Aya

The girl laughs softly, a bashful smile crossing her features. "Mmmmmmm, maybe not... we could ask them to come here sometime!" Berrod was a familiar name, she felt like she could almost place his features... if Warren was right about him, she had known the type before. The sort of man you always wanted to avoid meeting, but then always seemed thankful for after you had. She holds her finger to her lips, "I wonder why I've never met this 'Howl' friend of yours... what's he like?"

Aya listens, and he can see the little smirk on her lips as he discusses his "friend" that she absolutely must have seen before... As he discusses the fight, she turns her head a bit, "So its not really fun, but practice? That's what it sounds like at least~ I'd like to meet these friends of yours, Berrod and Howl. Maybe I could go with you sometime?"

What a perfect Oscare (and Aya), Warren!! *laughs*

"Oh?" she raises her shoulders and the blonde eyebrows that seem such an essential component of her expressiveness, while listening to his evolving tale of woe, struggle, and defeat. Her giggle at his pouting gesture is not exactly consoling, but there is a comforting warmth in her smile as she nods knowingly, "Of course! I knew that even someone as tough as Berrod couldn't take you down so easily! Twice in just the same spot, hmm? He's just that quick? And who's this other fellow you mentioned?" She purses her lips a bit, turning her upper body back and forth, "Why do you guys enjoy fighting so much, anyway, doesn't it hurt?"

Love you too! Sheesh, what is with all of the Quick Sand hate lately! :love:

You may not have much luck on your server! The RP in Final Fantasy seems to be fairly concentrated on the Gilgamesh and Balmung servers

Tough Aya is TOUGH

A friend of Warren's? Oh nooooooooo!

In response to Warren's praise, Aya just smiles sweetly, adding a little shrug of her shoulders. What the paladin thought was wisdom, seemed anything but to the girl, but who was she to argue? "Berrod huh? Why does that name sound so familiar! He really just hit you that hard, huh? Knocked the wind right out?"

Aya looks back at him with a broad grin. She lifts herself back up from where she'd been leaning against the bar, and draws out one of the tumblers she had just dried and placed away. She sets it before him gently, and then spins back around, theatrically retrieving a bottle of amber liquor, and pouring the tumbler half full, before returning the bottle to the shelf. She looks down at the drink, its complex aged aroma drifting to Warren as a heady mixture of strong alcohol and barrel-aging. She leans over the bar, directly in front of him, her elbows resting on the serving-side edge. Her finger gently taps the rim of the glass, as she gives her head a little shake, jingling her earrings as she grins. "To not looking back." She leans a little closer, her expression looking a little more serious for just a moment, "And being the man you know are." She raises herself back up to standing, fingers still clutching the edge of the bar as she grins down toward him, "And then you can tell me all about the excitement of the Grindstone!"

Heeeey! Verad sells dubious, not... inauthentic!! Besides, he does that lovely Cactu-puncture. *coughs* Roen's one lucky girl!

(( LOVE YOU TOO ASKIER! ))

Aya's grin softens to a smile as she watches and listen to the bulky paladin flexing his fingers, and words, trying to squirrel his way out from underneath the dereliction of duty she had playfully put at his feet. At last she cannot help herself, leaning toward him she teasingly jabs his shoulder, "I think its because she likes the shy, stoic type, who's all like honey inside." That teasing grin of hers returns for just a moment. "So don't worry about those other things, okay? Stop doubting, and wondering. This world has a way of not making any of us want to look back, doesn't it? The future is what matters. For you. For her. For all of us." She leans back, smiling warmly to him as she draws in a deep breath, "I love having you two around, but I know what you two have is more important than that, now. You're a delight to watch, you know: its like happiness dancing upon tense little fingertips, wanting so badly to embrace, but afraid to. For silly little fears. Fear of the unknown. Fear of losing what you've always known, fear of what others will think. Things you should not worry about, but cannot help, mmmm? But, I know you'll find the strength, eventually." She giggles softly, her lips embracing a warm, happy smile. She glances down for just a moment as she watches his reaction, "So do what you think is best. We'll appreciate your company, and hers, and what the two of you are together, even more. Still, more quiet nights like this would be nice, don't you think?"

This thread sucks! Verad is quite the charming fellow! In his funny... eccentric... non-charming and non-heroic sort of way. Sweet! So we can trade! (full disclosure: Verad is absolutely awesome)

This thread sucks!

Each of her ears was pierced seven times, three in a line along the top, and four along the bottom drawing back from the lobes, which were usually decorated with dangling earrings, while the others were decorated with studs that changed to match her outfit. This evening they were red and black, with larger silver earrings of small cylinders that liked to jingle together whenever she moved her head. As she shook her head with a laugh, they accompanied her voice with a light music. "Really, now, Ser Castille!?" She leans a little closer to him, those peering blue eyes still cast toward him, "I suppose we shouldn't be too rough on you~them... then" She pulls back gently, still grinning,"Still~ it might be easier if there were someone around to watch the place, rather than chasing each other across the world. But I suppose that chase has proved more than worth it, hmmm?" she winks knowingly.

