Post by ZaCloud on Oct 20, 2005 23:50:34 GMT -5
Word Gets Around...
As Zack led Bax toward the headquarters of the Dragon's Claws, he was rattling off the workings of the company and the stern expectations of members and masters alike. “Lee’s all like, ‘You will be silenced,’ an’ stuff, ooooh, creepy eh? So I’ll hafta figure out a good way to word me recommendin’ you for this. Hope that works out ok. Oh yeah, an’ if you see a brown lady in a cape with green eyes, her name’s Raksha. She’s soooo awesome! She kicked major butt when I first saw her, she’s how I found out about this agency after all. Kinda uptight maybe, but I’m sure she has a softer side an’ some kinda interest other than fighting. Should be the case, anyway. She’s really pretty though, I like her hands. Oh and her hair’s really cool, it’s all wavy an’ curly but shiny—“
“And you spent how much time with her?” Bax wondered with a slight smirk.
“…Just that time following her to the headquarters. She’s awesome though!”
Bax silently chuckled. Once more, Zack was over-glorifying a girl he barely knew. Typical teenage crushes. He would grow out of it eventually. Whenever his mature side would better control his childish side. Although, those sides being so distinct in Zack, Bax wondered for a moment just how likely that ever was to happen…
“Here we are,” Zack announced, stopping outside of what appeared to be an abandoned tattoo parlor. “I won’t tell you about how to get all the way in ‘til I know you’re allowed, rules are rules, so just wait out here an’ I’ll come get you. Not many people around these parts. Let’s hope for the best.” He scampered in as Bax leaned against the grey brick wall, keeping a careful eye on his surroundings.
Sliding the false wall aside in the back office, Zack climbed down the rusted metal stairs and into the sub-level office, which immediately took on a more professional yet badass look, the décor a merging of punk goth and dignified majesty. Zack, once more in Azriel’s former cape, fit well into the grand scheme of things as long as he wore his serious face. He was.
After checking in with the secretary, he was let into Edos Lee’s office. The man looked up from his paperwork, scrutinizing Zack wordlessly for a while. Zack looked back into his dark eyes, his gaze stoic. Lee then chuckled in three staccato syllables. “Heh heh heh. Zack Strife, I almost didn’t recognize you without that ridiculous grin of yours. Has the business burned away your baby fat?”
Zack relaxed slightly, surprised by the man’s seemingly good mood, but still remaining in his darker bracket. “Not really; I’ve only had time to apprehend one, after all. I just feel like being serious right now.”
“That one was enough to create a stir,” Lee commented, overlapping his hands under his chin. His middle finger absently rubbed the nub of his missing ring finger on the opposite hand. “Your swift apprehension of Babybreath was noteworthy. I see that your absence after that was justified, however… Noteworthy also are your appearances in the news.”
Zack’s eyes widened and his atmosphere lightened yet tensed. “I was in the…? Oh, the cameras. I haven’t watched the news myself; tv’s so vast it’s kinda intimidating.”
Lee quirked a brow at the odd change, then sighed. “Mr. Strife, be glad that it seems your publicity lands in the good category; putting the wrong face on my company would be a grave problem. You do realize that you must keep your nose clean at all times now, correct?”
Zack blinked, and ran a finger quickly under his nose before looking at it carefully. Lee’s arms went limp and his head nearly fell onto his desk.
“Ohhh… I see. Figure o' speech. Yeah, I can’t make this place look bad, so now that I’m on the news I gotta keep from doin’ things that can be mistaken as bad. Man, this is gonna be tough. But I’ll do my best. Plus, I think that after I make enough, I’m gonna leave the area for a while to let things cool down a bit.”
Lee looked slightly relieved. “That is a good idea,” he said, “But does that imply you are heading for the Beta Continent? You would have to work heavily to have enough for that place.”
“I know,” Zack answered, becoming serious once more, “That’s why I’ve come to see if a friend of mine could also join your agency. We could share our income, and in turn for keeping the business going, both get outta the way of it after this bit of publicity we’ve gained. It can be beneficial to you, as long as we skip out in time for things not to be skewed against us.”
Edos Lee nodded slowly and thoughtfully. “Perhaps… Would this friend of yours, by any chance… be the alien of fire?”
Zack’s lips tightened against his teeth, then he nodded. “Yes. Bax Firago. The news didn’t make him look bad, did they? He’s fought against monsters that have been a threat to many.”
“I know this,” Lee concurred, “Word gets around; even if the news reports were to lie, I have my ways of knowing the truth, and I know that the actions both of you had taken were just.”
Zack managed a small smile. Thankfully, there was no mention of Prodigi/Cyrus; his appearance had changed so much that it probably wasn’t obvious that that’s who their other companion was, if such had been filmed anywhere. “You’re an honorable man, Mr. Lee. I’m glad I found out about you.”
“Now you know why I don’t just let any riffraff into my organization,” the man said quietly, nodding in acknowledgment to the praise. “As for your friend, his power is beyond doubt. I will trust you with the recommendation, Mr. Strife. I can do this because nothing can bite me in the back without me striking back tenfold. Cross me and I kill you. Nothing can be more simple than that.”
Zack, having retrieved updated documents of Red-List and lower criminals, returned to where Bax stood with a triumphant grin. “Wow, he let you in already, no interview or anything! Mr. Lee’s pretty cool after all. He’s busy now so he’ll meet you when we’ve made an arrest.” He extended the papers toward Bax. “Here’s the scum we’re free to sweep up.”
He then took on a professional air and saluted Bax. “I look forward to serving with you.”
