"...you thought you were going to die? That is some commitment to the cause."

"Do you know what sane heretics do? They leave, maybe go to Gridania. Build another life somewhere else without staying and trying to fix a country that hates them and wants them to die painfully. It'd be a kinder death than what the Inquisition would give me, and it'd be meaningful, to die to save others. Especially when the whole mess was my fault."

...this woman needs a hug.

"Well. An entire nation of crazy chocobos, that's us, I suppose. I wonder if I could find a way to provide Lord Aymeric with evidence for the Dravanians not being a unified force..."

"That'd help. I'll try to get the dragons to... obviously not be a unified force. Generally speaking most of what I do is trying to show dragons we're not all insane, that you can actually just talk to people instead of attacking them or fleeing. That, and scooping up stray heretics before they get swept up in Nidhogg's insanity."

"Well." She raises an imaginary glass up in the air. "To heresies. Cheers."

Vethrione snorts. "Cheers. It'll be terribly entertaining if the heretics end up saving Ishgard after all." Pause. "... I realize I'm hard to find by design, so uh. If you need to get my attention... hm. Do you know of the yaks native to the Coerthas Western Highlands?"

"Yeah?"

"The fluffy hide they've grown in the wake of the Calamity and the resulting chill is not only quite flammable, but the smoke it gives off is purple. I expect you can find sufficient excuse to make a smoke signal with it. I'm usually close enough to at least hear of something as notable as that, and come investigating." Her mouth twitches. "Probably as Vanya, since I went and made myself a second legend."

Jacqueline's lips also witch in amusement but she nods. "Duly noted. I will remember that. And if you need to find me, I'm sure you can leave a message with Cynric and I will eat my helmet if he can't find a way to get it to me."

"I'd be a fool to take that bet. I fully expect that Cynric will be able to somehow track down and get a message to the Warrior of Light himself by week's end," she agrees, amused. "But I'm also significantly harder to find than you are, what with having lots of incentive and no one clamoring to parade me in front of troops for morale."

"Well, Cynric and Otohiko were having a lot of fun together on the Steps just now."

"Precisely. If there's nothing else...?"

She lowers her visor and pulls her lance free. "I do not believe so. Until we meet again, Milady Iceheart."

She puts her own helmet back on, and gives a proper Ishgardian salute. Since she can no longer reply out loud.

And then she can resume her dramatic exit.