Day 5: Adventure/Relaxation
Original Character(s): Keith Summers, Kirian Summers
Featuring: G'raha Tia
Expansion: Dawntrail (Patches)
Summary: G'raha returns from his meeting with the Scions to find that his husband and son haven't quite got out of vacation mode.
"I've returned from the Rising Stones! There's aught to do until Estinien and the others return so I thought I'd come home to…" G'raha trailed as he wandered into the parlor, finding it littered with Kirian's toys and tomes. Wandering through the hall he looked for his husband and son upstairs discovering the library was littered with stacks of books and open tomes resting about, the bathroom floor wet and littered with towels, Kirian's room a mess, his room a mess. Returning to the lower levels, he found Kirian and Keith eating lunch, neither yet dressed for the day yet despite it being midday. Oddly enough, the dining and kitchen area seemed to be exempt from whatever had apparently torn through the house.
"Raha! Welcome home home," Keith greeted, getting up to embrace his husband. "Are you hungry? I can make you a sandwich."
"Perhaps in a moment, first I wish to know if there was an earthquake or something? The house is looking much like a sty," G'raha inquired, rubbing his cheek into Keith's bare chest briefly before pulling back, trying to muster a stern look. "If I am to be away on adventure you do realize you need to do the lion's share of the housework right? And perhaps have Kirian help with his own things."
"Ah, well. I guess we've been a bit lax with our chores. We've been away so long I guess we wanted to relax a bit and settle in before we got back into a routine. Don't worry, I have a system," Keith assured his husband, stroking over his ears before breaking away to go make Raha a sandwich while pointing out, "The kitchen is clean."
"Yes, well, you also fancy yourself a culinarian and are rather fussy when it comes to your cooking space. It isn't that much of surprise to find it clean in here," G'raha said while patting Kiran's shoulder, getting a sleepy grunt from his son as he bit into his sandwich. "What is this system?"
"Well, when I go to hang out in a room I pick up whatever is on the floor," Keith hummed happily as he folded thinly sliced ham onto a slice of bread. "And then put away things I see laying around. Do an almost clean and leave the finer details for the maid. Like I said, I've just been a bit lax while we settle in at home but I'll get back on it starting today," he assured his husband as he sliced into a wedge of swiss cheese.
G'raha stared at his husband in stunned silence. He understood Keith came from a well off family and that likely, before the Ala Mhigan occupation, the estate was staffed with a servant or two, but in their sporadic residency they'd not once had a maid he knew of. "My love, we do not have a maid."
Keith tilted his head as he placed some spinach leaves on top of a tomato then pressed it all together under his palm. "Of course we do!"
G'raha shook his head. "No…no we don't."
"Then who does all the sweeping?" Keith asked.
"Me."
"And the dusting?"
"Me"
"… The-"
"Yes, it's all been me," G'raha sighed before wandering to Keith, kissing his cheek.
Keith frowned. "Raha, I'm sorry. I guess I never really noticed. When we travel I'm a bit more conscious of the cramped living space but at home I guess I get a bit lazy about things."
"No frowning. We've had a good system that worked until now. You do usually keep things put away. I never saw need to complain about sweeping and mopping…the Twelve know Khenna and I contribute to most of the dust and hair," G'raha hummed. "I imagine if yo were gone and I was left here I would struggle to keep the kitchen clean and I am rather helpless when it comes to preparing something you can't put on a stick and hang over a fire."
Kirian let out an audible shudder from the mere suggestion of G'raha, making his father's ears fold back while Keith chuckled.
"Well, you are here for a little while, right? Why don't you and Kirian go out today and spend some time together and when you get back I'll have everything immaculate," Keith suggested.
Kirian sat up in his chair, turning around to hold the back of it. "Can we go to the apothecary? Every time dad takes me he won't buy me reagents that he doesn't know what they are and always says I have to wait for you."
G'raha smiled, "Sounds like a plan. Though, we can't have you running around in your small clothes. Go wash up now. And while you're up there put the towels on the rack and make sure you use your towel to dry the floor when you're done!"
"Okay!" Kirian said, scrambling off toward the stairs.
