((We decided to do some semi-silly rp in-game. Follows Stabilizing the Element.))
***
Antimony stepped into the Quicksand with her head down, ears shivering, and tail hanging listlessly behind her. She looked like she was forced to dress in the dark while wearing mittens and a straightjacket - in other words, not looking very put-together. Her hair was damp and done up a bit, but messily so, and she didn’t really pay much attention to her surroundings as she made for an empty table tucked away in a far corner of the tavern.
A short distance away, a burly, graying man with one pale, useless eye sat at a table towards the edge of the room, looking out on everyone else. He was still getting his bearings in this desert town, so different from anywhere else he'd been in his life. A nice steak had been set in front of him, with a large tankard next to it.
Lurking in another corner was a miqo’te Keeper of pale hair and skin, light pouring over her shoulder. Her eyes and features were cast in deep shadows even as her hair and tail seemed to glow. Motes of dust lingered in the air around her. She twitched with a nervous energy, but her eyes stared exhausted at the lantern on the table.
Tavern Waitress was just an employee, walking across the tables, delivering food to all the hungry adventurers and denizens of Ul'dah. When she had to choose who to serve between the shady looking Miqo'te, the muscular man or the woman with no sense of fashion, the decision came easily. “Hello! Has your order been taken, sir?â€
The man, a highlander by the name of Alcor Baen, cut into his steak, stabbing the freed piece and promptly shoving it into his mouth. As the waitress approached him, he made an effort to chew it faster. He gestured towards the plate in front of him, "Yeh," he mumbled around the food in his mouth.
Tavern Waitress should have probably brought her glasses to work today. But that scared the men away, for strange reasons. "Oh! Well, I hope you find it enjoyable! Do you need anything else?"
Antimony watched the waitress and the man wearily from the edges of her vision. He was vaguely familiar, but she didn't have the energy to place it.
Alcor finally managed to swallow the food, "Na, I'll be alright fer now." He gestured vaguely towards the woman that just sat down near him, "She just sat down though, yeh might be askin' her."
Tavern Waitress, not knowing how to answer that, just did exactly as suggested, “Hello, miss! May I take your order?â€
Alcor's eye followed the waitress as she walked away from him towards the other table.
Antimony blinked at the waitress’s red clothing for a moment before shaking her head. Her hands twisted themselves over one another in her lap. "I'm fine for now, thank you. Just... water, please."
“Uhm. Sure thing. Let me know if you feel hungry!†Tavern Waitress didn’t write the order down and turned around to walk to the other side of the room.
Tavern Waitress got to Loughree's table and let out the usual cheerful greeting. "Hello, miss! Can I take your order?"
The miqo’te flicked her gaze up to the waitress and snapped out, "No."
Alcor let his gaze slide now from the waitress to the older woman, "Don't mean ta be pryin'... but you are at a bar... and yer just orderin' water?..."
“Are you sure?†the waitress persisted on the other side of the room. “Our special today is pretty good and also pretty cheap!â€
Antimony lifted her head sharply to furrow her brow at the highlander in distracted confusion. "I'm... sorry?" Grey ears twitched. "... Oh. Ah... yes. I suppose."
Alcor shrugged, "Just seems like an awful waste. Food seems decent, and the ale is like any other..."
“I want an order of being left alone and I'll take it for free,†the pale miqo’te spat. “You don't want the tips I have to give, so walk on away.â€
Antimony shifted in her chair, tail moving to lay over one leg. "The food is certainly fine. I... wouldn't know about the ale."
Tavern Waitress placed her hands on her hips and used her most intimidating waitress face. "Well, I can't let you occupy a whole table if you aren't going to order something, so I'll come back in a few minutes and you'll have an order or you'll leave." she said, with a not very intimidating tone.
Alcor began to cut off another piece from his steak, "Now’s as good a time as any ta be startin'."
The miqo’te in the corner bit her tongue and said, "Good luck with that. Bye now."
Tavern Waitress left the mean Miqo'te behind, heading to the bar to get the other one's water.
Antimony winced, tucking her ears against her head, and looked to the empty table in front of her. "I understand it's supposed to... dull things."
Alcor chewed on some of his dinner, pondering that, "I suppose it can, certainly takes an edge off. Relaxin' end to the eve."
The other miqo’te stood from her seat suddenly, tossing it back against the wall with a loud thud. She pushed past the plant, her shield catching on one of the leaves and tearing it, and headed for Alcors table. When she arrived, she dropped down into the chair across from him, leaning with her elbow on the table. She didn’t look at him, though.
Antimony flinched at sound and then, a few moments later, blinked in confusion at the miqo'te she recognized almost immediately as Loughree.
Alcor frowned slightly at the Miqo'te that just came over to his table, and reached for his ale, "And... yeh are?"
Tavern Waitress arrived at Antimony's table, placing a mug of water in front of her. "Here's your water. It's free, but I can't let you take you a table if you aren't going to actually order something. I'll be back, so think about what you'd like! Our special is very good and cheap!" she recited.
Loughree retorted dryly to the Highlander, "I'm sharing your table so the waitress leaves me alone. Not for conversation."
Antimony startled again at the waitress's arrival, drew a breath and said quickly, "Wait!" She hesitated, looking uncertain, and then, "An... ale, please."
Alcor took a drink, "That doesn't seem... effective."
“Sure thing!†Tavern Waitress smiled briefly and then left for the bar. Antimony looked confused for several seconds afterward.  It didn’t take the barwoman long before coming back with a large mug of ale that she left on the table. "Enjoy!"
 Antimony dropped her gaze to the rather intimidatingly sized glass and furrowed her brow before murmuring a quiet, "Thank you."
Tavern Waitress left again, to the place waitresses go when they are not required anymore!
