[FFP] - Event 1, Pt. 1 The Investigation (pt 1)

Event – Dead Men Tell no Tales
Pt. 1 – The Investigation
Cast: Pipin [Dr. Reggie] and Toto [LordFluffers]
Order: Pipin, Toto
Word Count Total: 15,405
LordFluffer’s Word Count: 8,806
Dr. Reggie’s Word Count: 6,599

Dr. Reggie:
Pipin was getting restless. There was something in the air that seemed compelling to him. Working in the farms close to Tetra was a nice little gig. He could be close to beasts of all sorts, which was something of an almost homely feel to him. But lately his eyes were fixated on the wooded groves that stuck close to the city. The Verridian Glen. The place where Fiends of all shapes and sizes were known to dwell, and where those would come to train. Pipin had never been to the forest since his arrival to the city, but had heard tales in passing. That only made its call all the more alluring.

Perhaps it was a curiosity begging to be seen through, or a growing hunger within that longed to test its soils. Eventually Pipin could no longer resist and gave himself in. He had to see those woodlands for himself, even with all of the warnings that tried to persuade him otherwise. It felt far too long now that he had stepped out of the city borders.

Swiftly the quiet Moogle had made his way through town, donned in his typical blue garments, yet his characteristic mask with flowing locks hugged beneath his arm. Very little people paid any attention to him, hardly noticing the animal that barely stood three feet. If not for the orange pompom that wiggled and danced above his head as though a beacon, he probably would have been ignored entirely. The Moogle's destination was straight and to the point, knowing where exactly he needed to go. However it was as he neared the inn, The Lone Chocobo, that he stopped suddenly after only barely passing it by. The smell of food had wafted heavily from its open door. It was growing closer to that hour. Pipin had silently glanced back, then back to his path, then back again. A hissing grumble escaped his breath. Does he go inside for a quick bite or carry on his way? The Moogle felt conflicted.

LordFluffers:
Toto had almost stared at the blank piece of paper for an hour, his thumb and forefinger gently rolling the feathered pen to and fro.  From time to time his hand would move down to write but would hesitate, then pull away before the ink could drip onto the paper.  The only words he had etched into the white sheet were “Dear Father” and that title alone had been edited and reedited multiple times.  At first he thought of addressing the man by his full name but found it would be both confusing and concerning, why would his own son- one who had no ill-bearing to the man, address him in a manner that could be described as cold?  Then he thought of trying to play up the “youngest child” card and write something “cutesy” like Papa or Pa, but that thought appeared to mock the main subject of the letter.

Eventually he came to choose Father which had an air of closeness but with that needed hint of seriousness, however it was clear that his struggles to come to an appropriate name for the man who raised him was futile.  For Toto could not imagine his letter bringing any sense of joy or comfort when his father learned his son was set in fighting fiends and protecting their lands from Quitos.  He could choose as many words as he wanted that could ease up the subject- guard, protect, help, aid, care for others, all terms that sounded less aggressive and more passive- less violent, more supportive.  But it still came to the same conclusion.  Toto was not going to return home with Tomtom, and was going to put his life on the line for the sake of the land.  With a sigh he put the paper aside, slipped the quill into its inkwell and slipped down from his seat.  He could write the letter later, perhaps after he slew a fiend.  It might ease his father’s fears to know his son could hold his ground, once he heard of a successful defeat.

”Or it might just scare him more, huh?” Toto turned to the single bed in the room to face his brother, who was lying on his back.  Though the blankets were pulled up to his chin and the room dimmed, the man was wide awake.  He did not blink or respond, only letting out a few breaths as he breathed in and out.  Toto struggled to smile but could only feel his lips press tightly together.  Anger boiled in him briefly, but he quickly moved to his brother and offered a tight hug before scurrying left and right to gather his belongings.  He offered a soft farewell as he closed the door behind him, locking their room tight to keep Tomtom in and wandering guests out.

