Final Fantasy: Journey of the Unknown | IC

[Marlowe]

MENTIONS: None at the moment.​

It was a day like any other. The radio that rested on the dusty windowsill hollered out a mixture of distorted trumpets and jolly singers, intermingled with a heavy veil of static. The sound was upbeat, rapid-- the "perfect" melody to get the morning frost out of your system. It was the kind of song that served to get people out of bed and on their way to work as soon as possible, which made sense, because in the eyes of the Empire they were all just working ants meant to blaze through a freezing morning just to get a couple of gil in their pockets. Veronica Rougeflaire rubbed her hands together from behind their little counter in an attempt to gather warmth between her palms. When that didn't work, she raised them to her lips to blow a puff of breath into them... though that didn't help much in staving off the cold. The ARIES HQ was a small shack in the heart of the Undercity, but their access to technology rose above the businesses in the surrounding area. And yet, their radiator was broken once again. It was a wonder how Veronica didn't freeze to death in her sleep.

The sound of a coffee maker dribbled on behind her. Hopefully the coffee would warm her up. If it didn't, then she'd still be freezing, and the others would whine about it being cold as if she could help it. She wasn't very good with fixing machines; if she tinkered with the radiator she would most likely end up ruining it even more, and then she'd have to fend off the japes the others would toss her way as well. Not that she minded. Maybe some fire in her blood would do well to get her out of this morning drudge.

The radio crackled again, this time switching to the sound of the radio station's host rambles about there being no respite from the cold that would wrack the Undercity for the rest of the week. Veronica wondered if it was just as cold topside. She doubted it. Why would the Empire risk getting their workers ill if they could just manipulated the cold away somehow? A small 'tsk' came from her lips as she moved from behind the counter and stomped over to the small, pink-colored radio. The static only seemed to increase as she approached, as if it was defying her. Her annoyance became frustration, driving her to slam her fist into its top. The force didn't necessarily break the thing, but the metal became dented and the disruption became louder. And, above all else, the music could hardly be heard from the crinkled speakers and roar of static.

"Uh... u-uh, hello?" A timid voice came from the doorway.

Veronica perked up, glancing over her shoulder. Someone had opened the door and stepped inside. It was a little girl with a bright red scarf and a woolen hat with a pom pom at the top. She wore a ragged coat that was far too big for her body, though she still trembled. Though, Vee soon figured out that it wasn't because of the cold, for heavy tears spilled from her bright brown eyes.

"I-is this the monster hunter place? ARIES?" the girl sniffled.

"You got it right, sugar. What's wrong? Somethin' snuck past the gates again?" Veronica asked. Hopefully it wasn't another of those drakes that ate another girl's cat last week. That was a tragedy.

"My friend, he went exploring past the walls... I told h-him not to go, but I followed him anyway j-just cause I thought he might change his mind... but he didn't, and he hasn't come back!" the girl wept, rubbing her face with clenched hands. "H-he's been gone for almost the whole day... and Ma and Pa always say that there's horrible monsters past the walls! S-so I thought, ma-maybe you guys could--"

The little girl's sobbing made her words unintelligible, but Veronica got the gist quick. There were many types of monsters past Eros' steel walls, most of them big, ugly, and with many pointed teeth. She didn't want to think that the little girl's friend was probably dead. Humans always strove for survival, even in the most desperate of situations. If they were lucky, the little boy might have found shelter in a groove under a boulder or something. A sigh left her lips as she walked over to the little girl and got on one knee.

"Don't worry. We'll find your friend," Veronica said with a wink.

The little girl's eyes went wide. "R-e-eally?"

"Yeah, really. We'll find him and bring him back safe and sound, you hear? So why don'tcha get out of this cold and go back to where your Ma and Pa are. Don't want to catch cold, right?"

The little girl tucked her chin into her scarf and gazed at her with upturned, teary eyes. A moment passed before she nodded sheepishly and ducked out of their little shack without another word. Veronica let out another sigh, this one much hefty than the last as she stood up and stretched her arms above her head. A series of small cra--acks ran up and down her spine. Work already-- and she hadn't even had her coffee yet.

 

[Artorias]

Cid Klauser

MENTIONS: Veronica @Luminosity
​

"Come On." A low smooth voice mumbled under a chilly breath, the sound of small crackles and pops filling the small metal workshop that Cid worked inside of built next to his one story home. The home itself inside was large enough for two bedrooms, one bathroom and a small kitchen/living room combo but it was more than enough space for the Undercity. Inside the metal box was freezing cold but the house was warm and toasty -- his priority in making sure he had fixed up a radiator to keep his home warm and more importantly Cindy warm had come first.

Currently he held a torch in his right hand, left arm dangling at his side as the bionic arm he had built for himself was laying on the workbench in front of him and it was open with wires hanging out as he delicately patched it up. The response rate had been off by only a few milliseconds but it was enough for him to notice and be bothered by the damn thing that he woke up early this morning as usual and went straight to work on something and this time it was his own arm. "That should..." He stuck his tongue out in concentration before one more zap and pulling the torch out. "-do it!" He exclaimed quietly to himself. Cleaning up the burn marks on the outside of the polished metal he adjusted the wires back inside and closed the hatch and sealing it shut before clicking it back into the piece of metal attached to the bottom of his elbow that connected to the nerves in his arm. Quick flexes of the bionic fingers, rapidly counting on it and closing various ones before being satisfied with his work.

