A New Beginning.
A/N: First off I'm SO sorry for not updating in ages but it's been a very busy year! Anyway I've done my exams now and have a whole year off, yoo-hoo! So now I can spend lots of time writing fics for all you lovely people! And I will probably finish this before continuing 'A Family In The Making'.
It's been a while so if you've forgotten any part of the fic read on, if you've got a better memory than me then skip straight to the fic!
Summary:
After a few drinks with Gilder Vyse has a bit of a fall. Fina finds him and lets him sleep in her bed while she watches over him and uses sacri crystals. The next morning Vyse wakes up to find himself in bed with Fina and not being able to remember the events of the night before. He's amazed to find that he has no feelings at the thought of their situation, and keeps picturing Aika in Fina's place. He tells Aika how he feels and they start going out but Fina is crushed.
Aika decides to set Fina up with someone and she and Vyse soon have her going out with a guy called Eric. Things are going great and Fina is happier than she has been in a long while until she finds out that Eric is two-timing her. Devastated, Fina runs away and Vyse and Aika search everywhere for her but she soon shows up with her new boyfriend Cody.
One night Fina tells Vyse that she thinks that she is in love with Cody, want to know what happens next? Well read on...
Chapter 8: The Mistake?
Vyse lay sprawled out in bed under a warm blue duvet, the open window letting fresh air and sunlight fill his small room. It had been a long night with lots of loqua and Vyse intended having a long lie-in. Of course a Blue Rouge always has to expect the unexpected.
"Get up lazy, you're bringing us to Sailors Isle." Aika demanded, bursting into Vyse's quiet room.
Vyse turned to face the wall and murmured groggily, "You're crazy! Can I not have one late morning for once in my life?"
"No! If this was a raid or a treasure hunt you'd be up at 6 AM! We're ready to go and you're sailing us there! See you in five minutes."
With that Aika left Vyse grumbling as he pulled himself out from the warm folds of his duvet. He was still half asleep as he pulled on his clothes and stumbled outside. He found the other three assembled by the pond and a minute later they were all in the Delphinus, ready to go.
As soon as Vyse's hands touched the helm he felt fully awake and alive. Nothing gave him as much of a thrill as soaring through the open skies, never knowing what he might find. Clouds, fish, ships and islands flew past in a blur of colour as Vyse navigated the blue skies.
First stop at Sailor's Isle was the Guild where Vyse picked up information on some bounties, then the two boys went to get supplies for the Delphinus from the crazy afro guy while the girls went to look in the item shop. When everyone was ready they all met back at Polly's tavern. Anne came to take their orders but as the tavern wasn't that busy she sat down with her friends,
"Hey guys what've you been up to lately? Whoo, and who's this cutie?!"
Fina smiled and cuddled closer to Cody, "This is Cody, my boyfriend, he runs a weapon shop in Marmamba."
Cody flashed Anne an award winning, white toothed smile and said coolly, "Hi."
"Oh, hi! So, how long have you been going out for?" The young barmaid asked covering up the faint look of disappointment which crossed her face when she found out that Cody was taken.
Cody not seeming to notice answered happily, "Almost three weeks now, we met at an inn in Horteka."
Anne winked at Fina and joked slyly, "Lucky you, huh? He's a real catch! But it's great to see you back Fina, these two were sick with worry. They came by seven times asking for you... But I can see that you were enjoying yourself!"
Fina went slightly red and Cody pulled her closer, laughing and said, "Yeah, we had a great time."
Anne opened her mouth to say something but turned, as a strong gust of wind ruffled her hair, to see a slick, middle-aged man in a crisp blue suit walk confidently through the door and up to the bar. He tapped his knuckles on the bar which caused Anne to promptly hop to her feet and apologize,
"Sorry guys I better get back to work."
The conversation turned to where they'd go after the tavern. Aika was hungry and was trying to convince the others to go out somewhere to get dinner, when she was interrupted by Anne's return.
Anne's eyebrows were furrowed slightly in confusion as her gaze fell on Cody. She scratched her head and then pointed a thumb over her shoulder at the bar and muttered,
"Uh, the guy in the suit wants to talk to you, Cody."
Cody rose slowly from his chair and made his way over to the man, a look of pure bewilderment on his sallow skinned face. Aika went back to whining about how she was starving to death and Vyse hissed,
"Fine, we'll go to Gordo's Bistro, just shush!"