Rumours had spread across Tetra that in the Hanging Willows found deep within the Verridian Glen hung a corpse with a sign.  Any other day Toto would have found the news perhaps slightly depressing, but none of his concern.  Whether a bad omen or the result of a poor soul cutting his life short, Toto could not spare any more time observing those anomalies while reports came that Quitos was preparing to attack for the loss of their slaves.  However, this was no ordinary corpse.  About the dead man’s neck lay a slave’s chain, and the words painted upon the sign- “I told you to run, so we’d both be free” suggested this was a slave of some kind.  A victim of Quitos.

That alone grabbed Toto’s notice, for anything to do with Quitos meant to him another step to learning about how to stop them.  But what made this information extra juicy had been the additional news of a man named Sanfran, another individual who could know more about the dead figure who hung from the dead willow in the deadly woods within the Hanging Willows.  This was his first big lead in stopping Quitos and he was going to take it.  Even if it meant trudging into the parts of the Verridian Glen many dared not to tread.

After lightly jogging away from their inn, it was not long before he found himself nearing the Lone Chocobo.  Before he even considered going into the Hanging Willows, he wanted to find Sanfran and talk with him.  If this man should know anything, Toto would make sure he knew it then and there.  Once more in high spirits, he begun to whistle and even lightly danced around a moogle who stopped a few steps away from the Lone Chocobo.  He swung the doors open and wandered in, pausing near the entrance to now scan the room closely.  He had no idea who this Sanfran was, but he hoped it would be someone who stuck out from the crowd.

Dr. Reggie:
Pipin was a Moogle of very little focus. It was either one thing or the other, and he was caught in the very middle of it. One side had really longed to see the glen, but the other part of him was easily enticed by the thought of food. The latter was a very hard temptation to ignore, one even stronger than the whispering of the woods. Without too much conscious thought, his hand grabbed for his pocket as he snatched all the loose change that jiggled inside, but frowned when he saw how little he carried. Gil. He hated it. Why does food have to cost 'money' when it was aplenty and all around in the wilderness? He could go out right now and kill something for free. But he also could not deny that the dishes served here carried tastes and smells that nothing outside could ever provide on its own. If only he had ate sooner before he left...

Pipin didn't have much time to think on this though, when a blue ball suddenly dashed right by and around him, nearly tripping the startled Moogle over as his thoughts were interrupted. What was that? Flashing his burning eyes back, Pipin was only able to catch a quick glimpse of a man dressed in blue before he disappeared into the tavern's doors. Pipin had frowned with a low growl as he watched him go in. That man could've knocked him over! Did he even see him? Whoever that was, Pipin wasn't going to let that slip by him. He marched right into the building with hurried, little steps and swung the doors away.

It didn't take him long to find the culprit inside. Walking right up to him, Pipin had slung his puny fist into the man's thigh. "Waaahh-tccchhhh, where yer going!" Pipin hissed with a guttural bark. The Moogle glared back for another minute before turning and shaking his head. Seeing that he was already inside the tavern now, he may as well settle with something to eat. He made his way to one of the empty tables with clear strides and hopped onto its chair.

LordFluffers:
When Toto was just a little boy, he had read in stories about the valiant hero who would walk into a tavern and know on sight who was the informant.   With a mighty hand the door would swing open and the room would fall silent.  The locals, often crooks and thieves, would be staring at them.  Some would be glaring and others even moving their hands to their weapons.  The barkeep, fearing trouble, would ease the tension by offering the man (or woman) a drink, and then the hero would find the informant with only a single glance and wander right on over to speak with them.  Toto had hoped to do the same, preferring to start his adventure in as much grandeur as the books he read.  Yet when he first entered the Lone Chocobo what had happened was very different and by no means “gallant”.

No one paid any mind to him.  His size made it difficult for those at the far end to spot him and so they only appeared slightly confused when the door opened and closed yet they observed no one there.  Those closest to the door glanced over briefly and even then they just as quickly returned to whatever it was they were doing.  There was also no glares or threats, or hands moving to their weapons.  Why would they- Toto was a five foot, chubby male who historically had to prove his age when entering bars because he appeared somewhat young.  If he could grow hair on his face now, then maybe they could tell he was an adult.  But most men of the Talu family were hairless most of their lives save for their heads and legs.  Only his distant uncle was a hairy man at the age of twenty-two and some questioned if he was even blood related at all.

