And today we interrupt the regular main story schedule by a rather self indulgent chapter.
A little heads up: there be smut in this one.
Homeward Bound
They say home is where the heart is, and that certainly is true. For most of my life, Sharlayan had been my home. It's where I grew up and where I met my friends but it never changed where I was from, and once I set foot into Gyr Abania, I knew immediately that this was home.
Home is where the heart is, and that would never change. But sometimes home is simply...where home is.
I honestly have to wonder... S'eni thought as she cast her gaze across the deck, fingers drumming against the side of the barrel she was sitting on. ...if this is becoming a habit.
She watched some of the crew as they went about their business, paying her little mind if at all, as the ship gently swayed on the calm sea. The sun, shining bright above with nary a cloud in sight, warmed the gentle sea breeze caressing her cheek and she closed her eyes to enjoy it for a moment before taking a deep breath.
"Barely back in Eorzea for a few days and already leaving again..." she mumbled.
"Is that a complaint I hear?" the sound of boots on wood moved towards her and she turned to see Y'shtola approaching her with an amused smile. "And here I thought you enjoyed seeing the world."
"I do. Though I can't say I enjoy sleeping on a bunk all the time."
White eyebrows rose up a fraction. "Didn't you once tell Tataru that you slept on the road?"
"Yeah, and believe me, grass can be quite comfortable. Can't say the same thing about a swaying bunk all the time," S'eni said.
"You could have simply teleported ahead, you know," the other Miqo'te pointed out, causing the corner of her lip to curl into a little smirk.
"And have you go through the bunk pain alone?"
"Ah, what would I ever do without you, my dear Warrior of Light?" Y'shtola asked dryly.
"I can think of a few things. Though none of them as fun as when I'm around."
"My, someone sure has grown quite an opinion of herself. Perhaps I should banish you to another bunk for a night to teach you a little lesson in humility."
"And rob yourself of an extra warm pillow?" she crossed her arms, her smirk growing. "Nights at sea can be very cold."
Y'shtola chuckled. "Don't I know it."
S'eni gave her a little wink, then went back to watching the sailors going about their business. As she did so, she couldn't help her mind from wandering and in turn, her expression went from a relaxed smile to a frown.
"Worried about Alisaie?" the other Miqo'te asked, leaning against the taffrail next to her.
She hummed in reply.
After discovering that Zenos' body had indeed vanished from his grave, Thancred had almost immediately set out towards Garlemald while investigating the western provinces along the way. And with Y'shtola heading towards Doma to find out more about the nature of primal summoning in the Far East and lend her expertise on the matter to Hien, as well as her also leaving meant that the younger woman was effectively forced to stay at the Rising Stones and await reports.
"So why didn't you stay? I hardly need a chaperone just because I'm traveling to the Far East."
"Oh, I know. But there's still the matter of the Scions' funds that Alphinaud used to get Gosetsu's Katana back and Tataru has been very urgent about it," she told Y'shtola.
"Surely it can't be that bad to not wait a little while longer?"
Turning her head to look at Y'shtola, a moment of silence passed before she replied, "Our ledger has been in the red since then."
Y'shtola blinked once. "Oh."
As much as she disliked leaving Alisaie, this matter could absolutely not wait any longer. At the very least she could trust Hoary Boulder and the others to keep an eye on her and, if need be, try to take her mind off things.
"So I'm afraid you'll be stuck with me until we reach the Ruby Sea."
"Well..." the other woman's lips quirked upward. "I can certainly think of worse company. Though it does once again beg the question why you didn't teleport ahead."
S'eni mirrored her lover's expression. "And I believe I gave you my reason."
"Honestly..."
A voice then echoed across the entire deck. It was the captain, an older Lalafel that had seen it all and was a little bit rounder than some of his fellows, calling out for the ship to change course and making her ears perk up.
"Hmm, is something wrong?" she wondered and turned to look towards the horizon to check for any dark clouds, giving the air a few good sniffs to determine if there might be a storm brewing. But no, nothing but pleasant weather as far as the eye could see.
