#g'raha's purring the whole time

[somakaigo]

Brief Respite

[crystal-verse]

Day 23 - On Cloud Nine

[hi have some 5.4 fluff. brought to you by me remembering ishgard my beloved, and also that g'raha used to have a blue eye. i miss the blue eye. alas]

Cloud Nine is perhaps a bit of a misnomer should you ask the locals, but you certainly feel like you're on cloud nine, in this moment.

Breathlessly happy, flopped backwards onto the bed even in its -- lesser quality from some of the other inns you've been to, you pull Raha closer against you, your stuttering staccato purr rumbling all the while. "Is this the adventure in Ishgard you'd wanted, one day?" You ask, the purring drawing your r's out more than they already are.

Raha smirks at you. "Not quite, no." They lean forward, and press a kiss to your lips, your nose, your brow. "You'll have to take me around more of it than just the airship landing, Pheli."

You giggle, wrapping your tail around his back. "I will. It'll be a promise."

You lose energy to do much but melt further into the bed, but -- that's alright. You can melt, for this night. Raha is here, and he is alive (not encased in crystal, like he had been as the Exarch), and for the first time in many, many years you are able to simply. . . be, with him. In the Source, you mean. (It makes the -- strain, lesser. You are not simply the Warrior of Light, anymore -- no, Raha is there by your side to remind you that you're not only K'pheli the Warrior of Light but also Sae'pheli'ehva, that Miqo'te he had fallen in love with, that person who had slowly been coaxed into breathing again by Raha's own gentle hands and words. It's a nice feeling.)

"We should sleep." Raha suggests eventually, in a tone that suggests it's more meant for your benefit than theirs. You pout at them, but concede to the logic -- you'd arrived in Ishgard just before dark (thus the inn room), and tomorrow would likely be a busy day searching for wherever Estinien is -- if he is still in Ishgard at all. (He had better be.)

Still, you sigh dramatically. "Raha?"

"Mmh?"

"Sing to me?"

Raha smiles at you, a squinting sort of smile that takes up his whole face. The familiarity of it makes your chest ache for a moment -- when last you'd seen that boyish expression on them, Raha's other eye had been blue. (It has been quite some while since his eye was blue, but you still find yourself -- forgetting. Expecting to find red-and-blue, instead of red-and-red. Still. You will get used to it, the same as Raha has gotten used to you.) "If that is what you wish."

And so -- he sings. And so, you drift to sleep. (What a lovely way to sleep -- to be lulled by the soft, sweet song of a lover.)

[itscalledmidgar]

🎻 💤 🌴 💘 🍔 🤔 for Khloe!

thank you !!! <3

🎻 VIOLIN: do they play any instruments? khloe doesn't play any instruments, no! they've never really had an interest in creating music themself but they're happy to sit and listen to others play while they read or something.

💤 SLEEPING: are they a light or heavy sleeper? what are their sleep habits like? khloe is largely a light sleeper, which is a combination of trauma and simply being a cat. their echo manifests as horrific premonitory nightmares, which means that sleep has never really been something they mesh well with. but also, they're crepuscular leaning nocturnal like the rest of their mooncat family, so they'd be sleeping at weird times anyway. they sleep in a big nest of blankets instead of a nicely made bed.

🌴 PALM TREE: do they have a green thumb? do they enjoy gardening? absolutely not. they're no good at gardening and they're not a fan of getting down in the dirt. but they're probably better at it than mama zhwan, who unlike her child, manages to simply Absolutely Destroy any plant that comes under her care.

💘 HEART WITH ARROW: what and/or who do they consider most important to them? their mage cane; it's something they couldn't do without now. it's the biggest thing they have to connect them to their father, who died in the calamity. their hair; khloe is psychotic and is convinced their hair is directly tied to their magic. they cut it short in an episode post shadowbringers, and that fucks them up for..... a while lmao their chocobo; her name is nebula, and they got her not far into their journey, not long after they became a scion. she is always by their side when possible, and if they have no one else in the world, they have nebula. their partners; lho polaali is their wife (and my gf's wol), and she is one of the basic constants of their life. it doesn't matter what happens, where they go, what they do, how long they're gone. she will always be there for them to come back to. haurchefant, because the whole uh. alternate history vault clutch benediction kind of fucked them both up. g'raha, where it's complicated because they're still kind of sore from the whole uh,,,, being lied to after having a life changing event sprung on them out of the blue lmao.

🍔 HAMBURGER: are they good at cooking? baking? which do they prefer? khloe is EXTREMELY good at both. when they got kicked out of the stillglade fane and forced onto their OE, they started working as a kitchen hand at the bismarck and accidentally found their passion. now in their adventuring downtime they work as a chef there. between the two though, they prefer baking. it's something delicate that they're not too clumsy to do, and they love sharing what they've made with people. anyone. no one is safe after khloe's spent a day baking.

🤔 THINKING FACE: what are some of their quirks/mannerisms? the good ol purring, snurgling, sleeping in any position anywhere anytime. when they get excited, infodumping about something for example, sometimes some of their consonants start taking on that little "mrrp" noise. they have restless legs. they jiggle their leg when they're sitting no matter where or when, despite their best efforts. their tail curls around the legs/waist/shoulders of people near them that they particularly like. they dig their claws into their palms to keep calm. not much sets them off but when they go off they go off. one of those, the quite ones are who you should look out for, deals.

[transcredwaters]

⌛ for a writing prompt?

Sorry for the slow reply, the idea struck immediately, executing it was an issue. It's so long too sorry

---

It was snowing. O'miz stood, battered by the gales of wind and aggressive snowfall. They were rushing to camp Dragonhead, wanting to see someone, someone important, yeah. . .

With that they picked the pace back up, cold nipping at every bit of exposed skin. They were cold, hungry, but surely this important person would help, surely. . . They were friends. Yeah. . .

Entering the building their friend resided in felt wrong. It was colder still, empty save for-

Harchefant sat slumped against the chair, that slightly glowing hole gaping at them as blood dribbled from his mouth. Miz screamed, rushing forward with the healing spell at the tip of their tongue, but they slipped on the carpet, falling and rolling.

For a moment the spinning world was all they knew, and then everything halted.

Twenty summers. They remembered now. They were twenty summers.

Smoke filled their lungs, and they were running, slipping again as they choked, panicked, rolled-

They were being pulled by every limb, hair and ears yanked, coughing up their lungs, and everything roared with pain, agony, writhing in place-

And then it all halted once more.

They were young again. A child, no older than ten summers, standing at that cliffside- oh, sweet Nophica, it hit then like a gale.

Not here.

Anywhere but-

It was as if they were shoved.

Falling, falling, falling into that abyss, that cursed place. It was hungering, angry they had saved the last soul it was to consume.

So now they were to be consumed, eaten whole to be forgotten. nobody would save then. All they could see was the cloaked man at the top, barely visible in a starless sky, growing ever smaller as they fell,

Until they crashed.

The landing knocked the breath from their lungs, and they stood gasping as the figures rose.

The gasps quickly grew panicked, and they tried to push themselves away, only shoving themselves into a pile of twelves-knew-what. For sure they didn't wanna know. But right now they were realizing they were trapped.

Just as the others were.

