Hydaelyn Role-Players

As the sun began to set over the hills and mountains of Western Thanalan the light filtered through the sails and rigging of the Phoenix Flame, anchored within sights of Crescent Cove. From the docks, the silhouettes of various crew members could be seen on deck milling about performing various sundry tasks. After a few moments, a small dinghy was lowered over the side containing two figures. Once settled in the water, the larger of the two took up the oars and began the trip towards the docks.

Upon reaching the docks, the smaller of the two - a flame-haired Miq'ote in leather pantaloons and a loose fitting cloth shirt - hopped nimbly onto the pier and roped the vessel to a bollard. Once secured, the other figure stepped onto the dock; a well-built Roegadyn woman with short-cut silver hair and worn, grey skin. She reached back into the dinghy and pulled out a sturdy looking sign, passing it to the Miq'ote. Together, they made their way off the docks and picked out a well shaded spot. Swinging out a support from the back of the sign, the Roegadyn set it in a visible spot so the message could be ready by as many passers-by as possible. The sign read "PASSAGE TO LIMSA LOMINSA. ASK FOR PRICING. LESS THAN 50,000 GIL THOUGH. PROMISE." Glancing over the wording, she rolled her eyes and sighed deeply.

"I don't know why we let Felix write the sign, I really don't. We may as well add on 'Not a con, for real'. How are we going to find takers with this sodding thing?" Her companion gave a sympathetic smile.

"I know, Aggy. But he worked so hard on it, it woulda broke his heart to not use it. It'll all be fine, you'll see. 'sides, that's why we're the ones out here. We look all cute, unassuming and approachable-like." She gave a goofy-looking grin and winked. "C'mon, let's get to work." She turned and started calling our towards the busy walkways. "Passage to Limsa Lominsa, leaving at midnight! Any offer considered! Don't pay outrageous prices for that 'official' ferry when you can sail with us!"

A one-eyed Elezen wearing a long, ragged coat made his way hesitantly along the docks. He turned his head and twitched his ears as he weaved through the evening bustle, trying to keep as much distance from the ever-flowing crowd as possible. He paused mid-step, shifted his pack on his shoulder, mumbled to himself that he was probably making a huge mistake, shook his head and began again.

The causeways rang with hawkers advertising their wares, from goods to fish to safe passage. He had no interest in the first, despised the second, and with each shout for the third his hopes dimmed a little more. He wasn't quite broke, but doing what amounted to charity for five years did not leave one swimming in gil.

And, really, 50,000 for a damned ferry ride? Did everyone strike it rich after the Calamity and no one told him?

"Passage to Limsa Lominsa, leaving at midnight! Any offer considered! Don't pay outrageous prices for that 'official' ferry when you can sail with us!"

His ears perked, singling out the voice in the din. That was the best offer he'd heard all evening - rather depressing, given how vague it was, but he'd take what he could get. His eyes fell upon two women, a bright-haired Miqo'te, shouting and waving out into the crowd next to a dark Roegadyn. He slowly made his way forward.

"U-um... 'Scuse me," he stammered, trying to grab their attention through his nerves. They turned to him, gazes searching, and he gulped. "Will... uh, will a thousand do?"

A short miqo'te walked through the docks, apearing for all the world to be tailless owing to the fact that it was wrapped around his torso under his shirt.

"How am I going to get to Limsa?" he quietly asked himself, "50k for a ferry ride, what to do they think everyone here is made of gil?"  Shaking his head he mutters, "Of course this is Ul'dah or close enough.  His ears perk up within his hood when he hears a shout for cheap ferry passage to Limsa Lolimsa.  Grinning to himself he heads over and barely suppresses a laugh at their sign "PASSAGE TO LIMSA LOMINSA. ASK FOR PRICING. LESS THAN 50,000 GIL THOUGH. PROMISE."  At the very least its worth a shot he thinks before heading over, and once in the shade removing his hood, speaking to the other member of what he guesses is the crew he says, "I've only got a few hundred gil to pay for passage, but I know a bit of conjury I'd be willing to lend to help pay as well."

If Desmond's time in his father's tutelage had taught him anything, it was that whomever fired the first offer in a negotiation was at a disadvantage. The first offer was always an opportunity to gauge your opponent's position. How far were they willing to reach? How much did they think of you? And more telling, how much did they think you had to offer in return? The weapons of choice were words, the reward, gil.

He made his way closer to the two figures gesticulating towards the crowd. They offered passage to Limsa, the place where Desmond's contract would begin. He noted their nets had already caught the first catch of the day. A tall Elezen. 

'They are all tall', he thought to himself self dryly. 

