Final Fantasy: Spiral Immortal (The Journey Begins)

[Crystal Tears]

Final Fantasy: Spiral Immortal


[font=sylfaen]I wanted nothing less than hope,
But, relishing despair,
I plunged into the nearest hell
And spent some weekends there.

I saw no answers on the walls,
No rebirth in the rain,
No saving grace in suffering,
No rapture born of pain.

What held me there? It must have been
The jackal, crazed and lean,
Who took my face between his paws
And, hungry, picked it clean.


One hundred years ago, High Summoner Yuna destroyed the unholy Aeon Sin, bringing about the Eternal Calm. However, not all were happy with the note on which her journey ended. A small cult, followers of Maester Seymour, who was killed (several times) by Summoner Yuna and her company, as well as their descendants, believe that Seymour should have killed Sin, therefore becoming the next Sin. They explored the ocean and found an evil machina-like temple, and in their hatred, they plan to use it to summon a Sin more powerful then anything ever before. This would mean sacrificing many Guado children to revive the evil Maester Seymour, and transforming him into a new Sin.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

In the dead of night, twelve Spirans -- warriors, mages, and thieves of all races -- are disturbed by a dream. Chaos, fire, chanting, and above all, a single sphere, hovering at the edge of everything. The image of the sphere seems to burn into the very soul......

**********

Recently, Spira has discovered a new chain of islands off the coast of Zanarkand, called The Via Isles. A chain of three distinct islands make up the Via archipelago: Via Island, Nush Nush Garden, and a third, smaller island of ruins. Many new creatures, and even new sentient races, have been discovered on these islands. Via Island is home to the aquatic Viavans. Nush Nush Garden is a lush forested island similar to Macalania Woods, and is by far the most un-inhabited island. The third island is the remains of the above-ground Via City. Rumors of ancient Machina buried beneath the ruins abound, but nothing has been proven, at least so far....


12 Spirans
Shinryu - Gothickan - Male: Cristal Tears
Tetsuya - Gothickan/Human - Male: PoLHaruko-san
Kale Dwyre - Human - Male: Asayake
Shinokiri Nush - Nush Nush - Female: Emotional Faun Chiko-sai
Kazekiran Ronso - Ronso - Male: CoolTrainer IcEz
Rulke - Gaudo - Male: Weasel Overlord
Ierie Nush - Nush Nush - Male: Nabooru23
Kaida - Al Bhed - Female: VirtualPlay
Turel - Human -Male: fireguardian
Lexander de val Alanoire - Al Bhed - Male: Tainted
Aiden - Human/Gothickan - Male: Perfect Chaos
Relos Cissanc - Human/Al Bhed - Male: Master Rudy


NOTICE: All RPGers! You may not start any closer then Guadosalam!! Meaning: Thunder Plains, Bevelle, Macalania Forest, Calm Lands, Mt. Gagazet, Nush Nush Garden, Via Island, Via City, Ruins, and Zanarkand are off limits.

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Name: Shinryu (Ryu for Short)
Age: 19
Gender: Male
Race: Gothickan
Personality: Cynical, un-trusting, and quiet. No one can ever figure out what goes on in his head. To other people he doesn't appear trustworthy, because he tends to be very secretive, and plotting. His biggest fault is that he doesn't want to become friends with anyone. Though he doesn't like it, his weakness is he can't leave anyone to die.
Appearance:
*Physical: He stands 6 feet right on. His eyes are a demonic red, and his skin is actually not as pale as other Gothickans, though still quite pale compared to any other race. His has a nice build, but because of his lean body figure, it doesn't quite show as much as anyone else's would. His hair is the normal silver color for Gothickans, and is a bit longer than chin length.
(For a clearer picture, click Here (http://www.ff7-2.de/kaddisch.jpg))
*Clothing: A black V cut tank top, and black pants. He wears a long leather trench coat that on the back has the Gothickan Symbol; a twisted looking dragon that’s head is in the middle of a Spiral, the dragon is outline is silver, while the actual dragon is detailed in silver and grey. His trench coat is usually buttoned up to his neck, but sometimes it is open. Also wears black boots.
*Armor: He has a silver arm bracer on his left arm that’s used to block attacks. It’s quite plain, but it has little symbols engraved into the hard steel that glow when magic is used. Other then that, he doesn't have much.
Class: Samurai
Spells:
Haste
Slow
Break - A Spell usually learned by a Dark Knight. Can Petrify.
Abilities:
Mirror of Equity
Relationship: Is Good friends with Rulke the Dark Knight. (Which conflicts with his personality but there are exceptions to every rule)
Weapon: Aeon's Soul: a sword crafted long ago when the Gothickan were in hiding. This sword is a beautiful crafted sword that has images of the Aeon's engraved into the blade. The hilt is beautiful, woven with the symbolic colors of silver, white and grey. The swords true powers go unknown; it is also unknown is how Shinryu obtained it.
History: He ran away from Zanarkand about 2 years prior to the present date. He hated how he was treated like a pathetic little runt and his true power ignored.
His father eventually found him, but in anger, Shinryu attacked his father, empowering the Aeon's Soul with Break and turned his father to stone. He then shattered the statue. Not willing to forgive what his own kind had done to him, from then on, he has wandered Spira alone.
Other: Nothing.



Shinryu~Samurai~Mi'ihen Highroad~ Travelling with Rulke


Dawn... It had come; the sun was slowly rising up over the hills of the Highroad. It stung my eyes for a bit, as my pupils narrowed. I hated Dawn, it meant another day of going about my meaningless existence in this pathetic world...
My view on Spira, was a bit narrow. Its past was filled with death, and cruelty, and a twisted Religion that thankfully had been abandoned long ago. Though I still didn't stop my cynical view on most things about this place.
Especially Dawn...

Rulke was still asleep. In the shade of one of the crumbling ruins, I looked over at him. We had taken turns keeping watch for the fiend we had been hired to slaughter. My watch had lasted half the night. Midnight to Dawn, then we would continue our hunt for the elusive fiend.


"Rulke..." I muttered, jumping to my feet, and looking down the dirt path. I raised an eyebrow, already people were travelling this road, and the sun had just begun to light the road. I smirked, and then looked over at Rulke who was still asleep. "Hey Rulke." I snapped, whom I saw had just cracked an eyeball at my voice.

"What?"

His voice was very dull, though it did have a youthful edge about it. He obviously hated dawn as much as I did, but probably because he had to crack an eyeball and get ready to hunt the fiend again. A fiend that I may add had evaded us for 2 weeks. 2 weeks of hiking up and down the Highroad and for what? For the damned thing to evade us again!

"Time to hunt again..."

"What is the point?" He asked rhetorically, as he turned over to turn his eyes away from the sun. "What's the point of hunting a fiend that we can't find?"

I sighed, brushing my bangs away from my face. I reached over for my sword, and looked back over at him. "To gain ooh... 10 000 gil each?" I smirked, as that always got him out of bed. "For someone not greedy... You sure do like gil."

He shot me one of those 'wrong side of the ground' looks, which he always had during the mornings. I smirked, and grabbed what little stuff I had.

"Come on." I urged, as he staggered to his feet, and grabbed his stuff. "The sooner we find this Damned fiend, the sooner we can get off this stupid road." I smirked. "And sleep in a real bed."

It was odd, no matter how focused I tried to be, my mind, it kept wandering back to a strange dream I had... Which was more like a vision then an actual dream... It had actually made me nervous, and the more I thought about it. The more the memory came back...

I was walking alone for some reason. which was odd. Usually I was walking with Rulke. Hunting fiends together, and getting frustrated at how they avoided us.
But then... A massive shockwave would come, evaporating all the water, incinerating the trees, and grass, and finally, it would light the sky on fire. The Sky would be red, and have orange and yellow bolts of lightning strike the ground and create craters in the ground.

I would hear screaming, women, children, men, everyone. All screaming in agony, and then I would hear someone else. The voice was cool, and calm, but sent a chill down my spine. The more I wandered, the louder it would become, until then... I saw it, the castle in the sky; a long black chain attached it to the floor of the ocean, which was now filling as a red liquid. It made me afraid, it made me feel cold... Like I was dying.

Then, it would switch. It showed a stone pedestal, and held in the center, was a sphere. . I would reach out to grab it, and right when my finger touched the Sphere. A bright light would engulf my sight, and I caught a flash of a man. He looked Guado... Or human... I really couldn't tell... But he was smiling, a cold, dark smile...

But the Thing that I kept picturing... Was the Sphere... Somehow it stood out to me...

That's when I turned to Rulke. He was his normal self: quiet, and keeping his mind on the thing at hand. I sighed, and went back to staring down the endless highroad.

This was going to be a long day...



I hope I did Rulke well Weasel, oh and I hope you don't mind the Highroad ^^;; Its hard imagining how these two would get along as friends so... Hope I did okay.

[Pichu Luver]

[font=garamond]Name: Kale Dwyre (He tells people his name is Cain)
Age: 24
Gender: Male
Race: Human
Personality: Generally he's a very friendly guy. Willing to help anyone in need, and treats everyone just the same. From the lowliest thief to the highest priest he gives no one more or less respect then they deserve. He doesn't feel the need to press points that people don't want to talk about; he only wants the same in return. He is very adept at reading people however, so if you press him he will nail you right where you don't want to be nailed. He can be a bit sarcastic but not overly so. He can talk for hours about nothing at all, for though he has no friends people can tell he is very trustworthy and will chat with him. Kind of like the people you meet walking your dog. He speaks his mind, so will tell you if you are being overly dumb. He never gets overly excited about anything and exudes a calming aura over anyone. Most people can find they can think more clearly when panicked, if they are around him. Many people find him wiser then his years . . .
Appearance:
Physical: Around 5'10, with a slightly toned body. His skin is a little tanned from all the time he spends outdoors. His eyes are a bright blue and his hair is dark brown. It is about 3 inches long except at mid ear it is cut very short. He has a small ponytail coming off the base of his neck. Here (http://www.allmoviephoto.com/photo/2002_treasure_planet_008.html) is a pic.
Clothing: Tan long sleeve shirt, usually rolled up sleeves. Brown pants with black tie up boots with a bit of heel (for riding you twits! Ah . . . explained later) He also had a light brown hooded cape for rainy weather.
Armour: Shoulder, chest and outside arm leather padding. Some leather padding also goes down to about his knee on the outside. He also has special gauntlets and gloves to let him fire his bow continuously.
Class: Gunner
Ability: Enchanted Ammo
Spells: Cure (Approved by Crystal Tears)
Relationship(s): Open to a few distant friends, Shinokiri being one of those. She is very good friends with Kiwi though. ^^ Gives a lift to Ierie Nush every once in a while. In exchange he helps heal any people they come across in their travels. Turel has bummed a ride off him once or twice so they slightly know each other.
Weapon: Borealis: This is the name of his bow. He has had it for as long as he can remember. His father gave it to him when he set out to explore the world, as he had no fighting experience and a bow would be good for attacking from afar (AKA running your arse off away from a fiend). It is very good at piercing enemy armour and has a very, very long range. His Quiver has a rendition of the Aurora Borealis on it.
History: He doesn't talk much about his past (as he prefers not too) but what he does say is that he was born on Mushroom Rock Road, near what was Djose Temple. His family settled near the old Temple for a while until he was old enough to travel. They were wanderers, selling their hand made weapons. When he was 18 they were in the Calm Lands looking for a new Chocobo to pull their wagon. They were not fond of the new machina to do everything and preferred to use Chocobo's, one of the few left who do. Kale asked for his own so he could travel for a while. His parents agreed if he could tame one and train it. He did and left to explore Spira. He returned about a year later to find they had died in a fiend attack. He took their wagon and has used it as a traveling healing centre ever since. Some are suspicious of this however as it does not explain how he got so good with his bow, or the armour for his Chocobo. (True history to be revealed later)
Other: He has a female Chocobo that pulls his wagon. Her name is Kiwi. He also owns armour and a saddle for her as well; rather old-fashioned stuff, but very strong. He can quickly unhitch her from his wagon by pulling a lever and jump onto her back for quick movements. (Approved by Crystal Tears)




[color=teal][font=garamond]Just a little reminder that anyone that uses Kale/Cain Dwyre in their posts, they are to call him Cain. No one knows his real name. Get it? Got it? Good. ^^



---~~~~~*Kale/Cain Dwyre : Gunner : Luca*~~~~~---

[font=garamond] Zanarkand, the place that never sleeps. At least, that’s what I’ve been told about the city of a thousand years ago. Seeing it lain out before my eyes, I had to agree. Lights were everywhere, glinting cheerfully into the night. Buildings as far up as I could see, reaching for the heavens and seemingly grazing the stars.

There was giant fountains too, I don’t mean the things you might see in Luca, or even Bevelle, oh no. Enormous arcs of water suspended in the air. The space between each pillar of water was almost a mile, and not a drop falling on anyone’s head. Water came out from between the floors of some buildings; for all appearances looking to be huge water statues. The whole effect make the city look like a fantastic water show. Zanarkand was a city of Summoner’s and they showed their might with their control over the water, truly awe inspiring.

There were people too, everywhere. You could not get away from them. The noise was intense as well, nothing like the places of today. The statement of ‘Zanarkand never sleeps’ was not enough to conjure this image. No, not even in my wildest dreams could I have come up with this. I had seen Zanarkand, gifted with a rare chance to watch a sphere of a person’s memories. I had at one point various connections, and as far as I knew, that sphere is in a museum now.

Either way my mind had decided it was a good place to visit. My dream self didn’t mind at all, I was riding down a main thoroughfare, or at least it looked that way with all the people. I was getting a few curious looks, being as I was riding Kiwi. I could hear people passing me off as some country bumpkin come to see the big city. I smiled in amusement; Kiwi swinging her head to and fro looking at the ‘weird’ sights and people.

I hadn’t long to enjoy it however as a slight tremor shook the ground. Kiwi stopped and shifted in place, chomping the bit. She wasn’t sure if it was a wrong noise with the racket already surrounding us. The inhabitants of Zanarkand paid it no heed. I frowned and Kiwi grew increasingly nervous. I took Borealis off my back and ran my finger down the string absentmindedly.

Suddenly the tremor grew into a roar, Kiwi started to run but I whipped her around and knocked an arrow into place. All around us people were running in terror, I could see why, a giant ball of water lay suspended above the city, the buildings bending towards it and melting.

Amidst this chaos a man walked calmly away from it. All I could tell was he was wearing a long red coat, and carried a bottle of ale at his side. His left arm was held inside his coat, and he had silver sunglasses.

All this time Kiwi had been bouncing fearfully beneath me and I struggled to hold her as I looked at this crazy man, walking as if he had all the time in the world. I shot my head back up to the ball as it released four bight ovals of light. I let the reins fall and Kiwi whirled around but it was already too late. One oval streaked towards us and I could feel it heat on my body and the light all encompassing.

I felt a lurch and instead of being incinerated Kiwi and I crashed to the ground; everything falling silent.

We lay still for what seemed like an eternity. Eventually I cracked an eye open and Kiwi must have overcome her shock at the exact same time because she scrambled to her feet and leaped clumsily backward. Just in time to. A humongous broadsword crashed to the ground where we had lay moments before. Kiwi stumbled and I was halfway out of my seat before she finally regained her footing.

My gaze was on the sword. As I shifted back into place my sight travelled up the sword into grey eyes. I noticed we were in a giant hall of some sort. Water dripped and Pyreflies flew everywhere. I recognized it as the Zanarkand of now. The man’s face, partly obscured by his coat twisted into a sardonic smile. It was the same man from Zanarkand. I scrunched my face in confusion and opened my mouth to say something when a light grew between us.

It grew until it was the size of a small recording sphere. I was transfixed upon it and I made Kiwi bring me closer to both the Sphere and the man. So intent was my focus on the orb I almost didn’t hear the man say, “It is time to shape your story . . . Their fate…is in your hands.” I reached out and touched the Sphere, the light grew, fading all else from view . . .


[color=teal][font=garamond]~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

[font=garamond]I shot up in bed, eyes wide and my body drenched in a cold sweat. My breathing was ragged and I thrashed at my sheets which had wound themselves around my legs and torso during the dream. I fell off my bunk in my thrashing and I finally came to my senses as I hit the wagon floor; my head bouncing off the wood planks. I cursed and calmed down enough to actually start untangling my arms and legs from the sheets instead of kicking at them. With my own panic subsiding I could hear Kiwi calling outside the wagon in her own alarm.

When I finally disengaged myself from the blankets, I rushed out the wagons back doors. I had to calm Kiwi down or she could very well hurt herself. Kiwi was pulling on her tether, her eyes wide and rolling in fear. I walked over, not wanting to frighten her any more then she already was. She saw me and relaxed a little, enough so I could grab her lead and pull her head down to hold in my arms.

