Disclaimer: I don't own Namco or Tales studios so please don't make the wrong assumption that I own anything.
Aistygurl (whispers to the readers): I like Moses as a character more than Senel. I think Moses has a lot of potential and… squeal he's just so adorable! (Oops! Somebody heard that last bit)
Moses approaches Aistygurl
Moses: Hey! Who ya callin' "adorable"?!
Aistygurl: Jay.
Moses: Yeah! Right ya are, darlin'!
Aistygurl and Moses felt a chill rise up at the back of their necks. Aistygurl escapes, leaving Moses behind
(Uh-oh seems like someone heard that last bit as well…)
Jay: Who are you calling "Darling" you stupid bandit?!
Moses: Huh? Oh you know her. She's… (Before he could tell him that it's me however, seems like someone's temper 'or jealousy' gets the better of him)
Jay: Who?! (Moses: She's the...) No. Nevermind. Don't answer that. I don't care.
Jay walks away, fast.
Moses: Don' be like that, Jay! You know you're the only one for me, hon!
Moses left to chase after the ninja and placate him
Somewhere in the background, the bandit is being scolded by a furious ninja
Jay: If you call me "Hon" in public again, I'll slit your throat!"
Aistygurl: giggles Jay is of course the cutest, especially when he and Moses get into a lovers' quarrel. Don't you just want to see Jay being jealous for once?
Succeeding to lose Moses somewhere for the moment, Jay suddenly appeared beside Aistygurl, and reacting to what he heard buts in
Jay: Over my dead body!!
Jay walks away, fast. Again.
Aistygurl watches him leave as Moses appears from the opposite direction. He almost caught up with Jay and after hearing what the ninja said…
Moses: I won' let you die Jay!
Moses ran to chase after the younger boy who seemed to be in a hurry to get away from the bandit's loving clutches
Aistygurl: What's with these two and their bad timing?! Oh well, on with the story…
Chapter 3
The girls of the "Fun Bunch" are currently preparing for the party at Will's house.
The farting sound of a balloon being deflated rang, causing four girls to giggle and laugh at the disgusting sound.
"You think it's funny, huh? Haha." Norma gave a sarcastic laugh, her face scrunched up in pain and frustration. "Oww! my cheeks hurt!" She massaged her cheeks and decided to take a break from blowing up the party balloons. Flopping down on the sofa in Will's living room, Norma began to doze off when…
"Norma, Jay will arrive soon. Sandor already went to fetch him. You have to finish the balloons before then." Chloe said as she continued bustling to and from the small kitchen area and the living room table, setting up the food for the surprise party.
"But my cheeks are about to explode, C! Besides, why am I the only one in charge of these stupid balloons anyway?"
Harriet looked up from the sandwiches she was making to answer the other girl's question, and haughtily said "Because you can't cook."
"Like you can? Sheesh!" Norma muttered to herself.
"Did you say something?"
Seeing the scowl appear on Hattie's face, Norma put up her hands in a placating gesture, and defensively said "Nothing," knowing that the younger girl has taken it upon herself to take over her father's job of bonking Norma's head when he's away. Still, the younger girl cast a suspicious look her way before finishing her sandwiches.
The two girls have gotten a lot closer the past three months, enough to more than just tolerate each other and cat fight occasionally like family, to the amusement and exasperation of Will who has the burden of keeping the two in line.
Chloe smiled as she watched Harriet go over to the living room with Norma to help her with the balloons. As the sound of inflating balloons continued in the background, Chloe then turned to Shirley and Elsa,
"How's the cake going? Do you need help? I'm done preparing the table anyway."
"Nope, we're almost done here too. Elsa and I are just putting up the finishing touches on the icing."
"Alright. Elsa, is your father going to come to the party?" Chloe asked the young girl who shook her head in reply.
"Father said he would love to but he has a lot of patients to take care of in the hospital so he can't leave. He asked me to be the one to give our present to Jay." Elsa retrieved a box from the back pack she was carrying. "It's a little supply of assorted potion bottles and healing gels."
"I see. Speaking of gifts," Chloe then turned to Norma and said, "Do you already have a gift for Jay, Norma?"
