Love Sickness [Garnet; Open]

[Deleted]

Jovial Prince of Thieves Alexandria was always a country full of life. Even after everything had come to pass life always found a way to continue. Trade between the countries was at an all time high and no one was disappointed with their arrangements. Though it was still difficult for some groups to get along, everyone tried. The mist was gone so the world had to adjust for the changes. Though peace had come through understanding and the reduction of conflict thanks to the disappearance of the Mist, it did not mean conflict completely cease. People had ideas and given that the rich were still more powerful than the poor it led to many troubling encounters. Where war had increased the economy by driving the need to invent, the need to build, the need to create when war ended i left and empty space filled by the industry of vehicles of mass transport such as airships and boats. They needed pilots and engineers to work in the growing industry, but many of those that had come from war, had only known war. Knights still needed to be trained, but given the knowledge the monarchs held of their former enemies and the powers they held it became necessary to only seek the greatest of candidates which left the older and injured with no place to be. Limited education pushed many of these former soldiers into becoming mercenaries hired to kill fiends through the wild fields of the Outer Continent. The rich would fly to this distant land searching for adventure and the exotic. Finding a life in a peaceful world was not easy for an ex-soldier. With thieves and other cutthroats running the underground life for generations these newbloods coming in were given the lowdown, dirty jobs that the novice would no longer take. Those who were once captains and lieutenants were now rookies and greenhorns among the darker rabble. Those that refused to give up their honor were forced to live life in the slums. They had no training to find work among the Artisans that occupied the main streets, nor had they they lived-in skills of the streetlife to survive on their own wits. They now faced a new battlefield that was both cold and unwelcoming. Even Tantalus had found reason to limit their activities for the sake of keeping the Theater District alive and bustling with business. So long as the Noble and Commonman found entertainment in the stage they would return, but that required the gang learning new skills and to do so they had to travel a lot. This left two lovers torn apart by their duties. Though Zidane had finally made his way home from that sickening darkness, he could not find the time or peace to get home, to where his heart was. Little did one have to describe the passing nights with Zidane Tribal. He had always been a loud and anxious kid. Sure he was fun to be around and his light-hearted spirit kept the soul cleansed, but there was something grating about him when he wanted something. Keeping on schedule with the shows they had was hard enough without the mopey Genome complaining that they spent far too much time preparing! Of course this was merely his haste to get off and try to sneak away to see a certain queen before he was assigned any extra duties. It hadn’t taken long for Baku to lose his temper with the lad and beat him a few shades darker than his jodhpur. It was hard enough keeping things moving but with Zidane unable to sit still for a few hours in the day was only that much more bothersome. Normally his enthusiasm did not impact the troupe negatively, but he had been antsy and on edge as of late. He had made it clear that he worried about the changes stirring up trouble through the underground and word spreading that he had faced Lord King’s challenge and lived! Rumors like that only made it worse! Sitting around only welcomed the opportunistic to act! Finally set free after a good knot to his head and complaints from the other members of the troupe, calling him a pain in the ass, he was finally set off into the wide blue, Mistless yonder. The rogue made his way out into the plateaus of Lindblum where Choco wait. The golden bird raised his head and looked over. Upon seeing his adventuring pal the bird spread his wings and hopped up and down warbling. His talons kicked up grass and dirt in excitement before it turned to trot toward the rogue in question. “Hey pal.” The thief grinned and raised a hand to pat at the incoming beak when Choco lowered his head to nuzzle his friend in greeting. “Mind going for a run? I think there’s a certain, lovely queen totally missing our company.” He grinned. Though he puffed up proudly he could not ignore this strange, nagging feeling in the back of his mind. The more he thought on it the more uneasy it made him. In the end he would brush it off as a craving. That was right! He just missed her. It was weird. He was never really the sort to become attached to people in such a way. he never had someone he felt so seriously and intense about. Everything about this relationship was a new and foreign concept to him, which made him mess up a lot and often say the wrong things at the wrong time, or fail to say the right things when necessary. The Genome found it most irritating as he was one to pride himself in his verbal wit! He sighed deeply as he reached up to Choco’s back. The ratite had neither a saddle nor reins and the thief would likely never domesticate his pal in such a way, to be sure. After mounting the bird he tucked his legs under Choco’s wings and patted his companion’s neck as a deep sigh escaped his lungs. “I guess love is a tough adventure, huh?” Choco warbled brightly in response, causing Zidane to light. “Come on, let’s go surprise her!!” He shifted his weight and the bird took the physical reaction and responded accordingly by turning and dashing off toward the Aerbs Mountains. Though Lindblum was so less direly affected by underground activity thanks to the active presence and sheer size and authority of Tantalus, as well as an active industry of Airship manufacture, that did not mean Alexandria was without her problems. The slums had become overpacked with ex-soldiers from Burmecia and Alexandria. Crime had increased around the edges of the lower districts and many of the Noble distracts could not go a night without an incident of burglary or mugging. The queen certainly had a bit deal with. Alexandria had also become the highway for importing wild animals caught in the Outer Continent for delivery to Treno for the pleasure of the Nobles of the Dark City. In the case of Lindblum hunting was already a natural part of their culture so there were already many laws and watches set up in regards to the hunting and shipping of wildlife. It was frowned upon to bring monsters from the Outer Continent as the wild land was protected by Alexandria, Lindblum, and Burmecia. No one was sure why the barren land of the Dwarves was so protected, but none knew of the Village hidden in the forest nor of the Ruins of Madain Sari and so it would remain as long as the leaders of the Great Nations could help it. Today a big shipment has arrived via the sea at the edges of the Southern Slums. Evening had fell and it was the perfect time to bring in the boats. The patrols of the Pluto Knights have been easily memorized. The airships would land miles away on the plateau and the goods carried toward the rivers via Chocobo before loaded up on boats and driven upstream. It was not too hard to hear those armor bearing soldiers coming from a mile away. As the boat silently glided over the surface of the waters shady figures gathered around. Rogues who were seasoned pros and former soldiers who had no work greater than being dockhands and unloading the questionable goods of feral monsters. Massive cages with aggressive Zaghnol or sacks full of wiggling Goblin Mages. If it could be shipped it was as good as anything to sell. It sometimes was not unheard of for Dwarves to be sold off as entertainers for the Nobles of Treno under the guise of employment. Tonight’s shipment would have a great deal of Dwarves and Griffons, but the special shipment, specifically sent by from Lord Bishop: was a cage with a Cactuar inside, According to old books Cactuar needles held miraculous panacea agents that could cure any disease. As they unloaded the chained Dwarves, caged Griffons and cactuar, one of the Dwarves would collapse. “Hey you, get up!” One of the brigands demanded. “This ain’t no place to revel in yer sea sickness!” He stomped over to the collapsed Dwarf, who was being surrounded by his companions. “Ech, I cannae believe it. He’s goot the Rattles!” One Dwarf exclaimed. “He be needin’ a ‘ealer, aye?” Another nodded in agreement. “Out of the way!” The brigand shouted. When he pushed through the Dwarf that had fallen was shaking and holding himself as if he was cold, but the humid summer nights of Alexandria did not provide for such states of chill. “What are we gunna do with ‘im boss?” One of the crooks asked. “Not a damn thing,” the Brigand stated. “Leave him off. We can’t afford no doctor to look at his weird Outer Continent cold, we got gil to make. Move the rest of ‘em before they catch it!” He shouted, moving everyone along. The sick Dwarf, on the other hand, was tossed aside among the standing cargo. That evening Zidane would arrive at Alexandria’s gates. Choco was left outside to do his own, wild Chocobo thing, while Zidane entered the quiet city. Man, he could never get used to the fact that Alexandria was so much more quiet than Lindblum or Treno at night. Everyone was either inside a bar, or Ruby’s Mini-Theater. Alexandrians sure knew how to entertain themselves, but the thief liked questionable, surly entertainment. So his first stop was, of course, Ruby’s theater. After such a long trip he needed a drink! A bit of liquid courage before taking on the Knights to sneak his way into the castle! Oh, sure he could walk in normally, but what was the fun in that?

►TAGS: Dagger~!

►NOTES: It was not easy being a leader.

►SKILLS USED: n/a

CODED BY ELECTRIC OF GANGNAM STYLE; EDITED BY OUREX DRACO

[Deleted]

[/b] home, searching for me. I believe it is a bad case of timing as I tend to visit places a lot more than I used to. You could always wait for me when you visit Alexandria. I will always come back. I tend to wait for you for days on end, but you never come. I understand you have your own adventures, but…I miss you, Zidane.

Alexandria has not been the same since we were last here together. Things have changed, as I am certain you have noticed. The streets are growing dark. Crime has risen and the people of this city are frightened to go out at night. Since when did Alexandria become this way? Maybe I am not doing enough to prevent this. You will be glad to know that Steiner and Beatrix have hired more staff. There are more patrols around the castle than ever before. So you will not have to worry about my safety.

I will continue to write in this book until we meet again. It feels as though by writing to you is the only way I can connect to you…even though you have not read any of it yet. If you happen to come to visit today, I will be in and around the kingdom to see for myself what is happening to Alexandria.

~ Garnet [Dagger] x

[/i]

---

Garnet laid down the white feathered pen next to the book. She sighed, scanning over her fluent hand writing making certain she had contained everything she wanted him to know. Of course, there was one thing she wanted to tell him but felt that putting it into writing wasn’t the way to tell him. Her dark eyes fell on the kiss she put at the end, her nose scrunched at why she had put it there. It wasn’t very professional. But neither was Zidane. He probably wouldn’t even notice that little mark at the end if he were to read it. To her, it meant a lot. Zidane wasn’t the formal type, so she doubt he would grill her over something so small and unprofessional.

Her lips formed a small O shape before blowing gently on the wet ink. It was already half dried by the time she had finished over looking it, but she wanted to make sure before she closed the book. Her fingers swept beneath the front cover of the hardback book and gently closed it. Feeling somewhat doubtful that she should even bother writing to him, Garnet decided she would leave it remaining on her bedroom table just in case today was the day her thief would come visit her. Her heart always skipped a beat at the thought of him pushing through those doors, with his wide grin and his tail swaying. She could picture it perfect that to her, she felt real. Her smile faded after realising she was watching her bedroom doors for that exact moment to happen. Shaking her head to scatter the foolish thoughts, Garnet rose from her seat.

