melodiesoflife | Spreading the Word

Entry tags:

Spreading the Word

WHO: Ellie, OPEN
WHAT: Ellie is doing her part ~~begrudgingly~~ to spread the word about the Moogle Christmas Village. At least it gives her an excuse to travel, make connections, and establish some plans.
WHEN: December 8th - 21st
WHERE: Just about any continent or location outside of Aqures Ixen
NOTES: Last chance to pick up CR with Ellie if you want her to bring your character along for the upcoming prison break plot set for January 1st. Details are in that link.

By daylight, Ellie could be easily seen moving about the major cities, passing out fliers that detailed the location of the Santa Village and the many attractions it had to offer. She was cheerful and outgoing, answering questions, dropping to one knee when addressing the children.

Night was a different story. A woman with sleek brown hair and a hood of rich purple velvet sometimes appeared in less than savory places. Those who challenged her were quick to feel the heel of her boot as it pressed into the side of his face. They could choose to join her, or fund her efforts to find men who knew how to fight, and who knew how to follow orders. This woman had no name, and was simply known as The Brigand Leader.

Depending on the scruples of those in charge of the prisons in other nations, they would be visited by one or the other. Not all of the prisoners she planned on freeing from the Heran prison could be released back into a law-abiding society without causing great risk to innocent civilians. In this sense, she negotiated for a trade: a body for a body, with no change in the supplies required to maintain the prisoners, and a gift of gil to sweeten the deal. Those she managed to liberate, who were either too dangerous or too willful, would not serve her well. By scattering the ones she did not need, it would be more difficult to trace her as the culprit as well should the empire frown on her bold escape plan. Given that they weren't prone to smiling, she fully expected a big fat frown from the almighty emperor.

In the meantime, she found the travel to be rather pleasant. It appealed to her in a way that few things could, and there was a rush of excitement that rippled through her blood every time she stood at the prow of the airship and watched the figurehead rend the clouds. She rented a room at times, when visiting the larger cities and colder locations, and enjoyed a hot meal and a drink when she was sure it was safe to do so. Otherwise, she was content to set up camp on the fringes of town, bundled up warmly where she could hunt her own dinner and make a little money on the side if she happened to run into a beast worth slaying.

She doubted she would run into many Heroes on her travels -- most seemed content to nest in Aqures Ixen, or flitter to that gaudy and pointless holiday village. But she made sure to keep her eyes open just the same. Ellie had no desire to let her plans slip this early in the game, and that meant she had to play nice with her fellow Heroes. There were a few she found...tolerable. But not all.

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"That's right, now to the left!"

As Ellie was wandering about the village, she might have caught sight of an unfamiliar dark haired man, shouting to an animal who seemed to be facing him with an intense glare. Yuri had a huge smug look on his face as he held out his arms for the animal. The thing that was off about the best was that he had a large pipe on his mouth but at the same time, there was a dagger of sorts at the other end of his mouth.

The dog made grumbling sound, before it dashed at the male, attempting to slash him with precision. Yuri jumped back and avoided its assault and they continued to do that for a while.

"Nice!"

He replied wiping the sweat off his face minutes later to pet the animal. Yuri hadn't noticed her yet but he walked over to the large dog, kneeling and then petting his head fondly, "You did great Repede. It's going to take some more time, but you're a trooper!" It was clearly obvious how much the man cared for his canine companion.

...Interesting.

There honestly wasn't much that made Ellie happy, particularly in this world. She trusted few, and her missions were too important to allow room for levity. But the sight of this man and an obviously intelligent creature stirred up fond memories of the time she'd spent training with her own childhood friend -- a minotaur named Toro.

Many had assumed Toro to be little more than a dumb and violent beast. But they'd grown up together, and she could see echoes of the relationship they shared in the way Yuri interacted with this 'Repede' companion. He cared for the dog, but it was obvious that the dog cared just as much for him. That was a valuable bond indeed.

