[Warning, incoming game. Warning, incoming game.] [Date: Wednesday, Ramuh 4th, 1360 AI.] [It is a cloudy day in Sanriem, although it hasn't started raining yet. Sai Link got his summons earlier this day, and assuming he's following through and filled out the paperwork and read the notices (and warnings), he should be approaching the Council's hall-type-thingie-building now. An overhang is over the entrance and waiting area, offering shelter from the comming rain.] [The female moogle is again there and doing miscellaneous paperwork this time, and the time is in the morning, about 9 according to earth standards.] [Session start.] * Sai_Link is in full battle gear- it did say to be prepared for anything. The swords on his back and the daggers on his armor/chest haven't had any effort made to hide them, and he's taking particular care to make sure a small pile of paper in a box doesn't get wet if it does start raining. * Sai_Link has his blue hair tied back in the split ponytail, intertwined with a long, black, floofy ribbon, and his sunglasses are hung from his neck, not on at the moment. His wrists jingle with each movement they make. (We can do descriptions later. Heck, I might do what Ard did with the X-P page.) ( Habit. =p ) (Probably a good idea. We've probably got big descies all.) (You do know that desc will change as they get older.) (S'okay. Now get in before it starts raining!) (Ard: Yeah. Which will make a disc page for each character more important.) * Sai_Link hurries inside! (I should make everyone take the personality tests, too.) ( Do I get paid to take it? ) (Sure, you get a gil.) * The moogle stops you before you enter. It's still under the overhang, though. "Can I ask who you are, kupo?" Sai Link Green, as summoned. Oh! Well, step right in then, kupo! * Sai_Link bows courteously, shifting the box underneath him as he does that, then resumes his normal position and goes on in. [The council is sitting around a large U-shaped wooden hardwood table. From the left to right you can make out Mog, Penn Lak Illich, Loren Hasgord, Squenix Knackstedt, Cid, Gwesus Masahcarey, Ran Dom Iffin, Yarksetnik Czretzinger, and Darell Racht. Each of them observes you appraisingly, and a few whisper among eachother regarding what they see. Light is centered on you, although you can still see the council.] [Behind you and to the left is a small sparring area, and back and to the right is what appears to be the magical equivalent of a firing range. There is still a good amount of blood in the sparring area, which may or may not disturb you. Once you have entered proper and have had a seat on the chair at the focus of the U, Cid stands up and starts into one of his speeches.] * Sai_Link glances at the blood momentarilly. It's not something that worries him. He sets the box down, and kneels to the council as a whole once the light centers on him. ( Kneels down on one knee. Just to clear that up. ) * Cid raises an eyebrow. "Okay, look. I know we're important and all, but that isn't really necessary. I mean, we're simply people just like you. Albiet much more experienced people, but apart from that there's no need to show any sort of extraordinary respect. In fact, I think some of us get upset at that..." He glances in Gwesus's direction... "Still, I'd like to say welcome, and thank you for showing great maturity..." in appearing here today. Sit down and we'll get started. We can't properly audition you if we can't see you properly, after all. * Sai_Link nods. "Thank you." He stands up, and glances about for something to sit on, since nothing was mentioned in the description. (Oh my god, Cid actually finished. Uh, kind of.) (Everybody else is too buisy boggling at the polite Selkie ;P) (The chair at the center of the U was mentioned, Sai. ;P) ( Bah. ) * Sai_Link sits, then. (There's a chair there. I was wondering why the hell you were kneeling. :P) ( It's polite. =p ) Now, before we start, it's important you realize the powerful implications that joining a crystal caravan will show. You will not only be representing yourself and your race, but this community and us as a whole. Now now, I know it sounds like a lot of pressure, but truthful- * Mog whistles a little tune as Cid tries to continue. * Cid blinks and sits down. "Okay Mog, you may start then." * Sai_Link blinks, momentarilly thrown off by Mog interupting the speechy old man. * Mog 'Kupos' at Cid, then gets up and makes way over to Sai Link. He looks over the young Selkie with a trained eye and looks through the application. * Sai_Link watches Mog back, trying not to look nervous at the scrutiny. Are you good at art? * Sai_Link thinks for a moment. "One can never call themselves good. But... I have some skill in dancing and origami." * Mog blinks. "Oh, can I see?" * Sai_Link reaches down, into