A teary-eyed Thancred noticed O'miz first. He did not speak, only grabbed the hand of a sobbing Alphinaud, clearly trying to comfort the boy in his pain.

Aymeric became visible as he checked up on Sylphie and Foulques, and Miz could only look in horror as more loved ones showed up, and they knew it immediately, that they were just as dead as-

They shot up, awake, a scream escaping them.

G'raha stirred from his spot next to where O'miz was laying in his arms. He rose as they began to sob, quickly moving to wrap his arms back around them.

"I can't -" they hiccuped, "I've run out of time, I cannot save them, they've all perished already-"

Their rambling was interrupted by their own gasp as G'raha pressed his lips to their shoulder. "Miz, my love, I promise. They're all alive, breathing. Safe and sound thanks to you." Unfortunately, this was not his first time with this reoccurring nightmare.

"But I saw-"

"What you saw, twas not actually them." His focus was now entirely on getting Miz out of the web of the nightmare. "You've done well to ensure their safety. I can even connect to then all on the linkpearl if I so wished."

O'miz halted, staring a moment longer, before they buried thenselves against G'raha to sob. He did what he could to make sure they felt comfortable, allowing them time to simply cry.

"R-Raha ?"

"Mmm ?"

"Stay with me." The demand was hardly a whisper.

"I will. Always."

He sighed as they cuddled closer, a purr rumbling out his throat. He adjusted so he was practically defending then with his body, knowing they'd want to feel especially safe in this moment.

It was comfortable.

And after a while, he could hear them purring too.

[angel-lockhart]

Chapter One - In Search of the Moon

[Part One of the “In the Tower’s Reflection” Side Series] (Main Series: Shard Weavers) [Series Notes: This takes place back when Shoto and Angel first met G’raha Tia during the events of the Crystal Tower. This shows some things that happened in Angel’s past, so there’s some abuse in this story.] Written by Angel and @xehniscreations 

In a certain tent at Saint Coinach's Find, there were few who stayed very long among the piles of tomes that had been amassed over the last two weeks. It had been temporarily dubbed 'The Library' due to the book and scroll piles, and that fact that only about four people could generally be found in it; two of the new researchers who were trying to catch up on everything learned since the Labyrinth of the Ancients had been cleared, a budding Warrior of Light that had been in the party of Adventurers that had cleared the Labyrinth, and an otherwise elusive Allagan scholar. There was the occasional visit from a female Miqo'te Scholar that had helped in the Labyrinth as well.

The Miqo'te White Mage was nestled into a pile of blankets in the corner, a rather large book in his hands; his blue-rimmed glasses slid down his nose for the third time. He wasn't looking at the book, though. Instead, he watched the crimson tail of the Miqo'te Bard that was trying to reach something off the makeshift shelf nearby. Rather than asking for help, the Bard had insisted on climbing on the table in silence to reach something on the top of the shelf... but the White Mage hadn't the foggiest idea which item he was actively after.

"Come on, confound it, I know it's there," the Bard mumbled to himself. His tail swished back and forth in frustration. It was clear that he couldn't climb up the makeshift shelf, it would topple over; if not completely fall apart; if he did. The White Mage quietly put down the book he had been trying to read, then sat his glasses on top of it. He stood up just as quietly, then walked over to the table the Bard stood on. "Maybe if I got a stick..."

"G'raha?"

"GAH!" The red-haired Miqo'te jumped back, and nearly fell off the table. His crimson tail and ears were fluffed and his red and cyan eyes were wide. The black-haired Miqo'te had jumped as well at the sudden cry in response, then blinked his emerald eyes in the silence.

"Er... C-Can I help you, G'raha...?" The mage's blue-tipped tail flicked with his question. The Allagan scholar took a breath to settle himself, then hopped down from the table with a slight pout.

"I didn't even realize you were in here, Angel." He looked over to see the blanket nest that Angel had just come from, then crossed his arms over his chest. "How long have you been in here...? I went to check out the doors of Syrcus Tower nearly four bells ago."

"...I was... here... the whole time...?" Angel said with a blink, tilting his head to the side.

G'raha turned his head to look over his shoulder. There was a silence between them for a moment, then Angel blushed as he felt G'raha staring at him, "Wh-What...? I-I was reading about the Allagan royalty from that book you gave me."

"The book...? Angel, I gave you that last night," G'raha turned to face Angel, and perked his ears straight up. Angel blinked again, then fidgeted.

"Y-Yeah," Angel's tail curled the other way, then he flicked a blue-tipped ear, "I-I got caught up in reading about Princess Salina and--"

"G'raha Tia, are you in here?" 

Cid's voice echoed through the tent. Both Miqo'te jumped, then turned to look towards the entrance. The Garlean Engineer carefully made his way through the maze of books on tables, then stopped as soon as he spied the two. "Angel! I didn't expect you to be here already. Excellent timing, though." He smiled at the White Mage, then turned to the Bard with a serious expression. "Did you find the unaspected fang I was looking for?"

"I-I just about had it when Angel wanted to talk to me," G'raha twitched his ears, then moved quickly to put an arm around Angel's shoulders; or at least, he tried to, the mage was about half a head taller than he was. Angel wanted to argue that wasn't what happened, but the blush that crossed his cheeks made Cid chuckle quietly.

"Well if you manage to find it, bring it to the doors to Syrcus Tower, I have a theory I'd like to test," he shifted his weight, then crossed his arms over his chest. "Although, Biggs and Wedge both suggested other ideas. I'll work on gathering the materials for a few different attempts. Keep looking for the fang, and if you stumble over any of the green firesand, bring that too."

"Green firesand?" G'raha blinked, then looked up to the shelf top again. "The kind that explodes?"

"No no no," Cid waved a hand, "that's the red stuff."

G'raha looked back to Cid, "Oh, good."

"Green just burns brightly," Cid turned to leave once more, then stopped. "Unless mixed with water-aspected aethersand."

"I-I don't think we have any of that left," G'raha flustered, then looked back up to the shelf nervously.

"I was hoping we did, that was alternative seven," Cid shook his head, "See you later, G'raha."

"W-Wait, Cid, why did you say it was excellent timing that I was here already?" Angel stepped forward, confused. Cid stopped then turned to look back at him. He paused, then looked between G'raha and Angel. "...I've forgotten. It'll come back to me later, I'm sure." He grinned, then waved once more and left without anything further. Angel blinked in confusion, then flicked his tail. He turned to look back to the Bard behind him.

"Thanks for not arguing the point, Angel," G'raha frowned, then looked up to the shelf. "I haven't a clue where any of the stuff he asked for actually is... I just... wanted to buy some more time to look."

"You could have asked for my help," Angel took a step closer to him, fidgeting with the sleeve of his robe. G'raha blushed, then turned further away, his tail twitching back and forth.

"How am I supposed to ask for help to get something I don't know where it is?" The Bard responded nervously. Angel opened his mouth to argue that G'raha had said he knew something was there, but the Bard spoke first. He turned to point at Angel after only a breath, "A-Anyway, Cid interrupted me yelling at you! You've been in here since last night, reading, haven't you?"

"I-I," Angel stuttered, flustered, as he pinned his ears back, "Well... maybe...? I-I can't tell what time it is in here!"

