Mooglenet Archives

[Have a weaponless, armourless (gasp) Steiner. He's actually heading to the armour shop, but of course he can't ignore this kind of trouble.]

Ho! What's going on here?

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[This kind of trouble looks up at Steiner as she dashes toward him, trying to figure out whether to dodge left or right.

She decides not to do either, instead climbing up and over him.]

'scuse me, mister! In a hurry!

[She lands on the ground behind him and continues running as the innkeeper emerges from the sidestreet behind her, waving a large spoon and shouting things like 'stop, thief!']

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Hey now, don't you know it's rude to just climb over somebody?

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[And suddenly she's not on the ground anymore! Oh no! She continues trying to run for a few more steps before deciding to try to figure out what the problem is.

She turns around, notices Zidane and glares for a fraction of a second before struggling and complaining.]

Don't you know it's rude to just lift people up, stupid? Lemmie go! Lemmie go! Don't make me paint your picture!

[Her struggling becomes more and more desperate (and her language more and more vulgar) as the innkeeper approaches]

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[Steiner spun around with surprising grace and agility (hey, maybe not wearing armour helped) and chased after the girl. Ah - Zidane to the rescue!]

Well done, Zidane! I believe we have a young thief!

[He marches up to the girl.]

QUIET! Cease your filthy language at once! Zidane, let's take her to the castle. She must be locked up in the dungeons immediately.

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[Swearing didn't help! Foul language has failed her once again.]

No, not the dungeons! I hate dungeons! They suck!

[After a little more struggling she decides, a little too late, to try to get sympathy. Puppy dog eyes, obviously fake sniffles and horribly overplayed whimpering.]

I- I was just so lost and- and so hungry... I didn't mean to hurt anyone-

[The fact that this stuff usually works better before the threats and torrents of filthy language is apparently lost on her. If that wasn't terrible enough, she drops her paintbrush in the middle of her attempts at sympathy. It falls to the ground and she drops the act immediately, stuggling to try and reach it.]

Nooo! Put me down, that's important-!

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Hold on a sec, Rusty. I'm not throwing a little kid in the dungeon. Not if we can avoid it anyway...

Trust me kid, I've played all those tricks before, they aren't going to work on me. What did you do and why's that guy so worked up?

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[Steiner takes the paintbrush and steps out of the girl's reach. He's not letting her have it if she wants it that badly.]

Wait - let us first hear what this man has to say.

[Also meaning the innkeeper, who tells a damning tale of treachery and deceit. Fake coins! A cheat!

Steiner nods and glares at the girl.]

Well, what do you have to say to that?

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[Noooo, they are immune to cute. Or at least to horribly overacted attempts at cute.]

I paid! I really did pay-

[-and then the innkeeped explained the situation. Very damning. And entirely true. Maybe she should have stayed in garden after all, this attempt at escape had gone poorly.]

I was going to pay him back! Really I was! With real money!

[The fact that she's snatching uselessly at the air between her and Steiner in an attempt to get her brush back really isn't helping her case at all here.]

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No you weren't.

Here. We'll deal with her, alright?

So have you robbed anyone else in town since you got here? And I'll know if you're lying.

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[The innkeeper retreats with a muttered thank you, leaving Zidane and Steiner to deal with the matter. After handling Eiko, this little girl is easy. Steiner keeps a firm hold of her while Zidane does the interrogating.]

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[Relm is a little more cooperative now, but not that much more. Her paintbrush is still captive, after all.]

I was so! Eventually! Probably. Unless I forgot.

[She stops wriggling and just hangs, sighing.]

Okay so maybe I wasn't. But I didn't take anything from anyone else! I only just got here so I wouldn't have been able to!

...not that I would have robbed someone else if I'd have had more time to!

[She's only digging herself deeper, really. And stowing away on airships totally down't count as stealing.]