the box. He shuffles through it for a moment, then produces an origami moogle from it. The 'fur' and bobber are close to the same shade of Mogs. * Sai_Link holds it torwards Mog. "Sure." * Mog takes it and plays around with it. "Kupo, it looks just like me!" * Sai_Link adds, a bit sheepishly, "That was the idea." Thanks! Uh... Why did you make it, kupo? A small gift. * Mog looks quizingly at Sai Link. "I mean, why did you make the gift, kupo?" It seemed like a good idea at the time. Plus, that's what I've been doing in my spare time for the last five months or so. Why do you do it in your spare time? * Sai_Link looks like he doesn't answer this one, but does anyways, averting his gaze and sighing heavily. "Because I've been stuck at home for the past five months taking care of my brother, and had to find something to do there that didn't require my leaving." * Mog thinks for a few moments. "Okay, kupo. I have no more questions." He smiles at Sai Link and flies back to his seat, handing Penn Lak the papers. * Sai_Link takes a breath, calming himself before the next person goes. * Penn Lak picks up the papers and smirks. "Okay, let's suppose you had the option of having any one thing in the world, at the exclusion of all others. What would you pick, and why would you pick it?" * Sai_Link responds quickly. "I can easily narrow that down to two things. My brother recovering, or the absence of the miasma. ... I'm not sure which just yet. ... that will take a bit of thought." * Sai_Link hmms, and thinks. ... the miasma. It's to blame for many things. And my brother... will adapt. The Miasma will be around forever, and if it's gone, it can do no more harm. * Penn Lak nods. "Let's take away those two options then. What is your decision, and why?" * Sai_Link blinks. That does make it a bit more difficult. Hmm. At the exclusion of -all- others? Yes. Myself. If I don't have myself, nothing else has any meaning. * Penn Lak glances at Ran Dom, then back at Sai Link. "Okay, that is all." She passes the papers onto Loren. * Loren takes up the papers and peers over them. "Why do you want fame and reputation from the caravan? Why do you feel obliged to be here in your brother's stead?" Many successful people here are much more successful and known because they have been on the Caravan. It's great for business and reputation. As for my brother... because we trained together for it, and he deserves to be here, as hard as he tried. The least I can do is honor that, so that it's not for nothing. So it is safe to say you are in it for the money? Yes. That is far from the only reason, and far from the most important one, but it is still one. What other reasons, then? Because of my brother, becuase it has to be done, because I've trained to, and I want to. I want to travel, see others places, make my own stories, master Runic and magic, and learn more about the Miasma so that I can better try to defeat it. * Sai_Link has stood up, steadily becoming more passionate as he goes on. And what would the result of you achieving all these lofty goals be? That, I do not know. Some are personal affirmation, some are for the good of everyone, and some are just plain selfish. But the end result has got to be something good. * Loren nods. "I am done." He passes the papers to Squenix. * Sai_Link sits back down, closing his eyes for a moment. * Squenix eyes Sai Link. She's been staring at him all session, actually. In front of her is a strange loaf of bannock (bread)... If you didn't know better, you'd guess it looks like the world. She holds up a winged hand with an uncountable number of feathers on it. "How many feathers am I showing?" * Sai_Link visibly tries to count them for a moment, then frowns. He looks unsure as he answers "Many." * Squenix breaks off a section of the loaf and offers it to Sai Link. "Bread?" I ate beforehand, but thank you anyways. * Sai_Link waves a hand in a vague 'No thank you' motion. * Squenix shrugs and eats the bread. She keeps staring at him and passes the papers to Cid. * Sai_Link doesn't like the staring, so stares back with a carefully curious look on his face. "Is... something wrong?" He tilts his head as he asks that. * Cid takes the papers and clears his throat. Squenix keeps staring. Like always. * Sai_Link notes the lack of response from Squenix, and shifts his gaze to Cid, doing his best to ignore Squenix. No, nothing's wrong. But answer me this. In the event of a seperation of the caravan, what would your first course, as a follower, be? What if the leader ordered you to do something else that you disagreed with?" It depends on the leader. If I know they had a history of making bad desicions, I'd recommend a better one. If they were someone I trusted, or know to have good sense, I would listen. We'll go with your first option then. If