Chapter Four
Author's note: Regarding Taqsim – This is a beautiful fluid movement in traditional bellydance, emphasizing the hips. More commonly spelt as Taksim, the movement, when broken down, is a slow drop and lift of each hip combining with a slight slide when transferring movement from one side to another; in short, the hips form a gentle figure '8' horizontally. Bellydancers spend their lives perfecting this movement; it is said like a perfect meditation, one never attains heaven/nirvana, but some days are better than others. Taqsim is also defined as a slow emotional, poetic improvised solo in Middle Eastern Music. The dance is often accompanied by the Cifti Telli rhythm, a hypnotic cadence of quick and slow beats. Belly dancing to a Cifti Teli Taksim uses slow, flowing movements that reflect a deep emotional connection to the music.
The Puja is defined as the act of showing reverence to a god, a spirit, or another aspect of the divine through invocations, prayers, songs, and rituals. An essential part of puja for the Hindu devotee is making a spiritual connection with the divine. Most often that contact is facilitated through an object: an element of nature, a sculpture, a vessel, a painting, or a print. To add to the definition, American Style Tribal Bellydance incorporates a beautiful simple routine to honor the event, which is also called the Puja. Noel's desert nomad ritual is more of a physical stretch & warmup routine for the body, akin to yoga, with a spiritual aspect, honoring the fact one has a body to inhabit and that it is used for the worship of the god.
Practice was interesting to say the least the next morning; it was a Sunday, and most of Oldtown was passed out from an energetic Saturday night. Noel pushed Lightning as hard as he dared, and found to his secret delight he had an opponent, not a trainee; she had a number of hand to hand moves that caught him; he was better at escaping pins, and had a longer reach with a punch. She owned up to possessing a Blazefire gunsaber, standard military issue; Noel owned a well-stocked arsenal ,including a gunsaber, but he kept a weapon that could kill L'Cie or Fal'Cie on him at all times; it was a custom alloy gladius with a multi bladed double sided greatsword blessed by a priest of Etro; teasingly she insisted on calling it the contraption, much to his insulted pride; he took apart a practice dummy with a few strokes to show her it wasn't all tribal over-decoration, then made her try a kata with it; he was gratified to be able to step up and wrap his arms around her and help her heft the blades; they went through the kata step by step as one, his voice murmuring the commands tenderly as love poetry.
Lightning was elated he was being so much more at ease with her and felt she was really getting somewhere with him; she was warming up to the idea of talking to him about her client list & was prepared to say yes when he asked again. He playfully led her in his daily routine to prepare his body, a series of moves that were not only for warming the muscles, joints and tendons, but a meditation meant to offer Etro gratitude for the body his soul inhabited. The Puja also was a meditation, but more for preparation to dance. Noel kept his promise, the mediation in movement was smooth as silk, and he did his share of spoiling the dancer in Lightning with combinations that made the blood sing as well as sizzle along her limbs. He gently worked with Lightning on the mat, matching her in the extensions, even gracefully sinking into a leg split to the floor to match hers. He was very much at home with his limber body, and the warm-up felt very peaceful with Lightning; desire kept its mouth shut, even when they bent together in a standing back extension and lowered to the floor with the pole hand over hand. "See? Feel the vertebrae loosen as you go down? Now...try your taqsim by contracting the obliques as well as the upper gluteals; that's how you get that rippling movement in this extreme extension…"
Noel slipped out from under, observed Lightning's taqsim and satisfied, began to nod, and was about to say how beautifully you move, I'd be glad to show you more; maybe I could drop by again after work tonight? - then stopped short, shame and embarrassment flooding in his face as Serah's voice said over his shoulder; "Oh wow, Lightning? Are you going to do a client on stage tonight with that move? "
Lightning saw Noel's face change and grow back into a stoic nomad then a dazzled young male as he greeted her sister; she wondered what had brought her sister to set foot in Valhalla, and at this hour. She caught the look in Serah's eyes and her own narrowed in warning; Serah shot her an innocent smile and brightly said to Noel: " I see you've finally got my sister to do some real dancing! Do you know there's a tribal cultural exposition at the college every winter? Why I've seen some of the most beautiful costumes – say, do you think you could help me find one for sis? I think it'd be different, you know, around here – there are some men who do like their presents wrapped!" Charm pouring from her, she slowly drew Noel away like he was under an enchantment; she spent the next half hour getting personally coached by Noel to do the Puja, then did a pretty little traditional dance routine that would have been absolutely charming, had Lightning not known the real reason behind it – to make her sister invisible. Noel was so distracted he totally forgot to even say goodbye to Lightning as the sec men began slowly drifting in for practice, which did not go unnoticed by the crew, who silently showed signs of derision at the shadow hunter. The Valkyrie was their meal ticket, and they all thought Noel was thinking with the wrong head.
