FFXV Hunter-AU Sunshine

[sunbaked_baker]

Outside at the picnic table, in the blazing summer sunlight, Sunshine has settled in to maintain her gear. She has done what little laundry she has, and taken an inventory of her curatives so she knows what she'll need to stock up on at the Bar. Her daggers - each nearly the length of a short-sword - have been cleaned and will be taken by the forge later to be sharpened before she heads back. She has just cleaned the lingering mud and grime from her light leather armor, and now she has settled in to oil the leather.

The repetitive motions, the feel of the strong, smooth leather under her hands, and the reassuring heat and light of the sun on her back make it very easy for even a hunter to relax.

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[imthepilot]

General Bodhi Rook is out jogging, stripped down to a singlet and running pants. He's learnt to live with the scars, and his prosthetic. He makes his way back towards the lake, pausing to admire the view.

He nods politely to the woman maintaining her gear, admiring her thoroughness.

[sunbaked_baker]

A good hunter can't help but keep a weather eye on her surroundings, even when at ease in a safe place, in the blazing sunlight. Sunshine watches the man coming up from his jog, taking in his bearing, his scars, his arm.

She has seen similar scars - she wears some of them. The bearing is familiar, as well.

"Good morning," she offers a smile and nod in return as she buffs a leather strap to a brilliant shine.

[imthepilot]

"Good morning." He stops near her, pausing to pull his hair back. The run has shaken free of his braid. "That's fine armour." He nods, admiring her work.

[sunbaked_baker]

"Thank you," she replies, along the armor to oil the next section. "My armor takes care of me, so I take care of it in turn, when I get a chance."

Milliways is good for getting the chance to do things that it is difficult to find downtime to do, back home.

So many of Milliways' patrons are involved in some conflict or another. It isn't rare at all. So she adds, "It's good against demon attack, in particular, mitigating the effects of their darkness."

[imthepilot]

"Very wise." And he understand the, if not relaxation, then satisfaction in servicing one's gear. "I can't say I've ever had cause to face a demon. Other than my own."

[sunbaked_baker]

Her gaze lifts from her armor to his face and her hand slows at its work.

"Sometimes those are the hardest kind," Sunshine replies, trusting it is merely metaphor. "External demons at least have assured weaknesses and ways of defeating them. Or escaping them."

[imthepilot]

"in my experience, metaphorical inner demons do to. But they're weaknesses much harder to find and exploit. Or escape." For all his talk, Bodhi seems a man mostly at peace with himself. Even if that peace is hard fought and bought at great cost.

[sunbaked_baker]

There is never any assurance one will defeat or escape one's inner demons. They are insidious by design.

"Indeed," she says, instead.

"Demons, not the internal kind," or perhaps the scourge could be considered inner demons that have successfully destroyed their person, "are our main foes, back home. Us hunters, at least. We keep the citizens of Lucis' outlands as safe as we can."

[imthepilot]

"Protecting the people of your city." Bodhi nods, "A worthy cause. What bring them?"

[sunbaked_baker]

"Nightfall, and the scourge," she replies. "It isn't safe for people to be caught outside of towns or outposts at sundown, for the night is plagued by the demons created by the starscourge. The hunters, of which I am one, seek to rescue stranded travelers, hunt the demons making the wilds unsafe, and maintain the warded havens that offer shelter."

She buffs a smudge from the leather, knowing it will be filthy again soon enough.

"The Crown City may have only recently fallen," she adds, in the tone of one who hasn't really had the time to process all that means yet, "but the outlands of the kingdom have been occupied for years now, and the empire and their MTs aren't about to spare a thought for the Lucian people, even if they don't actively oppress, either."

She pronounces MTs dismissively, like empties.

[imthepilot]

Bodhi nods, knowing what it is to still be processing a change in the state of the war.

"We fight till we can't. And trust that it made a distance."

[sunbaked_baker]

"We do what we can because we must," she nods in return. That's exactly it. The hunters may be more of a paramilitary civilian organization spread out across the kingdom, rather than an organized army, but in most ways, they're all the citizens have.

"Who do you fight, in your world?"

[imthepilot]

"The Empire." He answers. "The tyrannical galactic government."

[sunbaked_baker]

Sunshine makes a rough, sympathetic sound in her throat, something in her look tightening around her eyes. "Empires have a bad tendency to ruin things."

The lives they don't outright end, they make miserable and difficult.

"And on a galactic scale, too," she shakes her head, wiping away excess oil from the armor under her hands. "I do not envy you. The fight goes well, though, I hope?"

