[Respites were equally rare for Rose, though it was never for lack of trying. Her habits were well known among her companions, and the danger she often put herself in didn’t escape the Scions’ notice.]
[But Kugane was a city she knew quite well, and evading the others proved to be easy work. If something happened, she was confident she could defend herself. Probably.]
[The other person at the table seemed the quiet type, and so she’s surprised when he talks to her. She probably shouldn’t be, she joined him without asking, but she was never known for being overly polite.]
Good evening. What brings you out here?
[Its the baseline amount of cordial she can manage before she begins downing her drink.]
I had the time. [A pause.] I don't often have the chance to enjoy a drink.
[Detail only given after he considered only "having the time" may make him seem like an alcoholic. The last thing he needed was to sully the Scions' overseas reputation like that.
Ah, but then again Thancred had one. Looking to his new company and seeing that she was a Miqo'te, he tilted his head curiously. Rare to see one as far as Kugane.]
I could say much the same. [She takes a long, drawn out, drink. It's so rare that she gets alone time. Even more rare that she can manage to enjoy it.]
[And perhaps, because of the beer, she's a little more talkative than she might otherwise be. For better or worse.]
Rarely am I able to escape the watchful eyes of my friends. But, I am a Hingashi citizen, and I know this area fairly well. Certainly better than most people from Eorzea.
I see. [He took a drink of his own as he listened to her speak. It was true that he didn't tend to drink around the Scions so they wouldn't see him if he forgets his limits, but that didn't mean he wanted to drink alone. He always sought company.
Or someone to guide him in general.]
Miqo'te are uncommon in this region. Though it has been some time since I lived here, the few I have seen in Kugane have been foreign merchants or visitors. [Or illegal.]
[Rose takes another sip. She’s not much of a leader, at least by her estimation, but she’s more than happy to provide company right now. There’s a kindred spirit she can sense here.]
[Maybe that’s why she’s so open. When was the last time she talked about such things so freely.]
My father was a merchant, and he took my mother inland. This was before the annexation of Doma, when the borders were still open.
[She sighs, a fond smile on her face.]
It was terribly difficult to leave the country the first time, you know. But I did, for better or worse.
Hmm. [Oftentimes when one says better or worse, the latter was more common. For that Takame wouldn't blame her for wanting to drink, but he wouldn't voice that thought. Perhaps he shouldn't jump to that conclusion either.
The mention of Doma's occupation made his tail stop swaying and prompted him to pour another drink for himself.]
Hingashi is not keen to let any vessel sail to faraway lands. ["That threaten their treaty with the Empire". He'll occupy himself with another sip rather than say that. Positive attitude, Hina always told him...]
Ah, but travel affords us... great opportunities, does it not?
['Not keen to let any vessel sail to faraway lands.' The stranger certainly isn't wrong, that's for certain. If her family knew how she'd gotten out of Hingashi in the first place...well, they would have words for her. The same words they would have with her if they knew she was still alive.]
[But she's not going to unload all of that on a stranger, so instead, she just takes a sip and smiles sadly.]
It certainly does.
[As much as she misses home, she would be hard-pressed to say that she fully regrets her decision. She doesn't want to be the Warrior of Light, but she values the friendships that she's made. She can't imagine her life now without Alphinaud, much less the others.]
But where are my manners? My name is Rose. And you are?
Rose. [Repeated with a nod. Not a standard Keeper's name, nor a Hingan or Othardian one. Not that he had the right to say anything about pseudonyms.]
A pleasure to meet you, Rose. Please call me Takame. [Said with a dip of his head in lieu of a bow. He couldn't say much of himself, but his ability to engage in small talk has improved during his time as the Warrior of Light. And having company meant he ought to pace himself as well...]
[Which isn't something that she usually says, but she's in weirdly high spirits tonight. It's nice to have a chance to talk with someone so similar, even if she can't quite place why.]
Work, in a way.
[It's not technically wrong, but it's definitely skirting around the truth.]
Truth be told, it's a role that I wish I could quit. Unfortunately, I'm not afforded that luxury.
Is that right? [Her word choice already told him there was more to it, but he won't pry. That wasn't how one built rapport, or so he gathered from his travels.
He didn't take another sip of his drink yet. Tracing along half the rim of his cup with his finger, he mentally cycled through situations his sisters and comrades have had where they disliked their work.]
