Hydaelyn Role-Players

((Follows both Gibbering Fishes and Wineport Shenanigans.))

***

Antimony Jhanhi tilted her head to peek at Ulanan under the lalafell's wide-brimmed hat. "I'm surprised you aren't tucked away with more books at this time of day." She smiled.

Ulanan Ulan watched the people come and go through the Aftcastle from where she and Antimony sat beneath a low-boughed tree. The throughfare of Limsa was bustling but in their little corner there was at least some peace and quiet, even some privacy. She didn’t really turn to address Antimony, though she did lean her head slightly, "Books break observational ability."

Antimony furrowed her brow. "Observational? Are you carrying out some kind of experiment now?"

”I am discretely discerning deceitful disguises.” 

Antimony gave Ulanan a perplexed look. “I suppose that's... admirable. Though disguises in Limsa... I think you may have your work cut out for you. At least we're not in the lower decks.” She cast green eyes out across the plaza. The variety of peoples who moved into and out of this city still left Antimony feeling disoriented at times. She wasn’t sure she would ever get used to it.

“Defining the individuals is easy.” Ulanan pointed at a random person over yonder. "That's a pirate." Then pointed at another one. "And so is that one."

Antimony followed Ulanan's gesture and quirked her lips in amusement. "Those are hardly disguises."

As they spoke, an armoed wildwood strode down the stairs into the little alcove the pair had claimed. The elezen glanced down to the bench, noting their presence, and bowed slightly on her approach towards the two.

Ulanan looked up at the elezen and pointed at her. “That's not a pirate.”

Antimony 's ears tilt briefly in confusion, and she turned her head to follow Ulanan's finger. Upon seeing Illira, her posture straightened subtly and her ears flicked forward. “Ah, Miss... Carceri! I didn't... see you there!”

Illira shook her head slightly, "That is because I have simply come as of this moment. I see that you are enjoying company at the moment." She looked pointedly towards Ulanan. 

“Ah, well, yes. It's...” The miqo’te sought words for a moment and then gave a curt little nod, "You should have received my report regarding Byrglaent's ventures in Wineport early this morning. I'm simply awaiting my next assignment." During this exchange, Ulanan remained thankfully quiet. 

Illira Carceri nodded her head, "Of course. Though I am not in charge of such assignments as of the current moments. So looking to me for favor will do you no good."

Antimony cleared her throat, her tail shifting to curl against her leg in a subtle display of embarrassment. "Yes, well, I was simply informing you, considering our last... well. Anyroad! Pleasant evening!" She laughed a bit faintly and offered a hopefully pleasant smile towards Illira.

“Hmm. Indeed. My own report on the outing was received as well. Ildur will go over them in his own time,” she nodded. “And I do believe that D'hein had his own additions... but that is no matter.” Illira smiled briefly in the woman’s direction.

Antimony's expression faltered only briefly at Illira's addendum before she looked away, fingers twisting in her lap. "Ah, well I suppose I should let you be on your way..."

Illira Carceri walks a few steps to take a seat by Antimony.  "In time." 

“Ah! Wait! Don't start yet!”

Following the new exclamation, a young-ish miqo’te man dressed in a short robe and tight, white leggings came running towards Illira. He didn’t see the steps, however, and so tripped down them and hit his knee really hard, but rolled back to his feet and presented himself as though nothing had happened. "Hah. Not late."

Ulanan squinted at the miqo’te’s outfit. By her eyes, one could tell she thought he has excellent taste. 

Antimony startled a bit, first at Illira's approach to the bench, and then at the sudden exclamation and appearance of the unmistakable D'hein. The tip of her tail shivered. “I would... I'm sorry, start?”

D'hein was busy throwing each person a smile in turn, multiple times, when Antimony spoke, and he corrected his gaze towards her with an awkward swivel of his ears and a questioning look, "Yes! Start! You haven't yet, have you?"

Antimony's brow wrinkled behind her glasses, and she cast a concerned look down at Ulanan.

Illira looked over as she sat down, hearing D’hein’s voice. "Oh. He came just in time. Excellent." She said a little louder, "No. You are quite alright D'hein. Although you could have hurried more.”

Ulanan just shrugged at Antimony.

D'hein held up a hand and said happily, "If I'd hurried more, I might've hurt myself. I'm rather fragile, you may know."

