an ALLY, perhaps? [auric/open]

[Cid Raines]

( who needs a gun to kill a man? )
__________________________________________________x

even though he was dressed like a ‘normal’ civilian of these parts – the clothes being a white shirt unbuttoned at the top and a pair of three quarter length grey trousers, keeping his white boots and white gloves as well as a pack (the strap around his shoulder and the pack resting on his hip, as well as another strap ‘belt’ around his waist), these parts being the royal city of rabanastre, he still got some odd looks. however, he was easily able to brush them off as he wandered the city of rabanastre, staying well away from the muthru bazaar. it was a lively part of the city with numerous vendors, yes, but the dark haired man had seen some people get pick-pocketed while shopping, not realising that they had been until they searched for their money – this place used the same currency as cocoon – to pay for the item that they wanted to buy. cid kept away.

the place he found him at was the east end of rabanastre, the main street. there were plenty of shops down here such as weapon shops, armaments, a sundry shop as well as a ‘magick’ shop. there was also a tavern nearby, called the ‘sandsea’, but at the current moment cid had no intention of going in there.

as he leaned against the wall (with a slight ‘huff’ of irritation) he slipped a hand into the pack beside him and took out a canteen of water, raising it to his lips and drinking some of the liquid, before placing the cap back on it and putting it back in the pack. he watched people walking past, their paces slow, their paces fast. they looked so happy, much like the citizens of cocoon... he smiled to himself at the thought, but the smile soon flicked off his face when he started feeling a bit lightheaded. was it the heat? ... no, it couldn’t be.

ah, that’s right.

he was completely and utterly dead! however he had been brought back to life a year after his death. he had a pulse and everything, so he wasn’t a walking zombie... which made him very much alive.

but the primarch of cocoon still wasn’t used to the fact that he was live and well, and it made him disorientated. a week ago he would stumble, fall over, accidently walk into things (one incident in those strange ruins... he walked straight into a rock and got a nosebleed, and after standing up he somehow managed to slip over on dry ground) and the like. but he was getting better as time went on. it was now his ally. when he was a l’Cie – unwillingly – time was his enemy and he waged war against it, trying to stop himself from panicking and becoming a Cie’th by speeding up the process of his brand.

but still, the physical manifestation of ‘time’ had forgiven him for waging war against it, it seemed.

how was his people?

cid raines adopted his thinking pose, one he hadn’t used for a long while. he leaned with his back against the wall, still alert but seeming not so, with his white-gloved hand by his lips, curled naturally. he had been gone for a year, and everyone would’ve thought he be evacuated... if they hadn’t found his body, of course. his dead body, cold and lifeless, hanging over the edge of the sofa with blood dripping down his face and on the floor. quite a long time to be ‘missing’ for.

had cocoon fallen apart yet? after all, it had randomly been moved from above gran pulse to some... different place, apparently, and the populace would be panicking...

way too many questions.

[Auric]

A Second Chance
...isn't needed for first impressions.

Cid Raines. Brigadier General of the Wide Area Response Brigade, commonly known as the "Cavalry", a mobile division of the Guardian Corps. I was in the shock troopers, and I can tell you that between us and them, there's no real difference other than the colors and stripes on your uniform... they also had funkier looking helmets, but their operation was a scaled up version of ours. Shock troopers could be rapidly deployed, the key difference between the Cavalry and shock troopers is that they have greater numbers and a whole lot more in terms of fire power. I guess that's why my little performance near Palumpolem roughly three years ago put me forward as candidate to head it... of course, Cid was the only other worthwhile candidate...

You know, I heard that they extended the selection because they were so indecisive over who should take lead. I guess the process got sped up once they got my letter of resignation.

---

He knew about the Brigadier General -- a skilled strategist and idealistic leader, much loved by the people. No doubt because he headed a division which got to play the role of hero and save the day whenever monsters got too close... but then, that's how the Guardian Corps was always seen. Still, a year ago when the L'Cie decided to storm Eden, I took the backseat... didn't touch any jobs and did what I could to help out with evacuations -- the details that leaked out of the communications were clear and confusing... and even gaining access to the Cavalry's comline did little to clarify what exactly went down. Although, the destruction of Orphan became apparent as did Cid's short stint as Primarch of Cocoon... he wondered shortly before the calamity what role would the Sanctum play in shaping the events? Cocoon was not how it once was...

Its people did little to change. They were weak -- not in military might but in character. The average person lived a comfortable life with few struggles -- rarely was it ever a true moment of crisis. And when this thing broke out? Cocoon and its people did what only they could do best. Panic. He'd heard that there were a few purges even after the calamity... whether or not what he heard was true didn't matter... he never looked into it largely because by that point, the Cocoon he'd known was gone. Driven by paranoia, swamped in fear... its inhabitants wanting its own citizens sent to callous fates that the Sanctum twisted into massacres. He had kept his calm throughout the whole thing... but you ask him, a lot of people had things to account for -- the fal'Cie, thought god-like in power, weren't to blame for everything. And true, he could of played a part in making things better... but his special circumstances at the time demanded that he stay and watch as something underneath the bandages on his arms grew heated and ached.

