Hiding Out

[Yolanda Riona]

Tifa Mysteria (Jun. 16 2008,14:34)

[Open to anyone who wants to jump in.]

"Oh for the love of...just my luck...why on Mianol did I decide to visit Radical City now?"

Tifa hid in the back of a shop, under a desk to be precise, her hands over her head as the explosions and voices rung out in the streets outside. She had been there for some time, ever since she had wandered into this shop to look at herb supplies. It wasn't often she found a place that sold them but this shop seemed to be some sort of alternative medicine shop and had supplies of all manner of herbs and odd items.

Well it had, the first rounds of cannon fire from the invading ships had sent much of the wall contents all over the floor. Luckily she had not yet been found by the invading forces but she was still rather petrified.

The sounds outside had started to die away now, replaced by the sounds of jet engines and the wind. She couldn't tell if they were leaving or not but she didn't feel like leaving her hiding place for the moment.

"Do not worry, you will be fine," soothed a voice in her head.

Tifa looked down at her neck, Seraph her dragon companion lying still and seemingly lifeless around her neck. It was how he usually travelled now to avoid drawing attention. "I wish I had your confidence," she replied in though.

Billy Walker {Jun. 16 2008,15:05)

"I can't stop worrying," Billy confessed to his armadillo friend as they sneaked their way through ruined city streets. He'd convinced the strong-armed hero to lay low using his knowledge of the back-routes throughout town until they could find his home and check on his parents... but they were nowhere to be found. All he could do was pray that it meant they'd successfully fled or hidden so well even he couldn't find them. Still, now that that was looked into he was pretty sure Mighty was ready to start loosing his matchless strength right on the alien forces... and deep down a part of Billy probably would have liked to vent some frustration as well.

"Shh! Duck in here!" the red bilby said in a sharp whisper, cutting off any possible reply from his partner. His rabbit-like ears had picked up the sounds of people approaching from around the street and he was sure they'd prefer the element of surprise in a possible fight. Tugging a yellow arm along with him Walker speedily hopped into an abandoned shop and slid around some fallen shelve. He hoped to have enough leeway to hide there with Mighty and still peek out onto the street through the window.

Little did he know that a third party was about...

Espio (Jun. 18 2008,18:04)

[From Radical Sewers]

Espio stepped out the sewer entrance located at back of a water treatment plant across the street from the shop Tifa was hiding in. The building was in relatively good shape, and no troops were around to his knowledge. He looked around and gave an ok signal, motioning the allied croc and fox to proceed. "Now how should we travel downtown?" He knew that traveling in a group of 3 in the sewers was out of the question now; the bots would spot them too easily and he didn't want to burn all his weaponry out on them.
Mighty (Jun. 18 2008,20:00)

“I know Billy, try not to worry to much.” Mighty said with a light hearted smile, trying to keep his friend calm, Mighty knew this had to be very difficult for him to deal with, Mighty was thankful most of his friends could defend themselves he didn’t like worrying about things Like that. He was going to say more, but he was quickly hushed and grabbed. “You know I’m not a fan of being manhandled”

Mighty whispered as he tugged along. As soon as he saw the fox girl his eye’s lit up a bit, after all Mighty was a bit of a ladies man. But then what he was next was so shocking it gave away the element of surprised the two had work for. “Holy crap, Espio!?!” The Amarillo said, forcing his head through the window staring wide eyed at the Chameleon ‘If he didn’t know we were here he would find out, he is a ninja after all…’ Mighty though a bit at a loss for words. “Uh… Long time no see?” Mighty finally blurted out with an embarrassed chuckle.

Ajiryn (Jun. 18 2008,20:07)

Ajiryn hummed happily, strolling down blocks of ransacked roads.

"Heh, I have the world's most frikkin' valuable lawnmower right here. What could go wrong?" As far as he was concerned? Nothing at all. "All I need to do is make it through today, sell whatever, wherever I can, and BAM! I'm set." Oh yes, everything was just dandy. He hadn't slept in two days though, and he started to feel the effects of such- His eyes became heavy, he slowed down a bit, his strength was diminishing, he was seeing things, like people coming out of the sewers...

"Eh? Wait-a-minute, I'm not seeing things." he realized. Indeed, off in the distance, was a party of three making their way out of the sewer system. "Huh, that's something you don't see everyday. Then again, today is a bit different, with the invasion goin' on an' all..." He shook his head. Yup, they weren't figments of his imagination.

Looking back at his little treasure-chest-on-wheels, he decided to keep his distance. Times like these brought out the worst of people. He knew that for a fact. Heck, he just finished sacking a shop himself. ("Hey, at least I left them a tip.") Not only that, but if there was one thing he figured out about Radical, was that there were quite a few crazies. His calculations:

Crazy + Radical + No Visible Law Enforcement = Free-For-All
Free-For-All + Ajiryn = Fun
Ajiryn + Crazies = Not Fun Therefore...
Ajiryn + Lawnmower - Candy + Crazy - Fun = Get-The-H***-Outta-There

But if he got into a fight now, he'd surely risk injury, or worse, lose track of the lawnmower. Something he absolutely DIDN'T want to risk. The only way to get out of here would be to...

"...Help somebody else out." It didn't seem so bad for him; He'd sneak closer to this group, and if they seemed amiable enough, he'd do what he could for them. This would mean he'd have to ditch the lawnmower... But no worries- there was a shop across from this group that looked partially demolished. He could hide it in there, and come back for it when all this was over. Perfect. Not like anyone would go back in there, much less have the sudden urge to steal a lawnmower. Or, if they seemed sorta bad, then he'd just wait for them to go on ahead and forget that he ever saw them.

Itching for a closer look, Ajiryn sidled up against a nearby building and slowly made his way over. "This has to be good."

Slowly getting closer, he noticed another person popped out from across the street:

“Holy crap, Espio!?!”

"Uh oh." Ajiryn sidled so that the group on this side of the street could not see him- however, he was in perfect view of the other side from where the armadillo emerged. He dropped to the ground. "I hope he didn't see me..."

Kazuki on Jun. 18 2008,20:38

"!!!" Kazuki's fur stood on end- She had fired off another Plasma Sphere when this new individual jumped out. She heard him say 'Espio' right as she let off a charge.

"Not again...!" Luckily, the blast was directed to Mighty's left by a couple of inches. "Phew."

Then she became irritated. "What the- Hey!" She said, prodding Espio in the back. "You need to tell your friends to stop jumpin' out like that! Seriously! I already roasted one-" she pointed at Vector. "-and nearly zapped another!!!" she turned her finger towards Mighty. At least the blast had missed him- she would've felt extremely awful if she managed to fry two good guys within the same hour.

"Great... I just got all the remaining energy out of my hand, then this? Now it's tingling again." Taking in a few breaths, she manage to calm herself down- the charge instantly left. Much quicker this time around, too.

"I'm sorry- I- Well- Oh, just ask Espio about it, he knows." she apologized to this new figure.

"What else is gonna happen?"

Raynor on Jun. 18 2008,21:11

Reyna, was having her own problems. She was, like most of the others, sneaking about and was worried. Her younger brother was in trouble again and she had been called over to his work to have a talk about it.

She was on her way there when the shots rang out.

She moved about the shadows of buildings looking for someplace to hide.

Reyna had found the group that had gathered in the Herb shop.

Safety in numbers... right? she thought.

After a moment she decided to go over and see if she could join them. Reyna entered the front door, noticing the tension in the room.

"Am I interrupting?" she asked. moving to one side of the building.

Tifa Mysteria on Jun. 19 2008,00:48

The whole time Tifa had been watching from under her desk in the shop across the road. She had long since figured out that they weren't hostile...although they did seem a little on edge. But then again who wouldn't be in such a situation, she was rather knotted up herself.

Ducking down behind the counter again she reached into the pouched belt around her waist and pulled out a small root and began nibbling on it. After several years on this planet she was nearly out of her preferred sweet fix, Artacia Root not existing in this world. Chocolate had proved to be a reasonable substitute but she would miss her root when it was all gone.

She finally gave a short sigh and put the root back, pulling out the handle of her boomerang instead. While she guessed the group wouldn't attack her there was no sense in being unprepared...at least this way if anything did happen she could activate it, beat the offending person in the head and run for it.

She gave a final peek over the counter and finally stood up, keeping close to the walls as she crept to the shop entrance and looked out.

Vector on Jun. 19 2008,15:25

[All I can say is... huh. A lot of people are saying in their posts that this stuff is happening in different places.( In the street, in the herb shop, in a building across from the herb shop... XD ) Allow me to try and help:

Tifa -> Was hiding in herb shop, now coming closer to the door to see what's going on

Billy -> Was walking past herb shop when he heard someone/thing coming from around the way(Ajiryn it turns out) and hid inside the herb shop as well

Mighty -> Got dragged in with Billy and saw Tifa but is now poking out the window of the herb shop after spotting Espio

Espio -> Came up out of the sewers in a buidling aross from the herb shop, now standing outside its entrance in the street(So Mighty could see him).

Kazuki -> Came out after Espio(Let's say Vector politely let her climb up ahead of him) and is also in the street

Ajiryn -> Came around the corner and spotted the group in the street and Mighty in the window, is now hiding behind the corner.

Reyna -> Is likely also now in the street where most of the people are, since that's who she sought to join.

Vector -> Coming up out of those smelly sewers into the street as well

Does that help everyone?

PS: Man, talk about a sudden influx. I imagine a turn order will not be maintained well here. o_O ]

A long green snout with yellow beneath it popped up out of the doorway of the water treatment facility behind the silver fox, right around the time Kazuki pointed her finger his way. Moments before that Vector had thought he heard another familliar voice.

'It couldn't be,' he had thought, speeding up his ascent in order to see for himself, but as he breached the threshold and spied the female's finger aiming his way the crocodile's eyes ended up following it as it moved targets. That led him right to...

"Mighty!"

A booming voice broke through the group as Vector's presence was made felt. The reptile hoisted himself out of the building with a strong pull to the sides of the doorway, causing himself to roll right to the window of the herb shop and land on his two feet. Without missing a beat he grabbed his smaller but stronger old friend by the armadillo's yellow shoulders and pulled him out fo the window, spinning him around happily 180 degrees before placing him down on the road with a laugh.

"I can't believe you're here too!"

Mighty would likely be surprised to see the large body that had followed Vector's head out of the building. When the armadillo had left the crocodile had been as slim as a toothpick and specilized in being slippery and agile. After their main muscle had left the Chaotix though Vector decided the detectives shouldn't go without somone to fill that gap and bulked up over the past couple of years.

Bulked up quite a lot, actually.

Billy Walker on Jun. 19 2008,15:49

'His friends?' the young Mr. Walker questioned considering Mighty's sudden breach of the whole "hiding" idea and a loud-voiced reaction it got from someone out there. After Mighty was outright pulled into the streets he figured it must be OK and started to get up. Before leaving his hiding spot entirely though he distinctly heard a soft chewing sound and looked back, seeing a vague outline of Tifa hiding there as well. Billy wasn't sure what to do about that... but then he remembered why he was here in the first place! Hiding!

Deciding to let the mysterious other person stay hidden if that's what they wanted then it was probably best if what he'd heard coming really were the aliens. Mighty and his friends would be dead in their sights!

In a moment of panic Billy hopped out of the building's door, flashed a glance over the group in the street he'd labled all as"Mighty's friends" despite that not everyone now gathered actually knew Mighty at all, and then whipped his neck back in the direction he'd been walking earlier. There was a corner there and a hard-see shadow just barely visible because of his good angle that might indicate someone hiding just beyond. An invader patrol calling for back-up perhaps? He couldn't allow that to happen!

