skysteal | [ open rp post ]

[ she's.. really not cut out for this, is she?

it was in a fit of uncharacteristic impulsiveness that lucienne took on the request to clear out a recently unearthed temple in the heart of dry, dusty thanalan. well, maybe it wasn't so uncharacteristic. not anymore. all her life luci has tried to be.. good, to be calm, and rational, and obedient, a good daughter, because her familial experience sure is a whirlwind - someone has to be the level-headed one, right? every one of her siblings is a handful in one way or another, and she had never wanted to rock the boat any further. she had never wanted to cause trouble, or inconvenience her already busy parents, or risk speaking up and saying something stupid and feeling foolish about it after the fact.

but now.. lately..

lately she's begun to change, and she doesn't entirely know why, nor does she particularly like it. her temper feels like it's growing shorter by the day, things that once did not bother her now find their way under her skin. well.. maybe those things always did bother her. maybe she was just too much of a coward to give voice to it, or even acknowledge it to herself. regardless, something is changing, and that's a little scary. a few years ago she never would have accepted a job like this, she never would have thought that she could be capable of adventuring, no matter how it runs in her blood. just because her parents are, and her siblings seem to be eagerly following in their footsteps, doesn't mean she has it in her too, right? that isn't how it works. she's just the odd duck in her family, and she thought she had been content with that.

but clearly she isn't. now she's here, staring down the ruins of an ancient temple that looks completely unsafe, and she barely survived the trip to the doors unscathed, past the golems guarding the area without. what hope does she have of making it through the temple itself? lucienne stands stiffly, dressed for the occasion, both hands clutching her grimoire to her chest, while selene flutters about her head, tugging playfully at her dark hair, trying to distract her, loosen her up, but it isn't working. her heart is thumping in her throat while she waits. she's supposed to be waiting on someone, but.. what if they don't show?

maybe that would be for the best. ]

Edited 2020-12-07 05:34 (UTC)

[ Punctuality is not among Peony's talents, and today is no exception, even if she is supposed to meeting someone for this particular job. Neither is she especially used to teaming up with people she doesn't know, and if she's honest, it makes her a little...nervous. Not enough to keep her from going — she could really use the gil — and maybe it's just the general paranoia of being back in Thanalan getting to her. At least these remote ruins are far removed from Ul'dah itself, and the likelihood of her running into someone she knows are slim to none.

If the job itself didn't sound so exciting, she wouldn't have picked it up at all, but how often does she get to spelunk into ruined temples? She's no archaeologist, but aren't places like that loaded with cool treasure as well? With any luck she'll be walking away from richer from this than even the payment for completing the job.

Which is to, you know, find some ancient tablets, blah blah, she has a picture of what she's supposed to grab. That's good enough for her.

After just long enough for Lucienne to wonder if she's been ditched, Peony arrives with her firearm on her back and her aetherotransformer on her hip, her tail flicking behind her as she jogs up to her would-be partner. An Elezen, huh? Though that certainly fits the bill with the mouthful of a name she has. ]

Hey there! Didn't keep you waitin' long, did I? [ Yeah...she totally knows that she did. Still she stills out a dusty gloved hand. ] You must be Luc...Luci...y'know what, I'm probably gonna just butcher it, so let's stick with Luci.

[ she sure did keep her waiting long!! long enough that lucienne was beginning to worry that just maybe she was at the wrong place.. thanalan must be chock full of old ruins, right?? maybe she was mistaken, maybe she read the note wrong, maybe she should just.. go home.

she is beginning to think that she should perhaps do just that when someone arrives, a miqo'te trotting up the path toward her, past the slain golems. thanks for your help with that, peony!! just kidding, luci doesn't seem angry at all that her partner is late, though she's definitely almost a little.. disappointed that she even showed up at all. now they have to go into that place. ugh. what was she thinking? one moment of rebellious pride was all it took to land herself here. ]

Oh, um.. Luci is fine..

[ it's not as if she's not accustomed to people having trouble with her name. she looks to peony's hand for a moment, before extending her own in an awkward handshake. she doesn't really know how to give a handshake. ]

And you're.. um?

[ had they given her a name?? ]

[ It doesn't escape Peony's notice that Lucienne doesn't exactly look thrilled to be here, but she's not about to take that personally. She's worked enough of these jobs at this point to know the adventuring spirit isn't what draws everyone to them — sometimes, the gil is enough, and to be honest, if she weren't a little low on funds herself, she might not have picked this one up.