Aika, now satisfied, joined in on Vyse and Fina's eavesdropping on Cody. Vyse couldn't quite hear what they were saying over the noise in the tavern but he still watched the two men's conversation. He observed Cody's expression as it changed from one of curiosity, to one of excitement and finally to an un-readable expression which Vyse thought could be disappointment, but he wasn't sure.
The man and Cody shook hands and Vyse, Aika and Fina hastily busied themselves with arranging forks or straightening the salt and pepper shakers before Cody turned and rejoined them. He returned to his seat next to Fina and casually draped his arm around her small shoulders. Fina turned her blonde head to fix curious emerald eyes on Cody and inquired,
"What did that man want, Cody?"
Cody scratched the back of his baby blonde head and attempted an answer,
"Well, um, he had a business proposition for me..."
"Oh? What kind of proposition?" Vyse questioned cautiously.
"If it involves a lot of gold take it!" squealed an excited Aika.
Cody's features became more confused and unreadable but he gave a half-smile and started slowly,
"Well yeah...a lot. More than triple what I bring in at the weapon store in fact."
Fina jumped in her seat and hugged Cody happily singing, "Oh that's brilliant! Your Granddad will be so happy!"
"And you'll be rich!" Aika yelled, her excitement growing.
But Vyse sensed that there was more, so he asked sceptically,
"What's the catch?"
"Heh, yeah. That's the thing... I'd have to move with the shop to...south-east Yafutoma..."
In an instant the three smiling faces around the table were wiped clean. Fina's eyes grew wide and shiny, but she managed to keep her voice calm as she confronted Cody,
"But...it'd take days for me to come and visit you. That's...that's even past the Dark Rift!"
Vyse exchanged a concerned glance with Aika and avoided eye contact with either Cody or Fina – he felt that they at least should be able to talk with some privacy, although he couldn't help over- hearing.
Cody squeezed his clouded blue eyes shut and ran his tanned hand through his short hair twice before muttering to his feet,
"I know...that's why I turned down the offer..."
Vyse saw Aika's chestnut eyes widen at the shock of turning down so much gold so he kicked her, under the table, warning her not to interrupt.
"No, I didn't mean, I mean, you don't have to-...just do what you feel is right. I don't want to influence your decision..." Fina finished lamely with a weak smile. Cody ran a hand through blonde hair again before opening his eyes definitely and looking intently at Fina,
"No I want to stay here...with you... I'm still making enough money to get by on..." Cody's tone was firm and final, though he seemed to loose his nerve at the end and reverted his gaze to his feet.
Vyse felt immense sorrow for Fina. She looked torn. She could either be happy with Cody and let his business scratch by or be separated from Cody but let his whole family have the money that they've always needed. How many tough decisions like this does she have to make in her life?!?
"No, no I want to stay here, honestly, it's more practical and there are a lot of things much more important than money." Cody once again spoke definitely but was staring at a point somewhere above Fina's right shoulder, and something in his tone made Vyse think that he was trying to convince himself more than Fina.
Fina sighed and gave up. Vyse watched Aika shift uncomfortably in her seat biting her lip, but suddenly she sat up straight, perked up and asked in a low voice.
"Vyse promised me that he'd take us to Gordo's Bistro, will we go now? I don't know 'bout you guy's but I'm starving!"
Cody jumped to his feet in such a rush that Fina was knocked side-ways, but he caught her easily as he hastily agreed,
"Yeah, yeah cool! Let's go now, my treat!"
Aika skipped to Cody's side delighted and Vyse, checking a clock, reluctantly followed his three friends back to the awaiting silver battle-ship.
Vyse and Aika stepped into the aluminous floating diner known as Gordo's Bistro hand-in-hand. Behind them followed the blonde couple with a slightly tenser aura about them.
There wasn't a huge crowd in the expensive diner so Gordo spotted his number one customer straight away. The over-weight, yellow clad chief waddled up to Aika, signature cheesy grin plastered on his round face.
"Oooohhh, my best customer graces my Bistro with her presence." Gordo exclaimed rolling his 'r's, making the sentence a lot longer than it should be. He faced Aika and dropped in a sweeping bow, his balloon stomach touching his knees.
"Very glad to, uh, grace you...?" Aika answered, wondering why Gordo was always extra nice to her.
Gordo straightened and flashed his grin again scanning the four new entrants.
