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Mind Over Breakfast - Naunet - 02-15-2014
((The following occurs the morning after post #19 in this thread and just before/somewhat during post #20.))
***
Having left Antimony to suffer with her emotional and obviously injured family member (it was not, after all, any of his business, and Antimony hadn't seemed to care overmuch about the woman, and D'hein had after all completed walking her home and hadn't wanted to interrupt) D'hein figured he should bring some sort of gift or offering just in case Antimony hadn' had the best night after he had left.
He took it for granted she had had the best night before. But after was another question entirely.
This led D'hein back to the Quicksand relatively early with a wrapped item that was obviously a large bottle. Onlookers assumed it was liquor, but D'hein's sly smile perhaps made them suspect it was something worse. Poison perhaps? Blood? D'hein was a mysterious, well-groomed and extravagant stranger. The women who witnessed his passage would no doubt remember it for some time.
***
Antimony had woken extremely early in the morning, at a time that perhaps may have better qualified as late night, late/early enough that she almost considered venturing outside her room. Almost. The risk of running into K'aijeen, even that that hour, however, had been too much.
So she sat awake for hours, on the edge of her bed. Next to her, she'd laid out the coat Mitari had gifted her. It had weathered her treatment of it through the trip to Drybone surprisingly well, but it was still rather stained with mud. Same as her dress, which she'd folded up next to the remaining supplies D'hein had lended her. She felt guilty for those stains, and for the aborted attempt to visit Mitari in Coerthas.
Then again, she also felt guilty for leaving K'ile and K'luha. And for talking to them. And for not finding K'airos before. And for leaving her job. And... Well, there was a pattern here.
Antimony wondered if she could find any means to wash the coat.
***
Outside, in the grand hall where the Quicksand's patrons used to gather, Ulanan commanded the barkeep to prepare a breakfast for two before she headed to the rooms. She never achieved that, though, as she noticed an extravagant known face carrying a bottle of dubious contents. For whatever reason, she turned around, ordered a breakfast for three and a table instead. Then she followed the well-groomed man down the corridor, with clear intentions of scaring the void out of him as soon as he turned around. Or maybe she wanted only to spy.
D'hein arrived at Antimony's door, lifted his hand to knock on the door, but remembered he had been carrying something with that hand just in time to catch the bottle before it fell. Chuckling himself, he knocked on the door with the bottle, making a heavy clacking sound.
At some point, Antimony had either grown bored of pondering the coat or had decided there wasn't much to be done for it at this hour (or this day, this week, this month?), for she'd laid back on the bed, her legs dangling over the edge. The position stretched sore muscles in her back and would make her hips sore soon, but she remained there nonetheless.
The knock on the door reminded her of a promise Ulanan had given the evening before. Breakfast, already? Without the sky, it was difficult to keep track of time.
Antimony stood with some effort, feeling more her age than usual, and stepped to the door barefoot though still wearing the borrowed clothes she'd gotten from D'hein. When she opened the door, her expectant look froze, shifted into confusion. "Ah, you're not..." She shook herself, ears flicking one way and then the other. "Uhm. Morning..?"
"Good morning!" D'hein said, one ear bouncing, smile showing off his very white teeth. "I was a bit concerned considering the state of things  when I left you last night."
Sure that her interruption would only result in the unfair death of a bottle, Ulanan stayed away and to the side, letting the man do his ritual.
Her ears ceased their roving to lay back flat against her skull in as clear a communication of her displeasure as any other form of body language. "Hngh," she managed, one hand on the door, her toes curling against the floor. "The state of things...? Was... well!" She huffed out some of her frustration and guilt. "It's not as though you had any obligation. None at all! It's not as though she were your niece with a broken hip that had gone untreated for weeks and was likely infected but there was little you could do except try to ease her pain even though it was against the law to even speak to her and--" Antimony blinked, shut her mouth with a click, and looked completely mortified at herself. After a moment, she finished weakly, "It's alright. What are you doing here?"
