After the Storm
Things changed afterwards. I knew that with Ala Mhigo now free I could no longer remain impartial. So with a heavy heart I made the choice to leave the Scions and focus all of my attention on rebuilding the home that so many people had given their lives for to see finally free.
Gods, I promised myself I wouldn't cry.
But even apart, we would still be comrades. Friends that would always be there for one another. And despite not being able to see us as often as we could before, we still managed to spend some time together.
Like that one time we were out for tea, waiting for our hero to arrive.
Idyllshire was as lively as ever. S'eni walked through the streets, a smile forming on her lips as she watched the people going about their business. It honestly was good to be back here after everything in Gyr Abania and Yanxia.
Not too long ago, this place had been nothing more than empty ruins, barely holding together as the elements had taken their toll on them for years upon years. And now it was a thriving city of individuals of various backgrounds that had come together from far and wide to make this place their home.
Her smile grew at the sight of Stickqix, chief of the Goblin craftsmen, walking in the direction of his workshop alongside some of his non-Goblin colleagues, discussing one of their newest projects.
It was proof that with unity, everything was possible, and she hoped that Ala Mhigo and Doma too would be restored through the unity of their people.
"Whoa!" escaped her as a couple of kids ran past her a little too close, pulling her out of her thoughts and almost making her drop the crate she was holding. S'eni watched them for a moment before shaking her head.
Good to see that the little ones were as spirited as ever, too.
Adjusting the crate in her hands, she followed after them. Not out of a desire to scold them, but because was headed in the same direction as them. By the time she had reached their shared destination, the kids had already headed inside.
As she opened the door, she was met with the usual sight of people sitting about the local tavern, simply called The Hard Place. It was run by a rather eccentric guy called Adkiragh, always dressed in the finest clothes one could imagine, which wasn't necessarily strange if not for the fact that they were colored in a rather garish gold and he was wearing a huge swine head mask.
But she supposed it was exactly that eccentricity that made him allow Zhloe to open up Menphina's Arms in the cellar of his tavern and operate her own business ventures from within its halls as well. So even if he was a little strange, he had a good heart.
And he was hardly the only strange person she had encountered in her life.
Making her past the bar, where said owner was currently talking with one of the regulars, she headed over to her. Zhloe was standing behind her own little counter and she saw a smile forming on the Keeper of the Moon's lips when she noticed her approach.
"Ah, S'eni," Zhloe greeted her.
"Hey," she replied and placed the crate on the counter, giving it a little tap with her hand. "I got what you were asking for."
"Oh, and so fast too. You're really the most reliable." The other Miqo'te opened the crate to take a look, then nodded in satisfaction, smile turning into a broad grin. "Great. That should be more than enough, let me just..."
Zhloe turned around and opened one of the drawers, pulling out a couple of scrips that she then handed to her. "Thank you so much."
"Anytime," S'eni said and put them into her bag, right next to the sacks of currency she had received from the Vanu Vanu and the Vath the other day. "But can I ask why the urgency? I thought Menphina's Arms was doing great."
"Oh no no, it's nothing like that," Zhloe assured her with a wave of her hand. "You see the Moonfire Faire is taking place soon and I wanted to take the little ones out to La Noscea for it, but then I remembered that none of them have any swimming clothes. But thanks to you, I can buy those and then some!"
"The Moonfire Faire, huh?" So it was that time of the year already.
"Anyway," the other woman then said as she lifted the crate off the counter. "I better take these into the back. Again, thank you, S'eni."
"Don't mention it. Just enjoy your time at the beach." With a smile and a wave goodbye, she left Zhloe to her work and the tavern towards her next destination, Rowena's House of Splendors.
Or rather, one of the side entrances where a singular stand was located. And behind its counter was Khloe, Zhloe's younger sister. A chuckle escaped S'eni at the sight of the girl striking a rather authoritative pose on top of the wooden step stool that she used to make up for short stature.
It was pretty obvious she was trying to emulate 'Auntie Rowena', though the woman would never be caught dead with a cute little Chocobo plush doll resting on her counter.
As she approached the young girl, S'eni reached a hand into her bag and pulled out a book in a simple leather wrapper. "Hey there, little one!" she greeted her, a grin splitting her face.
