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Post by Ramza Beoulve on Feb 12, 2011 23:30:36 GMT -5
Ramza had grown accustomed to travelling world to world. From the continents of Gaia, the Unnamed World surrounded by water and a futuristic version of what his Ivalice looked like. It was hard to grow accustomed to it. But he had. In order to keep a low profile, Ramza wore a black cloak and black goves over his clothing. It was all he could afford with the money he had. There was also the inconvenience of different worldly wardrobes that seemed to bother Ramza. Every world had something different in fashion.
He walked through the streets of Cocoon, and with each footstep, Ramza couldn't help but feel a sense of harmony. It was more futuristic than any other world thus far. But the weather was beautiful. The streets were bustling with people. It brought a sense of calm to Ramza's demeanor.
Now supposing Ramza did attract any attention, it was the massive longsword he had strapped to his back over his cloak. That, he couldn't conceal. So on occasion, he got a funny look. Nothing bad... Yet.
He looked at his hands, and they felt his grumbling stomach. He hadn't eaten in a day. He was too busy trying to get to his world. These portals weren't ordinary 'Point A and Point B' portals. They traveled to parallel universes. There was no telling how many Ramza would encounter before finding home. Another issue struck his attention as he looked down frustrated. What if time and space were set at different intervals? Meaning even if he did return to his plane of existence, there was a possibility that it wouldn't be in his time. All of these answers he got from people who knew lead to more questions. A never ending cycle.
The blonde man walked down an alleyway. For reasons really unknown. All that was thinking at the moment was his belly. And down that narrow pathway lingered a delicious scent. He paused for a moment as two figures emergd from the shadows. One was a redheaded man, not large in stature with piercing brown eyes. The other was a large bald man, looked about in his thirties. His eyes were a bright blue. In fact if you put a full head of hair on this man, a single woman might call him handsome. Ramza stared for a moment as the two approached him.
[yellow]"...Can I help you?..."[/yellow]
The red haired man smirked.
"Your stuff. And any money you got. Hand it over."
The bald man stared in silence. Ramza after making eye contact with both of them smiled in response.
[yellow]"I'm sorry gentlemen. I have nothing except this sword and the clothes on my back."[/yellow]
The smiled turned to a dark grimace. One of a man who's seen better days. Days before war. Days before the grim exchange of one's life, so you in turn can live. He had about him, the look of a gifted killer. Unfortunately, that's all Ramza ever was.
[yellow]"If you want it... Take it."[/yellow]
The red head looked at his friend and grinned. They both started to run towards Ramza. Hand to hand? He thought. Should I kill them? He corrected his thought with a conscience. They haven't wronged me... Yet. I couldn't kill them. I wonder what'd attract the least amount of attention. His eyes narrowed the choices as the men came closer and closer. Obviously it would have to be a split second decision. But Ramza always followed through with a plan for every action. It was in his training. I know...
The fingers in Ramza Beoulve's right hand lit up and pointed towards the ground. He grinned. Nothing a little magic can't fix. The guys who were now three feet away from Ramza took swings at him, but couldn't reach. Their feet were welded to the floor in ice. Ramza walked past them in their cries of terror as they tried to free their limbs from the ground.
[yellow]"You need to cool down."[/yellow]
He kept walking...
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Post by Blint Basael on Feb 13, 2011 0:44:18 GMT -5
Blint rubbed the outside edges of his eyes as looked up from the micro-scope. He was working on the next version of his arm, and he needed a microscope to work on all of the micro-system that allowed it to work. Thanks to some recent encounters he needed to make this next model a little more combat effective. He was lucky that he only needed to do what repairs he did to his current arm.
He could smell his bothers cooking and figured that now was as a good time to stop working. After making a few quick adjustments to his notes and a little tweak in his design Blint flipped his tools back into a hand, and let his arm in progress slide down into the table. A voice called from up upstairs. "Hey, Blint dinner is almost done!."
He chuckled "I know, I can smell it! Just give me a couple minutes to clean up." The taste of oil and metal rarely went with food. Although there were a couple times that it didn't go to bad with a sandwich. As he finished washing his hand he was distracted by what sounded like screaming. "Hey James, I might be a little bit, so go ahead and start with out me.
"Alright, just try not to take to long."
Not sure what was going, Blint slipped on his gloves made sure to grabs his guns out of a nearby drawer. As he walked out the door he switched the open sign to closed and tucked his guns under his shirt in the small of his back.
