Far From Home

A rickety carriage ride, a pair of snow white siblings and a Moogle. Without knowing it, you all started the same way. This is the beginning of your story, all of you,during your first trip to the City State that would change your lives.

Whether it be under the lush canopies of the Shroud, through the busy thoroughfares of Ul'Dah or amongst the whispering sea winds of Limsa Lominsa, each one welcomes you, feels like home.

With only the weapon you scampered away with, the clothes on your backs, and an inexplicable feeling of purpose - You have arrived.

Current Location: Gridania, Limsa Lominsa, Ul'Dah

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

From:

seasoflight

Felih is no stranger to this city, no- he's been here before countless times. But something made that light in his dreams tell him to go there now, and so, he did. He didn't have much else to chase, after all, he may as well go chasing ghosts and whispers from his dreams.

He takes the ship, because that simply feels like the right thing to do- and before he knows it, he's been pushed and led around until he's on the steps of the Arcanist's guild. Well... he always did have a knack for magical things. Mayhaps he should give it a shot.

He makes a name for himself in time, when he begins adventuring properly, all the right opportunities and tasks and requests falling right into his lap. But that's later in his story- for now, he settles in, makes this place a new temporary home.

(It's only ever temporary, he knows.)

There's a number of places to find him during the day: if not studying at the Arcanist's guild, he may be at the Culinarian's instead, or maybe even fishing in a quiet part of the city. Sometimes he's sent up to the Marauder's Guild to put his budding healing magic to good use, and just as frequently he can be running odd jobs here and there, deliveries and favors, meeting folk, learning names and faces and voices.

If you're out and about at night, well, you might catch him singing, dancing, all lovely silks and jewels and sun-warmed dark skin exposed as he moves, ruby and gold hair lovely and falling in waves down his back as he spins. He could be in any of the city's many taverns- some more busy and well-known, others still busy but more hidden, seedier, where a dance is riskier but worth far more gold.

He has to get by for now, after all.

From:

talkingtrashtank

Connor is the dedicated Conjurer and Companion of the Gridanian Envoy, the Esteemed Q’uila Sunrise, Defender of the Lifemend Stump.

He is also a lazy lump of a Lalafell.

Visiting Ul’dah with Q’uila and Piñara was good for him, it gave him practical travelling experience and he learned several valuable lessons including: the benefits of baskets. They’re light and come in a variety of sizes. They hold blankets, bedrolls, pillows, and provisions. You can keep a comfortable trove of snacks inside a basket that no one else can see and thus can’t judge you for needing that many bags of dried dates. In a pinch, baskets make good hiding places, especially in crowded locations like marker squares or vendor alleys. You can also, in times of great fatigue and general sloppiness, crawl into said basket for a nap.

He’s grown accustomed, by now, to crawling into said basket for a nap and waking up elsewhere. Whether Q’uila actually hauls him around or if Piñara has been paying someone to do it doesn’t matter to him. He naps, he wakes, he’s in a new place. Easy-peasy as long as his companions are reasonably close by when he pokes his head out.

So he didn’t wake up when the basket was brought off the airship. And he didn’t wake up when the basket was abruptly picked up while his companions weren’t in fact looking. And in a truly impressive show of laziness, the little turd didn’t even bother doing more than stretching his legs a bit and rolling over when the thief checked the contents, swore in frustration, and disposed of him.

Where is this lauded student of E-Sumi-Yan now? Somewhere in the city in his basket, about to wake up and in for one hell of a shock when he does.

From:

seasoflight

Felih had many jobs. Many. An adventurer he had most certainly become, talented in his own right, slowly working his way up in the world. He had his tail in a bunch of pools, dipping into the Arcanists, Culinarians, Fishers, Maelstrom, taverns, shops and stores and markets.

Part of his job was simply casual surveillance and search for any unusual packages about- and, well, an unusually large basket of such quality being left unattended is... certainly unusual. It's even just sitting in one of the back streets near the canals, and he squints at it, ears picking up on... breathing?

Was someone in there? Were they alright? His immediate thought is kidnapping- after all, this is a city of pirates, and dangerous if you don't know how to keep safe or defend yourself. So he inches forward, Aqua the carbuncle sniffing ahead, though she doesn't seem alarmed.

A yip- it's a person, not a beast. Ah, alright then.

Felih cautiously lifts the lid of the basket, very baffled, and hopes he finds someone not injured inside...

From:

talkingtrashtank

Being released from the rigid schedule of the conjurer’s guild probably isn’t going to be great for Connor in the long run, because as it stands he’s been spending a significant amount of time while travelling either eating snacks or sleeping in inappropriate places. Like in baskets. In back alleys. Admittedly he’s not aware of that last part at present.