When everyone dispersed to the dressing rooms, she drew out her Corps issue gunsaber and began to carefully sharpen it, despite it being professionally sharpened by the weapons master of Valhalla once every six months. She was stoic herself now, her lips firmly straight and her eyes flat with anger. Noel's eyebrow twitched, wondering if she even knew how to pick it up properly as he glanced backwards walking out of the dojo, a light hand on Miss Serah's slim waist; he never saw the neat decapitation of the dummy crudely wrapped in a blue skirt, as his eyes were busy with the ladylike demeanor of one Miss Serah Farron, just as ruthlessly stabbing every man's heart as she daintily , demurely, walked through the bar, delicate as a butterfly.
It really spoiled the day for Lightning and she was a silent ghost drifting around the house, thinking of the scene over and over again. Serah always did that, whenever she showed the slightest interest in the opposite sex. Anyone she liked for herself was invariable charmed away from her side to Serah's ; it was like the old fairytale where the rats followed the piper the minute they heard the music. At first she had shrugged it off, thinking they must not have been interested as much as she'd thought, or were playing nice with her in order to get into her younger sister's pants. She would be irritated and amused by Serah in fits and turns, until she caught Serah lying to a man she had been seeing for a few months straight; Shane cut her dead just on Serah's jealous lie that Lightning was spreading her legs for her Imperate clients. She remembered the tears and the absolute blow out she'd had with Serah and began to be wary of who she introduced to her sister.
But this time she was tired of the Serah-is-love-of-your-life game; Lightning really liked Noel. The comment in the dojo crossed the invisible line from teasing rivalry to denigration and frankly, it hurt. It made her look like a 2 gil bar slut with 20 gil nails, chasing the god Mo'ney at any cost, even her self-respect. She danced for men, yes; but it wasn't prostitution, and that money kept them from the streets or government programs. She knew she was Guardian Corps material, and knew she was a talent. She'd have been an officer by now, if it hadn't been for Serah. Her exasperation segued into resentment, especially after recalling the steady diet of Serah's shite over the past year. The attempted assassinations were grating on her nerves, and she now wondered if it was actually due to some machination of Serah's that had gone awry or one of her jilted lovers – had she been playing at romance with a Fal'Cie?
She painfully admitted to herself she was not her mother, she was far from the gentle woman that never had to raise her voice to be instantly obeyed. She bit her lip, holding back frustrated tears as she also admitted that the parting of their ways was coming soon, if it hadn't already occurred. She didn't even want to look at Serah tonight, she was sure she'd beat the crap out of her alabaster skin just out of jealousy over Noel Kreiss. Why, Serah? Why is it so important that you ensure everything I want is yours? Yeah, I want him. I'd really like to get to know him, and not just as a lover. I feel like I want to protect him, make him feel lifted up, supported, you know? He makes me feel there's something good and clean left in life. And he's got the balls to stand up to me. But he doesn't stand up you, dear sister; no of them do; they all come crawling to you, and for the life of me, I don't know why. Or what I lack…. So she waited until she heard the roar of Hope's 'cycle with Noel & Serah pulling up before kicking her 'cycle to life & spun out quietly into the evening air.