"Ah, yes. I was about to tell you when our conversation went into a different direction, but I'm afraid we will take a slight detour on our journey," Y'shtola said with a shrug. "I was only informed about this a few minutes ago as well."
"How long?"
"A day to pick up some additional wares."
"Well that isn't too bad I suppose." This was mainly a trading vessel after all, and one belonging to the richest man in Eorzea at that. If he decided on the fly that he wanted more goods to be sold, then his word was law as far as any of his employees were concerned. "So where are we headed? Limsa Lominsa?"
"The Cieldalaes, in fact."
She nodded with a hum. A little detour to—
All of a sudden, her eyes widened and she nearly fell off the barrel as she whipped her head around.
—"The Cieldalaes!?"
"Indeed," Y'shtola replied calmly.
Almost as soon as that harmless confirmation left her lover's mouth, S'eni felt her palms warm up as her heart began to jump inside her chest. The Cieldalaes.
...Home.
She...didn't know how to feel. Anxiety and nostalgia created a whirlwind that swept through her mind, leaving her torn between marching back onto the ship or down the wooden piers that she hadn't seen in so long.
It really hadn't changed much, despite five years having passed since the last time she was here.
The Turquoise Port, as it was informally called, was where the people from the nearby islands gathered to sell their wares to outsiders as well as one another. Built many years ago by merchants that wanted to make a profit with goods that could only be acquired around these parts so that they could centralize the trade instead of having to seek out each island all the time. Its name came from the colour of the swallow waters upon which the walkways and huts were built upon.
As trade grew, so too did the port, becoming a bit of a town itself, and as such, it also offered various accommodations for the weary sailor arriving here and spending their hard-earned Gil for a night in a solid bed after a few local drinks, letting the soft sound of the waves lull them to sleep before heading back out the next morning.
S'eni had often been here, playing games with her siblings and other children when she was younger, and helping sell their wares as she had grown older. She had loved it because here she could see glimpses of what it was like in the outside world.
She stopped in her tracks when the vision of a little Miqo'te girl appeared on the pier across the water, sitting there with her feet dangling over the edge while looking out towards the vast open sea with large eyes and an equally large smile on her lips.
A hand placed itself on her back, causing her to jump a little and making the image fade away like a cloud of dissipating morning fog. Slowly, she turned to see Y'shtola looking at her with the same expression she had worn since she initially had told S'eni about where they were going. "Are you alright?"
Tongue darting out to wet lips that had gone dry, she gave her a nod.
"Are you sure?"
"...No. It's—" she glanced over to the other side. "—a bit overwhelming if I'm being honest. It's silly, I know. After all that I've been through, this shouldn't make me as nervous as it does."
The hand on her back moved up, coming to rest on her shoulder and pulling her a little closer.
"Not at all," her lover said, a small smile on her lips. "I think it's quite natural to feel that way when returning home after such a long time."
"Was this what it felt like when returning to the Sharlayan colony?" S'eni asked.
"In a sense. Though I also expected to see nothing but empty ruins after such a long time, not a group of Goblins and treasure hunters working together to revive the city, so I suppose it isn't exactly the same."
She closed her eyes, taking a deep breath and holding it for a moment before exhaling again and returning the smile. "Come, I'll show you where we can stay for the night."
They resumed their walk, leaving the piers behind to move towards the center of the port. Voices of merchants plying their wares and those that wished to buy them echoed into their direction and another wave of nostalgia washed over her as she looked around.
Still the same even after five years, she thought to herself. The half-broken ship's wheel attached above the local tavern, the pair of palms that had grown around one another in such a way that made them look like a dancing couple. Even the guy, who could always be seen sitting in the shade of his hut and taking a nap, was still there, though slightly grayer than he used to be.
