Loitering [Emi / Lillian]

[Fate]

Sort of Wonder About That Castle

This guy sure was arrogant wasn't he? And he was in denial that he was posing; Lillian knew a pose when she saw one and this guy was posing. Though, she really had to wonder what the heck he was posing for. It wasn't like he was going to get anything out of posing for either of them, especially Emi. She was less than thrilled with Castle already, though Lillian wasn't all too sure why. He just was posing because he had nothing better to do; she wasn't going to guess his reasons.

"If you say so," she said, looking away again, "You should know that you look ridiculous doing that." Yeah, she was being blunt with the guy. If he didn't like it, he would just have to deal with it. "But if you want to pose, go ahead. I don't get why you're doing it, but eh." She paced around a little with her hand still on her hip. What were they supposed to do now? She was getting bored just standing around and not doing anything.

"Any idea what's in that castle over there? It's kind of dark and ominous looking. I'm kind of wondering if anyone lives there or if it's just barren or something." It was another conversation topic and hopefully it would lead to something interesting. She knew how to have a good conversation with people, though Emi seemed sort of... in her own thoughts at the very least and didn't like this Castle much for some reason. Castle seemed okay other than his random posing. Lillian just didn't understand that at all.

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[Oathkeeper Emi]

"What do you mean?! I don't live in the ca- oh wait..."
--

Emi froze once Lillian started talking about the castle. She made a choking noise and attempted to slyly cover it with a cough. Though after she thought about it for a moment, Emi realized Lillian wasn't talking specifically about her. She was safe and hadn't been found out, but she would if she didn't stop acting suspicious. As the only native, Emi decided to speak up.

"Well, someone used to live in it but he doesn't anymore. I was little when everything happened so I don't know what else to say. I just got back to Radiant Garden myself.[/color]"

She had meant to say something a bit more intelligent sounding but as soon as she opened her mouth, the words came tumbling out almost on their own accord. She snapped her mouth shut. She still had so many unanswered questions, she realized. About the end of her world. About what had happened while she was passed out on a couch in Twilight Town.

She would have to get those answers but at that moment, Emi's stomach growled so loud she was sure the other two could hear it. She clutched her crossed arms tight over her stomach and blushed. She laughed nervously.

"Maybe I should go back to town after all,[/color]" she said. It may have been too late to find work but maybe there was some way she could get dinner off one of these two. She was above asking outright, but maybe... she smirked as an idea lit up in her brain. Yeah, definitely not something she wanted to resort to, but it was better than asking for money.

[Castle]

Castle wasn't sure which struck him speechless, the fact that Lillian totally called him out on his posture, that she'd called it ridiculous, or that she didn't seem to be even remotely interested by it. This was supposed to be his best pose, too. He'd done it too many times to have messed it up. It was second nature to him now.

It was probably a good thing for him that she changed the topic right afterward. Almost without thinking, he straightened up out of the pose and crossed his arms. Whatever. There were other fish in the sea. Besides, his raw looks weren't the only thing he had going for him.

He let his attention slip to the next point in the conversation, that big ruined castle thing. It did look pretty cool, he had to admit. He'd considered checking it out himself before the girls showed up. He interest was further piqued when Emi said nobody lived there anymore.

He heard her stomach growl loudly and glanced at her. Her nervous laughter made him smirk, though not really in a malicious way.

"Hey, maybe you should," he shrugged, again, not maliciously, "But, why wouldn't somebody be living in that place now, after the other guy left? Is it haunted or something?"

[Oathkeeper Emi]

"Operation: Get Dinner is go."
--

Emi sighed heavily. After what Zexion had told her about a "force of darkness" staying in the castle now, and the fact Emi herself was sleeping in the library... she replied "Yeah. Haunted. If that's what you want to call it.[/color]"

She wasn't really sure why the castle was abandoned now, but she would have to find out eventually. Maybe in her free time she would snoop around for answers, or she would bug Zexy about it when he showed back up.

But that issue wasn't at the front of her mind right now. Time to turn on the charm... or at least act like it. She had a plan to put into action and it was a plan that was better fulfilled sooner rather than later. She put on a sheepish face and turned to face Castle with her eyes downcast.

"I know its kind of sudden but... would you maybe want to come to dinner with me? Like as in a date, dinner. You're kind of cute. What do you say?[/color]"

Never in her life had she actually asked a boy on a date, she realized. Back in Twilight Town, she didn't really date so much or really have meaningful relationships. Even as a younger teenager in school, the boys were far too intimidated and scared of her. Lately she'd been too busy with more important things like Heartless battles to try her hand at properly dating. So, technically this was her first time to ask a boy on a date. Even if she was doing it for a very sneaky reason.

