Don't forget your milk!

[Naunet]

((The following takes place a few days after the events in this post. Copied from rp done in-game.))

 

***

 

The cafe he'd chosen was set off a bit from the busier streets of Ul'dah, though not so far off that it was in a bad part of town - or rather, not in the worse parts of town. Its warm, oak tones, small arrangement of tables with simple lighting, and its humble "order up front" system were quaint, the soft blues of a large rug giving the whole thing a charming atmosphere.

 

D'hein leaned on the table, a bit far the right, and let his head cant heavily in that direction. One of his ears pointed straight up like a weathervane. "I'm glad you're feeling well enough to talk work again! That means you're doing better, right?"

 

Antimony flexed her fingers into the fabric of her pants, her ears flatting out away from her head for a moment before she replied quietly, "I can't in good conscience delay any longer, not on my account."

 

“It's healthy to have a sense of duty, but it must first be to one's own self. If you say you're ready to work again, I believe you.”

 

Antimony drew in a slow breath and nodded. "It's only that... wish Airos would return soon."

 

A young, red-headed miqo’te dressed in a happy yellow shirt entered the fancy cafe. Her first action was to notice how fancy it was and how un-fancy her clothes were. After a brief flash of embarrassment, she looked around briefly before seeing her target: D'hein, accompanied by a familiar grey haired head.

 

“Oh I'm sure there's nothing to worry about there. I've never seen K'airos and D'aijeen apart for too very long.”

 

“I would not blame her if she wished to follow K'ile back to the tribe, though. It... she has every right to it.” Antimony wrinkled her brow at a mug sitting in front of her.

 

The young woman rudely interrupted with a cheerful: "Hi! How's the milk today?"

 

D'hein popped up and turns to K'airos, responding cheerily, "Ah, yes, thank you! And one for my friend as well... Oh! Nevermind. Hello."

 

Antimony's ears pricked up and she nearly toppled out of her chair trying to spin around in a hurry. "Airos! You're back!" She hastily attempted to catch the chair before it topples to the floor as she lurches to her feet and envelopes K'airos in a powerful hug.

 

K'airos laughed and then just kind of stood there, responding to the hug and letting herself be a victim of it. "K'ile and K'luha are on their way back to the desert. They'll be fine!" At that, Antimony shook her head, squeezed her daughter, then nodded her head, and then just seemed to get confused and went back to crushing K'airos in a hug.

 

D'hein leaned back in his chair and watched the reunion with a smile on his face.

 

“Were you busy? I wanted to talk to D'hein about some-things.”

 

Antimony looked up after a moment and spent a good several seconds perusing K'airos's face and then the rest of her as though to make sure she was in one piece before gripping her by the shoulders and saying, "It's nothing I couldn't drop for you."

 

“Ah ha!” The tia exclaimed from his seat.

 

“Okay! Let me take a seat.”

 

Antimony blinked and then startled, taking a step back from K'airos. "Yes! You're probably tired. Please, ah... Would you like anything to eat? Drink..?"

 

K'airos gently got out of her mother's grip and did what she just said she would do! Antimony's hands hovered in the air for several seconds as she watched K'airos find a seat.

 

“You should have some milk, K'airos! Especially after a desert trip. Your bones are probably tired and dehydrated. We should all have milk, actually. I get lots of milk!” D’hein stood at that.

 

“I shouldn't break my diet,” K’airos protested. “Aijeen would get mad at me.”

 

“Your diet...?” Antimony blinked, peered across the table at her daughter with concern. “You're eating alright, Airos, right? You look a bit thin...”

 

“If she doesn't have enough milk in her diet then it should definitely be broken, with all the force and courage of an army breaking down an enemy's defenses!”

 

Antimony brought her hands together, brow knitting worriedly. "A meal won't hurt you. This place serves decent food."

 

K'airos didn’t look very convinced. “I guess it'll be fine if it’s this one time...”

