The third little rappig built his chair out of spare parts (OPEN)

[necroshmancer]

WHO: The Keterburg crew: Jade, Peony, and Dist
WHAT: A well deserved meal in... somewhat unpleasant company.
WHERE: Crimson Dragon Inn, as always!
WHEN: Afternoon.

Comments

[dist_the_reaper]

Dist grudgingly marched toward the Crimson Dragon, the cobblestone stinging his feet with each step. He would have much preferred to have taken his chair as transport, but without any fon energy he had little idea how to get it off the ground for more than ten seconds at a time- it hadn't even made it out the door this morning.

In tow, he brought his diary- dusty, dirty, a few pages crumpled here and there. He hadn't written in it in days- how could he trust perfect strangers when his own friends and COMRADES had left him? The diary had taken up a place under a pile of old gears and tires for a good portion of the last week...until Dist had gotten so bored and lonely he had fished it out and tried to find an excuse to whine to someone about it.

Luckily, Peony liked to socialize in the journals, which made him easy to find. Peony also liked to take on new, strange endeavors (such as...poetry), which was all the better for Dist because it gave him a suitable reason to provoke the Emperor with.

The journal in his hand- that had solely been brought along for blackmail. Examples of their collective treachery had been dog-eared and underlined- in case they decided to gang up on him. Dist was always prepared for the worst when it came to his old Keterburg friends. He may have been messy, covered in dirt, and desperately hungry- but he was prepared for any means of harassment.

As he entered the Crimson Dragon, he pushed up his smeared glasses and adjusted his dusty black coat as best he could, a sneer curling on his lips. He spotted the two men from across the room, and sauntered in mock-confidence over to their table.

"......Jade," he said icily, his sneer still plastered on his face. "And, Emperor. Hmm hmm," his smooth voice lacked its usual shrill tinge, as if he meant to seem neutral and composed. Pulling out the free chair, he took a seat as gracefully as he could attempt in tarnished clothing. "Well what do we have here..."

[necroshmancer]

"If it isn't Dist the Reaper... the crowning glory of a day started with hours of forced jogging with, as only companion, an overly cheerful marathon-runner of an Emperor", answered Jade back, although his words were lacking in their usual biting undertone. He was obviously tired, and made a show of annoying Dist because it was, of course, the way things should be.

Dist walks in, Dist is unpleasant and whiny, Jade shoots back with a sarcastic comment. All is right with the world.

The Innkeeper finally made his way to the table with a bottle of red wine and glasses, which he sat in front of his three customers. Jade's eyes lit up as they fell on the label and the date that was much older than the swill they had drunk these last few days, maybe today wouldn't be a total waste after all.

[peony_the_ninth]

Safir looked like he was in bad shape. He was dirty, rumpled and reminded Peony of a rappig that had gotten lost in the rain for nearly a week without food. Still, it was the first familiar face aside from Jade he had seen in a little while. He would have to remedy that, Peony would go crazy if he was left with nothing to do for much longer.
"Drink, and biscuits soon- at least I hope." Peony responded to Dist, ignoring Jade's quip about jogging. Peony knew Jade secretly loved it, and if he didn't, Peony would make him love it. Eventually.

He opened his diary again beneath the table, to scratch in a small entry to his follow Auldrant natives. "The wine looks good. Don't spill it Safir."

[dist_the_reaper]

Dist placed his hand palm-down on the table firmly, causing the wine in the glass to waver. "Spill it? I happen to have perfect table etiquette. Unlike someone I know." His silver eyes glared behind his dirty glasses, focused on the Emperor.

"And I'm SO TERRIBLY SORRY to hear about your jogging hobby not going well...hmmm," he chuckled darkly. He was not-so-secretly pleased to see Jade looking disgruntled and tired. Serves them right for previously not including him. "That's a good look for you Jade." Dist was mentally debating whether or not he should continue to be mad at Jade. He wasn't sure what he was actually mad at him for anymore, other than the fact that he was, in fact, Jade. The scientist was terrible at letting things go, however seldom he would admit this to himself.

He ran a hand through his scraggly silver hair, which had lost all of its usual luster to dust and tangles. "So, why exactly was I invited to this joyous occasion?" He narrowed his eyes at the both of them, scrutinizing. His eye caught the diary Peony was scribbling in and he half-lunged at the Emperor from across the table. "WHAT are you WRITING in THAT for?! What are you writing?! Let me see!"

[necroshmancer]

Jade took one look at Peony scribbling away furiously... then at Dist joining in, pushing on his pen so hard Jade was surprised he didn't make holes in the paper... and he shrugged, collecting their dinner rolls as the Innkeeper brought their food and chewing on them thoughtfully.

After a while, curiosity got the best of him and he opened his diary, wondering what sort of inane conversation Dist of all people could be having with Peony.

[ooc: linked to this conversation.]

[peony_the_ninth]

Peony had wished he had brought his glasses. Dist was scrawling so wildly it was hard to make out his flmaboyant cursive.

It must of been an interesting sight- the three of them all seated together, staring into diaries and not actually talking to each other. Peony grabbed a bun that was on the table, tearing into it with his teeth as he raised a brow at the little bickering match happening between Jade and Dist.
He tried to find it as funny as it should of been, but the Fonmaster was a heavy weight on his shoulders. What had happened to Ion, and Luke still hadn't said where he was.

Lunch seemed to go by quickly, writing furiously into journals while food was eaten and crumbs fell onto the filled pages.

[dist_the_reaper]

Dist took a hasty sip of the wine, not waiting to enjoy it before gulping it down and furiously writing a response to Jade in his journal. Out of the corner of his eye he eyed the one remaining biscuit on the table, making sure it was within reach provided he needed to throw it at his old friend.

This is STUPID, he thought with a very sudden burst of logic, but not before arguing with Peony over the last piece of cheesecake-- via the journals of course. Is this what we have been reduced to? Not even SPEAKING with eachother?

Though in the back of his mind, he knew this wasn't true- at least with Jade and Peony- they spoke PLENTY.

It was really only Dist who was out of the loop.

"I've HAD IT!" he suddenly shrilled, slamming his book down on the table enough for one of the empty wine glasses to fall over, and staring up at his two old friends defiantly. "ENOUGH! WHAT is going ON?!" His whiny, tired drawl filled the restaurant, echoing slightly off the walls. "I want to know, and I want to know NOW....I absolutely REFUSE to be kept out of these matters any further."

He leaned back in his chair, arms crossed, lips curled into an obvious pout.

[necroshmancer]

"I would also like to know what is going on..." calmly answered Jade as he looked up from his diary, his glass of wine in hand, his expression rather troubled, "Did you... actually... write that entry, Peony?"

Jade took a gulp of his wine without tasting it, before setting the long-stemmed glass down and reaching out for Peony's journal.

He was always suspicious of these journals. They were too easy, too convenient... but now he was starting to wonder what they were really capable of... and how much of what he had read on it had been the truth.

He should have known...

[peony_the_ninth]

Peony let Jade take the journal from his hands.
One moment he had been worrying about Ion and joking with Dist- The next? Everything had went crazy. Someone had written an entry under his name.
Saying things with his picture, and his diary.
Disgusting, disturbing things.

"How could you even think for a MOMENT I wrote that entry Jade?" Peony could feel a trickle of cold sweat run down his back. He had been slammed before, gossiped about, accused. But not like this, and he hoped to Lorelai no one believed whatever the crazed hacker was saying.
He temporarily ignored Dist, he didn't need Safir to see this on top of everything that was happening.

[dist_the_reaper]

Dist looked back and forth between his two friends, perplexed and annoyed the attention had been once again diverted away from him. "Hmmm? What are you two talking about NOW?" he grumbled, grabbing at his journal in defiance and reading. His eyes flashed as he read the first entry that came up, a gloved hand running over the unfamiliar words.

"...huh...and what is this?" The silver-haired man muttered under his breath, eerily calm in nature. Hesitating to speak for a moment, he finished the passage, wrinkled his nose in disgust and slammed the book shut. It hit the table softly.

"Well it's quite obvious it wasn't you, Emperor," Dist glanced over his troubled friend, matter-of-fact. He kept his arms crossed and raised an eyebrow. "Even I could tell THAT. Does it have anything to do with what's been going on?"

Dist could barely believe he was saying such...logical, calming things to the men he loved to hate. Usually they inspired anger and irrationalities he wasn't always proud of- but this, whatever it was- probably a hack of some sort, Dist thought to himself, it felt like a catalyst. A sign that maybe things could go back to the way they used to be- before all they did was cause each other problems. Before Dist had needed to chase them around to get their attention.

Whatever it was, he suddenly felt like he was part of the greater good, which had never really happened before. He wanted to relish in it. For as long as he could.

[necroshmancer]

"We need to be more careful. Obviously, these journals can't be a trusted source of information anymore." Jade's grip on Peony's diary tightened, and his knuckles visibly whitened.

"You have to be more careful, Peony. Were you able to get any information from that imposter?" The fonist's tone was even, but it had a dangerous edge to it, and, absentmindedly, he almost bent the diary in half.