I spoke to her in soothing words until she calmed down. Eventually she sighed and raising her head free of my arms gave her entire body a shake. Then she eyed me and nudged me with her head. Stumbling backwards and I feigned anger at her. She kwehed happily and it was then I noticed the sky lightening over top of the buildings in Luca. Morning was here.

Kiwi kwehed again but this time there was an edge of want in it. I laughed, “Alright I’ll go get your breakfast.” I said and I grabbed her feed bin. As I turned she did a short kweh, more like a chirp really, knowing full well what I was doing. I smiled and shook my head as I turned back to the wagon.

When I reached it I undid the lid on one of the barrels attached to the side. Grabbing the scoop dangling from a rope beside it, I put two scoops of feed into Kiwi’s bin. I set it down in front of her and she happily dug in, all frightfulness forgotten. As I watched her eat I drifted back to the dream with a frown. I knew it was no normal dream. It drew to the forefront of my mind things I had pushed away for a very long time.

I sighed and ran a hand threw my hair; “I haven’t had a dream with a Sphere in since . . .” Memories formed in my mind but before they became too substantial I resolutely shoved them away again, crossing my arms and glaring. ‘I don’t care what you said’, thinking back to the man in the dream ‘I’m not having anything to do with it!’ I knew deep down though, I was going to get involved. It was what had gotten me into this mess in the first place. At least, I think . . .

I sighed again and as I stared off into space Kiwi finished and burped. I half smiled and gave silent thanks to her antics which so easily got my attention back in the here and now. She drank from the nearby fountain as I grabbed her bin and got her gear. As I brought her armour over she kwehed unhappily and gave me a soulful look.

“I know Kiwi but we’re leaving Luca today and word is there’s a nasty fiend on Mi’hen,” speaking to her as if she could understand. “I just want to keep you safe.” I tapped her left shin with my foot, telling her to lie down. She sighed and gave me a look that said you so owe me for this.

I laughed again as she dropped down and proceeded to saddle her up. When I was done I led her over to the wagon and quickly attached her to it. I hopped up and attached my own armour and grabbed Borealis and my quiver from their spot over my bed.

I made sure the ponytail was secure and ran my fingers through my hair in an attempt to brush it as I went to the front again. I grabbed some food and placed it on driver’s bench. When I sat down beside it I attached both Borealis and my quiver to my back. Just as I was grabbing the reins, food bar in one hand and I saw a figure coming towards us. He was yawning heavily and I smiled sardonically. So he could get up early if highly motivated.

“Hey Turel hoping to get another ride?” I called to him.





[font=garamond]If anyone else who knows Cain wants to catch a ride that's fine. ^^

Edit: Fixed dream, learned we could do our own.

[Tainted]

Name: Lexander de val Alanoire (Harlequin).

Age: Thirty-Three.

Gender: Male.

Race: Al Bhed.

Personality: Lexander is very cryptic in the way that he talks that he very often does not give a clear message of what he is trying to say—that is—if he does speak at all. Most often he just stays in the shadows and watches everything play out, following aimlessly until it is his turn to lead. The only person that really brings out any sort of emotion in him is Shinokiri, a Nush Nush he met through playing Blitzball. She both annoys him, and makes him happy—though he would never admit the latter.

Appearance:

*Physical: Lexander stands at six-foot-six, with pale skin and shot-cut dark black hair that is messily strewn across the top of his scalp. Al Bhed tribal tattoos cover his entire chest, back and right arm—and even run up to the back and front of his neck. He has a tattoo of an Al Bhed mythic symbol underneath his left eye; the edge of which runs down his jaw and ends near his chin. His legs and feet are tattooed as well, but the patterns there are more dispersed and thin—rather than the very bold and dark black tattoos that make up his upper torso. His eyes are a pale, sickly green with eerie swirls for pupils. He is heavily muscled from many years of physical labor. Lexander has a very rugged look to him, with a chiseled jaw and strong chin, high-set cheekbones and a fine layer of black stubble covering his face.

*Clothing: Most often the only clothing he wears is a pair of black pants along with a pair of boots that lace halfway up his shin. When it is absolutely freezing he will occasionally don a tattered old black leather bomber-style jacket that is next-to-useless with all the holes and rips it has in it.

*Armor: His left arm is constructed entirely of metal, a very advanced working of Machina. Lexander lost his arm when he had matured in his first real duel, so a working metal arm was constructed for him. It has dull gray plating on the outside of it, except at the elbow and beyond the wrist (for movement purposes) where all machinery and wires can be seen clearly. The plating roughly makes up the shape of a real arm, but his hand is a mass of wires and metal bits with thin, sharp-ended fingers that have roughly designed cylinders in place of knuckles. He uses this arm not only for functionality but also as means of protection.

Class: Warrior.

Spells: None.

Abilities: Flametongue.

Relationships: A strong bond of friendship with Shinokiri; she is the only one allowed to call him Lex.

Weapon: Fallen Moon:
A blade passed down in his family from father to eldest son to represent the half of the moon that Harlequin (The Devil’s Kin) possessed in the old legends. It has a black tightly bound leather handle for optimized grip—the handle morphing straight into the blade without any sort of hilt for definition. The blade, a dull gray color, is straight until halfway up the blade it forms into a half-crescent that makes up the other half. The inside of the crescent is toothed for tearing, and the outside sharpened viciously for cutting.

History: Born into physical labor in a machinery plant he became accustomed to the workings of all things mechanical. At an early age he would break and rebuild things in his spare time to find out just how they worked. This knack for mechanical things and Machina stayed with him into his adult life.

He gained great muscular strength and reflexes through his work, and eventually was rewarded a blade from his father (the owner of said machinery plant) for his passage into adulthood. Lexander began to train with this blade and perfected his battled techniques, until his first real duel where he lost his left arm to his opponent.

After obtaining a new Machina-arm, he wandered for quite a long time training himself further physically and mentally. When he felt the time was right he confronted the person that had taken his arm and killed him in battle, in his mind rightfully earning the full passage into adulthood. This passage of suffering and pain was brought to him through the extensive tattooing of nearly his entire body.

Through this he found himself a completely new person—he was no longer a confused kid, Lexander, without much purpose in life; he was now a well-trained Al Bhed warrior. Proving arrogance in his newfound abilities, he dubbed himself Harlequin after the Devil’s Kin in the old legends of his people.

Other: Loves to smoke and drink.


- - -

-[Lexander de val Alanoire]-
-[Harlequin]-

-[Warrior – Luca – Alone]-

I sat under a dock in Luca, my head in my hands, my eyes looking through my fingers I peered into the water. Looking into the depths below, I saw a man broken, shamed and lost. Where was this man to go with the rest of his life? He had come so far, thirty-three years, but each had been a waste on it’s own because at the end of it all—here, he had amounted to absolutely nothing.

A cigarette hung loosely off of the man’s lip, that man that sat under the water looking back at me. He was on his own dock, some underwater dock, looking up to the surface as I looked back at him. He was a man of many flaws, with few instances to redeem himself.

He was lost in a world that he sat still in and watched rotate and spin without him. He was the center, the axis, and the thing that held everything and everyone still. He was balance, the median—he was everything, and yet also nothing.

He was I. A reflection. The frigid water below proved to be nothing more than a sick, twisted mirror that could show you things sometimes your own eyes could not see. Your own green eyes with their swirling pupils, things that had to be hidden from most people.

I searched for nothing more than a place to call my own, people to call my own, something to add some sort of meaning or reason to keep on living to my seemingly meaningless existence. Though above all, I searched for her.

Her with ecru skin and all the things that make my heart pick up in pace. She looks at me, makes eye contact, and for a second I feel her probing my mind as if she searches for something even she cannot find. The entire world seems to spin rapidly, picking up pace as it goes until everything but her is a blur. My eyes rattle in their sockets, and I reach out to touch her smooth skin when suddenly my hands feel a little heavier.

A sphere stands still directly between us, it seeming to have the wisdom and knowledge to show me the world. It sings a song, cooing seductively. It has it’s own gravitational pull that gently lures my hands towards it’s center. I inhale sharply as my fingers probe it’s surface, and exhale as my hands touch hers.

Looking up from the wonders of the sphere, my eyes meet hers and for a split second, with our hands touched together in the center of the warm sphere, I feel as if everything is complete and with purpose. I feel for once that I am worth a damn, that these thirty-three years of my life have not been completely wasted because I exist for her, and for this sphere, and for everything that is a swirling blur around the two of us.

This does not last for long as the sphere explodes and she with it. Fragments of her beauty spill everywhere, and I stand alone as that song of the sphere still plays as if trying to haunt me, to tell me that I will never have what I truly want.

I realize that not every last bit of her is gone, as there are two objects that I can see that are not a swirling blur like the rest of my surroundings. Two floating eyes that gaze into mine and eerily give off the same feeling as before. They are green, with the telltale swirl in the center.

She is Al Bhed.

I watched the cigarette float on top of the oceans mirror. It had dropped from my lip as I absentmindedly remembered the only dream I’ve had for my entire life. It haunted me and gave me a reason to live. But where was she? Where was this sphere? I could tell one thing: surely they were not under this dock.

I walked out from underneath the dock and threw on my tattered leather jacket. I couldn’t let anyone in this town see the work of Machina that was my entire left arm. So I walked aimlessly, walking for the sake of walking, hoping that my fate may bring me closer to the things that I strive for. I made eye contact with nobody, my head hanging low. I didn’t want them to see me for what I really was.

I mumbled something under my breath in Al Bhed, “Cuwi um yrca tiedn pikor.”


- - -

As goes for Asayake, here. Nobody may refer to my character by his real name, with the exception of Shinokiri the Nush Nush. To all others, Lex is Harlequin.

Adieu,
Zak Hunter

[Arnen]

~Name: Ierie Nush (ee-ree)
~Age: 13 (but barely... acts like an eight-year-old, though XP)
~Gender: Male
~Race: Nush Nush
~Appearance:
*Physical: Small even for a Nush Nush his age, he has soft grey fur with darker grey stripes on his face, back, tail, and arms, with white on his front paws ("hands") and black on his hind paws ("feet"). He has large eyes of a bright sapphire green, with slit feline pupils, of course.
*Clothing: He wears your typical White Mage's robes, cut to fit his small feline form. The hems of the sleeves are adorned with a pattern of squares and triangles, like this:
| |/| |\| |/| | With the squares being aquamarine, the left triangles being green, and the right triangles being azure. His robes include a hood, which he sometimes wears up, and sometimes down.
*Armor: Tied to the tip of his tail by a blue ribbon is a small silver bell. This bell has a slight protective charm on it (in other words, SOS Protect, basically).
~Personality: Basically, he's a coward. The sight of blood makes him faint, and he usually runs at the first hint of violence. Also a major kiss-up-er-er. He'll grovel and whine and cry until he gets his way, and is known to use the Nush Nush's most powerful weapon... A cute face!
~Class: White Mage
~Spells: Cure and Esuna
~Abilities: Pray
~Relationships: Helps out "Cain" in exchange for rides. Anyone else want to be friends with the kitty? =^o^=
~Weapon: He has a silver rod with a large aquamarine crystal at the top, cut in the shape of a ball of yarn (yes, I know >>; ). The bottom of the staff (the part where you hold it) is wrapped in the same blue ribbon as his tail-bell.
~History: He comes from a long line of established Nush Nush healers. He's spent most of his life training in the White Arts, but has never lived a particularly extraordinary life.
~Other: Purr-snores rather loudly.

=~*Ierie Nush*~=

I was dreaming... No, wait.. It was really more like a nightmare... I was completely unaware of the shoddy blanket being tossed and twisted around my writhing form as I turned again and again, unconscious of the world around me as horrific scenes played themselves through my head.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


It started out as a nice, calm day. The sky was a clear azure through the crystalline branches, and a warm wind blew through the Nush Nush Garden. The trees around my father's house whispered to each other on this wind, somehow comforting, and in a way, ominous at the same time.

Suddenly, the ground shook and the air shimmered with some sort of explosion. The trees, the plants, the houses of the village, they all began to evaporate into the burning air. The sky tinted the color of dried blood as the oceans began to boil and disappear. Scorched of all life, the land was left barren, the oceans empty shells, as lightning forked the empty skies.

Then I saw it. The skies were not so empty as they appeared; in fact, there was an entire citadel, floating high above the bare earth. Midnight black, it was, with a single giant chain anchoring it to the rocky ground far below.

Suddenly, the image flickered, and I became aware of a glowing crimson object in my sight. It was a sphere, clasped onto a pedestal of some sort, its center clouded fire. Suddenly, my vision shifted upwards, and in the blackness about me I saw from behind a maiden, her silver hair billowing about her almost bare form as she raised one arm. It was lowered, and the sound of a body thudding to the ground could be heard. Shimmering crimson blood leaked around the woman's feet, as suddenly the whole scene began to fade.....


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


I awoke to a mouth full of cloth. With a dissatisfied mewl, I spat it out, as slowly my eyes blinked open. The soft grass of the Mi'ihen Highroad tickled my whiskers as my nose twitched, taking in the various scents around me: Grass, clean air, and vaguely some smells from Luca not far off. I sat up in a vain attempt to untangle myself from the sole blanket I traveled with, but to no avail. With a small growl, I reached down and began meticulously unwrapping my legs, torso, and tail. At length, I was able to slip free and fold the blanket back into my pack.

After that was done, I stood, stretching. Gingerly picking my staff up from the ground nearby, I pulled my hood up over my head with one paw as I turned my face skyward. One claw scratched idly at the cool silver shaft as I pondered the dream. What could it have meant...?


I hope that was sufficient ^^

[Emotional Faun Chiko-sai]

Name: Shinokiri Nush (or Shi-no-kiri, as her kinsmen pronounce it. Often shortened to Shino)
Age: About 14 or 15, human years
Gender: Female
Race: Nush Nush (kawaii!)
Personality: Hyper and upbeat. Depression is not a word in her known vocabulary. Shino is gregarious and likes people, any people as long as they don't try to kill her at first glance. She is also too trusting for her own good, although she's smarter than she looks. Sarcasm fails to register in her brain and she takes much of what you say at face value, though over time she's learnt some of the commoner human expressions.
Appearance:
*Physical: Shino's fur is light fawn deepening to brilliant orange at her elbows and knees. There are darker orange mottled markings on her forearms and forelegs, and her ears are sepia-toned. Her belly and muzzle are cream, and so is the tip of her bushy tail. Her eyes are a very light buff colour; even the normally black area is faded brown. (I have no idea how this affects her vision...) She prefers to run on all fours as opposed to bipedal movement.
*Clothing: Fur? *blur look* well, she wears a tribal cloud-patterned sky blue loincloth cinched at the waist with rough rope, and has mythril silver armlets on where her biceps are/would be if she was human.
*Armor: She has a bronze collarpiece, much scratched and dented from years of wear, but much loved by herself as she has had it as long as she can remember. She thinks it a relic from her ancestors and thus it is polished to extreme shininess almost every day.
Class: Thief
Spells: N/A; though she has shown some magical ability, she doesn't care to utilize it as yet.
Abilities: Steal; and, er, blitzing.
Relationship(s): Very open. Distant friends with Cain/Kale Dwyne, or rather with his chocobo. Currently trying to get an answer other than "...." out of Kiran Ronso every time she speaks to him. Is good friends with Lexander de val Alanoire.
Weapon: Cat's Claws - coarsely-constructed claws shaped from very hard, almost unbreakable bone fragments. Nothing like the advanced things Rikku uses in FFX/X-2, these are very traditional, very much handmade, and very painful. In dire straits she can also use her own pointy teeth and claws.
History: Originally from Nush Nush Garden, the traditional home of her race, she hopped on a ship when she was a kitten and made her way to the human settlements in search of fun. She is an oddity in her own race as she has no family, not even a vague memory of one. When she was approximately eight in human years she declared blitzball her main source of fun (apart from the occasional heists she pulled stealing food in the market and elsewhere), and survives mainly on her earnings from the blitzball season, though she can pick most anybody's pocket that she wants to. Mainly based in Luca, otherwise she likes to spend her time in the beach/watery areas, such as the Moonflow or Besaid. Very occasionally goes home to visit.
Other: Plays Blitzball sometimes as a replacement for the Ronso Fangs' left forward; she's the fastest player and by extension quickest scorer on the team. ...oh, and she talks to Chocobos, the few that she meets.
---------------------
Shinokiri Nush, F, thief, Luca
Obtain bearing
----------------------------
Shinokiri Nush dreams.

When she dreams she dreams not in colour but in taste and smell. Here in her dream the air is thick and rife with the metallic tang of blood, hanging off the tip of her tongue, buckets and buckets and buckets, a whole ocean with trenches deeper than the canyon goes in Mushroom Rock, and maybe it is raining, the smell intensified a hundredfold until she thinks she might die in this dream, in this blood.