"Soooo, very nice to have you all here," Gordo proclaimed, placing a pudgy hand on the small of Vyse's back and ushering the gang to the front of the Bistro, "Best seats in the house for Vyse the Legend and Aika, 'the girl with a bottomless pit for a stomach" He added in an undertone.
Soon the four were seated on scarlet and royal blue chairs around the longest table in the room. Everyone was relieved when their waiter, Philip, brought their menus, eliminating the need for them to strain their brains thinking up conversation starters to fill the awkward silence that had befallen the table.
Vyse was ready to order but kept his head buried in his menu, desperately thinking of something that he could say that would take everyone's minds from the morbid subject of Cody's predicament. Peeking over the top of his menu he saw his three friends all staring, fixated on a spot in their menus obviously thinking along the same lines as Vyse. Looking around to the strangely contrasting counter of severed pig heads and pink cakes Vyse was surprised to see Gordo staring back. After making eye contact, Gordo scurried over to the Blue Rogues' table, but instead of taking their orders puffed out his chest and drew a deep breath.
"Ladies and gentlemen," He bellowed, silencing the crowd, "I am proud to have here, someone who highly recommends my Bistro, Vyse the Legend!!!"
At once the crowd were on their feet cheering, whistling and punching the air. Gordo effortlessly pulled Vyse to his feet and joined in with the clapping making the towel on his arm and the flab on his frame flap gently.
Vyse didn't know what to say so put a toothy smile on his face while scratching the back of is head. He looked around to his friends for help but Aika just laughed at him and Fina and Cody were deep in conversation. It struck Vyse that this was the most privacy that they had since Cody got the offer at Polly's Tavern. He could just about hear bits of what they were saying over the constant cheering,
"Fina I... ...will go? ....... want different...." "But...I know.......love y-..."
Someone in the crowd started chanting, "Speech, speech!" and soon the whole room was echoing with the words.
"Um...Hello everyone... I uhhh um" Vyse mumbled trying to think of something better to say,
"I, I'm-"
"...Going to buy everyone here a drink!" The crowd erupted with shouts and people started to chant, "Vyse, Vyse, Vyse!" while thumping the tables.
Vyse turned to see who had just cost him about 600 gold, and was surprised to see Gilder striding up to him.
"Vyse is buying me and these guys dinner but will be happy to shake hands with you all after. I'm Gilder, Blue Rogue." Added Gilder winking at some of the ladies in the room.
He sat down next to Vyse, facing the door, and pulled his younger friend back down to his seat and out of the spot-light. Fina and Cody's conversation died out with the noise around them.
Gordo spun around to face his money-making customers, his face beaming with delight.
"Rrrrready to orrrderrrr?" Gordo asked in his stupid 'posh' r rolling accent, which would normally have annoyed Vyse but now he didn't seem to notice, his head still too big from all his fans attention.
To the relief of everyone at the table, dinner was an enjoyable affair with plenty of fevered conversation. This was mostly due to Gilder's unique talent of relaxing everyone one around him with hilarious anecdotes and topics, even in the most morbid atmosphere. Even Fina and Cody seemed to have forgotten their troubles and were laughing along with the others at Vyse's retelling of how he had to save Aika when she fell down the well outside his house when they were little kids.
"She smelled weird for a week after!!" Vyse laughed, initiating the same response from everyone else at the table.
"Well you didn't do that great a job rescuing me, I still have burn marks from that half rotten rope you pulled me up with!" Aika retorted between laughs looking for the imaginary marks on her arms.
Everyone laughed louder, troubles floating further away. Suddenly Gilder gave a loud yelp and dived past Vyse nearly knocking him off his chair.
"What the-" Vyse gasped spinning to see the cool and composed Gilder crouching behind a pile of wooden loqua crates. Gilder frowned and put a finger to his lips, pointing another one to the door.
Looking to the door Vyse instantly knew what had stricken such fear into Gilder's brave heart. A mass of pink burst into the room screaming, "My Gilder-poo, where are you??"
Clara.
The Blue Rogue skipped around the restaurant checking every table for her love.
"Hi guys!" she said to Vyse and friends before ducking down and picking up their tale cloth,
"No need to hide my love, I saw the Claudia outside. How romantic, a candle-lit dinner for two!!"
Everyone in the room had stopped eating to stare at the psychotic girl.
