Lighting up a dark night

[Mika/Matthias]

A small, cubby and fragile man walks pleasantly along the cobblestones of a dank and dirty street, he whistles away, oblivious to the world as he skips along, high as a kite with his winnings in a back pocket. Little does he know that two men follow his every move from the shadows, actually one follows him, while the other follows the follower. Slowly they each hunt their prey, stopping when they stop, shadows without form, spirits without presence and as the chubby man enters the darkest side of town one make their presence know.

"Oi mate, you're a little cheery one ain'tcha?" The little fella stops his merriment and turns around to see only one of his stalkers, a tall, smelly man with three fingers, no thumbs and a hook where his left hand should be, he sternly tilts his head to one side and several creaks are emanated from his being.

The little man gulps before he starts his sentence, "....are you One-Eyed Pete? The Scoundrel of a Seven Water-Bellies?"

The man looks down at his hook to check his reflection and sure enough there are two eyes, "What are ye, dense? How can I be he when I's got two eyes! I'm Three-Fingered," shows his three fingers, "No-Thumbed," would show them but then what would be the point in the name, "Foul-Mouthed Ron! And I is 'ere to rob ye of ye winnings, ye panthurst-dog"

The little man gulps again and tries to hide his winnings up the back his shirt, "Now see here I am not a dog! I'm Snitzle Hund the Third and.....hey, what about the hook? Why hasn't your name got anything to do with a hook?"

"Cos It'd be a bloody stooped name to have a name like, Three-Fingered-No-Thumbed-Hook-Hand-Foul-Mouthed Ron now wouldn't lad?" His robber hissed

Standing indignantly, Mr. Hund berates T.F.N.T.(H.H.)F.M. Ron, "Well aren't we huffy today, I'm just trying to help here and here you go, getting all mean spirited to me, if you let me finish you would have heard me tell you to call yourself, 'Three-Fingered-No-Thumbed-Foul-Mouthed Ron Hook' then you have a surname...it'd do so much for your career if you have a surname you know"

Ron stands there dumbfounded, "Aye......aye.....t'would have done me wonders having a surname in my youth, then I wouldn't have been called Stinky Ron No Sir No Name....then I'd have gone out with Gladys Harlot and the larks Snitzle the larks.....wait ain't I supposed to be robbing ye blind?!"

Snitzle clicks his fingers and 'tuts' in anger to himself, "Darn....I was so hoping that I would make you forget that...ah well come on my good man rob away.."

Ron nods his head in agreement, "Good man, I'm glad ye is seeing my way, now if I would be so oblige-ied if ye were to remove that there money purse from the back of ye shirt, I would hates to have to gut ye to get it....but if ye cross me I will do so'ed"

Suddenly a figure cloaked in darkness and a fancy black robe drops down from the rooftops right into the center of this robbery, in a chilling voice it asks, "Anyone got a light?" The two men look at the man with shock and horror, what could it be and what did it want, "Oh wait…I think I found one" A gloved hand uncovers itself from the darkness and a small flame appears in the center of it, slowly it grows until it's the size of the palm, after which it breaks off and floats directly in front of the robed one, who with one swift motion pulls the cloak and darkness off throwing both deep into the night

"A bloody kid?! I was a-feared of a tiny kid!" Ron remarks on the young, crimson haired boy standing before him, "Why I aught ta skin your skin an' tenderize ya meat, bilge-rat!"

The young man's eye twitches slightly before launching into a small rant, "The word is afraid, you illiterate idiot! And there's no such word as 'oblige-ied', it's obliged, o-bloody-iged!"

Ron must have several brain cells as he was able to recognize the word illiterate and he knows it is not a compliment, "Ye dawg! I'll rip ye a new one, young 'un, just as soon as I take care the Hund here!"

Snitzle's only reply could only be recognized as the word, "Meep...."

The 'young 'un' laughed for a awhile before turning back to Ron, "Well then, we have a problem, because, in order to get to this guy, you have to go through….me, Mika Nikko!"

There is a gasp from Snitzle, "Not Mika Nikko, who robs from the rich and gives to the not-so-rich?"

Mika turns to Hund part Three with a look of bewilderment, ".....no! I'm...."

