Shikei

Genevieve Pony!

http://i.minus.com/ibeQDDn85rrdae.jpg[/img] WHEE.

I offer Genevieve for Temperence

Finally roused from her shell shock when Hope takes her hand, she looks down slowly into the young girl's eyes, her own eyes still filled with fear that seems to be ebbing away gradually. When she finally realizes that the battle is over she blushes furiously and casts her gaze down. Looking at her own large hand being held comfortingly by the slender fingers of the much younger and much smaller girl, she feels a wave of shame wash over her. "I...I'm sorry..." is all that she manages at first, her shoulders slumping as she chokes back a sob, "I just...I wasn't ready for that..." she manages to say through the quaking of her voice. Looking first to Abaigeal and then back to Hope, she nods her head and squares her shoulders. "I'll try and do better next time..." she says, clenching her fingers into a fist as she pulls her hand away from Hope. Taking a deep breath, she holds it for a moment before letting it out explosively and shaking her shoulders. "I'll do better next time..." she repeats, trying to sound like she actually believes it.

Holding her left arm at the elbow, Genevieve winces slightly and looks around at the others, slightly disheartened by the fact that nobody seems to be inclined to help. Taking a deep breath, she sets a stern face and reaches into her pack for a healing potion. "Shouldn't depend on the others for everything...I have to stand on my own..." she mutters to herself, working the cork out of the healing potion with her teeth and spitting it to the side. As she brings the potion to her lips, she watches Merri approach the statue, and the statue subsequently start trying to murder Merri. Swallowing the last of the potion hard, she drops the bottle onto the ground and stares slack jawed at the Dullahan. Fumbling for her cestus, she looks in in shock at the quickly escalating battle, flinching sharply as the dull roar of Fira being cast from within the Deepcroft reaches the entrance. "I....I...." she stutters, looking to each of the other party members in turn, watching as they move into the fray without the hesitation that was gripping tighter and tighter around her. Standing stiff in the middle of the path with her cestus at the ready, she remains paralyzed with fear and indecision.

Her descent slowed by the impact with Zesiro, Genevieve crashes to the ground under the helpful Miqo'te groaning in pain. Struggling to her feet with Zesiro's help, she smiles lopsidedly and looks generally abashed. Her face looks sufficiently 'abashed' as well, a trickle of blood running from her nose and down the side of her head from under her hair. "Yeah! I'm fine. I was just...training my body to endure damage from falling down stairs!" she says between panting breathes, still winded from the run that sent her tumbling in the first place. Offering a handshake, she notices that her elbow is bleeding as well, as is her knee. "On second thought...I think I might need a doctor."

Running down the path at a brisk pace, Genevieve smiles confidently for the first time. If there was anything that she had faith in, it was her strength that allowed her to push herself harder than many of her peers. But there is a limit to strength, and she looks dumbfounded as Xenedra and the others whisk past her easily, carried on the winds of her song. Furrowing her brow, she drops her gaze to the ground and pumps her arms and legs as hard as she can, determined at the very least to not be the last person to the entrance. Her brow dotted with the sweat that streaks into her eyes to bothersome effect, she closes her eyes and charges at full bore down the path, completely unaware of the ground dropping out from under her as she crests over the last rise in the path and over the first step of the stairs down. Flailing comically, she shrieks and tumbles headlong down the stairs like a clumsy bowling ball, her velocity carrying her on a collision course with Endemerrin.

Watching Endemerrin curiously as he exhales, she leans closer and reaches out to touch his shoulder. "Are....are you oka..." she yelps suddenly as the Midlander snaps upright once more, looking flabbergasted as he energetically commences the operation, racing off down the trail at blazing speed. Shielding her eyes from the dust swirled up in his wake, she looks to the others for just a moment before racing down the trail after him. It wasn't that she minded hard work, having worked in Aeron's warehouse for so long, but she certainly didn't want to fall too far behind the one whose example she was hoping to follow. Bounding down the trail with long, powerful strides, Genevieve does her best to keep up with the fleet footed monk. Though nowhere nearly as fast as Endemerrin, Genevieve is still impressively fast on her feet, and likely hard to keep up with by natural means.

Genevieve laughs and looks down at Hope with a wide smile. "That's quite alright Hope, I've been hit in the head with worse things, and by far worse people" she says, giving the spry girl a wink. Turning her gaze to Endemerrin, she looks a little confused, but does as she is told, her head and disheveled hair providing ample cover from the sun. "Like this?" she asks, still uncertain of just what she was doing.

