Zero
Citizen
Frosty on the outside, that is.
Posts: 354
|
Post by Zero on Mar 2, 2011 12:53:51 GMT -5
He's been sent out again. Zero slightly dislike traveling to the other countries to accomplish a mission, but what's more is there are 2 very different bounties to after in this place they called Sougen. One is a solo quest, the other is he has to be grouped up with some other hunters to kill this target with a lot of securities.
Zero doesn't really mind the solo quest, he can start hunting tomorrow, but group work however... Well, let's just say his teammates from Veyyard are having slight problems trusting the group branch in Sougen. They've already finished killing the target, and now that they have the money, all of them are fighting to get their share.
So here he is, sitting at the far edge of the table inside a very quaint ranch. Believe it or not, the family that owned the ranch are quite friendly to offer the hunters a free room upstairs to meet and discuss things, though they have no idea who the men truly are.
Staring at his senior hunters fighting over the money like little children, the brunette twitched. It's been a good one hour passed already, and according to what he heard, Zero can pretty much tell what's the problem; everyone wants to get the priority of having more money than the others.
That's when he finally snapped.
"Enough of this, OKAY?! You're wasting precious time!!" Slamming his fists against the table, he's glad that he attracted all of their attention. "Dammit, its 1200 gold in full amount, right?! Then just split it to 7 because 1 OF US HERE did not even participated in the assassination business and SLEPT THROUGH THE JOB. Dividing it to 7, then one will get roughly about 171.43 gold! There, end of story!"
All the others stared at him wide, wondering how the hell does this boy calculate the exact amount so fast in his head. The hunter who 'slept through' objected of course, but he knows the truth of his words will get inside the others' heads. Clicking his tongue, Zero then stomped to the heap of gold, took his share, slings his rifle belt over his shoulder like a backpack, and escaped the room with a very deep frown.
Zero can't read, words aren't in very good terms with him. Numbers however, is. The young lad once shares his room with an old tax collector back in his headquarters, a friendly and fatherly tax collector he is. Watching the old man counting his coins, dividing and multiplying, adding and subtracting. It intrigues the boy, so he learned and helped the old man with his counting. He helped him for about 9 years, until the poor guy died out of old age last year. So it's no wonder Zero's more friendly towards calculating than reading.
Zero made his way outside the house and walked around the area towards the barn where they kept their livestock, kicking the dirt and some pebbles on his way to channel off his anger. What's funny is he's muttering numerals to calm himself as he sauntered...
"1200 gold could easily be divided into 150 if that one idiot didn't sleep off. Plus, we're going to have to pay the tax back in HQ anyway, so that's 20% off my current 171.43.. So when 20/100 times 171.43, and my money subtracting that value.....I may have around..137.144 gold left! Argh, so I can only spend 19.60 gold every day for this week! Damn, and that didn't even include my medical annuity.."
...And he ended up getting more frustrated as he muttered.
[Open]
|
|
Kouji
Immigrant
Posts: 27
|
Post by Kouji on Apr 5, 2011 11:47:24 GMT -5
The dark haired man stood outside the outlaw ranch. He had done some research on some of the people that had came here since Kouji had heard that a few bounty hunters had just finished with their latest assignment. He could hear all the busy chatter among the voices of the bounty hunters.
There was one bounty hunter that he was waiting for in particular though- under the alias Nil. AKA Zero. Kouji had heard many great things about Zero's work, it was if his work was flawless, without any mistakes, and from what this 40 something year old man had heard Zero was invaluable in this type of field. Especially for the person that he was searching for.
To get to his most prized family member Kouji needed a tracker, and what better tracker then the expert Zero himself. He would find her quicker if he had a tracker on hand, and the faster he found his prize the better.
A few minutes had passed and a loud voice overpowered all the other voices inside the ranch, around the table. Kouji soon noticed a young man come out and he was muttering to himself. Raising an eyebrow he spoke.
"Didn't your mother ever told you to keep your anger in check? Or do you think people can do what you want as long as you yell at them and get frustrated. Heh. Pathetic.... However since you are having such a bad day I have a proposition for you. And of course you will be paid quite a fair deal of money, more money then you could ever imagine, considering this job I want you to do is so important."
His words were straightforward, blunt, and straight to the point.
|
|
Zero
Citizen
Frosty on the outside, that is.
