☾ mystearica aura fende ( tear grants ) (
cantante) wrote in
melodiesoflife2016-02-07 04:44 pm
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Entry tags:
When I’m scared I want to hear you shout out
Who: Tear Grants & Ace
What: Tear had promised to explain what had happened while Ace was gone, and now it's time to fulfil it.
When: February 7th
Where: House B-14
Warning: Strong Feelings and likely death mention. Also, chocobos.
There was no measuring the immense relief Tear had felt when Ace's letter had arrived to her the night before, reassuring her that he had returned safely from his trip. She had read it over and over since receiving it, perhaps too many times, given the folds of the paper she held were now entirely flat as she sat in the sitting room of her home, waiting for any indication of his arrival just as he had promised.
Yet even with the few extra days to think about it, the girl was still somewhat at a loss for how to deliver all the information he had asked for. As much as she would have wanted to plan it, the nature of such a truth meant that there was no guarantee their conversation would go in the direction she had prepared for. Knowing this, all she could do was hope she was that she would have the strength to continue through with it no matter what happened, in delivering the knowledge he deserved to know.
However, the anxiety still twists her stomach uncomfortable when she hears someone approaching, setting down the letter and rising to her feet to answer the door. Before she does, she takes a few breaths to calm herself enough in order to face him—what would it do to him if she had insisted he go, only to return and find her in such a state? It would be almost cruel to do that.
Only when she has eased her nerves enough and he made his presence known does she open the door, a faint smile of relief ready on her lips.
What: Tear had promised to explain what had happened while Ace was gone, and now it's time to fulfil it.
When: February 7th
Where: House B-14
Warning: Strong Feelings and likely death mention. Also, chocobos.
There was no measuring the immense relief Tear had felt when Ace's letter had arrived to her the night before, reassuring her that he had returned safely from his trip. She had read it over and over since receiving it, perhaps too many times, given the folds of the paper she held were now entirely flat as she sat in the sitting room of her home, waiting for any indication of his arrival just as he had promised.
Yet even with the few extra days to think about it, the girl was still somewhat at a loss for how to deliver all the information he had asked for. As much as she would have wanted to plan it, the nature of such a truth meant that there was no guarantee their conversation would go in the direction she had prepared for. Knowing this, all she could do was hope she was that she would have the strength to continue through with it no matter what happened, in delivering the knowledge he deserved to know.
However, the anxiety still twists her stomach uncomfortable when she hears someone approaching, setting down the letter and rising to her feet to answer the door. Before she does, she takes a few breaths to calm herself enough in order to face him—what would it do to him if she had insisted he go, only to return and find her in such a state? It would be almost cruel to do that.
Only when she has eased her nerves enough and he made his presence known does she open the door, a faint smile of relief ready on her lips.
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That is, until a soft gasp escapes the girl when she both sees and feels his lips press against her hand. The warmth in her cheeks bloomed into a full-out blush, and she had to press her lips together to refrain from saying anything or control any other reactions. The single action answered her question and so many more, culminating in the form of a wistful, if still fond, smile.
"Thank you." It was a response to both his healing and acceptance, her voice a hushed whisper from the reemergence of emotions that the gesture had kindled anew, ones she still had to finish sorting out. The bird, meanwhile, began to tilt her head at the two of them curiously, soft chirps emerging each time she opened her beak expectantly.
"Feisty..." The word was punctuated by a particularly sharp chirp, as if the tiny creature were agreeing with the observation. In a way, the attitude reminded the melodist of a certain someone. "You mentioned that she didn't have a name?"
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"You're welcome," he uttered softly, the answer overly simple to describe how he truly felt. The blond tried not to read into it too much, in any case, as he let his attention be promptly stolen by the chocobo's musical number.
"That's correct." The cadet nodded, recalling the circumstances regarding her discovery with a sad smile. "She's not from around here. I found her, abandoned, during our exploration of the southern regions, so perhaps the colour of her feathers serves to reflect the change of climate." After all, it was not a common sight to spot a chocobo of any colour other than regular, sunny yellow braving the Calm Plains forests, and he couldn't recall having ever come across a red one before.
"... Say, do you have any ideas?"
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Which meant she would have to be that much more efficient in her care, not that the little being seemed to mind at all with the way she had begun to butt her feathered head into the melodist's stomach, as if trying to cuddle closer but essentially failing when she nearly falls out of her hold in the process.
In turn the girl lifted her up yet again, nuzzling her gently with a thoughtful hum. "I'll need a few moments, I've never had to name something I knew I would keep."
