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Post by Griever on Mar 17, 2010 2:42:53 GMT -5
OOC: lol. K then. ~Nyna~ Nyna's eyes widened a little in surprise and she turned around. "oh...uhm...he's my pnudran...er...brother." Looking down at the picture for another moment, she folded it up and walked over to the clothes Celes had brought for her. She felt a little awkward talking about her brother when she didn't know her too well yet. "They're lovely." The young al bhed smiled as she looked back to Celes. She didn't take much time, picking up the clothes and taking them into a back room and changing into them. After a few minutes, she came back out in the clothes she had been given, smiling rather happily even though the red top was a little too big on her thinner frame and the boots seemed to be a tad big on her as well. Her face was still a little dirty, but she didn't seem to mind now that she was wearing the lovely clothes. "Nyna loves these!" Nyna grinned childishly. The thought of having steak made her stomach growl a bit. Excited and hungry, she grabbed a hold of her new friend's hand and began to lead her out of the old apartment building and into town, looking for the restaurant. OOC: Hope this works. ^^
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Post by Griever on Mar 17, 2010 2:43:16 GMT -5
(OOC: I apologize in advance if this post is pure crap. ; It's been quite a while since I played FFXII, and Balthier is...Balthier.) -Balthier- "Well, isn't this the busy little place." Treno was known for its upscale nature and nobility, a place active all night with those who preferred high-class entertainment, but it was active enough now that Balthier had trouble navigating around the patrons of the restaurant he had entered to get to a table. It was a good thing for them that he wasn't the type of sky pirate that would resort to petty pickpocketing; this place certainly would make it easy if he wanted to. No, he had eyes for something much bigger. Treno's auction house brought in many rare and one-of-a-kind things, many of which sold for hundreds of thousands of gil, but tonight they had something special. It had caught Balthier's attention from a rumor heard in Balfonheim, and he had come to the city specifically to get it. Of course, he intended to obtain it by means other than the auction, but...wasn't that the idea of being a sky pirate? Taking a seat at the nearest table he could find to the exit, he looked over the menu while planning how best to go about getting his prize from the auction house and out of the city. It couldn't be any more difficult than the time he broke into the Royal Palace of Rabanastre, at least.
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Post by Griever on Mar 17, 2010 2:43:52 GMT -5
Celes took the tourist's view of the town as she and Nyna made their way through Treno. So rarely did she have time to go out at night; it was truly lovely. She thought again, though, remembering the area they'd just come from; perhaps things were only as lovely as one chose to see them. She saw a pair of children being led off by a bejeweled woman. Well, those children, at least, were being well-fed.
Upon entering Roni's, she was agape. The restaurant was almost filled to capacity! She couldn't spot a single table that wasn't already occupied. She turned, ready to tell Nyna that they'd better try another place, but was caught by a harried maître d'. “Madame, please, don't go. The tables are all full, but if you'll just wait, one will open up.” Celes looked the tired man over; how long had he been running today? Roni's normally took quite good care of its employees, but she didn't note many waiters today. “Well...” “Please, ma'am. If you don't mind sharing a table, we've a gentleman on his own just over here...” Before she could really give an answer, the maître d' led them over and pulled the chairs out for both herself and Nyna. Celes sat down across from the seated stranger and gave a faint smile. “Busy night here, isn't it? I'm sorry for interrupting your meal; we weren't really given much of a choice about this.”
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Post by Griever on Mar 17, 2010 2:44:14 GMT -5
~Nyna~
Nyna's eyes widened as she looked over the filled restaurant. "Wow...so full.." As she was staring into the crowd of people she jumped at the sound of the man's voice. Looking him over she watched Celes, trusting her to make the right decision.
Taking Celes' hand she followed close behind her, watching the other patrons as they passed by full table after full table.
Watching herself closely, she kept her head down a little in case any of the patrons had been a precious victim of her pickpocketing. When they got to the table, Nyna sat in the chair next to Celes and blushed lightly, her eyes still downcast a little, unsure of what to say.