"Oh, yes. It wasn't like any of those things." D'hein took hold of one of his ears, pulling it forward to align with his other. It snapped right back to its previous place, though. "If you say it's alright I'm sure it turned out fine, whatever things it turned out to be right. As to why I am here? Magnetism, Antimony!"
"Magne... what?" Antimony's voice squeaked at the end, and she cleared her throat, working valiantly to regain composure after that outburst. "Is... something wrong? Ah, is it Airos? No, she left with--oh no, it's Aijeen, isn't it? You talked to her and she found out all about--she knows... or is she in trouble? What has she done??"
D'hein blinked at Antimony, remaining neutral for a long time and finally sinking into vague confusion and silence, quiet for several seconds after Antimony was done talking. "No. No, none of that." He extended the wrapped bottle, "A gift in case you were upset after last night."
Antimony's tail twitched. She looked to the item in D'hein's hands, then to the tia, then back to the item. Her tail curled. "Ah, another... you didn't have to... I can't possible accept more..!"
With a small frown, he said, "There are few things that are worse luck than a gift refused."
"Ah! I didn't mean--that is..." She blinked hard, fiddled with her glasses, and then bowed her head. "I'm sorry. I should only be grateful for your generosity."
A certain blonde and hungry lalafell left her hideout, which was in plain sight if one turned the head enough, and walked down the hallway towards them. "You are awake!" she stated very calmly and with a smile. "Good morning."
"Yes, I'm--what?" Antimony's expression went slack in confusion when D'hein's voice became the higher pitched, feminine tone of a familiar lalafell.
D'hein didn't seem to notice the Lalafel, just shaking the bottle back and forth a bit, "So you should accept it."
Still looking confused, Antimony held out her hands for the bottle, ears shifting about.
Ulanan kept quiet, limiting herself to watch the exchange.
D'hein gave the bottle to Antimony and declared, "So I was thinking about dinner again!"
"Uhm." Holding the bottle as though it were a bomb, or perhaps poison, Antimony's eyes searched around D'hein, still caught on the voice she thought she'd... "Ah! Ulanan!" She clutched the bottle closer to her chest unconsciously. "I'm sorry--I didn't know he would... well!"
Continuing in his oblviousness, D'hein looked confused? "Hm? Ulanan? What did he do?"
Ulanan simply poked his ankle. "Hello. Good morning."
"Yes, hello," D'hein said to Ulanan, and then returned to smile at Antimony, "He did what?"
"He... you... ah! No-nothing! I was just... nevermind." She sighed, managed to look only mildly distressed, and cast an apologetic look towards Ulanan.
Ulanan huffed at D'hein. "Well, I'm inviting Antimony to have breakfast with me. You can join us if you stop pretending you don't know I am Ulanan." she said.
"Of course you're Ulanan," D'hein said to Ulanan, then returned his gaze to Antimony. After a nother moment he stepped back and turned to Uluanan, putting his arms on his hips, "Now how long have you been lurking there next to me, you mischievous saint, you."
There was another huff. "I did say 'good morning'. You need to clean your ears. They can't hear lalafell voices, apparently."
Wincing, Antimony fidgeted with the wrapped bottle and kept quiet.
His brows knitting in concern, "My ears are VERY clean!" he lamented, rubbing at his ears in distress.
"They certainly look well... groomed," Antimony trailed off into a mumble, eyed the object in her arms, and then eyed Ulanan. "Ah... breakfast, you said? Yes! That... is precisely what I'd... good idea. As usual."
"Will you honor us with your presence, D'hein?" Ulanan asked, looking up to the man and smiling like a lady.
"No, but I shall ask to be honored by yours," D'hein said, dipping his head, "And I shall humbly accompany you."
"Aah, good! Good! I'll just put this..." Tail swishing uncertainly, Antimony took a step back into her room.
Ulanan couldn't wait to put all the social protocol behind her, so she hurried with them: "Isn't it a lovely day? How was your travel to Ul'dah? And how are your business going? I hope your family is well! Do you like olives? Of course you do, I shouldn't ask such things!" She wore the same smile all the time.
