The Twins
Part 1
It's The Slums, outside one of the better known bordello dives, and just a while to go until sunset. This is the place, and this is the time, where it was decided that the intrepid and the gender-distressed have decided to meet to commence the pursuit of a solution to The Curse.
Lenneth casts a quick glance towards the enterance to the bordello and then crosses her arms over her chest while shifting from one foot to the other. "Well at least it's not likely she'll get lost on the way here. But I have mixed feelings about passing on a message to a priestess that basically amounts to 'meet us at the whor-uh... place of ill repute'."
Moiraine says, "I'm engaged to a Sky Captain kupo, I'm also a moogle," Moiraine steps out of an alleyway, tipping back her cylindical hat and looking up at the boys, "People really don't blink an eye, besides its not like i'm the High Priest of Alexander a;ll holier then though and boring. I do go outside and kupo-po kuupop from time to time you know.""
Mordecai stands quietly, looking up at the bordello up ahead, studying it with a careful eye... Glancing at Lenneth then though, he starts to nod, become he's distracted by Moiraine's arrival. Quirking a smile at her comments, he bows lightly and greets her with a simple, "Priestress." Before he turns back to Len, "This place is supposedly clean... As in, I haven't heard of any bad guys running things behind the scenes... They also check weapons. I'll be a minute." And with that, the older man quickly steps away to head into a nearby alley, first looking around to make sure no one's paying him too much mind. And he's gone for about a minute after that... Soon returning, walking back while he re-buttons his coat. The man obviously having stashed his weapons somewhere, for easy retrieval incase they have to flee back outside, "Well, after you, ladies."
Lenneth straightens and looks over towards Moiraine before he chuckles, "Kupo kuupop hmm? That sounds like it might get you in alot of trouble." Not that Len actually knows what's meant by the words. "Thanks for meeting us though.." She pauses and blinks after Mordecai, hand lifting before a smirk follows, "ehn, well guess we're going in there anyways might as well." A hand drops to the hilt of her sword before she looks at Moiraine, "so they say that they have a fortune teller here, that's who were going to go see. Maybe they'll be able to help us out. Shall we?"
Moiraine tilts her head, "Last I checked helkping the misfortunate and homeless and in need in the slums was not a crime kupo" she smiles softly at Lenneth and turns to regard Mordecai, "I see... well I hope we do not need weapons, I have no offensive skills at all kupo. I am a High Priestess." She inclines her head and moves toward the door. "Well lets go on with this"
Mordecai looks between the two, and nods, grinning briefly at them, "Ready when you two are." He rumbles, before he looks at Moiraine and shrugs a bit, "I doubt we'll get in any trouble just yet... Like I said, this place should be safe. But when Len got the curse, we were dealing with some gang issues, and I never deal with gangs without a weapon at hand... But it might not come up anymore anyway." And with that, he starts to idly move towards the whorehouse's entrance.
Lenneth tilts her head towards Moiraine and then with a snerk she follows after the older man. "Riiiight.. one of these days I'll need to learn moogle perhaps." She slips into the bordello then and takes a quick look around before approaching one of the people working there. "Scuse me, we were hoping to get in to see your fortune teller."
Moiraine flaps her wings so she can take off and look at the people, blue robes swirling around her legs, her sandy coloured fur and wings making her stand out more then most. She lands again and smiles warmly at the person Lenneth is talking to, "We would appreciate it muchly kupo."
Inside the Bordello's door is a beefy bouncer-type, shirtless, very buff, and rather tattoo'd, stationed in a roomy foyer area, a bare hint of music coming from beyond the door on the opposite side of the room. The bouncer gives a polite greeting with a rather thugish accent, and looks neither welcoming nor threatening. Just mostly indifferent. He makes the expected request to check all weapons, looking Lenneth and Mordecai up and down, though, interestingly, leaving the priestess completely alone and, figuratively, unmolested. Once weapons are checked and stowed securely in the Bouncer's evidently able care, the group is allowed into the Bordello proper, and the music here is louder than might have originally been guessed. It's fairly busy, crowded but not packed, and barely-dressed ladies (and a handful of barely-dressed adonis-men) wander amongst the crowd, or occupy laps, or are in various other states that one might expect to see in a place such as this. No sex in the open, though; there's a strict rule to take it to rooms, evidently.
