Stormwind

Once I finally get it going anyway, Alexander: "For a man whose lost his most precious gift, he'll discover how far he'll go to get it all back"

I'm a social angst to the nth degree just as a matter of being, and then you slather on top of that an anti-social grump of a character like Stormwind and I'm left with no idea how to approach people. On top of that, I've completely lost everything resembling a plot because I've been so burned out from work the last six months, I've had no drive to do anything creative. Every time I feel like I want to get back into it, I find myself agonizing over how to start and if it's even worth the effort given my professional life at the moment. At the end of the day, I'm so scared out of my head about my RP versus others RP and being rejected because of it, I end up doing nothing. I leaned on Dogberry so hard because of my own anxieties. What few people I have formed RP friendships with, I did through him and thinking about that depresses the hell out of me. I've got a great personal story for Storm all lined up for if/when I ever get back to it but I'm to damn scared to pull the trigger. tl;dr- Social anxiety plus anti-social character divided by lack of time equals one massive emotional and creative mess.

I really appreciated the lack of filler quests in the MSQ. I dislike them in general but with Fallout 4 waiting, I really didn't want to end up running back and forth just for "story" padding.

--Day 8-- Alexander took another drink of water. He had been talking all morning and he needed a break. The Miqo'te woman sitting across from him pushed her glasses up her nose as she waited for him to finish. This was her second day now talking with Alexander. She had proved personable, better then that damned Lalafell from the week prior. That one had loved to lecture, and he lectured Alexander the entire time they talked. Every time Alexander got going on the events, the Lalafell would go on about something. It was like listening to an uppity conjurer. Alexander finished his water and exhaled heavily, looking back at the young woman. She opened her book up again and removed her quill from the inkwell. "Now Mister Stormwind, we were about to discuss the incident surrounding the primal Ifrit..." the young woman said, "...and the death of the young man named Tom?" Alexander leaned forward, putting his arms on the table and clasping his hands together. "The whole thing was a mess, a miscalculation-" he began. The Miqo'te cut him off, "Mister Alexander, a miscalculation is what you do on your taxes. A young man is dead, under your watch, because of your negligence at best. -We- have reason to believe that the young man's "accident" wasn't that at all and that you coordinated the entire thing so to get your hands on a freshly tempered corpse to study." Alexander opened his hands, lifting them up with palms raised. "Yes. More then a miscalculation, on that we can agree. The young man's death was a tragedy, but unless you have some proof to substantiate your implications, then I suggest you drop them. The fact is that each device was drawn out of a box, at random. Your accusation suggests that I did not care who drew the device, so long as I got my corpse." The miqo'te tilted her head slightly, "And would you have, hypothetically?" she asked, "Would you have cared who it was if you had gotten your corpse?" There was a few moments of silence. Alexander looked back at the young woman, and she looked back at him. "Yes." he finally answered. The woman looked at him with surprise, "Do you believe that?" she replied. "Rhianna was a valued assistant, Captain Dogberry was my best chance at getting bodies and the items I needed to continue my research. So yes, hypothetically, I would have cared." he stated calmly. The woman nodded, scrawling a few things into her book. "I see. So, tell me about the fight..."