He slowed his pace and took care to watch their exchange. He would employ another of his father's tenets, allow someone else to be the vanguard for your victory. As he drew closer an animated Miqo'te also approached. He stopped within hearing distance to see what he could learn about the ferrymen and their nebulous offer.

It had been three days. Three whole days of being stranded in West Thanlan! And why was it that Faydrel Lovell found herself in such a predicament? The fact that a ferry ticket to Limsa Lominsa was currently going to cost a whopping 55,000 gil. Who in this era had that kind of coin beside those who already owned their own vessel? The official ferry owner was obviously delusional or just one greedy son of a slag to demand such a daunting amount.
 
The Hyur Midlander had been hanging about the docks for the entirety of the three days she had been stranded in hopes she could have stowed aboard the ferry, but not a single person had been willing to pay such an outrageous price. Shocking.
 
Currently Faydrel was making yet another round along the docks and listened as the local venders called out about their wares. Honestly the gil was starting to get a little low with the three days she’d already been there. Oh what she wouldn’t do to be back home in Limsa. This place was just too dry for her tastes. And teleportation just wasn’t really her thing.
 
It was as she passed a Miqo’te and Hyur trying to sell their catch of the day that something caught her attention. The blonde paused in her steps as she heard the holler of a promise of free passage to Limsa. “Well this just has to be good.” She snickered with a bit of sarcasm and moved her booted feet across the wooden planks and towards the shady spot of where the claims were coming from.
 
What it was she had found were a pair of women and a very interesting sign. As she read the sign from a small distance her pale blonde brow quirked. And how good it really was! A tug of a smirk came across her lips as she watched a pair of strapping young men approach the female Miqo’te and Roegadyn. This was some kind of obvious scam or just really poor planning on the women’s part.
 
Fay’s blue gaze shifted away from the small display and noted a dark-haired Hyur man nearby who appeared to also be listening in on the current conversation. With her sly smirk widening upon her face she found herself strolling closer to the lad and suddenly slapping him on the back as if he were an old friend.


"Enjoying the display?" Faydrel chimed with a small chuckle as she stood beside the young-looking lad. "10-1 odds says this is one huge con." 

"Mmmpph.... Melle! Really! Get your behind... movin'! There won't be no ships... ugh! by the time we get there... and it's a hell-of-a-lon' swim!" Cima grunted, pushing forwards with all her might.
Her redheaded companion had stiffened into a stance of reluctant rigidity now that the docks were within view, and the Miqo'te was having a tough time getting the plank-of-a-Hyur up the sandy slope. (Humorously enough, parallel, heel-dug lines were being drawn in the wake of their stubborn struggle.)
Between Melle's lamenting protests of the sea and the busy babble of dock-talk, Cima caught a shrill sound: "Passage to Limsa Lominsa, leaving at midnight! Any offer considered!-"
A single ear flicked up as she listened... only to slap right back against her green head when she had heard enough. Abruptly, she stopped forcing the back of her friend - and had she not immediately grabbed Melle's hand to lead her to the call, the girl likely would've tipped in her board-like state directly backwards.
"Over here, Melle! Feck payin' full price to visit this lazy bastard... let's haggle!" She bounced alongside Melle excitedly, roughly jostling people aside until they came upon the group.
Falling to a stop shortly behind the cluster and releasing Melle's hand, Cima cast a side-long glance up at her partner. "We'll getcha a bucket." She proposed sympathetically before adding, "Gotta put your game face on now!" with her own best impression of said game face.
And then she offered her ears to the bids.

The Miqo'te turned back to her partner and grinned, a look that screamed 'What did I tell you?'. She stretched her palms in front of her, fingers intertwined and began to address the inquiries.

"Right! First up, you! Timing-looking fella!" She pointed a finger at the one-eyed Elezen. "I reckon we can cut you a deal. Go wait over by Aggy there, the Cap'n oughta be by soon and you two can work out the details." She turned her attention to the short male Miqo'te, looking puzzled for a moment as she glanced him over and wasn't able to spot a tail before shaking her head, seeming to dismiss it. "As for you...the gil ain't much, but we're not exactly rolling in conjurers on board lately, so you're in. Same like I told the other one, go back to Aggy and wait for the Cap'n." She indicated behind her with a thumb over her shoulder before turning to the rest of the crowd.

"As for the rest of ya, don't be shy! What about you, greenie?" She hopped over to Cima and stopped in front of her, cocking her head. "You look like you're needing to get somewhere. Name's Salaah, Bos'n of the Phoenix Flame. What's yours?"

The Miqo'te's companion - the one she'd called Aggy - watched with an expression equal parts irritation and amusement as she beckoned the first two takers over to her. Before they could start to approach, a noise in the distance caught her attention...one that sounded extremely, aggravatingly familiar. She shook her head and offered up a silent prayer that it wasn't what she thought it was. Otherwise, their dear Captain would likely be joining them sooner than expected...

Nodding Xha'li adjusted his pack shoulders then started to head towards the Roegadyn when he heard a noise that didn't fit with the bustle of the port in the distance perking up his ears and looking towards he he tried to see what the cause was.  After a few minutes of trying and failing to find the source he shrugged it off and continued towards the Roegadyn.
"So, Aggy is it?" Xha'li said with a grin as he set his well-worn, but still quite sturdy looking pack on the ground by his feet, "Nice to meet ya, name's Xha'li."  Crouching down by his pack he reached past the top half of his lance to remove his canteen before uncapping it and taking a swig.

((Something I forgot to mention initially, Xha'li is missing the tattoos on his cheek at this point.))

The Elezen sniffed a bit before doing as told and following the tailless Miqo'te, grumbling in his head about being called timid.

He wasn't timid, was he? He was just uncomfortable around people, and shy, and nervous, and blessed Twelve he was timid.

As he came to that horrible realization some sort of commotion began at the other end of the docks, which he quickly dismissed as not involving him. He sighed through the Miqo'te's introduction, though still caught the shorter man's name, and as Xha'li ducked down to rummage through his pack he cleared his throat.

"Monty," he offered quietly to anyone listening.

The Miqo'te motioned the Elezen towards her companion who was standing a bit further out on the docks with hardly a word exchanged. A very encouraging proposition. 

Desmond was about to reach for his pack when a hand slapped him on the back with a satisfying 'wap!'

He couldn't help but straighten up and lose the feigned look of disinterest he wore. Turning around he was suddenly face to face with a blonde Hyur woman, smiling at him like he they were the oldest of friends.

For a second, Desmond searched his memories but her face was unfamiliar. He furrowed his brow at her, in an attempt to convey his wish to be left alone but the woman only smiled all the more and gave him a friendly push, nudging him in the direction of the Miqo'te ferrywoman.

Melle groaned in protest at Cima's nudging, shoulders in and knees bent in an attempt to stand her ground. She was all for finding old contacts and juxtaposing work and fun, the usual, but why'd it have to be a ship? If anything could get her down, it was the thought of getting on another swaying inanimate hellspawn ready to chuck her over at a moment's notice.

"I said I'd think about it," the Hyur enunciated, crossing her arms with finality until her friend's shoving eased and she nearly fell. She caught herself and Cima's hand just in time and feigned composure, coughing, "And I think swimming doesn't sound so bad! How 'bout a few planks and just our legs and feet? That's an adventure, right...? Cima!" she whined, "You know how I get queas...eated!"

The girl a full fulm shorter than her tugged her along anyway. Melle's stomach lurched as Cima motioned to a dinghy, its owners and their (suspicious) sign. "Hope they have big buckets." Then her expression shifted from perturbed to a scowl before resigning to their intended game face, pitiable whimper and all.

"Um, hello," she greeted the Miqo'te who'd sidled up to Cima, hunching her shoulders with a scratch of her elbow. "I'm Melle. She's Cima. We gotta get to...well, our adoptive...grampa over at Limsa. But we don't exactly have that much..." Eyes downcast, she shot her partner an expectant glance.

One by one the bids were called out and Faydrel watched as it was the red-headed Miqo'te woman who was doing most of the talking for the 'ferrywomen'. A thoughtful expression crossed over her features as she pondered over the name Phoenix Flame. It had sounded familiar to the seasoned sailor, but for now the actual details seemed to have failed her. Not that it mattered to her much, considering her own professions. They were off to Limsa and that was where she currently needed to go.

Cerulean colored eyes glanced casually towards the man she was currently harassing and was quite amused that he hadn't said a single word to her. "Oh, the strong and silent type? My favorite." Faydrel cooed teasingly as her firm hand had moved away from the man's back and onto his shoulder with an added helpful nudge towards where the group of possible wayfarers were located.   

Booted feet danced carefully ahead of the other man and she raised her lightly armored arm up to a small wave towards the group. The blonde Hyur had decidedly to come behind the two newest additions, the green-haired Miqo'te and red-headed Hyur, with a slight grin still upon her face.

"Faydrel Lovell, reporting for duty. I don't suppose you two lovely ladies could give me a bit of work in exchange for a lift back to Limsa?" She inquired to Salaah, with an added wink, and for good measure she then cocked her head in the direction of the man she had just been visiting. "Even brought a prospective customer." Fay quipped, though she was fairly sure the man would have eventually made a bid for passage aboard the ship. But these two did not need to know that, now did they?

All of Desmond's carefully laid plans of attack had been eroded by one unexpected woman.