He’s awake now, on his back with feet kicked up on the wall of the basket to give him a bit more room to stretch his spine. He has to sleep curled up in a ball, but the position is comfy for him. He’s in a modest white robe over his clothes, boots still on because there’s not enough room to put them on and off comfortably. His cane is juuust small enough to be contained by the basket, stuck down through the folded blankets and bedrolls. And it’s warm, and the basket has a good weave that lets a patchwork of light and fresh air filter through.

Odd then that there’s also a funny smell coming from outside of it... where are they? He can’t hear- wait, where is he?

This thought is enough to make him pause midway through a bite into his last Faerie Apple from the shroud, sharp teeth stuck in the sweet skin as the lid of the basket is lifted off by a dark-skinned ginger miqo’te who is definitely not Q’uila. And- are those laundry lines over him? And the back of a building? Too much of the Sky is obscured by face and laundry. What.

“Can I help you, sir?” He says, mouth still on his Apple, so actually it’s more like “Phan I welp yu fir?”

He might be in trouble.

From:

seasoflight

Felih blinks, and then sighs. Alright, good, they're alive, and... not restrained, so maybe not a kidnapping victim? But why on earth would someone just stay in a basket in a place like this?

"...er, are you alright? This... is an unusual choice of resting spot," Felih says, looking around. Aqua chooses this time to stand on her hind legs and poke her nose over the rim of the basket, before she altogether jumps and perches there, looking down curiously as her tails wiggle.

"I'm... well, I'm patrolling. It was suspicious for a basket of this size to be left abandoned in such a small back alley... But I'm more or less certain you're not contraband," Felih chirps, cracking a wry smile. It was actually a rather funny situation, if baffling- and his curiosity is demanding satisfaction. "Do you make a habit of sleeping in baskets?"

From:

talkingtrashtank

Unusual, maybe, but not wholly unheard of. He has the decency to chew and swallow the bite of apple before speaking this time.

"I fits, so I sits," is the cavalier (and deeply inappropriate) answer. "We don't bring enough gear along to fill the basket up completely, and I'm not that heavy. So why not? Much better than trying to get any rest with the wind screaming in your face."

But, hang on. What did he say?

"I'm not contraban! I'm a conjurer!"

No, not that.

"Did you just say... back alley?" That's the ticket.

It's not concern that crosses Connor's face first, but a sudden dark cloud of suspicion. Thankfully, there's very little weight behind it as he has to scramble to right himself and stand up out of the basket, looking around at his location with a rumbling of bad temper overcoming him.

"Co-na-da!" She would! She must have! And can he ever fault her for it? No! Because if she'd taken to sleeping in the basket he would have hired a goon to do the same damn thing! He should be thankful she didn't have him flung in the waters of the city itself! "Oooh, when I see her next I'm gonna petrify her pillow before she sleeps and let water sprites get cozy in her boots!" Easy, kitten. "Joke's on her, when they both remember their spare clothes are kept in here they'll come running back!" Haha! He's brilliant! Jumping out of the basket and looking around. "Back to-" And around. "-to wherever-" and around? "-this is..?"

He looks up at the poor mage- soldier? Citizen. Cat man. Who found him.

"I have no honest to Thal idea where I am, sir. And since my companions keep the money, no gil to pay you. Uh, but..." think, boy, think. "I could... mayhap... craft a pretty collar for your friend here? If you take me back to the Aftcastle, that is. Because I don't know where that is. My name is Connor and I'm lost. And a little embarrassed- but mostly lost."

From:

seasoflight

Connor's answer is so unexpected that Felih can't help but laugh, and he shakes his head before setting the lid of the basket down against the outside.

"Twelve. This is not something I expected when I woke up this morning," he says to himself, watching as the Lalafellin man begins to shout accusation at some mysterious party- Conada? Hm. That name sounds familiar- Ul'dahn, he thinks. (But he tries to avoid Ul'dah as much as he can.)

When Connor finally calms down and explains himself, Felih is still grinning, apparently quite amused- not faulting the man at all for his confusion. "Well, it's already obvious you're lost, but well met, Connor. I'm Felih- I'm part of the Maelstrom patrols. This carbuncle here is Aqua. Seems like someone spirited you off here and left you, I'm guessing- mayhaps a prank by that friend of yours?" he asks, tail wiggling.

"Well, come on then, let's get you back to the Aftcastle. Out of the basket- what were you even doing in there, anyway?"