... Stuffed dolls and monsters aside. "You've had her all this time, don't you have any suggestions?"
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The unspoken assumption was that the little chick's parent had been killed, leaving her to fend for her own in the wilderness, a challenge that would have undoubtedly cost the poor chocobo her life.
All this time equaled a period of merely few days, but if it was advice that the girl needed, he could perhaps come up with some pointers. "Well, keep it short and easy to pronounce. Some—" the boy scratched his cheek, thinking of how to put it, "choose the names that follow a certain rhythm, even if they might look a bit silly. Like..." and once again he paused, this time for a longer moment as he brought himself to recall that name. Even if he no longer had anything else to go by but a few lines hid inside his file, he felt like he would have held onto that memory, if only he had been able to.
"... Chichiri." And then, there was the other name that he couldn't locate the source of, but it seemed useful in the way it matched the pattern. "Or Pokopoko." The cadet smiled to himself, unsure as to what the melodist would think about this rather unconventional method.
"Alternatively, you might do what I did with Suzaku, and... simply think of home. The answer might come to you sooner than you realize."
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She tilts her head just slightly, looking at him curiously. "Putting it that way makes it sound as if I'm to be her new mother."
Which... she wasn't opposed to, already bonding with the bird in such short time, but the idea does leave her feeling just a bit flustered. Thankfully, the suggestions he made helped with turning her away from that before she thought about it too deeply.
Mostly because of how cute they sounded, especially the first as she tries to stifle what seemed like a giggle. Somehow, she could hear others chastising them for bestowing such a name, and if this was a creature she was going to help raise then she would need something appropriate and fitting. Stroking her feathers gently, it was hard to not notice the unusual red colour.
"She doesn't seem like an Efreet, does she?" Naming her after the aggregate sentience of fire in her world seemed like too strong a name for something still so small.
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Being so absorbed in that act made it all the easier for him to completely lower his guard, lips parting in surprise as her suggestion completely took him aback.
And so he asked, unsure. "... Ifrit?" As fascinating it was to consider such a possibility, there was also something oddly... off-putting about the image that had now formed in his mind. It wasn't as if the feathered beings had to compete with the mighty Eidolons; they were both completely different leagues of their own. The birds were probably better off developing neither massive flaming horns nor earth-shattering punches, now that he thought of it.
"I'm... afraid she does not." Without meaning to sound discouraging, he added, with a sheepish smirk, "What about something less—...."
However, his words ultimately trailed off into a thoughtful hum.
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"The aggregate sentience of the Fifth Fonon in my world, the element of fire," she shrugged, partially glad that he was in agreement with her observation. "Her colour reminded me of it a little."
There were other names she associated with red as well, but she wasn't in a hurry to name the chocobo Lorelei either, and the others that came to mind... seemed oddly inappropriate. She could imagine the reactions of some of those individuals, anyway.
But it couldn't be as unusual as having a rappig named after you. "There's another sentience, but I wonder..."
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"... I apologise for the confusion. There exists an entire class of Eidolons by the name of Ifrit," the cadet looked her in the eyes, "one that similarly governs the element of fire. Our attack power often relied on the strength of summoned creatures, which is why it was such an easy association to make." Even so, he continued looking mildly apologetic as he spoke, tilting his head to the side. "Although the colour could indeed be a good match, I assumed it wasn't necessarily the kind of resemblance you'd want to aim for. While Ifrit could certainly be considered a mighty ally, his methods are often described as fairly violent."
Well, it would teach him to deliver his opinions with more caution, but for now he had to acknowledge that there was no returning to her somewhat unfortunate first choice.
"Hm?"
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Reaching over to place a hand over his, she offered a reassuring smile—it was all right to have thought of that first, when he so clearly held his world dear. He was right, though, in that such an image didn't fit the bird they were trying to name no matter how feisty she might be.
Closing her eyes, she thinks over the next name again. Though her power had always resonated most strongly with sound, so often there was the warmth of light coming to her aid as well, a warmth that echoed the thrumming heartbeat against her fingers.
And it seemed to fit a little better, in her mind. "The aggregate sentience of the Sixth Fonon, that of light... its name was Rem. Traditionally, its colours are warmer, so maybe..."
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Yes, another coincidence, he thought to himself as he mouthed the familiar name under his breath, smiling weakly. In a way, it almost felt disrespectful to dwell on the sadness of the parting rather than immense sense of gratitude he felt towards them both, but the passage of time had not always been merciful as it challenged one's perception of their own feelings.
If only we could all stand together as one for the very last time.
