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+--- Thread: Oathsworn [closed, probably] (/showthread.php?tid=9057)
Oathsworn [closed, probably] - Zhavi - 11-25-2014
The sky blazed red, casting Limsa Lominsa in a bloody haze. This was all well and good, really, for the man who pulled his sword free from a dying man. The dying man crumpled, gasping his last breaths. If he had last words to speak, they were lost to the three who stood over him; he had been dismissed. One final cruelty, one final blow to his dignity. That was how it was in Limsa Lominsa.
A delicate lalafel woman watched, arms primly folded: she stood well back from where the blood might touch her fine clothes. "See to it," she said, her voice curt and frosty, "that this doesn't happen again."
"Milady," another woman said. This one was tall and slender for a roegadyn. Her clothing proclaimed her a sailor of some sort, but her hands lacked the right callouses.
The swordsman wiped his sword off on the dying man, then put his boot to the man -- now little more than a corpse -- and pushed him over the edge of the boardwalk they stood upon. There was a splash.
The lalafel woman made a face.
"Of course not, Milady," the swordsman said.
She glared at the two of them, the roegadyn and the swordsman. "It had better not. I have enough filth getting under my fingernails without this tripe to add to it. Lark, with me. You will root out the rest of that one's little den. I expect a report tomorrow morning.
"Now come along, I tire of this farce." The latter was spoken to the woman, Lark, who smirked at the man. She and her mistress walked away, leaving the swordsman to sheathe his sword and stare down at the water. He spat down at the corpse before he, too, turned to leave.
__________________
Three days later
"Me nephew."
Zhi paused, tail going rigid behind her in surprise, as she looked up from the crate of rags she was digging through. "Scales, Keto'to, ye creep 'round worse'n a nightbird."
She straightened, eyebrows pulling close together as she looked over at the old miqo'te. Every time she saw him, there was a small part of her that felt surprise that he was still alive; such was his advanced age, at least in appearance. Yet, he was as much a fixture of lowtown in Limsa Lominsa as the buildings themselves. Though he only operated at night (Keeper born, was he, and he claimed old age had made him too sensitive to the light of the sun to tolerate it), he was as respected as anyone could be in the city. Few were those who thought to mess with him, and those were always sure to find out just how many championed the old man.
"Me nephew 'ain't come back."
Zhi eyed him, curious, and let her expression twist to annoyance. "So?"
"Ye've needuva job, dovey."
Zhi's expression fell into something more dour at the words. Rumors flew faster than seabirds in Limsa, and her own fall from what little grace she'd commanded was a constant thorn in her side. Damnable jacks. "So?"
"I'll back ye." He was serious, his rheumy eyes intent upon her. Keto'to rarely intervened in any circumstance, preferring to keep to his ragpicker's stall and his neutrality. All the same, his word carried weight among those Zhi trucked with. Weight that she desperately needed -- Flit's own aid nonwithstanding.
Her ears pricked forward. "Yeah? Fer what?"
"Find me lad."
"Why me?"
Keto'to hesitated, his own ears flicking sideways. His tail lashed behind him, and his mouth pulled down. "He was nosin' 'round wi' the Oaths. Few're willin' t' --"
"Th' Oaths? What d'ye take me fer, a gadabout? Ain't no way I --"
"Five hunnerd."
The words stopped Zhi cold, mouth open and ears back. She closed her mouth, then swore, then tipped her head back with a groan. She folded her arms, her mouth working, not liking the implications and disliking her own greed even less. She needed the money. She needed someone to bolster her sputtering reputation.
She needed work.
"Up front," she snapped.
He dug around in his trousers and came up with a small pouch.
Sonuvabitch, he'd waited for her.
"There's some what're new t'the city what might fill in yer own gaps."
She'd been out of the thick of things for awhile. He knew she'd be unable to be efficient on her own. It rankled.
"Yeah, I'll find 'em." She snatched the pouch from him, stuffed it down her shirt, and turned away. Her need of new clothes forgotten, she'd started walking when he called after her.
