Fire.
"Wow,"
"Hm?"
"Nothing, maybe I'm just in a good mood, but it's - it's kind of wonderfully you, that's all."
"Ah... well.. my herbs all sleep in the spare bedroom and my book shelfs are in my room so... I'm always close to a good story..."
"Stories and life. I like this home much better. Thanks for letting me in."
"Well, what's the last thing Armi did that made you smile?"
"Made tea."
"I can make... all the tea in the whole world! It may take me awhile, now you have to stay for days."
"Also might kind of flood the place."
"Someone might drown?"
"An ocean of tea. How diabolical."
A thundering flood of tea sweeps out of the door and through the streets. In it wake, for a moment, Ul'dah is clean. And a little tea-stained."
"Might taste funny though. Better than salt water, I guess."
"I'm okay, Armi, or as much as I ever get, and this is gonna end, right up until it happens again, and I'll live through that one, too."
"What if you don't?"
"If I think like that, it gets hard to keep going. Better to just be sure you'll live 'n then make it happen."
"I'm torn... I think it's good for you to keep trying and learn how to.... but not if it does this..."
"Armi, -this- is mild. I've hidden in cellars and caves and hollows for days longer, and I didn't wake up in a mattress with my biggest worry being whether or not I was going to finally say the wrong thing to you."
"Mild... That's what I was afraid of... Does this happen often?"
"It used to more common when I was younger, and around the...The battle you were in, it got to its worst. These days, it only happens around certain dates, weather patterns, or when...Big things happen."
"Are you okay...?"
"Sometimes it's only a headache, but...The normal ones can be three, four days, and then I'm scrambled for about a week after. It doesn't -matter- if I'm okay. It'll happen all the same, so I might as well make myself okay."
Ashes.
"Wow,"
"Hm?"
"Nothing, maybe I'm just in a good mood, but it's - it's kind of wonderfully you, that's all."
"Ah... well.. my herbs all sleep in the spare bedroom and my book shelfs are in my room so... I'm always close to a good story..."
"Stories and life. I like this home much better. Thanks for letting me in."
"You're going to teach me how to play cards...?"
"Mmhm."
"Right now?"
"Mmhmm."
"With a concussion...?"
"Mmhmm."
"Mmhm."
"Right now?"
"Mmhmm."
"With a concussion...?"
"Mmhmm."
"Books about love. I never thought to turn to books for that, I wonder if I should've. Although I guess I'm not a prince or a knight."
"You're quite Knightly. I've relied on books for most of that... but... it's a little different from reality I'm finding."
"Hmn, well, if this were a book, what would we be doing right now? Does it involve fighting monsters? I don't think the kitchen is big enough."
"In the books... I think it would go... the dashing knight Sindl saved the lowly farm girl Armi from the evil Fillion and he protects her and they go away to a little cottage to hide but instead they...It would be a very interesting story, indeed."
"Hmn, well, I haven't got any little cottages... but there's a great view of Limsa Lominsa up at Summerford Farms I could take you to. I mean, if you feel like going anywhere today."
"You're quite Knightly. I've relied on books for most of that... but... it's a little different from reality I'm finding."
"Hmn, well, if this were a book, what would we be doing right now? Does it involve fighting monsters? I don't think the kitchen is big enough."
"In the books... I think it would go... the dashing knight Sindl saved the lowly farm girl Armi from the evil Fillion and he protects her and they go away to a little cottage to hide but instead they...It would be a very interesting story, indeed."
"Hmn, well, I haven't got any little cottages... but there's a great view of Limsa Lominsa up at Summerford Farms I could take you to. I mean, if you feel like going anywhere today."
"You never.... you always show me... this is amazing. You are..."
"I wouldn't even try if it weren't for you. There's so many things I gave up on, until you came along."
"Really?"
"I didn't think I could come to care about anyone like this again, I thought - well, I was broken. But here I am."
"I wouldn't even try if it weren't for you. There's so many things I gave up on, until you came along."
"Really?"
"I didn't think I could come to care about anyone like this again, I thought - well, I was broken. But here I am."
"Well, what's the last thing Armi did that made you smile?"
"Made tea."
"I can make... all the tea in the whole world! It may take me awhile, now you have to stay for days."
"Also might kind of flood the place."
"Someone might drown?"
"An ocean of tea. How diabolical."
A thundering flood of tea sweeps out of the door and through the streets. In it wake, for a moment, Ul'dah is clean. And a little tea-stained."
"Might taste funny though. Better than salt water, I guess."
"The floor is lava."
"The floor is what?"
"X'havir told me a game, the floor is now Lava. You can't step on the floor."
"Fair enough."
"The floor is what?"
"X'havir told me a game, the floor is now Lava. You can't step on the floor."
"Fair enough."
"That should be good..."
"I meant what I said yesterday. I love you."
"M'sato..."
"I know, I know. Time. It's...It'd distract me if I didn't tell you."
"No it's... a lot of Miqote don't know what love is... it's a foreign concept to them... and... you really haven't known me all that long... and I'm not really anything special... I'm just wondering..."
"...If I even know what it means?"
"I meant what I said yesterday. I love you."
"M'sato..."
"I know, I know. Time. It's...It'd distract me if I didn't tell you."
"No it's... a lot of Miqote don't know what love is... it's a foreign concept to them... and... you really haven't known me all that long... and I'm not really anything special... I'm just wondering..."
"...If I even know what it means?"
