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

[suavesunglasses.livejournal.com]

Rubbing his forehead slightly, Al-Cid looked over to notice the blonde anxiously waiting for her chance to leave. Stepping away from his seat at the table, the Rozarrian nodded toward the door.

"If you wish to go without being forced to speak with too many, perhaps I could be of assistance. This meeting was quite the mess; I cannot say I blame you."

[knowshermachina.livejournal.com]

Rikku blinked up at Al-Cid when he came over and spoke to her. Of course the prettiest man in the room would come speak to her. Of course. She smiled nervously up at him. "I don't wanna be rude, ya know?" She explained why she hadn't just run out.

"It was just very..." She didn't seem to know what word she wanted to use, frowning a bit. "Petty." She finally decided. "Everyone here was telling me about what great things King's and Emperors are and then they're all just...arguing..."

[suavesunglasses.livejournal.com]

He chuckled lightly, shaking his head. "Understandable, though I think most of the others are far too... absorbed to take note." He hadn't been, of course, but he had two advantages on most of the others: he was trained in espionage, and he paid keen attention to women.

"I feel I should apologize for those who hail from my world, myself included. Ivalice is a world that has seen far too much destruction. It is no excuse, but perhaps it will lend a slight amount of understanding. There have been blood feuds for generations between my home of Rozarria and Archades, for example." Al-Cid sighs, hanging his sunglasses off of his shirt. "I have no love for politics myself. I am a noble, but will not see the throne, and would rather have peace than the conflict created by either sword or the words of vipers."

[knowshermachina.livejournal.com]

"I guess it's just that so much of this is new to me, ya know?" Rikku was still trying to puzzle out the meeting, and Al-Cid provided a pretty canvas for which to bounce her thoughts. "We didn't have countries back on Spira, not really...everyone was so worried about fighting Sin we never had time for...power struggles, I guess? And wars..."

She just shook her head.

"What's a noble if they aren't going to be king do?" It might've come off as insulting but she didn't mean it that way, she just genuinely didn't know.

[suavesunglasses.livejournal.com]

Cocking his head to one side, Al-Cid ran a hand through his hair. "'Fighting Sin'? Pardon me, but you seem to speak of sin as if it were a being, or an object, instead of an abstract concept. I have not heard of this sort of thing. Could you perhaps enlighten me? They say curiosity killed the coeurl, but it seems I cannot help myself."

Frowning slightly for a moment in thought, the Rozarrian's expression turned into a slightly grim grin. "Most nobles enjoy the finer things life has to offer them, or seek the power to become king. Others, such as Lord Larsa and myself, strive only to do what is best not only for their home at the present, but for the world itself, ensuring what is good for wherever they hail from in the long run." Chuckling lightly, Al-Cid patted his sunglasses slightly. "As for myself, I enjoy traveling, seeing new places and meeting the people -- as well as finding out whatever information I can. I prefer to do things, not wait for a council or committee to decide, especially if I feel the evidence is not sufficient; or that the evidence is sufficient, but that they are ignoring it. My birds tell me things that I cannot find out myself, I listen, and I use the information in the way I think is best. In our own world, I did such a thing with Lord Larsa to try and find peace, even though our two Empires had been enemies for some time. If certain others had found out, well, we likely would have been vastly unpopular." To say the least.

[knowshermachina.livejournal.com]

Rikku says nothing, surprisingly, as he explains what it was that nobles did, leaving off on the question he had asked her until he was done talking. "Oh." Was all she had to say to that long, detailed explanation, running it over in her head a couple times...then seemingly deciding to move onto the other subject.

"Sin was a monster," she explained. "And a concept, I guess, if you listen to the Yevonites. But mostly just a monster, uh...maybe half as big as Alexandria Castle?" She had never really needed a frame of Reference for Sin, it was just...sin. "It attacked cities and towns on Spira for a thousand years until Yunie and the rest of us managed to kill it, finally."

[suavesunglasses.livejournal.com]

That was quite impressive, and while Al-Cid hadn't underestimated her before (after all, he certainly couldn't build -- or repair -- machines), the story did cause him to see her in a slightly different light. "Spira would be your world, yes? And 'Yunie'... a friend of yours?"

He had no problem with letting ladies talk, if they wanted to. He would certainly listen, and with all the stories that had congregated here, with all the people from different worlds, there was certainly a lot to listen to.

[knowshermachina.livejournal.com]

"Yeah, Spira's our world. It's really pretty, and kinda...not as cold as lot of this place," which would probably explain her tendency towards clothes that didn't actually accomplish much. "Lots of oceans, and Sin used to hide in them and attack all the towns, ya know? We Al'Bhed built our city in the middle of a desert island cause of that..." Rikku missed Spira. She liked this new world, with all its new things, but still...she missed her home. And her family.

But she managed to brighten up a bit, "Yeah, Yunie's my best friend. Well, her name is Yuna," a sheepish little grin. "She's High Summoner now. Although I guess that doesn't really mean anything when we aren't on Spira. But there it's the most important person in the world!"

Yes. Rikku likes to talk.