"Zhio."
She looked back.
"If. . .if it's his body ye find. . .don't -- bring me back th'name o' them what took him from me afore y'tell me. Hear me?"
With a sinking feeling in her gut, Zhi nodded and went to go search the dives and hangouts where lowlifes collected.
She needed information.
RE: Oathsworn [closed, probably] - Ludivine Goultard - 11-25-2014
Ludivine Goultard slowly moved one leg up and crossed it over the other. The sounds of violence and fury carried through the doors of the Bismark - locked while one of the chefs was detained (and equally beaten) by the Yellowjackets.Â
A lazy grin crept across Ludivine's face. Her position at one of the tables just outside the establishment afforded her the pleasure of hearing the chaos that stirred within. What a waste of a man. Always lauded over for his cooking, which to Ludivine tasted no better than a corpse of one of the fishbacks his father was with. That was his mistake: The pitiful little confession he made to his love one night on the docks, of a father who abandoned him for the Serpent Reavers, but oh! How he struggled to make a name for himself, and how he loved her dearly no matter what whispers were made around him.
That was his mistake. Thinking that life might hold any more promise than a drop in the ocean. What a pain it was, having to hear that boring little tirade to his sweetheart. Ludivine wasn't the kind of person to pass up such an opportunity.
It only took a short few days to knock up a quick fake of a letter from the chef's father. Her Sahagin writing had been immaculate, and contained enough fake details about the father and son's correspondence and plotting that even that annoying Baderion would rush off some fresh faced loser to give his report to Coral Tower. And hey, who's to say it wasn't true anyway? Maybe the chef was plotting to poison the Admiral after proving himself at next week's big gala. Maybe there was more poison around the storeroom than Ludivine had slipped in one day in the past week.
A sadistic chuckle escaped her lips and she shook her head. All it took was a bit of information, and you could twist the world however you wanted.Â
She relaxed her face and her softly curved duskwright ears perked up slightly at the sound of doors opening from the rear of the restaurant. A shame. She wouldn't get to see the man being dragged past her in shackles, his face bloodied and broken. Oh well. What a pain.
She slowly rolled herself off her chair and stood up, rubbing the back of her neck. The day was still young, and maybe the city had more to exploit.Â
A gentle smile masked her dark pleasure as she strode in the direction of the parts of town where whispers were business.
RE: Oathsworn [closed, probably] - Zhavi - 11-25-2014
Since Zhavi had returned to the more obvious streets of Limsa, this was the first time in several days she'd been out and about during the day. Two bad leads had convinced her to commit herself to the daytrippers' world, sunburn and heatstroke be damned.
Digging out informants was a tricky business. While some kept regular hours and regular reputations, plenty more skulked around the outskirts doing what they pleased and talking only to those they deemed approach; Zhi's problem was that the regulars didn't want to be seen speaking to her. She was barred, and had to rely on rumors and gossip to find those who could tickle her ear with something a little more substantial than old cobwebs. Or tales from last night's drinking.
She'd stumbled across her fair share of those.
It was on lowtown's Beggar's Walk -- an old boardwalk connecting two old and decrepit docks -- that she first heard a few scraps about a duskwight woman with some peculiar habits. She dismissed it at first, until she heard it again from an old gossip of a fishwife near South Walk Dock. Third time was the charm, this time from a man selling collected baubles spat up from the sea; notorious for some outrageous falsehoods, the man had been right enough times for Zhi to not discount him.
Walking back east, she crossed a few bridges to spires more central to the city, not optimistic at her chances of finding the woman where it was said she tended to roam. A few bells passed, by which time Zhi was sweating and likely more than a little sunburned, complete with bad attitude, when she passed an alley that opened up into a wider street, and caught sight of a duskwight woman matching the description she'd been given.
It was a longshot, but a better lead than her thus far fruitless wandering.
Zhi followed the elezen, hands shoved in her pockets and a scowl on her face.
