FFXIV - Of Apples and Worries
Sep. 6th, 2018 08:16 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
squeaklingsTitle: Of Apples and Worries
Wordcount: 2566
Fandom: FFXIV
Rating: G
Warnings: Post 4.3 vague spoilers, badly-written fluff
Summary: Eon stumbles upon a fretting Alisaie the night they return to the Rising Stones after the liberation of Doma.
Notes: I'm not really happy with the last half of this, but I wanted to get it down and on paper before 4.4 josses my set-up. I really hoped Alisaie is IC, I've never written her before. Took some liberties with the layout of RT, Seventh Heaven and the Rising Stones.
The halls of the Rising Stones were silent as Eon padded barefoot into the pantry for his usual late-night snack. He couldn't remember when he'd started the ritual, but it was second-nature now to find himself wandering the halls while (almost) all the rest slept, stealing into the pantry for something different every night and then creeping back to his room with his prize.
Tonight he was feeling something sweet, and so he rummaged among the fruits until he found a suitable-looking mirror apple, then vaulted over a stack of boxes just because he could and sauntered towards the block of chambers he shared with his fellow Warriors. Nighttime in the Rising Stones was always a balm after a long journey and hectic battle—the quiet of the halls soothed him, the sparsely-lit rooms gave the illusion of being alone despite knowing all his friends were only a few yalms away at any given time.
A sound in the main foyer grabbed his attention as he reached his room, his ears twitching towards the noise before he even had a chance to turn his head. Popping the apple in his mouth to free his hands, he crept towards the front, tail held still behind him. His axe lay against the side of his bed, but he had claws and teeth and he wasn't afraid to use them if he had to.
Instead of a burglar, however, he was greeted with the sight of Alisaie pacing back and forth in the foyer, one hand to her lip as she muttered to herself. The dim light gave her an ethereal quality, her silver hair shining slightly, and his breath caught. Even in the simple hempen top and bottom she wore, she was impossibly pretty. Eon knew he was staring, his eyes following her every movement, and he only stopped when he felt the apple start to fall from his open mouth. He must have made a noise as he fumbled to catch it, because the young Elezen paused and looked towards the shadows he hid in, her hand moving towards a sword she didn't carry on her hip.
“It's just me,” he said and quickly stepped into the light, juggling the apple for another second before he managed to pierce it with a claw. “Sorry, you surprised me.”
“Eon,” she breathed out, then blushed for some reason and quickly averted her eyes. “I could say the same. Why are you awake at this hour?”
He smirked at that, then nodded towards the fruit in his hands. “Late-night snack. I'm not much of a day person,” he added, grinning enough to show the fangs that marked him as a Keeper of the Moon. “But no one other than Six is usually still up at this time.” He plopped down in the chair closest to her, held out the apple, saw the big bite in it, then sheepishly pulled it back towards himself. “I can go grab you one if you'd like...?”
“Thank you, but no. I'm not hungry.” She hesitated a moment before sitting down across from him. Every few seconds she'd glance at him before looking away again, and his ears fell back against his short hair. He'd showered earlier, he didn't smell, did he? Was there something wrong with--
His bare skin prickled as he realized he, too, was in his bedclothes, except his consisted solely of a pair of loose drawstring pants. Nudity wasn't really much of a problem for him, and he'd parade around the other Warriors in his skivvies just to be an asshole, but he could feel a blush darkening his face and he quickly took a bite of apple to hide it.
“So, um...” He swallowed the chunk of apple quickly, hurting his throat in the process, and plastered the most nonchalant look he could on his face. “Need help sleeping?” Eon winced the moment the words left his mouth, ears pressed back against his head and tail lashing behind him. Idiot, stupid, asshole. “I mean, it's not, I--”
“It's all right, Eon.” Her laugh was gentle, with just a hint of her usual boisterousness, and the smile she gave him didn't quite reach her eyes. “I'm fine.” Her hands were folded in her lap, but her thumbs kept moving and her eyes would glance at the door every few seconds.