Her attire was completely different from her usual orange and white jumpsuit. Today, Garnet was dressed the same as Beatrix’s all female army. The attire was not very modest, and played a huge concern to Garnet’s paranoia with regards to her rear showing more than she wanted. Although the outfit was a lot lighter than the Knights of Pluto’s armour, Garnet found it difficult to breath with the iron breast plate against her rib cage. She was not used to such uniform. The knights, however, were used to it. If Beatrix were ever to find out about Garnet using her knight’s uniform as a disguise, she was almost certain her general would have her head for it. Either that or making the knights be forced to guard stark naked so the queen couldn’t use it as her escape cloak. It wasn’t as though Garnet couldn’t venture into her own kingdom. it was just that she craved the excitement. Maybe it was Zidane’s habits brushing off on her. The lust for a cheap thrill and the thought of having pass through her castle and crossing the lake without being spotted was starting to become a game to the queen. So far, she was winning.

Garnet pulled on the left iron glove followed with the right. Her hair was worn loose, as all of Beatrix’s knights wore their hair down once the helmet was on. Garnet got as far as lifting the helmet up from the cupboard where she hid the uniform before hearing someone come through her door. The queen’s heart was rapid at this point. She had been caught. Upon turning she discovered it was a female knight, dressed in the exact attire as Garnet wore. Her mouth was open, as in shock to what she was witnessing. Damn it! Now Garnet’s disguise was ruined.

”Your highness?!” The red haired knight spoke with a confused ring tone. Garnet placed a metal finger to her own lips, hushing the knight and beckoning for her to come in and close the door. The knight did as she was ordered, her eyes searching for anyone who made have heard her before quietly closing the large white door for privacy. ”You highness? –Cough, cough-“ The knight questioned the queen’s actions before she covered her mouth with a closed hand to hide her tickly cough.

Garnet paid no attention to the cough, but continued to place to helmet over her head. She would continue with her visit to the streets, regardless of her discovery. ”Please, do not speak of this. It is all innocent enough. I just wish to venture into the kingdom without having to be chaperoned.” Once she had finished tweaking the belts on her helmet, Garnet took a step forward. ”Do I have your word that this will stay between us? I do not wish Beatrix or anyone else to know of this.” Why Garnet even had to ask was beyond her. The knight gave a small, yet confused nod. The queen smiled softly before she began to push forward to leave the room, only to be stopped by the knight’s voice.

”Your highness, I cannot allow you to go out alone. I must protect you. The streets –cough, cough, cough-“ The knight was cut off by her sudden coughing fit. This caused the queen to raise a brow. Turning, she placed a gloved hand upon the knight’s shoulder.

”Are you alright? You don’t seem fit enough to be on patrol today.” Garnet searched for the girl’s eyes. They were a bright green hue, contrasting with her fire red hair. She was pretty, Garnet could tell. However, her face looked pale. She didn’t seem well at all. The knight shook her head and cleared her throat.

”Nay, your highness. Sickness is for the weak. My main concern is the peace and protection of Alexandria and the queen.” She was admirable, Garnet gave her that. The queen continued to search for some sign from the knight that she was unwell to fulfil her duties. Garnet had no problem with sending people home if they were ill. Fortunately, her guards and knights were so determined to remain by her side that they refused to end their shift early.

Garnet gave a small nod. She found nothing on this girl’s face for a reason to send her home. Garnet knew she was unwell, but maybe she should allow the girl to come with her for now. If she became too ill Garnet could always order her to go home. It also helped that she knew white magic to help aid her if the knight needed it. ”Very well. Some fresh air might do you some good. Come.” The knight gave a salute before following Garnet out of the bedroom doors and towards the exit of the castle. Her dark eyes watched each and every one of the knights she passed, hoping they wouldn’t recognise her as she made her way towards the boat to cross the lake. [/ul]

[Deleted]

Jovial Prince of Thieves Zidane made his way from the dark gates of the eastern entrance. From what he could see guards scarcely patrolled the grounds. Gloved hands buried into his pockets, as the soles of his boots scraped against the stone paths. It was way too quiet. He felt a bit unsettled in this way, as if it was some sort of trap. But it was Alexandria. It was his home too, right? He wanted to feel that way, but it was hard to feel welcomed considering that this place was starting to become the mirror image of Treno. Zidane had never really seen the City of Eternal Darkness as anything but a cesspool of criminal activity, but seeing Alexandria slowly crawl its way down that road made him feel responsible, as if he was in charge of the errant criminals who had no sense of chivalry or decency to them. Blue eyes traced the decorative grout cut between the tiles of stone. The thief had never really taken the time to notice the work put into every corner of the country, but he supposed there were even artists here. Every little distraction helped to add to his hesitation. Maybe it was wrong of him to stop by? He harassed and pestered all of Tantalus for this, but now that he was here he wanted to run home. He had tried luring Dagger off to Lindblum by putting on plays, even playing the lead, though that was much against his free will. Only the mention of Dagger’s possible interest in his role urged him to take it. But he was here in the flesh. Now what? Zidane made his way to the mini-Theater. Down below he found Ashley cleaning up after a show. The floors were full of stable bread and sticky beer. Chairs had been knocked over and leaflets blown about as if a tornado had whipped through. Ashley was mopping all he could out of the door, causing the thief to jump over the sweep of garbage and sticky in surprise. The bandit was moving at a slug’s pace, his body weight all but completely supported by the mop. His skin was a bit paler than usual, but it was hard to tell when folks like him hung around at night in the Theater. Even when he ran the bar you’d never see him outside. He seemed pretty tired. Whatever show they held here it looks like the full house cleared in a rush. The thief reached out to grab the bandit’s shoulder, startling him from his stupor. His head snapped up which forced the mop shaft forward, nearly hitting Zidane. The rouge jumped to the side as it clattered to the floor. He rubbed at the back of his head, brushing back tendrils of blond hair from his neck. “Zidane?” Ashley heaved out, voice hoarse. “I didn’t notice you there…” The thief crossed his arms over his chest and settled his weight back on his left leg. His right foot came up to rub the back of his calf in thought. “Hmm, more like you didn’t see me.” He corrected. “Hey, you okay? What the hell happened here?” He asked as his arms fell to his side and he looked around. Ruby was really finicky about how she kept the theater. Though Ashley owned it one would have never guessed with the way Ruby ran things. She was not as militant as Baku in the sense of running a tight ship but she could be pretty tyrannical about picking up after oneself and keeping things clean. Maybe it was remnants of her old lifestyle. He knows though, without Ruby’s harsh guidance, the hideout would be off in worse shape than it was without the lady Bandit’s nitpicking. So seeing the Theater like this and Ruby gone for the night was pretty weird, downright unnatural! “Ah… Lowell got pretty sick.” He replied as he crouched down to pick up the mop. Turning his head to look to Zidane as he grasped the mop in his hands. “Collapsed from a fever, the girls that are into him got pretty upset. Ruby rushed him outta here with a horde of ‘em following after.” It made sense. Those girls that stalked Lowell were pretty ravenous. It was hard being popular. He should know! “Well, make sure you’re not getting sick too Ash.” He offered, but the Bandit shook his head. “Can’t be helped for me. Been sleepin’ in ankle deep water, a lot of my place is sunk in the mud, so the cold gets in through the cracks. Slipped too and bust my ankle. Can’t do much but mop these days.” It was rough for those that couldn’t afford good land. He was lucky enough Baku was smart about their earnings and kept them under the pretense of a legitimate business. No one could ever question it because they were just a small part of the many Troupes in Lindblum. The art was just too wanted and their actions just underhanded and sneaky that the were never caught red-handed. Knowing that Ashley was having it so hard the rogue would have felt bad asking for a drink. He thought on it and would shake his head, raising his hand to take the mop. He pushed Ashley against his shoulder, poor guy barely standing up straight. He urged the protesting Bartender to a seat that was not overturned and forced him back. “Don’t worry Ash, leave it to me. This way Ruby can’t fluster when I swipe a drink. I’d of at least pay for it in work.” Ashley tried to protest. “Don’t worry about it… I have time.” He needed time. Time to think. Whilst the rouge idled time away, worrying about his wants and needs, that sick Dwarf wandered into the posh and noble part of town. At these hours doors were locked, homes guarded by passing Pluto Knights an Alexandrian Soldiers. Dwarves coming to visit the Mist Continent was not unheard of. They were tiny tourists that were intrigued with so much, but neither was it unheard of that some were smuggled here against their will… This one seemed with cold. Coughing, hacking barks rumbling from his tusked face. They kept their distance, not wanting whatever foreign cold he had. The sickly Dwarf ambled toward a barrel. A fiery thirst from dehydration, a result of his long voyage, had overcome him. He dunked his head into the water barrel, body trembling as he drank what he could. The water was no contaminated with the sickness, and off ambled the Dwarf to find a place to sleep for the night…

►TAGS: Next~!

►NOTES: A cold night, no warm beds.

►SKILLS USED: n/a

CODED BY ELECTRIC OF GANGNAM STYLE; EDITED BY OUREX DRACO

[Deleted]

[/font][/b] The knight hesitated, gave a cough followed by a splutter and stepped back, allowing Garnet to step off the boat herself. Steadying herself the best she could on a rocking boat, Garnet crawled onto the edge of the land, rather un-lady like. Her hands brushed against her bare knees as she rose, looking up at the knight which tried to show a smile on her pale face. ”That was the first time I have ever stepped out of there without a helping hand. Garnet laughed a little at how foolish she probably looked.

The air wrapped around Garnet’s bare legs, reminding her that she wasn’t dressed appropriately. If she were to see the streets for herself without aid then Garnet would need to quickly get used to the abnormal fitting which hugged her in places she weren’t familiar with. With a slight nod to indicate they must move on, Garnet took the lead with the knight following her closely behind. Her boots were heavy and the shield attached to her arm felt as though it was pulling her arm from its socket. However, she needed to adapt to the uniform. If her knights can do it then so could she.

The first thing Garnet noticed was how quiet the streets were during the nightfall. Her dark eyes flickered from the houses to the alleyways to the closed stores and back to the alleyways. During this time of the night everything was shut, except from the bars which remained opened until past midnight. Why was it that every bar reminded her of the thief that stole her heart? She smiled at the thought of her tail swinging hero. When she had first become queen, Garnet wanted to help get Alexandria back on track. Thus, her adventure with Zidane had to come to an end. From what she had heard from the Tantalus troupe was that Zidane had drunk himself into a mood. He sulked quietly on the round table of the bar, pushing everyone and anyone away. She never truly discovered why he was in a mood. Maybe he was upset with her for choosing her kingdom over him? Or perhaps he was depressed that their time had come to an end so swiftly? Whatever the reasoning, she would one day ask him for the answer she pondered.

”Your –cough, cough, cough-...highne –cough, cough-“ The knight broke the queen’s trail of thought with her coughs and splutters. Garnet rushed to the girl’s side, her hand resting on her shoulder as the knight’s coughing fit continued to rage on. She was getting worse. Why did she drag the poor girl out with her when she could have ordered her to remain in the castle where she would find warmth? Garnet felt helpless. She watched her eyes as they switched from open to close as the coughs barked from beneath her helmet. ”-cough- I don’t feel –cough, cough-“ Garnet shushed the knight, knowing that she was about to point out the obvious. The girl fell onto her knees, the coughs still going strong. This was no good. Garnet needed to do something before the knight passes out from the lack of intake of air.