Fire in her dream leaves forests blackened stumps. On the island of her birth the worst fear of all had not been conquistadores or tidal waves, but fire. Fire the destroyer. Fire that withered the delicate skeleton leaves on the sparkling limbs of trees and razed villages. All the villains in the fairytales she was told as a kitten had been fire demons.

She wants to wake up from this dream but she can't. She has yet to see the most important things, like the floating palace. The Dream King's palace: but it can't be, this gothic confection of black turrets and ornate balconies, a path of chains leading to the forbidding black double-doors. It is steeped in the rank of blood. Then the fire consumes it, as it consumes everything else.

There is a sphere, singularly unlike the benign ones she is used to, pulsing and fading and then coming through strong again, teetering at the edge of her consciousness, burned onto the back of her eyelids.

She wakes up with a horrid aftertaste in her mouth. She never wants to have the dream again, and though her small room on top of the Luca Cafe, the soft morning light filtering in through the palm-leaf blinds, is light years away from the death and destruction of the dream, she buries herself under the covers of the little bed and curls up there, fur bristling. As if wanting it to go away would make it go away. We don't like it don't want it never seen so much blood never want to see it again.

When she finally unrolls herself from her self-made cocoon of blanket and tail she lets out a long breath she hadn't realised she'd been holding. There is no blood here. There is a Ronso Fangs banner tacked onto the wall, a blitzball with everyone's signature on it, her claws, the collarpiece, some gaily patterned cloth from her island, and the season's schedule. All this fits neatly into a heap at the further corner of the room.

Shino puts on her collarpiece carefully, feeling the bronze teardrops cool against her fur, and puts her claws on carelessly as if they were bracelets, which is what they mainly function as until she slides them down to her paws and turns them into weapons. There is no tournament today, but there will be later this week. The Fangs are playing the Luca Goers, and she doesn't know if they will be using her instead of their regular forwards. She figures they'll contact her if they want her. They know where to find her. Now she just wants breakfast, to remove the taste of blood sticking in her throat.

She gets it at the cafe, where the owner knows his single tenant well enough that he rolls his eyes and gives her an extra pancake when she makes her pretty-pretty-please look. He doesn't bother to comment: the last time he did, Shino asked him, genuine puzzlement registering in her feline face, whether his cafe was made out of pancakes. (Quote: "You're eating me out of house and home.")

Luca is lively and full of people there to watch the blitz tournaments. Shino is about half a body shorter than most of them, but she doesn't let this deter her from the crowd. She looks around aimlessly, sucking in the atmosphere. She loves this, the swell of people, the feeling that nobody can be really alone in Luca.

[CoolTrainer IcEz]

Name: Kazekiran Ronso (ka-zay-kee-ran usually just called Kiran)
Age: 18-20 human years
Gender: Male
Race: Ronso
Personality: Kiran is a very quiet ronso who thinks very deeply and usually analyses situations very thoroughly before acting. Once he decides something, Kiran can be so sure of himself that it may appear that he's being arrogant. Kiran is very friendly and easy to get along with (once you try to get to know him) He's also very loyal to his friends and will risk everything to protect them.
Appearance:
*Physical: Kiran's fur is steely blue like Kimarhi's but more ruffled all over making him seem like an oversized lion plush toy. He is very tall and muscular like other ronso and has steel grey fur around his mid chest. There is a large scar of a gash diagonally down from right to left on upper body stretching from somewhere above his mid section to his upper chest. The skin there has healed over an is obviously grayer than the surrounding skin. Kiran has long steel gray hair that falls to his shoulders. He ties up the hair at the back of his head in a very short pony tail while allowing the rest to fall messily on either sides of his head. Kiran is very proud of his large horn which is a shade of ivory. His tail is slightly thicker nd more muscular than most ronso, ending in a tuft of silver. Kiran's cat-like eyes are burning orange and gleam eerily in the dark. His legs are large around the thighs and very muscular and he walks on his legs like how big cats walk on their hindlegs, with the instep slightly directed backwards before reaching the feet.
*Clothing: Kiran wears minimal clothing except for the dark brown loincloth around his waist which are marked in white patterns of his tribe. Ronso don't really need clothes.. just armour for protection =)
*Armor: He wears a large scratched up, rather tarnished mythril breastplate strapped onto his chest by dark brown leather straps. He has light mythril armgaurds around his large deltoids with dark blue markings similar to that on his loincloth. He also wears sturdy silver shingaurds with similar dark blue tribal markings.
Class: Black mage
Abilities: Focus, Guarded (approved by Crystal Tears)
Spells: Fire, Water, Thunder, Blizzard
Relationship(s): He's pretty much solitary except for his teammates in the Ronso fangs.
Weapon: Kiran carries Lion's Pride, his trusty lance. It's a tall light yet deadly lance which is as tall as him. The blade is similar to that of a one-sided axe pike with a sturdy reinforced wood handle.
History: Kiran is actually from the same tribe as Kimarhi and has lived in Mt. Gagazet almost all his life. After the beginning of the Eternal Calm, Kiran decided to explore Spira alone. His parents like other ronso were Blue mages and trained Kiran to be one. However, Kiran realised he was a rather incompetent blue mage and decided to take up black magic in his journey around Spira. Although still learning the black arts, Kiran has proven to be a natural black mage. He casts his spells by imbuing Lion's Pride with the element and then leaping forward to strike the enemy. (approved by Crystal Tears) Even as a child, Kiran has had a natural flair for Blitzball and when he finally left the comfortable Mt. Gagazet, he decided to persue his immense interest in Blitzball by joining the Ronso Fangs where he became the top goalkeeper. He also met Shino in the team and was instantly attracted to her uniquely feminine nush-nush looks. However, being rather shy he has never said anything to her and even tries to avoid Shino when she tries to be friendly.
Other:

Kazekiran Ronso :: Black Mage :: Luca

"Argai! Basik! Gazna! Irga! Nuvy! Zamzi!" yelled Coach Kocha as the Fangs dived into Luca's Blitzball pool. Kocha was a rather aged Ronso with short beard that he braided and bound with a red cord. He was someone I really respected not only because of his age but because of his immense knowledge at blitzball and how he could formulate spectacular formations for the team.
"Shino!" he called out. "Shino!" he bellowed louder. "Shinokiri!!!"
The words reverberated throughout the almost empty Luca stadium. Then, from the stands a small orange Nush nush (about 3 feet) lept into the air and plunged into the pool.
"One more time you're late Shino..!" yelled Coach Kocha after her but she had already swam to the opposite goal post far enough to feign not hearing Coach Kocha's constant nagging. In fact, that was the only thing I disliked about him but I guess it's because he cares for us. Shino looked starkly out of place swimming amongst the other towering Ronso who were at least 4 to 5 feet taller than her. Yet everytime she punched her fist into the air when she scored a goal, she makes my heart leap like nothing I felt before.
"Kiran!" I didn't need a second yelling. I was dying to hit the pool. As soon as the cool waters engulfed me, it came again. It has always assaulted me in almost any situation, always sweeping across my surroundings but never in the blitzball pool before.

The water in the pool was turning more viscous. I was choking. It bubbled and boiled a crimson red. No, it was maroon. Black. Thick bubbles rose from either of my sides. Choking. I cough and sputtered but the searing pain would not stop. It intensified as a wave of energy swept over the pool, vaporising everything. When would it stop? Why now? Dropping to the floor wet and covered in a pool of blood, I picked myself up. Drawing myself to full height, for the first time the deafening screams hit me. It was all I could hear. The incessant cries and shrieks of women, of children, of men. Staring into the fiery sky, I saw it. The spine-chilling sight of a floating fortress anchored to the bay by a single massive chain. It was obsidian and gleamed almost as if in moonlight. The red red sun was blazing now. It was coming closer and closer...

"Kiran! Stop day-dreaming!!" Zamzi called out. "Huh? What?" I muttered in a daze. But it was too late. The blitzball in front of me was steadily growing larger...

Again, the vision swept through the pool. The blitzball turned into a bright aquamarine sphere. It glowed faintly and elegantly in the light. The light within it danced as if underwater and suddenly I desired nothing more than to hold it in my paws. It was the same sphere of my dreams. If only I could grab it this time, then maybe I would know what mysterious powers it held. If only I could snatch it before.. The sphere was blazing now. A blinding white light illuminating everything in sight. Before...

I was staring directly into the sun that shone over Luca stadium. A firm arm was gripping my collar, yanking my upwards. "What do you think you're doing?" questioned the calm and familiar voice of Coach Kocha. He was trembling slightly, shaking me.
"You nearly drowned!" he cried. You could actually drown in a blitzball pool? Hmm..
"Yeah! Shino got you good there!" added Nuvy. I returned with a candid nod.
"Sorry Kiran.. You got hit right in the face with one of my Nush Shots." said Shino apologetically.
Looking up at her, for a moment, a soothing feeling washed over me, before I became painfully aware of my bleeding lip.
"Ow.." I mustered. "Coach, I'm sorry.. It won't happen again."
"I hope.." I muttered under my breath as I trodded off to the locker rooms.

[Weasel Overlord]

[COLOR=slategray]A note...Charon is pronounced Car-on...I'm particular about this...sorry!

~Rulke, Dark Knight and Guado~

So I slept. Helm to my side, and greatsword held loosely in my telltale hand. It was the fingers. Always the fingers. People’s eyes gravitating to the sharp claws that tipped the elongated digits. My heritage. And my failure. I sighed as I turned wearily from the path of half-sleep that haunted the transition between dreams, wanting to rest. I wanted no dreams this night. No dreams of blood and darkness. Some would have thought this strange, following the path of the Dark Knight as I do, and all but one, my companion, Shinryu, thought I was insane. Touched by the familiar curse of madness that so often haunted my Guado past.

...I am not mad...

At least, I keep telling myself this. Hiding from my past under armour and tattoos.

...I can’t hide forever...

I toss and turn, walking the smooth and worn path into the dream I so wanted to avoid. There was the too-familiar clearing, surrounded by the trees I had grown to hate, though they were so lovely to me the first time. How things change...
I walked, my own body out of my control for the time. I walk as if dreaming. A dream within a dream. My dream self twitches at the mouth at this irony, a slight but grim smile coming to my face. I had walked the paths of this dream too many times and too well for me to be surprised at what came next.

The clearing fades away, leaving a shade of Guadosalam in its wake. My old home glimmers beautifully in the dim light, seeming to have an inner light all its own . I walk, nay, drift to the centre of Guadosalam where my old home lay, pulsing with hidden energy. My hair falls in my eyes and I glance down momentarily to clear my vision, catching sight of my reflection in a fountain. Silvery hair gleamed as if liquid metal, and my tattoos seemed to fade before my very eyes. Under, the markings of my heritage.
‘Guado’, they speak. ‘You can never escape your destiny.’ I shake my head and look up, wanting to be rid of the reflection and the nagging voice it brought. As my eyes rise, I see a glimmering orb. It floats above my home, pulsating slightly, and I feel it’s sinister intentions envelop me.

...come closer...

I come, under it’s spell, unaware of anything but its divine presence and my need to be closer to it.

In it’s swirling depths I see shadows, fading in and out of focus as I watch. First, there is an image of Guadosalam, in flames and broken, its inhabitants weeping with sorrow and screaming in pain, for some of them are trapped in the flaming homes, burned beyond their original appearances, until nothing remains that is Guado. Women and children run, their screams piercing, from their former homes. Away form all that they know.

I gape at the sky in horror to see blood streaking the sunset and screams heralding the dawn. The very cycles of the Sun seem broken. Lost.

The orb swirls more, and I teeter, overcome by the horror of it all. My footing leaves me and I fall into the fountain. Splashed not by water but by blood, I scream in chorus with the burning masses, my scream waking me from the hell that I live when the sun sets.

“Rulke!” I groaned and turned, still in the torpor that held me until noon. The persistent voice of Shinryu continued to batter at my sleepiness, relentless. I turned to face him, eyeballing.

“What?!” The dream had been particularly horrible that night and I felt in no mood for revelries. Hunting. That’s what he wanted. Always with the hunting.

“What’s the point?” I wasn’t usually this passive but I felt spiteful for having my torpor disturbed. I did like my morning torpor...

I staggered to my feet to a hail of cheerful banter. How was he so damned jovial? I sighed in exasperation and grabbed at my helm. Jamming it on my head in a careless manner, I swung Charon (as I had fondly taken to calling my broadsword) over my shoulder and stood up, albeit quite shakily, but still an achievement for so early in the morning. I glared down the Highroad that had become my bane and sighed. Yet another day of hunting overshadowed by that dream...

[Haruko]

Name: Tetsuya
Age: 20
Gender: Male
Race: Gothickan, although not purely. There is some human in him.
Personality: Although sarcastic in his ways, Tetsuya remains mostly quiet about anything that retains to him and tends to concentrate on others. He can tend to be very serious on a long range of things like battling and cleaning up his guns, and he can be quite easy to bribe. He knows a lot of first aid, and is quite smart - even though sometimes; he can be a pervert. He knows when not to speak and tends to ignore anything sad, although deep down, he just hates depressing events.
Appearance:
Physical: Around 6'4", his silver hair glistens in the sun light and is verry messy. His cat eyes are a golden yellow, and his skin is very pale, typical for a Gothickan. His build is very lean, but his leg muscles are very strong for their size, as he's a very quick runner.
Clothing: Wearing a long, silverish jacket that flows in the wind, it's long sleeved and the cloth is a very sturdy and strong cloth. Although it would seem to be heavy, Tetsuya has no problem wearing it and dodging bullets and weapons at the same time. He wears a black shirt and blue jeans. His shoes are lightweight for running. Inside his jacket, he stored his 2 Guns.
Armor: No armor, but his jacket sometimes can take a small beating.
Class: Gunner
Spells: None
Ability: Enchanted Ammo
Relationship(s): Has a girlfriend back in Zanarkind, so he's taken in that department. But he's open.
Weapon:
Aero and Terra: 2 guns with very similar designs, Tetsuya found these one day outside of Zanarkind Temple and fixed them up. Each contain ancient Yevon designs on the handles, and are hand guns. The barrel is a shiny silver. They're somewhat similar to Yuna's guns from X-2.
History: His mom dieing because of his birth, only getting to name him from the last 3 syllables she said, and his dad dieing soon after in a suicide, he has grown up almost alone. With some help from a Al-Bhed, he grew up to what he is. Because he saw his father die, he winces and looks away at bloodshed, although knowing that life cannot go on without some fighting.
Other: Has excellent eyesight and knows Al-Bhed as a second language.[Ok'ed by CT]



"Well...I guess this is where I leave you two."I said nonchalantly. We were in a port in Guadosalem, the dropoff point for where I was leaving the 2 people I consider to be 'Vysemo'...or family. Even if I was dating one of them. Normally we'd be eating around a campfire, watching the magnificent sky in Zanarkind. However, they were going to check up on Keith, my girlfriend's brother who was helping in the rebuild of the Al-Bhed's 'Home'.

"Do you haveee too?! Kei would be happy to see you!"Rukki said, playfull as usual as her sand blonde hair hung in the air.
"Yeah, I have a few things to do near Luca..."I said, mumbling off at the last part. Rukki loved Luca, and if she knew I was going, then she'd give trouble with dad. Which mean't I'd get in trouble.
"Hmph...Fineee,"She said, and hugged me playfully, looking into my eyes. Her eyes were typical Al-Bhed's - green with swirls. "But...don't...talk to any girls, ok?"
"Why? Jealousy?"
"I just don't want you to forgettt mee!"She punched me playfully, and ran onto the ship. A hug with my semi-dad and he was on the ship aswell, to make it's way to the desert island known as Bikanel. I watched them off, waving at them and standing on the port until I could barely see them on the horizon. I then walked back into the main Guadosalem, and took out my map out of my jacket pocket..

"I have to cross the Moonflow, near ol'Djose and Mushroom Rock-Road."I sighed, knowing the distance. I wanted to save some money on this trip so that I could have a nice room in a Luca hotel, but with taking rides on hovers...I might end up sleeping right near Mihen, on the ground. Comfy.

++

"Theree yeah go!"I smiled, placing my guns away. It was the last fiend kill of the night near Mihen, and it was the only way I'd even sleep indoors.It was pretty hard to find someone who'd want me to kill a fiend; probably because of the real fiend hunters. However, I found a couple, and got rewarded kindly.

"Thanks!"I said, running off and to the closest hotel I could find before it stopped accepting people to come in. I took a few deep breaths before going to the front counter.

"I'm sorry sir, but we're not --"
"Come onnnnnnn!"I moaned, interrupting the girl. I looked down and then up at her. I'd have to feed into whatever ego she had inorder to get a room.

"Well well..I haven't seen anyone as pretty as you since I left Zanarkind!"I said chalantly.
"Really?"She blushed,"You live in Zanarkind? I've always wanted to go there."
"Yeahhh, it's really nice there. Especially at night. You know..thats what your eyes remind me of. The night time sky at Zanarkind."
She then blushed a redder shade."Really..?"
"Yeah"I smiled, faking an honest smile.

