A Realm Reborn

[levelthreehooligan]

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. 

 

Comments

[dragoonrouge]

"I didn't fight the Ixal, there was at least seven of them and I was alone. I would have been fine but the tree came to life and took a swipe at me that I didn't get away from in time. Hence the face."

Q'uila isn't going to say anything about her hunting grounds because they are absolutely near Fallguard Float and that she was absolutely assigned that area on purpose. "Lucking I didn't see or hear anyone, and I told the Wood Wailers when I grabbed my Chocobo so at least some of them know."

She sighs as Connor's magic works its, well, magic, ears flicking in response to the sensation. "That would be most helpful...A lot of them still don't take me seriously." Damn Gridanians, just because she was a Sunseeker Hunter didn't mean she was going to anger the forest Spirits. She wasn't stupid.

Omg omg omg- wait.

[talkingtrashtank]

The healing doesn’t take long, thank goodness, and Connor is finished by the time Q’uila is half-way through her story. He hops up on the bench beside her and pulls out a portion of bread from one specific pouch at his belt, breaking it into two pieces and offering her one. It’s just bread, but food is good. Eat the food.

“Having them this close to the city though,” he emphasizes, still deeply troubled. “I know there are frequent reports of them near Hyrstmill, but the wailers patrol so often that way that they shouldn’t be bold enough to attack anyone. Where were you exactly?”

Because Treants. Treants are reasonably common in the shroud but putting Ixal so close to the Hawthorne hut would be a huge security scare that close to the Garleans. But she wouldn’t have been out near Quarrymill, was she? What animals was she hunting because that would help him-?

“Q’uila,” He checks, and these kills are fresh. The skins are clean but the fur is still there, the pelts, the marks. Wolf skins? Wild dogs. Wild- wait, didn’t the Ixal keep dogs? Where was a place where the best thing to hunt for skins were ixali war dogs, nearby to Treants? ”Q’uila.”

He folds his arms, and even if he has to look up at her, the sass is real.

“Were you in the North Shroud logging grounds, Q’uila?” One of the... most dangerous parts of the Shroud? “Were you in the North Shroud alone, Q’uila?”

:3c

[dragoonrouge]

Q'uila takes the offered bread with a quiet thank you, rifling through her bag for some cured meats, offering some to Connor before building herself a sandwich of sorts.

She watches Connor puzzling through out of the corner of her eye, resolutely stuffing her face when her asked her about the logging stands, tail bristling slightly. She was good at hunting, some would even say excellent at it. She knew what she was doing and it ranked to have someone questioning her skills. Again.

"I wasn't in the logging grounds. One of my assigned areas lies just outside it..."

Somebody (not) a liar~!

[talkingtrashtank]

His doubts. He has them. Her lies. She could be telling them.

But confronting and scolding her about it anymore than he already has won't solve anything. It might make him feel better, but then he'll lose out on this potential contact. Bad as he is at business, this is a mistake he won't make.

"If that's your area then that's your area," he allows, though it doesn't sit well with him. "But you still shouldn't go alone, not if you can help it. Between the Ixal, the treants, the wandering spirits and the roaming Dullahan knights, it might be worth pestering the authorities to know why they sent you to such a dangerous territory to begin with." And wasn't that exactly the condition of this little deal of theirs?

So he settles down on the bench, even kicking his feet a little where they're dangling, and he takes a healthy chomp out of the salty little sandwich he has now. Eating means chewing and chewing means thinking. Thinking means not being a colossal ass about this.

"Guess it's a good thing you have a conjurer to follow you around for a week," he says with a sudden smile. "I'll have plenty of time to work on those skins tonight and they'll need at least a day or two to dry before I can make anything with them. In the meantime, you can decide where we go, oh fearless leader."

Connor sure as hell isn't going to decide where she hunts, but he's not going to let her get smacked around by a bunch of treants either.

Q'uila only tells the truth always

[dragoonrouge]

She shrugs her shoulders, "They sent me there because I'm capable, there's less risk sending me than there is one of the Gridanian hunters." That is accompanied by a vicious eye-roll, Q'uila has feelings about the competency of Grindanian-borne hunters. None of which are good. "Besides, its never been a problem before!"

Q'uila frowns at Connor. "That wasn't our deal...What are you looking for in exchange for coming with me?"

y u no want heals?

[talkingtrashtank]

It's still a risk to go alone, but Connor has to let it go: he's beaten the chocobo to death already.

But then she frowns at him, and it's his turn to frown back.

"Yes it was?" He says, confused. "I offered you my services for a week, and the surplus leather once I finished with the skins." Which is a fair bit of work all around on his end, but he got what he wanted out of it: "I didn't join the leatherworkers to rake in buckets of gil, just a little bit of spending money. I'm still technically considered an adventurer, not a Gridanian, so if I don't take guildleves or find some other job, there's no money for me to spend on myself." Upgrades to his gear, better food, and so on. His personal posessions are currently limited to the set of tools shoved in his bag.

"Healers are more useful when we're actually out there with fighters in the fray- if from a safe distance back." However... "But if you'd rather come limping back for the next six days and spare me the running around, I guess I can't complain!"

No Heals We Die Like Men

[dragoonrouge]

Oh. Oh... Q'uila blushes, ears and tail wilting. "Most of the Healers I've met don't leave their Halls...I...I didn't realise you were an Adventurer as well."

She ducks her head at him. "I apologise, and I would very much be grateful for your company when I go out next."

Week late who's a week late not me nope

[talkingtrashtank]

"Well, to be fair I don't leave very often either," Connor admits, but he tries to be lighthearted about it. No one wants to be made to feel dumb. "I've been in Gridania for a few years now, but the locals never forget who isn't local. It's been a while since I was last at the Adventurer's guild but I'm sure my name's still in Mother Miounne's book somewhere." He hadn't honestly gone back to the guild aside from errand running and grabbing a cup of tea from the Carline Canopy's cafe, but he's gone through the motions of joining the guild after arriving from Ul'dah.

He doesn't mention that last part.

"The Conjurers won't miss me for a few days, so if there's anything you've been waiting for a party to try and tackle, I hear it's usually easier to find willing companions if you already know the terrain," he opens one hand at Q'uila, "and have a healer." And then gestures to himself.

"Just let me take a share of the skins we collect while out there. I'm never going to improve my leathercraft without materials to work with."

[dragoonrouge]

"Alright..." She grins at Connor, "This could be fun, and there is an area I've been wanting to venture into but haven't been able to due to lack of support."

She pushes herself up off the bench, "Meet me back here just after sunrise tomorrow, make sure to bring food rations and an extra water skin. Oh! and a bedroll. We're going to be out there for a couple of days Twelve permitting."