Clara, either not noticing or not caring, spun on one pink stiletto heel her pointed nose reaching upwards. Vyse watched gob smacked as her eyes fluttered closed pointed nose twitching as it let the scents of the diner engulf her senses.
Suddenly her eyelids snapped open and the Blue Rouge made a bee-line for the loqua crates. For Gilder. Vyse blinked, not believing what his eyes were showing him, it was as if this unassuming girl had some sort of sixth sense or something!!
Gilder uttered a loud profanity from under the table and dived. But he was too late. He rolled his electric blue eyes skywards as the brunette snuggled against his muscular chest, her arms locked on Gilder's neck in a vice-tight grip.
"Oh Gildy-poo a couple's candle-lit dinner, how romantic!"
Gilder sighed again and strode over to the free seat next to Vyse with some effort- the brunette still attached to his neck.
"Looks like you're buying six dinners now Vyse." Gilder laughed, pulling up a menu and reluctantly sharing it with the infatuated girl next to him.
"Not to mention sixty bottles of loqua thanks to you!"
Vyse sighed and called to Aika over the dying noise in the diner only to find that she was gone- along with Fina and Cody. Confused Vyse scanned the room of startled eyes staring- forks suspended in mid-air- at the loopy brunette. Locating Fina and Aika at the entrance he stood up and began to make his way past Gilder (who was ordering half the menu for himself) and headed towards the girls. A few people whooped and cheered as Vyse strode past but the Blue Rogue was oblivious. Something about the way the two girls were huddled- well Vyse could tell that something was wrong.
Fina's back was turned to Vyse but Aika was staring at him deliberately as if she was trying to communicate with him telepathically. The red-head kept frowning in Vyse's direction and then smiling at Fina. Confused, Vyse gave up on decoding Aika's cryptic messages and tenderly placed a hand on the Sylvite's shoulder.
Vyse was shocked as his friend turned to look at him.
Fina's pale skinned face was stained with tears. Her puffy, red, wide eyes shone desperately at Vyse. The three friends stood speechless but no words were needed. With the absence of one person it was clear to Vyse what had happened- Cody had left.
A/N Wow it's great to have time to write again. I promise to have the next chap up a.s.a.p and don't forget to drop a review!!
A/N: First off I'm SO sorry for not updating in ages but it's been a very busy year! Anyway I've done my exams now and have a whole year off, yoo-hoo! So now I can spend lots of time writing fics for all you lovely people! And I will probably finish this before continuing 'A Family In The Making'.
It's been a while so if you've forgotten any part of the fic read on, if you've got a better memory than me then skip straight to the fic!
Summary:
After a few drinks with Gilder Vyse has a bit of a fall. Fina finds him and lets him sleep in her bed while she watches over him and uses sacri crystals. The next morning Vyse wakes up to find himself in bed with Fina and not being able to remember the events of the night before. He's amazed to find that he has no feelings at the thought of their situation, and keeps picturing Aika in Fina's place. He tells Aika how he feels and they start going out but Fina is crushed.
Aika decides to set Fina up with someone and she and Vyse soon have her going out with a guy called Eric. Things are going great and Fina is happier than she has been in a long while until she finds out that Eric is two-timing her. Devastated, Fina runs away and Vyse and Aika search everywhere for her but she soon shows up with her new boyfriend Cody.
One night Fina tells Vyse that she thinks that she is in love with Cody, want to know what happens next? Well read on...
Chapter 8: The Mistake?
Vyse lay sprawled out in bed under a warm blue duvet, the open window letting fresh air and sunlight fill his small room. It had been a long night with lots of loqua and Vyse intended having a long lie-in. Of course a Blue Rouge always has to expect the unexpected.
"Get up lazy, you're bringing us to Sailors Isle." Aika demanded, bursting into Vyse's quiet room.
Vyse turned to face the wall and murmured groggily, "You're crazy! Can I not have one late morning for once in my life?"
"No! If this was a raid or a treasure hunt you'd be up at 6 AM! We're ready to go and you're sailing us there! See you in five minutes."
With that Aika left Vyse grumbling as he pulled himself out from the warm folds of his duvet. He was still half asleep as he pulled on his clothes and stumbled outside. He found the other three assembled by the pond and a minute later they were all in the Delphinus, ready to go.
