Aschen Windseer
Moogle
Equanimity - Screw it, try it all, I say!
Posts: 119
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Post by Aschen Windseer on Nov 5, 2010 3:57:48 GMT -5
Trying to hide a near giggle, the sight of Kuja's hands tightening and trembling was almost enough to please Aschen's inner sadist. He had been hoping for a bit more of emotion, since it was a rare moment where he could catch a smug, over-confident noble and humiliate him. But always in a way that'll make him keep it bottled inside, out of embarrassment. His miniature eyebrows quivered from the satisfaction, before Aschen straightened himself out, and got in front of his client.
"That's insurance!" the alchemist chirped, in a giddy, pleased tone akin to a salesperson demonstrating a product, as he whipped out one of his fans and opened it aloft. The combined signal told the girl in the distance that she was releived: removing the feathered wig and smudging her makeup, she quickly wrapped herself in the flag she bore as a sari, and made a dash for the nearest woods. His gypsy accent peeking out slightly, Aschen continued to explain "Seeing as I'm with a potentially dangerous person, who besides getting his panties in a bunch over anything, won't even tell me his name, I had to take due measures. My mission is important enough for me to take some risks, but I still found a way to play it safe."
With the fan being folded and returned to it's proper sheathe behind the perfume belts, Aschen resumed his explanations. "There are a few girls o' mine - ah'm not tellin' ya how many -, at regular checkpoints - only in places you'd like or find convenient - , who are able to disguise as you. After some time - ah'm not tellin' ya how long - they'll be goin' to Alexandria. If one o' them is missin', or I failed to appear to them, or fail to be identified personally, they're goin' straight to the castle disguised as you, and say that you have returned, and killed their matriarch. So, avoid making it true, please."
With a brief moment where a falsely innocent grin crossed 'her' lips, Aschen offered Kuja a bright and cheerful "Now that I'm safe as well, I can serve you much better, isn't that so? Please sit down, I don't want you to get hurt.", once again in the polite, servile accent from before.
[OOC - Short post is short. Also, I've gotta think of more pantless puns.]
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Kuja
Tonberry
"You're too stupid to use magic."
Posts: 34
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Post by Kuja on Nov 13, 2010 2:37:53 GMT -5
Lips thinning to a straight, thin line, the mage reluctantly obliged, setting himself back down. Clever. There was presently no way of knowing how many of these potential doppelgangers there were, or where they were. Although not typically the type to pick off problematic individuals one by one… Temptation would have to be kept in check. Thankfully, there didn’t seem to be anyone else on the road. The little performance would have gone by unseen.
As the eternal night over Treno began to clear into morn, Kuja cast his sleeve over his narrowed eyes to let them adjust. Of course, this gave him a face full of the clean, floral scent the fabric had been bathed in. Still apprehensive about the nasal spray, he decided he would hold out without it for as long as he could bear. Perhaps his tail would decide to build up some sort of tolerance. He hoped this would be the case, the annoying appendage was beginning to itch.
“So what are you? Curious, stupid or not telling me something?” he quipped, lowering his arm back to the reigns once the light stopped hurting his eyes. “You’re surely aware how strange it is to agree to escort someone you have deemed a ‘potentially dangerous person’, aren’t you? What do you suppose my intentions are in such a place as Daguerreo? For all you know, I could be seeking means to form some ridiculous plot to see Alexandria, or even the whole of Gaia for that matter, to its second ending. The library is said to hold such texts… Not that I’ve actually got any intention to cause you harm; you’re only a gypsy.” Was it habit that he spoke so openly about such intentions? It wasn’t the first time (blurting out parts of his schemes to various women was something of a habit). Not that he was being serious; there would be no world dominating from him. He was far more concerned with what was going on, and how it could benefit him. And perhaps a cure to his own mortality? …No, he was thinking too far ahead.
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Aschen Windseer
Moogle
Equanimity - Screw it, try it all, I say!
