placing a hand over towards her shoulder. And then he move to give her a hug, "I'm glad that you have made friends. You've been stepping a foot forward wth yourself. I'm proud of you." He is about to turn over to leave, until Emi slams her way into the HQ. "...Emi?" The boy furrows his eyebrows, "What's wrong?" 

:'''[[Lenn]] has posed:''' Lenn smiles, and rubs Reize's head. She'll have to accept this... It's a good a reason as any to get herself into shape, so she can go *WITH* him sometime. "You always keep your promises." She steps back, and looks to Emi, concerned. "Trouble?"

:'''[[Leida]] has posed:''' As is often the case, when the presence of Leida's two rather crude fallen soul companions is the most unwanted, they choose to manifest. Like right now. Twin bursts of green flame wink into existence in the air above her shoulders, both giving dramatic and unnecessary yawns as they 'awaken' from their dormant states. An annoyed expression immediately overcomes the princess as she feels their presences manifest but Reize curtails the things she is about to say to them with a surprise hug. Leida's eyes widen and she blushes a little but getting hugged has become common enough that she doesn't freak out any more. "A-ah... thank you, Reize-san." She doesn't return the hug as her arms are pinned by her side but she does give him a warm smile in return. 'Oh, looks like we got up just in time for some mushy stuff.' 'How touching, truly.' The princess' sudden glare in their direction catches the two spirits so off-guard that they instinctively scoot backwards several feet. Before they can mount a rebuttal to this afront, the door slams open and flattens the both of them into the wall, earning two painful yelps of surprise and agony that only she can hear. Ignoring the smooshed fireballs, Leida turns to peer at her friend and her foul (not fowl) mood. "Um... Emi-chan...? Are you alright?"

:'''[[Emi Dennou]] has posed:''' Emi manages to refrain from going after Lenn's ear for the moment. She is frustrated enough with whatever it is that is frustrating her that she doesn't immediately notice that something is up with the Shard Seekers--which is something of a crime in of itself against perception because it'd normally be rather obvious with her, just with a simple scan of what reize is wearing and the ladies that are with him and the like. She certainly doesn't notice the poor ghost fireballs she squashed though it's debatable whether she'd notice them even if she wasn't distracted. As such Emi gets nearly through half her rant before she realizes what's up. "The Network's friend's heart got broken and there is nothing we can do about it to comfort him, The Network explains frankly but notes that we are not referring to--" She pauses, the scene catching up to her conciousness. "...The Network inquires what is going on?"

:'''[[Reize Seatlan]] has posed:''' The smile becomes fainter, listening to Emi's rant. It seems that someone's heart is broken, but nothing can be done. Nevertheless, the young adventurer just moves to place a hand over her shoulder while passing her. He turns around to face her, "...I'm going on a trip for a while. Ivo will be leading the clan for a while until I return." How long before he intends to return is unknown. "... It's been a while since I've been an adventurer and explored the various worlds on my own." He brings his hands over his head. He frowns a bit, "I am sorry to hear about your situation. Though.." He is unable to field such a thing, "...I guess time will have to heal." He rubs the back of his head awkwardly.

:'''[[Leida]] has posed:''' "Heart got broken...?" Leida stares blankly for a few moments. Emi had not seemed like the kind of person to get so upset over things, especially something like that. Perhaps their inability to assist in this situation was what had gotten them riled up. Either way, the girl steps away from Reize and places a hand on the Legion's shoulder, trying to give her a reassuring smile. "I am sorry to hear that. Do not worry, Emi-chan, I am sure your friend knows you wish the best for them. You are a very understanding person. Or... ah... Network." She glances back to the boy. "Well... please be careful Reize-san. I hear of many dangerous things while wandering the markets. Everyone will be very sad if you get injured."

:'''[[Lenn]] has posed:''' Lenn blushes... So many people saw her being affectionate with her fiancee. She bites her lip at Emi. "That *IS* a vexing problem, isn't it?" She crosses her arms, thoughtfully.

:'''[[Emi Dennou]] has posed:''' Would he really be okay with time, Emi wondered. While she was certainly frustrated she couldn't be of assistance to him, maybe the greater fear was simply that she wouldn't get to see the real Max anymore. And to make matters worse, Reize is going on a journey. She is shoulder patted not once, but twice! She opens her mouth to tell Reize in no uncertain terms that he is not allowed to leave right now, but she can't really bring herself to say it even though she'd rather like to. Instead she says, "How long do you intend to be gone?, The Network inquires."

:'''[[Reize Seatlan]] has posed:''' It is tough, given that Emi is undergoing a situation of her own. That is an interesting question: How long? "I don't know." The boy's shoulders lift with a shrug, honestly not so sure himself. Weeks, month, years. Reize is uncertain. All that he knows is that he wants to leave soon. Instead, he manages a smile. "...Until the calling brings me back here." He grins. "I just know... other places are calling me now." He brightens a smile, "Part of being an adventurer is answering those calls." 

:'''[[Lenn]] has posed:''' Lenn smiles at Reize. "Let's hope it brings you back soon. We might end up going on an adventure to find you." She hugs him again, briefly, before going back to finger the ring she's wearing.

:'''[[Leida]] has posed:''' Leida nods again. She was hardly what could be called an adventurer herself. Infact, she rather preferred staying in one place (just not one so hot all the time.) But she understood the need to wander. "We shall try to keep the city in one piece while you are gone," she offers lightly.

:'''[[Emi Dennou]] has posed:''' Emi gets an answer to her question. She stares at him for several moments. If there was a timeframe--she could understand that. Vacations are something even The Network understands. But the idea of just popping off without any idea because of the call...FOR ADVENTURE! Well Emi is no gentleman adventurer, she is rather skeptical of the idea. But it fits with Reize's character. What is stranger is everyone else. "How..." She looks towards Lenn in particular. "...How are you okay with this? Are you not engaged? The Network is admittedly not familiar with Elvish tradition but from our understanding of humans...it is odd." It is too odd for her to see everyone just okay with this. "You may never see him again."

:'''[[Lenn]] has posed:''' Lenn looks to Emi, and sighs. "I'm not. I love him. I'm going to worry every day he's gone. But I can't keep him HERE, it wouldn't be fair to him. And I can't keep up with him, as I am. Yet. So, for this one... I'll wait for him. Because he promised he'd come back."

:'''[[Reize Seatlan]] has posed:''' "...Ivo told me something," He turns to face Emi as she looks over in bewilderment of everyone's reaction. While the smile is still faint, it is still there. "...They have faith that I'll return. I will... how long until then, I don't know." He offers a faint smile, "But they also understand that in the end... I am a wanderer." He pauses, listening to Lenn's words. As she hugs him close once more, Reize embraces her. Then, he retracts the hug. He rests his fingers along the engagement band. "...Thank you, everybody." Reize shuts his eyes, then he turns around to walk through the doors. 

:'''[[Leida]] has posed:''' The princess is rather taken offguard by this question. Warriors riding off to battle or fame was something that happened constantly in her society. Though many differences existed here in these new worlds, most of them were still populated by men and women who lived and died by the sword. Death an ever-present companion to them. "I... did not mean... to sound indifferent." She looks down, suddenly shamed that her easy acceptance might have seemed as such to these foreigners. "But we cannot tell Reize-san that it is not acceptable to follow his heart. We must simply bid him a fond farewell and wait for the time that we can meet again. Even if that moment never comes, we shall always have the memories that we shared." She looks up and smiles brightly at Reize as he turns to go, giving him another bow. "If this should be our final meeting, Reize Seatlan, please know that we shall be eternally grateful to you for what you have done for us." Leida reverts to her old formal speaking habits, using the royal 'we' instead of 'I' as it makes the words easier to say if they are spoken out of tradition rather than emotion. The faint glimmer of moisture in the corner of her eyes betrays her real feelings though. "May the spirits watch over you on your journey."

:'''[[Emi Dennou]] has posed:''' Emi listens to the arguments in favor of Reize skipping town. "You are already commited," Emi says after a while. "So these words will be wasted, but nevertheless, The Network will say them." "Never abandon a comrade." She says. "When we had that discussion in the garden, we had assumed you were working on the situation in Burmecia, planning for how to defend Fluorgis from the threats that are still plaguing it. We still do not know why there was such danger in Fluorgis to begin with. There is much we have yet to uncover. The city, and your friends, are still very much in danger. We seem to have assumed incorrectly, you were instead considering how to properly run away, finding the proper excuses. 'I am a wanderer, that is who I am'. We thought you were a knight. What sort of knight abandons their territory to go out and have fun." She shakes her head. "No, The Network still does not understand. Your friends are good friends to 'understand' this--no," She shakes her head again. "They are easy friends. Still, The Network must applaud your maturity, then, to step down for finding yourself unsuitable for the task." DIS A POINT MENT. Of course, she did come into this grumpy and did warn everybody of this, but this does seem remarkably sincere. She turns for the door, intending to just walk right back out it. "This one apologizes for sharing such uncomfortable feelings. If you do not save this city, or the adventurers--your friends--who got stolen away... The Network supposes they will have to step up."

:'''[[Reize Seatlan]] has posed:''' Sigh. Reize pauses, turning his head over towards Emi when she strikes him with those words once more. The longer he stays, the more unhappy he is. After losing a good majority of his friends and the others in this, Reize just wants to depart and just journey ahead. A grimace is given. There is usually a limit that the boy can take during all of this, especially when he is the leader. In the end, Emi is right. He doesn't walk out. "...You're right." Reize turns to face the ladies, "...When the Shard Seekers were started, it was through the union between Ivo, Lily, and I." He pauses for a moment, "...I never wanted to be the leader." He offers a rueful smile, "... I did not expect for the Shard Seekers to grow as big as it did. ... I did not expect Fluorgis to be a home." He shuts his eyes, "... I found it becoming a cycle for me. A boy that grew up in a small village for 14 years, a village that no one knows about for miles across. You'd be lucky to find it on any of the maps." "In that small village, I had my father's stories to go off of." He shuts his eyes, thinking back to the tales that were told. "...He wandered the world, helping those in need. He got to see things that many of us have not. I wanted to walk on a that road like he did. Outside of that little forest, I never knew what the world was like. I wanted to see it all for myself." "When I arrived here, this was my chance to explore the world. ...Though, I did not imagine that I would had lost a world at the process." His eyes become downcast, but he lifts his head up with a faint smile, "...I never intended to be a leader or to hold one territory. ...I never intended this place to be my home. I sought to travel the world like my father did." He looks like he is about to say a bit more, but he stops himself. Instead, a smile grows. "...You're right. Knight's Vow #72: Never abandon a comrade. ...I cannot leave Fluorgis or Cleyra in the condition that they are." Guess sometimes, even being selfish for just a little bit is a bad thing for him. "...There are people that still need me."

:'''[[Leida]] has posed:''' The princess hesistates as she rises, taken aback by Emi's blunt and, she thinks, harsh attack on the young boy. It is probably true that she is an easy person to get along with though Leida has her doubts that this was intended as a compliment this time, which makes her expression turn somewhat downcast. This was the first time she'd seen one of the Network act like this and it was rather upsetting. It seems so unfair to keep him here simply out of circumstances that he had not chosen for himself. But then, life was rarely fair. That didn't make her feel any better though. The girl stares down at the ground as Reize considers her words, holding her tongue throughout his brief history lesson on the origins of the Shard Seekers and himself. She is sure that he will leave regardless of what anyone says. Wanderlust was a hard thing to contain. Which is why when he acquiesces to Emi's claims, she is completely taken by surprise. Leida's eyes widen a little but she cannot help the faint smile of relief that also touches her features. She wouldn't have to worry about him any more than usual, for now atleast.

:'''[[Lenn]] has posed:''' Lenn nods, "I'll admit, I'm relieved that you'll stay here." She smiles. "Once this is over, maybe we can all go on a big adventure, together..."

:'''[[Emi Dennou]] has posed:''' Emi was expecting Reize to blow her off. Her eyes have strangely become watery which, for the Network, is a bit of an unusual sensation. What's even stranger is that she's not even that close to Reize, what business is it of hers where he goes and stays? Why does she care? She didn't shed tears for her sisters who had fallen to Cronus, the last time she cried was when Shida was returned to the collective. Maybe she's crying because the others weren't. Well, it's hard to know why tears flow sometimes. For all she knows, it's because this city is important to her--to the Network. it could be an number of reasons. Maybe because she doesn't want leida to miss them. Was it cruel perhaps to say 'easy friend'--of course, how can any act be easy when faced with this decision. Maybe she's just crying because for once she's just so discombobulated she's not even entirely sure what she is thinking, which for a Network is rather rare. Maybe it is unfair to Reize to make him stay but what hero has it fair? What knight? None that Emi knows of, either in story or reality. Adventure, as Up tells us, can be found anywhere. She is surprised to hear that Reize is staying as much as anybody, she really expected to be blown off and then have a cry somehwere alone where nobody would bother her but as it stands, now she can't leave. She's trapped. She can't storm off because, technically speaking, she won. She convinced him. She sinks down against the wall and just sniffles in silence, she's smiling despite herself but she's avoiding anybody's gaze. sniff. sniff. She rubs her nose. They have their own vow: Help those that can get help from noone else. It's not pretty but it suits them.

:'''[[Reize Seatlan]] has posed:''' It's something that Reize just has to endure longer. His hand rests along his forehead, a bit strained by having to become the leader of everything. However, given the circumstances, it's something that he has to deal with. Just a while longer with hope that it gets resolved. Relying on the others to handle Fluorgis in his stead is perhaps irresponsible. Hiss Lenn recommends on them going on a big adventure together, the boy smiles faintly, "Yeah..." It's not that he doesn't want to travel with the whole group, it's just that his personal travels would be more fulfilling. However, it is also a bit of the burden of bein the leader. A glance is given towards Emi, who is sinking against the wall. The boy is walking over towards Emi, kneeling down towards her. "...Thank you, Emi." The boy's arms embrace her close. "... Sorry that I had you all worry." He pauses, "...Though, as you all now know.. I have my own selfish desires." 

:'''[[Leida]] has posed:''' The surprise on Leida's face quickly evolves into concern when she sees the impact that Reize's acceptance has on her, a hand going up to cover her gasp. She doesn't think she's ever seen one of the Legion's show this much emotion before, much less shed tears! The princess rushes over to her friend's side, kneeling down next to her as Reize moves in to give her a hug. Beaten to the punch. Still, she places a gentle hand on her wrist, giving the girl a faint squeeze and a smile. Words cannot express how happy Leida is to see her friend show such concern. The Network, though friendly and kind, has always seemed a little distant. This was a step towards closing that gulf. "It is alright, Reize-san. Everyone has things that they wish for themselves." She knows this better than anyone. Atleast Reize's desire didn't involve being possessed by demons, she didn't think she'd be able to return the favor of rescuing him from such a fate. Not that demons that made you want to wander around seemed all that terrible a thing.

:'''[[Emi Dennou]] has posed:''' Emi doesn't bother to mention she also has selfish desires because she feels they've been pretty much on display all day. She imagines these people know already. She is hugged by a Reize. She may be brutally honest to the point that it would make Omi blush, but she isn't a sociopath (that's Imi) nor does she like hurting people or keeping them from their dreams. Adventures are wonderful, but this ain't the time for play. Granted it wasn't /just/ that that caused such protestations. She is scared she may have lost a family member--not literally, either in the case of being family or in the case of losing them, but in the sense that their moments of connection would be lost, devoured by Max's pain. It may be an entirely boundless fear, but it is a fear. She does not immediately react to the Reize hug. She just shakes once, a tingle of electricity passing through her--a harmless static ping--but after a moment her arms raise up--no, one arm raises up, pulling away one of Reize's arms via his hand. Denial???? Not exactly. Emi grasps that hand in her own and guides it forward. And she shakes it. Sometimes a handshake has more meaning than a hug. For a moment, Emi's eyes are sharp, alert--rather than their typical deadpan. She's still tearyeyed, but there is more determination than before, and plenty in that handshake. Sometimes there is more meaning in a handshake than a hug. "You surprised me." She smiles. "Reize." A hug just means they care for one another, this is nothing new. The handshake means Reize has more than her fondness--but her respect as well. "Thank you." She whispers. "I'm sorry, Leida-chan."

The Wills of Women

2013-01-31T08:24:44Z

IvoGalvan: Created page with "{{Log Header |Date of Scene=2013/01/31 |Location=Fluorgis - Shard Seekers HQ - Garden |Synopsis=Beneath blue skies, during a rare respite from the shadows plaguing Fluorgis, s..."

{{Log Header
|Date of Scene=2013/01/31
|Location=Fluorgis - Shard Seekers HQ - Garden
|Synopsis=Beneath blue skies, during a rare respite from the shadows plaguing Fluorgis, some of the Shard Seekers come together in the garden, and Lenn and Raiya show their determination to move forward on their own paths. As the bonds of trust between these different friends grow, so too do their prospects of success. But where does this road lead for the motley crew?
|Cast of Characters=Ivo Galvan, Faruja Senra, Raiya Fujihara, Lenn, Leida
|Tinyplot=Shadows Over Fluorgis
|pretty=yes
}}
:'''[[Ivo Galvan]] has posed:''' These days, dark clouds often shroud the skies above Fluorgis, filtering the desert sun through a melancholy haze. Not today. The winds from the east have revealed the heavens, if only momentarily, and a blissful blue reigns over the City of Fountains, a welcome respite from the dispiriting weather. Ivo, blue cloak laid out beneath him, gazes up at that sky, arms folded behind his head upon the now-neat grass of the lovingly maintained Shard Seekers garden. No playful light sparkles in his eyes; no mischievous smile upturns his lips. Eyes gentle, expression soft, the swordsman is lost in a reverie. "Reize..." He had heard: their hapless chief, though forgiven by all for his wanderlust, chose to stay and fight with them for Fluorgis, against his own deepest wishes. Confused but not reluctant, when challenged by Legion, he chose his vision of knighthood over that of adventurer, and sacrificed his dream willingly, if only for now. "...you've shown me up again." The image of Reize calming Priel and Lily down when they first arrived in Fluorgis, while Ivo himself stood alienated off to the side, returns. It's true that he presumed too much: Reize's selflessness isn't a consequence of not having desires of his own. But that light, that radiant light, and the fighting spirit to perservere for all his shortcomings-- "I told you... there's a reason you're the leader." Murmuring this to himself, Ivo smiles at last, ever so slightly, and recognizes at last what he's feeling: humility. He's struggling, too: he wants them to be a Clan, and wants to protect Fluorgis, but he can't bear the hopes and dreams of others. Unlike Reize, he's comfortable staying in a single place. The realization that so many possibilities are pinned to the shard-seeking device, however, when his initial conception of it was a gimmick to keep them together-- it took the trust of his friends for Ivo to admit to his own shortcomings, and unwillingness to carry such a burden. "I'm going to do it for you." But he, too, can sacrifice. After all-- "Let's clear this sky, and banish the darkness." He's a knight. ...... Technically. Rising to a sitting position at last, Ivo's smile broadens, returning to its usual affable state, and he stretches his arms up. It's about the time that other members of the Shard Seekers might be getting back.

:'''[[Leida]] has posed:''' Despite the early time of year, the heat of the desert never truly fades, a constant dry breeze wafting in from the endless sea of sand sapping the moisture provided by the uncontrolled flows of water that criss cross the entire city out of the air and replacing it with a harsh blanket of torridity. This city was an /oven/. Fortunately, the well built walls of the Shard Seeker's home kept most of the sun's blazing assault at bay but the wind and sand always managed to find their way inside. Thus when the princess awoke a hour prior, she found herself already drenched with sweat, much to her dismay. It seems not even sleep can keep the heat entirely at bay. Her sing-song hums echo through the enclosed area at the back of the gardens designated for personal hygiene. The rank smell and sticky coating of perspiration is gone now, having been thoroughly scrubbed away and replaced by a wonderul aroma of flowers and herbs hand picked from the garden. They were good for more than just looking pretty! The princess' ensemble of old shirt and belt are back in place before she walks out; the little escapade with Reize's towel malfunction made her rather wary of relying on them to protect her modesty even for the short trip between the pool and the dorms. Her hair is still wet, though that is to be expected considering its sheer volume, and the girl idly runs an ornate comb through the long locks as she pads absent mindedly across the garden.

:'''[[Lenn]] has posed:''' Lenn is wearing, unlike her usual, a fairly close-fitting, light set of clothes, that are a bit sweaty, despite the winter's chill. She pants... and practically falls into a seat. "Wooo..."

:'''[[Raiya Fujihara]] has posed:''' The balance inbetween protecting the hopes of dreams of others against pursuing your own is an arduous task. Many try to walk that balance and fail as one dream is sacrficed so that another will live. That can sadly be the way of the world and this is a notiont that Raiya Fujihara is all too familar with. There would be no comfort that she could offer Ivo. As those were times in which they all lived. Raiya steps out into the garden herself, dressed from head to toe in clothes that would be unfamiliar to those who have seen her around before. Her purple and black ornate kimono was gone and replaced by a military styled, long white tunic and black baggy trousers with gold embroidery. Overtop this, she wears a polished set of silver scaled armor that protects her torso as well as her shoulders. Her usual arm and leg guards are present as is her katana and sandals. Finally to complete her martial appearance, the samurai wears a fancy silver scaled, open-faced helm on top of her head that causes her long blonde hair to tumble out the side of it. The ronin solemnly continues to walk further into the garden where she discovers that she is not alone out her. A stoic expression is displayed on Raiya's face as she plants the base of a wicked looking polearm into the ground. She offers a small nod of her helmeted head towards Leida and Lenn whom she fairly unaquainted with. Ivo gets a slightly longer nod from the armored individual; however, her grim demeanor seems to be unwavering for now.

:'''[[Ivo Galvan]] has posed:''' His resolution made, for now, at least, the weight feels lifted from his shoulders. Ivo runs a hand through his dark hair, leaning on one hand in a half-reclined seated position, and his smile broadens as Lenn emerges looking as though she's been for a brisk run. "Are you exercising, Lenn?" Ivo's eyes display their usual mild curiosity, as whenever anyone behaves outside the norm. "How admirable. What brought this on? Making sure you'll fit into your wedding dress?" Since apparently the secret of the betrothal is out, now Ivo can tease her all he likes -- or so he imagines. "I think Leida's in the bath, but if you'd like to-- oh, there she is. Not too hung over, were you, Princess?" is his casual greeting, smile broadening into a grin as he raises his hand in salute. It's unclear whether 'Princess' is an official title or a nickname. His composure and mood restored, no doubt Ivo intends to indulge himself by messing around with the two eminently teasable Shard Seeker lasses. But the arrival of Raiya on the scene is-- well, let's just say this is more than 'outside the norm'. "Raiya-sensei," Ivo murmurs, rising to his feet, his grin receding as his eyebrows lift, "you..." Maybe he was about to say something flippant. When he sees her grim expression within her helm, he hesitates. He returns her nod, and he stares at her face for a lingering moment before abruptly averting his eyes. His brow is slightly furrowed in thought. He has to admit, some of that conversation remains a little hazy in his memory, but-- "Are you preparing for... your campaign?" He looks back at her, smiling slightly, eyes softened. "It's... a little sooner than I'd hoped."

:'''[[Lenn]] has posed:''' Lenn says, "Actually... it's a few things... I want to get stronger. So I can do more than just patch people up... that I can help defend this place, too... and when we've won, and Reize goes on his adventure... I can keep up with him.""

:'''[[Leida]] has posed:''' The realization that she is not alone in the garden causes a predictable overreaction from the princess as she snaps out of the eternal haze of daydreaming that seems to make her utterly unaware of her surroundings half the time. Her surprised gasp carries through the garden as the girl jumps a little but she quickly exhales upon seeing the pair of familiar faces. And, one not so familiar. Leida's head tilts to the side as she peers at the armored woman standing grim-faced and serious in their garden. Ivo's reaction eases her fears that this person is an intruder and the faint tingle of recognition touches her mind. However, the addition of the title 'sensei' causes her to pause, as she didn't recall teaching that word to anyone but Percival. Nervously, she peers back at Ivo, putting on a pouty face at his teasing. Infact, she'd had possibly the worst hangover in her short life, no thanks to him. "U-um... Ivo-san, who is this?"

:'''[[Faruja Senra]] has posed:''' Faruja has had a rough time of it as of late. Between the two extremely dangerous Hades Cup bouts, and the attack on Valkyri Headquarters while he was visiting, the Burmecian is still quite injured. With three of his ribs unhealed, and his left leg still mostly unusuable, he's forced to hobble about on a cane; gold tipped, and baring devotional symbols of Ajora. Light robes cover the ratling as well, given the weather. Stepping into the garden hopefully for a bit of peace and fresh air, he's greeted with a crowd. "My, my, my." The wounded Templar mutters to himself. Noting the grim-faced Raiya, he reflexively tossed a salute followed by a chest-crossing. He'd never seen her in armor in the few times he'd laid eyes on the woman. Nor with a polearm. /That/ gets his interest. Quietly, he makes his way to a chair, sitting with a grunt. The others get nods and chest-crossings. No bows, owing to the leg. Otherwise, he chooses to watch events unfold until he has a good idea of what's going on. The word 'campaign' drifts to his ears, and he only watches more intently.

:'''[[Raiya Fujihara]] has posed:''' The armor that Raiya wears is the ornate armor of the Crescent Unit. While it appears to be properly taken care for and polished, further examination would reveal that the armor is ill-fitting in certain area and appears to have seen its fair share of abuse despite Raiya's care for it. Her halberd-like weapon, on the other hand, is in much better shaped and looks fairly new in contrast. Her cruel-looking weapon was polished to a dangerous gleam to match that or her silver armor. Lenn gets a meditative look when talk of a future wedding comes forth. An almost wistful look cascades down onto her face before being banished by the samurai. It would be nice to have pleasant things to look forward, but Raiya was samurai. She knew better for what fate had in store for her. There were dire things at stake and she could ill-afford to daydream for any length of time at all. These thoughts cause Raiya to look to her weapon which she hefts rather effortlessly into the air with a practiced flourish. "My name is..." A pause. "...Asteria." Raiya says in a calm voice towards Leida. "Worry not. My enemy is not here and I am also one of the Shard-Seekers." The armored woman explains simply to the Princess with her halberd still in hand. Asteria now turns towards Ivo, her armor clinking together as she moves. Many things were said and spoken of that night. There were also many truths that were said as well. "Even before I was a Shard-Seeker, I had already committed my hand." The stoic samurai grimaces slightly. "And now I must reap what I have sewn for I cannot forget that my own war is just about to begin." Raiya had actually never stopped fighting this war internally. It was only that now she was finally prepared to face what she had once ran from. The familiar Templar gets a nod from the armored samurai as well. It has been quite some time since they last crossed paths. But that is how fate works. One can never really know what is in store for them next.....wearing armor does help though.

:'''[[Ivo Galvan]] has posed:''' Ivo is mildly surprised at Lenn's seriousness, but quickly understands why his teasing had no effect: her mind is on Reize, and her own path. After hearing of Reize's intent to leave, she surely must have begun reflecting on her own capacity to keep up with the ever-journeying boy. He blinks at the blonde elf once, and then smiles with no sign of mischief. "So that's how it is." Now standing, his arms cross. "Well, why don't you ask for some help? Lots of the Seekers have physical and weapons training. Faruja and Raiya are skilled fighters, and Skoll wields powerful magic." Lily wields powerful magic too, of course, but imagining her as a teacher is a little too comical. Whereas imagining Priel as a teacher is-- no, Ivo likes to mess with Lenn, but he's not cruel. "Leida could teach you archery. Even I have some general weapons training from the academy. What were you considering?" Looks like Ivo can be serious with her too. Seeing Leida pout is all the reward Ivo could ask for his good deed of enabling her. He's a supportive person like that. "Ah... she's..." Ivo's lips part, his eyes widening slightly, as Raiya introduces herself-- using her true name. His heart twinges faintly. Some part of him had already begun formulating some sort of plan to persuade her not to wage this unknown battle of hers, to stay with them, with him, and reveal the woman he knows she is. That name, more even than her armor, strikes him as the ultimate proof of her seriousness. Though he can't help but wonder if part of it is also that he liked being the only one knowing that name. "Asteria..." Ivo's expression is now also dead serious. "Are you going to Wutai? Must it be now?" He pauses for a moment, then frowns slightly. She is his teacher, but she is also his friend, and now his ally -- and more even than that. "You know, we can support you. You're one of us now. If we can just banish the darkness which haunts this city..." But would she wait that long, with no solution yet in sight? And would she even accept their company? But the thought of watching her go-- "...You know I can't just let you leave alone." Ivo's a little startled to belatedly notice Faruja in his peripheral vision, and blinking, he turns, only to relax a little, smiling wryly. "Ser Senra, you're a glutton for punishment," he remarks, fondness in his blue eyes. He always liked Faruja and respected his ability and integrity, but now he feels their differences have been transcended by trust. "Lenn, is there anything you can do to help him?" Faruja's probably already been healed, but the elf is quite skilled. Even if she can't fight yet, there might be something more she could do about the Burmecian's injuries.

:'''[[Leida]] has posed:''' "A-ah... well..." Leida takes a few steps foward and bows to the samurai woman in a fashion that she will easily recognize as a very formal version of her own culture's customs. "It is nice to meet you, Asteria-san." The conversation is quickly turned to matters that she has no knowledge of nor business interfering with. Even if she is a Shard Seeker, that didn't automatically include her in each member's dealings, at least not in her mind. Seeing the serious tone from Ivo is enough to let her know that something was amiss, so the small girl merely steps aside and makes her way over towards Lenn and Faruja. The sight of the Burmecian gives her pause and his face is quickly recognized from their meeting once before that ended poorly thanks to her own timid nature and Priel's untimely interference. However, seeing his injured as such, he somehow comes across as less threatening as her innocent concern manages to overwhelm her fears. Slowly, she approaches the templar and gives him a bow as well. "Ah, hello. I think we met once before."

:'''[[Lenn]] has posed:''' Lenn looks to Ivo, "Actually, I was wondering if you could teach me swordsmanship." She brushes some hair behind a pointed ear. "And maybe some help at training my body generally, would be nice. So I can keep up with him." She looks over at Faruja, "I could have a look, if you don't mind?"

:'''[[Faruja Senra]] has posed:''' A second, 'true' name can mean many things. In Faruja's experience, it typically meant someone wanted to distance themselves from their past, for good or ill. The Templar respects the samurai woman, and until now she's come off as a wandering warrior woman of rather pleasant company. Her current demeanor suggests a woman on a mission. Connecting the two, the rat's face grows both serious and probing as he looks the woman in the eyes with his own red one. The fur on the back of his neck rises. Whatever was going on here, Faruja knows it's both important, and may even be relevent to his own concerns in the world. Ivo's words to Raiya only confirm it. Hands clasp together, unconsciously in the manner of his own Inquisitor's when she's observing an important event. Even amidst this dire and serious setting, Ivo brings a small smile to the rat's muzzle. Damnit, Ivo, stop being so /charming/. You could be a real politician or diplomat, you know!? "'Tis the life of a Templar. Better myself than, say, one of the Ladies Dennou or Lady Zia. Besides, it affords a touch of leave the Church and the Shard Seekers rarely allow for." Zia wasn't even in the Games. Why'd he mention her? A glance to Leida. As she bows to him, without hiding or fainting dead away, he can't help but nod warmly. Crossing his chest in an Ajoran manner, his tail flickers welcomingly. Not that the little human Princess would likely recognize the gesture! "M'Lady Leida, was it not? Quite. An honor, M'Lady, and may the Lord bless all that you do. Do forgive a Burmecian his formality. Templar Faruja Senra, of the Most Holy Church of Saint Ajora Glabados, at your service." It's one of the more standard platitudes, but like most of them, the rat means it. And in /her/ case, doubly so. Not to mention the formality. He does his best to match the Princess' own manners as he can while injured. So much fussing. The crystal mage gets a nod, and he parts robes and lifts somewhat to expose the splint about his leg as well as the busted ribs. So too would onlookers see the lack of bandages there today, due to the broken ribs. Burn wounds, some old, some within the past month show on his chest. His leg shows signs of having been repeatedly broken, then healed over short periods of time. Seems the last few weeks have been rough for him.

:'''[[Faruja Senra]] has posed:''' "Of couse, Lady Lenn. Thank you for your kindness M'Lady." Such a good elf-woman. He makes a mental note to get to know her better some time, while not being horrifically mauled. His gaze returns to Raiya. "Lady Asteria. Well met." He finally adds, before glancing between the samurai and Ivo. The knight-very-errant knew her best. He'll give his two gil when he had the full picture.

:'''[[Lenn]] has posed:''' Lenn frowns. "Mr. Senra. You know that I can heal these wounds without much trouble, you needn't push through such injuries." She looks at him, concernedly, before she starts to pull out crystals to start in on healing the wounded rat-warrior. "You are, after all, a friend."

:'''[[Raiya Fujihara]] has posed:''' Raiya Fujihara would gladly offer to teach any Seeker who approached her about such matters. While she may be more intimidating now, the Wutai woman is normally a much less imposing presence around there. Asteria is someone who was quite serious about what she commits to which makes this current matter all that much more difficult. There was a battle to be fought here as well. The issue was that the battle for Wutai was one that first started years ago. It was only time for the next melee. Leida's formal bow causes the ronin to turn and return the gesture towards her. "Unfortunate for us to meet in such dire times," replies Asteria honestly as she lets a faint glimmer of a smile break through her harsh veneer. "A darkness has plagued Wutai for some time now. For even the chance to break my country free of the dark influence that besets the land, that is something worth fighting for...worth dying for." Raiya had smiled towards Leida a moment before, but now that smile was just a memory. The severity of Raiya's words are matched by her tone and her armor. It seems that she does not believe in half-measures when it comes to what must be done. Having the Shard-seekers on her side would make this task of hers that much easier. It was a burden that she was loath to share though for what consequences may come from it. The samurai takes a few steps forward and attempts to place a chaste hand upon Ivo's shoulder. "I would not want to endanger the other Seekers needlessly and pointlessly in a battle that was not truly theirs." Raiya also had a good mind into how this will end. And it was not well. "Besides, there are those who still need to be protected here." Faruja's deference to Raiya's mission is something that wins the Templar much respect towards him. There was a time for laughter and joy. And there was also a time for seriousness. Faruja's words causes Raiya to remove her hand off Ivo's shoulder if he had let her rest her hand there in the first place. She turns towards the Faruja fully now and offers another nod. This was the first time he had met 'Asteria' so his words were not that unusual.

:'''[[Ivo Galvan]] has posed:''' As Leida and Lenn move to care for Faruja, Ivo turns his smile from the Burmecian to the lady elf, eyebrows raising. "The sword? I'm still a student myself," he readily admits, particularly considering that his teacher is right there. His quick draw has been improving, though. He's become much more dedicated in his training sessions with Raiya, and doesn't make jokes about cutting off her sash anymore. Though he's also quieter in general when they're alone together, and can't seem to look at her for an extended period without self-consciously looking away. Around other people, though, his interactions with the blonde samurai haven't dramatically changed. "But I'd be happy to help, Lenn. Physical training was a requirement when I was a cadet." Not that he seems to exert himself overmuch these days. But Ivo remains in quite good shape. I mean, have you seen that shirtless picture of him and Reize? As the chivalrous nezumi is tended to by the good girls of the Shard Seekers, Ivo turns back to his teacher. "Asteria..." He listens as she explains at last, if only in brief, and he closes his eyes momentarily. It's more or less as he anticipated, even if the specifics still elude him. He had heard of Wutai's plight, its war with Shinra and its alliance with the Heartless. His eyes open only when Raiya gently places her hand upon his shoulder, his body relaxing under her touch, expression turning gentle. He knows he can't dissuade her. But he knows enough of her attitude -- of a samurai's way of life -- and of the dangers she's likely to face that-- What if he never sees her again? Perhaps it is the fact that he lost his family and his world. Perhaps it is that he is yet a young man, or perhaps he was simply made this way. But Ivo has a difficult time, for all his calculations, believing that there are true, final consequences to his actions. The thought of losing her overcomes that unwillingness to face finality. "The battles of our friends are our battles," he says, with a quiet firmness he rarely displays. "Whatever struggle is close to your heart, I'll definitely fight by your side." But she's right. They can't exactly leave on a campaign, not now, not at this juncture. The shadows over Fluorgis have yet to be overcome, and clanhood is still not attained. Ivo's mind works furiously. At last, his lips show a ghost of a smile. "Share in our battle for now," he continues, blue eyes intent on her greens. "Help us overcome this challenge together. Then... we can join you, and fight as one." He sounds calm and composed, but there is a hint of desperation in the depths of his eyes, a certain intensity that -- in his nonchalant and curious way -- is rather unlike him. Because he knows, and she must know, too, she /must/ know, that if she leaves-- He has to go.

:'''[[Leida]] has posed:''' The young girl merely smiles faintly as Faruja reintroduces himself, going on about a church and his lord in the process. She quietly wonders if his lord is the same one that Percival spoke of. If not and Faruja's church was the most holy, which one was the least holy? People from these forgeign worlds believed in such strange things. "No... no, it is alright. I am used to a certain amount of formality," she reponds meekly, staying back so as not to interfere in Lenn's work. When Ivo volunteers her 'expertise' on archery, she is forced to hold her hands up defensively. "A-ah... actually, I would not be a very good teacher, Ivo-san. I do not really know much about the subject..." This leaves the question of where exactly her skill does come from is not herself. She knows the answer but chooses not to mention such unnecessary details, especially with the holy crusader rat staring straight at her. She self-consciously keeps from looking right at him, lest he decide to take offense at the decidedly unholy nature of her eyes. Instead, she turns back to Ivo and Raiya, listening to their conversation. So many similar ones had occured recently. She wondered if any of the Seekers had a real idea of what it was they actually wanted from this strange little family and what they were willing to give up.

:'''[[Faruja Senra]] has posed:''' Lenn's tone is one Faruja knows well. He's said much the same to so many fellow members of the Faithful. In any other situation, he'd laugh. Biting his tongue, it takes him a moment as he masters himself. Clawed toes clench as Lenn heals him, the familiar burning sensation of bones magically righting themselves fills his limb. Unlike his own, however, it feels more gentle. Whereas Faruja is a cauterizing action of a battlefield healer, Lenn's is that of a true White Mage, even if her methods differ. "In more peaceful times, dear Lady Lenn, I would certainly do so. However, more than naught, circumstance forces me to battle no matter my condition. Or so it seems as of late. Worry not. I shall perservere, for the sake of such kind persons as yourself if not my own." Maybe not the most reassuring of answers, but it's the honest one. Wutai. Faruja finds himself clenching the arm of his chair as claws grind holes into it. The rumors of Heartless abominations used openly as soldiers much like Alexandria's and Baron's practices disturbes him greatly. Thoughts of a single woman attempting a war, alone, against such forces has Light manifesting about his sharp digits in righteousness. Such would be the actions of a Templar. Only his injury keeps him from leaping to Raiya's aide. Never has his recent injuries been more vexing. Ivo speaks, and the Light vanishes as Faruja regains his more rational senses. Hands folding once more, his body's tension slackens. Zealotry and pragmatism has always been a strange mixture, but an extremely dangerous one when properly instilled. Trained well amongst Templar and Inquisition, the rat seizes upon opportunity. "My apologies, Lady...nay, Dame Asteria. However, as a Templar of the Holy Church, I feel my oath to Lord and superiors bades me intrude. The nation of Wutai is of great interest to the Church. Particularly regarding certain...rumors. Unfortunately, without a thorough study of the situation, I cannot say if any campaign you wish to undertake would truly cleanse Wutai of it's Daemons. Nor can I truly afford one, given the situation here, and amongst my own people." The ratling too has his own concerns. He can't just galavant off to some human civilization while his own people are at risk. The 'but' to his words might be obvious, though. A glance back to Ivo. That intensity, that desperation...clearly the man felt for the woman, in whatever capacity. Coming from Ivo, Faruja knowns enough fo the man to realize how important she is. "However, the Lord giveth to the Faithful and the Righteous in their time of need. The Church is neutral in all earthly political concerns. We /are/, however, interested in ascertaining the current state of Wutai's people, and seeking evidence of any acts of rumored Heresy." Voice grave, losing its typical warmth, he's all business. One Knight to another. A hand reaches into his robes, and he'll toss a small object towards Raiya. A linkpearl. "No matter your decision upon this matter, keep in touch, hmm?" His voice softens as he regards Leida. Recalling Percivals words, he tries to have a 'gentle touch'. It may only be partially successful amidst the winces of injury-pain. The eyes at least don't seem to bother him overmuch. He'd made his peace with her possession some time ago with the noble Gargoyle's help. "Then I shall do my utmost to lay claw upon when we meet, M'Lady. I do believe a mutual acquaintance is engaging you in training, hmm? Should my own skills, such as they are, be of interest to you please do not hesitate to ask. Martial or of the healing arts."

:'''[[Raiya Fujihara]] has posed:''' Raiya has indeed noticed that Ivo has been more attentive as of late in their training sessions. That was perhaps for the best with the grim tidings that seem to increase everyday. Victories needed to be won and sacrifices would have to be made. There was no getting around these facts. Raiya Fujihara, Asteria, was content with this. The Way of the Samurai was not pretty, kind, or forgiving. It was the only life that the ronin knew. The life that she knew she had to reclaim. Technically, the Seekers were the third group that Raiya had sworn allegience to even if she has been less active in AVALANCHE as of late. But it was to this first group that she swore allegiance to, Wutai, that she now had to return to. There were many things left unfinished there that still burned at Raiya. Deaths to be avenged, wrongs to be righted, and a certain person that must be killed even if it would stain Raiya's honor permanetly. How would the Shard Seekers fit into this conflict would be an interesting piece of the puzzle to reveal. And yet Fate rarely does so until the right time. Raiya looks emotionlessly at Ivo the best she can before betraying herself with a small smirking smile. Ivo was indeed maturing in his own way which was something to behold for Asteria...even if she had caught glimpses of what Ivo could be from the very start. "I shall remain as long as I can and lend my strength in this struggle." The hand which still holds her halberd lifts the weapon up before bringing it back down against the ground. The blonde samurai's smile soon fades back into nothingness. "Only know that when the true battle for Wutai begins, I must leave." Ivo joining in Raiya's foolish crusade would be something that she would curse at first, but would eventually be truly thankful for. She would hate bringing more people into this struggle even if their assistance and strength would be sorely needed. Asteria also had a good mind on how things might end and would not forgive herself to see more of her closest comrades die because of her. There was not much room left in Raiya to witness such things again. Raiya's dark thoughts are interrupted by that of the good Templar Faruja. She turns now towards him and smiles weakly at both his near action and his given words. Things were grim all around so it would not be surprising that Faruja could not offer official aid from his foreign church. But the 'heresy' was real. "Wutai must be saved. Even if it means saving my country from itself." The grip on her halberd tightens now as her voice deepens slightly. "The war against Shinra made my people fearful, forgetful of the old ways. Forgetful of the true strength of my peoples' spirit. I believe, no matter how foolishly, that what Wutai needs is a spark...a light. To remind them that they need not Heartless to defeat Shinra, that there are other ways. That Wutai can stand strong without blackening our own honor by bowing a knee to so-called Shadow-Lords." Once more, the halberd is rised and thumped against the ground. "Even if Wutai might perish by rejecting the Heartless, we will die as masters of our destinies...not pawns to some shadowy creatures." Raiya then becomes silent for a moment and reaches out with her other hand for the linkpearl. A somewhat bashful smile replaces the fearsome look that she showed during her little speech. "I have spoken too much. I am not the young fool I once was. Pardon me, I must go think more about theses matters." Those might have been foolish words, but they were the words that a woman once known as Asteria would have said, -had- said back in those before times. The armored woman offers a polite bow to those around before turning to walk off. Ivo receives a glance over her shoulder before Raiya...no Asteria resolutely turns back around and stalks off in that heavy armor of hers.

:'''[[Ivo Galvan]] has posed:''' Ivo had assumed, given her skill, Leida had some formal training in archery, as some ladies do. But had he any insight into the girl's speculations, he would wonder at the question himself. What are the Shard Seekers becoming? This motley crew, bound together by a loose common cause -- sometimes not even that -- and mutual friendship, seems to have little relevance in the grand scheme of things. Yet between each other, in their own personal lives and pursuits, these bonds may be just what they need to triumph over their struggles. It remains to be seen -- but day by day, they grow closer. Ivo is grateful for Faruja's interjection, and intrigued by his insights. The knight-errant isn't aware that his own heightened emotions are noticable; he's not fully aware of the emotions themselves. Regardless, it appears that the matter of Wutai has been a persistent issue, and one not easily addressed. The more voices of support, the more likely it seems to him that Raiya will stay. But dressed as his teacher is, resolute as she seems, a part of him fears she will simply turn and go. "...I understand." So his relief is palpable when at last she smiles. The young man's shoulders sag, and he responds with a warm and weary smile of his own. As long as this doesn't have to be resolved /just/ now. As long as they have a little bit more time. As long as he can keep all his promises. He listens as Raiya expounds at last upon the darkness that besets Wutai. The swordsman's exprsesion is serious, and what she says to him seems both right and unchallengable, in the sense that it is her core ideal, one that has guided her, that she has nurtured in this intervening time. She is facing up to the past she wanted to bury. Belatedly, he realizes that she's displaying a courage that he as yet has not felt within himself. But his world is missing. Her world is right there. Still... When his time comes, will he be ready, as she is? Distracted by this thought, Ivo looks up just as Raiya turns to leave, and catches her glance. This time, he meets her eyes without looking away, expression inscrutable. Abruptly, then, he smiles. "Sensei, next time, you should join Leida and myself for drinks," he says, in a lighter tone than before. "She has a thirst for sake that cannot be quenched. I think the two of you will get along famously." Not that he would want to get Raiya drinking again. Why would he want that? "After all, we'll... all be together, now."

:'''[[Faruja Senra]] has posed:''' Slowly, the Templar smiles. "Pious words, Lady Knight. Hold your purpose tight to thy soul, for I fear your path shall set your blade upon Abyssal beast and flesh corrupt. By all means, be that Light. However, at times an ember's long warmth is greater than the brief heat of a spark." Faruja imparts finally. Cane hitting the ground, he stands slowly. "Home and thy soul shall remain in my prayers. Lord save us all, Raiya Fujihara, Dame Asteria." A far more casual flick of his tail to Raiya is given as a goodbye, no longer intruding upon the woman's situation. She has a decision to make. The Burmecian pauses beside Ivo. "...She is a good woman. The soul of a true knight resides within her. Your insights, as always, are unique. Unorthodox, so very different from a traditional Knight...'tis your strength, Ivo Galvan. Yet, a Knight all the same. Protect and aide. You've my confidence, as ever, my friend."

:'''[[Leida]] has posed:''' The princess gives her response to Faruja's offer by way of another deep bow. "I will keep your offering in mind, Faruja-san." She pauses at his mentioned of mutual acquaintences, assuming he is referring to Percival since he's the only one currently engaged in providing her any sort of training. While she isn't outwardly showing him much fear, keeping him at arm's length via formality is proving to be the main buffer that prevents her from hiding behind Ivo like usual. However, her unease is unable to be stemmed forever and as Raiya turns to leave she excuses herself as well. "If you will excuse me, I... I have business to attend to. Good evening." Turning away, she quickly vanishes into the building proper to prepare for the evening. Though the shops were all closed, there was much to be done in the way of chores and her own personal training regime.

:'''[[Raiya Fujihara]] has posed:''' Raiya's War may end in utter and complete failure. She can be captured, branded a traitor, and summarily executed without any further thought put into the matter. The same fate would befall those who had stood beside her unless they flee like Raiya did years ago. But if they win, then both history and fate will smile kindly upon them until ShinRa makes their next move against Wutai. The boiling point within Wutai will be reached soon and Raiya Fujihara must be there when it does. Until then, there is time for a few more memories to be made, friendships to begins, and drinks to even be shared. Ivo's proposition of the three of them going out for drinks causes the heavily equipped warrior to pause and slowly turns back around. "Another rematch then?" She asks with a knowing smile. Faruja's kind parting words causes the samurai to offer another bow towards the Templar. Raiya cannot falter in action or speech when it comes to what she must do. And yet, it is simple affirmations of what she is standing up for with helps Raiya's resolve remain steadfast. She shoots a smile Faru's way before waving towards the departing Leida as she excuses herself now. It is now time for Asteria to leave for real now even if Ivo's last words were rather powerful coming from him. "A pleasant thought." Raiya offers the swordsman an earnest grin before departing to go think over matters by herself. Even as she clinks away with her gun-lance in tow, the smile she was once wore quickly withers and is replaced by a look on doubt on her face....doubt on what to do next....what will happen if she does...and who will be hurt most if she doesn't.

:'''[[Ivo Galvan]] has posed:''' Ivo swallows to maintain his self-possession as warmth sweeps through him at Raiya's open grin. His elegant teacher's range of expression had always been a pleasure to observe, but even since the new year's festival, he can't quite look at her face the same way. It's important to him to maintain their current relationship. He knows that what happened between them then was special, that neither of them are in a position to want anything more, and that -- or so he thinks -- she respects and forgives his own unreadiness to cast aside their teacher-student relationship. Simply put, he still has a lot to learn. Or rather, a lot of growing still to do. Still, the desperation he felt when he thought of letting her go, that intensity of emotion-- it's almost like when, during their duel, Ivo began to feel something like what his father must have spoken of, so long ago: that 'fire' that he supposedly lacks, that pure conviction. He may always be more a man of wonder than of passions, but as long as he /can/ feel that, then maybe... Faruja's words rouse him from his distracted state as Raiya and Leida depart. "Yeah," he murmurs. "Almost too good." Faruja's right, and that someone with the 'soul of a true knight' like her would accept someone like Ivo stunned him from the moment he and Raiya first met, and continues to. Which is probably why he slips up and says something like that, only to look a little embarrassed and grin lopsidedly at his friend. "You think it's possible to be an unorthodox knight?" he asks rhetorically. It's something of a metaphor for what he is, really, more than a literal aspiration, but it's true. Is it possible to be an aesthete and a worthy man? The more that his friends believe in him-- "...And you mine, Faruja." The more willing Ivo is to believe it himself.

Lingering Doubts

2013-01-30T20:40:41Z

IvoGalvan:

{{Log Header
|Date of Scene=2013/01/28
|Location=Fluorgis - Shard Seekers HQ
|Synopsis=Reize has started to doubt his role as the leader of the Shard Seekers. With the growing turmoil in Fluorgis and Manhattan, Reize's reasoning for leaving his home became more transparent. Yet, there are some people hopeful for him.
|Cast of Characters=Ivo Galvan, Reize Seatlan, Priel Aylin
|Tinyplot=Shadows Over Fluorgis
|pretty=yes
}}
:'''[[Reize Seatlan]] has posed:''' The Shard Seekers have faced a fair share of incidents in Fluorgis. For now, everything seems over. However, it is not without its share of casualties. Many of the adventurers that have acted on the defense have disappeared from few of the attacks. People are still greeted by the presence of the Heartless. Reize has been mulling over a couple of things. The prhase of 'this is home' has always been considered. Fluorgis is their home. However, the boy remembered what he was doing in the first place: Being an adventurer. Sometimes, it means leaving the home. The young adventurer is moving towards the entrance, looking over the cactus. Lily is likely at the garden with Dandelion. The young adventurer mulls over his situation. What should he do? 

