Naunet

That's kind of an unreasonably strong negative judgment towards people who may not see the need for an FC house. >_> Personally, I find Squee's "housing" effort to be so pathetically limited anyway that I don't blame anyone who doesn't wanna partake. I've largely written it off myself as something not worth the gil.

Well, I'll start out by saying that usually situations like this do not end well. It's clear you're going through that "internet obsessive crush" thing with this guy. What you can try to do first is establish clear boundaries. You need to tell this guy in no uncertain terms how you feel about his attempted monopolizing of your time, and then you need to lay down the law. Let him know that you expect to be able to have time for X, Y, and Z, and if he's not willing to give that to you, then perhaps you two need to reconsider your current IC and OOC arrangements. Ask him straight up why he wants to do nothing but RP with you. If his answers seem wishy-washy, push. If, after discussion, he still refuses to give you some space, then you have to do the difficult thing and just cut him off. This might be inconvenient IC due to your rp relationship, but you'll need to work around it. Enabling the guy further isn't going to help him or you.

That would be such a disappointment. *grumbles and goes back to playing with Dimensions*

K'deiki lifted her head, milky eyes roaming the shadowed roof of the tent as though she could seek out Azeyma's wisdom there, find some glimmer of light. "You care for your children deeply, as do we," she sighed. "We care also for the tribe - the soul of it, our history and our future. The young, with their eyes set on the horizon, might think us closed. Shuttered to the world. But we are protecting them, with as much of Azeyma's wisdom as we can gather." Her head dropped and her eyes, set deep in the wrinkles that marked her features in cliffs and valleys, drifted towards K'yohko, focusing on him as much as they could manage. "How can one be part of the tribe and yet live apart? She might bring us goods to trade, but that would make her a merchant just like any other. She might practice our traditions on her own, but that would make her no different than one of those merchants returning to the city with stories of far people and strange lands." Her thin chest ached down to her very bones as she spoke, but there was nothing else she could say. They had tried. "If K'ailia leaves, she leaves the tribe. She cannot return to the tribe. She may trade with us. She may maintain her own worship. But she will no longer be a part of our body."

The silence that had filled the tent when all but its eldest left felt both oppressive and freeing to K'deiki. She thought then on the days and weeks to come, of the preparations the must needs be made to uproot the tribe from their long ancestral home and carry them whole to a new land. She thought of what they might leave behind, of who they might leave behind, and in the end, K'deiki only felt very, very sad. K'yohko's return was greeted with a vague shift of her head towards him, her eyes barely able to pick out his form in the shadows of the tent. "I have a hard time wondering what you might propose to us, K'yohko Nunh, that we have not already heard from others." She let out a rattling breath. "But... I understand your want to protect your young, even in defiance of our laws. It's not the first time I've seen such a thing, and I hope it does not end the same way as the last. Speak."

But the myth pants are better anyway! Live the pantslessness.

That's even more disturbing.

Not long after half fleeing and half being driven away from K'luha, K'ile, and K'hai (though the latter may not have been an entirely fair interpretation), Antimony had retreated to her inn room where, stomach churning with emotion, she found herself overcome and simply dropped to the floor once inside. There she cried. Ulanan bashed her tiny hand against the door. In some cultures, this was called "knocking". In this lalafell's mind, though, it was a "Ritual of Announcement" and it involved a complex rhythm and careful timing. So, naturally, this meant she just hit the door with her knuckles four times in a row. The knocking sent a shiver through her ears and she looked up in a hurry. K'airos? Back already....? No, she'd gone to say goodbye to... Antimony's breath hitched and she wiped hastily at her eyes beneath her glasses before stumbling to her feet. When she opened the door, she did her best to look composed but likely failed miserably. She blinked at the empty space in front of her for several seconds before dropping her gaze to Ulanan. In that moment, the lalafell thought she should find a taller, pointier hat. She smiled at the woman, not showing much concern for her state initially. "Hello!" she said, waving a basket filled with papers, jars and a half open bag filled with fruit. "He...llo," Antimony mumbled, coughed once to try and clear her throat, and watched the swaying basket with some measure of confusion. "Ulanan," she sighed. "It's good to see you." Ulanan stopped smiling and raised her eyebrows. "You look terrible! Is everything alright?" she asked. Antimony was silent for a moment, looking way from the lalafell, and then in an unsteady voice, "It seems family is... common these days." Her tail shook and she looked again to the basket. "I'm sorry. I thought you'd be happy to see your daughters again." Ulanan said, pouring disappointment all over the place. "I'm sorry, I don't mean it like--" Antimony gave Ulanan a pleading look, searching for understanding. Her hands twisted about one another until she finally dropped to one knee to pull Ulanan into a hug. "Not that at... I'm so grateful. So, so..." She was completely confused by the hugging woman. "Then what happened?" Antimony's arms shook around Ulanan. She didn't respond immediately, instead biting back tears that wished to spring up once more. "It's all a such a mess," she finally breathed. "I... should have stayed away from them the moment I knew they were in Ul'dah." Ulanan continued to be confused. "Can I come in? This situation and squeeze have a scale that requires privacy." Grimacing, Antimony pulled back slightly and ducked her head away before nodding. "Yes, yes of... course," she muttered and stood unsteadily. "I'm sorry, I..." She took a few steps back into the room and made way enough for Ulanan to enter. "Thank you." Ulanan said while entering. Once inside, she left the basket on the floor, very close to her. "Now tell me accurately who are the acting actors of this account?" "The actors," Antimony echoed as though confused by Ulanan's words, and then shook her head slightly. "They... They're from the tribe," she offered quietly before suddenly exploding, "I didn't intend to--didn't mean to... seek them out but it just--first K'ile was there and then K'luha was hurt and I tried to run from them but then Airos! My baby--my little girl! And she came back to Ul'dah and I couldn't not follow and they were still here and I know I should not want to see them, not when they still remind me of--I can't see them, I'm an--an exile! And they still--they still... I should never have even spoken to them, Ulanan!" She felt very, uncomfortably childish in that moment, and her words dissolved into sobs as she dropped to her knees. Two small hands rose from the lalafell and clutched Antimony's shoulders. "Calm down! It's not so bad, is it?" she said. "If these people were forbidden from speaking to you, they would not have done so in the first place, right? So no rule was broken!" Antimony shook her head and moaned. "K'hai knew. He knew--he told... told them just so. Told me--" "I'm sorry." Ulanan said after a long pause of uncertainty. "But your daughters are still around, right?" "...Yes," Antimony breathed. "But Aijeen.." "That's the one who's angry with you?" Antimony's only response to that was a short sob and a nod. "I'm sure she'll come around. Just give her time! Or...give D'hein time, I guess. How's K'airos?" It took Antimony several long moments before she could calm herself enough to respond. When she did, her voice was low and thick but carried a sense of awe, almost worship, "She's beautiful. She's... got a job and... happiness. I still can hardly believe she's..." "Then not all is bleak tribal laws and related sillyness. You should be happy for this!" Ulanan took off her hat and dropped it on top of the basket. "I... am," she admitted in a choked voice. "It's just..." "...your tribe's terrible timing." Ulanan finished, in a tone that denoted grumpiness but some degree of joke at the same time. "I'm sure they are fine. You should focus on your daughter being alive. Alive and happy!" she added. "It's just that I can't help but wonder if... I should try to hold on to them as well," she whispered and then immediately regretted it, saying quickly, "But you're right. Airos is--is alive. That's all that matters." "You can only focus on one thing at a time. We both know your daughters should be first." Tha lalafell turned, taking the basket and her hat into her hands. "Now I stop crying and tell me about your daughter while we have an appetizer!" Antimony watched Ulanan move to the basket, blinked at it dully for a moment, and then let out a shuddering sigh. "I'm... certainly not being the best model for behavior right now, am I," she muttered and carefully folded her hands in her lap. "... Appetizer?" Ulanan pulled a jar out and shaked it. "Olives! With cheese and thyme. I have forks!" she declared. "... Olives, of course," Antimony smiled faintly. Ulanan's familiar antics were comforting in their own way. "Airos... I'm not sure where to... I've had so little time yet to even speak with her..." Ulanan looked around for a table, instead finding a nightstand. She walked to it and unloaded various jars. All of them had olives, mixed with different fruits and vegetables. It was almost like a collection of olive recipes. "Surely, she'll find time to share with you. I imagine her sister is being less than ideal for that, but we can work something out!" "I don't dare risk Aijeen even... suspecting my presence," Antimony muttered weakly. "But Airos, she... she seems to be doing so... well." "That's good!" Ulanan said. She placed a small bowl on the nightstand. A fork quickly followed and not long after that, the bowl was filled with olives, cheese and various unidentifiable veggetables. She walked to hand them to Antimony, smiling and all. "I don't know many happy Brass Blades, but it looks like she enjoys her job." Antimony pressed her lips together briefly. "She's... dedicated." A sigh. "I'm very proud of her." Ulanan held the bowl in front of Antimony. "These olives will catalyze that proudness and make you even happier!" she smiled. "And don't forget you have to make her proud, too." The older woman took the bowl after a moment, hands only somewhat shaky. She looked away. "There is little for her to be proud of," she replied. "Though... at least I... think I am not unemployed anymore. Or... for now? It's... confusing." "Oh! You...got the job back? Did that Elezen peiste show sympathy for once?" Antimony winced at that. "No, ah... D'hein offered to... well, he wants the investigation finished and--I'm not sure it's actually my job back or if... it's something at least." She sighed and added in a quieter tone, "Airos deserves more than a mother who needs more caring for than she." "You'll work on that!" Ulanan picked up her own bowl. The olives inside it seemed to be mixed with chocolate bits. "First order of business is finding out if your job is stable or not. And secondly you have to not run from your past anymore." she said, speaking strategically and using a spoon to take a bite out of her weird appetizer. Antimony's ears drooped low and she said in an equally fallen tone, "That won't be an issue anymore. They're... leaving." "What if they come back?" The only response to that Antimony could give was silence. She bowed her head and looked to the bowl in her hands. "We'll have to work on that." Ulanan mumbled to herself. Then, in louder tone, she changed the subject. "I checked on Loughree and she was quite fine. Though she didn't want my help." Antimony greeted that announcement with vivid relief, letting out a long sigh. "Good. That's... good. Not--not that she didn't want your help but that... ah." "That she's fine, yes." the lalafell smiled. "I have the feeling Megiddo is only trying to keep her terrified. He won't kill her, or he would have already Antimony frowned, looking away. "No, he's trying to..." She trailed off then and shook her head before taking a deep, only somewhat unsteady breath. Her eyes returned to the bowl with its strange mix of olives and she said rather apropos, "I'm unsure how you maintain a balanced diet on all this, Ulanan." "It's the olives." she explained, munching.

