[Rose is not trained in the arts of being a spy, nor is she good at subterfuge. She’s also not very observant, something that her friends are very keen to point out when they mention that she’s also the savior of the world.]
[Despite all this, however, Rose isn’t stupid. The person who’s following her around is being incredibly obvious. It used to be rare that there was a day at the Quicksand where Rose wasn’t approached by somebody wanting to talk to the savior of Eorzea, but that quickly stopped once Rose started opening her mouth.]
[Rose is about to approach the girl herself when she finally decides to come to Rose’s table. Rose isn’t frowning, per se, she just doesn’t look very happy right now.]
Yes. Can I help you? It took you long enough to come over here.
Hff--! [Immediate regret. O'zhian's tail behind her went from lashing about to resembling a massive brown puff when the Warrior finally spoke. Gods, she had a certain presence about her, didn't she?
O'zhian's already succeeded at making a bleeding fool of herself, but she still tried to at least get her tail in order, grabbing it from behind her and patting the fur down. Calm down... if Takame said she was nice, she was.
... Then again, that bloody fool would call the first person to give him the time of day nice. She shook her head, taking yet another breath.]
A-aye... well, sorta. [She released her tail, allowing it to continue its rapid swaying.] You're the Warrior of Light, are you not? Was wonderin' if I could ask you something.
[‘A certain presence’ is one way to describe it. It would be nice to think that Rose had this demeanor she possesses comes from knowing that she’s the sole person able to save the realm from the brink of destruction.]
[But it wasn’t. She was just born this way. Sarcasm and all.]
[She looks the girl over. It’s not that she’s not used to being stopped, but something tells her this girl isn’t a fan. No matter. She doesn’t care either way.]
That would be me. I don’t see the harm in asking a question.
[As long as you aren’t going to ask her a favor. If it’s a fetch quest, the answer is ‘no.’]
[At least she doesn't seem to mind being asked something. Still, it was intimidating to approach the Heroine of the Realm about something so little. The lass probably had enough on her mind, no wonder she seemed so... cavalier.
Maybe it was because her concern for her friend overshadowed her fear of... well, other people. But she was able to speak clearly.]
... Have you ever met an Auri man by the name o' Takame Kesi?
[As soon as the other woman mentions Takame, Rose’s demeanor immediately picks up. She smiles earnestly as she responds.]
Yes, he’s a very dear friend of mine.
[Rose takes this opportunity to give the other girl a once-over. Her initial fear was that she was here to give...unfortunate news, related to Takame, but if that was the case, she’d be dressed more officially. She also doesn’t have the aura of a Garlean official, so...]
[The agitated lashing her of O'zhian's tail relaxed immediately to a gentle sway when she smiled. It's enough to make the Seeker smile as well. Especially when her friend is spoke of positively.]
Aye. Somethin' like that. [She closed her eyes, fond.] He's like a brother t'me, he is. 'M glad to see he's made a friend in you m'lady.
[Rose smiles, almost wistfully at O’Zhian’s words. She’s glad to have a friend in Takame, and for that she feels guilty. She knows what happens to her friends, to those who associate with her.]
Thank you. I’m not sure being friends with me is a blessing, but I’m grateful to know him all the same.
[It’s probably better if she neglects to mention how they met.]
Everyone could do well with a friend. You're no exception, m'lady Warrior, nor is Takame. [She grew up with so few, she can't help but say so. She couldn't imagine why being friends with the Warrior of Light wouldn't be a blessing but... there's a bunch she doesn't know.
Much Takame doesn't share with her.]
"A bit" dense. Ha, ye needn't sugarcoat it, he's a right fool. [But she loves him dearly.]
Anyroad. I, um... I wanted to thank you. For stickin' by him an' makin' friends with 'im is all... I mean 'e's not bad at makin' 'em or nothin', but sometimes he comes off... well, 'tad bit scary an' not a lotta Eorzeans... know 'bout the Au Ra an' all so... [The volume of her voice went lower and lower and she averted her eyes, rubbing at her arm.]
[Rose doesn’t respond immediately. Instead, she pauses to consider O’zhian’s words. Would she feel the same if she knew how often Rose had brought Takame to death’s door, she wonders? It’s true everyone could do with a friend, but that didn’t change the circumstances.]
You’re correct, he’s an absolute idiot. But he’s a good-natured one, at least.
[Its a compliment as much as it is an insult, Rose thinks.]
I can hardly imagine him coming off as scary.
[Okay, technically she can, but not in normal circumstances. And all the times he might have been terrifying he was saving her life, so that gets a pass.]
Aye... 'tis true. [Insult or compliment, O'zhian can do nothing more than agree. She's borne witness to his questionable tendencies for nearly a decade, after all. But the affectionate jab at her old friend is enough to bring her back out of her shy mumbling.]