Then there was the fact that the barkeep said absolutely nothing to him about offering a drink; in fact he seemed to scrutinize Toto for a bit.  At this point the tiny man wondered if he was more the bumbling fool who had walked in and was going to be ambushed, though often in those stories said fool became a mighty hero by the end.  Alas though, what had followed was perhaps worse.

“No minors allowed.” Toto turned to the owner or employee and frowned, attempting to strike the most imposing pose he could muster.

“I am not a child!” He snapped.  “I just… I’m just a little short is all.” Toto in an effort to prove this pointed to the dagger by his belt, the staff strapped to his back, and when the man was still clearly questioning his age he sighed and began to pull out some papers.  Because of his height the small male had to bring with him copies of birth certificates or graduation certificates as proof of his age.  Otherwise many confused him for a teen.

As he shuffled through his belongings to find his papers, a little hand tapped at his thigh.  It definitely startled Toto who jumped and spun around to face whoever had hit him, but the blow was nowhere near painful.  It was the tips of his ears that helped Toto notice the man and his head turned down to face a moogle who barked at him to watch where he stepped.

”Oh, sorry.” Presuming it was because he was in the way of the door and not for almost crashing into him outside the pub he stepped aside and let the moogle pass.  Then, once more, he returned to finding his papers and showing the barkeep that yes, he was an adult.  The man scoffed, chuckled, then handed them back leaving a rather angry Toto to stand there fuming.  He would have grumbled all the way to an empty table when his head turned to face the moogle.

Odd people tend to be the informant… he told himself, and this moogle was most definitely odd.  At least, compared to the other customers he was an odd one being both the smallest and just as bright blue as Toto.  Hopeful that this was Sanfran he trotted over, grabbed a chair and sat down to accompany him.

“Hello there!” He greeted with a cheery smile and wave.  “I’m Toto Talu, are you oh-!” He bent down and moved his head somewhat closer to the moogle when he realized he was talking too loud, and that the questions he would ask might be wisely kept a secret between the two.  “Are you the one who knows about the dead guy in the Hanging Willows?”

Dr. Reggie:
Pipin still wasn't very relaxed when he sat at the table. The atmosphere of bars were not places that agreed with Pipin. Besides having to pay for what was supposed to be free food in his mind, the smell of alcohol sat heavily in the air. The putrid scent had made him grimace as his nose wrinkled in displeasure. It always reminded him of the more unpleasant days in the traveling troupe, when the ringmaster would open a bottle for himself. He'd always get a little more aggressive whenever he did. Nevermind the others. Pipin could never understand the appeal in drinking such foul-smelling liquid. But that didn't matter, for he came only to eat something and would leave shortly after. He only cared for the food. For that reason he was all the more impatient and restless. His eyes kept scanning across the packed room, searching for any waiters and waitresses who could provide him with assistance. His tiny claws tapped and scratched the surface as he waited. He paid no attention to the blue man from earlier. Eventually an employee did pass by, and Pipin had quickly rose his hand to gesture and bob his head, making his orange pompom sway back. Catching her attention, he made his order and watch her leave again. He'd have to wait once more, much to the Moogle's displeasure.

With a hissing sigh, he turned to his mask he carried and inspected it in his hands. It was one of the last few things he owned from the troupe, but still held a high quality of appeal to him. It was something enough to make him grin a little, until a shrill 'Hello there!' struck his ears and his smile immediately dropped. Arching his head up, Pipin was very displeased to see it was the same man as before. His ears quickly fell flat to that voice. Who is this and why is he bothering him? Pipin felt very tempted to growl and strike back, but knew he had to hold back this time. Instead he cast his mask aside onto the table and glared back. That apparently wasn't enough to deter the stranger, when he had lowered and their eyes met.