The work must be rather, ah... vital for you to stay with it, in that case. [His tail flicked again at the word "vital". A role of great importance, he thought.]
I see. [Noting that she'd drained the rest of her cup really incentivized Takame to hold back more. How strange, he usually had no qualms drinking his fill around new people.
For better or worse.
Something in her words... resonated with him, made his chest hurt in a way he couldn't peg. Not without comparing it to how he felt following his many failings which he came here specifically to forget.
... Maybe he will have the rest of this drink after all. Enough for a buzz, he thought throwing the shot down his throat.]
Mh. 'Tis a heavy burden you must carry. [Did he just lowkey admit to something similar to his role being a burden? Oops look at that he's pouring another drink. He mustn't think such a thing. He mustn't shirk from his duty.]
Indeed it is. I’ve told her how I feel about it I don’t know how many times, but nothing changed.
[Sometimes it just be like that when you’re the main bitch of the Mother Crystal.]
[Does Rose notice his hesitation? Does Rose notice him think twice before downing his shot? Does she notice how he seems to be slightly pained?]
[Possibly, although chances are she doesn’t. She’s at least a little buzzed and happy right now, which means her guard is down. It also means she’s feeling much more conversational than usual.]
But enough about me. What of you? Surely you must have better prospects.
[Takame assumed "her" was Rose's boss or master or something of the sort. Whoever set her on her path. Something else he'll not get too far into. Maybe later, not now.
The extra drink did make him a bit more curious though. Perhaps a bit more open. Or more in need of attention.]
Ah, nothing so extravagant. Work has brought me here as well. It is an assignment of great import, yes, but... [He needed a drink to get through this region again] my sister... she often tells me it is important to take a moment to... relax.
[Wow, he's really forcing this despite telling the truth. Zhian would be proud and ashamed at the same time.]
[Unlike Rose’s sister, who often chided her for her ‘irresponsibility.’ In Jehna’s defense, Rose’s plan to sneak aboard a ship headed to Eorzea was remarkably poorly thought out. And yet, she’s still here.]
No matter how important the work, it’s worth little if you have to spend your health to accomplish it.
[Where is Rose and what has the alcohol done with her???]
She is. [Said with a subtle fondness in his tone. He missed her dearly. One benefit to being in this region was being able to see her again.
Thinking about her brought a small smile to his face. Despite his reasoning for returning to the Far East being a result of his failure... he prayed that in some way she would be proud of him. Undeserving as he was of her praise.]
Though it is... something of a work in progress, I do what I can to follow her word. [To be more like her. He failed often, his duty was far too important to shirk. But he carried her words every day.]
[She sees that smile and returns it with a smile of her own. What would her sister say if she could see her now? What would her friends say? They would be surprised, no doubt.]
I'm sure you do well enough.
[She takes another drink. Rose is gone.]
Enjoy it while you can. Before long, you may have a role that you didn't ask for.
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[But Kugane was a city she knew quite well, and evading the others proved to be easy work. If something happened, she was confident she could defend herself. Probably.]
[The other person at the table seemed the quiet type, and so she’s surprised when he talks to her. She probably shouldn’t be, she joined him without asking, but she was never known for being overly polite.]
Good evening. What brings you out here?
[Its the baseline amount of cordial she can manage before she begins downing her drink.]
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[Detail only given after he considered only "having the time" may make him seem like an alcoholic. The last thing he needed was to sully the Scions' overseas reputation like that.
Ah, but then again Thancred had one. Looking to his new company and seeing that she was a Miqo'te, he tilted his head curiously. Rare to see one as far as Kugane.]
What of you, if I may ask?
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[And perhaps, because of the beer, she's a little more talkative than she might otherwise be. For better or worse.]
Rarely am I able to escape the watchful eyes of my friends. But, I am a Hingashi citizen, and I know this area fairly well. Certainly better than most people from Eorzea.
no subject
Or someone to guide him in general.]
Miqo'te are uncommon in this region. Though it has been some time since I lived here, the few I have seen in Kugane have been foreign merchants or visitors. [Or illegal.]
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[Maybe that’s why she’s so open. When was the last time she talked about such things so freely.]
