"I... don't think I've tried to find stuff that feels better systematically. Back in the village we didn't usually wear much at all? I guess things that are lighter and don't rub so much against my scales would be better but I think I'm... unusually sensitive."

"Just go naked and scandalise some Ishgardian prudes, the faces they'd make..."

"I feel like I arrive at a bad time," says the Lord Commander of the Temple Knights, walking over to them and shadowed by his trusty right-hand woman Lucia.

"I suppose how bad it is depends on what you think of the idea of our dear Warrior of Light wearing even fewer clothes than he already does."

"Making friends in typical Jacqueline fashion, I see," he says, because he is absolutely refusing to entertain this mental image she just suggested right there.

"I mean, wear what you want," says Cynric, ignoring this and clinging desperately to his chosen helpful mission so he doesn't do something embarrassing, like squeak, "but if you're having a discomfort problem with your clothes because none of us read 'tailoring for au ra,' then I'd like to see if I can help."

(Hahahaha, is that the Lord Commander of the Temple Knights? Ohhhh man where should she go to get payment, actually does she even have to do that, can she just leave, she'd like to just leave.)

"I might take you up on that," says Otohiko to Cynric, electing to ignore Jacqueline's words. Clearly she was just making some sort of strange Ishgardian joke to the Lord Commander... right?

"Is everything here alright?"

"Absolutely. Had to put an overzealous rookie in his place but it's part of the job."

"You would be one to talk about excess of zeal, my friend. But I need to thank you all for your help. It was above and beyond what any of us could have hoped for, and Ishgard is beyond grateful. But speaking of gratitude, I see another adventurer who has also done more than her share of the work today," he says, spotting Vanya over there and raising a hand in greeting.

...oh man this is going to be hilarious.

("FUCK," she hisses. The silencing charm was a smart move.)

She... gives Aymeric a polite incline of her head. Yes. Yes that's. That's what she's doing. She is Cool And Collected, yes, that is what this adventurer known as Vanya is. Aloof, even. Disinterested. Yes.

Cynric is too distracted to try and save her, and besides, she brought this on herself. He has a sidequest!

Sidequest! Otohiko is down for new clothes. He does like his current ones but it might be useful to have something that doesn't cause Ishgardians to think he's a heretic.

(But then they're interrupted by a couple of knights who had the opposite impression from the previous ones and kinda want to learn how to do the explodey thing to the cannons. It was very useful and they have to abandon cannons way too often so turning them into bombs like that could come in real handy.)

Meanwhile Lord Aymeric walks over to Vanya, shadowed as always by Lucia. "I have heard great things about you, here, by multiple people. Even witnessed some of them. On behalf of Ishgard, I would thank you for your service."

(Jacqueline lowers her visor so it's less obvious if she accidentally cracks up while watching this.)

Okay, thanking her is fine, she can handle being thanked.

Aymeric gets another incline of her head, and a casual Ishgardian salute. Hey, she's already clearly a once-paladin, might as well own it, right?

Can they be done now. She would like very much to be done.

(Cynric, meanwhile, is well and truly distracted and unable to help. People... liked what he did?? And want to learn how to do it again later??? Squeak! He'll help but squeak.)

"And... this may be a bit too forward, but fortune favours the bold," he continues, "so I would like to formally extend an offer to join the Temple Knights." She is clearly Ishgardian, and given all the evidence he has right now his main hypothesis is that she is a retired knight or noble of some kind who wants to redeem herself from some political fallout or other. He has a number of candidates in mind for who she could be, even. "We could use talent like yours in this conflict."

SHE IS NOT GOING TO LAUGH SHE IS NOT GOING TO LAUGH EVEN THOUGH THIS IS OBJECTIVELY THE MOST HILARIOUS THING SHE IS NOT GOING TO LAUGH

help.

Fortunately she has to get out her paper in order to reply, so it's totally fine for her to take a few seconds to panic and also try not to laugh at, at. A recruitment pitch to Lady Iceheart! Oh Fury poor Aymeric, he has no idea. Okay, okay, yes, yes, writing a reply, coming off as Cool And Aloof, she can do this, it's fine. Everything is fine.

'I'm flattered, my lord, but retired.'

His face falls a bit, but it's clear he is not exactly surprised. "You're sure? I think you could save many lives with us."

And she thinks she can save more lives elsewhere. Like, for example, her own. Like that one.

She'll let the pretty boy that she did not have a crush on when she was a baby paladin, that would be silly down gently, though.

'Ishgard will always have my sword, but swords are not all that it needs. I think my talents are best leveraged elsewhere.'

Aymeric sighs but nods. "Very well. I hope to see your sword out there again, then, fighting the good fight. Thank you for your services. I'll make sure you get bonus compensation for it, too."

He bows deeply then turns around to leave.