(9/2/01)
Crouching on top of the roof of one of the buildings in Dazil, Archer watches the people mill about their lives below. A sigh as he brings one claw to his right cheek. This is boring. Oh, look. A kid stole bread from a shopkeeper. A woman is drawing water from the tower. Is there anything to keep his mind off of finding the elemental compound of the shingles on the roof? Archer's not used to sitting around doing nothing.
Luck has simply not been on the fashionable Kislevi's side as of late. For every little trip she's taken into Dazil has resulted in someone being obnoxious, or simply the -oddest- people talking to her. It did a lot to ruin what otherwise would have been perfectly charming shopping sprees. So today the silver-haired fashion Goddess isn't attached to every clothes selling street stall on the roads or swooning over some of the more particularly darling items for sale. No. Of course not. For Dazil doesn't have much of a selection in the end anyway, regardless of how... A frown there to the wonder of the new boots she wears even now... They always seem to go wrong, too. And its remarkable what passes for a nonsuspicious disguise for Dirah, as she walks down the street in a simple desert outfit, short pants and sleeveless shirt, and a cloak snug about her shoulders. Her hair is bound back in a loose ribbon, but yet.. She doesn't see quite the need to pull the hood about her face. She's simply wasting time and catching up on Aveh rumors today. It.. simply can't be helped if her gaze finds itself drawn to the merchant stalls now and then while she walks.
Tognotti paces down the dusty street nonchalantly, gazing from one vendor to the next, his eyes running over all the citizens. These poor, suffering citizens, being crushed under Solaris' iron fist... at least, that's how Tognotti saw it. Suddenly, a flash of silver hair caught his eye. He stopped dead in his tracks. It wasn't... could not be! He turned to find himself face to face with Dirah, the self proclaimed fashion goddess. He sighs softly, his voice finding it's way back to the chiding Gebler tone he found himself having to adopt so often now... too often. "Well... hello, my charming miss Di. Out for more shopping, I assume?" His lips curl back into a somewhat sadistic smirk. Well... at the very least, he's already familiar with this woman... so he didn't have to worry about anything unexpected. Oh. She's wearing those boots. How charming.
Archer managed to take up his time by counting how many talons are on his claws. Alas that attempt stopped cold when he found he had 12 talons. Let's see...what else could he do? Write a research paper on what exactly he's supposed to be. Wait! He can't write! His three taloned claw makes it difficult to hold a pen. Forget that. Hmm...peer at silver haired woman down below? Yes, that sounds like it could take up a whopping 4 minutes of his time. He crosses his arms and sighs loudly. There has to be -something- to do, -something- to take his mind -off- of listing the contents of Dazil's atmosphere. He looks down at the silver haired woman and the strange Gebler among the other people for a couple of minutes.
How -very- charming! In fact, Dirah would be glad to demonstrate how darling these boots are firsthand, if Tognotti would enjoy having his face kicked in with them. And the Kislevi blinks, surprised out of her rather drifting, distracted thoughts.. As a distressingly familiar Gebler puts himself right in the middle of the road before her. -Lovely-. Somewhere, whatever master of Fate there is was having a ball making Dirah's life uncomfortable. "I'm afraid I'm just passing through today, soldier..." And it takes every inch of her ability not to throw sarcasm into that tone. Yes, darling soldier, I'm doing nothing suspicious. So find someone else to cause trouble with, all right? "So. Good day." Cold, that dismissal? Whatever makes you say that? But Dirah has none of the patience for this sort of mockery today. She has her boots, she enjoys her boots, but let's leave it at that. And so, she simply continues down the street, head high, with any hope just to walk past the Gebler and down the street without complaint. Well... She can dream, can't she?
Tognotti frowns, cracking his knuckles. His eyes narrow as he clenches his fist, pain shooting through his hand. "Holy hell..." he mutters, "...my goddamn hand. I think I broke my finger..." He groans, calling out. "C'mon, fashiongirl... don't deny me at the very least a thanks for those fancy boots you so proudly wear." His head slowly turns to the roof, his ether fields detecting a figure atop it. A demihuman? Brilliant. If there was one thing that really got to Tognotti, it was those damned dirty demihumans.
