Apologies Aren't Always Easy

[Naunet]

((Not long after this post...))

 

***

 

Illira Carceri sat by herself at the edge of the quicksand, a mug of something in front of her, that she didn’t actually seem to be drinking from at the moment. Though it must have been fascinating, as she was just kind of staring off into the distance at it.

 

Across the room, the elder Antimony wove her way through the Quicksand, her path intending to take her towards the back, where the rented rooms were kept. She paused, however, upon catching sight of a familiar face and looked almost immediately flustered. She fidgeted in place for several seconds before forcibly turning and walking stiffly towards the red-clad elezen. Unnoticed by her, a lalafell dressed in all in white and an over-sized had sneakily moved to stand behind Antimony as if she had been there the whole time. Antimony worried her hands together before stopping a good three or so steps behind Illira and uneasily clearing her throat.

 

The elezen had just lifted her hand, as if to grasp the mug in front of her, when she heard a noise from behind. Slowly turning her head towards interruption, she asked, "What?" in a tired, almost frustrated voice.

 

Antimony flinched, looked away to one side with a sort of 'hide me' expression, though she quickly tried to mask it. "Ahm, excuse me, Miss... Carceri," she ventured in as small and humble a voice as she could manage. "It's just, I wanted to... well.."

 

Antimony Jhanhi flinches, lookes away to one side with a sort of 'hide me' expression, though she quickly tries to mask it. "Ahm, excuse me, Miss... Carceri," she ventures in as small and humble a voice as she can manage. "It's just, I wanted to... well.."

 

Ulanan just stood there at her side, like a tiny mean bodyguard.

 

Illira was finally able to see Antimony, frowning when she recognized the woman, "You wanted to what? Apologize for D'hein perhaps?"

 

“Er. Well. Perhaps... That is to say--well... No! He can apologize for himself!”

 

Illira scoffed at that, "As if he would ever admit fault in himself."

 

Antimony frowned and huffed a bit before seemingly remembering herself and ducking her head, finishing with, "For everything else, I suppose. I did not intend to give you the impression that I was... trying to win his... approval or--well, anything!"

 

“And yet his transgressions against you have been all but forgotten.” Illira shook her head, "You so easily forget the past, it seems."

 

Antimony blanched. "That--it's not quite so simple as--Of course they haven't--" For a moment, she looked as though she was about to just break apart, her ears and tail quivering, and then she burst out, "How else am I to react when he returns me to my daughter!"

 

“I see you are not a big proponent of forgiveness, Miss Carceri.”

 

Antimony startled, nearly jumping clear off the Quicksand's floor at Ulanan's voice. Turning to blink at the lalafell, her ears drooped.

 

“It is not a matter of forgiveness. So the man manipulated his way into your life by using your daughters. The fact that you have found them again does necessitate that his motivations or past deeds are wiped clean.” Illira rolled her eyes at the appearance of the lalafell.

 

“Using my—“ Antimony's brow knitted together, tail writhing. "You don't understand," she mumbled.

 

Ulanan made a very rude noise with her tongue. "What would you have him do, then? Keep that information for himself and leave Antimony to believe they were dead?"

 

“Oh, I believe I understand well enough. D'hein could have told you of their existence long ago, but did he? No. He made unwelcome intrusions on your personal life that are well documented and arranged your meeting to happen in a manner that he saw to best fit his own needs.”

 

Antimony frowned suddenly and repeated a bit firmer, "No, you don't understand. You've never lost--" She caught herself, sighed, looked away. "You're making assumptions that are just... just.. entirely unfair!"

 

Illira turned back to the table, placing her hand around her mug, "Your sight is merely clouded on this matter. I'm sure that would find fault in my own anger with him this morning."

 

Ulanan found something funny, contrary to Antimony, and smirked at the Elezen. "You are wrong. He did tell her before, but when she did not believe him, he set off to 'arrange' it the way he did."

 

Antimony flinched at Ulanan's words, wringing her hands. Still, she replied to Illira, exclaiming, "Clouded! I... have done nothing with him aside from a thank you! Which... he's cared for my baby girls." Her expression pleaded at the back of Illira's head, though the elezen couldn’t see it.

 

“Excuse me, is this seat taken? Piggy! off the table!”

 

Illira brought the mug rim against her thin lips, but before she could take a drink she lookd up at the man speaking to her, "Not in the strictest sense, no.", she says, glancing back briefly to the individuals behind her.