Though the fact that it sounded dangerous and exciting is definitely one reason she chose it over the customary delivery or mercenary gigs...

Anyway, she gives Lucienne's hand a hearty shake even when its reluctantly given, flashing a grin. ]

You can call me Peony! Everyone else does. [ That's a perfectly normal way to introduce yourself... ] So! You're the one keepin' us alive in there, yeah?

[ Peony is good at making things angry and hitting her...less so keeping herself and others safe and healthy. ]

[ .. everyone else does?? what a weird way to give your name. but peony.. that sounds like a nice name. and it sounds a little familiar. maybe she's come through the bakery? but maybe that was another peony.. a lot of faces come through on any given day, or week, or month, many people in revenant's toll are only passing through. ]

S-so it would seem..

[ she hadn't really been thinking about it like that!! but uh, she sure is the one keeping them alive in there. don't let them die, luci, no pressure. her grasp on her tome tightens, and she glances up toward the crumbling gates. ]

.. shall we?

[ better to get it over with.. right? ]

[ Better to get a move-on, yeah! Peony doesn't do well with staying in one spot for too long, especially on the cusp of an exciting expedition! So Lucienne has barely said the words when Peony is traipsing towards the entrance to the ruins, grabbing her weapon from where it's slung across her back. ]

We shall!

[ And then she starts running...Luci better hustle if she wants to keep up! ]

[ oh my GOD she's one of those tanks who just sprints right at the beginning without waiting for their shield!! lucienne gasps in surprise, frozen still for a moment, before - ]

W-wait!

[ and she's quick to dash off after her a few moments later, quickly opening her tome in her hands, while selene flutters behind her, trying to keep pace with them both. ]

Be careful!

[ She sure is one of those tanks...good luck putting an adlo on her before she's gone!!!

To Peony's credit, when Luci calls out behind her, she does slow down somewhat, though mostly due to her own sense of self-preservation. She has a few potions on her, sure, but those don't do much compared to a true scholar's work. Not to mention, she's never seen a faerie in action before...it could be neat! ]

Of what? This place has been abandoned for —

[ She definitely steps on one of Those Tiles that makes arrows start flying across the room. ]

Oh, shite!

[ GOD, THE WORST TANKS!! peony is gonna have to LEARN.

thankfully, lucienne's instincts are sharp and her reflexes are even sharper; the moment she hears that telltale whish of flying darts, the spell is out of her hands before she even thinks to cast it - tendrils of golden aether lash forth like a whip, curling around peony's body and yanking her forcefully back, all the way to luci's side.

she sure did use rescue on her 5 seconds into the dungeon!! luci does her best not to look entirely, deathly panicked, but mostly fails. ]

Of that! Hidden traps aside, these walls are crumbling - one misstep and you'll fall through the floor, or the ceiling will crash down onto your head!

[ ANYTHING COULD HAPPEN, PEONY!! with a frown, lucienne cracks open her grimoire. its worn pages are littered with notes and scrawlings, and many, many drawings, drawings of geometric shapes and grids of all shape and form. aether gathers around the tips of her fingers, pulling the image from the page, and in a glittering burst it leaps toward peony, reforming into a shining, aetheric shield around her body. neat. ]

[ Oh, oh no, she's a goner for sure, this is the end for the great Peony Havencrest, and she didn't even get to prove her greatness yet, she's the only one who knows it!!!

But before she can meet her untimely demise, she finds herself yanked sharply backwards, and then suddenly next to Lucienne. Did she just...do that? That's a thing?? Wow, handy spell... ]

Hey, so long as you've got my back like that, then what's there to worry about?

[ Then comes another spell, this one even prettier than the last, and Peony's eyes widen with fascination at the burst of light that engulfs her. Wow, maybe she should have been a healer instead! Their techniques are sure nice to look at. ]

I feel unstoppable now! C'mon, let's see what else these ruins have in store for us!

[ And then she's running forward...again...though at least she watches her step now. ]

[ oh no she doesn't!! lucienne has enough siblings to know exactly what will happen the moment peony is able to run - she will run again, and so luci is PREPARED. with the reflexes of a soccer mom she snags the back of peony's collar, hopefully clotheslining her a little in the process. ]

Oh no you don't!

[ SPRINT ISN'T A COOLDOWN, PEONY!! luci snaps her tome shut with her free hand and tucks it beneath her arm, before carefully.. releasing peony's collar and beginning to move. ]

Let's keep it to.. a brisk jog.