As soon as Vyse's hands touched the helm he felt fully awake and alive. Nothing gave him as much of a thrill as soaring through the open skies, never knowing what he might find. Clouds, fish, ships and islands flew past in a blur of colour as Vyse navigated the blue skies.
First stop at Sailor's Isle was the Guild where Vyse picked up information on some bounties, then the two boys went to get supplies for the Delphinus from the crazy afro guy while the girls went to look in the item shop. When everyone was ready they all met back at Polly's tavern. Anne came to take their orders but as the tavern wasn't that busy she sat down with her friends,
"Hey guys what've you been up to lately? Whoo, and who's this cutie?!"
Fina smiled and cuddled closer to Cody, "This is Cody, my boyfriend, he runs a weapon shop in Marmamba."
Cody flashed Anne an award winning, white toothed smile and said coolly, "Hi."
"Oh, hi! So, how long have you been going out for?" The young barmaid asked covering up the faint look of disappointment which crossed her face when she found out that Cody was taken.
Cody not seeming to notice answered happily, "Almost three weeks now, we met at an inn in Horteka."
Anne winked at Fina and joked slyly, "Lucky you, huh? He's a real catch! But it's great to see you back Fina, these two were sick with worry. They came by seven times asking for you... But I can see that you were enjoying yourself!"
Fina went slightly red and Cody pulled her closer, laughing and said, "Yeah, we had a great time."
Anne opened her mouth to say something but turned, as a strong gust of wind ruffled her hair, to see a slick, middle-aged man in a crisp blue suit walk confidently through the door and up to the bar. He tapped his knuckles on the bar which caused Anne to promptly hop to her feet and apologize,
"Sorry guys I better get back to work."
The conversation turned to where they'd go after the tavern. Aika was hungry and was trying to convince the others to go out somewhere to get dinner, when she was interrupted by Anne's return.
Anne's eyebrows were furrowed slightly in confusion as her gaze fell on Cody. She scratched her head and then pointed a thumb over her shoulder at the bar and muttered,
"Uh, the guy in the suit wants to talk to you, Cody."
Cody rose slowly from his chair and made his way over to the man, a look of pure bewilderment on his sallow skinned face. Aika went back to whining about how she was starving to death and Vyse hissed,
"Fine, we'll go to Gordo's Bistro, just shush!"
Aika, now satisfied, joined in on Vyse and Fina's eavesdropping on Cody. Vyse couldn't quite hear what they were saying over the noise in the tavern but he still watched the two men's conversation. He observed Cody's expression as it changed from one of curiosity, to one of excitement and finally to an un-readable expression which Vyse thought could be disappointment, but he wasn't sure.
The man and Cody shook hands and Vyse, Aika and Fina hastily busied themselves with arranging forks or straightening the salt and pepper shakers before Cody turned and rejoined them. He returned to his seat next to Fina and casually draped his arm around her small shoulders. Fina turned her blonde head to fix curious emerald eyes on Cody and inquired,
"What did that man want, Cody?"
Cody scratched the back of his baby blonde head and attempted an answer,
"Well, um, he had a business proposition for me..."
"Oh? What kind of proposition?" Vyse questioned cautiously.
"If it involves a lot of gold take it!" squealed an excited Aika.
Cody's features became more confused and unreadable but he gave a half-smile and started slowly,
"Well yeah...a lot. More than triple what I bring in at the weapon store in fact."
Fina jumped in her seat and hugged Cody happily singing, "Oh that's brilliant! Your Granddad will be so happy!"
"And you'll be rich!" Aika yelled, her excitement growing.
But Vyse sensed that there was more, so he asked sceptically,
"What's the catch?"
"Heh, yeah. That's the thing... I'd have to move with the shop to...south-east Yafutoma..."
In an instant the three smiling faces around the table were wiped clean. Fina's eyes grew wide and shiny, but she managed to keep her voice calm as she confronted Cody,
"But...it'd take days for me to come and visit you. That's...that's even past the Dark Rift!"
Vyse exchanged a concerned glance with Aika and avoided eye contact with either Cody or Fina – he felt that they at least should be able to talk with some privacy, although he couldn't help over- hearing.
Cody squeezed his clouded blue eyes shut and ran his tanned hand through his short hair twice before muttering to his feet,
"I know...that's why I turned down the offer..."
Vyse saw Aika's chestnut eyes widen at the shock of turning down so much gold so he kicked her, under the table, warning her not to interrupt.