Keith hummed, wrapping his arms around G'raha while resting his chin right between his ears. "You sure you're not too cross with me?"
"Of course not. It's messy, but nothing is ruined. Just be a bit more mindful it's just the two of you for awhile," G'raha said before letting out a surprised yelp as he was scooped up. "K-Keith?!"
"We've got a few minutes while Kirian is getting ready. Let's tuck away into our room and get you a little messy before you go," Keith chuckled, tossing his husband over his shoulder and giving him a playful spank as he hurried up the stairs.
Day 3: Past/Future
Original Character(s): Keith Summers, Kirian Summers, Wallace
Featuring: G'raha Tia
Expansion: Dawntrail (Patches)
Summary: Kirian, looking to be entertained questions, the veracity of G'raha's past.
Notes: Referencing Events of The Unpromised Tomorrow
"Daaaaaaad. I'm booooooooooooooooooored."
Keith winced as Kirian whined about being bored for what seemed the millionth time since they'd arrived back home. Unpacking some sundries into the kitchen cupboards he blew hair from his bangs, trying to find the words that wouldn't make him sound too much like his parents. "Why don't you go find your father and have him tell you a story. Unless you'd rather help me put away the kitchen?" he suggested, at the very least buying him a little reprieve of quiet for a moment.
Kirian didn't seem pleased at his options, but realizing that if he stook around he'd be subject to chores, left to go find G'raha as suggested. Wandering to the second level of the house, he found his dad on a ladder shelving away books he'd brought back from Tural. Climbing into a chair, he sank back in it and let his head fall back into a pillow. "I'm boooo-"
"None of that now," G'raha scolded playfully as he swung over on the ladder to cross his tail over the other's mouth as he shelved another book.
"Pbbbbbt! Don't do that!" Kirian yelped, swatting away his father's tail as he tried to get the hair off his tongue.
"Well don't whine," G'raha reminded him playfully. "Surely there is something among our collection here to tide you over. Though I suppose you're still a little shy about books given our brief time in that cursed storytale book."
"Don't remind me," Kirian groaned before sinking down in the chair further. "Dad said you'd tell me a story if I came in here though."
G'raha flicked his tail, ears twitching as he imagined his husband hadn't creative enough to handle their son's boredom on his own. "I suppose I can multitask. What sort of story would you like to hear?" he asked, returning to shelving books.
"I dunno. You're super old right? Like…dad was saying you're like even older than grandpa. That you're even a grandpa yourself. Do you have any stories from a long time ago?" Kirian asked. "And why aren't you all wrinkly?"
"I'm not old! That would be…a lot to explain," G'raha said, rubbing his face a little, unsure where to begin. "My mind is old, but my body is the same age as your dad's."
"Okay…but how?" Kirian asked.
"I went back in time and lived in another world," G'raha answered.
Kirian furrowed his brow, not seeming to buy the explanation. "You're making that up."
"I'm not. Ask any of the Scions the next time you see them. They will tell you it's the truth," G'raha said proudly.
"Okay…then tell me how you did it," Kirian demanded.
"Well…We have told you the tale of my ancestor Desch and the Crystal Tower many times. And how I am his successor…Well, my slumber came to an end you see, awakened when I was needed the most…"
"Tomorrow you will be gone."
G'raha looked up as his retainer, Wallace, stared up at the Crystal Tower. He wondered if the other had been there the entire time he'd spoken with the hopeful engineer around the fireplace. Wallace always seemed to be lurking around, pledged as his sword and shield since being awoken from his eternal slumber within the palace. It was strange to be seen as the hero of the hour, though having long wished to be counted among them. With everyone being somewhere between nervous and excited about the success of tomorrow's attempt into the past, Wallace seemed somewhat melancholy.
"I will be," G'raha echoed, unsure what Wallace meant to make of his statement.
Wallace turned too look at him, helmet obscuring his face and breathing loud. Many still found themselves afflicted by the scars of the 8th Umbral Calamity. Wallace had apparently found himself a near victim of the lingering poison spread upon the world scavenging as a child. "It won't change things here though, will it. We are making a better future but for a time we will never know."
