[Short Stories] Trip the Light Fantastic 1 & 2

[FreeJayFly]

The soft pitter patter of light rain was heard throughout the Rest as Primam walked down the hall that led to the varying rooms that housed both guests and residents. There was something soothing about the sound, especially when the Rest was so empty at this current time. It offered some comfort in feeling like there were actually people here, creating some form of bustle around the Rest while Prim wallowed on certain thoughts.

 

Over the last few days, she had been keeping a close eye on a calendar that she had bought at the Kogane Dori Markets. It was the month of the Fourth Astral Moon, or the Month of Rhalgr -- on Eos, she would have called this month ‘August’. As for the day… well, it was the 15th, not that Primam was quite certain what that meant wholly to her, given that each month on Hydaelyn had thirty-two days instead of varying numbers of days. It seemed more convenient in her mind, though.

 

Either way, it was Primam’s birthday. Nameday.

 

It was the first year she found herself celebrating alone. Even when night took hold over Eos, she had her brother, Canem, Felis, and other people she had made friends with among the Kingsglaive. The Starscourge made it much more important to them all to go out of their way to celebrate among one another -- not to celebrate just their birth… but to celebrate being alive long enough to see another day with those you hold dear… and to cherish what they had lost.

 

A sigh escaped Primam’s lips, and she found herself soon in the tea room of the Rest. Closing the door behind her, she took a seat on one of the cushions after dragging it closer to the window.

 

The more that Primam stared out the window, watching the rain ever pouring, her mind wandered. She wondered how people were doing back on Eos. She wondered if they missed her or any of the others that found themselves on Hydaelyn. She wondered if she was being remembered on the assumption that she died that day.

 

A warm feeling pulsed in her breast, and Primam withdrew the Red Mage Soul Crystal that had been given to her by her mentor, Cynemund Blacke. The concept of the Soul Crystals as he had explained them to her was not lost on her. While she felt the influence of many over the years that were in there, there was also Cynemund in there, somewhere. Though she held onto the hope that he was actually still alive, she appreciated the thought that it could have very well been him that was approaching her in this fashion… just to wish her a Happy Nameday.

 

Holding it close and closing her eyes, a small smile appeared. Quietly, she said: “thank you for everything, and being here for me, even now.”

 

Even if it was just a small notion… it was enough to soothe the ache in her heart.

Edited August 30, 2020 by FreeJayFly

[FreeJayFly]

“How long’s Tandem been out there?” a pristine white-scaled Au Ra woman with a straightlaced expression asked as she took a sip from her tea cup. She and a Hyuran woman were standing at a window, looking outside where one of their training dummies had been set up outside in the back of the Starry Garden.

 

A man -- Tandem -- was currently blowing some steam off from the look of things.

 

Where the Au Ra had raven black hair and a pale complexion, the Hyuran woman that stood just a couple of ilms taller had a tan indicative of life in Thanalan, and short cut brown hair. Both had their own concerns, as the man that they were keeping an eye on from the top floor of the Garden had been out for hours at this point.

 

“Since after getting back from his jog around the Lavender Beds…” the Hyuran woman replied.

 

Tandem had been passing kicks and punches to the training dummy to the point that his knuckles had gone red and purple from constant punching. He was obviously tired. Sweat dripped down his face, and stained his tanktop. His breath ran ragged, but each time he felt like even remotely giving up, a growl of frustration came from him before pressing himself onward.

 

Finally, as Tandem rose his leg up for another swift kick to the training dummy, the fatigue finally got to him. His ankle twisted, and he went down, stumbling over into one of the ponds with a loud curse: “Ifrit’s fiery piss! Goddammit!”

 

An audible gasp came from the Hyuran woman as her hands flew up to her mouth, while the Auri girl took another sip from her teacup with an unimpressed expression. The Hyuran woman quickly started to run downstairs to exit the building in order to check on Tandem. Meanwhile, the Auri girl sighed, put her cup down, and calmly followed after.

 

Punching his fist into the water and the gravel down below, Tandem gave a frustrated sigh. When he saw one of the owners of the Starry Garden run out, he tried pushing himself back up onto his feet only to find his body not wanting to cooperate with what he wanted. Again, another curse came out of his mouth, though it was lower and more drawn out.

 

“Astrals… Shiva’s frozen tits, I’m fine, Jaydin…” Tandem said, not raising his voice to the Knight Captain even though he was clearly frustrated.

 

“You’re not,” Jaydin replied, frowning as she walked to the pond’s edge and held her hand out to Tandem.

 

Tandem looked at the proffered hand and gave another frustrated noise. Slowly, he lifted his hand to meet hers. It was then that Jaydin could see how messed up his hands looked. From a distance, they seemed obviously bloody… but now that there was a closer look, Jaydin could see the marbling of red, green, and purple mixed with the browns of his skin tone.

 

“It would be nice for our Garden bartender to actually keep the articulation of his fingers,” the Auri woman said, finally exiting the house just as Tandem was getting back up onto his feet. “What’s wrong with you, anyway? You’re usually more responsible about your morning workout.”

 

Of course, the question and the fact that the two women could read him like a book after the months he had spent with them as an employee of the Garden and a member of the Knights was a blow to his ego. But… there was a part of him that appreciated the fact that they at least cared enough to make sure that he was alright.

 

“You don’t need to tell us, I guess…” the Auri woman spoke after a moment, placing a hand on her hip. She turned to leave, though not before saying: “but at least come in to get your damn hands cleaned and dressed.”

 

Sighing, Tandem was helped back to the Garden interior before he stopped at the steps of the restaurant and home. Pursing his lips as he struggled to talk, he finally said, “I just… I don’t know why the damn Astrals or why whatever’s out there decided that we needed to be here. Over the years dealing with our Starscourge back home, we learned how to look at what we had and what we lost… and now that we’re here, all of that… just… how do you cope with leaving behind your other life and not knowing if you’ll go back or not?”

 

Both women paused and looked to Tandem before exchanging uneasy glances between one another. It was Jaydin that attempted to offer a reassuring smile to Tandem. Gently placing her other hand on the back of Tandem’s arm, she said to him, “Manaka and I might not have the answers for you, Tandem… but… I do know that many of us do at least care about you in this life that you have here. As is our wont as Knights, we will help you find a way back home. Just… please know that you have a home here among us as well, and that you can rely on us, too.”

 

Emotions were something that Tandem was terrible with handling. He could only nod, breaking any eye contact with either of the women there. His heart felt tight in his chest. There were a lot of words that wanted to come out, but just could not. Even though his mind ran a million miles a minute, he mustered a “thanks… both you and Manaka, Jaydin.”

 

Tandem supposed that perhaps… well, that perhaps this birthday was not as bleak and depressing as he perceived it would have been for months before it finally came around.