Future Sighting [Open RP]

[Parth Makeo]

Quint felt as if someone invited her to talk about her method of telling the future...but on one part she feared it may be a little hard to explain. Especially considering where she came from. Yet she continued as planned. Even Cobalon would return to her side to ease the crowd down.

 

When it was all over, Quint took a silent sigh and eased her body. The crystals she had returned to her bag as instructed by her before getting up and walking over to the woman who talked to her earlier. Quint figured it was okay to talk about it with another...though if she could fully comprehend the idea of future sight is another question.

 

"You wanted to talk about seeing beyond normal sight, yes?" Quint asked L'yhta politely. The way she dressed and how her hair looked could be considered doll like in it's own world despite showing no joints. Her eyes with a closer inspection were made out of a plentiful layer of glass and materials to produce such real looking eyes. Even her scales were different, having a texture compared to Dish wear as oppose to real scales. And yet the Aether inside her was so small that it was a literal candle to any mortal. 

 

Cobalon also seemed odd. No not because he could speak, but because any person highly attuned with Aether could detect that only most of his body was Aether...and that there was some actual solid form to the Carbuncle. Of course he would add into the conversasion. "Perhaps we should find a table and chairs? Standing around can be tiring on it's own."

[Warren Castille]

"Glory to the peacekeepers." Situation defused, Warren turned back to the bar and away from the impromptu show. Quint had done good work for him in the past, and the meek healer didn't deserve that sort of rough treatment if he had a say in the matter. Of course, he didn't need to have one at this particular juncture. It was always a mixed feeling to see others standing up for what was good and fair in the world.

 

He let the murmurs of the Quicksand return to mostly white noise; Years of piecing together bits and bobs of crowd talk made the focus reflexive. He also didn't expect there to be much more ruckus raised so long as the caster with the implied threat was lingering. Patrons at the Quicksand might be a little rough around the edges, but in Warren's experience they knew not to run afoul of the adventuring types.

 

Content to let his brain work through the ambiance, Warren enjoyed his drink.

[Steel Wolf]

The leather woven to Steel's gauntlet plates squeaked as her fist uncurled with some effort. She was seconds away from walking forth and offering her considerable size to the situation. However, she hadn't counted on the soothsayer's cleverness and an incredibly electric miqo'te breaking up the moment. Her mind had thought to aid the woman in whatever trouble she felt could only be answered by an uppercut and a foot race, but then her own weariness reminded her of what she had come to the Quicksand for in the first place.

 

The spectacle of the events faded away with the fog of resuming patron chatter and the packing up of the mage's crystals. Looks like the line of patrons were done with, as the woman and her curious Carbuncle retired to speak with another scholasticate.

 

"Time for a drink!" she announced to herself, reminding what she was standing about for as she walked towards the bar. She signaled the tender, nodding towards a bottle of rum that sat on the rear counter. She sighed as she settled down in to the barstool, the baldric holding her weapon rattling against her plate. She looked around a moment before spotting someone to her left which caused her golden eyes to widen.

 

Ser Castille...!

 

Her head swiftly snapped forward before slowly turning to look again for confirmation. Yep. That was indeed him, a man whom she had idolized when she first took up sword for the realm. He was right there. Within groping distance....

 

No. No, you don't grope your heroes. Bad form, Sthal.

 

She slowly spun in her seat, offering him a bright smile and a courteous bow. "Ser Warren. It is an honor to share a seat with you."

[Warren Castille]

Warren turned at his name, his brain refreshing the sound of heavy steps and the peripheral sight of heavy armor. The tone set the tempo; Courteous and warm, matched with what he read as a genuine smile and a bow. He couldn't help but grin back as parts of his brain battled back and forth on whether he should be proud or embarrassed to be regarded so highly.

 

"Miss Wolf." He nodded back to her with no small reverence, taking the time to glance over her armor. "Pardon the insinuation, but it's good to run into you someplace a bit more our speed. Fancy balls and expensive clothes aside, I know I certainly feel more like myself while armored, in a bar."

