OOC: final-fantasy-xii-ooc-sign-ups-t23328.html

Anastazia smiled as she entered the gates of Rabanastre, sweat dripped down her pale face as she cloaked herself from the guards. The queen called off her search and everyone labeled her as dead, this was a small price to pay if she did not want to become queen. Just thinking about it gave her chills down her spine.
The doors to the Sandsea opened as Anastazia marched up the steps to sit at the last table on the row. The waitress greeted her and gave her the menu, "I will just have some Dalmascan wine, please." The waitress nodded and went to get her drink. She was glad to be at home.

Soki hadn't been to thrilled to be back in civilization. He moved with the grace and poise of a trainned warrior as he moved through the areas of the city. His focus was getting to his client and getting his pay. He could care less about anything else. He was a merc he wanted his pay so he could move on to bigger jobs with more pay. He wasn't always like this but once you lose your best friend to fighting you tend to become bitter.

Anastazia chugged down the wine placing the glass on the table and gave thirty gil to the waitress. Her blonde hair still showed how she looked like Ashelia. She hated it. She pushed back the chair and stood up with the waitress still looking at her. The cracking of skin rang into the room as the waitress's face glowed bright red. Anastazia marched off leaving the waitress crying. Some people laughed, some snickered, some gasped, but all were mixed emotions and she was causing a scene. Just another thing to draw her attention, just like running away. Okay, so she was an attention hog but who could blame her?

Anastazia walked the streets of Rabanastre again. The footsteps and everyone talking was giving her a major headache, she just needed to...sit down.

It was a beautiful, sunny, dry day in Rabanastre; a day just like any other. In the southern district of the capital city- a popular gathering place, due to the large fountain and the gate to the Sandsea- Eve danced for passersby, swaying her body to the rhythm of the tambourine. Her feet moved along the stone ground elegantly and effortlessly, and she danced with such grace that perhaps even the Gods themselves would be shamed. It was still early in the day.

He finally found his client taking his pay. Soon though he ended up in a spacious area near a fountain. His eyes watched this woman dance. He didn't care for dancing but fighting was a crude more violent form of dance as well. He was amazed by her grace that he couldn't help but laugh. With that she could become a very talented fighter, so much grace yet so little to use it for. Causing Soki to laugh again. He continued to watch her with interest.

Eve continued to dance and twirl, carelessly allowing her sheer-silk sash to dance in the air around her figure. From a few feet behind her, she heard somebody laughing but dismissed it. That is, until she turned around to see that the chuckling man was watching; Eve realized then that she was, in fact, the subject of his laughter. Peeved that a person could be so rude, she gave the man a disgusted look and continued dancing in spite of him, trailing her feet in rehearsed but free steps.

Soki only shrugged his shoulders. He could careless what people thought of him, in truth all these people were potential targets to him, if the price was right anyways. He only shook his head as he walked over to her sitting a bag half full of gil. Oh such a large quntity of gil was nothing for him. He was going to be earning back everything soon "There thanks for this interesting preformance.." he said to the woman with another laugh and walked off. His swords glistened lightly in the light and his slightly long black hair was held in a pony-tail of such so that it wouldn't blow into his face. He didn't plan on coming back here so why not drop some money to a dancer not like she was important. Soki yawned some as he continued on his way.

Eve paused mid-poise and watched the man with interest as he set something down and thanked her. Puzzled, the fair-haired girl lifted the bag from the ground and peered inside; she gasped. This couldn't be right, there was too much...

"Sir!" Eve called, but when he kept walking, she went after him. "Sir, I think you've made a mistake." Holding out the bag of gil, she looked at him with sincerity. "This is too much."

(accidental double post XD)

Soki stopped "Take it...I've got plenty more besides...who knows maybe soon you'll need all of it.." he said as he turned around his mismatched eyes were reather cold but if someone looked deep enough they could see the many emotions hidden behind that stone-faced mask of a born killer. "Just keep it call it a gift from someone who understands that you gotta do what is needed to survive.." he said as he turned once more this time he wouldn't stop. he pushed forward again. She could follow and continue to tell him it was to much he'd not bother listening and just wait until she got fed up with trying to talk to him and leave with the gil in hand. Soki use to be a nice person but once things happened in his past he learned that being nice was only one way to get yourself killed. Though Soki was young way to young to be this cold.

Eve watched the man, confused yet grateful, but allowed him to get away this time. She stood in the center of the crowded bazaar, unmoving- sharply contrasted against everyone around her- and lost in thought as she watched the man until he disappeared from view. She stood there for a few moments longer before reality smacked her in the face. With her face breaking out into a grin, Eve turned and ran in the direction of her home.

"Mother!" Eve cried as she entered her dingy apartment in the northern district of Rabanastre. She finally slowed to get in the door, having ran all the way there. Her breath came in short, excited gasps. "Mother? You sleeping?" The girl turned a corner to see her mother seated at the kitchen table, hunched over a book, her eyes hidden by half-moon reading glasses. She glanced up to see her daughter and smiled. "Oh, hello dear. What's all the commotion?"

Bursting with joy, Eve spilled the coins out of the bag onto the table in front of her mother. The old woman's eyes widened. She was silent, and then began to count... she made a face, and counted once more. "Why, this cannot be right... " she told her daughter, puzzled. Eve grinned and explained to her mother what had happened. When she finished, she added, "You're- we're- going to be alright."

Her mother gave her a dubious expression as she rose from the table, taking off and folding her glasses. Concerned, Eve held her shoulders. "You alright?" she asked. Her mother simply nodded and said, as she made her way out of the kitchen, "Oh, yes, just fine. I do believe I need more rest, is all." Eve helped her mother into her bed, kissed her on the cheek and then left after making sure she'd be alright.