Moving away from the workbench and to the door that connected the two small buildings he quietly stepped inside hoping not to wake his daughter up but to his surprise she was already up in her pajamas at the small table for two with a bowl of cereal already. "Morning Daddy~ Can you pour the milk pease?" The half gallon of milk was already on the table waiting for him. "It is please and of course Cindy." He said with a small smile on his face to see her morning glee. "Did you sleep well last night?" He asked her while opening up the milk jug and pouring some into her bowl.

"Mhm! Warm and soft all night!" Cindy was kicking her feet back and forth underneath the table as they dangled off of the chair she was sitting in that she had to climb up to even sit on. "Can I come with you to work today?" Cindy asked while starting to eat her breakfast as Cid prepared himself a cup of coffee.

"Not today sweety. I have a lot of work to do but don't worry Auntie is coming over to play with you until I come home." He knew she would be disappointed in not being able to tag along but it was cold. Wanting her to stay safe and warm inside the comfort of his home and with someone he trusted and she trusted was what he wanted for the day. "Okayyy." She said in a pouted defeated voice and continued to kick her feet while eating breakfast.

A knock at the front door. It was Auntie Jessie who was her to watch Cindy for the day. The woman was elderly and was actually the one who helped raise Cid when his Father, Mid, was constantly busy with work. She knew the family well and was a trusted friend. "Come in, it is cold out there." Cid opened the door for her and ushered her inside quickly into the warmth.

"I made sure the radiator is working and it shouldn't fall apart but if it does I did fix up these two space heats that you can use. They will only last for a couple of hours but if you only use one at a time I should be home before it gets too cold." He was giving the run down on the heat situation while grabbing his jacket off the coat hook by the door and starting to bundle himself up to brave the cold.

"Goodbye sweety, I will see you later tonight." He walked over to Cindy before leaving, leaning down and giving her forehead a quick kiss. "Be good for Auntie Jessie!" He called out before closing the front door and braving the cold to head for ARIES HQ.

The trek was unbearably cold even wearing the heavy layers that he had on but he made it alive and in one piece. Just missing out the exchange Veronica had with a new client as he entered the doorway slightly hunched with his arms folded. "I really should put heat vents or something on this thing..." He was speaking to himself again about upgrades.

"Why the hell is it so cold in here?" Cid asked when he stepped inside. The radiator clearly had gone out and the little pink radio sounded like shit.

"Looks like I already have my first job of the day." He spoke to himself again before averting his eyes over to the Leader of this dinky little place. "Good Morning Vee, looking good as always." Not afraid to be polite and give compliments to the members of ARIES. Able to maintain hold of a conversation even as he moved over to the radiator and knelt before it to give it a look over.

 

[CasketCase]

Mention(s): N/A

​

The early morning... no, saying that would imply that one woke up early as opposed to living in an existence of insomnia and countless pots of coffee and tea. Weary eyes stared at the small coffee table originally comprised as a large wire spool, atop of it being a wood-carved board depicting three by three rectangles, six of the nine currently covered by playing cards, each of which had a double-sided chip -colored either red or blue- on their lower right corners. Rubbing his scruffy chin, the man contemplated his choices as his opponent, an elder man surrounded by several children, grumbled to himself, "You see this, kids? That is the face of a man who knows he will lose." The children giggled in response as it didn't take a master of Triple Triad to tell that the old man had backed him into a corner.

"Children," The man began, holding up a card with its back to them, "There is a lesson to be learned from this; one you should forever keep in mind. That lesson is an old saying, "pride goeth before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall"," Turning the card around, he watched with great amusement as the old man's eyes widened for a few seconds before he shouted out, "Zenith, you bastard! The rule was that we only use cards we found and there's no damn way you found Eden!" Zenith chuckled, a baritone rumbling in his chest before he gave his rebuke, "Oh, but I did, old man... I found it in a garbage can after I convinced the owner that it was useless." Old man Val snarled, tossing his hand of cards against the table in defeat, "Fine!" Sighing to himself, the old man rose from his seat, "I guess that means I'm cooking breakfast for all of us." "Please do," Val grumbled underneath his breath, but nothing more as he began the task at hand, having to focus more on the hungry children staring at his back. Glancing to the clock on the wall, Zenith stood up, stretching, "I must prepare for work. I trust you won't burn everything around us to the ground during this time." Val cackled a bit and with his best mocking tone, replied, "Please do. We could do without yer ugly mug for a bit." A smirk crossing his features, Zenith walked away.

Zenith Reef's home was a modest one... if you could call an old train car a proper home; still for the scrap heaps of District 5, it did its job well. The floodlights glaring through the windows were his artificial sun, illuminating his room as he closed the sliding door behind him. The morning's chill had soaked into the metal, leaving each brush or bump against the walls an unwelcomed shock as he got dressed. By the time the scent of breakfast reached him, he was slipping the Jagged Nimbus into its leather holster, the weapon further covered as his elaborate coat was donned.

-----------------

The sliding door of the train car opened and he stepped out, a chorus of farewells by the children following his steps. His skin bristled from the temperature, his shoulder unintentional tightening closer together as he quickened his pace. It would take some time before he reached the headquarters of ARIES or rather the tiny shack that everyone called an HQ. Still, that tiny shack would at least be warm, right?

Wrong

"Ah yes," Zenith declared as he stepped inside, "I see our organization's bountiful benefits are on full display. I am glad we and our guest will enjoy freezing and listening to..." He paused, moving closer to the dented, pink device, "Staticky country, my favorite."