 

The hyur man, hair greyed but features broad and well planed, smiled as he nodded, and took a seat, dismissing his pig "Many thanks... Fighting Earth Elementals take a lot out of someone"

 

Ulanan looked up at Antimony, a slight air of confusion covering her expression. "Why are you seeking this woman's understanding?"

 

“I’m Kram'eos... but everyone calls me Kram... I’m a Amature Pugilist... once a Thau-Thuma.... a Spell Slinger...”

 

Antimony looked up past Illira, to the unfamiliar hyur, then down at Ulanan when the lalafell speaks. She just sighed and looked a bit helpless.

 

The man named Kram’eos sighed as he leaned back in his chair, and relaxed, feeling much relief on his feet, as he slipped his shoes off under the table.

 

Illira took that drink that was interrupted, "Hrmm. That all sounds quite impressive, I'm sure." She said off-handedly Kram'eos. She looked back at the miqo'te and the lalafell, "What did you want from me in the first place? You never did say."

 

Kram'eos grimaced at the inadvertent dismissal of doing smalltalk... wasn’t trying to impress of course, but decided to get up and find another seat, feeling unwelcomed.

 

Antimony startled and looked back to Illira. "I didn't? I did--did I... ah..." Her ears laid back against her skull, shoulders slumping. "Apologies. I shouldn't have bothered you."

 

“I think I'll agree with that,” Ulanan nodded.

 

“You don't need to apologize. I should probably be doing so to you. I am... aware, that my behavior this morning was likely a bit over-heated.”

 

Antimony grimaced and waved her hands back and forth. "No, no, it's--well, I mean, it was rather uncalled fo--ah, that's not what I mean! Just... oh, dear. You don't have to apologize to me."

 

“You can speak you're mind. I'm not a delicate flower, and you do not work for me anymore.”

 

Ulanan jokingly said: "We understand that you are a mean person with a black stone for a heart. And we forgive you for that." At that, Antimony made as though to speak, but she just managed a faint sound, looking mortified.

 

Illira clenched her jaw, "And you are just as bad as the rest of your kind. I wish a sandworm would swallow up all this damn city." She turned back away and takes a drag from her mug.

 

“Ah--Ulanan surely didn't--she was just joking, I'm certain..!”

 

“Oh, I quite certain that she isn't joking.”

 

“Aren't you pleased that we presented our perceptions plainly? I purport it was pleasant!” Ulanan spoke up, adding a smile to those words.

 

“Are you two merely going to stand there all night? I have made my own opinion on the topic of D'hein Tia, quite clear. I am sorry that I dragged you into the middle of our personal quarrel Antimony, but I simply could not hold my tongue any longer. There is nothing more to say on the matter.”

 

Antimony's hands flexed in mid-air as though lost. "I..." she squeaked and faded off, ears shivering. Then suddenly, "I am terribly sorry for whatever I have done to upset you, Miss Carceri! I swear it was no intention of mine, nor of--of Ulanan's, and I wish you no ill will and I am sorry D'hein has done—something even though I'm not sure what but all I know is that my baby girls are alive and you have no idea how much that means I just can hardly--hardly stand it!"

 

Ulanan raised one hand. "I want to amend something. It was my intention to upset you."

 

Antimony exclaimed with dismay, "Ulanan!"

 

“I am simply being honest!” the lalafell shrugged.

 

Illira pursed her lips, "D'hein has apparently decided that meddling in others’ lives is a good thing. You can embrace your daughters; I do not begrudge you that. But I would highly suggest that you do not continue cozying up to him. His tactics and mindset are not so different than that of the Syndicate members of Ul'dah."

 

Antimony winced at that and mumbled, "I... will keep that in mind."

 

Ulanan looked to Antimony. "And with this settled, we should find you some clothes so you can stop flattering him just by walking in the clothes he gave you."

 

Antimony flushed. "That--my other--it was better than--ah... yes.."

 

Illira took another drink, her brow scrunching at that, "Clothes? And you think that he doesn't want something in return?"

 

Antimony looked to one side and admitted lowly and with clear embarrassment, "You did not see what I was wearing before."

 

“Yes, I did. Better that than taking in his favour.”

 

Ulanan gestured in annoyance, “That's terrible! A layer of dirt is not better than clean clothes. Though it is better than linen...but I digress.”

