Gathering Information and Friends in Lowtown

[Thief of Light]

(OOC: This thread is linked with this post. There are slots still open. Once 4 (including myself among the 4) has been reached, this thread will become closed!)

IC:

Sands whipped up in small gusts through the empty streets of Lowtown, an area of Agrabah where the poor live. It is an area where the Palace's guard are ordered to maintain the level of violence, thievery, and sins to a certain level... Where it won't escalate and spread to the main parts of the city. Here, the criminals ran everything? You had to give an arm and a leg, sometimes though rare it was literal, to get a certain product if you weren't sly or cunning enough.

This was an environment that the Thief of Light was familiar with, having grown up in a thieving community back at Melmond. He wasn't sure where this city was in relation to Cornelia, so he had to start by finding an information source in this city. He had arrived here about 3 days ago, after arriving in the desert several miles out in the dunes of the desert. He had managed to catch a ride to the city by trading a half empty bottle of his Antivan wine. When he got to the city, he was greeted by the guards in a very unsettling manner. They held their weapons at him, ready to strike from hundreds of different angles. Had he not been able to convince them to at least let him into a district where he wouldn't be able to cause trouble for a while, he'd still be wandering about in the desert.

When he was allowed in, the guard immediately through him into this district. Some people that were kind enough to help him welcomed the Thief of Light to the city district with an insult, directed at the guards and a bargain for a place to stay in exchange for certain services. He had to agree to the job, being that he had no idea of how the city rules ran. The jobs were usually deliveries that paid decently and allowed Marlowe to get an idea of the underworld system was like. If you had the right type of thing to bargain with, then you could advance. If you didn't, you'd just end up begging on the streets for food and a job to do, only getting scraps and going without coin to support themselves. Marlowe, while he was travelling from place to place, would leave a notice on posts, in hopes that one of his old friends or someone that was interested would be able to help him. He had found a place that seemed nice and quiet for any who wished to talk with him about it. The place had been from Marlowe's last job, delivering a dozen barrels of fruit and distilled drinks from his temporary boss, Basil Shukri.

Marlowe's last job led him to a bar called Alasudra's Dune Bar. In the bar, there was a surprising number of people from various levels of 'class'. Rich, pompous men drank with the 'filth' that grew and lived in these slums, enjoying the drinks that were distilled and served there. The bar keep and owner, Alasudra Raza, made his drinks from supplies that he got from all around the city and, on occasion, from cities that traded with Agrabah's merchants. He and his family of 5 ran the bar, along with several other people in his group, making deals and serving special treats to those who paid the right price or better. He had been known as Hamid Khalifa or the 'Praised Successor', in English, to those who bartered with him and observed his wondrous dealings. To those that became acquainted with him in a negative manner, it was rumored that the shadows of Alasudra would come and take them out to the desert, where none would find them in the endless sands.

The delivery went well, with no issues developing between Marlowe or any of the bouncers. After he returned to Basil's headquarters with the money, he decided to go back to the bar. He hadn't really been in the bar before, but he figured that it would be a good place to go to and have a meeting.

When he got to the bar entrance, he was halted by a bouncer. He told Marlowe that Alasudra wanted to talk to him about the notices he's been putting up around town. Marlowe responded, "Well then... Shall we take care of this?"

The bouncer led Marlowe inside and into the back of the bar, where Alasudra was sitting. He was writing at a desk with a peacock feather. He was a middle-aged looking man with strong, defined muscles hiding behind a simple tunic and oddly ragged pants. On his middle and ring fingers, he had 2 rings, a sapphire embedded in the middle finger ring and a ruby embedded in the ring finger ring.

"You know why I have called you here, Mr. Haruto," Alasudra asked, in a soft, but strong tone.

"This is about my little notices I've been putting around the town, right? If so, then allo-"

"Yes, this is about your notices... Or rather, the location you have designated," the man interrupted. "You are new in this town, that much is easily noticed. Tell me, what made makes you so sure that you'll be having your meeting here, Mr. Haruto? Why choose this place, when you can choose to go elsewhere? in this large district?"

"Well..." Marlowe paused for a moment, to think about what he was going to tell the man.

"Well? Out with it, Marlowe," Alasudra demanded, though he kept his tone soft.

Marlowe immediately responded, "The reason I chose this place was because it was a place that seems to have good nature about it, even with the... Well, a certain background that normally wouldn't be accepted, if you know what I mean."