 

[Psyker Landshark]

Yulia Sokolov
Mentions: @Luminosity (Veronica), @CasketCase (Zenith)
​

Just another routine morning, really. Yulia rose from her small room in the ARIES headquarters, pulling herself out of bed and immediately dropping to the floor to begin her morning exercises. Multiple sets of pushups, crunches, squats, and pull-ups later, she rose, starting to pull some clothes on. Yulia wasn't particularly bothered by the morning cold, despite the fact that all she had gone to bed in was a tank top and undergarments. Cold weather wasn't so bad to her in the first place, and a set of calistenics first thing in the morning was enough to warm her up. She sat down next to the small workbench she kept in her room where her gunblade was kept, starting to oil and maintain her father's blade. The old man had always impressed upon Yulia the importance of keeping one's weapon in tip top condition at all times, and she saw no reason to deviate from his lessons.

The smell of coffee eventually drew Yulia downstairs, gunblade sheathed in her hand. Dressed in her usual attire, she made a quick beeline down to the kitchen, idly noting Veronica's conversation with the little girl at the doorstep. In the meanwhile, she snatched out first dibs at the coffee, pouring herself a mug and starting to drink it black. The hot beverage was rather soothing in the cold, and so Yulia simply folded her arms and continued to sip, waiting for the client to leave before speaking up.

"Veronica, you know that girl can't pay. And we can't take too much pro bono work if we want to continue to be a functional outfit." Yulia said flatly, her tone not betraying much of an opinion one way or the other. Her attention was drawn to Cid and Zenith as they entered, with Yulia giving them curt nods of acknowledgement. At least until Zenith opened his mouth.

Yulia frowned. Sarcasm again? What was the point? The man was constantly like this, and for the life of her, she couldn't see why. The long-haired brunette shook her head as she approached the worn-down pink radio, immediately shifting channels.

"There. No more staticky country. Now we have staticky metal. Satisfied?" She murmured to Zenith, seeming completely genuine in her tone.

 

[Astoria]

Ursula Rimstrand
Mentions: Everybody here, ya? ​

It was mostly another old morning. Ursula awoke from her bed in the cramped bedroom that made up a part of her residence on the second floor of the small bar that she now called home. She spent long shifts at nights managing the bar and was a hardly a person adapted to rising early; the silver-haired girl spent some time tossing and turning in her sheets, unwilling to brave the cold morning until she finally dragged herself off to the bathroom to freshen up. Her next step was to detour to traipse downstairs to the bar, where she kicked on the electric kettle to get water ready for her morning dose of tea.

Although Ursula had the good fortune to own the small building she made her home in, her personal abode was quite cramped as most of the space was reserved for her business. The small bar, tucked down a small street, could only accommodate a couple dozen patrons fully packed, and while she also had cellar, it functioned solely as a wine cellar, storing kegs and supplies. That only left the second level as her personal space, which fit a small bedroom, bath, and an equally sized space that could be called a living room. It was nothing that could be compared to her former life topside, but she owned her home, had a fulfilling job, and had good company, so there was little more that she could ask for in life.

When she finally returned to the now whistling kettle, she was prim and proper with clothes befitting a self-respecting bartender. Although she had no audience, muscle memory demanded that she make her morning's drink with the characteristic flourish, adding a dash of sugar and bit of cream to a thermos of piping hot builder's tea.

Checking for her concealed weapons, she was slipping on her peacoat when Bruno entered; he was an older but fit tanned skin man, and her only employee at the Afterlife. He handled the prep work during the day, and served as the other bartender during the evening if things got crowded.

"Morning," he greeted, taking the time to hang up his coat. "Getting ready to leave?"

Ursula nodded in a half-zombie state. "...Yeah. There should be a shipment coming in before noon, so keep an eye out for it. Otherwise, help yourself to some tea. I made too much again." With a wave, she made her leave.

-

"Does nobody dress properly for the weather here?" Ursula spoke dryly as she entered the ARIES headquarters, overhearing part of the conversation that some of its members were already having early in the morning. With some proper caffeine in her body, she was beginning to function properly again as she greeted her friends and acquaintances.

She still decidedly kept her coat on, though, taking a healthy sip out of her thermos before giving her two cents on what was going on. "Hey. I might have missed part of the discussion, but we better not be doing work for free again. I'd be out of a job and a house if I gave everybody here free drinks night after night, you know."

 

[Fyrra]

Tosui Anasaskie
​

As the weather had turned just warm enough that a certain residential building stopped leaving its boiler active during the day, the morning sun had brought with it a chill that startled Tosui from her slumber early. The girl grumbled, first diving further into her blankets and pillows to fend off the intrusive sounds, but eventually clambering to her feet as she gave up on 'just a few more minutes' roughly.... twenty minutes later. Outside, people were bustling about, and the roar of a train's passing accompanied the toll of a crossing signal, but the worst of it was the evidence of her dwelling's shoddy construction: thin walls, far from soundproof, left the girl privy to the muffled sounds of her neighbors waking up: on one side, the morning news, and on the other, the creak of several springs. She slammed her hand into the wall, making a noise of her own.

"Quit jumping on the bed in there! It is too early for that!"

The sound of several children giggling in response at least got her to smirk. From there, Tosui forced herself from the mattress on her studio floor and onto her feet and made her way to the closet, before layering up for what was sure to be another day standing around and looking out of place. Plated gauntlets poorly-disguised as gloves, shin-guards, and an armored vest went over her black leggings and a light dress, with a vibrant blue overcoat and a sturdy pair of hiking boots covering everything up. One properly suits up, the girl hit the back of her armored hands against one another with a satisfying thud, before grabbing a shoulder-satchel, a pair of ear-muffs, and a hunk of metal and heading out, her red hair unkempt and untouched from the night before.