Posts: 119
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Post by Aschen Windseer on Nov 13, 2010 8:45:40 GMT -5
"Add in stoned out of her tree an' needin' a quick way to Mognet, an' yer closer. An' it's fun." the gypsy quipped, in his relaxed, usual tone. Of course that escorting someone who could potentially fry him into a crisp on a whim was unnerving, at the least, uncertainty of it all, so a good dosage of something in the morning helped to get th'ol' temporary insanity going. Kind of like how those not of his people would sometimes have an extra cup of coffee. "Y'started th' conflict an' all, but ah followed ya inta it. So, might as well commit an' keep a glazzie on ya until we're all hokey-dokery nice an' proper. Y'know th'sayin', boss. Keep your friends close, keep your enemies closer?" Aschen continued, heeling up close to Kuja and putting on his best, cutest little girl look, arms stretched out a bit, although not too invasive. "Hug?"
Needless to say, the suggestion was just a joke, as he quickly pulled back.
"Anyhow, boss-person. - Since ah don'know yer name, ah'm gonna make stuff up. - We ain't in Gaia anymore. Merger an' all. Each plane speaks th'same language, but each has it's own name for the planet. Convenient, eh?"
Aschen fell back to the cart, and rummaged around his perfume belts shortly. "As for th'library, if it's hidden, it's a good place t'lay low, for smart people who like to read. Or, maybe you're like me, goin' there hopin' for some better knowledge 'bout wha's goin' on. An' ah understand th'basics o' magic in our world, so ah'll jus' peek an' make sure yer not tryin' ta call up some big ugly like th'las'time. Ah dunno, you tell me. Maybe ah can help." Laid-back suppositions given off the tip of his tongue, innocently unknowing the identity and crimes of his client, Aschen quickly flipped out a vial of perfume. "This is gonna stink real horrorshow, so please brace yerself or hold yer breath a bit, OK?" he warned, pressing the 'trigger' button on the tube in his hand.
The spray of compressed scent stuck to the back of the cart, safely distant from the mage's luggage, and the scent of wild animals spread out, akin to a wave, before dying out slightly. Still, the analgesic was justified, although the alchemist didn't seem to mind the scent.
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Kuja
Tonberry
"You're too stupid to use magic."
Posts: 34
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Post by Kuja on Nov 21, 2010 7:07:42 GMT -5
The ear-splitting shriek of a ruby dragon as it took it’s last breath. The annoying sound those moogle creatures insisted on making. The word hug. These were all on the same level when it came to intolerable sounds that grated upon the mage’s ears. Hugs were intolerable. As was a vast majority of other physical contact outside certain emotionless activities, but that was another matter entirely. What mattered was that the joke had irked him enough to deepen the frown upon his face.
Still, he mentioned nothing of it, and listened to the girl’s meagre explanation about ‘the merger’. Apparently he wasn’t the only one in the dark about this (although, granted he was speaking to some raggle-taggle gypsy, he thought that perhaps this wasn’t saying much). Despite the odd language convenience, the prospect was no less comforting. Not in Gaia anymore? Gaia was here so… Where were they?
“I believe you’re right,” the mage sighed. “Regardless of your business in the library, and of my own, if anywhere is going to be safe ground for determining whatever is going on here, it will be there…”
The library itself had held it’s uses over the years. It’s halls were one of the first places Kuja had set foot inside after he was banished to the damnable planet. From the locations and history of the cities, to the aristocracy and other animals, he had learnt it all here. Not to mention his love of theatre had first been sparked there—But again, that was another story. He wasn’t about to get all nostalgic.
…But no sooner had he deterred his train of thought, he almost completely passed out from the sudden resulting stench. That was what he got for not listening properly. “B-by the Gods… What is that!?” He coughed, tangling the reigns tightly around his forearms just to keep himself upright and away from the ground. Hand clasped over his mouth and nose. Never mind the burning smell which resulted from scorching a city with overpowered magics, this was the worst thing he’d smelt in his entire life.
Fumbling blindly for that nasal solution, he drew it quickly from the inner pocket of the coat which he’d slid it into and reluctantly braved the burning sensation and watering of his eyes in favour of being able to breathe again. “…Was that quite honestly necessary?” Surely, any monsters within the nearby vicinity would be dead after that blast… Assuming they were as weak as many grassland monsters tended to be.