 

He sat up a bit more, turning conversationally to the roegadyn. How long had it been since that fancy meeting out at the Sanctum? He recalled it vividly enough, attending with Sei and Mai both. No small number of meetings there that night.

 

"Just missed some action, too. Couple of boys thought to make a scene while the Seer was doing her thing. Good folk stood in, though. Smart of them." Warren took another mouthful of his drink and shook his head with a small tug at the corner of his mouth.

[Star Lin]

John Waterstrike step into the Quicksand, small box in his hand.  Beside the blue and purple hair miqo'te was a taller dark hair hyur.  "Really, John, you seem to investing a lot of yourself into this Joy," he said, removing his Captain jacket and draping it over his arm.  His eyes roam over the bar area, taking in the area, and noticing that there might have been some trouble.

 

"Sam," John said, giving the hyur a side glance, "Joy has no one but Sir Khyran and his group.  Though I wish mom hadn't taken an interest in her.  Why would a 6 year old need a Rainbow dress?  It's not practical for where she's staying at."  He gave Warren a smile, setting the box down.  "Lady Momodi, can I please have a glass of water?"  He watch Sam take a seat, asking for a beer.  "Lady Momodi, were you able to get those learning quill for me."

 

"Of course, John," she said, reaching under the bar and bring out two boxes.  She pass them over, as well as the glass of water and beer.  He gave a smile before packing them into the other box which contain smaller pots of what look like paint.

[FreelanceWizard]

"Perhaps we should find a table and chairs? Standing around can be tiring on it's own."

 

"Absolutely!" L'yhta replied with a smile, heading to a free table and pulling up a chair, paying little mind to a nearby hyur pointing and whispering something frantic about "that insane mage wot was gonna freeze someone solid."

 

"It's rare to find someone with not just one, but two unique forms of magic. Reading fate's usually the province of astrologians, and carbuncles don't usually chat. So! Experiment gone unexpectedly awry? Ancient spells found in an old ruin and unleashed?" she asks, her tone curious, then waves over one of the waitresses.

 

"Whisky, neat, for me, and whatever these two want?"

[Parth Makeo]

Moving to the table, Quint calmly took her seat as Cobalon hopped up to meet them eye to eye. The thought of drinks passed through their minds.

 

"I'll have a bottle of Ether!" Cobalon claimed.

 

"...I'll take juice with a mix of Ether potion please." Quint added on. While it seemed odd, they usually were ordering these things. Momodi was on point so far with the strange mixtures by this point as they were the only ones that buy them. With that in order, Cobalon did the introductions as he usually would.

 

"It is a pleasure to meet you. My name is Cobalon. And this little girl is Quint. Though you might of heard her name somewhere today. But as for me...It's kind of complicated." as always his voice was prominent despite the aetherial look. Quint had to answer her question though. As deadpan as her expression was most of the time. 

"Cobalon here was trapped in a tome that he is bound to. I found him in the waterways when I got lost. He has claimed to of been around for...A few Eras." Quint didn't dare bring up that he was possibly the survivor of a massive war of magic. Instead making it vague. 

 

"Hard to believe that I was at once a mortal...but one wrong run in with a witch made me into this little critter...not to say I hate this form. It definitely gives me an advantage when I need to look under skirts. Plus I am irresistible and fluffy." Cobalon chuckled, noticing the drinks arriving. He had to let his drink lay sideways to lap at it. Quint's drink on the other hand was discolored to indicate the mixture of an Ether potion with fruit were not always a good idea.

 

"As for the Future Sight, it's not like an Astrologist's method by any means." she sat her glass down and placed two colored candies. One red and one blue. She picked the red one up as she continued "Here we have two candies. One red and one blue. I just picked up the red one...but at the same time I also picked the blue one in another timeline. However, now the fate of said candies come into question..."

 

Cobalon watched, always delighted with how she explained things. "It's just a theory but every small action creates another timeline. So will the red candy be fated to be consumed..." she gently eased it back down and picked the blue one up. "Or will it be spared in exchange for the blue one?" and she popped the rock candy into her mouth....

"Blueberry..."

 

Cobalon meanwhile tried to condense what she said. "To put it in a layman's term, she does not foresee fate so much as she can see what CAN happen. A What If scenario if you will. Even i am a tad confused too."