Alcor turned back to the other woman he'd been talking to, "So... yeh decided to get somethin' then?"
“She said she didn't want me taking up a whole table and I didn't feel like fighting about it,†Loughree continued harshly. “Do I have to fight YOU about it, or can I just sit here?â€
Alcor appeared to be caught in two different worlds all of a sudden, balancing multiple conversations, "Nah... Just asked yer name cause it seemed to be the thing to do when a stranger moves to yer table..."
Antimony put her hands around the mug and pulled it to her. The smell of it was something that seemed to constantly permeate the Quicksand, but now so close, it was twice as pungent. She almost missed Alcor's comment and shrugged slightly. "I suppose it can't hurt to try."
Loughree looked past Alcor. "Antimony! You ever drank before?"
Alcor raised his brows, "Yeh two know each other?"
Antimony's ears shot up and then pressed against her head very quickly. She flicked her eyes away and then over towards Loughree. "Ah... yes, we do." She let out a small sigh.
Loughree narrowed her eyes and frowned, "Wow. Try not to be TOO happy to see me."
Antimony cringed and corrected hastily, "I'm sorry. I didn't mean... ah. Hello."
Alcor glanced between the two, then drank from his ale.
“Don't drink alone.â€
Antimony blinked, her features going slack in confusion. "I... why?"
“Not a good idea. Sit over here if you're going to drink.â€
Antimony hesitated a moment and then stood, taking the mug with her over to the next-door table.
Loughree muttered, "Thank you," and turned to face the table, crossing her arms and front of her and laying her head on them tiredly.
Alcor squinted his good eye, taking in the woman who had now walked fully into field of vision, and was no longer on his blindside, "Did yeh used to live in Limsa? Yeh look a little familiar. Didn't see too many older miqo'te women round there..."
Antimony pursed her lips at her mug and murmured again, "It can't hurt to try," before bringing it to her lips and going for a rather large gulp. (Hey, go big or go home.) She choked a bit on the drink, grimacing at the bitter flavor, and then caught Alcor's words. "Ah, I'm sorry...?" She looked up at him distractedly, squinting. "You..." Then a quick breath. "Ah! The pudding..!"
Loughree muttered, "He doesn't even recognize you and you're already calling him 'pudding'? Well, I guess once you get on in years you live for the moment."
Alcor grinned widely, "Its a small world, ain't it?" He cast a glance towards the blonde, "Yeh jealous over there?"
Loughree chuckled, looking rather comfortable with where she was laying. "Nah. Just making a bad joke."
Antimony dropped her ears to either side of her head and said to her mug, "I invited him over for... pudding once. And others. That's all."
“I was just playing. Drink your ale. I'll get funnier.â€
“She has a point there.†Alcor took a drink of his own ale at the mention of the stuff.
Antimony sighed and muttered rather despondently, "I do not feel any different."
 Alcor chuckled, "It takes a mite bit more of the stuff. Just keep drinkin'."
Loughree muttered, "Take your time." She pushed herself up off the table and looked over towards Alcor. "Okay, Mister Pudding. You're a friend of Antimony's huh?"
Alcor shrugged, "It’s been a while, but sure. I suppose you could say that."
Antimony did not look entirely convinced, but after another second or two of staring at her mug with a look like it had killed her dearest pet, she went for it again - another big gulp. At least she was prepared for the taste, though she still coughed a bit afterward. “I would... count him as a friend, yes.â€
Alcor let his one green eye run over Antimony, "You don't need to be choking yerself on it though, hun."
Loughree chuckled, "You gonna start calling me hun if I buy you pudding too? Men." She dropped her head back down to her arms.
Antimony's hands tightened around the glass, and as the fine lines along the seams of her face and in the corners of her eyes deepened, she looked as if she might cry. Then she took another drink and mumbled, "I will be fine."
Alcor continued drinking his ale a bit at a time, "Sure? Ah well. There are worse places ta be passin the time buy, I suppose."
A blonde, be-hatted lalafell entered the Quicksand then with a peculiar purpose. She headed straight to the bar and ordered a whole bowl of olives and cheese with very peculiar and odd seasoning, including olive oil and chocolate.
Antimony let out a long breath and, after some silence, said quietly, "How are you doing, Loughree?"
Loughree muttered, "Well I had gotten in the habit of paying people to watch me sleep but now I'm out of money so I'm not sleeping."
Alcor frowned, "Thats... you got yerself trouble it sounds like?"
Antimony pressed her lips together and then seemed to have an unhappy thought, which she chasesd with another large gulp from her mug. Her ears had begun to feel a little tingly.
The lalafell was quickly attracted to the table everyone was at thanks to her auditive organs: she recognized one voice, identified a second one as similar to someone she had met and forgot all about the third. She held the bowl filled with her strange olive-and-cheese recipe. “What's the occasion?â€
Loughree replied quietly, "Yes, I"m having trouble. And here comes miss paper shields. Hello."
Antimony startled and nearly knocked over her mug with the action. "U--Ulanan! You... ah, where have you been?" Her tail shivered and curls strangely at her side.
Ulanan waved at the pale miqo’te with the enthusiasm of a dying chocobo that just saw a rock in the distance. “I just arrived.â€
“Excellent. You should sit then,†Alcor welcomed readily. “Not like we don't have an empty chair here...â€
Loughree didn’t even bother waving at Ulanan. She just muttered, "Someone should buy me a drink and take me home. What happened to all the guys who like strong women? Am I in the wrong bar?"
Ulanan sat on the available chair, setting her bowl of delicious olives on the table and pushing it a bit so it was more readily in reach of everyone.
Alcor shrugged, "It ain't no dive bar, thats fer sure.
“"Strong" does not mean "rude",†Ulanan commented.
