Application for Zalbag Beoulve, Final Fantasy Tactics

[zombag]

"Urgh

Comments

[chance_silvey]

"Daravon? That's a painkiller, isn't it?" Chance thinks she remembers one of Deacon's migraine meds having a name like that. "Never heard of Glabados, though." A junkie from the Society for Creative Anachronism? Well, couldn't be the weirdest thing Chance has seen in the Sorting Room. Or at Hogwarts, period. Playing spin the bottle with Tako the octopus will probably continue to take the blue ribbon there for quite some time.

[zombag]

"Unless the old man is testing his spells out on himself again, no," Zalbag said, shaking his head. "Though I take it you're thinking about something else, Ms...?"

[chance_silvey]

"Chance Silvey." She shrugs. Introvert that she is, she's never been good at the formal introductions thing. "Yeah, I'm thinking of a drug for pain. An analgesic. Not a person. People generally cause pain more often than they kill it," she adds dryly. "So. How'd you end up at Hogwarts? Or is it time for the 'You are in a magic school in Scotland, this is all real, welcome to the twilight zone' speech?"

[zombag]

Zalbag blinked. "Hogwarts...?" he asked, glancing around. So, the castle was actually a magic school called Hogwarts... now that he thought about it, it did bear somewhat of an uncanny resemblance to Gariland's academy.

Zalbag looked back at Chance. "Perhaps you could fill me in on what's going on, then?" he asked her in a somewhat more serious tone. "You seem to know what's going on here."

[margrat]

((Hi! Just quick clarification - at some point Wiegraf says that Zalbag probably knew about the whole hire-Gustav-to-kidnap-the-Marquis business, but does he in this case? I can go either way))

Gustav wandered into the Sorting Room in quite a good mood. He'd discarded the filthy clothes he'd arrived in, and now he wore a set of sweats which were... well, fairly dirty, but more out of neglect than anything else.

He stopped short at the sight of the new applicant. "God," he breathed, and almost ran, but he was sure Zalbag had already seen him as well (Gustav failed to consider the possibility that the commander of the Hokuten might not recognize him right off), and now the castle - though undeniably extensive - didn't seem nearly large enough to keep running. Might as well have it done with now.

Could be worse, he told himself. Could be much worse... but right now, this seemed quite bad enough.

[zombag]

((Hmm... tough choice. I'd say that he was aware of the plot regarding Elmdor, since the game really hints towards it in that chapter. Hope that helps.))

"Hmm?" Zalbag saw a flurry of movement in the corner of his eye. Turning slightly to get a better look, he saw that a scraggly-looking man, about his age and dressed in dirty sweats which looked like a Marlboro vomited on them, had wandered it.

Zalbag sensed some familiarity with the man, but shrugged it off. Perhaps this man is here to tell him what's going on? He waved to get his attention.

"Excuse me," Zalbag called out, "Could I ask you something?"

[margrat]

((Okay. So for now I'm going with Zalbag knowing, but Gustav not knowing he knows. Random chatter - I blinked for a moment at the age guess, but then I realized that Gustav's thirty-five at game start and Zalbag usually ends up around there, at least on my runthroughs, so... well. You paid more attention to that little detail than I would've))

That... seemed like a good sign (he again failed to recognize the lack of recognition).

Gustav gingerly essayed a salute that was meant to be carried out with a sword. He'd left his sword back in Gryffindor, so his hand was empty as he sketched out the rough motions. "Hello there, Sir Beoulve."

Was it him, or did Zalbag look a chunk older? Had the Death Corps managed to aggravate him that much where the war hadn't?

[zombag]

((o_o I... actually didn't think about the age thing at the time I wrote that. Hurray for blunders?))
"Ah, a fellow knight from the hokuten. God be with you," Zalbag said, returning the man's clumsy salute with his own. He cheered at the recognition - he had almost given up on finding anything resembling "normality" here - but he still couldn't get rid of that nagging feeling in the back of his head. Where had he seen this man before...?

He shook his head. Enough of this, now for information. "By any chance do you know what's going on here?" he asked, scratching the back of his head.

[insane_mil_cmdr]

"Undefeated against whom?" Crais asked. "The caliber of your enemies says as much about your prowess as your results. After all, any warrior with a weapon and a little skill can stand undefeated against, say, an unarmed civilian rabble."

[zombag]

"Point taken," Zalbag said, smiling at the man before him. "However, if you must ask, I'd like to believe that I've fought enough men on the battlefield to have proven myself long ago. How about you, yourself?"

[insane_mil_cmdr]

"Oh, I also," he answered, "though I was long since promoted off the battlefield and into command-level positions. I am out of military service now, however. You?"

[zombag]

"General. Or, at least, I used to be," Zalbag said, shrugging. "It's a bit of a long story, but let's just say that something... unexpected came up."

[mischief_fred]

"Wow." Fred sounded fairly impressed. "Just a flip of a coin, huh? Well, you definitely get credit for going for a quick and easy solution to Harry's dilemma. Most people think he should be with whoever loves him more, or they go on about how marriage is rubbish." He grinned. "So...just like that, Harry and I, huh?"

The application question was so ridiculous that Fred had taken to having a bit of fun with it.

[zombag]

"Hmm? Ah, so you're the elusive Fred," Zalbag said, his voice filled with amusement. "I apoligise if I came across as a bit too... casual with my response, but you know how it is when it comes to these matters. One person, torn between two lovers whom he has expressed equal affection. Best just flip on it and get the decision over with."

[mischief_fred]

"Oh, yes, of course," George replied, nodding gravely, although the look on his face was anything but serious. "Although I think I'd look for other criteria before leaving my decision up to chance like that. I mean, if I were Harry, the young stud, eligible bachelor, et cetera, I'd want to know who snores the loudest. Whose morning breath is the worst. And, most important of all, who's got the most drastic digestive problems. Say what you want about love, but when it comes to gas, I'd rather be with someone who will leave my olfactory glands untainted."

All this coming from a guy who had spent inordinate amounts of time working out just how to make a Dungbomb smell like feet.

[zombag]

"You have a good point there, I'll admit. Spending a lifetime with someone like that would be the last thing I'd like to do," Zalbag conceded, straining to hold back laughter. "Though, now that I think about it, I think I knew of a knight who had a wife like that. He'd joke that we could end the war by feeding her some beans and sending her out to the battlefield."

[ugly_old_hat]

"What sort of a warrior are you? A warrior for love, perhaps?" Ah, the Hat. Such a romantic.

[zombag]

"Hmm, what an interesting thing to ask," Zalbag mused, glancing at the... talking hat, was it? This must be what Chance was talking about. Better stay on his good side, if what she said was true.

"I view myself a warrior of justice above anything else," Zalbag said with a slight bow. "To me, a soldier's loyalty, above all else, lies with the law and those whom he cares for. Though," he paused for a rueful chuckle, "now that I think on it, that isn't too dissimilar from love, now, is it?"

[ugly_old_hat]

"Minus the bumping of special parts," the Hat replied jauntily. "Even hats have them, too, you know!" Lack of visible genitals had never stopped the Hat from finding pleasure.

"And what sort of justice do you intend to pursue here?" it continued. "Ensuring equal rights for hats, perhaps? We're terribly discriminated against, you know. Bloody do-rags."

[zombag]

((Oh God, Homestar Runner reference FTW XD.))

Zalbag laughed. "I wasn't aware there was discrimination against hats," Zalbag said, his voice brimming with mirth. Any and all nervousness in him had dissipated completely. "However, it sounds quite dreadful if there is such a thing. Why not? I'll do what I can."