Return of the Emblem Chapter Nine: Consolidating Forces

[-Cynthia-]

"Yeah, I'm here for the money, you're catchin' on," Nadya said to Robin, giving her a wink. "Cut bigger potatoes into small chunks. People chokin' on pieces that are too big would probably make your apology not go over so well," Nadya suggested lazily, looking around at the other sellers.

[Snowy_One]

"So then, if someone offered you more money to turn Raquel and the group in, would you accept?" asked Robin as she put the smaller potatoes back in the stall before her hand moved over to a few greens and spices, carefully picking out the ones she needed.

[-Cynthia-]

"Can't really say, depends on where I'm turnin' people in and how much more money is bein' offered. Raquel's been pretty steady with the payments so far, so I wouldn't worry...too much," Nadya added at the end.

[Snowy_One]

Robin's hand quickly retreated from the spices as she promptly facepalmed (not getting any in her eyes thankfully). "Oh my... I thought I just got over this with Gytha. Nadya... Please. Putting your loyalty with money makes you untrustworthy as a teammate. Not to mention employers will not trust someone who will betray them as soon as someone offers something of more value to them. Please, I do not want to end up in another fight with someone so soon, especially as I am readying to cook the apology meal for the first spat!"

[ReformBlade]

"Well if you're set on it, we should probably go out of town or... you know, I'm not sure if there's any sort of no flying zones. I'd assume there are since, well, landing out of fucking nowhere would be a very big problem. Well, if nothing else, I guess we can try flying over the sea or... something! Don't worry, it's actually much safer over water than land seeing as the impact is much less severe with water than solid land. But... I digress!" Guiding Hannah, Aneda motioned for Faatina to follow. "While we're at it, how about we go sight seeing, just for a bit, eh? Seems we could both use the exploration, this place is pretty foreign to me."

[Ether]

"It sounds like it would be really nice to see the sights from up in the sky." Faatina replied, excited at the thought.

"I... don't really know what I'm doing when it comes to flying... I'll let you decide, Aneda." Faatina added, somewhat nervous about the whole affair.

[-Cynthia-]

"Then I'm untrustworthy as a teammate," Nadya replied to Robin simply. "If Raquel feels unsure about my loyalties, she can give me a raise. 'Til the moment I decide my contract runs out, I'll continue savin' all your asses, Mercy knows ya need it."

[Phoenix]

Gathering

"I'm pretty sure I said I didn't want any stew for dinner, which is hardly defensive. Is a concept loike that completely over your head or something? Either way, I'm not in this group for 'camaraderie', so forgive me for not caring one iota about Robin's apology. If anyone deserves an apology, it's the captain, not the rest of us. She should be cooking for him after starting a foight on someone else's ship." Gabbie replied, still annoyed.

Raquel had been tuning out the argument as best she could while keeping an eye on Bogdan, who was conversing with a small group on the docks. One of them was jotting down things as Bogdan spoke. Raquel suspected he was either a shipwright taking notes for upcoming repairs, or a man logging the Leverager's arrival for port records. Something like that. Raquel's face lit up a bit once he stepped away from the small group and they dispersed. Chances were he was free to talk, and he was on his way back.

Messenger

"No I do not." he replied blankly.

Meeting

Upon entering the tavern, Cecily spotted quite a few people. The place was too quiet for a tavern, though. It was almost like a war room in the middle of a meeting, but no one was talking and there was no clue as to who was in charge. It was the most awkward situation Cecily had found herself in in a very long while, yes, even more so than any interaction with Simon to date.

"Oh, who might you three be?" came Colin's voice. He almost headed Cecily off. Cecily shook her head at the question, hinting for her sisters not to answer either.

"Where is Sardis?" she asked, ignoring his question. Colin sighed and pointed his thumb toward the counter. Several people were seated there with their backs toward the door, Sardis, Hayato, and Silvia. Hayato glanced over his shoulder when Sardis was mentioned, looking as dubious and hostile as ever. Sardis didn't look back, and neither did Silvia, instead choosing to focus on her drink, using the straw to stir it a little bit. Cecily came just close enough to be at range for a normal conversation and said "We've been assigned to your command." she greeted, saying just the bare minimum to gauge his reaction.

"Is that so ..." His reply utterly shocked her. He sounded dead inside, like he wasn't even there in the moment. She came in expecting to find a hardass willing to send them to their deaths at the drop of a hat. She'd misjudged the situation quite badly, she thought.

