Naunet

((Continuing on with the investigation, several days after a Date at Pearl Lane.)) *** Lamandu glanced up from his desk, over to the sullen Miqo'te tucked away in the corner, "Lou. You do know that that... finance lady is coming back in a few minutes? I expect the best of behavior." Loughree stood by pure coincidence in the darkest, most unlikely corner of the office. Pure coincidence. "You'll get my absolute best, Captain." Antimony entered the Brass Blade office with a brown envelope in hand and approached the secretary with a smile. By now a familiar face, and having set an appointment with the lala earlier, she was waved on in to the captain's office. A moment later, she knocked on the door and set about waiting for a response, one heel tapping idly. “Good, I should hope so after the mess you may have--” Lamandu stopped as he heard the knock on his office door, "If you would, Lou?" Loughree shot Lamandu a frown, "If I would what? I'm an officer, not labor." Nonetheless, she took a few steps over and opened the door. She didn’t get out of the way right away, giving Antimony a brief, neutral one over. Antimony straightened just slightly as the door opened and offered a simple smile to the other miqo'te. "Ah, hello there. I wrote ahead to set up an appointment with your captain. There are a few things I need to discuss with him, if you would..?" She angled her head as though to try and see around Lou. Lamandu got up from his desk, in a rather awkward manner, considering the height of the furniture, walked over to where Antimony could see him, "Yes, please come in Miss." He beckoned her inside. Loughree frowned again, her ears laying back. She muttered, "If I would what? People need to finish their sentences." And stepped back into the room. She stood roughly in its center. Antimony blinked in confusion at Loughree for a second before turning to the lalafell and stepping inside. “Good! How has, ah, your work been treating you?” Lamandu glanced dismissively towards Lou, "Its a turn of phrase, Lou." He stepped closer to Antimony, looking up at her with wide brown eyes, "Well enough. The aftermath of All Saint's is about tied up. And you? I hope your foray into the records was... beneficial." Antimony's fingers idly toyed with the envelope in her hands, and she nodded before casting an apologetic look down towards Lamandu. "It has, though I'm afraid you haven't quite seen the last of me. There's still much to be done. Ah..." She cast a glance towards the desk. "Which is why I requested time to speak with you." Loughree crossed her arms and focused a bit of a grumpy aura in Antimony's general direction. The former didn't really seem to notice the grumpy aura much at all. Lamandu nodded his head, "Yes, of course. I was expecting you. Would you like a seat?" He gestured towards the chairs facing his desk. “Yes, thank you.” Lamandu stepped behind the desk, hopping up in his own chair while Antimony moved to take one of the offered seats at the desk and set the envelop atop it. The woman then rested her hands on top of the envelop and focused her attention on Lamandu. Loughree moved over and stood just behind Antimony, off to one side. Lamandu watched the package of papers being set down, "So... how may I best assist? Do you need water? Tea? Lou can accomodate, I'm sure." He smiled up at Lou. Loughree nodded and delivered deadpan, "I'm very accommodating." “Hm? Oh! Well, if you're offering, I am a little... tea would be perfect.” Lamandu nodded, "Of course. Lou, can you get us a couple cups of tea?" “Do you even have tea in this hovel?” “Lou! Of course we do! It’s in the break room. One of the other officers can help you make it if you've never..." “I know where the break room is.” Loughree kicked Antimony's chair as she turned around, "Sorry," and walked out. Antimony cleared her throat after a moment and then, "I apologize, if it were too much of a bother, she didn't have to." Lamandu smiled apologetically in Antimony's direction, "Sorry about that. Lou can be rather... wild, I believe is the term. So, what were you're questions?" Antimony blinked at Lamandu, and her ears perked up. "Ah, yes! Back on track then..." She settled her posture in the chair and continued, “Now, there's nothing overly severe that I've found so far, but I did want to keep you informed regarding what I'm investigating - full transparency is obviously important in these matters.” Lamandu smiled. “Of course. I'm sure you're appraisal will give me excellent insight as well as you.” Antimony flattened her hands over the envelope before opening it and pulling out a few sheets of paper. "To that end, I've a few questions regarding a frequent, ah, service that has cropped up for just about every business within your territory. It's labeled rather opaquely. "Security fees"? If you could, I'd like some clarification on exactly the nature of this service.” Lamandu raised his eyebrows, "Hmm? Oh yes, security fees. You are aware of what part of the city that we are in? Yes, well. There are efforts to bring more upstanding businesses into Pearl Lane, especially as the available space in Sapphire lane is getting scarce. And so, many of these businesses and merchants choose to hire on one of ours to keep a close eye out around their wares. Security. It’s not that we do not patrol, but we are low on funds, and it serves our interests as well as theirs to see to their safety. And there is only so much ground we may cover in a patrol, we cannot be everywhere at once.” Once finished speaking, he gave her a straight face. “I see.” Antimony glanced down at the paper between her hands. It appeared to be a chart of some kind, which she looked through as though to remind herself of something before looking back up at Lamandu, "How do you go about reaching a final number for the fee? I've noted it varies rather significantly from location to location." Loughree kicked open the door and walked in with a tray on which are two cups of water. Nothing was steaming. She put the lukewarm cups on the table, pulled some crushed leaves from a concealed pocket in her sleeve, and threw the debris at the cups. "Tea. Or something." Antimony blinked at Loughree and then at the cups. One ear twitched. “Ah! Thank... you, miss.” Lamandu looked down at the 'tea', "Lou, have you never had tea? I told you that you could ask. Ben would have been happy to show you!" Antimony reached out to take one of the cups and flashed a quick, only somewhat forced smile Lamandu's way, "It's alright. I'm sure it tastes fine, even if it's a little... ah, rustic?" Lamandu reached for the tea anyway, swirling it slightly. “Hmm... rustic is one way to put it.” Loughree was about to say something unfriendly to Lormandu, but her attention was taken by Antimony instead. "Right. Rustic." After a pause, she declared, "This is how we made tea at home growing up. If you want it different have Ben make it." Antimony smiled briefly at Loughree before bringing the cup up to take a small sip. She tried to avoid drinking the loose leaves, but isn't really successful. “Are you sure that you would not like something less... rustic?” “Ah, this is fine,” Antimony assured. “Water is water, after all, and I can't be choosy in a desert.” Loughree grabbed the second cup, "She likes it. You don't have to. Is this meeting about my tea now?" She put the cup to her lips and took a sip. Her ears immediately lay flat on her head, but she swallowed anyway. Lamandu smiled, "Of course. Very sensible. So, where were we? Oh yes, the calculation of security fees. It’s based on an hourly rate, the level of attention required, and the estimated value of wares." Antimony nodded as Lamandu speaks and, taking a pen from the envelop, made a few notes alongside the chart. Loughree stood frozen with the cup of tea under her nose for several long moments. Her ears sort of shivered on her head and her tail poofed a bit. Then she calmly put it down and walks around to the other side of the table to stand behind Antimony again, looking a bit lost. “This security fee is optional? Or would you consider it a standard tax leveed on all business in your purview?” Antimony took another sip of her "tea" and wrinkled her nose at the taste of the leaves before catching herself and smoothing out her expression to something more polite. Lamandu's eyes widened in surprise, "A tax? Of course not! It’s a way to encourage business and boost the station's funding. The Immortal Flames tends to overlook our budgetary needs." Loughree touched Anti's shoulder and whispered, "You don't have to drink that." Antimony tilted her head slightly, considering Lamandu's words before looking briefly flustered at Loughree's. "Oh, no, it's not a bother," she kind of stumbled over, "Really, it's lovely." And then to Lamandu, "Alright. Would you say those that don't pay the fee are victim to significantly more criminal activity than those who do?" Loughree dropped her hand to her side again. Her ears swiveled, but her face remained composed. “Without a dedicated eye and greater security presence,” Lamandu was saying, “Yes, the rate of criminal activity is more likely. This is a rough area, Miss." “Of course, I understand.” Antimony's ears shifted back against her skull as she furrowed her brow at the papers in front of her, and then relaxed. "I'm going to need access to the records for each business that has paid into these security fees." She took a dutiful sip of the leaf-water, because duty! Lamandu shook his head, "I do not keep their records, You'll have to track the down on your own. Unless there was some incident specific to a business, records are not kept on every stall that pops up." Antimony nodded slowly. "Not even a file of registered names?" Loughree leaned in and snatched the cup of leaf water away from Antimony without saying anything. Lamandu raised his brows, "Those were recorded alongside the other financials. Did you miss them?" Antimony frowned at where the cup at been in confusion, then back behind her at Loughree, before dragging her attention, somewhat bewildered, back to Lamandu. “Mm, I must have. I'll need to return and... ah. Well, I've got time yet still to complete everything. I hope I've not been too much of a bother so far.” She smiled then, ears relaxing to either side of her head. Lamandu shook his head, "No, of course you're not a bother. It’s refreshing to have someone outside the usual here. Where are you from abouts anyway? You don't seem local to Ul'dah." Antimony blinked, her tail shifting behind her. "Ah, I'm normally stationed in Limsa Lominsa. This is a bit out of my usual assigned region, but... sometimes that happens." Lamandu smiled slightly, "Limsa? I'm surprised to hear that. Not many city Miqo'te round those parts, I'd heard. But I suppose that you have to be from somewhere! Or I would not have asked." Antimony looked down briefly. "Yes, well, from somewhere." A pause. "Ah, I believe that will keep me along for now. Are there... any other questions you had?" Lamandu pursed his lips slightly, "No, I suppose not. I was merely trying get to know you a bit, as you know me quite well by now!" Antimony's ears drooped. "Ah, I apologize." She tried for a smile, inwardly cursing a likely faux pas. Loughree just stood there awkwardly with a cup of leaf water in one hand. Lamandu, however, waved off the worry, "No matter, I'm sure you're eager to get back to your work so you can get out of this sandpit?" “Oh, it's not that awful. I'm actually rather used to... well, that is, I should certainly get back to work. If you don't mind I'll spend a few hours in your filing room to finish out the day.” Loughree volunteered, "I'll see her to the filing room." Lamandu frowned slightly, "Alright, ask been Ben to keep her company, will you?" Antimony smiled pleasantly to Lamandu and Loughree in turn, the former of whom returned the gesture. “Thank you. I'll seek you out again should I come across anything else to discuss.” She then got to her feet. “Why? Afraid I'll try and keep her company?” Loughree clearly didn’t have any qualms about making the situation awkward. Antimony's ears kind of twitched uncomfortably. "I'm sure he didn't mean it... in that way. You're a, ah, perfectly decent person." Lamandu shook his head, "No, Ben just has more patience for such things. You're never one to stay still for long, Lou." Loughree looked at Antimony and said, "Can you step outside a moment? I've a quick word to have with the Captain. Won't be a minute." Antimony shifted her tail about behind her and then nodded, "Certainly," before turning for the door. "Have a nice evening, Captain Lamandu." Lamandu nodded to Antimony, "Of course. And you as well. Antimony disappeared into the front room, the office door clicking shut softly behind her. When she was gone, Lou looked to Lamandu and said, "I don't actually have anything to say to you." Lamandu narrowed his eyes, "Then why did you say you did? I don't have such time to be able to waste." Loughree smiled. She took the cup of leaf juice in hand and threw it hard at the one on the table, making both of them burst into a clatter of glass so loud it was probably audible in the street outside. She flinched at her own actions. It was audible outside the room, certainly, and Antimony started at the sound of shattering glass from where she stood just outside the door. She cast an uncertain glance to it before folding her arms across her chest. Lamandu startled at the harsh sound and then gestured in annoyance. He stood on his chair to look down at the officer, "Lou! What the hell? Do you want to go on suspension?" Loughree snickered and said in a quiet calm, "Why don't you just write it up. You prolly can't do shit to me anyway. Now, wouldn't want to keep Antimony waiting." She turned on her heel to head to the door. Lamandu scowled as Lou left the office, sitting back down after the door has closed behind her. Antimony turned as Loughree exited to greet her with an uncertain smile. "Is... everything alright?" Loughree ran her hands over her ears, pulling them back for a moment. "Yeah. He just gets mad sometimes. Didn't really think he'd... Well! I'm alive. Let's have a look at those files." Antimony furrowed her brow worriedly at Loughree before collecting her thoughts and nodding. "Yes, of course." Remembering where the room was, she turned to head down the hall towards the file room. Loughree followed after.

I can dig it. K'ile Tia for arch nemesis.

((At the fountain in the Golden Court, some days after Date at Pearl Lane…)) *** Ulanan Ulan walks the way she always walks: tiny feet stomping against the floor in what could be confused with a march. Antimony Jhanhi sits with her ears swooped back towards the fountain and an unfocused look in her eyes. She doesn't immediately notice the lalafell's approach. Ulanan Ulan invades the Miqo'te's field of view by standing in front of her. Her next action is to smile. Antimony Jhanhi blinks, looks over Ulanan's head for a second, and then down at the lalafell. There's a pause and then she smiles back, "Still enjoying your visit?" Ulanan Ulan: You could say so. How is your current task going? Antimony Jhanhi blinks and then clears her throat, straightening her posture a bit. "Oh, since the first meeting, they've been very accommodating. I was only taking a small break." Ulanan Ulan: You should take care around those people. I do not think they are very attached to the law. But I'm sure you noticed that already. Antimony Jhanhi twitches one ear as though it had an itch. Antimony Jhanhi: Don't worry overmuch. I've got caution enough when dealing with these kinds of cases. It will be fine. Ulanan Ulan: I won't, then. There was something I wanted to ask of you. A favor, if you do not mind. Antimony Jhanhi tilts her head slightly to one side, "I'm just sorry I had to leave you on your own after.... ah? What is it? Anything, of course." Ulanan Ulan: First, I must apologize, because this will probably ruin your evening. Do you remember that woman, K'ailia? The one that keeps thinking you are her teacher? Antimony Jhanhi 's mouth twitches at one corner as her ears drop a couple inches. "I do." Ulanan Ulan: I spoke with her recently. She told me she won't stop bothering you unless you directly tell her so. Ulanan Ulan: So, I'd like to ask you to do that the next time you see her. Antimony Jhanhi frowns and looks off to one side. Her tail curls indecisively against the stone behind her. Antimony Jhanhi: That... would probably be for the best, I suppose. Ulanan Ulan: It doesn't take a genius to note that you are not comfortable around her. Apparently, this is not enough for her. So you will need to take a more direct approach. Antimony Jhanhi weaves her fingers together in her lap and presses her lips into a thin line. When she speaks, it's distracted, "She's a... good girl. I know she means..." She pauses and then shakes her head, turning back to Ulanan with a smile. "Don't worry, I'll take care of it. I'm sorry I've left my defense to you so often. It's not fair." Ulanan Ulan smiles at you. Ulanan Ulan: Don't be sorry. I'm not entirely sure that she's the good girl you think she is. But if you are right, she will leave you alone. Antimony Jhanhi frowns down at her hands. Antimony Jhanhi: I think you underestimate... well, no matter. Elder Megiddo tosses a coin into the water, and mutters, "I wish for good luck in gambling tonight." Ulanan Ulan: I assure you: I will not underestimate her. But! Antimony Jhanhi blinks at the lalafell. Ulanan Ulan claps her hands together. "Let's speak of something nicer." She looks to a side and blinks at the man with the pumpkin mask. It's a bit late for being dressed like that. Elder Megiddo notices Ulanan looking at him and waves. Ulanan Ulan: I assure you: I will not underestimate her. But! Antimony Jhanhi blinks at the lalafell. Ulanan Ulan claps her hands together. "Let's speak of something nicer." She looks to a side and blinks at the man with the pumpkin mask, dressed all in white. It's a bit late for being dressed like that. Elder Megiddo notices Ulanan looking at him and waves. Antimony Jhanhi frowns in confusion and turns her head to follow Ulanan's gaze. The form is terrifyingly familiar. Antimony Jhanhi: ... A demon! It followed us!? Ulanan Ulan: Wha-? No! It's not a demon. It's a costumed man. Antimony Jhanhi bristles and startles from the bench, tail bushed out behind her, ears pressed back. Elder Megiddo laughs, "Everyone tends to follow you, don't they, Antimony?" And, removing the mask, "That's just your kind of luck." Ulanan Ulan is frustrated with Elder Megiddo. Ulanan Ulan: It's a bit late for celebrating All Saints' Wake! Antimony Jhanhi stares at Megiddo with a mix of confusion and fear for several more seconds, before it becomes only confusion. And then annoyance. Antimony Jhanhi: What are you doing in that... that shroud of evil! Elder Megiddo: Is it late? I must've lost a day or two. And Antimony, you know me. The shroud of evil's not too far from my normal face, is it? Elder Megiddo walks around the fountain towards the pair. Antimony Jhanhi gestures vehemently at the pumpkin head with its ghoulish grin, "Don't come near with that thing! You'll need to burn it to rid yourself of... of whatever you've caught!" Ulanan Ulan frowns at the Duskwight. Elder Megiddo looks at the mask in his hands. "It's a gourd with a face on it. A happy face. It's a happy gourd." Antimony Jhanhi: It's a beacon for death is what it is! Put it away! Antimony Jhanhi wrings her hands a bit, looking over Megiddo with flustered concern from a distance. Ulanan Ulan: I'm afraid Antimony does not approve the traditions of that celebration. Antimony Jhanhi: You've carried it for how long now? Augh! I'll... You'll need some kind of warding, an offering when you burn the nasty thing... Antimony Jhanhi frowns and seems to be plotting something out as she speaks. Ulanan Ulan: It's only a toy. A carved pumpkin. Nobody has brought voidsent for wearing that. Antimony Jhanhi: And not for a lack of trying, it seems! Antimony Jhanhi throws her hands up in the air. Elder Megiddo hefts the mask and tosses it away, "My own clan has their own beliefs regarding these things. Would it help if I said that I'd taken certain precautions?" Antimony Jhanhi frowns narrowly at the pumpkin as it rolls away. "No precaution is precaution enough, save to steer clear of it entirely." Ulanan Ulan: You'd think the authorities would have made quite a clamor if costumes brought voidsent to feast on the population! Ulanan Ulan is visibly annoyed. Antimony Jhanhi: And don't just leave it here, where any other unsuspecting victim could... Antimony Jhanhi makes as though to follow the pumpkin, but stops herself short and in clear conflict. Elder Megiddo: Now, it's not all about summoning voidsent. Antimony's fears may be grounded. Perhaps we are summoning darkness into our hearts by wearing such things, hm? Ulanan Ulan moves towards the mask, throwing a glare in Megiddo's direction. "And do we summon light into our hearts by setting our heads on fire?" Antimony Jhanhi: Ill actions bring ill thoughts and a source of darker things still. Antimony Jhanhi nods firmly, stubbornly. Elder Megiddo smiles at Ulanan, "Maybe we do." Antimony Jhanhi blinks and frowns at Ulanan and looks a little hurt, "There's no need to make fun." Ulanan Ulan picks up the mask. She holds it in one hand and, in the other, her scepter. She presses her lips together, eyes placed on Antimony. Then there's a spark. Magical fire spreads over the mask, consuming it. She drops it just a moment before the combustion reaches her hand. Elder Megiddo looks saddened, "That was my only mask." Antimony Jhanhi furrows her brow, working her jaw as though she wants to say more. "You need to... ah." She huffs and looks stiffly away. "At least it's something..." Ulanan Ulan shrugs at you. Ulanan Ulan: You said to burn it. Elder Megiddo turns from Ulanan and walks towards Antimony, "If you don't mind, I don't understand why your beliefs should trump my own. As the Elder and spiritual leader of my clan, I feel quite confident handling omens and dark images." Antimony Jhanhi frowns up at Megiddo. "Trump...? There's nothing to... That's just how it is!" Ulanan Ulan: How do you know? Antimony Jhanhi: How do I... well, through experience. Antimony Jhanhi turns her frown on Ulanan. Ulanan Ulan places the hands on her hips and tilts her head. Elder Megiddo leans forward to look at Antimony, "You may be interested to know that the tattoos on my face serve to deliberately summon such things as you fear. I've worn them my whole life. It is something my clan does." Antimony Jhanhi swivels her head back around to Megiddo and blinks up at him a bit wide-eyed. "That.. Ah..." Ulanan Ulan looks disapprovingly at Megiddo. "I think you have scared her enough." Elder Megiddo: I apologize. I'll leave her with that and mind my own business for the evening. Such business that it is. Goodbye. Elder Megiddo turns and exits swiftly. Ulanan Ulan: Safe travels. Antimony Jhanhi frowns at a vague spot on the ground, then looks up, opening her mouth as though to say something after Megiddo, then just frowns again down at the ground. Antimony Jhanhi: I should... return to Captain Lamandau's office. Ulanan Ulan nods to you. Ulanan Ulan: I'll be at the Quicksand, if you need me. Antimony Jhanhi smiles briefly at Ulanan and then just starts off, looking distracted.

