In Seeq of the Grimoire

[Satoren]

--== ~ Kids These Days ~ ==--

"Some of our younger clan members have been carrying on in the pub,
disturbing the peace, as it were. I reckon it's best to teach a good lesson
now, and nip the problem in the bud. That's where you come in. Give 'em a
good thrashing for me!

Criek, Clan Criek leader"​

Wood Village was a small town; amidst the rustling of Mist-laden trees, the occasional squawking of the Chocobos at the local ranch, and the sound of epic battles between man and beast, it was an otherwise peaceful town. On the other hand, any town in the region of Jylland could be considered just as tranquil, or as lively as one might perceive. To those unfamiliar with the land of Ivalice, there are quite a few sights that they might think odd, but to those in the know, it is probably nothing new. Such was the case at the local pub, where a rowdy group had decided to celebrate their recent achievement.

"Ha! I didn't think those even -were- ears!" roared a young man as he took a sip from his mug. He was seated at a table with two large, dragon-like creatures and a fellow human. One could also compare the Bangaa to lizards, but that would earn one a lost tooth or worse.

"That was nothing! You should have been there when he found that case of rabbits," said the second human, and his companions broke out in laughter once again. Across from their table sat two other creatures who were laughing alongside their comrades. The tallest of the lot twitched her long ears excitedly as she dug into the food she had ordered. Like any Viera, she resembled a beautiful human woman; her rabbit-like ears and choice of clothing being the only real difference. Seated with her was the shortest of the posse. Small, furry and with an uncanny resemblance to a rabbit with wings, he was most definitely a Moogle. A fluffy red pom-pom connected to the top of his head by a thin antenna bobbed to and fro as he giggled to the story his companions were telling.

"That's not the half of it! The look on Criek's face when he found out," added one of the Bangaa before taking a huge gulp of his own beverage. "Ah, priceless!" he roared as he slammed his mug noisily onto the table. The group laughed as loudly as ever, unaware of the glares everyone else at the pub was giving them. At one particular table, however, a small group of diners were looking at them not with hate, but with the look a hunter might have after seeing its prey.

"So they're our targets, kupo?" whispered the smallest of the three. The Moogle's ear twitched at the sound of their laughter. Though they came into the pub without any real intention of having a good meal, listening to their targets' rowdiness certainly spoiled any intention they might have had of enjoying it.

"Master Criek gave me the description. The pranksters were identified as a Hume soldier and thief, a Bangaa monk and warrior, a Viera fencer and an animist of your kin," said the creature next to him with a slight nod. The Moogle's companion had a large snout, framed on either side of her head with long, drooping ears. She was a Nu Mou, and probably one of the proudest you might meet in all of Ivalice. "They certainly fit the bill, don't they?" She said as she scooped a spoonful of soup into her mouth.

"We'll have to be certain to teach them a valuable lesson on overstaying their welcome here in Targ Wood," the Nu Mou continued with a mischievous grin. "And so, I'll be counting on you two to do a good job of it. Make it a spectacular performance for me, won't you?" She said happily before enjoying the rest of her mushroom stew. Her two companions on the other hand, looked at her with mixed expressions.

"Hang on, you're not helping us out, kupo?!" The Moogle said, trying his best to maintain a quiet conversation while exclaiming the sudden lack of a third member for their mission. Their last companion, a young male human, darted his eyes between the two. He didn't particularly care whether or not Chaucer would help them. He just found this sudden exchange mildly entertaining.

"What am I to do? Our most trusted Clan Judge has decided not to use skills that would require...destruction of entire fields of enemies," Chaucer quickly responded. "It's for the safety of the pub and its diners. And what sort of reputation would we have if we were to destroy our turf's most beloved eating establishment?" she added, grinning immensely throughout her rebuttal.

"You could always use that staff of yours and fight, kupo!" Jur whispered furiously. The Moogle pointed at the wooden weapon leaning against the wall near their table, while their human companion suddenly nodded to this, though for entirely different reasons. He was just engrossed with the fun of the conversation.

"Well, I might be an amazing spell caster," Chaucer said as she ran a hand through her hair. "But as much as it pains me to admit, martial arts is something I am not too familiar with."

"What martial arts?! All you have to do is hit them on the head, kupo!"

"Honestly, you don't need me. You two are quite effective together," Chaucer replied. "One who is versed in the mysterious blue magicks," she said as she pointed her spoon towards their human comrade. "And one who is the finest marksman in all of Targ Wood," she continued while moving her spoon over to Jur. "A lowly White Mage such as myself would only get in the way of such an effective combination," she happily finished.

"Have it your way. But just for that, you're not getting included in the cut, kupo." The Nu Mou was not at all phased by Jur's statement.

"Oh, you can't do that," she sneered. "Don't forget you and your pet there have yet to fully pay me for my services as a Beastmaster."

"A lousy service if you ask me, kupo. Rain already knew half the spells you tried teaching him, kupo. "

"'Tis not my problem that his master did not check to see what magicks he already knew."

"And stop calling him a pet! Rain's a clan member, just like you and me, kupo." As Jur said this, Rain wrapped his arm around the Moogle and started cuddling him. Had he the ability to use the other appendage tucked tightly under his robes, he would certainly attempt to hug his beloved companion.

"Of course he is," Chaucer grinned.

The Moogle patted Rain on the head, and the Hume set him down on his chair. As the two argued, Rain looked around the pub. He had quickly grown bored of the squabble and tried to find some other distraction; unaware of the other eyes looking on the rowdy group to make a quick Gil.

OoC: DHURHURRHURR

Welcome to my latest (well not really, this RP has been like a a year or two in the making) attempt at the playing of roles. Unless you missed the references, this is a Final Fantasy Tactics A2 RP. If you'd like to take part in this lovely little adventure of mine, Sami's and Pheo's design, I'd like to ask you one thing.

What is your character's race and job class?

note: Characters can have a main job and secondary job like in the games, but please don't overpack for the trip and slap every single job on them, especially those not akin to their race. ( Moogles don't get the Ninja job, stop praying they do :/ )

Okay, that's two things, but still, I'd like you to tell me a little bit about your character before you dive into the world of Ivalice. PMs and Chat visits totally work.~

 

[Pheonix]

Leeroy trudged down the path of this little town called Wood Village looking for the pub. Why he was being sent here to look after a bit of turf he didn't know, he was much more used to being able sit back and enjoy a nice drink with Pete and usually thought himself too old to be responsible for this type of thing anymore. But Babus had been insistent that he finally show some authority and responsibility to the younger pups. At least he could grab a drink before heading out for the rest of the inspection of the area.

"I don't care what he said, I still don't think I should have to do this sorta thing anymore." Leeroy said, apparently to the air, before cocking his head slightly as if listening for a response. "Bah… complain all you want, you have been taking Babus's side more and more lately!"