Outside, one of the neighbors stared as she passed by.

"Girl, what'choo doing carrying a stick like that for?"

She didn't even look at him.

________

Crossing paths with another child, and much more awake and mobile after half an hour of the morning's chill to get her moving, Tosui eventually found her way to the ARIES HQ, quietly taking in the sights and smells.... and the wailing of staticy guitars and a violent drumbeat! And also a very gravely growl! The girl smirked, letting herself and stretching out now that she no longer had the wind in her face. That girl had the right idea.

"Nice," she commented on the current music selection, "You can't even hear the propaganda." After an awkward silence and possibly a few stares, she had to ask, "Did I miss something?"

 

[Rouge Rogue]

J₳Ɽ₥łⱠ ₥ØⱤɆ₮₮ł
mentions: i was gonna tag ppl but honestly p much everyone
__________________________________________________
​

Mornings were, as a rule, boring as shit.

Cold mornings especially so; frost made time tick by twice as slow. The only real way to get through the chill was to find distractions until noon.

Jarmil was good at finding distractions.

He'd woken early, warmed himself up with some exercise and a few bites of super early breakfast - and then found someone to bother for the next hour or so. Auggie had been his victim of choice for the day. After months of convincing, he'd finally talked the boy into getting a tattoo made by yours truly. A dragon, to match the one inked on his own skin. Except, you know, smaller. Dude was small. It fit.

Jarmil might have 'forgotten' to mention that his tools were far from professional grade, and that his 'studio' was basically a cramped corner in the ARIES HQ. Not the cleanest place, nor the most distraction-free, but he'd made do - even if he had looked up from his work many a time to chat with the others, all the while continuing to prick tiny holes into Auggie's arm.

Once the little girl left, he did so again.

"Monster hunting, huh? I'll take that for a warm up," assuming monsters were what had kept the kid from returning, anyway. Was it wrong to hope that was the case? He'd been hunched over doing work that required precision most of the morning. He needed to punch something for a change.

Cid entered just then, and as he threw a compliment towards their leader, Jarmil leaned closer to Auggie.

"Old man's at it again," he grinned. Cid wasn't that old in truth. He only had a few years on Jarmil, and even less on some of the other members of ARIES. But he had a kid, and that alone made him ancient in Jarmil's book. He was good with technology though, and man did they need someone to fix the heater right now. The radio, too - there were four people gathered around the damn thing, and it wasn't fixing the static any.

Staticky metal was better than staticky country, though.

Ursula and Yulia both seemed discontent with doing work for free, which it looked like their current gig would entail - the little girl probably didn't have a dime to spare. Something about needing money to keep the place in business, yada yada.

"Leave the girl alone," he commented from his seat at the back, referring to Vee. His tone was laid back, as was his expression - all the while his hands kept inserting ink into Auggie's skin. "You know she can't turn down a lil kid's request. 'Sides, we don't gotta think of it as work. It's more like... exercise. You know, to keep in shape."

Jarmil chuckled, "Y'all don't have to come if you don't wanna. Doubt retrieving some kid takes all of us. Hell, I can do it alone if I gotta - been itching for a challenge. Betting fifty I can do it in ten minutes, tops."

He had to finish what he was doing first, though. Speaking of which--

As if suddenly remembering he was still in the middle of finishing up the tattoo, he turned back to Auggie and his outstretched arm. Just some clean up left and he was done. But before that...

"Oh shit, dude," Jarmil found the most shocked expression he could manage, feigned concern tugging at his brows. He shook his head and turned the other's arm around as if examining the damage done. "I dunno what to say, never had this happen before. Uh..."

He gave a dramatic pause, raised his worried gaze to meet Auggie's - and then let the widest grin known to man overtake his features. He draped an arm around the scout's shoulder sand gave him probably-a-bit-too-hard slap on the back. "I'm messing! Man, should've seen your face."

Laughing, Jarmil stood up to grab a cracked table-mirror, which he held up for his friend. "See? If this ain't the best damn work you've ever seen, I'm sorry to say but - you ain't got no taste."

 

[Vietmyke]

Auggie Brandt

@Rouge Rogue @Fyrra @Artorias ​

---

"Is it too late to say I changed my mind?" Auggie grumbled, wincing occasionally as Jarmil pressed the needle into his skin. His face had fell at the sight of Jarmil's sub-par tools, but by the time he had been able to begin voicing his concerns, Jarmil had already started stabbing him with it. Thus, Auggie was stuck sitting backwards on a flimsy wooden chair, his arm pressing against the surface of the equally flimsy table as the two of them listened to the static-filled music and the complaints of their compatriots. Meanwhile their adoptive younger brother Sett was sitting across from the two of them and staring with wide eyed mysticism.

Most of the complaints were about the lack of heat- a complaint Auggie would've wholeheartedly echoed if he wasn't too busy clenching his jaw. His jacket laid across the table, and his bare skin felt even more brittle in the cold, magnifying the pain from the needle. Auggie looked up as Cid and a few of the others entered for the day, rolling his eyes as Jarmil made his comment.

"Cid isn't that old, he's barely older than we are." Auggie retorted, though in a way Jarmil was right, something about Cid made him feel older than his years let on. But Jarmil already had him captive in a chair, Auggie wasn't gonna give the guy the pleasure of his agreement too. He looked up the stairs as he heard the soft thump thump of Aery's footsteps, as she came down with an armful of scraps and tools for Cid.