[suavesunglasses.livejournal.com]

"The Al'Bhed are your people, then?" He wasn't blind; he had noticed her spiral-eyes, though he hadn't commented on them (yet). They were rather unique, as well as quite pretty, and the Rozarrian almost felt that looking elsewhere would be more polite than holding her gaze -- and then he remembered that she dressed similar to many Dalmascans and decided that the eyes were just fine, even if he didn't mind the rest of the view. He was simply too much of a gentleman to stare.

Al-Cid chuckled, not able to quite disguise the small pang of sadness he felt. He was one of few Rozarrians here, and though he knew most of the others from Ivalice, he had no real friends to speak of. Shaking it off, he hummed slightly instead. "I have never met so many who can summon beings. It is quite intriguing."

[knowshermachina.livejournal.com]

"Yeah, I'm Al'Bhed. There used to be a lot more of us but the Guado and the Yevonites attacked Home and killed many. And then even fewer of them are here on Gaia. We're all mostly in Goug now building stuff." Rikku shrugged, her swirling eyes a bit distant. She didn't much care to dwell on it, but the story was still the story.

"You mean summoners? Back on Spira there were a lot but they were very special. They had to go through the trials at each of the temples to gain all their Aeons before they could go on to fight sin. An Aeon an Eidolon here? I'm not really sure." She smiled faintly. "It seems like the things are the same, but the terms are different, ya know?"

[suavesunglasses.livejournal.com]

It seemed as though war and death followed them all. Al-Cid was no stranger to prejudice; he spent a great deal of time away from Rozarria, and especially when around Archadians or those who thought Rozarria should have done more to help Dalmasca and Nabradia (as though they had known about the nethicite!), was often unwelcome. While he could sometimes overcome this simply through charm, and (as a spy) was usually sneaking around anyway, it still hung over him in many places.

Without really noticing what he was doing (or really realizing that it could be considered A Big Deal), the Rozarrian reached out to grasp Rikku's hand, lowering his head to brush his lips against her hand before releasing it. "I am sorry for the troubles you have suffered, though I am glad you have found something in this world."

"In Ivalice, summons were known as Espers, though I have heard of other beings that could be called upon. Espers, though, had fallen from the favor of the gods, long ago. The many worlds do seem to have similarities, though; the currency, for example, though what you can buy with five gil here is different than back at home."

[knowshermachina.livejournal.com]

Rikku probably would've kept talking if Al-Cid hadn't suddenly taken her hand and kissed it. Instead she just sort of stood there, hand hanging in the air where he had left it, an extremely confused expression marring her usually worry-free face. "Uh."

Right. He was talking. About...something. Right. She made a point to try and listen, catching most of it. The similarities and differences between worlds. Well...that made sense. "I was wondering about that too. I mean, the money thing, ya know? And the espers, aeons...I don't really know much about that kinda stuff. I was Yunie's guardian but only cause Tidus and I were tryin' to think of some way to keep her from dyin' and why did you kiss my hand?"

Blinkblink. Green swirly eyes are STARING at you now, Al-Cid. All intent.

I did not need to use this icon. But I wanted to. :3

[suavesunglasses.livejournal.com]

Luckily, Al-Cid was rather good at following conversations (tired though he was from the meeting), although her question did come as a bit of a surprise. He hadn't even thought about it, really. He had always been a bit of a charmer (and a bit of a rogue), but he always had a true respect for the women he encountered.

That said, Rikku's rather intent stare was distracting a bit from his answer. Not entirely sure if there was an answer he was supposed to give (and he was usually so good at these things!), the Rozarrian shook his head quickly.

"I did not mean to offend or intrude, if such a thing has taken place. I was simply moved to do so." The story of her people, though short, had struck a note within him, and for her to essentially be in charge of them... well, she was quite capable. And attractive, though he really was trying not to dwell on that.

It's very...compelling? Yeah, I don't know. What?

[knowshermachina.livejournal.com]

Rikku studied him as he spoke, and seemed mostly satisfied with his answer. "I wasn't insulted or anything, just startled. People don't usually kiss my hand for no reason in the middle of a conversation, ya know?"

The small Al'bhed isn't really sure what she thinks of Al-Cid, honestly. He really was quite pretty but...there was something about him she wasn't quite sure she trusted yet. She'd have to wait and see.

"Huf E tuh'd ghuf fryd du dymg ypuid..." she muttered to herself, gaze turning away for a moment and then back to him. "Oh, uh. Everyone here is in charge of somewhere, right? Where are you in charge of?" Although it was possible he was a guest like she was, that just hadn't occured to her yet.

XDDD

[suavesunglasses.livejournal.com]

Nodding, Al-Cid smiles slightly. "Then please, allow me to apologize for startling you." Now that he was thinking about it, Ashe had been a bit startled when he had done the same to her. Idly wondering if romantic notions and chivalry are truly gone from the world, Al-Cid tilted his head as Rikku muttered in Al'Bhed, though he would never ask what it was she had said.

"Truth be told, I am rather new to this world; I arrived in Wutai shortly before it was attacked. I have no charge here but the one I believe all should have: the peace and happiness of every citizen, native or Sky Person. It is perhaps a foolish dream, but I do not wish the leading role; only that it occurs. And yet it seems that my own home world is the place that is bringing the most unrest..." He really didn't want to speak about the meeting, but if Rikku had questions, he would answer them.