Memories of lonely nights, of turning to speak to someone no longer beside him jumped unbidden to his mind, and his eyes dropped down to stare at the table. “Somehow,” he said, his voice unusually soft, “I don't think you're fine.” It had taken him nearly two months to not be viscerally aware of the lack of his brother's presence; they'd only just returned from Othard.
“I--” she started, but he stood suddenly and held out a hand. Alisaie looked at it before meeting his eyes, and he smiled. The usually comforting dimly-lit halls were suddenly stifling.
“It's stuffy in here. Come with me?”
She held his gaze for a long beat before taking his hand, and he grinned as he led her out the doors into the Seventh Heaven. Less than a handful of regulars sat drunkenly around the bar, and Eon waved to the bartender as they passed. She gave a surprised wave back as the topless miqo'te turned to the narrow stairwell leading to the higher floors and disappeared with his friend. Eon had spent more than one night exploring the Stones and the bar, chatting with the workers and regulars or finding as many hidden nooks and crannies as he could. This particular stairwell led to the floors above the rock wall, where the worker's quarters were.
“I've never seen this area,” Alisaie noted as they walked side by side. He'd dropped her hand as soon as they entered the stairwell, his brain catching up with him too late not to embarrass himself even more than he already had. She said nothing of it, though; thank the Twelve for small mercies.
“I come up here sometimes to think,” he said, then pointed towards a door and guided her out into the cool night air, his hand hovering by her lower back before he realized and quickly pulled it away. “It's not exactly a hidden path, but it's not advertised, either. The workers for Seventh Heaven live up in those rooms.” He gestured at the building jutting out of the cliff before he made his way to the edge to sit down, feet dangling over the rocks.
“I can see why you like it here,” she said as she walked over to join him, sitting at his side and looking down. Revenant's Toll spread out below them, the aetheryte tiny at this height, the few guards that walked around little moving specs. There was a quiet to the world up here that didn't exist down below, and they had a clear unobstructed view of the purple sky alight with stars.
Eon glanced over at her, his ears feeling warm and his tail twitching slightly. He'd acted on instinct seeing her put up that front, knowing how hard she was trying to convince herself, but now that they were out in the open he could feel himself clamming up. Pepebehi would be disappointed in him.
“Usually I'm happy to be around everyone,” he finally managed to say, just then noticing the half-eaten apple he still held in his hand. He turned it around between his claws, noting the way the flesh was already starting to turn brown and dry. “But sometimes I want to be alone, too.” He glanced at her again. “And sometimes, I just want someone to talk to.” His cheeks heated up and he quickly took a bite of the apple in another bid to hide.
Alisaie frowned slightly, still looking down at the settlement below. Eon finished his bite, the fruit sour on his tongue as he worried he'd really messed it up this time. Way to completely ruin the--
“I really can't stand being patient like this.” She gripped her hands together on her knees before pulling her legs up to her chest and wrapping her arms around them. “I know I must be, but it's harder than I was expecting.” An irritated groan escaped her as she pressed her forehead to her thighs. “I was always the impetuous one, why'd my brother have to go and do the same?”
“He's been changing ever since we went to Ishgard,” Eon supplied, and she turned her head to look at him. He gave her a weak smile. “He's growing up.”
“I suppose it was inevitable.” She sighed and closed her eyes before suddenly stretching out and letting herself fall backwards onto the dirt. Eon tilted his head curiously, his tail swishing along the ground ilms from her hair. “He would take one of my best traits.” She turned her head towards him, a cheeky smile gracing her lips, and Eon grinned so wide his fangs glinted in the moonlight.
“Obviously.” He flopped backwards as well, the rocks a harsh reminder that he wasn't wearing a shirt. Menphina's tits, I dragged her through the bar in our bedclothes. He froze as the realization dawned on him, and was only jarred from his paralysis by a warm hand patting his shoulder. “I-- Yes?”
Alisaie was frighteningly close, their sides nearly touching. “I asked what you usually think about.”
Think about? Her eyes were large and shone in the moonlight, her small smile pulled at the edges of her lips. Dirt and small rocks clung to the strands of her braid and he wanted to brush them out.
