Naunet

*tries to hold back the rant about why people can't just get over the server name pride thing and go to a SINGLE server* This is why we need Squee... freaking humans. We suck at making group decisions.

The things with bombs is they're generally used as a cheap and easy way to "attack" or otherwise cause disruption. There's rarely any actual description of the bomb itself - its yield, what type, how it's triggered, etc - and comes paired with such scintillating descriptions as "Shadow Lord pulls a bomb from his coat and throws it into the crowd." Okay... Good for you, Shadow Lord!

Yeah, for actual villains - as in, antagonists meant specifically to set themselves again certain people - I generally relegate the task to alts devoted to telling a particular story. Without a solid storyline, the would-be "villain" character becomes nothing more than some petty chaos-starter with no discernible motivation, which isn't really fun for roleplay. I also tend to not pull these kinds of characters out for RP with just anyone, because roleplaying a dynamic plot like that requires a lot of give and take on both sides, which is never a sure thing if you just go looking for random people in a crowd. It requires planning and sacrifice on both sides (sometimes the fun kind of sacrifice!). I'm most proud of Twin and I's creation in our over-arching TERA plot, but that nightmarish character would never work as an everyone's-villain. Oh, and I'll just put this out there: If a "villain" ever in the course of roleplay pulls out "bombs", I will proceed to laugh out loud and then just slap you. Freaking bombs. They need to be banned!

Well, the devs declaring an official RP server certainly doesn't match up to the negative connotations that a dictator would imply. It's not like it's unusual for an MMO to have RP-tagged servers; hell, for many of us (myself included), it's expected, and when it doesn't happen, it reflects poorly on the company's awareness of their playerbase and market standards. Humans are stupid, and you can't trust them to act as a group on their own when making a decision. It's better for all of us for Squee to take the lead in this kind of thing.

In addition to roleplaying within the framework of the CRA, I'll have two characters who are... less than good people. I haven't really got a lot of details worked out for either of them just yet, but Sah'ot (my Keeper) was an over-zealous poacher in the Shroud who over the years has turned her resentment towards Gridanians into a full-fledged hatred of Eorzean societies on a whole. Naunet (highlander hyur) was a soldier within the Garlean Empire who actively volunteered to conscript when her home of Ala Mhigo fell. She's killed a lot of people over the years, willingly, and is not a generally nice person too boot; in fact, she deserted the Empire's forces in the chaos following the Calamity not because she experienced some moral turn-around, but because of a personal failing that I have yet to decide upon. She's spent the past five years on the run and hiding from the military she used to serve so viciously. That she's adopted some more positive tendencies - particularly, directing her proclivity for violence towards helping people more often than it goes towards hurting them - is more a result of her need to blend in than anything. Though perhaps she's getting a bit used to this new persona.

((Copy-pasta'd from RP done in the CRA's IC chatbox. This takes place a matter of hours after Limsa Loyalties. Also, I'm terrible at alliteration, so you get a non-alliterated title this time. We'll go with the excuse of: Ulanan is not present in this scene!)) *** Right outside Limsa Lominsa spread many farms, built by the pirates after their ships were sunk during the Calamity or to the Garlean navy. Without their usual means of living, most of them were forced to find new ways of surviving, and so they lived off the land. There were many orchards between these farms. In a particular one, there was a man: old, with grey hair and beard, wearing a straw hat and simple clothes, picking oranges and piling them up inside a basket. He was expecting someone. The Duskwight's skin looked like a shadow even in the light, but this shadow was weathered and old, and it was wrapped in the humble linens of a wandering hermit. As he made his way through the orchard towards the human, her plucked an orange or two, and upon arriving, dropped them into the man's basket. Through a veil of dirty hair, his pale eyes sought those of the human as he greeted, "It is rare I see familiar faces since the Calamity. I hope this new world is treating you well." The hyur didn't look away from his task, picking oranges and dropping them into the basket, taking a brief time to test them: applying pressure with his fingertips and smelling them. "I have not been eaten or been burnt to death yet, so I would dare that, yes, it is treating me well." he said. "Did the Shroud finally kick you out?" Megiddo chuckles, "Yes, actually," and, noting Ildur's actions, picks another orange and imitates them, humming to himself in interest. Tossing the orange in the basket, he explains, "I took a job from a company the CRA is affiliated with, but the job was no good. So I'm talking a leave of absence from the area." Another orange was thrown into the basket. "How strange. When was the last time you had to step out of a job?" "Decades. Obviously when one provides a service such as mine, one tends to finish even the bad jobs, if only to protect their reputation." He gives an orange in his hand a perplexed look. "When did you take up farming?" "Never." he answered. "You said your employer was affiliated with the Agency." "A Gridanian affiliate. Oschon guided me to him in his time of need. He feared assassination," Megs continues plucking oranges as he explains, "I should've known based on the fear. They've been bending the rules, and they were caught." "I think I know who you speak of. I was afraid something like that would happen." The hyur tested an orange and grimaced at it. "A bad orange." He dropped it to the ground, and looked at the elezen. "Oschon brought you very far. I'm thankful for that, but I wonder what breadcrumbs he left for you to follow." Megiddo smiles when the orange hits the ground, and wears that smile as he answers the Hyur, "I've been following the target. More assassins were sent after her. She's a gifted investigator and did not catch the wrong-doings of your associate by chance." "More." he echoes. Another bad orange plummeted to the ground. "Quite a desperate associate, that one. Did she survive those?" "She did. And through no action of my own. Well, perhaps some, though indirectly. I believe..." He pauses and thinks, tosses an orange up in the air and catches it. "I believe she's become aware of things her employers did not wish. They will not let her live, in case she reports this do the Grand Companies." "Is that worry I sense in your words?" the old hyur chuckled, still picking up oranges. The amount of thrown ones was slowly increasing. "Oh, if I was worried I'd be in the city." He stops tossing the orange, takes hold of it, "Unless they can find an assassin on my caliber, they probably won't have much luck. She has a friend protecting her." He looked at the fruit Megiddo was holding. "That's a good orange." he said. With a smile, he walked a few steps around the tree. "One of our less known associates in the city is making a fuss in the criminal underground. They want someone dead this very night, and are not hiding themselves very well. It would be quite convenient if these were the employer's of your target, wouldn't you say?" he added. Megiddo huffs, "If they're so clumsy I'll be disappointed, but I often am these days. Times were better before the Calamity. People more cautious." "There were also more people." His side of the tree had a large amount of bad oranges. Only a couple were found worthy of the basket. "I'd like you to meet them. A Lalafell and a Roegadyn. Paqirelon and Bleigarasyn. I can arrange the meeting...and you can dispose of all their problems." The Duskwight makes a face of understanding, "Ah ha. I understand." He nods, and tosses the orange he's been holding into Ildur's basket. "It doesn't sound particularly challenging, but I may enjoy it anyway." "Sometimes the simplest things are the ones that bring the most enjoyment." He extended his arms somewhat towards Megiddo, holding an orange. "Like picking fruit. The simplest of tasks!" Megiddo chuckles, "And you really enjoy that? Or are we talking around something again? I'm afraid at my age, I start to lose track after awhile." "I like simple things." he answered. He walked around the tree again, and ended up on the other side of the Elezen. "Just go to the meeting and give those two a good stab. They will kill someone tonight if you don't, and Maelstorm justice, while swift, is not very efficient in these matters." He looked down to the scattered oranges. "A bad orange can still sprout a fine tree, after all." "It will be done just as you've requested, then." He inclines his head to Ildur, "They seek a skilled assassin and will find one. Is there anything else I can tell you or do for you?" The old hyur bent over to pick the basket, now filled with oranges. "There is. What was the name of your target? She will soon be unemployed, and you have vouched so nicely on her financial abilities." he said with a smirk. "A Miqo'te named Antimony. Not a common name for her people. I doubt you'll have any trouble finding her." Ildur nodded. He turned around, looking up at the treetops. "There are still some good oranges there. You should take one before someone else picks the rest up." He started walking away, raising his free hand briefly in farewell. Megiddo watches Ildur walking away, and mutters to himself, "And what did he mean by that? Ah well. To work, old man." And the hermit turns to walk towards Limsa. He does pause, however, to grab an orange.

