Tyr Road [200](#228RL)
The 200 block of Tyr Road is almost exclusively fancy hotels and high-rise
apartment buildings.  Available in a wide range of designs, from the mundane
box-shape, to more architecturally enthralling towers such as 'The Obelisk'. 
Housing this close to the middle of everything isn't cheap, but it isn't as
expensive as owning your own home farther out to the east, either.  The area is
also clean..and a few commercial buildings are scattered about..though they're
rather limited.
[Exits   : Don Corneo's (M)ansion, Obelisk (A)partments, (N)orth, and (S)outh ]
[Players : Cloud, Silence(Pup), Emeralda, and Rouge ]
[Sleepers: Tamahome ]
You found a ce sheet!
[Things  : None ]

>Cloud is walking south, on his way to the church. Nothing out of ordinary here,
trust me.
>Ryan steps out of Obelisk apartments, blinking as he walks into a crowd, and
specificlly, Spikey- ... er, I mean, Cloud. "...?" And from the looks of things,
he's headed the same way. "Hey... hey, Spikey!"
>l em
Emeralda
This girl, no more than ten years old, can only loosely be described as human.
Her skin is an unnatural shade of orange which contrasts starkly with her
shoulder length, aqua-green hair. Underneath long and tousled locks of hair, two
strangely pinkish eyes gaze at you. Wrapped around her shoulders and half her
face like a mask is a tattered piece of white fabric, whose loose ends dangle
somewhere around her ankles. The rest of her outfit appears to have been worn out
*long* ago, her red and black shirt is torn, her skirt also looking like a
battered, oversized hand me down. Black leather boots with metal soles and
buckles disappear up under her skirt, probably thigh-length, lined in the same
strange patterns as the rest of her clothing. She blinks at you wordlessly.
Carrying:

>Cloud comes to a stop, tilting his head to look towards the person calling his
name. "Yes?... oh. Ryan."
>Silence is just trying to keep Emeralda from getting all wet, the way Rouge is.
>Rouge was just drying himself off, having fallen in the fountain again. He
pauses to wave at Cloud before doing so. "Good evening, Cloud." Then he closes
his eyes, mutters something under his breath, and waves his hands around a
little, creating a chibi-ray-o-light over his head, which dries him off. He then
returns to Emmy and Silence, and stays notably AWAY from the fountain.
>Cloud nods at Rouge as he greets Ryan. "What's up?"
>Ryan jogs over to Cloud, not noticing the other people present. Well, Emerelda
is given a passing glance, at least. "Haven't seen you in a while... what're you
up to?"
>Emeralda watches the new people with quiet fascination, but drifts back over to
Rouge and lightly clutches at the slack of his robe. "...."
>l cloud
Cloud
Hair of the brightest gold you've ever seen sticks up in tufts from the head of
this man, Cloud Strife.  Although his lean sinewy body is well represented in the
dark blue jumpsuit, it is a tense form, as this man shifts side to side
occasionally, keeping a wary eye on his surroundings.
Carrying:
Cellular phone, Cream Pie! *SPLUT*, Mythril Saber, Duffle Bag[Unlocked], Midgaard
City Map, and materia possessed list

>Cloud shrugs briefly. "I thought I'd check on the church. And you?" he asks, as
he looks around to note everyone.
>Rouge blinks down at Emmy. "Yes?"
>Emeralda isn't looking up at him, just sort of clinging. Like children do to
their parents. Her new people capacity has been reached, now she's turned shy.
>Ryan crosses his arms. "Been busy... only got to hand out Christmas gifts
yesterday, sheesh." A less serious person might notice a lightbulb appearing over
Ryan's head. "Hey... wait here a sec, eh Spikey?"
>Silence, unsurprisingly, remains quiet, stepping back from the others as it
becomes apparent Emeralda's no longer in danger of taking a dive.
>Rouge hasn't run into a great deal of children, He blinks at Emmy again for some
time, finally shrugs, and follows Silence (if Emmy will go with him; he's not
going to be able to budge if she doesn't want to move). Ought to tell Silence
something.
>Ryan jogs off, back towards the apartment building, without even giving Cloud a
chance to respond.
>a
You walk through the revolving door of the Obelisk.

Obelisk Apartments: Ground Floor
To the west, facing the street, there is a wide entrance area with a double set
of revolving doors, both appropriate for entry or egress.  However, where you
currently stand is more elevated.  A set of steps leading from that spacious hall
unto this one, with cargo and service ramps running on either side of that. 
Centered directly to the east is a very large reception desk, with several clerks
waiting to serve residents, or prospective customers.  To the south, the wall is
marred by the oaken door to the manager's office, while to either side of the
desks are two elevators, and for the more physically adept, a stairwell.
[Exits   : (E)levator, (M)anager's Office[Locked], and (O)ut ]
[Players : Alyssa ]
[Things  : Sign: Get a Home! (tm) ]

>Alyssa is curled up in the corner of the lobby, just awakening.
>Ryan jogs in from outside, and heads for the elevator.
>e
*ding*

** A moment later **

Tyr Road [200](#228RL)
The 200 block of Tyr Road is almost exclusively fancy hotels and high-rise
apartment buildings.  Available in a wide range of designs, from the mundane
box-shape, to more architecturally enthralling towers such as 'The Obelisk'. 
Housing this close to the middle of everything isn't cheap, but it isn't as
expensive as owning your own home farther out to the east, either.  The area is
also clean..and a few commercial buildings are scattered about..though they're
rather limited.
[Exits   : Don Corneo's (M)ansion, Obelisk (A)partments, (N)orth, and (S)outh ]
[Players : Alyssa, Cloud, Silence(Pup), Emeralda, and Rouge ]
[Sleepers: Tamahome ]
[Things  : None ]

>Cloud motions to Rouge so he can talk to him when he can detach himself from
Emeralda.
>Rouge looks over to Alyssa, GIRL ALERT... and averts his eyes.
>Ryan jogs outside, a large, long (5'+) wrapped bundle in his hand. What's he up
to now...? Whatever it is, he lobs the heavy wrapped thingy at Cloud. Hope he's
awake to play catch.
>Rouge attempts to detach himself from Emmy, a feat which he may need a crowbar
to achieve. Or if she'll follow him over to where Cloud is, he supposes that's ok
too...