“Well... that is no fault of my own,” Illira shook her head. “I have rather encouraged you to get more exercise that you have seen fit to pursue.”

“Do you require some privacy with Antimony?” Ulanan questioned.

Antimony pressed her lips together and attempted to control the expression of her ears and tail, tucking the latter tightly against one leg. The former rest stiffly at a backwards angle from her head as she turned her worried look to Illira, and then D'hein.

“Oh no,” D’hein declared. “Anything Illira and I have to say to her can be said in the open!”

“Are you sure of that?” Illira cautioned. “I, as you know D'hein, have no love of Lalafels.”

Ulanan smiled at Illira. “Good. Now I feel justified to have spilled wine over your person the last time.

“Yes, you're racist against many, many people,” the miqo’te nodded. “You'll just have to deal with that handicap and remain professional nonetheless.”

Antimony pressed her hands, one over the other, into her lap. "Might I, ah, inquire as to what exactly is... going on?"

“Now, yes then. As to what's going on! What... Ah, Illira, you're the mean one. Please.”

Illira glanced at Antimony, "Nothing you need to worry about..."

Antimony's eyes widen slightly. Clearly she was worried anyway.

Ulanan looked idly around between those gathered around her and sometimes beyond them, to the passersby.

“Its just that certain events surrounding your person have raised concern amongst ourselves,” the elezen began neutrally. “We, meaning, D'hein and I, wished to give you a chance to talk it over with us.”

Antimony blinked once. "Certain events." There's a pause. "... Ah."

“Are you blaming her for the wine I spilled over you?” Ulanan frowned.

“I've never seen Illira put something so gently,” D’hein marveled. “I can tell you know what she's talking about, though, so we might as well cut the the chase!”

Antimony held up both hands at Illira in a hopefully soothing gesture, "If you mean the whole incident in Wineport, you should know I never once intended for such horrible things to happen to you. I didn't even know Megiddo was there! Or Ulanan, for that matter. Much less that Byrglaent would be so reluctant to speak with me or hand over his financial records or that I'd waste so much time - and yes, yes, I know, it was wasting! - and you know I was able to get everything I needed the very next—

“I do have some self-reservation D'hein. One of us needs it.”

“--morning and he was very accommodating, surprisingly so after what he witnessed the night before, I hardly had to wait even half a bell and his assistant provided me with everything I asked for and I brought it back to the office as quickly as I could manage and I am so very sorry for staining your shirt!” Antimony dragged her words to a halt looking ragged, as though she were about to faint by the end of all of that.

---

D'hein looked a bit put out. "Did I miss something?"

“I threw some wine on your associate's dress the other evening,” Ulanan explained with a shrug.

Illira raised her winged brows, "It does not turn back events, Miss Jhanhi." She turned back to D'hein. "Hmm. She seems to take poor choice in friends, and recognizes even less control over them."

Antimony's ears flicked forward and then back as she turned sharply towards D'hein. "Oh!"

“...because friends are to be controlled. Interesting.” Ulanan hummed.

“When friends are intefering with business matters, sure!” D’hein nodded toward Illira. “Honestly, if someone's trying to accomplish something, friends should help. If they do not, are they really friends?”

Antimony furrowed her brow deeper. Ulanan, on the other hand, protested vocally, “Your associate was sabotaging her own employee. I defused the situation by scaring her away with the strategic placement of wine and public shame over her person.”

“That is not... well,” Antimony hesitated, a line of anxiety in her voice, “I'm certain Miss Carceri was doing her very best work, certainly!”

D'hein looked Ulanan over and pondered, "Hrm. That does sound very Ul'dah-flavored savvy."

Illira laughed softly, "Ul'dah flavored. I think not. Ul'dah, as rotten as it is, likes to cover its tracks."

Ulanan shrugged. "I did what was best."

“Ulanan, please,” Antimony murmured. “I'll not have you incriminate yourself in this! It wouldn't be right.”

“Rather,” Illira continued, “what the Lalafel sought to do was interrupt business. It was a rather nasty business, even going so far as to imply that she herself, worked for the CRA.” The elezen laughed roughly.

D'hein smiled suddenly, and his ears shifted about in an excited gesture. "Ah, I've an idea! This entire conversation will go better if we forgot all specific incidents! Everyone did what they thought was best, so let's discuss the occurences no further."