[Steel Wolf]

"Just missed some action, too. Couple of boys thought to make a scene while the Seer was doing her thing. Good folk stood in, though. Smart of them." Warren took another mouthful of his drink and shook his head with a small tug at the corner of his mouth.

 

Steel tittered, a far more coquettish and schoolgirly tone issuing from what would otherwise be considered a tower of plate and muscle. She cleared her throat, thankful at the rum's arrival to allow her mouth to be occupied before further noises blurted out of her mouth. Despite her attempts at resetting herself mentally, her cheeks were already slightly flush.

 

'Heh, Aye, I'd just caught th'tail end of that noise. Certainly felt more like home than wrapped in a gown an' mingling among th'upper crust." The cadence of conversation and his mention of comfort in armor caused her to grin brightly at him. She took another sip of the rum, causing a strand of hair to drape over her face. In between words she tried to blow away the interfering hair.

 

"So then! Pfft! I understand that--pfft--th'Grindstone's been soemthin' of a mar--pffft!--marquee event of recent. Congratu--"

 

She cut herself off, finally curling the stray hair behind her ear with noted agitation before returning back to that beaming warmth.

 

"Congratulations are in order."

 

Butter smooth, Sthalwilf.

[Warren Castille]

Warren conceded to her point with a small shrug and a nod in her direction.

 

"We do alright." The deflection was equal parts pride and humility. "Would have continued without me, of course. If anyone is to be congratulated, it's the folks who volunteer their services to make sure everyone else is kept safe. Grindstone wouldn't be anywhere without them, that's for certain."

 

He paused to set his glass down and signaled in the affirmative for another round. "Crowd is finally settling back in to a saner level, though." The highlander took another drink from his refreshed glass and shook his head again, expressing disbelief. "...three score people, that's more sane. I mean it when I say it; As long as Ul'dah's got so many folks interested in learning how to swing a weapon, I don't foresee war going in any favor but the Jewel's."

 

"Maybe that's not quite fair. We do see a quite a few from outside of Thanalan. I guess the Grindstone's got that going for it. Where else can you talk shop casually with swordsmen, mercenaries, royal guards, lancers from High Houses and meet all sorts of crafts and philosophies regarding the healing arts?"

 

The words reached his ears and brought a frown. He drowned it in his glass.

[FreelanceWizard]

L'yhta chortled at the carbuncle's explanation of his history. "You certainly are irresistibly fluffy. I'm sure you get more than a few unexpected hugs," she notes, her tone light. With a smile flashed to the waitress, she idly dropped a surprisingly large amount of gil on her tray -- enough to pay for several rounds and a large tip besides -- then turned her gaze back to Quint and Cobalon.

 

"So! You're not reading what's fated to happen or What Must Happen, but what could happen. It's as if you're following one of those branches to its conclusion, right? An estimation of likelihoods and where they end up. You must be a lot of fun in dice games," she notes with a waggle of her eyebrows.

 

"Oh! Introductions, right. I'm L'yhta Mahre, Limsa Lominsa's most splendiferous sorcerer, and! As you can tell, someone who's particularly interested in the different curiosities the land has to offer. You never know when serendipity might bring you the solution to a problem or a new perspective, you know?"

[Parth Makeo]

"Well if it's a curiosity, then look no further than Quint here! She's a lifesize doll." Cobalon paraded that notion as a stone faced Quint looked up to L'yhta. Not confused but rather unphased by it all...Or was she? It was hard to tell at times from her monotone voice and stagnate face.

 

"Cobalon, I'd rather of saved that information for later. She is clearly asking about the Future Sight." and with a turn of her glass, she told L'yhta. "The reason my readings have been more than accurate for many is due to how the future is lined for us. No one person can know what will happen and the ability to look into the future is nothing more than a myth. The future is constantly changing based on the choices of many or even a single person. Only the past is set in stone."

