After the Fight [Alma/Invite]

So apparently, Ramza didn't have a way of getting home in the first place. More importantly, he didn't really know where it was. That, and what sounded to her like a rather aimless search for his family member. "I guess seeing me here isn't very... therapeutic," Alma concluded a bit apologetically, though she was already thinking of other things, like how she might be able to help. Abandoning her own objectives to support his didn't seem like the right direction, even before considering that her only mode of transport was directly linked to it. Still, she didn't feel at ease just dropping the subject. That might not come off as rude, but in her mind it'd be mean to let it be now that she knew his trouble. Only one option seemed reasonable, then.

"If you need help getting around, you could just stick with me," she offered, meeting his eyes again after she'd previously avoided them out of discomfort. "I'm going to be travelling a lot soon, so there's a chance I might come near Ivalice at some point. It'd be a good way to cover ground while you look for her, and it'd be a chance for me to meet her too." Alma didn't put any effort into concealing an ulterior motive. She had her resources, yes, but speaking with a trained practitioner of white magic was something she wouldn't dare pass up if the opportunity arose. With this arrangement, she could help out this knight, complete her own mission unhindered, and get into contact with this other Alma. Why, it was a perfect solution! Mostly. There was still a question of whether he was on board with the idea at all, since they weren't really the closest of friends.

Alma wasn't expecting him to be offended, but she certainly wasn't expecting he'd be so enthusiastic about the suggestion either. He really did miss these things if he was so eager to accept an invitation like hers. The smile of his was almost uncomfortable to see, really. Compared to the others she'd spoken with since leaving home, the other smiles she'd seen always looked like something was being hidden with them, but Ramza's grin was far more genuine. When she adjusted to the strangeness of it enough to do so, she found herself grinning as well.

She gave a nod to his concerns and elaborations, considering them one-by-one as he rattled them off and finding them all to within reason. She couldn't say much of whether the other Alma would like her presence, but it was something she'd look forward to nonetheless. It also made sense that they wouldn't leave quite yet. Dropping out now just wasn't an option if it meant leaving behind spoils and allies alike. Thinking of it did make Alma feel a bit sore, though, as she had hoped to clear at least one round of the event. Still, if she was going to learn anything, learning how much there was to learn would have to be the first. Being beaten in the contest had been a very firm reminder of her limits, and one she'd have to keep in mind. It was hard to deny Crowe's contribution as well, seeing as her offensive magics had been the most dangerous part of the whole encounter. If they met on more peaceful terms, Alma might even ask about it.

 Then came the question of her motives, one that she wasn't entirely sure about answering. It wasn't her place to keep secrets, though, especially after he'd said so much, and if he was coming along there was even less of a point to not inform him. "It's actually a bit weird," the young conjurer began. "This kind of magic isn't actually supposed to exist where I come from, so when I got into it, someone noticed. I hadn't met them yet at the time, but they sent me some letters saying they could teach me more. I remember they helped out with transport, but the details are... fuzzy in that regard." Try as she might on several occasions, Alma couldn't recall much about her departure from home. It was all a blur, and something she hoped to have clarified sometime in the future. "After I left, I was actually on my own for a while. I got some help from a few strangers, though, and was able to find him. He said that he was willing to teach, but was pretty quick to send me here first. He called it a 'learning experience'."

Thus was the story, as she knew it. Finding Kinley had been quite the task indeed, and she still felt a bit put off by how little introduction there was before she was sent away again. Thinking about it again, Alma couldn't help but think maybe this was her mentor's intention. He was much more aware of these Worlds than she was, so it didn't seem like too outlandish of a conclusion to say Kinley may have known who would be here. If that was the case, however, Alma was still upset that he wasn't more transparent about it. Getting thrashed in the tourney was seeming less and less like a necessary step.

"...So I guess I don't really know where I'm headed," Alma admitted. "I'll be going at it lesson by lesson, I suppose."

Hearing his explanation, Alma found it difficult not to draw parallels between what he said and what she had read. Though some key details were missing, what remained seemed spot-on. The military aspect and public praise were precisely what had been unveiled to her through her studies. The lack of dragons in his tale was probably negligible, honestly. "It certainly sounds plausible," she admitted. "It'd make sense for that to be the case. You said it yourself, the connections are there, but something still doesn't line up to me." She had long since lost eye contact, gaze drifting to the empty air as she thought on the subject that now intrigued her much more than before. "So if this kind of magic is from Ivalice, and that's what's been fed to me, then how come..?" The young conjurer paused, considering what words had been given to her when she and her mentor had met. Without much of a conclusion on the matter, she chose not to say much more aloud, mumbling to herself for a few moments more before shaking her head and dropping it. "I'm sure there'll be a chance to sort it out," she conceded, looking to him again. "There's plenty I still don't know about it, so meeting up properly would likely be the best way for all of us to get the details in order." In addition, deliberating so much about this person without them being present was starting to feel a bit like gossip, and that didn't sit right with her. She'd save it for another time, when the answers would surely come more easily.

As a subordinate, Alma felt a bit compelled to defend her master against Ramza's accusations, but as someone with a functioning brain, it was impossible to deny that she'd been pit against opponents far above what her skills were prepared for. "I think their point's been made," was all she would dare to say on Kinley's side. Were she a bit more assertive, she might give her mentor a few words of discontent, but she knew that, standing in front of that person again, doing so would prove difficult.

"I'll try to stay in the city while the tourney is going on," Alma explained, taking note of where different locations were as she mapped out a route in her head. "After everything's done with, we can probably find each other at the shuttle station I came in through- I think it was at the east end? The Master has a servant who helps me get around since I don't have another way, and I doubt he'll mind if I bring a friend along on the trip back." As she was still speaking, she began stepping back toward the door to make her exit, though she never turned since it felt like turning away during a conversation would be rude. As a result, she only barely avoided spiking herself with the open door on her path, which was thankfully nudged aside by a breeze before such a disaster could occur. "I think you'll get along well enough with the others. They're a..." It was tough to find a good word to describe them with when looking back on how they'd behaved. Eventually, she decided on, "Colorful sort."