I never said it was an exploit, just that the strategy cheapens the fight and really doesn't help you in preparing your personal raid awareness for the final turn. Especially if you're new to raiding, I think it's well worth learning to do it the "right" way.

As per synaesthetic: ^Pretty much accurate. Except you'd be BLM in turn 2 (synae goes BRD cause we only have one full time BRD and we want a second for easier interrupts ), which means... well, at some point you'll break from nuking to pass Allagan Rot to the next person in the rotation and then you'll go back to nuking. Caduceus is really as simple as it sounds. Unless you're assigned to deal with the slimes in p1, you'll do nothing but burn the boss and move off the glowing platforms. And try not to fall asleep. ^^

Doesn't actually change my opinion on the "strategy" at all. xP

Well, while better gear certainly will never hurt, the first couple turns of Coil are more than doable with full Darklight and a relic weapon (+1 is nice but not required). You're already above that, so... I find their request that you get better gear a bit sad. I would offer to take you along with my group, but we already have to rotate dps within the team as we have an overflow; it would be unfair to them to bring someone unrelated. That said, I'd encourage you to directly ask again if you can join your FC's group for a night (even just turn 1?). Let them know you'll watch video guides ahead of time so you have an idea of what's coming and you'll obviously continue to work on your gear, but you feel you're ready to try and tackle at least the start of Coil.

Regarding turn 2's "enrage method"... I really don't recommend it purely because it's a complete cheesing of the mechanics. The actual fight isn't hard at all and learning to deal with multiple boss mechanics is an important step in becoming a seasoned raider. I refuse to lead my raid group with that method on principle. >_< Luckily we downed t2 well before it became a "thing", so there's not really any pressure to try it, because why mess with it when we already have a strat that works (that doesn't cheapen the fight)? I'll point synaesthetic to this thread for BLM-specific tips; I'm sure she can help you out muchly, OP.

Ideally, just how it works in games like Rift, which have no restrictions on their wardrobe system, even in PvP. Take a look at the weapon they're using, the patterns of their behavior, and the spells they cast to determine group comp.

Why do you think this? Have you asked them if you can join them, even just swapping in with a person for the first couple turns? Friends shouldn't have an issue with bringing someone new along. You've got the gear and you have the motivation; the latter is all you really need (though the former helps).

