melodiesoflife | Event || Terra Incognita

Magitek Research

[Disappointing. That's Rukia's reaction when she leaves the building. The schools and universities are perhaps more likely to have the answers she's looking for, but the Magitek facility itself seems more focused on the technology of the Ancients -- a subject that Rukia has never been particularly well-versed in understanding. She's not even sure she'll be allowed into any of the schools, but perhaps if she asks? She does look young, due to her height, but apparently her round ears mark her prevalently as a Hero of Light, so there will be no subterfuge for her today.]

[That would probably be a bad move in any case.]

[She prowls along the streets, eyes scanning intently for anything resembling a library or bookstore. She means to find out everything she can about Narayana and how this ties to the manipulation of eidolons...namely, Hades. But if the others are behaving erratically as well, then that's a problem she needs to address.]

[Of course, this is about the time she slams into someone else, while her attention is directed to the shop signs instead of the street in front of her. Depending on the size and stability of the other person, she might even have been mowed down. But if not...]

Er...my apologies. I was distracted.

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Various Market Shops

[There are so many interesting wares! She kind of wishes she hadn't donated all of last month's ghost money to research, since there are a lot of things here she'd love to buy. An elemental weapon would be excellent, particularly if imbued with Holy since she'd seen how vital it had been in the previous month. But anything would do, just in case. What weapon, though? Daggers seem fairly universal, but she still feels strange handling them. Katanas are definitely out of her price range.]

'Something catch your eye, Miss?'

[Rukia looks up to see the friendly merchant, clasping his hands together deferentially.]

Ah, yes. I was looking for something that might help me better combat the undead. We dealt with many rogue spirits last month--

'Say no more! I've just the thing!'

[He winks, then reaches under the countertop to withdraw a small wooden box. The lid opens slowly, and Rukia stands on her toes with anticipation. Inside is... A pen??]

...I don't understand.

'It looks like an ordinary pen. But if you use it to scribe arcane wards on the floor and walls, it fills them with magic! Any spirit that comes within range of these wards will be weakened and cowed, making them ten times easier to conquer. Sometimes it will keep them out entirely!'

Really?!

'Really truly!'

I'll take it!

[And Rukia, once again, is an easy target for scams.]

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Adventurers End

[She didn't come with the intention of drinking, but it happened. Drinking was a sign of camaraderie, they'd said. Lift a glass in friendship, they'd said. Only half a shot?! What kind of Hero couldn't handle more than that, they'd said.]

[And so, Rukia Kuchiki succumbed to peer pressure, and became drunk off her shinigami ass. A quartet of bangaa warriors laugh uproariously, thumping the table in rowdy encouragement as she throws back another shot, and flings the glass to the floor.]

There. Have I satisfied your warrior's code?

'Baaaaaaahhhhhhhh ha ha ha ha ha!'
'Yer lookin' pretty tipsy, Hero!'
'We knew you were a lightweight.'

Silence! I am...!

[A hiccup interrupts Rukia's slurred tirade, and she looks surprised as if her body just betrayed her. Scowl. Then she continues.]

I am...a NOBLEwoman. A Kuuuuuuchiki. You will...you will show reshpect!

'Reshpect! I got plenty'a that, bah ha ha ha!'
'Can you buy 'reshpect' at the grocery store, Kuchiki?'

................Maybe.

[This produces another round of raucous laughter. Rough as the Bangaa might be, they seem to have accepted the drunken imperious behavior of their guest.]

'Hey, tell us more about the rabbits, Kuchiki.'
'Yeah, what were you going to do with them again?'

[Rukia's gaze swims over their reptilian faces, before she gets up out of her chair and plants her hands on the table.]

I'm gonna...gonna own them. A whole bunch of 'em. And we're gonna live on a farm with... [hic!] With chocobos. A rainbow of chocobos! And I'm gonna pet them all.

[By now she's climbed onto the table itself, holding up a fist of steely determination.]

ALL OF THEM! NO RABBIT WILL BE LEFT BEHIND!

'CHEERS!'
'RAHHHHH!'
'RABBITS FOR ALL!'

[They all lift their glasses before taking hearty swigs. What a bunch of losers.]

Is that so?

[Reno feigned polite curiosity as he approached the stand, listening to the shopkeeper blather on about his "magical" pen. As he leaned over the stand to get a better look, he slung an arm around Rukia's shoulders.]

That's a helluva find, honey. But don't you think we should give it the test first? I mean, y'know I never put a price on th' safety of our kids, but...

[The smile on his lips didn't quite reach his eyes as he looked at the shopkeeper.]

[Rukia's open-mouthed smile of delight turns to an 'o' of confusion when she feels an arm drape over her shoulders. She looks up to see Reno's face, which seems curiously...affectionate? Did he just call her 'honey'? And did he just insinuate that they had children? She does not understand.]

