Zhavi didn't think she'd ever get used to airships. No matter how many times she took 'em, it gave her the shivers to be so high up in the air. It weren't natural, and there was something wrong about seeing the city that had ruled her life reduced to a tiny speck below, and then behind her. Limsa Lominsa was a monster in itself, and it always chilled her to leave it behind, like it was about to reach out and snatch her back. She fought the sensation and looked away.
Brindle was nattering something at her, his form irritatingly tall and lanky beside her. She missed being able to look down at him; at least then she knew he had no other better options. Keeping him around kept her sharp, she told herself. Repeatedly.
"Slow down," she snapped at him, turning away from the rail to hover near one of the benches on deck. It kept her from pacing. Not pacing kept her from attracting too much attention. "Start over." She hadn't been listening.
The sound he made told her he knew she hadn't been listening. "Listen, I went an' checked out some o' me larks, thinkin' mebbe 'twere that he'd taken on some sort o' yoke. Copper's crew, an' take a roll on whether'r not it was a one off, aye? But that's th' wrinkle, he ain't some sort o' poor gaffer, he ain't, 'twas a jockey what gambled, wi' a big break aside."
Zhi looked up at the lad, squinting against the sun. Why was he so tall? "What's 'e doin' on me turf, kickin' up sod wi' Rourke?"
Brindle shrugged. "Weren't no job caught at th' docks, no from what I can tell."
Zhi gritted her teeth. "Well now, I'll pull me take from his widow, if I've need, mark me words."
"Don't have one."
"Th' take went somewhere."
Brindle nodded, uneasy. "He's debts -- an' yeah, we knew that -- but I'm thinkin' they weren't all circlin' 'round gil."
"So what, this's a blimmin' favor?"
Brindle shrugged.
"What's a jockey workin' Thanalan out doin' stealin' from some boss in Limsa?"
Brindle shrugged again.
"This ain't me gig."
Brindle grinned, his bared teeth completely without humor. "Nah, but it'll be yer hide if Jager finds out. Mine too if Rourke finds out."
Zhavi gripped the back of the bench. She hated airships. She hated travel. "Then we'd best move quick, aye?"
Brindle nodded, eyes straying to her whitened knuckles. "Aye."
_________________
Johi hadn't opened shop back in Ul'dah after the race, and she decided to keep it closed the day after, too. The last thing she needed were any high-minded Blades coming sniffing around her stall asking questions about where she'd been and what she knew about the murder at the races. She wasn't involved, and they'd like as not know that, but that didn't mean they wouldn't steal some of her inventory as "evidence," and she'd a mind to keep her profit. Besides, if they really needed her for questioning, they'd dig her out of her little one-room home.
As it was, she sat in the narrow alley outside of her home, next to her open door, grinding and mixing herbs she was low on in the shop. Around her, men and women moved on their various daily errands. Gossip flowed, and Johi supped from it, casually, letting it keep her mind occupied while her hands worked.
"Didn't you hear about that poor Miss Yates? Brother was the only thing keeping her and her boy fed, and now he's gone. Poor things."
"Poor? Better off without that louse, if you ask me."
"Better off? They'll be starving afore the moon's out!"
"He'd tatty connections, and word was he was digging himself deep with his debts."
"Connections? He was a gambler, aye, but he weren't no beater."
"He got hisself in with a bad crowd, mark my words, because..."
The voices trailed off, Johi catching herself seeking after them. Yates? Miss Yates and her boy? Surely that wasn't the good for nothing brother she'd seen dead yesterday...
She chewed on her lower lip, hands stilling in her lap. Maybe...maybe she'd open her stall up anyways. Just in case. Just to be sure.
There were some routines in Ul'dah it was better not to mess with.
Brindle was nattering something at her, his form irritatingly tall and lanky beside her. She missed being able to look down at him; at least then she knew he had no other better options. Keeping him around kept her sharp, she told herself. Repeatedly.
"Slow down," she snapped at him, turning away from the rail to hover near one of the benches on deck. It kept her from pacing. Not pacing kept her from attracting too much attention. "Start over." She hadn't been listening.
The sound he made told her he knew she hadn't been listening. "Listen, I went an' checked out some o' me larks, thinkin' mebbe 'twere that he'd taken on some sort o' yoke. Copper's crew, an' take a roll on whether'r not it was a one off, aye? But that's th' wrinkle, he ain't some sort o' poor gaffer, he ain't, 'twas a jockey what gambled, wi' a big break aside."
Zhi looked up at the lad, squinting against the sun. Why was he so tall? "What's 'e doin' on me turf, kickin' up sod wi' Rourke?"
Brindle shrugged. "Weren't no job caught at th' docks, no from what I can tell."
Zhi gritted her teeth. "Well now, I'll pull me take from his widow, if I've need, mark me words."
"Don't have one."
"Th' take went somewhere."
Brindle nodded, uneasy. "He's debts -- an' yeah, we knew that -- but I'm thinkin' they weren't all circlin' 'round gil."
"So what, this's a blimmin' favor?"
Brindle shrugged.
"What's a jockey workin' Thanalan out doin' stealin' from some boss in Limsa?"
Brindle shrugged again.
"This ain't me gig."
Brindle grinned, his bared teeth completely without humor. "Nah, but it'll be yer hide if Jager finds out. Mine too if Rourke finds out."
Zhavi gripped the back of the bench. She hated airships. She hated travel. "Then we'd best move quick, aye?"
Brindle nodded, eyes straying to her whitened knuckles. "Aye."
_________________
Johi hadn't opened shop back in Ul'dah after the race, and she decided to keep it closed the day after, too. The last thing she needed were any high-minded Blades coming sniffing around her stall asking questions about where she'd been and what she knew about the murder at the races. She wasn't involved, and they'd like as not know that, but that didn't mean they wouldn't steal some of her inventory as "evidence," and she'd a mind to keep her profit. Besides, if they really needed her for questioning, they'd dig her out of her little one-room home.
As it was, she sat in the narrow alley outside of her home, next to her open door, grinding and mixing herbs she was low on in the shop. Around her, men and women moved on their various daily errands. Gossip flowed, and Johi supped from it, casually, letting it keep her mind occupied while her hands worked.
"Didn't you hear about that poor Miss Yates? Brother was the only thing keeping her and her boy fed, and now he's gone. Poor things."
"Poor? Better off without that louse, if you ask me."
"Better off? They'll be starving afore the moon's out!"
"He'd tatty connections, and word was he was digging himself deep with his debts."
"Connections? He was a gambler, aye, but he weren't no beater."
"He got hisself in with a bad crowd, mark my words, because..."
The voices trailed off, Johi catching herself seeking after them. Yates? Miss Yates and her boy? Surely that wasn't the good for nothing brother she'd seen dead yesterday...
She chewed on her lower lip, hands stilling in her lap. Maybe...maybe she'd open her stall up anyways. Just in case. Just to be sure.
There were some routines in Ul'dah it was better not to mess with.
