“Nervous habits? Really?” She looks away and rubs the back of her neck. She finally looks at her nails before picking at them, finding a rough edge on one. “Why ever would you want to know about such a thing? Is this really necessary?”
(She has a tendency to deflect or ramble when nervous.)
“Nervous habits… I pace. A lot…” He shrugs his shoulders, hands raised slightly. “Or I have a habit of growing silent when nervous. To think a time when I actually have nothing to say!” He gives a warm laugh. “I am sure some people actually enjoy making me nervous in hopes I will shut my mouth for once.”
(Oh joy. XD I’m answer this one OOC for Dest. Dest IC at this time would not be in any shape to discuss this. Lance’s will be IC.)
(Dest’s current biggest problem is complicated. Emotionally right now she is a damned mess this week. Friday’s mission and Leera just have her at a breaking point. She actually had a verbal confrontation with Felix and Dusk, who she considers friends and family among the Order. She was already sort of emotionally on edge before monday’s confrontation because of the mission. She found Leera outside the house an began to speak with him. Now Dest originally thought she could be friends with Leera. Then things happened to make her distrust an remain indifferent to him. Slowly though she has found herself drawn to him again despite what happened between them. She wants to see the good in him though he is technically a villain to a few members of the Order. Well Felix has shot Leera outside of the house before. Dest has sort of been trying to run interference between the two to try an avoid anymore public violence. Words were said and now Dest feels Felix dislikes her. *makes grabby hands* Nuuu! Not Dest’s drinking buddy! An she feels Dusk thinks she is nothing but a child. She went out searching for a friend in the South Shroud after the confrontation. She could not find Basteaux but did manage to get herself hurt. An because she is feeling so emotionally self destructive right now she hasn’t healed her sprained wrist. Leera however was enjoying every moment of Dest’s breakdown outside the house before he left. So now she has to try an decide where to go from here. How to move past this moment an if she can fix what has happened.)
“My biggest current problems are almost one and the same. Though not entirely either. They all revolve around family.” He explains as he paces about the room, the metal of his greaves echoing off the stone. “In order to protect my cousin I must lie to my family. To care about Miu, I must lie to my family. Either way I must lie to someone. It… It is complicated.”
“My family. Happy and whole.” She says with a soft smile as she looks towards the corner of the room where her bow and quiver of arrows rests. “My father’s proud smiles. My mother’s tender touches. My brother’s grumpy retorts when I chased bullies away. There is not one particular memory in general.”
Her smile takes on a hint of sadness. “Sadly that family of memory is gone. But I never forgotten. My brother rarely speaks to us. My father is gone. All that remains is my mother and I. If anything the loss has brought us closer.”
“Being praised by Lord Chlodebaimt even though I was still a novice. His words and deeds are what drove me to keep pushing forward even through his loss.” He smiles proudly at the memory. “I thought I had done so poorly. Preformed every inch like a novice. An here the man walks over an puts a hand on my hanging head. His words… Gave me courage and strength.”
(Not something I think either of my characters would answer willingly. So this answer is going to be OOC instead.)
(Destiney has only really told a few people in the Order about the way she reacts being near a Garlean base in Eorzea. It brings back that horrible day outside the Castrum. She can’t even bring herself to aim her bow at enemies that are people. Her hands shake an she finds herself freezing up. Her choices that day still haunt her. She’s gotten better but sometimes still finds herself struggling through it. Like the last mission was rough for her when they went to deal with bandits. She was nearly sick about the whole incident an spent most of her time hiding near Nathaniel.)
(And then there is the fact she hasn’t told anyone about when she’s really feeling low an emotionally broken she still has some self destructive tendencies. She’ll be reckless an get hurt then not bother to heal her own injuries despite being a healer. It is easy to tell when she is feeling that way because she will wear a half-mask styled after her father’s old service mask for the Gods’ Quiver. She wears it when she works in the Shroud but if she is wearing it beyond that… She’s not in a good place emotionally.)