Now that she thought about it, she never learned his name…
A voice, mixed in with the others but crystal clear to her ears, made her pause midstep, drawing out a "What is it?" from Y'shtola that went largely ignored as she cast her gaze across the marketplace. It soon landed on a single Miqo'te woman behind a stand, a friendly smile on her lips, as she called out to the people gathered around to buy her wares. After making business with an elderly couple, a slightly confused look formed on the woman's features and she began to scan the area.
After a few moments of looking around, a pair of eyes, so much like her own, came to rest upon her, and S'eni's first instinct was to hide behind her lover, but found herself rooted to the spot. Time seemed to slow to a crawl when the other set of cherry pink eyes began to widen and lips formed words that she couldn't make out anymore as the sound of her beating heart grew so loud inside her ears that it drowned out everything else.
Then, after a simple blink of her eyes, everything returned to normal—
"ENIEEEE!" the voice called out.
—and her sister was running straight towards her.
Her body began to obey her once again but she only managed to take a single step back before she found herself tackled to the ground in a tight hug.
"Oh Eni! It's really you isn't it?! Please tell me I'm not dreaming!" her sister begged.
"Neena..." was all S'eni managed to say amidst having to blow blonde hair out of her face as it furiously tickled her skin, but that seemed to be more than enough as the hug became instantly tighter and a torrent of words sprang forth from the other Miqo'te's lips.
A giggle from above made her turn her eyes towards Y'shtola, hiding a smile behind her fist. Her lips turning into a grimace of discomfort, she sent her lover a pleading look that she hoped conveyed, "A little help here?"
An amused twinkle entered Y'shtola's eyes, and for a few seconds it almost looked like she would just let her lie there, before giving her a nod. "I believe your sister wishes to get back up."
"Eh?" Her sister stopped what she was doing and looked up at Y'shtola, blinking a few times. Realization then struck and she began to scramble back off of her. "Oh, I'm sorry, Eni. Here let me help you."
S'eni took the offered hand and let herself be pulled back to her feet, but no sooner did she stand once again, she found herself in another hug. Knowing that she wouldn't be getting out of this anytime soon, she moved her arms to return it, letting out a sigh at the next series of questions.
"Where have you been? What were you doing? Who's that?"
"Neena," she groaned out. "One question at a time."
That also hadn't changed, it seemed.
Gently pushing her away, S'eni looked at her. "It's a bit of a long story, but after I left, I headed to Eorzea. I've been there this whole time, working as an adventurer. And this is—"
"Y'shtola Rhul," her lover introduced herself.
"Oh my, I completely forgot my manners," her sister then said and took a step back to hold out her hand towards Y'shtola in greeting. "S'neena Gata. Any friend of Eni is a friend of mine. You're friends, right?"
Y'shtola shared a look with her. "In a manner of speaking."
"Huh?" S'neena tilted her head, making some of the little braids in her shoulder-length hair sway with the motion. "Anyways, what brings you here? Did you come to visit?"
"Actually...we're only here because our ship is picking up some wares before leaving again," she admitted, averting her eyes.
Her sister deflated a little at that. "Oh…H-how long are you going to be here then?"
"Until noon tomorrow. We were actually just on our way to get a room at the inn."
"What!? No!" S'neena stepped up to her, and S'eni felt herself instinctively stepping back. "You're not going to stay at the inn! You both can stay with us. The trip is short enough that you'll be back in time for when your ship leaves and the others will want to see you again too. So, please!"
With a little noise from the back of her throat, she stared at her sister, unsure what to say. Her eyes darted over to Y'shtola, who once again held an amused look on her face as she shrugged in a way that said, "That is on you."
Releasing a sigh of resignation, she nodded. "Fine…"
"Great! Come, just let me close up shop real quick." Not even waiting for a reply, S'neena took her hand and began dragging her towards the stand. Once there, she was promptly let go again and watched as her sister gathered what wares were remaining and put them onto the small cart that stood nearby. After she was done with that, S'neena looked around for a few seconds before holding a hand to her mouth.
"Anhru! It's time to go back. Anhru!" she called out. "...Where did she wander off to now?"