"Hello, Miss Adventurer!" Khloe's ears perked up and she eagerly leaned forward. "What kind of stories did you bring today?"
"Have a look." She placed the book on top of the counter and the young Miqo'te immediately opened it to look through the pages. Crossing her arms, she watched as her eyes grew and began to sparkle with every page that was turned.
When she was done, Khloe turned those large eyes towards her and clapped her hands in excitement. "Amazing. With this I can come up with lots of interesting tales!"
"Glad to hear!"
"For that you deserve an extra big reward." Hopping off the stool, the girl vanished underneath the counter. She emerged again holding a couple of tablets imprinted with red and blue metal and placed them in front of her. "There!"
How Khloe managed to convince Rowena to part with these Allagan Tomestomes for her little endeavour, S'eni didn't know and she certainly wasn't going to ask. She had already been roped into far too many of the woman's business endeavours and she would rather not end up on her bad side.
Gerolt served as a good reminder of that fact.
As she pocketed the Tomestomes, a look of surprise entered her eyes when Khloe also handed her two envelopes. She took them and opened one.
"Coupons for Gold Saucer Points?" she asked. And not a small amount either.
"Uh-huh." The girl nodded. "Auntie Rowena went there the other day and came back with a whole bunch of them, so she gave some to me."
"Huh." S'eni blinked and closed the envelope again before putting both into her bag. "Well, I won't say no to that."
Khloe for her part was already turning her attention back to the book, eagerly looking through it and undoubtedly spinning one of many stories she would tell her friends. With a smile, S'eni reached out and gave the girl a pat on the head, making her look up.
"Next time I'd like to hear one of your stories, too," she told her with a little wink.
"Sure!"
After leaving the girl to her business, S'eni headed down to the market, going over her mental list of tasks. Alright, that takes care of their errands, which means...
A little smirk formed on her lips.
...only one left.
As she arrived at the small market, she immediately sought out the stall selling fruits from all over Eorzea and bought a basket full of Fairie Apples before heading out into the Hinterlands.
She made her way through the Answering Quarter, following along the path that she had grown rather familiar with until she arrived in front of a certain cave, hidden away behind a solid rock wall that she swiftly opened just like Y'shtola had shown her.
Just like the last time S'eni had been here, she was greeted by the unique smell of wet stone, moss, mushrooms and what she really hoped was some sort of incense while she walked down the small path leading into the main part of the cave that Master Matoya called her home.
She found the old woman at her usual place, sitting at the singular large table inside the cavernous room, surrounded by stacks upon stacks of dusty, old tomes whose smell added another layer to this already exotic mix. And at the center of this scholarly chaos, a pair of piercing eyes glared at her.
"Oh, it's you again," Matoya said in a not too pleased tone.
"Master Matoya!" S'eni greeted her while walking towards her, stopping for a moment as one of the magical brooms, which kept at least a modicum of cleanliness to the place, whizzed past her before stepping up to the table.
Matoya looked at her for a few seconds longer, then back down to the open tome in front of her.
"What do you want?" the older woman asked, turning a page.
"Oh nothing, really. I was in the area and thought I might pay you a visit," S'eni replied and raised the basket she was holding. "And I brought a little something."
As she placed it on top of the table, Matoya looked up once more to glance at the contents. "Apples," was all she said.
"That's right. I figured a woman of your proud age could use a few more vitamins in her diet." Sitting down opposite of her, she reached out and took one of them, rubbing it against the fabric of her top before biting into it. Delicious!
Matoya snorted. "How very kind of you."
"So how have you been?" S'eni asked after swallowing. "It's been a while since we've last seen each other."
"Enjoying my solitude until just now." The old Archon shook her head with a sigh. "Did Shtola already grow tired of frolicking through the fields with you or why are you bothering me?"
An amused smile formed on her lips at the mental image and she shook her head. "No, we're still doing good."
"Hmpf. So where is she then? I would have thought you'd have the sense to bring Shtola along."
"Last I've seen her, she was headed for Limsa Lominsa," S'eni replied and took another bite.
