Entry 2: Connections
It is curious that I am spending so much time in my old homeland. It had been nearly six years since I had been back to Ul’dah and now I find myself staying there for the time. I guess perhaps it is because it is where I have found people. I have recently found that I enjoy being around people… perhaps that is why I was sent on this trip in the first place and why I have not been called back.
I admit some nights have been extremely quiet. The Quicksand is precisely what I recalled it to be right down to the many facets of attire that people wear in the place. Obviously body armor and traditional fighting attire is prevalent but some… The amount of people running around in nothing but bathing suits or even worse… their small clothes… has surprised me.
Now this is not to say I begrudge them their comfort nor do I judge their choices… just not something you often see anywhere else. A testament to the cosmopolitan nature of Ul’dah I suppose. I appreciate their want to express themselves and I commend them on their courage to be so… revealing. That is certainly not anything I could ever do.
Anyway… beyond the attire there is one other habit of people in this place that gets to me. I have seen so many people just… standing around not interacting with anyone. Why would you come to a public place filled with people to simply just stand there? Perhaps I am just an odd soul… okay… more then perhaps… but still it does not make sense to me.
I admit, I am not the most social of people but the idea of just standing around… maladies not withstanding… just seems like a monumental waste of time. I am not a fan of crowds, perhaps that is the reason for people’s reticence to interact, but then others do. I just do not understand. To each their own I guess but they do not make connections with people if they do not make an effort to approach them.
Though… there is something to be said for some not wishing to deal with some people who may frequent the place. The other night I was approached by what I guessed was a traveling gambler of a sort… or at least someone obsessed with money.
He approached me and seemed offended by an offhand comment I had made about the attire around the place. It is hard not to comment on such things… I would in quick order discover that it was all in jest but still, it did give me pause for moment. I do not like upsetting people around me after all, even total strangers. So when this person approached me all blustered I apologized immediately… a fact he turned against me into further jest.
Though at least he added conversation to a rather dull night. Again, the fact that people do not seek others to talk to in that place sticks to me… I probably should not think about it so much. We eventually talked about the pursuit of material gain and how that was not a driving force in my life. Odd that that seems to have been a theme of a few of the conversations I have had of late. Perhaps I really am just odd.
A few nights later I ran into an interesting Keeper Miqo’te by the name Talvi. I say interesting because she did not actually seem to be someone who would wish to talk. In the end, I found out later that she tended to simply come to the place to listen to the goings on. Perhaps that is what most of the people do… is that really fun? Watching what other people are doing? The idea of it does not appeal to me but once again, to each their own.
So we struck up a fairly long and enjoyable conversation that wandered through many subjects including material gain through the art of selling services. She apparently was a potion crafter and sold her wears through the local markets. Well… actually she did not sell them she had other people do so. I know a little bit of potioncraft… it might be a way for me to increase my funds, but I am not sure I really would wish to withhold something from someone who needed it. Perhaps I am too nice for my own good.
Regardless we eventually settle on talking about the topic of swimming of all things, more my lack of capacity of motion and how swimming helps. Oddly enough the topic of hot tubs arose and she decided she was going to install one in her home. I… think that would be a wonderful thing to have access to such on demand. Hot tubs have always been relaxing to me… I should see if I can find her again and ask her if she managed to do so.
Last night however… last night was perhaps the most interesting conversation I have had in that place since the night I met Ria… who incidentally I have only seen once since meeting her that night… I am worried… the last time we spoke she had talked about not eating. I scolded her for that… I can only hope that she has gotten back on her feet. I have never had a broken heart so I cannot know what she is truly going through but I wish I could find some way of helping her feel better despite the pain. Maybe the Spinner will give me a chance someday.
So last night… I actually got the opportunity to meet someone who introduced me to a number of firsts for me. Her name was Venora and she was a Xaela Au’ra. I had worked with a few Raen before but never have I had the chance to speak at length with them let alone a Xaela. This may be odd to admit though no one will ever read these words so why be concerned… I have always found Au’ra to hold an ethereal sort of beauty to them. I… wish I had more opportunities to interact with them.
Well… enough of me pining… let us speak on Venora and our conversation. It was such a breath of fresh air… I found that she was also a healer but of a type I had never met before, an Ishgardian Astrologian. I admit my girlish curiosity got the better of me this time and I asked her to explain her abilities. Apparently her Aether comes from the stars themselves. The idea of it… it sounded almost romantic to me in a way.
Our ideals meshed so well, the struggles that we go through in our line of work, the joy we feel in truly helping others and most importantly of all how hope is truly what we deliver to people. Hope is the balm that we apply and the strength we impart. With enough hope, anyone can accomplish anything. Literal hours passed… not that that is an unusual happenstance, the same happened with Ria and Tivali but with Venora it was just… freeing… to make that kind of connection with another person.
Her concepts are things I would not mind learning if I ever find myself in Ishgard, afterall, they are not very different from the teachings of the Spinner. Fate by any other name is still fate at work. She ended saying that perhaps our meeting was fated… I was inclined to agree with her as it just felt so good to speak to her. Perhaps I will be meet with her again as well… the conversation was quite relaxing for us both.
Perhaps I will remain in Ul’dah for a little while longer. Aeleron has not sent a search party for me and I am not entirely unconvinced this was not his plan all along. I find it strange that I am all of sudden enjoying the company of people and being drawn to it. Maybe a long dormant side effect of the Aether that simply needed the right stimulus to awaken. Regardless, I have enjoyed my time and the people I have met… though my worry still rests with Ria. May the twelve keep her safe and show her the path of happiness once more…
It is curious that I am spending so much time in my old homeland. It had been nearly six years since I had been back to Ul’dah and now I find myself staying there for the time. I guess perhaps it is because it is where I have found people. I have recently found that I enjoy being around people… perhaps that is why I was sent on this trip in the first place and why I have not been called back.