((Woo RP from in-game!)) *** Lingering near K'luha but without anything to say to the crying, injured woman, K'ile frowns awkwardly in K'piru's general direction. His sister has gone quiet as well. These women. There's no winning. Antimony had indeed gone quiet, for some time now as her thoughts roiled about her grey-haired skull. Every so often, she'd cast a sideways glance towards K'ile and K'luha, but watching them only reminded her of how she did not belong with their family. No matter what K'luha said. That was how it had always been. K'airos arrived with K'hai to the door and knocked. "We have the food!" she told the door, melodically. K'hai walked behind her, growing dizzy, but he did his best to not show it as he followed K'airos. K’luha shivered with the knocking of the door and a bright cheery announcement. Antimony first jumped at the thunking on the door, then blinked dumbly at K'luha and K'ile as though they had caused it, and then processed the voice that had sounded shortly after the knock. The dull expression she'd worn for the past hour or so shifted suddenly to unadulterated joy and she spun around, rushing to the door to fling it open with a, "K'airos! You're back!" She greeted her daughter in the same manner she had the past few times - with an overwhelmingly desperate hug. K'hai just stood behind K'airos stone faced. Observing K'pirus reaction, K’ile muttered, "Guess I can accept it now." K'piru's daughter was about to say something to K'hai, but a sudden hug made her forget all about it. "Hi!" she said, patting her mother's back. Noticing K'ile and K'luha over her shoulder, she waved at them without leaving the hug. She is then scandalized. "Why's Luha tied up?" K'hai looked where K'airos was observing. Hmm so the squirt did something right at least. There was definitely no getting out of that bed for her. Burying her face against her daughter's shoulder for a moment, Antimony allowed herself to revel in K'airos's scent and presence. Then she blinked, looking past the girl to spot the man behind her. Her weight sagged somewhat against her daughter in shock. K'hai looked down at K'piru, smiled, only to be struck by another dizzy spell and staggered. K'ile called out an answer to K'hai's question, "It's holding her hip in place so it can heal. Should be firm enough to move her back home." Then, quieter, "I hope. That's me hoping." K’hai shook his head and, recovering, he answered back "You did good K'ile. Even I can see she won’t be moving." K'luha scoffed loudly, seeming coming to life for a moment. "What? He holds me down so you can slap me around some more?" She muttered bitterly. Still hugging her mother, K'airos said: "We could get her a healer before you leave!" And then she pointed at Antimony. "She's a healer! And I bet she's free!" "Sister, I apologize. I have not been well,” K’hai acknowledged. “Your insults at me, and lack of caring for family made me do a terrible mistake. I will not let myself lose control like that again." K’ile spoke up quickly, "Nobody cares more about family than K'luha. I doubt a man who would hit a crippled woman even knows what the word 'care' means. But the Elders will have their go at you. You're lucky I don't need one." Antimony leaned back slightly from K'airos, setting her hands on the girl's shoulders as she looked past her to K'hai, confusion pulling on her features. "What is--what is this talk of... first wishing death and then--lack of caring? What... has happened to the family...?" K'luha bristled. Even his apologies were insulting. The hair on her ears and tail stood up on ends as she even tried to dignify him with a response. But to some surprise, K'ile spoke up for her. She bit down on her tongue and kept her eyes averted from K'hai. "Well K'piru, most of the family died and apparently I turned into a horrible monster who can't raise children." K'hai growled, "Crippled women should not be picking fights. And it's funny She seemed so concerned with her daughter when she sent me to find you. Then when I return to her, you'd swear her daughter was some demon needing destroyed. If that is caring then it is awful funny way of showing it." "Hold your tongue, K'hai. With your hand, if your mouth is too weak," K’ile snapped. K'hai then looked to K'piru, "I do not know. I only know I woke up about a year ago, and regained my strength enough to start heading home. Only to find... chaos..." Antimony flinched, looked to K'airos worriedly, and then took a step back with a frown. "This is not right," she stated, tail lashing. "None of you... you should not be turning on each other so." K’luha bristled again, her head turning sharply towards her brother. K'ile spoke again before the words left her mouth, but the fury in her gaunt and bruised face. Her lips twisted into a trembling scowl. "You LIED to me and you're obsessed with my daughter! She's got NOTHING to do with you K'hai so don't come back after five years of sleeping and tell me how I should have raised her!" K'airos sadness wasn't evident; one of the advantages of wearing a mask as part of the uniform. "You shouldn't be fighting! You should be happy that each other is alive! This is not healthy." she pouted. "Stop this, now!" Antimony demanded, turning between the two on the floor in the room and the two at the door. Her ears shivered anxiously and though her words were forceful, she still looked as though she wanted to bolt. K'hai fell back against the back wall and sighed, "K'ile, did you not say you did not care what her foolish daughter did? You were more concerned with food." He then slid down the wall into a sitting position holding his head. Weathering K'piru's snap well, he replied in a dry tone, "K'hai does not appear well." K'airos kneeled next to K'hai, poking him with a gauntleted hand. "Are you alright? Did you eat this morning? Anything hurts?" K'hai looked at her, "I been sick since I awoke. The maiden that nursed me back, said it is some sort of sickness.” Her ears laying back, Antimony looked away from the pair on the ground once more and, after a moment, directed her attention to K'hai through the door. Her tail shook and pressed against her legs but she spoke, "The... maiden didn't specify...?" K'hai looked to K'piru "She said it was something with them big crystals. Ather... or whatever."\ "Not too sick to muscle around," K'ile muttered, and then raising his voice, "K'airos! Come here a minute." Antimony blinked. "Aetherytes...? But... ah? I don't understand." K'hai took a deep breath ,"Aether sickness..." finally standing, his tail whipping back and forth hearing K'ile speak once more. Antimony frowned as he stood, ears shifting uneasily. It was not an affliction she'd encountered before, and so she worried. "You should not... be running about either, I think," she said after a moment. K'airos stood up very calmly, letting out a sigh of relief and turning towards K'ile. "It’s not lethal! Good. He should be used to it, though..." she said, walking to the other two Miqo'te in the room. Smiling up at K'airos, he said, "Hey, take that thing off your head." K'hai looked at K'piru, "I found I felt better when I was away from them crystals. It's when I got to this outsider city that I felt dizzy once more." Antimony blinked, giving K'airos a baffled look as she walked past her, reached out as though to hold onto her daughter and then, after a moment, let her hand fall back to her side. K'hai's voice dragged her attention back to him and she furrowed her brow. "It... is good then that you are to... leave soon. At least," she paused," that is my understanding." K'hai nodded, "Though this whole situation has me confused. But now, I am even more confused. And all I've gotten for answers is to 'fuck off' from my sister." Worrying her hands together, Antimony dropped her eyes away. "I doubt they've... if everyone would just... be family." She sighed, ears drooping. "There's little I could tell you, though." Confused by K'ile's request, K'airos took off her turban and mask and examined them. "...they aren't dirty..." she spoke to herself. "I just like seeing your face," K'ile said, "And it's weird to say your name and then hear your voice." K'hai nodded, "So far, you and K'airos seem to be the only sane ones in this messed up world. I admit, my temper got the better of me, and I never meant to hurt Luha..." "You fucking backhanded me. I have a broken hip you ass," Luha hissed across the room at K'hai. K'ile put a hand on K'luha's shoulder and squeezed it, "You don't need to respond to him." Antimony gained a strained look. "Please. The both of you... Family is above this kind of... whatever this is." K'airos was a silly woman, and so she smiled to K'ile's previous words while blushing and not having a clue what to say. Thankfully, Luha and Hai's argument fixed that. "I propose you stop hating each other until Luha's back on her feet again and the food's on the tribe... or...with the tribe..." she quickly amended. K'hai remained silent, his tail thrashing with annoyance, "When I was told one thing then suddenly the opposite is true... I wish my sister never sent me to find K'ile." "K'airos, did you two get ahold of the food? And my spear?" K'luha bristled furiously again, her tail swishing angrily about. Her ears twitched at K'ile's touch, and again at Antimony and Airos's words. But lost her temper when K'hai opened his mouth, "I asked you to do me a favor because you appeared after being dead for two years and told me K'ailia ran off to the tribe on her own without K'ile who had invited her in the first place and-" K'luha's frustrated angry words were broken by an equally frustrated and somewhat piercing shriek, also by K'luha. K'hai stepped past K'piru, "Yes, you had an urgency to your town. And I could tell you cared about her. And when you care, I care." Flinching, Antimony half-stumbled into a turn towards K'luha at her scream and begged a harried, "You must not try to move!" K'hai continued and looked to K'ile, "When I found K'ile, I am positive he said he does not care what your foolish daughter had done, his priority was getting the stolen food back" K'airos just looked between them, answering to K'ile's inquiry about spears with what came more as mumbling than proper words. "I left it with the cart...next to the chocobo keeper.” Antimony cringed away from the bickering group and added in a quieter voice, "You must not argue like this." "Forgive me K'piru,” K’hai acknowledged. “I am not arguing. I am merely giving my side. If I am mistaken in what I heard, then he can tell me himself." "That you would all presume the--the worst of each other..." Antimony trailed off in a strained voice, unsure what else to say. "Don't ACT like your innocent!" Luha snarled viciously, clawing herself so she might look more properly at K'hai from her binded prison. "You LIED to me, LEFT K'ile with some assasine plan, OBESSED over my daughter, PHYSICALLY ASSUALTED me, INSULTED my entire character, and to top it all off you act innocent!?" Luha snarled, gnashing her teeth at him. K'ile pulled on K'luha's shoulder, "Don't even try to move," and then to K'hai, "You can't really hit people and then expect them to listen to your side. If you really can't stop talking, you need to leave." "Listen to yourselves!" Antimony choked out, her voice raising in pitch on the trailing syllables. "Stop, please! No one--none of you should--stop!" K'hai waited long enough for K'ile to tell him he was wrong and looked back at K'luha, "You sent me to find him because you were worried about her. When I returned, suddenly you hated her, and you told me to fuck off and that I should stay dead. Fine then, I shall remain dead. You can find someone else to pull your cart and your sorry hides home." with that he turned and left the room. "DON'T YOU RUN AWAY YOU SNIVELING COWARD!" K'airos looked stumped as K'hai bolted and left. Antimony spun, expression shifting into something closer to panic. Her body leaned towards the door, and then back to the room, completely torn as to who to stay with. "It's fine," K'ile said. "He can take his time and cool off and go back to the tribe if he wants. If not, then he was never going to anyway." After a moment, Antimony shook, brought her hands to her face, and fought back a sob. K'airos put her turban and mask back on. "Uhm...wait here! I'm fixing this awful family situation!" She did not wait for anyone to speak up, running off behind K'hai and doing her best to catch up to him. "Yeah, good luck with that," K’ile muttered. Antimony jerked up as K’airos rushed past her, throwing out a hand after her daughter and then just wilting again. Luha fumed as that shit of a brother ran off again spilling lies and making her some evil villain again. Why was she always the evil fucking villain? Luha slammed her hand furiously down on the board beneath her and snarled again. "Chill," K'ile said, and then looked past towards K'piru, "THere was nothing to really be done about that." Shuddering, Antimony pushed her face against her hands, feeling the metal frame of her glasses digging into her skin. "I can't find family again only to... watch it fall apart," she whispered half to herself. "I can't..." Luha scowled darkly at the ceiling and shivered. "Yeah well I'm not going to be told how I did a shitty job raising my daughter and get slapped around." "The family isn't falling apart," said K'ile, "K'hai's just got a bit too much of your other brother in him all of a sudden." Antimony's tail twisted at that, shoulders hunching as though to hide from the words. "I'm sure... this was all a misunderstanding," she murmured faintly. "Tell that to my swelling face." Luha muttered bitterly, looking away from Antimony and towards K'ile. "Much as I'd like to let him borrow one or two of my own bruises," K'ile rolled his shoulder, reminding himself of the injuries he still wears from being beaten down earlier, "I don't think that would be super healthy." K'luha shuddered again, ears flattening to her head as she felt rather sick. Too much exhertion from the anger most likely. "I can't keep doing that..."Luha muttered, shaking visibly. Antimony turned her head slightly at that, ears shifting in worry. "Your... own?" She blinked and then finally took a good look at K'ile, blanching. "What--! Oh no, I'm so sorry, I didn't even--I thought to help K'luha and I never thought to even ask if--" "Huh? No, I'm fine. A few bruises and cuts are good for a guy every once in a while." Antimony frowned, looked unconvinced, and then just looked exhausted, ears and tail drooping in surrender. "I'm seriously just fine." Luha glanced up towards K'ile's face and noted the state of his injuries. No one was getting out of Ul'dah very healthy were they? Glancing to one side, Antimony was silent for a moment and then in a quiet voice, "... You have the food back now, at least. You'll be able to go... home soon." "Uhm. Yeah. That's..." He looked down at K'luha, "Pretty much required at this point." Antimony nodded, looking quietly to the woman on the floor - or, more specifically, to her padding and the straps holding her hips in place. "And I'm guessing that you're staying in Ul'dah, K'piru. I'm sure K'deiki would let you come back. How could she not?" Her tail hung low, tucked down between her legs, as she replied in a small voice, "How could any of them." A pause and then, "... I can't leave Airos." K'ile's ears drooped down near his head, and he muttered, "Yeah. I guess she’s staying too." K'hai stepped up behind K'piru in silence then. A second later, "I brought him back!" K'airos proclaimed behind K'hai. "Promise me you will all be nice to each other!" Antimony’s own ears shivered. "I'm so--" Her words cut off suddenly at the voice behind her and there was a moment where she looked as though she were about to cry before she forced relief to her face and spun around. "Oh Airos, you..." K'hai smiled, "Aww I didn't know you cared!" and picked K'piru up in a big bear hug. K'ile frowned in the general direction of the doorway. Antimony let out a faint "Oof" as she was lifted and, after a moment, managed to work her own arms around K'hai. "I'm... glad you've returned. Both of you," she mumbled in a shaky voice. Kluha's eyes glanced back down to the floor in the calm. A small thought struck her, and before she had time to stop herself she had already mumbled it in a hushed whisper to K'ile. "If you wanted to, you could stay with them too. I have an inkling how much they mean to you so..." K'luha was interrupted by K'hai and Airos's return and promptly shut her mouth. K'hai set K'piru down and stepped into the room, approaching K'luha then kneeled, "Sister. I deeply regret my actions. I never meant to hurt you. I love you and if you told me to step into the maw of a sandworm, I'd ask which one. I am sorry." K'airos just smiled in their general direction, very proud of something. Luha listened quietly to K'hai's apology. It seemed genuine. She lifted her head weakly and turned it back to look at K'hai. "I wouldn't ask you to step into the maw of a sandworm idiot..." Luha mumbled, although it was clear now that she was not angry. It was the usual way she begrudgingly forgave people. Antimony let out a faint breath as the two interacted on much more friendly terms finally. K'hai nodded, "I am an idiot. I was slow on learning, but I mean none in our tribe harm. I was only confused." Kile maintained his silence throughout all of this. K'piru's daughter was also quiet, but she looked ready to jump in and interrupt the conversation at any moment. K'luha bit her bottom lip. She wanted to forgive him, but the slap still stung on her face and made her bitter and angry. "You hit me again and I will never forgive you. Got it?" Luha wasn't entirely happy with the words she had settled on, but they were there now and she stuck with them. K'hai nodded, "Never again will I hit anyone in our tribe unless ordered by the elders." "That's still my job," K'ile finally put in, "And I expect you to confess what you did to the Elders as soon as you get back." K'hai looked to K'ile and scowled and said nothing. Only stood and turned to K'piru, "Shaman... is there anything you can do for this illness?" Antimony swallowed, looked away from K'hai as though uncomfortable under his sudden attention, and replied after a moment, "I cannot take such a title anymore. But... I don't know. If I had..." She drew in a breath, looked pained, and then, "The tribe's shaman would be better equipped to help you." K'luha let out a heavy breath. She felt... better. If only a little. But K'ile's reminder of elder confessions made her uneasy. K'ile most like would also face punishment... perhaps as severe as K'hai's. K'hai sighed, "Your daughter mentioned you were still a healer. It is why I ask." Pulling his gaze from K'hai and K'piru, K'ile looked to K'airos and said, "The Tribe is still there in the Sagolii. Why didn't you come home, Airos?" "I don't know what aether sickness is," Antimony murmured. "But--I... don't have any supplies to treat... anything anymore." K'hai nodded, "I see. I don't understand it either... all I can tell is what I experienced…” He then took a seat on the floor. Antimony's ears and tail drooped in silent apology. K'airos looked troubled. Or she would have, if she wasn't wearing her mask again. "I thought you all had died. And...Aijeen found me. I couldn't leave her alone here, even if she managed to...become Ul'dhan. I thought I had nothing to go back for!" she managed to say. "And now that you do?" K'airos turned her head to look at Antimony for a long while. "Mom's still..." She shook her head. "And I can't leave Aijeen. She won't go back, and she would be devastated if I left." K'luha lifted her tail slightly and reached it back to lightly touch K'ile's leg. As if to remind him that he could stay with them as well if he wanted to. Antimony blinked, looked up sharply at K'airos's initial words, flicking her eyes towards the girl with a strange expression. K'hai looked at his sister, at her tugging, then looked between them all, "Wait... K'piru and K'airos are... exiles?" "They are not," said K'ile, sternly, "They're just..." He didn't even know. "There is nothing else I can be," Antimony replied in a low tone, still watching K'airos with a distant expression. K'hai stood, "Those who know they cannot return to the tribe, left. There is no return." Antimony flinched at that, turned her face away from all of them, towards the door. K'airos clapped her hands. "Well, the food is waiting outside! I can go with you until you reach the Sagolii Gate." K'ile dropped his gaze to the floor in front of him, "I'm not sure if it's wise to leave immediately." K'airos' ears dropped to the sides of her head. K'luha turned her head back towards K'ile and looked up to meet his gaze. "K'ile..." She murmured quietly to him. "If you want to stay with them... I know they mean so much to you..." K'hai looked at K'airos, "I will always have fond memories K'airos. And it warms my heart to see you've made such a good life for yourself." Lifting his gaze to K'hai, he says, "I didn't ask for your opinion on it," and he dropped his gaze to K'luha, seeming unhappy, but not having words for her either. Tail shivering, Antimony found breathing suddenly difficult and she forced out, "You... you are right. I'm sorry I--I will go now." She moved towards the door. "No K'piru. We are the ones who must go." K'hai intercepted her and gave K'piru a soft hug. "Thank you for your help." He then turned to beckon to K'airos. Antimony shrunk into the hug and remained very small once K'hai released her. "I can't watch any of you leave," she whispered and continued to exit through the door. "Uhm. One thing!" With her ears still down, she struggled to take off her left gauntlet. Once she accomplished that, she took off the Brass Blade identification ring from her finger and handed it to K'ile. "If you run into Brass Blade patrols and they give you trouble, just show them this and tell them you are me. They'll let you go in peace." she said. "K'ile...?" Luha urged quietly as Antimony began to leave. K’ile still didn't acknowledge Luha's prodding, but he didn’t reach for the ring either, "Thought you said you'd go with as far as the Sagolii Gate." "If K'hai doesn't mind..." K'hai sighed, "Our laws dictate the moment I found out you both were exiles, I should of picked my sister up and left the room without any further words." He shook his head, "Thank you for your assistance K'airos." "You can just go back without us, K'hai," K’ile announced. K'hai looked at him plainly, "So you are staying then? Is that the wish of sister?" Antimony exited without further interruption, an almost panicked haste in her steps. She would continue a good ways down the hall before sagging against the wall for a time. "No, you,” K’ile explained. “If you don't want to interact with K'airos, that's fine. But she needs to take us to the Sagolii Gate so we get past those Blades people safely." K'hai frowned, "Very well. I will tell the elders all that has transpired here. Including my violence against sister." with that, he turned and exited the room. K'airos put the ring back on. After K'hai left, she looked down at K'ile. "When do you want to leave?" "It doesn't matter anymore. Whenever. If you bring the cart around I can load K'luha up on it." She nodded. "Alright. It's right outside the Quicksand, so I'll help you get her on it!" "K'ile...?" Luha called quietly, shifting her head to glance back up at him. "Hm?" K'ile looked over to Luha, pretending to be oblivious. K'airos moved to the other side, crouching and getting ready to lift K'luha. "You really can stay with them if you want... I know I got mad earlier but... it was wrong and I was being selfish." Making a face of displeaure, K'ile said, "I hear you," and then moved to help K'airos lift Luha off the ground. The woman’s ears flattened again and she quietened down. K'airos smiled at some thought. "At the count of three. One, two, three." and she lifted up K'luha.