"All grand and etcetera," D'hein said, "I'll wait out in the lobby... foyer... tavern. Room."
Ulanan nodded at that.
Turning away from them both, Antimony took several short, quick steps back into the room and set the wrapped bottle down on the table. She took a moment to consider whether she should open it now, or wait until her... guests had left. The thought of Ulanan waiting on her slow tail drove her to gather her shoes, and she scrambled to pull them on while hopping back to the door.
The lalafell waited until she had the feet covered with shoes before gesturing to the main hall of the Quicksand and moving towards it. "Did you rest well?" she asked Antimony.
Of course by then D'hein had already gone out into the QUicksand's tavern, having assumed Antimony and Ulanan would want time to do girl stuff or something.
Catching her breath after a moment, Antimony followed Ulanan, her baggy pants swishing with each step. "Ah, well, as... well as can be expected I think," she replied, fingers attempting to fix her hair as best she could on the move, painfully aware it must look slept upon. She sighed.
D'hein paced out of the inn and into the tavern, idling near the innkeep's station and looking out at the tables. Arms crossed and expression pleasant, D'hein nonetheless appeared distant and confused.
"We'll work on that!" said the lalafell. When they arrived at the tavern, she had no troubles identifying her table. Arguably, Antimony wouldn't have much trouble either: it had three jars of olives, and three plates, each one with a small portion of what looked like sautéed spinach, another portion of mushrooms and a big slice of olive bread. There were also three empty cups of tea, and the obligatory teapot in the center of all the food.
But no milk at all.
Still attempting to fix her hair, pushing stray strands back into the pins that held it up behind her head, Antimony followed Ulanan's tiny, bobbing form through the tavern to their table. "Work on...?" She trailed off with no small measure of trepidation, and her ears quirked as she spotted the rather copious amounts of olives set out amongst the food.
Somehow managing to get walked right past without being noticed, D'hein looks saddened as he watches Antimony and Ulanan walk on into the tavern without him.
Illira had just met with Amaury briefly for a brief time up on the airstrip cafe. It had been, strange to say the least to see him out of this prison setting that he had been so long trapped in. When she saw him last outside that venue was when she was but a young girl. Even now, it had been several years since she had been to visit. As she had avoided Ul'dah and indeed all reminders of its dirt-covered self since she had lost her Brass Blade appointment.Â
It was... good to see him, surely. But there was little common ground as there had once been, growing up in the same household her following his every word. He needed time to reacclimatize, and she needed to fulfill her debt to him.
So he left breakfast to retour the city and breath in, well, fresher air she supposed. And here she was, returning to the quicksand. Though she would have to track down D'hein soon enough and both question and admonish his meddling actions.
D'hein allowed himself a depressed sigh, for just a moment, and then he inhaled and smiled, and followed after Antimony and Ulanan, angling for their table.
"Where did D'hein go?" Ulanan pondered out loud, failing to notice that the man was following them.
"Eh?" Antimony's hand stilled in her hair as she processed the lalafell's words and then, "Oh no! I completely forgot--" She spun around and then stopped suddenly to come face to face with D'hein. Very quickly her hand dropped from her head and she compulsively smoothed down her wrapped shirt, clearing her throat. "Ah, apologies."
"Apologies? I didn't notice anything to apologize for." D'hein grinned and smoothly wove past Antimony, walking around the table and pulling out a chair for whichever lady was closest.
Coming in through the side doors of the adventurer's guild, right off of Ruby Road, Illira's head was not it its usual ram-rod straight ahead position. Instead, she was looking down at the floor, watching her feet as she walked down the tavern's ramp.
Antimony was slow to turn following the tia, and it was for this reason that she caught sight of Illira entering the Quicksand. The sight of the elezen sent a nervous flutter in her chest, painfully recalling the last moment Illira had seen of her, practically falling apart in the arms of her daughter. Not exactly a proud moment.
