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Post by Xenos on Aug 9, 2008 11:01:22 GMT -5
((<<Tiamat -- Sorry, this is just the last half of my post to introduce the thread.))
Tiamat began to dive. The force of gravity had begun to pull the air from Xenos' lungs and he forced himself to breathe. "Brace yourself," he called back, more for Aerith than Squall. It seemed to last forever. They peeled out of the clouds into the rain with the electricity at their backs. The ground came closer by the second and it seemed they were careening down to their death. Xenos grit his teeth and sustained. His mask blocked the wind and rain from his eyes but was cold against his skin. His bare chest and back were pelted by raindrops like daggers in his skin.
There was a sudden jolt and they pulled out, slamming against Tiamat's back as she beat her wings to slow herself. The ground was feet away and, slowly, they neared it until the dragon's talons, then her feet rested against the wet grass.
Xenos quickly slid from Tiamat's back and retrieved his undershirt. He threw it on and deftly buttoned it up before sliding up to Squall and Aerith. He placed a hand on the woman's knee and nodded to her. "We'll get you taken care of and I'll explain everything." The smile his mask hid faded as he turned to the SeeD. "Try to slide her down, alright? I'll catch her and we'll find somewhere to stay," he said, not unkindly.
Squall wasn't who he thought he'd be and yet was exactly what he'd expected as a youth. These childish ideals were something he'd have to come to terms with for the time being.
Tiamat, when you can, follow us in-- inconspicuously, please.
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Post by Aerith Gainsborough on Aug 20, 2008 1:43:21 GMT -5
((Squally, go for it. I'll post either after you or Tiamat))
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Post by andheavenburns on Aug 20, 2008 11:14:05 GMT -5
((Going for it~ =3 :coughs: On that note. Jidoor is a pretty fancy place yes? Any chance Squall can get himself some new clothes etc there? Or stock up on… I don’t know. Stuff! Yes/no? ))
Squall had already tightened his legs around the beast beneath him by the time Xenos called out his warning and the SeeD found himself restraining the urge to quirk an eyebrow at the somewhat-obvious command, but then reasoned it was for Aerith that Xenos said this and not his benefit. He was reaffirming his grip on the woman’s waist as the dragon dipped from the sky and keeping his eyes on the expanse of land presented beneath them, turning his face ever so slightly into Aerith’s hair.
For tactical reasons of course, the slight reprieve from the buffeting wind made it easier to breathe. Squall kept wary eyes on the fast approaching earth and although he trusted that Tiamat would not let them die – because where would the fun be in that?- he imagined their comfort was not exactly a priority either and that she could take a rougher landing than they could.
And a miscalculation on her part- All we could do was ‘roll with it’-
He had never liked traveling like this. There was too much lack of control. The descent felt deceptively uncoordinated to Squall who counted down the seconds and tried to make a judgment on their approximate speed. Each conclusion he came up with was not exactly something he would deem as reassuring but it made an ample distraction from the cold and the wet. He tightened his hold on Aerith subconsciously, his free hand moving to the dragon back in front of him, fingers splayed for purchase. Bracing for impact.
When it came Squall narrowed his eyes, using his propped arm to keep from crushing Aerith and gritting his teeth as the harsh jolt rammed into him. Then after a careful breath and once he was certain Tiamat had landed, he straightened and pulled his arm back, shaking it out once, glancing first at Aerith.
”You all right?”
And then down at Xenos who was disembarking. Squall watch the other man for a moment, eyes for once neither impassive nor critical. There was a smile to Xenos’ voice in his reassurance to Aerith, something Squall could not condemn although he thought it still too soon to be offering possible assurances. They were hardly what Squall considered secure just yet with one of their party still injured, subsequent to this rough relocation to such an unknown position. Xenos was still presuming too much for Squall’s comfort. Those thoughts aside, Squall found himself staring fixedly at other man’s hand where it rested on Aerith’s knee.
The contact was hardly inappropriate Squall reasoned with himself at the flicker of- something... But it was overly familiar. Thusly unsuitable at this point in time. And there really was no need for Xenos to---
Squall blinked, shoved the odd feeling away and hn’d his affirmation to Xenos’ request, giving the man a slight nod as he did.
Tightening his grip on Tiamat via his legs, he helped move Aerith overtop of the dragon’s back. “I’ve got you,” was all he murmured, one hand keeping to her waist, holding unobtrusive but like iron. It was perhaps a quiet question for her trust. If one wished to look at it that way. Squall was aware of her injuries and her possible injuries and did not want to exacerbate them. He slid her down carefully, eyes moving from her to Xenos and leaning over as much as he could afford to while maintaining his own grip on Tiamat. Once convinced that Xenos had sufficient hold, Squall let go.
He trusted the other SeeD’s grasp unequivocally at least.
Then he slid from Tiamat himself, first checking the Gunblade at his side and then rolling his shoulders once from slight stiffness garnered by the hasty trip before turning his eyes to give their new surroundings a tactical once-over.
…inadequate. He immediately thought. We’re going to relocate. Need somewhere secure.