The Aerodrome of Rabanastre was bustling, as usual, with the early morning crowds. Ships came and went every few minutes. Vireo Ladredun stood in the commons with his daughter Kalia and their most recent client.

"Thanks for the lift, mate," the older gentleman said. He produced a packet of folded gil notes, totalling a sum of two thousand.

Vireo took the wad and placed it in his pocket. He didn't bother counting it, trusting that the man had no reason to cheat him. After all, he was just an honest gentleman looking for a ride across the continent. He had even offered the two thousand gil, far more than Vireo would have requested. "You're quite welcome, my friend," Vireo replied. They nodded to one another and the man left the Aerodrome, probably never to be heard from by the Ladreduns again.

Vireo looked down at Kalia. "A profitable journey, wouldn't you say?"

((Sorry for the shortness, but Rose Lyn's posts and mine will more often than not be coupled.))

((That's okay ))

Anastazia Leaned against a wall, her head throbbing with pain. Complete darkness fell through Rabanastre, well for her. She walked to the light, her body losing all pain. And just then, the memories filled her head.

Anastazia and Ashelia walked the grand halls of the palace to enter the throne room, "Mother, this is a mistake! I cannot become queen so soon, we must wait for two more years and then I will be ready!" Anastazia screamed at her mother as she looked at Ashelia. This was not going so well, why did it have to be her??

Ashelia looked at her daughter, her eyes swelling up with tears, "Anastazia, you were meant to be queen from the day you were born. And the prophecy clearly states this year a crowning of a queen. Now get rid of that attitude before you are smacked!" She yelled at her daughter as the guards looked at the two fighting down the hall way.

Anastazia stopped in the middle of the hall way and stared at her mother, "You ungrateful...Ashelia B'Nargin Dalmasca, I no longer belong to you if you want to believe a prophecy over your own daughter.." She ran. As far as she could, out of the window with only one thing. A locket from her mother, this was it.

Anastazia woke up, still leaning against the wall she fell asleep on. The headache went away but the tears came in its place. She walked the streets of Rabanastre waiting for someone to talk to her.

Eve slowly but surely made it back to the southern district- by walking this time. The sun was almost at its peak in the sky, signaling midday; travel would be high at this time, but only from poor, greedy merchants. She couldn't expect much business from them. They were tourists, and to them, Eve was a free attraction.

Instead of going back to work (dancing in the southern district), Eve made her way over to the Sandsea restaurant for some lunch, clenching a handful of coins from the overly-generous man in a single pale fist. She entered the dark bar and diner and took a seat at a table. A waitress came over and handed her a menu, and Eve was left to choose.

Soki found a wall to lean against as he let out a sigh. "I'm going to be stick in this city....for the night.." he said outloud with a disguested tone. His eyes noticed a woman walking down the street as he sighed softly maybe she knew of a place he could crash for the night. He moved towards the woman slowly and once he got close enough he cleared his throat "Ma'am....Can you point me in the direction of an Inn....I'm stuck here for the night and no where to go.." he said with a slight smile trying to show that he knew to be polite.

Kalia smiled up at her father and nodded her head. She looked tawrds the door leading to the street and fidgeted alittle. "Father when can we go into the city, we don't have to be any where else do we?" She looked up at him then back at the people leaving and entering the Aerodrome.

She pulled her long red pony tail ofver her shoulder and played with the beads in it. "I wish to explore the city Father, don't you as well?" She looked up at him with almost pleading eyes.

Ana turned around seeing a man looking as if he was struggling to talk to her. She smiled at him, finally someone to talk to, "I think the Sandsea has some beds but I do not know if they changed it up since the two years I have been gone. I was in there earlier but just for some wine." She nudged him to go in as she opened the doors to the tavern.

With his usual smile, Vireo reached into one of the inner pockets of his long coat and pulled out a sparkling platinum pocket watch. He flipped it open and stared at the face, placing his free hand on his chin.

"Well," he said, after a long pause, "it seems we have an appointment in approximately never, which gives us just over all the time in the world." He closed the watch and stuffed it back into his pocket, then smiled down at Kalia. "Come, let's have some fun. But first..." Vireo trailed off for a moment, as if deep in thought. "Yes, I'm hungry. Why don't we see what there is to eat around here?"

Vireo moved towards the exit of the Aerodrome, his heavy mortuary sword bouncing against his calf as he walked. As he left out into the streets of Rabanastre, the heat instantly took him. It was barely midday, and already it was close to sweltering. But that's what the weather was like out here: you either loved it or you hated it.

The streets were already crowded and noisy, busy with shoppers and merchants calling out to potential customers. It was a veritable mess. How were they ever going to find a good restaurant in this huge place?

"Better stick close, Kal," Vireo said. "Wouldn't wanna get lost out here."

The waitress was back within moments to take down Eve's order of glass of ice water and a plate of fresh greens. As she was waiting for her order, a pair of shady-looking Seeqs walked in; Eve pretended not to notice them, but they seemed to notice her. She saw the looks they gave her as they were seated at a table not far from hers. One of them said something to the other and he let out a snort, never taking his eyes off of her. Eve ignored them.

The waitress finally returned with her meal and Eve thanked the woman graciously.

Soki blinked and nodded to the woman bowing slightly "Thank you..." he said as he stepped through the threshold of the door and lookd around. The place seemed simple and home-made style. He only smiled slightly, it reminded him of an city he lived in where everything was home-owned. He walked in beginning to converse with the owner of the place. Comming back he looked to the woman he had met "Thank you..." he said with a bow of his head. "I never caught your name....They call me Soki.." he said with a slight smile holding out his hand in that well known gesture.