Loughree sat up and flexed her body a bit. She'd been growing thin from lack of food and poor health, but she was still taller and broader than most Miqo'te have any right to be, and when she shifted her shoulders the muscles at the base of her neck stood out. "Strong means strong."
Antimony had been watching her drink morosely, unknowingly settling right into the stereotypical sad drunk image so common in bars. "I'm glad you came back, Ulanan," she muttered.
Alcor nodded, "This adventuers guild might be a little too pretty fer yeh then. Most those I been seeing come through here ain't have much too 'em."
“Strong isn't what matters. You have to -look- strong. You look like a dockworker who found a shield and a sword.†Ulanan turned to look at Antimony, having the strange suspicion that she was not celebrating anything. She frowned.
“And you look like an imp,†Loughree countered.
“...you have never seen an imp, have you?†the lalafell shook her head.
Lost in her own thoughts, Antimony took another large drink and only coughed a little that time. The action put her at having consumed about 3/4 of the mug, and there was a color to her cheeks in testament to it.
Alcor turned his focus over to Antimony, "How yeh doin' over there?"
Antimony was quiet for a moment, and then her head dropped. "I am fine."
“Hey puddin!†Loughree called up without lifting her head or looking towards Alcor. “Buy me a drink.â€
Ulanan placed her hat on the table. She leaned towards Antimony, but since lalafells were pretty short, she didn’t get anywhere close to her. "Why are you drinking?"
Alcor frowned, considering the young woman next to him, and then shrugged and glanced around for the waitress. He lifted his hand slightly to call the TAVERN WAITRESS over once he spotted her.
Antimony bowed her head, disheveled hair falling into her features. A moment later her ears trembled and then she let out a rather loud sob, dropping her face to her arms, "She's gone, Ulanan! She left me!"
Loughree lifted up her head and gave Antimony a confused look, "Eh?"
Ulanan raised a brow. “Who? K'airos?â€
Antimony seemed to shake at that, her tail contorting, and then, "And Aijee--both of them!"
Alcor ordered an ale for Lou, and another for him, and hearing the distress in Antimony's voice, another for her as well.
“How do you know that?†Ulanan questioned calmly.
The waitress returned rather swiftly with the drinks, setting them down around the table. Once they were set up, Alcor leaned forward, putting his elbows on the table, "Now... whats this, Antimony?"
Loughree reached out to take the ale that Alcor ordered, lifting herself off the table and giving her attention to Antimony.
Forgetting her ale for the moment, Antimony hugged herself and just shook her head, mumbling, "She left. She's going to take her away. Because I couldn't..."
Alcor shook his head, "Sorry, I ain't followin'..."
Ulanan briefly looked at Alcor. "They are her daughters." she explained before turning to Antimony again.
“... Didn't know she had kids around,†Loughree said plainly.
Alcor frowned, "I thought they were..." He just trailed off, not wanting to hurt any sensitive feelings.
Antimony just sobbed, apparently having not run out of tears from earlier that day. "I should have allowed it," she mumbled between tears. "Aijeen would have--would have stayed.."
“That's not important. When did this happen?†Ulanan. Always a voice of reason to her.
Loughree took a sip of her ale, watching the exchange in front of her. She straightened her spine and tried to look awake.
Alcor Baen simply frowns, finishing off the last of his old ale, and glances over towards the younger miqo'te. Antimony lifted her head somewhat, looking far beyond her years. "I'm not... earlier today. Hours...?" She choked on a sob, shivered, and buried her face in her hands.
“Did you check if they really left? Didn't K'airos tell you where she lived?â€
Antimony shook her head. "I don't know... I don't know, I never--I never asked. How could I never--Aijeen is right!"
Alcor grimaced slightly, "I ain't a clue whats... but sure you ain't mean bad. Have another drink, yeh?"
Loughree looked over at Antimony and made a face. "Puddin's got the right of it. Toss another ale on whatever's burning you up and cool down a bit."
Antimony grabbed at her almost empty mug with a shaking hand and rather inexpertly downed it. It made a rather funny image - a middle aged woman knocking back a pint of ale like it was going out of style.
Ulanan was alarmed by Antimony's un-ladyness. “Mm. Yes, calm down. Where could they go? Do you have any idea?â€
Loughree smirked and took a drink of her own ale.
“I don't.. I don't know... Far away. I'll never--I'll never see them again. She said..!†The grieving woman dropped her head to the table and took several deep, shuddering breaths.
Long as she didn't try to kill you or anything, you'll be okay. Antimony Jhanhi hunches her shoulders at that and lets out a low, loud sob. Alcor Baen: Nothin' ta be done about it this late at night. You're just beatin' yerself up fer nothin' right now.
“Long as she didn't try to kill you or anything, you'll be okay,†Loughree shrugged. The miqo’te’s words didn’t seem to help much at all, for as soon as she said them, Antimony hunched her shoulders and let out a low, loud sob.
“Nothin' ta be done about it this late at night,†Alcor attempted to console, without much effect. “You're just beatin' yerself up fer nothin' right now.â€
Ulanan put her hat on. "You two are such a fountain of sympathy and good counsels!" she said mockingly to the table. "If it was just a few hours ago they can't be far. If they left as soon as D'aijeen was done being mean to you."
Antimony shivered, her tail wrapping about one leg and fumbles for words a moment before managing, "Maybe... maybe she went back to the... Dodo compound. But--but I can't go there, Ulanan..!"
“What's that matter?†Loughree scoffed. “Kids leave. What are you going to do about it? Drug her? Beat her up?â€
Ulanan stood on the chair, which almost put her at eye level with Alcor.
The Highlander gestured towards the pale woman at his side, "Yeh, she's got the right of it. They grow up. Lives seperate sometimes. Ain't nice but..."