But that was over now. They had more pressing concerns... and he'd chosen specifically to expand his business ventures even out here, to Rabanastre. Its airdome having been the place where he'd disembarked just a day earlier, having flown into town by airship... he knew that out of the foreign lands it was a capital... his sense of geography still piecing together as he tried to make sense of the bigger picture. But even with his ability of intuition, it was a difficult thing to completely understand. Like his mind wasn't quite ready yet... still, as he walked its streets, conversed with its people and even prevented his pockets from being picked, he hadn't yet to find a good opportunity. Not that he expected it to come so easily but he would persist... come back later, even.

Wearing more appropriate clothing that blended him in with the locals, Auric was wearing his olive-drab cargoes and a beige tank top, [Reverse Charity] secured in a leg holster on his right hip, he was walking about town looking for places that might have been interested in selling a permanent residence with little luck. Right until his eyes caught a vaguely familiar form of Cid, whose clothes stuck out like a sore thumb... his apparel, though somewhat regal didn't have the same theme as the buntings and flags of this fair town. Of course, the man's face was also plastered on all screens back on Cocoon more than a year ago as well. "Cid Raines." he remarked out loud, standing some distance away his arms folding as he shook his head in a moderate degree of disbelief. But oddly, Auric wasn't surprised.

"What's a man of your stature doing out in a place like this?" the Hero for Hire queried as he mentally cycled through possible reasons for his presence. He was sure Cocoon might have needed his presence right about now. Still, a familiar face was always a good change. But first, the chance for a certain complication...

"... we've never met, and I'm not sure if you even know who I am but..." he trailed off, not knowing if his name would even mean anything. Perhaps just speaking as a stranger would have been more effective.

Too late for that now.

[Cid Raines]

( “i have no master, except for the wind that blows free!” )
__________________________________________________x

he was drawn out of his thoughts by the sound of his name being spoken by a man, and he looked up slightly with an alert expression on his face. unlike last time when someone recognised him in rabanastre, he kept leaning against the wall as the man stood some distance with his arms folded, head shaking... in disbelief, perhaps? cid had a feeling that he knew this man, or at least, should know of him, or perhaps had heard of him in passing. indeed, he did look familiar. he could remember the photo of the man on the files but the name refused to show up just yet.

“what’s a man of your stature doing out in a place like this?”

what was he actually doing here in rabanastre? the primarch needed to get back to cocoon, to continue his duties as its leader and piece it back together. surely they would be feeling panic due to their world being moved from above gran pulse to an unknown place. heck, someone might’ve seen the crystal pillar break. from what he heard from oerba yun fang people had moved from cocoon to the underworld, so one day the crystal pillar that held cocoon above them broke and... cid lost his train of thought there.

“... we’ve never met, and i’m not sure if you even know who i am but...”

“auric silas,” he said in his normal tone of voice, slightly quieter than normal, as he remembered the name on the side of the photograph. “correct?” the lord of the skies asked, keeping his hand near his mouth as he waited for the man to perhaps correct him or say that he was right. raines had a feeling he was right, seeing as he didn’t forget names easily and the face that came with it.

[Auric]

Yeah. There was always that chance that he might have been familiar... Auric's name had gotten out as quite the capable mercenary in addition to being famous after the Palumpolem battle. And go figure that a Brigadier General would have access to his old files... he got that impression the man would at least look him up. It's what he would have done -- likely even would have had the other candidates transferred over if possible -- after all, why not? They held a great deal of promise if they shared candidacy for your own office. Not that it mattered anymore... Auric was retired from the Guardian Corp and you'd have to pay him a whole lot of gil to start working for the Sanctum again -- shape that was in right now.

Still, that begged the odd predicament of what the Primarch would be doing out here -- while he never knew Cid before, he'd have never guessed someone like him to walk away from a big duty like leading Cocoon. Still, as Cid seemed to contemplate the question Auric got the impression that the man himself didn't seem to know himself. The tinge of confusion was evident and Auric wouldn't have ever missed it. Still, he saw the recognition plastered on the Primarch's face just a moment before he heard his name whispered, no doubt originally intended for himself. Auric only nodded quietly, offering a slight grin as he did so. It was good to know that he was remembered. Since this Calamity had begun, it seemed people were affected differently... and by now he could usually tell if someone was more... afflicted than others, or not. Still, as much as Cid seemed fine, he couldn't help but feel that something was still... out of place.

Like a detail Cid had that Auric didn't.

