((Set after this thread))
D'aijeen Thalen entered the Gold Court with a purposeful step, eyes wide awake and watching the world around her. She was not calm, but her emotions were contained in her shivering tail and her fingers closing and unfurling. A small voidspawn followed her at a distance, massive eye, small wings, long dark tail.
K'airos stood in front of the fountain. Specifically, in front of a bench where a plate of sweets had been abandoned. She stared at it, perhaps considering cleaning it...or eating it. D'aijeen  feared the latter. She stilled when she caught sight of her sister, setting herself in place as though she'd stepped in half-dried concrete. Her ears flicked about, earring chain clattering like a tiny windchime. The cactuar at the end of the chain danced along the brim of her hat like it was happy to see K'airos.
The voidspawn following D'aijeen was momentarily distracted by the cactuar.
Watching the plate just a moment longer, K'airos shruged, declaring to the air: "Not my problem!" When she turned around, her eyes immediately recognized and settled on her sister's white shape. "Oh, hi!"
D'aijeen shivered again, imagining a cold breeze through the warm stone hallways, feeling her diaphragm pressing against her lungs. The tightness rose to her chin, and she bit against it. Her eyes closed heavily, and she breathed deeply, saying with difficulty. "Hello, K'airos, love."
The Brass Blade tilted her head, beads shifitng over the mask and the banada that hid her yes, and closer to D'aijeen. "Are you feeling okay? Are you sick? You can't be sick, I have great news!"
D'aijeen looked at the ground, thought, rolled her head and muttered sadly, "I am...". She bit her teeth again. "What news, Airos? Give me cause for cheer."
K'airos nodded, then rudely pointed at the voidsent. "That thing is following you again! Are you sick because of it? I bet I can scare it away!"
"What?" she breathed, looking around, spying the voidspawn. It seemed to be trying to sneak up the cactuar her earring. "No, Airos, leave it alone."
Ears dropping a bit, K'airos began mumbling. "Okay. Uhm...anyroad... I heard properties in Crescent Cove are pretty cheap, so I thought we could go visit the village one of these days? It's close to the sea! And it has smallshells!" Her tone became increasingly cheerful with each word, finishing with one small hop.
D'aijeen smiuled, her tail hanging limp behind her. She looked up at K'airos, still sounding sad when she said, "Smallshells? Do you like those, Airos?"
"Of course I do! They are like oversized helmets that grew up legs and fled the armory!"
"... I hear they taste good as well. If you could bare to eat such an adorable thing. We could keep the shells if we did, though."
K'airos clapped her hands together. "Yes! And th- wait, no! I don't want to eat them!" Both her hands fell to her sides. "You don't eat cute things!" she protested.
With a chuckle, D'aijeen spoke in a small voice, "Sometimes you do. I could eat you, for instance."
There was a thud well off to one side, near the fountain, where an Elezen woman was depositing an unconcious Hyur near the fountain. A typical pair of drinkers from the Quicksand that had wandered just a bit farther than usual. Distracted by the man being thrown at the bench, K'airos looked at that scene, but continued talking to D'aijeen. "...let's not eat each other."
D'aijeen clenched her hands into fists. "Airos, pay attention to me."
K'airos did not pay attention to D'aijeen for a few seconds, rather listening to the strangers. Then she turned around, facing D'aijeen with an apologetic smile. "Sorry! Um...we should get you home so you can rest, right?"
D'aijeen squinted at K'airos, muttering, "Do I look like I need rest. Tell me more about Crescent's Cove. When do you want to go?"
The older sister's red ears couldn't have been any lower even if she wanted. She tried to hide it by rubbing behind them, victim of a made up ache. "I...don't know? Whenever you prefer! I still have duties around here, but we could take one day to check it out soon!"
"How soon? I wish to go immediately. Are you not excited by the idea?"
"...Immediately as in right now?
D'aijeen nodded once, hard, "Yes. I want to take you there now. I want to get a home and begin living in it immediately."
Cheer was hidden behind a thick layer of confusion, K'airos said, "But you haven't seen it yet! How do you know you'll like it?"