Mordecai quietly lets himself be searched... And obviously turns out not to be carrying anything weapon-wise. Afterwards, he just goes to stand behind Lenneth and the priestess, letting them get all the pleasantries out of the way while he busies himself with looking around. Letting his pale gaze wander over the bordello's interior with a poker faced expression, not letting anyone read anything off him, yet also taking in all the important details. Such as likely exits.
Lenneth hands over the sword, after all it'd be odd if everyone was weaponless right? Then she moves inside and takes a look around before looking back over her shoulder. "Something tells me that he's not the one to ask. I guess.." A quick look to you both, "we should find the hostess. Let's try hrmm... the bar?" A quick nod towards where a bartender would typically be found. After all in a place like this booze usually flows pretty freely.
Moiraine bobs a polite nod of her head to the bouncer type and glides inside, she sighs as she looks around at the barely clad men and woman but holds back any comment, just murmurring to Lenneth, "YThat would be best dear kupo, lets find this fortune teller"
Mordecai nods at Len and Moiraine both, and then follows them over to wherever they want to go, still idly looking around as he does so and seemingly not bothered by the sight of scantily clad 'professionals'.
The barkeep the group approaches, who is quite the showman, tossing around bottles and drink mixers like juggling batons and bearing a striking resemblance to a younger Tom Cruise, points to a far corner of the main room (while no less than three objects are IN THE AIR), opposite the bar and piano, where there's a woman dressed in more than most of the women present, wearing a hooded violet robe and sitting at a table covered with a crimson cloth.
"Impressive show.. and thank you." A few gil are placed on the bar, more for the info than the display, and then Lenneth gives you both a nod and starts to cross the room. Granted she glances here and there briefly, but upon reaching the cloaked figure the girl's attention locks in place. "Scuse me.. I understand your a fortune teller? We are in need of your services."
Moiraine smiles at the barman and then follows Lenneth, the moogle doesn't have much to add just curtseying politely to the fortune teller, it never does to be rude to people who might be gifted with the sight.
Mordecai arches his brow a bit at the barman's juggling skill, though doesn't seem more impressed than that. Instead he just turns back around when Lenneth heads for the woman, following silently, and like Moiraine, not having much to add- Letting Len take charge in situations like this. He does however take the time to study the hooded figure some.
The cloaked woman's face is hidden beneath the shadow of her violet cowl, head bowed as the group approaches. As Lenneth speaks, however, the cowled head raises, enough to reveal the bottom half of a rather youthful face bearing a wide smile. The voice is an equal to the youthful appearance, bright and cheerful, "Like, suah, that's what people call me. Have a seat, honey, and, like, tell Lan-Lan what's on ya mind."
Lenneth takes a seat after a brief glance to her friends then back to the woman. "Well.. I've been cursed and everything I've found about how to remove the curse tells me to find the Twins. Gemini.. Can you help us?" To her credit Len doesn't try to look under the cowl, but it's pretty certain she's curious from the brief glances she keeps giving.
Moiraine flaps her wings and glances at the hooded lady, looking at Lan-Lan, she settles into a chair and removes her hat in respect and kupo-pos, "What do you see Miss Lan-Lan, can you aid our friend her to find a way out of this curse, a way in which we can help her kupo?" Her wings flutter and hger pom pulses with a cerulean light as she looks into the cowl, eyes focussing on the unseen eyes of the seer.
The fortune teller, Lan-Lan, listens to Lenneth, her smile widening slightly, "Oh, yeah, the Quo-Feng... Been, like, a long time since I've seen it worn." The shadows of the hood are pierced as Lan-Lan opens her eyes, which, despite the shadows under the cowl, are visible, a shimmering cerulean blue, the fortune teller's gaze moving from Lenneth to Moiraine, "I see, like, a whole buncha things, Madame Priestess. Many of them irrelevant to most people, usually. As for whether I can aid, well... Suah, suppose I can, sweety. A bit, anyway." She turns her gaze back to Lenneth, "So, the old biddy let you walk out with that bauble, eh? Wonder what she's playin' at... But, like, anyway, that's no matter. Y'looking for Gemini, then. Got more of a head start than those before ya, I'll give you that."
Lenneth looks towards Moiraine for a moment and she smiles in thanks before looking back to Lan-Lan. Her brows lift and then a quick look is given the bracelet before exhaling, "at least we're on the right track.. and yea.. she also gave me a book that pointed me to Gemini as the one.. ones who have the clues to fixing it." Rubbing lightly at her neck then Len thinks on what's said before nodding, "how do we find them?"