>Cloud sighs, as he crosses his arms to wait...and suddenly un-crosses to catch
the bundle. He looks down at it a few minutes, then looks up at Ryan
questioningly.
>Alyssa scans the crowd, hopefully, then stops when she spots Cloud.  She blinks
in surprise... then shakes her head.  He couldn't possibly be from her world,
despite the weapons.
>Emeralda shuffles along with Rouge, content to follow him wherever. ^_^
>Rouge stops when he gets near enough to Cloud to talk to him without having to
call across the place, and patiently waits for him to finish whatever with Ryan.
He continues to avert his eyes from wherever Alyssa happens to be at any given
moment.
>Ryan hands Force Stealer to Cloud.
>Silence watches this exchange. "......."
>Alyssa takes a breath, then decides to take a chance.  She begins to walk
gracefully towards Cloud, her hands clasped before her breastplate.
>l alys
Alyssa
You find yourself gazing at a gentle beauty, with soft blue hair and caring green
eyes.  Her lithe, youthful form stands at a mere 5'3", befitting her kind nature.
 Cerulean locks tumble down to frame a pleasant face, the wispy bangs dangling
just above a pair of shimmering emerald eyes.  The young girl's hair is pulled
back into a long ponytail, which hangs down to the back of her knees.  
The outfit that covers her is of a rather exotic make, appearing to be a mix of
both armor and a normal dress.  The breastplate is a rather uniform navy blue,
with a single golden patch over the left breast, which could possibly be a badge.
 A slimmer piece of armor covers her midsection, forged of the same colored
metal.  The armor seems more comfortable then one would expect, and they match
the white fabric of the rest of her outfit.  She wears the outfit as if it were
normal clothing, maybe even a school uniform.
This odd girl carries herself with a light, generally cheerful spirit.  Her steps
are both graceful and careful, as if she were trained in the 'proper' way of
walking.  From the way she acts, it's obvious that she is still in school, or at
least a learning institute.  Despite the prim and proper way she acts, she bares
none of the snobbish or otherwise irritating attitudes one would have expected. 
All in all, this pretty young girl seems to be the type who'd never hurt a fly. 
In fact, she even seems incapable of the very thought of such a deed, as if
malice had no part in her soul.        
Carrying:
Something

>Cloud slowly opens the package, before looking up at Ryan. "What's this?"
>Ryan puts his hands on his hips in a dramatic pose, and cackles maniacally.
"Harken swiped your good sword, and since she doesn't seem to be wanting to give
it back anytime soon, I figured I'd get you something even better."
>Alyssa comes to a stop when she's only a few feet from Cloud, politely remaining
silent.  She seems to be examining Cloud, looking for a sign of which country he
aligns himself with.
>Cloud hmmms at the sword, pulling it out to swing it around, and testing it
briefly... before stopping as he notes the people nearby. Especially Alyssa.
>Ryan rubs his chin. "Hope you like it... getting the balance on huge freakin'
blades like that is hard as heck."
>Rouge looks at Emmy, as this is a safe place to avet his eyes from Alyssa. He
grins at her. "Aren't you a little young to be out on your own, Emeralda?"
>Alyssa takes a beath, then speaks softly when Cloud notices her.  "Ela'taru,
U'lar."  As she speaks, she draws the heel of her right palm over her heart in a
half circle motion.  "Excuse me, but I was curious, and would like to know if you
are from Myr."
>Cloud nods briefly at Ryan, but his main attention is on the girl who just
saluted him. He blinks, then shakes his head. "I'm sorry, but... no." He tilts
his head... "Why do you ask?"
>Ryan was being too smug with himself to notice Alyssa's comment, at least
immediately. He does pick up the last part, though he doesn't comment, yet.   . o
O ( Myr? )
>Emeralda smiles up at Rouge impishly, but doesn't answer. ^_^
Alyssa shows her disappointment only faintly, her gaze lowering.  "I see... thank
you.  I was asking because... I was looking for someone else from my wor... from
my country."  She glances to the side, still not truly believing that this can be
another world.  "I apologize for bothering you.  Please forgive me."
>Cloud pauses, looking at Alyssa, before nodding. "... That's all right. There's
a lot of... visitors... from elsewhere lately." He pauses, then asks, "Who are
you looking for?"
>Ryan rubs his chin. Eavesdropping on a conversation? Ryan? Never... And he was
standing near Cloud, anyway. He looks at Alyssa, and hmms to himself for a
moment, before smirking and commenting, "Another 'out-of-towner', eh?"
>Rouge grins wider at Emeralda. "I see. You're a little puck, aren't you?" He
takes a deep breath, looks up, and nods at Alyssa. "You shouldn't be embarrassed
if you're lost. This world is rather confusing." He looks back at Emmy. He _was_
eavesdropping, and has no idea that he shouldn't.
>Ryan glances at Cloud. Stop reading my thoughts, Spikey.
>Sailor_Pluto arrives from the Obelisk Apartments.
>Sailor_Pluto leaves south.
>Rouge stares after Sailor Pluto.
>Emeralda watches her go, too. o_o
>Rouge . o O ( OH GODDESS, WHAT DO THE WOMEN WEAR HERE? o_O O_O O_O... )
>Good thing Tifa isn't around at the moment, ne?   c.c
>Rouge clamps a hand to his nose. o.o
>Silence says, "............."
>Emeralda looks back up at Rouge, worriedly. "What's the matter??" She tugs on
his shirt.
>Alyssa takes a step back, trying not to allow any other signs of her nervousness
show.  She isn't used to being talked to by more then one person at any given
time.  "Ah..." She glances from Cloud, to Ryan, to Rouge... then finally back
onto Cloud.  She answers, politely, her voice controlled and polite.  "I am not
looking for a person in particular.  I am seeking the way back to the University.
 The Professor is most likely worried about me."
>Vincent arrives from the north.
>Ryan scratches the side of his head, while asking the obvious questions,
"University? There's Gateway Academy to the west..."
>Cloud looks back and forth between Rouge and Alyssa, then looks towards Ryan as
he speaks...
>Rachel arrives from the north.
>Rouge looks up again, voice muffled by the hand over his nose. "If there's any
way I can help, let me know, ne? My professors were furious when I was late for
anything at all."
