The Dramatic Rodent Inn

[Kaname and Ramza]

"Well..."

Nial furrowed his brows as he thought about the rules of smoking. He glanced sideways at the children playing, and their sleeping parents on the couch. While Mariner was doing a fine job as a bartender, he figured that he was the best authority on what was allowed here, but he was also the worst when he came to thinking of other people.

"If you stick close to an open window, I suppose we could allow it inside. What do you guys think?"

He got to trying to decrypt the files, if he didn't succeed he had at least one backup.

---

"Huh. Haha! You're right. I completely forgot!"

Ramza laughed and shook his head, at least he didn't look dumb in front of Torr. He led the way upstairs, staying just long enough for Demyx to catch up before hurrying a few more steps ahead. The upstairs hall was sunny due to the windows, another callback to the thought that this castle really wasn't made for defense. From the window, you could make out the vague shapes of people shopping.

[Something About Sparrows]

[[OoC: I'm thinking about joining this one. Even though I can be a bit slow to post, having school and all. Looks like a good RP though.]]

[Kaname and Ramza]

(( Hahaha! We've all got school and jobs too. It's really slow here, no worries. Feel free to hang out in the OOC thread, should be linked in the first post, but here you go anyway~:
I'm a link~))

[Demyx Ghatori]

Ƭнɛяɛ ιƨ иɛʌɛя σиℓʏ σиɛ ƨтσяʏ тσ вɛ тσℓ∂...

ʎɹoʇs ǝɯɐs ǝɥʇ ɟo ʇɹɐd ןןɐ ǝɹɐ ǝʍ ʇǝʎ puɐ˙˙˙

"...Yeah, I guess, as long as you're near a window or something, it's okay," Mariner said, getting a glass and picking a bottle of whiskey. "Smoking's not a real big thing around here. It's kind of a medieval world, I guess, but if you're actually from around here, you'd be the only one in the building. We have a fridge and freezer, so you want any ice in this?"

Demyx remained unusually cheerful, at least for himself, despite the challenge of climbing upstairs on one leg and a prosthesis. Having a tail wasn't so helpful in that regard, but arms and rails were. "We were going to ashk him about jewelersh too, weren't we?" he asked Ramza as he caught up to him. "Washn't zhere shomezhing elshe?"

˙˙˙noʎ ɥʇıʍ ǝq ǝɔɹoℲ ǝɥʇ ʎɐƜ

Ɖαиcɛ Ɯαтɛя Ɖαиcɛ!

[Ms Dahlia]

After another few seconds of hesitation she raised her thin shoulders in a quick shrug and returned the case to her pocket. The lighter stayed in her other hand, slowly being passed between her fingers from one end of her hand to the other, a habit she sometimes followed through on unconsciously.

"Ehh, they'll still be there and just as flammable after I'm buzzed enough to take a step outside. No ice, thanks. I'm not the biggest fan of dilution."

She raised the corners of her mouth in a small smile and cradled her chin in the palm of her unoccupied hand, the elbow of her arm resting on the counter to hold it all up. The only other time she moved while waiting for her drink was when she crossed one leg over the other, light eyes staring absently at the surface of the bar.

[Yukai WindeRiver]

Well who ever this chick was, she was raised a little higher in his thoughts for taking the cold over comfort. But being a guy still in high school that usually relied on a friend for any sort of introduction, he didn't really make a comment.

So Chris just stood behind Nial and took pictures of the scientist's screen as he worked.
---

Rikky simply glowered in the entry to the kitchen and weighed the likelihood of an attack.

----

Meanwhile, in the castle, a small crowed of maids was racing back and forth throughout Torr's quarters. From behind a screen, orders and requests were being shouted into the home oriented chaos. An outfit was designated at soft enough, and with a little bit of trimming, the darkened and singed tips of the king's hair were nicely hidden away.

[Kaname and Ramza]

Nial kept typing away idly, and sat upright after a moment. Grinning like a cat with cream once he got what he was after.

"Got it. A grocery list, sheesh, what else? Hmn, that's a lotta metals... Wait, that's supposed to be a name?"

He muttered to himself as the typing and clicking got to be much more energetic. The one armed man's face lighting up under the glow of his laptop. That was one encryption done, and with any luck the similar lower security items were lazy and just used the same one.


----

Ramza kept pace with Demyx now, instead of speeding ahead. He put his knuckles to his mouth, as he tried to recall what else.