People often stopped what they were doing when he walked by though, to either do a double take or to blatantly stare, seeing as he was a bit of an oddity. See, Leeroy was a rather proud bangaa in a very odd way. Not wanting to give up on his previous life as a ‘tough' dragoon but still wanting to master the arts of being able to use a much more versatile ranged weapon, Leeroy had kept his old helmet as a keepsake and had ‘modified' it to suit his new career path. And here we use the term modify as it can only be used in circumstances such as this. The helmet Leeroy wore was old and beat up, several rusty spots showing up, an odd stain or two, and overall just looking very worn and not very defensive anymore. This combined with his cannoneer's goggles (which no one could ever see thanks to the helmet's visor which obscured his face), along with his rather beat up and slightly ragged blue vest armor over very dirty green clothing, made for quite the picture of a bangaa walking down the road.

If that was all there was too it, it would only have warranted a second glance maybe, but Leeroy was constantly talking quietly (and sometimes even arguing) with Pete. Now this wouldn't have been awkward at all if Pete wasn't a modified bright red cannon with a large gaping dragon head on one end. Everything about Pete clashed directly with the image the Bangaa projected, being that Pete looked to be meticulously taken care of and even had a decorative blue ribbon tied just behind the gleaming red head.

But Leeroy was used to the looks by now, he had been wearing his ‘uniform' for quite some time now, and the clan leader hadn't given him any grief over it since they had been old buddies from way back when, and certainly didn't discount his friend's oddities when they had formed the Clan. And when he had finally chosen his current career path, the clan leader had turned a blind eye (and more importantly the judges had allowed the bending of the rules due to the promise of ‘modification') to his attire. He was, after all, a very skilled bangaa and an asset to the clan. Or at least he had been. Lately Leeroy had been shirking his duties more and more and diverting most of his attention to Pete.

"Now now, I didn't mean it like that!" Leeroy exclaimed worriedly, glancing down to the cannon in his arms while starting to worriedly stroke the surface with one hand.

Finally finding the fine looking drinking establishment and general gathering place, Leeroy kicked open the door seeing as his hands were full (quite literally) trying to appease a worried Pete about his mood. The door, crashing open as it were, made a terrible racket causing many startled glances and quite a few mean looking stares to be directed at the crazy old bangaa. Leeroy didn't pay attention to any of them though as he trudged towards the bar, still trying to placate Pete, smoothing his hand along her length while bringing her head up to his ear to listen to her reply. Finally seeming to get the response he wanted from her he gave a sigh of relief and decided to look around after he ordered a drink and sat down, cradling Pete in his arms. He noticed a rather rambunctious looking group of what appeared to be members of another clan finally getting back to their conversation after his apparently surprisingly rude entrance along with a smattering of others that were probably also either fellow clan members or locals.

Noticing a bit of quietly hidden animosity being directed towards that rambunctious group over by the side, Leeroy started paying a little more attention to his surroundings. If there was going to be trouble, he wanted to not be involved if at all possible. He wouldn't shirk from a fight if it presented itself, but one didn't get to his age or skill without learning that if you can avoid undue or errant attacks, you tended to live a bit longer than those around you. So he sat at his little corner of the bar with Pete propped on a stool next to him and carefully observed the room while sipping at his refreshing beverage.

"Now what do you suppose is up with them?" he mumbled to Pete while waiting to see what would happen. He wondered if he should have paid more attention to the job listings before he had left considering he had waved off Babus's shouting about something or other on his way out the door. Something about helping put some kids in line or something like that if the opportunity presented itself. Leeroy wasn't quite sure, and Pete sure wasn't helping him remember with her mood.

OOC: ffffffffffff Soooo much text and sooo little dialogue. But I think I got most of the point across about silly little Leeroy and Pete.

 

[Rex]

Four figures entered the small town known as Wood Village. One, a Bangaa, was dressed in the attire of a Templar. He was at the front of the group, and carried himself like a leader. He stopped in the town square, and looked towards the second figure in their little party; a Viera, an assassin by trade, and the only female in the group.

"Remind me again, Acia, what is our target?" the Bangaa asked.

The Viera pulled a piece of paper out of a fold in her ropes. She looked over it quickly, before returning her gaze towards the Bangaa.

"No target, we are here to deliver some supplies to the local Alchemist," the Viera replied.
"And why did we accept this job?" the Bangaa asked.

"Please do not tell me you have forgotten again," the Viera sighed, "we took the job because the materials are very precious, and many thieves would like nothing more than to get their dirty hands on it."

"I take offense to that, kupo!" the smallest figure called.

He was a Moogle, the newest member of their team. He was a thief, and one of the few ways the group got any money. He glared at the Viera until she picked him up, after which he immediately brightened up.

"So sorry Larks, I had forgotten that not all thieves are bad," the Viera apologized.

"Just make sure it doesn't happen again!" the Moogle replied with faked anger.

"Enough you two," the Bangaa chuckled, "let's get this to that Alchemist."

He started off in a random direction. He three comrades watched him wander for a moment, before he came back, looking bewildered.

"Where are we going?" he asked.

"We are to wait here for him," the Viera replied.

"Oh, of course," the Bangaa nodded, as if he had know all along.

After several moments, the Nu Mou Alchemist appeared. He happily accepted the items, and gave them a nice amount of money as payment. Without a word, he disappeared back into the crowd, leaving the four of them scratching their heads.

"Now that that's done, why don't we head over to the pub for some food and have look at the local quest board," the fourth member, a Hume Hunter, suggested.

"Makes sense to me," the Bangaa shrugged, "off we go!"

With that, he was off again. This time it was several moments before he returned, not sure where the pub was. The Viera shook her head, and led them to a large building located on the square. The Bangaa blush with embarrassment, which was ignored by his three comrades; he picked up what remained of his dignity, and marched in. He walked over to the barkeeper and slapped down some money on the counter.

"Four glasses of your finest ale!" he ordered.

The Viera walked up to the counter as well, and spoke in a much more respectful tone, "we would also like to look at your quest board."

The man nodded, before disappearing into a back room. The four comrades took seats at the bar, and awaited his return. Eventually he returned, with four glasses of a murky looking drink. He placed one before each of them. The Bangaa quickly gulped down his drink, and the Viera took a respectful sip, before looking up at the Quest Board. The Hume and Moogle stared distrustfully at their drinks, before silently passing them to the Bangaa so he could enjoy them instead.

"I cannot concentrate on finding us a good quest," the Viera muttered, "the patrons here are too loud."

"Take this one then, and shut them up, on the house," the barkeeper pleaded, handed them a paper.

The Viera looked over the paper, before silently nodding. Without a word, she and the Moogle got out of their seats, and moved towards the targets the quest stated. The Bangaa and Hume stayed back, content to watch their allies take down the noisy patrons.

