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Apr 25, 2024 14:33:30 GMT -5
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Post by Deleted on Jan 12, 2014 12:54:38 GMT -5
Noctis let the strange sandy blonde male stay lost in his thoughts as his blue eyes moved from the blonde to the building he seemed to be studying. Was the man perhaps trying to get in? While he was indeed dressed nicely, there was something about the man that suggested he was not of the same class as the noisy and flamboyant upper class. No, this one seemed a bit different, but how or why that was the case, Noctis had no clue.
All he knew was that for whatever reason the man was studying the beautiful structure before them instead of just waltzing up to it like anyone on official business or a visit would've done. It made the young prince wonder just what the man was up to, but for now he stilled his tongue as he instead reminded himself what he had come all the way out here for.
While the shorter man did indeed fit the description the vanishing man had given him of the one called Zidane, Noctis did not know the people of this world and so to be absolutely sure he had the right guy before proceeding further. So he had asked his question before being distracted by the flood of lords and ladies that came into the area around the same time the front doors of the large house opened to welcome them in.
The sight was peculiar since it seemed like only seconds before whoever owned the place did not want anyone in the place. Hmm...did the owner have particular times that he/she opened the house to the public then? Or was something else going on here?
Noctis pondered the situation for a moment longer as he watched how the nobles were chatting excitedly about something, but due to the volume of people in the area, he could not make out what was being said. In any case, the observation lasted only a second before he felt the air tense around him and his blue eyes lowered towards the man near him.
The prince could see the man was tense and his tail was still... more than likely the result of his question earlier. The reaction was an odd one though. It was almost like catching a child doing something wrong and that alone made the prince narrow his eyes a bit as he once more wondered why this man was here observing the building in the first place.
The suspicion lasted for a second and then the man was moving. First, he rubbed his arms as if to warm up and then dropping his hands to his hips, the guy twirled around in an extravagant way that caused the prince to instinctively take a step back as he prepared himself for anything. While the prince understood people could indeed be over dramatic, he also knew that the same sort of showiness could be used to cover danger....and since he did not know this guy, he much rather be safe than sorry.
Regardless of the step taken back, Noctis did not attack as he kept himself on guard for a few tense seconds and the man before him was speaking confirming he was indeed Zidane as he gave him a grin that instantly washed away the prince's earlier tension. This guy wasn't going to attack. This dramatic way of behaving was simply his way.
Relaxing slightly, the prince found himself smiling slightly both from amusement and slight embarrassment as he nodded slightly at the guy.
"Yeah. You could say that," he said softly as he watched the guy, taking note of how those blue eyes of his looked around him and back towards the thickening crowds. Again suspicion filled the prince, but he never showed it as the smile remained on his lips only fading when the blonde turned his attention back to him and ask his own question.
As the weight of his mission hit him again, Noctis folded his arms as he bowed his slightly and shook it.
"No, we have not met," he told the blonde easily enough and then falling quiet for a second, he choose his next set of words carefully.
"My name is Noctis. I came from the city of Lindblum to find you at the request of a white haired young man dressed in strange armor. He said he knew you and so asked me to deliver this message to you," he paused as he collected the words of the message once more. Once he had them he began to say the message.
"Zidane, I am sorry to tell you this, but I have apparently lost Rosa. I have searched the city high and low, but I could not find the woman. On top of this, I am afraid I will not be able to keep my promise to aid you on your quest. I hope that you can find it in your heart to forgive this mercenary for his failures. I pray that you succeed on your quest and in time we may meet once more in the light," Noctis finished the message and then nodded pleased he remember it all before continuing on.
"After that he just vanished into dark mist," Noctis said not really sure how all of that was going to impact the man before him.
He really didn't like to be the bearer of bad news, but someone would've eventually told the man of his friends' fate. So he guessed sooner was better than later. In any case, with the message done Noctis felt a weight lift off of him as he completed his task within the time he was given without incident. So that was good.
With one task done, Noctis looked away from the man as he dug into his pocket for something.
"It wasn't easy finding you," he said before pulling out the letter the moogle had given him and showing it to the man. "All I had was this letter and word of mouth to track you by," the prince told the man as he gave him a smirk that held some form of admiration at the skill it took to keep one self hidden as well as this one had.
In any case, the prince handed the letter back to Zidane before letting silence fall between them once more as he let the words he had spoken sink into the man. He wasn't sure how the man would react, he could only pray he could react appropriately to the situation and help the guy instead of hurt him more. After all, friends were a sticky subject to discuss.
Whatever the reaction to the message was in the end, Noctis eventually looked away from the short blonde and back to the crowds as a few ladies began to fuss at each other about the clumsiness of the other. Noctis watched the scene with mild amusement and then no longer able to contain it, Noctis let his curiosity get the better of him as he looked down at the blonde once more, with a smirk upon his lips as his earlier tension and shyness melted away before his want of knowledge.
"Are you planning to go into that place? If so, maybe I can tag along? I m not sure, but I think being in your company might be beneficial to us both," the prince said in friendly tones not realizing that he was asking a potting thief for help. _______________________________________________________________________________________
((Note: Into the crowds we go. Jeez. I wish this guy would move his stomach out of the way. He is making me get smooshed by this lady next to me.))
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Apr 25, 2024 14:33:30 GMT -5
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Post by Deleted on Jan 13, 2014 3:00:44 GMT -5
Jovial Prince of Thieves
Zidane studied the young man for a while. His clothing was strangely dark. From his experience he was dressed like a brigands that hung out beyond the deserts. They came out at night to attack caravans, taking no true allegiance to any country. A group of thieves that had no home, no family and were considered independent of each other. It was a sad existence he felt, but maybe those were his own, personal convictions talking? He would hate to live a life where it was all about business. and work. He would feel trapped and was sure he would not be who he was today if he was like that....
The young man began to speak. His word were anything but good news. It seemed Deshi had a letter or him and it would, normally, leave a bad taste in another's mouth. He lost Rosa? But Rosa was a tough cookie, he knew this from first hand experience. He was not worried about Rosa in Lindblum, but when he heard that Deshi up and vanished, it proved his suspicions. Deshitana was like Rosa. They were not from this place. Were they from another world? If so it would explain a lot. Gaia did not have many cities, their countries were small. Their other continents were uncharted, officially. In the stead of getting angry with the messenger, or even scared or sad... he smiled. There was something Zidane knew that others perhaps did not. He was relieved though, they would not be putting themselves into harm's way.
Ziadane glanced to Noctis as he seemed to go and fish something out of his pocket. The thief was at relative ease when it came to socializing with the young prince. It was as if he had no reservations and no fear of embarrassment or even being attacked by a stranger. He was on edge, but it was likely due to the swarming party of nobles just beside them. He seemed ready to get up and go, but not in a fearful manner, just as if he was low on time. There were only so many seats in the Auction House and he would need a choice spot to spot his prize, which would not be anything they had on auction.
At Noctis' mention of his hard-to-reach presence the thief smirked a bit smugly and rubbed against the back of his head. He was sorta taken by the idea there was even enough infamy under his name to be found. When Noctis handed him the later the Genome reached out his gloved hand, most fearlessly and with great animation to his facial expressions. Twisting the letter about he got the feeling it was a little too familiar. Now he understood what Noctis meant by 'this letter'.
"Aww damn it Mougo... he has no sense from human to human." He should have known. Moogles were really bad at telling humans apart. A dog would have done better. "I'm sorry about the trouble he gave you, but I'm glad knowing where they are at least..." He hoped they ended up back home, if they were heading away. He had to find Rosa and make sure she was in one piece, but until than.
Noctis seemed oblivious about his intentions, but if Deshitana trusted him enough to send him after his tail, the thief could not overlook that kindness. He was really at a crossroads. He could not bring the kid with him, but he also could not go without the distraction. He was already a pretty known face in the Auction House, always here trying to spend a small fortune of crap he did not really need, but by the Crystal he would follow his gang's creed to get what they want! The dilemma was not wanting to involve friends, let alone outwolders. Should he tell Noctis the truth, or completely ditch the kid?
Damn, he hated thinking too deeply about these sorts of things.
"Look, I don't have much time to explain, so we'll keep it short." He spoke in a hushed tone. "This guy has something pretty dangerous, at least I think, but I gotta make a hundred percent sure because he has already sent some hired thugs to attack innocent people. I'm convinced Lord King's a guy that'll do anything to get stuff into his collection, but he might be missing a piece. I gotta get in, but I need someone to make a distraction so I can get into his manor that's pretty tight."
Zidane held out his hand toward the water. Not far too far aways down one could spy the crumbling form of the inn. From here you could see all of the slums. The houses were barely held afloat by their wooden foundations and many were beginning to see the wear and tear from living so close to water on something so porous. The streetlamps were dim, many flickering with barely any remaining gas or dead. It was bright up here, almost completely overshadowing the families that struggled to live at the edges of the watery canals that twisted through all of Treno.
"This place is run by those corrupt leaders...if she knew..." He murmured the last bit, but clenched his hand into a fist. "Look sometimes you have to think with your heart. It's dangerous and more people will die... or disappear on the way." Maybe many more would be found?
Zidane had started to try and tell the boy half truths, but in the end the greatest truth slipped from his lips. Nothing was clearer than the anger he had for the nobles. All they did was sit around and spend the gil they themselves likely did not own, and let those that worked hard for their lives suffer. Maybe there was no changing fate, but Zidane was always the sort to fight fate. He did not believe in pre-destiny. If you wanted something you had to go and take it. His friends were at risk if that bastard had his way. Zidane left the choice up to Noctis. He may not have spoken the whole truth, but what he did speak that floated above the lies: he spoke from the heart.
A small group arrived at the inn. The one that stood out most was a tall, Burmecian with a gimp, injured from war.
"Aye, you again." The Innkeep called. "The hell you want?" The tone seemed friendly, as one greeting an old pal.
The Burmecian chuckled and limped toward the Innkeep with an outstretched hand. The man took it and when they shook they seemed to have exchanged something. The Innkeep looked to his hand and smirked before looking up to the proud, smirking crook. Just as the nobles were corrupt, the criminals here made networks of activity to control just who the gil went to.
"Ah, wahtcha owe me. I guess that means ya hit the big job and heading out?" The Innkeep questioned.
"Aye sir," the old Burmecian soldier called out. "I thank ye for taking me in after the escape from Burmecia and Clerya. If'n not for you sir, I would've lost me good leg!" He laughed and tapped his lame limb.
The both of them laughed and shared their farewells.
"Where are you heading now?" The Innkeep asked.
"Ah, to sail the open seas....I hear the world beyond this one is truly free." The old soldier spoke. "Ah an' if'n ya see that young lad again with the blue vest, Baku's boy: mind givin' him this?" The Burmecian handed the Innkeep a letter.
"I will, good luck." The Innkeep offered.
The Burmecian and his boys headed out to the airship docks. From there they would head to where they were rebuilding Burmecia and Clerya out beyond the Vube Desert.
Zidane would motion for Noctis, were he interested, toward the crowd. The thief was used to such operations so, with a relaxed air about him, he would slip into the tight, swarming crowd. Eventually he would surf the bodies coated in fine silks and liters of perfume and cologne to find himself an open seat as close to the front as he could. He seated himself on the right side of the audience, closest to the door where the Auctioneer came from. A big distraction was needed. It was a full house today. If he had an Ogloop with him he could perhaps slip it on a woman's lap or in a man's fancy hat. He just had to wait. Today's big item, he heard through the whispers, was a Pearl Rouge.
With a sigh he took a seat, eyes turning toward the door. He could hear the Auctioneer clearing his throat. Looking up toward the Balconies he could see they also beefed up security... Damn, it was not going to be an easy game to play.
Thief. Light. Genome. WORDS: 1475 NOTES: A tight squeeze, but it won't be so easy getting in. Made by Queen Kassy of Cheyenne; Edited by OuRex Draco
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Apr 25, 2024 14:33:30 GMT -5
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Post by Deleted on Jan 17, 2014 23:47:45 GMT -5
Noctis had given his message to Zidane and now watched the blonde man's reaction to his words. Even though the man listened to his tale well enough, it was really hard to say if the man was actually hurt by the news. There was no indication in the way the man presented himself. Even his tail that swayed slightly here and there, showed nothing of the man's emotional state. The lack of reaction made Noctis wonder just for the briefest of moments if this guy didn't really care about the man and woman who had vanished, but then....then that smile came and Noctis's doubts turned to confusion.
Why was he smiling and looking relieved about the news? If that man and woman were this man's friends, why wasn't he concerned instead or angry or sad? Noctis knew that if he was presented with such news about his friend, the messenger would've seen some sort of reaction, but not a smile. It was an odd action, but at the same time Noctis understood everyone dealt with things in their own way, so maybe smiling and shrugging things off was this guy's way of dealing with pain.
...Or at least that is what the prince hoped as he pushed away thoughts on strange action and moved to retrieve the letter from his pocket. He could feel the guy's eye on him and felt a bit of tension run through himself at the thought of being studied by a stranger. It was a mentally thing he had to overcome, but thankfully on the outside the young prince was just as chilled as the man that watched him.
As he got the letter and turned back to the guy, he could see the man was tense, but it wasn't fear or anything like that that caused the tension. It was something else, but Noctis couldn't put his finger on it as his eyes briefly drifted from the man before him and to the crowds that was steadily pouring in. The crowd had grown to an uncomfortable number, but at the same time the sight made the prince wonder just how many people would be able to get into the place before no more could fit.
Maybe Zidane had been waiting out here for a chance to get in and now Noctis was ruining his chances by holding him up. Feeling a bit guilty at that thought, he decided to finish his business quickly as he told the man the rest of the message and held the letter out to him. As he spoke about how hard it was to find the guy, he saw the man rubbing the back of his head again seemingly taking a bit of pride in that fact. It made the prince wonder just what sort of job this guy did to take even the slightest pleasure of being able to hide.
It almost reminded him of Prompto back home, taking pride in things that others might raise eyebrows at. It was in the guy's nature to rebel and get in trouble and so make enemies. Playing cat and mouse with said enemies always entertained Prompto, especially if the enemy couldn't catch him. It was a dangerous game that at times even Noctis played himself when he was dealing with the affairs of the city...and the more unruly officials, but that did not matter at the moment. He couldn't get home yet and thinking of home only made him feel sick with worry inside. Pushing the thoughts down, Noctis focused on what truly mattered here.
What mattered was that despite circumstances and differences, he had found the slightest bit of similarity between the man before him and his friend...and it was this similarity that allowed him to relax a bit more around the guy and give him just the slightest bit of his trust. Something that was nice to do since his last "friend" had been Vanitas... A complicated child that he had a very strained relationship with.
Not wanting to go down that path of memories, Noctis pulled himself back to reality as the blonde before him reached for the letter he held out with what appeared to be excitment. However, as that gloved hand took the letter and turned it about so the man could read it, Noctis could see that earlier excitment fade as the man seemed to recognize his own letter.
Not sure what the other was thinking, Noctis watched as some emotion played through the guy and then the blonde was speaking, apologizing for the mix up before expressing his relief at knowing where his friends were.
Aha! So he really does care for his friends. What a relief, Noctis briefly thought as he let a little more of his tension go. Maybe this was a sign he wouldn't have to stay on guard around the guy. Following this realization, there came an light and easy smile from the prince as he shook his head at the blonde.
"No trouble at all," he responded in lighter tones than before, then finishing his statement, Noctis fell silent as his attention was drawn to the crowds that steadily moved into the house. As much as he hated getting into crowds without reason, he was curious about what was going on as he watched one noble after the other go into the building ahead.
So focused was he on the crowds that he hardly noticed Zidane's mentally battling with himself as to what to do about him. Even when he had asked his question about going into the place, Noctis remained oblivious to the true purpose of Zidane being here. That was until the guy told himself what he was here to do in hushed tones.
Focusing his blue eyes on the man again, he listened to what the man had to say. As he listened a slow frown came upon the prince's face as he glanced back at the large house the people flowed into as his mind processed what had been said.
So the owner of this house-- Lord King was it?-- had unleashed thugs on innocents in a maybe attempt to complete a dangerous collection of things he might own. To be sure that this guy actually had what he was said to have, Zidane wanted to get into the manor and find out the truth; however, in order to get in there he needed distraction?
Hmmm...this is all suspicious, but at the same time if what this guy says is true then I want to help,[/color] Noctis thought as his eyes watched the crowds for a bit longer while his mind whirling as he thought on what to do. ___________________________________________________________________
Meanwhile, as the crowds flowed in and Zidane and Noctis had their chat, within the back room of the auction house, the auctioneer was standing in his room finishing getting dressed and ready to step out on the stage; however, just as he was tucking his shirt into his pants and making sure that he looked his very best, the man had an unexpected visitor.
Appearing out of nowhere, a short figure wearing an elegant cloak and hood trimmed with what appeared to be pure gold materialized in front of his door. Whoever was under the hooded cloak stood confidentially before the door slowly turning invisible eyes to look around the room with an air that suggested the room was beneath it.
At first this upset the auctioneer as his face twisted in the mirror before he turned to tell the person to get out of his room; however, instead of leaving, the hooded person had casually began to walk forward and draw near. The steps were slow and steady as the figure drew closer and closer releasing a strange aura that shut the auctioneer up as he backed away bumping into the vanity.
The cloaked figure kept moving until it was only a few feet in front of the taller man and then tilting its head upward, it revealed an pair of elegant lips that parted as the figure spoke.
"Let's talk about how you will run this little show," the figure, clearly male, said in calm commanding tones to the tensed up man. At the words, the auctioneer frowned as he shook his head.
"I'll run the show my way. I will not be forc-" the auctioneer began heatedly and then his words dried up as the figure reached into his cloak, an elegant hand decorated with rings going to his side. A few seconds later that same hand came back out of the cape pulling with it a pouch that he threw at the auctioneer. A little unprepared and half scared the auctioneer, juggled the bag as his body tried to make up its mind about either holding it or dropping it. Then hearing the familiar jingle that signified gil, the auctioneer grasped the bag and with a raised eyebrow cautiously opened it.
Gasping at the amount of gil presented inside, the auctioneer looked from the money to the cloak figure in shock and disbielf.
"Y-you are really giving me this?" he asked and the cloak figure nodded.
"That is only half. You'll get the other half if you agree to do as I say. Deal?" the cloaked figure said to the man who continued to watch him in shock. There was no response for the first few seconds and then the man's shock was wearing off as he became serious once more and nodded at the cloaked figure all ears to what the cloaked man had to say. ____________________________________________________
Back outside Noctis continued to debate whether helping Zidane was right or not and then coming to a conclusion, the man looked over at Zidane as he made a gesture to slip into the crowd. Then following his own command, the blonde did just that. He slipped into the tight swarm of people.
Groaning inwardly, Noctis followed suite as he pushed his way into the crowd and began to carefully allow himself to be pushed into the large house by the flow. Once in, it took a while to find a seat right behind Zidane. Slipping into it, he let out of the faintest of sighs as relief of being out of the swarm hit him. It was still crowded, hot, and smelly within the place as the various scents blended together, but at least that was something Noctis could handle easier than being pushed and bumped into by others. It was a miracle that he had gotten this far and now that he was here, he took a moment to look at the crowds.
As he glanced from face to face with the calm coolness of a competitor, he took in the amount of people in the chairs before taking note of where the guards were on the ground floor. Once he found them, his eyes looked upward and spotted more guards.
Heh. Zidane wasn't lying when he said security was tight. What to do? Noctis thought to himself as he lowered his eyes and looked towards the stage as the auctioneer came out and once he took his place on the stage, began his loud introduction before presenting a few small, yet expensive items to get the betting ball rolling.
As the man worked his way through the items that became more and more ridicolous in price, the greedy nobles began to fight for their prizes. As this went on, Noctis thought how to turn this betting fever to his and Zidane's advantage. ____________________________________________
Meanwhile, elsewhere in the place hidden from view, a guard spotted the cloak figure wandering about the area and so doing his duty, he sought to stop the figure and question it; however, two steps foward the figure turned to him and unleashing some sort of spell the man instantly dropped to the floor in a dead sleep. Smirking, the figure turned to move on, but a second guard came around the corner and upon taking in the situation she yelled for back up.
Sighing, the figure turned to face the woman causing the cape he wore to bellow out dramatically with the movement as he raised a pale hand to begin to cast another spell. _______________________________________________________
Back in the auction room, the crowd of nobles was being worked into a frenzy that was steadily becoming louder and louder the more items were presented; however, Noctis was not concerned about this as his eyes flickered briefly to the guard on the balcony to their left. He saw another guard run up to the one duty and after saying something to the woman, the pair ran off to head deeper into the large house. Narrowing his eyes, Noctis's attention turned back to the stage as the auctioneer yelled the word "SOLD!" before having the item be moved and set aside for the winner, a smug fat man that was nodding his head triumphantly at the woman who had lost to him.
