It's time to take a stand [Closed]

[Unnamed Mercenary]

Kage slumped slowly. He reached for the glass he had filled just prior to the bottle being taken away and drank the rest of it.

 

"What do you know about Black Mages and void sent? Because that's something I know is going to come. And I need capable people. Blades. Healers. Arcana users."

 

He would forget the glass. It was such a Frhanz thing to do. Attempt to solve the bigger issue, losing site of the equally consequential, smaller pieces. Now there was a stumbling Kage, who would continue to get worse. He may need to fix something for that later.

 

"I wouldn't trust my ability to use Black Magic at this point in my life, but I'd say I've a better working knowledge and can apply the theory better than most. I can't even begin to describe the..../amount/ of books 'he' had read. But at the same time, we're I to apply that knowledge, it would most certainly backfire. The same could be said for alchemy and the arcane. But the latter two are being worked on."

 

He gave a conceited sigh. "I lack the precision to do such things at this time. But! I do have some methods around that, despite the fact you would probably be very against them. What I lack in the ability to cast, you simply lack in the aether reserves. With the help of an alchemist to mix some things for me, I think we could have a solution for that."

 

He made a sour expression. "But why voidsent? You would have to give me more details, as there are such...... variety."

[Kage]

Kage blinked. He squinted at the man and shook his head shakily.

 

"Merc. Jin'li has a Black Mage. One who is going to use his black magic to raise an army of voidsent using the bodies of the dead. The dead. We have quite an abundance of them because of his poison."

 

Kage swayed as he slipped off the desk and slid into his chair with a grunt.

 

"So, we need to get Jin'li. Take this Miqo'te out of the picture. We can't have him running around. Especially if he's got a cerulean core."

 

He closed his eyes and muttered, "What is it with Garleans and cerulean core powered bombs anyway?"

[Unnamed Mercenary]

He muttered to himself "just she 'she' said. At least they're only 'shells'."

 

"Hells if I know about ceruleum bombs. They're easy enough to build though."

 

He sighs a bit. It seemed a certain hyuran woman was telling the truth, which made him uneasy.

 

"We need to remove Jin'li. Immediately".

 

Looking around Kage's desk for any other hidden caches of alcohol, "first though, you need some help. You're not even in a state to stand properly!" It was like a parent chastising a child. Although in this case, Merc supposed it was similar. Maybe something he shared with Frhanz.

[Kage]

Kage kept his eyes squinted. There were three of the Garlean highlanders looking at him so he knew things weren't quite as they should be.

 

He stood up, worn, heading to the cabinet that had some chilled sweet water. Pouring himself a mug, he drank all of its contents before pouring another and sipping at it. He turned, half leaning half sitting on the cabinet.

 

"You think I don't know that? Why do you think I got his sketch and description from you? From people who've seen him. He shouldn't be making it through the Gates, and if he does I want to make sure he's dead or in a gaol."

 

His hand slipped off as his tail caught the cabinet. "Oy ye can't tell me what I can or can't do! Ye not my mother! Besides... she disowned me." His ears fell flat against his head as he looked down.

 

"... If ye and me go after him, I want Natalie to come too."

[Unnamed Mercenary]

Kage was clearly drunk, this much was certain. And if he didn't get some proper rest, he'd probably be sick the next day. It wa just a gut feeling, but Merc couldn't deny it. He blamed that worry on a person who was dead.

 

"Aye, I'm not your bloody mother!" It bothered him that Kage couldn't take better care of himself. Here he was trying to keep a cool head, and he was already about to explode. "Blame it on a 'pesky echo' I happen to have then. I'm still your friend, -er, I- ...a part of me was your friend! I can most certainly tell when you're beyond your limits." A very obvious Ishgardian accent was coming out, no doubt, influenced by the echo of Frhanz.

 

The yelling may not have been a wise idea. What if Kage got a headache? In a quieter voice. "You need to get some rest. Alternatively, I can make you get rest. Understand?" The large Garlean loomed over Kage, who was bound to either break something or hurt himself in the process of stumbling. Merc reached over to stabilize him a little. The last thing either of them wanted was probably a faceplanting miqo'te.