“Did you not say that you have a matter to discuss, D'hein?” Illira suggested archly.

Ulanan looked at the miqo'te woman, then past her to Illira. "Oh, now you are making things up."

Antimony had opened her mouth to protest Illira's words when D'hein's own declaration caught her off guard. Her ears twitched in uncertain confusion.

Illira narrowed her eyes at Ulanan. "No. I would not do such thing, Lalafell."

D’hein continued, “I mean to say we forget all about past occurrences, including what happened between Antimony and I a few nights past, and just move on. So that we can move on.”

“And what was that?” Illira pushed. “I do not believe that I heard the full story. Merely that you met her at a tavern.”

Antimony's tail curled about itself and she bowed her head deeply. "Yes, yes, that sounds like an excellent idea." At Illira's words, however, she cringed.

D'hein Tia held a finger up towards Illira and wagged it back and forth, smiling at her, "Oh, no. Don't try to cheat. We are forgetting all about it."

Illira cockd her head, "Cheating? Your accusations are unfounded and unwarranted sir."

“I determine this discrete diplomacy dearly to a distinguished degree,” spoke Ulanan with grave finality.

D’hein took a new angle, “Now, if we're all agreed to leave the past in the past, the new body of the conversation is all middle-management. Thus, mostly Illira's duty. But I'll help us start! Undoubtedly Antimony realizes that we aren't sure she's conducting herself in a way the best represents the interests and intentions of the Agency.”

Antimony's ears twitched anxiously against her head, but she frowned at D'heins words in opposite of that tell and declared, "That is an all-together inaccurate assessment! I have done my duties and done them well, that I have received."

Illira narrowed her eyes at D'hein, before turning her attention over to Antimony, "You're starting performance in Wineport is not a testament to that."

“Of course not,” Ulanan interjected. “You were sabotaging it.”

D'hein snapped, "Illira! Past examples are not permissible!"

“Is it?” Antimony drew herself up somewhat in her spot on the bench. “You received my report in all due haste, well within the deadline - that... evening notwithstanding!”

“D'hein! If past evidence is not permissible, then why are we here?” the elezen woman directed her annoyance at the man. “As for your report, Antimony, It may have been received on time, but there is far more that matters in performance than simply meeting a deadline.”

“I'm just saying that if you keep picking on the one thing all you're doing is arguing about the one thing. It is more effective to discuss the composure of a professional agent than to dwell on details of one specific example of unprofessional behavior.” D'hein nodded after speaking to punctuate his point.

Ulanan kept quiet for the moment, moving her head back and forth as the others spoke.

Antimony frowned, her tail curling tightly against her thigh, and she drew a deep breath before, "I approached Byrglaent with all the professionality as suiting the task, and his assistants as well. If you speak to them, I'm certain you'll hear exactly that."

“From my corner, it did not seem as if you pressed the matter nearly enough,” Illira countered. “Byrglaent is very liable to ignore anything that does not directly benefit himself. But I will let the matter lie for the moment in favor of a discussion around other reports of your deportment. D'hein filed a piece about your... association with the Gibbering Fish, yes?”

“Did you not listen when I spoke of returning to him when he was in a more amenable mood and position?” Antimony grew exasperated. “And as I did, so he relented! This is... this interrogation is all rather... it's absurd!” She stilled then, catching onto Illira’s words, and blinked. "My association..?"

Ulanan looked at D'hein. "And so we keep going back to specific past events."

D'hein balked, looked around as if expecting someone to be spying on him, and then cast disapproval towards Illira, "What I report on and the contents of such reports is in confidence until I've stated otherwise."

Antimony's brow furrowed deeper.

Illira scoffed, "What you report is part of the direct basis for this conversation, and is thus highly relevant, D'hein."

Antimony cast a worried look back at Ulanan. Ulanan only shrugged back, shaking her head with an expression of mild annoyance across her face.

---

D'hein Tia quirked his ears and frowned, speaking as if to an inferior, "You and I envision very different kinds of conversations. Now," his expression opened, and he spread his arms, "If you want my much more vague and case-sensitive report... I find lacking in Antimony a certain composure that we in the Agency expect to permeate all manner of public interactions. No agent of the Agency should be seen sharing ale with a known carouser in the slums, for instance.