“I...” His mouth was dry and he looked away, staring at the stars above them. “It's kind of embarrassing,” he finally confided with a small laugh, and scratched at his short red hair. “Usually I think about our battles, and what I could have done differently. But recently I've been thinking about the stars.”
“What about them?” She followed his gaze, her hands folded on her stomach and her side brushing his as she made herself more comfortable on the rough ground.
“Altan's been trying to teach me about them.” He lifted his right hand to point to a constellation. “Honestly I don't understand most of it, but I do remember that one. It's called the Bole.” He traced the outline of the figure with a claw before letting his hand fall to his chest. “He uses its magicks on me and Lotus a lot during battle, but that's not the only reason I like it. It's,” his voice faltered and he scratched at an ear self-consciously. “It's protection. I like protecting everyone.” He laughed at himself, voice echoing in the stillness around them. “I also like bashing in heads, but mostly I like being a protector, knowing I'm helping keep everyone safe.”
Alisaie's own laugh followed his words, and he glanced over at her in surprise. “I don't know about bashing in heads--” Eon grimaced at his choice of words repeated back at him, “but there is something viscerally pleasant about fighting and protecting others with your own hands.” She raised her arms and made elaborate slicing motions, wielding an invisible rapier towards the sky. “Mayhap my brother feels the same, in his own way.”
“You expecting him to come to you, asking for sword lessons?” His smile came easily as he fully turned his head to meet her grin.
“I think my brother would fall over if he tried to lift my rapier.” Her hands had settled back on her stomach, but she no longer twisted them in worry. She looked calm, the worry lines between her brows not entirely gone but lessened. “But you're right, he has changed. However, I am still allowed to worry for him.”
“Of course.” He refrained from mentioning that she'd run off on her own as well, after they'd freed Bahamut from the Coils. Eon wasn't a smart man, but he wasn't entirely stupid, either.
“For what it's worth,” she said, and the warm hand on his jolted him from his thoughts. “I think you're a fine protector. I'd trust no one else.”
This time he had no apple to hide his expression, his mismatched eyes wide and his dark skin flushed a deep grey as he stared back at her. If he didn't know better, he'd swear he saw a glint of amusement in her eyes, but she simply patted his hand and then sat up, stretching her arms above her head.
“Thank you. I think my mind is a little less clouded, now.” She looked out over the expanse of Revenant's Toll as Eon sat up and brushed bits of stone and dust from his arms and shoulders. “He'll be all right.” Her hands balled into fists. “He has to be.”
Eon watched her for a long moment before he stood and reached down to help her up. He understood her feelings all too well—and felt guilty that he'd not given his own twin brother as much thought lately as he should. Put him in front of a dragon horde and he'd rush in without fear, but ask him to write a letter and he was as craven as a traitor.
But that was neither here nor there. His goal had been to help Alisaie work through her own thoughts, and at least on that front he hoped he'd been successful. And it was nice spending time alone, too, he admitted to himself as they passed through the bar, chatting amiably about little things. The other Warriors would tease him when they found out, of course, but the time spent was worth it.
“Thank you again, Eon,” she said as she opened the door to her room. “I do hope I didn't keep you too late.”
“Not at all!” He grinned. “I'm happy if I helped. It was fun.”
Alisaie smiled and took a step into her room before pausing. Eon raised an eyebrow, his ears pricked curiously, as she quickly turned on her heel and leaned up to kiss his cheek.
“Good night.”
Eon stood there long after the door clicked shut behind a slightly blushing Alisaie, eyes wide and staring at nothing. Of all the ways he thought his night would go, this had definitely not been one of them. He pressed a finger against his cheek and felt himself grin stupidly, and somehow he made it back to his room without completely breaking down in cheers or laughter or both.
Back in his room, he sobered a little as he glanced at his pristine desk. Without even knowing it, Alisaie had helped him, too, and he sat down as he reached into one of the drawers to pull out a stack of crinkled, half-finished letters. He lifted the one on top, the one he'd started after meeting Tsuyu. Laying it flat on the desk, he did his best to smooth it out, frowning at all the crossed-out sentences and ink splotches from when he'd crumpled it up only to pull it out of the trash moments later.