Ulanan looked between Loughree and Alcor with a squint. “You are focusing on the 'leaving' thing and not the 'forever'. Not to mention neither of you have any understanding of the situation nor any sympathy for it. Otherwise you wouldn't be saying what you are saying.â€
Alcor turned towards the lalafell as he spoke, “I've lived most of my life ain't knowin' my son much. That's my own fault. And it'd hurt if he wanted nothin' ta do with me, but that'd be his decision.â€
“If we're wrong, fill us in. I don't exactly know what a healthy family life looks like around here.â€
Antimony didn’t look like she was going to be much help in the filling people in thing. Though she had quieted down, her shoulders still shook with tears.
Ulanan dropped from the chair. "It's pretty simple. One daughter hates Antimony. The other loves her. The one that hates her somehow convinces the other one, who wants to stay with her mother, to leave because her mother is somehow an evil monster or something around those lines." She looked up at Antimony, placing one hand against her arm. "You can stay here. I'll see if I can find where they went."
“To me it still sounds like free choice to me.†Loughree didn’t sound particularly impressed. “It sucks but, really, what are you going to do?â€
Antimony managed a weak nod after a time. When she spoke, it was with great difficulty, “Free choice... she... she's taken my Airos from me..!â€
Alcor just kind of glanced awkwardly around.
Ulanan shook her head. "Being manipulated isn't part of free will." With that said, she headed to the door.
“Letting yourself be manipulated is. You act like the one daughter's got dirt on the other,†the Keeper looked unconvinced.
Ulanan stopped at the door, sighing. "Maybe she does. I don't know. Just do Antimony a favor and -shut up-." she said, wearing anger like a hat right before leaving the Quicksand.
Antimony's ears drooped. "You don't understand." Her voice hitched.
Alcor shrugged again, not really sure what else to do, "Maybe not."
Loughree frowned, her ears dropping back on her head. She looked to Antimony and said, "I'm not trying to be mean. I just don't think you want to turn this drama into some kind of fight."
Antimony’s expression fell to something utterly desolate, and for a lack of any better escape, she reached for the other mug of ale Alcor had ordered her, shakily taking a drink from it.
Alcor frowned slightly into his mug, "Sorry things ain't been great fer yeh, since we last saw each other."
“It... is not your fault.â€
“So what's the deal? I don't remember you even mentioning kids before.â€
Antimony looked a bit blearily towards Loughree, half slumped over the table. "I thought... they were dead," she finally replied, voice wavering.
Alcor took a sip of his drink, setting it down slowly back on the table. "Yeah...I'd recalled yeh sayin' that."
“And now you know better, right? So whatever happens is a net improvement over that, right?â€
Antimony shuddered and took another drink from her mug, but she could barely manage that act. "No!" She sobbed. "It is... no different! I love her. Why couldn't she... Why did she want me to... it's not--not right for a mother and child to...!" Looking suddenly ill, Antimony pushed to her feet and stumbled a step away from her chair. "I have to find her. I have to.."
Loughree sat up straight again, ears perking up, "Hey! No spur of the moment decisions when there's ale involved."
Alcor stood quickly, his chair clattering behind him at the act. "Antimony. Yeh can't be controlling yer children. How would that be makin' things better?" He walked around the table, grabbing hold of Antimony's shoulder.
Antimony swayed under Alcor's hand and shook her head with the somewhat blurry excuse, "I must find her. I can't lose her again. I can't."
“You really shouldn't be doing anyting right now,†Loughree commented dryly.
“Doing nothing has gotten me to this point! I won't... I won't allow—“ The older woman, overcome either by alcohol, emotion, or both, suddenly just kind of crumpled to the ground with a sob of, "Aijeen--my baby girl..â€
Alcor knelt next to the woman, "Children get their own lives. An' it sounds like yeh -have- been doing everything yeh can. But..."
“But if you REALLY want to get some kind of confrontation going over this, you need to not do it when you're dirt and ale-addled,†Loughree suggested.
Antimony did not really looking like she was comforted by any of these words. She didn’t try to get up and leave again, at least.
Alcor looked up at Lou, a look of vague confusion and desperation on his face, "Kids grow up hun, they rebel against their parents... it’s... not uncommon."
Antimony mumbled, "She's just confused. Just confused."
Loughree broke her gaze from the pair to take a chug of her ale, as though she were afraid it's going to go away.
“Then she'll come back when she's not confused anymore then, yeah?†the Highlander encouraged.
Antimony shook her head, went quiet for a moment, and then began to try and pick herself up off the floor. Alcor followed suit, pulling his tall frame up from the tavern floor. At the table, Loughree didn’t follow any suits. She observed.
“She... s'not coming back. I need to.. I need to...†Antimony closed her eyes and wavered on her feet briefly before mumbling, "I need to go lay down."
Alcor frowned, "A'right then. Best 'a luck."
Loughree took another swig of her ale and stood, pushing her chair back some. "Antimony. Let me go home with you."
Antimony shuddered and sobbed around the word, "Home," but she nodded at Loughree. Offering Alcor a quiet, "Good night," she turned to make her wobbly way across the tavern, towards the doors leading back into the inn rooms.
Alcor watched the two disappear, frowning, before sitting back down in his chair. Loughree gave the man a look and a nod as she began to follow, "I'll take care of her. Thanks for the drink, puddin." She moved up alongside Antimony and said, "Need a shoulder?"
Antimony clutched at Loughree without further prompt but said nothing else, head bowed as she walked. Loughree looked a bit distressed by the pathetic image Antimony portrayed, sympathetic. "Yeah, we'll wait for Ulanan at your room. Still at the Quicksand, right?" She headed out.