Alasudra stopped writing for a moment, and turned to Marlowe. It unnerved Marlowe a little, but he maintained eye contact with Alasudra. He was in a place where anyone could stab him from behind and leave his body in the desert for no one to see.

"... Very well. I will allow it, but there are a few conditions I want to make clear. 1) You make sure you and whoever comes here, no matter what they look like or act like, stay calm and don't become rowdy. 2) You will do a job or so for me in the future when I require your deft hands. I've heard some stories about your work from some of the guard, so you will be useful for me. 3) You ask about having a gathering here, rather than do what you've been doing ever since you started working for... Whoever you're working for right now. 4) You or any of these people 'steal' something from me, you will be the one paying for it. Am I clear, Marlowe Haruto?"

The response was something Marlowe was hoping for. He nodded and responded, "Yes. This is clear, sir Alasudra. It won't happen again."

Alasudra nodded and turned back to continue writing. He ordered the bouncer to give Marlowe a room on the second level of the three story building for when he and those that answer his notes arrive. In response to this, Marlowe quirked, "You're the generous type, aren't you sir?"

"It is generosity that expects generosity of equal or better generosity in return and shouldn't be spoiled."

Marlowe made his way out of the back room and towards an empty, 4 person table. On the table, there was a board with 1"x1" boxes spread in columns and rows of 12. On 2 opposite sides of a board, there were 144; 72 on each side; coin shaped pieces with black on one side and white on the other. The Thief of Light took two pieces from his side and placed them down on the black side in the middle squares diagonally from one another. He then took 2 from the opposite side and place them in the 2 other squares next to the black sided pieces with white one top.

"Now that's taken care of," Marlowe whispered to himself, "It's time to play the waiting game..."

[Beast]

It was… different. This world was different. Instead of the cool winds that blew through the forest night, this world had hot, scorching winds that whipped about the sands. This world was so different from everything the Beast had become used to and acquainted with. Adjusting to the world would have been difficult enough, had the Beast not arrived within the desert sands of mid day. The scorching heat, combined with his fur and garb, nearly caused the beast to pass out, were it not for an oasis he had found out of luck and chance. But while his luck had lead him there, it seemed it might not lead him away.

Three days the Beast had spent at that Oasis before anyone came by. He’d been lucky for anyone to find him, and he was shocked to actually somewhat recognize who had arrived. The strange blue man with the fast talking mouth… he had found him, alongside some man in a purple coat and long white pants. They helped Beast, gave him proper food, and talked. He’d found himself somewhere new, a new world… Agrabah. That’s what they had called this place, but told him the true Agrabah, the jewel of the sands, lay a bit of a distance away. At least a days travel by foot they had said, but the blue man… he had done something phenomenally magical, and managed to summon some strange machine that got them back to the city within half the day. This blue man, he was so powerful and amazing at his skills…

Arriving at the city had given Beast time to think. He’d been within his castle one night, not long after the events of the courtyard with everyone. He’d finally been given rest and peace, but his desire for truth had pulled him somewhere. He had grown angry, and ripped through the very fabric and stonework of his castle into what seemed to be a blinding light. He had stepped though, but found he could not return. He was stuck here it seemed… for now.

Beast had been ready to walk within the halls of the city, but had it not been for the street rat and his blue friend, he’d have been caught, skinned, and hung up within the palace, as the blue one said, accentuating his points by transforming into each thing in a puff of pink and purple smoke. So odd this blue man, so odd. Waiting outside the walls, Beast thought more on his predicament. Last time he tore boundaries between worlds, it had been to find Belle. Now it was what? To find truth? What truth was there? He couldn’t think on it long before he heard the scream of a woman, and then the sudden appearance of the street rat with a large brown robe and cloak. The Beast had been told to put it on, and he did, wrapping himself to hide his face. The blue man even went one step further, snapping his fingers and giving the Beast a look of a normal man while in the cloak. It was a shock to even temporarily look human, but the Beast knew it was illusions, nothing more.

The rest of the next day had been spent wandering the streets, seeing the sights, noting the sounds. None spoke to the Beast aside from the peddlers trying to sell him merchandise. This city was so… strange. It had been strange for the beast to be amongst people again, and in this place, it was even stranger. They spoke in an odd dialect, but the Beast found no trouble in hearing them. Thankfully they did leave him alone for the most part, aside from the odd guard who just went away without question. Perhaps an extra gift from the blue man? No matter, as soon the Beast had found himself face to face with a note. Someone was looking for his friends, and was a stranger to this world as well? Perhaps this man had answers on how the beast could return home, and traverse the worlds.