[Kage]

Another odd look flashed in Kage's eyes at the mention of Frhanz. A choked growl escaped him as he glared at the other man. His ears twitched as he experienced a sharp pain at the yelling before he whispered.

 

"Ye wouldn't dare."

[Unnamed Mercenary]

"Have you known me to lie about my intentions? Ever?" He was doing what he could to not fall into a mindless rage. Sure, having Frhanz's life experiences helped a lot in the regard. He was a changed man, but at the core, he was still the same person. There were simply additional layers now.

 

"I think we'd both rather I not have to knock you out, and put you in a bed. So, what will it be? Get some rest and sober up, or get knocked out and wakeup with a hangover that will be a little less that what you'll have if you keep drinking?" He though of his conversation earlier with a certain hyuran women. Change was...difficult. He wanted to get past it.

 

"I've got the same intentions as Frhanz, but I lack the...delicacy." He started walking the miqo'te over to his bed. "Do us both a favor and just sleep it off before it's worse."

[Kage]

Kage turned around, shrugging the man off swiftly. He glared at him. While he stunk of the drink, his eyes were clear and burning. He finished his sweet water and hissed, a growl emanating from his form.

 

"One. Do not touch me. Two. What I do, IN MY HOUSE AND IN MY ROOM, is none, none of your business. Three. Do not touch me."

 

His nostrils flared as he continued, "Ye got one thing to do while in this house and that is you listen to what I have to say. Ye don't want the Ul'dahn authorities after you, ye help me take that fleabag."

 

He poured another mug of sweet water and growled. "Chances can only be given so many times before people get tired. An' I'm getting tired."

 

"Go do whatever you have to do. I still have a job, unlike you."

[Unnamed Mercenary]

Kage turned around, shrugging the man off swiftly. He glared at him. While he stunk of the drink, his eyes were clear and burning. He finished his sweet water and hissed, a growl emanating from his form.

 

"One. Do not touch me. Two. What I do, IN MY HOUSE AND IN MY ROOM, is none, none of your business. Three. Do not touch me."

 

His nostrils flared as he continued, "Ye got one thing to do while in this house and that is you listen to what I have to say. Ye don't want the Ul'dahn authorities after you, ye help me take that fleabag."

 

He poured another mug of sweet water and growled. "Chances can only be given so many times before people get tired. An' I'm getting tired."

 

"Go do whatever you have to do. I still have a job, unlike you."

 

He released Kage, waiting to see if the force of standing on his own two feet would topple the miqo'te over. "You've been getting tired a lot lately, hence, get some rest."

 

He looked down a bit. If Kage wasn't too drunk, he may recognize the man's face almost contorted in worry. Almost. "Tell you what, try walking from one of the room to the other and back. If you don't trip or stumble, I'll leave you be."

 

He wouldn't comment on "jobs". Just because Frhanz was dead, it didn't mean Merc got a break from finishing up his research. There were books in the middle of being edited, papers that /needed/ to be released, and a stack of pre-paid alchemy commissions he'd need to figure out how to synthesize without failing. Simply knowing the information wasn't quite enough to physically do it. Ever since "it" happened, he'd been trying to mentally process all the information. And of course, there was his "other" work. The things he couldn't talk about. Calling him....."unemployed" would be an insult. An insult he was desperately trying not to explode on. 

 

Kage needed rest. Merc needed to calm down. He closed his eyes for a moment, taking a slow, deep breath in and out a couple time to calm his nerves. "Go on, try."

[Kage]

Kage huffed, finishing the mug and slamming it onto his desk. He grabbed his sword and shield, and made a gesture with one hand, steadily, for the man to see himself out. Following him, he locked the door to his chambers before walking to the living area without tripping over something or falling.

 

Without falter, Kage made it to one of the couches and seated himself there with a raised eyebrow.

 

"The day's still young. Hurry up and leave me be. If you have things to do, do them. I ain't got time for you anymore."

[Unnamed Mercenary]

Well, if he didn't trip over himself, Merc wouldn't worry. Much.

 

As he walked out, "find some time for yourself too, while your at it. I'll leave you be since you at least appear to be sober enough to stroll."

 

He might as well get some work done. Sooner or later though, Kage's self-mistreatment would catch up to him. Hopefully at home instead of in duty.