they have a history of bad decisions and were stubborn as a jackass, what would your course of action be? I'd ask them why they made that decision, and then recommend a better one. And if they're particularly bad... I'm not sure. If this was the caravan, we would need to work as a whole, but I'm not sure if a bad leader is better than no leader. It'd depend on the situation greatly. * Cid nods. "And why would you try that?" Becuase I'd prefer a ... smoother way of working together than forcing one person to obey the rest. Teamwork over a set authority, but taking away their position might faction the rest of the group, and that could be just as bad. As I said, it'd grealty depend on the situation. One alternative might be much worse than the other, or better at any given time. * Cid hmmms for a few seconds, then passes the papers to, um, Gwesus. * Gwesus takes the papers and stands up on the desk, imposing in all her 4-foot glory. * Sai_Link lightens up some, and waves. * Gwesus looks through the papers. Yeah, she's slightly over 3 feet tall. She looks down on Sai Link. * Sai_Link is sitting, so Gwesus is probably taller than him at this point. In what way is leaving a caravan up to chance a good decision? * Sai_Link blinks in confusion. "... it's not?" * Gwesus scoffs and throws the papers to the next person, sitting down. You'd want the Caravan, which Sanriem depends on, to have the best, and gaurantee success as best you can. You don't gamble with something you can't afford to lose. * Ran Dom takes up the papers. Gwesus doesn't seem to be listening. ... * Ran Dom looks through them, and his eyes go a bit lighter with enlightenemnt on what Gwesus is upset about. He then starts thinking about his questions. * Sai_Link turns to Ran Dom, shaking off Gwesus's reaction. Forced between a decision, would you save your own life or your brother's? My brother's. Why. Becuase blood is thicker than water, and I know he'd do the same for me. I don't see what the density of water or blood have to do with this question. ... * Ran Dom smirks. "Just say it in a non-metaphorical way." It means that my family is more important to me than many other things. All of it, not just my brother. * Ran Dom nods and puts the papers back in order, handing them down to Yarksetnik. "Okay, thank you." * Sai_Link quickly looks to the next Councilperson, glad to get his eyes off of Ran Dom. * Yarksetnik picks up the papers and places them in front of her, not reading. Her voice can suddenly be heard behind Sai Link, almost ghost-ish in sound and errily void of emoition. "Suppose someone murdered someone dear to you, and you 'knew' who it was. What would be your first course of action?" * Sai_Link refrains from jumping out of the chair, only by gripping the armrests tightly. He looks around, trying to pin down where the voice is coming from. "My first action would to be to greive, and understand it." His voice takes on a harder tone. "And I'm fairly sure that the murderer would be able to enlighten me greatly on the why." Because of an unsatiable desire to destroy life, and the one close to you was not the first, or the last." Perhaps that helps you make a decision? Then they must be stopped, before it happens to someone else. Given the tools at your disposal, how would you plan that? Or would you? ... I'm... not sure. I wouldn't throw my life away at a futile chance for revenge if I knew I was outclassed, I would get help and tell the authorities. But if I could stop them myself, then and there, I would. * Yarksetnik silently passes the papers to Darell. Squenix keeps staring. * Darell takes up the papers and shuffles them loudly. "So, sonny, ya got any friends?" Not any close ones. * Darell frowns. "Why not?" * Sai_Link slows down, talking slowly and thinking at the same time, as if he's having trouble with the words. "Becuase I was usually with my brother, and we were often too busy to make them. Well, for me to make them. I was always trying to keep up with him, or training, or practicing." These friends that are not close, would you consider them more like pawns or like kings as per the game of chess? Is it only those two choices? * Darell shrugs. "Nah, use whatever pieces you think work best." Knights. Always close if they want to be, unhindered by other pieces. And what would you think of yourself as? A rook. I can keep going from end to end as much as I want, until something interposes itself. Does this mean your friends can always reach you, but you can't always be there for your friends? No. Then why the variance in pieces? Certainly you don't think yourself better than your friends? * Sai_Link closes his eyes, thinking hard. "I'm... not sure. Just because the pieces are different, they still have the same reach of any other piece. They just all get there