You are a LALAFELL. A mere eight years old at that. You were sold into slavery in the gladiatorial arena of Ul'dah--a city state which has grown only more cruel and corrupt since Sultan Ravenous Boar came into power. A madman, he elected to make both poverty and starvation illegal in the state which disproportionately affected the primarily Lalafell miners.

Your father sold you off as the youngest of your siblings to save costs and have less mouths to feed. Cutting off the pinky to save the hand, as it were. The Roegadyn ruling class do love to see frail little Lalafell risk their lives fighting for their lives, so they paid a decent penny for you, if that's any consolation.

But that was then, this is now. You are a shivering little man in a cell with nothing but a white tunic and worn down pants who will be sent to die in obscurity for the entertainment of the masses. Yet, still, you deserve a name. What will it be?
>Mushir Toshir
>Tilbicho Mobicho
>Mindafu Cidafu
>other (must follow Plainsfolk naming convention)

(Author's Note: An AU FFXIV RP I wanted to write, blending elements from Kenshi into my interpretation. No stat system or dice rolls. If you have any questions, feel free to ask.))

>>6269877 (OP)
How AU we talking? And where in the timeline is this?

>>6269877 (OP)
Gintosa Fertosa

>>6269998
((For Ul'dah specifically, very, but I don't have every intricate detail of the world plotted out as it's not directly relevant to this small scale beginning.))
>>6270003
((I'll give it until the afternoon tomorrow since it's far past midnight for me. Thank you for your participation, however.))

((I was unclear in a previous post. I meant to say that there would be no numerical interaction between stats in combat. However, stats will be present as a guideline for what your level of prowess in a given area is. Also, this takes place in 1566 of the Sixth Astral Era.))

You are Gintosa Fentosa, otherwise known as the runt of the litter. You are a pale little boy with short messy jet black hair and a smidge of dirt on your nose as is custom for your people. Despite your undesirable position, even you have some talent to tap into. Where do they lie?

Invest 5 points into your preferred statistics. You are a young Lalafell, so there is a cap to how much you may increase certain parameters through this process. However, you may increase them beyond those caps through training.

Strength: (1/5) Your physical strength. Useful for utilizing heavier weapons. At its peak, you would be able to make a Roegadyn shiver with how easily you would be able to harm even gods. (Cap: 2/5)

Dexterity: (1/5) The speed with which you attack and avoid damage. A truly dextrous individual will move like a blur. However, you will receive penalties for using weapons if you lack the strength for them. (Cap: 3/5)

Vitality: (1/5) Your ability to withstand punishment. Even attacks from the strongest of monsters will be but a scratch to you. (Cap: 3/5)

Channeling: (1/5) Your ability to channel your naturally potent aether reserves. Be warned, finding someone to teach you spells would be difficult at the present moment regardless of your talent, but if you somehow survive you’ll be a frightening creature. (Cap: 4/5)

Willpower: (1/5) Your force of will. This is your mental fortitude and the ability to impose your will on others. A person with a truly strong will can give the impression that they can do just about anything and strike fear into those who would otherwise hold the upper hand.

((I was unclear in a previous post. I meant to say that there would be no numerical interaction between stats in combat. However, stats will be present as a guideline for what your level of prowess in a given area is. Also, this takes place in 1566 of the Sixth Astral Era.))

You are Gintosa Fentosa, otherwise known as the runt of the litter. You are a pale little boy with short messy brown hair and a smidge of dirt on your nose as is custom for your people. Despite your undesirable position, even you have some talent to tap into. Where do they lie?

Invest 5 points into your preferred statistics. You are a young Lalafell, so there is a cap to how much you may increase certain parameters through this process. However, you may increase them beyond those caps through training.

Strength: (1/5) Your physical strength. Useful for utilizing heavier weapons. At its peak, you would be able to make a Roegadyn shiver with how easily you would be able to harm even gods. (Cap: 2/5)

Dexterity: (1/5) The speed with which you attack and avoid damage. A truly dextrous individual will move like a blur. However, you will receive penalties for using weapons if you lack the strength for them. (Cap: 3/5)

Vitality: (1/5) Your ability to withstand punishment. Even attacks from the strongest of monsters will be but a scratch to you. (Cap: 3/5)

Channeling: (1/5) Your ability to channel your naturally potent aether reserves. Be warned, finding someone to teach you spells would be difficult at the present moment regardless of your talent, but if you somehow survive you’ll be a frightening creature. (Cap: 4/5)

Willpower: (1/5) Your force of will. This is your mental fortitude and the ability to impose your will on others. A person with a truly strong will can give the impression that they can do just about anything and strike fear into those who would otherwise hold the upper hand.

>>6270110
I'm not familiar with this setting but it seems fun so I'll toss my two cents in.

+3 Channeling (maybe we'll get lucky and instinctually throw aether at our opponent)
+1 Vitality (going to need to be able to take some punishment to survive this)
+1 Willpower (mindset can be everything in these situations)

>>6270119
>I'm not familiar with this setting but it seems fun so I'll toss my two cents in.
((Feel free! The setting's going to be different from canon and I'll try to explain anything that's no immediately clear. Apologies for the slow speed at the start, I'm trying to wait to give other people a chance to have an input on character creation but it'll speed up after that.))

>>6270116
+3 Channeling
+2 Dexterity

Rolled 1 (1d2)

>>6270119
>>6270208

>>6270142
Can always post in the qtg thread to draw more people in: >>6243967

>>6270119 (Winner)
Strength: 1/5
Dexterity: 1/5
Vitality: 2/5
Channeling: 4/5
Willpower: 2/5

You wipe your tears, feeling a sudden bump of willpower. Despite the tears still flowing from your eyes, you need to get a hold of yourself. You try to control your breathing but rather than just weeping, it sounds as though you’re hyperventilating. A slight improvement.

Throughout your life, you never were as hardy as your siblings and you were never aware of any talents you might have. You could take a hit or two whenever you scrapped with your older siblings, you suppose. If there were any talent deep inside you, you would have to unlock it soon.

But that’s enough. You know your name, you know what you’re (not) good at, but who are you? Your personality might be muted given your current predicament, but it’s still there somewhere, right? What is your voice like?

Choose 3 personality traits that best describe you. These will influence how you speak and what actions you are allowed to take.

>Eccentric
>Mischievous
>Happy-go-lucky
>Quiet
>Empathetic
>Write in.

Be warned, a given personality trait might result in a negative one being added (e.g. Cautious Passive). Your willpower is fairly low so you do not have access to more powerful personality traits such as “ambitious” or “heroic.” Worry not, you are still young and personalities are complex. Something negative like shyness might be endearing to one person, while generally positive things like outspokenness can be seen as annoying. So be true to the person you want to be.

((That is, pick a personality you would enjoy roleplaying as.))

>>6270256
((Maybe, but anyone there is probably already aware of this one by virtue of how slow this board is, right?))

>>6270263
>Creative

>>6270263
Oh hey a FF14 quest. Neato.

If we're going spooky black mage. I'd vote quiet to be stereotypical. But I like >>6270268
So that's my +1 along with
>Empathic
>Optimistic

Pictomancer all the way.

>>6270263
I didn't realize that everyone was supposed to list three.

>Creative
>Empathetic
>Macabre

>>6270263
>Eccentric
>Mischievous
>Empathetic
i want to be a little shit with a heart of gold

>>6270287
+1

>>6270263
They might, but it seems like people don't really check the catalog that often here and mostly just stick to the quest threads they've already picked out.