 

[Sami]

A large, yellow-orange figure made his way down the path, his hoove-like feet making deep indentations in the soft path of Wood Village. His ears hung down his shoulders, though the left ear was halfway gone, straight acrossed, as though a sword had cut it clean away. His arms did not hang down at his sides, for they were loosely wrapped around the thin, fragile legs that sat upon the Seeq's shoulders. His left arm was covered in a thick, armored guantlet, starting from his shoulder and exaggerating his claws.

"Ranaaa ~" A young voice whined from above his head, the slender legs wriggling free of the light grip and swinging forward and back.

The young Gria had deep purple hair with an assymetrical cut, the left half short and feathered out to the side while the right hung down past her shoulder, two small horns were growing from underneath her hair. Her pointed ears stuck out from under her ears, somewhat hidden behind bangs swept to the side.

"Why do we have to come here aaaagaaaain? The barkeep is smelly...and old...and mean....and REALLY smelly!" The Gria exclaimed, throwing up her hands and leaning backwards, nearly falling off the shoulders of her companion.

"I believe you liked the soup here, Cecelia?" The voice in response was gruff, raspy, almost as if from disuse, Ranagarr, looked up to the young girl.

Ranagarr the "Renegade" was a well-known bounty-hunter for the Clan Criek, and had known Criek for sometime before the clan was formed. He was always known for traveling solo, a lone Beserker with the coveted Lanista abilites, though he had in recent years picked up a companion. Not very much was known about his young Gria partner, though those who've seen her fight knew the young Hunter was a deadly shot.

"Ce - ce." Cecelia corrected him, dragging out the 'e' as she spoke.

Cece stretched her slender arms behind her head and extended her draconic wings, which were abnormally large for her age, earning her stares from her own race and ridicule amongst Gria her own age. As she spotted the pub, Cecelia took the intiative to stand up on the Seeq's shoulder and gracefully hop off, using her long wings to glide to the door with ease, opening it cheerfully for Ranagarr.

With but a nod in appreciation, Ranagarr stepped in, eyeing the barkeep down as he was about to tell Cece she was not allowed inside due to her age. Cecelia stuck out her tongue at the man as she took a hold of Ranagarrs claws, giggling in victory and folding her wings tight, to keep herself from bumping into strangers. Ranagarr walked over to a table, pulling a chair out as Cece hopped onto it and pushing her in like a perfect gentlemen. Despite the boistrous laughter of the group in the table behind the young Gria, it seemed as though the whole bar could hear the cry of the chair, creaking underneath the Seeq's weight as he sat down. Folds of excess flesh bulging over the sides as a Viera waitress hestitantly came over and took their order.

As such was a habit of Ranagarr, he evaluated the situation around him. Taking in his surroundings from the moment he entered to when he sat down. There were many members of thier clan present, three in the corner and...three or four more moreso in the open. It seemed as though the boistrous table behind Cecelia was the center off all members attention. The Seeq certainly stood out, with his abnormal height and gruff appearance, also his choice of companion, the young, bright Gria. Though, Ranagarr seemed to blend into the group, casually holding the menu and peering in it with feigned interest. He hoped to avoid conflict, but trouble seemed to be Cecelia's middle name.

"This place is SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO NOISY!" Cecelia nearly shouted as she put her boots on the table and rocked her chair back.

Now normally she could use her wings for counterbalance. But it seemed the person behind her, their chair was simply too close to hers. With the force of her push crashing against the back of his chair, the Bangaa behind her suddenly found himself wearing his drink instead of consuming it. The noise in the bar was dropped by half as his entire table went silent as Cecelia and her chair clattered against the ground with a yelp.

"Heeeeeeeeeeeeeeey!" Cecelia moaned as she stood up, as though it were the Bangaa's fault, flexing her wings to make sure she didn't sprain anything.

Looking up to the Bangaa, she frowned before noticing his wet face. Surpressing laughter, Cece grinned with fangs exposed as she apologized half-heartedly. One could hear the sigh come from Ranagarr.

"Sorry about that Mister! Gee, what were you drinking? Could I try some? Oops! Looks like your all out!" She laughed as the next few seconds seemed to go in slow motion all around her.

As soon as the laugh escaped her lips, the Bangaa stood up and swung his hand, in an attempt to backhand the child in pure anger and humiliation. Simulatenously, Ranagarr had moved with all the swiftness of a Hume Ninja and was in front of Cecelia, staring down at the Bangaa without a word, who had frozen mid-swing, looking up at his omnious frame. Only one word managed to escape the Bangaas snout.

"Ra...Ranagarr?!" There was a mix of surprise, anger, and even the slightest hint of fear as the fellow clan member stood before him.


----------------------------------

OOC: I am rusty as hell, so forgive my rusty-post-ness, yeah.

 

[Satoren]

"Kupo!" Jur squeaked loudly. What little cover he and Rain had as they sneakily moved over to their Mark's table was immediately lost with the simple utterance of the Seeq's name. The whole pub grew quiet as the presence of one of Jylland's most famed bounty hunters became apparent. The quiet hung over the bar as thickly as the hunter's own girth did across his torso. The bard on stage and his band of merry troubadours stopped playing their instruments, and several of the shadier bar patrons looked at the Seeq with mixed expressions. Almost as quickly as it died down did the noise return, and many of the diners found themselves dropping their mugs and utensils on their respective tables. Hastily but orderly, they each hustled their way out the pub's door. Some even attempted to take their plates still full of food with them. Only the barman remained behind the counter, slightly nervous from his recent encounter with Ranagarr. Across the counter, a lone Bangaa and his hand cannon sat, no doubt too engrossed with his refreshment to notice, or perhaps too old and experienced to care. Several stools down sat a small group of travelers, their comrades already making their way closer to the Mark.

Jur had clambered onto Rain's shoulders, afraid he might have been swept away by the crowd due to his size. As he set himself down, he noted the sheer emptiness of the previously-bustling pub, with a few exceptions; one of which, was waving cheerfully at them as she took a sip from her drink.

"Look what the moogle, or should I say, Moogles, dragged in," sneered the Hume soldier. He had all but ignored the infamy of the Seeq before his Bangaa comrade, and instead focused on the other warriors before him. "This here party was by invitation, and I don't recall sendin' one out to any of you. Get lost!"

"Tough talk from a tourist, kupo!" Jur replied hotly, no doubt offended of the metaphor the soldier had used just then. "This pub belongs to Clan Arkham, kupo!"

"Well, at least until the next auction, anyway," Rain whispered to his shorter other. Jur clenched his fist, clearly irked, then loosened it again as he patted Rain on the hand. The Hume however, found himself being distracted by an untouched plate of desserts before noticing the Moogle's gesture of affection.