[imthepilot]

"We struck a heavy blow, day before yesterday. The Emperor, his right hand, and their main weapon. The cost was high but it's a start. If we can keep another from stepping into power vacuum, we stand a chance of freeing subjugated systems from Imperial rule."

[sunbaked_baker]

The hunter nods, feeling the impact. The empire's leaders, their main weapon. Though at a high price, a crippling blow.

"Good."

She does not know if what is left of Lucis has the strength to achieve that much. But time will tell.

[imthepilot]

He nods, accepting the acknowledgement. "What of you? Do you believe you can hold your city against these demons?"

[sunbaked_baker]

A grimace crosses her face, a glimmer of that tragedy not yet fully processed. "News of the city has been sparce and what little there is has been controlled by the empire, since their treachery at the peace treaty signing. From those who were able to get out, it seems the city is overrun by demons already."

And those demons, they would have been citizens. Had been citizens.

"The empire reports that the king, the prince, and the Oracle were all slain in the overthrow, but I know the prince yet lives. He was outside the city when it fell."

[imthepilot]

Bodhi nods. "A hard fight, losing leaders like that. Will the people rally around this prince? If he returns."

[sunbaked_baker]

"I have hope," replies Sunshine, instead of I don't know. "There have been rumors going around these last few days that the prince's helped gum up the works in some of the empire's military bases, and managed to break their blockades. Word of mouth, so slow, but pretty reliable. Official reports can't be trusted, but we hunters get just about everywhere."

"Currently, in addition to our normal work hunting demons, maintaining the havens, and trying to keep the people of the outlands safe, the Marshall of the Crownsguard has asked us to aid in locating the lost tombs of kings past. Not sure what that's supposed to accomplish, though if the prince thinks it'll help..."

Sunshine shrugs. What they can do, they must do. Even as the darkness settles in around them.

[imthepilot]

He touches the engraved cuff of his prosthetic wrist. "Someone, someone very special once said that rebellions are built on hope."

[sunbaked_baker]

Sunshine watches the movement, understanding and sympathy for his loss in her eyes.

"And they were quite right, too," she replies. Hope must be a rock to cling to when all else has been scoured away. "Built on it, guided by its light... hope is everything."

[imthepilot]

Bodhi nods. "Her name was Jyn. She gave her life to give hope to the rest of the galaxy."

[sunbaked_baker]

"Jyn," Sunshine echoes, quietly. "There is nothing greater one can give."

The engraving on the man's metal wrist are of no less importance than the lost dog tags of fallen hunters, sought so fiercely so they might be returned to the hunters' families, as remembrance of what (and who) they gave their lives for.

[imthepilot]

"I've learnt to let go of my regrets but- I wish I'd been able to return her to her father."

[sunbaked_baker]

Sunshine nods, understanding. "Of course you do. She gave you hope, and it is a hard thing to bear, being unable to give back."

She lifts the chain from around her neck, offering her dog tags to Bodhi to see.

"All of our hunters wear those for identification. If one of us goes down somewhere, it's not unusual for other hunters passing through the area to search for the fallen hunter's tags so they can be returned to their families. Sometimes that's all they have to remember them by."

[imthepilot]

He nods, seeing the parallels between their worlds. "I hope you live well and are able to take those off yourself, rather than having to have a friend carry them home for you."

[sunbaked_baker]

Sunshine smiles slightly, putting the chain back around her neck. "Thank you."

Hunters know what they are signing up for.

"Seeing another dawn is never certain. Hunters work to make sure others see tomorrow - and we know it often means giving our lives and our tomorrows." It is a hard life, and often short. "But when everything is dark it is a comfort to know one has friends who'll stand by you, and carry you home if you fall," she says, nodding slightly towards the man's engraved metal cuff.

They do what they can because they must, even if they wish they could do more.

[imthepilot]

"It's like that signing up for the Rebellion." He nods, starting to cool down from his run. "I should leave you to your armour. Fair skies to you."

[sunbaked_baker]

Sunshine's smile is slight. A true smile and a kind one, but one worn down by time and loss.

"Fair skies to you," she replies in kind. It's a wish she can get behind. Fair skies. Long days. Quiet nights. Safe travels. Glad homecomings. "And good fortune to you and your Rebellion."

[imthepilot]

"And you and your demons." He gives her a small bow.