Aya turns to wipe an area of the bar, a little down from Warren, keeping her profile toward him as she rhythmically draws the damp cloth first one way along the finished wooden surface, and then the other. "Oh yes~" she extends her pronunciation of the affirmation, grinning, and almost laughing, "A pillar claimed by two such stalwart knights, known to protect what's theirs. I've heard them say it themselves," she playfully mimics a knight's voice, "Oh, I would... but... I hear there are already knights who..." She lets her voice trail off, turning her eyes toward him again. She stops wiping the counter, turning her body to face him, leaning onto the bar, her hip pressed to it, her elbow resting upon it as she looks at him. That playful, almost pouty, smirk once more on her lips as she cants her head, her eyes looking past him and down toward the floor behind him. "So what's a girl to do, Ser Warren?" her eyes flick up to him as she says his name, "With all these ruffians and louts about?"

Aya giggled softly, lifting her eyes again, delighted in a little play in the quiet of the Quick Sand's earliest hours. "Oh she got to bed quite well, I think you know~" She turned to the side as she moved to straighten a few of the bottles and glasses behind the bar. "But you're right: what is a girl to do when her knights elope?" she flashes that grin once more, now in profile, "Not only that, but I hear that other knights are afraid to guard the pillar." Still grinning, and without moving, she turns her blue eyes, toward him, "Seems you two have a reputation of sorts."

Aya was wiping down freshly washed glasses, setting each carefully in its rack. It was a late night, but Momodi needed the help, and the peace that seemed to settle over the place in the wee hours at least made the extra work easier to bear. She lifted her gaze from one such glass, smiling softly, to the paladin. Her smile became a bright grin as she recalled the last time she had seen him, "And a good evening to you too, Ser Warren!" The Ishgardian accent played so delightfully along the girl's voice, imparting a little dose of mystery upon every word. "The Grindstone keeping you busy? Well, you know how it goes here~ pirates, trouble-makers, and louts all night long! No end of trouble!" She laughed softly while finishing drying off the glass, sliding it snugly onto the rack and into place against its fellows. "Especially once the Grindstone lets out and the ruffians start to trickle in here." She cants her head, peering at him with lips pulled into a pursing smirk, and a playfulness in her eyes, "You're not another ruffian now, are you?"

Welcome :-]

After taking in the wondrous fragrance of the kitchen's flavors and spice, Aya at last returns to the atrium of the Quick Sand, emerging from the kitchen with a large try of Kage's order. She had to hold the large food-covered tray with both hands as she worked her way around, swinging her hips through the gap in the bar, and on to the table where Kage and Natalie had been congregating.

Aya blinked a little more, staying a step or two away from the woman, with the bar still between them. She raised her left arm, directing her index finger toward the top of the woman's hat, sitting quite comfortable on her head, where Aya had placed it a few moments earlier. "I think you're wearing it..." she nods for affirmation. She glances toward Kage briefly, adding a nod, "That's a lot of fish...." she smiles softly, "I'll get that in for you right away." She scoops up the pouch of gil, and quickly heads off to the kitchen to deal with the welcome distraction.

Aya watches in stunned silence, blue-eyes still opened wide. Noticing the woman raise her head, eyes upon the hat, she very slowly and gently lowers it back down, setting it upon her head. She takes another breath and nods, "Um... would you like anything else...? Some stew maybe?" She glances down to the gil, and back to the woman, still unsure of just what to make of her behavior: from the smell of fresh still wafting powerfully from her, to the oblivious bar-crawling, and now a sudden moment of alertness in the search for her hat. Down the bar Momodi, the Lalafel Proprietress, watched the scene with a nervous curiosity of her own.

Aya, the barmaid who was just across the bar from PipPip, waiting for a response from the Highlander woman, watched in utter bewilderment as the woman instead started to pull herself across the bar. With a nimble sidestep Aya barely avoided a collision between the two, catching the falling hat in her hand. As PipPip seemed to idly scan the bottles behind the bar, Aya just blinked in further confusion, before giving her head a sudden shake as if trying to stir herself from a dream, "Ma'am? Ma'am? Do you even know where you are?" She looked over toward Warren at the pillar, her eyes more than a little alarmed at the sudden intrusion into the server's area. She turned back in time to watch the woman downing a glass of water she had apparently poured for herself, the water somewhat warm without the cold of a specially chilled glass for the occasion. Aya's voice returned with a gentle earnestness, mixing with concern and alarm, as she continues to hold the woman's hat. "Ma'am I hope you realize that water is not free in the desert~"

People will interpret and play the strength of their characters how they desire (For my own characters) I tend to prefer mine to be realistic. Aya is athletic, fit, and stronger than people would expect, but nonetheless a weakling (in most ways) compared to any men other than Lalafel and perhaps smaller Miqo'te. And would be easily overpowered by most all Roegadyn women, and many Highlander women. Making up for these physical weaknesses (and, indeed,the many other weaknesses she possesses!) are part of what make playing her interesting as a character. I disregard in-game combat performance because issues of game balance essentially beg the question before RP can be taken into account. But, should a Lalafel (female Miqo'te, or any other possible example!) wish to use aether to be as strong as the mightiest Sea Wolf, I don't see how you could really object! Though his height and stature would still introduce limitations a little more difficult to overcome.