#dawntrail.

[vierandancer]

There is still warmth in the Windswept Gardens, where the flora and the fauna can grow and frolic peacefully together. The botanical gardens were always Cahciua favorites, and sometimes when nobody was looking... she'd hide there.

This time... she couldn't. She didn't want to, not when she left so many things unfinished. She took a breath of relief at the sound of steps beating down the path, and when she turned; she couldn't help but smile. Meiko always looked lovely with her hair done up like that.

"Thank you for coming so swiftly and privately like I had hoped. I figured it'd be best to say it here, since this place fills me with so much happiness."

Inhale and exhale. Eyes shut, only for her smile to widen and tears to coat a thin layer gently across her golden hues.

"Thank you, for being such a wondrous friend to my darling Elene'shypa through all these years. I cannot tell you how it fills me with joy to see him so happy. He might not look it, but I'm sure he regards his friendship with you so highly."

A breath.

"After our family had split, my little bun bun had felt so distant from friends his age, and even now I can tell his passion and drive comes from his love for nature. And like nature, there is strength in numbers. So please... will you stay with him, for me? And be the light that I wish for him?"

Perhaps Meiko was a fool for being surprised. She had thought Cahciua had found something related to Sphene or shutting down the towers. But this was far more...emotionally significant. She was almost taken aback, but recovered quickly.

"I ne'er planned on doin' anythin else, Cahciua," she assured her. "But I'll be honest: Erenville's path is his own. An' I think after all this, he'll want nothin' tae do with our special kind o' adventures." A chuckle. "But still. Regardless o' where he ends up, ye can rest easy knowin' he has many friends that'll look out for him." She offered her an apologetic smile. "So ye can rest easy as well, Cahcuia."

[vierandancer]

that silken hair, those pearly cheeks… oh, and you even smell wonderful - like a bed of flowers! — from Eheeya (please be nice to him he's trying to relearn how to talk)

This Meme || Accepting!

Meiko had witnessed and been a part of many, many bizarre occurrences, including watching several gods take on the guise of tiny creatures and/or put on person-sized mascot costumes. She witnessed the dancing dead and little sentient beans and multiple travelers from alternate universes...

Yet still, anyone who bothered to compliment her was probably the thing that caught her off-guard the most.

"...What?"

[vierandancer]

From @starrymused

"What is that?" Rikku said for what felt like the fifth time as Tidus was busy diving to a spot a few feet away. "Hey, are you listening? There's something over there!!" She lifted her goggles and squinted, trying to make out the shape. Whatever it was, it was tall! With horns? A new type of Fiend? "Eh?" Tidus was finally paying attention now that he'd noticed Rikku was no longer assisting in their search for "pirate treasure." Pushing himself back to the water's surface, he looked where she was pointing. Now he was also squinting as the two of them tried to figure out just what the shape was. Ever the explorer, Tidus set off towards it. "Let's go see what it is!" And not one to miss out, Rikku was quick to agree. "Right behind ya!" Tidus was a much faster swimmer but kept himself close enough so they could confront the Fiend together, if that's what it was. However, upon approach, Tidus noticed that it looked more like a person. With pointy horns! Or maybe those were rabbit ears? Well, that makes no sense. "Hey! What are you doing way out here?" They were pretty far off the coast of Luca and it wasn't usual to see anyone else in this area. "Are you lost?" Rikku caught up to him and started calling, too. "We can guide you back! We're friendly!" If this person(?) could understand them, then it was important to communicate their good intentions! So as not to freak them out, you know?

Meiko was so godsdamned confused.

She was swimming. Weird shite rarely happened when she was swimming, and the weather in Tural was always perfect for it. So down she went, far as she pleased thanks to the Kojin's Blessing, and when she came back up...

She did not see Tulioyal. And that was a bloody feat, considering how large and colorful its structures were. What she did see was... bubbles? Bubble structures? They almost looked like a mix of Sharlayan and Sui-No-Sato...

"How deep did I dive?" Was her eyesight going now like Y'shtola's? Did she get some strange fish goo in her eye down there? She rubbed at her face and squinted, shielding her eyes from the sun above. No, that was definitely not a city she recognized.

She looked down at the water. Now that she thought about it, it was a different tone of blue than the shores of Tural.

Ah fuck. Dinnae tell me...

Sphene's desperation had certainly done something to the barriers between the Source and its other worlds, but the Scions had not yet figured out the extent of the damage. The more she looked around, the more she realized that this must have been a side effect.

She dove back down thrice more, but every time she resurfaced, that foreign city remained in the distance. Like with Noctis. But they had found a way to return him, right? So, maybe--

She had picked up chatter in the distance, but didn't realize the voices were calling out to her until it was obvious. Startled, she turned around to see a pair of individuals coming her way. And bloody quick, too!

Better than sharks. Hopefully. They sounded friendly?

"Aye! Uh --" What the fuck could she say to them? "Lost, that's a good way tae put it... Could you tell me where I am?"

[vierandancer]

Shaaloani was very different to the other deserts Meiko had been to. The closest she could compare it was to Amh Araeng, but even then, that didn't quite feel right. It was hot and dry, but humid, and maybe that was why there were so many more plants and even a foresty-area up towards the northeast part of the map. There wasn't as much green in Thanalan -- it was far more sparse, and definitely not as vibrant.

She liked it. She liked seeing so many different places in the world, even though she had seen so many types of forests and mountains and beaches and snowy spots all before. Perhaps that was the part of Azem in her that resonated the strongest.