“A... I was delivering a gift! To a man who tried to help me,” Antimony protested. “Not some rude carouser.” She huffed.

“It was a hypothetical.”

Illira chuckled, "Hmm. That may have been your intention, but it should not be ignored that the incident rather ignited."

“That wasn't her fault!”

“Although you should know,” D’hein continued, “that soon after you left he did he rather maim and rob that poor, industrious Duskwight woman!”

“Industrious! She was lewd and insulting!” Antimony narrowed her eyes at D'hein, "And you were paying her to goad things along!"

D'hein chuckled, "You were in a pirate slum, Antimony. I hardly had to goad anything. Rude and insulting is the language they speak."

“And yet the man I visited... Al... Alcor, was quite appreciative and polite - prior to your appearance. I refuse to be judged negatively in this, not when you intruded upon my privacy so horribly.”

Illira spoke up then, “But... did you pay her to do so D'hein? Such actions are not fit for one of in your position.”

Antimony crossed her arms, her posture giving off the effect of, were she standing, a mother chiding an impetuous child with hand-on-hip finger wagging.

D'hein tossed Illira a sneer, "You a not helping my point," and then gesturing towards Antimony, "Do you note that she has no faculties to understand our objectives and stubbornly insists that she knows better than we? You shouldn't encourage such behavior, Illira.”

“I dare say I do know better than you in this,” Antimony huffed. “It's not right to follow someone around after hours and interrupt their personal meetings as you did!”

“Don't you take a moral high-ground with me, missy,” D’hein shot back, an annoyed expression of his own pulling on his face.

Antimony pushed from the bench to her feet and this time her hands did find her hips.

“I do not seek to encourage behavior,” Illira said after a moment. “Merely to assess the truth, D'hein. I may have my own worries concerning Antimony, but you do not seem blameless in this matter of moral impropeity.”

Ulanan squinted, her eyes glaring at D'hein. "I now understand your needed invitation intentionally neglected the identification of antecedents."

Antimony did not actually blow up D'hein's head, as the ferocity of her glare might suggest. She did, however, level him with a rather firm look, the kind she had used... "If you do not know how to respect another's personal boundaries, I am only left to wonder what other lessons you missed when you were young! Even K'ai--" she caught herself then and pursed her lips.

D'hein crossed his arms defiantly, "I won't be ganged up on by an Elezen, a Lalafel and a new hire who hasn't noticed her new bosses like to do things a little differently! Half of you, I take your disdain as a compliment. The others shouldn't like to be siding with them." D'hein paused to count the people in front of him, then muttered distractedly, "Well, I suppose that's technically an acceptable approximate."

Antimony just pressed her lips together and frowned at D'hein, her tail twitching agitatedly behind her.

“You are a stalker,” Ulanan declared, pointing at D’hein. “You are sabotaging your own Agency worse than any other employee ever could.”

Illira turned her head towards the Lalafel, "Now... I do not believe that any of this is your business, Lalafel."

D'hein threw an obnoxious, "Hah!" towards Ulanan, following it up with, "Now you've got the Elezen."

Antimony closed her eyes briefly, letting out a short breath before resuming her frown at D'hein. Her ears still lay pressed against her head, her tail lashing to and fro. "If you wish to reprimand me, then do so. I maintain that I've done nothing ill-fitting for my position."

Ulanan shook her finger towards Illira. "But it is. As Antimony's friend I have a responsibility to give her counsel. Right now, two of the two members of the Agency I've met are sabotaging their own interests."

“Being a friend has no bearing in this instance, Lala,” Illira replied with a touch of derision. “This is between employer and employee.”

“You shouldn't be having this conversation in the open,” Ulanan chided. “And you should have asked me to leave before I presented arguments in her favor.”

D'hein put his hands on his hips, and said to Antimony, "Ah, but recall, you chose to undergo a short evaluationary period and then renegotiate your employment contract. Your excessive confidence during that negotiation has left you without job security, and now it's easier for me to not renew the contract than to do the paperwork to reprimand you."

Antimony's eyes widened briefly.

D'hein noticed he was standing in the same pose as Antimony then and snapped out of it, letting his arms hang out his sides and looking rather dumb for a few seconds.