((Following some shenanigans in the Quicksand, Antimony and Ulanan make their way to Pearl Lane to meet with the subject of her investigation.)) *** Antimony Jhanhi takes a deep breath as they approach the office that is definitely in Pearl Lane and not Highbridge for the sake of this RP. She's collected herself for the most part during the brief walk over. Ulanan Ulan follows behind, along with her cowled self and herself. Antimony Jhanhi: I'm... not entirely sure how appropriate it is for me to bring you to this, but... ah, we'll just say you're an assistant. Hm? Antimony Jhanhi smiles just slightly down at Ulanan. Ulanan Ulan: Tell him I'm your mute secretary. He won't make me questions that way. Antimony Jhanhi laughs despite herself. "A secretary... ah." Another deep breath, and hse takes a moment to straighten the folder in her hands. "Well, then, best get this started." And she walks to the door. She clears her throat before calling out, "Excuse me? Is there a... Lamandu Tyremandu in?" She speaks the name very carefully so as not to stumble over it. Ulanan Ulan positions herself strategically behind and to a side of Antimony like a miniature guardian angel lacking any angelical features. Antimony Jhanhi approaches the receptionist-secretary lalafell at the front of the office. "Ah, yes, Lamandu Ty--oh, no, I wrote ahead to arrange an appointment..." She pauses as the lala questions more. "... Antimony Jhanhi, with the Commerce Regulation Agency.... Yes, yes, of course. THank you." Ulanan Ulan keeps the blankest of stares. Lamandu Tyremandu is quickly and effiecient weaving his way through a stack of papers sitting on his desk, shuffling them from one pile to another. It would be a wonder if he was truly able to attend to each sheet individually working in such a manner. Antimony Jhanhi looks back at Ulanan. "And here we go." She turns then to move through the doorway the receptionist person had indicated. She knocks on the frame as she enters, bowing her head with a, "Excuse me, Mister Tyremandu." Lamandu Tyremandu continues scribbling on papers, not looking up, "Yes? Did I not tell the receptionists that I was not to be disturbed? I'm busy." Antimony Jhanhi blinks and hesitates only a moment before persisting, "I wrote ahead to arrange a meeting... I'm from the Commerce Regulation Agency." Lamandu Tyremandu looks to be almost finished with the original pile at this point. He grabs another sheet before pausing mid stroke. "The..." he clears his throat, "Commerce Regulation Agency you say? Sounds like a sham." He sets the sheet down back where it was and looks over at the entrants. "I have never heard of such an organization." He hops off of his chair and walks quickly out accross the room, his frame trim for that of a Lalafel. Lamandu Tyremandu steps past the pair, poking his head out the door, "Did you make an appointment with a... Commerce Regulation Agency?" The receptionist mutters something. "Oh. Alright. I suppose this'll.... yes." He turns back to his guests. "Sorry about that, there was a bit of a calendar mix-up it seems. Lamandu Tyremandu bows. Ulanan Ulan does her best to look like a secretary. Antimony Jhanhi tilts her ears briefly and then smiles. "Ah, not to worry. I understand the Blades are busy nowadays." Lamandu Tyremandu nods his head, "Yes. We are still cleaning up after that All Saint's Eve debacle." He frowns, "Well... you seem to know my name. You may address me as Captain Tyremandu. Please, come sit and introduce yourselves and your business..." Lamandu Tyremandu gestures to the chairs on the other side of his deask as he walks back to it. Antimony Jhanhi nods and speaks as she follows the lala to the desk, "I'm Antimony Jhanhi, an inspector with the Agency." She takes a seat and then nods at her companion. “This is Ulanan. She's an assistant. Ah... helps me keep all the paperwork in order.” Ulanan Ulan nods to Lamandu in some sort of formal greeting. Lamandu Tyremandu he turns his head to look the other Lalafel over, "Ulanan..." he narrows his eyes slightly, "Rather hot for such a robe..." He frowns again, a little deeper this time. Antimony Jhanhi smiles hopefully Lamandu's way. Ulanan Ulan: Light colors and many sheets of clothes keep the sun's heat away and the air inside cool. Lamandu Tyremandu: But then it’s always hot in Ul'dah. You must not be a native to be wearing such... Antimony Jhanhi: Wouldn't want her getting sunburned. Antimony Jhanhi chuckles slightly. Lamandu Tyremandu: A fair Ul'dahn maiden after all then? Ulanan Ulan smiles at Lamandu Tyremandu. Ulanan Ulan: We are not here to discuss my maiden-likeness, I'm afraid. Lamandu Tyremandu sighes, "But I digress. That surely does not pertain to why you are here." Antimony Jhanhi: Mm, right, of course. Antimony Jhanhi nods to herself and then sets her folder on the desk, in front of her. "The Agency monitors much of the business going on within and between the Grand Companies. This is all largely routine, but I'm here to formally request access to any financial documents you have tied to your name and the name of this office." Lamandu Tyremandu 's small mouth pinches slightly. "I cannot simply grant you access to our files without due cause. Especially as our accounts do not get closed for yet a few more months. What is this about. We are the law enforcement around here it is our business to know if there is anything amiss." Antimony Jhanhi shakes her head. "It's within our jurisdiction to conduct regular surveys of those employed directly by the Grand Companies." She hesitates a moment, thinking. “We simply need to make certain that everything is running transparently.” Lamandu Tyremandu: That may be the case with other agencies that run under more direct employment, but the Brass Blades work alongside the Immortal Flames, a partnership. Without due cause and the correct paperwork, I cannot simply show our files to you. It could jeopardize ongoing investigations." Antimony Jhanhi 's ears prick up slightly. "Ah, as for paperwork..." She opens the file she'd carried inside and pulls out several sheets of paperwork. At the bottom of each are the stamped seals of the CRA and the Immortal Flames. “These should cover that requirement. I assure you; we'll treat everything with absolute respect and won't divulge any information to third parties... Ah, well, unless something is amiss, but I don't imagine that would be the case.” She smiles at Lamandu. Lamandu Tyremandu reaches across the table to drag the papers back to him. He reads over them quickly, though he seems to actually comprehend well what they say as he says, "It only mentions you, Miss Antimony. Your assistant will stay back here... I assume?" Antimony Jhanhi: She won't handle any of the files directly. Mostly just any summary reports that need sending off to the proper authorities. Ulanan Ulan nods. Antimony Jhanhi 's response comes only a beat or two after Lamandu's inquiry, and she finishes it with another smile and a tilt of her ears. "You agree that all is in order, then?" Lamandu Tyremandu shakes his head, "Without authorized clearance, Miss Ulanan cannot be allowed in the records room, or to handle this... case of yours. She will have to remain where she is I am afraid." he smiles slightly at the person in question. Antimony Jhanhi: Oh! Of course. She can work from outside the room just as well. Ulanan Ulan: Naturally. Ulanan Ulan nods again. Antimony Jhanhi bows her head briefly. "I want to make sure this is as painless for everyone as possible." Lamandu Tyremandu: Hmm. You seems to be under the impression that not working on this case means that she may work on it just outside the door. Please, have a little more respect for my line of work. Antimony Jhanhi blinks. "I'm... sorry?" There's a pause and then, "Oh. I see." Antimony Jhanhi: The case itself is not a debatable occurrence, but... I am willing to accommodate in particular requests. If you don't wish her involved, then I'll handle it all on my own. Antimony Jhanhi presses her lips together briefly after she speaks. Ulanan Ulan: My involvement is only for organizational purposes and to expedite the process so reports can be sent to the Agency as soon as possible. I'm sure a man in your position understands the necessities of organization when dealing with such a high amount of information. Antimony Jhanhi blinks at Ulanan and then just nods. Lamandu Tyremandu: I intend to assist you as I am able, but in the interest of protecting our office and Ul'dah at large, I cannot allow an unclearanced auditor into our such a matter. It is not my choice, she should have been included in the initial paperwork. You are of course, welcome to return when the oversight has been corrected. Lamandu Tyremandu smiles tightly at the both of them. Antimony Jhanhi pauses only a moment before shaking her head, "No, that won't be necessary." Ulanan Ulan: Indeed. Coming back at a later date with proper clearanse would only increase the amount of information to process and give opportunity to any who has seen us come into this office to come with ways to hide their shady deals...if there is any, of course. I will simply take my leave. Antimony Jhanhi smiles warmly at Ulanan, a hint of apology in her eyes. Antimony Jhanhi: I'll, ah, make sure to have your travel expenses reimbursed, Ulanan, so don't you worry. Lamandu Tyremandu: You can wait in the waiting area if you wish. I'm sorry, I do not mean to be a stickler. But... it is part of my sworn duty. Antimony Jhanhi: Of course. As it is mine to oversee your finances. Now! If that is settled... Ulanan Ulan: It's perfectly understandable. Captain, I would shake your hand, but I'm afraid this table is not made for people like us. Have a good day. Ulanan Ulan kind of just leaves throwing lady-like smiles to the people in the room. Not the NPCs, though. Screw those! Antimony Jhanhi folds her hands in her lap as Ulanan departs, watching Lamandu patiently. Lamandu Tyremandu gets up from his chair, "No... it is not unfortunately. The district has not had the money to buy a new one since I took over from an Elezen." He salutes Ulanan as she leaves. Antimony Jhanhi: That's unfortunate. It seems many are in, ah, difficult times these days. Lamandu Tyremandu turns to Antimony. "So, I must escort you to our records room then." Antimony Jhanhi nods and stands after a moment, smoothing down her robe. "Yes, of course! I'm eager to get started." Lamandu Tyremandu starts out of the office room making ideal talk, "I have been here some years at this post now, but there have been many more important things at hand that need the money than my own comfort, as I am sure you understand, Miss." Loughree Desfosse steps boldly into the office carrying a large, clattering bag. She proclaims, "Damned refugees don't have a thing to pay their debts with. I had to go all the way to the Market to find some middle-class fines." Ulanan Ulan is just sitting in front of Lamandu's secretaries, to a side of the room. She spares a glance to the entering Miqo'te before looking at some point in the opposite wall. Antimony Jhanhi follows after Lamandu, her ears pricking at the new voice in the outer room. Loughree Desfosse catches sight of Lamandu coming out of the office and holds up the bag, "You can take your cut once I've counted it," and then, noticing the woman behind him, her ears lay back and she goes silent. Antimony Jhanhi blinks up at the woman and then down at Lamandu. Antimony Jhanhi: Ah, hello...? Ulanan Ulan blinks at the Miqo'te, then at Lamandu. Lamandu Tyremandu lets out a laugh, "Ahh, Lt. Desfosse. Your sense of humor is never displaced, but please, do try to keep it appropiate! We wouldn't want anyone to misunderstand you, would we? Perhaps we should discuss you're professional conduct a little later." Antimony Jhanhi smiles a bit uncertainly at the miqo'te. Loughree Desfosse lets the bag hang at her side for a moment, and then tosses it at one of the desk-workers, hitting the Lala straight in the face. She points the poor soul and says, "That's evidence. Store it." Returning her attention to the woman behind Lamandu, she says, "I'm still on duty if you need an extra hand." Ulanan Ulan is not impressed by the performance. She smiles. Lamandu Tyremandu frowns deeply and gestures towards Antimony, "Lt. This is Miss Antimony. From the Commerce Regulation Agency. I'm sure that she may not see quite the same amount of humor of the Pearl Lane's money troubles as you do. And please, do not throw material evidence around in such a manner. Talk with Ruruaji to have him set up a meeting between us." Antimony Jhanhi bows her head and utters a polite, "Greetings," to the sergeant. Loughree Desfosse drops her gaze to Lamandu, and huffs neutrally. "Alright." She steps to the side and tosses Rururajii a quick, "Sorry bout the face," and then, to Antimony, a curt wave. She leans against the desk and crosses her arms. Antimony Jhanhi: Mm, Captain, ah, Tyramandu - the records room? Lamandu Tyremandu nods to Lt. Desfosse narrowing his eyes, before turning back to Antimony. "Yes, of course. This way." He leads the way back through the building a little bit, and totally not into the same room that they were just in. Antimony Jhanhi follows dutifully. Loughree Desfosse has a lil OOC lul with that but keeps it to herself. Ulanan Ulan returns to examine the random point on the opposite wall. So fascinating! Loughree Desfosse very belatedly notices Ulanan chilling across from her, and seems a bit creeped out by the silent Lalafell's presence. Ulanan Ulan smiles at Loughree Desfosse. Ulanan Ulan: Hello. Loughree Desfosse frowns, and her ears pin flat against her hair, "Hi. Who did you say you're with?" Ulanan Ulan: I'm miss Antimony's secretary. *** Lamandu Tyremandu unlocks the records room, letting Antimony in before himself, letting the door shut behind them, "So. What financials were you needing, please remind me?" Antimony Jhanhi takes a moment to look around the room, taking in its organization before returning her attention to Lamandu. Lamandu Tyremandu -- The records room consists mostly of cabinets. It looks rather organized and well kempt." Antimony Jhanhi: I'll need the records pertaining to your accounts with the Blades, as well as any under your authority. Including transfers to and from the Immortal Flames and any other additional parties. Lamandu Tyremandu faces Antimony. "What you just requested is all of our documents. You shall have to be more specific. After all... all of our accounts are with the Blades, as we are them." Lamandu Tyremandu smirks confidently at you. *** Ulanan Ulan tilts her head towards Lamandu's office. Loughree Desfosse: I mean the organization. Ulanan Ulan: The Commerce Regulation Agency. Ulanan Ulan smiles at Loughree Desfosse. Loughree Desfosse: That's not the normal company. What are you guys doing? Ulanan Ulan: It's just routine while we put in order our own journals and transaction logs. Loughree Desfosse: Investigating the Blades isn't "routine" for anyone except the Immortal Flames. Ulanan Ulan nods to Loughree Desfosse. Ulanan Ulan: I guess you can put together who hired us. Loughree Desfosse looks suspicious, but doesn't respond to that. Ulanan Ulan stares at Loughree. *** Antimony Jhanhi smiles apologetically. "I'm aware of that. It will take some time. But..." Antimony Jhanhi: Let's begin with funding transactions from the Flames. Lamandu Tyremandu gazes upon you in deep reflection. Lamandu Tyremandu: If you would tell me what you are looking for, I'm sure that I could save us both a few hours of work. Antimony Jhanhi tilts her head to one side, looking around the room again. Antimony Jhanhi: Explain to me your filing system, point me in the right direction, and I will handle the rest. Where do you keep records pertaining to your payments from the Immortal Flames? Lamandu Tyremandu lifts a hand to his goatee, combing through it in thought. He walks over to a cabinet in the far left corner. "These are our where we keep our transactional records with the Immortal Flames. They're ordered by transaction type, and date." Antimony Jhanhi nods. "Excellent. What of your, ah, members' accounts?" Lamandu Tyremandu furrows his brow, "Member's accounts? You really must give me more to work with Miss." Antimony Jhanhi gestures with one hand. "You are paid, are you not? Records of these payments must be kept somewhere." Lamandu Tyremandu nods his head, "Ah. Employee payment records." He walks a couple of cabinets down, unlocking this one as well. "Those are in here, ordered by last and date, starting from their time of employement. Do you require past records of that ilk?" Antimony Jhanhi smiles warmly down at the lalafell. "The past six months through your most recent records will be a good start. As we haven't done a thorough inspection of this case in the past, there's a lot to be done." Lamandu Tyremandu narrows his eyes, "So there is a specific case you are trying to track down?" *** Ulanan Ulan: It is rare to see Miqo'te in the Brass Blades lines. I hope the men are not overly rude, considering how most see Miqo'te in the city. Loughree Desfosse: And how's that, lalafel? Ulanan Ulan: Dancers. Loughree Desfosse looks insulted, "That is not how people see Miqo'te." Ulanan Ulan: I'll take that as a "No, they are not being rude." Ulanan Ulan smiles at Loughree Desfosse. Loughree Desfosse loses her want to talk to Ulanan again. She turns her glare towards the records room. *** Antimony Jhanhi 's ears tilt. "I did not say as such," she replies simply. Lamandu Tyremandu nods his head, smiling slightly, "You just did. Please, if there is suspicion that one of our own is involved in something, I it is my duty to suss it out." Antimony Jhanhi lifts a stilling finger, "Ah, actually, it is my duty." A pause, and her brow furrows briefly before she bows her head in a respectful gesture, "While there's no guarantee there is anything to find, it's still within your best interest to allow me to carry out my job unhindered. Any actions you take to involve yourself could reflect poorly. It's unfortunate, but true." *** Ulanan Ulan: Not a city woman, I take? Loughree Desfosse returns her glare to Ulanan. The gaze doesn't seem to lose any of its frustration. The glare actually multiplies in intensity each time it moves. "What?" Ulanan Ulan handwaves dismissively. Ulanan Ulan: Nevermind! It was not important. Loughree Desfosse: If it's not important then why are you saying it? Ulanan Ulan shrugs at Loughree Desfosse. Ulanan Ulan: I don't know. Why would you joke about the captain having to take his 'cut' when you entered the building? Loughree Desfosse: This is my place. I can say what I want. You're only here because the Captain let you in. So show some respect. Ulanan Ulan: I don't see how I am disrespecting you. Loughree Desfosse goes quiet, crosses her arms, and glares at the door. Ulanan Ulan: I guess you don't either. Ulanan Ulan stares at the opposite wall. *** Lamandu Tyremandu nods his head, "Of course. But surely you cannot fault me for my own concern in this matter? I swore an oath when I took up this post to protect Ul'dah as it is within my power. The thought that..." he shakes his head, "No, I'd rather not think about it. Please, let me know if I can further assist.” Antimony Jhanhi: I understand completely. It's a troublesome thought, but let me worry about it for now, hm? Antimony Jhanhi nods. "And of course, I'll call on you if need be." Lamandu Tyremandu nods his head, "Of course. I'll be in my office. Any of my men would be happy to guide you back or pass on a message to get me." He walks towards the room entrance, where he stops and bows, before leaving. Antimony Jhanhi watches the lalafell leave before letting out a slight sigh and turning to the filing cabinets with an assessing look. "Well then..." Antimony Jhanhi busies herself sifting through one of the cabinets Lamandu had pointed her to. Big job ahead! *** Loughree Desfosse leans forward and barks at Ulanan, "Keep pushing, Lalafel. See where it gets you." Ulanan Ulan smiles at Loughree Desfosse. Loughree Desfosse is annoyed with Ulanan Ulan. Ulanan Ulan: Please, ignore me. I should not concern you. Loughree Desfosse: If you want to be ignored then keep your mouth shut. Ulanan Ulan: I guess the respect in this, your building, goes only one way. You might want to hang a board specifying so. Lamandu Tyremandu makes his way to the front entry area. Loughree Desfosse is in the middle of responding, "I'll specify so with a-!" but stops when Lamandu reappears, standing up and losing her glare quickly. Lamandu Tyremandu smiles at Ulanan, "I hope your wait is not so bad thus far?..." Ulanan Ulan smiles at Lamandu Tyremandu. Ulanan Ulan: It's been quite entertaining thus far. Loughree Desfosse spares Ulanan a quick, brief scowl. Lamandu Tyremandu nods his head briefly, "I'm glad that you are not bored yet. I apologize again about the clearance issues, the Immortal Flames needs to do their paperwork more thoroughly next time." Loughree Desfosse manages to maintain an almost professional-looking pose for a few minutes. Loughree Desfosse: Captain, you sure you want to leave that woman in there alone? I can supervise her. Ulanan Ulan: I understand, captain. I will depart now to send a letter to the Agency to inform them of the oversight and ask them for further instructions. Lamandu Tyremandu: That is an excellent idea. Until next time then. Lamandu Tyremandu salutes Ulanan Ulan. Ulanan Ulan: Good evening, captain. Please let Antimony know that I'll see her back at the Quicksand. Ulanan Ulan: Miss. Lamandu Tyremandu: Of course. Ulanan Ulan leaves. Loughree Desfosse spares Ulanan a quick, loaded, "Stay clean, Lalafel." Lamandu Tyremandu watches as Ulanan leaves, before walking towards Lou. "I am sending in Ben to watch over her." He looks over towards Rurujai, "Please, take care of that? Send Ben into the back records room to keep an eye on Antimony if you would." Loughree Desfosse looks a bit slighted, "Ben's not scary enough, Captain. I don't trust this Agency to keep their fingers clean." Lamandu Tyremandu strides up to Lou, "Force will not make this go away. Especially after your decorum earlier Lou." Loughree Desfosse: They bought it. They're not here to judge how polite we are. Lamandu Tyremandu shakes his head, his lips tightly pinched as he beckons Lou to follow him into his office. Lamandu Tyremandu beckons to Loughree Desfosse. Loughree Desfosse looks displeased, but takes a moment to hop behind the desk and grab the bag of "fines" she'd tossed back there earlier, before following Lamandu. Lamandu Tyremandu hears Lou's detour by the sound of clinking coin., saying sternly without turning around. "Leave it, Lou." Loughree Desfosse huffs, and leaves Rururaji with a stern warning, "Paws off. I got dirt on you." Loughree Desfosse then heads into the office and presents herself before Lamandu, straight-backed and arms at her side. Lamandu Tyremandu goes to sit in his chair, "You are, quite frankly, out of control Sergeant. What would make you think that your actions just a few minutes ago were anywhere near appropiate? I am trying to keep this situation under control, not set it ablaze!" Loughree Desfosse weathers the criticism stoicly, "I didn't realize there was a situation until I saw the woman. She's not the usual character. She's not on our page, is she?" Lamandu Tyremandu scowls deeply, "Of course you didn't know there was a situation, that is the point! You do not simply walk into the building and make the announcements and behavior that you did! Constant vigilance!" Loughree Desfosse appears incredulous, and speaks in frustration, "On pearl lane, asshole of Ul'dah? These things are supposed to scheduled!" She points at the door, "Why don't we just get rid of them? That Lalafel can be goaded into doing something illegal. I practically had her in the five minutes we were alone!" Lamandu Tyremandu plants his hand firmly down on the table, with a thud, "Do you think that I am simply twidling my thumbs in here? No. I was able reject that Lala entrance on technicalites. I have soothed Antimony as to my good intentions and sacrifice for Ul'dah. If something were to happen to those two on our grounds we would bring far heavier artillery down on ourselves. No. Ben will help calm her nerves, better to let her conduct her business quickly and get out of our hair. She may not even be here for us, though that is certainly a concern. Hardly a reason to panic though." Loughree Desfosse responds firmly, some degree of anger evident, "I'm not panicking. The Lalafell said they were staying at the Quicksand. We can have some of the Ruby Road boys set them up for cheap." Lamandu Tyremandu purses his small lips, "And pray, tell me how that would help solve the matter? Put them away in prison just so that more of these... CRA agents are sent in their stead?" Loughree Desfosse: Assuming they do send more? At least give us time to scrub the place clean, put out the good books so there's nothing for them to find. Lamandu Tyremandu: makes his flat palm into a fist, looking down at it. "The records should be fine. I was assured of that by my own man. If we suddenly come missing accounts, that is just as incriminating. Is your head truly filled with rocks? I've always wondered..." Loughree Desfosse huffs. "They'd be smarter rocks than 'your own man'. Have it your way." She puts her hans flat at her side, straightens her back, looks at Lamandu dead on, "I'll do as instructed. These Agency people won't see a spot of dust out of place while I'm around, sir." Lamandu Tyremandu nods his head, "That is what I want. Act like the lady we all know you aren't Lou." Loughree Desfosse: Might start scraping a bit extra into my cut if this takes too long. You want anything else from me or can I count our money now? Lamandu Tyremandu: Lou! I meant what I said. Leave it. And you will not scrape extra off the top. Our noses need to be clean as can be, especially as we wait for this to blow over. Loughree Desfosse looks displeased. She grins her jaw for a moment before saying, "I get it. Hands off. Eyes straight." Lamandu Tyremandu smirks, "Yes. That is more like it." Loughree Desfosse looks at the walls and doesn't respond, waiting patiently in her professional stance. Lamandu Tyremandu scrunches his face, "Did you have something you needed to say?" Loughree Desfosse: Just waiting to be dismissed, sir Lamandu Tyremandu chuckles, "Such a good subordinate... Remind me one of these days why I keep you around." he shakes his head slightly, "You are dismissed, Lt. Desfosse." Loughree Desfosse exits the office quickly. In fact, she exits the entire building in a huff, delaying only an instant to throw Rururaji a death-glare. Lamandu Tyremandu lets out a large sigh after the Miqo'te leaves his office. Lamandu Tyremandu gets back to his earlier paperwork.