A forced nod followed as he calmly motioned the girl to continue, slowly feeling the feeling of dryness enveloping his throat. It resulted in a small pause before the cadet actually spoke, his stare meeting hers, and yet oddly absent at the same time.
"I would like to hear some more about it."
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Rather than ask outright, she instead shifts so that her shoulder was touching his, positioning herself to be able to hold his gaze as necessary. In the meantime, she placed the hand still supporting the chick almost between them, so they could both be equally close to her encouraging presence.
"... Rem is also the name of our planet's star." She sighed, for a moment seeming as if she were going to rest her head on his shoulder before stopping. "Therefore, it also represents the sky and the dreams that come with travelling them, along with a sense of hope."
A desperate one, on more than a few accounts in her experience recalling the tower that also bore the name—similar to what she had seen in that future.
"For myself, the Sixth Fonon is the one I've felt more in tune with, after the Seventh and more than the Third, the one of wind." Going quiet, she thought briefly of the underworld she had been born into, of sometimes finding comfort when light would permeate the toxic landscape.
But now that she had given more of her reasoning, she looked to Ace again questioningly. If there was something they needed to talk about now it would be his choice to make, but she didn't want to force him either.
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Relaxing into her touch, he then listened carefully to the girl's tale, one of so many she would get to present that evening. Sound. Light. Wind. The lightly cadet inclined his head to the side as he studied her features, smiling tenderly as he noted how each of these words had left its mark somewhere among them.
"It's a good name." Against his own emotional turmoil, he still spoke with a certain degree of confidence, since his reply could not have been any different after what he had just been told. "Keep it," he asked firmly, wishing to somehow underline his point, well-aware that what he was about to say was likely to change the girl's mind.
Though it didn't come without some effort, this time, the little bow he gave with his head was nothing but genuine.
"She was one of us. Rem." There was a pause. "Rem and Machina, they were the new additions to our class of twelve. The last time I spoke to them, it was after they had fallen into crystal stasis."
However, Ace knew he could not allow himself to continue for the time being, for his explanation could only be complete if he presented it in its entirety. Even if he wanted to, he couldn't do that yet, for Tear's sake.
"... One day, I will tell you the entire story. I promise."
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Still, the girl couldn't help the feelings of uncertainty she held knowing that it was his last memory of that person, shifting her gaze from the cadet to the chocobo chirping softly, bobbing her head as if she were trying to gain their attention again.
"Are you sure...?" If this was the name they were going to bestow, she wanted to be absolutely certain that he was all right with it. The last thing she wanted to do was cause him unnecessary strife over something that could still be prevented.
The question extended not only to that, but to his promise to tell her that story. If that was what he wanted then she would of course listen, but if he wanted to keep it then that was fine, too. Much as she would like to hear it, he didn't owe her anything as she reached down to start stroking the bird anew.
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"A little reminder to us both," he raised his hand to gently tap the chocobo on her feathery head, which elicited a muffled squeak from the bird. "Every world has its light that you don't want to forget."
Being able to experience such a wide array of emotions was a reward on its own that he had once been denied. The cadet shifted to rest his head against the girl's shoulder and smiled, even if she could not see it.
"This one is no different."
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"You're right..." It was losing sight of that light that helped lead to the decisions she had made in the vision, that much she knew for certain even as the details and images slipped through her fingers with each passing day, leaving behind only feelings that were not unlike desperation.
Placing such responsibility on creature seemed almost unfair, but Tear knew that even without the knowledge of the future she would have wanted to protect her tiny light regardless.
The same way she wanted to protect the other sources of light this world had granted her, beginning with the person beside her. Carefully, she leaned her head against him in turn, breathing out slowly.
"Then, she'll be Rem from here on." The girl raised a hand to lightly scratch the bird's head, rewarded with a high trill as she hopped out of the girl's hold to come even closer.
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Although it might have been on purpose that didn't specify who exactly it was in their arrangement that he referred to.
It wasn't long before he started feeling the subtle chill brush against his skin as the room gradually grew colder, understandably so given it was not meant to ensure the same protection from the cold as the rest of the house. Blaming his own vulnerability against low temperatures, the cadet stubbornly refused to give it any priority as he pulled his sleeves over his hands in a quick and secretive manner. After all, it hardly seemed worth leaving his current spot.
Eventually, he followed with sliding off his shoes and lightly pushing them to the side with his feet, which he then lifted onto the couch, carefully, so as not to disturb the little chick. Now that he found himself curled up against the melodist's side, it... felt like a decisive improvement that could perhaps allow him to postpone the search for blankets for the time being.
