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t-khalynn-tales · 4 years

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Meetings and Farewells, Part 4: Memories of Fire

Memories of Fire

“Can you tell us what happened, Mei? What you remember?”

Mei closed her eyes for a long moment, clearly hesitating. When she opened them again, mismatched eyes caught Tala’s.

~T is sure? Is hurtful,~ she conveyed silently.

The meaning was clear. Tala would be pained by the knowledge, possibly more than Mei herself.

But her blue eyes remained bright and resolute.

“Then we’ll share th’ pain, an’ th’ memory,” she replied firmly, grasping both of Mei’s hands in reassurance.

After a moment, the taller lala nodded reluctantly, mouth silently echoing her words.

~Ok, T. Ok.~

Mei was still little, so can’t remember everything. But Mei remembers a big house, with lotsa trees outside. Big kinda trees. But far away from other houses. An’ other peoples.

Mei doesn’t remember the up-top of the house. Mostly, only the bad peoples stayed up top.

Under-side was lotsa cages. Is where ‘speriments were. Like Mei, and T. But others too. Moon cats, an’ Sun cats, an’ elezen, an’ even some Bunny-people too. But Mei did not see them until the Fire. T knew they were there.

T was bigger. Kept there longer. Knew more stuffs about everything.

T said there was another lala, before Mei. One they did the same ‘speriments on, too. But that lala got sick, an’ died. So they got Mei. Needed two for their ‘speriments.

Always two.

Mei can’t remember how Mei was there. Lotsa ‘speriments. Pokings, an’ hurtings, an’ icky drinks. Mei has lotsa scars. But T had more.

Then one day was different.

The boss of the bad peoples came. The bad man that watched, always in shadows. An’ he had a box. It had two big metal sticks inside, with big metal circles. They came for T an’ Mei. They took ‘way tunics, made T an’ Mei take a bath. Then T an’ Mei were tied down ta different tables.

An’ some other bad peoples took the two sticks, an’ set them on fire. But, not like normal fire. Magical purple fire.

At first, both were in the same fire. A purple fire, inna glowy circle they drew onna floor. But then they pulled them apart, an’ they changed colors. One turned blue. An’ the other turned red.

An’ when the circles were different, they took the red one. Was all on fire still. An’ they pressed it to T’s back, ta T’s left shoulder. An’ the same time, they put the blue one on Mei’s right shoulder.

Mei remembers the fire. Was more than burning. Was a magic fire. Was alive. Was trying ta burn inside of Mei, and inside T. Ta change inside of both T an’ Mei.

Was working for T. T was changin, an’ T’s eyes were changin, from purple ta red. But wasn’t working for Mei. Mei wasn’t takin in the blue fire, wasn’t changin. Mei was burnin up.

T tried ta help, tried ta reach through an’ show Mei what ta do.

But the bad peoples were cursing. Saying was useless, an’ that was gonna kill both lalas. An’ how was all a waste of time. Just when Mei started ta understand it, the boss man tole them somethin. Somethin mean. An one of the big mean ones pulled out a big knife.

An’ then T got mad. Real mad.

Somehow, T grabbed at the fire, blue an’ red both. T pulled all the blue fire from the circle, through Mei. An’ took all the red fire too. But was not mixin back up, was all swirly red an’ blue. But T took it, all of it.

An’ then T’s eyes were all bright an’ glowly, an’ everything ‘xploded.

Everyone except T an’ Mei got blasted back. An’ then the bad people were on fire, an’ running around screaming. Fire everywhere. The chains on T melted away. An’ T set Mei free.

But was too much fire for T. Too much burnin. T was too full. Mei would feel it. The fire was leaking out, too much to hold. T was burnin up inside. T was dying.

So Mei tried to reach back in, ta take some of it away, like T did.

But T dien’t let go. Everythin in T’s mind was all mixed up an’ angry. Mei could see bits of T’s heart thoughts. The stuffs T didn’t share. Like pictures, of another burning house, an’ the bad people killing peoples. An’ another lala, a boy, with a face like Mei’s, like T’s, all grey an’ not breathing. An’ all the hurtings, an’ cuttings, an’ all the stuffs the bad people did.

An’ all of T’s mad feelings, burning ta make them all hurt. Just like they made everyone else hurt. Using the fire they put inside T.

T wooen’t let go of the fire, ‘cause of the hurting memories. Was hurting too much, an’ making T too mad to stop. An’ T woulda died.

So to save T, Mei took them.