 

Antimony nodded her head rapidly, emphatically, and then turned to D'hein with pursed lips and a frown, "Order her a meal while you're up, please. Something wholesome."

 

D'hein returned Antimony's frown with a smile of his own, "Whatever her mother wants for her, so I shall provide!" He then stepped around Antimony to head off and procure foodish things.

 

Antimony waited a moment and then sat suddenly, though she returned to watching K'airos. The young woman’s ears shook briefly at something. "So...ah...what are you up to?"

 

Antimony's tail twitched, curling aimlessly. "I've been waiting for you to return." She hesitated then, looking away.  “K'ile and K'luha... I am glad you got a chance to... speak with them again.”

 

“And D'hein?”

 

Antimony's ears fidgeted. "Well, I... can't exactly speak for everything he does."

 

“I meant to ask what were you discussing. Are you sure it's okay for me to interrupt?”

 

Antimony's eyes widened and then softened into a smile as she shook her hands. "No, no, it's nothing that can't wait. Just, ah, work... things."

 

D'hein paced back over to the table with glasses of milk in his hands, "I'm in earshot. Your mother and I were about to discuss work. Very boring. Your interruption is welcome.” He put a glass of milk in front of K'airos, "Food in a few minutes," and then in front of Antimony as well.

 

Antimony blinked at the glass and then with a curious look to K'airos. "What... did you want to speak of..?" Ears flinching, she added hastily, "Not, ah, not that it is any of my business. You're grown... well, you're a grown woman now. And... perhaps I should give you privacy."

 

K'airos stared at the glass of milk, smiled at D'hein, then stared at the glass some more. "I wanted to ask you about D'hal." she added after a moment of deliberation.

 

D'hein smiled, looking up at the wall, "...Dahl... Ah, yes." He turned away, "Be right back." And walked off.

 

Antimony furrowed her brow, looking vaguely distressed. "D'ahl. Isn't that what..." She trailed off uneasily.

 

K'airos picked up her milk. "Milk! Have you tried it yet? You should!" she said, and drank. In silence, Antimony put her hands around her milk, giving it an unsettled frown.

 

“I see you got some new clothes! Did D'hein pick them for you?”

 

D'hein returned a moment later with a glass of milk in his hand. "So then, what did you want to talk about, K'airos?"

 

K'airos did not expect that interruption, and so her ears fell considerably.

 

The Tia balked at K'airos’s question to Antimony just as he walked up, looked over at Antimony, and appeared unhappy.

 

The older woman blinked up at K'airos and then flinched at D'hein's stare. "Ah, well, it's not--no, he didn't... Ulanan insisted on... buying them."

 

D'hein chuckled at something and drank his milk.

 

“Oh! Well...they are nice! Anyroad...” K'airos looked at D'hein with a half-smile and hesitation. "Uhm. What's D'hal's relationship with Aijeen?"

 

The blonde tia looked up at the wall again, as he drank his milk. A few seconds later he choked and turned away from the table, "Ah! I just *cough* thought of something. I'll be... back. A moment!" And walked away.

 

Antimony shifted in her chair, looking between K'airos and D'hein in confusion. The former blinked at the man's back before getting another sip of her own drink. The latter didn’t actually go anywhere. He just idled by the counter, which was totally within earshot.

 

Antimony's brow furrowed deeper. "Is... something wrong?"

 

K'airos stared down at her milk. "This tastes weird." she mumbled. Moving the glass aside, she looked up to Antimony and said out loud: "I'm just curious about why Aijeen..." She paused to gesture vaguely in every direction with her hands. "...you know." she finished, tapping the fingers together.

 

Antimony fidgeted her fingers against her legs, in some attempt to keep them restrained - likely from the same actions K'airos was making. "Why she..." Her mouth twitched and she blinked away, "mistook me for... her?"

 

D'hein leaned heavily on the counter, and his tail whipped around very quickly behind him. The cafe worker asked him if anything was wrong. He replied that, no, everything in the world as exactly excellent and perfect in every way.

