Honestly? Bastien was pretty surprised to see that this random stranger was so eager to play along with some weirdly convincing bullshit story after just being offered a vague amount of money. He couldn’t help but grin ear-to-ear as he listened to the man’s tale of near-fatal boar-fighting and never-happened adventuring. Hell, this guy was so good at faking it that Bastien made a mental note to inquire about the prospects of becoming partners in this kinda business together after this whole current escapade was over and done with. Dude seemed pretty sturdy, too-- definitely seen his own good share of fights, and the more blood a man’s spilt, the more Bastien liked ‘em. The only thing Bastien [i]didn’t[/i] like, though, was the sudden pay raise the stranger made up; he was thinking of giving the man five bucks or something, but now it’s a whole meal? For [i]three[/i] people, and some bird? Man, if he knew that was the price of a convincing ploy…

	Nonetheless, the woman seemed to agree despite the rough start, and Bastien couldn’t be happier it all turned out okay in the end. Getting a team together so quickly was wonderful, and if they were all as good as they said they were, hitting those high-tier hunts would be sure to get some good coinage flowing. As Bastien fantasized about all the loot they could get if they became master hunters, the blonde lady introduced herself as Corine: a wandering Chocobo Knight looking for work and apparently also a good meal. It was a little frustrating that she was turned on to the idea of a night out at a restaurant so quickly, dashing his last hope that the dinner plan could fall through yet still, but he betrayed his own feelings by giving her a melodramatic bow. [color=ed1c24]“Name’s Bastien. I’m certain it’ll be a pleasure teaming up with you...”[/color] And then the smirk. That was the deal-sealer. The stranger’s name was of no concern to Bastien-- he was already supposed to know it, after all.

	[color=ed1c24]“Ah… If I could be so bold, might I be able to join you on your chocobo…?”[/color] Bastien’s face lit up at the suggestion of chocobo-riding, but he couldn’t help but feel embarrassed about the fact that he allowed himself to be even that transparent. After toning down his excitement a bit, he cleared his throat and started to speak. [color=ed1c24]“You see, my knee… I took a tumble on some stairs the other day, and my knee’s been acting up since. I’m good for a fight, don’t fret-- I’d even be willing to show you-- but I’m afraid going long-distance might be a bit much for me… You need not worry about my friend here, though; he can run marathons even in that armor of his. Cross-country is his calling, and he’s in peak form!”[/color] Bastien gave his new friend a pat on the shoulder, the metal clanging ever so gently. Hopefully he wouldn’t mind getting stuck in the dust of a magnificent chocobo if it meant getting a real good meal later on.

	With that being said, though, Bastien took the initiative in getting this party going by swiping the ad off of the board and heading over to the nearest open receptionist. She looked at him with the standard customer-service smile.  [color=ed1c24]“We’ll be taking this on, me and my little group here.”[/color] Bastien said, motioning back over to his two newest friends. [color=ed1c24]“Get our reward ready for us already hun, we’ll be back in an hour tops.”[/color] She nodded tiredly and, after they went through the legalities necessary, shooed him off before he could say anything else stupid. With that done, Bastien returned to his entourage and waved the slip of paper at them. [color=ed1c24]“Shall we get this show on the road then?”[/color]

[@Ambra] [@Mag Lev]