((Copy-pasta'd from RP done in the CRA's IC chatbox. This follows several days after Dusty Danger Discovered.)) Behind them was the dock at which still rested the boat they'd crossed in and beyond that, the endless rolling sea; in front was a wooden path leading up to the towering spires and white stone of Limsa Lominsa. Antimony drew a deep breath and smiled briefly before continuing into the city. The sea breeze felt refreshingly cool against her skin, and the thick, blue robes she wore no longer felt stifling. She would speak to Ulanan, her sandy-colored lalafell companion, as they walk, "Welcome to Limsa. I'd invite you to my home, but I think... we should make a brief stop first." Ulanan walked next to Antimony, her head tilted up, sight dancing between the spires and buildings of the city. "The air is salty." was the only thing she said in answer to her travel companion. She kept gazing upwards. Antimony looked down at Ulanan and smiled. "Salty, yes. And damp. And..." She took another deep breath, "I can smell the Fisherman's Bottom from here." "You can smell him, I can hear him..." she blinked once. "Now we just need someone who can see him and someone who can taste him to have all the senses covered. And someone who can touch him." she added as an afterthought. She laughed at that. "Taste we can cover later. They've always got the best selection just after mid-day." The lalafell kept looking upwards. "You said something about a brief stop." The clicking of her staff on wood and then stone as they crossed onto the main walkways of the city filled the silence following Ulanan's prompt for a time. When she finally spoke, Antimony kept a passive expression, "Better sooner than later when it comes to dealing with problems. I suppose I better know what I'm going to say to them by the time we cross the city." Ulanan dropped her gaze and moved her head in a circle, one hand rubbing the back of her neck. All that looking upwards wasn't very healthy. "I was attacked by assasins because I worked for you. So I quit!" she said. "... Perhaps," Antimony replied after a pause, looking reluctantly thoughtful. Their walk takes them through a circular courtyard, in the middle of which is a fountain, before weaving through a covered merchant alley. "When this is over with, what would you like me to show you first?" The lalafell didn't think much before answering. "The highest point of the city. So I can look down instead of up. It's less tiresome." Humming in thought, Antimony clicked along with her staff through the crowded merchant stalls. "The Drowning Wench on the upper decks has a nice view off its balcony." "What an omnious name." "Ah, don't let it intimidate you. Though... you certainly don't want to spend time on the lower ramps there after dark." They left the covered merchant alley and stepped out onto a narrow bridge. On the other side was a broad, squat tower, and Antimony gestured towards it. "My office is in there. You should probably wait in the courtyard outside." "Of course. I will quietly and willingly wait In the courtyard while you work." Stopping on the other side of the bridge, Antimony took a moment to bow towards Ulanan, her tail swishing slowly behind her. They stood in front of the wide tower, in a small courtyard with several benches and a few decorative plants. "Thank you. I'm not being much of a host, I know, but... these matters." She shook her head. "Hopefully this won't take long." She turned, then, to enter the tower. Ulanan nodded in silence. She climbed up on a bench and sit there, resisting the urge to gaze upwards again. Once inside, Antimony made her way up, rather than down towards the Arcanists' Guild, a spiraling hall. Her steps slowed significantly as she neared the top until she finally came to a halt in front of a heavy wooden door with a simple, metal sign marking it as the property of Paqirelon & Bleigarasyn Finances. She looked at the door and its simple signage for several minutes, twisting her grip on her staff in indecision before finally placing it on her back and entering with a breath. She announced her entrance with a simple, "Perelon? Ernafalk? I'm back from Gridania." A high pitched but rough voice came from the other side of the front room, the voice of Perelon, cheerfuly greeting: "Ahaha! Aha-ntimony! Come in!" He did that with everyone who dared have a vowel as a first letter in their name. Ernafalk Bleigaryson looked up from where he was working on a desk that was far, far too small for his relatively large frame. His small blue eyes, set far back in his skull and significantly behind his pink eyebrows, searched in confusion for a moment before catching Antimony, frowning for a moment, and then smiling. He let Perelon take care of the greetings, though, and returned his attention to his work a moment later. Unconsciously patting the small, leather satchel at her hip, Antimony stepped further into the office. Approaching Ernafalk's desk, she reached out to click on the lamp setting at one corner with a, "Haven't I told you, you'll ruin your eyes working in the dark like that." Perelon sat on top of small but ornate chair that sat in turn on top of another much bigger one. His desk, contrary to Ernafalk's, was quite huge. One side was filled with stacks of papers, while the other had a lamp, quill, ink, and a portrait the size of his head, depicting his dear father. The lalafell looked up to Antimony, smiling under his big mustache. "With that nose of his, I'm sure he could smell the words instead of reading them!" Ernafalk turned his eyes away from the lamp for a moment before reaching over and turning it off, "My eyes has adjusted to the light. You're just coming in from outside right?" And then, looking over at Perelon, "It's a wonder you can even find your paperwork on the great cluttered plain of a desk." Antimony turned the lamp back on as Ernafalk spoke to Perelon and then stepped away from the desk. Her tail tucked against one leg through her robe, but the end of it twitched a bit nervously. "He has a system, as we all do." "Indeed, she's right!" he said, always smiling. "My system is that if it doesn't give us money, then it goes to the trash pile. Do you see a trash pile? No, you do not! Do you know why? Because -everything- is money! Even your nose, Ern." "Your desk should go in the trash pile. All that expense on decoration isn't good for making money. And neither," he says as he switches off the lamp again, "Is wasting energy. Antimony! How was Gridania, hm?" The lalafell nodded and interrupted: "Yes! Tell us, how was the Black Shroud? Let me guess: it was...shrouded! Ahaha!" He laughed at his own joke. He thought it was very, very clever. "Oh!" She looked to Ernafalk before turning to Perelon and bowing her head briefly. "Client 4389 was very accommodating and gave me access to everything I needed without fuss." She pursed her lips then and hesitated. "Ah, no fuss at all?" Ernafalk chuckled, "His tone in correspondence leading up to the meeting was rather... Oh, nervous. Honestly, terrified! I was worried he'd give you trouble or try to hide something." Antimony shook her head while her tail curled tightly behind her. "No, I was able to wrap up the assessment a day early even. There's just... one thing." Perelon raised his brows. "I hope he didn't ask for a partnership, because we are reserving the rest of the office for Ern's nose's desk!" "Oh, would you get off it, Perelon. You know the nose jokes get annoying after three. Now, Antimony, one more thing? There's always one more thing! Isn't there, Perelon?" "Yes. Like your nose. But then it's ussually solved with a hanky." "Oh now, his nose is not that big," she caught herself chiding before straightening her posture apologetically. "One more thing. Just... a little thing, really. Very small. Hardly worth mentioning, but..." She looked past the lalafell to the portrait behind him. "I do believe Client 4389 hired someone to kill me." Perelon looked honestly surprised. So much, in fact, that he couldn't find it in himself to somehow tie the situation into another nasal joke. Antimony dropped her gaze to the lalafell and had to very deliberately still her hands that had begun to fidget with the strap of her satchel. "Why do you think that?" The lalafell finally spoke. Ernafalk watched Antimony and Perelon with a very straight expression, a bit wide-eyed, obviously unsure what to say. "Uhm. Well." She paused, cleared her throat, and smoothed down the front of her robes. "He told me so, when he tried to kill me." Ernafalk suddenly popped, laughing loudly, "Ah, Antimony! I think you had an especially strange dream. Or are you trying to put one over on us?" The lalafell didn’t share the Roegadyn's laugh, though he smiled somewhat. "Dream? What? No," she turned around to frown at Ernafalk. "Someone claiming to be hired by the client you sent me to audit tried to kill me!" Two fingers pulled down the collar of her robe, and she lifted her chin to show the thin scab left from a would-be assassin's blade across her neck. "And not just one someone - twice!" Still maintaining his joviality for a moment, "Ah, that's too much! Twice! Oh," and then it dropped away when he noticed the wound on her neck. His expression went a bit serious, and he looked to Perelon for help. "Yes, twice," her frown deepened. "Spurred on by some fear that... you two were going to kill him? I'd very much appreciate an explanation." Perelon looked back to him, then at Antimony. "By the Twelve! Are you alright? Do you need a healer?" "I'm alright now. There was--well." The very end of her tail twitched anxiously. "You can understand my concern, surely. What if they send a third attack, here, in Limsa? You must straighten this out!" "Such a thing could never occur in Limsa Lominsa! No Gridanian would dare send an assassin here!" Shaking his head, looking absolutely flabbergasted, "I thought they were pacifists. Perelon, aren't the pacifists?" "The elementals must have gotten to their heads! Or moogles! Or Thaliak-knows-what!" he proclaimed, throwing his hands up into the air. "This person must be mentally ill. We will deal with him. By telling the authorities." He nodded at the end of that sentence. "And what of the accusations?" Antimony pressed. "I was told /I've/ developed a... a reputation? That when I arrive somewhere, clients go missing? Turn up dead? What am I supposed to do with that? Baseless rumors don't usually drive someone to, well, to kill another!" "Obviously the man is paranoid, Antimon,” Ernafalk soothed. “How could these rumors possibly have any basis? It's ridiculous! We're businessmen, for Lymlaen's sake!" Antimony wrung her hands. "And yet it was the assassin who spoke to me of them - and he seemed very convinced. As though he were doing a... duty! That he was saving a life." She shook her head. "I don't know if I can handle that kind of stress in this job, Ernefalk, Perelon." Perelon threw his hands up into the air, as if that somehow gave him better arguments. " It's preposterous! Absurd! Ridicolous! We are more lovely than Menphina!" He then dropped his arms. "I