[ that's a fair compromise to the snail like crawl she would prefer, OKAY!! ]

[ Not an especially graceful girl, Peony does nearly topple when Lucienne grabs her collar, though she's saved by her catlike reflexes. Get it??? Because she's a cat. She turns an almighty frown up at the healer, but relents with a sigh far bigger than the situation calls for. ]

Fiiiine...wouldn't want you to get caught by a trap, so better I'm by your side to supervise, anyway!

[ That's her story and she's sticking to it. She starts at a brisk jog then, making sure that Lucienne keeps up with her this time. Soon enough, they encounter a couple of bats, and...a bee? ]

Aha! Let's get 'em, Luci!

[ She pulls out her gun and fires off the flamethrower!!!! This is RP and no level sync exists here! ]

Did you.. did you just shoot fire out of that gun?

[ she's never seen her dad do that.. but also he's kind of protective, and does not often allow her to get into combat, even if her mother does not necessarily agree.

anyway, bats and a bee.. that can't be too bad, right?? they're not even that big.. but peony sure does just engage them immediately! lucienne gasps and draws back for a moment, but they're in the shit now, so she has to do what she has to do. at least she isn't sprinting out of sight anymore, because rescue has a cooldown. ]

Bee careful..!

[ thanks for that great joke, dad!! lucienne is quick to snap her tome open again, drawing forth the geometric patterns on the pages and releasing them, applying biolysis to the bats and bee alike, before conjuring a swift physick onto peony, whom the critters are scratching and biting at. they don't yet seem to have noticed lucienne.. which she's fine with, thanks. ]

[ Blaze is still a rogue at heart, no matter how many new tricks she’d picked up from her far eastern friends. Though her travels and training had kept her away from Limsa Lominsa for a number of years, she’d been pleased to find that not much had changed. There were a few new faces hanging around the Dutiful Sisters, but the ones that mattered were much the same, and it made her heart warm to be welcomed back with open arms.

Her stay in the city is meant to be a temporary one, but that doesn’t mean she can’t help her fellow rogues out with a job here and there. A shinobi must have a purpose, she’d been told, and she can think of none better than the purpose with which she began her journey.

There are still a fair few individuals out there willing to spit in the face of the Admiral’s ban on piracy, and one such ship had pilfered a set of far eastern treasures from a ship belonging to the East Aldenard Trading company of all things, bound to port from Kugane. Jacke figured Blaze’s newfound knowledge of the east might prove helpful, and so set her on the trail of the fellow who is supposed to meet with the black marketeer meant to sell the stolen items.

Even after years away, she knows the city like the back of her hand, trailing the pirate at a distance through the crowded market and down, down, away from the docks and into a dark and little traversed alley. Easy as anything, she thinks, but it quickly occurs to her that she’s not the only one on the man’s heels. She could kick herself for not noticing them in the crowd, but once they’ve broken away it’s easy enough to tell. Who else would come down this way?

Jacke would have told her if she was expecting back-up, right? So, either this man has a friend she’s not aware of, or she’s not the only one after the treasures. Ducking quickly into the ally’s deep shadows to conceal herself, she waits for this mystery person to approach. ]

[ It's not typical for Peony to pick up jobs on her own, especially on Vylbrand of all places, which even after a few months, is still unfamiliar to her. Every day she gets a little more used to it, but rather than return to her roots in thievery, she's kept her record clean here so far. Spotless, really! Side gigs sure don't pay as well, but every now and again one crops up that's a bit more lucrative, and this one is one such case.

For all she knows, her clients motivations might not be pure themselves, but stealing from someone who's already stolen isn't really stealing, is it? Perhaps they'll turn the goods back over to the proper authorities once they've had a look at them. Being from the East Aldenard Trading Company, there's bound to be some valuable wares in there. If they turn out to be not-so-altruistically motivated, well...

She'll worry about that later, once she's got the goods. Though she has far more experience playing the role of a grifter, she could hardly spend her adolescence within a family of thieves without picking up some sneaking skills, though quickly enough, she realizes she is...following someone who is following her target. Not one of the Yellow Jackets, or a regular civilian who just happens to be going the same way. Her movements herald someone who does not want to be followed, yet if she were with the black marketeer himself, why would she follow at such a distance?

But in the blink of an eye, the Roegadyn vanishes, and Peony curses under her breath — but it is what it is. She hasn't lost sight of the black marketeer, which is what matters most, so she continues her approach, ears pricking beneath her hood at every sound around her.