Archer notices the Gebler looking up at him, not knowing what the guy is thinking, nor really caring that Tognotti~harbors feelings of contempt now...! Well, now they know Archer's watching them...perhaps talking with them would be much more interesting than watching them talk. He makes a leap off of the roof, and lands near them with the usual cloak 'melting and reforming effect' that happens when you have a really big cloak. He turns his head towards the two, silent for the moment. Maybe there's a terror striking them deep in their soul...? (turns it off and stops integrating Together into his poses >_<)
"Fashiongirl?" How kind of him to notice. And yet, Dirah says that with all the lofty tone of irritation. He would be best to note such a thing -honestly-... Mocking her? Hmph! Its simply disgraceful. Obviously, this man is quite desperate to start trouble. And poking fun at her absolute beauty is -certainly- one of the best ways to do it. And so the Kislevi grits her teeth and turns around to crack an absolutely -mocking- smile, "Oh, of course! How silly of me to forget. Thank you ever so much for terrifying a shopkeeper out of her mind, cheating her out of her money, and making a fool of yourself in public! It was ever such a lacking afternoon. Now, does that quite settle my needed thanks?" Dirah is not fond of Tognotti. Could you.. notice? The last thing she needs, after all, is to be followed about by an exceptionally rude, and apparently overwhelmingly bored, Gebler. "So, if you'd pardon me, I really do have things I'd rather do today than--AAH!" Yes, that was actually a rather shrill shriek there, thankfully rather short and choked very short, as Archer drops off the roof and lands by them. Dirah, after all, didn't know he was there in the least. So pardon her if she stumbles back a few steps and -stares-, more than a little stunned.
Tognotti stumbles back, a scowl appearing on his face as he silently allows an obscene amount of ether invisibly channel into his fist. If this foolish soul tried -anything-... he'd find himself burning in blazing flames! "Hello there citizen..." he breathed calmly, trying not to let his disgust and anger show very much. He turns to Dirah. "No might be a good time to show a bit of courage, miss. Your reaction betrays your noble attitude."
One of Archer's claws meets his head as he suddenly gets a bit of a headache in reaction to the ether drawing. "....," he finally feels it begin to diminish, and he regains his stature, turning his head to meet the two, "I didn't intend to startle you, but I had no other way to get down. My apologies," another thing he forgot. He doesen't exactly know the nature of the formula regarding- much less how his body would react to- ether. He's had a headache like this before, and he can pretty much associate it with what is causing it. His expression falls to a bit of a cautionary one at Tognotti.
Dirah blinks rather shortly, still looking stunned. And even in that state she has the ability to snap out, "-What-? I.. That has nothing to do with it! I was just -surprised-!" Ha! Dirah is no coward in the least! After all, besides being the Glorious Fashion Goddess that she is, she is also the -true- leader, the brains, courage and inspiration behind the doings of the JNK Yggdrasil! So there. She's not some sissy priss screaming and cowering from anything that doesn't look human or.. Even particularly friendly. And just for that comment, she can raise her head high and attempt to look, for all its worth, completely calm. Even if this guy is.. A bit unsettling looking. But hey, Dirah isn't going to be unnerved about that past the initial wonder of how desperately even Archer could use a fashion sense. "Hey, think nothing of it. You just caught me a little off guard." ...Right!
Tognotti nods reluctantly to the demihuman. "Very well. Please conduct yourself with more caution next time. People are liable to mistake you for some manner of terrorist if you leap from rooftops in such a manner. That is to say nothing of the Dazil building code which expressly denies people the right to roam among the tops of Dazil's roofs." Tognotti allows his ether to fade a bit, stretching it out around him to form an invisible, but fairly strong barrier around him. No risks, like this. He glances to Dirah. "Hmm... well, fashiongirl, frankly, I think it suits you. You should see to it that you get yourself a cloack just like that one immeadiately. It'll be all the rage, I'm -sure-..." Tognotti scoffs, chuckling a bit as he turns back to Archer.
Archer hmphs, "...I could care less what people think of me," he replies. If he cared what people thought of him until now, he'd be an utter wreck of insecurity. "...So, you look like a Gebler," he says to Tognotti, before turning to look at Dirah. That silver hair...that face! He's seen it before...is she the element of fire?! "It can't be..."