I'm done, Serah.
She ignored the 5 texts and 6 calls from Noel while she took a long ride; then she relented and sent a single text reminding him it was her night off and to watch over Serah, she was headed to Hope's apartment after a nice dinner with friends. With clothes on. She pulled up on the edge of Oldtown by the old bridge, and sat there watching the lights twinkle on the bridge & the tugboats and barges drift by in the dark oily water, letting her thoughts drift, trying to think through who'd want her dead; she didn't have enemies in Oldtown, unless one counted the petty grievances that came with being a star attraction at a dive like Valhalla; she knew a lot of men felt intimidated by her, but never played any kingpin or client for anything, treated them respectfully and had never taken a lover from the client list.
She placed her first bet on a rival nightclub trying to scare her out of the business, then second, a lover of a kingpin who mistakenly thought she was doing said kingpin on the side. Then the comment about the Fal'Cie and Noel's reaction made her rethink her bets. The attempts were too costly for either kingpins or nightclubs; maybe it had something to do with the Fal'Cie. She was curious about Noel suddenly coming to Academia after shadow hunting for the upper crust, and wondered if it had something to do more with Noel – maybe they were taunting him through the attempts? Or trying to get him cross over to the dark of the street, as he said? Satisfied with her theory, she thought of who would give her info on Noel – or who would know details or the Fal'Cie gossip, and was willing to get her data for enough golden gils.
She threw out Babylon, and a half dozen other Oldtown dens; she settled on the Oasis as most likely, as the girls had thrown a fit at a party in one of Fal'Cie tents at the New year's celebration; Lightning had to step in between Stormy & the girl as the intoxicated Oasis wench had drawn a blade and was out for blood. The owner got into a pissing contest with Lexis over the incident until the police report came out with more than a few personal phone cammed recordings of the incident showing Lightning throwing an Oasis girl into a champagne fountain and deftly plucking the knife from the girl's hand. Some jokester set it to a popular piece of music and it went viral over the phone 'net; the next thing Lexis knew Valhalla was packed with men with knives hoping to get dominated by her sooty winged angel in disguise. It was bad. The owner of the Oasis had tried to wave money in front of her, and was an extravagant flirt. Mustapha. He had quite a clientele list.
She decided to drop in at the Oasis and pay the owner a visit. She ran by Valhalla and picked up a few things to motivate the conversation and dropped a word in Snow's ear; then set her sight on the lurid green palm trees of the Oasis sign in the distance and roared off of the 'cycle, never noticing the texts and calls had stopped and a matching green light was blinking below the rear tail light.
The Oasis was packed, and the bar sec men were busy holding down a team of blitzballers, so she simply slid past them and drew the beaded curtain back to enter the private party area, intent on the gilt door to the left in the back. A pair of matched sec men, well beefed and wearing the ridiculous nomad pants in gold with crossed bandoliers stood guard as usual; Mustapha al'Abrim liked big men to make himself look more leanly elegant to his clientele. She sent her name in, and was waved past the guards. Mustapha looked up from his cigarette, and smiled with a wave to the forehead with the traditional tribal greeting. "Well, my friend, it's been so long since New Year's Day! You've decided to take me up on my offer? Or have you decided I'm your type after all? " He languidly gestured to his private stock, typed in a few commands on the tablet in front of him, then gave her his full attention.
"Mustapha, you know I'll always turn to you if Lexis falls! But you know, someone's got to watch out for that old woman, to make sure she doesn't sell off to some damn Fal'Cie who'll sanitize the place and make it a tourist attraction! Anyway, the visit's more of a pick your brains, for which I am prepared to be quite grateful for…say like a sponsor for your next slot at the tribal exposition at the college? "
"I'm all appetite, my dear warrior – but I don't need a sponsor. I need girls who can actually dance the crapping traditional way, not shake their asses and jiggle their jewels – know any? The last lot I interviewed can't even taqsim, for Etro's sake!"