>Rouge n.n; down at Emmy. He's fine. Really.
>Ryan is apparently in a discussion with Cloud and Alyssa. Well, 'discussion' if
you mean 'Ryan rambling to himself'.
>Rachel walks up, headed south.  "Hi there."
>Alyssa turns to face Ryan now, blinking in confusion.  "Ah... Ela'taru, Sir."
She performs the same gesture as she did for Cloud, then asks, "What is a Gateway
Academy?"
>Cloud doesn't answer, as this is now Ryan's department. He looks over to Rouge,
blinking. "Are you all right?"
>Ryan blinks, glancing up and over his shoulder. "Oh, Heyah, Rachel!" He turns to
Cloud, "Show her your present, Spikey." To Alyssa, "Ela'taru?"
>Vincent strides quickly throu... he pauses at the sight of those present.
Quietly, he moves up to Cloud, as he listens to Ryan rambling. Just maybe he'll
be able to find out what such a large crowd is gathered for.
>Silence is settled a bit apart from the conversationalists, watching them with
an unreadable expression. And, of course, listening. Always listening.
>Emeralda sees Vincent. Then proceeds to pry herself off of Rouge to shuffle over
to him. Why is anybody's guess, other than the fact that most of her little face
is also obscured by a piece of clothing. o_o
>Rouge blinks at Vince as he passes by. Hey, someone else with red eyes!
>Rouge follows Emmy, feeling rather responsible for her now.
>Ryan is apparently the only normal person here   u.u;  Well, maybe Rachel, too.
>Alyssa blinks at Ryan's odd behavior, then answers, politely.  "Ela'taru... it
is a greeting used by the Students of the University."
>Vincent (OOC) ponders suggesting to Hojo to fix Ryan's oddity of being 'normal'
in this world. c.c
>Ryan raises his eyebrow. "Oh? Really? Doesn't sound like a language group I'm
familiar with... have to tell me more sometime. Oh, and Gateway's just a school
of higher education... in retrospect, it probably isn't what you're looking for."
>Cloud... seems to be surrounded all of a sudden. Ack. He asks Rouge again, "You
all right?" as he nods towards Vincent. Um... like, is there all of a sudden 6
people surrounding me?
>Vincent turns his attention to the approaching Emeralda. He himself stops a few
feet away from Cloud, then waiting patiently for the young woman to address him
in whatever fashion she is approaching him for.
>Alyssa pauses, contimplating Ryan's explanation... then shakes her head,
politely. "I thank you for your help, Sir, but I agree in that it is most likely
not the place I am looking for."  She suddenly eyes Ryan warily, her gaze falling
to his left upper forearm, searching for something.
>Ryan blinks as Alyssa suddenly watches him closely. He comments, perhaps in
jest, but it's hard to tell, "Yes, yes, I know I'm grade-A beefcake..."
>Rouge catches up with Emmy and sort of waves apologetically at Vincent. "She's
curious..." So is he. But it isn't polite to say so.
>Rachel slips through the gathering and up to Ryan, sliding one hand behind his
waist as she stands close next to him.  She rolls her eyes at him at hearing that
line, but smiles.
>But it's TRUE!   o.o   Regardless, Ryan poses dramatically.
>Emeralda stops as close to Vincent as he'll allow her, and looks up at him from
under that scarf-thing wrapped about her neck and the lower half of her face.
>Alyssa lets out a breath of relief, not finding what she dreaded.  At Ryan's
strange words, she looks up at him, seeming confused.  "... excuse me, Sir, but
what is a beefcake?"
>Ryan stops posing just long enough to smile at Rachel, then turn back to Alyssa.
"Eh? You must be an out-of-towner. A hunk, like me, natch."
>Ryan has a very high opinion of himself, yes   u.u;
>Rachel proceeds to tickle Ryan's ribs.
>Alyssa seems even more confused, maybe even frightened of Ryan.  "... ah... what
is a hunk?"
>Cloud shakes his head, and turns towards Vincent to give him his attention now.
>Ryan chuckles a second, then sweatdrops at Alyssa's unusual reaction. "Er... a
handsome man."  o.o;
>Rachel notices Alyssa's look, and says to her, "Oh, don't worry, he's harmless. 
Mostly."
>Ryan pikus. "Eh?"
>Vincent allows Emeralda quite close. Even if he is watching her intently.  And
though his cloak's collar piece doesn't cover nearly so much of his face as
Emeralda's scarf does on hers, looking down upon her certainly gives the
impression of doing so. "May I help you?" he asks her in a calm, quiet voice.
>Alyssa really can't tell the difference between an ugly man and a handsome man. 
She's lived an incredibly sheltered life, so she simply nods at Ryan's answer. 
"I see.  Thank you, Sir."  Then, she turns to face Rachel, bowing her head
politely as she draws the heel of her right palm over her heart in a half circle
motion.  "Ela'taru, Miss."
>Ryan rubs his chin   . o O ( Nice girl, if a bit slow on the uptake. )
>Rouge takes advantage of Vincent's attention to Emmy to squint at him in an
attempt to verify that his eyes are, in fact, red.
>Rachel looks at Alyssa curiously.  "Um, hi.  Rachel Quinn."  She holds out her
hand.
>Emeralda studies Vincent for a long time, as if trying to come to a decision.
She says something in a language long since lost, but it sounds like a question.
""
>Rachel . o O ( Ella Tarou?  Interesting name... )
>Cloud feels just a bit lost, and hefts his new sword for balance, reasoning
nobody's paying attention. He nods to himself in satisfication, then reaches up
and pulls out the old sword and puts the new one in his scabbard.
>Ryan doesn't comment for a while, before something finally 'clicks' in his head.
He asides to Rachel, "It's some form of greeting... not familiar with the
language."
>Vincent's eyes are indeed quite red. Almost crimson in fact, and apparently with
a faint light of their own. That last bit could be the imagination, perhaps.  He
ponders the question asked of him, then shakes his head, "I am sorry, but I do
not understand." he looks toward Rouge questioningly. Perhaps the girl's apparent
guardian will be able to translater.
>Rachel turns her head toward Ryan, raising an eyebrow.  "What is?"