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Aschen Windseer
Moogle
Equanimity - Screw it, try it all, I say!
Posts: 119
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Post by Aschen Windseer on Nov 22, 2010 12:37:35 GMT -5
Aschen quickly stashed the offending vial, slightly flustered. Fortunately, the scent didn't stick to the gypsy, whose nasal analgesic proved to be quite effective at dulling out the sensory nerves, replacing the heavy stench of beasts with a clean, sterile coldness. Now that his client had said it, going to Daguerro seemed like falling a few steps behind. A higher technological level city could easily furnish better information, quickly, but still, a few memories kept Aschen on target. For the greater part, it involved information computers turning into complete piles of scrap after what seemed apparently routine tasks in his hands. After teaching himself of Balamb's customs, vocabulary and science up to a bit over their 'high-school' level, he had learnt easily to work microwave ovens, shopping tills and even drive a car (although with the risk of getting dragged away by policemen angry as to why a minor was at the wheel), so why not computers? Blaming it to the gypsy curses that flowed through his blood, the gypsy dismissed the thoughts for another moment, although making due note to eventually press-gang someone into doing such tasks for him.
"Well... If y'gatta know..." the alchemist begun, slightly embarrassed as he re-approached the Kuja and picked up the pace of the chocobos, "It's made of animal... Well, beastie bits. Th' kind tha' say, 'Ah'm big an' bad an' eat stuff even bigger than me.' It is necessary. Unless y'don' mind us losin' time to kill stuff tha' attacks us. Jus' wai'till we find some beasties, an' jus' drive righ' through 'em. But ah've gotta concentrate now. If ya wanna read some o' the science books in my cart, go ahead. They're introductory manuals from Balamb, an' migh' give ya a sense of th' place ah was at."
This said, so it proved. With a firmly entrenched sense of security, Aschen drived the small caravan in a beeline north, at top speed. Also, as promised, the 'girl' also had prepared a picnic basket with an appropriate meal, wine and even freshly ground coffee of the exact same origin that he had accidentally spilt over 'her' employer. Needless to say, Aschen found an adequately safe spot, dispelled his perfumes on both man and cart with a quick wave of a fan, and took guard (and a smoke) alone. All while, almost certainly to Kuja's liking, with minimal, and always polite interaction.
As the day was just beginning to reach it's end, Aschen quickly snapped out of his vigil. Looming ahead was the large tree that covered Heaven's Tower, the administrative centre of the Windurst Federation. The grassy hills nearly hid the highly populated entrance court, whose architecture revealed a mixed culture and high usage of magic. "Yeah... Ah was right. This is about our tech level, although these people use more magic than us. Those plants... Ah think they'll light up later at night. Pretty, too. Good thin' we're early, ah wanna explore a bit. Maybe set up shop. But whatever you say, boss-person." Aschen slowly analyzed, scanning across the still dimly illuminated plaza as he dismounted, kissed his chocobo on the beak and dismissed it with a few ghysahl greens as an extra reward. Now that he noticed it, there were plenty of those 'mithras' he had heard about. And, as confirmed, they were all female. That was something to be studied, but he quickly got distracted by a few tarutarus. Straying a few steps away from the disguised mage, he begun to look for some form of information, although with a mischievous, yet at the same time swooning look at the local guards and adventurers.
Information would be nice, but if he could get it from a pretty woman (independent of race of course, why discriminate?), even better. Still, obligation was obligation, so he awaited any kind of gesture from Kuja before taking any other action.
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Post by Kupo on Dec 19, 2010 12:58:27 GMT -5
Lightning found herself gazing around Windurst with curiosity in her green eyes. This place was just so different from the places she'd known and encountered until now. Her last stop was Luca, a place that clearly had much less technology than her home town of Bodhum but was vibrant and so full of people. This town also lacked technology like that of her home but it shared something with both Bodhum and Luca: the liveliness! The square in which she stood now was bustling with people coming and going, trading and selling their wares to travellers. Had she not already grown accustomed to strange creatures such as Ronso she would have been fascinated to see the short Tarutaru and the cat-like Mithra.