understand, Antimony. You should take some days to rest." "A whole week, I'd say. Me and Ern will take care of this devious, devious man, I promise!" "Indeed. The authorities will be notified and they'll act on this in no time at all." Perelon nodded, then knit his features together. A moment later, he was waving his hands in front of him, "Wait! Wait! If this person tried to kill you how did you end up talking to him? And about business? Antimony, we have very strict policies about discussing business!" "A week might not... I know that," she switched her address mid-way through the thought, pursing her lips at Ernefalk. "I didn't disclose anything to him. But... he seemed to think this was not a concern only for this one client. I--I feel like I should look after the fates of other clients. Just in case." "Now, now,” Perelon began, “...you are obviously shocked by all this and aren't thinking straight. It's understandable and perfectly normal! But you shouldn't listen to the mad rambling of a...madman and his mad assasin. Isn't that right, Ern?" "I'm thinking very straight, Perelon. I am thinking that someone has tried to take my life twice, and that is not something I ever agreed to under the terms of my employment." The crease between her brow deepened at that, and her ears pressed against the top of her head. Ernafalk smacked his small, frail desk with both hands, "Now, Antimony, you must see that it is entirely unreasonable to blame us for this! You are listening to the word of someone who tried to kill you based on the testimony of a paranoid Gridanian! And you call this thinking clearly?" "Well," her hands worked at the thin strap of her satchel. "That... is why I returned here, to... settle things." Parelon's eyes are open wide. "I still think you are stressed out. By Rhalgr, I would be too if someone tried to kill me!" He frowned heavily at the desk smacking by the Roegadyn. Ernafalk nodded in agreement with Perelon, "And then tried to blame it on me, what's more. Now, Antimony, let's look at more reasonable explanations. For instance, did you find out anything about the client that they may want to kill you over?" Perelon nodded back, saying lowly: "Yes, well, I would blame it on you too. That goes without saying." "Oh, thank you, Perelon," Antimony sighed. "That's just... well. To answer your question, Ernafalk, I did find a few inaccuracies in the client's asset reports, particularly with estimated values of collections." "And aren't those dangerous things to find?" Perelon nodded sagely. "It's not the first time we've found these kinds of things," Antimony countered. "Well...” Perelon mused, “most people aren't as smart as Thaliak. Surely a paranoid man would thing that any tiny thing would send death to his door." "There are stories, you know," Ernafalk spoke gravely, as though he were beginning a ghost story. He leaned over his desk and shifted his eyes about, "Of a group of investors and auditors like us, who work secretly for the Lambs of Dalamud, and are trying to build a merchant empire to serve beastmen! And they'll kill anyone who gets in their way!" Then his tone lightened, "Or who work for the Garleans or evil elementals or some such. There's more than enough rumors for a frightened embezzler to latch onto." The lalafell gave him a strange look. "You need to stop sending your nose to the Drowning Wench so much." "Rumors for... what if this happens again?" She cast a worried look to Ernafalk and Perelon in turn. "It hadn't even crossed my mind as a possibility before, but if it happens once, it could..." She turned away, ran fingers through her hair. "I'm not sure I can handle that possibility." "Now Antimony, I'm sure you don't think this is normal. It never crossed my mind either! It's like someone trying to assassinate a barmaid because they heard the local brew can kill you!" "I'm not so sure..." Perelon nodded sagely once more. He left his chair, standing up and hopping down from a side. A clear sign that something was amiss: in normal situations, he would have stood up and walked all over his very expensive desk. "Antimony, dearest of all our employees! You should take a few days off. Rest some! Pursue that hobby of yours. Go fishing! Once you are calmed down you can come back and resume working with us." Antimony kept her back to both of them, frowning at the opposite wall, one arm folded across her chest while the other clutched at the collar of her robe. At Perelon's words she sighed. "Perhaps..." "While I believe my colleague’s laying it on a bit thick, you should take a few days to yourself. Let us look into the matter. Given distance, and once it's resolved, you'll see it's not as dire as it seems now." "Your nose is thick," Perelon huffed, now standing in front of his desk. "Proudly so!" She turned back around then and her hands dropped to her sides. "Yes. Yes, you're right, of course. I mean, I did spend the days returning here thinking about it, but... I suppose traveling is stressful on its own..." She shook her head and then features reluctant, acquiesced, "... Alright. I'll do as you suggest. A few days to clear my head. And you'll contact the authorities?" Perelon smiled, his mustache curling up somewhat along with his lips. "Of course! Leave it to us. Do not concern yourself with such...such...what is the word I'm looking for, Ern?" "Erm. Technicalities? No, from you something ridiculous. I couldn't possibly imagine." She bowed her head. "Thank you. Though... I should probably submit a statement of my own, as well." "Your nose is ridicolous." he snorted. Then, at Antimony's words he, literaly, freaked out. "What? No no no! That...no! Just focus on resting. Ah...I'm sure the authorities will call you once we tell them. Yes, yes!" "It's no problem," Antimony soothed with a gesture of her hands. "I'll just get that taken care of and then I'll relax. It's the least I can do to help resolve this situation." Ernafalk looked a bit taken aback by Perelon's behavior, but broke that tension by laughing, and then to Antimony, "No, no. You trust us, take at least this night off. Don't think about it at all once you're out those doors until the authorities call for you. Then you have my permission to think about it again." Perelon nodded sagely, calmed down by his companion's interjection. "I would really prefer to simply be done with it." She chuckled a bit faintly. "You know how I am. I'll worry constantly until it's all squared away." Ernafalk finally stands, "And you know how I am. You'll never win. However, if you agree to wait," he points at the darkened lamp, "I'll read with the lamp on for at least the next... two night. No, three!" "Three? You'll go blind! And your nose will go blind, too!" Antimony couldn't help but chuckle at that. "... Four nights, Ernafalk. Though you really shouldn't worry over me like this." "Four? Four!" He looked at Perelon, "See how she drives are bargain? She'll take over this place one day!" And then he was laughing loudly, "Fine, four, but not a minute more." Perelon smiled. "I'm the witness! I will make sure he does his part of the agreement. Else, we will cut his nose and replace it with an orange!" He added, "That way, it will be smaller." "Thank you, Perelon," she smiled at the lalafell and then started before reaching into her satchel, "Ah, I nearly forgot..." Out came a rather thick envelope labeled in her neat and precise handwriting, which she held out towards Perelon. "The completed paperwork on Client 4389. Perhaps it will help the authorities, but at the very least it will allow you to do your job." "Aha!" exclaimed the lalafell, taking the envelope. "Much obliged! Now go have some rest. I will be very dissapointed otherwise and Ern will read in the dark again like some kind of exile." "Alright. Thank you, Perelon, Ernafalk." She bowed her head again briefly. "I'm sorry for bringing such trouble up. Hopefully this all blows over soon." "Oh, it will. I'm confident that we can handle this very strange situation. You should be too. We'll see you soon!" Ernafalk dropped back into the small chair behind his small desk. Perelon just smiled, and nodded. Then he smiled some more. "Yes, we'll see you soon! Do not worry about this!" Antimony cast a smile of her own to the lalafell before turning and exiting the small office quietly. Once outside, she stood for a time in the spiraling hall, breathing in the somewhat dank air, and then let out a heavy sigh before making her way back down. Once Antimony was gone, Ernafalk would give Perelon a very serious look, "Well. We know what we have to do with her, now. This always seems to come up." Perelon returned the look. He didn't twirl his long mustache. Instead, he opted to scratch the top of his head. "Well, she -is- expecting an assasin...how shameful it would be, if her fears were true!" He shook his head and walked to the Roegadyn, handing the envelope to him. "Take care of this" he said, tapping it with his free hand. "...and I'll...take care of that!" Giving Perelon's desk a look, he muttered, "At least I know you won't skimp on expenses." And then, sitting down, with a sigh, "I'll write the help-wanted ad. Just make sure it's done tonight or she'll get it in her head to go the authorities on her own." The lalafell placed his hand on his hips. "Of course. What do you think I am? Your nose? Bah!" He turned sharply around. "I'll have to poke some contacts, I don't think any of the usuals are around." Ernafalk just muttered something incoherent and began to pour over the paperwork Antimony had given them. *** Back outside, Ulanan had taken a liking to walking all around the courtyard, taking careful jumps between the stones. Both feet if the stone was large enough, only one if it was tiny. Touching the edges meant starting over again. She had started over eight times already. Antimony emerged from the financial tower with a somber expression that she quickly wiped away when stepping over towards Ulanan. She watched the lalafell for a moment before clearing her throat, "I hope you haven't been too bored out here." Ulanan made one last jump. She landed right between three stones, and frowned briefly at them before looking up at the Miqo'te woman and smiling. "Your city has lovely walkways." Antimony's eyes crinkled. "I'm sure it appreciates the compliment." Casting her eyes skyward, she thought for a moment and then, "Perhaps we should have lunch at my home. It's not impressive, but I think I can make something you'll enjoy." "Olives!" she shouted. "Or something else. I'll just put olives on it." she added, patting the satchel were she carried her jar of olives. "We can do something with that, I'm sure." Antimony gestured towards the bridge in invitation. "Fish!" she shouted again. Apparently, she was quite excited. She walked towards the bridge. "Do you eat fish with olives?" "It's not something I've tried yet," Antimony replied as they began their journey back towards the center of Limsa. "But now seems a good time to try something new." Ulanan followed Antimony. "Let's figure what fine fish will fulfill the function of food, then!"