”Water. You need water. Remain here. I will be back soon, I promise!” With that said, the queen took off in search for a bar or an open house for her to get a glass of water. She tried to push and pull on a few doors, only for her body to slam against the locked surface of the wooden doors. The streets had grown dark with crime reaching an all time high. She could understand the fear of her people having their houses broke into at night. It was to no surprise that they were locked up for the night. Her heavy boots would not give up as she ran across the streets searching for somewhere for her to get a drink. She paused as she approached a familiar alleyway. Ruby’s theatre!

Garnet charged her way through the doors, noticing the state of the room. Her feet slipped from the wet surface of the floor, but she managed to retain her balance. Without saying a word, the queen turned towards the bar. She knew Ruby wouldn’t mind her helping herself to a drink in such a desperate need, but there was a sense of wrongdoing as she stepped behind the bar. Upon finding a clear glass, she took the empty half pint to the tap and filled it with clear water. During which time she finally looked around the theatre. It seemed as though a storm of paper had ripped through the small theatre. Flyers sprinkled over the tables, chairs and floors. Some of which looked as though they had been gathered as a pile was sitting in the corner of the room.

That’s when she noticed the two people.

Zidane! Her heart punched against her chest upon laying eyes on the man who had vanished for what seemed forever from her life. Her eyes stared at Zidane, watching him waiting for him to address her. She almost forgot that she wasn’t in her usual attire. Her face half hidden from the iron helmet she wore. She could break the silence with her voice. All she had to do was say his name and he would know who she was.

A sudden coldness trickled over her fingers, her eyes diverting back the glass in hand. The water had at this point well overreached its limit. Her thick fingered gloves fiddled to shut off the running tap, only for Garnet to fail at this simple task. Her mind was all over the place. Zidane was here! In this very room! She wanted to run up and hug him. Maybe hit him a few times from his lack of attendance. She shook her head. No, she needed to help her knight. Zidane would still be here once Garnet escorted the sick girl back to the castle. She paused, watching the thief for a while. Oh how she wanted to run over there and wrap her arms around him. Taking in as much as Zidane’s features as possible, she cupped the glass and ran as quickly as she could back to the knight, trying her hardest not to spill the contents.

He was there. Right there! Garnet wanted to turn back and run to him. She wanted to see him, to talk to him. He looked as handsome as she remembered, despite the possible confusion he may have had at the sight of this knight of Alexandria bursting through the doors and helping herself to a drink. Then her face started to burn. The thought of him seeing her dressed in such a revealing uniform caused a discomfort. Her stomach knotted at the embarrassment that may arise if she were to run into him anytime soon. What would she say? Would she remain hidden and pretend that she wasn’t the queen who longed for him. If she were to do that, he may vanish again for another month or two. For now, these questions would have to wait until she help get the knight back on her feet.

The glass had spilled as she ran over the cobbled stones. What was once a full glass was now half full (or empty, whichever you prefer). She had approached the location where she left the knight, only she had vanished. Her dark eyes scanned the area she stood in. It was dark and no one was around. The knight had simply gone. Her head turned from left to right, her hearing seeking for the familiar chesty coughs which had filled her ears since departing the castle.

Nothing.

Garnet lowered the glass, her heart threatening over the outcome of one of Beatrix’s knights. This was all her fault. If only she remained in the castle then the knight could be safe and tucked up in the infirmary being taken care of with proper medication, not a glass of water. Garnet didn’t even know the girl’s name, otherwise she’d call out. It was no good. The queen had to dig deeper. She needed to find the knight and assist her back to the castle. The sheer thought of guilt was starting to grasp her heart. Garnet didn’t want to live with the dreaded outcome which could follow. Thus, she ventured further into the darkened streets, knowing full well how dangerous they could be.[/ul]

[Deleted]

Jovial Prince of Thieves Zidane did his best to push all the debris to one spot. He was never much of a manual laborer. One would assume due to his class that he was the type to always be forced into heavy lifting or other menial tasks required of him. If not for Baku keeping a constant eye on him, he would never so much as make it out of the bed. Though the rogue was high energy and difficult to keep still, he was notoriously lazy and had an attention span on par with a Mu. He was too easily distracted by his own antics or anything else that seemed more mentally satisfying than pushing around a stick and fibers along the floor, sloshing around grim looking water. The rogue quickly grew bored and shifted his weight so his hands rest gripped around the shaft of the mop, body leaning precariously forward. His left foot sat across the back of his right heel, the boy balanced oddly on the soapy ground. As he stood in this position, behind him, his tail would sway back and forth, the counterbalance twitching at the tip as he tried to occupy his mind with something other than Dagger, because that was going a way that made it a bit uncomfortable for him. “Hey Ash,” He called out. The Bartender was seated finally, taking a drink of water to wet his dry throat. “Why don’t you stay with Ruby?” He suggested. He was not too sure where Ruby stayed while in Alexandria but when it came to securing something she wanted, there was nothing Ruby couldn’t get. He was not sure if this was something all women seemed, oddly, capable of or just Ruby. The actress could be pretty fierce when she wanted. No one in Tantalus crossed her path when she was at the end of her patience. Not even Baku felt it an act of intelligence, once equating the idea to trying to wrestle a Behemoth during mating season. Now the fact that he used that as an example was pretty far beyond his comfort level, but even more so when he finally learned how terrifying Behemoths actually are. Regardless the rogue felt comforted by the idea that Ruby had someplace comfortable to sleep. Turning his blue eyes to Ash the man would scoff at the suggestion. The caused Zidane to stand tall, even if his height was a bit shorter than most men his age, but that was beside the point. The rogue rest his right hand on his hip while his left held onto the mop. He quirked a brow at Ashley’s dismissal. “Look, not all of us sleep around with Ladies. You can’t just ask to sleep in one’s bed!” He coughed out hoarsely, but at least he sounded better than he was. Zidane was glad-- “Hey, wait, what is that supposed to mean?!” The strength of the barkeep’s words hit him. Now as much as Zidane boasted and blustered about his expertise with the opposite sex, he had never really handled them in that manner before. His noise and chest puffing were oft only to impress his brothers who had epic tales of their feminine conquests. In truth Zidane could not long stand the company of women. His preferences were weird and it made him a complicated guy. Sure the simple pleasure of staring at a woman’s breasts was always great! He loved corsets and had a distinct attraction to older women. Women his age always fancied playing dress up or were driven to stay clung to a man for the novelty coupling of a wild bandit and posh Lady. It always annoyed him for some reason. Though he loved showing off there was a point where, at the end of the night he felt there was no point in going all the way. He always felt the energy drained out of him by the end.They were more like vampires than girls, honestly. At least older women were mature and were more delighted by the company,the sort of attention Zidane craved. But maybe, in the end, he just wanted someone to soothe his aching heart as a mother would. Who knew. He was never the most easy to understand guy. Zidane looked to Ash, about to continue his protest, the man’s silence pissing him off, but he noticed Ashley staring off behind Zidane. The rogue peered back over his shoulder, the two men having since gone silent among their own thoughts. In the quiet, cricketless evening it was not hard to hear the armored clapping of a soldier’s uniform. This one seemed clumsy and a little unused to the armor. Probably a rookie. It looked like she came in for water. She had paused to stare at them, Ashley waving her off with a half smile. Ash was not a looker, the guy rugged and somewhat aged. His face was pretty cut up from the occasional bad drinker. He wasn’t fhugly, but he was not about to go win beauty contests. Zidane watched as the young soldier flustered and took flight after a bit of hesitation. Maybe she was just unsure if taking water was wrong or not? He felt if they did stuff for the town, the least pubs could do was offer them water. He was not sure how Alexandria worked in that respect. The two watched as she staggered off, Ash chuckling soon after. “I love living in Alexandria. The soldiers have great uniforms." Zidane sneered a bit at his awareness of the Pluto Knights sharing similar uniform, expect their greaves protected the questionable aspects beneath their skirts of chainmail. The thief shuddered a bit. He shrugged off Ahsley’s words. “What are ya, a neko?” Ash spat in jest. Zidane cocked his head and sneered. “Who the hell are you calling a neko?!” He hated being called that. Damn slur, he blames his brothers for it. Zidane shook his fist. “Do I look like a neko?!” He bit out. “I don’t chase after ass, okay? An ass is no good for pressing your cheeks against…” He all but drooled as he motioned his hands in the air to physically describe the curves of the upper half of a woman’s figure. Ashley shrugged and pushed to stand. “Whatever neko, yer just not using them right. You can lay your head on a butt too.” Zidane shrugged at Ash’s suggestion. “Come on. Help me home.” He coughed. Zidane shrugged and moved to pull Ash’s arm over his shoulder to help the guy home. Meahwhile, down the alley Dagger made her way through she would likely only found the dark peril of yowling cats and sleeping dog. The soldier was nowhere to be found. A coughing sound came down from one of the refuse bins, which were normally taken off the the incinerator at the morning’s light. Inside lay a Dwarf. For the green mountain dweller his skin was much paler than natural. His body shook and shivered while a strange, spotted pattern, coiled down along his throat, but this detail was difficult to see due to the fact it much resembled the tribal pain worn by the diverse mountain walkers. After leaving Ash’s place Zidane wondered if it was okay to let him stay. His place was a mess. It looked as if the river bank was hours from swallowing the slum home. He was glad that Tantalus lived in the Theater District like they did. He could not imagine how hard it was for Ash and the folk that lived down there. But it was the way of the world. Everyone could not succeed, even if you wanted them too. Everyone had to fight to live under their own power. Crossing his arms over his chest he made his way to the town square. There he could see Alexandria Castle looming over everything. A soft smile drew itself on his features. Helping Ash sort of helped him too. You did have to fight for what you wanted and he had fought to return to Dagger’s side because he wanted her. Rubbing the back of his neck the male made his way forward, only to nearly jump out his skin when a long moaning sound caught his ears. Brushing off any of the perverse possibilities that entered his head he spun around to see an Alexandrian Soldier collapsed on the cobblestone. Was it the one that had come into the bar? He could never tell. Those uniforms were not the most individual. “Hey, are you okay?” He rushed to her side and dropped down to a knee. He only received a ragged cough from her as she struggled to pull at the chin strap of her helmet, but her leather covered fingers could not find a grip. She cried out pathetically. “Shit, hey!” He moved to remove her helmet to help her breathe. Deft fingers, even gloved, removed the buckle with little effort and pulled the helmet from her head before he tossed it aside. the heavy helm clattered to the cobblestone streets, echoing in the empty air. At first he thought she was having trouble breathing from the cold that was probably affecting Ash, but this was different. He pulled her up in his arms so she could better take in breathe. Her long, dark brown hair spilled over his bare arms as her head lolled back. She pulled her arms to her chest as she struggled to breathe. A painful sounding rattling sound crawled up with every intake of air. His eyes had easily adapted to the night, the male a rogue and a creature of night along with it. This was why the girl was having trouble in her armor. She could barely breathe, let alone stand with such a cold! The girl cried out painfully, the noise coming out more like a squeak than wail. It hurt, it hurt so much. It pained her to breathe, to cry. She turned her face to press into the boy’s chest, desperately seeking aide. Her queen was gone. Her weakness had caused her to lose track of her. If she failed her queen, the country was lost! Please… help! I must protect her…. She looked up to the thief, her eyes glistening with tears. Zidane did not hesitate. He lowered his arm to tuck under her legs and scoop her up off the ground. He pushed to stand, the weight of her armor holding no obstacle to the trained thief. He had to be able to scale vertical walls with bags loaded with loot, a lady in pain was not even a thought to him! He wasted no time in returning to the castle. The boat was already on this side of the river-moat so the Genome wasted no time hopping on and laying her down in the seat normally reserved for the Queen. He hurried to the paddle and pushed off the edge of the dock with his boot. “Hold on!” He heaved and pushed on the paddle, making quick work of their venture across. When they arrived at the other side the thief pushed to pick up the woman, making haste into the grounds. He looked around but could not spot a soul. Damnit! Now what? He looked around and paused. Peering behind him he took note of the bell. This was an emergency right? The thief took a few steps and laid the pained soldier down. He rolled his arms and flexed his torso as he lined himself up with the bell. “Here goes nothing…hyaaa!!” He charged the bronze form before throwing his entire body into the air. He kicked out his leg and pounded on the bell, forcing its hammer to careen from its static position. He dropped to his knee and held his hands to his ear. The pell was loud and he only hoped it called the attention of others. Zidane hurried to the soldier’s side and sat her up so breathing did not take so much effort nor cause her so much pain. Down her neck was the same red mark pattern as on the Dwarf, much more noticeable on her human skin, but hidden beneath the confines of her uniform.

