middaeg | write out this story

Entry tags:

ffxiv: irhya pendhula

write out this story

Who: Irhya Pendhula and others, including possibly you!
When: Aguril
Where: Various places
What: Some open prompts for quests!
Warnings: N/A at the moment, possible violence later.

1) Loosely Threaded

[You may be on the other end of a string these days. Unfortunately, the other half of the string has been pulling on it. Incessantly. She prowls around town, primarily during twilight with her cloak on, to try and locate the other half of her connection, examining the responses of other people around her every time she makes a tug on the line.

Trouble is, there's also a giant cobweb of these strings to contend with, so it's hard to tell even if someone does act like their link is being pulled on. She tries following the thread to its end instead... surely if she follows it for long enough, she'll be able to narrow down where the end point is?

Even if that happens to be at someone's house. She knocks on one door and prays to the gods she doesn't look like an idiot for this.]

2) Revenge of the Worms

Aww, who's a good little wormie...

[Scraping the algae off the walls with her nails is a pain in the arse, but it works. If she gets all of it, that means they'll naturally be drawn to her, right? There's a worm right next to her gnawing happily at the wall, and she seems unbothered by how unsightly it is, occasionally dropping bits of the stuff into its mouth while being careful to avoid the teeth. Horseworms... who knew.

Her ears twitch, however, and she is quickly alerted to another presence, perhaps multiple presences in the area. She can hear the skittering steps of another worm very close by, and drops the pile of algae to keep it distracted and calm while she runs to check it out. It turns out to be a worm ridden by a nomad, using it like a battle steed to protect them -- perhaps knowing that the handlers will want to avoid friendly fire.

But with just a sword, and one this large, Irhya runs a huge risk of doing just that. She doesn't want to hurt the worm, but the one on its back...]

Hey. [She flags someone down nearby.] If you're free, I could use a hand with one. I need to separate a worm from its rider, but I don't have much means to do so myself...

3) For Emet-Selch (Lady in the Lake)

[It has been a while since the last spat they had. Long enough, she supposes, that she can approach him again, though she thinks the better of going into his space to do so. Instead, she ambushes him in the kitchen, sitting at the table in waiting because she knows he'll eventually have to come and feed himself.

...She may have been waiting a while now, evidenced by the small embroidery hoop on the table next to her to keep her busy with.]

Hi. Are you busy today?

[She's fully expecting an answer like, "for you, I'm always busy" or some such, but she'll give him the benefit of the doubt for now. Maybe he's cooled off enough with time...?]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[Though he hadn't consciously intended on avoiding Irhya after their argument- he'd certainly spent less time around that house for a while. And in some moments, Emet-Selch wondered whether all he had been doing was pretending that it was possible to have some kind of meaningful- or at the very least, consistently polite- relationship with either of those heroes. But the less he saw of them, well- the easier it was to pretend that he could. Hope (of some pale sort) could re-root itself; after all, he hadn't been irritated by Irhya in days. That it was because he hadn't spoken to her in weeks was... unfortunate.

But a meeting was inevitable.

And vampires were apparently ambush predators. While it's entirely possible (and even likely) that Irhya was in the kitchen working on her embroidery just for the sake of doing so in the kitchen, Emet-Selch is entirely arrogant enough to assume she was waiting there for him. So he stares with a note of suspicion at her question, at her presence- as though there were some ulterior motive somewhere that he hadn't quite grasped.

But instead of immediately dismissing her he sighs, sparing Irhya a half-shrug. It's about as good an acquiescence as she might get.]

No more so than I ever am. What did you want?

[It's more neutral than unfriendly, at least?]

[She seems unbothered by the exasperation, continuing on head first as usual. At least it's not a glower, and that's a good sign when it comes to him.]

There was something I wanted your help with, if you're willing. A little outing by the lake.

[She stands up and pushes the chair in with her hip, then looks away.]

...I hope the last argument we had didn't put you off too much, anyway.

It put me off no more than it ever does.

[Which is to say that it had- but that he was in the part of the cycle that meant he thought there might be something worth salvaging. And so he was here, watching her, preparing to make the same mistake that he ever did, by trying to 'get along'... without really knowing how that was even meant to manifest.]

So what's this about? I assume you mean to do more than admire it.

[He decides against making a comment about drowning him.]

It's no romantic date, I assure you. But I have a reason for asking you instead of, say, Mira.

[Not that he's the only one making the same mistake; it takes both of them, after all, and she's the one who keeps getting snapped at. Still, she continues, turning her head but keeping her eyes on him.]

Have you heard about Dorchacht's Coven asking about the pearls that come from that lake a ways out? Supposedly, there's the ghost of a woman haunting the place and making it impossible to get anything. There are already urban legends floating around about her... her lover drowning her, or some such. And that she asks hard and fast questions of her victims, expecting a sincere answer. I don't know how much truth there is to them, but...

[The thought was that if this ghost wants the truth, he'd be the one to give it. For all that he's an arsehole in practice, she believes him when he says he speaks no lies.]

I thought you might be a good candidate to ask. I also thought it might be good to... I don't know. I thought...

[She claps a hand over her forehead as she fumbles on her words. Gods damn it, why do they have to keep going through this...?]

I thought it might be a practical reason to spend time with you instead of forcing an attempt to win back your favor for nothing at all.

I may have heard something of it in passing.

[He had begun looking at the quest board more frequently (well, more frequently than 'never', at least), though he had yet to find any tasks worth his attention. Which was as he expected; the lure money brought was minimal, and why perform some arduous, banal task for no reason? That was what adventurers and their ilk did. Most of the time it wasn't even worth observation.