Pouting, the woman looked away as the auctioneer began to speak again saying a special item that just recently came in was now going to put up for bidding. Turning his attention back to the man, Noctis took note of the red jewel he was holding up to auction off. As Noctis stared at the blood red jewel, he began to feel a pull coming from it. One that made him want that jewel so badly he would kill for it. He was almost on the edge of bidding for it, but stopped himself by forcing his eyes away from the item. As he tore his eyes away, he began feeling dizzy and sick. Just what on earth was that thing? And where had the auctioneer got something so dangerous from? This had to be a sign of bad things to come.
Shaking his head to clear it, Noctis looked around at the crowd and found that everyone was focused on that jewel, the same lust in murder in their eyes that he had felt moments before. The only thing different was everyone was perfectly still as they listened to auctioneer describe the item he showed. A calm before a storm.
What the hell...?[/i] Was all Noctis had time to think as frowned slightly at the scene and then...madness happened.
As the auctioneer opened the item for bidding most of the people in the audience began to surge forward and climb over each other in order to get their gil to the auctioneer first. Startled by this unnatural reaction, the auctioneer leapt back from the grasping hands and the few nobles that were trying to get on stage.
Summoning the guards to maintain the crowd, the auctioneer backed as far as he could from the edge of the stage with the jewel clutched in his hand as he looked horrified at the crowd that was slowly overpowering the guards.
Through all this chaos, Noctis was shoved forward as a large lady tried to climb over his chair. A bit peeved about the action, he got up and moved out of the way causing the lady to tumble ungracefully into his chair. Not having time to care for her well being, Noctis allowed himself to be pushed from the greedy masses and towards the side door of the room.
Looking for around the crowd for Zidane, Noctis let out a light sigh as he could not find the man. Praying that he would be okay and would be able to find him again, Noctis moved towards the side door and without any body to stop him, he opened it and slipped into the much quieter hall beyond.
(NOTE: Cloaked figures, evil jewels, and possessed crowds? What could possibly happen next?)
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Apr 25, 2024 14:33:30 GMT -5
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Post by Deleted on Jan 18, 2014 3:15:39 GMT -5
Jovial Prince of Thieves
Zidane had settled in his seat, tail curling over to rest on his right side. The sandy limb curled slightly and seemed to just hover off the ground, twitching. The twitching tip of his tail was accompanied by the anxious jumping of his right leg. To any within the Auction he seemed just as antsy as the rest to start things off. In truth his heart was unsteady. Worry consumed him. After admitting to Noctis the reasons he sought proof of this curse, though such words were not used, he came to realize this could become a real situation that may be his fault. He found that thing in the damn belly of an Antlion! There were a bunch of them in Treno too! He knew the one he found was a better one, meaning the others found in Treno could be fakes and not the real deal. What separated the one he had found and the ones in the shops, aside from the obvious location, was the fact his was lighter. It was made of real gold, the others probably fool's gold.
His hands were shoved in his pockets to keep them from becoming idle, but without something else beyond his anxiety to settle in his mind his hands were not to stay still for long. He at himself up, tail shifting as his back end readjusted on the chair. He had a way about him that was just always moving. There was noway on Gaia or Terra to keep him still. Trying him down used to work, until he learned how to escape ropes, chains, and locked rooms! With his tail a distracting motion in the eyes of others, those sneaky fingers crept toward the woman behind him. Now Zidane was a lady's man, self proclaimed of course. He would flirt and ogle with little incentive. His tastes in women were a bit oddly placed, but the one thing you could be sure he would not do, was touch a woman inappropriately. A quick reach and he would have the opera glasses the woman was using to better view the items being held out in the distance. He glanced back when he heard Noctis seat himself. The boy grinned, clearly nonplussed by his act.
He used to glasses to look at the guards at the upper floors and toward the stage. The guy was not out yet and he wondered what was taking him so damn long. Everything was becoming more frantic. Zidane tapped the woman beside him, who startled a bit at the dirty looking boy beside her. She murmured softly about how they were letting everyone in here now a day! Zidane ignored the remark and grinned, holding her opera glasses out to her.
"You almost dropped these lady." He would skillfully return the glasses only for her to fluster at his rude manner of regarding her.
He would not touch a woman inappropriately, but that did not mean he could not be a smart ass! Zidane sat back with a smug grin on his face and his arms crossed over his chest. The Auctioneer finally made his way out and the side show began. Nobles could really act barbarically, yet claimed these events to be civil functions for the rich and famous. One could gag on the hypocrisy, and the mass mixture of perfume and cologne that could only be described as the unfortunate mishaps of an Alchemists's lab. Zidane could tell you personally that, by the end of the day, Blank's concoctions smelled about as pungent as the wet, sweaty backside of a Zaghnol that has been stomping around the heat of the Plains for hours on end. The thief would honestly prefer it to this. He had to lean away as the woman beside him all but jumped out her bodice just to out bid the King of fatasses sitting in the front row. Zidane swore that man took up two seats and simply threatened to sit on anyone in his spot!
Items came and went, and Zidane was finding the crowd to become unbearable. He had not taken his chance to visit the Magna Carta to ease drop on today's prize. Someone always let it slip, but it must have had the nobles up in arms! By now he was looking for a way to cut in. He slid off his chair and was huddled beside the vultures. It was not that hard seeing as Zidane was smaller so he needn't crouch much nor draw any attention to himself with suspicious mannerisms. He looked toward the door the Auctioneer had left from. It was an easy entry point because they wheeled items in and out of there as well. When the next item was wheeled out Zidane was about to book it, but something stopped him.
He felt sick, something balling up in his chest a if he had to puke!
The item caught his eye for a moment, some sort of gem, but the mass of nobles made it hard to see, and sent them into a frenzy. It was like watching a pack of Fangs on a carcass, or Quina on dinner. It was never a pleasant thing to witness if you hadn't a belly of steel. He glanced back. The kid was out of it. Zidane tried to call to him with a few hisses of air, but it was no good.
"Don't get distracted with what you aren't here to get." Honestly it was the pot calling out the kettle.
Zidane always found himself riled up to spend big here, and his actions were not often met kindly by his comrades. He would always get sidetracked when coming for provisions and could not trust him with the gil a great deal of the time. Zidane never spent money in the ships when he could avoid it. The group would never be surprised if a number of their rations were stolen off old camps they passed by or clean off the shelf. Yet let Zidane wander into the Auction House and he'll come walking out with a model Airship claiming in full confidence:
'It's a collector's item! It'll be worth millions in no time!
[/color]' Zidane took his chance and if Noctis followed, there would be no turning back. He was not sure if the boy had heard him in the swarming crowd but he slipped in. Looking around the quiet hall was a stark contrast when compared with the wailing wolves in the next room, muted by the closed door. Suddenly the door began to open behind him. Looking around the thief kicked up one of the statues that lined the carpet covered halls and scurried up the vertical wall. Any bit of moulding sticking out would serve as a perch for his heeled boots and deadly grip. Watching below he would see Noctis step in some time after him. A sigh of relief was breathed out before Zidane jumped down like the monkey many claimed him to be. " Guess you made it." That was weird. He had never seen an item send them into a frenzy since that corpsified finger came into auction. Gross. Zidane pointed down the hall which led toward the vault. " The vault's are that way, but I doubt he would keep something like that in his vault." Zidane also refused to go back down into that hellhole. The traps were infuriating and required two hands, and he was unsure if Noctis' had were even that experienced. There was also the matter of the attack Griffon.... Down the opposite direction was Lord King's quarters. It was likely the nobleman was watching the vulture swarm his treasure from behind that stupidly obvious painting, so they had time, but not much. The halls were quiet, Griffon statues and paintings littering the home. It made him worry, but he would be expecting it this time. " Keep an eye out, he has pet Griffons." He warned nonchalantly before running ahead. He paused and looked to Noctis once more. " Oh, we're looking for Gold Armor, be sure not to touch anything!" Now that seemed a little ridiculous. Armor made of gold would be no good in battle. It would also be highly vulnerable to Lightning and have utterly no defense! [/div] Thief. Light. Genome. WORDS: 1380 NOTES: Hopefully not into the jaws of a shark! Made by Queen Kassy of Cheyenne; Edited by OuRex Draco [/div][/div][/center]
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Apr 25, 2024 14:33:30 GMT -5
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Post by Deleted on Jan 21, 2014 23:26:13 GMT -5
When Noctis had entered the Auction House and began his search for a seat, he spotted Zidane in the crowd and the seat behind him. As he shoved his way through the smelly crowd, he never did see Zidane’s act of thievery for right when he performed it, a relatively rude and wide woman decided to try and shove the young prince out of her path.At this action the prince felt his anger flare before in the sweetest of voices he asked the woman to kindly wait her turn. He gave her a smile and remained polite, but anyone of high class could read the meaning under those words.
Giving him a agitated ”hmph!” as she tilted her nose in the air and fanned herself, the woman let Noctis by as she stepped in line behind him instead. Happy for the cooperation, Noctis took his seat and got a grin from the blonde as he took notice of him. Smiling back slightly, Noctis had given the guy a nod of acknowledgment before turning his blue eyes to scan the area.
As he completed this task and brought his eyes back to the loud and impatient crowd, he took note that Zidane had a pair of old fashion opera glasses that suited this world just fine, but would look out of place in his own. Wondering where the guy had gotten them from, he eventually got his answer as Zidane completed his use of the item and then tapped the woman next to him to get her attention.
As Zidane got the attention of the noble woman, who gave him a look of disgusted before making a comment about who the Auction House let in nowadays, the prince heard the guy tell the woman she had almost dropped her glasses in his own “polite” way before handing them back to the woman. The scene was comical really causing Noctis to smile inwardly as the lady got her just reward, but on the outside he only shook his head lightly at the scene as he really wondered if the lady had almost drop the item or if Zidane had some how "borrowed" them without her realizing it.
Whatever the case was, Noctis didn't get to ponder the idea long before the noble man next to him, who had also seen what happened, leaned over his chair and towards Noctis bringing the heavy and somewhat nauseating smell of his cologne with him.
“Perhaps there should be bidding on how many the commoner ticks off rather than items. Don’t you think that would be more entertaining?” the man whispered in his nasal like voice. To this, Noctis fell into his royal mode as he smirked slightly at the thought.
“It most certainly would be, my lord,” he responded back in polite whisper. To this, the noble chuckled as he thankfully pulled away as he said his next words a bit more loudly.
“I say dear boy that I do like that attitude of yours. I believe I would like having a chat with you. How does your schedule look after this little game?” he asked as he eyed the young prince with a pleasant smile.
“My schedule is quite cluttered with work at the moment; however, should there be an opening, I would be honored to chat with you, my lord,” Noctis said with a light bow of his head as he apologized to the man.
Seeming to be disappointed, but pleased nonetheless, the man agreed that a chat would indeed happen in the future and prepared to chat even further about said meeting, but thankfully the auctioneer finally showed up on stage, grabbing everyone’s attention with his loud voice.
As items began to be bidded off and the crowd became more and more aggressive, Noctis found himself being bumped into and shoved by so many people that he had lost count! On top of this, he couldn’t see Zidane as the masses continued to push in upon him.
When that strange jewel was presented some time later and sent the masses into a frenzy unlike any other, Noctis was quite happy to have an excuse to escape the crowds after he had found himself again.
Not sure what the gem had done or what its presence in the place meant, the young prince quietly opened the side door and stepped into the hall, closing the door behind him. Leaning back against it, Noctis let out a soft breath as he gave his senses a moment to recover from everything that happened in that madness back there.
As he was recovering, he took the moment to scan the area and when he found it oddly empty of guards, he cautiously pushed himself off of the door and took a few steps further into the highly decorative hall as he continued to look around both for signs of trouble and even Zidane if he had come this far. The prince was tense and expected something to happen, but the something that did happen took him by surprise still.
From somewhere above him, a figure dropped down causing Noctis to hop back startled and tensed, thinking that it was a guard or who knew what else guarded the place; however, as his eyes focused on the thing that had dropped, he found himself relaxing as a mixture of agitation and relief flood him.
Oh…It's...uh...it's Zidane. Good. Good, but why the hell was he up above?![/color] the prince wonder inwardly as he closed his eyes and raised one gloved hand to his face and rubbed his eyes to chase away both tension and agitation. This guy…he was something else he’d give him that, but considering he seemed to be working with the guy now, he needed to be calmer and stop jumping at everything like a little kid. If he were a lot calmer, he would sure things would go smoother.
While Noctis fussed at himself inwardly, he dropped his hand after a few seconds and nodded at the guy as he spoke.
“Did you really think I wouldn’t make it?” Noctis asked, his voice hinting at a playful side despite how serious his face remained as he said the words. Regardless of what was in response, Noctis took a few steps forward as he scanned the large area once more, wondering how it was they were supposed to find what they sought in this sprawling place like this. Hoping that Zidane knew the place better than himself, the prince turned to look at the blonde as he spoke and pointed down a hallway.
As he did this, he told Noctis where it led. Feeling relieved that Zidane had the knowledge needed to traverse the place, Noctis nodded at the information before frowning slightly as a realization hit him.
Wait a minute....What exactly were they looking for again? He knew Zidane had said something about collecting information, but the way he had just spoken now suggested that this information would be gained by finding a something. A bit confused as to what exactly he had gotten himself into, Noctis was on the edge of questioning his ally, but found that once again he did not need to.
Giving him a warning about this person keeping pet griffons, Zidane took off down the hall before Noctis could even ask what a griffonn even was. Then partially down that hall, Zidane stopped and turned back to him mentioning that they were looking for say what?!
“Gold Armor?” the prince asked as he hurried down the hall of strangely designed statues and paintings. “Is this the thing you said was dangerous earlier?” he asked as he heard the warning about not touching anything. Granted, the thief could’ve been talking about not touching any item in the place outside of the armor, but Noctis had to be clear.
As ridiculous as this whole hunt sounded, the prince had to know what he was getting himself deeper and deeper into as he moved to keep up with the nimble man.
It was true he could’ve just left this whole ordeal alone, but there was something inside of him that told him to stay and help the man, so obeying that feeling Noctis kept moving with the man awaiting answers as they moved further into the place. ______________________________________________________
Unbeknownst to Zidane or Noctis, the pair had a follower as they moved along. The cloaked figure from before had taken most of the guards out on the upper floor, keeping the place more or less quiet and the little bit of back up he did have to contend with quickly back off as they caught a glimpse of the pretty individual underneath the cloak and recognized just who they were dealing with.
Pleased that the guards knew their place now and would leave him be, the cloaked figure had let them retreat as he moved through the inner parts of the Auction House as if the mansion already belonged to him…and maybe it did. After all, this figure had been to the place many times before and had poured quite a bit of gil into the place as he sought to collect the rare treasures that flowed through the place; however, despite that the figure had not really taken the time to truly explore this place and see what else it had to offer, as he had kept his eyes on the prizes instead.
So when the figure heard the rumor of the armor and where it might be located, the figure had been given his invite to move right into the place without permission using magic to get into the place without having to hassle with the crowds. Once inside, the figure had performed its task, giving the auctioneer quite a bit of gil to show the “gem” to the nobles. It was a cursed item, designed from the figure’s own magic for this purpose alone. It was designed to drive people into a frenzy upon seeing it; however, as soon as the gem passed into the hands of the one who wanted it so, it lost its power and became a dull and useless colored stone.
It was a cruel trick, but the figure needed as many guards out of the hall as possible and the only to do that was to create a big enough ruckus to draw their attention. So far the plan had worked, leaving little work for the cloaked figure to do…and this is just how the figure liked it. With most of the pests taken care of the figure moved through the upper area of the large manor pondering where a supposedly cursed item would be held as it lifted its index finger to its face and curved it slightly underneath the elegant chin and bowed his head in deep thought.
The figure continued to walk like this, his boots thunking quietly against the well kept floor, until he neared the railing and paused both in thoughts and actions as a sound reached his ears. Tensed, the cloak figure lowered himself in a slight elegant crouch as he listened intently as something seem to climb up part of the way to the second floor before pausing and falling silent as a door on the lower floor opened and closed. There was more silence and then something walked along the floor below and then said climber left its perch and landed on the ground below talking to whoever had entered the lower hall.
Even though the voices were hushed, the cloaked figure could’ve sworn he recognized on of them.
Can’t be..!![/i]
The figure thought as blue eyes widened in shock and surprise under the shadows of the hood. Staying low to the ground and moving as quietly as a cat, the figure approached the railing and cautiously peeked over it, its eyes scanning the lower floor and confirming that the voice he had heard indeed belonged to the blonde that caused so much confusion and emotion to rise up within him.
Balling his hand into a fist, he debated about what to do as he continued to listen and discovered that the guy and the pretty boy with him was to his competitors. They too were searching for the rumored armor, so the question was what was he to do? Help them or attempt to crush them?
The figure pondered this for a moment and then came to decision as the decorations in the hall decided to reveal their true nature.
______________________________________________________
Back on the first floor, Noctis continued to follow along behind Zidane doing his best to ignore the highly detailed and colorful display of the odd bird like creature that was depicted in the illustrations and by the statues that sat proud with their feathery chests puffed out. As he looked from one depiction of the creature to the next, he wondered if this creature was the griffon Zidane had warned him about.
If they were, then the prince most certainly did not wish to meet one of these creatures for real. While he knew nothing of this world, just looking at the sharp beak and talons upon the creature were enough to let the prince know that dealing with this sort of creature would be bad news. Doing his best to look away from the statues and painting that seemed to watch them as they passed, Noctis did what he could to focus on helping finding the item at hand and in turn be as loose as possible so that he could help Zidane out should something bad occur.
For the most part, the pair walked with silence and peace as their company, but then as they passed a statue near the middle of the long hall, Noctis heard the distinct rustling of feathers and the click of claws as said statue moved. Freezing in his spot, Noctis eyes widened slightly as he turned just a tiny bit to see the griffon statue to their left had come off of its pedestal and was now standing in the hall blocking the way back with its large body. The creature was bobbing its head around as it watched them with beady eyes.
Feeling uneasy about the situation, Noctis looked away from the creature and opened his mouth to warn his tailed ally of the trouble; however, his words never came out as not too far in front of Zidane, another griffon slithered off its pedestal to block the way ahead, trapping the pair in the middle of the corridor.
Great! Noctis thought as he looked from one creature to the next not sure if he should attack or not in this situation.
However, unlike Noctis who was uncertain of what to do, the strange bird like creature was not unsure of its purpose at all. With an agitated squawk, the creature behind them reared up on its back legs before it hit the ground once more and began to trot forward.
Gritting his teeth, Noctis held out his hand and summoned his sword preparing to fight the creature; however, before he could even manage to move, a shadow from above distracted him. Tilting his head up towards the second floor that ran somewhat parallel to the hall they were in, Noctis saw something in a elegant cloak falling towards the ground like a graceful bird. Its arms were spread out to its sides as it held in one hand a thin and elegant staff that ended in sharp points on either end. As it seemed to float a few inches below the railing for just a second, the figure shifted its weapon to grasp it with both hands as it seemed to ball itself around the top end and then like a giant weight, it came crashing down with the staff, sharp end directed straight for the griffon in a heavy downward staff.
The figure fell quickly to the ground, hitting the ground inches before the charging griffin that pulled itself to a halt squawking in surprise as the staff buried itself in the floor. Without stopping, the owner of the staff swung itself around the end of the staff like a snake as it extended itself and brought booted feet around to kick the gawking creature right in the face. Letting out a screech of pain, the griffin stumbled back as the elegant figure finished its attack and landed on the ground, yanking its staff out of the hard ground as it remained lowered in an attack position facing the recovering griffon.
Glancing over its shoulder, Noctis could see pale flawless lips curl into a grimace of disgust before the figure was turning away once more to face the creature. Slightly confused by the grimace, Noctis took his sword in hand once more and prepared to aid Zidane and this cloaked figure that seemed to be reluctantly on their side for now. ______________________________________________________
Note: Heh, so we had hoped. Hey, why does thinking and mentioning griffons, actually summon them to the field?
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Apr 25, 2024 14:33:30 GMT -5
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Post by Deleted on Jan 22, 2014 19:52:51 GMT -5
Jovial Prince of Thieves
The thief was agile. You had to be in his line of work. Not only in thievery, but in theater. Working on the airship meant having to climb along the narrow rafters while in the air to get to the engine or tools. It meant having the best balance in the turbulent winds that could kick up when in dense Mist or in the high Plateaus. His nimble nature was only added to by his smaller frame and lithe form. Training gave strength to his muscles and a life of hardship put practice into his every step. He was always cautious when around enemies, and no one was more dangerous than Lord King's obsession. An obsession was wild and could not be controlled. It was not what he was that made him agile and quick, but the way he was raised to take advantage of his natural strengths.
The rogue had landed with a clap of his boots, his tail swaying behind him. His antics seemed a perpetual presence of his being. Notics' face was choice and though he looked stoic, the manner in which he simply stood staring was enough to let the thief know he was trying to mentally process his next action. Would he slug Zidane or realize the thief was no enemy, yet. Zidane smirked at Noctis' reaction, honestly he had not been expecting it. He had not meant to spook the kid, but Noctis should be more attentive. The thief shrugged at Notcis' words, partially amused by it more than anything. By the way he nearly jumped out his skin he wondered about his question. A gloved hand would come up as he shrugged.
