"In my name..." STR: 1 | SPD: 146 | CON: 251 | END: 251 | INT: 1001 | MANA: 11,650 "Bow before your queen" - Astrid Venier It was a long trip. Not that the trip would not have been long on its own accord, regardless of route taken. Oak Town and Orchidia were hardly cities that people often travelled between. Hardly any route connected to Oak Town was often travelled heavily, a byproduct of a past history in Oak Town and the stigma surrounding it. A stigma that Astrid as much hoped to remedy and have purged from history as she much other things, like that of her father’s legacy, the cruel nature and horrid childhood that she had growing up that she forever looked to him with disdain and unrivaled hatred towards. It was fitting then, that she got the last laugh, staining his legacy with that of a tale spun perfectly. A dagger in the back as much thrust by the one looking in front of him all along. That didn’t make the roads any better off. No, the road to seeing relations improved within Oak Town was going to be a long one, and sadly until that happened, roads such as these were going to be the norm, at least for now. Astrid was confident that there would be improvements coming, sooner than perhaps what most people could have hoped to realize even. It was in part what she was doing in her capacity of the Office of the Auditor, providing the funds taken into much better uses. Almost all of them were going towards Oak Town, as they deservedly should have been going, but despite what should have been good works, they were being met with pushback. Pushback like that of what was being encountered within Orchidia. Pushback that made it all the more frustrating and difficult to even so much as enjoy what should have a quiet trip between the two cities. Sadly, the nature of why Orchidia had been proving to be so resistant, as well as their unwillingness to budge, especially when the details came to reality, made it all the more infuriating. And just made the trip seem all the longer. 343/1200 (-40% | -20% Frosch the Exceed, -20% Symbiotic Fleshweave) |
Welcome Party [Storyline | Astrid]
Sun May 12, 2024 6:54 pm
![Astrid](https://2img.net/u/3013/50/43/46/avatars/26623-5.jpg)
Sun May 12, 2024 6:55 pm
![Astrid](https://2img.net/u/3013/50/43/46/avatars/26623-5.jpg)
"In my name..." STR: 1 | SPD: 146 | CON: 251 | END: 251 | INT: 1001 | MANA: 11,650 "Bow before your queen" - Astrid Venier After what seemed like a never-ending cycle of looking out the window, wondering if Orchidia were in sight, a sense of dejection, followed by a hopeful attempt at repeating the process to see fortunes improved, it seemed that finally things had broken the cycle. Looking out, the faint appearance of Orchidia, the rustic and disheveled city, appearing like that of ruins to the brief onlooker at times, now seemed far in the distance. It had been years since she had last been here, her trips to the North having been ones that she seldom engaged in, especially by her own volition. In the past, there were times in which she would join her father on trips to the North, Orchidia included, but they became fewer and fewer as time went on. By the time the recent history of the North had become cemented, what with Paradise Dawn and other events having taken place, there were seldom reason anyone who was from the Senate would have reason to venture there, save of course for those representing the North. It simply had become too volatile. So in a way, it was a homecoming of sorts, for Astrid to return here, now in the capacity of a Senator, a member of the King’s Court, and also as how some may regard her as an oppressor. It was not out of peace, but rather out of demand of her policies not being carried out, her attempting to squeeze the life out of Orchidia as the people may have come to regard it as being, that she was arriving. Thus, she was not expecting much in the way of any sort of welcome. If anything, there would have been resistance to her arrival; at least that would make sense and perhaps help paint the story more adequately for her. In the back of her mind too, it would have given her greater justification to simply not have to worry about the ramifications. The people, blindly following some sort of ideology, it would be their own fault then for what may stand to happen then. 692/1200 (-40% | -20% Frosch the Exceed, -20% Symbiotic Fleshweave) |
Sun May 12, 2024 6:55 pm
![Astrid](https://2img.net/u/3013/50/43/46/avatars/26623-5.jpg)
"In my name..." STR: 1 | SPD: 146 | CON: 251 | END: 251 | INT: 1001 | MANA: 11,650 "Bow before your queen" - Astrid Venier When the carriage stopped, Astrid was admittedly surprised. She had not anticipated being seen by anyone. Perhaps a single ambassador on behalf of the leadership of Orchidia, if even that much. The reception she was anticipating on receiving given the nature of her trip, Astrid was not confident that there would have been much. Hell, even her visit was something that was out of the normal, it would not have stunned her if they did not believe that her arrival was genuine. In fact, she found herself mentally preparing herself in the likely scenario that they were not anticipating her actually arriving. Yet, that was not the case. Neither was the scenario of there being just a singular person arriving to meet them as their carriage arrived at the gates of Orchidia. It was far more than that. In fact, it seemed like an impressive receiving party, perhaps no more than a dozen or so people, if not more. Certainly not something that typically would be the reception of just anyone who may have arrived within this city. It was very apparent that this was a matter relating to her arrival. She could not help but appreciate this gesture. But despite her appeal towards the proper reception, she was suspicious that it was going to mean anything good. More often than not, something like this was as much intended to be a sign of force or otherwise a symbolic sense of unity. Worse even, at times it seemed that it was true for both of aspects. Whether or not her suspicions were true or not, that would not be clear until one side folded first at the table. She didn’t intend to fold. But nor did she expect them to fold either. 984/1200 (-40% | -20% Frosch the Exceed, -20% Symbiotic Fleshweave) |