((Copy-pasta'd from RP done in the CRA's IC chatbox)) *** Though chocobos didn't sweat and didn't require a great deal of water, it still seemed wise to pause at the small oasis just inside the border of central Thanalan to give them a chance to rest and drink or eat if they needed. Antimony settled herself against a small mound of rocks facing the shallow lake and took a drink from her water skin. A short distance away, cactuar rambled about through the short shrubs, and impossibly massive toads lumbered in the water. "I suppose it takes at most five years to become accustomed to a new climate," she mused to Ulanan, leaning her head back against the stone. Ulanan was holding the reins of the chocobos. Not because she could exercise any meaningful weight on them if they tried to escape, but because rented chocobos were trained to go back to their keeper as soon as they were let free. She watched as the birds drank from the water while she answered Antimony. "I cannot say. I was born in Ul'dah, so I'm mostly resilient to the heat." Chuckling, Antimony brushes a bit of sweaty, grey hair from her forehead. "It seems somewhere along the line, I lost that." Closing her eyes, she rubbed at one thigh, working out some of the kinks. Her thoughts flitted to what could be closing the distance behind them, and to distract herself she said, "Are you afraid of heights?" "I hike away from heinously high hills. I fear my feet will go head over heels and make me roll out of control. And then I will be eaten by a peiste." she added, chuckling. Opening her eyes to smile at Ulanan, Antimony took another sip from her water skin, feeling older than she had in a while. The damn desert. "Ah, a fair warning, then. You may want to stay near the middle of Limsa's roads. It's built right into and around cliffs, you know." Her eyes crinkle at the corners. "Just don't look down. Or stay on the lower decks, I suppose." The lalafell was confused for a second. "No railings?" "Oh there are! Mostly." She made a face. "Surely because pirates pleasure theirselves by pushing people to their pummeling deaths. " Antimony's expression mirrored Ulanan's for a moment before she laughed. "Somehow I... don't think that is unlikely. Sadly. But as long as you don't go down any corners on your own, you should be fine." "It sounds like a sorrowful site." "I suppose, but it's not all bad. The markets are... lively. And it has the best fish I've ever eaten." She blinked at Ulanan and then gestured with her water skin. "You should drink." Ulanan agreed, nodding, and took her canteen out. "Have you lived long in Limsa Lominsa?" Leaning back against the rocks again, Antimony let out a breath and set the water skin down next to her. "Since the Calamity," she said simply after a moment. "I arrived when it was still being rebuilt." "Ah." Ulanan looked thoughtful. She nodded, afterwards. "I understand." She tilted her head backwards and took a drink of her canteen. "So their fish are good? All we have here are orobons. And then some more orobons. Not counting the orobons. And did I mention the orobons? I must not forget the orobons." "I'm sure they're better than sandworms and peiste," Antimony chuckled quietly. "But yes. It is on the ocean, after all. All the fresh fish you could possibly want. I never realized I liked fish before living in Limsa!" Her laugh was a bit too loud following that. "I find fish fit and fine as food for folks who find fish a feasible food." She then frowned, looking up to the sky and mumbled "Well, that was a useless thing to say!" "Do you not like fish?" She paused and shook her head. "I don't suppose much of this conversation has been very useful." Ulanan jerked the chocobos' leashes in an exagerated raising of her arms. "It was like saying 'People who are people are people who are people!'. Or 'hiding your hideous husband by hanging him from a hook is hiding your hideous husband by hanging him from a hook!" Antimony's eyes widened slightly. "Why would that even be a... thing...?" The lalafell turned around with a straight face but confused eyes. "Why what would what?" "Uhm." Blinking rapidly in confusion, Antimony watched Ulanan for several seconds before shaking her head. "Nevermind. I must've misheard. This heat.." "You should have brought a hat." Holding her hand up to shield her eyes, she squinted towards the sky. "I could have sworn I did... I must have forgotten it during one of my stops on the way to Gridania." Ulanan walked to her chocobo and spent a few moments rummaging through the side bag it was carrying. She took out a large piece of cloth and, after shaking it madly and hitting the center a few times, it resulted to be her wizard hat. “You can use mine." She tilted her head slightly. "Don't you need that?" "It's an strategical decision: if you faint, I cannot carry you. If I faint, I'm light enough that you can strap me to the chocobo's back and don't worry about it." She smiled. "Besides, I can make myself a turban with some of my other clothes." To anyone listening closely, a subtle shuff can be heard from nearby, sourceless. The chocobo would then become somewhat agitated, for only a moment, before calming significantly. Gradually, they would collapse. "I'd worry about it, to be sure!" She sighed then, resting her head back against the stone. "I suppose we should get moving again soon, though." Ulanan was distracted by the briefly restless chocobos. "Our mounts seem to agree." Bending her legs, Antimony moved to push up against the stone she'd been using as a backrest, pausing to bend down for her water skin. As she did this, she spoke, "Eager to be on the road again, hm? I doubt they'll think the same an hour from now." She chuckled lowly at that. The lalafell walked towards Antimony. The chocobos followed behind, their heads lowering more and more. "They surely are used to carrying strangers across scorched roads." "Used to it perhaps," Antimony mused as she straightened, dusting off the back of her robe with one hand. "But do they enjoy it?" Turning towards Ulanan, she adjusted her glasses slightly and frowned. "They don't look rested." She turned around just in time to see one of the chocobos trip on his feet and collapse to the ground like a yellow sack of olives. The other apparently thought that was a great idea, and did the same. Ulanan, on the other hand, frowned. Antimony took a step back, brow furrowing deeper in concern. "They didn't seem sick when they handed them off to us at Drybone..." "Precaution." the tiny woman mumbled as she reached for her wand. "Go behind that rock of yours for a moment." Antimony's lips twitched. "What--You think it's... already?" There was no hiding the nervousness in her tone, but she complied with Ulanan's instruction, moving around a partial outcropping jutting out next to where she'd been sitting. Remembering the last time she faced an assassin, Ulanan immediately cast a protective spell on herself. "I highly doubt it was the heat." A few moments would pass after Antimony went behind the rock, before another subtle shuff could be heard and a poisoned dart would smash against Ulanan's ward. Antimony chanced a tentative, worried peek around the edge of the stone towards Ulanan before shifting back behind it. Her hands moved to clutch her staff in front of her. A small hexagon of aether materialized in the way of the projectile, a few inches beyond Ulanan's body. A ring of fire formed around the tip of her wand, and she let loose a fire spell in the direction the shield had materialized, hoping the assailant would not take his chances and move, revealing his position. From the scrub-brush where Ulanan threw her fire, a lithe body is briefly revealed, wrapped in brown and tan linen from head to toe and throwing dust. The scrub brush bursts into small, fast-dying fires and blackened debris as the tan-wrapped form moves swiftly to try and disappear from sight again, a dark-colored tail briefly whipping into the air and vanishing. Behind the rock, Antimony flinched at the woosh of fire from Ulanan's spell and flicked her eyes about the space in front of her nervously. The thaumaturge pushed her wand swiftly forward, not wasting time in charging any spell. An elemental-less aetheric charge was sent towards the moving figure in the distance. The aetheric charge came faster than expected, and instead of dodging, this time the tan-clad figure pops up and cuts the attack out of the air with an aether-charged knife. The male miqo'te is still mostly unseeable in the garb that camouflages him and protects him from the desert. Even his eyes are hidden in the shadow of his wraps. He continues to retreat as, from another direction, there's a louder and more sudden twang, and an arrow flying in Ulanan's direction. Ulanan's shield intercepted the arrow, a small hexagonal section of it breaking like glass but stopping the arrow mid-flight. She raises her focus, rushing magical energy towards herself. Antimony pressed herself close against the stone as though she could meld with it, hearing the commotion beyond but entirely unsure how to help Ulanan. As Ulanan turns her attention to defense, the male miqo'te she had uncovered vanishes again. The one who had fired the arrow remains unseen. Briefly, movement can be heard from either side, and then nothing. Swallowing, Antimony took a few breaths to steady herself in the sudden silence and then said in hardly more than