Posts: 354
|
Post by Zero on Apr 5, 2011 13:34:51 GMT -5
Zero was honestly so surprised to hear a voice, his hand automatically pulled out his revolver and aimed at this person before he even got a good look of him. His thumb is ready on the trigger to pull, but now that Zero's focusing on this man he's aiming, his eyebrows quirked.
He looks peculiar. Definitely not one of the locals. Nor is he a random traveler. The bounty hunter notes the scabbards apparent in the man's possession...and almost immediately, he doesn't have a very good feeling about this guy.
What's worst is the stranger's not particularly nice too, and Zero's already pissed of is fueling his anger more and more. That being confirmed, he didn't restrict the usage of his tongue by the least.
"Hey old man, if you want my help, then don't go all verbally barging into my issues so casually like that. I just do what I have to, so I don't have to suffer through the mindless gibberish.." Even now with his nerves calmed down, his hand is still pointing the gun stiffly towards this stranger. Though, the man's proposition did piqued Zero's interest.
"...Hmn. I'm listening. So before I decide, should I know who's my future client's name would be?" The gun never did waver, he feels a very bad vibe emanating from this man.
|
|
Kouji
Immigrant
Posts: 27
|
Post by Kouji on Apr 5, 2011 16:24:43 GMT -5
Kouji moved some of his hair back but kept his distance from the bounty hunter as they get acquainted for the first time. He looked straight into his eyes with a serious but annoyed look and he spoke once more.
"What is mindless giberish to me is you mumbling like a buffoon. Have you ever seen a buffoon before? Because I am looking at one." He humorously insulted and laughed.
"As for my name I'll just give you my first name, and initial the last. Kouji H. You don't need to know any further then that. As my name is not that important. It is who I am searching for that is important. And you my spikey haired friend are my trump card in finding this individual. An intriguing quest isn't it? Doesn't just get your adreneline pumping? WHO is this mysterious person you are wondering? Ah sorry but I can't give too many details but I can tell you is that this individual lives around these parts...."
As a tease he took out his bulky pouch full of a lot of money. "You see this? If you do a good job in finding this person you will be rewarded at a reasonable price, and money is what you need isn't it?"
Kouji then started to play catch with the pouch. He released it into the air and then caught it again. He kept doing that for a few moments as he waited for Zero's response to pass from his lips..
|
|
Zero
Citizen
Frosty on the outside, that is.
Posts: 354
|
Post by Zero on Apr 8, 2011 12:13:31 GMT -5
Zero just knew that this person is one of those people who can easily pop a vein in his head. 'Easily' is the keyword. What's surprising is Zero actually LISTENED to this egocentric jerk.
"You talk too much..." he concluded after much deliberation on what to say. Sure he's pissed, but he can't help thinking about Mitsuko, since that's the exact same words he used when she first spoke to him after a long time. Zero was actually planning to act as if he didn't listen to this man rambling, but the remark of his hair being spiky made him frown.
The bounty hunter even unconsciously reaches up his hand to feel his hair on top of his head, 'Is it really spiky..?' Though, the attention of his hair was then quickly averted away when this Kouji guy brings out a bulky pouch and began to toss it around. His eyes followed the pouch and after a while of staring at it, the lad sighed.
"...Consider it done. You may call me Nil throughout the job." He can't really help it. As dislikable his clients are, they are still his clients, and it's his job to make sure what they need him to do will be done perfectly. "Tell me more about this...quest. What do you want me to do to this person after I found them?" Because most of the time when he asks this question, the answer would be 'kill them for me'. That's why Zero's making sure if there are any hidden motives.
|
|
Kouji
Immigrant
Posts: 27
|
Post by Kouji on Apr 8, 2011 13:37:31 GMT -5
"Hm... You want more of a description is that it? Well I'm sure you want to know the gender of my target that I am searching for. I'm sure the gender of a person affects what you should do when you first meet the objective of your bounty. See.. it is a GIRL. Have you had a girl in any of your bounties boy? Now I don't want this person dead. I just want you to be my escort if you will."
He then takes out a piece of paper that has all the information that he has on his daughter that he is searching for. "Let me ask you this Nil. Is there an inn around here? I need to ask the people there some questions. To confirm on the information that I do have."
