Wheeling and Dealing

Wheeling and Dealing
Date of Scene:	21 April 2013
Location:	Luca - Harbor
Synopsis:	Souji meets with Ramza and offers him clandestine material support. The price...?
Cast of Characters:	Souji Murasame, Ramza Beoulve, Helena Celba

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Souji Murasame has posed:
There is a storm in Luca.

But then, there is always a storm when the Ame-no-Torifune is present. The ship rides upon a cloud of lightning and thunder, making berth high in the air over the harbor.

Souji himself appears to not give a damn that this might be interrupting people's bright sunny day, sitting in a sidewalk cafe and placing orders, heedless of the storm above him. He leans back in his chair, a leg crossed over as he lounges in the comfortable seat and waits for his response. "Do you think he will come, Celba?" He asks his partner in corporate dominance.

Helena Celba has posed:
Helena is wareing his spectacles, holding a tablet like object infront of her as Souji procured their orders, and now they get a chance to talk, she nods.

"He did not seem to be the type to go back on his word, Master Murasame," She says, a bit more serious now than last night. She is waring her standard gear, and also because she is a secretary on the go. "I do hope he comes soon, the schedule is tight after this meeting...though I guess it is good you get some rest." She says, perhaps a bit...of concern.

Helena closes the notpad, and crosses her legs, taking a drink from the glass provided. "So our new arrival was talking of the beast that you fought the other day, as well as that the Arcadian's took a...interest in it? He thought it was their pet."

Ramza Beoulve has posed:
Ramza Beoulve didn't have a tendency towards the theatrical. He'd sauntered towards the cafe as casually as he would his own encampment. Whether the nonchalance was bravado, or him merely being feckless is unclear. He doesn't appear to have anyone with him at this time.

Given that the weather was cloudy with a chance of airships, he had on a cowled white cloak, though the cowl was lowered at this time. He likely hadn't caught their conversation on his approach, other than bits and pieces that urged him to make his next statement. "I am a man of my word, Ser Murasame. Lady.. where are my manners? I don't believe I caught your name between the fits you gave Ser Senra and the young Church Inquisitor." He'd hold out a mailed fist in the way of Souji.

While he called attention to the airship with his words, he didn't look in its direction. "That is a distinctive airship. I admire the bold gesture of treating with it overhead, given where I saw it last."

Souji Murasame has posed:
"No, he wouldn't, at that, would he?" Souji straightens slightly. "He's following a personal moral code and a crusade against an estavblished power. He's either a madman or an idealist. And since his actions don't strike me as insanity, he's an idealist." He pauses. "I'll be fine, Celba." Souji says, his voice firm.

A moment later, Souji looks over, spying the approaching Ramza. He lifts his wineglass and greets him in salute. "Welcome to my table, Ser Beoulve." He gestures. "At least, mine while I pay for it. Please, sit down and order what you like. I will be paying the bill today." He gestures at the ship above. "The Ame-no-Torifune is my conveyance and, well... My current protection. I do not need it against you, but someone in my... line of work, as it were, can never be too prepared." He gestures. "So I hear tell you're waging an almost one-man rebellion against the Church of Glabados. Celba speaks highly of your groups' competence."

Helena Celba has posed:
"An idealist? Yes, I would say so, they tried to talk me down repeatedly, wanting to tell me the truth," she shrugs, "But the truth is...I am just not very religious." She grins, and nods. Well, if he wants to be like that...nothing she can do. Nothing at all, and they were in public, she wouldn't dare embarrass him like that.

And then the man of the hour is here, she bows her head to him, more restrained than yesterday, but the mischeviousness is still there in her eyes. "Mr. Beoulve, nice to see you again. And yes, Master Murasame, they completely annihilated a group I was propping up...no small feat." she says, firmly, "A holy knight of some sort, a very powerful warrior with glowing blue eyes, a dancer who is quite good, and a very powerful ninja. They annihilated the church group without an effort...though I guess that the group in question WERE being over confident...arrogant even. They had the element of surprise and wasted it walking into the center of their camp to boast to them...a major tactical error."

"Reguardless, the idiocy of the group in question beside.."