:'''[[Priel Aylin]] has posed:''' The front entrance of HQ opened as Reize mulled over his situation. And in walked Priel casually, a lopsided smile on her face and a sack of /something/ slung over her shoulder. She had been gone for a few days by this point, so only lord knew what she had been up to all this time. "Hmhmhmhm~" She hummed a tune lightly to herself, spotting Reize approaching her way. "Oh, well look who it is, the idiot leader! What's with that constipated look, huh? The bathroom's not this way now~" The redhead spoke in a teasing tone, striding past him to set her sack on the table and then have a seat. Settled down now, she rested on elbow onto the table, her chin in her palm as she glanced over at the boy.

:'''[[Reize Seatlan]] has posed:''' Frown. There is Priel, always there to kick the boy while he is down to make things worse. However, Reize is looking over towards her bag with an quizzied look, peering while trying to figure out what she took. "...Who did you rob?" Reize frowns at her, then he grunts. "I was just thinking about something, is all!" The boy puffs his cheeks, now looking over to her and the sack. "...What do you have in there, anyway?" 

:'''[[Priel Aylin]] has posed:''' "Hmm~?" Priel smirked at his question, arching a brow delicately. "Rob? Oh come on! Do I /look/ like I rob people now?" She asked, smirk widening into a smile. Her eyes slide over to her sack, then back to Reize, twinkling with amusement. "You want to know what's in the bag? Hmm~?" The girl asked, her tail idly raising up a bit and swaying from side to side. "Well, ...That's. A. Secret~" Wink. Yeah, real helpful. "So what are you thinking about anyway? I didn't even know you /could/ think! Ahahahahaha!" And then she tossed her head back and laughed.

:'''[[Reize Seatlan]] has posed:''' Reize frowns, lifting a finger as if to answer Priel's question. After all, /he/ was robbed that one day. Reize is still pretty unhappy bout it! Nevertheless, Reize tries to put that behind him and move on! Yeah. He tries. Nevertheless, the boy looks at the bag, then he huffs at her response. "...Well..." He is uneasy about revealing quite a bit to her, but he decides to reveal something. "... Just to adventure again. Not just return here after the adventure, but to keep going." He lifts his head up, "Seeing the things that no one has seen and continue on from there."

:'''[[Priel Aylin]] has posed:''' "...Adventuring?" She asked, tilting her head a bit. Falling silent for a couple seconds, she considered his words. Yes, she knew what he was talking about. She was doing much the same back on her own world after all. But... "...Well, there's nothing wrong with going out and traveling. But isn't it nice to have some place to return to? No matter how long you're gone now?" A small smile was given, just a bit less mocking then her usual. A bit. "If you go off running around on your own again, what will happen to this little happy family you've built up, hmm~?" She crossed her legs then, smile widening. "And what of your little harem?"

:'''[[Reize Seatlan]] has posed:''' Adventuring.. THere is the joy of being able to continue on through different cities, towns, villages, countries, and even worlds. To be able to explore and see new things without having to look back at everything else. To not have the responsibilities of having to look out for a group of people and to stay in one place. "...Eventually, yeah. It is nice to know that you have folks waiting for you when you return... or to see your father a bit unhappy that you left in the first place." Admittedly, Reize doesn't quite realize that he let that bit out. The boy lifts his arms up, "... Sometimes, I can't help but feel that it gets in the way at times." The happy family... In a way, it feels like it has gotten in his way of being an adventurer. To be confined i the group, never to explore out too long because they would worry. Deep down, Reize just wants to walk off and not return for the sake of living the life of an adventurer. ...But in the end, woudln't that be abandoning his friends...? "...I don't know." His fingers move towards his pendant, rubbing the crystal. "...The joys of being the leader of a diverse amount of people, formed into a clan for a common goal." Ivo's goal. To find the missing shards of the worlds. While Reize shares it... He just wants to be a simple adventurer. 

:'''[[Priel Aylin]] has posed:''' "Huh..." Priel mumbled, listening to his story. So that's how he left, hm? She rested her chin in her palm, her elbows in her lap. "Gets in the way, huh? So then, deep down..." She smirked, finding this to be utterly amusing. "...You talk big about friendship and rainbows and love and peace, but...In the end, you just want to get out and travel." A hand is brought to her mouth, suppressing a giggle. "I wonder then, is saving people and doing good deeds just a way to validate your travels? To validate abandoning your friends and your gallery of girlfriends~? Ehehehe~" Another giggle, this time, she looked away. "...Why don't you do it then?" What? "If you want to travel so much, if that's really what you feel deep down....do it." No, she wasn't going to try and convince him otherwise. She didn't particularly care one way or the other.

:'''[[Ivo Galvan]] has posed:''' Problems upon problems, Ivo reflects as he emerges from the corridor leading to the men's dorm, shirt loosely unbuttoned, still toweling off his damp dark hair from the shower. The Shard Seeker swordsman and would-be strategist isn't convinced for a moment that Fluorgis is settling down despite the lull in hostilities, what with the dark clouds above the city showing no sign of abating, often casting shadows over a people used to a bright desert sun. His inability to make sense of the Shard Seeker Mk I's weird performance and the frustratingly inscrutable properties of the phoenix pinion fossil they discovered intermingle with his own reluctance to face up to an increasingly more obvious fact: people are counting on them. Hopes have been staked upon the recovery of World Shards. What had been a convenient common cause between the refugees of diverse worlds lost to darkness has become a great responsibility, the quest to restore the cosmos itself. This was a burden Ivo never intended to bear -- but isn't it also the purpose around which their friendships were formed? If his comparatively flippant motives get out, if the shard-seeking device is an impossible lie-- Hasn't he betrayed all of them? It's with these thoughts still plaguing his heart that Ivo overhears Reize speaking, and stops before he steps out from around the corner, listening. As their boy leader confesses his doubts, first Ivo is surprised; then, he is relieved; then, smirking to himself, he feels foolish. Priel responds, and Ivo remains silent, letting her challenge him, say her peace. "We trust you, chief." And when Ivo steps out at last, hair and clothes mussed and towel in hand, he is smiling softly, his blue eyes warm. "We're a collection of free spirits, aren't we?" he asks rhetorically, smile broadening as his gaze shifts from Reize to Priel and back. "That's why I wanted to bind us together in the first place," he confesses. "When you and Lily and I... and Priel, you were there too, weren't you?... when we formed the Shard Seekers, it wasn't most because I wanted to return to my world. It was because I wanted to stay with the both of you, because it'd give us a goal to strive for. I don't regret that decision. But..." His smile turns wan. "It's stifling, isn't it? Protecting a city, working on a device that could help save Manhattan... upon which the hopes of our friends rest. I should have anticipated this. But... I didn't." He looks away for a moment, toward the windows to the garden, the young man's smile almost wistful as he leans against the wall. "I thought I was the only one," he then chuckles. "That I was the only one getting tired, that as long as I didn't say anything, your pure fighting spirit would carry us through, Reize. That was unfair to you." He looks back at the boy, and his eyes have cleared. "We're all pulled in different directions. And you wouldn't be you if you didn't get lost from time to time. We all expect you to wander, Reize. We wouldn't have any other way. But I can't imagine you not wanting to protect people in need, not being there at the moment we need you. That's just who you are. So when you need to, wander." Ivo's smile becomes a grin. "I know you'll be back." His gaze shifts to Priel, grin receding as he grows contemplative for a moment, looking at the cynical dragongirl, his rival and partner-in-crime. She was too harsh on Reize, but that's her way. To get her inducted into the Seekers, he confessed more than he ever intended about the bond he instinctively feels with her. But perhaps that was for the best. His smile returns, lopsided. "I promised to help you find your world," he says quietly, "and I will, whatever it takes. But I think that..." He glances back at Reize. "...our friendship doesn't depend on success or failure, or whether that's what we're up to all the time. I..." He hesitates. "...I want to believe that."

:'''[[Reize Seatlan]] has posed:''' "... Sometimes, there are things greater than my own desires." Reize givesa rueful smile towards Priel. "In the end, I help people because I want to." His eyes level towards the woman, "To see them have hope puts a smile on my face. To see that they have their faith to continue on is a reward itself. ...It's something my father always did." "...However, I cannot just find myself focusing one place." He shakes his head, "...It's why---.." And then, he hears Ivo, one of the people who believes in him. Ivo's confession of forming the group puts a smile that grows on the boy's face, "...Hehe, I enjoyed your company." However, Ivo's remark on the stifling nature of having to save everything and being unable to do so because he is stuck focusing on one area, well.... "Yeah." He lowers his head, "...I am getting tired. To be honest, I never wanted to be the leader of anything." His hands threw up in the air,"... I just wanted to live the simple life of an adventurer." A laugh is given. Ivo's faith in him, nevertheless, is reassuring, "...That's al I ask." "I am no leader material, honestly. I just like being an adventurer. You guys are able to keep things under control more." His eyes lock towards Priel, "Yeah, we'll be able to find your world." He walks over towards Priel, "I know that... things aside, you have your reasons for being as guarded as you do. ...I know that deep down, well..." He moves to pat her on the back, "Let's work together." ----And unfortunately, his hands slips. And gives a quick stroke of her tail. 

:'''[[Priel Aylin]] has posed:''' Shrug. "You don't have to justify yourself with me. Just go and do what you want to do." There was no mocking, playful lilt to her tone this time. She was just speaking the honest truth. For once. "Get out of here. There's a ton of stuff waiting for you out there, right? So go." And then came Ivo. She wasn't particularly surprised to see him appear, and just turned a bit to look. He was the one who pushed so hard to get her into this little...well, not so little group anymore. ...It was strange. She didn't particularly care about what they stood for overall. Nor did she care about 'doing good', but...it was nice to have a place to return to. That was probably the only reason she was still about. ...She gives him a smile in return before responding. "...You shouldn't make promises you can't keep." Was all she said about that. In fact, the entire concept of 'Shard Seekers' was a promise that couldn't be kept to her. But alas, they had their uses. Friendship speeches aside. Her attention returned to Reize then, smile lessening a bit as he approached to pat her back. "What are you--" And then his hand slipped, going down to her tail and stroking. "A-Ah--!" ...What was that? Did that come Priel? No, it couldn't have. That sounded almost like a moan. Pan the camera back up to her face. There was a hint of red on her face as she frowned. "W-Watch where your hands are, you idiot!" Growling, she grabbed the boy's wrist, pulling her arm away from her tail. "This is the second time now, what should I charge you this time, huh?"

:'''[[Ivo Galvan]] has posed:''' Ivo's smiling to himself, his arms crossed, listening quietly. Reize's words, however, return a hint of his usual amusement to his eyes, one of his eyebrows quirking slightly. "That's what you're wrong about." The older adventurer contradicts Reize gently, still leaning relaxedly back against the wall, the signs of his own troubles having dissipated. "I know you don't want to be the leader of anything. I know to take care of the logistics and the orgainzation so you don't have to. And I know it might be impossible for you to settle in one place -- at least, not as you are." His smile broadens slightly, blue eyes sparkling, mirthful at what he perceives to be Reize's misunderstanding. "But if you think that means you're not 'leader material'... you're wrong." Ivo shakes his head, lowering his gaze, still smiling. "You may not realize it for a while to come, Reize, but you're the one who brings people together, and you're the one with the honest spirit to help them. You're the only leader the Shard Seekers will ever have. And I can only do what I do because you're here." It's possible that Ivo is selling himself a little short on his own leadership potential, given his past life and job. But there are protagonists and there are brotagonists, and there are people who are ideally one or the other. When it comes down to that question, Ivo knows who the party leader should be. "But you may have to wander a bit more before that makes sense to you." He's grinning. It's then that he turns his gaze back to Priel, and her smile visibly surprises him, his grin slipping as his eyes widen slightly. And at her words-- "...Priel..." He looks touched, and for once, he doesn't even try to hide it. 'She knows,' he thinks to himself. He hasn't let her down. She knew all along it was bullshit, that he was putting on a bold face to create this place, a place that the homeless could call home. He shouldn't have thought for a minute that he could pull that kind of fast one on her, given how dubious she is anyway. She didn't trust him to make good on his promise; she knew his promise was crap, and trusted him anyway. "Making promises you can't keep and then keeping them anyway," he replies, his grin returning as he raises a hand in a sort of salute, "is what being a knight is all about." And as everyone knows, Ivo Galvan is a real knight. It's a rare, warm moment shared between them, and as Reize approaches Priel the knight-errant feels, humbly, how grateful he is to have such good friends. That darkness that was shrouding him is eclipsed by the light, such that he can't even remember why he was on the verge of despair. He feels as though there's nothing that could corrupt his pure sentiments of trust and respect that-- 'A-Ah--!' "Wh... wha..." Jaw slack, eyes widened and bright, fists raised and clenched, Ivo suddenly looks like a man who has witnessed a miracle. "...was that..." That sweet moan, that involuntary sound, could that have emerged from the mistress of mockery, the queen of self-control, she of the unassailable heart, Priel Aylin? Could the femme fatale, impossibly out of reach, have a /sexy secret weakness/? "...Aheh... heh heh..." Ivo's dark chuckling is a forbidding sound indeed, but there's a hint of giddiness to it, and for some reason, he actually doesn't make any nasty comments. Taking a look at him might explain why: like Priel, his own cheeks are slightly flushed. Even as he marvels mercilessly at this delightful discovery, his own composure is a little shaken, too. Because, I mean-- That's /hot/. "Say, Priel," he drawls, leaning back against the wall, the light in his eyes dancing and grin irrepressible, "why don't we have that 'training session' we discussed tonight? I think we're... overdue." Uh oh.

:'''[[Reize Seatlan]] has posed:''' "...Heh." Reize, "...I suppose so." Reize thinks it all over. He never wanted to be leader. He doesn't really know why people follow him. Even Hati, the one who challenged him, wanted to know why. ...Reize doesn't know. He needs to leave to find out. As for back to his moment with Priel, "Ack! Sorr---" And Priel's moan pierces over his attempt to apologize. His eyes become wide, focusing on Priel briefly. "Errr... uhh..." He starts to sweatdrop, eyeing her when she reveals the red streaks on her face. "Priel, y--..." And when she grabs his wrist, the boy yelps after she pulls away the tail. "It was an accident! Really! I wasn't trying to!" And then Ivo interjects. Priel will likely find Reize... _GONE_.

:'''[[Priel Aylin]] has posed:''' Ivo's interjection is enough to pull her attention away from Reize at that moment, letting go of his arm in the meantime as she addressed the totally-not-a-knight. "Training session...?" She repeated, nervous smile on her face and her tail twitching and swaying erratically. He knew. He totally knew now. And she was doing a good job of hiding it all this time! It wasn't too long ago that more of her dragon features began slipping through, unable to be hidden any longer by shapeshifting. Probably a genetic thing. Regardless, all it took was one idiot kid's slip of the hand to send everything spiraling out of control. This wasn't fair! Of course, none of these thoughts showed on her face, instead, she just laughed, placing a hand against her cheek. "Ahahahaha....tonight? Are you sure? You might not...survive." A glance aside revealed that Reize had jetted in the time it took for that to transpire. She'd get him later.

:'''[[Ivo Galvan]] has posed:''' Oh, he knows. Ivo so obviously knows, now, and it's all thanks to Reize the miracle-worker. You see, Reize? You see why we keep you around? You never know what magic is going to happen, just served up for Ivo to enjoy. The knight-very-errant doesn't try to mask the grin plastered all over his face. He couldn't even if he wanted to. Seeing Priel visibly nervous for quite possibly the first time ever is so sweet and magnificent that he thinks he can hear an angel's chorus in the background. For now he is the predator, and she is the prey. He shall make her squirm, and regret every time she's made a fool of him or toyed with him, and-- Maybe he's getting a little carried away. Priel recovers her composure, but it's too late. Her challenge is met with an unrelenting grin, the delight in Ivo's eyes undiminishing. "That's a risk I'm willing to take," he says, voice rich with mirth and innuendo. "I think you should be the one worried, Priel. Once your defenses are overcome..." His arms cross again, insouciantly. "...I'm going to reveal every inch of you."

:'''[[Priel Aylin]] has posed:''' ...This was a problem. A huge problem. She had to regain ground, this was bad, really bad! "My defenses, hmn?" She mused, standing up fron the table and taking up the travel sack she had come in with. "Well, in that case, I guess I should wish you good luck then~" The redhead paused at the entrance to the female dorms, turning and giving Ivo a silly salute. "I'll see you tonight. Seeya~" And then she turned, walking off, tail swaying behind her casually. Once out of sight, she kissed her teeth. "Tch...stupid Reize. I'll make sure he pays me back for this stupidity one way or another~" An ominous grin followed that, plans hatching within her mind...

On Cloud Nine

2013-01-28T04:39:32Z

IvoGalvan: Created page with "{{Log Header |Date of Scene=2013/01/27 |Location=Traverse Town - Cloud Nine |Synopsis=A lively cast assembles at Tifa's new joint for drinks and banter. |Cast of Characters=Iv..."

{{Log Header
|Date of Scene=2013/01/27
|Location=Traverse Town - Cloud Nine
|Synopsis=A lively cast assembles at Tifa's new joint for drinks and banter.
|Cast of Characters=Ivo Galvan, Reize Seatlan, Faruja Senra, Will Sherman, Mercade Alexander, Tifa Lockhart, Sarisa, Sarafina Carenze, Avira, Deelel, Leida, Isaac Hanlon, Percival, Evja
|pretty=yes
}}
:'''[[Ivo Galvan]] has posed:''' "So this is where the TDA ended up." Ivo Galvan, Shard Seeker swordsman, brushes his cloak back as he enters the recently finished Cloud Nine, of which rumors have spoken. He never had the opportunity to visit Tifa's original location, or even see her at work, knowing only her competence in the field. The usual mix of curiosity and mild amusement in his blue eyes, he smiles amiably, pleased at the vibe. "Welcoming," he remarks, before glancing back at the girl behind him. His smile turns reassuring, though deeper within his eyes, there's a hint that his mirth is only growing. "Come along, Leida." Returning to Fluorgis after their venture deep into the desert with nothing but a fossilized feather and a questionably-functional shard-seeking device was not what Ivo had in mind. With a lot of unanswered questions and more than a few irritated allies, he needed some time to think. The dark clouds over Fluorgis have only continued to grow, despite everyone's efforts to combat the monsters and Heartless, and an oppressive feeling has fallen over the otherwise lively City of Fountains and Flowers. Traverse Town was easy to get to, and seemed like a good choice for a brief break. He was planning to go alone, but fortuitously running into Leida at headquarters, Ivo was reminded she doesn't usually get out much. It took some coaxing, but-- "So, what can I get you?" He managed to persuade her to join him, at least. "Beer? Wine? Liquor?" She may already be regretting it. "Or maybe a glass of milk is more your speed." Giving her a hard time not seconds after they've entered the establishment, Ivo, for all his nonchalance, can't disguise the delight merrily dancing in his eyes. At least let her sit down first, man.

:'''[[Tifa Lockhart]] has posed:''' A new place always means new tasks. She has two bards to handle, although she can't be a both at the same time obviously. But she can handle inventory and what not, making sure nothing runs out. A stock full makes for happy customers (as long as they don't drink all of it at the same time obviously). The barmaid is behind the counter, today she's tending to this one. Cleaning up the stove area for the food making, she's hmmming musically. When is she not in a good mood, you might wonder. She waves to Ivo as he enters in, smiling "Hey there, welcome. Good to be out of a desert huh?" She has a stock of sea salt ice cream as well, so always good after the dry sands. Among other things, there's a half-gold medal in a small display case on the counter top as well.

:'''[[Leida]] has posed:''' The individual in question pokes her head into the door of the bar when Ivo calls out, timidly stepping in after him. The princess does not like large places like this. She had been to a few teahouses over the years and found them somewhat relaxing but that had been with the company of dozens of guards that had ensured no drunks or brigands would hassle her that day. The sensation of unfamiliar eyes on her back was still incredibly unpleasant. However, Ivo was one of the people among the Shard Seekers that she felt she could trust. Despite having meet with him only a few times, he seemed to have an aura of responsibility and maturity that made her want to trust him. Basically, her judge of character is completely terrible. After a few hesistant moments Leida shuffles after her protector for the evening, peering up at his questions with innocent consideration. "U-um... well... I suppose I will have s-sake... if they serve it here..."

:'''[[Sarafina Carenze]] has posed:''' HEY HEY PLAYER YEAH YOU WHAT ARE YOU DOING FOCUSING ON LEGION AND NOT ME HUH? I AM WAY COOLER!! H-HEY LOOK DON'T BLAME ME I--AHH OKAY OKAY DON'T POINT THAT CHAINSAW AT ME HERE GO AHEAD. And so it has come to pass that Sarafina is heading downstairs from the second level, carrying a box full of PARTS for use in ENGINEERING because that is in fact a keystone in her trifecta of skills. She is grumbling, it seems, about her husband who has so far this weekend watched 20 hours of television. "Worse thing ever done, introducing him to that devil box." She is muttering when she looks up and notices Leida and Ivo. "Hail there." She tells the two before looking down to examine Leida's lower clothing quotient of the moment. Is she going to have to go back upstairs??

:'''[[Percival]] has posed:''' A deep melancholy had set into the Gargoyle after yesterday evening's competition, and he had not yet returned to Fluorgis. Opting instead to stay in Traverse town to brood. He was a champion at that, at least. The rooftop of the building opposite to Cloud Nine made for an excellent place to watch the comings and goings of the TDA and their allies. After the first few hours of brooding, he got tired of the lack of productivity, and so at first he caught up on the literature of one of the other worlds. After tossing away the sordid romantic fiction novel about some school known as SEED, he went right to work at sharpening his newfound sword. He wasn't sure if a magic sword, as this one seemed to be, even needed sharpening, but still the ritual was a familiar and calming one. A whetstone, oil, and cloth was all he needed, and he went right at working the blade across the oiled stone. Looking over the side of the ledge as he worked at it, he did a double take as he saw Leida being ushered into the bar. A few more strokes, and he had sheathed the naked steel, before stepping over to the side of the building near the alleyway. Spreading his wings, he needed only to step off the rooftop, which sent him into a short, parachute-like glide into the alleyway, upon which his wings were furled once more over his shoulders and back. A few strides later, he found himself across the street, and pushing open the door to Cloud Nine. The Gargoyle found that he liked it instantly, it was very 'retro', and 'retro' was comfortable to him. Walking up to the bar, he squints at his choices, before finally tapping a talon idly on the countertop. He was mindful not to do it hard enough that Tifa would find clawmarks in it. "I'll have a gin and cranberry juice, please." Being mindful of Leida's penchant for embarassment, he turns and simply places a hand across his chest before bending only slightly at the waist to bow her way. "Ah, M'lady. It is a pleasure to see you again. I see that you have an escort. Very wise. Would you mind terribly if you introduced him to me?"

:'''[[Reize Seatlan]] has posed:''' Speaking of responsibility... "Argh! Letgo!Letgo!" "Kweh!" "Owowowowowmyhair!" "Wark!" After moments of struggle, the active leader of the Shard Seekers emerges from the door into the first floor. Unfortunately, the emergencing is in the form of mimicing a roly-poly, landing right onto the ground. With his landing, Reize is holding onto his antenna hair, which looks like it has taken an abuse. "THAT WAS MEAN!" Reize snaps outside of the bar, shaking a fist. A comical swell of a tear forms up. 

:'''[[Deelel]] has posed:''' Deelel likes clubs and bars they were something that her kind shared in comon with the Users. They actually were quite similiar ave they really didn't get hinder by what they had for sale in the clubs on the grid. She was a bit later in arriving than the others but she seems to be somewhat recovered from the fight in the desert. Still she looks a it roughed up as she finds her way in just to Reize well being caught in the middle of something.

:'''[[Ivo Galvan]] has posed:''' Ahh, Ivo reflects, these girls that Reize brings in are all so charmingly naive. Being around them brings out the best of his fraternal instincts -- and the worst, if his light-hearted teasing is any indication. As the shy and proper Leida makes sense of her surroundings, the knight-errant's expression warms, some of his amusement giving away to fondness. 'Reliable' might not be the right word for him, but he's not going to let anything bad happen to her, not if he can help it. He's just going to make her life interesting. "Hey, Tifa," Ivo calls back, raising his hand in salute as he approaches the bar with Leida. "Hmm, you like sake, Leida?" The dark-haired young man looks speculative, eyebrows lifting slightly. "Just like Raiya. Have you spoken with her at all? She's a samurai from Wutai, who's been teaching me some of her style. She joined us recently." Thinking of Raiya seems to distract Ivo a little, so he quickly turns back to Tifa. "Do you have anything in the way of sake? Or maybe we should just get some ice cream," he adds, any opportunity to treat Leida like a kid seeming to entertain him. He pauses, seating himself at a stool and relaxing at the bar, his easygoing composure right at home in a place like this. He watches Tifa for a few moments before smiling again. "This is my first time seeing you when you're not engaged in fisticuffs. How long've you been at this?" He pauses, his eye drawn to the medal. "What's that for?" Sarafina and Percival enter, the woman speaking up as the gargoyle sits near them. "Hey, Sarafina," Ivo says casually, raising his hand in salute. He recognizes the woman -- who wouldn't, with those wings? -- but he's never had a serious conversation with her before. "You hard at work? We should talk shop some time. Actually, I may need your help with a device..." Doesn't seem like he's too proud to ask for assistance. But before he can continue, Percival gets his attention, Ivo blinking and smiling with restrained interest at the significantly more-knightly man's formality. He doesn't pre-empt Leida, but once she's introduced him to Percival: "That's me," he says. "Ivo Galvan, male escort." He delivers this with such unassuming calm that-- it's pretty clear he's just trying to get as many comments like this by Leida as possible. "Who's your courtly friend, Leida?" At the sound of a crash and tumble, Ivo doesn't even look over. "Fancy meeting you here, Reize," he says, in more or less the opposite direction. "You made it past the 'guards', huh?" Chocobos are a natural barrier against Reize. "I fought the bird," Ivo hums to himself, "and the bird won~"

:'''[[Tifa Lockhart]] has posed:''' Tifa Lockhart looks over to the Gargoyle, unalarmed at all. She smiles kindly, maybe she's used to them by now too. "A gin and cranberry juice, coming right up~" She sways behind the counter to get the needed bottles of drinks. She mixes them up as she chats with the others. Hey look, another gargoyle, but she knows that one "Hi Sarafina~" She offers a wave with the hand holding an empty glass, that she sets on the counter and fills up with the drinks, sliding it over to Percival once filled up. She looks over to Ivo with a grin "Well, a few years now, since I moved to Midgar in fact. Needed to find a trade, and bringing smiles seemed to be right in my abilities. Mixing drinks you can learn it after." She smiles, and moves over to get two sake bottles, which are empty, but she moves to fill them up in the storeroom, where she keeps the barrels. Most sake is served warm, at least from what she heard. Not that she knows alot of japanese people. She brings back the two filled bottles, and sets them in front of Ivo with the drinking cups "Here you go~" She chimes. She looks over to the medal "Tied for first place in the first qualiyfing rounds of the Hades Cup, waiting on the rest of the story. The prize is the Manhattan World Shard, so its worth a try no? So I'm qualified."

:'''[[Sarafina Carenze]] has posed:''' "Ahh---Ivo, yes? Ivo Galvan?" She recalls him, though they haven't interacted much. How could she not? He may not have wacky wings or anything like that, but he certainly has... BEING THE SORT OF GUY YOU WARN YOUR DAUGHTERS ABOUT RIGHT??? "I am in no hurry, I had no idea you were a machinist as well. In truth I had been preoccupied with maintenance and upkeep I haven't been able to do much in the way of ... creative projects lately. So shop! We definitely should." She opens her mouth to add more but she hears Reize being abused in the background and she politely waits for this to be over and done with before she adds, "Male escort...?" She frowns deeply. "Leida." She says after a moment. "You're only wearing a shirt." A long shirt, to be sure, but still just a shirt. And a belt. Sarafina wonders why she is the only person with a problem with this!! "It is good you had an escort," she cringes even as she says this. "But you really do need to wear something, cover those legs. You don't want to draw attention from all the men in the world over, and dare I say it some women? I swear I had obtained some for you but /nevermind/, you are about my daughter's size, it'll do and then you won't have to fear chilly weather!" She glances over to Percival, wings twitching back. She nods to him once, having some prior experience with gargoyles, before adding to Ivo, "Once we get her some /clothes/."

:'''[[Leida]] has posed:''' "Um... what is icecream...?" What's this? Did the poor girl's world not know the wonders of the frozen dairy products?! Well, considering it wasn't invented until the end of the feudal period, this is sadly true. But what you don't know, you can't miss. Instead, she focuses on his other comments and the people entering at conveniently around the same time. At the mention of samurai, the girl's ears perk up and she peers back at Ivo. "You're learning to be a samurai...? That is wonderful, Ivo-sama. I did not know that your friend was a follower of bushido. I would very much like to meet her." Before she can get any more out of him, the woman Ivo called Sarafina draws her attention and her eyes go wide at the sight of the wings, but after a few moments the memory of this woman comes flooding back to her and she relaxes a little. Despite her appearance she had been rather kind but Leida still didn't know much about her. Fortuantely, she is rescued from having to make an awkward greeting by Percival's heroic timing. "W-what...? Oh! Ah... um... Percival-sensei this is Ivo. He is... um... Reize's friend and a member of our clan... or was it a guild?" She tilts her head to the side for a moment, pondering. "Oh... forgive me. Ah... Ivo-sama this is Percival. He has been kind enough to assist me with my training." The escort comment goes right over her head, as intended. And the Reize makes his appearance is usual fashion. Leida again looks surprised at his comical entrance for brief moment but it quickly fades. Even she knows this is pretty common by now. "Ah... hello, Reize-san! Are you alright?"

:'''[[Isaac Hanlon]] has posed:''' It's maybe a minute or two later that Isaac trundles down the stairs from the upper levels into Cloud Nine following Sarafina. He looks a little worse for wear, with his hair sticking up on one side and his usual coat and collared shirt conspicuously absent. His white tee-shirt, adorned with the a black stencil of a digital clock reading '0hr' looks rumpled, and the fact that he's in old sweats and is otherwise barefoot may lead one to believe he just crawled out of bed. Isaac pauses at the bottom of the stairs. He squints blearily at the various people in the bar, as if to say 'who are you and what are you doing in my kitchen.' He shuffles over to the bar, walking up to an open stool near the middle of it with a sort of lurching that indicates a force of habit. With ponderous grace, he drops onto it, swaying very slightly in place and looking confused. "Oh," he grunts. Isaac points behind him at the jukebox without looking, snapping his fingers once. It cycles noisily. BGM CHANGE: http://youtu.be/-wcjBU8zbdY The radio mage finally looks to Tifa. "Breakfast," he says vaguely. "Foooood," he adds, perhaps for emphasis.

:'''[[Percival]] has posed:''' The Gargoyle counts out 'munny' from his pouch carefully. Pecuniary affairs were all new to him, and he likely tips Tifa nearly as much as what the drink is worth in and of itself, entirely inadvertently, not that he'd mind even if he knew. He then takes the drink in hand, and takes a tentative sip from it, before putting it back down. Not bad actually. Stepping forward towards Ivo, he extends a meaty, taloned hand towards him. "Any friend of Lady Leida's is a friend of mine. And...I can't say that I've ever met Sir Reize, M'lady." Taking a glance towards Isaac, a bony protrusion upon his brow arches. "You might try asking her more politely, Isaac."

:'''[[Reize Seatlan]] has posed:''' Planting both hands on his lap, Reize sticks out his tongue before he notices Ivo calling out to him. "Ooooiii, Ivo, Leida!" Then, his head turns towards Tifa, "Oooi! Tifa! Congrautlations again! I came by to congratulate you!" He huffs a breath, "I was supposed to try to find Avira and congratulate her at her base, but.." SOME TIME AGO! Cut to Reize in the cold blizzard. He is holding his map upside down, furrowing his eyebrows, "I could had sworn that the VALKRI base was here... Did I make a wrong turn somewhere?" His narrow, "I knew I should not had trusted that shady-looking moogle!" An ice dragon is looking down at Reize. It is not of malevolence, but more of a '???' sort of look. BACK TO NOW! "Well," Reize frowns as he admits to Leida, "We're still not an official clan yet, you know." He shrugs, then he pushes himself completely up and staggers, "Ah well." He blinks, "Oooiii, Sarafina!" But then the interaction between Percival and Isaac gets his attention, "Hrm." 

:'''[[Deelel]] has posed:''' Deelel pauses as Isaac enter she just kinds looks at him sizing the man up as he follows Sarafina in. She knows a bit of the winnged woman but nothing of her companion. SO she's taking a moment to look the guy over for a moment. However when he is able to control the jukebox. That gets the basics attention and she's looking at him wondering just how he did that but the idea of fuel is a good one too. "I'll take the breakfast special as well Miss Lockheart." She pauses looking back at the Radio Mage.

:'''[[Ivo Galvan]] has posed:''' "Congratulations," Ivo says amiably, lifting his cup of warmed sake in toast to Tifa's achievement. "That's right -- I heard about the Hades Cup and its unexpected prize." His lips twist in a slight frown, his brow furrowing. "What with my work keeping me close to the Fire Crystal and the shadows over Fluorgis, I've been unusually out of the loop..." Typically, Ivo's quite the rumormonger himself. So much for knighthood. "Smiles, huh? The worlds need all the smiles it can get," he says good-humoredly. So far he and Tifa have only had a 'working relationship', as it were, so it's nice just to chat with her. It might seem strange that he doesn't tease her or flirt with her at all, but-- "How did you and the TDA end up in a business partnership, anyway? Lucky them." --maybe it goes to show that what Ivo wants is just to provoke unusual reactions. Generally, attractive bartenders have a resistance built up to such blandishments. "Ah, yeah..." Leida's comment catches Ivo a little off guard, uncharacteristically. Though he maintains his composure, his eyes avert with a hint of evasiveness. "Well... she's a follower of bushido, to be sure. She's mostly just passing on the sword techniques to me. As for the code..." Cut to: Ivo, gracefully performing quick draws and iai cuts over and over in the garden, face a mask of intense concentration, each time pronouncing, 'Kimono Sash /Cut/!' "...it's certainly interesting." Yeah, maybe not a good fit. "Let's call it a Clan-in-the-making," he quips to Leida and Percival, sounding amused, when he suddenly flinches, realizing that Sarafina's picked up on the male escort comment. This segues into a supercharged Mom Rant about Leida still going around wearing one of Ivo's old shirts. Probably wise not to mention that it /is/ his. "Oh, I think it's cute," Ivo says mildly, if only to calm Sarafina's fury. "Don't worry, Sarafina. How could she be in danger with a tough guy like me around?" Attention from women too? Sarafina sure is worldly, but that doesn't seem very-- oh. Oh, right. Well, fair enough, Ivo quietly concludes. Still, after attempting to lighten the tone, he then quickly shifts the subject. "Actually, in my world, I was an engineer. But both magic and technology functioned very differently there. Most of the principles I knew and used no longer apply, and I'm learning from scratch in a lot of ways." He smiles lopsidedly. "Actually, I've been working on a shard-seeking device, but it looks like my theory about the correspondence between World Shards and the four elemental Crystals may not be as sound as I'd hoped..." Remembering where he is, Ivo shrugs and smiles again. "We should go into it sometime." Well, hopefully he's diverted her a little away from Leida's legs. The mix-up in music causes Ivo to turn in interest, only to see a familiar face. "Hey, you're--" He pauses, then raises a hand in salute to Isaac. "The bicyclist detective, right?" What a reputation. "Ivo, from the Shard Seekers. Were you responsible for the music change then, too? That was encouraging." His curiosity is evident. He put two and two together pretty fast, but he doesn't know anyone else with that kind of ability. "Too bad the helicopter... had that accident soon after." He'd give Leida more of a hard time about almost killing him, but making her recall that car chase tends to make her huddle into a ball. Percival approaches, and Ivo turns back to take his hand, shaking it firmly. "Likewise, Sir Percival." This guy and Faruja seems like two of a kind. Well, as a fake knight, Ivo finds real knights fairly entertaining. "Don't worry, though, Reize is no sir." Amused, he looks over to the boy, taking a sip of his sake again. "How're you holding up, chief? We've been fighting hard recently. I feel like I need a break... but the shadows don't sleep." Privately, for all his playfulness, Ivo is slightly ashamed at how fatigued his endeavors in Fluorgis has made him. In fact, he's been researching desperately, working day and night within the bowels of the city where the Fire Crystal is hidden; now that the shard-seeking device has a prototype, he's been helping the Karnak engineers try to maintain its light and continue to illuminate the darkened city with its great power. Considering how hard people fought for Manhattan, and how devastating was its loss, he feels he has no right to complain. For all his secret diligence, though, it does chafe against his free spirit.

:'''[[Tifa Lockhart]] has posed:''' Tifa Lockhart smiles as she waves to Reize, moving over to the cooking plate to start working on breakfast meal. Sausages, eggs, potato crisps, lots of nice smelling things start to cook up on the large black plate. "Its Mercade you need to congratulate mostly, he did most of the work, he just setup a bar area and let me take care of it really." Still, it takes alot of work to do just that too, but at least she didn't have to build the thing up herself. She loosk over to Ivo at the question "Well, that's simple, Mercade ended up randomly at my bar after Manhattan got shut down, and we chatted about things. I had started on plans to open a branch in Manhattan, and I still had the money that Xanatos granted me for the extra business, turning the one in Goug into an inn and so on. So we used soem of that money to open it here instead. I had offered him to make his office temporarily in my bar, but he chose otherwise, so instead he got this place and offered me to handle the bar area, since I got experience with it." She smiles, sliding fingers through her hair as she serves up their sake. She turns back to the food cooking, hmming musically still~

:'''[[Sarafina Carenze]] has posed:''' "Reize." Sarafina nods to him. "You may wish to stop using gyshal green shampoo." Her world has Barbariccia in it so she just you know assumes it's not uncommon if the very elements-- --anyway, Sarafina squints tightly, running a finger down the side of her cheek as Ivo mentions his own work. "Even a shard seeking device that doesn't work might, it could be said, something of a technological marvel itself. Impressive work. I'm stuck on something myself, actually, that is NOT that but could be said to be related. Unfortunately, the very idea puts some engineering principles into question, what was established as fact may simply be...but one option at this point in time." She sighs lightly and the nspots TIRED ISAAC. "Dear lord man!" Going out in public like this is almost as bad as going out only wearing the top half of an outfit. Instinctively she tries to fuss his hair into respectable form. IS THIS DISTRACTION FROM LEIDA? For now. For...now.

:'''[[Leida]] has posed:''' The small girl turns back to Sarafina when she is spoken to directly, blinking at the mention of her attire and the supposed effect it might have. "B-but... I like the cold..." she protests weakly. However, it seems there going to be no stopping the wrath of Mom-ra! That is until Ivo intercedes on her behalf. Almost immediately Leida ducks behind him, interposing the tall man between herself and the winged knight like a shield. This also cuts her off from the precious sake, which she was rather looking foward to. Hopefully the looming threat of pants is just a temporary set back. Fortunately, Isaac descends from the Heavens, or in this case, the stairs and proves to be an unresistable target for the fussy engineer. Carefully, she slides over to the bar and hops up on a stool, snatching up the other glass and taking a long sip of the murky fluid within. After ascertaining that it is indeed sake, the princess downs the entire glass in a single shot, not even caring if it's warm. It has been far too long since she had her hands on this wonderful drink. She exhales softly afterwards, letting the warmth of the alcohol seep into her body. "I missed this..."

:'''[[Percival]] has posed:''' Percival firmly shakes his hand in reply, being quite careful about his grip strength. He didn't want to crush bones or leave deep gouges in his hands from his talons. He'd done that once before, made for a terrible first impression. "Beg pardon, but no, Sir. I should perhaps clarify, my name is Percival, esquire. Not to be mistaken for a Knight, as I am certainly unworthy of that honor." His clarification of Reize's name takes him slightly off guard though, had he not heard that Reize was a knight? Perhaps his previous source was mistaken. He nods politely to the boy with the Antenna hair, but doesn't quite know what to make of him as of yet. Noting Sarafina's objections, he coughs politely. "My kind are perhaps not the best judges of human fashion, Madame. If you believe that Lady Leida is underdressed for the occasion though, then perhaps you should take her to the nearest boutique. It would be my pleasure to pay your expenses." He pauses, seeming to realize that he hasn't yet been introduced to her. "And I don't believe I've yet had the pleasure of your acquaintance, Madame.....?" He steps forward, placing a hand under one of hers. "May I?" His behavior, while archaic and formal does not seem to carry any lewd or flirtatious undertones to it.

:'''[[Isaac Hanlon]] has posed:''' Isaac is still kind of checked out at the moment. He glances over at Percival, blinking owlishly and muttering unintelligibly for a second. He turns back to Tifa. "Breakfast food please thank you," he appends. He gestures plaintively at Percival after that. Will that do, Sir Gargoyle? Either way, he doesn't seem to have noticed Deelel or Reize peering at him; he's not terribly attentive when he hasn't yet consumed his weight in bacon and home fries. He rubs at his eyes beneath his glasses, yawning and stretching his arms above his head. His eyes eventually find a clock, and he sighs a little at the sight. "Stupid... pigs," he mutters. "--huh?" The bespectacled (and be-exhausted?) wizard looks over at Ivo. "Yeah, that's me," he says, suppressing another yawn. "Isaac Hanlon, TDA. The bike was kind of a... thing," he explains not-terribly-well. He blinks a little more sleep away. "Plan. Moment." Grasping for words. He gets it a second after. "Spur-of-the-moment plan. Worked out." He grins. "Only a few people around who do the music thing. Figure you gotta have the right soundtrack to a chase like that, right? Ah, too bad about that... chopper, yeah." Honestly, Isaac is only disappointed he didn't get to ramp the bike through the helicopter. SUDDENLY, SARAFINA. "Gwok!!" he exclaims, tilting awkwardly from the sudden HEAD-GRAB. Well, maybe more like HAIR-FUSS. "Wh-what?!" His hair appears to refuse to settle down. "I just got up!"

:'''[[Reize Seatlan]] has posed:''' Reize is taking the role of the observationist. He sees the interaction between the group, particularly Leida getting relaxed with her drink, Isaac and Sarafina's struggle as the former is trying to straighten the latter's hair. However, the wayward adventurer cannot help but offer a grin towards Percival, waving his way. "Ooooi!" Then, he glances over towards Ivo, considering, "So, it looks like the Shard Seeker device will be able to find us some shards?" Nevermind of his luck with it so far. Th boy looks at the older man, turning to address Percival once more, "...Not quite a knight yet, I'm afraid. But! I have the Knight's Vows by my side! They ae my guide!" He grins, then he turns to rub his head, "...Yeah. I am hoping the crisis in Fluorgis has halted. ... Hopefully, we'll be able to get Manhattan's shard as well!" And a frown grows, "...Yeah, shadows don't sleep." He then grns, "But that's okay! We'll keep on fighting!" 

:'''[[Deelel]] has posed:''' Deelel has just taken her perch at this point as she looks at Isaac again. She'll work up some muster and introduce herself to the radio mage. She had noticed he had remotely accessed the jukebox and that had got her attention. "Issac? Hello I'm Deelel, and yes it really does look like you just booted up." She seems to be trying not to laugh at what's happening with Isaac and Sarafina. Rezie does get another look and she calls out to him. "I hope so as well Reize, the city does seem to be undersiege."

:'''[[Ivo Galvan]] has posed:''' Ivo Galvan gets the story, and listens well, savoring the rice wine. It's still new to him, but he's acquiring a taste for it, as he tends to for all fine things. Perhaps if he refines his taste, he'll be able to find a good one for Raiya, and she'll show him her softer side again. Well, it sounds like many of the Manhattan refugees migrated here, which makes sense. "Mercade seems like a nice guy," he remarks. "I wonder what gets a man like that into the detective business." Sarafina seems to promise some interesting shop talk, but she appears to be even /more/ interested in grooming Isaac, which Ivo isn't going to dare interfere with. Sensing Leida cowering behind him, Ivo grins with amused affection, and looks over his shoulder to reassure the girl again-- only for his jaw to drop as he espies Leida chugging the sake. "Hey, alright!" he exclaims approvingly, taking another sip himself in between chuckles. This one's sweeter than what he's used to and looks unfiltered. Quietly, he wonders if he prefers the drier, more elegant blends himself. But warm sake is good for the weather. Taking up the small porcelain vessel, he tops up Leida's cup, eyes sparkling merrily. "Look at you, all grown up." He's only like two years older than her, of course, but hey, at least he's out of the teenage zone. Ivo could sense Percival's superior strength, which isn't surprising considering the man's appearance, but the gargoyle's comment makes Ivo offer another slightly furtive expression. "...honor, huh..." Yeah, not everyone can be as worthy as Ivo, here. "Percival, then," he continues warmly, recovering. "What with our worlds colliding, it seems like being a knight means different things to different people. In my world, it was just a mark of aristocratic military training, and the code was mainly to defend our city." Ivo was in the military? And an engineer? This story gets less probable by the minute. "I'm humbled by the conviction of other men. Faruja Senra in particular takes knighthood quite seriously, I think. Have you met him? A Burmecian." "Well, good to see you again, Isaac. Your group does good work." The Shard Seekers don't cross paths with the TDA as much as they do with VALKYRI, but so far, every effort to team up has gone well-- or at least entertainingly. Ivo grins back. "I respect spur-of-the-moment plans," he says. It may be the most honest thing he's said all day. Oh, brother, the Knight's Vows. "That's right, Reize takes knighthood quite seriously too," Ivo says playfully, "in his own special way." So very special. "Ah, yeah, well..." But he can't give Reize crap with the way the Shard Seeker Mk I performed, that way being 'Ivo has no idea what happened and doesn't get it at all'. "I may need to take it on another test run or two, but... if all goes well, we'll help end these troubles, and the devices will be ready just in time for us to earn our stripes." He sounds optimistic, but there's a twist to Ivo's smile that suggests he's not sure it'll be as rosy as all that. Still, Reize's enduring spirit soon straightens that smile out. For all his teasing, in that moment, Ivo regards the boy with a fond, even admiring look. "That's right," he says softly. "We'll just keep on fighting." How does Reize do it?

:'''[[Sarafina Carenze]] has posed:''' "be that as it may, this is public. Don't you shower before breakfast?" After a few moments, Sarafina gives up and just throws up her hands. Ai yai yai yai yai!! What is she going to do about th ese people. She reaches for a comb hidden in her armor--one she's gone accustomed to carrying since she digivolved into a Momra--when suddenly--there is...a gargoyle? Being all knightly?? rSarafina looks at him with a blank stare as if she's unsure what she's looking at. It's not that she has found gargoyles to be innoble but she has certainly not seen any knights. Don't they live in Manhattan? THE EYES GAZE THEY STARE THEY STARE THEY LOOK AT THEE, WAITING. "Sarafina Carenze." She tells him. "I don't suppose you are one of Brooklyn's friends. But I am unaccustomed to taking charity." She is apparently accustomed to knightly or at least medieval customs because she doesn't try to lop off Percival's hand or anything, and indeed, she goes through the motions just fine though she doesn't kiss his hand or anything, electing instead to bow her head a touch before letting go, "And you are?" While not rude persay, she semes to talk more like a military officer than a noblewoman. "Against my better judgement I will not force her to wear lower clothing..." Really how could she? "Though I strongly suggest she reconsider." She looks over to Isaac and sighs deeply. This is the modern era, she wonders to herself, what a crazy world!

:'''[[Tifa Lockhart]] has posed:''' Tifa Lockhart has been working on the breakfast for Isaac and Deelel, it doesn't take too much time to slide the two plates over afterwards. Sausage, sunny side up eggs, potato crisps, bread and cheese slices. She adds a glass of milk and a glass of orange juice along side, making sure they have a balanced breakfast, and yummy looking too. She pockets the money Percival left on the counter away, so it doesn't stay there for too long and other people's paws might snatch it away. "Which chocobo greeted you outside Reize? Was it the red one?" She grins a bit. Reize really is a chocobo magnet. Wonder how it would be if he had his own chocobo.

:'''[[Percival]] has posed:''' Percival leans over to brush his lips against the back of her hand. He seemed completely oblivious to her rather brusque mannerisms. "Percival, esquire Madame Carenze. Again, it is a pleasure. And I'm afraid that I know noone of the name Brooklyn, perchance might you be speaking of the borough in New York City?" He then retracts his hand. "If that is your wish not to press the issue with the Lady Leida, then I understand." He picks up his glass from the bar, raising it to Reize. "As well he should take his chivalrous pursuit seriously, Sir. He has his vows, I have my code. Each guides us upon the path of attaining an 'ideal'. A knight in your world may mean little to you Ivo, but it is not that way for him, or I. After all, a title is all for naught if there isn't true nobility or honor to give it meaning. So here's to you, Reize, for taking the more difficult, but fulfilling path."

:'''[[Leida]] has posed:''' Leida smiles faintly as her cup is instantly refilled almost before she can sit it back on the counter, not quite sure how to take Ivo's eagerness to facilitate her drinking habits. He may end up regretting this. Probably not. The second glass is drained almost as quickly as the first as the girl's lack of her beverage of choice over the last several months finally finds a source of the elusive prize. It wasn't the best sake she'd ever had, infact, it was pretty weak by her standards but right now there isn't any room to be picky. Leida refills her own glass this time, merely tipping the bottle sideways on the counter until it pours forth. She listens idly to the conversation going on around her but seems not to be paying particular attention to any of them. Fortunately, Sarafina's obsession with pants is driven back by Percival's knightly charms. She'll have to thank him for that later. But right now, booze.

:'''[[Isaac Hanlon]] has posed:''' Those few moments of Sarafina's fussing are perhaps the most terrible/terrifying moments of his morning... afternoon... night... thing. Day? Day. Moments of his day. "Sure, but I still need to refuel after that qualifier and the late night," he protests. "I'll get to it, geez!" Isaac runs a hand through his hair self-consciously, suppressing the urge to mutter unkindly. She's got that Mom Instinct, that's all; he can't really stop that, much as he'd like to. It kind of bothers him. He looks up, glancing over at oddly-dressed Deelel and nodding in greeting. "Hey." 'Booted up?' Strange turn of phrase. Maybe she's one of the Programs he's heard of running around. Isaac is about to respond to Ivo in a way that isn't just a quick grin -- which he definitely provides, being a man who comes up with plans such as that all the time -- when Tifa puts down food. Isaac's eyes light up, and he digs in with gusto. He gets a few bites in when he groans between mouthfuls, "You're amazing." They say the way to a man's heart is through his stomach, and this is never more true than when he's just crawled out of bed. Isaac gets maybe halfway through the rather full plate when he finally slows down enough to add, "If you've got fresh coffee back there I might just propose here and now." Something catches his ear, though. Isaac looks over at Reize, leaning back a little to peer in his direction. "You've got a gadget that sniffs out World Shards?"