'AND to take a look, and see if SHE is really there.'
Kouji looked at Zero. "I'm sure a person of your caliber doesn't have the heart to take the life of my own daughter."
Now this is when he started to embellish on his story, a few lies are going to be told though.
"You see... My daughter has been missing for quite a few years now. I just need you to escort me to the first place on the list. I suppose I should also give you more of a physical description. She's a little tall, in fact you are a little taller then her. She has blue eyes, blonde hair... and oh yes... She has got a sweet voice that any one would recognize from a mile away."
|
|
Zero
Citizen
Frosty on the outside, that is.
Posts: 354
|
Post by Zero on Apr 10, 2011 4:25:55 GMT -5
Zero contained his anger within his more logical part of the mind, since this IS his client that he's conversing with. His frown remained as he heard the person he's supposed to track down is a female, but the fact that he didn't have to exterminate her brings a sigh of relief from the boy silently.
The bounty hunter then received a piece of paper from Kouji, and frowned even deeper. He can't even read, how is he supposed to decipher the writing on it? Telling Kouji that he can't read is the least of what he planned to do, since he didn't want to accidentally shoot the guy out of too much annoyance.
"We're in the middle of nowhere in the prairies, of course a genius built an inn around here, old man.." Zero sighed at his question. At the killing-the-daughter comment, the bounty hunter gave Kouji a look. It's not a distinct look, but rather to show that Zero's intrigued.
"You're looking for your missing daughter? What did she do, running away from you? ....Not that it's too surprising to know that.." Zero knows better to not ask his clients personal questions, that's why his tone leans more on sarcasm rather than questioning.
At the girl's description, Zero froze. 'Well that seemed almost frighteningly familiar...' But to mask his shock, the bounty hunter quickly commented, "Hard to miss to hear such a voice if you put it that way, huh?"
Putting his gun back on its holster and the paper inside his pocket, the lad then turned around from facing the man. He was about to take his first step to lead the way to the inn...but then he suddenly remembered he has no idea how to do even that.
'Goddamn sense of direction.....'
But then, he suddenly was reminded of Mitsuko. His bond with his best friend can lead him straight to wherever she is, and he knows at this time she's inside the inn, so now since there's no Hunter to lead the way, nor can he read signs, he decided to just follow his instinct straight to Mitsuko.
"This way.." he muttered, beginning to walk off.
|
|
Kouji
Immigrant
Posts: 27
|
Post by Kouji on Apr 10, 2011 14:20:39 GMT -5
Kouji chuckled but he could tell that Zero was being sarcastic and at the same time asking him a question. "Hm you could say that. You could say that she hated being around me so one night she just snuck out of the house and ran of, and I never saw her again."
He had a facial expression like if he was concerned and heartbroken over his daughter, but truth be told he was a master liar in making things believable and getting people to help him achieve his objective. He was embellishing on Mitsuko's personality- as she would never run away or leave to go somewhere without telling anyone. She was well behaved as a kid.
"My daughter is a handful..... I sometimes regret having her too young. Or better yet I should have put her up for adoption so that someone else could take care of her. But her mom wanted to keep her, so what was I supposed to do?"
If Zero had known that this was his best friend that her father was regretting to have brought into this world too young then he'd be pissed. Kouji did want to just have boys though.
"How about you Buffoon? Have you ever lost someone?"
|
|
Zero
Citizen
Frosty on the outside, that is.
Posts: 354
|
Post by Zero on Apr 18, 2011 14:20:20 GMT -5
Zero walked slightly faster than his client, so he could lead him, and so Kouji is unable to see his facial reactions. Zero rolled his eyes, that's his automatic reaction.
"Well I could relate to her of not standing you.." he muttered silently with his breath as he sighed. Zero understands his own temper, so he can just tell which people to avoid, so he didn't accidentally kill someone. Kouji, is one of those people.
"Well old man, then it's proper to define you as having a weak heart to not even have the power to discipline your child...and even thinking of abandoning your own blood.." Zero's words got fainter when he reached the end, seeming to realize something as he said that.
With his eyebrows creasing, he then turned his head to the side to look at Kouji a bit, "Hold on. If you dislike her so much to put her up for adoption back then, then why are you tracking her down now?" The most logical theory he can come up with is she might have something now that she doesn't when she's younger.