"....Wait, really?" G'raha blinked, his expression softened a little. He had been joking, but Angel seemed serious.

"Y-Yes...? I think I slept a bit, though," Angel looked thoughtful. He put a finger to his chin, and looked down to the book on the blanket where he'd been sitting all night, "I lost track of where I was on the page at some point, then reread an entire section."

"...Wow," G'raha put his hands on his hips, then flicked his ears. He looked between Angel and the book a few times, then sighed. He straightened himself up, with a large grin on his face. "Well, that just means you haven't eaten yet and I am obliged to make sure that a Warrior of Light is well fed!" Angel jumped at the title, then curled his tail a bit.

"G'rrraha," he purred nervously, "I-I think you'rrre going a bit farrr, I-I don't think I'm quite--"

"Don't be modest," G'raha grinned, then leaned forward to smile up at the mage, "you're as much a hero as any protagonist in the stories." His expression was too earnest to counter him. Angel bit his lip, then sighed, and nodded.

"A-Alright, alright, I give," he crossed his arms, "What kind of food did you have in mind?" G'raha wiggled his ears and wagged his tail triumphantly.

"We can just have lunch at the Seventh Heaven," he headed towards the exit of the tent, then stopped. They have really good sweetcakes," he turned back in time to see Angel's ears perk at the mention of sweetcake, and grinned. He was going to suggest something else, but... it seemed the White Mage shared his taste for sweets.

"I had no idea," Angel hurried after G'raha excitedly. The two Miqo'te took a chocobo porter back to Mor Dhona to have lunch at Seventh Heaven.

* * * "It's not like you to completely shirk a research opportunity, G'raha." Rammbroes frowned. The red-headed Miqo'te crossed his arms and pouted in response.

"I didn't shirk anything! Nothing Cid asked for was within my reach and it was my duty to make sure a Warrior of Light is fed, isn't it?"

"A Warrior of Light, is it...?" 

"Yes," G'raha puffed himself up a little, proudly. "We ate and talked about what might be in the tower."

"You were at Seventh Heaven for nearly three bells."

"It was a long talk," G'raha mumbled. He blushed a bit as he pouted a bit more insistently. 

"So... What finally drew you back here?" Cid asked, before Rammbroes could continue scolding the Bard. G'raha frowned a little, and his ears twitched. 

"He got called away by a few other adventurers in the expedition group," he trailed off. 

Cid seemed to think about what was said for a moment, then shrugged lightly and gave a small smile. "I'm sure he'll come back to you." 

The Sharlayan Miqo'te flushed and looked deeply flustered, but he was unable to keep his ears from perking at the suggestion. The two researchers that were beside Rammbroes giggled to one another. "In the meantime, G'raha, I need alternative ideas on how to open those doors if we're going to learn anything more about that tower."

"Ah! I-I was actually thinking about that," the Allagan scholar smiled excitedly, then began to talk to Cid about theories he had come up with while having lunch with Angel.

* * * Cid listened intently for nearly two bells, at which point he stopped the Historian with a gesture.

"Wait, wait. I got lost at some point. Why would a mage need that much power?"

"Well, to resurrect the emperor." G'raha blinked. Cid gestured again. 

"But that was just a theory, wasn't it?"

"Yes, but if he were to succeed, he'd need the energy the tower provided."

"....I've forgotten what I originally asked you," Cid admitted, "But I have some things to work on back at the workshop." He gave a smile to G'raha, then a small wave as he left. 

Rammbroes yawned, then turned to leave the tent. He paused with the flap open, after Cid passed through, and revealed to G'raha that it was night time. The red-haired Miqo'te blinked, then pinned his ears back as the Roegadyn turned to look over the books on the tables.

"G'raha."

He jumped at his name, "Yeah...?"

"I'd like you to go out and check on something for me, if you would? You're far better at climbing." Rammbroes smiled, then gestured to the outside. G'raha looked down to where Angel had spent the last few days; the Keeper had left his reading glasses behind, on the book he had been reading this morning.

"...What do you need?" The Miqo'te turned to look back at the Roegadyn, then followed him out of 'the Library'.

* * * A moon passed before anyone at the Find heard from most of the adventurers. While it had seemed like they were making progress on getting into Syrcus Tower, they had run out of ideas but two suns ago.

G'raha Tia had been out with two researchers to pick up lunch for the Sons of Saint Coinach, when two red-eyed Allagan scholars approached Rammbroes to introduce themselves. They explained that their names were Unei and Doga, and that they had been sent by the Students of Baldesion to assist in the matter of accessing Syrcus Tower. Rammbroes was initially suspicious, but he decided to wait for G'raha's return from Revenant's Toll to get his opinion.

The Sharlayan Miqo'te had hurried back, the two researchers struggled to keep up with his speed. G'raha carefully handed a satchel to Rammbroes, then perked his ears as he looked over to Unei and Doga. They smiled lightly, then bowed in greeting.

"You must be the scholars sent from the Students! Correct?" The Miqo'te seemed excited, even as Rammbroes felt even more suspicious. He hadn't heard any of this, and he was the leader of this group at the moment.

"Why yes," Unei replied with a smile, "but however did you know that before we introduced ourselves?" G'raha's response was a happy tail wag and two paces over to the two.

"Easy! Some people in Revenant's Toll were talking about you," the Miqo'te replied. He looked over to 'the Library', "Why don't we go somewhere to discuss some things?"

"That would be helpful," Doga replied, but Rammbroes stepped in; he hadn't even gotten to say a word since the Miqo'te returned.

"G'raha, thi-this is ridiculous! Are you certain?!"

"It's fine, Rammbroes. I'm certain. Besides, you haven't even given me the chance to talk to them yet," he grinned as he put his hand on his hip. The Sharlayan Roegadyn put his hand to his face in thought. He realized that if anyone could spot a fraud, it was G'raha... Rammbroes realized he should at least let him talk to them, or he won't even find anything to question.

"Alright, alright," he held his hands up and sighed. "If you need us, it's lunch time, so we'll be here."

"Thank you, Rammbroes," G'raha sighed with relief, then hurried into the tent of books.

* * *  G'raha happily spoke with the two about Allagan lore and history without thinking much about it. The two answered without hesitation and even added details. They spoke for bells before they finally exited the tent, still talking about Allagan Tech. The Sharlayan Miqo'te hurried ahead a few steps to hold the tent flap open for Unei and Doga to exit with him. Only once out of the tent did any of them realize how long they'd been talking.

"Is it this late already...? Time really does disappear in there, I'll have to apologize to--," he trailed off, then flicked his ears. A small group of adventurers were approaching the Find, from Mor Dhona. The Miqo'te looked intently at the group; he seemed to be searching for someone. With a pout, he then headed off towards the incoming group.

"Is he always so easily distracted?" Doga asked Rammbroes.

"He just hasn't seen a friend of his in a while," the Roegadyn chuckled as he adjusted his glasses, then crossed his arms over his chest. "Excellent timing, as ever, on their part, though. I've wanted an outside perspective on our current conundrum. Come, let us meet them at the tower."

"Should we not tell someone?" Unei asked. Rammbroes looked back, then saw G'raha running towards the back of the crowd. He turned to the Lalafell Nazyl Duzyl near the library tent.