RE: Oathsworn [closed, probably] - Ludivine Goultard - 11-25-2014
The light of daytime provided little interest for Ludivine. Her latest fun had just ended, so now she had to rely on people coming to her, and come they did. People with small problems like forgetting the time, or where the docks were, or who to see to order some herbs. Â She didn't quite relish in it, but she never passed up her chances for small answers. She never drew attention to herself, her ponderous gait and relaxed demeanor giving off the impression of someone quietly enjoying life. So she gave advice, short words of help, and always kept her ears open.
So it was that as she wandered she found herself being followed, just as the sun was beginning its descent in the sky.Â
She made no attempt to change her walking pace, or spring to fear. A few slight glances at the reflection of the woman behind her - as she passed the occasional window or crystal, revealed her as neither a guard nor an official, looking far too lazily garbed to be either.
Ludivine just raised an eyebrow to herself and continued walking, leading around to near the Aftcastle, before slowing her walking just enough for her to be intentionally approached.
RE: Oathsworn [closed, probably] - Zhavi - 11-25-2014
Zhi wanted to be seen. She was by no means a threatening figure; she was scrawny, and looked the part of a guttersnipe, all dirty and ragged. She was underslept, as usual, and it showed.
She took the opportunity Goultard gave her without questioning it, ambling up alongside the woman as if she hadn't a care in the world. Zhi stank, as usual, the depth of that stink mitigated only by the overpowering odor of saltwater and fish; she'd spent a fair amount of time with fishermen, given that smell.
"Hear ye like gossip," Zhi said, some small edge creeping into her voice. The Aftcastle was home to the Maelstrom's HQ, and she was not particularly keen to stay anywhere near there for long.
RE: Oathsworn [closed, probably] - Ludivine Goultard - 11-25-2014
She smell of the woman - or...maybe girl? - gave her away more than anything. Not that Ludivine reacted much to it. She had lived in much worse horror and stench, until it cloyed her very senses; though she still took it into account as the girl rounded on her.
Her lips parted very slightly as she studied the figure. Her mind ticking slowly as she took it all in and considered what approach to take to the situation. It didn't take her long to decide, and her lips closed in a gentle smile, her incredibly blue and piercing eyes showing no hint of malice, only the vaguely distant look somewhere between interest and boredom.
"Is that what people say now, huh?" Her voice was soft and calming, almost sounding unassuming. It was the voice that always won the trust of people around her. "I suppose I do, though I won't say I make a trade of it." She did her best to look sheepish, rubbing the back of her neck with a hand.
The Miqo'te's slight unease meant Ludivine had control of the conversation, which she liked. She liked being needed for something. It meant you had power. It meant you could manipulate what people gave you in return. She grin she was suppressing never even displayed a hint on her face.
RE: Oathsworn [closed, probably] - Zhavi - 11-25-2014
Zhi shrugged. "People like t'talk." She looked past Goultard in short glances, keeping tabs on the crowd. In particular, who was in the crowd. It was discreetly done, though she didn't take any pains to keep it from the elezen.
"'Specially when there's trouble afoot. Ye like trouble?"
RE: Oathsworn [closed, probably] - Ludivine Goultard - 11-25-2014
Ludivine laughed slightly, a hint of acted shyness in her voice. "Not so much? Aren't there guards for that sort of thing?"
She thumbed in the direction of the Maelstrom HQ, watching to see how the girl would react. There was no way she wanted things to actually go to the guards though...unless that made things more...interesting.
Of course this all depended on what the Miqo'te wanted. Ludivine loved chaos, but she wasn't about to let that slip, especially not to some brat who looked like she couldn't even spell the word "fun", let alone have any idea of what Ludivine's version of it was. The fact she seemed to know something about her tendencies put her slightly on guard.
RE: Oathsworn [closed, probably] - Zhavi - 11-25-2014
Zhi cocked an eyebrow. "No? Then mebbe I've been listenin' t'the wrong waggin' tongues. Me own mistake; I'll jes have t'find one what does."
Or, find the woman again later, perhaps, if she didn't take the bait. Zhi couldn't afford getting caught, and she couldn't afford staying near red-and-yellow central any longer than necessary. She winked at Goultard, and turned to leave.