From:

talkingtrashtank

"F'elih? I can remember that," he says, getting the name wrong but not in a deliberate way. Sunseeker names are subtle, and Connor was given a bit of a run when he started travelling and running into different members of the five races. He has no gosh-darned clue which clan F is, but it's not important: F is for Maelstrom and this is Limsa Lominsa.

"And I told you!" He says, re: the basket that the Lalafell is now grabbing the handle of and dragging oh-so-ceremoniously behind him as they walk. "There's plenty of room inside for someone like me, and airships don't have much cover or protection from the wind. We just came into the city from Gridania by way of Ul'dah: an Archer, a Conjurer, and a Lancer, here to speak with the Admiral. Well, Q'uila's here for the Admiral, Conada and I are just her entourage." Some companion he is if this is what happens to him an hour after arriving, but he refuses to let it get him down just yet.

"I'll grant you it's not dignified, but this is the first time I've woken up somewhere I shouldn't be."

From:

seasoflight

Felih is so used to people making that mistake that even though his ear picks up on the subtle difference, he doesn't bother to correct it. After all, it's just a passing greeting, and most folk around here can't hear the difference between "F'elih" and "Felih" anyway.

"I see... that makes more sense now that you've explained it, but even so, you must admit it seems odd to the rest of us," he laughs, before offering, "Would you like me to carry that for you...? If you keep dragging it like that, it'll damage it."

Hm... a Gridanian envoy? That sounded familiar- Felih himself had to do some envoy work not too long ago. He supposes the Eorzean alliance is making more efforts to become more unified and tight-knit, or so he hopes.

"Well, let's focus on getting you back up. First of all, we're on the lower decks, and the majority of the Aftcastle's main stories are on the upper decks, so let's go up one of the tower ramps," Felih says, leading the way, incredibly amused. "And while we're at it, I'd love to hear about some of the times you woke up in the wrong place. Such things must be entertaining."

From:

dragoonrouge

All Q'uila had wanted to do was briefly visit home, it was easy being attuned to the Limsan Aetheryte now that she had a reasonable income from hunting and adventuring, and Mum had mention that her Dad hadn't been feeling well in her last letter.

However, she had been waylaid on a street not far from her house by a group of men, pirates from the look and smell of them who had obviously thought her to be easy pickings for their lecherous behaviour.

"I said I'm not interested. Go and find some other shiney trinket to satisfy your tiny heads." She ears are pinned back and her tail swished dangerously.

"Don' be like that sweet'art. I'm sure me boys and me can show ye a good time." The Roegadyn reached forward, making to out to stroke one Q'uila's ears. At which point Q'uila let's out a loud, furious, hissing yowl.

From:

seasoflight

Felih's ears swiveled about immediately when he heard the alarming exchange, and he quickly rounded the corner with his carbuncle at his heels, the giant topaz creature already bristling and growling protectively. He comes up from behind before standing at Q'uila's side, Maelstrom badges on his chest, and he asks, "Need any help?" He can see that she's not just an average passerby- she appears to be an adventurer too, but even so, it's never good to be outnumbered.

The topaz carbuncle is huge- nearly the size of a mount- and it stands before Felih and Q'uila, growling at the band of pirates.

And that makes Felih turn his head to address the lot- "Off you go, now. No need to trouble the lady and get into trouble, is there?" he says, folding his arms and pinning them with a look, nearly daring them to make a move. "Sobering up is probably a better idea, lest you do something you'll regret."

From:

dragoonrouge

Q'uila had been reaching back for her lance as she hisses at the Roegadyn when Felih entered the alley. Amber eyes flick in his direction briefly, just long enough to spot his Maelstrom badge, keeping her focus mainly on the drunken fools who had tried to accost her.

She's thankful for the strange Miqo'te, his presence finally causing a look of caution to flit through the pirates drunken haze, and with a loud, threatening snarl from her, they finally decide she wasn't worth the trouble, stumbling and swaying their way out of the other side of the street.

Q'uila waits until they're completely out of sight before she straightens out of her threatening posture, ears perking back up , and her tail relaxing, turning to face Felih properly.

She dips her head slightly in thanks, ears flicking as she gives him and his carbuncle a curious once-over.

"Thank you for your assistance..." She trails off, prompting the Miqo'te for his name.

From:

seasoflight

Felih sees the way Q'uila had been reaching for her lance, and smiles a bit- ah, yes, a well-trained adventurer as well. She likely would've been fine, but even so, his job is to prevent unnecessary bloodshed and chaos in the city. The admiral does want to keep the city peaceful and calm, after all.