►TAGS: Next~!

►NOTES: It was the inevitable price to pay for our worlds to collide.

►SKILLS USED: n/a

CODED BY ELECTRIC OF GANGNAM STYLE; EDITED BY OUREX DRACO

[Deleted]

[Long post is long. Sorry ^^;]

[/i] they would leave you on the doorstep. Garnet shuddered at the thought of half dead mice and birds. Yes, the queen of Alexandria was defiantly a dog person.

This was becoming tiresome. Garnet halted her search as she stepped into the next street. The knight wouldn’t have made it this far into town, not without Garnet catching up with her. The knight was struggling to maintain a simply activity such as walking the last time she saw her. This trek was folly. Garnet was about to turn on her heels and make her way back to the castle until a muffled cough caught her attention. Her head twisted and shot to look behind her, causing her a minor jolt of whiplash. Her hand reached for her neck, rubbing the burning sensation she dealt herself. Her pain was of no importance as it would quickly pass.

She made her way towards the tinned bin where she could have sworn she heard the noise come from within. As she approached it the sound happened again, correcting her sense of hearing. Gripping the glass in her hand, hidden by the round shield she wore around her lower arm, Garnet removed the lid of the bin. Her eyes widened. Resting on top of the single black bag of rubbish was a man. Not just any man, but the green skinned dwarfs of Conde Petie. He stirred in the can as the light of the night disrupted his rest. Groans and moans slipped from his pale lips as he attempted to show an interest to the person who had found him. His beady eye parted ever so slightly, eyeing up the solider before closing his eye to rest again. ”Go awaye.” He spoke with a horsed voice, followed with a splutter of coughs. Garnet knew then that he was sick too.

Her eyes took in the pale hue of his skin. She didn’t know much about the people of Conde Petie, but she knew they all wore a darker shade of green. His coughs and shaky voice confirmed that he seemed to suffer from what her knight was suffering from. Which raised the question; was there a flu spreading around her kingdom? Garnet didn’t want to get sick, but she couldn’t abandon those who required help and a vaccine. Placing the glass to one side, Garnet reached in and took hold of the stubby wrists of the dwarf. ”Come on. You need medical help.” She pulled his wrists, but he wouldn’t budge. The dwarf had no strength to climb out of the bin, even with assistance. Garnet repositioned her grip and pulled again, this time causing the bin to topple over almost hitting her until she jumped back. The dwarf rolled out along with the black bag. Rushing to his side, Garnet noticed a strange red rash upon his neck. That was abnormal. Had he been scratching fiercely at his throat?

A sudden chime of a bell rang through her ears, catching her attention instantly. ”The castle?!” Garnet whispered. She recognised that sound anywhere. It was the bell which signalled for emergency, one which was last used when Kuja sought destruction of her kingdom. Her stomach twisted into a knot. Something was wrong. All sorts of scenarios flashed before her as to who rang the bell and why. She couldn’t help but wonder if the knight made it back and was indicating to Garnet that she was back at the castle. It wasn’t an emergency as such, but it would certainly capture her attention, as it had done.

”Come. We must go to the castle. You’ll get help there, I promise.” Garnet attempted to help pick the dwarf up, but he was a full grown dwarf. He was smaller than her, only tipping at her chest, but he was stumpy and heavy and impossible for Garnet to carry. The dwarf raised a tired hand and pushed her helmet away, indicating that he wanted to be left alone. As rude as the gesture was, Garnet was not about to scold the dwarf. Instead, she took to her feet and ran towards the castle. Although she had left the sick dwarf, Garnet would return with help to take him to the castle to rest in a bed and not a bin.

The feeling queen only managed to get half way down the street before two dark figures stood at the end of the alleyway she was in. Usually, Garnet wouldn’t stop, but something about them rang danger through her instincts. She stopped, watching the two men slowly walk towards her. Their faces started to become a little clearer as they stepped into the dim light from the window above. One was almost human expect from the pointed ears atop of his head and the pig like nose which was too big for the size and shape of his head. You could get a sense of where people come from and who they are judging from their attire. This man wore brown and yellow clothing which had seen better days. The clothes were either stolen or brought in sizes too big for the man as they done no justice to show off his structure. The other was a tall and skinny rat, clearly immigrated from Cleyra. He, too, wore of clothing which seemed more like rags than actual clothing. Garnet almost felt sorry for them.

”Well, what do we ‘ave ‘ere then?” The pig like man spoke first upon setting his eyes upon the Alexandria solider. ”It’s not everyday ya see a solider down these ends. Is it, Kurt? His eyes remained locked on Garnet as he spoke to the rat person. Garnet switched between the two men, her feet taking her backwards as they continued to press forward. The rat gave her a half smile of a disturbed delight. Fear tugged on her mind. She wondered what they were after, but the thought scared her. She didn’t want to know the answer to her silent question. Garnet needed to get past these two and retreat back to the castle. Out here she suddenly felt the danger which she had heard that stalked her town. Witnessing it was another story. If it were people like these two which were disrupting the peace of her kingdom, then she would make an example of them to warn other just like them.

Garnet stopped pacing back. ”E-excuse me. I need to return to the castle.” Garnet spoke highly posh for someone who was dressed in the Alexandrian army armour. The queen pushed forward, only to be stopped by a large clawed hand which pressed against her stomach. The rat had stopped her. She turned up to glare at him, only to receive a hungry look in his eyes. The sight unsettled her, but she remained strong and determined. Garnet continued to push against his hand only for the rat to pull back his hand, formed a fist and punched her in the stomach. Despite the protection of the steel against her, the punch winded the queen and pushed her back on impact. Her arms wrapped around her winded stomach. She didn’t want to fight. She couldn’t. Not without her rod which she foolishly left in her room thinking she wouldn’t need it.

The more human man shook his head and placed a hand on the rat’s shoulder. ”No need for violence, Kurt. She wants reinforcements.” She heard the other man speak, but paid no mind to him. Her stomach craved attention and her lungs craved air. ”We only want that there dwarf. They’re worth a lot of gil nowadays.” Garnet glanced up, noticing he was pointing a dirty finger towards the direction of the dwarf she was helping. She glanced over her shoulder, the dwarf twitched on the ground; clearly growing weaker the longer she was in the company of these thugs. Dwarfs seemed to be around here and Treno a lot more and seemed to be in the company of the wealthy doing their deeds. Garnet was no stupid. She knew they planned to sell the dwarf on for a quick gain of cash. She wouldn’t allow it. Not in her kingdom, anyway.

Lifting up from cradling her stomach, Garnet removed the mythril sword which was sheathed against her thigh. It was the first time even attempting to use the thing, and it showed. The weapon was heavier than she anticipated, causing the tip to lower from the lack of strength as she tried to point it in the direction of the men. They watched before bursting into a fit of laughter at the poor display Garnet put on. She was no warrior, she knew that. A sword was not of her choosing; white magic and eidolons were her weapons. Two of which she could use right here and now.

The two men continued their fits of giggles, slapping one another on the back from the weak display before them. Garnet gripped the sword’s hilt in her left hand and put forth her right palm. A swirl of black haze formed in her gloved hand. The cloud of blackness was forced from her hand and wrapped around the face of the pig man, blinding him long enough for Garnet to attempt to flee from the healthier thug. The pig faced man waved his hands around upon discovering he could no longer see. ”The bitch blinded me!” He roared, falling over the rubbish and landing his palms onto broken shards of glass in his blind state. Garnet hopped around the pig man, sword in hand. She used both hands to pick it from scraping along the floor before using her body to push forward and strike the man’s right calf. His voice screamed as the silver blade remained stuck in his limb. Garnet could find no strength to remove the blade after she stabbed him.

She wanted to apologise, but she couldn’t bring herself to. It wasn’t everyday she used a sword, let along stab someone with one. She felt a rush of adrenalin and her mind switched back to her original task of reaching the castle. However, there was one criminal left to deal with. She turned on the spot and pulled back as the rat lounged for her. His sharp claws out and managed to find the tip of her hair which peaked from beneath the helmet. It was at this moment Garnet wished she kept her short hair. Her head was yanked down from the pull of her hair. The back of her helmet colliding with the knee belong to the rat. The helmet protected her, but it didn’t stop the ringing in her ears. There was another impact against her head – he had kneed her again followed with another crash against his bone. The helmet was starting to lose its protective barrier, or so it seemed to Garnet. Her head was pounding and the edges of her sight were starting to turn black. There was one more knee to the head before everything went black.