Out of the corner of her eye, S'eni spotted some movement from one of the other stands and a pair of telling ears poking out from behind it. Large eyes peeked out for a second, then vanished back into hiding.
I guess she means you, S'eni thought as the pair of ears began to twitch when S'neena called out once again and she reached out to tap her sister on the shoulder before pointing at where the little one was hiding.
"Ah there you are. Come here, I want to introduce you to someone." Slowly, the little form of the Miqo'te girl revealed itself to them and S'neena walked over to kneel down next to her. "Anhru. These are my sister, Eni, and her friend Y'shtola. Say hello."
"...'lo," was all S'anhru mumbled before shyly looking away.
The corners of her lips curling into a smile, S'eni walked over to them and knelt down in front of the girl. Now that she had a good look at her, it was all too obvious who she was. "You've become a mother."
Her sister laughed. "Had to happen one day."
"Rahz's?" she asked.
"Yeah. He's still our Nunh." Over the years, many Tia had come to their village to challenge their father, but none ever succeeded. S'rahz had been one of those, but unlike the others, their father had taken a liking to him and allowed him to become part of the village so that perhaps one day he could actually best him in combat. When he died, it was only natural that he would inherit the title. "And Agna is still running the village."
S'agna being their eldest brother, who had already taken care of the village's affairs way before she had left. He had always been good at that sort of thing, and it was reassuring that it still persisted to this day.
After their little introduction was over, S'neena had lifted her daughter up and sat her into the cart as well, before leading them to where the boat was.
"What are you thinking about?" Y'shtola asked S'eni while they walked, keeping her voice low so that only they would hear it.
"That five years is a long time…"
Their boat was waiting for them at the part of the Turquoise Port where all the people from the surrounding islands kept them. It was the same old gundalow that had always been in their possession since she was still a child. Strong and sturdy, it had served them well in all those years, and despite clearly having seen better days, there was absolutely no doubt that it was well taken care of.
As soon as they had gotten onto it, her sister untied it and began to set sail for their next destination.
Home, huh? S'eni thought, releasing a sigh and running a thumb over some little scratches that had gathered in the wood. Y'shtola gave her another concerned look, but she just shook her head with a little smile and turned her gaze towards the distance instead.
The entire ride was silent, with S'anhru just looking at the two of them with quiet curiosity while S'neena was busy steering the boat, which was honestly fine by her. She knew that lots of questions were awaiting her.
It didn't take long for their little corner of the Cieldalaes to come into view, her eyes moving to focus on the temple throning above the entire island, that marked the place where their village lay, and she could feel her heartbeat quicken once more at the sight.
Too late to run now, she told herself.
A little under an hour later, they arrived at the sole pier situated on the beach at the southern edge of the island, the white sand almost glowing in the bright sunlight as blue-green waves licked across its shore. Scattered across it were various small boats, big enough for maybe two or three people, some looking older than others.
She still remembered how she had gone out fishing in one of these, sometimes coming back with a big haul that would feed them for days, sometimes empty-handed and at the mercy of her siblings' good-natured ribbing. And if she wasn't out on the sea, other chores had always been there to be taken care of. Day in, day out.
That had been her life. A simple one; a good one, some would say.
But it had never been enough for her. There had always been that desire to move beyond this little world surrounded by water, a fire burning deep inside of her that had been stoked by every story from her father that she had listened to.
And now she was back on the very spot her journey had started on.
"Alright then," S'neena said after they had stepped off the boat, kneeling down to properly face her daughter once again. "Now, why don't you run ahead and tell everyone that we're having guests today?"
"Mmh!" the little girl hummed and immediately dashed off with the energy only a kid her age could have.
"Is that really wise?" Y'shtola asked as they watched S'anhru head deeper into the island.
"Of course! We make sure that our island's safe," her sister replied and began pushing the cart down the pier. "Now come on, it's still quite a walk and we don't want to keep everyone waiting."
"Sure…" S'eni muttered.
"Oh, come on. I assure you, none of them are mad anymore."
"Mad?" Her lover looked at her, faint amusement dancing across her lips. "What did you do?"