"Are you alright, Cid?" he asked, the distance between them remaining unchanged as the Hero for Hire appraised the Cavalry's former leader's features from where he stood, his read on him not producing any clearer of an answer. "Perhaps..." he took a step forward, raising his hand about waist-high, a gesture like "stop" as he simply showed Cid he wasn't approaching with hostile intent. Still, Auric wasn't going to put off Cid by just going straight to history and asking questions which neither of them would have been able to make sense of. If there's one thing you learn from speaking to clients and being able to read into people, it's that... to get what you needed to know, you didn't always have to ask for it. If someone was worried or had something on their mind then in all likelihood they'd tell you just to get it off their chest. Auric was subtle like that. But more than that... Cid looked as if a particular thought haunted him more than most.

"This is a pretty fine city. Maybe we could get you walking around -- get some air? Might do you some good."

[Zecht Gaudeval]

The hustle and bustle of the walled city seemed to stretched for miles out into the wilderness. This strange new land, with skies of lavender that seemed to sit timelessly day in and day out was strange to the traveler who made his way down the path to the western gate. Behind him lay the corpses of dead goblins, fiends that had tried to ambush him merely moments ago. Unlike his native home of Vanadiel, only monsters seemed to roam these parts. Edible game often fell prey to the fiendish monsters that now lay dead in the dark armored traveler's wake. Clutched in the traveler's hand was a large claymore that dragged along the ground. The sword seemed to glow happily while covered in the blood of its slain victims. The burden that seemed to weigh heavily on him since his bond with the darkness seemed to lighten quite a bit after the bloodbath.

"That should hold for a while." The man said with a heavy breath.

The man was stopped at the gates by the guards of the city. "State your business!" They barked, brandishing their poleaxes rather threateningly in the traveler's direction. The traveler shot a glare directly into their eyes, one filled with indignation.

"Stand aside, or I'll kill you both" The dark knight said with a threateningly low growl.

He had wandered the wilderness for days without rest, constantly fighting off the threat of monsters and all he sought was a moment's reprieve. To be turned at the gates was something he could not allow. He clutched his sword with both hands, the handle facing the guards as he spaced his legs prepared to pounce should they attack him. The commotion had attracted onlookers from within the walls, each of them wondering how the showdown would end.

"I'll give no further warning. Stand aside."

"Not on your life, vagrant!" The soldier growled, inching closer to Zecht with his partner in tow. "We'll not allow your kind haven within the walls of Rabanastre!"

This was getting very bad. Already worn from the journey, and unsure of how potent these strangers were in combat the traveler had been hoping to avoid combat. It was a certainty that the blood stains on his armor and sword were quite suspicious, but to be rejected outright was an insult he refused to accept.

If these soldiers attacked him, they would surely die unless someone intervened.

[Cid Raines]

( "i feel like a million bugs!" )
__________________________________________________x

upon whispering auric’s name to himself, asking for a correction if any, he watched the man nod ever so slightly, even adding a small grin to his face. cid also saw the look of gladness in the man’s eyes, and he started to think. how did he come about being able to tell the emotions on other people’s faces? did he perhaps study reactions, facial expressions, his own emotions, too much when he was younger? there were still times when he was able to tell an emotion from another, though, but really, cid seemed to know emotions that a person had almost instantly.

to him it felt like a skill he needed.

“are you alright, cid?” the primarch felt the hero for hire’s gaze on him, trying to read him as he would a book, “perhaps...” cid didn’t move when auric took a step towards him, though he couldn’t get read of the almost paranoid voice in his head. the gesture that the other had made, almost like ‘stop’ relaxed him though. not completely, however, for cid raines was never completely relaxed... unless he was in the company of someone he trusted with his life or asleep.

add drunk to that list.

“this is a pretty fine city. maybe we could get you walking around – get some air? might do you some good.”

“you implying something?” he asked, a smile on his lips to show that he wasn’t serious about it and was only joking around with the man. cid pulled away from the wall, standing up straight as he normally would. there was quite a bit of a height difference between the two of them, but cid was often tailed – well, not literally – but he was mostly around his right-hand man, rygdea, who, thinking about it, was auric’s height, or about that anyway.

“though if you’re implying that i don’t look too good, i feel fine, auric,” he said, with only a hint of a lie. physically, he felt healthy. well, still a little disorientated from waking up from the dead, which leads the narrator to the next point. cid didn’t feel alright in the mind. he had a feeling that he was a little out of character, though perhaps he couldn’t remember his personality when he wasn’t stressed out about being a l’Cie, or panicking over various missions he was sent on. perhaps. though the more important thing was that he was meant to be dead. DEE EE AE DEE. DEAD. you know, like, no pulse, cold, pale skin, lifeless, and all that sort of stuff? but he, for some reason, up and about, completely and utterly alive.

it was odd.

though the sound of shouts from the gates of the rabanastre were even odder. he hadn’t heard something like this in his time in the royal city, so with an eyebrow raised and a curious gleam in his eyes he looked at auric.