---

Ability Used: Blind [Cool Down: 3 posts][/ul]

[Deleted]

Jovial Prince of Thieves Maybe the ringing of the bell was not the most brilliant idea he had today. He was sober and his stomach was twisting about in hunger as it growled softly from the late night activities. As the bell echoed he could hear the rattling footfalls of armored soldiers heading his way. The night was silent, not a drunkard in the alleys nor a crier shouting the devastating news of murder or a foul assault that was most common in Treno. Now he was not in the wrong, but he sure felt like he would be very unwelcome, especially when he had an unconscious soldier in his arms. He felt goosebumps crawl over his skin, warning him. Something was not right with this situation. He cursed under his breath as he looked around, the sounds of metal panging closer and closer with every passing moment. None of the Knights or Soldiers were in sight yet so that gave the rouge a chance to react without being caught. He made motion to lay the woman down, only to feel her grasping weakly at his jabot. The fabric slipped from her only to grasp onto his silk tie that wrapped around his neck. He leaned his head back so he was not choked by her actions and gently laid her down. Her breathing was ragged and her hands came over her chest, the silk ribbon gripped between her fingers, as she began to dig her gloved fingertips against her chest in desperation. She felt like something was pounding against lungs, trying to break free. She squirmed, sweat beginning to pour from her skin as she pressed her legs together and tried to fight the crawling sensation running along her tanned skin. She tried to scream, but her lungs could not fill enough to allow this and her throat was coughed raw. The passageway was tight. Why did it hurt so much?! She had only wanted to protect the queen. Was this punishment for her silence? An ironic end that was not to be met with grace. Tears began to pour from the woman’s face as she continued to struggle, her joints trembling with aches and pains. It was like a thousand little Cactus needles pricking against her flesh. Her vision had become blurry so even with her helmet off she could not see her savior with clarity. Who was it that brought her back? Please… find the queen. She may have been the cause--! Zidane turned to leave before he was implicated in anything questionable. He didn’t need a lecture from Rusty or General chick tonight. He rushed to the water’s edge and jumped onto the boat, lowering himself into a crouch so that his sudden hop did not cause him to rock the boat and roll over. The male peered out to make sure the soldier got the help she needed, head shifting so he could look beyond the chiming bell, which was slowing down and weakening its cries. When he saw that she was found and now with her companions he felt it was fine to kick off from the edge of the dock, pushing the boat into the current. The rogue kept low and moved his hand up to the paddle as quietly as possible. He rowed back to the main landing with haste. When the boat knocked into the opposite shore the thief was startled and hopped off as quickly as he could: the soles of his boots sliding against the cobblestone surface. His hands came upon his knees as he leaned forward, panting desperately. Maybe it was a sign not to go over tonight. Yeah it was late. Dagger was probably sound asleep in her cozy bed.d He would have liked to join her… Folding his arms behind his head as he stood a sigh rumbled from his chest. There was nothing he could do now except head back to Ashley’s place for the night. The slums were not so bad and it was at least a place to stay for the night. There was no way he could deal with himself right now. Something had him uneasy. Making sure there were no others about the thief navigated through the narrow alleys and down toward the slums. Weaving through the debris and interconnected corridors of stone and mortar the thief soon found his way back to Ashley's house. The bartender wasn't kidding when he said that he lived ankle deep in water. He lived on the edge of the pier in the slum regions. Half of his place was built on the landing while the rest barely float on the water's surface with makeshift raft bindings. Zidane sloshed through the corner where water and sewage floated by, the high ankles of his boots saving him from getting his jodhpur wet. Green slop had washed onto the side where the main door rest. Kicking aside the gunk, which he had pushes away earlier, seemed to hold a never ending presence around the property, if one could even call it that. Raising his hand he knocked on the door. He could hear a splash and a rattling of what sounded like floating bottles being knocked around. When the door opened the thief stood there grinning, hand waving softly at the sleepy theater owner. The man rubbed at his face, feeling a groggy haze float over his head. Did this kid ever sleep? “Hey,” Zidane grinned. “You need something warm for that cold.” The Genome chuckled. Ashley shook his head. “You’re insatiable.” But what could he do? Ashley stepped out, not bothering to get a shirt, and closed the door behind him, pulling his suspenders over his shoulders. “Man, idiots like you never catch colds.” Ash complained as he moved to lead Zidane into the slums. Once they were out in the streets the pair would find a spot to set up a gambling table and fix up some warm cider among other crooks and those who could no longer sleep in crumbling homes. With cards laid out and cups overflowing with the warm, alcoholic liquid the men would proceed to lay out handfuls of gil. While they did so the men who had managed to successfully knock out the soldier would gather up the Dwarf and be on their way, but the taller of them would pause. “Now, now… ladies also have their price, and a soldier no less, right?” He grinned. The pig faced man blinked and gave a snorting laugh when he understood his partner’s suggestions. Hurrying over to the collapsed Knight he would lift her up off the ground and toss her over his shoulder. The pair would head off toward the piers where their ship waited. Leaving Alexandria was not the plan, but instead to take them down the ways to the rat’s nest part of town where the whole lot of sordid individual characters gathered for business less accepted on an open market. They would have to pass the slums, which were a bed of activity with the insomnia that gripped the many fearing being washed away into the waters or those too sick with waterborne chills to rest peacefully. The game of Blackjack had become a means in which to distract themselves. Zidane had gained a bit of coin from his hand so sat out the game a bit as he drag. His rump settled on a barrel, leg twitching as he tried to drink away this feeling. His head twisted back to look over his shoulder, noticing noise behind him, someone was walking past.

►TAGS: Next~!

►NOTES: Two in the hand aren't worth anymore than freedom.

►SKILLS USED: n/a

CODED BY ELECTRIC OF GANGNAM STYLE; EDITED BY OUREX DRACO

[Deleted]

[/font][/b] His hand waved about him in a blind panic, searching for his taller friend. Once found, Kurt helped guide the pig to his feet. His right foot refused to be placed on the ground until it was bounded. ”’Ere, give me something to drink. Can’t go to the black market like this.”

”This is my last one!” The rat growled, his long claws resting against the small brown bag against his hip. He could see they wouldn’t make it to the market otherwise, meaning he would lose out on any gil he could make. A low growl vibrated from his lack of lips, reaching into his bag and tossing a small pale green bottle to his friend. An Elixir wouldn’t cure his wounded leg, but it would help with his blindness and give him enough strength to walk without the aid of Kurt. ”These things don’t come cheap. You owe me one, Dave!” The pig waved his friend off, dismissing the subject entirely. He would pay his companion back, when he found the funds to do so. The guy was in enough debt as it was.

Once the black haze had vanished from his sight, Dave wrapped his wounded leg with a piece of torn clothing from his baggy shirt. Feeling the elixir kicking in, he pushed to his feet and walked over to the fallen solider, picking her up and throwing her over his shoulder. His friend was right, the dwarf would set them up for the week, but the girl would set them up for two, especially a girl which could fight. Not that he would call the disguised queen a fighter, but he could wing that bit. She was in uniform after all; some sorry desperate guy would pay big bucks for the company of a woman. With their treasures captured, the two men continued down the streets and towards the slums where laughter and petty arguments attracted their attention.

A bunch of men sat around a small table, playing a card game of some sort. The sight of gil laid across the wooden table screamed potential buyers. The two eyed one another up, answering their unspoken questions to one another. They had been in this black market business for some time. They only had to give each other a look to know that they could sell their unwanted goods to these fools here. ”Ah, fellas!” The pig waved his free hand, acting as though they had known these guys all his life. He knew how the guys spoke around these ends, or so he thought, anyway. ”Perfect timing. We were just heading to the market to sell these beauties. But we thought we’d let you lot have first dibs! What’da say?” A heavy hand slapped the rear end of Garnet upon the word beauties, jolting her conscious to a somewhat stable state. Her sight was still black; her body still faint, but her hearing was starting to return from nothing into a foggy haze.

The rat stepped forward, tossing the aching dwarf down on the ground with a heavy thud. Dust and stones waved around the green man’s body, only to settle back down quickly once the movement had stopped. The dwarf was completely still. His body had become cold and his hue had turned another shade lighter. Only a faint moan could be heard from the dying dwarf. He was certainly in no fit shape to be sold as a slave. The two crooks knew this, and so the rat spoke about it. ”You might be able to get a day or two out of him. Shall we say…400 gil?” It was steep, he knew that, but you couldn’t blame a guy for trying. His red eyes turned towards the man with the tail, who seemed to have the most gil upon the table. A smile came to Kurt’s face. ”Ah, you. How about it? 400 gil for the imp? We’ll even toss you a pair of legs in for an additional 600 gil?” A nod in the direction of the Alexandrian solider indicated he was referring to the unknown queen.

”Oi, no way. This one is mine! This bitch cut me so I’ma sell this one me self!” The pig spoke up, stepping forward before clutching Garnet tighter.

The rat shot a glare at his friend. ”Who was the one who knocked her out?! He walked over, prodding a questioning finger to Dave’s round belly. ”You’ll get your cut. 70/30.” This caused the pig man to push an unsatisfied palm to Kurt’s face, pushing him back a few steps. The two exchanged glares, continuing their silent conversation with grunts and eye rolling, settling a price to sell their goods to the richer one of the men; in this case, Zidane. Kurt gave a tut and a roll of his eyes before turning back to the men gathered at the table, his eyes mainly fixating on the young blond man. ”1000 gil for the lot. How about it, bud?”

Meanwhile, Garnet remained slumped over the pig’s shoulder, could hear her surroundings. She tried to open her eyes. She wanted to see what was happening. Was she being sold onto a thug? Desperation shook her body, trying helplessly to wake her body up and respond. Had she been petrify? No, she couldn’t have. According to the white magic books she had read, once petrify you cannot move your body, or can you hear and see. She wasn’t frozen in a solid state, not if she could hear the voices around her. Speaking of which, one of who sounded very familiar. Although her hearing wasn’t clear, she would be able to recognise that voice from anywhere. It was Zidane. He was here!