{ooc: thank you, that was very sweet.}

[touched_by_fire]

Danny hasn't quite picked up that things are slightly different with some of the people in bar, but then he's still pretty new. He is outside enjoying the sunshine and cooler temperatures than where his current travel back home have taken him. He had been thinking of meditating, but catching eye of the woman with the blades, he can't help but come and look.

"Good day," he says once he's close enough (but still outside of easy striking range). Bowing slightly at the waist and raises with a smile. "Nice armor you have there."

He's dressed in loose pants and a long sleeve teeshirt. His feet are currently bare.

[sunbaked_baker]

"Good morning," the woman replies with an easy smile, inclining her head slightly in return. Bowing is for royalty, and hunters don't move in royal circles.

Her clothes are hard-wearing things in shades of grey-green and grey-blue, her cap sun-faded and worn, her boots heavy-duty and showing that their currently clean state is not their normal state of being. Her red hair is clean as well, and in a utilitarian braid to keep it out of her way.

"It keeps me on my feet," she agrees, affably. "It takes care of me, so I take care of it."

[touched_by_fire]

"As you should," Danny returns. "Care of you weapons and armor is important."

There might be a 'If you use them' hanging somewhere.

"Are you a soldier?" It's obvious she's a warrior of some sort.

[sunbaked_baker]

Her familiarity with her gear is clear, and the scars she wears show the need for having both weapons and armor. No one intending to brave the wilds for long (and intending to survive) goes without either.

"I am a hunter," she replies, slightly wry. The assumption is understandable; they do give a somewhat military impression upon first meetings. "Hunters are technically civilians, which is why the empire's troops leave us alone for the most part. The hunters work to keep the people of the Lucian outlands safe despite the occupation; we hunt demons, rescue stranded travelers, and maintain the havens."

[touched_by_fire]

"A noble profession then!" Danny declares, and means it. He's heard many stories of demons and the pains they cause. "Are there many hunters?"

[sunbaked_baker]

She chuckles lightly as she buffs the sturdy leather armor to a high shine that won't last a week on the outside, the movements setting the dog-tags on the chain about her neck to jingling. "Many is subjective. There are a few hundred of us spread out over the kingdom, give or take a handful, but with the situation being what it is, we are always looking for more."

Hunters generally die in the line of duty before they think it might be time to retire.

"What about you? You carry yourself like a fighter," Sunshine smiles. He's not dressed like any fighter from her world, of course, but she knows some of the signs.

[touched_by_fire]

Danny smiles at her chuckle. It's nice and bright, and he's still getting used to being around woman who are not servants.

"I am the immortal Iron Fist, sworn protector of the heavenly city of K'un Lun."

[sunbaked_baker]

Her eyebrows rise. "Sweet."

"I'll admit I don't know what all that entails or where K'un Lun is, but it sounds like you've got an important duty to fulfill, yourself. Protecting an entire city is no small thing."

Though it's clear the title begs a specific question - "You're immortal?"

[touched_by_fire]

"Nah," Danny says, shaking his head with a smile. "The title is passed down in an unbroken chain."

[sunbaked_baker]

"Just making sure," she grins. "Members of the Crownsguard call their Marshall 'The Immortal,' though generally not where he can hear. I don't reckon he's literally immortal either, but he's the only one who's ever survived the Tempering Grounds trial, which to most is close enough to proof of immortality."

Considering he's the only one known to have ever come back from it.

"What gets you that title in your world?"

[touched_by_fire]

"I had to win a tournament against all other fighter in K'un Lun, and then defeat the dragon Shou-lao the undying. In defeating him, I gained his chi, which gives me the Iron Fist."

Pride and reverence are clear in Danny's voice.

"What's the Tempering Grounds trial?" Sounds fun! For a skewed sense of the word.

[sunbaked_baker]

He eyebrows rise. "Shit." Not shit in claiming what he said is false, but the reactionary 'shit' of the genuinely impressed. There's not even a flicker of disbelief at the mention of the dragon, Sunshine being a person who has seen - and just as quickly escaped from - a building-sized snake literally spewing venom into the air like a fountain to let it fall down like rain. "Good on you."

"I'm not quite sure of all the details of the Tempering Grounds, myself - and I'm not dying to find out, if you get me," she chuckles, grinning. "But the Kingsglaive discovered some ruins in the depths of Taelpar Crag some thirty years or so ago, before the war started. It's said some sort of warrior spirit dwells in the ruins, called the Blademaster, who'll fight anyone who challenges him. Lots of soldiers've gone into the ruins over the years, wanting to prove themselves, and none but one ever came back out again."