--Day 14-- Alexander woke in the morning to a queer sound. Nothing. Normally he is woken by one of his guards, precisely at 8:30AM, with breakfast at 9AM and the discussions continue sometime within the next hour depending on who's turn it was. Normally there was some level of noise outside from the guards or people upstairs, but now, nothing. Pulling himself from his bed, he grabbed his chonometer and glanced at it. 9:45AM. Something we definitely wrong, and here he was in his bedclothes with no magic and no other weapon. This was bad. He began checking around the room, opening the closest and checking under the bed to see if anyone was lying in wait. Was he being assassinated? Maybe, but why wait so long? Maybe he woke up earlier then they expected? But they controlled who came in and out of the building, so they could kill him in his sleep if they wanted. To many variables. To many unknowns in play. He walked back over to the open closest and retrieved a set of robes they had given him to wear during his long stay. They were horrible quality, but that was a gripe for another day. He needed a weapon, something to protect himself with. His options in this regard were limited. He could destroy the table or the chair, but doing so would cause a great amount of noise and he was still in a great deal of pain from the events of two weeks ago, so there was no guarantee he could apply enough force to break them. Resolving he might have to go unarmed, he moved towards the door, his mind trying to recall the basic hand-to-hand techniques he was taught in early days of his service to the Garlean military. He opened the door and slowly turned the handle, peeking outside. No guard at his door, no one in the hall. This was dire indeed. Slipping out of his room, he checked his surroundings. Nothing immediately out of the ordinary, outside of there being no one here. He walked slowly down the hall into the common room, checking the corners in case he saw anyone or anything. Still nothing. Upon reaching the common room he found something unexpected. Furniture in all states of disarray as if those sitting in them had gotten up in a hurry. Food had also been left half-eaten, eggs of some kind. Whatever happened, happened earlier in the morning. It was then it struck Alexander to check upstairs. Moving back down the hall, he turned through the foyer with the table and chair in front and headed upstairs where his interrogators had been going. Reaching the crest of the stairs, he found what could only be a makeshift office in complete disarray. Desks and papers strewn all over the place, as if in a mad dash to vacate. He moved over to one of the desks, picking through the papers and looking over them. Mostly, it was notes from those who had been questioning him. Idle observations and such, though the more he read, the more it seemed his captors had varying opinions on him and his demeanor. After about 15 minutes of picking through the paperwork, he decided the check the front door. Would he escape? He honestly was not sure. He expected that would be a question he would better answer once he knew if there was anyone here at all. Walking to the front door, he turned the handle. Surprisingly the door swung open. More surprisingly was the young hyur man in a Flame uniform standing outside, who seemed just as surprised when the door opened. The young man drew his sword in a flash, and Alexanders hand immediately went up. "Hey! Hey! Careful young man, there is no need for that. I'm unarmed and a little confused at the moment." The guard relaxed a little, lowering his sword but not sheathing it yet. "Are you Alexander Stormwind?" he asked. "I am..." Alexander replied, "and the current resident of this location for a time indeterminate." The young man took and deep breath, sheathing his weapon now. "We did not know when you would be awake but as we were still awaiting orders, we saw no need to wake you." Alexander tiled his head, "Awaiting orders? From whom?" he inquired. "Flame Command. That's all I can say for now sir, but I have to ask you to remain on the premises for the time being until we can get someone to sort this situation out." the young man stated. Alexander nodded to the young man. It wasn't much but whatever has happening had caused his previous captors to vacate in a hurry, and someone left a Flame in their place. As he turned to go back into the house he looked over his shoulder at the young man. "Son, would it be to much to ask that whoever shows up, you have them get me some food? I'm understandably peckish since I have not eaten yet this morning." The young man looked back at him, "I'll...ummm...see what I can do sir." he replied back.

((OOC note: I'd like to take a moment to apologize to those who I left hanging on this one. Let's just say it has been an unfortunately eventful summer in some of the worst possible ways. I'd like to thank those who continued to express interest while I've been handling things on my end and for being understanding of the situation.)) --That same day, a few hours later-- Alexander was not sure how long he waited, but he had ended up trying to take a nap by the time he heard noise coming from outside the door. There was a knock, and the Brave guarding his door turned, checking outside before opening the door. Alexander slowly pulled himself up as a small Lalafell man dressed in Ul'dahn fashion walked into the room and hopped up onto the stool. He looked across the table at Alexander, motioning to the stool across from him. "You must be famished Lord Tempesta. The Braves told me they arrested you early this morning and you were still in bed, as if you had just woken up." the lalafell smirked, producing an apple from a bag he had placed on the table. He put it on the table, and pushed it to Alexander, "You should keep your strength up my Lord, we have a great deal to discuss." Alexander took the apple, casting a suspicious glance at the Lalafell. If they wanted him dead, dragging him all the way to Ul'dah just to poison him seemed like an awful lot of trouble just to do it in some old house. He lifted the apple to his mouth and took a bite, chewing slowly while staring at the smirking Lalafell, taking his measure. When he finally swallowed, he spoke. "Alexander Stormwind while we are here, please. Most don't know my true allegiances, and even fewer know my true name. I'd like to keep it that way." he said, taking another bite of the apple. It was amazing what food was doing for his mood, not that it was improving it at all but at least his stomach wasn't growling on top of it. The Lalafell continued to smile as he spoke. "Most people didn't know you were gathering primal data to create weapons which harnessed primal energy and you saw how that worked out" he said with a condescending smile. "See Lord Stormwind, all of this comes from a web of lies and deceit that you spun around yourself and it's my job, and the job of my cohorts, to unspin those lies and get to the truth of what's happened. Once we've done that, then we'll decide just how many lifetimes you're going to spend in the Marasaja Pit." Alexander scoffed, "Threats already. Dear me you gentlemen waste no time do you. At least I got something to eat before we launched right into the "casting me into the deepest, darkest pit monologue". Very well, I'll play your game but I've got some ground rules I want to set before we lay our pieces on the table..." he said before the Lalafel cut him off, pulling a copy of the Lantern out of his bag. "Games? Lord Stormwind, have you read today's paper? Your lies have already finished the work you started on one of your former compatriots. How many more do you intend to sacrifice before you come clean and admit to your guilt?" he pushed the paper at Alexander, who picked it up and read over the obituary for one "Dogberry Himalspyr". He read it twice over, just to be sure he was sure of what he was reading, then he read it a third time. Slowly he sat the paper down, and looked across the table at the Lalafell. "You and I both know this is chocobo shit." he said calmly. "One, I have it on personal authority that the Captain is alive and well. Two, I know the people who surround the Captain and unless you got all of them, then he isn't dead. No, they just "found" his charred body? Really? This might work on the doe-eyed masses, but even if I had not seen him with my own eyes I'd know this was chocobo shit. I am curious as to the angle that is being played here, and I don't expect you to tell me, but don't insult my intelligence with this tripe." He pushed the Lantern back at the man, "...and who reads the Lantern for serious news anyway? Have you seen some of the tripe in there?" Alexander set his hands on the table, looking across at the Lalafel. "Whoever you report to wants me. Fine. They can have me and we can do this little song and dance all day but I cooperate on one condition. Rhianna Oruissi, I know they have her. Your men said as much. I want her released, and I want it done before another word is said. Otherwise, you may as well poison the next apple or toss me in a pit because you'll get nothing further out of me." The Lalafel looked back at him, "You're right, we do have her, and in doing so we have your unborn child. You'll cooperate or you won't see them again." he stared back. Alexander shook his head, "We both know why I'm here. I can't escape what I've done and I'm in no shape to physically resist you. Even if I somehow managed to get out of the house, I'm in no shape to move via the aethernet and I'm in the middle of the city being run by the most corrupt governing body, which owns the most corrupt domestic force in Eorzea. Where exactly am I going that is not going to get me killed?" "Rhianna is smart and talented, make no mistake, but she can't give you what you want. In fact, if anything happens to me I venture she'll either find a way to disappear at best, or just kill herself at worst, then you have nothing. You let her go, we talk, and in the end you come out ahead. You retain her, and in the end you'll probably end up with nothing to show for it except maybe a headline about stopping some rogue scientist." The lalafel paused a moment, considering Alexander's words. After a few moments he climbed down off his stool and had the guard open the door for him so he could walk back out into the hallway. He disappeared, clearly heading to the landing but likely upstairs, as the door was closed behind him. Alexander sat impatient for God knows how long before the Lalafell returned sometime later with a linkpearl in his hand. He handed it to Alexander, "It's for you." he said. Alexander lifted the pearl to his ear, "Hello? Rhianna?" There was some chatter on the other side, "Yes, I know. Just go back to the house. Contact Menelwen in the meantime until I can sort this all out." There was a pause, and Alexander flinched a little at the yelling in his ear. "...This isn't up for discussion. Not now. I have to go. I love you, and stay safe." He pulled the linkpearl off his ear and placed it back on the table. The Lalafell picked it up and tucked it back into his robes. "Satisfied?" he asked. Alexander breathed a sigh of relief, now he could focus. "Yes, I am. Let us begin."