She ought to leave, she thought, lest her observation seem more like spying than the incidental encounter it happened to be. But if they saw her slinking off, that was probably the assumption they would make just the same. It wouldn't hurt to speak to them, she supposed. He didn't look like a native of this world, but it was difficult to be sure.

"I have never seen someone fight with a blade held in their teeth," she commented by way of introduction. Ellie leaned against the back of a leafless tree, her fur-trimmed hood drawn up to protect herself from the flakes of snow drifting through the air. "It is an interesting style. You have taught him this, or is he naturally inclined?" For all she knew, the beast might be able to speak, so she chose her words carefully to avoid condescension.

Yuri looked up to see an unfamiliar young woman looking at him and speaking to him and Repede. The dog doesn't really do anything but stand there and stare at here with his dark eyes. Yuri, however gave her an acknowledging look and stands up from his kneeling position. He grins sheepishly since he likes hearing good things about his favourite companion. Repede was indeed a very hard working animal and intelligent to boot. He's also a quick learner.

"It's a good option if you don't got thumbs or anything that could hold the weapon firmly."

He replied to her with a nod of his head, "It's a little of both. He grew up knowing the battlefield and I'm just giving him a hand at his handicap right now."

Seeing Repede had no arts and nothing but his basic abilities. Yuri wanted to ensure that Repede would be able to defend himself no matter what the circumstances were. The last thing he wanted was for the dog to end up dead or hurt. Yuri wouldn't take that very well at all. The dog somewhat understood her and her choice of words were acceptable.

"Handicap? He seems very capable to me." He hadn't yet given her the invitation to approach, so she remained where she was, studying the two of them, allowing them to study her in return.

"I would be correct in assuming that you are no stranger to the battlefield yourself, yes? Let me see..." Ellie's gaze traveled from Yuri's arms to his legs, noting the breadth of his shoulders and the shape of his face. He was lean, that much was clear. Acrobatic. He wouldn't wield a knife, she thought, or he wouldn't have quite as much muscle in his arms. But he wasn't overly muscular either, so she didn't think he used a particularly heavy weapon like a club or a claymore. A bow? No... His legs were muscular as well, and his acrobatic movements weren't often employed by one who needed the stability and stillness required to fire off a good shot.

"I would say...a longsword, light mace, or a one-handed ax is your weapon of choice? But I do not know if you employ a shield or not." Likely not, if he could duck and weave as freely as he did, but she couldn't tell from her short observation, and shieldbearers didn't often have any physical tells.

"It's a thing that comes with our world. We have different skill sets and abilities. He doesn't have it here, so we're starting from square one," he explained as quickly and bluntly as he could. Yuri wasn't the type to dwell on explanations, but he supposed giving her that much was more than enough.

"Not at all. I didn't grow up in it but I spent a good amount time around it. You're mostly correct. I specialize on swords and no shields. They're kind of troublesome to move around in."

he replied with a big grin on his face, "You seem like you know your stuff too, stranger. It seems you're not much of a stranger to these kinds of things," he replied giving her a shrug before continuing, "You new here?"

Since he didn't really keep up with a lot of the newcomers and all.

She seemed pleased when he confirmed her assessment, because she was. The better she could read people, the better her odds of surviving in combat. Careful study and observation were absolutely crucial in her opinion, and she made it a habit to notice every little detail that she could.

"I was raised by a hunter, and taught to fight against monsters and men," she informed him, repeating the same story she'd told Ales. It didn't raise many questions, she'd found, and explained her personal skills and abilities better than anything else she could think of.

Since she had no desire to continue being called 'stranger,' she stood in a relaxed pose, one hand on her hip. "Ellie," she gave him her name. "Yes, relatively speaking. I awakened in this world in November. And yourself? How am I to call you and your companion?"

Yuri was intrigued by how well she was able to describe him and without knowing him too well. Of course, he was good at accessing her as well. It seemed like they were both perceptive when it came to these things.