RE: Oathsworn [closed, probably] - Ludivine Goultard - 11-25-2014
The Elezan ran her tongue along her teeth as the girl turned away, watching as she put some distance between them both. After a short few moments of thought, she started walking in the same direction as the girl, following her along.
"Well, suppose I ended up letting you wander into this trouble alone, I guess it wouldn't be very kind of me." She rubbed her neck while walking - not so close to the Miqo'te as to make them seem together, but close enough that she could lower her voice just enough for the few people around not to be alerted to them. "Maybe somebody said something. Though it's probably best I don't get involved." She laughed shyly again, patting her empty sides. Ludivine never carried weapons - she wasn't a thug or a killer, and certainly not a wanna-be hero.
She did her best to match strides with the girl, which probably wasn't hard due to their difference in height. A few sharp rays of red sun cut through the banners and fauna around the Aftcastle, dancing brief moments of light across the two as darkness began to rise over Limsa.
RE: Oathsworn [closed, probably] - Zhavi - 11-25-2014
"Oho, are ye a kind soul out t'save riffraff an' scoundrels?"
Best she didn't get involved, was it?
Zhi ran her tongue over her teeth, probed one of her canines.
They'd see about that.
RE: Oathsworn [closed, probably] - Ludivine Goultard - 11-25-2014
Ludivine raised an eyebrow. "I didn't take you as either of those. Oh." She laughs again, the same way as usual. "You mean someone's in trouble? But really, that's not something I'm good at, you know? So why'd you come find me? You seemed to know about me."
Her questions had a sharp bite to them, each one verbally punctuated, expecting an answer.
She paid little attention to where the Miqo'te was leading them. If it was a trap, it wouldn't bother her. She was a nobody. Being mugged was something you could recover from. And nobody knew about the machinations and chaos she had seeded through the world in her years.
Ludivine sighed. She didn't like boring stuff like this. If she had to go pick up some drunkard old uncle from the gutters...Goddess, what a pain that would be. She'd make sure to remember the girl if she turned out to be some bright-eyed little upstart.
RE: Oathsworn [closed, probably] - Zhavi - 11-25-2014
Tension seemed to bleed out of Zhi the further away they walked from the Aftcastle. And they did walk; though there were any number of places she could have stopped at, she bypassed all of them. "If it ain't, no use followin' me. Can't keep meself out o' it, I can't. An' if ye ain't. . .kind, then mebbe I've been on after th'wrong waggin' tongues."
She looked askance at Goultard, gauging the woman's expression. She smiled, and shrugged.
"It'd jes be too much work fer a lass like yerself. I wouldn't want t'strain yer good graces."
RE: Oathsworn [closed, probably] - Ludivine Goultard - 11-25-2014
She kept following without responding at first, just mulling things over. This wasn't like her. Besides, she could only work with a plan, improvisation was tough, and never as fun. The best part about hurting people was waiting for the moment to come when their heart broke - when you could see their poor souls be crushed by your words. Haha...damn, what was the fun if you couldn't see that moment coming.
Ludivine stopped and scowled. This brat was ruining her mood. It was enough that the Miqo'te was almost taunting her with her words. It was pissing her off.
"So how come you decided to come to me?"
RE: Oathsworn [closed, probably] - Zhavi - 11-25-2014
Zhi's grin was sudden, wide, and showed most of her teeth. "Ran out o' options, heard some fishwife gabblin' on 'bout some elezen walkin' all th' wrong circles."
She paused, grin dimming, and tapped a finger against her chin. She slowed. "'R all th'right ones. Plenty o'faces in th'city, so why's yer face comin' up now, after I've been up an' down? Either yer sunk an' ain't worth me time, or. . ." she stopped, "folk ain't seen 'nuff o' yerself t'put no pieces t'gether, an' yer more interestin' then ye seem t'be."
Zhi thumbed her nose. "What do I know, noways? I'm jes some lowly streetrunner." She started walking again.