>>6270282
>>6270283
>>6270287
>>6270308
>Eccentric
>Mischievous
>Empathetic
You’ve always been an out there little boy. You were the type to stick food up your nose to make your other siblings laugh and make funny faces to boost morale on particularly difficult days in the mines. You once asked your parents what it would be like to taste a goblin and were sent to bed without supper for the inanity of the question. It would also sometimes ostracize you from other children as they became disturbed by your thought process. You were kind to others, but that made you soft and struggle with hurting others if you could see where they were coming from. You would always play pranks on others as well and revel whenever you got one over them.

You wonder, is that why your parents stopped loving you?

Before that thought could marinate, you sat upright as clanking footsteps approached from the shadows. Your body instinctively moved to the corner of the cell, as though that would save you from your fate.

Soon, an armored Roegadyn appeared holding a cloth rolled up cylindrically and slammed open the door to your cell.

“Move out, slave!”

Your body shivered and remained still out of fear.

“Do NOT make me drag you out myself. MOVE, MOVE, MOVE!”

Your body moved on its own. You lacked the fortitude to even dream of denying his request.

“Hope it goes without saying, that if you try to run for it, your career as a gladiator will be done before your debut. Now wipe those tears out your eyes, you’ve got an important decision to make, spudling.”

He spread the cloth open on the floor and you immediately understood. He wanted you to choose a weapon. Your choices were as follow:
>a dagger
>a shortsword and shield
>a great sword

All were suitably small for a Lalafell warrior. A dagger would be the easiest for you to wield given your lacking strength. The other two options would help you grow your strength, but you could risk seriously getting injured from how slow they would make you. In the end, the choice was yours.

>>6270312
Dagger

>>6270312
>>a shortsword and shield
We're built for casting but we won't get spells if we die. At the very least a shield is something we'd be able to hide behind.

Rolled 2 (1d2)

>>6270312
Arguments can be made for both dagger and the sword/shield... so I'll vote this way: 1 - dagger; 2 - sword/dagger

>>6270352
Sword/shield* lmao

>>6270352
No wait, shit.

I change my vote to Shortsword + Dagger.

>>6270319
>>6270352
>>6270354
>>6270376
You choose the sword and shield for extra protection. They feel awkward in your hands.

The Roegadyn wraps up the weapons in the cloth and slings it over his shoulder.

“No dawdling–it’s show time, spudling.”

He walks at a brisk pace and you struggle to keep up with his significantly longer legs. The other cages are oddly empty.

You are led to a metal gate and the soldier leaves you there on your own. You can hear the sound of a talkative crowd from beyond it. You can hear your heart on the verge of leaping out of your chest.

“FINE PEOPLE OF UL’DAH, TODAY IS THE DEBUT OF A MOST FIERCE WARRIOR.”

You jump a bit at the sudden bellowing voice.

“FROM THE LEFT CORNER… AT A WIZENED EIGHT YEARS OLD, GINTOSA FENTOSA.”

There was a brief sound of shock from the crowd as he mentioned your age, which soon turned to laughter as they saw your quivering form exit the ring. So many Roegadyn in the stands for what? To see you get brutalized? It made your skin crawl.

“AND FROM THE RIGHT CORNER, THE ONLY SAPLING WHO CAN RIVAL A SPUDLING–WE’VE BROUGHT YOU A MANDRAGORA FROM THE UNCIVILIZED FORESTS OF GRIDANIA.”

The monster stared blankly at you as it walked out from its corner. You grasp your weapon tightly.

“LET THE BATTLE… BEGIN!”

The Mandragora stays right where it is. What will you do?

>Rush towards it with a slash attack.
>Approach cautiously
>Wait.
>Other.

>>6270458
Circle around it some. If it doesn't react when we're directly behind it, then go in for the attack.

>>6270470
You elect to circle around it and hope that the creature stays passive long enough for you to slash its back. Evidently, the sight of you slowly trying to creep up on the creature is most humorous to the crowd as you hear loud snickering from the stands.

Unfortunately, the plan doesn’t pan out. Once you get close enough, the Mandragora quickly turns and headbutts you, sending you stumbling backwards. Thanks to your shield, the impact is mostly on your forehead and you can stay standing, but the shock to your system from the impact and subsequent chuckling from the spectators drains your strength. Keep going at this rate and your guard will drop entirely, rendering the shield null and void.

What is your next course of action?

>>6270561
>Rush towards it with a slash attack.
Maybe we can do a feint if we're feeling ambitious?

>>6270458
>Approach cautiously

>>6270655
+1
>>6270561
Time to go balls to the wall and hope for the best

>>6270655
>>6270684
Humiliation stirs in your heart and you can already feel tears welling up in your eyes. You charge in recklessly and decide to just hope for the best with a frantic slash! …However, your movements are slow and easily telegraphed so the creature is easily able to anticipate your attack and dodge merely by jumping back a bit, then delivering another headbutt. Your guard is down, so this time you fall flat on your butt, your weapons falling down by your side. You can feel blood stream down your forehead. But the pain you feel in your head is a mere pittance compared to the humiliation you feel from the jeering crowd.

“C’mon spudling, we’ll have to make stew out of you at this rate!”

It approaches, you can see it get ready to leap again. You aren’t fast enough to move out of the way and you’re barely keeping it together mentally as is.

>[Eccentric]: Grab your shield to block its headbutt, then pin it to the ground.
>[Mischievous]: Grab some dirt and throw it into its eyes.
>Write in.

>>6270704
>[Mischievous]: Grab some dirt and throw it into its eyes.

>>6270704
>>[Mischievous]: Grab some dirt and throw it into its eyes.
We don't have the strength to fully deflect an attack imo. Blinding our enemies, however, seems to be our wheel house.

>>6270704
>>6270711
Changing to
>[Mischievous]: Grab some dirt and throw it into its eyes.

>>6270704
>>[Mischievous]: Grab some dirt and throw it into its eyes.

>>6270711
>>6270716
>>6270749
You think quickly and toss dirt directly into its eyes. While it looked as though it were about to leap, the maneuver threw it out of whack enough that it instead stumbled back a bit and tried cleaning out its with its leaves. It's a plant, so it looks more annoyed its vision was obscured than actively in pain.

"YE, THAT'S IT!!! THROW SOME CHEAP SPUDLING TRICKS AT THE LITTLE BUGGER!"

This is your chance!
>Slash it (vertically/horizontally)
>Slash (body part)
>Stab it in its (choose body part)
>[Eccentric] BASH IT.
>Write in.

>>6270757
>>Stab it in its (choose body part)
Stab the chest or head. Which ever is bigger. I don't think we have the skill for a clean kill be we should do the most/easiest damage.

>>6270757
>>[Eccentric] BASH IT.

Rolled 1 (1d2)

>>6270759
>>6270775

>>6270759
You grab your sword with both hands to stab at its head. It's a shallow hit but you manage to take out one of its eyes. Green juices start to flow from the hole you created in it. It screams out in pain and begins to writhe.

[Empathetic] You feel... bad for it. Your compassionate nature stops you from following up on your attack and it soon gathers its bearings.

"WHY DIDN'T YOU FINISH IT YOU LITTLE FOOL?!"

Too little to late. It rushes towards you again. Think fast!

>Try to block with just your sword like in the picture books.
>Hold your sword like a spear and wait for it to impale itself.
>[Eccentric] Sit down to dodge the attack.
>Other.

>>6270785
>[Eccentric] Sit down to dodge the attack.