This was a usually a peaceful place. Not often was there any crime and even if there was it was just something petty like theft. The last time he heard screaming it was because of monsters in the city, he hoped that wasn't the case now.
From the sound of the screams it seemed like they were coming from the alleyway just outside of his shop. As he turned into the alleyway he was greeting with the sight of a large man in a black cloak walking this way. Just behind him were two guys with their feet frozen to the concrete. Seeing this Blint drew one of his pistols with his prosthesis and felt auto-haste cast on himself. When he first bought the shoes he only planned on using them so he could get more work faster, but it seemed they were a bit more helpful then that.
With the most commanding voice he could manage. "Stop, right there! Another step and I won't hesitate to put a bullet through you. Blint surprised himself with how confident those words sounded.
What happened here? Blint put a couple of ounces of pressure on the trigger as he spoke. If the man did act in any strange way then he would not hesitate to shoot him, but he hoped it wouldn't come to that.
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Post by Ramza Beoulve on Feb 13, 2011 1:55:11 GMT -5
Well. Will you look at that! Another pleasant person. Ramza thought with distain in his eyes. They narrowed, examining the situation from a distance. It was a man. From the looks of things he was in his early twenties with white hair and crimson eyes. What an odd combination... His thoughts stirred. Pointed at Ramza was what the people at SeeD explained to him as a 'firearm'. Like a bow, it focused on long range weaponry. Bullets travelled however at the speed of sound while a bow's speed varied depending on the compound. Ramza stared with a cold look in his bright brown eyes.
[yellow]"Muggers picked the wrong man to mug."[/yellow]
He put his hands up jokingly. The boy looked like he hadn't killed a man in his life. Even with advanced technology like his 'firearm'. If this turns into a fight, it'll have to be quick. Ramza thought. Ramza analyzed him for a moment, his silence probably stirring a pot of emotions in his adversary.
The man was inexperienced. The assumption made by him running out in the middle of an alleyway to see what was wrong. It also proved the man was noble. He actually cared about people, and that was something Ramza already admired. The final assumption was the man was a long ranged specialist which might be tricky for Ramza. He probably had some expertise in the use of firearms which means unless Ramza could divert his attention or get up close, he was screwed.
[yellow]"I'm just a wanderer looking for food and shelter. I meant no harm."[/yellow]
He thought about his plan of action should the man try to shoot him. What's the quickest move in your hand? He looked up for a moment in thought. Smiling, he thought; Lighting! What's faster than sound? Light. So that was the plan. With his hands still in the air, Ramza would use his left hand to shoot a bolt of lighting to scare his opponent. With the adversary confused, two seconds was all Ramza needed to travel 30 yards. In those thirty yards, he would engage the enemy in close combat. It was probably his best chance of victory as he wasn't a long range specialist. It put Ramza at a severe disadvantage.
He hoped he wouldn't have to do all that, but it's always good to plan ahead...
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Post by Blint Basael on Feb 13, 2011 16:30:44 GMT -5
Taking a closer look at the man and then at the other two strangers Blint noticed things he didn't at first glance. The first being that the cloaked man was actually armored, he could see pieces of if under the cloak as the man put his hands in the air. The second was that he actually knew one of the other guys. He was a petty theif that had tried on a couple of occasions to mug Blint also. The first time the mugger left with just a few missing teeth, the second time he crawled away with a few broken bones. Needless to say he didn't try again.
Blint sighed then shifted his aim at the wall and fired two quick shots. Each bullet chipped the wall as it bounced then cracked the ice around each of the man's legs. "I suggest you two leave before you actually get hurt." He looked at the armored man then put his gun away after a moments hesitation. If the man still decided to attack, then he might be surprised by the few tricks Blint still had under his sleeve.
Blint tapped his knuckle on the wall. "My shop is right here, why don't you come in, dinner is just about done." He then turned around and moved faster then he expected. He forgot that he still had haste upon himself. It would dispel soon enough so he didn't worry about it and just walked inside. "Go ahead and sit any where." He turned around and hoped that he wasn't just talking to himself.
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Post by Ramza Beoulve on Feb 13, 2011 17:09:17 GMT -5
Ramza stared in amazement as the bullets bounced off the wall, cracking the ice and freeing the petty criminals. He turned and watched as the two ran away in obvious primal fear. The ginger was the only one making any noise. Ramza's eyebrows furrowed. Why do I always run into loud people? While he pondered that thought, his head turned at the sound of a knuckle tapping on the wall. A small smile lit on his face as he not only heard the offer to come inside this man's shop, but the idle threats the ginger still screaming behind his back.