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[Zidane looks a bit skeptical but lets it go...for now. He's remembering all the times guards had caught up with him, though he always managed to slip away before anything particularly unpleasant could happen...like work. Instead he turned his gaze toward Steiner, smiling faintly.]

What do you think we should do with her, Rusty?

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[Steiner doesn't hesitate.]

Throw her in the dungeon! A night or two in there should teach her a lesson!

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[Nooooooooo. Strugging again now.]

Nooo! Not the dungeon! Dungeons are the worst!

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And why not? He's right, it's what we usually do with thieves, really? And you do have to make up for what you did...

But maybe we can figure something out. You any good with this?

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[Paintbrush! She stops stuggling for freedon and starts madly pawing at the air above her, trying to grab it.

And then stops for a second. Because regardless of the situation here is a chance to brag about how awesome she is.]

Are you kidding? I'm the best artist on the ruined world. And probably the best one here, too.

[She seems very smug when she says this, despite the situation. Really? She's more worried about what Locke would say if he found out she got caught than about anything else. She'd never live it down!]

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[Steiner gives Zidane an 'are you serious' look.]

Your Majesty, what are you suggesting?

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Best Artist in the world, huh? And you're, what, ten? That's pretty hard to believe...

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Eleven.

[Because the extra year totally made a difference.]

Jidoor's on this world, right? You can ask anyone at the auction house there. I used to sell paintings there back when it was at home.

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[And now Steiner is tapping his foot pointedly. Eventually he can't hold it in.]

We're wasting time, Your Majesty! Let us take her to the castle and be done with it.

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Oh relax, Rusty. And stop calling me that.

[Zidane turned his attention back to Relm.]

Fine then. I want you to paint me a painting. Something amazing. Then we'll decide what to do with you.

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Gotcha, Tail. But I'm gonna need my brush back.

[And there isn't a thing about that grin that's all over her face that doesn't mean 'trouble'. And yes, his nickname is now 'Tail'. At least it doesn't have 'old man' in it.]

Got a subject in mind? Or do I get to pick?

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Zidane! What is the point of allowing this child to paint anything? She'll probably throw the paint in our faces and then run off to deface the castle!

[For once, Steiner is right in his apprehensions, if not for the right reasons. But he doesn't want to give over that brush.]

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I'm sure you could catch her if she did that, Rusty. Or I'd catch her. And I'm not so forgiving the second time.

[He gave Relm a pointed look, and then turned to consider the brush in his hand. Finally he shook his head.]

I think I'll hold on to this. We'll find you a different brush.

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[Relm tries not to look too disappointed but that had totally been her plan. When Zidane announces he's keeping the brush for now, she fails for sure at 'not looking disappointed'.]

What-! But it- that one's special! The dumb old man gave it to me!

[And for once, this is the truth rather than an appeal to emotion, though the fact that it's also a focus for her abilities isn't something she's forgotten. Without it she can still animate her pictures but they wouldn't be capable of much in the way of destruction without using more magic than she actually has.

But mostly? It's all she really has here that she associates with her grandpa. Her voice takes on a whiny, pleading tone.]

You're gonna give it back if I paint good enough, right?

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There are paintbrushes in the castle, Zidane. Let us go there!

[Oh, such a cunning ploy.]

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[Zidane almost felt bad at seeing Relm look so disappointed, but at her question he nods.]

Of course I'll give it back when you paint something good enough, kid. Come on Rusty, let's take her back like you said.

[He turned to start off towards the castle but paused to glance at Relm again.]

What's your name, anyway?

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You promise?

[She doesn't have much choice but to cooperate now with her favourite brush being held hostage. She shifts around as best she can within Steiner's grip to make it a little less uncomfortable.]

I'm Relm. Relm Arrowny. You got a name, Tail?

[She's maybe kind of grasped from Steiner's words that she's speaking to royalty right now. But she certainly doesn't care. If the 'helpless child' act didn't work then sucking up probably wouldn't help anyway.]

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