She hoped Lillian wasn't offended by the sudden question. She didn't need a cat fight right now, especially over this shrimpy guy. If he refused? Oh well, she wouldn't take it personally. It was kind of sudden and kind of at a bad time. To reassure him, she added "Oh, there is still one restaurant open in town, just so you know. It's kind of... on the outskirts, which is how come it wasn't destroyed. The guy who owns it is getting killer business now that...[/color]"

Not an untrue story, but she was rambling so she clamped her mouth shut.

[Fate]

Oh Don't Make Me Laugh

Her topic change had been successful at first. Castle wondered about the castle as well and Emi pretty much answered it for them. It sounded like she sort of knew what happened to the castle but not all of the details; it seemed kind of sketchy still. Her answer only sparked more questions. Who lived there? What exactly happened to this world that caused everything to change? She occasionally heard about how the name was changed back to Radiant Garden; what did that even mean?

Lillian had to stifle a laugh when Emi asked Castle to go out for dinner after her stomach grumbled. She wanted to go on a date with this kid; well, she called him a kid but that's what she called just about everyone that was either around her age or younger. She called him cute too, which was almost enough to make Lillian start laughing. It sounded an awful lot like a pity date to her, which just made it amusing; a pity date because he could not impress anyone with his posing.

"I knew I was interrupting something," she said, "If you guys want to go out together, I don't have an issue with that." She let out a giggle after she finished her statement. "I'll be back with the Restoration Committee if you need me." She didn't move when she said that though, not particularly wanting to move right this second.

She wasn't particularly sure what she would do with her time if they actually left; she might just hang out here more and look at the castle, maybe explore it. If the two wanted to go on a date together, that wasn't too much of an issue with her; she was cool with leaving them alone. The dating field was something she never got into at all, too busy for that sort of thing and she was never good at seeing if guys actually liked her or not. She mentally shrugged it off and looked at the castle.

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[Castle]

Castle had to laugh, just a little, though he held it back to avoid giving the wrong impression as he turned to face Emi directly and uncrossed his arms. What was with this chick? First, she hated him. Then she apologized. Then she had that smug superiority thing going on, and now, she was all flirty and sheepish and calling him cute. Talk about fickle!

Well, he was glad he was able to impress one of them, even if that one was the least likely candidate. Who was also a foot taller than him. And had a flat chest. Then again, just about every girl he met was taller than him. And besides, she wasn't terrible looking. She had nice eyes, definitely. Sure she wasn't the type he would actively pursue, but hey, since she'd offered...

He glanced over at Lillian briefly to respond to her last statement. He'd heard her giggle, obviously, but considering that he actually had a date now, he brushed it off.
"Sure thing," he said to her, and then returned his attention to Emi. He rested a hand on his hip, his eyes practically glittering now as he smiled coolly at her. "But it looks like we'll be fine for now." His tone implied that it was the affirmative response to her request.

Then, the worst occurred to him. Briefly, in the tiniest movement, his smile slipped at the edges.

"But uh... this place of yours, that restaurant..." He struggled to find how to continue, a struggle that was barely hidden under his mask of composure, "...not too fancy, right? 'Cuz, actually, as it turns out..." He seemed to shrink as he went on, "...I'm totally broke."

After a moment, he added, with a small, casual laugh, "That construction job of mine, I'm doing it for a room."

He really hoped this wouldn't kill the date, but how was he supposed to take a girl to a restaurant if he couldn't even buy them anything?

[Oathkeeper Emi]

"Well, that went well."
--

"Oh, uh... you know what, just forget it,[/color]" she muttered. She faced the railing again, her embarrassment quite obvious from the way her face was turning red. Well, so much for that plan. But his mention of a construction job piqued her interest. "You said you had a job helping with the reconstruction, right? Do you think they'd take me on? I'm kind of desperate,[/color]" she asked him. But this time, she wasn't going to expect a positive outcome. She'd been shot down once tonight, she definitely didn't need that again.

After she got some answers, she was going to leave and go find a more private spot to break into the castle. She really didn't have anywhere else to go. Especially since that man had come and blown apart the town, there really wasn't anywhere else. Not to mention, there was no where to find work. That man's actions reached a lot further than she had expected, affected things she hadn't been aware it would affect.

Even so, Emi was happy to be home. Sure, she had plans to leave the Garden and visit other worlds. She had debts to repay. But she would always come back. She was a patriot of sorts, and she definitely wouldn't put up with watching her home be destroyed again. She would fight against this man the next time he appeared. She was overconfident in her own skills and attributed the defeat of the RGRC and others to a lack of skill on their part.

Of course, this was completely off base. She wouldn't know his true strength if and until she battled him herself. To her, this enemy seemed no bigger than a Heartless. She would fight against him happily, go without fear or second thoughts... and this would be the death of her. And if she did die in a battle against him, at least she would die happy knowing she didn't go down without a fight.

