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N'Raha     It is a quiet evening at the inn in Vesper Bay. There' fright moving at the docks which mean the longshoremen are out doing their work rather than crowding in here...

    Which is just fine for N'raha. The young catman is sitting at a table in the back of the inn, nursing a tall mug of something fermented, and just... wilted a little bit. Like he's expecting a scolding.
Setsuko Kaminagi     The door to the inn opens, and what few eyes are present turn towards the woman who steps in. That tends to happen when she enters a room, even when she doesn't want it to; her divine side gives her a certain 'presence', useful when she needs to be inspiring or intimidating, but not so much when she's trying to avoid drawing much attention to herself. Nevertheless, it can't be helped. She will just have to deal with stories about 'that strange Highlander girl with an odd saber at her hip' going around for a few days.

    So her strides are businesslike as she crosses the tavern, beelining right for N'raha's corner without hesitating. But when she slides into the seat across the table across from him, her expression is not stern, not even a stony mask of neutrality. It could best be described as relaxed, placid even. And the first thing she says probably comes just as unexpectedly.

    "I think you have some things that you want to get off your chest. Perhaps even need to. I would like to hear them, if you're in the mood to do so."
N'Raha     The young Maurauder's body tenses as the Godling enters the room, her very presence making bits of him rage and shake, screaming at him in tinny voices to get her to leave. Get her to never return. Stop ruining things.

    But there's too much shame in the rest of the Miqo'te to even consider any of that. It's palpable in his stance, in his bearing, in his manner. A thumb rubs at the rim of his mug and he just lets out a long breath.

    Get stuff off your chest. One of the tinny voices gets to say its piece. "You started this. All of this. The mess with Ramuh."
Setsuko Kaminagi     "Yes, I did," Setsuko agrees, sitting back in her chair a bit. "I acted out of ignorance of your world, and my ignorance caused a dangerous situation. Several of your allies tried to reassure me that had it not been me, it would have been something else, that Ramuh's summoning was an inevitability." She shakes her head. "But the fact remains that it /was/ me. I caused a situation that put lives at risk. I have taken responsibility for that mistake, but simply cleaning up the mess I made... I know that's not enough of an apology."
N'Raha     N'raha's eyes close as he hears those words for himself, hears her say it, and just... he slumps his shoulders. "I... I know Alwyn and Bert have a better time of getting to you, but... I..."
    He rubs his thumb on the rim of his drink again, and looks down into the foam. "Thanks. I mean, for letting me hear that. I'm not a part of your group, your side of the war, so." He shrugs a bit.

    "Your turn."
Setsuko Kaminagi     There is a faint hint of a smile on Setsuko's face. "Highwind and Silent may have joined the Union, but even in the Union, I think there are few who truly understand my mindset. In that respect, you may be a bit closer than they are." She closes her eyes for a moment, taking a breath.

    "First and foremost, I don't intend to scold you. You were frustrated. Furious. Longstanding and valid complaints against several of those present, myself included, and disrespectful behavior in the heat of the moment besides. It's little wonder that you were angry, and as for what you did in that anger..." A faint shake of the head. "What could I say, that you're not already saying to yourself? You know that you made a mistake, and your regret is written all over your face. What discipline or criticism could I offer that stings more harshly than that? I'm not in the habit of... what was the phrase? Whipping a waterlogged sailor."

    The demigod closes her eyes again, this time more for the sake of contemplation. "Instead, I would like to offer you advice, as a lifelong swordswoman, if you're willing to listen."
N'Raha     N'raha's face softens a bit as she mentions Bert and Alwyn, talks about them and... Closer than them?

    The Miqo'te stammers a bit, but she keeps talking over the top of him as she explains what happened in that fight. He settles in and listens to her explanation and she hits... all the points he's grumpy about, that's for sure. All of them string together into a coherent summation of his thoughts on the Trial. Though. "A waterlogged sailor is halfway to their usual bearing, ma'am."

    He takes a sip of his drink, and nods. "I am. Willing, that is."
Setsuko Kaminagi     "You're a very angry man, N'raha Tia," Setsuko observes. "That isn't, necessarily, a bad thing. Anger can give you great strength. The drive to exceed your limits. The strength to keep walking even when your body doesn't want to cooperate. But, it's a very dangerous tool, as you've already discovered. You can't afford to give into it, to let it take the reins. Very few are those who can completely give themselves over to fury and gain only benefit from it. Most, simply become easily-led, easily-outmaneuvered berserkers."