Moiraine frowns at something and kupos "Miss Lan-Lan.... what will happen to Len here if we do not kupo-po, remove that bracelet in time? From what I have heard their life is threatened by this... this cursed thing" she frowns at the bracelet then looks back up at the fortune teller.
Mordecai stands quietly as Lenneth and Moiraine talk with Lan-Lan... Though his poker faced, serious expression is broken up a bit by mild curiousity as he listens to what is all being said. At the mention of the 'old biddy' though, he nods, and speaks up once there's a break in the conversation, "I was there... The woman gave me what appears to be the grip of a dagger. I've yet to deduce its purpose, however. It doesn't seem to have as... Obvious effects as the bracelet?"
Lan-Lan cocks her head slightly at Lenneth, "Oh-ho, she gave you a book, eh? Well, that's, like, somethin', at least." Her smile widens once more, "And no, yer not lookin' for, like, people with clues, honey. You're lookin' for the creators." She looks to Moiraine again, smile turning to a slight frown, then back to Lenneth again, "Sounds, like, totally serious." Mord draws her attention, and her grin returns, eyes closing briefly before opening again, "Oh-ho, yeah... You'll have fun with that, mistah, once you, like, figure it out."
Lenneth looks at Moiraine and then sighs, "well.. the previous wearers are all dead, though don't know the circumstances of their deaths. Could've been totally natural.. right? ERm... maybe?" A quick look towards Lan-Lan then Mord causes her brow to rise up before finally she looks towards the fortune teller again. "I see.. well that will be interesting. Can... no will you tell us where to locate them?"
Moiraine kupos softly and falls quiet, waiting and listening patiently, she doesn't want to upset the woman before she tells them anything else. She is along to help as neccessary but for now the woman is being helpful, eventually as she finishes talking to Mordecai she pipes back up agai. "What... would it cost us to hve you give us direction, a direction toward these creators that we seek kupo? I can sense you have... some powers, something.... or is such help free?"
Mordecai frowns a bit at the answer about the dagger... But he also just nods some after, not pressing the issue as he's learned that sometimes this whole mystical crap has to just run its course... Glancing at Lenneth then, he briefly reaches out to touch her shoulder reassuringly, "You won't die, girl. We'll figure out how to remove that blasted thing soon enough... Even if I'm gonna have to stab some bad things with my magic dagger."
Lan-Lan hmms and ponders, "What, ya think the others, like, died from the Quo-Feng? Nah, not unless they were idiots. I think one guy killed himself, but that was his own doin'. The others, old age mostly. Mistah there is right: That little thing won't kill ya or nothin'." She grins a little, "Just make yer life a bit of a livin hell fer a while. Yer mileage may, like, vary. Still, if you're lookin' ta get free of it, it's probably, like, puttin' tha screws to ya in some way." She brings her hands up atop the table, folding them, "Ah, now we're to brass tax... My help. This ain't a fortune tellin', so my normal fees, like, don't apply. Will my help cost ya? Sure it will. But not in coin." She winks at Moiraine, "And yeah, I got, like, "some powahs"." She raises one of her hands, "As for what it'll cost, well... First, let's see, like, what you're made of..." And the table, Lan-Lan, and the entire Bordello, evaporate like so much mist in the wind, leaving you all in darkness, formless and without boundary, save for the level surface beneath your feet.
Lenneth smiles at Mordecai before she nods to Moiraine, "a good question..." But that's about all that she gets out as she turns to Lan-Lan and prepares to respond just as the lights go out. Blinking Len looks around quickly before frowning, "well.. umm..." And suddenly her voice is lifted, "helloooooooo? Hello?? Lan-Lan? What /is/ all this??"
Moiraine says, "Well..." The moogle looks around in the darkness then shakes her head, her pom starting to glow with a faint bioluminescence, "This is not what I was expecting kupo-po!" she frowns and stands up, testing the surface beneath her feet, "I think lkike Lan-Lan said... this is a test of some kind in lieu of payment ""
Mordecai blinks once... And his first impulse is to slip into a defensive fighting stance, expecting trouble, though before he can fully do so, he checks himself and tries to relax once more, shaking his fists loose. Letting out a quiet annoyed rumble, he steps close to the other two, and then starts looking around... Staring into the surrounding darkness, and quietly stating, "And this is why I don't like leaving my weapons."
