Thancred steps back into Twine's dusty center, Ryne trailing just a half-step behind. Their trip to Minfilia's final resting place, for lack of a better term, has concluded. All that's left now is to return to the Crystarium to meet up with the rest of the Scions, and then...
Well, this has been the plan all along, hasn't it? Though now that it's here and a reality, he's struggling yet again with how to put any of what he's feeling into words. A terrible habit that he's passed on to his charge, it would seem. They've said less than ten words to each other during their walk back to the mining town.
Thancred pauses, his boot skidding through the dirt, and then turns to face Ryne. Even now, he's at a loss for what to say, but he'll need to come up with something, won't he? ]
We might see if we can make the trip back by Amaro. It would be nice to see Norvrandt from above, wouldn't you say?
[ They'd never traveled via Amaro during most of their time together. Thancred had known it would be too conspicuous, and he'd needed to keep Ryne (then Minfilia) away from any prying eyes who might want to take her back to her life of solitude. That's no longer a concern, though, and it would be a nice treat, wouldn't it?
[ She's happy, really. Queasy with it. Even if every step she takes seems heavier than the last, feeling every moment that skims between her fingers like so much Amh Araeng sand ever more keenly. Knelt before Minfilia's resting place she'd squeezed her fingers nearly numb in prayer, silently beseeching her predecessor to help her see things through to the very end with the grace and poise befitting their (and it is their's, even if only Ryne remains) legacy.
So why can she not say so? Time is in short supply, and yet the silence seemed boundless. The trolley they'd borrowed hardly needed their attention; the Talos was a dutiful driver. And when they'd walked the rest of the way and back, nary a gigantender glanced their way. There had been opportunities aplenty to say something, to tell him that he needn't worry about her once he was gone, that she was glad that he'd soon find his way home again, where he belonged, that she was ready to see him off, see them all off.
And yet her mind blanked. As it does again when he stops, turns, and says something to her that she hears but only barely listens to.
Amaro? Why is he talking about-- ]
Um... I'm sorry, what was that you said about Amaro?
[ She feels her cheeks warm with embarrassment. Now is not the time to be distracted. Soon she won't even have time for that, never mind time to pay attention! ]
Thancred has imparted many lessons upon Ryne during their time together, and the grand majority of them had to do with survival. Always staying sharp and aware of one's surroundings had been one of the first lessons he'd focused on, that amount of hyper-vigilance a necessity for someone who was constantly being hunted.
At one point he might have scolded her for letting her mind wander to such a degree, but he doesn't have the heart to do so now. He's taught her as much as he can and she's absorbed most all of it. He has nothing left to worry about when it comes to her well-being.
On top of that, their remaining time together is so short. He sees no point in retreading old paths. And in this particular situation, he can understand why she's so distracted.
So he offers little more than a brief shrug. ]
Oh, I just thought we could ride one back to the Crystarium and see the sights, if you have any interest in that. Or is there somewhere else you'd like to stop off first?
[ It's an indulgence they can ill afford, and yet the words come tumbling out of his mouth anyway. He's stalling on that final farewell just as much as she is, much as he'd hate to admit it. ]
[ A flicker of delight glints in her eyes when he repeats himself. She had never minded taking the long way around, as they were often forced to when they were on the run from Ran'jit and his agents. She'd spent most of her life in places with four walls, barred windows, and a lock (several, sometimes) on the door after all. No amount of gold filigree or expensive silks could disguise their true purpose; glorified imprisonment.
But the allure of flight by Amaro had always tempted her. To feel the sturdy warmth of its body, the rhythm of its breathing and beating wings, to chance the luck of reaching out and running her fingers along the cool underbelly of a low-hanging cloud.
She probably wouldn't be touching any clouds in the dry heat of Amh Araeng, but she wears her excitement plainly nonetheless. ]
[ For all that Ryne has experienced that has caused her to mature at a rate much faster than most her age, there are still times when she does behave like the adolescent that she is, and this is one of those moments. Thancred can't help but soften when he notes her excitement, his lips twitching into a smile and his eyes crinkling at the edges.