"YEEEEAH! Bet you aint so tough without your magic pretty boy! You're lucky you have that freak protecting you."
Ignoring him, he put his hands in his cloak pockets, closed his eyes and followed the stranger. The scent of food seemed to grow stronger with every step. Ramza kind of felt bad. He probably interrupted this man's dinner. When offered to sit down, the silent man nodded and sat. He looked around the place. It was fascinating. Such technology beyond the reach of his time period, layed out for him to admire.
He looked at the white haired man and smiled.
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Post by Blint Basael on Feb 13, 2011 18:43:35 GMT -5
He wasn't sure why, but he was glad that the stranger came in. "I'll be right back just make yourself at home and try not to break anything." He then turned and headed for the nearby stairwell. Before going up them he looked back. "By the way my name is Blint." With that said he headed up the stairs to find his brother.
It wasn't that hard all he had to do was follow his nose. Sure enough James was sitting in the kitchen. He looked up from his meal and nodded towards the stove. "Bout time. These things are best when they are hot." He then bit into his bagel sandwich and started to loudly chew.
"Sorry, something unexpected came up, and I now have a guest. He spoke as he grabbed two plates and picked up a couple sandwiches. "So if you'll excuse me, I have to head back down stairs.
Before he went back down to his shop, he went into the living room to check on his dad. Sure enough there he was lounging on the couch, watching TV with dead eyes, and surrounded by liquor bottles. Blint flashed a sad smile, but like usual it seemed as though his father didn't even see him. It was best to just let sleeping dogs lay. He shook his head then went back down to his shop. He hadn't heard anything crash so he hoped that nothing was broken. It wasn't that he wouldn't be able to fix it. It's just he had gotten a lot of contracts recently and all he needed was to be set back.
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Post by Ramza Beoulve on Feb 13, 2011 18:58:02 GMT -5
By the time Blint introduced himself, he went up the stairs preventing Ramza from giving him a proper introduction. He looked around the shop, heeding his orders not to touch anything. Busy man... He thought as he looked at all of the machine parts and projects he had cooked up in the shop. There was very little space or elbowroom. Good thing for Ramza, he wasn't a big guy. So avoiding any collisions was a cakewalk.
He took off his cloak, and gloves, folding them neatly an leaving them on the back of his chair. He took off his massive armor torso, revealing a white tee shirt underneath (from the Unnamed World). He unstrapped his leggings down to his trousers. Setting his armor and sword in a nearby corner, he sat back down analyzing the room. He locked his fingers together, elbows on the table. Such fascinating work...
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Post by Blint Basael on Feb 13, 2011 19:53:01 GMT -5
As he came back down the stairs the first thing he saw was a set of armor laid across one of the work tables. He set the Bagels down on a nearby table and looked at it. He wanted to pick each part up and see what he could do with them, but quickly reminded himself that they weren't his. Instead he picked up one of the plates and handed it to his guest. "Sorry about the wait had to check on something upstairs."
Looking at the guy now, he seemed to be closer to Blint's own age. About the same body build to. Without the armor he looked like your average guy. If it wasn't for the stranger circumstance that they met, he could have believed that he was sitting down to hang out with one of his friends. Blint took his gloves off then picked up his own sandwich, and leaned back against one of the tables. Obviously he wasn't from around here. "So what are you doing here in Cocoon?"
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Post by Ramza Beoulve on Feb 18, 2011 14:08:11 GMT -5
Ramza munched on his sandwich like a ravenous wolf. It wasn't that the food looked or tasted good. He hadn't eaten in over a day! It almost drove him mad that he had no way to pay people. If he went to an older world, there was always hunting for his food. Maybe a Chocobo. But he found none of that around many of the worlds he traveled to. It was a fight to survive. After taking three seconds to devour the sandwich, Ramza rehinged his jaw (metaphor) and grinned.
[yellow]"It's quite alright."[/yellow]
When asked about his situation in Cocoon, he looked down. The year in this era was well past 2000. Ramza was sure if he told Blint the exact year he was from, he'd get a kick out of it. That or he'd freak out. Either way, he was invited into his home and ate his food. It was an obligation to tell him what was going on.
[yellow]"You may not believe this, but hear me out when I say it's the truth. You probably made the assumption that I'm not from around here. What gave it away? The armor?"[/yellow]
His bright brown eyes made contact with Blint's crinsom.
[yellow]"I'm from a parallel dimension. The time setting is 1292 in the year of our lord."[/yellow]
He wasn't even sure if Blint knew what he meant. Did Jesus Christ exist in this realm?
