Completed A Mischief of Rats (Fubuki Kouri)

[Ninus Aurellius]

The Prince of Rats Ninus stood up from the floor slowly, growling under his breath from the pain of hitting the floor. He was lucky none of the rats had been underneath him when he'd fallen. He looked up at the ghost, feeling the large rat run up to him and scramble up his leg. He held her gently in one arm and rubbed her cheek, her nose nudging him for more. Cricet was huge, and had a hard time balancing herself on his shoulders. Cricet snarled at the ghost and settled herself down on Ninus' narrow shoulders, gripping his clothes with her small, handlike paws. "You said you were in need of gold, but what would the undead need of gold and silver? What does the ethereal have need of food, water or shelter?" Ninus asked. "I only have the knowledge of that which is used to kill. That which grows from the ground and on the flesh of the rotten. One could impart this knowledge, if one was willing to aid me in evading that which claims justice?" He wondered if she would take his offer to teach her poisons. They could teach one another, actually. He could get his transactions done through a creature that couldn't so easily be imprisoned...and she might have some useful knowledge for him. It seemed a win-win situation for him.

[Fubuki Kouri]

Fubuki Kouri "*Sigh*..." Kouri heaved a tired and exasperated sigh, did everyone around here view ghosts as beings who doesn't need money like everyone else? "That's rude, Your Majesty" Kouri frowned and crossed her arms over her chest. "I need them to buy stuffs like toys, weapons, and pay for the apartment rent here at the Traveler's Row. Yes~ I live here as well, bet you didn't expect that don'tcha?" Without mizas, Kouri couldn't buy her daggers, rent the apartment, or purchase that absurdly expensive miniature mansion for Rena. "And I plan to have a house of my own in the future, ehehehe~ Maybe I'll build it in the Bronze Woods~" Kouri wasn't kidding, she had this lifelong dream of owning her own mansion and be the 'Mistress' of the house; bringing the Fubuki family name to life again... at least figuratively. "Hmmm... so... you grow poisonous plants and stuffs?" Kouri drew the most logical conclusion from the Prince's ever-so-cryptic words and the way he spoke of evading those which claimed justice must be referring those pesky knights "So... in short, you want my help in doing these poison stuffs? Hmmm... I bet you want me to gather plants, mushrooms, and all those bad plants from the Cobalt Mountains right? Ehehehe~ I can do that~ And don't worry..." Kouri finally dropped down from her perching location and shifted to a standing position. She then put her right index finger to her lips, making a hushing gesture "I won't tell a soul~" She then giggled, deliberately ignoring all these rodents around them, especially that giant one "But~♪ What's in it for me~?"

[Ninus Aurellius]

The Prince of Rats Ninus looked at the unusual little child. She seemed to change her emotions very swiftly, and he ought to be careful around such an undead. An undead he could not poison, a ghost he could not cut any better than his rats. He eyed her suspiciously and cleared his throat. What was in it for her exactly? What else did he have but knowledge? Perhaps a few gold Mizas here and there, and an ethereal friend could come in handy. "Rats are all but ethereal, my lady. They can vanish through the smallest gap in a wall, but even they fear the knights that plague this city." Ninus said carefully. "I would like a companion to deliver my herbs and poisons. I can give you little, but what I do have is the knowledge of the ways of poisons. If one had a good friend who was poisoned, or a pet, or a family member I could teach one how to create antidotes." He waited to hear what she would say to his proposal, kneeling and picking up Cricet.

[Fubuki Kouri]

Fubuki Kouri Kouri looked all around and realized the rats were visibly hesitant to approach her now, her little display of her powers and chilling aura that dropped the room's temperature were visibly having an effect on the rodents' instincts, only one was seeming brave enough to stay close; that was the giant rodent who seemed to the matriarch of these rats. "Ehehehahahaha~" She giggled and flicked her hair once more, this time unleashing a sudden wave of chilling cold dry air from her form; this would hopefully deter the rats farther and tell the Prince that Kouri was a powerful ghost and should not be taken lightly. "Ohohoho~ You flatter me, Your Majesty~" Kouri put her right hand near her mouth and laughed like a haughty noblewoman, she greatly appreciated the Prince calling her 'my lady'. Kouri was raised in a noble-like manner after all and being called honorable titles such as 'Mistress and Milady' was a rather easy way to win her respect. Especially coming from a man who knew of decorum such as the Prince. "Hmmm? You want me to deliver stuffs? That's easy!" Kouri was experienced in the art of... 'delivering'. She worked as a flower girl for Madame Atta, owner of the Flower Stand after all. It would make little difference, it was basically the same in nature; just that the flowers were changed to poisonous plants. "Hmmm, antidote? No, Your Majesty..." Kouri scoffed, she was not interested in antidotes. What would she use them for? Rena was also a ghost and obviously immune to these poisons. "However..." She then approached closer to the Prince and floated up to meet him in the eyes "I could use... a poison or two, hmmm? Some people just needs a little punishment... or even better, a permanent sleeping potion..." Her ominous whisper echoed in the apartment. "Ehehehehe... it will be fun to see they squirm and vomit those beautiful red juices after drinking your very special drink, right?" From her statement, one could not regard this phantom little girl as a true little girl anymore. "I help you... and you can help me dealing with annoying people in the future, yes?"