S'that so? He kinda 'as that feelin' about 'im where ye can't read what he's thinkin'. Always been that way with 'im. [Well, not always. But it was proooobably not a good idea to mention the poor circumstances they met under either.]
I won’t deny that. Takame is certainly the quiet type; it wouldn’t kill him to speak up more.
[Or make his own decisions. Sure, it might feel like she practically forced him to join the Scions, and maybe that’s partially true, but it was only because he wouldn’t pick anything for himself!]
... Kinda hoped Eorzea'd break 'im of that habit. [Sighs.]
But aye. He's a good person. He's patient n' he's gentle. Only fights when he's gotta. [And he hasn't led a happy life. She hasn't either, and even Hina hasn't. Maybe that's why they all got so close.
It's clear something on O'zhian's mind had her go somber, but it just meant she'd relaxed enough around Rose to feel it. She no longer had that sense of being vaguely threatened. Not that she isn't familiar with the feeling given how she is around strangers, but something about the Keeper felt like deja vu...]
Mhm, I did. Still, 'ts nice to hear it from the woman herself. Good to meet you, m'lady Rose.
[Good to meet, she says and yet. Seven hells, this pervasive sense of familiarity. Zhian almost didn't want to ask, she's already asked a question! But if she doesn't, what's that make her who always tells both Hina and Takame to ask when they don't understand something? A hypocrite, that's what!]
Mrrgh... [Her tail began to lash again and she held onto one arm, pinning it at her side.] ... Y'mind if I ask... one more question?
[Rose tilts her head to the side. The other woman seems incredibly anxious, but still glad enough to meet her. She doesn’t have the demeanor of an Imperial spy—what’s going on?]
[Gods, maybe she shouldn't have asked... if she's wrong she'll feel so damned stupid, Rose'll probably just think she's a damned idiot for the rest of the Astral Era and if the Warrior of Light think's she's an idiot who else will think she is, gods gods, gods where's the option to turn tail and run...]
W-well... er... [But there... has to be something to what she's feeling, right? She's not just going crazy, she can't be, this was far too uncanny. She fiddled with the tassels handing off of her headdress as she spoke.]
...'ts the strangest thing, it is... [Starting out quiet, if only to allow herself a gradual volume increase instead of blurting it out.] I know you're pretty famous n' all... an' I-I know we've not met before this but... hells take me, 'feels like I've seen ye somewhere before.
[If it gives Zhian any consolation, Rose thinks literally everyone is stupid. Nobody in her inner circle would ever base their opinion of someone on something Rose said.]
[Except Zhian isn’t stupid, and that’s what makes Rose concerned. She doesn’t have an uncommon face, but still. Her expression is unreadable; is she happy? Sad? Angry? Perhaps. She frowns as she responds to Zhian.]
No.
[It’s a lie, and it’s one that makes Rose feel guilty. She doesn’t hate her sister, far from it. But she’s spent so long without seeing any of her family, and it’s better the more distance she puts between them.]
[It Doesn't, Actually. It would put even more pressure on her to maybe be the one Not Stupid One.
But indeed, for as scared as she is of being wrong (and her tail beginning to lash and puff out again showing her fear possibly being confirmed) she still had her suspicion. Most of her face may be hidden but her brows were bold enough that even the slightest furrow is easily visible.]
... Y'sure? No siblings? A cousin? 'Swear t'the Twelve you look just like someone I've been workin' with lately... [Is she being too pushy... hells, Hina's rubbed off on her in the worst way if that's the case, but her curiosity!!]
Apologies, m'lady. 'm not tryin' to pry or nothin', but...
[Rose frowns. There’s only one person she can think of that she shares such a similar appearance with, and it should be impossible for her to be here. She should be on the other side in the world, safe in Hingashi. There is no reason for her to have travelled all the way here.]
[Unless she got it in her mind to do something stupid after Rose left. Gods, that would be like Jehna. Hot-headed to a fault.]
None that I can think of, no.
[The curiosity (and potential implications) are killing her right now.]
Mean. [Said blankly, pointedly and probably more confidently than she ever had in all her 26 summers.
Still. Zhian realized that wasn't a very helpful description. But you know, she couldn't go calling Jehna a bitch.
Even if it was true.]
The lass is a pushy one, damn aggressive and rude as all hells. 've never worked with someone more vindictive. Seems t'have some manner of beef w'th just about everyone. [A pause.] But she's good w'th a lance. I guess.
[There are plenty of Miqo’te in Eorzea. And Rose is sure that many of them have anger issues. And that many more share features similar to her. All of this could simply be a coincidence. She hopes it is.]