"Once G'raha is done welcoming his friends, let them know to meet Biggs at the Eight Sentinels and he'll show them to us."

"Understood," the Lalafell gave a quick salute and a smile. Rammbroes nodded, then headed off with the two Students.

At the back of the small group of adventurers, G'raha perked up the moment he saw the blue-tipped ears of his friend. He ran towards him, then slowed to a stop as he watched the Keeper dismount his dark blue feathered chocobo. He seemed to be in pain as he landed, and hadn't noticed him yet. G'raha opened his mouth to call his name, but someone else beat him to it.

"Angel," the Keeper flinched at his own name, then looked to a large Roegadyn Summoner beside him. "Don't forget what she said before we left. You just gotta keep at it. It'll get easier in time." He grinned and gestured to try and cheer up the Miqo'te. Angel half smiled in response and nodded silently. G'raha frowned, then headed over in silence as the Roegadyn walked off to join the others, and left Angel alone with his bird. The chocobo whistled quietly, then nudged Angel gently; he reached up to pet him with a sad look on his face.

"Don't worry, Auren," Angel mumbled to his bird. The chocobo seemed to nuzzle back the more the Miqo'te pet him. "I just want to see him... if I can..."

G'raha opened his mouth to call Angel's name once more, but he still didn't speak; he looked over his friend. The mage wasn't wearing his normal robes. He didn't seem as happy as he usually was. His hands and fingers were wrapped in bandages, he had a bandage over the bottom of his left cheek and chin, and his left boot seemed a bit thicker near his ankle versus his right. While it had been a moon since the Labyrinth had been cleared, it had only been two weeks since he'd last seen Angel. G'raha could only find himself wondering what had happened while they were apart... 

Angel finally realized he wasn't alone, then blushed when he turned to see the familiar Seeker. "Raha...?" He said quietly, without thinking. The Bard blushed brightly, and his ears perked in response; Angel responded in kind when he noticed. "H-How long have," he trailed off as he noticed the red-haired Miqo'te was fidgeting. "A-Are you... o-okay?"

"Wh-What? Y-Yeah! Yes! I'm fine! Good!" He laughed a little; it sounded a little forced. The Seeker stepped forward, his voice was full of worry, even though he was desperately trying to hide it on his face. "Are... Are you okay? You're a little... er... bandaged up."

Angel fidgeted, then reached into his saddlebag to pull out a pair of well-worn, old daggers. "I'll be okay, I just," he trailed off, then bit his lip, as he looked apologetic. He turned to face G'raha, and opened his mouth to say something else.

"Angel!" A gruff voice called sharply. Angel flinched with a squeak, and dropped one of his daggers. He hurriedly picked it up, then gently tapped his bird's flank to send him off to the nearest caretaker. 

"I-I'm sorry. I-I can talk later," Angel hesitated to leave the Bard, but another sharp cry of his name urged him to run off towards the one who'd yelled at him.

The Sharlayan Miqo'te frowned. He watched Angel flinch as he stopped near the gruff, black-haired, male Miqo'te who wore the armor of a Warrior, dyed a dark red. It matched the few streaks of color in his shaggy hair, and was a counter to his piercing blue eyes. He was clearly leading the group of about six adventurers. A black-haired, female Miqo'te stood right beside him. She wore the robes of an Astrologian, dyed white and black, with a petticoat of dark red. Half of her medium-length, spike-styled hair was white, but the roots were black. She had a pair of black-rimmed glasses on her face, over her ice blue eyes.

G'raha couldn't hear the conversation amongst the adventurers, but he could see Angel very obviously didn't want to be part of it... and he frowned. The adventurers headed off towards the Crystal Tower; he hurried off to keep up with them.

* * * "We understand you've been having trouble circumventing the tower's defenses." Doga said, after being introduced by G'raha Tia. "...'Tis our hope that we can be of some small assistance." Cid turned to look at the two red-eyed scholars at their offer, then nodded. 

"Well, if your attire is aught to go by, your assistance should prove valuable indeed." G'raha and Angel both turned to look at Unei and Doga at the mention of their clothes. G'raha hadn't paid close attention, as he'd been quite excited to have others to talk to about Allag since Angel had been gone for a while. Angel, for his part, simply hadn't noticed much around him as he had been trying to keep his head down and keep quiet. Especially, amongst the large group of adventurers that had been formed to explore the tower in three parties. 

"Sounds simple," the red-armored Miqo'te crossed his arms over his chest. "We get this door open, we charge in and go take care of the problems inside."

"That's the general idea, but that first part has been the hold up so far," Cid tilted his head a bit. "To begin with, let me tell you where we stand," Cid then turned to look at the doors. The adventurers did as well. The pattern on the doors were of two royal figures facing one another, each had a hand positioned as if expecting someone to touch the large doors. Everyone else turned back to Cid, but Angel continued to stare up at the door, thoughtful.

The Garlean engineer continued after everyone had a moment, "Beyond rises Syrcus Tower, the principal spire of the structure collectively known as the Crystal Tower. The only way to get inside is through the proverbial front door--the imposing gate you see here. The problem is, we can't get it to open. It's sealed by some mechanism whose workings are an utter mystery to us. Having had no success with orthodox methods, I went at it with everything from a pickaxe to a magitek cannon. Nothing so much as put a scratch on it. For a blessing, the gate doesn't try to reduce us to ashes like the Eight Sentinels, but that doesn't make it any less effective as a security measure. It's fiendishly frustrating in its simplicity."

"The only clue we have is the elaborate device carved upon it," G'raha crossed his arms as he continued, "a man and a woman, respectant. Allagan royalty, by my judgment. Precisely who these individuals were, we cannot say," he gave a bit of a wistful smile. "Nor do we know whether the device actually serves a purpose. Like as not, it is purely decorative."

Angel seemed intently focused on the door, until G'raha said it was decorative. The Keeper put his finger to his chin thoughtfully, and stared at the floor in the pause after he spoke. Unei and Doga looked to one another, then walked through the group until they were before the door. The red-armored Miqo'te watched the two distrustfully, glaring at them as they walked past the front of the group. None of the other adventurers in the group seemed to have any reactions to what was going on at the moment. Unei now stood before the female figure, and Doga now stood before the male figure.

Angel's attention was drawn back to the gate by Cid's voice, "If you're thinking to force it, save your strength. It's no use--just ask the calluses on my hands."

"Rest assured we do not mean to waste our strength," Unei replied with but a glance over her shoulder.

"Indeed." Doga smiled a little, then tilted his head up to look at the door, "Why should we exert ourselves... when the gate will open of its own accord?" 

The two then held out their hands and blue aether collected in their palms. Angel's ears pinned back as he felt the shift in aether, an Elezen and Lalafell nearby also seemed to notice it with a shift in their stances. G'raha looked away for a moment, to Angel's reaction; he found himself frowning worriedly. The aether hit the barrier that had frustrated Cid and the others, then washed upward over the design. The hands of the figures suddenly glowed, and the gate relented. Angel jumped, his ears flicked out to the side, which made G'raha turn his attention back to the gate as it opened for the group.