“perhaps we should go see what if going on beyond those gates, no?” and sort out any trouble going on. without waiting for the other man’s answer, cid stepped away from the wall and went off in the direction of the loud shouts, taking no moment to lightly flex his fingers in the iron leather gauntlets named ‘ddraig ddrynfolau’.

[Auric]

The thing he learned about facial expressions was that, it was universal. Auric had an ability only two people knew about... it enabled him to inherently understand just about anything he was either exposed to or experienced. And being able to read someone? It wasn't as simple as watching their face... it was listening to their responses -- that short pause that happened after taking a breath and finally answering might mean reluctance or broken eye-contact might indicate shame. Sometimes, their face couldn't tell you anything and instead you could observe the patterns of their reactions. Stimuli. In the end it all came down to being able to pick up on the key details and interpreting it correctly... for that same reason, Auric was a human lie detector; not that he particularly advertised that skill.

It came in useful when playing a game of cards or you're trying to hustle some spare cash at a tavern.

Still, there wasn't much Cid could hide from Auric... vague impressions were all he had right now but given time he'd of eventually worked the truth out of him. And likely it would have been done without the man's knowledge. Not that either of them really had much choice... Auric himself was simply wired this way -- he simple chose how he acted which was ultimately what defined him. But Cid? He'd heard the man had a vision... and he was Primarch last time he checked, so as far as Auric was concerned the man didn't need a character reference. But when Cid replied, he could tell just barely whether it was serious or as a joke... he could see it was a mixture of both, but Auric could only turn his head back to him and grin as if challenging his intent. That was Auric for you -- you could never really tell what he was up to.

Still, he never thought Cid to swing that way. Although thinking on it, it did make sense... as much as the man had admirers, he'd never once heard that the guy was ever in a relationship. It wasn't like there was a "facebook" for the Sanctum Military. But in the end, he knew what the man meant... even when he insisted he was fine; though that much were obvious as he didn't seem particularly under the weather. The disposition of Cid was similar to that of a distracted soldier... like he was physically fit for anything but his mind was elsewhere. Of course, if Auric ever knew what happened to Cid -- or if the man ever cared enough to share it, he probably wouldn't have been all too surprised.

It was the sound of demands being made which caught their attention, Auric and Cid both were obviously not deaf. It sounded particularly serious and he would have applauded Cid on his eagerness to investigate were he not set on doing the exact same thing. "Well, I did suggest we should take a walk. I guess this'll do..." he mused aloud to Cid, noting the flexing of fingers as he got the impression the older male was readying himself for trouble. Which was just about right, although thinking on it now this wasn't the kind of trouble they really needed.... get into a fight with city guards and you can expect it to escalate further. The last thing they needed was for the local military to be dead and leave the entire town vulnerable to whatever came next... and Auric himself wasn't particularly thrilled of having to get into a fight, especially when he wasn't getting paid.

But if there was one person who knew how to defuse a volatile situation, it was Auric. The guy was a charmer and an amazing liar when he needed to be... so he did what he'd been doing on Cocoon non-stop for five years. "Hey, Cid." he spoke a little too loudly, obviously intentional to anyone who really gave it much thought. "Doesn't that guy look like the one description of that pub request ?" he continued, extending his lie... knowing full well that the soldiers didn't hassle themselves with requests placed in at the pubs and taverns. Those were for bounty hunters and people looking for various jobs alike. "You know... the one put up by that worried woman looking for an Elvaan guy, tall, clad in gloomy-looking armor and likely bloody?" he went on, hoping to hell that Cid would at least just nod or ... hell, just stay quiet so as not to blow the story. "What was his name again?" he asked again, fixing his eyes upward. You could see he was struggling to recall a story like most people would.

Probably because it was bullshit.

[Zecht Gaudeval]

The situation grew more and more tense with each passing breath. The Elvaan shot glances at each of the guards closing in as the rabble cheered for the brawl. What vermin... The soldiers were closing in on what they considered their captive, and for such loose, biased accusations not knowing that with each and every step they slowly drew closer and closer to oblivion. The Dark Knight swore fealty to none save himself, and only sought information as to where he was or how he got there. He was confused, weakened, tired and hungry after his trek across the countryside fighting constantly for survival against all manner of beasts. The strain showed itself on his face, as beads of sweat fell like rain upon the dirt beneath him.

Even with odds such as this, the Dark Knight could crush the two soldiers where they stood in an instant.