Ramza Beoulve has posed:
Lowering his arm, he didn't seem offended by Souji's alternate gesture of greeting. His smile was cordial as he took a seat. He certainly didn't see any reason why he shouldn't. "That is gracious of you, Ser." When the garcon came by, he'd order a glass of milk, and nothing else. A peculiar gesture, given his reputation. He decided not to order a meal yet, given that he wanted to know the direction the conversation might go before he committed to anything beyond a drink.

He'd chuckle at his statement of not needing to use the airship against him. "Did you know, that in my world, airships only exist as demolished hulks which serve as shadows of past glory? Its said that a cataclysm brought about by the death of Ajora Glabados marked the death knell of that age of wonders."

His smile became more mild. "Mostly lies. But a man like you knows that history is written by the victors. Whether they be men at all... or something else entirely that bodes ill."

And then the compliment, he'd wave it off modestly. "And so they are. As she witnessed, I had very little to do with our victory. That credit goes to those who choose to walk the same path as I. However, I'd hardly call it apostasy on our part, we're people who can't stand idly by while people suffer and die on the whims of a select few, nothing more. Isn't that what all decent men are taught to do? Is it rebellion to follow that axiom?"

Equal parts madman and idealist, perhaps.

And then Helena spoke on the subject. "A pleasure, Lady Celba." His smile was more wan, perhaps as he regarded her. It wasn't that he was trying to be impolite, the fact of the matter is that the woman just raised hackles on the back of his neck.

"Do you know how many times we've been ambushed, Lady Celba? Perhaps you can ask Ser Murasame to tell you of the other ambush he witnessed. So long as you allow yourself to be adaptable and are willing to set aside pride for preservation.. there's little that can't be weathered. We were fortunate this time, that is all."

He returned his attention to Souji.

Ramza continued remain casually seated. In truth he hated to toss about idle pleasantries and bandy words, but being a noble he well understood the game that was being played. Impatience, brusqueness, they could all tell the person you're speaking with more truths than he cared to admit. And given the Souji's position, he was likely a formidable opponent in this game. So he decided to be modest, rather than to allow them to distract him by letting his head swell with pride.

Souji Murasame has posed:
Souji nods to Celba at the assessment. "The event I was present for was most impressive, considering I was literally ferrying the Templar from the earthquake chokepoint and to the opposite side of your escape route. Even with that, you still succeeded. I was impressed." Souji says, folding his hands with a smile. "I'll be honest, Ramza. I am not interested in your cause. Alliance with you would be catastrophic to my long term goals. I am, however, interested in your money. You have already proven competent. I can arrange for supplies and weapons to be delivered to you in exchange for money... Or perhaps other arrangements could be made. You might have access to some things I am looking for.

Helena Celba has posed:
"Oh, being a group of people not just rebelling against a nation, but by a religious organization...I would say at least twice a week...More or less depending. It is funny, the Church loves to go out of it's bastion of power to try and get at you..." She notes, with a small nod.

She notes the heckles, and only grins at him. She smelled blood in the water, but for now she is silent as Souji takes the floor directly. She nods once, pulling the pad out and starts making notes.

She is apparently more buisness...if such a thing is possible. Her eyes foclused on the meeeting, and aiding the young master in anyway she can...

Which righ now is being a secritary.

Ramza Beoulve has posed:
And now it was Souji's turn, for Ramza's smile to become wan. "You're not interested in my cause, as it would be detrimental to your profit. By selling to both sides, you hope to prolong the conflict, and given your confidence in our abilities you feel that we can /hold/ for some time. Your assessment shows that we can't likely win a protracted affair, and even if we could, it would only serve to line your pockets even further."

He'd lean back in his chair. "Your honesty is refreshing at least. Send me a list of your wares and prices. Medical supplies in particular, given that such is what Ser Valodjn offered to us. I'll discuss it with my friends and we'll see if we can come to some sort of arrangement..."

A short pause. "But while I'm here, why don't you tell me exactly what other sorts of arrangements we might make, in lieu of your offer to waive pecuniary costs."