It was what had caused the Beast to arrive at the bar in question, opening the doors and stepping inside to look around. There were people here in this bar of all walks of life it seemed, but everyone seemed to al avoid looking at the Beast, features well hidden beneath the enchanted hood and robe. It made the Beast almost wish to remain with the robe completely, but he had heard himself speak. His voice was still the rough growl, unhidden by the illusion the robe put forth.

His eyes caught one man in particular, seeming out of place in the desert sands. The beast wandered close to the table, noting what looked to be a Game board on it. It seemed remincient of Chess, something he knew and was familiar, but the pieces were coins, not standing men of an army. It took some more thinking, but soon the Beast recognized it as Draughts. How silly he had been! Such a common game, and it existed across all boundaries.

The Beast took a seat at the table, forcing himself and his illusion of a smaller frame back into the chair, then looked over the board. “White moves first, yes?” he had asked, looking from the board to the man across from him.

[Thief of Light]

(Hey Beast. I'll be making a lay out of the moves we make in this match, so it's not all confusing while we roleplay. Here's a picture to show the starting move. To make things easier to know where we are putting the pieces, think of it as a grid, with A1, A1 being in the very top left corner, and L12, L12 being in the very bottom right corner. To make it easier, think of it like this: coordinate x, coordinate y, in which x represents the horizontal plane and y is the vertical plane.)

A lot of time seemed to have passed, in which the Thief ordered a couple of light ales, sipping from one and leaving the other untouched. He heard the sound of the door being opened, attracting his attention slightly. A very odd man, dressed in a ragged cloak, came walking in. Marlowe did nothing, except drink his ale and wait. In his mind, he was relieved to see someone that was just as odd in this crowd as he had been. However, the warrior of light didn't know what to expect of this new comer.

Marlowe simply remained silent, until the man came over. He had a rich looking facial structure, but his deep, gruff voice seemed to put off the elegance. This new comer asked about the game Marlowe had in front of him, in which he replied, "Indeed it does, friend. Have a seat and feel free to take that ale."

Marlowe took a sip of the reddish amber liquid, the taste being strong and bitter like gin, but tender like a finely aged wine. He let out a satisfied breath as he put down the pint. The thief pulled up a piece, and placed it on G7, H8; changing a black piece at G7, G7 into a white one. He looked at the cloaked man and stated, "The next move is yours, my friend. May I ask about what brings you here to this city called Agrabah? It's a bit obvious that you aren't from around here, like myself."

[Beast]

(The picture doesn’t show, but I get what you mean and will do my best to understand everything.)

The Beast, features kept under an illusion of the cloak, took the offered seat and nodded to the man’s answer of his inquiry. He had been offered some Ale, and Beast deeply considered the offer. It might seem rude to not take up on the offer, but it had been so long since he’d had any ale. It had also been a long time since he had played a game with anyone, or been outside his castle. He picked up the glass of ale and swished it a bit before sniffing. It certainly smelt decent, and with a sip, it showed the strong bitter yet smooth taste that was wonderful. Still, the beast had to be cautious. He already had a loose cannon temper. Alcohol in any amount might make that worse.

“Forgive me if I make a faux pas at this game. It’s been a while since I partook in it,” the Beast Confessed, looking the current pieces over and thinking on the move. It had been so long, but the rules had always been so simple, yes? There were techniques he once knew when he had been tought the game as a kid, but so long spent as a Beast, those techniques were like shadows now. He made a conservative move, placing a black piece at I9, G7, and thereby flipping the piece at H8, G7, to a black one in the process.

“What brings me here,” the Bast began, turning his blue eyes upon the man across from him, “Is not certain to me. I am perhaps lucky to be alive, had two people not found me by an oasis in the desert, I might have perished there after walking for days in the endless sands. This world is so foreign to me, and so warm and humid.” He confessed, taking a second sip of the ale and then waiting for a few moments. Pacing, pacing. “But I suppose I seek answers, and my quest to find them has lead me here… somehow.”

[Thief of Light]

(Alright, that looks better.)

The Thief watched the man place his piece on space I9, G7 and flipping the piece at H8, G7, as he claimed that it had been a while since he had played. He thought to himself, watching the silly mistake, "Ah, at least he's honest. I'll this mistake slide and just let him know about it."

"Don't worry about it, pal. Memory of this game will come back to you soon enough. The piece you put down," Marlowe stated, pointing at the one the man placed and flipped, "is not able to be placed here. The reason being is that you currently only have one black piece at space F7, G6. That means you can place a black piece at H8, F6; H8, H8; or F6, H8 to change any white pieces in between. So..."