***
Antimony stepped into the Quicksand with her head down, ears shivering, and tail hanging listlessly behind her. She looked like she was forced to dress in the dark while wearing mittens and a straightjacket - in other words, not looking very put-together. Her hair was damp and done up a bit, but messily so, and she didn’t really pay much attention to her surroundings as she made for an empty table tucked away in a far corner of the tavern.
A short distance away, a burly, graying man with one pale, useless eye sat at a table towards the edge of the room, looking out on everyone else. He was still getting his bearings in this desert town, so different from anywhere else he'd been in his life. A nice steak had been set in front of him, with a large tankard next to it.
Lurking in another corner was a miqo’te Keeper of pale hair and skin, light pouring over her shoulder. Her eyes and features were cast in deep shadows even as her hair and tail seemed to glow. Motes of dust lingered in the air around her. She twitched with a nervous energy, but her eyes stared exhausted at the lantern on the table.
Tavern Waitress was just an employee, walking across the tables, delivering food to all the hungry adventurers and denizens of Ul'dah. When she had to choose who to serve between the shady looking Miqo'te, the muscular man or the woman with no sense of fashion, the decision came easily. “Hello! Has your order been taken, sir?â€
The man, a highlander by the name of Alcor Baen, cut into his steak, stabbing the freed piece and promptly shoving it into his mouth. As the waitress approached him, he made an effort to chew it faster. He gestured towards the plate in front of him, "Yeh," he mumbled around the food in his mouth.
Tavern Waitress should have probably brought her glasses to work today. But that scared the men away, for strange reasons. "Oh! Well, I hope you find it enjoyable! Do you need anything else?"
Antimony watched the waitress and the man wearily from the edges of her vision. He was vaguely familiar, but she didn't have the energy to place it.
Alcor finally managed to swallow the food, "Na, I'll be alright fer now." He gestured vaguely towards the woman that just sat down near him, "She just sat down though, yeh might be askin' her."
Tavern Waitress, not knowing how to answer that, just did exactly as suggested, “Hello, miss! May I take your order?â€
Alcor's eye followed the waitress as she walked away from him towards the other table.
Antimony blinked at the waitress’s red clothing for a moment before shaking her head. Her hands twisted themselves over one another in her lap. "I'm fine for now, thank you. Just... water, please."
“Uhm. Sure thing. Let me know if you feel hungry!†Tavern Waitress didn’t write the order down and turned around to walk to the other side of the room.
Tavern Waitress got to Loughree's table and let out the usual cheerful greeting. "Hello, miss! Can I take your order?"
The miqo’te flicked her gaze up to the waitress and snapped out, "No."
Alcor let his gaze slide now from the waitress to the older woman, "Don't mean ta be pryin'... but you are at a bar... and yer just orderin' water?..."
“Are you sure?†the waitress persisted on the other side of the room. “Our special today is pretty good and also pretty cheap!â€
Antimony lifted her head sharply to furrow her brow at the highlander in distracted confusion. "I'm... sorry?" Grey ears twitched. "... Oh. Ah... yes. I suppose."
Alcor shrugged, "Just seems like an awful waste. Food seems decent, and the ale is like any other..."
“I want an order of being left alone and I'll take it for free,†the pale miqo’te spat. “You don't want the tips I have to give, so walk on away.â€
Antimony shifted in her chair, tail moving to lay over one leg. "The food is certainly fine. I... wouldn't know about the ale."
Tavern Waitress placed her hands on her hips and used her most intimidating waitress face. "Well, I can't let you occupy a whole table if you aren't going to order something, so I'll come back in a few minutes and you'll have an order or you'll leave." she said, with a not very intimidating tone.
Alcor began to cut off another piece from his steak, "Now’s as good a time as any ta be startin'."
The miqo’te in the corner bit her tongue and said, "Good luck with that. Bye now."
Tavern Waitress left the mean Miqo'te behind, heading to the bar to get the other one's water.
Antimony winced, tucking her ears against her head, and looked to the empty table in front of her. "I understand it's supposed to... dull things."
Alcor chewed on some of his dinner, pondering that, "I suppose it can, certainly takes an edge off. Relaxin' end to the eve."
The other miqo’te stood from her seat suddenly, tossing it back against the wall with a loud thud. She pushed past the plant, her shield catching on one of the leaves and tearing it, and headed for Alcors table. When she arrived, she dropped down into the chair across from him, leaning with her elbow on the table. She didn’t look at him, though.
Antimony flinched at sound and then, a few moments later, blinked in confusion at the miqo'te she recognized almost immediately as Loughree.
Alcor frowned slightly at the Miqo'te that just came over to his table, and reached for his ale, "And... yeh are?"
Tavern Waitress arrived at Antimony's table, placing a mug of water in front of her. "Here's your water. It's free, but I can't let you take you a table if you aren't going to actually order something. I'll be back, so think about what you'd like! Our special is very good and cheap!" she recited.
Loughree retorted dryly to the Highlander, "I'm sharing your table so the waitress leaves me alone. Not for conversation."
Antimony startled again at the waitress's arrival, drew a breath and said quickly, "Wait!" She hesitated, looking uncertain, and then, "An... ale, please."
Alcor took a drink, "That doesn't seem... effective."
“Sure thing!†Tavern Waitress smiled briefly and then left for the bar. Antimony looked confused for several seconds afterward.  It didn’t take the barwoman long before coming back with a large mug of ale that she left on the table. "Enjoy!"
 Antimony dropped her gaze to the rather intimidatingly sized glass and furrowed her brow before murmuring a quiet, "Thank you."
Tavern Waitress left again, to the place waitresses go when they are not required anymore!
Alcor turned back to the other woman he'd been talking to, "So... yeh decided to get somethin' then?"