[Snowy_One]

"So, you are on our side as long as Raquel pays you until you decide you are not? What reason do you have to remain loyal to us then? No friends? No loved ones? No loyalty beyond money?"

[-Cynthia-]

Nadya

"I've got friends and loved ones, Robin, whaddya think I'm tryin' to get all this gold for? I probably coulda built a cushy house by the seaside with all I've gathered up. I've got people I'd die for, but those people ain't Raquel or you, or anybody else in this group except Luca. Ya want to risk your life for random strangers that's your business- but it sure as hell ain't mine," Nadya said, glaring at Robin.

Veronika

"She probably could apologize to the captain," Veronika agreed, not really caring whether Gabbie showed up to Robin's meal or not. She began looking around and noted that Bogdan seemed to be free...she supposed she should accompany Raquel into speaking with him soon.

Clara and Cloe

"Hi I'm Cl-" she began to respond to the strange man, before Cecily cut her off with her question. Well that was a little rude...business is business though I guess. When they arrived at their new boss's location, Sardis seemed a little...sad.

"Um, we can come back later if you're in the middle of something," she offered.

Cloe scanned the tavern, sizing up the members here. Don't look too tough- bet we could take 'em. she thought to herself, locking eyes with the man with the scar for a moment. When they arrived at Sardis she decided to keep her mouth shut for the moment Seems upset...another failure maybe? Layla would want to know about that.

Edited April 30, 2012 by -Cynthia-

[Snowy_One]

"Is not the important thing that you have such friends and family in the first place? Is it not important that they spend time with you, knowing you are safe." Robin looked down, a crestfallen look upon her face. "I wish my mom and dad knew I was safe. I... I did not tell them I was leaving before I left. They must be scared beyond belief that something has happened to me. I..." a small tear ran along the edge of her eye as she squeezed the potato hard. "I am so stupid. So selfish..."

[-Cynthia-]

Nadya

"Ma and Pa didn't want me to leave either, but it was for the good of everyone that I left. It's not selfish if you're doin' what ya think is best for 'em. If you're really worried about it, send a letter or somethin'- Ma and Pa are always movin' so I can't do that, but ya probably could. And I'm not eatin' that potato," she added, pointing to the one Robin was squeezing.

[Phoenix]

To the Captain

Raquel waited until Bogdan was about halfway up the loading ramp, that way she could time her arrival just a short ways after he made it onto the main deck. That was when she began her walk and she caught him approximately when she planned to. "I have a free moment, now."

"As do I. I suppose you are both coming, then?" he replied, pointing out Veronika.

Tavern

Hayato turned around in his seat and then stood up. "As if we need a pegasus unit ..." he scoffed. Cecily's only visible reaction was a slight glare in his direction.

"I'm still waiting for updates from Southern Sardius. I'll have nothing for you until then, I'm afraid." Sardis replied, his voice just barely reaching the three sisters. If not for the odd silence of the place, it probably wouldn't have.

[Snowy_One]

"It would take weeks to reach them in Ohka, even if there was no trouble in crossing the border, and I did not leave because I thought it would help them. I left... because I wanted to have the glory of revealing that the weak little Urswine could not protect their sacred treasures and that a girl from a backwater town could manage to steal something of great value from them."

She brought her hand up to her face to wipe away another tear as she thought back on what she had done. "My god... I am... How much of a selfish twat am I? I left my family for fame and glory, swore to protect someone I barely knew and am now acting like I am better than you for it, and fought with every member of the group because I thought they should be more like me. How... how can you trust me?"

[-Cynthia-]

Nadya

"Pfft, stealin' sacred treasures isn't that hard. Your gang probably just wasn't used to stealin' things. Seriously, they leave those things there for like a thousand years, ya really think they're gonna have high security all the time? I mean uh, that's what I heard. From a friend," she said, scratching her head.

"As for trustin' ya, I don't really trust anyone here except for Luca, but ya seem to aim for the bad guys more than us. That's good enough for me," she said, shrugging.

Veronika

"Yes I would, if it doesn't trouble you captain. There is a lot to discuss," she said simply, walking over to him.