"I," G'raha spoke first with a slight stutter in surprise, "I don't think any of us expected that to happen." He and Cid both slowly turned their attention to the two who had opened the sealed tower. Cid narrowed his eyes, as some of the adventurers turned to face Unei and Doga in defensive stances.

"Seven hells," Cid spoke quietly, with uncertainty in his voice, "What is this? What did you do? What...what are you?" Unei and Doga turned to face the group completely. Angel blinked, then looked to G'raha, but a familiar voice spoke from behind the group, and drew focus immediately.

"...'Piercing the heavens and gathering the light, a symbol of mankind's glory and might. Its virtue guarded by gates impregnable, only to those of royal blood answerable'."

"Not you again," the red armored Miqo'te growled as he drew his axe and stepped forward. The female Miqo'te next to him drew her astroglobe. A few other adventurers followed that lead, but Angel took a step back towards the tower instead. Their newest guest was one Nero tol Scaeva of Garlemald, and rather than be intimidated by the threatening postures of some adventurers, he just smirked at Cid.

"Beg pardons for interrupting your bewilderment. I couldn't help but notice the remarkable playthings you have acquired."

"N-Nero!?" Cid stepped back half a pace, "You're still alive!?" Nero continued to smirk, and half shrugged at Cid's response. 

"Garlond, Garlond. If I didn't know better, I would say you weren't happy to see me." He chuckled, then continued before anyone could respond. "Ah, but I jest. In light of our recent meetings, you have every right to be wary," he pointed a finger upward. The red-armored Miqo'te stepped forward, threatening Nero with his axe.

"He's not the only one. I'd sooner chase you into the pit than listen to you keep talking."

"Y'zhateh!" Angel snapped, which made the red-armored Miqo'te glare back at him over his shoulder. The Rogue pinned his ears back and turned away. Nero shook his head and held his hands up towards the group.

"Ah~! Rest assured, I am no longer a threat to any of you. My legion is, for all intents and purposes, quite defunct. My association with it means a tight noose awaits me back in Garlemald."

"So if we took you back--," another adventurer spoke up from behind Y'zhateh, Nero just shook his head and interrupted the rest of that thought.

"Really, you adventurers are so bloodthirsty, aren't you? Garlond seems willing to listen to my offer," he smiled at his fellow Garlean, "I chanced to catch wind of your latest venture, my friend. It sounded positively fascinating, and so I decided to come here and join you."

"After all the wrongs you've committed? You think us that gullible?" Cid snapped back, a bit irritated. Nero sighed, then shrugged.

"If you are suspicious of my intent, 'tis my just deserts," Nero replied, then pointed his finger upward once more. "But! I am determined to make amends. As a gesture of goodwill, I will share with you what I know... starting with these two odd characters." 

He lowered his arm so that he was now pointing to Unei and Doga, who didn't seem phased by what was unfolding before them at the moment. "As all of you are doubtless already aware, the Crystal Tower was the symbol of ancient Allag's might and prosperity. Entry was permitted only to royalty and a select few individuals." Nero tilted his head briefly as he spoke, the smug smirk still on his face. "According to the records I have unearthed, only royal blood can open the gate. In other words, the emperor and his progeny were living keys."

"Wait," G'raha stepped towards Nero, "You mean to say that these two are descended from Allagan royalty!?" The Miqo'te Bard looked from Nero to Unei and Doga, as did Angel. Y'zhateh shouldered his axe, then also turned to look at the two with the distrustful glare he'd given them earlier. The group of adventurers seemed split between looking as distrustful as their leader seemed to be, and varying degrees of 'interested in this mystery,' as Angel and G'raha were.

Nero scoffed quietly, "Oh I suggest nothing so glamorous," everyone looked back to Nero at his response. "To put it plain, they are imitations of royalty," the Garlean continued as he regained attention, "living keys born of Allagan ingenuity." He pointed to the two of them again, "...'Clones,' I believe, is the name your creators gave your kind. Is that not so?" There was a pause, as everyone turned to look at Unei and Doga in search of a response. The two clones looked to one another, then back to the group.

Doga spoke calmly with a nod, "...'Twould seem that the time for concealment is past." He looked to G'raha, as he had been the primary one so eager to speak with them about Allag, and had been the one to speak up for them as soon as they met. 

The Sharlayan Miqo'te seemed a bit lost at the moment, and just waited for the two clones to continue in hopes of an answer to shi silent questions. "Pray accept our apologies. 'Twas not our intent to deceive. We simply wished to avoid causing undue alarm by prematurely making what many would consider deranged claims."

"Now that you mention it," the Roegadyn mage beside Angel spoke up, thoughtfully. "You're right about that... before seeing all of this, we probably wouldn't have believed you." He put a hand behind his head.

The female Elezen in front of the Roegadyn made a face. "I certainly would've voted we not pay attention to you."

G'raha still seemed just as lost, and Angel immediately went to head over to the Bard; but was stopped by Y'zhateh's axe in the way. Angel jumped, then frowned at the red-armored Miqo'te. Y'zhateh just shook his head at the Rogue. He turned to look back at G'raha, as Unei spoke up with her suggestion.

"If it please you, let us return to the Eight Sentinels. There is much and more to tell." She gave a small smile to the Bard. G'raha looked between the two of them. He nodded slightly, as he spoke quietly.

"Very well," then turned to head off with some of the adventurers. Angel bit his lip, then followed the others. The last thing they heard from behind was Cid's frustrated voice asking Nero if he truly meant to follow them around.

* * * The adventurers split up as they made their way to the Sentinels, most decided to go tell Rammbroes that Unei and Doga wished to speak with him. Angel and two others lagged behind and walked along with Cid and the others. Angel hurried to G'raha's side as he realized that he had a moment to speak alone.

The Bard perked up as he saw the Keeper, "Angel, I'm glad to see you again." His tail flicked happily, though his face gave away that he was still distracted with what they'd just witnessed.

"I am too," Angel responded without thinking, then blushed. He shook his head, "Wh-What I mean is, are you alright...? You seemed..."

"A bit lost...?" G'raha chuckled, "I am," he wiggled his ears a bit, "but don't worry, I'm okay. It's just a lot to take in at once." He looked to Angel's bandaged hands, then frowned as he took a step forward. "What about you...? You've been away for a while..."

"I-I'm," he trailed off, then looked at G'raha's face; into his mismatched eyes. He felt himself relax a bit, then smiled a bit sadly, "I'd have much preferred to stay here... with you... and read more about Allag from your books..."

"Angel!" Y'zhateh barked sharply as he returned with Rammbroes and a few others Angel didn't quite recognize. The Rogue squeaked at his name, and immediately took a half step away from G'raha. The Bard reached forward and gently took Angel's wrists with a determined face; scared he would hurt the Keeper if he'd have grabbed his hands.

G'raha lowered his voice, and spoke quickly, "It's been two weeks since I saw you last. I'd very much like to share a meal with you again. It's Dinner time... Will you meet me at Seventh Heaven after this?" Angel's face lit up in a blush, and he was distracted from hurrying off by G'raha's question. The offer, alone, had made him visibly quite happy.

Angel's ears perked, then he nodded hurriedly, "I-I would... I was... so worried--," he started.

"Angel! Come on!" Y'zhateh snapped.

"I don't want to," Angel whimpered in response. 