Without sparing a word to anyone else and not long before Tifa herself would decide to come to the doorway Billy suddenly hopped up high into the air. He was actually hopping up on top of a street light posted near the herb shop and aimed his jump so that he was able to land on the small perch at the point of hang time, eliminating most any sound he could have been making from it. After that he stared across the street at the corner and made one powerful leap with his coiled-up bilby legs. The red furry trailed an arc clear across the way with one long and impressive jump, coming down towards the pther side of the corner. As he descended Billy let himself go nose-first so that he ended up facing backwards from where he was going, exactly where his suspected "alien" was hiding, and pulled in his right leg to prepare a swift kick. Billy would appear right in front of Ajiryn, falling head first and facing the fellow furry with a leg ready to swing out and knock the theif silly.

... only to notice that it wasn't an alien patrol calling for back-up at all.

"Ahh!" the iron leg yelped in surprise, his expression turning from intent to protect his friend to extreme surprise and embarassment in a split-second. (Speed that even Sonic would be proud of) He flipped in the air at the last moment to land on his legs and prevent causing himself brain damage. It hurt, but those strong masses of muscle could take it. The blond-haired teenager rolled backwards from the landing, away from Ajiryn, and ended up on his feet properly while facing the boy. Billy's hands were immediately out in front of himself, open-palmed to show both no weaponry and a sincere apology.

"I'm sorry!" he stammered, not too loudly but with plenty of feeling behind it. "I thought you might be an invader spying on us!"

'I am SO totally not cut out for this stuff,' the martial-artist moaned in his mind for what felt like the thousandth time today.

Espio on Jun. 19 2008,19:13

[Allow me to fix our location problem. And as for a posting order....Tifa, Billy, Vector, Espio, Mighty, Kazuki, Ajiryn, Raynor, sound ok? If not, we can just wing it. lol ]
“Holy crap, Espio!?!”

The ninja turned, soon spotting the armadillo. "Well now, isn't this a pleasant surprise?” he said to himself. It was a lucky break that Mighty was indeed here, but who shouts out loudly in a city occupied by enemy troops? Shaking off the thought, he gave a wave back....when a plasma sphere was fired a few inches to his left hitting the wall of the shop, making him flinch for a moment. "Why is it that my friends are prime targets for electrocution today?", he thought to himself.

He scratched his head a little as he gave a slight smirk. "I'll work on telling them that, if you can keep your trigger finger under control." A moment later, before he could stop the croc, Vector rolled across the street without looking for enemy troops. In fact, his loud booming voice from a moment ago was likely heard for a block or two. Espio shook his head a little. "Has everyone lost their minds?"

Even stranger, a hedgehog walked into the shop from a nearby corner out of the blue...just as a bilby hopped out of the shop onto a nearby traffic light, aiming for what was likely some other survivor. He simply just lowered his head, as he put his right hand onto his forehead. "Everyone please enter the shop, before we're all detected by the enemy!” he said in a loud, but calm tone being usual the voice of reason. After all, with now two fellow Chaotix members accompanying him, someone had to be. He scouted up and down the street before walking into the shop. The next few blocks were completely ransacked, so the invaders likely assumed nothing was left and moved on.

Kazuki on Jun. 22 2008,21:50

[OOC: Moving on.]

Kazuki nodded. She knew everybody was a little on edge, but jumping everywhere just didn't seem all too appropriate at this time. Following Espio, she wondered where the heck everybody popped up from; It seemed like she was in for a gathering of some sort.

"That actually isn't all too bad...."

She took a quick count of everyone. Of course, they didn't stand still for long, so she just estimated there were around seven people. To be on the safe side... she would place a barrier on everyone. But casting Ethereal Ode seven times...?

"This... is gonna take awhile..."

For the time-being, she'd only renew her's and, eh, what the hey, Espio's.

Action 1: Ethereal Ode > Kazuki
Action 2: Ethereal Ode > Espio

Seeing as how yet another friend of Espio drew near, she decided she'd try to stay on this one's good side. Offering a hand towards Mighty:

"Hiya!"

[OCC: Actually, gots a question on that: Since this is out of battle and more like playful chatter, do I still have to do the 2-Action rule, even if it's the same action? Seriously, a barrier on everyone would literally take 4-5 posts...? I could understand in a fight how I'd have to do two at a time, but we don't really have an enemy right now... Comments, Links?]

Links Prower on Jun. 22 2008,23:26

[Go for it, not a problem.]

Ajiryn on Jun. 23 2008,23:16

"!!!"

Ajiryn had his lancer rifle drawn and aimed straight at the bilby, and was about to fire when it shouted "I'm sorry! I thought you might be an invader spying on us!"

"...Ugh, that was close... It's... not your fault. I shouldn't be so jumpy." Ajiryn apologized. Granted, while he was usual a collected kind of guy, today had flipped all his expectations of strangers around. It was kind of his fault he wasn't thinking rationally. He tried to joke it off.

"I'm just glad I didn't pull the trig-...-ger..." He had realized that the bibly had gotten a clear look at his face. Not that he was trying to be overly cautious, but he DID happen to have quite a wealth of stolen goods behind him; Showing his face only made it that much easier to be identified at a later date.

Hastily taking his bandanna and his scarf, he disguised his head in a quickly-made but efficient veil. Rearranging the hairband to hold all of it together, he stuffed his now free flowing hair inside his coat to hide it. By the time he was done, only his eyes and ears were visible in the light.

"Look, I'm really sorry I nearly shot you... But... Can I ask you a favor?"

Meanwhile, Espio made his call: "Everyone please enter the shop, before we're all detected by the enemy!"

The fox glanced over at the forming crowd- Maybe the bibly was the only one that had noticed him.

"You never EVER saw my face, got it?" he said pleadingly, before heading towards the group.

Raynor on Jun. 24 2008,04:38[/b[

Reyna said nothing as she moved to the shop. She could tell that everyone was on edge,last thin they needed was something to find them.

She stayed a bit away from the group so as notto be under foot. The light glow from he Heal gun was all that let the others know she was there.

[b] Mighty on Jun. 24 2008,07:23

((I apologizes for the delay, I would have had this sooner but I caught a bug ^^;; so I haven’t really been in proper condition ))

Mighty blinked for a moment ‘Vector to huh? This is starting to get interesting’ Mighty thought adjusting his deep black shades with a smirk, the croc had gained quite a bit of weight, it was a bit shocking, but it did make since with his species naturally being heavy. None the less he felt it would be a bit rude to bring something like that up. “Hey, nice chain.” Mighty said with a smirk and a meek smile.

After which he turned to Billy, as he leaped, and did a rather impressive maneuver, sadly, it was aborted because he was about to use said maneuver on an ally. “Billy, I know this is a hostel situation but try and calm down a little, loosing your cool won’t help things.” Mighty said, knowing this from personal experience, being an expert on tossing away his calm domineer, becoming a furious force. Mighty gave a slightly confused look as the figure that Billy had almost knocked out cold seemed to be a bit panicky and not it the way you would expect.

“Huh guess this kind of thing can take its toll on people.” Mighty said with a shrug, as Epsio called everyone in. “Same old Espio it seems, well he’s as a good as person as any to take charge, Billy I think we should stay with this little group for now being loners in a situation like this isn’t the brightest move.. Huh there are actually a few girls here…” Mighty said trailing off there a bit at the end, as he entered the shop with his former team mates and old friends.

“Seem like we almost have a reunion huh guys? Knuckle’s is probably guarding his giant jewel, but where Charmy?” Mighty said looking around for a moment and then let out a sigh and gave Espio and Vector a slightly annoyed look. “You two do know that were never going to here the end of it if we leave him out don’t you?” Mighty said walking a few feet, leaning against a wall as he kept an eye on the area, never know what could happen at times like this.

Tifa Mysteria on Jun. 27 2008,06:00

[If I get this right Espio just entered the shop but everyone else is still outside. If this isn't right let me know.]

As Espio entered Tifa, who had been pressed up against the wall, yelped and jumped back in surprise. In the process she crashed into a rather unsteady looking cabinet and bounced off it, falling to the floor. The next thing she knew the cabinet, and its contents of various packets, jars and such like, had wobbled, teetered and then fell over...on top of her.

The impact caused quite a crash but luckily for Tifa the cabinet wasn't huge. Even so it felt like she had been landed on by a falling hippo. She gave a small cough as dust and dirt was thrown up around her and slowly tried to extract herself from under the pice of furniture. She was quite definitely pinned though, nothing seemed broken but then Tifa wasn't exactly a strong character and a full cabinet was a little too much for her to lift on her own.

Her mind groaned to itself as she lay pancaked beneath the cabinet covered in dust.

Espio on Jun. 30 2008,00:02

Espio flinched and covered his eyes as he cabinet came down, and filled the part of the shop with dust. When the dust settled, he looked around, and sure enough there was another survivor. He called out over to the door as he walked to the cabinent. "Can someone help me lift this?" He gripped a corner edge of the cabient, ready to lift it upright.

Ajiryn on Jun. 30 2008,01:51

Ajiryn nearly tripped over himself in rushing towards Espio's call for help. The fox had left his newly acquired goods outside, in his haste. Once inside, an odd sight greeted him:

"Can someone help me lift this?"

Deciding that getting on the good side of everyone was vital to having no questions asked about himself or his intentions, he made a near-futile attempt at lifting the other corner. Though not all too heavy, Ajiryn's thin arms struggled to lift; He was deeply embarrassed that he had difficulty with this, and that he was relying heavily on Espio's strength to pull through. Whether or not anyone else came to help was not yet noticeable to Ajiryn.

He was just trying not to look... Well, weak. Anyone watching would've been able to tell otherwise.

[OOC: Hey, Mighty, if you'd prefer to switch back to order before the last 'Time Over', tell me and I'll delete post.]

[P.S. By the way, in a situation like this, would the Time Over result in posting change, or would it retain the usual order? I've seen both, and don't want to unfairly skip someone. Comment?]

Kazuki on Jun. 30 2008,21:22
[OOC: Wait... If Aji posted, then that should mean I go next? But... something just seems to be... off...? >_> Hmmmm...]
QUOTE
“Huh there are actually a few girls here…” Mighty said trailing off...

And yet, here was one offering her hand to him, a kindly gesture he failed to notice. Just because she nearly electrocuted him didn't mean she wanted to be forgotten about...

"Pfft, that dummy." she scoffed. Maybe he was deaf in one ear? She inched closer to his other side. Kazuki was about to blast his eardrums with a loud "HELLO!", but was cut off by a crash from the shop, where Espio had just entered.

"What did you do now?" the fox asked as she scrambled over towards the door. Squeezing inside (as the masked individual rushed in to see what the fuss was about), she saw that Espio was fine, but there was a toppled cabinet. And... somebody underneath?!

"I wonder if she has been there for a while..." Kazuki thought. Tugging at Vector's arm: "Hey! Let's help!" She didn't think Espio could lift it by himself, and the other guy clearly lacked the upper strength to work the other side. She decided to lift on the corner opposite of Espio, since that other one seemed too weak to lift on his (her?) own.

[OOC: ...I think I just realized what was off... Think about it, guys...]

Raynor on Jul. 01 2008,16:33

Reyna remained quiet in her corner of the room, she really wanted to help, but figured it best to stay out of the way.

She was friendly enough, but she knew her bounderis and kept within them. If they needed her for something important then yes she would be able to help.