"Jewelers, Kaname's message, and then... Hmnn... We also wanted to make sure to keep it on the low down, and to warn Torr as such."

He furrowed his brow, what all did they decided to talk to Torr about. If anything, it might come up while they were chatting with the over-sized Koniconian, but his thoughts were momentarily distracted by a familiar voice. Looking up to see if it was who he thought it was.

"Oh I don't think the roses need more water, I think they're wilted compared to your beauty."

Up ahead, a rather regally dressed young man was flirting with a maid. Upon closer inspection, he had slightly pointed ears, and no pupils in his yellow eyes. He appeared to be inspecting a rose with one hand, while his other arm was hidden under an ermine cape. The maid being flirted with red in the face and trying to wave off the compliments.

[Demyx Ghatori]

Ƭнɛяɛ ιƨ иɛʌɛя σиℓʏ σиɛ ƨтσяʏ тσ вɛ тσℓ∂...

ʎɹoʇs ǝɯɐs ǝɥʇ ɟo ʇɹɐd ןןɐ ǝɹɐ ǝʍ ʇǝʎ puɐ˙˙˙

"Fair enough," Mariner said, pouring the girl a glass of straight whiskey. "I'm not entirely sure what the charge is...unless Nial happens to know off the top of his head, I guess we'll have to ask Ramza or something when he gets back. He's technically the owner of the place, I think, but he's not in right now."

"Right, yeah, definitely low down," Demyx repeated as he and Ramza continued down the halls of the castle. "Lasht zhing we need ish a national holiday made of it..." His attention was distracted by the sight of a regally-dressed young man flirting with a maid, neither of whom were anyone he recognized. "...Do you know who zhat ish?" he asked Ramza in a low voice, just in case it was someone whose attention they'd rather avoid.

˙˙˙noʎ ɥʇıʍ ǝq ǝɔɹoℲ ǝɥʇ ʎɐƜ

Ɖαиcɛ Ɯαтɛя Ɖαиcɛ!

[Ms Dahlia]

Her head bobbed slightly,absently, at his remark about the fee. Money wasn't something she was very worried about right now, so she only vaguely kept it in the back of her mind as she accepts the glass.

"I'll make sure I get it settled before I head out. I'll even try to keep track of how many glasses I drink, just in case you lose count."

She grins a little at the bartender and subtly raises one eyebrow before dropping an exaggerated wink and taking her first drink of whiskey. Lightly painted eyelids cover up the honey tinted orbs for a moment as an almost imperceptible shudder passes through her, her mouth very finely pursed, but only for a moment. When her eyes open again, having been closed barely longer than it took her to wink, the smile was back on her face.

"Now that is some decent alcohol. You sell many drinks around here?"

It was an idle sort of banter, but she couldn't keep the plain curiosity out of her voice. To keep herself from looking overly interested she kept sipping on her whiskey.

[Yukai WindeRiver]

"Your gonna make Loser jealous, Nial."

Chris commented on the quick work of decryption.The teen was wondering on how useful any information they could get off of a laptop would be actually. Well it wasn't like back at home. These were more than personal computers, probably.

And, glancing over at the bar once more, taking in how many bottles were outlined against the two, Chris had a moment to be really, really grateful for Mariner's presence.

At least he had normal responses.

[Kaname and Ramza]

"Ramza's too much of a bleeding heart. At least I know he hands out food to anyone whose so much as batting their eyelashes."

Nial commented, clicking through the decrypted files, which were mostly a list of orders and places to get things. It would all be relatively interesting if he knew where these towns were, or in fact if he knew where Yukai went. Leaning back to look up at Chris, he smirked gladly.

"Of course, everyone better be jealous of my techy prowess. Or I'll kick them in the jaw. Let's see if I can't beat him to the punch again."

With a sigh, he rolled his shoulders, and at least noted that the System were fairly trading a lot of stuff to make whatever this base was look feasible to the outside. With that, he popped out that device and looked for another like it.

---------

"Well, technically, Arkaid is run by two kings, Torr and Yen, although Torr likes to do everything himself as for Yen..."

Ramza started to explain, and the rest of Yen was pretty self-explanatory with his actions. He rubbed the back of his neck and just kept walking forward, and watched as the maid had came up with a working excuse and ran off to get back to her job. Grinning as he thought to pick on Yen a little.

"I remember when you said I was the cutest thing alive."

Yen jumped, and nearly knocked over the vase that held the slightly wilting roses. He caught it and put it back upright on it's stand, before glancing over to Ramza and Demyx. Straightening out his braid and trying to look regal, although he was shorter than Ramza.