"More like what she didn't do, and that's saying goodbye. From one day to the next, she was just gone. Left a note in her tent saying 'I'm leaving to become an adventurer' and took off with one of the boats."
"Ah, thank you, Neena," she said dryly. "And here I had almost forgotten."
The chuckle from next to her made her send a glare towards Y'shtola.
"Sounds like a certain young lady we know, doesn't it?"
It took her a moment to realize whom she meant and she couldn't help but chuckle as well. "I suppose it does."
"You sure made a lot of friends," S'neena commented.
"Yeah." The corners of her lips curled upwards. "I guess I did."
To reach the village, they had to follow the path through the palm forest that covered most of the island and head up a mountain trail, passing by the waterfall fueling the stream that cut through the trees in snake-like fashion and was their major source of drinking water.
Soon enough, they had arrived at the top and were greeted by the sight of a set of wooden walls that flanked the village's entrance.
And in front of it—
"Oh my..."
—a large crowd had gathered.
It wasn't the entire village but it might as well have been at how her heart once more began to hammer inside her chest. All of her sisters, some of their mothers and, above all and right in front of them, her older brother, arms crossed in front of his chest and a scowl on his face.
"Hey everyone!" S'neena called out, taking a hand off the cart's handles to wave and gesture towards S'eni, apparently completely oblivious to the mood. "Look who's back!"
Silence was the only reply she received as they came to a stop in front of them. S'eni closed her eyes, taking a few deep breaths to calm herself.
Inhale. Exhale.
Inhale. Exhale.
Inhale. Exhale.
She opened them once again and, setting her jaw firmly, began to walk forward until she stood in front of S'agna. He had always been rather tall by Miqo'te standards, but now it felt like he was positively towering over her. His bright, snow colored hair, as gravity defying as their father's, only added to that feeling. Yet, she didn't back down and instead sought out those mismatched eyes, one an emerald green while the other was the same blue as the deep ocean surrounding them.
After a brief moment of staring, he spoke up, his voice deep and rumbling. "You've got some nerve showing up after all this time."
Silence.
"Nothing to say to defend yourself?"
"Only that I was following my dream," she then said.
"Hmpf. Following your dream." His eyes shifted over to Y'shtola, who had chosen to stand in the back but whose narrowed eyes showed that she wouldn't hesitate to step in should things escalate. "Friend of yours?"
"Lover," S'eni corrected him. "We're together."
A murmur went through the gathered crowd and some of her sisters were shooting curious glances at Y'shtola now. S'agna on the other hand returned his gaze to her.
"Huh, so you finally did grow up." From one second to the next, his face was split by a giant grin and before she knew what was happening, she found herself pulled into a tight hug and lifted off her feet. He started laughing and spun her around, her arms going around his shoulders out of reflex until he stopped and said, "Welcome home."
With the tension broken, the others joined them and S'eni soon found herself gathered into many more hugs as every bade her welcome after all these years.
"Sorry, I couldn't resist messing with you. That's what you get for skipping out on us so suddenly," S'agna said while she was essentially being handed off from one family member to the next. He properly turned towards Y'shtola now, who had visibly relaxed now. "The name's S'agna Tia, the one in charge here. And don't let anyone else tell you otherwise."
"You may call me Y'shtola," her lover replied, a slight smile forming on her lips.
S'agna nodded and gestured towards the entrance. "Welcome to our village."
Inside the village, more welcomes had awaited her, which had of course turned into many questions about where she had been and what she had done all this time. Soon after, when she had managed to sate everyone's curiosity momentarily, it was quickly agreed upon that her return should be celebrated, so her sisters and their mothers had begun preparations for a feast in her honor while she and Y'shtola were explicitly told to rest until everything was done.
Seeing how any protests would have fallen on deaf ears anyway, S'eni had decided to pass the time by entertaining the children, of which there were quite a few as she noticed, that had come to check out these new arrivals that they hadn't seen before, and it didn't take long for her to have their undivided attention, telling them some of her more fun adventures, much to the amusement of Y'shtola sitting nearby and watching her.