" I can ask Keisha, I've seen her do a few movements."
"How's the nomad boy doing on his shadow hunt? I bet he could taqsim, he's pureblood if you go by looks alone. Does he like men? Or perhaps can't make up his mind? No? Not even a little curious? Damn. All the good ones are taken."
Lightning sighed and almost snorted: "You have no idea how much I agree with that one, Moosta-man. In fact, I'd even drink to that. Anyway…I am kind of hunting for information myself tonight; since you're half nomad, maybe you'd know more about why Noel Kriess the shadow hunter is not hunting shadows for the Fal'Cie and working for us mere Pulsians? "
"That might lead to more questions you don't want to know the answers to because they might kill you if they even suspect you might know something, warriorette. But I'll do my best to give you what I know. And it will cost you. I need a favor. "
Mustapha drew his chair close, his face almost in hers, just like any nomad, just like…Noel. "A Sec man needs to be made an example of. He's been putting his hands and Etro-ever-loving staff of Odin into my staff. It does not please me. Had he been in the desert, I could just cut off what offends me, but unfortunately someone will take exception to nomad ways. How racist, eh? I'd ask Ruby, but damn, he knows she can use a gunblade. Your role can be a new hire tonight. It'll take all of 1 set dancing and 30 minutes after. You bait him, and my men will do the rest. You can even take a kick or two if you like. Fair price?"
"Let me see the fool first."
The owner tapped the tablet and brought up the live cams recording the rooms and picked one; a few more taps and strokes expanded the cam to full size and she got a good eyeful of him in action. She nodded her agreement after observing the young bully in action, thinking he could bang a girl in the club without being observed somehow.
"I'll deliver the info via your phone, but I will tell you briefly your hunter was a L'Cie candidate and he refused. Another Fal'Cie sent by Etro stepped in and sent him away. The candidacy nomination came from a Fal'Cie servant who was revealed to be a servant of Lindzei."
She let the breath she'd been holding out with a soft whew, then things started to fall into place. And she now had a theory about her own assaults. A curious sense of relief washed over her as the nameless dread , the sense of wrongness about the attempts now had a name. She knew without any doubt Noel's arrival was too perfectly timed to be coincidence. She'd learn more later. She thanked her host then steered the conversation to more normal things, bemoaning the price of liquor and the idle gossip of the nightclub circuit which he enjoyed so much. Then he set up the baited trap for one Jed Riserbach, Sec man and soon to be ex-employee of the Oasis.
The whole incident turned out rather well, the sec men were more than ready to make an example of the greedy fool; she was introduced as a new girl, and put in his section; of course, he had to try for her tips first, which led to his real price: he wanted pussy. She pretended to be angry, then cowed as he blocked the exit back into the Oasis from the back alley. It was like a box canyon, no way out for a person walking, only velocycle or heli-flyer parking. She pretended to flit like a trapped moth, he fell for it and walked away from the property line. She let herself be caught, her hair pulled, her face slapped and pushed down over a 'cycle; as his hand went for his pants, she simply twisted, dropped, rolled and then kicked him in the balls then in the head with a savage efficiency. She then lazily stretched, waved at the winking red camera eye and dragged his face up to show Mustapha the damage. A few seconds later the sec men swarmed the back door and simply became a thrashing mob of batons, legs and knives as she leisurely walked away, ignoring the screams. She never noticed the crouching figure on the tank of the velocycle five parking spots away, sword slung on the back, silent as only hunters could be.
Noel was disgusted with the scene, having only seen actions and not heard conversations. But he was impressed with how quickly she'd dropped the rapist; he turned the observations of Lightning over and over in his mind as he fell asleep; why did she lie about where she was to him? why did she go dance for a rival club for only 1 set and why did she act like a silly, stupid sheep of a woman around the bar sec in the alley? None of it added up when compared to her streetwise savvy behavior at Valhalla.