differently." A rook can get there in one step if there's nothing in it's way, and it can always go around obstacles. * Darell nods. It just takes more steps. A knight will always get where it wants to go, regardless of anyone else. Okay, thank you very much Sai Link. * Darell passes the papers to Ran Dom, who continues. "We have a few more things we require of you before your audition is complete. First, show us what you are best at." * Sai_Link hmms. "I'm skilled in several things. I've no small degree of ability with a blade, there's the origami which Mog has seen, and I'm somewhat stealthy, too." Just show us what you think you're best at. * Sai_Link hmms. What you think will be most beneficial to the caravan. Alright. * Sai_Link nods, and stands up. ( "Well?" "... I'm standing. It'll be very beneficial to the caravan." "..." ) ("Well, it is!") ( Looks up the FA real quick. ) * Sai_Link steps forward a halfstep, then jumps and backflips, handspringing off the top of the chair immediately behind him, drawing one sword as he does so. He stabs at thin air, but is already spinning away from the point, in a fast, fluid motion. The second sword being drawn is also smoothly incoprorated into the sudden dash, at, and through the chair. He follows the up with stabbing one sword into the ground, and hopping on that fo ( I know that cut off somewhere. ) (Cut off at 'and hopping on that fo') (Cut off at I didn't see any of it. >.<) * Sai_Link ... and hopping on that for just a second, using that as a jumping point to do another backflip, this one with a halftwist and landing behind the chair, stabbing it in the back with the sword still held. The whole sequence of events looks like some kind of dance, and he resheathes his swords at the end. ( I could do that! ) * Sai_Link then takes one of the knives from his chest, and flings it at the sparring area, aiming for one of the targets in the magical firing range. ( Roll me an attack roll) * Sai_Link grazes one of the targets, but looks unsatisfied with the aim. * The council murmers among themselves about the display. Ran Dom continues. "Okay, let's see something other than fighting. And something with more practicality than working with paper shapes." ( Sai: "Well... I can build a windmill out of these toothpicks." Squenix: "Woot! He's got my vote!!" ) (HA.) (Hehe.) * Sai_Link hmms. "Well, your eyes are already on me, but I'm fairly stealthy." ( "When I have full HP, I can throw swords!" ) * Sai_Link eyes the application Ran Dom is holding. for a moment, considering something. We've found stealth to be rather difficult to display. We can supply props, but we first need to know what you want to try. I've also got some experience with disarming traps, and getting in locked doors. ( "And how did you gain this experience?" "Umm.... well..." ) * Ran Dom nods and puts the papers down. He walks back and comes forward with a large treasure chest. He puts it down on the floor. "You brought your own tools, I take it?" One second. * Sai_Link exits to the waiting room, returning quickly with a bag, grabbing a tooklit out of it, and setting it next to the box. * Sai_Link sets about opening the chest! * Sai_Link checks it for traps first, though. >_> * There are no traps evident on the chest. * Sai_Link pops the chest open, after a moment of paranoidly checking it for traps. Which he wouldn't put past them. * The chest opens, and Sai is faced with a banana cream pie that shoots out at him. He's quick enough to dodge it, though, and it doesn't make it's comedy on his face. Just the floor. (Never trust a selkie with a chest.) ( I DIDN'T. I CRITFAILED. ) (No you didn't.) (You critsuccessed. >.>;) ( I critfialed the 'Check for a trap' part. ) (but he critfailed the trap check) (Oh. Ha. ^^) (*ahem* There is no such thing as a crit fail on a skill or attribute check.) ( Habitual jargon. ) (Yes, but keep in mind that even if you roll a 1, you might succeed.) Nice job. Not many expect the trap on the inside of the chest. Now there's one more thing to test. Gwesus, Squenix, do your thing. * Gwesus jumps up and lands inside of the training area. "Enter the ring." * Sai_Link draws his swords as he does so. "I already showed you my combat skills." He plucks the dagger he threw there before, and sticks it back in it's strap. If I had some magicite, I could do more, but that's about it. This isn't a demonstration. A caravaner's task is a very dangerous one, and as you know people do die on their travels. It is important that you know how it feels to suffer such a fate at least once, so you are prepared to go through it again should the need arise. And it will. Also, it is important that you know how it feels before you end a creature's life for the good of the caravan. * Sai_Link gulps as that sinks in, swallowing it down, and