---

Ability Previously Used: Blind [Cool Down: 2 posts]
[/ul]

[Deleted]

Jovial Prince of Thieves Zidane had played a good game against Ashley, but there was no way he would run the bartender dry knowing his financial condition. He was a crook, not criminal. Deciding to move back, others took his seat at the game. The rouge made sure to tighten his purse strings and tuck it away back into his satchel, which he latched closed. Gloved fingers came to wrap around the handle of the tin tankard, the warm liquid warming his fingers even through the gloves. Looking up the thief's blue eyes darted around the alley. A log of folk had gathered around by this time, the pair having made quite the commotion. Zidane was not a big gambler, that would require him to be reckless toward the worries of spending. But a thief like him would rather hold onto the gil he made to purchase greater treasure later. He enjoyed drinking with friends, but it was sometimes an excuse to escape responsibilities. Before he was even able to lift the cup to his lips a pair of unfamiliar men approached. Hustlers. Hustlers were the sorts of people who used words and flattery to lure others into buying in on their goods, which were often broken or illegal for more than it was worth. But as they swam through the crowds in search of their prey they honed in on the thief. Zidane held himself with confidence, bit a slovenliness that many attributes to wastefulness and a reckless gambler. A lace jabot and primp clothing showed he had a liking in the more lavish materials in life, but stir he's over worn fabric showed he had an attachment to things, at least to a hustler. He looked like the perfect target: a drunken gambler. When they began to show off their goods the thief felt his blood begin to boil. While others around tried to ignore the nasty company who had directed their attention on the tailed rogue. Clenching his hand around his tankard as he sipped down some of his drink feeling his buzz taking a nasty turn. Zidane was not a mean or violent drunk, but an emotional one. He had a strong sense of justice and never liked seeing others being bullied or abused. It had stood still a fresh memory in his mind. In another world a young girl had been at the mercy of a bunch of pirates who wanted to sell her and take her from her island home. The Dwarf probably had a family and even if not: he had a life elsewhere. Not only this Dwarf, but a young Alexandrian Soldier who likely had her whole life ahead of her. People were not objects meant to be sold. It was too much for him to sit by and listen to for long. Before either he or the hustlers knew the Genome was already off his barrel, having launched his form toward the taller rat man. Zidane's tankard clattered to the ground, the darkly colored drink spilling into the streets. His fist had come up to meet with the underside of the rat's mizzle, forcing it up with a frightening crunching noise. The rat, who certainly had not expected the emotional reaction, was sucker punched by the thief. "You bastard!" Zidane roared out as he staggered to keep upright as the rat faces man nearly tumbled back, only barely managing to keep standing. The pig man snorted in surprise and growled. "You stringy prick! What the hell!?" The language of the businessmen was less than formal. "Piss off, we were only trying ta give ya somethin’ nicer than what ya can probably score on your own!" The taller man reached up to his nose, blood flowing down from the attack. That punch did well to break his nose. His beady eyes narrowed as he glared at the thief, the woman still in his grip. “You sonva bitch!” The rat man roughly tossed the unconscious, presumed, Alexandrian Soldier to his partner as he put up his bandage covered knuckles at the ready. “You wanna go?!” “Hey!” Ashley bellowed as other residents began to protest, seeing Zidane stand up to them without a second thought. “What the hell do you think yer doin’ on our turf? Leave those two alone!” How could Ashley turn his back on the soldiers that worked so hard to protect them during the disasters? The people hollered and cried out against the troublemakers. They would demand the criminals let the pair go, a riot coming close to breaking out in the once quiet streets once the noise did well to rouse the rest of the sleepless residents.

►TAGS: Next~!

►NOTES: I''ll raise you a broken nose!

►SKILLS USED: n/a

CODED BY ELECTRIC OF GANGNAM STYLE; EDITED BY OUREX DRACO

[Deleted]

[/font][/b] The pig man growled, aiming his voice at both his friend but mainly the other party. He didn’t want a brawl, not when he was suffering with the stab wound to his leg. If it did come to a fist fight, then he wouldn’t stand a chance. His friend would have to fight off their potential buyers while he would flee with the goods. Speaking of goods...the rat decided to throw Garnet at his fellow friend, which he had to stumble forward to catch with success. His large hands clumsily found the girl, but not without almost dropping her. Her body jerked as he shifted his hands under her knees and head to find a more comfortable grasp. ”Oi, leave it out!” He spoke to his friend who was ready to defend his pride.

All the noise, all the commotion started to wake the queen. Her eyes flickered heavily under the rim of the helmet. A blurred blob of a dirty salmon hue was all she could make out. Her sight sharpened the more she blinked, only for it to turn back into a haze. His voice was familiar, and Garnet soon pinned the voice against the pig man who she once blinded. The thought didn’t process that she was in his arms. Garnet was unaware that she was an item being sold on. All she could think about was how much her head was pounding and that she was certain she had heard Zidane. The queen stirred. Did she hear him? Was it all a dream? Had she hoped so much for his return that Garnet had fallen victim to imagining his voice all along?

The rat rouge remained standing in a defensive stance. His claws wrapped into balls, prepared to throw a punch back at the monkey boy if he attempted to strike him a second time. His glaring black eyes shifted to the dwarf, who had decided to spew his guts up to try and rid himself of the virus he had caught. The bile formed a puddle, which travelled to and under the sick man. He made no attempt to try and move from the flowing sick as it soaked into his already stained clothes. ”That’s disgusting!” The rat said with a sour look upon his face. The blood was wiped across his face as he brushed his sleeve gently against it, careful not to cause any more pain upon his broken nose. ”You can keep that one there. He ain’t worth jack shit.” With that said, he turned and began to walk off. Not wanting to risk any more injury upon him. The battle was lost, but at least they still had the solider to sell at the market.

As the pair turned and started to walk, Garnet was beginning to come to her senses. Her dark eyes were well hidden under the helmet, but as her cloudiness started to wash away, Garnet could make out the tall rat walking behind her knees. She first noticed the blood and the angle of his nose. It was clearly broken, and it served the thug right! It didn’t take Garnet long to sum up her situation, suddenly remembering who the rat was and that he had a chunky companion. Her eyes shifted to the dirty sausage fingers which dug into the side of her knee. She was being carried, and by the pig man, she would have guessed. With worry sinking into her muggy head, Garnet used all the strength she could muster and give the pig a kick under the chin with her heavy boot. The impact startled him, causing him to reach for his face and dropping their only treasure they had left. Garnet fell to the floor with a thud, causing her to wince as she landed on her side. The two thieves were shocked and startled, leaving Garnet enough time to scramble to her feet and run.

Thankfully, she wasn’t carried too far, only a few feet if that. Her hand pressed against her side, where the ground slapped and kissed an aching pain upon her body. Garnet would continuously look over her shoulder, watching the two men give chase as she ran towards the small gathering of people. Only when she focused on the people she fled to, did Garnet see the one she had been waiting for all this time. ”Zidane!” She cried, running to the blond haired boy she had grown so fond of. Running passed the sick dwarf, Garnet ran into Zidane, stumbling forward and grasping the boy desperately anywhere and everywhere for him to protect her. When her hands found his bare arms, Garnet pushed her body behind his back, watching to the men stop in their tracks and slowly back off.

They were scared. It was either the sight of the crowd which had pushed themselves to their feet, or from the name which escaped from Garnet’s lips. He was known by many to those in Alexandria, and most of Gaia, in fact; as where her friends. They had saved the world, it was only natural their names spread like wild fire. Granted, some knew not of the heroes, and that didn’t bother Garnet. She wished for a peaceful life – or as peaceful as a queen’s life got. Whatever it was which scared them, the two thugs decided to back away and leave their goods behind. They would go on to find other treasures to sell at the black market.

Garnet pressed her shielded forehead against Zidane’s back, forgetting completely that she was still in disguise. Her arms reached out and around her lover’s stomach, embracing him from behind. The scent of alcohol tickled her nose, either from his body or the spillage which trickled along the cobble stone street. ”Where have you been?” she asked quietly, aware of the staring eyes around her. [/ul][/div]

[Deleted]

Jovial Prince of Thieves Zidane was not the sort of person to attack without warning. He typically liked to talk his way out of situations, or walk out on them were they unnecessary confrontations. But he did not have the best inhibitions when he was drunk. He was known to become rather emotional. Being that he believed himself to be a chivalrous man of duty: to protect women and be ever the charming rogue, he also had the proprietary obligation to beat the hell out of anyone who looked to bully the weak or hurt ladies. With his fists up the two individuals looked to stop a fight they were assured to lose. There were risks in selling goods as a thief. It could be recognized as stolen, or be worthless after nearly losing your head beneath the ax of a madman to find it. But to sell a person, dragging them from their home… the pain and suffering that could cause was not worth the price of a few pieces of gil. Slightly drunk and highly irritated, Zidane would not have any of these two jerks trying to escape a punishment. The Dwarf looked really sick and the girl appeared unconscious. The rat stood up to Zidane’s violent advances, pride shattered like his broken nose. Though the thief had a weapon, he knew better than to draw it when he wasn’t sober. It could lead to more problems than just a bloodied nezumi. The thief was ready for the worst. Back at the castle there was panic. The soldier they had brought in was severely ill. She was taken to the barracks where she was hastily tucked into a free bed, but the others were worried. They begged for someone to call a doctor, the woman’s coughs having muted into gurgling intakes of air. Her lungs were already beginning to fill with fluid. Though the pain was immense her body was beginning to shut down. The numb sensations were her body’s natural response to the tingling pain that crept over the surface of the skin and her throat was too swollen to allow her voicebox to vibrate and bring forth her human capacity for speech. She could not tell them of the burning sensation running from her neck down to her chest, how it felt like a blade had been carved across the length of her sternum. They way the pressure pounded at her skull and caused her eyes to water. Her nose was too stuffy making breathing difficult, the mouth being forced open to take in air the drowning lungs could not provide… This sickness was not something a human had ever suffered. Doctor Tot was sent for, but it would take hours for the message to get to him, goodness knows how long it would take for him to arrive… “D-Dagger?!” Zidane was startled by the voice. At first he felt it just a drunk, unrelenting fantasy. The soldier simply recognized him. He has visited the castle on rare occasion and the ruckus he caused during the play a few years back was still a palatable rumor among nobles. It was too long since he had been back though, so certainly they would have forgotten him, but when the armored soldier grabbed at him and called out his name his eyes widened, as his sobriety kicked in as his heart skipped a beat. It was the moment he was dreading since he had arrived in Alexandria. It was not that he hate Dagger or wanted to avoid seeing her, but what he feared most was what she would say. Her words, questioning where he had been, were crushing. He did not want to ever have her worry, or trouble her, but some events prevented him from staying. He could not say sorry. What would that change? He was gone for so long. Sobered up, and pissed the thief’s mind rolled onto the fact this guy was trying to sell Dagger! Ransom a queen, though even if they did not know, it was the principle of the matter! The boy sneered and clenched his gloved hands into fists. “Ash!” He called out to his fellow drunk, who wobbled in from the irate crowd. “Watch Dagger, and help the Dwarf, I have a pair of heads to knock in.” He cracked his knuckles and hurried forward. Ashley held out his hand. “Zidane, wait! What am I supposed to do?!” The tired bartender questioned through his coughing fit. Zidane waved his hand as he ran forward. “I’ll meet you at the theater! I gotta show these bastards not to cross Tantalus!” He grinned and pushed forward. Though he seemed his usual, jovial self, something had him on edge. The pig and rat tried to book it through the narrow alleys, the mud and untended infrastructure had the majority of the slum falling apart. The stouter pig faced man stumbled to the ground when his boot caught onto a raised cobblestone. “Wait!” He squealed out to his partner. The rat looked back over his shoulder with his crooked nose. “No way faggot!” He shouted as he continued to put distance between them. Zidane caught up to the fallen pig man, grabbing him back by his vest as the man tried to get onto his feet. When Zidane had a good hold he would force the man to spin around and slugged him one good. Gloved hands gripped his vest and nearly pulled the porker off the ground, the squealing hustler trying to free himself from the surprisingly strong Genome. Zidane was almost half the guy’s height and weight, but here he was struggling to stay up. “Listen here you little shit, where the hell did you get those two?!” The thief demanded. It was his biggest fear that someone would be as skilled as him and find their way into the castle when he was not there to protect her. “I- I dunno whatcher talkin’ abou--uhee!!!” He snorted out when Zidane shook him and glared with those abnormal, blue eyes. The Genome’s eyes had a strange slit focus that was expanded when the fall of night coated the streets, but in his anger his pupils focused giving off a frightening glare. “Spill it, or making sure you take a swim!” Zidane dragged the man toward the edge of the water. Now normally this would be without its problems, but as of late the waters had become infested with sewage which only flowed through the slums. The man shook his head. “Okay, alright! Look they came off the boat, at least the green bugger prolly did, but the girl and him we found on the street! Honest!” He squealed out when Zidane threw him into the water, the sludge thick waterways a one way ticket to the flu. Dusting off his hands the thief looked off down the street. He lost his chance to rough up that guy, who was probably the brains of the outfit. It did not matter now, he had to head back. Ashley would try to convince Dagger to go with him, some good samaritans moving to help the sick Dwarf to the mini theater after wiping him down. Compared to their daily lives a puke covered Dwarf was not really all that bad. They gave the little guy some kid’s clothing and Ashley would warm up some ale for the poor, rash stricken, guy. The ale would help settle his stomach and replenish any water he had lost in the sickness. It did not take Zidane long to find his way back to the mini-theater, the worried rogue clambering down the narrow steps.

