Caught in a Web [Jericho]

[Aerith]

Don't Want to be a Burden
--------
[Timeline Note: July 21st]

Her second experience on a Gummi Ship was much more pleasant than her first one. For starters, she wasn't tied up and rolling around over the hard metal floor. And she actually knew where she was going this time. Traverse Town. From what Jericho had said, there would be plenty of opportunities there, whether she wanted to stay or travel to yet other worlds. Any new experiences would be welcome.

The only thing she had to consider was what Jericho's plans were once they landed. He probably didn't want her tagging along with him any longer than she had to. He seemed like a very busy man and didn't have the time to bother holding her hand every step in her new journey of self-discovery.

Better to know now, before they landed, while she could at least prepare mentally. She had done fine on her own in Twilight Town. There was no reason to think she wouldn't do the same in Traverse Town.

"Thanks for the ride. I'm sure you've got plans, so I'll try to get out of your way once we're there."

[Slash]

Oh, believe me. You're no burden at all.

[/center]

It had been an interesting ride for him- less so for Nadia, probably, but not a tedious or a strange one. He kept up a conversation while keeping in the boundaries of politeness. Before he could start teaching her anything, he'd have to gain her trust. More than her trust. He'd have to take enough from her to the point where he could begin controlling her.

She figured that he had plans. Well, he did, but they required her to be present. His manipulation would not be confined to just Nadia. He could make other people hate her without her noticing a thing. And if she had nowhere else to go...

Jericho looked at Zero- sorry, Nadia- and shook his head. "Oh, don't worry. It's not like I'm going to a business meeting or something. I'm not going to throw you out. Do what you want." He tapped his hands against the dashboard.

____________________________

A couple minutes later, they were on the ground of Traverse Town. He looked around. "Well, since we left Twilight Town early I don't have anywhere to be right this moment. I might as well give you a quick idea of where everything is before I leave. There's a bar in the First District where almost every traveler ends up at one time or another."

And there was. He knew from his hitchiking days. He'd take her there, and then...well, she'd see.

[Aerith]

New Surroundings
--------

Well, that was unexpected but definitely appreciated. Good to know that he wasn't going to discard her immediately upon arrival. That would have felt too much like her original trip to Twilight Town. She still found it a little odd that he was being so accommodating, but she couldn't say she minded. When you've lost all your previous connections, you take what you can get, strange or not.

Once they landed and exited the ship, Nadia had a chance to get a good first look at Traverse Town. It was night, yet there were people strolling the streets everywhere. The artificial lighting was alien to her, but she found a beauty in it. That was all she could take in before Jericho mentioned a bar nearby and implied that he would show it to her.

"Oh, okay. I'd like to see it." She nodded and trailed after him.

[Slash]

The first round of the game is over. Now, onto the second!

[/center]

The bar was not that far away, and they arrived there quickly. Jericho was careful not to seem like he was clinging to the girl, although if things went as planned he wouldn't have to bother himself so much after this.

He opened the door, allowing Nadia in. "Talk around and you'll find someone going somewhere. I'm going to leave after a few drinks. If you need anything, ask. Take care of yourself," he said, and then went into a corner of the bar to order a drink.

Now, to wait for her to talk to someone. She'd be needing something when that happened. He was sure of that.

[Aerith]

Game? What Game?
--------

Bars were not her cup of tea. They never had been. But if she could find someone willing enough to give her a ride elsewhere, she would endure being out of her comfort zone for a little while.

This particular establishment was a dimly lit affair, and several wisps of smoke ghosted in and out of the lamplight. Naturally, the smell of alcohol was heavy in the air, so her first priority was finding someone to talk to who was at least semi-sober enough to have a conversation. Jericho left her to her own devices while he went off into a corner, but he made sure to let her know that he'd still be there should she need anything.

Nadia watched him move to his table in the corner but didn't let her gaze linger for too long. He had gotten her here, and now it was up to her to fend for herself. Despite the inebriated feel of the place, she knew there had to be a kind soul around here somewhere. Or at least, someone who would tolerate a paying passenger for a short while.

A thought suddenly struck her. She had little to no munny with her, so how was she supposed to afford a ride on some stranger's ship?

Ask Jericho.

She pushed that aside. He had been much too nice to her already. If she asked anything else of him, he might start thinking she was being clingy. And she most certainly did not want to be perceived as some clingy, helpless girl.

With that in mind, she walked straight up to the nearest patron, a somewhat burly man who smelled like he had had one too many drinks tonight. If she had been given over to further reflection, she might have decided to avoid him and try her luck with another person, but she had already committed. And now she stood right in front of him. Her head came up to about his shoulder, if that. She made a mental note to try talking to shorter men for a while after this was over.

Clearing her throat, she caught the man's attention. "Excuse me. Do you think I could get a ride out of here?"

[Slash]

This is the best part.