"Mm," she murmured distractedly, worrying her hands a moment before half turning towards the table uncertainly.
Ulanan had already jumped and sat on her chair. She reached to the top of the table with both arms, but couldn't get a hold of teapot. So she had to carefully jump to the table and walk across it until she could pick it up.Â
"Would you like some tea? Or should I order something else?" she asked  the two Miqo'te, oblivious of any incoming awkward moments.
Positioning Antimony's chair so that it was away from the table and turned towards her, D'hein moved to his own seat and answered Ulanan, "Yes! A great, bitter morning tea with a significant portion of milk would be perfect!"
Illira had nearly reached the ground floor when her over-sized Elezen ears picked up a familiar, overly enthusiastic voice that was very close indeed. "Milk!" it said, in its usual hapless fashion. Her head snapped up and towards it. And there he was, seating himself down at a table accompanied by Antimony and her pet lalafel.
Ducking her head and her ears, Antimony sat quietly, her tail fluttering with an anxious shiver. "Milk is rather--well, certainly what Ulanan's provided is... quite fine!"
"Milk is actually a good idea, though I cannot fathom why anyone would like bitter tea. But I'm not judging!" Ulanan said, in a judging voice. She raised a hand to call the attention of the waitress and, once she procured it, a short string of hand and facial expressions followed. Their meaning was probably to get a small jar of milk.
"Bitter tea is morning tea, and milk smooths it out," D'hein said as he dropped into his seat. "It's a very typical practice among those who can afford fresh milk."
Antimony grimaced, searching for an apology. "That's not--it's not as if we're...!"
The tall woman stood there, unmoving and staring at the small group, that looked seemingly companionable if one ignored the occasional nervous twitches emitting from the older woman among them. Illira considered the moment, and if she should intrude on it to get the answers that she wished from the over-eager male, or if she should wait until she would surely she D'hein later at his office as she continued to catch him up on the news that he has missed during his long-unbidden absence from his duties.Â
She set her mouth into a firm expression, on a small showing of a frown on it, and walked towards the table, settled against the circular wall of the Quicksand's innards.
Lalafell were proud of their hearing. Those long ears nature gave them were always a boon. Unless someone yelled at the top of their lungs while the lalafell was two ilms next to them. However, in this case, Ulanan catched the approaching steps and turned briefly, expecting to see a waitress. When all she saw was Illira, Ulanan frowned for a very brief moment. Then she turned back to D'hein and smiled.
"Where you expecting one of your colleagues?"
"Ah, yes," D'heing said, "Antimony. And yourself. Though as a rule Lalafel are more coconspirators than colleagues, and I believe that applies to you."
Antimony just fell quiet and fidgeted.
Illira stopped just short of D'hein whose back was to her. She paused there for a moment, merely looking down at him, before speaking, "Hello D'hein. Just the person I needed to speak with."
Ears fluttering, Antimony flicked her eyes up towards Illira and then down to her plate with its olives and... olives.
D'hein stretched his arms over his head, smiling. His tail flipped around behind him, accidentally whacking Illira. But he doesn't notice it. "Oh, I am in demand today, aren't I? What lovely admirer has found me out?" He leaned far back and looked up, spying Illira and grinning a bit wider, "Oh! Good morning, Illira! Especially good, right?"
Clenching her jaw, Illira said, "I would rather not discuss it with other company present. Sufice to say though..." the woman took in a breath, bracing herself, "You had -no- right to do as you did."
Antimony just ducked her head and tried to pretend she didn't exist.
D'hein's smile dropped from his face, "Well I'll just tell my friends to put him back, if you want."
Ulanan was amused by the scene and kept quiet.
Blinking, Antimony couldn't help herself, "Put... who?"
Illira's focus was entirely on D'hein, moving slightly to the side so that she could look at him better. "I'm not about to choose that he be locked away again. But that -does not- make what you did right," her voice rises, "they are absolutely not your matters to sink your sticky fingers in and manipulate. How did you even hear of him?" She demands to know.
