A place to call Home
A long, drawn-out hum escaped Y'shtola as leaned over the tome in front of her, a finger resting on the edge of the page while her eyes traveled across the words written on it. As soon as they had reached the bottom, she turned the page to continue. It wasn't the first time she read this particular book, having done so once or twice in the past at Urianger's bidding in the years following the Calamity. Now she hoped that the information written therein might offer a clue as to their current problems regarding the towers.
But so far all it did was refresh her mind on things she already knew.
Without taking her eyes off the page, she reached for the teacup resting nearby, but found it much too light for her liking when picking it up. She slightly turned her head to look at it only to see that it was empty. Clicking her tongue, she placed a bookmark between the pages and closed the tome, before leaving the room.
She headed into the Rising Stones' main hall where the person she was looking for was seated at her usual place, reviewing various documents while tapping her cheek with the feathery end of a quill.
"Tataru?" Y'shtola asked as she approached, a small smile forming on her lips as the Lalafel looked at her. "My apologies, but would you mind making some more tea?"
"Of course not!" Tataru replied, putting the quill away and climbing off her chair. She walked over to one of the cabinets behind her and pulled out the Magitek kettle that Wedge had once given to her as a present. What was it called again? The Mark XIV Thermocoil Boilmaster or something like that?
They walked over to the bar, where Tataru proceeded to pour water into the kettle and turned it on. The telltale hum of Magitek, followed by the sound of boiling water, began to pervade the air, and Y'shtola decided to look around a little while they waited. The Rising Stones were rather empty, which wasn't really surprising. Most of their people were out in the field to keep an eye on the towers, and those that weren't, like the twins, were differently occupied. Still, she spied Riol sitting in a far corner, talking over linkpearl as he was wont to do, and Hoary Bolder sharpening his blade further back in preparation for his next venture.
"Say..." her eyes landed on Tataru once more. "Have you seen Eni today?"
"Not since this morning, no," her friend replied with a shake of her head.
"I see." That in itself wasn't exactly strange. A worlds spanning three-year separation aside, there were times when they didn't see each other for days on end because they were pursuing their own things. This morning though, S'eni had practically jumped out of bed and left with little more than a kiss and a quick "see you later!", which struck her as a bit odd.
A little chime from the Magitek kettle interrupted her musings and she watched as Tataru began to pour its contents into a can that she had prepared while the water was still cooking. Soon enough, the pleasing fragrance of the Lalafel's special tea was entering her nostrils and Y'shtola felt the corners of her lips rise.
"Would you like something to eat as well?" Tataru asked.
Her stomach responded before she could, reminding her that it was already well past noon now.
The other woman giggled. "I'll take that as a yes. Sit down, I'll bring you something."
"Something light, please," Y'shtola said, moving over to one of the tables and sitting down. Tataru returned to her with two sandwiches she had quickly whipped up and placed them on the table together with the now freshly brewed tea.
"Here you go," Tataru said. "Now if you'll excuse me, I still have to look over this month's expenses."
"Don't let me keep you then. And thank you." She offered her friend a grateful smile and watched as Tataru returned to her desk, wasting no time going right back to work. If not for her, Y'shtola was sure the Scions would have long since gone bankrupt. Just like Minfilia had once said, she was the good soul that kept it all going; though one better not to be crossed. Many a fool had learned that lesson in the past.
I suppose a break is in order, she thought when her stomach once more made it known to her that it wished for nourishment. Picking up a sandwich, she took a bite out of it and poured herself some tea. While she enjoyed her little meal, she let her gaze wander once again, watching as Riol finished his call and got up from his table to head towards the entrance, offering her a silent nod as he passed by her.
The door had barely closed behind him, when it opened once more and Clemence stepped inside, walking over to Tataru to hand in a report before heading deeper inside while muttering something about her sister tiring her out. A little chuckle escaped Y'shtola at that. The Scions truly were a rather ragtag bunch from all crosses of life. From Archons such as her to people such as Aenor, they were all present within their organization. And of course, one should never forget a certain adventurer at the very heart of it, even if she was loathe to admit as such.
So many years had passed since Y'shtola had first laid eyes upon this impressionable woman taking her first steps into Eorzea, following her dreams of adventure that would ultimately entangle her into the fate of the realm. Trials and tribulations had shaped her into who she was today: the Warrior of Light; the flame of hope that served as their beacon even in the darkest of times. And, of course, so much more to her personally.
The sound of the door opening and closing pulled Y'shtola out of her thoughts, and she turned her head to see the very object of them walking into the room. Looking around for a moment, S'eni's eyes swiftly found hers and she smiled before heading over.
"Ah, there you are," Y'shtola said, mirroring her lover's expression. "I was already wondering where you were."
"I'm sorry. It took a little longer than expected," S'eni replied and sat down opposite of her. She nodded towards the second sandwich. "Are you going to eat that?"
Glancing down at the one in her hand, Y'shtola pushed the plate forward. "Go ahead."
"Thanks." S'eni picked the sandwich up and practically inhaled it, leaving nothing but a few stray crumbs at the corners of her mouth that she wiped away with her thumb.
"A busy morning, I see," Y'shtola noted with a curious brow.
"You could say that." The other Miqo'te leaned back and closed her eyes, giving her stomach a little, satisfied pat. She remained like this for a few moments before cracking one eye open again. "Are you busy right now?"
"I'm not, as you can undoubtedly see." To make a point, Y'shtola took a bite, chewed a few times, then swallowed. "But if you are inquiring about any immediate plans, I was consulting a tome in hopes of finding something that might help us with the towers, but so far it seems to be a dead end. So right now I'm quite free."
Opening the other eye, S'eni smiled and leaned forward. "Good. There's something I want to show you."
"Oh?" this time both of her eyebrows rose. "And what might that be?"