a whisper, "Ulanan?" The lalafell dropped her arms, but the aetheric charge in her remained. "Don't move!" she yelled to Antimony and just stood there, wand gripped tightly in her hand. Things would remain still and silent for several long seconds. Afterward, there would be a loud twang from where the archer had stopped moving and an arrow would come flying out of the shrub brush at a low angle, heading directly for Ulanan's face. From the other, there would be quick and very audible movement, a tan-clothed body lunging through the brush to skirt around Ulanan at a distance, heading at an angle to where Anti is hiding. Antimony pushed back into the crack of jutting rock as much as she could, eyes wide. She could hear movement but couldn't tell where it was going. The arrow smashed against another section of the magical shield, weakening it further. Ulanan cast another quick, shapeless spell at the place the arrow had came from and quickly prepared to cast another one. Where Ulanan cast a fresh spell, a Miqo'te, like the first one but thinner, could be seen moving briefly in the brush. He fired another arrow and does not try to conceal himself again, just moving to notch another while the first Miqo'te turns suddenly to run directly parallel to Antimony's hiding spot. Dully-colored darts flick into his hands, toxin gleaming on their tips. He moved so that he could get a clear vantage on Antimony. With no where to really go, Antimony crouched down suddenly, holding her staff in front of her as though it were a shield. Ulanan shouted at the archer, growing tired of thinking tactically and just deciding to fling large splashing fire bolts towards him until he stops moving. "Linen clothes are NOT acceptable GARMENTS FOR A WEDDING!" The archer continued to move, of course, only now he did it in lieu of firing completely, dashing to avoid Ulanan's onslaught. He did not seem to have any thoughts on the virtues of linen clothes at weddings, but it was probably for the best. The other got Antimony in his sights and flung three darts in her direction: sharp, long, poison-tipped needles. Dropping her staff, Antimony threw herself to the ground fully with a grunt, though one of the needles grazed across an ear with a sharp, briefly burning sting. Ulanan changed fire for ice when she was about to run out of aether, and kept flinging spells at the archer and yelling about wedding ettiquette. "Maids of honor will wear light blue! The best man will wear black or dark red! LINEN CLOTHS ARE FORBIDDEN!" The archer continued to run, trying to keep clear of Ulanan's ice blasts, all the while wondering what the crazy thing was yelling about. Eventually, he would take a hit, though, and be encumbered by the chill. Over by Antimony, another series of darts flew unhindered from the first Miqo'te's hands. The first dart thunked softly into the sand in front of Antimony, and she stared at it wide-eyed, keeping her body pressed flat against the ground, only to feel a needling sting in her shoulder as the second dart found its target. The third brushed over her back and knocked uselessly against the rock behind her. The lalafell moved her hands in a circle, transfusing the elemental ice charged around her into fire and, ignoring the encumbered archer for a moment, cast a bigger fire bolt at the dart flinging man. The miqo'te throwing the darts flung what is left of them at Ulanan, though a number of them were knocked aside by the fireball. He spun, avoiding the brunt of the blast, but came away with visibly burnt clothing. The man whistled loudly, a sound that was returned from his compatriot. The ice-encumbered Miqo'te dropped to the ground and began to retreat, while the other took more darts from his belt and focuses on Ulanan. "I'm at least killing one of you!" the lala yelled, and turned around, throwing a volley of fire towards the archer. Antimony shifted a bit sluggishly on the ground behind the rock, attempting to move one hand up to her shoulder to pull out the dart. The action was slow and uncoordinated, however, and her hand dropped back to the sand as her eyes rolled back into her head The Miqo'te with the darts laid into Ulanan with a veritable torrent, emptying his belt-holster onto her shield and filling the sky between them with the flickering of metal and poison. The one who was crawling away from Ulanan in the brush attempted evade the lalafel’s fire, but could not do so successfully. He was burned where he crawled, and cried out in pain as the fire set alight his clothes and the plants around him. The darts broke section after section of the shield until almost nothing remained. Ulanan ran as soon as she heard the screaming, evading some of the darts and flinging a quickcast burst towards the attacker. Behind the rock, Antimony lay still on the ground, having been hit with enough sedative to drop a chocobo - an animal with a great deal more mass than her. The Miqo'te with the darts continued to lay into Ulanan as she ran. He dashed toward his fallen companion, evading the shot from Ulanan. His accuracy greatly decreased as a result of both of them moving, and most of the darts missed their target now. The thaumaturge, however, kept running. "You are wearing linen clothes!" she yelled angrily. "WHAT DID I SAY ABOUT LINEN CLOTHES?" She stopped to recast the shield. The darts began to slow as the Miqo'te neared his fallen compatriot, though they do more or less continue. They stopped for a brief moment as the man retrieved the bow and quiver from his fallen companion, though an unexpected flick of darts halfway through the process would keep Ulanan on her toes. What little aether was left on Ulanan's first shield managed to intercept the attack, allowing her to replace it with a new one. She quickcast another shapeless aether bolt towards the attacker. The Miqo'te fired a single arrow before the aether bolt reaches him, knocking him back into the shrub brush not far from his compatriot. He didn’t move when he hit the ground, and the bow fell to one side. The shield flickered for a brief moment, re-materializing when the arrow was halfway through it. The projectile snaps in half and the head spins and cuts into Ulanan's lower torso. She grunts, the pain bending her downward. The Miqo'te was still on the ground and not moving. He must be hurt. Somebody must have hurt him. Ulanan flung more fire bolts at where he fell, yelling something about how hitting the bride is very rude. As the fire bolts came at the tall grass, the Miqo'te moved again, and very suddenly. A plethora of darts flew from his hands as he moved aside from the fire balls, skirting the edges so that he was burned but not wounded. And now he's running towards Ulanan. The shield met the darts, shattering completely. Ulanan prepares to cast an ice spell this time, and shot it towards the oncoming miqo'te. The Miqo'te ignored the ice spell in favor of getting a few darts thrown viciously past it, at Ulanan. He took the hit hard and was knocked to the side, heavier. Without a shield, however, Ulanan's only choice to avoid being hurt further was to move to the side. She was too slow, though, and one of the darts still struck her. She fell to the ground instantly, the dose being probably too much for a lalafell. The assailant would not press his attack further. Instead, he would leave Antimony and Ulanan for dead, dragging himself back to his companion and collecting him. As Ulanan's spell wore off of him, he would carry the burned Miqo'te back into the desert. The darts which he used were soaked in a sedative, powerful enough to put a Chocobo to sleep. The nature of sedatives is precarious, though, and that which will put a Chocobo to sleep can do much more to smaller beings. It is enough to put a Miqo'te like Antimony into a coma, and to kill a Lalafel like Ulanan. This would be the case for these two, were it not for a counter-agent that was administered not long after the would-be assassins had been chased off. Antimony and Ulanan would be moved into the shade and left to wait out their sleep, their chocobos tied to a nearby shrub so they wouldn't run off upon waking. The mix of sedative and counter-agent would keep them asleep until nightfall. But the assassins did not return to check as they should have. Instead, the larger of the two Miqo'te assassins was busy trying to keep his companion from losing his life to the burns Ulanan had given him. As for who administered to the counter agent to Ulanan and Antimony? A certain hermit, dressed in rags and dirty from the desert, lingered nearby the oasis and watched the moon beginning to rise in the sky. It was well into night when Antimony finally stirred, a low noise escaping her throat. Several minutes passed before her eyelashes flickered and then cracked open, staring blearily at the ground in front of her without understanding. It took several more minutes for her brain to slowly process the cool, night air and the rough, pebbly ground beneath her, and soon after there came a few slow but coherent thoughts, one of which sent a shock through her that jolted her body upright - too quickly, as she wavered and then toppled back onto her side a bit dizzily. "Ulanan?" she muttered. "Alive..?" Ulanan seemed perfectly fine except for a bloodstain on her clothes and a small tear, caused by the arrow that hit her, through which bandages could be seen covering the wound. She was, though, knocked