 

“Yes, that! Exactly that. Nothing to worry about, surely.” K'airos clapped her hands once and then kept tapping her fingers together while she said that.

 

Antimony's ears drooped, along with her head, her eyes dropping down to her  glass of milk. “I suppose she found a... well, you know Aijeen, she never...” She couldn’t seem to finish her thought.

 

K'airos leaned her head to a side, closing her eyes and smiling. "I'm sure it's not that."

 

D'hein paced over towards another part of the restaurant, ears twitching, tail rotating behind him like a crank. He was fidgeting. Maybe someone had cranked his tail too much and his overwound.

 

“You're sure? Ah, that is, of course you're sure... You... always did seem to know her best.” Antimony grimaced and then just looked sad.

 

“...what's D'hein doing?” K'airos's change of subject was not subtle at all.

 

Antimony hesitated a moment before twisting to eye the tia out of the corner of her vision. As she watched, D'hein briefly and silently interrogated the spider plant. K'airos stood up and walked towards D'hein. “Give me a just a moment.” As her daughter left, Antimony sighed and, ears twitching back towards the two, returned her gaze to her milk.

 

D'hein looked towards the window and covered his mouth with his hand, as though the spider plant had said something shocking. As she approached him, K’airos did her best to appear as a very serious and concerned woman. She was only the later, though. “What's wrong?”

 

D'hein snapped his gaze to K'airos and said, "Oh, nothing. i'm just concerned this plant isn't getting enough water and... Oh, K'airos!" He was silent for a moment, and then flinched. "Ah, I thought you and your mother were discussing important family matters!"

 

K'airos crossed her arms but avoided frowning. “I asked you about D'hal.”

 

“Oh, you did? I must've missed that! My, I am being very awkward then. Ah, I should check on your food. Excuse me.” He then proceeded to walk all of ten feet away.

 

K'airos followed D'hein, arms still crossed. "So tell me about D'hal."

 

He retrieved the food ordered for K'airos, pivoting on his feet to hold it up, "Now, now, let's not leave your mother all alone over there. I think she's been alone too long already!" He turned to walk back to the table. Antimony ducked her head slightly at D’hein’s approach. K'airos got back to her chair, her ears looking unhappier than her.

 

“You should not disrespect my daughter in such a way. Answer her question or offer a reason to her why you won't,” Antimony spoke up suddenly and pursed her lips, frowning at her milk.

 

D'hein set the food in front of K'airos and said, "I don't mean to be disrespectful. My apologies. D'ahl is a friend of Aijeen's."

 

“A "friend"?”

 

Antimony glanced towards D'hein wordlessly.

 

“Well a girl must have friends!” He looked around, muttering, "I wonder where I left my milk."

 

“Could I meet her?”

 

“I'm sure if you asked Aijeen she would be open to the idea,” D’hein nodded. “It's not like D'ahl is locked in a secret tower or something. She's a good woman for anyone to know.”

 

Antimony pressed her lips together and then ventured, "I would like to meet her as well."

 

“I know she would. But you aren't. I find that odd!”

 

D'hein smiled at K'airos, laughing a bit, "What! But I'm not-" he stopped, looked confused. And then he glanced at Antimony, "I'm sorry you said something?"

 

Antimony returned D'hein's confused look, but it was quickly replaced by a slight frown. "I said, I would like to meet D'ahl as well."

 

“Ah, that would be... Alright.” He appeared a bit creeped out, and stared at the lantern on the table.

 

Antimony's frown deepened. "What? I want to meet the people my Aijeen has... taken up with."

 

D'hein nodded, "Ah, yes!" His tail swished around behind him. "That is the correct way of saying it. They certainly have taken up, and it's extremely healthy, the up-taking! Very positive."

 

Antimony's ears swiveled in confusion. "Al...right."

 

K'airos raised one hand. "Good! Then I have another question!"