But he hums to himself at the first part of Irhya's reasoning for asking him; it was right that he always spoke the truth. Emet-Selch had no compulsion to do so, other than, perhaps, a sense of moral superiority. Or because there was a satisfaction in phrasing things to be deliberately misconstrued (this did not impact moral superiority whatsoever). Words were powerful, and the truth was hardly a limiting factor when it came to expressing what he wanted.

But the rest of it, this lack of confidence....]

While I can't blame you for wanting to gain my favor, desirable as it is, [Something he can say with complete and unironic sincerity, but though his gaze doesn't quite narrow, there's a suggestion of disapproval there.] viewing it as something to win isn't going to get you very far. You'll do better to just be as yourself, sparing me the pretense.

[A statement followed by another, fainter sigh.]

--But that's not to say that I won't accompany you. If all she wants is truth, I've more than enough to give.

It was... just a turn of phrase. Regardless...

[Well, the sentiment's out there, at least, and he didn't reject the idea altogether. She wasn't sure what she'd do if he did; probably just go at it alone and hope for the best. So, finally, she lets go of a held breath when he agrees.]

...Thank you. I was thinking of setting out later tonight, since ghosts do rather dislike the sunlight. Which is fortunate enough for me; a cloak would only get in my way if push comes to shove.

[Something about her is tense, though. A bit short of confrontational, but her gestures are guarded, her words stiff. If they end up coming to an impasse yet again, she thinks, it won't take her by surprise this time. She'll go in with no expectations at all, and then it won't mess with her when they get dashed.

Sounds about right. She quirks her lips at him, but it's a dangerously thin smile.]

Hope you weren't planning to sleep or anything. It's a trip of a few malms from the sound of it.

[The first part just gets a narrowed look, less for the words themselves, but at the reminder that they just- didn't seem to communicate well at all. A turn of phrase on her part strikes him as earnest or annoying, while any attempt of lightness or honesty on his part is taken for sniping or defensiveness. It certainly did nothing to make him any less on edge around her, just waiting for the next bit of misinterpretation. And from her own body-language, he wondered if she felt something similar.

So he's certainly not looking forward to this, despite agreeing to it.]

I've no problem with the night, as you might well have guessed.

[He could sleep whenever. A nap during the day? Neither uncommon, nor particularly arduous preparation. The night, and the dark were only favorable conditions. The walk would be something else... but not unendurable.

The Ascian's own manner is slightly stiff as he draws back to leave.]

I suppose I'll see you tonight, then.

[It's already eating her up and they haven't even set out yet. She can tell he doesn't want to do this... but to leave things on this note without at least a word in edgewise would be even worse.]

You don't have to if you don't want to, you know. Don't feel like you have to commit to something that you're sure is going to be miserable for you if that's how you feel.

[Spoken entirely without looking at him, in quiet tones. Now that he's agreed, he probably won't go back on it because that's how he is, but why agree so rashly if it's just going to be a pain in the arse for him?]

I just... wanted to try again, that's all.

[At her words, he pauses, watching her even as Irhya avoids looking at him entirely. Stares at her, even, focused and hardly blinking.]

I'm aware I'm under no compulsion to accompany you. Nor would I make any claim toward particularly wanting to. 'Tis hassle for a reward I'm not interested in, alongside company rendered either meek or uncomfortable by my presence.

[And when stated out like that, he wondered why he had agreed. ...The same reason as Irhya, he supposed: to 'try again', for all that any attempt only led to moments like this. Fumbling for an understanding neither of them seemed able to find.]

And yet, for no reason at all, I remain willing. If that's not good enough, or you would prefer a false enthusiasm- then we may go our separate ways and pretend this conversation never occurred.

[He didn't see himself as being that harsh. Blunt, yes- when he was being honest instead of merely truthful, it was inevitable. He didn't know how to and didn't have the inclination to phrase things otherwise. Because--]

This is how I am. Perhaps you're discovering you don't care that much for it after all.

[Meek?

Her fingers curl around the edge of the table.]

...No, you're right. I shouldn't second-guess. That is more or less how I expected you to reply.

[She lifts her head to meet his gaze, oddly mild.]

I'm sure that person I was a part of used to drag you along to things, too. So I'm satisfied enough with this.

[Refusing to look at him, unhappy, quiet, asking if he really wanted to go along- it all registered to him as meek. Perhaps even pitiful.

At least she was looking at him now, though he tilts his head at Irhya's reply, uncertain for any number of reasons.]

I assume that means you're still insisting on my company for your adventure?

[With her phrasing he honestly wasn't entirely sure. And bringing up the person that she was... a risky tactic. A double-edged sword, at best.]

But if you were intending on emulating a person you'll never be and never meet- I'd suggest starting with their less irritating traits.

Of course it does.

[A small huff -- it seems like a laugh. At least she isn't letting him under her skin, for now.]

Wasn't it you who just said you preferred I be myself, anyway? I don't have any such intention. It just seems like the type of relationship you would've had, if Hythlodaeus was any indication.

It's true that I tend to favor those most different from myself....

[Emet-Selch can admit that much, however grudgingly. It was a strange flaw he had, but one he'd come to recognize and just had to live with.]

But that doesn't include every lively and energetic sort. You're right that I prefer you as yourself- but how far I can tolerate that person has yet to be determined, hasn't it?

3 obvs

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

1

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject