Café Ista : Open up your eyes and see like me~

[tempered_gold]

When you have a lost and homeless friend whose best friend-type-thing is a forty-seven foot long sparkly telepathic dragon, what is the logical thing to do?

Why, set up an outdoor café with condos above it of course!

... hey, a job's a job and a place to live is a place to live, right? And it's one that I'amer can share with his dragon friend, and

Comments

[joking]

Aurenth gave the morning call, as I'amer had requested, then stretched out across the roof once more. His hide sparkled merrily in the morning sunlight, freshly oiled and set to impress. It was a boring job, being decoration, but Aurenth didn't usually mind. Baking in the sun all day was certainly relaxing. Sometimes he missed Threadfighting, if just for the exercise and excitement, but hadn't he earned some downtime? He had the scars to prove that he had done his part. I would like to go out to fly later, I'amer. You may invite your friends.

1/2

[claymoredingly]

"How dare you -- !"

"Gabranth!"

"X-ZONE!"

A dark field of stars opens under their feet -- the rest of the world shrinks away as the hole in the universe closes around them --

and there is wind screaming past him cold and biting roaring in his ears and he can't keep his eyes closed and all he can see is nothing and

Is this it, Xemnas? Kefka? ... Xion? The nothingness you so desire?

He falls for a long, long time.

2/2

[claymoredingly]

There is no warning, no pinprick of light that grows as he falls closer to it, no change in the wind. Everything just... stops.

There is light again, sunlight, all around him and blinding. He is lying on his back, staring up at the sky, which is so brilliantly blue blue blue that it hurts to look at. He blinks once, twice, screws his eyes together for a moment, then opens them again. Blue. A small breeze drifts across his face, carrying the smells of a city in good weather.

He's alive.

... Noah...?Slowly, Saïx sits up. The world heaves around him when he stops moving and he brings his hand to his head, as if that would steady it. "Nngh..." He waits (longer than he expects) for the dizziness to pass before looking around him for Gabranth

Re: 2/2

[joking]

In utter shock, Aurenth roared and recoiled reflexively as two humans materialized on top of him. The roar was so loud that the teacups in the café clattered on their shelves, and the streets of Nicander reverberated with the sound. Once the initial wave of confusion passed, Aurenth stopped flailing and stopped to stare at the two strange men. They were covered in metal and carried weapons. This did not reassure the dragon. Who are you? Where did you come from? he demanded, settling into a wary stance in case they were dangerous.

I'amer ran out of the café and stared up at the roof. Aurenth? What in Faranth's name is going on?!

Two men with weapons fell out of the sky and landed on me!

[tenacious_stray]

Gabranth was certain they had fallen into oblivion.

The feeling was all too familiar, after all-the first biting rush of cold, then the darkness closing in on his vision, and then the absolute nothingness-

But where nothing should have been, despair and rage still clearly remained. Could this, then, truly be the oblivion he had once known, or was it rather some Hell designed to imitate it?

Considering whom he had just tried to attack... He would not put such a thing past that jester's ability, nor his inclination.

He doesn't expect it all to stop, however, and the suddenness of it jars him from his thoughts. The brightness of the blue sky burns through his visor, and a wave of dizziness suddenly overpowers him, preventing him from even trying to sit up. He's far too stunned to think properly, at least beyond the first few questions that surface in the haze of his mind: What happened? Where are we? What could have possibly- Where is-

In the same instant he recalls just what happened prior to that nothingness, he hears the roar

[joking]

The anger and desperation radiating from these men, particularly the one covered in metal, makes Aurenth wary. He relays the information to I'amer, his eyes bright yellow with worry - not that the strange men know what dragon eye colors mean.

Then the metal man's weapons are glowing strange colors, and they're pointing at him. The dragon doesn't understand. I am not a farce. I'm a dragon. He tilts his head a little, as if he can't quite believe what he's seeing. Why are you threatening me?

[claymoredingly]

Saïx can barely wrap his head around the situation. His thoughts just seem so far away, slipping from his hands before he can even grasp them. The dragon -- the blue sky -- we're alive -- and safe --

Safe, yes. Yes. He feels no threat here, despite the dragon -- least of all from the dragon, which is... talking to them in their minds. He can't think as clearly as he normally did, as clearly as he liked, and with Gabranth up in arms there is no time to try and collect himself. He'll just have to rely on instinct and though his intuition is good, he doesn't like relinquishing that level of control over himself

[tenacious_stray]

When Saïx steps in front of him, Gabranth is nearly brought back to reality-nearly. But not even the thought that Saïx has also been pulled into this illusion, nor even the sound of his name can dislodge his rage.

"Stand down," he growls, his voice shaking nearly as much as the blades in his hands. "Can you not see that... that fiend has been conjured by that jester?!"

[claymoredingly]

"He isn't," Saïx says, wondering how he knows the dragon is male. "This is no illusion. We have been," his eyes sweep over their surroundings as he speaks, making sure he is certain, "teleported, sent to another... place." Another world? Likely. Very likely. "If the dragon was belligerent, it would have attacked all ready. Please, lower your weapon."

His tone is... pleading now, though he isn't aware of it. Please. Please, calm down. This is hard enough.

I need you to be calm for me so I can think.

[tenacious_stray]

"Teleported- teleported?!"

Saïx's tone is completely lost on him, and his words only serve to fuel his rage.

"Stand down, Saïx!" Another small burst of Mist lances along the edges of his swords. "Surely you cannot believe such absurdities-or have you been drawn into this farce, as well?!" He takes a step back to point his longer sword at the dragon, and his voice only becomes more desperate as he continues to shout. "We cannot allow this illusory fiend to hold sway over us, not when she is still in danger!"

Thread-jack is a go!

[balance_seeker0]

A Dark Corridor opens up behind Gabranth and Saïx, and it closes in a flash, leaving behind a pale-skinned woman with white hair and green eyes. Those eyes drift from Gabranth's armored figure to Saïx's own black cloaked form, and a smile appears on her face. Rixan is good at connecting dots, it seems.

"Welcome to Cafè Ista, or at least the roof of it," she says, amusement in her tone. "What brings a member of Organization XIII to the Wavering World, and with a passenger in full plate?" She looks back at Gabranth, or rather, the weapons in his hands gathering Mist, and adopts a look of mild concern.

[claymoredingly]

Well, shit.

"... Riku and Raneilin are still there. Capable warriors, the both of them. Raneilin has the ability to warp reality, surely that is enough to match a god. Right now we need to calm down and think. We can't get anywhere if you will not listen to reas-"

Saïx's word cuts short as he feels the darkness move. A dark corridor has been opened somewhere below them -- A dark corridor opens right behind Gabranth, and out steps a woman. She speaks, but he takes in other details about her more than he does her words. White hair and no heart. Saïx's eyes narrow. A Nobody? Another one like-

Gabranth won't take this well, he thinks suddenly. The series of events flash in his mind's eye like snapped photographs -- Gabranth whirling and cutting down the woman, the dragon lunging forward to -- Saïx can only think of one thing to do to keep them all safe.

He whirls into motion, claymore materializing in his hands in a flash as he spins, bringing the weapon sideways at Gabranth's head, using just enough strength (hopefully) to knock him

[tenacious_stray]

"Gah-!"

That's all Gabranth can manage to utter when the claymore collides with his head, just as he was turning to see the source of the new voice. Shock flashes through his mind, followed by rage, confusion-Saïx, why would you-and an overwhelming flood of pain before he slides into unconsciousness.

[balance_seeker0]

The amused expression returns to her face upon seeing Gabranth fall over unconscious courtesy of Saïx's claymore. "Well, that is one way to diffuse a situation, though now he will have to be carried downstairs."

She looks back at Saïx, the odd smile still on her face. "Shall we head downstairs? It's far more comfortable, and there are refreshments."

[joking]

Aurenth watches the confrontation heighten as Rixan appears, then dissipate with a well-placed blow to the head. He will never understand humans, he decides. Why do they end up solving everything with violence? Violence is for hunting, and for Thread. He peers at the unconscious man with some concern, then up at Saïx. Aurenth is confused by the blue-haired man, but offers to help anyway. I can carry him downstairs if you cannot. All the metal makes him heavy.

[claymoredingly]

Gabranth falls before Saïx can ever hope to catch him. He'll be all right, his mind tells him. Physically, at least. At least he has his Cure panels with him.

He lifts his eyes from his... friend to the Nobody woman, deciding to finally address her. "And answers, I hope." Saïx glances over at the dragon and takes a moment to appraise the creature. In the end, he doesn't know what to think. "I am afraid that will be necessary." He inclines his head slightly, unsure why he feels he needs to, more than just the typical sign of thanks.

"Well," says another voice, "what do we have here?"

Saïx turns.