What's with all the red-orange haired manqo'te's lately? My hobo uh... I got one, too!

((The Awakening has been going on concurrently to that meal. Now, a meeting of threads.)) *** K'luha hobbled with much difficulty back through the streets to her inn room. Her hip was probably back to where it had been before Anti healed her again. She just couldn't keep the damn thing healed. Dead people kept showing up and knocking her over and... K'luha sighed rather heavily, panting a bit as she paused at the door to the Quicksand. She leaned against the door and clenched her fists. K'hai... she used to have a much better relationship with him. But that man that came back? As far as she was concerned, he was not her brother. Brothers did not hit their sisters. Nor did they obsess over their daughters. Luha scowled darkly and pushed off the wall. Struggling to hobble along the wall, she continued down the way towards her inn room. Keeping her hands folded at her waist in front of her, Antimony walked sedately next to D'hein as they returned from what she could honestly say was the most extravagant meal experience she had ever had. Though she'd stressed herself with worry enough that the main course had grown dry and tasteless in her mouth, by the time D'hein had ordered them dessert, he had managed to distract her such that she'd actually enjoyed the sweet treat. "Ice cream" had been a new concept for her, not only because it represented a level of extravagance in a dessert clime that she'd never had access to but also because of its milk component. Desserts in general were not something she was entirely familiar with, though the concept itself she'd run into a few times in Limsa. If Antimony hadn't spoken much during the walk back, it was because she dwelled on these things far too much. She hardly noticed as they entered the Quicksand and passed into the halls leading to the inn. D'hein was talking plenty, however, "Honestly, I think this is something we should make a habit of! What could be more appropriate than your daughters' two primary role models modeling roles for each other? A person as humble and adept as you, I say I could learn a great deal from!" He walked with his arms and tail swinging wide, whacking the walls, big smile on his face. His motions were grand and ceaselessly energetic. K'luha of course, was pressed tight to the wall. Namely the wall that D'hein and Anti were walking by. Also namely, the one he swung his arm and tail into. K'luha knocked her head against the wall with the push with a loud thud and snarled. Luha gripped the wall and focused on staying upright for the time being. Grey ears sticking straight up and then flat back, Antimony jumped at the thud and the growl, blinked confusedly at D'hein for several seconds, and then realized the sound had not come from him. At this point she turned to the left - nothing - and then the right - and nearly fainted. She tried to speak but could only manage a squeak. She tried to move to do something - anything - but could only manage a cringe away from K'luha and a manic fuzzing of her tail. It took D'hein a few seconds to realize that there was anybody near him, because he honestly had neither felt himself hit the woman nor heard her protest. He'd just continued walking at first, then noticed Antimony's reaction, then looked around him. When he finally did see K'luha, he appeared confused for a moment and then flinched away from her, saying reflexively, "Apologies! I hadn’t realized-!" K'luha heard a squeak and heard a familiar smell, shortly followed by an apology by some male. She turned her head slowly and observed D'hein and Antimony, but only for a moment. By now, Luha had gripped her claws into the wall to hold herself up and scowled at the both. Luha opened her mouth to speak, something rude and angry and bitter at K'piru, but the words died in her mouth. What was the point? She shook her head and slowly released the wall, getting a better footing beneath her. "Forget it." Luha waved a hand dismissively at D'hein and continued to limp painfully down the hall. "You appear injured!" D'hein said, holding a hand up in vague protest, before looking at Antimony imploringly. K'luha proceeded to ignore D'hein and continue hobbling down the hall to the inn room. She already knew that Anti wanted nothing to do with her, and she was all too happy to oblige the woman at this point. Antimony felt absolutely trapped. She'd not prepared herself to interact with anyone one might consider family except K'airos, and maintaining her composure around her daughter took every ounce of her will (and even then it seemed to fail her half the time). Frozen, she stared with wide, terrified eyes at K'luha's retreating back and then, in a voice forced out through an almost impossibly tight throat, she choked, "Wait," coughed and then quieter, "You don't... look well." Energized by Antimony's apparent philanthropy, D'hein surged forward ahead of K'luha and declared, in very fast words, "Indeed! You exude strength and fury as the radiant sun burning through a cloudy day, but pause a moment and profess to us that you are pained. I cannot let one pass me in such a state without the hooks of respect and mercy stinging at my heart!" K'luha paused, mildly surprised to hear her aunt even address her. With an obvious statement of course, but apparently that was all that was left of her aunt. Fear and obvious statements. Of course, Luha found herself actually looking at a complete stranger who threw up words like so much vomit. Her face remained unimpressed by his rapid vomit of words and she scoffed loudly. "Yeah. I haven't looked well in months." Luha replied in an irritated and deadpan tone before stepping forward, moving around D'hein and continuing to walk. "Did I not--" What? She wasn't entirely sure what she'd intended to say there, but it refused to come out. The almost relaxed, almost pleasant atmosphere D'hein had managed to cultivate at least superficially around them had shattered and Antimony could not possibly know where to look to gather up the pieces. As the younger woman continued to walk away from her, Antimony's mind flashed back to K'airos - her beautiful smile, her joy, her strength. What did she owe to her daughter? What debt could she possibly pay? "K'luha, I--" The young woman's movements were stiff, clearly pained. At the very least, she could... "I am sorry. I was--I was wrong. I--don't walk away hurt." Walking backwards to stay in front of K'luha, D'hein said, "If you've been like this for months, then Nald owes you as many months of comfort and beauty." He paused and one of his ears twitched, pointing at the wall, while his other angled at Antimony. "Especially if you're a friend of my friend's. The voice of holy mercy beckons! Merely pause and collapse into its waiting arms!" At D'hein's words, Antimony flinched and half-turned away, unable to look at K'luha further. This man and K'piru were just like the dream team of shit on her nerves now. After being criticized, ignored, slapped, and now knocked into a wall, K'luha was officially done with this shit. She was going to go home. And never leave it again. And if K'ailia wanted to be stupid she could do it elsewhere. Luha was sick of this shit and she was furious that she was probably never going to walk properly again, much less run. She was going to be a burden on the tribe the rest of her damn lift because of this shit. "Limping away K'piru. I am limping away because my hip is back to where it was before you healed it again." K'luha promptly informed her aunt, her voice dry and cold. Her eyes glowered at D'hein and scoffed. "And the only holy voice of mercy is Azyema when I die. Which at this rate, I am hoping for soon." Luha snapped irritably at D'hein and continued to limp to her room. Her legs would not move, her feet frozen to the floor, an icy chill inching up her spine. Antimony listened to K'luha's door creak open, listened to her footsteps, even listened to her words, but she hid her face. "I'm sorry," she mumbled, likely too quiet for the younger woman to hear, though it was just as well for Antimony wasn't even certain what she would be apologizing for. "I'm afraid such an attitude does little to show oneself mercy," said D'hein, who really doesn't know when to stop talking, "No matter what occurrence has rendered you this way, dear stranger, you deserve to show yourself every mercy, kindness and comfort. At least admit that much." He positioned himself near K'luha's door, arms crossed, expression stubborn. If K'luha had one thing, it was excellent hearing. Which was yet to be damaged, but Azyema knew it would be soon enough just like everything else. Luha paused at the door and stepped inside, looking out at D'hein and Anti for a moment. Words died in her mouth again and all Luha could do was shake her head and close the door on D'hein's face. Ears and tail drooping, Antimony flinched at the sharp crack of the door and fell silent. More like on D'hein's foot, which caused a tingling up his leg that he frowned down at, seeming confused. "Hrm." The door popped open a moment later. "I think that hurt." He raised his gaze, looking at something inside the doorframe or something, canting his head, "Apologies if I'm being invasive, but it's too far outside my nature to gaze into suffering and distance myself." K'luha frowned as the door opened again. Just. fucking. Ugh. Luha rubbed her temples and limped back to her bed reguardless. "Leave me alone creeper." "D'hein," Antimony muttered a bit weakly, not really sure where she was going with that. Crossing his arms over his chest and putting his fingers to his lips, he muttered the word, "Creeper," to taste it, and then dropped his gaze to Antimony. "Yes? It certainly can't be held against me that I have difficulty not assuaging pain when I perceive it. What kind of uncanny world is it where the suffering refuse treatment and those who would aid are made to feel guilty for daring to have humanitarian inklings? Such a world would be truly twisted!" "Look. Antimony wants nothing to do with me, so just go deal with her." Luha scoffed irritably at D'hein, slowly seating herself on the bed and rubbing at her hip. Working her jaw around words that refused to find a way out of her chest, Antimony hugged herself and breathed to no one, "I didn't know." "Deal with her," D'hein said, pondering. "And she doesn't know. Well, I don't think I'll be able to do anything about that. But it seems to me, just from looking, and guessing, that the problem isn't about either of you not caring enough, or not wanting help." K'luha was too tired to give a shit about this man or the aunt that abandoned her and then didn't care. She just lay back on the bed and pressed her hands to her face, hoping if she ignored them they would just go away. Antimony could not find the strength in her to deal with this in a healthy way. She may have owed it to K'airos, but perhaps her daughter would forgive her. Rather than speak or do more, the older, worn woman stood still as a statue, several steps from and facing away from the doorway. "I see," D'hein said. "Very well, then. Goodnight, miss Antimony," D'hein stepped away from the door and began his way down the hallway, leaving the door open and moving around Antimony. The grey-haired woman didn't seem to notice D'hein; at least she made no sound or motion to suggest such. And so D'hein, wordlessly, exited the scene. Luha was grateful for the one's exit, and simply waited for the second to leave. As Antimony was well outside the door still, not even within visual range, she didn't so much as leave as continue being gone. She didn't move from her spot in the hall though, staring down to where the wall met with the wooden paneling of the floor with a distant look. Her tail shivered and curled. Eventually, Luha got up off the bed and struggled terribly to get to the door so she might close it. In her struggle to make it to the door, Luha collapsed near the door and hissed. She braced the floor, her hip agonizing her entire body. Luha glanced up hazily towards Anti, only to turn her head away. The thunk of a body hitting the floor shifted Antimony's ears, and she hunched her shoulders as though in physical pain before spinning around and taking quick, stumbling steps to Luha's room. She paused only a moment before bending down to move the woman by the shoulders, saying nothing as she acted. Luha winced, feeling rather delirious and lightheaded as she vaguely felt something touch her shoulders. All of this nonsense just wasn't something her body could keep handling. Even with all of the rest she was trying to get, it never seemed to be enough. Almost as if there was something else wrong, preventing the healing process from taking hold like it should. Whether it was in insane family or something else, was still unclear. Still, Luha weakly opened her eyes and looked at her Aunt. "Don't do it if you're just doing it on instinct K'piru." Luha warned hoarsly. That was a stupid demand. K'piru would have chastised K'luha for it, but Antimony only set her jaw as she hooked her arms around the younger woman's shoulders and moved her as carefully as she could away from the door, into the room. Lifting K'luha to the bed would take more strength than she had, so instead she took the pillows and blankets from it and wordlessly began to cushion the woman's hips so as to not strain her spine. "I'm too old for all of this dramatic shit..." Luha mumbled half-heartedly as she was dragged over to a better resting spot. She faded in and out of complete consciousness most of the time, but she at least was able to pick up on a slight more comfort around her hips. When she'd managed to construct a supportive "nest" of sorts for K'luha's hips, Antimony let out a slight breath and sat down on her knees, ignoring the way the position left her joints aching. If K'luha had said anything to her, she hadn't heard; she couldn't allow herself to