"'Dead guy'? 'Hanging Willows'? What you say? I don't know what you say." He exchanged a look of angry confusion. He had never heard such things.

LordFluffers:
To some the glares and flattened ears were sign enough that the Moogle found Toto’s presence insufferable, grating and undesirable all around.  However, Toto only presumed this was an even greater sign that this was the informant Sanfran and continued to sit there.  Gently he bounced up and down in his chair, though his excitement relaxed when the other seemed more confused by his statements than aware.  Maybe he’s pretending, Toto thought, to avoid getting the wrong people involved?

Thankfully for the Moogle however, Toto took the time to think a bit more about his reaction.  It was plausible that his stupefied and equally upset glare was a rouse to try and deter those from delving into an issue he felt was not theirs, but he seemed clearly angry and clearly confused.  Torn between “playing along” and asking if he was talking to the wrong person, it finally dawned on Toto that he had not asked if this was Sanfran at all.  His cheeks flushed and he looked down, realizing he was most definitely talking to the wrong person.

“You’re not Sanfran are you?” he asked quietly, not waiting to hear his response since he was most certain this was not the man.  “Well if- if you are not then I am so sorry.  There’s this thing beyond the Verridian Glen, it’s… well I don’t know if I should talk about it with you but as an apology.” He ruffled through his pockets and pulled a good bag of Gil from his pockets.  “I can pay for a meal or anything you like.  As an apology.” Toto was not hungry- he wisely already ate before leaving.  However, he felt so bad for disturbing the guy who was clearly wishing to be alone and he did not feel like imposing on him more than needed.

At this point Toto decided, while waiting for the moogle’s order, to get himself a drink.  While he may be short, Toto has always drunk since the day he was allowed and enjoyed it when he could.  He was by no means a heavy drinker, but when allowed he did enjoy it.  He bought a simple beer of some kind and returned to the table to sit and drink, taking notice of the moogle’s ears as a sign to stay quiet less spoken too.  Did not mean his big grin or presence was going to leave any time soon.

Dr. Reggie:
Waiting for the man's answer was almost as unbearable as waiting for his meal. Pipin had sat silently as he carefully eyed the stranger. He took notice of the blue robes he wore, as well as the presence of a similarly-colored staff. These features made the Moogle raise an eyebrow. For a brief moment he wondered if he was speaking to another mage. But he cared too little to ask about them and cared even less to give it anymore thought. Instead he waited and focused all of his dwindling attention at the man in wait for an answer. And he didn't have much patience left to give.

But instead of an answer or even turning to leave, there came another question. One even stranger than the last. Sanfran? Who the hell was that, and should he even care? Pipin had opened his mouth to speak, but was quickly cut off by a profuse apology. He rolled his eyes. As long as he was left alone in peace, it didn't even matter...

That was... until the man also mentioned the Verridian Glen. Caught unexpectedly, Pipin's eyes widened as he turned back to face the man. The words alone were enough to perk his ears just a little. The Verridian Glen? Was the man also going that way? But before Pipin could even ask, he found a satchel of Gil placed in front of him as an offer. The Moogle fell quiet by this sudden gesture, and could only look back in confusion as he watched the other get up and leave.

Now alone, Pipin glanced back at the Gil he received as he eyed the pocket discerningly. He couldn't understand why the stranger would want to pay for his meal, but Pipin couldn't complain. As long as he got to eat in the end he was fine. Rather it was the Glen that sat in his thoughts as he inspected the satchel, taking his eyes off of it only to glance back at the man where he stood. What exactly did he mean by the Glen? Something just beyond it? Maybe it didn't even matter all that much, the man overall seemed very strange. As he silently eyed the pocket, the movement of a hand broke his thoughts and he sat up to see that his meal was placed down in front of him; a small plate of a Buffalo cutlet. It was all he could afford, or at least before he was given the extra Gil. He opened the close string and dug his claw in before casting away a couple pieces of Gil which were graciously accepted by the waitress. The rest, well, he would keep for himself. He dropped it into his own pockets and then right away got to eating. His fork stabbed into the cutlet and he took a big bite.