>>6270785
>>Hold your sword like a spear and wait for it to impale itself

>>6270785
>Hold your sword like a spear and wait for it to impale itself.

>>6270802
>>6270825
You anticipate another jump from the enemy and line your sword up like a spear. It realizes this as it jumps, but it's already too late. It impales its neck on your blade and slides down to its hilt, forcing you to drop it from the weight. Stress vanishes from your body and fatigue sets in as you hear the crowd cheer giddily.

And then, you fall face first onto the ground.

When you next awake, you're back in your cell. Only this time, you can feel yourself atop of hay rather than the stone cold floor. The guard from before is waiting outside yourself. You can feel bandages over your head.

"BWAHAHAHA! That was the most ridiculous showing I've ever seen in my life, Spudling, but damn amusing, I must admit!"

His praise felt hollow. You wanted to go home. You wanted your mother back. Tears welled up in your eyes again from the throbbing headache you had.

"NONE OF THAT! Unimpressive as you may be, you're technically a gladiator now. As a reward for that comedy you performed, I'll answer up ta three questions for you. Any ya like, won't even rough you up or nothing if it ain't too cheeky. Mighty generous, ain't it?"

This was a chance for you to learn more about your situation. Think carefully, if you ask the right question, you could get a serious advantage. Do you have any questions? Pick one at a time.
>How do I get out of here?
>How do I survive?
>Are there any canes here?
>Other.
Note: While your questions will get across one way or another, you are still a little boy with a personality at the end of the day, so they won't come out word-for-word.

>>6270841
>How do I get out of here?
>Are there any canes here?
>Who are you?

>>6270841
>>6270844
+1

>>6270844
>>6270852
>Pick one at a time.

>>6270856
In that case I'll vote for
>How do I get out of here?

>>6270841
>How do I get out of here?

>>6270858
>>6270901
“I… I wanna go back to my mommy…” You squeak out.

“Ha! I’ll count that as a question I suppose. I’ll level with you kid, if your folks gave half a shit about you you wouldn’t be here. Best to think of yourself as your own man from now on, I’d say.”

You look down to the floor in silence. He sighs.

“Well, if you want to get out of here so badly, the way it works is that you’ve got to repay the price you were sold for by ten times the original amount. Your kind are usually bought for around 15,000 gil, so you would have to make 150,000 gil to buy your freedom. See that vase over there?”

He points to a vase in the corner you hadn’t noticed before.

“That’s where your pay goes. You got 1,000 gil from your debut. It was amusingly pathetic in a rare sort of way so they paid double the usual amount. We’ve got staff on board who are willing to go out and bring you whatever you need from the outside–provided you have the money, of course. If you give a particularly interesting performance, you get paid more to motivate you to keep drawing people to the colosseum.”

He chuckled.

“You might even get yourself a little spudling fan club willing to throw gifts your way. One of ‘em might even want to buy you out of here. One of the only choices you get in this place is whether you would want to accept it or not. You’d still be a slave, of course, but in a cushier spot.”

He scratches his chin.

“I reckon you could also be something of a heel and make the crowd want to see you maimed but… something tells me you wouldn’t be able to pull it off.”

Your next question?

>>6270917
>150,000gil
>at 500 gil a pop that's 300 fights
That's a lot of fights our little bean MC needs to get through... (less if we get a fan club/get more big paydays, more depending on the necessary expenses we need to account for; aren't these sort of things debt treadmills usually?) So we should probably ask something along the lines of: How am I going to make it/get strong? Something like that

>>6270940
We're 8 and a slave. I'm surprised if we'll get any straight answers. Then again they'll probably enjoy making us squirm with the truth. I just can't think of a way an 8 year old would consider asking how to get access to magic. We might end up accidentally tapping into our aether reserves by accident. So I'll support >>6270940

Learning how to survive better is probably our top priority.

>>6270917
>How do I survive?
I agree with the other anons above me.

>>6270940
>>6270982
>>6271158
“Am I… Am I gonna be okay?”

“Prolly not.” He responded with a shrug.

You feel your heart sink.

“But… I reckon your kind are pretty hardy. We've got training facilities here, so if you practice a bit and endear yourself to the fans… well, crazier things have happened, I suppose.”

He chuckles a bit.

“Hey, maybe you can get chummy with the other spudling riff-raff, that'll help you survive a mite or two.”

One last question.

>>6271326
>Who are you?

>>6271326
>Are there any canes here?

Might as well get a weapon that plays to our strengths.

>>6271326
What do you think I should know?

>>6271371
+1

>>6271354
Depending on how close we're sticking to game mechanics, canes are for healing/holy/earth/wind magic. If we wanna chuck fire/ice/lighting we want a staff. Also we're 8 and have no proper training. I'm not sure asking for a cane would help us much. Unless there's a thaumaturge or conjurer slave we can talk to.

>>6271371
>>6271374
"Mmm... I guess... what do you think I should know?"

"Heh, there’s a clever one. My name’s Giving Crow, so I’ll live up to that name and give you a two for one. Look for things you can throw and stay away from Standing Guillotine.”

He claps his hands together.

“Well, well, fair’s fair, I’ve chattered more than enough for today. There’ll be bread for you in the morning, for now, shut up and sleep while the rest finish their free time for the day. You’ll be acquainted with them come morning time.”

With that, he walks away. Your cage is locked. Your thoughts distract you from your headache. Rage bubbles inside you.

“I hate you! I hate you! I hate you!” You assault your poor hay bed with several fist poundings. Without realizing it, you tire yourself out and fall asleep.

-

Morning comes before you realize it with a different guard slamming open your door. You woke up late. You stuff your bread in your mouth as he escorts you and the other prisoners out into a big courtyard. You are told that this is known as your “free period” and that you will be training here for two months before your next fight. Though, you can request a match sooner if it pleases you. You wonder why there are a lot of Hyur and Mi’qote slaves, but shockingly few Lalafell despite how plentiful your people are. Not many Roegadyn either, really.

You notice that there’s one resting by the waterfall. She looks young, but slightly older than you. She’s the spitting image of a Dunesfolk and has dark skin, snow white hair tied into twin tails, and amber eyes. She’s staring right at you, which puts you on edge.

What will you do?
>Approach her.
>Find the training grounds.
>Find a shopper.
>Other.

We could train but if we're allowed to buy stuff, we can look into finding a magic trainer with our shopping? Surely the thaumaturge's guild could give us a leg up.

>>6271406
This >>6271431 seems like the most logical course of action.

>>6271431
>>6271448
For a moment you consider asking a shopper if you could buy any magical doodads that might help you escape this situation, but you shake your head at your own thought. The sultanate made it clear they hated "weak" black magic of any kind and took steps to make sure it wasn't widely practiced. Most Lalafell with extensive knowledge on it fled to Limsa Lominsa over a century ago since the coup happened.

You know this because your father would get drunk on ale and ramble on about how the Roegadyn were afraid of the Lalafell's magical potential.

"O'ER A HUNNY FITTY BLOODY YEARS AN DA DAMN MEAT HEADS ARE STILL RUDDY SCARED!!!"

Not that you even had a reason to believe such a thing existed in you... father sure did get incomprehensible when he drank.

Well, any other ideas?

>>6271406
>>6271470
Let's go see what the girl who was staring at us wants. Then we can train

>>6271479
+1

>>6271470
>>6271479 +1

>>6271479
>>6271531
>>6271620

You decide to approach the girl and say hello before doing anything else.