[Ninus Aurellius]

The Prince of Rats Ninus listened to the arrangement. He folded his arms gracefully across his chest, looking the ghost in the eyes. The rats shrank back from the cold air, some of them heading onto the bed and the others crawling underneath it or near his plants. Ninus didn't appreciate her frightening his servants, but they seemed to be in no harm. Simply frightened and apprehensive. So he stood his ground and looked her in the eyes, calmly and levelly. The ghost before him was a powerful, playful little thing that reminded him of a mad rat. Something inherently dangerous, yet small, delicate and in her own way beautiful. She wanted poisons from him in exchange for delivering poisons and presumeably delivering payment without stealing anything. That could be arranged. He nodded. "I accept the agreement my lady. I will aid you if your grudges become too much to bear." he said. He walked over to his desk, picking up a tiny bottle. The bottle was barely longer than the joint of his thumb, and capped with a thick amount of wax taken from his candles in the room. "This is an extract of nightshade. I have recieved payment from a man with a wife who is not faithful. She warms the bed of another, and he seeks to force her to rest in it permanently." Ninus explained. "I wish you to deliver it to him at the castle. I was considering refusing the contract; the knights see most everything there and pride themselves on doing so. Like lions they stalk the courtyards with bared teeth, braying their honor like asses. Delight would come over me, to see them thwarted so easily and the man who paid me given his revenge. He is called Wess, a young lad beyond his twentieth winter with red hair." He walked over to the ghost and offered her the vial. "Crush nor crack it, deliver it safe my lady. Whatever befalls my dearest nightshade, my lovely purple flower, afterward is not of our concern." he finished.

[Fubuki Kouri]

Fubuki Kouri OOCI think this will be my last reply for the thread. Ninus' reply explaining the job further should end it. We can continue to Kouri actually doing the job and reporting back to you in another thread perhaps? But if you want to just join them in this thread, that's fine too! "Ehehe~" She giggled in satisfaction when Prince agreed to her terms. She just got a new connection, a friend who was not afraid in getting their hands dirty. Kouri needed a way to silently dispose of various 'bad people' without directly getting her hands dirty. As the Prince walked over to his desk, Kouri put both of her hands on her waist and watched the hiding rats. Why she didn't thought about that simple trick earlier? Using her own chilling aura was enough to deter these rats, except that giant one of course. The Prince then procured a tiny little bottle with wax as its lid. Kouri narrowed her eyes to examine the bottle closer, but it was so tiny, she couldn't get a good look if the Prince didn't approach her first. He explained what the bottle was and what it was for though. A poison to kill an adulterer, ordered by someone who lived inside the castle, a red-haired man named Wess. The Prince told her he had difficulty in delivering it because of the knights. He then walked back to her and offered her the poison bottle, Kouri crossed her arms over her chest and a tendril jutted out from her back, grabbing the tiny thing delicately. "So... I just have to give it to a man named Wess. Can you provide me with further information about this? Where exactly does he lives?" She really needed the info as the whole of Syliras was located inside a huge fortress after all. Kouri brought the nightshade poison close to her face, examining the contents. "Because here is what came to my mind, I will use my position as the Flower Stand's flower girl to pretend delivering flowers to Wess... I will hide the bottle inside the flower bouquet, meet him, give him the poison, and be on my way..."

[Ninus Aurellius]

The Prince of Rats OOCShall we end it here and make another thread about the job? Ninus smiled at her cleverness. "Surely you are not yet a ghost but a fox." he told her. "Very well then. I know not where he resides, he is a fearful creature not yet accustomed to the art of murder. Like a cocoon, he wishes to transform into a moth with the bite of the nightshade. So I have given him a plant the moth uses to poison its veins. Nightshade for him, that he may learn his wings. He is to meet me in the Bazaar, and hand me a small gift to show his sincerity. For even a humble potato can be turned into a poison for one such as I, and it ensures he will be faithful in keeping my identity a secret." He grabbed the key to his apartment off of the desk. "With this I task you, meet him, recieve his poison and deilver your bouquet. It is only fitting such a fearful little moth recieve his flowers from such a lovely young lady." Ninus told her, Cricet bounding toward Kouri and settling next to her. "My own lady will watch over you, as I will have hidden myself nearby. She will witness the exchange and lead you to me. The rat leading the piper." He smirked and bowed slightly to Kouri. "Shall we then, conduct business with our moth?" he opened the door and held it open for her. Only when she passed through with Cricet following did he close the door and lock it. He would follow the ghost to the marketplace, and while Cricet kept a close watch, he would keep one from afar.