Then he laughed and started scampering down the street. “C’mon! Let’s get lookin’!”
As Zack led Bax toward the headquarters of the Dragon's Claws, he was rattling off the workings of the company and the stern expectations of members and masters alike. “Lee’s all like, ‘You will be silenced,’ an’ stuff, ooooh, creepy eh? So I’ll hafta figure out a good way to word me recommendin’ you for this. Hope that works out ok. Oh yeah, an’ if you see a brown lady in a cape with green eyes, her name’s Raksha. She’s soooo awesome! She kicked major butt when I first saw her, she’s how I found out about this agency after all. Kinda uptight maybe, but I’m sure she has a softer side an’ some kinda interest other than fighting. Should be the case, anyway. She’s really pretty though, I like her hands. Oh and her hair’s really cool, it’s all wavy an’ curly but shiny—“
“And you spent how much time with her?” Bax wondered with a slight smirk.
“…Just that time following her to the headquarters. She’s awesome though!”
Bax silently chuckled. Once more, Zack was over-glorifying a girl he barely knew. Typical teenage crushes. He would grow out of it eventually. Whenever his mature side would better control his childish side. Although, those sides being so distinct in Zack, Bax wondered for a moment just how likely that ever was to happen…
“Here we are,” Zack announced, stopping outside of what appeared to be an abandoned tattoo parlor. “I won’t tell you about how to get all the way in ‘til I know you’re allowed, rules are rules, so just wait out here an’ I’ll come get you. Not many people around these parts. Let’s hope for the best.” He scampered in as Bax leaned against the grey brick wall, keeping a careful eye on his surroundings.
Sliding the false wall aside in the back office, Zack climbed down the rusted metal stairs and into the sub-level office, which immediately took on a more professional yet badass look, the décor a merging of punk goth and dignified majesty. Zack, once more in Azriel’s former cape, fit well into the grand scheme of things as long as he wore his serious face. He was.
After checking in with the secretary, he was let into Edos Lee’s office. The man looked up from his paperwork, scrutinizing Zack wordlessly for a while. Zack looked back into his dark eyes, his gaze stoic. Lee then chuckled in three staccato syllables. “Heh heh heh. Zack Strife, I almost didn’t recognize you without that ridiculous grin of yours. Has the business burned away your baby fat?”
Zack relaxed slightly, surprised by the man’s seemingly good mood, but still remaining in his darker bracket. “Not really; I’ve only had time to apprehend one, after all. I just feel like being serious right now.”
“That one was enough to create a stir,” Lee commented, overlapping his hands under his chin. His middle finger absently rubbed the nub of his missing ring finger on the opposite hand. “Your swift apprehension of Babybreath was noteworthy. I see that your absence after that was justified, however… Noteworthy also are your appearances in the news.”
Zack’s eyes widened and his atmosphere lightened yet tensed. “I was in the…? Oh, the cameras. I haven’t watched the news myself; tv’s so vast it’s kinda intimidating.”
Lee quirked a brow at the odd change, then sighed. “Mr. Strife, be glad that it seems your publicity lands in the good category; putting the wrong face on my company would be a grave problem. You do realize that you must keep your nose clean at all times now, correct?”
Zack blinked, and ran a finger quickly under his nose before looking at it carefully. Lee’s arms went limp and his head nearly fell onto his desk.
“Ohhh… I see. Figure o' speech. Yeah, I can’t make this place look bad, so now that I’m on the news I gotta keep from doin’ things that can be mistaken as bad. Man, this is gonna be tough. But I’ll do my best. Plus, I think that after I make enough, I’m gonna leave the area for a while to let things cool down a bit.”
Lee looked slightly relieved. “That is a good idea,” he said, “But does that imply you are heading for the Beta Continent? You would have to work heavily to have enough for that place.”
“I know,” Zack answered, becoming serious once more, “That’s why I’ve come to see if a friend of mine could also join your agency. We could share our income, and in turn for keeping the business going, both get outta the way of it after this bit of publicity we’ve gained. It can be beneficial to you, as long as we skip out in time for things not to be skewed against us.”
Edos Lee nodded slowly and thoughtfully. “Perhaps… Would this friend of yours, by any chance… be the alien of fire?”
Zack’s lips tightened against his teeth, then he nodded. “Yes. Bax Firago. The news didn’t make him look bad, did they? He’s fought against monsters that have been a threat to many.”
“I know this,” Lee concurred, “Word gets around; even if the news reports were to lie, I have my ways of knowing the truth, and I know that the actions both of you had taken were just.”
Zack managed a small smile. Thankfully, there was no mention of Prodigi/Cyrus; his appearance had changed so much that it probably wasn’t obvious that that’s who their other companion was, if such had been filmed anywhere. “You’re an honorable man, Mr. Lee. I’m glad I found out about you.”
“Now you know why I don’t just let any riffraff into my organization,” the man said quietly, nodding in acknowledgment to the praise. “As for your friend, his power is beyond doubt. I will trust you with the recommendation, Mr. Strife. I can do this because nothing can bite me in the back without me striking back tenfold. Cross me and I kill you. Nothing can be more simple than that.”
Zack, having retrieved updated documents of Red-List and lower criminals, returned to where Bax stood with a triumphant grin. “Wow, he let you in already, no interview or anything! Mr. Lee’s pretty cool after all. He’s busy now so he’ll meet you when we’ve made an arrest.” He extended the papers toward Bax. “Here’s the scum we’re free to sweep up.”
He then took on a professional air and saluted Bax. “I look forward to serving with you.”
Then he laughed and started scampering down the street. “C’mon! Let’s get lookin’!”