In Hiko's case, though, she was pretty sure stubborness was his. She had watched him get thrown from the back of a not-so-peaceful Rroneek for half a dozen times now, only to climb back on with more determination than the last. He had really embraced the local fashion, too, all decked out in those silly big hats and the shoes with the spurs on them.

Well, whatever made him happy. He certainly looked it. And as questionable as she found his choice of activity, her heart warmed to see her wee brother so pleased.

And speaking of pleased --

"You gettin' restless?" Erenville had been a mix of stick-in-the-mud and tentative and determined ever since they had arrived in Tural, but she could tell he was eager to get back home. Now that the Rite of Succession was over (and had ended, in her opinion, with the best possible outcome), a bunch of questions she had resurfaced that she wanted to ask him. She'd be polite about it, at least! Not like Hiko had outright asked about Erenville's accent earlier, for gods' sakes.

"Hiko'll be fine. The Rroneek'll do more damage tae him than anythin'," she waved a dismissive hand in her brother's direction. "Come on, let's get somethin' tae eat. I dinnae know what's good around here."

"--Bring me back something!" Hiko had suddenly developed supersonic hearing, it seemed.

Meiko snorted and waved back at him, "Aye, dinnae get concussed ya wee shite!" Then she turned back to Erenville, waiting.

[vierandancer]

Sometimes when she lay in bed, on the nights when sleep didn't claim her quick enough, the battles came back in a flash: A rush of adrenaline, the wind knocked out of her, the slam of something so hard that her vision swam. It was almost violent in its brevity.

Meiko was safe -- for now. The world wasn't in danger -- for now. Always temporary, always a lull. Never a full rest.

The work wasn't done. Not all the Ascians were accounted for. Not all the Reflections that remained had been saved. She wished that the burdens could fall upon some other well-intentioned, powerful warrior's shoudlers. After all, there had been Ysayle and others who had answered Hydaelyn's call on the First.

But deep down, she knew the work wasn't done. Which meant there were yet enemies undiscovered. Which meant everyone she had ever cared for remained at risk.

On nights like this, she would either abandon sleep entirely, or try to double down. Tonight was the latter. She was exhausted. She wanted rest.

In Yanxia -- Yugiri face down in the dirt -- Zenos' blade raised high --

The bastard avoided her important bits, she knew. He was having a wonderful time. Her body jerked forward and back as he dragged the katana out of her, the squelch of sinew and the warmth of her blood --

Emet-Selch was laughing without humor, a noting sound as he knelt down to her level.

The grating, every breath she took felt like she was breathing glass, a sharp white bile bubbling between her teeth. Mocking. The Exarch lay unmoving just beyond. The Scions, terrified into inaction. Her brother, paralyzed, unable to decide if he should grant her mercy or let her fight it off --

Meiko sat up. Meteion's tormented expression was an afterimage in the dark, her wide blue eyes overwhelmed with the void of despair--

She shuddered and didn't stop trembling even as she raised one hand to curl into a fist over her heart.

"C'mon now, Mei," she muttered. She thumped her chest as if to startle her heart into a different track. "Is no use relivin' what's passed. Get outta yer heid."

She squeezed her eyes shut and opened them a few times until the images went away.

"S'done," she told herself. "An' we won in th'end, aye?" There was no answer, of course, and that only unsettled her more.

They did win. Many times. Yet there never seemed to be any conclusion. Not for long. She let out a breath she didn't realize she had been holding, and leaned over to tug the curtain back from the window. Winced. The sky was a soft orange streaked with pink. Morning already, or close to it.

"Fuck's sake," she hissed. "Didnae feel like I slept a wink..." She considered trying to go back to bed, but gave up with a sigh. Maybe a walk about would do her good.

[vierandancer]

@diademreigned

"Aye, didnae know it was that type o'competition," Meiko was furious, but in a competitive, friendly way. "Thought they were awful clever, too, I could hear it in their wee jokes when they brought th'cave down. Hiko would've bust through th'wall eventually if we werenae in a hurry!"

While Wuk Lamat and A'kihiko ran around assisting the Moblins with the next task, Meiko and Alisaie were taking a breather, which allowed her time to reflect on how offended she was at Thancred and Urianger's behavior. She wasn't mad! Well, maybe a wee bit. Their friendship wasn't over, but she was going to bully them.

"Better hope I dinnae see their faces again anytime soon! Th'cheek of it all, I swear, your brother nearly swore! I saw him think it!"

[vierandancer]

Continued here from @crystalmarred

"Aye. M'no one tae write much. Nor are they, really. But I have visited them. Did just afore we left for Tural, actually." She paused, then offered an apologetic smile.

"S'not easy, though. S'not like I can really..." She shook her head. "Even if I were tae tell them 'bout all I've done, it... they couldnae understand, aye? So I tell them shorter versions. Or summarizin is best." She added gently, "M'sure you've plenty o'regrets. But you cannae damn yourself for what you couldnae know. Your mother knew you loved her. S'all we can hope for when it comes tae that, aye?"

[vierandancer]

Cahciua can't help but eye the Viera before her, smiling brightly; hand gracing her hip. "Elene'shpya is truly blessed to have you at his side. He didn't give you a hard time, I trust?"

"Only in th'way that's normal for him an' not much o'a hard time at all," Meiko acknowledged good-naturedly. There was no point in lying about Erenville to his own mother, Endless or no. She peeked over her shoulder towards where he was busying himself with looking at the nearby flora. Then she added, a bit more quietly, "I cannae say I know him very personally. Nor do I know you very well. But please, afore this all ends -- dinnae let there be anythin' left unsaid. For both o'you."