Final Fantasy: The Transcendent Throne [IC]

[Merilan]

Hiiro made a playful little face and said, "Hey, that just means you have a head for numbers. Surely you've got a lot of people to help you get things done. I mean, I'm pretty handy with machines, if not amazing..."

[Hazuki]

"Less noble folk might take advantage of your lack of bargaining skills." Muggy points out.

"Incidentally, I have this bottle of snake oil that I'm willin' to let go for cheap..." A gold-toothed girl on the other side of the table pipes up, to the tune of a few laughs.

[Merilan]

"Oh come on, do you think I think the moon's made of cheese?!" Hiiro pouted, though she then-- gratefully took one of Zupon's shared balls of cheesy goodness. Mmmmmmmm.

[Zwordsman]

"That may be. But no one can do everything after all." replying to the head for numbers and merchant comments.
Following up with a smile, "If the moon was made of cheese. I'd have to build a rocket and eat some of its cheesey goodness. I imagine you'd sell it though?"

[Hazuki]

"Moon base." Muggy replies, between mouthfuls of her meal. Everyone else having their dinner seems to find that an acceptable answer.

[Merilan]

Hiiro scratched her head to tell Zupon, "Wow, look at you go! I crack a joke and you already come up with a plan to make it possible. Nothing's impossible for you, huh?"

[Zwordsman]

Zupon sheepishly looks down at his food "I am weak to cheesey goodness."

[Hazuki]

As the pair discuss their plans for moon-cheese and probably just make themselves more bloated, the Redbreasts around them continue with their own meals. Soon enough, dinner winds down and Muggy is moving about to chat with various people in the camp, often being greeted with a kiss of some sort. As the plates hover over to Noa's kitchen for cleaning, Niky figuratively hovers around the pair, giving meaningful looks to the unfinished wagon repairs.

[Merilan]

Hiiro helped out with some of the dishes, but perked over to Niky to go, "Whatcha looking at? That wagon's looking pretty beat up... isn't anyone gonna fix it? I could give it a try, I suppose..."

[Zwordsman]

Having finished rinsing his fur of cheesey goodness "Every time Kupo. if it wasn't so tasty...." Zupon trots back towards the wagon to finish what he was doing before. Glancing at Niky in case she actually had interest in watching or learning. Albiet not from a Moogle who is adept at teaching.

[Hazuki]

"Zupon's doing it." Niky explains to Hiiro, before she darts after the Moogle and over to the wagon. "Do you want to help out?" She asks, landing on her feet and peering over the fluffy mechanic's shoulder.

[Zwordsman]

Glancing over at Nikky's voice. "mm, if you want practice or learn something. 'More than welcome to take a spot. Both of ya. Although not terribly much left."

[Hazuki]

"...does the bobble ever get in the way?" Niky asks, in response to the Moogle's offer of teaching.

[Merilan]

"Ah, I didn't know you were on it," Hiiro admitted. "If you need my help, I'm all hands. I'm actually building some other kind of machine for someone else..." Heero paused, and then the thought of Muggy smooching girls came to mind for some reason. Then she shook her head again.

[Zwordsman]

Compelling the pompom to bobble and jiggle a bit. "Hmm occasionally. I really wish I could make it glow though. Would be so convenient to have a flashlight like that. Mostly it just feels really weird when it touches something without my foreknowledge. Probably like an ice cube down your spine I imagine, Kupo."

Turning to Heero. "Kup, Your call. We can either solo work, or work together on both." While saying that, making his pompom bob and weave in Niky's direction.

[Hazuki]

Niky lifts her tail and touches its tip to Zupon's bobble, as she mimics the sound of an explosion with her mouth.

[Merilan]

Hiiro made her decision, heading beside the wagon. "Many hands make light work. C'mon! I'll follow your lead, sir mechanic!" She giggled.

[Zwordsman]

Ignoring the terribly weird stimulation of pompom contact. "Ok Kupo. We can finish our assignments quick and easy."

[Hazuki]

When Hiiro looks over the wagon, she realizes that she's probably going to have to concentrate to get any work done on it. But, she can at least identify that it's Magisterium engineering.

"Do you have tailfeathers?" Niky suddenly asks.

[Merilan]

Hiiro was certain she couldn't take the lead on this one, especially not when Zupon -- an actual qualified engineer -- was already working on it. But she knew a bit about how to handle the simpler tasks, and started getting to work--

She stared back at Niky with flush cheeks. "W-what sort of question is that?!"

Concentration disrupted!

