RPGWW

by **Capntastic** » Tue Jan 31, 2006 7:27 pm

Kyle had hurried along through much of the forest journey, passing much of what they saw on the way as tricks of light, the mind, the work of playful faeries, lack of sleep, and too much hard work. Either way, some of the scenes plucked notes of fear on his heart more than others, but none so much emotion as their destination. Kyle was struck speechless, and was very much tearing up a bit. The absurdity of the march had done little to temper him for the rememberance of the cause of it all.

Paper had remembered Kyle's description of such a party, from long ago; as he was all a-chatter about a certain white mage he'd met there that night. Being less struck by rememberance of good times and lost friends, he hopped onto a table and began looking for something to peck at. "Hey, nice spread!" was his battle-cry.

by **Kelne** » Tue Jan 31, 2006 7:49 pm

Kelne had simply chalked up the strange sights along the way to the insanity of Doma in general and the forest in particular. Not having been present at the original party, he was unaware of the setting's nostalgia value. Thus, he settled himself in a chair and said, "Let's get down to business, shall we? Just who's threatening to destroy the world this time?"

by **Uncle Pervy** » Tue Jan 31, 2006 8:35 pm

It is sometimes an act of questionable wisdom to leave food out in the forest. It is known that the smell can attract all sorts of whild animals. In particular, many travellers have woken in the middle of the night to find raccoons pawing through their food stores; or a bear doing the same if they are really unlucky.

Perhaps then, it is little surprise when a brown-skinned woman in ratty clothing emerges into the clearing from the other end of the clearing, her eyes closed and sniffing at the air. Her rabbit-like ears, and to a lesser extent her dirty white hair, give away the obvious usagijin influence in her heritage. Her clothing is best described as worn and tattered, going from the travelled in look of a wanderer to the lived-in look of a hobo. She has a thick cloak, one that seems a couple years old, wrapped tightly around herself.

She glances at the gathered figures and the cloaked figure, then focuses on Kyle. "Did the white mage not let you have your party at the farm?" she asks, her voice holding a heavy accent of the usagiin homeland.

by **Capntastic** » Tue Jan 31, 2006 9:02 pm

Kyle was quick enough to throw a sleeve before his eyes, wiping away most indicators of forming tears.

"No, Fresca doesn't even know about this. We're here for...something else. I'm not sure if you can, uh, stay. You'd have to ask." He tilts his head in the direction of the Mysterious Figure, and wipes at his eyes again with his sleeve.

"Er, allergies. Sorry."

by **Uncle Pervy** » Tue Jan 31, 2006 9:08 pm

She glances to the cloaked one. "You invited the best of the second rate duelists, and not moi?"

by **Kelne** » Wed Feb 01, 2006 1:08 am

Kelne turned an assessing glance on the newcomer. One of those random interlopers who seemed to infest the forest, by the looks. And one who had a high opinion of herself, judging by that comment.

"Presumably the third-rate duellists didn't make the list," he said, in a perfectly urbane tone. Kyle, of course, was far too polite to respond to that sort of thing, but Kelne had no such compunctions.

by **Uncle Pervy** » Wed Feb 01, 2006 2:17 am

"Ah, so you're just along to carry the plates back," says the woman with a smile to Kelne. Then she looks back to Kyle and grins more warmly. "It has been too long, no? Introduce me to your friends and valet?"

by **Endesu** » Wed Feb 01, 2006 12:03 pm

The figure stared at the fencer. It became very clear that he had no idea who she was. "Uh... yeah. Whatever. Just gonna have to ask you guys to keep it civil. Try not to kill each other, huh?"

The figure went to thinking for a moment. Well, I vaguely recall watching her in that one fight... I think... but I still have no clue who she is.

"Anyway, whenever you guys are done, get back to me, so I can explain what's going on here, hm?" The figure leaned back against a tree and waited.

He did note Paper's pecking, and was heartened, because Paper was a wai bird of glow.

***

"Heh! You don't even know? Some poor bastard who was selling telepathy and mindreading tricks here was apparently led off and killed by some guy in a coat and hat. He left this stand behind, and we've pretty much kept it in the same condition for a few days now, just to make sure the scene remains untouched."

He yawned a bit. "Man, you must really be out of sorts. Flyers about this seem to be just about everywhere."

