Prompt # 1 - Stillness in the Whirlwind
FFXIV Write 2019 | Organised by @sea-wolf-coast-to-coast
Prompt 1/Day 1 - Voracious - wanting or devouring great quantities of food or having a very eager approach to an activity.
Word Count: 2,252 words | AU - 5 Years After Dalamud Fall - Veteran of the Carteneau, Ardbert has woken up in a post-Calamity Eorzea and Aymeric has left Ishgard under less than ideal circumstances.
Characters - OC: Suzune Akigawa, Ardbert Myles, Aymeric de Borel
***
Aymeric remember losing consciousness; in the chill to his young cousin Laurisse's worried words, to the diviner's healing magic, to the sinking feeling of failure.
He woke to warmth, downy blankets and sunlight. And immediately ruined it by sitting up too fast.
"Don't do that." the man at his bedside ordered. "You'll fall over."
Indeed Aymeric found himself slumped back into the bed confused. "This - " he croaked. The man offered a cup of water which he drank gratefully. "Ishgard. Not." Nor was this Coerthas.
"Nope. This is Limsa."
Limsa Lominsa?
"He's awake!" the wooden door swung open, admitting a whirlwind of a woman, carrying a tray. "How long?"
Aymeric stared at her; she had long purple hair tinged with red and was short - a Hyur, he realized belatedly, her skin a pleasant medium, darkish tone, her gown swirling around her.
"Ten seconds!" the man - also Hyur - said. He was brunet, his complexion paler than the woman’s, attired in a comfortable, open shirt and brais.
"Oh good, I have great timing."
"Come back in ten minutes. He can barely think - "
"Here, Emmy, " the whirlwind woman said, ignoring the man and approaching with a tray; a small table zoomed across the room, ramming into the bed with a bang; Aymeric jumped.
“Bells...Control your magicked furniture. Please.”
“No need to rush.” she scolded... the table which trembled ... in embarrassment before, settling down. She set down the tray. "Laurisse made this for you but she's outdoors! She's gonna fit in great, but you are in so much trouble. Eat this, it's your favorite."
"And how would you know that?" the man demanded.
"I have a better memory than you." she said smugly.
"Merci," Aymeric said dumbly choosing to focus on the particulars - rescued, Laurisse safe, kind people, food, bed. Good.
"Eat as much as you like!” the whirlwind woman - Bells - said. “You're a real knight you know; everyone's fine - except you."
"Bells! He just woke up, I promise he understand nothing."
"Oh." She came up short, squinting. "Weird."
"No, it's not." the man said with the tone of one who had to explain how other people work before.
She pouted. "Oh darn. Well, I'll come back later." She patted Aymeric's cheek with an air of what he was sure was unwarranted familiarity. "Eat up! You're probably hungry! I would be! Ard, take care of him!"
She skipped out, waving, the door swinging slowly shut behind her.
With the whirlwind of a woman gone, he took the time to survey the room - two windows to his right, shuttered closed but slants of light spilled forth onto a long dresser with a clothing rack atop it and a bench beside it. To the left was a short corridor with a table, ending in a curtain.
Aymeric looked at the man, Ard. He must've looked harried because his new ally laughed. "She's the wind." he said fondly. "But don't worry about her right now; just eat."
"Where's Laurisse? The lady? She - she was blonde, a Hyur - ?"
"This is La Noscea; Laurisse is fine and so is Lia - the woman you assisted. Rest up."
The man was a calming presence and in no time Aymeric had eaten everything on the tray even though he had little inkling what any of it was; to his stomach it all tasted good though he was careful to eat slowly to not make himself sick.
"Still hungry?"
Aymeric almost jumped out of his skin; the man had gone so quiet.
"Yes. I feel better though. Thank you.”
"Good. Coerthas is colder these days than the Hell of Ice, I hear - even though it isn't winter?"
"It is not winter." Aymeric confirmed. "Officially."
"Halone must be mad at you lot," the Hyur mused. "I'm Ardbert by the way - the whirlwind was Suzune - I don't suppose you'd remember that?"
He furrowed his brows, fishing through his memory. "Should I?"