"That is what was suggested in Garlond's notes, yes," G'raha answered, "But we can give a better tomorrow for countless others that did not have to lose their lives."
Wallace stared, or appeared to at least before shaking his head. "You don't know for sure though…At least here there's the promise of tomorrow. You could be happy if you stayed here too."
"I'm sorry?" G'raha inquired as he stood up. "Regardless of what happiness you think I can achieve here, I alone have the power to make a great difference in our world. It would be selfish of me not to attempt to make a difference."
"You already have. The world is better here with you in it. This world," Wallace responded curtly. "I don't care if it's selfish. Before we found you we just toiled endlessly toward a task with no hope. With you here we have music and story long forgotten. You have become our hope…our light. And we're giving you away to be someone else's. That isn't fair!"
Angrily Wallace pulled off the top of his helmet, leaving his respirator as his gaze fell on G'raha, tears pricked in his emerald eyes that were almost obscured by his messy brown hair. "Are you so blind that you can't see what you mean to us? Stay and become the hero of our time."
G'raha stared, feeling his heart race for a moment before realizing what the other was really saying. "But the heroes of my time needs me. I could not be happy here knowing that I could have done something to save them…"
"Fine then. Abandon us!" Wallace yelled through his mask before staggering back, having to take several deep inhales after.
"I hear you. That I could see myself the way you see me," G'raha cooed with a soft smile. "Though I leave tomorrow, everyone here is resilient. Together you found a way to live together after the calamity and see Cid Garlond's dream to save our friend's come to life. All of this long before you woke me from my slumber. You've never really needed me, not really…
"And well, our existence is cyclical, is it not? A true hero will return one day, or perhaps they already have. And maybe…just maybe we'll meet again…in distant future, or distant past-"
G'raha froze as Wallace stepped up to him, hands raking over his cheeks through the back of his hair. Before his senses returned Wallace's lips were upon his own-
"YUCK! Gross! Stop!" Kirian shouted, plugging his ears. "You're awful at this! That's not a HOW story, that's a WHY story! And you weren't even being creative. No stories about you and dad smooching!"
G'raha chucked, rubbing the back of his head. He'd not thought about that night for some time. "Alright, I suppose it's not what you asked for, but it did happen. And that wasn't your dad…it was years in the past future," he said, words difficult.
"Don't lie! That's dad's name…and grandpa's Their second name," Kirian protested.
G'raha tilted his head. "Second name?" he repeated before looking up as Keith walked in with a tray of snacks. "What's this about a second name?"
"A second name?" Keith repeated before looking between them.
Kirian hopped up in his seat, turning around to face him. "Yeah! You're Keith Wallace Summers, and grandpa is Rickard Wallace Summers!"
"Oh. My middle name. I guess Miqo'te don't really have those. It's…sort of a way of preserving an important name in a family? It gets passed down over and over through the family. A…a tradition- er, you okay Raha?" Keith asked, having brought his palm over his face to rub at his budding evening stubble.
G'raha's eyes had beaded with tears, the briefest moment of seeing Wallace's features, his sparkling emerald eyes and messy brown hair. Climbing off the ladder he embraced his confused husband while their son made gagging noises behind them.
Apparently I made a counting mistake, yesterday it was day 3 not day 5 ;;;;;;
I have corrected the error now, but have a proto Elain as an apology and a bit of an explanation.
You see, ever since I finished the "Second dream" quest on warframe I had a especific character design for all my games in which I could make a character. So, every time I make a character I always go for the same design and give them the same name for in game lore purposes.
It's always dark skin, always has short blue/silver hair that is longer on one side and with blue intense blue eyes, I always try to keep these characteristics every time I create a character, like I said before, because of how I want for the character to be persived in game, as I always end up roleplaying in my head with the world. It's something fun I like to do while clearing a room or moving to one site to the next, it feels good to do and it adds deep to what I'm doin at that moment.
I wil make a post later specifying a bit more of how the FFXIV Elain works, as I imagine every Elain I create on each game as their own character, for now all I will say is that she is a lovely girl that you would love to go shopping with or go explore the wilds as friends.