"In any case, we're not going anywhere, kupo!" Jur said, noting the appearance of several other travelers, which he could just vaguely remember were clan members.

"Arkham members from Graszton, eh?" Chaucer smirked from her chair. "I'm afraid you've caught us at a bad time. We were just now taking care of an infestation here in the pub," the Nu Mou said with a slight bow towards the visitor's direction.

"What do you mean 'we'?! We're the ones doing all the work over here, kupo!" Jur yelled back, pointing to himself and the blue mage with him. Rain waved cheerfully, completely unaware of anything outside him and the decadent treats at the table nearby.

"Carry on then, you two. And remember, the judge forbids skills that may cause damage to the pub," Chaucer replied completely unphased. The white mage then focused her attention on the Bangaa at the bar with the bartender, then at Ranagarr and his rambunctious ward. "Well, this Mark will prove to be rather interesting," she whispered to herself.

"Just who do you think you're talkin to?" Interjected their opponent. He was rather cross at the lack of seriousness in the situation, and more so by the lack of attention to him and his group. He was eager to remedy that soon with a wave of his hand. "Let's get 'em, boys!" he cried out, before the fencer in their ranks cleared her throat. "Fine, boys and girls!" he said with a sigh. Though unnecessary, the Hume thief quickly went into action by flipping the table over, perhaps psyching everyone up with the sound of shattered dishes and spilled cups. The Viera fencer and Moogle animist quickly stood and brandished their own weapons. The Bangaa were the only two who didn't seem to desire a heated argument of swords and fists. Ironically, the Bangaa have always been known to love the thrill of battles. But the presence of several key figures seemed to dictate otherwise.

"Are you mad, man?!" shrieked the monk. "This is Ranagarr we have here," waving his arms over to the large Seeq and the petrified warrior next to him.

"Bah, an oversized pig is all he is," said the thief. "Let's cut him up and have some delicous roasts for dinner tonight!"

"Although I do wonder what Ranagarr is doing here, kupo," Jur said quietly to his accomplice. Turning over to him, he then noticed that the Hume was now seated at a nearby table, a fork raised excitedly at a plate of delicious sweets. "Rain, focus here, kupo!" the Moogle yelled. Rain whimpered as his fork stopped centimetres away from the sweets. He looked over to his partner with a look of utter disappointment. "You can eat after we finish this job, okay, kupo?" Jur assured his Hume accomplice. Despite being taller and possibly even more powerful, Rain had the mental capacity of a 6 year old, or even a week-old wolf cub. The mage sighed and placed his fork down. With the only hand he could use, he unsheathed a saber from under his coat and got into stance. Jur noted the coldness and bloodlust in the boy's eyes. He was very disappointed about not eating the dessert.

Unbuttoning his holster, the young fusilier drew his own weapon hanging from his waist. "You probably wanna go easy on that Viera there, kupo," Jur told the mage. Rain showed no sign of response, and maintained his stance with deadly intensity. "I'll leave you to take care of her." The Moogle then turned over to the other players in the game. Now that he thought about it, he wasn't really sure whether or not these travelers were fellow clan members, or guests to the engagement. Still, it was better than nothing. "If you have plans on assisting us, that's fine. Let's just try not to break any rules though, kupo."

"If we break the law and don't get the clan benefits, that Moogle there's probably going to cry something fierce!" Chaucer called out from her chair. Jur's ears twitched in utter annoyance, but his eyes were aimed sharply at the targets. The Nu Mou chuckled as she stood from her chair. Taking her staff with her, she decided she's move over to where the other spectators were seated and order a drink while she was at it. As the white mage trotted towards the bar, a large, shining object began to materialize in the middle of the pub.

The metal armor he wore proudly shined with an intense ambiance. His long, violet cloak flowed softly and smoothly against the wind as though it were water. His helmet was emblazoned with glyphs and patterns and enigmatically hid his face, or lack thereof. As the Clan's Judge made his presence known, he raised a mighty hand into the air and cried out in a deep, mighty voice.

"ENGAGE!"

OoC: Mmkay, Engagement rules, because I think I should mention it.

One character gets one action per post.

That action includes moving and performing a skill/spell and that's it. The opponents can be fully controlled by anyone, unless there are specific situations where they are still being controlled by a previous character (in this case, the bangaa are at present under the influence of Sami and her Seeq, Ranagarr)

And, no instant kills. You can skip a turn charging, you can buff yourself silly in preparation for the next turn, but you can't kill the opponent outright on your first turn. (unless you're using Death, which is not affected by this ruling)

Now that I've cleared that up, let's get this party started!

 

[Pheonix]

Leeroy had been discreetly watching the comings and goings and activity within the bar. He had been taken slightly aback when he had seen Ranagarr walk in the door, and with a young Gria companion too. From what he remembered, that Seeq worked alone if he could help it, only calling in help for jobs he couldn't handle himself. Leeroy himself had had the pleasure of assisting in one or two of Ranagarr's high end bounty hunts along with a few missions where Clan Arkham's leader had specifically called upon his abilities to help the higher ups in the clan deal with the dangerous missions. To see him again after so long made him start to reminisce and not pay attention to what was going on.

All of a sudden there was yelling and confusion and one of those idiot loudmouths in the corner had managed to piss off Ranagarr. They seemed to recognize him though and at least the Bangaa was smart enough to realize who was in front of him. The two Humes apparently didn't know any better, and with the egotistical bravado that usually comes from the younger kin who haven't ever faced a truly fearsome challenge in battle yet, decided that taking out the famed Ranagarr with their little ragtag band of friends would be just the thing to top off their list of accomplishments.

This amused Leeroy greatly and caused him to turn to Pete and start to explain the ludicrousness of the whole thing, causing him to completely miss the conversation of the Moogle and his Hume friend spurning things on even further to an actual fight, not to mention the others that looked to be moving in for some action against these rambunctious idiots. Next thing he knew was that the pub was nearly empty and there was one of the clan judges spouting off that a battle had started and here he was still sitting in the battle area.

"Pete! What the heck did you make me miss! You are supposed to remind me about these things, tell me to pay more attention to what is going on!" Leeroy whined to Pete, picking her up from her seat next to him and holding her straight in front of him, managing to give the bartender a look of exasperation at the same time. "Why didn't you WARN me about this?!" He cocked his head to the side for a moment before warily shaking his head and letting his shoulders sag in defeat. He proceeded to dejectedly sit back down and finish his drink before any more could go wrong.

Too bad for Leeroy that he was already in the battle and there was no escape.

The Bangaa warrior that had been meekly staring down Ranagarr decided he didn't want anything to do with him and instead opted to move off to the side to start to head off some of the others that looked to be aiming to misbehave against his friends. The Bangaa white monk decided he didn't want anything to do with Ranagarr either, and spotting Leeroy all by his lonesome over at the bar, figured he could get an easy kill off the older ragtag crazy looking Bangaa who hadn't been smart enough to leave the battlefield and at least get some good experience and maybe some sweet loot quickly for him and his friends. He moved off to the side a bit and launched an Air Render in Leeroy's direction.