When Mei took T’s memories, T was burning too much.Too much fire, inside an’ outside. Everything was burning. Mei had ta hurry. So Mei just grabbed at the fire an’ pulled. Was rushing, an’ not careful. Grabbed red, not blue. Grabbed too rough. Pulled too hard.

Something in T tore. T screamed an’ fell down.

But was already too late. Was no time.

The fire was spreading. Had ta get out. __________

Tala’s voice was raspy, both from repeating the story for Talin, and the emotions evoked by the tale itself.

“How did the two of you escape the fire?”

Mei shrugged. ~ Mei opened all the other cages. With other people. Mei didn’t know other peoples were there too. But was in Ts memory. Some of ‘em helped Mei an’ T up an’ out. But the fire made everything mixed up. An’ then outside moon cats came, an’ there was lotsa fighting. Was ‘lot of smoke. Too much. Mei fell ‘sleep, and when Mei work up, the house was burned up. An’ T was gone.~

“How didya get ta Ul’dah?”

The younger lala grimaced. ~Mei was picked up by some peoples headed ta Ul’dah. But got ‘way from them quick. They were not nice peoples. Not like the bad peoples, but not nice.~

“Okay, how ‘bout th’ bad people who did all this, are they still ‘round, d’ya know?”

Mei shook her head. ~Dunno. But Glassesman is dead. Mei saw.~

Blue eyes blinked. “Glasses-man?”

~Yes. Was who did needles, an’ icky drinks, an’ cuttings. Tole the big mean ones ta do hittings, an’ hurtings.~

“Kay, so the Glasses-man died. An’ th’ others, how bout th’ other bad ones? Did they get away?”

~Maybe? Too much fire, too much screaming. Running away.~ Mei’s expression darkened, eyes harsh. ~But maybe Watching-man. Sneaky. Hated most.~

“Why did you hate the ‘Watching Man’ the most?” Talin asked curiously.

Mei shook her head. ~Not Mei. T hated Watching-man most. Glasses ran ‘speriments, T said. But Watching-man was boss. Was bad, more bad than Glasses. T was bigger, knew more stuff. Saw more stuff. Tried to ‘splain. But Mei di'en understand.~ The younger lala touched the scar on her throat, looking uncomfortable. ~Mei’s crying made Watching-man mad, one time. So, this.~ *

Color drained from the older lala’s face.

Talin grit her teeth. With Mei’s permission, she’d taken a closer look at those silver scars. She’d even consulted with Kalen, hoping that perhaps his findings would be different than her own. But even Kalen agreed with her assessment -- the cuts were very precise, and very deliberate.

Someone with chirurgical training -- with healer’s training -- had intentionally stripped a young child of her voice. She’d suspected as such, but hearing it confirmed was sickening. And worse, it was done in such a way that the damage could not be healed, even with magical aid. All because someone found a terrified child’s cries annoying.

“Do ya remember anythin ‘bout him, the Watching-man?” Tala asked quietly.

Mei tilted her head to the side, thinking. ~A tall-folk. Not lala. Kinda thin. Always hidden. Covered face. Only heard. Spoke quiet. Deep, rumbly voice.~

“Covered? Covered how?”

~Wore a fancy mask.~ Mei covered her face with both hands, emulating a mask covering the top half of her face. ~An’ a weird thing on his chin.~ She used her thumb and forefinger to trace the shape of an odd, inverted goatee under her bottom lip -- one thin at the top, that widened at the bottom.

"If ya heard ’im talk again, could ya recognize his voice?"

~Dunno. Maybe? Been long time. Why?~

It wasn’t much to go on. Hardly anything at all. But it was something.

“ ‘Cause, Mei. If we find ‘im, I wanna be sure ya can tell is really him.”

Mei’s eyes widened. ~T is looking for Watching-man? Why?~

Tala nodded curtly. “Ta stop this from e’er happenin’ again.” __________

A.N. - sorry that it’s a little short.

*The incident of Mei having her voice silenced is actually posted as “Trapped by Forgotten Dreams”, and can be found here.

Tala can sometimes access her lost memories in her dreams. However, she doesn’t remember the dreams when she wakes. What’s more, when Tala has these nightmares, Mei usually shares the dream/memory at the same time, although neither of them realize this.

At least, not yet.

#Final Fantasy XIV #Talathar Khalynn #Meimeililee Lilee #Tala's Story Time #gilgamesh-rp #Meetings and Farewells

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t-khalynn-tales · 4 years

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“Musical” Interlude

((Thank you to Saachi, for allowing me to feature her character here!))

_______________

Mei always liked the time she spent at the Treasury. The daycare center was always busy with little ones. Mostly happy little ones, but sometimes cranky little ones, tired and sleepy and in need of naptime. or snacks. Or sometimes a timeout.