"Well..we..do have one room. I'm sure my boss won't mind if I let you slip in."She slyly said."But I can't give you a discount."
"Thats alright."I said, and handed her the necessary gil inorder for one nights stay, and she handed me a key. I found my room and quickly took off my jacket, placing Aero and Terra on a nightdesk as I locked the door, turnned off the lights and fell asleep.


"What a nice day.."I walked out of my little hut and out into the dawn of morning in Zanarkind. I didn't have my jacket on, only my pants and shirt. Looking around, the area was creepily deserted - no Gothickans in sight. An eerie chill went up my spine, shaking me up a little. It was a bit too quiet..

As things got a bit more eerie, my jacket, with my guns loaded and readied into my hands; all within a blink of an eye. The eerie-ness of the situation made me feel all uneasy, including the now screams of children and women..massive chaos started just in a blink of an eye. The sky seemed to explode, and in the middle of it all,a sphere..


BAAM! I woke up to my face meeting the floor, my body aching a bit at the fact that I had fallen off the bed. That dream...why did children and women scream? Why was there a sphere in the middle of it all? I slowly stood up and dusted myself, and sighed, closing my eyes as the sun's rays stuck my eyes - dawn;twilight. I walked into the bathroom and splashed my face with water, and got a bit of water in my hair.

I'd have to start my trek back to Zanarkind today, since I got Aero and Terra checked up on and everything. I placed my jacket on, placed my guns in it, and walked downstairs, taking the key and closing the door behind me

"There's a huge fiend in Mihen!"I heard the girl from last night tell people during the routine breakfast that the inn ran. I quickly came and took a small muffin, and ran out, towards Mihen.



Sorry it's not that good. I'm not feeling that well, and stayed home today - slept in alll dayyy. So I feel like crap. O'well.

[Tainted]

-[Lexander de val Alanoire]-
-[Harlequin]-

-[Warrior – Luca – Alone]-

I flick the match’s little red face against my thumb. Sheltering the flame from the gently blowing winds, I pull it to my face and light a cigarette hanging gingerly from my bottom lip. I inhale and sigh as sweet cancer fills the depths of my lungs and I realize that I haven’t played Blitzball in months. The poor, poor Al Bhed Psyches without their goaltender.

I stare at the discarded match on the floor for a second, and contemplate the life of a match. So brief—you are alive, and then dead. Face of red, face alit, then a charred face of black without even as much as a sweet scent to carry you onto into the match afterlife.

I inhale and wonder where Shino’s been lately. I miss that little bugger. Exhaling I decide to seek her out.

“Now where would I be if I was Shino?” I mumble to myself.

She did always have one specific passion that could not be tamed: Blitzball. That’s where I would look, the stadium. I had many important things for her, and little time to waste.


- - -

Adieu,
Zak Hunter

[Crystal Tears]

Shinryu~Samurai~Mi'ihen Highroad~ Eater Disorder

It was going the same, walking down the rather deserted highroad, only to see the same ruins as yesterday, same rocks... Well the same everything.

"Shinryu! Look!"

I looked over to where Rulke was pointing. It was huge! A foot print bigger then my head; it was obviously from the fiend we were looking for. Finally, we had a stroke of luck.

"It's eating everything!"

It was our lucky day; obviously the monster was around, because no one would scream like that at a normal monster.

Gigantic. That's the only way to describe its size. It had a split jaw, and two tongues on either side, its eyes were a creepy sort of green, and its arms where as long as the building it was attacking. Its back was armoured by what looked like a strange sort of backbone, its bulky body was supported on two small, but muscular legs that were leaving the deep footprints in the ground.

I cringed; this monster was a bit bigger then what we had bargained for. I looked over at Rulke who was just as surprised at the gold and silver Chocobo Eater as I was.

"Help!" a woman cried as the eater lifted her up towards her mouth, and then chomped down brutality. The woman screams turned into nothing but horrific cries or pain. I winced as I watched half of the body drop to the ground.

"Well we found it..." I cringed. I watched Rulke look over at me, and then nod. Both of us charged at the same time, I unsheathed my sword as fast as I could, and swung away, the sword made a light clanking noise as it 'dinked' off the armour of the Eater. "Okay..." I sighed, watched the same process happen to Rulke who bounded away just in time as a fist came smashing into the ground.
I couldn't believe it, the monster stared at us both, and went back to eating the people, and whatever was around.

"Rulke! What is that thing?" I asked, realizing only now it wasn't an ordinary chocobo eater.

"Its an Earth Eater. Extremely difficult to kill, I'm surprised it's around..."

I raised an eyebrow at him. "Why's that?"

"Because the last one seen was 100 years ago..."

100 years old or not. I'm not letting it run rampart. I jumped foreword, sword high above head, I swung downwards, and sliced at its back. But it did nothing! Instead, all it did was piss off the Eater, it swung around, slamming its fist hard into my body.
I flew back; landing inches away from the cliff side that lined the highroad. I watched Rulke attempted to get over to me, only to be blocked and then thrown farther away back the Eater.

"Rulke!" I called out, in terrible pain, but managing to stand up. "We need another damn plan."

~~~

Fiend Info:
Earth Eater: looks much like a Chocobo Eater except its gold and silver. It has auto reflect on, and has great armour. Earth Eater's are not to be taken lightly.

To all who come to face the Earth Eater. Make note: Earth Eater will not be defeated in one or two posts. Its Tough Armour, and Reflect make it a challenge. Anyone who decides to be godly wil suffer the full punishment.

[Emotional Faun Chiko-sai]

Shinokiri Nush, thief, F, Luca Stadium
headhittin'
-------------------

She had most definitely not been in the know when Mari, weaving in and out of the Luca crowd, stopped panting in front of her and told her that there was a practice today, now, hurry. Mari was a young Ronso, cousin to Nuvy, who wanted very much to join the team, but was hopeless at passing and still more hopeless at shooting; so he usually got stuck with little nothing jobs like the one he was doing now - carrying a message from the coach to an errant blitzer.

Shinokiri stiffened all over, like she'd just received an electric shock. Coach Kocha was not a person you wanted to annoy. He could make you do fifty laps round the blitzball arena if you looked at him the wrong way, though usually he was only like that when Shino came late for more than three times in a row. She tried to be early, she really did. It wasn't her fault she looked at wrong schedules half the time, or was too busy palming candy in the market, or looking for things to do which would make the lines of Lex's mouth turn up in something that vaguely resembled a smile, but only just; or talking to a stranger she'd just made friends with because she liked the colour of his hair. Nope, not her fault at all.

Running all the way back to the stadium was the easy part. The hard part was standing Coach Kocha's look. He looked down his impressive nose at her when he critiqued the technique of her shot, and she sometimes felt that this wasn't really fair because he was five feet taller than her, even hunched over. She absorbed all the points that she was supposed to absorb during his tirade, (don't kick the ball so high, control it properly, headbutt it if you want to give the defenders a surprise) and concentrated her vision on a spot on the wall approximately two feet to the upper left of her coach's quivering beard for the rest of his nag, which turned out to be mostly concerning the undesirable trait of unpunctuality.

"...and I hope I see you here at nine o' clock on the dot tomorrow morning, Shinokiri Nush. Do you understand me?"

Ah, he was done. Finally. Shino had been deciding whether the spot on the wall looked more like a pawprint or a regular splat. She concluded that it was just a regular splat. "Yessir."

"Good. Now get in the pool and start heading off some shots against Kiran. You need to stop hesitating when you aim the ball. Argai! Basik!"

Shino took a deep breath and cannonballed into the pool. Swimming was fun, and so was blitzing, even if listening to lectures wasn't. Irga Ronso passed her the blitzball, and slapped it around with her tail until the coach yelled at her to do what she was supposed to do, at which she tried to keep her face straight but couldn't and ended up having to surface to laugh it off. Then she got serious and began considering the options available to her to dodge Kiran's goalkeeping, which though pretty good wasn't completely infallable. He seemed to fumble more when she was doing the shooting.

She'd been trying to get a rise out of him since she joined the team, but she'd never managed better than a blank stare or, when she was lucky, a marginally more sociable "yes" or "no" reply to her questions. Kiran was the strong silent type. So was her best friend, technically, but they were different strong silent types. Lexander tended to angst more, and she found him all the more fun to cheer up because of that.

Okay, if Coach wanted no hesitation, then she wouldn't. She smacked the ball with her tail once, softly; then a second time, harder, the other way; then kicked it up, swam after it in a quick fluid motion, and headbutted it towards the goal. For the lack of a better name she had called it Nush Shot.

Kiran seemed to be dreaming, because instead of stopping her shot or attempting to block it the ball hit him in the jaw. It was obvious that she hadn't been hesitating this time, as his eyes rolled upwards into his head and he keeled over. Chaos ensued, in which Kiran was rescued and the pool drained. Shino was appropriately apologetic, although the response she got from the wounded goalkeeper was a distant look; then he walked off to the locker room. At least it wasn't just "..." again.

Shino was sentenced to getting another ball from the supplies closet. She hadn't gone too far from the pool when a scent she knew very well wafted into the near distance. Machina, leather and strong silent type, angsty version.

"Le~ex!"

He didn't flinch at the pleased over-excited tone in which she said his name, nor when she hopped onto his shoulders and hugged him round the neck like a fond child. "We was going to look for you this morning, but we had practice. How's things?"
-----------------------
I'm very sorry for not posting earlier (so damn lazy...) my trials are finally over, though!

[Tainted]

-[Lexander de val Alanoire]-
-[Harlequin]-

-[Warrior – Luca Stadium – With Shinokiri]-

“Things are as usual, Shino,” I replied with a heavy accent, a cigarette waggling up and down from my lower lip as I spoke.
“Why’d you come all the way out here to see us, then?” Her utmost exuberance filled my stomach with some kind of sickness that made me want to think of anything besides eating, despite how hungry I was. It was a sickness I couldn’t live without.
“Alright, little Nush, you caught me. I came here for a reason.”
Shino’s eyebrows rose as if to say ‘Aaaaand?’

I closed my eyes and breathed in deeply. Opening them, I spoke.
“You remember that time when you got caught stealing that bread when you were just a wee little thing?”
She nodded.
“And remember how I killed that baker that threatened to cut your tail off and wouldn’t let you go? Remember how I killed that sonuvabitch just for you?” I smiled slightly at the last part. I wouldn’t admit it—but offing that guy definitely wasn’t a chore for me.

“I’ll cut the bullshit, Shino,” I took a last drag on my cigarette and threw the butt to the ground. “I need to ask you a huge favor.” I paused. “You remember that girl from my dreams?”
“We do, Lex.” Shino nodded happily.
“I want you to travel north with me looking for her. I’m sure of it this time, Shino. My feet know where to walk, I just don’t want to walk them alone.”
Shino raised her eyebrows again.
“Alright, I don’t want you to come with me—I need you to come with me. I’m starving cause a big hulking brute like me can’t steal any food, and I sure as hell don’t got the money to pay for anything. We could make a fortune on our travels; I heard there are tons of big monsters out there people will pay tons to have killed. I think you and me’d make a great team. Hell, we could even give those Nush Nush gardens I’ve heard about a visit.”
Shino appeared to be in deep thought.
“Make up your mind quickly, Shino. My tongue grows weary of this brutish language.”


- - -

Adieu,
Zak Hunter

[Weasel Overlord]

~Rulke, Guado, Dark Knight~

Walking. I was getting sick of it. Especially the Highroad. I did used to like it at the beginning of our journey, but the endless tedium of the hunt was wearing me down. I wished to find the fiend and leave. No, I wished to find out the meaning of my dream. That strange sphere and my home village. As much as I disliked Guadosalam, I had no wish to see it destroyed, even in the dream world. I would eventually return…

I wandered along, safe in my silence, as usual, when a glinting form caught my eye. I gasped and pointed wildly, actions usually foreign to me, but the relief I felt at finally tracking down the elusive fiend overwhelmed me.

“Shinryu! Look!” I waved my arm in the direction of a few houses where the Earth Eater was terrorising some people with an expression of enjoyment on its face. I knew it was terrorising because of the incessant screaming. No one screamed like that unless there was an unusually large fiend abroad.

Farsh, it was huge. Its sliver and gold bulk almost obscured the sunlight. Well-armoured and clumsy, it didn’t seem a match for any Chocobo in speed, but sure enough, the Eaters were the biggest threat to Chocobos. If this one wasn’t stopped, it would become more of a threat to humans too.

The mass of beast held a screaming woman in its claw, clamping down on her so hard that she finally snapped between the great jaws and stinking teeth. I winced, and tugged down the visor on my helm, swinging Charon from my shoulder and bringing it to rest on the ground in front of me.

“Well, we found it…” I nodded back at Shinryu, and we charged in unison. Shinryu was the first to reach the Earth eater, not being hindered by large amounts of armour, as I was. He swung violently at the beast, but his sword bounced off with a slightly humorous ‘ting’ sound. I lifted Charon in defiance, and sped up, only to have the same effect as Shinryu. Our swords were useless. A strong enemy indeed.

“Rulke! What is that thing?” Shinryu looked confused and I realised that he had never encountered an Earth Eater before. I winced. Maybe this was going to be harder than I first thought…I banished any thoughts of my friend’s apparent weakness and yelled back.
“It’s an Earth Eater. Extremely difficult to kill. I’m surprised it’s around…” He raised an eyebrow at this and I proceeded to explain. “The last one was seen 100 years ago…” I had thought that earth Eaters were extinct until seeing the signs of this one on the Highroad. At my words, Shinryu proceeded to attack the beast manually, but I didn’t see this working. Even the size of the beast was repellent, and any species of Eater was renowned for its armour.

Somewhat unsurprisingly, he was thrown off and dashed against a nearby cliff. I saw his face screw up in pain and I made my decisions. I attempted to reach Shinryu, but was thrown by the Earth Eater. Luckily my armour saved me from most of the pain, and I only received a few bruises from where my head had struck a sharp rock.

After disposing of us, the Eater went back to, well, eating and I saw my way clear. I crawled over to Shinryu to find him struggling with his pack for a potion.

“We’ll need to rely on our rarer used skills for this one. Use your magic! Cast Haste, and we might have a chance.” He nodded, seeing a vague plan beginning to formulate.

“With improved speed, we’ll definitely have an advantage. But…what will you do?”

“I…I have skills…Maybe I can Drain its life away…but if that doesn’t work, then I’ll have to rely on my inner strength…” My doubts must have showed on my face as Shinryu instantly looked reassuring.

“Don’t worry.” He swallowed his potion and stood up. “We’ll have speed on our side!”
-----------------------------------
Ergh, sorry for the corny ending!

[Pichu Luver]

[font=garamond]---~~~~~*Kale/Cain Dwyre : Gunner : Luca/Mi'hen*~~~~~---

[font=garamond]"Why would I ever walk when I could catch a lift?" he replied, patting Kiwi's neck as he passed her. He swung up to the seat beside me, and grabbed the food bar laying there on his way up. He placed his scythe behind him against the bunk bed.

"You going to remember its there?" I questioned, raising a brow. I ignored the way he just grabbed the food like it was meant for him. I wasn't angry, far from it. More amused, I always wondered how he had survived through life. Not to mention he was good for laughs, not that he ever meant to provide any. He could just get himself into highly amusing situations.

He looked over at me, mouth full of food. "Off cuss. Whad ou fing A am, an ijut?" He didn't stop wolfing down that food for nothing.

I raised my eyebrow again and said, "Do you really want me to reply to that?" I flicked the reins and Kiwi started off down the road. Turel just gave me a glare, too lazy to do anything else.

We headed down the side street and came to a main road, passing by the stadium as we went. I could hear the infamous Coach Kocha yelling at the Ronso Fangs. I thought I heard Shino's name and I winced in sympathy. I looked over at Turel, and saw he was leaning against the wagon, fast asleep.

I snorted and flicked the reins again, urging Kiwi faster. I wanted to get out of Luca before the crowds started to show up. I few people were milling about, but not enough to hinder our progress.

We quickly came to the centre circle in Luca, and I turned Kiwi to the stairs out to Mi'hen. She didn't pause, having gone up them many times pulling the wagon. I looked over at Turel amused, if this couldn't wake him up, nothing would.

Kiwi trotted up the stairs and the wagon followed, bouncing its way up. It was sturdy old thing and I wasn't afraid of it tipping. On the first bounce Turel was jolted awake, barely saving himself from a fall. I laughed and Turel also seemed amused. I clung to my own seat, dropping the reins. Kiwi knew the way up.

We got to the top and I slowed Kiwi, as both our arses need a break. I checked the back and some things were on the ground, notably Turel's scythe. I told him but he just shrugged. After a bit I let Kiwi pick up the pace, and Turel and I chatted for a while.

We had been travelling for about twenty minutes when Kiwi started to slow. I frowned and saw she seemed to be listened to something. I listened as well and could hear some distant thumping, enough so that the ground was shaking a little.

I stopped the wagon and steered Kiwi of the Highway. Turel frowned, "Hey why are you going off the path? We won't make it to Rin's Travel Agency today if you stop."

"There is something up there." I waved my hand vaguely up the road. "I'm going to check it out, I don't want to risk the wagon if it's a fiend."

"Oh." was all the reply I got. I got off and backed Kiwi and the wagon into a thicket. Very effectively hiding it. Suddenly I heard a thunderous roar. All three of our heads shot up.

"Sheet" I said and ran out. My eyes bugged out of my head at the sight of the Earth Eater. "Double sheet." 'They're not supposed to exist anymore . . .' I frowned. It was decently close, but its back was to us. I could see two people fighting it, but not doing much damage.

Turel came out to stand beside me. "I'm thinking we should get out of here."

I sighed, 'Well old man you got your wish.' "No Turel, we can't. They need our help. Which brings into question, do you know Reflect?"

He gave me a look that questioned my intelligence. "Of course not. Why would I have learned that?"

"Well then unless you're decently proficient in wielding that scythe. You are not going to be able to do much. An Earth Eater as auto-Reflect, thus making your magic hit you."

He winced, as if at some painful memory. "Um..."

"Right, watch Kiwi then. Eaters love Chocobo's, make sure she doesn't get loose." I took Borealis of my back and jogged towards the fiend. As I approached its back was still to me, I glanced at the other fighters and they seemed to be talking about something. Unfortunately for them they did not notice the Eater had turned its attention from the fleeing people and towards a much easier standing prey.

The Eater raised it arms, tongues waggling. They stopping talking a looked up, blanching. I pulled an arrow, nocked it, took careful aim, and fired. The arrow soared and hit its target dead on: the Eaters right buttock.

It roared in pain, and swung its arms around to clutch its bottom. I almost laughed, until it swung around and levelled me with an intense look of hatred. I gulped, thinking perhaps I should have taken Turel's advice and left.

Suddenly its look faded and was that glee on its face? I was confused for a split second and then heard a sound I dreaded at this moment. "Kweeeh!"

I swung around and saw Kiwi standing there, looking like the happiest Chocobo alive. That is until the Eater stomped closer. Then she looked waaaaaaay up, and froze.

"Kweh? Kweeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeh!" She spun to the left and shot off faster then any arrow. The Eater, all rage for me forgotten, tore off after it. Bashing trees, people and anything else out of its way. I would have laid money that was smile on its face.

"SHEEP!" I cried and ran up to the Dark Mage and Samurai. I skidded to a stop, pointing at the Samurai. "You! You know Haste right?"

"Yeees . . ." he replied seeming very uncertain. 'Well I probably look a little crazy right now.'

"Well, cast it on me!" I flung my arms up for emphasis.

"Why . . ?" he seemed to want to back up very, very much. His friend did nothing at my antics except raise an eyebrow.

"Just do it!" I was getting desperate. Kiwi wouldn't last long on her own against the Eater.

"Ok . . ." as he concentrated a stopwatch appeared in his hand. He looked at me, "ready, set, GO!"

I could feel my heart speed up and my body fill with adrenaline. I shot off after Kiwi and the Eater, bow in one hand, an arrow in the other. As I left I heard one of them say, "That was a very, very strange man."

[Crystal Tears]

Shinryu ~ Mi-hen Highroad ~ Samurai ~ Domino Effect anyone?

“That was a very, very strange man…” Rulke turned to me saying. I chuckled at his joke, but then, something inside of me rippled to the surface.

“Wait…” I said, as Rulke turned to me and frowned. “If he kills the Eater…” Both our faces turned to horror at the thought.

“Oh crap!” We both exclaimed, looking down the highroad to just being able to see the strange man, with his tiny pony tail, and arms waving wildly, churning up smoke as he dashed down the Mi’hen Highroad. Bow in one hand arrow in the other.

“Quick! Cast Haste!”

I concentrated, I felt light gather in my hand, and when I looked down, a stop watch had appeared. I immediately slung my sword back into its sheath, and pressed the button. My heart began to race, and I could feel my body inching to run.
But again, I had to concentrate, I summoned another Stop watch, and almost immediately after it had appeared, I stared at Rulke and pressed it. I could see it in him, the adrenaline burning through his veins.

“Let’s go.” He said. And at that very moment, we dashed, faster and faster we sprinted down the highroad until we were right on the heels of the rather comical runner who had dashed off before us.

“Hey Rulke!” I called over, he glanced at me. “Exactly what are we planning to do once we catch him, and the Eater?”

“Kill the Eater…” Rulke smirked. “And if he wants a share, we kill him too!”

“Wow…” I smirked, as all of us bounded over a log. “What a positive outlook on things!”

That’s when it began to happen, we were about 3 quarters of the way down the highroad, and my body, I could feel the pressure, the heat beginning to surface. I knew that everyone who had haste on right now could feel it, but unless they were experienced, they would think nothing of it.

“Jump!” Rulke called, as we watched the brown haired guy go tumbling over a rather large log that’s hard to see when you’re going a little to fast for your eye sight.

I’m not letting my friend catch Heat… I thought, as I focused in mid air, the same stopwatch appeared in my hand, I pressed it, and watched as the pace of Rulke slowed dramatically. This however threw him completely off, and he slammed into the ground face first.
I however, had just managed to press the stopwatches button again, causing my own body to slow back to normal pace, unfortunately, this threw me off as well, my foot caught a branch of the log, and I was slung over in a dead mans position. And if I hadn’t felt like such an idiot, I would’ve laughed.

“My luck…” I panted, forcing myself up, and onto the giant log. “Really is that bad…” I wiped the blood from my mouth which had come from my chin smacking into the bark. Which may I add; HURTS. “What the…”

Those words were the only two words that could describe what I saw. I saw the Chocobo which the man had run after quite—wildly, lying on the ground, its neck stretched out and its head flat on the ground, and its feet, up in the air along with its bottom. Feathers were thrown about everywhere. But that was only the beginning.

The Earth Eater had tripped over the same log the Chocobo had. Its arms were spread wide out on either side, its face, was completely embedded into the ground, and its feet lying stretched out behind it. It looked like a serious case of sky diving gone completely wrong.

Then my eyes set upon the strange man. He had tripped over the same log, the Chocobo, The Eater, and the rest of us had. He was… Well, let’s say if he wasn’t good at yoga, he’d be good at it now. His arms were stretched out straight beside his head which, like the Chocobos, was embedded into the ground. His hips, butt, and legs were in the air, dangling above his back. He looked like a man that had just pissed off his girl friend, and she had whacked up upside the head with a bloody frying pain.

But the biggest shock; is that he was groaning. It was surprising he was still conscious after his so called ‘Frying Pan Beating’

“Noch ash bad ash mine…” He replied to my earlier statement.

“It lives!” I smirked sarcastically, wiping more blood off my face, and stumbling towards the shaken man. “Listen don’t-“

“KIWI!” He cried out, jumping up in an odd state and then freezing, holding a rather comical pose as his face was reeked with worry, one of his arms flung out behind him, and the other, out stretched; which from my view looked like he was calling the Eaters butt a small green fruit…
One of his legs was bent as if it was taken all the weight and pressure, while the other was flung out behind.

My god… He looks like a tortured ballerina.. I thought, raising an eyebrow at his predicament.

“Rulke?” I called over to my partner. Who was so completely out of it he waved to a near by rock. “Right… Never mind…”

“Shinryu… You look a lot… More heavy then you were originally… Did you gain some weight?”

With random comments in the background, I circled around the strange man, who watched me with his eyes. I smirked, and cocked my head at the man, wondering why on earth he was holding such a strange pose.

“Hmmm...” I pondered, and then smirked. “Michelangelo would be proud.”

“Har… har…” Came a muffled laughter from the ‘getting weirder by the minute’ man. I kept my eye brow raised.

“Why in Yevon’s sake are you holding that stupid pose?” I snapped, rather un-intentionally, but I was still annoyed this idiot has made my mouth and nose bleed.

“Cush… Imsh in heash…” He mumbled, trying so hard not to move.

“What?” I asked, ignoring the random comments in the back ground by Rulke, who was beginning to snap back into Reality.

He opened his mouth slightly. His eyes focusing on Rulke who was walking up behind me, just starting to remember that what happened.

“Cause… I’m in Heat.”

I didn’t know what to do, either laugh, be disgusted, or just stand there shocked. I felt laughter escaping my mouth as I looked at the pathetic sight, but then the shock filled in and I looked him up and down in a rather disturbed manner.

“You’re one Girly Man.” I commented, watching him try not to laugh. I laughed, and so did Rulke. “Rulke what should we do with him?” Rulke was silent, only shrugging; he obviously wasn’t in the state to think. “Maybe we should kill you…” I sneered, and I watched the man’s eyes turn completely hopeless. “Nah… You’re good at making yourself look like an idiot. We need comical relief, don’t we Rulke?”

Rulke smirked, and nodded. Then he went back to his usual devoid of all emotion face. While I turned my attention back to the Michelangelo master piece; The Moronic Ballerina who calls an Eaters butt a small green fruit.

“Alright…” I smiled rather evilly at him. “We’ll help you out. Unlike the medical books, Heat can be over taken by… A certain Arcane spell…”

I could hear him gulp, as he watched me unsheathe my sword. I closed my eyes for a minute, and when I opened them, the sword was glowing like a light bulb; slowly I inched it towards his neck, and then swung it into his leg.

Instantly he moved, his skin was beginning to boil, and burn, but it was immediately cancelled out as his cut was turned to stone, and almost immediately after that, the rest of his body fallowed. The stone shot up his leg, and eventually twisted its way up his neck and down into the inside of his body.

Now, he looked more like a torture ballerina, and less like a master piece. One hand was clutching his leg while the other leg was on its way to collapsing, one arm was again, flung out behind him to signal he was falling.

“Rulke… Soft please?”

I was handed, a small, glass orb object. Which inside, was an aqua blue liquid, which sat in there lazily. I smiled, and tossed the glass as the man. It shattered, and the liquid splashed onto the strange man’s chest.

Slowly at first, but then it picked up speed at a wicked rate, the liquid covered the entire sculpture, until finally, it shined so brightly both Rulke and I were forced to cover our eyes as the man came to be again.