"I questioned it." He honestly responded. "You don't seem used to this sort of thing, but get used to if fast. You can't walk backwards, so only have the option to move on ahead." He did not want to degrade the boy, but he had to understand the dangers.
What if that was not him? Had it been a guard or some monster he would have been injured, or worse... The thief shook his head and went along with the young man. After he had explained his goal the youth seemed confused, as he should. It was a bit contradicting. He did say it was dangerous, but even he did not believe it to be the case. Everyone went around saying it was cursed, but he felt that was just an excuse people made toward their failures to obtain what they wanted. Zidane's fingers came to his chin to stroke them in question. The boy's wonder was a valid one.
It was an answer Zidane could not supply as simple as he hoped. The tall doric column that lined the halls and the landscape paintings that hung along the walls acted as visual proof to Lord King's money, but it spoke nothing of his worth. The ornate vases that sat upon the marble pedestals were filled with rare flowers the thief has only seen in the most distant and obscure reaches of the lands formerly covered in Mist. The vases themselves were actually quite a common set. Even the artist of the paintings he easily recognized as Michael's work. The guy had a real knack for landscape, but what made his work unique to him was the fact he hid a small figure of a chocobo in the background of all his work. they were hard to spot as they melded with the pieces, but all the paintings were part of his series. The rugs were a very common red color, not all that special, but very clean. The statues were all shaped of monsters that were some of the fiercest he has ever faced: Griffons, Behemoths, Catoblepas and Amdusias.
Zidane could easily surmise the King family did not like attention. He had not once seen a personal portrait hanging anywhere, and the man's habit of keeping his world behind the curtains only paved the way for rumors of the man being the Auctioneer himself, or some sort of figure made up by the Nobles of Treno who wanted reason to buy what could possibly be illegal items under legal pretenses. There were many theories, some even stood that Lord King was but ghost. Long dead with a fortune slowly being sold off to pay the debts he could not in a life that relished too deeply in drinking and gambling.
No ghost could be this sadistic. No ghost would fight so hard to hide from the public's eye. Some people could even forget Lord King was only the head of an entire household. What was Lord King hiding that was so important? Did he really covet his treasure that much? He knew Stella could be quite abrasive, and even obsessive with her goal, but he had never seen her lose herself in it like Lord King. Even Lord Knight had his strange, obsessive hobbies in capturing powerful, wild beasts in the wild to watch others spar to his entertainment. Even Lord Bishop had a nasty collecting habit where he picked up ever little thing he could on his way. But that thought alone unsettled Zidane.
Lord Bishop owned the Synthesis House....
The silence had come from Zidane trying to find the best way to explain to Noctis just what he meant. It all began to make sense! But something turned sour in the thief's stomach. He was always uneasy when it came to Lord King's manor, but this was beyond normal. His crystal blue eyes faced the quiet halls.
There were no guards, and seeing as the only drew nearer the living quarters it was highly suspicious. As they moved along the thief would appear to slip into a comfortable silence, but it was anything but. His epiphany had only come to be followed by the sense of dread as effigies beholding the menacing presence, that a Griffon was known for, became more prevalent in the paintings and carvings. The carvings here also seemed to be delicately--
"Shit." The thief thought.
He has seem these Griffons up close before. There was no mistaking those brilliant feathers that warmed their massive bodies and those beady eyes that looked down to you like prey. He carefully reached his hands to his hips, looking as if he wanted to stretch out his body. His forefinger would come over his blade's holster and slip off the leather strap that kept the blade's steady when he bounced around. When the beast lunged into a stalking position Zidane was prepared to fight, but what he was not prepared for was the second Griffon that landed in front of him.
"Damn, seems King upped his game..." The thief had stiffened and lowered himself into a fighting stance.
With his body lower to the ground and his eyes focused he knew they were in trouble. Griffons were intimidating. Their beaks were curved and meant for rending flesh, while those curved talons could not only rip you to shreds, but those deadly, curved daggers could hold you in place while they did so. Not only was the Griffon's front dangerous, but that fanned, feathered tail could do quite a bit of damage in and of itself! He was not too worried with one. he could easily evade those carrion-hungry beaks, but he was not alone and he was not sure of the kid had any experience in combat. He raised his head slightly when Noctis called his blade to battle, causing the thief to draw his own blades and hold them tight.
A figure came down from above and seemed to assist them in battle. The way they moved was utterly distracting. The thief gave a moment to wonder where they had come from. His eyes traced the surrounding as he turned them up to the balcony of the second floor. Oh ho, this may work. There had to be steps nearby. If they could bottleneck the Griffons it may help. Zidane smirked. Whoever this figure was they seemed to be on the side of justice, or just another crook looking or a steal. But it was a chance none-the-less!
"Hey Noctis, can you fly?" The thief motioned up to the second floor with a thrust of his thumb and gave a grin.
The rogue jogged forward toward the Griffon and slid to a stop, holding out his blades. His tail curled up as he shifted his weight to pull his left hand forward and right one back. It was their chance to make it up. If he was right, if his suspicions were correct... He was just a hope, skip and a jump from making a huge discovery. Just beyond the hall of the second floor Balcony they should be above the Grand Dining Hall.
The Hall's high ceiling was lined with chandeliers. The walls decorated with various armors and ancient weapons from days passed. The long table had the finest silverware placed out and a tablecloth exported from Alexandria herself. Chairs were carved with the family symbol: the Griffon. The powerful being was nothing to shake a stick at, yet this fellow was certainly beating them into the ground with one. The second floor hall would easily cross over the the Dining Hall and allow them the perfect view and let Zidane prove his worries as truth.
Zidane smirked at the menacing bird as it tried to bring its massive claws down on his form. He would throw out his blade, causing the fiend's 'dagger' and his own to clash in a flurry of sparks. He would purposely dive off to the side with his flashy lunge and rolled until he was at its side. He dashed forward and slashed at the Griffon's side, only for it to let out a wail of agony. The beast twisted around to lash its tail feathers at the boy, but the thief vaulted over the monster bird's rump. After he landed he motioned.
"Head upstairs!" The thief asserted. Griffon could fly, but they did not use their wings until the last possible moment, and that would give them the advantage.
The thief turned around and kicked the bird in the rump with a laugh after it squawked in surprise.
"This way bird-brain!" The thief antagonized as he turned to run and give the two a chance to head off and prepare for the final blow.
The thief let the two birds haul after him. It was reckless, but with the narrow hall and those sharp beaks, there was no way they could maneuver properly with such big beasts blocking the way. The thief raced toward the wall and would jump! As the Griffons lunged at his tail he would kick off the wall and run straight up. His speed was enough to propel him for a short distance. By this time the Griffons would be forced to fly up while clawing at the wall, for their delicious, bite-sized snack. When Zidane reached the the point where up was no longer an option, he would kick off the wall and flip backwards. Unfortunately the birds were right on his behind and he slipped. As he fell his tail would instinctively curl around the nearest object as he tumbled.
The limb would barely grab onto the banister and the thief would swing himself up onto the top of the banister with his blades at the ready. the birds were clamoring across one another to get airborne and struggled, fighting for who gets the target first. The thief would spin his blade in hand and slash the knives across the air in an 'X'-slash, catching one of the Griffons as they came up to greet him. He would follow the motion by jumping backwards and taking off into the hall.
"I trust you to take care of it!" He raced out into the dining hall.
'Please don't let it be there--!
[/i]' He internally begged. He rushed toward the edge of the banister to look down into the Dining hall. There, hanging over the head of the table, on the furthest most wall... was a Gold Sword. From that blade, all around the room , one could count eleven Golden Blades. Zidane lowered his head and slammed his fist on the marble surface. He banged on it a few more times as his tamper flared, but just as quickly a it shot up, the calm returned. He leaned over the edge and grunted. " He doesn't have it! I should have figured it out!" It all made sense! [/div] Thief. Light. Genome. WORDS: 2080 NOTES: Gold Swords is worth more than the Armor combined Made by Queen Kassy of Cheyenne; Edited by OuRex Draco [/div][/div][/center]
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Apr 25, 2024 14:33:30 GMT -5
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Post by Deleted on Jan 29, 2014 1:12:02 GMT -5
When Zidane had jumped down from his perch high above and startled the already tensed prince by landing before him with the light clapping of his boots meeting the ground, Noctis could not deny that he was miffed with the action. It had taken a good portion of restraint not to snap at the guy for his reckless action, but Noctis had remained calm and had told himself to relax. Things would be just fine if he could do that. Calmness would keep him alive while panic would more than likely get him killed. As he reminded himself of this simple fact, he did his best to release some of his tension as he looked at the smirking blonde. Was he enjoying the fact that Noctis had been startled? And if so, had he lost his mind completely? If Noctis had been anyone else, then he might've slugged the guy right then and there. Luckily for the blonde, the prince was a bit more controlled than some that he hung around back at home.
In any case, after the scare had worn off Noctis had asked his question to the man and then watched as he shrugged and lifted one gloved hand as he spoke. As he listened to the words, he felt a ping of annoyance and slight offense run through him. This blonde had questioned his abilities? How dare he! Was how the illogical side of the prince took the words, but his calmer and more dominate logical side reminded him that Zidane did not know him just like he did not know the tailed man himself. They had only met a few minutes ago and while it was easy to relax around the guy, the amount of trust this guy had with the others he was with must've been on a different level than the trust he had currently with Noctis. Sure, they could get along, but that didn't say much for working together or trust, now did it?
Hmph! was all Noctis thought as he continued to listen to the tailed man and watch him with a cool expression that suggested he was not pleased with the words, but at the same time not angry either. There was some truth to the last portion of what the man had to say. Noctis wasn't used to this sort of adventure at all. Sure, he and his friends did get into trouble back home, but things such as sneaking about to gain information or find some sort of treasure was way out of his league. The only time, he could clearly remember having to sneak to do anything was when those who hunted him showed up or the occasional behemoth ran lose in the city. Those times of sneaking and hiding were tense enough, but even situations like that did not prepare him to use said sneaking skills in a place he was unfamiliar with. A place like here.
Regardless of the facts, Noctis gaze eventually softened as he smiled lightly as Zidane pretty much told him in a different fashion to calm down and simply adapt to what was happening.
"Yeah. I got it," he responded back softly as he locked his blue eyes on the other's for a moment letting him know he clearly understood the danger that was being hinted at and that he would not be so jumpy next time...at least he hoped. He really didn't want to be a burden or cause for worry, when he knew for a fact he he could take care of himself and others if he just kept his mind clear enough to think straight. He would just have to do better on actually keeping his cool. Right.
In any case, after the brief lecture, if you want to call it that, Noctis began to walk down the hall taking note that Zidane had fallen into deep thought, but quite quickly pulled himself out of it as he moved to fall in step with him. Then gradually, the blonde had began moving down the hall at a pace Noctis had to adjust his speed to match. He wasn't as nimble as the thief, but he could keep up well enough as he listened to what they were really here for. Of course, when he heard that their target was some sort of dangerous Gold Armor they were searching for clues on, the young prince practically felt his jaw drop in shock and confusion as his mind tried to wrap around how Gold Armor could be dangerous. Sure. It could bring all sorts of thieves or other riff-raff in if it was a rare piece, but outside of that what could make it so dangerous that it could not be touched....if that is truly what Zidane meant when he given his warning? Was this armor cursed? Did it kill? Did it turn people or things into gold? What?
The questions went on and on in the young prince's mind, but thankfully only one question that encompass all of his confusion and curiosity came before he fell silent and waited for Zidane to answer as he moved to keep step with the guy. As his eyes briefly glanced at Zidane, he saw him raise his fingers to his chin and began to stroke it as he seemingly began to ponder how to answer the question he had asked; however, as time stretched on, Noctis began to think that maybe the man didn't have his answer or perhaps not a clear one readily available. It was true the young prince was used to waiting for deep thinkers to formulate answers to rather complicated matters, but even then they did not take as long as Zidane did to make a peep....or rather not answer at all.
That's right. Not answer.
As they continued along the hall that was steadily becoming more and more disturbing with its various depictions of various vicious looking beast, Noctis took note that Zidane kept pondering the situation, but if it was for an answer or if the blonde's mind had wandered elsewhere was beyond the prince. All he knew was that there was now silence between them that remained more or less peaceful.
...That was until they got closer to the center of the hall. The more they walked and the more Noctis took in the disturbing pictures and the occasional odd shapes in the vases and other pieces of expensive art that lined the walls, the more the young prince began to feel uneasy about where they were heading.
All the statues seemed to be watching them and ready to come alive at any moment. It made Noctis feel tense with paranoia. Zidane, on the other hand did not seem to feel this fear, as he remained relaxed as they continued on their way. Noctis tried to be as cool as Zidane was about the situation, but as he focused on what he assumed were statues of the griffon that Zidane had warned him about, Noctis could've sworn that the colors on the statue were becoming more vibrant and the stares from the eyes more real. He was becoming wound up again, so the prince tried to calm himself down again with a light and steady breath; however, no sooner than he had done this than his paranoia sprung to life.
The griffon statue they had just passed indeed came to life as it stepped down off its pedestal to block the way back. As Noctis was about to reach out to warn the blonde, he saw the guy's stiffen as his hands moved to undo the strap that held his blades steady in their hostlers. As he did this and seemed to prepare for the battle to come, the second griffon decided to make its presence known and block the way forward.
This only made Zidane more tense as he lowered himself into a battle position; however, Noctis was not concerned about that as he summoned his blade and faced the creature behind them not really sure what to do against these foreign beasts. In response to him summoning his weapon, he could've sworn he heard Zidane draw his own, but this was a trivial matter as the prince watched the creature before him. He was ready for a battle, but it would appear that he and Zidane were not the only ones here.
From above, a cloaked figure wielding a staff came down and after performing a rather graceful attack, the figure had landed on the ground and gave the prince a disgusted look before refocusing on the griffon. A bit confused by the look, Noctis shook his head and focused on the problem at hand. They needed to get from inbetween these griffons, but how? He pondered the question for a moment and then it hit him.
Up. We need to go up.
That right! The cloaked figure had dropped from above, so that meant there had to be a second floor, right? And in turn stairs perhaps? It was a logical guess and one that Zidane seemed to be aligned with. As the griffon that faced him recovered from the cloaked figure's attack and began to come forward once more, Noctis heard Zidane remark and looked over at him as the guy pointed upward and gave him a grin.
Blue eyes traveled upward to the upper floors as his mind began to figure out what Zidane might have planned. These creatures...they were pretty large, so if they could get them into a small space, the large creatures would be finished. The look only lasted a second and then Noctis was looking back at the blonde and nodding with smirk of his own.
"I'll see what I can do about that," he responded before turning to face the griffon that the one with the staff had attacked as Zidane moved to meet the one behind them. While he wasn't sure who or what the cloaked figure was, if it had decided to help, then he would have to assume it was on their side for now and so in turn would have to work with it. _________________________________________________________________
While Zidane and the unknown kid spoke, the cloaked figure kept cold blue eyes on the griffon before him not really liking the fact that he was facing off with one of the world's more unpleasant creatures. These things were nasty and would leave some nasty marks on his already scarred skin hidden under the illusion of beautiful skin. Yes, this particular thief-for-hire had had his share of run ins with both human and beasts in his line of work, but in the end he had come out on top every time. This time would be no different. He'd find what he sought and if luck danced nicely with him, he'd be able to deliver said treasure to the pretty boy who had hired him in the first place.
All he had to do was to be sure to nab ever single piece of the set before anyone else did. The only problem was getting the whole set. The thief was running off of rumors that had led him to this mansion. And now that he was here, he saw that he had Zidane as a competitor. It was a rather unexpected turn of events, so it had been touch and go deciding whether to attack the guy and the kid with him or not, but after heavy consideration, the thief found it better to aid Zidane and his little friend rather than harm them at the moment. After all, if he could get in nice and cozy with them, he would not only have more eyes and ears helping him find what he sought, but he wouldn't have to be looking over his shoulder either to make sure that his competitors had not caught up.
Yes, keeping them under his nose was the right thing to do this, so with that in mind he had made his attack and knocked away the griffon from the kid who had done nothing outside of summoning a weapon. Disgusted with having to babysit and help his competition, the thief under the cloak did not hesitate to give off a look of displeasure before turning to face the recovering griffon. As it shook off the blow and came forward once more with claws stretched outward, the cloaked figure took a step back and raised its staff to block the blow. There was the sound of claws meeting the metal staff mingling with the sounds of Zidane's battle as the pair met and then quickly separated.
Not wanting the thief to recover, the bird lunged its head forward to snap at his chest... _________________________________________________________________
As Noctis agreed inwardly to help the cloaked figure, he saw the griffon and the figure clash before separating once more. However, the griffon was not one to let its prey go so easily and so that sharp beak had gone for the cloaked figure's chest; however, Noctis did not let the creature touch the other as he pointed his sword at the creature and unleashed Fire right towards its face.
The spell hit its mark causing the bird creature to screech in pain as it caught on fire and backed away. While the creature was distracted, Noctis heard Zidane's command as did the cloaked figure. Hopping back a bit to keep his distance from the recovering griffon, the cloaked figure crouched down into a kneeling position as it swung its staff over head and held in a horizontal position in both hands just slightly over its head as it became still and spoke.
"Come on!" the figure growled in a soft masculine voice that was both intimidating and soothing all at once. Despite the effects of the voice, it did not take long for Noctis to understand what the guy wanted him to do. Nodding at the cloaked man, Noctis began to run towards the guy. Closing the distance between them rather quickly, it looked like Noctis was about to run over the guy; however, as he got close to the guy, he took a small leap off of the ground with one foot as he pushed his body towards the kneeling man as he shifted his body weight for his next move. Getting dangerously close to hitting the guy, Noctis landed slightly on the man's left leg that was planted firmly to the floor by his foot creating a makeshift step for Noctis to push off on as he continued to move upward.
Pushing himself from the leg, he sailed upward until he was slightly above the staff the man wielded and then coming down upon the staff, Noctis bent at the knees as he balled himself up like a spring upon the thin ledge. As he was doing this, the cloaked figure rose and pushed against the young man's weight. With a great "KYAA!" the man flung the boy from his staff and upward just as Noctis unballed himself quickly and straightened out with the force. Due to the team work, Noctis was able to sail high up into the air and only had to grab the railing and flip himself over to finally be safe on the second floor.
Yes! he thought as he landed in crouch with a light thudding of boots on the floor. As wonderful as the victory was, Noctis was still worry about his allies and so quickly got to his feet and headed to the railing to both check on them and aid them. What he saw was distressing.
In order to get him up to the second floor, the cloaked figure had left itself open to the counter attack of the recovered griffon. With a mighty swing, the bird like creature swung its tail feathers at the man as it turned its body in a powerful arc. While he didn't hear any cries of pain or any other sounds that suggested the man had been injured or had blocked the blow, Noctis did see the figure get swept under those feathers and seemingly disappear. Around the time this happened, Noctis heard Zidane calling out to the creatures as he kicked one in the butt.
In response, the creatures came after him with snapping beaks and claws.
Zidane ran down the hall with the large creatures after him and Noctis followed the action from above. From the hall, he wound up stopping just outside of the elaborate dining hall decorated with the finest linens, silverware, and china laid out on a huge table as above elegant chandeliers hung from the ceiling. The sight was spectacular, but the young prince would be not looking into that beautiful room as he slid to a halt to watch as Zidane ran up a wall and then slipped and fell back towards the griffons!
Oh no! the young prince thought as he gasped in fear for the guy; however, it would appear that Zidan's lovely tail was used for more than just balance. As he fell that tail wrapped around the banister bringing the thief dangerously close to snapping beaks. From his position, Zidane was able to swing up on top of the banister and land not too far away from Noctis. As he did this, the two griffons below tried to get at him, but the quick blonde quickly knocked them back when he moved his blades in an 'X' fashion and caught the leading griffon in the face. With an agitated squawk, the griffon fell back upon its ally causing the two birds to get in a tangled mess as they fought one another to determine who would get to attack and potentially eat the tailed man first.
While they were tangled, Zidane took advantage of the situation and dashed on ahead as he said he was trusting Noctis to handle the situation. The prince wanted to protest about that, but Zidane was gone about time he could formulate the words and one of the griffons had finally made the other submit. With the submission of one, the winner had climbed up to the second floor and while big, the creature was clinging onto the elegant pillars as it leaned forward to make a snap at Noctis with its beak.
Jumping back to avoid the bite, Noctis heard the distinct gwunk!snap! as the beak came very close to getting him. As soon as he was safe, the prince was leaping forward and swing his sword down upon the creature's withdrawing head. As his blade made contact, the bird let out a squawk of pain as it pulled back a bit more. Not letting up in his attack, Noctis pressed forward and swung his blade out in a horizontal slash that whack the bird in its exposed chest. With another screech, the creature was rearing back even more and losing its grip.... ________________________________________________________
Meanwhile on the lower floor, the thief had indeed been hit by the powerful tail whack; however, instead of taking full damage, the man had allowed himself to be hit and rolled with the hefty push of the iron like feathers as they knocked him to the side. The blow was still heavy and caused the thief to lose his staff in the process, but at least by rolling with the blow he had been able to roll off some of the hits power. Grunting slightly, the thief pushed himself to his hands and knees as the birds went after Zidane.