[There must be something he's aiming for if he's suddenly posing as her husband, so she supposes she should play along. He's an ally, and she trusts him, so after this is over she can demand to know what in the world possessed him to think such a strange ruse was necessary.]

Oh yes, our kids. I quite agree, my dearest love. The test is what we need, absolutely!

[The merchant looks more than a little confused, glancing back and forth between them. There's no way these two can be married, he thinks, even if Rukia is laughing so heartily while patting Reno's hand.]

Ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho!

[Yeah, he deals with this kind of thing every day. Maybe he shouldn't have tried to get greedy.]

'Why, I'm afraid such a test would be impossible without any spirits around. But as you can see, there are no haunts at this particular stall. Is this not proof enough?'

[Rukia looks up at Reno. Well? Is it?]

[Reno laughed.]

A' course there wouldn't be, since yer pen took care of 'em!

But see -- that's why we need t' introduce a spirit.

[He drew one of his daggers with a flourish.]

Now this dagger's enchanted by a spirit I freed from the ruins of Aqures Tosf. A woman jilted by her lover just before the city's destruction, the bitterness just built up all those years 'til it became so powerful she could divine the truth from a lie.

Now it comes in handy, sure, but when she gets lied to... well. [He hissed.] She gets real pissed. I mean, the last merchant who tried t' pull one over on me -- an' it didn't help that it was over jewelry for m'love here --

[Reno squeezed Rukia's shoulder and sighed, shaking his head mournfully.]

But -- you wouldn't need t' worry about that, right?

[The merchant has to think hard about this one. Of course he can't just let Reno call his bluff like this, and hope to save face. Perhaps if he reverses the situation, he can move the spotlight off of the pen and onto the imposters trying to ruin his reputation.]

'Of...course not. Because if she didn't like liars, you two would be her first targets. Am I wrong?'

[Rukia's not sure she likes where this is going. They could just walk away right now, since she now doubts the truth of his claims over the pen.]

Dear, there are other stalls we can visit.

'Why not a little proof, to put my troubled mind at ease? You've got pictures of your kids, I assume. Or is there some other way to prove your undying love for each other?'

[Rukia peers up at ~~Renji~~ Reno. Er... This is starting to get awkward, but. If this is what the scene calls for... She turns toward him and puts her hand possessively on his chest. But it's fairly awkward; she's not used to doing anything like this, and it definitely shows.]

How dare you question my deepest love for this man. He is my soulmate and one true knight in shining armor! We are bound together as one!

Darling...

[Reno held Rukia close to him and gazed into her eyes, channeling the deepest sincerity. As if it were Sheena... Or Kyo. The way Kyo's breath would hitch, or how he would tear up if a moment got too heartfelt.]

I know public displays make you nervous. But I won't be made ashamed of our love by this stranger -- I can't hide my feelings!

[And without further adieu -- nor warning for Rukia -- he firmly pressed his lips to hers, holding the kiss intimately.]

[...Should she punch him? Maybe if she knew why the charade was necessary in the first place, but since she doesn't, she can't really gauge how vitally important it is that they maintain the facade. But she sure is surprised. Her eyes are as wide as moons, her small frame stiffening up in the grasp of his hands.]

[Guess who's never been kissed before. This is what it's like? ...It's...not terrible. At all.]

[Three quick blinks later, heart jackhammering wildly against her ribs, she closes her eyes and tentatively attempts to mimic Reno's movements. She doesn't have any experiences to compare him to, but from what she can tell, he's pretty good at this. Alarmingly so.]

[The merchant stares, almost as surprised as Rukia. He tugs at his collar uncomfortably because wow. That's a lot of passion.]

'I-I see I was mistaken. Forgive me for doubting you. Consider this pen a gift of good will. Many happy wishes to you both.'

For free? How generous!

[For a pen. Well, Reno had kissed for worse. He plucked the box out of the shopkeeper's hands, simply enjoying how pink the man's ears had grown.]

Thank you!

[He kept his arm around Rukia as he carefully steered her away, cooing about how wonderful their luck was. Until they were well out of the shopkeeper's sight. Then he released her and held up the pen, all pretense gone.]

This is a piece of shit.

Wasn't that a little excessive?

[She's still not really sure how she feels about getting kissed, but she does hope there was a good reason for it. Weren't those sorts of gestures meant to be taken seriously? Rukia is just grateful her Moogle hadn't come along with her, or she'd never hear an end to the excited squealing and constant chatter about true love.]

Why the charade? Was someone seeking your hand in marriage?

Open, with varying degrees of Terrible

Market

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Magitek

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Tubthumping

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