“Memoh, wush yore naym?” You say, politely.

“...chew.”

You realize that your mouth is still full of bread. You take a giant bite, then rapidly swallow and let out a breath.

“Hello, what's your name?” You repeat, not missing a beat.

She pauses for a second.

“You’re an odd little duckling, huh?”

“Isn't it ‘spudling?’” You crane your neck.

She gasps.

“Well don't call yourself that! Don't you have any pride at all?!”

You crane your neck in confusion. She just shakes her head.

“It's a bad word. They use it to say we're dirty little potato people. You should know this, how old are you?”

You hold out five fingers on your right hand and three on your left. Her face drops from the firm look to a pitying one.

“Three years younger than me… that's…”

She shakes her head once more.

“Well, I'm Neneqe Neqe. And you're…”

It takes you a second to realize she wants you to tell her your name.

“Oh! I'm Gintosa Fentosa.”

“You’re Plainsfolk? But you're so dark!”

“I am?” You were always told you were pale.

“For Plainsfolk, you are. Sun must've cooked you up a bit. Or do you just have a lot of Dunies in your family?”

“Um…? I dunno?”

“Nevermind! Listen, I've got to do some training but come to me if you ever need help, ‘kay?”

“O…kay.” You were a bit confused. You stick your stale piece of bread back in your mouth. Dedeqo frowns and yanks it out, tossing it in front of her for two Hyur slaves to compete over. She then grabs a fresh(er) piece of bread from her satchel and sticks it in your mouth.

It was pretty good, actually.

“Thag yu.”

“You’re welcome!” She giggles, then playfully says, “Now go away, you're distracting me!” before giving you a light kick from her seat.

You think… you just made a friend? What now?

>Ask her another question before she leaves.
>Ask to tag along.
>Speak to a shopper
>Find a training area for [STAT]
>Other.

>>6272016
>>Find a training area for [DEX]

>>6272044
+1 not getting hit is good. Also could lead to red mage. They have the best clothes.

((Updates are gonna be slow over the work week since I have an actual job. Waiting on 1 more person to have input at least. Out of curiosity, though, is everyone here a /qst/ native or did you come from /xivg/?))

>>6272016
>Speak to a shopper
Let's see what there is to see.

>>6272044
+1

>>6272130
Didn't even know ff14 had a board but I only really come to qst myself. I only really play the game though so I don't really go on any other sites related to ff14.

>>6272044
>>6272098
>>6272135
You say your goodbyes and start looking around at some of the training grounds, more exploring the environment than looking for anything in particular. You wander aimlessly for around an hour familiarizing yourself with your new home (prison) until you stumble upon a training ground full of dummies getting absolutely brutalized. Neneqe’s there, too, using two wooden daggers and attacking the dummy repeatedly in the same exact pattern over and over and over again.

You think about how cool it would be to attack that plant monster thingy whose name you forget with the same amount of ferocity.

You know. If it weren't already deader than the deadest dead.

You decide to practice for a bit to hone your skills. How do you do that, little man? And what weapon do you pick? There’s the same selection as before but with wooden variants.
>Attack a dummy as fast as you can.
>Try to copy another slave’s movements
>Ask Neneqe for advice
>Other.

>>6272157
>>Try to copy another slave’s movements
Ideally the one that looks most competent (bonus points if they're similar to our build/size)

>>6272130
/qst/ native here
>>6272157
>Try to copy another slave’s movements
Lets try a dagger this time

>>6272213
>>6272310
You decide to become a speed demon the likes of which Eorzea has never seen before and will never ever see again. They'll call you the "Typhoon Tycoon" once you're done with them!

But you're a wise little boy and decide to start mimicking Neneqe's movements for a bit with a dagger of your own, as she's the only one of the scarce Lalafell population in the prison using them to competent effect.

The results? Abject failure! The motions feel awkward and you have nowhere near the willpower nor know-how to understand exactly how you should be improving. You quickly get tired and mentally exhausted from the aimless tedium.

You are quite literally an eight year old.

You've hardly any combat experience aside from an occasional scuffle with your siblings or getting brutalized by a plant monster. Such inexperience and training without any guidance hardly go well together.

You do gain one benefit, however: knowledge. You feel that doing poky stuff with the dagger is much easier than the short-sword you used before and you can immediately feel the difference in how much force you are able to generate.

Wat nou?
>Find a shopper.
>Find someone to ask about [x]
>Other.

>>6272459
>Find someone to ask about [instructors]
Whether or not they're a thing. Otherwise time for some food/R&R.

Question, QM: is there a specific training area for willpower or is training it just maintaining a daily training schedule/pushing through our limits?

>>6272466
>>6272130
Oh, also: I tend to wander a bunch of different boards. Only recently rediscovered /qst/

>>6272466
>>6272468
((Willpower is just something that will naturally go up after enough harrowing encounters. If you get beat up hard but eke out a win regardless, that'll progress your willpower until it goes up a point. If you make risky decisions (as much as your willpower will allow), that will also make it go increase slowly. You're mischievous so if you mess with someone, especially if they're stronger than you, that's also be another way to boost it. So be creative in how much of a dick you are to the people you dislike. There's also a milestone that'll just increase it by 1 if it's stayed the same but it won't be as useful by then.))

>>6272459
>Find a shopper.

Let's at least see what our magical options are and how much they cost.

>>6272459
>>6272466
+1

>>6272466
>>6272525
“‘Lo.” You greet Neneqe.

“What? Don’t like. Distraction.” She said, looking visibly sweaty from the constant repetitions.

“Um… I dunno how to get strong. Are there any teachers around?”

“Yes. Pay. Them. Me. Help. Free. No. Know. Much. Ask. Later.”

You give your thanks and decide not to ask any more questions given her exhaustion. What you gathered was that she would help for free but didn’t know much but others would charge you. Too in the groove to lend a hand right now by the looks of it.

It seemed like prisoners were allowed to exchange gil to one another in exchange for services.

[Mischievous] You could immediately smell the potential. Your siblings would often use you to get back at each other given your knack for pranks and the like. If people here were anything like that, you could get into some good trouble.

And now, you were going to…
>Relax for a bit, you’ll need it for what’s to come (Events can happen and NPCs will occasionally come speak to you)
>See what you can get from the shoppers
>Seek out people who need help
>Other.

>>6272560
>Seek out people who need help

>>6272560
>Seek out people who need help
Might as well take a look around

>>6272589
>>6272600
[Eccentric] You decide to look for people in need of mischief in a scheme that is most certainly not a mere distraction from the sheer despair you're feeling. But if you want the business of mischief to prosper, you must think like a proper Lalafell and--what? That's right, advertise!

-300 Gil. 700 remaining.

The shoppers are able to get the materials you need lickety split! That is, two bells that you are certain they already had judging by how unusually quickly they were able to get them to you.

You feel a strange attunement to them.

You ring your bells to draw attention to yourself and ask staring passerbys,

“Mischief? Mischief? Mischief?”

Your business acumen actually nets you an interested party. A tall, red Roegadyn with a musculature that you consider abnormal even for his race. He could probably crush your skull between his biceps. Not only that, he seemed significantly better dressed than the other prisoners. He sported elegant, colorful robes that blew the standard tunics the rest were assigned completely out of the water. He had two beautiful women wrapped around his arms looking somewhat uncomfortable, one Miqo'te and one Hyur.

“What is this cacophonic display, precisely?” Even his accent was oddly… noble, for lack of a better word. The sort of accent you'd use if you wanted to do a funny voice to make fun of rich men.