"Mr. Cid! We found that part you were looking for- uh.. I think!"

♫ Country Roooaaads, take me hooome -kzzbrrt​zzttkkssshh​ Ex-it Light! Enter Night! Taaake- vvrrrrbbzzzkshh​hhhzzttffff​

The poor radio continued to try its best, chugging along with the radio station as Ursala and Yulia chimed in with their own thoughts- money was short and they couldn't exactly afford to keep doing charity work. Jarmil, unsurprisingly was all for doing the job anyway, he probably didn't even care for the money really, he just wanted to do some rabble rousing, and they'd been short on work all week so Auggie didn't mind a chance to stretch his legs either.

"I mean what's the alternative?" Auggie finally piped up, "Kid might die out there, I'm not letting that sit on my conscience."

Jarmil chuckled as he added, "Y'all don't have to come if you don't wanna. Doubt retrieving some kid takes all of us. Hell, I can do it alone if I gotta - been itching for a challenge. Betting fifty I can do it in ten minutes, tops."

"I bet you don't even have fifty gil in your pocket." Auggie retorted with a grin. He looked up as the door opened once again, and in came Tosui, the redhead being a bit late, had missed the boss' interaction with the girl. Auggie shrugged and gave her a half wave with his free hand.

"Hey Ana, some kid's friend got lost over the wall. Problem is-" Auggie said gesturing in the direction of the others, "Kid doesn't have any money to pay us, so there's some grumbling. I mean she's like what, 10? Where is she supposed to get the money anyway?"

"Oh shit, dude." was all Jarmil managed before Auggie whirled on him "You motherfuck-"

Luckily, it was all a joke, and the tattoo turned out well enough, and Auggie relaxed a bit as Jarmil laughed and handed him a mirror. It was pretty good all things considered, a less of a dragon and more of a serpent, coiling around Auggie's left bicep, with its open maw facing his heart. Auggie nodded approvingly as Sett came around the table to take a closer look.

"Yeah its not too bad I guess."

"Oh!" Sett oohed, "I want-"

"Absolutely not."

 

[Solace]

Mentions: erebody in the club​

"WHERE'S MY MONEY???"

River Swan had the luxury of awakening to the landlady's shrill voice and her understandable complaint. Being an entire month behind on rent payments for the third time in the past year, it was only by Kain's support that he hadn't been evicted yet. Beyond the cultural shock, it had been a slow adjustment to life in Eros, and the fact that cash ruled everything around him. That tumultuous first hour had managed to pass with the promise of paying the landlady in full by the end of the week, brushing his teeth during the quick shower to start the day on a better note. He was still half-asleep when he trudged into the center his haven, the walls and some of the walkspace cluttered with assorted knick-knacks and random items; anyone would have looked into his apartment and called it an absolutely unorganized mess. His stomach grumbled in hunger as his eyes wandered to a half-eaten sandwich that was sitting around a clump of empty wrappers and bottles. Shrugging, he began to eat his choice of breakfast, returning to the mirror in his bathroom to comb his hair.

'How am I gonna get that gil?' River thought to himself as he was in the process of adjusting his weapon to his hip, ensuring that his clan garb was holding together. 'Today's an ARIES day, but there's no knowing if she'll hold out on me again.' If there was still enough sun after the work was done, he would have to swing by some of the other districts for a few shows. Sighing as he was finally prepared for another day, he was in the process of locking his apartment door when his neighbor tapped him on the shoulder. Kain had been one of his clansmen to survive the journey from Kirge all those years ago; among a few of his other clansmen, Kain lived in the same complex that River did. The two of them were around the same age, while Kain was a few inches taller and wore his longer blond hair in a ponytail.

"Thanks for earlier. She would've kicked me out if you didn't convince her otherwise," River gave his childhood friend a smile. "But three thousand gil by the end of the week? I'll be lucky if I get even 500 from ARIES."

"I've told you to stop wasting your money many times, brother. You wouldn't have any problems if you didn't buy things like those wind-up toys of yours."

River took light offense in Kain's word, scoffing. "Hey, I just needed it, alright? Helps me sleep at night."

"And sooner or later, you won't have a place to sleep at night," the other young man chuckled, shaking his head before turning to peer towards the slums beyond the railings. "Be safe, brother."

River was a relatively short trek away from ARIES' headquarters; about a district or two away from his apartment complex. Nodding, he gave Kain a pat on the shoulder. "Same with you, brother," he responded with a wink, starting towards the stairway. "G'luck with Rosa. I wanna hear all about it when I get back."

---

The weather was the least of his concern, even in his unsuitable attire, as River made the trip to ARIES HQ; he figured that if he could handle taking a thousand needles to the body as a child, then a little bit of cold air wasn't worth complaining over. He entered the shack with a scowl on his face, particularly bothered by that thought of his past before lightening up at the sight of the other members. While River was one of the newer members, he had been associated with Veronica when he first arrived in Eros. He'd always wondered if the others thought less of him for being an outsider, much less, if they even knew that he wasn't a native.

"Suuup," River bumped into a little girl along the way into the ARIES HQ as he mimicked one of the common greetings that he would hear along the streets of the Undercity deciding that he would never do it again after realizing how strange his rendition had been. While he had a reputation for being fashionably late, it might've been a surprise to see that he was actually there on time for a change. He nodded in acknowledgement towards everyone before scooting past Yulia to claim some coffee for himself. Tea had been his mainstay beverage in Kirge, but that had soon changed upon his arrival in Kirge. He glared firmly towards Veronica, taking a hefty sip of coffee. "I'm in a bit of a bind. By any chance, do we have any marks for more than three thousand gil?"