[Hazuki]

"Well...I can fly, and I have a tail. And Zupon flies like a bumblebee." Niky replies, her expression innocent. "But you fly properly, and birds have tailfeathers, but I can't see yours..."

[Zwordsman]

"Niky Kupo, judging by her blushing. I think that might be a bit of a private girl talk topic. " Pausing to ponder for a moment " For the record I don't have a stinger or anything Kupo."

[Merilan]

Hiiro clamped her butt defensively and said, "I don't have any such thing!"

[Hazuki]

Zupon & Hiiro

Niky notices Hiiro's reaction, then frowns in Zupon's direction. "But how can she fly if she's not got a proper tail?" She asks, then peers at Hiiro. "Haven't you checked?" She asks, innocently.

~

Serrin

Serrin finds herself on the outskirts of Lostun, ready to visit the Redbreasts and one of the many friends she's made over her few years of healing. Unfortunately, for the last few days, she's been rebuffed by the apparently busy Redbreasts. As she comes up to the entrance of the camp, she spots the familiar hat-wearing blonde who deals with visitors, and goes by Captain. She leans against one of the stones when she sees Serrin approaching and offers her a lazy grin.

"Hey, gorgeous. What're you here for?"

[PersonMan]

The beginning of a smile tugs at Serrin's lips, but her expression remains neutral as she steps closer, coming to a halt with perhaps a bit less distance than one normally took for casual conversation.

"I'm here to visit a friend, maybe do some business," she begins, then shrugs, a sly smile forming as she continues. "I'd add that I was also interested in seeing if it's true that all the Redbreasts are good-looking, but it seems like that's already been confirmed."

No point in wasting any more time here than she already had, after all. If this was how Captain would bend, she'd be happy to push the angle.

[Hazuki]

Captain smiles back at Serrin, adjusts her cap, then leans in and whispers seductively. "Wanna bang in my tent?"

[Merilan]

Hiiro exclaimed, in full embarrassment now, "I can fly perfectly fine without a tail, thank you very much!"

[PersonMan]

Serrin chuckles - a sincere laugh, as rare as those are for her, however brief. "Straight to the point, I see," she says. "I'm going to have to disappoint you, though. Perhaps later, but not yet, Captain," the healer continues, giving the other woman a pat on the shoulder. "Besides, I don't know if you tent would be comfortable."

[Hazuki]

Zupon & Hiiro

"But how?" Niky asks, frowning for a moment as she goes quiet, then her eyes widen. "Do you wiggle your legs together, like a fish?"

~

Serrin

"Comfortable enough for Alira." Captain replies, folding her arms over her chest and generally seeming unfazed by the rejection. "She's available, last I checked. Probably keeping an eye on our other customers. Will you be buying anything?"

[PersonMan]

Comfortable enough for Alira?

"I'm surprised I didn't hear her from where I was camped," Serrin remarks, remembering the woman's inability to speak quietly at the best of times. "That depends on what you have. Though I would, as I said before, be happy to tend to any injured members or damaged items you have," she continues, a brief spark of light erupting around the fingers of her raised right hand.

[Hazuki]

"Oh." Captain hums to herself. "That works, I suppose, but I've already got those visitors fixing the only thing we can't right now. As for what we've got - all kinds of things! You'd be better off asking for what you want and we'll probably have it."

[PersonMan]

"What sort of thing is it?" Serrin asks, curious. "Are those other visitors what was keeping you busy before?"

[Hazuki]

"Mechaniwagon." Captain answers, as she adjusts her cap out of its seduction style. "And nah. Lots of scavenge to do in the Barrur Lake." She nods at the massive lake beside them.

[PersonMan]

"The lake right next to your base had a lot of salvage," Serrin says, face expressionless. "Was it new? Or did you just...not notice it before?"

[Hazuki]

"Do you know how much of a pain it is to find the gear to go underwater for extended periods of time?" Captain asks, raising an eyebrow. "And then bring it up? It sucks. So we had to do that, and it's kind of new. From the war, y'see."

[PersonMan]

Serrin nods. "What sort of war stuff? Swords, magical staves - is it where the mechaniwagon came from?"

[Hazuki]

"And living stuff. The Garlandyne dolts broke a bunch of the maigtek apart and just tossed it into the lake." Captain smirks. "Eaaaaasy money. ...but it's all ours now, so don't get any ideas. None left."

[Zwordsman]

Chuckling like only a moogle can, "I rather would like to see that Kupo. Flying Fish style. huh. Do you actually fly or do you really just glide ? I fly well enough.. though I guess i do jiggle a bit."