I admit some nights have been extremely quiet. The Quicksand is precisely what I recalled it to be right down to the many facets of attire that people wear in the place. Obviously body armor and traditional fighting attire is prevalent but some… The amount of people running around in nothing but bathing suits or even worse… their small clothes… has surprised me.
Now this is not to say I begrudge them their comfort nor do I judge their choices… just not something you often see anywhere else. A testament to the cosmopolitan nature of Ul’dah I suppose. I appreciate their want to express themselves and I commend them on their courage to be so… revealing. That is certainly not anything I could ever do.
Anyway… beyond the attire there is one other habit of people in this place that gets to me. I have seen so many people just… standing around not interacting with anyone. Why would you come to a public place filled with people to simply just stand there? Perhaps I am just an odd soul… okay… more then perhaps… but still it does not make sense to me.
I admit, I am not the most social of people but the idea of just standing around… maladies not withstanding… just seems like a monumental waste of time. I am not a fan of crowds, perhaps that is the reason for people’s reticence to interact, but then others do. I just do not understand. To each their own I guess but they do not make connections with people if they do not make an effort to approach them.
Though… there is something to be said for some not wishing to deal with some people who may frequent the place. The other night I was approached by what I guessed was a traveling gambler of a sort… or at least someone obsessed with money.
He approached me and seemed offended by an offhand comment I had made about the attire around the place. It is hard not to comment on such things… I would in quick order discover that it was all in jest but still, it did give me pause for moment. I do not like upsetting people around me after all, even total strangers. So when this person approached me all blustered I apologized immediately… a fact he turned against me into further jest.
Though at least he added conversation to a rather dull night. Again, the fact that people do not seek others to talk to in that place sticks to me… I probably should not think about it so much. We eventually talked about the pursuit of material gain and how that was not a driving force in my life. Odd that that seems to have been a theme of a few of the conversations I have had of late. Perhaps I really am just odd.
A few nights later I ran into an interesting Keeper Miqo’te by the name Talvi. I say interesting because she did not actually seem to be someone who would wish to talk. In the end, I found out later that she tended to simply come to the place to listen to the goings on. Perhaps that is what most of the people do… is that really fun? Watching what other people are doing? The idea of it does not appeal to me but once again, to each their own.
So we struck up a fairly long and enjoyable conversation that wandered through many subjects including material gain through the art of selling services. She apparently was a potion crafter and sold her wears through the local markets. Well… actually she did not sell them she had other people do so. I know a little bit of potioncraft… it might be a way for me to increase my funds, but I am not sure I really would wish to withhold something from someone who needed it. Perhaps I am too nice for my own good.
Regardless we eventually settle on talking about the topic of swimming of all things, more my lack of capacity of motion and how swimming helps. Oddly enough the topic of hot tubs arose and she decided she was going to install one in her home. I… think that would be a wonderful thing to have access to such on demand. Hot tubs have always been relaxing to me… I should see if I can find her again and ask her if she managed to do so.
Last night however… last night was perhaps the most interesting conversation I have had in that place since the night I met Ria… who incidentally I have only seen once since meeting her that night… I am worried… the last time we spoke she had talked about not eating. I scolded her for that… I can only hope that she has gotten back on her feet. I have never had a broken heart so I cannot know what she is truly going through but I wish I could find some way of helping her feel better despite the pain. Maybe the Spinner will give me a chance someday.
So last night… I actually got the opportunity to meet someone who introduced me to a number of firsts for me. Her name was Venora and she was a Xaela Au’ra. I had worked with a few Raen before but never have I had the chance to speak at length with them let alone a Xaela. This may be odd to admit though no one will ever read these words so why be concerned… I have always found Au’ra to hold an ethereal sort of beauty to them. I… wish I had more opportunities to interact with them.
Well… enough of me pining… let us speak on Venora and our conversation. It was such a breath of fresh air… I found that she was also a healer but of a type I had never met before, an Ishgardian Astrologian. I admit my girlish curiosity got the better of me this time and I asked her to explain her abilities. Apparently her Aether comes from the stars themselves. The idea of it… it sounded almost romantic to me in a way.
Our ideals meshed so well, the struggles that we go through in our line of work, the joy we feel in truly helping others and most importantly of all how hope is truly what we deliver to people. Hope is the balm that we apply and the strength we impart. With enough hope, anyone can accomplish anything. Literal hours passed… not that that is an unusual happenstance, the same happened with Ria and Tivali but with Venora it was just… freeing… to make that kind of connection with another person.
Her concepts are things I would not mind learning if I ever find myself in Ishgard, afterall, they are not very different from the teachings of the Spinner. Fate by any other name is still fate at work. She ended saying that perhaps our meeting was fated… I was inclined to agree with her as it just felt so good to speak to her. Perhaps I will be meet with her again as well… the conversation was quite relaxing for us both.
Perhaps I will remain in Ul’dah for a little while longer. Aeleron has not sent a search party for me and I am not entirely unconvinced this was not his plan all along. I find it strange that I am all of sudden enjoying the company of people and being drawn to it. Maybe a long dormant side effect of the Aether that simply needed the right stimulus to awaken. Regardless, I have enjoyed my time and the people I have met… though my worry still rests with Ria. May the twelve keep her safe and show her the path of happiness once more…
![[Image: c7fb4981ce747aa6.png]](https://sigs.enjin.com/sig-ffxivarr/c7fb4981ce747aa6.png)