Emi could be very naïve sometimes.

[Fate]

Uneasy

The three of them had one thing in common; none of them had any money. Castle was working for his room, Emi seemed to need money, and Lillian didn't have much at all. She had some, though not much since she did not gain that much from fighting such a little amount of Heartless before. That would have to change though. Now that the darkness seemed to be coming back with a hell of a lot of force, the Heartless were going to be stronger too... or at least that's what she guessed. She needed to get her fervor back for fighting them.

Emi was now asking Castle if they would take her on for a job so she could get a source of income. Lillian, deciding not to further intrude on the conversation, went over to the railing and leaned on it. She took one of her guns out of her holster and started twisting it in her hand. This was something she had grown to be good at over time, especially since she used to do it quite frequently when she was bored while waiting for something to happen in Libertas. She didn't want anything to happen right here and now though; this peace, even though she knew it was only temporary, was nice.

This Mysterious Man... she wondered if he knew how much he truly affected them all. He probably did since he told them about how their hearts were tainted now. She felt it too; it wasn't a comfortable feeling. The rest felt it too undoubtedly, but they also had to look upon the destruction he caused. Buildings had been destroyed and the beauty the world was trying to achieve was gone. The Restoration Committee now needed to work even harder than before and with heavy hearts; Lillian would help them as much as she could, of course.

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[Castle]

Castle's heart sank a little when Emi told him to forget it. So much for that date. Well, that didn't mean they couldn't still have some form of fun somewhere. He wasn't exactly looking forward to going back to the Marketplace just yet. Maybe he could convince her to break into the castle with him. However, before he could suggest that, she asked him about the construction job.

It was then that it finally occurred to him that her request for a dinner date had been a plot to get free food. He crossed his arms again, but let his smile darken slightly rather than slip completely. Even so, he supposed that he really should give her the benefit of the doubt... for now.

"Yeah, they probably would. It's one heck of a job. Though, you are gonna lose it once everything's fixed..." That applied to him as well, he realized, but he pushed that thought aside. "At any rate, I can put in a good word for you, later, if you still wanna go out somewhere," he added with a grin.

Her reaction would put his suspicions to rest. He kept the grin friendly and waited for her response.

[Oathkeeper Emi]

"You got yerself a deal, mister."
--

Emi forced a smile. Maybe it looked a little bit like a toothy grimace considering it didn't quite reach her eyes.
"Sure,[/color]" she told him. "Sounds great.[/color]"

She sighed. Anything to get that job. What harm was one little date going to do anyway? But unfortunately, no food tonight it looked like. Emi's smile quickly faded and she pouted, resting her chin on her hands.

Well, this sucked. No food and she was going to trade a date with a midget for a job doing construction, presumably with more midgets and probably moogles too. But no matter what, anything was better than Twilight Town. And she desperately wanted to help rebuild and protect her world. This would be the perfect way for her to do it. Or at least a perfect way to start.

"Just let me know where and when,[/color]" she told Castle. "I'll be around the town tomorrow to see about that job. But, I have to go now.[/color]"

She pushed off the railing and started to walk away. She waved good-bye as she left, walking back towards the Bailey. Before she could even reach the other side of the platform, however, the way was blocked by Heartless. Two Soldiers, and above them floated two Yellow Operas.

"Ahhh, crap![/color]" Emi whined, backpedaling several steps. She unhooked the kali sticks and gave them a whirl. "I could use some help over here if you don't mind![/color]"

[Fate]

Fighting Time

[/size]
The conversation did not last too much longer. Emi yelled for them to get over there and help them. Lillian jumped up from her position and grabbed her other gun as quickly as possible, running over and finding that the Heartless were there. Well, hanging around the postern was over; it was time to kick Heartless butt. She backed up a little bit and started shooting one of the Yellow Operas with her guns, shooting it twice in succession. That didn't kill it though. She shot it a couple more times and waited. It disappeared, but there were more Heartless.

"Could use your help over here Castle," she called out, focusing on a Soldier. She wasn't going to shoot just yet, especially since that Heartless was real close to Emi and she didn't want to accidentally shoot her. She always had to make sure of that in battle when she was fighting with others that had shorter range weapons. A lot of people liked to fight up close with swords and stuff like that. That wasn't for Lillian though; she learned to fight with guns. She wasn't about to figure out how to use something else.

"Why do Heartless have to ruin everything?" she asked rhetorically, getting down on one knee and aiming at one of the Soldiers. "Duck!" She started shooting at it. It was more resilient than the other Heartless was and this one was starting to try and close the distance. Lillian stayed where she was, keeping her guns ready and shooting only a couple times. She didn't like to waste too much energy and this Heartless would have to do a lot more to get to her anyway. [/blockquote][/size]

[Castle]

Castle's smile finally faded as Emi turned away. She wasn't actually interested, he could tell. His suspicions about the free food thing were right. Oh, well. It wasn't too big a loss. He would have done the same thing. And besides, she was the one missing out, right?