“Business of mischief, sir. If you need any mis done, I'm the chief.” You felt smart saying that.

The man lets out a raucous chuckle. For some reason, you feel the air around you get heavier. People have stopped to stare at the two of you.

“How quaint! I could stand for some entertainment right about now.” The man looks around and picks up a cockroach that was scurrying across the ground. He holds it in front of you.

“Sneak this down the neck of that spudling girl over there and I will bestow 5,000 Gil upon you.”

He pointed his head towards Neneqe, who was settling back down at her spot on the water fountain. She was panting and sweaty. The two women now looked deeply disturbed, but were silent.

“Huh? Neneqe? Did she… do something bad to you?”

He looked annoyed that you even asked for clarification.

“Do you want the money or not?!”

Well? It… [i]sounds[/i] like you have a choice.

>Well, you do need the money…
>No, that's terrible!

((I fucked up the code AIIIIIIIIIIEEEEEEEEEE))

>>6272698
>No, that's terrible!
Hah, pretty sweet of our boy. But I don't wanna ruin the very first friendship we've made (at least not yet)

>>6272698
>No, that's terrible!

>>6272698
>>Well, you do need the money…
But when we walk up to her say "I'm sorry about this, I'll make it up to you..." and give her a cut of our earnings.

>>6272833
>>6272882
“No way, that's my friend!” You protest.

[Empathetic] This guy was extremely strong… but also extremely weak at the same time. You could not articulate the reason why you believed this, yet your gut assured you that this was the case. After all, how else would you be able to say no to him?

“Hahahahaha!” He chuckled, some of the passersby sucked their teeth and turned their heads away. “How unfortunate, the shrill screams of spudling females are a rare delicacy I do not often partake in.”

He picks you up by one arm. Your bells drop to the ground.

“Let this be the first and last time you ever disregard the word of Standing Guillotine, brat!”

You are tossed into the air, feel an impact on your stomach, then are immediately knocked out.

WILLPOWER increased a large amount!
TOUGHNESS increased a large amount!

You don't wake up any time soon. But even in dreams you have the ability to grow or receive hints for the future. Who do you dream about?

>Your father.
>Your mother.
>Your siblings.
>Other.

((Vitality, not toughness. Sorry, wrote that at 5AM.))

>>6272891
>Your siblings.

>>6272891
>Your father

>>6272891
>Your siblings.

>>6272946
>>6272987
Your siblings… you had two brothers–Shasco Gasco and Kuho Keho–along with two sisters, Ihoho Iho and Icucu Icu. you were the baby of the bunch and usually got along, but they were much stronger than you, so they would often hold it over your head to get you to do what they wanted. One day, you had enough of Kuho Keho pawning his chores off on you, so you dumped all the medicine your father used to “loosen himself” into his food. He spent most of the day in the bathroom and none were ever the wiser. You miss them.

You remember a tool of mischief!

-

You wake up with a gasp. Your vision is initially blurry but clears up quickly. You felt as if your insides were getting destroyed in the brief moment before you fell unconscious, but now even the mild throbbing head injury you had was gone. The reason why was obvious.

There was a Hyur cleric in the room who had just healed you and Neneqe by your side.

“You’re okay!” She said cheerfully, relief plain on her face.

The cleric cleared his throat. “That’s 5,000 gil, yes?”

She paused for a second, face suddenly turning dark. She turned away from the two of you and passed the money over with a shaking hand, as if every fiber of her being was revolting from the amount of gil she had to pay.

The cleric left wordlessly and she suddenly turned to you, grabbing you by the shirt. Judging by the mix of anguish and anger in her face, you would think that she was a mother who had just lost a child.

“WHY IN THE WORLD DIDJA HAVE TO GO AND PISS OFF STANDING GUILLOTINE ON YOUR FIRST DAY?! HAVE YOU NO SENSE, GINTOSA FENTOSA?! HEALING DON’T COME CHEAP HERE, YOU KNOW!” She shook you violently.

She collected herself, letting the feelings wash over her. You felt… kinda dizzy.

“Hah… you’re a lot of trouble, aren’t ya?”

What will you say next? You can choose multiple.

>Apologize.
>Promise to pay her back.
>Ask about Standing Guillotine
>Question why she’s helping you so much.
>Other.

>>6273077
>Question why she’s helping you so much.
>Ask about Standing Guillotine
>Promise to pay her back.
In that order.
The way I see it, we don't need to pay her while we're here. We can always get our freedom first and then pay her.

>>6273077
>Apologize.
>Question why she’s helping you so much.
>Other: Explain what happened from our side
>>Promise to pay her back.

>>6273120
>>6273147
“Sorry… he wanted me to put a cockroach down your shirt but I told him no.”

You could see shivers immediately go down her spine and her expression immediately swapped from exasperated to thankful.

“A-ah… my mistake, then.” She rubbed the back of her head in embarrassment. “But your life's more important, so…”

She closed her eyes tightly, took a deep breath, and put her arms on her knees as she sat on them.

“If he asks you to do that again… I give you permission!” Her voice got shrill near the end. She felt strong and almost motherly to you already, but she was still a kid like you.

“Neneqe Neqe…”

“Just Neneqe is fine.”

“Um, Neneqe… how come you help me so much?”

“Hmm…” She put a fist to her chin and closed her eyes once more. You could tell she had never put much thought into it.

“I guess… I'm the oldest in my family and you reminded me of my little brothers. And someone helped me when I first got here so I wanted to help you.” She rubbed her forehead with her index fingers as if coaxing out more answers. “But also… us Lalas don't usually last long here, so we gotta stick together, y'know?”

Judging by how you had nearly lost your life twice already, you could immediately understand.

“Yeah, I get it… what's that jerk's problem anyway?”

Her expression warped into one of disgust.

“He's the son of the General. He can't cut it compared to his older brothers so he fights as a gladiator here instead. He comes in and out as he pleases and makes a mess of him because the guards are scared of his father.” She looks down to her side. “He has a lot of money so he uses it to… get whatever he wants from the girls here.”

“Like… food?”

“Y-yeah, of course, food!”

“I think I get it… well, thanks for everything Neneqe. I promise that I'll pay you back for that cleric.”

She sighs.

“Just… survive long enough to do that, okay?”

“I promise! And you promise that you’ll survive, too!” You hold out a pinky.

“Pinky promise!”

[Empathetic] After speaking to Neneqe, you understand her and this Standing Guillotine a bit better.

Neneqe: Willpower 4/5
Traits: Heroic, Kind, Hotheaded

Standing Guillotine: Willpower 1/5
Traits: Cruel, ???, ???, ???

(1/2) ((Cutting it up as to not have one giant text block))

Neneqe then explains that it’s best to have a set schedule for training. You should lay low for today, but stick to a plan starting tomorrow. She assures you that she will be there to help you stay on the straight and narrow even if she has to work you to the bone.

You grimace, but thank her.

Time passes quickly when you’re focused on training so you have the option to schedule yourself to improve a specific stat for weeks at a time. Be warned, Neneqe is the only trainer you have and she is DEX focused. You will need trainers for STR and VIT and those don’t come for free. You will grow quickly at first, but it will become more difficult to make meaningful developments as you go along.

Regardless, events can happen to you as you go on and will vary from friendship events to quests for you to solve.

Be warned, while you can devote yourself to training entirely, it is most beneficial to have connections within the coliseum. These will allow you to become stronger far faster than sticking to yourself, as well as opening opportunities you never thought possible.

