-- Final Fantasy IX : Have and Have Not -- Chapter Nine : Planning --

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Well, here y'all go! Next chapter:) I have another chapter in the works, but since I have math that I really should be doing, I'll have to get on that some other night. Well ... Since I really don't have too much to say (other than Read and Review, please!), I guess I'll just let you go right to the chapter!

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Nestled comfortably within the bar, the men of Tantalus were polishing up their plan.

It was simple, that was for sure. But, then again, the plans that they managed to carry out usually were. None of the fake-play sneaking-into-the-castle stuff that they had done before. At least, not yet. At the moment, they were too busy priding themselves on the fact that they had come up with a plan good enough to figure out where Marcus' girl was.

Truth be told, it was nothing too phenomenal, and certainly not good enough to merit a celebration of the epic proportions that they were indulging in.

The plan was simple almost to a fault. Painstakingly, they had mapped out the city (on a napkin) and had then divided it into sections, assigning a section to each man. Over the next few days, they'd patrol their sectors, and they'd either come up with a sighting of the girl, or they'd see her themselves. Easy as that.

Unfortunately, it had never crossed the men's minds that she might not be out in the city. In fact, none of them ever paused to think that she might not be in the city at all. And now, in their fit of drunken merriment, it was unlikely that any of them would.

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Marcus hated the theatre. It was just too ... too theatre-y. He sighed, and looked at his watch. Less than five minutes had passed since the start of the play ... but even that was too long to spend in the stuffy building. Especially when the crazy woman who dragged you out of your home while you were pining over the woman you really wanted and dragged you to the stupid play in the first place was practically sitting in your lap. Marcus had already scooted over so far in an attempt to get away from her that, if he moved any further, he'd fall into the aisle.

Ruby sighed contentedly, her head against his shoulder, obviously mistaking his sigh for one of contentment. "I know. I love this play, too. And I love being with you."

Marcus grimaced. "Uh huh."

She sighed softly again, scooting even closer (were that possible), and continued to watch the stage.

He stole another glance at his watch. Another minute had elapsed. Only ... what was it? An hour and fifty-four minutes to go? He suppressed a huff of annoyance, as well as the sudden urge to throw Ruby off of him and make a run for the door. He'd find that pickpocket, and he'd take her in his arms, and he'd tell her that he loved her. And that would be that. If he could find her. And if he could stop tripping over his tongue whenever he tried to talk to her. And if she wouldn't punch him in the stomach for taking her in his arms (she was a fiery little thing, she'd proven that). And if he could get Ruby off of him in the first place so that he could make the break for the door. Knowing her, she'd probably hang onto his ankles and make him drag her.

Ruby. She was still leaning against him, her lace-gloved hand almost dangerously placed on his thigh. Her pale curls were in his face, making his chin itch. It was already hot and stuffy in the building, and the fact that Ruby was all over him wasn't helping much; his clothing, he was sure, was beginning to stick to him. Besides all that, she was crushing the arm that he refused to put around her.

Trying to amuse himself, Marcus directed his gaze at the stage. Colourful figures were skipping around, proclaiming something about some street girl. Street Girl. Those words tore open Marcus' heart, and he had to look away. The carpet was a beautiful, deep red. Her hair had that colour in it, when the light from the setting sun had hit it.

"Ruby. I'll be right back, okay?"

"Why's that, hunnie?"

"Bathroom break."

Before she could say anything more, Marcus was on his feet and was heading swiftly to the door. Just outside, he heaved a grateful sigh of relief. For one, the lobby of the theatre was less stuffy than the rooms it led on to. For another, he was away from Ruby's smothering presence. Finally.

True to his word, he headed to the bathroom. What? He hadn't lied when he'd said he needed a bathroom break. It was just going to take longer than Ruby probably assumed it would. Say ... an hour and fifty-four minutes? No, best make it two hours. Maybe two and a half hours. Just in case of an encore.

The tiling in the bathroom was as clear a blue as her eyes had been ...

