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Team Malkuth
Fandom: Tales of the Abyss
Rating: PG-13 for mild violence?
Characters: Guy Cecil, Jade Curtiss, Peony Upala Malkuth IX
Summary: Assassination attempts! Exciting?
"...And that's the situation in Daath." Guy concluded, arms crossed as he leaned his hip against the balcony railing. Peony sat lounging in a chair, watching him give his report, one of the rappigs snuggled in his lap, the others wandering around at play in the garden around them.
"Sounds pretty gloomy." Peony commented, stroking the rappig's ears--that one was Aslan, Guy was pretty sure. "What a downer."
"As Your Majesty has so eloquently summed up the situation, how would you like to proceed?" The clink of Jade's teacup in the saucer signaled the Colonel joining the conversation. "At the moment I see several options before us. Of course we could declare martial law and detain any suspicious persons immediately at the borders and in the towns. Under military jurisdiction the trial and execution precedings would hardly take any time at all."
"That's a pretty extreme method, man." Peony tweaked Aslan's ears, leaning back and giving Jade a level smile. "It's a good thing I don't have advisers bloodthirsty enough to consider that for real, isn't it?"
Jade sighed, adjusting his glasses. He didn't look particularly surprised by the rejection of the idea. "Of course not. That leaves us with increased border security and sending a diplomatic contingent to Yulia City to offer our support. Of course increasing our eyes in Daath will be important, and it would be wise to ensure our communication with Kimlasca is as transparent and open as possible in these times."
Peony nodded, leaning his chin in his hand, expression serious as he listened to Jade's suggestions. It was clear he was already considering the same. "I'll write old man Teodoro a letter, maybe he can loan me his granddaughter for a while. If she's not too busy already."
Guy leaned back and looked up at the distant walls around them, half listening to Jade and Peony discuss the best way to prepare for what was coming. Rumors of an extremist Score faction opposing the Reformist Order had been growing for the last six months. In addition to preaching the absolute adherence to the Score, the faction was apparently blaming the replicas for the energy crisis. Rumors had turned to reports of activity and increased instances of violence, and Guy had been sent to Daath to scout the situation with his own eyes. What he'd found hadn't been good. Talking to Anise hadn't left him feeling very happy about the situation, and poking around on his own had sent him back to Grand Chokmah to report in person five days earlier than he'd planned. Something major was moving, and Daath was being swept away in it. The only reason he'd left Anise alone there was because she'd promised to come to Baticul or Grand Chokmah with what she knew if it looked like someone was igniting the powder keg. And because it was Anise.
He knew where he was headed next, this afternoon by preference, but he'd wanted to report to Peony first. As soon as the Emperor and Jade were informed and decided, Guy was ready to go. He'd stop by Sheridan and borrow the Albiore II on his way, if Natalia hadn't gotten to Noelle first. It'd make things faster, and right now he had a feeling time wasn't on their side. If anyone could help him get into places he wasn't supposed to go, it'd be the Dark Wings, and right now he wanted an in on the faction.
He watched one of the servants walk towards them, carrying a tray of refreshments. He shifted a little, and Jade looked up, stopped speaking. Peony switched his train of thought smoothly from military deployment to the way Saphir was always trailing after Cute Jade. It wasn't that the servants weren't trusted, for the most part, but as Guy knew rather well, servants gossiped.
"Of course my Cute Jade is pretty adorable, how protective he is." Peony was saying, as the uncute Jade sighed in a long suffering manner and picked up his tea cup again. The cup stopped halfway to his lips though, his eyes narrowing momentarily before he rose abruptly. The crash of the servant's tray accompanied the action. Jade's movement had Guy reaching for his sword before he even registered it consciously, head whipping up to look for the threat.
"Guy, detain him." Guy was vaulting over the railing before Jade finished, grabbing the servant roughly and tossing him to the ground, eyes scanning for some kind of weapon or something, but he guy was empty handed. And hot to the touch? Something was seriously wrong, the man was starting to cry out and though Guy wasn't exactly being gentle he knew he wasn't that rough.
"Knock him out. Now." Jade's command rang out harsh and low, and Guy obeyed, confused but without questioning. A careful blow to the back of the head--if he damaged the man he didn't really care too much, but they needed him for information. As soon as the body went limp beneath him Guy got to his feet and flipped the man over onto his back, looking back over at the balcony where Jade was standing between Peony and the rest of the garden, his halberd in hand, and his eyes scanning the walls for anyone else.
Peony watched the two of them quietly, still petting Aslan. "Is that all they sent this time? Man, I feel a little insulted. It's like they weren't even trying." His voice was steady.
"On the contrary, Your Majesty. Guy, if you would be so kind as to bring him over here." Jade adjusted his glasses, eyes still on the rest of the garden for potential threats as Guy hefted the man over his shoulder and brought him over, turning when Jade motioned for him to, so Jade could lift the man's head from where it dangled over Guy's shoulder.
