Siana Banes (honestumgladius) wrote in emillion, @ 2013-08-12 06:09:00 |
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Once again, EKP patrols were on the rise and they still did not have the manpower to meet the demand. Though a part of Siana would have preferred to continue working on the case in light of the cave they’d found what felt like weeks ago already, she was glad to be scheduled today. The sun was high and the walls of buildings of the bazaar were a good deal more open than the walls of her office, and she even decided to forgo the chocobo just so that she could be on her feet. The bazaar was as busy as ever, or perhaps busier, it was difficult to tell. The reconstruction efforts since the riots seemed to be coming along fine. But Siana did not miss the uneasy feeling that permeated the crowds in these streets, and it was enough to keep her hand on the hilt of her freshly repaired katana and her eyes peeled for anything out of place. If she had been less attentive, she might have missed Peony walking towards her. Siana was shocked to see how pale she looked. Most people were slightly darker these days because of the longer daylight hours (though they were shortening drastically, now) despite their typical complexion. Was the mage sick? “Peony,” she said as she approached. “It is good to see you. Are you well?” Peony, who had been wandering along much like a sleepwalker, blinked her eyes like someone coming out of a long sleep. In reality, it was not far from being the truth - she had written so much these last few weeks that her characters seemed far more real to her now than the denizens of this world. Her smile was delayed, but it came, in the end. She offered a polite nod in greeting and pushed her hair behind her ear before she spoke. “Siana. A pleasure. It has been some time.” The trip to the beach with her brothers, considering she had stayed under shade the entire time, did not appear to have brought any color to her complexion. The next words were thus not unexpected. To the inevitable question - she had gotten it already from the greengrocer and the bookstore clerk - her smile turned rueful. “Quite well, I assure.” She gave the other woman a mildly curious look, asked, “You are working? Or perhaps seeking another book? I pray things will quieten enough that you may indulge in one again soon.” Siana smiled, though she was unsure of whether or not to believe Peony when she said that she was doing well. She did not seem the type of person to insist that she was fine when she was not, but Siana was very well acquainted with many who were, not excluding herself. But it was inching closer to a year now since Siana ever doubted her words. So, she simply said, “If you say so.” If Siana trusted the other woman’s judgment on everything else, surely she could trust her judgment on this, though she wanted to see her to a spot of shade with a glass of water, nonetheless. “And yes, I am working,” she said, almost regretfully. She did enjoy patrols, but it had been a long time since she had seen Peony under peaceful conditions. “Though I would love to pick up another book soon, if you have any recommendations. We are... stalled, currently.” That was all Siana felt comfortable saying in a public space. “I will walk with you, then,” Peony said, falling into step next to the other woman, “and we will discuss literature... and keep an eye out for crime.” She smiled slightly. It would not be the first time they did the former... or the latter. She was silent for a few moments before she ventured, “Astella Tam’s latest is quite thought provoking.” She smiled apologetically. “Three or four months since its release, I know. I have had little time to read myself.” Unless it was rereading and polishing her own drafts, and even then, only because she had carved the time out. “Between my duties and the arrival of my brothers, I am afraid I have had little time to call my own until recently. I must admit I spent my vacation hidden in my chambers.” Siana smiled and nodded, welcoming the company. In the past, before all of the attacks, she had her partner beside her during patrols, but these days many peacekeepers had to go solo. Hopefully, those in the Guild who were eligible would opt to join their ranks soon. In the meantime, however, Peony was the best partner she could hope for at this moment. “I’ve been meaning to pick that one up,” she said to Peony’s recommendation. “I’ll pick up a copy on my way back to the guildhall.” She raised her eyebrows in surprise to what Peony had been up to. “Your brothers? They’re here now?” Then she recalled seeing the name of one of the new squires on a roster not too long ago, and the family name had caught her eye but she had shrugged it off at the time. “Is one of them in the Fighters Guild by chance? And,” she continued with a smile, “it is good that you have found time to take off for yourself. I’m glad to hear it.” Peony’s smile grew and she nodded. “Indeed, one of them is. I have heard from Sister Felicity that he is training... somewhat diligently.” Amusement played across her features. “Not uncommon, at the age of fifteen.” He would grow out of it. Most teenagers did, sooner or later. “The other is apprentices to a merchant. They seem to be settling in well, although their first days in Emillion were somewhat difficult.” And perhaps that was enough talk of her brothers. If she did not check herself, she could go on for quite some time. She was learning new things about them every day, from their relative - compared to her - skill on chocoboback to the sorts of things they found amusing or entertaining. Pyr was more serious, Sky more easygoing, and their sunny, if mischievous dispositions spoke well of her father’s new wife. A pang, at that. But it could not be helped. She was doing what was in her power to make up what she could of lost time. “I was considering cancelling,” she admitted. Her publisher might have cried, then, but it had seemed almost inevitable. “My colleagues insisted I not reschedule my plans. I felt somewhat guilty about it.” And had had quite the long conversation with her confessor on that same subject - guilt, and responsibility, and, as he had pointed out to her gently, the need for self-care. “I feel quite ready to assume the mantle of responsibility again, however. Some time alone did me good.” Siana raised her eyebrows in mild surprise. “Is the Sister your brother’s mentor, then?” Though she did not know the boy herself and had heard little otherwise, it seemed a perfect fit if