The First Day [Open]

[Eva]

Taking a seat at the table, Ora swirled the liquid in her glass and watched it with no real expression on her face. It had tasted better than she expected. If the evening's job went favorably, she might even find herself paying the bit of extra gil to drink it more often.

 

And then there was the matter of Two-Patch, who was now at the other table talking to someone else. She had casually scanned the remaining people in the tavern and was ready to report to the Roegedan what she believed, but his seemingly short attention spans had drawn him elsewhere and she didn't want to be rude to the others at the table, nor did she want to interrupt him if he was conducting business.

 

"Business, of a sort..." she answered Myra's inquiry. "I do odd jobs mostly, these days. I'm performing a reconaissance operation for the gentleman that was in here before..." she spoke in a serene tone but went on to mumble sharply "...if he could be considered a gentleman at all." The argument earlier had been public enough to catch most everyone's attention in the tavern, so there was no sense playing it secret. "The little one is a friend of mine - we go way back." She smiled, pausing to sip her sherry before continuing.

 

"We were promised a greater sum than we were paid, but times are tough..." she shook her head dismally. "I apologize for the scene earlier, but I assure you he deserved worse than the tonguelashing he got. Some men just don't know when to quit..."

 

With the last, her glance adjusted across the room to where the Sea Wolf was busily discussing some matter of salesmanship or other. His mention of a job opportunity had piqued her curiosity and she wanted to know more.

 

"But enough of that. What is it that you teach, Miss Myra?"

[Varov]

He peered over the woman casually, seemingly uninterested in whatever she was selling. "Two-Patch Whiskeyjack. If'n ye want'a know more, I suggest ye ask anyone else 'round here what I do." He gave her a terse smile. "However... I'll tell ya this! One time, I got meself inna' fight with this giant bird. Bugger pecked me eye out, then I punched it, aye? Took me eye back, shoved it back in, an' tha damn bird came back fer more. Took me eye a second time, ate it... so, I tossed a rock at the bastard, grabbed it as it fell, an ate it. Then, I found an eye patch, realized it didn't cover me whole eye, so I got another. Hence, Two-Patch. G'day." He winked and walked back towards the table Orry sat at. He put a hand on her shoulder.

 

"So tell me, Orry... ye' think about me job offer?" He smiled, settling a hand on her shoulder.

[Smiling River]

"Evasive bastard..." Yecely mumbled under he breath as Whiskeyjack went back to the table. Her quill never stopped moving, except when pausing for more ink. After she was done writing whatever it was she was writing, she sat at her table alone. She puffed her cheeks and blew out the air slowly. What a bummer. A glance back at her previous location didn't motivate her to return. Why did this Whiskeyjack and his lackey have to join them. She wished they would just leave.

 

Yecely finally got up after packing all her things into her little brown leather backpack. She made her way to the bar and ordered another large glass of wine. It was either that or leaving, and going back to her tiny flat was even more depressing. She examined the table and felt compelled to join Myra and the girl she dragged there, Luralel, in conversation. Perhaps in five minutes, after a sip or two of this cool wine she would. For now she just stood there at the bar, facing outward towards the main space with a glass of red wine in her hand.

[Kylin]

"I focus mostly on history," Myra replied casually. She was surprised at Ora's transformation more by the moment. Her comment about men especially peaked the hyur's interest. Before she could say any more on the subject though, Two-Patch returned and seemed to put his attention on Ora. Yecely, seeming somewhat agitated, moved over to the bar.

 

With Yecely and Ora otherwise occupied, Myra turned her gaze to Luralel. "A contract you say? And what is it exactly that you do?"

 

Myra didn't seem to pay much attention to Oryn, or any of the other men for that matter. She wanted to ensure she was on good terms with her fellow women before attempting to deal with any of the possible womanizers. She couldn't help but be slightly intrigued by Oryn's partial shyness though.

[Nanapariri]

"I'm an Alchemist and a business woman from Ul' dah just hired me fill orders for her."

 

Luralel turned to Myra and smiled softly. She seemed the scholarly sort, this Hyur teacher, but she seemed to be thinking constantly. Luralel wondered if she too would have to learn to be constantly thinking and manuevering. She sipped the wine hoping that she wouldn't have to completely leave all of her previous existance behind and copy the bustle of the city.