>Alyssa blinks at Rachel's offered hand, not knowing that she is supposed to
shake it.  Instead, she simply looks up at the woman, then bows her head
politely.  "My name is Alyssa.  En'lura Alararis."  When she speaks the last
phrase, something on her right upper arm glows faintly... it's too quick to tell
what its source is.
>Ryan points at Alyssa. "That 'Elly Tarin' thingy."
>Silence lets his own gaze rest on Vincent briefly, alternating between him and
Alyssa. ".........."
>Cloud places the old sword down. As nicked and dinged as it is, (thank you,
Ryan. Thank you, Harken.), it's probably fit for the junkyard. Or for a light
snack for Callan. HE looks towards Alyssa briefly, then Vincent.
>Ryan deals with mages all the time. If you aren't lobbing fireballs at him, he
doesn't really care, so the glowing thing only gets minor notice.
>Rouge shrugs apologetically at Vincent. "... I think she thought she recognized
you... you are dressed similarly..." Yup. Vince has red eyes. He considers this
the greatest discovery since sliced bread.
>Rachel says, "Oh, I'm sorry.  I don't recognize your language.  When you greeted
me I thought you were saying your name."
>Alyssa blinks, then nods.  "No need to apologize, Miss.  It is perfectly
understandable.  It is rare for those outside the University to understand the
language of the An'Xian."
>Ryan scratches the side of his head, then mentions with a smile. "Oh, Ryan
Tabbot here, world-famous Archaeologist."   ^_^   Okay, he isn't world famous,
and his isn't an Archaeologist. But it sounds better then 'Treasure Hunter'
>Ryan . o O ( An'Xian? )
>'Thief' is more appropriate.
>Hey, the dead folks ain't using that gold!
>Rachel asks, "An'Xian?  That name is unfamiliar to mne.  Where is it from?"
>Vincent nods, then looks to Emeralda once again, seeing if she understands the
concept of him not being the person she might have recognized.
>Alyssa pauses for a moment, then turns to face Ryan, feeling a bit uncomfortable
at carrying multiple conversations with multiple people.  "Excuse me, Sir, but
what is an..." She pauses, working the foreign word in her mind before speaking
it.  "... Archaeologist?"  She almost winces as her attention is drawn to Rachel,
unused to speaking to more then one person, then turns to face her.  "The An'Xian
is the original civilization... before it was sundered into three."
>Ryan elaborates for Alyssa. "A person who studies ancient civilizations. And
stuff." Ryan robs them more then he studies them, but... eh.
>Alyssa faces Ryan again, blinking curiously.  "Then... you are a Teacher?"
>Ryan scratches the back of his neck. "Er... don't have a teaching degree, if
that's what you mean, nope."
>Alyssa is again confused by Ryan... this will probably be a long running
problem.  "Excuse me, but what exactly is a teaching degree?"
>Ryan sighs, and runs his fingers through his hair. Gonna be a looong night.
Well, at least he has Rachel hanging off him, that relieves stress. "A diploma,
given after you complete your education in a field, follow?"
>Alyssa refrains from showing further confusion, as a  Student of the University
is supposed to be quick to understand.  She simply nods.  "I see.  Thank you,
U'lar Ryan."
>Cloud looks towards Ryan, puzzled, then looks back towards Vincent... waiting to
see if he's done.
>Ryan blinks. Okay, she finally got it. He nods and smiles, assuming U'lar is a
term of respect, or something.
>Alyssa whispers, "It's a prefix used before stating a man's name.  Most normally
used if the man is a warrior. :)" to you.
>Rouge takes a breath and asks Vincent, "May I ask you question? Um. I mean,
another one. Not the one I just asked."
>Vincent glances to Cloud for a brief moment. His look is one that requests a
little more patience while he sees to the girl's wishes.  And Rouge's now. "Yes?"
he looks back, and to that man.
>You whisper, "Ryan doesn't know that ICly. And Ryan certainly counts as a
warrior... he's a smart fellow (even if he doesn't act like it most times), but
he's also a muscle man  n.n;" to Alyssa.
>Emeralda bites her lip, still curious but not disheartened by his lack of
understanding. She just had to make sure. ^_^
>Emeralda scuffs a boot-toe at the floor. "Sorry," she says to Vincent in her
thick accent. "I was thinking, you were.. um..." She shakes her head as if to say
'nevermind'.
>Ryan rubs his chin, getting into the 'professor' act. "Any other questions while
I'm here?"
>Rouge shoots a sympathetic glance at Emmy, and asks Vincent, "I know this is a
silly question, but... ah... were you born with your eyes that color?"
>Rouge . o O ( Please don't let him be a mystic... )
>Cloud winces a bit at Rouge's question, and lowers his head to avoid seeing
Vincent's likely reaction. He's come to know him well enough, at least, about
that sort of thing.
>Vincent nods to Emeralda, "There is no need for apology." he tells her, then
looks back up to see what Rouge wished to ask.  Ah. That. "No, I was not." he
states the fact like one that has learned to live with something they would
rather not have to.  Down he looks again to Emeralda, "I hope you find the one
you are looking for." he tells her then.
>Silence watches Rouge and Vincent with interest. "........."
>Alyssa brushes her bangs out of her eyes, not knowing what to do next.  Left
alone, she's at a loss; her entire life used to be planned out for her by the
University.  She furrows her brow, then nods.  "I do, U'lar Ryan.  I was
wondering if you would happen to know  why the El'uturan are here."
>Ryan hrmms, rubbing the back of his neck. "El'uturan?" His pronunciation is
probably a bit off, but intelligable regardless.
>Emeralda smiles back up at Vincent brightly in wordless response. ^_^
>Rouge sighs. "Ah. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to hit a nerve. I've just... never
seen anyone else with red eyes. I was hoping you might know what caused it..."
He's babbling. And promptly shuts up, with a final apology.
>Alyssa explains, politely.  "The El'uturan are the enemy of my country... they
use creatures of steel and metals in their wars.  I saw one last night."
>Ryan scratches the side of his head. "Y'mean like robots 'n stuff?"
>Vincent shakes his head, again addressing Rouge, "You had no way of knowing." he
says in regard to the apology, "I do not know what causes it to happen in those
naturally born. Nor, in fact, do I know why I do from an unnatural sense."  He
waits, then, to see if Rouge is about to ask anything else.