Once the food was done, the entire village had come together in the center, eating, talking, and laughing, and that wave of nostalgia once more washed over her. It was just like back then…
Afternoon soon turned into evening, and S'eni found herself regaling even more stories as the wine that was passed around did its work to loosen her tongue, telling them of encounters with Sylphs in the Black Shroud, the downtrodden yet still proud people of Little Ala Mhigo and even the snowy plains of Coerthas.
Eventually, though, the interest in her stories waned the more everyone drank and the later it got, and when some of her sisters began to dance around the fire that had been erected, she decided to use that to quietly slip away.
So here she was, sitting underneath a lone palm tree near the temple, a bottle of half drank wine in her hand as she stared at the old building. A wistful sigh escaped her.
"Had enough of all the attention?" her lover's voice broke the silence and S'eni turned her head to see her approaching. The white coat that she almost always wore had been discarded, revealing the black top underneath that hugged her body in just the right way and showed off her shoulders and slender neck.
Gods, she was so beautiful.
"Yeah," she replied, taking a swig from the bottle then holding it out towards Y'shtola as she sat down next to her.
"No, I believe I had enough."
"Suit yourself."
"How are you feeling?" Y'shtola asked after a moment of silence, the laughter and singing of the others echoing into their direction.
S'eni raised the bottle to her lips for another sip, before answering. "Relieved, honestly. I thought they might resent me for leaving, but here they are, welcoming me back with open arms like nothing had happened. Nothing really changed, I suppose. Well, I guess that's not entirely true."
She turned her gaze towards the kids that had long since fallen asleep and were now carried off by their mothers. The sight of it made her smile.
It wavered a little when she realized that their life had indeed gone on without her, just like hers had gone on without them. It was a bittersweet feeling.
Another swig, followed by another sigh, and she looked back towards the temple.
"It's impressive to find such an old building around these parts. You said you worship Azeyma in there?"
S'eni hummed. "No idea to whom it belonged before my tribe settled here. It's been here ever since I could remember and that was as far as I cared. Though now I find myself wondering what ancient civilization it might have belonged to. Must be all that running around through Allagan ruins with you guys."
"I'm ever so glad our scholastic curiosity has rubbed off on you." They shared a little laugh.
Maybe it was because she was being sentimental right now, or maybe she just had too much wine, or even a combination of both, but the words came regardless. "My mother died while giving birth to me."
Y'shtola looked at her, lips slightly parted in surprise. "...I'm sorry."
"There's no need to be sorry," S'eni said with a shake of her head. "You couldn't have known. And I don't even know what she looked like, only stories that my father and the others told me, but that's not really the point. You see, for a while it looked like I might not survive either."
She closed her eyes, taking a deep breath before continuing.
"Papa wasn't really the believing sort of person, but that night he took me into the temple, sat down with me at the altar, and held me close until he fell asleep. The next morning, he woke up to the sounds of my crying. Everyone called it a miracle, and maybe it was, but that was the moment when he decided to give me my name. Eni, a short and strong name, because I had beaten death."
An arm gently wrapped itself around her shoulders and pulled her close, bringing the smile back to her lips.
"Thank you for telling me," Y'shtola said, her voice barely above a whisper.
"Yeah, well, next time it's your turn to tell a story."
"I have no recollection of agreeing to something like this."
"Because I just made it up." She laughed and raised the bottle to her lips, but found it snatched out of her hand before it could even touch them. "Hey—"
"I believe you had quite enough of that as well." The other Miqo'te eyed the bottle for a second, then put it away. "And you still have to show me where we are sleeping tonight."
S'eni pushed out her lower lip in a pout but she quickly dropped it as Y'shtola moved to get back up. "I guess you're right."
Rising to her feet as well, they picked up Y'shtola's coat and began to walk towards where her old tent was located. She was surprised to hear that they had still kept it around even after all these years, it had just needed a little dusting off and some airing out according to S'neena, which she had kindly seen to over the course of the day.