~~~

Thanks to Asayake for editing help, and giving me full permission to torture Kale as much as my heart desires. ^_~

[Pichu Luver]

[color=teal][font=Garamond] ---~~~~~*Kale/Cain Dwyre : Gunner : Mi'hen Highroad*~~~~~---

[font=Garamond]I reflected later that perhaps when one sees two creatures fall over in front of them, they should be careful of their step. Well not me, and when I do something wrong, I always make sure it is spectacularly done.

My foot caught the same Yevon confounded log, and I did a very impressive set of flips and rolls through the air. I noticed absently that I was feeling rather hot. I was rather more concerned with which way to ground was supposed to be at that moment.

I righted myself, only to notice that I had set myself up to hit the ground, head first. I cried out but, as my face hit the ground, it became unintelligible psycho babble, intermeshed with dirt. My face was dead set on being rooted into the ground like a tree, and set about getting as far underground as possible. I slid to a stop, my arms outstretched, and my legs arced up over my back. I was in way to much pain to be thinking properly and thought I would call this form ‘The Scorpian’.

Dimly I could hear two more crashes behind. Confound it all, they had THREE warnings ahead of them. ‘And here I was thinking I was blind one . . .’

“My luck . . .” one man panted “Is really that bad.” I snorted, and then gagged on the dirt. ‘You’ve got nothing on me dude.’ “What the . . . ‘Ah, now you see.’

“Noch ash bad ash mine…” I replied.

“It lives!” he shouted mockingly. I was a little angry but my thoughts were preoccupied. I remembered why I had been running in the first place. “Listen don’t-“

“KIWI!” I cried out, yanking my face free and scrambling to my feet. Then I felt an almost unbearable heat and I stopped dead. I knew what this was, ‘Ah sheep.’ I was paused mid scramble, and thankfully it was my stronger leg I was leaning on. ‘This is an most unpleasant view . . .’ I thought as I stared at the Eaters butt, my arrow sticking out.

In that time the two guys had an interesting exchange in which the more sombre one (who apparently was Rulke) had commented on ‘Shinryu’s’ weight. I wasn’t sure to trust the name as he was obviously out of it.

Shinryu circled me and I watched him, trying to ask for help, he although was obviously amused. “Hmmm...” he then smirked. “Michelangelo would be proud.”

“Har… har…” I said sarcastically but I did think my pose was rather funny. ‘I deem this pose, ‘Man in Flight’’

“Why in Yevon’s sake are you holding that stupid pose?” he snapped.

“Cush… Imsh in heash…” I mumbled. I really didn’t want to move. I’d rather not die.

“What?” he asked.

I sighed mentally and slowly opened my mouth. ‘Oy, this is going to sound weird’. “Cause… I’m in Heat.”

He paused. I could read the thoughts going through his head. He then smiled. “You’re one Girly Man.” ‘Scratch ‘Man in Flight’. Replace with ‘Girly Man’. I really wanted to laugh, but I was testing the limits as it was. They both laughed, Rulke obviously becoming more coherent. “Rulke what should we do with him?” Rulke didn’t say anything and he was behind me so I couldn’t see what he was doing. “Maybe we should kill you…” he sneered, and I despaired for a second. “Nah… You’re good at making yourself look like an idiot. We need comical relief, don’t we Rulke?” Apparently he agreed.

“Alright…” he smiled rather evilly at me. “We’ll help you out. Unlike the medical books, Heat can be over taken by… a certain Arcane spell…”

I gulped, what did he mean by that? I watched him unsheathe his sword. He closed his eyes to concentrate for something, and then the sword started to glow. When he opened his eyes, he inched it slowly towards my neck, and then swung downward, slashing my outstretched leg.

I grabbed my leg, all other motives forgotten in my pain. BIG mistake. Instantly I felt a burning pain over take by body but it was overcome by cold. Stone spread rapidly from my leg and it stopped me mid fall. Then it reached my head and all sensory perception was gone.

I was stuck in perpetual blackness. ‘Well I guess being Pertrified doesn’t stop your mind from working.’ I thought. The irony, I couldn’t move yet I would feel the pain of being shattered to pieces. Whatever God or Gods existed had a cruel sense of humour.

‘Well look on the bright side, while they are taking their good old time getting a Soft or Remedy, I can’t feel the pain of my leg.’ I was praying that it was only a flesh wound. ‘Well he did miss my arms, and I know Heal’

The next moment I felt a cool liquid wash over me, and I immediately started to get my feeling back. I was thankful for about 2 seconds. A: because I felt the pain in my leg and B: I kissed the ground. AGAIN.

“Waaaaaaaa-umph!” I cried as I fell over and implanted my face into the dirt. In the EXACT same Yevon confounded place as before. The two guys broke out laughing. Well one did. The other just chuckled. I remembered their earlier comments about comic relief and ‘Girly Man’. Fine they wanted humour? I’ll freak em right out.’

I got calmly to my feet, ignoring the pain in my leg the best I could. The stopped laughing and looked at me in suspicion. I wiped (more like scrubbed) the dirt of my face and dusted myself off. I then smiled calmly. They narrowed their eyes.

“You were quite right before you know.” They looked on perplexed “About the ‘Girly Man’.” They looked shocked and disgusted. I put my hands on my hips, wiggling them as I sang, “Because I’m a sweet transvestite!” I dropped to one knee, flinging my arms out, “From Traaaaansylvaaaaaniaaa!”




Credit to Crystal Tears for helping with some ideas in this post.

[Arnen]

=~*Ierie Nush*~=

A moment after we had woken up, we heard the sounds of a ruckus further along the Highroad. As our ears twitched about to get a fix on the commotion, we quickly scurried around, gathering our meager belongings into the small rucksack we travelled with. Minutes later, we were hurrying along the Highroad as quickly as our paws would carry us (which isn't very fast, mind you).

Eventually, we came upon a most peculiar scene. There was Cain, the human who occasionally gave us rides, putting on a rather queer display as a Guado and a Gothickan looked on. Blinking bemusedly, we strode forward, our robe sweeping across the ground and the bell on our tail tinkling as it swayed in the breeze.

"Cain?" we queried, confusion filling our voice as we stepped up behind him and tugged on his pant leg. "We would very much like to know what you are doing," we mewed, unable to contain a chuckle at his babbling.

Before he could answer, the ground beneath us heaved violently. Or, we had thought it was ground. The fiend we had trod upon decided to lurch to its feet, with us on its back.

"Nuu!" we cried desperately, trying to keep our balance, "Please Mr. Fiend, don't eat us!"


