After leaving Ul'dah and leaving her very livelihood, Antimony set off on the path to Black Brush...
***
Antimony walked her rented chocobo to the porter, having recently arrived at Black Brush Station. Her ears hung low to the sides of her head, and her pace was of one distracted by thought. She offered a very brief smile to the porter and held out a thin ticket to her - him? It was hard to tell with the mask. The chocobo at her side kwehed and fluffed its feathers at the other birds loitering around.
Ulanan sat near the keeper, looking all dozy and bored. Her eyes discovered Antimony after a moment. Yawning, she raised both hands to stretch herself. “ Antimony!â€
Antimony's tail stiffened, bushing out considerably before curling flat against one leg. Tensely, she turned to the voice. "Ah... hello, Ulanan."
Ulanan walked towards her, stumbling once thanks to the long time she had spent sitting in one place. “I heard you were leaving to Coerthas.â€
Antimony smiled a bit weakly, not really putting any emotion behind the expression. "Where...ever would you have heard that?"
“I heard it from the people now living in your room.â€
Antimony's smile fell immediately, her ears swooping back. "Oh. I see." She was quiet for a moment and then sighed before continuing without directly looking at the lalafell, "Then you will know why."
Ulanan let out a big breath. "I know." She reached for her pouch and, with both hands, offered it to the Miqo'te. "I'm not here to convince you to stay, just to ask you to be careful and get an escort in Drybone."
Antimony blinked at the pouch, then shifted her eyes to Ulanan, brow furrowing slightly. "What is this...?"
Ulanan smiled and proclaimed happily: "It's a pouch! With coin inside and a letter to the Brass Blades in Drybone to assign you an escort."
Antimony was silent for a long moment and then turned to drop to one knee in front of Ulanan, wrapping her arms around the lalafell in a brief hug. "Thank you. I don't know what I did to deserve you, but thank you."
Ulanan was confused by hugging protocols for a full second before realizing that the protocol was 'wrap your arms around the other person', so she did. “Just present the letter to an Immortal Flame officer and he'll get you my father's finest bodyguard!â€
Antimony pulled away after a moment, standing with some effort, the pouch in one hand. She seemed to struggle with something for a time before finally managing, "If you could... I would ask a favor of you." She sighed, tail twisting anxiously behind her. "Miss Loughree... can you check and see if she is alright? Megiddo was..."
Ulanan frowned at the Duskwight's name. "That old, grey asparagus." she grumbled. "I will make sure Loughree is safe, don't worry."
Antimony bowed her head. "I will anyway, but... thank you." The porter gestured inquiringly then, and Antimony sighed. "I should... go now. I'm sorry."
Ulanan nodded and waves her hand shyly. "Have a safe journey! And enjoy Coerthas!"
Antimony lifted one hand in response, looking away. A shadow crossed her features at some thought and then she turned away suddenly, moving to the chocobo the porter had prepared for her. Ulanan turned around with her eyes closed and concentrated. The aether around her gathered, surrounding her in a dim blue light and lifting her. After a moment, there was a flash and she was gone.
Antimony's shoulders slumped at the dull hum of aether charging and then dissipating. She was still for a moment before pulling herself onto the chocobo's back and setting off for Drybone.
***
Antimony walked her rented chocobo to the porter, having recently arrived at Black Brush Station. Her ears hung low to the sides of her head, and her pace was of one distracted by thought. She offered a very brief smile to the porter and held out a thin ticket to her - him? It was hard to tell with the mask. The chocobo at her side kwehed and fluffed its feathers at the other birds loitering around.
Ulanan sat near the keeper, looking all dozy and bored. Her eyes discovered Antimony after a moment. Yawning, she raised both hands to stretch herself. “ Antimony!â€
Antimony's tail stiffened, bushing out considerably before curling flat against one leg. Tensely, she turned to the voice. "Ah... hello, Ulanan."
Ulanan walked towards her, stumbling once thanks to the long time she had spent sitting in one place. “I heard you were leaving to Coerthas.â€
Antimony smiled a bit weakly, not really putting any emotion behind the expression. "Where...ever would you have heard that?"
“I heard it from the people now living in your room.â€
Antimony's smile fell immediately, her ears swooping back. "Oh. I see." She was quiet for a moment and then sighed before continuing without directly looking at the lalafell, "Then you will know why."
Ulanan let out a big breath. "I know." She reached for her pouch and, with both hands, offered it to the Miqo'te. "I'm not here to convince you to stay, just to ask you to be careful and get an escort in Drybone."
Antimony blinked at the pouch, then shifted her eyes to Ulanan, brow furrowing slightly. "What is this...?"
Ulanan smiled and proclaimed happily: "It's a pouch! With coin inside and a letter to the Brass Blades in Drybone to assign you an escort."
Antimony was silent for a long moment and then turned to drop to one knee in front of Ulanan, wrapping her arms around the lalafell in a brief hug. "Thank you. I don't know what I did to deserve you, but thank you."
Ulanan was confused by hugging protocols for a full second before realizing that the protocol was 'wrap your arms around the other person', so she did. “Just present the letter to an Immortal Flame officer and he'll get you my father's finest bodyguard!â€
Antimony pulled away after a moment, standing with some effort, the pouch in one hand. She seemed to struggle with something for a time before finally managing, "If you could... I would ask a favor of you." She sighed, tail twisting anxiously behind her. "Miss Loughree... can you check and see if she is alright? Megiddo was..."
Ulanan frowned at the Duskwight's name. "That old, grey asparagus." she grumbled. "I will make sure Loughree is safe, don't worry."
Antimony bowed her head. "I will anyway, but... thank you." The porter gestured inquiringly then, and Antimony sighed. "I should... go now. I'm sorry."
Ulanan nodded and waves her hand shyly. "Have a safe journey! And enjoy Coerthas!"
Antimony lifted one hand in response, looking away. A shadow crossed her features at some thought and then she turned away suddenly, moving to the chocobo the porter had prepared for her. Ulanan turned around with her eyes closed and concentrated. The aether around her gathered, surrounding her in a dim blue light and lifting her. After a moment, there was a flash and she was gone.
Antimony's shoulders slumped at the dull hum of aether charging and then dissipating. She was still for a moment before pulling herself onto the chocobo's back and setting off for Drybone.
"Song dogs barking at the break of dawn, lightning pushes the edges of a thunderstorm; and these streets, quiet as a sleeping army, send their battered dreams to heaven."
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