Drag
By Allusia Starkiller & Aislin Oriel
"Yeah? Yeah, well Albert loves Dart and he wears funny clothes."
"Hey!" Estell yelled, her attention having been caught from her continuing impersonation of Lloyd as she waved her hand in the air saying "Over. Here."
"They're not that bad." Shana commented, "I mean the tight-like pants could maybe go."
"Albert's clothes, Albert's clothes! Not Dart's, he's the guy with the huge nose remember?" Ceres pointed out, trying to get the girl to insult properly.
"Would you lay off on the nose?" Estell remarked dryly. "And since I know Emille won't get you back, Lloyd's wardrobe sucks too!"
"So! ALBERT LOVES DART!"
"Eehem." everyone's attention was drawn to the chamber's doors where Ellis was peering in with a somewhat terrified look on his face.
"Hey, girls only!" Estell yelled to him, she turned back to her sister, "And so what? It's not like the feeling is mutual, Lloyd's still the village bicycle."
"Um, yeah." Ellis raised his voice to get the girls attention again, "Anyone know where the other guys might be?"
"Do you see them in here anywhere?" Estell asked. She looked around with no luck to further emphasis her point.
"We've got you some manservants, but no guys. Why, did they ditch you or something?" Ceres asked.
"Uh, no. I was supposed to meet up with them at the tavern, but they never showed." Ellis answered.
"Uh-oh. Albert told you . . ." and with that comment, Ceres began to chuckle.
"Shaddup!" Estell elbowed the young woman in the ribs, "Remember Lloyd is with them! So if something's going on with Dart and Albert, Lloyd's in on it too." she pointed out.
"Erp, uh, so I'm guessing you don't know where they are?" Ellis asked. All present noted that his face was a few shades lighter then when he had first proposed this question.
"Oh for crying out loud! They went to-" Shana was swiftly quieted as both Ceres and Estell lunged at her and covered her mouth.
"Nope. Don't know a thing." Ceres smiled fakely at the startled man.
"Nahh, why don't you try the tavern again Ellis?" Estell asked.
"Thank you . . . I suppose . . ." Ellis swung his cape to face them and retreated out the door, in a rather rushed manner.
"Shana! Ya almost blew our cover! We don't know where they are. Remember?" Ceres asked, before slowly removing her hand from her mouth.
Estell nodded before doing the same thing.
"But they did say that they were going to-"
"No they didn't. You're just crazy." Ceres corrected.
"Now, now, if anyone here is a lunatic, it's you two." Miranda said in a snooty tone.
"What is going on ladies?" Emille asked carefully.
"Well . . . uh, nothing?" Estell tried.
"Albert just loves Dart." Ceres put in, while she had her chance, "Just for the record."
"Of course he does, he's close to all his friends. And Dart is a good man." Emille justified.
Estell glared over at her sister as she began to burst over with laughter at Emille's not-quite-getting-it comment. "Don't. Say. Anything." she warned.
"Ha, Albert would know." Ceres stated.
"That's it!" Estell said with a final glare before hefting up a drink and tossing the contents in Ceres' direction.
Luckily, Ceres had just enough time to grab Miranda and position her in the way of the impending attack, and she took the full-force of the splash. The evidence now dripped off the tip of her nose, and had liberally coated her hair, face and front.
"Wow. That was good." Estell commented, impressed at her sisters' speed.
"Well, what can I say?" she shrugged and began to laugh at the completely angered blonde.
"Oh dear . . ." Emille covered her mouth in surprise, and to everyone else's, a soft flow of laughter began to pour from behind her hand.
"I can't (sputter) believe this!" Miranda screeched furiously.
"And yet another example of a makeover, eh Shana?" Estell asked.
"I must admit . . ." Shana nodded.
"That's twice - three times a charm!" Ceres gestured to her sister to grab another glass of the pollen, "C'mon, c'mon!" she said, grabbing Miranda again.
The drenched woman shot out of her grasp, regarded her with pure rage and then leapt upon her all the while screaming in anger. Ceres had no choice but to roll with the punches. Miranda went on furiously, and out of instinct, clutched a handful of Ceres' salt and pepper hair.
"Ash! She's a latcher! Go for the ankles!"
"Hair pulling is a two point deductible." Estell pointed out.
"Yes, but Ceres hasn't made any counterattacks yet. That's also a two point deductible." Shana added.
"Let's see some magic, I'll give five points to the first who does that." Estell remarked.
"Thirty on Miranda! Thirty on Ceres!"
Shana and Estell turned around to see Emille, glass raised, cheering on the fight and having the time of her life. Then they promptly turned back around, trying to make it go away.
"I'll take her out to the balcony for some air." Shana volunteered, avoiding the two women who were squabbling in the middle of the room (still atop manservants).
"Make sure she stays away from the rails." Estell advised and returned her attention back to the fight, "Let's see the fireworks!"