 

[Marlowe]

MENTIONS: Everyone at the headquarters ​

As if on cue, the rest of the ARIES members began to filter into the headquarters. Cid came first, already commenting on how he had to fix the thermostat. Veronica offered him a smile at his compliment. "Thanks Cid. Seems like we're gonna have our hands full today, huh?" she commented. Yes, they would have a tough day, but that was their job as an organization that mostly hunted monsters. Zenith and Yulia appeared moreso entertained with the static-filled radio, but even then Yulia and Ursula were less than happy than to do work for free. Veronica gave them a slight frown as she crossed her arms over her chest. "What did you expect me to do? Say no and kick her out? Those Imperial soldiers out there won't do a damn thing for her friend, and I don't know about you, but I won't be able to sleep well at night knowing that we left a kid to die when we had a chance to save them. Think of it this way, we'll be in and out before ya know it."

She could see where they were coming from, though. Times were tough in the Undercity and ARIES definitely wasn't a charity organization. But the little girl's tears had plucked at her heartstrings and manipulated her a bit too easily. Maybe it was because she still remembered the times she cried as a kid. They definitely had to do something. She was grateful for having Jamil and Auggie to back her up, and she was certain that Cid and Zenith wouldn't let a child be in a dangerous place for too long.

"A little girl just walked in and asked us to help her friend that got lost past the walls," she replied to Tosui before turning to River. "We'll be heading out ASAP. The money will have to wait."

 

[Artorias]

Cid Klauser

MENTIONS: Everyone
​

Half focused on the conversation's and event going around him while also keeping focus on the radiator before him that had crapped out on them. While not being any older than the friends he had made at ARIES he did feel years older than the rest. Perhaps it was because of his upbringing, years of working from a young age in the second district while also having to grow up relatively quickly. Focus being pulled away more and more as the room started to fill up with the members of ARIES as a familiar young voice broke out from the noise.

"Ah, good morning Aery. Beaming and full of energy like always, lets see those parts." He said turning his head to look at the young girl who was excited to see him again. She had taken on a role of apprentice to him sort of. He taught her basic things just like he did with his own Daughter. "We will finish up what we were working on some other time though, sounds like I have a full plate today." He ruffled Aery's hair before standing up and away from the radiator.

"Sounds like I will have to fix this later, we have a kid to go look for." Cid wasn't going to abandon some kid because money wasn't being involved. Just the thought of Cindy being in a situation like the very one that was happening was enough to pull on his heartstrings and get him to move into action without payment -- not like he needed the payment himself necessarily as he has a decent savings built up and still sells weapons and tools on the side when not busy with ARIES. Biggs and Wedge appreciate everything Cid and his Father before him had done for that store and will always give him work with a generous pay on top because of the quality they knew they would receive back.

"We should get going as quick as possible. Longer we wait the higher the chance the kid ends up meeting a grim fate." Cid wasn't ready to rush out the door ahead of everyone but they couldn't just stand around and discuss this over about what they should do. They should go help the kid and any time taken away from looking would be a detriment. "When we return I will fix that radiator and I suppose I can work on the radio as well." The radio could be a little project he could give to either Aery or Cindy to test how far they have come and what their capabilities were.

 

[Rouge Rogue]

J₳Ɽ₥łⱠ ₥ØⱤɆ₮₮ł
mentions: @Vietmyke (auggie), @Solace (river), @Artorias (cid)
__________________________________________________​

"Aw, come on!" Jarmil laughed as he spread the closest thing to petrolatum he had on hand over Auggie's tattooed skin. Even with limited tools, he had to at least try and give the best aftercare he could. "The kid's old enough for one tattoo. Ain't you, champ?"

He grinned at Sett's enthusiasm, all in spite of a presumed death glare from Auggie. "Would ya like a dragon too? Bet it'd look sick." Jarmil was only half-joking - but to avoid earning himself and Sett a long-ass lecture from Auggie, he decided to drop the subject for now.

With the tattoo all wrapped up, Jarmil moved on to putting away his tools. Cheap as they were, they were precious to him - and potentially dangerous to the kids in the room. As he cleaned up the table, he glanced back at Auggie. "I ain't gotta tell you to keep the wrap on for the rest o' the day and wash it after and all that, yeah? Assumin' you don't lose the entire arm to some monster 'fore that."

Jarmil's grin was dispersed by the sudden arrival of a certain distraught blonde. River gave a quick greeting, grabbed a cup of coffee, then let the whole room in on his shitty monetary situation.

"Three grand? That ain't 'a bit of a bind' - that's a fortune and a half. The hell'd you do this time?" Jarmil sounded both curious and amused by the foreigner's predicament. He'd always found the guy a little weird - but in an interesting way. Hell, dude came from outside Eros! That alone was cool. Made him wonder how much of the guy's eccentricity was explained by cultural differences.

Maybe one day, if he cared enough, he'd ask.

"Well, whatever it is, we gotta worry 'bout it later. Old man's right - the longer we wait, the longer the kid's gotta wait."

Jarmil rolled his shoulders, cracked his neck and did a few more adjustments to his gauntlets - before punching them together with the resounding crack of thunder.

"Let's go."