"R-Ramza! That was when we were kids! I mean... not that you aren't cute... but...! Well! What can I do for you and..."

Looking to Demyx for his name, but also eying Ramza's sling and Demyx's prosthetic leg with a bit of genuine concern.

[Demyx Ghatori]

Ƭнɛяɛ ιƨ иɛʌɛя σиℓʏ σиɛ ƨтσяʏ тσ вɛ тσℓ∂...

ʎɹoʇs ǝɯɐs ǝɥʇ ɟo ʇɹɐd ןןɐ ǝɹɐ ǝʍ ʇǝʎ puɐ˙˙˙

"I'm not jealous of you, Nial. I dare you to kick me in the jaw," Mariner said, leaning halfway over the counter with a grin. Given that he was a six-foot-two professional athlete and Nial was obviously not stupid, he wasn't really counting on his dare being taken. "Anyway, as far as drinks go...not really," he added to the customer as she sipped her whiskey. "It's kind of an out-of-the-way area, and the, um, locals...the people who live in the next town...don't really tend to come here."

"Demyx," the dragon-man said with a grin, looking Yen over like he was sizing him up for a fight (or at least a friendly tussle). "Ramza, what'sh zhish about him shaying you were zhe cutesht zhing alive? Do I have a rival for your affection here? Are we going to need to go out back and fight for your love?"

˙˙˙noʎ ɥʇıʍ ǝq ǝɔɹoℲ ǝɥʇ ʎɐƜ

Ɖαиcɛ Ɯαтɛя Ɖαиcɛ!

[Ms Dahlia]

She caught herself forcing down a laugh in the middle of a particularly large drink and cursed herself for having assumed the banter was a safe time to do that. Luckily she saved it without making a mess and ended up just letting out one or two coughs that were half laugh, anyway. She was grinning at him by the time he addressed her again and his comment caused her gaze to wander around the room again, a bit slower this time. When her gaze made it full circle she shrugged her shoulders while lifting the glass back to her lips.

"Well, it's their loss then, isn't it?"

Her other hand raised up in a fluid sort of way that looked almost detached and went back to propping the girl's head up. The glass in her other arm was almost empty and she swirled the rest of the liquid around in the bottom, watching it whirl and settle over and over again while she waited for what she'd already taken in to hit her. There was a softness that settled over her vision and left her satisfied for a time, going back to swirling the whiskey but without watching it anymore. Thoughts were already drifting back to that case as she considered stepping out, her glasses sliding off and slipping easily into a pocket to reveal the light eyes glancing toward the door more clearly.

[Yukai WindeRiver]

"Well if I could plug my phone into that, there might actually be some competition."

Actually he really would like to see Loser and Nial go head to head on something like this. It might be good for the kid to have a challenge for once. Something outside of science and magic fairs. As long as he himself didn't get any jaw kicks. Chris carefully stared at his screen, rather than Mariner or Nial as he contemplated just how something like that would go down. At least it looked like the lady was pretty fine with these sorts of conversations.

[Kaname and Ramza]

Nial furrowed his brow and made a perplexed frown with his mouth drawn taunt. However, he adopted a grin not unlike Yukai's usual ones.

"In pleasant company? No, no, I'll get you when we don't have any customers."

He listened to the rest of the conversation before he'd put in his two cents. First thinking that they were out of the way for bar, and yet to close to town for the locales to need the inn. Although, he could think of a few who would come just to see a winged man serve their drinks, or any number of the odder occupants. However their reputation for danger and anything notable that really happens...

"I think our reputation precedes us too much."

He looked over to Chris, grinning. This next one was at least a different encryption, but it seemed about the same difficulty.

"Okay, I don't know if I have the right wires for your phone, but did you see if Yukai found any? If anything you could copy down their phone numbers."

--------

Ramza blinked, and then put his back of his hand to his forehead and fake swooned. Winking at Demyx and Yen.

"Oh I couldn't bear the thought of you two fighting."

Playing the part of damsel and not worrying about it too much in this situation.

Yen ran his hand through his blond bangs and posed and played along with the act. Standing on his toes and tossing his head, trying to look taller and more regal. The smile on his face was too childish to be consider serious, though.

"If it's a duel sir, I'll see you at sundown!"

He changed his tone though, and relaxed to a more serious attitude.

"By the way... does Torr know about these injuries? Because I might go warn him before you give him a heart attack."