With a deep sigh, D'aijeen pulled in her chin and bit her green lips. She looked at her sister's booted feet with a her brows knitted, her tail laying itself against her thigh. "I just... I want to..."
K'airos placed one hand on D'aijeen's shoulder. "Okay, tell me whats wrong." she says in a very serious tone.
D'aijeen pitched her head down so that all K'airos was looking at was the top of her hat and her ears laying back against it, cactuar earring dancing on its brim. She fixed both hands upon K'airos' own, and said in a breathy voice, "Why would something be wrong? What's keeping you here?"
"I am your sister. Knowing something's wrong is part of my nature! Did the dodos do something?"
"... Yes. D'hein did something. Have you seen him today? Or, yesterday, maybe?"
K'airos hesistated, rubbing one of her ears. "I did," she said. "We spoke about that...associate-person-friend of his? That he wanted me to help back in Drybone. But what did he do?"
D'aijeen dropped her hands in front of herself, knitting them together and squeezing tightly. "Friend? Oh, really. Tell me about her."
"...I'd rather know what D'hein did that upset you."
Lifting her head just high enough to glare at K'airos along the line of her hat, she said, "Why? What's wrong with the question. K'airos, did his friend have a name? I'm curious. I am."
K'airos retired her hand from D'aijeen and stepped back. "It...was...a funny name." Dhe mumbled, tapping both hands together nervously. "Antimony, I think?"
D'aijeen hummed. "Oh. Oh, hm. Antimony is an element. A volatile and toxic one. Who names themself such a thing? What kind of toxic creature?" Her tail shivering, D'aijeen lifted her head to show growing hostility. "Have I ever met this woman, Airos?"
K'airos let out a nervous chuckle. "I...yes...?"
D'aijeen took one step towards K'airos, so that she was practically right against the woman, and said, "I want to go to Crescent Cove. I don't want you to ask me anymore questions."
K'airos' left foot moved so that she could get another step away, but didn't complete the motion. Instead, it lingered behind her, balanced on the tip. "Sure! You should go home and prepare while I...visit the barracks and tell them I won't be around for a while."
Turning her face down again, D'aijeen took hold of the creases of K'airos' armor so that she couldn't pull away. "I want to... we have a plan, remember? To... work and... find a home. I want to live with you. Anywhere."
"Yes, but we have to make sure we like the place! I don't want to drop all of our savings somewhere we won't enjoy. We have to be careful! Though being excited aboout it is something I approve!"
D'aijeen tightened her grip, and he shoulders shook, "Airos. That's... I want to... So... why?" She let go of K'airos and turned to one side, raising her hand with the movement and laying the backside of it in K'airos' cheek. The gesture was weak, but it was the most furious D'aijeen could manage. "Why! Why are you RUINING everything? Why!"
"What! I don't...what did I do?"
Suddenly shiverring, ears high, tail tight against her thigh, D'aijeen shouted at K'airos, though the shouting just highlighted her frailty. "It's her! It's that woman, isn't it! I told you to stay away from her, I told you. But you can't. You can't just do as you're told!"
K'airos stepped back, both hands on top of each other over her chest. "It's nothing! It's just...I know she's not mom! It's fine!" Her voice was on the edge of breaking.
"IT'S NOT FINE!" D'aijeen shrieked, then took a breathless moment to recover, holding onto her chest. When she spoke again, she was quiet, "You're deceiving me. After everything. After... you promised! Why? I'm going..." she groaned, "Everything's going to be ruined. But I wanted... I just..."
"I'm not leaving you alone! Why don't you trust me?" K'airos unddid her previous action by giving a step forward.
D'aijeen looked up at K'airos, her eyes wet with tears, mouth open and panting. Her arms were crossed over her chest, fingers digging into her shoulders to hold herself together. "Trust... I did... and you lied. What other secrets are you keeping? What lies are you telling me? Why!"
K'airos pouted. "I didn't lie! I just...!" she exclaimed, and then took off her mask, something she should have done before. "You have your own fake-mom, so I thought it was fine!"