[Aveline]

Oryn finished a few bites of sandwich and looked with sudden interest at Luralel.

 

"Ul'dah eh? I've got family out there. I'm Oryn, by the way. Tell me, how is it back east? It's been nearly two years since I ventured out that way."

[Kylin]

Myra couldnât help but grow a bit paler than usual upon hearing about the former residencies of Oryn and Luralel. Of all places, they had to be from Ulâdah. She couldnât help but wonder if they had any connection to him. As her complexion returned to normal almost as quickly as it had faded, the hyur reassured herself that she was simply being overly paranoid. Ulâdah was a large city. The chances of these individuals having any connection at all to that family was rather slim.

 

Then again, being paranoid was exactly how one should feel when it came to that horrid familyâs patriarch. âGet a grip,â she told herself in her private thoughts. âIâm out of his hair. Thereâs no way heâd send anyone after me now.â

 

The woman brushed a strand of her blonde hair from her face and sipped from her beverage, listening quietly to the rest of the conversation.

[Nanapariri]

"I'm afraid only passed briefly through Ul'dah, long enough to see and answer an advertisement from the merchant I mentioned, and it wasn't long enough to gain a specific impression other than it seemed very rich and busy. I'm from the outskirts of Gridania so I'm afraid there and Lima Losa are quite foreign to me."

 

Luralel looked between the two. "I'm afraid I don't know much about the merchant either. Have any of you heard of a Nanapriri's Imports and Exports or its owner?"

 

 

I'll be away most of this weekend but will be checking and posting on Sunday if that's okay.

 

[Eva]

"Oh, history! That's fascinating!" Damn... Starkin was right that there might be some use to knowing that crap... Her face remained calm and serene, despite the topic of conversation moving out of her realm of comfort. She had hoped that perhaps the hyur had been a teacher of mathematics or the sciences. While not an expert on either, she felt she could have at least remain afloat in either discussion, but the truth is she knew precious little about history.

 

"Tell me, is there any particular era that you find particul--" At this point her salvation came in the form of a large roegadan hand on her shoulder - silencing her. She looked up at Whiskeyjack, glanced back to Myra, and gave a somewhat-muted-but-still-irritated sigh. "My apologies. Excuse us for just a few moments..."

 

Standing up, she placed one of her hands on the Sea Wolf's elbow, urging him to move away to a table at the opposite end of the tavern, well out of earshot. As though an afterthought, she picked up the glass of sherry, smiling gingerly as she took another sip.

[Renaise]

Doc listened intently to all that was around him, cocking his head occasionally at the more interesting peices of information. "Mercenaries, scholars, and businessmen... and women" he said outloud, probably originally intending it to be an internal thought, he spoke it anyway as had become habit over the years. "The people here -are- interesting, I mean I had expected more tales of sword and sorcery, great deeds that bards across the land would sing of. But no matter, at very least there isnt a lawyer... that is of some solace to me." he chuckled, amused with himself.

 

Doc sipped from his glass, sat for a moment then slapped his forehead. "Stupid, stupid, I totally forgot... Im getting old, old and stupid." As interesting as these conversations may have been to him, the main reason he was here had actually slipped his mind completely. He sat up straight, patted down his suit and spoke in an even tone which anyone nearby could have heard.

 

"Sorry to interupt... could any of you fine fellows... or fellas? Is there a feminine term for the word fellows or is it just..." Doc shook his head seemingly to push this tangent out of his mind. "Anyway, yes could any of you fine people tell me what this city is called?" Doc rubbed the back of his head, "I am a little... new to the area." he smiled slightly unconvincingly, like he had recieved a gift from a distant aunt that was horrible but you had to smile and say it was lovely anyway so as not to hurt any feelings.

[Smiling River]

"Interesting." Yecely thought to herself. She overheard this man mumbling to himself, although his exact words were unclear, drowned out by the rest of the tavern. His question however rang out at a point when all talking stopped. She thought of being witty and replying that this is Gridania or something, but held on to that remark. "Limsa Lominsa," she said, casually leaning against the bar. She couldn't help herself and added, "and this is something we call a tavern." She chuckled, clearly not meaning to do the stranger any harm. "Who would you be, anyway?"