---

“Except that you were involved in one of the incidents, Lala,” Illira was saying, “and thus already have intimate knowledge. But that does not mean that I will stand to let you run your mouth.”

Antimony looked briefly back over her shoulder at Ulanan, expression suddenly worried.

D'hein too was a bit distracted by the tone taken in the back, and his expression turned a bit unsettled, "Now, Illira, don't go being racist in front of everyone. It's hardly professional."

Ulanan tipped her hat back. "Except that you allowed me to be here, Ele, and thus have accepted my involvement in this discussion. You are just angry that you can't deny my arguments!"

“You can't-” Antimony began in a quiet voice, still staring at D’hein, “Well, no, I suppose you can. It's your right. And I suppose I did agree to--but I've done nothing deserving of... such a thing.”

Illira continued, “It’s not a matter of racism, its a matter of respect. And the Lala has none of it like most of her kind.”

D'hein chuckled at Illira, "To be fair, I've met very few people who respect you." Then, he looked back to Antimony, "Hm? What?"

Antimony shook herself and turned her frown on Illira, "Look here, I'll not have you treating Ulanan with such disrespect."

D'hein turned back to Illira almost as if his gaze were pulled by gravity.

Ulanan tossed her head defiantly. "Her arguments are asinine attacks due to the absence of any abstraction." She smiled at Antimony's back. "Forget about it." Antimony pursed her lips at Ulanan's words but didn’t press the matter further.

“As if the Lala has never displayed an inkling of boorish action and words? I merely defend my person and organization.” Illira Carceri directed an annoyed frown at the tiny individual.

“What you're doing is legitimizing her points, actually.” D'hein looked back to Antimony and said, "Hrm. I trust that our point has been more than made by now."

Antimony inclined her head slightly, features tense. "I suppose you have.”

Ulanan leaned towards Illira, looked at Antimony's back and, not being able to see D'hein because of it, she turned her head again and poked her tongue out at Illira.

“If I see you again, Lala, it will still be far too soon. I think we are all done here,” the elezen spoke after a time.

“Good, good,” D’hein nodded. “That wasn't exactly the productive discussion I was hoping for, but at least we got a lesson from Illira on how to make friends and act as an Agency professional.” D'hein offered an awkward smile.

Antimony did not smile back. She did, however, bring one hand up to rub at her temple and half turned to Ulanan. The lalafell dropped down from her seat, her boots muffling the noise of her weight meeting the stone below. “I am very sorry you had to hear all of this, dear,” Antimony murmured.

“It's alright. I've heard worse in my father's business meetings.” The tiny woman smiled.

Illira redirected her attention to D'hein. "We should have words, D'hein. Throwing me under the cart does not wipe away your own transgressions."

D'hein quirked his ears and whips his tail about, smiling at Illira, "Ah, without your disapproval how would I know to be proud of myself?"

Antimony rested her hand on the wall and leaned against it slightly, her ears drooping a bit. "Regardless," she replied to Ulanan, but couldn’t really find any more words to try and excuse the situation for once.

Ulanan pointed at D’hein. “If there's nothing else, we should depart. These two seem to have matters to discuss. Probably hairs to pull and teeth to show, too.”

D'hein growled at Illira, showing his teeth, as a service to Ulanan.

Antimony nodded slightly, "Of course," and straightened.

Ulanan beamed with delight at D’hein’s display. 
“I am rather more civilized than that,” Illira commented airily. “Though of course, D'hein is rather more animalistic than myself.” At that she let out a short burst of laughter at the aforementioned miqo’te.

“You say that like civilization has anything to be proud of,” he waved it off. “We in Ul'dah know better than that.”

“You forget that I am from there.”
 Antimony hesitated and glanced sideways at D'hein. "Should... I expect any more assignments in the future?"

“Well you don't show it. You should know better!” He was saying and then looked at Antimony, "Of course you should! One will likely be set up shortly. As it stands, you aren't even being reprimanded."

Antimony let out a faint sigh and her tail dropped low and limp in relief. "Alright then. Good evening." And she moved to walk off.

Illira stiffly moved off of the bench, her back ram-rod straight.

Taking this as her cue, Ulanan nodded her head in goodbye. "D'hein." She looked at Illira and repeated the motion. "Ele." Then she followed Antimony.