D'aijeen put her hands over her face, dropping to her knees on the ground. She chuckled weakly, but she was crying. "That's not fair. All I wanted was you. You to love me. That's all, but you can't. You lie. You lie. You liar."
Walking to her sister's side, K'airos knelt and placed one weak hand on her shoulder. "I do love you! I'm sorry if you thought...that. I'm sorry! You don't have to be upset! It's just...and I...I..." rambled on, even more weakly than her hand.
D'aijeen sounded like she was having trouble breathing, and she spoke with a weak breath. "I can't trust you. I command you to go to Crescent Cove and wait there for me. I command you to stay there and not tell anyone you are there or contact anyone. Keep it a secret. Hide yourself away there, and be found by only me."
K'airos protested loudly, stomping her feet against the floor. "That's not fair! You also lied to me!" Despite of all of that, she moved away from D'aijeen, facing north, roughly to where the chocobo keeper would be seen if there weren't so many walls and buildings in the way.
With a groan, D'aijeen pulled her hat down over her face, sobbing. "I don't lie. I don't want to do this. I just wanted.... I'm sorry, but I... have to..."
K'airos started walking away, still protesting: "You told me the tribe died off, bu they aren't. I spoke with K'luha and K'haz and..." She stopped, reconsidering. "...and they were fine."
D'aijeen took a sharp breath, and exhaled a huff. She said to the stones around her, "I'll have to do something about them, then."
K'airos turned around to face D'aijeen and kept walking backwards to her intended destination. "I helped them recover their stuff, and then I escorted them to the Sagolii Gate...and then I came back!" she shouted, stressing the last words with all the might of her lungs. She came out as pretty hysterical. "I came back! To stay with you! This isn't fair!"
Pulling herself up to her feet, D'aijeen said, "I will talk to you about these things soon. I am very hurt, AIros. Go now as you've been commanded." The cactuar earring swayed, but the tiny voidsent seemed to have wandered off.
"This isn't fair!" K'airos turned around again and ran off with a sob.
D'aijeen Thalen entered the Gold Court with a purposeful step, eyes wide awake and watching the world around her. She was not calm, but her emotions were contained in her shivering tail and her fingers closing and unfurling. A small voidspawn followed her at a distance, massive eye, small wings, long dark tail.
K'airos stood in front of the fountain. Specifically, in front of a bench where a plate of sweets had been abandoned. She stared at it, perhaps considering cleaning it...or eating it. D'aijeen  feared the latter. She stilled when she caught sight of her sister, setting herself in place as though she'd stepped in half-dried concrete. Her ears flicked about, earring chain clattering like a tiny windchime. The cactuar at the end of the chain danced along the brim of her hat like it was happy to see K'airos.
The voidspawn following D'aijeen was momentarily distracted by the cactuar.
Watching the plate just a moment longer, K'airos shruged, declaring to the air: "Not my problem!" When she turned around, her eyes immediately recognized and settled on her sister's white shape. "Oh, hi!"
D'aijeen shivered again, imagining a cold breeze through the warm stone hallways, feeling her diaphragm pressing against her lungs. The tightness rose to her chin, and she bit against it. Her eyes closed heavily, and she breathed deeply, saying with difficulty. "Hello, K'airos, love."
The Brass Blade tilted her head, beads shifitng over the mask and the banada that hid her yes, and closer to D'aijeen. "Are you feeling okay? Are you sick? You can't be sick, I have great news!"
D'aijeen looked at the ground, thought, rolled her head and muttered sadly, "I am...". She bit her teeth again. "What news, Airos? Give me cause for cheer."
K'airos nodded, then rudely pointed at the voidsent. "That thing is following you again! Are you sick because of it? I bet I can scare it away!"
"What?" she breathed, looking around, spying the voidspawn. It seemed to be trying to sneak up the cactuar her earring. "No, Airos, leave it alone."
Ears dropping a bit, K'airos began mumbling. "Okay. Uhm...anyroad... I heard properties in Crescent Cove are pretty cheap, so I thought we could go visit the village one of these days? It's close to the sea! And it has smallshells!" Her tone became increasingly cheerful with each word, finishing with one small hop.