((Some indeterminate time later.)) *** Ulanan Ulan was cutting bread in slices, then cutting olives and placing those slices over the bread in little green piles. Elan Tyrinar "Please hold your applause to the end.. if you would be so kind." Elan Tyrinar readies his harp once again, "I will now play you, "Your Song" which was once performed by a minstrel known as Elton John." Elan Tyrinar finishes his song, you can see his eyes are filled with a sense of joy. S'rihnn Nunh claps for Elan Tyrinar. Ulanan Ulan claps for Elan Tyrinar. Faye Covington quirked one blonde eyebrow at the bard and silently continued sipping her tea. Elan Tyrinar bows. Aiswyda Hezzfyrwyn claps for Elan Tyrinar. Ulanan Ulan spares a weird look to the man that is sitting next to her. Antimony Jhanhi emerges from the hall leading to the inn rooms with just in time to catch the end of a refrain of music. She stands still for a moment, ears twitching, before continuing on into the main room, a folder held to her chest. S'rihnn Nunh: Errr... sorry, empty seat. Just wanted it for the show. Antimony Jhanhi: Ah, Ulanan! I'd wondered if you'd gone off to see family already... Ulanan Ulan: I must say that is quite an acceptable explanation. Ulanan Ulan turns to look at Antimony. "How are you feeling today?" Antimony Jhanhi blinks. "Acceptable explanation...?" S'rihnn Nunh motions to himself. Ulanan Ulan gesture to S'rihnn. S'rihnn Nunh: She's talking about her rather unexpected company. Antimony Jhanhi: ... Ah! Well. Hel...lo. Ulanan Ulan: Apparently, chairs in the Quicksand spontaneously generate Miqo'tes. Who would have known? S'rihnn Nunh shrugs. Antimony Jhanhi 's ears go a bit lopsided. Ulanan Ulan: Why don't you have a sit? S'rihnn Nunh: Actually, take mine if you'd like. Antimony Jhanhi: ... Yes! I mean, no-no, don't stand on my account... oh. S'rihnn Nunh: It's no problem, really. S'rihnn Nunh gazes upon you in deep reflection. S'rihnn Nunh: Are you alright? You seem... what's the word... Antimony Jhanhi wrings the folder in her hand. "I don't want to interrupt any... chatting you may've been doing with..." She pauses, looks a bit flustered and shakes her head. Aiswyda Hezzfyrwyn runs a hand through her hair as she peers around the room, a bored expression settling in on her face. Ulanan Ulan: The only conversation we were having was about his sudden appareance. It was a short lived conversation. Antimony Jhanhi: ... Ahah. Well! I'm fine. Quite alright really. I hope you.. enjoyed your sit? S'rihnn Nunh pats the back of his head lightly as his ears flick back and forth. "Oh no, not at all! There wasn't really any conversation being had... Just mutual enjoyment of the bard's playing!" S'rihnn Nunh: I certainly did, thank you. Now before making this any more awkward than it is... I think I'll be taking my leave. S'rihnn Nunh bows courteously. Antimony Jhanhi smiles after a perhaps too-long pause. "Alright. Ah... take care!" Ulanan Ulan: If you think that will be needed. Farewell! Antimony Jhanhi shakes herself after the miqo'te walks away. Ulanan Ulan looks at Antimony quietly for a few moments. Ulanan Ulan: You did not run away from him. Aiswyda Hezzfyrwyn raises a her glass of wine to her lips and leans back in her chair. "Wish the bard would come back. A distraction from this boredom would be nice..." she mutters to herself. Antimony Jhanhi: What? Why... would I do that? Ulanan Ulan: I guess he wasn't from your tribe. Olives? Ulanan Ulan offers one slice of bread covered in even smaller olive slices to the Miqo'te. S'rihnn Nunh chuckles to himself as he rests his hands on the countertop. "Lets see... what to drink.." His ears twitching all about. Antimony Jhanhi 's tail swishes like the pendulum of a clock behind her. She eyes the bread a second and even reaches out to accept it before processing Ulanan's words fully and practically flinching. Antimony Jhanhi: Ah. That... I don't know why you'd think such a thing at all. Ulanan Ulan is distracted momentarily before returning her sight to Antimony. Ulanan Ulan: I'll explain later. Aiswyda Hezzfyrwyn drains the last of her wine as she peers around again. She sets it down on the table with a quiet clack of glass on wood. She straightens up and glances from patron to patron, looking for someone who might be amenable to conversation. Antimony Jhanhi: ... Later? Antimony Jhanhi looks a bit distressed by this thought, but moves around behind Ulanan to take the available seat. Antimony Jhanhi: I think... yes, I'll take some olives.. Ulanan Ulan squints at the man's hat. She says nothing, though, trying to determine if he truly exists or if the chair just spontaneously generated another man. Aiswyda Hezzfyrwyn settles her gaze on the table across the room and gives a nearly imperceptible nod. She trudges across the room to said table, speaking up when she arrives. "Don't mean to be a bother, but would it be alright if I joined you?" Ulanan Ulan: Olives are helpful for the heart and beneficial for the brain! Ulanan Ulan squints at the Roegadyn. This one is real. "That depends. What do you think of olives?" Antimony Jhanhi starts, her ears shifting towards the roegadyn in advance of the rest of her head. Aiswyda Hezzfyrwyn quirks a brow at the unusual question, though it wasn't that unusual, given the speaker was a Lalafell. "They're pretty good, especially when you stuff the center with a bit of hot pepper." Antimony Jhanhi blinks and half smiles, fidgeting her fingers against the edges of hte folder in her lap. "Are all Ul'dahns so friendly?" Aiswyda Hezzfyrwyn chuckles quietly, shaking her head. "That depends on whether you have more money than they do." She glances over towards the mi'qote as she says this, casting a mirthful wink in her direction. Antimony Jhanhi 's tail twitches at the very end, furrowing her brow. Ulanan Ulan: I can't decide if that's what an Ul'dahn would say or what a foreigner would. Antimony Jhanhi: How would one even know without... no, that's too confusing! Aiswyda Hezzfyrwyn raises a finger, grinning over at the two. "That's the question, isn't it? Aiswyda Hezzfyrwyn, by the way." Ulanan Ulan: Our pockets are not prosperous with possesions, yet you approached these penurious people. So you are not Ul'dahn nor interested in our gil. Please, have a seat. Not that I have anything against Ul'dahns... Aiswyda Hezzfyrwyn smiles and slips into the open seat that was just vacated by the apparently fake person. Antimony Jhanhi blinks at Ulanan, seems to think over the lalafell's words for several seconds before remembering the roegadyn had introduced herself. Ears swooping back, she bows her head slightly. "A pleasure to meet you." Ulanan Ulan slides a piece of bread covered in olive slices to both women. Aiswyda Hezzfyrwyn flashes a toothy, though friendly, grin towards the mi'qote. "The pleasure is mine." Suddenly, a piece of bread appears in front of her and her grin widens. "I stand corrected, now the pleasure is mine." Ulanan Ulan: Three women sharing a table. In high society, this means 'gossip'. Ulanan Ulan smiles. Antimony Jhanhi: What? Ulanan Ulan: What? Antimony Jhanhi blinks at Ulanan. Ulanan Ulan: Gossips. Rumors. Getting your nose where it doesn't belong. It's almost a sport for the nobles! Antimony Jhanhi: That... well. You're full of strange references today, it seems. Aiswyda Hezzfyrwyn quirks a brow as she looks over at the Lalafell. "Gossip, huh? Well, you guessed correctly in that I'm not from around here. As a result, I'm not exactly familiar with current gossip." Antimony Jhanhi looks to Aiswyda with some understanding. Ulanan Ulan: That's too bad. What brings you here, then? Antimony Jhanhi: Ah in that, we are alike! What... well, what brings you to this city? Antimony Jhanhi: ((Damn you, ninja Ulanan!)) Ulanan Ulan: ((Our timing is perfect)) Antimony Jhanhi: ((Always the best.)) Aiswyda Hezzfyrwyn looks between the two of them, asking the same thing nearly simultaneously. A quiet chuckle escapes her lips before she replies. "Well, where better to come to learn to make clothing? I thought I'd try my hand at weaving. How about yourselves? What brings you to Ul'dah?" Antimony Jhanhi: Where better? I'm not sure I follow... Ulanan Ulan: The Weavers Guild is located in Ul'dah. Ulanan Ulan takes a bite from one of the bread slices scattered in front of her. Aiswyda Hezzfyrwyn: Exactly. There's no place better to learn to weave than the Weaver's Guild. Aiswyda Hezzfyrwyn follows the Lalafell's example and takes a bite of another slice of bread. Antimony Jhanhi lifts both brows. "Oh!" A pause, and then a grimace. "Oh. Well. I suppose there are still holes in my understanding of Ul'dah's economy..." Antimony Jhanhi smiles Aiswyda's way. "In that case, I don't doubt you're in the right place." Ulanan Ulan: Why weaving? Aiswyda Hezzfyrwyn returns the smile, giving her a small nod at the same time. She then turns towards the Lalafell. "Everyone needs clothing, from the richest noble to the poorest commoner. I figured it couldn't hurt to try to get in on that niche. I need clothing too, so it has a practical purpose too." Ulanan Ulan tilts her head. Ulanan Ulan: That can't be all. You also need food, yet you did not decide to become a farmer. Antimony Jhanhi: That's very industrious of you. Antimony Jhanhi blinks at Ulanan. Antimony Jhanhi: We can't all do everything! Aiswyda Hezzfyrwyn shrugs. "Well, sure, I could have become a farmer. But that requires land that I don't have." Antimony Jhanhi nods as though Aiswyda had said the most reasonable thing ever, of all time. Which she quite possibly did! Ulanan Ulan: Don't focus so much on the specific example. The point is that you picked weaving over other activities that also fulfill your criteria for choosing weaving. Ulanan Ulan: So there has to be something else. Antimony Jhanhi: Everyone plays a part in contributing to the greater function of the whole... economy, city, family... ah. Aiswyda Hezzfyrwyn grins. "Now now, you're asking quite a few questions for someone who hasn't even introduced herself yet. What is it that you do, Miss Lalafell?" Ulanan Ulan: I let Oschon lead my feet forward to any little location favorable to him. Also, I'm Ulanan. Antimony Jhanhi 's ears twitch up and down. "Oh, of course! I'm sorry, it's very presumptuous of us. My name is Antimony Jhanhi, and this is..." she trails off, shakes her head. "No, no, you didn't even ask me. I'm getting so far ahead of myself." Eireen Allester couldn't help but chuckle as she listened to the Miqo'te across the room. Aiswyda Hezzfyrwyn lets out a laugh at Antimony's introduction. "Pleasure to meet you, don't worry about the apology." She turns her gaze back to Ulanan. "So, why don't you choose your own destination? There must be a reason. After all, if you entrust everything to another, even a diety, that certainly speaks about the person... But I digress. Why don't you choose your own destinations?" Ulanan Ulan: Introductions are never out of place. Antimony Jhanhi: I sometimes think Ulanan likes questions more than answers. Antimony Jhanhi blinks, and her ears shift back. "Ah, that is... it might be why she wanders." Ulanan Ulan: Seldomly, I do. Oschon favors the feet with an objective. But who am I to oppose a god, if he sends me somewhere else? Antimony Jhanhi wrinkles her nose very briefly. Aiswyda Hezzfyrwyn smirks ever so slightly. "Surely he doesn't constantly tell you where you have to go. I know Llymlaen doesn't take an active interest in my daily activities." Antimony Jhanhi: I would be surprised if they took an active interest in any. Antimony Jhanhi 's tail whacks against her chair suddenly, as though surprised at her own words. Ulanan Ulan: That's what you might think. If you are hoping for any of the Twelve to send you a letter with instructions, you will be quite depressed. Ulanan Ulan raises a brow to Antimony. A dissaproving raise, one might say. Aiswyda Hezzfyrwyn leans back in her chair, casting a glance between the two. "I can't deign to guess at a god's motives for doing what they do or don't do. That being said, the point I was trying to make... is we all have reasons for what we do, but it's not always a specific thing that made us decide on something. I decided on weaving because it's practical for daily life. As I said, I need clothing. I could have become an armorer, but I don't wear armor. I could have become a chef, but... I don't enjoy cooking." Ulanan Ulan smiles at Aiswyda Hezzfyrwyn. Ulanan Ulan: That's an specific thing. You like weaving. Antimony Jhanhi purses her lips at a thought and then seems to forcibly brighten. "It's reason enough, to do what one enjoys." Ulanan Ulan nods to you. Aiswyda Hezzfyrwyn smiles slightly. "I suppose I do. I don't need any motivation beyond the fact that I find it enjoyable. That being said, there still wasn't any specific moment where I suddenly decided to become a weaver. It's just a desire of mine, one that's not spurred by external influences." Ulanan Ulan: The simplest reasons are often the best. Antimony Jhanhi nods after a moment, features softening. Aiswyda Hezzfyrwyn lets out a quiet sigh, she didn't mean to give a small speech about it. She looks over at Antimony and grins. "How about yourself, Antimony? What is it that you do?" Antimony Jhanhi 's brows lift behind her glasses, and her tail swishes against the chair, whacking against one leg. Antimony Jhanhi: Oh, nothing too interesting. I've my job and... ah, well, I suppose that takes up most of my attention. Antimony Jhanhi laughs a bit self-deprecatingly. Aiswyda Hezzfyrwyn gives her a wry smile, evidently debating something internally. A moment later she speaks. "Well, what's your job, if you don't mind my asking?" Ulanan Ulan says nothing, focusing on eating another bread slice. Antimony Jhanhi looks up, thinking something over and then explains with a shrug, "Accounting. I've a new client in Ul'dah, so I'm here on business." Aiswyda Hezzfyrwyn nods, raising a finger. "Well, that's useful. Tell you what, if I become a world renowned weaver, where my clothing is coveted around the world, I'll likely have need of an accountant. If I get to that point, I'll keep you in mind." She grins widely, evidently in jest. Ulanan Ulan piles a large number of olive pieces on top of the bread, then proceeds to eat. You smile at Aiswyda Hezzfyrwyn. Antimony Jhanhi: I don't doubt with an ambition like that, you will succeed. Though... I'm not sure you'd want my employer's attention specifically. Antimony Jhanhi chuckles a bit wryly. Aiswyda Hezzfyrwyn shrugs, leaning back in her chair and taking a bite of olive-topped bread. "Well, that either makes your employer a competitor or someone a bit..." she trails off before speaking again. "I don't even know where I was going with that." Antimony Jhanhi: Ahah! It's alright. I'm sure you've got nothing to worry about. Antimony Jhanhi lifts both hands from the folder in her lap in a soothing gesture. Ulanan Ulan: She's not Ul'dahn so, indeed, there's nothing to worry about! Antimony Jhanhi tilts her ears at Ulanan. "That's a... comment on Ul'dah's financial state, isn't it?" Aiswyda Hezzfyrwyn chuckles, nodding. "Besides, who's going to bother with an uninitiated weaver who doesn't even have a shop?" She lets out a quiet sigh. "But unfortunately, I have to take my leave. Things to do, errands to run." Ulanan Ulan: We understand. It was nice talking with you. Antimony Jhanhi 's ears twitch, a distracted frown crossing her face. Aiswyda Hezzfyrwyn nods and smiles to the two. "Indeed, perhaps we'll meet again?" Antimony Jhanhi: That is... oh! Well then. You smile at Aiswyda Hezzfyrwyn. Antimony Jhanhi: I wish you the very best luck in your... weaving adventure! Antimony Jhanhi frowns again, ears catching a sob from across the room, but returns her attention to Aiswyda. Aiswyda Hezzfyrwyn rises from her chair and gives a nod to both Ulanan and Antimony in turn. "Have yourselves a nice night." Ulanan Ulan: May the Navigator lead you to safe shores. Ulanan Ulan smiles at Aiswyda Hezzfyrwyn. You bid farewell to Aiswyda Hezzfyrwyn. Aiswyda Hezzfyrwyn smiles at Ulanan. "May The Wanderer give you a beautiful place to go next." Aiswyda Hezzfyrwyn steps around the chair that she just vacated and makes her way towards the door. Antimony Jhanhi doesn't say much but wave a pleasant goodbye to the roegadyn. Aiswyda Hezzfyrwyn casts a quick wave over her shoulder. Antimony Jhanhi: Well... it's comforting that not all in Ul'dah are... Ulanan Ulan gets distracted by the scene going on behind her. Antimony Jhanhi trails off, looking for words. Ulanan Ulan looks at Antimony. "Unrefined?" she tries to help her finish the sentence. K'luha Haaz cried for a time more, not realizing that her loud crying was attracting any attention. She was trying to tell K'ile, trying so hard to tell him what happened. But all she was able to manage out in the end was, "K-k'ailia's g-going to a-abandon us!" She sputtered it out loudly before devolving back into hysterical sobs. Antimony Jhanhi frowns. "No..." One hand gestures vaguely and then she just shrugs, giving up. Antimony Jhanhi 's ears twitch, catching on a familiar name. Ulanan Ulan looks over her shoulder. "Some loud people back there." Antimony Jhanhi furrows her brow slightly and makes a vague agreeing sound. Antimony Jhanhi: ... Ah, well! So. Have you looked into seeing your family yet? Ulanan Ulan: I've met with my parents already. I'll see my sisters later this week. Antimony Jhanhi 's eyes widen briefly in confusion. "What? Already?" A pause. "I mean, that's wonderful! I'm sure they were... happy to see you?" Ulanan Ulan: There are some...special considerations. My visits tend to be brief. Antimony Jhanhi tilts her head slightly to one side. "What do you mean?" Ulanan Ulan looks down to the last slice of bread, covered in olives. She frowns at it and bites. Then she shrugs at Antimony. Antimony Jhanhi: ... Oh, forget what I said! I don't mean to pry. Hm... Ulanan Ulan: It's alright. We don't talk about my considerations nor your tribe. It's a fair deal. Antimony Jhanhi suddenly realizes Ulanan had given her a slice of bread and olives earlier, but she had yet to touch it. For the first time, she picks it up and takes a very deliberate bite. At Ulanan's words, she pauses before chewing. Antimony Jhanhi: ... Yes. It is fair. Antimony Jhanhi sighs and fidgets with the folder in her lap. "In truth, I had intended to visit with my client today. I recall you wanted to join me...?" Ulanan Ulan: If it is not a nuisance. K'ailia Yohko steps up to the railing and waves at Ulanan "Hello Antimony an' Ulanan. Antimony Jhanhi: Oh, it wouldn't. In fact, I'd--ngh. Antimony Jhanhi flinches at the voice behind her. Ulanan Ulan waves slightly to K'ailia. She also adds a frown to this gesture. Antimony Jhanhi does not turn around, though she mutters a faint, "Hello." Her hands tighten against the folder. K'ailia Yohko: How are ya' two taday? Ulanan Ulan: We are quite fine. How are you? K'ailia Yohko: Not so good. My mother hates me, an' I suspect me place in the tribe might be gone. Antimony Jhanhi 's ears press back against her skull, the lines at the corners of her eyes deepening. Ulanan Ulan lets out a fairly loud breath out of her nose, staring at K'ailia. "I see. I guess you have tried talking already." Antimony Jhanhi presses her lips together and practically tears at the folder in her hands before standing suddenly, fast enough that she nearly stumbles over herself. K'ailia Yohko smiles weakly, "I think though I will need ta find someone soon fer advice, like me ol' teacher. Anyways jes sayin' hi, an gonna be stayin' around Milvaneth Sacrarium fer a while. Antimony Jhanhi speaks without looking back at K'ailia, in a stiff voice, "You shouldn't presume so quickly." A wince. "Ah, but... that is--I need to... go. Yes. I need to be going. Ulanan, if you'll..." K'ailia Yohko: Alright miss Antimony. Ulanan Ulan nods to you. Antimony Jhanhi: Pearl Lane. If you wish to come with me, it's at... Ulanan Ulan: Yes, go ahead. K'ailia Yohko bids farewell to you. Antimony Jhanhi shakes her head, maintaining a death grip on the folder, and moves around Ulanan's chair. Ulanan Ulan: Wait for me outside, I need to pay the food. Antimony Jhanhi nods and, for a second, casts a look in K'ailia's direction. Her features are strained, conflicted, and then she looks away. Antimony Jhanhi exits the Quicksand at a hurried pace. Antimony Jhanhi leans heavily against the railing outside the Quicksand. Ulanan Ulan stands to Antimony's side. Ulanan Ulan: I'm all done. Are we going? Antimony Jhanhi stares blankly at the stone pillar for several seconds before responding a bit sluggishly, "... Mm? Ah, right... yes." Ulanan Ulan: Well. Pearl Lane, was it? The Quicksand has a door leading right into it. Antimony Jhanhi flinches suddenly, an odd look crossing her face, and then hurries towards the stairs with a muttered, "Wouldn't want to be late."