After the liberation of Ala Mhigo, things had quickly settled back into the old routine for them. And while their duties, and her occasional adventurer business, didn't always allow for Y'shtola and her to spend their time together, they made the effort to at least talk to each other via linkpearl every day, conversing sometimes deep into the night.
Like for example yesterday where they were discussing their planned outing with Lyse and Alisaie in—
Oh shit...
—Limsa Lominsa. Today.
Her realization must have been written all over her face, as Matoya cocked an eyebrow and asked, "Hmm, something the matter?"
"Yeah. Sorry, gotta go!" S'eni replied, all but jumping out of the chair and immediately teleporting away, leaving Matoya to stare at the spot where she had been standing just seconds ago.
The older woman shook her head once more, muttering something under her breath, and she moved to return her attention back to the tome when her eyes came to rest on the basket that S'eni had left behind. A moment passed before her wrinkly hand grabbed one and she bit into it with a loud crunch.
"If nothing else, she's got good taste," she said between bites.
As soon as she arrived in Limsa Lominsa, S'eni all but ran into the direction of the place that Y'shtola had told her about yesterday, a nice little patisserie that also served some of the best tea in the city according to her, and it was only her trained reflexes that kept her from running over anyone that crossed her path.
How in the seven hells could you forget, S'eni!? She berated herself, tossing the apple she was still holding unceremoniously over the edge of one of the many wooden walkways that coiled around Limsa Lominsa's decks.
Thankfully, the directions that her lover had given her were quite detailed, so it didn't take long for her to find their rather unassuming meeting place. And there she found them, sitting at a table with a beautiful view of the Rhotano, and having already started without her it seemed. Slowing down, S'eni made her way towards them, her heart doing a little flutter as she watched Y'shtola's ears perk up before glancing into her direction with a faint smile.
"It would seem our gathering is finally complete," the other Miqo'te said and all three of them turned to face her. "So, shall we order more of everything?"
"Hey." S'eni waved at them and moved to sit down in the empty chair between Lyse and Y'shtola, giving the latter a quick thank you as she poured her a cup. "Sorry. I hope I'm not too late?"
"Not at all. Lyse here only arrived a few minutes ago as well," Y'shtola said and placed the teapot back.
"Ah, good. So what did I miss?" she asked. Silence met her question as the others looked at one another, then began to laugh. Eyes moving between the other ladies, S'eni tilted her head to the side in confusion, but decided to not ask about it and instead focused on getting herself a slice of that mouthwatering looking vanilla tart.
A tiny moan escaped her when the rich taste of vanilla mixed with that of the jam and berries into an explosion of pure sweetness that she knew was absolutely sinful. After swallowing, she took a sip of the tea that undoubtedly Y'shtola had picked out for them as it went perfectly with the tart.
"Well, someone's sure enjoying it," Alisaie commented.
"Not as much as her it seems," S'eni replied and pointed her fork at Lyse's plate where a resounding two slices were waiting to be eaten, and if the crumbs were telling her anything, she already had finished one.
"And you can be assured every last one is sorely needed," Y'shtola said before turning towards the approaching waitress.
"Really?" S'eni looked at her friend with a frown. "Did something happen?"
"Everything's alright, don't worry," Lyse said, another forkful of delicious tart already partway to her mouth. "Apparently I just work, worry, and think too much."
"If you say so. But you know you can always ask us for help, or even just to lend you an ear," she told her, earning herself another set of laughter from Alisaie and Lyse. "What?"
"Y'shtola essentially told her the very same thing already," the young Elezen explained, lips curling into a grin.
"That so?" S'eni turned her eyes over towards her lover, who had gone back to drinking her tea after the waitress left and was hiding her amused smile behind her cups. "Well, I guess that means my job here is done and all that's left is to dig in."
To emphasize her point, she took a pastry from the stack of trays and placed it on her plate before giving the slice of tart her full attention.
"So," Y'shtola began after a few moments of silence, taking one of the delicious-looking cookies and taking a bite out of it. "What kept you, O Warrior of Light?"
"Oh, this and that," S'eni replied through a mouthful of tart.
"Ha! See?" Alisaie smirked. "I told you."
"Hmm, indeed." Y'shtola popped the rest of her cookie into her mouth, wiping away some stray crumbs with her thumb when she stopped for a second and sniffed the air. "...strange."