>Alyssa blinks at the term... then nods.  "Perhaps, if that is your name for
those creatures."
>Cloud approaches Rouge and Vincent now, judging it better to ... ah, rescue
Vincent from this questioning. He instead asks Vincent a question of his own.
"... Any news?"
>Ryan rubs his chin. "Well, I'm assuming you aren't backwards enough to be
mistaking cars for horrible war machines..." That might be taken in an insulting
fashion, but Ryan states it matter-of-factly.
>Rouge wasn't going to ask anything else anyway; it's obviously a touchy subject
with Vincent. Instead, he kind of pats Emmy on the head apologetically. He hopes
she finds who she's looking for, too.
>Alyssa has already had cars described to her by someone, so she shakes her head.
 "No, U'lar Ryan.  I understand that those chariots are not the creations of the
El'uturan."
>Vincent turns his attention to Cloud, once it's obvious that Rouge has nothing
more to say to him, "Yes." he states, "Some information, but as to how useful it
will be..." he gives the impression of shrugging.
>Emeralda's hair moves under Rouge's hand in that unnatural sort of way, like a
living thing reacting.
>Ryan nods. At least he doesn't have to explain automobiles then. "Gotcha. You
mean human-like walking machines then, right? Or something similar?"
>Cloud nods quietly. "What is it?" He motions for Rouge to listen, because this
might be crucial for him. Especially if he doesn't know about the water supply.
>Ryan suddenly turns around, spinning on his heels to face Cloud and Vincent,
saying out of the blue, "There was another one of those rats..."
>Rouge was listening, until Emmy's hair MOVED. He proceeds to stare at her, eyes
as big as saucers.
>Emeralda glances back at Rouge and makes a cute little inquisitive noise. "?"
>Alyssa is about to answer Ryan, caught in a nod when something draws her gaze to
Vincent.  She blinks, going silent, then pales, fear taking over her expression.
>Sailor_Pluto arrives from the south.
>Eden arrives from the south.
>Eden walks up along the street.
>Ryan is standing next to Alyssa and (the idle) Rachel, but is turned towards
Cloud and Vincent, after a sudden exclamation.
>Cloud turns towards Ryan at his exclamation. "What?!" he barks.
>Ryan elaborates in a hasty fashion, "Like I said, another one of those demon
rats! It was digging around the... ugh... cemetary, but Eden and Rachel finished
it off..." He glances at Eden as she walks in. Speak of the devil. (Or Angel, in
her case)
>Sailor_Pluto leaves north.
>Eden says, "I didn't have to fight it."
>Rouge averts his eyes from the woman in the Sailor Fuku. o.O
>Cloud says, "... Where was it digging?"
>Eden walks up without further comment, stopping near the group.
>Alyssa begins to step away from Vincent, trembling now.  She unclasps her hands,
bringing one before her mouth.
>Vincent almost gets in a few words about the water supply, blah blah blah...
Until Ryan's exclamation catches his attention as well. And it doesn't make him
feel better that Alyssa's looking at him in fear. He frowns slightly, but stays
in place.
>Ryan rubs the back of his neck. "Just in the cemetary, by the Odin Street
Church... didn't start a fight, but I couldn't just let it run around free..."
>Ryan turns back to Alyssa, almost as suddenly as he turned away. Talk about
short attention spans. "Hey, you okay?"
>Cloud nods. "Any particular sites?" he says... to the back of Ryan's head.
>Eden glances over curiously to Alyssa, noticing the frightened response.
>Ryan replies to Cloud, without turning to face him, "Don't think so, nope..."
>Rouge just sort of n.n; nervously at Emmy, removes his hand from her head, and
firmly tells himself that he did NOT feel her hair move, he just obviously ate
too much broccoli or something.
>Alyssa takes another step back, then stumbles, falling on her bottom with a
yelp.  At the shock of impact, she scrambles back and away from Vincent, eyes
wide with obvious fear.
>Emeralda turns at the commotion Alyssa is making. Why is she scared of that man?
o_o
>Cloud blinks, looking at Alyssa, then back towards Vincent. Then he takes a step
towards Alyssa, asking softly, "What's wrong?"
>Ryan blinks again. He glances at Vincent, then back at Alyssa. Okay, Vinnie
needs to get out in the sun a bit more, but he ain't THAT bad. Ryan takes a step
forward, towards Alyssa. "Woah, woah, easy there..."
>Vincent isn't moving, having the sense not to frighten the girl any more than he
is obviously doing.  In fact, he seems ready to remove himself from the scene, if
this goes on.
>Rouge finally catches on that there's somethinodd here other than Emmy's hair,
and looks over his shoulder at Alyssa. ?
>Vincent (OOC) thwacks Ryan, "Hey, you try sleeping in a coffin thirty years and
see what -your- complexion looks like. o.-"
>Eden sees others moving in to deal with this, and instead stayes back. She looks
over to nod to Emeralda, speaking softly. "Hello."
>Silence says, "......?......."
>Ryan (OOC) What!? Like I said, you just need more sun! ... Assuming you won't
burst into flames or something.
>Alyssa's gaze seems to be locked on Vincent's gun, nothing more.  She continuse
to scramble back until her back hits a wall.  As she finds she can move no
further, she begins to stand, trying to push down her fear.  "... him... he's one
of "Them"..."
>Ryan blinks again, then comes to the realization that Miss Alyssa is a nice
Technophobe. He sweatdrops, but doesn't make any sudden movements... not much he
can do at this point.
>Cloud approaches, adjusting his path to try to block Vincent from Alyssa's
vision. "... Them?"
>Rouge . o O ( Them? )
>Rouge . o O ( Maybe he IS a mystic... )
>Ryan . o O ( Maybe she's afraid of Vampires   o.= )
>Silence . o O ( ...He's not a mystic. What -is- he, then? )
>Vincent (OOC) my mys, "Vincent's the popular one today o.o;"
>Silence says, "(OOC) Everybody stare at Vince! *.*"
>Alyssa waves a hand at Cloud, warningly.  "Be careful, U'lan!  He is one of the
El'uturan..."
>Cloud says, "... The what?" as he looks towards Vincent.