Marlowe picked the man's piece and handed it to him, while changing the accidental flip at H8, G7. The man was focused on him, as he told him what brought him to this city. He was seeking answers to what brought him here. The Thief's eye brows rose, as he asked, "Really? Do you remember how you got to this desert hell?"

He leaned back in his seat and took a sip of the brew in his mug. The Thief of Light let out a somewhat relaxing breath of air, though he did actually feel relaxed. He muttered, "Well... That story sounds similar to my own..."

He paused for a moment, placing his mug on the table. He reached out a hand to his gaming opponent, in an apologetic tone, "Now, where are my manners? Allow me to introduce myself. The name is Marlowe. Marlowe Haruto. Maybe you heard of me? Maybe you haven't. After all, you did just come into town, right?"

[Beast]

The Beast watched as the man picked up his piece and explained the mistake he had made. Beast had anticipated making a mistake at some point, but this early in… it showed just how long he had played any sort of game. Even Belle and him had not shared game, simply because the last time they had, it had been so early into their relationship that he had nearly destroyed the Chessboard in the process. Thankfully, none of the chess piece servants had been injured or harmed in the Beast’s rage at mistakes made that time, and even though he had to let out a low growl of Frustration, he restrained himself enough to not have a temper tantrum in public. He was still a prince behind this visage, and needed to act as one.

The Beast took a deep breath and nodded when the mistake correction was made, then returned his piece to the spot on F6, H8, something to hopefully prevent the man before him from changing multiple pieces at once. In the process, he carefully moved his hand to change the piece at G7, F6, into a black one, doing his best to keep the cloak he wore from moving too far from his hands. It worked as an illusion to keep him hidden, and he did not wish to test if even just a hand removed from the cloak would show his true nature. “I must apologize again for my mistake already. As said, it has been a while. At least… ten years now.” Beast confessed to the man, turning his eyes upon him and listening to him futher.

The man seemed interested in where Beast came from, or more, how he got here from whence he came. A question the Beast himself would love the answers to. “I suppose that is part of the answers I seek,”[/b] beast confessed, casting a glance across the bar to see the patrons. “I certainly how I came here, but I do not know how I came here,”[/b] Beast was careful with his words, trying to onvey how he could clearly remember the details on how he ripped a hole from his castle to this world with a single swipe, but not how he did it. Was it the power of his heart?

The beast turned back to the man to see him outstretching a hand for a formality. The Beast bit his lower lip carefully, not sure how to proceed. “Yes… I’ve seen the powers around town.”[/b] He said, slowly pulling up his arm to return the shake. Formalities, Formalities! Why did he have to succumb to these formalities! As he held his hand outstretched ready for the shake, the Beast’s eyes flashed to his hand, breaking free of the robe and slowly covering itself in the thick brown fur with black claws. In a quick movement, he withdrew his hand and slid it back into the Robe. “I’m sorry, but…” The Beast looked to the man and sighed. “We all have our secrets to hold.”[/b] Beast chose his words carefully, not sure how the man might react if he had glanced the true paw of the Beast for that moment.

[Rhyme]

Rhyme's throat was parched. She had her tiny hands on her forehead, attempting to use them as a way to shield her eyes from the sand that was being whipped around her, giving her little scratches here and there. Her eyes were like little slits, making it extremely difficult to kiss what was in front of her. Her clothes were outrageous for this kind of weather as well. She looked down at her khaki shorts and large orange sweater, and then she took off her hat and grasped it firmly in her hand. It was really stuffy in her attire, and not to mention that to the others she must have looked like a total freak! Even without looking directly at them, she could tell from the corner of her eye that people were whispering and pointing at her, causing her to go red with embarrassment. She tried to make herself smaller, and faced the ground, looking at her shoes.

Even if she had proper clothing on, the atmosphere of this run-down place would have made her extremely uncomfortable and self-conscious. Everybody look so... menacing. She saw a man walking up to her, looking extremely drunk, judging by the way he was walking. He looked like a klutz, nearly falling over once or twice. Rhyme didn't want to converse with someone like him, so she tried to walk a little faster. Nope, it didn't work, because apparently the man had sensed her fleeing attempt, and caught up with her, clamping a large hand on her shoulder.