:'''[[Avira]] has posed:''' A familiar huntress walks into the bar. (Ow.) For some bizzare reason, Avira doesn't look like she's in the best of moods right now. Though not really much of a drinker to begin with, her will was low enough at the moment to actually try. Why not? She was old enough by anyone's standards to drink, right? When she first walks into the bar, she seems a little dazed-like her mind is elsewhere, thinking deeply about something. Yet after a few seconds, she comes to and finds the bar especially crowded right now. Well, this was good, at least business for Tifa was booming right now. On the other hand, there are a distressing amount of Shard Seekers here. Including -THAT IVO-. Already a growl rumbles in the back of her throat. She was not in the mood to deal with him at all at the moment. As she crosses the room, she pointedly ignores the knight. But as speak of the Shard Seeker's shard-seeking device pops up, she looks to Reize and then Issac. "Allegedly, but I don't think it was working the other day. All it wound up seeking was a fossilized phoenix pinion."

:'''[[Faruja Senra]] has posed:''' Thud-clack. Thud-clack. Claws and wood, rather than armor and the swish of robes herald Faruja's arrival as he slowly steps into Tifa's lovely home-away from home. He's always been somewhat of a sad sight, but between the sling holding his broken arm, as well as the splint upon his leg, the rat's definitely going for the title of 'most broken Temple Knight that's still alive.' A crutch propels him through the door, the Burmecian pausing to appraise the bar. It brings a smile to his muzzle, before he casts about with his single eye to its patrons. Oddly enough, it seems to be chock full of people he knows, or at least has seen before. The group at large gets a half-bow from the ratling, or some close approximation given his injuries, followed by a crossing of his chest. "Ahh, never could I find a more varied yet honored gathering such as this short of the halls of Mullonde's Grand Cathedral! Good eve, my fine Sers and Dames, Lord bless you all!" After the last few days, he's darn happy to see faces he knows, and trusts for the most part. He'll start to shuffle his way towards the bar.

:'''[[Reize Seatlan]] has posed:''' "Ye--yes." Reize lowers his head with comical tears rolling along his eyes. However, when Sarafina goes on about Leida's attire, Reize tilts his head over with curiosity. He looks back towards Percival, who raised his glass. He gives him a wide grin. "Hear hear~!" The boy gives a wide smile, then he says, "To the knights!" He blinks for a moment, then he frowns, "Anyway, I was passing by, I need to find Terra." ---As Faruja and Avira arrive, the boy smiles, "Ooooiii!! Congratulations, you guys!" But then, his eyes turn towards Isaac, "Yeah! Ivo is the one who developed it! He'll be able to explain everything!" Then, the boy lifts a finger, "Anycase, I need to find a friend. I'll see you guys soon!" And as Reize moves to step out... "WARK!" "Hey! Wait! Ack! Not again! Let go!" *CHOMP* "GAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHH!!!" 

:'''[[Deelel]] has posed:''' Deelel gets her order and seems happy ebnough. She's going to start diging into it. It's a strange thing to eat like this but when in Rome as the user saying goes. Right? It's seems to keep her runing so she doesn't think about it much nor think too hard that it used to be something else. She's managed to behave herself. "So you did well in the Hades Cup I take it?" She got just trahsed by a Heartless herself "Err sorry worken up. Old habit I guess from back home. You know what a computer is right?" She seems almost to be expecting a no answer given her luck her ein user space.

:'''[[Ivo Galvan]] has posed:''' Ivo smiles softly at Percival's words, though his gaze briefly becomes inscrutable. "I'd never belittle dedication to a code. My ideals simply aren't so grand to be worthy of one." His deliberately humble words belie the faint trace of a shield that has come over his eyes, though he shows no tension. He's heard these sorts of lectures before, many times before, and though they weren't quite about 'knighthood', the substance was the same: his path is the lesser one. He's thick-skinned about that by now. "I wouldn't say it was unfulfilling, though. I was like a... town steward, you could say, managing conflicts and keeping the peace. Lots of interesting people back home, too. A little messy for 'nobility', perhaps." /This/ guy was? By 'manage', does he mean 'cause'? "So, I wouldn't belittle Reize's pursuit," he concludes, Ivo's smile widening, that playful light returning to his eyes. "I might belittle Reize, though." He casts a grin at the boy. In the background, Leida just keeps chugging away. Wow, this seems promising. No need for Ivo to intervene. Isaac's interest, now that breakfast is here, causes Ivo to quirk a brow and turn his head. It's true that the recent failure has flummoxed him, but he's still pleased to talk about the device, even if his nerdy side sometimes gets carried away by it; he doesn't get to talk the machinist talk much. He opens his mouth to say something-- and then, of all people, Avira shows up. Ugh, as if he's going to let /her/ get the better of him. "I think it was just thrown off by Terra's magic," he retorts, which is a lie. "I told you, you should've thrown yourself into the whirlwind like you suggested. That was a great plan. I wanted to see that." Giving her a hard time puts him back in a good mood, but thinking about the device clouds his expression again. "Anyway, it led us where we wanted to go, at least..." To a fossil. He still doesn't get it. "...if I could test it against a real, complete World Shard..." But is that ethical? Believe it or not, this concerns Ivo. What happens to people trapped in the shards of worlds lost to darkness? Is the passing of time a concern? Can he experiment with what is literally part of a world frozen in stasis? Working with the Fire Crystal was fairly unambiguous, but if his theory that Crystals and World Shards have something structurally in common is totally off, then the Shard Seeker Mk I is just... Avira doesn't get to see Ivo looking genuinely troubled very often, if only because he's pretty good at hiding his emotions, so his expression as he's lost in thought might be striking. Realizing that he's trailed off, though, he rouses himself and offers Isaac another quirk of a smile. "It's a prototype, but if it starts working right, we're at your service." There's a pretty obvious reason why the TDA would want access to a shard-seeking device. "What--" All kinds of friends are showing up today, some in better states than others. "Ser Senra, what in the worlds happened to you?" Ivo gets up, eyebrows raised, arranging a stool for his ally to make sure he can sit at the bar properly. "Did you and your wyvern have a lover's spat?" Sympathy, Ivo-style. There's the sound of Reize howling in the background, but Ivo seems to just ignore it. Because that's what best friends are for.

:'''[[Percival]] has posed:''' A smile tugs at the corners of Percival's mouth as Reize finds himself under assault by Chocobos. He leans over towards Ivo, murmuring. "Does he have this sort of luck with all of the fowl mounts this world favors? You might recommend a horse to him, if you can find one." The gargoyle had little use for the beasts himself, but it would be unseemly for a would be Knight to not have some sort of beast, or other means to ride into battle upon. When Faruja enters, he takes a few heavy steps forward, each one finding the purchase of talon and the ball of his foot upon the floor, before he kneels in front of the Burmecian Holy Knight, and bowing at the waist with a hand over his chest. "Ser, I'd only heard stories of your valor until last eve. Now that I've seen it firsthand, it would be discourteous of me not to acknowledge it. My name is Percival, esquire. You have my promise of aid in the future, should you require it. I would be honored if you would join us. Might I be so bold as to offer to pick up your tab, for the evening?" He then rises, and in an attempt to be 'subtle' places his arm around Faruja in a show of comraderie that was definitely not some veiled attempt of helping the wounded knight reach the bar. No sir, he was quite capable of doing that himself. He'd never imply that the proud knight was incapable, even if he'd broken every bone in his body.

:'''[[Isaac Hanlon]] has posed:''' "Hey Avira, hey Faruja." Isaac peers at the battered Burmecian. "How's the, uh, injured everything?" He saw what kind of beating he took the other night -- that was /brutal/. Isaac wasn't in much better shape, but he keeps a stash of pick-me-ups in his room so he doesn't have to bother the local heal-stick. He keeps to himself a lot like that. Isaac looks to Deelel. "Got gold in the strength contest," he says, and reaches into one of his pants pockets, drawing out his tablet and setting it on the bar, "and yes. I got what you meant, I just wasn't expecting it." Reize gets promptly savaged by a chocobo on his way out. Isaac winces. He goes back to picking at his rapidly-diminishing breakfast plate. "Yeah? Good to hear. I could take a look at it sometime, if you like," Isaac offers, looking back at Ivo for a second. He picks up another forkful of egg, holding it in mid-air for a moment. "Mixing magic and technology is something of a specialty of mine." He takes the bite, chews, swallows. "So is that why you guys're called the Shard Seekers? I didn't think anyone knew about the Shard 'til Merlin spilled the beans."

:'''[[Avira]] has posed:''' "Oh hey Reize." Avira actually brightens a little as he congratulates her for the race win. "Though I'm reminded, congratulations to /you/, Isaac, for winning the strength contest. Here..." A hand slips into one of the many pouches around her belts and, out of it, she pulls a piece of magicite from Ivalice. Specifically, it's a piece of storm magicite. The small stone is tossed to Isaac. "Consider that little gift an irony bonus." Turning to Ivo, her good mood slowly fades and she strongly considers not responding to Ivo...until: "Oh my gosh..." Avira puts a hand over her mouth, looking horrified. "Are you saying you would like to see my body torn to shreds by the unforgiving desert wind, blood painting the whirling sandstorm a vibrant red? H-how cruel!" Her bottom lip trembles. Oh /no/, it looks like Avira is going to CRY. "How could a noble knight harbor such dastardly thoughts." 'We're at your service.' Eh. Ivo obviously didn't know that Avira was a member of the TDA too. Nor did he know that she was originally from Manhattan's world, did he? Wisely, Avira doesn't point out either thing right now out of fear that he'd recind his offer to help with finding Manhattan's shards. Yeah. Avira believes Ivo to be THAT much of a jerk. Then Avira spies Faruja, a look of concern overcoming her. She'd heard about the winners of the contest, sure, but she didn't hear about LEXUS harassing and harming the nezumi. "Faruja?" she says, following after the knight as he's escorted to the bar. "What happened?"

:'''[[Sarafina Carenze]] has posed:''' It is Sarafina's blessing, it is Sarafina's curse, she is...spidermom? Anyway, she seems content to leave it at that, using her superpower of 'leaving it be after properly embarrassing everyone'. She bobs her head to Avira, respectfully, as she arrives. It's been some time since she saw the top dog of VALKYRI. Fossilized phoenix pinions aren't exactly the craziest of things one could find, not compared to a world shard,. Sighing lightly she throws a wave over to Faruja. It's been some time there too, it semes. As if sensing Ivo's mental dialogue, Sarafina adds to him, finally, "Don't worry. Being a little reckless--any inventor has to do that. S'why they go 'mad' so frequently, you know? But being a little mad is what it's all about. After all, you can't create new things without taking risks. Just make sure the risk's worth it and it won't be evil science." Which is immortal, of course, but Sarafina is not an evil engineer.

:'''[[Leida]] has posed:''' The princess continues to make sake disappear with alarming speed. The stuff practically seems to disappear from her glass as soon as it is poured, like she's in a drinking contest with some imaginary friend. Can a person that small really hold that much liquor? By the time Faruja walks through the door, half the bottle has vanished and Ivo's only had one glass. From the hazy expression on her face and the subtle scarlet color of her cheeks, this unwise course of action is already starting to catch up with the girl. Still, this doesn't seem to phase her determination. Laying her head down on the cool surface of the bar, Leida casually tips the bottle over towards her glass again, managing to get most of it inside the cup. Her presence seems to have been forgotten or atleast faded into the background, which is just fine with her.

:'''[[Deelel]] has posed:''' Deelel waves to Faruja as he arrive and manages to pull herself away from her meal to reply to Isaac and seems shocked. "Wait you understand? Few people I have met int his world really grasp it. Then again most don't know what a computer is. Also well done on the contest couldn't have been easy with those who I heard were in it." She stares for a moment "Wait it can be mixed? I didn't think that was possible." Merlin, Tron had mentioned him to her she really did need to go see him at some point.

:'''[[Faruja Senra]] has posed:''' Faruja grins to the young adventurer. "Much obliged, my friend! Well worth it, or so I pray. Do be safe, Ser Seatlan, and /do/ remember to hold the map properly!" Really, Faruja needs to start putting a 'this way up' arrow on the boy's maps. Then again, even that might not help. Wince. Chocobos. Sigh. "Is he truly /that/ delicious?" The Burmecian nods to the Program, tail swishing behind him in a friendly manner. "While I would hardly call this entire debacle 'well', I have managed to qualify at least. And no one seems to have died yet, most importantly. How fare you? You seem to have encountered difficulties yourself." Emphasis on the 'yet'. The rat doesn't trust the runner of these Games for anything. Faruja /laughs/ at that, taking things far too literally as usual. "Ahh, thank the Lord, no! You know, Ser Galvan, the last time we had a true spat was when she was naught but a year old. I punished her for attempting to fly away and hunt the neighbor's chocobos. Front teeth right through the arm. Thankfully a family friend was a former field White Mage. Otherwise, I would have lost the limb. No, /this/ is due to the Games. Brutish and utterly deplorable." Snort! "Do forgive me for eavesdropping, however...Ser Galvan, the Shard Seeking device, how well has it fared?" Hope flares in his eye, the slightly dull look of a guy with quite a few pain herbs in his system vanishing. If it worked, then maybe they could find the shard of his own home! Looking down as he's kneeled before by the Gargoyle Squire, Faruja blinks. He simply has no response to such courtly, knightly behaviour. Then the Gargoyle speaks! For about ten seconds, there's this look of surprise and even nervousness. For all that he's used to courtly gestures, he is but a lowly ranked Temple Knight. This sort of thing was for heroes and Knights Divine. It passes, and a warm smile blossoms onto his muzzle. Mayhap the gargoyle's overdoing it, but the ratling can appreciate the sentiments and good manners. "Please, good Ser! Do not kneel before this humble knight! You heap praise upon me of which I am utterly undeserved. Nay, stay thy cultured tongue, save such blessings for far more able and honorable beings than myself if you please." He can't exactly return the gesture, and so he bows his head, throwing a salute with his tail as he balances with his crutch. "However, never shall I turn down the aid of such a well-honed blade. You have proven yourself capable. Ahh, but do forgive me, the great beast's blow upon my noggin has made a few details...ahh, fuzzy. Temple Knight Faruja Senra of the Holy Church of Saint Ajora Glabados, at /your/ service, honored Squire Percival." Grin! Drinks, eh? "Generous as well? My, my, my the Church could use a few more such as yourself. Do visit Mullonde some time, hmm? I accept, you have my thanks." The Templar isn't too proud to be led along, though the 'discrete' manner in which it's done seems to have the Burmecian trying to contain a beaming look upon the gargoyle. Ivo, Avira and Percival both have him at a seat. "Ahh, much better, thank you all. Truly am I blessed to know such fine people as yourselves." Pause. He leans in towards Ivo. ".../Please/ do not antagonize Lady Avira overmuch, hmm?" He pleads quietly before turning to Avira herself. "The test of Strength for the games, Lady Avira. Between the great abomination-beast and that traitorous Witch, 'twas not one of my more shining moments." He scowls briefly. "...To thank that Lady Deel's people would harbor a user of Darkness so vile." Turning to the Strength-winning Wizard, he nods. "Ser...Isaac was it not? Mmm, passable. I shall heal. Leg, arm, six ribs broken, and a hairline skull fracture. While I truly wish I could say I have suffered worse..." He'd be lying. "Yes, congratulations on your victory. Thy skills are most unorthodox yet effective, as you have proven once again. I pray your own injuries are none too severe?" The wave from Sarafina is returned with a nod and a crossed chess. "Dame Carenze, 'tis been far too long! Fare you well, M'Lady?" Don't stare at the wings. Don't stare rat. He's sure to look her in the eyes. The not-wing-eyes. It's rough though. Then, there's Leida, and her having devoured half a sake bottle. Thankfully, he doesn't comment on that. "Ahh, Lady Leida. Assisting Ser Galvan today?" Smile. As much as he always seems to intimidate her, he's going to try to come off as warm and friendly.

:'''[[Ivo Galvan]] has posed:''' Ivo barely suppresses a grin at Percival and Faruja's instant camaraderie. Birds of a feather, or at least, gargoyle and nezumi of a... uh... anyway, as anticipated, more or less. Now that Faruja is in good, stony hands, he turns to see Isaac regarding him speculatively. "Really?" The knight-errant is visibly intrigued. "That discipline was much in demand where I came from..." He'd rather not elaborate on why. "...but most of what I learned doesn't seem to apply anymore." He considers elaborately on the differences, now that he's with an expert, but Isaac's last comment cuts him short. Ivo looks oddly ambivalent. "Yes, well... the founding Shard Seekers are all people who've lost their worlds to darkness. When rumors emerged that worlds could persist in shard form, it seemed a... good reason for us to stick together." At the time, when Ivo somewhat carelessly -- and cleverly, he thought -- came up with the idea, it didn't occur to him that the Darkness would of course spread to /more/ worlds, and that 'shard seeking' would become a much more urgent matter. That kind of responsibility wasn't quite what he had in mind. Still-- "So it's not like we have a patent on it," he says good-naturedly, trying to lighten the mood a little. Talking about people losing their homes is a delicate matter. "But... hopefully, if we can get the prototype working better, we can be of some service to others. Just some technical difficulties," he reassures Faruja, with a confidence he doesn't quite feel. "We found the... treasure, at least." He came here to get /away/ from thinking about the problem, and it's back to haunt him already. As it stands, sidequests are more their M.O. He might be about to continue, but Avira's theatrical display silences him, as he turns to her with slightly widened eyes at her gruesome imagery. By the time she finishes, though, his expression is flat. "Have you considered a career as an actress?" he deadpans. "Maybe you can practice by pretending to be someone other than yourself. Anyone else, really, would be great." He's relentless. Still, he can hide the twinkle of amusement beginning to show up in his eyes again. He's getting used to the fact that he actually enjoys these exchanges with Avira. ...Sorry, Faru. He looks over at Sarafina, a little surprised and impressed as her Mom Senses show she's seen right through him to his concerns. He underestimated the woman's perception. At her words, though, he smiles gratefully. "Thanks, Sarafina." He doesn't have any jokes, this time. Meanwhile, Ivo, escort extraordinaire, totally fails to notice that Leida is getting trashed right by his side. Smiling to himself and finishing what's left in his cup, he turns to the bottle and picks it up-- "Eh?" Swishing it, and hearing only the faintest of sounds, he quirks a brow, and then looks over, eyes widening, at the erstwhile princess. "Wh..." Is he alarmed? "What a champion!" No, he's impressed! "Way to go, Leida! You're made of sterner stuff than I imagined." This kind of encouragement is just what she needs, no doubt. "How do you feel right now?" Rather than a solicitous query, it sounds more like someone interviewing the victor of a competition.

:'''[[Percival]] has posed:''' The Gargoyle takes all of the Knight's greeting in stride, and tries not to make it seem like he's fussing over him, even though he most probably is. He was used to fussing over his Knightly master after all. However the Knight's offer to visit another church makes his posture stiffen, somewhat. "I'll try to make a point of it, Ser." As polite an acquiescence as he could afford without offering his true feelings. He'd make it a point of doing so in a more private setting, or if Faruja pressed the point he might find that he had little choice but to do so. Once they reach the bar, he gestures towards Tifa. "Lady Tifa, whatever Ser Senra desires is on me tonight." He certainly hoped his pouch of munny could hold out. Not that he particularly cared about being dead broke again, he just wouldn't want to embarass himself. Once he catches sight of Leida, he gives Ivo a dubious glare, before speaking to the likely drunken princess. "Lady Leida uh, perhaps you might consider slowing down, for a time. After all, your gentlemanly escort does not need to be given any further motivation towards unseemly behavior." The obvious undertone towards being 'You had best act like a gentleman if you want to keep all of your fingers, IVO.' Why did he suddenly seem like a character from that awful SEED romance novel?

:'''[[Isaac Hanlon]] has posed:''' "Yeah, well, I'm from a more modern sort of place. And most people don't think it can be. It's just tricky, that's all," he asides to Deelel. Isaac doesn't tend to do things by halves, especially when it comes to combining things that often go together like oil and water. Isaac catches the piece of magicite, rolling it over in his hand. "Heh; thanks. I bet it won't do much for my carefully-cultivated hapless nerd demeanor, though. What'm I going to do if people start thinking I'm a competent combatant in everyday life? I'll be getting challenges in the streets, now." He sighs, a little over-dramatically, and brushes his hand through his still-relentlessly-messy hair. He'll have to attack it when he, you know, goes and gets dressed for real. "That's right. Unorthodox is my middle name," Isaac says, sending an easy grin Faruja's way. "I'm one big walking bruise, but I didn't get hammmered as badly as you did. Maybe when I figure out how this medical magic nonsense works, I'll practice it on you. You seem like the type to get yourself beat up every few days." Ivo's odd ambivalence strikes Isaac as sort of... off. He's not sure what's up with it, but it pings on his people-radar. He feels like steering the conversation back to the detector might be a bit too awkward right now, so he lets it slide. He'll get distracted with something else, he's sure, like Avira's quivering lip. "Yeah. Yeah, I guess it would be. I know how that goes." He shrugs a shoulder and goes back to finishing his super late breakfast.

:'''[[Avira]] has posed:''' "Gosh, what a hard problem that must be." Avira rolls her eyes at Isaac, "People actually thinking you're competent." There's...actually a small twinge of jealousy to her words. Small. Avira follows after Faruja now, "Lady Deel? What? Wait..." she thinks for a moment, "You mean LEXUS, right? Actually he's a virus of some kind so I don't think he is 'harbored' so much as 'manages to exist somehow despite everyone's best efforts.' Believe me, if someone control-alt-deleted him, I would shed no tears." How dare LEXUS hurt Faruja so! Sarafina gets a casual wave back. Wow, where's that lady been? It's been forever since Avira has seen her! Of course, thanks to Avira's overacting a few of the NPCly types in the bar are now regarding Ivo with distaste and suspicion. "Oh I did at one point consider acting. Musical theater, even." Avira says brightly, "But I was far too shy to pursue it." How ironic. She's been pretending to be someone else other than 'herself' for a few months now. Having had her fill of Ivo banter for the moment, she turns her attention away from him and returns to doting on Faruja. Well, as much as Avira could dote at least.

:'''[[Tifa Lockhart]] has posed:''' Tifa Lockhart moves over to Leida's side after watching her drinking the two bottles pretty much on her own "I think that's enough for you, don't you think?" She offers a smile. She clearly thinks well of her customers, and wouldn't want them to get ill or in bad situations from it. She starts removing the empty bottles and cups, putting them away for cleaning. She's hmming merrily the entire time. No, she's notdoing this just to be an annoyance... but in a muddled state of mind, who knows.

:'''[[Leida]] has posed:''' When the glass has enough in it to satisfy the princess' increasingly impaired vision, she pushes the bottle away, just in time for Ivo to find most of the contents missing. The girl lifts her head to further partake of her personal ambrosia when her name gets called. Turning languidly on the stool to seek out the source of this familiar voice, her gaze sweeps across the room until it falls on Faruja. Her glassy eyes linger on the bandaged rat for a little too long but she seems not to recognize him or if she does, not particularly care. She waves a hand at him dismissively, saying, "Ivo-hama asked me to come out and visit with him..." And then several people start talking to her at once from various angles to which the girl replies by putting her head back on the counter. "D-do not speak of Ivo-sama like that... he is... /very/ nice..." Leida tilts her face towards the encouraging grin of her fellow Shard Seeker, smiling innocently back up at him in return. "I feel... tingly... hehehe..."She puts up no fuss when Tifa takes away the drinks, clearly already sloshed enough to suit her tastes. Suddenly, the girl sits up and blinks, turning to squint at Faruja again. "I /do/ know you..." Finally remembering that she is terrified of this particular templar, Leida moves to hide behind Ivo again. Or tries to, forgetting that part about currently being on a stool. Gravity takes care to remind her of the folly of trying to occupy empty space as she tumbles to the floor with a solid thump.

:'''[[Sarafina Carenze]] has posed:''' Sarafina is totally fine with Ivo taking advantage of Leida if it would get her to wear pants. But seeing as this will likely not happen, she is firmly against Ivo taking advantage of Leida. Judging by the box'o'parts she's holdin', she probably has been working on some machinist crap. She's been obsessed with those strange 'lego' ships she's had the 'pleasure' of aquainting herself with. It totally has nothing to do with enjoying a new(?) alt and helping run the Hades Cup and teaching Leida...how to hug (there is a guide since it is very easy to mess up, check gunshowcomic for details!). Sarafina is actually fond of the Shard Seekre MO and has no issues with them but if she actually had to work with them on a daily basis, she'd probably going on a killing spree. Respectful distance is but one of many ways to live. Jokes aside, though, she has no doubt felt many pitfalls of an engineer--including worrying about the outcomes of your inventions. Professor Death created the armor plated scorpion of death for good, not for evil, after all. She gives him a small nod and encouraging smile. DON'T GIVE UP. Hopefully this will not result in Manhattan being accidentally eaten by Reize or stirred in a cup of coffee and drunk. The best part of waking up is Manhattan Crystals in your cup. "You're quite the performance artist." Sarafina tells Avira. "What made you reconsider?"

:'''[[Sarafina Carenze]] has posed:''' Sarafina Carenze also facepalms as Leida falls over. This is an incredibly important detail.

:'''[[Percival]] has posed:''' Without hesitation, Percival leans down to offer a hand to help Leida up. Then realizing her inebriated state might make that difficult, he simply lifts her up gently to her feet, being careful 'where' he lifts her so that it wouldn't look like he was taking advantage of her.

:'''[[Ivo Galvan]] has posed:''' Ivo gets the sense that, stressed as he is, he's let on too much to Isaac. This is a little frustrating at first, but after a moment, he's just grateful for Isaac's forbearance in not prying further. The reason he came up with the idea of the 'Shard Seekers'... the reasons he's making the shard-seeking device... everyone's wishes and dreams... why him? Why Ivo, of all people, in a position to potentially help so many others, having gotten the hopes up of the people he's in part helped to bring together -- and potentially let them all down? He wanted to be free. And he wanted for that to be okay. Is it because he's not like Reize, not like Percival, doesn't have that kind of 'code', isn't that kind of man? Is that why he ends up like this, can't follow through? If he thinks too hard about the failure of the shard-seeking device, of the lie he endeavors to make into truth, all these thoughts emerge. Briefly, he remembers Facilier, and forces the memory down. "Who's unseemly?" Ivo doesn't seem particularly offended at Percival's slanderous implication; if anything, he sounds entertained. "If you're worried about me, you should see Reize in action. Those Knight's Vows of his don't keep /him/ from the girls." Still, the thought that he might be attracted to Leida is a little surprising. He can't really see the girls of the Shard Seekers that way, even if Lenn and Leida are technically old enough to qualify. No, he's no predator. But he has to admit, Leida drunk sounds hilarious. What, there are NPCs who'd be suckered by Avira hamming it up!? Ivo refuses to believe that, and on principle ignores any such stares. "Hah, I wish you'd show me your shy side more often," he ripostes. "You're more slinking and violent than shrinking violet." Nice one. But it's true: Ivo underestimates her. There's still quite a bit he doesn't know about who she really is, deep down. Maybe now that he's embraced their rivalry, that'll begin to change. Aw, Tifa's ruining his fun. "You're too attentive, Tifa," he remarks, shrugging and shaking his head. Ohh, and Leida has his back. That's so sweet. "Leida sees me for who I am," he says lightly, though despite his joking tone, his eyes soften slightly and his lips quirk upward. Trust is something he appreciates. Probably because he doesn't deserve it. "Whoops--" Seeing as Leida is trying to hide behind him, Ivo is the closest when the princess begins to fall, and he lunges, not quite able to prevent her from hitting the floor but catching her well enough at least to protect her head. Percival's there to help her back to her feet. "Looks like you still need more training, milady," he quips, keeping a hand lightly on Leida's shoulder half to steady her and half out of affection, repressing a grin. "Maybe Raiya can teach you how to hold your sake, too." That'll be a sight to see. Noticing Deelel looking at him, Ivo quirks a brow at her, and then notices she's managed to change the music. Huh, he's never heard music quite like this. That's a heavy beat. He considers briefly before offering: "Hey, if you want to dance, dance." Ivo Galvan, enabler.

:'''[[Tifa Lockhart]] has posed:''' Tifa Lockhart lifts an eyebrow at Ivo "You were trying to make her drunk? Can't get the ladies without that?" She kids, but hopefully its not true, otherwise this might be awkward. Tifa is used to dealing with people falling out of stools as well. She quickly move around the counter to help keep Leida up "Come over, there's a couch in the corner you can use, alot safer than a barstool." She smiles. The best thing to do when tipsy is not moving and avoiding high benches obviously. That and water. Which she brings a glass of to Leida once settled over. If of course she lets herself be carried off.

:'''[[Faruja Senra]] has posed:''' Sigh. Faruja doesn't bother hiding his dissappointment in Ivo's mention of 'technical difficulties'. "Damn it. Just when 'tis most needed most." The solution to one of his people's problems is just within his clawtips, and it tears at the rat's heart. There is a bartendress, a decidedly honorable and awesome one, and he has free drinks courtesy of an honorable Gargoyle. Truly, today was worth all of the previous one's pain and suffering. "Dear Lady Lockhart, would you be so kind as to fetch me a glass of Absinthe wen you've a moment? As strong and energetic as ever, you look well! Business proves favorable?" he follows up behind Percival's words to the barmaiden. The Wizard gets the rat's attention. "You desire to study the art of restorative magic? While I am no White Mage, my calling as a Holy Knight has made me familiar with it. I would be more than happy to send you a few texts on the subject, and mayhap offer what training as I can should time prove sufficient." Smirk. "Now, now! Only every two or so days! I occasionally keep out of harms way." Faruja directs a brief glance to Ivo as he continues his verbal assault upon Avira. Well, if words don't work...turning away, he picks up his crutch with his good arm. Thrust! A light bonk to the head is aimed upon a certain knight-errant. The Burmecian nods to Avira...yet gives her a distinctly vacant, 'deer in the headlights' look as she begins to talk technology. "LEXUS, hmm? I...do forgive me, Lady Avira. You have me a touch lost. Virus? 'Control Alt Delete?'" Well, he gets some of it at least. "Regardless, he is clearly tainted. Not human, that is for certain." Nope, the rat /still/ hasn't gotten the Program memo. Turning to Deel, he smiles, though only lightly given the topic at hand. "Know you of this 'LEXUS', dear Lady Deel?" Then, he's doted upon! The rat lets Avira go about it, giving her a quiet thank you, and general looks of appreciation. Really, it's gratifying to have someone care enough to do so! Turning back to the Gargoyle, he finally seizes up on an opportunity! "Mmm, good Squire Percival, mayhap this humble Templar might yet beg a favor of you? I...would desire to become more acquainted with your kind. It's culture, rituals, that sort of thing. Mayhap you would oblige me some time, hmm? Over lunch on my coin." Hey, for once Leida isn't cowering in terror before hi...oops, spoke too soon. The Burmecian sighs. Thump. "Lady Leida, do I truly terrify you so?" The rat may just sound a little sad at that. Even a ton of alcohol can't kill a fear in the girl he'd never intended to spark. But, people are insulting Ivo. Really, Faruja can only have so much of that. He raises his voice slightly. "Mmm. No person is without sin, Sers and Dames. Ser Galvan has been nothing but a stalwart companion, in every situation I have found him beside me. Whatever his failings, I would never turn down his blade, nor intellect, nor counsel were it offered." The rat knows when to stand up for his fellow Shard Seekers.

:'''[[Isaac Hanlon]] has posed:''' Isaac has a fair Sense Motive score. "It's not quite as excellent as you think," he says to Avira, voice pitched a little low. There is a brief, tiny frown for just a second, and then he's his still slightly bleary but otherwise normal self again. Isaac laughs when Deel changes the jukebox to something a little more... techno-y. "See? Not many people around with that trick, but a few. It's not so hard. So what's the deal? Are you one of the Programs I've heard are running around? I figure if there are viruses and crazy HAL 9000 knock-offs there's gotta be a few that're in it for the shenanigans if nothing else, right?" He turns back to his meal and polishes the rest of it off, pushing the plate away a short ways. His eyes briefly pass over Ivo when he surveys the room, and he frowns again momentarily. One of the problems with being skilled in the lost arts of Diplomancy is that sometimes you accidentally poke a sore spot. At least he has the sense to back off. Some days, Isaac thinks. "Two or so should be plenty of practice," Isaac says good naturedly at the rat-knight. "Your kind of magic isn't my kind of magic, but I'd love to see some written works on the subject. There's just something about the simplicity of it all that gets me." Gets him riled, maybe. There's too much unexplained when people just throw around Cure spells. How does it /work/? How does it know /how/ to work?

:'''[[Avira]] has posed:''' "...necessity." Avira says soberingly to Sarafina. "For a while I was considering becoming a Sky Pirate so the whole deception thing seemed like an important skill to pick up. Now I'm not sure anymore. I've found a lot more important things to do with my time than be a Sky Pirate. Airships are pretty damn expensive, by the way. Oh, right." Avira waves to Tifa. "Scotch on the rocks, please." Looking back to Ivo, Avira smirks and shakes her head. "No you don't. Just forget about it." She doesn't seem offended though. Being a shrinking violet got her nowhere in life. This approach was far more successful. Frowning, she squints over at Leida, who looks kind of young to Avira. Almost too young to be drinking liquor in the first place. Seriously, anyone part of the Reize fanclub was probably too young to drink. Fortunately, the cooler head of Tifa is on the case. She'll concede this issue to her, who no doubt deals with a large amount of drunk people during the day. After a moment, she realizes that her particular computer reference isn't going to make much sense to Faruja. So past the grateful look for the bonking, Avira looks apologetic. "Hrrm, how do I explain this...his type of life is...different than you and I. He's inorganic and we're both organic...see that means we both are made of carbon-containing compounds and LEXUS has completely different chemistry unlike humes and nezum-err..." Yeah that's probably not helping either. "Destroy him. I hope he is destroyed one day." she clarifies without the science mumbo jumbo, settling down nearby Faruja, giving him a break from her poking and fussing at his wounds. She might have imparted a First Aid regen spell somewhere along the lines.

:'''[[Leida]] has posed:''' Fortunately, the princess is one of the nice drunks, and look, there's all these wonderful concerned people coming to help her up. How nice. Considering that she weighs about as much as a sack of feathers, and holds liquor equally well, Leida puts up no struggle when the three of them gently urge her towards the couch. It's almost like she's used to this happening when she drinks. She does however, respond to Ivo's quip about her ability to drink with a vacant smile. "Gimme another bottle and I will practice some more..." The glass of water that Tifa offers is apparently close enough and she starts to nurse it quietly from the comfort of the cushions, pausing only once to peer at the contents in confusion before she shrugs and settles in.

:'''[[Mercade Alexander]] has posed:''' And there is suddenly a Mercade! He steps down the stairs from the floor above, looking out over the room with a curious gaze. "Holy cow, setting up here was a /great/ idea, Tifa." He says as he moves over to the bar. "Make that two, Tifa." Mercade says, as he gestures to Avira. "I'll have what she's having." He grins as he sits down. "It's really lively tonight."

:'''[[Percival]] has posed:''' Percival is more than willing to allow Leida to be led away by Tifa. At the very least she appeared to be a responsible chaperone for her. He can't help but give Faruja a dubious look when he defends Ivo's honor, but given that his statement was as tactful as possible before, he doesn't offer any apology to Ivo, as he didn't believe that he caused any offense to Ivo's honor. Percival should perhaps have been suspicious of Faruja's request. But the thought of being in the company of another knight overrides all reason. "It would be an honor. Though you will have to grant me the same favor. And perhaps regale me with a tale or two of your valor." He doesn't make known his other request, yet. He needed to know more of Faruja first after all. He could only imagine the variety of responses it might elicit. Anywhere from pious acquiescence to the drawing of naked steel and a duel to the death. Knights were known for their extremes after all. Holy Knights moreso. At the second mention of LEXUS though, Percival turns to face Deel. "Ah, yes, I would be quite interested in hearing more of him as well. Given that he, it, or whatever it is claims responsibility for the fall of my world. Even if he does so in a manner that reminds me of a narcissistic and petulant child, screaming unto the wind for attention." He gestures to Mercade. "Ah, Mercade, do join us. Lady Tifa, I'll take responsibility for his tab as well tonight, if you don't mind."

:'''[[Sarafina Carenze]] has posed:''' "While I won't complain about you choosing a life away from being a Sky Pirate..." Sarafina's job in the Baron military was, primarily, taking out pirates. She wouldn't suggest to anybody to become a pirate, even if it was one of those worlds where being a pirate was a good thing. She don't trust it, no sir. "Have you ever flown an airship? You know how?" She's curious, in part, because she intends to build a ship for the TDA. Airships are tough to build, but it doesn't take a huge crew. Just two similarly dressed guys and at least someone with a lot of chutzpah can make a serviceable one with time. If Glayffe can outfit flying deathtraps, she can surely make one that isn't a death trap with a low budget. Grr, just thinking about that guy-- She shakes her head. "It is admittedly hard to be creative knowing that there is a superior model of transport I don't know how to construct." She spots Mercade heading on down. "Hail Mercade! How fares you today?"

:'''[[Ivo Galvan]] has posed:''' Ivo does look a little awkward at Tifa's joke, though not because it's true. "Am I so hideous?" he jokes back, trying to keep it light, though he does faintly worry that someone might actually believe that about him. Teasing people is one thing, even manipulating or embarrassing them, but taking advantage of the vulnerable is serious to him. He's not /Priel/. Fortunately, Faruja comes to his rescue, just as Ivo's heart begins to dim a little. The knight-errant looks visibly surprised, eyes widening as he looks over at the Burmecian, and then, of all things, a flush rises to his cheeks. "...I'm hardly worthy of such praise," he manages, after being briefly at a loss. "But I'm proud to fight alongside true friends." And he grins at the knight, unrestrainedly revealing his gratitude at Faruja's trust and respect on his features, even if he doesn't say anything directly. Relationship Rank Up! But he'll have to talk more seriously with Isaac -- who, given both his trophy-earning skill and social awareness, seems competent indeed -- and Sarafina later. His bantering with Avira having come to an end, and Leida in need, he seats himself on the couch next to the girl, smiling down at her softly as she, with some perplexity, drinks her water. "Sure," he says gently, "we'll practice again later." From what he's heard from Reize, this girl has had it rough. The least he can do is make her life a little livelier. But maybe only he's the one who thinks that's a good thing. ...He probably is. Seeing Mercade enter makes Ivo want to get up and greet him, but after so many questions about the shard-seeking device, he's realizing that he can't escape his problems through socializing. Instead he leans back next to Leida, electing to keep an eye on her from the sidelines for now, and quietly contemplate his dilemma. The shadows over Fluorgis are still thickening, and, if he lets them, so too will the shadows over his heart. He can't let that happen. It's not just Reize who bears the burden of the wishes of others, as much as Ivo would like to pretend otherwise. Even if it's not what he anticipated-- People are counting on him, too.

:'''[[Avira]] has posed:''' "It's actually more of a title of honor in Ivalice." Avira explains for Sarafina's benefit, "Refers to people with airships that don't accept the rule of Archadia. But anyway...no, I've never flown one of any stripe before. I /want/ to though. I want to fly again." Mercade shows up and Avira immediately brightens. "Hey Mercade! Yeah, pretty good crowd for a Saturday." And the manager gives me a smile o/` her mind mentally fills in. Fortunately, Avira makes her will save and doesn't start singing.

:'''[[Tifa Lockhart]] has posed:''' Tifa Lockhart makes sure Leida is comfortable before moving away, smiling as she returns to the counter. Two orders of scotch of the rocks for the (unlikely?) couple of Mercade and Avira. Well, maybe. Not her business. But where's Cloud when you need him -.- Well, not *need*, but at least *wish*, even if wouldn't admit to it just yet either. Silly girl. She slides the two glasses over "Hey Mercade, nice of you to drop in." Kidding, this is his place after all, she's just filling up some empty space with something more useful than a wall and a few tables of course. "It is pretty lively, but it'd be sad if it wasn't, being a bar, don't you think?"

:'''[[Faruja Senra]] has posed:''' A nod, and a salute. "I shall be most happy to provide you with them, Ser Isaac. May they prove insightful. Mmm, mayhap so. The Black Magics are far more an intellectual pursuit, they may yet prove more to your tastes." The rat works off of his wisdom score, after all! Bliiink. More blank staring at Avira at her explaination. "...He is not human then." It's about all he's gotten. Faruja rubs his head, feeling a headache starting. Listening in general, the rat picks up enough to get the picture, though. "He assisted in Manhattan's fall. Well. That simplifies matters. It shall be my honor to present his head upon Traverse Town's clocktower, Lord willing." Sadly, the rat's not exaggerating. Percival's look is returned with one of determination. A knight defends his comrades. Nor is the rat one to back down. Yet, a smile lingers behind his stoic look, one of respect. The Gargoyle has a backbone. Lord bless him. "It shall be, then. Burmecia has a long and storied history, and I would be happy to share it, as well as my own experiences. For now, let us drink, and share in the company of these fine individuals, hmm?" Perk. "Good eve, Ser Mercade! Lord bless!" He calls out to the TDA leader. Faruja turns to Ivo, giving the man a small smile and nod. Certainly the rat has his issues with the man at times, but Ivo's been nothing but an excellent ally and friend. The kind of person he has to stand beside. "'Tis always an honor, my friend."

:'''[[Mercade Alexander]] has posed:''' "Sometimes, one man's hero is another man's villain." He smiles as he picks up the drink. "And sometimes they're just villains regardless. Things are weird like that sometimes." He swirls the iced scotch around a bit and takes a drink, before gesturing. "Hello everyone! It's great to be here. I'm glad Tifa's wasted no time in drawing a crowd. You guys will love it here." He laughs. "Well, Tifa was looking for something a lot more central. Goug is nice and all, but it's a pain to get to if you don't own a chocobo." He's not going to start singing the Piano Man, dammit. Don't even start. "I'm faring pretty well, Sara." Mercade grins. "Everything is falling back into place and the TDA is starting to feel like the Agency again, instead of, well..." He shrugs. "Some kind of world refugees." He looks out over the bar. "This is also a nice place. It gives Tifa plenty of room and is well decorated, and there's a lot to do here. We're going to be eating here all the time, of course, and people who come here will see that we're just one floor up if they need help. Bars tend to attract people with troubles sometimes, you see." He says with a chuckle. He waves to Faruja. "Hey there! How's it going, Faruja? Are you doing all right?" He seems to be doing the Templar thing again, but he's not always certain. Percival gets a grin. "Don't worry, Percival, I don't drink too much, I won't strain your generorsity."

:'''[[Percival]] has posed:''' After staring down Faruja for a time, he makes a gesture to suggest another round of drinks is warranted. "A long and storied history? We'll have to make a competition out of it. A friendly one of course. Patriotic duty demands it after all." A thought suddenly occurs to Percival, and while it is entirely innocent in his mind, it may not seem so to the one he'll request it of. He is entirely oblivious of that fact though. "Lady Avira. I noticed during our recent amphibious adventure that you had a natural talent that would make the bards weep and the muses offer you a place amongst them. Would you consider perhaps, regaling us with a song or two?"

:'''[[Deelel]] has posed:''' Deelel says "humm not so much a trick really. I just been able to ... communiate to machines liek that since I have arrived." She tilts her head for a moment and she nods a little bit. "Yes, I'm a program. I'm a multi media program actualyl, sound and visuals for the most part. I left a few bits of work about the town." She pauses at the mention of hal 9000. "An AI or proram from your world I take it? Yes, there are a few of us about. I know of three others who are not hostile to users or seeking to help. Though there's CHIEF...." She shudders. "So many user errors have broken him." She notices as Mercade arrives and then looks back to Isaac "I should tell you and your comrades eveyrthing I have on the MCP and LEXUS at some point your likely going to need it."

:'''[[Leida]] has posed:''' Leida finishes the water rather quickly once she sets to the task of drinking it, tilting her head back to gulp down the liquid with great gusto. It takes her a few seconds to realize the glass is empty. She peers into it for a few seconds as if checking to make sure before allowing her hands to rest in her lap, cupping the object gently. Rather than try to interpret the blurs and smears of colors that everyone has decided to devolve into, the girl allows the heavy pressure on her eyelids to bring them down and nestles into Ivo's side on the couch. With his arm for a pillow and the aid of way more sake than is recommended for her height/weight ratio, she begins to drift off. The din of the conversations and the brightness of the lights overhead quickly fade away until the embrace of peaceful slumber envelopes her.

:'''[[Sarisa]] has posed:''' There is a small invasion of pirates. Yes, pirates. All of them bearing the insigna of the Jolly Roger of the Syldra II(quite possibly the III), and they take over two tables in the back. They all order beer, ale, and the like, ignoring the finer tastes of the world. What did you expect, they're pirates. A few minutes later, Sarisa comes in, slightly worried, her purple-ponytail all messed up as she adjusts her tiara, looking around. "TDA?" she asks, plaintively, of the first person she sees.

:'''[[Sarafina Carenze]] has posed:''' "Ahh..a title of honor then? Well, then perhaps I should check on what precisely is Archades in further detail." It's a big multiverse!! And a big world besides. "I'll see what I can do. If you ever want lessons." She bobs her head a couple times before looking over to Sarisa. "Hail milady." She nods to her. "Alas I was just about to get to work. Take care," She looks around the bar. "All of you, of course." And with that she's heading out on her way to get some work done.

:'''[[Isaac Hanlon]] has posed:''' "Could be," Isaac admits. "I don't think what I do qualifies as either. Kind of weird like that. Anyway, I basically live here, so I'll be around if you want to give me the run-down on how it all works." Isaac isn't a WIS caster, but he's no slouch in that stat, neither. Even if he does occasionally make /really bad decisions/ for the sake of other people. Some people call that heroism. Isaac thinks of it as a chronic psychological defect. "Fictional AI," Isaac corrects, "but that's the general gist, yeah. Multimedia? We'll have to get together and make some music sometime, then," he says with a grin, totally meaning that in the completely literal sense. He wonders how easy it would be to mix new tunes if he could /actually/ tell the program in question what he wants to do instead of fumbling with poorly-designed counter-intuitive interfaces. "Though... yeah, if you've got dirt on those two, definitely don't hesitate to say." Isaac stands up. "Thanks for the breakfast. I'll be back down a little later; Mercade's got this one, though," he says, jerking his head to his occasional partner-in-anti-crime. Isaac, in his tee-shirted, sweat-pantsed, uncombed glory, heads for the stairs. "I'm gonna go shower and put on some real clothes." Isaac pauses at the pirates. He blinks a couple of times, then grins and starts up the stairs, snapping at the jukebox again and changing the tune. He sings along as he disappears. "Do what you want, 'cause a pirate is free, you are a pirate! Yar, har, fiddle dee dee..." o/` BGM CHANGE: http://youtu.be/os5TXyJlEMc

:'''[[Evja]] has posed:''' Clank. Clank. Clank. From outside the tavern, at least for those who can hear it, there is the sound of something heavy and metal wandering closer on the cobblestones that make up most of the pathways in Traverse. When the door is finally nudged open, though, a tall figure in full plate(Helmet included) makes their way inside and stands there briefly before casually wandering towards where the bar itself was, seemingly intent on taking a seat as if nothing was wrong. Anyone familiar with most any variation of Ivalice might recognize the telltale signs of a Judge in full armor, especially the ornate, imposing design of the armor.

:'''[[Faruja Senra]] has posed:''' Faruja turns a bit towards Mercade, spinning in his barstool. The flowy robes do quite a bit to conceal it from behind, but there's a splint on a leg and a sling around his arm. "Far, far better than those Abyss-touched Games could have left me. However, I yet survive. You look well, Ser!" He downs the rest of his Absinthe. Ahh, delicious green fairy, dance before my eye! Turning to the barmaiden, Faruja smiles at Tifa as Percival suggests another round. "Mayhap you would sacrifice the rest of the Absinthe bottle to this tired Knight, dear Lady Lockhart? 'Twould do my spirits as well as my injuries quite a bit of good!" "I would have it no other way, Squire Percival." Oddly enough, 'patriotic duty' draws a bitter smile from the ratling. Wait, /wait/. Slowly, the rat turns to Avira. "...You can /Sing/ Lady Avira? Please, yes! Grace us with a song!" he asks, somewhat excitedly. Any good Burmecian loves art of any form. SUDDENLY PIRATES. Faruja glances about. Freaking pirates. Then Isaac changes the jukebox. His hand goes sloowly to his crutch. Grip. Thrust! He points it at jukebox. Faruja hates that song. He'd heard it once in Manhattan. Already, he knows he'll hear it in his sleep tonight. Thankfully, Faruja's skills don't work well with a crutch. Light dances around the jukebox rather than tearing it to pieces. Frown. "...Knew I should have brought my spear. Any time, Ser Isaac." Sarisa isn't ignored. The broken-legged and sling-armed Templar bows in his seat to the obvious Lady of good breeding. "Good eve, M'Lady, and Lord bless." His tail points to Mercade. Clank. Turn. A brow slowly rises as he sees the ornate, rather unique designs of a Judge's armor. Smile. "My, my, my. A Judge of Arcadia?" He mumbles to himself, looking amused. "Lord bless, and hail!" he greets the Judge.

:'''[[Avira]] has posed:''' "No. No he's not. And he cannot be killed like a human...or really, like many mortal races, can either." Avira sounds relieved that Faruja managed to get something useful out of her excited and disjointed rambling. "Eliminating him is a tricky thing I'm not sure how to do. Though I suspect I know a few people that know how." Her eyes slide to Deelel who, in a timely fashion, offers up any help she can when it comes to LEXUS (and that MCP guy that TRON mentioned once, though Avira was not explained why that one was a threat). A thanks is given to Tifa for the provided alcohol, which Avira slowly sips. "Well I wouldn't get too comfortable, Mercade, we're not going to be world refugees for very long." Funny, it felt like Avira stopped being a world refugee a while ago. Percival makes a request of her that nearly makes Avira spit out her drink. "W..what? Percival, I don't think I'm THAT good. And besides, I'm not really feeling it right now." That last bit is only a partial lie. Earlier events didn't put her in the best of moods and she had to be in a fey mood to start singing. Avira looks down into her drinks, her cheeks red. Ivo better not be watching this. "Thank you for the compliments, though." Then PIRATES enter and Isaac invokes a jukebox change that's...honestly pretty catchy. Avira still doesn't sing, though, she doesn't know that song. Then a Judge shows up. Avira's...not all that worried about this, though those visible pirates might be. "Looks like it might get rowdy in here."

:'''[[Tifa Lockhart]] has posed:''' Tifa Lockhart waves as Sarisa enters. She knows the princess after all. But since she's asking for the TDA, she simply points her to Mercade sitting there at the counter. She picks up the empty glasses, starting to the cleaning. Even for menials tasks like that, Tifa doesn't seem to mind and keeps her good mood. At least she's not singing!

:'''[[Mercade Alexander]] has posed:''' PIRATE INVASION! Mercade looks over the gaggle of pirates and arches an eyebrow. "Never a dull moment." When one of them asks about the TDA, Mercade, for a moment, squints... But he nods. "The Twilight Detective Agency. We solve problems." He smiles. And then blinks. "What? What do I have?" Oh god, is Isaac making deals again? God help him. The arrival of a Judge causes Mercade to blink warily, and he looks over to Faruja. "It's too bad that you were wounded so badly. I'm glad you made it though. The worlds need your strong arm and stout heart yet, Faruja." He looks over to Avira. IS she going to sing!? Looks like not... yet. "Thank goodness, Avira. We're only a couple steps away, I hope. Something feels... odd though." Mercade says, looking down into his drink.