"My name is not..." And yet, that snarl of word is rather choked back upon as quickly as it is thought to say. No, your real name is of Kislev, and your real name is not what you're doling out to the masses in the first place. But nonetheless, snarl. Dirah puts her hands on her hips in a distinctly irritated gesture, continuing instead with, "You'd be best not to suggest fashion sense until you have one, soldier." Especially to someone as fashionable as Dirah. Its like.. Elementary school students trying to tell a college student how to study. The ignorant simply have no place talking at all. So! With a small Hmph, she finds the need to mutter, very darkly, "Stupid bunch of laws, too. Barbaric place, this.." For.. Dirah is, whether she'll admit it or not, so terribly, -terribly- homesick. Places as.. Inane as this made her rather hurt within to be so far from home. Not like she is tired of doing her job here, but.. "Hm?" Odd, is this odd, cloaked figure looking at her? How.. unsettling. Although, with someone as lovely as her, its to be expected, "What?"
Tognotti glances from the demihuman to Dirah, sensing an odd look of recognition in his eyes. He smirks, sensing a chance to show up Dirah yet again. "Ah, my dear fellow... if my instincts are correct, you are, in fact, incorrect. The girl isn't Harcourt. Though she seems to be quite touchy about people drawing comparisons." He turns full to Dirah now, grinning evilly. "Fashion sense? I could out dress youm any day of the week." Yes... back in Shevat, Tognotti had been hailed as a master of style, of all things. His modesty and humbleness towards his achievments aside, he made all his clothing himself. And, being both blessed and cursed with a truly emaciated figure, he could fit in even the smallest of outfits.
Archer looks at Tognotti, "Harcourt? ...Are you sure this is not the element of fire?!" he peers at Dirah a bit more. He frowns as the current topic becomes fashion sense. He claw returns to his head, "...I do not know what kind of ether you are using, but please stop," he warns, "it's giving me quite a headache."
"-What-?" Oh, what, they brought up some subject about Harcourt again... Hmm.. Well, no matter, that. Tognotti just committed a much more greivous sin in daring to.. -Daring- to say that he could... "Out dress me? My, don't you live in a sad, delusional little world, soldier." And that is all said in a voice of -steel-, those palest blue eyes just -narrowed- as she casts a venemous glance over to Tognotti. You are talking to someone who's appearance gives every inch of meaning to her very life. And Tognotti would dare to insinuate that his petty style is comparable? The very -nerve-! And so, still looking darkly, darkly annoyed, she turns her glance back to Archer, trying, and failing, to not look as annoyed as she is. While utterly insisting on not responding to Tognotti, "Er, yes. I'm afraid I'm not related to this person you speak of.." On the contrary. I -am- him. In an improved, more fashionable, and female version. Ahem. But we're not going into that. And yet, Dirah blinks mildly, rather confused by what was said aloud, "Element.. of Fire?"
Tognotti smiles wickedly. "My, that sure seems to make your blood boil. If only you knew... my dear, dear fashiongirl... that you are merely a peon in this world! Hahahaha!" My... my... now Tognotti is being a bit melodramatic. With a wave of his hand, Archer's headache fades. "I'm still using the ether, but you won't feel it." He snaps his fingers a bit. "I'm afraid, fashiongirl, that you'll find when somebody has led a life as confined as my own, they develop a rather actue sense of how they should dress when they are to be seen. You are delusional if you think you little outfits are attractive. To say nothing of that indecent costume you flaunted at the band competition." Oh, yes. Tognotti had been there. He'd seen the whole thing.
Archer sighs, "I do hope you keep your ether to yourself. I'm not quite ready for -that- experiment yet," he comments. As for Dirah, he nods at her, "Yes...you look just like the Element of Fire..," though he does remember hearing that those elements were replaced with new ones. That fact is rather unbelievable though. They were quite good at what they did.
What? ..-WHAT-? Dirah is simply struck silent after a rant like that. Utterly, Entirely. Silent. And is left, simply -staring- at Tognotti, as if he had said something as redicious as claiming that he was actually a three story tall octopus monster. But, no. He just.. He just said... Dirah goes very red in the face then, an expression not of annoyance, but of simple, repressed -fury-. And those eyes could not be locked in more of a simple -hatred- if she tried. This is the look that says I want you to burst into FLAMES. This is the look that says that I am so -tempted- to beat you within an inch of your life.. And yet, and yet, for some rediculous reason, getting arrested in Dazil is not what I would want to do. And so, when she finally speaks, it is in a voice that is quiet and so very hostile, words dripping with the acid of her bitter tone, "I do not know -what- you are on, or what is wrong with you.. Nor why you feel it so -necessary- to act like a self-worshiping stupid little child, going on like someone should care that you're talking, much less that you're breathing... But I would like to ever so kindly suggest to you, soldier, that you keep your opinions to -yourself-." And.. A mild pause, as somewhere, she realizes that someone else was talking. Hmph. So, almost distractedly, she grants to Archer, "I'm afraid I'm not who you think I am, then." Odd. Is that a fact she missed about Sigurd? She'll.. have to look into whatever this Element of Fire business is.
