[Rose had at first been grateful to be back to the Source, no more Lightwardens to absorb, but she lost that feeling quickly after things went down to hell in a handbasket.]
[The report was supposed to be simple (how the hell Tataru had managed to rope Estinien into being a spy, she’ll never know), but it was anything but. The Emperor was dead, killed by his own son. What’s more, Zenos—the real Zenos, is still alive, and now back to his original body.]
[Couldn’t she get a break? At least once?]
[She walks out into Mor Dhona, the knowledge weighing on her shoulders. She had hoped for a vacation, but it’s clear they need to act, and act quickly. Just as soon as she thinks that, she looks at the Aetheryte, and sees the last person she expected.]
[Zenos.]
[Her blood runs cold, and she’s frozen in place. Should she fight? Flee? There are a lot of people around, and she can’t risk any casualties. More importantly, how had no one noticed the crown prince of the Empire standing in the town square?]
[She needs to do something soon, before he notices her.]
[ It was a dark night in the Lochs, and Lucia could see the lights from the camps of the Resistance and their allies glowing faintly in the distance. Only those and the stars from the night sky above illuminated the place where she stood, waiting... the place that Zenos had told her to come.
This was insanity. She knew it better than anyone else, to meet up with him like this; he left nothing but destruction in his wake, and yet each time they had met, he kept letting her go. It was by his hand that she remained standing, his hand that let her struggle to grow stronger, to meet his might. It was clear to Lucia that the authority of the crown prince held no appeal to the Garlean, that he was only fueled by his own self-interest and pleasure... A pleasure he only seemed to find in battle. It was the only reason why he had left her alive: for his entertainment.
And yet, during their last battle, as both the Garlean and the Resistance clashed, gearing up for the final confrontation, he had leaned close and whispered of her past that no one else could know of. That he wished to speak further in private, at this certain location. The implied threat that he could make public of what he knew...
There was no way Lucia could let her friends find out. That she had been hiding this from them all this time, their anger or betrayal, or worse, pity... They could never find out. And so she had slipped out of the camp, teleporting to a nearby aetheryte to hide her trail before making her way to the designated spot where she waited.
Lucia didn't have long to wait. The armor that Zenos wore was definitely not made for stealth - but then again, the Garlean prince really had no need to sneak up on anybody, did he? Not that she had any room to talk, wearing the bright white robes of a White Mage that made her stand out in this dark desert. But she had wanted something that kept her covered, something that hid her body, and these seemed like option. ]
You came here alone, right?
[ The viera's words were guarded and wary as she glared at him, her arms crossed over her chest, obviously not here to make friends. But there was also a shifting uneasiness that she wasn't quite able to hide, a restless nervousness running under her edge. How much does he know? How did he find out? How did he realize that was me? And what does he want--? ]
[Anyone who’s known the Warrior of Light knows that she’s never one to throw herself completely and fully into a fight unless it’s warranted. She’s not one who immediately rises to bait, or to even a challenge as much as she used to, knowing that any wrong move could mark it as her last, or even worse, the last moments for someone she cares for.
Anyone who knows the Warrior of Light knows all this. But anyone who knows Vheras Warden? Knows that at the heart of everything, when it comes to being between fighting and being a diplomat, all of her predictability of being the “good person” goes to absolute shite.
Zenos yae Galvus. There haven’t been very many people who can get right under her skin just by their sheer presence, but this man- this man. Every time he utters so much as a sentence to call them equals, or animals, or any violent thing, her blood practically boils. Sidurgu was less infuriating even in his rants and arrogant assumptions, though those were becoming less and less these days. Something about the Garlean infuriates her, makes the Abyss crawl through her veins like some blackened intoxication, practically makes her heart sing with anticipation.
She hates it.
Cronus Lux hums quietly as she tilts her wrists, readjusts her stance, then charges like a bullet straight for Zenos. She wants to kill him, she's going to kill him, Twelve damn this man to hell. He reeks of blood, of power and pure carelessness with no desire to change. Somehow, it doesn't surprise her, it simply infuriates her instead. Vheras has had enough.]
[This was the stupidest plan Palais has ever agreed to.
