452/City in The Sun

City in The Sun
Date of Scene:	19 August 2014
Location:	Hydaelyn <HD>
Synopsis:	Toph goes to hang out with Xau'ra in Ul'dah.
Cast of Characters:	20, 548

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Xau'ra Tayuun (548) has posed:
Ul'dah-- Known as the jewel city in the desert. In its days of glory, traders came here from all over Eorzea to sell many exotic wares and all hoping to make a great deal of gil from what seem to be her endless coffers.

Yet nothing is endless and Ul'dah shimmering light has all but faded out. The city is underground some repairs in a few areas along its mighty walls. Refugees have made camps outside the might steel gates. Parts of the city structure within has seen some damage and the cobblestone paths have been pitted from battles that found their way into her circular roads.

Though part of the outer layer of the streets show the damage, once one goes into the second layer, into the shade from the bright sun above, it is not only cooler but far less beaten looking. Here life is mostly going on as any city would.

Children running about, some people sit near the streaming fall going into a fountain like feature talking about day to day troubles. There also some oddities for those who are not use to this place. People with tall frames and pointy ears, people who are very short in stature like midgets-- and then some entertainment for a few of cat-like women dancing on a beautifully woven carpet, trying to raise the spirits of some.

Yet the only part that stands out is the armored soldiers in white cloth and copper chain armor that walk through the streets with swords at their hips and round shields on their backs. A few beggers who get in there way are swiftly picked up by the arm and then carried off for the gates. People seem-- to just ignore such activity. Beyond one who is leaning against the wall.

He has dark gray fur, which is in sharp contrast to the white cloth and leather armor that he wears. Though he has a robinisk hood hat on his head, he also wears a pair of goggles with red lens. His black hair has a few white strands that hang down nearly to his shoulders, and the back part of his hair going down just slightly past his shoulder blades.

His black feline tail flicks ever so slightly, while the cat ears (which yes, the hat has holes for them), are slightly back in disgust of what he just witness. He would take action, but given what is hanging over his head, he can do nothing but watch now.. besides.. he was waiting on someone.

Toph Beifong (20) has posed:
    The city must be quite a sight indeed. But even for those without sight there are many things to take in. All the smells. Various sounds. The desert breeze... Toph Beifong takes all these in, and more with every step her bare feet take on the stones that cover the streets. There's so much going on, isn't there? Some things are easier to notice, as they happen in the open and easily draw the attention of the crowds. But others...

    The young girl blinks as she turns her head slightly, frowning slightly when she realizes that some people are being taken away... merely for being in the way of the guards when they march on as if they own the place? No, that doesn't sit well with her at all. True, she's here to meet somebody, but still... she can't just let that slide, can she? Hell no!

    There's no warning as suddenly an earthen pillar rises in front of the guards, not aiming to strike them, but to slow them down as the girl clad in yellow and green hues hurries along before she calls out in a young voice that still seems to carry a lot of authority. "Hey! They weren't doing anything bad, were they?" she demands, crossing her arms across her chest where she stops by the guards, trying to seem as imposing as a girl of her small stature can be. "Or are you dunderheads unable to halt or move out of the way of other people?"

Xau'ra Tayuun (548) has posed:
The dark miqo'te male can only watch as there is suddenly a massive pillar of earth that rises up to stop the two city guards. He whistles softly in slightly appreciation for the art. This in turn also does get some people's attention as well.

As for the two guards though, one of them steps forward around the earth pillar before he points his index finger at the young woman, "You are interfering with the business obtaining to the Immortal Flames. Now step aside. The gentleman knows he has no place within these city walls and must remain outside the city."

Some of the people who are watching, quickly start to go about their business once more. Though the dark miqo'te lets out a sigh before he pushes off the wall and then goes to walk out into the sun. By the twelve is he glad he has these goggles on. "Now now, Sargent. That is no way to treat a guest of the city." The miqo'te male puts on a big smile, showing his sharp canine fangs. "Mayhaps they are like a few others whom have come recently and are outsiders to these walls. After all, do you expect all to fully understand the customs of Ul'dah?"

The Immortal Flame Sargent then looks over to the Miqo'te and grits his teeth slightly. Then he looks back to the young woman once more. "Just step aside and lets us do our job."

Toph Beifong (20) has posed:
    It doesn't appear that the young girl is intimidated, though she frowns when she is pointed at. "Is he a criminal?" she questions further. "From what I can tell he was only walking! Walking isn't a crime elsewhere in the Multiverse." Gentleman. He calls him that and treats him like trash.

    When the feline figure appears though, Toph blinks as he speaks... and she immediately recognizes the voice. That's Xau'ra, isn't it? Heh, he's a bit different from what she imagined he would be like. Then again, there seems to be some catlike people here and there in the area, including those dancers. For now she lets him talk, just standing there as a small sentinel. "He has a good point, you know." That she feels she ought to point out.