My father was a merchant, and he took my mother inland. This was before the annexation of Doma, when the borders were still open.
[She sighs, a fond smile on her face.]
It was terribly difficult to leave the country the first time, you know. But I did, for better or worse.
no subject
The mention of Doma's occupation made his tail stop swaying and prompted him to pour another drink for himself.]
Hingashi is not keen to let any vessel sail to faraway lands. ["That threaten their treaty with the Empire". He'll occupy himself with another sip rather than say that. Positive attitude, Hina always told him...]
Ah, but travel affords us... great opportunities, does it not?
no subject
[But she's not going to unload all of that on a stranger, so instead, she just takes a sip and smiles sadly.]
It certainly does.
[As much as she misses home, she would be hard-pressed to say that she fully regrets her decision. She doesn't want to be the Warrior of Light, but she values the friendships that she's made. She can't imagine her life now without Alphinaud, much less the others.]
But where are my manners? My name is Rose. And you are?
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A pleasure to meet you, Rose. Please call me Takame. [Said with a dip of his head in lieu of a bow. He couldn't say much of himself, but his ability to engage in small talk has improved during his time as the Warrior of Light. And having company meant he ought to pace himself as well...]
What brings you back to this region?
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[Which isn't something that she usually says, but she's in weirdly high spirits tonight. It's nice to have a chance to talk with someone so similar, even if she can't quite place why.]
Work, in a way.
[It's not technically wrong, but it's definitely skirting around the truth.]
Truth be told, it's a role that I wish I could quit. Unfortunately, I'm not afforded that luxury.
no subject
He didn't take another sip of his drink yet. Tracing along half the rim of his cup with his finger, he mentally cycled through situations his sisters and comrades have had where they disliked their work.]
The work must be rather, ah... vital for you to stay with it, in that case. [His tail flicked again at the word "vital". A role of great importance, he thought.]
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[But she’s not, she’s nearly drained her first cup, and so all she’s doing right now is running her mouth.]
Yes, extremely so. Were I to stop, it’s possible those I care about could be hurt. And so I have no choice but to continue.
[She drains the rest of her cup. Bartender, one more please.]
It’s lonely, truth be told.
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For better or worse.
Something in her words... resonated with him, made his chest hurt in a way he couldn't peg. Not without comparing it to how he felt following his many failings which he came here specifically to forget.
... Maybe he will have the rest of this drink after all. Enough for a buzz, he thought throwing the shot down his throat.]
Mh. 'Tis a heavy burden you must carry. [Did he just lowkey admit to something similar to his role being a burden? Oops look at that he's pouring another drink. He mustn't think such a thing. He mustn't shirk from his duty.]
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[Sometimes it just be like that when you’re the main bitch of the Mother Crystal.]
[Does Rose notice his hesitation? Does Rose notice him think twice before downing his shot? Does she notice how he seems to be slightly pained?]
[Possibly, although chances are she doesn’t. She’s at least a little buzzed and happy right now, which means her guard is down. It also means she’s feeling much more conversational than usual.]
But enough about me. What of you? Surely you must have better prospects.
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The extra drink did make him a bit more curious though. Perhaps a bit more open. Or more in need of attention.]
Ah, nothing so extravagant. Work has brought me here as well. It is an assignment of great import, yes, but... [He needed a drink to get through this region again] my sister... she often tells me it is important to take a moment to... relax.
[Wow, he's really forcing this despite telling the truth. Zhian would be proud and ashamed at the same time.]
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[Unlike Rose’s sister, who often chided her for her ‘irresponsibility.’ In Jehna’s defense, Rose’s plan to sneak aboard a ship headed to Eorzea was remarkably poorly thought out. And yet, she’s still here.]
No matter how important the work, it’s worth little if you have to spend your health to accomplish it.
[Where is Rose and what has the alcohol done with her???]
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Thinking about her brought a small smile to his face. Despite his reasoning for returning to the Far East being a result of his failure... he prayed that in some way she would be proud of him. Undeserving as he was of her praise.]
Though it is... something of a work in progress, I do what I can to follow her word. [To be more like her. He failed often, his duty was far too important to shirk. But he carried her words every day.]
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I'm sure you do well enough.
[She takes another drink. Rose is gone.]
Enjoy it while you can. Before long, you may have a role that you didn't ask for.