At some point, a waiter had come, left the milk jar and left like a sneaky thief. Waiters knew when they had to do that to avoid being collateral damage of angry disputes.Â
Ulanan, who was on top of the table at that moment, started serving the tea.Â
"I think some tea might help in this matter." she said, holding one cup to the elezen.
"I found out," D'hein answers, relaxing back forward and leaning his elbows on the table. "I reject the idea that you're angry at me for getting a man out of prison when he never should have been there in the first place. Were it a stranger you would've applauded me for undermining the syndicate and righting some wrong. No, you're offended that I've infringed on your personal sphere."
"Perhaps I.. should..." Antimony couldn't quite finish the thought, but she could tell this conversation was not something she should be hearing.
Illira shook her head fervently, a scowl crossing her face, "Your avoiding the question D'hein. And it was not, and should not have been your decision to make on the law's behalf. I know he was innocent. But that is beside the point."
"This is Ul'dah. The Syndicate is the law, and my actions were completely legitimate." He gestured to the Lalafel's teacup, "Accept the tea. Accepting gifts is good luck."
Ulanan felt like a maid for the briefest of moments. She shook her head to Antimony, trying to convey the idea that she shouldn't run away. "I'd rather not have to ruin this breakfast with angry choices of words. So yes, accept the tea and talk D'hein down like a high society lady: with fancy, hurtufl words." she smiled to Illira.
Cutting her cold grey eyes towards Ulanan, she says, "I will not simply sit all prim and proper with this vilest of creatures. To do so would be to sit with the Syndicate themselves."
She turned back towards D'hein, on a roll. "The only way you would have known of Amaury is by digging back into Carceri family history. You would not have known or remembered him any other way. I do not take kindly to people, coworkers, needling around in the dark behind my back. Antimony may forgive you and suckle at your teat in gratitude, but I will not."
Flushing violently, Antimony's ears laid back flat as she choked at Illira's words. "I--I have not--" Her hands pushed at the edge of the table. "Ulanan, we really should just... leave them to.."
"No, Antimony." Dropping his brow, frown growing on his face, D'hein stood and turned to Illira, "That's a rather vulgar way to speak of a lady who has done her best to serve you. I understand. As a woman who is still a Brass Blade at heart, of course you would become territorial when I stepped into your personal sphere and take out your frustration on bystanders. However, I would not suffer you to humiliate yourself. Allow me to escort you out so you may spit and cuss in the dust."
The lalafell offered the cup Illira rejected to Antimony instead. She accompanied the action with some words: "Proper protocol prescribes protesters with the duty of debating at a distance from those not directly implicated." She smiled, turned, and walked to serve D'hein's tea. "And I don't want her to slap D'hein with one of my olive bread slices."
The elezen laughs, a bitter edge ringing in it, "Oh, I suspect it would do Antimony good to hear of the depths that D'hein sinks in order to curry favour with other. It is no insult to her. She merely has not known him as long as I."
"Feel free," D'hein stepped back, pulled his chair out, gestured to it, "Explain to Antimony how helping an innocent man to get parole is such a disgusting act."
Her face burning, Antimony curled her tail tight around the leg of her chair. "That's not necessary," she began and then with a bit of a squeak in her voice, "Why--I don't wish to get involved in this!"
"You two need to leave Antimony out of this." Ulanan protested, her voice severe. "She's not in shape to deal with two quarreling individuals during breakfast.."
"Fine. Let’s go then, D'hein." Illira said harshly, reaching out to grasp D'hein's arm, intending to pull him from the table.
D'hein pulled his arm away from Illira, saying proudly, "Unless you're placing me under arrest, which is no longer your job, I'll walk on my own." He paused for a moment to say to Antimony and Ulanan, "Thank you for the interrution, and I apologize for the scene." He picked up the tea that Ulanan had served to him, and took the milk, before turning away from the table to leave.