“She said she didn't want me taking up a whole table and I didn't feel like fighting about it,†Loughree continued harshly. “Do I have to fight YOU about it, or can I just sit here?â€
Alcor appeared to be caught in two different worlds all of a sudden, balancing multiple conversations, "Nah... Just asked yer name cause it seemed to be the thing to do when a stranger moves to yer table..."
Antimony put her hands around the mug and pulled it to her. The smell of it was something that seemed to constantly permeate the Quicksand, but now so close, it was twice as pungent. She almost missed Alcor's comment and shrugged slightly. "I suppose it can't hurt to try."
Loughree looked past Alcor. "Antimony! You ever drank before?"
Alcor raised his brows, "Yeh two know each other?"
Antimony's ears shot up and then pressed against her head very quickly. She flicked her eyes away and then over towards Loughree. "Ah... yes, we do." She let out a small sigh.
Loughree narrowed her eyes and frowned, "Wow. Try not to be TOO happy to see me."
Antimony cringed and corrected hastily, "I'm sorry. I didn't mean... ah. Hello."
Alcor glanced between the two, then drank from his ale.
“Don't drink alone.â€
Antimony blinked, her features going slack in confusion. "I... why?"
“Not a good idea. Sit over here if you're going to drink.â€
Antimony hesitated a moment and then stood, taking the mug with her over to the next-door table.
Loughree muttered, "Thank you," and turned to face the table, crossing her arms and front of her and laying her head on them tiredly.
Alcor squinted his good eye, taking in the woman who had now walked fully into field of vision, and was no longer on his blindside, "Did yeh used to live in Limsa? Yeh look a little familiar. Didn't see too many older miqo'te women round there..."
Antimony pursed her lips at her mug and murmured again, "It can't hurt to try," before bringing it to her lips and going for a rather large gulp. (Hey, go big or go home.) She choked a bit on the drink, grimacing at the bitter flavor, and then caught Alcor's words. "Ah, I'm sorry...?" She looked up at him distractedly, squinting. "You..." Then a quick breath. "Ah! The pudding..!"
Loughree muttered, "He doesn't even recognize you and you're already calling him 'pudding'? Well, I guess once you get on in years you live for the moment."
Alcor grinned widely, "Its a small world, ain't it?" He cast a glance towards the blonde, "Yeh jealous over there?"
Loughree chuckled, looking rather comfortable with where she was laying. "Nah. Just making a bad joke."
Antimony dropped her ears to either side of her head and said to her mug, "I invited him over for... pudding once. And others. That's all."
“I was just playing. Drink your ale. I'll get funnier.â€
“She has a point there.†Alcor took a drink of his own ale at the mention of the stuff.
Antimony sighed and muttered rather despondently, "I do not feel any different."
 Alcor chuckled, "It takes a mite bit more of the stuff. Just keep drinkin'."
Loughree muttered, "Take your time." She pushed herself up off the table and looked over towards Alcor. "Okay, Mister Pudding. You're a friend of Antimony's huh?"
Alcor shrugged, "It’s been a while, but sure. I suppose you could say that."
Antimony did not look entirely convinced, but after another second or two of staring at her mug with a look like it had killed her dearest pet, she went for it again - another big gulp. At least she was prepared for the taste, though she still coughed a bit afterward. “I would... count him as a friend, yes.â€
Alcor let his one green eye run over Antimony, "You don't need to be choking yerself on it though, hun."
Loughree chuckled, "You gonna start calling me hun if I buy you pudding too? Men." She dropped her head back down to her arms.
Antimony's hands tightened around the glass, and as the fine lines along the seams of her face and in the corners of her eyes deepened, she looked as if she might cry. Then she took another drink and mumbled, "I will be fine."
Alcor continued drinking his ale a bit at a time, "Sure? Ah well. There are worse places ta be passin the time buy, I suppose."
A blonde, be-hatted lalafell entered the Quicksand then with a peculiar purpose. She headed straight to the bar and ordered a whole bowl of olives and cheese with very peculiar and odd seasoning, including olive oil and chocolate.
Antimony let out a long breath and, after some silence, said quietly, "How are you doing, Loughree?"
Loughree muttered, "Well I had gotten in the habit of paying people to watch me sleep but now I'm out of money so I'm not sleeping."
Alcor frowned, "Thats... you got yerself trouble it sounds like?"
Antimony pressed her lips together and then seemed to have an unhappy thought, which she chasesd with another large gulp from her mug. Her ears had begun to feel a little tingly.
The lalafell was quickly attracted to the table everyone was at thanks to her auditive organs: she recognized one voice, identified a second one as similar to someone she had met and forgot all about the third. She held the bowl filled with her strange olive-and-cheese recipe. “What's the occasion?â€
Loughree replied quietly, "Yes, I"m having trouble. And here comes miss paper shields. Hello."
Antimony startled and nearly knocked over her mug with the action. "U--Ulanan! You... ah, where have you been?" Her tail shivered and curls strangely at her side.
Ulanan waved at the pale miqo’te with the enthusiasm of a dying chocobo that just saw a rock in the distance. “I just arrived.â€
“Excellent. You should sit then,†Alcor welcomed readily. “Not like we don't have an empty chair here...â€
Loughree didn’t even bother waving at Ulanan. She just muttered, "Someone should buy me a drink and take me home. What happened to all the guys who like strong women? Am I in the wrong bar?"
Ulanan sat on the available chair, setting her bowl of delicious olives on the table and pushing it a bit so it was more readily in reach of everyone.
Alcor shrugged, "It ain't no dive bar, thats fer sure.
“"Strong" does not mean "rude",†Ulanan commented.
Loughree sat up and flexed her body a bit. She'd been growing thin from lack of food and poor health, but she was still taller and broader than most Miqo'te have any right to be, and when she shifted her shoulders the muscles at the base of her neck stood out. "Strong means strong."