There's no response to Lenneth's call for an explanation. There's not even an echo. Just the inky blackness. It's not darkness, though; everyone can still see everyone else just fine, though it's as if by the light of a lantern at night, not counting any illumination Moiraine's pom gives off. It's just a few monents, however, before things become visible in the blackness again, the shroud lifting to reveal... a forest. A particularly dark and forbidding forest, like out of a fairy tale. To one side is a pole, like a lamp post, with a lit lantern hanging from it's curved top, about eight feet off the ground. Mist floats in patches along the ground, and the group stands on a small road; behind the road stretches into mist-covered fields, while ahead, the road passes into an opening in the tree line just twenty feet away, quickly swallowed by the dark under the canopy. The sky above is dark, scattered with low fast-moving clouds and a large full moon that spends most of it's time partially hidden. And, perhaps most interestingly of all... Everyone who surrendered or stashed weapons before entering the Bordello will find all their weapons in their proper places, having, at some point, been somehow returned to their respective owners.
Lenneth frowns, not realizing that her weapon is back yet, and turns back and forth quickly before the slapping of the weapon against their side causes her to look down. "Well.. that's conveniant at least.." Sighing then the noblewoman murmurs, "but we cannot just stay here.. I'd say we make for the break in the threes up ahead. It's dark, but thanks to Moiraine's light hopefully we'll be able to see our way forward?"
Moiraine tilts her head as the light slowly inceases, smoothing out her robes and kupos and frowns, she flaps hwer wings and takes off and tocuhes a tree, feeling, trying to see what she can learn from nature all around them.
Mordecai peers at the surrounding forest, his expression suddenly a bit grim... And then he blinks once as he feels some familiar weight below his coat. Quietly proceeding to unbutton it, he's surprised to find the shoulder harness firmly strapped across his torso, which he previously discarded... A large caliber sixgun holstered below each armpit, while a larger holster at his side holds his sawed-off lever action shotgun... And he's even carrying that dagger hilt on his belt. He actually looks slightly relieved then, and without hesitation, he drags that shotgun out of its holster, racking the lever once as he takes it into hand with obvious familiarity. The man looking back up at the forest then, "Let's get this over with."
Moiraine kupos and pipes up "This... this is not Ivalice kupo=po!" she flies a bit higher, hovering over the heads of the humans, "This is... this is like Ivalice before the folly I think kupo-po... the mist, it is just.. water vapour, the land it is... at peace kupo-po!"
Lenneth looks at Mordecai and he grins for a few moments before giving him a nod, "right lets do... what?" He looks at Moiraine suddenly while blinking a bit, "not Ivalice? But how is that possible." He looks around then up at the sky before looking at Moiraine again, "is it the spirit realms instead perhaps.. or.. or.. do you think we somehow got sent back in time?" A worried note carrying in his voice over that one.
As the group heads past the lanternpost, a breeze comes up from behind, briefly stirring the patchy mist about their feet and rattling the forest's branches ever so faintly. And as they step over the threshold of the tree line, in the distance behind the group, a long, lone howl rises up, followed by another, and then by more.
Lenneth takes a few steps and then she stills and lifts her head a little while looking around. "That... that's not good. I think we should move. Now. A pack of lobos would challenge the best of hunters." She motions up the road having really no better idea than this.
Moiraine grabs the lantern post with one paw, wings still beating, she shivers as the mist flows through and around them and then pauses and kupos. "Well i was going to suggest it could be some sort of illusion, some sort of kupo-po mind trick and we are still in the Boudoir kupo-po... but... even visions can be deadly kupo!" She looks back then flies onward, "Lets keep moving and see where this leads kupo"
Mordecai starts moving forward towards the forest, his eyes scanning this way and that, and the barrel of his scattergun following suit... At the howling though, he pauses, looking over his shoulder with a frown. He's quick to act then however, motioning at Moiraine and telling her, "Keep flying, miss... Try to stay out of their reach if they catch up. And Len, here, a sword won't do you much good." The man dipping a hand to yank free one of his revolvers, and handing it to Lenneth, "Remember, just like we practised... Now, we better keep going." And with that, he urges everyone on, staying at the back himself with his shotgun.
The howls trail off after a moment... Off in the mist-shrouded distance of the fields, still miles distant but visible to keen eyes, a line of large shapes cut through the low-lying mists, moving swiftly towards the forest, flitting shadows amidst the occasionally moon-lit grey. They distant shapes move with purpose as the group hurries with a bit more urgency along the small forest road, and to eyes that know what to look for, that purpose is clear: The hunt is on.
... TO BE CONTINUED ...
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