Just as Zecht prepared to make his move, a stranger of whom he did not know drew the attention of the two guards to himself. A noble gesture... Unnecessary, but noble. As the stranger weaved together the intricate fabrication, the cogs within the elvaan's mind began to turn in his head. 'Perhaps it would be in the best interest not to slay these men' he thought. 'To have to fight an entire military force in this condition would be unwise... Perhaps the best course of action would be to play along with these strange men...' As the two men spoke, the Dark Knight cautiously returned his Umbra Astralis to its sling upon his back. Still eying the situation cautiously, he listened closely on the ramblings of the stranger concerning a notice placed upon a pub wall.

"This man speaks the truth" Zecht said quietly, still retaining the threatening tone in his voice. "I am Zecht Gaudeval, a simple mercenary seeking information about they lay of the land. Is this how you treat those who seek refuge within your city walls?"

Each soldier eyed one another rather ashamedly. "My apologies, sir" One of them mumbled angrily. "You may pass. Just keep out of trouble."

'You scum, you should be thanking these men for your worthless hides' Zecht thought inwardly as he walked slowly past the two city guards. The crowds parted as he made his first steps into the city. His strides came to a halt as he stopped in front of the two men who had diffused the situation. The other male who stood a few paces behind the one who had calmed the guards' suspicion stood silent, clad in what looked to be the attire worn by the upper echelons of society. "I won't ask your reasons for helping" Zecht said in a less apprehensive tone as he had used with the guards. "I will however thank you for your help. I just need to find out what manner of place this is..."

Obviously appearing to be lost, Zecht calmly awaited a reply from the two strangers.

[Cid Raines]

( can you see all of me? walk into my mystery, step inside and hold on for dear life )
__________________________________________________x

as they neared the gates, cid’s eyes narrowed ever so slightly as the soldiers threatened to attack the male who had his weapon drawn. when his name was spoken the primarch of cocoon looked at auric from the corner of his eye, noticing the intentional loudness of his tone.

“doesn’t that guy look like the one description of that job request?”

... it was a lie, but a well thought out one, and a noble feat he was pulling to save the lives of various people – the military or that... ‘elvaan’. to go along with the story, the dark haired man nodded a little, allowing a confused, struggling look to remember slowly fade onto his face. he kept silent, his eyes flickering everywhere before resting his gaze on the dark armour-clad warrior as he returned his weapon to his back. there was a response from the elvaan, and cid had to wonder if it was the truth or the one they were ‘saving’ noticed the plot and was going on with it.

“i am zecht gaudeval, a simple mercenary seeking information about the lay of the land. is this how you treat those who seek refuse within your city walls?”

the primarch watched the soldiers, a twitch of a smile on his face but he still kept silent as the soldiers allowed ‘zecht’ to pass into the royal city. cid, noticing the strides of the elvaan were taking him to in front of them, breathed out a quiet breath, keeping a relaxed posture that was very much unused by him during his days in the sanctum – the military and the short time as primarch.

“i won’t ask your reasons for helping. i will however thank you for your help. i just need to find out what manner of place this is.”

raines took charge, not allowing auric to respond though shooting him a look to say that he was going to speak.

“no thanks is needed, for i don’t think the both of us would like to see the blood of merely wary innocent guards or yourself spread around the floor and walls. correct?” he asked, flicking his gaze to auric again before looking back at zecht.

“this city is known as rabanastre, and where you must’ve came from is gran pulse. the two aren’t normally together,” he added, referencing the fact that for some bizarre reason that worlds had moved and merged together.

[Auric]

When making up a lie to diffuse a delicate situation, there's quite a few places where it could all go wrong and crumble around your ears. The first was that they didn't hear you... meaning they'd continue on anyway and you'd have to expect blood. Secondly was the fact that they were too stupid to know what the hell it was you were talking about or if they were just plain trouble makers. But within the lie itself, you had to make sure the lie was believable -- and that had a few golden rules of its own. You have to sell it as the truth because for all intents and purposes that's what you need it to be -- it also has to be a delicate work of fiction in that you have to play on an idea that the person you're lying to doesn't know or assumes to know and wishes to agree with to make it sound like they know what they're doing.

But even if you have the support of your peers to create words of deception, the one part where it could all fall apart was when the person you're lying for opened their big mouth and claimed they had no idea what it was that you were talking about.

Of course, Auric wasn't that stupid. Cid may have heard about his prowess in battle but off the fields of steel and lead, where he wasn't controlling the battlefield with tactics and strategy, that brain power was being used to breakdown scenarios and assemble desirable solutions for the task he intended to see through. He'd always been able to think up incredibly detailed plans on the fly... most would be fearful if they knew to what extent his ideas held in detail. But right now, the story he conjured was something the Elvaan couldn't possibly screw up. Why? Because the look on his face was of exhaustion and tiredness -- the man wasn't looking for trouble, otherwise he'd of initiated it rather than give a warning which Cid and himself had heard shortly before they arrived. Of course if Zecht had acted confused or got even more aggressive, Auric could have just insisted that he was the man. And if in the worse case scenario, he and Cid might have stepped in, told the guards they were bringing him in to make them leave and probably had a bit of their own dilemma calming the guy down.