She'd spent so much of her childhood seeing little more than the room she was kept in, which means that to this day, there's so much she's never had the chance to see or experience for herself; so many song she hadn't heard or foods she hadn't tasted. Thancred had been the one to teach her to swim, even.
He shakes his head. ]
Not at all. Let's find the amarokeep here, and I suspect they'll be more than happy to arrange something for us.
[ They are companions of the Warrior of Darkness, and that now grants them certain privileges. Thancred hadn't minded starting from nothing when he first came to Norvrandt, but he won't turn away the special treatment now that it's been earned, even if their Warrior friend is to thank for most of it.
So with that, he heads off across the dusty path, expecting Ryne to follow at his heels. Like always. ]
[ And when he'd taught her to swim, the first thing he'd showed her was how to float.
She no longer lags behind several steps, feeling a little lighter for their last-minute "detour." It wouldn't stave off the inevitable, but it was a welcome distraction. Something she could simply look forward to and feel no unshakable dread. Now she walks abreast, keeping pace. ]
I suppose you're right. Everyone seems so eager to lend us aid... I hope they won't refuse our coin. I always feel so boorish when I insist I pay my fair, eager as they are to waive it.
[ A laugh wafts around her words. Then curiosity takes its place. ]
I've been wondering something; do you have Amaro at home? In the Source, I mean.
[ From what bits and scraps she'd learned from Thancred and the others, their worlds were more like sisters than twins. Alike in many ways, and so apparently different in others. She felt as though she could ask a lifetime of questions about how each reflected the other. She wished she had that lifetime. ]
If worst comes to worst, I'll slip it to them without them even realizing.
[ Thancred's skill set allows for such things, and while he used to rely on sleight of hand to pick pockets when he'd been a young boy with nothing to his name in Limsa Lominsa, he's more than glad to do the opposite now -- to slide some gil into the pockets of someone who won't accept their money, despite the fact that they need to earn a living.
Strange, sometimes, to reflect on just how much has changed. He imagines that Ryne wouldn't believe half of the stories he could tell her about his youth.
At her question, he glances over and shakes his head. ]
No. Seeing them here was something of a shock. If they ever existed on our star, it must have been centuries ago. [ And one Calamity or another wiped them out. Or perhaps they just never existed at all. ] We primarily use chocobos for travel, though in the east horses are more common.
[ There are a number of other mounts to choose from, such as the marids favored by the ananta, but he need not get into all that.
How he wishes she could see for herself, though. If he could find some way to bring her to the Source, he'd take her to every corner of Hydaelyn, from Aleport to the Steppe. ]
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here he be (5.3 spoilers)
Thancred steps back into Twine's dusty center, Ryne trailing just a half-step behind. Their trip to Minfilia's final resting place, for lack of a better term, has concluded. All that's left now is to return to the Crystarium to meet up with the rest of the Scions, and then...
Well, this has been the plan all along, hasn't it? Though now that it's here and a reality, he's struggling yet again with how to put any of what he's feeling into words. A terrible habit that he's passed on to his charge, it would seem. They've said less than ten words to each other during their walk back to the mining town.
Thancred pauses, his boot skidding through the dirt, and then turns to face Ryne. Even now, he's at a loss for what to say, but he'll need to come up with something, won't he? ]
We might see if we can make the trip back by Amaro. It would be nice to see Norvrandt from above, wouldn't you say?
[ They'd never traveled via Amaro during most of their time together. Thancred had known it would be too conspicuous, and he'd needed to keep Ryne (then Minfilia) away from any prying eyes who might want to take her back to her life of solitude. That's no longer a concern, though, and it would be a nice treat, wouldn't it?
One last journey. ]
WAIT I HAVEN'T DONE 5.3 haha jokes badumtsh
So why can she not say so? Time is in short supply, and yet the silence seemed boundless. The trolley they'd borrowed hardly needed their attention; the Talos was a dutiful driver. And when they'd walked the rest of the way and back, nary a gigantender glanced their way. There had been opportunities aplenty to say something, to tell him that he needn't worry about her once he was gone, that she was glad that he'd soon find his way home again, where he belonged, that she was ready to see him off, see them all off.