 

Antimony just kind of wilted under Illira's words and mumbled, "I am sorry. I should go."

 

“I am not keeping you here,” the elezen replied flatly.

 

Ulanan turned to leave. "I'm sure that if we hurry we can get something out of the Weaver's Guild." Antimony wavered a moment longer before turning to follow Ulanan, though she didn’t look pleased with the result of the encounter.

[Illira]

A little while later, Amaury Carceri finds a familiar face while on his way to the bar in the quicksand. He stops at the railing, placing his hands on it and leaning against it. “Taking a brief rest from work, sister?”

 

Illira remains seated where she had plumped herself down earlier with a drink or two. She looks down confusedly at her mug, as someone speaks. After a moment she looks around, and then eventually up at the railing, spying a fellow Elezen. "Wha...? No. It is late now."

 

“Is it? Prison must have desensitized me about how work hours function. Mind if I join you?,” Amaury says, smiling.

 

Illira says plainly, "Sure." She kicks out a chair slightly for him.

 

Amaury pauses once he reaches the table. "You are upset." he says, and then sits down.

 

Illira lets out a small laugh at that. "Upset? Not quite. I'm angry. And mean apparently."

She looks down at her drink, before taking another sip of it.

 

“I have the sensation someone has told you angry and mean things and passed it on to you. As a brother, I am obliged to lend you my ear. So...do you want to talk about it?”

 

Illira shakes her head, "No. I am both of those things. It has been a long time since you have known me. Suffice to say, I won't be getting you that job with D'hein."

 

“Mm, I don't think I would call you "angry" on a daily basis...in any case, I'm sure it was the right choice. I'll find something, eventually.”

 

“Yes... I have formal complaints to lodge against the man. There have been... a few strikes. But I believe I have drawn my last straw with him.”

 

Amaury closes his eyes and rubs his brow. "He didn't try to flirt with you over my release, did he?"

 

Illira presses her lips together, "It is more... complicated than that. Though he claims he arranged for your release as a Starlight celebration gift."

 

Her brother laughs at that, “So he wanted to play the role of an Ishgardian knight. That is almost commendable, in a childish way.”

 

Illira frowns, "He did something else similar as well recently. That was... he is... infuriating. And his regard for others and the law only go so far as they are of use to him. You were let off on a bribe. Nothing more, Amaury."

 

“That will do wonders to my self-esteem. What are you drinking?” he says, his tone of voice unchanging despite the sudden change of subject.

 

She looks down at the mug in front of her, "You know what? I don't even recall what I ordered."

 

“I think that should be your cue to not order any more of it.”

 

Illira shakes her head, "I've only had the one. I've mostly been staring at it, quite honestly."

 

“What worries you, exactly? That your organization will not see D'hein's trespasses like you do?”

 

Illira looks over to her brother, thinking, "That is part of it, yes. And that he does more harm than good, and is not merely using us to gain a greater foothold elsewhere."

 

Amaury nods with a smirk across his face, “That's true. I don't have any ties to the political scene anymore, so that only means he was catering to your favor on a personal level. Maybe he wants to be ‘grand director’.”

 

“Yes. Such a thing would suit. You know what he said? That influence is his to use as he pleases, that its the prerogative of the ruling class to do so." She scoffs at the thought.

 

Amaury is visibly amused. "Typical nobility." he scoffs after Illira's. "What will your formal complaint be, exactly? I imagine your organization may...denounce that he bribed the authorities to release me. And that might get me back in." He crosses his arms, leaning forward and resting on the edge of the table. "I'm a bit worried about that last part." he adds, smiling.

 

Illira frowns at that, "I have no wish to see you back there. I will have to think more on the matter. What he did was not right though, I know that you did not do what you were locked away for, but he did not care what the truth of the matter was. He needs to see consequences for his actions."

 

“Sometimes, you have to let the criminal run away so you can catch him with all of his comrades. I'm sure you'll do the right thing.” Amaury gets up with that.

 

"You leaving me then?", says Illira, watching him stand.

 

“Yes. Remember how I told you that I was not fit for lifting crates, the other day?”

 

“Yes, I do recall something to that effect.”

 

“Mhm. I confirmed that statement today. My arms are eager to jump off my shoulders and flee to the Sultantree to never come back. I need rest, and I got just enough for a room.

 

Illira Carceri nods her head, "Of course. I will see you later."

 

Amaury leaves, waving a hand in farewell.