The whole place was so utterly different to what she'd encountered so far. The people were going about business as usual – it seemed – but there was that ever present sense of confusion in the air. Maybe it was just her imagination exaggerating her own feelings of confusion and concern but she was convinced she shared these feelings with many others, even here in this cheerful place. Thus far her search for any information regarding the merge had proved to be fruitless but she wasn't just going to sit back and watch this go on. There was something more sinister in this and her instincts had her wound up tight.
The afternoon was pleasant enough with a light breeze playing with her hair and cape as she explored Windurst. She'd arrived only an hour or so before hand in a foul mood. Her journey here had been battle after battle with the local wildlife. Time wasted in her search for answers. There was no way to avoid it really but it frustrated her knowing that it was time she could have spent asking questions and looking for anything that promised to yield some clue as to what the hell was going on with the world. She was just browsing through some of the market stalls, asking questions to the traders in a blunt and direct manner about the current state of affairs here and elsewhere. She even parted with some gil for a vial of curative potion which she quickly stashed into her leg pouch. It was as she fasted the buckle on the leather pouch shut that she noticed the odd looking pair arrive in Windurst. They clearly weren't from here but she didn't recognise their clothing either. Even their chocobos had a strange look to them, nothing like the ones found in Cocoon.
Now came the debate, go straight over and ask them directly if they know anything or linger for a while, watch them and just see what happens. The first was the one she preferred but here were some people who stuck out like sore thumbs, perhaps a more relaxed approach would yield the best results. And so she waited a while, keeping and eye on them and straining her ears to listen to their voices as she pretended to look at the various items on the surrounding stalls.
(sorry this took me so long...)
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Aschen Windseer
Moogle
Equanimity - Screw it, try it all, I say!
Posts: 119
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Post by Aschen Windseer on Apr 17, 2011 16:17:59 GMT -5
Whatever it was his boss-person was going to say, Aschen was about to dismiss it. His eyes crossing Lightning's briefly, the 'little girl' smiled cutely, feigning a coy recognition of her presence. Taking in a quick mental image of the person watching them, he dissected and analyse the data. A convenient pouch on her left leg, some light armour plating on her left shoulder. Confirmed a right-handed fighter. Thicker legs. Fast footed. Ideal for a bounty hunter. Her clothes didn't check as any of the local fashions, or as one from the plane that originated Balamb and his current clothes. Therefore, most likely, not after his patron - whose real identity was still under investigation. Pink hair, strong looking arms. Attractive in a slightly exotic way. Not that he would be approaching her with that intention. Tempting as it was.
"Sir, I think we're being looked over." Aschen whispered, swinging around Kuja in a deceptively flirtatious pose, a skip ahead of him. "So, I'll be checking. Feel free to come along, but if you want to get a room for the night, the inns are..." A quick look around with a stretched neck, a glance towards any extra luggage, attention to the scent of food, and a direction was found. "That way. I'll be here after lunch tomorrow."
This, and any other minor issue resolved, Aschen spun on his heels, and facing the stranger, took the decision on approach and method off her hands. With a wave and a slight bounce to his walk, he waved in her direction as if she were a friend. "'Ello there, miss!" he chirped with a bright smile across his childish face, switching from his polite regal accent to his usual, friendly gypsy dialect. "Ah saw y'viddyin' us both from o'er there, so ah decided ta come o'er an' invite ya fer a chat an' a smoke. Ah'd like t'hear 'bout th' place where pink haired people come from."
With a suddenly polite curtsey, he introduced himself. "Aschen Windseer, pleased ta meet ya."
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Post by Kupo on May 28, 2011 5:21:29 GMT -5
Lightning raised a hand to remove a stray strand of her pink locks from her eyes as she continued to browse the stalls before casting a quick glance at the pair she was listening to. In that fleeting glance her eyes met for the smallest of moments with that of the young girl. At least that’s what lightning assumed Aschen was for he certainly looked the part. Even the way he moved himself had a feminine flare. She broke the eye contact instantly, hoping she hadn’t given herself away in the glance. She had no harmful intentions and nothing to hide but she favoured a less direct route in obtaining information from these two. If she had though, it didn’t matter. If she had to be direct she’d probably waste less time.