D'aijeen smiuled, her tail hanging limp behind her. She looked up at K'airos, still sounding sad when she said, "Smallshells? Do you like those, Airos?"
"Of course I do! They are like oversized helmets that grew up legs and fled the armory!"
"... I hear they taste good as well. If you could bare to eat such an adorable thing. We could keep the shells if we did, though."
K'airos clapped her hands together. "Yes! And th- wait, no! I don't want to eat them!" Both her hands fell to her sides. "You don't eat cute things!" she protested.
With a chuckle, D'aijeen spoke in a small voice, "Sometimes you do. I could eat you, for instance."
There was a thud well off to one side, near the fountain, where an Elezen woman was depositing an unconcious Hyur near the fountain. A typical pair of drinkers from the Quicksand that had wandered just a bit farther than usual. Distracted by the man being thrown at the bench, K'airos looked at that scene, but continued talking to D'aijeen. "...let's not eat each other."
D'aijeen clenched her hands into fists. "Airos, pay attention to me."
K'airos did not pay attention to D'aijeen for a few seconds, rather listening to the strangers. Then she turned around, facing D'aijeen with an apologetic smile. "Sorry! Um...we should get you home so you can rest, right?"
D'aijeen squinted at K'airos, muttering, "Do I look like I need rest. Tell me more about Crescent's Cove. When do you want to go?"
The older sister's red ears couldn't have been any lower even if she wanted. She tried to hide it by rubbing behind them, victim of a made up ache. "I...don't know? Whenever you prefer! I still have duties around here, but we could take one day to check it out soon!"
"How soon? I wish to go immediately. Are you not excited by the idea?"
"...Immediately as in right now?
D'aijeen nodded once, hard, "Yes. I want to take you there now. I want to get a home and begin living in it immediately."
Cheer was hidden behind a thick layer of confusion, K'airos said, "But you haven't seen it yet! How do you know you'll like it?"
With a deep sigh, D'aijeen pulled in her chin and bit her green lips. She looked at her sister's booted feet with a her brows knitted, her tail laying itself against her thigh. "I just... I want to..."
K'airos placed one hand on D'aijeen's shoulder. "Okay, tell me whats wrong." she says in a very serious tone.
D'aijeen pitched her head down so that all K'airos was looking at was the top of her hat and her ears laying back against it, cactuar earring dancing on its brim. She fixed both hands upon K'airos' own, and said in a breathy voice, "Why would something be wrong? What's keeping you here?"
"I am your sister. Knowing something's wrong is part of my nature! Did the dodos do something?"
"... Yes. D'hein did something. Have you seen him today? Or, yesterday, maybe?"
K'airos hesistated, rubbing one of her ears. "I did," she said. "We spoke about that...associate-person-friend of his? That he wanted me to help back in Drybone. But what did he do?"
D'aijeen dropped her hands in front of herself, knitting them together and squeezing tightly. "Friend? Oh, really. Tell me about her."
"...I'd rather know what D'hein did that upset you."
Lifting her head just high enough to glare at K'airos along the line of her hat, she said, "Why? What's wrong with the question. K'airos, did his friend have a name? I'm curious. I am."
K'airos retired her hand from D'aijeen and stepped back. "It...was...a funny name." Dhe mumbled, tapping both hands together nervously. "Antimony, I think?"
D'aijeen hummed. "Oh. Oh, hm. Antimony is an element. A volatile and toxic one. Who names themself such a thing? What kind of toxic creature?" Her tail shivering, D'aijeen lifted her head to show growing hostility. "Have I ever met this woman, Airos?"
K'airos let out a nervous chuckle. "I...yes...?"
D'aijeen took one step towards K'airos, so that she was practically right against the woman, and said, "I want to go to Crescent Cove. I don't want you to ask me anymore questions."
K'airos' left foot moved so that she could get another step away, but didn't complete the motion. Instead, it lingered behind her, balanced on the tip. "Sure! You should go home and prepare while I...visit the barracks and tell them I won't be around for a while."