►TAGS: Next~!

►NOTES: Something warm is always good when you're sick.

►SKILLS USED: n/a

CODED BY ELECTRIC OF GANGNAM STYLE; EDITED BY OUREX DRACO

[Deleted]

[/font][/b] The same gloved hand reached out, a useless attempt to try and catch him, hoping he would stop at her desperate voice.

A hand reached out and grabbed a hold of Garnet’s arm before she had chance to start her chase. Upon turning, she noticed the hand belonged to one of his friends; the one who was with Zidane in the theatre when she barged in to get a glass of water. His eyes were apologetic towards her, probably from the fact that he was stopping her from chasing after Zidane, or from the fact that he was refusing to allow the queen to do what she wanted. Her eyes narrowed towards the man. He had no right to hold her back, regardless if Zidane had asked him to. With all her strength, Garnet pulled from the man and started to run in the direction as to where Zidane went. Her plan didn’t work as well as she had thought as she felt more hands grab around her shoulder, wrist and arm. ”No. Let me go. She cried, trying her best to wriggle free from their grasp. ”I can’t lose him again!”

”He said to meet back at the theatre, Dagg-I mean, Garnet.” Ash spoke calmly as he succeeded in stopping Garnet from fleeing. She was so used to Zidane and her friends calling her Dagger, that Garnet paid no mind to Ash as he corrected himself in mid sentence. Sometimes she would rather be called Dagger, as it made her feel less formal and more…free. Dagger was the girl which travelled Gaia, the girl who made new friends, the girl who became more confident in who she was; whereas Garnet was the girl who became queen, the girl who had responsibilities, the girl who couldn’t have fun. Garnet was the person she hated being.

Her struggling stopped. He was right. Garnet gave a faint nod of her understanding. The hands fell from her body, trusting her to remain still and not go after the thief. Zidane would do whatever he had to do to those crooks. It would make him feel better, and it would teach them a lesson. As much as Garnet would rather he didn’t, she hoped that the pig and rat would get a good hiding from the thief. Not that she would ever mention those thoughts out loud. ”Let us go back to the theatre.” She turned, her eyes falling to the dwarf. ”He needs help.” That much was obvious. But without her words, the crowd would probably have left him there. Garnet was unable to carry him, but two men had pulled out from the crowd to help lift him and escort him into the warm shelter.

As they arrived at the mini theatre, Garnet would remain standing on top of the stairs as everyone else ventured inside. Her gloved hands fumbled at the belt tying the helmet to her head, and eventually she removed the silver headgear, keeping it tucked under her arm. Her vision had been greatly extended now that she had removed the Alexandrian helmet. The question as to how the soldiers fought with limited vision started to whirl in her thoughts. But they were quickly swatted away, unanswered, as Garnet leaned against the railings. Her eyes scanned either end of the alleyway, searching for Zidane, but to no avail. Sighing, Garnet pushed back from the railings and walked down the steep steps, into the dim lit theatre.

The two men who carried the dwarf had left the building, leaving just Ash, the dwarf and Garnet. Garnet couldn’t blame the two men for wanting to vanish quickly, especially with the sick dwarf wrapped in a blanket and coughing all over the table he sat at. They didn’t want to get ill, as did she. But at least Garnet didn’t show any disrespect towards the dwarf by keeping her distance. People got sick all the time; but Garnet was unaware just how sick people got from this flu which the dwarf had. The girl was so oblivious to this knowledge, and the fact that the soldier who was escorting her was almost dying back in the castle. Garnet needed to go back to the castle. She needed a report on the soldier or something to help rest her worrying mind.

But right now, she needed Zidane to hurry back.

”Here you go.” Garnet looked over her shoulder. Ash stood behind her, holding out a glass of warm liquid, most probably the same one which was offered to the sick dwarf. She shook her head, and politely declined it. Garnet didn’t want an alcoholic drink. She couldn’t afford to risk losing her wits or risk being known as the wild drunk queen. Garnet had only ever drunk the occasional glass of sophisticated liquor, and even then it was for formal gatherings. Unlike Zidane who seemed to enjoy one or two where ever he went.

”Just water will be fine, thank you.” Garnet smiled, accepting the fur blanket he offered with his other hand. It was a prop, and one of Ruby’s no doubt. It was a blanket stitched together with what looked like Mu’s fur. Garnet was no expert on skins, but assumed it was of the rodent fiend from the purple hue of the blanket.

As Ash went to pour a glass of water, Garnet made her way to a seat on a lone table. The blanket wrapped around her shoulders, keeping her bare arms warm, but doing no justice for her bare legs. It was at this moment, where she was shivering with the cold air which took its toll on her outside, that she wished she had just wore her casual attire. At least they would cover up her dignity. The glass was offered to her, which she took with a faint smile. The glass lifted to her lips as she took a long gulp of the lukewarm liquid, only to swallow it and place the glass on the wooden table, a little put off from warmth taste.

A sudden noise distracted Garnet away from the glass and towards the entrance to the theatre. The door pushed open, allowing in not only a gust of wind, but Zidane also. He was safe and unharmed. Garnet gathered from the quick search she gave him with her eyes, looking out for any signs of blood, cuts or bruises. It would seem the other two had probably come out worse for wear, unless Zidane was unable to catch them. Garnet pushed back against the chair, allowing it to clatter against the floor as she rose. Her eyes locked onto Zidane, watching him, waiting for him to finally acknowledge her. He had come back, as he promised. There was no doubt behind his words. He said he would always come back to her, and he did. But he took his bloody time about it! [/ul][/div]

[Deleted]

Jovial Prince of Thieves With the waters a slurry mess it safer drinking the ale which seemed a Cure All for most illnesses to be had. Some were severely affected by the water, others got by well enough. Much of the sewage came from the sewage dumped by ships that carries these illegal goods. They would hide out on the waters for weeks at a team until they could haul their goods on land. Live monsters and people built up quite a mess in a week's time and dumping it overboard was off easier than disposing of it correctly. Luckily Zidane preferred his booze over his water. It was the nature of the beast. It was how he socialized and how he coped with the harsher aspects of his environment. Living in among members of the underworld gave good guys like him reason to question leaders, those supposedly in charge of order. With the state of things now he felt that nobles lived deeper in the life than he. The nobles could be more feral than the beasts of the Mist. Speaking on beasts such a problematic state of affairs in Alexandria currently made him wonder. Was it really that bad after the wars that even more soldiers looking for work were becoming scum of Gaia? Sure being out of a job was hard, being with a single skill set was even worse, but the rogue never thought someone as prideful as a soldier or warrior could throw away their morals so easily. Maybe he didn't understand, or perhaps he understood more than others gave the brigand credit for. While these events were becoming commonplace at the shady dockside shops set up along different sections of the Alexandrian river there was another, troublesome, happening becoming habit in the castle city. Some guards were turning a blind eye to the deals, new guards who felt money was more rewarding than honor. Each night the location changed to throw off the guards that passed through on rounds periodically. There always seemed to be more goons than guards on a given night, but in truth: the few that existed had been soldiers themselves and knew how these warriors thought or there was enough gil changing hands for it to be overlooked. Some thought their actions harmless. There was a particular import of a type of Chocobo greens known as Sylkis Greens. Though the greens were part of a wild Chocobos diet, the greens were being used in alchemy to concoct poisons that had debilitating effects, much further from the natural, calming effects of Gyshal Greens. The poison was called Sylkis Roots, often fermented into a powerful liquor, often fermented at farms that raised Chocobos for farmers to drink, was mixed with a Mandragora's scream, making it toxic. The thief stumbled his way down the steps, not feeling as accomplished as he should have. His muscles were sore from forcing that fat slob off the ground as much as he did and his body was still tired Honestly that pair was not worth the trouble, but it irked him. To think they had the gall to mishandle the pair like they were trash! He looked over to Ashley as he made it to the bottom of the step's landing. Behind him the male's furry limb swayed, but the sandy blonde fur was standing on end, the extra appendage stiffly swayed just off the ground, the end curled and pointing toward him. He raised his hand to Ash in question, the bandit bartender pointing over to the young Queen as he quietly conversed with the rogue. Ash was Alexandrian, born in Treno and raised on its streets. He worked hard to move to Alexandria and make a life here. He adored his leader and the food the royal family did for her people, so seeing it in this state was troubling for him. Zidane was not a native, but he could understand Ash was probably feeling slighted under the given circumstances. The thief reached over the bar's counter and patted Ash's shoulder appreciatively. Suddenly one of the chairs clattered to the ground as Dagger rose to her feet. The Queen was anxious, this much was clear. Ash smirked and decided to slip from Zidane’s side. The bartender turned to slice a piece of bread and cut some bits of cheese available from earlier in the day. Any longer and the cheese would have likely spoiled so it was best to use it straight away. He placed the bread and cheese on a tin plate to carry over to the Dwarf, leaving the rogue to his fate. Zidane stepped forward, his gloved hands brushing off his trousers as if to wipe away any unsightly grime from handling the twisted pig man. Normally he could care less where his hands have been or went before he used them again without consideration, but with Dagger it seemed to become a strange new worry that he might -- soil her. Maybe it was just the nervous blossom of young love, or the terrified reality of their dramatic placements in the caste. Dagger stood there facing the young man. The rouge reached up and rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. Dagger looked awful upset, making him regret his earlier cowardice. Maybe he should have just come to say hi? Maybe she would not have gotten into this situation to begin with. Even if it was unfair, he always felt that it was better she did not know about this part of his life, the part he saw everyday and was unable to do much to change it. Sure he helped whom he could, but he could not fight every battle. He curled his lips back into one of his half-nervous smiles. He could never face Dagger when she looked at him with those doe eyes of hers. She was the only one who could tear at his guilt with such ease and with such honesty. "Wow, you look super cute today." He could not stop the words that left his mouth. He had to cover the nervous atmosphere with humor. A few of the residents of the slums had stayed by. A few recognized their Queen, but remained silent about it, choosing to whisper among themselves. It was shocking, maybe a bit humbling for some. Ashley sat at the table where the Dwarf slowly ate his meal between the hacking fits. He could feel the uneasiness everyone seemed to carry in the tense situation. There were a lot of questions, but probably even fewer answers. It was too early to sleep and too late for go to bed. It was nearly dawn, the skies a pale cobalt blue, painting the silent Alexandrian streets. A young woman stood from her seat, her peers looking to her with nervousness. Zidane, oblivious to everything around him at this moment, allowed his arms to fall to his sides as his attempt to inject lightheartedness into the situation may have failed. He was usually such a charmer, but when it came to Dagger, who had grown used to his habits, he lost his eloquence and cheekiness all in one go. “Sorry…” He looked up to her. “For everything.” What else could he say? He had caused so much trouble, more than he thought a little drink could. As the young rogue moved to pull the woman he loved into an embrace the young woman cleared her throat, the eyes of the patrons on the queen. “Your highness…” The young girl lowered her head, hands clasping in front of her dirtied, torn dress. “Have you come to save us?” Sickness in the slums was rampant, crime increasing thanks to these wayward soldiers that no longer had a war to fight. At the castle… Doctor Tot arrived. The woman had gone from bad to worse and dropping down into critical. Her fever was so high she needed to be put into iced water. The itching that followed fire along the rashes now on her arms and legs were scraped bloody by her desperate nails. The old doctor was not sure what was going on. This was not a sickness he has ever seen…