He kept his distance the next day, but was determined to confront her and get to the bottom of it, so he ever so politely asked her for a private business meeting after work, intending to be the bastard and clear up what appeared to be a two timing dancer who'd gotten herself into trouble with one or both the club owners and was covering up said trouble as unexplained attempts on her life and her sister's life. Then he'd demand his fee, and walk out of her life. But not Serah's life. He was going to rescue her. He just knew by the way she had looked at him today she looked to him as her protector, her trust was in him. and Etro, she was so lovely, he wanted to simply crush her to his six foot frame and kiss those palest rose lips into the deep red of passion; it's the upper lip that gives away passion, not the lower his desire mockingly reminded him. Oh yes, he'd wanted to kiss Lightning, but he convinced himself it was just the physical resemblance that attracted – how could any man love the heart of a woman who could savagely kick the hell out of a man just for some sex she didn't want to put out?
You liar! His desire complained. Every hunter secretly desires to be the hunted. Serah will never do. Choose the huntress. LiarLiarliarliarliarliar…..
The 2nd floor door was kicked open again with a bang.
The fight lasted all of 15 minutes, and Noel found himself rapidly outclassed in the arena of bastardism by one Lightning Farron; he had no idea until now what Hope had meant by the words 'force of nature'; he'd gone in haughty, direct, eyes blazing with truths and she slapped him in face with his own mistaken theory, shredded his argument in four sentences and made him feel like an idiot for not just going into the club and asking Mustapha what Lightning was doing at the Oasis last night. And what was the woman really losing it over? She was lividly pissed he had been there, and not lifted a finger to help her! Oddly, the transmitter tail was blown off like it was nothing, but the verbal thrashing he received for letting his client handle a nasty piece of work all by herself was stinging. She went into a scathing monologue about his supposed protective skills, which made him start tuning her out; his eyes stayed on the desk while his mind started to wander.
He saw the phone downloading a mass of data, blinking blue for at least a minute and her hand snatching it up and turning it face down during her tirade about how useless men were , especially when she needed a little back up. With a flood of relief, he realized she had gone to the Oasis for information, and paid for it in the best coin she had – herself. She had done the owner a favor for information. Everything fell into place. He serenely let her rant and scream for 2 minutes more, then very calmly apologized and asked her forgiveness, but next time, take him along no matter what or where she was going.
He politely shook hands Academia-style with her after her startled acceptance of his apology, then to enforce his point, he informed her in his softest, nicest 'yes ma'am' voice and melting cobalt cake-icing eyes: "Lightning, I was bound to protect my clients with my life on oath of Etro; but how can I protect the woman, if you insist on being the warrior?" Upon seeing the hard aqua eyes change into complete interest in what was before her, his desire evilly pushed his will aside and brought the hand to his heart; "I can protect you…just…let me. Let me in. " The lush bow of her mouth softened and the mask slipped, letting something of her true face show through; he almost forgot Serah's face, gazing at the limpid pools of aqua holding the first glimmer of trust, until his cell rang with Serah's distinctive ringtone in the now-silent office. Then it was gone, and so was she, the door swinging.
The ride home was a bit emotionally edgy, even after Noel grabbed her hands and pulled them back to his waist; she sat bolt upright, not wanting to touch him, as the way he jumped to answer Serah's call rankled; so did her quickness to be charmed by his eyes and voice…and that 'fair prince'act, oh Etro, how could I fall for THAT after all this time? It's because you want to fall! He's like the rock you want to cling to when all else fails, because you never had anyone else interested in what's behind the mask of Lightning the Valkyrie.
He deliberately leaned back into her and teasingly made the 'cycle weave back and forth until she made a sound and grabbed onto the belt; she found herself thrusting her chin on his shoulder and leaning back into him, allowing herself to feel charmed, feminine…trusting, even if it was just for the short space of a lousy ride back home. That line and that hand on his heart made her feel…well, let's just say she hadn't felt she could lean on him until…now. She made up her mind and decided to bring him next time she was out & about; maybe even invite him in tonight.