He listened to her quietly as she told him about her upbringing. Such a strange person to tell him the honest truth in which he didn't mind too much. He rather was almost surprised by how honest she was. Not that it was a bad thing. He liked honest people. It was better than those who attempted to deceive others.

"Ellie," he mused before giving her his name, "Yuri, Yuri Lowell and this is Repede," he replied gesturing to the dog as he said those words.

"It's nice to know that there are honest folks around. You seemed to have had a decent upbringing."

"I have no complaints, it is true," she quirked a smile. "But you are the first I have heard say it is 'decent.' Most seem concerned or upset to hear of a woman reared in the wild."

Ellie made no effort to correct him about her honesty. She had grown up in the woods and was taught to fight, but it was far from conventional. But she could be honest enough about other things; the fewer lies she told, the fewer lies she had to keep track of and cover up.

"I am pleased to meet you both. I am always glad to find others adept with the blade," she nodded her head at Yuri. "Perhaps you will favor me with a match someday."

"Women or men, they're all the same to me. Just because you're physically different doesn't mean I have to treat you special."

He replied with a shrug,"I'd be the guy that folks would hate, to be honest."

Since he would punch a girl without thinking about it if they were screwed up in some way. He's also used to headstrong and violent women, so it's not surprising that he decided that she wasn't any different from them. Of course, to avoid getting hit, he didn't state the blunt facts right now.

"I wouldn't mind crossing blades with you. It's nice to see folks who work hard to train themselves, anyway."

"Would that others shared your opinion," she remarked somewhat coolly. "For Heroes of Light, there don't appear to be very many of us who care to act in the best interests of the people." The fact that so many of them were holding down mundane jobs where there was so much work to be done was one of the greatest irritations she'd found since waking up here.

But here was someone who at least cared enough to keep his combat skills sharp. That put him ahead of most of the others in Ellie's book. And he was training this animal as well. How interesting.

"You do not seem to be the type who slacks off only until it is convenient to lend a hand, however. Am I correct in assuming this?"

"Who knows. One of me is already bad for some. I wonder what that'd be like if I met more folks like me."

Yuri pauses a moment when she says those words to him. It is kind of true. She does have a point in that regard, since most Heroes of Light wanted get back home on their own accord and did what they could for them mostly. The vigilante wanted to ensure that he got back to his world but he certainly wasn't going to abandon people in need either.

However, he only wanted to do things the way he wanted and not by some rules. It was something he had to do considering he was stuck with a handicap of new job classes and nothing of his own. It was annoying but he was getting the hang of it all together. Repede was his friend and companion. He had to make sure the dog was well prepared for combat.

"Who knows? I'll let use your imagination on that one."

He replied with a laugh.

"Mmmm," she remarked, her lashes lowering slightly as she lifted her chin. He was interesting, she'd give him that. But was he the sort of person that was worth her time and attention? That had yet to be seen, and she wouldn't get answers from idle conversation.

Perhaps a small test was in order. She was still making arrangements, but given what she'd seen of him so far, he was a good candidate for the mission. Then she could observe how he fought, and how he treated opponents.

"I prefer instinct to imagination. We shall see." She scruffed Repede's fur with a friendly pat then rose to her feet. "I will not take up too much of your time. But it was good to meet you both."

"Pleasure is all ours. Feel free to find us anytime. I'm open for casual chats," he replied with a grin as she was excusing herself. Yuri enjoyed being difficult for people since it would make him seem less interesting. He wasn't prone to sharing personal information with strangers. She seemed perceptive enough so he was going to have to be careful around her.

Repede makes a grumbling sound when she finished patting him and walked back to Yuri.

"Take care on your way alright?"

Too bad for Yuri; being vague and closed off only increased her curiosity. Perhaps if he were weak or stupid, she wouldn't have wasted a second thought on him. But he had promise, and he had secrets. It was just a matter of time before she found out what those secrets were.

She lifted her hand in a casual wave. "I am the last person you need to be concerned about, trust me," she chuckled.

But he could feel sorry for the monsters that crossed her path if he liked.

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Spreading the Word

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