Tifa Mysteria on Jul. 13 2008,03:30

As the cabinet was hoisted off her, Tifa took a moment and stretch and then crawled out from under it. She was a bit of a sight for her misadventure, covered in dust and a number of small bruises. Still she managed to smile a little, giving a gracious bow to Espio and Ajiryn. "Thank you...I've been hiding here for a while and when you walk in it kind of startled me and I crashed into this thing."

Tifa sounded a little embarrassed as she spoke, not least because if it had been the enemy she would have been caught, killed or otherwise be in a bad situation right now. "Gosh I must sound like a real idiot right now..." she thought to herself.

"Do not get flustered Mistress Summoner," came a reply in her head as Seraph spoke to her, "Just act normal."

"Easy for you to say...you just stay still."

And that is what Seraph did, the jade dragon around her neck staying motionless as if it was a giant scarf. Even so it was doubtful her new companions would simply miss the fact she had a dragon wrapped around her neck. Tifa clasped her hands in front of her and smiled a little dumbly. "My..my name is Tifa, who are you?"

Mighty on Jul. 13 2008,20:50

((Gah what a mess, also sorry about posting as Charmy, didn’t mean to, I use my dad desktop and my laptop so they were both signed in, but my laptop broke so…))

Mighty blinked as Espio struggled with the cabinet, and smirked a bit cockily walking up to Espio, noticing a few other people were coming to help. “No problem, I haven’t gotten soft or anything.” Mighty said, not bothering with the edges, and just going for the middle, getting his fingers under it, Mighty could lift boulders, and bust through metal, this sort was rather simple,

Links Prower on Jul. 17 2008,13:04

[It's either Espio or we're skipping to Ajiryn.]

Vector on Jul. 19 2008,12:42

[I'm back, baby!]

"Listen to me boys," Vector said to his old friends as he made his way into the shop with them. "This here isn't any coincidence. No sir. I'll bet my next paycheck that we'll run into Charmy soon enough too."

A statement that held a lot of weight considering how fond the crocodile was of money.

"It's destiny boys! The Chaotix are reuniting one-by-one so we can pull of this mission together. We're gonna drive those aliens right out of this city!"

Billy Walker on Jul. 19 2008,12:47

"Your face?" was all Billy said questioningly before the furry walked away towards the larger group. The bilby's hands lowered and slipped into their usual place in his pockets, following his would-be alien spy with his gaze. His mind told him that was no ordinary thing to say... and the nearby out-of-place lawnmower added to his suspicions. Frowning unhappily Billy walked back towards the shop where Mighty was and slipped inside, staying quiet for now and just trying to blend in after his embarrassing little "show".

Sarath Crescent on Jul. 19 2008,15:32

As the group entered the shop the sound of engines filled the air. One of Sarath's ships had already left but now it seemed the other three were starting to follow suit. The two ships in the sky sailed overhead as they headed towards the coastline. Meanwhile the other ship which was currently parked at the Radical City Airport began to lift off, ready to follow its sister ships. It seemed something big was up.

Ajiryn on Jul. 19 2008,17:27

Ajiryn's arms felt almost immovable; The few who had gone to Tifa's aid had finally lifted it, and thanks to Mighty's strength, Ajiryn pulled through without passing out from a lack of much needed oxygen.

"Next time, I lift with my knees... Oh, wait, I did..."

Trying to massage his arms as best as he could, Ajiryn was too focused on trying to figure out how to get the blood in them moving again.

"If I make it outta this, I'm hittin' the gym. BIG time." he muttered.

Still particularly stressed at his lack of strength, he forgot that his prized treasure was still waiting outside the door. Not that he minded. It was disguised as a lawnmower- no one would touch it. But by trying to exhibit strength he didn't have, he didn't exactly feel like going outside to retrieve it yet.

"My..my name is Tifa, who are you?"

"Quick, think of something! Anything! If anyone finds out what you did earlier, it's off to the slammer for you!" His mind scrambled for a name- an alias, just as a quick save. Soon, he blurted out:

"AJI- Erm, A- A-..." Yikes. He had messed up and already gave his first syllable away. But he passed this off, as he observed Tifa, by saying, "Ahh... Ah... Ahhhhh... Is... that a snake?"

It was a ridiculous question; Anyone could tell that the thing around her neck was shaped like a dragon- whether or not it was genuine was beyond Ajiryn's concerns. Right now, he just wanted to get everyone's attention on Tifa. Out of sight, out of mind. Out of mind, out of danger. Well, something around those lines.

Kazuki on Jul. 19 2008,18:58

Kazuki hadn't noticed Mighty's strength until he assisted in freeing Tifa; This puzzled her deeply.

"Wow... How'd he do that? His arms look all twiggy... I didn't think he'd be able to-" She hadn't realized the last bit was said aloud, as Kazuki stepped towards Mighty and said loudly, "Wow, mister, that was kinda cool!"

Aside from being thoroughly impressed of the armadillo's display of power, she stared quizically at the thing around Tifa's neck. It looked like a neck adornment, but it was a little oddly shaped.

"Huh... Guess it's some sort of fashion trend... Even that weird masked guy is wearing a scarf too. Then again, it IS a little cold..."

The fox looked around the shop- Outside, she thought she spotted a sign saying something about herbs; Maybe they had a thing or two in here that dealt with odors? She didn't want to think about it, but she DID just exit a sewer recently...

Tifa then asked the group their names. Kazuki happily slid up to her (accidentally shoving the masked individual to the right as she did) and offered her hand towards the newly freed Tifa:

"Oh, I'm just a passerby that got caught in all of this ruckus. Are you okay?" Kazuki prepared to use one of her healing symphonic spells when her eyes fell on the person she had just knocked over; There was a small bang of red hair sticking out.

Kazuki thought about it for a bit- "Aji had red hair... But wait- that guy has black ears and hands. Aw man... Maybe that guy just dyed his hair. And just when I though I had found him. Humph." She shrugged it off.

Still unaware of this tiny little happening, she turned towards Espio when she heard and saw through the window, airships taking flight away from their position.

"Ummm... I don't think we'll be boarding an alien ship anytime soon." she said, remembering Espio's and Vector's idea.

It didn't occur to her that red foxes aren't neccessarily red all over. She turned and started working her magic.

Action 1: Astral Melody > Tifa Mysteria

Raynor on Jul. 19 2008,19:55

Reyna was still a bit unsure of things but decided to go and see if anyone needed help.

"Is everyone alright?" she asked to the group in general.

She looked around at each of those standing in the area though there where quite a few. She just hoped that if anyone was injured that she had enough shots in her heal gun to hold them over till they got to a hospital.

Tifa Mysteria on Jul. 20 2008,02:22

Tifa continued to smile through the reactions around her.

"Aji...?" she replied to the fox, jumping slightly as he pointed out Seraph around her neck, "Oh! Uh...yes...yes it is...its not real though, that'd just be silly."

She smiled dumbly for a moment before Kazuki pushed him out of the way. Happy that he was out of the way for a moment she quickly shook hands with Kazuki. "Nice to meet you, I'm ok, just a few bruis..."

She stopped mid sentence as Kazuki started playing her tune, amazed by the feeling running through her body. "That's...amazing...how do...?"

She paused again, this time hearing the engine roar from outside. Unknown to her, Seraph opened one of his eyes and glanced out of the shop window towards the noise before closing it again.

Mighty on Jul. 22 2008,18:59

((Now Espio's A wall huh? XP ))

Mighty only rolled his eyes at the croc’s statement. “Yah, yah big talk from a big mouth, don’t try and be so dramatic, granted you may have a point… But I think you know as well as I do that if were all together that little guy’s probably got a radar beeping in the back of his head.” Mighty said with a smirk and a slight laugh, it was nice to see his old friends again, they brought out the best, or maybe worst in him, all depending on your opinion. Mighty was then approached by a young fox, he was a little put up that he was called “Mister” but still seemed to light up a little.

“Uh thanks it’s not that big of a deal, just born this way.” He said rubbing the back of his head and showing a noticeable blush doing his best not to say something that would get him slapped, he had gone through quite a few Ex-girlfriends on his little world tour, and wasn’t in the mood to meet anymore psycho chicks.

Mighty noticed just how many people had gathered, sure the more help the better, but it just seemed at little odd he had been so used to taking on robotic armies with a hand full of friends, quality not quantity and all that, he couldn’t help but worry about someone getting in the cross fire, but it didn’t seem to be a problem for the moment, so for now he would just listen in and enjoy his time with his friends.

Espio on Jul. 24 2008,10:08

[For the third post today, sorry!]

Espio wiped his forhead after the cabinet was raised. Lifting heavy objects wasn't one of the ninja's natural talents, and it showed.

"It's destiny boys! The Chaotix are reuniting one-by-one so we can pull of this mission together. We're gonna drive those aliens right out of this city!"

Closeing his eyes, he took in the other's statements with his arms crossed, nodding.

"Well, it would seem luck is on our side today. Mighty...", he said faceing the armadillo. "Think you could help us board one of the alein's ships? And as Kazuki pointed out ,we might want to hurry. There might still be a ship that hasnt taken off yet." He gave a brief glance at the "scarf" wrapped around Tifa's neck. It was giving off energy, but he paid it little mind; she seemed friendly enough.

Ajiryn on Jul. 27 2008,18:35

Ajiryn was highly irked at being shoved down like as if he was nothing.

"HEY! What the heck was thaaaaaaaauuuuuuauauaauuooooooo..." As he was prepared to berate this person for slamming him, he got a good look at her. "Wooooooooooaaaah..." He surveyed the girl standing in front of him.

She was beautiful. That was all he can say. She was almost angelic, he even thought- With her free-flowing gray bangs, her slate-hued eyes, and her miniature, pixyish figure, he would've thought that he had died and gone to heaven. The light scent of sewage was just a small reminder that he was stilll here on Earth- Though his mind wasn't. This girl was a fox, figuratively and literally. "She has the eyes of an angel..." he thought, clouded from everything else that was going on.

While he was in Fantasy Land, he had missed the fact that he had landed on a shard of glass from a broken bottle that had crashed down with the cabinet. It was clearly lodged in his left arm- He paid it no attention, and instead, worked out an introduction for his new... interest...?

Standing up, dusting himself off, and resetting his bandanna to hide the bit of hair that was sticking out, he approached her and said:

"Glbmf."

"...What the H*LL was THAT?!?" He thought. Clearing his throat, he tried again.

"Hello, Miss...?" he left off, implying he wanted to know her name... Unaware that he already would know the answer.

And WHAT was the tingling feeling on his arm? "Probably just pulled something while lifting that cabinet..." he concluded.

Kazuki on Jul. 27 2008,20:39

"Oh! I'm... sorry!" She barely realized she had shoved him down. "Oops."

Kazuki turned and looked at him, a little taken aback by the way he just ignored it. She felt a little uneasy the way those eyes were gazing out at her from under that bandanna. Just what was this guy hiding anyways?

"It's nothing!" she smiled at Tifa. "Ooh- What a pretty scarf! It looks so real, it's almost like it's-" She stopped all of a sudden, mortified, and eyes widened. Was Tifa wearing a... dead thing?

Kazuki inched away. She had a tiny fear of touching things that had a tiny case of Rigor Mortis.

"I'll take my chance with this dude." she thought, looking for a reason to get away. It was by good luck that he inquired her name.

"I am Kazuki Kajimoto, one and only, at'cha service!" she said happily. Kazuki was finally starting to loosen up around these guys. Although, the one she knocked down seemed to be in a daze. Maybe he hit his head.