((Sorry, getting lazy! This next bunch are just gonna be straight up transcripts, because there's like eleven scenes to catch up to and omg I just can't. Please forgive me. D: Takes place a day after To Ul'dah We Go concludes.)) *** Antimony Jhanhi steps into the open tavern portion of the Quicksand with a ledger and pen in hand, frowning down at it. She doesn't look up for more than a half-second at a time as she goes along. K'ailia Yohko: Hi! Antimony Jhanhi moves to the stairs, not seeing an available table, but seems unbothered by this as she settles on a bottom step. K'ailia Yohko beams with delight at you. Antimony Jhanhi frowns at her ledger, ears twitching. At the voice, she looks up, goes stony-faced, and then looks back down. K'ailia Yohko: Ya' know, ya really do look like my ol' teacher. Antimony Jhanhi purses her lips. Her tail quivers and curls up next to her. "I apologize for the resemblance." Ulanan Ulan stands behind K'ailia, waving a hand to Antimony before staring up to the other Miqo'te's back. K'ailia Yohko: Don't be. I really looked up ta her. I only wish she had told me where she was goin' before she left. K'ailia Yohko: Oh hello. Ulanan Ulan: Hello to you too! Didn't we run into each other in Horizon? K'ailia Yohko: Yep! I am K'ailia Yohko. Antimony Jhanhi blinks and looks to Ulanan with barely concealed relief. Ulanan Ulan nods once. "Ulanan Ulan." She then looks at Antimony. Did she confuse you again for this other person? K'ailia Yohko: Nice ta meet ya Ulanan Antimony Jhanhi glances at K'ailia, fingers fidgeting around her papers. "I believe so. It's alright, but I'm sorry - I'm very busy right now." K'ailia Yohko: Eh, the resemblance ta K'piru is uncanny. But since she says she aint K'piru, then I have no choice but ta believe her. K'ailia Yohko beams with delight at Ulanan Ulan. Ulanan Ulan: That seems like a reasonable thing to do. K'ailia Yohko: So where ya' guys from? Antimony Jhanhi 's features tighten briefly as K'ailia seems to settle in. "Ah, as I said, I'm... busy right now." K'ailia Yohko: I understand, that's why I am talkin' ta yer friend. Ulanan Ulan: We sailed from Limsa. A pretty place pledged by pirates! Ulanan Ulan: So maybe not that pretty in the first place. K'ailia Yohko: Oh wow, I visited Limsa not long ago. It was so bright an' pretty. Antimony Jhanhi pushes her ears back against her skull and looks to be focusing on the papers in her lap, though she doesn't visibly do anything with them. K'ailia Yohko rubs the medicine pouch about her neck while seeming to think on that experience. Ulanan Ulan: Pity it's a pit of pirates. Ah...look. K'ailia Yohko: Hmm? Ulanan Ulan: There's an empty table. Mayhaps we could sit there instead of staining the floor with our clothes. K'ailia Yohko: Oh sure! K'ailia Yohko stands dusting herself off, the pouch dangling here and there as she brushed herself K'ailia Yohko admires herself. Ulanan Ulan stands in front of Antimony and smiles to her. Ulanan Ulan: Do you think you have time for lunch? Antimony Jhanhi looks up, glances between K'ailia and Ulanan, and then casts an apologetic look the lalafell's way. "I'm sorry, I don't think I'm feeling well. Perhaps I should just return to the inn and continue work there." K'ailia Yohko: If yer sick, my teacher taught me a lot o remedies. K'ailia Yohko smiles. Ulanan Ulan: I'm sure she's just tired from the travel. It was a long journey under the sun, after all. K'ailia Yohko: Oh, then she should sit an' eat an drink some water. Heat exhaustion be very bad thing. Antimony Jhanhi holds the papers to her chest. "I'll be fine. Really. Don't let me stop you from talking with your friend though, Ulanan." She then makes to step around the lalafell. K'ailia Yohko unties the medicine pouch and dumps its contents onto the table, which includes bones, feathers, beads, and a few nuts. Ulanan Ulan: As you see fit. Go have some rest, and let me know if you are feeling better. I'd like to go along with you during your work, if you do not mind. Antimony Jhanhi darts her eyes briefly to the table, frowning at items spread across it, before forcing a hopefully disarming smile Ulanan's way. Antimony Jhanhi: That shouldn't be too much of a problem. Though... I may need to ask you to step out, if privacy concerns become an issue. K'ailia Yohko smiles slightly as she knocks one of the beads off the table, an important bead that her teacher valued above all else. Ulanan Ulan nods to you. Ulanan Ulan: I understand. Antimony Jhanhi half looks at K'ailia, as though watching the young woman were an intensely difficult task, and, after a tense moment, says, "Treat those with more respect, and please take care of yourself. I'm sorry I'm not who you think I am." K'ailia Yohko laughs. Antimony Jhanhi begins to make her way back to the innkeeper. K'ailia Yohko picks the bead back up off the floor and stuffs the stuff back in the pouch. K'ailia Yohko: Ya' know, yer friend aint who she pretends ta be. She jes confirmed it. Ulanan Ulan frowns. Ulanan Ulan: In either case it's obvious you are making her uncomfortable. A little tact would go a long way. Antimony Jhanhi totally goes back to her inn room and is not just standing around outside! Nope. K'ailia Yohko: Well I aint tryin' ta make her uncomfortable. But might I ask ya a question? When did ya meet her? K'ailia Yohko returns the pouch to rest about her neck. Ulanan Ulan: In the Black Shroud, at a tavern called...uhm...I forgot the name. I bet it had "green" and "branches" somewhere in it... K'ailia Yohko: I know that place! K'ailia Yohko beams with delight at Ulanan Ulan. K'ailia Yohko: When I failed my trials, the elders sent me ta Gridania ta learn Conjury. Ulanan Ulan tilts her head to a side, her eyes focused on K'ailia's bandana. Ulanan Ulan: Why don't you tell me more about your tribe? K'ailia Yohko: Oh sure. Me tribe lives in Sagolii desert. I was always a bit... different from me sisters. K'piru I think saw this an' started teachin' me shaman stuff. Like healin', readin the bones an such in these medicine pouches. But I was never good at huntin' weapons. The tribe traditions has every member, except elders, bein' hunters. It's part o' our trial o' adulthood. Ulanan Ulan: That sounds silly. Not everyone is made to hold a weapon between their hands. Though...I guess in the Sagolii you wouldn't get much of a choice. K'ailia Yohko: Aye. K'ailia Yohko: K'piru one day though, jes up an' left the camp, an' tribe. She had suffered a lot o' grief after the calamity. Ulanan Ulan: What happened? Ulanan Ulan sounds like she already knows what's coming next. K'ailia Yohko: Well... people died. Even ones closest ta her. Ulanan Ulan: I'm sure she was hardly the only one to lose loved ones during that time. K'ailia Yohko: Yeah... except the ones who was closest ta her that died, was both daughters. An' her mate. Ulanan Ulan nods in acknowledgement, but is still unsurprised. Ulanan Ulan: It's understandable. K'ailia Yohko: She left everythin' behind, even this medicine pouch. It was her most cherished possession. I think if she had asked, I would o' went with her. But then again... my mother would o been scourin' everywhere breakin' lots o bodies till she found me. K'ailia Yohko laughs. Ulanan Ulan: One shouldn't worry one's mother. Did you know her daughters? K'ailia Yohko: Somewhat. I was always the loner o' the tribe. An' even now, I hardly spend time at the camp no more. Though I still love the tribe. I have gotten a taste o freedom. An it tastes good. Guess ya could say I am conflicted. Ulanan Ulan: You make your tribe sound like a lovable prison. Ulanan Ulan smiles at K'ailia Yohko. K'ailia Yohko: I often wonder if that's what my teacher went through too. K'ailia Yohko smiles at Ulanan Ulan. K'ailia Yohko: Nope no more shaman. The elders are too busy bein' elders an' leadin the tribe. Elders are our leaders. Ulanan Ulan: But you would think that they'd have abilities that the tribe found useful before, maybe? Or were they all hunters? K'ailia Yohko: They was all hunters I think. K'ailia Yohko: K'piru was teachin me so I could be the next shaman. Ulanan Ulan: But she left and...you went to learn Conjury in Gridania. K'ailia Yohko: Naw, when she left, the tribe started teachin' me ta be a hunter. It was when I failed my trials they sent me ta Gridania ta be a conjurer. When a younglin' fails their trials, they get two options. Learn a new skill the tribe dun got for the tribe. Or exile. Ulanan Ulan: That sounds harsh. Ulanan Ulan frowns in dissaproval. K'ailia Yohko: So in a way, the first option is the same as exile, as the younglin' is not welcomed back till they finish learnin' the skill. Aye, they be traditions. But thing is... I've now learned beyond simple conjury. But I still want ta learn ta read. Ta gain other skills outside the tribe. Ulanan Ulan: I'm surprised you haven't found a teacher. I guess Conjurers have no use for reading when they can hear the elements. K'ailia Yohko: I was taught basic meditation skills, an my trainin' consisted o' actual experience commmunin' with the elements. But not all conjurer's hear the elements. Ulanan Ulan: I'm afraid my knowledge about Conjury comes from a man who did not like it very much. K'ailia Yohko laughs at Ulanan Ulan. K'ailia Yohko: Maybe that is what I should do though. Maybe I should find the elements o' Thanalan, an try ta hear what they say. Maybe they will have guidance fer me. Ulanan Ulan: I can tell you what the elements in Thanalan will tell you. Ahem... K'ailia Yohko: So what brought ya' an... oh she dinna say what her name is! Ta Ul'dah. Ulanan Ulan: Antimony. Her employers had a job for her here. I'm just tagging along. K'ailia Yohko: Ah Ulanan Ulan: What brought you to Ul'dah? If you are looking for the local elements, all you will gear is gil and ceruleum. Ulanan Ulan coughs. Ulanan Ulan: Hear. K'ailia Yohko laughs at Ulanan Ulan. K'ailia Yohko: I enrolled in Ul'dah Garden. An' I been tryin' ta learn some martial hand ta hand skills fer self-defense. Ulanan Ulan blinks. K'ailia Yohko: That self trainin' aint goin well since I got no teacher. Ulanan Ulan: I'm sorry. Ul'dah Garden? K'ailia Yohko: Oh yeah it's a university that teaches stuff. Ulanan Ulan: I haven't heard of it. Is it a new institution? K'ailia Yohko: I guess! I jes became their chief medical person. Since I became a white mage. Ulanan Ulan: That's quite an accomplishment, for someone your age...! You are young, aren't you? K'ailia Yohko: Aye, I am sixteen. Ulanan Ulan keeps quiet, wide eyed for about eight seconds before speaking. “You must be incredibly talented, or White Magic is incredible, or this university of yours was terrible on medicine.” K'ailia Yohko laughs at Ulanan Ulan. K'ailia Yohko: There was no real medical people ta speak o'. Jes a lunch lady. An' I underwent white mage trainin' when I found a crystal in this sunken temple. Ulanan Ulan: A soul crystal isn't enough to learn. Someone must have trained you. K'ailia Yohko: Aye, the soul in the crystal did. Turned out it contained the soul o' an old white mage teacher. Ulanan Ulan: That's convenient! K'ailia Yohko: I had took it ta Gridania, an' a Padjal started helpin' me learn from it. So... is yer friend always that shy? Ulanan Ulan: Sometimes. She can be quite talkative. But that reminds me... K'ailia Yohko: Hmm? Ulanan Ulan: Were you looking for this K'piru person when you ran into us? Or was it coincidence? K'ailia Yohko: A lil' o' both. I've always been hopin' ta find her. Especially since me journey ta Gridania. But when I ran inta ya. I was doin' some scoutin' fer the tribe. Ulanan Ulan looks thoughtful. Ulanan Ulan: Oschon has a taste to place people in Antimony's path, it seems. K'ailia Yohko: Hmm... ya think my meetin' her is planned? Ulanan Ulan: Perhaps. Oschon favors the feet with a purpose. Though his timing on this is a bit...off. I wonder what it means. K'ailia Yohko: Hmm dunno... But my guardian is Azeyma. I've followed her path quite a lot. I am always inquisitive. So who knows. If there's anythin' I can help ya' with on yer journey, let me know. Ulanan Ulan: Azeyma might give you the right questions, but Oschon's the one that places you in the place you need to be. K'ailia Yohko: Hmm... the right questions... The only question goin' through my mind is... could K'piru o' become... Antimony? Ulanan Ulan smiles at K'ailia Yohko. K'ailia Yohko: Maybe Azeyma an' Oschon be double teamin'? Ulanan Ulan: Now you just need Althyk to know when the right time will be. Though I'm not sure that's the right question, in the first place. K'ailia Yohko: Hmm. Maybe Antimony will come out o' her shell some an' we can discover what is really goin' on with the twelve? K'ailia Yohko smiles at Ulanan Ulan. K'ailia Yohko: fer now, I will jes sit back, an' wait. Not gonna force nothin'. For now, I think I am gonna go ta me room an think on it. Nice meetin' ya Ulanan Ulanan Ulan: An optimum option. The opportunity will openly perceptible soon. Ulanan Ulan coughs. K'ailia Yohko bids farewell to Ulanan Ulan. Ulanan Ulan: Will be. Good day to you, K'ailia.