Taking a moment to recover from the blow that left him winded, the thief shook his head to clear it before looking around the area for his staff. He found it in the middle of the hall close to where the griffon he had been fighting once stood. Sighing inwardly, he got to his feet wincing at the slight pain in his chest as one free hand went to the spot at the center of his of his chest where the bird had hit him. It was sore as hell, but at least there was no blood to contend with so that was good.
Leaning over to collect his staff, the thief looked up in time to see Zidane barely make his escape from the griffons before getting to safety and then literally leaving the task of taking care of the griffons up to the kid. Naturally the kid baulked at this, but there was nothing he could do about it since the griffons had decided to conveniently remind he kid exactly what he was trying to hold off.
The thief smirked slightly as he watched the kid do a decent, if somewhat sloppy job of keeping the creatures at bay. He clearly didn't have an eye for grace and elegance in his fighting, but at least things were getting done and that fire spell earlier had indeed come in handy; however, to get rid of the griffons, they needed something with bit more oomph...and the thief had that something.
Waiting until the griffon began to lose its grip on the railing and such above, the thief held its staff vertically in its hands and closed his eyes as he began to murmur something. A few seconds later, a medium sized ball of darkness would appear directly above the struggling griffon and then giving the creature no chances to regain a proper grip, the ball would come down upon it, ripping it from its perch with heavy gravity. As one griffon was ripped away from its perch, it would be force down on top of its agitated ally as the ball continued its descent.
Then with the screeches of pain being slowly buried under the dark ball, the pair would be smashed heavily by the dark energy of Demi 2 before the spell would finish and disperse. As the spell ended, the thief stopped his muttering and lowered his staff to his right side as he began to walk forward with quiet steps and head into the dinning hall. ___________________________________________________
Noctis saw the griffon slip and was surprised when the dark energy ball came down upon it to finish it. As he watched the dark ball smash both the attacking griffon and its ally into the ground, the young prince found himself cringe a bit at the carnage left behind with the creatures' destruction. As he looked from the flatten pile of blood, bones, feathers, and skin, his eyes scanned the hall and saw that the cloaked figure from before was indeed alive; however, it would appear that the said figure was also the cause of the dark ball.
Noctis saw the being stop moving his lips and lower his staff to his side before he began to walk down the hall as if nothing had happened. As Noctis watched the guy move past the mess he had created without even batting an eyelash, he began to wonder just who or what this guy was and why he had bothered to help them.
However, before he could ponder the thoughts further, he heard Zidane yelling something about someone not having something and that he should've figured the truth out sooner. From the tone of his voice, the guy seemed upset.So Noctis moved into the dining area where he found Zidane leaning slightly over the edge of the railing with calmness and anger mixed with each other flowing through him.
The sight made Noctis want to comfort the guy, but he stopped as the cool voice of the cloaked figure drifted up to them from below.
"Did you think that finding the Gold Armor would be so easy?" the figure was asking calmly as the sounds of footsteps echoed from the ground level below. Noctis tensed inwardly as he moved to join Zidane at the edge of the area that over looked the dining hall. As he looked down, he could see the cloaked figure brushing his hand against the gold sword that hung on the far wall before dropping his hand to his side once more and turning to look up at him and Zidane.
"The answer to finding what we seek isn't in this manor, is it? We will have to look elsewhere,right?" the man asked in cool tones that really ticked Noctis off inwardly; however, for Zidane sake he stayed calm as he looked over at the blonde.
"Hey what is it you have found out and are you going to be okay?" Noctis asked the man next to him in calm gentle tones as he watched him carefully. ______________________________________________________
[Cooldowns]
Thief used Demi: 2 posts
Thief used illusion and teleport to steal a gold sword and leave a fake copy in its place when he touched it.
Thief has collected 1 piece of the set he was hired to collect.
Noctis uses Fire: 2 posts
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Apr 25, 2024 14:33:30 GMT -5
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Post by Deleted on Jan 29, 2014 19:20:30 GMT -5
Jovial Prince of Thieves It was an aggravating situation. The thief was pretty amazed that King had all the swords, but it was even more irritating realizing this. Lord King's hobby in collecting rare items was not uncommon for nobles. what made King stand out was the fact he had sets of items. Each of his paintings were by Micheal, from his Chocobo Series. His statues were all monsters known for their viciousness, but also predatory habits. Each statue was from a series of work done by one artist. The vases were a series of works done: one for each passing season. So, as it would have it Lord King would only possess the blades, made to be a series to the last. He threw up his hands in a deep sigh before slumping over the railing. His tail swayed as he seemed to be in a solemn train of thoughts. He was wrong and he was too late to realize the truth had evaded him. He stood up tall, brows shifting as he finally had a moment to pay heed to the second individual. He seemed to shrug. It was his usual response to things way too complicated to explain clearly.
The thief looked to the hooded figure and crossed his arms over his chest. The boy seemed to stare at them thoughtfully. Something about this guy was really familiar, or at the least recognizable. Was he another thief? Zidane tapped his boot and would shake his head as his mental processes marked off each possibility. The thief was pretty useless in recognizing male faces and even more so in understanding the complex rivalries men like this had when it came to treasure. Zidane dropped his arms to his side and leaned to peer over his shoulder, down at the dining hall. It was exactly what he was expecting to find after the realization came to him. It was best he kept some of the information to himself, until he was sure. The guy seemed pretty disappointed. So did that mean they were also here to steal the armor? Well no matter. He would have to speak up eventually.
"There was no way Lord King ever had the Gold Armor... He was an idiot. He knew better than to follow rumors and he probably ran into the trap of that group...
The thief turned to face them. It was clear he was annoyed about something, but it certainly was not over not finding the armor. They had fallen right into a trap. They probably got away already with the Armor. Zidane moved to climb onto the banister. He turned to face them and pointed off to the window high above the dining hall. The window stood at least thirty feet off the ground, a certain death sentence for many if they fell. He reached up and pulled himself onto the wall above, where a narrow bit of molding, which usually held shields or fancy plates on display, would verily serve a thief a possible escape route. Zidane wrapped his tail around the neck of one of the steel candle holders and leaned over the edge to peer at the two. His hair splayed out in an amusing fashion as he grinned.
"Let's go, I'll explain on the way." He was sure the Auction House was not begin surrounded with guards who were tipped off mysteriously...
Zidane easily balanced on the surface and walked along with little fear. He was clearly a practiced artist and was not intimidated by the deathly height nor the idea of begin outsmarted. It did not take Zidane long to walk the perimeter and make it toward the windows. He reached out to the glass to give it an experimental push. His tail lashed out to hold him steady as he maneuvered in the narrow space. He reached back to his holster and retrieved his blade. With the care of a painter he would graze the sharp knife along the lip of metal that locked it to the fame. With a crack the window unlocked and the boy pushed it open. He motioned his hand to Noctis and the thief before looking out, head peering into the night air of Treno. Zidane put his hands onto the edge and hoisted himself up with ease. When he was on the roof he peered down to see the array of guards called to handle the situation. Each noble was being checked on their way out. He pointed out toward a rooftop across the sea of crumbling buildings and moats.
The rooftops of the commonfolk were tightly packed. Though it was a greater fire hazard, on the waterfronts of Treno few cared and there was not enough space for it to even matter. Cats roamed along the roofs and ledges and the trio would soon have to become cats themselves. Zidane darted across the roof and mead a jump for the eastern tower. he made it with ease and would await his compatriots before moving along.
"The Armor is crap." He professed. "Worth a lot of gil, but wearing it in battle is useless." he waved his hand dismissively. Many noble Knights sought the armor for its legendary ability to stave off magic, but a sword would clean right through it. "Lord Bishop owns the Synthesis Shop in Treno. He collects rare armors... but the guy has an eye for craftmanship. There sure isn't anyone these days willing to melt down gil to make an armor of gold, so there's probably a limited supply, and even more only a limited number of folk able to get their hands on it." Zidane would continue along the roofs.
It was a slippery business. The water rich town served to grow moss and other wet patches along the badly insulated and built rooftops. Some of his jumps were landed with an unsteady wobble because of these, but he would manage to carry himself to the Synthesis Shop, owned by Lord Bishop. The thief crouched down and crawled toward the window that hung over the shop. There were many goods lying about the cluttered shop floor. They keep inventory of every single item, and the apprentice slept on the lower floors, making a it a very difficult place to pull off a heist. Difficult, but not impossible.
The high winds whistled, the soft murmurs of the folk below carried up. They were ignorant of the world around them. For a city that never slept, sometimes it was easy to walk among them. Zidane sighed and scratched at his head.
"We have to get the inventory list." The thief stood and looked around the roof before he rushed off and hopped toward another window. It was where the apprentice slept. he motioned for them to come hither. He pointed inside. "If the Gold Armor was here, he would have it written down." If it was not on the list that means they missed that train....
Mogrich received a letter from Atla:
"Dear Mogrich,
It's trouble, kupo! Some Bandits have been hiding here in the Armory. It seems they have been pretending to be nice helpers, helping rebuild the town, but I heard them saying they were ready to attack! Oh no, kupo! They want my treasures! Send help!
Atla"
The little Moogle was panicked! What would he do?! Oh! He had seen Zidane hopping around earlier! He remembered the boy because he always fought the monsters in the arena! Maybe he was strong enough and brave enough to help Atla! He hoped he could find him! Mogrich took off, leaving his faithful dog companion to follow on the ground. Mogrich was not sure where to find Zidane, but he hoped it was not too late!
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►TAGS: Next~! ►NOTES: The Great Moogle Robbery ►SKILLS USED: N/A CODED BY ELECTRIC OF GANGNAM STYLE; EDITED BY OUREX DRACO
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Apr 25, 2024 14:33:30 GMT -5
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Post by Deleted on Feb 4, 2014 7:03:29 GMT -5
(I am working on not taking this long to answer. So sorry. Yesterday was just not my day. >>)
Noctis had asked his question and saw Zidane's agitation as he threw his hands up in frustration and released a sigh before leaning over the railing. Not sure what had the blonde so wound up, Noctis kept an eye on him for a second before his eyes glanced down at the other male below. He saw the guy brush his hand against the sword he was nearby, but thanks to the illusion the guy casted Noctis never knew he had actually taken one of the swords.
Not sure what to make of the cloak fellow, Noctis eyes drifted back to Zidane as he watched the man think for a second before standing up straight and looking down at the hooded man on ground level. As Noctis watched the blonde fold his arms and give the other a thoughtful look, he began to wonder if perhaps Zidane knew the other and because of this, the man had decided to help them. It made sense, but at the same time Noctis questioned this theory. While the guy did help them, he could not help, but think that maybe the guy was a not a friend. After all, he didn't seemed pleased to be helping them before. On top of this, the cool way in which he had questioned Zidane made it seemed that the guy was only being cooperative because it was beneficial to whatever he was doing.
So what did that make this cloaked guy? A spy for someone? A thief? Or something else? He wielded powerful magic, so he could've been one of the ancient mages spoken about in books back home; however, Noctis highly doubted that those humble beings would be sneaking about someone else's house like himself and Zidane. No...the cloaked figure was here for some other purpose, but for what the prince could not tell and perhaps it didn't matter in the end.
As long as the guy didn't do anything to him or Zidane, he did not mind the other tagging along or doing whatever else he was going to do. It was really none of his business what others did as long as he kept himself and his loved ones safe. Sure, Noctis figured that he was getting himself further and further into something more and more dangerous; however, as long as he stayed calm and alert, he should make it out of this one alive too. He would survive. He had to.
Deciding to accept the cloaked figure as an ally for now, Noctis refocused on the present as Zidane stopped his thinking and hopped onto the banister and balanced himself like a cat on the edge of it before pointing to a window a good ways above them.
Does he want us to use that window as an escape route? Noctis wondered as a bit of horror hit him at the idea. While it was true, Noctis could be brave and even do some reckless things, climbing out windows that were at heights that would kill or harm severely should one slip up were not part of his job description. Surely, Zidane was joking about the window... right?
Noctis looked back to Zidane as he climbed up the wall and then balanced himself upon the thin piece of molding that act as a mount for shields or plates. Wrapping his tail around a steel candle holder, Noctis felt his jaw drop slightly as the guy leaned out slightly and told him and the other to follow before saying he would explain things once they were out of the place.
Still feeling a bit baffled about this whole climbing out the window thing, Noctis watched as the more agile male made his way cross the dangerous and narrow ledge with the grace and ease of someone who was used to doing this sort of thing. Still in shock, he watched as Zidane messed with the window, first testing it out before using one of his blades to unlock the window and push it open. Once the guy had it opened, Zidane looked back at them and gestured for them to come before looking outside and then deeming it safe, he hauled himself over the edge and disappearing into the night air.
Still not believing what he saw, he looked down at the cloaked guy to see what he was going to do. He watched as the guy took a few steps back before quietly charging at the wall with amazing speed before running up the wall much like Zidane had when the griffons had attacked. As the guy reached the peak of his rising, he unexpectedly turned himself at an odd angle and pushed off the wall in the direction of the table below. As he sailed across the room, Noctis watched as the cloak and his arms became one and formed wings that he used to boost himself up onto the chandelier with a mighty flap. As the strange being landed on the chandelier, it jingled and groaned lightly under his weight, but the man did not linger too long on the swaying light as he repositioned himself and aimed himself for the window. With another mighty push of the legs, the guy was airborne once more and using those strange wings to glide easily to the open window. Landing with a light thud at the edge of the window, his arms and cloak shifted back to normal as he stood well balanced within the frame of the open window. He lifted strange blue eyes to Noctis and beckoned him to come without words or gestures.
Not really liking this idea, Noctis shook himself mentally as he looked at the railing and then to the molding Zidane had used to get to the window. He wondered if he could make such a trek.
Well if you want out of here, you are just going to have to try, his logical side told him as he sighed inwardly. This was not a good idea, but hey he supposed the situation could be worse. He'd just have to be careful doing this.
Swallowing his fear and nerves, Noctis climbed up onto the railing before reaching up for the hand holds Zidane had used to pull himself up. With caution, Noctis pulled himself up onto the wall holding onto the thin edge of the molding with his gloved hands as the thin railing under him groaned a little under his heavier weight. Praying that the nothing would break, Noctis began to make his way across at a nice steady pace that eventually brought him to his destination. Still clinging to the molding and balancing on the railing, he looked up at the cloaked figure that had stayed in the window frame the whole time watching him.
As those strange blue eyes locked on his, the pretty guy underneath blinked before looking away and darting out the open window. Wondering if the stare was some sort of judgement call or something else, Noctis shook his head mentally as he carefully pulled himself up into the window and then like the others snuck out. ____________________________________________________________________________
Back inside of the manor, the thief and Zidane had come to an understanding of one another without words when they had studied each other from afar. While the thief was sure that questions would arise about his own motives for tagging along would eventually come up, for the moment at least he would not have to worry about answering such things as he instead focused on simply working with the pair before him. By watching and listening, the male thief had followed Zidane to the window and then paused to watch the child in black to see if he was even going to follow. As he watched the child hesitate, he smirked inwardly as he automatically sensed that the kid was not a thief like himself or Zidane. This one seemed more of the "honorble" air and wasn't quite sure of himself in the situation. Still, there must've been some form of recklessness or plain foolishness within the boy for despite all his hesitating, he still attempted to cross to the window in the same fashion Zidane did.
Watching the kid do this was...trying for the thief for in his opinion, the guy moved way too slow. If guards had been on hot on their trail the kid would've more than likely failed, but thanks to the diversion from earlier and placing many of the guards to sleep, they thankfully did not have this problem, so the thief had watched him cross before giving him a unreadable stare as he debated about commenting on his skills. Then deciding against it, the thief had made his way out into the night air. Stepping out of the kid's way, the thief took easy and balanced steps upon the familiar shifting surfaces of the rooftops of Treno.
The rooftops were his turf and so the thief was very comfortable walking upon them and listening to the sounds of the never sleeping city. He could hear the grumbles of nobles below letting him know they were being put through some process they did not like; however, he did not bother to check out what was going on below as he instead scanned the cat infested roofs for trouble. When he found none, his eyes drifted to Zidane as the nimble thief ran across the roof and leaped over to the next one and made a perfect landing.
As he saw the blonde hesitate and wait for them his eyes, drifted over to Noctis as he smirked at him and nodded towards the roof Zidane had landed on, playful challenging him as he would any thief or person that was new to the game. The kid must've saw his challenge for he got an agitated scowl from the guy before the kid reluctantly attempted the jump before him. He watched the guy sail across the space and land with a more or less light, yet ungraceful thud on the other side. Seeming a bit shaken, but proud nonetheless, the kid had given him a shaky smirk in return as he looked back over at him as if to say "show me what you got."
Snorting lightly, the thief would do just that. _____________________________________________________________________________
After making his jump and feeling like he would was about to die, Noctis made it across the roof and turned to the cloaked guy that had challenged him to jump over in the first place. As he gave the guy a shaky yet challenging smirk back, he watched as the guy silently crossed the other roof and then reaching the edge pushed off and sailed across the gap like an elegant bird. With the lightest of ruffles, the guy landed on the roof next to them and stood to his full height once more as Noctis looked at him in both shock and disbelief. A cocky smirk was on the others lips.
"Who are you?" he whispered to the guy as he continued to watch him. The guy hesitated for a moment as blue eyes quickly flickered to him and then moved away as the guy began to walk forward.
"Zuko" was the soft reply back and then the man was moving to keep up with Zidane. Locking the strange name in the back of his head, Noctis snapped himself back to reality and hurried to follow along.
As Zidane and the other man moved easily along the roofs, Noctis followed behind a little ungracefully as he slipped occasionally on the unsteady and sometimes slick tilts of the roof that was caked with moisture and moss. Despite how clumsy he was and how many near falls he had, Noctis kept up with the more nimble pair as he listened to what Zidane had to say about the Gold Armor.
He said it was worth a lot of money, but was otherwise it was useless battle. Huh. Then was the armor dangerous because of the lie it presented by being gold? Did people think it would protect them only to find out later that it would not? Was that what made the armor so dangerous or was it something else? As curious as he was about the armor, he found that matter trivial, so he pushed the thoughts aside as he listened to Zidane speak about someone named Lord Bishop who owned something called the Synthesis Shop.
Not sure exactly what sort of shop that could be, Noctis heard Zidane speak about the owner, saying that he collected rare armors and in turn might just have the armor they searched for or at least a clue to lead to what they sought. After all, since this armor was so precious, it probably would not take long to for them to find the item considering only a handful of people could even afford to have such a thing or even make a thing such as golden armor. So with hopes of making out better than they did with the mansion, Noctis continued following the two thieves along as he nodded to the words understanding that their next stop was probably to check out this Synthesis shop place.
They continued across the tricky roofs, slipping and occasionally sliding in some places until they finally reached their destination. Once there, Nocits paused and crouched down as the cloaked guy signaled for him to wait with him while Zidane moved to the edge of the roof to scout something.
The pair waited in silence listening to the sounds of the wind and the city below them until Zidane finally got up with a sigh as he scratched his head. He told them that they needed the inventory list before he rushed across the roof of and leapt towards another window nearby. After being gestured forward, Noctis and the other came to the window and looked into the darkened room where a young man slept soundly in cluttered. As they watched, Zidane said that if anyone had the list they sought it would be this guy...meaning, they would have to break in and steal said list.
So they are thieves, Noctis thought as his suspicions were confirmed; however, he didn't get to let this settle in any further as the cloaked guy nodded at the words he heard and then looking over at Noctis, he gestured for him to follow. Noctis hesitated for only a moment and then nodding he went followed the cloaked guy to the edge of the roof where they both crouched down.
He watched as the cloaked figure leaned forward slightly to scan the area below and then seeming pleased with what he saw below, he leaned back and looked up at Noctis with those strange blue eyes.
"I can get you in and keep you hidden, but you're going to have find the list on your own. What you are looking for is a thick black book that can be hidden anywhere within that room you were just shown. Don't linger to long since my magic will only give you a few minutes at the most to get in and get out of there. If wears off before you get out you are going to be screwed. Understood?" he asked in those same serious tones as before. Noctis blinked at the guy and half debated saying no to the whole idea, but then reminding himself that he had chosen to be involved in this and help Zidane out, he settled with the fact he was learning to become a thief and nodded at the guy. Pleased with the answer, the guy smirked before becoming serious once more. Then with the lightest of ruffling of fabric, the thief let himself drop into the ally. With no sound at all the cloaked thief landed and then turned glowing blue eyes upward to look at Noctis, waiting.
Nodding inwardly, Noctis braced himself as his pushed off of the edge of the roof and allowed himself to fall to the ground below. With a light thud, the prince hit the wet grounds below in a crouch to help take care of the shock from the impact of the fall. Getting back up to his feet, he looked over at the thief as he moved quietly down the narrow ally before stopping across from a wall.