[/center]

Good! If she had tried to pick a more suitable candidate for Jericho's meddling, she couldn't have. The man was one of six people in the bar, not including the bartender, himself, and Nadia. That was just enough.

The burly man turned to look at Nadia, slightly annoyed at the interruption. Now, before it fades![/color]

He seized the emotion of the man as if it was a valve, and used his Amplification abilities to twist said valve, but not all at once.

The man glared at Nadia, yelling in an incredibly slurred tone. "Wha th' hell? Do I look like a fookin' travel agent?" He slammed down his drink.

A little more. Careful, careful. He's drunk, so you can push him farther.[/color]

Slowly, very slowly, he did so. The man's language grew louder and more vehement as he accused Nadia of wasting his time, then just moved onto personal insults about her being poor, a freak- he thought he heard some racial slurs in there and resisted the urge to roll his eyes. Juvenile. The sounds reverberated through the bar, causing the other patrons to become annoyed.

Jericho moved to them for a second. He was growing tired, though, and couldn't hold focus for long. Instead of making it gradual, he just made them quite hostile. If she tried to talk to anyone else, they'd ignore her, snap at her, or charge her too much money and then yell at her for not being able to pay.

He couldn't affect the bartender, but that was okay. That guy had been working there for 20 years when Jericho had been around, and hadn't done anyone the favor of dying. Basically, whenever there was a fight the person who was in the wrong was the one who didn't spend enough money at the bar.

He stopped completely. He was in danger of passing out. Okay, breathe. In. Out.

He had been looking at the events the entire time, but with tired concern. If it came to blows, he'd have to get involved, but right now he needed to sit and drink.

[Aerith]

Not What I Had in Mind
--------

Annoyed eyes, slightly bloodshot, turned on her. She instantly knew this wasn't going to end well. But the degree of the man's ire took her completely by surprise. She knew that he was drunk, but she had not expected him to be this drunk. Language that she was not used to poured from the man's mouth, mingling with other hurtful words, words attacking her on a racial level.

She took a step or two back but then stopped. Anger sparked and emboldened her. She wouldn't be treated this way. This was not noble entitlement coming to the surface. No one deserved this much disrespect. "Let me tell you something--"

Unfortunately, the sentence went unfinished. The back of the man's beefy hand struck her hard across the jaw. The physical blow didn't sting nearly as much as the blow to her self-confidence did. Her mind was reeling while she froze, unsure how to respond.

He's just drunk. That's all. He probably doesn't even know what he's doing or saying right now.

Now the man was yelling at her to get out. And every other eye she could see was on her, too. Not a friendly one in sight. This was turning out to be a bad decision. Maybe she was just in the wrong place. There had to be plenty of other, sober people around this town.

"Didja not 'ear me? Get the hell out!" He lashed out at her again before she had time to react, and she stumbled back a couple more steps.

Her fingers curled into fists at her sides.

"Don't... touch me... again."

Mistake. The man grabbed her wrist and yanked her toward him. "Nobody tells me wha' I can and can't do."

Reflex determined what she did next. She had never struck another human being in her life, but she did now. Although, it felt good to give the offending man a hard slap across the face, her subsequent flight straight into a chair did not.

So much for taking care of myself.

[Slash]

A fight? That was quick.

[/center]

Starting a fight in here after Jericho had finished was a little like throwing a match into an oil well. In other words, incredibly dangerous and deadly for the person doing it and totally awesome for the person watching the huge jet of flame shoot from the earth.

Nadia, inflamed by the language used against her, attacked the other man. He flew back, knocking into someone. This person pushed him back, and then someone else got pissed off, and what ensued was a massive fight. And some of the blows were aimed straight at Nadia.

Looks like I'm up.[/color] He stood resolutely and confronted the man Nadia had hit. Words weren't necessary when he could simply knock the drunken ass unconscious. And he did, by grabbing the man's head and hitting it on a table.

By now the bartender had gotten ahold of himself and was trying to establish order with serious threats to get the authorities in here. Jericho knew that he wasn't bluffing, and left quickly, pulling Nadia along with him.

___________

When they were sufficiently far enough not to get caught and arrested, he stopped and sat down, exhausted. Man did he want to sleep.

"I don't think the owner's going to let you back in after that." He sat down and sighed. If he looked happy, or even too sympathetic, that would be suspicious. She did just start a fight, after all. But he couldn't be too hostile. He took on a tone that was more exasperated than angry. "Looks like you've cut yourself off from leaving this world easily. I missed what made him go off on you. What did you say to him?"

[Aerith]

I'm Starting to Build Up Debts Already
--------

It didn't take long for a full-blown brawl to break out. Punches flew everywhere, some of them angling for her. She did her best to roll out of the way, unwilling to incur anymore of the drunken man's wrath. The other patrons in the bar were getting into it with each other now (for no reason other than senseless violence, apparently). Insulting burly man was coming for her again. She really didn't want to fight. Really didn't.

But he never got to her.