"Hey, you," he said, rather stupidly. "You ain't from around 'ere, are ya?" He leaned in close, a bit too close for comfort. Rhyme could feel his breath on her cheek, and she leaned away to the left, just a little bit. She could smell his bad breath, and it made her uncomfortable.

"Um, yeah," she replied, making an attempt to sound friendly. "Do you know where I am?" She smiled at him, not wanting to get on his bad side. The middle-aged man beamed, and replied: "You're in Agrabah, kid."

Agrabah? This place was called Agrabah? Or was it a street, or maybe a district in the city? Oh, how different it was from her own city!

It seemed she was saved just in time by a few more men, around the same height and build as the man that was currently leaning over her shoulder, who came to take away the drunk. "Ah, sorry, little girl," one of them said, smiling apologetically. "I hope he didn't cause you much trouble." He was wearing a blue turban, a long piece of cloth that protects one from the sweltering heat of the desert. He was also wearing a simple, navy blue mask that covered the lower parts of his face. His hair was brown, with one bang that covered his pretty grey eye. He was wearing a large, blue robe, and a black belt. Rhyme couldn't tell what kind of shoes he was wearing because his long, flowing robe covered his feet, although Rhyme could easily tell that this man was a man of status. What was he doing in this area?

"Oh no, not at all," Rhyme insisted, keeping her youthful smile up. The man smiled. "That's good to hear. I'll be taking this one," he gestured to the man who had seemingly passed out in one of his companions arms. "You take care now." With a graceful wave of his hand, he turned around and followed the others, leaving Rhyme standing there, who only found out the city's name. She wasn't even sure of that.

She saw a poster, though, that was pinned to a wooden wall. She went over to it, making sure to step over foul things that she couldn't recognize. Taking the paper down, she held it firmly in her hands, for if she lessened her grip, it would most likely fly out of her frail hands. It read:

I've found myself in this desert city called Agrabah. I'm in a search to find my fellow friends from Cornelia, but I can not seem to find them. If anyone wishes to join me in my search, then come meet me at the local bar in the south western part of town called Alasudra's Dune Bar. I will be the odd fellow in the crowd. Once we find them, I intend to gather information on what has been happening recently around the world.

- M. Haruto

Someone in the same boat as me! she thought. Two heads are better than one, so I might as well go and meet this man. She had no idea of what this man might have looked like, or what he might do to her, but she decided that it was better than standing here alone. She quickly started moving again, occasionally stopping to check for other papers that might hold clues to who this man was. Although the easiest way to find out would be to meet him.

An hour later, she was standing in front of Alsudra's Dune Bar. She could hear from the outside the sounds of men being merry, toasting mugs of ale, so on and so forth, although she couldn't make any sense of it, since she didn't have may bars where she lived, and she wouldn't have been able to go into one anyway. Her parents and brother would be against it completely. But she agreed with them. Bars were scary places.

Rhyme cautiously walked in, trying to attract as little attention as possible, and crept around tables of large, stinky men. The air was hot and stuffy. I will be the odd fellow in the crowd. That's what the paper read, but... She looked around, but her view was limited, do to the sheer number of people inside. However, she did find a pair of two men playing a game. Or at least, it looked like a game. She couldn't tell, but it looked kind of like chess. One of the men there looked quite out of place to her. The other one was kind of big and intimidating, though, so she didn't make a move to approach them. Instead, she stood beside a large wooden column keeping the ceiling up, with one hand rested comfortably on it, and the other at her chest. She wondered when would be the right time to say something.

[Thief of Light]

The man was apologetic and stated that he didn't know how he got to Agrabah and would certainly like to know how he got here. He also acknowledged that he had seen some of the powers around town, but didn't seem to have heard of Marlowe. The man also corrected his move by placing a piece on F6, H8 and changing F6, G7 into a black piece, before finally reaching out to shake his hand. The man's eyes beamed at his hand, as he saw it rapidly change from a normal human hand to a beastly one, claws and everything! He quickly withdrew his hand, stating, "We all have our secrets to hold."

Marlowe withdrew his hand, his eyes reflecting his astonishment and confusion. He mumbled, "We certainly do..."

He stopped speaking for a moment, to look around the bar. He watched a poor looking, but very muscular giant of a man stumble out of the bar, after having too much, and a very elegantly dressed man wearing a mask of some sort over the lower part of his face, follow calmly after him. He looked at the bar keep, to see that he and his daughters had not been looking their way. Marlowe felt it was safe to assume that no one noticed his opponent's morphing hand and turned back to the game.