"Are you okay?" she asked. Inspecting his person, she noticed he had a particularly nasty looking shard of glass in his arm. What more, he didn't even know it. He was too busy staring at her... Slightly mystifying, and a little odd.

"Er, you kinda have a little- thing- in you..." She would be able to heal it- But she didn't want to attempt to magic the shard out of the arm, for fear of only making it worse.

Raynor on Jul. 28 2008,06:03

Reyna watched a bit without saying anything. She stood there arms crossed over her chest trying to monitor what was going on.

It was at that point she noticed Ajiryn and the fact that he had a glass shard stick out of his arm.

She walked uo ti him and gently placed a hadn on his shoulder.

"Excuse me," She stated in a friendly tone. "Could I see your arm for a minute please?"

Tifa Mysteria on Jul. 30 2008,06:38

Tifa was now looking back and forth between Kazuki and Ajiryn as they exchanged looks and small talk. She was about to follow up on Kazuki's comment about Ajiryn's arm but as Reyna stepped in she thought it best not to.

Stepping back she wandered over to the dusty counter and dusted off a spot. It seemed it was safe for the moment...and if it wasn't she was no longer alone now. All the sudden excitement had left her a little startled and she felt the need for a drink.

Digging into the array of pouches around her waist she sifted through them for a moment before drawing out a couple of items and laying them down on the counter top. A small ring like device with upward facing supports and a equally small cauldron, it was likely as big as a normal mug.

Twisting a small control on the side of the ring a circular flame slowly spread round the ring, a miniature gas cooker it seemed. She set the cauldron down on top of it and then poured a little water into it from a bottle and then dived into her pouches once again. Lastly she drew out a small packet, scooped up some of the contents and dropped it into the water.

It took a few moments but slowly the smell of ginger began to sift into the air. Tifa slowly dusted off a second spot on the counter and turned round before hoisting herself up onto it. The water was already starting to boil in the cauldron but it wasn't quite ready yet. She waited, watching the others around her as she waited for her tea to boil.

Billy Walker on Jul. 30 2008,15:42

"Board and alien ship?"

William found that notion rather unsettling. Fighting robots in a danger zone was one thing sure... it was a battlefield. That's what they were for. But going into the lion's den itself had a completely different mental feeling to the bilby than having one come charging out of it to chase you.

Well... at least with the former you were expecting trouble instead of wandering into it, he supposed.

"Is that... uh... wise?"

Yeah, that was the best he could come up with.

Vector on Jul. 30 2008,15:47

"Hey! They can't leave without us!" the largest of the gathered furries exclaimed in annoyance at the sound of engines overhead. The croc was giving the shop's ceiling a death glare for a few seconds before turning back to his mostly reunited crew.

"Come on boys. Time's a wastin'! We'll have to plan this as we go before every ship is gone. If any captured citizens are still here then we have to make sure to get them out! Now who's coming with me?"

Vector seemed to expect no less than two confirmations from Espio and Mighty. Actually, his question was only meant for them, but in his haste the big guy hadn't actually specified that. Hopefully nobody would get the wrong idea.

Espio on Aug. 03 2008,03:48

[My go?]

Espio gave a quick nod, and ran to the front door, checking the path towards downtown. "Right then, let's move out!" He gave a quick look back in the building. "Anyone not coming along should wait here, where it's safe. We'll send help for you later!"

Mighty on Aug. 05 2008,21:00

((I’m sorry I’m a bit late again, No break for me heh, I’m juggling quite a bit of stuff, if I’m lagging behind don’t be afraid to poke me with a PM okay?)

Mighty shrugged at the Croc, he hadn’t really changed all that much, maybe he was a little bulkier, but he still had that same loud mouth, that loud mouth mixed with Mighty’s nasty temper had never been a safe combination but it wouldn’t get to him right now. “And you just assume that I don’t have other things to take care of?”

Mighty said with a smirk, and then turned to Billy with a light heart smile. “Looks like I’m being dragged back into this stuff, but you don’t have to come with me, after all you have your family to worry about, my guess is they’re fine, but it’s your choice.”

Mighty said, trying to instill some confidence in his rabbit like friend, then walking over to his old friends. “Well I guess I’m in for now, but don’t get any bright ideas.”

Mighty said with the usual optimistic grin shaking Vector’s hand ready to roll, but not forgetting about the friend he had meant not but a day ago, he wasn’t going to abandon him after all, if he choose not to come then it would just be temporary, at least that was Mighty’s plan so far.

Ajiryn on Aug. 10 2008,12:34

"Kazuki Kaji- Whaaaaaaa?!" The fox became numb at the name. It was one he recognized off the bat, but the person it belonged to didn't ring a bell- Six years was a long time for somebody to change. But if this really was the same Kazuki...

Quote:"Nyah nyah! Can't caaaaatch meeeeeee!!" a young silver vixen teased.

"Hey! No fair Kaz! No running!" Ajiryn shouted. She was fast, but he was faster! Just a few more bounds until he was close enough for a tackle...

"Want me to zap you instead?" She said, holding her palm spread wide before him.

"What?! No, wait- ZZZRUGBRTARGHDURHTAHHH!!!"

"Ahahahaha! Silly Aji!"

He snapped back to reality. "My arm? What wrong with my- oooooooh." He said. Raising his arm up to eye level, it was Raynor's comment that brought his attention to the sharp pain. Kazuki's stunning revelation had blown his mind away- He wasn't even sure when he got the shard in the first place.

"It's... not that serious." Ajiryn tried to not show any signs that it hurt- Though a 13 inch shard of glass that clearly went from one side of an arm to the other surely had to.

Kazuki on Aug. 11 2008,10:29

"Well, sounds good to me, but- Hey!" It seemed Espio had took off. "Where'd he... go...?"

Kazuki shook her head. Men were a wierd kind. Turning towards the masked guy: "Not that serious?!? It went straight though your arm, how can that not be serious?!"

She wondered what to do now- It looks like Espio had enough help from his friends, and also a plan of his own. Muttering 'Good luck!', she sat down. Kazuki was still wondering what was going on outside- It was quiet, at least, compared to when Sarath's men were attacking. Her current company seemed odd enough, too, even without the ninja to complete their merry group. Kazuki couldn't help but wonder what happened to Ajiryn. From what she heard, he was last seen wandering around here. But with the attack, everything was in the air. Nothing was certain, except for the fact that she still had the scent of the sewers lingering on her. Letting out a sigh of discontent, she continued looking through the shelves of the store for something that would make her smell a little more pleasant.

"Wierd-o's..." She said under her breath.

Raynor on Aug. 11 2008,20:40

Reyna tapped her foot at Ajiryn's comment.

"Look, if its not removed it could cause complications with that arm." She started. "The way I see it now is that 1. you can let me take it out or 2..." Reyna didn't finish, but she placed a hand on the bazooka like deive on her back. Of course this was her heal gun, but she hoped that she didn't have to use it.

"Your pick." she said after a moment.

Tifa Mysteria on Aug. 12 2008,15:11

With the water now boiling in the small cauldron mug, Tifa turned off the heat and wrapped her gloved hands around the mug. Giving it a small swirl she set it down again and turned off the gas ring before returning it to her pouch pockets. Picking up the mug again she began to sip the contents slowly as she looked around the dusty shop.

The two foxes now seemed deep in conversation regarding the shard of glass stuck in his arm although Reyna was providing a more drastic approach. Tifa had no idea about technology at the best of times and eyes the curious weapon looking item on her back with an air of unease. She was just glad it wasn't herself that was injured.

Noticing Kazuki browsing the shelves in a curious manner, Tifa became a little curious herself. Always one to help she slipped off the desk and padded over to the vixen, stopping just beside her. She took another small sip from her mug and spoke, "Looking for anything specific? I didn't work here but I can probably help if you'd let me."

Vector on Aug. 15 2008,21:30

"The Chaotix are on the job!" the crocodile declared happily with both of his old friends once again by his side. Together even just the three of them were a formidable force, and they all knew it. Taking some time to address the others Vector stopped once he got to the doorway and turned back.

"If all goes well we should be giving those invader something to keep busy with. The rest of you should be able to escape the city if you hide out here for a while longer. Just be careful all right?"

Last thing he wanted was for the civilians to get hurt on his watch, but with that the detective was out the door and moving down the street, close to the buildings so as not to draw more attention to himself than necessary. He gave Espio and arm wave, and old signal from their agency days that indicated the stealth member was to sneak ahead of the group while Vector indicated the next direction to take and signal them when trouble was on the way. No doubt the chameleon hadn't forgotten it.

[Chaotix Exit]

Ajiryn on Aug. 18 2008,09:56

"Gah! Okay, okay, no need for violence!!!" Ajiryn said hastily, eyeing the device strapped around Raynor.

He offered up his arm, but still couldn't take his mind off of Kazuki- His eyes shifted towards her without him even knowing it. It was a tough choice- He could take off the bandanna and reveal himself to her, but that'd risk everybody else being able to identify him. Though, he highly doubted that the anyone here wwould care. After all, the only guy that had seen him AND the goods at the same time was the bilby- And he wasn't anywhere to be seen.

Aaaaaaand then his eyes wandered to Kazuki yet again. She didn't seem to be in any hurry to get anywhere, just taking a look through the store... Tail flicking back and forth, in an almost enticing way...

"Yeep! I did it again..." Ajiryn looked away.

Kazuki on Aug. 18 2008,10:07

"Eh? Oh, um... Well, see, I'm looking for something that would get the smell of 'Sewer' off of me." Kazuki said, embarassed. "Geez, that is one HEAVY odor..." she thought, backing away from Tifa; If she could smell it, chances are, Tifa had already detected it too.

"...But they don't seem to have tomato sauce..." She joked. "That's the LAST time I ever take a stroll underground..."

Raynor on Aug. 18 2008,20:31

Reyna sent a friendly smile to Ajiryn.

"I was not planing on violence." She replied as she gently took Ajiryn's arm. She then noticed that he was staring at her gun.

"Its a heal gun. Makes healing troops in the field easier." Reyna said to the unasked question.

Within a few moments Reyna had removed the glass shard and placed bandages around the wound.

"There you go. It'll be a bit sore for a while, I put some numbing gauze on it for now."

Reyna bowed slightly and backed away, giving Ajiryn his space.

Tifa Mysteria on Aug. 19 2008,13:03

Tifa had noticed the odour a long time ago but out of politeness had not asked what it was or who it was. Now she knew and she couldn't help but smile a little. Ignoring the scene going on behind her with Ajiryn and Reyna, she looked down at the belt of pouches around her waist.

She counted several round to the right and then opened one of them, slowly rummaging through the contents. She wasn't hiding anything and Kazuki would likely see the pouch contained a varying number of small vials and tiny bottles that were loose in the bottom of the pouch. Tifa drew a couple of them out and quickly put two of them back, looking at the final one she held in her hand before giving a nod. Closing the pouch she held out the bottle to Kazuki.

"It's not much but it will probably work better than anything here. This place sells...well sold...raw ingredients...so unless you want me to make you something this will be quicker. Just dab a bit around your fur and it will at least mask the smell until you can wash properly."

Ajiryn on Aug. 19 2008,13:33

"Thank you very much." Ajiryn said, bowing deeply. He sat down, facing the floor- Though his eyes were steadily peering out from the bandanna at Kazuki.