Several crescents of wind energy slammed into Leeroy, jostling him from his seat and knocking him to the ground, knocking Pete from his hands, and causing his drink to shatter against the bar. This was unacceptable. They couldn't leave him alone, could they? Just let him sit at the bar and drink and talk with his Pete. Well… if they wanted a fight, he would certainly show them they picked the wrong Bangaa to mess with.

Picking Pete up and quickly checking to make sure she was ok, he quickly stood up and brushed himself off. "Boy, you don't know the world of hurt you are in for." Leeroy said as he lifted his visor so his enemies could get a clear look at his eyes. Turning slightly to address the entire group in the room, he raised his voice to be heard above the commotion of the start of battle and said, "I guess I know why Babus sent me out here to check this turf, you boys…" Leeroy cocked his head for a minute, "and girl have been causing trouble for our clan, tarnishing our reputation, and in general being a nuisance!" Addressing the menacing looking Seeq, Leeroy mouthed a simple "I've got your back" before yelling at the top of his lungs "Show ‘em what you can do Pete!"

Leeroy's bright red dragon mouthed cannon glowed for a moment before returning to its original luster. Leeroy mumbled to his beloved cannon, "I was hoping for something a little more dramatic, and I haven't had enough drink to make my aim THAT bad!" as a small indicator blinked briefly above his head saying that his accuracy had increased.

long response is loooonnnggggg, especially when it didn't need to be hurrrrr

Yeah, so I went on a bit, and hopefully movement options are clear and general happenings are understood. I'll modify if I need to, just decided that random initiative is better than worrying too much about speed stats. Just to be clear, the idea is that the Bangaa warrior is heading towards Rex's characters, although at this point it has only expended a move action.

 

[Sami]

"ENGAGE!"

The words echoed throughout the bar as the massive Seeq and fragile Gria had very mixed reactions. With a sigh, Ranagarr rolled his eyes as he surveyed his opponents, feeling rather grateful that the Bangaa had buggered off elsewhere. Those two were indeed smarter than their companions. The Seeq had decided to set his eyes upon the Hume thief, most likely due to the 'pig' comment from before.

As for Cecelia, her expression was announced as the sound of her wings flapping could be heard.

"YES! Yaaay! A battle ~" She jumped up, using her wings to lift her a few feet off the ground with ease as she tightened her bowstring and took interest at the rather loud newcomer that was at the bar.

At the sound of Leeroy's voice and wondering why he didn't notice him before, Ranagarr let his poker face drop as he dragged his non-guantlet'd claw down his face. Maybe he had just become accustomed to ignoring the batty old Bangaa. Granted, the two were pretty close to the same age, but time had definately taken Leeroys sanity. Once Leeroy had mouthed him a little 'okay' of sorts, the Seeq decided to take the distraction for what it was worth. Eyes came back to focus on the Hume Thief, who was looking bewildered at Leeroy as his cannon, Pete did he call her? Decided he needed help with his aim.

The Hume Thief felt the floor jostle twice under his feet before it clicked and he looked back to the Seeq, possibly at the worst moment. The metallic guantlet extended as it took a hold of the Humes face, literally. His grip tightened as the claws even found thier way past his bandanna and dug slightly into his scalp and neck. The Hume grasped at the gauntlet with one hand as he tried a few times to dig his knife into the gauntlet to no avail. Ranagarr let his guard down as he brought the Hume's body closer to himself, the boy lifted at least six inches off the floor.

"I am no pig, child. Learn your place."

In the emphasis of the last word, Ranagarr swung his arm in an impromptu Helm Smash, driving the back of the boys head and shoulders into the side of the previously flipped table. As he smashed him clean through it, his bandanna ripped to shreds against the wood. Taking a few steps back, he looked up to Cecelia, giving her a slight nod, so she would know she was allowed to actively participate when ready. He then turned his attention to the rest of the battle, assessing the situation as he kept a watchful eye on Cece movements, unaware of the Hume starting to stir amongst the shattered table on the floor. The Hume Thief remained silent for a moment, waiting for a moment to strike when the Seeq had his back turned to him.....

Meanwhile, Cece had noticed that the crazy Cannoneer's cannon decided it wanted to glow and sparkle instead of blow things up, Cecelia also noted that the Bangaa Monk was going in closer, taking this opportunity to advance on his elder. With a push of her large wings, she made her move to give Leeroy a moment to 'do his thing', whatever it was Cannoneers did, she had never met one before now.

"Hey ugly! Yeah, you! You with the face!" She called out, tying to get the White Monk's attention purposefully, even though she could've sworn that the Viera fencer had shot her a glare, thinking that Cece might've been referring to her.

As the Bangaa turned around, he only had time to see the bow and raised his arms in defense, preparing for an arrow...which...didn't come? Moving his arms to see what the hold up was, his vision was instead greeted with a pair of boots as the little girl put all her weight and used the momentum to knock the Bangaa over with her weight 'harmlessly' on his face. Hopping off the Bangaa, Cece skittered over towards Leeroy, jumping onto the bar unessesscarily, much to the bartenders disdain. She even pointed to the Judge as she did so, who looked over at her...curiously? Incrediously? One could never tell under that mask.

"TOTALLY doesn't count for an attack!" She called over to the judge, pointing out that the Bangaa had apparently taken no damage, but was merely knocked over in surprise.

"SO, mister. If you want MY~ 'Advice', I think when that Bangaa dude stands up, you should go right ahead and shoot him in the face." Cece spoke over to Leeroy, throwing fingerquotes in on 'Advice' as she watched another indicator pop over his head, showing his Critical Hit ratio had increased.

------------------------------------

OOC: OH LAWDY. This was fun to write. OH NOES! What's gonna' happen with the Hume Theif?! We'll find out next post in the Misadventures of Ranagarr and Cece~ *explodes*

 

[Rex]

While the Viera and Moogle moved towards their target, another pair of patron's entered the bar. One was a dangerous looking Seeq, the other, a Gria. The Gria took a spill, causing one of their marks to spill their drink all over themselves. When the Bangaa attempted to retaliate, the Seeq stopped him, introducing himself as Ranagarr, a famous Seeq Bounty Hunter belonging to Clan Criek. The Viera nodded respectably at the Seeq, before continuing to the table her marks were sitting at. The Moogle didn't seem to notice.

All of a sudden, the bar was emptied. Only a few of the patrons surrounding the marks were left, as well as the barkeeper, and a few other random patrons. The Moogle had climbed onto a nearby table to avoid being swept away in the crowd. Several of the patrons began arguing, which the Viera and Moogle ignored, before a Nu Mou called out to them.