"Hmm, you'll see," she said with a little wink.
Not long after she had finished her meal and drank another cup of tea, S'eni had practically dragged her out of the Rising Stones and told her to teleport to Ishgard. Once there, they walked around the Foundation for a bit until she suddenly found her eyes covered by her lover's hand, telling Y'shtola to just follow her instruction. A few minutes passed like this until she released a sigh.
"Is this truly necessary?" she asked.
"Yes, it is," S'eni replied, an audible grin in her voice that drew out an even heavier sigh.
"Honestly..." Y'shtola muttered. But while she was unable to see right now, she was still very much able to hear, and her ears were telling her they were moving away from the hustle and bustle into a much quieter area. Since they hadn't walked up though, that safely discounted the Pillars. Which meant that whatever way they were going, it must be a part of Ishgard she previously hadn't been to.
She continued to quietly ponder the possibilities until they suddenly stopped and she was turned to the side.
"Alright," S'eni said. "Here. We. Are."
The hands were removed from her eyes and she found herself looking at...
"A house?" Y'shtola asked.
"Uh-huh." A grin splitting her face, S'eni walked past her and up the small staircase onto the front yard. She spun around and raised her arms in a presenting gesture. "What do you think?"
Y'shtola's eyes widened and she looked around. Was this...the Firmament? The residential area that had been rebuilt during their absence?
Wait, that meant—
"You bought a house?"
S'eni nodded. "I did!"
Stepping onto the front yard as well, she looked about. The house was a rather simple cottage, made of sturdy wood and stone to protect from the elements, but spacious enough that more than one person could live there. On the far end of the roof, a chimney extended high into the air, while on the near end, a Chocobo weathervane was pointing eastward.
The garden looked quite orderly, the telltale smell of freshly cut grass still hanging in the air, but was largely empty save for a single tree in the right corner. Underneath her feet, she could hear the crunching of the pebble path leading towards the porch. It looked...nice.
"But...why?" she asked.
A slightly bashful look formed on the Miqo'te's face, her ears lowering ever so slightly, and she stepped towards her. "I know, it's not exactly the best timing. In fact, it's probably pretty bad with the Telophoroi and all. But visiting Ryne and Gaia got me thinking," S'eni said and took both of Y'shtola's hands into her own. "I know you're not inclined to settle down yet. Neither am I, really. But I thought it would be nice to have a place to return to and get some rest after a long adventure. Don't get me wrong, the Rising Stones is nice and all, but it's not exactly the most private of places."
Y'shtola...didn't know what to say. Of all the things she had expected, this wasn't even remotely high on that list. S'eni had bought them a house. A home.
Home... She thought. Ever since Sharlayans' exodus from the Dravanian Hinterlands, she never really had a place she could call that. Sure, she had lived in Old Sharlayan and had used all Master Matoya had taught her to become an Archon, but it had never been home, despite Y'mhitra and her other siblings living there as well. And now the woman she had come to love was offering to build one with her.
She pulled a hand out of S'eni's grasp—
Cherry pink eyes dropped to the ground. "O-Of course if you don't want to—"
—and took hold of her necklace to pull her into a deep kiss.
S'eni's eyes widened in surprise for a few seconds, before sliding closed as she returned it with equal fervor. Their lips gently caressing one another's, they remained like this for a couple of moments until the need for air forced them apart once again.
"I take it that means you like it?" S'eni asked with a little smile.
Y'shtola nodded and gave her hand a soft squeeze. "I do."
"Well, let's take a look inside then. Come on!" Grin returning, her lover began pulling her to the entrance, and she could only chuckle at the almost childlike eagerness radiating from the great Warrior of Light. The inside was, save for the fireplace, predictably empty of course. But like a blank canvas was to an artist, the vacant state brought forth S'eni's creative side.
"I was thinking of some chairs and a table over there," she said and pointed towards the fireplace, then to the space closer to them. "And a larger one here for dinner and if we ever entertain guests. Oh, and the kitchen will be over there!"
S'eni pointed to their right and walked over, forming a little frame with her hands to better visualize it. "Stove will be there...a counter here..."
"Your personal little realm within the house?" Y'shtola asked in amusement.
"Unless you wish to cook regularly."
"I believe I shall leave that in your more than capable hands." Turning her head, she spotted a door in the far right wall. "Where does that lead to?"
"The basement," S'eni replied. Though as it turned out, said basement was actually considerably larger than the main floor. And of course, she already had some grand designs for it in mind as well.
"We should have some of these walls taken down and replaced with windows. That way we have a perfect view of the highlands."
With the way Ishgard was built, the idea in itself was sound. "That would require a lot of work though," Y'shtola pointed out.
"Not a problem. I'll just call in a few favors with some friends. They'll have this ready in record time. Don't worry, only the best." The corners of S'eni's lips curled into a smirk. "This will be where we sleep after all."
"Hmm, waking up with the sunrise over the mountains. How romantic."
"Especially with the right company," S'eni said and walked back towards her, arms sliding around her waist and pulling her closer. "Which fortunately I have..."
Leaning in for another kiss, her lover was stopped by a gentle finger against the lips. At the confused look she received, Y'shtola said, "Not so fast. There is still the matter of the garden. Do I get to decide something there at least?"
A playful smile formed against her fingertip and S'eni reached up to take her hand. "But, of course. Why don't we go and see what you have to suggest," she said and pulled her pack towards the stairs.
Giggling into her fist, Y'shtola let her be led back upstairs. She knew that the future was uncertain, that anything might happen. And she knew that S'eni did so as well. But just for now, she wished to let those worries be for another day and simply enjoy this moment right here, inside the place that would be their home.
Their home. Yes, she liked the sound of that.
This chapter was brought to you by the fact that I actually managed to snag myself a house in the game lol.