The next day K'airos had left early in the morning, having nothing for breakfast more than a loaf of bread. She was sure she'd be back in less than a bell had passed. Quitting the Blades wouldn't take long, she thought. She was using the blue and black bilaud, the one she found in the pile of clothes D'hein had brought, and matching trousers. She wasn't going to, at first, but then it struck her that presenting herself to the captain in a pretty and expensive dress and uttering the words "I quit." would make the man quickly come to conclusion as to why she was quitting. It would be an incorrect one, but that didn't bother her. She didn't want to talk about it.
She returned later than planned, a bell and half later, to the Quicksand. She entered the building and made a line to the closest railing. She leaned on it and looked between the tables, wondering if her mother was waiting for her outside their room.
Antimony was not. She had left the room only for a few minutes, just after K'airos had gone, to order some more tea. Once she had the pot and cup in hand, she'd returned to the inn room and remained cloistered there. The Quicksand had seemed far too boisterous, even as quiet as it was in the morning, and the potential for running into people she did not wish to speak with was uncomfortably high in that public place. She spent the time without K'airos attempting to distract herself from an instinctive worry - straightening and folding her daughter's clothes, cleaning up the washroom, and eventually just sitting at the rebuilt coffee table and attempting to plot out the itinerary they would require to make it securely back to Limsa.
Not seeing her mother around, the young Miqo'te woman moved across the Quicksand's restaurant towards the rooms. Or was it a bar? The technicalities bothered her long enough to notice she was standing in front of her mother's room. She raised one fist to knock, then dropped it. It was not her mother's room. It was -their- room. She didn't have to knock at all. She places the hand on the knob and pushed the door open, entering.
"I'm back!" she announced.
Green eyes did not so much lift towards the door as adjust their focus, for Antimony had for the past ten minutes been watching the door like a hawk. She was certain it had been longer than K'airos had said it would take. She had tried not to worry.
When her daughter stepped in, her feet carried her immediately from her chair towards the young woman with a relieved smile. "It is good to see you back. Tell me now, are you ready to begin our journey?"
The girl raised a finger and opened her mouth. Quickly, she changed her mind and closed the door behind her by letting her back rest on it. Her ears were angled oddly on her head. "Uhm. No. I didn't quit."
The smile remained for several seconds on Antimony's face, though her ears shifted in confusion. "Airos... did they not allow it? They can't hold you as a slave, dear." She paused and then, "... did you change your mind?"
"Yes! I mean...no. The captain didn't give me a chance to quit. But then yes!" the girl leaned forward, getting away from the door. "It looks like someone has been talking really well about me, because a rich merchant wants to hire me specifically as a bodyguard." she said, straightening her posture and smiling proudly.
Antimony's features could not decide if they wanted to continue smiling or fall into something else. Her voice, however, she pumped excitement into at a level that sought to match her daughter's on clear pride, "Oh Airos! That's wonderful. Of course anyone should speak highly of you, I should know. But..." Her face settled on worried. "A bodyguard. That sounds awfully dangerous."
K'airos didn't seem to be affected by such worries. "It is! But not more than being a Brass Blade. And he's paying better! Though the Blades will keep a chunk of the gil, but it's still a lot more than what I earn! Or what I'd earn as a Yellowjacket..."
"I suppose... but a Brass Blade could just chase down simple thieves or... or fine a disorderly party-goer. A bodyguard... that implies a threat to your - or, your employer's that is - life!" Her brow knit together. "Are you certain, Airos? I want to know you're safe."
"Brass Blades also fight Amalj'aa. I don't think any thug would be more dangerous than that." her daughter replied, half pondering about it. After saying that, she placed her hands on her hips. Her ears perked up and her tail swung from one side to the other. "But it's still even better! He's not always in the area, but still wants to ensure I'm ready for whenever he is. So, I'll be payed even without being in, you know, actual danger! It seems like a very safe job. We could even buy a house somewhere in a few months!"
Antimony seemed to calm a bit as K'airos continued, and at her daughter's last sentence she even smiled, though it was tinged with sadness. She found herself lacking in words for a moment, so instead she simply moved forward to wrap her arms about the young woman. Finally she said, "Alright, Airos. I will support you in whatever you choose, so if you wish to take this job... I will stay with you here."
The woman hopped once and almost clapped her hands. "That's great! Now we need to pack. The captain said I shouldn't make him wait too long." She walked to where she remembered the pile of clothes being. If she was surprised at not finding it there, she did not show any signs. She stopped in front of the bed and looked around. "We'll have to move to Drybone first, since he's there right now. Possibly stay there a week or so before he leaves to Gridania again."
Antimony blinked. "Drybone." She felt her heart drop to her stomach, and it might have leaked into her expression for half a second before she smiled towards her daughter. She forced herself to move to distract from the sinking desperation, the knowledge of what was now far too close to Drybone. She went to the small dresser, where she'd stowed away K'airos's clothing, and her own remaining outfits. "Ah, of course. He is a Gridanian, then? I suppose that makes sense that he would want a guard when doing business in another territory."
