#and i was like why is tome short …oh he got a growth spurt and then the perspective changed back to tome

[pipskippy]

btw shoutout to the dream factory for giving me brief tome & shou sibling momence 👍

[tea-and-conspiracy]

Prompt 17: Destruct

“I’ve not seen you since you were five!” Eliane laughed, taking Odette by the hand. “’Twoud seem you’ve had your growth spurt recently, too. Graces, what a strange feeling, to see you so tall!”

“Not tall enough! I’m still looking up at you.” Odette laughed, idly shaking a wisp of hair from her eyes. “It’s strange for me to be able to tell the difference between you and Juleaux now. You two were identical back in the day.”

“Oh believe me, we hear that often.” Eliane waved for her to have a seat as she reached for her customary tea. “And we took ample advantage of it.”

“I can only imagine! How fun that must have been.”

Eliane smirked, reaching to slide her a tiny dish of sugar cubes. “Speaking of Jules, he’s told me some of Sharlayan, from the time he spent there. Thank you, by the by, for allowing him to stay with you.”

Odette laughed. “It was hardly my decision. But we got along famously! I’m simply glad he was able to mend things with Uncle Em.”

“’Twas a process. And still is, to a large extent.” Eliane sighed softly.

Odette nodded, lifting her cup to blow on it. “But you were going to ask what it’s like back home?”

Eliane arched a brow. It would seem her little cousin was sharp indeed.

Odette had grown into a darling young woman: still petite despite the infamous elezen growth spurt, but not necessarily fragile looking. She had the ‘fey’ facial features that Eliane had also inherited from the Lachansseau side of the family: the pert, upturned nose, the bright, full lips, the large, curious green eyes. It was the veil of thin, silky black hair that set the two starkly apart; Odette currently wore it in a short, not-quite-a-bob, parted such that a good portion of it continuously fell over – and into – one eye.

She was also dressed identical to her father: billowing shirt beneath a tight fitting vest, loose slacks, calf-high boots, and most important -- a scholar’s jacket worn as a dramatic cape about the shoulders. Did she admire her sire that much, Eliane wondered, or was this simply the style in Sharlayan currently?

“It’s lovely, really, but I’m not sure what to compare it to. I barely have any memories of the colony…just the last two times you and Jules visited, and of course the night we had to leave. It took…a long time to recover from that.”

Eliane frowned. “Did you have to leave everything?”

“Near enough as made no matter. At the time I was upset I couldn’t have my dolls, but now?” Odette leaned in, eyes wide. “Do you have any idea how much research was left behind? And never retrieved! Imagine what’s been lost in all this time, destroyed by the weather, or looters, or Thaliak knows what else. That’s a crime against all spokenkind!”

Eliane knew her own family well enough to be able to put two and two together. Her teacup paused halfway to her painted lips, a brow arching skeptically. “…You didn’t come out here early just to deliver the passports, did you?”

Odette made a show of covering her heart in pain. “How you doubt your own kin, dear cousin! It wounds me! Buuuuuuut, now that you mention it...” She leaned in, lowering her voice. “It was part of the provision we got you all approved on. We have to bring back everything we can, in what little time we have, if any of you are to be allowed to set foot upon the island.”

Eliane arched a brow. “…So you told them we’d be bringing back a shipment of tomes from Dravania? And you volunteered us for this without consulting us first?”

“We had no choice! We were rather forced to defend you on the spot. Ishgard has a reputation for…well…war. We had to convince the Powers That Be that your interest in traveling to Sharlayan was of a high-minded purpose.”

In truth, even Eliane wasn’t certain why it was suddenly critical they all travel to Sharlayan – but Mother insisted on it, and she wasn’t about to deny Mother anything after all these years.

“…Why?”

“I…” Odette shifted in her chair. “I’m not allowed to speak on it to outsiders.”

“Fury’s breath, Odette! I’m not an outsider, I’m family!”

“I know, I just…I’m sorry. We’ll be able to fill you in on everything once we’re all safely home. Of that I’m absolutely certain!”

Eliane sighed, falling back into her chair. “…So let me guess. Our house is to be the main source of funding and protection for this little expedition of yours.”

“Weeeeeeelllllll…” Odette turned sheepish.

“Absolutely not!” roared father’s voice from downstairs. “Not even if you setting foot in that library meant I could walk again!”

“Gods be good.” Eliane pressed her face into her palm. It would seem whatever peace the household had enjoyed these past few moons was well on its way out the door.