But she knows she can't deter Yugiri from attacking Zenos, so all she can do is offer support and aid her. She also knew he would completely wipe the floor with them, muscles now aching and lungs burning as she struggles to keep herself upright. At least she damaged that stupid helmet...
(She doesn't want to think over his words. Doesn't want to consider them, if only because she knows she can't stop now - )
A paltry victory compared to how Zenos has turned his sights onto Yugiri and the newly arrived villagers, and all Palais can do is wheeze out a curse before pulling out her sword. Swiftcast and Vercure are but a bandage on a gaping wound, but it pushes her to now stand before them - a weak, fragile barrier against a vicious storm. Dimly, in the distance, she can hear others approach - a twitch of an ear the only indication, but they're still so far. There's no time.]
Take Yugiri and go, there's people ahead who can help you escape!
[There's protests of course - that she is weak, barely able to stand, that they can't leave her - which she ignores. But she has something that could give her an edge - an aspect of her heritage that Hydalen's blessing has protected her from so far. After all, what good is a Warrior of Light if she cannot journey to places thick with aether without losing her mind?
Now she has learned to control it, but with her own aether as a price. Palais has never really needed to use it, she'll be useless once time is up, but desperate times call for desperate measures...
The glare she throws over her shoulder is enough to silence anything further, before the aether burns inside and around her - reinvigorating her, channeling her remaining power into just one goal. Just one target she needs to tear down.
There isn't need to draw her weapon now, her claws more than deadly enough. A low hiss escapes between clenched teeth, muscles tense as she stands upright once more - she exuded bloodlust before, but this time it's almost tangible. Enough to make the remaining soldiers draw back with a tremble in their step, as the Viera glares up at Zenos.
Zenos called her a beast. Very well, she will show him how much of a beast she can be.]
Edited (when u notice typos hours later) 2019-10-18 15:59 (UTC)
[One of the more interesting features of Yanxia's mountainous terrain is that there are no shortage of natural hot springs around the fringes toward the Azim Steppe. Some glow in fascinating colors, others billow with steam, and all tend to be occupied by namazu or monkeys or other such (semi-)intelligent creatures looking for a little reprieve.
Except this one. It's well enough out of the way that the locals only rarely venture up to use it, as it's more of a pain in the arse to get to than it's worth to use the ones lower down. Hence why Irhya has decided she'll make the trek up the mountain to have some godsdamned peace and quiet, with no possibility of being disturbed. And all the better after the whirlwind that was her time on the First; now that she's back on her home world, she wants some personal space, which not even Tataru and her doe-eyes can deter her from.
Yes. Nothing whatsoever. Definitely not a huge eight-odd-fulm monster of a man who is also kind of a huge Doma-nerd to disturb her while she's chilling without her clothes or her weapon at hand.]
[ It was good at first that she was not currently in contact with the Scions, that they were all busy with their own respective things, because she was not entirely sure how to tell them that Zenos had shown up on her front door (or as near as, her FC). She's pretty sure Y'shtola had somehow figured it out regardless, and Thancred probably knew because he had an information network to put the Rogue's guild to shame. Urianger and maybe Alphinaud were the most likely to be understanding. She's pretty sure Alisaie would just repeatedly try to assert dominance through non-combative means. Krile would want to keep her distance. She doesn't think G'raha would approve and she doesn't think Estinien would care.
It's too exhausting to think about beyond that, so she hasn't actually... told any of them yet. Formally.
Putting aside the HOW of it, she wasn't about to let the man just wander around aimlessly. Gods only know what would happen THIS time if he got bored, but he needs a hobby.
No, seriously, he needs a hobby that isn't trying to fight her just for the sake of FEELING something (why, why can't shame or remorse be first on the list)-- or whatever it is he's so obsessed with fighting her for. Hells if she knows.
He's been given a room.
What the fuck.
Zenos has a room at her fucking Free Company estate. How the fuck did this happen? Why?
Okay, so admittedly a part of her is curious to see what he'd do with it, it's just... the REST of her is afraid that she'll walk in and find the walls painted with the blood of his enemies and lined with the corpses of his prey or something (... What? He's not exactly the easiest man to predict. Or maybe he is, and she's just bad at it.).