Antimony winced, watched D'hein out of the corner of her eyes, and nodded stiffly.
Ulanan also nodded, and let out a "Hope your day gets only better!" while she dropped back onto her chair. Antimony coughed uneasily and, after a moment, poked at her meal.
Ulanan explained the food: "Mushrooms and spinach! And bread. Don't forget to put olives on all of it!" And so she did.
RE: Mind Over Breakfast - Illira - 02-15-2014
Illira walks away from the table, obviously expecting D'hein to follow as she does not look behind her, though she pauses at the doorway she'd come in from, waiting for him to catch up.
D'hein follows calmly, watching the surface of the tea to make sure it doesn't spill. It does anyway. Quite a bit. He's lost half the tea by the time he's caught up with Illira, and he looks rather disappointed in himself.
"We'll continue this at your office," Illira nearly spits out, she opens the door, letting herself out, not holding this at the door. "Don't expect good humor from me on our way there."
"That's why I brought the tea," D'hein said, looking down at the tea fondly. The door, as it swung shut behind Illira, collided with the cup and knocked it out of his hand, sending it to break loudly on the ground. Growling in frustration, D'hein tossed the door open, "And you wouldn't hold the door! Really! You are utterly without a single polite instinct! Like a tamed animal, kept in line only by promise of reward."
"Oh, I'm sorry. Those privileges were revoked when you crossed the line. You want them back? Don't be a backstabbing narcissist." Illira says bitingly over her shoulder.
"Delusional beast," D'hein muttered, pushing his way out the tavern. "Recall, if your beastkin brain is capable of it, that I'm under no obligation to answer to you, and fast losing my desire to weather your infantile fit."
She does turn at that, "-You- are the one who choose to meddle in my family's affairs for reasons still unclear to me, though I have already expressed some of my suspicions. Had you actually cared about Amaury's case, I, or Halone forbid, -he- would have known. I know much of the system, and a inmate such as him does not simply walk free one morning unless there is the same deviancy at work that put him there."
"Lack of faith in altruism is a sign of corruption," D'hein said, meeting Illira's gaze. His frown had given way to a neutral reaction, or perhaps even one of pity. "Corruption has a certain gravity to it. It's hard to look so long at it, see it's great many shapes, and not find it in yourself. Not learn how to adapt the very convenient, victimless cynicism for one's use. I'd hate to think you're leaning that direction, Illira."
The woman clenches her jaw, "It is not cynicism, especially considering your recent actions these past months. And still you dodge the questions. He was not cleared because of new evidence. He was released because you pulled strings and had him, I imagine, released essentialy into your custody for a long probationary period. He is -my- brother D'hein. Not yours." A tear, likely formed of bitterness, sadness, and anger all at once leaked from a grey eye.
"He was a person," D'hein said, somberly, "A man who stood against the syndicate and was punished by an abuse of power. I would have to be an evil man not to act, and your condemnation, selfish and delivered without grace, does not impress me. There is not even one single positive attribute to it. Even the pride with which it is delivered is sickly in color. It is hideous in every way."
"You've never even met him. Judged him for yourself. A tool for you to use and nothing more. -I- know he didn't poison that man. He's my brother! But what do you know? Nothing. You see only what you wish to, and seeing Amaury Carceri's name and record whilst digging where you shouldn't have been, and thought, well I'll just slap some bribes to see him out and Illira will love me. Thats not how things things go." She turns, striking a hand to her face to forcible wipe off the shed tear, grimacing.
"My motivations were to make you swoon?" D'hein laughed, briefly, with cold amusement. "Now who is the narcissist?"
"Why else would you try to curry favour? Giving out jewelry to your female co-workers, taking Antimony out to meals, stalking her. You have a long record of such things. If you had a better reason, then tell me. Its not like I haven't been asking you why and how you found out about Amaury since I first spoke with you. You've merely been to busy deflecting." She takes in a shuddering breath, and sits down heavily on the bench not far behind her. "Why? And why not tell me? Why let me find out from an missive from prison? I thought I'd forgotten his sentence was..." She shakes her head. "This is what you -do-. There is not a thing you do, that you do not believe will benefit you."