Good thing it never progressed to that stage.

Still, it was a basic principle that when saving someone's ass you should plan for the possibility that they didn't want to be saved. People tend to get all emotional and dramatic like that. Still, the guy had that air of incredible arrogance about him. Vulgar words didn't seem to be part of his vulgarity which told of a temperance more geared towards formality. The armor was a dead give away for some kind of emo dark knight, that or the guy had some kind of death fetish and painted himself in depressing colours to suit his style which was doubtable considering the distinct lack of dead bodies once the dust had cleared. So the guy was a man of reason after all.

Yeah, Auric had probably been in town long enough seeing as how he'd caught that lack of comprehension on Cid's face at the mention of what an "Elvaan" was... well, if he didn't know he did now. That was an Elvaan. Auric's face twisted into a smile as he addressed Zecht referencing Cid's words. "Well, that was one hell of an expository dialog." he remarked, noting at how Cid had placed all that need-to-know in quite a cute package. "Welcome to Rabanastre. Much of the land isn't... 'how it should be'. To me and my acquaintance here, this town is as alien as it is-- or was, to you." he reinforced Cid's words; not eager to say anything to reveal his heritage being from anywhere other than Cocoon. You wouldn't have really picked it up -- he wasn't at all on edge given the present circumstances of the world which most would probably find odd. But he always was well-adjusted. "... if you're looking for a why, then you're going to have to join the club. I doubt just anyone will have an answer for you." he continued, doubting that the guy's questions would end there. But you know after almost starting some trouble and having a few onlookers who were curious about the scary tall man who looked like a trouble maker, Auric went for a subtle approach to suggest that they vacate the scene.

"Good thing the taverns are the same. You give the gil, they give the drinks."

Hint, hint; nudge, nudge.

[Zecht Gaudeval]

The Dark Knight folded his arms tersely, eying the two who had saved him from staining the streets with the blood of those two blundering soldiers. Men tasked with the safety of this town's people and all they could think of was harassing those who sought nothing more than safety from the dangerous wild... Those fools probably didn't even know what had befallen their world, they could only think of fattening their pockets with more gil to use at the local tavern and drown away their own inadequacies in a sea of liquor. Zecht gave the two soldiers one more icy glare as he took a deep breath in order to calm his seething fury. This did not at all mean that Zecht paid the words of the two no mind... It just didn't help to hear that he had been dumped here with no explanation. This day had become more and more of a headache in comparison to all the other days he had spent alone in the wild.

"The two worlds... not normally together..." Zecht mouthed silently to himself after the man addressed as Cid had spoken. "I suppose asking any more questions about such a place would be fruitless..."

Zecht placed an index finger and thumb underneath his chin, stroking it in deep thought. Everything that had happened prior to his arrival on this strange plane was a blur to him. He wondered if there were some magick or manner of technology that could restore fuddled memory, but the outrageous thought was put out of mind instantly. In a situation such as this, one had to remain practical and focused. Zecht's eyes fell upon the man without a name. His eyes were inquisitive, curious and knowledgeable all at once. He seemed to be studying the Elvaan noble, taking in his armor and facial features. It was enough to incite mild agitation from the Elvaan, characterized by the ever so slight twitch in his ears. A man who studied his acquaintances that closely was both intelligent and deadly. He would make both an invaluable ally and merciless adversary if provoked.

Charming.

The aforementioned man with no name said something about taverns. They were often known as hubs for information, a place where adventurers and mercenaries alike make merry and exchange information. It was more than a suggestive tactic, there was purpose behind making mention of the tavern. Perhaps he wanted to go there himself in order to acquire information and thought it would be wise to go with more than one person in case trouble arose. Judging by the sarcastic droll of his voice, he was bored and simply wished to create some form of activity to amuse himself, maybe he genuinely did want to help Zecht... Or perhaps he simply was in need of a drink.

Analysis was a tedious practice... One that Zecht found to be both fruitless and unhelpful.

"You're right" Zecht said quietly, glancing off to the side. "If you lead the way to the tavern, I'll supply the money for drinks. Information is definitely what we need, if you two are as equally as lost as I am. I've no time to waste stumbling about aimlessly, I need a map of some sort. Think the tavern will have something like that?" He unfolded his arms and stood akimbo, with a hand on his hip and the other hanging lazily to his side, awaiting a reply.