Edited by: Crawling Reshiki at: 2/1/06 15:00

by **Idran1701** » Wed Feb 01, 2006 4:16 pm

"Really? Wow. But yeah, I don't pay attention to those. Leave those for the mercs, I say. You guys having any luck in tracking him down?"

by **Endesu** » Wed Feb 01, 2006 4:23 pm

"Nah, man, we haven't found jack. There've hardly been any leads. There were no signs of external damage, so we can't analyze any impact damage. We had some mages take a look, but as far as they could tell, no spells were involved, either. Apparently, the guy somehow managed to get into the guy's brain and tear it apart without leaving a trace.

And as far as we've found, there's no one around here skilled enough to try that. And if there were, they sure as hell haven't been taking time out to murder someone." The guard sighed briefly. "I really doubt we're ever going to get anywhere with this."

by **Kelne** » Wed Feb 01, 2006 6:14 pm

"Yes, Kyle, by all means, introduce us." Kelne seemed more amused than annoyed by the woman's retort. It was a stretch on a few too many levels. "I take it she's one of Enlil's projects?"

She certainly looked the part, what with the ragged, scrawny appearance. Given the haughty attitude, however, that was liable to be a terrible insult.

Of course, sparring with the interloper was all very well, but he was going to have to call it off sooner or later for their host's sake.

by **Uncle Pervy** » Wed Feb 01, 2006 9:03 pm

"Oh, so you're one of hers," says Marie, for indeed this is who it is, to Kelne with a faintly amused grin. "This would explain some things."

by **Capntastic** » Thu Feb 02, 2006 1:02 am

"Uh, Marie, this is Kelne. Kelne, this is Marie. And this little guy is Kumo; he's a good dancer. Feel free to chat I guess, I'm sure you'll all find you've lots in common."

Kyle moved over to a table, pulled out a chair, and sat down, placing his elbows on the table and resting his head in them. Oh, all the memories tumbling into his skull surely left him feeling stretched thin and worn afray, like a ship's sail after many months of being hammered at by the harsh sea air. But that was no reason to be unsociable during such a mysteriously festive event. He began to dish himself up a plate of food.

"Hey, this food looks great; and there's plenty."

(OOC: What delicious goodies are there for the taking, Sir End?)

by **Idran1701** » Thu Feb 02, 2006 1:32 am

Greg responds, showing a bit of nausea; only half-feigned, at that.

"...Wow...well, I hope you do catch whoever did this. Anyway, it was great seeing you, but I really should be off, or I'll be late. We should catch up later!"

And Greg heads off in a hurry, heading to the nearest tavern, both to wait out the hour and to ask some nearby regulars about the crime.

by **Kelne** » Thu Feb 02, 2006 6:22 am

"Really? One has to be an intimate of a pacifist angel in order to tolerate you?" Kelne feigned shock at this revelation, "You must be even more grating than I give you credit for."

Amusement was definitely the dominant emotion by now. He'd spent a considerable portion of his life surrounded by annoyances. Marie was at least an intelligent annoyance, which made her something of a novelty.

by **Uncle Pervy** » Thu Feb 02, 2006 10:07 am

"Of course, I've not heard of her retaining a valet to carry the plates, either," says Marie. "I suspect monsieur Broadsky hired you out of pity to remove you from that shelter before some bum accidentally spilt Mad Goblin Wine on you and set it aflame. Ah well, you have a strong back, and Kyle is known for his mercy. No doubt, you'll be up to helping muck out the stables in little time, no?"

She then looks to the cloaked figure., seemingly done with the verbal sparring. "And, I did not get your name. You are a new friend of Kyle's, I assume?"

by **Endesu** » Thu Feb 02, 2006 1:44 pm

The table was covered with a vast assortment of foods that Kyle would find vaguely familiar. He would have time to absorb this new found information before the figure revealed itself!

There was a plate covered with roots. The tasting sensation was that of an artichoke heart! A cutely written note below the plate read 'Burdock'.

There were several bowls of hot, steaming rice. There was a note for each bowl, and each of the notes read as 'Gohan'.

There were a few platters of partially packaged meat. The strong smell of fish arose from there. The taste was reminescent of sushi. These notes read 'Onigiri'.

There were a few platters with heavily spiced and seasoned vegetables. A strong taste of pickled radish came from these plates. These notes read 'Takuan'.

A few plates held simple fried eggs. Notes: 'Tamagoyaki'.

There were a few bowls of stew, the ingredients of which appeared to be shellfish, fish, and assorted veggies. Notes: 'Nabe'.

There were a few platters of small cakes with a distinctive green color within each. The cake itself would have a chewy texture and would taste similar to sweetened rice. A sweet filling is also inside each of the cakes, tasting like a sweetened bean.
Notes: 'Mochi
Warning: May cause dream hallucinations'

The last item, in particular, would be particularly suspicious!