She watched him out of the corner of her eye as he spun on his heel and began to approach. So she was going to have to be more direct. His voice cut across the crowd in greeting and caused Lightning to turn and face him also. He then proceeded to speak to her and, from what she could discern from his dialect, invited her to chat and smoke with him. Pink hair, was apparently something he hadn’t seen before. In asking about her place of origin - in fact, in just coming over to speak to her – he had revealed a little curiosity towards her for whatever reasons he might have.
There was no opportunity to get a word in until the girl finally introduced herself. Aschen Windseer, another name that meant nothing to her, not that she had expected it too. This world was too vast and there was a part of her that hated the idea of recognising a name here. Those of her friends were one thing but there were other names that she longed never to hear again. Barthandelus, for example, was a name she would gladly never hear again in this lifetime.
“Lightning,” she replied simply with a slight nod of her head to acknowledge the girl’s curtsey. “Actually I was hoping I could speak with you, just a few questions I’ve been asking everyone, but if you don’t mind I’ll skip the smoke.” Her voice was calm and generally pleasant if a little cold but that was just her manner and there was no meaning behind it.
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Aschen Windseer
Moogle
Equanimity - Screw it, try it all, I say!
Posts: 119
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Post by Aschen Windseer on Jul 24, 2011 16:00:37 GMT -5
In quick movements, the alchemist spotted a groove in between buildings just right for a quiet, discreet conversation. Flicking out a "personalized" cigar and a lighter, he gestured Lightning over the cranny as she introduced herself. The introduction itself, however, was met with a slightly offended surprise, noted by a briefly raised brow.
"Well, either yer mother was as blitzed as mine when she named ya..." Aschen begun, lighting up and taking a few steps towards preventing the intoxicating smoke from ever reaching the taller woman's nose. "Or you're using a merc name. In any case, Miss Pinky Pie, ah suppose you're gonna be callin' me Lady Poison, since we're on alias basis."
His now teasingly offended accent softened for easy comprehension, Aschen gave Lightning a rather open look over, including a stretched neck to give a peek at her sheathed weapon. Returning to his previous position, he bounced slightly on his heels with a resigned, yet satisfied look. "Variable weapon, eh. A gun and a blade, ah suppose? Icky. In any case, ah'll try ta answer. Ah jus' figgured out 'yer from a higher tech level than me... The last place ah was at had high speed information technology an' space travel, but ah'm from a steam-powered civilization. By the way, ah'm not talkin' 'bout Boss-Person..."
Although he was trying to keep friendly, he was obviously suspicious, and making no real attempt to hide it: Back leaning against the wall, and a hand close enough to a vial of perfume near the opposite hip, the "girl's" body language was of a defensive, yet casual tone. Either 'Lightning' would be a part of a team, or not, if a mercenary. In any case, the alchemist knew that his local contact would be following his patron from a distance, ready to evacuate him as planned should anything go wrong, all while he kept a watch on the one currently in front of him. Safe enough.
He wan't sure if he should be guarded, distrustful, curious or, perhaps interested in the pink haired lady in a less lady-like sense. So, why not all of it? In any case, the intoxicant was helping him clear up his mind.
"Well, besides that, ask anythin'."
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Post by Kupo on Aug 22, 2011 5:35:23 GMT -5
Lightning’s eyebrow twitched and her pale green eyes flashed with irritation at the response her introduction received. Who was she to be up in arms when a stranger did not use their real name for what she intended to be a brief encounter. And Lightning was more than just an alias anyway, it had been her identity for years now, it had become her name. Was Lightning such a strange name? She knew a man whose name was Snow, how was that any different. Her annoyance grew as she went on to address her as Miss Pinky Pie. No-one who knew her would try and get away with such nonsense knowing her mood was serious but how was this “Lady Poison” to know. For that reason alone, she let it slide but her expression showed that she was irked.
