Who: Diablos (as David) and Rydia of Mist.
Where: Baron City, outlying Countryside.
Why: Rydia feels she's gotta prove herself, and if that means she's gotta ally herself with a Demon Esper, so be it!
Date of log: July 30th, 2000.
Another beautiful evening in Baron. Though some of the shops have begun to close for the evening, the inn is still open for business. Mostly for its pub area. However, our tale tonight does not start there. It starts several streets over near a small watering fountain about a relative block from the castle itself.
David, though likely offered guest quarters at the castle, seems to persist in staying at the inn. So there is reason that he is abroad in the city, as opposed to lurking around the castle courtyard, besides the fact that he adores seeing these human values. He's still learning - and wait 'til he gets to Midgar. In any event, the man stands, leaning against a low wall that surrounds the fountain, looking for all the world like a dashing and handsome villainous type... The dashing and handsome bit being of his own mental thoughts about this human form thing. So for that, most people are avoiding him, and his 'winning' grin. This is probably a good thing.
Things have changed drastically for Rydia since Kefka's little announcement and subsequent hunting of Espers for MagiTek, etc. Before then, most people considered her hair color an oddity at worst, a sign of her abilities at best. Now it's taken on a new light, some looking at her suspiciously, others greedily. Kefka would pay high rewards for her, certainly, especially for her Calling powers. Still, there are enough loyal to the throne, and to the King, that such looks and thoughts are kept well hidden, or severely threatened if muttered. Rydia, for her part, is relatively unaware of such things, blissfully naive you might say. Hence, she oblviously and perhaps dangerously traipses out into the city as evening slowly falls under Night's great shroud.
Down through the square she skips, acting like a girl ten years younger by the exuberant energy in her step. She's out to find that mysterious Esper who hasn't stayed at the Castle, though he was offered sanctuary there. Sooo, she just has to go find him out here instead of in there. No guards with her, evidently Cecil hasn't thought to keep her guarded yet. That's just fine, they stifle her.
David is right there. Easy to spot really, as the moon's out and the fountain, like most of its ilk, have to be set out in a wide space so that travel is not clogged by those who stop for its waters. "Out late, aren't you?" Hi, how are you Rydia? Nice to see you. That's David for ya. His voice, if he is not immediately seen offers a note of respect underneath the casualness. Or is that just the imagination? He pushes away from the wall and steps forward, seeking to intercept Rydia's path. Hands are shoved down into his pockets (He adores those things, really) and, when his features are evident, he seen to sport a wide, wolfish grin of approval for the Caller's presence. Him? Worry that she shouldn't be out on the streets alone at this time of night? Naah. He's here after all. What more protection does she need if she doesn't see fit to include it herself. (Yes, David's ego has been a little... out of control, hasn't it?)
Skidding to a halt, Rydia beams, delighted to have found the mysterios David so easily. Though at the mention of being out late, she does look a little sheepish, in a coy sort of manner. Griding her toe in the dirt, she tilts her head to the side and her eyes looks skyward as she clasps her hands behind her back. "Wellllllll... kinda. But I'm not a little girl anymore, no matter what Cecil says." Not 'his majesty' or 'the king' just Cecil. "Besides, you're out late too, right?" See, just try turning the tables around. It works in her logic.
Well good. Cecil. David goes for Cecil too. Why? Because. "No, you're not. But that's not what'll stop the bad guys from coming after you." he points out. Well... he's gotta point. He shrugs away the subject with a brief lift of his shoulders, "Me? Last person that messed with me at night regretted it. It's almost an affinity thing, with me." Of course, David doesn't make any better an impression on people that would attempt to take advantage on him in the daytime, but he's not going to brag about that. Finally, the man... esper, rather, chuckles, "Well, I won't tell on you. If you let me know what you're out here for, hmm?"
Rydia wrinkles her nose and folds her arms over her chest, definately doing her best to look all big and bad for a moment. She fails, utterly, looking cute more then anything. Definately not something that'd scare off someone wanting to make a nice trophy out of her. "I came here looking for you, actually. How come you don't stay at the castle? Another does... um, Omar yeah, he does. It's easier to find you there you know." Tell on her! Hah! It's not as if she's eight anymore.