Now it is Ron's turn for shock and suspense, "Not Mika Nikko, the Blind Man's Bluff?!"

Mika shakes his head, "No you see that's just a game people play not a person's name...."

"Mika Nikko, the Cheddar Cheese Log of Horror?" Hund ponders

Ron replies before Nikko has a chance, "That's Harry Gorgonzola.."

"Of course, the Ape of Dis-Evolution?"

"Max Simian"

"Monster of Netherworlds?"

"Koko B. Ware"

[Mika/Matthias]

Mika finally loses it, "Shut up! Just shut the hell up, alright! Gods....I mean...for crying out loud! I was in the middle of telling you my name, its Mika na Sakuya no Nikko, Mika the Last Night of Daylight alright! There...we could have done without the tangent but we got there.."

Neither Snitzle nor Ron are impressed, the latter answers for the two, "I do believe neither of us know ye lad"

"Dammit!" The little crimson killer walks off and comes back with a very large broadsword in his hand, "I was hoping that I'd never have to use this line but....have you ever seen this sword?"

Realization clicks on in Ron's frail mind and panic sets in, "Oh for a cup of grog, I've gone and made a muddle 'ere ain't I? Arrrrr I knew it would be not my day this here morn..."

Hund butts in for a second, "It's night..." a cold eye from Mika shuts him up

"I....just remembered...I've left my boat unmanned....I better go so that I can wallow in my own self pity...I mean my booty....aye that's it....aye.....arrr..." Ron feebly excuses himself from the conversation and runs like the wind

"Bye, Ron! Ya yellow-bellied sand worm..." Mika waves to the fading dot in the distance before turning his attention to Snitzle, "....hi"

Hund graciously shakes Mika's hand, "I thank you sir for all you've done here tonight, have a sovereign for your trouble," he takes out a small gold coin and places it in Mika's hand, who smiles back and puts the coin back

"I couldn't possible take that...I mean you'll need some money to hire some thugs to get me after I do this," with that Mika snatches the gold filled bag, minus one coin, and nods to his flame (Bet you forgot about that didn't you) which chases and burns Snitzle's rear all the way across and off of the dock into the murky waters below, the flame makes a clean break from any water and returns to it's master, "Come my little boukon, let's spend some of this cash" The flame, even though it obviously could not have a mind of it's own, somehow nods in harmony.

OOC: I have nothing better to do than write RPs at the moment....scary! And make it so I can write it all in one!    pweeze?

[zenzetra]

(ooc:now you must prepare for the sequil
"the returne of Three-Fingered-No-Thumbed-Hook-Hand-Foul-Mouthed Ron")

this seems sort'ta "monty plythonish"

[Mika/Matthias]

Give me six hours and a can of whip cream I'll have it back!

[Mika/Matthias]

Darkness swamps over the port, speckles of white light from the gaseous orbs in the sky play upon the liquids surrounding the ports and docks of Le Noir "Night, so different from the morn tis astounding...." this sarcastic whisper emanates from a small ex-Sprite sitting upon the edge of a wooden platform, his red hair dances in the cold winds that move and mold the very tides that the ships live on, "Privy boukon....why doth I feel so much malice untoward ones brethren? What maketh me cry vengeance? And pray how can this hatred be that which I also hate? Be it my upbringing....my melding of fire and flesh.....or be it my judgment....I forget these past playtimes so well that I do not even know my own reason for being...my reason for hating, boukon...tell me please....show me what I am!" He throws his arms skyward hoping against hope that somewhere out there his beloved Asenka, the sword and soul of the one he spent so many decades with, yet it felt like fleeting moments. After her death and infusion into the blade that he wielded for 'the cause' he felt nothing, became nothing until one day where everything changed....but what was it...since the ceremony he remembers naught but the name and feeling of Asenka...the last hold he has on the past, it was there that a flame appeared afore his hands, not one of his eager apparitions but something that showed a piece of the past, "Be this you....Asenka?" As his hand went close to touch the flame, it shrank back, before launching itself at the questioner sending him to the place where dreams play....