:'''[[Will Sherman]] has posed:''' Suddenly the imperial march plays... "Here comes, here comes, here comes the king, the hobo kiiiiing." Will sing songs down the stairs. There is a record scratch as he notices... There is an entire room full of people. "What? I get to sing sometimes...alot...alone." he crosses his arms. He sticks his tongue out and then slips to the bar. "Burger me!" he pauses, "And alchohal me."

:'''[[Percival]] has posed:''' Percival's eyes narrow and he glowers at the pirates as they enter, but he merely grunts and looks away after he realizes that they're not looking to tear down this establishment, yet at least. He smiles at Lady Avira's bashfulness. "I understand Madame, but I think that perhaps you are underestimating your talent, and your effect upon others. I do hope you'll reconsider in the future." And then the Hobo King. He clears his throat, gesturing to Tifa. "His majesty's drinks are on me as well." He then walks over to the juke box. While he didn't have any talent akin to the immortal Fonz such as jet-skiing over sharks or snapping his talons to make the jukebox change to his favorite song, he did have Munny to spare, tonight at least. He fumbles around in the munny pouch and then inserts a coin, then changes it to a jaunty Cole Porter tune. He can't help but hum along to 'Anything goes.' then turns and and returns to the bar with heavy taloned footsteps. Take that Isaac, the classics were always the best after all.

:'''[[Sarisa]] has posed:''' "Mercaaaaaaade~" Sarisa immediately drapes herself nearby the detective, her green eyes gleaming underneath her fringe of bangs. "Also, hello everyone; Tifa, how are you doing tonight? I'm so glad to see a new place opened here in Traverse Town!" She is at least a friendly princess. (If not terrible, baiting Mercades into traps.)

:'''[[Evja]] has posed:''' Did the 'Archadian Judge' notice the attention his entrance got? Likely, given the figure turned his head a bit and nodded slightly in Faruja's direction at the greeting. Not that Evja knew what Archadian /was/, but Judge, yes. The pirates went unaccosted on his part at least, however, and he took a seat at the bar before pulling a large transparent sword free from behind his cloak and leaning it against the bar between himself and the counter. After all, it would be ill suited to leave his weapon grabbable from behind if he were facing away while seated. "Barkeep." comes a simple phrasing, voice distorted slightly from the mask itself, making it echo a tiny bit to sound more imposing. "Have you any Flourgis stock?"

:'''[[Faruja Senra]] has posed:''' A nod to the TDA leader from the rat. "Until the Lord takes me into His arms, I shall do my utmost to see them defended, Ser Mercade." Ear perk. Oh Faram, what is that awful noise...there is a hobo. A King Hobo. Sigh. Half-bow. "Good 'eve Ser Sherman. Worry not, your singing is..." Long, awkward pause. Vocabulary loading. There's gotta be a compliment here somewhere. "Better than Dame Anita's." Fun fact: Templar Anita had her throat slashed in a fight with a knife-wielding heretic. She lost the ability to speak (or sing), but lived, and continues to serve honorably. It's the best he's got, Will. Standing, Faruja offers a bow to those gathered. He pauses slightly, looking to the Judge. Fluorgis, hmm? The rat is soon crutch-walking away after saying goodbye to his companions, yawning all the way. Being injured is tough!

:'''[[Tifa Lockhart]] has posed:''' Who's the barkeep? Oh right, that's her. Tifa smiles as she moves over to the door to the storeroom, checking in and bringing back a bottle of wine "Wine or beer? I try to keep a stock of everything, and Fluorgis is a place that I sadly visited too often recently, with all of the troubles." She doesn't know what's attracting heartless to that town in particular either." She smiles to Sarisa "I'm doing well, how about you? Friends with Mercade?" She smiles at that. Mercade does have a few girls around him. Which seems to be a trend among group leaders, considering Ivo and Reize. Is there something that attract girls to them?

:'''[[Tifa Lockhart]] has posed:''' Tifa Lockhart blinks a bit at Will's marching in... "Well I can alcohol you just fine, but to burger you I'll need to find a bread big enough to squeeze you into, and then a giant bottle of ketchup and the biggest pickle ever." Of course she's kidding, taking a mug and filling it with the beer from the tap, carefully so the foam doesn't spill over. She then turns to the cooking plate, starting up on the meat patty.

:'''[[Mercade Alexander]] has posed:''' And then there is a princess. He blinks as she draps near him, and he coughs, shaking his head slightly. "Hello, Princess. Good to see you tonight. I trust you're well?" He asks. "Unfortunately, we're still in the process of trying to find your sister." "Avira!" Mercade calls. "This is the Princess who is looking for her sister." He gestures, and then asides to Sarisa. "Turns out that your sister is theoretically a part of Avira's group here, but she hasn't been seen in some time. We've been working together to locate her." Mercade raises his glass at Faruja's statement. "Lord willing, that will be some time yet. To your health and strength, Templar." He smiles, and drinks. "She's a client." Mercade asides to Tifa, before people get any silly ideas.

:'''[[Will Sherman]] has posed:''' "I dunno, I hear you can get some pretty crazy things in the worlds, Tifa." Will grins back at her, thankful for the sense of humor! He takes the mug and starts drinking from it, not even the remotely concerned about the prospect that a sixteen year old looking boy is easily drinking a glass of beer and not flinching... "So I heard I missed Sarafina? Darn..." he says, and waves towards Avira, "Oh yeah, Congrats Tifa! I know I already congratulated Avira, but you deserve one too! That was one wacky race!"

:'''[[Deelel]] has posed:''' Deelel says "... I'd love to. I haven't had a chance to do much music since I arrived here. I'd love a chance to do that and I see about hal." She's exicted for a chance to make music with a user and not have to deal with direcrt user errors. She can just talk to him like he's another basic. So much less hastle for them both. "I'll give the information when I can. I'll do up a report or if you have a computer I can input the information."

:'''[[Tifa Lockhart]] has posed:''' Tifa Lockhart smiles, pointing to the half-medal in a display case on the counter "Thanks. It was a bit of luck though, everyone was going at it. I actually knocked Deelel out of it, she probably would have won otherwise. Noone was really paying attention to her. I had Quistis blowing down my neck the entire time too, she ended just behind me even. It was a rather wacky race." She shakes her head, continuing on the cooking of the burger, adding int he bread to roast it just right.

:'''[[Sarisa]] has posed:''' "I've kept the TDA afloat since everything imploded on Manhatten." Sarisa says, giving the man a smile as she leans back in her chair. "Ah, well, at least I know she's alive. That counts for something." She mutters mildly to herself in vague amusement. "Thank you, Miss Avira."

:'''[[Avira]] has posed:''' Fortunately, the time for Avira to be put on the spot for singing passes. Avria looks relieved, but apologetic. "Maybe another time, Percival. I'm not really much of..well...it's not something I do in front of other people often." she says quietly, fumbling with her glass. Suddenly, Mercade points out the princess Sarisa. Avira stares at her for a long moment before making a sad face, "Yes...I haven't seen her for quite some time now. She hasn't made contact with any of us recently. I'm very sorry." The princess is given an apologetic look. Will arrives. By singing! Avira grins-hey, at least someone was doing it.

:'''[[Evja]] has posed:''' "Wi..." The word gets choked off before he looks around and grumbles softly, "Beer." Judges do not drink Wine after all. "You spoke of going to Fluorgis recently... I was unaware that it was within this new world we are all in. Tell me, what of it? Is it in one piece still, or has it fallen to the wayside with those... creatures." Evja was still not quite sure what they were, looking about at the various occupants, watching the pirates briefly before looking back towards Tifa.

:'''[[Percival]] has posed:''' Percival turns to Evja, regarding him with a sort of stoic look which doesn't betray his feelings in regards to the armored figure. "Fluorgis? The city of flowers flourishes. It has frequent attacks by the heartless and other monsters, but it is for the most part, intact." A sullen glance towards Avira. "If you say so Lady Avira." Another sip of his drink which now appears to be woefully empty. What a shame. Sitting himself down nearby, he regards Sarisa with a contemplative look while his chin rests in a taloned hand. Were all the princesses in this land so bold, and so strange? Were the pirates her escort? He couldn't decide what notion troubled him more. Okay yes he could, it was definitely the pirates

:'''[[Mercade Alexander]] has posed:''' Mercade doesn't judge the Judge. They can drink Shirley Temples for all he cares, he just doesn't want any trouble. Some of them like to... have liberal definitions of their purview. Percival handles the question from the Judge, and Mercade settles for just sitting there at the moment, letting things progress around him as he takes drinks.

:'''[[Will Sherman]] has posed:''' Will continues to drink! He eyes the Male Bunny-person for a moment, and decides to not ask the question, even though his appearance basicly answers all the questions he has... Just by sheer virtue of being a thing. He's also a judge, and while Will doesn't necissarily /DISLIKE/ them...some of them are kinda jerks...and some of them are Cirra. He's just lucky he didn't get red carded for singing badly! "Ahhh...Well, we're lookin' Princess...but we're also trying to get back pieces of our world too.." he shrugs, "I can't believe we're having to compete for one. I mean, seriously, what kinda jerk does this?" SOmewhere, Hades starts filling a moneybin.

:'''[[Tifa Lockhart]] has posed:''' Tifa Lockhart flips the meat into the bread once its done cooking, and brings the burger over to Will, along with a small plate that has a variety of condiment to put into it to his liking. Ketchup, relish, mustard, pickles, onions, salad and what not. She smiles "Here you go, burgered up."

:'''[[Evja]] has posed:''' "A pity those creatures are still troubling it. Of course... last I was nearby, they flooded the area and suddenly I was in this town. Has anyone discovered a means by which to combat them? My attacks were all but effective." Reaching up, Evja flicks a latch and lifts his mask a bit, revealing a rather feminine-looking jaw and mouth as he tilts his head back, drinking deeply from the given mug before setting it down and letting the helm return to a latched position.

:'''[[Will Sherman]] has posed:''' Will takes the burger! "Yay!" he munches on it, "Thanks!" he pauses and looks at Evja, "You beat them with your sword, until they go away. Swording them, lighting them on fist, and regular old smashing still works. If your weapon was not effective, then you might wana rethink your life choices!" Will says, being perfectly blunt.

:'''[[Sarisa]] has posed:''' "It's quite alright, Avira." Sarisa says, kindly. "Lenna's always had a -- mind of her own."

Pets in the Potion Supply

2013-01-27T21:13:33Z

IvoGalvan:

{{Log Header
|Date of Scene=2013/01/22
|Location=Fluorgis
|Synopsis=Kidnapped pets, heartless, and dwindling supplies! What ever will our heroes do? Can they protect the kitties and doggies and chocobos?
|Cast of Characters=Legion, Tifa Lockhart, Gesandte Gottes, Rinoa Heartilly, Minerva, Faruja Senra
|Tinyplot=Shadows Over Fluorgis
|pretty=yes
}}
:'''[[Faruja Senra]] has posed:''' After the recent attacks upon the city proper, Fluorgis is in a bit of a bind. The supplies of medicine, though not inconsiderable given it's status as a merchant city, has slowly been decreased to dangerous levels. Missing adventurers and the local militia's lack of thorough training (read: mookdom), has only exacerbated the problem. Many of the supplies have been stockpiled into a single warehouse, item stores giving rather generously in the effort to defend their homes and save lives. A call has been put out for any spare supplies from the other denizens of Fluorgis to be delivered as well to the brown, decidedly square building with its large wooden doors. A pair of local militia guard the entranceway. On top of the city's medicinal problems, rumor has it that local animals have been going missing for the past two days roughly around the general neighborhood of the warehouse, much to the sorrow of pet owners in the city. Posters for dogs, cats, gimme cats, and the occasional chocobo are posted on walls and lamp posts. Missing pets, however, sadly isn't on the list of one Faruja Senra's priorities. No, the recently returned Templar has in his arms a care package from the Church; more healing supplies of various sorts. Stopping before the doors, he sets down the crate, sighing in relief. That thing's heavy! The two militia toss a salute, which is swiftly returned. "Oi, guv, thanks fer tha supplies." Off in the distance, one might spot a dust cloud in the general direction of the desert. Not unusual in and of itself, but there winds aren't exactly blowing hard today...

:'''[[Tifa Lockhart]] has posed:''' Tifa Lockhart has been in fluorgis quite a few times recently it seems. With all of the troubles, seems like this city is a disaster magnet. Maybe because Reize's HQ is here? Who knows. Its a theory. Either way, Tifa decided to stick around a bit more, and apparently was right, with the supplies and pets missing at the same time, something odd is going on quite obviously. She steps over to the small grouping around Faruja, tilting her head a bit as she wonders what's the plan... She doesn't know the city well, she doesn't think that just walking around at random would produce results. Maybe the others have better ideas.

:'''[[Gesandte]] has posed:''' The all to common ground shakeningly sight of the giant man known as Gesandte is noticed again as he walks down the lane. The rumors and posters of missing animals has drawn him here to seek out perhaps why and to offer support. Even animals deserve peace of rests and prayer should they require it, so his job is as it always is to find and provide sollice for those that need it. He spots some familiar face from his vantage point, so clearly something more is going on, cause surely people just don't randomly show up to places where nothings going on right? What kind of sillyness would that be. He moves closer, "Mr Faruja, a pleasure to meet you again. Though under less then simple or pleasant times."

:'''[[Rinoa Heartilly]] has posed:''' Seeking to expand her horizons, and to help Tifa out with more mercenary jobs not to mention getting over her fear of fighting alone had brought Rinoa out to the desert city. Of course she is not alone, but has her faithful dog Angelo at her side and at the ready for whatever comes next. Of course she'd heard of the recent troubles that had afflicted Fluorgis lately. She had a feeling it would be a while before things calmed down. Having heard of missing pets and supplies was a red flag, and she kept Angelo close, uncertain of why people were stealing pets..Would they come after Angelo next? Only time would tell! She smiles and waves as she sees Tifa, quickenning her pace to meet her and the others, recognizing Faruja from the fiends' temple fiasco. "Tifa, Faruja! Hi!" She calls out brightly, Angelo yapping and wagging her tail.

:'''[[Tifa Lockhart]] has posed:''' Tifa Lockhart smiles and leans down to Angelo, taking out a treat from one of the front pockets of her apron.She always has a treat for a random Angelo appearance. "Hi Rinoa, nice of you to join in. The place been infested with troubles recently. Be glad you missed the frong king episode, ugh."

:'''[[Faruja Senra]] has posed:''' The sight of familiar faces has Faruja smiling, the ratling bowing to the trio of Tifa, Gesandte, and Rinoa. Smile. Though loving animals as much as the next non-cold-hearted-person, the rat feels the weight of responsibility sinking in when he spies Angelo. Leaning down, he pets the dog on the ears. Well. Time to get to work. "Lady Lockhart, Lady Heartilly, Ser Gesandte, 'tis an honor! Lord bless Dames and Ser! Quite, most terrible indeed. Supplies all but gone, and now the poor defenseless animals stolen from their beds? Horrible. I assume you all have come to investigate?" Off in the distance, the dust cloud seems to be moving, growing bigger. Whatever's causing it is of decent size, and highly unusual. The rat doesn't seem to notice. A claw goes to his own nose. "I imagine the culprit has stored the animals in one place...far too many to scatter about. Mayhap with my nose...and our dear canine friend's, we may be able to, ahh, sniff them out as it were. Would the three of you be willing to assist me in their arrest?" The guards just yawn, and take the supplies in. "Oi. Wunder wut's got tha' dust all up and about, eh, Jeeves?" "Not a damn clue Mart. Don't care Mart."

:'''[[Emi Dennou]] has posed:''' MISSING PETS IS AMI'S PRIORITY! She has dragged Emi over to Fluorgis to help investigate. She is staring at the poster as Emi, boredly, stares ahead as blankly as ever. When others arrive, they turn to look at them, simultaneously. Emi further turns to look off in the distance. There is a dust cloud? Emi isn't immediately alarmed, those things are common in the desert right? She isn't sure, having never lived in a desert properly until she assigned Imi to the Shard Seekers. "...We have to help those animals." Ami says. She looks over to Faruja and gives him a firm nod

:'''[[Minerva]] has posed:''' Minerva had head abotu the problem. She knew pets were but anaimals but they foten became friends, family to their owners. Also they were imporant vermin control things in her world. They would keep the plague rats and such away from the home. So here she was and she nods slightly to Faruja "Yes, I assme we take the brigands alive?" After all a lot of laws could end with exuction in Ivliance it's the way it was.

:'''[[Gesandte]] has posed:''' The giant but nods as he listens, "Yes, the vanishing animals. I had come hoping to find them alive, or if not pray for their ascendence into the next life where they could find happyness once more." He doesn't notice the dust cloud as he's more busy talking to Faruja, and not paying attention to a conversation is clearly not a good thing to do. "Though these lack of supplies does not bode well either. To many innocent people here, to not have the things required to aid them in their times of need, not good at all." He takes a glancing look over at the new arrival Rinoa and her puppy dog, giving them a curt nod of acknowledgement of their being there, as well as the others that arrive, always nice to have others around to help out in odd situations such as this.

:'''[[Rinoa Heartilly]] has posed:''' "Frog king? What?" Rinoa blinks back at Tifa as Angelo gratefully accepts tasty treats, busily nibbling away on the cookie as Rinoa scratches her head. "Seriously? What happened?" She makes a face, "Did people get turned into frogs or something? Wow, this place sure attracts a lot of trouble.." When Gesandte arrives, Rinoa peers waaay up at the giant of a man, quite startled at his massive size. Angelo however just moves over towards Gesandte and starts to sniff him curiously, tail wagging slowly - all of this after she's given Tifa and Faruja the usual friendly greeting given to those she is already familiar with of course! "Oh..Hi! My name is Rinoa.." She states to Gesandte, Ami and Minerva once they arrive. She doesn't recognize either of them, but it's good to be polite! Rinoa nods back to Faruja, determined to help out! "Of course! I'll do anything I can to help! But I wonder, do you have anything belonging to the culprits, or the missing supplies or pets that we can use to track 'em down?" She smiles, "Angelo has been trained to sniff stuff out, but she will need a reference point..." Wait a minute, what's that cloud of dust steadily moving towards them? "Oh! What's going on over there?"

:'''[[Tifa Lockhart]] has posed:''' Tifa Lockhart looks over to the cloud of dust too, hmming "I have no idea... but I'm guessing its the trouble we talked about." She takes a step toward it too, looking over to Rinoa "You nailed it, Frog King, I got turned into one twice, and then kissed Reize to turned him back to normal too." She blehs a bit. Not at the kiss, but rather the slimy feeling of beign a frog. It still sticks to her.

:'''[[Faruja Senra]] has posed:''' For once, Faruja doesn't have to guess at which Legion he's talking to, as Ami makes a firm nod. The rat returns it. "Indeed. 'Twould be a crime most dire to allow this horrid act to go unpunished! The animals of Fluorgis are as much its citizens as the humes, and Viera, and whathaveyou that live here!" Despite his initial reluctance, the rat's getting into the idea of finding the poor things. Minerva gets a nod from the Templar. "Yes, I do believe the authorities would appreciate the culprits alive. Do not be afraid to defend yourselves, however." A sad shake of his head in Gesandte's direction, and the rat is already putting his nose to work. Sniff! Sniff sniff! "Let us pray it does not come to that, Ser Gesandte...hmm?" Faruja's in the middle of pulling out a collar, when Rinoa points out the growing dust cloud. Indeed, strangely enough, the dust cloud looks like it's moved into the city streets, and is growing larger by the minute. Bark. Woof! Meow! Wark! Moments pass, and sounds filter out towards the group. Should Angelo sniff the collar? The scent points down the streets. Towards the dust cloud. Faruja winces, rubbing his head at the memory of that debacle. "...A horrible encounter indeed." As it enters the city proper, dust slowly gives way. A little merchant woman yells out "Stampede!". The dust cloud had been concealing a large gaggle of animals! Cats, dogs, and even a couple of chocobos are racing towards the supplies warehouse! On top, strange little orange-cover beings ride them, some having put saddles upon poor innocent kitties and bounce along on the backs of rather frightened looking doggies! Heartless are using pets as mounts! Worst of all, one of the chocobos is piled on with several Bouncywilds, all sitting on the bird's back in a circle. Unlike the others, they're not looking where they're stampeding even as the chocobo tramples a jewelry stand. No, one bouncywild puts down a card from its hands in a game of triple triad. Today, Fluorgis must weather the horror of Cardgames on Chocobos.

:'''[[Minerva]] has posed:''' Minerva says "Tis a minor crime but a heartless one." She looks about for a moment "I never would do anything else but.." he looks aabout as she readies herseldf she hears the creature and pauses as she moves in but then there's a Stampede? Oh dear s the chocobos are coming in she sees the creatures of the darkness. "DAMEONS!" She calls out a warning She's then breaking into an attack she's already going to try to do a flying kick and kock some o the heartless down. She's got no tolerance for card games on chocobos unless your name is gilgamesh.

:'''[[Tifa Lockhart]] has posed:''' Tifa Lockhart might be interested in play Triple Triad, but not on top of a chocobo, and not against heartless. She blinks though, clearly not up to speed on how that's even possible. She scratches her cheek with a finger pensively. Nope, still doesn't make any sense. "Well, looks like we won' thave to search too far for the missing pets..." But right now, there's a need to stop them, or intercept them. She brings two fingers to her mouth, whislting loudly. It only takes a moment for a bright red chocobo to appear behind Tifa, its neck stretching down as Tifa jumps up. The chocobo catches the barmaid, and craning its neck back up, slides Tifa into the seat comfortably with a happy 'wark~' "Let's do this Premium." She pats her chocobo's mane, as she springs toward the dust cloud. A quick turn, and she's right beside the group of heartless, matching the speed. She stands up on top of her chocobo... and then leaps right at the stampede, using the other chocobos as footing to unleash her fistful fury. No, you didn't trigger a trap card, you just found a barmaid.

:'''[[Gesandte]] has posed:''' Ges look down at the girl, he offers a smile, "Hello there Miss Rinoa, it is an honor to meet you. You may call me Gesandte." Then being notified of the sand storm he turns just intime to see the crazay stampeded of animals with odd little creatures on their backs, well surely thats no good at all. He turns fully around, "It seems, we have an answer, and even more questions." Well even if those are or are not the missing animals, they are surely innocent creatures that deserve no harm, thus making this a bit difficult and odd to deal with to say the least. He was about to do something, when one of the other new people decided to do something instead, and welp an attack is on, surely thats not gonna end up well, plus them being attached to those animals is going to make his job a lot harder. But perhaps he'll let the others attack first, to gauge how best he should handle it.

:'''[[Emi Dennou]] has posed:''' Dameons? What? Emi quirks an yeebrow at the unexpected term. Ami smiles faintly at Faruja's enthusiasm that he didn't have before but apparently now does?! Indeed. But the two at least don't bring up that one time with Hades right now. As the stamped moves closer and cloooser, Emi squints. They're not desirous to harass chocobos, naturally and so after some thought, the two glance at each other and decide to fight carefully. Which is why they both draw out rifles and start firing, intending to plug Heartless off of pets. This is, of course, totally reasonable to them.

:'''[[Rinoa Heartilly]] has posed:''' Angelo does indeed sniff the collar..But it doesn't take long for her to find the trail of the culprits..She barks and rushes at the cloud of dust. Rinoa blinks..Then sweatdrops as she sees what is coming. "what..On earth are those!?" but, it seems they've already solved the problem of the missing pets..And their captors. How very strange! "Be careful not to hurt the animals!" It hardly has to be said, but Rinoa says it anyways, as she leaps onto Tifa's chocobo behind her, and launches her blaster edge at the approaching group, aiming for the heartless cards on top of the creatures. Good thing her weapon's perfect for such precise work! She follows with a blast of wind, trying to knock the critters off the animals' backs!

:'''[[Faruja Senra]] has posed:''' Minerva's flying kick strikes true, flying over a trio of kitties and their riders to smack right into one of the Triple Triad playing Bouncywilds! The little heartless is sent flying away, landing in a heap before poofing into little whisps of darkness. The chocobo warks in protest, wildly veering off course, knocking into several of its companions. Three chocobo-shaped holes are now in the front doors of a few shopkeepers, whereupon their riders are ejected as the smelly birds come to a halt. Poof! More heartless gone, and three animals rescued. Triple triad cards float in the air, kicked up by the continuing stampede! Unfortunately, Minerva's right in the way of the stampede, and so is our party! Faruja smiles as Tifa gets up on her own chocobo, turning back to the militia. "YOU TWO! Bar the gates and get inside! Move as many empty crates as you can to strengthen it should we be unable to contain them! 'Tis no doubt their target!" Salute! "Whuteva you say guv!" The doors to the warehouse open, and the pair get to work on just that. "Do what you can, but do not harm the animals if it can be avoided!" he calls out to the others, before he too whistles. Flapping wings herald Arista's arrival, the white scaled wyvern snorting in irritation. Leaping atop her, he takes to the sky. After ascending a bit, the wyvern and her rider swoop down, buzzing the stampeding animals as Arista roars. Several doggies and kitties yelp and hiss at the edges of the large pack of animals, ducking off into alleyways, their riders slipping off only to be trampled by more animals. Tifa's charging attack upon her mighty steed bears fruit, catching one chocobo's monkey-like tormenter right in the face! Smash! The little bird goes warking off into a side street, only to eventually calm down. A stall with a lot of pillows is claimed, whereupon the chocobo curls up to sleep. Wark! Stampeding is tough work. But the heartless don't take kindly to Tifa, and charging dogs seek to tangle up Premium Heart's legs and other chocobos stamped right for her! The two gun-wielding Dennous find less success, a flurry of pellets shot at their bullets from the Heartless' little slingshots that they pull out from collars and feathery necks! No heartless are hit, but thankfully nothing feathery or fluffy are harmed either. Those pellets might not feel good should the ladies not be able to evade them! Several pellets are sent Faruja and Arista's way as well! Overall, the pack of animals is thinning, but the joyriding bouncywilds grow more angered, as they turn their wrath upon the party!

:'''[[Faruja Senra]] has posed:''' Thankfully, Rinoa's precise shots with her unique weapon too bear fruit, knocking off a fluffy persian's rider, as well as a tiny corgy puppy's demon! Progress is being made!

:'''[[Tifa Lockhart]] has posed:''' Even being in the middle of the stampede doesn't daunt the barmaid. She hops off the chocobo that she just knocked out the rider, and unto the next one, using her athletics to move from one chocobo to another. And then, Choco Meteor? Oh dear. Well, she can use that! As the meteor falls down toward her, she jumps up, bouncing off the rooftop, and catching the giant ball of fiery stone. Well, not quite catching, that would hurt, but using her strength and speed, she literally kicks it straight toward another group of heartless riding chcoobos that were playing cards. "How's this for a trap card, ah!"

:'''[[Gesandte]] has posed:''' The giant man is not really not made for such precision work, and his best offense would surely hurt those animals far worse then it would their annoying little riders, but such is life sometimes. He hunches down and prepares to fight. He still has a few things he can do that can lessen the blow against the animals and still save them. He groans and brings his fists up and holds them back as they power up the air getting all wiggly and woggle around them as he takes careful aim at a few close by enemies and then launches a few shockwaves at them powerful enough to tople them, yet still weak enough that the most they'd do is knock the animals over and leave them relatively unharmed.

:'''[[Rinoa Heartilly]] has posed:''' Rinoa sweatdrops as the heartless pelt them with choco pellets! Aaah! It'd almost be funny if they werent coming with such deadly speed and force! She ducks down, veering the chocobo to the right to avoid the pellets. Meanwhile, Angelo attempts to jump at the cards, to try and wrestle them to the ground, careful not to hurt the animals too much. But she's learned from the best afterall!

:'''[[Minerva]] has posed:''' Minerva doesn't even seem to have to worry about the heartless as she just knocks the suffing out of some of them. However she's got the enemy commign right for her. She'll move suprisingly fast and start stepping of the creatures that are charging htem, without hurting them mind you, as stepping stones. She's going to be a moment before she can do anything of note...

:'''[[Emi Dennou]] has posed:''' Guns! They're not working! This is horrible. They're terribly super accurate guns have failed them! To make matters worse they get pelleted in the chest, sending a small spark flittering between the various bouncywilds, little voltage tendrils crackling between them. "Careful..." Ami says. "Understood, The Network communicates amongst themselves." Emi says, wincing from all the pelleting she just endured. She slides back and then throws out her hand, flinging a hefty burst of electronic power towards the Heartless, taking CARE to not hurt the innocent animals. Hopefully they won't miss and fry them to ash, that would be so very awkward. Ami looks at Emi with her arms crossed tso she knows she's being watched.

:'''[[Faruja Senra]] has posed:''' THE HEARTLESS TRIGGERED TIFA'S TRAP CARD! One Bouncywild, so close to victory against his fellows as a Freakin' Meteor descends upon them, looks up. Slowly, the little creature frowns, and throws down his cards in a tantrum. He'd almost won his first game! Bob the bouncywild will never know what sweet, delicious victory is like in children's card games as they're meteor'd. Luckily, the chocobo trips, sending Bouncywilds flying , whereas the chocobo simply eats dirt. Wark! It walks off in a huff, towards Shard Seeker headquarters. It smells ahoge~ Cards flying in the air, Bob aims a torrent of pellets at Tifa in revenge, while ook'ing in rage! A banana is thrown her way as well! Gesandte's wobbly air-strikes prove effective, sending a gaggle of doggies and kitties into the air, smashing heartless into walls. Poof! Angelo's brave wrestling stops a few charging doggies, looking to be of the dog's own breed. Puppies, they look like they're having fun being wrestled, but their riders aren't happy! Angelo will find Heartless trying to smack him with their fists, tails, and slingshots! ANIMAL RIGHTS ABUSE! Faruja is pelted by pellets, the little objects managing to pierce his armor. Ow! Arista spins away, nearly dumping her rider to the ground, before she recovers. Swoop! This time, the pair charge, lancing several Heartless from their mounts with great sweeping turns. Electric sparks settle upon the Heartless, though at first they hardly notice. No doubt driven by the power of Ami Stare, Emi's electrical attack follows up nicely, frying nearly half of the remaining bouncywilds. She even saves poor Angelo a beating by the monkey-heartless! They don't rest easy, however, the heartless relentless. Instead of simply continuing to charge and be picked off, the few remaining mounted abominations turn upon the party, encircling and charging in one grand stampede! Those who aren't stampeded, are instead punched and shot pellets at by the rude monkies! What jerks!

:'''[[Rinoa Heartilly]] has posed:''' Ow, that hurt! Rinoa flinches, falling back, pulling up a shield around herself. Better play this safe!

:'''[[Tifa Lockhart]] has posed:''' Being on the rooftop it was easy to get out of range of the pelting. A simple dive for cover and she's shielding. Easy stuff. But she can't let the stampede run away either. She speeds over the rooftops, attempting to cut them off by using the shortcut over the roofs, moving toward the dustcloud, to jump back into the fray, landing on the front chocobo, driving a hard kick into the monkey to send it flying backward into the following troops. She's trying not to hurt the chocobos. Meanwhile, Premium Heart has been following the troupe, with Rinoa on her back. She seems to understand what's going on enough to follow at least, her mistress is not far in front. Premium kwehs~ as Rinoa get pelted, and disapears off to a side alley, giving Rinoa enough time to buff up out of sight.

:'''[[Gesandte]] has posed:''' Gen is surrounded and pelted at, perhaps to a smaller person they would hurt far more and be fare more dangerous. While they do hurt, and cause some damage they aren't nearly as bad as the damage looks and nothing some walking wont shake off. He looks down at the small creatures, "You have commmited a most gravest sin. Stealing, slavery. All horrible crimes and sins thou must take reptence from. I will not allow you to continue your crimes without seeking reptence for your deeds!" He backs his fists up and goes all shockwavy again on them, it's the least he can do and the most he can do without making animals go splat and causing unneeded pain and suffering for thos that are innocent and deserve no such feats. And away he goes, firing his shockwaves, he'll teach these little demons to repent their sins or destroy them in the process, cause thats just how a monk priest works!

:'''[[Emi Dennou]] has posed:''' "But they're Heartless." Emi says to Gesandte. In other words, she's not certain that talking about their 'sin' when they don't even seem to be sapient is something that's especially worthwhile. Ami places another mini spark between the Heartless, stepping back a bit even as she steps forward, taking another set of pellets for Emi, effectively protecting her from pain. AND PELLETS. She stumbles back, bowling over Emi comically as she is surprised by the level of pain the pellets inflict upon her. But they recover quickly--Fanning out their arms and unleashing another wave of electrical might--before following through with some rifle shots, trying to clean up quick

:'''[[Minerva]] has posed:''' Minerva is a monk a fairly skilled and powerful one all things considered, she's got a plan it may very well make a heck of a mess. The heartless re going everywhere but she's got a plan and she's going to do something that is going to try to diverst the passage of the aniams. She slams her fists into the ground cuaing a fissure to form almost like a lowered road hopefully it will funnel the animals into and hopefully away from harm . If it works she'll be on the heartless and start just aming to rip them apart. it's actualyl kinda brutal she'll drive her fist through their heads or other parts just going to rip them apart. "There is no salvatation for things like you. BE GONE FROM THIS WORLD!"

:'''[[Faruja Senra]] has posed:''' Faruja flies upwards to avoid being trampled, the ratling muttering prayers and incantations. A curaga spell flashes over Ami the Emi and Animal Protector and Rinoa as she's bravely led off by Premium Heart. Someone give that chocobo a medal! More roaring and warning-swoops as the rat picks up on Tifa's idea. Tifa's tactic works well as she jumps back in, kicking monkeys into monkeys. All of the chocobos are free! Those that are generally disperse in different directions. It'll be a task to round them all up! Cats and dogs and monkies fly through the air, little repenting going from Gesandte's attack. Kitties land on their feet, and several dogs fly into windows. Out of one such window comes a shrill cry! "Diggly Doodle! You're back! Oh mommy, Diggly's back!" Comes the happy voice of a small child. Another dog lands in a butcher's shop, and happily begins to munch of sausages and ham. Nom! Minerva rends the earth, forming a fissure, into which many animals find their way into. Kitties and doggies can do little more than cuddle up. Most fall asleep, warm and snuggly and comfy, tired after their long exercise. The Heartless are torn apart. Faruja smiles as he works on healing his companions. "Well said, M'Lady. Well said." Mini sparks, and bullets, and electricity further help thin the ranks, the animals slowly coming out of their terror induced stampede and simply destroying most of the Heartless. Only one remains. A large Powerwild, all grey and mean and scarred atop a fat pit bull. It charges towards Emi and Ami, slobbering all the way! Leap!

:'''[[Emi Dennou]] has posed:''' Dennous are being pretty destructive today. It's actually a bit unusual that their electric powers work so well. Faruja's healing spell is certainly welcome but Ami is basically traumatized by seeing dogs, cats, and monkeys flying everywhere. Everywhere! Ami rushes forward and catches a flying kitton into her arms. The cat looks at Ami. Ami looks at the cat. And then the cat seems to unhinge its jaw and just CHOMP her hand. "..." Ami looks down at the cat and then, slowly, sets the cat down and pries her hand free. "..." And then a puppy flies into her face. She falls over, a stray electrobolt threatening to crash into the Powerwild! But that probably won't be as troublesome as the last Powerwild. Emi backs up quickly, eyes wide. She swings up her hands, tunrs her head away and blasts with the remaining juice she's got! And she's running pretty low! But will it be enough?

:'''[[Faruja Senra]] has posed:''' And what horrible, ignoble fate does Ami suffer as she's doggied? Lick. Lick lick slobber slobber lick! She'll need to wash her face after this as the fat pit bull starts to show his affection through slobbery licks. Whap! Electricity slams into the last Powerwild, which twitches and dies. Faruja leaps from the back of his wyvern, landing beside Ami. "Are you quite alright, Ladies?" Pause. The rat looks out to the various animals, and the ones scattered on rooftops and street corners. He rubs his head. "...My, my, reuniting all of these little ones with their owners shall be a task indeed." Creeeak. Open goes the doors to the warehouse. The two militiamen peek out. "...It over, guvs?"

:'''[[Minerva]] has posed:''' Minerva looks about as things seem to have settled down now at this point. "...it's going to be quite the task. I start to see why more adfanced worlds keep a registy of pets." Given how big some places re she looks at the militiamen are infact all right "Yes. It's over, Faruja there are some things we need to speak of later."

:'''[[Tifa Lockhart]] has posed:''' Tifa Lockhart phews as the final monkey gets slain down. She jumps off the roof with a smile, moving to catch Premium Heart as she comes out of the alley with Rinoa, with a 'kweh' sound "You did good Premium, good work." She takes a clumb of greens for her chocobo, who eats it happily. She holds the reins of the chocobo as she walks toward the others "Well, most of them will probably find their way back home, alot of animals go back to where they were being fed." She looks at all of the pets "... but it is daunting when you look at all of them gathered in the same spot..."

:'''[[Emi Dennou]] has posed:''' Ami is being assaulted by a pit bull. She laughs and tries to calm the dog down via pettings. She is having the time of her life. Emi gives her a look before adding, "Seems to be over. So much trouble here lately." And again something that doesn't seem especially related to the other incidents. Sure, it involved the Heartless too, but why go after pets? Hrmm.

Pets in the Potion Supply

2013-01-26T21:32:45Z

IvoGalvan:

Walls of Wind

2013-01-26T07:35:48Z

IvoGalvan: Created page with "{{Log Header |Date of Scene=2013/01/26 |Location=Eastern Continent - Bare Desert |Synopsis=Sandstorms have begun to regularly beset the walls of Fluorgis, and the massive sand..."

{{Log Header
|Date of Scene=2013/01/26
|Location=Eastern Continent - Bare Desert
|Synopsis=Sandstorms have begun to regularly beset the walls of Fluorgis, and the massive sandworms that thread their way through the surrounding desert have entered a state of heightened agitation, making caravan travel all but impossible and rendering the famous fountain city nearly besieged. What with all the troubles that have arisen, no one knows how long the map etched upon the newborn Desert Rose will remain valid, or even to what it leads. Yet the Shard Seekers' new (and somewhat dubious) shard-seeking device indicates that the map is no ruse, and may lead to something precious indeed. Could the Desert Rose somehow hold the key to saving Fluorgis in its time of dire need? A brave group of adventurers set out to ruins deep in the desert, through hordes of monsters and terrible walls of wind, to discover what treasure lies in wait. But even Sandworms may be the least of their problems, as the darkness gathers...
|Cast of Characters=Ivo Galvan, Lily, Priel Aylin, Raiya Fujihara, Tifa Lockhart, Katyna, Terra Branford, Nagetta, Avira, Deelel, Maira, TRON, Emi Dennou, Kim Possible, Gesandte, Gabranth
|Tinyplot=Shadows Over Fluorgis
|pretty=yes
}}
:'''[[Ivo Galvan]] has posed:''' Miles from any human habitation, the desert's merciless expanse gives way to red cliffs and parched plateaus, the shade within the canyons below the only respite from the beating sun. The grueling trek across this blasted landscape would itself test the resolve of any redoubtable adventurer, but even the exhaustion and tedium are preferable to an encounter with the gargantuan sandworms which burrow beneath the surface of the sands. Rumors persist that the monsters have grown increasingly agitated as of late. Moreover, traveling from Fluorgis puts into perspective just how strange the events that have befallen that city are. Strange dark clouds swirl over the city of fountains and flowers, while the rest of the desert bakes in heat; while sandstorms rage repeatedly against the city's walls, out here the air is deathly still. The difference is eerie, and a strange tension can be felt. The absence of smaller beasts or monsters suggests that others feel it, too. Yet it is to these sand-blasted canyons that the Desert Rose has led. The etchings on its living crystal petals, when transcribed, formed a map that led to this forbidding place. Despite the dangers befalling Fluorgis now, or perhaps because of them, the city council called upon adventurers to seek out whatever treasure the Rose bespoke of. The Rose has only just bloomed -- who knows how long its map will remain accurate, if at all? Only one way to find out. "...Huh..." Ivo Galvan, his nose and mouth shrouded from sand with a white and navy blue scarf, narrows his blue eyes at the odd little device dangling from his fingertips, what appears to be a pendulum which descends from a set of brass knuckles festooned with gears and magnets. The Shard Seeker swordsman raises an eyebrow, his typical playful nonchalance betrayed by his curiosity and concern. "...Why's the Shard Seeker device reacting, though...?" It points deeper into the canyons, where lifeless plateaus loom above and the sand is strewn with rocks and the shriveled husks of plants. Ivo checks the transcription of the map in his other hand, then glances back at the device. "Could the treasure really be a World Shard?" he mumbles to himself. Oddly, rather than excited, he sounds somehow worried. But surely Ivo isn't dubious of the capabilities of the device he himself invented. Shaking himself out of it, he turns toward his fellow adventurers, those others who have agreed to take on the city of Fluorgis's request in its time of need, and smiles amiably despite his fatigue. "Everyone holding up alright?"

:'''[[Priel Aylin]] has posed:''' "Are you sure that thing isn't just leading us in the wrong direction?" Priel asked, about a step or two behind Ivo. Her faith in this 'shard seeking device' was at a generous level of...zero. In fact, there were so many other things she could be doing with her time. Yet, despite that, here she was. In this godforsaken desert, following the whims of some random device that they weren't even sure would work correctly. "Don't tell me that this is your first practical application of this piece of junk. It's not, right?" Pause. "...Riiiiiight?" She asked again, increasing her walking pace till they were side by side, slowing down to a stop then. Her tail waved about in irritation, betraying her true emotions regarding the matter perhaps, as there was a pleasant smile on her face otherwise. Well either way, if it turned out to be a waste of time, she could just leave them all. Yeah. That sounded like a great idea! Nothing like abandoning your allies in the worst possible moments to bring friends together!

:'''[[Katyna]] has posed:''' After the Shard Seekerss and VALKYRI had uncovered the desert rose together, it was only natural that they would work together to unearth whatever treasures were revealed from the resultant map. Katyna of course would have gone for the treasure regardless, ever the greedy young knight.. These days however, she's a little less...Wicked, than she used to be, feeling just a bit more loyal and protective towards her comrades than she once did. Still, her lust for treasure and riches and power never ceased altogether, they're just overriden by the knightly oaths that the visit by Sir Kasrillen's ghost had renewed in her. Katyna doesn't seem too bothered by the desert heat although she'd switched from her heavy steel armour into her lighter leather tunic as she travelled through the blazing sun, unperturbed by the unrelenting heat. She's already acquired a nice golden tan from many days spent in the sun and heat. "Heh, never better. Always good to come prepared!" Kat grins as she holds up her water bottle, although she had been careful to take only small sips from it. "Are we close?" She grins at Ivo, having found him quite amusing the last couple times they met. This should be fun with him in charge!

:'''[[Tifa Lockhart]] has posed:''' Tifa Lockhart is always ready to help out when it comes to Shard Seekers, VALKYRI or TDA. She's been offering her fists whenever the time came for it. But ugh, she's starting to hate this town. Its so sandy, of course being in a desert. Couldn't there be like a tropical town or a more temperate town to be a trouble magnet instead? ~_~ Like Ivo she wrapped herself in scarves to defend against the sandy wind. Her leather suit is good preotection for her body, but she's still starting to feel a bit dry under the sun and heat. "A shard huh?" She peeks over Ivo's shoulder "Its reason enough to investigate at least, wether or not its true. Its important, and I think we'd all feel bad if we ignored it." She looks back to the others, nodding. There's a few people she knows at least in there. Katyna at the very least.

:'''[[Avira]] has posed:''' Avira had quite the dilemma. She knew that, via Reize, the Shard Seekers were actually working on a device that would detect world shards. She'd learned this a very long time ago back when she first met the young adventurer. Not only that, but it was -Ivo- that was inventing it. At the time, and since then, she hadn't really put much stock into this idea. She knew nothing of his invention skills so she just assumed that Ivo was far too much of a scoundrel to do anyting productive. So Avira was floored when she heard rumors that it was actually 'working.' Apart from being part of the retrieval of the Desert Rose and thus fully entitled to following the provided map, her reasons here included scoping out this device. And maybe, just maybe, figuring out a way to take advantage of it to locate the remaining parts of her world. Accustomed to the desert, having spent a good amount of time in Rabanastre now, the VALKYRI commander silently, and grudgingly following after Ivo. "Oh yes, of course." Avira says sweetly. "A trip to the desert is rather routine for us."

:'''[[Gesandte]] has posed:''' The giant man moves along the smaller adventurers on this trek to find whatever it is that needs to be found. Out here, more for spiritual and because it could be dangerous for others more so then caring himself about what this treasure could be. though that's not to say he isn't curious as to what it is, it just isn't his more primary reason or focus on this journey. Watching side to side his greater height allowing him to see further and in greater detail the bland sandy dunes of what can be seen through the swirls to make sure they aren't jumped or ambushed at any given time, but it continues to be clear for the most part. Arriving at the caverns he looks around them, not liking the cleaerly dangerous passage and the walls of it. Bringing his hand up to his book he recites several muttered prayers to safeguard them all as they move through the cavernous area Though he also keeps an eye on those he sees and knows in the group, they should not have to have problems dealt to them that he can quite easily keep them safe from. As their leader speaks up, he but lightly grumbles, "We are fine, if not full of sand."

:'''[[Raiya Fujihara]] has posed:''' Some individuals are meant to wander. They find solace in their travels and are more well-accustomed to the perils, hardships, and boredom that some may encounter on a trip such as this. Raiya Fujihara is one of the former and seems quite content with the progress they have made thus far. Dressed in her usual black and purple kimono with a wide-brimmed sun-hat, the samurai casually strolls among her fellow Shard Seekers and travellers with one hand being used to tilt her hat down in order to keep sand from blasting up into her eyes. Her other hand routinely hovers near her sheathed katana blade that is worn securely at her hip. The normally stoic samurai has been stubbornly silent for most of this journey. But this really is nothing unusual when it comes to all things Raiya. This is merely business as usual for the still wandering ronin. The Wutai warrior comes to a halt and nods toward Tifa. "Only one way to find out for sure." Raiya lifts her hat slightly to reveal a smile before lowering it back down. There are indeed quite a few familiar faces in the crowd. A very auspicious way to start any adventure in Raiya's mind. The fact that many of them are skilled fighters as well is merely icing on this desert cake.

:'''[[Kim Possible]] has posed:''' Kim Possible doesn't know much about shards or what they are, but she's willing to check into it. She arrives with Tifa, having met her once before and deciding to follow her lead, a scarf wrapped around her to protect her from the sands. "Wow, this place is totally too sandy for even the biggest beach possible!" She says to nobody in particular as she looks around. "But I can do anything, and whatever this shard thing is, I'm sure we can take care of it!"

:'''[[Maira]] has posed:''' While most everyone is sweating and appearing fairly miserable from the dry heat of the desert, Maira looks perfectly comfortable, per usual, since maintaining a normal body temperature appears to be a nonissue for the young mage. She is dressed for battle in that she wears her fireproof clothing and boots. The only addition is a white scarf in her hair that she can pull down over her eyes and mouth in case of blowing sand. Of course, Maira had come with VALKYRI, close on Avira and Katyna's heels and totally NOT hungover from a certain party she'd thrown last night. It seemed as though everyone had enjoyed themselves though, so she felt rather accomplished beneath her headache (which is surely unrelated!). Upon arrival and meet-up with Ivo and the other Shard Seekers, she had noticed with a warm smile and a slight blush that Ivo is wearing the scarf she knitted for him. Then however, she remembers what Katyna had said the other night, and tries to scale back her enthusiasm some, moving her gaze away to greet all the others. Aha! Raiya! Maira waves shyly to the beautiful samurai before scooting a little closer to Avira. "Yeah, we might as well go in and see what we can find..."

:'''[[Gabranth]] has posed:''' There have been reports that some strange activities have been going on in the desert. Resources were tied up for the Archades Empire as there was bigger things sometimes to worry about. Though for Judge Magister Gabranth, he decided he need to take his chocobo out for a run and investigate into matters himself. The desert area was close enough to one of the cities Archades held and it would be a shame if something from out here was to come endangering the fair city. So riding across the sun is a chocobo armored in dark judge armor with ram like horns as part of the decoration on the bird. Riding on the bird was the Judge Magister himself. His dark armor not shimmering in the sun, but seeming to rather absorb the light. The part that flickered with light was the markings across the armor that seem to change between gold and silver. His leathery cape almost resisting the wind from the speeding bird across the hot sand. As they arrived up on a cliff, the Chocobo came to a slow walk, kwehing and chipping softly as Gabranth held the reigns in one hand, looking across the sea of sand. Those blue eyes examining the landscape for any odd activity. Eventually something off in the distance, where he has to squint his eyes a bit to see, seem to be a gathering of people off in the distance. He hrms softly, gently pulling on the reigns a bit to keep the Chocobo still. For now, he would just observe from afair as the wind moves across his side, but finds the cape not such an easy thing to move as it wisps by flicking up a few shards of sand into the air.

:'''[[TRON]] has posed:''' Avira may be used to the desert. TRON is not. Oh, he's not bothered by the heat or the sand. Not even the wind making the other two even worse to deal with. No, it's just so drastically different compared to anything else he knows and he's not sure if he likes it or not. As it stands, though, he's just following Avira as they trudge along, following the directions of another. He's wearing a heavy cloak covering him from head to toe and shielding his face from the wind, using a staff a few inches taller than his 6'2" frame as a walking stick. He doesn't say anything, his hood bobbing in an implied nod of greeting to those assembling around them.

:'''[[Nagetta]] has posed:''' Nagetta's doing her best to help out the shard seekers even if she's not offically a member yet. At least she didn't have to worry about the light geting in her eyes with the clouds present overhead. On the other hand sand is an issue as she pulls her hat down. Her scarf is also pulled over her mouth, she can feel the sand stick to her scales, it was a bit uncomfortable. Hopefully they would find what they're looking for soon.

:'''[[Lily]] has posed:''' An array of affirmative-seeming MUFFLED noises is the main response Ivo gets from the bundle of white cloths that's walking next to his side. A bundle of white cloths with blue eyes showing. This is how LIly deals with the horrible sands and heat and sun that's too much for even her magic to fend off for extended journeys. The girl's out! She's adventuring! She's stomping along next to Ivo and looking about every which way. Then, as if overdue for such an event, she's tripping on a pile of sand and tumbling right towards Ivo with a muffled yelp.

:'''[[Deelel]] has posed:''' Deelel is out in the wastes again it's a strange place really. Still she couldn't have let Ivo go alone right? So here she is getting sand in places she didn't even know she had. It's kinda distrbning. "I have no idea, and I'm functional well enough."

:'''[[Emi Dennou]] has posed:''' Shida and Umi have come along on this adventure. Emi and Imi are relaly tired today and haven't been able to make it to this adventure. But at the same time, going in search of a world shard is something she's gotta do. Even if, of course, the functionality of the device is certainly in question. They do not appear to have any innate protection against the sun beyond their clothing and as such are sweating up a storm in the desert. They, both, give Maira something resembling a smile. And they also both cringe as Lily tumbles at Ivo.

