The Shopkeeper's Daughter: Act 1

[desertbloomed]

Characters: Ashelia, and other Heroes that answered her call
Where: Her house, B-05
When: 09/10
Summary: Ashelia has an interesting proposal: that the Heroes of Light start acting like them.
Format: Prose or action is fine
Warnings: none!

Everything was set up perfectly. The table was laid out with a bowl of (non-spiked) punch and some sugar biscuits. Chairs were arranged into a circle. Ashelia paced around the living room anxiously. We haven't the time for this. That little girl was dying, and here she was, holding a meeting to propose a plan of action on what to do about it. That's what Queen Ashelia would do - that's all a queen could do. But I am no queen here. She should be out there, finding the seeds herself. The battle with the Chocobo Eater continued to gnaw at her, though. She'd gotten out of it relatively unscathed, but only because there were people more able to take the hits. She needed the other Heroes for this. As much time as she felt she was wasting with this meeting, she couldn't be in two places at once.

Comments

Before the meeting: Introductions and small talk

[desertbloomed]

Ashelia allows some time as everyone arrives for introductions. She stands by the door, welcoming people as they enter, directing them towards where the meeting will be held and letting them know where the refreshments are.

[her_rose_is_red]

Ib arrives right on time, her moogle in tow.

"Um, hi. I'm here for the meeting?"

[iknowtheconsequences]

Kaji appears a bit rushed to get here, not like his usual cool, calm demeanor. Kaji had planned to come along, to see what Lady Ashelia wanted. (So far, she is someone he actually wants to stay in the good graces of.) But he couldn't help but notice that Ib wasn't back at the house, and realized that she must have wanted to come help out, as well.

He steps in the doorway and scans the room, frowns a touch when he sees that she's here. Okay, here we go again, this is just like the chocobos. He can't stop her, and maybe she's even more capable in a fight than he is, since she can cast magic. He can make sure that she isn't going into this alone, then.

This protective streak, it's annoying, but maybe not entirely unwelcome.

"Ib," he raises a hand when he walks up. Shinji flutters behind him, wearing the hat for Kaji's Archer outfit. "Thought you might be here," trying immediately to put the cool facade back on.

[desertbloomed]

Ashelia looks from Ib to Kaji and back again. She hadn't expected the child to actually show up at the meeting. "Ah, yes, you've come to the right place, then. I am the Lady Ashelia B'nargin Dalmasca. I do not believe we've met, Ib." She looks back to Kaji questioningly. What is she doing here?

"Ah, Ib, if you're so inclined, there is punch and biscuits." Ashelia motions to the table she had set up. "Please do try not to eat too many...the, ah, sugar..."

[her_rose_is_red]

Ib smiles brightly at Kaji. She's really glad he showed up.

"Well, if I'm going to be a hero I have to help people, right?"

Ashelia has a lot of names and sounds very important. Ib wonders if she should curtsey. She made cookies though, so she must be nice.

"Thanks! It's very nice to meet you."

Luckily Ib isn't the type of kid to overindulge in sugar. She is going to have a couple of the biscuits though.

[iknowtheconsequences]

Kaji breathes out a long sigh, and smiles for Ib. "You're right. And this is a good thing for us heroes to be doing. I think." He shoots that smile up at Ashelia.

He'll answer Ashelia's silent question out loud, actually. He's not a fan of the 'adults talking over the kid and pretend they aren't there' thing. "We're all here to help. Not necessarily to fight, but you called us here for a good reason."

[desertbloomed]

Ashelia bit her lip, looking - really looking - at Ib. She was just a little girl. And yet, I would do the same. Ashelia had always been a somewhat rambunctious child, owing mostly to her hot temper and her eight older brothers. It had all culminated when, at sixteen or so, she had taken it upon herself to foil what she had assumed was an attempt on her father's life by her fiance. I would not have come to the meeting. I would have stormed off on my own to fix things...what, I wouldn't even know.

"Of course. Every Hero is needed for this mission." Uttering that sentence made her want to hide her face in embarrassment, but it also wasn't untrue. "Ib, I have the perfect job in mind for you. 'Tis quite possibly the most important job of them all." Ashelia wasn't even patronizing the child, much as it might seem. "I shall bestow upon you your special mission after the meeting, yes?"

Okay, that last one was a bit much, but she was trying.

Before the meeting: Introductions and small talk

[wear_tear_rust]

Angeal had arrived as he said he would and thought that now would be a good time as any to figure out his purpose in this world. Sometimes this meant going against the grain to do the right thing and sometimes it meant listening and watching to make sure that others didn't get hurt. He was a tank and he was built like one.

The warrior stepped up to the apron of the house and bowed his head in respect to the lady in charge of the situation. "Thank you for the invitation. I hope I'm not too late. I'm Angeal Hewley."

He remembered her from the battle with the chocobo eater but he felt it was better not to bring up that incident. He wasn't entirely in the mindset to bring up the past that was already done and over with and a hard pressed victory was earned.

[desertbloomed]

"Not at all. A pleasure to finally make your acquaintance properly, Angeal." Ashelia nodded courteously, motioning for him to come inside. "I am glad for your presence. This matter gravely needs the attention of a warrior such as yourself." She did mean it, but she also has learned that it never hurts to butter people up a bit.

"There are refreshments inside, simple things, but do partake if it pleases you."

[wear_tear_rust]

"Likewise." He returned the gesture with a quick smile.

He decided to wait on picking anything from the refreshment table until the other guests had taken their share first. It was his way of saying that he was being considerate of others which was most definitely true.

"Thank you. Maybe later." Since he was on a bit of diet now from having eaten too much when he arrived in Aqures Ixen, he needed to curb the snacks.