(Lance is not in as bad of a place as Destiney. He is mostly an open book for the most part unless it is a secret in needing of being kept. I think his only deep dark secret is he is not willing to admit just how scared he is for his future. He is setting himself up for a fall from grace with his family. He has so little life experience beyond his time in service to Haillenarte and it leaves him worried. Whether the fall comes from protecting his cousin’s secrets or the woman he is falling in love with. He knows there is no way his family will approve of the woman he has fallen for. So between the two ladies he knows his fall is coming. It leaves him feel so very uncertain about where the future is going for himself.)
(I’m just answer 11 here since someone else also asked for 15. ^^/ So not ignoring it. Just might be best to leave it in a separate answer.)
She clenches her hands a moment before forcing them to relax. Her gaze looking out the nearby window as she takes a deep breath. A soft shake of her head.
“I struggled for so long.” A deep sigh as she looks down at her open hands. “With the consequences of the things I did when I left Ishgard after five years. I decided my vengeance for what the Garleans had taken from me was worth it. Only to learn how foolish I truly was. I was not ready for the nightmares that haunted me nor the fact I realized later that the people I killed… Should not have been punished for those that had killed my father. They had families and loved ones. I had done to them what had been done to me. I had continued the circle of hate an destruction.”
She walks over to the window an places her hands upon the windowsill. “I am not sure I will ever truly be over it. But… I have those I love and care about. They support me an keep me strong. With them… I can overcome anything. Maybe even this.”
“For days… I would not leave my room.” He sighs an looks uncomfortable as he crosses his arms over his chest. He gazes towards where his sword and shield rest on a nearby table. “I was so lost. I had been a novice when I joined the troops at Steel Vigil. To be one of those… To survive…”
He runs a hand over the red rose sigil upon the silver shield. “The man I admired and wanted to be most like gave his life for us. For us that survived. I was not sure where to turn or what steps to take as I wallowed in my misery. I lost myself for a time. My dreams haunted by the roars of dragons.”
He picks up the sword finally, raising before his face. He turns the blade so the edge is facing him as he stares past it. “Eventually I found myself once more. I pledged myself to a purpose. If I was going to idolize Lord Chlodebaimt… Then I could not, would not continue to mope about my room in Ishgard like some sort of child. I was a man an it was time I acted as such. I would do my best to see the family and country he loved so much safe. Help to restore the glory lost when Steel Vigil fell. I would honor that man in my own way.”
(Sorry for the delay on answering this. It took some time to decide what to write an then life caught up with me for a bit. XD)
“Ridicule?!” She looks shocked for a moment before looking away with a frown. “Maybe. I thought I was beyond such behavior. But is someone ever truly beyond something they mock?”
She paces about for a moment, pausing to look thoughtful. “I find plenty of things that I personally think are ‘stupid’ but I find it hard to say if there is any one thing I really ridicule. I’m not the youth I once was. Not that I am old by any means. I’ve just learned from my mistakes. Mostly.”
“The Garlean Empire’s rulers are stupid. Triple Triad rules are stupid.” She says that second thing with a laugh. “Do I really need to keep going? I find this whole question to be quite bothersome. Everyone has something they think is stupid. Who doesn’t?”
“High class Ishgardians. I know I am guilty of ridiculing them. They think they are above so many because of their wealth and status. They should not think that way. All it takes is one mistake to bring it all tumbling down. I might be among the upper class but I learned through Haillenarte that no one is above the fall when it comes. Arrogance and pride will bring down even the mighty in time.” He crosses his arms over his chest as he leans against the brick wall behind him.
“As far as something stupid… There are many things in this world that can be classified in that manner. The term is too broad. Covers too many possibilities to answer fully. The biggest thing I can think of… Is my family. They are too foolish an stuck in their ways to see all that life has to offer. To see the things they scorn are so much more beautiful then they believe.”
“I was a freelance healer for a time. Still sort of am. Though not nearly as often anymore. Not since I joined The Order of the Sword and Rose. Now I’m a healer for my free company mainly. I mostly do freelance work when I need the extra funds. Sometimes taking up work for people in Gridania with my bow. But that depends on the work.” She says with a casual shrug as she sits in a chair with her legs crossed.
