Unfinished Business [ooc welcome]

[Illira]

((This scene follows directly after Just Two Minutes & What We Run From))

 

Antimony Jhanhi fumbles with the straps of her chocobo's barding while attempting to fasten her bag, stuffed hastily with papers and a thick coat, to one side. She leans against the bird as she does this, ears shivering. Sighing as she finally managed to secure the bag, her body sagging heavily against the bird for a moment. The best chirruped and shifted in confusion, looking eager to be off.

 

***

 

Illira Carceri steps outside the Quicksand doors, having let go of some of her anger and righteous indignation, is in a calmer state. She looks out at around her surroundings, wondering where to begin her search. Airship would be the smartest choice for Anti to choose if she was indeed headed to Coerthas, but Illira couldn't remember if any routine ships actually ran along that route. She knew that she had to start somewhere, canvasing the local travel establishments was a good place to start, as it was unlikely that Antimony would head off on foot. It would also help determine if she had left the city. Talking with the gate guards might also be a possibility, but most of them required bribery to spill their information, the thought of which caused Illira to grind her teeth.

 

Illira walked further out, to head down the massive stairs. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the chocobo stable, they most often held those meant for the Immortal Flames, but they were known to rent them out for short travel distances. The long-legged Elezen picked up her step, and made her way towards the small paddocked area.

 

***

 

Antimony’s tail lifted and fell behind her once, the tip of it twitching. She placed her hands on the saddle and stared hard at them, the fine wrinkles along the seams of her face deepening in concentration.

 

***

 

Illira’s eyes narrowed as she got close enough to see the a tail move about behind a figure that looked ready to head-off via Chocobo.

 

***

 

Antimony Jhanhi let out a shakey breath, murmured a few strained words under her breath, and made to pull herself up onto the chocobo's back. The action was far more clumsy than normal as her hands shook and her legs felt as though made of water, but a moment later, she was settled on the bird.

 

Striding over to the now mounted chocobo, Illira puts her hand out, "Ho, there."

 

Antimony's ears flattened sharply against her head, and her tail swung wildly behind her, unintentionally smacking her chocobo's side. The bird squawked and shuffled, but didn't move immediately. Antimony seemed to shrink on the saddle, bowing forward.

 

Illira moves closer, to stand slightly in front of the bird, "You aren't by chance...", she looks up at the Miqo'te face, "You are. Antimony. We need to talk. If you wish to leave after, fine. But there is still unfinished business."

 

Antimony flinched, looked behind her as though expecting some beast to have caught up in some chase ready to maul her. "I... don't..." She brought one hand to her face, bowing her head as her tail curled around her leg. "I need to go. It's the only way to.."

 

Illira nods her head, "That is your own personal business Antimony. But you still have CRA files and research on you that I need, so that we may continue the investigation that you started. You can hand it over and leave, if you wish, so that at least we part as amicably as can be. You cannot simply abandon your work completely without consequences."

 

Antimony's hands clenched about her chocobo's reins, ears trembling against the sides of her head. She could not look at Illira. "I didn't... intend to--I didn't know they would..." She swallowed and muttered a quiet, "I apologize."

 

Illira motioned to the side, "Then, why don't you get off the Chocobo so that we can talk?"

 

Antimony worried the reins, keeping her eyes averted. The beast shifts uneasily beneath her, perhaps sensing its rider's distress. "Can we not... talk here?"

 

Illira frowned, "Not while you’re on a chocobo, no."

 

Antimony let out a slow breath, and generally looked rather conflicted for several, long moments before wordlessly turning to slip down off the chocobo's back. Her tail shivered almost uncontrollably while her hands clasped one another white-knuckled at her waist. "You... intend to fire me, I... presume," she said carefully.

 

Illira pressed her lips together, "How else do you think this could turn out? You went without a word for three weeks, use valuable company time for personal matters, and then when given the chance to make amends, you simply try to take off on a Chocobo to Coerthas taking the research along with you! By doing so, you're quitting Miss Antimony.”

 

Antimony stood very still as Illira spoke and when the elezen finished, she stood in silence for a time longer, anxious expression replaced with something more ponderous and shadowed. "I do understand," she spoke carefully after the pause, though her voice carried a tremor underneath. "Everything is... I wish D'hein had not given me this assignment, but I never thought I would find--" She blinked, shook her head. “The papers are all... all here.”

 

Illira narrowed her eyes slightly, "You think I'm any happier to be here Antimony? The difference is that you choose to seep in your self pity." She glanced briefly at the Chocobo, "I can take the paperwork now, and you can be unburdended by these social and work responsibilities that are so weighing so heavily on you."

 

Antimony closed her eyes, turning her head away slightly, and drew a shallow breath. To run was the only option. The spectre of the past had found her this far, but there had to be a far enough. "I understand," she repeated stiffly and turned to the bag, removing the winter coat before nodding slightly at it. “There... is much to tie... the nunh to trouble. I think. I would have... I apologize.”

 

“Apologies mean nothing, though it is something that you believe you made significant headway in the case.”

 

Antimony's ears drooped lower, if that were possible, and carefully unstrapped the satchel before holding it towards Illira. Still she could not look directly to the elezen. Illira took hold of the satchel, glancing only briefly at it before letting her steely gaze run over Antimony, "I do not blame you from leaving from those heathens in your room. Their barbarism is offensive at best. But are your certain that running in fear and cowardice is best?"

 

The miqo’te woman flinched violently at something in Illira's words, reacting to a degree that would likely seem inappropriate to the level of the statement. Her ears swiveled wildly and it was several seconds before she found her voice, "It is not... something you could understand.”

 

Illira pulled the satchel over her head, "Why? Because you presume to know me?"

 

Antimony ran her fingers over the fur and leather of the coat distractedly, silent again for a time, considering or debating or perhaps simply trying to run again, on a less literal level. Eventually she spoke once more, slowly, "I cannot bear the reminders of what I've lost." This said, she turned to her chocobo, head down.

 

Illira let out a huff, "Reminders of what you've lost? What about what you still have, or could? You said that was family in there. They're heathens as I said, but they are family as well, seemingly."

 

Antimony's expression grew heavy once more. "Precisely." Her voice trembled precariously as she reached for the chocobo's reins.

 

Illira nodded her head. "So you're a coward then. At least you admit it. I always did like your honesty."

 

Antimony's tail lashed back and forth behind her and then, in the next breath, she was pulling herself upon its back, her shoulders hunched and shaking. "I need to... go now."

 

Illira bowed her head, moving to the side, "Then go. I'm not stopping you."

 

Antimony bent forward as though hiding and, with only minimal urging, the chocobo started forward. She did not reply to Illira.

 

Illira walked back towards the quicksand across the street, not looking back at the retreating figures.