focus on anything other than helping the woman physically. It was the only apology her mind seemed willing to allow. Gaze lowered, she forced her thoughts to K'luha's hips, tried to recall the nature of the injury, what she'd done to assist it previously, what might have happened over the course of days to reduce it to such poor condition. She knew there was little she could do for such an injury that she hadn't already. It needed rest. Antimony wasn't certain K'luha would listen to her if she told her so; she wouldn't blame her for not. Bending forward slightly, Antimony fought back an ache in her chest. When she'd run, she'd never imagined what she might find. She hadn't thought she'd ever catch up to her past again. But then her beautiful daughter... A thick cough forced its way from her throat, and Antimony set her hands lightly on K'luha's hips. Her ears and tail shivered, the low set of them communicating apology, submission, fear. Then she shut her eyes, pulled her focus inward, and began an attempt to ease the twisted aether in the younger woman's ruined bones. K'luha failed to understand her aunt in pretty much every way. She ran away from their family when K'ile practically obsessed, and still did, over her every whim and desire. She came supposedly to the cities and did something with money. And now, after those long five years, the moment she saw Luha she couldn't function. She wouldn't talk, she wouldn't do anything but apparently silently force herself to heal Luha's hip. And certainly although she had been rather dark about it earlier, Luha did not want to die. Luha only wanted the dramatics to die down so she could get back to a more normal life. But it seemed they had only increased in severity and frequency leaving her, once again, unable to do much but lay there. Luha had to fight down a bitter taste in her mouth that threatened to make actions against K'piru. Why would her aunt, that loathed her so much she couldn't look at her, continue to help heal her? The question slipped past her lips in her delirium before she even realized she said it out loud, "Why do you keep healing me when you hate me?" K'luha's voice reached her from a great distance, the concentration the ancient technique required keeping Antimony from responding for a long time. Her hands moved just above K'luha's hips, tracing patterns in the air that even after five years took little thought, they had been so ingrained into her being over the decades. She did not have any of the supplies she'd brought to bear on K'luha's injury before, but even without them she could soothe the tangled, angry mass of aether, pulsing like an infected cyst about K'luha's pelvis. It was no cure, but it was all she could do. She owed K'luha that much. She owed K'luha so much more. 'I don't hate you,' she wanted to say, but her voice remained locked behind the iron wall that had slammed down to ward against the other woman's angry rejection. She didn't hate K'luha. But K'luha should hate her - for leaving, for staying, for grieving, for thinking of no one but herself, for fracturing remnants of family into nothing. Antimony bore her shame in silence, just as she continued to cling to that fear of memory, that fear of family long dead. The silence was deafening. There was only nothing. A void that her leaving had opened, and the void that remained. For all her aunt's 'living', she might as well have been dead to K'luha. For all the things she could do or say to her aunt. It was like talking to K'ailia. Or a brick wall. Or K'hai. They all resembled walls of one sort or another. K'luha let out a short hollow laugh, delirum getting the better of her as she stared upwards at the ceiling. "I don't think I'm going to make it through this..." Although they were said with a weak laugh, they were genuine. With the severity of the injury and such frequent re-injury, it was really only a matter of time until it simply killed her. In deceptive silence, K'ile Tia walked through the still-open door into the room, actually closing the door behind him. His bright red ears lay back against his head, his lips in a frown, though the expression on his face was controlled. The blueness of his eyes seemed darkened, almost gray, as he paced over to the side of K'luha opposite where K'piru was and dropped to his knees. "Stop that," he said, having heard K'luha's previous statement. He doesn't look at K'piru at all, instead watching K'luha. "Seriously. Why are you in the floor again?" K'luha heard K'ile before she saw him. Not the sound of his feet moving across the hallway and into the room, as she was too far delirious to really listen or acknowledge those sounds. Instead she heard his voice chastising her for being on the floor and saying her fears aloud. For a moment, she thought only to have hallucinated hearing him somewhere in her mind, but then she realized she didn't care if she only hallucinated him. Luha blindly groped a hand out towards K'ile and found his leg, or what she thought was his leg. She left her hand on him and shivered faintly. "K'ile?" She called quietly, letting her eyes half open hazily and search for the color of his hair or eyes if nothing else could be seen. Antimony might have predicted K'ile's appearance eventually, but that didn't change the way she shrunk before him, hunching down by K'luha's hips as though she could hide behind the woman, hide in her meager offer of assistance. Her tail tucked between her feet and she told herself that it was good he hadn't acknowledged her. It was better than listening to anger. She didn't look at him, kept her attention glued to K'luha's body. Leaning his face down close to K'luha's, he said, "Yeah, it's me. One of these days when your hip is better you and I need to team up and kick K'hai's ass, okay?" Luha smiled faintly, and then frowned. She couldn't tell what emotion she was feeling more of. Angry because K'ile left her and ignored her again, Angry at K'hai for hitting her in the firstplace, Angry at K'piru for being a dead body walking; and yet she was also relieved K'ile was seemingly okay and had returned. And this time without dead people, not counting K'piru. Part of Luha was tempted to tell K'ile her fear that she wasn't going to make it through this injury, but instead she decided to be angry and scared later and just accept his return for now. "You've got to stop ditching me K'ile... dead people keep showing up and throwing me around..." Luha mumbled half-heartedly. Putting a hand on the side of K'luha's face, noticing the bruise there and avoiding it, K'ile said, "I didn't ditch you. I just wanted to find the food and get that taking care fo so we could go home." K'luha faintly turned her head towards K'ile's hand. It was comforting to feel him there. Even if it was a hallucination, if she could feel and hear him, for now she accepted the comfort it brought. "You could've gotten in a lot of trouble just going to get it. You don't know hardly anything about the Ul'dahns. I told you to take me with you or just leave it...." "Yeah, well, K'hai found me and had some dumbass plan. And you know me: all kinds of trusting." Finally, K'ile lifted his gaze and set it on K'piru, noting her withdrawal. He reached out to put a hand on her arm, but didn't know what to say to her. Her ears flinched down, sought to bury themselves in her grey hair at K'ile's light touch. For a moment, Antimony almost wished D'hein would return and pull her away from K'luha and K'ile, two markers of the past she'd wronged. There was no forgiveness for outsiders, especially after she'd abandoned them a second time. The twisted knot of aether about K'luha's pelvis had smoothed somewhat, though she could sense points where its flow remained obstructed, where it turned in on itself with an infected fury. She couldn't do anything about that here. K'luha's instincts to go home were rightly placed; a healer could help her better, family could help her. She let her hands drop to her knees and muttered, "She shouldn't be here." Nodding, K'ile said, "I don't know how to move her." Antimony had no immediate answer save to twist her thin fingers into the loose cloth of her borrowed pants. Her thoughts kept wanting to twist about, return to reasons K'ile should be telling her to leave, telling her she was not welcome. Instead she managed, "A flat board. Padding. Ties to minimize movement." "Tie her down to a board? I'd had that thought a few times actually." He gave K'luha a strained smirk, "If the healer says so, I might have no choice." Luha frowned again. K'hai came up with some stupid plan? How had her brother become so... Luha didn't have a word for the anger she felt at him. He suddenly just appears after five years and dunks her head in water and criticizes her and tries to tell her K'ile didn't care about K'ailia and then abandons K'ile to K'hai's very own stupid plan? Luha didn't much pay attention to the conversation between K'piru and K'ile, as she was too busy delirious being furious with K'hai. And then after another moment, angry with K'ile for telling K'aila to go back to the tribe. And then at K'aila for being stupid enough to do it without waiting for K'ile! Luha shifted and took note of the conversation when K'piru mentioned something about a board. She hazily lifted her eyes to look at K'ile before frowning again. "K'ailia went back to the tribe without us." "I heard," he replied to K'luha, "And we'll do something about that. Both of us. As soon as we can." He stood, then, "First I think I'm going to break this bed into boards, though." "No, don't." K'luha frowned immediately and grabbed tightly at K'ile's leg. "I can't pay for you to break it. Don't. Just use the blankets or something. Don't break anything." "Do not bother yourself with it," Antimony murmured to K'luha, green eyes shift towards the woman's face for a brief moment. Then to K'ile, "Do what you need to." "You need to be completely immobilized, K'luha," K'ile said as he walked over to the bed, "I'm not going to do this half-way. You're getting tied down to a board and staying there until your hip's completely healed." K'luha grabbed at K'ile's leg again to try and stop him from leaving, but it didn't seem to even remotely help as he walked off to the bed. Tied down to a board for what could be something like a year? How could she be anything but a burden to the tribe unable to even sit up? "No I... stop. Stop!" K'luha called loudly, turning her head in K'ile's direction and weakly reaching for him again. "I'll go. To a healer. A proper one. If you just... can you promise not to leave me that day?" There was a certain insult, or perhaps just plain hurt to K'luha's words than Antimony winced at. A proper one. What could she mean by that? Were her recommendations no longer sufficent? But then, she wasn't family now, so of course they weren't. "You'll find proper healing at home," she stated flatly. Luha looked sharply at K'piru, frowning. "Not like that. A conjurer. Or a white mage. One of those ones. Not at home. I can't go home like this." Applying a foot to the flat footboard of the bed and laying his weight against it until it creaked, K'ile glanced towards K'piru, "Could a magical healer do better than the shaman back home?" "No," the answer was easy, though truthfully Antimony hadn't seen conjury in practice. She had seen conjurers the few times she'd been to Gridania, however, and what she'd seen had been rife with pitiless racism. She couldn't imagine a healing practice that employed such tactics would ever come close to the methods she'd learned and taught for years. K'ile's reply was to press down on the footboard until it cracked free of the frame with the sound of splintering wood and metal bindings tearing out of place. K'luha opened her mouth to protest but K'ile was already breaking off the board. How could she remain tied to a board for so long? How could she go back to the tribe like that? K'ailia had said she could heal it, and K'ailia was at the tribe right? What did K'piru even know anymore? "Don't tie me up if you're just going to haul me back and then dump me there again! You asked me to trust you but you keep blatantly ignoring me!" Luha pleaded with K'ile, fair well knowing she wasn't going to get an answer she liked. "I'm not dumping you or ignoring you," he continued to pry the pieces of wood apart, hauling on the footboard with his hands and kicking off the supports. "And I'm not tying you up. I'm trying you down. So you don't hurt yourself. So relax." Frowning slightly, Antimony looked away as she worried her fingers into the loose cloth of her pants. She had no place in this argument, not after delivering medical advice. "You dropped me on the ground and vanished for two weeks!" Luha protested frantically. "Without a damn word! What am I supposed to do if I'm tied down and you just figure you'll fucking vanish again, huh!?" Freeing the footboard and laying it down so that the unblemished side was facing up, K'ile spoke calmly, "You don't get to be mad at me twice for the same thing. That means you were either lying when you forgave me the first time or you don't have anything to actually be mad at me for now." He rose and looked at K'piru, saying, "How's her hip for now?" Antimony flinched at K'ile's voice before processing his words and even when she replied, her tail tucked further between her feet, "Likely infected again. Or... heading that way. Scar tissue has started to develop, I think, which... it's going to make it heal wrong." "I'm mad because I forgave you and then you turned around and did the same fucking thing!" Luha fumed, waving a hand somewhat dangerously and very uncoordinatedly around before it flopped back onto the floor. "First K'hai shows up after five years of being dead. Then your exiled brother K'zhuzu's kid shows up and then freaking K'airos AND K'hai show up and K'hai tells me you've abandoned K'ailia and don't care about her! And THEN HE SLAPS ME IN THE