This world was becoming more hostile with each passing day. And while he kept on trying to use his artes, between the strange aura of this place and the partial hold the fon slot seal still had on him, he felt that he was far from harnessing his usual power... and far from being able to protect Peony and himself.

But Dist was here... and as much as he was loathe to admit it...

"Dist, do you have any idea how this could have happened? Of all of us, you're the one who has spent the most time researching fon machines..."

[peony_the_ninth]

Peony could easily see how angry Jade was. The Emperor himself would of liked to have been furious, that would of been more comfortable than the sickening feeling in the pit of his stomach.

"I have no idea what it is, I don't even know who could of done it." Why anyone would say things that disturbing, and so against his actual beliefs- was beyond him. The person hadn't learned anything, hadn't even tried to use Peony's name to get information or make contacts. At least not that the Emperor knew of.

Had they picked him because they didn't like him, or because he was an Emperor? Both? Peony had heard of similar cutthroat tactics to decrease the morale and loyalty of citizens to their rulers, but he wasn't anywhere near Malkuth or his people.

Jade and him knew next to nothing about the diaries, but if anyone would.. Peony turned his watering blue eyes to his old friend, trying to look more sure of the situation than he felt. "Whoever it is, they can't be better at this sort of thing than you." It wasn't flattering, it was the truth. Dist had always been a genius when it came to machinery and the inner workings of technology.

[dist_the_reaper]

Dist glanced back and forth between the two men. They were both waiting on his word, watching him intently. He was needed. He couldn't remember the last time this had ever happened- in fact, he wasn't sure it had ever happened before. Especially not when Jade and Peony were concerned. He felt a sudden burst of pride as he hesitated to speak, trying to collect his thoughts. A smirk curled at the ends of his lips.

"So now it's my turn to save the day is it? I TOLD you you'd need me...I TOLD you! Hehheheh..." He let out a smug laugh, the shrill tinge to his voice echoing loudly across the room. "I, the ELEGANT Dist the Rose, will most certainly find out the savage behind the attack. But..." his eyelids lowered, expression composed of a mix of pleasure and determination. "You'll all owe me."

Dist was so unconsciously eager to prove himself he had already opened the book before the others could even answer. He was silent for a good few minutes- a new record; as he examined the entry, and the book, and the handwriting. His long, bony fingers deftly flipped through the pages with a hint of desperation, stopping at some and scrutinizing them closely.

After a very uncomfortable silence, Dist spoke. "Well, it's fairly obvious a hacking of some sort..." he stated. "But it doesn't seem to be fon technology. If it were I could easily figure out the coding and rewrite it- but it's not responding at all." Dist wondered briefly if this was because his own powers were limited on this island, but- no, there was no way...none of his efforts evoked even the smallest response.

"Whatever code this is, it's not from Aldurant..." he continued, pressing a gloved finger to his lips in frustration. "Uggggh...I wish were were back in Daath, where I KNEW what I was dealing with!" He felt a flash of anger rush through his body as he resisted throwing the book across the room. Instead, he threw it back down on the table. "I suppose the first thing we need to do is TRY and figure out which group is behind this. I don't think it's any one related to us- they'd never surpass my skill in code enough to do...this."

He turned to Peony, his expression severe. "Well, Emperor," he began coldly. "Have you made any enemies while you've been gallivanting around with the Colonel? You've got to have made some." Dist crossed his arms again, awaiting Peony's response.

[guy_fears_women]

Any other time, Guy wouldn't have stopped to look around the ground level area of the Inn; instead, he would proceed straight to his room. That is what his days seemed to consist of lately. Frankly though, he just wanted to go home and forget about all of this. But some loud, familiar voices had caught his attention, and he found himself wandering over to the table that they were coming from.

"Now, this is a strange group," he said, trying to hold in a laugh. He never thought he'd see Dist anywhere near Jade if it was of their own free will, let alone sitting at a table with him. "Mind if I take a seat?"

[necroshmancer]

"Feel free to join my nightmare, Guy." Jade motioned vaguely towards a chair, still holding Peony's diary in one hand while he moved chunks of an unidentifiable meat around on his plate with the other. "I'd love to be able to recommend today's stew but it's got a vague gamy flavour with a little hint of something that evokes rat meat in my mind. But beggars can't be choosers!"

Turning to Peony, he continued the conversation that Guy's arrival had interrupted : "As much as it pains me to admit it, Dist does have a point, if this is indeed such a foreign technology to us, the only way to find the perpetrator is to find out who you would have offended."

He opened Peony's journal and started leafing through the pages. "Any ideas?"