Clara and Cloe

Cecily seemed ready to let the insult against pegasus knights go, but Clara felt the need to clarify. "Uh, with all due respect Mr.-sorry I don't know your name yet- pegasi are both highly mobile, resistant to magic, and are said to be blessed by the Goddess Mercy herself. The three of us fight together very effectively and we are glad to be helping the Organization out at this branch!" she said while looking at Hayato, doing a little fist pump for emphasis.

Cloe facepalmed at her sister. "Can we just stable the pegasi now?" she asked with a sigh.

Edited April 30, 2012 by -Cynthia-

[Phoenix]

Away They Went

"Alright, then. To my cabin." Bogdan instructed, expecting the two to follow him. Once they arrived, he kept the door open so Raquel and Veronika could enter, and once they had, he closed it, and headed around to his own seat. "So this is where you decide whether to get off here in Tremere or come with us to the next stop on our way, I suppose."

Raquel nodded. "Honestly, it's better for us if we come with you to the next port. The only difference between Port Tempress and Port Tremere is about a hundred miles. We're still way too far form Ursium to rely on finding a ship that will take us straight to Sergio. I think we should stay without at least until Yoshimo."

"Yoshimo ... hmm." Bogdan rubbed his chin. "It's on our route back to the mainland. If you need to get at least that far, then you can count on the Leverager to bring you there. Obviously things are a bit iffy after that, though."

"Right ..." Raquel agreed, lowering her gaze a bit.

Away They Will Go?

"Three 'pegasi' are three 'targets' unless you girls think you're actually skilled or something." Hayato shot back.

"We come highly recommended. I suppose we will be here for awhile, though, so let's see to our companions, and then find someplace less obnoxious to wait for our orders." Cecily commented, taking a quick jab at Hayato. Putting the pegasi into stables was a thought that troubled Cecily a bit, though. The town wasn't well maintained overall. Only the places the Org was actually using were in any more than shambles, so she wasn't sure how suitable the stables would be. She was certainly missing that estate's stables right then and there.

[Acacia Sgt]

Seemed there was a slight friction regarding the stew thing, but fortunately it was minor. And now Raquel and Veronika left to speak to the Captain, meaning their little group was breaking up for now.

<Well, I guess I can take to the skies to pass up time.> John thought, walking back over where he left Gil.

Sophia for her part walked back to the Dauntless to wait.

[Snowy_One]

"It should not be. You lived as a nomad. You need to have a close bond or else you struggle to survive, right? Even though I hunted alone I had friends whom I trusted back at the village... I miss them so much."

Edited April 30, 2012 by Snowy_One

[-Cynthia-]

Nadya

"I do have a close bond," Nadya said to Robin, patting Luca. "Besides, I'm not really relyin' on y'all to survive, just to move slower than me when the goin' gets rough. I'm not gonna fight to the death or anythin," she said.

Veronika

"And where would go from this Yoshimo then? Do trade ships run from there to Ursium?" Veronika asked the captain, internally cursing her lack of geographical knowledge.

Stabling

"Well it's not so bad here...not as nice as the estate, but it could be worse," Clara said, unhitching Perseus and beginning to walk him towards the stables.

Making sure no one else other than her sisters was within earshot, Cloe unhitched Thadeus and said in a low voice "So it seems we're going to be stuck here for a while...what's the plan for getting some info?"

Edited May 1, 2012 by -Cynthia-

[ReformBlade]

"Well if you're nervous, then let's get you settled down first! Hop on!" Aneda got ontop of Hannah and settled herself in. "Here, hop on, Hannah's a nice girl, she won't bite!" She began patting right behind her and then offered a hand to Faatina for help. "She'll take it real slow and easy at first so you won't get freaked out, wontcha Hannah?" the pegasus snorted. Giggling to herself, Aneda translated "That means 'yes, of course I will'~!"

Why do people get so defensive? Yeesh! "Yeah I know..." I mean they're on the same team, right? At the very least they have similar goals, right? "Yeah, right." Then they should at least not get on each others' nerves! It's common sense! "Not as... common as you'd think." It was at this point that Davod tried to cover his voice up with a cough.

[Snowy_One]

"So when the going gets tough... you will leave us behind on a whim? I thought your loyalty was to money."

[Ether]

"Is that so? Well then, I suppose you know not of our Goddess... 'tis a damn shame that you seem so... keen to be over and done with such haste... but unavoidable it would seem. Have you anything else to tell me?" The Director asked, taking another swig of his drink.