He turned his head only when he heard the sound of a chair being moved, and saw that the man from before had returned. Pipin had frowned a little as he chewed, partially because of his returned presence, and partially because of the beer he had and its foul smell. Swallowing his bite, Pipin then spoke in a clear tone (or as clear as he could muster). "What 'bout Verridian Glenn?"

LordFluffers:
When he returned, it was clear the bag was emptied.  Some would have found Toto’s decision to give the moogle a bag of gil foolish considering from the size of the meal, he evidently spent little and took the rest for himself.  However, if he was not planning to give the moogle the whole bag he would have asked how much it cost for his meal and took the rest back.  He knew the moogle would take it, or at least expected he would since leaving a bag of gil while his back was turned could only lead to the whole bag being taken.  Besides, though the offence was minor Toto felt his presence was aggravating to the moogle and he just wanted to do this as an apology.  Already he looked displeased that Toto was back, and yet he still said nothing.  Either he was being very polite or just did not have the time to tell him to leave.  In fact, Toto half expected the moogle to shoo him away now as he dug into what the blue mage presumed was buffalo.

As he sipped his beer he almost began to move, nearly mishearing the moogle and replacing his question about the Verridian Glen with “Go away please”.  He stopped moving and stared at him, now the one left confused at their table.  The last thing Toto expected to hear from the Moogle was a question about the Verridian Glen.  Was he interested in looking into the incident within the Hanging Willows?  Not possible, Toto reminded himself, he seemed very confused earlier when I told him about it.  But then what made him interested now, so suddenly?  Pressing his lips together, he hesitated to tell the Moogle about the Verridian Glen and what laid within.  What if he was a slaver of Quitos?  Maybe he wasn’t, and Toto had not heard of many Moogle Slave Masters before.  But even then, this was a dangerous place and it could be equally dangerous for the Moogle.  They were by no means master fighters, none that Toto had ever heard of at least.

However, eying the fellow a bit more allowed Toto to realize that he too was dressed in blue.  A lot of blue, like him.  Maybe he’s a mage too, Toto thought, and if that is the case then he should be fine.  Plus who am I to judge- people always doubted me, he scolded himself briefly.

“Well,” he began lowering his voice so no one around could hear, “I’ve heard that deeper in the Verridian Glen is this place called the Hanging Willows.  And apparently in this part there is this body hanging from a tree, with slave chains around his neck and a sign with something like… ah… Oh!  It said you should’ve run, we’d both be free.  Or something like that.  Well I kind of want to look into it.  Oh!  And there’s a guy in the Lone Chocobo named Sanfran who might know about it.  But I don’t know what he looks like and is, ah, kind of why I accidentally talked to you.”

Toto sipped more of his beer while awkwardly starring away briefly, taking another look around the room.  Though he was coming to the conclusion that this Sanfran would not stick out like a sore thumb, there was an equal chance he might not be here at the moment creating a new dilemma.  Should he look for him or wait for him, or go in the head back?  Toto once more looked to the Moogle.  Might as well ask why he was so interested now.

“Why do you ask, anyways?”

Dr. Reggie:
Again Pipin had waited for the man's answer, only now a little more content now that he finally had his meal to occupy himself with. He wasted no time in digging into the slab of meat as he took another big bite from the raised fork. Even with the use of cutlery he was still not the most graceful eater within the bar. Though if he could have it his way, he would have just ate the entire thing in his own hands, had it not been for years of discipline being drilled that he 'Use that goddamn fork!'. His fangs ripped through the cutlet as though it was nothing, and flashed in brief seconds as he chewed. They seemed more profound than usual for a Moogle. But even as he busied himself with his meal, he had kept an ear out as he waited for an answer.