FACE! I. Can't. Do. This. Shit. Anymore." "Then don't do shit," K'ile said, his tone rather on the pitiless side, "Obviously I don't not care about K'ailia or I wouldn't have talked to her at all, and I've only been gone a few hours. The only person you should be angry at is K'hai and we can gut him as soon as you're up to it." Antimony looked up sharply, a worried look crossing her face at K'ile's words, but then she was ducking her head again, away from the quarreling pair. "Well obviously I already know that he was wrong to begin with." Luha replied her voice dying down as she felt suddenly dizzy from yelling and flailing about with her arms. Her arms dropped over her chest and she looked up hazily at the ceiling. "K'hai has suddenly somehow become obbessed with K'ailia now. And far more violent than I remember him ever being... I don't want him near K'ailia. Not that I can stop them but.... " Luha trailed off for a few moments because she could open her eyes again. "K'ile, is it so much to ask that after you sudden vanished for two weeks, that I could keep you close for a day?" "K'hai's alive...?" Antimony murmured, words barely over a whisper and more to herself than anything. She bit down on her tongue the moment they escaped. "The tribe is starving," K'ile answered, leaving the board where it is and returning to near K'luha and K'piru, "We can be all emotional later. Right now I need to make sure I get you and the food home as soon as I can." "I went back to the tribe you know." Luha mumbled, again closing her eyes. "We're going to move to Eastern Thalan." "That's nice. I'm glad you decided to come back and get stranded in Ul'dah again. You need to be more careful, but I guess that's what the board is going to be for, now." The tone of his voice dropped to something more somber, "K'piru, is there anything else you can do for her here?" Move? They were going to... Antimony struggled with a moment of breathlessness until K'ile's tone addressing her dragged her back to the present. She dipped her gaze and ears in apology. "No. Not... not without--they will be able to do more at.. home." "Can you help me rig up the board, then?" K'ile turned back to it, "I'm sure she won't actually be on it all the time, but still. It should be comfortable." "I came to give K'ailia her things in the first place... and to look for you K'ile. I took responsibility for your disappearance... among other things... I cannot return without you and your bracelet unless you want K'yohko to come looking for you." K'luha mumbled half-heartedly. Wordlessly, Antimony stood and after a moment stepped over to the now broken bed. The blankets that remained on it weren't the nicest - the Quicksand wasn't going to splurge on amenities for its usual clientele - but they would have to do. She took one corner of them in hand and began to pull them off the bed. "Why are you taking responsibility for random things?" K'ile said to K'luha, annoyed, "That makes everything worse and nothing better!" "Because you were already in trouble and if I hadn't they would have sent K'yohko to drag you home!" Luha protested. "Isn't me coming better than sending K'yohko!?" "I don't know. Is K'yohko going to run out in the desert, break his hip and die?" K'ile paused at that, looking at the ceiling and thinking, "Actually, that would be kind of great." Antimony's grip tightened around the blankets and she forced out in a strained voice, "What has become of--wishing death on your own...!" She tore the blankets from the bed and moved stiffly to the board K'ile had laid out. "I don't... K'ile I..." K'luha paused, whimpering in a moment of despair. But only for a moment before she frowned. "You know what? No. Fuck that. I made some bad decisions, but I am not going to sit here half dead and feel bad. You were wrong K'ile. Take some resonsibility for that." "Okay! Awesome! We're all on the same page." He then flinched at K'piru's growl and the violence she inflicted on the blanket, "I'm just joking! I don't want anyone to die or anything." Antimony didn't reply. Her hands shook slightly as she laid one of the blankets over the board and said only, "Lift her onto it now." "Okay!" K'ile said, clasping his hands together in front of his face and turning to K'luha, "How?" K'luha sighed heavily and pressed her hands to her face to as to cover her eyes. "Painfully." A few, silent moments passed while Antimony took the board and dragged it with some effort alongside K'luha. Straightening, Antimony said in a flat tone, "Take her shoulders and support her back," and then moved to one side of K'luha's legs, bending so that she could hook her forearms beneath them. "Do not lift her high." K'ile moved accordingly, pulling K'luha up so that her shoulders rested on his upper arms and his hands extended down to her lower back. Putting his face against the top of her head, he said, "You can bit me if you want. I can't do anything to stop you right now. You smell like alcohol." "One, two," Antimony breathed in and strained her muscles as she made to lift K'luha's legs, "three." She would then move the woman swiftly, and as gently as possible, onto the board with K'ile's assistance. K'ile did the thing. K'luha inhaled shakily, preparing to be moved and for the extreme pain that was going to go along with moving. At least K'ile was kind enough to distract her with his suggestion and pointing out of the obvious. "I would do so many things to you right now if I could." Luha muttered back in a hushed whisper. "And I was drinking earlier. Although K'hai and your exiled brother's son decided to interrupt me." Luha spat the words out before inhaling sharply again as they lifted her as gently as possible and moved her over onto the board. Luha tried not to howl, instead biting down on her lower hip and hissing in a surprising display of self-control. Thoroughly confused, K'ile said, "My exiled who's what?" As he settled K'luha onto the board. "K'zhuzu. That kid. I was really little when it was exiled. I thought he was your brother." Luha replied after a few moments of regaining her breath. "What? I don't know. Whatever. Just relax so we can get you strapped in all comfy." Antimony refrained from comment, forcing herself to focus on adjusting blankets and pillows over and around K'luha's hips. After a moment she sighed and spoke reluctantly, "I've... nothing to hold her in place." K'luha dropped the subject, not really caring about the stranger in the first place anyway. She instead whined softly at being tied up. "Can't we wait until we're about to leave to do that part?" Leaning back, K'ile pulled the leather ties from his shoulders and back, which would normally hold his lance or bow. He offers them to K'piru, "Use this for now. We'll get some rope and cloth and tie her down more firmly before we load her up to head home." She took the straps without looking at K'ile, found his talk of home more distressing than it should have been. Did he know yet? Should she...? The first strap she stretched across K'luha's waist. With the width of the board, it was just barely long enough, but she managed to tie it with some effort. "I--K'ile, I found--" She tried to start, head ducked low as she worked to arrange K'luha's body in a way that was both comfortable and secure. Distract her hands. Distract her thoughts. He deserved to know, didn't he? K'ile watched K'piru working patiently. "Found...?" K'luha frowned at the feeling of bindings going across her waist. This... this was not... What if she needed to use the bathroom before they left? Under normal circumstances, K'luha had always been a little heavier than most of the girls. She had curves and a small tummy, but lately with all of the starvation and her intense lack of food she had all but lost most of her weight and was starting to look a little gaunt. She let them work, albeit obviously uncomfortable with it and frowning. Looking to keep herself occupied, she reached a hand out towards K'ile. Antimony choked, working at the second strap, this one just below K'luha's hips to prevent the joints from rotating overmuch. "Found--" She blinked hard, her hands and the leather strap they worked blurring. Why was this so difficult? Sharing this should bring her so much joy, she should just-- "--Airos!" she blurted suddenly. Rolling his jaw in thought, K'ile said, "I saw her. I'm still trying to decide if it's real or not. It doesn't feel like it can be." "It's real," Antimony breathed and sagged over K'luha's legs, her shoulders shaking. "Real. She--she must be--she's real, and here and--and--" Her hands had forgotten K'luha's straps at this point, though luckily both had already been secured. K'ile reached out and put a hand on K'piru's shoulder. "Where is Airos now? She came to the door with K'hai earlier." Luha remarked, dropping her hand in front of K'ile's leg and giving up. Antimony just shook her head and muttered, "She's real. My baby girl." "She's with K'hai still," K'ile answered K'luha. "I guess K'airos is one of those sword people? She thought she could get the food." "A Brass Blade?" Luha questioned. "I asked her to--to help you," Antimony whispered in strained explanation. "Then she's doing so." He moved his hand to test the straps on K'luha's legs, "How does it feel, Luha? Good?" Luha glanced down to the straps K'ile was testing and grunted. "Tight enough I think." Antimony sat back on her heels, tail still tucked between her legs, and rested her hands on her knees once more. "Is it comfortable?" "Sort of...." Luha grumbled, her ears flattening. "As comfortable as being strapped down can be I suppose." "Well you're going to have to get used to it." K'ile said, standing, "Because it's going to take a good bit until your hip heals up and I'm not showing you any mercy this time." "Can you at least stick around then? I'd feel better strapped to a board if you aren't running off getting into trouble and getting yourself hurt." "I'm not going anywhere. The only thing I care about out there is K'airos and K'hai getting that food, and there's nothing I can do about that for now." K'luha looked incredulously at K'ile for a moment before giving up and just staring back up at the ceiling. As the two spoke back and forth, Antimony found the anxious desperation to share her news fleeing, leaving behind an exhausted isolation. K'ile and K'luha were family, she told herself. She had done all she could here. Her joints ached when she stood, tail tucked close to the inside of one leg still. As K'piru stood, K'ile silently walked around K'luha and then pulled K'piru into a very sudden, very firm hug. Grey ears pressed back as K'ile's arms locked around her in an entirely unexpected gesture. Several seconds passed where Antimony simply stood stiffly in the hug, until her lungs burned and her throat ached, and then she drew in a short gasp of air before turning to him and clutching at his shoulders. "My baby girl," her voice shook. "She's real. She's--she's my... I am so sorry--" "It's okay," K'ile said. "I get it. I don't understand how she's..." "She's alive," Antimony said with vehemence, hands shaking against K'ile's shoulders. "I don't--I don't care if she won't--if she can't accept me as--she's my--K'ile, she's alive! By the tw--By all that is good..." "I'm afraid she's going to disappear." Antimony stilled, his words like ice down her spine, all the more terrifying for the truth they struck in her. K'aijeen's threat loomed like a malicious cloud over her thoughts then and she forced herself to look at K'ile. Her eyes shook. "She--she won't. She's real. She must b--she's real. She'll stay. I won't lose her again. I can't lose her again. She's real." Giving K'piru a renewed squeeze and nuzzling her a little bit, K'ile said, "There's enough people coming back to life. About time the Twelve gave you back one of your girls." With that, he let go of her, stepping back. Almost onto K'luha, but not quite. 