"No, I didn't mean, I mean, you don't have to-...just do what you feel is right. I don't want to influence your decision..." Fina finished lamely with a weak smile. Cody ran a hand through blonde hair again before opening his eyes definitely and looking intently at Fina,
"No I want to stay here...with you... I'm still making enough money to get by on..." Cody's tone was firm and final, though he seemed to loose his nerve at the end and reverted his gaze to his feet.
Vyse felt immense sorrow for Fina. She looked torn. She could either be happy with Cody and let his business scratch by or be separated from Cody but let his whole family have the money that they've always needed. How many tough decisions like this does she have to make in her life?!?
"No, no I want to stay here, honestly, it's more practical and there are a lot of things much more important than money." Cody once again spoke definitely but was staring at a point somewhere above Fina's right shoulder, and something in his tone made Vyse think that he was trying to convince himself more than Fina.
Fina sighed and gave up. Vyse watched Aika shift uncomfortably in her seat biting her lip, but suddenly she sat up straight, perked up and asked in a low voice.
"Vyse promised me that he'd take us to Gordo's Bistro, will we go now? I don't know 'bout you guy's but I'm starving!"
Cody jumped to his feet in such a rush that Fina was knocked side-ways, but he caught her easily as he hastily agreed,
"Yeah, yeah cool! Let's go now, my treat!"
Aika skipped to Cody's side delighted and Vyse, checking a clock, reluctantly followed his three friends back to the awaiting silver battle-ship.
Vyse and Aika stepped into the aluminous floating diner known as Gordo's Bistro hand-in-hand. Behind them followed the blonde couple with a slightly tenser aura about them.
There wasn't a huge crowd in the expensive diner so Gordo spotted his number one customer straight away. The over-weight, yellow clad chief waddled up to Aika, signature cheesy grin plastered on his round face.
"Oooohhh, my best customer graces my Bistro with her presence." Gordo exclaimed rolling his 'r's, making the sentence a lot longer than it should be. He faced Aika and dropped in a sweeping bow, his balloon stomach touching his knees.
"Very glad to, uh, grace you...?" Aika answered, wondering why Gordo was always extra nice to her.
Gordo straightened and flashed his grin again scanning the four new entrants.
"Soooo, very nice to have you all here," Gordo proclaimed, placing a pudgy hand on the small of Vyse's back and ushering the gang to the front of the Bistro, "Best seats in the house for Vyse the Legend and Aika, 'the girl with a bottomless pit for a stomach" He added in an undertone.
Soon the four were seated on scarlet and royal blue chairs around the longest table in the room. Everyone was relieved when their waiter, Philip, brought their menus, eliminating the need for them to strain their brains thinking up conversation starters to fill the awkward silence that had befallen the table.
Vyse was ready to order but kept his head buried in his menu, desperately thinking of something that he could say that would take everyone's minds from the morbid subject of Cody's predicament. Peeking over the top of his menu he saw his three friends all staring, fixated on a spot in their menus obviously thinking along the same lines as Vyse. Looking around to the strangely contrasting counter of severed pig heads and pink cakes Vyse was surprised to see Gordo staring back. After making eye contact, Gordo scurried over to the Blue Rogues' table, but instead of taking their orders puffed out his chest and drew a deep breath.
"Ladies and gentlemen," He bellowed, silencing the crowd, "I am proud to have here, someone who highly recommends my Bistro, Vyse the Legend!!!"
At once the crowd were on their feet cheering, whistling and punching the air. Gordo effortlessly pulled Vyse to his feet and joined in with the clapping making the towel on his arm and the flab on his frame flap gently.
Vyse didn't know what to say so put a toothy smile on his face while scratching the back of is head. He looked around to his friends for help but Aika just laughed at him and Fina and Cody were deep in conversation. It struck Vyse that this was the most privacy that they had since Cody got the offer at Polly's Tavern. He could just about hear bits of what they were saying over the constant cheering,
"Fina I... ...will go? ....... want different...." "But...I know.......love y-..."
Someone in the crowd started chanting, "Speech, speech!" and soon the whole room was echoing with the words.
"Um...Hello everyone... I uhhh um" Vyse mumbled trying to think of something better to say,
"I, I'm-"
"...Going to buy everyone here a drink!" The crowd erupted with shouts and people started to chant, "Vyse, Vyse, Vyse!" while thumping the tables.