Illira watched the pair walk off, before stepping up to D'hein. 
The miqo’te in turn directed his gaze back to Illira, smiling, "You know as well as I do how crooked this 'civilization' is. 'Civilized' won't be a compliment until that's changed."

“Yes, well,” she chuffed. “We are working to scrub it clean. Or at least I am. You seem to be falling off the cause.”

“That's a joke. You weren't actually at the last board meeting, were you?”
 Illira ignored that, "And yet you have apparently been paying ruffians to set bother to one of our own employees, if only indirectly."

Pausing at the top of the stairs, where Antimony yet loitered, Ulanan looked up at Antimony. She spoke somewhat lowly, "Are we...spying on them?"

Antimony folded her hands in front of her, frowned over Ulanan's head, and then said, "No. I think I'll return home, if you want to join me for a meal...?"

“That's a personal matter,” D’hein countered. “And you're assuming a lot for someone who wasn't present. Tell me, do you know exactly what was paid to whom in what context and for what specific purpose?”

From just beyond the stairs, Ulanan shouted suddenly: "LAVENDER TABLETOPS WILL NOT BE TOLERATED!" She immediately brought both hands to her mouth and, after a pause, she said in a much, much lower tone: "I- I mean...meal sounds nice."

Antimony Jhanhi blinked rapidly at Ulanan, but she recovered quick enough and smiled before gesturing and continuing on, "Good then."

“Good! Good!” The lalafell nodded. “Perfect! Let's...let's move on...!” 
Illira shook her head, "No. But I do believe that I understand the basics well enough to understand that you far crossed the border of appropriate behavior."

D'hein exhaled laughter at Illira, but composed himself quickly. "Illira, let's say I appreciate the concern and am glad you are applying your conscience to my presentation if not to your own. However, you're far off the mark, and I've no want to correct you. If you've a point, pray expedite its delivery that I might ignore it sooner."

Illira smiled tightly, "The point is: Watch yourself, D'hein. I certainly am and if you fall to corruption like the rest of the rabble, well... You would like even less to see me.”

“You've grown bitter, Illira, and begun to view all things which you dislike as corrupt,” the miqo’te observed somberly. “That is very sad, for without focus the conviction loses its effectiveness. I hope that while you are busy watching me, that which you aught have noticed does not elude you.”

“Do not worry about me. I am always vigilant in my watch.”

“With all things but yourself. So like the Elezen of Gridania, assured of the superiority of their trees and rocks. Not a cute imitation.”

“You question my efforts, then?” She drew herself up to an intimidating height.

“Ah, don't put what I'm saying in your language. I'm just saying: if you watch anyone, watch yourself.”

“And you should practice what you preach, D'hein.”

D'hein smiled broadly, "Ah ha! That's-" his ears went askew, and he looked a bit confused, "That's what I just said?"

“Excatly.” Illira smiled at him.

“Doesn't that make it cyclical? Like you watching me, and I said you should watch you, but now I'm doing what I said which is me watching you while watching me. So we're both watching both of us!”

“Hmm. Now you are just being purposefully obtuse.

“No!” Came the abrupt protest. D'hein flicked his ears about, and worked his arms to either side of himself too, "I'm just trying to understand! What you said didn't make sense! You can’t just repeat what I say regardless of meaning and then pretend it’s some kind of secret Elezen wisdom! That's what Ishgardians do!"

“It’s simple really,” Illira inclined her head. “Watch yourself on that slippery slope, to make sure you don't fall down, because if you do I will not stand idly by to let you further the spread of bile amidst the masses.”

D'hein looked very frustrated, "Yeah I know that's what you think but it's not what you said! You're doing this all wrong!"

“I'm doing it wrong? No. You merely have issues in comprehension.”

D'hein seemed to fume, eyes closed, "No, this is ridiculous! You're horrible at talking! You are-" he cut himself off and suddenly became composed. Within seconds, he was smiling at Illira again, "Well, you did finally get your point across nonetheless."

“Then we are done here? I have other to attend.”

“You're the one who wanted to be all intimidating. Go, I'm sure you've an ego to polish or some such.”

Illira only shrugged at D'hein. “Hmm. I am sure that we will meet again in not long.” With that, she turned and walked away.

D'hein did not watch Illira walk off; he just threw his frown at the sea instead of the woman.