 

[CasketCase]

Mention(s): Everyone


As the others began assembling for their morning briefing, Zenith's attention remained on the small pink radio and its vomit of staticky sounds, which were now infused with the squeals of guitars and heavy drums under the audio snow. His gaze remained unmoving for a good portion of time, easily leading to thoughts of him falling asleep with his eyes opened, but that would be dismissed as with one abrupt moment, he moved into action. Delivering a mighty karate chop across the top of the radio, seemingly knocking out the static as for just a moment, they could hear the lyrics of the song currently playing.

"...A chip on my shoulder.
Everyone's getting older.
Heroes die young, that's fine.
I'm still a child inside..."​

Like the glimmer of hope, taunting one falling to despair, the static returned in full force, prompting a heat-vapor cloud forming sigh from the man. Giving up on percussion maintenance saving the radio, Zenith turned to face the others, "The boss has a point, you know..." He began, which begged the question on just how much he had been paying attention to their conversations, "This child, lacking in monetary funds can provide us with something more useful than mere gil." Placing one arm behind his back, his remaining one made a grand sweeping arc before coming to a stop, his thumb, index, and middle fingers rubbing together in the universal symbol of money, "She will be an excellent source of word-of-mouth recommendations. Her tales of the generous ARIES organization will inspire others with the means to reward us to come forth."

With that said, he began making his way towards the door, halting within the threshold, "That is to say, should we be successful in finding her friend. The longer we dilly-dally, the less likely she'll give us a good review." Pushing open the door, he stepped out into the cold.

 

[Astoria]

Ursula Rimstrand
Mentions: Still everybody ​

Still taking small sips from the warm beverage in her thermos, Ursula silently listened to the conversation as other members filtered in after her. Aside from the little girl, it seemed that the radio was a big topic of discussion. To her, Yulia had made the music far worse by switching to metal, but she knew the girl had a preference towards the loud music.

After a while, the silver haired girl finally let out a sigh of resignation. Although she put up a token protest alongside Yulia, it was clear that the little girl needed help, and everybody else was fired up to help her. Ursula herself didn't fully have it in her heart to abandon a girl and her friend in need, even if she put herself out as the group's financial voice of wisdom.

"Well, yes," Ursula answered, taking a deadpan affectation towards Veronica. "But you're going to go help her anyway, so it looks like I have little choice in this matter either." She threw up her hands in defeat, before finally turning to Zenith.

"Actually, I was thinking of having her sweep the floors here and at my place as payment, but I suppose that works too." Ursula wasn't one to rely on something as intangible as goodwill to spread the word and draw business, but he certainly had a good point in how much a little child liked to talk.

Since Veronica had thrown down the word of god, she checked out her own equipment as everybody else got ready. Verifying that the handgun strapped to her thigh looked good, she also confirmed that the knives and spare gun tucked in her vest were there. Once she was fully satisfied that she was ready, she nodded to herself.

"Shall we? Or should we continue finding different variations of saying time to go?"

 

[Psyker Landshark]

Yulia Sokolov
Mentions: yes
​

Somehow, Yulia had a feeling this was how things were going to turn out. Almost everyone else was going to set out regardless to save this child, then. Fine. At least Zenith made an actual intelligent point about how this could benefit the group as a whole. For Veronica's sake, she'd take it.

"I can't stop you, so I may as well come along. Save you from getting yourselves killed somehow." Yulia grunted tonelessly as she unhooked her sheathed gunblade from her belt, drawing the blade slightly to check how much ammunition was loaded. Good. Fully loaded with one in the chamber. She was ready to go, then.

Truthfully, Yulia didn't particularly feel one way or the other about this missing child. From the sound of it, he'd been repeatedly instructed to not leave the confines of the walls, and then he went and did it anyway. Tragic, to be certain. But even toddlers understood that touching fire burnt them. One would think that growing up in the Undercity, a child would understand danger.

"Moving out. Formation orders, Veronica? I volunteer to take point."

 

[Vietmyke]

Auggie Brandt

​

---

"Stop offering them tattoos." Auggie stated plainly, giving a sharp look at the rather shoddy quality of the tools Jarmil had been using to apply the ink to Auggie's arm. "If I see you stick those crappy tools in them, you might find one of my knives sticking out of your back."

The threat was of course hollow, most of Auggie's responses to Jarmil's shenanigans usually fell along the lines of 'stop or I'll stab you'. But it was typically all in jest. Though the idea of Jarmil applying a tattoo onto Sett or Aery did make him somewhat concerned. The twins would usually protest- citing the fact that Auggie got his own tattoos around their age as their reason for wanting them. As Sett's eyes lit up with the idea of getting a similar dragon on his arm, Auggie dashed the boys hopes.

"Sett, grab my field gear." Auggie said, cutting off the rest of Sett's protests.

He grabbed at a soft, clean bandage and began wrapping his left arm up as the rest of ARIES began to gear up. It stung a big, and if he had known they were going out over the wall, he wouldn't have agreed to getting that tattoo- at least not in the morning. But hey, it was cold, quiet, and they were bored. He threw on his jacket, gingerly sliding his fresh arm through the sleeve, before quickly shoving the rest of the garment on. As Sett game down with a bag, Auggie slung it over his shoulder, compact, but a bit weighty, the pack had most of Auggie's gear neatly organized just in case he had to leave at a moments notice. His collapsed rifle was stored in a case secured to the side of the bag, and the folded up scout drone that Cid had made for him dangled off the back for easy access. He quickly patted down the locations in which his blades were stored and pulled his climbing gloves over his hands, fingers flexing.

By the time Yulia had offered to take point, Auggie was already out the door, putting his arms and legs through some quick impromptu stretches before he got ready to bound off ahead of them.