Even the bathroom reminded him of her!

Something was definitely wrong with him.

---

"Okayyyyy ..." Baku slurred, stabbing a finger against their napkin. "Ssso ... we'll start this tomorrah ... okah?" Murmured agreement ran around the table. "Righ' ... okay ... heh ... we're gonna hafta keep our eyes peeled ... an' ... an' ..." His 'inspirational' speech quickly deteriorated and he settled for just gazing down at his empty tankard of beer forlornly.

Blank and Cinna, for once the sober ones in the group, exchanged worried looks.

"Go home and get some rest," Blank said with a sigh, resting his forehead in his palm. "You're gonna need sleep to deal with that hangover of yours tomorrow."

"Yeah ... yeah ... goo ... goooooood idea."

One by one, the members of Tantalus all stood and swaggered away, sure to be bedridden in the morning.

Cinna sighed. "Looks like it's up to us, then."

"What's up to you guys?"

Cinna's eyes grew wide. Blank rubbed his eyes, sure of his drunken hallucination.

Marcus took a seat and reached for the near-empty beer pitcher. "Oh, god, I need a drink."

Near panic, Blank swiped it away from him. "What the hell are you doing here!"

Marcus gave a weary sigh. "Can I have a beer first?"

"No!"

"Fine." Still sounding tired, Marcus quickly outlined the day's events. "Ruby came, dragged me out of my room, for some reason I've become hang-over resistant, so the stuff I've been drinking for days hasn't affected me, and now I've snuck out of the play that Ruby told me would help me and I'm here, and all I want is a beer!"

"Wait a minute." Cinna help up a hand. "You left Ruby at this play!"

"Yeah ... why?"

"Maaaaan ..." Cinna whistled. "If you were depressed before, you ain't seen nothin' yet!"

"Cinna! Shut--"

Cinna ignored Blank. "Ruby's gonna make your like a livin' hell!" He dragged out the 'l's until Marcus wondered if his brain had frozen from alcohol withdrawal.

"Cinna!" Blank's voice was venomous. "Will you just shut up!"

"Can I have a drink now?"

"No, Marcus! What are you doing here!"

"I just told you! I--"

"No, no." Blank sighed. "I just mean, what happened? You're almost back to normal! You haven't been like this since you lost that pickpocket girl!"

Marcus heaved a sigh, and rubbed his eyes. "Yeah, well. Just sitting around wasn't getting me any closer to her. I guess some part of my mind's always known, and it's just surfaced: if I wanna see her again, I'm gonna have to go look for her myself. Besides ... I just have this feeling that I know where to go."

"Not to mention," Cinna added, "sitting around made you an easy target for Ruby."

He was ignored.

"So, where are you going?" Blank looked worried.

"Alexandria. There's just this feeling nagging at me ... I just know, somehow, that that's where she is. Somewhere around the castle."

"But Marcus! That might mean --"

"I know what it might mean!" Marcus' voice was hard. "And if she's being held there, I'll break her out. I don't care what it takes, alright guys? I've spent too long being depressed over the fact that I lost her! I need to get her back -- I can't live without it! I'm actually going to do something with my life!" The raw emotion in his voice silenced his companions, as they looked on helplessly. Marcus stood to go. "I'm leaving tomorrow, guys. I can't wait any longer."

And then he was gone, leaving only shocked silence in his wake.

---

"I can't believe him!"

Ruby stood, hands on hips, in the lobby of the theatre. Her usually pretty face was marred with a scowl that would wilt even the hardiest flower, and send crowds scurrying before her. She gathered fist-fulls of lacy skirt in her hands. Why on earth had he left! It wasn't that girl he'd been lamenting over ... Oh, that must be it! That lass who'd rejected him! That's where he'd disappeared to! Why did he have to go courting her, when he had her, Scarlet!

Who was this girl? Oh, when she got her hands on this girl ... she'd be sorry that she'd ever even seen Marcus!

She stormed out of the theatre. She had every right. Marcus was hers, after all.