((Logged 3/10/01 by Dirah))
There is nothing quite like pre-mission anxiety. And she stretches from where she sits, on the foot of a bed, looking.. Nervous as easily as she is irritable. "I do wish things would go along swifter..." Of course, there are so many things to be taken care of before the tournament can start- registrations and check ins and all sorts of preparations... But can Dirah be blamed for being impatient? Ah, anxiousness, anxiousness. And all in one -horrible- outfit. Well. Can't win them all. And so she shifts her weight, casting almost nervous glances outside the window, where people shift in such mass outside, cheerful in festivities and pre-tournament cheer... And she gives a little frown. No, this anxiety doesn't settle well with her at -all-.
All the way in a new land and Daniel is stuck in a room. Not only that, but he has to share the room with all of Dirah's lugage. Then Dirah had to have the bed to herself and Daniel is on the floor. To prevent a violent blood bath in the room, Daniel meditates on the floor to try and calm himself. He sits completely still with his legs crossed while he focuses on Fei's face. His appearnce is almost a perfect duplication of the real Fei. The picture wasn't the greatest to go off of but it was the best he had. In his mind he repeats the though 'ignore her ignore her, you can dispose of the lugage while she sleeps'.
Tifa leans against the wall, already in costume wearing her large brown cloak. Her topaz-blue eye shining through like a light in the beacon of darkness. Her hand rubs her bracer delicately. Eventually her head turns to look out the window. "....So i'll finally get to see him. The person who engulfed Tifa Marabat's soul...Bartholomew Fatima," she looks at Dirah and Daniel, now in Fei form. "...That's amazing, Daniel. You really are powerful in the ether department. No wonder you were chosen to represent the Ashtoreth's owner...
Dirah merely frowns delicately, casting a narrowed glance of that one uncovered eye towards Tifa, in blues so similar a cast... A horrible hue for one's eyes, Dirah notes shortly to herself, "You don't need to worry so, Tifa.. Er, Young Master." Might as well get into the habit now, lest people wonder -severely- why she keeps slipping to that name, "Its just a tournament. And this mission will be over in due time..." Well. True, for all of them, Tifa had the most work, the most perminant... Well. It can be fixed, right? No need to worry. Because optimism is a -very- fine thing to entrust in when one is utterly nervous in the first place. And Dirah leans on the bed, half lounging for the poise, with her chin settled in the palm of a hand as she glances down at Daniel. Ah, she doesn't need to bother -acting- in character yet. Not when she's so nervous, "I think it looks kind of creepy."
Cerencia has connected.
Tifa's words shake Daniel from his comma like trance and he looses the mimic. He shakes his head in disapointment at himself and sighs. "Thanks Tifa." He then stands up and kicks one of Dirah's bags for that degradeing comment. He glares down at her and then his eyes move to her hair. He starts giggleing at her as if there was something wrong with her hair simply to make her freeak out. Having done what he thought was an adequate job, Daniel goes over to the window to stare outside. He can do this and he tells his self this over and over again. Very slowly his form changes back into Fei.
Tifa closes her eyes, "...please don't call me that," she sighs, nearly pleading with Dirah. She sighs, looking at Daniel, "Oh...my...I hope you're able to keep that form in the tourney...we'd have a problem if you messed up during it...," she sighs, shaking her head. "I hope this turns out well. There's nothing I can do but worry, worry and worry."
"If you insist.." Dirah offers lightly, all carelessness rather obviously forced into her tone. Yet at least she is -trying-, for all things, to sound as if she was not worried. And she gives a short and disapproving frown to Daniel.. And yet, is that habit? For she inadvertantly brushes those perfect hung silver bangs from her face, distracted by his little taunt. But, no matter. For she keeps that false confidence to her tone, "You needn't worry, Tifa. Everything will turn out fine, I'm certain of it. We have everything planned and everything accounted for. What could possibly go wrong?"
And where has the fourth member of this party been all this while? Where else, but haggling with the innkeeper downstairs and then out to purchase supplies for dinner. A meal inside would be better than strolling out and about without properly adjusting to the place. Cerencia rattles the key in the door first, calling out his arrival as a warning before he opens the door. "Dinner's here!" Entering quickly and closing--and locking--the door behind, he tries to balance the boxes in his other hand and look for a place to set things down. "My apologies, Young Master," he nods deferentially, "I didn't mean the delay. It looks fine out there... everyone's busy with the tournament."
"Nothing to worry about" he tells himself. Daniel turns to face Tifa in full Fei form. "Don't worry, I'll be able to keep this form no problem." He truely believes this now and so there is no reason for it not to be true. The image of Fei is identical to that of the picture and it does not waver even for a moment. Maybe he -is- getting the hang of this ether thing. Well... maybe just small parts of it. Daniel starts to parctice Fei's technique now in the room. Every action is someone half done for lack of room and his not wanting to hurt Tifa or Cerencia as she enters the room. For the first time since the begging of this project he doesn't seem overly eager to get going. Instead, he has become extremly focused on prepareing himself.