His trail of thought was then cut short when Kouji voiced out his curiosity. "Ugh old man, why do you think I'm a tracker now? Of course I've lost someone, what kind of question was that?" That came out automatically. He didn't intend to say out his life story so easily, maybe it's because he's angry. ...Or this old man has a frightening knack to wring information out of his throat.
Still, Zero's thankful he didn't spit out all of it. He would've continued with the fact that he had already found what he lost, but fortunately his tongue complies to stay put. "And if you call me that again, I won't respond to your idiocy."
|
|
Kouji
Immigrant
Posts: 27
|
Post by Kouji on Apr 18, 2011 20:52:40 GMT -5
As Zero walked faster and much more ahead then Kouji, the long black haired man followed keeping up with the bounty hunter. His conversation wasn't done, and as more questions were asked from Zero Kouji thought about the answers. Then when he got one that was acceptable, he spoke.
"Why you ask? Why am I finding her? oh you wound me bounty hunter with your question that hit straight in my heart. CAN'T a old man such as myself miss his daughter? And want to try and make amends?"
"My daughter doesn't really like me. I'll give you that. But she needs that relationship with her father even if it is distant. She has no mother, and therefore my spikey haired friend, is why she should accept me back in.. Hm... Let's see... I have two boys. One is venturing in the world, and the other.... pfft... hahahahahaha! My other son is quite the idiot. He is the one that hurt my eye and thus I have this ANNOYING eye patch."
Kouji paused. ...
"OHH so you do have a person you care about? Well what that person sees in you I'll never know hahahaha ^___^."
"Trust me my daughter... is quite the mess internally. She ALWAYS helps people, and yet she can't even say the damned word no. She'd feel bad she'd say.... yeah what a nice excuse. Once I meet with her I'll have to reteach her some things and undo some things that her mother put into her pretty little head of hers..."
Though the truth was that his daughter did have something. Something special that her mother gave to her, which in turned caused her mother to die. Her mother basically gave her a gift , that was basically contained in the essence of her life force.
Kouji then went into a deeper thought and he also got the feeling that he had to be careful in what he told Zero since this bounty hunter was smart and able to see through facades. IF only Zero knew that this was Mitsuko which was the target once more... Well Zero would have lost it, though the poor excuse for a father had not picked up on the connection between the two yet.
'Once I get what I need from her.... then... haha if she ends up going against her friends she wouldn't stand to face the consequences, and therefore choose to lose her life. Oh my beautiful flower... you feel trapped don't you? As if you are on a ship and want to commit suicide by jumping off the bow. Just like the Titanic.'
|
|
Zero
Citizen
Frosty on the outside, that is.
Posts: 354
|
Post by Zero on Apr 20, 2011 4:25:08 GMT -5
"Why do I have a feeling that you don't even have one..." Zero muttered to himself as Kouji stated about his wounded heart. Amends. 'That takes him an awfully long time to realize that...' There's something odd about the facts he gave out, Zero wasn't sure if those are even called as facts.
"Your son stabbed you in the eye?" Zero can't help but to let out a singular chuckle, "Heh! Well, that's a wonderful son you raised there." Seems like all of his kids tends to either avoid the old man or harm him. "No offense, but you don't look like the type to be a father. A...loving father, that is."
Zero ignored the insult, just let the old man laugh, he has to remember to keep his temper in check. And turns out, keeping quiet has earned Zero a very particular description about the daughter of his client. A valuable description, at that.
The bounty hunter turned to face Kouji, he needed to see the man's face when that information was said. Then based with all the interrogation techniques that was taught to him in HQ, Zero can tell by how his one eye looks, Kouji's telling the truth. This surprises Zero, so then he quickly faces the front again, now with more thought.
'Damn, if only Lucille's here..' That's one of the hunters' alias, he's always teased because of that name, but he's highly skilled in detecting lies even by the smallest gesture, and even constructing relatively complicated theories of how that person's life was, just by watching them.
"You've killed people, haven't you?" and Zero didn't meant that by just physically. He started having stronger doubts leading this man right to his daughter now.
|
|
Kouji
Immigrant
Posts: 27
|
Post by Kouji on Apr 23, 2011 8:22:38 GMT -5
"Oh I am SO glad you asked that my spiky haired buffoon. ^_^- I can break down someone's spirit without a problem. One person in particular is my daughter's. she is so fragile like a flower that with the twisting of words I can break her down to show her how wonderfully cruel this world is. She thinks that the world is all lollipops and rainbows. -_-;; Quite frankly it pisses me off!"