David cants his head to the side, watching the girl from an angled view. "Yeah? Well, I don't see why I should bug their majesties with my presence." Gotta hand it to him, as he manages to hold back a snicker at the cute expression of intimidation. "I'm not here to freeload. Just looking into a few things before I move on." He nods his head once. Then, adding, "So, what did you need me for?" his hands come out of the pockets, crossing over his chest, "Got some kind of request?" Could be either or. Usually his experience it's the latter. But he's feeling generous tonight and allows the concession for the possibility of the former.
"I wanna go with you," Rydia says, that's her request. She knows already that Cecil's not keen on it, and if Edge finds out he'll -insist- on going, but dangit, she's got in her head that she isn't a little girl and she should be able to do these things with getting a 'by your leave' from anyone. The Caller discovers teenage rebellion. She's somewhat expecting to be turned down, and by the eager look on her face, is planning on arguing it too.
David does indeed, for a moment, show innate skepticism. "Uh-huh. Just how far do you want to travel with me? To Figaro? I have no problem. You might have a problem with what lies beyond that, though." He shrugs. There is no skepticism that she can't take care of herself. More like 'are you really sure you wanna go where I'm going'? Hell, who's he to tell a human where to go and where not? S'not like he understands teenagers and family values. He studies the caller for a moment with one eye - the other is closed as if in effort to focus his observations.
Rydia is quite determined and beyond that, curious. She's seen Baron, she's seen the lands that surrounded it, she's seen a lot, really, but she hasn't seen anything other then Vector, briefly. And while she was ill no doubt. "I want to go to Midgar. What can I do here? Except let the men put me on a pedestal and worship me." Oh, irony from her. So she's not quite as naive as she looks... or is she. "I'm not weak. I can use weaponry. I have magic skills to aid me." Most of that's true, except she neglects to mention a weak consitution. She's put a lot of thought into this, and there's a need there, a need to prove that she's more then Eblan's 'Future Princess' or Cecil's little Caller.
David chuckles softly, "And so, how much would my hide be worth if I were to steal you away with me to Midgar?" he raises a finger and holds it in the air to make a point, "Don't tell me we'll be able to get away with getting permission for this little venture from... the 'men', as you call 'em. Or Rosa for that matter." He's either humoring the young girl or taking her seriously. As his tone is usually casual, it's probably hard to say. His chuckle turns into a bark of laughter, "At least in Midgar you'd fit in with the hair color." Yeah, what's so big about a girl with green hair... in a city that sports colors like Electric purple, hot pink and brillant red? Sure, /they're/ dyed, but.....
.... No one has to know Rydia's is natural. She looks downward at the question regarding her and theft and off to Midgar, eyes searching the ground for the answer her mind can't quite come up with. There's -no- way they'd let her go, any of them, not even Rosa and she's supposed to be an ally! Not without lots of guards or Edge... and though she loves him dearly, he can be so overbearingly stifling and overprotective at times. "It's my choice, you're not stealing me anywhere." Her nose wrinkles again, stubbornness filling her gaze. She does touch her hair though at the laughter, "Oh? You mean they have lots of green haired people in Midgar?" Ah, her naivete returns.
David seems to be considering, "Not so much born with it." he answers. Running a clawlike fingernail against the edge of his teeth shown by a constant state of grinning. "Ah, why the hell not." he jerks his head slightly, indicating the town gates, "Me and Cecil might be going to Figaro, then back here... if you can get to the town gates 'fore anyone catches you the night after that, then you can travel with me." Something naggingly tells him at the back of his mind that Phoenix will not approve. But then... she didn't exactly approve of finding Alex and 'Dave' having a few at a local Balamb pub. "The other thing you've gotta promise is to follow my lead when I say so. Not 'cause I don't think you can handle yourself." he makes sure his attention is completely focused on the girl to mark his words, "But because Midgar's not the place to plunge into without knowing some stuff about it. Make sense?"
Look, the Esper asking the Caller to obey. Isn't that a switcharoo.
"Ok," the Caller chirps. She doesn't have a problem with this, no, in fact it's what she wanted. She's never been to Midgar before, so that means she'll have to watch he step and let David be a guide. Nothing wrong with that. She doesn't think of Phoenix, actually, but no she probably wouldn't approve. Heck, neither would Cecil and the rest. Edge would probably go ballistic, but Rydia's not thinking about that. No, she's beaming at the opportunity to go, an opportunity no one else will let her have. Well, that was easy.