>Ryan rubs the back of his neck, then comments to Alyssa. "Vincent? He's
harmless... no reason to be worried!" Of course, Ryan hasn't seen Vincent do a
limit break yet.
>Eden quietly asks Emeralda, "What's wrong?"
>Emeralda turns to Eden, distressed. "That lady is scared of him, why?"
>Alyssa finds herself at a fault now.  A Student should fight the El'uturan
whenever possible, but... she has never been able to bring herself to an
aggressive action.  Instead, she stays against the wall, trembling with fear. 
"The El'uturan... the enemy of Myr... "Them"... the ones who the Professor said
killed my mother."  At Ryan's attempt to calm her fears, she shakes her head. 
"No!  You don't understand... they're dangerous!  He's dangerous!"
>Eden looks over again at Vincent, and sees absolutely nothing to be frightened
of. "I don't know."
>Eden asks softly, "I think she's mistaking him?"
>Cloud says, "... Calm yourself. What are the... Elutarans?"
>Ryan looks surprised. Okay, he isn't very good at diplomacy. "I think you're
mistaking Vinnie there for someone else, yo? This IS another planet, after
all..."
>Rouge shoots a glance at Vincent, and nods. "I don't think he even knows what an
El... whatever... is..." He doesn't admit that he doesn't know what it is,
either.
>Alyssa shakes her head, her once gentle voice strained with fear and distress. 
"The El'uturans are the enemy.  Look at his weapon!  Only "They" would use them!"
 Her gaze remains locked on his gun.
>Silence brushes a hand over the fold of his jacket that hides his own firearm,
and sweatdrops. Mental note: Don't pull a gun around this woman.
>Vincent's frown deepens a little more. "I have never heard of these
'El'uturan'." he confirms, "But I will leave, if it makes you more comfortable."
This is what he tells Alyssa, being forced to speak up so that he can be heard at
the distance she's put between himself and her.
>Ryan scratches the back of his neck. "Hell, almost anyone around here can use
guns. Don't mean we're all people-hating enemies." Yeah, Ryan, that'll REALLY
help. Make her think we're all out to get her.
>Cloud says, "... Them?" He follows her gaze, looking towards Vincent. He motions
for Vincent to put away the gun.
>Vincent does have the gun put away... and there really isn't anywhere on his
person that he can keep it other than his belt.
>Eden walks up nearby, but seemingly to the corner of things. She has no weapon,
looks in fact like someone who has never even touched one. She stands there,
looking mildly concerned.
>Alyssa shakes her head, the stress of the situation, the fear taught to her by
the University, finally getting the better of her.  Then, the glow emanates from
her upper arm again, flaring for a split second before the girl herself tumbled
forward and collapses.
>Ryan erks, and tries to catch her before she hits pavement   O.o;
>Rouge O.O
>Emeralda O_O, too.
>Cloud turns back just in time to see Alyssa collapse. He takes a few steps
towards her. No doubt, though, that fabled womanizer will... bingo.
>Is he predictable or what? n.n
>o.=
>Vincent says, "(OOC) And we all wonder just why Vincent lives the life of a
recluse. n.n;"
>Alyssa is caught, falling weakly against Ryan.  She's apparantly unconscious,
though for what reasons remain unknown.
>Rouge asks, "Is she... is she all right...?"
>Something odd begins to catch your ear... a faint whispering noise, similar to
the sound of swords constantly unsheathing and resheathing...
>Ryan blinks, and looks down at Alyssa. After performing that dilligent
diagnostic, he replies, "She's out like a light... seems okay otherwise... I
think."
>Eden walks quickly up to look over the girl. "She is? What happened?"
>Vincent turns without another word, heading up the street the way he came. But
then pauses at the sound of swords.  He listens intently, seeking its source.
>Cloud blinks, looking around, listening to the sound, as he reaches for his own
sword. That doesn't sound so good...
>Emeralda is frightened by this whole display, and wraps her lil' arms around
Rouge's knee, trying to hide behind it. o_o
>Ryan doesn't notice the sound, yet. A bit preoccupied. "I think she panicked a
bit too much."  O.o;   She pulled a Lyrae!
>The noise seems to be coming from the rooftops, where a group of shadows begins
to move.
>Eden looks up and around, curiously.
>Rouge pats Emmy on the shoulder, a bit uncertainly. "Ne, Emeralda, it's all
right..." HE squints up toward the sound himself, obviously not able to see
terribly well at night.
>Emeralda tenses as she hears clashing metal, and jerks her nervous gaze upward.
"!"
>Cloud definitely draws his sword, as he straightens up, looking upwards,
clasping the hilt in both hands...
>Vincent looks up as well, seeking to pick out shapes from the moving shadows.
Whether or not he succeeds, he is definately unhappy about the uneasy situation
forming.
>Ryan would go into a defensive position, but he has to... um... hold this young
lady! That's the ticket!
>Something leaps down from the rooftops, separating from the other shadows.  It
lands on the ground, silently, then stands.  The darkness shrouds it, revealing
only its slender humanoid frame, standing at seven feet, with an elongated head
and bulging forearms.
>Silence tenses, straightening as he moves a few steps away from the building.
One hand slips beneath his jacket and rests there.
>Eden turns quickly to face the thing, varily but not frightened. "What is that?"
>Ryan blinks. Twice, even. "What the...?"
>Emeralda growls in the back of her throat like a feral animal. . o O ( Is it..
Wels? )
>Rouge steps in front of Emmy. He glances over at Silence for a moment, then
squints toward the dark thing he can't see too well, seriously considering
sending some light over that way.
>Cloud spins towards the... darkness, eyes narrowing. Oh, what a time to forget
moving materia from his old sword into the new one. -.-
>Ryan isn't any good with incorporeal undead thingies. Dammit! He'll have to be
on defense. Again.
>Cloud (OOC) blinks. Dammit, I gotta go to sleeeep. x.X
>Vincent is tense, but his hand has yet to reach for his own weapon. After all,
what's a gunman to do when so many of the others present are ready for close
combat?  Wait for the right opportunity, of course. He merely studies the
humanoid before him, able to see through the normal darkness, but if there is
something more behind it, then....
>Cloud (OOC) throws all his materia to Vincent. Cover for me, will you? n.n
>Vincent (OOC) ers, "Is this a bad time to mention I left the only materia
slotted gun I have at home?  ^_^"
>Eden (OOC) catches the materia, and plays marbles with Emeralda.