"He doesn't!?" She was back, with a pitcher of ... something.
"He has no frame of reference!" Ardbert declared,stepping in front of the bed as if to shield Aymeric. "We wrote letters to you, when we were kids. We're - "
"You're Lominsan." he had no idea why this was an important detail but - letters, 'Emmy'... purple hair..."This is Lominsa yes? Do you know my mother?”
"Yes!" she cheer-motioned but frowned at Ardbert. "You told him!”
Ah, yes - he remembered now - his mother, though unable to be there as mother usually were for reasons he was now beginning to understand - had a successful business in Limsa and he remembered vividly the letters and small trinkets she had brought with her from children she knew in Limsa Lominsa.
“When one wakes up in someone else’s home far from their starting point they typically like to know the names of their hosts.” he said. “And: don’t trick your guests. We're not five! Besides, I still haven't forgiven you for that."
"Don't be silly; you were the best of them! And my most favorite."
"I thought we were friends now."
She looked at him like he was an idiot. "You're my favorite and my best friend! Obviously. You can't be one without the other."
Ardbert looked about to refute her but rolled his eyes fondly. "Of course.”
"Here, Emmy." she said, again with (possibly actually warranted) familiarity, handing him a pitcher.
“No tricks.”
“It’s tea! With his birch syrup even!” she poured a tall mug of steaming tea while Aymeric watched them both banter. “I’ll just have to get you later.” she added.
Aymeric shot a look at Ardbert, who shrugged. “Eh...It’s not that bad.”
“Don’t warn ;im, Ard - you don’t wanna make it worse.”
“Now, I know you’re bluffing.”
“Don’t make me loose my claws, Ard, I will push you into the ocean.”
“Sharpen them on your enemies; there’s plenty.”
“Hm... you make an excellent point! Take your time, Emmy - you can use the bath - it's back there." She indicated the blue curtain.
"I brought some Elezen-sized clothes." Ardbert added.
"How is Laurisse?" he blurted, his mind struggling through molasses. Suzune appeared to have been appeased - she reminded him rather much of .the old fairy tales of old tricksy hermits found in mountains but the way she swayed in place and talked with a note of undaunted cheer, endeared her somehow.
"She's great! She's with the other kids."
"What other kids?” Ardbert asked. “Like your clanskin other kids or - "
"No, the local kids. What does that mean, Ard?"
"You lot are gremlins to the uninitiated and I will tell everyone so for their own well-being."
"Spoilsport. Laurisse is fine - having lots of fun."
"I hope that actually means she's having fun." Ardbert muttered as Suzune whirled out again.
“Come check if you doubt me, you cretin!” she bellowed.
"I do not think I actually know her." Aymeric said. It had been so long since he had written his pen pals, after all.
"Well, no. She's also disgruntled that you stopped writing even though she knows it's not entirely your fault. Yer ma is worried you know. And then we find you like this - Well, you found Lia and she - " he stopped. "I'm rambling."
"I am glad to have found... friends then."
"Don't sound so uncertain; Suzie will take it an excuse."
Aymeric took refuge in the breakfast tray; if nothing else Suzune did appear to be a good cook - or Laurisse was. "Pardon me, it does not seem like you are actually friends?"
"I didn't think so,” Ardbert laughed. “for the longest time either but she said we are after dodging around it like a socially inept jellyfish for years and she saved my life so I am inclined to believe her."
"Saving one's life is not always a solid basis of friendship."
"It is when she was basically my aetheryte."
"Beg pardon?"
Ardbert shrugged, tilting his head back. "After the Battle of Carteneau..." he said slowly. "I ... was lost for a time and tried teleporting home. But... the aetheryte I was aiming for had been destroyed. So my only recourse was to be lost in the Lifestream or grab to the next brightest beacon - which happened to be Suzune."
Aymeric stared at him openly. "You... teleported. To a person?"
"Aye. Her aether is as familiar to me as my own - we grew up on the same island and I would call us childhood friends even though we spent most of that time squabbling." he chuckle. "Don't worry - she's just... very energetic right now and is more hospitable when she's less of a whirlwind and more of a person. Trust me; she's a lot more personable than when we were young. Did you not like our letters?"