[PersonMan]

"Easy money that was so difficult to retrieve it had to wait?" Serrin replies, smiling slightly. "Perhaps, if you get enough from this, you could change your name. The Goldbreasts, maybe."

[Hazuki]

Zupon & Hiiro

"I, um, fly properly." Niky answers, though her eyes drift between the pair before she does. She demonstratively gives two flaps of her dainty wings.

~

Serrin

"That's now how naming works." Captain replies, smugly. "We've built up a reputation as the Redbreasts. Suddenly changing it would mean losing out on that and having to waste good word of mouth to establish that the Goldbreasts are the Redbreasts."

[PersonMan]

"Wasting good word of mouth," Serrin repeats. As if it were a resource that needed to be hoarded and carefully rationed out. "So everyone nearby knows you're good at what you do, then. Or do you just mean the reputation you've gotten for having attractive members?" She asks.

[Merilan]

Hiiro puffed up and said, "I can fly, not just glide!" She leapt up into the air, and with a powerful flap of her wings, did a little circle around the wagon with a smile. "T-there!"

[Hazuki]

Serrin

"The truth will out." Captain quips, a wide grin swiftly following as she nods her head. "But, yeah, people know us as The Redbreasts. Changing our name would mean losing out on that. Simple business."

~

Zupon & Hiiro

"Do your feathers ever fall out?" Niky asks, after clapping at Hiiro's display of her flying prowess.

[Merilan]

Hiiro pouted a little, then admitted, "Y-yes, they do. There's a molting period each... month... and I lose a bundle of feathers, or thereabouts."

[PersonMan]

Serrin nods. "I understand. Speaking of Redbreasts, how's Alira doing?" She asks.

[Hazuki]

Hiiro & Zupon

Niky nods thoughtfully. "Do you think you might have molted your tailfeathers and they never grew back?"

~

Serrin

Captain shrugs. "I'm not her mother."

[PersonMan]

"That's probably for the better, if what you implied before is true," Serrin replies with a brief rise and fall of her eyebrows. "Can you show me where she's staying?"

[Merilan]

Hiiro whimpered to say, "No, I can assure you I never had any! Why're you so fixated on this!"

[Zwordsman]

Zupons head tilts ever so slowly to a 60degree angle, before his eyes pop open.
"I could probably take old feathers and make a tail feather like equipment Kupo. Might even make it easier to fly.. That sounds kind of fun. Although I suppose it might look a bit like a peacock by the time I finish." Scratching the base of his pompom stem, "Maybe I'll make myself something. Maybe a stinger to go with my wings, What do you think Niky?"

[Hazuki]

Serrin

"Yep. This camp right here." Captain raps her knuckles on the rock beside her. "I mean...I could let you pass if you were planning on buying something."

~

Hiiro & Zupon

Niky bites her lip. "It's just...you have such a lumpy butt." And then Zupon makes his suggestion, after which a smile spreads over her face. "I like that idea!"

[PersonMan]

"If that's the case, I think I can assure you that I will purchase something before I go," Serrin replies with a shrug.

[Merilan]

Hiiro's mouth gaped open, like lightning just struck her square on the spot.

"It's... it's not that..." She stared consciously behind her, and then clamped her hands to her back. "It's not that... big... is it..."

Oh dear. It looked like Hiiro was not going to be of much help for the rest of the night.

[Hazuki]

Serrin

"I don't know that I can trust a verbal agreement." Captain replies, looking over her nails before she holds out her pinky. "Swear on it."

~

Hiiro & Zupon

Niky slows her swaying tail as she sees Hiiro's fiery, if insecure, rebuttals turned to quiet. "I'll be right back." She mutters, sprinting for a few feet before giving a little hop and using her wings to carry her across the camp.

[Zwordsman]

"Not as big as your worrying about Kupo. Besides, its good for when you fall. At least my toshie is. Granted mine is a body mass balancing thing. Maybe yours is too? Just go with it. Ah but if you do want pseudo tail feather let me know. "

[PersonMan]

"Of course, the unbreakable pinky promise," Serrin replies and nods, extending her own little finger to begin the ritual.

[Hazuki]

Serrin

Captain locks pinkies with Serrin, twists the grip a little, then breaks it and nods. "Go on in. And behave!" She warns the Hume, with feigned ondescension.

[Merilan]

Hiiro put her hands to her face, and said, "I don't think I want to test to see if my butt is bouncy enough to cushion a fall, or buoyant enough to sustain me if I fall in water. Anyway! Wagon! Fixing!"