*******

"Alright then." Faatina replied, stepping towards Hannah and saddling herself behind Aneda. Wings aside, the pegasi was not a whole lot different from Sharif, and getting herself atop the beast was no issue.

'I'm not used to riding second... I'm... not quite sure how I should... I'm sure Aneda will tell me if something's wrong...' Faatina thought, eventually deciding on the easiest and most efficient grip, snaking her arms around Aneda's waist and bracing herself against the other woman's back, keeping a tight grip as not to fall off.

"Alright, is there anything else?"

[Phoenix]

Raquel

"If I tell you, it should not leave this ship." Bogdan warned. "There are two primary routes back to the mainland, and one of them is blockaded by the imperial navy. That is the route we would prefer to take, if for no other reason than to eliminate the possibility of being intercepted by the rebels if they find out what happened. The chances of running into the Ursians is extremely high, though. The other route puts us too close to the waters the rebels are always making pushes on. The chances of running into them are extremely high, as well. If we take the former route, we can take you as far as South Central. Otherwise, you will save more time by getting off at Yoshimo. I haven't made up my mind, yet. This war is complicating retrieval on both routes. The empire is biting off more than they can chew, again." he explained, sounding less than thrilled with both routes.

Gabbie

Davod spoke once, and Gabbie glanced at him, not saying anything at first. The words couldn't have possibly been aimed at her. He spoke again, and she considered asking him who he was talking to, even cocking her head a bit in curiosity. Once he spoke the third time, it was time for at least a witty remark. "I really want to hear the other half of this conversation you're having."

Cecily

"I thought Sardis was going to need coercing just to keep him from sending us off to the frontier or something," Cecily began, putting a hand on her chin as she walked. The other held onto Proteus' reins. "He's clearly off about something, which is information we could certainly use. The first step is to make sure that he doesn't send us off to do anything but personal errands. I think I know where to start, here. It could be a bit risky, though. Those swordsmen with him. I suspect they're lieutenants or field agents. They're likely the people he's been working with and they clearly aren't meeting his needs. We'll start with them. We need to earn his trust by proving ourselves more powerful and more reliable than them; find a task normally reserved for them, and completely outdo them. Rinse and repeat this a few times, and he should begin to trust us. Oversimplified, but I just thought it up on the spot, anyway."

Messenger

"Please, pardon my rudeness. I am merely a messenger, and not entitled to such 'on the job' liberties. I will add one more bit of information to what you already know before I depart, though. Do not hold back. The slightest bit of hesitation or mercy could be your undoing."

[-Cynthia-]

Nadya

"Money doesn't do a dead person much good. Besides, I also like livin' a whole lot- it ain't a 'whim' it's a smart choice," Nadya countered.

Veronika

"Sounds dangerous either way- but South Central would be closer than Yoshimo. The Neviskotian imperial navy would let us through without incident I suppose...though I doubt they'd care enough to send us an escort," she mused aloud.

Clara and Cloe

"Oh...I thought we might try to be nice to the other agents, try to get information out of them that way," Clara offered, bringing Perseus along.

"Ugh I don't want to have to play nice with scarface, crazy hair, and the drunk chick. Do missions, gain Sardis's trust, report back sounds a lot simpler," Cloe added, heading back towards the stables.

[ReformBlade]

A little surprised, Aneda smiled and talked behind her, "Nah... nah you're fine. Just be very sure to not let go. Firmness is fine but don't try to squeeze me in half, ok? We'll go slow like I said. I'll start with a slow ascent, I'll level off but do tell me if you get uncomfortable. No shame in being honest, I'd say... Anyway, if you're ready back there I'll just go~! Come on, let's go Hannah!" Giving a light kick, she urged Hannah forward, leaping up into the air with powerful flaps of her wings. Circling over the water at the moment, Aneda looked back as they ascended. "And there you have it, your first trip in the air..."

Oh now you did it. Haha, you let it slip! "Oh be quiet, this isn't the first time!" You should probably be talking to her and not yourself... Seriously, you should be more careful. Don't respond to me... "Huh? Oh uh..." Clearing his throat he put on a shy grin. "I don't think you'd like it to be honest. It's not interesting, I'm just... thinking out loud." That's your story...? Well ok then... You'll probably have to explain yourself at some point but hell if I know when.