travelerscurse | (no subject)

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Not that Gustavain engages much in the practice of judging things before he's seen them for himself, but he was all set to really hate Sharlayan. It being the home of many of his friends notwithstanding, the idea of a city being neutral and hoarding knowledge doesn't sit super well with him and never has. So too, were his original feelings about the Students of Baldesion, however, so maybe it's not too odd that he finds Sharlayan surprisingly and aggressively pleasant.

The food, however, does leave something to be desired and even though the Annex has decent cuisine, he finds himself mostly eating at the Last Stand whenever he has more than a day to sleep and recover, few and far between though those times have been in recent days. He could spend hours here if they would let him, drinking coffee and warming his hands on the cup, watching the people pass. But it's rare that he gets to finish more than a single cup before someone comes to disturb him.

Still, today he's had a longer time than most-- long enough for his food to be gone and for him to be drinking a second cup of coffee, just enjoying a bit of a lull between things.

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Sharlayan was nice. Incredibly so, which also meant that it was generally peaceful too.

Which unfortunately left Rael about bored out of his mind. He'd joined with the Scions as it seemed the best way to help, but there wasn't too much to be done here at the moment, which just had the viera about climbing out of his skin. Which meant when he heard someone needed a thing done, he about jumped them for the opportunity, and his enthusiasm only doubled when it came out who the message was to be brought to.

Which led to the Last Stand after he'd asked around enough to figure out where his quarry was, ears pricking faintly as he approached the table the elezen was settled at.

"Gustavain?" He looked like the description Rael had been going off of at least.

He turns his head to look at the viera man who'd come up alongside his table. There's always a bit of a look of quiet surprise to him whenever he sees one of the long-eared men. He'd truthfully only really just gotten used to seeing the women as a regular sight in Eorzea and the men still take him a little bit aback. It's only momentary, though, before his expression melts into a quiet smile,

"Who's asking?" the question is confrontational, but the tone is one of soft amusement, as though he's pretty sure he already knows the answer (and he probably does).

That's a look he's long since gotten used to, in all fairness. Rael was well aware that he was an oddity, and took the idea in stride, so long as no one was causing issues over it.

"Rael." He introduced himself, a faint grin on his face at the amusement the question was asked with, plunking into an empty chair, arms crossed over the back as he held up a note between two fingers. "This came for you. Miss Krile said it was urgent."

"Rael," he repeats back, then turns his attention to the missive in Rael's hands, "Thank you for bringing it to me, then." There's no hesitation in the way he reaches for it, but there's also no particular panic or hurry. If it were not urgent, Rael would not be here but if there were not time enough for him to read the note it would not be delivered as a note, either.

He sets his cup aside with an almost practiced air as he does-- whatever else he is or is not, he is a man used to having to set aside whatever he's doing in precisely this way.

Rael nodded, more than willing to hand the note over. He honestly hoped it was something to do- while he knew that the downtime meant that things were quiet elsewhere which was good, he'd never done well when it was time to wait. Maybe if he was lucky, Gus might want a hand with whatever he'd be asked to do.

He opens the letter almost casually, particularly considering it could be literally anything from an invitation to a dinner to a notice that an entire continent had been wiped off the map. It's not that he doesn't give such things the gravity they deserve, it's just that he's so used to both, and there's no way to know until he reads it.

He takes a sip of his coffee as he scans the lines and then, after a moment, drains the cup, setting it aside more decisively.

"Word from some old friends of mine in Gridania. Apparently there's been some issues with some of the wildlife there getting riled up near, but not too near their tower. Krile thinks it would be some easy work while we wait here and I happen to agree," he says all of it in Rael's direction, clearly speaking to him, but after a moment his gaze sharpens on him, with all the weight of a commander, assessing, "You've seen more than your share of combat, have you not?" the expression melts into a smile, warm and a little sly, "She suggests I take you along, which means she either thinks we'll get along or she needs you to stop pacing a rut in the front lobby of the Annex. Or both."

Curious as Rael was, he knew there was no way to know what it was until Gus deigned to share. Even if he could've read the missive, he wasn't that sort of snoop without good cause. But his luck held out as the elezen seemed to see fit to share, ears already perking with interest as he slightly straightened from his slouch against the chair back, even before he was caught in that familiar sort of gaze of someone assessing him. Luckily Gus seemed to at least not find him completely useless, and the comments that follow only just have Rael returning that smile with a sly grin of his own.

"As if my pacing is only restricted to the Annex. But I'd be absolutely thrilled for a chance to stretch my legs as it were."

"Then it's settled. Have you attuned anywhere in Gridania? I presume you can use the aetherytes," is it flattering or terrifying, that Gustavain just seems to assume competence? He's already standing up and stretching, as though they might be headed out right away, if Rael is so inclined-- an impression furthered when he very clearly takes up a staff that was an unassuming branch leaning on the wall a moment ago but seems to come alive with light and life in his hands for a moment before he straps it to his back.

"A yes on both counts." It was a bit terrifying. A little. But at the same time, Rael craved that recognition, so was more than willing to brush past when it looked like they were about to head out.