Vyse turned to see who had just cost him about 600 gold, and was surprised to see Gilder striding up to him.
"Vyse is buying me and these guys dinner but will be happy to shake hands with you all after. I'm Gilder, Blue Rogue." Added Gilder winking at some of the ladies in the room.
He sat down next to Vyse, facing the door, and pulled his younger friend back down to his seat and out of the spot-light. Fina and Cody's conversation died out with the noise around them.
Gordo spun around to face his money-making customers, his face beaming with delight.
"Rrrrready to orrrderrrr?" Gordo asked in his stupid 'posh' r rolling accent, which would normally have annoyed Vyse but now he didn't seem to notice, his head still too big from all his fans attention.
To the relief of everyone at the table, dinner was an enjoyable affair with plenty of fevered conversation. This was mostly due to Gilder's unique talent of relaxing everyone one around him with hilarious anecdotes and topics, even in the most morbid atmosphere. Even Fina and Cody seemed to have forgotten their troubles and were laughing along with the others at Vyse's retelling of how he had to save Aika when she fell down the well outside his house when they were little kids.
"She smelled weird for a week after!!" Vyse laughed, initiating the same response from everyone else at the table.
"Well you didn't do that great a job rescuing me, I still have burn marks from that half rotten rope you pulled me up with!" Aika retorted between laughs looking for the imaginary marks on her arms.
Everyone laughed louder, troubles floating further away. Suddenly Gilder gave a loud yelp and dived past Vyse nearly knocking him off his chair.
"What the-" Vyse gasped spinning to see the cool and composed Gilder crouching behind a pile of wooden loqua crates. Gilder frowned and put a finger to his lips, pointing another one to the door.
Looking to the door Vyse instantly knew what had stricken such fear into Gilder's brave heart. A mass of pink burst into the room screaming, "My Gilder-poo, where are you??"
Clara.
The Blue Rogue skipped around the restaurant checking every table for her love.
"Hi guys!" she said to Vyse and friends before ducking down and picking up their tale cloth,
"No need to hide my love, I saw the Claudia outside. How romantic, a candle-lit dinner for two!!"
Everyone in the room had stopped eating to stare at the psychotic girl.
Clara, either not noticing or not caring, spun on one pink stiletto heel her pointed nose reaching upwards. Vyse watched gob smacked as her eyes fluttered closed pointed nose twitching as it let the scents of the diner engulf her senses.
Suddenly her eyelids snapped open and the Blue Rouge made a bee-line for the loqua crates. For Gilder. Vyse blinked, not believing what his eyes were showing him, it was as if this unassuming girl had some sort of sixth sense or something!!
Gilder uttered a loud profanity from under the table and dived. But he was too late. He rolled his electric blue eyes skywards as the brunette snuggled against his muscular chest, her arms locked on Gilder's neck in a vice-tight grip.
"Oh Gildy-poo a couple's candle-lit dinner, how romantic!"
Gilder sighed again and strode over to the free seat next to Vyse with some effort- the brunette still attached to his neck.
"Looks like you're buying six dinners now Vyse." Gilder laughed, pulling up a menu and reluctantly sharing it with the infatuated girl next to him.
"Not to mention sixty bottles of loqua thanks to you!"
Vyse sighed and called to Aika over the dying noise in the diner only to find that she was gone- along with Fina and Cody. Confused Vyse scanned the room of startled eyes staring- forks suspended in mid-air- at the loopy brunette. Locating Fina and Aika at the entrance he stood up and began to make his way past Gilder (who was ordering half the menu for himself) and headed towards the girls. A few people whooped and cheered as Vyse strode past but the Blue Rogue was oblivious. Something about the way the two girls were huddled- well Vyse could tell that something was wrong.
Fina's back was turned to Vyse but Aika was staring at him deliberately as if she was trying to communicate with him telepathically. The red-head kept frowning in Vyse's direction and then smiling at Fina. Confused, Vyse gave up on decoding Aika's cryptic messages and tenderly placed a hand on the Sylvite's shoulder.
Vyse was shocked as his friend turned to look at him.
Fina's pale skinned face was stained with tears. Her puffy, red, wide eyes shone desperately at Vyse. The three friends stood speechless but no words were needed. With the absence of one person it was clear to Vyse what had happened- Cody had left.
A/N Wow it's great to have time to write again. I promise to have the next chap up a.s.a.p and don't forget to drop a review!!