[Aveline]

Oryn's face fell a bit when he heard Luralel's only brief acquaintance with Ul'dah. It had been a long time since he had seen his extended family, and he hoped all was well in their part of the world. To the question at hand posed by the small woman, he shook his head regretfully. "I apologize, but I've never heard of this Nanapriri or their shop.. but then, we do get a lot of merchants passing through around here."

 

As he paused to take a drink of his wine, Oryn overheard "..at the very least there isn't a lawyer... that is of some solace to me," from the large man who had entered so interestingly a few moments before. Glancing uncomfortably, Oryn sunk lower into his chair and attempted a wan smile at his tablemates, and was inwardly relieved when Yecely answered the newcomer's question.

[Nanapariri]

 

I R Back!

 

 

Lura still feeling a bit uncomfortable since she obviously wasn't as familiar with the world as her companions.

 

She was distracted from this train of thought by the new comer and since the others were speaking of the city, which she knew little, she thought to change it. "Sir can I suggest the use of the term "friends" when addressing a group of mixed company?"

[Varov]

He nodded and followed Orra along as she pulled him away from the table. "Listen kid, I thinks ya got what it takes. Ya work a crowd well, an' ye got a talented eye. What says you? Want a job?" He smiled as he followed the Elezen girl, nodding back to the table.

[Eva]

"I think I need to know more about the job description before I put ink t'paper, if ya know what I mean. I wasn't born yesterday." She waved a hand unenthusiastically before seating herself at the more remote table.

 

"Besides, ya haven't heard me analysis." Giving an obviously faux forlorn expression, she paused for a moment before getting to it.

 

"I'd say 95 percent of the folks in here aren't worth their salt. Adventurers mostly, a few merchants takin' their lunch and no doubt more than a couple sneakin' away from their bosses on lunch for a drop or two, if ye catch my drift. That one fella over there..." she nodded to a hyur man seated at the end of the bar beside an attractive-looking hyur woman, "next to the pretty little thing... aye, he's got some sorta military training. Could tell it by the way he carries himself. I'm not sure what to make of the oddball that walked in here, then left and came right back. Doesn't look like he's had a few too many or anything. Doesn't look like he'd be too good with a weapon, but it's the unlikely ones that surprise ya sometimes." She lowered her voice a bit, "Now, the two fellas at the table behind me - don't look! One of 'em is havin' issues with his woman. I'd say if ya got any jewels or trinkets or anything, the one with the shorter hair'd be yer best bet for a sale. Heard 'im whinin' to the other fella about it earlier."

 

"Oh, and the hyur woman I was chattin' with. She seems annoyed. I'm not sure what her deal is, but doubt you'd be able to make a sale there. She's a teacher of history, or so she says anyway. But she's hiding somethin. Prolly best to walk on by. And the other gal can't put down the wine fast enough."

 

She glanced at Whiskeyjack as though waiting for a response.

[Varov]

Whiskeyjack looks at the Elezen girl with his mouth wide open. He affixes his jaw back into the appropriate spot and finally speaks. "Well. Ye' certainly do know yer way. Hell, I was plannin' on jus' giving you some security job an payin' ya meager wages. Tell ya what... I need a spotter with yer eyes. I don't need ya fer hawkin' goods though, I need ya fer me exports business. I'll toss a few thousand gil a year in for ya, working as my personal bodygirl. You in, kiddo?" He asked, offering her a smile.

[Eva]

She smiled back, "How few a thousand? You should know by now I try to deal in specifics."

 

Leaning back in the chair and sipping on her sherry, she gave him a considering look, "Also, what're ya exporting? I like ta keep me hands clean, but I'm not above contracting some work out to those who don't mind dirtying theirs a bit..."

[Renaise]

"Limsa Lominsa" came the reply he was looking for, "Limsa Lominsa." He said out loud as if trying out the name for the first time. "Limsa Lominsa indeed!" he smiled. " What a lovely name, Limsa Lominsa, I like it, not too pretentious, yet... not too simple. No 'Large Boat city' or 'Magestic port of wonderment.' a fine name indeed. Limsa Lominsa... it just rolls off the tongue doesnt it?" He thought for a moment for the response to her second question. "Hmm... hello.. yes I'm... Doc." He smiled warmly. "Yes just call me Doc."