-:28 years beforehand:-

A war torn landscape, humans and halflings had begun creating plantations across the fields, forests felled and cleared by mighty axe and bloody sinew of the destructive species, but their lust for exploration had crossed into Sprite territory....where the immortals plot vengeance for their land. In a village close to the borders, lay dead body upon dead body, the blood runs thick and the stench that much thicker, in the center of it all stands one lone winged hell bringer, his body surrounded by large orbs a fire, circling his every being, in his hand a sword so beautiful that it too is covered in a layer of flame and smoke. He is....he was the Fire Sprite Michael Nikko, as sulphur rains down from the very heavens in which he walked this necessary evil stalks its next victim, "What fools still freely mock my time?! Exeunt thy hiding and feel the quickest death thou shalt ever partake..." he closed his eyes sadly, he was split in two, one side wanted to hunt the humans and their kind like scum and burn every last kin they had from now unto forever, yet another side was sobbing at any such thoughts as he knew at some basic level...they were all one and the same, "Verily, do not mock my patience for it can all to easily be lost in an inferno of hellfire and brimstone!" It was then that he heard a whimper behind a burnt down wall, the darkness inside Michael smiled and the mission was to carry on.

"Mommy....what did we do? Why is he after us?" A small child sobbed into her mother's chest, all she could do was comfort and hope her only daughter would be spared, if not that then she hoped a painless death for them both.

"I know not sweet one...but we must stay together...there is no one left, let us hope the bastard's bloodlust is dry," it was a futile thought but if there is no hope then what of aught else, "Let us hope that he is filled of death tonight."

"One thinks that thou shalt fill the child's head with flights of fancy...let me allow you to show her your god's failures first hand."

The mother turned in terror and surely enough next to her was a kneeling Fire Sprite, blood stained and still thirsty, clenching her child she tried to move back only to be stopped by the blade of fire shattering her shoulder, holding back her tears the parent inside, thinking of the child first, began comforting her sobbing charge with her free arm, "Be still Grace, please stop crying, it'll all be alright, please my sweet Grace, please..."

It was these words that stopped the genocide of the village, silently one word was uttered "Asenka......" Nikko looked on at the two victims before him...this was the beginning of his downward spiral into morality, that child had the name that could calm the beast...but thought of too much would push him far beyond the normal...before anything else could happen the sword was pulled from flesh and Michael took flight, a piercing pain running across his throat

[Mika/Matthias]

-: Present :-

Mika wakes up not only to the realization of his change, but also to two men, one of which had a knife force against his Adams apple, before he could do anything a third man walked into view, and the prey instantly recognized the face, "Snitzle?!"

"Snitzle Hund the Third to be exact!" Sure enough just like Wedge and Biggs or Corneo and...his libido, the short chubby man was back and this time he had henchmen.

Mika would have slapped himself, if he could, for giving the rodent the idea in the first place, "So..muscle now works for a sovereign eh? I plead thee pass news of thy connections...or lest thy hairdresser..."

A nod from Hund and one of the 'muscle' kicked the pinned down pirate, "You and your flame did this to my face...and now I've come to do the same to you!"

Mika could only laugh for a while before being able to speak, "Hahhahahahha oh...oh that hurt me so....hahahah....come now Snitzle the event took place upon a fortenights worth of days afore this....it could neither have been fatal nor crippling...also thou forgot...only one of us hatht power over the unforgiving flame....but mark what bravery thou shows...for that I will not kill thee....but my patience should not be tried often...if not at all..." With that a fire ball appear and combusted in the air, knocking the three would-be attackers down, "Tis true....kill a man fore he try to end thee...." He knew he had spent his power of that little light show, "....but I give thee a chance once more....do not test my mercy...or thy last thought twill be one most painful...."

With that he left, watched not only by Hund and his men but another, with three fingers, no thumbs and a hook on one hand, a smile crept across his face, "I know ye secret Spirte....and I'll gut ye dry for messing with Three-Fingered-No-Thumbed-Foul-Mouthed Ron Hook...and then I'll dance on ye gra...eyahhhhhhh!!" The last scream came about because he was standing on a wet roof top and....you can guess what happened, after a loud crash through several plates of glass and a few cans of frozen peas he finally emitted one word, "....bugger...."