Antimony had been watching her drink morosely, unknowingly settling right into the stereotypical sad drunk image so common in bars. "I'm glad you came back, Ulanan," she muttered.
Alcor nodded, "This adventuers guild might be a little too pretty fer yeh then. Most those I been seeing come through here ain't have much too 'em."
“Strong isn't what matters. You have to -look- strong. You look like a dockworker who found a shield and a sword.†Ulanan turned to look at Antimony, having the strange suspicion that she was not celebrating anything. She frowned.
“And you look like an imp,†Loughree countered.
“...you have never seen an imp, have you?†the lalafell shook her head.
Lost in her own thoughts, Antimony took another large drink and only coughed a little that time. The action put her at having consumed about 3/4 of the mug, and there was a color to her cheeks in testament to it.
Alcor turned his focus over to Antimony, "How yeh doin' over there?"
Antimony was quiet for a moment, and then her head dropped. "I am fine."
“Hey puddin!†Loughree called up without lifting her head or looking towards Alcor. “Buy me a drink.â€
Ulanan placed her hat on the table. She leaned towards Antimony, but since lalafells were pretty short, she didn’t get anywhere close to her. "Why are you drinking?"
Alcor frowned, considering the young woman next to him, and then shrugged and glanced around for the waitress. He lifted his hand slightly to call the TAVERN WAITRESS over once he spotted her.
Antimony bowed her head, disheveled hair falling into her features. A moment later her ears trembled and then she let out a rather loud sob, dropping her face to her arms, "She's gone, Ulanan! She left me!"
Loughree lifted up her head and gave Antimony a confused look, "Eh?"
Ulanan raised a brow. “Who? K'airos?â€
Antimony seemed to shake at that, her tail contorting, and then, "And Aijee--both of them!"
Alcor ordered an ale for Lou, and another for him, and hearing the distress in Antimony's voice, another for her as well.
“How do you know that?†Ulanan questioned calmly.
The waitress returned rather swiftly with the drinks, setting them down around the table. Once they were set up, Alcor leaned forward, putting his elbows on the table, "Now... whats this, Antimony?"
Loughree reached out to take the ale that Alcor ordered, lifting herself off the table and giving her attention to Antimony.
Forgetting her ale for the moment, Antimony hugged herself and just shook her head, mumbling, "She left. She's going to take her away. Because I couldn't..."
Alcor shook his head, "Sorry, I ain't followin'..."
Ulanan briefly looked at Alcor. "They are her daughters." she explained before turning to Antimony again.
“... Didn't know she had kids around,†Loughree said plainly.
Alcor frowned, "I thought they were..." He just trailed off, not wanting to hurt any sensitive feelings.
Antimony just sobbed, apparently having not run out of tears from earlier that day. "I should have allowed it," she mumbled between tears. "Aijeen would have--would have stayed.."
“That's not important. When did this happen?†Ulanan. Always a voice of reason to her.
Loughree took a sip of her ale, watching the exchange in front of her. She straightened her spine and tried to look awake.
Alcor Baen simply frowns, finishing off the last of his old ale, and glances over towards the younger miqo'te. Antimony lifted her head somewhat, looking far beyond her years. "I'm not... earlier today. Hours...?" She choked on a sob, shivered, and buried her face in her hands.
“Did you check if they really left? Didn't K'airos tell you where she lived?â€
Antimony shook her head. "I don't know... I don't know, I never--I never asked. How could I never--Aijeen is right!"
Alcor grimaced slightly, "I ain't a clue whats... but sure you ain't mean bad. Have another drink, yeh?"
Loughree looked over at Antimony and made a face. "Puddin's got the right of it. Toss another ale on whatever's burning you up and cool down a bit."
Antimony grabbed at her almost empty mug with a shaking hand and rather inexpertly downed it. It made a rather funny image - a middle aged woman knocking back a pint of ale like it was going out of style.
Ulanan was alarmed by Antimony's un-ladyness. “Mm. Yes, calm down. Where could they go? Do you have any idea?â€
Loughree smirked and took a drink of her own ale.
“I don't.. I don't know... Far away. I'll never--I'll never see them again. She said..!†The grieving woman dropped her head to the table and took several deep, shuddering breaths.
Long as she didn't try to kill you or anything, you'll be okay. Antimony Jhanhi hunches her shoulders at that and lets out a low, loud sob. Alcor Baen: Nothin' ta be done about it this late at night. You're just beatin' yerself up fer nothin' right now.
“Long as she didn't try to kill you or anything, you'll be okay,†Loughree shrugged. The miqo’te’s words didn’t seem to help much at all, for as soon as she said them, Antimony hunched her shoulders and let out a low, loud sob.
“Nothin' ta be done about it this late at night,†Alcor attempted to console, without much effect. “You're just beatin' yerself up fer nothin' right now.â€
Ulanan put her hat on. "You two are such a fountain of sympathy and good counsels!" she said mockingly to the table. "If it was just a few hours ago they can't be far. If they left as soon as D'aijeen was done being mean to you."
Antimony shivered, her tail wrapping about one leg and fumbles for words a moment before managing, "Maybe... maybe she went back to the... Dodo compound. But--but I can't go there, Ulanan..!"
“What's that matter?†Loughree scoffed. “Kids leave. What are you going to do about it? Drug her? Beat her up?â€
Ulanan stood on the chair, which almost put her at eye level with Alcor.
The Highlander gestured towards the pale woman at his side, "Yeh, she's got the right of it. They grow up. Lives seperate sometimes. Ain't nice but..."
