Note: Don't worry! we're still alive! Huzzah! Love me! Give me Tang!
Ian grabbed up his dagger and sliced at the air, "What the hell...!?!?"
"K-kupoku??" Crozet squeaked, longbarrel clattering to the ground.
The buck's delicate nosepad wrinkled in amusement. The talents humans were not given. Tell me the truth. Why do you masquerade? Why does this cave reek of old blood?
Ian still held the grip on the dagger, but slowly lowered it, "What does it matter? I'm hiding, for a very good reason. If you've seen all the wanted posters and such around, you'd know why."
"You are the fugitive assassin." the Viera said quietly.
"I wanted to make sure I couldn't be recognized... and besides, it was either this or an Illusionist."
"Heh....and now, you have completed another job for me. For many of us." In a single, smooth motion, a card was held high between two long fingers.
He tensed again slightly, "...what are you talking about?"
A blinding flash answered, filling the cavern with intense, stinging light. "GYARG!!!"
Ian's eyes still stung when they finally opened again. Why couldn't people just... take a walk nowadays, that they had to use those damn flashbangwarpthingies for everything.
A soft chuckle again, though not the buck's, this time. "Another entrance with a bang, eh kiddo?"
Ian rubbed at his eyes, trying to focus them. He didn't know exactly who it was, since he had never heard any of these people ever speak before. Still... he had a fairly good idea of who was speaking. Just to be sure, "Who's there?"
"Someone far less famous than you." was the merry reply.
Finally, Ian's eyes found their focus. Now, they were on a dilligent search for the owner of the voice.
He found the high, curving hat first, following the line of it down to the amused blue eyes shadowed under its broad gold brim. "Nice disguise."
Ian raised an eyebrow slowly. Ezel Berbier. "Nice hat."
It shook with another laugh. "Why, thank you. Perhaps you should try it on. The mask didn't hide you."
"Well, considering the fact that I wasn't wearing it, as well as the fact that I have no Viera ears... things like that'll do that."
The smile only broadened. "My my. Did you snip at the Prince that way?"
Ian stared at Berbier for a moment then turned away slowly, "Yeah... s'what got my bleeding my heart out in the gutter in the first place... damn that Swain..."
"Threatening the Prince with curses will do that, kiddo. What were you thinking...?"
"I never THREATENED the Prince." he turned to face the Nu Mou again, "I only said that I'd do whatever I had to to get home. Babus took it as a threat."
Ezel's eyes crinkled with amusement. "He would. Home, kiddo? Would have been safer to hitch a ride on a Chocobo caravan than storm Berevenia."
"UGH..." Ian was getting very frustrated with all these stories flying about, each telling something different about what happened. "I never stormed Berevenia, either! I friggin' WOKE UP in the COURTYARD!"
"Let me guess." the Nu Mou absently toyed with a card spiralling above his desk. "From another world...?"
Ian opened his mouth to respond but stopped. How did he know?? What...? "How... did you know I was going to say that??"
He laughed. "Didn't they tell you? I'm a genius."
"HOW did you know?" Ian was not a happy camper.
"It seems to be all the rage among the Prince's most notorious enemies." he looked back, blue eyes cunning. "Except for me, of course."
Ian tensed then softened slightly. So, he was just being a smartass...
Ezel only continued to regard him, tail curled upward in amusement. "So, what did you want to meet me for? If it was for No Dmg2: Bangaa antilaws, I'm afraid you're too late."
"I'm trying to get a book from the palace." he said slowly, "It's called the Grimoire... ...It's what's responsible for bringing myself here, as well as various others counted as the prince's "enemies."" he glanced at him, "Marche Radiuju included."
"Oh...? That must be quite a page-turner."
"I'm almost positive Mewt brought me here." he said, glancing about the shop slowly, "...whether on purpose or accident, he denies it... but he's the only one who's got the book."
"Hm." The Nu Mou followed Ian's eyes. "See anything you like?"
"Just looking... nice shop."
He chuckled again. "Such as an old bachelor can make it. This Grimoire, then....you would do anything to get it? Anything at all?"
"Well..." Ian hesitated, "...I said I'd do anything... but I'm not gonna go so far as to kill the Prince or Swain, if that's what you're trying to hint at... though after what happened, I WOULD like to get my hands on Swain again..." he added with a growl.
"From the sound of it, kiddo, he feels the same about you."
"Heh!" Ian chuckled, "I'm glad I made such a mark." He wanted to hit something. Hard. But, he didn't want to wreck Ezel's place. "Yeah, I'm such a dangerous terrorist now, isn't it funny?" He turned to face Ezel again, "The official report released by the Palace, I'm sure, never mentioned the fact that I had no weapons or armor, and that he practically butchered me because of a statement I made." He leaned forward slightly, "He nearly destroyed my life over nothing. At this point, I could care less if I made the mighty Babus Swain UPSET."
Ezel leaned forward as well. "Sure you aren't a mage? I think I feel a Firaga coming on."
"If I had magic, I would have been able to DEFEND myself!" Ian exclaimed, "All I could do was cower on the ground like a beast as he cut me open and crushed my organs with that DEMI spell!"
He sighed softly, sitting back. This wasn't at all what he wished for....yet. "If you want revenge, kiddo....take it on the one who brought you here. Me."
