Coatleque

*defeated sigh* Room for one more?

That's why I'm playing it off as more of a mental trauma. The physical part may be healed, but there will always be mental scarring at having remembered the experience. Hence her nightmares.

What I'm surprised at is how many people are telling me Coatleque should have just ignored the whole confession thing and went easy on him. She just survived a suicide attempt, what do you want from the girl!? :cry:

You make her sound so creepy. She was just brooding over their prior conversation. And watching that hussy hug all over Warren in the mean time. (j/k Kaylie!)

I'm going to hell for double posting. Erik X Yangh. Go!

She has so many now! I feel so loved. Updated all my events today, and trying to reciprocate all the rumors!

Whaaaaat? After our two very short and brief exchanges, Coatleque gets no mention? I'm shocked! Shocked! Well, not that shocked.

She stared at him with mixed emotions, trying desperately not to show them. The horror of his sudden confession was too much however and finally won out over everything else. She found herself slowly nodding as a tear ran down her cheek. She backed one step away as her hand withdrew. "Well...", she stammered. "That seems to be the norm these days..." She turned and grabbed her gil purse from the bed post where it hung. Clutching it in one hand she lightly pushed past him, looking back with reddening eyes. "Good day, Ser Castille." Without a further word she left him there. [align=center]***[/align]

Coatleque will use the airship to travel between cities. She'll ride most other places then. The Aetherite is used only when absolutely necessary because it makes her sick. I feel that something as powerful as Aetherite travel should have it's own associated negative consequences for over-use.

The suspense... ... it burns!

"Yes, you are..." She spoke softly, offering as much comfort as she could to the man. They had both been through their share of troubles over the past month now. Her with her work, he with is friends. Through it all they had kept each other strong, reminding the other of their shared duty as it was needed. But he had done so much more, she felt, especially recently. While she was detained by a madman, he had born not only his own troubles but those of Ul'dah as well. And even now when things were calming down once more, it was he who paid for her to rest and recover here, standing guard at her door the first night. He had repaired her armor, had retrieved her sword where she left it, had cleaned her blood from it without a second thought. She tried to speak but no words came out at first. Her hand still held against his cheek, she looked up to him with glassy eyes. "And I shall be here with you... if you would have me."

I don't usually listen to music much... after the events Saturday night, I think this is fitting for Crofte.

She could see his expression faltering, his will about to collapse. The pain of her own failings still too fresh in her mind, she scrambled for words. Without thinking she reached out to him, to brush one of his braids from the side of his face. "You haven't failed anyone. Not them. Not yourself. Not me."

Neutrality is always the most difficult alignment to play. In my experience, the only characters who can truly play it off are the mentally insane ones. To be entirely neutral means you need to have exactly 0 sense of right and wrong because there can be no real motive behind your actions. I would place Jin'li as a Neutral-Evil character, for example. He thinks his methods are right, clearly they are not. If it wasn't for the collars, bombs, and poison; If he was just a tad more "kind", he would fall closer to True Neutral.

A tough decision to make either way. At the end of the day though, he let fear of what the Germans 'might' have done dictate his action rather than using current knowledge to save lives.

Coatleque listened to his words and looked away with eyes closed in thought. "It seems we have both cheated fate then, for good or ill. Would that you were able to tell me sooner, I might have been there with you. I am sorry Warren." She looked back to him. "But you do know they are alive at least. Does that not stir at least some hope?"

She crossed the room towards him as he spoke, trying to read his expression. "If you do not want to tell me what happened, I shall not pry. Though I do sense some measure of betrayal was had. What of your friends though? You did not say if they were found. Warren?" She attempted to meet his gaze with as caring and hopeful a look as she could muster.

"The debt is more than one of mere gil, Ser Castille. I.. I had planned to die that night, twice over. You saved me from the the second fate." Her voice quivered at her own words. This was not the time to break down once more, however. She pushed the thoughts from her mind as best she could. "It is not something we should be thinking of now, regardless. Forgive my dwelling on the matter. I should turn the topic to something surely more pleasant." She turned to face him. "You were to return to Coerthas, were you not? I had not heard news of the last expedition. I am sure the inspector was most helpful? Did you find your friends? Please say they are well."

"Oh!", she started. "No, I have time. Please... I had actually wanted to speak with you. I was unable to since Camp Drybone because... Well, you understand I am sure." She crossed the room to the far side where a desk was set against the wall, her back turned to him. Looking down and to the side she continued. "I wanted to thank you for freeing me, Ser Castille. I am in your debt."

[align=center]III[/align] Coatleque stood in her room at the Hourglass. The room provided her by Ser Castille for the week following the events at the Palace. She had just finished preparing for the day, dressed in her usual finery rather than uniform, she had intended to pick up her previous investigation as soon as she could. There were other people's lives still at stake after all. She turned to leave, adjusting her beret, when there was a knock at the door. She paused momentarily almost unsure if she had heard it. "Yes? You may enter!"

The sound of boots echoed through the halls. Each step grew louder, and the sound did not die away but lingered as time slowed. She saw the two guards at the bottom of the stairs. Her shield brothers, carrying out their duty as always. Coatleque turned to face the group she had escorted. "... You cannot serve two masters, and mine has been chosen long before ... " "My life... FOR THE SULTANA!" Vision blurred in a biting white flash of pain as the sword slid through her mid-section. She slumped to her knees as the sound of battle echoed through the halls. "F-forgive... me...", she stammered through pain and tears as she collapsed onto her side. [align=center]***[/align] The Knight awoke and sat up in a cold sweat, desperately clutching at her stomach. The wound had been healed two days prior already, but the lingering trauma would not abate so easily. She felt sick. Turning to the side of the bed she let her feet touch the floor and leaned forward. She breathed slowly to try and calm the knot in her stomach. She was alive. This was the Hourglass. Ul'dah had been spared once again. But was she free once more? A hand slowly raised to feel the base of her neck. Rather than a steel vice she felt flesh. Her own neck once again. She rubbed herself almost in disbelief. It was over. Or was it? Was there truly any rest for the city's defenders? The end of one misery, the beginning of another. Another friend was now in the gaols. And he would have to answer. Coatleque rose and looked towards the window. It was daylight already, though she did not know what bell. She would need to be debriefed by the Captain eventually, and had to be ready when he called for her. In the mean time, she had other investigations to continue before her leads got any colder. She went through her typical morning ritual, pausing to examine her scar. She had been unmarred up to that day. This would now serve as a constant reminder of her failings. No. She had kept her oath, given her life. If not for the timely arrival of the Coral Sea she would be dead. Shaking off these thoughts she finished getting ready, wearing her white dress rather than armor. It was time to find Natalie. There was unfinished business to discuss. She affixed her beret and adjusted it, then turned to leave only to stop once more. There was a knock at the door...

In a more "on-topic" response, I'd be willing to play on the lawful side of things. I've already run emissary work between Ul'dah and Limsa Lominsa. Of course Coatleque's reach ends at the border of Thanalan, but she can work with the other cities to relay information. She's already tied up in multiple plots, but the more the merrier I say!

... ... ... ... ... ... I suddenly wish Aya, Coatleque, and Warren had their conversation somewhere else last night. The whole time I we were standing there, you guys were eating in front of us... Pretty sure that was you. With the random bag of cooked steaks.

Whatever happened, I think we can all agree that Osric needs his beard back. Please. You're freaking me out with those screens.