[yellow]"I'm a former Knight. My blood is noble as were my intentions. But I was betrayed by my countrymen and thrown into exile. The only job that suited me then was killing people."[/yellow]
He paused for a moment, lost in his train of thought.
[yellow]"It's still the only thing I'm good at..."[/yellow]
He played with his thumbs while lowering his eyes and stared at the table.
[yellow]"When you've done something long enough, it sticks with you. After The Lions War, which is another long story, I picked up jobs killing heretics, priests, kings, you name it. Fell to drinking. One day, in my drunkard state, I opened a door that lead me to a world engulfed in water. I've been trying to find my way home ever since."[/yellow]
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Post by Blint Basael on Feb 21, 2011 21:35:41 GMT -5
Blint chuckled as he watched Ramza devour his sandwich. Apparently the guy hadn't eaten in a awhile or his brother's food was better then he thought. He bit into his own sandwich then decided that it was most likely the first assumption. Ramza then started to speak and Blint just sat there eating, listening as he did so. He nodded and met his guest's gaze, but waited until he was done until finally speaking.
Thanks to recent events, he didn't have that hard of a time believe his story. Of course Blind didn't understand all of it, but that would come later. ”Yeah it was your armor that gave away that you were from around here. No offense but if I wanted to I could probably crush it with my hand.”
He then realized that this man had no idea that he had a prosthesis. Since he was honest with him, Blint wouldn’t hide anything. So he took his gloves off and pulled back his right sleeve reveling the metal beneath. ” I’m going to go out on a limb and say that what you went through was something similar to what I did. I fell through a portal and found myself in a beautiful world made of crystal. Still as beautiful as it was, it seemed like everything there wanted to kill us”
Blint paused as he finished up his meal then went back to talking. ”So is there anything else that I can get you.” He decided to leave the killing business alone. Mostly because what’s done is done and because he didn’t really care.
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Post by Ramza Beoulve on Feb 23, 2011 14:29:18 GMT -5
Ramza failed to notice the arm. It was only until Blint mentioned it that he paid close attention. T'was a sight for sore eyes. Medical and mechanical research must have soared in this time period. As he stared at the contraption for a little, he paid attention mostly to key sentences in Blint's description. Crystal world. Everyone tried to kill him. Ramza made a serious note of that incase he ever went to that world. Trust no one.
When asked if Blint could get anything for Ramza, he grinned.
[yellow]"I'd like to meet your cook and get his recipe if you wouldn't mind. This... biscuit or whatever it is was delicious![/yellow]
Yeah. Ramza didn't know what a sandwich was. What's funny about this scenario is that Ramza realized him and Blint were about the same age, and they both seemed to be decent human beings. If they were from the same world, there's a good chance they could have been friends. So why not? He thought. Allies are always important.
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Post by Blint Basael on Feb 26, 2011 0:14:36 GMT -5
He was used to people staring at his arm. Either they would walk in on him working or something would happen that he had to reveal it. He had gotten use to it, but there was always a little bit of awkwardness to the moment. After he cleared his plate Blint waited a few moments then put his sleeve back down. "Yeah just give me a moment, and I'll be right back with him." With a smile he gathered the plates then went up stairs. 'Biscuit things huh...he had almost forgotten that this guy was from another world. It amazing what the little things can remind you of.'
Despite wearing boots Blint made little sound as he climbed the metal steps. On his way up he thought about inviting Ramza up, but then thought of his father and decided against it. The man was already drunk and wouldn't be to kind to strangers showing up randomly.
As he passed the living room Blint quickly stepped in to pick up a couple things, and thankfully his father was already passed out. This saved him from on of the many awkward moments he had to go through as the day passed on. Blint always wanting to say something, but never able to bring himself to do it. His father's face showing guilt as plain as the spirits in his hand. He grabbed a few dishes and cans then quietly left.
In the kitchen he found James washing dishes. It was suppose to be Blint doing it, but his brother still did them anyway. "Thanks."
"No problem, it's not like I had anything else to do. Dad fell asleep on the couch again so I can't really watch TV"
Blint chuckled. "True. He watched his little brother for a moment and couldn't help, but feel a little sad. This kid had his childhood pretty much taken from him. Yet he was still able to grow up fast and handled the loss of their mother really well. He slid the dishes into the soapy water and threw out the cans.
He turned back to James with a smile on his face. "Our guest would like to give his complements to the chef, so why don't you come downstairs with me. I think you'll find this guy to be pretty interesting."
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