“Gotta face him sometime,” he muttered to himself, and found a new, crisp sheet of paper and began to write.
Wordcount: 2566
Fandom: FFXIV
Rating: G
Warnings: Post 4.3 vague spoilers, badly-written fluff
Summary: Eon stumbles upon a fretting Alisaie the night they return to the Rising Stones after the liberation of Doma.
Notes: I'm not really happy with the last half of this, but I wanted to get it down and on paper before 4.4 josses my set-up. I really hoped Alisaie is IC, I've never written her before. Took some liberties with the layout of RT, Seventh Heaven and the Rising Stones.
The halls of the Rising Stones were silent as Eon padded barefoot into the pantry for his usual late-night snack. He couldn't remember when he'd started the ritual, but it was second-nature now to find himself wandering the halls while (almost) all the rest slept, stealing into the pantry for something different every night and then creeping back to his room with his prize.
Tonight he was feeling something sweet, and so he rummaged among the fruits until he found a suitable-looking mirror apple, then vaulted over a stack of boxes just because he could and sauntered towards the block of chambers he shared with his fellow Warriors. Nighttime in the Rising Stones was always a balm after a long journey and hectic battle—the quiet of the halls soothed him, the sparsely-lit rooms gave the illusion of being alone despite knowing all his friends were only a few yalms away at any given time.
A sound in the main foyer grabbed his attention as he reached his room, his ears twitching towards the noise before he even had a chance to turn his head. Popping the apple in his mouth to free his hands, he crept towards the front, tail held still behind him. His axe lay against the side of his bed, but he had claws and teeth and he wasn't afraid to use them if he had to.
Instead of a burglar, however, he was greeted with the sight of Alisaie pacing back and forth in the foyer, one hand to her lip as she muttered to herself. The dim light gave her an ethereal quality, her silver hair shining slightly, and his breath caught. Even in the simple hempen top and bottom she wore, she was impossibly pretty. Eon knew he was staring, his eyes following her every movement, and he only stopped when he felt the apple start to fall from his open mouth. He must have made a noise as he fumbled to catch it, because the young Elezen paused and looked towards the shadows he hid in, her hand moving towards a sword she didn't carry on her hip.
“It's just me,” he said and quickly stepped into the light, juggling the apple for another second before he managed to pierce it with a claw. “Sorry, you surprised me.”
“Eon,” she breathed out, then blushed for some reason and quickly averted her eyes. “I could say the same. Why are you awake at this hour?”
He smirked at that, then nodded towards the fruit in his hands. “Late-night snack. I'm not much of a day person,” he added, grinning enough to show the fangs that marked him as a Keeper of the Moon. “But no one other than Six is usually still up at this time.” He plopped down in the chair closest to her, held out the apple, saw the big bite in it, then sheepishly pulled it back towards himself. “I can go grab you one if you'd like...?”
“Thank you, but no. I'm not hungry.” She hesitated a moment before sitting down across from him. Every few seconds she'd glance at him before looking away again, and his ears fell back against his short hair. He'd showered earlier, he didn't smell, did he? Was there something wrong with--
His bare skin prickled as he realized he, too, was in his bedclothes, except his consisted solely of a pair of loose drawstring pants. Nudity wasn't really much of a problem for him, and he'd parade around the other Warriors in his skivvies just to be an asshole, but he could feel a blush darkening his face and he quickly took a bite of apple to hide it.
“So, um...” He swallowed the chunk of apple quickly, hurting his throat in the process, and plastered the most nonchalant look he could on his face. “Need help sleeping?” Eon winced the moment the words left his mouth, ears pressed back against his head and tail lashing behind him. Idiot, stupid, asshole. “I mean, it's not, I--”
“It's all right, Eon.” Her laugh was gentle, with just a hint of her usual boisterousness, and the smile she gave him didn't quite reach her eyes. “I'm fine.” Her hands were folded in her lap, but her thumbs kept moving and her eyes would glance at the door every few seconds.
Memories of lonely nights, of turning to speak to someone no longer beside him jumped unbidden to his mind, and his eyes dropped down to stare at the table. “Somehow,” he said, his voice unusually soft, “I don't think you're fine.” It had taken him nearly two months to not be viscerally aware of the lack of his brother's presence; they'd only just returned from Othard.