 

As she spoke, Cobalon dug out a piece of paper and a pen for Quint to draw while she kept explaining. She drew a single circle with the word 'Current' and then branching three lines out to the right at three angles, labeling them '1', '2' and '3' in order. Following with three smaller circles connected and branching two of them off with two more lines with one circle having three and so on in a repeated formula until the other end of the page had more then fifteen lines jetting around.

 

"This is the basic idea of what I deduct to create the future sight. Current is right at this moment, and those numbers are your options you picked. At Current, i can see ahead of your options before you make them, possibly changing the future or just delaying the inevitable." she drew a curved line over each one with two indents in the center of them.

"The portals I make can only be conjured when the conditions meet. You seek the conclusion for a path you plan to take, it is not beyond six Moons and it has not already happened. If any of these three are not met or you flat out lie, I am unable to even open the gap..."

(pardon arrow errors  )

 

 

 

Cobalon let his tail sway as he watched and listened. "Even when she does, Quint is unable to see the vision. It's only for the person who has their hand in the gap. But rarely some events overlap with other people and some of your choices may affect others around you as well." 

 

"Correct. Although I've never seen another attempt this...Mostly due to the amount of Aether you need to have....but I don't mind teaching this to another." this caught Cobalon's ears.

"Hold it Quint. You can't just offer to teach someone this ability. Remember when I taught you how to Siphon and Transfer? It took you quite a while." he looked to L'yhta with concern. Praying that this would not turn out for the worse.

[Steel Wolf]

Steel smiled at Warren as he spoke, the adoration she held for the man already reaching a wellspring. There were numerous times it was told he was but a simple, humble man, but here it was unfolding before her eyes.

 

Simple, humble...but maybe a bit enburdened?

 

"Aye, well Ul'dah's surely got a history around gladiatorial contest. Suppose it's not a wonder people're flockin' to one that doesn't appear beholden to th'Monetarists. Some 'purer' version'a the Bloodsands."

 

She finished her rum and signaled for a refill before continuing.

 

"But I'm still not so sure it'd just simply run on in perpetuity...it takes a leader's mind an' charisma to assemble such a thing and to keep it a place'a learnin' and growth 'stead of some random melee in th'desert."

 

Her glass refilled, she raised it to him, her warm smile broadening to a toothy grin.

 

"I know no better man that fills those qualities, Ser Warren. An' like it as not, this realm has need of such exercise. I suppose ah'm simply thankin' ye for the work."

 

The glass lifted a bit higher in a toast before she downed a healthy dram of the rum, her jaw jutting forward as she inhaled through the burn with gritted teeth.

[Warren Castille]

Warren listened politely as she ran down her views on the Grindstone, and potential motivations of the people interested in it.

 

"Ul'dah and gil are practically one in the same. The Bloodsands are a backbone to the history here, especially after the Bull took a spot on the Syndicate. I wouldn't say we're more pure or anything than what the Jewel's got going on here, but..."

 

Warren stopped himself with a deep inhalation, cutting off the sentence and starting anew.

 

"You know, I've been told more than a few times that it's okay to enjoy the results of our actions." He raises his glass to hers at mention of thanks, then offers some of his own. "In return, you should realize that people only think I'm doing anything worthwhile because they think it's worthwhile. That whole 'tree falls in the Shroud' dilemma. Without folks showing up to participate, there's nothing to acknowledge.

 

"So, thanks for noticing."

 

It wasn't supposed to come out so... bothered but this particular battle was one Warren had been fighting for as long as he'd been standing on the rock.

 

"What brings the Wolf out into the desert, anyway?"

[FreelanceWizard]

L'yhta listened carefully to the explanation, her slit pupils darting over the page.

 

"Correct. Although I've never seen another attempt this...Mostly due to the amount of Aether you need to have....but I don't mind teaching this to another." this caught Cobalon's ears.

"Hold it Quint. You can't just offer to teach someone this ability. Remember when I taught you how to Siphon and Transfer? It took you quite a while." he looked to L'yhta with concern. Praying that this would not turn out for the worse.

 

She then held up a hand, a smile on her face. "Oh! I don't mean to impose, certainly. Not that aetheric capacity is a problem for me, unless it needs to be small instead of great.