But enough of that. Your reputation is fairly poor, so you won’t miss much by focusing on training for now. You have 8 weeks to allocate until your next match. How will you distribute your time?

Your current options are:
1) DEX training
2) Exploration (play out a day)
3) Bells (Neneqe picked them up for you!)
4) Other.

Minor options like shopping will not take up a week.
(2/2)

>>6273502
1) DEX training
And if we can
2) Exploration (play out a day)

>>6273502
>DEX training
We can do Bells or explore when Neneqe's busy with her own training/whatever else she gets up to.

Would be nice if we can find people to befriend for STR/VIT training but that can probably wait.

>>6273502
>>6273506 +1

>>6273506
>>6273515
>>6273675
SCHEDULE

Weeks 1-5: Dex
Week 6: Bells
Week 7: Dex
Week 8: Exploration

Is this okay?

>>6273840
Looks good to me.

>>6273840
Works for me

Your first five weeks are filled with fierce dexterity training. Neneqe is insistent that you use a dagger so she can drill you easier. You grow closer to her over this time and learn more about her past. She was the daughter of bakers whose establishment was burned to the ground leaving them with hardly a gil to their name. To stop them from getting enslaved via the poverty law, she sold herself to make sure they could survive. That was a year ago. She sometimes references a teacher of hers but looks sad afterwards. You don’t pry.

+Dex (Massive!): If you keep going at it diligently, you’ll level up in no time! Neneqe seems to be growing from teaching you as well.

[Eccentric] You decide to take a break from training for a week to play your bells. Not as a performance, mind, but there’s something in your soul that stirs whenever you do. Just a bit, though. You dance and shake your bells nonstop to the befuddlement of others (and Neneqe) but they assume you’re trying to provide entertainment for them and donate a bit of money every day. Standing Guillotine seems to be out, so you’re safe as you do so.

Day 1: 44 Gil
Day 2: 8 Gil
Day 3: 30 Gil
Day 4: 14 Gil
Day 5: 33 Gil
Day 6: 46 Gil
Day 7: 8 Gil

Earnings: 183 Gil
Total: 883 Gil

After your break, you’re back at it again with your Dexterity training and can feel yourself on the cusp of reaching mediocrity after your grueling efforts. Neneqe advises you to rest the week prior to your match so you have the week to explore as you please. She doesn’t seem worried, since your last performance means you’ll likely have another fairly weak opponent.

What will you do?
>Find a Shopper
>Find a Stat Trainer
>Find Giving Crow
>Look for interesting people to speak to.
>Hang out with Neneqe.
>Other.

>>6273908
>>Look for interesting people to speak to.

>>6273908
>Find a Stat Trainer
I'm tempted to hang out with her so we can learn about her teacher, but I feel like we should find more stat trainers while we're still low leved.

>>6273908
>Find a Stat Trainer

>>6274003
>>6274136
You decide to look for someone that can help you gain RAW MUSCLE. The speed training Neneqe had you doing was helpful, sure, but a real man had to be STRONG as well. That, you were certain, was your true calling. You imagine yourself as absurdly muscular in a way no Lalafell ever has been or ever will be.

“Cor blimey, I was wrong about you spu–uh, I mean, sir!” Said the Giving Crow in your mind.

”Wooow, you’ll be the one protecting me from now on!” Fawned your mind’s Neneqe.

[Mischievous] “Hehehehehe…” You laugh deviously, much to the discomfort of the others around you in the training area. You already had someone in mind.

“Thorgil!” You call out to a highlander man squatting while carrying a comically large boulder behind his back. His name was Thorgil Warhammer. Neneqe had introduced the two of you since he was a friend of her teacher back in the day. He was more of a proven gladiator, so he was fighting other prisoners rather than the weakling monsters you were saddled with.

He laid his boulder down with a thud that shook the ground and wiped the sweat off his forehead.

“What is it, little one?” He asked, patiently.

“I want to train with you so I can be strong!” You flex your non-existent muscles to emphasize your point.

“I’m afraid I’ve never heard of a strong Lalafell, lad. You’d likely have better luck teaching yourself magic than gaining real muscle.” …And the former was considered something only a natural genius could do!

“B-but! I want to try! Please!”

He sighed, exhausted by even the premise of this conversation.

“Alright, lad. But I charge 2,000 gil for 2 months of training.”

“Ehhhh?!” You exclaim in shock.

“It’s far cheaper than what I should be charging you, but it’s the principle of the matter. Render a service, receive pay.” Such was the principle of Ul’dah. With that, he goes back to lifting his boulder.

You would have to put on quite the amusing performance in your next match. Or show off your raw WILLPOWER in your bell dances. Wat nou?
>Find a Shopper
>Find a Vitality Trainer
>Find Giving Crow
>Look for interesting people to speak to.
>Hang out with Neneqe.
>Other.

>>6274212
>>Find a Vitality Trainer
Same logic I had earlier, meet stat trainers for later.

>>6274212
>Look for interesting people to speak to

Rolled 1 (1d2)

>>6274256
>>6274299
((Post tomorrow.))

>>6274256
“AAAAHAHAHAHHAHAHA!!! IS THAT ALL YOU’VE GOT? HARDER, COWARD!” In another area of the Coliseum, a male Mi’qote with a body littered with scars was being held up by his arms by a Highlander man, then beaten in the stomach with a steel hammer by a midlander. He held an unmatched wildness that terrified most of the guards. You… were also terrified. Were all Mi’qote like this? There were so many here compared to the rest of the city that you truly had no idea.

Neneqe filled you in on this guy before. Apparently he was the toughest gladiator this place had ever seen.

“Oy, Itch! M-my arm’s are killing me here! Let me take a break already!”

The Mi’qote scoffed.

“Bah! Fine, the both of you, begone!” The two Hyurs let out sighs of relief, walking away from the maddened cat man.

“Um…”

“Hm?” He looks at you with a raised eyebrow.

“You’re Itcha… Itcha… It…” You stammer as you’re unused to Mi’qote naming conventions.

“I'TCHORA. CALL ME ITCHY IF THAT’S TOO HARD, LITTLE BOY!”

Your ears hurt…

*Your vitality increased a miniscule amount!

“Um… could you help me… become as tough as you?”

The man paused for a moment before beginning the most ferocious cackle you’ve ever heard, his back bending in ways you didn’t think possible as he laughed.

“That will never happen… but I’m willing to assist anyone who wishes to improve their fortitude. Become strong enough to serve as a training partner or pay me 2,500 gil if you desire 2 months of my undivided attention.”

“T-t-t-two thousand five hundred?!”

“Tell me, what distinguishes a boy from a man?”

“Um… the money they make?”

“WRONG. IT’S SUFFERING. TRUE MEN HAVE THE STRENGTH TO SUFFER AND PERSEVERE, WHETHER THAT’S SUFFERING FOR WEALTH OR SUFFERING FOR POWER. THE SUFFERING YOU ENDURE MAKES YOU STRONGER SO YOU SHOULD THANK THOSE WHO MAKE YOU SUFFER FOR GRANTING YOU THE TOOLS TO THEIR BACKS. I MERELY OFFER TO PATHS OF SUFFERING FOR YOU. NOW THANK ME FOR GUIDING YOU ON YOUR FIRST STEP TO MANHOOD!”

“Th-th-th-th-thank y-y-y-y-ou!” You stutter out.

“GO SUFFER FOR YOUR SUFFERING. BEGONE.”