"If Your Majesty will observe the slight discoloration around the mouth and nostrils, and the blackening around his fingernails... He was quite close to detonating. I'd say at the power of the arte it would have easily taken us out, even at that distance."
"Are you saying this man is a fonic bomb?" Guy jerked his head to look over his shoulder in surprise, eyes wide as he watched Jade consider the unconscious man.
"Indeed. You rendering him unconscious has delayed his detonation, but I believe he will explode rather soon. Of course we can kill him now and avoid any unpleasant property damage. It's clear he was quite prepared to die today as it was."
"I'm glad you're joking and I'm not hearing you suggest we murder an unconscious man." Peony commented dryly. "Especially when we haven't had a chance to ask him a few questions."
"Your Majesty is always so in tune with my sense of humor. It flatters me."
"Um, guys? I'm holding a bomb here, can we decide what to do with it?" Guy interjected.
"It." Jade's smile was sinister. "Can be put down right here. I'll remove the arte, though I dare say it will be excruciatingly painful. But he'll be quite alive and able to answer questions. Whenever he stops screaming."
Guy dumped his burden where Jade indicated, hopping back up to the balcony and taking Jade's place in front of Peony as Jade stepped forward to work his magic on the would-be assassin. He rested his hand lightly on the hilt of his sword, eyes alert as he scanned the grounds--if the man had back up in case of failure, it would be embarrassing to be caught off-guard a second time.
A moment later the assassin began to scream, a hoarse, ear-shattering howl of pure pain. He clawed at the ground, back arching and Guy could hear the vocal cords tearing in his voice, before the assassin's body went limp and lax.
"Well now." Jade's voice was highly cheerful as he stood, pushing his glasses up as he spoke. "I imagine when he wakes up again he'll have all kinds of interesting things to tell us." He looked across the garden at the guards pouring out of the doors, rushing into the garden, brought out by the blood-curdling scream. "Do have fun explaining to the guard how they nearly let His Majesty be assassinated today, Gailardia."
"Me?" Guy glanced from Jade to Peony and heaved a frustrated sigh as he hopped the balcony again. He stopped next to Jade for a moment, glancing over at the man. "Just send word on about what you find, alright?"
Jade smiled with worrying cheerfulness. "If it crosses my mind. Have a safe trip to Sheridan when you're done cheering up the guards, won't you?"
"Bring that cute pilot home with you, while you're at it. I really like her style." Peony commented.
Guy heaved a sigh, shook his head and shrugged as if to say what can I do with theseidiots clowns? and trotted off to meet the guards rushing towards them, composing his features into the nastiest pleasant smile he knew. Allowing an assassin in like--no, he wasn't letting them off lightly.
Rating: PG-13 for mild violence?
Characters: Guy Cecil, Jade Curtiss, Peony Upala Malkuth IX
Summary: Assassination attempts! Exciting?
"...And that's the situation in Daath." Guy concluded, arms crossed as he leaned his hip against the balcony railing. Peony sat lounging in a chair, watching him give his report, one of the rappigs snuggled in his lap, the others wandering around at play in the garden around them.
"Sounds pretty gloomy." Peony commented, stroking the rappig's ears--that one was Aslan, Guy was pretty sure. "What a downer."
"As Your Majesty has so eloquently summed up the situation, how would you like to proceed?" The clink of Jade's teacup in the saucer signaled the Colonel joining the conversation. "At the moment I see several options before us. Of course we could declare martial law and detain any suspicious persons immediately at the borders and in the towns. Under military jurisdiction the trial and execution precedings would hardly take any time at all."
"That's a pretty extreme method, man." Peony tweaked Aslan's ears, leaning back and giving Jade a level smile. "It's a good thing I don't have advisers bloodthirsty enough to consider that for real, isn't it?"
Jade sighed, adjusting his glasses. He didn't look particularly surprised by the rejection of the idea. "Of course not. That leaves us with increased border security and sending a diplomatic contingent to Yulia City to offer our support. Of course increasing our eyes in Daath will be important, and it would be wise to ensure our communication with Kimlasca is as transparent and open as possible in these times."
Peony nodded, leaning his chin in his hand, expression serious as he listened to Jade's suggestions. It was clear he was already considering the same. "I'll write old man Teodoro a letter, maybe he can loan me his granddaughter for a while. If she's not too busy already."
Guy leaned back and looked up at the distant walls around them, half listening to Jade and Peony discuss the best way to prepare for what was coming. Rumors of an extremist Score faction opposing the Reformist Order had been growing for the last six months. In addition to preaching the absolute adherence to the Score, the faction was apparently blaming the replicas for the energy crisis. Rumors had turned to reports of activity and increased instances of violence, and Guy had been sent to Daath to scout the situation with his own eyes. What he'd found hadn't been good. Talking to Anise hadn't left him feeling very happy about the situation, and poking around on his own had sent him back to Grand Chokmah to report in person five days earlier than he'd planned. Something major was moving, and Daath was being swept away in it. The only reason he'd left Anise alone there was because she'd promised to come to Baticul or Grand Chokmah with what she knew if it looked like someone was igniting the powder keg. And because it was Anise.