"Well then," Marlowe stated, in a wary tone, as his eyes darted to different areas of the bar every now and again, "Let us continue this game, friend."

He took one piece and placed it at E5, H8. The move allowed the Thief to flip over two of his opponents pieces. The first piece was in the middle, at F6, G7; then he changed the piece at F6, H8. This made it so that the Thief could keep the number of pieces his opponent had down to 1 still, while he made his way to the side. Granted, the man's next move would allow him to recover some footing and possibly even take advantage, if he placed the right piece.

Marlowe took another look around once more, to notice a little girl, about the age of 13, dressed in odd clothes. Baggy pants and a baggy orange shirt, along with strange shoes and a bell on a necklace. She seemed shy, using the wooden column to hide behind slightly. She seemed like she wanted to say something, but she was waiting for the right moment to do so. He brought his attention back to the game, to observe his opponents next move. However, he spoke in a partially loud voice, asking her, "Do you want a seat miss, or do you wanna ware yourself out standing in those baggy clothes?"

He grabbed a chair from a nearby table and set it at his table. He shifted his attention to the girl, and gestured at the chair. Whether she sat down or remained standing was up to her. However, being in a bar in a district like this wasn't the be place to be standing around, without anyone with her.

[Beast]

The man’s face had said it all. Those eyes spoke of astonishment and confusion. Fear too, perhaps? And why not, people should fear the Beast he was an animal, a monster, a creation born of hell no longer a man but an animal pretending to be as such. Beast had closed his eyes and turned away when the man had begun looking around the bar, growling lowly. It was a growl to himself, for his stupidity in thinking he could keep it a secret for too long. He waited for the uproar, the panic, the imminent arrival of a maelstrom of guards to take the creature away and be chained up like he should. Marlowe, however, spoke again, asking to continue the game. Beast reopened his eyes at that and looked at him, nocing his movements. One confused him, and he was deeply dredging his mind to find the rules of the movements, but he could not quite piece it together. Therefore, he sighed instead.

Moving carefully to keep his claws hidden beneath the robe, Beast picked up a pice and placed it down at H8, f6, changing a piece at G7, F6 in tandem, and then looking back up to the man. He was still a little unsure of the rules, and he wasn’t sure if this man would be honorable enough to mention when Beast neglected to change over a piece, if he ever did, but so be it if he didn’t. He then heard Marlowe call out to someone loudly, glancing from beneath his cloak and hood to see a girl lost and out of place in this world as well. The worlds were mingling so much… Were they connecting?

Waiting for Marlowe to finish his placement of the chair, Beast spoke then in a low tone, or as low as his growling would go. “Beast…”[/b] he said, glancing to Marlowe beneath the hood. “It’s… what most call me.” he said. Perhaps it would have been better, in the long run, to use a different name, but what did the name of Prince Adam mean to anyone with no memory of the Prince as a man?

[Rhyme]

"Oh! Um, are you talking about me?"

The man she was talking to gestured with a wave of his hand towards a pulled out seat, which she assumed she would have to take. "Well... Thank you, I guess." She gave him another one of her smiles, pure and innocent.

She took slow and steady steps towards the chair, before hesitating as she rested her hot hand on the seat. It was wooden and scrawny; it seemed uncomfortable to sit on. However, it was much better than standing off in the distance, away from the socializing fellows that seemed to be having a good time. Besides, at least to her, the board game that they were playing seemed very interesting.

"That's chess, right?" she asked, pointing her index finger towards the board and small black and white pieces. "It looks... unique. Although, it might be too hard for someone like me to understand."

The two men at the table gave off a menacing aura, so much that she squirmed in her seat. Inside her head, she was wondering if this was a good idea. She introvertedly placed two of her hands in her lap and scrunched up, making herself smaller. She decided that it would be best to ask about the paper that she was meaning to inquire about.

"Um, excuse me," she started off slowly, sounding warm and generally friendly, despite the presence of two older men. "I was wondering if you knew the man, or anything, for that matter, about this paper..?" She held up the paper.

"Oh my," she suddenly stated, lifting the corners of her lips. "I forgot my manners. My name's Rhyme. It's really nice to meet you!"

[Thief of Light]

The young girl sat in the Marlowe brought out, suggesting she did have some trust for people. He nodded with a smile, as he brought his attention to the board. His opponent, who introduced himself with the name Beast, placed a piece at H8, F6, which changed the piece at G7, F6. The Thief nodded and whispered, "Alright... To counter your move, I shall place a piece here."

