It’s not a tricky thing for Orym to notice, a familiar gleam in a familiar place. A familiar twinge in his heart. Between writer’s knuckles dressed in what are most likely magical rings, the mage, Caleb, carries a simple band that doesn’t hold quite the same spotless shine as the others. Well worn. Well loved.
On the way out to what absolutely will be the most successful mission of his short life, Orym taps Caleb’s knee, the both of them the last ones left in the tent. Immediately, Caleb turns and bends in the respectable way taller folks do when they live around shorter folk for a while.
So Orym clears his tight throat and puts on his best reassuring smile.
“We’ll, uh. We’ll make sure you get home safe to your family, after all this.”
And what a collection of expressions that gets- subtle, but clear as day. That was definitely a nerve.
With a pressed mouth that’s probably a smile, Orym gets a quiet nod back.
And then Caleb crouches without overshooting, like he’s practiced at it. He sets a firm hand to Orym’s shoulder. Despite the confidence, it’s hard to miss the way that hand trembles, just a bit.
“Keep that stone the spooky one has. Let us know, the moment you need help. If need be, you run, you regroup. Ja?”
He’s gotten a little better at that, leaning on the rest. He’s still got more work to do. So Orym smiles again, this one feeling even more genuine.
“Yeah. Good luck with your stuff, magic man.”
“You as well, my friend.”
A last shared look of something that’s as strange as it is familiar, and Orym takes off, following his friends to their fate.
-
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Now That You’re Here With Me
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Crickets quietly chirped outside, punctuating the silence. Delores’ tongue burned with the urge, the need, to ask the question. She almost couldn’t bring herself to do it until, suddenly, it came on its own, as if she were no longer in control of her own mouth.
“Are you all afraid of me?”
Koda’s expression changed first, one of understanding and pity. Somehow, Fernie’s etched, wooden face managed to look confused. Bug’s eyes were wide.
———
Delores sat cross-legged on the foot of her bed, staring quietly out of her window. The waxing crescent moon filtered in pale light, a small comfort in an otherwise dark and empty room.
Her eyes had long since dried, but her stomach still twisted into a thousand knots. So much had happened in the past few hours, filling her with a dread she couldn’t quite shake. Her entire body ached. Digging her fingertips into her forearms, she tried to ignore what felt like the need to crawl out of her own skin. She was stuck, like always.
Closing her eyes, she drew in sharp breath. She had to stop her mind from wandering. The castle was safe. Her friends were all safe in their rooms nearby, most likely sound asleep now, and she was glad for it. A deep, selfish part of her, though, wanted to sneak into their rooms, check on them, make sure they were really all okay. She ignored the urge, focusing all of her energy on the moon, hoping sleep would come for her soon.
She wasn’t sure how long she sat there until she heard quiet voices in the hallway. They were voices that she recognized, but before she could react, a knock, barely audible, came at her door. Her heart skipped a beat and she sat up a bit straighter. “Come in!”
“See! I told you she’d be awake.” The voice on the other side spoke with an exaggerated whisper.
The door creaked, opening slowly, as if the person moving it felt as though they were in trouble. At the front was Koda, with a mixture of embarrassment and annoyance on his face (which, if she were being honest, was a look he wore often). Following close behind was Bug, cheeks stained with tears but with some of the brightness back in their now dry eyes. Behind them was Fernie, tall and hulking as usual, but his shoulders hunched slightly, his expression not unlike the one of a kicked puppy.
Delores didn’t try to hide her relief, already noticing that some of the tightness in her chest lessened a little. She smiled slightly. “Hey, guys. Are you okay? What are you doing up?”
They all shuffled into the doorway, and for a moment, her heart felt heavy, reminded of the way her own children used to come to her in the middle of the night, bleary eyed and too upset to speak after a nightmare. Perhaps she didn’t quite need an answer to her question; perhaps, they were feeling exactly the same way she was.
“I ran into Bug in the hallway,” Koda responded, not giving any indication of why either of them were in the hallway at this hour of the night, and Delores didn’t ask. “We heard Fernie humming in his room, and, well, um…it didn’t feel right to not come and see you.”