►TAGS: Next~!

►NOTES: And it spreads...

►SKILLS USED: n/a

CODED BY ELECTRIC OF GANGNAM STYLE; EDITED BY OUREX DRACO

[Deleted]

[/font][/b] Why had he insisted on chasing the thugs when she was safe? Why was he out drinking with his friends when she was dying to see him? But they weren’t the ‘whys’ she asked. She was simply asking why so long? Why could he have not come sooner?

Zidane made a move towards her, but was cut short when a young girl stood behind him. Her fearful eyes focused on hers, clearly frightened about coming forward. She asked about saving them - her people. Her eyes shifted from the bowing head of the young woman and around the room. Most of their eyes were waiting for her answer which the brave girl had asked. Was this what they all wanted? To be saved? But From what? What was it that they needed saving from? Garnet turned her attention back to the girl. It was only at the second glance did she see the state of her. Her dress was torn and filthy, as was her face and hands. The girl’s hair was knotted and piled with grease that the sight made Garnet feel slightly sick – not that she would ever admit that out loud. Garnet didn’t want to look down at this girl. She refused to limit her sight on the dirt of the girl and would search deeper.

Removing the blanket from around her, she flung the fur blanket over the girl, giving it to her as a gift to aid her from the cold nights. It wasn’t much, but it was what she could do at this time. Garnet was no longer scared or paranoid over the eyes which would see her dressed inappropriately for a queen. There were bigger problems she needed to be concerned about than her appearance. Smiling warmly towards the girl, Garnet took a hold of her stained hands in her own bare hands, showing no boundaries when it came to her status and those who walked her streets. ”If that’s what you need, yes.” What she needed to do, however, was a question she needed help with. [/ul][/div]

[Deleted]

Jovial Prince of Thieves He felt as if the world around him was slowing down. Every second Dagger remained silent was a slicing wound on his skin, like thin slips of paper that refused to be gripped and viciously tucked between the skin of your fingertips. It was so small, unnoticeable, but still painful. A burning sensation that tingled against the tips of your nerves and caused goosebumps to trickle down one’s arms. All he wanted to do was hold her. He did not want to excuse his actions or accidentally bring her worry. But, at the same time, he was terrified to hold her. When he returned from healing from his injuries the rogue had been pleasantly reunited with his beloved and was able to hold her in front of everyone. He was usually easily embarrassed by such a prospect and downright stricken by the strange idea, at the time, of falling in love. He was glad that Dagger had been the person he had fallen in love with. Looking to reconcile with his beloved in the same embrace he had when he first returned: he would make motion to reach, his body drawing nearer. He would find his actions halted by the approach of one of the women from the slum. Zidane felt his body stiffen and eyes focused on an empty space and the anxious panic of nearly acting on his feelings. He was proud of being the cool guy, and it was not uncommon for members of Tantalus to accost him for his more romantic tendencies and ventures that often went without gain. Zidane's guilty pleasure were adventurous romance epics. Many of his corny pick up limes stemmed from his avid reading of such tales. His tail stilled as he felt the metaphorical frog catch in his throat. His eyes drifted toward the lass. After tending to the Dwarf, Ashley would move to rejoin the small gaggle by the entrance tables. The Genome would leave his arms to fall to his sides, his sharp focus startled when Ashley moved up to place his hand on the younger man's shoulder. The bartending bandit leaned forward to whisper to the young thief. The woman smiled warmly at her Queen's reply. This positive reaction caused the others around to attend and approach the dotting royal. As they circled their leader Zidane was pulled back by Ashley. Questions carried from the worried citizenry. Many had grown to poor to afford doctors, but even more so they cannot find means to both house and feed their small and growing families. More children meant more hands to work, but this also meant more mouths to feed. Garbage was being dumped into the rivers making them unsuitable for drinking, making many sick. So many of them were sick. They did not blame the Queen, not once, but they wondered why wasn't there anything being done. While they spoke to their Queen, in hopes of deliverance, Ashley held as few words with his fellow rogue. "You reckon that Dwarf ain't get her all his own?" He would question. Now that Zidane thought on it, what the hell was a Dwarf doing so far from the Outer Continent? What was worse is the guy seemed pretty sick. Was it the cold going on around here? The thief wasn't ignorant toward the debauchery that often claimed slums, which were a much harder reach of control for soldiers. They were the best spots to trade, steal, and gamble. The rouge knew many of the spots personally. Ashley's concern was not ignored. The little guy was an entire continent from home and being sick in a foreign land with, most likely, no gil (if he recalls Dwarves barter) and no family. Or really annoyed the thief that there were even folk like that calling themselves thieves. Perhaps thanks to Baku it stood to reason that the boy's idyllic behalf of what a dashing thief should be, existed. A charming ladies' man is wasn't it meant to be cool. Back at the castle, it was not good news for the soldier Zidane had carried back to the castle. The barracks were quarantined. Doctor Tot had given the woman a sedative to help with her pain, but so far none of his salve or aromatic herbs were working to relieve her labored breathing. The entire barracks now smelled like a wet Chocobo Stable. They could only watch and wait. In all his years Doctor Tot had never seen such an illness. Thanks to his distance from humans he was much less inclined, as an avian fellow, to catch their sicknesses. It was what made him a capable doctor in places others could not go. Much of the castle was barred from the barracks save for an assistant the Doctor called in from the Noble area of Alexandria, who was also an avian, to help. “What do you think it is doctor?” The assistant was a blue-feathered bird man with a long neck. He stood much taller than the owlish doctor. “The girl seems to be in terrible agony.” He warbled sadly. Doctor Tot scratched at his beard thoughtfully. “Yes. All we can do is wait. I have honestly never seen a sickness like this. Did it come from -- here?” He mumbled the last comment to himself. “Doctor?” The assistant questioned. What did the doc mean by that last bit? Back at the Mini Theater Zidane punched his fist into his palm. He has had it. It was way too much. Ashley had told him that the girl Dagger wrapped the blanket around had lost her daughter to the ravaging sickness that was in part due to one of the shops dumping animal parts cut up from illegally imported fiends from the Outer Continent. Normal fish in the waters eat up any other part, but monsters like the Gigan Octopus and Antlion weren’t native so most animals can’t eat the hard carapace of the antlion or husk of the Gigan Octopus so they float in the water and rot. What kind of life was this? He would not tell Dagger what Ash told him, but they had to stand up for them. He felt uneasy about just letting those two go. He was sure they were going to a place they probably have more of these poor guys sitting around waiting to be sold off as cheap labor. Dwarves were strong and hard workers. They had less value toward gil than most and highly depended on bartering system that simply did not exist on the Mist Continent. “We’ll go.” Zidane spoke up, to everyone’s surprise. “I know I’m not Alexandrian, but I can’t just sit around while folk are being pushed around like that.” He looked to Dagger for support. Ashley stepped up. “I hear it’s hard for ‘em to get through the main waterway cuz’a guards, but no one watches the Nobel’s District. Hear some nobles’ is even payin’ to get some a these lil guys ya work their big manors at half’a what it cost for a butler ‘er maid.” Ashley explained. Zidane looked to Dagger. Yes, more than anything, he wanted to hold her, but at the very least he could take her on another adventure. He held out his hand. He was hopeful that she would accept his apology and come with him. Those of the slum looked to the Queen and her Hero with awe, inspired by their kindness. Ash patted Zidane’s shoulder. “I’ll watch the lil guy. I’ll let Ruby know when she gets in.” He stated. Zidane was thankful for Ash’s help. Some of the others moved to help the Dwarf from the seat to the back, as Ashley opened the back room. It was the only place for the Dwarf for now so the bartender would set up a makeshift bed in the dressing room for him. Zidane would look to Dagger for her help. This was her kingdom. She knew it better than anyone, he would hope.

►TAGS: Next~!

►NOTES: I'm sorry, please accept my sucky apology...

►SKILLS USED: n/a

CODED BY ELECTRIC OF GANGNAM STYLE; EDITED BY OUREX DRACO