he was Peony’s brother. “And the other, the apprentice, does his mentor work here in the Bazaar?” Not that all merchants were stationed in the district, of course, but Siana was concerned that he might have gotten caught up in the riot. “When did they arrive?” The peacekeeper could not help but to smile at the other woman’s admission. “I understand that. It is why I do not often take a prolonged vacation, myself.” Once or twice she would request up to three or four days off, but those were normally for special occasions with her family, and she was always eager to return to her duties by the end of the break. “If you don’t mind my asking, what did you do during your time off?” “I would not be opposed to such a match at all,” though Pyr might be, “but no. She is only the training master for hand-to-hand, and it seems he has expressed some interest there. I do not believe he has yet selected a class.” Also not unusual, for a child his age, though by next year, if she recalled the timeline of the Fighters’ Guild correctly, he would need to make a selection or delay his advancement. “Ah, no, he is at the Docks,” Peony said. She had done what little checking she could, and information on Arwel Yates was rather sparse, but she had pieced some together. “He is a... middleman, I suppose one might say? He deals in imports. My brother Sky is quite skilled in mathematics, I am told.” If there was a bit of pride in her voice, it could not be helped. It was good, wasn’t it, that the boys were doing so well for themselves? Despite their mischief, they were both settling in well. “They came the day of the second attack on the docks... the day the sea dragon appeared.” Her brows knitted together slightly; although it was in the past, she was still concerned by the creature, its sudden disappearance and what might have frightened it so badly. Had it anything to do with the apparent Water elemental beast that had ravaged the tenements later? Reports were not conclusive as to what had been the cause; neither could the eyewitnesses truly explain what had happened to the beast she and Domina had worked to pen in with stone and earth. Even those who had fought it... She brought her mind back to the present with a minute shake of her head; now was not the time. “They were injured that day,” she added. “Not an ideal welcome to Emillion, but they seem to have done better since then. At the very least, they have not been caught up in the subsequent troubles.” She thought about evading the last question altogether; she had talked more than long enough already for it to be forgotten in the flow of conversation. Instead, as they continued strolling, she answered vaguely, “I spent a great deal of time alone, thinking.” Not at all untrue. “I did some work,” she added; also not untrue. “I slept six hours a night, which is quite rare for me, and I cooked and cared for a friend who was gravely injured in the Tenements. I also took my brothers out of the city for an outing to the coast.” She had ached for days after, because chocobos did not at all agree with her, but they had seemed happy. Siana nodded as Peony spoke of her brother with the Fighters Guild, a small smile on her face as she recalled her own time as a squire. It had been different for her being from a traditionally samurai family. She had always known that the way of the katana was the path for her. The decision to accept knighthood in between was only to hone her swordsmanship better. "He may be closer than even he believes on the selection of his class if he has a strong interest in hand-to-hand," she assured. "The chance is better for him to make the selection before it's too late than not." Arwel Yates... Siana felt as though that was a name she should know. Perhaps she had only heard it in passing during her patrol at the docks shortly after that first attack. It might still be worth checking into, a thought for later. Though, perhaps his warehouse had been left untouched after the first attack if he had been willing to hire on an apprentice so soon after the fact. Most businesses at the docks still were not keen on hiring again, especially after the second attack. Speaking of which, Siana pursed her lips as Peony recounted her brothers' arrival to Emillion. "That is... most unfortunate," she said. "I am relieved to hear that they are recovered." That they had managed to avoid the other troubles plaguing the city was a work of Faram, perhaps; it was a big city, of course, and the Bazaar and the Tenements were hardly the Docks and were, luckily, beyond wherever Peony's brother was hopefully stationed, but these days Siana heard too many firsthand accounts of people who were somehow affected. "That does sound like a most relaxing way to spend a vacation," said Siana, "though I am sorry to hear about your friend. Is she -- he -- all right?" The Tenements had been a truly ugly affair. “She is quite well again now,” Peony assured. “It was only for the first while that I worried over her well-being. She has had good medical care.” That such was available easily and freely was a blessing of living in such a large city. “Perhaps,” she said, her voice growing quiet and a bit more serious, “things may calm now. It has been a difficult time for the city and its citizens.” Difficult and exhausting, with much sorrow and loss of life. And speaking of the latter, she added, even more quietly, “I do not desire details in such a venue as this, but have you had any further communication from our... friend?” There had been nothing for her since the bouquet carried by the enchanted the corpse, but she wondered if, with everything else going on, she might have missed any new developments. It was all still quite mysterious - and worrisome. "I'm glad to hear it." Then Siana stared out among the crowd; her eyes had not left the people and their actions in the streets throughout their walk, but now she took just the briefest moment to be reflective. "And I truly hope so, though..." She sighed. She shook her head. "I have not heard from... him." Or her, as the case might be. "I am worried." But this was not the time or place to express her concerns fully, and her patrol was coming at an end. "Thank you for accompanying me, Peony. I truly appreciate it. We must meet for tea sometime when our schedules allow." “We must,” Peony agreed. It truly had been too long. “For now, however, I fear I should no longer detain you from your duties. We will see each other soon, I hope.” With a few words exchanged in farewell, they went their separate ways. |