[post-heart rate - visitors in ishgard]

[peacetalks]

[welcome to the holy see of ishgard.

the sky is overcast, as it always is, and there's a light flurry of snow covering everything. people walk about in heavy furs, breath fogging in the air. the streets are grey cobblestone, and tall and imposing stone buildings loom amidst wooden structures--some still in the midst of repair, although for the most part the structural damage from the end of the dragonsong war has been mitigated. the spires of a massive cathedral can be seen in the distance, towards the center of the city.

statues, too, are found in every square; the most prominent amongst them of a commanding-looking woman bearing a spear and a shield. people murmur quick prayers to her as they pass her by. "thank the fury," they say, as they mill about. there are some soldiers around wearing thick chainmail, though no one looks especially on edge. in fact, despite the chill in the air and the greyness of the sky, people look... normal. it's fair to say that the majority of them are elezen, tall individuals with pointed ears, though there are a few who look more "human". and once in a while, you might even see a young dragon flitting about.

the aetheryte plaza, where there stands a large glowing blue crystal, is most likely near where you ended up. with a bit of asking around, you can learn of a few choice locations--the forgotten knight, a prominent tavern known for their hot mulled cider; the brume, a collection of dwellings where the lower class tend to congregate; the skysteel manufactory, a workshop which develops constructs and other magitek; the chocobo stables; and the congregation of our knights most heavenly, aka the headquarters of the temple knights. you can go further into the city too, though it's probably pretty obvious where you'd find info about aymeric around here...]

Comments

[peacetalks]

[////]

I've had to weather some scornful looks, but little else. Hardly the worst thing I've endured.

[by this time there's a knock on the door and a soldier enters with a platter of tea and pastries for them, which is set down by the fire place]

Here, something to warm you up.

[notsospeedy]

[BATS HIS EYES AT THE SOLDIER... SORRY FOR THE RUCKUS BUT HE WAS RIGHT, AYMERIC DID WANT TO SEE HIM~~~~]

Oh thank god-- is this the kinda service you get every day?? Man.

[peacetalks]

[THE SOLDIER POINTEDLY DOES NOT MAKE EYE CONTACT WITH ROY]

The pastries are my one true luxury. And the birch syrup. I am helpless when it comes to sweets.

[pours roy a cup of tea]

How long will you be staying?

[notsospeedy]

[Takes his teacup eagerly, even if he is a little paranoid that it'll shatter in his hands.]

Just the weekend. I gotta get back to Gotham to train Lian - once I tell her her dad's a genius who hacked cross-dimensional travel.

[peacetalks]

[!!]

You found her? That is wonderful news.

[notsospeedy]

She's all grown up, Amy. She's a teenager, and she dyes her hair blue, and she puts on a mask and fights corporations. All on her own.

[There's both pride and bittersweet sorrow in his voice at missing so much of her life]

[peacetalks]

... truly her father's daughter. You must be so proud.

[notsospeedy]

And her mother's.

But she still needs a lot more training, or she could land herself in real trouble one of these days. Hence - father-daughter bonding.

[peacetalks]

And how does that go?

[notsospeedy]

[He scratches his neck,]

Good. I think. I mean, we're going slow. It's a lot to take in, a dad coming outta nowhere.

Jade-- her mom, in this timeline... she left Lian at an orphanage instead of coming to me. so Lian... she doesn't know me at all.

...Still. I wouldn't trade her for anything.

[peacetalks]

[with a soft, sympathetic smile, and maybe a bit choked up]

Good. She will be lucky to have you.

[notsospeedy]

I hope so. I wanna make her proud.

[peacetalks]

Oh, my dearest Roy...

[touches his cheek]

I have faith in you.

[notsospeedy]

[////////]

Well... your turn. What have you been up to? Just holding down the fort here?

[peacetalks]

Fortifying our defenses and bolstering our resources as we prepare for another inevitable conflict with the Empire. But Ishgard is far from that border, so we are relatively safe here.

[notsospeedy]

Empire... are they the baddies here?

[EMPIRES TEND TO BE, IN FICTION, therefore]

[peacetalks]

Certainly the most tenacious, and the most dangerous. The Empire seeks to subjugate all lands and peoples under their banner of rule--to say nothing of their internal policies.