What David's not saying is that he hasn't been there either. At least, not in his physical form. Ahemahem. "Well. Now that it's settled..." David trails off, his gaze idly scanning the area. No particular reason, and finally they return to the Caller. "By the way. You were wondering about my real name, right?" Of course it couldn't be David. Though that would almost be amusing in itself.
Rydia glances around, looking for anyone else who might be within earshot. After all, you don't just talk about Espers or their real identities right now. Not with Kefka posing such a danger and greedy bastages being all over the place. Leaning in a little, she nods enthusiastically, ever curious as to David's real identity. "Yeah..." she whispers, "But maybe it's not so good to say it out here?"
Not a mite. "Where then? If you give me a big enough space, I can show you, too." A challenge? The grin that follows seems to make it something like that. Or is David preparing for the eventual time that, if Rydia does come with him, she might have to /see/? Caller or not, it's always good to know what to expect isn't it? Especially in a tight enough situation that would make Dave take on his true form.
Um... now that's a decent question. Rydia only knows Baron so well, and the castle is -full- of guards. Guards who might not know what to think if they suddenly saw an esper 'vamp' out, so to speak. She looks thoughtful for a long moment, going through numerous ideas in her head and subsequently tossing them into the trash bin. "Um... outside the city gates maybe?"
What? Out there? At NIGHT? Where all the boggles and ghouls and ghosts and demon.... oh. Wait. "Sure kid. That works." The 'kid' just kinda slipped in there for a moment. He'll watch it in the future. Promise. Maybe. He swivels around, facing the gates and heading on in that direction without another word about matters. A guy to do things rather than talk about 'em. "Come on." Almost swear that he's enjoying himself a bit too much. o.-
Kid! Hrmph. Rydia looks like she's gonna protest that, but hey, David's moving too fast, better keep up. She scurries forward till she catches up and then just tries to match his pace. She's little though, shorter legs having to work a wee bit harder to keep up. But, she doesn't complain, oh no.
Once outside the city gates, David takes a stroll down the main path. And yes, he did modify his pace gradully, so that it wasn't so hard for the kid (oops! Slipped again!) to keep up. Then, off the path and into the woods a bit of a ways. No, don't ask him where he's going. He doesn't know he's just... looking. And finally, finds what he needs. A wide space, a clearing, open enough to allow both moonlight to shine down, and Rydia to stand in the open even when David is fully manifest as himself. "Let's see now..." he mutters underneath his breath, brushing twigs out of his hair and idly looking around. How'd that transforming thing go again?
Not really noticing the pace change, Rydia is silent the entire trip out there. It's awful dark out here, and the forests tend to make -scary- noises this late at night, but hey, she's with David so it's ok, right? Course, anything comes at her she'll just fry or freeze it. She stands back from the center of the clearing, bathed in the moonlight that gleams over her hair, giving it a silver-green glow.
Yup! And Diablos would stomp on the pieces of what was left of the toasty or frozen thingie. But, since nothing really bothers the two, here they are. Oh yeah! A little nudge here, a twist there... "My name is Diablos." he says quite calmly. And, in a sudden explosion of sound.... of dry leather wings expanding and snapping into being, of David's human features rapidly disappearing underneath the black, boney structure of a demon... Crimson, black... A long whipping tail. To coin an anaology, the transformation was like watching a parachute catch the wind and snap open after being released from a backpack. 'David'... the Esper, doesn't seem used to the change between human and esper form, if the careless rapidity is any indication.
Ever danced with the devil in the pale moonlight...?
Rydia's eyes widen at the sudden transformation, but it's more out of rapt fascination and awe rather then outright fear. Having seen creatures far more deformed or hideous while spending her time in the Esper's realm, this isn't so much surprising as just new to her. She -doesn't- recognize Diablos' form. How exciting! A new Esper she's gotten to know!
"Wow..." she finally exclaims in a breathy voice.