 

[Fyrra]

"So, no other leads beyond outside the walls? No direction? No possible goal, known landmarks for reference, or points of interest?" Tosui's inquisitive deadpan was just that: a query, but likely a difficult one to get accustomed to. In return, ARIES' knack for jumping into a mission at the drop of a hat with no information to go on was something she respected about the outfit, and knowing that much of the work would be left undone or forgotten if not for them often kept her feet moving from the day she started training. Pity, then, that the radio's propaganda had to clear up its broadcast for just long enough to mar her enthusiasm, but her frown vanished just as quickly as it appeared, replaced by a grin as she balanced her staff behind her neck, resting her hands upon it. "Wonderful~" Just as well. She'd long since learned her lesson about telling the others that it shouldn't be about the money, that the city should have been paying them for the services they provided. Regardless of whether anyone agreed, Eros wasn't footing the tab, nobody wanted to hear it, and Tosui was as sick of bringing it up as she was hesitant to stomach the presence of soldiers in uniform.

And so, while everyone got up to file out the door, Tosui waited for the majority of the group to pass her before falling in line at the back of the formation, too far away to get a glimpse of Auggie's ink as he zoomed by, not that it being covered up stopped her curious glance. Her gaze drifted from Auggie, to Sokolov and her blade, lingered on Rimstrand's hair, and eventually settled upon Swan, who appeared to be in some sort of money trouble? For a brief moment she walked just a little bit closer, keeping her voice hushed. "If you're in need of a mark, I've got you covered. Let's talk later." And without another word, Tosui sidled back into the rear of the formation: right where she could keep an eye on everyone, and where nobody would get any bright ideas about asking what sort of crimes she was plotting, especially in broad daylight.

 

[Solace]

Mentions: the homies
​

River was utterly disappointed when it was made apparent that their job of the day would be entirely out of charity. He'd been quick to surmise that the child who he had bumped into on his way into the headquarters had made the request, and despite his dismay in working for free, he couldn't possibly say no if it was for one so young. With a heavy sigh, he finished the rest of his coffee in one fell gulp, leaving the empty glass on a table. "Fine, fine," he gave Veronica the usual response of waving his hand in the air, partially drawing his katana from the scabbard and testing its edge with his pinky finger. As much as some people bothered him about the unoccupied slot on his weapon that was designated for materia, he was perfectly content with leaving it be. There was always the chance that he would part ways with the blade in the near future when another one caught his eye.

"Short on rent for the lady, again," River shook his head as he followed alongside the other members of ARIES, speaking after Jarmil on the matter. If there was anybody that he could've related to within ARIES, it was certainly not Jarmil, but he wasn't a bad guy outside of the reckless tendencies, all things considered. "If I don't have a crowd to please, I might just take you up on that offer," he gave Tosui a smile when she approached him with an offer of support for his situation, trotting up to where Veronica would be. "So, where should we start?"

 

[Marlowe]

MENTIONS: Everyone​

"Since we're goin' in blind, I'm afraid there's no set plan. Either way, we're just pickin' up a kid from outside the walls, no big deal," Veronica gave them a sheepish smile as she glanced over at River. "If we start at the entrance to Eros and work our way around in the pair of utility vehicles we have, we'll be able to find him. How far can a kid walk in just an hour or two?"​

---
​

It was easy to forget just how windy things could get beyond the walls. In the summer, the breeze became more and more dry. The gales would pick up the sands and push it into weary travelers' faces. However, in the winter, it became worse; the winds turned into vicious storms, each breeze becoming like a flurry of sharpened knives that penetrated the thickest of coats. They were lucky that the weather was bearable that day. Yet, if the winds picked up just a little bit, they could potentially deal with a sandstorm. It would be within their best interest if they found the kid as soon as possible. ​

​

Veronica sat in the passenger seat of one of the two utility vehicles, her eyes looking up to the sky. While it wasn't necessarily overcast, their radar scanners picked up energy clusters to their south. The storms were approaching fast. She knew that they had to work as quick as they could, but they had no leads. The girl hadn't even been sure of which way the kid had headed...​

​

"We should prob check those dunes over there," Veronica suggested to the one behind the driver's wheel as she motioned towards a grassy patch of land to their left. There was a craggy knoll that arched above the land. If the kid was looking for shelter against the cold winds, he most likely used the landform for protection. "Should hurry up, that storm system to the south's pretty serious biz."​

​

 

[CasketCase]

Mention(s): Every and anybody willing to listen



Zenith was quiet, perhaps far too quiet, save for the sounds of a pen gliding across paper as he wrote. Judging by the angle he was holding his journal, it looked like he was running low on space and was resorting to writing in the margins now. As the group made preparations to split up to search for the child somewhere out in the wastes, he was focusing all of his attention at staring at whatever he had hidden before closing the old leather and metal bound journal with an audible snap. Clearing his throat, he spoke,

"Chilled by winter's touch...
In search of a missing child...
A long day awaits..."
​

The bastard looked proud of himself, having wasted his and everyone else's time with a haiku complaining about the weather conditions, but such things should have been expected by him by this time. Content with this, he climbed into the second of the utility vehicles.

Truthfully, Zenith was worried, but it was better to portray bravado than to taint the optimism of others by showing it. A missing child out here was one thing, but the approaching storms would bode poorly even for seasoned adults. The search for shelter could also prove perilous as the child would not be the only one seeking it; after all, these lands were home to various dangerous beasts. He could only hope they were fast enough to find the child.