All of this has led Ziva to stand in front of Zenos' door with a bag of food from The Last Stand. That morning she'd left to deliver a commission only recently finished, told him he was welcome to use anything inside the storeroom. It should've been a decent starting point as she was constantly creating or buying things and then shoving them in there. Beds, sofas, armchairs, tables, replicas of crystal towers, false windows, trophies (Ixion horns, weapon busts, pixie wings), and so on. It's been a few hours, so surely he's managed something, right?
She's silent for a few moments longer before she finally raises a hand to knock and wait for a response. ]
o7!
[The report was supposed to be simple (how the hell Tataru had managed to rope Estinien into being a spy, she’ll never know), but it was anything but. The Emperor was dead, killed by his own son. What’s more, Zenos—the real Zenos, is still alive, and now back to his original body.]
[Couldn’t she get a break? At least once?]
[She walks out into Mor Dhona, the knowledge weighing on her shoulders. She had hoped for a vacation, but it’s clear they need to act, and act quickly. Just as soon as she thinks that, she looks at the Aetheryte, and sees the last person she expected.]
[Zenos.]
[Her blood runs cold, and she’s frozen in place. Should she fight? Flee? There are a lot of people around, and she can’t risk any casualties. More importantly, how had no one noticed the crown prince of the Empire standing in the town square?]
[She needs to do something soon, before he notices her.]
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Care to continue?
Absolutely!
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This was insanity. She knew it better than anyone else, to meet up with him like this; he left nothing but destruction in his wake, and yet each time they had met, he kept letting her go. It was by his hand that she remained standing, his hand that let her struggle to grow stronger, to meet his might. It was clear to Lucia that the authority of the crown prince held no appeal to the Garlean, that he was only fueled by his own self-interest and pleasure... A pleasure he only seemed to find in battle. It was the only reason why he had left her alive: for his entertainment.
And yet, during their last battle, as both the Garlean and the Resistance clashed, gearing up for the final confrontation, he had leaned close and whispered of her past that no one else could know of. That he wished to speak further in private, at this certain location. The implied threat that he could make public of what he knew...
There was no way Lucia could let her friends find out. That she had been hiding this from them all this time, their anger or betrayal, or worse, pity... They could never find out. And so she had slipped out of the camp, teleporting to a nearby aetheryte to hide her trail before making her way to the designated spot where she waited.
Lucia didn't have long to wait. The armor that Zenos wore was definitely not made for stealth - but then again, the Garlean prince really had no need to sneak up on anybody, did he? Not that she had any room to talk, wearing the bright white robes of a White Mage that made her stand out in this dark desert. But she had wanted something that kept her covered, something that hid her body, and these seemed like option. ]
You came here alone, right?
[ The viera's words were guarded and wary as she glared at him, her arms crossed over her chest, obviously not here to make friends. But there was also a shifting uneasiness that she wasn't quite able to hide, a restless nervousness running under her edge. How much does he know? How did he find out? How did he realize that was me? And what does he want--? ]
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[Anyone who’s known the Warrior of Light knows that she’s never one to throw herself completely and fully into a fight unless it’s warranted. She’s not one who immediately rises to bait, or to even a challenge as much as she used to, knowing that any wrong move could mark it as her last, or even worse, the last moments for someone she cares for.
Anyone who knows the Warrior of Light knows all this. But anyone who knows Vheras Warden? Knows that at the heart of everything, when it comes to being between fighting and being a diplomat, all of her predictability of being the “good person” goes to absolute shite.
Zenos yae Galvus. There haven’t been very many people who can get right under her skin just by their sheer presence, but this man- this man. Every time he utters so much as a sentence to call them equals, or animals, or any violent thing, her blood practically boils. Sidurgu was less infuriating even in his rants and arrogant assumptions, though those were becoming less and less these days. Something about the Garlean infuriates her, makes the Abyss crawl through her veins like some blackened intoxication, practically makes her heart sing with anticipation.
She hates it.