He waited quietly for Noctis to reach his side before raising his hand and after mumbling something cast some sort of white ball at the young prince that quickly absorbed into his body and then began to make him disappear! In shock, Noctis watched as his hand became slowly transparent and then disappeared from view completely.
Looking down at the rest of his body he found that the same had happened to the rest him and yet he was still alive and well.
An invisible spell? Well, he supposed that made sense since the guy was a thief. Shaking off his shock, he looked over at the guy watching as he pointed at the wall and began to mumble something else quietly. Turning his attention to the wall, Noctis saw the old crumbling wall silently pull apart revealing the inside of the shop they were just lingering above. Taking that as his cue to go, the young prince moved forward and after scanning the darkened inside, he stepped through the hole the thief had made and entered the cluttered shop. Being careful not to bump or touch anything, Noctis moved through the store of odd and ends before he found the door on the lower floor that led to the appretenice's room.
Seeing that it was cracked, he moved the door slightly and cringed as it let out a moan. Pausing, he listened as the place remained quiet and the guy beyond asleep. Sighinh inwardly, Noctis moved the door a bit more until he was able to slid into the small room beyond without any issue.
Once in the room, he got to work on looking for the black book he was told to find. He looked careful around the cluttered desk pushed by the window, checked the drawers of the chest drawers and even checked the small trunk at the foot of the guy's bed, but he could not find the book. Kneeling down by the bed, Noctis checked under it, but outside of dust and some other items, the book wasn't there either.
Getting back to his feet, he gave the room one last glance before his eyes landed on the guy sleeping peacefully in his bed...and the thing directly under his pillow. Retangular and black...it was the inventory book! Upon realizing this, Noctis shook his head as he quickly looked around the area for something similar in shape and feel. Finding a thick, yet old stack of bundled paper, the man snatched the bundle up quietly before moving back over to the bed to begin the careful operation of exchanging the book with the papers.
The task was far from easy. While the young man did not ever wake, he tossed, turned, grabbed the pillow and book and more each time Noctis tried to move it. Gritting his teeth in agitation, Noctis had to wait for the guy to be still once more to attempt to take the book that was now effectively trapped between his arm and the pillow. Moving towards the bed once more, he reached out for the book...just in time to realize he was becoming visible again! He was running out of time, but he was still invisible enough to make the steal. Speeding up the process a bit, Noctis got a firm grip on the book and carefully slid it from under the arm and pillow of the appretenice as he slipped the paper in its place.
The appretenice only moaned lightly in his sleep as he flipped away from Noctis taking the pillow and the papers with him, but thankfully he did not wake as he resumed snoring away.
Feeling tensed, Noctis hurried back out of the room as quietly as he could making his way across the store and towards the hole the thief was keeping open. He took note that the hole was slowly closing, so he picked up his pace and hopped through his slowly closing escape. As he landed on the ground outside, he became completely visible as the thief dropped his arms to his side and leaned forward slightly a winded and tired from casting the spells.
As he looked at the guy and how pale his jeweled hand had become, he wondered if there was some sort of limit to how much magic the guy could use at one time. Tucking the book into his belt, Noctis stepped over to the thief.
"You okay?" he asked him concerned.
The cloaked figure simply nodded as he pulled himself back into a standing postion and then pointed upward towards the roof.
"Come..." was all he said and then he was moving to make his way up the wall with some difficulty. Feeling bad for the guy, Noctis decided to give him a boost to help him reach the edge of the roof. Once he saw the guy scramble up and out of sight, Noctis found his own way back up using a pile of boxes and an old window ledge to make it to the roof with the book. Back on the roof, he and the thief headed over to Zidane.
Noctis gave the cloaked thief a worried look as he watched him sit down on the roof; however, after being shooed towards Zidane in a fashion, the prince turned to Zidane and stepped forward as he held out the black book that was the inventory list to him.
"I hope what we are looking for is there," Noctis told the blonde as he awaited to see what they could find out from their steal. _____________________________________________________________
[Cooldowns]
Thief used invisible and open to help Noctis with the steal and now suffers from slight fatigue from too much magic use: 2 posts until skills can be used again. Thief is in recovery mode
Thief used Demi: 1 posts
Thief has collected 1 piece of the set he was hired to collect.
Noctis uses Fire: 1 posts
Inventory List obtained.
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Apr 25, 2024 14:33:30 GMT -5
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Post by Deleted on Feb 6, 2014 19:06:42 GMT -5
Jovial Prince of Thieves
He was sure it was in the book, there was no doubt. He only stopped a few times for the two. One was a bit more skilled than the other, which meant Zidane had to be on guard. Though he did not expect the guy to stab them in the back straight away, there was always the possibility. Contrary to what many cared to think of thieves, they had very loose morals. If it meant they, or their group, obtaining an advantage, using others as a tool to reach that goal was not unheard of. He would keep an eye on them and make sure they got what they needed before it blew up in their faces.
Zidane watched as the two went about their business. The guy seemed to be a mage. Vanish was pretty useful, but he never thought it could be used on a job. Well it did not matter to the thief because Zidane had zero aptitude for magic. The tailed male crossed his arms over his chest as they seemed to have everything under control. He had t think. Everything up until now was just a trail of rumors. Though a direct rumor could never be trusted, they were still some bits of truth. Usually something changed, contorting the rumor as it traveled from person to person, but one thing was consistent.
The Armor was Cursed.
Why was that, above all the other details, the claim of its curse always so consistent? Something bad had to be associated with the armor.His shoulders sunk as he lowered his head in thought. He had not meant for Deshitana or Rosa to get involved because things began to entangle with the darker state of society, which was a thief's life. It was too dangerous. He did not want to involve this kid, but he was already in too deep.
When Noctis approached him the thief looked up, all smiles even though his demanor had been quite heavy for a moment. The boy laughed and accepted the black book.
"Ahh man good job, you made it easy!" Though utterly an exaggeration, as it was clear something was on the thief's mind.
He opened the book and looked it over. He stood on the roof with ease, even on the slipperly, angled surface. His thumbs brushed through the book as his eyes went over the words. He snapped the book closed. He sighed and turned to walk toward the window of the apprentice. He pulled himself into the window and went to return the book. While Zidane was in there Mogrich landed on the roof with a pomf! below his little dog friend could be heard barking!
"K-kupo!" He chirped in exhaustion. "Have any of you seen a scruff monkey-tailed boy around?" The Moogle described Zidane in a very rude manner!
When Zidane hopped out the window and dusted his hands he approached the two. "Oy, Mogrich that's a nasty way ta describe me." he sneered.
"And you have a scruffy monkey tail, kupo." He stated matter-of-factly.
Zidane quirked a brow and lowered his tail now conscious of the fact he has not really brushed it lately. "No I don't, what do you want?" Zidane purposefully did not say a word.
The Moogle perked up and remembered the reason he had come by. He squeaked in that distinctive manner only Moggles did and rushed toward Zidane with a waddle, holding the letter up to him. Zidane took the parchment and read it. That sloppy pawwriting was certainly a Moogle's.
"It sounds like Atla is in trouble, is he okay?" The thief asked.
"I don't know, kupo!" He put his paws to his cheeks. "But I know you're a ruffian, right po? Can you check on her?" The plead put Zidane in a bind.
The Moogles had helped him a lot on his journey, but right now matters at hand seemed a bit more troubling. How was he going to explain it to Mogrich, let along the other two? Zidane crouched down to sit as eye level as he could with the furry Kupo Nut muncher. He pointed up a finger to try and focus the flustery Moogle's attention.
"Listen Mogrich, I know Atla is our friend, but I'm on a really important job." The moogle quivered his lower lip, which caused Zidane to sink his head in hopelessness. "But when we get back to the inn, I promise to write a letter to Stiltzkin and let him know." At least Stiltzkin was one of the more competent Moogles he knew.
This seemed to satiate Mogrich who cheered and fluttered off happily. Zidane stood and turned to the others. He did not seem very enthusiastic. "Let's go."
The thief walked to the end of the roof, which looked over the main walk way in front of the Card Carta restaurant, which only the exclusive members could eat and partake in card battles in private. It was pretty expensive a place to eat, but Zidane would not know as he never paid a gil! The drop was not very high, at least for Zidane. He looked up and motioned to the vines and bushes nearby for his less reckless companions. The drop was nearly fifteen feet high, the boy had no problem with that sort of fall. He has fallen from higher before.
He rolled his shoulders and looked around. What made Treno so dangerous was not the thieves, but the fact nobles made it so easy for them by looking down on them. Being believed to be crude and boisterous 'citizens', they were not often looked upon with a careful eye, but disregarded with a scornful scoff. He motioned for them to follow and would lead them down the streets toward the inn. They would end up heading toward the main gate, than further up to the more shady end of town where the inn awaited them. When Zidane entered the owner passed him a later. The boy grabbed it, thanking him, before heading toward his room.
He would pocket the later and open his door, all the while being rather quiet, but it was more exhaustion. He kicked a chair up, as he had knocked it down earlier by tripping over it when he was getting dressed. Settling it with his tail he sunk into the seat and crossed his arms over his chest. The rogue would wait until the others entered before he started with his words.
"It looks like the Gold Armor was in inventory." He laid down Mogrich's letter as well as the sealed letter he had yet to open. His eyes narrowed slightly, reading over the letter again. "Shit." He cursed as he sat up.
They had been had. Now it made sense.
"Whoever it is is leaving crumbs, not in their rumors but their actions." Zidane looked at the envelope and laid it down before finding a piece of charcoal. He drew out a map of the events.
Lindblum, crudely scribbled but it would do.
"Alright look, everything seems to have started here, but actually everything started here in Treno." He drew out Treno. "A lot of word has gone out of an increase of Highwaymen along the major trading routes, but nothing beyond the necessities are carried across these routes: food, weapons, and other stuff. There are underground trading networks that use different routes." He would not draw them, but the fact was still the same.
he would turn the paper around to draw more. "Rumors hit Lindblum about armor, but because.. of a more controlled population of criminality, no word of Highwaymen were about, at least until I did manage to hear one, talking about them along the coast. All of them come around really uncommon routes."
There would be no point to ambush someone if there was no one to ambush. Why wait at a low traffic area? Because it meant you had information no one else did. It means that they knew something was there, waiting for them. Zidane drew a line from Treno to Lindblum, along the crude drawing of where the ocean was. he took out his world map and unrolled it. The rogue would lay the drawing over the map. The route followed along the coast.
"The only other way to ship goods if not by air... is by sea." The thief stood and put the two parchments into his satchel before motioning to the two. "The only way to figure out the shipping times is to head to a shipping yard. The closest one from here is Alexandria Harbor. So we can set out in the morning on an airship."
They would have to sleep in their own rooms, but he told them to meet home at the airship docks. They would have to buy their own tickets.... Zidane was a little tempted to achieve the impossible...
An entire set of Gold Armor... One could dream!
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A ship sat docked near the Eesistern Coast. A fire roared on the grass-sand mixed plains. A Burmecian stood overlooking the ocean as his men carried several crates from his vessel and set them down near the mountains beanath and cover of grey tarps, that hid them from plain view.
"This is our big chance boys...." The well dressed man with a limp said as he turned to face the beautiful mounds of treasure were secured. "Make sure everything's wrapped up tight boys." He grinned and limped toward a mannequin stand which wore the glimmering set of armor, including a fine gold shield. "All we need are the last pieces and we'll find our wish ta come true, our wildest fantasies boys." His men cheered, the sunset crawling over the sea, curdling it to a deep, blood red.
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►TAGS: Next~! ►NOTES: I Dream of having the Midas Touch ►SKILLS USED: N/A CODED BY ELECTRIC OF GANGNAM STYLE; EDITED BY OUREX DRACO
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Apr 25, 2024 14:33:30 GMT -5
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Post by Deleted on Feb 13, 2014 21:54:45 GMT -5
Noctis and Zuko had accomplished gaining the inventory book and climbing back on the roof. As Noctis crossed the roof after being shooed away by the strange magical thief that had decided to take a seat on the slick tiles to rest for a bit, the young man had moved towards Zidane taking note that he seemed to be in deep thought. As he drew near, he could feel an odd tension from the thief that made him wonder just what was on the blonde's mind; however, instead of prying, Noctis had instead stepped closer to the guy, spoke, and then handed the book to him. Noctis’s words and approach brought the other from whatever heavy thoughts had been plaguing him and before the young prince new it the other was all smiles again. “Piece cake,” Noctis responded back with a soft chuckle as he smiled slightly and rubbed the back of his head at the compliment he was given not caring if it was an exaggeration or not. It was true that the prince still felt guilty for what he had done, but at the same time he was a bit proud knowing that when pushed came to shove, he could become what he needed to become in order to aid others and survive. Sure, he still had to work on this whole adapting thing, but at least the little stunt Zuko helped him with had given the prince a bit more confidence in doing what he needed to do to aid the pair he was slowly beginning to trust. While he still had his doubts and concerns when it came to Zuko at least for the time being the thief was not making any move or actions that suggested he may do anything to harm or trick them. In fact, as Noctis stepped away from Zidane to give him space, his eyes went from the blonde studying the book to the other who rested quietly on the roof. Zuko looked to be calm and composed once more as he kept his back to them and seemed to scan the rooftops with careful eyes. The scene made the prince wonder what was on the guy’s mind, but unlike with Zidane he felt that even attempting to pry would ruin whatever peace had been made between the trio up until now, so Noctis made himself content with simply studying the thief for a second longer before looking at their surrounding once more as the wind picked up smells and sounds from below and fanned them across his face. Occasionally, a cat could be heard over the noise from below as it meowed or hissed at another that had entered its territory, but outside of this there was only peace in the area. The peace was a nice and a welcomed change from all the chaos, Noctis had been put through up to this point. It gave the prince a chance to clear his mind out and strengthen his resolve to see this whole situation he had gotten himself into to the end no matter what. Noctis continued to clear his mind and scan the area until he was drawn back to reality by the snap of a book as Zidane closed it. As blue eyes drifted back over to the blonde, Noctis watched as the small man sighed before he turned towards the window he had spied on the apprentice through. With some careful movements and skills, the thief made his way into the room for reasons that were beyond Noctis. Was Zidane going to steal something else? Or was he simply returning the book? The action was indeed puzzling; however, the prince did not get to ponder this situation for long before a disturbance made him turned his attention back to where Zuko was. In a rustle of cloth, the thief had gotten to his feet and took a few careful steps back before a large fluffy thing landed on the roof before him with a pomf! From somewhere down below, a dog could be heard barking. Praying that this dog did not belong to this fluffy thing that had just landed and would in turn give away their position, Noctis shoved the worry away as he moved towards the fluff ball was another moogle. Despite how intrigued he with the small creature and their ability to locate people in this world, Noctis pushed his curiosity down as he focused on the situation at hand as he watched Zuko smirk as the moogle asked about a scruff monkey tailed boy. It took a while for Noctis to realize the moogle was referring to Zidane with the remark. How rude!....Even if it is a bit true, Noctis thought as a light frown formed at the comment and not finding the comment very amusing. As he watched the interaction, Noctis heard the Zuko speak. “You asked and so here he is,” the thief said in light tones as he nodded his head in the direction of the window Zidane had disappeared into. Turning slightly, Noctis saw Zidane come back from his chore bookless (so he did return the book!) before dusting his hands off and coming across the roof to approach the moogle, responding to the comment as he moved. As Zidane moved passed Noctis, the young prince sighed inwardly as he shook his head slightly amused by the banter between the moogle and the thieves. He had to admit it was quite similar to the way him and his friends poked fun at each other back home. The scene brought a bit of comfort and much needed lightness to the otherwise serious situation. Anyway, after the moogle had made Zidane a little self-conscious about the presentation of his tail and Zidane had asked why the moogle was here in the first place, Noctis moved in closer to the group as the moogle came to attention before hurrying over to Zidane with a waddle. As the moogle got closer to him, the creature handed the blond a letter which he opened and read. Unconsciously, Noctis held his breath as he watched the thief read the letter with something similar to worry flowing off of him. A bit concerned, Noctis tilted his head slightly as the blonde finished reading the letter and asked a question to the moogle. As Noctis heard the words, his instinct to help others kicked in as he listened to the moogle and blonde talk. When Zidane kneeled down to come eye level with the flustered moogle and claimed that the job he was currently doing was more important than checking up on a friend, Noctis gritted his teeth as he shot the blonde a disapproving look. He couldn’t believe that someone would choose some hunt for rumored armor over friends! The prince was on the edge of giving Zidane a piece of his mind when he felt a hand gently touch his arm and turned furious eyes on Zuko. Locking those strange eyes of his on the prince, the guy shook his head calmly telling him to let it go without words. “Tch,” was the light response back as Noctis reluctantly did as he was asked. It was a good thing the prince obeyed considering that shortly after the anger flared, Zidane told the moogle he would inform someone named Stilzkin about the situation via a letter as soon as they got back to the end. Well, at least that is something, Noctis thought coolly in his head since he still did not agree with what Zidane was doing. Maybe he was getting too worked up about nothing, but something inside told the prince that this little incidence and its timing might actually have something to do with the bigger picture. Taking a light breath in and letting it out softly, the prince calmed down a bit more before watching as the moogle seemed content with answer and fluttered away after giving a cheer. Still not completely pleased with the situation, Noctis turned his blue eyes back to their leader and nodded as the man told them move out. _______________________________________________________________________________________________ Zuko had watched the whole scene with the moogle quietly from his spot slightly behind the dark haired male that was with them. He remained still, taking in the information the conversation between Zidane and the moogle had given him. His eyes narrowed only slightly as he heard that one of the moogles might be in danger. How odd. What were the chances, eh? The very moment we acquire and potentially find some key information regarding the elusive gold armor I am still trying to find and collect to sale to my contact, Mogrich decides to come in with a letter from Alta that said the other is in danger? In danger? How? And why now of all times does trouble decide to strike the moogle? Is this perhaps associated with this supposedly cursed armor that everyone wants, but cannot not gain? Is the incident a result of the curse? the thief wondered, but could not get a clear answer. Still, the whole ordeal was very suspicious. …And if Zuko’s suspicions about the situation were correct, it could be safely assumed that someone did indeed have the armor, but for whatever reason was making it hard for them to find it. Maybe whoever had the armor, made up the rumors and caused trouble for the moogle to lead them all astray. Maybe this gold armor wasn’t cursed at all, but simply said to be cursed to keep people away or intrigued. The situation was becoming more and more complex, but in the end this did not matter to the thief. These complications would not stop him from collecting what he sought and besides he wouldn’t be figuring the puzzle out alone. He had Zidane and this kid to help him out. While it was a bit cruel to use them in this fashion, the thief had no intention of harming them unless they stood between him in his prize. If they led him to the armor and let him have it, he would have no qualms with giving them thanks for the help and maybe even sharing a bit of the reward to come with them; however, if things went badly…well, he’d have to deal with that when he got there now wouldn’t he? In any case, the other thief kept his silence and stillness until the dark haired kid’s sense of justice and helping others went to his head and almost got him in trouble. Reaching out, Zuko touched the kid’s arm to both to distract him from Zidane’s words and to calm him. The kid didn’t like the silent message given, but thankfully listened and let his anger go at the situation. Once Zidane had settled things with the moogle and it took off, the blonde that was currently their unspoken leader signaled for them to move out before moving to the edge of the roof that overlook the main walkway in front of the overly expensive Card Carta Restaurant, an over the top place that the Zuko had only visited once with a client who had treated him to a meal to discuss business. It was alright, but definitely no place for a thief. In any case, the thought did not linger long in the thief’s head before he saw Zidane leap off of the roof to the ground below. Following the kid, Zuko watched as the kid took the vines downward. As the kid made his way down, Zuko took the quicker route down and let himself first dangle slightly off the roof before dropping into the bushes below. He only made the slightest of sounds as he landed and pulled himself from the bushes and dusted himself off as he headed towards Zidane that waited for them. Behind him, the kid got to the ground and came along with them as Zidane took the lead to guide them through town and back towards the inn. _______________________________________________________________________________________ As Noctis followed the two thieves back to the inn, he quietly released his stress over the situation with the moogles. Maybe this armor was a bigger problem and the moogles could handle themselves. Even so, Noctis could not help, but feel that they should look into the issue at hand. Maybe it was connected the armor issue at hand. Or maybe he was simply thinking too much into the problem. Keeping up with the thieves, the young prince shook his head to clear it, telling himself he shouldn’t get worked up about a trivial matter; however, no matter how much he told himself that, he could not help, but to worry about the moogles. The whole ordeal just seemed suspicious and too convenient for the situation they were currently in. They were searching for rumored cursed gold armor and then after searching around they find a potential lead before BAM! Trouble from the outside pops up….almost like whomever or whatever had the armor was trying to lead them astray. The situation was indeed confusing, making the young prince wondered if the other two men had caught the oddness. Well, until we can sit down and talk it out I won’t know, he thought as he continued on down the streets with his two allies. They walked on for a few more minutes before they finally came back to the old and questionable looking inn they had left from earlier. As Noctis followed behind Zidane, he took note of the letter that was passed to the blonde before he moved on after giving the owner thanks. Thinking it was just regular mail for the guy, Noctis dismissed the exchange as he moved with the pair