With all of them staring down at her, she had to really fight for a moment to keep from tearing up. Instead, she smiled. “I’m glad you did.”
Taking that as a full invitation, the three of them made their way inside, Fernie shutting the door behind them. Bug bounced up to the bed, climbing up to sit next to her. “You okay, Delores?”
It was a loaded question for all of them. Something about the earnestness in Bug’s voice made her chuckle breathily and nod. “Yeah. I’m okay now that you guys are here.” She glanced between the three of them. “How about you?”
“Uh, we all can’t sleep, so I guess not very good,” Fernie responded, stating the obvious for them the way he usually did. Delores noticed Bug grimace out of the corner of her eye. Koda bit his bottom lip hard.
Delores offered Koda a slight smile, patting the space next to her on the bed. Bug beckoned Fernie over, too, and with all four of them sitting on the edge of it, the bed sagged quietly. Either none of them noticed, or none of them cared.
Crickets quietly chirped outside, punctuating the silence. Delores’ tongue burned with the urge, the need , to ask the question. She almost couldn’t bring herself to do it until, suddenly, it came on its own, as if she were no longer in control of her own mouth.
“Are you all afraid of me?”
Koda’s expression changed first, one of understanding and pity. Somehow, Fernie’s etched, wooden face managed to look confused. Bug’s eyes were wide.
“Are you kidding?” they whispered, awed as usual. “You were awesome back there, Delores. I can’t believe you never told us you were so cool. Why would we be scared?”
Fernie nodded enthusiastically. “You absolutely obliterated that mimic heart!”
“I wish I had obliterated Krungdar,” she murmured under her breath, and Koda placed a gentle hand on her shoulder.
“Someday,” he said softly. The word felt heavy. She had to close her eyes, lifting her hand to rest on top of his. She remembered how it felt, hours ago, helping Bug channel his spell to reanimate the heart, how they all held onto each other tightly as if they were afraid of letting go.
Koda was right. She should just be happy they were here with her now.
Opening her eyes, she breathed in, and when she breathed out, she smiled. “Thanks, guys. I’m sorry I hid it from you.”
Bug grinned, nudging her shoulder. “Y’know, it’s pretty crazy to see your heroes at work.”
Touched, she smiled a little more. He’d never said that about her before. “Well, I can say the same about you, Bug.”
The goblin’s cheeks darkened a little and they had to look away. Their expression turned slightly solemn and he glanced toward the window. “I never got to tell Gunthar about how much I learned, about everything we did.”
Koda sighed softly, following their gaze out the window. “…I think he knows.”
“How could he possibly know?” Fernie asked, a mix of concern, upset, and confusion in his uncharacteristically quiet voice.
Delores exchanged a look with Koda. “Just a feeling.” Her heart quietly broke as she looked back at Fernie, noticing a small trail of sap traveling down his left cheek. She reached forward, using one finger to wipe it away. “It’s okay to be upset.” By her side, Bug buried his face in her shoulder, his own small frame shaking. Delores put an arm around him, wishing she could stop this pain for them both, but grief was tough. It wasn’t something that could go away in one night.
Suddenly, the sound of quiet sniffling was replaced with quiet singing. Bewildered, she glanced toward Koda, sitting beside her. He was silhouetted by the moon in the window behind him, his chin tilted up slightly, perhaps to look up at the ceiling. His voice was soft and lilting, the way it had been when he’d sung at the Bullywug festival. This time, it didn’t seem improvised. Delores wondered if this was a song he’d learned a long time ago.
Transfixed, Bug lifted their head, face shining with tears as they stared at Koda, mouth slightly open. Fernie watched curiously, his face dry once again. After a few moments of quiet, just listening to Koda’s voice, Fernie made a sound that Delores now recognized as his power-down sound, and he slammed backward into her pillow, laying out across her bed. She couldn’t help but giggle, and Koda grinned.
Gently pulling away from Delores, Bug, with half-lidded eyes, crawled over Fernie, curling up right in the middle of his chest. A moment later, the loud snoring began.
Koda finished his song, and he and Delores locked eyes, a sort of quiet amusement between them. “Looks like they’ve taken over your bed.”