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Post by Griever on Mar 17, 2010 2:44:37 GMT -5
-Balthier-
That was unexpected. Balthier laid down his menu, regarding the two for a moment before catching the attention of a passing waiter and ordering drinks for the three of them.
"Not at all. I suppose if they're going to seat someone else at my table, I could do far worse than a pair of lovely ladies." Always the charmer. In truth, he didn't mind at all; he wouldn't be staying in the restaurant that long, anyway.
Though it did make thinking his plan through rather difficult...
He knew that there was a back entrance to the auction house, and from there it wouldn't be difficult to locate the auction pieces. It was likely where they were brought in, and the storage area probably wouldn't be far from either there or the stage they were presented on. All he had to do was get in, take it, and get out before anyone noticed him. Once he was back on the Strahl, which was waiting nearby, he was free.
Simple enough.
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Post by Griever on Mar 17, 2010 2:45:01 GMT -5
Celes took the compliment in stride and curved her lips into a wry smile. "And I suppose we could do much worse than sharing a meal with a flatterer. How-" "Thief! That's the brat that took my money!" Celes snapped her eyes up to the sound of a belligerent man. Beside him, a waiter was attempting in vain to calm him down. "Sir, please sit down; we don't allow such riffraff here. Surely you're just mistake-" "Mistaken?" the man roared, "I know a thief when I see one! That, that child! There!" He pointed an accusing finger to the table where she and Nyna had been seated, "She was at the opera! I wasn't the only one robbed, I tell you! Others saw her!" "Sir, please-" "No! I want her, now!" The man shrugged off the waiter's pleas and charged forward through the masses of eating patrons. Celes tensed and shot a look to Nyna, then to the yet-unnamed man they sat with. Would he stop them if they tried to run? And Nyna; how quickly could she navigate out of the crowd without someone catching her? So much for a meal. ((At some point, I'm going to remember how to write more. Really. I promise. Ugh. So short, and it's almost all dialogue...))
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Post by Griever on Mar 17, 2010 2:45:23 GMT -5
OOC: wow...you read my mind making the dude come back and accuse her. Works out great. ^^ ~Nyna~ The young thief smiled lightly as she was starting to feel a little more comfortable around the man since Celes seemed alright with him up to this point. Unfortunately, her feelings didn't stay calm for long as she heard a familiar man's voice in an outrage. Quickly turning around the al-bhed girl nearly fell out of her chair watching the man pushing past the waiter and other patrons. She quickly looked to Celes, then back at the man. She could probably get out of here on her own, but she didn't want to get Celes into trouble either. Giving another glance around the place, she started to get out of her chance, preparing to make a dash for it in case he went to grab her. Though she was a bit worried, having never outrun anyone in shoes that were a bit too big on her. OOC: leaving it kinda open in case you guys were planning something.
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Post by Griever on Mar 17, 2010 2:45:46 GMT -5
-Balthier-
The sky pirate raised an eyebrow at the commotion. Thief, hmm? He had suspected it, from her disheveled appearance and timid nature. He stood as well, stepping smoothly around the table and laying a hand on the girl's shoulder.
"Don't. You'll make things worse on yourself," he said in a low tone for only her to hear. He had been in plenty of situations where he had to run himself; he could easily recognize when the time to flee was and when, instead, a few choice words and actions could turn the situation in his favor.
"Thief, you say?" he inquired in a louder voice, apparently indifferent to all involved. "I'm afraid she was put here by no choice of mine. Take her, if you would, I'd rather enjoy my meal without having to watch my wallet." He gave Nyna a small shove toward the man, expression unchanging.
Of course, he didn't intend to let her be dragged off to Treno's jail so easily, but at the very least he had to make it appear that way. Getting caught up in other people's problems was not something he was fond of.
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Post by Griever on Mar 17, 2010 2:46:08 GMT -5
~Nyna~
Nyna was a bit shocked as the man stood up and warned her to not run. Not fully sure of what to do, she decided to listen to him, standing there. She gave a small jump when the man's hand settled on her shoulder but she still stood there, a little confused at the man's words as she processed them.