"I think so!" K'airos nodded, walking towards the dresser as soon as she noticed her mother doing the same. "The captain implied he was a jeweler, leader of a company of craftsmen here in Ul'dah. Though they are not affiliated with any of the actual guilds."
"Really now? Odd that he would even be able to do business here, in that case." She'd learned much about Ul'dah's economy in her time spent investigating a certain tribe, and one thing was clear - the craftsman guilds in Ul'dah maintained strong grips on their markets. Lifting carefully folded clothes from the dresser, she began to pile them on the bed. It occurred to her that they may not have a bag large enough to fit everything.
"I don't know if it'd be practical to bring all of this to Drybone." the daughter mused. "D'hein brought a lot of clothes!"
"We've nowhere to keep it, Airos. And it's not so much." Distantly she wondered if she should start considering attempting to retrieve her other possessions from Limsa, but that sparked even more worries of its own and now was just not the time for those thoughts.
"Well." the girl shrugged. "Maybe one day we will! And where are your things?"
Antimony blinked. Was K'airos a mind-reader? "Oh, sweetheart, don't worry about my things." She smiled towards her daughter. "Let me take care of that. I want you to focus on yourself. Staying safe, doing a good job, being happy."
She nodded. "If you say so. We should pack up, then have breakfast and then leave. Oh!" She joined her hands together. "Maybe we should let D'hein know we are going to Drybone. He might worry otherwise."
Small lips pressed together at that, but a moment later she sighed. Her tail shifted. "Yes... Yes, I suppose you are right. Always thoughtful, Airos." She cast a soft look towards her daughter. "Neither of us are setting foot near the Dodo commune, however. If he is not immediately around, we will simply have to leave a letter."
K'airos ears shook up and down once. "Oh?" she uttered, and then, with her ears dropping somewhat, she asked something else. "Is there anyone else we should tell? That lalafell friend of yours, maybe? And that..." She gestured with her hands, raising them well above her head and then dropping them. "...elezen old man whose name I...forgot."
Antimony turned away, busying herself with straightening the pile of clothes uselessly to hide her guilty expression from her daughter. Ulanan's persistence in tagging along with that roegadyn voidsent hunter bothered her deeply. She wasn't sure it was quite betrayal, but she was reluctant to go looking for her friend when it meant likely also having to suffer the blinded woman's interrogations. "... I will let them know. I would not simply disappear on my friends, after all. Though... I suspect Megiddo would be able to find us anyway."
K'airos squinted, moving her hands to help her mother with the useless straightening of clothes. "He mentioned he was serving time in jail." she commented plainly. "Is he a...dodgy...kind of man?"
She sighed at that. "Not precisely. You've nothing to worry about from him." She smiled towards K'airos. "Now let's find something to pack these in. I'll make arrangements for us to leave."
She returned later than planned, a bell and half later, to the Quicksand. She entered the building and made a line to the closest railing. She leaned on it and looked between the tables, wondering if her mother was waiting for her outside their room.
Antimony was not. She had left the room only for a few minutes, just after K'airos had gone, to order some more tea. Once she had the pot and cup in hand, she'd returned to the inn room and remained cloistered there. The Quicksand had seemed far too boisterous, even as quiet as it was in the morning, and the potential for running into people she did not wish to speak with was uncomfortably high in that public place. She spent the time without K'airos attempting to distract herself from an instinctive worry - straightening and folding her daughter's clothes, cleaning up the washroom, and eventually just sitting at the rebuilt coffee table and attempting to plot out the itinerary they would require to make it securely back to Limsa.
Not seeing her mother around, the young Miqo'te woman moved across the Quicksand's restaurant towards the rooms. Or was it a bar? The technicalities bothered her long enough to notice she was standing in front of her mother's room. She raised one fist to knock, then dropped it. It was not her mother's room. It was -their- room. She didn't have to knock at all. She places the hand on the knob and pushed the door open, entering.
"I'm back!" she announced.
Green eyes did not so much lift towards the door as adjust their focus, for Antimony had for the past ten minutes been watching the door like a hawk. She was certain it had been longer than K'airos had said it would take. She had tried not to worry.
When her daughter stepped in, her feet carried her immediately from her chair towards the young woman with a relieved smile. "It is good to see you back. Tell me now, are you ready to begin our journey?"
The girl raised a finger and opened her mouth. Quickly, she changed her mind and closed the door behind her by letting her back rest on it. Her ears were angled oddly on her head. "Uhm. No. I didn't quit."
The smile remained for several seconds on Antimony's face, though her ears shifted in confusion. "Airos... did they not allow it? They can't hold you as a slave, dear." She paused and then, "... did you change your mind?"
"Yes! I mean...no. The captain didn't give me a chance to quit. But then yes!" the girl leaned forward, getting away from the door. "It looks like someone has been talking really well about me, because a rich merchant wants to hire me specifically as a bodyguard." she said, straightening her posture and smiling proudly.
Antimony's features could not decide if they wanted to continue smiling or fall into something else. Her voice, however, she pumped excitement into at a level that sought to match her daughter's on clear pride, "Oh Airos! That's wonderful. Of course anyone should speak highly of you, I should know. But..." Her face settled on worried. "A bodyguard. That sounds awfully dangerous."