[Fubuki Kouri]

Fubuki Kouri OOCHmmm... I think the job will not take many posts soooo.... I changed my mind! We can do this in one thread "Ehehe~" Kouri giggled at The Prince's compliment, a fox was a cute creature indeed. She scared the shykes out of one back in Spring, but the mother fox showed perseverance and kept protecting her children even though she was terrified by the phantom in front of her. Kouri winced in disgust when the giant rat skittered to her floating feet, but she kept silent as the Prince's way of speech and decorum outweighed her dislike for these rodents. "Ehem~ very well then, we'll make a pass at the Flower Stand first as we go to the Bazaar. My Prince, I humbly ask you for your assistance on this one, could you buy the bouquet at the Flower Stand for me? I don't want to be exactly be... seen by Madame Atta and be inquired questions on where I would deliver that particular bouquet" Yes, it was a perfect plan. The Prince would buy a single bouquet, gave it to her together with the poison bottle, and they would venture to the Great Bazaar for the fated exchange. "One flower bouquet only costs a single silver Miza, Prince." She gave further info on the matter. Kouri then floated close beside the Prince of Rats, the elegant pair wandering through the stone corridors of the Fortress City. "I have a question, Prince. What's your name? I already gave you mine and it would do me great honor to call you by your name." For a Vantha like Kouri, names were important and a big issue for her, she felt calling her acquaintances by their name together with an honorable title was the epitome of politeness.

[Ninus Aurellius]

The Prince of Rats Ninus nodded as locked the door to his home and slipped the key securely into his pocket. Coming across the ghost was a fortuitous circumstance, even if she had driven away a potential client. "I will purchase flowers from your stand." he told her. "You possess the vial, I am sure you would know better than I how to securely hide it within its vale of blossoms. A single silver Miza is but a small price to pay for the gold recieved in return." He bowed to her. "I take my leave of you here, we must not be seen in one another's company. Return to the flowers, rest amongst them there. Cricet will know when I am nearby." Ninus smiled and leaned forward, kissing her ethereal forehead with such a delicate touch his lips didn't pass through. "I was granted the name Ninus Aurellius, my fox." he added, turning away from her and heading down the stairs. He would make his way to the Bazaar, but in a very odd fashion. He in fact turned the wrong away, walking away from the Bazaar. He would find it, but for now he had to kill time. Wess would be waiting a little longer, but as long as he delivered before the sun went down he would recieve full payment. Cricet looked up at the vantha, flicking an ear. It seemed her master liked to stick her with the oddballs...

[Fubuki Kouri]

Fubuki Kouri "So... you're going to buy some flowers while I wait for you in the Bazaar, then you will give me the bouquet and... I will meet Wess, right?" Kouri genuinely wasn't sure on what the Prince said with his cryptic words and metaphors this time, her mind was still very much a child after all. Kouri scratched her head in confusion, but she assumed that was the case. The Prince then bowed to her and bid for his leave, telling her that it would be best they were not seen with each other. Kouri looked down to her feet and still found the giant rat scuttling and sniffing about, obviously curious about her ghostly state. Kouri was getting used to this and ignored her, she was about to lift her head when... "!?" Ninus motioned his lips to kiss her on the forehead, like a father to his daughter or an uncle to his niece. Kouri was unmaterialized so his lips sorted of phased through her, she immediately fixed the situation and materalized herself; allowing him to kiss her for real. "Un~" Kouri cooed happily in the warmth that the Prince's lips gave her. "Prince Aurellius, it's an honor to meet you..." Kouri gave Ninus a final hug, she felt odd that a man she met not more than few bells ago could gain her affection this much; but she didn't give it further thought. As The Prince excused himself, she sighed in longing. She was about to take her usual 'shortcut' by phasing through the walls and floors in a straight line direction to the Great Bazaar, but she stopped herself when she realized that there was this... giant rat named Cricet accompanying her and the fact she was carrying the poison bottle with her tendril. Kouri sighed again, this time in exasperation. "Come one... Cricet..." She began heading to the Bazaar using the path that a normal human would use, with the rat following closely at her feet. Kouri also focused her soulmist projection on her right palm and put the tiny bottle there, clutching it in her palm, to hide it from prying eyes. A ghost walking together with a giant rat was attention-seeking enough, she didn't need everyone to ask on what in the name of Morwen was the bottle she was carrying.