Lunar Cry: Meetings
Chapter 2
by Mariye
======
Disclaimer: I own all the characters. FF8 did inspire this though. The
question right now is, is this a prequel to FF8, or showing what
would happen if a Lunar Cry happened on Earth.
Thanks to my beta-reader for this one, Whitewolf. I'm slowly going off
beta-readers, now that I see that this story is starting to actually kind of
shape up decently... o^-^o
Thanks again to Whitewolf and MegalomaniacHaruka for all the help they were
when I was starting this series!
======
[year: 2017. 15 years after the Lunar Cry]
"Listen, I may look young, but I'm not gonna let you stiff me on this
deal. I hunted out there for five hours straight. FIVE HOURS! And all
you're gonna give me is a room for the night? What kinda Haven is
this?" A young woman, dressed in a baggy yellow sweatshirt with a
black sleeveless turtleneck catsuit under it yelled as she slammed her
hand on the wall next to her. The tall man in front of her flinched
slightly, trying to hide emotion.
"Times are tough. Thats all we have right now. What do you expect in
the middle of a fresh attack? Take it or leave it. Back when I was a
Rogue on the move I woulda been thankful for a room after work." The
30 year old man rubbed his hands together. "Well?" The woman looked
at him.
"Don't patronize me old man. Fine. But I'll never work here for you
again." She pushed past him into the main part of the Haven, the bar
and lounge.
"The rooms are upstairs!" He called after her.
The woman walked up to the bar and sat down. A seedy looking bartender
with greasy black hair and a hook for a hand walked up to her.
"Not many women Rogues around here. Where you from?"
"Nowhere. Gimme something hard." The girl pulled the satchel off her
back and put it down on the bar in front of her.
"Depends, how old are ya?"
"24." The bartender looked her up and down.
"Yeah, and I meant to do this." He waved his hook in front of her.
"18." The girl put her elbows on the bar and looked around. A few
other random Rogues were around. A few around her age. One or two
older. None younger.
"Hardest I can give you is this new drink. Made from this grass they
found growin somewhere. Its called Krakka." The man put the bottle
in front of her. "Have a name?"
"Yeah." She took a small sip, cringed, the put the bottle down and
pushed it away.
"Don't think just because you don't like it, you don't have to pay
for it." The girl glared at the bartender and pushed a crinkled bill
in towards him.
"We only take gil here. No paper money, too easy to forge."
"Fine." She took back the dollars and pushed some gil towards him. As
he walked away, she let her attention wander.
"Did you hear about the latest attack?" The girl turned sharply,
thinking the remark was meant for her. Instead, she saw two young
Rogues a little further down talking. She let herself eavesdrop.
"Where this time?" A man, a little older then herself, asked. He
never looked up from the map he was reading.
"A little Haven near old Chicago. Its in the middle of a forest
though. Hard to get to. They'll probably send out a call for Rogues
soon."
"You gonna go Wedge?"
"Nah, too far. You Hasani?"
"Maybe, I could use an adventure. Depends on the pay too. Who started
the attack?"
"Sorceress again. That Baign guy led the attack."
The girl laughed. "Sorceress, yeah right." The two men turned to look
at her.
"What do you mean yeah right?" The one who had called himself Wedge
asked as Hasani and him turned to face her. She turned to look at
both of them.
"The sorceress is like... like the Boogie Man. She's an imaginary
person for everyone to blame. That way, well, say this guy Baign
attacks a village. Instead of people blaming another human. Another
'one of their kind.'" The woman got all dramatic. "They can blame
an evil, unholy Sorceress." Wedge looked all flustered, while Hasani
laughed.
"If you look at it that way, it seems stupid to believe in a
Sorceress. You're all right..." Hasani looked at her questionably.
"Terentia Weatta."
"I'm Hasani Feren, and this guy here is Wedge. Wedge knows everything
thats happening. Helps me get a lot of good jobs. I guess you heard
about that attack we were talking about. You gonna head out if they
call for re-enforcements?"
"Probably. Got the short end of the stick on this job here. Maybe I'll
get better if I go."
"Yeah, I hear ya. I got only a meal for working three hours." Wedge
said while taking out his dagger.
"Yeah, all I got was a room for the night." Terentia said while
playing with a peanut that sat on the counter.
"I got a room too. Its sad. Seattle Haven and Dollet Haven pay much
better. Maybe we should report this one..."
"Too many forms. Too much paper work. Besides, you remember what
happened to that guy Biggs when he reported a guild." Wedge grabbed
a handful of peanuts. "I'm gonna buy a room for the night. See you
when ever I see you Hasani. Nice to meet you Terentia."
"Bye." Hasani turned to look at Terentia. "Listen, I'm not gonna stay
at a place like this that doesn't appreciate Rogues, are you?"
"Nah." Terentia tossed back her hair.
"Wanna head with me to the Forest Haven? I hate traveling alone.
Besides, groups of Rogues can usually get better conditions."
Terentia looked at Hasani.
"I usually travel alone, thanks. I prefer it."
"Come on. Its rough in the forested areas now a days."
Terentia looked at him. He was right. "Fine. We each pull our own
weight though."
"Agreed. Lets go."