"All right, I'll see you around, then!" he called after her anyway, making a point of sounding cheerful. He would take her up on that offer, whether she really wanted him to or not. It was something fun to do, at any rate. Unless, of course, he met another, more interested girl before then.

However, no sooner had he said that then the Heartless appeared. Lillian went into action almost immediately, shooting at a couple of them the way she had shot at the mysterious man days earlier. Castle's mood instantly changed at the memory.

"I'm on it!" he said in response to her words. He clenched his fists and charged forward, determined to make a difference this time.

He attacked the other Soldier, the one Lillian wasn't shooting at. On his last stride, he planted his foot and turned the motion into a forward shift, plunging his fist into the Heartless's chest. It backed up, but did not disappear. He could already tell that it was a lot tougher than the ones he faced in the Ravine Trail.

Castle jumped back when it retaliated, and then launched a side kick at its head, making it bend backwards. He followed that up with another two punches, but was forced to jump back again when it still didn't fade, swiping at him with its claws.

"Not enough yet?" he taunted, launching a kick at it again.

[Oathkeeper Emi]

Battle Music: Scherzo Di Notte
--

Lillian had taken care of one Yellow Opera and now she and Castle were concentrating on the Soldiers. So now, Emi decided it would be her mission to take out the remaining Yellow Opera.

Easier said than done. She ended up chasing it across the platform, waving her sticks around trying to get a hit in on it. Now, Emi was an intelligent girl but she had more street smarts and had never completed high school. Somehow, the knowledge that metal was a conductor of electricity completely slipped her mind.

Yellow Operas used thunder magic. Emi's kali sticks were made of metal. You do the math. She continued running and jumping, swatting at the thing while it cunningly swooped out of the way. Seemingly out of nowhere, it attacked with a thunder spell that hit her raised kali stick. The gaps in between the wrapped grip meant that the electricity went through the rod and into her hand. She shrieked and dropped the weapon. It clattered to the ground and rolled away while Emi shouted curses and insults at the creature.

It wasn't a fatal or even terribly damaging attack, but it hurt. It hurt and it made Emi very, very angry.

"Come here you little...![/color]" Emi screamed. It floated away and if Emi didn't know any better, she would say the Heartless did it with some degree of smugness. She groaned and ran after it, swooping low for a second to grab up the escaped Daggerwing.

[Fate]

Evil Little Creatures

This Heartless was a stubborn little jerk. Lillian shot at it a few more times and it still seemed to be standing. It couldn't have too much life left in it, could it? She shot at it a few more times from her kneeling position, the shots going off simultaneously. It took those hits to finally bring the Soldier down. Now all that was left was one of the Yellow Operas that Emi was taking care of and the other Soldier that Castle was currently fighting.

"Get down!" she yelled quickly at him as she stood up, firing a couple shots at the foul creature. Perhaps if she attacked the creature from a different angle, that would help. She also wouldn't have to tell Castle to duck too much. She ran closer to the creature and got onto the other side of it, putting the Heartless in between her and Castle. She held her guns steady, aiming directly for the evil little Heartless. Two shots were fired simultaneously again, leaving the Heartless perhaps mildly stunned before it kept attacking. Lillian gave it a sour look before looking at Castle.

"You can take it out," she said, "It shouldn't be standing too much longer." She had killed two Heartless and felt proud of herself already; might as well let shorty take the other one out. She just hoped that this wouldn't attract even more Heartless to come to them. Their tainted hearts were what got them to come in the first place and they might just be attracting more still. Either way, she didn't really want to think about it. For now, she kept her guns ready if she needed to use them.

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[Castle]

Castle heard Lillian yell for him to "get down" a second or two before the Heartless had bullets flying at it. He yelped a little and jumped back to avoid getting shot himself. While the Heartless was stunned, he saw Lillian run around to the opposite side of it. Good. Now he could keep attacking.

He fired a few more punches and kicks at it while Lillian shot it from behind. It was hardly fighting back anymore, as though being attacked from two places at once made it confused. Finally, it looked to be on its last legs, and Lillian gave Castle permission to finish it off.

He smirked and nodded to her, and then returned his attention to the Heartless. He brought his leg up and delivered a side thrust kick to its middle. Sure enough, it went up in smoke, and the cloud of darkness quickly faded away.

"Heck yeah," he said triumphantly. He smiled at Lillian and gave her a thumbs-up, and then looked back to see how Emi was doing with that Yellow Opera.