Somewhere with four walls. Somewhere with adamantine reinforced doors if possible and a good vantage point from which to keep watch and---
He made his way towards Xenos- or more precisely Aerith with the mind to help her walk if she needed it.
“You know this place.” And this was directed at Xenos. It was less a question, and more a brusque statement. It was an assumption but as Xenos had taken them there, Squall thought it somewhat safe to assume he knew the area. It was also a request for more information, though in a roundabout way. Squall disliked walking into a place and letting it be an unknown. He had been forced to do this in Bevelle because circumstance dictated it. He did not want to do so again.
“You can tell us about it while we get to a healer,” he added flatly.
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Tiamat
Villain
Queen Supreme of Extraordinary
Posts: 655
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Post by Tiamat on Aug 22, 2008 10:31:46 GMT -5
((Awwwww yeah here we go. I am so rusty, this post will probably take me like an hour.))
Tiamat hated landings. She loathed coming down from the giddy oxygen high. She detested the weight of countless more tons of atmospheric pressure bearing down on her broad, weathered shoulders. It would be nice to take a break from ferrying the humans around, of course. She was losing altitude at an alarming rate. The wind whistled in her ears and huge, icy drops of rain whipped up her snout and into her slit eyes. With a great deal of snorting and spluttering, she managed to keep her eyes open and hit the ground with a solid thump, and flattened the grass within a respectable diameter. She resisted the urge to shake herself down like a wet dog, and huffed and hawed and fidgeted as the humans took their time dismounting.
When Xenos and Squall had the unconscious woman safely to the ground, Tiamat took a few steps to the side. If they were going into a human city, she supposed that it would be prudent to make herself a bit smaller. She heaved a sigh and concentrated deeply and, with a sickening, loud crunch of bones breaking and shortening and the wet whining of muscles contracting and rearranging themselves on her new skeleton, she was roughly human, roughly from the waist up. Tiamat stretched out her back, popping each vertebrae, and ambled over to the rest of the group. She would still stand out like a chocobo in the chicken coop, but at least she wouldn't step on any street vendors.
"So, how long must we sojourn in this city?" she rasped in her throaty voice. Aerith did look unusually poor, even for a human, but surely the healer they found would use some of his magic potions and have her fit in no time, better to move on to the next delicious fiasco.
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Post by Xenos on Aug 26, 2008 9:31:56 GMT -5
Xenos accepted Aerith's weight with ease, despite the creaking discomfort of his lethargic muscles. He told them to be quiet. They always rebelled like this when it was most impiortant for them to hold up and stay strong. It was the sign of someone truly dedicated to quiet the pain and persevere. In mere days he had Invited Squall after a painful battle. He could feel the whispering memory of the bullet that had pierced his leg, but pushed it away just as he had done to his current pains. He had flown to Zanarkand and found the Fayth severely weakened. He had faced off against the son of Sin and challenged him to task of Xenos' destruction.... Only then had they travelled to Bevelle with news of the sorceress. When the Lunar Cry struck the city with the armies of monsters, Xenos had only just caught his second wind. Now, with the wounded woman in his arms, he had to push away this ache and do what absolutely had to be done. He looked up as he hunched over Aerith to keep her from getting wet and saw Jidoor a distance away. It would be walkable, but they would have to utilize the lower-class area so as not to distract too much attention. "Well enough," Xenos said to Squall in perfect honesty. "Jidoor is... like Esthar in its own way." He began to walk with one exhausted foot in front of the other. His no longer pristine white boots sank into the wet earth beneath their soles. "You won't find anything technologically superior, but the city on the hill that you can see from here is not the city that we will see. Their segregation of the classes will keep us in the south end of town until we can get Aerith treated." The SeeD gave a careful squeeze to the woman in his arms for reassurance. "After that we will have to assess our course of action: whether we should speak to the northern inhabitants or leave will be decided then." He nodded to Tiamat, "We will be here no longer than absolutely necessary; this is not a place I enjoy." ((Yeah, you can stock up and fet new clothes. It's not exactly a fancy town, but you can get supplies and things here.))
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Post by Seltzer Grenadine on Aug 26, 2008 14:38:16 GMT -5
((Hey, hey. It's perfectly fancy! D:< It's mah home town, betch!
In all seriousness, though. It is fancy. It's a wealthy town, and actually, you could probably find some clothes/accessories in what I imagine is a now abandoned auction house. >.> ))
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Post by Alexander THE GIRL on Aug 26, 2008 15:55:02 GMT -5
((If it didn't get abandoned when Kefka destroyed the world, I don't think anything short of actually tearing it down could get them to stop auctioning.))
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Post by Seltzer Grenadine on Aug 26, 2008 18:45:44 GMT -5
((That's... very true. XD))
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Post by Xenos on Sept 8, 2008 11:07:02 GMT -5
((Well, sorry! I asked about any details about Jidoor in an OOC thread and no one even MENTIONED an auction house! Sheesh. When I say I don't know this game, I MEAN it. All I know is what the map tells me. ): ))
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Post by Seltzer Grenadine on Sept 8, 2008 13:30:22 GMT -5
((You lie. Alex mentioned it in the "Change of Plans" thread, first page, tenth post down. I'd quote it, but the thread's locked. You just don't remember reading it.))