Ulanan looked between Loughree and Alcor with a squint. “You are focusing on the 'leaving' thing and not the 'forever'. Not to mention neither of you have any understanding of the situation nor any sympathy for it. Otherwise you wouldn't be saying what you are saying.â€
Alcor turned towards the lalafell as he spoke, “I've lived most of my life ain't knowin' my son much. That's my own fault. And it'd hurt if he wanted nothin' ta do with me, but that'd be his decision.â€
“If we're wrong, fill us in. I don't exactly know what a healthy family life looks like around here.â€
Antimony didn’t look like she was going to be much help in the filling people in thing. Though she had quieted down, her shoulders still shook with tears.
Ulanan dropped from the chair. "It's pretty simple. One daughter hates Antimony. The other loves her. The one that hates her somehow convinces the other one, who wants to stay with her mother, to leave because her mother is somehow an evil monster or something around those lines." She looked up at Antimony, placing one hand against her arm. "You can stay here. I'll see if I can find where they went."
“To me it still sounds like free choice to me.†Loughree didn’t sound particularly impressed. “It sucks but, really, what are you going to do?â€
Antimony managed a weak nod after a time. When she spoke, it was with great difficulty, “Free choice... she... she's taken my Airos from me..!â€
Alcor just kind of glanced awkwardly around.
Ulanan shook her head. "Being manipulated isn't part of free will." With that said, she headed to the door.
“Letting yourself be manipulated is. You act like the one daughter's got dirt on the other,†the Keeper looked unconvinced.
Ulanan stopped at the door, sighing. "Maybe she does. I don't know. Just do Antimony a favor and -shut up-." she said, wearing anger like a hat right before leaving the Quicksand.
Antimony's ears drooped. "You don't understand." Her voice hitched.
Alcor shrugged again, not really sure what else to do, "Maybe not."
Loughree frowned, her ears dropping back on her head. She looked to Antimony and said, "I'm not trying to be mean. I just don't think you want to turn this drama into some kind of fight."
Antimony’s expression fell to something utterly desolate, and for a lack of any better escape, she reached for the other mug of ale Alcor had ordered her, shakily taking a drink from it.
Alcor frowned slightly into his mug, "Sorry things ain't been great fer yeh, since we last saw each other."
“It... is not your fault.â€
“So what's the deal? I don't remember you even mentioning kids before.â€
Antimony looked a bit blearily towards Loughree, half slumped over the table. "I thought... they were dead," she finally replied, voice wavering.
Alcor took a sip of his drink, setting it down slowly back on the table. "Yeah...I'd recalled yeh sayin' that."
“And now you know better, right? So whatever happens is a net improvement over that, right?â€
Antimony shuddered and took another drink from her mug, but she could barely manage that act. "No!" She sobbed. "It is... no different! I love her. Why couldn't she... Why did she want me to... it's not--not right for a mother and child to...!" Looking suddenly ill, Antimony pushed to her feet and stumbled a step away from her chair. "I have to find her. I have to.."
Loughree sat up straight again, ears perking up, "Hey! No spur of the moment decisions when there's ale involved."
Alcor stood quickly, his chair clattering behind him at the act. "Antimony. Yeh can't be controlling yer children. How would that be makin' things better?" He walked around the table, grabbing hold of Antimony's shoulder.
Antimony swayed under Alcor's hand and shook her head with the somewhat blurry excuse, "I must find her. I can't lose her again. I can't."
“You really shouldn't be doing anyting right now,†Loughree commented dryly.
“Doing nothing has gotten me to this point! I won't... I won't allow—“ The older woman, overcome either by alcohol, emotion, or both, suddenly just kind of crumpled to the ground with a sob of, "Aijeen--my baby girl..â€
Alcor knelt next to the woman, "Children get their own lives. An' it sounds like yeh -have- been doing everything yeh can. But..."
“But if you REALLY want to get some kind of confrontation going over this, you need to not do it when you're dirt and ale-addled,†Loughree suggested.
Antimony did not really looking like she was comforted by any of these words. She didn’t try to get up and leave again, at least.
Alcor looked up at Lou, a look of vague confusion and desperation on his face, "Kids grow up hun, they rebel against their parents... it’s... not uncommon."
Antimony mumbled, "She's just confused. Just confused."
Loughree broke her gaze from the pair to take a chug of her ale, as though she were afraid it's going to go away.
“Then she'll come back when she's not confused anymore then, yeah?†the Highlander encouraged.
Antimony shook her head, went quiet for a moment, and then began to try and pick herself up off the floor. Alcor followed suit, pulling his tall frame up from the tavern floor. At the table, Loughree didn’t follow any suits. She observed.
“She... s'not coming back. I need to.. I need to...†Antimony closed her eyes and wavered on her feet briefly before mumbling, "I need to go lay down."
Alcor frowned, "A'right then. Best 'a luck."
Loughree took another swig of her ale and stood, pushing her chair back some. "Antimony. Let me go home with you."
Antimony shuddered and sobbed around the word, "Home," but she nodded at Loughree. Offering Alcor a quiet, "Good night," she turned to make her wobbly way across the tavern, towards the doors leading back into the inn rooms.
Alcor watched the two disappear, frowning, before sitting back down in his chair. Loughree gave the man a look and a nod as she began to follow, "I'll take care of her. Thanks for the drink, puddin." She moved up alongside Antimony and said, "Need a shoulder?"
Antimony clutched at Loughree without further prompt but said nothing else, head bowed as she walked. Loughree looked a bit distressed by the pathetic image Antimony portrayed, sympathetic. "Yeah, we'll wait for Ulanan at your room. Still at the Quicksand, right?" She headed out.
![[Image: AntiThalSig.png]](https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/179079766/AntiThalSig.png)
"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."
Hipparion Tribe (Sagolii)Â - Â Antimony Jhanhi's Wiki