"I'd thought it would be a pleasant surprise," D'hein answered, his voice softer this time. "I did say I'd planned an additional gift for the Starlight Celebration. A bit late, but there it is."
Illira laughs hollowly, looking up and away, her eyes closing as a couple more tears streak their way down her pale cheeks. "So you arrange to have my brother, twenty-years behind bars, set free back out into the city that took him from me in the first place?"
"Yes. Tell me why that is wrong,†answers D’hein.
She looks back to D'hein, her eyes a little red-rimmed, "Because you didn't do it because you knew beyond a doubt that he was innocent. You did it because he was my brother."
"I do not know the meaning of the word 'doubt'," D'hein answered, his tail still behind him, his expression calm. He stood directly in front of her, arms at his sides, watching her face as he spoke, "You may call it naive if you wish, but all I needed to know was that he was your blood. I did not wonder then, for even an instant whether or not he was guilty. Without hesitation, I acted. Call it faith or foolishness, if you even believe there is a difference."
Illira shakes her head fervently, casting her gaze down at the patchy cobblestone beneath her. "I am not infallible D'hein, there are few that are. Blood is a terrible reason to believe in someone. Your actions concerning this had nothing to do with justice, but your own whims."
"What does justice have to do with it?" D'hein responded, voice and body-language relaxed, "All the better if he is guilty. Ul'dah was in such a state that the label of guilt from such a time is an honor. I wear such badges myself."
"Justice and the law have to do with everything, D'hein. Without it we are no better than wolves eating other alive as they starve to death. It is not the fault of the system if people seek to bend to their will. Such is corruption. And what you did, greasing the wheels of the jail, is the same that the Syndicate did in sending him there."
"I've rejected that," D'hein said, crossing his arms and pacing impatiently, "There's nothing immoral about networking. My influence is mine to utilize as I please; such is the privelege of the ruling class. The only thing I might have to apologize for is not letting you know ahead of time what I had done, and I find myself disinclined to apologize."
Illira's head snaps up, her gaze cold even as the evidence of fallen tears remain, "That is exactly what is wrong with this city, and your excuse is hollowly familiar to me. Are you sure that you do not work for the Syndicate as well? You've seemed awfully friendly to their ways while I've seen you work here in the city."
"You're too quick to condemn," D'hein said, smiling through his frustration, "Very much like the Elezen thralls of Gridanian primals. But I'm not uncouth enough to level accusations. As I've attempted to point out, you do not know my machinations. Your objections are to some fictional scenario, and your inability to take this at face value is not flattering."
"So I'm supposed to grovel at your feet and thank you for using your, "ruling class priviledge" in having released Amaury for a Starlight gift?", the woman laughs hollowly, "It goes against the very principles that my brother and I hold dear. I did not get to where I am today by simply nodding my head and considering such actions acceptable. Have you not considered how what you did only furthers the elite agenda? Oh. But you wouldn't care. You consider yourself one of them."
"Do not garb yourself in assumptions. They are the ornamentation of dullards. You cannot know what agenda I have furthered for you do not know how I accomplished what I did. You paint in generalities that suit you. Furthermore, I want nothing from you, except for you to perhaps exercise some grace."
"I've made no assumptions. The points that I have made, have come only from words that you have said yourself. And it seems that we are at an immobile impasse as of this time. Do not do this again. I am not apart of your network to be influenced."
His smirk turning a bit sly, D'hein said, "The situation will be as pleases you, then. Your brother remains free and you can feel haughtily better than I. Happy Starlight Celebration, Illira."
Finishing with a bow, D'hein said, "I look forward to meeting your brother and seeing which of us he is more like." he turned to walki away, then, back towards the Quicksand.
Illira does not dignify that with a response, merely turning her head away from D'hein as he walks away from her.