I just realised that I forgot to have him refer to himself as "us" in my last post, and since I'm to lazy to edit.. Nyeah XP

[Weasel Overlord]

~Rulke, Guado and Dark Knight~
In which falling and girly men are in abundance

I found that I disliked kissing the ground while recovering from haste, and I rose with the intention of informing Shinryu of this fact. What actually happened was that I spat dirt and managed to look completely foolish. Shinryu however was more bothered with laughing at our humorous new friend who was currently posing like a marble statue in a grand courtyard after being petrified by Shinryu’s handily placed Break. I resolved to ask him about his Break ability later, after this embarrassing scenario.
He looked at me meaningfully and I lobbed him a crystal globe of Soft. He cracked it over his head and his body slowly came back to its natural state, flesh rippling over him like light washing over a dark valley.

I was lucky not to have ever experienced Heat, and I felt a little sympathy for the ridiculous man. The chocobo man, as I had come to think of him, was not as lucky as me. After his recovery from both Heat and Petrification, he toppled to the ground face first in the same position as before.

Amidst all this chaos, a small figure was getting closer to us, and as it came into focus, I realised that it was a Nush Nush. It pottered over to the ridiculous man tinkling merrily, and pulled on his pant leg, saying something in the curious Nush turn of phrase that I couldn’t quite make out.

I glanced at Shinryu and he shot a wry grin at me. He obviously shared my amusement about the chocobo man. Upon the Nush’s arrival, the Earth Eater stood upright again, looking quite peeved about the arrow implanted in its backside. It made a bestial roaring sound and thundered towards our odd little party. Shinryu yelped and leapt out of the way, his Samurai reflexes being somewhat better than my own. All I could manage was a little roll. I was quite bruised from my fall and my leg muscles were pounding from the after-effects of Haste.

The Eater swung round, surprisingly agile for one so bulky and it shook its head in rage. I had a feeling that we were not going to be so lucky next time. Sighing slightly, I shouldered Charon and closed my eyes in concentration. I imagined my aura, black as night, building up inside my body, seeping through my muscles and taking away some of my strength. I allowed the sensation to build as much as I could bear, and, channelling this dark energy to an exit, I thrust out my hands towards the Earth Eater. Large balls of energy flew from my outstretched hands, splitting and doubling as they went. They resembled small globes of matterless energy. Like areas in existence that contained no light, rather, they sucked it in.

The energy darkened the area as it flew towards its target, temporarily stealing some of the light and leaving me drained. Still splitting, it hit the Earth Eater and engulfed it in blackness, absorbing into its thick hide and obviously doing some damage from the pained expression on the beast’s face. I slumped to the ground and beckoned to Shinryu.

“Potion…” He rushed over to me with a concerned look on his face. He had never seen me use my Darkness before, and it was definitely not my best aspect. I had no idea how he would react, but my mind and body were drained and I fell forward onto the hard ground, blacking out.

[Crystal Tears]

Shinryu ~ Samurai ~ Highroad ~ When Darkness Falls

Battle Music- The Bitter End - Placebo

"Rulke..." I murmured, turning my attention to the Girly man who rushed over to my side, as I flipped Rulke over onto his back. I watched the Girly Man reach into his pocket and lift out a vile containing a dark blue liquid. "Take care of him..."

"And what are you planning on doing?" He called back, opening Rulke's mouth and dripping the liquid slowly inside.

"I plan on getting revenge...." I snarled, Focusing deeply on myself, and then turning to see a very familiar stopwatch appear in my hand. Haste... I thought, as I pressed the small button on top of the stopwatch, and watched the hand begin to spin.

It was surprisingly agile for such a monster. As I lashed forward and bounded off its bulky arms, I flipped over and sliced down onto the creatures back. It swung around in pure rage, and nearly swiped me clear out of the battlefield.
I went back at it again, jumping off its left arm to create force enough to stab my blade through its left wrist. I smirked, as I bounded back to a safe distance. Blue, pyre blood sparkled at the Eater looked down at its wrist. It cried out in rage and pointed at me.

'Your next!' It bellowed. I smirked.

"Bring it big boy." I taunted.

It came right at me, but luckily I was faster. Bounding out of the way of its huge body and swinging around to land another slice onto its back. It swung around again, just barely missing me with its giant arms.

“Dude! What the heck are you doing?”

“Pissing it off!” I cried, dodging yet another powerful blow. “You could help you know!” That was my fatal error; I let my gaze wander from the Eater and set upon Rulke, who was just becoming conscious.

Pain… An endless amount of pain hit my left side, and the next thing I knew I was flying to the side. My body feeling limp as it bent into an awkward position through the air.
More pain… I slammed into something extremely hard, and I felt my body do a whiplash because of the power of the blow.

I felt helpless then. Blood slowly oozed from my mouth and cuts as my eyes focused on the growing larger by the minute Eater which was stomping in my direction. I gulped down the disgusting blood, and reached painfully for my sword.
It hurt; a fist of the Eater’s slammed down onto my legs. A sharp pain that made my body do another whiplash.
But I had to return the favour. I gathered all the pain inside my body and watched my sword glow a bright aqua blue. And as the Eater picked me up in one hand, I sliced at its face. The blue energy shot into the Eater, which threw me away as it grabbed at its face.

Not again… I thought, as I flew threw the air and slammed down onto the Earth which I wished to stay on. I flipped, tumbled, and eventually was sent straight into a trunk of a tree which cracked and splintered at the force of which I hit it.

“Are you alright?” Asked a strange creature, it didn’t help that my vision was blurring, only making it look even weirder. I felt my eyes drop slowly as the pain was getting to my head.

“I’ll.. Be fine…” I murmured… Forcing my aching body to its feet again, there was no doubt that Haste had worn off, because I felt particularly slow… I reached down at painfully picked up my sword.

As my vision returned, I could see that the Eater was bleeding from a number of places. Its Face was covered in holes, and cuts; Caused from Mirror of Equity. Its wrist was bleeding, and darkness had caused its back to explode, ripping a painful hole into its back. It looked like it was on fire with a particularly shiny and blue flame.

“Hey…” I called out weakly to the Girly Man. “You have a Bow and Arrow…” I coughed up a reasonable amount of blood before continuing. “Distract it. If I can hit it a couple more times, Reflect might disappear. It will leave it upon to Break, and other spells.”

“Mister Samurai! Look out behind you!”

I ducked, just in time to have a giant fist take off the rest of the tree and up root whatever was left. I looked behind me and looked at the Eater.

Suicidal mission… I thought, as I ran straight for the Eater, sword in tow….

[Samchu]

LSU?

Name: Vida
Age: 19
Gender: Female
Race: Viavan
Personality: She's very outgoing and easily excitable. Having not been outside of the submerged city, she has no first hand experience of what the rest of Spira looks like. Vida has a very bubbly personality and is very socialable - to the point that she's very nosey. Often seen as being childish, she has hidden experience beyond her years - most noticeably in machina- but also in other things. Vida has a tendancy to accidently throw herself into trouble or even a dangerous situation, she can often be offensive but not purposely as it is merely va result of her own naivity.
Appearance:
*Physical: Vida stands at 5'6 and has a very slim, toned figure. She has long blonde hair which is straightened and falls to the middle of her back. She has sea green eyes and very lightly tanned skinned. She has a silver tail that fades into grey as you move down and spreads wide like a shark fin at the end.
*Clothing: Vida wears a a pair of loose black shorts that fall half-way down her thighs wih a piece of black silk that drapes down her left side to her knee. She wears a red top that cuts off an inch below her chest and has a large v-neck revealing just a little cleavage. Vida wears black fabric ankle-high shoes with fold out at the top and have no laces. She has conciderably small feet.
*Armor: None (she doesn't know she might need it)
Class: Thief
Spells: none yet
Relationship(s): none
Weapon: Two shark-toothed daggers
History: Has spent most of her life in the underwater city and has spent the last month living in Luca.
Other: none

EDIT: Well apparently I get to post immediately...

Vida
~~~~

I lay on my bed, staring up at the ceiling. Well...not really staring as I was asleep so I guess you could say that I was facing the ceiling. That sounds more accurate I suppose. Yes, I was facing the ceiling, lying on my bed in my room in Luca. For the past month I had slept here, living in Luca had taught me the many joys of Biltzball, a sport most bizzare and yet highly entertaining. Of course, we had biltzball back home but not on such a grand scale. It had been my first experience of being surrounded by so many people and I had been told that getting a ticket was a great privalige. They weren't kidding.

That night was to be my last in Luca, for I was planning to journey along the Highroad in the morning. That night, was unlike any other...

My dreams had been invaded. I saw flames before me, I saw the destruction of a place I'd never been or people I'd never seen...It seemed so real. I felt the heat against my skin, the beads of sweat that trickled down my face like burning ice. I smealt death and I didn't like it. How could this be happening? I had never seen nor read of such horrors, how could they have invaded my sub-concious, how could I be seeing such pain?

I looked around me, I was alone and I was scared. I tried to cry out to the people as they burned, shouting at them to run. But no words escaped my lips...I was mute! That's when I realised the true horror of the situation...I couldn't hear anything either. I could see them dying but I couldn't hear their screams of pain. The surrealism was almost as frightening as the images themselves. I felt the hairs upon the back of my neck prickle.

I looked about me and that's when I saw it...something that didn't seem to fit in to the rest of my dream...something round...a sphere? From a distance I watched it intently. Why would such a simplistic object appear to me in a dream such as this? What purpose could it have? But then again...what purpose could any of my dream have? What did it mean? What reason was there for me to bare witness to this unnecessary suffering?

Feeling lost inside my own dream, I approached the sphere but as I came close to it it faded into darkness, disappearing from my sights. Confused, I looked up to see a shadowed figure before me. His features were undistinguishable...be he human or guado or something else? Perhaps he was not even a HE but a SHE? I took a step forward only to find the floor beneath me vanish. I saw the floor rising up at me and as my body connected with the ground...and I awoke back up in my bed.

"Miss Vida? Are you alright?"

I looked up at Markus, the kind Lucan who had offered me such kind hospitality upon my arrival here. "I am fine, thank you." I sat up slowly, unable to remember the images of my dream, save for that sphere...

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, quite sure." I rolled off of my bed and collected together my things. Markus left, leaving behind a try of food that I gratefully munched down. I was sad to say goodbye to him but it was necessary. I was going to see as much of Spira as I could and I couldn't do that by staying there.

After a pleasant walk through Luca, I found myself at the start of the Highroad. Taking a deep breath, I stepped forward, turning down all offers of a chocobo. I had never been upon the Highroad before and I wanted to take in all that the lucious greenery had to offer me. The air smelt nice and the day was vaguely warm so I didn't walk to fast. The scenery wasn't very exciting but it was a new experience for me so I didn't care.

It soon turned out to be a day of new experiences...

I stumbled across a group of people watching a battle that was taking place between a strange, machina-clad male and a giant fiend. I saw him ducked just a huge fist plowed above him, taking out a tree behind the strange male. I snuck closer, deciding to remain undetected by the others so as to further fulfil my curiosity. Ducking behind a piece of machina, I watched. I had read that fiends could be dangerous and this appeared to be a very scary sort of fiend.

As I watched, I began to wonder about the battling male and the strange being that watched him. Perhaps I could travel with them...larn more of this world called Spira. I took out a piece of bread and munched on it. I'd have to see if they survived this intense battle first.

[Emotional Faun Chiko-sai]

Shinokiri Nush, F, thief, Luca
"got made an offer you can't refuse"
--------------------

Shinokiri, still perched on Lex's shoulder, screwed up her little cat-face at her friend's words, the most she had ever gotten out of him at any one time, but she was not pleased. Far from it. She'd known that he, as a rule, thought the worst of the world in a futile attempt to protect himself from the harsh truths of it, but surely he didn't think of her as that kind of person, that needed favours remembered to them to get them to help. Not Lex. It didn't help that she was on edge, because of her dream, though a moment ago she'd been as happy and blithe as if nothing had happened.

Dreams had great significance to her race, who spent a good amount of time sleeping. At home on the island there had been a special time, just after lunch and a little before tea, set aside for a Gardenwide siesta. Sleep was for the strong. But now wasn't the time to dwell on the island, which she had not often thought about until recently.

The implication of him mentioning their first encounter together to her didn't hit her until late in the conversation, when he asked her whether she wanted to help him find the girl in his dream. Of course she did. Back then she was smaller than now, and slower, and unfortunately the baker man had been walking back to his counter when she'd pinched the bread, and she was so scared, scared that she would be the only Nush Nush in the world with no tail, and then a big tattooed man had come and saved her. Really he didn't have had to kill the baker man, but what was done was done and she tried to gloss over that bit when she thought about it. Only-

"We'd love to help, but you must promise us one thing." She looked at her thumbs, which were not really proper thumbs but rather extensions on her paws.

"What is it?" He expelled a cloud of smoke from his mouth as he said it, in a sort of sigh bordering between the don't-waste-my-time sigh and the resigned-to-it sigh, with the slightest hint of pleading in it.

"We don't want to be reminded of favours, okay? We's a friend. Friends don't need reminding. Friends do things because they want to. We want to help. Not because of the favour we owes you but because we can and we wants to."

She waited as Lex absorbed this, then she sprang six feet to the ground and looked up at him. "We's gonna tell coach that we's taking extended leave, so don't run away!" Then she ran on all fours to the inside of the stadium where the coach was practically hyperventilating because of her tardiness in bringing the new blitzball. Oops.

"SHINOKIRI NUSH! Where the hell have you been? And where's the blitzball?"

"Uh, it's a long story, sir. No time to tell it to you, sir. We wants to take a long break, sir. Can we?" Shinokiri paused in mid-lope, balancing on the balls of her feet-paws, bobbing back and forth. The coach's face went from red to purple in the time that it took for her to complete her request. He exploded.

"NO! It's the middle of the damn BLITZBALL SEASON! We need you, you're the fastest player on this team!"

"We's really sorry coach, but we has to go. It's important. We has to help a friend." And, as the expression on Coach Kocha's face went through numerous enraged contortions, she added, "Thankee-sir, we really appreciates it!" and bolted.

Outside again the corridor was now almost completely filled with smoke. Lexander smoked like a chimney, even more so when he was under stress, and Shino had gotten used to the smell. "So-oo, are we going to go by Highroad or by boat? Where's we starting?"

[Tainted]

-[Lexander de val Alanoire]-
-[Harlequin]-

-[Warrior – Mi’ihen Highroad – On the Road Again]-

“Fa’mm ku po rekrnuyt,” I had said to that lovable little fuzz ball not too long ago before we set off. It translated to “We’ll go by highroad,” the method of travel I had planned to go by. I wasn’t entirely sure at the time if the phrase had registered in her little head, but I figured she had known since there was no way in hell I was going to trap myself on a boat. That would be suicide.

I wasn’t entirely sure why I had felt the need to bring up the past to Shinokiri. I had known all along she would come with me, there had just been that doubt in my mind that I would have to trek this one alone: a thing I was not entirely prepared for.

The sickly sweet smell of cancer was acid to the beautiful air around us. That smell encompassed our entire journey thus far. I hadn’t been able to stop smoking—I was a wreck what with leaving everything behind. When I came to the realization that the everything I was leaving behind was really nothing, I shrugged it off and continued walking.

I listened to Shino babble incoherently about the most random of things, until I interrupted her. I saw some sort of commotion on the horizon.
“Fryd’c dra ramm ec dryd?” I didn’t need to translate. Shinokiri got a grasp for just what I was looking at in the distance. In a quick show of agility, she pounced off of my shoulder, flipping a she did so. Landing perfectly she took off in the direction of the action.

I shook my head. There was no calming this one when she got excited.
“Wait, Shino!” I yelled after her.

I began to sprint into the distance, swearing under my breath as I did so, my hand gripped firmly around the hilt of my sword just in case.


- - -

Adieu,
Zak Hunter

[Weasel Overlord]

~Rulke, Guado and Dark Knight~
...In which many people arrive to help...

My eyes flickered open to find the girly man leaning over me. He grinned slowly and pressed a potion into my palm.

“Maybe you’d better have another. You don’t look in good shape and I’m sure that your friend could do with some help...” Grimacing at the pain in my head, I cracked open the globe of potion and drank it gratefully, feeling the pain ease away. Gripping Charon, I stood up and glanced in the direction of Shinryu and his prey. As I looked, I espied a small furry body at the bottom of the cliff, left of Shinryu. It looked like a Nush Nush, and I was certain that it was the one who had hailed Girly Man earlier. Luckily, the fiend hadn't noticed him, a small heap of robe on the floor, and it had turned it's attentions to the annoyance of Shinryu instead.

Nodding my thanks at girly man I shouldered Charon and held out my hand, feeling that we should try to help the injured Nush.

“Rulke.” Pointing at Shinryu, “He’s Shinryu. You gonna help?” He looked slightly worried that I expected him to help, but he nodded anyway, probably intimidated by my armour and giant sword. I waved him off in the direction of the pile of Nush.
"Why don't you help him instead?" Nodding vigorously, he headed off in the direction of the Nush, skirting the Eater.

By this point, Shinryu had been thrown at least three times and I decided to step in. This time, I wouldn’t be using my Darkness. Tilting Charon, I ran, holding out my sword-free hand and chanting quietly. I couldn’t really think of any Dark Knight spells that could penetrate Reflect, but I figured it wouldn’t hurt to try Drain.

A ghostly ball of energy flew towards the Earth Eater, landing and absorbing into its hard shell. Shortly after, more balls of energy, this time darker and larger, flew towards me. Holding out my arms, I embraced their coming, and exulted in the look of fury on the Eater’s face as it swerved towards me. Good, it was leaving Shinryu to recuperate. I motioned to him to heal and then cast Haste on me, and then dropped into a crouch, waiting for the Eater. As it thundered towards me, I caught sight of something small and furry charging towards me from the side, closely followed by someone large and not-so-furry smoking and wielding a sword. He looked like a Warrior, and I breathed a sigh of relief, hoping that he knew Armour Break.

Waving them towards me, I yelled as they approached, well in front of the slow Eater.

“Hey! Does either of you know Armour Break?” Shaking of heads and I sighed. Oh well...I hadn’t really expected it anyway.

The small furry one turned out to be a Nush Nush and she threw herself at my feet, obviously going too fast to slow down.

“Can we’s help?” She enquired with an endearing wrinkle of her nose. The large man accompanying her sighed then coughed violently, spitting out the cigarette hanging from his lips.

“Damn it Shino, why do you always have to volunteer us?” The Nush whose name I gathered was Shino shrugged playfully. There was obviously a great friendship here, even if it didn’t directly show. I noticed the Eater getting dangerously close and I swung around to face it.

“I hope you two can fight!” As I did. I spied Shinryu giving me the thumbs up and my adrenaline started rushing. Haste, brilliant! I grinned and swung Charon to meet the Eater’s charge. Hasted, I could easily beat it. Shino brandished what looked like vicious home-made claws, and the large man swung his grey sword. As one, we charged, me slightly faster because of Haste. Behind, I could see Shinryu preparing to charge too, and I had a good feeling about this battle. Together, we were a fighting machine.

Hope that gave people something to go on...

[Arnen]

=~*Ierie Nush*~=

We looked around dazedly, our head swimming from all of this rushing about. Of course, this might also have been a result of being bucked from that giant fiend.

"We'd like to help, too," we muttered sheepishly, picking nervously at the riboon at the borrom of our staff.

Not much, but I haven't got much to go on, since no one seems to be noticing poor Ierie :(

[Weasel Overlord]

Gleh! I'm sorry!! Do you want me to edit you in??? It won't be any trouble...

[Arnen]

Gleh! I'm sorry!! Do you want me to edit you in??? It won't be any trouble...


I'd appreciate it, thank you :sweat2:

[Crystal Tears]

Shinryu ~ Samurai ~ Highroad ~ Pathetic Death for an Eater


Okay... I thought, as I lifted myself to my feet and prepared to strike. I looked over; a lot of people had joined in. Couple of Rodent creatures, an odd gruff looking man, and the girly man... This was a very chaotic team. Somehow... We will bring this thing down...

I charged, fallowed by many others, I held my sword behind me and bounded onto the Eaters face. I quickly jumped away from his mouth and sliced down onto his arm. It cried out in rage, and soon, the hand was brought to its face as a piercing arrow cut right into its eye.

"Shinryu!" Rulke called over, nearing me as he finished his attack. "Time for our double attack."
I smirked, and then nodded. Concentrating, I summoned haste one last time. Before both me and Rulke charged towards the large creature, slightly like a dramatic scene seen in a movie, we prepared ourselves for the on coming arm which surprisingly, we charged straight threw as it exploded into bright blue pyreflies that brushed off our cheeks.

I glanced out of the corner of my eye to see the rather rough, strong looking man nodding in our direction as he lifted his sword back over his shoulder.

Heh... I thought, as both Rulke and I bounded onto the Eaters face and planted our blades into the top of its head. Immediately we were fallowed by a blur of fur, which caused two sets of nasty cuts to scratch onto the arm, which was left on the Eater.

Another loud cry was heard as all of us converged on the Eater, large blades cut into its skin easily, small lethal swipes embedding themselves all over its body, and arrows easily pierced into its weakened hide.

And to finish it, a small, rather un-noticed Rodent bounded off my shoulder, staff in hand, the small creature swung it down with great force for its size.

The Eater, which had caused us so many problems, had a rather corny death. Just as the staff landed down onto its head, it exploded into trillions of small, defenceless pyreflies. In the middle of this blue chaos was the small Nush Nush, which had taken the least amount of energy, and had killed the monster.

[Samchu]

Vida
~~~