Ulanan Ulan and her companion time skip because they have shit to do, man! Antimony Jhanhi is not a timelord. The next day found Antimony and Ulanan up bright and early, well rested and fed and ready to set out on the road once more. A slight chill lingered over the town still, though this would dissipate quickly as the morning went on. “We should be able to reach Ul'dah tonight,” Ulanan was saying, standing out in the open plaza of Horizon. Antimony nodded, adjusting her hat over her ears once more. "I'll trust your judgment on that. I hope the roads are as clear as they were leaving Vesper Bay..." A short distance away, a young miqo’te's ears twitched. “Huh? Thought I heard someone familiar...” “Or at the very least, the signs are better,” Antimony added with a small smile, stretching her arms briefly before straightening her brown robe. “The peistes sometimes decide to cross the bridge,” Ulanan cautioned. “But we will be able to notice that a mile away. The Brass Blades usually are quick about taking care of those.” “Goin' ta Ul'dah?” A new voice intruded. “The... peistes? You don't think we'll... ah?” Antimony’s words cut themselves off in confusion, her ears twitching at the nearby voice. When her eyes cought up with her ears, she went very quiet. Ulanan squinted at the young miqo’te suspicious. "I don't think we are acquainted." There was a moment of silence, and then the new miqo’te staggered back. “K'piru?!” Ulanan looked between the two women with mild confusion. “It is you! Aint it?!” The youngster persisted, tail wagging excitedly. Antimony's own tail shivered and her ears pressed as far back as they could manage with the interference of her hat. “I... I'm sorry. You must be mistaking me for someone else.” “Really? Ya look like me old teacher.” Not managing another word, Antimony turned then and moved to start for the chocobokeep, steps brisk, maybe a little panicked. “Mm?” Ulanan questioned, “Are you an accountant too?” The young miqo’te watched her walk away before, “Anyways if yer goin' ta Ul'dah, be careful, the Piests are very ornery taday.” To Ulanan’s question, she added lackadaisically, “Naw, I'm a white mage.” “Oh. Then you are probably mistak-oh, ah, Antimony! Don't rush off!” Suddenly distracted, Ulanan hurried to catch up with Antimony. The other miqo’te made to follow them. “I am headin' back ta Ul'dah anyways. I can help ya get past em.” Antimony paused, but only for a moment to speak in a strained voice, "I'm sorry, I'm in a hurry today and need to get going. Thank you for the warn--warning and please stay safe." “Oh... an if ya see K'piru, tell her I hold nothin' against her. I still want ta be her student.” The girl beamed at Antimony’s back, and the woman felt it as though it were a sledgehammer. Ulanan bowed her head slightly to the girl. "Please excuse us. Have a good day!" “Ya too.” Antimony's ears drooped further, hesitated in her steps, and said in a quiet tone, "I'm sure I don't know who you mean," before continuing on. Ulanan retrieved her chocobo in silence and mounted up. She double checked her satchel to make sure she did not magically lose anything, whilst Antimony forced a smile at the chocobokeep and went about the business of getting her own bird back. Her hands shook as she held the reins. Ulanan gave her a thoughtful look. “Place your mind on something else. If you are distracted, you might run off a cliff!” Antimony looked down at Ulanan after a moment and half-smiled, "I'm quite alright. Just worried about the peistes." She paused. "And the cliffs now." The pair wasted little more time in leaving Horizon then, heading out across the desert once more. They were a ways out when Ulanan finally spoke up, “Did I ever told you about my sisters?” Antimony hesitated and then shook her head. "No, you've not said much about your family." “I have two sisters! Let's see if you can pronounce their names. Laonon and Mienen.” Antimony looked up over her chocobo's head, catching the distant silhouette of Ul'dah's towers peeking up from behind cliffs. "They sound like less of a mouthful than Ulanan, at least." She winced “... Ah! Not that your name is bad…” Ulanan pouted and frowned. In that order. “What's that supposed to mean? Anyway...” “What is there to tell about them?” Antimony encouraged, welcoming the change in topic for her thoughts. “Laonon married an officer of the Immortal Flames. Quite a gentleman, not tainted by Ul'dahn businesses. They are always away from home, though, so it's hard to visit them.” Antimony furrowed her brow. "Away from home? How did your family manage then...?" “Oh, mother and father had a lot of replacements,” Ulanan explained. “What--replacement children?!” Antimony looked baffled. “Is that a... normal lalafellin thing?” “Well, of course! How can you create a dynasty without children? You need lots of them,” the lalafell nodded matter-of-factly. “I'm the youngest, so I guess I'm the last replacement.” She laughed. “Oh, well, of course. I thought you meant... Ah, nevermind.” “Everyone's happily married. Father made sure of that.” A pause. “Well...except Mienen. But she's never happy. She probably wanted to marry the general, and even then she'd complain about it.” Ulanan thought, then shook some thought off her head. Antimony gave Ulanan a thoughtful look of her own. "Except you, hm? But then, you're busy wandering with your Oschon and olives, I suppose?" She chuckled faintly. Ulanan scratched her head. Or rather, her cowl. It probably would have been better if she scratched under it, but she didn’t do that. “That was...um... Mienen married a wealthy man. He owns a mine somewhere. He tried to move to the Ceruleum business, but he lacked proper funding and support. So he's now not as wealthy.” Antimony's ears swooped back uneasily, "Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to imply anything or... well." “Well, I -was- happy! Very happy. And then I wasn't. So...I guess you're accurate.” Antimony furrowed her brow sadly at Ulanan, not liking the sudden turn of things. They were far too familiar. "I'm sorry. You don't have to speak of any of it if you don't wish to." “I guess everyone hates some part of their past.” Antimony didn’t respond to that immediately, instead looking across the bridge they had come up to during their talk and gesturing, "That looks like some kind of outpost. How much further, do you think?" “Mm. Maybe an hour?” Ulanan suggested. “There are no facilities to stay there, unless you don't mind sleeping outside.” Antimony chuckled briefly. "I don't, but... I feel we should hurry to the city if we can." Ulanan nodded. “I hope you like stairs.” “What?” “You'll see!” She did, indeed, see. After roughly an hour at a steady, but unhurried pace on their chocobos, they arrived at the base of a stairway the likes of which Antimony had never even conceived of. It seemed to go on forever and dwarfed the city walls high above. Ulanan posed with her chocobo there, gesturing upward. “... Oh,” Antimony muttered a bit fainly. “That is... a lot of stairs.” “The Eighty Sins of Sasamo, we call them! There's a fun story about why they are named like that... but I wouldn't want you to laugh, fall off your mount and break an arm!” Antimony chuckled. "Do you think so poorly of my balance? I'm not that old." Ulanan chuckled back. She looked up. "The city is just on top of the stairs. Let's go!" As they climbed, Antimony kept an eye on the looming walls of the city a bit nervously. They seemed to grow in size as they approached – a trick of the eye that made the whole city seem much more ominous. After a while, she forced herself to think of something else, “Ah, so... what of your other sister? La... Lon...” “Almost there! I'll be honest. This is the reason I wanted chocobos,” Ulanan laughed, not responding to Antimony’s question. “I was not looking forward to that climb.” Antimony laughed in turn. More time passed, and then, “Almost there! Wait...I said that...” “You were right this time, it seems,” Antimony commented, as true enough, they crested the final flight of steps moments later. Ul’dah stood before them now in its full glory, impossible to take in all at once. Antimony’s nose twitched at a heavy, dirty smell on the air. “We should leave the chocobos here,” Ulanan suggested, gesturing towards a set of posts meant for tying up mounts. “Someone will pick them up.” Antimony leaned her head back to take in the massive gate and felt for a moment as though she would topple back down the stairs. She righted herself quickly. "... Ah, yes, of course." Ulanan left the chocobo...somewhere! Antimony sent the chocobo flying off into the abyss! That business done, Antimony turned back to the gate. "It is... rather impressive." “Come on, I'll guide you to the inn. After a night's rest you'll be ready to take any duty they gave you!” She began to make her way into the city, passing a guard along the way who offered a rather rude, unwelcoming comment. “Why don't YOU move along, you red-linen jerk?” The lalafell gestured in frustration. Antimony took a deep breath, secured her satchel, and started towards the city. She winced at Ulanan's retort to one of the guards. Once inside, Antimony felt nearly overwhelmed by the chaos of Ul’dah. Walls vaulted at every turn, voices raised in shouts to be heard over the din, and a certain, unavoidable stink assailed her senses. Ulanan paused to point towards a few archways across from them. “That's the coliseum. I bet you are not interested in seeing skimpily dressed men battling each other. But I guessed I should mention it.” Antimony wrinkled her brow, feeling a bit dizzy, and looked up and down the wide street. "Ah... how am I ever going to find.... what?" She blinked rapidly at Ulanan. “Find?” Ulanan questioned, and then, “I have the feeling they didn't give you much direction in this task.” Antimony looked past Ulanan, towards where the lalafell had indicated the coliseum, and gave it an odd look before shaking her head. "Ah, the individual I'm supposed to be looking into. But it's no matter. Miss Carceri gave me a name and an... office, I believe. But in a city like this...” “We can look it up in the morning,” Ulanan decided, to which Antimony could only nod. “The inn is this way.” She beckoned as she began to move again. “Oh, good. I'm... not sure I'm up for sightseeing tonight,” Antimony muttered, pulling her arms close to herself as they wove through the crowds. She caught sight of a number of ill-looking, poorly dressed individuals crouched on the sides of the street, but couldn’t bring herself to look too long at them. Instead she forced her gaze upward, only to find herself dizzied by the dense buildings spiraling up and up. “Try to not gape too much at Ul'dah's grandiose architecture.” Antimony had only been mildly gaping, and she focused on the street at Ulanan's words, hiding some embarrassment. “It certainly is... different from Limsa.” “The city is basically a semi-circle. Many of the inner streets and alleys aren't places you should go alone,” Ulanan cautioned as they walked. “I will keep that in mind…” “The Avenues are mostly safe, though.” That ‘mostly’ wasn’t exactly comforting, and Antimony looked around suddenly a bit nervous. The pair came to a stop then, seemingly at a random point in the middle of the road. “And we are he- where's the inn?” Ulanan looked around. Antimony blinked and followed Ulanan's searching gaze. "Ah... I don't know? Is it supposed to be here?" “Oh! It's...uh...nevermind, not here. Let's move along before someone thinks I'm lost.” “Would that be bad...?” To Antimony, that only meant a greater likelihood of eventually reaching her location, hopefully by way of some helpful soul. “Only for my pride.” Antimony laughed at that. “Well, I certainly couldn't think less of you for it.” They walked a short ways further before Ulanan paused and looked lost in thought. “Aha! That's the Gate of Thal. The inn is right in front of it, as I recall.” “Gate of... Thal? They worship...?” “The god of the underworld -and- of commerce.” Antimony winced, and Ulanan continued, “I knew you wouldn't like that. I better avoid showing you the Ossuary!” She climbed up the stair with a faint laugh. “I... suppose it makes sense.” She knew of Nald-Thal, of course, but she hadn’t known an entire civilization had constructed a mode of worship around it. The thought disturbed her, but then, so did most Twelve-worship. “I don't really like to think about the implications that the god of the dead is also the god of commerce. Makes me think those who are gone are just piled like coins.” Ulanan stopped and pointed towards broad, double doors. “Inn!” Antimony took a moment too shake Ulanan's imagery from her thoughts before following her gesture to the large building in front of them. "Oh, good," she sighed. "Let's find a meal and a room then." “Yes. Let's head inn-side.” Antimony did not catch Ulanan's oh-so-clever pun. Strangely enough, Ulanan didn’t catch it either! “Mpf. Of course they don't have a small stool for other lalafellin here, either,” Ulanan groused, looking about the establishment, but she paid for a room anyway. Antimony smiled apologetically and then went about reserving her own room, adding at the end, "Ah, and here I've a signed and stamped notice from the CRA to pass on all expenses to their accounts. If you would? Thank you." She bowed her head and accepted the room key.

The ferry ride from Limsa Lominsa to Vesper Bay was rather uneventful. No storms shook the bow. No pirates threatened the passengers’ security. At one point, a pair of travelers launched into a vitriolic confrontation down in the passenger decks, but a nearby hand broke them up easily and things fell back into routine blandness for the rest of the trip. If Ulanan felt seasick, she made no comment of it to Antimony, and the pair maintained a restful silence for much of the softly rocking journey. They spent a short time in Vesper Bay regaining their land legs and filling their bellies, and it was only shortly past midday when the pair began to make their way towards the edge of the small, coastal town. Ulanan looked up at Antimony, who had donned a broad-brimmed straw hat, with an approving, sagely nod. “Are you ready to leave town yet?” The woman reached up to adjust her ears poking out through the holes in the side of her hat. She cast a look around, frowning at a thought, and then smiled down at Ulanan. “Yes. We've got a long walk ahead of us now.” “Do you remember our travel plan? I planified with plain preparation our placement in the places we planned to be placed at!” Antimony's ears twitched, the action a bit awkwardly hindered by the hat. "Oh, yes! A town called Horizon. We traveled through it once before, you remember. When returning from Gridania." “Right! We could get some chocobos here. It will be less tiring than walking ourselves under the sun.” A pause. “Unless you'd like the exercise and the sweat.” Antimony chuckled. "The agency budgeted enough for chocobos, I believe. Though... not for two. Ah! Don't worry, I will pay for yours with my own money instead." Ulanan gave a firm gesture of disagreement. “Please don't. I'd feel the need to slip it back into your purse when you are not looking.” Antimony shook her head. "I invited you with me. It's my responsibility to... well, I refuse to put that burden on you!" Ulanan chuckled softly. "Is that how you remember it? I thought I had invited myself!" Antimony pursed her lips. “Even so, I wouldn't feel right, forcing you to spend your own money when I'm... well, not.” “Do not worry about it. Gil is only a commodity for a wanderer like me. No need to pile it up!” Antimony followed Ulanan to the chocobokeep, looking conflicted, before finally sighing, "If you insist." She eyed one of the birds as they passed it. “Horizon, then? Followed by a short break. This sun can become overwhelming quickly.” Ulanan dropped some coins on the chocobokeep. Not literally, of course. “Indeed!” Antimony took only a moment longer to exchange a few receipts from her employer before she, too, was able to obtain a chocobo. The bird fluttered a bit as she climbed atop its back with a practiced motion. Ulanan spoke up then, “Comfortable?” “Certainly better than walking.” Antimony smiled and adjusted the satchel at her hip before urging the chocobo on. After a short ride through a narrow tunnel, they emerged out onto a partially drained salt marsh peppered with ruins. Mosquitos buzzed incessantly, and a short distance away, a cluster of black-feathered, mean looking birds squawked and converged on some poor, flailing creature. “I'm sure some buzzards will chase us,” Ulanan commented. Antimony looked around a bit nervously. "Are they that ravenous...?" “The Calamity wasn't kind to them. They don't bother with carcasses anymore.” The pair fell back into silence, at least one of them more unnerved than before, and did their best to keep to the winding, occasionally soggy road. After a while, they came to a crossroads, and Antimony paused to squint at a haphazard sign erected at the junction. “Ah, how kind. No marker for Horizon.” Ulanan circled the sign, but didn’t find anything either. “They did bother to place one for Crescent Cove.” “What is that?” The woman blinked in confusion from her chocobo, peering one way, then the other. “It's a minor fishing village on the coast. I guess Horizon isn't mentioned because you can't miss it?” Antimony frowned. "I would feel better if there were at least an assurance we were going the right way, but... I suppose we'll just keep on the path and hope." “There's only one way, though!” This wasn’t entirely true. There were two ways, but that wasn’t much more than one, and one of the ways was marked for the aforementioned fishing village. Still, “For now!” “You don't visit Thanalan that much, eh?” Antimony cleared her throat and chuckled. "Ah, well... no. I never took jobs here, so I only saw parts on the rare occasion I was sent to Gridania..." More time passed along the road, as well as more wildlife and many more mosquitos. The sun had gone well into its decline by the time they reached a well constructed tunnel that angled upward out of the marsh and was flanked by guards wearing the uniform of the Brass Blades. “Oh! They looked official,” Antimony sounded relieved. “I suppose that's a good sign.” “Well, we are basically at Horizon now!” Ulanan’s words turned out to be prophetic, as it was only a short climb up the tunnel before they were deposited into a flat, open square bustling with a number of traders in transit, and about an equal number of surly Brass Blade guards. Antimony blinked up at the massive aetheryte in the center of the town. "Ah! This must be it." “Welcome to Horizon, where the horizon can't actually be seen from!” Ulanan declared and smiled. Antimony returned the gesture. “Perhaps it's more of a... ah, metaphorical? Name.” “We should leave these at the chocobokeep and look for accomodations for the night. Travelling at night in the dessert can get pretty chilly.” Ulanan coughed. “Desert.” Antimony nodded and didn’t seem to catch Ulanan's slip of the tongue. "Of course. How are you feeling after all that sun?" Ulanan tilted her head, a bit confused by the question. "I'm alright. I didn't get used to Limsa's strange weather too much. Also, light colored clothes do help a lot with the sun!” “Oh, good. I'd hate to feel responsible for any heat sickness on your part!” As they spoke, Antimony urged her chocobo further into town, in search of the chocobokeep. “I was born here. I'm surprised you are fine, though!” They both drew to a stop at the opposite end of town, finally locating stables to house their chocobos. “But then, we travelled together before. So I shouldn't be.” “Me? Oh, this weather is nothing unusual for me either.” “I guess it isn't.” Antimony craned her neck to look skyward for a second before sliding off her rented mount and handing it off to the chocobokeep. Ulanan informed the chocobokeep that the chocobos were to be checked in the stables for chocobos. She was that redundant when informing him about it. “I'd forgotten how large the sky can seem...” Antimony muttered. “Ah. We should see about a place to rest, hm? And perhaps food.” “We should!” Ulanan nodded. “I forgot where the inn was...” “Mm...” The pair spent some time meandering about Horizon, likely playing the unfortunate part of hapless “tourists” as they searched for anything resembling an inn to stay the night at. Eventually, they came upon a rather important building towards the center of town. Its purpose wasn’t immediately apparent, so in they went, past a couple suspicious guards, only to be faced with some very stony-faced clerks at busy desks full of official papers. “This ain't no inn...” Ulanan looked around. “Assessor's office... no, seems a different kind of business here.” Antimony sighed. “We probably shouldn't pester them.” “Sounds like it's right your alley!” At Ulanan’s words, Antimony laughed, and the lalafell continued as they exited the way they’d come. “Luckily, being a transition town ensures there's plenty of people at night. Otherwise, we might have been robbed by this point.” Antimony wrinkled her brow at Ulanan. “That's... we should hurry, regardless…” The miqo’te woman quickened her pace a touch as they explored and looked around worriedly. "Ah, I think I see one of those strange mail... carrier locations. There may be a place to stay nearby." She pointed a short distance away, to a moogle post. A lalafellin woman dressed in an apron stood in front of a building next to it. “Let's see!” Ulanan frowned at the merchant. "Right, you get a small stool to look over the table, but none for your customers?" She shook one finger disapprovingly. Antimony hid a smile behind one hand. After some theatrics, Ulanan discovered that this was totally the inn. Yes. Totally. There was no doubt about it. Antimony agreed that this was totally the inn! And then they shall enter it. Totally. “We should get some food and then head to bed. I'd wager you'd like to be at Ul'dah as soon as possible.” Antimony nodded. “It is what was encouraged of me. The agency gave me a very... ah, regimented schedule.” “Mm. I see. Hopefully you'll be able to stay a bit? Look at some of the locales, get in touch with your inner greedy Ul'dahn! As my father used to say.” “My inner... what?” Ulanan blinked. “What? I'm just talking sightseeing!” Antimony blinked back at Ulanan. “... Oh. Well...” She pursed her lips. "I don't know if there will be any time for... that. This is a business trip, after all. I could probably squeeze in time to meet your relatives, but..." “I'm not expecting you to put off responsibilities. Will you have to go back to Limsa immediately after being done with your work in the city?” Antimony smiled a bit apologetically. "Those were the instructions I was given. But I don't know how long it will take to finish the investigation." Ulanan looked thoughtful for a minute before smiling. “I'm sure we'll have some other opportunity for pleasantries.” “... Hm?” “No need to squeeze your schedule for it,” Ulanan comforted. “Don't worry about it!” “We'll have to see. I... am not all that interested in seeing the sights, but…” Antimony trailed off and shook ears. Ulanan tilted her head. “I guess Ul'dah isn't very interesting. It's basically all brown.” Wincing, “Oh! I didn't mean it in any... bad way. I'm sorry, it is your home. I shouldn't be so rude.” “No offense taken!” The lalafell assured. “I'd like you to meet a couple of people, but getting them to the city might be a bit tricky. As I said, don't worry about it. Work comes first!” Antimony's ears drooped with relief at Ulanan's reassurance. To the lalafell's words, she gave a curious look. "Oh, relatives? That'd be wonderful!" “Yes, relatives. You...could say they are relatives!... of someone! We'll get there when we get there.” “I... could?” “Could you? Anyway, we should get some food. What do you feel like eating?” Antimony looked to think hard about something and then, "Ah! Friends, then, but close as blood?" “Don't ruin the surprise!” Ulanan warned. Antimony gave her friend a bemused look. "Al...right. But do remember, I have to work!" “Yes. That's why I told you not to worry about it!” “And so I won't, I suppose.” “Not worrying is a sound plan. More people should follow it.” Antimony's nose twitched. "As for food... well, I did pack some meals that travel well. How do you feel about dried fish and fruits and bread?" “I think I can put olives on all that...” There was a moment of silence, and then Antimony burst out into rather vigorous laughter. “Did you bring a jar with you, to Ul'dah?” She sounded highly amused. Ulanan frowned. “What kind of question is that? Of course I did!” “Of... of course! I shouldn't be... well! Yes, you can certainly put olives on all of it.” Ulanan searched her clothes and satchel, quickly retrieving and showing the glorious jar of olives as if it were some kind of trophy. Antimony smiled at the jar. “Alright!” The lalafell declared. “Let's put some olives on all that! Including the fruit. I'm -sure- it will taste excellent.” She punctuated her statement with a joyful gesture. Antimony hesitated and then nodded, "It will taste." She then went wherever they were to eat dinner. Ulanan remembered they were totally inside an inn. Totally.