"Talk about odd occurances..." He wondered what'd be the first thing he'd tell her... Deciding a little fun wouldn't hurt anybody, he thought of a few ways to catch her attention- "Just to mess with her head- Like old times." Ajiryn chuckled. This was fun.

"That is most interesting, Ms. Kajimoto- I just happen to be a good friend of your father's. Tell me, did you ever get over that parchment mite allergy you had?" He called out. Ajiryn restrained himself not to laugh- Only a few people knew about that, and he wanted to see the look on Kazuki's face.

"Hehehe, this oughtta be good."

Kazuki on Aug. 19 2008,13:41

Kazuki happily accepted the vial, and managed to say "Thank y-" before she froze on the spot- "P-Parchment Mite allergy? How did he...?"

Wheeling on the spot, she leered at the masked individual, at a loss for words. "W-w-who are you?!?" She was relatively freaked, now. Just because he knew her father didn't mean he should know THAT.

Raynor on Aug. 19 2008,20:31

Reyna bowed to and moved to the counter. She looked around to find that a few people were missing, but thought nothing of it.

She turned to Tifa.

"That's a beatiful necklace you have." Reyna was trying to start a conversation.

Tifa Mysteria on Aug. 20 2008,02:08

Tifa had been just about to smile when Kazuki spun and demanded to know who Ajiryn was. It took her a moment to register what he had said but she wasn't sure all the same. "Parchment Mite...allergy? My, I thought I'd heard about everything in the alchemy trade...but that's a new one."

She was about to continue when Reyna asked her question. Tifa stuttered slightly at statement, momentarily afraid it had been a sign she had been discovered but then realising it was just a comment and relaxed. "Oh, thank you." Tifa looked down for a moment and glanced at the necklace hanging at her chest before looking up again. "Don't think we've been properly introduced, I'm Tifa."

Ajiryn on Aug. 20 2008,02:33

Ajiryn snickered, amazed that she was still just as touchy on the subject as before. Kazuki often got strange bumps on her arms and hands whenever she encountered those microscopic mites that hid in... well, parchment. Not exactly funny to think about- Hilarious to witness.

"Moi? Oh, nothing but a meer wanderer, a trademan of nothing, and a hero of, at the moment, little. An individual bored off his rear, and a pawner of that which has already been pawned."

Ajiryn laughed heartily. Messing with Kazuki's head was most fun when she doesn't know it's you.

"Yeah... I don't have much of an idea of what I just said myself. Don't put too much stock, into it, Kaz." Ajiryn said teasingly. "I'll give you a hint- I'm NOT Kazuki Kajimoto." Ajiryn held back from laughing again; An answer like that was sure to irritate the vixen.

Kazuki on Aug. 20 2008,02:46

"Why, you- That doesn't answer my question at ALL!" Kazuki growled. This guy was really getting on her nerves.

And then he shot back his answer. Which was the breaking point for Kazuki.

"OF COURSE YOU'RE NOT ME!!" She said, diving straight at Ajiryn. First the sewers and now the wierd-o. She felt completely justified at the moment. She was gonna take that mask off- Heck, claw it off, if she had to- and find out who this guy is.

Raynor on Aug. 21 2008,11:57

"I'm Reyna." Reyna replied to Tifa and offered her hand. "So what brings you here if I may ask." Reyna was trying to start a conversation to distract her from the up coming brawl that might ensue.

Tifa Mysteria on Aug. 21 2008,15:53

Like Reyna, Tifa had no desire to interfere with the up coming rumble that had started to take place next to them. Kazuki seemed like a nice girl but she also appeared to have quite a fiery personality, a little like her own when she got incredibly upset.

Reaching out she shook Reyna's hand, visibly looking embarrassed at the scuffle going on beside them. "Oh just, shopping you know. I needed some more supplies for my alchemy work and then all chaos broke loose....thank the goddess I was able to sneak in here and hide..."

Tifa stopped quickly, realising her mistake. She'd studied the religions and history of Earth as best she could...there was no current religion that worshipped a goddess.

"Be careful of your words Mistress Summoner," came a voice in her head.

"I know," she replied.

Ajiryn on Aug. 21 2008,16:44

[OOC: XD You forgot Altana. There's one God that is not only loving, but hot. Eep, I'm sounding like Skyes. >_<]

It seemed that Tifa and Raynor felt there was something coming up; Kazuki seemed a LOT more aggresive than she was before. Ajiryn side stepped, smiled, and said, "You shouldn't get mad, Kaz, you tend to play out of tune when you're angry."

That wasn't exactly the best thing he could've said at the moment. "Oh, wait- if she's still touchy about the allergy... Then she's still touchy about... her music." Eyes widened, Ajiryn was now at a loss for words.

"Aw nuts."

Kazuki on Aug. 22 2008,00:08

"Whu-wh-whaaaa?!" That stopped Kazuki in her tracks. Ajiryn knew not of the danger he just brought upon the whole area. Sure, Tifa and Raynor wouldn't be the target of Kazuki's rarely-seen but just as painful rampage. But NO ONE ever gets away with teasing her music. No one.

Kazuki stopped after her dive missed, landing smoothly on her feet. Head bowed, her face was not visible behind her bangs of silver hair. A small bit of sniffling could be heard, and it steadily grew to weeping. Thrusting her head back, she cried aloud:

"W-w-w-w-w-WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!" At this point, nearby individuals should've run. But they probably didn't; They didn't know what was coming. "I-I-I-I'LL SHOW YOU 'OUT OF TUNE'!!!!!" she cried out at Ajiryn.

Action 1: Bedazing Stanza > Ajiryn, Tifa Mysteria, Raynor

The other two would be surely caught accidentally by the symphonic magic. But Kazuki's true sights were on Ajiryn. There was always an angry side to Kazuki- She never shows it, because she's a patient one. (Usually.)

But this is not it. This is BEYOND Angry Kazuki. This is Rampage Kazuki.

Confident that Ajiryn was now paralyzed, she intended whole to use her flute in a percussion kind of way... on his head.

Action 2: Melee (Flute) > Ajiryn

Raising the flute high above her head, she brought it down as hard as she could. And she would repeat that motion. Over...

...and over...

...and over.

Raynor on Aug. 22 2008,04:47

Reyna was a bit surprised when she found out that Tifa was an Alchemist.

"Alchemy? I never thought I would meet someone who practiced it. Must be hard at times." Reyna replied.

Then she heard Kazuki's melody and turned to see what was going on. Unfotunatly, it was at this point that Raynor, as she is called by her brother, became transfixed by the music.

What... What is this strange feeling? She thought to herself.

Tifa Mysteria on Aug. 22 2008,14:47

Tifa smiled, about to respond to Reyna's statement when Kazuki's wail hit her followed by the tune. Tifa felt her body stiffen and caused her to fall over backwards, making her glad she was still standing near a wall that caught her fall.

Unfortunately for Tifa the tune had had the same effect on Seraph. While he was a spirit of the world he was also a bound spirit with a physical form. In such a way he was effected by external elements just like Tifa. The song, coupled with the jolt against the wall, knocked Seraph from Tifa's shoulders and sent him crashing to the floor where he uncoiled and stiffened like an overly long drainpipe with wings.

Tifa looked down at him, then across at Reyna and finally at Kazuki...who was still beating Ajiryn into little bits on the floor. "Awww, nuts..." she murmured, subconsciously copying Aji's words from a moment before.

Seraph looked very undignified and was now wearing a very disapproving look on his face. His eyes were open at that moment, well aware that if anyone had actually noticed then there was no point in hiding the fact.

...although it remained to be seen if anyone would actually notice given the show Kazuki was putting on.

Ajiryn on Aug. 22 2008,16:27

Kazuki's rampages were hard enough to dodge as is- It now seemed as though she learned a way to paralyze her targets, making it even more dangerous. Ajiryn managed to turn around and dart away when he heard the wail, but he wasn't expecting magic, aside from a Plasma Sphere. She used to shoot them off all the time back then, and he didn't feel like taking one right now. Once the tune hit him, though, his confident smile faded and was replaced with a look of sudden terror. "I- can't- move...!!"

He also managed to enrage Kazuki to the point where she wouldn't zap him.

That was good.

But now she was going to beat him down with a flute.

That was bad.

And he was still paralyzed.

That was very bad.

Stuttering and trying to placate Kazuki, he now felt a growing sense of panic. This got out of hand real fast. "WAIT! I-I can e-explain! Don't-" WHACK. "Ow! Hey, stop, it's me-" WHACK. "No mor-" WHACK.

Defenceless and hurting like anything, Ajiryn keeled over after a few hits, and seemed to be in a daze. In the commotion, his mask fell off as Ajiryn crumbled to the floor. He had regained movement of body- But everything hurt too much to make use of it.

"Geh..."

Kazuki on Aug. 22 2008,17:10

"DON'T-YOU-EV-ER-CALL-ME-OUT-OF-TUUUUUUUUNE!!!!" She stressed every syllable with each hit. After he dropped to the floor, she charged up a bit of energy and was about to fire it at him... until...

*SNIFF* "Do I smell... Tea...?" Releasing the bolt at him anyway, she turned around as her eyes darted back and forth- Whatever it was, it smelled excellent. She was breathing a little hard from the flogging.

Looking back at the mass on the ground the twitched occasionally, she wondered if he was alright. The rampage ended sooner than she intended, thanks to the saving power of tea. "There. Jerk." she murmured, panting from exhaustion. Beating people was hard.

"Er... Oh... Um... I did it again... didn't I...?"

By now, the spell should have wore off of Tifa and Raynor. Shyly looking in their direction, Kazuki was clearly embarrassed by going off on the stranger.

"I'm... uh... sorry... you had to... see that... I didn't mean to- to- to-" Lying not too far from Tifa was the snake-like object. And apparently it wasn't dead. At all.

It was alive and staring at her. Very much so. But she could've SWORN it was dead when she saw it, first.

"Did... I... bring... something back... to life...?" she gasped, looking at Seraph, then at Tifa. This trend continued, until with a stuttered "-Buh-" she swooned. The fried Ajiryn cushioned her fall.

She was out.

Raynor on Aug. 22 2008,18:48

Reyna sighed as the spell wore off. She turned quickly to see Kazuki fall on Ajiryn. After a moment Renya removed the heal gun from her back and took aim at the two. After a moment she fired, their injuries would be patched up as best as the gun could, but their fatigue would still be there.

After a moment Reyna turned to see if Tifa was ok then she noticed Seraph on the floor.

"You two ok?" She asked to both Tifa and Seraph.

[Yolanda Riona]

Tifa Mysteria on Aug. 23 2008,14:45

"I am perfectly fine," replied Seraph, the dragon spirit lifting himself from the floor with a flap of his wings and hovering in mid air before Reyna. He eyed her for a moment, then dropped a small gaze at Ajiryn and Kazuki before turning to Tifa, "Mistress Summoner, it would seem there is no longer a need for discretion."

Tifa gave a sigh, her body slumping slightly as she picked herself up off the wall, "And I tried so hard to keep it a secret." She glanced down at Kazuki and then back up at Seraph. "Reyna! You can keep a secret right? Seraph, quickly..."

"Miss Summoner, I am not going to play your game of hide and seek any longer. It may have been necessary but it is degrading to my kind. You may aid us but that does not give you the right to give me commands."

Tifa looked dejected, "I'm sorry Seraph, you are right." She sighed again, "Question is, what do I say now...?"

Ajiryn on Aug. 23 2008,16:07

"*Cough* OOooooooowwww..." The fox had a pounding headache, and was barely coming to his senses. He was greeted by the weight of one Kazuki lying on top of him. "K-Kaaaaz... Get off..." Ajiryn tried to pick himself up after rolling her off, but his knees buckled and he fell again.