raising the swords. "... you're going to try and kill me?" * Gwesus assumes an offensive stance. "There's no 'try' in it." Are you ready? * Sai_Link shifts into a defensive one. "No sense in putting it off. C'mon." He gestures with the forwardmost sword. * Sai_Link doesn't seem too nervous, now that the initial shock is gone. Must be the sparring that he and his brother have done. * Gwesus takes out a coin. She flips it into the air, and before it reaches its apex she's upon you. A series of five quick stabs in the chest all but decimate your necessary bodily functions. With the last one she impales you and flips you back, landing you in a heap right next to the coin, which lands just after your head settles on the ground, it being the last thing you see before you do the dying thing. You can describe. * Sai_Link was expecting -something-, but that was too much, too fast, and he spasms on the ground. His grip on the swords loosen, and they clatter to the ground. * Sai_Link isn't moving now. At all. That's probably the equivalent of dead, isn't it? * After what seems like an eternity of feeling nothing and emptyness, Sai Link is shunted off into his corporeal body again. He's lying on the ground with both swords at his side, and a throbbing headache. His back kinda hurts too - Guess Gwesus went a *little* overboard at the end. * Most of the council is looking over your form on the ground. Darell's working on something - it looks like tailoring. Gwesus is cleaning her spear off, and Squenix is inspecting her loaf of Bannock. (Not as overboard as she did for Dorn and Leran. >_<) ( Gwesus is pretty touchy. ) (Dude, she Rosario Impaled her DAUGHTER.) ( Leran's a tank. He should've expected it. ) (Psh, Mona's a wuss.) (That's true. Nikki's the biggest wuss thus far, though! One pentathrust and she was out; no last shudder or anything. Just gone.) (Pentathrust is the weakest of the attacks she's pulled. Rosario Impale's the second, and Gugnir is the most powerful.) ( Hmm... I wonder what the ultimate spear weapon skill is in FFXI? I dunno o.O ) * Sai_Link quickly handsrpings to his feet, then stumbling a bit after landing. ( True ) * Sai_Link whispers out, barely audibly, "That. Hurt." (Wait, what did she use on Leran?) ( I only know sword ('cause I use it) and great katana (for some reason) ^^ ) (She used Pentathrust on Leran.) (;_;) (Granted, she put a little *extra* into it, but still. Pentathrust.) ( What'd Gwesus use that time? ) (Pentathrust.) You'll get used to it if you're not careful. * Sai_Link replays the actions in his head. "... that was amazingly fast." * Ran Dom hands the papers to Cid. You didn't think she would be slow, did you? * Sai_Link looks down at his chest, and feels his back. "Didn't think she'd move -that- fast." ... that was dead? Dead dead? * Sai Link's shirt is riddled with holes and covered in blood. As close as any of us have come. * Sai_Link sets about taking off his armor, then the shirt after that. "How long?" * Ran Dom whispers to Sai Link. "Of course, Gwesus and Squenix probably know more, but they're not talkin'." Five or ten minutes before Squenix pulled out her magicite. * Sai_Link nods, processing that. "I hope you've got a spare shirt." He tosses the old one on the ground. "That one's pretty wornout, now." * Darell hands Sai Link a new shirt. "Here you go. Gwesus's been going through them like water recently. I wonder why. o/`" I don't think she liked my answer much. (She's still in the room with you.) Really? I thought she just didn't like you. * Sai_Link puts on the new shirt, and rolls his shoulders, stretching. He slides a foot underneath his blades, one at a time, and kicks them into the air and catches them. "Can you tell?" Can't you? Well, well, that was a fine display. This concludes the audition, though. Do you have any other questions? ... I guess not. *He looks up at Cid.* ... actually, yes. Why don't ex-caravaneers go? Tradition. Faith in the old ways... And because if we went, when we died, you would have to go out on your own without anyone to teach you. * Sai_Link finishes gearing up, critically eyeing the armor, nodding as Cid answers. "I see." Now don't go telling anyone about this. * Sai_Link rescues the box of the other origami figures, and offers it to Cid. "Yessir. And here. A gift, to all of you, from me and my brother." * Cid takes the box. "I must admit, that's a fine amount of work. I don't know how much it will help you in our decision, however." No favoritism or swaying of opinion is intended. It is simply a gift. * Cid nods. "Then, I say on behalf of the rest of the council, thank you." * Sai_Link nods, and bows again. "I will wait until I hear the results. Thank you." * Sai_Link walks out, casting a final glance at Gwesus. * Gwesus is pointedly ignoring Sai Link. [Session End!]