Marlowe placed a piece down at G7, E5, resulting in G7, F6 being flipped into becoming a white piece. He brought his attention to the girl, telling her, "This isn't Chess, though it does bare a similar concept. The name of this game is called Reversi. The objective is to have more pieces on the board than your opponent at the end, when there are no more spots open. If either Beast or myself are incapable of making a move, then the opponent goes again. Speaking of which, it your move, Beast."

He turned to the young girl. She started asking about the letters that Marlowe had been putting around the district. He smiled at the awkwardness she had been feeling, as she introduced herself as Rhyme. Marlowe jested, as he said, "Heh, there's no need to feel so out of place. We're all out of place in this world. Also, you've found the man who wrote all these notices around town. My name is Marlowe Haruto! It's nice to meet you Rhyme."

He held out his hand to Rhyme, to shake her hand. As he waited, Marlowe asked, "Tell me, Ms. Rhyme. How did you end up here in Agrabah?"

[Beast]

The girl stat down at the chair, and Beast spared a look in her direction, looking from under the hood and cloak that he kept wrapped about his figure. Though his face could be seen, it was shadowed by the hood, the illusion bewitched upon it working it’s charm. Hopefully the blue man’s magic would not run out soon, lest it cause a small panic. Lest of all especially for this girl, who introduced herself as Rhyme. Odd name, but all three of them were odd against the hustle and bustle of the world.

Speaking no words and only working to place another piece, Beast left a black piece at H8, H8 and altering the course of the piece at G7, G7. He smiled to himself for spotting the move, looking to Marlowe and watching him explain the game to the girl. Hopefully Beast’s slow movements helped in showing Marlowe’s explanation, and could not fault the girl for mistaking it as such. After all, Beast had mistaken it himself for a different game, but soon realized his mistake and had been correcting it since.

“Hopefully you’re case of how you got here is more eye-opening than my own,” Beast confessed, turning to look back to the girl. Perhaps she had arrived here by a means which the could all depart, or perhaps she too was like them, casted out and driftwoods upon the sea of life.An Answer, presumably, would present itself at some point, but until then…

“You ask questions of how people arrived here, but you do noy give a reason why, nor how you yourself arrived here, Mr. Haruto.”[/color] It was stated mostly as fact after the girl had gotten a chance to speak, but it was something that Beast had begun to wonder as well.

[Rhyme]

The moment the words came out of Mr. Haruto's mouth, she felt an overwhelming sense of relief. Of course. Anxiety and worry was to be expected when you were in an unfamiliar area. She felt quite happy that the men here were quite nice!

"So, it's called Reversi..? It seems like an interesting game!" she laughed. "Although I still don't quite get it. I'm sorry." She tilted her head sweetly. She sat silently for awhile, watching Mr. Haruto play the game. Then she turned to the Beast, and watched him play as well. A strategy game the involves... well, strategy. And patience. She liked these kinds of games! She thought she might try to learn the rules a bit better, so that maybe she could play.

"Actually... I don't quite know how I got here," she admitted sheepishly, in response to Mr. Haruto's question. "All I know is that I woke up, in the city, thankfully. My head really hurt for some reason, but the rest of my body felt fine. However... I felt like I had been asleep for a really, really long time." She scratched her head, trying to recall anything else.

"Mm... I'm sorry, I can't think of anything else right now. Not much of a story, huh?"

[Thief of Light]

'Hm.... A piece at H8, H8, huh? That'll actually allow him to keep my pieces contained, so long as he has pieces on the inside... So in that case, I'll need to eliminate that advantage by taking back possession of G7, G7. However, if I take that point, he can actually retake the piece and also take F6, H8 with a placement at E5, I9," the Thief of light thought, calculating his next move carefully. This was the point of the game where you had to make sure to have dominance in the middle just before reaching out to the edges.

Rhyme told Marlowe her story, of how she woke up in the city, with no recollection of how she arrived here. When she awoke, she had this head ache, which would probably explain the reason why she couldn't remember how she got here. Perhaps Marlowe was asking the wrong questions to get an idea on how he himself arrived here. He responded, as he pondered his next move, "Well, don't beat yourself up over it. It's at least showing that you're human."

He took a sip from his mug, the tangy flavor making Marlowe wince a little. The thief was focused on more than one matter, at the moment. He had to figure out how he and these two other people arrived here, how to get these two back to where they belong, how to make this game end in Marlowe's favor, and to make sure that they had some place to stay and get food while they were on this world. It was, honestly, giving Marlowe a big head ache. From the looks of things, these two probably don't know how living in this area works. He'd have to get them up to speed and find them some sort of work, to make sure they can survive and move up in the world, should they decide to stay.