Without uttering a single word of protest, he found himself a supporting player in her promising bid for passage. With a self deprecating grimace, he was reminded once again why he was not his father's son in spirit as well as blood. In fact, she was already making her way towards the growing group of travelers bound for the ship floating offshore. 


Recovering, he turned towards the Miqo'te, "I've need of passage to Limsa," Desmond said. 

With a flair, the Miqo'te bowed and gave him a telling look.

"I have some Gil, and I can offer my arm and my sword if need be, while we sail," He added and put a hand on the hilt of his gladius.

The Miqo'te bowed deeper, promising nothing and gestured towards the milling group by the Roegaedyn ferrywoman.

Cima's eyes flicked back and forth between the interested passengers before finally locking with the stare of the Miqo'te, Salaah.
With a shared glance and Melle's cue, her ears and tail drooped sadly. "... He's real sick..." She chimed in a sorrowful tune, forcing her gaze to the dirt-floor and twining her fingers in a low prayer pose.
"... We brought all the gil we had, but between this ferry ride and his expected medical expenses..." Cima sniffled suddenly and turned to the shoulder of her friend.
"Ooooh! We never should've left him Melle, we shouldn't of! Why'd he have to get so... old!" She wailed miserably, drawing the fabric of Melle's sleeved arm into a fist and resting her head there - mostly to conceal the struggling composure of her face. It was hard not to crack a smile. She hoped the sailor was buying it.

The Roegadyn glanced over Xha'li and Monty, appraising them and wincing a little at Xha'li said her name.

"It's Agile Wolf. Xha'li and Monty, eh? Alright, sling yer stuff over by the boat and I'll have the Cap'n look you over when he gets here." Her glance shifted noticeably to the other end of the docks as she mentioned her Captain, before her gaze returned to her companion.

Salaah, meanwhile, was busy taking stock of the rest of the potential customers. First, she gave Cima and Melle a pitying look.

"Alright, alright. Enough with the theatrics. I don't know what yer real reason is for gettin' to Limsa and don't much care. If the Cap'n wants to help out, he'll help you out. But word of advice, loves? Spin a better sob story than that one. The Cap'n wasn't born yesterday and the 'sick old relative' angle got played out twenty years before either of you were both. G'wan and wait with the others. We'll find a way to get you to 'Grandpa'." She turned her attention to Faydrel and Desmond. "As fer you two...well, looks like the fella can handle himself in a fight, and sounds like you got the coin. The lady...aye, we always have work on board you can pay your passage with. Yer both in."

As Salaah gestured for the two to join the small crowd by Agile Wolf, she heard a commotion from the other end of the docks. A very familiar sound. Glancing over, she locked eyes with Agile Wolf and noticed that her partner had heard it too. Nodding to each other, they said a single word simultaneously.

"Ty."

Agile Wolf raised her voice, addressing the gathering crowd and signaling for them to gather around, shut up and listen.

"Pay attention, all of you! The Captain is on his way and will be here shortly. He'll speak with each of you and make final arrangements for your passage. If you've got a story to tell, I suggest you make it quick. We'll be leaving real soon after he arri..." Her words were cut off by shouting from the nearby crowd as a figure barreled through and almost fell. An Elezen male of average height, he had shoulder-length shaggy dark hair and a well-trimmed beard. He was dressed in a deep red cloth shirt slashed almost to the waist revealing a toned, weather-worn chest, along with black leather pantaloons and boots. Skidding to a halt, he glanced around until he spotted Salaah and Agile Wolf.

"Ah, there!" The man dashed over, stopping in front of the crowd assembled around the two women. "We need to go, now. Code RB. These must be our passengers, yes?" Agile Wolf nodded. "Excellent. Brilliant! Greetings to you all! My name is Tyriont Gaidal, Captain of the Phoenix Flame. Now, usually at this point I'd love to hear your stories, take your gil and figure out who we're taking with us. As it stands, however..." Tyriont glanced behind him into the crowd, which was beginning to part. "...our departure time has been shifted up a tad. So, congratulations! You all get passage. We'll work the details out on board. Too many of us for our little boat though...no time for two trips. Alright. Let's see..." Tyriont paused thoughtfully for a moment, before pointing at Cima, Melle, and Faydrel. "You three, with me. The rest of you, hop in with Salaah and Agile Wolf." Without waiting for a response, he turned and cast his gaze over the docks. Settling upon a small fishing boat with nobody visibly attending it, he darted over and severed the rope binding it to the ballast with a flick of a thick knife pulled from inside his shirt before jumping into the boat and grabbing the oars. He called over his shoulder without looking back. "And don't look at me like that! We'll give it back. Now, c'mon!"

Salaah and Agile Wolf exchanged a weary glance before moving towards their own boat, indicating for the rest of the group to follow suit.