Pulling the cover aside, she stepped inside and made a beeline for the small, round table that was placed near one of the tent's corners to turn on the lamp resting on top of it. After she had done so, she turned around to see Y'shtola looking about.
"So this is where you used to live," Y'shtola said.
"Not exactly impressive, I know," S'eni admitted and began to look around herself. For a long time, this had been her own little world, apart from her siblings, and while it didn't have any of the luxuries you would find in the Eorzean city-states, it had been all she needed.
"Actually, I think it is quite cosy." Releasing a little groan, the other woman stretched her arms above her head, giving S'eni a nice view of her back and neck and making her body heat up in ways that couldn't just be blamed on the alcohol.
Without really thinking about it, she stepped forward, circling her arms around Y'shtola's waist and burying her face in the nape of her neck before beginning to plant feather-light kisses across it.
"Eni?" her lover asked, a note of amusement in her voice.
"Hmm?"
"You're drunk."
"Tipsy," she corrected, letting her lips travel higher and her hands lower. "And not enough to not want you right now."
"They might hear us…" Y'shtola's eyes fluttered closed and she craned her neck a little as S'eni kissed along the outer edges of the Archon tattoo.
"Good. Let them." She slid her fingertips across the hem of the black top, teasingly slipping one underneath, then retreating again. "That way they'll know I wasn't lying."
"You're impossible." Fingers buried themselves into her hair, pulling her back enough for Y'shtola to capture her lips in a deep kiss. Immediately, their tongues sought out one another, tips playfully brushing before pushing in deeper, the residue taste of wine intoxicating her all over again.
Pushing her fingers underneath the top, she shoved it up until her lover's beautiful breasts were exposed and cupped one of them, gently digging her nails gently into soft skin and drawing out a sweet moan that she drank up like she planned to do with the rest of her.
Her other hand, having stroked the other woman's inner thigh, rose higher to brush against the front of her shorts, already radiating with a pleasant heat that made her fingers tingle with anticipation.
With a sharp intake of air, Y'shtola broke the kiss, tongue going for one last flick across S'eni's lips before fully retreating, and she looked at her through half-lidded eyes that told her just what it was she wanted.
She let go of her, planting a few tiny kisses on her neck as she did so, then stepped back to leave her lover enough room to undo the clasps on her boots. A heated chuckle escaped her at the way Y'shtola raised her tail while leaning down to slide the first one off her leg and she proceeded to remove some of her own, far too restrictive clothes now.
After she was done with her boots, the other Miqo'te wasted no time getting rid of her top, discarding it right alongside her footwear. She was just about to reach for her shorts, when S'eni closed the gap once again, pressing her already naked chest into her back.
"Someone is rather eager, I see," Y'shtola teased, letting out a little gasp when soft lips attacked her neck once more, sucking and nibbling on the sensitive flesh.
"You were taking too long with those boots," S'eni murmured, hands roaming across every inch of bare skin they could find, drawing invisible lines like a painter on a silky smooth canvas.
Y'shtola's lips parted to reply, but any words she wanted to say were replaced by sounds of delight as S'eni's fingers slipped underneath her waistband and began to caress her most sensitive area, the moistness already waiting making her groan out and press herself closer against her lover. "Guess I'm not the only eager one here."
A hand grabbed her lower arm, nails digging almost painfully into her skin, but that only made the need burning deep inside of her all the more stronger. Slowly, she guided her lover backwards, towards the bed. Halfway there, though, she tripped, making them fall onto the orange patterned mat that covered the floor in a pile of limbs.
Twisting her body, her lover made another go for her lips, claiming them in a searing kiss and pushing her hips out to seek more of her touch. After breaking apart again, S'eni rolled around to push Y'shtola onto her stomach, lips curling into a smirk as she hovered above her.
"Well well," she drawled. "What do we have here?"
"Hmm. What indeed," the other Miqo'te replied, glancing over her shoulder at S'eni. "And what are you going to do now?"