There were also various canteens of water set here and there, and a canteen of hot, steamy cocoa with a 'Kyle' note next to it. A single canteen of sake was set amidst the water canteens. It was clearly labeled as such.

The figure looked up to Marie as she apparently finished her little verbal spar with Kelne. "Oh... well, ya see, that's what this is all about."

The figure suddenly stood with a flourish, pointing a gloved finger to the sky. "I've known him for a bit, actually. Along with Kelne, Kumo, and numerous other people I intended to invite."
He paused, seemingly attempting to build the tension. "For you see..."

The cloak fell, and a pair of stilits fell away. The previous mysterious figure jumped skillfully through the air, flipped slightly, and came to a crashing thud in the dirt.

The doily-bob... the tail... the armor... and, of course, the teddy-bear like physqiue... along with a new (and odd) pair of fluffy wings replacing his former draconic ones.

He slowly pulled himself up and out of the dirt, and simply said: "Hey guys, I'm back!"

***

As luck would have it, the closest tavern was an establishment by the name of "The Roasted Chocobo". It appeared similar to any other tavern on the outside, but when he entered...

He was immediately greeted by a strict, formal-looking man of at least 50 years of age. His attire was some sort of white, two-piece martial arts suit brought together by a black belt. "Greetings! You have entered the establishment of the Honorable Nairu Sanshiro! May you enjoy your time within this domiscile, and enjoy our half-off lunch special!"

He bowed to Greg and flourished his hands towards the main area of the tavern. Unsurprisingly, various tables filled the room, with customers seated at most, eating, drinking, or simply wiling their time away. Similarly attired men were cleaning and serving the customers.

The bar itself was set towards the back of the room. The appearance of the bar and the counter were the same as you would see anywhere: a bartender mixing bottles and serving drinks to customers who had taken seats at said counter.

The bartender himself was dressed similarly to the other serving men here. However, he had an even stricter look on his face, and appeared to have a vaguely afro-shaped style of hair. His moves were quick and violent, serving up drinks, selecting bottles, and addressing customers in a rather quick, almost inhuman manner.

The menu just behind the bar listed various drinks, ranging from kid's stuff to kidney busters. One of the drinks was highlighted; it was referred to as the "Fujioka Special". The foods appeared to be your basic tavern stuff: sandwiches, assorted snacks, and the like. The highlighted sandwich was the "Shinken Sandwich". The prices appeared to be relatively cheap for each, apparently due to the half-off special.

There were one or two seats open at the bar; one of them was at the left end and was seated next to what appeared to be a guard of some sort, clearly on a break. The other seat was towards the right end and bordered a man who appeared to be almost violently drunk, cursing someone or another about their preemptiveness.

There was one table open, near the entrance.

Edited by: Crawling Reshiki at: 2/2/06 13:59

by **Dragon Sage007** » Thu Feb 02, 2006 5:27 pm

Kumo was...amazingly unimpressed. Seriously. He just gave the Takuan a small taste, giving a slight 'mm' of approval, before even giving End a second look.

"We'd guessed already End. I'd like to know how you got back, I guess...and I don't know offhand where your comic is. Probably back at my old home..."

by **Idran1701** » Thu Feb 02, 2006 5:28 pm

Out of reflex, Greg passes over the bar with a quick astral scan, seeing what sorts of mages if any are to be found within. He heads over to the bar, taking a seat near the drunkie and ordering himself some water for now, though paying beer money for it. Can't hurt to get the bartender on his side, after all.

by **Endesu** » Thu Feb 02, 2006 5:53 pm

End chuckled slightly, shaking himself a bit as he did, glad to be free of the cloak. "I know, I know, I guess I wasn't doing a very good job of being mysterious. I'm not much of a fan of the mysterious, spooky stuff."

He seemed somewhat surprised by how apathetic Kumo was, but mentally shrugged his shoulders and chalked it up to some sort of odd puberty. Teenagers tended to be that way. Though, judging by the Moogle aging scale, that would've placed Kumo at... what? 200? Whatever.

Plus, it'd been a few years since he'd seen the kid, so who knew what he had gone through? He shrugged again at the comic bit. "No problem. I can always get another! And really, who cares about me? I'm interested in how you've been doing, Kumo. Last I remember, you were freezing on a mountaintop. Now you're some kinda mage. What's up, huh?"

He took a moment to adjust his now fluffy wings. The wings appeared to be fluffy in terms of feathers. He didn't bring these up very much, and hid them behind his back.