:'''[[Terra Branford]] has posed:''' Reize had assured Terra that she would go on adventures, but she hadn't known it would be so soon. Following Raiya tended to lead to trouble, which was never Terra's aim, and yet somehow she kept doing it. Raiya wandered because she couldn't forget, Terra because she couldn't remember, but both had a case a loose feet, and when it came down to it, that was more important than the reasons. Terra follows a few paces behind Raiya, in her typical red silks, gossamer cape, and detached sleeves. She's glad to see so many others here. The more of them, the less chance she will be forced into a bad situation. A shudder runs through her at the thought of having to use magic, after the horrifying results last time. Perhaps this shard can even be recovered peacefully? "I'm all right," she answers Ivo. "A little sandy," she mutters to herself. Her light clothing suits the desert well, though her pale skin does not. She nods briefly to Tifa, who looks particularly pugnacious, and makes a note of others who might be good to hide behind.

:'''[[Ivo Galvan]] has posed:''' "There's a treasure map, Priel," Ivo says calmly, all the way looking off into the horizon, as though it holds some special matter for his attention which requires him to not meet her eyes as the redheaded dragongirl leans in. "The Shard Seeker device is operating in accordance with it. So there's no problem, right?" But his previous mumblings suggest he /does/ think there's a problem, or at least a mystery. The fact that there's a map transcribed on the petals of a living crystal which blooms once every hundred years is wild enough, but why would it lead to a World Shard, when the worlds were shattered not so long ago? "I'll bet you a pouch of gold that we find something exciting," he adds, to distract her. "Seems like it," he replies to Katyna, grinning back at her. That girl always seems to catch him in-- compromising situations, which he always does his best to handle with aplomb, and which she seems to enjoy. Well, that's the kind of attitude he likes. "Good to be working together this time. You guys brought your maid outfits, right? This place seems pretty dusty." He somehow manages to obviously direct that at Avira without actually looking at Avira. But bantering with VALKYRI seems to relax Ivo, a look of vague amusement returning. Honestly, it's good to be working with them. ...Shard Seekers are still better, though. He doesn't recognize Gesandte, but the big man is certainly-- reliable looking. Tifa, of course, is always a stalwart companion. Nagetta seems to be hanging in there, fortunately. He doesn't recognize Kim from any prior adventurers, but her comments so far have been supremely spirited, and at her words, Ivo's grin broadens. "Thank goodness we have someone who can do anything," he says playfully. "I'll be counting on you, Kim." The fusion of the worlds sure has brought some characters around. Back in good spirits, Ivo, without even batting an eye, catches little Lily as she falls toward him, righting the muffled girl with a brotherly pat on her shoulder, all one continuous motion which he has performed countless times since they've met. "You're doing a great job, Lily," he says, the warmth of his gaze for once turning more affectionate than amused. Regarding the rest of his fellow Shard Seekers, he nods with a smile at Deelel, and turns to Terra, of whom Reize has told him. "Glad to hear it," he says. Well, not the sandy part. "Good to have you with us, Terra." His eyes shift toward the woman Terra's now behind, Raiya-- only to hesitate slightly, gazing at his sword teacher and now fellow Seeker in silence, seeing her just as she smiles at Tifa. His expression reveals nothing, but perhaps the sudden show of self-constraint is itself revealing. He looks away, just in time to see Maira flushing at she looks at him, causing Ivo's amused smile to return. But before he can tease her, she looks away to greet the others, causing him to blink in surprise. Somehow, he feels a little chastened. Well, that's what you get for trying to tease girls while on a mission. Their sizable group continues to venture deeper into the canyon, picking their way through the sand. Whereas outside the canyons the desert was still and the wind offering no respite from the brutal sun, within their winding corridors eddies of wind shift and whorl, threatening to send dust and pebbles at the unwary. The trek is arduous, and the sheer number of branching paths -- the canyon riven by impassable spires, fragments of long-ago eroded cliffs -- are almost dizzying, indistinguishable. Getting lost here could be very dangerous, and even climbing up one of these cliffs to get a view would be a perilous task, the rock fragmented and steeply sloped outward. But for all that nature has sundered this place, the map is shockingly accurate in the path it wends. Eventually, the adventurers will pass through to round a corner, and enter into a wide open space -- and hear the sound of a great tempest. It is as though the adventurers have stepped into a vast stone pot: cliffs of rock curve up on all sides up to severe points, seemingly impossible to traverse, only the blue sky above and sand below. That nature could produce such an enclosure seems improbable, but natural it appears. On the far side of the area is what appears to be a carved outdoor stone monument, steps leading up to a pillar. Though distant, some distinct design appears affixed to the pillar. But the entire monument is surrounded by a perpetual whirlwind, some mad trick of the walls, its chaotic rhythm stirring up sand even as far away as the adventurers currently are. The device in Ivo's hand pulses, physically straining toward the distant pillar. "This is it," he calls over the sound of the wind. "Any ideas?" Formidable as the wind is, it's a natural occurrence. Individual talents might be able to surmount it, and modifying the layout of the area itself might be able to still its wrath somehow. Other than the monument, though, the area is conspicuously bare of even debris...

:'''[[Tifa Lockhart]] has posed:''' Tifa Lockhart took note of the friends as well. She smiles, although its under the scarf so not easily seen, as she spots Raiya "Nice to see you again. You should drop by the bar more often, there's one in Traverse now too." She moves along after Ivo, a few paces back. It is a rather large group after all, so no need to be packed together. Its not like it helps keeping cool or anything. She looks over to Kim "Hey, ready for another adventure?" Much of those going on recently, especially in Fluorgis. She slides a hand through her hair, airing out a bit of the sand before she gets a whole hat of it. "I still would prefer if it was somewhere else than Fluorgis for once."

:'''[[Kim Possible]] has posed:''' "My name's Kim Possible, what do you expect?" Kim explains to Ivo, stopping to get a little sand out of her eyes before looking to Tifa and nodding. "I'm ready for just about anything really. I've never heard of these shards before, but I'm willing to learn. They must do something real cool, so I want to see them first hand."

:'''[[Nagetta]] has posed:''' Nagetta doesn't have any way of control wind and sand so she can't really do anything about that. She nods at Ivo, Lily and Umi. There were a lot of people here, so she was feeling kind of shy. Hopefully, no one here's afraid of snakes. Still she shouldn't out too much at least. Staying balanced while moving was a bit difficult for the lamia with all the wind present. She did her best to stay curled up whenever possible.

:'''[[Tifa Lockhart]] has posed:''' Tifa Lockhart hmms at that, taking a moment to answer Kim "Its a bit complex. From what I understand, every world has those shards. They are just invisible. And then they get tossed around if the heartless invades it, and then they try to get those shards back as they are like keys to open the world again. Something like that. Either way, a world shard means there's a world screaming for help somewhere, and its many people here's goal to make sure the heartless don't grab them."

:'''[[Terra Branford]] has posed:''' Terra blinks; she wasn't really expecting a welcome. In the Imperial Army, people were valued for their power, and Terra has not demonstrated any thus far. "Thanks," she says, in lieu of a more nuanced and socially adept reply. Looking up at the wind-strewn sand, Terra bites her lip. Using magic against nonliving entities is more comfortable to her. Ideally, no one gets hurt, no matter how poorly she controls her power, so long as they're standing on the right side. "I can calm the winds," she says confidently, but just hearing herself say it gives her cold feet. "...maybe," she adds.

:'''[[Avira]] has posed:''' "Tch, I hope you brought YOUR maid outfit." Avira snorts at Ivo's behind, knowing that the gamut of maid-related taunting is usually meant for her. Darn Baron incident. "Seems we have quite a nice showing today." The huntress looks around at the group, clearly not recognizing a few of those gathered here. Terra, in particular, is a new face though Avira doesn't really say much about that. Seeing Raiya here brings a look of wariness to the girl. Well, she herself was no longer a mutate, but this doesn't change the fact that the samurai was keeping track of favors that Avira had no real way of repaying. Raiya's presence seemed to bother her half the time they were around each other! With all the wind about, Avira's come prepared for the sand-blown aspect of desert travel. It isn't before long she's affixed a pair of yellow-lensed goggles to her face, which adequately protect her eyes. Even as she travels, she seems to hover around Ivo, not because she's stalking him or anything, but because she really wants to see that strange device of his. Whatever it is, it was definitely reacting to it. "Well, we could always close our eyes and jump into it. Seemed to work for the sandstorm-shrouded city of Cleyra. That might hurt an awful lot though. Bad for exposed skin."

:'''[[Maira]] has posed:''' Maira looks toward TRON, smiling warmly to him. "Glad you came! Hope you had fun at the party. You should definitely dance more," she tells him, her voice filled with encouragement before turning to smile and wave at The Denous that had made it today. They were, perhaps, the ones that had partied the least hardy? Hmm, maybe that is why Faruja isn't here either, Maira thinks, covering a giggle with her hand. At the sound of voice she does not recognize, Maira turns amber eyes toward Terra. Her mouth opens and her eyes grow wide as tea cups. "I...love...your outfit..." she tells Terra dreamily, looking like she wants to reach out to touch the silk, just to see what silk feels like. Maira reaches up to rub her eyes a little, laughing at herself lightly for becoming so easily starstruck by a beautiful garment! There is important work to be done, and it seems a bit of magic might be just the thing! Maira wanders forward, pulling her scarf down over her eyes. The white material is thin linen, so she can still sort of see through it without risking sand getting into her eyes. She looks up at the strange structure she can only assume was made by the winds and the sand thoughtfully. Whatever made the wind behave this way, she wonders? "Well, I could try my magic. I could perhaps try to sort of...interrupt the flow long enough for everyone to hurry forward," she offers, though she doesn't sound her most confident. Still, she would certainly try. Those winds looked quite powerful. Now no longer restrained by her scarf, Maira's hair goes absolutely wild in the presence of the wind, flowing in the direction of the whirlwind. She glances back toward the others to get an answer, only to get a face full of hair in which she quickly becomes lost. She hears Terra say she could try to calm the winds as well, and while trying to get her hair out of her face, she adds, "Oh, maybe we can try it together then!"

:'''[[Gabranth]] has posed:''' Gabranth continued to watch in the distance. The Judge of Ambition interested, but knowing better then to just show up on the group of adventures in plain sight. These deserts may be close to Imperial Territory, but they were not theirs; Not yet at least. The Judge Magister then taps his feet softly on the chocobo, making a soft clicking noise, before his faithful bird kwehs in return and then heads down the hill. It would seem he would have to follow them to see what they were up too, or at least make sure no trouble found them that they got over their heads in. After all, the desert was no place you wanted to be in for long without proper resources. Though he would have to stay out of sight for now, that was easy, even if the terrain was going to make this tricky, but he would try.

:'''[[Gesandte]] has posed:''' Ges continues to move along with the group, listening to their banter of various things on this and that. when they come upon the great bowl he looks at it, and it just seems not right to him. Again he does his thing and offers a prayer, because as it looks they are going to need one heck of a prayer. He cant help but feel uneasy though, knowing things just aren't right in this manner. Listening to the others, well he could simply punch the wind away. But feels that somehow it just wouldn't work, wind is tricky like that, it laughs and evades the fists of the gods like they where nothing. He simply just litsens and waits to decide what the rest are going to do next.

:'''[[Priel Aylin]] has posed:''' "Meh-" Priel huffed, shrugging her shoulders nonchalantly at Ivo's response. It was rather boring. But then, suppose that he was 'on the job' right now. ...It was actually kind of cute. In a 'not at all cute' sort of way. The thought caused her to smirk in amusement, looking back to give the others a once over casually. Ivo's bet does not work as planned and Priel simply responds plainly as she scoped out the others. "Something exciting doesn't always equal something worthwhile now. Ah, things would be a lot simpler if that was always the case~" With that said, her eyes went from person to person in accordance to the knight errants response to the others. And it made her realize that she was not well acquainted with that many people here. The mention of maid outfits directed at Katyna and Avira caused her smirk to widen though. "Aha, so they're those VALKRYI girls you guys keep messing with, huh?" Priel mused, bringing a finger to the side of her cheek, giving them both looks of consideration for a moment before she simply shrugged. Oh well. Lily's fumble is met with a chuckle as the group continued onwards into the canyon. The others seemed competent enough. If things got too troublesome, she wouldn't feel bad about disappearing then. Eventually they come upon a rather severe land makeup. It would be impossible to get around this on foot. "...Aha, well what do we have here?" The redhead mumbled to no one in particular, eyeing the whirlwind with a passive interest. That monument must have been something of clear value if it had protection like /that/. ...Now she wanted to see what was within even more now. But first, they would need to clear away that wind. "...I wonder. Why not just have someone descend into the eye of the storm?" Priel suggested with a smirk. It was dangerous and a huge risk, but...hey! Look at all these heroic pawns lined up!

:'''[[Raiya Fujihara]] has posed:''' Raiya's resolve was strengthed by having Terra accompany her and the others during this little venture out into the sands. The smiling samurai knew that Terra would be hard-pressed to use her tremendous magical ability to inflict harm on others, but only the fates know whether they will be needing her to use her healing magics this day. Regardless of whether or not there will be trouble, the company is appreciated. The samurai continues to walk slightly in front of Terra as it made it just that much easier to guard her if push comes to shove. Lily and Ivo soon get the ronin's attention. Her smile softens as she sees Ivo interact with Lily. It was his protection of her that had attracted her attention in the first place in what seems like ages ago. Raiya tilts her head up slightly and smirks knowingly towards Ivo when she catches that he had noticed her. The smirk remains for a brief moment before disappearing as Raiya lowers her hat once more. "I congratulate you on your success. I have...restrained my drinking as of late due to..recent events." A slightly awkward pause now. "However, a friendly drink is something that is always welcome. I will be sure to patronize the new place when I next visit Traverse." The appearance of the new obstacle and Terra's offer of a solution causes Raiya's mind to focus now. The blonde samurai now turns to her green-haired comrade. "Such an effort would be most appreciated. But, please, do not press yourself too hard." Concern is readily evident in Raiya's voice. Maira's exuberance and willingness to assist Terra causes the Wutai woman to place an armored hand on the back of her neck. Perhaps that could work...or end terribly....but again, there was only one way to find out. Finally, Avira gets an acknowledging wave and grin from Raiya. Sure the huntress is still in debt to her, but her assistance in their last battle together helped even things out between them.

:'''[[Katyna]] has posed:''' Katyna smirks playfully at Ivo, careful not to get drawn into his charming ways as many other girls have, she's sure. "Heh, I'll show you mine if you show me yours." she grins and leaves it at that as she glances around, keeping an eye out for pretty shinies as they venture deeper into the canyon. As others join her, Kat glances around, recognizing a few faces here and there. Of course there is VALKYRI leader Avira, and she smirks and nods at her, having already noticed her strong dislike for Ivo. "Heh, Avira. I'm sure you'll be lookin' forward to see HIM in a maid suit, hey?" Maira's here too and she grins at her, wondering if Ivo will treat her better than the other girls. She still looks chipper from the other night she notices with a little smile. There are others here too. The cute Lily who is here without Reize for once, the Giant Gesandte from the church, and the strong girl Tifa whom she'd met once in the desert before. She nods and smiles at them all in turn. "Hey y'all, good t'see ya again! Wow, what a turnout!" Finaly, there are less familiar faces and she nods to them as she takes 'em each in. "Hi, I'm Katyna. Nice t'meet y'all!" When they finally reach the strange monument, she pauses and frowns. "Huh. I wonder if we could blast a hole through it with wind magic..?" she glances expectedly at Maira as she says that. "Otherwise, maybe if we combine our energy and blast through it using sheer force, that might do the trick.." Actually she has no idea what she's talking about. She's not a big magic user aside from her magical sword. "But, I wonder if there are any mechanical devices around that can deactivate the monument too? "And with that she starts to peer around the area, searching for anything out of place.

:'''[[TRON]] has posed:''' The cloaked figure of TRON cants his gaze down to Maira. His eyes flicker a little underneath his hood, but his reply to her is audibly amused, "I did, yes, but I cannot promise any dancing in the future." He pauses, black leather-gloved hand tightening slightly around his staff as he studies the scene before them as his cloak whips around his form from the vaccum force of the whirlwind trying to pull them in yet back. The area before them is in turmoil, but oddly still at the same time. Even for a chaotic Userspace world, this defies logic. His hood cants faintly, not quite sure how to approach this. "So strange..." He murmurs under his breath. Nothing on the ground to block the wind, nothing to climb the walls (providing the wind doesn't tear you off of your handholds), and there's no guarantee that the center of the whirlwind is calm. Offers to use magic to calm the winds gets another headcant. Magic, another Userspace occurrance unfamiliar to him. "It's perhaps the best option. Less chance of injury, less time wasted standing here." A faint cant of the head towards Priel. "However, to scout ahead may not be a bad idea either. But with the wind this strong, I doubt much headway would be made without creating a path first." Well, other than being thrown very painfully into a wall, but that's a given.

:'''[[Lily]] has posed:''' "mrfrglhe--" Lily, righted, and having wnadered with everyone, removes some of her wrappings to reveal her head properly. "Phew. I hate traveling in this sandy place, it's dry, hot, and awful all at once!" But nevertheless here they stand near the monument and its protective barrier of winds. She rather quickly brings that bunch of protective cloth back up somewhat to cover part of her head like a hood. %T"That wind's really strong! I don't know if I could stop it directly... uh... how do you stop wind?" That IS a good question!

:'''[[Ivo Galvan]] has posed:''' Ivo seems preoccupied by the odd shape of the cliffs around them, for whatever reason, so when Terra speaks up he quickly glances toward her. The curiosity in his gaze subtly subdues as he perceives her confidence faltering, and the young man responds with a reassuring smile. "Please try," he says. He's unaware of the extent of Terra's abilities, and willing to take her at her word, but putting pressure on someone of her temperament doesn't seem wise. "As long as we can get past the winds..." He trails off into silence, deadpanning as he becomes aware of just how close Avira is to him, clearly looking in at the device in his hand, and slowly his gaze shifts to her. "On second thought," he continues, "I really want to see Avira close her eyes and jump into the whirlwind. I think that's a great plan. Go for it, Avira." He manages to maintain a straight face for a few seconds more before he starts, well, smirking. "Not like anyone wants to see your exposed skin anyway!" he adds merrily, delighted at his own cleverness. "Maira, why don't you team up with--" He pauses, waiting while the fire mage struggles to extract her face from her hair. It's buried somewhere in there-- oh, there she is. "--with Terra? Is it possible to coordinate your magics?" Katyna's careful searching reveals nothing. Perhaps Ivo had the same idea while he was looking at the cliff walls. But the sand before them is white and bare, free of all the rocks and debris that had populated the canyons they passed through. One might surmise that the winds, spurred by the shape of this place, were here first, and the monument was built deliberately within them. There may be no simple solution. "If Reize were here," Ivo asides to Priel, "we could probably throw him over the top." He's a little guy, after all.

:'''[[Deelel]] has posed:''' Deelel listens to the talk of a treasure map? he listens onwards. They could have quite the mess ahead depending on how things go, right? She sees that Ivo is in good spirits from his smile though she's a bit uncomfortable. Not from him but the sand, oh she's got sand eveyrwhere. Even truying to keep it out. Nagetta gets a bi9t of a look it's been some time since the program has seen a Lamia of any sort. Now Tron gets looked at by Deelel and she realises she should have got a cloak. User space is far to chaotic and she should know better. She'll keep that in mind for the next time. "I'd take my bike but I don't think the light cycle would fair to well on this terrain!" She notes to the older program.

:'''[[Emi Dennou]] has posed:''' Electricity powers don't mean that the Dennous have storm powers and as such they can't do much about the winds--at least not that easily. Terra mentions she may be able to do something about it, and their eyes widen faintly.5r "Aw, we can't just charge in, The Network wonders." "You mean you wonder," Shida says. "I don't think that'd be very safe." Shida sliiiides towards Lily, that big ol' smile coming up again. This is totally not the proper time but she doesn't care. :D :D :D. "We'll just have to wait for that girl to do her mojo." Umi says before looking towards Terra. "Hey!" She tells her. ... "The Network...likes your hair!" WAIT THEY HAVE GREEN HAIR TOO THOSE SCAMPS.

:'''[[Avira]] has posed:''' "Only if he actually shaves his legs this time, Kat." Avira smirks right back at her, lifting her head for a second. Then it's back to the device. Then Ivo is very Ivo at her. Her anger visibly flares up fro a moment before she shakes it off, giving Ivo a flat look. "First of all, I've got these-" she points at her goggles, "So I don't need to close my eyes. Second of all-" Avira abruptly elbows him in the ribs for that comment about her skin. She shakes her head afterwards. "Seriously though, don't jump into the sandstorm." Words of wisdom, brought to you by Avira.

:'''[[Nagetta]] has posed:''' "Do you want me to try and jump over the wind?" Nagetta finally speaks up. She figures if anyone can do it, she can. There's not much she can think of doing to help. It's not like she can and try charm it. She looks back at Deelel not being really familiar with programs herself. She wonder where she came from, it's unlikely to be anywhere she knows of.

:'''[[Priel Aylin]] has posed:''' "Booo. No one's going to sacrifice themselves for the greater good then? Oh well~" Priel shrugged at the general response from the group and took a step aside, crossing her arms and watching as an alternative and likely less crazy plan was deliberated on. Well, the use of magic did sound like a better idea of course. It was long distance and no one would get hurt in the attempt. Or at least, the risk factor was greatly reduced. Hmn, that was boring though! She glanced at Ivo, shaking her head. "Oh yes. If that idiot were here, we COULD have just tossed him in and let his dumb luck go to work." The sad thing is; that was probably true. "Too bad he isn't. Probably caught up with the rest of his harem I bet!" Also another likely accurate statement. Stop picking up girls Reize! We can't keep them all fed for you!

:'''[[Terra Branford]] has posed:''' "Oh!" Terra looks down at her own embossed silken sleeves, as if seeing them for the first time. Maira seems to enjoy the ensemble, parts of which are such thin, light silk that they float in the breeze as if underwater, rippling gently. Her slippers, long and pointed, leave rather distinctive footprints in the sand as they go. "I'm glad you like it. It's from..." Terra freezes up. "I don't remember, I guess I've had it a very long time." So often she reaches for a memory that isn't where she left it. And Emi likes her hair, too. That's just too much at once, Terra finally blushes. "I... well, thank you, The Network," she replies, in a mild daze, her mint green ponytail bobbing with a faint bow. Magic... isn't she supposed to be doing magic? "All right, together, then," she agrees with Maira, and steps forward. "I will be careful, Raiya." Closing her eyes, Terra holds both arms out wide, horizontally, and fills her lungs, letting her head drop back, feeling the currents not only of the air, but of the magic within her. They must be as one, or all she will do is create chaos. Slowly, she sweeps her hands forward, rotating one arm as she goes, until with one palm facing the other, one to the ground and one to the sky, she focuses her energy. A skittering tongue of wind draws a curved line near her feet through the sand, and is joined by another and another, until it is clear that these are not individual flurries of air, but rather a sphere of wind that is forming around the girl's frail frame. Terra glances back once, to assure herself of everyone's location, and pauses particularly on Maira, for coordination, on Ivo, for confirmation, and Raiya, for courage. Then her head turns forward again, and, with the gentle grace of a ballerina going en pointe, the wind lifts Terra to her toes, then just barely off them. Her palms tremble with the effort of controlling the shape of the currents. She's losing it, it's getting messier as it gets stronger. She has to let it go before it becomes destructive, but not too early, lest it be too weak. Beads of sweat are drawn directly from her brow and cheeks and atomized into mist by the winds. She can't spare any effort to worrying about how Maira is doing. "Be still." She lets go. Her arms snap out to her sides as if suddenly nailed to a wall, and a churning gout of sand is driven before her. Wind stifles wind, breeze churns breeze; it's like a great elemental melee. Jaw twisting with effort, Terra starts to draw her fingers into a fist. Slowly, gust is swallowing gust. Slowly, the sand slumps into sleeping dunes. Is it enough?

:'''[[Gesandte]] has posed:''' The Giant continues to stand there looking and listening to their ideas. He steps up forward towards Ivo, "I can perhaps throw someone to some spot if it could help. Though I don't see how it would stop the wind, but perhaps give someone a better view to see something we cannot see?" yes, he's fine with throwing someone through the air like a rocket, though they probably might not enjoy it very much. He looks over watching the magical people use their magicalness to do magical things. Yeah, far beyond him he's not magical just a conduit for holy diety powers himself.

:'''[[Katyna]] has posed:''' Katyna glances curiously at Terra...It's the hair, isn't it? Mages always have weird colored hair. "Heh, go for...." And suddenly Terra starts to call upon her reserves of magic. Katyna watches quietly, almost enviously at her considerable command over the elements. Wow. She hasn't seen that level of power since watching Maira, although Maira's magic seemed to be mostly fire-based. Kat's curious to see what both their magic can do when combined. "Who IS she, anyway?" Kat murmurs in general to any who might answer. Glancing back at Gesandte and Nagetta as they offer suggestions, she smiles and nods. "Sounds like good ideas. But maybe we should see if this works first. Good idea to save your energy, right?" She cant help but chuckle at Avira's comment about Ivo, arching a brow at her curiously, "This time? Y'mean, he's dressed up like a girl before..?" Wow, this guy's nuts! Why's Maira' in love with him again?! "Heh, you kiddin? And get torn apart? That'd be a bad idea..If Nagetta can leap really high though...Maybe...." She smirks a bit at Priel and her sarcasm. "Heh, I dunno if I'd say Reize has that kinda luck..He's always getting lost. But he sure is popular with the girls! I wonder why..?" Still Kat makes a face at the word 'harem'..

:'''[[TRON]] has posed:''' TRON shakes his cloaked head to Deelel. "Indeed not!" He jabs his staff into the ground in front of him to help fight against the pull of the sand-filled cyclone. That wind is really getting aggrivating, though he takes Avira's word for it about the effects of jumping into a sandstorm. "You'd never find traction in this terrain, Deelel, not to mention I'm not sure what effect sand would have on its components as it rezzes." Not to mention what would happen if the wind picks it up and throws it around. The fragile Light Cycle would derezz on impact if it hits the wall, and then there would be crystalline voxels added to the sandstorm. Not good, not for anyone. He watches Terra initiate her magic and stands by, cloaked form sinking slightly as his body tenses in a ready-to-run crouch. The instant the winds calm enough to even be somewhat safe, he'll try to go through.

:'''[[Maira]] has posed:''' Maira nods to Terra, pleased to see another mage, and one with such nice fashion sense! Though, she is a little...intimidating...but Maira is sure she can't really help being so pretty and graceful... Maira moves forward to stand beside Terra, looking to her and opening her senses to the auras of magic the other begins to manipulate in order to gauge her plan of action. After a moment, she nods gently in understanding and closes her eyes as she summons her magic to the surface--and even in the desert heat, Maira's skin begins to steam as she begins to glow like an ember. Terra is leading, and so Maira follows. She doesn't have much in the way of experience working with other mages, but the young woman does have a prodigious talent for magic and seems to follow along, her brow furrowing in concentration and efforts as she adds her will to Terra, positioning herself to mirror her as she too tries to calm the winds with the force of her own magic.

:'''[[Lily]] has posed:''' An elemental imelee indeed. Lily takes a step forward to watch more closely, and.. is the jewel on her forehead gleaming just slightly, or is that a trick of the light? But she is watching the duet of mystical power. "Ah, right. The wind likes to play... I hadn't thought of diverting it or beating it around..."

:'''[[Raiya Fujihara]] has posed:''' Raiya purses her lips together contemplatively as she observes the interaction between Avira and Ivo. What is really going in her mind remains unclear as she chooses not to grace anyone with any actual words. The ever stoic samurai merely observes the playful behavior before slowly tilting her head back towards Terra who was busy preparing some sort of magic. The sheathed katana sways slightly as she shifts her weight to get a better look on what Terra is actually doing. The use of magic is entirely lost to the swordswoman as she lacks the gift to use any of it herself without using the assistance of Materia. The samurai slowly dips her head in encouragement when Terra looks back her way while she prepares her magic. Muscles tense as she observes Terra's struggle with that powerful gift of hers. But thankfully, Maira soon joins her magic with Terra's. The magic impaired wanderer can only uselessly look on and hope that the fates will be kind to her friends and their attempts to remove this most bothersome obstacle from their shared path.

:'''[[Tifa Lockhart]] has posed:''' Tifa Lockhart grins a bit to Raiya's answer "No worries, we serve more than alcohol you know, you can come for sea salt ice cream too." She sighs a bit "ice cream sounds so good right now." She watches how the spellcasters are handling the whirlwind, in interest. She's not a magic user herselt. Well, she has a few materias, but clearly not every world needs those to cast spells, so she can't help but admire the work when people do. She wishes she could support the two, but she can't do much. "I wonder what's on the other side though, to me it seems like someone or something wants to keep us out."

:'''[[Kim Possible]] has posed:''' "That's cool," Kim comments with a slight smirk at how the spellcasters are handling the whirlwind. "Wish I could do that, but I've got my own devices, so I'll be cool on my own." She then looks to Tifa and nods. "Usually, that's what a carefully placed barrier or trap usually means. In all the missions I've been on, it's always that. Totally not cool."

:'''[[Emi Dennou]] has posed:''' "Wow that's pretty cool!, The Network is impressed!" They couldn't really do this sort of nonsense themselves and Umi is always up for being encouraging, to the point of it actually perhaps being closer to a fault. The two walk along, Shida is still smiling broadly at Lily. She then, after a few moments, reaches out and taps her lightly on the left shoulder. Beaming broadly still. They seem to have confidence in Terra despite knowing nothing about her except her hair color. BUT THAT IS THE IMPORTANT THING.

:'''[[Ivo Galvan]] has posed:''' Ivo was definitely going to offer Avira some witty retort before she elbowed and knocked the wind out of him, so as it is he spends the next several seconds attempting to recover his breath along with the shattered fragments of his dignity. "V... Violent brute..." He rights himself, eyes watering a little, and looks around for a little sympathy. His gaze falls on Raiya-- no, not likely. His gaze shifts to Priel-- aaaand moves right past her. And there is Maira. He brightens visibly, and by all appearances ignoring the fact that he's supposed to be solving this puzzle, strolls over to the young woman in red. "Maira, I need your tender ministrations," he says nonchalantly, as though this were something he says every day. "Only your loving care can salve the grievous wound that Avira... has... dealt..." The breeze swirling about Terra ruffles his dark hair and the collar of his shirt before it draws his eye, and renders him speechless. Her graceful posture and visible effort form an arresting spectacle of a power beyond Ivo's comprehension, which as such he encounters on a purely aesthetic level, as a living work of art calling upon the forces of nature itself. His lips part, and all semblance of his lightly joking exterior fades, leaving nothing but a look of honest wonder in his eyes. Terra's struggle against the vast force arrayed before her might threaten to overwhelm her, but with the added power that Maira offers, the half-esper's abilities are up to the task: the wind is tamed. A silence as deafening as the tempest is left in the wake of the display, and nothing lies before them but still sand and the monument itself. But as the wind is a natural result of the shape of the area, Terra will have to continue to control it, and maintain the careful equilibrium that now holds. Reluctantly tearing his gaze from the green-haired woman, Ivo slowly looks toward Gesandte. "I'd've liked to see that," he says to the big man, "but it looks like... we managed it somehow." A lopsided smile, still tinged with his earlier awe, grows, and he glances at Lily, seeing that the gem-studded girl has been watching carefully. Ivo's eyebrow raises slightly. "Could you see what she was doing, Lily?" There's something oddly wistful about his smile for a moment. "I wonder what it would be like to see what you see..." He steps toward the distant pillar, past Priel and Katyna. "Careful, you two," he adds, a trace of humor returning to his voice. "Before you know it, you'll end up in the harem too." And here he warned Reize about harems. It's hard being a man of wisdom. He advances alongside TRON, offering the Program -- he knows them on sight now, thanks to Deelel -- a nod and a smile. Ivo doesn't know this one, except that he seems to be an ally of VALKYRI, but he seems highly competent. "Don't put away your devices just yet," he says to Kim, still sounding amused. "Who knows what we'll find?" Those who advance to the monument will be able to see at last what is embedded in the pillar. Is it a World Shard? Is it some sort of other treasure? Some legendary magical artifact to save a city in its time of need? It's... "A fossil?" Ivo stares blankly up at what appears to be a large fossilized feather, the chunk of stone which contains it itself affixed to the pillar, clearly originally a separate piece. He furrows his brow-- and then, with a look of alarm, glances down at the device in his hand. The Shard Seeker device... is listlessly turning in circles, no longer pointing fiercely at the monument. "Er... well, this means... that, ah..." Ivo looks up at the feather fossil, then back down at his device, and squints slightly. "This means..." He's silent for a moment. "...well, anyway, I think we should extract it." As if on cue, however, a rumbling begins to shake the sands and cliffs, rocks and shale tumbling down, the pillar wobbling dangerously. In the distance, a plume of dust can be seen arising from the canyons from which they emerged. Yet it's traveling at a breakneck pace, blasting its way through, far too swift to be a sandworm. An oppressive sensation grows as the dust approaches. There's something strange about all this, though. "I don't know what that is," Ivo shouts, "but why--" The sand beneath them is swirling. "--is the shaking coming from /beneath/ us--" From the mouth of the canyon, a great rolling pin of a Heartless tears onto the scene, churning through the sand: purple and black with shocking yellow zig-zags, multiple heads with beady yellow eyes peering from where studs would be on its rims, the Reaper's Wheel rolls its way heedlessly toward the adventurers, sand spraying up everywhere as it goes. That oppressive feeling, like a smothering shroud over the heart, grows further. And as the Heartless approaches-- Roaring, two gargantuan Sandworms burst from the sand beneath, the tremors their doing, and begin to thrash about, sand spraying everywhere. Chaos ensues all at once, the Heartless weaves its way through the obviously agitated monsters which tower above everyone. "That Heartless," Ivo calls, shielding his eyes from the sand spraying everywhere. "Is it the reason why the Sandworms have been so active recently?" He grits his teeth, turning toward the fossil. "Regardless, we've come this far... we need to get this, and get out of here...!"

:'''[[Katyna]] has posed:''' Katyna bites her lip, glancing over at Tifa and Kim curiously, "Huh, a trap? To keep something in maybe?" she makes a face, "Obviously if they wanna keep us out, it's because there's some juicy treasure they dont want anyone to take...But I dont care, I want that treasure!" She says a bit impatiently. For now however, Katyna just steps back and watches the spectacle in silent awe, and a little envy, wishing she could command such awesome powers herself. Ivo as always, offers adequate entertainment in the meantime, especially when he gets punched and stumbles to the ground in a rather undignified manner. Kat cant help but giggle, but she doesn't bother to help him up, this is too much fun! when Ivo tells HER to be careful, she just laughs, "Ooh, that's funny, coming from you! With your *ahem* charm, I wouldn't be surprised if you were lookin' to start a harem of your own..Just..Dont hurt Maira or anytyhing, 'k?" well she wont go as far as to threaten him..Yet, but Kat was growing rather fond of Maira. "But now that i've taught Reize about mistletoe, I guess he'll have his..Err..Hands full.." Briefly, Kat's gaze flashes towards Lily and that strange jewel of hers. "Hmm? What's that?" But the spectacle of magic before her is enough to distract her away from Lily's jewel..For now. She peers towards the sandstorm, noticing that it is slowly weakenning..And suddenly she sees a pillar and impatiently, Kat rushes towards it, expecting to see pretty gemstones or treasure..Instead, she just sees a fossilized feather. "The heck? All that for a hunk of rock? Please tell me there's more to it than..." And then Ivo's device starts going in circles and Kat frowns. Then the earch shakes and her frown deepens. "What the!!" Suddenly giant sandworms burst from the ground, and she stumbles back, eyes narrowed as she draws her sword. "Darnit, we gotta get 'em before they get the treasure!" Umm, soon as she figures out how to move that fozzilized feather thing from the pillar..She peers at it intently..

:'''[[Gabranth]] has posed:''' Gabranth had gotten off his Chocobo somewhere in the caverns. He walked carefully behind where the adventures had run off too and could hear their voices ahead. The Judge magister's steps were calm and collective. The dark armor never changing even as the sand tries to find its way into what few cracks the armor provides that meet leather. The swords could be the only thing that give him away as they clack gently against his armor from their metal hilts that hang off his belt. However when the tremors starts Gabranth's eyes narrow and become amber in color. Could this be the cause of what so many talked about from the caravans that came into town? Angered giant worms? The Judge Magister stands back as suddenly a heartless appears, his eyes narrow sharply, before his walk turns into a jog, and into a run. Now people may hear him coming for a fact and his swords are drawn from his sheath as he calls out. The British tone echoing within the helm. "Spred out! Do not cluster together and keep on your toes!" It would seem Gabranth was here to help... For now.

:'''[[Nagetta]] has posed:''' "Harem?" Nagetta scratches her head not familiar with that term. "Is this one of those human things?" She sounds rather confused that. Before she can get a response to her question the two sandworms burst out of them ground, along with a strange heartless. It looked like it was in the way of their goal. She approaches the monster and stares at intently, trying to distract it so the others can past. She tries to entangle it as well while it's in her gaze.

:'''[[Tifa Lockhart]] has posed:''' Tifa Lockhart doesn't like shaking ground! It never bodes anything good. Most of the time, its a giant monster about to pop out and try to eat everyone. Which apparently is not quite the case this time, as she dives for cover as the Reaper's Wheel tries to run her over. All she has time to do is grab Kim before diving. Well, maybe the girl could have avoided on her own, but why chance it when she managed to see it first? She rolls off the sand back back up on one knee, letting Kim get up on her own as she visibly wasn't hurt in the first charge. "Ready for this then?" She glances back toward the sandworms for a moment "... Looks like they are cutting our way out, so we'll have to cut our way through." She tightens her gloves a bit "Or in my case, punch through it instead!" She pushes herself up and forward, using her speed to get in range of the weird rolling pin of a monster, attempting to strike it from the side where there could be a weak point, at the axis.

:'''[[Avira]] has posed:''' More faint grumbling is heard from Avira and the short woman deprts Ivo's immediate viccinity now! There was no way she's get good behavior out of him now, now that there was a pretty girl and a a large reward waiting. Other than that, she's really curios about those that volunteer to stop the wind. It seems to be working? In return, they disccover a fossil. Avira's actually far more excited about this discovery than she lets on at first. "I think it means your device doesn't work." Avira politely notes before she senses...movement. Beneath them. Right away, Avira is swooping to the side as the massive Reaper's Wheel rolls in and nearly flattens everyone with its appearance. As she rises, Avira draws her weapon. "I'll help keep this whole mess at bay." she declares, undaunted by the triple trouble of SANDWORMS and Heartless. Undaunted until... Wait, is that a Judge Magister coming to help them? Avira turns and stares at Gabranth in disbelief. "...what." Not due to his advice, mind, but due to his presence to begin with.

:'''[[Priel Aylin]] has posed:''' Seeing Avira elbow Ivo in the gut caused Priel to bring a hand to her mouth, stifling a laugh at his expense. Nope. Not worried about him at all. His desperate attempts to draw pity out from Maira are soon ignored with a roll of the eyes. Ah, never a dull moment here, huh? Terra's display of magic power elicits a whistle of appreciation from her after. Well, she had help, but still it was pretty impressive all the same. "Well, looks like that's all taken care of. I still say it would have been a lot more interesting if someone jumped in now. Oh well~" She chuckled at the mere thought and sighed after, turning her attention off towards the pillar in the distance, not looking at Ivo as he passed. "Oh? A part of /his/ harem? Hah!" Well, it WAS funny. Priel rolled her eyes again as she set forth, following after at a casual pace. "If anything, I'd say you're already in his harem now~" Yes, she just implied that. With a wide smile all the same. Upon reaching the monument, Priel was rather disappointed to see that there was no jewel, gem, or some other sort of shiny stone. It was just... ...A fossil. "Booooo!" The redhead called up to the monument as if this was some sort of performance that sucked. Hey, maybe it was! But there was no more time to boo as the ground began to shift. "...Hah?" Oh boy! Danger! Priel's favorite thing! The heartless and sandworms were not a welcome sight, but alas, they were not the worst thing she's ever been faced with, so... Suppose she could stick around for now. Maybe it would be worth seeing out to the end. With everyone else leaping into the fray already, Priel instead leapt back out of the way, allowing the others room to attack while she merely stood by and watched for some manner of opening... Either that or she was just being lazy and letting the others do the work. ...Yeah, that was more likely.

:'''[[Gesandte]] has posed:''' Ges moves with the group along the way to the other side to the fossily thing they where going for, when all hell breaks loose, oh that's not a good thing not at all. He turns around to see the worms and the giant heartless erupting from the ground with the sand in all, shielding his face with his large hand from most of the sand. He knew it, he knew bad stuff was going to happen and here it was. He hunches down and growls as he readies his power to obliterate yet another heartless. Always with the heartless causing problems, they just can't leave people to live in peace and enjoy life as it should be. Well, large open area, monster on the ground, he grins. He charges the enemy and jumps into the air, "Thou shalt not block our path out of here!" and lands near the monster with a hard shaking of the ground thundering, and seconds later he launches his fist attack into the heartless demon monster.

:'''[[TRON]] has posed:''' TRON's hood blows back as the wind calms and expels a stiff breeze back at him, thus exposing his head and neck. Not that it really matters at this stage. The cloak obscures most of his black Program unisuit, but the hands, neck, and feet covered in the same leatherlike material is indication enough. He offers a returned nod to Ivo as the User approaches and moves to walk next to him. He no longer uses his staff as a walking stick, now holding it loosely in both hands as if ready for combat. He makes no judgement, only tilting his head in puzzlement at the embedded feather fossil, but then rumbling and shaking happens. He jerks his head around as he crouches, pinning his gaze on the fast-approaching plume of dust. He knows this feeling, like a someone has reached into you and is squeezing your very core. He's felt it before in his homeworld, even before he understood the cause. "Heartless..." And he's proven correct in spades, with sandworms adding their own agitation to the already-bad situation. "Get it free! We'll keep it busy!" He calls to Ivo, tucking a hand under the collar of his cloak and pulling free his silver Disc--but only his silver Disc. A man in silver armor runs in to join the fight, weapons brandished, and he nods in affirmation to the advice. He does not know who or what he is, but he won't turn away assistance. Avira, however, seems less enthusiastic. "Deelel, split up! Pincer it between us!" He moves to the left, throwing his Disc at the Heartless even as he charges into melee range. He spins with his staff, trying to strike it upwards for even a moment of putting it off-balance before reversing direction to strike it back down.

:'''[[Kim Possible]] has posed:''' As soon as Kim is caught by Tifa, she braces herself for the impact, so that once she hits the ground, she can roll away a little before getting back into a crouched position, then leaping into her fighting stance, looking very similar to that of the martial arts style known to many as Kung-Fu. "Thanks for the help, Tifa," Kim says with a smile, before turning to face the strange Heartless that Tifa will end up going after, and an evil grin forms on her face. "So this is the sitch, huh? Not a problem!" She adjusts her gloves briefly before taking a rushing dash towards the Heartless. After getting close enough, Kim attempts to deliver a swiftly timed kick.

:'''[[Deelel]] has posed:''' Deelel says "Likely get everywhere it shouldn't. Likely not work at best or fatal error at worst." She'll keep the bike off line. It would just be too much problems. The wind, the sand would just end up wrecking the craft. "I'm not even sure a grid tank could take this sort of condtions." She notes while she keeps it in mind to make notes later if she ever gets back to the grid. Well when they need to look into develping craft that could handle the insanities of the outside world. Ivo seems to be doing a good enough job of trakcing something she's not sure if it's a shard or not but they will not get anywhere if they do not look right? But it seems they have found soemthing, they really seem to have found something but just what is it? "Wait it's coming form under us..." WHAM There is a heartless. A really big one that's basically a huge wheel? "I should stop being suprised by the heartless I really should. I'll help contain this thing." She's got her own disk out and she nods to Tron, a pincer that could work she'll throw her disk as she tries to find purchase on the sands and start hauling bitmap.

:'''[[Terra Branford]] has posed:''' The silence the wind leaves in its wake is soft, placid. There's no real hint that everything about the currents, the shape of the canyon, and the ground itself antagonizes the air. This is the peace of the lyre: force pulling in the right directions all at once. Terra floats for a few more seconds, suspended, her cape and sash floating weightless behind her in great translucent trails, more smoke than cloth. Then, gently, as if a cushion was deflating beneath her, Terra sinks, until she can roll down the ball of her foot and come to rest on the earth for which she was named. Exhaling, she looks back, pale face paler with strain. "I will have to focus on controlling this; if I let up, it will come back right under our feet." Following along with her hands held delicately out to her sides, like a gymnast walking the balance beam, Terra keeps the wind behaving. "Your friends are very kind," she tells Raiya quietly. She'd be able to enjoy feeling welcomed more if she wasn't worried about constantly exerting force. When the ground erupts, Terra releases her hold on the air for just an instant. The resulting wind is nothing worrisome to behold--it's barely noticeable in the face of the ground ripping apart--but Terra has to seize hold again quickly lest it build. She blanches, realizing her straits. "Maira!" she shouts to her mystical comrade, lest the fiery girl try to assist her. "I'm all right... they need your strength!" The strength of a woman who can use magic with accuracy and certainty, without endangering others. Letting a little whinny of concern out under her breath, Terra dances away from the slithering tail of the largest Heartless. "Raiya," she breathes. "Raiya, if I'm interrupted..."

:'''[[Lily]] has posed:''' There it is. The moment of triumph is cut short, as it so often is, by something big, mean, and wanting to murder everyone. Lily makes a grouchy sound deep in her throat the MOMENT the Heartless bursts into view, for she knows its aura. That darkness is a pervasive, ever-pestering nightmare and she's SICK of it. She has nothing but HATE for those creatures, whatever they are. "Not ANOTHER ONE. What's it doing out HERE?!" A tiny flicker of flame whips up around Lily, then quickly sparks and ignites into a roaring aura. Cerulean light shimmers up just underneath it, forming a dominion of mystical power that simply shines with elemental fury-- particularly wind and fire. The power spreads out through the area... Ivo and, perhaps by chance, Tron, will feel it. A fierce and blazing might filling them, stoked by an inner tempest that strengthens their bodies - such as that is, in TRON's case.

:'''[[Raiya Fujihara]] has posed:''' Raiya Fujihara looks at Ivo and crosses her arms against herself in the often used gesture favored by stern disciplinarians. Did the samurai see something that she did not approve of? The cold, impassive look on the samurai-sensei's face does not yield many clues. Green eyes shut briefly and a slight grimace is displayed before Raiya forces herself to look elsewhere now. She does not have to look far as Terra and Maira are both still nearby. There were other more pressing matters to consider than any selfish ones. Arms quickly uncross as Raiya paces over towards Terra's side. A small, but natural grin forms on her face. "Well done, but are you alright?" The ronin asks simply of her. Tifa gets a sheepish smile from the samurai. "Oh, of course. I guess my mind is still a little one-tracked when it comes to such matters." Any further smalltalk is interrupted as things quickly begin to escalate with the apprearance of a Heartless, Sandworms, and....a Judge Magister? But in all honesty, she has had stranger allies. With a deft move of her hand, a katana is drawn and held proudly above her head. "A Heartless," says Raiya menacingly through gritted teeth as she steels herself for her next action. There was a special place in Raiya's heart for hating Heartless. She was going to enjoy tearing this thing apart. Thoughts of violence and revenge are interrupted by Terra's meek voice. Raiya turns to look over her shoulder and nods firmly. "Worry yourself not, I shall use my blade to defend you from any creature that approaches be it Heartless or monster." Poor Terra has been dragged into enough trouble because of Raiya. She was not going to let Terra get hurt this day if the samurai and her deadly blade had any say in the matter.

:'''[[Maira]] has posed:''' It is likely fortunate that Maira is too busy to notice any awkward, veiled flirtations between Avira and Ivo. It might just cripple her. It is probably also good that she is far too busy to deliver any tender ministrations to Ivo, as hilarious as that might have been. It is taking all of her concentration to keep this going and the strain shows on her face and posture. Her energy is not limitless, and air is not her strongest magic--while she is focusing on it, the restraint on her fire grows slack and finally gives out. The young mage ignites, fire sparking and crawling over her skin, not harmful to her, but certainly would be to any who touched her. She gasps when the sandworms and the Heartless appear, her concentration faultering. Her eyes are quickly drawn to Terra, and while she is certainly impressed with her power, she is unsure about letting her maintain this alone. Maira bites her bottom lip hard, looking out toward the others. "I wonder...if maybe I can sort of..tie it off..." she ponders, then closes her eyes to regain her focus. She can't think about being gobbled up by sandworms right now. Maira has to focus on extricating her magic gently, pulling back in such a way that it would leave some of her energy with the spell to help keep Terra afloat in the sea of elemental fury. Her eyes snap open as she cuts the tie, stepping back and stumbling in the sand, her head spinning. She's out, but Terra should feel some of her energy still swirling in the winds with the spell. Hopefully, it is enough.

:'''[[Ivo Galvan]] has posed:''' The Reaper's Wheel is on a rampage, and the roaring Sandworms do not like it one bit. As the Heartless weaves its way between the enraged monsters like a street racer on a joyride, sand flies everywhere and the whole clearing seems for a moment like it's going to collapse in on itself, the cliffs themselves trembling. The presence of the Heartless does not bode well for anyone -- especially those who get in its path. Those it moves swiftly, it does not seem to make any particular effort to /avoid/ the attacks launched at it, but no effort to constrain it can succeed. If anything, its defense seems to be its offense: it bulls right through anyone who dares to approach it at a breakneck pace. Nagetta attempts to entangle it as she works her magic, but she can't contain it, and unless she allows it to tear free she may find herself dragged along and churned into the sand herself. Tifa lunges in toward the side and strikes, punching in one of the eerie little faces along the rim, its yellow eyes dimming, but unless she kicks away she too will be drawn into its momentum. Gesandte bravely stands in its path, and his fierce strike hits home as he lands with a thunderous tremor -- just what we need, more tremors -- but the Reaper's Wheel bores right on, attempting to just roll right over him, big as he is. TRON is able to halt the Wheel's advance for a moment, his precise staff strike impacting along with his Disc -- Deelel's own Disc striking simultaneously -- to launch it into the air, where its Wheel turns helplessly, only able to move with its own inertia. As it attacks by running people over, apparently, it does not seem to be very effective in the air. But its heavy weight soon bears it back down, the Program's follow-up attack ensuring that it hits the sand with a heavy thud. Kim's kick hits just at that moment, but it looks as though only more powerful attacks can halt the weighty foe, and if she's not careful, she too will be run over as it turns, drifting across the sand, and charges toward TRON and Deelel vengefully. As the Heartless grows more agitated and tears across the sand, the Sandworms grow all the more enraged, and their horrible bellows threaten to stun and shake the concentrate of even those not directly involved in the melee. Can anything be done to calm them down or shut them up? Or must the Heartless simply be dispatched as swiftly as possible? Ivo, sweat beading at his brow from the pressure, is staring up at the fossil intently, mind churning as he speculates how best to extract it. Just then, Lily's magical blessing descends upon him, and his spirit lightens even as his concentration hones to a fine point. "Thanks, Lily," he says, shooting the girl a smile, the stress -- no doubt exacerbated by the presence of the Heartless and its overbearing aura -- lifted from him. "I'm going to focus on getting this fossil out safely. Stay safe, and call if you need me, okay?" Recovering himself, he withdraws some tools from his cloak, tinkerer's implements, with which he maintains the Shard Seeker device. ...yeah, maybe he should do some more of that, too...