“I--” she started, but he stood suddenly and held out a hand. Alisaie looked at it before meeting his eyes, and he smiled. The usually comforting dimly-lit halls were suddenly stifling.
“It's stuffy in here. Come with me?”
She held his gaze for a long beat before taking his hand, and he grinned as he led her out the doors into the Seventh Heaven. Less than a handful of regulars sat drunkenly around the bar, and Eon waved to the bartender as they passed. She gave a surprised wave back as the topless miqo'te turned to the narrow stairwell leading to the higher floors and disappeared with his friend. Eon had spent more than one night exploring the Stones and the bar, chatting with the workers and regulars or finding as many hidden nooks and crannies as he could. This particular stairwell led to the floors above the rock wall, where the worker's quarters were.
“I've never seen this area,” Alisaie noted as they walked side by side. He'd dropped her hand as soon as they entered the stairwell, his brain catching up with him too late not to embarrass himself even more than he already had. She said nothing of it, though; thank the Twelve for small mercies.
“I come up here sometimes to think,” he said, then pointed towards a door and guided her out into the cool night air, his hand hovering by her lower back before he realized and quickly pulled it away. “It's not exactly a hidden path, but it's not advertised, either. The workers for Seventh Heaven live up in those rooms.” He gestured at the building jutting out of the cliff before he made his way to the edge to sit down, feet dangling over the rocks.
“I can see why you like it here,” she said as she walked over to join him, sitting at his side and looking down. Revenant's Toll spread out below them, the aetheryte tiny at this height, the few guards that walked around little moving specs. There was a quiet to the world up here that didn't exist down below, and they had a clear unobstructed view of the purple sky alight with stars.
Eon glanced over at her, his ears feeling warm and his tail twitching slightly. He'd acted on instinct seeing her put up that front, knowing how hard she was trying to convince herself, but now that they were out in the open he could feel himself clamming up. Pepebehi would be disappointed in him.
“Usually I'm happy to be around everyone,” he finally managed to say, just then noticing the half-eaten apple he still held in his hand. He turned it around between his claws, noting the way the flesh was already starting to turn brown and dry. “But sometimes I want to be alone, too.” He glanced at her again. “And sometimes, I just want someone to talk to.” His cheeks heated up and he quickly took a bite of the apple in another bid to hide.
Alisaie frowned slightly, still looking down at the settlement below. Eon finished his bite, the fruit sour on his tongue as he worried he'd really messed it up this time. Way to completely ruin the--
“I really can't stand being patient like this.” She gripped her hands together on her knees before pulling her legs up to her chest and wrapping her arms around them. “I know I must be, but it's harder than I was expecting.” An irritated groan escaped her as she pressed her forehead to her thighs. “I was always the impetuous one, why'd my brother have to go and do the same?”
“He's been changing ever since we went to Ishgard,” Eon supplied, and she turned her head to look at him. He gave her a weak smile. “He's growing up.”
“I suppose it was inevitable.” She sighed and closed her eyes before suddenly stretching out and letting herself fall backwards onto the dirt. Eon tilted his head curiously, his tail swishing along the ground ilms from her hair. “He would take one of my best traits.” She turned her head towards him, a cheeky smile gracing her lips, and Eon grinned so wide his fangs glinted in the moonlight.
“Obviously.” He flopped backwards as well, the rocks a harsh reminder that he wasn't wearing a shirt. Menphina's tits, I dragged her through the bar in our bedclothes. He froze as the realization dawned on him, and was only jarred from his paralysis by a warm hand patting his shoulder. “I-- Yes?”
Alisaie was frighteningly close, their sides nearly touching. “I asked what you usually think about.”
Think about? Her eyes were large and shone in the moonlight, her small smile pulled at the edges of her lips. Dirt and small rocks clung to the strands of her braid and he wanted to brush them out.
“I...” His mouth was dry and he looked away, staring at the stars above them. “It's kind of embarrassing,” he finally confided with a small laugh, and scratched at his short red hair. “Usually I think about our battles, and what I could have done differently. But recently I've been thinking about the stars.”