Little did he know his daughter was growing and maturing at this very second.
"I mean this fantasy world that she has in her head is just that. Pure fantasy! Hmm which reminds me... Tell me.. Have you come across the woman that I described to you earlier... and what else did i forgot to mention..."
He snapped his fingers as it came back to him.
"Oh yes. a bow. That stupid bow that defines her as a "woman".
Kouji was dead set on in finding this girl and get certain things out of her head, he saw it as blinding her, and when he finds her and reteaches some things she would be of more use to him instead of fighting him.
Kouji was the one that was blinded by his mission, his greed, his selfishness, and his own anger. He didn't care if this person was his own blood, he just cared about what he would be getting out of it.
'My daughter... your world is like a house of cards right now... and as stable as it may be pretty soon it will come crashing down.. and you won't know the first thing of defending yourself.'
That's what he thought. He is underestimating his daughter, after all she has a great strength, behind her gentle nature.
|
|
Zero
Citizen
Frosty on the outside, that is.
Posts: 354
|
Post by Zero on May 2, 2011 9:02:09 GMT -5
'MAN, this guy rambles a lot..' Zero silently heaved out a sigh as he shook his head sideways, he's even worst than Miki. Little did he know both the men are thinking about the same maiden at that very same time. "Tame hair. Not a buffoon. Get that in your thick head. If you talk about your precious little daughter this much, then I can't wait to see how exactly do you react if you succeed in finding her," he intended that as a sarcastic remark, but it sounded more like he's eager to watch the family reunion.
'And I thought little girls and fantasies are inseparable..' Another shook of his head. But then his eyes cornered as he thought, didn't the old man said his daughter's tall? She can't be a little girl. "How old is she now, exactly? ..I mean, if you keep track of her birthdays that is." He doubted it.
As for the question the annoyance of his client asks, Zero took a moment to ponder if he's seen any girl with a bow. "Old man, I live in Veyyard, not Sougen. No girls in Veyyard wears bows." The bounty hunter only started visiting Sougen more often just because of his best friend. ...And didn't Miki wears a big white bow? '....Naah, must be another girl.'
Though dismissing that fact, it's still a possibility. ...A scary possibility. So Zero just merely put it away to ponder upon later rather than ignoring it completely. "As you're my client, I'm not allowed to press in my personal opinions on your...judgement. But I'd like to remind you, that girls grow up fast, mentally especially. So please stop your baseless perception just because you've been with her before she hits puberty."
And there goes his honesty, without the boundaries.
|
|
Kouji
Immigrant
Posts: 27
|
Post by Kouji on May 2, 2011 9:59:49 GMT -5
"Hah. I can picture it now. Once I get to see my daughter and try to hug her she'll push me away, probably even scream, tremble a little bit, run away. Oh yes... she is 22 to be exact. And her birthday us sometime in the Halloween month of October. At least that is what my sources told me."
"Alright my spikey haired friend.... So you haven't seen any girl that wears a bow? I mean for my sake MAN She sticks out from a mile away with that white dress of hers. How could you not have ran across a girl like that? I get the feeling...-"
His words cut off as soon as he heard a woman's voice. A loud woman's voice. So much so that it made Kouji unable to finish his thought.
|
|
|
Post by NPC: Female on May 2, 2011 10:07:11 GMT -5
"CRAP! Why did they send me out on an errand this early in the day? I mean that poor girl is working herself to the bone lately at the inn so she needs help! I am telling you she always does so much that she can't handle... It's as if she is holding that inn together because of the children who are visiting with their families. I have to admit though she is quite the story teller huh Milo?"
Milo peeped happily but all of a sudden the dove got a vibe. A bad vibe as if she had just seen a monster. She peeped frantically and started to fly all around Madame May.
"H-Hey Milo quit it! I know Mitsuko sent you to keep me company and to protect me while I am out here but what has gotten into you?"
Milo flew straight to the "bad man that gave off bad vibes and started pecking him.
"MILO Stop! You aren't supposed to attack random people!"
|
|