K'airos didn't seem to be affected by such worries. "It is! But not more than being a Brass Blade. And he's paying better! Though the Blades will keep a chunk of the gil, but it's still a lot more than what I earn! Or what I'd earn as a Yellowjacket..."
"I suppose... but a Brass Blade could just chase down simple thieves or... or fine a disorderly party-goer. A bodyguard... that implies a threat to your - or, your employer's that is - life!" Her brow knit together. "Are you certain, Airos? I want to know you're safe."
"Brass Blades also fight Amalj'aa. I don't think any thug would be more dangerous than that." her daughter replied, half pondering about it. After saying that, she placed her hands on her hips. Her ears perked up and her tail swung from one side to the other. "But it's still even better! He's not always in the area, but still wants to ensure I'm ready for whenever he is. So, I'll be payed even without being in, you know, actual danger! It seems like a very safe job. We could even buy a house somewhere in a few months!"
Antimony seemed to calm a bit as K'airos continued, and at her daughter's last sentence she even smiled, though it was tinged with sadness. She found herself lacking in words for a moment, so instead she simply moved forward to wrap her arms about the young woman. Finally she said, "Alright, Airos. I will support you in whatever you choose, so if you wish to take this job... I will stay with you here."
The woman hopped once and almost clapped her hands. "That's great! Now we need to pack. The captain said I shouldn't make him wait too long." She walked to where she remembered the pile of clothes being. If she was surprised at not finding it there, she did not show any signs. She stopped in front of the bed and looked around. "We'll have to move to Drybone first, since he's there right now. Possibly stay there a week or so before he leaves to Gridania again."
Antimony blinked. "Drybone." She felt her heart drop to her stomach, and it might have leaked into her expression for half a second before she smiled towards her daughter. She forced herself to move to distract from the sinking desperation, the knowledge of what was now far too close to Drybone. She went to the small dresser, where she'd stowed away K'airos's clothing, and her own remaining outfits. "Ah, of course. He is a Gridanian, then? I suppose that makes sense that he would want a guard when doing business in another territory."
"I think so!" K'airos nodded, walking towards the dresser as soon as she noticed her mother doing the same. "The captain implied he was a jeweler, leader of a company of craftsmen here in Ul'dah. Though they are not affiliated with any of the actual guilds."
"Really now? Odd that he would even be able to do business here, in that case." She'd learned much about Ul'dah's economy in her time spent investigating a certain tribe, and one thing was clear - the craftsman guilds in Ul'dah maintained strong grips on their markets. Lifting carefully folded clothes from the dresser, she began to pile them on the bed. It occurred to her that they may not have a bag large enough to fit everything.
"I don't know if it'd be practical to bring all of this to Drybone." the daughter mused. "D'hein brought a lot of clothes!"
"We've nowhere to keep it, Airos. And it's not so much." Distantly she wondered if she should start considering attempting to retrieve her other possessions from Limsa, but that sparked even more worries of its own and now was just not the time for those thoughts.
"Well." the girl shrugged. "Maybe one day we will! And where are your things?"
Antimony blinked. Was K'airos a mind-reader? "Oh, sweetheart, don't worry about my things." She smiled towards her daughter. "Let me take care of that. I want you to focus on yourself. Staying safe, doing a good job, being happy."
She nodded. "If you say so. We should pack up, then have breakfast and then leave. Oh!" She joined her hands together. "Maybe we should let D'hein know we are going to Drybone. He might worry otherwise."
Small lips pressed together at that, but a moment later she sighed. Her tail shifted. "Yes... Yes, I suppose you are right. Always thoughtful, Airos." She cast a soft look towards her daughter. "Neither of us are setting foot near the Dodo commune, however. If he is not immediately around, we will simply have to leave a letter."
K'airos ears shook up and down once. "Oh?" she uttered, and then, with her ears dropping somewhat, she asked something else. "Is there anyone else we should tell? That lalafell friend of yours, maybe? And that..." She gestured with her hands, raising them well above her head and then dropping them. "...elezen old man whose name I...forgot."
Antimony turned away, busying herself with straightening the pile of clothes uselessly to hide her guilty expression from her daughter. Ulanan's persistence in tagging along with that roegadyn voidsent hunter bothered her deeply. She wasn't sure it was quite betrayal, but she was reluctant to go looking for her friend when it meant likely also having to suffer the blinded woman's interrogations. "... I will let them know. I would not simply disappear on my friends, after all. Though... I suspect Megiddo would be able to find us anyway."
K'airos squinted, moving her hands to help her mother with the useless straightening of clothes. "He mentioned he was serving time in jail." she commented plainly. "Is he a...dodgy...kind of man?"
She sighed at that. "Not precisely. You've nothing to worry about from him." She smiled towards K'airos. "Now let's find something to pack these in. I'll make arrangements for us to leave."
"Song dogs barking at the break of dawn, lightning pushes the edges of a thunderstorm; and these streets, quiet as a sleeping army, send their battered dreams to heaven."
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