    She finally opens her eyes again, crossing her leg and folding hands in her lap. "Instead, you should strive to be the master of your anger. Let it fuel every swing of your axe, but do not let it make the choice /to/ swing your axe. If you can temper that anger into cold fury, into a force of will beholden to your wishes rather than in charge of them, it will make you a fierce and fearsome man indeed."
N'Raha     The catman just... slumps his shoulders a little bit at that. All of that. Every word is true. He knows it's true, he's felt that urge, that fury, that... that rage. The terrible sensation of the need to /fight/ take over him.
    He taps a finger against his glass, ears flicking a bit in thought. "I... you mkae that sound very easy, Miss Setsuko. I mena, 'just control your anger'. If I could do that... I wouldn't be here right now like this."
Setsuko Kaminagi     "I know it's not easy," Setsuko replies, nodding her head. "But I don't have the same core of anger that you do. I can only offer guidance, direction; not instruction. You will have to find your own way. The only skills I'm qualified to teach are battlefield tactics and swordsmanship. But you have a fair grasp of the former already, and I think the axe suits you better than the katana would as it is. Your fighting style lends well to a weapon with weight behind it. The only thing left for you is experience. Just accept, here and now, that you will stumble. You will make mistakes, you will slip up. We all do. So long as you learn from it, better yourself through it, and make amends to any you've wronged, it's fine to misstep, whether in learning to fight or learning to control your anger. And I think you'll do fine at both, if you keep trying."
N'Raha     N'raha sighs and listens and... "I'm not sure if... I mean..." He rubs at his hair, scritching an ear fitfully. "You think I can really pull that off? I mean, I'm just a miqo'te who... I guess is supposed to be a big hero or something. I'm not sure if I was supposed to be... or if I'm going to be ready for this. How in the world did you do this?"
Setsuko Kaminagi     There is a hint of self-effacing, black humor in Setsuko's voice. "I wouldn't recommend my methods. They involved being born to a warrior clan, then losing everything that mattered when I was younger than you are now. Most aren't suited to that kind of 'preparation'." She lets out a breath, setting that aside. "In truth, there is no 'being ready'. You can only keep walking forward. It will be frightening. It will be infuriating. There will be times when the weight of responsibility on your shoulders is so heavy that you want to curl into a ball and never move again. The only way that I've ever been able to cope is to keep moving. Momentum is a powerful thing. And given that I've seen you raise your axe against a god of thunder without hesitating, I think you'll do fine."
N'Raha     N'raha wilts but... but he doesn't cringe this time. It's all just a lot to process right now. Really, more than he'd been prepared to process. His ear flicks in a little frantic motion, but he's not supposed to stop. Keep going. And he's going to start right now.

    "You know what the Garleans did to us. Did to me, and my tribe? Did to Doc? Did to all of us? I don't even know how other people could ever be /not/ mad at... them at this, at this whole situation. I just don't get it why people don't care."
Setsuko Kaminagi     At this, a flicker of emotion passes across Setsuko's face. N'raha has come to a topic very close to her own heart indeed. "Not all of them are like us," Setsuko replies. "Invading empires, vengeance for wrongs committed... most people do not have the spirit or drive to handle these things, in this world, my own, or any other. When life is turned upside down for them, they can only focus on survival, rebuilding. That does not speak ill of them; remember that they are the rule, and we're the exceptions. It was my family's creed that 'a soldier takes up his blade, to protect those that cannot or will not, to fight for those who do not deserve to be swept up in violence beyond them'. I stain my hands with blood so that others don't need to."
N'Raha     N'raha's voice catches in his throat at the end there, but there's a... anger. That youthful rage of his that bubbles up. This was a sore point. A very sore point, but he just lets it go this time. He's spoken enough ill of his Father and Uncles.

    "I... I am still not sure if... we didn't really have a creed for what I did. I'm not like you. I just did this because of... trying to find a future. I'm no hero."
Setsuko Kaminagi     "You don't need my reasons, if you have your own," Setsuko replies, that ghost of a smile finding its way onto her face again. "You're doing as you believe is right. Protecting people. Trying to leave the world better than you found it, in a way that not everyone is capable of, but the world most certainly needs. That's all that matters. Focusing on 'being a hero' will only only hurt you in the end. Instead, just look at the world in front of you. If there is an innocent life that you can protect, do so. If a murderer is taking lives, cut them down. If you see a problem that you can solve, do so. If people decide to start calling you a hero, then that's their choice. But don't concern yourself with that word, or you'll eventually buckle under it."
N'Raha     The axecat considers those words as he takes a long pull from his drink and just... ruminates for a bit. Those are all things he's done. They're all things he's doing. It's what he's really aiming for. That's all...

    It's things he can do. "So. Even if Hydaelyn wants me for... whatever reason, just... be me."
Setsuko Kaminagi     Setsuko inclines her head. "If I were to guess, I would say that's why Hydaelyn wants you to do as well. Heroism, prophecies, those are all distant things. What Eorzea faces is problems, dangers, and those are things a man with an axe is quite well-suited to handle."
N'Raha     "'But to a man with an axe, all problems are boulders'." N'raha snickers a bit. "Well, okay, yeah I get that one. Okay." A little bit of a thumping noise as his tail twacks the back of his chair a bit. Relaxed. "I... I'll remember that, moving forward." Moving forward. That's the goal.
Setsuko Kaminagi     The demigod gives another light nod of her head. "Don't forget that you've got allies, either. That's a bad habit I myself sometimes have to work against. If it's too much for you to handle on your own, it's safer for you and everyone around you if you call for help. At the very least, you'll have my blade any time you need it." In saying this, Setsuko seems to feel the conversation is at an end, and she slides back her chair just enough to stand up again. "Be well, N'raha Tia. You have a good head on your shoulders."
N'Raha     N'raha blinks and nods, smiling up at the demi-goddess. "Well... that's something, I guess. I think I'll... well. I've got plenty to think on." A bow. "Thanks. This means a lot and I'm happy to see that someone understands."