further into the inn. Zidane would keep moving until he got to his room where he pushed opened the door and left it open, inviting Noctis and the other in without words. Noctis only hesitated a second before slipping in and moving over to the table where Zidane sat. There was an extra chair by the table, so the prince took it before looking over at the quiet blonde, with neutral expression upon his face. Zuko came in last, closing the door behind him before coming over to the table and stopping at the edge of it. Shifting his weight to the left, he would place one hand on his hip and watch Zidane from the corner of his eyes, waiting like Noctis for the guy to say something. It took a few more seconds of silence before the thief spoke. As he did he confirmed two suspicions that Noctis had had: 1) The Gold Armor had indeed been in the inventory book and 2) Something was highly wrong the situation at hand. As the blonde put down the opened letter and the unopened one the table, his moved his eyes to reread the letter. As Noctis watched those blue eyes scanned the letter, the prince found himself becoming a bit tensed as he heard the blonde curse before sitting up with an expression on his face that made Noctis get the distinct feeling that somewhere along the line they had been tricked. As to confirm this, Zidane spoke his next set of words. He was saying that someone was indeed playing with them, but still leaving crumbs behind by their actions. To this Noctis frowned slightly as Zuko folded his arms, bowed his head, and nodded slightly at this. So...the moogle incident up on the roof was connected to this mess, but how and why? Did perhaps the moogle have the armor and then got in trouble for it when whoever had it now came for it? After all had Zidane said the armor was in the inventory book? So that meant the armor had been in the Synthesis Shop at one point, but unless it was hidden it really well in that crowded place, Noctis assumed it no longer here...so then where in this world would the armor have gone to? And on that note how would someone be able to hide said armor? It was gold for crying out loud! Someone would’ve noticed something like that being stolen or moved…right? Not being familiar with the land Noctis could only make guesses as he continued to listen to the conversation, his attention and eyes being drawn to the table as Zidane laid the envolop of the unopened letter down on the table and then after a small search pulled out a black piece of material and began to draw out a map. ____________________________________ As Zidane began to draw on the envelop, Zuko who had been pondering the path he had taken following the gold armor rumors up until looked down at the crude drawing as he leaned forward slightly and laid his hands upon the table for support as he watched and listened to Zidane's words. The blonde started with the origin of the events which seemed to start in Lindium, but had actually originated in Treno. More than likely the whole set of armor or pieces of the set had been in Treno before they were stolen and moved elsewhere. The thieving party had tried to keep their tracks covered, but various things slowly began to reveal the truth. Still, between the rumor and other events, the guilty party had led anyone who dared to look into the rumors on a wild goose chase which was annoying, in the end expected to happen when it came to rumors. From there, Zidane brought up the Highwaymen as he continued to draw, this time drawing out the trade routes familiar to the thief who watched. He nodded to the news about the Highwaymen numbers increasing. He too had heard about it and had wondered why the numbers would increase along the major routes. To a normal person, it would appear they were simply trying to get more things for themselves, but in actuality the highwaymen may have increased their numbers to cover and create a distraction for the ones using the back ways to smuggle out the gold armor…or perhaps had come out in droves to claim the armor for themselves. From there, the rumors began… more than likely started by the highwaymen themselves or those who had encountered them along the way and had heard "important" tidbits of information slip from their lips. While the truth might've been whole at one point, about time it reached Lindlum, the information had boiled down to a rumor which spread across the area like wildfire. Since all the piece weren't together and the words so distant from the original truth, only the armor was mentioned, but not the highwaymen....and of course, one could easily forget to add them into the equation when they appeared to be acting more or less normal. Clever...very clever, but they had slipped up when one of their members started yapping too much and unfortunately for that guy or gal, Zidane had heard the information and now had a lead as to where to go next to find clues on this armor. As the thief watched Zidane continued to draw on the envolop before pulling a world map from his satchel and laying it down upon the table, Zidane took his drawing and laid it on top of the spread out map. Heh! The crudely drawn lines matched up perfectly with the coast on the map. If the highwaymen were appearing on the uncommon routes which would be bad for their business as Zidane said, then that meant they had something to tell and could more than likely tell them or at least hint at where the armor could be...or perhaps be heading. If their target was really somewhere along the coast, then that meant that their culprit was trying to make an escape across the sea. And why use the sea? Because if you are trying to steal something as precious as gold armor, the quieter way would be by the water.... Ah yes. It all made sense now. As the pieces fell into place, Zuko nodded lightly as he pulled himself into a standing position once more as Zidane took the papers from the table and placed back in his satchel before he stood and continued to speak as he began to shoo them towards the door letting them know chat time was up. As the kid and Zuko began to move and get ready to leave the room, Zidane mentioned figuring out the shipping times by going to one of the various shipyards around the land. The closest to Treno would be the Alexandria Harbor that rested up north, a few clicks east of Alexandria. Yes. That would definitely get them a start if their target was indeed traveling by sea. Giving a nod to agree to the meeting spot Zidane had given, Zuko turned and left the room with the gentlest of flutters of his cloak. As he entered the hall, he got his accommodations squared away before retreating to his room near the back of inn. As he shut himself in for the night, he did what he could to get as comfortable as he could in the room before he tossed his cloak over a chair, kicked off his boots, and crawled into bed, pulling the sheets over his head as he did so. The thief slept through the night and woke up way before anyone else in the inn began to stir. Quietly, dressing in the dark, the thief snuck out of the window before taking to the streets below. He traveled the back paths he knew well enough until he met up with a shady moogle hiding out in the shadows of the building –his contact and current client. Being up front with his contact, Zuko told the moogle that the original deal to hand the whole armor collection to him when the job was done was off and he was keeping it for himself. Naturally, the moogle got upset and prepared to make a fuss about the situation; however, a quick mind wiping spell silenced the creature immediately. Confused, the moogle had blinked a few times before he asked Zuko who he was and why they were in such a shady part of town. Telling the creature that he was simply a concerned citizen that had seen him wonder in the shady area, Zuko told the moogle he had simply come to warn the moogle to go back to the main streets before it got hurt. As if to prove how true this statement was, Zuko guided the creature back out into the more open roadways of the city before setting the creature on its way out of the place.The moogle had thanked him for the save before flying off rather happily down the street never suspecting a thing. Pleased with how well he had adapted his “collected” spells to his profession Zuko smirked as he began to reform his plan on how to get the armor and avoid butting heads with Zidane and the kid. While it was true Zuko could play mean tricks to get his way (as demonstrated beforehand) it was also quite true that the thief did have some sense of fairness and was not one to harm “allies” if they simply gave him what he wanted. In fact, he rewarded cooperation well, but there was one tiny little hiccup in all of this that might make cooperation difficult. Zidane… He was a thief after all and probably had his eye on the armor too. Thinking still, Zuko took to the roofs once more to wait until at least that kid woke up, so they could continue their little trip. He had a feeling the dark haired one may need a guide, especially if he headed out on his own. __________________________________________________________________ Noctis had left Zidane’s room shortly after Zuko had and returned to his own room to rest. He was exhausted from the day, but yet his mind would not stop worrying about the situation they had on their hands. If what he had heard was all true, then they had wasted a good portion of time just trying to get out of the nice little net of lies that whoever had the gold armor had cast…meaning their target had a head start on them. As he prepared for bed, the young prince wondered if what they were doing was futile. Sure, they could catch up with the culprit…if they could figure out who their target was and where they were headed. Even with all the information they had and even getting a lead, the situation still sounded daunting. While Zidane had suggested going to the harbor to find shipping times and even potentially talking to the highwaymen for information, Noctis had to wonder just how far that would get them or if it would simply lead them into another round of loops, placing them even further behind their targets… The prince thought about this for a while longer as he sat on the edge the bed and kicked off his boots; however, when he came to no answer or solid solutions to the problem, he shook his head with a sigh, dismissed the thoughts, and decided to call it quits for night. ** Noctis tried to sleep, but for the most part he could not as uneasiness plagued him throughout the night. He wasn’t sure what caused the uneasiness and when he woke up early the next day, he did not bother to try and figure out the problem as he performed his regular routine of getting ready for the day. Once he was set, he left the inn thanking the keeper for the hospitality before hitting the still darkened streets. Blinking sleep from his eyes, he glanced around the area trying to determine which way was the best way to go to get back to the airship docks. When he had first arrived in this place he had been half sleep and since then he really didn’t get a chance to explore the place to discover the best routes to from places. Still he needed to get to the docks and meet up with Zidane and Zuko. They were probably already there waiting for him. Sighing inwardly, Noctis braced himself for another round of hard work to get where he needed to be; however, as he begun to move down the streets, Zuko surprisingly dropped down from the rooftops above and landed before him. Unlike the time Zidane had done the same thing, the somewhat sleepy prince did not nearly jump out of his skin this time from the surprise. After greetings and such were passed, Noctis let the thief take the lead as they moved down the street, grabbing something to eat as they made their way towards the airship docks. Once there and getting their tickets to board the ship, they looked around for Zidane for a bit before waiting to see if he was lagging behind or not. Whatever the case was, the pair had decided that the best course of action was to leave together this place together if they could. ___________________________________________________________________________ [Action Box}Zuko motives have changed. Now he wants the whole collection of armor and sword for himself! What to do now? Zuko has collected 1 piece of the set he is out to collect.
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Apr 25, 2024 14:33:30 GMT -5
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Post by Deleted on Feb 14, 2014 23:51:34 GMT -5
Jovial Prince of Thieves
The night came sooner than he had hoped. In all honesty he had expected for the mysteries to be solved, but he found that things were spiraling into a deeper, and far more crude, reality. The young rogue would find himself having trouble getting to sleep that night. Normally when he hit the soft, comforting surface of a bed his body would give out. The exhaustion he typically, and unknowingly, drove himself to, were a bit hazardous to a commoner's health, but Zidane could not picture living going through a day wasting away in bed, losing time asleep. In a short explanation: the kid could be rather hyperactive. He was almost regretful that he had sent the other two away. Though he hand't held the spectrum of trust he held in the two newcomers, that he would in his own band, the company would be greatly preferred than to the silent musings that brought on by the night.
When his face hit the pillow he felt it, instantly. It was like a hand clasping down around his heart. His breathe would leave him, his body sinking into an unnatural tiredness. Aches and pains that typically went unnoticed came back in full. It was almost freeing, but a terrifying feeling of weakness. He was not one to normally concern himself with the pride of battle, but he held strong to the belief that he was strong and this strength was necessary for his survival. It was something driven into him since he was inducted into the gang. The camaraderie. That was what the young man missed. He did not seem too bothered about heading out on his own, he thought at first, but that was only the feelings of protection he carried toward Rosa and Deshitana.
He was happy to start the adventure with them, but it was harder being on his own. Not because he was weak, or that he found it too troublesome -- he honestly hated it: the feeling of loneliness. Maybe that was why he was not so eager to push Noctis away. But at the same time he would be putting the kid in danger. It was obvious to him the young man was a stranger to this world. The thief himself had traveled, more like aimlessly wandered, through other worlds searching for the reason his heart was always so heavy at the end of the day. In those worlds he had no one. There were no familiar faces, no recognizable places. It had dragged him further into his depression and drowned him in his doubts. He felt so weak when he was without the support of others. Maybe that was his weakness. It was not as if he wholly depended on others, but neither was it a certifiable truth that he was dependent.
No one in this world could survive on their own. He would have been long since dead, had it not been for his brothers, for Baku. He knew that very well, but there was also something to say about this feeling. It was something he could not describe. He had access to books, epics and sagas, yet none of them had a word for this inescapable, penetrating claw that raked through one's heart before heavy eyelids fell and tossed a helpless man into slumber.
Longing. . .
By the morning the awkward shuffle began. He hated this part the most of the morning. The gnashing nightmare that never failed to wake him. His hand would helplessly reach out to the falling figure as he would struggle to cry out, voice taken by the height of danger. In a tangle of sheets and his own belt and tail: the boy would manage to roll himself out of bed and face first onto the floor. Perhaps it was the stress of the past few days, or what many called the experience of war. They say one was never the same after facing a war. Hellish nightmares plagued one's sleep and every, waking moment was a vie for survival. The body and heart never forgets hearing the screams and the soul never lets go of the pain.
Untangling himself the young rogue would sleepily locate previously discarded articles of clothing: a shirt tossed over the table was grabbed and pulled over head. The vest, which hung off the bed's post was tossed on and secured sloppily with a lazy twist of the loosening buttons. Jabot and hair ribbon would be found beneath the pillow, which had found its way to the other side of the bed and wedged between the wall, would be mixed up before finding their respective places on the rogue's form. On the way out of the room his daggers and sheath were secured on his array of belts, only for boots to be hurriedly tugged up as he staggered out of the room. After paying the innkeep, begrudgingly so, Zidane would bade him fare well and head off.
"Don't forget any of your shit, I'm not sending it back if ya do." The innkeep would strongly warn.
Zidane always forgot something. For a thief he was perpetually misplacing things of use, especially of it was of no importance to him. He was just selfish that way. Patting himself down he would hear a crumple in his back pouch. He waved the keep's worry and ran out as the dread of the nightmare was quickly washing away. Pulling the parchments from his pouch the thief would look them over as a hazy memory crawled in from the night before. He had scribbled some nonsense on the paper, explanations of his really, far-fetched theory. Though still in practice: it was, by far, the most sound deduction he could make sober. He laughed at his own mental joke as he hopped onto a narrow ledge, walking along with lazy ease in the familiar city. Opening the letter his eyes would drift along the words. A dry smirk drew itself upon his features as he would crush the paper in hand.
"So that's your game?" Stuffing the material back into his satchel he would pick up the pace.
After getting into an argument with the ticketmanager the thief would get his way, as to not get any more costumers upset. They let the boy get away with paying half the ticket price after they accused him of begin extortionists, the price having been gils lower the other day! Their explanation was interesting though.
'We had no choice! We are seeing fewer and fewer customers these days!'
Which he found to be a load of crap. There have been more taking to the airs than ever, but they were all rich folk. Zidane's features flattened as he thought on it. He moved to the waiting area, hands settling on his hips. Commercial flights between towns had never been too common and after a war many were really careful about traveling. The only ones that did move around a lot were the big wigs and rich folk that could still afford to, considering everything that had come and passed. There was no longer a doubt in his mind that someone with money was behind it all. They had the entire set of armor. It was bought by Lord Bishop. It was stolen and moved out of Treno, but you can not move a full set of stolen armor like that without anyone knowing.
He grinned as he thought. "If it were me... there is no way I would risk taking everything." Because why risk getting caught when one could simply have a piece of the prize?
It was easier when it was a group of thieves, a proper gang working together cooperatively. His blue eyes would turn up and dance along the crowd. His own motions were pretty casual. The way he held himself was calm and lazy, but the young man had might as well been training since the cradle. His senses were always on alert and his body was tuned to adapt to his environment, even if he felt utterly hopeless and dejected in strange territory. One must always take into consideration their surroundings. Walking through you watched who went in. Hanging out you watched who came through. Always count your exits and be ready for the unexpected, because on a casual day like this: the unexpected could always happen.
He would wait until he spotted Noctis and that other strange fellow, who he never bothered to catch their name. Maybe later? He shrugged and looked off toward the stop where the airship they were waiting for would arrive. An uneasy feeling clamped down on his stomach. He felt wrong. It was wrong to have pushed off Mogrich's problem. Looking around, feeling safe that the other two had not arrived, and would not for long with the amount of people in the station this early, he boy would find a spot to hunker down in. Pulling the letter from his pocket he would read the Moogle's note over again. The only places that had any, known, cities that would have anyone to even be willing to buy the goods. But there was something the others cities had, that one did not.
An armory in which to hide inconspicuous armor. The boy crumpled the paper and sighed. Well it seemed they would have to hitch a ride on another ship. He looked to his ticket and shrugged. That was not going to get him anywhere now. Rolling his shoulders he would make a mental note of where the cargo ship heading to the target city was. Moving to hop onto a bench he looked over the heads of the crowds until he spotted Noctis and the curious thief. They stood out like sore thumbs in a familiar crowd. Chuckling to himself he would wave to the pair and drop down before pushing through the rowdy crowd. With a grin on his face he would snake toward the Cargo Ship heading for Burmecia.
He proudly stood with his fists resting on his hips. The moment Noctis and the thief's eyes were on the young rogue he would motion toward their target. The original plan was now to the wind as the boy's mind was now focused on the guilt. He could not leave Alta to his own devices. Alta was a friend and helped them find shelter from the rain. Alta had kept watch over them as they slept and given them information when they were lost. But it seemed there were others willing to take advantage of a Moogle's hospitality.
"Bastards. They really have no shame. Don't worry Mogrich." Zidane was determined because he could not do it.
He would be unable to live with himself if something happened to Alta because he decided to let someone else handle it. Maybe he just liked being needed, or he could not stand the idea of abandoning someone he saw as a friend. Even if it did not coincide with the plans, he would have probably still would have gone to help, but this way he could convince that weirdo to help. Whoever the magic user was, clearly had his own agenda. At least this way Zidane had some advantage over him.
The boy motioned to the pair before he stood along side some of the crewmen after slinking passed security. The boy would nonchalantly pick up a crate and head and head onto the ship. He would set the crate down inside, only to come out and repeats the same thing. The second time he would wave Noctis and Zuko over. He pointed to the crates and back at the ship that clearly was not going to Alexandria, by the dock it was by.
The rogue would wait for the other two to come in before crouching down to whisper. "I have an idea, call it a suspicion, but if I were smuggling some well known armor... I wouldn't head off to the loudest, most industrial countries to show it off."
Who would? Maybe Zuko would realize this as well. Who in their right mind would take a full set of armor into a big city? Zidane would quiet down when a sailor would march by, pretending he was strapping down the cargo, though he actually was. The boy has had his hand in an airship, considering his entire troupe traveled in one. Knowing how to put down gear in a hurry was essential for a band of thieves on the run from a location. He stomped his boot down on the crate and pulled down the rope through the metal ring that held it down to the ship's surface.
"Why carry a bunch of important cargo down at once, when you can split it between men you trust? What if the armor was useless in pieces? And whoever wanted it: wanted it whole? What if -- you traveled down one route, while your buddy another? Leaving behind baseless rumors and coming to meet in one place?"
That place, of course, had to be Burmecia.
Unlike the other great capitals of Gaia, Burmecia was very old fashioned in its manners. The country was settled in the high valley that surrounded the Vube Desert. The rainy plains sufficed as a protective place against the greater powers of war. Where Lindblum excelled in air-warfare and Alexandria sea: Burmecia was protected by natural, high walls from both the sea and air: their country nestled against the stony face of the great valley. Burmecia was more segregated than the other countries and had their own ways. Though outsiders may have been welcomed, after the fighting: fewer were trusted. The country became even more secretive and it was difficult to tell their intentions. Not that the current leaders of Alexandria or Lindblum would ever consider the King of Burmecia as a criminal, those that sought amnesty and were refugees from the war would little be turned away, neither would be goods being exported into the country, for the sake of its growth.
It would not take long before the airship would take off with its extra passengers. The boy would have led the other two into a hiding spot in the cargo room, among the tower of boxes and fields of barrels. The rogue in blue would have settled himself close to the engine. The new steam engines were hot, but they were not as noisy or as dangerous as Mist engines. No, even if they were different, Zidane just liked the feeling of being on an airship again. He worked along the outside and inside with his brothers. He reminisced about those times, feeling a sense of belonging in the skies. He would have taken the Invincible, but there was a reason he oft left behind the monstrous alien ship back on the Outer Continent.
He leaned back, letting the soles of his boots press against the metal of the engine, legs rumbling against the turning mechanisms. He closed his eyes, moving his head to bump back against the crate he was leaning his back against. he sighed out and brushed back his bangs.
"Honestly... I was worried about Alta. It's a hunch, but it's mostly mixed in with worry." He glanced back. "Look you don't simply mess with Moogles, they can be pretty dangerous. Everyone knows you don't get them mad. They have all sorts of magic and weapons. They also keep a place safe from monsters.... I'm sure Alta isn't in trouble, but it's nagging at me. Like, maybe he did something he wasn't supposed to..." Something of which Moogles had an infamy for.
Many got into trouble because they sought it, not because monsters or humans attacked them. They knew better. Something about a Moogle just kept a place protected from malevolence. He could not explain it. But if something was wrong, he was pretty sure there were a bunch of crooks in Burmecia using it as a hideout... pretending to be workers. When you needed help rebuilding a city, you did not really work to hard doing checking working papers.... Look how easily they got on board.