Ian grabbed up his dagger and sliced at the air, "What the hell...!?!?"
"K-kupoku??" Crozet squeaked, longbarrel clattering to the ground.
The buck's delicate nosepad wrinkled in amusement. The talents humans were not given. Tell me the truth. Why do you masquerade? Why does this cave reek of old blood?
Ian still held the grip on the dagger, but slowly lowered it, "What does it matter? I'm hiding, for a very good reason. If you've seen all the wanted posters and such around, you'd know why."
"You are the fugitive assassin." the Viera said quietly.
"I wanted to make sure I couldn't be recognized... and besides, it was either this or an Illusionist."
"Heh....and now, you have completed another job for me. For many of us." In a single, smooth motion, a card was held high between two long fingers.
He tensed again slightly, "...what are you talking about?"
A blinding flash answered, filling the cavern with intense, stinging light. "GYARG!!!"
Ian's eyes still stung when they finally opened again. Why couldn't people just... take a walk nowadays, that they had to use those damn flashbangwarpthingies for everything.
A soft chuckle again, though not the buck's, this time. "Another entrance with a bang, eh kiddo?"
Ian rubbed at his eyes, trying to focus them. He didn't know exactly who it was, since he had never heard any of these people ever speak before. Still... he had a fairly good idea of who was speaking. Just to be sure, "Who's there?"
"Someone far less famous than you." was the merry reply.
Finally, Ian's eyes found their focus. Now, they were on a dilligent search for the owner of the voice.
He found the high, curving hat first, following the line of it down to the amused blue eyes shadowed under its broad gold brim. "Nice disguise."
Ian raised an eyebrow slowly. Ezel Berbier. "Nice hat."
It shook with another laugh. "Why, thank you. Perhaps you should try it on. The mask didn't hide you."
"Well, considering the fact that I wasn't wearing it, as well as the fact that I have no Viera ears... things like that'll do that."
The smile only broadened. "My my. Did you snip at the Prince that way?"
Ian stared at Berbier for a moment then turned away slowly, "Yeah... s'what got my bleeding my heart out in the gutter in the first place... damn that Swain..."
"Threatening the Prince with curses will do that, kiddo. What were you thinking...?"
"I never THREATENED the Prince." he turned to face the Nu Mou again, "I only said that I'd do whatever I had to to get home. Babus took it as a threat."
Ezel's eyes crinkled with amusement. "He would. Home, kiddo? Would have been safer to hitch a ride on a Chocobo caravan than storm Berevenia."
"UGH..." Ian was getting very frustrated with all these stories flying about, each telling something different about what happened. "I never stormed Berevenia, either! I friggin' WOKE UP in the COURTYARD!"
"Let me guess." the Nu Mou absently toyed with a card spiralling above his desk. "From another world...?"
Ian opened his mouth to respond but stopped. How did he know?? What...? "How... did you know I was going to say that??"
He laughed. "Didn't they tell you? I'm a genius."
"HOW did you know?" Ian was not a happy camper.
"It seems to be all the rage among the Prince's most notorious enemies." he looked back, blue eyes cunning. "Except for me, of course."
Ian tensed then softened slightly. So, he was just being a smartass...
Ezel only continued to regard him, tail curled upward in amusement. "So, what did you want to meet me for? If it was for No Dmg2: Bangaa antilaws, I'm afraid you're too late."
"I'm trying to get a book from the palace." he said slowly, "It's called the Grimoire... ...It's what's responsible for bringing myself here, as well as various others counted as the prince's "enemies."" he glanced at him, "Marche Radiuju included."
"Oh...? That must be quite a page-turner."
"I'm almost positive Mewt brought me here." he said, glancing about the shop slowly, "...whether on purpose or accident, he denies it... but he's the only one who's got the book."
"Hm." The Nu Mou followed Ian's eyes. "See anything you like?"
"Just looking... nice shop."
He chuckled again. "Such as an old bachelor can make it. This Grimoire, then....you would do anything to get it? Anything at all?"
"Well..." Ian hesitated, "...I said I'd do anything... but I'm not gonna go so far as to kill the Prince or Swain, if that's what you're trying to hint at... though after what happened, I WOULD like to get my hands on Swain again..." he added with a growl.
"From the sound of it, kiddo, he feels the same about you."
"Heh!" Ian chuckled, "I'm glad I made such a mark." He wanted to hit something. Hard. But, he didn't want to wreck Ezel's place. "Yeah, I'm such a dangerous terrorist now, isn't it funny?" He turned to face Ezel again, "The official report released by the Palace, I'm sure, never mentioned the fact that I had no weapons or armor, and that he practically butchered me because of a statement I made." He leaned forward slightly, "He nearly destroyed my life over nothing. At this point, I could care less if I made the mighty Babus Swain UPSET."
Ezel leaned forward as well. "Sure you aren't a mage? I think I feel a Firaga coming on."
"If I had magic, I would have been able to DEFEND myself!" Ian exclaimed, "All I could do was cower on the ground like a beast as he cut me open and crushed my organs with that DEMI spell!"
He sighed softly, sitting back. This wasn't at all what he wished for....yet. "If you want revenge, kiddo....take it on the one who brought you here. Me."