Raising her hand to the back of her head once more, Genevieve gives the slightly smarting bump a quick rub before dropping her shoulders again and falling in line behind the others. Inwardly chiding herself, she closes her eyes and stands with squared shoulders beside the others one the fence. If this was how jumpy she was out here in the relative safety of the forest, just what was it going to be like in the dark? The thought of losing track of the others and dying alone and scared in the tunnels sent a quick shiver up her spine, and for a brief moment she considered apologizing to the others and taking her leave. But instead, she clenched her fists and took a deep breath. This was something that she wanted to do, that she had to do. Every journey begins with a single step, as long as you are brave enough to take it. At least that's what Aeron had always taught her. Opening her eyes slowly, she gives her neck a crack to each side and looks down at Endemerrin, trying her put on her best game face. "Okay, I'm going to follow your lead, and try to stay out of the way. But if I jump into your lap suddenly like a giant, cowardly dog...please don't use me as an impromptu weapon."

Noticing some of the finer details of Isaac's appearance as she turned toward his voice, grinning slightly. "Yeah...I figured that you all would, that's really most of the reason that I decided to join you. I had decided that it would probably be best if my first real adventure was with some more experienced travelers..." she finally admits allowed, slipping her hand behind her neck sheepishly. "At this point, I'm more concerned about the very real possibility of me making a complete ass of myself out here. Thankfully, you all seem a forgiving sort...so OW!" Jerking her head forward slightly, she whips around and looks for the source of the small stone that just knocked off of the back of her noggin. Looking more confused than angry, she looks around at the others. "Are we under attack? Or am I being chastised for something?"

Glancing over her shoulder at Hope and then over to Xenedra, Genevieve blushes once more and runs her fingers through her hair, looking every bit as awkward as she was feeling. It seemed weird to her that she, the largest of the group, would be the nervous one. But the confidence that the others possessed daunted her easily. Surely much of their confidence came from experience and training, something that she sorely lacked, but there was something more. There was something about them that just exuded power, an air of strength that made her feel safer in their presence. Surely, traveling with a group was already a step up from traveling alone, as listening to the conversations was a welcome distraction from her own nervous thoughts. Nervous. Sheesh. It still mortified her slightly that Hope had taken to calling her that. Looking over her shoulder back at Hope, she is suddenly startled to find her no longer there. Pausing on the path, she looks around curiously. "Hope? Where did she go? She was just here."

Genevieve fell along behind the Merri and Xenedra quietly, looking around at the changes that the others seemed to be noticing. She hadn't been to Gridania before today, so all of this was new to her, but she knew full well that the great calamity that had befallen all of Eorzea had transformed this verdant sanctuary the same way that it had changed Ul'dah. Aeron had told her at length about the city of his birth many times, speaking with such emotion that she had often wondered why he never ventured here anymore. There was a part of her had expected it to be a wholly uncivilized place, that there would be some plainly obvious reason why he chose to stay away, but she certainly couldn't see it. All she saw was a lush, pleasant forest. Roused from her reflection as Merri nudges her, she looks to him suddenly with a confused expression. "Yes? No? What?" she blurts suddenly, looking down sharply at the offered hand. Blushing brightly, she shakes her head and squares her shoulder. "I...I'm not a child. I don't need my hand held..." she finally manages to say, not seeming to notice the fact that Merri was also holding hands with Xenedra, nor catching any other connotation to the gesture.

Genevieve nodded and collected all of her things as well, all of the none of them. Stepping up behind Endemerrin quickly, she falls in step beside and behind him. Maybe it was the fact that he was the leader of the ragtag band, maybe it was the fact that he was also a monk, or maybe she just found him cute. Whatever the reason, Genevieve decided quickly to stick close to Endemerrin and do as he did, following the example of the more experienced adventurer as she followed him like a giant, lumbering shadow.

Nodding her head once as Merri calls everyone to get ready, she looks up just in time to catch the Sea Wolf shooting her a wink. Blushing brightly, she gives a chaste little wave before turning her attention back to Merri. "As tempting as it might be for me to turn tail and run right now, I'm committed to seeing this through to the end. Though, if it's all the same to you, I would prefer that end not be MY end." she says, giving Merri a quick glance and giving a joyless little laugh. The fact that she seemed to be in more capable company really was the only reason that Genevieve hadn't turned tail and ran already, that and the fact that she was rather intrigued by the company that had gathered for this task. "I'm ready to move out whenever the rest of you are..."