    But it seems the sergeant still doesn't want to play fair, so the girl sighs and turns her face slightly up, a look of determination on her round face as she speaks up, defiance in her voice. "Not if your job is to bully others. You want me to move? Let him go, or /make me/." It would be best if this could be solved without violence.

Xau'ra Tayuun (548) has posed:
The Sargent grits his teeth in mild disgust, but frowns when he realizes this kid before him is from the Multiverse, so she was indeed an outsider. "Let me make it clear then to you," He says with a firm tone. "The sultana and the two other leaders may agree to work with this.. Union.. but what takes place in our city walls is under our laws.. not that of the outside worlds."

The Immortal Flame then stands more in composure before he continues. "People are flocking to this city because they have no place to go. We have to keep order, maintain that order, and protect the people from threats that are just /waiting/ to end all of our lives again."

He then steps up to her and stares her down. "The refugees, no matter there status /must/ remain outside until we can either find them work, find them a room to stay, or until their old homes are restored. If we /allowed/ one man to remain within these walls, then that would cause the rest of that populace outside to try and get in here. Ul'dah /can not/ support them all. Do you understand?"

He then goes back to walk with the other as they keep on walking.
u'ra gives a sigh softly before shaking his head. He /could/ defend the Immortal Flames on this, but really-- he is just going to stand to the side on this one. Though he does speak up as they do walk away on one little thing, "Don't forget the gil to pay, sargant." There was a coy grin on his face.

Toph Beifong (20) has posed:
    So that's how things are. As the man steps up to Toph and attempts to stare her down, he might find it to be a lesson in futility. The girl's eyes do not meet his, instead they stare blankly ahead. And this up close it might not be too hard to notice that her eyes are pale, the irises barely visible. The girl is /blind/.

    "That still doesn't give you the right to manhandle him, buster," Toph snorts and starts her ground. "There's a war going on my world, and a city like this one was taking in refugees as well, and while they were far from perfect, at least /they/ didn't drag people away merely for walking in the street!" The young girl seems rather annoyed, not happy at all. But no, it seems like they aren't going to listen to reason... and much as she would like to give them a piece of her mind, that wouldn't reflect well on the Union, would it? So she grumbles as Xau'ra shakes his head and sighs.

    "... freaking bullies," she mutters, then turns to the Mi'qote. "So... you're Xau, huh?" she asks and extends a hand. "Toph Beifong. You didn't warn me that the guards here were acting like that."

Xau'ra Tayuun (548) has posed:
Xau'ra watches the guards walk off and then steps up to Toph to take her hand, before he leans down to actually kiss it. Only cause it was the right thing to do with a female guest! Even if she was probably younger then he was. "Well, not all the Immortal Flames are pompous idiots... just those with good hearts and brave enough souls are at different points beyond the city."

Xau'ra takes notice of her eyes and his brows furrow with some pity for her. "You-- are blind?" He asks softly and then his tail sways softly. "..yet you seem like you see perfectly." He taps his chin at that realization and his one ear flicks as he picks up a faint sound off in the distance, but gives it no mind. Bloody construction.

Toph Beifong (20) has posed:
    When her hand is taken, Toph begins to shake his, only to blink when he actually /kisses/ it, causing the young earthbender to blink in surprise, her cheeks flushing slightly where she stands. Sure, she might have been raised to be a lady by her birth parents, but she hardly /acts/ like a lady nor wants that role. Once she's able to she will yank her hand back, trying to regain her wits. "Well, they /acted/ like pompous idiots if you ask me..." she mutters.

    His question earns a simple nod of her head, and Toph would probably groan if she knew what kind of look he is giving her. "Yup, I see with my bending," she asides to him in a low voice. He's in the Union now, so it's safe to tell him. "You're standing on earth, and I can tell by the vibrations where stuff is. Long story. Sooo..."

    She places her hands on her hips. "This is Ul'dah, huh? Doesn't seem too bad... for a city in the desert, I mean."

Xau'ra Tayuun (548) has posed:
"Ah, I see. So like how conjures can see things through the aetheric flow connected to the elements." Xau'ra gives a nod. "Though I'd becareful using such powers here often. You-- might upset some of the elements."

Xau'ra motions around before his hands come to rest at his side. "As all things here are connected to the aether and given what has happened only a few weeks ago.. everything is.. very on edge." He frowns a bit. "..even the people."

The Miqo'te then puts on a big smile, before he slinks around her and then goes to place his hand on her shoulder and leans down a bit. His tail flicking ever so slightly. "But enough talk of such depressing subjects. What would you like to see in the great jewel of Ul'dah? ..or well.. once great jewel, ha."