>Rouge (OOC) hmphs. "Amateurs. Needing materia to do magic..." Of course, he
couldn't aim a gun with the accuracy of a SNAIL, himself...
>The thing steps forward, into the sickly yellow light cast by a street lamp. 
The faint glow reveals an alien looking creature.  Its face is adorned by a pair
of slim, pupiless eyes, with no nose nor mouth.  The only other definable facial
features are its prominent cheek bones, and bony brow.  The creature itself would
appear weak, its thin frame seeming unable to support its extreme height, yet the
broad, carapace-like chest and the thick forearms may prove otherwise.  Dozens of
runes lay carved in the creature's hide, each tinted a different color.  Finally,
the source of the whispering becomes apparant; the noise is generated by the
constant unsheathing and resheathing of blade-like bones from a thin slit in the
forearm above the creature's hands.
>Cloud (OOC) throws his sword towards Rouge. Catch. u.u
>Vincent (OOC) grins. He hasn't a shred of materia to his name, ICly. n.n Only
uses his gun and er... certain critical breaking points of anger c.c
>Ryan . o O ( Greeeaaaat. Well, at least I'll be getting a workout... have some
new tricks to try out anyway... )
>Cloud has left.
>Rouge squints at the runes, being a runic magician himself, and recognizes
exactly zero of them.
>Silence studies the creature. Looks like bad news to -him-. He remains unmoving,
however, for the time being.
>Ryan leaves Alyssa's side just long enough to scoop up Cloud's Saber, which he
discarded earlier. Having a weapon is a good thing.
>Eden faces the creature's approach, taking a posture readily appropriate for
evasion, or even for attack. Clearly, to those who recognize such things, she has
some combative training, but still that seems somehow alien to her in comparison
to her usual bearing and presence.
>The creature remains still beneath the light, still emanating the whispering
noise, then takes a single, odd step forward, revealing double-jointed knees. 
Then, it goes still again, as if contimplating the situation.
>Ryan has two women to defend then. Whee. Someone fetch me my shining armor?  
u.u
>Emeralda continues to growl at the creature while glaring intently at it from
behind Rouge.
>Vincent takes a deep breath, then steps a few paces closer to the monster. No,
he's not being foolhardly. Quite the contrary, he's on full alert.  But he is
attempting to draw the creature to some sort of action by his initial,
non-agressive approach. Ready as always to leap out of the way.
>Rouge doesn't like the look of that thing either, examines the assembled people,
and determines that since Ryan is the one holding a zarked out Alyssa, he needs
some defensive magic. He just hopes Ryan will recognize it enough not to take a
swing at HIM or something, and starts muttering something under his breath in
that way anyone who has ever played D&D knows magicians have about them.
>Finally, the creature moves again, lifting its right hand to its neck.  Then, it
extends two fingers, and places them against the blue rune etched into the hide
of its throat.  Suddenly, the rune flares to life, then begins to glow with a
dull blue glow.
>Ryan has met magicians before, yup. Can't stand the buggers himself, but that's
more out of jealousy then anything. He stays by Alyssa... Eden's a bit out of her
element too, but at least she's mobile. As for Ryan, he looks like he knows how
to use that sword... except, just a moment ago, he was holding it in exactly the
wrong way. Now, his style is awfully reminiscent of Cloud's...
>Eden tenses in her spot, ready to move. She looks nervous, and uncomfortable,
but still not afraid.
Vincent begins to move back again, and circle to the side as well.  He doesn't
want to be too close to the creature when whatever that is goes off. In fact, his
eyes flicker briefly as he looks quickly for some sort of concealing cover to
make toward.
>Ryan ponders to himself, and starts to follow Vincent's train of thought. It
crosses his mind that it -might- just be a good idea to pick up Alyssa and beat
feet, but he won't act upon this notion, at least not until whatever that thing
is trying to do is pulled off.
>Silence removes his hand from within his jacket. In it, he now holds a small gun
of the type the United Federation of Planets would drool over--a gun with which
he takes careful aim at the creature. He makes no further motion, for the time
being.
>An odd, rasping voice begins to emanate from the creature's direction,  mixed
with the faint whispering noise.  It speaks, with an emotionless tone.  "... what
is your purpose here, El'uturan?"
>Rouge finishes whatever he was doing, and Ryan gets those Squaresoft sparklies
all around him. He is also  likely feeling twice as darn noble and strong and
stuff as he was already, which likely means a monster has been created. If the
thing doesn't attack Ryan and Alyssa, fine, better to be safe than sorry.
>Ryan will be frightening to behold then, yes   *_*   Luckily, he listens to the
shadow-thingie's dialogue first. "...?"
>Vincent pauses in his slow retreat. That designation again. And there really is
only one person that it could be referring to... unless it spotted Silence's
newly withdrawn weapon. "I am not of that race." he replies to the monster
simply.
>Emeralda stops her primitive display of grr'ing long enough to see Rouge cast
his spell, paired with the strange feeling in the air she can sense faintly.
"E-ther?"
>The creature pauses, the voice going silent... then raises its free hand,
indicating Vincent's weapon.  "... then what of that?"
>Rouge thinks maybe Vincent needs some sparklies too, but waits to see if this
can get solved by Vince's denial, first.
>The gears in Ryan's head begin to turn. They aren't well-oiled, but they're
mighty strong when they get set in motion. Lets look at the facts here... Alyssa
was freaked out at Vincent being one of 'them'. She faints, and there's a flash
of light from here. Then suddenly this shadowy thingy appears... I smell
connection...
>Eden speaks, quietly and simply. "It's a common kind of weapon in this place and
time."
The creature glances at Eden, then nods, slowly. It faces Vincent again, pausing
into a contimplative silence... then begins to speak again, through the use of
the Translation Rune.  "We ask a boon of your people..."
>Ryan will figure out what's going on, eventually. At the moment though, there
doesn't seem to be a fight brewing... even if there is a big evil-lookin' thingy
standing there.
>Vincent is privately relieved that he isn't about to be attacked immediately. 
"I do not speak for anyone but myself." he tells the creature in return, since it
seems that he is the one being addressed.