 

He looked over to Lura when she spoke her suggestion. "Friends? Hmm... well possibly I guess I could use friends in such a new place. Ill consider it." He smiled. He scanned the room briefly and frowned. "Certainly are a lot of weapons being carried arent there? A sign of the times I'd image, however still... less than Ideal... does this tavern get assaulted a lot then?"

[Kylin]

Myra couldnât help but be partially intrigued with this âDocâ fellow. His rambling revealed to her a rather surprising intellect but equally terrible social skills. She took a sip from her drink and continued observing in silence. She noticed Ora still speaking in semi-hushed tones with Whiskeyjack. The hyur should have been curious as to what they were talking about but she realized she wasnât. The roegadyn, while slightly annoying due to his booming voice and extrovert personality, was clearly no threat to her.

 

She wouldnât admit it but Myra was becoming rather bored quickly. She decided to wait for some of the others to leave first for fear that one or more would try to stalk her or something of that manner. Paranoia once again, though she felt it was completely justified due to her past predicament. Thus, the woman rested her head against her hand and simply continued to watch the patrons of the bar.

[Varov]

He gave Orra a wry grin. "How few a thousand? Let's say... 25,000 a year with commission an' special pay fer dangerous missions. I'll toss in free acquisitions from tha export company once monthly. How it sound?"

[Eva]

Hell yes, take it! Her mind screamed, but she managed to keep a calm expression and ran her fingers through her pink-highlighted hair, as though considering his offer carefully.

 

"25 sounds agreeable, with room for improvement over time, I presume? Free acquisitions sound good as well. When do I begin?"

 

She sipped the last of her sherry and set the empty glass down on the table, looking at the Roegadan inquisitively.

[Varov]

Whiskeyjack takes out his pocketwatch. "About five minutes ago. Here's yer signin' bonus." He reaches down at his belt and counts gil into a small bag, handing it over. "1,000 gil ta start should help with any business closin' you need t'do. Meet me in front'a this Inn t'morrow at dawn, eh?" He winks and moves back towards the table.

 

"Ole Whiskeyjack needs ta take his leave." Before leaving he points at Oryn. "Listen kid, I'm gonna need you on my staff t'morrow. If ya want the job offer as we discussed before, show up in front'a this tavern at dawn. I'm movin' a big shipment outwards to Ul'dah an' I need a legal representative for me exports. If yer in, let me know." He smiles and nods, waiting and looking around the table in case anyone had questions before he left.

[Eva]

Standing up, Ora nodded agreement. "Tomorrow it is. I must also take my leave. Until then, gods preserve."

 

She held a hand up in a sort of half-salute, half-waving gesture before pushing her chair back in and sauntering back over to the table she had originally come from. Seating herself across from Myra, she smiled faintly, "Business..." Suddenly she regretted not bringing her empty glass over, as she had no place for her hands. She folded them together in front of herself, making a steeple of her index fingers upon which she gently rested her chin.

 

"You were mentioning that you taught history...?"

[Smiling River]

Yecely opened her mouth but stopped short when Doc started talking to another patron. "Oh well," she thought to herself while pursing her lips to the side. Whiskeyjack seemed to finally be leaving. What arrogance! She recalled their conversation and tensed her brow. "Whatever..." she made her way back to the table at about the same time as Ora and sat back on her place. She glanced at Myra and raised her eyebrows up and down while her mouth, while tight-lipped, drew out a smile.

[Aveline]

Oryn, hastily finishing the last bites of his sandwich, nodded to Whiskeyjack's receding figure. "Tomorrow then." He smiled thoughtfully to his new co-worker Ora and drained the last of his wine glass.

 

"If you will excuse me ladies, I must hurry to catch the last stagecoach back to Aleport. It has been a pleasure and a most interesting luncheon." Scrabbling to pick up all of his books, Oryn left the tavern in what he had hoped to be a suave and sophisticated manner under the watchful gazes of so many keen-eyed women.