 

“AH, good!” D’hein exclaimed. “Well, don't wait, ask away and we'll discuss this question! The new one. The new question.”

 

K'airos's eyes rolled up, staring at the ceiling, and she tapped her fingers continuously again. "I was wondering how siblings of the Dodo tribe talk to each other? As in...the expressions they use?"

 

Antimony blinked, features going slack in befuddlement.

 

“.... I'm... sorry? I'm afraid I don't understand,” D’hein spoke dumbly.

 

“Do they use phrases like ‘you are my sun’ and...uh...’you are the most radiant, shiniest pearl of the sea’ or...things...like that?” She had some trouble actually remembering how the phrases went. After she spoke, Antimony did not look any less confused following this clarification.

 

D'hein blinked at K'airos, appearing very serious. His furiously swishing tail slowed, hanging behind him like a lazy pendulum for a moment, and then stopped moving entirely. "I don't... What is... Where is this coming from, precisely?”

 

“That's how Aijeen usually talks to me, so I figured it was a thing she got from the Dodo tribe, right?” K'airos stopped tapping the fingers together.

 

Antimony was quiet for a moment and then, "She must... she cares about you an awful lot.”

 

“... While I did teach her to speak in a more noble manner,” D’hein began, “the particular phrasing is entirely up to her... I can't say I've... ever heard those phrases... exactly...”

 

“...so it's not a Dodo thing?”

 

“I'm not really sure how to answer that question. You've heard how I speak you and Aijeen and I adore you both. As far as I know we all just speak like Ul'dahns.”

 

“Oh! All...right then! Did you find your milk?”

 

“... What?”

 

“You lost your milk! Or so you said.”

 

D'hein stepped back and then spun on his he heel to walk worldlessly away from the table. After he had gone, Antimony made a vague hm to herself and fidgeted a bit.

 

K'airos suddenly smiled at Antimony, her ears moving up. "You still staying at the Quicksand?"

 

Antimony looked up at that and forced a smile to her face. "Yes, for now. Though I... do not wish to rely on you for such a thing for much longer. It wouldn't be fair to... well." Her ears shook at a thought. "How long is Aijeen.. staying here?"

 

“She'll stay around as long as I'm around, and I'll be around as long as the Brass Blades let me be around!”

 

Antimony brightened. "Good! That is... good."

 

D'hein returned to the table with a new glass of milk. He dropped into the chair he occupied earlier.

 

“I should leave you so you can discuss work again. Thanks for the drink!” K'airos stood up, leaving her drink almost untouched on the table.

 

Antimony's eyes widened, almost panicking for a split second, before she offered K'airos a wavering smile. "I will... see you again? Perhaps we can both meet, ah, D'ahl together?"

 

“Hey, K'airos! Drink your milk.”

 

K'airos walked a few steps and then stopped. Her hope that D'hein would not notice was doomed to never be. She picked up the glass, chuckling nervously. "Silly me." she mumbled, and then drank it all in one go.

 

Antimony furrowed her brow. "And you haven't touched your food... At least see if they can prepare it so you can take it out..."

 

K'airos looked at the food, having genuinely forgot about it. So, she picked up her plate of food. "Right! Uhm...thanks for the food, too!" And with that said she went to the bar to get it packed up.

 

D'hein smiled as K'airos walked off, then dropped his gaze to Antimony, "She's a good kid. Drinks her milk."

 

“I... yes. She is.” Antimony kept her eyes on K'airos.

 

After a moment, the food was packed up neatly to be taken out. She left with it, waving briefly to Antimony on her way out. D'hein moved his gaze to Antimony, watching her ears. The older woman follows K'airos's steps as she exits, until her daughter was no longer visible. Ears twitching low against her head, she watched the door for a moment longer before turning back to the table.

 

“I didn't doubt for a moment that she would return to the city. Still having trouble trusting your senses?”