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►TAGS: Next~! ►NOTES: On this ship, I had a home... ►SKILLS USED: N/A CODED BY ELECTRIC OF GANGNAM STYLE; EDITED BY OUREX DRACO
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Apr 25, 2024 14:33:30 GMT -5
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Post by Deleted on Feb 21, 2014 8:36:38 GMT -5
Noctis wasn't sure how long he and Zuko stood in the crowds looking around for Zidane as they waited for the ship that would take them to Alexandria. His mind was still too much in a fog to really care about the passage of time. All the young prince knew was that he wanted to get the job before them done and over with. He wasn't particularly mad about the situation, but at the same time he wasn't entirely pleased. While he had indeed decided to help Zidane locate this gold armor, the young prince had not expected to be taken on wild goose chases nor have to put the life of someone else on the back burner all for the sake of finding this armor. If he had known the land, the people, and just everything else about this place better, he would've easily found a way to ditch Zidane to see if the moogle called Alta was okay. Sure, his emotions were probably being relied up even more because he was tired, but at the same time the young prince was never about abandoning people or creatures for material objects. Yes, he liked the occassional adventure and yes, he got himself in a world of trouble for signing up for things without really thinking them through. His recklness had often been a flaw of his that had got him in to so many jams, he had lost count; however, each time friends and allies were there to help him out of the problems. Still despite all that, the prince still had a strong sense of justice and when it mattered most, it was him that would be the first to jump on board when it came to helping his people out of troubles.
It was his duty, but something he also took pride in: being able to protect others, so when Zidane had brushed off the moogle's plight the other night, the young prince had to do everything in his power to remain calm and go along with this plan...even if he hated. He was at the mercy of Zidane more so than Zuko who just seemed to tag along for the hell of it. Noctis didn't know this place or its people and so had no way of even beginning to get even a lick of help when it came to checking on the moogle and easing his mind. So as he stood there, scanning the crowds, he bit back his annoyance with the situation as he did what he could to remain calm. Still, waiting was doing nothing for his temper. Sighing lightly, he shifted his weight to his left leg as he watched people scurry here and there to their destination or move to benches to await their ride. In time, Zuko eventually patted his arm causing the young prince to look over at him with moody eyes.
Not phased in the least by the look, Zuko pointed to some place in the crowd. Following the point with his eyes, Noctis turned to see Zidane waving to them from somewhere further down the platform. Wondering why the thief was way over their instead of waiting with them to get on the airship that he thought was going to take them to Alexandria from what he heard, Noctis narrowed his eyes slightly before pushing away the suspicion and shrugging a second later. Following Zuko, he pushed his way through the crowds to where the blonde had disappeared from. Once at the location and a bit of scanning, Noctis eventually spotted Zidane standing quite proudly by a very different ship.
Frowning slightly, Noctis looked over at Zuko who was looking at Zidane with a light smirk of amusement before he was looking up at Noctis and gesturing for him to follow. Not liking not knowing what was amusing the thief so, Noctis followed the man over to where Zidane was. Eyeing the strange airship that looked like it was for carrying cargo rather than passengers, Noctis watched as Zidane snuck past security and then began to move a crate into the ship. When the blonde came out a second time, he made some guesture to himself and Zuko pointing at more of the crates. Not quite sure what Zidane was up to, Noctis watched as Zuko nodded before he blended in with the people the young prince assumed worked on the ship, went past security in his own fashion, and then begin to load crates on the ship without anyone saying a word.
Not exactly understanding why the pair would do such an odd thing, Noctis began to follow suit making up a lie about himself coming to help the crew when security asked him what he was doing. Looking him up and down for a bit, the security guard eventually shrugged at his odd clothing and let him past.
Picking up a crate, he began to mimic what Zidane and Zuko was doing. Carrying a crate inside, he would set it down and pretend to be checking it over since he did not know how to secure it. Playing along with the act, Zuko would drift over to his crate and after grabbing some rope, he would carefully show Noctis what to do, explaining it to him as if he was a new worker. In response, Noctis nodded and then tried to tie the rope as he was shown. It was a bit tricky, but the young prince did eventually get it right and received a pat on the back and a proud smirk because of it.
While it was nice helping this crew load their ship, the more Noctis worked the more he began to get the feeling that it wasn't just out of generosity that they were helping this crew.
When he was strapping down another crate close by where Zuko and Zidane worked, he kneeled down to pretend he was working on something on the back of the crate when in reality, he had kneeled to listen to what Zidane had to say. When he heard the words, he paused slightly in his work and looked at the blonde.
His words made sense, so did that mean that they were on this cargo ship because they were going to used it to get wherever this armor had been taken? It seemed logical and from the way Zuko was nodding it seemed that this suspicion was probably right on the money.
Pretending to go back to work as a man marched by, there would be silence as the trio continued to securing boxes to the metal floor. When the coast was clear again, they would move closer together once as Zidane whispered again, speaking of how the armor was probably transported in pieces carried by a group of thieves traveling down different paths agreeing to meet at a single point. The point of this was not only to keep the armor's transport as low key as possible, but also make it seem that what they were carrying was not that important.
Then to make the tracking more confusing, the culprits left behind rumors to confuse those who may try to track them. The words made sense and lined up well with many of Noctis suspicions; however, the only thing was, Noctis did not know where the meet up place would be and did not understand how being on this new ship would help them get any closer to the armor.
With a light frown Noctis nodded at the words.
"I can see where you are going with this," he whispered back. "But where would one go that would let them in with something as important as that armor?" ________________________________________________________
"Burmecia," would come the soft reply from Zuko. Noctis blinked as he looked over at the guy who was tying off another crate. Zuko would remain quiet for a few seconds as he continued his work, the wheels in his head turning as he let the words that Zidane had said sink into his head. Everything the blonde had said, Zuko had already figured had happened. While he was certain the culprits had indeed used secret routes to smuggle the armor out and kind figured this was a group, he had not caculated into his scenario building that there could be multiple groups moving about the armor so they could get it to one place.
However, this plan worked nicely and it made sense why Alta had been attacked at the time he was attacked. If their targets were indeed heading to Burmecia, then they would need a place to hide and the best spot to hide in Burmecia was the small little hide away the moogles held in the ruined city. If it was a particular large and cunning group, it would not take much to overpower one moogle even with all its power and strength. If Stiltzkin had been roaming about and had been with Alta then there would be no need for the call for help. The two moogles would've been more than enough for some ruffins trying to take over.
But Alta had been alone and so in turn had been backed into a corner and their lovely little targets moved in. As for the Burmecians, they would not say anything to this since they would probably be too busy worrying about repairing the damages to their city from an attack some time ago. If some of said thieves came through the area saying they would help while another set took out the moogle, then nobody would ever notice what was going on. Oh yes...the plan was clever, but it would not matter in the end. Once Zuko and the others finally got to them, that little pack of thieves would be sent running. That armor would be his at any cost!
Despite these thoughts going through Zuko's head, the man kept them hidden from Zidane and Noctis as he finished his job and move over to a crate closer to Noctis and Zidane and kneel down to finish securing it.
"It is the one place in Gaia that would cause the least amount of uproar for them," he was saying more for the boy's sake than Zidane, who he could only assume had connected these dots already. He pulled the rope taunt and tied the rest of it into a firm not as a small smirk crossed his lips. "Besides, how could a city struggling to rebuild itself refuse the generous offer of workers willing to help with rebuilding and perhaps even offering promises of cargo that can only help the city become even better than before?" Zuko would ask before getting up to move over to the last box to secure it, leaving the boy to chew on that piece of information.
After the question had been asked, Zuko went back to quietly working on securing the rest of the crates before finally finishing off the job. Once done, he would stretch before moving further into the ship as it shuttered with life and both the engineer and conductors made their final preparations for take off. Within a few minutes, the metal flooring and walls of the cargo ship creaked and moaned before the vehicle was in motion and heading towards its destination: Burmecia.
As the ship settled into the usual hums and clanks of a well maintained machine, Zuko would shift his braced stance between the boxes and begin to casual move along the rows of towering boxes and waist high barrels, looking around the place as if he was making sure all cargo remained in place until the other workers in the area cleared out. When it was only him and one other, the thief would go behind a tall crate and crouch down before snaking his way along a path that allowed him to easily follow Noctis and the Zidane to the hidden spot within the cargo room.
Moving about the area a bit before settling in a cozy spot at a diagonal from where Zidane sat, he would watch as Noctis did his best to make himself just as comfortable as him and the other thief had made themselves in the warm room where the steam engine purred and hissed as it worked. Smiling amused by the boy’s awkwardness, the strange mage turned thief would eventually turn his strange eyes back to Zidane as he sighed and brushed back his bangs before beginning to talk. __________________________________________________________________________________
Burmecia was their destination from what Noctis could understand from the sparse information that Zuko and Zidane had given as they spoke. So they had stolen away on a cargo ship headed to this place because Zidane had a hunch that the armor had been taken to a city that was rebuilding itself? Alright…Noctis supposed that he could handle all the switching about in plans and he suppose he could even endure the fact that he was becoming less and less like a prince the more he hung with the two thieves.
He could adapt to the plan…even if he still was a bit peeved about going after armor rather than helping someone Zidane had called a friend. Sighing inwardly, Noctis pushed away the moodiness as he simply gave into the facts as his logic finally sliced through the child like illogicalness that had filled up his tired mind. When on any mission whether at home or not, sometimes friends and loved ones were pushed to the side for a brief moment to do what was right to not only save them, but also the lives of others. This did not mean that the loved ones had been abandoned…No….in the end, even taking a path that left them in danger for a while longer, they would be saved. One simply had to trust in the strength of the ones that were in trouble and pray they would be okay until they could be reached again. Noctis supposed he had to do the same when it came to his desire to help the moogle that was in trouble.
He would just pray and believe the creature would be alright and trust that even if the armor was their main focus that in the end, Zidane would make the right choice as a leader. Using the logic to comfort himself, Noctis was able to focus once more on the situation as questions about Burmecia flowed into his mind.
It was a place that was rebuilding itself, but why? And what of their targets using that as an excuse to hide right under everyone noses as they passed themselves as “helpful” workers? If it was true then, Noctis couldn’t wait to get ahold of the culprits. Sur,e it was one thing to break the rules for a good cause (because retrieving cursed armor from thieves is a noble cause, right?!), but to break the rules simply so someone else’s sorrow could cover up your own selfish desires? That was unacceptable! The targets had to be stopped!
In a nutshell, the small conversation and the assumptions and guesses that flowed in and out of Noctis’s head as he had listened to the pair talk had put the spark of determination back into the tired prince’s body. With that spark back, he gained a bit more energy and was able to finish the work of loading and securing the cargo in the ship without a second thought.
When the ship took off some time later, Noctis had braced himself against a barrel as the vehicle shook with life before it lurched forward and began to move at its own pace to their next destination which had to be Burmecia if Noctis understood correctly. Once the ship was in motion, Noctis followed Zidane’s lead as the guy led him to a hidden space within the cargo area. As Zidane was making himself comfortable, Zuko came into the area a few seconds later and settled down on the other side of the area that was occupied by the humming and hissing machinery that Noctis could only assume ran the ship.
Zidane and Zuko easily settled themselves in this noisy room that would easily cover their conversations; however, it took Noctis a few seconds to adapt to the environment and settle into a spot that was neither too close the engine, but also not too far from the pair he was with. As the prince finally settled into a spot, he looked up just in time to see Zuko smiling and shaking his head in amusement at him. In turn, Noctis gave the guy a exaggerated pout and pretended to be offended by the action.
Zuko snorted lightly at this before looking towards Zidane once more. Smiling lightly, Noctis followed suit as did his best to relax in this warm room. The feeling was…actually quite comfortable to his tired body and a bit comforting. Almost like being wrapped up in a protective embrace that made one want to trust that in the possibility that everything would be okay in the end. As each man settled into the swaying and warmth of the ship, Noctis was finally able to be comfortable in his new surroundings.
Content with the company and place he was in, Noctis let a few moments of sweet silence pass by as he looked around the area becoming fascinated that such an old and somewhat familiar technology was actually keeping them afloat. Steam engines were extraordinarily rare in his world with only the most dedicated engineers even bothering to tinker with one in his or her spare time. Back home, these small engines were subjects of research, so to see one being used and running now was quite amazing to the prince who watched as the machine rumbled and turned shaking Zidane who had decided to rest his feet upon the rumbling engine. A moment or two of silence passed by and then Zidane was sighing and brushing back his hair as he opened his mouth to speak.
Looking up at Zidane, Noctis listened to his words feeling relief flood him as the second reason as to why they were going to Burnecia came to light.
Alta…Zidane really was worried about his friend even if he thought that perhaps the moogle was safe. He was explaining that moogles were tougher than they looked, holding both magic and weapons that could easily help them against their adversaries and even help them hold down safe zones to protect them from whatever monsters lived in this land.
To this, Noctis nodded as understanding and bit of guilt hit him. Maybe he shouldn’t have doubted Zidane so much. Maybe the guy really was all good despite his profession and maybe he really did care for those around him, but for whatever reason kept it hidden. It all made sense and in the end, caused the young prince to see the blonde thief in a different and much clearer light than before. He wasn’t so bad after all!
“So Alta lives in Burmecia and we are going there to make sure he okay?” Noctis asked as the pieces begin to fall into place.
“Moogles will be moogles. They always get themselves in and out of trouble. What is more interesting is seeing if Alta actually held his ground and will still be there when we arrive…or if our little “friends” have taken over instead. Either way, I am itching to find out if this wild goose chase has come to an end or not,” Zuko said in a nonchalantly way as he stretched and then leaned to the side, laying down on the floor of the ship as if the moogle really didn’t matter much.
To this, Noctis gave him a cool stare.
“And what would you do if the worse came out of this, Zuko?” Noctis asked in cool tones as he fell back into his more formal self. Something he typically did to keep his emotions from ruling his mind and to also hear others opinions with a clearer mind.
To this, Zuko smirked at him unphased by the stare.
“Alright. Let’s play this angle then. Say Alta did get himself in a pickle by doing something he shouldn’t have done as Zidane’s suggested and let’s say as a result of this our targets have a one up on us and could continue to lead us astray or even better they are using this little incident to cover the escape they have already made. Hang with me for a second,” Zuko said as he paused and reached into his pouch pulling out a thin stick.
Remaining in his relaxed state, he used one arm and hand to support his head as he continued to rest on his side with one leg stretched out and the other bent so that his other foot rested firmly on the metal floor. Clutching the stick in his free hand, Noctis watched as the guy stuck his tongue between his teeth, taking notice for the first time that the teeth were a bit sharper than a humans, as he fell silent for a moment and shook the stick.
“Blasted thing. Come on work,” he said was grumbling as he shook the stick around a bit more and then after a moment the stick began to glow. “Ah! There we go!” Zuko said pleased and then pointing the stick towards the air he began to stir the empty space casually causing the long sleeve of his robes to fall back revealing some of the snow white skin that led up to the hand loaded with many rings and tipped with black claws.
Is that actually fur?[/font] Noctis wondered as he took in the odd texture of the skin and even stranger sharpness of the nails.
Finding these odd things about the guy a little bit unnerving, Noctis briefly looked at Zidane wondering if the blonde was finding this odd, or if whatever Zuko was actually normal. Whatever the case was, Noctis eventually looked back at the guy and watched as the air began to shift as a more detailed and colored version of the map that Zidane had drawn the night before appeared complete with the routes that were drawn out.
“Our targets could actually be making an escape via the route that Zidane showed us last night,” Zuko said the route along the ocean began to glow lightly. “Or maybe only a portion of their group is traveling via sea. If this is the case, then what Zidane said earlier would be true and they are all trying to mass this thing in one place even if some are taking a round about way of getting to the location, so then… If everyone is trying to get the armor to one place in pieces, then they’d need a storage areas for the moving pieces and what better storage area is there than the one that moogles hold? In particular Alta’s place. Since you are looking a bit lost here, kid, I’ll let you in on why Burmecia would be so lovely to hide things in,” Zuko waved his stick in the air causing the image to shift to a place surrounded by dark clouds and constant rain.
As the picture zoomed in, Noctis watched as images of a ruined place came into view. There were various homes damaged and toppled over architecture that seemed have taken some form of heavy blows from who knew what. As the images continued to play, Noctis could see a strange rat like race moving about to rebuild the place where they could not really caring who came to help as they continued on. As the pictures continued to play, Zuko’s spoke.
“As I told you before, it would be quite easy to convince a people in need of help that a group carrying some form of cargo was indeed there to help out. As you probably could tell, we thieves are good at acting, so how hard do you think it would be to make up a silly story to that catered to the masses allowing you easy access to a place? I bet you any money the only thing these guys botched up on was attacking Alta’s place. While it is true that they might’ve expected someone to come rushing to the moogle’s side, I am sure they wouldn’t be calculating that said ally would be after their treasure too, so you see--”
The image faded as Zuko lowered his arm and the stick stopped glowing. He hid the stick in the pouch hidden under his robes once more before yawning and continuing.
“If Zidane’s hunch is true. Then this works out for everyone, but our targets. See we’ll be able to check on Alta and hopefully settle yours and Zidane’s worries, while at the same time perhaps we can gain some more information about the armor. It would be even better if we found the armor in Burmecia, but I am not getting too hopeful there. These guys have tricked us before, so I wouldn’t put it pass them to do something just as annoying this time around. All I am hoping for is more substance this time around…or I may just end up showing my bad side,” Zuko said with a light chuckle as he closed his strange blue eyes and seemed to doze off.
Nocits simply stared at the guy for a moment abit taken back by the logic of the statement which pretty much ran in just as many circles as their current search. Looking from Zuko to Zidane, the prince opened his mouth to speak.
“I have just one question here. If the armor is useless and only carries its weight in gil alone, then why go through all the trouble of making this elaborate goose chase just to make sure something so pricy stays in your own hands?”
Noctis asked thoroghly confused by this process in general. Why make such a show just to have bragging rights? The young prince folded his arms as he fell into thought.
There is more to this picture than I can see. I don’t know what Zidane or Zuko may be hiding from me, but I hope that by checking in on Alta there will be some light shed upon this situation….provided that it is Alta we find and not something else…. Noctis thought as the ship continued to make its way towards their destination…….. _____________________________
Note: The city of Eternal Rain: Burmecia, huh? I wonder what clues we will find here.
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Apr 25, 2024 14:33:30 GMT -5
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Post by Deleted on Feb 21, 2014 12:01:55 GMT -5
Jovial Prince of Thieves
Zidane glanced over as the mage decided to actually speak up. His eyes drifted along lazily, taking in what Noctis would see of the man. His strange attributes did not really make him very different. Out of all of them there, he was probably the abnormality. Folks with feathers, hoofs and blue skin were pretty normal on Gaia. A boy with a tail certainly was a unique function among them. At least by the thief's standards this was his normal, everyday. Noctis seemed a bit taken aback by all of it, adventure included. There was no question in the manner in which he glanced at others and seemed very hesitant and by how he did not seem to fully agree with their ways. Zidane seemed to lazily rest, a knee having moved to cross over his leg. The young thief's arms were folded behind his head as the mage seemed to use his magic to tell a tale. His eyes slid closed as the comfortable warmth covered his body. It was a familiar warmth, one that he had grew up with.
The soft hum of the airship and the churning of the wood and metal body across the sky made him feel at ease. As Zuko spun his tale, the thief felt his tail twitching about, curling against the warming floor. As the thief drifted to sleep he would listen to the story and absorb the words Zuko tried to make Noctis understand. Zidane did not feel talking about the situation would make it any more understandable. if anything, he felt, it would only confuse things. The boy, himself, often kept things to himself until it was clear. Jumping to conclusions was never good. Assuming Atla was in trouble was pretty much a given for Moogles, but what he knew was something they needed to know, not yet. He knew where Atla hid, he knew that the Moogle lived within the Armory and he had a habit of giving away things he felt others needed. Atla was a good Moogle, but for him to get spooked -- it had to be something big, something that spooked a Moogle. Few things short of disaster scared most Moogles. He knew Atla was no coward as he faced war with such a casual finesse.
The thief listened and silently agreed with Zuko. Bullying a moogle had its consequences though. If they were really setting up backup plans, this action would not be any different. They had to have a plan in case someone tried to stop them, but what advantage would they have? The young rogue felt himself nodding off. His mind was swirling with worry. The Eternal City of Rain. Burmecia had its problems and did not deserve any more. The thief felt responsible for his own kind. These rogues thought it cool to prance through his territory and endanger his friends. It made him angry and he would pay them back in full. Zuko claimed they were being tricked... but that would mean that Zuko was actually looking for something specific.
You could not be tricked if you did not believe. Zidane did not believe the rumors and he still did not, but he understood that something lay beneath these passing tales. It was a code. From the rumors he knew they kept claiming it was cursed. Sailors were superstitious. Thieves were less so. No proper sailor would sail with goods claimed to be cursed. A thief would shamelessly wave about cursed objects and consider the consequences only when they came. The fact that it was claimed to be cursed was the lie in the code. It was what kept them shielded and kept sailors on the look out. It prevented the armor from being taken out of the continent, out of ports. So where was the truth? There had to be some truth in the rumors, something leading them -- no leading the members, through their actions.
The lady at the inn was attacked. She was robbed. What did they take?
He was pulled from his haze, the sleepiness having nearly caught him as he was swayed by his thoughts and the motion of the ship. Noctis had called out to him. The boy looked up, barely shifting from his place as he leaned back to peer over his one, folded arms. The question asked caused Zidane to furrow his brows slightly. He understood what Notcis was troubled by. It was way too much work for a bit of gil. It was a thief's prerogative to make sure the gil equated to the amount of work put out. The easier it was, the less risk and the greater reward were what thieves strove for. If the risk was too great, the reward had to be greater. They were not just after the armor, but Zidane could say nothing. He did not know enough yet to truly say anything. So, in the end, he knew nothing. He could only laugh.