((RP copy-pastad and reformatted from in-game stuff. Occurs shortly after Blades and Dodos Should Not Mix.)) *** Ulanan Ulan was busy walking and reading. She read the book while walking. Or perhaps she was walking while reading. It was hard to determine. Regardless, she walked (and read) towards the door with a straight face. At the same time, Antimony Jhanhi was not reading, but she was walking, and her walking carried her through the door of the arcanists' guild. Her tail flicked with each stride, a bit fluffed out from some earlier agitation. Ulanan continued walking. It would be unfair to say she almost walked into Antimony, because that's exactly what she does. “Oh! I'm sorry!” Antimony had not quite gotten into the habit yet of looking down to keep an eye out for people, so she nearly passed the reading-and-walking lalafell right up, stopping just short at the collision with a surprised, "Oh!" Blinking down, she did a double-take. “Ulanan! Oh no, are you alright? I'm sorry, I didn't see you down there--ah! Not that I wouldn't think to keep an eye out for you, in fact that's exactly what I was doing, but I just forgot and--... you're not hurt, are you?” Ulanan laughed. “I'm sure I'll survive! What a coincidence to 'run' into each other. Though I guess it shouldn't surprise me.” Antimony chuckled, tail fluffed out considerably more now. "Yes, I do seem to have a knack for... ah! I'm not interrupting anything, am I?" “Not really.” “Oh good! Mm...” Antimony looked up past Ulanan, into the main room of the arcanists' guild, a thoughtful look crossing her face. “Don't let me stop you from doing whatever you came here to do,” the blonde lalafell stepped back a little. Antimony started and looked back down at Ulanan. "Oh! No, you aren't--I mean, if I were to do that, it wouldn't... well! I actually came here looking for you." “Oh! Then...for me?” Ulanan blinked. Antimony nodded, her ears bobbing up and down once. “Yes. I thought I might... well, it seemed rude not to let you know... ah. I've got a new assignment from the agency. It's taking me all the way to Ul'dah.” “That's quite far! Some rich noble needs his accounts double checked?” Antimony pursed her lips and then leaned her head slightly. "Ah yes, it's all very complicated and delicate. Will you be alright in Limsa on your own?" Ulanan glanced towards the Guild's counters and the citizens gathered in tidy lines in front of it. “I'd be fine. But don't you want me to go with you?” Antimony's eyes widened behind her glasses. "Oh! Well, I wouldn't presume to put such a burden on you. It's not as though you've got nothing to do but follow me about..." She chuckled a bit awkwardly at that. Ulanan just laughed. “Well, I'm sure there will be no more assailants in your way, but I do have family in Ul'dah. It would be nice visiting them, I think.” Antimony's ears angled lopsidedly and she looked at Ulanan with sudden curiosity as the lalafell spoke, “I could even introduce them to you! They are a...ah...colorful bunch!” “You have family? ... Ah, I mean, of course you do! It just never crossed my mind that... Oh that sounds horrible. I would love to meet your family, though! If they're half as interesting as you...” With some theatrics, Ulanan smiled and clapped. “Then it's settled! Are they sending you to the city proper, or one of the nearby towns? It will help for our preparations!” “Ah, to Ul'dah itself. I don't think I would have... well. I've never set foot in the city, but the agency is taking care of expenses, so it shouldn't be too difficult to settle arrangements.” “Do those expenses cover travelling fees? We'll have to take the ferry to Vesper Bay, then maybe a carriage unless we feel like walking under the hot sun and over the boiling sands of the Allagan Sunway... no merit in guessing why it's called a "Sunway".” Antimony gave Ulanan a somewhat embarrassed smile. "I'll admit I've already purchased a ferry ticket... escaping whatever may remain of that demon celebration was a... ah, priority." Ulanan's lips became a thin line. “We might arrive at Vesper Bay at different times if I don't get on the same boat.” “Oh! But I'm sure there's still room,” the miqo’te woman looked distressed for a moment. “I hadn't thought you'd want... well, surely we can get you a ticket on the same boat. In fact, we could do it now! It's not far.” “No time to waste!” The ferry ticketer being very near the arcanists’ guild anyway, it was only a matter of crossing the small pavilion outside the guild towards the docks to get to the ticketer counter. Antimony followed Ulanan out of the arcanists' guild, nodding. "Of course!" The lalafell spent several long moments studying the wall behind the ticketer before, “Uhm. When is your ship sailing?” Antimony looked between Ulanan and the roegadyn ticketer. Her ears twitch and then, "Oh! Yes. Ah..." Her hands patedt at her pockets until she located a small strip of paper. Holding it to her face, she adjusts her glasses and squinted at it. “In... ah! Well. Tomorrow, the tenth bell of the morning.” She grimaced and inwardly hoped it was not too late for her friend. Ulanan nodded once to Antimony, then turned around and began a lengthy discussion with the ticketer, who was at first firm, then belligerent, then cowering, and finally acquiescing. “...thank you!” Ulanan finished. “And remember to not wear linen clothes for social events. It's terrible and you might or might not get murdered for it.” Antimony blinked at Ulanan, "It is settled then...?" Ulanan held the ticket high above her head, as if it were some kind of trophy. “All done! I better go packing, though. Must travel light! Or heavy. I haven't decided. I must decide!” Antimony smiled in relief. "Excellent. I have final preparations of my own to complete... I am glad you are traveling with me, though." “Let's meet again here tomorrow, half a bell before the tenth. Does that sound right to you?” Antimony carefully stowed her own ticket back in whatever pocket she'd pulled it from and nodded. "Yes, it should be plenty of time... Ah! Do you get seasick, Ulanan?" She tried to recall from the last time she’d traveled across the sea with the lalafell but failed. “I'll see that the sea will not sick me while I see the sea. So don't worry about it!” Antimony nodded and offered the lalafell a small smile. "I can make sure of it. I know a thing or two about remedies, and this time I can come prepared." “Well...prepare a thing or two just in case. But I'm sure I will see the sea through!” Antimony looked over past the ticketing gate towards the docks and sighed, lost in thought for a few seconds before shaking her head. "Ah, well, to work we go, hm?" “Work! Or packing! They are almost the same thing, except you don't get paid for the latter.” At this, Antimony chuckled.

Such is the problem with the various incarnations of the "chosen one" plot device used by the majority of MMOs for telling their story. It's very annoying and is one of the reasons I tend to stay far, far away from roleplaying any character even remotely connected to the main plot.

All that said, it's my experience with MMOs that the "end" part of the story is not considered to have occurred until the story progresses to the next plot point (in a patch or expansion). So for RP purposes, the Garleans should still have a very strong hold on Eorzea, until such a time as the main scenario progresses past the point of the CM plot.