:'''[[Emi Dennou]] has posed:''' REVELATION. Shida says, "Lily I was wondering--" but as she is about to finally actually speak to Lily for once, MORE TROUBLE HAPPENS. Gosh darn it, it's so hard to get ahold of Lily and she only ever gets to see Lily when there's trouble! Shida frowns and crosses her arms, tapping her foot rapidly against the ground. Naturally, they don't immediately end up charging the Heartless as a result, even Umi is slow enough that she actually focuses on Shida for a few moments. Eventually Shida sighs a little, lowering her head. Maybe, she thinks, maybe trying to--she shouldn't? Raising a hand up, she sends a pair of short electrobolts for the Heartless even as Umi... ...draws out an assault rifle and fires wildly. She screams, "SAY HELLO TO MY LITTLE FRIENDS, THE NETWORK USES A METAPHOR!"

:'''[[Gabranth]] has posed:''' The Judge Magister stares at the three different opponents he has to worry about. The two angered worms and the heartless causing all the trouble. The Judge then goes into move, he parries away one of the strikes, but sadly gets caught in the next and is slammed harm into the wall. The Judge Magister however gets right back up and those amber eyes stare out as the darkness gathers around him for a moment as he stares right at the heartless. "Bad move." He rumbles down lowly before he spins his two swords for a moment. Gabranth then charges toward the Heartless, leaping up before bring down the highway star, before spinning around and slashing it again with the short sword, before moving around and striking it with a hard cleave from the Chaos Blade. The Judge Magister though doesn't stand still in his dance, he does give those annoying worms a long glare. They were creating trouble and he hopes that someone has a spell that can quiet them up soon enough.

:'''[[Avira]] has posed:''' "Of course!" Avira calls out to TRON, recognizing sound advice when she hears it. Sure, Gabranth was right too, and based on the woman's movement, she's definitely putting herself far enough away to make it an inconvenience to roll over her. It seems to work, though the distraction of the sandworms does her no favor. Nevertheless, a quick study of the heartless draws her to an interesting conclusion: "Aim for it's hubcaps! Those seem the most vulnerable!" Wait, what? Yes. Avira waits until it gets near enough to target her before dodging at a nintey degree angle, then bouncing back to counter, smashing the spine upwards against the end-caps of the Reaper Wheel.

:'''[[Tifa Lockhart]] has posed:''' Tifa Lockhart's punches do seem to strike into it, although its rather a tough heartless... its rather sturdy, not like most of the heartless she beat up before. But those little faces are rather eerie... and before she can pull back, she doesn't realize that the momentum of that thing is pulling her in like a gravity well. She lets out a loud "ack!!" as the heartless pulls her under her wheels, and as if stuck to it, she gets tossed into the air by the revolving force of the wheels. She lands rather harshly into a sandpile, grunting a bit as the blow was taken mostly on her back. That smarts alright. She sputters a bit of the sand that got kicked up too, sliding the windscarf back over her mouth and nose protectively "Well that wasn't... a nice entrance." She shakes her head. Change of plan. She needs to take a breather after this. She does have a few materias with her for the need after all. Let's try to pump up the fighting ability first.

:'''[[Gesandte]] has posed:''' The Giant stands there attempting to stop the rolling machine but is well ran over in the sense as it hits him. He slides under it into the sound but comes out the backside bruised and scratched but nontheless not hurt that much. He gets back up and spinds around to look towards the beast, a grin forming on his lips "You will fall before our might. We will rue the day you upset the worms of this land." He brings his fists up and prepares them, the air wiggling around them as he powers them up and growls as he quick punches at the heartless, his sonic blasts shooting forth towards the enemy to knock it up some more and end this battle. That or mess up the heartless enough for the others to finish it, long as the job gets done that's all he cares about.

:'''[[TRON]] has posed:''' TRON doesn't understand magic. But he can't deny the effect of it, thanks to Lily's buffs. The wind gives speed to his movements, the fire gives power to his strikes. His eyes flare in bluish-white light as a few visible lines on his fingers and at the base of his throat flare to life. It eases the heavy feeling draped around his core, if nothing else. His attacks seem to stop its momentum briefly, only briefly, but it gives him enough time to catch his Disc as it returns to him. He uses his staff to help leap to the side, bouncing off of the stone wall and flipping over the Heartless as it charges past below him. He lands on the ground, the sand softening the impact, and moves to cut it off while doing his best to avoid the agitated sandworms. He hears Avira's advice, eyes narrowing as the data is processed, then he decides why not. He throws his Disc, arcing it low so it would get under the Heartless and lift it into the air on the return. He then shifts his weight and aims right towards one of the hubcaps, lunging with his staff held like a spear. The returning Disc strikes the hubcap as well on its way back.

:'''[[Kim Possible]] has posed:''' Kim isn't fazed by the strange Heartless in the least bit. In fact, it can try to hit her all it wants, but Kim is going to show one of the perks of being a cheerleader. Her acrobatic skills come out in spades as she twists and dodges the attacks of the Heartless, before landing on the ground and skidding backwards slightly. "Now that was a totally cool warm-up," She says while she wipes her brow, partially in a mocking manner. "But I'm just barely breaking a sweat. Time to bring things up a notch!" Kim then proceeds to do a cartwheel (yes, a CARTWHEEL) towards the Heartless. After that, she intends to NOT throw an uppercut and send it off the screen. Rather, she intends to deliver a series of punches and kicks, and finish it off with a jab punch to make sure she finishes at the right tempo.

:'''[[Priel Aylin]] has posed:''' Well. Priel didn't have any intention of getting anywhere near that giant rolling wheel of death if she could help it. Instead, she had a better idea. And so, much like Terra, she began to channel magical energies, preparing a spell to use. Making sure she was far enough out of the way of the active combat zone, the redhead closed her eyes as a red aura of magic began to form around her... ...Now if only those sandworms would SHUT UP. Not even a minute after does Priel's eyes open again, glaring off to the side at the wailing annoyances. "Hey! Shut up! We're trying to work here!" The dragon girl yelled at them, as if talking would actually do something. Oh well, she would have to hurry the process up then if she wanted to get this spell out in time. "Blah, blah, blah! Magic, fire, and all that good stuff! Magma Pillar!" Priel chanted a rather unorthodox chant, pointing a hand forward at the raging heartless. From beneath, the ground began to shift. The temperature soon was rapidly rising, reaching a near melting point as a blast of molten heat flared upwards from under the creature. She would have warned the others fighting to get out of the way, but... ...Nah. Seeing them dance about would be funny! All things considered, this was probably the most effort she's put into anything in a good long while. Funny that.

:'''[[Nagetta]] has posed:''' Attempt to entangle the rolling Heartless wasn't the best idea, but Nagetta manages to break lose before it rolls over her tail. Maybe trying to get on top of it would work better? She curls her tail and braces herself against the wind before bouncing upwards into the sky. Once she gets high enough she descends with spear pointed downwards and aimed at the heartless. She makes sure to try and bounce off of it, so she doesn't get ran over.

:'''[[Terra Branford]] has posed:''' "I'm fine." Terra smiles sheepishly at Raiya at the conclusion of her struggle. "It's not as hard as it looks," she lies brazenly. Terra had been braced to enforce her will upon a small maelstrom when Maira withdrew, as the other girl's power was a great girder supporting the placid air. Maira instead took the time to stabilize the room before leaving, and left a great deal of ambient magic floating around for Terra to toy with. It had all the joy, for Terra, of getting an injection and having the doctor tell her it was over before she knew she'd been stuck, and she smiled happily at Maira for the assistance. Terra falls behind Raiya. The katana defending her is perhaps not as valuable as the words, which allow her to focus mentally on her task. Even when a great Heartless tail lashes down at her, she trusts in Raiya's protection, and indeed, she is left unharmed. But there's something no sword can cut that this beast has at its disposal: sand. A great torrential pour of sand washes over Terra, who squeezes her eyes closed and holds her breath. She was caught on the exhale, however, just as she had been under the sea of Wutai. Just before the air clears enough, she accidentally sucks in a deep, scalding breath of sand. No! Terra hacks roughly, dryly, blind and mute. Disoriented, she tries to grapple the winds down again in a hammerlock of will, but she pushes too hard, and they start to rise, howling. "I can do it," she mouths, repeatedly, to herself, spitting grit between. Her arms stretch wide, trembling painfully, as though they were being drawn apart by great chains. If nothing further damages her concentration, she can tame the storm back down again. If something does...

:'''[[Maira]] has posed:''' Once she manages to get her vision to stop swimming, Maira rises to her feet and tries to make a quick judgement of the situation. Where would she be most helpful? Ivo seems to be focused on the prize, but he is struggling with it. Should she help him? Maybe there is some kind of trick with magic that is needed? She knows Avira can take care of herself, but she still wants to rush to her best friend's side. Of course, those sandworms are a HUGE distraction--oh, wait. Maybe she should try to do something about those. Sleep spells? No, she doesn't have any. Potions? Not enough for beasts so large. Suddenly, watching them, Maira's memory flashes back to long ago. In a run down building, a child is wailing, flailing about and carrying on because he was woken up by a loud noise from outside. Pulled from his sleep so forcefully, he was simply grumpy and needed help getting back to sleep. She'd laid in bed and listened as one of the older ladies who cared for the children began to sing a lullaby that calmed the boy back into peaceful slumber. Sometimes absolutely crazy plans work, right? Maira faces the sandworms and summons her magic, once more channeling air, forming a small current around herself in cone shape, the large opening facing toward the tantrum-throwing sand worms. Yes, she has just made a magical megaphone. She takes a deep breath, and then she sings. Hers is a lovely voice, if a bit unsure. It is soothing however, the notes of the lullaby strung along with the same natural talent she uses for her magic. "Hush now, quiet now, it's time to lay your sleepy head. Hush now, quiet now, it's time to go to bed...."

:'''[[Lily]] has posed:''' There's sand and roaring and all kinds of -everything- and both Terra and Raiya's magics are quite a mess in the face of this creature's roaring. "Awwwooooh... make them be quiet!" The thing about the winds is that there's more to the winds and the skies than just air moving around. As Lily's agitation grows sharply, it needs a vent. The distant Sandworms and the Heartless throwing them all into a tizzy will do just fine. "HYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!!" Fzzz. Spark. Crackle. The air gets charged. It is DRY out here, it is HOT out here, and while the latter isn't helping the former definitely is. The whirling sands are an excellent source of friction, and with friction and a bit of magic-- Several dozen feet surrounding Lily quickly turns into a LIGHTNING STORM. Electricity dances about, gathering at a point... and then shoots out like CLAWS raking across the sands for the worms and the Heartless!

:'''[[Raiya Fujihara]] has posed:''' Terra is right. Raiya can't defend her from the conjured sands due to the flailing sandworms. She can do her best to keep Terra from harm. It seems that the attacking Heartless had more things to worry about with so many others attacking it. There is no true attack from the creature for her to defend against. Instead, Raiya keeps a white-knuckled grip on the katana as she prepares to intercept anything that may threaten the green-haired mage. "Hang in there," instructs Raiya as she continuously turns to try to keep the Heartless and the Sandworms in sight. "I know that you are strong enough to..." Whatever Raiya was going to say is interrupted by Maira's unusual solution to the sandworm problem. Confusion sweeps over the samurai as she looks to the Sandwoms and then to the siren. Will this work? Can this even work? It really just might be crazy enough to do so.

:'''[[Katyna]] has posed:''' Katyna grits her teeth, blasted back by the heartless, but not out yet! "Ugh, they're tough!" but she's tougher, hopefully! She charges at the closest sandworm heartless thinger, Slashing and slicing her sword at it, leaving a trail of flames in her wake.

:'''[[Deelel]] has posed:''' Deelel doesn't understand magic very well she knows how dangerous and useful it cna be however. She notices it seems to be helping some of her comrades as for her however she's not so lucky. She's fast, agile but if she miss times it well? She's hit and hit hard she's send sprawling but redovers fairly fast. She hears about where she might strike it from Avira. "Understood." Again the disk flies as she makes a shot for one of the hubcaps while she pulls back to recover a little bit.

:'''[[Ivo Galvan]] has posed:''' The Heartless is going wild. Shida's lightning and Umi's bullets rain down upon the Reaper's Wheel as it continues to race about, swifter down, growing more aggressive as it endures damage. Its greater speed continues to harass the Sandworms, and their massive bulk tears up the sand, making it difficult to pursue the Wheel as it charges around. The monsters are a huge and terrible nuisance, and dangerous themselves, but so far they at least do not seem to be attacking anyone, their limited sensory organs confounded by the effect of the Heartless's dark and oppressive aura. Judge Magister Gabranth, graceful in battle for all his armor, shears toward the Heartless from one side as Avira leaps at it from the other. Her tactic is sound, and the two of them might have caught it in a fierce pincer attack, but the Heartless brakes suddenly and peels into a sharp turn, their strikes glancing off the rims, the abomination instinctively protecting its most vulnerable points. But Gesandte aims his blasts well, and the shockwaves impact against the Heartless as it veers away from Gabranth and Avira, sending it wobbling off course, one side digging into the sand and threatening to send it careening into the cliff wall. This is the perfect opportunity to take it off guard, and TRON and Kim seize it, able to launch it into the air where, again, it appears to be more vulnerable. Nagetta's jump strikes it just as it hangs in mid-air, the powerful plunge driving it back to the sand as she bounds away. After their attacks hammer home, most of the yellow eyes about its rims have faded, and it leaves pools of shadow behind it -- as though leaking some sort of ethereal oil -- as it crashes back to the ground and shudders on its way. Attempting to regain some of its inertia, it begins to revv itself up, gearing up for a major assault-- Boom! And Priel's pillar of fire engulfs it just then, a blast of heat turning the sand around it to glass, marring the pure white beneath and cooking the Heartless to a crisp. Who would've thought she would help? Well, hopefully everyone around was far enough away from the blast. But now the Heartless is both furious /and/ desperate. On a vengeful tear, it roars its away around, rampaging wildly as it bears down on anyone in the vicinity with an implacable force, sparing no one -- except those too far away from it, of course. It seems easily distracted by enemies in its proximity, even as Lily's lightning blasts down at it. Priel, of course, is out of range. Good luck, Priel's allies. Meanwhile, however, the Sandworms are only growing more furious. The displays of magic, Priel's fire and Lily's lightning in particular, seem close to provoking them into violence, and the towering creatures begin to turn to leer at the adventurers, their vast fanged maws opening, promising a terrible fate. And just then-- Ivo looks up from the fossil, wiping dust and sweat from his brow, and blinks. "Hm." He slowly smiles as he sees that it is Maira who is singing, and pauses, leaning against the pillar for a moment despite the urgency of his task. "...Maybe a little nap would be alright..." No, focus! The Sandworms are focusing-- right at Maira, the two of them slowly lowering their gargantuan tube-like heads down to the fire mage, as she bravely continues to sing up at the beasts. Then, slowly, with the occasional petulant thrash -- casting sand dangerously close to Terra, but not close enough -- the monsters begin to sink lower into the sand, their heads resting upon its surface, still remaining above and still awake but-- calm. And listening. You may not want to stop singing. They're really, really big.

:'''[[Avira]] has posed:''' Well, shoot. Seems Avira's actually not swift enough to damage it directly through physical attacks. For a few moments, she actually feels a little depressed about that. Clearly she hasn't been training hard enough-but at least everyone else is too busy fighting to really note her own performance. Though inwardly loathing the thought a little, she resorts to channeling her magic through the Spine. Frost creeps over the length of her blade and it immediately grows heavier as it is burdened by ice. Dashing around, Avira waits for a good opportunity the next time the Reaper's Wheel zooms by her- And it is NOT FLIRTING! Avira does not like Ivo AT ALL. The next time the Heartless passes by her, Avira leaps at the hubcaps again, bringing her ice blade against it once. The second strike, given after hopping back from the first, allows a gale crafted to look like a snarling beast spring forward to slam against it. The 'creature' disappates on the strike, leaving a mess of ice in its wake.

:'''[[Tifa Lockhart]] has posed:''' Explosions! Explosions everywhere! Having taken a step back, Tifa was a in good position to at least see it coming. Instead, she uses her relatively light build to jump up as the explosion happen, and uses the draft up up to further push herself upward. In the air, she uses her flexibility to direct her fall toward the angry heartless. She's never had the chance to supplex a train of course, but how about giant wheels of death? That still worth soemthing, right?

:'''[[Maira]] has posed:''' Sing she will! She will sing until the sand worms are no longer a threat, hoping they will simply go back to sleep. That Heartless, surely everyone else is handling that! They likely don't need her help there! Now, if only Ivo could free whatever it is so they could all get out of here.... Maira keeps singing her lullaby, looping it, afraid to break the spell. By Holy, she cannot believe this is working.

:'''[[Emi Dennou]] has posed:''' ""Why are we attacking the giant sandworms?" Shida says. Umi withdraws a maker hook from her inventory and holds it out. "For this reason. They're agitated right now which means..." Her eyes narrow. "It's time... TO RIDE!" "Wait no that's crazy!" Shida cries out. BUT IT IS TOO LATE. Umi runs towards the sandworm and jabs it in the side with the maker hook. Irritated, the sandworm rolls up so that she's pulled on top of it! "Huraaaah!!!" Umi shouts. "I AM DOING THE WOORM! I AM DOING THE SANDWORM! RIDE MY FAITHFUL STEED AND DESTROY THOSE HEARTLESS, The Network realizes at this point that simply getting on top of you does not result in instant taming?" Nevertheless, she and Shida use the opportunity to flail lightning at the heartless. More lightning! You can never have too much, you know. "waaaaaaaaaaah."

:'''[[Gabranth]] has posed:''' Gabranth crosses his blades which blocks part of the impact, but the second part is what gets him and tosses him aside, before slamming him into the cliff side once more. It seems this cliff and him were having a relationship during this fight, just to bad it wasn't his type... The Judge Magister almost crashes down to one knee, but forces himself back up. His cape swept back before his blades are surrounded with darkness. The best he seems to be able to do for now was keep the creature occupied while the other adventures did their part. The Judge of Ambition then moves in again, connecting both of his blades in a spiraling motion to slash into the beast with the blades spinning, while his free hand then moves away to gather up dark energy in it. Then with his hand swept back as he leaps back into the air, he shoves his hand forward, sending dark waves over the heartless. Then as Gabranth lands down on the ground, he slams his connected sword into the ground before he circles his arms into the air. A dark rune circle appears under his body, before he picks up blade from the ground and then like the very blade yanks out the mystic dark circle. It slashes his blade at the air, sending the circle toward the heartless. Which then becomes an icy blade attempting to impale the Heartless and drain of it of its life energy.

:'''[[Priel Aylin]] has posed:''' "Hee hee~" Priel jeered, watching as her spell went off without a hitch. Not about to tempt fate any further though, she took a couple more steps back and away from the active combat zone further. It was a wonder the thing didn't turn on her for what she just did. Ah, the joys of having heroic meatshields handy~ Letting the battle freaks continue to wail on the heartless, Priel's ears twitched at the sound of...singing? Seriously? Was someone singing!? A turn of her head and the redhead's eyes were drawn to Maira, singing a lullaby...and hell, it was actually working. Was this some sort of joke? "....." Yet, despite her incredulity, she could not muster up any sort of smart comment. Instead, she just watched and listened...

:'''[[Gesandte]] has posed:''' Ges simply laughs as the demon beast attacks at him again, this time the gods seek to protect him fro all damage and he pushes the thing away as though it was a mere childs toy. He bends over like a sports person might do, eyeing the heartless, then charges his feet large enough to get decent traction on the sand as he runs for the monster, bringing his right hand up it begins to flair widly, the holy lights bursting from it in a firey blaze, oh he's gearing up allright "Now demon beast, prepare yourself. Prepare thy soul for you have been judged. Prepare for your ened, for you now face the wrath of the gods themselves, prepare for the GIGAS FIST!" He launches straight towards the monster, his flaring fist aiming true to seek the monster and end this, death to the unrepetentant that gives not remorse to repent for it's sins.

:'''[[Terra Branford]] has posed:''' Terra's throat finally manages to close on a puff of sand, such that her next cough drives it out in a small sparkling cloud. Inhaling the first breath that doesn't cause her lungs to spasm in rebellion has a considerable vitifying effect on the girl, but she has a lot of mess to clean up from her earlier use of excessive force. She knows most of the party won't even notice the problem unless it gets truly catastrophic, as they have a greater danger to contend with, so she focuses on making sure they don't have to fight the elements themselves. It's not easy. She can still barely see through her watery eyes, and she can only breath without coughing if she does so shallowly. And the chamber is gigantic, the currents powerful. Cheeks decorated with damp grit washed from her watering eyes, she looks to Raiya and nods, feeling pride and determination swell up in her chest. If the samurai would protect her so fiercely, could Terra do any less for the samurai? Throwing her arms wide again, Terra lets her head drop back, the sound of the limpid scarlet globes of glass bound up in her hair the only thing she can hear, for a moment. Maira's lullaby calms her. She breathes out softly. The whole room had become filled with a dull roar of wind behind all the sounds of battle, song, and earth rending, and with a pulse, that roar is erased in a progressively larger ring around Terra. Sand returns to rest on the ground, no more does anyone have to squint their eyes against grit. Now if only there wasn't a giant rampaging Heartless in this tranquil chamber.

:'''[[Kim Possible]] has posed:''' More attacks and more acrobatics by Kim. She's starting to find this is getting a bit boring though. She looks at the Heartless and says, "OK, this is getting boring, and I really want to get home in time to see Ron for a little while. So let me show you a little something." She pulls out what looks like a lipstick tube, but it's actually a laser! She fires it, then pulls back.

:'''[[Lily]] has posed:''' "Erk--" Noticing that the Sandworms aren't, in fact, hostile-- just angry and agitated, Lily re-focuses her assault, channeling the lightning solely on the Heartless. But she notices happily that the Heartless is being pinned by something or another. She calms down just a little.. and notices from her slightly lofty perch hovering a few dozen feet above the sands... that Nagetta is in serious trouble. "Don't get crushed!" The girl in white dvised her DESPERATELY with a yell... and gestures. Magic streams out of her fingers, a cerulean pillar of light bringing with it raw lifeforce and rejuvenating strength!

:'''[[TRON]] has posed:''' TRON catches his Disc and attempts to move away from the rampaging Heartless, but the churning sands beneath his feet stagger him. He is crushed under the spiked center drum, the spikes tearing parallel gashes from shoulder to waist through his cloak. He scrambles away from the Heartless, spinning his staff in one hand as he nurses the deep chest wounds with the other. They don't bleed--not technically--but blue-tinted voxels drip from the wounds like shattered glass shards. He can't really say it hurts, but it's certainly an unpleasant feeling all the same. He expels some air needlessly, then charges directly at the Heartless while it rampages. He aims a strike at one of the hubcaps, immediately jinking to the side and aiming an uppercut at at side of the 'wheel'. He then spins on the ground and throws the Disc once more, aiming to hit something vital. Maybe the weak-looking thin point between center drum and rim?

:'''[[Nagetta]] has posed:''' Nagetta's unable to get out of the way in time and gets ran over by the Heartless. She cringes in pain at she's flattened by the monster. She can feel light engulf her as she slowly gets back up. "Thanks Lily..." She's still in pain, but at least she's still standing. She curls up trying to shield her body from further harm. Leaving herself open right now wouldn't be a good idea.

:'''[[Deelel]] has posed:''' Deelel is having a very bad day here, a very bad day. She's just proven to not be used to fighting on such terrain. She slips on the sand she slips pretty badly and as she's going down she's caught with the full force of the attacka gainst her. To say she doesn't scream from such a hit would be a big old lie. For she does and she goes down pretty hard, she's alive but not moving that much after a hit like that.

:'''[[Ivo Galvan]] has posed:''' As the Heartless swerves about, bombarded by the relentless attacks of the heroes, the two Sandworms placidly dwell, somehow enraptured by Maira's song-- until one of them stirs suddenly, rearing upward, confused. It shakes itself once in mild irritation, its rough skin rippling as it seeks to shed whatever has attached itself. And there is Umi, shouting gleefully, high above, stuck to the creature. The unmolested Sandworm turns to regard its companion, as though in puzzlement, as the Sandworm that Umi is riding, still soothed, seems unclear on how to react. Sandworm thought processes are notoriously slow. Whereas the Reaper's Wheel, for all its haste, cannot avoid the adventurers' well-timed strikes, all of whom are able to either avoid or endure its rampage. Avira's ice-enhanced blows hit home, the wintry gale which emits from her sword tearing at the hubcaps with its beastlike fangs and causing the wheel to at last suffer irreperable damage, the Heartless beginning to spiral out of control. This is the beginning of its downfall. Tifa slams down on the confused Wheel, and Gabranth's dark circle combines its ice magic with Avira's own, locking the other wheel in place. The Reaper's Wheel tumbles, frozen and half-broken, trembling as it tries to move again, immobilized. Gesandte strikes at that moment, his huge frame launching straight toward the Heartless, and his flaming fist tears right /through/ the abomination, punching an enormous hole right down its middle as he charges out the other side, the combined powers of fire and ice rending the Reaper's Wheel asunder. TRON's attack from the side, now that the Heartless is half-destroyed, sends one half of the enemy flying up into the air, where it dissipates into a dark plume of smoke. The remaining half is there, twitching for a bit, as though trying to make sense of what's happened to it. But of course, Heartless can't make sense of things. So instead, it just dissolves into oblivion. VICTORY! With the dissipation of the Heartless, the Sandworms, already mostly subdued by Maira's song -- Umi's whooping notwithstanding -- rouse themselves slightly, and then seem to reset, their simple consciousnesses understanding only that the agitating presence has vanished. The riderless one sinks into the sand. But the one bearing Umi, still somewhat confused but no longer aggressive, begins to burrow its way toward the canyons, leaving the clearing and beginning to thread its way through the canyons, its towering frame beginning to wander aimlessly off into the sunset. Farewell, Umi. With a satisfying click of metal against stone, Ivo pulls the fossilized feather from the pillar at last, cloak swirling as he turns, carefully bearing it in his arms. "Whew... alright, we can finally get... oh, hey." Pause. "Nice fighting, everyone."

:'''[[Tifa Lockhart]] has posed:''' Tifa Lockhart phews, standing up after her last attacks, and giving the thumbs up to Ivo "So is it a world shard these things are protecting?" She points toward the tamed sandworms. Actually, she double-takes toward them "... I shouldn't ask."

:'''[[Maira]] has posed:''' As the Heartless is destroyed and the sand worms no longer need her soothing song, Maira lets the magic drop and her lullby with it. Without further adieu, Maira flops backward onto her begin into the sand, thoroughly exhausted and absolutely stunned that that crazy plan actually worked. She guesses they really were just grumpy children! Blinking, she looks around. "Is...everyone alright?" she asks.

:'''[[TRON]] has posed:''' TRON's attention is drawn to Deelel's scream as the other Program is taken down by the Heartless, which soon thereafter disappears into a poof of smoke. "Deelel!" He leaps over to her, kneeling at her side and checking over the damage she'd taken. Nothing she'll derez from, but nasty looking all the same. He watches the sandworms warily, uncertain if they'd attack or not, and only relaxes slightly when they passively depart from the area. He glances up at Ivo, noting he had freed the fossilized feather that is likely their prize. "Thanks." He glances over at Terra, as if realizing something. Wasn't she keeping the winds calm? Which means... "We should probably get out of this place, quickly." He carefully picks up Deelel in both arms and heads for the canyon, if only to get away from the vortex that's sure to return sooner than later.

:'''[[Gesandte]] has posed:''' Ges lands on his feet after that fierece attack, turning around to see the rest of the scene unfold yep it's good ok. He looks over the others, to make sure there are none no longer amongst them and that simple medical help is all that is needed. Trudging over to where some of them are to give overlooks to make sure they are still breathing and in one piece.

:'''[[Emi Dennou]] has posed:''' "Wooooooooooh!!!" Umi shouts. "Wa...wait you're going the wrong way...Turn around?" Pause. "Turn around?" Pause. "Aww nevermind this is awesome. Farewell space cowboys!!" She waves back to her friends as she's taken off... somewhere. How is she going to get back down? Shida says, "...dot dot dot."

:'''[[Gabranth]] has posed:''' The Heartless has been dispatched and it would seem everyone is alright. The Judge Magister glances at everyone as he unlocks his swords and sheaths them back into their places. His eyes, though hidden by the helm, return back to their blue color, before he turns and walks away from those gathered. He was no longer needed here and it would seem all was safe. Whatever these adventurers were doing was not of his concern. Those worms were and it would seem they too have been dealt with. So there goes the Judge Magister with the red Archadian Emblem easy to make out as he walks off.

:'''[[Terra Branford]] has posed:''' Terra resumes her feet again. She's visibly lighter than before; she touches the ground, but more like a faerie than a person, due to the buoyancy of her ongoing air magicks. "I'm all right," she assures TRON with a wan, grateful smile. She /does/ want to get out of this area; she'll sleep like a rock after this. "Just... make sure you get everything, I'd rather not have to come back," she quips to Ivo and the others examining his find, steadying herself by gripping Raiya's sleeve.

:'''[[Deelel]] has posed:''' Deelel is alive, she's moving and thankfully. As Tron comes over to her she's struggling to get up though. "ugg, that thing so fast." She also realises she's got a lot to learn. A whole lot more to learn, but she's alive and that's what counts. She's piocked up and carried, she should be fine in time, and prehaps with a few potions.

:'''[[Avira]] has posed:''' Well that was...unexpected. Avira could see, in that moment, the mist of her attack combining with that of the Judge Magister's in an odd way to freeze it in place. There was something both poetic and terrifying about that. Once it has crumbled, Avira backs away and... ...spins the Spine overhand and stabs it into the sand in front of her. Both hands come to rest on the hilt of the inverted blade. Moment of victory posing past, she's quick to check on the status of her fellow VALKYRI.

:'''[[Nagetta]] has posed:''' Nagetta's rather beat up from all the fighting. "At least it's over..." The lamia has certainly felt better. She needs sleep and nice large meal after all of that. She looks at the fossiled feather. "What's that for?" She wonders what they went through all that trouble for after all.

:'''[[Priel Aylin]] has posed:''' "Hmn, well that was over all too soon." Priel muttered, resting her hands on her hips as she surveyed the remaining activity. Suppose this counted as a job well done. She didn't have to lift a finger to fight and her clothes weren't harmed as all! Oh, and everyone else was still alive. Suppose that counted for something as well. BUT NOT AS MUCH! A shame that there was nothing valuable to be had from this venture. Where was the gold, the jewels, the artifacts! ...Now she was beginning to miss her stash from back home. Approaching the monument then, the redhead eyed what Ivo had unearthed with a raised eyebrow. "...Is this supposed to be exciting?"

:'''[[Ivo Galvan]] has posed:''' Ivo regards his exhausted fellow adventurers with an amused smile that only partially masks the relief in his eyes. Deelel and Nagetta seem to have been injured, but Lily is healing the Lamia and TRON has rushed to the aid of his fellow program. Unaware that one of the Legion is missing -- who can keep track of all of them, anyway? -- his gaze sweeps the area, settling on Gabranth, emblazoned with the emblem of Archadia and recognizable in his role by his armor, trudging away. "Just like that?" he murmurs. "Not even giving us time to thank him... Judges are formidable." Idly, he wonders which one that was, anyway. TRON's query to Terra stirs Ivo back to reality, though, and the knight-errant -- so prone to feign flippancy -- is humbled by the Program's solicitude. "Ah... TRON's right." Of course, Terra must be struggling even now. To think he'd forgotten. Well, Ivo, your calculations can't exceed those of a computer. "Let's remove ourselves from this wind chamber and examine the fossil." Bearing it in his arms, he glances back down at the device still dangling from his hand, which still fails to stir. "...strange..." He's mumbling to himself. Did he expect the Shard Seeker device to work or not!? Terra's good humor after her ordeal distracts Ivo from his thoughts, the young swordsman blinking and then grinning again, visibly impressed with the green-haired girl. "You possess wisdom and grace in equal measure, Miss Branford," the Shard Seeker remarks, "to say nothing of your fortitude. Come, let's away." He nods gratefully to TRON as he picks Deelel up, glancing over to make sure that everyone else is-- "Avira, is now /really/ the time for a victory pose?" Whoops, he caught her at just the wrong time. Visibly amused, making his way toward the exit and the canyons beyond, Ivo falls in alongside Nagetta. "I'm not sure... it looks like a phoenix pinion, if anything... but why would it be here, preserved so carefully, such that someone would deliberately guard it with a wall of wind?" His speculations are rudely interrupted. "Oh, I'll excite you, alright," he immediately replies to Priel, countering her raised eyebrow with a raised eyebrow of his own. "If you thought /those/ worms were big, just w--" A gust of wind blows sand in his face.

Trespassers Will Be Toad

2013-01-20T22:40:59Z

IvoGalvan:

{{Log Header
|Date of Scene=2013/01/20
|Location=Fluorgis - City
|Synopsis= A party of adventurers investigates mysterious disappearances and rumors of monsters in the Fluorgis Water Treatment plant. Everyone was Kung-Fu Fighting. HAAAH. Caution: You May Get Wet.
|Cast of Characters=Reize Seatlan, Faruja Senra, Mercade Alexander, Tifa Lockhart, Avira, Deelel, Maira, Stormfall, Lumeria, Aerith, Leida, Emi Dennou, Kim Possible, Percival, Dameon
|Tinyplot=Shadows Over Fluorgis
|pretty=yes
}}
:'''[[Stormfall]] has posed:''' The natural scope of the Fluorgis Treatment Plant is that it actually doubles as sustainable wetlands even in the harsh desert environment. It is an oasis of greenery, a small self contained ecology through which wastewater is filtered through numerous mechanical and ecological methods. The problems began when a technician discovered a strange marking on the bottom and sides of one of the great aeration vats in the center of the complex. At first it was seen only as a curiosity, a bit of petty and obscure vandalism done by another member of the staff. When the disappearances began, they did so quickly and without warning. The fountains and surrounding area has been quarantined because of the rumors of monsters inhabiting the facility coming from the few treatment personnel who now remain in the city while investigations continue. The plant stretches some distance, with the main plant being nestled around membranous filter tanks and subtanks and nearly an acre of carefully maintained wetlands. The plant life has obvious thrived in the absence of life, unnaturally so, as the main gates that shield the plant from the curious are overgrown by weeds and choking vines. So much growth has happened suddenly and only within the last day or two.

:'''[[Reize Seatlan]] has posed:''' Fluorgis has seen many events occur. Unfortunately, with the disappearance of the advenures and the barrage of Heartless attacks, it is slowly growing more apparent that the folks are on edge. Nevertheless, the leader of the Shard Seekers is on the case! When he arrives at the gate with his appropriate crew, Reize's eyes widen at the sight of the gate and the place overgrown by the weeds and vines. "EH?!" Reize's antenna hair stands up and he stares in bewilderment, "This is horrible!" 

:'''[[Aerith]] has posed:''' And while it is horrible to look at, it's not unexpected. From what she'd heard, this place was cordoned off for quite some time. Of course it'd look like this. What she didn't like was the utter, dead silence... and the feeling that she was being watched.

:'''[[Faruja Senra]] has posed:''' And right beside the Shard Seeker leader? Faruja is already attempting a bit of impromptu gardening with his spear and footclaws, scowling. The news of adventurers gone from Fluorgis, and now this doesn't sit well with the Burmecian. "Indeed. It bodes ill." Kick! Kick goes the irritated ratling to the gate. Open you bloody vine-encrusted piece of metal junk!

:'''[[Emi Dennou]] has posed:''' MO' MONEY. MO' PROBLEMS. Though for Legion, they kind of do want the MO' PROBLEMS since 'being able to have reliable meals' is a nice thing and since SOMEONE WHO SHALL NOT BE NAMED (ISAAC) ressurected one of them AND they no longer can rely on lab support to make usre they don't keel over (except when they wanted them to keel over), it actually takes a fair bit of moolah just to keep their head above the water known as BEING POOR AND/OR IRISH. Well actually they are pretty poor but at least they don't actually have to eat their own shoes like Will Sherman. Evne though Umi says you get used to them after a while. The Network does not believe Umi. As is typical, you get Emi and Imi for Fluorgis missions. Imi's skills include support, being overly affectionate, and loving plants! Emi's skills are a bit more complex. "Unusual." Emi says. "But luckily the pay is acceptable. Perhaps with this we can eat food that is prepared with time and leisure rather than the sort of food typically labeled as 'fast food' which, strangely, despite the speed often is not the food you ordered." She bows her head. "Let us pray for a good payout, The Network begs some God or another." She straightens. "Alright, that is done." Imi gives Faruja an apologetic glance for Emi's misuse of random deities. "A lot of water treatment personel seem to be missing." Emi tells Kim. "And something is off about the water. Be wary... it may turn you into a..." Emi's eyes narrow. "...Ferret." She nods firmly. "Or simply poison you and cause you to take lots of dumps." "I do declare!" Imi fans herself with a hand.

:'''[[Tifa Lockhart]] has posed:''' Tifa Lockhart steps up behind the Shard Seekers, arms crossed "Well that is a really surprising sight, in the middle of the desert, so much green. None of this is natural, isn't it?" She sighs. It just sounds like more trouble brewing. But that's why she's here, right? She glances to the others gathered here. Hmm, there's a few new faces. Must be newly spit out from the multiverse somehow. Well, let's hope the breaking in won't be too hard... and here's hoping there's not too many heartlness to handle doing so.

:'''[[Kim Possible]] has posed:''' When there's trouble, Kim Possible's there on the double! How does she get there? That's a secret that only she knows, but what doesn't matter is how she gets there. What matters is that she's managed to get there quickly and in the right amount of time. She literally dashes into the area before skidding to a stop and looking around. "What's the sitch?" She asks to no one in particular.

:'''[[Percival]] has posed:''' Fluorgis. Patrolling the city of Flowers had become routine to the Gargoyle, so much so that he almost instantly recognized that something was amiss with the plant. While he would have typically chalked it up to the chaos that this new world seems to attract, something about it stood out in his mind as being worth a closer look. Noting the gathering by the gates, he lazily circles around for a time, taking in the features of the plant from above, before coming to a landing right beside the gate. Several of the individuals were familiar, and always seemed to be there when trouble was brewing. "A fair evening to all of you. I'm going to presume that this overgrowth of foliage is not in typical." His wings wrap around him as if they were a cloak, as he places a hand over his chest, and tilts forward into bow as a way of greeting.

:'''[[Dameon]] has posed:''' Plants, plants, and stuff. Dameon has been visiting Fluorgis off and on, learning the basic belly-dancing skills of the local performers. When TDA told him about something going down, he decided to tag along with Emi. The dancer prances behind the pair, and he peers at the gate, "Sooooo, uh.. do we set it on fire?"

:'''[[Avira]] has posed:''' Sometime earlier on the SUPER SECRET TWILIGHT DETECTIVE AGENCY HOTLINE: Avira says, "So I heard there was a rash of missing person cases in Fluorgis. In particular, near the water treatment plant. We should check it out!" Sometime NOW: "Sooooo I hiiiiighly suspect since this is Fluorgis, we might have to contend with the Shard Seekers showing up." She explains to Mercade, "Though this has nothing to do with Shards. They've been getting involved a lot in the stuff going on in these parts. Sounds like they're trying to get official clan status." Avira heads right up to the overgrown gates, looking at the vegitation with suspicion. Very cautiously, she prods one of the vines with a finger, as if testing to see if it'll spring to life and attack. There are monsters in this area that can do that, after all.

:'''[[Deelel]] has posed:''' Fluorgis had a water treatment plant. She understood the cocnept well enough. She'd thoguh everyone had been drinking energy much like she would back on the grid. Yet? WATER? That was madness touching water was lethal so far as she knows, and she wonders about this but if she'd been drinking water? Well she must not be harmed by it like she is now. She's come to help and starts to wonder just what has so much trouble befalling Fluorgis is it next on the heartless's hit list? It could very well be so. Still she seems a bit uneasy about the water. The plants are ided but her disk should make short work of that, if it comes down to it.

:'''[[Lumeria]] has posed:''' Lumeria's heard that there's been Fluorgris been going on lately. Maybe she could find a way to make it work to her advantage. Of course, by the time the girl arrives it's already filled up with heroic types. Not to mention, that it seems no one's been doing any gardening recently.

:'''[[Leida]] has posed:''' Leida has never actually been to this part of the city, her daily needs catered to by the market district. The small girl trudges along behind her friends, her footsteps slow and heavy from apprehension. Her attention is focused on the ground as she walks, her bare feet more susceptible to stubbed toes and the tripping hazards created by the unusual surge of plant life. Even for a place called the City of Flowers, this level of wild vegetation was unnatural and out of place, like nature had rising up to reclaim the facility for its own except that such a thing would take years not days. It does not bode well. The princess lets out a soft gasp of awe at the sight of the entangled doors, quietly ignoring Emi's rather crude remarks. "Oh... how strange... perhaps the spirits of this place have been angered...?" As more and more people file in to investigate, some she knows, many she does't, Leida scoots closer and closer to her friend until she is clinging to Imi's shirt and peering shyly around her shoulder at the newcomers. "Ah... is... is it normal for so many to be here...?"

:'''[[Maira]] has posed:''' Maira has tagged along with Avira and Mercade, because apparently she is on a 'find missing persons' kick. She does seem to be fairly good at it, what with her connection to Uist, who is basically an amazing scout. Thus, she couldn't very well justify staying home! Why would she want to? Life is there to be lived, after all! Maira looks toward Leida as she hears something about spirits, smiling and waving lightly to the Shard Seeker. She has the feeling the two would have a good bit to talk about, given the chance. "Well, at least Ivo isn't here," she breathes so that only Avira and possibly Mercade could hear her.

:'''[[Stormfall]] has posed:''' The gate creaks with the booted tread of an irritated burmecian. The sounds of animals, in particular the croaking of frogs can be heard beyond the gates of the treatment plant. Thankfully these vines don't seem to be the 'eat you and all of your kinfolk' type vines although they look fragile and swollen. Even the light jarring given to them by the kicking of the gate has caused a number of them to ooze clear watery fluid. They look like they would fall apart almost at the touch with just a little more effort. These gates won't hold them back for very long at all with the application of a little brute force.

:'''[[Faruja Senra]] has posed:''' "Good 'eve, Lady Avira! Do tell me you have some gardening experience, I fear we shall be doing much of it given how our luck has ran! Lady Lockhart has the right of it, 'tis unnatural indeed." And likely not a miracle! As for the Ladies Dennou? They get a bow rather than any reproaches this day. Any irritation he might have for the women is gifted to the door instead. KICK! "Open, Faram smite you!" Pause. "I would so hate to be made into the form of a vermin." Sigh. Hazards of the job. Perk. Faruja turns briefly from his gate-pounding to spy of all things, a Gargoyle. A /male/ gargoyle! It's the first of the masculine sort he's seen, and the rat takes a moment to survey the man. "And to you as well. You are certainly welcome to assist us, good Ser. Temple Knight Faruja Senra, of the Holy Church, at your service. But let us not stand on formalities, hmm? We've a mystery to solve!" Bow! Kick! A creaking gate. "Ahh, Progress. And therapeutic." Someone's enjoying this whole 'kick in the door' thing. Maira gets a smile, and wave of his fuzzy-tipped tail back before he goes back to applying violence to inanimate objects. "Lady Leida, I fear the only spirits we shall find are those of the, Lord make it otherwise, dearly departed and malignant ones."

:'''[[Percival]] has posed:''' Percival watches the irritated Burmecian's kick reverberate throughout the gate, before he steps forward himself. "I doubt the proprietors would mind overmuch if we bring the gate low." While not the strongest example of his kind, he proceeds to attempt to wraps his hands around the bars, and digging in his taloned heels, he pushes against it with all of his might. Not expecting the gate to fall on its own with just him pressing it, he motions to the others. "Come now, good sirs, ladies. Let's put our backs into it."

:'''[[Mercade Alexander]] has posed:''' The Shard Seekers aren't the only ones on the scene. Mercade and a good chunk of the TDA are present as well. "This is a hell of a situation, really." Mercade says. He looks over to Emi. "You know Celina is going to flip out when she hears you've been eating fast food again. Hell, I can barely say 'pizza' without her yelling." Avira and Emi have things covered as to WHAT'S GOING ON, and he adjusts his paper-craft Fedora. It's like a regular Fedora, but it has the prefix Paper (-90% Pulchritude). "Anything we can do to help them is a benefit." He looks over the vines, and shrugs. "We need to go through that." Mercade says. "You guys have all the cutting objects, let's clear the foliage and move forward." He glances over to Maira, but doesn't say anything.

:'''[[Reize Seatlan]] has posed:''' A glance is given towards Tifa when she arrives behind them. The de facto leader waves a hand her way, "Ooii, Tifa!" He glances over towards Emi, who gives the theory of the situation, "Well..." Reize shakes his head. "... Maybe it will, but the water supply needs to be fixed." Reize looks over towards Leida and the others with a frown, "...I tend to wander around and I've gotten lost once!" TIME BEFORE Reize wounded up getting lost and he explored deep within the water plant. Moments later, Reize was carried off by the scruff of his neck. The workers promptly showed Reize the door. "We know you get lost, but could you get lost somewhere ELSE, Seatlan?! We're busy!"%rPRESENTLY "...Where are the workers?" And then, he looks over towards the toads. With the gate opening, Reize blinks, "oooh." The boy waves towards Avira and Mercade, "Ooooiii! Mercade!" 

:'''[[Lumeria]] has posed:''' Lumeria's ears raise with the sounds of croaking. "Frogs?!" She hates that sound, it reminds her of the curse her sister placed on her. Was she going mad, or had the others heard it as well? "The form of a vermin?" Her heard turns towards Faruja before noticing the Burmecian. Great, one of the rats was here too. That's just what she needed tonight.

:'''[[Tifa Lockhart]] has posed:''' Tifa Lockhart is actually glad they aren't the maneating kind... since apparently we're going to get in close contact to them shortly. "It'd be scary if they were the man-eating kind..." She pushes some leaves aside, fraying through the green toward the gates. "So anyone knows how these things appeared anyway, or is that the reason we're here?" Beside the missing people... Its redundant, but she really hopes its not man-eating plants T_T

:'''[[Aerith]] has posed:''' Aerith wouldn't say much in response, she'd just keep her eyes open. Of course, there were a lot of frogs here... too many to be coincidence. No such thing as that, of course. Maybe the disappearances were easily explained after all. All they had to find was the reason behind the frogification.

:'''[[Avira]] has posed:''' "Missing persons." Avira tells Kim, despite not recognizing her the least bit. She just assumes she's another one of those who have joined up with the Shard Seekers. She doesn't dress like any local that she's seen in Fluorgis, come to think of it... "No gardening..." Avira says to Faruja, reaching behind her to pull out the Spine. The sword-like weapon is flipped upright in Avira's hand, then slowly brought in front of her. With a flash, she swipes it upwards, then diagonally, then sideways, then downward, then diagonally again. After a second, freshly sliced vines slide to the ground, piling at the base of the gate. Sure, the vines weren't especially /tough/ or anything, but dispatching them this way looked undeniably cool and Avira had always wanted to do that. "...but I do have weedwhacking experience." Avira says cooly as she returns her weapon back to its sheath. Fighting that awful Gaudium Lord that one time in the sewers did have some benefits!

:'''[[Mercade Alexander]] has posed:''' "HEY REIZE!" Mercade calls back to Reize as he gets greeted in that... Uniquely Reizy way. He rubs his chin. "That's a lot of missing people. I wonder if it's some kind of plant monster? Maybe some kind of crazy nature-lover?" Mercade theorizes. He looks around as some toads hop past, and just shrugs. "I'm not sure, Tifa. I'm just wondering what the cause could be. It can't be this simple, or else the local defensive forces would have handled it."

:'''[[Kim Possible]] has posed:''' "Missing persons? Glad I showed up," Kim replies to Avira, not knowing who she is either. Then she spots the frogs and she wrinkles her nose. "What are these frogs doing here? They're so totally gross!" She shakes her head as she heads towards the gate, not fazed by the vines much, although she's honestly glad they're not maneating ones either. "They won't be missing for much longer after I'm done here!"

:'''[[Emi Dennou]] has posed:''' "Choice of meals is the privilege of those who neither have 6 mouths to feed or solidified pay which is not a request for increased funds but simply a stated fact of reality." While Emi would love to earn whatever is non newbie pay for the TDA she'd rather earn it first but, really, simply having rooms they don't have to pay for is a big enough boon from the TDA thank you very much. Emi like many people is not fond of receiving charity, they've already taken quite a bit of that lately. "Why Ivo?" Emi asks of Maira. Imi on the other hand examines the vines. "Something's strange about these vines..." She thinks it over and decides to stay clear of them. She may be fond of plants but that doesn't mean she rubs poison ivy all over herself. And this looks worse than poison ivy. "Do we have someone with an umbrella that can handle the opening of this door?" She steps back and away, though Emi is still perfectly in range of trouble.

:'''[[Dameon]] has posed:''' "Ooh, I see now!" Dameon comments, "Gates are meant for kicking down. I'm going to try that when I go home!" He traipses in after people. He traipses around the vines. "Ew. I hate plants," Dameon remarks.

:'''[[Deelel]] has posed:''' Deelel there's a lot of people she knows of here, and some she does not. Well it's good many are here to help still right? She seems to find the vines don't try to eat them all that's good it's time to push past as they seem to be already working on the gates as a whiole. "Hummm I wonder what could have caused this. I hope it has nothignt to do with that Nu again." She's still unhappy about the trouble that man caused.

:'''[[Maira]] has posed:''' The young mage looks toward Mercade at his look, tilting her head slightly in askance before they all move on. Oh well, she supposes. Must not have been anything important? Still, suddenly she feels a little awkward. About to get some magic brewing to bust through that gate, she stops as Avira does her thing with her sword, smiling widely. Indeed, she even claps! Turning then, she greets Emi with a bright smile that quickly curdles at mention of Ivo. "O-oh, he just...always complicates things," she informs Emi, and hopes to leave it at that.

:'''[[Stormfall]] has posed:''' The gate opens as the swollen vines shred apart, spraying liquidy juice and a fine mist that smells sugary sweet over those who are working on opening the path for them. Inside the gates are walkways that quickly cut away into flooded terraces. There are three main parts of the water plant. There are the flooded terraces they are standing in now, at a junction that leads left towards waterfalls rising up into the sky towards magical gravity filters that have obviously gone awry-- giant bubbles of semi-pure liquid are floating over there like giant soap bubbles. To the right are the aeration tanks that have become completely choked with giant vines, making the pathway around and between the large vats treacherous. The way forwards towards the central wetland reclaimation areas and the main plant is blocked by giant swollen vines that are crushing a control box in their grip that has been wrenched halfway off the mounting. To the left and right are ways to get around the crushing vines, but again brute force is always an option.