Toph Beifong (20) has posed:
    Aetheric flow? That's something Toph hasn't heard before, and when she's warned to be careful and not use her bending? She /laughs/. "Oh, bending is as natural as breathing to me! If they aren't upset at me yet, then they probably won't be!" Besides, does he want her to stumble around? After all these years of using her bending like she does, it's not like she can simply /stop/. Yet she can't help but be curious. "So what happened a few weeks ago?" she asks curiously. "The earth doesn't seem weird here from what I can tell... and believe me, few people are as in touch with the earth as I am."

    As he leans down and places his hand on her shoulder she turns her head slightly. "Well... what do you think that the Union should know about?" she asks. Then suddenly she gets an idea. "Before I leave I would also like to grab some food. So I can bring dinner home."

Xau'ra Tayuun (548) has posed:
Xau'ra scuffs a bit at her comment about knowing the 'earth' and he tries to hold back his own laughter. Though he does pat her shoulder. "Sure, sure." He then walks on as his tail flicks a bit as he starts to walk, before just sways gently side to side.

"Well, lets head to the market then. That way you can see some of the wares and perhaps even try out some food to take back with you. Like grilled dodo-- mm.. so good." He says with a slight rubbing of his hands, then he spins around with simple ease so he is walking backwards.

Xau'ra rubs his chin gently as he thinks about what the Union /should/ know. "Well, we face two big threats out here.. perhaps two and half." He then pauses in his steps before he then goes to walk along side her. "The first is the beast men, whom all serve some Primal-- they have the ability to summon their primal and trust me.. by the twelve.. no one wants that."

Xau'ra then crosses his arms over his chest. "The next is the Garlean Empire. They are-- a very large threat as the event that happened several weeks ago is what has caused not only a great disruption in the aetheric flow, altering the very land and how things move-- but also, well, angry the elements. If you really want to /sense/ anger-- that would be the Black Shroud. Home of all elements."

The Miqo'te then lowers his arms, as he gestures with his hands a bit. "The simplest way to explain what happened is that the Garlean Empire used their technology-- their magitek-- to pull one of our moons down. Within that moon was the Primal known as Bahamut."

Toph Beifong (20) has posed:
    Why is he scuffing? Toph blinks and arches an eyebrow as they walk. "I'm quite serious. I'm the greatest earthbender of all time, and I am the first earthbender to ever bend metal. They said it was impossible." By the look of her face and the tone of her voice... she's serious.

    The market seems like a decent place to head to. If only to overheard rumours and the like. Toph nods and walks along, her steps certain, and she doesn't stumble like one would assume a blind person would. "A primal? Is that like a summoning spirit or something?" she asks. "And those Garleans were those people you wanted me to scare with my metalbending, right?" So many names... it's freaking tough to keep them all mentally sorted at times.

    Well, that sounded like a jerk move. Pull down a moon? "Bahamut? I have heard of that guy! Big, strong summoning spirit? Twi-- err, this ally of the Union can summon him. He's a Burmecian from a world known as Ivalice," Toph explains as best as she can. "Man, some worlds have things in common, huh? Except I think that the dodo is extinct in some of them from overhunting."

Xau'ra Tayuun (548) has posed:
"So I heard one of the commanders say over the radio." Xau'ra says with a soft smile, though there is a hint of concern in his voice. "Bahamut.. for us here.. is-- a very powerful Primal. Primals you see, feed on aetheric energy from the crystals in order to not only be manifested but to continue to maintain their forms. They also have the ability to temper minds to their will."

Xau'ra frowns very heavily at this. "Many have been lost to Primal's like Ifrit." He shakes his head gently. "But Bahamut-- when he broke out of Dalamud.. that moon.. he laid devastation across the land and is the very force that brought our world.. into this one."

"He nearly destroyed the Black Shroud, tore to sunder a great deal of the desert, and so much more.." Xau'ra inhales deeply, before he softly exhales. "The Garlean Empire did this teribal act just so they could lay claim to this land for their conquest. Genocide.. doesn't seem beyond them. If not for the twelve.." Xau'ra reaches beyond his collar to pull out an amulet.. or charm.. that has a symbol of some kind on it. He rubs his thumb along it which gives a soft glow as he does so. "..we would all be gone.."

Toph Beifong (20) has posed:
    "So they do not serve you?" she asks with some surprise, though she does look concerned as well. It does sound like this Bahamut is a chaotic force in this place, and Toph can't help but frown. "Sounds like a whole lot of mess. And something the Union should help with." No kidding. They need to help their new allies, offer aid so the refugees don't suffer. "I can bring this back to the Union and ask for them to help deliver supplies, make shelter for the refugees... actually, I could probably do that before I leave," she states with a firm nod of her head.

    There are many things she doesn't know about this place, she realizes. "Who are the twelve?" Better ask since it seems to mean a whole lot to him.