Once they arrived at her place, the dynamics changed as he saw Serah; it was like she hypnotized him and suddenly Lighting just didn't exist. Stunned, Lightning watched as he left with Serah immediately sucked into escorting her to some party. They didn't come in until near dawn, quietly giggling as they tried to move about quietly and failed, Serah's feet knocking into the doorframes of the doors as Noel carried her very inebriated body in the house & into her bedroom. Lightning had tossed and turned half the night until she realized she was jealous of Serah again, because she was alone again. She had hoped she could simply invite him to sit on the back deck and just talk…that four letter word that leads to all sorts of things she avoided with clients, like intimacy, personal feelings, the real woman under the mask.
She had wanted to tell him about the data from the Oasis, tell him everything she feared about Serah's doings, and what she theorized was happening; she hoped it would get him to see her as an equal, a peer, not just a bar girl…no, that's not all her inner voice reminded her; you wanted to cook him dinner, and get him into the outdoor bath and then get him close enough to kiss….that's what you want, really want. You want him to fall in love with you, he's what you really want, isn't it? Love. Adoration. Not flowers or romance; someone you can lean on because you're so damned tired of being in charge all the time. Why is it men want to baste me, but no one wants to love me? Etro, why? What evil have I done that deserves all this passion, but never earns love or trust or strength when you are weak and can't go on? That's why I'm going crazy for the man, aren't I? He's like a rock –anyone who's got the sand to stand up to a Fal'Cie and refuse them has got what I need – courage. That alone makes him the most beautiful man I've ever seen.
I am getting weaker, my influence with Serah is growing weaker, and something evil is growing stronger out there. Something is just not right when Noel is around Serah; he seems…dazed; no one else exists, like he was under a spell…I wonder if it's trying to rope in Noel…is it just a manipulation to steer us into the waiting jaws of a monster?
With a horrible sense of clarity, she knew right then and there she had the root cause of what was bothering her so all this time. Something was influencing her sister and it was evil. And it was winning her. What was worse, she suspected Noel was an unwitting pawn, a failed L'Cie candidate who was the real focus of this strange game. Serah, her beautiful baby sister was just a catalyst to transform her desert-bred shadow hunter into a dark L'Cie, or worse, punish him for refusing. She shuddered at the imagined terrors of serving a dark lord against one's will, being forced to choose one's own evil, hammered by pain and evil will into a blood sucking killing machine. The assassination attempts were just warnings, decoys, herding them in behaving certain way. Or making a certain choice. No. Fuck the Fal'Cie. I am winning this war, and be damned to anyone that stands in my way.
Lightning found Hope the next day, and simply entrusted him with the off the wall theory from start to finish; he carefully listened as he always did without much comment, then started analysis with her, going to the late afternoon; together they'd fleshed out the theories and discarded the hypotheses that no longer worked until they'd agreed on the final frame work. Serah was being influenced; to what end they did not know, but it was likely it was working to pull Noel back in, or it could be to push Lightning to make a choice or give into a darker side of the soul; two of the attempts could be laid at the influencer's door; one could not; the sisters Farron could be L'Cie candidates for different reasons, but Lightning should have received a nomination before Serah; she was a true talent, Serah was not. Hope insisted leaving Serah in as a possible candidate, just on blood alone; she may have some hidden talent the Fal'Cie sensed.
Hope suspected Fal'Cie involvement from another angle, the remaining attempt was too smooth, and happened well after the first two; it was copycat in nature. He was researching that and was waiting for a packet of data from the Imperate archives in the next couple of weeks. "Trust Noel, it's ok to lean on him. He may be with Serah more, because he unconsciously feels the pull of the darker side of Fal'Cie and needs to extricate her first. Love is only one of many paths to light, Lightning." …you never see how he looks at you, Light…how he follows you around, how he always has to know where you are, who you're with, no matter where you go…trust me, your kind of inner light attracts him far more than your sister's little walk into the dark side. He'll hunt you for his own sooner or later. I just know it. It's like he was…well…matched to you. He'd been through hell too, parentless, tortured by L'Cie, yet you both bloomed into these two incredibly strong people with an unerring moral compass; it's like you both get it straight from the god.