***

From what Greg could tell, most of the folks there were your average blokes, with no knowledge of magic whatsoever. The drunkard seemed to have a spark of something, though it was most likely doused out by the heavy drink its inhabitant was taking in.
The bartender nodded politely to Greg as he collected the money, bowed, and set a glass of water and a complimentary fortune cookie down on the bar in front of him.
The drunkard continued to curse and swear , glancing at Greg suspiciously from time to time before turning back to his drink, finishing it, and ordering another.

by **Dragon Sage007** » Thu Feb 02, 2006 5:57 pm

Kumo quirked an eyebrow at the weird feathers...but decided to not ask.

"Sorry, just sorta...grouchy. Been working pretty hard lately. I've taken an apprenticeship under Jal, a White mage...because of the demon and everything. It's not bad, though I wish Tolaris would stop with his money-making schemes. Even if they DO work, they tire the daylights out of me. Seven dances that are almost pure exhibition a day, ugh...but it's a living."

by **Endesu** » Thu Feb 02, 2006 6:02 pm

End nodded, taking all of this in carefully. "So you're still dancing... but for money? Well, I'm sorry you gotta go through all of that for someone else." He scratched his head. "I'd let you borrow some cash, but all of my stuff's probably been stolen by now."

He paused, as if in further thought. "That's neat about the mage bit, though. Everyone could always use another healer or purifier, and I'm sure you'll do a good job, as long as this Jal guy is up to the task..."

He paused. "I don't think you ever told me anything about your demon part, though."

by **Capntastic** » Thu Feb 02, 2006 7:01 pm

Kyle stood from his meal and looked on in utter disbelief! This could not be real; it must've been a dream. That would explain why everything was so similar to the last time; and all of the odd things they passed in the woods. A patchwork of memories of good times and bad. Did Kyle's heart ache for his Moogle friend that much? Oh, this was a dream for certain, and thus should be cherished. Very few dreams are as good and clear as this.

Dream or not, Kyle darted towards his long-gone amigo; and falling down to his knees, gave him a great big hug. Kyle was no poet, and knew that he would not be able to say anything fitting the vast depths of joy he felt; and thusly did not attempt such. But the smile on his face as he hugged this dear Moogle close could've been a poet's inspiration for quite some time.

Edited by: [url=http://p068.ezboard.com/brpgww60462.showUserPublicProfile?gid=capntastic>Capntastic</A] 

at: 2/2/06 19:09

by **Dragon Sage007** » Thu Feb 02, 2006 7:17 pm

Kumo simply said, "I'll answer any questions about the demon when you tell me where you went off to...and how you got back."

Of course, his simple questioning was cut short by an unscheduled hug from a fencer-jin...

by **Kelne** » Thu Feb 02, 2006 7:37 pm

"Amusing as it is to listen to your delusions, what say you get yourself something to eat while we invited guests catch up," Kelne said in parting to Marie, "You look like you need it."

With that, he abandoned her to her own devices, wandering over to join the others. "Good to see you again, End," he said, taking in the moogle's slightly altered appearance, "How was the afterlife?"

by **Uncle Pervy** » Thu Feb 02, 2006 9:20 pm

Mare regards the now uncloaked figure, not seeming to have registered Kelne's parting jab. She also observation Kyle's reaction to this figure. Not wanting to ruin the moment for her rival, she looks to Kumo. "So this is the one who sacrificed himself to take out the invaders? I've heard some impressive stories."

by **Idran1701** » Thu Feb 02, 2006 9:35 pm

Hoping to diffuse things, Greg puts on a look on worried-cheerfulness, and turns to the surly one, giving him a smile and a nod of acknowledgement as he sips his water. Turning back to his glass, he waits for the man to motion for another drink.

by **Endesu** » Fri Feb 03, 2006 12:36 pm

End seemed somewhat reluctant to explain the details about where he had been, but he might've begun... until he was caught in an emotional, almost tearful embrace by Kylitos.

While he was definitely caught by surprise, he was apparently glad to have been recognized and embraced so quickly by his long lost buddy. He returned the embrace just as well, if a little tightly, and the brief sparkle of a tear could be seen at the edge of one of his eyes.

His words took a moment, but they finally came out, filled with sadness and happiness at the same time. "Hey, Kyle."

He did manage to get a few telepathic words out to Kelne.
... I wanna hear what you guys have been doing more than I wanna talk about what's happened to me.

From somewhere, high in the trees, a small teddy bear watched the proceeding events and made its way off...

***

The drunken man glared at Greg further but didn't seem to push upon it. He instead turned back to his drink and swigged it, belching profoundly. With a swear, he realized that his glass was empty, and he did indeed signal for a new glass of... well, whatever he was drinking.