“What about them?” She followed his gaze, her hands folded on her stomach and her side brushing his as she made herself more comfortable on the rough ground.
“Altan's been trying to teach me about them.” He lifted his right hand to point to a constellation. “Honestly I don't understand most of it, but I do remember that one. It's called the Bole.” He traced the outline of the figure with a claw before letting his hand fall to his chest. “He uses its magicks on me and Lotus a lot during battle, but that's not the only reason I like it. It's,” his voice faltered and he scratched at an ear self-consciously. “It's protection. I like protecting everyone.” He laughed at himself, voice echoing in the stillness around them. “I also like bashing in heads, but mostly I like being a protector, knowing I'm helping keep everyone safe.”
Alisaie's own laugh followed his words, and he glanced over at her in surprise. “I don't know about bashing in heads--” Eon grimaced at his choice of words repeated back at him, “but there is something viscerally pleasant about fighting and protecting others with your own hands.” She raised her arms and made elaborate slicing motions, wielding an invisible rapier towards the sky. “Mayhap my brother feels the same, in his own way.”
“You expecting him to come to you, asking for sword lessons?” His smile came easily as he fully turned his head to meet her grin.
“I think my brother would fall over if he tried to lift my rapier.” Her hands had settled back on her stomach, but she no longer twisted them in worry. She looked calm, the worry lines between her brows not entirely gone but lessened. “But you're right, he has changed. However, I am still allowed to worry for him.”
“Of course.” He refrained from mentioning that she'd run off on her own as well, after they'd freed Bahamut from the Coils. Eon wasn't a smart man, but he wasn't entirely stupid, either.
“For what it's worth,” she said, and the warm hand on his jolted him from his thoughts. “I think you're a fine protector. I'd trust no one else.”
This time he had no apple to hide his expression, his mismatched eyes wide and his dark skin flushed a deep grey as he stared back at her. If he didn't know better, he'd swear he saw a glint of amusement in her eyes, but she simply patted his hand and then sat up, stretching her arms above her head.
“Thank you. I think my mind is a little less clouded, now.” She looked out over the expanse of Revenant's Toll as Eon sat up and brushed bits of stone and dust from his arms and shoulders. “He'll be all right.” Her hands balled into fists. “He has to be.”
Eon watched her for a long moment before he stood and reached down to help her up. He understood her feelings all too well—and felt guilty that he'd not given his own twin brother as much thought lately as he should. Put him in front of a dragon horde and he'd rush in without fear, but ask him to write a letter and he was as craven as a traitor.
But that was neither here nor there. His goal had been to help Alisaie work through her own thoughts, and at least on that front he hoped he'd been successful. And it was nice spending time alone, too, he admitted to himself as they passed through the bar, chatting amiably about little things. The other Warriors would tease him when they found out, of course, but the time spent was worth it.
“Thank you again, Eon,” she said as she opened the door to her room. “I do hope I didn't keep you too late.”
“Not at all!” He grinned. “I'm happy if I helped. It was fun.”
Alisaie smiled and took a step into her room before pausing. Eon raised an eyebrow, his ears pricked curiously, as she quickly turned on her heel and leaned up to kiss his cheek.
“Good night.”
Eon stood there long after the door clicked shut behind a slightly blushing Alisaie, eyes wide and staring at nothing. Of all the ways he thought his night would go, this had definitely not been one of them. He pressed a finger against his cheek and felt himself grin stupidly, and somehow he made it back to his room without completely breaking down in cheers or laughter or both.
Back in his room, he sobered a little as he glanced at his pristine desk. Without even knowing it, Alisaie had helped him, too, and he sat down as he reached into one of the drawers to pull out a stack of crinkled, half-finished letters. He lifted the one on top, the one he'd started after meeting Tsuyu. Laying it flat on the desk, he did his best to smooth it out, frowning at all the crossed-out sentences and ink splotches from when he'd crumpled it up only to pull it out of the trash moments later.
“Gotta face him sometime,” he muttered to himself, and found a new, crisp sheet of paper and began to write.