"What's strange?" Lyse asked.
"Nothing." The other Miqo'te shook her head. "Must have been a sudden spur of imagination."
Despite those words, S'eni could see the question burning in her lover's eyes and there was absolutely no doubt inside her mind that she would ask it as soon as the opportunity presented itself.
Soon after, their next order arrived, providing them with more sweet delights that the patisserie offered alongside their delicious tea, and she made sure to try at least one of each, once again very much glad for her active lifestyle.
Their conversation soon turned into rather idle chatter, talking mostly about what they had been up to since they had last seen Lyse.
It was good seeing her again. She knew that what her friend was doing was important not only for the people of Ala Mhigo, but herself as well, but the Rising Stones felt a little emptier without her presence. But like Papalymo had said, there was a path only she could walk and she had chosen it.
As the saying went, time really did fly as they were having fun, and as the afternoon passed into early evening and their bill had been paid, it was time to say goodbye once more.
"This has been really fun," Lyse said as they stood inside Limsa Lominsa's airship landing, stretching her arms high above her head with a satisfied groan. "And sorely needed."
"Well, you know where to find us." S'eni smiled.
"Yeah." The other woman mirrored her expression. "I know."
"And you're sure you two don't want to come along?" Alisaie asked.
"I think I will remain in Limsa Lominsa for a little bit longer," Y'shtola replied.
"Hm, same. It's been a while since I was here without just passing through," she concurred.
"Very well, I will tell my dear brother that you won't be around the Rising Stones in the immediate future."
After exchanging goodbyes with them, their two friends boarded the airship and before long were taking off into the direction of Gridania.
"So, here we are," she said and turned to face Y'shtola. "Alone at last."
"Indeed we are." The other Miqo'te smiled. "But are you sure you don't want to return to Master Matoya instead?"
S'eni raised her sleeve to her nose and took a whiff of the smell of Matoya's cave that still clung faintly on her. "So you noticed, huh?"
"Hard not to recognise it when my own clothes have smelled that way for years on end." Y'shtola chuckled.
"It is a peculiar smell, isn't it?"
Leaving the landing, they moved towards the lift to take them down to the Drowned Wench.
"How is she doing?" Y'shtola asked as the doors closed. "I take it she is her usual surly self?"
"Of course," she replied. "Not a single kind word coming out of her mouth even when I brought her some apples."
"Apples, really?"
S'eni shrugged. "I thought it was a nice gesture."
The lift stopped and they stepped out, immediately turning left to head into the direction of the Aftcastle. There, they sat down on one of the benches and looked up into the sky.
It was a nice day all around. Warm and sunny, with only a few clouds here and there drifting through the sky. Her eyes came to rest on a particular one that almost looked like a Lalafel floating lazily in the waters of eastern La Noscea.
She was then reminded of the conversation that she had with Zhloe earlier and a thought came to her.
"Hey, Shtola?" she asked.
"Yes?"
"Do you have anything planned for the next few days?"
"Barring any potential emergency that could always arise, not really," Y'shtola replied, brows furrowing in question. "Why?"
"Oh, I just thought it would be nice to take some time off. You know, just the two of us," S'eni said.
The other woman considered her words for a moment before smiling. "I'd like that."
"Well that was easy. And here I thought I'd need to get a little more convincing than that."
"Oh? And how would you have done that, I wonder?"
"Hmm, I don't know..." she scooted a little closer, reaching out her hand to slide over Y'shtola's arm and her voice growing low. "Maybe continue where we left off the last time we were here..."
"Perhaps—" two fingers moved under her chin and tilted her head so that their eyes met. "—I should take my words back then."
But before her lover could pull her in closer, S'eni slid away once more, playfully wagging her finger. "Ah ah ah. You already agreed, so no take-backs "
Raising her hand, Y'shtola giggled into her fist and shook her head. "Seems like I walked right into that trap," she conceded. "And what is it you have planned, my dear Warrior of Light?"
"Oh." S'eni crossed her arms in front of her chest and looked back up to the sky, the corners of her lips curling upward. "I've got a few ideas."
I dedicate this chapter to all those who are always doing their weeklies :p