 

"It's just a very interesting thing, this magic of yours, you know? To hear the astrologians tell it, fates are written in the firmament, but how we get there varies. So, if the stars said I were destined to ride a great wyrm into glorious battle against the Garlean legions," she said, her voice playful, "it'd happen, eventually, but the choices to get there and the path might vary. I'm interested in what you think about that, though," she asked, turning her gaze up to Quint's eyes. "You've got a different approach to that particular art, so! I expect you've a refreshing perspective on what it can do?"

[Steel Wolf]

"What brings the Wolf out into the desert, anyway?"

 

Steel maintained her smile to him, noting the discontent that hung on his voice. It was obvious he'd had this conversation before, and was a task that weighed upon him daily.

 

He's at a bar, you daft twat. He doesn't want to be reminded of his duties.

 

She nodded in consent to his silent plea, tapping at the edge of her warsword. The weapon looked like an overdressed katana, with a pitch-black blade beveled the entire length from point to guard with a single edge. A gold filigree curled along the back of the weapon to form the crossguard, connecting to a hilt that was made of a purple and white materual. Despite its appearance, the bowing leather of her baldric belied the weapon's immense weight.

 

"I'm tryin' tae find a suitable whetstone for Swarsygg here. Thing's a wonderful blade an' been seeing me through lots of trouble. It's stayed true, but I worry about her edge."

 

She unhooked the weapon from its baldric, laying it on the bar's edge with its point down. She looked over the weapon with a very obvious beaming pride before taking another sip of her rum.

[Parth Makeo]

Xyla nodded to her question. "If you want to call it as such, yes. It's not always the same results and minor changes do affect. You might get the same end result but something else can happen." Xyla took her time to enjoy the drink when she noticed Cobalon standing up and seeing the Hyur from before come back with a friend. A Hellsguard Roegadyn to be exact. One with armor fit to be a Murader of sorts as he suddenly picked Quint up by her collar from her chair.

 

"You messin' with my friends?" he glared into Quint's lifeless eyes as the Hyur from before added on. "She is. Threatened to burn us to ash she did! Like a witch!" shouting to try and get people to notice. "Issat right? Well now. Better apologize before I make an example of you!"

 

Quint however kept calm. "I said no such thing. Your friend insisted that he had a vision he would like read but as far as I knew it was made up to make me out to be a fraud. I then showed him the future of what would happen if he kept bugging us and whatever he saw was on his vision. They are not always one hundred percent and-" 

 

"Shut it, Witch!" The Roe was clearly trying his best to hold back his need to rip her arm off. Cobalon was also calm as well. The Roe then looked to L'yhta. "Don't try anything funny." holding and shaking Quint up. As if trying to scare what seemed unshaken by hallowed threats.

[Warren Castille]

Sometimes things just play right into each other. Steel Wolf had just set her weapon on the bar and before Warren could motion to examine the piece - it did have a fair bit of work laden into it, something the highlander was partial to - there was noise behind him. Angry voices, yelling, aggression. Warren took a glance over his shoulder to make certain his gut instinct was correct and then tapped Steel's arm, motioning for her to join him.

 

Warren stepped away from the dimmer atmosphere of the bar and into the more well-lit portion of the Quicksand, boots sounding heavily as he drew his sword from its place at his hip. He gripped it with a tight fist covered in the same armor he wore out to Fesca's Wash and turned his gaze on the Roegadyn and the sniveling hyur.

 

"Pardon, friend. You're picking a fight you don't want." He didn't raise his voice, not seeing the necessity of it having drawn weaponry already. The implication was clear enough, he figured.

[Steel Wolf]

Steel blinked at the tap on her arm, then turned in the direction of his gaze. She saw the soothsayer being hauled in the air by a very agitated-looking Roegadyn and the Hyur from earlier. Her smile immediately dissolved at the scene, and she followed Warren's lead, taking up her immense warsword and walking just behind his shoulder.

 

"Pardon, friend. You're picking a fight you don't want." He didn't raise his voice, not seeing the necessity of it having drawn weaponry already. The implication was clear enough, he figured.