And yet her mind blanked. As it does again when he stops, turns, and says something to her that she hears but only barely listens to.
Amaro? Why is he talking about-- ]
Um... I'm sorry, what was that you said about Amaro?
[ She feels her cheeks warm with embarrassment. Now is not the time to be distracted. Soon she won't even have time for that, never mind time to pay attention! ]
no subject
Thancred has imparted many lessons upon Ryne during their time together, and the grand majority of them had to do with survival. Always staying sharp and aware of one's surroundings had been one of the first lessons he'd focused on, that amount of hyper-vigilance a necessity for someone who was constantly being hunted.
At one point he might have scolded her for letting her mind wander to such a degree, but he doesn't have the heart to do so now. He's taught her as much as he can and she's absorbed most all of it. He has nothing left to worry about when it comes to her well-being.
On top of that, their remaining time together is so short. He sees no point in retreading old paths. And in this particular situation, he can understand why she's so distracted.
So he offers little more than a brief shrug. ]
Oh, I just thought we could ride one back to the Crystarium and see the sights, if you have any interest in that. Or is there somewhere else you'd like to stop off first?
[ It's an indulgence they can ill afford, and yet the words come tumbling out of his mouth anyway. He's stalling on that final farewell just as much as she is, much as he'd hate to admit it. ]
no subject
But the allure of flight by Amaro had always tempted her. To feel the sturdy warmth of its body, the rhythm of its breathing and beating wings, to chance the luck of reaching out and running her fingers along the cool underbelly of a low-hanging cloud.
She probably wouldn't be touching any clouds in the dry heat of Amh Araeng, but she wears her excitement plainly nonetheless. ]
Truly? Could we? You don't mind?
no subject
She'd spent so much of her childhood seeing little more than the room she was kept in, which means that to this day, there's so much she's never had the chance to see or experience for herself; so many song she hadn't heard or foods she hadn't tasted. Thancred had been the one to teach her to swim, even.
He shakes his head. ]
Not at all. Let's find the amarokeep here, and I suspect they'll be more than happy to arrange something for us.
[ They are companions of the Warrior of Darkness, and that now grants them certain privileges. Thancred hadn't minded starting from nothing when he first came to Norvrandt, but he won't turn away the special treatment now that it's been earned, even if their Warrior friend is to thank for most of it.
So with that, he heads off across the dusty path, expecting Ryne to follow at his heels. Like always. ]
no subject
She no longer lags behind several steps, feeling a little lighter for their last-minute "detour." It wouldn't stave off the inevitable, but it was a welcome distraction. Something she could simply look forward to and feel no unshakable dread. Now she walks abreast, keeping pace. ]
I suppose you're right. Everyone seems so eager to lend us aid... I hope they won't refuse our coin. I always feel so boorish when I insist I pay my fair, eager as they are to waive it.
[ A laugh wafts around her words. Then curiosity takes its place. ]
I've been wondering something; do you have Amaro at home? In the Source, I mean.
[ From what bits and scraps she'd learned from Thancred and the others, their worlds were more like sisters than twins. Alike in many ways, and so apparently different in others. She felt as though she could ask a lifetime of questions about how each reflected the other. She wished she had that lifetime. ]
no subject
[ Thancred's skill set allows for such things, and while he used to rely on sleight of hand to pick pockets when he'd been a young boy with nothing to his name in Limsa Lominsa, he's more than glad to do the opposite now -- to slide some gil into the pockets of someone who won't accept their money, despite the fact that they need to earn a living.
Strange, sometimes, to reflect on just how much has changed. He imagines that Ryne wouldn't believe half of the stories he could tell her about his youth.
At her question, he glances over and shakes his head. ]
No. Seeing them here was something of a shock. If they ever existed on our star, it must have been centuries ago. [ And one Calamity or another wiped them out. Or perhaps they just never existed at all. ] We primarily use chocobos for travel, though in the east horses are more common.
[ There are a number of other mounts to choose from, such as the marids favored by the ananta, but he need not get into all that.
How he wishes she could see for herself, though. If he could find some way to bring her to the Source, he'd take her to every corner of Hydaelyn, from Aleport to the Steppe. ]