[PersonMan]

Serrin nods. "Of course, I could never cross the infamous Captain," she says with a last wink before heading off into the camp to look for Alira.

[Hazuki]

Serrin

It doesn't take long to find Alira, seeing as the redhead is squatting on top of one of the wagons that are placed her and there over the Redbreasts' camp. It seems like, for the moment, everyone is leaving her to her own devices as they clean up after dinner or return to their tents. For whatever reason, the colorfully-coated young woman is staring at a Moogle and an Aegyl fixing a wagon on the far side of the camp.

When Serrin walks up to her, she blinks, then grins at the healer. "Hey! There you are!" She says, leaning over from her squatting position to give a tight one-armed hug. "What's the happy-haps, Serr?"

~

Zupon & Hiiro

In the distance, Niky can be seen flitting to and from various members of the Redbreasts, almost bumping into a fair few of them as she darts around the campfire.

[PersonMan]

Serrin returns the hug, taking a moment to adjust to the woman's high volume before replying. "I'm just visiting - looking for more people to fix and things to heal," she says, offering a smile to the loud lady. "Though I did have to promise to buy something before I left, so I'll need to do that as well. Captain seems intent on keeping out anyone but customers, it seems."

[Hazuki]

"Oh! She loves gold!" Alira releases her hug to return to her squatting position and and flick her hair out of her eyes. After pausing for an interjection, she speaks again. "But you got in alright, so it's all good! What've you been up to?"

[PersonMan]

"For the past few days, waiting, mostly," Serrin says with a brief smile. "Before then, mostly more of what I was doing when we met. Except it generally wasn't a tree that did them in."

[Hazuki]

"That tree was a real sneaky feller, though!" Alira reminds Serrin.

[PersonMan]

Serrin nods. "Of course - it's hard to remember to look up during a storm, after all," she says. Waiting a moment, but not long enough for her friend to respond, she continues. "But I think you've had the more interesting time - what's it like, here with the Redbreasts?"

[Hazuki]

Serrin

"It's great! There's all kinds of widgets and doodahs that nobody knows what they are! Guess who does? Me!" Alira beams, as she reaches into the crate beneath her and retrieves a slice of yummy-looking cake on a plate. "And food! Noa's amazing. Want some?" She asks.

It's at this point that a young Gria woman, with white hair and pale skin, darts over and nabs the plate. "Sorry! I need this!" She offers, already turning on her heel and flying across the camp.

Alira stares at where the plate was in her hand with a furrowed brow, her mouth opening and closing like a fish's.

Zupon & Hiiro

Niky returns to the wagon at full speed, with a delicious-looking slice of chocolate-y cake in her hands, which she presents to Hiiro with a hopeful grin. "I got you some cake. Um...friends again?"

[Merilan]

Hiiro looked a little surprised as Niky came back, and couldn't help but smile. "Aww, Niky, I wasn't upset, honest..." A pause, as she said, "A-and I might make my butt truly buoyant if I did eat that cake now, after all that cheesy goodness."

[Hazuki]

Niky's bottom lip trembles slightly.

[Merilan]

Hiiro peered, and then giggled as she knelt by Niky's side and cut the cake in half. "Shall we share it?"

[PersonMan]

Serrin raises an eyebrow at the sudden theft, but shrugs, turning back to her friend. "I take it that that isn't normal?" She asks, smiling at the woman's response.

[Hazuki]

Hiiro & Zupon

"Okay!" Niky nods, gently picking up her half of the slice and nibbling on it with a relieved smile.

~

Serrin

"My cake! Niky took it!" Alira informs Serrin, looking to her with wide eyes.

[PersonMan]

"Maybe we should get it back? Or get more?" Serrin asks, cocking her head to one side.

[Merilan]

At this point, Hiiro had no idea she had just become complicit to a theft, munching on the other half of the chocolate cake. "Hehe..."

[Hazuki]

Serrin

"Noa's closed the ktichen..." Alira somehow managed to sound disappointed despite announcing her woes to the whole camp. "Can you heal cake?"

~

Hiiro & Zupon

Niky giggles along with Hiiro as she finishes her half of the slice, then licks her lips as her tail sways happily behind her. "...we should have saved some dinner for Masenko!" She states, her eyes going wide.

[Zwordsman]

Zupon ponders making a bumble bee butt and honey/sugar joke but decides its a bad idea.

[PersonMan]

Serrin shakes her head. "I could cleanse it, if it had been soiled or gone stale, but I can't 'heal' it, no," she says. "Maybe there's something we can do to make up for it?"