From the safety of my hiding place I had wtached the entire battle unfold and reach its victorious conclusion. With the fiend slain and the battle won, I decided it was safe for me to emerge from my hiding place and greet them. Well, I had to at least introduce myself to that silver-haired hottie in the black. I hoped down from the pilar and approached them all as thy basked in their victory.

"Congratualtions on your victory," I said, smiling broadly. They stared silently and I approached the black-clothed male. "Who are you?" I asked, looking at him closely.

His face shifted uneasily and he took a step back. "Err... Shinryu."

"Hello Shinryu, my name is Vida." I grabbed his arm. "Can I accompany you and your fellow warriors along the highroad? Having seen such a gigantic fiend I have no desire to travel along it alone."

"Uhh..." Shinryu looked across at his friend, the long-haired Guado, who merely shrugged. The view seemed to be shared amongst the group. "I...err...I guess it's ok if you come along."

I pounced on him and hugged him tightly as the others stared bemused. "Thank you brave warrior. I am indebted to you indefinately."

"Uhhh...could you let go of me now please?"

I helped him to his feet. "Brave warrior Shinryu, I fear that I may fall pray to giants fiends if I were to leave your side." I stared at him with big puppy dog eyes. "Please allow me to travel at your side until we reach fiendless grounds?"

"Uhh..." he looked around for help but the others seemed to merely shrug and start walking off. "Hey! Where are you guys going!? Rulke!? Hey get back here and give me a hand will ya!?"

The one, whom he called Rulke, laughed and continued walking. With a frsutrated sigh Shinryu looked down at me and nodded. "Fine...but loosen the grip a little will ya? I'm starting to lose feeling in my arm."

I nodded and grinned. "Anything you say warrior Shinryu!"

[Weasel Overlord]

Apologies for the shortness and general crappiness!

~Rulke, Dark Knight and Guado~
The Eater goes DOOOWN!!

Shinryu leapt on the Earth Eater, slashing wildly but efficiently with his sword. I could see that single attacking wouldn’t have much effect on such a large fiend, so I swung Charon at the Eater and ran to join Shinryu.

“Shinryu!” He looked around at me, only just swerving to avoid a swing by the Eater.
“Time for our double attack.” He nodded in agreement and Hasted himself one last time. Side by side, we ran towards the flailing arm of the Earth Eater, wincing, I expected it to clout us away, but it metamorphed into a beautiful cloud of pyreflies and dissipated into the air. Whooping, Shinryu and I leapt onto its broad head, ready to stab downwards with our weapons. As we leapt, we were raced by a speeding arrow that embedded itself into the Eaters eye. It roared, obviously unable to take care of so many of us, and flailed wildly. Landing on the unstable surface, we plunged our blades into the Eaters brain, as one of the Nush followed up with swift clawings to the remaining arm. The smaller Nush clad in Mages robes leapt up, and throwing his staff over his shoulder, he brought it down with a great smack. We must have weakened it by now, for it dissolved into pyreflies as the final blow was struck. Slightly embarrassed, I pushed up my helm, giving our new friends a glimpse of my face for the first time.

The company converged on the side of the Highroad, and I glanced at each one in turn. An Al-Bhed, two Nush Nush, a Human, a Guado, and a Gothikan. We would attract some attention as we travelled, that was for sure. I leant against a pillar and closed my eyes slightly, resting after the long battle. They drooped more and more, until they closed fully and I drifted off into a doze, only to be woken by a commotion and people talking. Shinryu shot a look at me as what appeared to be a Viavan hanging on his arm, fawning over him. I heard her mention our victory, and Shinryu began to look desperate for a rescue. I shrugged at him, smirking inside. He always attracted the ladies, and now, he had to reap the consequences of his charm.

“I…err…guess it’s ok if you come along…” The Viavan looked ecstatic at this and she leapt on Shinryu, hugging him tightly. I smirked at my friend’s plight and the company began to move onwards, before girly man tapped me on the shoulder.

“Erm, I have a wagon, you know…” I looked at him silently. “My name’s Cain…” He quailed under my gaze, before taking a hold of himself and speaking up slightly, for the benefit of the others.

“Maybe we should have some introductions…I’m Cain.” He pointed at the pair of Nush Nush, “And that’s Shinokiri and that’s Ierie, and that’s all I know at the moment…” I stifled a smile and held up my hand, clanking slightly due to my armour.

“I’m Rulke.” And I attempted a smile.

[Haruko]

Gahh, I'm sorry for not posting. School and some other things have really been taking my time, and stuff...

I should get around to making a post tomorrow, or so. I'm realllyyyy sorry.

[Crystal Tears]

Shinryu ~ Samurai ~ High Road ~ A Flash of Destiny

Walking behind Rulke a little, I watched and listened to him chat away with girl man… Err I mean Cain. It seemed odd, how he would claim all this stuff, but something to me… It just didn’t add up, but for all I know, it was from the girl which was hanging off my arm.

“Listen Vida.” I began, she seem thrilled that I had remembered her name. I pulled my arm hastily from her. “You’re welcome to walk beside me alright? But stop clinging to me…” I sighed. “Please.”

She smiled and nodded, and instead, took my hand and held it instead. I sighed and looked around the highroad. To tell the truth, we hadn’t of walked to far, everyone was still here. The Nush Nushs, the gruff man, Cain, Rulke, Vida, and me. Just some of us refused to introduce ourselves to each other, but it wasn’t like I had a choice. Vida seemed intent on not letting me go near anyone else.

That’s when I turned my sights to a blur in the corner of my eye. I turned immediately, and when I looked at wear whatever it was had been standing. It had vanished. I shook my head, thinking I was just seeing things.

I looked up and saw everyone had stopped; obviously, we were taking a small break. I sighed, and sat down on a rock.

“What was that…?” I murmured to myself, jumping slightly as Rulke sat down next to me.

“Jumpy?”

“There’s something fallowing us.” I said, in the utmost of blunt tones.

“Really…” Rulke said, scanning the horizone. I looked over at him. “I don’t sense anything.”

“I know…”

It was true, Rulke, and I had gained a somewhat of a sense to feel any unknown presence around us. And until recently, it had worked. It would detect any fiend or life form that was fallowing us, but apparently, nothing was there.

“So how do you know then?”

“I saw it.” I sighed. “Well, I caught a flash of it, out of the corner of my eye. Whatever it was, it was fast.”

“Shinryu!”

I fell back, tackled by Vida, I found myself in a daze as my feet were above my head, and a young as clinging to my chest. I narrowed my eyes in annoyance, and scrambled back up.

“Vida…” I nearly snapped. “No tackling!”

“Aww…. Alright Shinryu!” And then of course, she went back to clinging to my arm.

I just looked over at Rulke with a ‘Yevon help me’ expression on my face; all he did was smirk, and pull out an apple to munch on. I glared at him before looking over at the young girl clinging to my arm.

Better then a fat woman… I’d be crushed by now… I thought rather cruelly.

[Emotional Faun Chiko-sai]

Erm.. despite all appearances.. I'm not dead..? *cringes*
---------------
Shinokiri Nush
F, thief, Mi'ihen Highroad
"Volunteer-er"
---------------------

Shinokiri was talking to Kiwi the chocobo. She liked chocobos; they were big and warm and fluffy, they were as talkative as she was, and they were a lovely bright colour. It wasn't hard to speak their language once you learned how. Right now they were discussing mating rituals: how her friend Lexander was caught up in one so convoluted he didn't even know it was one, nor the receiving end of it; how the Viavan Vida, the addition to the party only slightly newer than her, was participating in a obvious one with the silver-haired Shinryu whom she personally found repellent as he was not brightly coloured at all; and how the world would be a better place if everybody participating in mating rituals knew exactly what they were doing.

Earlier on during the naming session she had volunteered both their names, much to Lex's chagrin. He had muttered something in Al Bhed which meaning amounted somewhat to "pesky volunteer-er". Shino was pleasantly surprised to find a fellow Nush Nush, though Ierie's choice of job was vastly different from hers; and ecstatic to meet Kiwi and Cain again, pouncing on the man's shoulders in a hug before scampering off to gossip with his chocobo.

Kiwi said a number of interesting things, not least of which included that the general opinion of her master was that he was a girly man, and that he'd had bad dreams recently. Shino responded in kind, that she'd had a bad dream as well. Then, hopping off the chocobo's broad yellow back, she scrambled onto the wagon to bother other people.

She gave Shinryu and Vida a wide berth, decided to leave Lex alone for a while to glower, and the men were all talking shop. The gloomy Guado looked like he needed a lot of cheering up, but he was currently sufficiently amused by his friend's plight, so Shino approached her fellow Nush Nush, who was sitting in the far corner by his lone self listening to the conversation going on around him.

"So where's you come from?" Shino asked. Of course he was from the main island, but she wanted to know from where on the main island. This was the general meaning of the phrase when used from one Nush to another.

"Academy, in the Big Village," Ierie replied. "What about you?"

"We doesn't know, but we's gonna find out one day," she said, rolling over on her back and stretching. "We's a little bored. There's no blitzball here. Do you know anything good to play?"
---------------
Gah.. mental block... tag?

[Arnen]

=~*Ierie Nush*~=

We thought about this for a moment, going over games we used to play as a kit back at the academy. Most of them were out, since they involved magic ability, which Shino didn't appear to have. Finally, our mind settled upon one.

"We could play tree-tag," we said suddenly. Shino's head tilted in question; she obviously hadn't heard of it. We chuckled and looked around, spotting a spot just off the road where some trees were bunched together like a miniature forest. We ran over on all fours, then hopped up into the nearest one, onto one of the lowest branches.

"Tree-tag," we explained, as Shino walked over, "is a lot like human tag. The only difference is it's played up in the trees." Digging our claws into the branch, we braced ourselves and sprang up to a higher branch. "It's a lot of fun," we chirped, waiting to see Shino's reaction.