[Cid Raines]

( “whee; companion cube!” “stop humping the companion cube!” )
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he was thankful that auric had reinforced his words of explanation to the elvaan, for now he felt that he wasn’t able to explain it correctly. words often got lost in his tongue and were replaced with others, sometimes he would say the wrong thing. cid had a thought that something had changed him. was this how he normally acted, free from the stress of being a l’Cie? it was a question worth attempting to solve, to find an answer for, and it did interest him. he had no idea how he would have acted if he was never a l’Cie. would he have sympathised with fang, snow, and everyone else? perhaps not, for he wouldn’t be searching for a way for them to not destroy cocoon in anyway, not to help them, but to kill them...

“good things the taverns are the same, you give the gil, they give the drinks.”

from the few looks people were giving them, cid knew that the hero for hire meant for them to get off the scene, to go somewhere a bit quieter and not in the open to talk, or perhaps he was hinting that he was parched, or bored of the surroundings. the dark haired military man breathed out a mute sigh before answering the dark knight.

“the tavern may provide you with maps, however if you need one of greater detail and more area, i suggest you pay a visit to the... moogles,” it was odd to see moogles wandering the streets of rabanastre, for moogles were only a thing of legends upon cocoon, and perhaps upon pulse too. cid had never seen a moogle until he had ended up in the royal city. “would you care to lead the way, auric?” the primarch asked, turning his head to the man after watching a moogle aimlessly hover to the gates, trying to prevent the commanding tone to slip into his voice. he was used to using a commanding tone – it appeared mostly due to stress back in the guardian corps when he ordered the soldiers to leave him, and it had become a habit to order others around, however, he had no right to do so here, he thought.

[Auric]

He could sympathize with Cid. It was one hell of a reason why Auric never really liked the idea of becoming an officer... especially outside of GC. It meant less time out in the field and your reputation is built upon the achievements of your men rather than your command and personal skill. Not that Auric would have wanted to openly play upon those things but still at the end of the day he wasn't thrilled on having his time eaten up by the complacency of command.... sitting behind a disk, signing papers and submitting orders through others... in his relatively brief time in the Guardian Corps, those under his command knew what he wanted done with a single gesture. It was what came with being part of a unit.... your men become accustomed to you as a person and a leader on an almost empathetic level.

Still, he listened as Zecht offered to purchase all of them drinks to gather and trade information. And even when Cid mentioned how Moogles sold the better maps... Auric nodded his head and agreed. What Cid didn't mention he figured he didn't quite know just yet... but Moogles also made excellent mechanics -- heck, the aerodome here in Rabanastre was largely maintained by Moogles with some help of the stronger bodied Bangaa. As far as tinkering goes, Auric had learned a great deal as well as being inspired for quite a few innovations of his own; like a portable paling powered by AMP technology for your average person -- but that would have cost a great deal and he was still working on it... after all, if he finished such a thing he could've made a killing in the gil market with the royalties alone. Assuming he would have sold the idea or was willing to share it, anyway.

He was a mercenary hero for hire, though... and he liked keeping himself above his competition and even now his funds went into other ventures... supplemented by income from various sources, all his investments would eventually bear fruit. Despite his appearances and relaxed composure you would never guess that Auric was quite the genius businessman. Heck, the only reason why he never bothered reaching out in Cocoon was because he wanted to keep a lower profile. But one of the best opportunities in the present age was providing geographical detail and mapping out the land. With the world as it was, Auric, having explored all over knew enough about the compiled maps of the Moogles to know that they didn't have all of the place marked down... and he was thankful for that. There were secrets the land wasn't quite ready to give, but for those that he'd gotten first he'd sold to various map makers to receive a small share. It was steady gil, and with people needing some direction right now any jobs he took from hunting boards or exclusive clientèle usually had ulterior motives attached.

"Of course. The Sandsea should be great about this time of day... was actually headed there before running into Cid here." he made mention, before turning around and leading them to the place of drinks and social gathering. It wasn't far and whatever chat they must have made would have had to of have been small talk... for the two other males in this group being taller than himself he could imagine they must have covered more ground with each step. Not that he was short himself. They were quickly seated and found a table in a nice enough location, just above some stairs with a good view of the rest of the bar. The wait staff would bring around any orders and a tab had already been opened in Zecht's name.

Although he probably should have warned the Elvaan that the drinks he enjoyed were quite expensive. Like a "Marlboro"... which was his first request, a pricey 5000 gil for a single bottle and he poured them all a glass. Auric glanced over the rest of the bar before turning his attention to the agenda at hand. "Well if you're paying our tab, I guess I wouldn't mind sharing some of the information I have." he offered, taking a gulp from his glass as he looked to Cid, letting the black haired maile know that he too should have made good use of Auric's knowledge.

It went without saying that he'd been a very busy man.

Not that anyone here might have guessed.