It wasn't meant to be loud enough to be heard; when he realized G'raha had heard him, though, he looked apologetic. He slipped his bandaged hands out of his hold enough to take G'raha's hand for a brief moment, and squeeze it. He gave the Sharlayan Miqo'te another nod, then turned to hurry over to Y'zhateh's side. 

There were only five others in the group he seemed part of, Angel, Y'zhateh, the Roegadyn he'd ridden into camp with, the female Miqo'te that seemed to nearly cling to Y'zhateh, an Elezen that seemed to despise everyone around her, and a Lalafell that looked completely out of place and lost. G'raha looked to his hands for a moment, then realized Angel had passed a note to him via his bracer. He made a mental note to look at it once they were finished speaking with Unei and Doga. He hadn't paid attention to much going on, til he heard Doga say "Allagan history"; the mention of which perked the scholar's ears. The small group that was assembled seemed intent to listen to the two explain, and fell silent. The two nodded to one another, then Unei began to speak.

"The Allagan Empire reached its zenith long before our kind came into being. In that glorious age, the Crystal Tower stood tall as the symbol of Allagan pride. Parents took their children there; that they might learn how the nigh-limitless energy it produced brought prosperity to the whole empire," she looked up to the darkening sky for a moment.

Doga continued the story, "That prosperity, however, bred decadence, and the empire began to show signs of stagnation. This decline was made all the more rapid for want of strong leadership. In a matter of generations, the Allagan civilization became a pale shadow of its former self. Its once-gleaming cities fell into disrepair, and it's frontier lands were given over to wilderness."

"Lamenting the pitiful state of affairs, one technologist made it his mission to restore Allag to greatness," Unei looked back to the group as she continued, "Amon was his name, and he believed that the ailing empire wanted for but a potent ruler. And none was more potent than its founding father, whom he sought to resurrect."

"The founding father?" G'raha tilted his head and gestured in confusion, "You cannot mean Emperor Xande!?"

"None other." Unei nodded as she turned to look at the Miqo'te, "As part of his experiments, Amon created clones of the emperor's descendants. We are the products of that experiment," she paused.

Angel spoke up quietly. "Copies of Unei and Doga," he trailed off as he received a glare from some of his party members. Unei nodded to his words, though. Rammbroes lowered his arms, then spoke thoughtfully.

"Historical texts mention the reigns of two Allagan emperors named Xande. It was commonly believed that the second was the namesake of the first. After all, such a custom is not uncommon among royalty and commoners alike. To think that the two were in fact one and the same," the Roegadyn scholar trailed off thoughtfully.

Angel found himself thinking about the books he'd gotten to read while studying with G'raha, and recalled those texts. He'd told G'raha it seemed like a thing that could be done, but he hadn't thought it was true. G'raha had looked to Angel at the realization that theory had turned out to be accurate; Cid looked to G'raha, who'd passed on the theory.

Unei's voice drew attention back to the two clones. "Aye, Xande returned from the grave and assumed his throne once more. And true to Amon's prediction, the emperor restored his realm to the glory it once knew. Would that he could have been satisfied with that..."

"In his previous life," Doga said, "the emperor desired to bring the entire world under Allagan dominion--an ambition that ultimately went unfulfilled. Having been granted a second chance, he was determined to succeed."

Y'zhateh looked over to Nero in the pause, who was leaning against a stone as he listened in.

Doga then continued, "Realizing that he needed more power to wage his war of conquest, Xande turned his sights towards a forbidden source: darkness." G'raha frowned, as Angel blinked. No one interrupted, and he continued to explain, "In order to learn how to harness this power, he converted the Crystal Tower into a restricted research facility."

"Darkness again?" Cid lightly stomped his foot in frustration, "Seven hells, what is it with megalomaniacal rulers turning to darkness in their lust for power? Well, at least this one won't be bothering us, being thousands of years dead and all." G'raha seemed to realize something as soon as Cid said that, as did Angel and the female Miqo'te beside Y'zhateh. However, Doga beat them all to the punch.

"Would that you were right, Master Garlond." 

G'raha looked surprised to be correct, Y'zhateh growled as the female Miqo'te rolled her eyes. 

Angel looked to the tower, just as Unei and Doga turned to do the same, and Doga continued, "Alas, Emperor Xande is very much alive. Within Syrcus Tower he still abides, his ambition burning all the more ardently for his empire's collapse. Wielding the power of darkness requires prodigious amounts of energy--energy that not even the Crystal Tower could produce. In order to augment the shortfall, Dalamud was created and launched into the heavens. On high it hung, gathering the sun's energy and channeling it to the tower below. However, a miscalculation resulted in a surge of energy that escaped into the land. This triggered an earthquake of unprecedented violence--the calamity that ushered in the Fourth Umbral Era. In the blinking of an eye, the mighty Allagan Empire was laid to waste. Yet even as the Crystal Tower was sinking into the earth, the technologist Amon, now Emperor Xande's closest aide, invoked powerful magicks and halted the flow of time. Every soul within the structure, the emperor included, was placed in a deep slumber. In that state they were to remain until the time was ripe to awaken."

"Eras came and went," Unei picked up, "After millennia lying dormant, Dalamud was summoned back to earth. Its descent triggered the Seventh Umbral Calamity, in the wake of which the Crystal Tower reemerged. At that moment, Emperor Xande awakened. In his lust for power, the emperor consorted with darkness and was seduced by its corrupting influence. Even though his empire is now little more than a fading memory, he will stop at nothing to see his ambition realized. 'Tis for no other purpose but to put an end to Xande's madness that we exist. This is the mantle we have inherited from our namesakes--the true Unei and Doga. Fearing what might befall the world, the two of them sought to thwart their emperor. They gave unto us their will, that we might carry on their mission should they fail."

"When we came to our senses within the Crystal Tower, we deliberated a course of action." Doga explained, "Concluding that we alone could not overcome Xande, we struck out to find a worthy ally. It has taken years, but our search is finally over. 'Tis no ordinary men and women who could cut a path through the Labyrinth of the Ancients. With you as our champions, adventurers, we are confident that we can end Xande's dark ambition once and for all."

"Well, that'll teach me for speaking too soon," Cid gave a small smile and nod. "Setting my chagrin aside, I see now why you knew about the Students of Baldesion among a host of other things--you were observing our investigation the whole time. So what will you do, Y'zhateh? The world's in grave danger again, and you seem able to whisk together a capable team for saving it."

"We're gonna go in and kick his arse, of course." The red-armored Miqo'te grinned confidently, then nodded, and the others all seemed to agree. Angel took a step back, and hugged himself. G'raha frowned, but Doga continued with a small smile.

"You have our eternal gratitude. Together, let us see the Allagan Empire's dark past laid to rest." Rammbroes looked around at the group. The sky had fully darkened as they spoke, and he nodded as he made a decision.

"It has been our mission to recover the long-lost knowledge of the Allagan civilization. But what worth is that knowledge if it means subjecting the realm to peril?" The Sharlayan Roegadyn looked to the tower, "Truth be told, it pains me to think that the tower's secrets may become lost to us, but the greater good must ever come first." He smiled, then turned to look at the two before the group, "Besides, no quantity of ancient relics can compare to our friends Unei and Doga--living, breathing Allagans." He nodded, "And so I hereby declare a change in NOAH's objective. Henceforth, we shall direct all efforts towards sealing off Syrcus Tower. Its dark secrets must never know the light of day."