Again, the farting sound of a balloon being deflated rang out in the living room as it flew over their heads, followed by a resounding splat as the balloon smacked the wall behind them.
"Wha-huh?" Norma asked, dumbfounded by the question.
Chloe raised an eyebrow and said, "Don't tell me you don't have any."
"O-of course I have!" Norma defended. 'Think fast now Norma' she told herself.
"If you say so…" Norma saw the distrustful look that crossed her friend's face and reacted to it, banging her hands in the sofa as she stood up and did her famous whine dance as she said
"Hey! Why is everybody picking on me? That's not fair!" 'I can't be the only one who has no gift right?' Norma then turned to the blond Ferines and asked, "How bout you Shirl?"
Shirley turned to face Norma in response, showing her the nicely decorated cake, colored with different shades and shapes of violets, blues, yellows and reds. "This is my gift," she said as she walked passed the treasure hunter to place the cake at the center of the living room table.
"How 'bout you Hattie? What's your gift for Jay? Don't tell me it's THOSE sandwiches?" Norma said derisively, pointing at the said food with a disgusted look on her face.
This time, the sound of an inflating balloon that settled in the background at the beginning of the discussion stopped, and Harriet replied wryly to the question with,
"I'll act your age and forget I even heard your last question. I do have a gift." Harriet then retrieved the object bulging in the front pocket of her skirt, to show them a large violet flower, identical to the one pinned to her head.
"The night when Dad took me to the field of Harriets and watched them crystallize under the moonlight for the first time, I decided to pick up several others of different colors since they're rare after all. Good thing I found one with Jay's favorite color."
Feeling uneasy at the thought that she may be the only one who doesn't have a gift for the birthday boy, Norma crossed her fingers behind her and turned the question to the one who started the discussion, hoping that the knight doesn't have one either.
"I do have one." Chloe unsheathed a dagger from the leather holder strapped to her waist, showing them the intricate design of a curling snake, etched in the sharp blade and embossed in gold at the black handle. The girls stared at the weapon in amazement.
"I got this from one of the weapon shops in the mainland. They said that it's a pretty rare dagger that belongs to a member of a secret clan of mercenaries in the island called Shadow's Revenge."
When Chloe moved her hand slightly, they noticed that hole was carved at the bottom of the handle, which is unusual for such a weapon to have.
"What's the hole for, C?"
"I asked the merchant about it but he said he doesn't know. Maybe something is attached to it or something."
"This beautiful thing must have cost you a lot, Chloe." said Shirley.
"Actually, the merchant seemed to be in a hurry to get rid of it despite how much of a treasure it is, so he gave it to me with a much lower price than I expected."
"I'm sure Jay would love it." Elsa said.
"Yeah. So what's your gift, Norma?" Chloe asked.
"Uh…" 'Sheesh! She's really not letting me get away with it, is she? What now?' Ah!
"I'll give him this." Norma said with a smirk as she produced a hair tie with two white fluffy furs attached to it.
As the two youngest girls cooed at the cuteness, Chloe just raised an eye brow and said, "Very well. Let's wrap things up now."
At hearing that, Norma gave an audible sigh of relief. 'Man oh man, this is my new scrunchy! I've been saving it for some special occasion. Well, can't say I can't be nice. You better appreciate it JJ!'
A few seconds later, they heard someone knock at the front door and heard the voices of Will and Senel greeting Shirley and Harriet who went to meet them. Both seemed to have just finished taking the rounds of the town as its official "Sheriffs."
"I guess we only have to wait for those two. What's taking them so long anyway?" Norma said aloud, reflecting the same questions going through each of their minds.
The familiar ship from the mainland finally arrived at the Port-on-Rage, carrying with it the mysterious passenger in search of the SelXes. It's only a matter of time before he is found.
A/N: Sorry for the delay. Also, sorry for those who will be disappointed but Moses will play a big role this time, maybe more than Jay. I made him to be more than he seems so Moses might turn a little OOC in the future. More serious and all, still not so much that he won't be Jay's stupid bandit anymore.