His chewing paused when he heard the near whisper. Swallowing, he turned back to him. Apparently the 'Hanging Willows' was a place in the glen. The news was of some little interest to Pipin considering that he was heading out that way. But what didn't seem to faze him was the mention of the discovery of a body there, a hanging one. Pipin didn't know of any hanging bodies in the woods, but now that he thought back, he did recall hearing a few murmurs of a hanging man while he was passing through town. He hadn't given that any attention though, nor did he really care too much. However the fact that the body was also hanged by slave chains was a curiosity. Pipin supposed he was referring to something from Quitos. His ears dipped back a little at the thought, thinking back to the reason why he came to this city in the first place. But he shrugged the thought aside. Apparently there was also a man by the name of 'Sanfran' who might know more about it, though Pipin was obviously not this person, and couldn't care who was. At least it explained why this stranger was even talking to him in the first place.

"I going to Verridan Glenn." Pipin had answered simply as he faced back his meal. Already he had nearly downed the whole thing. "I want to see forest."

LordFluffers:
Toto did his very best to pay attention to every gesture and twitch on the Moogle.  Except for when he had been in the way of the Moogle when he first walked into the Lone Chocbo, the fellow Blue Mage never appeared to voice his frustrations and only reflected it through his movement and facial expressions.  Should he find Toto particularly annoying, he trusted the other would return to glaring and snarling and displaying a look which attempted to deter Toto from staying.  Thankfully as he talked, the moogle appeared alright with his company, at least for now.

When the topic fell briefly to the subject of Quitos his ears dipped.  This quickly grabbed Toto’s attention, who wondered now if the Moogle also loathed these slavers and had a bad experience.  He almost wanted to ask but held back, realizing that if he was involved with Quitos it was most likely not pleasant and would only bring back any terrible memories of it.  If he had been involved at all, it might have just been a general reaction to hear about them.  Like how most people cringed when hearing of the many stories that were abound about the terrible treatment of locals who had been kidnapped and forced into slavery.

Barely seconds after being asked about why he wanted to know about the Verridian Glen anyways the moogle very quickly and quite simply answered his question.  He was going to the Verridian Glen to see the forest.  To Toto, it was an odd reason to go to the Verridian Glen.  Fiends roamed the woods and much of the Verridian Glen was purposed as a training ground.  It was certainly no place for tourists to sight see, and from the way the moogle answered his question it sounded less like he wanted to improve his fighting skills and just intended to see the woods.  However, it was not Toto’s to question or ask and so he gently shrugged and sipped more of his beer.  Hay, the moogle might have already known about the threats that lingered and still wanted to take that chance, who knew?

“Seems like a weird place to visit, at least to see the woods.” Toto admitted.  “But if you do, I suggest you don’t go too deep.  The Hanging Willows is there and I heard that place is a lot worse than the Glen.  Sounds not too nice to see either.” Toto drank the last of his beer and put the glass aside, taking another look around.  Clearly he was not going to find Sanfran here, at least not while sitting.  But he was far too nervous now to talk with anyone else, at least to ask if they were Sanfran.  After his earlier mistake, he felt too ashamed and embarrassed to try again.  Maybe after inspecting the tree he could return and look for this Sanfran fellow?  When he felt a bit more bolder, or at least forgot about his earlier mistake.

Dr. Reggie:
Pipin fell quiet to the man's cautioning. He was already quite aware of all the Fiends that gathered in the woods. Perhaps it was because of them that had drawn Pipin's attention so closely to the woodland. Although taken in and raised by a circus troupe for most of his life, there was still an inner calling, an insatiable want, to enter the realm of untamable lands once more. But it was containable, at least to a certain extent. If it weren't for the small hope of finding his friend again, he probably would have abandoned this confusing city life by now. He had been growing very restless in the past few days since his arrival, and had pinned the cause on the wooded area. There was something about it... Something controlling and almost... desirable. There were no words that Pipin knew that could accurately describe that feeling. All he knew was that he needed to see the glen for himself. If only just to curb this want. But now that the man mentioned it, he was also curious about just what was found in the Hanging Willows. Could there really have been a man hanged to death there?

Finishing off the last of his cutlet, Pipin dropped his fork with a loud clank and pushed his plate out. Wiping the meaty stains from his furry lips, he then grabbed his mask, slung it under his arm, and hopped off the chair as he made for the doorway.