Tracking the strange stink of dead bird and lizard mixed with the familial scent of Thalen's daughters, K'ile took them an unsettling distance south. Not so much unsettling in that it took a long time, but that the further they went, the less K'ile could guess where they were going. The desert grew larger, the dunes deeper, the wind stronger, and it was all cast in the strange blue-and-gray hue of night. Eventually, stones began to protrude from the sands, and they came upon a place where the dunes slouched against large stone formations. Seeing this and sensing they were getting closer, K'ile spat, "She better not have a secret fucking cave. This is ridiculous!" K'piru's ears and tail drooped as she plodded on behind K'ile. A couple times, K'thalen had nearly suggested K'airos take her back to camp, noting her tiring, but he knew that wouldn't be met with a friendly reaction. Instead, he maintained an uncharacteristically grim expression and frowned into the night ahead of them, then frowned at the rocks as they approached. Next to him, K'piru whimpered at K'ile's words and protested a bit half-heartedly, "She might've just sought shelter." K'airos, instead, looked impressed. "Makes sense!" she proclaimed. "She gets yelled back at camp, so of course she found a place of her own." K'piru cast a hurt look at her daughter and then peered worriedly back to the stones. "That's not how that works," K'ile said. He paused, sniffed the air, and moved towards a break in a wall of rocks. "She want back here. I swear by the Twelve if she leads me into a cave, I'm going to-" As he took his first step past the break in the rock, there was a loud crack, a flash, and the clatter of sticks upon stone. K'ile was thrown backwards with what was more or less an arrow through his leg, which he clutched at. He was oddly quiet about the whole thing, muttering curses through clenched teeth. He probably wasn't as surprised as he would've been in any other situation. K'piru yelped, first in shock and then in fear as K'thalen pushed her behind him and moved up alongside his brother, though not to the point the tia had crossed. He half-crouched and snapped, "K'airos, get him to Piru," while glaring at the space between the stones. K'airos jumped in place at the unexpected trap, prey of a deep confusion, clenching her spear between her hands. At her father's order, she dropped the spear and hurried to do as she was told, grabbing K'ile by the shoulders. Letting himself be dragged back, K'ile's frustration boiled into loud curses, and he shook a fist at the crevice, "You stinky little witch! How about I find you and shove a stick through your leg!" Grimacing at his brother's words, K'thalen moved to pick up his daughter's spear, holding out in front of him, and barked out, "K'aijeen! Come out so we can have a chat!" From the crevice, there was no answer to K'thalen's call. Shaking legs dropped K'piru to her knees in the sand as K'ile was dragged over to her. She stared down at the stick poking out from his leg, the sharp end bloodied where it had pierced through the other side, and then up at the crevice, wide-eyed. K'ile growled, "Stupid girl! I knew she was going to get someone hurt. Gods damned..." as he tried very hard not to vainly grab at the shaft in his leg. Muttering a curse himself, K'thalen squinted at the crevice and then shifted in the sand to one side of the bordering stones. He recognized that reaction from the first trap he'd set off; with any luck it was a one-time thing, but he wasn't about to take that risk. For that reason, he reached out with K'airos's spear and jabbed first the air and then the ground between the rocks, keeping his body as far from the opening as he could manage. K'airos placed a hand on her mother's shoulder. "Mom! The wound. Can you take care of the wound here?" she asked. K'piru flinched when K'thalen prodded at the gap between the stones, then again when her daughter touched her shoulder. Her head dropped, shoulders shaking for a moment, and then wordlessly she forced her attention to K'ile's leg, hands moving to feel around the wound. "Will need pressure to stop the bleeding when it's removed," she muttered shakily and began to hastily unwind the white scarf that draped about her shoulders. Huffing at the women, K'ile said, "It's just in the meat. Rip it out and I'll handle it!" K'piru ignored K'ile's demands for the moment, again looking up nervously as K'thalen made to enter her daughter's apparent secret cave. Her hands slowed in unwinding the scarf as she watched his back before forcing her attention once more to the wounded tia, cloth in hand, and set her grip to the stick. "Keep his leg still, K'airos," she warned. K'airos nodded and did as told, placing both hands firmly on K'iles leg, one at the ankle and the other above the wound. When no dangerous sticks exploded at the jabbing of the spear, K'thalen moved cautiously into the gap between the rocks and again called out, "Aijeen! You in there? It's dad!" It wasn't exactly a cave, per say. The rocks concealed a number of stony crevices that K'aijeen had "decorated" with with tribal fetishes and various bits of vulture corpses. She isn't visible, lost somewhere in the tiny labyrinth, but her voice echoes over to Thalen, "Don't come in here! I've trapped the entire place!" "I'll set 'em all off if I have to, Aijeen," Thalen countered, forcing some levity into his voice and glancing around, trying to pinpoint her scent. K'aijeen did not further respond to Thalen. K’piru’s hands shook for a moment around the stick before she tightened her grip on it and K'ile's leg and, in a very careful but quick motion, pulled the makeshift weapon out. Blood gushed where the pressure of the wood no longer held it back, and she quickly moved to wrap her scarf about it as tight as she could without cutting off circulation entirely. K'ile made predictably unpleasant sounds and said some very blasphemous things. Not kid-friendly at all. How uncouth! K'airos was glad there were no kids around. "What now?" she asked K'piru. Shivering, K'piru stood and muttered, "I need to find Aijeen." Meanwhile, between the rocks, K'thalen inched forward, keeping close to the stones and leading with the spear. The stink of corpses masked his daughter's scent completely, so he just went oninstinct. K'airos stood up, releasing her grip from K'ile. "No, wait!" she said to her mother, placing herself in the way. "Me and dad can do that. Just...just wait, okay? We'll get her!" She was practically begging. "I need to find Aijeen," K'piru repeated frantically, gripping her middle daughter's shoulders and straining her sight past her. K'thalen's form had disappeared into the craggy rocks. K'ile had nothing further to say on this matter. Except for, y'know, muttered explicatives. Down some winding turns in that little maze of K'aijeen's was a long but thin room in which K'aijeen had constructed... something very odd. The basilisk spine was in the center of the room, decorated with all kinds of disgusting goo and organic stringy bits. Bones and organs from other animals lay around it, with a bundle of vulture gray matter placed at the head-end of the spine. It looked like she'd constructed an imitation skeleton of something unnatural, and strung it up with neural fiber. In the sand were wrought all kinds of runes and symbols fr outside the knowledge of the tribe. K'aijeen was adjusting bits and pieces of it with one foot while she walked around with an open tome in her hand and a small burning candle to light the pages. Outside, K'airos dropped her shoulders but continued being in K'piru's way. "What if there are more traps? You aren't a huntress. You will get hurt by all of them!" Closing her eyes, K'piru slumped, then stumbled backwards towards K'ile, and finally muttered faintly, "Please get her back, Airos. Make sure she's safe." K'airos nodded once and ran into the crevice without saying a word, dissapearing just as her father did. Not having much else to go by, K'thalen chose to follow the worsening stench of dead meat. He met no more traps along the way, but he didn't take that as a sign to ease his caution. When he finally rounded one rock and came upon the site of his daughter's attention, K'airos's spear nearly dropped from his grip, and his features twisted briefly before settling into a flat line. "What is all this, Aijeen?" He announced his presence simply, jabbing one end of the spear against the ground and tightening one fist about it. K'aijeen spun to face her father, with a frown, and her eyes flicked around for a moment before she said, "Don't come in here! I'm almost done! There are... traps! Everywhere!" "You said that earlier and I haven't found any yet," K'thalen shrugged and stepped forward into the thin cavern. "What are you doing?" Flinching when her father stepped forward, K'aijeen shouted again, "Stop!" and thrust the book, pages-out, at K'thalen. The lines drawn into the sand turned dark and filled with shadow, a subtle wash of cold and an audible hiss the only noticeable effects K'thalen leaned away from the strange shadow, ears angling back briefly before his features hardened. "No, K'aijeen. You need to stop. Did you know you just hurt your uncle? You're hurting people, K'aijeen." He took the spear then and jabbed it at the lines in the ground forcefully. "Stop it!" K'aijeen shrieked at her father. "Nobody would be getting hurt if they'd just leave me alone! Stop meddling! Stop ruining everything!" K'airos navigated the maze of stone in a reckless rush. It wasn't long before she turned around a corner and reached the room where her father and sister were. She came to a full stop at the entrance, scouting the room with her eyes and gaping at what she saw. "Why would we wanna leave you alone?" When nothing violent or evil or otherwise scary happened when he poked at the lines, K'thalen dragged the tip of the spear across them breaking up the sand. "You're family, Aijeen, and we worry about you. Your mom's worried about you, too, y'know. She's waiting outside, so how about you come out with me and you can explain what you're doing and then we can go back home?" Slamming shut the book in her hands, the action creating a palpable ripple of cold, K'aijeen ran forward. She picked her way past the bones and gore carefully and pounced at the line her father had just ruined, restoring it. Her voice cracked, sounding like she was about to cry as she protested, "Stop! Stop it! I'm almost done! Don't ruin it!" His ears shifted back, hearing K'airos behind him, but kept his focus on his other daughter. As she fussed desperately over the lines he'd ruined, he took this opportunity to step forward, right alongside her, and placed a heavy hand on her shoulder. "K'aijeen." "Why don't you ever tell me what you are doing...?" K'airos asked, her voice filled with sadness. "Did you think I was going to ruin it? That I wouldn't understand? That we wouldn't understand?" Outside in the sand, the tia and worried mother remained. Even through his pain and the dizzying blood-loss, K'ile noticed K'piru fretting nearby. He forced himself to speak, "K'piru. Bit of pain over here. Got any tricks or magical whatnot you can spare?" K'ile's voice cut through the haze of worry wrapping up K'piru's thoughts, and she spun around to him, staggering back to his side and dropping down in the sand. "I'm sorry," she muttered. "I tried everything. I don't know what else to do." She wasn't talking about his leg, luckily, as her hands took action to increase the pressure on the wound. Letting K'piru take over the task of putting pressure on his wound, K'ile reached up and put a hand on K'piru's arm. He said, "I trust K'thalen. This whole thing is as good as behind us." K'piru just let out a little, choked sob and focused on the blurry image of K'ile's leg. The scarf was already stained a deep red, and she had none of her medical supplies with her. The stick hadn't hit a major artery, but it had created a rather large hole in the muscle. Grimacing, K'piru uttered shakily, "Hold onto something," and very carefully worked the cloth into the wound to act as a plug. K'ile's eyes went wide and he threw himself down in the dirt, groaning out, "Ah, damn it! I'm sorry! Whatever I did I'm sorry augh!" "Get off of me!" K'aijeen kicked out at her father to try and escape. "You don't understand! Just let me finish! I'm almost done!" Features unchanging despite the clenching in his chest K'aijeen's actions inspired, K'thalen tightened his grip on his daughter's shoulder and, dropping the spear, brought his other arm around to hold onto her. "Just stop for a minute, K'aijeen. Look at what you're doing." When she didn't succeed in getting away from her father, K'aijeen looked up at K'airos and said, "See! Nobody gets it! Make him let go! I'm almost done, then I'll let you in on everything! I promise!" K'thalen ignored his daughter's words, wrapping his arms around her and squeezing tight, attempting to pull her back away from the gruesome display. K'airos frowned and answered gravely to her sister: "No. You have to choose." She pointed at herself and then at the bloody drake spine. "Me or your.. your....whatever this is!" K'aijeen did not at first resist her father. Her attention was consumed by K'airos, and she gawked at her sister disbelievingly. "What? Choose? But... No! You don't understand either! You're just like everyone else!" She began to writhe in K'thalen's arms, though her words were still meant for K'airos, "You're supposed to help me, Airos! you're supposed to trust me! You're supposed to help me!" "With what, K'aijeen?" K'thalen gritted out, doing his best to hold onto his squirming daughter. "What you're doing in here, it's not good. We're going back outside, now." "You never trusted me more than a butcher trusts her knife or a huntress her spear! I'm not your sister. I'm a thing!" K'airos shouted angrily, and soon began to stomp her feet and kick agains the lines. "A thing! A thing! A thing!" she repeated. "No! You're not! You're... I'm..." Her tears broke, K'aijeen began to fight her father in earnest. "You can't do this! You... I'm almost...!" She one hand free and the heavy, old book she held snapped open with a flicker of shadow and cold. The young girl instantly began to spit unutterable words at the tome, phrases of no known language at a feverish speed. Cursing under his breath, K'thalen turned from the strung up meat and bone and neural fiber and strange inscriptions, dragging his incomprehensibly ranting daughter with him. Her behavior honestly frightened him, but this was not a time to be frightened. "I'm a thing!" K'airos continued her tantrum with an exhausted voice. Her eyes soon set on the open book her sister was holding. She pressed her lips that dissapeared into a line. She quickly ran towards it and tried to get a hold of it with both hands, shouting: "Is that what poisoned you? Is it? Is it?!" When the book was taken from her, the desperate muttering stopped. K'aijeen reached futilely after it, screaming, "No! K'airos, please! Please! Don't take it! Please!" Frowning heavily, K'thalen tried to get K'aijeen's flailing arm under control, turning her so she was facing him instead, holding her to his chest. "Aijeen, you've gotta stop this," he demanded. K'airos closed the book and looked at its cover briefly. Then, she turned her head, looking around for the candle Aijeen was using before. The pile of bones and gore moved. Darkness and cold shot through the neural fiber that connected everything, and translucent, black flesh suddenly burst from the sand and animated it. Utterly without warning, a clawed and heavy body threw itself down the narrow room at all three Miqo'te at once. Turned away from the scene, K'thalen didn't see the motion at first, but he certainly felt the shuddering cold through the room and heard the lumbering weight of a large body moving behind him. Eyes widening briefly, he spun and lurched to one side with K'aijeen in his arms. K'airos reaction was similar. She threw herself against the wall, screeching, with the book between her hands and in front of her like some kind of shield. The strange beast slipped over the ceiling, oddly smooth, only knocking loos a few small bits of rock as it wormed between the three. As it moved past K'thalen, K'aijeen reached towards it, shouting, "No! No, you can't! You're mine! You're-" she went silent when the thing reach out with its claws and grabbed at her, ripping into her side and drawing blood. Without pausing, though, it moved on. It didn't spare K'thalen or K'airos any attention as it flew to exit the crevice. K'thalen pulled K'aijeen away from the thing's claws, though perhaps not fast enough, curling over her body as it slithered past them. K'airos rushed to grab her spear, dropping the book on the way. Horrified, she exclaimed: "Mom and K'ile are outside! And he's wounded!" The weapon firmly clenched between her fingers, she followed the beast. Bleeding heavily, K'aijeen very strangely gave her wound no attention. As soon as the beast was out of sight, K'aijeen collapsed into a writhing mess, covering her face with her hands and screaming, "IT'S GONE! YOU RUINED IT! I WAS ALMOST DONE! YOU RUINED IT! YOU RUINED IT!" K'thalen was torn for several seconds between wanting to take care of his obviously wounded daughter and chasing after the monster that he was certain was about to do much worse to his mate and brother. Cursing - loudly this time - he looked down at his daughter with a sad expression. "Stay here, Aijeen. Do not move. I'll be right back." And then he was running after K'airos and the nightmare beast. As her father left her, K'aijeen crumbled to the ground and just lay there screaming, over and over, "You ruined it! You ruined it!" Outside, K'piru had finished constructing the makeshift bandage about K'ile's leg and was bowed over it, alternately crying and quietly muttering prayers to Azeyma. The beast burst through the rocky opening to the Sagolii with a deceptive silence, but its presence was heavy with the shadow that curled along the ground ahead of it. The thing was airborne for a moment before hitting the ground immediately in front of K'piru and K'ile. The Tia didn't comprehend what he was seeing, but instinctively he squirmed to get at his spear. K'piru felt the sick chill that traveled with the beast a second before it dropped down before them, and the shiver it stirred turned into a body wrenching recoil as she shrieked and fell back. K'airos wasn't far behind. She left the crevice a few moments after the creature and, instinct kicking before thought or caution, lunged forward with her spear to attack it. The beast loomed over K'piru. In the translucent flesh of its head, a dozen vulture skulls could be seen in a limp bundle. The thing wasn't watching K'ile Tia, and it was those skulls that he instinctively aimed for when he swung his spear at the thing. It took a hit both in the face from K'ile and the back from K'airos, and twisted in silent pain as it hemorrhaged gore and animal bones. In the next moment, it fled, tearing off further south like a panicked lizard. It was then that K'thalen came bursting from the crevice, just in time to spot the creature fleeing. He hung back for several moments, stunned by the knowledge of what K'aijeen had done. Across the way, K'piru remained cowered in the sand. K'airos gave chase, sparing a somewhat long look to K'ile and her mother while passing by them. With the long day she had, she knew it wouldn't be long before she tired herself. She hoped to kill the creature before that happened, and before it could do more harm. The beast, realizing it was pursued, did not slow. The thing seemed to barely make contact with the ground as it tore over the sand, gaining speed, tireless, heading for the deepest part of the Sagoli. It seemed unlikely K'airos would be able to catch it. It did not take long for her to notice the creature was getting farther and farther away. She insisted, pressing herself to run quicker. But the beast was faster and no matter how much effort she put, soon it was obvious she wouldn't reach it. She dropped on her knees and hands, and cursed the beast, the sands and everything while it fled. Continuing to point his spear at the beast, one arm extended from where he lay on his back, K'ile blinked heavily. Some seconds passed for him like this before he dropped the spear and rolled over, "K'piru, are you alright?!" The woman didn't answer immediately, curled with her arms hiding her face in the sand. After a moment, small, short sounds escaped her throat, followed quickly by a thin wail, "Aijeen!" K'piru's voice seemed to jumpstart K'thalen, who had been watching the retreating creature as though frozen. He cast a conflicted look over to her and his brother before setting his jaw and turning to run back into the rocks. K'ile couldn't do much from where he sat, indecisive. He had no clue what in the twelve hells was going on. Tearing back through the labyrinthine mess of rocks, K'thalen made his way back to where he'd left his daughter. He could hear her voice, growing hoarse now, and let it guide him. When he once again entered that nightmarish room, he didn't allow even a moment to look again at the runes and the remains of the ritual, instead moving swiftly to K'aijeen on the ground and gathering her up in his arms. "We're leaving now," he muttered. When K'thalen picked her up, she kicked weakly and slammed her fists against his chest and shoulder. Her hoarse voice shouted, "No! You ruined everything! You ruined it!" Grimacing, he did his best to ignore K'aijeen's struggles, though at her age, she could put some strength into the blows, and stood to make his way back through the rocks. "That's right," he replied lowly, ears drooping. "I ruined it. Let's go." The last phrase wasn't exactly necessary, as he was already moving, but he said it nonetheless. K'airos returned to where K'ile and K'piru were, dragging her spear behind. Her ears were dropped to the sides of her head and her tail curved inwards between her legs. She looked at them, breathing heavily. "Are you alright? Did it hurt you?" K'ile shook his head at K'airos. "I think we're okay. I don't understand... Was that a Voidsent?" "I don't know." K'airos shook her head. Her lips twitched as an internal conflict sprung inside her. She looked away. K'piru just kind of sobbed in the sand wordlessly. K'thalen worked his way back out through the rocks slower this time, conscious of the wound in K'aijeen's side and attempting to keep her still so she didn't make it any worse. He took the words K'aijeen flung at him and at whoever else as they came, not bothering to protest for now. When he crossed out into the open sand, his features were downturned and he walked towards the other three without pause. K'aijeen's behavior hadn't changed. Her eyes were closed tight, her tail wrapping her body, her hands in fists and her eyes flat against her hair. Her voice broken with fury and sadness, she just repeated, "You ruined it. You ruined it!" K'airos looked at her father and then at Aijeen with swollen eyes. "I need to destroy what caused this." she said, moving back towards the cave, still dragging her spear. Frowning, K'thalen just moved over his brother and mate, still holding K'aijeen, and said, "Quickly. We need to get back to camp." "What the hell happ-... Ah, screw it." K'ile sat up and said. "I'll limp back with K'airos. You two get your girl home." At K'ile's words, K'piru looked up. When she caught sight of her daughter in K'thalen's arms, she sobbed again and lurched to her feet, stumbling to them both and wrapping her arms about them. K'aijeen groaned when her mother entered the scenario, but didn't really stop her constant repetition. K'ile Tia managed to stand, mostly balancing on one leg and only using the other for balance. "Yeah, see, fine. Get going. hug when you get home." "C'mon, Piru," K'thalen nodded, eyeing his brother before adding, "Don't bleed to death out here, alright?" He then nudged at K'piru with one elbow gently to get her moving. The woman trembled before complying, shuffling through the sand. "I'll be fine! K'airos is out here. She seems... Sane." She entered the cave and slowly went back to the room where the beast was created. Or summoned. She couldn't tell the difference, and didn't particularly care. But she had something to blame: the book Aijeen was using. She searched the cave for it and found it swiftly. Her first action was to stab it furiously with her spear. She stabbed it once for every time she had heard her sister say that they 'had ruined it', unloading as much anger as she could on it. That calmed her down considerably, but not enough. She picked the mess of papers that had been a book not long ago and used the candle her sister had dropped to burn it. And she stayed to make sure there was nothing left but cinders. The book burned quickly enough for K'airos to be out of the cave only a few minutes later. She emerged from the crevice feigning a neutral expression. "We are done." she said, offering one shoulder and arm to K'ile upon reaching him. K'ile accepted these things from her, though he said as he did, "Now aren't you glad that trap worked?" "I know, I know!" she replied, annoyed. "That will teach me." "I won't say another word about it then," K'ile said. And then began the long hobble back to town. And he was all, "Ow.... ow... ow..." whenever he stepped on his wounded leg.

K'piru persisted in her search, wandering the dunes around the tribe's camp, despite all of K'thalen's pleas for them to return to the trap. In her mind, K'aijeen was one second away from becoming drake food, and the thought of it sent her into a high panic. She continued for almost an entire bell before finally stumbling to a halt, exhausted. For once uncertain what to say to comfort her, K'thalen just kept a steadying hand on her back and his senses primed for any potential threats. "She's dead!" K'piru sobbed. "Or left, or--Thalen, my baby girl is gone!" The nunh grimaced, none too happy over K'aijeen's disappearance himself, and just said, "Maybe K'ile and K'airos found her and they're back at camp. Think you can head back there?" His attempt wasn't received very positively, if K'piru was even listening to him. Groaning, K'thalen shifted his weight in the sand and strained to catch any familiar scents on the air. With very little effort, K'ile Tia was able to pick out that familial scent that belong to Thalen and his daughters, and even belonged to K'piru at this point. The unmistakable trail found him through the hundreds of desert smells on the breeze, and he followed it back in towards camp, but not to it. Like K'airos had done initial, it curved off at a tangent. The trail meandered senselessly through the dunes, and K'ile could almost see K'piru's small, frantic footsteps in the sand. When he found them, he was unsurprised. They were nowhere near anything he could detect. This family just couldn't stay still, could they? "Thalen!" K'ile called, from a distance, and waved over his head. "Come back! K'aijeen's been at the trap!" K'thalen felt a very distinct relief when the wind blew his brother's scent his way, and his voice followed not long after. Rubbing K'piru's back with one hand, he waved in the direction of the voice with the other and said to the distraught woman, "Hear that? Now can ya stop working yourself up over nothing? Aijeen's just fine. In mighty big trouble, but just fine." He chuckled lowly and tried to urge K'piru to her feet. K'piru's ears pricked up, catching K'ile's voice on her own, and then pressed flat against her skull. "The trap! If I'd just stayed, I could've stopped--" "Stop that, and come on," K'thalen said, much firmer this time, dragging her up and turning to move them both back across the sand. He could make out his brother and daughter's forms not far away. *** On his way to hunt down K'piru and K'thalen, K'ile had gone by the camp and recruited a pair of huntresses to go out and help K'airos butcher the Sand Drake that had... apparently been killed. By the time he got back to the site of the trap, they had arrived and were making decent progress with the meat. K'ile approached the dead Drake and waited for K'thalen and K'piru to catch up, giving K'airos a look as he did so. She raised her sight from the dead animal and looked at him. Her ears dropped down. "Did you find them?" she asked. Arms crossed over his chest, K'ile didn't answer. He had indeed. K'thalen and K'piru followed shortly after, the latter having had time to somewhat pull herself together while they returned to the trap - though only somewhat. K'thalen wasn't smiling, heavy brow pulled down, and the first thing out of his mouth was, "Where is she?" "Aijeen's somewhere, with the spine." K'airos answered. "But look! It worked!"" she added, hopping once and pointing excitedly at the butchered drake. "With the spine?!" K'piru's disbelieving voice cut off whatever K'thalen would have responded with. She eyed the drake corpse a moment and then turned her face away from it, looking ill. "That's not what we're worried about now, Airos," K'thalen shook his head. "Yeah," K'ile said, empathizing with K'piru. He pulled on one ear and said, "That aside, I can track her from here, I think. The girl smells like carrion right now, and that leaves a strong trail." "I'm sure she's closer than we think." K'aiross said. Her spear was a short distance away, it's blade deeply buried in the sands. She picked it up. "Let's go find her!" K'thalen nodded, swiveling his ears about and then said to K'piru, "You heard him. Alive and well. Just stinky. Ready to go after her?" The woman just nodded, looking everywhere but the drake. "Yeah. Stinky." K'ile's face scrunched up and disgust as he smelt the air. And then he sighed. "Further south. Further out of camp. Your girl doesn't know what dangerous means." He took off in the indicated direction. Features taught and tail shivering, K'piru broke away from Thalen at that and rushed after the tia. A bit stunned by the sudden burst of energy, K'thalen followed a moment later. "Don't worry! She's fine! She's always fine." K'airos said out loud before following them.

K'ile and K'airos returned to the trap after gathering the goods to find that, not only were K'piru and K'thalen annoyingly absent, but so was the meat. And the sticks. And there was a great deal more blood that stank of Sand Drake. The new, massive trail of blood led away from the trap, over a dune that bore the obvious tracks of clawed feet and a scaled belly dragged in the sand. In response to the sight, K'ile muttered, "Twelve hells," and threw down his rope. K'airos did the same, throwing the spears she was carrying except her own. She groaned in annoyance. "I should have stayed." "K'thalen should have stayed! Damn your father! Come on." He broke into a run, skirting around the trap just in case and making to follow the blood trail. "Can we stablish that if the drake is dead this proves my point...?" she said lowly, almost afraid of being heard. She followed him across the bloodied sand. K'ile ignored K'airos, jumping over the top of the dune and expecting have to run after the injured Drake. The best is uncomfortably close, laying limp in the sand in front of him. There's a massive bloody gouge running down its back in addition to all of the small sticks protruding from its gut and limbs. The Tia stumbles to a stop at the sight and makes a face of disgust. K'airos instead proclaimed happily: "It worked!" Her smile and cheer did not last long, letting pass to the gruesome scene. "How...how much meat do you think we can get from it?" "What? I don't know? Did someone take its... back bone?" he poked the massive gouge of missing flesh on the Drake. When he did this, the Drake's jaws opened and it let out a sick, grating screech, but otherwise remained still. K'ile jumped back, fell over, and rolled away from the thing. "It's still alive!" Thalen's daughter hunched over at the screech and raised her spear. When the lizard did not move as far as she could see, she approached and thrust her spear quickly into the beast's side. Watching this from his retreated position, K'ile frowned when the Drake did not retaliate to the stabbing. "How... do you take something's spine without killing it?" He shook his head violently and threw his hands up in the air, "Here's what we're going to do! Is we're going to track down your parents and then find your sister and then I don't know." "What about the meat?" she asked, moving around the drake, poking it and making sure this time it was as dead as it could be. "If all she took is the spine, the rest should be usable!" "Oh, so now you think 'she' is involved, hm?" K'ile snapped at K'airos. "There anything else you only just now suddenly think?" "Don't be like that!" she said while stomping one foot against the sand. "If she was close when the trap was set off she surely heard it..." She shook her head. "It's not important! Go look for dad and mom, I'll butcher this lizard." "Don't wander off," K'ile said, pointing at her for emphasis. "Your parents went off towards camp. I'm going to have a huntress or two come out and help you." With that, he turned and ran off to track the scent of his brother and that woman. K'airos stabbed the ground with her spear. "Tell them it worked...! Sort of." she yelled as he moved away from her.