'I am RIGHT HERE YOU FUCKER. IF YOU STEP ON ME I WILL SIDE WITH K'AILIA ON THAT FUCKING ROCK NEXT TIME!' That would be what K'luha would have screamed out, if she wasn't so burning furious and completely dedicated now to giving all of these idiots her absolute hatred and silence. "The Twelve had nothing to do with it," Antimony forced out suddenly, with unprecedented venom, feeling like an island suddenly when K'ile stepped away. "Only D'hein and Ai--Aijeen. The Twelve will not take her from me again." Looking more confused than anything at K'piru's first protest, his expression suddenly dropped into a frown and a squint afterward. "Aijeen? You mean K'aijeen is...?" The older woman flinched violently then, visibly shrinking under K'ile's words. "She--" A flash of fear churned her gut. What if K'ile sought out K'aijeen? What if she took that as another excuse to take her daughter away? Antimony froze. "Is she here? Does she know?" Her thoughts danced back to those terrifying moments in the lichyard, her youngest daughter looking at her with such an impossibly cold gaze, speaking words she never should have been able to speak. "Aijeen," she choked and then spun on K'ile with a desperate look, "You must not let her know you're here! You--you must stay away! If she knew, she--she'd take my--she'd take Airos away...!" K'ile immediately raised his hands, "I'm not telling her. K'aijeen scares me." He looked around then, noted K'luha behind him and then turned towards her and dropped down into a crouch. He still addressed K'piru, though, "I'd rather K'luha and I get out of here without running into her." She watched his back with wide eyes for a moment before drooping and half turning away, going quiet. K'luha bitterly turned her head away from K'ile and K'piru when he finally decided to acknowledge her still being alive. She didn't forget to cross her arms over her chest either. Frowning at K'luha's behavior, he glanced back at K'piru and noticed she was truend away as well. He turned forward and stared at a wall, looking confused. The relief that K'ile was not about to trigger a devastating reaction from K'aijeen was short-lived. Her thoughts returned to K'airos, to the one connection with family that she still had a right to maintain, to the family in the room she no longer had a right to. Her hands worried at the too long sleeves of her borrowed shirt. "Airos is--she will return... soon...?" "They were just going to get the food and then come back," K'ile said, glancing down to watch K'luha ignore him. "I wonder if K'airos will want to go back to the tribe with us." Antimony's breath caught in her throat, her face paling as she flicked her eyes towards K'ile. "She... my girl--she... misses everyone," she managed faintly. "But she does have a job, right? She appeared very much an Ul'dahn when I saw her." "A Brass B--" Antimony choked, coughed and murmured, "In Drybone." His ears perk up. "Oh! That's... good..." He looked down at K'luha, "Do you think K'airos counts as having left the tribe?" Luha took a long moment of silence before looking towards K'ile. "No. She died. She didn't leave it because she wanted to. She was separated. Have her come and at least find out from the elders if she wants to come back." "And what if she can't? Because of the Blade thing?" Antimony listened to this exchange with a frail expression, as though she were about to blow away on the slightest of winds. "Ask the elders for a special permission to come and go as needed. It's not her fault about what happened after all." Luha suggested with a small shrug. "That could work!" K'ile nodded, "I'm sure the Elders won't be able to say not to her. It's Airos, after all!" "She could go home," Antimony murmured faintly. "You could come back as well K'piru. In light of the dead returning, I doubt they would much begrudge a few wandering tribe members at this point." K'ile's tail flipped and shivered, but he didn't speak. Antimony seemed to lose all color at that and her tail sought to hide further against the inside of one leg. "I--" K'luha let out an annoyed sigh and tightened the arms across her chest. "No one's going to kill you or get angry after five years. If you want to stay with K'airos, go back with us. You want an excuse just to see everyone? Just say you're coming to keep me stable while we travel. You don't even have to stay." For a long moment, Antimony remained frozen, pale features locked into an odd terror. Then, she shuddered and bowed her head, murmuring in a low tone, "Ai--Aijeen would never allow such a thing. I know it." "Aijeen doesn't control you or Airos. What's she' going to do? Track you down and try to kill you? If she does, she's out numered and dead." Luha huffed again, interjecting before K'ile could say anything else. Clearing his throat, K'ile leaned down and whispered very quietly into K'luha's ear, "K'yohko threatened to hurt K'piru. So, she might be afraid of that." Luha glanced over at K'ile at the whisper. K'yohko? Really? "Yohko won't hurt her. Not if she's supposed to be keeping me alive. And he would never disobey K'takka. If she says K'piru can stay and is family again, he will begrudgingly accept it. Of that, I am absolutely sure." Though K'ile's words may have held truth to them - and no small amount of it - Antimony found her primary concern for one other: "You don't--you don't understand," Antimony all but whimpered. "Aijeen... it--it must be some sort of... d-demon magic...! Airos won't--she won't--" K'ile sat up straight and turned to look at K'piru Antimony just quailed and brought her hands to her face. "She won't what?" "She won't call me her mother!" Antimony forced out with a half sob. "Aijeen won't--won't let her... I--I tried.." "If there is anything I have learned about having my hip shattered by my daughter, it’s that there is a limit to even the bond of a mother and a child. If Aijeen is threatening your life and refusing to acknowledge you're her mother, it's time to painfully cut some ties." K'luha insisted, frowning at K'piru. "Don't say such things!" Antimony breathed raggedly. K'ile wasn't going to go anywhere near that. Nope. "K'piru, look at me! I'm DYING because my kid broke my hip and tried to maim K'ile! There are limits! There our boundaries! Do you want Aijeen to kill you and Airos? Because that's what it sounds like she's going to do. You can't just run away from this unless you want to endanger Airos. We're going to be here for you to stand up to Aijeen. And it's going to be painful. And you're going to think you're doing the wrong thing, but it's not. Because even though you abandoned us, you're still my aunt and I still love you and I don't wanna see your own daughter hurt you anymore!" "Stop," Antimony whispered. "I will fix this. I--Airos will be able to go home. I won't--" Putting a hand on K'luha, K'ile says, "Maybe it's a bit soon to be calling it quits on any daughters." "If she's already threatened your life, you take backup with you when you go to fix it then." K'luha demanded sharply. "Take K'yohko or K'ailia or someone with you." "I'm not--" What - hunting her daughter? She wasn't even sure she could risk seeing K'aijeen again. She didn't know how she would get her K'airos back completely, but she had to try something. Anything. An old Duskwight's voice echoed in the back of her thoughts and she shut her eyes. Not that. Just, not that. "You don't understand," she managed in a small voice. "Hell, get that Mitari guy to go with you! He sound strong whatever he is." Luha waved a had somewhat dismissively and frowned. "Uhm. No, I don't like that suggestion," K'ile put, frowning down at K'luha, "Why aren't you suggesting she take me?" "No." Luha sharply put the idea down and looked to K'ile. "You stay with me." Shaking her head, Antimony shut her eyes, kept her hands shielding her face. "Don't encourage my family members to start conflicts and then forbid me from interfering," K'ile said, dryly, to K'luha. "Don't ignore me and almost step on me when you tie me to a board with a broken hip." Luah shot back in an equally dry tone. "Don't break you hip and make me tie you to a board!" "The least you could do is not ignore me! What do I have to do to get your damned attention!" Luha hissed back, ears flattening. "You have my attention! I was gone for all of five minutes! Do you want me to carry you around everywhere?" During all this, Antimony remained quiet. Perhaps wishing for a hiding place. Perhaps contemplating fleeing. K'luha and K'ile were frightening. "You were gone for hours and yes! I do! You were just gone for weeks! I was so worried! The least you could do is let me calm down about that before you run off again!" "You never calm down! I'm not going to sit around for a week waiting for you to cool off before I do something about the tribe starving. You need to take care of calming down your own damned self, instead of just running off and hurting yourself every single time you're left alone for more than a little bit." He stood, arms crossed over his chest, tail shivering behind him. "I wanted to go home after it first happened! The thing we can do about the tribe starving is get the hell home so we can move! And this time it wasn't my fucking fault! I had dead people banging on the door demanding to enter or they were going to break it down and then they went and said you were in trouble! And if people would stop breaking my doors down and then getting in my face, I would stop falling over when I try to walk away!" Luha hissed, ears flat in her hair and tail frizzed out to her side. "And where do you get off being cruel to me!? Don't tell me you love me and then constantly go out after K'piru and refuse to be near me! How am I supposed to feel!?" K'ile just shook his head really hard and said, "What!" Antimony was quite certain she shouldn't be here anymore, intruding between family, fracturing family. Anxious eyes flicked towards the door. Luha could practically feel Anti thinking about leaving and sharply turned her head on her aunt. "You sit down! No leaving or so help me I will track you down and drag you back to the Sagolii!" Luha stared K'piru down for a moment, her glare a most frightening and intimidating one for a woman with a broken hip, half delirious, and strapped down to a board she couldn't move. "Don't yell at her," K'ile chided, his voice cool but heavy, his gaze falling on the woman, "It's not cruel for me to tell you to pull yourself together." "You'll tell me but you won't tell her!" Luha shot back at K'ile. "I've been trying to pull myself together goddamnit! It's cruel to LIE about something like that!" "You two aren't the same person, Luha. Sorry." "That's not what I'm talking about damnit!" She frowned again, losing the anger in her voice. "I'm trying to pull myself together, but I need help. And so far, all you've done is told me you loved me and then ran after K'piru. How is that fair to me? I was there all of those years even when she left and now I need help but you'd sooner leave me for her and tell me to do it myself than... " Luha felt hot tears at the corners of her eyes. She blushed with embarrassment and pushed her hands to her face. "Just forget it... Do what you want. You never listen to me anyway." Cringing away from both K'luha and K'ile, Antimony couldn't manage a reply to that tirade. Her body leaned as though wanting to move, but her feet remained frozen in place. "Yeah. Because I didn't spend like two weeks straight trying to hold you together only to be thanked by death-matches with Ventus, broken hips and complete disregard." He turned away, "I'm not having this conversation." Luha lifted her hands to watch him turn away from her. She felt shattered. Was that it? The end of it all? That was how it ended for her? She wanted to run, but she couldn't. She'd lost that ability now. And now that it was gone, it was all the more precious a thing. Why couldn't she be like K'piru? K'ile loved her properly. Everyone loved K'piru. Even K'ailia loved K'piru more than she loved her own mother. And K'piru could run away and everyone still loved her. Somehow in all of the mess, K'luha had become the bad guy. And the weight of all her decisions fell hard upon her broken head and she cried again. "Can you two please leave the room for a while...?" The request was timid and broken and hoarse, but there was no alternative. As she had always been but now to an extreme, K'luha was at the mercy of people who somehow had come to hate her but at the same time compelled to keep her alive. "Of course I'm not going to leave," K'ile said, "Just leave you strapped to a peice of wood on the floor and walk off? Really? No." Antimony's tail quivered with fear and indecision. She wanted desperately to flee through that door, but at the same time... she wasn't sure she could leave them behind willingly a third time. Swallowing, Antimony just kept herself turned away. Luha could do nothing but keep her hands pressed to her face and try to cry as quietly and subtly as possible. Her once strong and muscular form seemed shrivelled and sickly from only a month or two ago. K'luha both looked and felt frailer than even K'takka and K'deiki. K'ile just lingered with his arms crossed, not knowing what to do. He gave K'piru a very 'I have no idea what to do' look. Antimony would not be very helpful, unfortunately. "Perhaps... perhaps I should g--if you want me to, I will go," she murmured down towards her feet. "She doesn't need to be left alone right now," K'ile said, "Anyway, K'airos is coming back soon, and I won't believe she's actually alive until I see her interacting with someone other than K'hai." K'airos. Antimony could stay for K'airos, for her daughter. Her tail shivered against her leg and she hugged herself. "Alright." She stood like a statue between K'luha and the door. "Alright," K'ile said, turning around and pacing back over near K'luha, crouching down next to her. "Does it help to tell women to stop crying or does it not help?" Luha was far too upset to respond to K'ile question. To which the answer was a, 'Of course it doesn't help you idiot'. Not that she said that, but part of her wanted to. Luha remained crying as quietly as possible, face hidden by her hands. K'ile just made a face and swung his tail around behind him, looking up at K'piru and saying, "You think K'aijeen is using some of her magic somehow?" Antimony's ears shifted uncomfortably, echoing her expression which she angled sideways at K'ile. "I... I don't know. She just--when Airos took me to her..." "I wouldn't put it past her. If she's around there's something to be wary of. Don't trust her. Don't believe what she says and don't let down your guard around her." Antimony flinched. "She's not--she's not a... a monster!" "I didn't say that," K'ile said, "But she is dangerous." "She's my daughter," Antimony half-begged for understanding. K'ile was right, though. K'aijeen terrified her. For a while, K'ile stayed silent next to K'luha, not speaking at all. Then he just slumped his shoulders and dropped his head, "I'm just going to stop talking." His tone drew a tightness to Antimony's expression. "... I... am sorry. I know what--I know..." She let out a shuddering sigh. "I know what... she can do. I remember." As far as Luha knew, and she was pretty sure about this, there were no magical spells making her feel like this. Just the insanity around her and an inability to cope with it all on top of being sick and having a miserable sickening injury that made her more sick. So in the silence K'luha just cried until she ran out of tears and then she just sniffled and choked and coughed every so often. K'ile eeeeeventually reached out and put an arm around K'luha. Antimony remained quiet where she stood, body language closed off and apologetic. K'luha took a long moment after K'ile put an arm around her to drop her hands from her face. She dropped her hands lightly to the board, moving one to weakly grab at K'ile's wrist. Luha looked pale and shaky again, her eyes a bit bloodshot and puffy from the crying.