 

Antimony startled at D'hein's voice, as though she'd forgotten his presence. "Ah, I... it's just--" The grey fur of her tail prickled, the limb shivering against her chair. "Perhaps. Ah, but! I'll--it's nothing. We were going to discuss... business?"

 

“In a way. I'm honestly not supposed to be directly connected to this investigation, so as to avoid a conflict of interest. That's why I had Illira overseeing you. But she's decided that the best way to repond to good things happening to her is to furiously hate everything and everyone, so is refusing to be of any use.”

 

Antimony frowned at that and fidgeted with her tail distractedly. “She... well. With any luck it won't be an issue for much longer. Once I can finish re-organizing the paperwork, I'll be able to... ah, I'm sorry. I'm unsure how much I should divulge to you, what with the conflict of interest. But that's not to say--well, the whole thing is very nearly foolproof!”

 

“That's plenty. I've no fault in your abilities, and I do understand the nature of your delays. Despite the very personal nature of it, which I've been avoiding asking about.”

 

Antimony let out a faint sigh. "Miss Carceri would think poorly of you, but..." She looked conflicted for a moment and then, "All things considered, your intentions in this are... ah, something I'm extremely grateful for."

 

D'hein blinked, and one of his ears twitched. He smiled, "Ah, gratitude! That's a positive thing. That's good. My intentions are always to hep everyone I can."

 

“Yes. Well. Perhaps I did not always... think they were. I'm sorry.”

 

“That's fine! The past is the past. I'm not even sure if I remember what my own intentions are from moment to moment.”

 

Antimony blinked in confusion at that. Then her tail did some sort of strange shrug and she, finally, took a sip of her milk. “At... ah, at any rate, I should... have progress to report to... whomever you think it best to return to in a few days.”

 

D'hein leaned back and fixed his hands behind his head, smiling, "Oh, I'll find someoone. Or talk Illira into it."

 

Antimony pressed her lips together worriedly. "Perhaps."

 

“That's good. How long do you think this project will take to complete?”

 

“It depends,” Antimony began slowly, “on how readily I can collect information from the next level of resources. Captain Tyrmandu has been extremely accommodating, but as I track the money further, it may take more time.”

 

D'hein sat forward and placed his hands in his lap. He said very seriously, "Sooner is better. I'd scheduled this investigation to be complete, and its outcomes realized, before I had returned to Ul'dah. I am dealing with the consequences, but my my efforts are stop-gap. And while D'aijeen is insulated from this matter, the woman named D'ahl is counting on you. So it's important to both myself and D'aijeen that this project reaches completion.”

 

Antimony's ears drooped further with each word of D'hein's, and by the end of it, she was wringing her tail in her hands - something she quickly realized was painful and so stopped. The limb remained twisted in distress, however. "I--" She cleared her throat, brow wrinkling. "I understand. I--never intended to... I'm terribly sorry for the delays. I just--ah" Her knees bounced and then suddenly she was on her feet, as though sprung. “I'll--I'll go and get to work on it right away! I'm very sorry. This meeting has taken up far too much time, I'm sure, and not even with entirely business matters, so... so I'll just... be going now.

 

D'hein smiled at Antimony, "It's not that dire. If it was an emergency I'd have set you to it right away instead of telling you to take time off."

 

She kind of turned in place, to the left, and then to the right. "No, no, it's--no, you've waited long enough, so I'll just--ah--Thank you very much for the milk and lunch!" And then she was turning to hurry towards the door, tail writhing and ears shifting about willy-nilly.

 

“Antimony. A sense of urgency is one thing, but stress another entirely.” He stood from his chair, "Don't make yourself sick.”

 

She turned around, but continued towards the door, just going backwards. After a few steps, she nearly tripped over the carpet, caught herself on a nearby potted plant, and then waved as though to assuage, "It's fine. I'll be fine. You need this done. Ah--good... good bye!" Then she turned and pushed through the door.

 

“Ag. Goodbye.” A pause, and then to the now emptier café, “I guess I laid it on a bit thick.”