"So, we head into the tower and go take care of this zombie emperor at the top. You all work to find a way to seal it up in the meantime?" The Elezen asked, rather flatly.

"That's about the extent of it," Cid nodded.

Rammbroes nodded as well, "It's getting late for now, let's all head back to camp or Revenant's Toll for the night. Eat, rest up, and prepare to head inside in the morning." The gathered group nodded to one another and began to head back. Rammbroes looked to the researchers, and members of Garlond Ironworks that were still gathered with him. "The rest of us should come up with a way to isolate Syrcus Tower from the outside world while our friends are dealing with the problems inside of it." They nodded, then followed the adventurers.

Angel carefully lagged behind, as he noticed G'raha looked a bit sad. He managed to put the researchers and engineers between him and his group. The Bard turned to Unei and Doga, then lowered his voice to speak.

"Wait. There is something I must know. My right eye is like yours. Does... does this mean...?" Angel had turned his ears to listen before he thought that he shouldn't... However, upon hearing his question, Angel turned around completely. Doga smiled slightly at the Sharlayan's concern.

"You inherited the trait from your father, you said. Know that clones are unable to bear offspring. You have no cause for concern." He gestured slightly, "The Allagan Eye, you called it, but to us it is the Royal Eye, owing to the fact that the trait manifests only in those possessed of royal blood. I cannot well explain why the eye runs in your line, but I am disinclined to think it a coincidence. Though you are doubtless impatient to learn the truth, pray have patience. All will be revealed in due time."

G'raha said nothing in response, but his right eye twinged, and he reached up to hold it. Angel stepped forward without thinking, and spoke softly.

"Raha?"

"A-Angel...?" G'raha jumped, then turned quickly. Twice now, Angel had called him that, and twice he hadn't corrected him. At first, the Bard looked a little scared, but then he realized he was almost completely alone with Angel, and his expression notably brightened. Though, before he spoke again, he realized what Angel must have heard him ask... and the answer he was given.

"Are... you okay?" Angel broke the silence. G'raha bit his lip. He didn't have a clear answer for that now. The Seeker blinked, then remembered the note in his brace. He ran his fingers over the piece of parchment, then distracted himself with that.

"I would like to ask you the same thing..." he looked around, "You stayed behind...?"

"I... wasn't sure... I'd be able to... H-He didn't seem to notice I wasn't behind him for once. Probably thanks to the Ironworks engineers and researchers," Angel blushed as he trailed off, then shook his head. "He probably will by the time he gets back to camp, but..."

"Well. Since you were able to, what did you want to tell me with your note...?" G'raha held up his arm, the paper still sticking out. Angel blushed, then fidgeted. Unei and Doga smiled, then quietly slipped away as the two Miqo'te talked by themselves.

"I-I just... I wanted to apologize... for disappearing. I didn't have a chance... to get away." Angel looked to his fingers, then pulled his hands against his chest. "I tried. I really wanted... to come back here, and read." He looked to G'raha, "I-I wanted to come see you," he paused to look at the red-haired Miqo'te for a moment, then stepped forward, and suddenly hugged G'raha; shivering. The smaller Miqo'te blinked, then put his arms around the Rogue after a moment.

"Hey... I... I wanted to see you too," G'raha smiled a little. "Are... Are you... cold...?"

"A little," Angel mumbled as he nodded. His shivering settled a little as G'raha continued to hug back. "I was also... scared... you would--" A sudden cracking sound came from the direction of the entrance to the Eight Sentinels. Angel jumped, and pulled away from G'raha, then looked over to see two figures; both Miqo'te could hear the faint clinking of armor as the two figures slowly approached.

Angel pinned his ears back and shrank a bit; fear on his features, "H-He noticed... faster than... I-I thought."

G'raha flicked his ears then turned to the figures once more. They were still far enough away that they couldn't be made out, but Angel seemed scared enough. The Bard frowned; he stepped between Angel and the incoming figures, then spoke quietly. "Can you cast Teleport back to the Toll?"

Angel's ears perked; he blinked at G'raha's question. He touched his chest; specifically feeling the small aethershard he had on a necklace beneath his shirt. He had attuned, but...

"Wh-What about you, Raha...?" Angel whispered from behind him. G'raha wiggled his ears as he turned to look back at him with a reassuring smile.

"Don't worry. I'm not the one they're after right?" Angel blinked, then he smiled and nodded. With a blush, he paused, then gave G'raha a quick, grateful kiss on the cheek. The Bard blinked as the Rogue focused on the aethershard against his chest, then quickly disappeared into a flash of purple and white light. G'raha stayed turned to look at the tower as Y'zhateh approached, nearly dragged by the female Miqo'te that'd been clinging to him all day. He hadn't heard what she'd said, but he did catch the male Miqo'te's growled response.

"A'qune, I don't see him. Are you sure you heard that researcher correctly?"

"Of course I did. He probably ran off, too afraid of that whole mess at the top of the tower," she sighed, then let go of him and hurried over to G'raha. Her tone switched quickly to sweet, and curious, even as G'raha grit his teeth a bit; he was grateful he wasn't facing them yet. It helped him to quickly clear the blush he had on his cheeks from Angel's kiss and settle his sudden anger at these two.

"G'raha Tia? Looks like you got left behind~!" She smiled sweetly as the Bard turned to look at the two, a neutral expression set on his face. She continued, with a sickeningly sweet level of faux concern. "Have you seen a rogue Rogue? He wasn't with the group when we got back to the Find, and we're worried to death about him."

"Black hair, blue-tipped tail and ears. Stands about here," Y'zhateh held his hand up to about where Angel stood on him. G'raha shook his head and gave a small smile.

"I have not seen him since you all left. I stayed to talk to Unei and Doga, but it seems I was left behind by them while lost in thought."

"Are you certain?" Y'zhateh narrowed his eyes, a bit unsure.

G'raha's smile never wavered, and he just silently nodded to them. All his practice dealing with others who'd poke fun at his mismatched eyes growing up, those who'd yell at him for not taking his studies seriously, and those whom he'd play tricks on... he was quite good at his poker face by now. The only times it usually failed was when someone else was there to counter him. A'qune looked at him intensely for a moment, then crossed her arms and turned away from G'raha as she growled quietly. 

Y'zhateh sighed, then shook his head a bit, "C'mon, Qune, he's probably lost somewhere in Mor Dhona. We'd best look for him on the way back."

"He's so much trouble," she replied in an exasperated tone, "Such a penchant for wandering off on his own..."

Only once the two were fully clear of the Sentinels did G'raha let his expression slip to one of anger, and growled quietly in frustration. He looked back to the tower one last time, then focused to cast his own Teleport back to the Toll.

[sami-at-ciela]

Prompt 9: Friable

Or: “I got so stumped I had to make something up and default to spoiling the Exarch again.”

Did I literally slam this in with less than 1 minute to spare? Yes.

No more rush jobs for me, I say, lying through my teeth... so much for slow burn...

Spoilers for Shadowbringers and the other bits.