He knew where he was headed next, this afternoon by preference, but he'd wanted to report to Peony first. As soon as the Emperor and Jade were informed and decided, Guy was ready to go. He'd stop by Sheridan and borrow the Albiore II on his way, if Natalia hadn't gotten to Noelle first. It'd make things faster, and right now he had a feeling time wasn't on their side. If anyone could help him get into places he wasn't supposed to go, it'd be the Dark Wings, and right now he wanted an in on the faction.
He watched one of the servants walk towards them, carrying a tray of refreshments. He shifted a little, and Jade looked up, stopped speaking. Peony switched his train of thought smoothly from military deployment to the way Saphir was always trailing after Cute Jade. It wasn't that the servants weren't trusted, for the most part, but as Guy knew rather well, servants gossiped.
"Of course my Cute Jade is pretty adorable, how protective he is." Peony was saying, as the uncute Jade sighed in a long suffering manner and picked up his tea cup again. The cup stopped halfway to his lips though, his eyes narrowing momentarily before he rose abruptly. The crash of the servant's tray accompanied the action. Jade's movement had Guy reaching for his sword before he even registered it consciously, head whipping up to look for the threat.
"Guy, detain him." Guy was vaulting over the railing before Jade finished, grabbing the servant roughly and tossing him to the ground, eyes scanning for some kind of weapon or something, but he guy was empty handed. And hot to the touch? Something was seriously wrong, the man was starting to cry out and though Guy wasn't exactly being gentle he knew he wasn't that rough.
"Knock him out. Now." Jade's command rang out harsh and low, and Guy obeyed, confused but without questioning. A careful blow to the back of the head--if he damaged the man he didn't really care too much, but they needed him for information. As soon as the body went limp beneath him Guy got to his feet and flipped the man over onto his back, looking back over at the balcony where Jade was standing between Peony and the rest of the garden, his halberd in hand, and his eyes scanning the walls for anyone else.
Peony watched the two of them quietly, still petting Aslan. "Is that all they sent this time? Man, I feel a little insulted. It's like they weren't even trying." His voice was steady.
"On the contrary, Your Majesty. Guy, if you would be so kind as to bring him over here." Jade adjusted his glasses, eyes still on the rest of the garden for potential threats as Guy hefted the man over his shoulder and brought him over, turning when Jade motioned for him to, so Jade could lift the man's head from where it dangled over Guy's shoulder.
"If Your Majesty will observe the slight discoloration around the mouth and nostrils, and the blackening around his fingernails... He was quite close to detonating. I'd say at the power of the arte it would have easily taken us out, even at that distance."
"Are you saying this man is a fonic bomb?" Guy jerked his head to look over his shoulder in surprise, eyes wide as he watched Jade consider the unconscious man.
"Indeed. You rendering him unconscious has delayed his detonation, but I believe he will explode rather soon. Of course we can kill him now and avoid any unpleasant property damage. It's clear he was quite prepared to die today as it was."
"I'm glad you're joking and I'm not hearing you suggest we murder an unconscious man." Peony commented dryly. "Especially when we haven't had a chance to ask him a few questions."
"Your Majesty is always so in tune with my sense of humor. It flatters me."
"Um, guys? I'm holding a bomb here, can we decide what to do with it?" Guy interjected.
"It." Jade's smile was sinister. "Can be put down right here. I'll remove the arte, though I dare say it will be excruciatingly painful. But he'll be quite alive and able to answer questions. Whenever he stops screaming."
Guy dumped his burden where Jade indicated, hopping back up to the balcony and taking Jade's place in front of Peony as Jade stepped forward to work his magic on the would-be assassin. He rested his hand lightly on the hilt of his sword, eyes alert as he scanned the grounds--if the man had back up in case of failure, it would be embarrassing to be caught off-guard a second time.
A moment later the assassin began to scream, a hoarse, ear-shattering howl of pure pain. He clawed at the ground, back arching and Guy could hear the vocal cords tearing in his voice, before the assassin's body went limp and lax.
"Well now." Jade's voice was highly cheerful as he stood, pushing his glasses up as he spoke. "I imagine when he wakes up again he'll have all kinds of interesting things to tell us." He looked across the garden at the guards pouring out of the doors, rushing into the garden, brought out by the blood-curdling scream. "Do have fun explaining to the guard how they nearly let His Majesty be assassinated today, Gailardia."
"Me?" Guy glanced from Jade to Peony and heaved a frustrated sigh as he hopped the balcony again. He stopped next to Jade for a moment, glancing over at the man. "Just send word on about what you find, alright?"
Jade smiled with worrying cheerfulness. "If it crosses my mind. Have a safe trip to Sheridan when you're done cheering up the guards, won't you?"
"Bring that cute pilot home with you, while you're at it. I really like her style." Peony commented.
Guy heaved a sigh, shook his head and shrugged as if to say what can I do with these