"Oh, you'll see." Pulling back, she ran a finger down her lover's spine, enjoying the little twitch that her tail did before focusing on that last piece of clothes still remaining on her. She raised her on all fours to give herself better access and pulled it down to her ankles, revealing Y'shtola's glistening sex, eagerly waiting for her.
And it would be quite rude to keep her waiting any longer, wouldn't it?
Hand coming to rest on top of it, she pushed two of her fingers past velvety folds, drawing out a long, throaty moan as she parted her insides bit by bit. She waited for a moment to let her lover adjust before pulling her fingers part way out before pushing them back in, repeating it a few more times until she had found a steady rhythm.
"Eni!" Y'shtola moaned out, pushing her hips backwards.
Her other hand shot forward, grabbing onto one of Y'shtola's shoulders and drawing her up against her, a moan of her own forcing its way past her throat when her hardened nipples came into contact with flushed skin.
Thrusting her fingers as deep as she could, she began to speed up, sparks of pleasure shooting up her spine with every moan that the other woman produced for her, a song of lust that clouded her mind more than any bottle of wine ever could and filled her with one, singular desire.
"Come for me," she breathed out.
And with one, final stroke, Y'shtola threw her head back, lips parting wide and body seizing up as she moaned out her release. S'eni kept moving her fingers for a few more seconds, enjoying the orgasmic shivers it caused, before pulling them out of Y'shtola's dripping sex and holding her close until she slumped against her. Gently, she lowered her back down onto the mat, the tail that had wrapped itself around her waist during the act uncurling almost reluctantly from her as she did so.
Eyes cracking open, the other Miqo'te's chest rose and fell as she slowly caught her breath, the sweat on it glistening beautifully in the light.
Lowering herself on top of her, she kissed Y'shtola, slow and gentle this time, letting out a hum when soft fingers began to caress her lower back. They remained like this for a few minutes, simply enjoying this moment of post-coital bliss, until Y'shtola began to slowly turn them around.
No sooner did she come to lie on her back, did their lips part, and she watched her lover sit back up.
"I believe—" now it was Y'shtola's turn to smirk, sliding her hands up and down S'eni's stomach. "—It is my turn to have some fun now."
Mirroring the expression, S'eni answered her by pulling her back down and crashing their lips together.
The night wasn't over yet.
"So you really got to go already, huh?" S'agna asked the next morning, as they had all gathered in front of the village.
"Yeah," S'eni replied. "Our ship is waiting. And believe it or not, I actually have an important task I need to do."
"Figured as much. An adventurer like you probably has a long list of those. Not like I could stop you from running off anyway." Her brother let out a deep chuckle and placed a hand on her shoulder. "Very well, but remember that this place will always be your home and you're always welcome here."
He looked at Y'shtola. "The same goes for you too, of course."
"I will," S'eni promised.
"And try not to take five years this time around!"
A grin formed on her face. "Now that I can't promise."
They both laughed.
After exchanging good-byes, she walked over to where Y'shtola and S'neena were waiting for her and, after giving the entire gathered crowd a final wave, began to leave for the beach with them.
As the gundalow set sail into the direction of the Turquoise Port, S'eni found herself staring at the island as it grew smaller and smaller by the minute, and she felt that bittersweet feeling grip her heart once more. For the longest time, this place had been her home; where she was born and raised. And while her brother was right in that it would always be so, she also knew that she would never truly belong here anymore either.
Five years was a long time, and she had moved beyond her tiny village. Just like it had moved beyond her.
But—
The corners of her lips curled into a smile and she turned around to face the distant horizon.
—she supposed that was alright.
And that's it. Just a little chapter entirely focused on our dear Warrior of Light that I hope managed to flesh her out a little bit more. I'll let you guys be the judge if I succeeded or not. It's probably gonna become non-canon when they decide to actually describe that area of the world map in greater detail, but nevertheless I hope it was enjoyable regardless.
Next chapter we'll continue on our way through the main story. See ya!