[Hazuki]

Alira hops off of the wagon and starts to march over to the broken wagon that Zupon is working on. If Hiiro were to look up, she'd see a member of the Redbreasts approaching with a particularly loud pink top.

[PersonMan]

Serrin raises an eyebrow at Alira's newfound quiet and follows the woman, her own movements noticeably less animated.

[Merilan]

Hiiro's face dropped at Niky's comment, and then she went, "I'm the most horrible person ever," as she smacked her face. "Where did Masenko go off to?! Is she still with the tailor?!"

She paused, however, when she saw the two newcomers, waving tentatively.

[Zwordsman]

Zupon glances at the divergent attention, giving the new folks a look and a slight nod in acknowledgement before focusing back at his task

[Hazuki]

"Um, mayb-" Niky begins.

"My cake! That was my cake!" Alira points at the plate of crumbs. "It's mean to take people's cake!"

[PersonMan]

Serrin nods. "As you can see, Alira is quite upset. She may have nightmares for weeks now, about monsters coming to steal cake," she says, patting the loud woman on the shoulder.

[Merilan]

Hiiro's face fell as one terror came after another. "Niky!" She quickly wiped cake crumb off her face. "You stole that cake?!"

[Hazuki]

Niky's tail snakes around her leg as she looks anywhere that isn't occupied by a face. "I-I borrowed it! For, um, friendship.."

[PersonMan]

"I'm afraid that 'borrowing' food is very impractical," Serrin replies. "You see, once you're done with the cake, I don't think anyone else will want it.

Maybe you could get some for Alira tomorrow, to make up for it?"

[Merilan]

Hiiro let out a sigh, and then reached out and pet Niky's head. "Say sorry, and we'll buy some cake tomorrow, okay?" She looked to the other two to say, "Oh, my name's Hiiro, by the way. Hatsuzuki Hiiro." The wings on her back furled a little.

[PersonMan]

Serrin looks to Alira for a moment before nodding. "That should be sufficient," she says. "My name is Serrin Tellia, I'm here visiting Alira."

[Hazuki]

"Alira!" Alira declares, just as Niky carefully gets to her feet and gives the girl a hug.

[Merilan]

Hiiro blinked a bit, and gave Niky some space with a smile, glancing to Serrin. "Oh, this is our first time here, so I really don't know anyone... we happened to help Niky out of a spot of trouble on the road."

[PersonMan]

Serrin nods, raising an eyebrow. "So you're not a Redbreast, then. I guess that means I'm not the only one temporarily staying here."

[Hazuki]

Alira briefly returns the Gria's hug before it's released, after which Niky struggles to find a way to lean against the wagon nonchalantly.

[Zwordsman]

Dusting off his hand and fur then turning to the new folks."Kupo. Ah, Sorry I tend to cut out the world working. I'm Zupon."

[Merilan]

Hiiro reached her hand out to Serrin's to shake. "Yeah! We came from a town nearby called Ordur, we were actually tracking down their materia, since it got washed away in a flood. We're gonna go take that back and..." A pause. "Uh, I'm gonna find the next job, I guess..."

[PersonMan]

Serrin shakes the offered hand, cocking her head to one side as the winged woman explains the situation. "Looking for materia carried off by a flood? What are you going to do when you find it?"

[Merilan]

"We ... uh, we found it, actually," Hiiro sheepishly said. "Found it here, of all places. We're gonna head back up to Ordur and hand it back to the townspeople, since it's precious to them."

[PersonMan]

"Oh. Went you mentioned it was carried off in a flood, I thought it would be..." Serrin makes vague gestures with her arms, indicating some quite large. "More than one could carry. Or do you have a wagon?"

[Zwordsman]

Zupon ponders the trail they took to get here.. "I don't know if a wagon could honestly go over that murky jungle. Though I suppose there is some path somewhere.." Shortly after which it occurs to him he is repairing a wagon so there has to be a road somewhere.

Zupon blinks twice, "Wait. What? You found the Materia? There was a lot in the field."

[Merilan]

Hiiro scratched at her head and said, "Well, I'm not sure if this is the lot, but..." She procured the batch that she obtained from earlier, and set it down on a nearby table. "That said, I did notice that the materia clumped up, so it's possible that it consolidated? And Mylin confirmed it was the same one..."

[PersonMan]

Serrin looks down at the bundle of Materia, raising an eyebrow. "That is...much more convenient than I was imagining," she says. "A field, though? I don't know materia that well, but it seems odd that an entire field of it could pull together into something that small."