Sun May 12, 2024 6:57 pm
![Astrid](https://2img.net/u/3013/50/43/46/avatars/26623-5.jpg)
"In my name..." STR: 1 | SPD: 146 | CON: 251 | END: 251 | INT: 1001 | MANA: 11,650 "Bow before your queen" - Astrid Venier Yet it was them who folded first, something that Astrid was not quite sure whether to believe was a byproduct of this meeting, or something else. But it was not long before pleasantries were exchanged and Astrid and Sia were immediately escorted within the city, hardly a moment passing that enabled them a chance to breathe and appreciate the sights. It was not a city as impressive as Crocus, that much was plainly obvious, but it was a chance to simply see a bit more of the world; an opportunity for them to see “how the other half” lives, as some would say. Both Astrid and Sia were ones whom benefited from wealthy upbringings, so having to live within less than idealized environments such as this were hardly things that they could either relate, nor want to. It was better simply that they not stress too much towards the nature of how these people lived. At the end of the day, Sia held no opinion towards any of them, and Astrid certainly did not care for them, viewing them as non-Oak Town and therefore expendable as far as she was concerned. It was not a sentiment that she would openly show, but it was one felt, and with enough time spent together, one that likely Sia would share. 1202/1200 (-40% | -20% Frosch the Exceed, -20% Symbiotic Fleshweave) |
Sun May 12, 2024 6:58 pm
![Astrid](https://2img.net/u/3013/50/43/46/avatars/26623-5.jpg)
"In my name..." STR: 1 | SPD: 146 | CON: 251 | END: 251 | INT: 1001 | MANA: 11,650 "Bow before your queen" - Astrid Venier "I appreciate what you're saying, but I must admit, I find it a bit hard to fully believe." Within the office of the leader of Orchidia, the duo sat there, Astrid struggling to fully believe the story told. The story of the massive project that so much of the budget had gone towards. The massive stone walls erected around the city of Orchidia, towering overtop everything within the city’s borders. “I don’t see how you’re struggling to understand. It’s fairly straightforward to me,” the man’s resistance was to be expected. It was his project after all, the grand design of the people of his city, that was being questioned. Treated as less than a wasteful use of resources and a poor deterrent to the threat that their critic could not hope to appreciate. “Without the wall, we would fall into despair.” Astrid scoffed at the claim made by the Orchidian leader. An overstating of need to justify inflated costs. “Orchidia has long stood despite facing a greater amount of plights than much of Fiore and you had no walls then. Even recent history would indicate that the tenacity of this city was already battle-hardened beforehand. Walls, what exactly do you expect walls to provide you? Other than a false sense of security perhaps.” Her words stung, but they were not entirely untruthful. Orchidia had long been at the center of plights felt throughout Fiore’s northern lands, and it had managed to endure all of them, an attribute that many were not able to claim too. “And, I should bring up, a gross waste of jewels that the King’s treasury is providing.” It was clear on the man’s face that he was becoming frustrated. It was both Astrid’s demeanor and her words, both cruel and accurate at the same time, at least by her own impression. Conversely, he felt that she did not appreciate just what was at stake and the value behind it all. “It’s clear that there is a disconnect between you and I as to the matter. Perhaps, perhaps that it more do you simply needing to see everything for yourself.” Astrid rose an eyebrow, somewhat curious as to what the man was suggesting. “How about this? Spend some time within Orchidia, as a personal guest on behalf of the city. Lodging, food, all shall be provided to the two of you. And tomorrow, myself and several of the brilliant men who helped make the walls such a success shall give you the full tour. It’s clear that until you see it for yourself, understanding it shall be difficult, if not next to impossible. Do we have an accord?” Astrid looked to Sia, curious as to her opinion. Not that it would have mattered. She could have said no and Sia would have backed the decision with absolute loyalty. But it was gestures like that that would reaffirm her loyalty as well as secure Astrid’s visage as someone who takes opinions into consideration. Upon seeing Sia nod in agreement, she turned back to the Orchidian leader, a faint smile upon her face. “Tomorrow morning then.” 1719/1200 (-40% | -20% Frosch the Exceed, -20% Symbiotic Fleshweave) |