He watches the drunkards amble off, before turning to look at the woman beside him. "Ah, not a problem. It's why I'm meant to patrol, after all," he says with a laugh, ears wiggling. "I'm Felih. And you are?"

He curiously looks her over- a Seeker, that much he can tell, but not much else aside from the fact she must have trained in Gridania at some point, most likely. Skilled lancers would often go to hone their skills at the guild there, regardless of where in Eorzea they began their training.

The giant carbuncle beside him yips and purrs before happily leaning against Q'uila, apparently quite friendly, before it sits docilely at Felih's side, well-behaved and calm now that the immediate threat had passed. "Hah- and this is Coral," Felih introduces, reaching over to scratch the carbuncle behind an ear.

From:

dragoonrouge

No clan marker...Curious but she wasn't going to be rude to the person who had just helped her by pointing it out. "Well I thank you for being on patrol nearby then Felih."

She tips her head at him, "I am Q'uila Sunrise." She starts a little as the warm, buzzing aether of the unusually large carbuncle buts up against her leg. "Well met Coral. You're certainly the friendliest carbuncle I've seen."

She sighs, "Evidently I've been away for too long if those idiots think they can try that round the corner from my own home."

From:

seasoflight

Felih smiles. "Q'uila, then. Ah, and if you think Coral is friendly, you should see my Ruby. Carbuncle is obnoxious about getting attention," he laughs, with an amused shake of his head, before reaching out to scratch Coral behind the ears. "Coral is much calmer than Ro," he says, and Coral chirps and relaxes, happy for all the attention.

The giant Topaz's height at the shoulder reaches easily up to their waists.

"Oh? You're from around these parts, then? Hah- I was right not to worry too much. You clearly know how to handle yourself... Though still, the pirates are ever a pain we must monitor. Were you on your way somewhere? I'd be glad to escort you, if you'd like. The idiots can be rather persistent, especially when drunk."

From:

dragoonrouge

She raises a disbelieving eyebrow at Felih, "Is your Ruby just as large as Coral here?"

"I am Lominsan yes." She confirms, "Although I've been in Gridania as of late." She glares once more in the direction the degenerates had stumbled off in, "Pirates are wankers and tend not to have much of a brain between them." She sighs, "Although it was certainly worse before the Admiral took over, they could only do too much."

"I'm actually heading home, but I would appreciate your company."

From:

seasoflight

Felih laughs, "No, no. Coral is among the largest- Ruby is a bit smaller. Certainly much larger than Aqua still, but not the size Coral is." He reaches over and pets Coral, scratching the happy carbuncle behind the ears before tilting his head curiously at her.

"I would agree with you there. The admiral has done a fine job keeping things in order here- an iron fist when it comes to troublemakers." He tilts his head curiously then, before nodding. "Right then- I'd be happy to ensure you got there safely. Besides, it is part of my job to wander about and handle situations as they arise- 'tis not as if I have a post I am to be stationed at."

"Lead the way." Coral, meanwhile, is being very well-behaved and sitting at Felih's side, waiting for him to start walking.

From:

dragoonrouge

"You're superiors must like you then if they decided not to give you post, Dad always says it's one of the most boring jobs in the Maelstrom."

Q'uila starts to make her way towards the exit of the alleyway before she pauses, ears twitching. "One moment, I'm going to have to make a quick detour." She rummages into her satchel and pulls out a pencil and a very dusty, small leather notebook. Making sure what she's writing is obscured from Felih, she scribbles out a quick note before tearing the page from the book and folding it up.

"It shan't take too long, the place I need to go is just past the Fishing Guild."

From:

seasoflight

Felih grins then, tail wiggling in that proud way of his. "They do," he chirps proudly, "They figured that if I'm traveling about so much anyway, getting my nose into things- well, may as well make use of it."

He follows along, curious as ever, Coral trotting along obediently like a very friendly but dutiful guard hound. They're content to keep her company as she moves- he may as well ensure she's safe, if she's truly an envoy.

"The Fishing Guild? I know the folk there. What do you need?" he asks, intrigued, ears perked up.

From:

dragoonrouge

"Well it certainly seems to be paying off. Do you mostly Adventure within La Noscea?"

Q'uila takes a couple of turns through some more smaller side alleys, the route bending and winding in a way that was deliberately meant to confuse and turn around those who didn't know where they were going, before they emerge right beside the Fishing Guild.

"It's not the Fishing Guild I need, it's there that I need to go." She points across the pontoons to the large double-doors set into the white rock with a large Roegadyn standing beside them.

From:

levelthreehooligan

There's a rabble going on by the Limsan Docks. This is nothing strange in and of itself, but it's not a fight this time... or at least, there isn't the tell-tale sound of knives being drawn and people shouting.