Tifa blushes a bit, "Um...perfect," she says. She looks to Cerencia, "Please don't call me that...I am rather hungry," she looks to the side, and gets off the wall, to remove her hood.
Dirah casts a glance to the door at Cerencia's entrance, and grants a little smile, "Welcome back. Took you long enough.. Buying out a few stalls down there, Ceren?" And she pushes herself up into a sitting possition, instead of merely lounging on the end of the bed, stretching lightly as she does so, "Wouldn't hurt to have a bit to eat before this thing. What did you bring?"
"All for you, Dirah," Cerencia replies with a sigh, serious and yet patient at the jibe. "Except for food... don't eat too much at once, everyone. You need to give yourselves time to adjust to a different locale." Lecturing parentally as he sets the boxes down on a spare corner of the floor and opens them, Cerencia offers the first piece of folded bread and meats to--who else--Tifa. "There you go. I brought drinks as well. Meats and sauces... don't overwork yourself either, Daniel. Remember to have plenty of water."
Still keeping his Fei form, Daniel greets Cerencia with a pleasent smile. "Hey Cerencia, hope you didn't have to much trouble." A very out of character statment but it is done to contrast Dirah's mean attitude towards Cerencia. Apparently so as he casts a hateful glance over at Dirah as the first words out of her mouth are always an insult. Daniel sighs and realizes doing this is going to be tougher than he thought. Not the actual mission but not killing Dirah. He sighs and whispers, "I -can- do this."
Tifa takes the sub and starts eating it slowly, and more or less, like a noble would. She was raised in a rich family, so that could not change. She must always use the best table manners possible, even when there's no table. She finishes her first bite and smiles, "Thank you, Cerencia, this is wonderful," she compliments. She looks at Daniel. "Please, don't overwork yourself, Daniel. You do have quite a bit ahead of you in the tourney..."
Dirah nods shortly in responce, "All good advice, of course... Who knows how disagreeable Aveh food is." And isn't that a cliched comment, right down to the roots, as Dirah hops off the bed in some action of grace- as if she could ever move without -some- necessity of showing off- to go directly towards something to drink. The desert isn't agreeing with someone, it seems. "This place is -far- too blasted hot..." She murmers, a weak little protest beneath her breath, "And I -wish- things would settle up and start soon. I don't like waiting..." And yet the world has no intention to tailor itself to your preferances, Dirah. Isn't that a -pity-?
Cerencia smiles at last, the worn look in his face dispensing somewhat at the manners of the Young Master. And how is he supposed to end that title? Servitude could be considered predestiny for him. But enough of that for now--Ceren unpacks the sub sandwiches for Dirah and Daniel, handing them out in each hand. "I brought up some juices and talked with the innkeeper downstairs for hot water, so that I can make some tea in case anyone wants some to finish off dinner. Why don't we go for a walk later this evening when it grows cool again? I can't imagine that the celebrations would end, and it would be good to adjust to the town." Yes, yes, enough. There's food.
Daniel drops the disguise and returns to himself. They are right after all, it is going to be a lot of work. Not only does he have to keep the mimic but he also has to fight. Daniel humbly takes the last sub after everyone else has picked the cream of the crop. He eats it slowly but not even in the polite manner that Tifa eats hers. He tries to act more civilized but it is going against all the actions he was ever taught. On the floor, he eats his sub happily trying to ignore the words coming from that narcistic woman Dirah. Every word she speaks seems to either cater to herself or complain about someone else. Daniel wonders if he might be able to swap her hair gell with bacon grease just for fun. On this thought a wicked little smile spreads across his face. Turning his eyes up to Cerencia he says, "I would love to go walk around! We should really do that." That's the first good idea he has heard all day.
Dirah nods mildly, and takes her sub... And she eats with -some- grace, mind you, as she sits down by the rest of them, with more formality than Daniel but no where near as much as Tifa. Well. She wasn't born and raised better than everyone else, after all. She just happened to think that. And she pauses after a few bites, too grateful for food to say anything beforehand... And pauses, giving a small smile to the thought, "It sounds lovely. I think it would be an excellent idea to go out a bit... To get used to the town and get a feel for how it's set up. So escape can be easier, if it comes to that.." And a pause, and she shrugs, adding merely, "Well. That and I couldn't stand to be cooped up in here for days, waiting for that blasted thing to start. Why not? Sounds like fun."
Cerencia smiles back in that paternal care that comes right along with everything else about him--isn't that why he was included here? Not just to sew and clean and cook, but for a grounding basis in this. "Then it's settled. So we may as well eat now and then relax for a bit while the evening comes in, and watch the behavior of the residents through the window so we'll know how to blend in if needed. Is there anything else that someone might have forgotten back in Nortune?" She finally takes one of the subs for herself, nibbling on the edge after pulling off her white gloves lest they get stained.
Daniel finishes his sub and with great satisfaction. Its one of the best meals he has had in awhile. "Thanks Cerencia. I think I remembered everything I needed" A life of brutality hasn't left him totaly without manners. Now he sneaks onto the bed to lay down in a comfortable way. The floor might not be so bad but it isn't as good as the bed.