His head slammed into a table, planted there by Jericho. Nadia didn't have any time to stammer a thank-you before he was pulling her outside. She inhaled smoke-and-alcohol-free air eagerly. The farther away she got from that place, the better.

Jericho finally stopped and sat down, clearly fatigued. A wave of guilt hit her for a moment, but it passed quickly. Sitting down herself, she shook her head, still a little confused. "I didn't say anything to him. Nothing that would have made him that angry. I just asked him if I could leave here on his ship. But he started yelling at me for some reason."

It must have been something she had said or perhaps the way she had looked at him or the tone of her voice. "He was drunk. That must have been it. If he was a little more sober, he probably wouldn't have acted like that." She nodded to herself. That had just been the wrong place to go looking for a ride from someone. Next time, she wouldn't try a bar.

She glanced at Jericho. "Thank you for your help, though. This is a little embarrassing. Sorry to put you to all this trouble."

[Slash]

Man, I'm tired.

[/center]

Jericho shook his head. "If he'd have been sober, he'd probably just told you to go away." He also waved off her apology. "Don't mention it. At least today isn't as boring as I thought it was going to be." He laughed.

Now, to heighten the feeling of alienation from this world. He couldn't have her thinking that the fight was just a fluke and that nothing bad would happen. No, that would make his job a lot harder and would require him to stick around for far longer. That would be next to impossible to accomplish without seeming incredibly suspicious.

"You might want to keep your head down for a while. The guy who fought you might have been too drunk to remember you, but the bartender will. And he's going to make sure to pin everything on you. Can't have any paying customers behind bars." Considering the old bastard's usual thought process, this was completely true. But there'd be no harm in pushing it a little past that absolute truth. "Most likely he'll twist the story to make you look like some mental case who walked in and started badgering his customers, trying to instigate a fight...and I'll probably be stuck with some charges, too, since I got involved." This was reasonable speculation, although Jericho couldn't be absolutely sure of it.

He couldn't amplify her right now. He'd pass out from exhaustion. But if she could just stay around a little while longer, he could make her worry and increase it to a useful degree.

[Aerith]

Running Out of Options
-------

Perhaps her faith in people was too strong, but Nadia immediately dismissed Jericho's assumption that, even sober, that man would have been so callous. It must have been the alcohol talking. In fact, she knew it had definitely been the alcohol.

This other line of conversation was far more difficult to frame in a silver lining.

It was incredibly unfair. She had done nothing at all to start that altercation, and yet she was now the one to suffer for it. Not only did she not have a ride off this world, but now she had to lay low for fear of getting in trouble with the authorities. Just perfect. At least this time, she had a chance to save herself before getting shipped off somewhere. Was she ever going to find a world not inhabited by uptight, judgmental people?

More guilt arose when Jericho reminded her that he had gotten involved, too. This was not the way she knew debts were to be repaid. With a slight grimace, she took a breath. "I hate to keep asking you for help, but I don't know what else to do or where to go."

And the debt just kept growing and growing.

[Slash]

Let's keep building up this debt, shall we?

[/center]

Turned out Amplification was not going to be necessary. In fact, it would most likely no be necessary for the first stage of his plan- that was, building up the girl's dependence on him. It was probably only going to be needed when he began turning her worldview to a far less optimistic one.

She seemed to think that she was building up a debt to him. He'd gladly go along with this. The more of a debt she perceived, the harder she'd attempt to make it up to him. Although really, she was paying it back in full.

This was the most fun he'd had in years, after all.

"Hm?" He looked up, then paused for a while as if he was thinking about it. "All right. I'll help you figure something out. And hey..." he added, changing his tone to a lighter one, "Don't be so down on yourself. You don't owe me anything."

He absentmindedly scratched his head, then said, "Well, here's what I see your options as. You keep a really low profile for a few days, or try your luck with another world." He sighed. "I was going to meet a few people here but considering the current circumstances I think I'll postpone that and go somewhere else."

Where could he go next? Hollow Bastion was out. Clive would undoubtedly find him and meddle like crazy. Um...Destiny Islands would work, he supposed.

"I'm going to a place called Destiny Islands. There are less travelers than here, but they're generally sober. If you want to come along, I won't stop you." He stood up, took a few steps in the direction of his ship, then turned to look back at her, waiting for an answer.

[Aerith]

I May Go Completely Bankrupt at This Rate
--------

Jericho was right. Staying here for a few more days, dodging accusations, didn't appeal to her at all. And he was offering her a chance to get away. This Destiny Islands place sounded much more hospitable. Maybe that was the world on which she could start a new life. Destiny was in the name of the world, after all, as cheesy as that thought sounded in her head.

And despite his insistence that she didn't owe him anything, she was still determined to figure out some way to pay him back for all this. That was one aspect of her cultural heritage she had retained. Debts did not go unpaid.

He stood up and took a few steps away from her, then turned around to look at her expectantly. Standing to her feet, as well, she nodded. "I would appreciate that. Thank you."