What has begun.

[tntoverlords.livejournal.com]

Characters: Any who attended the Heads of State meeting.
Progress: In Progress
Summary: After the meeting adjourns, there are private conversations to be had.
Location: Dali
Date: January 1804, before the Epitaph invasion
Warnings: N/A

After several hours over the table, the meeting was adjourned; many parties left dissatisfied, disgruntled, and in some cases, even afraid. Compared to the last meeting aboard Regent Cid's Invincible, the meeting in Dali had been a joke. There were even more present than the first time, and somehow, it was less productive. The only thing everyone seemed united on, was that Kefka, Weiss, and others of their kind needed to be stopped. At what cost is where everything fell to pieces. As the crowd dispersed, the old mage factory was left with stirred-up dust and the heavy feeling of words and feelings unspoken.

[ Party Style! Tag in, and tag each other. If there's people you need to talk to while you're still in Dali, this is the place to do it. Threads can occur anywhere in Dali, from the factory, to the Inn, the fields, etc. ]

Comments

[marquisofthesky.livejournal.com]

Noticing the dejected demeanor of the young Solidor heir, Halim couldn't help but mentally kick himself for mentioning the late emperor earlier. There should be no surprise that the Marquis of Bhujerba hated and continues to hate Gramis for the deeds done by the Empire during his reign. The fall of Dalmasca and the death of its king still fuel a fragment of Ondore's wrath. There are countless numbers of atrocious made by the Empire but perhaps for once the Marquis could lay aside such a truth for sake of a young friend.

"Larsa?" He called out softly towards the young man as he approached hesitantly. He wasn’t sure what to think now that such ugliness has been witnessed but Ondore couldn’t help but feel foolish after participating in this farce of a meeting.

[marquisofthesky.livejournal.com]

"Lay down your need for titles, Larsa." Ondore replied with a weary sigh as he approached closer. "There is no need for such now after witnessing such a clash between egos."

Taking a seat upon the bench, Halim gazed at Larsa with a very worried look. "I take it that this certainly hasn't ended as well it should." Even with a solution made of how to deal with Kefka, any attempts at the villains life will all be in vain all thanks to the Iifa Tree.

“The more I speak amongst others hailing from different realms, the more I wonder if any of us have the right to be present here.”

[marquisofthesky.livejournal.com]

Allowing the silence to dwell between them for a moment, Ondore thought of the right words to say to son of his former adversary. "Forgive me, Larsa. The ugliness you witnessed was just the rage I kept hidden for years since the Empire's march towards the west. I shouldn't have spoken so poorly of His Excellency and yet I did." While he likes to think of himself less vengeful now than in his earlier years, the Marquis allowed Vayne's callous nature to spark his rage today.

"The Empire and its deeds are well-known within Ivalice’s history but unknown by many here. The same goes for the nethicite that Her Majesty seems fond of using." He was speaking of Queen Alexandros.

"To allow such ignorance to be the muse of Gaia's end would be foolhardy."

[marquisofthesky.livejournal.com]

Such a comforting gesture wasn't lost upon Halim once he felt the young Solidor's hand rest upon his shoulder. While he was certain that Larsa would never walk upon the same brutal road as Gramis did, the Marquis still had his doubts. Men change over time, as did Gramis once he was thrust into the role of emperor. A long time ago, the Empire of Archadia wasn't the blood thirsty heathens that now were. The political arena is a brutal affair at times, one that weathers the patience of all great men and ruins the hearts of good men. Ondore's greatest fear is that this young man before him will become as jaded as his older sibling.

"If only Vayne cared for you as you do him, then perhaps the strife between us all would quell." He whispered in such a melancholy tone. "For too long, the emperor's sons have been at war. For too long this strife has consumed the House of Solidor, this I realize well."

Letting his words linger for a moment, the Marquis turned tilted his head slightly so he could look at Larsa now. "Peace, is what we both desire, yes? Peace after years of endless tyranny, to enjoy serenity after facing so much chaos. This is the creed I uphold the most, this is the creed you uphold and upheld in Ivalice."

Reaching up to pat the hand resting upon his shoulder, a smile appeared upon Ondore's aged face. "Therefore, do I have any reason to truly doubt you now? While Vayne seems interested in using the Lady of Alexandria and the nethicite for his schemes, we shall always strive to uphold this principal of peace."

No matter what...

[marquisofthesky.livejournal.com]

While the future that Larsa may have spoke of seemed to be nothing but a dream to him, the Marquis chose not to doubt his words. If Ivalice's future is said to be bright and prosperous, then Ondore will believe this fact to be true. With Vayne out of the picture, Ivalice would have time to heal from wounds caused by needless violence. The land and its people could finally heal and move forward to a new beginning.

Although, now that they are stuck within this new world; any peace they wished to see would come at a later date. The conflicts of yesteryear brewed within that hidden chamber, the bad blood between Vayne and him displayed for all to see. If Ivalice is the future, then Gaia is the past for history is repeating itself. As a weary figure of history's cruelty, the Marquis of Bhujerba couldn't allow for the same mistakes to be made again.

"...It was you?" Ondore whispered with a shocked glance. "You wielded nethicite against your own brother in order to ensure Ivalice's freedom?" He questioned quietly.

[marquisofthesky.livejournal.com]

The House of Solidor has always been plagued with misery but to hear this confession from the young man he truly admired, the Marquis could only sigh. "Young Larsa," His words were softly whispered just like the cool early-evening breeze. "I detest the agony you face, to know your hands are forever stained with the blood of your kin. I detest the Gods themselves for allowing such horrors to befall upon House Solidor. To lose two sons was grievous enough but to lose four..." Yes, he said 'four' instead of 'three' for Larsa has lost himself in grief.

The Emperor's voice was raw with emotions, his eyes dull and at risk of tears. Larsa has never looked so distraught before the Marquis until now. The young ruler was a broken man, a man broken by the brutality of politics and needless violence. He was a man seeking redemption wherever it could be sought. A man seeking for a way to put away his past.

"-is unbearable to any father. My only hope lies in knowing you shall be true and never force such wickedness upon those who shall be your descendants." Ondore knew that Larsa possessed a good soul but he still fears that someday that goodness will wane.

"Linger not in your past, Larsa. Think of of your future and stay true to who you are."

[marquisofthesky.livejournal.com]

"Nay, leave Death out of this." Ondore said with a deep scowl for he grown weary of listening to such pacts that trivializes life. "Merely raise your sons and daughters with the kindness I know you possess." Taking a glance at the young emperor beside him, the Marquis returned Larsa's smile with one of his own but his smile was a happier one.

"Ah, such a setting. I am not surprised my future self would speak so wisely." Ondore chuckled. "I do hope my words won't be needed a third time, Your Excellency."