out or asleep. Distracted from the moon, the Duskwight turned his pale gaze over his shoulder. His excellent hearing caught Antimony's muttering, and he watched her in silence for a few moments. He stood about ten meters off, and in the night there was only the sound of wind and bugs about the water. The nearby cactuar had gone still. So his voice carried when he said softly, "You should not move so suddenly. The darts they struck you with were drugged." Her ears, resting limp against her skull, twitch a bit sluggishly before lying flat and still once more, and Antimony struggles back into an upright position, locking her arm to support herself. She recognized that voice and it left her fearful, especially for Ulanan who she hadn't heard respond to her words. Her head turned towards where the voice had come from, spotting the shadowed form of a tall elezen not far from where they lay. "Are you..." She spoke slowly, working through the lingering effects of the sedative, "... here to finish the job, then?" The sounds woke Ulanan a bit. She half opend her eyes, but didn’t seem very focused. She mumbled something. "Linen cloths", probably. "Not at all." He gestured with one palm open to Antimony, "I was no longer welcome in the Shroud after I chose to spare your life. So I decided to wander Thanalan, and Oschon brought me here." Antimony sighed, shifting on the ground so that she was in a more easily maintained sitting position and moving one hand to her shoulder to rub at the tender spot left from the dart. "I see," she murmured. "So this... man truly wants me dead." The thought made her feel queasy and she glanced wearily towards Ulanan's form. "Is she alright?" The lalafell woman was having trouble to wake up. Her small frame made the sedative linger longer and far stronger than on the other woman. She was trying, though. Megiddo let his hands hang limply at his side, and turned his frown to Ulanan, "The toxin will affect her more extensively. I administered a basic antidote, but not knowing more about what she was given, I leave it up to the whims of the Twelve." Leaning forward to rest her arms on her legs, Antimony cast a sideways look in Megiddo's direction. Her tail shifted to lay limply across her lap. "I see," she repeated and then held her head in her hands, ears drooping further. "Will they return?" With a shrug, he said, "That depends on several factors I cannot predict. They have been following you ever since you left the shroud, it turns out, and will likely return there. Even if they do not return, there are always others your client could hire." Ulanan opens her eyes finally, but simply looks around; she's not completely awake yet. Scooting to one side until she's next to Ulanan, Antimony rested a hand on the lalafel's arm, watching her wake as she process's Megiddo's words. "I... need to get back to Limsa," she finally said in a quiet tone. "My employer will be able to… do something about this." She shook Ulanan's arm gently. Megiddo nodded deeply, "Of that I have no doubt." Ulanan spoke, yawning, "Is the wedding over yet?" Antimony forced a small smile, still feeling as though her body wished to sleep for another year. "No wedding, but the.. they're gone." Still standing some distance away, Megiddo smiled at Ulanan and said, "Welcome back to Thanalan. You've some sort of poison in your system, but it looks like it's subsiding." "It's called a husband." she said, still half unconscious. Antimony blinked at Ulanan for a time, not really understanding. "Ah," Megs said. And, somewhat delayed, laughed. Ulanan looked down to the wound in her belly. "I didn't have that before..." Then, she snapped, standing in one jump and yelling. "Ah! Assasins!" The sudden movement and the effects of the sedative made her strumble and fall on her behind. "You need to quit your job" she grumbles. Megs extended a hand towards Ulanan, "You must be careful. The toxin in your system needs time to expire or you'll simply hurt yourself." Antimony leaned away from Ulanan at her sudden movement but soon after cast her a worried look. "They're gone," she repeated, though there was a silent 'for now' left in the weight of her silence after. Satisfied that Ulanan wasn't dead or even dying, she dropped her head back to her hands, the tip of her tail twitching slowly in her lap. Ulanan took Megiddo's hand and used it to pull herself back up. "Hurt!" she said randomly. She then looked at Antimony. "We shouldn't stay here." "You should rest," Megiddo said, shaking his head slightly. "The two who attacked you are not aware that you have survived. Take this chance to return to full strength." Rubbing at her head slowly, Antimony nodded - though whether it was to Ulanan's or Megiddo's suggestion wasn’t clear. Ulanan looks up to Megiddo. "I guess." She squinted and spoke again. "Maybe I should just hire you to escort us intead. I'm doing a terrible job. Because it's not my job. Maybe if I got payed I'd be better because then it would be my job OHHH I'm dizzy again!" and she carefully sat down again. "Apologies," Antimony finally said. "I'll compensate you for everything when we get to Limsa." Megiddo watched Ulanan with some mix of pity and respect. "I would say you're doing just fine. If you hadn't so gravely ruined the one, the other wouldn't have been so desperate to flee. They would have finished the job instead of trusting the toxin." "I'm not asking for money." she growled at Antimony, somewhat offended by the thought. She spoke the duskwight afterwards,"There are only so many wounds I can take, though." "It would only be right that I give you something for your trouble," Antimony retortedthough without much energy behind her words and without looking up from her hands. Her ears shifted one way towards Ulanan and then the other, towards Megiddo, before resting back down on her head. "All things considered, we shouldn't stay here for more than another day." "Leave at sunrise if you are feeling better, but stay at least the night. For my sake, that I do not worry." Ulanan shifted and lay on the ground, face upwards. "Fine. But you still hit me in the head that one time. Was it at a wedding?" "No," Megiddo answer casually, "You were protecting Antimony from me at the time." "Which is... no longer necessary?" When Antimony spoke, she didn’t sound entirely convinced. Ulanan nodded. "If this is a plot of him to kill you, it is extremely convoluted and stupid. I think such stupidity is beyond him." Megiddo spread his arms, smiling, "I have never been paid a finer compliment." "I was never hit so hard in the head, so I guess we are even." A Lalafell, a Miqo'te and a Duskwight are walking, following the road somewhere in Central Thanalan. They are on a mission. A very important mission from which Eorzea's future hangs. But that is not their tale. Instead, this is the tale of a different Lalafell, Miqo'te and Duskwight walking Central Thanalan's roads towards the West. They are not on a mission. They are just traveling. Antimony's staff digs deep into the gravelly sand of central Thanalan as they move. She keeps her head bowed for the most part, occasionally casting curious, if vaguely wary, looks in the direction of the duskwight who had chosen to follow them. Megiddo follows behind the pair at an unintentionally unsettling distance. Despite this, as he's wearing his hermit's linens and walking with a slight hunch, he's presenting an exceptionally non-threatening image. Goggles on his face protect his eyes from the sand. Ulanan's wearing an oversized hat to protect herself from the sun. She rubs the spot where the assasin's dart had struck her. With her other hand, she's guiding the chocobo's they had rented. "I wonder why they are limping. The dart's hit -us- harder than them. Damn sissies." Antimony covers her eyes with one hand, squinting and wishing she hadn't forgotten her hat wherever it was she'd left it. Somewhere in the Shroud. Never going back there again! "Animals react differently to these things than us," she replies and then stops suddenly to turn around, facing Megiddo. Her lips purse into a frown. "As much as I appreciate the help you provided," she began, raising her voice towards the Duskwight, "I must wonder why you continue to follow us." His expression turning into a frown at Antimony's question, he continues to walk forward. He answers with a dry throat making his voice even rougher than usual, "Initially I was under the impression that you were going to have someone killed and was trying to protect that person. Now that situation has turned around. So I have as well." Antimony blinks at that, twisting her grip on the unworked stick she'd been leaning much of her weight on. "That's... a rather sharp turn." Ulanan stops walking. Not because she wants to interject in the conversation, but because the chocobos have decided to stop walking. She pulls their leashes angrily. "Behold the brittle breed of brainless birds!" Megiddo pauses long enough to turn to face Antimony, "Not really. If an innocent person is in danger and I've nothing else I'm doing, I'd damned well better protect them, right? What kind of person wouldn't?" "I'm not sure." Her frown drops, brow smoothing out, but her tone remains unsure. "Someone who would slit the throat of a harmless old woman, perhaps." Her ears and tail rest still and relaxed in position, not giving away any particular emotion towards her statement. She