"I go see forest," Pipin said as he left, not even turning to address the man directly. "The Fiends... do not scare me. I wish to see them."

LordFluffers:
The moogle said very little after Toto’s forewarnings about entering the Hanging Willows.  He wondered briefly if the other had apprehensions about entering the Verridian Glen knowing there were fiends there.  He certainly seemed very calm if he was.  While Toto still found it slightly curious that a moogle would wish to visit the Verridian Glen, he had to keep his eye on the prize.  He was most definitely not here to chat about how pretty or interesting the Verridian Glen was, he was going there to find that hanging man and see if his death had anything to do with Quitos.  While the moogle took this second to finish the very last of his cutlet Toto took one more look.  If there was anyone who seemed even slightly suspicious or otherwise odd from the crowd, then he would take a chance.  But really, the only ones who stuck out from the crowd were Toto and the moogle, and at this point he would never find time to investigate the dead man in the Hanging Willows if he spent all day searching for Sanfran who, again, may not even be here.

Before Toto could even offer to join the Moogle when he decided to go to the Veridian Glen, for the sake of safety in numbers and all that, he was already leaving while talking about seeing the forest and fiends not scaring him.  Toto leapt from his seat and tumbled out of the Lone Chocobo, doing his best to catch up.

“Ah, wait!” Once caught up he slowed down and did his best to catch his breath.  “We should go together.  I mean in case there are any big fiends.  You’re a blue mage, right?” He asked, attempting to confirm his guess.  “I’m one too.  So if there’s any trouble, we can watch each other’s back.” Toto offered proudly, grabbing for his staff and rechecking that his dagger was by his side.  With their plan laid out, or at least Toto’s since he had not given the moogle a chance to agree or disagree he decided to ask now about his name while they headed for the glen.

“So what is your name?  If we are going to go into the Verridian Glen together- even if it’s just walking there and then splitting off,” which Toto preferred they did not do, “best to know who I was talking too, right?”

Dr. Reggie:
The outside air felt cool and refreshing to Pipin's furry face. A lot more than inside that stuffy tavern anyway. Once outside, Pipin had stopped just for a brief moment to take a breather and to collect his bearings. There was still plenty of time left in the day to go check on the glen. With that thought he began to make his move as he had moments before, heading straight to his next destination. But he hadn't made it very far when an all too familiar voice had called after him. The Moogle's ears again fell flat as he growled to himself, and forcefully relaxed as he turned back around. What did he want this time?

To Pipin's slight surprise, it was to join him to the glen. The Moogle breathed a small sigh. If this was to check these so-called 'Hanging Willows', then he figured there was no possible way he could deter the man from coming with him. He could take care of himself. He had done it before many times. He rose his glance when the man mentioned being a Blue Mage, confirming Pipin's earlier suspicions. "... I am Blue Mage." Pipin had answered in a slightly calm tone. It was grated by lingering tension however. "I not care for yer company. But if you must come... then come." There was a brief moment of hesitation before Pipin could finish. He muttered an incoherent growl to himself, and hoped only that he wouldn't regret this. But since he had partially allowed it, then it was a done deal. The man would be coming with him now whether he wanted it or not.

He turned about to carry on, knowing the man would follow, but stopped when he was asked for his name. He faced the man. "... Pipin." He answered. "Pipin DevilMAAUK...er..." The last bit had came out in such forced tone, as though the Moogle had difficulty saying the full name. What he really intended to say was 'Devilmocker', his stage as well as adopted name. He glanced back at the other to gauge his reaction. And what of his own name? He recalled hearing something like 'Toto' earlier.

LordFluffers:
In some ways Toto felt awful for following.  The flattened ears and the growling were evidence alone that the moogle wanted to be far away from the human as much as possible.  Yet here Toto was, continuing to be a bother even when it was clear the moogle did not like him.  However, he did not like the idea of either one wandering into the woods without someone there to help should they come upon a larger and less manageable fiend.  Yet, if the moogle wanted to split up and get away from Toto then he understood this and would not pressure him more.  His fellow blue mage was not interested in the dead man in the Hanging Woods and just wanted to look at fiends and the trees of the forest.  So why would he want to join with Toto when, at some point, they would likely head their separate ways?