"Arkham members from Graszton, eh?" the Nu Mou smirked, "I'm afraid you've caught us at a bad time. We were just now taking care of an infestation here in the pub."

"We are here on business from Graszton Port, and decided to pick up our next quest," the Viera nodded, "The Barkeeper gave us one, asking for us to remove the noisy patrons, so I hope you are not against us aiding you."

With that, the Viera drew a katana that had been hidden in the folds of her robe. The Moogle followed suit, drawing a knife. The Judge's rules were that they couldn't do anything that could damage the pub, something the barkeeper was happy about. This meant no summoning from the Viera, and no Black Magic from the Moogle. That would seriously slow them down, but it didn't matter. Blades were enough to take down these targets.

The Judge gave the signal to start the battle. Immediately, one of the enemy Bangaas, a White Monk, sent an Air Render after an old Cannoreer at the Bar. That brought him into the battle as well. The old Bangaa seemed to be a bit senile, though, talking to his cannon for several moments, before preparing to fight. Another Bangaa, a Warrior, came after the Viera, and brought his blade down on her.

The Viera snarled in pain, and slashed him Bangaa in a counterattack. She slashed him again, before moving away from the Bangaa. The Bounty Hunter Seeq went after a Hume Thief that had called him a pig, smashing his head into the ground. His Gria companion jumped at the White Monk, knocking him over, then telling the judge that she hadn't attacked him. The Viera and Moogle stared at each other, confused by their "ally's" antics. The Moogle Thief shrugged, and jumped over onto the table the Bangaa Warrior was standing next to, and stabbed the annoying Warrior.

Meanwhile, the Moogle and Viera's Bangaa comrade had taken to the local ale. He had gotten himself drunk off of the substance, and was still ordering more for himself and his Hume comrade, which was the same as ordering two of the drink for him. The Hume nodded at Nu Mou that had come over to the bar, and passed his drink to his Bangaa comrade again. The Bangaa downed it, and called the barkeeper over again.

"Round of drinks for my friends!" the Bangaa called gleefully, patting the Hume Hunter and Nu Mou White Mage on the backs.

"Hello," the Hume sighed, "This is Elyot, and my name is Garret, we're from Graszton, it's a pleasure to meet you."

 

[Satoren]

"My, you Graszton folks certainly know how to treat a lady," Chaucer said with a smile. It only came naturally that her magnificent charms would soon enrapture these visitors, or so she assumed. She raised her staff high with a mighty cheer, eager to partake of any and all refreshments she would have at the traveler's expense. "I must warn you though, I have a very refined taste when it comes to my drinks," the Nu Mou added before leaning over the counter and whispering a small request to the barman.

Jur dashed quickly towards the tavern's stage. The platform would be the best vantage for a Fusilier much like himself to snipe down any and all incoming targets. As he proceeded down a short flight of stairs into the lower half of the pub, he was quickly cornered by one of the opponents. The Moogle animist probably didn't think he could take on any of the taller opponents, and so decided for the shortest unit. Brandishing a deadly harp with unfaltering seriousness, he raced it high and aimed to send it crashing down on the Fusilier's head. The animist however failed to realize that Moogles weren't exactly the brawniest creatures in Ivalice, nor that a finely sculpted gold harp was in no way, a threatening weapon. Still, it did manage to cause some form of damage to Jur, as the Moogle rubbed what might be a slight bump to the head.

"Jur!" Rain cried out at the sight of his comrade being mortally wounded, or so it seemed to him. As much as he wanted to rush to the Moogle's side only to waste gils worth of potions on the most minor of injuries, he was by no means preoccupied at the moment.

The Viera rushed at the Hume mage with intensity in her eyes, an elegant rapier in hand, and a battle cry that sounded like a Chocobo dying of some horrible respiratory disease. "For goodness sake, Sybil, now's not the time to practice yer bloody awful singing!" yelled one of her comrades. Those that weren't about to suffer a painful end managed to snigger at the comment.

"Shut it, Miles!" the Viera yelled back as her blade clashed dramatically with the Blue mage's own. The fencer couldn't breach through the mage's defenses, remarkable as they were for one skilled in magic, and instead decided to slash randomly at whatever she could slash at. Her brilliant strategy rewarded her with a small cut on the Hume's arm.

"Good grief; how the heck did old man Criek get duped by these greenhorns, kupo?" Jur asked anyone who cared to answer. Trying to ignore the blow to his head, he took a bullet out of his pocket. The miniature missile's head was gold in color, while its body appeared to be a tiny glass vial, filled with an odd pink powder. Inserting it into the rifle's chamber and snapping it into place, the Moogle then took aim. The firearm made little to no noise as the missile flew swiftly through the air before colliding with what seemed to be an invisible barrier around the Viera fencer.

"What on…" But before the Viera realized what was happening, the bits of pink shrapnel from the Moogle's bullet began forming strange symbols in the air around her. The Magitek Array glinted brightly before completely bathing the fencer in pink light.

"Pretty," uttered Rain. Now that the Viera seem distracted, it was the perfect opportunity for the Hume to counterattack. "You there," the Blue mage pointed over to Jur's attacker. "It's not nice to pick on someone shorter than you!" he declared. Rain's partner had half a mind to fall over from the indignity of it all. Not too far away, Chaucer burst into laughter, swinging her expensive refreshment about. While it isn't too far a stretch to belittle a Moogle's stature in general, one could notice when paired with those of his species, that Jur was indeed several centimeters shorter than one would imagine.

"There's no need for you two to point it out, kupo," muttered Jur, every nerve in his arm shaking violently at the bitter truth.

"Even if you are much shorter, that only makes you all the more adorable, little Fusilier!" Suddenly came the voice of Rain's Viera opponent. The fencer had lost all intention for battle, and instead waved happily back at the Moogle that attacked her.

"Blast, they've Charmed Sybil, kupo!" the animist squeaked.

"Lies! I'm perfectly fine!" Sybil cried out as she wrapped her arms around the mage. Seeing that neither of them now had the intention of fighting, Rain returned his own blades to his scabbard.

"We're not done yet Rain!" Jur yelled out as the Hume and Viera cheerfully sat at a table nearby.

"This is all your fault, kupo," the animist muttered to his fellow Moogle. At the bar, Chaucer had spilled her drink from the sheer hilarity of it all, and quickly asked for another beverage just as expensive. She was so far, quite pleased with the performance.

OoC: teehee Charmshot :> This technically means Rain hasn't used his turn, I guess. I'll probably do something with him later.