Looking back at Tifa and Raynor, he chuckled- It was always fun to see someone's first reaction to a Kazuki Rampage.

"I-I... Let her do that... *cough* It was for the better. Well, now you two know!" He smiled. Walking up to them, he bowed deeply. "I don't think we've been introduced, either- My name's Ajiryn. Ahh-Jee-Rin. It's okay if you can't say it, not a lot of people get it right... And that, is an old friend of mine, Kazuki. Real nice person, but... Eh, she has her angry moments. Er... Speaking of which..."

He took a step forward and kneeled down beside Kazuki. He tried to shake her awake. "Wow... this is... odd... She's done this before... but I've never seen her pass out! Heya, Kaz... Wake up. Hello? ...She's out..." Ajiryn still hadn't realized that his face was fully visible now.

Kazuki on Aug. 23 2008,16:15

After a bit, Kazuki started to regain energy, and was finally able to open her eyes.

"...Snake... snake..." she muttered- Seraph was still in her mind. And her vision was blurry, too.

Coming to her senses, she swung up and over.

"SNAAAAAAAAAKE- Ow!" Kazuki had managed to slam her head against whoever was kneeling over her.

"Oh... ow... I'm sorry!" she blurted out, rubbing her forehead vigorously and looking over at Ajiryn. This was the first clear look she had gotten of him without the mask. She fell dead silent, and as she stood up, didn't take her eyes off of him. Her expression was one of surprised and curiosity, and her mouth hung open.

There he was. All along.

Raynor on Aug. 23 2008,21:09

Reyna blinked after a minute, then replied to Tifa. "Yeah I can keep a secret." Her attention was then turned to Seraph.

"Seraph was it? If I might ask...what are you?" Reyna meant no offense by asking, she had just never seen anything like Seraph before and she was curious.

She didn't register that both of the brawling parties were awake in some shape or another.

Tifa Mysteria on Aug. 24 2008,16:29

Seraph slowly turned towards Reyna and surveyed her slowly. He seemed to be looking for something but seemingly didn't find it. Spreading his wings slightly he bowed his head for a moment and then spoke, "I am Seraph, a planetary spirit of wind. I have taken corporeal form in order to assist our chosen summoner accomplish her duty to our kind."

Behind Seraph Tifa gave a small dejected wave as if she acknowledged what Seraph was saying but didn't like it being put that way. She knew it was her duty to assist the spirits she had bound herself to but she wasn't a tool for them to use either. Seraph meant no disrespect though, he was simply very matter of fact in the way he spoke.

She quickly turned her attention to Ajiryn and Kazuki while Seraph spoke to Reyna. Slowly she knelt down next to them, "Are you two alright?"

Ajiryn on Aug. 24 2008,20:38

"Hm? Oh, yeah, sure!" Ajiryn nodded. "I'm cool. Hurts a bit around the back of my head... but I'm good."

Seeing Kazuki's blank stare, he added, "What's wrong?" When no reply came, his eyes slowly scanned the ground- The was his bandanna. Which could only mean that-

"Erp- Cover's blown. Guess that makes two of us, eh?" Ajiryn said, shooting a glance at Seraph.

Kazuki on Aug. 24 2008,20:57

"Aji...?"

She jumped up, and took another dive at him.

"Oh, WOW! ICAN'TBELIEVEIT'SYOU!!" she shouted, once again landing on top of him as she easily toppled him over with the force of her ever deadly Dive-Hug.

"Doyourememberme? Doyourememberme? Ohofcourseyoudo!! It'sbeensixyears!! Six!!! What'reyoudoinghere Whydidyoutrytohideyourself Ohforgetthat! YIIIIIIIII! I'mSOHAPPYTOSEEYOU!!!" She tightened her hug, and proceeded to pin him down on the floor. Sitting on his chest, and using her knees and hands to immobilize his arms, she continued her barrage of questions.

"Whyareyousotiny Haveyoubeeneatingright Momalwayssaidyou'dendupsmallifyoudidn'teatyourvegetables!!! Theydon'ttastethatbadyouknow! Havingyoubeenpracticingeverythingdaddytaughtyou?! FatheralwayssaidyouslackedoffbutIsaid "No, he's better than you think!" Soareyou? Areyou? Comeonsaysomething Howhaveyoubeen Areyoustillafraidoflightning?! Ineverknewwhyyouwere EverybodyalwayssaidyouwereafraidofitbecauseIalwayszappedyou everyday Butwhatjokers! Ididn'tzapyouthatmuch!!"

Raynor on Aug. 25 2008,15:43

Reyna smiled to Seraph and listen to his answer to her question.

"I see." She bowed to him. "Thank you for telling me. But I am no threat to you. I'm a medic, I help people. Besides I won't hurt someone as cute as you Seraph." The last part was in responce to her being looked over. She wanted Seraph to know she was friendly and wouldn't hurt him. "Or my friends." Reyna added looking over at Tifa.

after a moment she turned to the comotion behind her. It seemed that the two injured parties knew each other, but Reyna figured it best not to get involved.

Tifa Mysteria on Aug. 26 2008,15:51

"Do not worry, I do not have any fear of you young one, your heart is good," replied Seraph giving a small bow of his head and turning to look at Tifa.

Currently Tifa had edged back from the glomping madness that was going on between Kazuki and Ajiryn. She scratched the side of her head as she stood up, "You know...some people are simply...well odd I guess."

Although her cover had been blown it wasn't exactly bad. The scene Kazuki was putting on had somewhat distracted from it and nobody knew who she really was. She just hoped it would stay that way, she had little want or desire to explain where she was from.

Ajiryn on Aug. 26 2008,17:12

"H-h-hey! Kaz, calm down!" Taken aback by the sudden error in communication, Ajiryn tried to figure out how he ended up here.

Long Time Friend + Re-Acquaintance = Cool
Dive Hug + Hard Floor = +/-
+ = Extremely Beautiful Vixen x Points Scored With Friendship / Years Since Last Meeting (6)
- = Over Questioning + Sewage Smell x Keen Sense Of Smell
+/- = (Hotness x (Points/6) / (Talking + (Sewage x Sense(x Sense^2))) = Current Situation

It was definitely a mixed bag.

"Would ya slow down?!? I can hardly even understand you! Yes, of course I know it's you. And I've been eating right, sorta. I'm not tiny! No. Yes. Yes. And you did it everyday." he said, trying to keep up with her questions. Through, their current position on the floor me him quite uncomfortable- Nervous, more like. In an effort to get her off of him, he pointed at Seraph:

"Look over there- MAGIC! Or, something like that. I dunno. Just quit getting me all... Er..."

Kazuki on Aug. 26 2008,17:36

"Hm?" she stopped suddenly. Seeing Seraph just floating midair, she had forgotten the affection that was being showered on Ajiryn, and switched victims.

Getting up slowly and walking over towards the spirit, her eyes narrowed. Looking straight into it's eyes, she stared intently and fiercely at it, maintaining a sort of forbidding silence. And then...

Losing all seriousness her face had, she gave off a loud "KAWAII!!!" and jumped towards Seraph, attempting to embrace him- Roughly the same manner she did with Ajiryn. Whether Seraph would be affected in anyway by this physical gesture, she didn't know.

"OH-MEH-GA CUUUUUTE!!!"

Raynor on Aug. 26 2008,21:09

When the "Kawaii" was uttered Reyna moved out of the way. She had no intention of getting caught in what was going to happen. Though surprisingly her thoughts and Kazuki's were the same. Seraph was just cute.

"I think Seraph might be in trouble, Tifa." Reyna said poking up from the other side of a fallen table.

"So how did you meet Seraph? If you don't mind my asking." Reyna added after a few moments. She was not trrying to put Tifa in an uncomfortable position, but she was just curious about these kind of things.

Tifa Mysteria on Aug. 27 2008,15:02

It happened rather quickly. Seraph didn't even move as Kazuki dived at him and remained hovering in mid air. He had a physical form so Kazuki did manage to get a grip of him in a hug...but owing to his serpent like body he simply slid out of it. The end result would likely see Kazuki sailing to the floor as Seraph slipped through her grip.

"Don't worry...Seraph has survived worse..." giggled Tifa as she watched the scene. Seraph looked highly irritated but Tifa had found that was a normal expression for him.

She turned slowly as Reyna asked her next question, Tifa subconsciously biting her lip as she pondered how to reply. "Um...well...that's kinda a long story and...well...maybe later!" She ended with an overly large smile that seemed to spell out the word 'awkward' in capital letters.

Ajiryn on Aug. 27 2008,17:57

Ajiryn wasn't sure what to think- Should he be happy that Kazuki finally got off, or should he be upset that Seraph was that much more interesting than he that would warrant Kazuki getting off of him in the first place...?

"K-Kaz, I don't think he'd like to-" Dive. "-get...hugged..."

He struggled not laugh as Seraph wriggled his way out of her hug. "I need to learn how to do that..."

Kazuki on Aug. 27 2008,19:54

"Ahhhhh!" THUD.

Kazuki lay sprawled on the ground, heavily confused and slightly dizzy. It seemed her hug was... rejected. A few things spilled out of her doublet pocket, and she scrambled around to retrieve all of them.

"Ow..."

Raynor on Aug. 28 2008,19:43

Reyna smiled. "I take it people don't ask you too much about that huh?" She asked. It really didn't bother her that Tifa didn't want to share that info with her now.

"Though we might want to keep Seraph hidden from my brother. He collects intresting things."

Reyna turned to Kazuki. "Would you like a hand?" she asked.

Tifa Mysteria on Aug. 29 2008,05:50

"Collect things?" inquired Seraph with a small snort of disgust. Sailing over to a nearby counter he lowered himself down onto it and coiled himself up a bit like a snake, watching everyone as he did.

Tifa knelt down next to Kazuki too smiling awkwardly, "Sorry about that, Seraph isn't one to enjoy lots of hugs...he's just very matter of fact if you get me. Cleo would be different, she'd...oh...well nevermind that! Sorry!"

Ajiryn on Aug. 29 2008,18:55

Ajiryn was now just as silent as before. The incidents that had happened not but minutes ago had provided him a chance to talk up some nice banter between he and Kazuki. But now, he didn't know what to do.

What do you say after six years...?

Kneeling down to help Kazuki gather her things, he noticed a small picture lying on the ground. Snatching it up, he saw that it was one... of him. And Nil, too.

"Er- Where'd you get this from...?"

Kazuki on Aug. 29 2008,19:09

"Oh! Ehh... Well, see, when I left Station, I heard about you, and I needed something to identify you with... So... One thing led to another, I met the weirdo you were living with... And he said that was the most current picture of you."

She was starting to blush uncontrollably- In certain context, that would certainly qualify for stalking. But she wasn't; She just needed somebody else.

"Gimme that!"

Raynor on Aug. 29 2008,19:38

Reyna looked at Seraph, a gentle expression in her eyes.

"Jason, my brother, is lazy. So he goes around from time to time and looks for intresting artifacts and then sells them to others for a high price. I'm not sure but he might do the same with you or even Tifa for that matter. The less work he has to do, the better he thinks it is." Reyna said to him.

Reyna really hated that her brother was like that, but he was the only family she had left and she was determined to set him straight.

Tifa Mysteria on Aug. 30 2008,11:19

"Sell my summoner?! Sell a Spirit of the Wind?! I belong to no-one!" Seraphs seemingly cool manner was gone. His head rose up and with a flap of his wings he took the air once again, his wings beating faster with every moment that passed.