Turning her face down again, D'aijeen took hold of the creases of K'airos' armor so that she couldn't pull away. "I want to... we have a plan, remember? To... work and... find a home. I want to live with you. Anywhere."
"Yes, but we have to make sure we like the place! I don't want to drop all of our savings somewhere we won't enjoy. We have to be careful! Though being excited aboout it is something I approve!"
D'aijeen tightened her grip, and he shoulders shook, "Airos. That's... I want to... So... why?" She let go of K'airos and turned to one side, raising her hand with the movement and laying the backside of it in K'airos' cheek. The gesture was weak, but it was the most furious D'aijeen could manage. "Why! Why are you RUINING everything? Why!"
"What! I don't...what did I do?"
Suddenly shiverring, ears high, tail tight against her thigh, D'aijeen shouted at K'airos, though the shouting just highlighted her frailty. "It's her! It's that woman, isn't it! I told you to stay away from her, I told you. But you can't. You can't just do as you're told!"
K'airos stepped back, both hands on top of each other over her chest. "It's nothing! It's just...I know she's not mom! It's fine!" Her voice was on the edge of breaking.
"IT'S NOT FINE!" D'aijeen shrieked, then took a breathless moment to recover, holding onto her chest. When she spoke again, she was quiet, "You're deceiving me. After everything. After... you promised! Why? I'm going..." she groaned, "Everything's going to be ruined. But I wanted... I just..."
"I'm not leaving you alone! Why don't you trust me?" K'airos unddid her previous action by giving a step forward.
D'aijeen looked up at K'airos, her eyes wet with tears, mouth open and panting. Her arms were crossed over her chest, fingers digging into her shoulders to hold herself together. "Trust... I did... and you lied. What other secrets are you keeping? What lies are you telling me? Why!"
K'airos pouted. "I didn't lie! I just...!" she exclaimed, and then took off her mask, something she should have done before. "You have your own fake-mom, so I thought it was fine!"
D'aijeen put her hands over her face, dropping to her knees on the ground. She chuckled weakly, but she was crying. "That's not fair. All I wanted was you. You to love me. That's all, but you can't. You lie. You lie. You liar."
Walking to her sister's side, K'airos knelt and placed one weak hand on her shoulder. "I do love you! I'm sorry if you thought...that. I'm sorry! You don't have to be upset! It's just...and I...I..." rambled on, even more weakly than her hand.
D'aijeen sounded like she was having trouble breathing, and she spoke with a weak breath. "I can't trust you. I command you to go to Crescent Cove and wait there for me. I command you to stay there and not tell anyone you are there or contact anyone. Keep it a secret. Hide yourself away there, and be found by only me."
K'airos protested loudly, stomping her feet against the floor. "That's not fair! You also lied to me!" Despite of all of that, she moved away from D'aijeen, facing north, roughly to where the chocobo keeper would be seen if there weren't so many walls and buildings in the way.
With a groan, D'aijeen pulled her hat down over her face, sobbing. "I don't lie. I don't want to do this. I just wanted.... I'm sorry, but I... have to..."
K'airos started walking away, still protesting: "You told me the tribe died off, bu they aren't. I spoke with K'luha and K'haz and..." She stopped, reconsidering. "...and they were fine."
D'aijeen took a sharp breath, and exhaled a huff. She said to the stones around her, "I'll have to do something about them, then."
K'airos turned around to face D'aijeen and kept walking backwards to her intended destination. "I helped them recover their stuff, and then I escorted them to the Sagolii Gate...and then I came back!" she shouted, stressing the last words with all the might of her lungs. She came out as pretty hysterical. "I came back! To stay with you! This isn't fair!"
Pulling herself up to her feet, D'aijeen said, "I will talk to you about these things soon. I am very hurt, AIros. Go now as you've been commanded." The cactuar earring swayed, but the tiny voidsent seemed to have wandered off.
"This isn't fair!" K'airos turned around again and ran off with a sob.
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