There's a ring of dock workers, pirates and fishermen all surrounding a small table that sits in the centre of the platform just outside the Fisherman's guild.

There's a rhythm to the crowd. Cheering and jeering turns into tense whispering and silence, and then they erupt again as a move is made or a hand is turned over.

Welcome lads, to the the Conada's Traveling Betting house of fun, featuring the Piñara Conada herself.

It had started off easily enough. There were a group of layabouts playing poker (badly) and whilst Q'uila had gone off to find... something (Connor, in a basket, somewhere) she had been told to 'stay put'.

Staying put was something she hated with the fiery passions of two thousand calamities, and so, she moved only slighty to the left and joined in.

"Now, How about we make this interesting?" She'd said, interrupting the Layabout's games. "You versus me. House rules. Highest hand wins, loser has to take a dare." She grinned.

Turns out, Pirates have a lot of strong spirits to forfeit, and she rarely ever loses. As the game went on, the crowd got bigger; it was a slow day in the city. The bets got wilder and the games more intense, and Pinya sits at the top of the scoreboard.

"GET FUCKED YOU SALTY BALD MAN!" She exclaims, none too elegantly at the gent who just lost this round, after claiming she'd been using a rigged deck. The one that he offered to use was almost certainly rigged, but she'd won anyway.

She's laughing maniacally. Oh dear.

Edited Date: 2018-05-16 08:09 pm (UTC)

From:

talkingtrashtank

"-so after making those arrangements, Q'uila and I started taking jaunts around the Twelveswood together." A small man in white and red robes explains, walking abreast (or rather, aknee) with the Miqo'te actually doing the leading through the tethered docks and islands that make up Limsa Lominsa's lower decks. As they walk, he's describing his companions. "I'm sure she's being responsible and taking care of Gridania's business, so we'll probably move on from the city in no more than two or three-"

And then they reach... the aftcastle...

"-three... three fucks." What the fuck is this, and why does he know exactly who is responsi- IT IS, IT IS HER FAULT AND HE KNEW IT HE SHOULD'VE KNOWN.

"...Nevermind my companions, maybe we should go and not be here with this crowd?" Not that he has the money to buy Felih lunch or thank him for his help, but this is worse than that.

From:

dragoonrouge

Q'uila had certainly been responsible and done her duty as Gridania's envoy...a good bell and half ago. And she certainly wasn't going to admit to anyone that she had only noticed that Connor's thrice damned basket was missing as she was leaving her meeting. It was with that in mind that she been on her way to docks in search of it when she'd encountered Pinya's gambling ring.

A gambling ring that she had no intention of stopping and was in fact watching the proceedings with the glee of a true Lominsan native as the pirates were bled dry of both money and booze by her mercurial Lala friend. The location of the crowd had even drawn the Rogue's Guild out from their usual hidey-hole, giving Q'uila the opportunity to relax and have some drinks with her childhood friends as Pinya's chaos unfurls.

Q'uila feels a nudge in her mind, and she turns her head towards one of the dock ramps just before Connor comes into hearing, accompanied by Felih?!

"Connor!" She stands up on the crate she was perched on, Jacke rolling his eyes and supporting her when she sways slightly. "Over here!"

Edited Date: 2018-05-31 09:14 pm (UTC)

From:

seasoflight

"What in the seven hells," Felih says as they approach the area, tilting his head, ears perking up and twitching to try and pick up all the sounds. They swivel back and forth, trying to get a sense of what's going on, but then all of it clicks.

"Wait," he says, "You-" he looks at Connor, "-know her-" he looks at Q'uila, "and both of your probably know what she-" he says, pointing at Pinya, "-is doing. Twelve. I hadn't realized the Gridanian envoy you'd been accompanying was Q'uila- I ran into her earlier in the day," Felih comments to Connor, before waving to Q'uila and trotting over.

Except, however, this time Q'uila is drinking, the Lalafellin woman is running a rowdy gambling stand, and Connor looks like he'd rather be anywhere else than here.

As a Maelstrom officer, he should be trying to break this up- gambling definitely shouldn't be conducted out on the very streets and docks of the city, especially if they're causing this much chaos. But, as a general mischief-maker, he kind of wants to see where this goes. His eyes flick to Jacke briefly as he chirps a flirty little greeting at the man- before he leans on the crate Q'uila's standing on.

"Q'uila, you may wish to sit? You seem unbalanced." And then he looks to Connor again- "And you... well. Mayhaps you want to hide back in your basket?" he teases, grinning and wiggling his tail.