Even though he looked dangerously close to nodding off any second, his attention remained sharp when he spoke. Every second spent here mattered, especially so if it had been just like she said, and so many months had passed for her since they could last spend a while together so freely.
Every second, huh? It made him think. "Tear," the boy pulled his knees a bit closer to himself, "would it be all right if I invited you on what, for all intents and purposes, could be considered—..."
That felt like way too many words. He shifted slightly to look at her, well-aware there was no masking the faint blush covering his cheeks.
"—a date?"
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Except it was harder to ignore the soothing warmth of his weight against her side, her body shifting to make the position more comfortable for both of them before she could really think about it. If the closeness had encouraged the faint warmth in her cheeks, his request fanned it into a full-blown blush that she had no hope of calming down in the next few moments.
"Ah..." With her throat feeling so dry, it was difficult to manage any other sound as she turned her gaze downward, looking at neither the chocobo nor Ace. Her mind returned to the night at the party little over a month ago, to the innocent sprig started the long series of questions since.
Now felt similar to then, but... the apprehension of that time was largely muted, her erratic heartbeat pressed forward by an odd elation that had her feeling almost dizzy. It's enough that she leaned against him a little further, feeling as if she would fall over from the plethora of questions she had for both herself and him, born from the anxiety and...
What else was there to call it but relief? Faint as it was, there was a spark of hope at the center of the tempest.
"Are you sure you want to...?" Before she could provide a solid answer, she needed to know. "And... when would it be...?"
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"I-I'm sorry if I was too forward, it doesn't have to be...." Fighting the urge to pull his eyes away, he somehow managed to maintain his stare on her, even if she would not. Being the one who brought the offer forward, it was his responsibility to stick with it until the end, despite the sudden shakiness of his breath that provided certain difficulty when talking.
"I am." He swallowed. "... It's in a week. I assume you must have heard of the festivities being held on the fourteenth." A timid smile tugged at his lips, but deep inside he hoped that a full explanation would not be necessary. "I've heard it's customary to refer to those particular outings as 'dates', but we're not obliged to follow any of their traditions."
The memory of Starlight was understandably the first to come to his mind as well, for how it had gave a beginning to something of an... issue that until now remained open-ended. Because of that, he couldn't claim to be entirely selfless in his offer, for he wished to eventually receive some sort of clarification. Not necessarily an answer, but... something. Anything.
"I figured we could do something fairly simple, like a short walk, or... whatever you feel like doing." He pressed his lips together in order to stop them from trembling. "In fact, it could be any other day if you'd prefer it that way."
The option to refuse entirely was left unspoken, but as always, available.
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Exhaling slowly, Tear closed her eyes again. "I've heard of them, and you're right." Even if it had mostly been from curious questions she had asked of Sein, she had garnered enough about the significance of the holiday and the associations that would could come with spending time together on that particular day.
She also knew very well by now that he would never force her into anything, something for which she was endlessly grateful even now, understanding that he was ultimately offering her a choice. Recalling their conversation from that night, it was somehow all the more important to hold it close along with the feelings behind it, especially seeing him like this.
"I know we're not obligated to follow any of their traditions," she continued, voice soft as she straightened herself up enough to at least be able to meet his gaze. "So anything we do on that day would be entirely because it was our choice, right?"
If that wasn't enough of an answer, she would only need a few more seconds to give him a more definite one. The hand that wasn't holding the chick sought out his, belatedly noting how he had kept it covered once she had it in her warmer grasp. The smile on her lips grew even with the fluttering sensation in her stomach, and she let out another quiet sigh.
"Then let's go out together on that day, Ace, the two of us..."
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And Ace couldn't disagree. "Right." Lost in her eyes, he failed to notice the moment when she managed to catch onto his little act of preserving warmth, seeming the tiniest bit ashamed about being found out. At the same time, at least he no longer needed to take any similar precautions, completely content with the sudden rise of the room's temperature that might have as well happened purely in his own mind.
Especially when she had a couple more words in store for him that only caused the treacherous shade of red on his face become all the more apparent. Despite being a reiteration of his own proposal, it had a different air to it when it was her voice that carried it, and in that brief moment he could easily connect with her reaction from before.
Try as he might have, he could not erase the smile off his face. "I originally planned to ask you through a Mognet letter, except that seemed rather counterintuitive with the expedition coming up." More importantly, he could envision Hanafuda's annotations attached to it without his knowledge. "Maybe that's why this might have sounded a bit out of place, I do realize that."
Thinking about the following morning brought him back to reality, and he hummed softly, unable to tell how much time had even passed. It had been... a long day and an ever longer evening, and while he could slowly feel his body demand a moment of respite, he couldn't speak on Tear's behalf, falling silent as a result.