It's as if he hovers for a moment. Leathery wings spread out to their full extent, his body the very image of a creature stretching after a long nap. He's tall, but that's fairly normal for the race - ten or twelve feet. His eyes open, seeking Rydia's presence, and finally nodding in approval after a moment's observation. Good girl. Feet touch the ground, and the esper crouches, perchlike, to be on level with the Caller. It is not kneeling, per se or any sign of obesciance. A courtesy however, it is. There's not many that Diablos would do even this much for. "I haven slept for many centuries." his voice is deeper, almost harsh but clear of growl or snarl one would expect from such a being. "So I missed your time, Caller Rydia. If I were even a part of it."
"I don't remember you, Diablos," she uses his true name now, David being forgotten as she cranes her neck upwards to look at the Esper's features, study them, get used to them. "But there are many who've appeared since the Convergences... ones I never knew existed. It is an honor to meet your true form." A slight breeze wafts through her silver bathed hair, drawing it over her shoulders. There are very few who could stand here so calmly in front of such a sight, but Rydia is far from typical. Well, no worries on her part now for Midgar. She -can- take care of herself, but this... well, let's just say she's extremely impressed by Diablos' true form.
A deep chuckle escapes the demonic esper. "You are more courteous than most of the humans I have dealt with." Of course, he does mean most of the teenagers, of which Garden has a bountiful plenty of. He adds, "Thank you. I am glad for the opportunity to show it." Though much of what was 'David' is gone, the Diablos' tone still holds a note of amusement. For his situation, mostly. "What made you choose the path of a Caller?" he asks abruptly, as if it were something that has been nagging as a question in the back of his mind. The wings fold and curve around the esper's body, but remain loose, a semi dome around his own torso.
The question momentarily confuses Rydia. What, you get a choice? She had never really considered it, to be honest. She had simply come to accept it for as early as her memories ran, she was told she would become a Caller. She had the 'gift' or whatever they meant by that. "I didn't choose... I just became." Cryptic, but it's the best she can come up with at the moment. As an afterthought, she adds, "My mother was a Caller. My Grandmother was a Caller."
"Ah, family tradition." Diablos seems to approve of it, to an extent. "I have never met a Caller before." he admits finally. "Though I have heard stories from the others who pledged themselves to answer a summons." The words seem to trigger another thoughtful once over of the young girl before him. "This world is providing too many opportunities to stay in once place. One duty." Oddly enough the grin that flashes across Diablos' features almost seems little removed from a few of the more intense ones while he was David.
"Oh, you should have seen Mist!" Rydia declares proudly, somewhat wistfully. "We were a village dedicated to the bond between the Esper world and this world. But... that was a long time ago..." she trails off a moment, eyes focusing now on the ground. However, she's distracted enough by the Esper's next statement. "Before Cecil, I'd never left Mist. But... I guess till we go to Midgar, I have kinda been stuck here awhile."
There is a slight tilt of Diablos' head, eyes speculative for a moment. But the sorrow the esper senses in regard to Mist is left unremarked upon. "In part, Balamb Garden shares the same bond." He notes. Perhaps a suggestion that Rydia sometime visit it. But. "Then I will show you the world. Or as much of it as I can before we get caught." A certain wry humor colors his tone.
Caught, eh? Like some teenager sick of her parents who sneaks out the window in the middle of the night to run off with some dashing rogue to the bright lights of Midgar! My, what a script! "Balamb Garden? Where is this garden?" She, of course, has no idea it's some sort of training ground for turning kids into mercenaries. It sounds like some sort of pleasant oasis, a vacation spot or something.
"Right now, it's hiding." Diablos answers, "But, I'll keep an ear out and let you know when it's safe to go." That, he promises. The demon shifts, and stands again. "You'd better get back to Baron before you're missed." he notes. Him? Well, he leaves the matter of his return unspoken for the moment.
Oh. Well, it -is- getting sorta late. The Caller glances around herself at the night enshrouded area and bites her lip. Yeah, if anyone went looking for her at the Castle and discovered her gone, it'd cause a stir, especially in these times. "Yeah... I better." Then, she beams up at the Esper Demon, clasping her hands in front of her. "Thank you." That said, she starts jogging out of the clearing, into the woods, and past that toward the gate. Nothing bothers her, thankfully.
Diablos will be back... as David anyway. Some sleep, and a few hours at working his way back to the human form, and he'll be following Rydia into the town, as spry, sardonic, and David as ever