'Bleeeggh... Too much to think about right now. Gotta focus on one thing at a time,' Marlowe thought to himself, as he rubbed his head. He picked up a piece and placed it down at I9, H8 after finally figuring out the best move for the time being. Marlowe flipped over the piece at H8, H8, as he planned what to do next.

He then stated, keeping his voice down to a whisper, "Well, it may not be the same thing as to how you two got here, but my story's a bit of a weird one. I was on a beach, off the coast of Onrac, a town that's next to a bunch of islands containing Dragon Caves and a bunch of other things... Anyway, it was a warm night. The woman I was with was fast asleep and I was awake, staring out at the ocean. I figured it would be one of those nights where nothing could really happen and I could drink and have some 'fun' with some of the town's girls. However..."

Marlowe paused, as he rose his head and looked around the bar for a moment, to make sure no one was listening to his story. When he knew it was clear, he continued, "However, I started hearing this voice. There was no one else around, yet this voice I heard... It came from all around me. It said that, 'I was needed,' and asked me, 'Where do you see your heart leading you? Rise to your feet and answer this question.' I got myself dressed and tried to figure out where this voice was coming from. Next thing I know, I'm being engulfed in a strange light and end up in the middle of the desert, in the middle of the day! I arrived here a few days ago and got myself a few jobs to do. When I had some free time, I got myself some maps and food, to see where this city was located. I looked at some of the maps and I honestly don't know where this town is on a map of the world I have. The only assumption I could make is that we're in the middle of a desert with an enormous tower called Mirage Tower. I'll show it to you two later, since we're in the middle of this match and I don't wanna mess up the lay out right now."

He let out a relaxing breath and looked at Beast, then Rhyme. He asked Beast and Rhyme, "So... Do you remember where you were before arriving in Agrabah?"

[Beast]

Marlowe seemed focused on the game, thinking strategy, as the girl Rhyme gave her tale on how she had arrived here. She could not recall, as it were, but at least woke up in the city. Better than Beast at least, with him arriving in the Desert and being trapped for days at an oasis. Believe it or not, one could still die at an oasis. It was became harder to die from heat stroke, and replaced instead by starvation. Not pleasant by any means, and not something Beast had planned on happening to him.

Rhyme’s speaking about being asleep for a really long time confused the Beast a little, combined with her admission of a pain in her head. Just why the pain? Was she suffering from memory loss of some sort from a tragic event or head trauma? It worried the Beast slightly, but as it stood, these two people meant little too him. Yes, they were his key to potentially getting off this world, but they also held little for him in the way of usefulness beyond that. What could a little girl and a well-spoken man do for the Beast anyway, especially with war on the verge of all worlds?

Beast looked over the board for a moment before taking up a piece in his hands and looking over the spots worthy of placement. Marlowe It seemed had begun his own story of how he arrived, including the world he came from to begin with. Using the story as a point of thinking further, Beast laid down a piece at F6, I9, flipping the two pieces above at F6, G7 and F6, H8 to black in retaliation, then looked up as Marlowe began speaking about a voice. The Voice concerned little for the Beast beyond the possibility that the man he was playing a game with was possibly mental, but then the talk of where his heart was leading him, and the strange light he had been engulfed in…

Much of Marlowe’s further story did not register in Beast’s mind, As he began recalling his own way of arriving. Marlowe’s question barely registered in Beast’s mind until after a few moments, when he looked to Marlowe with a slightly agape mouth and wide expression. “I do remember, yes. And your tale… is not unlike my own in some ways.” Beast lowered his head and closed his eyes, thinking for a moment. “Not a few days earlier I had been in… my castle… after much ruckus and intruders, and things were finally settling down. However, everything that had happened before left my mind and my heart worried. Questions had arisen that I could not fathom the answer to. Things that I once thought safe and sacred were no more. And what’s worse, my own love, my Belle, She was in danger. But from what, I could not understand.”

Beast sighed for a moment, looking Marlowe and Rhyme in the eyes as he spoke the next few words, “It made me so angry, so enraged, that at one point, I… I clawed into the stonework of my castle, and it seemed to rip open a door of light. Confused, I stepped through… and ended up in the Desert, like you. But I did not find this city first. Had I not been found at an oasis by a young man in a vest and a strange blue man, I’d probably be dead.”[/b]