Edited by: Crawling Reshiki at: 2/3/06 12:55

by **Idran1701** » Fri Feb 03, 2006 2:36 pm

When the bartender approaches to refill his glass, Greg motions to him.

"Here, lemme ge' this one f'r him."

He slides some more gold to him, while turning to the man.

"Just go' lucky a' th' gamblin' house, figure I may a' well spread th' wealth, eh?"

by **Endesu** » Fri Feb 03, 2006 2:48 pm

The bartender nodded firmly, took the gold, and gave the man a refill of the swill he had been chugging down.

The drunken man, for his part, simply nodded to Greg and drank a bit more. "What da hell do you want - spreadin yer money on drunkards? Be oudda money befa end a' day." While he continued to drink and curse a bit, he seemed to be a bit calmer, quite possibly due to Greg's charity.

by **Idran1701** » Fri Feb 03, 2006 4:14 pm

Grinning to the man, he replies.

"'ey, I started 'bout th' same, I figure, wha's th' harm?"

Holding out his hand, he continues.

"Frankl'n Parker. Good t' meet y'."

by **Capntastic** » Fri Feb 03, 2006 4:40 pm

"I missed you, my friend."

He let go, and brushed himself off. Certainly there would be time to catch up when there weren't so many people around.
Quickly standing and using hand gestures to divert attention to the food, he addressed those around him.

"Let's eat; while it's still fresh."

by **Endesu** » Fri Feb 03, 2006 5:34 pm

The man looked at the hand and waved it off. "I dun shake han' wi' me own han' bein' all bleddy." He showed them off, and they featured quite a nasty variety of cuts and slices. "Bleddy thin's fallin' ta pieces."

"Bu' th' name isss... uh... Ninurta. Yeah." He slurred slightly, definitely calmer than before. "What a bleddy awfu' day."

***

End stood back from Kyle as he released the hug and simply nodded to Kyle's statement. The feeling was obviously mutual.

"Yeah... you guys go ahead, sit down, and enjoy. Even the stranger there. I don't have much use for the stuff myself right now.." The Moogle chuckled slightly.

by **Kelne** » Fri Feb 03, 2006 6:03 pm

"Not hungry?" Kelne levelled an accusatory finger at the moogle, "Who are you and what have you done with the real End?" For once, however, the question was asked in a humourous tone. Kelne was satisfied that this was End, but the lack of interest in food was decidedly odd.

by **Endesu** » Fri Feb 03, 2006 6:10 pm

End smirked slightly, still noticably hiding the fluffy wings. "Er... I'm a bit under the weather today. Things haven't been going my way. The ship hasn't been sailing out of port. The bed isn't made. You know... same old stuff."

He grinned, somewhat nervously, and ushered at the food again. "Really, guys! Enjoy yourselves. Tell me what you've been up to, and all that. That's why I'm here."

by **Uncle Pervy** » Fri Feb 03, 2006 6:12 pm

"Well, if you insist," says Marie, as she takes a plate and indiscriminately begins to heap Nekonian foodstuffs on it. She then takes a seat near the cocoa mug, and looks to Kyle. "How is the farm?"

by **Kelne** » Fri Feb 03, 2006 6:20 pm

Kelne shrugged. The truth would come out eventually, and his suspicious mind was already positing a link between those new wings and the lack of appetite. He was beginning to suspect that End wasn't entirely back in the usual sense.

In any case, harrassing him on the issue wasn't going to accomplish anything. Kelne went ahead and helped himself to a sampling of different dishes, avoiding anything which looked a bit suspect or was labelled as such. Hungry or not, End had definitely put out a good spread.

by **Dragon Sage007** » Fri Feb 03, 2006 6:43 pm

Kumo, on the other hand, simple nibbled a bit. He was a bit worried...about everything. It seemed a bit extravagent for a 'I'm back' party, and at the same time didn't seem to be anything threatening. And End was dodging questions amazingly well. Even when he didn't mean to.

And, of course, there was the little matter of those wings. Perhaps Kumo should stay quiet some time more...

by **Idran1701** » Fri Feb 03, 2006 7:02 pm

"Wow. Wha' happen'd t' you? Yer no' lookin' t' good."

by **Capntastic** » Fri Feb 03, 2006 7:14 pm

Kyle ambled to his seat, and made to sip some sweet cocoa to steady his nerves. "Things have been alright. They could be better, though-- a lot of hard work, you know, and I don't get to go into town much. That's okay, I guess."

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