Angeal was one of those that didn't need the buttering and thought it was a bit odd as he sat down with a cant to his head in thought. "I am a warrior yes, but I still have a ways to go." That and slipping on the mud during that battle didn't earn him a lot of grace points.

He still had to adjust to his baseline human status since he was used to his abilities at such a high level.

[desertbloomed]

And humble, too.

"My father used to say, 'To stop learning is to stop living.'" He had been a wise man, if somewhat idealistic - so she liked to tell herself until coming into the throne herself, anyway. As Queen of Dalmasca, she couldn't say she wouldn't have made the same mistake he did, at the end.

[wear_tear_rust]

Angeal felt a sense of welcoming from those words. She was right and he agreed with a nod. "He's a wise man. My father had said the same thing to me growing up. Honor has been our family's foundation for as long as I can remember, and I do my best to uphold what he has taught me through example. I wonder, how is the shopkeeper, Lady Ashelia?"

He was naturally concerned about the people but there were some things that even he had missed when so much happened around them.

Before the meeting: Introductions and small talk

[comeoutswinging]

As Allenby enters, she adjusts her Monk's jacket, still feeling abit under-dressed given the class-given clothes. Straightening it, she enters, smiling.

"Hello! I responded to the meeting-thing that's supposed to be here. My name's Allenby." Which does sound like the Allen B. that RSVP'd.

[desertbloomed]

"Allenby...I see..." The mixup seems simple enough to Ashelia, she just doesn't understand how one's moogle could make such a mistake. "Yes, you've come to the right place. I am the Lady Ashelia B'nargin Dalmasca. Please come in; there are refreshments inside if you care to partake."

[umslay]

During the past week, Ales had been exploring as much of Aqures Ixen each day, memorizing the districts and the locations of various landmarks, including the research facilities and business centers. But without anything else for him to do besides take walks and read up on basic information of Crytallis, he grew bored.

The invitation provided something for him to do, and it would be the best chance to meet with the other Heroes and make connections, if he ever wanted to go back to starting his own business again.

He easily found house B-05, as he was walking through the residential districts the day before, and opened the door. He walked towards where the others were gathering and greeted them with a smile.

"It's a pleasure to be here and finally meet all of you!" he said as he hoisted himself onto the table. "I don't think I might have caught your name, you are...?"

[desertbloomed]

Ashelia's eye twitched just once as Ales hoisted himself onto the table. It wasn't proper, it wasn't right - alas, she was no longer in her castle and, while this was her house, having spent some time around moogles and nu mou back in Ivalice, seeing some of the smaller peoples climb onto tables or other surfaces when addressing larger colleagues wasn't a new sight. Still, it was her table.

"I am the Lady Ashelia B'nargin Dalmasca. Do try not to knock over the punch."

[umslay]

It was difficult reaching for the snacks when Ales wasn't as tall as the table, and like all Teensies, he depended on jumping onto higher surfaces to gain equal footing to other races. Still, he took utmost care in not disturbing the bowls and tablecloth.

"Ah, so you're the lady Dalmasca that invited us over! I'm Ales, one of the new arrivals here, and I'll be sure not to knock anything over." He gave a little bow. After all, her title informed him that she was of noble birth.

[desertbloomed]

"I am of House Dalmasca, but..." She almost immediately thought better. "The nomenclature of the noble houses of Valendia is a somewhat esoteric topic. Lady Ashelia will do." The queen nodded at Ales courteously. "I do hope you've been able to weather the transition."

[umslay]

"Ah, my apologies. Lady Ashelia it is then!" He wasn't one to research into the history and culture of a land he would never visit, so he accepted this correction without questioning.

He stood up straight. "I've been spending the past few days exploring the city on my own, but the actual arrival wasn't fun at all," Ales recollected. "Mostly because I thought that I'd died and was stuck with strangers in a strange place. But at least some of those mysteries have been cleared up."

His tone was rather indifferent to the last sentence. He had so many more questions about Crystallis and his role here, but based on his experiences so far, no one was going to answer them for him.

[goddessofthesky]

Zelda smiled as she arrived her moogle close behind her as she moved into Ashelia's home. She gave her host a happy smile and then nodded to the others as she walked in.

"It's nice to see you again."

[desertbloomed]

"And you as well, Zelda." Ashelia couldn't help but smile back at the young woman. She just radiated positivity. There were times when the queen may find that nothing short of aggravating, but this was not one of them. They needed all the positivity they could get. "Please make yourself comfortable. The meeting will start momentarily."

[goddessofthesky]

"Thank you." Zelda bowed slightly and headed in to sit near the front of the gather. She waved to those she knew before quietly sitting down.

Re: Before the meeting: Introductions and small talk

[gomu_ningen]

The young lad has enough manners to tip his hat at the woman standing in the door frame. Luffy was still against this whole "hero" nonsense, at least in definition. Detesting the title and opposing his desire to set to sea rather than deal in the business of heroics, Luffy greets the female with a rather serious expression on his face.

"I'm Luffy, the man who will be King of the Pirates. Not sure what good I can be to what you need, but Pakku said there'd be food here. He's my emergency ration of food, or moogle if ya' like."

[desertbloomed]

"Ah, I see." The boy who jumped into the fray at the Chocobo Farm. "Welcome, Luffy. I am the Lady Ashelia B'nargin Dalmasca. Yes, there is punch and -"

Wait a moment.

"You cannot mean to eat your moogle attendant, surely."

[gomu_ningen]

He turns back to her, having already made his way over to the small assortment of cups and small snacks. With a full mouth, he turns to Ashe, tilting his head at her question as if her words made no sense.

"Who else would I be talking about? It's ok, though! He's a member of my crew, so I doubt I'll ever need to eat him."