betweentheseconds | Open RP Post

[Perhaps no one has noticed because everyone is all caught up in their own business. Perhaps because the tall man with a tasteful circlet across his forehead and wearing an expensive longcoat looked like more or less any other experienced adventurer with too much gil and too little taste. Perhaps it was just the sheer impossibility of Zenos yae Galvus himself being there that does it. There are some things that the mind cannot accept, and thus one ignores them.

But that is absolutely Zenos standing there, with morbol guts clinging to his boots and a singular eastern sword at his hip. And oh, it is too late, for he has already noticed her. All boredom leaves his face, and he smiles.

And begins to step towards her.]

Ah! My friend...

[‘Caught up in their own business,’ well, that’s one way to put it. One would think that a Garlean, especially one of Zenos’ stature, would easily command attention, and yet...]

[The only attention seems focused on her for the time being. He’s noticed her, and now he’s approaching her. Great. She sees the smile on his face, and her stomach churns. There’s something about it that’s innately unsettling. Instinctively, Rose reaches for her staff.]

Listen closely, because I’m going to say this only once: We aren’t friends.

[Hence the tasteful circlet! It really fools no one, but grants a thin veneer of plausible not-a-Garlean deniability.

It doesn't surprise him in the least that Rose is reaching for a weapon. It's fair, to do, even. But he has yet to draw his own, has yet to demand the violence that he so craves.]

My enemy, then? What we have is something of significance, you must admit that much.

[And either she will admit that much, or she will be sufficiently infuriated to fight him here and now. He hopes. Oh, he hopes.]

[Rose isn’t infuriated as much as she is scared, but she’s not going to admit it, and she’s going to do her best to not let it show. The last thing she wants right now is a fight; her reaching for her weapon is self-defense, and nothing else.]

[He hasn’t reached for his swords yet, nor has he attacked her. It should make her feel better, but somehow it worries her more. What is he thinking?]

Your enemy, yes, and nothing else.

[‘What we have,’ what is he even talking about? As far as Rose is concerned, Zenos is a crazy guy who sometimes shows up and tries to kill her.]

I’m not sure what you think we have, but it’s not there.

[Breathe in, breathe out. The key right now is keeping herself calm.]

[Nothing else? Ah, well, whether she accepts his feelings or not, that does not diminish them. His smile lingers. He gives a lazy blink.]

And yet, my presence makes your breath come quicker...

[Such are the feelings of a madman who sincerely aims to eventually kill the object of his attentions.

Another blink, and his smile is gone.]

I've not come to test you. I've come to talk. You wear the marks of a long, long journey, warrior.

[His gaze drifts subtly, noting those streaks of white in her hair.]

[‘My presence makes your breath come quicker,’ of course it does, she’s terrified. Terrified, and also angry. She isn’t blind to his attentions, nor is she unaware of the fact that he eventually means to kill her.]

[The fact that he doesn’t; he doesn’t attack when he easily could, he insists on talking, makes her even more uncomfortable. What is he after?]

I doubt we have anything to talk about.

[She notices his gaze drift towards her hair, and instinctively starts to run a hand through it. Why did he have to be so observant?]

I don’t make smalltalk with cold-blooded murderers.

The things that I wish to discuss are hardly small.

[If she is stubborn, it is at least an understandable stubbornness. He takes a moment to glance to the side, eye one of the citizens of Revenant's Toll as they go about their daily business, paying the two of them no mind.]

And I will have my discussion, or will I find other ways to amuse myself. A 'nexus of adventurers' would surely offer me some challenge...?

[Having said that, his gaze turns back to Rose. There is a question in his tone, yes, but not quite the question that he seems to have posed. Will you sit with him? Will you talk? Or will he be forced to make sport of your friends and allies until you've no choice but to react?]

[Rose clenches her firsts at her side as she follows Zenos’ gaze. There’s no mistaking his ultimatum; either she agrees to talk with him, or he slaughters everyone in Mor Dhona. None of the adventurers here would provide him the ‘challenge’ he seeks, as she’s sure he’s likely aware.]

[There’s little for her to think about. As much as she doesn’t want to have this conversation, she doesn’t have a choice. Even at her best, she can barely beat Zenos. There would be no way for her to effectively protect the citizenry.]

Fine. But if we’re going to do this, we’ll do it in private. There’s a bar on the outskirts of town that’s usually empty this time of day.

[He is almost disappointed that he has gotten his way without having to commit any actual acts of violence. Almost. It's a fleeting feeling, tinged with the acknowledgement that no one here was likely to put up much of a fight. No one other than her.

He inclines his head slightly, smiling in a way that could almost be taken as gracious.]

Do lead the way, then.

[He will follow behind Rose with easy strides, alert for nonsense, but the greater part of his attention on her.]

[No one but her could put up a fight, but she can put up a fight if it comes to it. She doesn’t like the idea of being alone with Zenos, but she can defend herself if need be. Were they to meet in public, the chance of someone recognizing him is too high.]

[She takes him to a small bar on the outskirts of town, avoiding as many main roads as she can. It’s not hard for them to find a seat inside, and Rose opts for a table sequestered in the corner. Rose crosses her arms and frowns.]

Alright, out with it. What’s so important that you deigned to come all the way to Eorzea?

[He, too, likes the idea of a meeting in relative private. He is here to see her, after all, and not have some sort of boring confrontation with her flustered, panicking allies. If their course is roundabout and their destination is unimpressive, he gives no sign that it bothers him. It is but more time spent with her, in the end.

He sits across from her, large enough that the chair he sits himself upon gives a creak.]

I've learned some very interesting things from the Ascian that had been puppeting my body around. About your Hydaelin. About Zodiark. Things interesting enough that I'd like some... outside confirmation of them.

[Because while their inscrutable plans seem to happily involve him committing regicide and wandering off with wild ideas in his head, he can't help but be a little suspicious when he's allowed to do as he pleases.]

[In truth, Rose had her suspicions for quite some time, as well. She'd always assumed that the Empire had been too afraid to try and restrain Zenos, seeing as they'd created a monster. But, on reflection, that seemed like too easy an answer.]

[Rose is momentarily surprised when he willingly takes the seat across from her. Every time she'd met him before, there'd been bloodshed involved. She hadn't thought they'd actually make it to the bar without conflict. It's disquieting.]

Oh? And what sort of things might those be that you'd have to ask me? I'd imagine there are plenty of people in Garlemald familiar with the ways of the Ascians.

[Considering, you know, that their founder was one.]

That's because they probably are Ascians.

[ Lesser ones, no doubt, if he understands matters correctly. He understands enough to value what they say, but verify it independently. He lets out a long, irritated breath, settling back in his seat. ]

The more I learn, the more it seems that the both of us are meant for something greater. Greater even than our last battle.

[ He cannot help but smile as he remembers it. Ah, such a sweet memory... ]

Or perhaps I am wrong? Have I been misinformed?

No, I don't think you have.

[Rose frowns. She doesn't really want to be having this conversation at all, much less with Zenos. At the same time, she has no reason to lie to him either. It's not like he's known for his subtlety.]

Garlemald is an empire built by Ascians, whose sole purpose is sowing discord and chaos.

[Which explains a lot, really, about how Zenos has been allowed to behave.]

I'm not sure how that means either of us meant for something greater, though.

Open RP Post

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