[But something in her gut tells her that it’s not. And so she can only sigh, and frown. There’s only one way to tell.]
[Don't give her that look, Rose. She's scared enough of you as it is. Still... maybe Rose did know her after all. Or maybe she didn't and just had to make sure much like Zhian... Either way...]
[Rose isn’t scary. She’s callous, to be sure, and often unkind. But she’s not scary.]
[Her sister, on the other hand, is terrifying. Rose has a smoldering frustration about her, a low key hatred of everything. Despite this, she doesn’t care enough to act on most things. Jehna, on the other hand, is a fire cracker. She’s liable to go off at any moment, about anything.]
[And Rose hasn’t talked to her in five years.]
[She’s screwed.]
[Rose can’t only lay her head down on the table in defeat. She’s having a lot of emotions right now. A lot of emotions. Maybe she should get another drink.]
D-did I say somethin' bad...? [Of course she did, why else would Rose react like that, godsdamn it all why couldn't she be an eloquent speaker as Takame or as charismatic as Hina?
Bugger it all.]
I-I'm sorry, m'lady... I-I didn't mean to upset you or nothin', m'sorry!! [Damn, damn, damn she should just leave, she's half up out of her seat now.
Before she considered that something else may be wrong here. And if she left... then what if no one else came around to make sure Rose was okay? Zhian is quiet for a moment, clutching at the soft cloth of her veil to calm herself down.]
... Is somethin' the matter...? ... Are you okay...?
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[Despite all this, however, Rose isn’t stupid. The person who’s following her around is being incredibly obvious. It used to be rare that there was a day at the Quicksand where Rose wasn’t approached by somebody wanting to talk to the savior of Eorzea, but that quickly stopped once Rose started opening her mouth.]
[Rose is about to approach the girl herself when she finally decides to come to Rose’s table. Rose isn’t frowning, per se, she just doesn’t look very happy right now.]
Yes. Can I help you? It took you long enough to come over here.
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O'zhian's already succeeded at making a bleeding fool of herself, but she still tried to at least get her tail in order, grabbing it from behind her and patting the fur down. Calm down... if Takame said she was nice, she was.
... Then again, that bloody fool would call the first person to give him the time of day nice. She shook her head, taking yet another breath.]
A-aye... well, sorta. [She released her tail, allowing it to continue its rapid swaying.] You're the Warrior of Light, are you not? Was wonderin' if I could ask you something.
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[But it wasn’t. She was just born this way. Sarcasm and all.]
[She looks the girl over. It’s not that she’s not used to being stopped, but something tells her this girl isn’t a fan. No matter. She doesn’t care either way.]
That would be me. I don’t see the harm in asking a question.
[As long as you aren’t going to ask her a favor. If it’s a fetch quest, the answer is ‘no.’]
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Maybe it was because her concern for her friend overshadowed her fear of... well, other people. But she was able to speak clearly.]
... Have you ever met an Auri man by the name o' Takame Kesi?
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Yes, he’s a very dear friend of mine.
[Rose takes this opportunity to give the other girl a once-over. Her initial fear was that she was here to give...unfortunate news, related to Takame, but if that was the case, she’d be dressed more officially. She also doesn’t have the aura of a Garlean official, so...]
[...a friend?]
Are you an acquaintance of his?
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Aye. Somethin' like that. [She closed her eyes, fond.] He's like a brother t'me, he is. 'M glad to see he's made a friend in you m'lady.
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Thank you. I’m not sure being friends with me is a blessing, but I’m grateful to know him all the same.
[It’s probably better if she neglects to mention how they met.]
Even if he can be a bit dense, at times.
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Much Takame doesn't share with her.]
"A bit" dense. Ha, ye needn't sugarcoat it, he's a right fool. [But she loves him dearly.]
Anyroad. I, um... I wanted to thank you. For stickin' by him an' makin' friends with 'im is all... I mean 'e's not bad at makin' 'em or nothin', but sometimes he comes off... well, 'tad bit scary an' not a lotta Eorzeans... know 'bout the Au Ra an' all so... [The volume of her voice went lower and lower and she averted her eyes, rubbing at her arm.]
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You’re correct, he’s an absolute idiot. But he’s a good-natured one, at least.
[Its a compliment as much as it is an insult, Rose thinks.]
I can hardly imagine him coming off as scary.
[Okay, technically she can, but not in normal circumstances. And all the times he might have been terrifying he was saving her life, so that gets a pass.]
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S'that so? He kinda 'as that feelin' about 'im where ye can't read what he's thinkin'. Always been that way with 'im. [Well, not always. But it was proooobably not a good idea to mention the poor circumstances they met under either.]