Rhea was making the rounds of the Crystarium markets, gathering groceries for a special meal for tonight.

Such preparations were made more difficult by the fact that, while most items shared names with their Source counterparts, a certain few didn’t, which made navigating this particular spice stall a puzzle.

The stall keeper noticed Rhea’s indecision quickly. “Are you looking for any particular flavor, or working with any specific ingredients?”

“Um… well, I was starting with chicken, and maybe… something savory? Isn’t there something savory that kind of adds texture to the meat when it’s done?” Rhea felt hopelessly out of her depth. Did the words even make sense in a culinary context? Would her date even like what she was choosing to cook?

“I’ve got just the thing,” the stall keeper said, placing something solid in Rhea’s hand. “Stonespice!”

"Stonespice?" Rhea asked, staring at the lump in her hand.

"Yes! Handle it carefully, or it'll break up before you're ready to use it," the woman in the stall said. "It's best if you crack off a bit at a time, crush it to powder, then rub it on whatever needs seasoning for a delightful savory flavor." She leaned in and added in an audible stage whisper, "There was a time where stonespice was thought to have aphrodisiac properties."

Rhea was unable to sputter about the extra information before the old woman behind her laughed. "Don't you pull that girl's leg!" she said, putting a hand on Rhea's shoulder. "What she means is that the way to a man's heart is through his stomach, and if you make an excellent meal using stonespice, he's good as yours."

"Oh, um, good to know," Rhea muttered as she set the stonespice down and scooted a few other spice jars near it. "I'll take this and these." If the spices in question got a vote of approval from the locals, they were bound to be a good start. The question of how people seemed to know that she was cooking for a date was also on the table, but there was no time to answer it.

The time for the date came, and Rhea fidgeted nervously as she stared at the door of her suite. Even though this date had been all her idea, the minutiae made her want to cling to the ceiling and never come down.

Soon, there was a knock, and the same familiar voice. “Rhea? Are you in there?”

“Ready and waiting,” Rhea called back. The Exarch entered, and she noticed one point in common. “Oh, glad to see you didn’t think to dress up, either.”

“Hm?” The Exarch paused as he took his hood off for her. “I’m sorry, should I have? I thought it would be for the best, so that no one would ask questions.”

“No, no, it’s fine,” Rhea said. “I got so wrapped up in things that I didn’t change either.” Her gaze drifted to the basket on the table. “I was mostly trying to cook something decent, and it kind of took me all day.”

“Is that what smells so good?” he asked, and Rhea took relief in the fact that he liked the smell to start.

“I’d hope so,” she said as she pulled the cover off the basket. “Chicken legs. There should be enough for both of us, or maybe for later.” Every word felt like she was talking out of her rear and she hated it.

"Ah, only legs?" the Exarch said with a nervous swallow.

"I wasn't going to make a whole chicken," Rhea said, a twinge of nervousness spiking up as it occurred to her that maybe she’d chosen poorly on the date food. "Do you want silverware?"

He shook his head. "No, I'm willing to get my hands dirty."

“Good, since I’ll be doing the same,” Rhea said, putting out a plate for each of them. “Take what you’d like and dig in.”

They both did so, but Rhea found herself too preoccupied to eat too much. If the Exarch had started with a pretense of trying to eat cleanly and politely, it fell away with a quickness, and he was chowing down with gusto before a short pause.

"This tastes like stonespice," the Exarch mused, a wry smile coming to his face as he set one cleaned-to-the-bone leg down. "Are you officially attempting to court me now?"

Rhea’s mouth fell open as she struggled to respond to that. "Well, this is a date, right?" was what she settled on before taking an opportunity to tease him back. "Besides, seeing you devour chicken legs I made like they're the best things ever cooked is equal parts hilarious and adorable."

That made the Exarch pause. "Ah, did I get too messy?"

"G'raha, do I look like a woman who gives a damn about a slip in table manners as long as it's not disgusting? You're fine." Rhea squinted at him, watching his ears twitch at the mention of his old name. "Did you forget to eat today?"

"I ate breakfast," he was quick to say before lowering his head. "...But I got too busy and forgot lunch."

"I knew it! Eat up, you big silly," Rhea said, sticking another chicken leg on his plate.

G’raha reached over and did the same, putting a chicken leg on Rhea’s plate. “Only if you do the same,” he said with a smirk.

“Deal.”

The meal proceeded uneventfully, except that Rhea was incredibly certain that he was watching her eat, just as she was watching him. Are we just a pair of lovesick idiots or what? She thought as their eyes met briefly.

Soon after, the Exarch wiped his hands off and leaned back with a heavy sigh. “That should do it for me.”

Rhea soon realized why he was so exhausted: he’d plowed through six legs in the time it had taken her to go through two. There were no leftovers. “And that’s why you don’t forget lunch,” she quipped.

He gave a soft ‘oh’ as he surveyed the carnage. “I overdid it. Apologies for not leaving leftovers.”

"It’s fine, hon, you were hungry,” Rhea said. "Was it worth it though?"

G'raha sighed, resting his hands on his belly, and for once Rhea held back on teasing him about his food baby. "Yes, very. I hope you didn't have any big plans for after dinner, as I'd like to request an intermission for a food coma."

"No, not really, just some quiet time and the chocolate I'd saved for dessert." Rhea's gaze shifted to the bed. "Go get comfy and I'll join you in a bit."

Rhea returned from cleaning up to find the Exarch splayed out on her bed. "Feeling good?" she asked as she sat down next to him.

G'raha nodded, then said something different. "I want to take my clothes off."

"Oh?" Rhea blinked and paused for a moment. "Go ahead. You've already stripped for me once." She turned around to give him some privacy. “Just say the word when you’re ready.”

The Exarch disrobed far more quickly than last time. “You can turn around now. Better yet, you can come over here and join me.”

Rhea couldn’t put her finger on why this session with him made her far more nervous and fidgety than the first, but she did as he requested all the same. When she’d tucked herself in next to him, she found herself rubbing his head, almost out of habit. “How’s this?”

“Wonderful.” G'raha purred, resting his head against Rhea's chest. "You spoil me rotten," he said softly. "And I love every second of it."

“You do?” Rhea asked. “And here I was thinking I’d flubbed it all, at least until you said eating my cooking was worth it.”

“Do you really think I would have eaten all that if it wasn’t good? It was delicious,” he said. “And…” Mischief flashed in his eyes as he leaned over to kiss her, though the positioning made him only get to her neck. “So are you.”

“Wh- gods above, G’raha,” Rhea said through giggles. “I thought you wanted to rest, not immediately go work it off.”

“No, not immediately,” he said. “Eventually. Someday. For now, I’m content to enjoy the ‘quiet time’ you mentioned. If I fall asleep, you’ll wake me up, won’t you?”

“Of course, unless I fall asleep too,” Rhea said.

“Then there’s no problem.” G’raha adjusted to get more comfortable. “I want you to know that I relish these moments with you, my dear…” The sentence trailed off as the lights went off in his head at that moment.

The sudden affectionate terminology caught Rhea off guard. Did I really do that good? She asked herself before wrapping around him. To her surprise, G’raha had the presence of mind to take one of her hands, giving it a squeeze before drifting off again.

He’s too sweet.