She opened her mouth to speak as the little gypsy looked her over in the most unsubtle fashion she had ever seen. Honestly though, she didn’t care about that. That sort of thing was beneficial and hurt no-one and Light would be lying if she pretended she had not done the same, albeit more subtly. Before she had a chance to get the words out, she was off on assumptions about her sheathed gunblade that were surprisingly correct for the most part. She continued to talk of technology levels, confirming Light’s own suspicion that her own level was more advanced that the thick accented young woman. Talk of her visitation to a more advance world caught her interest; surely she could find answers in a place like the one she described. Finally her talk of her own steam powered world surprised Lightning, she had figured less advanced but not so much so, certainly not after her accurate understanding of the weapon that hung behind her thighs. She finished her barrage of speech with a little quip about “boss person” that confused her for a second or two. It dawned on her quickly, though, that she was referring to the person she had seen him with a short while ago.
“I wasn’t going to ask about him,” she began, though now that he said he wouldn’t there was a twinge of curiosity there now. Why wouldn’t she speak of him? Anyway, it wasn’t important, she had the go-ahead to ask her questions she was not going to waste time back tracking. “I’m searching for any information about the merge. If you know anything about it, even rumours, I would appreciate it if you would tell me,” she stated simply. She left out her suspicion of something malignant behind it all but the question itself hinted a little about that anyway. Lightning also took care to be concise and simple in her wording. There was a vague hint of venom to her cool, casual tones now, her irritation at the gypsy still there even if she had ignored the slights. --
Sorry it took me so long. First Lightning post in months so it took a while to build up the muse again.
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Aschen Windseer
Moogle
Equanimity - Screw it, try it all, I say!
Posts: 119
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Post by Aschen Windseer on Aug 27, 2011 18:30:08 GMT -5
If Lightning was going to pretend that she wasn't offended, Aschen was sure to be polite enough to return the gesture, and pretend he wasn't so entertained. Also distrustful. He had gambled quite a bit, living with those not of his people for so long. Certainly it had been a pleasant surprise to not be shunned or seen under (a justified) suspicion, but still, it just wasn't in his nature to trust the giorgios. No trust for outsiders, even if they were quite suitable to his particular tastes in women. A bit childishly angry, though.
"Here ah was, hopin' you were gonna ask me if ah was single." Aschen sighed theatrically, as his expression begun to flicker out from the usual jesting. Although he remained amicable in his usual, fleumatic way, it was clear that the gypsy was now open for buisness. "Ah've got some orbital photographs and topographic charts that ah got from some military facility. As fer th'rest, ah've made a few deductions. Ah'm still one of the brightest minds o' Gaia, despite lookin' like a child prostitute half 'o th'time, an' nearly as doped as one." Reference obvious to his revealing clothes, and a clear reminder as he flicked and stepped on his cigarette. "If we could get goin' somewhere where ah can lay 'em out, ah'ld like ta exchange intel. Maybe make some more."
Gesturing back to the street, Aschen followed Lightning through the busy streets, alternately following her lead, or trying to suggest a direction. "Consider this, Miss Lightning." Aschen begun tutoring, as he trailed alongside the soldier leisurely. His accent dissipated into a form matching Lightning's, as if just to prove a point. "Here we are, two people from two different worlds, which evolved based on different cultures. And in a third world, with its own culture. I have been in a fourth, which had its own society. But we all have the same language, and compatible customs."
"Yet still, our planets were configured differently. Plant life, one of my scientific specialties, is also different from one world to another. However, a flower is still a flower. Our worlds were very different, but we still call 60 seconds a minute, 60 minutes an hour, 24 hours a day. And to say the truth, that day is still the same length here. The chocobo species vary, but can be treated in very similar manners - by sentient life forms. We all make cities - well, not us gypsies - and we all make roads. What you have on your waist is a sword, something that exists in the other worlds. What I have on my waist are perfumes. That also exist in the other worlds."
The barrage of examples presented, in the surprisingly professor-like speech, ended up with the two agreeing on a family diner. "Oh, and hey, our coins are nearly all the same size and value. Although I guess you guys have evolved to a virtual form of currency." he squeezed in, stopping before the door. With a turn of his heels, he looked up to Lightning with an inquisitive, yet highly pleased look on his face.
"Tell me, Miss Lightning. What do you think I am talking about?"
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