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The boys . . .
"Hey, what's that?" Dart inquired, pointing to the flashes and streaks of colored light coming from one of Indel's Castle lower balconies.
Albert looked to where Dart was pointing, a frown creasing his brow, "I don't know."
"Fireworks!" Lloyd bellowed from where he sat, raising his glass in salute. "Boo. . ti-ful! Excel . . . lent!"
"Did he have to come?" Albert asked softly with a sideways glance.
"We're comrades in arms, we have to learn to get along with each other," Dart shrugged.
"Besides, we couldn't just leave him lying on the ground like that."
"Whoa, is that tower supposed to be on fire, Bert?" Albert's attention went back to Lloyd who was getting much enjoyment watching Indel's new flamish look.
". . ." Albert's frown worsened.
"Shouldn't we, uh, go see what's happening?" Dart asked.
"Damn! Show's over . . ." Lloyd grumbled/slurred disappointedly, "Didn't even get me money's worth!"
"Soa help us." Albert mumbled, burying his face in his hands.
"Who knew Winglies had no head for ale?" Dart reasoned. "At least it seems the fire's out."
Albert nodded, noting the flames had diminished to a few small clouds of smoke and smoldering castle. "Speaking of which - you don't think any of that had anything to do with the 'girls night' thing, do you?"
Dart was confused, "'Girls night'? I never heard anything about this, is this why we were all forced to um, socialize, um, together - with him." He pointed to Lloyd who looked as if he was contemplating flying away or jumping off the roof - one of the two.
"Yeah, basically. Ellis was supposed to show up too and all."
"Wonder how he got out of it." Dart said rubbing the back of his neck.
"My . . ." Lloyd prepared himself for the flighty jump, " . .leap . . .OF FAITH!" As he yelled the last two words he, he literally walked off the roof.
Dart and Albert were waiting for the inevitable loud thud but no such sound of cracking bones came. Instead, they heard the still distinct sound of, "Savior! Thank you!"
They cautiously peered over the edge, to see Lloyd, in Ellis' arms, smiling up at him like a doting idiot. "Thank you, thank you, thank you . . ." he continued enthusiastically.
"Oh for crying out-" Ellis began,
"Oh-oh." Albert began to predict what was about to transpire.
Lloyd wrapped his arms around Ellis' neck, "Dear sweet Saviour, I owe my life to you." He cooed.
Ellis looked to Lloyd, still in his arms, up to where Albert and Dart stood watching, hiding smiles behind their hands. He offered the two a grimace clearly indicating he was the one who needed a saviour. Lloyd's homage was rising in volume as he listed off the things he was grateful for, namely and especially his 'Saviour'. Ellis remembered the drunk fool he held and proceeded to drop him on his arse. Unfortunately, as Lloyd was counting off the ways he owed Ellis his life, he had also busied himself by fidgeting with the shiny buttons on the man's pettie coat. The button sprang off with fierce ferocity, resulting in the disrobing of Ellis. Unbeknownst to Ellis, the garments he had purchased were of poor quality. So there he stood, towering over Lloyd (with a hand full of buttons), and very much nude.
"Good god man, cover yourself!" Lloyd shouted, rampantly searching for something to shield his eyes with. Such protection came in the form of Ellis' ruined pettie coat.
"Great day to forget the cape, eh Ellis?" Dart called down.
Ellis, still petrified by the entire predicament, swiped his clothes from Lloyd and wrapped them around his waist as fast and as effectively as he could. The result was a makeshift toga made of forest green-chiffon material and white silk.
"Very stylish." Albert commented.
"You would know." Ellis responded.
"Alright guys, I think that we'd better get back to the Castle. Lloyd is more destructive and annoying than usual," Dart was interrupted.
"Hey, I resemble that!"
"And Ellis looks to be in need of a new wardrobe." he chuckled mildly to himself.
"Well, whatever happened back there seems to have died down, so hopefully no one's dead." Albert half-joked.
Both he and Dart made their way down to where Ellis stood and Lloyd lay sprawled on the ground.
"Let's go guys!" Lloyd piped as he hopped to his feet.
"So, how long does it take for the hangover to kick in?" Dart inquired as the three of them observed the Wingly's lack of equilibrium in action.
"C'mon," Ellis said as he grabbed Lloyd by the shoulder.
Drunken as he had never been before, he flailed rather inadvertently, whacking Ellis in the face causing him to stumble backwards into Dart and Albert. In the process of this, Lloyd grabbed hold of Ellis' sheath belt grinning mischievously . . .
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So, there you have it, chapter two. Aislin and I own nothing save for our souls (which is pending, given the results of the next chess game between GOOD and EVIL), thus we do not own Legend of Dragoon – only the craziness that went into the plot (or lack thereof) and the OCs, ah Ellis! Review if you want to know more and find out the deeply seeded meaning of the title . . . Toodles – k. ramsey