 

[Pheonix]

Leeroy was trying to keep an eye on the battlefield to track the possible dangers happening and perhaps even escape routes if necessary. He figured Pete could watch out for any immediate reaction from his closest foe. But when that darling young Gria came over to give more help to him, he was a bit taken aback. Not expecting the assistance to bolster Pete's and his offensive capabilities so quickly (he usually wallowed back and forth in the background of a battle trying to figure out what buff was the best one to use with Pete) that he really couldn't pass up on the ‘advice' the young ally gave them.

"Tell the girl thank you, Pete." Leeroy patted his cannon affectionately. "I do believe we will take your advice. Time to REALLY show them all what you can do Pete!"

Before Leeroy could attack however, the Bangaa White Monk, getting a little worried about the stat adjustments that were starting to stack against his favor ran up and proceeded to strip them all away with a Holy Sign. Leeroy's jaw fairly dropped at this. Completely not expecting this young upstart to have mastered such a high level skill for his class fairly floored the old Bangaa. He nearly dropped Pete with his surprise.

Recovering his composure however, he took a step back and proceeded to follow through with his original plan of shooting the poor White Monk in his face. Or at least that was his attention. He sighted down Pete, took a calming breath, and, with barely a whisper, breathed "Go get him right in the kisser girl." Squeezing the trigger sent his shot straight and true. But to his amazement his Bangaa opponent quite calmly (and what seemed almost to be in slow motion) sidestepped the attack, letting the cannon shot fly off to ‘harmlessly' embed in the far wall. For the second time in only a few mere seconds, Leeroy felt his jaw drop. He almost threw Pete at the White Monk in sheer frustration before both the idea and what it implied about his dear Pete stopped him.

"That's it, screw it, I'm going back to my drink… Oh wait… you destroyed THAT too! You are full of annoying surprises you are." he stated mirthfully. "How did you manage to dodge Pete at practically point blank range?" Leeroy scratched his head as he pondered the possibilities, giving an occasional sympathetic pat to Pete at the obvious affront to her skills in combat. There could, after all, be only two solutions. Either this little upstart cheated somehow, or his aim was really that bad. He knew it couldn't possibly be the latter, Pete hadn't missed at that range in a very long time.

The younger Bangaa smirked at him. "You really are a bit batty, aren't you? I was able to learn the Reflex ability. Your normal attacks won't do anything to me. HA! I bet you don't got any skills other than those measily little buffs you were trying to use." he finished rather haughtily, crossing his arms with a proud look plastered across his face, knowing he didn't have much to fear from this old fool and only had to now concentrate on the young Gria nearby, figuring her for an easy mark.

"My boy, you really need to learn to respect your elders. Normally I don't like doing this," Leeroy said as he started digging in a bag attached to the small of his back and proceeded to pull out a rather large and menacing looking shell, "as it tends to give Pete indigestion for awhile." Patting her in a rather soothing manner he continued, "I know of that ability, I just happened to not remember it. I have mastered many jobs in my day, nearly mastering all the skills one can attribute to each one as well. But one thing I have learned is that one: you don't insult your opponents unless you know exactly what their skillset is," he calmly continued as he carefully dropped the dangerous looking piece of ammunition into Pete's mouth, "and two: never underestimate someone because of their appearance."

Turning to his rather new Gria acquaintance, he turned a rather jovial expression as he hefted Pete up. "I believe we owe you one, so how about we show you a Big Bang?" he fairly sang in a lovely little sing song voice and a huge grin plastered on his face as he settled Pete into position to start taking aim, completely ignoring anything else that might have been going on in the battlefield.

 

[Sami]

The Hume Soldier lost his drink once the Hume Theif had flipped the table and was still seated in his chair as the table slid by and splintered with his Hume comrade, still staring at the shattered glass on the floor, the liquid seeping through the cracks of the floorboards. He heard a gunshot then Sybil's voice completely change, his fists curling and starting to shake on his lap. The Soldier stared at the ground as he heard the the battle around him, finally standing up and unsheathing his sword in anger.

"YOU. SPILLED. MY. DRI-" His words were cut off as the sound of a large glass shattered against the side of his face. Shards of glass were stuck to the side of his face as blood spilled down, the soldier staggering to the side and looking over to the bar. One hand on his face, he swept away glass as he got a good look at his attacker. The young Gria who was almost double over, laughing as she was arranging something on the bartop.

Much to the barkeeps displeasure, Cecelia had made a very neat row of a large assortment of glasses, some holding various liquiors in them. The Hume Soldier was fuming as he gave a war-like cry and rushed the bar, his sword drawn. With a grin, the Gria got in two steps before punting another glass at the charging Soldier, the glass breaking on his shoulder as he continued his charge. Cece tilted her head in interest, her wings spreading as she crouched low, arrow at the ready on her bowstring, seemingly ready to take the charge head on.

As the soldier leapt over the bar and swung at the Gria, she gave a flap of her large wings and jumped, folding them in and coming down on the back of his head, effectively putting his face into the bar. As she stood on his head, she drew back the bowstring, letting the arrow loose into the Humes posterior.

With a yelp, the Soldier stood up and took off, effectively plowing into a chair and falling onto the floor as he couldn't seem to reach the arrow stuck in his behind. Laughing, the young Gria brushed her hands together and dusted off her pants, blowing a raspberry to the Judge, who could only manage to put the palm of his hand against his helmet, shaking his head in disbelief. Her ears twitched a little as she turned and listened to the words from the elder Bangaa.

"I believe we owe you one, so how about we show you a Big Bang?"

"Oh? Yes! That would be -amazing-!" Cece clapped her hands together gleefully as she sat down on the bartop to spectate, her tail swaying back and forth in anticipation.

Ranagarr gave a low chuckle as he watched the antics of his old friend and his young companion, he should have known the two would've gotten along. Unaware of his surroundings, Ranagarr found his body rocking with momentum as something seemed to have plowed into him. Looking behind him, he saw the Hume Thief, grinning up at him.

The Thief suddenly found his knife lost in the backside of the Seeq as his body turned and pulled the knife from his grip. Even with the knife still protruding from his back, the Seeq plowed his fist into the throat of the Hume, knocking the poor boy back and through a chair and yet another table. Ranagarr let out a low snarl as his Blink Counter seemed to be quite effective on the Hume.

As the boy sputtered blood, he struggled to get to his feet, to no avail. Ranagarr made his slow, intimidating way over to the boy as he picked him up onto his feet by his chest, his claws finding and sinking into flesh as he pinned him against the wall and off the ground. The boy coughed as his hands struggled to free himself from the grip of Ranagarr. The Hume managed a weak gasp as he noticed a dark aura starting to flare and swirl out of the Seeq, starting at the shoulder and making it's way down his arm to the Thief.

The bar echoed with the sudden scream of pain from the Hume as Ranagarr winced in his own pain of the Souleater attack. Instead of showing his pain, the Seeq simply pushed the Hume harder into the wall until the attack was complete and the screaming had stopped. Removing his claws from the Hume, his body slumped down to the floor, from afar, it was hard to tell if the Thief was dead or unconscious.