Just a little further to the docks...but just in case, she stows one hand inside her overcoat, resting her hand on the hilt of a dagger sheathed at her side. ]

[ Jacke always used to joke that they needed to put a bell around Blaze’s neck - no one of her size should be able to move that quietly, but she did, and it often worked to her advantage. The smaller figure - much smaller, she notes - nearly creeps past her entirely, and would have likely continued on none the wiser if Blaze didn’t snap her arm out to hook it around the hooded person’s shoulders.

It’s her aim to draw this mystery person to her, pressing their back to her front while her free hand brings her blade up to their throat. She won’t hurt them, merely threaten a little until she can discern what it is that they want.

Whether or not the element of surprise is truly on her side remains to be seen. Smaller targets are tricky like that. ]

[ When it comes to fight-or-flight responses, it's definitely Peony's instinct to fight, even if she's not quite as aware of her surroundings as she'd like to be — chalk it up to being new to the city. So her assailant is able to grab her with the element of surprise on their side, and Peony only just stifles a yelp of shock. She may be out of her depth sneaking around, but she's not about to completely blow the job by drawing attention to her current predicament.

— Which she is swiftly responding to, drawing out her own dagger, hesitantly only a moment when a blade flashes in the moonlight as she attempts to lift her own to her assailant's throat, her heart beating hard and fast in her chest. ]

About time I got a warm Lominsa welcome...

[ She hisses under her breath, but making no further move. ]

[ Well now, they’re quick on the draw, Blaze will give them that, though her’s is the superior reach. She’s not terribly worried about the blade at her own throat for the moment. ]

Someone must be slacking, then.

[ Comes the rather airy reply, somewhere well over the Miqo’te’s head ].

I couldn’t help but notice you were trailing my target, which of course leads me to ask: friend or foe?

[ That's the very question Peony is dying to know the answer to as well, though from the way her assailant — someone much taller than her, though that's not exactly unusual — phrases it, the former seems more likely. And even if that's not the case, Peony isn't about to make herself out to be an enemy, and while her stealth isn't the sharpest, she's a much better liar. ]

Sure you weren't trailing my target?

[ She sighs, but lowers the arm that holds her blade. She hardly has the advantage here, anyway. ]

But that being the case, we just might be going after the same thief. Truce? I won't slit your throat if you don't slit mine?

Well, when you put it like that…

[ Blaze sounds almost agreeable, but she knows better. Just because she prefers to employ stealth and subterfuge doesn’t mean she’s unaware of how others might twist words to their advantage. No honor among thieves and all that. ]

I might consider it, if you tell me what you want with our friend - our friend who is swiftly gaining ground on us, might I add.

[ Peony would very much like to know that out of the Roe as well, but once again, she's not really in a position to negotiate. Better to tell the truth, though whether or not her assailant believes her is another matter. ]

Our friend is on his way to get something my client would like recovered. You're not gonna risk losing him by waiting for more details, are you?

[ Two can play that game. ]

Your client. Seems everyone wants that little trinket.

[ That certainly answers one question, though the matter of whether this miqo’te is friend or foe remains unanswered. There’s as good a chance that she’s working for Aldenard as there is of her working for some other black marketeer, but Blaze can work with this at the very least. ]

Two heads are better than one, I think. Howsabout I let you go, and if you keep your stabbers to yourself, we can both track down our fleet-footed friend.

[ Okay, she can work with that. She's used to improvising, even if an unexpected companion is a bit out of the ordinary for her. The roegadyn might just as soon slip a knife between her ribs as not once they've recovered the goods, but that's a problem for future Peony.

Foresight never was exactly her strong suit. ]

Alright, alright, I'll cooperate! But let's get a move on already, shall we? He's getting away!

[ She wiggles in the roegadyn's grip to suggest haste, even if she isn't outright trying to wrestle free. That's not a match of strength she would win. ]

[ It’s a good thing she’s a woman of honor, since the miqo’te never makes Blaze swear to do the same. Still, she lifts her blade and arm both away from the slight and impatiently wriggling figure in front of her, letting her loose.

Blaze gives her dagger a little twirl before tucking it neatly into its place at her belt. ]

Let’s go, then.

[ With that, she darts down the alley, footfalls oddly silent as she trusts her new hopefully-a-friend to follow. ]

[ And follow she does, quite closely. Though it's not quite so impressive in her case, Peony moves along as silently as Blaze does, her instincts sharpening as she listens for the sound of any other unexpected assailants. She also listens for any sound of betrayal, because even if she didn't ask Blaze to agree to the same, neither does she want to wind up with a knife in her gut.