Tifa was about to giggle at the reunion scene between Ajiryn and Kazuki when she froze solid. Her head spun, spotting Seraph in a moment, "SERAPH NO! STOP!"

Seraph took no notice. It happened almost instantly. A noise ran through the air, the air itself around Seraph seemed to contract around him, crackling with built up energy. Without a sound the crackling bubble around him exploded outwards with great force.

[Seraph --> Vibration]

The blast of air filled the shop almost immediately. Pieces of debris and glass were sent flying in all directions. Tifa herself was thrown back against the far fall, hitting it with a solid thud and falling in a heap to the floor. Had this been done in an open space it wouldn't have been as bad but in the enclosed environment the shockwave of air was very potent.

Raynor on Aug. 30 2008,21:57

(OOC:Sorry for messing up the order, but I wanted to post this after Tifa's post so that it would make a bit more sense.)

Reyna didn't know that her wronging Seraph would cause him to do this. So blame fell to her. The shockwave knocked her across the floor and gave her a pretty bad thump on the head. After a few moments she rose and staggered a little to where Seraph was.

"Seraph, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to upset you. I wanted to warn you that there are people out there who don't care about the bond between you and Tifa like I do. They only care about themselves and money." Reyna looked down after a minute. Her apology didn't come from her thoughts, but her heart as well She really didn't mean to upset the spirit as she had just done.

It was also by this point that she was trying not to cry. But try as she might a few drops of water escaped.

Ajiryn on Aug. 31 2008,11:10

Ajiryn already drew his weapon from his coat when he heard Seraph's rage- Seeing the spirit go out of control was an alarming sight.

The blast was stronger than he expected, and he would've been smashed against the wall if he didn't drive the blade into the ground out of panic. It dug into the floor as the force of Vibration pushed Ajiryn back. He held on for dear life while wildly looking around for Kazuki, Tifa, and Raynor.

"KAZ!"

Kazuki on Aug. 31 2008,11:32

Kazuki's barrier had taken the brunt of the attack, as the shimmering silver sphere cracked into pieces. Kazuki was left with very little to work with, and quickly pulled out the Astral Flute- Not wanting to harm Seraph, she needed something to put a peaceful stop to this, and she had just the idea.

[I]Action 1: Somnolent Lullaby > Seraph, Ajiryn, Raynor, Tifa Mysteria[I]

In her haste to calm Seraph down, Kazuki temporarily forgot that this tune would affect everyone nearby- Though, there was always a chance of resisting the spell.

Raynor on Aug. 31 2008,15:54

(Again sorry for messing with the posting system earlier.)

Reyna tried to look up at Seraph, but felt the effects of Kazuki's lullaby. She tried to fight the spell and for the moment hold on, but only time would tell if she could hold on for the whole spell

Tifa Mysteria on Sep. 02 2008,06:38

Tifa was slumped in a heap to one side of the room. Seraph's vibration had stunned her to start with and the effects of Kazuki's tune knocked her out fully. She passed out on the floor.

Seraph meanwhile seemed to have realised his momentary loss of control and was regaining control when Kazuki's song hit him. Being a spirit he was slightly less affected than Tifa but not to a degree that he felt its effects any less sooner. He glanced round at Kazuki, well aware of who was doing this. His glance turned to a glare but it was fading as he began to feel sleepy.

Ajiryn on Sep. 02 2008,20:17

Ajiryn fought off the dullness, believing it to be part of Seraph's attack.

"I'm warning you!" he shouted at Seraph.

Kazuki on Sep. 02 2008,20:39

Kazuki kept the spell going, half out of fear and half out of smarts- She wasn't going to let up until Seraph was sound asleep.

She felt her magic running low, though- She NEVER had a lot of energy to work with when she was hungry. Otherwise, she'd be able to keep this up for hours.

Raynor on Sep. 02 2008,21:08

Reyna staggered forward a bit and tried to Catch Seraph, should he fall. Last Reyna remember he was still floating.

But after another few minutes, Reyna too collapsed to the floor and fell asleep.

Tifa Mysteria on Sep. 04 2008,16:14

As Tifa lay on the floor the necklace around her neck began to glow, the light filling the dark corner of the room she was slumped in. Even through Kazuki's song she began to wake, roused by the stream of magic that was now passing through it. Through dazed eyes she could see what was going on. "Seraph stop....please...."

Seraph himself was battling against the song as best he could. He drew a lot of strength from Tifa and being in the physical world diminished his strength considerably. It was only a matter of time, Seraph eventually loosing conciousness and falling from the air, landing on Reyna in a heap.

Ajiryn on Sep. 04 2008,18:47

Ajiryn shook himself awake, staggering a bit and having to use Ares as a cane. Kazuki's work now finished, he was able to recover from the partial effects, and managed to drag himself over to Reyna. Gently prodding Seraph, he seemed content that everyone was safe.

"Kaz! You okay?"

Ajiryn wasn't sure why he actually stood up against Seraph- Normally he would've high tailed it, or possibly dropped to the floor and adopt a fetal position. Surveying Kazuki, he concluded the spell must've been her doing- And she was also probably the reason Ajiryn didn't back down.

"...Beh. Master always said, 'Never command that which can command you.' Now I can see why." The shop was now in even worse condition.

Slowly rolling Seraph off of Renya, he stooped down to her level:

"I'm hoping you got a way to wake em' up. But hang on- I always wanted to see if this works..." Drawing a small pepper shaker from his coat, he brought it over Reyna's face, sprinkling a fair amount.

Kazuki on Sep. 04 2008,19:22

"I... Don't think... That'll work..."

Kazuki was breathing harder, spent on casting spells. Her hunger was the cause of the fatigue, and it wasn't often that she had to repeat a spell for a sustained period of time. Usually things either resisted a spell or gave in. Calculating how long Seraph had fought her off, she estimated she had used up MUCH more than she originally planned.

"I'm okay... just a bit- tired, s'all." She lost both her vision and hearing, and drifted off where she sat. Back bent over forward, her wild array of bangs hid her drained, sleeping face.

Raynor on Sep. 04 2008,19:36

Reyna was about to come to when Ajiryn dashed pepper in her face. Sneezing loudly she got up.

"Thank you." She said when she looked and Ajiryn and looked over at Seraph. Reaching down slowly she picked up the wind Spirit and brought him back to Tifa.

"I'm sorry to have caused all this. I didn't know he would react like that, but he needed to be warned about those things." Reyna lowered her head. "I'm really sorry Tifa."

Tifa Mysteria on Sep. 06 2008,16:15

Tifa had managed to pull herself up slightly having awoken a moment before. Seraph was already stirring as Reyna brought him over to her. "Don't worry, you weren't to know. Now you see why I keep this a secret...Seraph means well but he is very proud and..."

Tifa stopped and lightly ran her hand over Seraph's head. Despite the scene she was smiling slightly, "...but he's a good friend."

Ajiryn on Sep. 07 2008,15:26

"Kaz?" Ajiryn wandered over to Kazuki, and he could tell she was beat. Prodding her a couple of times, he concluded she was going to be out for a few minutes- maybe even an hour.

All seemed calm now, but Ajiryn couldn't help but feel alarmed when Seraph showed signs of coming to.

Kazuki on Sep. 07 2008,16:27

Kazuki started humming lightly, and eventually tipped over and softly stretched out on the floor.

[OOC: n_n zzzZZZ]

Raynor on Sep. 07 2008,16:53

Reyna smiled and crouched down. "Yeah that he is." She said as she rubbed Seraph's head lightly. "I hope that you two can take care of each other, but if you need it you two can stay with me and my brother." Reyna felt a but compelled to offer as she had just sent Seraph off and a tangent.

Tifa Mysteria on Sep. 08 2008,06:02

"Don't worry...its normal to be unsure when faced with the unknown..." Tifa let out a small sigh as if she knew all too well. "We'll be fine, we've made it this far not had any problems. Besides, I've got my shop in Station Square to take care of and a handsome ball of blue fluff at home waiting for me."

Tifa chuckled, as much as she loved M she also loved teasing him...sometimes he even chuckled himself. He still had a long way to go before though, M's life being filled with more dreadful events than she could bare think about.

"Thank you for the offer though, I appreciate your genorocity." She slowly sat herself up and drapped the sleepy looking Seraph across her shoulders. Glancing across at Kazuki she spotted Ajiryn's somewhat alarmed look and waved her hand at him. "Don't worry, he won't be waking up soon unless I give him a jump start. Seraph is powerful but in the real world he has to use me as a conduit to draw on his powers. Without me he is no more powerful than you or I...that is why I'm so important to him. Is she going to be ok? I hope she didn't tire herself out too much."

Ajiryn on Sep. 09 2008,00:23

"Er- yeah, just a bit of mental exhaustion..."

"That's odd... I didn't even see her cast any spells, how did this happen? Maybe she really is tired. Or... hungry?"

Kazuki on Sep. 09 2008,00:26

[ - - - - - ]

Raynor on Sep. 09 2008,12:49

"You are welcome." Reyna replied with a smile. "I work over at the Hospital on the other side of Stationsquare."

Reyna looked over at Kazuki and figured that she would be OK, but she didn't want to take that risk.

"Would you like he to take a look at her?" she asked Ajiryn.

Tifa Mysteria on Sep. 11 2008,06:32

Tifa gave a apologetic look at Ajiryn, knowing it was Seraph's actions that had worn Kazuki out. Slowly she shifted herself on the floor and worked her way up to a standing position. She glanced outside, noticing that everything had gone quiet. "Seems like things have settled down...we should probably go and find somewhere more comfortable to rest. We should probably track down some food as well, after all this excitement I could use a proper meal."

Ajiryn on Sep. 11 2008,13:36

"Heh, I like that sound of that. I think she could use something to eat... I don't remember her being that thin. I bet she hasn't eaten in days, by the looks of it." Ajiryn gently lifted Kazuki and carried her over to Reyna.

"She's just beat, that's all. It's happened a few times to her back when I lived with her. She'll come around later."

"...Long time no see, Kaz..."

"Let's get going before all the good places close, I'm not in the mood for fast food." he joked.

Kazuki on Sep. 11 2008,21:43

[ - - - - - ]

Raynor on Sep. 12 2008,06:21

Reyna Nodded, "Alright, Would you like a hand?" she offered.

Renya wasn't sure butshe figured it best to help in anyway she could for the moment.

Ajiryn on Sep. 16 2008,13:17

"Eh, you might wanna rethink that. She... I think she might of fallen into the sewer or something, but she doesn't smell too saintly at the moment..."

"Didn't I hear Tifa say something about getting rid of the odor...?" Ajiryn wondered if Kazuki still had whatever it was that she had recieved- He debated whether or not to search her pockets, but decided against it.

Axel the hedgehog on Sep. 16 2008,17:26

OOC: Could i join this rp?

Kazuki on Sep. 16 2008,19:18

[OOC: Right now, it looks like we're on a downtime- Playful banter and such. But, it is open, if you need a place to jump in. ^_^]

[ - - - - - ]

Tifa Mysteria on Sep. 17 2008,06:03

[You're welcome to join if you like.]

"Before the good places close? I would imagine everywhere would be closed...but in this ruined state I'm sure they wouldn't mind if we helped ourselves a little," chuckled Tifa, "And she seemed a little sensative about the smell so I wouldn't let her hear you say that. I gave her a small bottle to cover up the smell."