Well despite expressing that yes, he did not care for Toto’s company once confirming he was also a blue mage, he decided that if Toto would follow then it was fine.  Toto was stunned, but smiled and nodded.  Perhaps Toto was being rough on himself.  Maybe the moogle just was not social and would not care for the company of anyone?  Feeling proud of himself to be given permission to join him, even though shortly after the moogle grumbled to himself over his decision, the two were back to heading towards the Verridian Glen.  At last a name was given, a Pippin DevilMAAUUK-er.  Toto was quite confused by the last name- was it a traditional moogle surname?  Silently he tried to pronounce it, not making any noise but definitely moving his lips and tongue in an effort to see how to pronounce it.  He chose to forgo calling Pippin by his full name.

“Well, nice to meet you Pippin.  I’m Toto Talu- ah, well already said it but since we’re doing proper introductions might as well.” He nodded, falling quiet for some time while they walked.  For the sake of not disturbing Pippin he attempted to stay silent, but the drawn out quiet bugged him and, careful not to yammer on, he decided to try and start some simple, friendly conversations.  “How long have you been a blue mage?” He asked, almost opening his mouth to blurt out his own answer when he caught himself and shut it tight, lips pressed together.

Dr. Reggie:
With Toto's name confirmed, Pipin had silently nodded and immediately turned back around to carry on the rest of the way. It was a little interesting in a way that he was now traveling with a fellow Blue Mage. He had not met any others who carried such classes; the people who all trained him in the arts had specialized in other kinds of magical classes. It was probably solely for the fact that Pipin came from a horde of monsters that he was even able to gain some understanding and skill in the trade at all. But it honestly did not matter much to him just what class the man, Toto, had carried at all. Pipin just wanted to go to the glen, and hoped that he would not be too disturbed along the way and when they would arrive. It would not be much farther to the city outskirts where the borders met the woods, but he was thankful all the same for the silence between them as they walked the way. It gave Pipin time to relax and focus on the destination at hand.

Except, that calming silence did not last for very long. Clamping his fang for a second, he answered without turning around. "I became Blue Mage, when travel with family." What he really intended to mean was his former troupe, but lacking better words, he could only refer to them as a family... which was partially true when considering certain people there... He didn't want to delve into any more detail than that.

LordFluffers:
It was a quick short answer, no details or pondering, or even an exact time.  Just that he had become a mage when he traveled with his family.  This just raised more questions Toto could ask, like what his family was like, if they approved if he was a blue mage, did he have to pay for it, was he really good at it, did he like being a blue mage, and so on.  But the other seemed so calm when there was silence and the clamped fangs only showed that a simple question bothered him.  Pippin really did not like company, Toto thought, maybe I should stay quiet?

“I see, I see.” Toto nodded his head and looked around, feeling very alone now.  Sure he was with a companion, but it was one who was only there by chance.  Both were together because they happened to be heading in the same direction, to the same location, where they might have to deal with the same fiends.  But that was it and so far neither one had anything in common save for being a blue mage and really now, careers were not always enough of a reason to be friends.

A little down if only briefly, Toto decided to put his thoughts to learning about the dead man and began to wonder about where the Verridian Glen began and ended.  The two woods were connected with all Toto knowing that the Hanging Willows were found deeper within the Verridian Glen.  Was there a path that leads through it and if so, was the dead man hanging from a tree near the path?  Well Toto assumed so, how else would anyone find the body?  Toto looked back slightly, wishing he could have found Sanfran.  If he was involved, maybe he could have led the way or at least tell them about the path.

“Oh well.” He mumbled to himself, quickening his pace when the woods started to become clearer in the distance.  Toto did not run ahead of Pippin, but he was moving quicker than normal.