/Privy  - Secret, {in this case} Between you and I
Boukon - Departed Soul
Asenka - Grace
Reikon - Soul
Verily - Truly or Really/

[Mika/Matthias]

:)Right as I find having two accounts for one thing waaaaaaaaay too confusing I'll just post and say which is for who, usually though they'll be in the same place anywho!

"Arr, Sminty, ye fish are smelling grand as usual"

A homely old fish seller who went by that odd little name knowingly nodded his head, "Thank ye, Ron, now will ye be wanting the special?"

The one and only Three-Fingered-No-Thumbed-Foul-Mouthed Ron Hook, and when I say one and only I mean it, he ain't no carbon copy of Terry Prachett's Foul Old Ron, how can I say this? Well, a) they don't sound the same, b) they don't look the same and c) TFNTFM Ron does not have a living smell floating around his head...not much of one anyway, anyway Ron answered his compatriot after much contemplation, "Nah me old guppy..."

Sminty oddly looked at his friend, "....guppy?"

"Aye, guppy, fish, fish-monger, guppy.....as for the special I think I'll pass, just get me a bowl of your finest fish-stew....and fast! I's got work to do..." Ron laughed as evilly as he could, unfortunately it came out horsed and unsinster, not how he wanted it to be, he quit while he was ahead, a tall dark-haired man walk by and Ron was lost in awe, "By the thunders of Rehjal....the Ao Ryuu is back in town."

Sminty looked up, to make out who Ron was looking at, "Who?"

Ron looked disgusted at Sminty, /really as man of the street ye should know this/, he thought, "Ao Ryuu....the Blue Dragon!" after an uncomfortable silence he said it again, "THE BLUE DARGON, SMINTY......" again silence, but half the street were watching anyway, "Arr....tis Matthias Reims ya daft soul!" the people that were listening in "Oh"'d and carried on with their business, "Ye know naught Sminty, give me my stew and I'll be off'd."

Collecting his stew, Ron ran down the street until he caught up with the jovial Matthias Reims, who had recently been 'released' after the finding of new 'evidence', namely a hairclip and a file, had come into the possession [of Mr. Reims]. Before the foul-mouth could say anything Matthias spoke, in a tongue of refinement and charm, "What do you want Ron?" his voice was filled with excitement, he was back with his people, everyone he knew who knew him waved or politely nodded, honor among thieves, best way to live.

"Nice to see ya Mr. Ryuu...sire, I was wondering if you could assist'd me in a...scheme I have 'atched..."

"I'm out of the business of attacking grannies, Ron, or is it Mr. Hook now?"

Ron blushed....well colored, "That's only a business name Mr. Ryuu, my friends still call me Ron..."

Matthias waved at several ladies he had been involved with in the past, "So what do you want, Mr. Hook?"

A little hurt but he didn't want to push a good mood, last time he did he had thumbs, "It's about Michael Nikko..."

His smile and mood faltered but quickly returned, "I heard you had a run in...now you seem to be stalking to kid....what's the matter? Can't handle to pressures put upon by the youth? If it makes you feel any better he's older than he looks..."

Ron laughed at the comment, "Oh I know, I know, I finally found out that secret...if everyone knew it they'd hunt and kill him...heh....good riddance I say..."

Matthias stopped and turned to Ron, his happy mood lost in a fierce rage, he stepped up close to Ron and poked him hard in the chest, "Listen, Mr. Hook...if anyone found out that information, then I can quite assure you that your name would be Three-Fingered-No-Thumbed-Foul-Mouthed-Look-At-Me-I'm-Six-Feet-Under Ron....Hook. Now, as threatening as that may seem I hope there is an understanding between us? You shut up and live your anemic life and I'll not have to listen to you scheme or bother slitting your throat....just like it's always been...okay?" Reims turned and began to walk off.

Ron was completely confused, but equally afraid, "But....but I hear'd that you hated that bastard...?"

Matthias, still walking, turned round with his arms outstretched with his trademark smile brandished across his face, "I do!" With that he disappeared into the crowd, leaving Ron stumped.