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"It is a little out of place..." Thinking about it, the entirety of the evening had jumped from one tone to another from the very moment she opened the door to the sight of he and Rem—maybe in a way it belonged in their conversation as much as everything else had. Except the more she thought about the plethora of emotions they had faced so far, the more it left her feeling increasingly tired even as she tried her best to seem alert, smile still lingering. "At least you noticed that."
"But you know, I'm glad to have heard it from you anyway." She didn't think she would have minded the delivery of his proposal in whichever method he might have chosen, but her thoughts were in line with his in imagining what their Moogles might have added on to the letters when their Heroes weren't looking. "I'd rather not have a misunderstanding between us because of how it might have been written or something happened to the letters themselves."
That, and she was aware that her own were still worded rather stiffly; who knows what her response would have sounded like on paper. And if they had stuck to simply exchanging them over the Mognet, she wouldn't have been able to see him smiling like this. The sight of it alone was enough to justify being asked in person.
However, there was one thing about it that had her curious, given it had only been a short time since he woke up from stasis. "When did...?"
On second thought, that question could wait another time. Shaking her head dismissively, it hadn't entirely escaped her notice that he seemed to be steadily coming closer to falling asleep against her. "Did you want to sleep now...?"
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Come to think of it....
Ever since he came back, his moogle had been nothing but supportive on all fronts, with her eagerness to discuss the matters of his and Tear's partnership probably overshadowing everything else by far. He'd accepted it as a sign of loneliness his poor companion must have undoubtedly suffered from while he'd been missing, unable to hold any grudges for the less-than-tactful remarks that were her specialty.
Shortly thereafter, she would have taken his vulnerability as an encouragement to plant ideas in his mind, ideas that would have otherwise eluded the cadet inept at following social arrangements and traditions.
In fact, the first time Hana brought up the fourteenth, Ace brushed it away, if only to be rewarded with a long lecture on the importance of it by the time he'd reached home. And then, something about trusting his own charm, or something equally nonsensical that he vaguely registered before falling on his bed after exhausting few last days.
Unfortunately, the cadet could not sleep that night as soundly as he'd wished. And now that he was here, the day after, he might have finally realized that his independence was still a questionable issue as long as that meddling moogle stuck around.
Except for once, it wasn't all that upsetting, considering how things had ultimately worked out.
"Hm?" The question that fell from the girl's lips was never to be finished, and placing his curiosity aside, he had enough tact to avoid pressing for details. As he was in the process of returning to his all-too-comfortable position, Tear's observation shook him awake. The boy straightened his back and shifted, dropping his feet to the floor.
"Do you?" He didn't want to stop her if she was, for some reason it seemed more important to accentuate that before he followed with an actual answer. "I suppose I am a bit tired, but...."
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Though the idea of Ace taking more after such an outspoken fluffball was amusing in itself, nearly making her laugh at the sheer thought. To try and hide it, she briefly presses her face against his shoulder, even if it was gone almost as quickly with the change in his posture. She responds to Ace's question was met with a knowing look, almost tempted to pull him back down to the position he had been in just to get a point across.
"You've been busy since waking up, and now you're about to go on another trip," she sighed, reaching over to poke him on the forehead lightly. "I think it's better to rest if you're already feeling tired, so just say so. I'll be fine with whatever you decide."
She had been planning on turning in early anyway, which the long evening had done a good job of preparing her for with how much of an emotional toll it had taken.
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( A child that clearly wasn't used to expressing his emotions in a similar manner, most likely having copied it off his less orderly siblings and hoping it would come across as convincing. )
When it faded, features relaxing into a light smile that the melodist would be more familiar with, the cadet sighed, defeated. "... Okay." Honestly, he'd never had any intentions of opposing her for too long, knowing his limits and how unreasonable would be to push himself further if other alternatives existed. But before that, it was his turn to lift the little chick and gently nuzzle her for a brief moment.
"I would be grateful if you happened to have an extra blanket lying around."
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But the sight of him together with the chick worked just as well in soothing her nerves, Rem seeming content with having someone's attention again as the melodist calmed down from the moment of mirth enough to look on tenderly. Understanding his request, she nodded once as she slowly and carefully got to her feet and started turning toward the door.
"Is there anything else you think you would need?" While she didn't know if his sleeping habits mirrored those of their mutual friend exactly, once he was asleep she would prefer that it was as refreshing for him as possible. A blanket would be easy enough to retrieve, but if there was anything else...
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a repeat, because no other icon seems appropriate for THIS
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