:'''[[Faruja Senra]] has posed:''' Faruja's smart enough to step back when Avira goes for the Spine. That thing, after all, looks decidedly painful. He's actually somewhat glad he's never ended up on the other side of it...and somewhat saddened by that very fact. Ear-perk. Faruja pipes up to the odd man who's dancing around. He'll not judge. Maybe the man's some sort of fancy dancing-fighter? He's seen stranger. "Only in the case of overgrown foliage, or Heretics." Pause. "Or Alexandrians. Particularly Alexandrians." Too bad he doesn't know there's one in the party! Earperk. He turns briefly to Kim. "More assistance is certainly welcome. If you've talent for such things, then by all means! Hardly /my/ forte." Cough! Suddenly, he's sprayed by sugary sweet juice after their combined efforts pay off. Pause. Sniff. Lick. Hey, that's not bad. The rat was kinda thirsty anyway. Ahem! Faruja takes a moment to survey the area. "Marvelous! Why...'tis not too far from Burmecia's architecture. Sans the machinery." Someone's in awe, give the Templar a second.

:'''[[Dameon]] has posed:''' Dameon looks mildly confused. He sees some of the bubbles, and he immediately becomes suspicious. He points at those, "Keep away from those." Then, Dameon seems to get an idea. He begins to tap his feet. His hair color fades away slightly, and he begins to do a little jig.. almost in a piper-like beat. Dameon tries to use his magic to take control of the vines and make them move away to clear a way through the walkway. People who are not particularly strong-willed, might feel an urge to joint he dancer in a conga-line.

:'''[[Leida]] has posed:''' Speaking of malignant spirits... As if summoned out of thin air by the mere mention of such things, twin balls of eldritch green flame wink into existence, the spherical bodies spinning wildly as they emerge from some vortex in reality. A puff of flame and a bright flash later, the two flickering fireballs are hovering over the small princess, one a few inches above each shoulder. 'Nnnnnnrgh! Man, what a nap. How long have we been out?' 'Hard to say, my friend. Perhaps a better question is what sort of bothersome nonsense have we stepped into this time?' Leida takes a step back away from Imi and glances up at them, not seeming particularly surprised at the spirit's arrival. They had a knack for showing up when it was most inconvenient. They weren't actually particularly evil, must... annoying mostly. Fortunately for everyone else, that annoyance was mostly confined to Leida. "Oh... you two... Y-you really do not need to come out now... there is um... nothing particularly interesti--" 'WHAT IS THAT SMELL?' Lefty and glares accusingly at the girl. Fireballs don't actually have faces but she can practically feel his otherworldly stare. "It... it is not /me/!" 'Egads, are we in a /swamp/? Young miss you should not be mucking about in such a place!' The shredding of the vines and the subsequent spray of moisture as the doors burst open causes the girl to squeak in surprise and duck behind Imi again, shielding herself from the burst. "I-it is not by choice...!"

:'''[[Reize Seatlan]] has posed:''' Reize's frown grows as he keeps looking around the garden. With Mercade noting about the situation, Reize grunts and he starts walking ahead. "No matter, let's go deal with this!" As the gate pens up, the liquid juice sprays from the vines... Yet, he continues to wander ahead, looking over the flooded terraces. Reize tilts is head over eyeing the bubbles with curiosity, "Oooh.." After a moment, Reize makes his way towards the tanks choked wth the giant vines. He decides to withdraw both of his boomerangs. He lunges the boomerang out, moving to hack it away, "Haaa!" "...Leida? Are you alright?" He squints, as she is talking to----oooooh, right. Those. The spirits!

:'''[[Tifa Lockhart]] has posed:''' Tifa Lockhart coughs a bit when the weird mist seems to spread with the opening of the gates. "What's with the bubbles in here..." She follows through carefully, not wanting to risk unstable footing in here... She looks to the others behind her, covering her nose with her gloved hand, looking around the place... "Watch it."

:'''[[Kim Possible]] has posed:''' "Hey, I can do anything," Kim says with a slight smirk to Faruja. "There's nothing I can't do!" It's a slight exaggeration, but it's just how Kim is. Then again, what do you expect from a girl who's name is a play on the word 'impossible?' Then she notices some strange, green fireball type things going around, and she drops into a crouch quickly. "Totally uncool! Whatever those things are, I don't like them!" She wrinkles her nose even more before looking to Tifa. "I intend to, definitely. This place is, like, not cool!"

:'''[[Aerith]] has posed:''' Aerith decides of course to make her way around the vines. If slicing them open was not necessarily a good idea, she would simply move out of their way. "Good idea, that. I do not want to know what'd happen if I fell in there..."

:'''[[Lumeria]] has posed:''' Lumeria glares at Faruja's comment resisting the urge to try and push him into the water. Of course with her lack of physical strength it would prove rather difficult for the elfin to do so. What was with the mist? It certainly wasn't the kind she was used to on Gaia. She steps carefully not wanting to fall into the water herself, that would be rather embarassing.

:'''[[Emi Dennou]] has posed:''' Sadly Imi and Emi are not Emi. Imi has stayed back, so she's a good person to hide behind. She zaps some bubbles for the otherwise oblivious Emi. She certainly seems to think SOMETHING is up with these vines, but she doesn't know what. She just knows they LOOK unpleasant and that's enough to not get any of their juice on you. OR LICK IT, FARUJA. Emi nods to Maira. "Mm...yes, we could see that." Though come to think of it, doesn't Avira also have some manner of issue with Ivo? Hmm. Imi looks over to Leida and asks, lightly, "Oh...you know, we have fire now? Perhaps we could use those green fireballs to help clean out the area, mm?" She is not being actually serious, she's just taunting those ghosts that she can't actually see a bit, more teasing really. But something occurs to her. "Oh Leida, were you that worried about getting splattered? Worry not, I'll carry you." What? She crouches a bit and intends to, yes, 'princess carry' Leida into her arms. "Be careful Emi!" Emi waves her off. To the beat. And even taps her foot a little, but she's not joining in.

:'''[[Percival]] has posed:''' A face-full of liquid and mist hardly seems like the most dignified way to start this trek, but at least the gate opened as a result of their actions. Taking the back of his taloned hand, he brushes away as much of it as he can to dry off with a soft growl of irritation. While the vines seem thick around the area, he makes no move to draw his sword from his scabbard. He still takes a moment to survey the group. What a strange bunch. He steps towards Leida, and leans over to speak with her. "Try to stay behind us Leida. And while I know its difficult, keep your jesters under control. I don't like the look of this." Fighting the strange urge to Mambo behind Dameon, he eyes Mercade. "Do you have any clues as to what might be going on?" He gives Faruja a suspicious look, as if not knowing what to make of the well-spoken rat, before he continues to walk with the group.

:'''[[Avira]] has posed:''' "Eeew." Avira wipes the sweet vine juice off her face, vaugely glad that none of it managed to get into her mouth. "I too am glad Ivo is not here. I could use a break from his borish taunting!" Stepping inside, Avira looks around thoughtfully, marvelling a little at even the incorrectly-functioning water plant. Magic could be such a wonderful thing when applied so practically. Spotting even MORE vines infesting the place, Avira withdraws her weapon again, ready to go to town once more. But then Dameon the dancer steps in and starts to shake what his mama gave him. "Wait, is that really going to..." She trails off. Those vines were definitely not natural, perhaps even adverserial. They may very well be working against a man-eating plant here! Horrifying. Something about that dancing though... ...Avira can't really help it. She's got the urge. The urge to sing. "You've been to the dancing shows You've seen how the rumba goes What rhythm, fascinating rhythm~ Havana brings news to you! They've just introduced a new sensation, A dancing creation!" It's a little bizzare. As if Avira's providing some musical accompaniment for the dancing. "They call him Cuban Pete! He's the king of the rumba beat! When he plays the maracas he goes Chick-chicky boom, chick-chicky boom!"

:'''[[Deelel]] has posed:''' Deelel sees as the gates open and she flips back just intime getting uot fo the way of the trange fluit she doesn't like the smell of it for som reason. She doens't lik the feel of the whole situation to be honest. She really doesn't like it. "Faruja Mercade? Anyone have you seen anything ,iike this ... before I not seen anything like this." Reize is also on her rader as is Leida "Are you all right?" Then the music starts with Avira and she can't help but be suprised the idea of singing is still something very new to the basic.

:'''[[Mercade Alexander]] has posed:''' "Wow, this is crazy." Mercade says as he walks in after the way is opened. He waves a hand as a faint sweet smell comes to his nostrils, and he frowns slightly. "Is it just me, or is there something odd..." He trails off. He just can't put his finger on it. And then he notices the balls of flame that hang around Leida, pointing the small Princess out. Mercade's expression grows grim, and a hand moves towards one of his weapons... But he doesn't take actions against her. Instead he just remains there, tense, looking over the area. "It's like the entire area has been overgrown and choked to a halt." Mercade says. "These things need to be cleared out if we're going to avoid a slog through a ton of water... And I don't know about you guys, but I can't breathe water." He nods to Aerith. "You're right. Something strikes me as unhealthy about falling into water treatment areas in a purification plant." He shakes his head to Percival. "Not enough so far, really. I can't tell what's going on there. Mercade pauses, blinking as he thinks about what is going on here with Avira. "Oh God, she's gone Musical." He says, wondering how this... helps the situation, despite not minding doing so himself in other situations...

:'''[[Stormfall]] has posed:''' The vines shudder and tremble to the force of some magical and mysterious /DANCE/ mojo. (Cuban Pete is irresistible) They begin to ooze watery sap as they tremble and slide to the beat of the conga out of the way, revealing the walkway that cuts through the turmoil towards the central reclaimation area. About fifteen feet along that path, a busted pipe spews a torrent of water endlessly in a gurgling geyser. The geyser completely /soaks/ the waterway in a constant sheet of pressurized sludgewater. There is no way past the busted pipe except backtracking, slogging through the fens to either side or turning it off. There is another control box half buried in the sludge filled overgrown fens to either side of the walkway. It possibly would have a way to turn off the geyser. In another part of the plant The vines that Reize smashes into shred instantly, water and sap exploding out of them as the boomerangs puncture their thin skins.

:'''[[Faruja Senra]] has posed:''' HE WAS POISON TASTING FOR YOU, LADY DENNOU(S)! And Faram-help him, it tasted good. The rat doesn't regret it, at least not yet. Faruja feels something pulling on the edge of his consciousness, Dameon's magical dancing calling out to him. While lively, and a lover of dance, the rat is far too on edge and nostalgic to really get pulled into it. A brief flash of Light. He tries not to glance back at Leida. Busy inspecting various bubbles and Reize's fooling with the vines, the rat looks well and truly lost. He'll stick to being Guardian for the squishier party members. One of whom that /doesn't/ toss him into the bubbly mess. The elf's day shall come, no doubt! For now, the rat hovers by Maira, one ear perking. "By the /Lord/, I never knew you could sing Lady Avira! What talent." Color him impressed! To Deelel, he shakes his head. "Nay, M'Lady. Not in my life." Blink. It worked. It /worked/. "...Dancing does not cause vines to move." Sigh. "Mayhap /that/ is our problem?" Sludge-water does sound problematic. As for clearing vines? Cue stabbing from as far away as possible. He's using all of his spear's leverage upon the nearest vine-set.

:'''[[Aerith]] has posed:''' Of course, the simplest solution is to turn this thing off. The only question was how to do it? Had to be some valve or something around, and so she takes a look at where exactly... oh. There, what looks to be some kind of control box... in the midst of all that ick. "Oh you have got to be kidding me." She grimaced and headed toward it. "Tifa, help me out."

:'''[[Reize Seatlan]] has posed:''' As Reize turns to see Avira singing and dancing, Reize tilts his head over and he blinks, "Eh?!" He peers at her, "Uhhh...." Though, the music is catchy. However, when the boomerang strikes against the vines, they explode and the sap explodes out. "Ack!" Reize is caught in the explosion of the sap. "Uhhh..." Reize turns over to face the rat. "Well, I made a path!" Never mind is face is full of----oooohhh.. Reize does have the urge to follow after Dameon, the music drawing him. So, he decides to join him and Avira in the conga line.

:'''[[Avira]] has posed:''' "Yes sir, he's Cuban Pete! He's the craze of the native street! When he plays the maracas he goes Chick-chicky boom, chick-chicky-boom~" Strange part is...Avira's not all that bad. She's definitely having a lot of fun with it! And hey, why not, the dancing is certainly working as the vines slide away from the path they were blocking. Once this has done, she actually ceases her song and laughs nervously. "Well everyone one can sing..." she murmurs sheepishly, "If they put their heart into it." As they move onward and come by the sludge geyser soaking the walkway, it really does seem like they'll have to find another way around. But Avira has other ideas. "...hmmm. Mercade! Get ready to make a break for it!" She lifts her hands and spreads her fingers out, murmuring something quietly to herself. Blue light gathers upon her fingers and her ice magic is loosed upon the pipe geyser. Given the water pressure, it probably isn't going to stop it for long, but if one person can get through...

:'''[[Dameon]] has posed:''' Dameon leads the conga line of Avira and Reize. Dameon laughs at the confused looks people give him. He looks over to Faruja and winks, "Dancing is /always/ the solution. Never, ever doubt it!" The beat suddenly shifts to a jazzy jilt as the vines move. Dameon starts to do a two-step, after Avira stops singing. Dameon starts to do a bid of skat. "Hat-geedy-da, bip bop da bobbity-bibbity booba!" Dameon says while he does the two step in place. The magic shifts out and attempts to command the vines to simply /die/. You are no longer needed. Dameon's body becomes paler by the second.

:'''[[Percival]] has posed:''' Percival puzzles as to why the boy wields boomerangs in that way, and is inwardly glad it was not him that found himself soaked. He couldn't help but to chortle at Avira's song though. "My word, does she take requests?" Percival looked upon the control box half-buried in the sludge with suspicion, while it is possible that he might be able to make the leap, or even a short glide to reach it, he didn't think the sludge looked particularly trustworthy. "It is possible that I might be able to reach that, but I'd prefer not to try if there are other avenues available to us. Does anyone have a suggestion?"

:'''[[Lumeria]] has posed:''' Well, Lumeria's only physically squishy. She could likely tank a Nuke spell or two if she had to. Of course she's going to let the others do most of the work here. It's not like she can cast Float, though she really should get around to learning it one of these days.

:'''[[Leida]] has posed:''' When it comes to weak wills, the little princess would probably right up on top of that list. She's got more footprints on her back than a doormat at a mud farm. So when the subtle music begins to play Leida's ears perk up and she feels the strange urge to dance overcome her body. However, before she can thoroughly embarass herself in such a manner, Imi provides a conveniently timed rescue... that is equally embarrassing. But Leida does not complain when she is scooped up and even wraps her arms around her friend's neck to help support her weight. Her cheeks turn slightly scarlet by this strange offer but considering the look of the water and the fact that she isn't wearing any shoes, the princess is more than happy to accept this particular courtesy. Overhead, the twin balls of fire are now behaving very erratically to those who cannot hear them, their heatless bodies bouncing back and forth in the air intermixed with the occasional spin. 'Iiiiiiii ain't got noboooody~ and no-body cares for meeeee...!' Lefty's voice is akin to a bag full of cats being thrown down a flight of stairs but he seems completely oblivious to this fact or simply doesn't care, his carefree soul enraptured by the magical dancing. 'That's whyyyyyy I'm sad and loooooonely, won't somebody some and take a chance with meeee~' Fortunately, Pochi is a great deal better, his voice a wonderful baritone that lilts perfectly incontrast to his singing partner. The two of them degenerate into soft 'bah bum bah bah bum' noises after this that are terribly off-beat and clash with each other constantly. Be glad you can't hear them.

:'''[[Deelel]] has posed:''' Deelel sees the power of the music first hand and is flat out impressed she's going to ahce to try that at some point, however Reize is well exploding the vines and Deelel's got a bit of a bad feleing about it and can't shake why. Still there's nothing more she can do, they got to get going in further. She pauses at Avira's sining. "Singing that is not something I am used to and humm so it's strange even fo this world. We should be careful then." The Basic is just starting to hit the point to throw up her hands into the air go user space and just not think on it too hard. "Prehaps later, I'd like to ask more about it..."

:'''[[Dameon]] has posed:''' Dameon's magic lashes out violently. He seems to turn undead almost instantly before everyone's eyes. The vines curl around him, drawn in by the magic, but suddenly, they explode in a goop of mess that covers Dameon. He continues to dance despite it, and then he starts to twist and contort, almost sickeningly. This continues until POOF! A frog is now sitting where Dameon used to be. It is normal looking. It is green. It stares up at Avira. "Brrroooo-ah."

:'''[[Emi Dennou]] has posed:''' Emi sees a control box all the way over there. Emi doesn't usually worry about electrocution. She taps her chin lightly. Even if she's not terribly worried about the water, she doesn't want to get covered in the stuff. She breathes out and says, "Mercade. I'm going to try to short the control box to turn it off." She says. It's unfamiliar tech, though, so it may not work the way she'd like. She reaches out forward and sends a small spark over to the control panel. She doesn't want to trudge through that crap and she's quite capable of doing this. She promptly gets distracted and sends a bit TOO MUCH electricity into the device. It starts smoking and, well, anybody nearby or touching the control panel might get SHOCKIFYED! This is not the same as becoming a toad but it probably hurts fair bit. "...Woops, The Network hopes it was insured." She bows her head faintly. MEANWHILE "Leida..." Imi murmurs, holding her up. "...It seems like we're going to have to run it! And so she does, intending to just flat out run through the water. Of course, instinctively she ends up raising Leida above her head as she runs through it. "Imi..." Emi shakes her head.

:'''[[Kim Possible]] has posed:''' Kim somehow spots the control box as well, and then rushes after it. She doesn't know who Tifa is yet, or even Aerith's name, but she figures there's no time like the present to get acquainted... in a sense. "Stay cool, I'll totally help you with this!"

:'''[[Tifa Lockhart]] has posed:''' Tifa Lockhart nods to Kim's response. One of the few she doesn't know here. But then Aerith calls her over, nodding to her friend "Right. What do you think that's for?" She wonders, moving toward the control box to check on things there... "I wonder where those plants come form... must be from pretty deep if we don't see their roots yet.

:'''[[Aerith]] has posed:''' Aerith turned toward the girl she'd never seen before and gave a nod. "Whatever help you can give, that's cool. Just need to find out if this is the thing that cuts that pipe off..." And the flowergirl obviously does not mind slogging through the muck. Good thing she's got boots on. Once she gets there, she takes a moment to examine the box, wondering how it works. "Gotta be a switch in here somewhere."

:'''[[Stormfall]] has posed:''' Poke poke poke. Stabbity Stab. The vines bleed profusely with that sugary sickly smell that they are swollen with. The sap bleeding out and the vines easy enough to clean away. However there are so many and so much vines that a more definite plan of action is probably required to make headway. The control box halfway sunk in the sludge is populated by several frogs. Dameon's /command/ for the vines to die that began with dancing ends with mayhem as the vines comply all too willingly. They begin to explode one after another, soaking the master of the dance mojo with a torrent of sweet and sickly sap. Avira's ice magic stops up the works. The geyser halts with an ominous rumble, shards of sludge fall into the fens at either side but the pressure is just too great for it to be completely frozen. There is a confluence of factors here. The Shockifying control box is toasted by a surge too great. Avira's ice weakening the pipe even further--- and /KASPLOOOOOOSH/ Something in the already busted pipeway gives even further, causing a stream of pressurized sludge to pour out of the pipe spitting icy sludge shards and water everywhere. Anybody who is anywhere close may get wet pretty thoroughly.

:'''[[Percival]] has posed:''' Percival winces despite himself. A frog? Could it be the man was using dark magic? Was it just like the fairy tales? He didn't have any experience in this realm and didn't suspect the vines or the sludge to be capable of this act for even a single moment. Perhaps the man's dancing was evil in and of itself. An evil mambo, there's a thought. It distracted him so much that he didn't note what Imi and Leida were doing in time. He calls out to stop them "Wait, don't Imi! Stop!" Realizing that ill might happen to her and Leida, he attempted to at the very least get to them first as he took a running leap with wings outspread, with an attempt to catch them at the last moment and shield them, which would most likely send him careening into the sludge pipe and now the sludge explosion.

:'''[[Faruja Senra]] has posed:''' Faruja just stares a moment as a Dennou holds up poor Leida, then runs, using her as a water shield. Sigh. "I shall keep you in my prayers, M'Lady." Leida shall need them. Oh, Faram. Just as he's heading after Leida and Imi, the pipes bust, and Faruja is struggling to not get pulled under in a torrent of water! "I must say that I find this place most irritating!"

:'''[[Mercade Alexander]] has posed:''' Mercade preps himself for when Avira calls out for it. He nods. "Got it!" He crounches... And then she tries to freeze the water. It's not quite enough. "Damn. There has to be another way..." He says, looking over the area. Emi comes up with the idea to overload the control box. IT's as good an idea as any! And then the pipe explodes. "WHOOOOOOOA!" Mercade yells, leaping backwards. Hopefully he can find a way to avoid the water! That stuff could be contaminated, since this place isn't working right!

:'''[[Avira]] has posed:''' "Oh <FROG CROAK>, I made it worse!" Avira shouts and grabs for Mercade, dragging him back so he doesn't wind up running into the sludge and water! ...even though he's jumping back himself! Avira's stumbling backwards to and falls over onto her butt. Sitting there, she hears something and slowly looks over to see Dameon frog staring up at her.

:'''[[Dameon]] has posed:''' Avira's staring is met in turn by the staring frog. It ribbits one more time, before suddenly, it blinks at Avira. It leaps up to its feet, pulls out a top hat and cane (???). The frog shoves the hat on his head and holds the cane in the crook of his froggy elbow. He starts to kick his feet out, singing in a deep baritone voice. "Hello, my honey! Hello, my darling! Hello, my rag-time galllll~!"

:'''[[Lumeria]] has posed:''' Lumeria watches as Dameon turns into a frog, and the notices the other frogs. Were those also people? She feels the sudden urge to try and help out more. She knows how horrible it can be turned into a frog is. She wonders if her magic can revert the effect, it doesn't work on her own curse after all. Why did they have to make her feel guilty. Of course than the frog has to start singing and she freaks out, falling into the water.

:'''[[Leida]] has posed:''' "R-run for... what do you me--eek!" Leida does the only thing that she can when her benevolent friend suddenly turns out to have hidden sinister intentions?! Which is to hold on for dear life as the crazy girl takes off running towards what appears to be the main source of this strangely sweet water. Her eyes go wide in surprise for a moment then clamp shut when the pipe bursts, filling the air with deadly ice shards. "Imi-chaaaan?!" Ofcourse, with her eyes closed Leida can't see the heroic sacrifice that poor Percival makes on their behalf. But she does notice that they aren't wet or skewered yet after a few moments and peeks out through one half-closed eye.

:'''[[Percival]] has posed:''' And so Percival reached the two of them. And wrapping his extensive wingspan around them, shielded them from harm. And then he felt himself splattered, followed by the strangest sensation of falling, and landing on his back. Hrm. Why exactly couldn't he get up? Perhaps if he twitched got a good grip with his hands. Except his new webbed feet didn't seem to work quite right. He puzzles at it for a time before attempting to simply hop up, righting himself. A moment later, an awful strangled croaking warble escaped his mouth, as he finds himself a miserable sludged toad. He gave both Imi and Leida a forlorn look, but didn't quite know what to do except to hop to the side to prevent being crushed by anyone else who comes there way.

:'''[[Avira]] has posed:''' Avira scrambles to her feet and grabs for Mercade, a look of abject terror forming upon her face, "Mercade!" she hisses, pointing frantically at Dameon and his performance, "Dameon turned into a frog! A singing and dancing frog!!! Look!" She stares back at Mercade, realization dawning upon her, "This must be magic. I've heard talk of a spell out here, in these worlds, that can turn a person into a frog!" she looks away, "Fortunately it's reversable. By...something. I forget what."

:'''[[Aerith]] has posed:''' Ah, there it is. And it's... stuck in the muck or something. Fortunately there's no real chance for a short, so she might as well give it her best shot. "Hey you guys, help me open this thing. Just need to find something to shut that thing..." She gets a glimpse at what was going on with that pipe and grimace. "...off. Okay, I knew that wasn't a good idea." Suddenly glad she was over here, she began to work on getting that box open.

:'''[[Reize Seatlan]] has posed:''' There are the bleeding vines givin off the sickly, smelling sugarness. Reize grimaces as he steps away from the path of the vines exploding out. And yet, he looks over to the other side, "I wonder how the others are managing..." And ten, when Avira manages to uses the ice magic... Well, the explosion of ice magic spreads across and Reize yelps in surprise, "Whoa!" Then, he looks over towards where Avira should be, "...Looks like we avoided that, right Avira?" Pause. "Avira?" He looks down and he witnesses the singing frog that was formerly Dameon. "....!!!" He sweatdrops. "Uhhhh...." The music is catchy and the boy can't help but join. Thinking back, Reize eyes Dameon. Reize is getting a bit hungry. No! Must not think of that. "Oh! Wasn't there a prince of the frogs? Naveen, wasn't it?!" 

:'''[[Mercade Alexander]] has posed:''' "What?!" Mercade blinks as he gets showered with water. He growns, shaking himself off. "What do you mean Dameon turned into a singing and dancing frog!?" He looks over at the frog Avira is pointing at.

:'''[[Dameon]] has posed:''' "Ribbit." The frog is sitting on the ground, certainly not singing. Nor is he dancing. Not hat or cane either.

:'''[[Reize Seatlan]] has posed:''' Okay, so the frog was not singing or dancing. Reize could had SWORN he heard something. This leaves Reize scratching his head. 

:'''[[Emi Dennou]] has posed:''' Emi marvels at Dameon's singing frog powers. She applauds politely. Imi runs, "eeeeee!!!, The Network cries." They run a bit farther and then past the deluge of water and horror only to turn back and then looks towards Leida, hwo isn't wet at all. Imi frowns faintly. Now how is she going to see Leida all wet? Oh well. "It looks like a miracle saved us, Leida-Chan." She nods firmly, looking back. "We salute you, Water Treatment Plant Gods." She bows her head but keeps Leida in her arms. "I'm so glad we made out of that okay. I was a bit worried my run and pray solution would nto work." Emi decides to move closer to Mercade, observing Percival...who is now a toad. She approaches him and ducks down to try and carry him up. She looks forlornly into toad Percival's eyes. Shoujo bubbles appear the two of them.... and then.... "...It is said that to kiss a frog is to break them from any curse." She looks down at Percytoad. "...But you are not a frog, you are a toad. They are actually two different species." She turns to the others and says, "Remember that. One should not confuse frogs with toads. IT is disrespectful and innacurate. And now you all know so there is no need for further confusion on the subject." She nods a few more times.

:'''[[Faruja Senra]] has posed:''' Normally, Faruja would be applauding Percival's efforts. But he's too busy trying to /not/ drown. Swimming in platemail is kind of hard. Eventually, he manages to get out of the way of so much water, laying on the ground in a muddy, jumbled heap. Suddenly...poof! Where once there was rat, there is now a toad. In one little toady limb, is a tiny stick of sharpened wood. On his neck is a tiny cross necklace. Ribbit! Leap! Ribbit ribbit! Pause. The little amphibian turns to Emi. Somehow, it looks vaguely dissappointed and saddened by Emi's proclaimation. Sigh. Toads get all the bad luck.

:'''[[Avira]] has posed:''' Avira stares at the notably not singing nor dancing frog. "...he was just singing a second ago!" she claims, reaching down and scooping up the Dameon frog. "But I thought it had to be a kiss from a princess?" Well, that was the case for Naveen at least. And the Twilight Detective Agency is pretty short on princesses. "Or, wait, hmmm." Holding Dameon in one hand, Avira scratches her chin. There was something else for it. If only she could remember- "That's right. A kiss from a maiden." Avira pauses, then looks to the frog in her hand. "...."

:'''[[Tifa Lockhart]] has posed:''' Tifa Lockhart feels weird. Something's not right with this place. From Aerith and Kim's point of view, she disapeared. But from her point of view, everything's suddenly... tall. "Ribbit." Blink. Wait, that's not what she wanted to say at all! Hop. Oh dear. How is she supposed to serve drinks like this now? T_T

:'''[[Stormfall]] has posed:''' With the control box probably fried by the electricity, it's going to be difficult if not impossible to shut down the geyser from this control box. Several of the lights are blinking erratically and most of the mechanical switches do nothing at all. However there have to be other backup controls and on this other side of the sludge fens, the way is relatively clear. A series of waterfalls box in two sides of the main plant, the hightly bleachy smell of chemicals. There seems to be gravity errors here as well because ominiously, several bleachy smelling soap bubbles of liquid are hovering listlessly in the air over the main plant area which must have at least two entrances. The front stairs here, and another around the side, perilously underneath more of those bubbles. There is a control panel set into the metal walkways that lead up to the main plant and it might be possible to turn off the water from there. There are surely no singing and or dancing frogs here. No sirreee. That would be silly.

:'''[[Kim Possible]] has posed:''' One moment, Kim is talking to Tifa and Aerith about how to handle things, then suddenly Tifa vanishes. "Hey, where did she-" Kim hears the croaking and looks down, seeing yet another frog. "Oh, this is even more gross than before." She steps back only to realize something as she puts two and two together. "I don't believe it, they turned her into a frog!" She looks to Aerith and then says, "I'll try to help, but what do we do about her?"

:'''[[Lumeria]] has posed:''' Lumeria pulls herself slowly out of the sludgy water, too bad there's no way to clean herself off. "A kiss from a maiden doesn't always work." Of course she's not going to say how she knows that. Plus, she doesn't really feel like having to kiss any frogs. Of course she doesn't know a whole lot about machines, so it might be best for someone else to turn the water off.

:'''[[Aerith]] has posed:''' A cold shiver washes over Aerith, as if something horrible just happened, and she glances back at Tifa... "Hey did you feel tha-" ...Only to find she was no longer there. "Tifa?!" She took a good look around, wondering where she could have gone off too, only to hear a ribbit below her. Flowergirl looks down and sees a frog where her friend used to be. "Great... So what now?" She looked ahead and noted the way was clear. "We have to look for more of these. Has to be something to cut that off and get the rest of them clear." With that, she marched onward...

:'''[[Dameon]] has posed:''' Avira picks up the frog. It dangles its legs uselessly. Avira and Mercade are staring at it. He stares back at Avira with his deep... froggy eyes. Someone suggests that kissing the frog would be a good idea. "Ribbit."

:'''[[Reize Seatlan]] has posed:''' "Well, if it's a toad, maybe it doesn't have to be a maiden? Or maybe it is from a maiden still?" Reize is getting kind of hungry. Grumble. r Reize is walking over towards one of the frogs, likely the Faruja. His eyes shift towards Lumeria, "Who knows?! It never hurts to try!" Should the Faruja-frog not get away, Reize is going to lean close. "This has to work!" ...And Faruja frog is going to get a kiss. ...Is Reize's bain turned off? 

:'''[[Mercade Alexander]] has posed:''' Mercade Alexander looks at the frog, scratching his head as he sees it is neither singing nor dancing, nor showing any sign of being Dameon. "Are you... All right, Avira?" He asks. "But that's a terrible spell, if that is the case. I mean, Emi's got the whole legend right... And why are you carrying a toad, Emi? Are you going to give it to Ami?" Mercade asks. He looks in the direction of the backup controls, and he appeoaches the bubbly path. "Okay, stand back, I'm going to try SCIENCE." Mercade, with a flourish, producies a gun and shoots the bubbles. Ballistics is science, right?

:'''[[Percival]] has posed:''' Percival listens to Emi's explanation with an unceasingly forlorn expression. But what choices does he have? He wasn't exactly going to even ask someone to attempt to kiss him anyhow. It'd be too indecent. Okay scratch that, it'd only be indecent if it were someone of a masculine persuasion doing that, but noone would be foolish enough to try that, right? He sits in her hand, his little toad head tilting, before the tongue whips out to catch a fly buzzing around Emi's head. W--What? WHY DID HE DO THAT!?

:'''[[Aerith]] has posed:''' Unfortunately that cold shudder is not the only one she has, as another one comes over here a few moments after. Aerith stares at the bubbles for a few moments as the room blurs around her. "Oh, you little..." It's the last thing she is able to say as the world suddenly increases in size, and she finds out what it feels like to be Tifa at that moment. Because flowergirl is now flowergirl frog.

:'''[[Leida]] has posed:''' Leida glances around a little to make sure that the threat of being deluged is gone before she exhales deeply, sinking into Imi's cradled arms. "W-while your respect for the spirits is admirable, Imi-chan..." She starts, looking back at her friend with a faint smile. "I wish you would warn me before throwing our lives to the mercy of the Heavens..." Now that they seem to be past the immediate dangers, the princess takes a better look around at the ruined water plant, noting the advanced state of decay thanks to the vines and roots bursting from the walls and floor. Despite the strange crazed attempt to use her as a shield, the girl decides to remain in her friend's arms for the time being, especially considering that those who get wet seem to be suffering from a bad case of frogitus. The two spirit flames float into view a few moments later, drifting from place to place as they inspect the facility. Fortunately, they have stopped singing. 'Woah, this place looks like something out of a bad horror film.' 'I certainly do not envy anyone the task of trying to clean up this muck.'

:'''[[Avira]] has posed:''' "It was!" Avira says defensively to Mercade. She looks back at the frog. A maiden's kiss... Avira sucks in a breath and lifts the frog to her face. "Oh gosh I can't believe I'm trying this..." she murmurs and quickly pushes the frog to her puckered lips. MUCOUS MAKE-OUT 1X. Once she pulls away, she looks to Mercade, who shoots one of those bubbles. "Wait, I don't think we should-" oh no, too late. At least it didn't explode on her! But once it does, and Aerith turns into a frog after getting splashed, "Oh my gosh, it's contaminated with the magic! This is...if this gets into the town.." she looks around, then points down past the walkways to the control panel that they didn't completely fry. "There. We gotta shut this water off before it spreads."

:'''[[Emi Dennou]] has posed:''' "Yes. Ami could use a pet." Emi says. She has no idea it's Percy. She stands back and observes Mercade's science with respect...but still gets splattered by water. "...The Network isn't sure of the validity of your science,." She says, holding onto Percytoad. Though hse does pet him lightly for protecting her from evil flies. MEANWHILE "Are you sure?" Imi asks. "Hmm... But I wonder how... perhaps we should wait for the others before moving on... Let me ask Umi what she thinks over the Network." Umi says the following, 'FOLLOW YOUR GUT INSTINCT, THE TRUE PATH OF A HERO...IS ONE OF LONELINESS AND COURAGE OF HEART, THE BONDS OF FRIENDS ARE THE COMPANIONSHIP YOU NEED, THEIR PHYSICAL PRESENCE...DO NOT LET IT BURDEN YOU...I guess? Does that help?' It does not help, Imi thinks. She instead turns and gets back to the stairs she just went up with Leida to get inside and notes the presence of the control box. She decides to not use electricity and instead tries to shut it off normally. Considering how it went last time? Yep.

:'''[[Dameon]] has posed:''' What frog, Avira? Dameon suddenly appears, in place of the frog in a puff of green smoke. His hands immediately come up and he attempts to grab Avira's head to give her the sloppiest, and most engrossing kiss seen this side of Fluorgis. Dameon even makes a big kissing noise.

:'''[[Percival]] has posed:''' And then Emi finds a full grown Percival on top of her, literally on top of her. It'd seem entirely indecent if it weren't unintentional. He hastily rises, and offers Emi a hand to help her up. He had hands again! Hands! Oh there was a sweet and merciful God after all! "Uh, you have my apologies Madame Emi. I didn't think that this witchcraft would fade of its own accord and it was not my intention to place you in a compromising position."

:'''[[Stormfall]] has posed:''' The soap bubbles explode from the power, the sheer power of SCIENCE. They rain down in thick streams of syrupy water that smells of chemicals and that sickly sweet sap. The water splatters everywhere. Meanwhile the geyser still flows, gurgling merrily until Imi finally by process of elimination and SCIENCE the geyser goes still. The walkway is now open for all of your travel needs. There are two entrances to the main plant. Through the main doors or there is another entrance up and around a metal catwalk to another door to the left side looking out at the bleach smelling waterfalls.

:'''[[Faruja Senra]] has posed:''' 'It never hurts to try!' No words ever spoken have driven more fear into faruja's heart. Slowly, slowly he's brought closer to Reize. All that the toadmecian can see is those lips drawing nearer to his impending doom. The little toad quivers and shakes, fear gnawing into the depths of his soul. Little arms clasp together in prayer. Oh Faram, what has he done to deserve this horrible fate? What evil had he performed to come to this ignoble end? The line of Senra ends here in disgrace! Smooooch! The toad's trembling stops. Heartbeat. Oh Ajora make it end! Heartbeat. Nooooo! Heartbeat. Why isn't this a certain Gargess!? A second later, Reize still has a toad. A very angry, trembling, Light-bleeding toad. Up goes the stic, and... POKE! Right in the nose. "Ribbit!? Ribbit ribbit ribbit!? Ribbit Faram ribbit! Ribbit Ajora's ribbit ribbit ribbit!" Leap! Mid-hop after yanking out the tiny wood shard from Reize's nose, the rat Poofs back. "In conclusion, Ser Seatlan, as much as a maid's dress fits you, you are not a maiden. Do remember, hmm, my friend?" Faruja pats the young man on the head before heading off towards Mercade. Faruja nods to the pair. "Excellent work." Leap! He'll start towards the now clear entrance of the plant, front door.

:'''[[Lumeria]] has posed:''' Lumeria puts a hand to her face as she watches Reize kiss Faruja, what exactly was he thinking? Even if kissing does work, he's certainly not a maiden. Not unless he's hiding something from them. If the transformation is magical, more magic should be able to remove it right? Green lights begin to fill the air, it was a wide area for the mage to cover, but it still beats having to kiss any frogs or toads. She looks towards the main doors upon hearing Faruja's comment. She didn't want to agree with the rat, but getting close to the waterfalls strikes her as a bad idea. Especially if a pipe burst or something. "Let's get this over with already."

:'''[[Deelel]] has posed:''' Deelel is noticing that things are just getting bad her comrades are being crroupted by something and turned into water relatd grid bugs? What the heck is going on around here. She's really on ege but well Faruja has a point. She looks at the massive soap butbbles just start getting to work seeming to clean things but as the Gwyser flos she's looking about for another source of the prioblem she's going to try not to laugh as she could very well be the next victem of the effect here after a all she's going to main doors as well she's nodding in agreement as she follows up Lumeria "Nothing ventured nothing gained..."

:'''[[Reize Seatlan]] has posed:''' After the kiss... Blink. "It didn't work!" Not noticing the angry look of the toad, "Well, I guess it doesn't work----" Poke. "OOOOOWWWW!!!" He holds his nose, whimpering in pain. After getting cursed out by Toaduga, the boy has comical tears rolling along his eyes. After the tiny shard is removed, Reize looks over to the normal Faruja. "That hurt..." T_T Blink. "Eh?! So the magic here is what has turned the workers into frogs?!" Reize turns his head over, then he glances back down to the walk way. "... We better move on." The boy turns a bit more serious, finally getting himself ready to explore deeper within the depths. "Hrm...." There is a path with two entrances! One is through the main doors an the other is to the other entrance up and around the metl catwalk to the left side. Reize's natural sense of directions send him to... The catwalk! Struck by curiosity, Reize is proceeding towards that left side up and around the metal catwalk. 

:'''[[Avira]] has posed:''' Avira's planning on which way to go is ABRUPTLY INTERRUPTED. She thought it would be a kiss, poof, and that's it, right? But at this point, she actually can't tell if the kiss worked or Dameon changed back seconds before and thoroughly capitalized on the opportunity. "MMPH!!!" %rStartled, Avira flails for a few seconds before she pries Dameon off of her, a thoroughly embarassed look upon her face. Damn, why couldn't it have been /Mercade/ that got changed?! "Well I guess it worked." she glares at Dameon archly and draws the back of her arm across her mouth to wipe away the dancer's extra sloppiness. Avira spies Reize going for the catwalks and elects to go in the opposite direction to the main door.

:'''[[Leida]] has posed:''' Fortunately, there are no incidents this time as Imi and Leida ascend up to the control area. Technology is not her strong point so the princess remains passive in this situation, simply watching the rest of the group from their high vantage point. Upon sweeping her gaze over to Reize, the girl's eyes widen and her face scruntches up at the sight of him putting his lips all over a toad! Gross! No more kisses for you, Reize! '...huh. Never figured the kid for a frog kisser.' 'The current generation of youths is delightfully... deviant...'

:'''[[Aerith]] has posed:''' And Aerith is still flowergirl frog as she attempts to hop her way out of the muck and mud, trying to keep up with everyone else. Here's hoping Tifa changed back before she did, otherwise she'd be in a world of trouble!

:'''[[Dameon]] has posed:''' Dameon is peeled away from Avira's face. He leaps back and rolls in a back flip before landing on his feet, nimbly twiddling on them. He cackles and spins in place, before thrusting his hand in the work. He hip-thrusts, winking at Avira, "Ow! It certainly worked, baby!" Dameon stops his air-humping to finally focus on the situation. He raises his eyebrow, and then considers, "You know, folks, if I were a plant, my roots would not be up in the air like a lady's dress at one of my concerts, but I'd go down, like so many things in this world." Augh, won't they stop!?

:'''[[Tifa Lockhart]] has posed:''' The barmaid is very confused as to what's going on... before she can be picked up by anyone, she's suddenly back to human. She blinks as everything seems to come back to normal size suddenly "Cro--- I mean, what's going on here?" >_< What's with this weird place, and people turning into frogs and back to normal at random like this... She looks at Aerith, picking her up so she doesn't get squashed unti lshe's back to normal too "... how about we take care of that control box before it gets any worse..."

:'''[[Emi Dennou]] has posed:''' Imi isn't exactly a technomaster either, but she at least understands modern tech on a basic level. Modern being OUR modern so, well, there it goes. "Glad you could all make it." Imi smiles, waving to the others as they come by before turning to walk back to Leida and lift her up again unless she otherwise tries to stop her. WHY DOES SHE KEEP DOING THIS? "This is not very convenient." She admits to her. "How do princes do this anyway for so long?" MEANWHILE EMI As Emi arrives, Percival regargoyles and splats right on top of her. Emi says, "..."

:'''[[Aerith]] has posed:''' Aerith looks up at Tifa gratefully. "Ribbit." And that of course translates as 'thank you' in English.

:'''[[Kim Possible]] has posed:''' "I'm with you two," Kim comments to Tifa and Frog-Aerith. "Let's take care of this and get outta here! I'm totally getting grossed out by the minute the more we stay here." She pauses. "But, then again, I don't want to get home too soon, since Cousin Larry is coming over tonight."

:'''[[Mercade Alexander]] has posed:''' Oh snap! The bubbles have magic toad water! Mercade gasps as he accidentally gets a bunch of his friends splashed with the water. "I'm sorry!" Mercade says, exclaiming as he winces. "Wow, this is getting really complicated really fast." He says, looking at Dameon and giving him an Evil Eye as he goes and sloppily kisses Avira. And then hits on her. "Let's focus on the job, Dameon. I don't think Rosemarie would be happy if you got too distracted." He looks over the two entrances. "This is going to be complicated either way." He says. "Given what we've experienced so far, we need to avoid the water at all costs. And the doors are probably trapped. I'd recommend opening them at a distance."

:'''[[Percival]] has posed:''' Percival still stays behind to help Emi up, before he faces the same decision himself. He tries not to mutter too much about the comment she made of him being 'Ami's new pet.' Once he continues onward, he takes a moment to listen to Mercade before he considers the problem. Percival sighs at the very thought of doing this, as such objects were certainly NOT meant for throwing despite fictional evidence to the contrary, but he slides the dented heater shield off his back, and holds it in both hands almost like a discus. He then throws it with all of his might at the front doors from a healthy distance away to see if it would set off anything.

:'''[[Stormfall]] has posed:''' Front doors. Boy somebody did a number on this place. The inside of the main plant is riddled with broken pipes and the stench of bisulfite and other chemicals. There are many smaller tanks in here and more equipment for the monitoring of the water. However-- it might as well be an aquarium because most of the main plant below a certain level is flooded. Sitting in front of the main doors is a large pipe that has been jury rigged into a water cannon, complete with debris being used as wobbly legs. Several black frogs with heartless symbols etched on their backs on sitting on top of the water cannon. The doors were in fact. Trapped. A stream of water pounds out of the pipe towards anybody who tried to get in through the main doors. Side door: The inside of the main plant is riddled with broken pipes and chemicals. A waterfall splashes less than a foot from the doors from busting piping, requiring some agility and caution to slip past without being splashed. A catwalk curls around the side down into-- water. Except for several large floating mats of vegetation already crawling with heartless frogs, the entire basement level and ground of the main plant is flooded by water.

:'''[[Dameon]] has posed:''' Dameon walks through the main doors. He raises his eyebrow. "Oh. These things don't like to --" *Poof* "Riiiiibbit."

:'''[[Faruja Senra]] has posed:''' Ear-perk. Faruja nods vaguely to Mercade. "Mmm. Quite. One befrogging is enough for a lifetime, much less twice in the same day." He comments, before turning to Lumeria. "Stand back if you please, M'Lady." The rat takes his onw advice, then... WHAP. The end of his spear slams into the door as he tries to open it from some distance away, hopefully helping Perci's efforts. Inside, there is a massive water cannon and frog heartless. Grr! Clearly this is the source of the problem. There is also a falling flood of water. Again. Poof! Oh Faram, not again. At least Reize isn't around to kiss him this time. The tiny little froggy thrusts his spear at the frog heartless, hoping to apply Holy Ice to them! "Stasis Croak!" A little frog of holy ice falls upon the Heartless Frogs, bouncing up and down a few times. New spear skill get!

:'''[[Avira]] has posed:''' A growl escapes Avira, aimed at Dameon for his behavior. "Yeah well you didn't have to enjoy it so much!!" Well, that's not /quite/ what she meant, but the warrior's a little flustered right now so her words aren't exactly coming out so great right now. Her strategy to get as far away as possible from Reize doesn't work. At all. Steping through the doors, Avira's nose immediately takes in the chemical smell and a wince forms on Avira's face. Just as she's looking around, though, she looks straight ahead and sees the large pipe...and the heartless frogs. "HEARTLESS!" Avira calls out, tearing the Spine free. She charges, only to be blown backwards by a stream of water which washes her clear out the door. In the process though... ...a tiny green frog washes up onto the floor. Avira croaks forlornly.

:'''[[Emi Dennou]] has posed:''' SUDDENLY, Imi and Emi are both frogs. This is entirely Mercade's fault for dousing Emi earlier but that's okay, the Legion isn't terribly troubled by being electrotoads. Being covered in horrible chemical sludge is how they entered this world and by god it'll be how they leave it. Still, Imi licks Leida toad once. "Ribbit??" before pulling her tongue back. That's horrible. But Emi, despite also being toad, bounds forward. and jumps on Imi. THEY WILL USE THIS TOAD TO THEIR ADVANTAGE. Imi bounces along and then hops into the air...!! Allowing Emitoad to doublejump and fling herself towards those Heartless Toads, intending to knock at least one off its perch. Electrotoad electricity flies everywhere. It's terrifying! But she can't help herself. It's the TOAD you see. Hopefully nothing terrible will happen as a result. Nonetheless... ELSEWHERE! Omi, Umi, Ami, and Shida play Monopoly, pause, and then look up. "...Did you feel that?, The Network wonders if we all suddenly had the urge to eat bugs." The four look at each other and shake their heads. No, of course not.

:'''[[Reize Seatlan]] has posed:''' As Reize steps through the side entrance, his eyes drift up towards the ceiling, looking around to see the broken pipes and chemicals. A frown has formed as he steps along the hall. As a waterfall splashes less than the foot away, Reize yelps and he springs onto the catwalk. He made it to a safe side. While the maze is rather confusing, this does give him a chance to save his friends. They are being assaulted by the Heartless. Clenching his teeth, "Don't worry guys! I got you!" Though quick thinking, Reize manages to withdraw... The hookshot. Reize gives a careful aim and he whips and arm outward, releasing the chained hook to strike the cannon to redirect it from his friends. 

:'''[[Lumeria]] has posed:''' Trying to fight magic with magic wasn't the best idea, as Lumeria finds out first hand. She doesn't need to get near the water again to find herself transforming "Nooooo...!" She finds herself cut off mid-cry as she finds herself replaced by a silver frog. She's somewhat used to this by now, but that doesn't mean she enjoys it. She tries to hop pass the water cannon before she gets hit by more sludge.

:'''[[Deelel]] has posed:''' Deelel is looking ahead at how much of a mess the place is. She's looking about plant at how flooded it is. She's pretty sure this place is a huge mess and she stares for a moment looking at the froggy heartless somehow she's not suprised they have something to do this. However she's been very very lucky and managed to not become a frog but many of her comrades have not been so lucky. The heartless seem to be the root of the problem in all likely hood and she just manages to avoid getting caught up in the burst of corrouptive water. She then attemps to get into the main room, the second there's a lull in the fire.

:'''[[Leida]] has posed:''' Leida puts up no more fuss this time than the last as she is artfully gathered up into Imi's arms, answering her question with, "Um... I... I did not know princes were supposed to carry people around..." That certainly does sound like a chore and not something royalty would normally strain themselves with. Must be another one of those odds foreign customs. Her attention snaps back to the tunnel as the doors burst open, revealing the devious ambush of Heartless frog lying in wait for just such a foolish 'kick down the front door' approach. Somehow... SOMEHOW... Reize has managed to ruin everyone else just by being here. Again. The princess doesn't have time to react in this instance and the powerful water cannon blasts through the assembled group, drenching many of them thoroughly as it forces its way to the back of the line. Her world turns murky and wet as the pressurized torrent washes over her entirely, Leida's body shielding her friend from the worst of the magical water. After a few moments she feels the stinging touch of the cannon shot die out and blinks for several seconds, trying to clear her vision. It looks like she's fallen out of Imi's grasp because the floor is very close to her face now. She rolls over and stands up... to her full height of two inches. Large bulbous red and yellow eyes shutter closed a few times as she peers around, seeing only a sea of ankles and shoes. Looking down at her hands, the princess finds that she doesn't have them any more! She's a toad! "R-ribbit?!" 'Ribbit ribbi ribbit?' 'Ribbit...' Two tiny puffs of green flame float out of the water, their forms equally diminuative. The tapering wisp of fire that usually flows upwards from their firey bodies has instead turned downwards, giving them the distinctive look of flaming tadpoles.

:'''[[Dameon]] has posed:''' This is turning unfortunate. Damebit, suddenly leaps up, and puts on his hat and cane again. Look, Avira, you -weren't- crazy. Or it could be everyone else is a frog. Damebit starts to sing and dance, lashing out with froggy-magic. Water starts to freeze around the frog, lift up, and hurl at the heartless with wreckless abandon! "Hello, my buddies! Hello, dear pals! Hello, my felllooooow frooooogs~! You're being really du-umb, I do-on't like it, pleaa-aaaaaseee stoooo-oooooop."