>Rouge is utterly fascinated by the runes on that critter.
>The creature pauses again... then nods.  "Then I ask a boon of all those
here..."  Its voice rasps out, louder this time as the rune glows brighter.
>Ryan raises his eyebrow. A smirk crosses his face. "Oh? Really? Want us to wash
your car? Could really use a good scrub down, y'know, after all this winter
driving..."
>Ryan is not being insolent. Nope. u.u
>Rouge gives Ryan a look that would wither broccoli. . o O ( What's a car?)
>Silence's brow creases; he regards the creature with consternation, although his
aim never falters.
The creature doesn't comprehend most of what Ryan says, so takes him for an
inferior creature, compared to the others before it.
>Ryan will whup it's butt later. S'only right. "Get to the specifics, yo? Can't
say yes or no until you tell us what you want, eh?"
>Vincent waits patiently. He isn't about to stop the creature from asking the
boon, but whether or not he'll say yes...
>Rachel (OOC) unidles.  Went AFK meaning it to be for just a minute.  Got waylaid
by Real Life(TM).
>Rachel speaks up.  "What is it that you want?"
>The creature nods, then begins to speak.  "... We ask that you take care of the
Catalyst..." It straightens up, rising to its full 10 feet. " She was raised by
those of the University, and knows nothing of the real world.  We have been
unable to break their teachings, with our runes... we can not speak with her.  We
ask of you to do this for us..."
>Ryan asks, simply, "I presume you mean Alyssa here...?"
>Ryan . o O ( 'Knows nothing of the real world'. Well DUH.   u.u; )
>Rouge . o O ( Those must be SOME runes... )
>Emeralda . o O ( That's a BIG wels. )
>Rachel asks, "What is this 'University' you speak of, and what are its
'teachings', that you would feel need to 'break' them?"
>Rouge, obviously a bit conditioned by school rules himself, raises his hand
tentatively before inquiring, "Ah... didn't her University have a reason for
teaching her what it did? They will be angry..."
>The creature offers Rachel a glance, before answering.  "The University is what
has kept her from our influence... it has tainted her mind with fears, and left
her crippled to her true purpose... that is all you need to kow."
>Ryan lets the certified intelligencia ask the important questions. He does
reply, to no question in particular, "I ain't about to let anyone get hurt, yo?
Not now, or never. I'll see what I can do, just as long as it's nothing bad, got
it?" He will definately have to ask about this University later.
>Rachel has taken a step forward.  She is, to an observer able to note it, ready
to move quickly, but she also is avoiding looking hostile.  "No.  That is _not_
all we need to know."
>Vincent shakes his head in denial of the request, "I cannot agree to fufill your
request with no knowledge of her world. I will only act as I see need, to protect
her, or not, as it happens in my presence."  Seems that he's going to be a subtle
'no'.
>Rouge doesn't say anything, but the concept of school teaching you something
that would IMPEDE your true purpose is one that he's having considerable
difficulty with.
>Rachel asks, "Who are you, who do you represent, and why should we prefer that
she be under _your_ influence as opposed to this University you speak of?"
>Eden remains silent. She doesn't know much about school one way or ther other,
and other people are more ready to converse than she is.
>Emeralda would probably have a lot of questions about this turn of events if she
both understood the more complex words they were using, and could get her mind
past the fact that this creature looks like a great big Wels from her world!
>The creature continues to focus on Rachel, despite answering the questions of
the others.  "We seek the return of the Av'aata.   If you must know more of the
University, speak with the Catalyst when she awakens.  Ask her of her past, and
her parents."  It pauses again, speaking only in whispers, perhaps communicating
with the other creatures hidden in the shadows of the rooftop.  After several
moments, it begins to speak again.  "We are the Followers of Abliss... do not
tell the Catalyst of us, but ask her of Abliss... perhaps she will enlighten
you..."
>Ryan narrows his eyes, but retains the smirk on his face. Crisis averted, but it
just managed to bring up more of those damned questions...
>Rouge stares after the creature with considerable unsettlement. No one told him
about this kind of thing, in school.
>Rachel says, "We will ask her, then, if you will not explain yourself.  And we
will decide for ourselves who is in the right."
>You forgot to take 'Av'aata 121', didn't you?
>Well, it wasn't in my major! Besides, Alyssa didn't take it either, and is IS in
her major!
Silence lowers his weapon at last, slowly. He's not completely convinced this
thing isn't going to suddenly lunge for Alyssa, but it's becoming increasingly
less likely. And you can only hold someone at gunpoint for so long before you
begin to look silly.
>Rouge glances at Rachel. And instantly glances back elsewhere. o.o
>Ryan is between Alyssa and the thingy anyway, so he'd be the first target. ...
Not that that's good for Ryan, mind you.
>But then again, he got the sparklies. c.c
>Eden moves up beside Alyssa again, whatever might be going on around, to check
on her condition. She puts a hand alongside her cheek, and looks to see how well
she is breathing.
>Mmmm... Sqauresoft sparklies...
>The creature nods once, then lowers itself back to its crouched height of 7
feet.  "Then we will depart, and watch... though if needed, we will reveal
ourselves again..."
>Vincent falls silent.  A glance is given toward the remaining shadows on the
rooftop, but that is about all of any gesture he gives, then turning to watch the
creature until it departs.
>Silence says, "..........."
>Rachel . o O ( Don't hold your breath. )
>Ryan . o O ( I do seem to have a knack for meeting interesting women   u.u; )
>The creature lowers its hand from the rune, causing the glow to vanish.  It
turns, then steps back into the shadows, before bounding up the side of the
building, effortlessly.  When it joins the other shadows, the whispering grows...
then dims when all goes still.
>Maybe we should've let the monsters take her. It'd be safer than leaving her
with Ryan....
>Vincent says, "(OOC) Ouch c.c"
>Ryan (OOC) ;.;
>Rachel watches the thing leave.  Then she turns to the assembled, and says,
"Let's get out of here.  Suggestions where to?"
>Ryan stands up, and makes some flimsy excuse as to why he has something very
important he has to check on at this very second. Mostly because his player needs
sleep. With that, he departs.
>Silence offers, "..........."  Okay. So that's not very helpful.
>Ryan (OOC) goes nap-nap. Ciao   n.-

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