…now your head hurts.

It’s the afternoon now. You have time for about one more big move before curfew. What’ll it be?
>Find a Shopper
>Find Giving Crow
>Look for interesting people to speak to.
>Hang out with Neneqe.
>Other.

>>6274714
>Hang out with Neneqe.

>>6274714
>Hang out with Neneqe

>>6274733
>>6274807
You find Neneqe at her usual spot by the fountain, munching on fresh(er) bread. She was different from you. Her family didn’t sell her. They still cared enough about her to send her bread every week through the shoppers. Eating them together had become a ritual of sorts for the two of you. It did a lot to keep your spirits up while you were here.

She opened her satchel and pulled out a roll for you as well. You accept and start digging in after you sit down next to her. They had melted a savory tasting cheese on the inside which made it impossible to stop once you took a bite.

“Saw you talking to Hammerface and Itchy. Don’t tell me you’re trying to replace me now, are you?” She put on a faux voice of offense as she put her knuckles on her hips.

You laugh.

“No, never! I’m just trying to get stronger, y’know?”

“Ehhh? Stronger? You’re already plenty strong.” She pats down your arms. Then, paused for a second looking absolutely shocked.

“Whoa…” She looks to you, then back to your arm, then back to you. “Your muscles are poppin’ right out your tunic!”

You let out a raucous laugh at her joke and she promptly joins in with you. Just when the laughter starts to die down, you look each other in the eyes again and remember why you were laughing… then proceed to laugh for a few more uninterrupted seconds. Eventually, it dies down and you both manage to collect yourselves.

Until you flex your (nonexistent) arm muscles and say, “I call this the…” You resist the urge to laugh, “I call this the nutcracker!”

Both of you spend another unsullied minute just laughing. The other prisoners start to look at you both as if you’re insane.

“No, but, pff…” She stopped herself from laughing, “No, but you have made a lot of progress. You’re about to make a breakthrough, I reckon.”

“Yeah, I can feel it! It’ll be way different than last time!”

You chat about all sorts of things and have a lighthearted conversation. The perfect way to relax before your next match is up.

You feel your bond with Neneqe grow deeper…

She mentions her teacher in passing again but you get the feeling that it’s not something she wants to delve too deep into yet.

-

With that, your day is over. You go to your cell smiling about your day, but it only lasts for a bit. As you lay upon your hay bed, you remember. Your family completely ditched you and haven’t spoken to you in months. You try to sleep these thoughts away but they permeate into your dreams. Who do you dream of?
>Your father
>Your mother
>Your siblings/one of your siblings
>Other

>>6275144
>Your father

>>6275144
>Your father

((Question, just out of curiosity. When you guys read new posts, do you skim to your choices or do you try to read everything?))

>>6275222
I try to read everything unless I'm in a rush.

>>6275222
[I read everything to get the full context. If I don't have time right when I notice a new post I'll come back to it later when I do (since /qst/ is a slow board); it's part of the reason I haven't joined any big quests just yet; haven't had a chance to read through the archive.]

>>6275224
>>6275284
((Gotcha, gotcha. Thanks for the response, just curious. Update tomorrow.))

>>6275224
>>6275284
“We ain’t nothing like the Dunies, here, Gintosa Fentosa.” Your father said, swarthily. “We’re proud Plainsfolk, descendants of da wealthiest sorts of merchants. We stayed o’er here from Limsa Lominsa to fight da good fight after da treacherous Hellsguard staged their coup. Nuttin’ like da slave-minded Dunies of today. Mark me words, when we’ve da gil to migrate back, it’ll be a hero’s welcome! We come from the famous trader, Donyir Konyir, after all.”

Your father had made it a point to instill it into your mind that you were all Plainsfolk… but you weren’t much different from any other Dunesfolk now that you think about it. Other than your name, at least. You remember the name of your supposed wealthy ancestor and wonder if anyone in Limsa Lominsa would even care…

-

The rest of the week is uneventful and you soon find yourself on the day of your match. After eating your bread in the morning,you are met with… Standing Guillotine?!

“Hello there, boy.” He gave you an exaggerated bow. “Nice to see you still breathing with blood pumping through your heart.”

“Wh-wh-wh-what do you want with me? Where are the guards?!” You scream.

“Ahh, a prodigious question.” He pulls out a little black book from beneath his ornate robes. “You see, I make sure to record whenever I’m slighted. If I just have one person to pester, it becomes dull. If I’m indiscriminate, then my ire is cheapened. I prefer cycling through the objects of my spite for maximum pleasure. The guards kindly understood that and let me escort my favorite spudling to his match.”

You were too scared to speak. He grabbed you by the neck and personally carried you to your next opponent without a weapon in hand. You spot Neneqe on your way there, who can only respond with pure shock.

In a match titled the Midget Meltdown by the announcer, you face off against a malnourished looking Goblin with a club.

“Show us some Spudling martial arts, kid!”

You are horrified.
>Try to land a punch on the Goblin.
>Play it safe. Dodge as much as you can.
>Throw some sand his way.

>>6275866
>Throw some sand his way.
And then lets get his weapon and use it on him.

>>6275866
>Play it safe. Dodge as much as you can
But I'm not against grabbing and flinging sand or stealing the weapon if/when the opportunity arises

>>6275866
>Throw some sand his way.

Lads, all we have to do is fight a magic-using creature and then learn blue magic from it. We're empathic and gifted with aether. Forget finding a teacher.

>>6275886
>>6275948
You try to use your signature dirt throw ability again, but this Goblin is a thinking creature and can see what you're doing. It turns its neck to avoid getting dirt on its face, then dashes towards you. You hop backwards on instinct from the agility training so, it only stings your hand on your way out.

The goblin wears only a loincloth. You can soon that he's fairly emaciated, which explains why you are able to shrug off the hit.

What's your next move?
>Kick it!
>Keep dodging!
>[Eccentric] Move back and recreate your Bell Dance to confuse the opponent.
>Other.

((Ignore the sand part, I realized that I mentioned it was specifically dirt when double checking. Apologies for the late post, work was especially tiring today.))

>>6276220
((I had a different plan in mind, but I like this for being so creative. We can definitely move in that direction if that seems fun for you guys.))

>>6276361
>Kick it!

>>6276220
I'm down for some magic, if we can manage.

>>6276361
>>[Eccentric]

>>6276361
>[Eccentric] Move back and recreate your Bell Dance to confuse the opponent.

>>6276361
I'm always going to support a real chance at blue magic. Especially when I'm bitter about how XIV mishandled it in every way.

>[Eccentric] Move back and recreate your Bell Dance to confuse the opponent.

>>6276393
>>6276401
>>6276538
[Eccentric] You decide to take several steps back and show the crowd what you’ve been practicing all this time: dance. Though you don’t have your bells on hand, the movements are second nature to you. You feel something faint stir inside of you.

The Goblin is taken aback and completely confused. The crowd is similarly confused for a few moments of baffled mutterings before they realize the hilarity of the situation and let out a collective roarious laughter.

“What are you, gonna tap dance him to death?!”

“Might have to buy that Spudling as my own personal dancer!”

“Dance a little harder, you’ve almost killed him!”

[Empathy] They loved it. You should expect a bonus for this alone.

As an added benefit, the Goblin remains too confused to move, not registering what’s going on. Time to capitalize.
>Punch him straight in the face.
>[Eccentric] Latch onto him and start biting him.
>[Mischivieous] Poke his eyes and steal his weapon.
>Other.