As she caught on to what he was saying she looked up at him in shock as he started to push her towards the noble, her eyes quickly looking to Celes for any form of guidance as she was beginning to resist. "Fryd??(what??)"
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Post by Griever on Mar 17, 2010 2:46:30 GMT -5
- Celes -
"What?" Celes asked in a dead tone. She stared in shock as their tablemate stood and held Nyna for the aggravated man. How could he? It wasn't as if the girl had stolen out of greed; and considering how little she actually hauled in for the night, she couldn't have taken much from the man. No, there had to be a way out of this, even if their yet unnamed tablemate was siding with the opposition. She rose, and was pushed aside by the theft, well, victim. "You, girl, you're coming with me. I'll see you behind bars before the night's through!"
((Ugggh, shooort. D: Sorry; I'm multitasking while writing an article for a writing resume. My concentration's kaput.))
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Post by Griever on Mar 17, 2010 2:46:53 GMT -5
OOC: heh. No biggie. pretty sure this'll be short too. ^^; ~Nyna~ Nyna's eyes stayed on Celes, watching her try and stand up for her but being pushed aside. Looking down at the ground some she started to turn red in the face, ashamed of causing so much trouble. "Uhm...I-I'm...uhm..." She thought about reaching back and grabbing her weapon, but then remembered she had left it back at her 'home' after changing clothes. besides, she wouldn't have used it anyway. She didn't want to hurt the man, just have him leave her alone. Looking back up at the man holding her for the victim, she gave him a pleading, teary-eyed look, as if asking him silently to not let the man take her away. It was a scary thought of being put in jail, and in a city like this she was pretty sure it would happen with the proof the man had a long with the witnesses. OOC: ugh...I struggled to get the post that big.
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Post by Griever on Mar 17, 2010 2:47:12 GMT -5
-Balthier-
Trouble did have a way of finding him, didn't it? Balthier wasn't at all in the mood to play hero, and yet he seemed to keep getting caught in situations that required it.
It wouldn't do to let them know that he would prefer Nyna out of jail, though, so despite her look, he ignored her. They just needed a little commotion, now...
The other patrons of the restaurant had turned and were staring at the small group, murmurs of "thief" and "how could someone like that ever get in here?" rippling through the crowd. Near the back, a pair of men were speaking in hushed tones while looking in their direction; one stood, and Balthier caught sight of a weapon. Lovely. Bounty hunters.
Well, there was his commotion.
"As fun as this little chat's been, I'm afraid I need to make my exit," he said, interrupting the angry man in the middle of a sentence about just how long Nyna would sit in the city's jail. He began to move around the thief, and seeing that their target was about to escape, one of the bounty hunters turned his gun on him and fired, missing by far but throwing the restaurant into an uproar. Screaming patrons began to run for the exit, and the man who had been accusing Nyna was knocked to the floor by a woman fleeing from a nearby table.
Turning to the women as he began to slip into the crowd, Balthier gestured in the direction of the exit.
"If you'd prefer not to get caught, now would be the time to flee."
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Post by Griever on Mar 17, 2010 2:47:27 GMT -5
~Nyna~
Nyna's eyes widened as she heard a shot ring out through the restaurant and everyone began to run around in a panic. Dishes fell to the ground and shattered into several pieces, drinks spilled out onto the floor staining the once magnificent shine. Her eyes darted around as she felt her heart beat pick up in the rush of anything but was brought back to the current situation dealing with herself by the man's words.
"U-Uhm...dryhg oui!" Looking back to the nice Celes she motioned for her to follow as she began to dash past the wealthy man and through the crowds, pushing past them as best as she could as she tried her best to get away.
Finally, she reached the front door of the fine establishment, many others running out past her to get away as the young Al Bhed looked back to see if either her friend or the noble had followed her.