:'''[[Mercade Alexander]] has posed:''' "OH SNAP! HEARTLESS FROC WATER CANNON!" Mercade cries. And then he sees Avira pop right back out, befrogged. He rushes to her side, and carefully gathers her up. "Avira? Are you okay? Is that you?" Meanwhile, Emi and Imi take it to the hoop with Team Toad Power. Mercade approaces as they TOADally whoop ass in the background. Or electrocute themselves. Something or other.

:'''[[Reize Seatlan]] has posed:''' Cannon fires... BAMF! Instant Frog. Sigh. With all of the Heartless frogs out there... there is only one thing to do. Suddenly... a song changes. o/` Everybody was kung fu fighting! o/` "RIBBITTTT!!" There goes Reize, diving down from the catwalk towards those Heartless from the catwalk. That's right, he's coming down with a diving kick. o/` Those kicks were fast as lightning! o/` (RIBBIT!) Toad Reize descends with starting chops, punches, kicks and other kung-fu-esque moves on the creatures. o/` In fact, it was a little bit frightening! o/` (RIBBIT!) And... aiming to back frog-fist a Heartless. "RIBBIT!!!" o/` But they fought with expert timing. o/`

:'''[[Percival]] has posed:''' Percival bounds up towards the door on all fours. An ambush! He should have known the Heartless were behind this. In one motion he picks up the shield, and without even hesitating, withdraws his sword from its scabbard. He doesn't really have much in the way of attacking them from range, unless he threw his shield again, and that'd just be ridiculous. He was entirely British after all. So instead, without even a thought in regards to the consequences, he yells out a battle cry "Nemo me impune lacessit!" Okay maybe he wasn't entirely British. Trying to direct the attention of the cannon, he still varies the direction of his charge to attempt to make himself a harder target, before bounding in the air and aiming to skewer one of the amphibian heartless.

:'''[[Avira]] has posed:''' Mercade carefully scoops up the tiny green tree frog that is Avira into his hands. If he looks closely enough, even the frog Avira seems to have lighter patches of skin in the shapes of the scars seen on her face and body. In fact, froggy Avira has two strange circular 'scars' on her back. The little frog nods forlornly at Mercade. She definitely couldn't kiss herself! And it seems she wasn't the only maiden trapped in a froggy form.

:'''[[Tifa Lockhart]] has posed:''' Tifa Lockhart doesn't get to hold on to Aerith for very long before she's turned back into a forg again -.- Okay, this is getting ridiculous. She quickly hops away, going to join up with the other froggy... which is apparently Reize. Hey, if Reize can fight, maybe she can too! Let's see how this works. First she drops from above on the heartless frog. FROGGY SQUASH! Then a series of extending kicks with those long limbs. Hey this isn't so bad. Attempts to call up any sort of hidden frog magic... maybe a giant glowing frog will fall from the sky and squish what's left of them? Probably not.

:'''[[Aerith]] has posed:''' Of course, Tifa gets the bad end of it. Twice. Aerith lands right on top of frogmaid with a flop and a plop, legs squirming in an attempt to get off of her best friend before they end up changing back in a compromising position. Eventually it works, just long enough for Tifa to actually start doing something.

:'''[[Stormfall]] has posed:''' The Ribbity Justice of the FROG KING descends on the unbelievers. The heartless minions are attacked by ice frogs and some of them are knocked off the vegetation platforms like so many bowling pins. The water cannon is WRENCHED away from it's firing position in front of the main doors but one of the debris 'tripods' comes loose and aims the geyser of sludge towards Reize on the side catwalks. The heartless minions are no match for FROGGY STYLE Magic-fu. Shards of frozen water spear the minions causing them to explode in poofs of dark vapor. And.. The Frog King is /NOT amused/ -- He is in fact disappoint in the low quality of heartless mooks you see nowadays. All of them getting squashed, speared, kicked or squished by rainbow frogs out of nowhere. Then the music starts and the challenge must be taken up. He was not going to be upstaged by a Kung-Fu Frog! The Frog King raises slowly up, looming over even the humans let alone the other frogs and bellows something incomprehensible. To everybody who is a frog, they can hear him-- to every else, you have to read the fiery subtitles that appear out of synchronization with the movement of the frog's mouth. "...What is this?! WHO DARES challenge.. the emperor of TAI KWON LEAP?! You are fools and I shall show you no mercy. Face my ribbity wrath, fools!"

:'''[[Mercade Alexander]] has posed:''' Mercade grins. "You know, you're kind of cute like this. Maybe I should take you home? We have a nice terrarium and I can pick you up some crickets." He says, teasingly. And then he sighs. "Welp, it worked one way, right?" Worst case scenario... who knows? He closes his eyes, puckers up, and gives the Toadvira a kiss. He blinks and looks to one side, yelling. "OH CRAP, HE KNOWS TAI KWON LEAP!?"

:'''[[Faruja Senra]] has posed:''' First, there is a singing, dancing frog where Dameon once stood. Faroga turns away, minds reeling from the thought of such things existing. His gaze lands on Toad Reize. A song changes. Little kung-fu frog goes at it with his frog-fu. Poof! Faruja is normal again. Reaching into his damp, muddy clothes, he pulls out his hip flask. Item _--> Whiskey. Action --> Drink Heavily --> Jump Now with just enough intoxication to not have his mind snap like a twig, Faruja leaps into the air, before descending upon the King Frog!

:'''[[Percival]] has posed:''' On any other day, Percival would at least get a chuckle out of the sight of the frog king and his fiery subtitles. But by God, he'd been a toad today, and he was NOT amused. Not amused in the least. As the Frog King leaps high into the air to dodge Faruja's attack, he snarls before climbing a nearby pipe, and kicking off. With his full wingspan open he glides towards the frog king at high speed. Leading with his sword he aims a strike towards the King's bulbous midsection, and follows up with a shield slam as he finishes the pass.

:'''[[Avira]] has posed:''' To display her disapproval with being kept in a terrarium, Avira croaks, inflating her throat in irritation at Mercade! Sure, he's just teasing, but still! Eating crickets!!! Mercade leans in and, though no maiden, does give froggy Avira a kiss. A moment passes and a poof of green surrounds the tree frog. The human Avira is left behind, though now it seems she's going to take advantage of the situation and prolong their contact just a little bit longer. But then the horrible frog king makes his appearance and Avira grows angry very very quickly! "Tai Kwon Leap?!" Avira says, her eyes twinkling. "Fortunately, I know a very effective technique for countering JUST THAT!" Spinning away from Mercade, she dashes at the Frog King, leaps into the air, and swings a foot out.

:'''[[Aerith]] has posed:''' Her newly-trained evasive skills would not help her here as she got hit full on with the... attempt to make her croak. It was more than effective, knocking her diminutive form backward quite a ways. She wasn't exactly all that effective in this state, so she had to wait for herself to get back to normal. If she ever would, that was.

:'''[[Dameon]] has posed:''' *POOF* Dameon is back, flipping in the air. He lands on the balls of his feet, and hangs there for a moment. He tilts his head, "TAI KWON LEAP!?" Dameon leaps into the air again, when the RIBITITY BITTY comes after him. He avoids it, and then slides his foot up. He deliberately slows things down, and sends a wave of slow-magic hurling at the Frog King. Dameon jumps back. He begins to breakdance, whirling around with his hands, arms, legs, and head. Jumping out of the water, glowing, yet frozen, zombies in onesies, start to break dance next to Dameon. His skin is now brittle, and frozen over slightly, and his hair is completely white. Dameon's laugh is a rattle-like cackle and he hops back up to his feet, "Dance, my friends! Let's show this freak who's really king of the dance floor!" The frozen break-dancing zombies go after the Frog King, and CHALLENGE HIM TO A DANCE-OFF!!

:'''[[Emi Dennou]] has posed:''' Emi, who is in melee, is frog slapped by the Hypnotoad. She flops onto her back and her tongue dangles out grossly. ELSEWHERE "Why are Imi and Emi--" Umi asks. "Stop." Omi says. "But why do they keep saying 'ribbit' over the Network?" Umi asks. "We are not to talk about it." HERE Rolling onto her webbed feet, Emi crackles with electricity and sends an arc crashing down upon the mighty user... OF FROG BASED MARTIAL ARTISTRY! Imi, meanwhile, is hoping for some smooches. She hops on over to Mercade and looks at him hopefully. O___O

:'''[[Leida]] has posed:''' Princess Toada is still freaking out about her new status as a slimy amphibian when a sticky tongue whacks her right in the side of the head. SLUUURP. "Eeeee...?!" Whirling around to see the source of this disgusting offense brings her face to face with Imi-toad. Leida blinks again, her large sticky eyes making audible clicking sounds as their membranes slide shut. Did she just get licked by a frog?! Well, yes, that's pretty obvious but the fact that she's a frog also kind of makes it less weird. Sort of. It takes a moment but the girl manages to puzzle out the identity of her licker, if only because she was with Imi just a few moments before and that is something Imi would totally do in this situation. "I-Imi-chan is that you? We have been horrible cursed! What shall we do...?" Her little froggy arms wave around histerically as she speaks. And then there is giant frog king! The ground rumbles and shakes as the massive monster crashes down onto the floor and Leida scrambles quickly out of the way, barely managing to avoid being flattened. She hops quickly after Imi and rest at her side, looking around warily. "W-we have to change back somehow!"

:'''[[Tifa Lockhart]] has posed:''' Tifa Lockhart is getting attacked as a frog! Fortunatly, she has enough jumping power to get out of the way, so it only glances her. That could have been bad, she's a small thing after all! And then she's back to normal again ~_~ "This flip flopping is getting annoying, and what's with that big ugly frog with the twirly e- ALL HAIL THE HYPNOTOAD! She blinks. Where did that come from? ~_~ Nevermind that, punchy time. Its a heartless, and its obviously up to not good.

:'''[[Reize Seatlan]] has posed:''' Tai Kwon Leap?! Reize has heard tales of that style from places afar! The toad with the antenna hair rises in surprise. Then, the toad turns to face the Tifa-toad. With a ribbit, he tries to communicate for Toadifa to join him. And then the Emperor of Tai Kwon Leap makes his presence known. ...Crap. Toad Reize attempts to avoid the incoming descent, but the toad dude comes forth to strike him down. "RIBBIIIIIIITTTT!!!" Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. Pain. Nevertheless, Reize calls for Tifa. [Subtitle: Tifa! Let's kick this Emperor's butt!] The Toad Reize is hopping straight towards. ---- *Record scratch* Dameon calls forth the frozen-break dancing zombies to dance. And with that, Reize is starting to hop towards the toad king. The music is pumping. Toad boy dances. His little toad-legs sweeping long the ground with a side step before he springs off of the ground with a winding kick. "RIBBITTTTT!!!" Right on the nose. 

:'''[[Lumeria]] has posed:''' Of course Lumeria's not happy about being turned into a frog, "You'll play for that." She wonders if the Frog King's massive size is the result of magic as well. There was one way to find. She seemingly can still talk and cast spells in this form, so the change is only cosmetic it seems. She attempts to shrink the Frog King to normal frog size, along with a few other debuffs to try and even the fight.

:'''[[Stormfall]] has posed:''' Ah. Avira. Did you not learn that it is folly to turn the technique of the master against the master? For the Boot to the Head and your kung fu is not strong enough. But as powerful as the frog king is, they are no match for the dancing dead or the power of Emi and the legionettes to make everything taste Lighting-y. The Giant brilliantly colored frog whose fiery subtitles continue to hang in the air expands their massive airsack, a gutteral chuckle escaping them as they are battered about but seem generally unphased, although embarrassed and upstaged by Dameon as his dancers. "CHALLENGE me will you?" croaks the frog king. It swells and swells with pride and rage (always a bad combination in Kung Fu movies) The heartless frogs explode from all corners of the flooded water plant and join in the dance, turning it from a Dance off to a West Side Story-esque FULL ON Dance Battle as the Heartles attempt to outdance and then Outgnaw the zombies. The ones that have turned against the rest of the party are wearing sodden cloaks and wielding vicious knives so-- you know. This part is all very Croak and Dagger.

:'''[[Faruja Senra]] has posed:''' SUDDENLY FROGS. Faruja leaps into the air, already trying again with his usual tactics of 'fall down upon the enemy really fast with a sharp pointy stick.' Unfortunately, today that strategy doesn't work as he's suddenly covered in frogs. Down the rat goes, back onto the railing! Too covered in frogs to do much else, even correct his landing, all he can do is cast a few protective spells at his friends. There's a loud 'metal on skull' and 'Burmecian on frog' sound as the rat's head impacts the railing. The Burmecian goes limp, knocked out cold under a pile of Heartless-frogs. How embarrassing. Hopefully he squished a few in the process.

:'''[[Deelel]] has posed:''' Well the Frogs just keep comming, the Frog King is proving to not be a laughing matter, not a laughing matter at all. She evades some of the incoming spells however? She doesn't surive the ext volley of spells upon her. She doesn't quite get Croaked but she's not to well off eithere fromt hat hit. She manages to keep her footing and it's time to play pinball, with her Disc she laucnehs it attemping to bounce it off the king and his minions before attemping to flank them and capture the weapon upon it's return.

:'''[[Percival]] has posed:''' While in the air, he manages to deflect the frog king's....dance moves. But still finds himself knocked into a rapid descent. His talons can no longer find purchase, and he's having trouble gliding in cramped quarters. Eventually he lands on the ground near Leida the frog. While he doesn't recognize who it is, he realizes that they need everyone back in the fight as quickly as possible. Lifting up the frog, he places a quick peck on the Frog's lips without giving it a second or glance at whom he even kissed, before he leaps back into the fight against the King of Frogs. He swears this reminds him of a 80's music video in some way. Charging at the frog king, he lets out a challenging roar once again, before the hilt of his blade attempts to find purpose at the bottom of the giant amphibian's chin, he then follows up with a backwards overhand swing to buffet the creature upside its swollen head.

:'''[[Mercade Alexander]] has posed:''' Mercade has no problems sticking around for a bit to make sure Avira is thoroughly... uncursed! Yes, that's it. Uncursed. The Detective looks on the hooded frogs as they come striking with deadly force towards them all. However, the Detective flips, somersaulting through the air as he flips, catching up Imi as he does so in a display of agility! The Detective holds up Imi, and looks at her for a moment, before just giving her a little smooch. Since she's asking so nicely.

:'''[[Dameon]] has posed:''' The Frog King perhaps one of the most fatal mistakes of his life. Heartless pour out from all the crevices within the complex. They join in the dance of the Frog King's jubiltation. Frozen zombies are nearly eaten (not)-alive by the Heartless. Several of them slam into Dameon and start to crowd him. He yelps in pain and tries to shake a few of them off. Frog King unleashes a second critical hit. The Frog King challenges Dameon to a dance-battle. A whiplash of magic from the Frog King knocks Dameon off his feet. Dameon crashes into the ground, knocked totally off his groove. All of the zombies fall apart in a clatter of ice. Dameon lays there for a few moments, and then he begins to quiver. Is.. is he angry? Slowly, Dameon starts to get louder. No. He is laughing. His laugh starts to fill the room with a terrible joy, as he begins to stand up. His eyes flash open, and they are totally black. You're going to challenge, /me/!? He simply says, but his words are so infused with magic, it's not even funny. Dameon begins to dance, it's a slow start. His legs sweep in and out of a sway. Even in the background, a slow music beat starts to play. Dameon's dancing starts to pick up. He claps and claps with the beat. Each clap echoes in the chamber (even though nothing really echoed before). Dameon's dancing gets faster and faster, and with each clap, the music adds another instrument. Dameon finishes this out with a spin, and then grabs his crotch, shoving his fist into the air! "WOW!" His voice is really high pitched. With that, a sudden influx of magic rushes into the room. Zombies. Ghouls. Skeletons. They all start to materialize in the air. Dameon cackles, and they begin to dance battle with the heartless. An endless score of undead all matched up with the beat. The Frog King suddenly gets to urge to simply .... die.

:'''[[Tifa Lockhart]] has posed:''' Tifa Lockhart focusing on the fight is apparently a good thing for the barmaid, since she manages to resist the frogification this time. Yes, frogification. She borrowed that from Aerith. She's actually surprised that the froggy king can talk... That's a bit unsettling. Either way, the barmaid bounces over the vegetation around, using it as a springboard to bring herself up to level with the crowned frog, attempting to bring it back down to level with her piledriver. Well, its similar, but since those frogs are a bit slippery, she doesn't attempt to go for a body grip, instead she aims for the limps, holding them as she brings it down to the ground with her own weight.

:'''[[Avira]] has posed:''' Yes. Thoroughly uncursed indeed. "Not bad..." No, she's not freaking out like she did with Dameon at all. Boot to the head...unsuccessful. "Grr!" Avira lands not so far away from the Frog king, crouched. Before she stands fully, Avira arms herself again since being turned into a frog put her weapon away somehow. It's magic, DON'T QUESTION IT!!! Standing, Avira waves the Spine as she does, sending out a large shockwave of power that blows away any of the approaching knife-wielding Heartless. Another shockwave pushes them out further and the final sends them flying into walls, the floor, and the frog king.

:'''[[Emi Dennou]] has posed:''' Imi is rescued by Mercade. She beams at him and then rushes over to Leida and picks her up in her arms. "Leida-Chan... even as a toad..." She stares soulfully in her toad eyes. "I can't resist your beauty. Oh!" She brings a hand up to her forehead and cries out, "How could a slimy creature be so cute?? Is it because I know, deep inside, there is a Leida in there? Or is it because Leida's cuteness got transferred to the toad? I don't know...But there is only one way... to find out." She leans in, intent on giving Leida an actual smooch. "Ribbit ribbit." Emi complains at Imi who can't understand the complaint anymore but it's probably, translated, somewhere along the lines of 'stop playing around! This is serious ribbit!'. She sticks her tongue out as the Toad King attacks! She catches a heartles and swings her body around until the Heartless collides into the Frog King. She ribbits out and then hops a few times, sending another wave of electricity crashing down for the toad! She can't use the Super High Speed Electromagnetically Charged Projectile in this form!

:'''[[Mercade Alexander]] has posed:''' "Jesus Christ." Mercade says as he obeserves Dameons horrifying dance. "It's like I'm back to the 80s." He looks over to Imi. "Are you... How does this even work?" MErcade looks up at the sky and shakes his head. "GOD DAMN IT, MAGIC! MAKE SENSE!"

:'''[[Reize Seatlan]] has posed:''' The Frog King has made his defiance to the challenge. Reize, unfortunately, is no match for the master. And yet... Frog Reize is springing away from the kin. The Heartless frogs are jumping in, springing out to start assaulting the frogboy. That young frog is dead on through the crowd of frogs. As they amass the group, the frog charges in place and he starts springing forward with a spinning double kick. "RIBBIT! The frog lands on the ground, then he charges straight towards the frog king once more. "RIBBIT!" The young frog springs up, moving outward to disappear and reappear behind him, then he moves upward to strike down the Frog King, and he springs forth with another kick towards the head!

:'''[[Leida]] has posed:''' Leida croaks in a delicate fashion as she is suddenly lifted up and finds herself being kissed by a giant gargoyle! She struggles weakly when she realizes what is about to happen but Percival is too quick and the manuever too unexpected for her to stop it from happening. He turns quickly back into the fight and the frog hops out of his open hand, to land roughly on the wet floor. She blinks. Nothing happened. Weren't there rules to this curse? Perhaps Percival was just taking advantage of her weakened state to steal a kiss?! And speaking of people who take advantage of her, Imi's hands suddenly wrap about her body and heft her back into the air, earning a timid, "R-ribbit...?" The clearly over stated drama of the girl's lines are lost on the poor princess and she actually manages to blush as a frog at the compliments. This smooch is far less sudden and terrifying and Leida-toad doesn't resist when Imi plants one on her. Whether or not the magic counts the Legion as maidens or the curse simply happens to expire at this point is a matter for debate. Either way, however, there is a soft poof of white smoke and suddenly the princess is standing there before Imi, lips pressed together. She pulls back quickly, her blush more pronounced now but focusing on the troubles at hand. This is no time for social awkwardness, there's a battle afoot! As if to emphasize that point, one of the cloaked frogs takes a swipe at her leg, causing her to shriek and hop away as a thin line of black blood appears from the wound. Of all the times to have forgotten her bow! Leida quickly ducks behind her friend, clinging to Imi's shoulder. "Ah... t-thank you Imi-chan but..."

:'''[[Lumeria]] has posed:''' Lumeria's surprisingly mobile as a frog, maybe being a small target helped. Of course then the magic wears off and the girl's back to normal. "Silence, I hate being a frog!" She sounds rather displeased and about ready to splatter the Frog King all over. That's not really her fighting style though so settles for sending several spheres of light at him.

:'''[[Stormfall]] has posed:''' Counter attack. Double damage! The Emperor Hypnotoad gets battered by his own ribbity minions. But that is just the warm up number. Percival CLOBBERS the frog king about the head, causing it to stagger and fall over the side into the water. When it explodes out of the water again to land next to Dameon, the music track changes. As the 80's Kung Fu fighting is needle scratched into 'THRILLER' The frog king and emperor of Tai-Kwon Leap simply..keels over and dies. THe creature's eyes bulge and turn red, the heartless symbol etched on their back flashing as they slowly collapse with infinite gravitas down onto the squishy mats of vegetation being swarmed by zombies, ghouls and other forms of the undead. Excellent job. Well done. Game over. Time for Chinese ghost magic! Green flames ignite in the eyes of the Frog King, the polymorph glyph that can be found everywhere pulsing on it's chest to the rhythm of a heartbeat. Dark vapor curls up and around the Frog King as it bellows. "EGGPLANTS. PAPER ROLLS. ELBOW before my rankled mushroom! I AM DISAPPOINT." --- Apparantly, Dameon hit so hard he broke the subtitles. Green flames try to consume the undead as the heartless pushes everything into one last strike. It opens it's mouth.. wider.. and wider-- until there is nothing but a great cavernous space. As spheres of light pierce the undead frog and begin to unravel it's existance, a great black tongue unfurls from that cavernous otherspace and-- the Emperor begins to tear into Dameon and anyone around him with-- a last, and terribly severe tongue lashing.

:'''[[Percival]] has posed:''' Percival hits the ground, hard and ends up as a toad again. A very pathetic looking toad, and not at all like the heroic dancing and fighting frogs. He hops repeatedly towards those in the group of a more feminine persuasion, and while he certainly doesn't beg. He stands there completely humiliated and awaits either someone taking pity on him, or for the humiliation to remain until the witchcraft wears off.

:'''[[Dameon]] has posed:''' Dameon's zombies, ghouls, and skeletons all beatbox and slam dance the life out of the Heartless. Dameon, on the other hand, is cackling madly. The frog died. His magic lashes out and tries to claim the frog's body as his own, to see its form and then later, when everyone is done sack-beating it, taking it to the place where Dameon stores these ... these things. This happens however, not without a severe tongue-lashing, which turns Dameon into a frog again. "Ribbit."

:'''[[Leida]] has posed:''' Leida feels safe behind her friend shield but that feeling of security is completely destroyed by the devious application of an incredibly flexible tongue. The Frog King's deadly licker lashes out, whipping from side to side in his death throes at the fools who had dared to challenge his power without knowing the full extend of deadly magic at his beck and call. The princess doesn't even notice the danger until it is already upon her, her eyes focused on what she thought was the more immediately threat of angry frogs with knives. There is a loud wet smack as the fleshy bludgeon slams into her body. And suddenly the world is very large again. "Ribbit?" Leida-toad looks up... and up... at Imi with big watery eyes. "R-ribbit..."

:'''[[Mercade Alexander]] has posed:''' Mercade is about to engage in DYNAMIC AWESOME to fight against the Frog King after Imi saved from her terrible froggy fate, when he is struck by the powerful, ghostly blows of the risen Frog King! There is an explosion of green smoke... Plop. A toad hits the floor. It's wearing a tiny paper fedora and leather trenchcoat. It sort of stares, confused and glassy-eyed, into the distance. "Ribbit."

:'''[[Tifa Lockhart]] has posed:''' Tifa Lockhart phews as the frog king goes down... but acks as she gets toungue lashed! That wasn't nice at all! She really needs a shower after this T_T After being toungued and turned into a froggy, she's feeling slimy all over... She blinks as several people get turned into frogs around her "... uhm..." She picks a few of them up in her arms "... Does frog kissing really work here?" c.c

:'''[[Reize Seatlan]] has posed:''' "Ribbit..." That serious tongue lashing is coming out.... As the wider mouth of the undead frog comes forth, the boy lunges forth towards the Emperor, the frog leaaaaapps over the tongue that belts its way. Then, he dashes away from the incoming tongue that swings to him. With the right timing... He manages to spring through the opening. "RIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII-----" The frog spins around, forming a corkscrew. "---BBBBBIIIIIIIIIIIIITTTTT!!!!" (Subtitle: You are no longer the Emperor of Tai Kwon Leap) The technique used: Boot to the Head.

:'''[[Mercade Alexander]] has posed:''' "Ribbit. Ribbit ribbit croak ribbit." Toadcade states eloquently. He blinks, and looks around a bit before experimentally shooting his tongue. He goes crosseyed. "Riiiibbit." He says after he snaps his tongue back in.

:'''[[Emi Dennou]] has posed:''' Imi ducks, only making it easier for Leida to get tongue clobbered. Emi, already being a toad is able to bounce out of the way, remetamorphacizing back into Emi as she hits the ground. She looks around. Where did Mercade go? HE must have ducked to the side. She starts a-looking for him, or his toad version, though it'll be a bit. Imi looks around and sees Leida has been toaded again. She frowns at Leida. "Clearly I did not kiss hard enough. OKay. But I'm warning you, Leida, this is the last one." Liar. She picks up Leida again and, yes, kisses again but this time she's going to keep at it well after she has transformed back because if you can't embarrass Leida enough the first time, try try again.

:'''[[Tifa Lockhart]] has posed:''' Tifa Lockhart watches emi distributing kisses... well, here goes nothing. @_@ She tentively tries to kiss the first frog she has in hand... T_T Such a terrible experience. Kissing those slimy things... but she doesn't have any remedies, and her healing friend, the flower girl, disapeared... Pucker up, have coruage Tifa! *smooch*

:'''[[Reize Seatlan]] has posed:''' And.... Tifa ends up kissing... "Ribbit?" Ohhey, Reize is back to normal. "...Buh?" ...Antenna hair goes.. *DOING!*

:'''[[Avira]] has posed:''' AHH TONGUE LASHING. That long tongue licks up and down Avira, leaving her shaking and shuddering, "Eeeeew!!!!" Avira doesn't move, remaining shivering for a few seconds before... Poof. Back to little green tree frog Avira. At least she's got some company this time. "Ribbit." There's the distinct sense that Avira is pouting a little. Probably because Mercade has met the same fate right now! Who is going to change them back?!

:'''[[Tifa Lockhart]] has posed:''' Tifa Lockhart blinks, and pats Reize on the head "Welcome back Reize." Well, Reize been lucky enough to get the first kiss. Don't mind the spitting the barmaid does, its not because of Reize specifically. Ick, frogs.

:'''[[Mercade Alexander]] has posed:''' Mercade hops over to Avira. "Ribbit ribhbit." Mercade says, eloquently to Avira. "Ribbit." Sad frog is sad.

:'''[[Dameon]] has posed:''' Toadmeon sits there, looking absolutely bored out of its mind.

:'''[[Leida]] has posed:''' "R-ribbit..." Leida is lifted and she fidgits abit, knowing what is coming next, but she doesn't try to escape. Being embarrassed is far preferrable to being a slimey toad. Her eyes close and froggy lips pucker up slightly as Imi leans in, probably getting one of the weirdest sensations in kissing history. Yuck. However, it doesn't take but a moment for the magics to kick in and Leida transmogrifies back to normal. Slowly she opens her eyes and tries to step back, only to find that Imi has wrapped an arm about her waist to prevent a repeat of her earlier escape! The princess' eyes widen a little but her surprise quickly dies out, replaced with giant heaps of embarrassment. She should have expected this. The kiss lingers for several seconds, Leida's cheeks going red again but she fianlly manages to pull away and quickly buries her face in her hands, looking around through the gaps in her fingers to make sure no one noticed the impromptu make out session. "Imi-chaaaan..." she whines.

:'''[[Deelel]] has posed:''' Deelel looks at Mercade with a bit of strange look Dameon for a moment, there's something ab0out the music or is it danging? Something feels right but she is a media program from the 80s techinally so who the heck knows right? She's got her disc back but she's goin g to take a moment to prepare herself self as best she cna before she was planing to leap at the king like this plumber she saw on one of the arcade games at Flynn's but the game ahs changed. She's forced to leap for everything she's worth as the tongue of doom comes for her She's just gone there's this look of abject horror. She's surived and she's looking about she's seen kisses have worked to cure the other so she heads for one of the stricken members of the party who happens to be Damien she'll attempt to pick him up and kiss him. Hopefully nothing goes wrong but the feeling of kissing a toad may be something she doesn't ever want to do again unless it's needed. User space has reached a new level of insanity for the basi to be sure.

:'''[[Dameon]] has posed:''' Toadmeon is picked up. "Ribbit?" It looks confused. Now, it starts to look scared. "Ribbit! Ribbit!" Programs kissing is not a normal experience! Then, there is Dameon, who hangs in the program's arms, much like the frog did before in Avira's arms. ".. can you put me down?"

:'''[[Lumeria]] has posed:''' Lumeria's not kissing anyone, having been turned into a frog was bad enough. Besides she wanted out of her way to help her anyways. At least she managed to avoid get turned back into one again. "That was digusting..." She could only imagine her sister would be laughing right now if she had heard about this.

:'''[[Percival]] has posed:''' Percival hops closer to Leida, Imi, Deelel, and Tifa. He remains there in a stoic silence. He refuses to beg. He refuses, despite the incredible humiliation he's suffering right now.

:'''[[Tifa Lockhart]] has posed:''' Tifa Lockhart sighs a bit "It doesn't really please me either, but there's no other way to bring them back." She was turned intoa frog twice over! Enough to make you swear off eating frog legs forever, honestly. So who's the next lucky frog? ~_~ Might as well get it out of the way. She's going to need a mouthrinse after that.

:'''[[Emi Dennou]] has posed:''' Imi doesn't help Percival. At least not yet. What she does do, however, is swing one hand up and count down from five to zero with it. Percival, at least, probably saw. /then/ she pulls away. Emi ducks down in the muck near Avira and Mercade. As if it were no thang, she intends to give both a quick peck. They are her seniors after all, it is only proper. Very professional toadsmooching.

Stocking the Pantry

2013-01-20T06:28:20Z

IvoGalvan:

{{Log Header
|Date of Scene=2013/01/19
|Location=Fluorgis - City
|Synopsis=Leida drags Reize out to be a pack mule for food shopping.
|Cast of Characters=Reize Seatlan, Leida, Emi Dennou
|Tinyplot=Shadows Over Fluorgis
|pretty=yes
}}
:'''[[Leida]] has posed:''' Flowers. City. Fountains. The scenery doesn't change much from place to place inside Fluorgis, only the view. Here and there the odd landmark stands out to distinguish one street from another but to anyone unfamiliar with the rather sizable trade city getting lost is a real hazard. Fortunately, Leida has a fair bit more direction sense than her guardian. Not that this is holding her to very high standards. Her duties as the Shard Seeker's maid and errand girl has required enough trips into the bustling marketplace that she knows her way around the stalls and kiosks quite well at this point. In fact, her face is becoming common enough that a few of the shopkeepers have started to recognize her and some of them wave her over to hawk their wares or engage in the idle chatter that is second nature to shopkeeper. At the moment the princess stands before one of these stall, eyeing some fruit to stock up the pantries. Because their finances are often in a constant state of flux this sort of shopping is almost a daily chore. "Um... well, I rather liked the oranges last time but the prices seem to have gone up..." A slender woman, darkly tanned from spending her days in the desert sun gives a bright customer-service smile to the small girl. "Well I am afraid that cannot be helped my dear. The recent troubles have made merchants wary of making the trip here and airship fees are expensive. It is the nature of the market."

:'''[[Reize Seatlan]] has posed:''' Life for the leader of the Shard Seekers is not always fun and games. As part of his life, he also doubles as a pack mule. Because why not? Reize often tends to be the pack mule for pretty faces. The boy had decided to follow Leida this time, given that he was unable to bring back groceries last time. Sadface. This time, with following Leida, they will not get lost! However, the boy is covered with bags after bags and after bags. The burly shopkeeper looks over towards the young lad, "Heyo, kiddo! If you keep that up, you'll be a big man like me these days." "Eh heh heh.. th-thanks, Jacob." Reize winces, pulling himself up to keep the bags from troppling him down. The recent news has been troubling. He went to the pub earlier, but the other adventurers that he chatted with were not around.

:'''[[Emi Dennou]] has posed:''' FLOWWWWWWWWWWWERRRRRRRRRRRRSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS The Network has good direction sense. Emi in particular tends to think about economics as well quite frequently as the one who has to typically deal with the Network's finances and ensure people get what they need, that some is saved up, and so on. It's a complicated task for The Network which is, in essence, not too unlike controlling a small business. One that doesn't make much money and has 5 other people at 'top' and no employees. So yes, difficult. Recently they had to fight Gilgamesh, and today they have another job, so Emi and Imi are here intent on getting food. Unfortunately prices have gone up, so they're starting to think of maybe getting nothing. They see Leida over there, but mostly notice Reize because he's carrying a whole bunch of bags. The two approach. "Reize..." Emi is saying as Imi tries to sneak up on Leida. "Do you need help carrying those bags?, The Network inquires." AT A COST? Well maybe not, they are letting Imi spy on them for free so it pays, in essence, to not charge.

:'''[[Leida]] has posed:''' "Oh... ofcourse..." Leida idly runs her fingers over the tops of the fruit on the display stall. The troubles of this city seemed to be piling up lately almost as if the Heartless attack had painted a bulls-eye on the entire area somehow. What was worse was there seemed to be no real source of their woes. Bad luck perhaps? What was that saying she heard: It never rains but it pours? After a few moments of deliberation, the princess scoops up a few of the citrus fruits and places them in her basket while elicits a smile from the vendor. "Ah, I knew I could count on you, little one!" One of the side-effects of there being more troubles about was that there was more work to be done and therefore more money to be spent. There was a strange and unfortunate partnership between a mercenary's livelihood and the misery of others. They could afford to spend a few extra coins on some fruit. If the state of Reize's burden was any indication, she had made this same determination many times today. Still distracted as she peruses further purchases from the shop, Leida is as usual, completely oblivious to her surroundings and the impending Legion related doom that lurks just behind.

:'''[[Reize Seatlan]] has posed:''' "Heh... The boy is looking a completely out of it. Nevertheless, he looks pretty pleased overall. His attention turns towards the approach of Emi, who is inquiring if she can help with the bags. This would, thankfully, alleviate some of the weight. Not only that, but Emi offered to help! "Y--yeah! Thanks, Emi." The boy brings the bag over towards her, allowing her to take a set. However, he still has his set of bags. He is not going to dump all of the responsibility of her. Of course, Reize is unaware of Imi spying and sneaking on Leida. While his eyes drift towards the area, scanning to see that it feels relatively empty of the usual adventurers. "...Many of the guys have disappeared. Reinholt and the others would usually be at the pub by now... I wonder if the rumors are true.." 

:'''[[Emi Dennou]] has posed:''' Nin nin. "It is no problem." Emi says, taking a couple bags to help carry. She's not especially strong in the physical strength department, relying on her electric blasts more than anything, and she can't really use that to help with shopping at least not without making a scene, so she is just going to carry them normally. "Taking away the adventurers... that was the goal, it seems, The Network deduces." Emi looks around a bit before adding, "All these problems Fluorgis is dealing with right now..." She frowns. "It is unnatural for it to be happening this way. We would assume it was the fire crystal, but it has only started up recently." That doesn't really preclude the fire crystal but it does suggest it might be something else. "Nevertheless, with so many adventurers missing, the bulk of Fluorgis's defense is gone. From the Heartless attack, whomever is behind this trouble knew they would have to disable the adventurer contingent here, or at least weaken it. We suspect there will be more problems throughout and out of the city to run us ragged and then, perhaps then, the real attack will happen." "This is all supposition, of course." Emi adds. MEANWHILE Imi sneaks up behind Leida and then... HUGS HER FROM BEHIND OH NOOOOO! "Leeeidaaa--chaaaan!" She says.

:'''[[Leida]] has posed:''' Imi's surprise attack is met with a shrill squeak of surprise from her victim as Leida practically jumps out of her skin. Fortunately, the hug manages to hold her firmly to the ground. The oranges and other things in her basket do not fare as well. A shower of soft fruit rains down on the two of them as the smaller girl flails weakly against her captor for a few moments out of skittish instinct but it doesn't take long for her to realize that she's being hugged not assaulted and there's only one person who can be responsible for such devious and indecent displays of public affection. The princess exhales her tension heavily and slumps back against her friend. "O-oh... it is you, Imi-chan." The realization that the shopkeepers nearby are all staring and grinning at the two of them makes Leida color up instantly and she worms her way out of the hug to start collecting the scattered produce and return it to the basket. Turning around also reveals her friend's partner for the day and she gives a shy smile up at the other Legion as well. "Ah... Emi-chan, it is good to see you again."

:'''[[Reize Seatlan]] has posed:''' "Eh?" Reize turns his head towards Emi's deduction, "...So the rumors are true..." He frowns, "I was off searching for Skoll at the time. ...I did not find him." The expression turns pretty serious for a moment, his gaze falls on Emi, "Nggh..." The mention of the fire crystal has Reize wincing. He furrows his eyebrows, wondering. "..Yeah. We are limited on defenses against another attack if the Heartless invade. It was thanks to the group that we were able to repel the large Heartless portal at the northern part of the city." "...Although this is a suppo--suppo... uhh whatever you said, it sounds likely." Reize glances back at Imi with a bit of a sweatdrop. The interaction between Leida and Imi is often one of strange affections. Nevertheless, it is something that Leida needs. "Good to see you again, Imi." It's an affectionate smile directed her way, but then Reize looks at Emi, "I'll have to let the Shard Seekers know. ...It will only get worse from here, but..." His eyes glance over to the people enjoying their daily lives. A little girl walking with her mom, a vendor selling his wares, and a group of adventurers chatting. "...We won't lose another home." 

:'''[[Emi Dennou]] has posed:''' Emi gives Reize a look that suggests that she is not responsible for Imi's interactions with Leida and that she cannot be held responsible even if they are the same (but also not the same). In short, this is one of those 'not the sames', naturally speaking. Emi's beliefs are only theories otherwise--regarding Fluorgis and its latest troubles, naturally--her eyes half lidding blankly as Reize fails to say the word supposition. "Supposition." She informs him. Those mirrors... It is true that adventurers tend to have strange lives, maybe getting rid of the stronghearted wasn't the goal. Even failing to be oblivious to that sort of thing...then that would mean it was just a way to strike at the other adventurers, ones who might be a problem in a straight up fight but not against their own insecurities. Mm... Then what would be the next way that they would try to strike?, Emi considers the strategies they might use. They've rested up from the Heartless so...something to sap at their strength? Tampering with the water supply would certainly do that, but... "It's one thing to say that and another to put it in action." Emi says. "The Network is glad to see you resolved, however." She nods over to Leida. She doesn't smile, but it isn't a troubled look. An acknowledgement. Imi is all grins though. "Awww...it was so horrible, Leida-Chan." She says. "The horrible mirrors made me see all sorts of things~~ I do not think I would have been able to get out without Emi-Chan's reassurances." "Please do not use -chan for me Imi. Leida can, however." Emi says. This doesn't mean she doesn't see Imi as a friend but it's just weird to have that language directed at her by family.

:'''[[Leida]] has posed:''' "Mirrors?" Leida looks back at Imi with a quizzical expression. Clearly she has not be informed of the previous day's events. The long training session with Percival kept her up until early morning and she slept right through the whole thing. The last of the wayward fruit is returned to the basket which she sets down at her feet. The girl offers a concerned smile back to her friend. "Um... well I do not know of any mirrors that make you see things besides yourself but that does sound rather scary. I am glad you are alright." A gentle bow is given to Emi. "Thank you very much, Emi-chan. I am glad Imi-chan has such supportive sisters. I hope you are both alright?" She stays out of the conversation between Reize and Emi for the moment. Planning against the machinations of evil was not one of her skills.

:'''[[Reize Seatlan]] has posed:''' A mirthful smile is given towards Emi who show signs of cutting off responsibility for Imi's actions. Reize can't help but to give her a chuckle, then he places a hand over her shoulder to give her a pat. "...Supposition." Pause. "Got it!" However, Emi's word is challenging. It is one that asks him how does he plan to do so. How does Reize plan to put it into action. The boy brightens a smile. "You'll see, Emi! We will prove to you." Nevertheless, Reize considers, "We just have to prepare for the worst. I am sure Ivo's handling things on his end. He has been talking to the council a lot." 

:'''[[Emi Dennou]] has posed:''' "It was also fog!! I half expected to see a Disco Eyeball that shot lasers!" Imi's eyes are wide as she holds up an index finger, though she's staying close. Emi nods to Leida and adds, "That is the purpose of siblings, is it not? Well, perhaps not, but supporting one another comes naturally. You do not have to worry." wobbles slightly in the direction of Reize's hand, as if that tiny extra bit of weight was threatening to bring down the whole Emi. She doesn't, however, instead her eyes maintain that half lidded expression. She has a natural poker face. "Nevertheless, we will be providing our assistance as well. Imi is insistent. And besides, we could use the extra cash." Suddenly she grins widely. "...We used a gigas glove as bait... Tom Magnusson shall likely be coming to help. Heh heh...he needs the money, The Network marvels at Mercade's management responsibilities and skill. The horse shall follow the carrot." It's gone instantly as she looks up again. "Ivo...Has he...?" Imi says, "It made me think of you, I'm so glad you're okay~. It's your responsibility now to make sure I don't freak out, okay?" Imi continues to smile brightly. "I'm counting on you."

:'''[[Leida]] has posed:''' Leida stares at her friend for several seconds, a blank look completely devoid of understanding in her eyes. "A disco... eyeball...? Lasers...?" She blinks a few times, tilting her head up towards the sky as if the Heavens might help shed some light on these words but alas they leave her cloaked in a cloud of confusion as usual. Instead she turns to Emi and nods at her with a faint smile. "Ofcourse, Emi-chan." A lot of what this Legion sister says is gibberish to her as well but she is used to them not making very much sense. The part about needing money is clear, however. She glances at the pile of groceries distributed among them and sweat-drops. Perhaps she went a bit overboard? And then there's more Imi talking at her and the princess blinks again. "Eh? W-why would I be otherwise?" The thought of having to be someone else's pillar of support almost makes her go pale. She jumps at her own shadow half the time. But she can't refuse that smile. It might not be a Shida-level smile but it's good enough for her. "Oh... ah... I will try my best, Imi-chan," she says with a warm smile of her own.

:'''[[Reize Seatlan]] has posed:''' "A fog...?" Reize turns to face Imi, then he frowns. A lot had happened in Fluorgis when he wasn't around. This strange event has him give a frown, turning to face Imi and Leida. "It looks like things will be getting even more hectic from here.." However, when he accidentally causes Emi to nearly wobble over, Reize yelps and he reaches a hand over to prevent Emi from falling. His hand moves over to her stomach. ...Thankfully, he managed to not accidentally grope her. As Emi notes her assistance, Reize blinks, "Eh?" Suddenly, that wide grin has Reize... disturbed? It's kinda difficult to see Emi with a smile like that. "Well, we'll try to make sure that you are able to make some money at the process! There are many jobs that people will have up that will help you guys make money as well!" 

:'''[[Emi Dennou]] has posed:''' Luckily Imi misses Reize's attempts to get engaged with Emi. Emi also misses Reize's attempts to become engaged with Emi because Emi does not actually grope her. Instead he actually helps her stay up! As such the following happens. NARROWLY AVOIDED: IMI RESPECT -1,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 GAINED: EMI RESPECT +1 Emi probably wouldn't have cared herself though. She doesn't have enough personal Shard Seeker experience to understand the implications of an accidental groping. So instead she says, "Thank you." to Reize and it seems to end there. And she also continues to hold her two bags. She is pretty lightweight. Imi bobs her head, smiling broadly. "I knew it was just a formality. Thank you, Leida-Chan." She reaches up and intends to ruffle her hair lightly. The Network is aware that hair ruffling is a sign of affection and perhaps also a bit of respect, even if it seems to primarily be the former. "This one is used to performing part time jobs. I enjoy them." Emi continues. "Nevertheless, they are not typically suitable for managing six individuals. I had thought I would only have to do five but we appear to have gotten much luckier ever since our world fair. It is unfortunate, it should have happened earlier." She sighs lightly, and then adds, "But you are not yet recognized as a clan, correct?"

:'''[[Leida]] has posed:''' Leida doesn't see Reize's dangerous flirtation with his bad luck either, which is good because she probably would have made that situation worse. Instead, her hair gets ruffled. The princess closes her eyes and lets it happen. Her unusually short stature has made her more prone to head patting, it is just another thing she has learned to deal with. "Ofcourse, Imi-chan, I will always be available to help you or your sisters." She leaves the discussion of clan business to Reize as she doesn't know very much about the details of that. Instead, she picks up the basket and moves out of the main road so as not to block the stalls, taking a seat on the edge of one of the city's many fountains. She sighs upon sitting down and taking the weight off her feet. Walking around the dusty city in the heat was taxing on her constitution. A little water is splashed on her face to help alleviate the dryness.

:'''[[Reize Seatlan]] has posed:''' Reize's loving tryst with his bad luck is a dangerous one. It is one that brings tears, pain, and laughter. Nevertheless, Reize does manage to help Emi become upright, letting her hold onto the bags. He feels bad about the near topple situation. He has half-a-mind to offer to take the bags from her, but she did ask, so... "Ah hahahaa, hope you can manage." He sighs, "I am honestly not managing material." He gives a sheepish rub of the back of his head. Despite the fact that Reize is the de facto leader, he doesn't /like/ managing things at all. He just wants to be an adventurer. Nevertheless, the Shard Seeker leader has a frown at the lack of clan recognition, "...Ivo has mentioned to us about the situation. The council said that the Shard Seekers will have to do something extraordinary to be recognized as a clan." He huffs a sigh. Though, he gives a glance towards Leida, "Ooi, Leida! Should we head back to the headquarters to put the groceries up?" 

:'''[[Emi Dennou]] has posed:''' Some people lead by managing. Others lead by having everybody fall in love with them until they get this weird super relationship cartel. Er, that is to say, charisma. Emi doesn't seem like she can really do the charisma thing. Sure, she may be able to be adorable when it calls for it, but that's not precisely /charisma/. Still, she's also not actually the leader of the TDA at all. Quite hte opposite actually. It's Mercade who saw the opportunity to take advantage of Tom! Ho ho ho!! But Emi is still pretty proud of her contribution to that end. "Hm..." Emi says, thinking about that. This situation is awfully convenient for the Shard Seekers then. If they save the city then... COULD THEY BE BEHIND THIS?!?!?!?! FLASHBACK! "...Althou this is a suppo--suppo... uhh whatever you said, it sounds likely." Reize had said. PRESENTLY Okay that's really super ridiculous, Emi thinks, to have a theory like that. There's just no way. But even so, she thinks she should add, "If you find out the root of all this and stop it," She tells Reize. "They'd have no choice but to respect you as a clan. Even so..." She frowns. "It's strange they'd make a request like that. The Network suspects that someone on the council likely has a very poor opinion of you otherwise you would not need to have such high requirements for entry." fLASHBACK Reize accidentally gropes a councilman's daughter or something. OKAY ACTUALLY THAT WAS JUST SOMETHING THAT IMI THOUGHT PROBABLY HAPPENED. "Ah..yes...it's almost time for that job..." Imi admits, though she's sticking close to Leida. "You know, I'm not helping yet myself. I can hold something if you'd like, Leida-Chan." She smiles.

:'''[[Leida]] has posed:''' Even before she even finishes properly settling down against the smooth surface of the fountain, Reize calls out and suggests they head back. Leida makes a disappointed noise and pouts for a moment but Imi interrupts her with an offer of assistance. "Oh... well... I think Reize-chan and Emi-chan have everything..." The girl looks around before her eyes go down to the basket in her hands and her face lights up. Aha, perfect. "Um... here you go, Imi-chan." The container is offered up to Imi with both hands and a smile. She wouldn't want her friend to feel left out, now would she? "We should hurry back, I suppose, if you have work to do..."

:'''[[Reize Seatlan]] has posed:''' "...Well, I guess." Reize grumbles, "However, the Desert Rose thing was supposed to be the idea that would had gotten the group recognized." He huffs a sigh, then he lifts his shoulders with a shrug. "...At this point, I don't particularly care." His eyes narrow, "Ivo got what he needed. We can do some shard seeking with the Shard Seeker mk I thanks to Luso's help." He beams, "We don't need to be an official clan now." tTwich. Emi's theory has a bit of substantial evidence, but Reize frowns. "...I don't know why. The Shard Seekers have proven themselves many times." He shakes his head. "Oh well. This is our home. And I want to find my friends." He grits his teeth. "Nevertheless, once we get the groceries up, we can relax!" He gives a beaming smile. He feels a bit bad for making Leida have to get up after sitting down, but they probably shouldn't dwell too much longer. 

:'''[[Emi Dennou]] has posed:''' "Can you think of any reason why they might not approve of your activities here, in spite of your achievements?" Emi asks. Leida having to get up soon after sitting down is partly why Imi offered to take her bag. Notably, she didn't sit down at the fountain. THere is SOMETHING suspicious about the water, so they heard, after all. Wouldn't want to get toadbutt. REize says it doesn't matter and Emi would have to admit she's not certain what differentiates an official clan from an unofficial clan. There's gotta be some benefits. Maybe they get easier access to jobs... "It wouldn't hurt you though." She says. "I intend to talk to the officials here ourselves. Perhaps we will ask about it as well."

:'''[[Leida]] has posed:''' Leida isn't the kind of person to listen to gossip or rumors or to really pay attention to her surroundings for that matter. When she sits down near the water she is entirely unaware of the threat of toadbutt, which sounds like a very disturbing status condition! Does it still require a maiden's kiss to cure...? Handing the basket over to Imi, the princess begings to walk down the street back towards their home. The trip is a good twenty minutes from here and she's eager to be able to sit down properly and rest at this point. Hopefully, Percival won't be waiting to ambush her again with more sword training. "Um... I am going to go on ahead. I will see you when you get back Reize-chan... Ah, try not to get lost!"

:'''[[Reize Seatlan]] has posed:''' Any reason? "Uhh..." Reize lifts a finger up, trying to figure out how to answer her question. /Has/ there been any sort of situation that has happend to preclude the Shard Seekers from getting recognized as an offical clan? "...Not sure!" As Reize is walking with the Legion, the boy grins, "Thanks, Emi! You're a big help." Meanwhile... As the group start to leave off, a blond-haired girl with two ponytails and a long dress is looking out towards the boy, giving a giggle. She'll get a chance to talk to him soon! At least, once he's separated from his friends. She has a letter in her hand.