Not that he'd need to go get anything- he always travelled lightly, and aside from a few specific places or situations, rarely left his things out of at least arm's reach. And Sharlayan, nice as it was? Was not one of those places. Tipping easily to his feet, giving a brief stretch of arms over his head.

"I think Fallgourd is probably our best bet. Meet you there?" he'll wait for a nod, but it seems like maybe Gustavain has also been waiting for something to do, as much as he seemed calm on the surface, because all he waits for is that nod before he starts his teleport.

He meets up with and elezen and a hyur man, both of whom he seems to be quite familiar with (possibly intimately familiar in the elezen's case, though it's very hard to tell if its true intimacy or if the bow wielding man just likes to flirt and Gustavain doesn't reprimand him for it) but after some pleasantries, they quickly get down to business.

The missive had included all of the major details it seems-- there are monsters to be hunted, bigger than normal, as though the disturbance of the tower has brought them out of the deep woods. Nothing someone else couldn't handle, more than likely, but Gustavain seems to be fine with doing it, even seems to be in good spirits as they pair off and head deeper into the woods.

"So you've seen battle of some kind," Gustavain remarks as they walk, "What is it that you do?" there's less of a commander and more of a tactician in the question, but it's still said with the same sharp-eyed look from the Last Stand.

"Right."

It doesn't take long at all for Rael to follow Gustavain's lead. Honestly as pent up as he was feeling, the other's clear but quiet eagerness for something to do just urged the viera on a bit, made him a bit more antsy.

And so far things were familiar enough. Just like any other job he'd been on for the Scions, where one had to gather their information from contacts in the area, confirm what he knew before diving into a situation. It was a bit strange to think that the Warrior of Light went through the exact same process in his own work, but at the same time why wouldn't he? It was only the sensible way of doing things. But then with the stories that flew about Gustavain, making him seem more myth than man, maybe it was just the clash between that and him doing things like any other mere mortal might.

Whatever the case, Rael was perfectly willing to follow him into the woods. Ears twitching as he paid mind to the sounds around them, listening for any potential signs of their quarry as they walked. The question was hardly a surprise, but that look still caught him by surprise, a bit intimidating in a way. But the viera shook that off quickly enough, a hand resting illustratively against the hilt of his rapier. "I used to be a gladiator... found red magic suited me better when all was said and done."

It had stung at first. A bitter shame in a way, for all he tried to work past it occasionally it still reared it's ugly head, the idea that he couldn't hack it as a gladiator. But there was no way in hell he was saying anything of the sort. Especially not to Gustavain of all people.

Unaware that there's anything wrong with Rael choosing Red Mage, there's a grin and a sparkle in Gustavain's eye when he says that,

"Always flashy but infinitely useful. Glad to have you with me," he considers something for a moment, feet slowing, but doesn't share his council, at least not wholly, "Hm. Should probably be ready to switch out for something more defensible if needed..." he muses, but doesn't bother for now-- it's well known that the Warrior of Light has seemed to be ready for any circumstance, able to switch tactics on the field of a battle in a way few could match. Maybe Rael would see it in action, from the sound of it.

Still, for right now the forest stays empty and quiet.

Maybe too quiet.

He sounds sincere in that. Rael is struck for a moment by the implicit approval, that need to prove himself worthy of it all but roaring to life in his breast. But he's able to strangle it back to something manageable for the moment, just grinning back at Gustavain in response with a cheeky little wink.

"Glad to be here." And he really was. He felt infinitely better when he could be useful, especially with everything going on lately, to say nothing of getting to fight alongside Gustavain. Especially at that consideration- he'd heard tell of the elezen's skill in battle, how easily he could shift between disciplines. The chance to see it was one he was definitely excited about.

Even if the sudden silence of the woods around them made him distinctly uneasy. He'd not spent much time in the woods before, but even he knew that dead quiet like this never meant anything good.

Rael may not know what the silence of the woods means but he does hear it before Gustavain does and Gustavain in turn reacts to Rael looking around, reaching back and pulling his staff from his back. He holds up a hand to bring them both to a stop for a moment while he looks around, ears straining to pick up any movement in the woods.

When the creature bursts out of the underbrush, it takes a moment to resolve into a giant boar, rushing for them. Gustavain cries out in something like panic, but it's a little more... delighted than that as he dodges out of the way and light springs to his hands, lancing out at the boar as it skids to a stop and turns back around, bearing back down on them.

The gesture brings Rael to a halt, ears pricking as he tried to pick up a sign of the impending trouble, even as he was drawing his blade, focus in his other hand.

He had just enough time for that before there was the burst of movement, the viera leaping back out of the way of the giant boar's charge with a curse, though the tone was a bit more exhilarated than afraid. He can hear Gustavain to one side, can see him moving in his periphery. Rael has to stop himself from charging in- old habits die hard- instead channeling his magic, lashing out with red energy at the creature, almost immediately accompanied by a burst of lightning. It was a familiar enough dance nowadays, casting and dodging, for all stubborn habit wanted him to plant his feet and lift a shield he no longer carried.

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