 

Steel shivered inside at the sound of his voice and the sight of him staring down a threat...nevermind doing it alongside him! Outwardly, however, she kept her composure, looking at the looming danger and bringing herself to reality.

 

As an exclamation point to Warren's greeting, she tapped the point of her warsword against the floor of the bar, a dark smirk playing at the corner of her mouth. She, too, was as heavily armored, wearing a black plate with a long purple skirt

[FreelanceWizard]

"Shut it, Witch!" The Roe was clearly trying his best to hold back his need to rip her arm off. Cobalon was also calm as well. The Roe then looked to L'yhta. "Don't try anything funny." holding and shaking Quint up. As if trying to scare what seemed unshaken by hallowed threats.

 

L'yhta sipped her drink, looking up at the roegadyn, then cocked her head towards the newcomers. "I'd be more worried about them than me, seeing as they've got steel out." Her tone was unfazed, but the slow swishing of her tail betrayed her annoyance and, perhaps, readiness for a scrap.

 

With a flick of her eyes back to the bully, she said, "I'd go ahead and put our friend down and take a walk to cool off if I were you. You can't really want to pick a fight in an adventurers' guild, yeah?"

[Parth Makeo]

The Hyur behind his friend got his attention to tell him in a low voice the approaching two.

"That's Warren...He runs that Grindstone competition. But that girl...That's THE Steel Wolf! I think we should go..." 

But the Roe cared not a single moment about who they were. "I dun't care who they are. They are protecting a witch!" he raised Quint in the air. By now she had no real fear. "I can prove it too. I've seen her arm break off like a twig and just placed back on without even feeling pain!" his claims were just as insane but only a handful were looking to side with him. Mainly out of curiosity if he was being truthful.

 

"Sir. Right now, you have the choice to leave this establishment with all your teeth intact. Your choice at this moment can and will change your future from here on out. Will you heed their call and put me down or will you continue with your insane claims, look like a fool and possibly be harmed for your antics in this guild?" Quint spoke out just as he looked around.

 

"You're protecting a witch. All of you..." he was lowering his arm down but seemed to refuse to let go. "Why would you?" he was far more calm but more turned off by the group in his eyes. Cobalon then sealed his fright when he spoke up to him.

 

"...One of us..." only cementing his overall fear by placing Quint down gently and looking to Warren, Wolf and even L'yhta. "Y-you guys are freaks!" avoiding another conflict as Quint inspect her neckline. Noticing a little gash in her neck. "Huh...A hidden blade." despite the odd and half cut neck, she wiggled around before placing it firmly down on her neck and sealing it with a crystal. "...Sorry you two had to come over."

[Warren Castille]

Warren didn't need to rise to the angry Roegadyn's challenging words and chose to meet them with a glare until he relented. The sword etched with a stylized snowflake on the crossguard sang out as it was returned to its resting place with a frustrated, if practiced, quickness. It wasn't until the threat was abated and Quint was returned to her seat that he broke off from staring down the coward.

 

"I don't like it when my own are threatened." The statement was matter-of-fact and he offered a small inspection to the woman, a once-over to make sure she wasn't hurt. He looked leery initially, then released a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding. "You're safe, that's the important thing. If he wants to escalate, I'm not a hard man to find."

 

He stood by to make certain everything was on the up and up.

[Steel Wolf]

Steel watched as the pair scurried off again, her golden eyes narrowing. She swung her sword around her shoulder and hooked it in to her baldric. The smirk never really left her face, but at the same time she never really seemed to gain a sense of mirth.

 

"Twice. What's th'goin' bet that says they'll be back and in force later?" she muttered to herself.

 

She turned back to the assembly, offering them a slight bow and a significantly softer smile. "Not a bother at all miss. Like Ser Castille 'ere says, we don't like our own bein' hauled up by th'neck and made to eat slander." She thrust out a gauntleted hand, her grin widening as the mood of the matter began to improve...not to mention she scared off someone alongside her idol by the Twelve this was really happening!

 

"Sthalwilf Haemrstymmwyn, miss. Or Steel Wolf if yer not feelin' up to th'task. Wish we'd met under less...neck-squeezing circumstances."