With a low growl from the back of his throat, Ranagarr pulled the knife out of his backside, beads of sweat forming above his brow. He was getting too old for barfights. The warm liquid was trailing down his side and staining his pants as he set his eyes on his next target: The Hume Soldier who seemed to have finally pulled himself together from his encounter with Cecelia.

 

[Rex]

Garret stared at his Bangaa friend with worry in his eyes; those two were going to deplete them of their hard earned money. Whenever they ran low on Gil, Larks would go steal from something, but Elyot commonly ruined it. There was nothing the Hume Hunter could do but continue to pass Elyot his drinks in the hope that the Bangaa would pass out.

"Maybe he's gone off the deep end," the Moogle thief called to the Fusilier across the room.

"You should be respectful to your elders, Larks," the Viera sighed.

"Not my fault if he's lost his mind," the Moogle laughed.

The Moogle Thief had no respect for those higher than him. At times, this made him a hard character to work with. But he always had the best interests of his comrades at heart, even if he didn't show it.

The Bangaa Warrior the two were fighting was in a bad shape. The two attacks, and the Viera's counter, had injured him badly. He performed a quick First Aid, then stumbled away from his opponents. He didn't get very far before he had to clutch a table to keep himself upright. The Moogle hopped across the tables, easily catching up with the ailing Bangaa.

"Having some trouble?" the Moogle grinned.

"Fuck off, fuzzball," the Bangaa growled.

"Well, someone has a dirty mouth, kupo!" the Thief responded.

The Moogle stabbed the Bangaa again, right in his jaw. The Warrior fell to the ground, screaming in pain. He wouldn't bother them anymore with his blade, but his shouting quickly got on the Moogle's nerves.

"Hey, shut up!" He yelled down at the Bangaa.

To the Moogle Thief's delight, the Bangaa complied. His shouting dropped off to a gurgling whimper. The Viera sighed, and started for the other Bangaa in the room. The White Monk had been boasting about how he had mastered his Reflex ability, making him near impossible to hit. The Viera's Katana started letting off a black aura, and she swung it at the Monk. It sliced right through him, and stopped glowing once it left.

The Bangaa White Monk turned to look at her, with a confused look on his face. Then his eye's drooped shut, and he fell backwards, taking down a pair of barstools as he went. The Viera sheathed her katana, looking very pleased with herself.

"Why didn't you use Last Breath?" the Moogle asked.

"Shut up, Larks," the Viera replied.

 

[Satoren]

Jur had ignored the thief's attempt at conversation, hardly by any rude means as it was. The Fusilier was simply much too preoccupied at the moment to reply. Being cornered by the Animist begrudgingly taller than he, only to have his only form of support walk out on him, the Moogle had little options of retaliating, physically or verbally. He looked up at the railings of the staircase that had blocked any possible exits, and suddenly formulated a cunning maneuver.

The Fusilier leapt up and using his wings, managed to propel himself higher than his legs allowed, managing himself dexterously onto the stair's railings. He was now at a better vantage, but for how long his balance could keep him there remained to be seen. Instead, the nimble Moogle slid down his makeshift platform, jumping off and allowing his wings to once again lift him into the air. Oddly, the Moogle he left did not attempt to pursue him, and perhaps he couldn't. One of the very few perks of Jur's stature was his relative weight, which was light enough for his wings to carry him into the air.

Jur landed on the stage with the dull thud of his boots. At last, everything in the tavern seemed much more vulnerable to the young Moogle's watchful eyes. He surveyed the pub and all its potential targets. None of them, friend or foe, would escape his marksmanship. Having a particularly clear view of the Animist's backside, he was eager to return the favor dealt to him earlier.

From the belt buckled around his chest, he produced another gold-tipped bullet. The powdery contents of the projectile were crimson red in color. Quickly, he loaded it into his rifle, its clicking into place seemed like music to his ears. He focused at the mark, took careful aim with the rifle's scope and fired the bullet. Seconds later, the Animists rump suddenly caught fire, causing him to ‘kupo' in pain.

"Hot, hot, hot, hot, hot, kupo!" The Animist shrieked, his wings flapping incessantly while his hands tried to bat out the flames lighting up his bottom. Jur only smirked as his handiwork only grew more intense with his opponent's attempts to extinguish it.

"Pretty," whispered Rain as he and his newfound friend looked at the glowing display that was the Moogle.

"Not as pretty as you," his Viera companion said with a chuckle. The Blue mage paid her no heed, nor did he even seem to care that only moments ago, the same fencer he was sitting at a table with had scratched him on his arm. "You're quite an interesting Hume, you know. I don't think I've ever seen one with locks as white as yours," the Viera told him as she ran her hand delicately against the silver ponytail hanging from Rain's head.

"Rain," Jur called out to his partner. "You bloody idiot! Could you at least try and do something here, kupo?" He yelled furiously.

The Blue mage waved cheerfully at his companion with his only arm, slightly surprised by his sudden change in position. Rain was a rather slow Hume, how he manages to do the things he could were a mystery to many, particularly to himself.

"Sure," he replied happily to his comrade. Rain looked around, trying to find the nearest person to him aside from his present company. Noticing a strange young girl with large wings, he was immediately enthralled by her. The stubby horns on her head, the long tail and the fact that she was fluttering several feet in the air would make anyone assume she was of the Gria. Rain, however wasn't just anyone; he was a someone who had never really seen such a spectacle before.

"Hey, hey you!" He called to the strange, flying girl excitedly. An orb of blue light began to materialize from his hand as he attempted to get her attention. The Blue mage wound his arm clumsily and threw the lustrous orb at the young hunter with all the might he could muster. The glowing orb zigzagged in the air as it hurdled closer to its target, but not due to Rain's own lack of throwing ability. As it inched nearer to the Gria, the light suddenly grew and transformed. It took the form of a small, translucent dragon, seemingly made of pure light and quickly surrounded the young lady. As she was bathed in its warm, sapphire glow, the echo of a dragon's roar could be heard.

"I hope you like that bit of Dragon Force I gave you," Rain said with another energetic wave of his arm. Not too far away, Jur could see his partner's action and was taken aback by it.

"Oh come on! You couldn't try and help me out here, kupo?!" As the Moogle fussed, he felt the light breeze of wind flowing past his face. It felt soft and gentle, but then grew suddenly more intense. He then noticed that the Animist he was supposedly battling was inching closer to him, but had been stopped by a sharp slash to his torso. "Eh…?"

"Hope you'll settle for my help," called the Viera to Jur. Jur turned his head over to her, and he could see that her rapier was still in hand, and the remnants of a Nighthawk were still flowing around it like a small breeze.