"I'm okay, Armi, or as much as I ever get, and this is gonna end, right up until it happens again, and I'll live through that one, too."
"What if you don't?"
"If I think like that, it gets hard to keep going. Better to just be sure you'll live 'n then make it happen."
"I'm torn... I think it's good for you to keep trying and learn how to.... but not if it does this..."
"Armi, -this- is mild. I've hidden in cellars and caves and hollows for days longer, and I didn't wake up in a mattress with my biggest worry being whether or not I was going to finally say the wrong thing to you."
"Mild... That's what I was afraid of... Does this happen often?"
"It used to more common when I was younger, and around the...The battle you were in, it got to its worst. These days, it only happens around certain dates, weather patterns, or when...Big things happen."
"Are you okay...?"
"Sometimes it's only a headache, but...The normal ones can be three, four days, and then I'm scrambled for about a week after. It doesn't -matter- if I'm okay. It'll happen all the same, so I might as well make myself okay."
"I said I was -doing a favor for someone-, alright? He needed someone to help play waiter at his cafe, and I used to work for him back when I was full-time at the Arcanist's guild to make extra money. Only he went all -upscale- now and he made me wear a TIE and his damn cook sat me down and CUT MY HAIR."
"Ah... you look cute though..."
"Anyway, that's why the tie. He was pissed that I showed up a little bit banged up, but that was the job before, and at least it paid."
Mm... we should probably put a salve on those bruises... why are... you still in that if the job is done?
"...Because I'm going to have the thing cleaned before I give it back as an apology for showing up bruised. And I can't get the damn -tie- off."
"Hold still. A waiter, huh?"
"...Yeah. I used to do near everything there. Wait tables, cook food, mix drinks, the usual job you do that takes hard work and doesn't bring home a lot of money. Never had to wear a -tie- though."
"Hm... I can't imagine you... waiting tables... um.. doesn't that require...you know... not... being mean to customers?"
"Goooooooooooooooooooooood evening, and welcome to Meritt's Seafood! I'm M'sato, and I did this for so long that I can look friendly even if I'm wanting to punch a wall! No matter what I say like this, people seem to think I'm just funny and -quirky- rather than just a mean jerk."
"Ah... you look cute though..."
"Anyway, that's why the tie. He was pissed that I showed up a little bit banged up, but that was the job before, and at least it paid."
Mm... we should probably put a salve on those bruises... why are... you still in that if the job is done?
"...Because I'm going to have the thing cleaned before I give it back as an apology for showing up bruised. And I can't get the damn -tie- off."
"Hold still. A waiter, huh?"
"...Yeah. I used to do near everything there. Wait tables, cook food, mix drinks, the usual job you do that takes hard work and doesn't bring home a lot of money. Never had to wear a -tie- though."
"Hm... I can't imagine you... waiting tables... um.. doesn't that require...you know... not... being mean to customers?"
"Goooooooooooooooooooooood evening, and welcome to Meritt's Seafood! I'm M'sato, and I did this for so long that I can look friendly even if I'm wanting to punch a wall! No matter what I say like this, people seem to think I'm just funny and -quirky- rather than just a mean jerk."
"Best part of clay...you can make something, then make something else."
"I think that's true of people too.. you can always try to be whatever you want, remold and reshape yourself just like clay. But your always you, you never stop... being clay."
"That is...very smart."
"Ah... I'm not sure about that but... I think it's helpful to know.. that you can still be you... even if you shift a little."
"So if someone were this clay...smooth, no rough edges. But then something happened and they changed. The shape changes but they are still what they are underneath. And can maybe go back to something similar but not exactly the same."
"Exactly. I think... that meeting you all and the things that have happened after... they have changed me and redefined what 'me' is. But... I'm still me. I'm still Armi, just... a different kind of Armi. I used to be afraid that people wouldn't like me if I changed, that... if I became something else everyone would leave me behind... but... I'm changing and moving and.. you know, I still have most people... they didn't leave me..."
"Maybe I can find X'havir again someday. Smooth out the rocky points that hide him."
"Whoever you think X'havir is, you can find him again,, or you can become something new but... still the same. A better person, grow and change and... You know, not that there was anything wrong with the old X'havir. He was very charming."
"Was he?"
"I think that's true of people too.. you can always try to be whatever you want, remold and reshape yourself just like clay. But your always you, you never stop... being clay."
"That is...very smart."
"Ah... I'm not sure about that but... I think it's helpful to know.. that you can still be you... even if you shift a little."
"So if someone were this clay...smooth, no rough edges. But then something happened and they changed. The shape changes but they are still what they are underneath. And can maybe go back to something similar but not exactly the same."
"Exactly. I think... that meeting you all and the things that have happened after... they have changed me and redefined what 'me' is. But... I'm still me. I'm still Armi, just... a different kind of Armi. I used to be afraid that people wouldn't like me if I changed, that... if I became something else everyone would leave me behind... but... I'm changing and moving and.. you know, I still have most people... they didn't leave me..."
"Maybe I can find X'havir again someday. Smooth out the rocky points that hide him."
"Whoever you think X'havir is, you can find him again,, or you can become something new but... still the same. A better person, grow and change and... You know, not that there was anything wrong with the old X'havir. He was very charming."
"Was he?"
"I love you."
Ashes.
![[Image: tumblr_n92fndN0EH1rujdn8o1_500.gif]](https://33.media.tumblr.com/449e130ac31106ec8aeda3d0f121d76b/tumblr_n92fndN0EH1rujdn8o1_500.gif)