"It's probably worth more gil than either of us could imagine!" So as a thief, why was he not interested in it? "Course, I'd jump at the chance, but from what I can see now: it's way too much work." He stretched out and slumped. It was clear by his behaviors, up until this point: he was lazy.
Though energetic and high strung, the boy had a lazy streak and did not take to doing anything that did not influence his comfort, but that in and of itself was a ruse. Zidane worked hard, more so than he liked to. But if it meant helping his friends he would go out of his way. That was something he did not need the other two knowing jsut yet. He did not trust Zuko, something about him made the boy uneasy. Maybe it was the fact he was aware of their conflicting desires. Zidane could care less about the Gold Armor, but his friends were attacked because of it. It is the only clue, the only trail, he has to these ruffians.
After storing their goods the group gathered at the coast, upon the deck of their vessel. Their boss limped onto the boat, a grin swirling on his face. Around his neck he wore a key laced around a silver chain, of which he neatly tucked into his collar blouse.
"Alright boys, we're heading out now, unless we've got any more disagreements on management?" He would coo out, twisting his muzzle up in a sneer.
The old, war torn Burmecian had to deal with a mutineer. The old boy felt that he could just try to sneak away with a bit of the Gold Armor, the bracer tucked away in his things. Started an argument in the armory on who should be in charge and how much they should get. He was sick and tired of playing this game for a madman and an even madder soldier. The old soldier dealt with the man before it became a full blown mutiny. The men quickly realized their place. The soldiers born and raised in Burmecia were no joke, those with the training of a Dragoon were even less so. The men called out, declining any will left to stand against his actions.
"Where to now cap'n?" One crewman called.
The captain curled his lips back into a smirk, the sharp coil of his fangs piercing from his lips. "Aye... we'll be heading off now to Alexandria, the capital on the hill." He huffed and motioned for the boys to raise anchor. "Leave the rotten mutt behind, we've got ship to steal." He chuckled and
It was the early afternoon by the time the airship arrived outside of Gizmaluke's Grotto, a few miles from Burmecia. Crewmen shuffled from the ship, carrying cargo off. Zidane would see fit to work alongside the men. It was a skill. Being able to completely integrate oneself into the workman's place without question or second glance. It was the confidence or even lack of care Zidane seemed to hold. When the boy claimed to be able to get out of any trap and any prison, there was probably a great deal of truth that walked along the even greater amount of exaggeration his stories held. after taking everything off the ship, and being soaked to the bone, the thief would enter the city's main arches and wait for the other two. This is where it would start.
"Try not to catch a cold." He smirked and rubbed his finger against his nose. "Idiots don't catch colds, luckily." He mused before heading off.
It did not take too long before they were at the center of the city, the fountain a shining regard for what the city was meant to be. Zidane looked around before he crept back toward a bunker. Turning with a hum he would use his dagger to twist into the locked door and push in. He forced open the door only for his eyes to widen in a shock. He fell backwards, out of the armory bunker, when something latched to his face, causing him to muffle at the loss of oxygen.
"Kuuuupoooo!" The wiggling ball that was Atla, was latched to the thief's face, hugging him. "You won't get my house kupo!" Wiggle wiggle, went Atla as the struggling Zidane just slumped over.
Atla sat up and smacked his paws to his cheeks.
"You're not a monster, kupo! Waaah!" Atla cried out when Zidane sat up and shoved him off.
"What the hell Atla?!" He shouted, gasping.
The moogle spun around in the air, squeaking and fluittering his wings, giggling at the dizziness he felt.
"Oh, kupo!" He shook off his spinning sight to come upon the familiar face of one. "Zidane! And people!" He waved his paw before landing on the wet ground without a frown or annoyance toward the pitter patter of liquid to spare.
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►TAGS: Next~! ►NOTES: Atla is very excitable. ►SKILLS USED: n/a CODED BY ELECTRIC OF GANGNAM STYLE; EDITED BY OUREX DRACO
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Apr 25, 2024 14:33:30 GMT -5
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Post by Deleted on Feb 27, 2014 8:33:20 GMT -5
When Noctis looked over at Zidane for some reassurance when he noticed the odd attributes of Zuko's physical form, the calm way at which the guy lazily glanced over the guy somewhat put the prince at ease. If Zidane wasn't shocked or concerned about the looks, then the young prince supposed he shouldn't be worried himself. It was true that Noctis had encountered many odd things at home and even some stranger things since he had been out of his world. It was also true that this little oddness before him would probably not be the last thing he saw in this world or in any other. In fact, he was quite certain that before he left this place things would probably become stranger, so as blue orbs moved from the blonde back to Zuko, Noctis pushed away the oddness and decided to simply accept what was happening around him and go with the flow...even if the flow was not exactly to his liking. Shortly after accepting the facts, Noctis's attention became fully captured as Zuko pulled out a strange stick that glowed and created images. As the images moved, the thief spun his tale while the ship continued to rock and hum as it moved towards its destination. Remaining focused on the lounging thief, Noctis did not notice that Zidane was actually dozing off as he absorbed what was being said. While it was no telling what sort of sense Zidane made of the words that seemed to go in circles in Noctis's head, the young prince did not find himself any less confused or enlighten by the words. Sure, the other had given what if situations, but outside of this the young prince could gather nothing vital from the words that were spoken. Feeling a light headache come on, the prince had taken in what he heard and simply stored it in a spot within his tired brain for information that was useful, but not entirely useful. He was sure there was some truth to the words and he was very sure that whoever had come up with the plan to steal the gold armor, call it cursed, and spread the rumors was either waiting for them in Burmecia or way ahead of them on another route. Unlike Deshitana and Rosa who had been with Zidane from the beginning and thus knew about the item that was stolen from the woman at the inn in Lindblum , Noctis did not have this vital clue in his inventory and so could not even begin to calculate if the item was important or not to the situation at hand. With his mind spinning from all the information that was thrown at him, Noctis opened his lips and voiced the one question that bothered him the most as he tried to seek some sense in the madness from Zidane. As blue eyes landed upon the blonde as the other looked back at him, Noctis watched as Zidane frowned a bit in thought for a moment before the look disappeared and the guy was laughing. The answer he gave to Noctis was less than satisfactory. While Noctis could understand someone trying their best to make the most money in the easiest fashion possible, didn’t all these rumors and such seem a bit contradicting to something that was supposed to be simple? Seriously... wasn’t there a quieter way to transport a big steal instead of making a confusing production that would draw those more curious or daring to you and your treasure instead of away? It didn’t make sense and the more the prince tried to untangle the mess, the more his head began to hurt and the situation would became more muddled. Shaking his head lightly, the young prince would raise one gloved hand to face and rub his eyes before leaning back against the rumbling wall as Zidane stretched before slumping once more. “Too much work indeed,” Noctis would agree as he let out a light sigh and looked up at the ceiling above as his mind continued to mull over the clues. After a while the thinking became too much for the young prince so he closed his eyes and sunk into the warmth and rhythm of the ship, letting it rock him into a light sleep. There was nothing he could do at this point, but wait and pray that when they got to Burmecia that they would be able to find the Alta safe and sound and in turn, some clues as to who their targets were. While he had just hopped into this little game a few days ago, it was already trying the young prince’s nerves. He didn’t like these sort of games on a regular basis. After all, the chase always lead up to something worse than the beginning; however, he could not ignore these sort of games either, especially when innocent people were harmed or threatened by it. He wanted to put a stop to all of this and figure out what was so special about the armor they were following; however, for now the prince needed his sleep if he wanted to be able to function at his usual calm and logical levels. ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Zuko had ended his explanation knowing full well that lengthy explanation had done nothing to help the young man with black hair become unconfused, but the thief did not care much on this matter. He had explained things exactly like anyone traveling with him would expect him to explain things. He pulled information and speculation from the information he had gathered while traveling with Zidane and the kid. Never giving more or less than what he was assumed to know. He kept the explanation nice and sweet, performing it with the agitation of someone truly frustrated with the quest. Zuko appeared geniune and the boy ate the act up never suspecting that maybe Zuko was holding out on them. That maybe it was not just the gold armor he was after. Sure, as he heard Zidane reply to the boy's question, the guy had smirked at the words finding them to be highly amusing. Sure, he even pretended to doze off as everyone got comfortable within this hidden spot of the engine room as the ship continued its last leg of the journey to Burmecia. He acted normal, but as he kept those strange orbs of his closed, the thief's mind began to churn as he reflected on the one piece of information he had not shared with the pair - the true reason he was following the armor. You see, while Zuko was indeed after the armor itself to add it to his horde of treasures back home, the other reason he had trailed this piece of armor was because he was actually following the trail of a small key that a certain young lady had. A young lady that he had tracked all over Gaia only to arrive to late on the scene to steal the key. Another group of thieves had beaten him to the punch and so had attacked the woman and made off with the key. Naturally upon learning this, the thief had gone on the hunt for the key thieves. As he was hunting for the thieves, the gold armor got thrown into the equation muddling the hunt up even worse than before and making it a confusing mess, so when he found Zidane and his little friend, the inhuman thief couldn't have been more pleased. While it was true Zuko could never truly trust anyone outside of himself, at least now he had found some "allies" to help him with his quest. He had planned to gently presuade them into joining his cause and somehow make a plan so they could trail the armor and this key; however, Lady Luck had decided to be kind to him. Zidane and the kid needed no presuasions. They were already hunting for the armor, so the situation was a win-win for Zuko. Not only had he gained more help on finding the armor, but the more clues they found, the closer he was to figuring out who had the key and in turn, that much closer to finding out what other treasures he may or may not find with the hard to get item. He was pretty sure that the boy was oblivious to his motives and simply kept him at a length's because that was his nature; however, what Zidane assumed about him was another matter entirely. After all, unlike Noctis, the blonde was also a thief....and probably had heard about the key too. Zuko wasn't sure how much trouble the blonde would be for him, but he just hoped the guy was smart and just let him take what he wanted without a fuss. If all played well, they may all be rich by the end of this with himself being the one to benefit the most from all of this. With these happy thoughts and dreams of grand treasures the key could possibly lead him too swirling in his head, the thief continued to rest with his eyes closed in the comfortable airship. ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Noctis was back home standing in the large room with the hanging chandeliers dressed in the usual suit he wore during business parties. He had escaped here to get away from the crowds and politics while his father dealt with continuing making “friends” with the representatives of the kingdom who came to visit this night. Noctis felt uneasy about the ordeal, but would do nothing that would cause his city harm. He would let the peace treaty happen…even if he did not like the men they were dealing with. He could only pray that his father could sense the danger within them too and knew what he was doing as he continued to socialize with the group. Noctis did not believe that the men were sincere with their words of peace. No, he believed they were only being nice, so they could get close to his father and in turn the crystal his family protected. The crystal, the source of their empire’s power.... A thing wanted by all. That was the only thing they wanted and this knowledge made him sick to the stomach. He needed air, silence, escape, so he came to the quiet and empty room that gave a gran view of the dark city with its large and open windows. With wine glass in hand, the prince wandered into the room as his casually glanced about the place as he saviored the peace that resided here. He didn’t expect to meet anyone here and yet….he knew he would. For you see, this room and whole situation was one that Noctis had seen time and time again in his dreams. It was the place he had met Stella and the place he knew without a doubt that he would find her once more as he always did in his dreams. The young prince did not understand why he dreamed of the blonde when he was worried, but there was something about just being able to see her that put all worry at ease within him, so he assumed, as he walked through this familiar place in his dreams, that he had been brought here due to great worry within. He had expected Stella to be there, dressed in her white dress standing before the picture that depicted the goddess of death, Etro, just as she had done when they had first met. However, as he moved further into the room, he did not find Stella there. Instead, he found in her spot a tall and beautiful woman dressed in black with golden wings upon her back. Her white hair flowed about her in an invisible wind and her dark eyes watched him with the emptiness of the void. Without even having to ask, Noctis knew exactly who this woman was and upon seeing her he felt his body go cold as he halted in his tracks and watched the other carefully. “Etro…” he would whisper the name, his voice echoing in that empty dream room. To her name, the woman would nod before raising her elegant hand and pointing a thin finger at him. As soon as the action was performed, Noctis felt his body stiffen as a strange energy flowed through him for a few seconds before his vision became blurry and his body weak. He felt himself falling, but never registered the impact of his body against the floor as instead his mind was filled with images. He was back with Zuko and Zidane. Back searching for the gold armor. They traveled for a long period of time before catching up with the culprits that had taken the armor, but the culprits were faceless and formless. Confused, Noctis saw Zuko attack one of the formless culprits and take an item from them, but what that item was he did not know. With item in hand, Zuko rushed over to a large box and using the item he had stolen, he opened the box unleashing a bright wave of gold into the area. The light was blinding forcing the prince to raise his arms to block the bright light. When the light died down enough and Noctis was able to see once more, the young prince saw that floating before Zuko was a full set gold armor equipped with a sword. For instant, the gold was radiant and intriguing. It pulled anyone that could see it towards it. Even Noctis felt himself wanting to go the armor; however, he stopped as that armor was possessed by a darkness and shifted into a golden demon. With a maniacal laugh, the armor unsheathed its gold sword and stab Zuko straight through causing the thief to let out a silent scream before becoming gold himself! Then that scene was melting as Noctis was pulled back into the room where Etro was for a split second and then – ** Thunk!That was the light sound the floor made as Noctis slipped from his sitting position and crashed into the floor being jarred by the impact from his dream. With heart pounding, the young prince sat up as he quickly looked around to reorient himself with reality. Slowly, his senses told him where he was and what he had been doing. As the goal of going to Burmecia came back to mind, the young prince felt himself calm down as he blinked away the last bit of sleep and looked around the warm area he and the other two were in. Zidane was still resting and Zuko was still dozing away as the ship chugged along whatever path it was taking to get to Burmecia. As Noctis’s eyes landed on Zuko, he felt his stomach twist and turn as the lightest of frowns crossed his pretty boyish face. It had been a long while since he had left his home land that Etro had “blessed” him with seeing just how another was going to die. While some of the pieces of the puzzle were still hazy, Noctis knew that without a doubt that the gold armor was going to be the end of the Zuko and as much as Noctis wanted to try to sway the man from this path, he knew from the past that there was only so much he could do against Etro and her reaper on his own. Sure, he could try to persuade Zuko from his path, but if the man would not listen then death would claim him. Still the path to his death was hazy, so for the time being the prince could only watch for the warning signs and do what he could do to keep both Zuko and Zidane out of Etro's reach. Would he win? He was not sure, but he had to at least try…even if the one he was trying to save wasn’t exactly one of the good guys. Regardless of this decision and knowledge, Noctis would eventually look away from Zuko and stretch out his slightly stiff body as he let out a light yawn and shook his head slightly to clear it. Despite the dream, he was feeling 100% better now that he had gotten some rest. He would be able to think and deal with whatever was to come better now and hopefully be of more use to Zidane and Zuko than he felt he had been to them in the past few days. As he got to his feet, the young prince looked over at the engine which seemed to be shifting gears or something as it creaked in moan. Taking the sound as a sign that perhaps they had gotten close to their destination, Noctis waited until the ship began to slow down and come to a halt to follow Zidane and Zuko out of the hidden area and back up into the main cargo hold of the ship. As the large vehicle groaned and shuddered slightly as it was pulled to a stop by the conductor, Noctis would keep himself balanced between the large boxes that shifted around him. When the vehicle had come to a full halt and the sounds of approaching voice filled the air, Noctis would turn to the nearest box and move around it as he looked down at the ropes for a bit, pretending at first that he was getting ready to move the cargo to wherever it needed to be move. As the door opened, the sound and scent of rain reached the young prince’s senses as a cool wind blew it in making him wonder just what sort of place they had ended up in as chattering crew members came in and began to unstrap the cargo. Mimicking what he saw, Noctis would fall into the act of helping the crew members unload along with Zidane. The young prince moved one heavy crate after another off of the ship carrying the smaller ones on his own and aiding crew members with larger ones. While the work was not something he did often back home, the prince had gotten enough practice moving heavy items when he was with his friends…and getting into places he shouldn’t have been in. Back then, the breaking and entering was a fun thing to do. You know, to compete with others to see who wouldn’t get caught, but to also have a bit of fun in his usually strict life. Noctis was a rebel at heart. He was always doing things that he was not supposed to do much to his father’s amusement and to dismay of his keepers; however, when an enemy kingdom attacked his city, those skills he had learned from being a rebel came into full play as he did what he could to protect himself and his home from the invaders who knew nothing of his city. Now away from all that chaos, the skills came into play again as he continued to lift boxes and move other items out of from the safety of ship and into the rain where he followed the line of crew men to the storage area where they stored goods. While the work was hard and made even harder by the rain that made both body, clothing, and cargo slick and damp, Noctis did not mind helping out. Besides, it was the least he could do after pretty much getting a free ride on the ship from the unsuspecting crew. In any case, it took a few moments before the ship was emptied and the crew was set to different tasks by the boss of the group. As the man talked to his people, Noctis and the others slipped away and head to the large arches of the city and entered the city. Drenched and trembling faintly from the cold, Noctis’s blue eyes would take in the city taking note of how some of the buildings were heavily damaged while other place were in the midst of being rebuilt. As he continued forward with boots sloshing in the puddles of the slightly muddy ground, Noctis felt the weight of this city’s suffering rest upon his shoulders as his mind took in reality and dismissed the images that Zuko had shown him earlier. Sure, the images had showed him that the place was in bad shape, but they never could compare him for reality. Never prepare him to face a war torn city. A place where the scent and presence of the dead was easily captured by his “blessed” senses. Staying quiet as his mind took in the layout of the land, he pulled himself out of his thoughts as he heard Zidane’s comment about catching colds and smirked. “Lucky indeed,” he would tease back before falling silent again and following the others to the center of the city where a fountain that currently did not work stood. The fountain at one point must’ve been something grand, but within the ruins of this city it was only a reminder of what the city might’ve been. Stopping to examine the structure for a bit, Noctis let Zidane and Zuko travel to the door of the area where he assumed the moogle was. While he was examining the structure, Zuko would move to a spot not too far away from the door Zidane was heading towards and rest against the damp walls. He would fold his arms as his left leg came across his right as he leaned back, letting the rain run off of his strangely water proof cloak. Moving his eyes from the resting thief, Noctis would look to where Zidane was only to see him pull out one of his daggers and begin to… Lock pick? the prince would think as he watched the monkey tailed thief quietly wiggle the blade into the lock under the door. Was there anything this guy could not do? In any case after a few seconds, he heard the lock give under the wiggling and then saw the blonde pushing the door open. As soon as the door was forced opened, Noctis watched as Zidane reeled back with a muffled cry before falling to the ground as something wriggling and quiet angry latched onto his face and appeared to be attempting to fight the thief! As Noctis saw Zidane go down and eventually slump (probably from the lack of air), the young man instinctively hurried over to Zidane to help him. As he neared Zidane, the little ball on his face calmed itself, realized it had made a mistake with its attack, and loosened its grip before being shoved off by the agitated blonde. As the little puff ball that was actually a moogle was thrown off and Zidane snapped at the creature, Noctis would shot Zuko a disapproving look as the guy practically died with laughter as he took in the situation. Seriously... the surprise, while comical in a sense, was not that funny given the little creature could’ve suffericated Zidane with that face hug. Not understanding how someone could laugh when people could potentially get hurt, Noctis shook his head as Zuko composed himself. Leaning over and still shaking with laughter, the strange mage did his best to apologize as he wiped his eyes. “Sorry. Sorry. It’s just that reaction was priceless,” he said before laughing off the remainder of the amusement. Ignoring the laughter, Noctis would look at Zidane as a light sigh escaped him and he shook his head causing droplets of water to come off of his damp dark locks as he reached down to help the man up. “You okay?” he would ask Zidane before falling silent and turning his attention to the moogle Alta who had now spun and was giggling with delight as he landed on the ground. Shaking off whatever was making him giddy in the first place, the moogle greeted them with a lightness and cutness that Noctis could not help, but smile slightly at. “The name is Noctis,” the prince told the little moogle gently as he smirked quite amazed that he had knocked Zidane over. He guess the two thieves weren’t exaggerating when they said not to mess with moogles. In any case, Zuko would calm himself eventually despite his smirking and nod at the moogle. “And I am Zuko,” the thief would say formally introduce himself with a smug grin before he’d tilt his head and speak to the moogle. “Say why were you locked up in there anyway expecting a monster or what not to attack, Alta? Is this place not safe anymore?” the thief would ask the double edged question that seemed kind and friendly on the surface, but under it all the thief was prying for information. Picking up on this, Noctis remained calm and open to whatever was to come, but subconsciously he kept his eye on Zuko who had seemed to loosen up slightly after that laughing fit. _________________________________________________ NOTES: Welp that is why we must use our manners, here. Speaking of manners, where are Zuko’s?
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