Cronus Lux hums quietly as she tilts her wrists, readjusts her stance, then charges like a bullet straight for Zenos. She wants to kill him, she's going to kill him, Twelve damn this man to hell. He reeks of blood, of power and pure carelessness with no desire to change. Somehow, it doesn't surprise her, it simply infuriates her instead. Vheras has had enough.]
To hells with ye!
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But she knows she can't deter Yugiri from attacking Zenos, so all she can do is offer support and aid her. She also knew he would completely wipe the floor with them, muscles now aching and lungs burning as she struggles to keep herself upright. At least she damaged that stupid helmet...
(She doesn't want to think over his words. Doesn't want to consider them, if only because she knows she can't stop now - )
A paltry victory compared to how Zenos has turned his sights onto Yugiri and the newly arrived villagers, and all Palais can do is wheeze out a curse before pulling out her sword. Swiftcast and Vercure are but a bandage on a gaping wound, but it pushes her to now stand before them - a weak, fragile barrier against a vicious storm. Dimly, in the distance, she can hear others approach - a twitch of an ear the only indication, but they're still so far. There's no time.]
Take Yugiri and go, there's people ahead who can help you escape!
[There's protests of course - that she is weak, barely able to stand, that they can't leave her - which she ignores. But she has something that could give her an edge - an aspect of her heritage that Hydalen's blessing has protected her from so far. After all, what good is a Warrior of Light if she cannot journey to places thick with aether without losing her mind?
Now she has learned to control it, but with her own aether as a price. Palais has never really needed to use it, she'll be useless once time is up, but desperate times call for desperate measures...
The glare she throws over her shoulder is enough to silence anything further, before the aether burns inside and around her - reinvigorating her, channeling her remaining power into just one goal. Just one target she needs to tear down.
There isn't need to draw her weapon now, her claws more than deadly enough. A low hiss escapes between clenched teeth, muscles tense as she stands upright once more - she exuded bloodlust before, but this time it's almost tangible. Enough to make the remaining soldiers draw back with a tremble in their step, as the Viera glares up at Zenos.
Zenos called her a beast. Very well, she will show him how much of a beast she can be.]
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and now for something completely different
Except this one. It's well enough out of the way that the locals only rarely venture up to use it, as it's more of a pain in the arse to get to than it's worth to use the ones lower down. Hence why Irhya has decided she'll make the trek up the mountain to have some godsdamned peace and quiet, with no possibility of being disturbed. And all the better after the whirlwind that was her time on the First; now that she's back on her home world, she wants some personal space, which not even Tataru and her doe-eyes can deter her from.
Yes. Nothing whatsoever. Definitely not a huge eight-odd-fulm monster of a man who is also kind of a huge Doma-nerd to disturb her while she's chilling without her clothes or her weapon at hand.]
It's always a good time for surprising things in hot springs
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It's too exhausting to think about beyond that, so she hasn't actually... told any of them yet. Formally.
Putting aside the HOW of it, she wasn't about to let the man just wander around aimlessly. Gods only know what would happen THIS time if he got bored, but he needs a hobby.
No, seriously, he needs a hobby that isn't trying to fight her just for the sake of FEELING something (why, why can't shame or remorse be first on the list)-- or whatever it is he's so obsessed with fighting her for. Hells if she knows.
He's been given a room.
What the fuck.
Zenos has a room at her fucking Free Company estate.
How the fuck did this happen?
Why?
Okay, so admittedly a part of her is curious to see what he'd do with it, it's just... the REST of her is afraid that she'll walk in and find the walls painted with the blood of his enemies and lined with the corpses of his prey or something (... What? He's not exactly the easiest man to predict. Or maybe he is, and she's just bad at it.).
All of this has led Ziva to stand in front of Zenos' door with a bag of food from The Last Stand. That morning she'd left to deliver a commission only recently finished, told him he was welcome to use anything inside the storeroom. It should've been a decent starting point as she was constantly creating or buying things and then shoving them in there. Beds, sofas, armchairs, tables, replicas of crystal towers, false windows, trophies (Ixion horns, weapon busts, pixie wings), and so on. It's been a few hours, so surely he's managed something, right?
She's silent for a few moments longer before she finally raises a hand to knock and wait for a response. ]