That's more likely once they've actually recovered the goods, but one doesn't get far in this line of work without learning to be very, very careful.

They're nearly to the ship now, and the black marketeer is none the wiser to their presence. As he ascends to the deck, Peony slips up behind some nearby crates, pressing herself flat against them as her ears twitch in the direction of softly-spoken voices. Time to see how this unfolds. ]

[ alisaie hardly needs a reason to go on an expedition, especially after finally getting back into her own, real skin. existing as a force ghost on the first hadn't been too terrible, and mostly she had felt like herself, but that had mostly been due to the fact that she quickly became accustomed to what it feels like to be made entirely of aether. climbing back into her bones felt like taking off tight shoes after a long walk.

satisfying, and also kind of painful.

much as she wanted to dart off to work immediately, the toll that their bodies had taken while lying dormant was quite heavy. her muscles had begun to waste, her bones ached from head to toe, her stomach felt sick - it was a few days before she was even able to walk around the rising stones without feeling ready to hit the floor, and even longer still before she was ready for any sort of exertion. krile's efforts had been tireless, but it still took quite some time. it seems that leaving your body to rot unmoving for a few years was very unhealthy.

but she's finally been given a clean bill of health. well, mostly clean. she still tires more easily than she otherwise might, and by the end of any given day she is quite sore, but honestly, krile, alphinaud, and the chirurgeons are tiring of her constant complaining. there's no amount of healing now that could help, only time and effort will see her strength back as it was.

so when peony makes mention of a quick survey trip to castrum centri in southern mor dhona, alisaie is quick to leap upon it like a frenzied lioness on a fresh kill. it's not far to travel, after all, they'll return by the morning, so alphinaud can't complain too much. and they always have their linkpearls. and so she's up on chobi's back in a flash, his saddlebags packed with snacks and gysahl greens, her rapier on her hip, ready to ride before peony can so much as nod. ]

Come on then, you're slow as a slug!

[ she was ready like, five YEARS ago!! ]

[ Gods, and people complain that Peony has too much vim and vigor. Usually Alisaie is a match for her when it comes to setting out on an adventure, but this is juuust to check out one of the Empire's old strongholds to make sure there's no one, imperial or otherwise, making use of their rusting magitek. It should be fairly routine, but she wouldn't be upset even if that didn't turn out to be the case...

Not that she should wish for trouble, given how easily it always seems to find them, but still...things have been quiet since they returned to the Source.

Already saddled onto Freshley's back, Peony trots up next to Alisaie and Chobi, grinning from ear to ear. Alisaie's excitement is infectious. ]

Hey, some of us didn't just wake up from a year's-long nap! You know if you strain yourself, I'll sic Krile on you, and I won't be sorry.

[ Not that anyone can really strike fear into Alisaie...but Krile might come close? ]

I don't want to hear any of that from you. I'll sic Krile on you myself!

[ not that alisaie doesn't deserve it by any means, considering she's the absolute worst patient and a reckless idiot even at the best of times, but peony is no better!! warrior of light my ass, she's no different, and krile can strike fear into the heart of even the most stalwart of souls. alisaie might not be so terrified of her as many others, but she surely respects her great power..

it is not to be trifled with.

anyroad, she presses her heels gently to chobi's flanks, urging him faster. ]

And I wasn't napping!

[ If anything, Peony might be even worse, but to be fair, a lot of her suffering is self-inflicted...but sometimes the only way you know if consuming light warden aether is a bad idea is to try it!

Still, Peony doesn't want to face Krile's wrath, either, so she'll try to behave responsibly......ish. ]

You sure about that? Sure looked like nappin' to me!

[ Not to be outdone, Peony urges Freshley to run faster, edging just ahead of Alisaie as she shouts: ]

Eat my dust!

[ So much for being responsible, they're racing now. ]

[ this is why they get along, because alisaie sure would also have eaten a bunch of light were she capable.. two big idiods doing idiod things and having no real sense of self-preservation. who allowed them to go traipsing off into the tangle without supervision, anyway??

well it doesn't matter now, because they're off!! peony is already cheating, starting a race without even calling it, like the underhanded little shit she is. alisaie spends a few precious seconds looking shocked and offended, before she's leaning forward, and pressing her heels harder into chobi's sides.

this is already an unfair contest!! chobi is a draught chocobo, he's big and fat!! let freshley FIGHT him then we'll see who is the winner.. ]

H-hey! Come back here, you filthy cheat!

[ open rp post ]

edits skillfully

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lmk if this works! non-wol favor for both of them probs

works perfect!!!

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