I just assumed Nushies could climb trees, since they live in a forest ^^;

[Samchu]

Vida
~~~

I sat beside Shinryu, staring out at the Highroad and watching the clouds float past in the sky. After a few minutes, I let go off his arm and lifted my tail to my chest where I hugged it tightly. From the corner of my eye I could see Shinryu watching me curiously, though he kept silent. I smiled gently and turned to him, rocking slightly upon the boulder where we sat as Rulke watched us.

"Viavan habit," I explained, blushing slightly. "It's what yong girls and women do when they're nervous."

His eyebrows narrowed slightly. "You're nervous?" His voice carried a tone of disbelief with it.

"Yes. Belief it or not I haven't had a crush on a non-Viavan before, it's all very new to me."

Shinryu sighed lightly. "Well to be honest Vida...you're kinda new to me to..."

I cocked my head at him, not understanding his meaning.

"Dont worry about it," he said, waving a hand.

I turned my attention back across the Highroad just in time to see two Nush-Nush darting towards a cluster of trees. The first, hoped into the tree and appeared to call down to the other, something called tree tag? It sounded excting. I let go of my tail and grabbed Shinryu's hand, pulling him towards the cluster of trees.

"W-what are you doing Vida?"

"Living a little - that's what you call it isn't it? Come on Shinryu it looks like fun!"

"Vida-"

"Hey!" I called up to the Nush in the tree. "Can we play?"

[Pichu Luver]

[font=garamond]---~~~~~*Kale/Cain Dwyre : Gunner : Mi'hen*~~~~~---

[font=garamond]'I do believe I will be eternally known as 'Girly Man' '. I smirked to myself as I rummaged through my wagon. A few of the members of our crew--'Scratch that. I've seen Mercenary Guilds with this few members. Well at least it looked that way at the time'--I shook my head and collected my scattered thoughts. Ah yes, a few of our hmm, 'members' had been hurt, and I being the travelling healer, had a bit of a stockpile of potions.

'Learning to understand Kiwi does have its perks. A silent little spy, that people just look right past.' I had spent my life trying to get people to do the same for me. I was rather good at it, but Kiwi beat me at it every time. 'Apparently I'm good at looking insignificant. I'm still not sure if that's an insult or not.'

Kiwi had told me all the juicy little details of what people had nick named me. Shino is quite the little gossiper. I'm sure she knows I was listening though. Us three can have quite the little chat going in our travels together. Kiwi had informed me that she liked my new title. I had smacked her wing. She gave a kweh that I would bet money on was a laugh. Thankfully the Eater had been too busy to care much about Kiwi, after its first interest. I had hopped on and shot from her, saving further injure to my leg.


"Archimedes!" I cried when I found the potion bottles. A few heads came up in my direction. No few eyebrows missing as well. I smiled and shrugged, and they went back to wallowing in their hurt. Heh, I wasn't a piece of health either, what with my leg sliced and all. Funny, my only injury from the battle had come from an ally. 'The irony,' I thought. Before we had left the scene, I had Kiwi pass me up all my arrows. Call me lazy but she was feeling guilty, and I was tired. 'Not to mention replacing them is damned expensive.'

"Come on Shinryu it looks like fun!" I looked up from my bag of potions and smirked. 'Shinryu has himself an arm fungus I see. As amusing as this is, I don't think he should be climbing trees right now. Ah well, I'll be the nice guy and save him.'

"Oy, Shinryu!" I called out and jumped down from the back of the wagon. He stopped and looked over his shoulder at me, his face saying 'rescue me'. Vida was watching the Nush's, still playing the fungus, but wanting some fun more. I snickered, I couldn't help it; it was my firm believe people should die laughing anyway. Which was one reason I had pulled that stunt earlier. The other was that people don't pay attention to details when their amused. Judging from Shinryu's expression I might be seeing the Farplane soon.

"I don't believe you've had a proper healing yet. You got beaten up pretty bad. Same for you Rulke," I said shifting my gaze to him. "As for the rest of you, I don't think you got whacked, but if you did come here." Shinryu expression changed faster then Kiwi's bolting feet. He smiled and excused himself from Vida. She almost pouted, but she knew she had no real reason to come over. She shrugged, and went to join the Nush's.

They both came over and I gestured to them to follow me into the wagon. They did, and once seated Shinryu grinned. "Thanks. At least someone saw fit to save me," he said with a pointed look at Rulke. Rulke shrugged with a small smirk on his face.

I laughed. "Yeah well, I'm hopin you'll stop thinking of me as 'Girly Man'. It was a joke you know." They looked somewhat shocked, Shinryu more then Rulke. Then again, Rulke was generally more devoid of emotion. I grinned. "I have my sources."

Shinryu narrowed his eyes and Rulke just blinked. "Anyway I need you stay still for a bit." I said to Shinryu. "This is going to feel a bit weird, unless you've been properly healed before. So no panicking, ok?"

He nodded and I put my hand on his forehead. I closed my eyes and focused down and out. Find 'me' as it were, before reaching out to 'Shinryu'. I honed in on the energies felt through my hand that were distinctly, 'Shinryu'. I was almost shocked out of my concentration. Nothing was broken, but everything was almost broken. There was some internal bleeding as well. 'Damn he's could at faking he's alright.' I thought.

I felt him jump beneath my hand and a wordless :?: formed in his mind. I cursed.

:Sorry. I just--uh--I'll explain in a bit.: He relaxed, a little, but he was very confused as why he could hear me. He could very well see my mouth wasn't moving.

I used my 'gift' as I liked to call it and fixed him up as best as I could. I looked up and took my hand off his head. Before I cancelled the healing I took a glance outside. Everyone else was fine, except for Lexander. He saw me glance at him. I didn't say anything, or show any outward emotion, but he knew what I had seen. I looked at Rulke too, but he was mostly fine, just some serious bruising. I cancelled it, and looked at Shinryu, who was looking more then a little tense.

He cleared his throat, and Rulke looked from me to him. Clearly wanting to know what was going on.

I looked down at my feet, then up again. "Ah, sorry Shinryu. I only know Heal, and it works better if I can touch the person. I didn't mean for you to um, 'hear' that."

"Yes. What did you do?" he looked suspicious, which triggered Rulke's suspicion as well. I started to get a little nervous. I did not need the Guado's attention on me. Thank Yevon he thought my fear of him so far was because he was a big sword-swinging warrior.

"Nothing! Really! I just--Healed you. Just--when the healer touches their patient--sometimes they can hear the each other's thoughts. You have to know their body make up--to Heal properly . . . so you can sometimes touch their mind." I could see their suspension was ebbing away. "Look I'm obviously not a proper mage or I wouldn't have to do that. Only when the person is--significantly injured--do I have to touch them. I'm sorry ok?"

Shinryu nodded and said, "What did you mean by 'hiding my injuries? I was not aware I was seriously hurt. I ached all over but," he shrugged.

I snorted. "You had lots of almost broken bones, and some internal bleeding." He had the grace to look surprised. Even Rulke raised his eyebrows. I shook my head. "You need to listen to what your body is telling you Shinryu. I can't believe you didn't notice."

He shrugged. I didn't expect an explanation, and so turned to Rulke. "I don't have to touch you, just another potion for you both. I have to save some energy to Heal myself." I smirked at Shinryu. "Thanks to you I have a nasty cut on my leg."

"Yes well I could have left you burst into flame."

"True enough. Anyway, out you two go. Enjoy your, uh, new company." Shinryu glared and Rulke smirked, but I could see he was thinking about something. As he hopped out he flicked a glance at me. I silently cursed. 'Carp, sheep and pj's.'



Believe it or not I have said that before . . . ^^'''

[Samchu]

Pokes everybody. Where dıd all you guys go?

Vıda
~~~

I played tree tag wıth the Nush. They were trıcky lıttle creatures to catch wıth the fırst havıng expert knowledge ın navıgatıon between the trees. I felt huge and awkward tryıng to keep up wıth them and eventually found myself wıthdrawıng from the game and watchıng from some dıstance. The exıstence of the Nush had ınterested me as a chıld and now İ had the chance to observe them ınteractıng wıth one another. It was ınterestıng to see the dıferences between the two. One had clearly lıved amongst the trees whılst the other hadn't and yet, ıt`s handle of the game was very ımpressıve.

After a whıle, Shınryu emerged from hıs healıng. Excıted to see hım, I ran over to make sure he was ok.
"Warrıor Shınryu! You are ok yes?" I asked, stoppıng just a few feet from hım. Rulke smırked amused and Shınryu sıghed.
"I`m fıne Vıda. I'm always fıne."
I nodded slıghtly. "Vıda knew Warrıor Shınryu would be okay."
Shınryu sıghed. "Look Vıda..."
I looked hım square ın the face. "Yes?"
"Look can you just..." I pushed me back. "Can you just back off a bıt and gıve me some space!?" He sounded so angry ıt scared me.
I stared at the floor and stabbed my toe and the ground. "Vıda dıdn´t know that she bothered Warrıor Shınryu so much. Vıda dıd not mean to offend." I trıed to hıde the fact that I was hurt and kept my gaze fıxed fırmly on the floor. Havıng been so rude, I was´t goıng to gıve hım the satısfactıon of seeıng me cry. "Never dıd you ask me to leave!" and I turned from hım, retreatıng to the rock by the Nush's trees where I could be away from hım.

If that was how he wanted to be then so be ıt. Let hım treat me so badly, he would learn that I was not an ally to be lost.

[Crystal Tears]

Shinryu ~ Samurai ~ Girl Problems...

"Nice..." Rulke commented sarcastically, I glared at him, before storming off in the opposite direction of Vida. Anger consuming my reason, I began to angrily attack the small amount of trees around me.

I hate women… I thought cruelly as I began to conceal myself in the little guilt I had for exploding on Vida. She really hadn’t deserved it, but I don’t know what made me explode on her like that. Yes she was a bit too clingy, but… Arg, the guilt is growing with me thinking about her.

“Women trouble?”

I looked over my right shoulder. An odd sort of creature was standing there, it looked like a large house cat, made of completely metal. It cocked its smooth feline head in my direction and stepped down from the rock it was perched on. I turned towards it, surprised my sense hadn’t picked it up.

“Don’t be alarmed…” It said in a surprisingly female and humanoid voice. I raised an eye brow. “I’m a machina. You can’t actually detect me.” Thought I couldn’t see it, I could tell she was smiling. “Wondering who I am?”

“I’m wondering if I have finally lost my mind…” I commented. “I’m talking to a machina. A Cat machina.”

“I seem to have acknowledge you’ve been have some women troubles. What’s her name? Vida?” I nodded, and the feline inched closer. “You seem to be annoyed with her… Why?”

I shrugged. “I don’t know. I’ve been having a rough day.”

The feline purred, and rubbed against my leg. I stepped back, and then watched it tap it’s rather menacing steel claws on the ground.

“Shinryu?”

I turned, surprised to see a rather confused, and angry Vida walking towards me. I winced, turning back towards the cat, which to my surprise was gone. I blinked, and then turned back to the raging Vida who glared at me.

“Vida?”

I gripped my cheek; I was so shocked and taken back. Vida had slapped me, I turned back to her, holding my redden cheek, which probably had a hand print burned into it.

“You… You…” I watched her mutter ‘you’ over and over again, as her eyes began to well up. I sighed, realizing she must have thought I really did hate her. Which I didn’t. ARG! Women!

“Vida I’m sorry I snapped at you.” I felt weird apologizing; I had never really done it before, especially to a girl. “I’ve been having a bit of a rough day…” She was silent; I prepared myself for another slap. “Do me a favour… If you’re going to slap me, slap the other cheek?”

~~

Ahaha. I new mysterious character. Who randomly disappears. Yes.. >_>;;

[Weasel Overlord]

Ack! My brain hurts! Apologies for the crappy post...I’m under a heap of coursework at the minute...*wince* And I have a headache...

~Rulke, Dark Knight and Guado~
…Insanity grows…

After Shinryu’s healing, I grew somewhat restless. There wassomething about that man that unsettled me, and it wasn’t just his unorthodox method of Healing…

Shaking my head, I dismissed these thoughts and glanced at Shinryu. His healing experience had been...odd to say the least. I was glad I needed no healing.

And the other problem arrived again. Vida. What a lovely girl, and such an obsessive personality. Shinryu shouldn’t have angered her though...She seemed to incur some sort of wrath inside him whenever she was around, right now, he was pounding some innocent trees. Although he soon stopped this fruitless game and turned to something I couldn’t see.

He appeared to be engaged in a delightful conversation with whatever it was: I could only presume that it was some sort of cloaked creature. Either that or Shinryu was losing it...

[Samchu]

Vida
~~~

“Vida I’m sorry I snapped at you.” I barely heard the line that followed, I was too surprised by the fact that he'd openly apologised. Shinryu didn't strike me as the sort of person who would apologise so soon, I'd thought I'd have to stay mad at him for a bit longer before he even attempted an apology, let alone produced a complete one.

"I'm not going to slap you..." I said quietly as my tail flicked back a few shrubs left behind from Shinryu's rampage upon them. "But you shouldn't have shouted..."

"No. I guess I shouldn't have shouted. I just...you have to give me some space Vida. I'm not used to having girls clinging to me...it kinda freaked me out, you know?"

I nodded gently, keeping my gaze on the ground instead of Shinryu. I found that I was slowly retreating into a shy state, which was highly unusual of me. But I didn't know what to do around Shinryu, I had no idea how to act. Shinryu was the first guy I'd taken a liking too since I'd left home and he wasn't exactly making the experience any easier. I'd known him less than an hour and already he was pi**ed off at me. Not exactly a confidence booster.

"I understand." I fidgetted with my tail. "I'm still allowed to stay with you aren't I?"

"Yeah," he replied, even adding a slight smile for effect. "Only Viavan are strange little group has, wouldn't do if you went by yourself."

I smiled and hugged him. It was a bit stronger than I intended though as I accidentally ended up toppling him over, with me on top. Still hadn't got used to the differences between moving in water and moving on land. Balancing with my tail alone was hard enough at times.

"Sorry Shinryu..." I said, laughing slightly. We kept winding up in awkward situations. They were always my fault but they were always accidental. Honestly.

"It's ok...really..." He winced a little. "Will you let me up now?"

I lifted myself up and he slowly clambered to his feet, brushing the dust from his clothes as he did so. "I think that maybe it's time our group got moving again. The others look like they might be starting to get a bit restless and if we're moving then it might discourage you from trying to kill me."

I laughed quietly. "Perhaps you are right Shinryu but then again, there's a lot of things that you don't know about me yet."

[Pichu Luver]

[font=garamond]Eh, sorry Samchu but Crystal Tears told me it was going on evening so . . . So I'll just make restless to move, into need for food. Heh ^^'''


[font=garamond]---~~~~~*Kale/Cain Dwyre : Gunner : Mi'hen*~~~~~---

[font=garamond]'Wonderful, just wonderful, now I have a Guado suspicious about me, I did not need this. This is just not my day is it?' I thought as I hopped out of my wagon. I had never been injured so much in one day in . . . a long time. I sighed and surveyed the others.

Shinryu seemed to be having issues with the air and was engaging in a conversation with it. I raised an eyebrow but noticed Vida going over to him. He stop talking to uh, the air, soon enough. I noticed the sun was going down so decided to set up camp.

I enlisted Kiwi's help and soon had a fire going not to far from my wagon. The others looked over and I said, "Dinner will be ready in a bit, perhaps you should roll some logs over to sit on." They nodded and some of them went into the trees beside my wagon. I hadn't moved it out of the bushes because it was just safer in there.

I set up a big hanging pot over the fire and added some meat and veggies into from my supply. The Nushes stopped their game and walked over to the fire, looking very worn out. I looked up and said, "Hope you like soup."

"We would settle for something uncooked we is so hungry," said Shino as she plopped down onto the nearest log, Ierie right beside her. The both looked very tuckered out. I laughed and replied,

"Yes well I'm amazed you could play at all after what happened today."

"It was his idea." she replied pointing her paw at Ierie. Ierie mock glared and said,

"Well you did not really say no, did you?"

I laughed again and waved my hand. "Now, now there's no need to fight. It would be a pretty sad fight anyway, both of you to tired to do much other then bat each other." I handed the big spoon to Ierie and said, "Stir until I get back, we need bowls."

He huffed but smiled right after, Shino giggling. I smiled and hopped in my wagon grabbing the needed utensils. When I got back, everyone was on a log around the fire, some people barely keeping their eyes open.

I took the spoon from Ierie, grabbed a bowl, filled it, and passed it down. When everyone had a bowl I said, "dig in."


[font=garamond]---~~~~~*^*~~~~~---

[font=garamond]Eh, could think of much. Anyway chat away people!

EDIT: Sorry Nabooru23! It's been fixed!

[Arnen]

Um. Ierie's a boy. Yeah. ^^;

=~*Ierie Nush*~=

We were so hungry, we quickly snatched the nearest bowl and began shoveling soup into our mouth. Very soon, we were licking the last bits of broth from our paws. Once we were sure we were clean, we picked the bowl back up and held it out.

"More please ^^" we chirped. When no response came, we looked around to see Cain in conversation with Shino and Kiwi. Grumbling slightly to ourself, we shuffled forward to the pot and poured ourself some more before plopping back down on the ground. We ate more slowly this time, contenting ourself to watch the others talking as we sipped at our soup.

Sorry for shortness, just wanted to get something in this morning cuz I might be going somewhere tonight.

[Emotional Faun Chiko-sai]

Shinokiri Nush
F, thief, Mi'ihen Highroad
"I Aten't Dead"
--------------------

Having nothing but pancakes for breakfast the whole day can do things to your senses, like sharpening them considerably, and making you very, very alert to anything food-related that's going on in the background. The whole time that Ierie was stirring the stuff in the big, friendly-smelling pot, Shino had been unconsciously following the movements of his paws clutching the ladle back and forth with her nose. She sighed every once in a while.

Food! A scent of fish, a hint of cardamom, and some indiscernable vegetable aroma. Shino purred.

Tree-tag was good, but food was better. Shino attacked the bowl she had been given with more than usual enthusiasm. Noises coming from her were those that were more generally associated with the cheap kind of plumbing system. The stew did not last two minutes in the face of a hungry Nush.

She helped herself to more, monopolizing the ladle for longer than was polite, and once her appetite allowed her to become more civilized in manners, sat up properly on her haunches and waved to Cain. She had been completely oblivious to Happenings on the wagon since she'd spent most of the afternoon playing tree-tag with Ierie. Time to catch up.

She sidled up to Cain and Kiwi, and dropped a rather impudent conversation opener: "Kiwi says you're a girly man. Is that true?"

Cain gave his chocobo a sidelong glance of suspicion. Kiwi had the decency to look slightly guilty. "It depends on your sense of humour. Apparently Shinryu and Rulke have bad ones."

Shino nodded seriously. "They don't seem the sort of people to have good ones," she said reflectively. "That's good to know, or Lex would be asking us why we likes to make friends with girly men, and we'd have some problems explaining friendship to him."

Behind her, Ierie burped and said something, but being ignored by the participants of the 'girly man' interrogation, grumbled and went to get more food by himself.

Shinokiri pressed further. "Where'd you find these funny people with a bad sense of humour, anyway?"

-------------------
Ahah ><; short post...