“As far as how I see my profession? It’s helping others. It’s… I don’t want to watch people suffer nor do I want to be the cause of that suffering anymore. I’ve done enough damage without thought. I know it doesn’t remove the blood on my hands but it doesn’t add more to it either.” She sighs an looks off to the side, her expression a bit melancholy. “It’s exhausting work. Tries my patience. But… I enjoy it. Knowing I’ve at least done some good in the world or helped those I care about.”
“I am a knight for House Haillenarte. My current post is in Skyfire Locks.” He says with a simple shrug of his shoulders as he states his job. He pulls out his sword an begins to polish the blade. “Someone has to. Haillenarte won’t regain it’s reputation by people sitting around slacking. The least I can do is give it my best effort. I may only be one man but even one man can leave his mark. Make a difference no matter how small.”
“I find honor and purpose in what I do. I owe it to Lord Choldebaimt.” A silent prayer to Halone for a moment as he pauses in polishing his weapon of choice. “I hate the cold of Coerthas but it is a minor sacrifice. However I enjoy knowing I am protecting Ishgard and the people who live there. It has been all I’ve known for most of my adult life. I would not change it for the world.”
“Roommates.” She muses as she puts a hand to her chin in thought. She looks around her room at the Company’s house. “Well I have a spare bed I put in here when I got this room for Chee to stay over from time to time. But if we are talking about who I could imagine as a roommate… Then I would say Moon Dove or maybe Luth. Someone I would love to get to know better. Of course they would have to be a lady to be my roommate. Not that I wouldn’t trust a man. I just wouldn’t want someone to get the wrong idea.” She smiles warmly before shrugging. “I’m afraid I am not the most social of people so I have a very small list of friends outside of the Order.”
“Roommates? You mean actually share a room at a house with others?” Lance asks in confusion as his head tilts just a bit to the side. “Hmm. I guess those of the lower classes probably do that don’t they? It is different then sharing a room when on duty. Because that is duty. But to share such a personal space with another person outside of work?”
Lance gets up from his chair an walks over to the table to pick up his silver kite shield. “Lord Chlodebaimt if he was still alive. Or Ser Haurchefant. Maybe even Lord Commander Aymeric. Even Lord Kistenian. Someone I admire would be the best roommate for me. Would give me an even greater drive to push myself to be better. To work harder. To win their approval with my actions.”
“Cooking?” Looks aghast at the mention of cooking. “I would cook if I could do more then burn the food. Maybe if I started with something simple…” She sighs an looks dejected at the idea of being unable to make something delicious to eat. “I would much rather let Rhisi cook or nudge Raiden for something sweet. Might be safer that way.”
“As for something that creeps me out… Slimes. Puddings. Anything slimy in general. It makes my skin crawl.” She makes a disgusted face before shuddering at the thought. “An sticking them with arrows does so little good it seems. Just keep them away from me please.”
“Cooking? We don’t exactly get fancy meals cooked for us out in Skyfire. It’s usually whatever we can make over a fire. So I do have some skills in cooking though they are meager. Mostly for survival. Most of my meals at the house were made for me. Upper class has it’s privileges. Though I would not turn down learning how to cook better meals. Now if you had asked me what I like to eat…” He grins as he leans back in his chair, polishing his sword. “That would be an entirely different answer.”
“As for something that creeps me out. Voidsent. They come in all shapes an sizes and are terribly more annoying then dragons since they do not just die. They go back to the void an come back to bother us another day.” He frowns as he points his sword forward, looking down over the blade. “Those with wings are the worst. The noise of wings still makes me think of dragons. Dragons do not creep me out but regardless I feel unease at the sound of flapping wings.”
(I might have missed this before now. XD Oops. Sorry if this was sent a bit ago. Just seen it now.)
“Of course I believe in Karma. I am not perfect though so I’m sure I’ll pay in time for any mistakes I’ve made.” She says with a warm smile. That smile dulls a bit before her next words. “I still pay for some of them in fact though things have gotten better. I’ll just keep trying my best to be a better person then I used to be.”
“Karma? Not really. Halone and her divine justice? Most definitely.” He answers casually with a dismissive wave of his hand. “Unless karma is something the Goddess is dishing out I do not believe in it. I do my best not to disgrace the Fury. Or House Haillenarte.”
Spirit of the Warlock 