There are many. More then I will probably be able to name here. I had the fortune of growing up in the golden age of video gaming (NES-> PS2) so my list of classics is long. Final Fantasy 3/6 is a big one. This is my gold standard for Final Fantasy games and everything has come up short since then. The Legend of Zelda series, A Link to the Past and OoT, especially. These are such good games. Lastly and most important Chrono Trigger. I have yet to find a game that engages me or gets me going more the Chrono Trigger. I own every version and re-release of the game, and probably replay it once a year....speaking of which...it's been awhile.

*cackles* You have no idea what you are stepping into.

While I wouldn't call myself dumb, I certainly don't have the background that I play Stormwind having. Honestly, most of the time what I say is pulled out of my ass. Its techno-babble. While I don't really know physics, or engineering, or certainly aetherial properties, I know techno-babble. I couldn't actually tell you how magitek legs work or are built, but Stormwind does and he's created them. If you sound confident in what you are saying, then people will listen. They may not agree but from the debate that follows you may learn something. I certainly have before.

1) I bend the lore because I can. I like pulling it to the furthest reaches of plausible (and maybe not entirely plausible) because since I play an inventor and scientist I feel I have to, otherwise I'm just a technician. I do try to come up with reasons everything that I design would work in canon, but I feel if I didn't push the boundaries, then it's not interesting. 2) I feel no remorse at having ICly punched primals and come up with ways to do it, see point one. I don't MSQ RP so I don't claim or use echo, or the blessing of light, but I did ICly create a way to avoid tempering and I don't regret it. For me, part of Final Fantasy is about punching gods in the face, so hell yes I'm going to do it.

Formerly a Systems technician, bumped into a Sys Admin role following some heavy "organizational restructuring" for a regional bank. Double to triple the work load, maybe a quarter of the pay. I like my job, but dammit I really need to get paid more for it.

Absolutely. This is information many of us have been waiting for a very long time.

There is a whole lot of 2002 going on.

Stormwind: Principle/ that hard-ass teacher that everyone more or less can't stand. Raniall: JROTC with plans for a military academy after high school.

Isn't that the Bene-like ability that gives like a flat 50%(?) of the targets health back?