A bemused smile. That was all to be seen on Tognotti's face. "Whatever is wrong? I'd say if nobody cared what I was saying... you wouldn't be so aboslutely livid, were you? Unless you consider yourself nobody. In which case you'd have to support my claim that you are a peon in the realm of fashion. See? You logic does not hold water." Tognotti glances back to Archer. Oh... how he -longed- to blast him sky-high. But, he was just too much of a saint. "Well, my intriguing demihuman friend... I won't, most certianly not, unless you really give me a reason to." His gaze returns to Dirah, eyes narrowing. "You are the child, here, fashiongirl... you are the one who cannot face that fact that youthful vigor will always fall to aged experience and accquired knowledge." Geez. Tog was pushing it. Good thing Dirah wasn't armed. ... ... ...right?
Archer doesen't like Tognotti already. Then again, being cynical ensures you don't like a lot of people anyway. "A reason to, hm? How friendly of you," Archer isn't going to give Tognotti the time of day to blast him sky-high if that's what he's planning. He stays alert, bringing his hood back up over his face for the time being.
"And those who go looking for trouble with the first people they meet.." It is almost frightening how cold Dirah's tone is at that, as even as humanity it can be, as cold as ice, "..Should have the common sense to realize that they may have offended quite the wrong person." For, after all... One can not rule out how.. -Damaging- it would be to a specific pirate's reputation, were 'he' to assassinate some foolish Gebler in the night. And that is an option that burns too bright within Dirah's eyes, before she simply responds to the rest of his hopeless bravado by turning away sharply, "Hmph. Kindly shove it." And she can keep her gaze far away, and even move aside, as if preparing to leave. Yes.. That's quite a nice idea, really. Who is to say, really, that Sigurd wont be doing anything along the lines of homicide quite soon? Hm.. It really is a very -sweet- thought to ponder right now, while Dirah simply fumes. If only Tognotti would simply burst into flames and die if she wished hard enough...
Tognotti smiles softly. Time for his big finish. Channeling a decent amount of wind ether, he propelled himself in front of Dirah, then propelled himself upwards into the air, as if he wer floating. Would this hurt the demihuman's senses? Tognotti was a fair distance away. And if it did... well, to hell with him. "If you feel so inclined, go ahead and dress to impress, so to speak. If I catch you sometime in Dazil, I'll give you a little evaluation... and possibly show you what -good- clothes look like." He smirks evilly, a chuckle emerging right before a rather inspired chide. "Face it. You don't stand a chance, fashiongirl." He continues to float in the air, a good 5 feet above Dirah.
Archer narrows his eyes and rubs his head a bit as his head starts to hurt. "You insist on doing that, don't you? I don't need to be here to watch a Gebler spout utterly corny banter to a silver haired woman who's only concern seems to be her clothing," he starts away from them, before stopping to turn his head to the two, "Oh, and perhaps you should take lessons from someone who -should- be flying on how the art works, Gebler."
What a pompous little... Well. Then he's really not worth Dirah's concern, right? That's the sort of opinion which keeps this woman -alive- in times like these. Resist the urge to glance up and shoot this idiot full of holes. For.. He is just a stupid, self praising simpleton, with too much of an ego and too little good sense. While Dirah was nothing like that, as we all know very well. So. With a roll of her eyes, she notes almost dismissively, "Harbor any delusion you want, darling. I'm afraid I have other places to be." Mocking, somewhat, and not caring in another way. Yes. Let us not give this person the joy of knowing you even wish to respond to his babble. Rather, Dirah shall leave, walking swiftly back towards the southern end of Dazil, where her Gear lies. And.. With any luck, perhaps Sigurd will come by and assassinate this little Gebler? Hm. We'll see. After all, perhaps this idiot is not even worth that much effort. Well. We'll see.