And then he'd speak to Helena mildly. "When you behold one of their Cardinals transform into an Archdemon and destroy it, it is standard practice to eliminate those witnesses."

Souji Murasame has posed:
Souji nods. "Excellent." He removes a paper from a briefcase, sterilized of identifying information but possessing a list of available goods. The list is small, but there are significant groups that are marked as becoming available in the near future. "Information, Ser Beoulve. Raw money is not as much of an interest to me in your case as knowledge. I am not interested in your cause, but we might have the ability to work together on a... related issue."

Souji gestures. "There are those who say that my home world was destroyed by a manifestation of Chaos. There are many legends and ancient tales of the entity, and I am most interested in collecting them, as well as perhaps any remnants. Study of them might give me the ability to understand how it performed the fell deed... And then allow us to find a way to restore our world."

Ramza Beoulve has posed:
He'd take the list with a stoic look on his expression.

It added up, but it still felt wrong. Souji wasn't interested in his cause, but he was interested in the cause of restoring his own world, that much was understandable even if it was a touch selfish. He couldn't blame individuals for deciding not to walk a selfless path. Still he wasn't quite certain what to make of the idea of allowing this man to study pieces of some manifestation of evil. Chaos wasn't a concept in his world, but it certainly was one that he'd learned of in the World of Ruin. It felt almost like handing over the Zodiac Stones to the man for a promise of how he might study them to restore Ivalice. The man was interested in power, and while the ultimate motive was unknown to him, he knew one thing. Few men could withstand power's corrupting influence. Its possible Souji might, but there was one facet to power that was even more sinister. Fear of losing power could corrupt just as surely as the acquisition.

He was tempted to tell the man outright that he wanted no part in that, but.. he also didn't want to cut him off abruptly. It might allow him to keep tabs on the man's progress if he feigned dealing with him.

Ever the idealist, he decided to give the man an /out/ to see how he reacted. "A noble endeavour. I've encountered no manifestations of Chaos in my travels, but I will see if my sources know aught of it. Though if I may inquire, why not seek the world shards instead? Recently I encountered one for another world, and I assure you that with the right allies it might be a more reliable method to restoring your world."

Souji Murasame has posed:
Souji, whatever his game is, does not seem to be in the habit of giving explanations. He does, however, provide one this time. "It is true, this is an alternative to the methods I am attempting." Souji replies. "I have been pursuing knowledge of these... Shards... But disturbingly, there have been no signs of them whatsoever." Souji handles it in a businesslike fashion, dispensing almost offhandednly what another person might dwell on and mope over. "With a lack of the more optimal choice, I must pursue more drastic measures. Surely you are not unfamiliar with needing to do what it takes to get results, Ser Beoulve. Should shards appear of my homeland, this might change. I would of course, greatly reward you should you provide information or... if luck is on our side, more material tokens of either goal."

Ramza Beoulve has posed:
It did sound honest. He wasn't certain if he trusted it, but it was honest enough that he would at least try to offer some advice. "I will keep an eye out, and see if I can't bring you favorable news.. still I would advise caution. In my world, Auracite is said to be a holy relic. Yet those who delve too deeply into matters of sacred stones tend to lose their souls."

And then a smile. "But given your dealings, I can see that you are a man of discretion, who isn't prone to taking reckless risks. I don't think it would be an poor wager to bet on your ability to handle it."

He'd take a single sip of his milk, which up to this point was untouched, before rising. "Farewell Ser Murasame. I'll send word by the linkpearl if I have any news for you. Otherwise If I have an order, I'll submit it through Lady Celba."

Souji Murasame has posed:
Auracite, eh... Souji nods. "I will use utmost caution. My soul is of great importance to me. Thank you for your vote of confidence, however."

Ramza rises. Souji nods in return. "Excellent. Thank you for your time, Ser Beoulve. It has been a most enlightening and profitable meeting." Souji says, standing and offering his hand in greeting. It seems that now he will shake.

Ramza Beoulve has posed:
"It has been, at that. It was a pleasure to finally make your acquaintance." And at that point, he'd shake his hand firmly. Given that he's already made his farewells, he'd turn and start to walk in the same direction he came.