glances briefly at Ulanan and the chocobos. The lala is still trying to pull them, but they are much stronger than her. It's like watching an ant trying to push two whole trees. "Move, you mindless, mitigated, makeshift plumed mollusks!" "Perhaps," Megiddo replies, "But those are exactly the kind of people who are after you." He steps over to where Ulanan is and reaches to the reins of the Chocobo, "Can I help you with one of these, Ulanan?" "Black Brush is not far," Antimony says after a moment, turning more fully towards Ulanan. "We may want to exchange them." "Tear its trachea, tailor a plumed attire to terrify the other into obeying!" It takes her a moment to realize she was being talked to. She raises her sight at Megiddo. "Uh? Yes, please." She hands one of the reins to him. Antimony's eyes widen slightly. "I don't think... tearing any vital parts should be necessary." "It would work, but I imagine the stables would protest." Megs takes one of the reins and and pulls on it hard enough that the chocobo has to move in order to keep from falling. Wiping some sweat from her brow, Antimony leans a bit more on her staff while watching the two work to get the chocobos cooperating again. "I didn't budget enough to cover replacement costs for a chocobo, so... please just keep them in one piece." Ulanan mumbles, "The standards of that stable stinks." Her chocobo follows her, motivated by his companion's movement. Megiddo continues to pull the chocobo forward, looking over at Antimony as he moves, "Is the heat getting to you, Antimony?" Straightening deliberately, Antimony moves to follow the two and the now-mobile chocobos. She offers a brief smile, tail swinging low and slow. "I wouldn't worry about me. Perhaps two attempts on my life was a bit much." Pushing her glasses up the bridge of her nose, she adds, "I'd be more concerned with any fines we may incur if the stables notice the chocobos have suffered damage." Ulanan turns around, walking backwards. She leans to one side and then the other until she can see Antimony. "Heat hurdles? Hastily hang this hat over your head." She takes her hat off and extends her arm, holding it, towards Antimony. "If I'm not mistaken, the chocobo stables state that their birds are guaranteed to get you where you're going without any hang-ups. It's a refund policy, actually. You could push that angle." Antimony shakes her head but accepts the hat nonetheless. "You just let me know if you start feeling under the weather," she advises with a warning look at Ulanan. She dons the hat, her ears pushing down on either side of her head in a rather comical look thanks to the lack of ear holes. But it fits otherwise. Ulanan smiles. She looks calm, her brief hate for chocobos having vanished away. "I elegantly evoke the elements. No wild warm or wanton wind will weaken my willpower!" Antimony chuckles at that, tugging at the hat a bit so it sits more comfortably. Megs reclaims his silence, leaning his weight in such a way as the bird takes some of it to help him walk. His body hangs weakly from his curved spine and angles against the wind. Ulanan turns to face forward again. She walks a few paces before stopping. She hold her wand, aether gathering into it. She loosens a very weak ice spell into the air, forming a small blue light orb. It floats harmless around her chilling the air somewhat. The chocobo doesn't look impressed and keeps walking once Ulanan resumes her stroll. Turning forward as well, Antimony picks up her pace somewhat, to catch up with the other chocobo and Megiddo, where she settles into a steady walk behind him. There's a period of silence until she says, mostly to herself, "What are the odds, really." Megiddo states like a recitation, "There is no coincidence where the Twelve are involved," and then, looking at Antimony, "What are the odds of what?" Ulanan keeps walking in silence, except for the odd moment where she kicks the sand piled on the road. She finds it amusing. Antimony looks up, blinking in confusion for several moments as though she were unsure what Megiddo was referring to. "... Hm? Oh." She shakes her head and gestures loosely with the hand not clutching her staff. "Everything, really. Meeting the two of you. You attempting to kill me. But stopping. Another... incident. You showing up again. Ah, but really, I was referring to... what are the odds that my employer will respond favorably to this." "Ah. I doubt that it is very likely." "One attempted assassination should be an acceptable argument to avoid additional assignments." "It's just that I've been thinking," Antimony begins and then falls silent for a time. Her ears twitch a bit underneath the hat. "About olives?" "What? Well, no." She frowns slightly. "Though food wouldn't go amiss..." Shaking her head, she recollects. "About what I--or we should do. I'd hate to break my promise of showing you Limsa. But if they're truly the kind of people to send assassins... If they wanted me to know of this, they would have told me before, I think." She frowns at an uncomfortable thought. Reaching into one of his many large pockets, Megiddo produces a small bag and holds it out to Antimony. It would be filled with berries. "Are you worried for your safety or merely your employment?" "You should pretend unawareness of the situation." Ulanan says. "Assasins attacked you. Twice. Anyone who is clueless would quit and run away to found an olive farm." "So I should continue as though it never happened?" Antimony spoke to Ulanan, though she looked to Megiddo as she accepted the offered bag with a quick smile. "Wouldn't that just invite more… well, problems? That is, if this isn't just a misunderstanding, I mean." "What? No. I mean you should tell your employer the following." She coughs and adopts a very silly, exaggerated voice: "PEOPLE TRIED TO KILL ME! TWICE! I QUIT!" "It may be for the best," Megiddo says more calmly, "If you continue working as you have been, you will continue to run into problems such as the one you have now. That is, if it's even possible to continue as you have been." "Perhaps I should speak to the authorities," Antimony wondered after a moment, though her ears and tail droop at the thought. "They - my employers - have always been so good to me." The lalafell kicks a pile of sand, dispersing it all over. "My husband was very nice to his lovers and not nice to me." Chuckling at Ulanan as though she'd said something funny, Megiddo says, "Everyone is nice to their bedfellows." Antimony gives Ulanan an odd look. "Good point! So Antimony is basically her employer's bedfellow, who murders his real wifes. Or clients." She blinks, pondering. "That's a terrible analogy." Megiddo laughs. Antimony's tail flicks behind her and she looks generally disturbed by that imagery. "I never did.. anything like that." "Nobody's saying you did. That's the point of an analogy." He thinks for a moment, then says, "It's more like your employer is a fisherman and you are their rod. They take good care of the rod, but use it to viciously capture and consume the fish." "I said it was a terrible analogy!" "And if the rod stops working?" He looks at Ulanan, "Is that any better?" "That's a better analogy. I'll give you an olive to signify my approval." "But in this case, the rod knows rather incriminating things about the fisher... ah, both of those are strange analogies." She shakes her head a bit violently, as though shaking off some thought. "Would you understand it better if we told you your employer is an employer and you are their employee that gets attacked by assasins?" Chuckling Megiddo replied, "That one seems prudent." Antimony sighs. "What I mean to say is... what should I do with this knowledge? If they find out - well, if it is all true - would they not then..." She trails off, unwilling to finish that thought. "Are there authorities in Limsa Lominsa? I thought it was just pirates everywhere." "Not then what? Oh, they would have to do something about it. It all just depends on their character." He chews some words for a moment, and answers Ulanan, "The authority is the more powerful pirates." "Maybe you should just pretend you died." "There is the Maelstrom. Though... I've never had any reason to--" She stops suddenly and looks to Ulanan. "I can't just go into hiding!" "It's not that hard! But..." she trails off. "I guess you could not tell them about the assassins. Tell them you have decided to retire, maybe? Because some ailment is...stabbing at your health!" She lets out a small chuckle. Antimony furrows her brow, looking rather undecided, and leans a bit heavily on her staff as she continues to walk. "Perhaps." "I think it would be best to confront your employers about this. Putting you at risk has been very rude of them." "Call the biggest pirates around first, though." Ulanan says. "In case they decide their fishing rod is too unruly." Antimony looks between Ulanan and Megiddo several times before letting out a sigh. "Well, there is time yet to decide how to approach it." She doesn't sound particularly happy or eager to do so. Nodding, Megiddo says in a somewhat different tone, "When we reach Ul'dah, I will not enter. If Oschon wills it, I will find you on the other side when you are ready to leave." "I understand," Antimony says after a moment, and then falls quiet, tail dragging behind her, lost in thought. Ulanan nods, pulling her chocobo some more just to screw with it.