"I did. I - "
"You don't need to defend yourself," Ardbert said, making to leave. "And I know letters don’t quite substitute for ... really knowing someone. But we’re glad to meet you in person, all the same - even though the circumstances aren’t the best. Just eat up, take a shower - you can take a soak too, don't be shy. You get to skip the initiation part."
Though Ardbert’s buffering presence had been welcomed, Aymeric liked the space for his own thoughts even more, slowly going through the events of the last few ... days? in his own mind. He felt much refreshed and less confused after a shower and soak - Suzune had a luxuriously large spa for a such a small home and helpfully posted instructions - that seemed to be poorly-veiled threats to take full advantage of her hospitality or she would be very insulted. Shower first to wash then bathe to relax. The aforementioned Elezen sized clothes were already waiting and he padded out of her en suite to a full home library/lounge, interspaced with oddly tall mannequins armored in Maelstrom attire.
Following the sound of conversation and chopping led him up the stairs to an open space of brick walls and good cooking.
"I hope you're still hungry." Suzune said from a small kitchen where she was chopping so rapidly he feared she would lose her own fingers.
"Ah... i'm quite fine thank you."
"Great," Ardbert said, stirring a pot threatening to over boil. "Your spa is magical; of course he's fine, Suzie."
"Laurisse is outside; I think she delirious on warm weather." Suzune said without looking. "I think all that Ishgardian guck is too heavy for your stomach right not but I made grits!" And she promptly put a bowl on the counter indicating he was to eat it. His stomach did growl and did smell nice - and birch syrup had made a second appearance,
"Don't be rude." Ardbert chided.
"I'm not the one who almost died recently!"
"Are you still holding that against me"
"I'm not holding it against you," she said, clearly holding some sort of grudge over it. "I'm just saying that I was not recently dragged from the brink of death."
"I'm fine now." Ardbert said, tone gentle. “You know that.”
"I know you are.” she said, letting fondness enter her voice. “But the fact remains."
Despite his initial misgivings of her, Aymeric finds himself relaxing at their banter; Ardbert speaks with a warm fondness and Suzune seemed to be determine to stuff him full of food. With her attention half on the cooking, her whirlwind tendencies have calmed as well
"Suzune," he interrupts. "I am told we were friends, once. Through letters? I do apologize for the ... end to those. I quite enjoyed them."
"Right?! I was so sad when you stopped but then again everything was on fire and then everything was frozen and then you find our friends in the mountains - or did they find you - or did you just happen across each other - and shenanigans ensue and by the will of the Spinner and Navigator you're here and things are great again! Eat this." She dropped a fish-shaped pastry in front of him. "It's apple-filled, you're my first victim."
"Taste-tester." Ardbert said, taking half and evading the knife. "Suzie, why are you trying to stab me?" he asked, unfazed by this show of violence.
"That's not yours!"
"I'm his back-up." Ardbert said determinedly and ate part of his claimed half. “It’s fine. Better than fine.”
"I appreciate your generous cooking," Aymeric said, hastily. "But I surely cannot eat it all by myself."
"Besides, we made enough to feed a crew," Ardbert said.
"Well, of course! It's not all for him!"
"Oh. That’s.... that’s good.”
"We always cook for a crew because that's ... what we always do," Ardbert explained lamely.
"Did you not live with your extended family?" Aymeric remembered.
"My clan, yes."
And yet the cottage was only arranged with one person in mind; there was one bed, albiet a large one, very little space for two people never mind three and - the mannequins.
"Are you in the military?"
"That's right! Come, are you feeling better?” she was attempting to pack up food now. “Come, help me feed the voracious masses!"
“Suzune.” Ardbert interrupted. “You’re being a hurricane.”
“Oh.” she deflated almost at once, despite his firm and comforting hand on her shoulder. “I’ll... I’ll be a minute.”
“Suzune - “
And she was already out the door.
“She’s fine - the last few... it’s been a time.” Ardbert assured him. “Take your time.”
Aymeric leaned back in the chair and sighed as Ardbert went after her. “A whirlwind indeed.”