======
[the end for now...]
Chapter 2
by Mariye
======
Disclaimer: I own all the characters. FF8 did inspire this though. The
question right now is, is this a prequel to FF8, or showing what
would happen if a Lunar Cry happened on Earth.
Thanks to my beta-reader for this one, Whitewolf. I'm slowly going off
beta-readers, now that I see that this story is starting to actually kind of
shape up decently... o^-^o
Thanks again to Whitewolf and MegalomaniacHaruka for all the help they were
when I was starting this series!
======
[year: 2017. 15 years after the Lunar Cry]
"Listen, I may look young, but I'm not gonna let you stiff me on this
deal. I hunted out there for five hours straight. FIVE HOURS! And all
you're gonna give me is a room for the night? What kinda Haven is
this?" A young woman, dressed in a baggy yellow sweatshirt with a
black sleeveless turtleneck catsuit under it yelled as she slammed her
hand on the wall next to her. The tall man in front of her flinched
slightly, trying to hide emotion.
"Times are tough. Thats all we have right now. What do you expect in
the middle of a fresh attack? Take it or leave it. Back when I was a
Rogue on the move I woulda been thankful for a room after work." The
30 year old man rubbed his hands together. "Well?" The woman looked
at him.
"Don't patronize me old man. Fine. But I'll never work here for you
again." She pushed past him into the main part of the Haven, the bar
and lounge.
"The rooms are upstairs!" He called after her.
The woman walked up to the bar and sat down. A seedy looking bartender
with greasy black hair and a hook for a hand walked up to her.
"Not many women Rogues around here. Where you from?"
"Nowhere. Gimme something hard." The girl pulled the satchel off her
back and put it down on the bar in front of her.
"Depends, how old are ya?"
"24." The bartender looked her up and down.
"Yeah, and I meant to do this." He waved his hook in front of her.
"18." The girl put her elbows on the bar and looked around. A few
other random Rogues were around. A few around her age. One or two
older. None younger.
"Hardest I can give you is this new drink. Made from this grass they
found growin somewhere. Its called Krakka." The man put the bottle
in front of her. "Have a name?"
"Yeah." She took a small sip, cringed, the put the bottle down and
pushed it away.
"Don't think just because you don't like it, you don't have to pay
for it." The girl glared at the bartender and pushed a crinkled bill
in towards him.
"We only take gil here. No paper money, too easy to forge."
"Fine." She took back the dollars and pushed some gil towards him. As
he walked away, she let her attention wander.
"Did you hear about the latest attack?" The girl turned sharply,
thinking the remark was meant for her. Instead, she saw two young
Rogues a little further down talking. She let herself eavesdrop.
"Where this time?" A man, a little older then herself, asked. He
never looked up from the map he was reading.
"A little Haven near old Chicago. Its in the middle of a forest
though. Hard to get to. They'll probably send out a call for Rogues
soon."
"You gonna go Wedge?"
"Nah, too far. You Hasani?"
"Maybe, I could use an adventure. Depends on the pay too. Who started
the attack?"
"Sorceress again. That Baign guy led the attack."
The girl laughed. "Sorceress, yeah right." The two men turned to look
at her.
"What do you mean yeah right?" The one who had called himself Wedge
asked as Hasani and him turned to face her. She turned to look at
both of them.
"The sorceress is like... like the Boogie Man. She's an imaginary
person for everyone to blame. That way, well, say this guy Baign
attacks a village. Instead of people blaming another human. Another
'one of their kind.'" The woman got all dramatic. "They can blame
an evil, unholy Sorceress." Wedge looked all flustered, while Hasani
laughed.
"If you look at it that way, it seems stupid to believe in a
Sorceress. You're all right..." Hasani looked at her questionably.
"Terentia Weatta."
"I'm Hasani Feren, and this guy here is Wedge. Wedge knows everything
thats happening. Helps me get a lot of good jobs. I guess you heard
about that attack we were talking about. You gonna head out if they
call for re-enforcements?"
"Probably. Got the short end of the stick on this job here. Maybe I'll
get better if I go."
"Yeah, I hear ya. I got only a meal for working three hours." Wedge
said while taking out his dagger.
"Yeah, all I got was a room for the night." Terentia said while
playing with a peanut that sat on the counter.
"I got a room too. Its sad. Seattle Haven and Dollet Haven pay much
better. Maybe we should report this one..."
"Too many forms. Too much paper work. Besides, you remember what
happened to that guy Biggs when he reported a guild." Wedge grabbed
a handful of peanuts. "I'm gonna buy a room for the night. See you
when ever I see you Hasani. Nice to meet you Terentia."
"Bye." Hasani turned to look at Terentia. "Listen, I'm not gonna stay
at a place like this that doesn't appreciate Rogues, are you?"
"Nah." Terentia tossed back her hair.
"Wanna head with me to the Forest Haven? I hate traveling alone.
Besides, groups of Rogues can usually get better conditions."
Terentia looked at Hasani.
"I usually travel alone, thanks. I prefer it."
"Come on. Its rough in the forested areas now a days."
Terentia looked at him. He was right. "Fine. We each pull our own
weight though."
"Agreed. Lets go."
======
[the end for now...]