[Zecht Gaudeval]

The walk to the pub known as "The Sandsea" was a generally short one. Zecht took the time however to glance about the royal city, finding its architecture somewhat reminiscent of a lost homeland he once knew. The citizens however were quite bizarre... large lizard-like humanoids were seen preforming tasks and conversing with other citizens. Zecht simply eyed the wide variety of races found here, leading him to believe what he had been initially told about this world. Any given planet could only hold so many sentient lifeforms at one time, such was basic knowledge... but with a mesh of so many races, it was no wonder that there was such tension in the air. Zecht's dark energies had a tendency of picking up any negativity in the area, and although the area was for the most part peaceful, he could pick up faint traces of malice coming from some of the citizens. No doubt it gave the same kind of signature as that of a nation preparing for war.

When they set foot inside of the pub, the first thing that came to view was the large bulletin filled with different requests written on parchment and placed upon the wall right ahead. Standing right in front of the wall were a myriad of armed individuals, mostly hunters seeking bounties. Cid and his companion however seemed more interested in securing a table, which they did just at the top of the stairs. When seated, the Dark knight tilted the seat against the wall rather reclined, with Umbra Astralis leaning beside him against the same wall. He eyed the individual named Auric with an indignant glare as he insisted on ordering such an expensive drink. Although more than capable of buying the drink, there was still much he could have bought with the money spent for liquor. Either this individual was insistent on provoking Zecht's fury, or he unknowingly had a knack for pushing buttons.

Whatever the case was, a sour taste now filled his mouth as he grumbled and reached into his pouch, tossing five gold pieces upon the table as the waiter brought the bottle. He would only entertain their company until he acquired the information he needed, and he would be on his way. The drinks were poured, and the waiter held his hand out to Zecht asking for a tip. An already irritated Zecht glanced up at him and cocked an eyebrow.

"You want a tip? Get out of my face before I tear it off." He said with a growl.

The waiter didn't hesitate in making his exit. Seemed like there were still people out there who never turned down a good tip.

When he had swallowed the last drop of malboro, he turned his attention to Auric who had mentioned information in his possession. "Now then" Zecht said a bit calmly after the drink had settled his composure. "What information do you have that I might find useful? From what I know, this is some continent consisting of different 'worlds' as your friend Cid here put it." He put a hand on his chin, rubbing it in thought. "The last I remember, I undertook a ritual within a tower... Then all of a sudden I find myself wandering about the wilderness just outside of this royal town..."

He turned his gaze towards both of them. "I'll just cut to the chase. Where can I find out what has happened, and why? I have a feeling it'd be easier knowing the truth rather than fumbling about in a confused stupor in this shattered realm."

Although the question itself was straightforward, Zecht had no desire for heroic antics. The dark knight in all honesty cared very little, if at all, for the fate of the distorted world. Evil, malevolent forces were always going to cause terror for those who stood within range of its clutches. Zecht however, would bide his time here in this city until he had acquired enough information to make his move.

Permanent residence in this hellhole was not an option.

[Cid Raines]

( did i fall asleep, is this all a dream? wake me up, i’m living a nightmare )
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as auric lead the way to the sandsea – a place cid was thinking of checking out eventually, but he hadn’t done so yet – he followed without question. it wasn’t far at all, though for auric was a quite a bit shorter than himself it must’ve seemed further to him. they were seated at a good location – above some stairs with a view of the rest of the bar. cid sat down slowly, a distant look on his face. he was never much in bars, though he would sometimes go to them. he never drunk though, no, hell no. last time he had ended up in a bit of a fight, went back to the lindblum with cuts on his face, and then suddenly started talking about an odd piece of cutlery known as a ‘spork’. one of the soldiers had filmed it and shown cid. instead of anger the ex-brigadier general had burst out laughing, for he had called primarch dysley a banana wearing fishnet tights. it was quite... well, entertaining and hilarious to see the normally calm man under the effects of alcohol.

... come to think of it, did he mention his l’Cie status? apparently not, for it wasn’t in the video.

he returned his gaze to the table to where a glass of a rather strong liquid there. a ‘marlboro’, expensive. very expensive. cid didn’t dare touch it. if only five glasses of a slightly weak wine made him get into a fight and shout the oddest of things, who knew what a strong drink like a marlboro would do.

“you want a tip? get out of my face before i tear it off.”

“i would prefer it if you didn’t threaten others,” he spoke quietly to the elvaan, placing elbows on the table and placing hands together, curling fingers around the other hand before leaning forward a little, mouth near his hands. a position of thought it came across as though cid didn’t always use it as his ‘thinking pose’.

“i’ve not met someone who would be able to tell you what happened to these worlds, and exactly why. perhaps some of the ‘viera’ could tell you what happened. i spoke to one and they said that there was a strange mist about, quite different from their own,” cid’s pale eyes looked towards auric and zecht before fixing on the opposite wall again. “i’m not sure if this has happened with others, but i’ve forgotten some of my past. have you two forgotten a memory or more?”