>>6276704
>[Mischivieous] Poke his eyes and steal his weapon.

Big advantages. Maybe.

>>6276704
>>[Mischivieous] Poke his eyes and steal his weapon.

>>6276704
>[Mischivieous] Poke his eyes and steal his weapon.

>>6276730
>>6276743
>>6276749
((Sorry for the misspell, thought my auto-correct would catch it.))
“Ohhhh!” Members of the crowd exclaim, noticeably flinching as you dig your little fingers into the eyes of the goblin. Owing to your dexterity training, you are able to quickly yoink the club from the little anemic’s hands. In a state of disarray, he’s unable to retaliate as you bludgeon him with the club over and over again, the chaos of his situation overwhelming him entirely and causing him to shut down completely.

[Empathetic] Once again, you are unable to finish the job, as you notice how he’s quivering in fear and barely conscious… Guilt tugs at your heart. Why did this violence come so naturally to you?

“Do you… give up?” You ask, not wanting to hurt the goblin anymore. In that moment, the creature leaves you with one parting gift before falling unconscious. His knuckle glows white for a moment and he launches a brutal punch to your stomach, immediately bringing you to your knees with force far beyond what you would have expected.

That strange energy from your dance flows away. There’s a tingling in your brain.

You learned ???.

You retch and vomit a little from the attack to the disgust of the crowd, but are able to rise as the winner with ease you would have never dreamed of two months ago. The audience is oddly respectful but lacks energy for what was a quick and unenthused scrap.

How do you close things off?
>Raise your club like a hero.
>Create a victory dance.
>Moon them.
>Blow a raspberry.
>Other.

>>6276785
>Create a victory dance.
Our specialty.

>>6276785
>Create a victory dance.

>>6276785
>Create a victory dance

>You learned ???
Guess we are going the blue magic route then

>>6276785
QM?

>>6276788
>>6276844
>>6277265
In a bid to express your joy at the resounding victory you had against your frankly famished foe, you decide to perform a dance you conceptualized a long time ago.

[Eccentric] With choreography never before seen to the world! Straight out your noggin.

https://youtu.be/QDST44QrXr4?si=3svns79sfsEzQlZB

You notice several “ooohs” and “ahhhs” as the crowd is transfixed by your strange dancing. You seem to be getting particularly excited feedback from your fellow children. Shouts of:

“How is he doing all that?!”

“I wanna try! I wanna try!”

Of course, this rare bit of positive attention in what’s been an uncertain existence for you in the past few months quickly goes to your head and you decide to cap off your dance with a stunning backflip!... only for you to fall flat on your face. You aren’t quite dexterous enough for that just yet.

The cheers you had garnered turned to silence–confusion spreading as the audience wondered if this was part of your “act.” In an attempt to save face, you lift your head and give an awkward smile along with a thumbs up. In return, you receive roarious laughter as the crowd assumes it was part of your performance.

Suddenly, you feel tiny, shining objects being thrown your way. Gil! You had really amused them by the looks of it.

You scurry to collect it all and you receive a total of 1,200 gil, which you carry by pulling your tunic up by its hems.

You are then given an additional 1,000 by the Coliseum, with the guard handing you the money stating that he had never seen so much coin flow for such a lackluster match.

Total: 3,083 Gil

==>

When you reach the gate that separates the gladiator from the arena, you see Neneqe there beaming, carrying a dagger in her hand, presumably meant for you before your shock victory.

“You were great out there!”

She hugs you and twirls you around.

“Ack!” It was a bit too tight. “Thank you, but… how did you even get in here.”

She lets you go to do a victory sign with her index and middle finger.

“I yelled at the guard to let me in!”

“Ah…” People with strong willpower could do just about anything, huh?

“Still, you should just finish ‘im off next time. If you don’t, they might kill you one of these days.”

“I don’t like doing it if I don’t have to.” You rub the back of your neck awkwardly. “They’re prisoners just like us, right?”

“Hah…” She lets out a heavy sigh, then starts mussing up your hair affectionately. “Your heart’s too big, Gintosa Fentosa.”

“Hehe…”

“Y’know, your hair’s actually been getting pretty long, almost down to your shoulders.”

“It has?”

You hardly noticed. Your mother had always cut it for you before so you never paid it much mind.

“Yeah, you’re in good health this time around so come over to my cell and I’ll cut it for you. Having it too long can be…seriously dangerous.” She speaks as if from experience. “We can tie it up too, if you’d like.”

She didn’t phrase it as a request either and you’ve hardly got the willpower to resist so you’ll have to decide on a look.
>Tie it up into a ponytail.
>Cut it back down to its normal size.
>Go bald.
>Other

((Sorry for the delay, was sick over the weekend.))

>>6278576
>Tie it up into a ponytail.

>>6278576
>Cut it back down to its normal size.

>((Sorry for the delay, was sick over the weekend.))
No worries QM, health comes first.

>>6278576
>Tie it up into a ponytail
The theat of it being a liability is still there but maintaining a shorter style is a pain. We can always cut it or stuff it down the back of our shirt if it gets too long.

On second thought we might want to play with what works best for the charming dancing jester act we have going on in the arena. Part of the charm is the authenticity (and the cute) though and if she's willing to teach us to maintain it herself (though with friends it's always better if they do it) going short isn't really a problem.

Also let's start by paying her back for the healing with say 1k gil?

Hope you're feeling better QM

>>6278601
>>6278646
“Mmm. A ponytail.”

“Really?! I was expecting you to want a really freaky haircut.” She holds an open palm over her mouth in shock.

“It’s plenty freaky! Who’s ever heard of a man with a ponytail?”

“Okay, crazy, come on then.” She holds your hand and starts leading you somewhere, leaving you to carry the gil in your shirt with the remaining one.

Neneqe completely ignores your cries of, “Careful! Careful! Careful!”

The guard in front of the door that leads into the arena looks straight at the ground as Neneqe passes by.

Soon you are in her cell. It’s oddly vibrant with a bunch of drawings. She’s… not the best though. You do spot one of a little round girl and a stick figure with whiskers, cat ears, and a cool wide brim hat.

“So, am I an art genius or what?!” She puffs out her chest with pride.

“Oh. Well this is a nice drawing of a boot.”

She stares blankly at you for a second.

“...that’s a house. Sit down on this pillow before I decide to make you bald.” She places a pillow in the middle of the cell and you decide to stay shut and do as she requests, putting your coins down in a tiny stack on the floor.

“Let’s get all the muck out first. Yuck, I should have done this much sooner!” She starts brushing your hair with rhythmic motions. It feels relaxing. You close your eyes for a bit and just enjoy the sensation.

“You know, you really should just buy a satchel. It’d save you a lot of trouble, y’know.”

“I can hold it all with my shirt though!”

“Ha! If you keep going the way you’re going, that’s definitely not gonna be true. You might even get a fan club!”

“Weird.” Who would be a fan of yours? “Do you have a fan club?”

“I did. They were gross, though, so I scared ‘em off.” Her tone is completely flippant despite the massive financial hit she described.

It’s a moment of relaxation. Got any burning questions?
>Ask about the cat woman (Miqo'te?) she drew
>Offer to pay back X amount of gil
>Ask about her family
>Other.

>>6279056
>Ask about the cat woman (Miqo'te?) she drew
>>Offer to pay back 1000 amount of gil

>>6279056
>>6279234
+1

((Off to an event with a friend today, so post tomorrow or extremely late tonight. Sorry lads.))