Yes. That is what you do precisely.

That's a bit unfair. So I don't get to participate in engaging conversation? >_>

It could easily be played as an IC misunderstanding, wherein the soldier in question (again, ignoring the fact that Immortal Flames don't really have law enforcement power - that's a specific detail that's unnecessary when generalizing out the situation) perceived the man turning himself in as actually the man conspiring with the woman. Sultansworn certainly aren't immune to corruption, after all, and how is one to tell the difference between "I'm telling this person my plans because I'm turning myself in" and "I'm telling this person my plans because I'm hoping for their help" when you just overhear some words? Easy resolution would have been that, after being taken to the jail for booking, the Sultansworn could have explained the whole situation. They would've then had to wrestle with the choice of actually turning in their friend in the interest of preserving their own image or not. The former might have gotten said friend medical help, though, as certainly the Blades wouldn't have wanted to leave a criminal laying on the street; as soon as the Sultansworn gave them the what's what, they could've gone off to pick him up.

I'm not sure one would call it arbitrary if the story went down a path of "law person overheard what was construed as criminal conspiracy and decided to take action". That's just reasonable. Arbitrary would be more "I was just standing here and some Blade/Flame/whatever (ooc: yes, I know the difference - that the person in question might not have is another topic entirely) came up and randomly arrested me!"

Oh derps, the bane of a raider's existence... And why would I EVER want pants?!?! *scoff!* [edit] *doe-eyed sniffle* Illira understands me!

Nothing, but in my opinion it's not the other players decision to make. I guess, but what else can one expect when discussing crimes in public? I dunno, I'm of the opinion that people should be more willing to "go with the flow" in roleplay. Yea, you have the final say on what happens to your character, but it's a bit silly to get upset when someone ICly calls out people for discussing crimes in public. I mean, that's just not a wise thing to do! Except everyone involved (well, except maybe the lawman/woman - I'm unsure if they've posted in this thread) was apparently happy with the outcome of the scene? So I'm really not sure what the issue is here.

What's wrong with making your character a fugitive (even if temporarily)? I really don't see the issue with that at all.