“That’s okay,” she laughed softly, reminded once again of her children, how they’d kick and push at her all night when they slept with her. “I’m actually kind of used to it.” She paused for a moment, then quietly asked, “Will you stay here tonight?”
Frowning, clearly taken aback, Koda glanced back at the other two, then back to Delores, perhaps trying to think of some kind of excuse. Finding none, or perhaps just not having the heart to, he nodded. “Okay.”
Delores smiled and reached forward, taking his hand to give it a gentle squeeze. “Thank you.”
Knowing there was no one else around to see it, he returned the squeeze, then let go. Delores crawled in to lay in the crook of Fernie’s left arm, while Koda attempted to make himself comfortable beside his right arm. Strangely enough, Bug’s snoring and the quiet whir of Fernie’s moving parts were quite comforting. She lifted her gaze.
“Koda?”
“Yeah?”
“That was a beautiful song.”
For a moment, it was quiet, and then he gave a breathy chuckle. “Thanks, Delores.”
Quiet fell again, but this time it was comfortable. Her room was no longer empty and uninviting, but the exact place she wanted to be right now.
Carefully, a moment later, she lifted her head to look at her friends in the pale moonlight. Koda, his long limbs stretched out awkwardly in the limited space he had, turned in slightly toward Fernie’s shoulder, peaceful. Fernie, motionless on his back, moonlight dancing along the lines of his wood. Bug, curled in on himself on Fernie’s chest like a cat, using his arms as a pillow, his mouth wide open, sound asleep.
Delores laid her head down, breathing deeply for the first time in what felt like days. All that mattered was this, right here and now, because no matter what happened next, they’d always have each other.
She closed her eyes, finding solace in being together like she always did.
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FFXIVWrite2023 - Prompt 24 - Footfalls (Extra Credit)
Everything was muffled in the long-shuttered house. The thick layer of dust that blanketed everything kept even Riski's footsteps muted rather than echoing in the empty foyer. Clearly, nobody had bothered to clean or air out the house in a very long time. Why would they have, when the owning family had been absent for over a decade?
Stepping into his old family home was surreal. Even more surreal was the now-familiar step-thunk of Edmont de Fortemps walking along just behind him. Never, not even for a fleeting second in his life, did Riski believe he would be in the Descoteaux manor accompanied by his father. Even after the metaphorical cat was out of the bag, it simply wasn't a scenario that had crossed his mind.
Now he was there. They were there. Edmont didn't ask questions, just letting Riski take the lead and explore as he needed. For Riski it was like seeing double - the house as it was, and the overlay of memory showing what it had once been. He made his way to his mother's study, the last place he had visited before his abrupt departure many years before, and there was where he broke the silence.
"What will you need from me to take care of it?" Riski asked, trying to keep his voice businesslike despite the betraying little quaver. He clenched his jaw to make it steady again. He had no reasons to be upset about the situation. He wanted it.
"Take your time," Edmont replied gently. "We have time if there are things you would like to do."
Riski shook his head. He gestured with both arms to the still, almost mausoleum-like surroundings. "I took everything I needed with me when I left. Everything else I assume was already handled by the household staff before they took their own leave. If you find anything interesting while clearing it out, you can always let me know."
Edmont looked at him without saying anything for a long moment. Riski squirmed, wondering what those unexpectedly kind eyes saw. Failure, perhaps, but maybe something more than that. Thankfully Riski's imagination was put out of its misery when Edmont nodded and said, "Of course. That goes without saying."
The older elezen moved over to the large, heavy desk that dominated most of one side of the room. He reached out a hand to touch the brittle, brown blossoms that had once lived within the fancy vase on the desk's corner. "Your mother did love her white roses," he commented quietly. He cleared his throat and turned his full attention back to Riski. "She would be proud of you, you know. You may not be following a typical path, but your choice to turn this into a shelter is an admirable one."
Riski's face heated. "I don't know. I'd like to believe that, sure, but I don't think I'm doing anything all that special. I've got a house I don't want or need, and Ishgard always needs more places to care for those the war affected most. And I know that you're an honorable man who will do everything in his power to make it a place that's welcoming to all walks of life. As long as they need help, they'll find it here."
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