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(Decided to write a bit on Leih's background. Mostly for practice.)
15 Years Prior
Thunder roared around and the cold rain seeped through the ruined caravan. The small Miqo'te toddler cling to her blanket and the cooling body of her mother, crying for her to wake up and pay attention. A roar of thunder and the shining of lightning made her scream, barely able to stand up and run out, seeking the safety of her father's arms. She slip on one of said arms, falling on a puddle of mud. Tears and blood streamed down her little face and she called now for her father. She could barely open her right eye, a cut from some sort of weapon making it hard.
"What do we have here?", a warm male voice exclaimed as the small Miqo'te suddenly felt someone pick her up and cover her from the rain, "Poor thing, you are half frozen."
"Papa?", the toddler exclaimed, her vision blurred by tears, rain and mud.
"Shh, everything will be okay. I got you now."
The girl cried a bit more, still scared by the thunder around, though soon she had blissfully unaware of the world as she slept.
"You can't be serious... You can't raise a child, Athrune, it's just insane. She's just a baby!", a young Midlander Hyur woman growled, pacing in front of a Midlander man holding the Miqo'te toddler.
"She would be dead if I had left her. The Amaal'ja were everywhere and killed everyone. Imagine if they had found her, Tirsha." Athrune sighed, letting the small girl grab a lock of platinum blond hair.Â
The man did not want to admit it, but he had quickly become incredibly fond of the tiny child. His girlfriend however was not as interested.Â
"She can't replace your sister. She's... different." The woman exclaimed with almost disgust. "You need to leave her somewhere."
"Where? The streets? She will be dead in a week."
The woman sighed and raised her hands in a sign of defeat. "I'm not going to fight with you anymore. Do what you want. Waste your money on that... thing... It's none of my business."Â
The woman left the room, door banging as it closed behind her. The small Miqo'te gasped, then hug to Athrune's chest, looking wide eyed as the woman exited. A soothing hand rested behind her head, massaging her scalp.Â
"It's okay, little one. I promise, nothing and no one will hurt you." He tapped her forehead with his and smiled as the child giggled. "I still have to give you a name..."
"Nam!" The girl exclaimed, followed by some sort of gibberish she was the only one privy to.
Athrune chuckled, letting her sit in his lap. "Yes, a name. I couldn't find anything that said who you or your parents were. Wha-what are you doing... That's not for biting." The man laugh, softly pulling the girl's tail from her mouth. "Don't hurt yourself. Hmm... what about Leih? It sounds nice, doesn't it? Leih Rhun."
"Leh!" The Miqo'te giggled.Â
With a smile, the Hyur cradled the girl in his arms. "Little Leih it is then."
He moved the girl to a spot in the only bed in his room, surrounding her with pillows. The girl's green and red eyes stared at him a bit confused, as if expecting something.Â
"Bankwi!"
"Bankwi?... Oh! Your blanket, of course..." He sighed. He had left the broken thing behind, thinking it too dirty to carry.Â
Looking around, he caught a glimpse of a moogle doll, a memento he carried everywhere. A sad smile spread on his lips as he reached for it and gave it to the child. She squealed happily, hugging the toy lovingly. Soon enough she was fast asleep, blanket forgotten in the trade of the cuddly stuffed toy.
Present Day
Leih moved slowly into the cave she now called home, careful not to step on the small river that coursed all too near to where she usually slept. Orobons often swam in the murky water and she still had teeth marks from the last time they caught her foot. She made her way to what seemed to be an old blanket stretched on the cave's floor and curled up. For a few moments she seemed to be about to go to sleep, but almost immediately she woke up. Looking around worriedly she gave a sigh of relief as she reached for a moogle toy, hugging it as she went to sleep. A smile decorated her face.
15 Years Prior
Thunder roared around and the cold rain seeped through the ruined caravan. The small Miqo'te toddler cling to her blanket and the cooling body of her mother, crying for her to wake up and pay attention. A roar of thunder and the shining of lightning made her scream, barely able to stand up and run out, seeking the safety of her father's arms. She slip on one of said arms, falling on a puddle of mud. Tears and blood streamed down her little face and she called now for her father. She could barely open her right eye, a cut from some sort of weapon making it hard.
"What do we have here?", a warm male voice exclaimed as the small Miqo'te suddenly felt someone pick her up and cover her from the rain, "Poor thing, you are half frozen."
"Papa?", the toddler exclaimed, her vision blurred by tears, rain and mud.
"Shh, everything will be okay. I got you now."
The girl cried a bit more, still scared by the thunder around, though soon she had blissfully unaware of the world as she slept.
"You can't be serious... You can't raise a child, Athrune, it's just insane. She's just a baby!", a young Midlander Hyur woman growled, pacing in front of a Midlander man holding the Miqo'te toddler.
"She would be dead if I had left her. The Amaal'ja were everywhere and killed everyone. Imagine if they had found her, Tirsha." Athrune sighed, letting the small girl grab a lock of platinum blond hair.Â
The man did not want to admit it, but he had quickly become incredibly fond of the tiny child. His girlfriend however was not as interested.Â
"She can't replace your sister. She's... different." The woman exclaimed with almost disgust. "You need to leave her somewhere."
"Where? The streets? She will be dead in a week."
The woman sighed and raised her hands in a sign of defeat. "I'm not going to fight with you anymore. Do what you want. Waste your money on that... thing... It's none of my business."Â
The woman left the room, door banging as it closed behind her. The small Miqo'te gasped, then hug to Athrune's chest, looking wide eyed as the woman exited. A soothing hand rested behind her head, massaging her scalp.Â
"It's okay, little one. I promise, nothing and no one will hurt you." He tapped her forehead with his and smiled as the child giggled. "I still have to give you a name..."
"Nam!" The girl exclaimed, followed by some sort of gibberish she was the only one privy to.
Athrune chuckled, letting her sit in his lap. "Yes, a name. I couldn't find anything that said who you or your parents were. Wha-what are you doing... That's not for biting." The man laugh, softly pulling the girl's tail from her mouth. "Don't hurt yourself. Hmm... what about Leih? It sounds nice, doesn't it? Leih Rhun."
"Leh!" The Miqo'te giggled.Â
With a smile, the Hyur cradled the girl in his arms. "Little Leih it is then."
He moved the girl to a spot in the only bed in his room, surrounding her with pillows. The girl's green and red eyes stared at him a bit confused, as if expecting something.Â
"Bankwi!"
"Bankwi?... Oh! Your blanket, of course..." He sighed. He had left the broken thing behind, thinking it too dirty to carry.Â
Looking around, he caught a glimpse of a moogle doll, a memento he carried everywhere. A sad smile spread on his lips as he reached for it and gave it to the child. She squealed happily, hugging the toy lovingly. Soon enough she was fast asleep, blanket forgotten in the trade of the cuddly stuffed toy.
Present Day
Leih moved slowly into the cave she now called home, careful not to step on the small river that coursed all too near to where she usually slept. Orobons often swam in the murky water and she still had teeth marks from the last time they caught her foot. She made her way to what seemed to be an old blanket stretched on the cave's floor and curled up. For a few moments she seemed to be about to go to sleep, but almost immediately she woke up. Looking around worriedly she gave a sigh of relief as she reached for a moogle toy, hugging it as she went to sleep. A smile decorated her face.