The Commerce Regulation Agency is not overtly villainous, but I think you might find that they're hidden agenda would not be to most Eorzeans' liking.

The RPC may have a consensus, but that's definitely not the case for the broader RP community. The non-Balmung RP section is extremely divided across three or four servers, if the beta forums are anything to go by. It's incredibly frustrating. I will continue hoping that SE designates an official RP server.

Yeah, and now half the robe models look incomplete because they're missing the rope/sash around the waist.

Ildur, what have you done. [edit] Well I posted them on the CRA ls site, but here they are for the RPC's viewing (dis)pleasure! Lalanti: Sah'ot I may actually have to use those tattoos on the miqo'te version, since I'm continually annoyed at how faint the face markings are.

So on the urging of a friend, I tried making a Highlander version of Naunet... Frick. It's so good. Well, minus the hips. Ideally she'd be significantly less curvy (why can't the chest slider go any lower qq), but... argh! A bunch of chatting with friends has developed a really fun backstory for her, too, so... I guess I need to start thinking of a new story for my elezen. Oops. I wonder how successfully I can RP a character who is supposed to look fairly indistinguishable in terms of gender in this community. It was hard even with Forsaken!Naunet in WoW, which you wouldn't think would be difficult, considering... But players always just make assumptions based on what they see OOCly. >_< It's also pure evil. D: I had been trying to keep my alt numbers down... but now I have six!

First - I suppose you can choose your location, if you happen to be secure enough financially that moving around wherever is feasible. It's often not really a choice a lot of people have the opportunity to make. Second - Who's to say that the percent representation of a race isn't part of the choice that goes into what makes someone happy with their race? It's not like the two are mutually exclusive. I'll be maining a Sun Seeker miqo'te and wouldn't change her for the world - mostly because it happens to be the only race where I could actually get the look I was going for (more mature/aged) and with animations that don't look freakishly girly. But I'll also be roleplaying a lalafel, an elezen, and a hyur, so... *shrug*

Eh, that's not really fair. Your real life race isn't exactly something you can pick and choose, but you can in a video game. The lack of racial diversity is a bit frustrating, because a lot of roleplayers are going to lose out on a good deal of cultural diversity in their roleplay - even with the range of backgrounds (from tribal to hermit to cosmopolitan to whatever) you can give a miqo'te. So yeah, racial diversity definitely can and does affect one's roleplay - potentially in a negative way - so while of course it's important to pick whatever makes one happy, it also means that concerns like "There are way too many of Race X" are valid should one want to take them into account when making a decision.

Honestly? I think this sounds friggin awesome.

I touched up Antimony's look just a bit, giving her a smidge darker skin: Alas, I can't take pictures of her with her IC outfit! But this was Anti before. I'm also struggling to decide on a look for my elezen Naunet. I'd really appreciate it if folk could give their feedback. Some options are here. On a side note, anyone else noticing the super low-resolution textures of hair? Anti's hair looks like a mess of pixels.

I love the flow of it, though the Vaughn/Von part of it makes it a bit silly-sounding. I'm not as familiar with Hyur lore as I am with, say, miqo'te or elezen, but does roll off the tongue nicely and such. 8/10! My main character's name is Antimony Jhanhi. The first name is a recent change after fleeing her tribe unable to face the continued reminders of the mate and children she lost in the calamity. Her original name was K'piru Jhanhi. [edit]@entropyrat: Oh you.

Considering blocking someone doesn't block them on the emote channel... yeah. If we're worrying about griefers, our attention would be better spent petitioning Squee to fix it so that blocking works across all channels.

Eh? Nothing like this has bothered me in any other MMO...

Your best bet for providing feedback on the actual game is to post in the beta forums. Only General Discussion is open at the moment, but when phase 4 starts, the Feedback forums will open up again and you can post there as well.

I've actually hosted tent market faires in TERA repeatedly that were very well-received - and earned those involved a fair bit of coin! They included both "vendor stands", where a representative would try to sell their wares, and at the end, a smaller auction session, where big ticket items were auctioned off. It was a fun RP event.

It took me two attempts, but it was well worth it. Samuel R. Delany is incredible.

I understand entirely now! Thank you for the clarification.

I don't know if you're just not communicating your tone properly over the internet, but you're coming off as incredibly condescending. There's more to roleplaying the consequences of some injury or illness than just people "boohoo"ing over another. It's about roleplaying lasting consequences of a character's decisions and actions, rather than having an easy out via magic. For example, a character of mine in TERA attempted to kill someone she's harbored very negative feelings towards for a long while. She managed to damage him greatly, but in the process he also managed to turn a lot of her own power back on her, nearly burning her arm off. It's been interesting including the limitations of such an injury in the roleplay following that scene, as she's basically lost all function in her left arm. The guy she tried to kill has had to deal with some pretty horrible body burns, so he didn't get off all that easy either (though at least he was able to seek out proper medical care). So please don't try to characterize including reasonable consequences of injury as some kind of pity party. It's insulting to roleplayers who don't see magic as a cure-all (which, arguably, wouldn't even make sense, as it calls into question why there would be death from injury or disease in the world in the first place - such as the plague that ravaged the Hyur).