Xau'ra Tayuun (548) has posed:
"Mm. No, they do not serve us, if anything they are a trouble to all.. thankfully-- they seem bound to Eorzea. So, the rest of the Multiverse should be safe from them." Xau'ra then gives a smile, "But I am sure the Alliance would be grateful for the assist, by the goddess, I'd be grateful to see those people out there get a true decent roof of their heads instead of the tent cloths."

Xau'ra walks over to one of the venders and takes a look over some of the wares. He keeps his hand behind his back as he does so. Though the tip of his tail is flicking back-n-forth in a rather quick state. "Who are the-- Mm.. right.. Outsider." He then grins as he goes to stand back up. As he hands come back into view-- something on the vendor table goes.. well.. missing...

"The twelve are our divines-- mm--- gods as you were. They are the twelve children created by the great mothercrystal to watch and protect us-- beyond the Garleans. We are pretty sure they are outcasted from her bosom." Xau'ra shrugs his shoulders. "Though I must confess.. I do think a few of them," He messes with one of his strands of white hair, "..perhaps only /one/ of them.. has a cruel sense of humor.."

Toph Beifong (20) has posed:
    "At least they will be easier to handle here?" Toph shrugs as they walk over to one of the vendors in the market. "And sure, bending them some shelter would be easy and done within minutes." As long as there aren't too many of them, that is. Either way she will deal with it when that time comes.

    There he goes inspect the wares, and Toph blinks, looking confused for a moment, all before her face goes serious and she leans in and whispers briefly. "Others might notice too." Who knows what they do with thieves in this place? At least she can give him a fair warning!

    "So," she resumes in a normal voice, "They're your gods, huh. And hey, seems there are several deities and such with a cruel sense of humour, I've learned. Not that I deal with that kinda stuff often. I'm more down to earth, really." With that Toph behind walking along the vendors, slightly curious.

Xau'ra Tayuun (548) has posed:
Xau'ra leans over as he whispers back, "Your only in trouble if you get caught, and that my dear Toph-- is my specialty.. not getting caught."

The male Miqo'te watches her as she looks over some of the wares. "Aye, they are our gods. All of those in Eorzea serve the twelve in some way. We all have a deity though whom we see higher then another, but in the end-- they are all here to keep us from harm."

Xau'ra crosses his arms over his chest. "Perhaps one day I will take you to one of the deity stones.. I would take you to the temple, but-- that is in the Black Shroud and I dare not step in there right now." He then mutters under his breath, "..or I never hear the end of the wrath.."

As Toph looks over the items, a few show her some beautiful jewelry, some others some lovely clothing. Though she also may over hear two merchants speak. "I am telling you, locus honey is better then Diremite honey. At least for what your wanting to bake."

The other merchant hmphs softly. "I know how to bake and bake it how I will. I plan to use Diremite honey and that is that."

"And how do you plan to get any, the shroud is a smoking pile of woods."

"I have my ways."

Toph Beifong (20) has posed:
    Heh, street smart guy, is he? Mental note; watch your pockets around this guy!

    It's not that easy for Toph to inspect most of the wares, though she does run her small hands over some things, getting a general feel of them. "Maybe we can visit a temple another time when things have calmed down. Maybe some other Unionites would like to come and help too. And I'm sure they would be interested in the deity stones as well!" she adds. The jewelry is waved away, as are the clothes. And well, Toph doesn't exactly seem all that feminine in her style of dress nor how she acts. She is a little tomboy, after all.

    The conversation catches her attention, though she doesn't inquire further. "Either way, I'm sure there's a lot the Union could do for this city, and I'm sure there's lots of stuff you can help other worlds with as well. I mean, trade isn't a bad thing, right?"

Xau'ra Tayuun (548) has posed:
"Nay, Trade is not bad at all!" Xau'ra agrees with a smile. Toph may pick up the smells of all types of food, though exotic they may be to someone like her as they use many things that well, people would never think of using or even heard of!

"Honestly when it comes to battling the Primals and the Garlean Empire, we could use all the help we can get." The male Miqo'te states with a firm head nod, before he motions forward, "And there is the food. Let us get a bite to eat, hm-- then we can find you some to take back to the others."

Toph Beifong (20) has posed:
    There's indeed lots and lots of new impressions here at the market, and no, Toph does /not/ recognize lots of the things here, especially not the food. It's actually kind of interesting though, and yes, she is definitively bringing some of this home for dinner.

    "Yeah, of course we'll help with keeping people safe," Toph replies and walks on as Xau'ra motions for her to follow him along the market. "Just something light for me, I am going home to eat dinner later. So I don't wanna get stuffed up now." Not that it would be bad, but why not save the big meal for later when she's home?

    "Gotta say I like the city though, gonna be interesting to see what we can do to help it."