Lightning pulled out her phone after throwing herself on Hope's couch facing the window while the sun set and read the data Mustapha had sent, then silently handed it over to Hope:
Noel Kreiss Shadow Hunter took oath on reaching his 16th year; he was a legacy nominee, as his father was a shadow hunter himself before the great purges. The line is purebred, he is the 5th sheik of Tribe Arran. However, there is no officially arranged match registered, so the line may be passed over soon, as he is the last living male heir to the name. His official record is noted as exemplary, no honors, 6 bonuses awarded, and the House Imperate itself has used his services four times. Unofficially, he has been noted for brilliance, and brutal efficiency in sword.
He was contracted by House of Fal'Cie Paddra to hunt for a child of the family, a fifteen year old seeress who'd been abducted by the child's guardian Caius. The hunt went through a series of time gates, as Caius had disturbed the timeline deliberately to create series of time paradoxes that would provide hiding places; he intended to keep Paddra Nsu Yuel from ever reaching her true potential and eliminated a Fal'Cie who had been chosen to be Yuel's mate; the killing produced further disruptions not only in timelines but the breeding lines of the Fal'Cie. Kreiss was clever enough to solve the paradoxes, eliminating all the loopholes in time one by one until he found the pair, but was unable to bring Caius back; he deliberately pushed Kreiss into fighting & impaled himself on Noel's first sword and told him his life was a lie with his dying breath, charging him to guard Yuel. Kreiss guarded Yuel for nearly 6 months Pulse time while jumping them both back through time gates; in that time Yuel had tried to escape several times, crying for Caius. The shadow hunter simply thought it Stockholm syndrome, where the victim identifies with a captor & bonds. It wasn't until they got back did Kreiss realize the Fal'cie family had lied and were servants of Lindzei the snake, and Yuel was simply escaping an evil fate to be seeress and sacrifice to the snake; she ran to him, and the Fal'Cie's family servant followed. The servant for some unknown reason was instructed to offer L'Cie candidacy to Noel, using Yuel as part of the price. Kreiss refused; the servant obeyed its instructions to the letter and took to true form, biting the shadow hunter, poisoning him after trying to crush the life out of Kreiss. The Fal'Cie desire for atoning loss of face by pain and blood was overridden by a servant of Etro, who witnessed the duel, then extricated the shadow hunter at the goddess' desire. The High Council Cabinet gave no sanction or fault to the shadow hunter, but sealed him to silence about the incident to the general populace and released him from duty 'until such time had passed and his harmony of soul and heart was restored'. It was hinted they would reconsider a L'Cie candidacy at a future time; fee paid was the full talent of gils, in gold.
Hope was still after he read the facts; he'd heard rumors that shadow hunters were tough bastards, but now he had proof. He was well aware of the follies and pride of his class, and often shielded his more common acquaintances from the ruthlessness of the Fal'Cie, leaving them an enigma for the questioner to solve for themselves. He was proud that Light had not batted an eye or buckled under fear when the truth was in her face; he never hid anything from her, and was glad to not have to. He now saw Light's instinct was dead on; it was about Noel as much as it was about Serah & Light.
He was suddenly distracted by a light kiss dropped on his head, the affectionate gesture sending a tendril of blooming warmth to his core; his emerald eye lightened to leaf green as he breathlessly asked: "What was that for, angel?"
"I'm going shopping. For a dress. Maybe it's time I took you up on a drink at Andresyr's. Perhaps we will catch the eye of a Fal'Cie, yes?"
"I'm all appetite." He flashed a feral white grin that matched hers and decided pretty girls weren't lacking in his life, at least tonight.