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Post by Griever on Mar 17, 2010 2:47:50 GMT -5
As the shot was fired, Celes cringed and momentarily froze. She hated guns; they seemed like such a foreign concept to her - she'd never branched out from the sword. Everything seemed to move just a little slower to Celes, and she was paced in following Nyna and their seemingly now-savior. First, handing Nyna in, then saving them from what was slowly becoming a mob? What was... Unless it was his plan to start out to shelter Nyna? But, he hardly knew them! Celes caught herself in that thought; hadn't she done much the same? Of course, she'd been a little more direct in her aide, but it was all the same in the end, wasn't it?
Celes wormed her way through the fleeing crowd and finally ended outside the restaurant. She sought out Nyna with worried eyes, and once the girl had been discovered, Celes forced herself not to cheer in glee. Now the question was, did they wait for their benefactor, or try to ease off the radar while they had the chance?
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Post by Griever on Mar 17, 2010 2:48:20 GMT -5
-Balthier-
Outside the restaurant was little less crowded than inside, with its patrons running about, pushing and shoving to find a way to get away from the source of the shot. Balthier slipped easily through the crowd, occasionally sparing a glance back to see where his pursuers had gone. Lost them, for now, but that wouldn't last for long. He'd have to get his prize and get out of town as quickly as possible.
At least the auction house was close, and the back entrance easily accessible - and, he found, not even a good lock on it! Good way to get their prizes stolen, that. Practically invited thieves and sky pirates.
He was in a hurry, though, and not in the mood to deal with lockpicking. Balthier pulled out his gun and fired a single shot at the lock, and it fell off, useless. Hn. That had been simple enough. He opened the door and slipped in, glanced back and forth, but there was no one else in sight.
He started down the hallway and glanced into other halls and the rooms branching off of his own, looking for any indication of where his prize might be stored. Distant talking indicated that the stage area was to be found down a hallway to his left, so he turned into it. They would likely be kept in a place easily accessible when they wanted to display them.
Of course, he was right, and a glance into a room with a slightly open door found items ranging from a sparkling necklace labeled "rare diamonds from Trabia!" to a card not attached to an item reading "Ownership of the airship Valiant!" So that was why he had seen an airship floating over the auction house. Hmm. Not a bad ship, true, but she wasn't half the ship the Strahl was.
Ah, there it was. Balthier looked over his prize for a moment - a shining, pale green staff, made entirely of some kind of rare stone. The card placed with it didn't name the type, so it appeared that the auctioneers didn't know themselves. Balthier, however, did: materia. A full staff made from it, one of a kind, valued at an incredibly high price, and ready to join his other treasures.
Balthier picked it up and left the room, following the same path out that he had used to get in. That had been much too easy, no security in sight. He frowned.
He did so hate the jobs that were too easy, because they turned out to be the most problematic.
--
The bounty hunters had lost sight of Balthier, but they weren't about to give up so easily. Those girls he had been with, they'd make almost as good a target. Even if he wouldn't surrender to get them free, they could make a fair bit of gil turning the thief and her accomplice in.
There the girls were, thinking they had escaped their accuser, easy enough to catch off guard. One bounty hunter motioned to the other, and a soft click sounded as the one carrying a gun pointed it at Celes. She looked to be more capable of defending herself, they'd have to watch her...The other man walked around in front of Nyna, casually pulling out a dagger and turning it on the girl.
"Looks like your hero's run off and you're all alone, girlies." The gun-wielder, the older of the two, said in a cocky tone. "Too bad, I didn't want to settle, but it looks like we'll still get a nice price out of you."
--
Balthier looked skyward as he ran into the street, which, despite being cleared of those who had been in the restaurant, was still quite busy. "Come on, Fran, I'd rather not stand around here..."
"Balthier, the famous sky pirate," a voice said from across the street. He turned to the source and made a face. Persistent, weren't they? "Don't run off, now, unless you want your girlies to get hurt."
An almost amused look crossed his face. They were trying that trick? Was this their first attempt at a bounty?
"Sorry, the leading man doesn't get caught by a pair of novice bounty hunters," he returned with a half-smirk, resting his gun on his shoulder.
It really was turning into a messy situation, though...
This was why he hated the easy prizes.
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