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Post by Alexander THE GIRL on Sept 9, 2008 0:16:25 GMT -5
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Post by Aerith Gainsborough on Sept 13, 2008 11:29:46 GMT -5
((So, yeah, I totally love your map, Alex. I couldn't remember a damn thing from that city. Not. One. Thing. Ironic how the economic striations are illustrated by the poor living on the ground and the more wealthy living above... like Midgar, though not as obvious.))
A part of Aerith resented being carried, though the other part - namely her legs - was glad for the help. Her will and resolve may be freshly tempered steel, but her muscles were still rubber. So she took the support without word and listened to the men talk around her. Esthar? She'd heard the name before, though it held little meaning more than it was a city... one that sounded increasingly like Midgar. If her assumptions were true, she had as little desire to remain in the city as Xenos did.
She was tired, both physically and mentally; not to mention her patience at this lethargy was wearing thin. Though Xenos tried to shield her from the driving rain and roaring winds, she was soon soaked through. Wet and cold, Aerith silently prayed for small blessings, a nearby inn, and a warm fire. And at least a dozen Ethers.
((Sorry, guys. Until Aerith is once again an interacting member of the group, I got nothin'))
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Post by Alexander THE GIRL on Sept 13, 2008 17:14:42 GMT -5
((It's really more like the wealthy living on the ground and the ridiculously wealthy live up top. All the poor got booted out of the city and forced to live in Zozo, which looks like a dump in some ways but actually kind of modern in others. Here's some pictures. Actually, that site should be good for learning the general feel of towns in FFVI. I just figured since you were actually in Jidoor you might want better directions than a bunch of random snapshots. I'm glad you liked my map! ))
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Post by Xenos on Sept 26, 2008 10:24:11 GMT -5
Xenos ducked even lower, beneath the storm. The city was closer now. He could almost make out the cobbled stone pavement beneath the strange village buildings. Blue roofs were a grim slate in the rain with a halo of mist around them. He stumbled over a clump of grass and caught himself on a patch of shorter vegetation. They needed to make it just a little further! Surely through his white shirt his black corruption was showing through, but it wasn't his mist imminent concern. He had to get Her out of this.
The woman in his arms was so familiar. Xenos could almost feel the feathers of a nonexistent jacket brushing against his frozen hands. If She was here, this never would have happened. Of all people to live and die and be reborn here, why was it that only She could not return? Bitterness washed over Xenos like another torrent of rain. Gritting his teeth, Xenos persevered; he had to protect Aerith at all cost. This wicked corruption of a world had denied him his best hope and offered him a new cause.
It would never have his love-- his affection and desperation, perhaps, but never his love.
His sopping boots squished as he stepped onto the outlying stoned of Jidoor. Outside lanterns lit his way and revealed a place of brief respite beneath the second tier walkway. He longingly eyed the grey bricks' shelter and began towards it to gain his bearings.
Immediately after he exited the rain beneath it, a weight lifted from his shoulders; they were here and hope was not lost! Aerith had braved through the worse with iron will beneath immobile limbs and his chest swelled with pride for the woman's struggle. "Squall," Xenos whispered hoarsely, "I'm going to take Aerith into the inn, but I need you to resupply us with everything we'll need-- food, water, armor, clothes." He had to use a hand to get to his coin purse, so he propped Aerith up on a crooked leg and tossed the money to her Knight. "Take this and get everything. I've got enough on me to pay for room and board for the night."
He slipped a hand back underneath the fold of Aerith's knees and nodded to Tiamat. "Let's go," he told her softly and plunged back out into the rain towards the inn. The little wooden sign clicked as drops of rain clashed against it, but soon the rain began to lighten and Xenos heaved a deep sigh.
With a struggle, he managed the door open and stumbled in with all eyes on them. "Disaster," he murmured through exhaustion, "down south... barely escaped, monsters everywhere...." Xenos coughed and coughed again, his act changing rude stares to ones of pity.
"Here," someone said, "follow me, I'll get you to a room." Xenos weakly nodded and followed as murmurs sprang up behind them, saying "The Opera House?" "What happened?" "Monsters?" "What was that with him?" "Dragon feet." "Cursed woman...."
The stout man opened the door for him with a key and led them inside. Xenos immediately found the bed (feather stuffed, it seemed.) and placed Aerith into the soft refuge. He dropped to his knees beside the bed and put his head onto the surface for a brief moment. "A Healer," he said to the man who showed them there, "If you can spare one." He reached into his pocket and pulled out some coin for the man. "We need to stay the night and to heal, please."
Dumbfounded, the man nodded (his bushy mustache bobbled with his head like a living creature) then he left the key on the nightstand and left.
Xenos dropped back from his knees to sit on the dry floor. They were finally here. They were safe.
"Tiamat," He whispered, "What next?" Xenos shook his head dumbly and wrung out his ponytail. "Where should we go from here? The Garden? Back to Zanarkand?" His eyes turned to Aerith, "She's our only hope, now that Ultimecia is gone.... I have to explain everything from the beginning. I'm to blame and she has the right to know."
>> South Tier
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