[Mika/Matthias]

Several hours later and Matthias was in a bar called the Three Dwarves, oddly enough run by four of the short species, trying to talk to them about a girl with a necklace was futile, but as he really needed to see her his persistance went on, "You remember Clara? Tall......okay stupid describtion, just shorter than me, with longish purple hair...usually wore tight-fighting clothes," With that he looked around the place, where each barmaid had a body-hugging uniform, "Oh.....scratch that...you guys remember her?"

One of the dwarves, Ungor, turned to one of his brothers, Gringer, as if noticing him for the first time he said, "Lali-ho!"

Gringer turned back and in similar astonishment also said, "Lali-ho!" He then turned and 'noticed' his other, younger brother Pleen and called out, "Lali-ho!" even though Pleen was only four inches away.

Pleen simply turned around and nodded, he was saving his voice for the play later on. The final brother Jangles did not say anything either...but that was because he was a mute, he just jangled a different bell to indicate his mood. Matthias hung his head in despair, out of all the employers she could have chosen and her last lot were a bunch of dwarves with memories like sives, they knew who they were and who their brothers were, yet were always completely shocked to find one of them nearby even if that brother had been there for the past eight hours....which is a record for standing in one place in any species standards....excluding sloths and gargoyles. The only brother with any sense was the mute so he was no help, in the end he tried the direct approach, shaking one back and forth until something clicked, it took a couple of hours but Ungor finally clicked, in several place, "Lali-ho! My shoulders popped back!"

A drunken dwarf somewhere at the otherside of the bar muffly shouted, "Lali-ho!"

Just as Ungor was about to answer the call Matthias shook him some more, "No, no, we were making progress, now where is Clara...the girl I came to see often...remember?"

"Oh her...Lali..." he stopped while he was ahead, "She had a Topaz gem around her neck, right?"

"How did you know it was Topaz?"

A little angry at that remark Ungor snapped back, "Listen matey I know my rocks from my gems, I maybe a forgetful, drunken, stupid, silly, forgetful, drunken, stupid, silly, forgetful, drunken, stupid..." a few more shakes set him right, actually a few sentances past his point, "and I am a dwarf first and a go-go dancer second..."

Matthias closed his eyes to allow that to sink in, no luck, "Excuse me? What?"

"Like I said I know my rock from my gems cos I'm a fricking dwarf you nonce! Lali..."

"Riiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiight..........so where is she?"

"Went to the Fate, for a better pay....that and Gringer kept trying to look up her skirt..." Everyone looked at Gringer who simply blushed, "Now can you let me go, Jangles wants a drink," Matthias gently let go of Ungor and said his apologies, "Tain't your fault, Reims, I'll be seeing ya, right?"

Matthias scratched his head, "Actually you might not see me for a long while if my plan works out...oh yeah if Foul-Mouth Ron comes in here asking what I wanted here, give him a good dwarf beating okay, he's been following me for the past few hours and it ain't funny no more..."

Pleen smiled, "Lali-ho Matthias! Sure we will won't we lads!"

The entire bar erupt in one 'Lali-ho', a big smile appeared on Matthias' face, no matter how forgetful these guys were, they were the funniest and most loyal bunch around, "Okay, I'll see you guys after my trip, save me a drink!" With that he left.

Pleen smiled and nodded, "Sure!" He turned in shock to Ungor who was next to him, "Lali-ho! Who was that?"

"Lali-ho!" Ungor shrugged his shoulders, "I don't know..."

"Excuse me fellas, I be Three-Fingered-No-Thumbed-Foul-Mouthed Ron Hook....could you kind gents be telling me why the Ao Ryuu were to be in here?" The crook gave a toothy grin.

The four dwarves may forget many things like birthdays, stock, names and even the firecode, but if it involved beating someone up then it would be etched into their brains for life, Gringer smiled as he felt around for his hammer, "Lali-ho Ron! Sure we can tell ya....right after this preasent from Matthias Reims," They did however forget Matthias' nickname was 'Ao Ryuu' which may have made the entire sentance more sinster in their minds. Anyway, outside Matthias walked down an alleyway to the screams and pain emitted from the foul lungs of Foul-Mouthed Ron, "Strike Two Mr. Hook...strike two."

/Rehjal  - Oh nobody in particular
Lali-ho - Hello in Dwarf, I know I stole that lone from FF....but it's just so coolio/