Tifa stepped forwards, poking her head out of the shop front and looking up and down the street. It was indeed quiet and there were no signs of soldiers running around. She stepped out cautiously and looked about again, "Looks clear."

Raynor on Sep. 17 2008,08:07

"I don't mind." Reyna Replied. Being a nurse, she had experiances with patients to had a smell to them.

She moved off over to Tifa. "I'll go with you. If thats ok?"

Ajiryn on Sep. 18 2008,16:35

"Really? I- uh, well... What color was it? I... I really really think it's in the best interest of everybody for me to find it as use it on her. Really. Like, now. It's starting to really get to my nose... Really."

Lugging a sleeping Kazuki around didn't seem like much fun, until Ajiryn got a sudden idea: "Hey, anyone here have rope? "

"Whatever I'm planning doesn't consist of tying her to a lawnmower that has enough in it to jail me for twenty years. I'm not lazy, I'm just tired. Yeah." He muttered under his breath.

Axel the hedgehog on Sep. 18 2008,17:52

OOC: thanks guys.

Axel hadn't been in the city long, when he was forced to hide from groups of soldiers running around. He wondered what had happened to this city for soldier haveing to run up and down the streets, but he decided he didn't care. He kinda liked the idea, it gave him something to do, as he would purposely wait for them to come come past where he was hiding and then see if he could get past them without being seen.

From where he was hiding, he looked to see if everything was clear and then ran down the street and round a corner, where he slowed to a casual walk. It was then that he noticed someone in the doorway of a shop and without thinking he shouted to them "Hello, mind if i join ya?"

Tifa Mysteria on Sep. 19 2008,06:09

Tifa jumped out of her skin...or at least a goof foot into the air as Axel shouted. She spun towards him, half expecting to see a mass of enemy soldiers running towards her. Instead she gave a heavy sigh and slumped slightly. "I need a holiday..." she murmured to herself before replying to Aeon, "Um...hello...uh, did you get caught up in this mess too? It would be best if we stick together...hey you could help carry..."

Tifa stopped and turned to look at Ajiryn with a raised eyebrow, "Rope? What do you want rope for? Tying her up isn't going to help the situation...although after her outburst I can understand why you might want to..." Tifa giggled slightly, "I'm not sure where she put the bottle but I think I have another."

She opened one of the pouches on her belt and rummaged through it for a moment before pulling out another small bottle. She held it out, making a dabbing motion to her neck with the other, "Sides of her neck should do it, not too much."

Axel the hedgehog on Sep. 19 2008,17:00

Axel walked over to Tifa, whilst talking to her. "You could say i got caught up in this and help you carry what?" He was confused and at the same time curious as to what she was talking about. Through the open doorway Axel could see thier were others inside, but he didn't take much notice of them, as he was waiting for Tifa to stop speaking to one of them so he could talk to her.

Raynor on Sep. 21 2008,07:14

Reyna came over to where Tifa and Axel were before she noticed the other Hegdehog.

"Oh, Hello. Who are you?" she asked Axel. She waited for Axel's responce.

He's kinda... cute. Wha! what am I thinking? Reyna thought to herself. She wasn't sure why she thought that, she just did.

Ajiryn on Sep. 21 2008,13:42

"Er- Actually, I think the rope would be better." Ajiryn wasn't sure why, but he didn't like the idea of somebody else carrying Kazuki. This caused him to become slightly defensive, and he looked away from everybody for a bit.

"She doesn't have outbursts often, no worries. What I need it for... is..." "I can show them the lawnmower, as long as they don't know what's in it... right...?" "-it'd be easier to take her with us."

Dashing out of the store, he slipped around the corner, and came back a few seconds afterward, 'lawnmower' in tow. He had barely realized how awkward the idea sounded.

"S'cuse me... oh, hiya, didn't see you there..." He said, nodding in Axel's direction. "Now, I know it doesn't seem normal, and this isn't really much of a stretcher-" Ajiryn glanced at Reyna. "But I think it should do, right?"

In offering to use it to carry Kazuki, Ajiryn now had an excuse to lug this thing around. He hadn't for one second forgotten what he stashed inside of it, and he couldn't wait to unload it on the next pawn shop he came across... If there was one open at a time like this, anyway.

"Man, I wish I had an infinity cube!!! I would've taken everything that wasn't nailed down... and maybe that, too."

Axel the hedgehog on Sep. 22 2008,17:34

Axel turned his head in the direction of a new voice, it turned out to be another hedgehog. He looked her up and down, then said "My names Axel, and who are you?" He curious to know who she was, as she was kinda cute, but he didn't show he liked her, he would find out if she liked him before pursuing her. someone else, who Axle didn't know came walking out of the door, "God how many are there in that shop" Axel thought to himself.

He his eyes followed where the other guy had gone and was surprised to see that he returned with a lawnmowe and when he said that he would be carrying someone on it, he found it quite funny, but his his humour, by saying "Where the hell did you get that?"

Raynor on Sep. 23 2008,08:07

Reyna smiled a little. "I'm Reyna. Its nice to meet you." She said and held out her hand. Reyna wondered what Axel thought of her, but then again, she also wondered why she cared like this.

Axel the hedgehog on Sep. 23 2008,17:41

Axel turned his attention back to the other hedgehog, who he now knew as Reyna. He accepted the offered hand and shaked it briefly, then replied "Its nice to meet you too". He liked her, she was friendly and kinda cute, but at that moment in time he wasn't interested in her, but he would be at some point, but for now he was more interested in where the lawnmower had come from and looked in its direction and at the guy who was pushing it. He waited for his reply, to his question earlier.

Tifa Mysteria on Sep. 27 2008,13:13

[Sorry for me absence...just had a serious mental block.]

Tifa watched the scene unfold around her quietly. She had a small double take as Ajiryn revealed his lawnmower but then again she had seen stranger things in her life.

"So that's what you wanted the rope for," she said, "Well I don't have any myself but I can help steady her if you like?"

Ajiryn on Sep. 27 2008,22:50

"I... got it... from... a pawn shop." Technically Ajiryn wasn't lying. He DID steal it from a pawn shop. The jewels in it WERE from the pawn shop. No problem. Besides, everybody only thought of it as a normal lawnmower. No worries.

Until a tiny diamond popped out of the casing. It only made a light sound as hit hit the floor, but Ajiryn's ears picked it up no problem. Looking down, he saw it, and for a second, hesitated to pick it up.

"Uh oh." He hastily kicked it to the side before anybody saw it. Hopefully.

[Ajiryn]

A few minutes had passed, and Ajiryn found himself lazily dragging along, behind him Kazuki hoisted onto his 'lawnmower'. While he would've preferred to dream of what he could by with the fortune he was sure to get once he 'pawned' this 'lawnmower', he only stared off into the distance, throwing the occasional glance at Kazuki. He wasn't even sure if the others were behind him anymore, or if they lagged- His mind was entirely on the vixen behind him.

"I wonder what I should say when she wakes up..." Kazuki was the closest thing he had to a friend, ever- Even in comparison to the gang formerly known as S5 (If it could be considered a 'gang' to begin with.) And that was saying a lot- Ajiryn had grown very attached to S5, especially the leader- A kindly, older-sister-personality tom-boyish girl. "Wonder what happened to Semyl..." Ajiryn paused- He just realized that he never made a full effort to keep in touch with any of his friends- And when you had little family like he did, something like that would make you regret it. If he really cared about his friends... Why is he only meeting one of them for the first time in six years?

He could not imagine that it was actually SIX! She was almost the same- Some small differences here and there. She talked the same- Slightly deeper, older voice. She even looked at him the same- A look mixed with utmost trust, care, and mischief. Heck, when she woke up, she'd probably still fry him just like she used to back then, for pure enjoyment. (To her, at least.)

Ajiryn shuddered at the thought- As children, Kazuki practiced her lightning elementals on the closest moving target- Usually him. Remembering that six years is a lot for somebody to change- And even more time for somebody to learn a devastating new spell. He could stand the Plasma Spheres, sure- but what if Kazuki had learned how to drop a bolt on him? Yikes. Worse yet... How was he supposed to explain that his elementals worsened over the years? That was a conversation he wasn't looking forward to. After all, her father had been his teacher; Kajimoto had based, if not, dedicated his life to magic.

"...Maybe I'll just give her a free shot at me..." Glancing at her again, he noticed she looked absolutely beat. The least he could do was let her shoot off a sphere at him without having to aim.

What were friends for?

He glanced around- something had just popped into his head. Maybe this trick would awake Kazuki.

"I still think you're out of tune." He shouted into her ear, hands cupped so the phrase would vibrate inside.

[Kazuki Kajimoto]

Kazuki let out a barely audible moan- She felt horrible. What happened?!?

"I remember I was being chased down some sewers... Did I die? ...No... I got out and... there was this place... and... somebody... familiar was there... I can't... remember..."

She couldn't open her eyes, nor could she make out what the voice next to her was saying. It took a few more seconds to register a presence nearby.

At first Ajiryn had no effect. Then, her eyebrow started to twitch. After a few seconds... One eye slid open, followed by the other- and then:

"I - will - end - you." Her hand shot out towards his neck, and she pulled him down to her level. Kazuki was about to electrocute him until she noticed who it was.

"A-Aji? ... AJIIIIIIIIIIII! It's really you!" She had apparently forgotten their meeting inside the shop, and was back at square one.

[Ajiryn]

"Ack! Don't hurt me! I give, I give, it was a joke, I didn't say 'Out of tune', nope, never, don't fry meeeeee!" Ajiryn let out a tiny yelp as he was forced down on his knees.

"Wait, what? Of course it's me! Don't you remember ten minutes ago? Tackled me, hugged me, zapped me, you know, all that?"

[Kazuki Kajimoto]

Kazuki scratched her ear for a bit.

"Hmmm..... nope- Oh wait. Yeah, now I remember!" She hopped off of the lawnmower and brought him closer for another hug. "Six years! See, I remembered! I want to know everything! Ev-er-y-thing!"

[Ajiryn]

Ajiryn was a little startled at her sudden recovery- Even more startled when she brought him closer for a hug- He was still on his knees.

"Wha- K-Kaz!"

[Kazuki Kajimoto]

"You probably have soooooooooo many things to tell me! Where'd you go when you left? Where'd you stay at? What did you do? Oh, hey, I just remembered... I owe ya one!" Kazuki said, full of glee. She released him and raised her hand for a Plasma Sphere- He's had this one coming since she last saw him- And Kazuki never forgets. However, she was interrupted by her stomach.

"Oh- I'm starving. Got anything to eat?"

[Ajiryn]

"...Starving?" At first, he mistook it for a friendly figure of speech, but another glance told him that she really was at that point- Even if she didn't think so. "...What have you been up to...?"

Ajiryn gave her a sad look, shaking his head. Kazuki looked a lot thinner than anybody should be. "Kaz... You've been... eating lately, right...?" He said it purely out of concern for her; Catching up on times could wait.

[Kazuki Kajimoto]

"Well.. I- I've, um..." Truth be told, she hadn't really eaten in about a week. "That's going to make him worry, though."

"I... had a little something two days ago..." She couldn't flat out lie to Ajiryn. He'd see right through her. She'd be able to get away with a few days, though, as he really didn't need to know about that.

"...It's nothing. Really!" Kazuki had not only starved herself the past month- She had wound up broke, too. Having a meal daily was something that became increasingly difficult over the weeks. Kazuki wasn't one to accept charity from strangers, too.

"Aji... It's- It's not that important. ...I'm fine. Let's... talk about something else..."