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[Or make his own decisions. Sure, it might feel like she practically forced him to join the Scions, and maybe that’s partially true, but it was only because he wouldn’t pick anything for himself!]
Still, I can tell he doesn’t mean harm.
[He’s basically a dragon sized puppy.]
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But aye. He's a good person. He's patient n' he's gentle. Only fights when he's gotta. [And he hasn't led a happy life. She hasn't either, and even Hina hasn't. Maybe that's why they all got so close.
It's clear something on O'zhian's mind had her go somber, but it just meant she'd relaxed enough around Rose to feel it. She no longer had that sense of being vaguely threatened. Not that she isn't familiar with the feeling given how she is around strangers, but something about the Keeper felt like deja vu...]
M'name's O'zhian, by the by.
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Well, Takame is nothing if not stubborn.
[About all the wrong things, truth be told.]
I’m Rose, although I’m sure you already knew that.
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[Good to meet, she says and yet. Seven hells, this pervasive sense of familiarity. Zhian almost didn't want to ask, she's already asked a question! But if she doesn't, what's that make her who always tells both Hina and Takame to ask when they don't understand something? A hypocrite, that's what!]
Mrrgh... [Her tail began to lash again and she held onto one arm, pinning it at her side.] ... Y'mind if I ask... one more question?
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I don’t see the harm.
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W-well... er... [But there... has to be something to what she's feeling, right? She's not just going crazy, she can't be, this was far too uncanny. She fiddled with the tassels handing off of her headdress as she spoke.]
...'ts the strangest thing, it is... [Starting out quiet, if only to allow herself a gradual volume increase instead of blurting it out.] I know you're pretty famous n' all... an' I-I know we've not met before this but... hells take me, 'feels like I've seen ye somewhere before.
D... d'you have a sister of some sort, mayhaps?
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[Except Zhian isn’t stupid, and that’s what makes Rose concerned. She doesn’t have an uncommon face, but still. Her expression is unreadable; is she happy? Sad? Angry? Perhaps. She frowns as she responds to Zhian.]
No.
[It’s a lie, and it’s one that makes Rose feel guilty. She doesn’t hate her sister, far from it. But she’s spent so long without seeing any of her family, and it’s better the more distance she puts between them.]
[Also, her sister is terrifying.]
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But indeed, for as scared as she is of being wrong (and her tail beginning to lash and puff out again showing her fear possibly being confirmed) she still had her suspicion. Most of her face may be hidden but her brows were bold enough that even the slightest furrow is easily visible.]
... Y'sure? No siblings? A cousin? 'Swear t'the Twelve you look just like someone I've been workin' with lately... [Is she being too pushy... hells, Hina's rubbed off on her in the worst way if that's the case, but her curiosity!!]
Apologies, m'lady. 'm not tryin' to pry or nothin', but...
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[Unless she got it in her mind to do something stupid after Rose left. Gods, that would be like Jehna. Hot-headed to a fault.]
None that I can think of, no.
[The curiosity (and potential implications) are killing her right now.]
Tell me, what kind of person were they?
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Still. Zhian realized that wasn't a very helpful description. But you know, she couldn't go calling Jehna a bitch.
Even if it was true.]
The lass is a pushy one, damn aggressive and rude as all hells. 've never worked with someone more vindictive. Seems t'have some manner of beef w'th just about everyone. [A pause.] But she's good w'th a lance. I guess.
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[But something in her gut tells her that it’s not. And so she can only sigh, and frown. There’s only one way to tell.]
Did she give you her name?
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A-aye... Jehna's her name.
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[Her sister, on the other hand, is terrifying. Rose has a smoldering frustration about her, a low key hatred of everything. Despite this, she doesn’t care enough to act on most things. Jehna, on the other hand, is a fire cracker. She’s liable to go off at any moment, about anything.]
[And Rose hasn’t talked to her in five years.]
[She’s screwed.]
[Rose can’t only lay her head down on the table in defeat. She’s having a lot of emotions right now. A lot of emotions. Maybe she should get another drink.]
This is bad.
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Bugger it all.]
I-I'm sorry, m'lady... I-I didn't mean to upset you or nothin', m'sorry!! [Damn, damn, damn she should just leave, she's half up out of her seat now.
Before she considered that something else may be wrong here. And if she left... then what if no one else came around to make sure Rose was okay? Zhian is quiet for a moment, clutching at the soft cloth of her veil to calm herself down.]
... Is somethin' the matter...? ... Are you okay...?
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[This is bad.]
[This is so bad.]
[Forget about what Jehna says to her, she's going to eat her friends in the Scions alive. Goodbye, Alphinaud, it was nice to know you.]
[Eventually, she lifts her head, avoiding eye contact entirely.]
She's...an acquaintance of mine. And she's aggressive.
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