*** K'airos was away from the camp, not too far away, but behind enough dunes to be considered hidden, in some way. She was lying on top of one, her head poking above it, watching over the new trap she and her sister had made. It was an almost exact replica except for a few differences. First, K'airos had waited until K'aijeen was gone to modify it. The last thing she wanted was the for drake to be blown up to pieces and have no meat left except for the spine she wanted. For that reason, she had taken away some of the bomb claws and a few sharp sticks. The most probable result, she hoped, was that the drake died without losing most of its body. Or at least be left alive but too wounded to fight or flee. Hopeful thinking. She sighed on her dune and waited. K'thalen led the way across camp, past the southern edge and into the dunes. K'piru kept close, anxious, sparing little glances K'ile's way as they walked as though he might know something they didn't, which was silly but she was worried. "Y'know, I think I might be impressed if she got that whole thing set up again already. It was a pretty fancy contraption," K'thalen commented as they made their way up a dune. At this, K'piru paled. Walking along, trying to look relaxed, K'ile said, "Can't say your kids aren't smart. Anyway, don't get your hopes up, but I do smell food and Thalens." "You make it sound like a fun party," the nunh chuckled, and then quieted as they crested another dune. He paused and squinted into the shadows before pointing down, "Well, there we go. Careful of the sand." "Huh?" K'ile said, having not witnessed how the previous trap worked. K'airos, on top of the dune on the other side, noticing her father, immediately yelled: "Don't! Stop right there!" She said this while also raising and waving a hand energetically. Taking hold of K'piru's shoulder to keep her from going further, he nodded ahead of them, "Got sticks all buried in the sand and--" his words cut off at the shout across from them, and he looked up surprised. K'ile stopped in his tracks and look... confused. Not upset, just confused. "Uhm. That wasn't the Thalen I was expecting." "Airos??" K'piru made as though to cross to her daughter but was very sharply brought to a halt by K'thalen's grip. She shook her head, "No, she... was just looking for Aijeen. She had nothing to do with this. Nothing!" "Go around it and come here!" K'airos yelled in a lower tone. She could have explained what was going on, but decided that it was best to get her family out of the possible angle of a approach of a hungry drake first. Crossing his arms, K'ile called out, "Where's your sister, K'airos?" As he turned to walk sideways around the trap. She shrugged. "I don't know. Isn't she at the camp?" K'piru needed no further encouragement, batting her way out of K'thalen's grip and hurrying past K'ile towards her daughter. K'thalen followed at a calmer pace. K'ile dodged out of K'piru's way, having no intention of getting between the mother and her child. After a moment, he called back to K'airos. "No. We don't know where K'aijeen is. You sure you haven't seen her? Maybe, say, stealing meat to bait a trap?" K'airos avoided the question with one of her own: "What is mom doing here?" Then she looked at her father and added. "Dad...!" A pause. She though better. "K'ile! Get her back to camp! It's too dangerous to be here." "Don't suggest things like that," K'piru snapped as she rushed over to her daughter, stumbling a bit in the deep sand before coming to a halt near her daughter. "And don't you tell me what is dangerous, Airos! What are you doing out here? With this...!" Chuckling and looking sideways to K'thalen, K'ile said, "Yeah, there's no way I'm bossing K'piru around. Talk about dangerous." At that, K'thalen chuckled lowly, clasping his hands behind his head as he walked. "Well...I thought that...if the elders...with Aijeen's trouble...the trap that wasn't...and..." K'airos mumbled before coming to the important part of what she wanted to say: "I'm correcting Aijeen's mistake!" There was a moment where K'piru's ears drooped and she took a disbelieving step back. Then it was gone, her tail fluffed up in agitation, and she leveled a disapproving frown in K'airos's direction, "What in Azeyma's name were you thinking?! How could-- How could you possibly do this, after everything you heard earlier today! After--Stealing from the tribe, you!" K'airos' ears flattened against her skull. Her gaze moved away from her mother and to the trap, where it stayed. "I'll let the results defend me." Catching up to K'piru, the tiny Tia muttered, "At this rate the result is going to be no feast for the festival. We don't have much more meat to spare." "This will work! And if the drake doesn't come soon, we can take the meat back. No harm done!" K'piru blinked rapidly at that and looked around, her ears shifting. "Drake..." Then to her daughter, "Airos, this is dangerous!" "That's what I just said!" "Let's say you do lure in a Drake and the trap doesn't work," K'ile said. He put himself right beside K'airos, in her personal space, and said sternly, "What happens when all you do is waste the meat and piss it off and it comes after you?" For the longest of instants, K'airos wondered how Aijeen could resist all those disapproving glares. K'ile's felt like a boulder had felt upon her back, yet it was only one stern look. Aijeen resisted the whole tribe. She shook her head. "It won't. Drake's aren't smart enough to recognize a trap that doesn't go off. I'll just use my spear. It will be too distracted with food to see or smell me." "So, wait," K'ile held up a hand, "You entire plan hinges on being able to sneak up on a Sand Drake while it's feeding and kill it in a single stab?" "You can't hunt a drake on your own, Airos!" K'piru exclaimed. K'thalen winced and rubbed at the back of his head, eyeing the trap. K'airos' spear was lying nearby, half covered in sand. She picked it up and pointed with it to the contraption she called a trap. "That's all I need! You'll see!" she chuckled. K'ile reached out and grabbed the spear. "No. It's dangerous and wasteful. We're taking the meat back now." K'thalen stepped up alongside K'airos then as well, saying, "I know Aijeen got to ya with her grand ideas and all, but I don't think you've thought this through, huh? And that's coming from me!" "You are wasteful!" she pouted to them all. Saying that one stab was all she needed had sounded glorious and self-explanatory. Apparently it hadn't been. /Obviously/ it hadn't. "Aijeen's not an idiot. I'm not an idiot. I can set the trap off with just one stab in the right place. I tried it on the bomb claws that were left over!" "Hey no, no one's said you're an idiot," K'thalen soothed, "Just... not really thinking about the bigger picture. Too high a risk in this. What the huntresses do work - no need messing with that, right?" He gave K'airos a grin. Still holding onto K'airos' spear with one hand, K'ile maintains his silence, just watching the woman. K'airos stared at K'ile in defiance. It lasted about ten seconds before she jerked her spear off K'ile's hands. "Fine. Fine! I'll disable the trap and you can haul the meat back." Hanging back, K'piru worried her hands, looking between K'airos and the trap below. K'ile let go of the spear and stepped back from it. "How do you do that, eh Airos?" K'thalen questioned. K'airos kneeled up, thought, and dropped down again. "Uhm. That's the part I didn't think through." "What!" K'piru exclaimed and spun towards the trap, eyes scanning the area, ears straining. "If you can't disarm it, then..." She was interrupted by a K'thalen's voice, "Alright now, we can handle this. How's it work, and maybe we can figure it out?" "Oh!" she exclaimed after a moment, raising suddenly. "I know! Just...wait here. And if a drake appears, and the trap doesn't go off, hit the third blood trail where it ends." she said, pointing there with one hand and picking her spear with the other. Stepping over to look at what K'airos was pointing at, K'ile said, "Wait here? What are you doing?" "Don't you dare go off on your own, K'airos!" She took a step towards her daughter as she spoke. K'airos had received enough stern looks to make her feel bad for at least a few moons. "I need a tool. I won't be long!" she explained hurriedly. Or, rather, not-explained. She turned around and rushed down the dune to run off. "And stay down!" "Hey! Don't you run away from us, girl! You're-" K'ile didn't give chase. "... Dammit, K'thalen. Your girls." "A tool? K'airos--!" And then K'piru was off after her, "Get back here! Airos, it's dangerous!" "Ugh. Thalen, don't let your mate run off!" K'ile looked down at his brother, then up at K'piru, as if he couldn't decide whether or not to run off after her or not. After a moment, he did. "I'm a huntress. I'm in danger all the time. Trust me!" K'airos yelled back without stopping. K'piru had no real hope of catching up to K'airos in the sands, a healer chasing after a huntress in her element. Still, she tried, scrambling across the dune as quickly as she could manage. Likely luckily for her, K'thalen caught up with her before she'd gone very far, grabbing at her arm with a sharp, "Putting yourself at risk isn't gonna help, Piru." She pulled against his grip and demanded back, "Go after her! No one is supposed to be out here on their own - she'll... please, go after her!" "I've got it!" K'ile said, and just kept running when he caught up to K'piru. Since he had no ambitions to become Nunh and he usually wasn't kept too busy enforcing the rules, hunting was also one of K'ile's main responsibilities. K'airos continued running off at a brisk pace. She didn't head to the camp as one could have suspected. No, she was heading in a different direction. She did not look back nor said anything more, failing completely to notice K'ile. K'thalen frowned, keeping hold of K'piru's arms and moving them both back closer to the trap. "Calm down a bit, won't ya, Piru? Freaking out like this isn't doing anyone any good." She didn't reply. After following her for a bit of time, and noticing they weren't heading back into camp, K'ile put a bit of extra speed into his run and tried to close the distance between them. "K'airos! Stop running away from me, dammit!" K'airos lowered her pace to turn around with an expression of mild surprise. She kept half-running away from K'ile, but by the time she was done turning around K'ile was only a few steps behind. "Go back! I don't need you." "I'm not going back!" K'ile kept up with K'airos, "The hell are you doing? Getting a tool my ass." She frowned. "If a drake won't come to the trap, I'll bring a drake to the trap." she stated. "So go back! You are just going to distract it and get eaten." "What!" K'ile tried to catch and stop K'airos. "That insane!" She flailed her arms away of him and sped up her pace. "If I don't there will be no meat at /all/. I can't unmake it!" "We can just hunt more! This is... Grr." He started running after K'airos again, "It's like you're trying to be K'aijeen but you don't understand how to do it!" A sudden urge to throw something at her uncle invaded the girl. Luckily, K'airos didn't have anything harmless in hand. Instead, her grip around the spear tightened. She stopped. "If this works..." she started without facing him. "We won't need to put our huntresses at risk anymore. Just set the traps and watch over them. Get bigger prey with less effort... With less people. We'll have more meat, more skins, more bones. I just need one drake. One!" "You think nobody's ever tried to hunt Sand Drakes before? Or to set traps instead of sending hunting parties?" K'ile stopped very near the girl, grabbing her arm with one hand. "We hunt the way we do because it's the best way there is! Tested for generations. Now would you stop trying to get yourself killed!" "We didn't think of bomb claws before!" she said, wrenching her arm off. "Nobody in the tribe tried a trap like this. Aijeen's failed because we stumbled into it, not because the trap was badly made. It's not proof enough!" Her ears were flat against her head, and her eyes looked up to K'ile's. "If this one doesn't work, then you'll be right." "Yeah, and you'll have a Sand Drake hanging off your tail," K'ile snapped. "And not just you, but you'll be putting me and your parents in danger too!" "Don't blame that on me. I didn't bring them here!" she yelled back. Her tail moved from one side to the other in quick motions before it lowered significantly. "But you are right." and she dropped her head. Back at the trap, K'thalen had managed to somewhat calm K'piru down - at least to the point where she wasn't trying to run off after her daughter. For now. That was, until the moment she exclaimed, "Aijeen! Where is she? Thalen, I must find Aijeen--" At which point, the nunh winced, and looked around, "She's not here, so she's alright. Probably sulking between a couple tents, yea?" K'piru remained unconvinced, looking out towards where K'ile had run off after K'airos, and then around the dunes. "What if--what if she's set up another? We must find her!" And then she was off, in a different direction, somewhat parallel to the camp. K'thalen cursed, usually jovial mood souring, and chased after. K'piru would not be stopped this time, absolutely driven to locate her youngest daughter. Not wanting to hurt her, K'thalen gave up after the first couple times she violently tore away from his hands and just stuck close to her instead, offering a, "Don't you think you should've waited for K'ile and Airos first?" This didn't get a response. He sighed. "Yes, I am," K'ile said, nodding. "Now we have to go all the way back to where your parents are and start trying to find K'aijeen. You've wasted a lot of time." K'airos shaked her head. "Aijeen isn't doing anything. Let's get the meat back first. I think I know how to get it without exploding. We'll need some spears and... a lot of rope." Looking annoyed, K'ile said, "You're not just saying that so you can try and get me to go back to the tribe for rope and you can go lure a Drake." "That would be a fine idea if I was dealing with dad!" she chuckled. "But no. Let's go to the camp. Then the meat. Then Aijeen. Who did nothing!" she insisted. K'ile added, "Then you're explaining yourself to the elders. And you're plenty old enough for the racks. Come on!" He easily picked out the direction back to camp by smell, and started that way. K'airos followed in silence, feeling defeated.

"What did I do wrong?" The choked, mournful words were followed by a lower, soothing tone in the shadows of the tent, at the center of which there crouched two forms around a low fire. "I've tried to be patient. I’ve tried firm. I’ve tried… tried everything, but nothing--” “Not a thing you can do when she gets herself into these moods, y’know that, Piru,” the second voice, K’thalen, interrupted, large hands petting at the other’s tail. “She’ll calm down eventually. Think of how I was at that age.” This was followed by a chuckle. The other didn’t share his humor, though she did mutter morosely, “You haven’t changed much at all since that age.” She leaned against him and then sighed. “You don’t have to keep me company. I’ll just… wait up for my girls and then we’ll sleep.” “Heh, what if I wanna say hi to them, too? Maybe get some pointers on how to cause trouble.” This comment earned him a rough jab in the ribs, which he theatrically responded to by flailing his limbs before wrapping them up around K’piru in a near-tackle. She groaned in half-annoyance and pushed until he just relaxed next to her, still petting her tail soothingly. The two fell into a silence then, calmer, and the low glow of the fire cast deep shadows on their features. In what he thought was fast becoming a family tradition, K'ile Tia approached the tent of K'piru Jhanhi, one of his brother's women. His mood was darker than it had been earlier that day, but also less somber. It was one of those I've-had-just-about-enough-of-this-shit moods. So when he squared off in front of the tent, arms crossed, his bellow wasn't especially polite. "K'piru! Bring your damned kids out here!" K'piru flinched bodily at a voice she had begun to dread. Burying her face in her hands, she mumbled a weak, "Oh no, what now..." Frowning over towards the entrance to the tent, K'thalen's tone remained cheerful, "Eh, he probably just wants to lecture 'em. I can send him on his way if you want. That kind of thing can wait til the morning anyway." At this, K'piru just nodded, and so taking that as his cue, the nunh pushed to his feet and, with a smile flashed at K'piru that she didn't see, lumbered over to the entrance and tossed it open. "They're off coolin' their heels. No need to bother her any more tonight, yeah?" He said, with a cocked eyebrow in his brother's direction. When it was K'thalen and not K'piru emerged, K'ile recoiled in dread. He relaxed when he observed that K'thalen was in fact wearing his pants, so he hadn't interrupted anything. This time. He frowned and re-centered himself. Managing to reclaim his dire composure, K'ile Tia said, "There's food missing again." K'thalen's expression didn't change for several seconds, his head angled in one direction while one arm held open the flap of hide enough for his body. Eventually, however, he let out a long, even breath. "Azeyma really missed the mark on that one, huh," he sighed out, though under his breath so K'piru didn't hear. Tossing a glance back at her, he worked his jaw for another moment before saying to K'ile, "Hold on a sec," and jerking the flap closed roughly. "Uh huh." K'ile ground his teeth. K'piru looked up as K'thalen approached once more, her ears lifting slightly with some hope. Which, he dashed as gently as he could manage, "Don't get too upset now, alright, Piru? We're gonna work this out..." Eyes widening, she was on her feet in an instant with a cry of, "No!" and rushed past K'thalen to the entrance, flinging it open once more. "This is a joke! Tell me it's a joke," she begged to K'ile's face. Behind her, K'thalen grimaced. Poor K'ile leaned away and frowned. He didn't want to upset K'piru. He liked the woman well enough. But, "Sorry. We were recounting the food and there's a bunch of it missing again. So naturally I though... You know." "It has to be someone--something else! A... maybe the buzzards got into the stores! Not Aijeen. Not Aijeen," she insisted desperately. She didn't react when K'thalen put a hand on her shoulder. "Hey, breathe for a second, Piru," he muttered. "It's not the end of the world, even if it is her, huh? Azeyma will rise again, and your daughter will... well, she'll do whatever it is she does." "Let's not think too hard." K'ile said, pulling on one of his ears. "If we don't know where your girls are, we should find them. We can check around the camp for traps again. Maybe she's just baiting the same one." At this, K'thalen nodded, gesturing at his brother, "See? Level head. Wanna come with me and look for her? I remember where the first one was." Burying her face in her hands once again, K'piru managed a small nod and then, frowning, "It's not her. It can't be her." "Well let's not dawdle," K'ile said. "If we wait too long, they might actually succeed in attracting a Sand Drake, and that would be really dangerous." "They??" K'piru practically wailed, but quieted at K'thalen's urging and allowed him to lead the way forward, off in the direction he'd first stumbled upon K'aijeen's trap. "I'm just," K'ile said after. "I don't mean anything! I just haven't seen K'airos or K'airi either. If you see them have them help!"

You bet I do. D: Jared just can't compare! I'll just... have to substitute with Misha. He's a goofball. But dangerously sexy Even when he looks like he's crawled out of his own grave Yup.

Yes, we did, and I maintain that there is not clear enough information for me to feel the need to retcon the large amount of organization that would need to be adjusted for the "single nunh per territory" idea. We chose two because it made things easier when bringing in new people and when we were originally organizing things, and two it shall be.

Kan-E-Senna has this to say about airships: "In better times, airships were available for the convenience of one and all. Alas, the risk that our crafts may fall to imperial attack has forced a reduction in the number of flights. Consequently, it has become necessary to restrict air travel only to those whose need is great. Such individuals may petition the relevant parties to be issued an airship pass. As you may have deduced, I myself am one such party... Yet I was not alone in desiring that you be granted the privilege of air travel." Clearly, the airships set up to travel between Gridania, Limsa Lominsa, and Ul'dah are not for common use. RP your own personal airship all you like, but to make use of the city ones would be rather presumptuous.

*cough*Otherland did it first*cough* ;3

I don't think we can so easily say there is only one nunh per territory. Squeenix never explicitly states a rule on how many nunhs there are, save that "Depending on its size, a tribe may have multiple nunh (a ratio of one nunh per ten to fifty females is average)" - which is pretty broad. Lore also uses the term "tribe" when discussing a single territory, so it's entirely possible that there are multiple "breeding groups" (not actually a term used by Squeenix) within a single location. The Hipparion Tribe, for example - or at least, our player-created, Sagolii-roaming section of it - maintains two-ish nunhs in the tribe. There have been times when that number has dropped to one, which is the case now as the one of their nunh is missing and no one else has yet stepped up to the plate, for various reasons. It's actually been a point of conflict for some of our members, who feel as though the tribe's future is at risk, having experienced a dramatic loss of life due to the Calamity.

I would question any roleplayer's IC use of airships, as they are not supposed to be available for public use due to the Garlean threat. The story character's access to airships is one of great exception and not something I think people should take IC. It's unfortunate, but airships in ARR seem to be even more exclusive than the pegasus travel of TERA (which was supposed to be extremely costly and highly regulated). That said, there are plenty of other means of travel across Eorzea, so not being able to use airships IC doesn't really do away with much in the way of opportunities. There are still boats and carts and chocobo porters and your own mount and walking and aetherytes (for those with enough command of their aether to manage it).

Oh! That's also perfectly doable, though a bit more complex logistically speaking. The way we handle "new" family members is to first find them a place on our family tree (which is in need of a couple updates, but you get the idea) and then... well, it's just a matter of said person diving in to rp! As far as the commonality of adoptions, I don't really know. It's possible it's relatively more common nowadays what with the Calamity having uprooted a lot of folk. I imagine in the past it was one of those rare things and more often accepted if the adopted individual in question was previously part of another sub-group from the same tribe. But that's just me pulling stuff outta my ass.

Do you mean join our K tribe as an immigrant member from another sub-clan? If so, I'm sure there are ways to work you in! One of our members is actually "adoptive" in that sense, as her K sub-tribe was decimated by an Amaljaa attack, so when our K tribe found her, we took her in. A bit more on-topic: This reminds me I need to go through the Hipparion wiki and make sure everything is kosher. Certain bits of our lore have adapted over the months of RPing as we come up with better ideas.

He almost recoiled from the Duskwight as those hands reached out to take hold of his head, but was stopped both by his own will and want to survive, as well as the impossibly firm grip at the base of his skull. He grimaced as knobby fingers wiped at his face, pushing the mud about in rough patterns. "... Right, I mean, I'd wanna wash one of these days... nights..." did this place even have day? The heaviness of the shadows implied that it did not. "... anyway." Resting his weight back on his hands as the Duskwight disguised his features, the mud-caked miqo'te listened to the groaning of a wind he couldn't feel and smelled scents he couldn't place. His eyes, pupils dilated as much as they could, could pick out next to nothing in the darkness, only able to make out his apparent savior's form thanks to his movement and proximity. He thought to question why something as simple as smearing dirt on his face would ward off apparently blood thirsty spirits, but then decided that escaping one's own grave was enough of a conundrum. It would be better simply not to worry about it. As long as this stranger was right. But then... Why would spirits want to kill him? The question came suddenly, and his lack of an answer only added to his confusion. He wanted to ask a great deal of questions of this stranger before him, but he could not think of where to begin.