But mostly it was fun.

Mei liked children. Most of the ones at the daycare, or at the Refuge, were nice. NOT like the ones at the market, who used to throw rocks or garbage at her, or called her mean names. That's because neither Saachi nor Talin put up with bullies, and mean childrens got lectured. Which was not at all fun.

But also, a lot of the time, they did fun things with the children. Teaching things, like reading, or drawing, or painting. Or sometimes little games that were a lot like chores, like folding laundry (but really not laundry, just little squares of cloth used for dusting and cleaning), or grooming the chocobos.

And sometimes, if the children were all good, and did all their chores, and ate their veggies at dinner, Saachi would sing for them. And that was always fun. 'Cause Saachi was a bard, and she knew lots of songs, and lots of music. She also could play lots of instruments, and played while she sang!

Mei liked music. She couldn't sing, which made her sad sometimes. But even so, she liked music a lot, and loved to hear Saachi and the others sing and play.

Today, Saachi had brought a fiddle. It was nice. It had four strings, and was made of wood, and had another piece that kinda looked like a really badly-put-together bow that probably couldn't shoot good, only instead of one strong string, it had a bunch of thin hair things.

Saachi explained that that part was called a bow, but wasn't really like the weapon. Instead of strong sinew, the string part was actually hair from an animal, and was used to play the fiddle. And she showed them, by holding the fiddle up to her chin with her left hand, then using the right to draw the hairy-stringy part of the bow across the strings.

Even from the back of the room, behind all the little children, Mei's jaw dropped at the sounds.

It was beautiful. Lively and happy. The children laughed and clapped, and some even jumped up and danced a little. As the song came to an end, Saachi played a little flourish, and everyone clapped and cheered.

Mei clapped loudest of all, beaming.

_____

Later on, after the last of the children had returned home to their families, Mei went to Saachi's office and tugged at her arm tentatively.

"Oh, Mei! Hi!" she looked up from her paperwork and smiled down at the lala. "Did you need something?"

Mei nodded silently pointed to the fiddle case, then pointed to Saachi, then pointed to herself, her expression clearly questioning.

"Hmm? Oh, did you want to see my fiddle? I can show you, if you promise to be careful - it might be a little big for you, ok?"

Mei nodded understanding, and held her open palm over her heart, promising to be careful.

"Ok, so here we go. So, you balance it here, and tuck it under your chin here," the bard explained, as she carefully placed the fiddle into Mei's hands. "Now, your fingers would go here. And see, your fingers go like this..."

Patiently, Saachi explained and showed Mei how to hold the instrument, and how to press fingers against the strings to change the sounds. Mei nodded her understanding at each new piece of information.

"Ok, good! Now, the bow goes in this hand, and then you draw it across the strings to play..." Saachi guided the lala's hand in doing just that, and a clear note played in the room. From her spot on the chair, Snaks flicked a feline ear at the sound, barely stirring from her nap.

Mei smiled.

"Right, like that! Now, do you want to try yourself?"

Mei nodded.

"Ok!" Saachi withdrew her hands, letting Mei hold the fiddle on her own. It was a little awkward, but she managed. "Right! Now, go ahead!"

And enthusiastically, Mei drew the bow across the fiddle.

SCREEEAAAACCCCHHHHH

As the discordant cacophony of scratchy noises sounded, Snaks startled awake. So did the other cat, both clearly disturbed by the disruption of their afternoon rest.

"Um, well that's a good first try! How about another?" Saachi encouraged, her smile just a little strained.

SCREEAAAAAAAACCCHHHH

Again, the noise was loud, and horrifying. Both cats looked absolutely affronted by the noise, as if it were speaking the most vile, insulting, condescending of mean insults ever unleashed upon all catdom.

Mei continued her enthusiastic attempts, not-at-all deterred by the criticisms of unrefined felines.

SCREEEAAACHHH SCHRREEEEAAACCHHH SCRAAAWWWW SCRAAAAAWWWWW SCREEAAAAACHHHH

It was loud. Very loud.

Outside, the birds in the trees in the yard took sudden flight. The chocobos in the stable stirred, uneasily, wondering what manner of fierce and terrible creature could make such a powerful roar. The neighbor's dog howled.

SCREEAAAACHHHH SCRAAAATCH SCRAAATCH SCREEAAACH SCREEEAAACH SCREEAAACH

Finally, the pair of cats could take no more, and bolted from the room, scrambling up the stairs as quickly as their furry feet could carry them. But upon reaching the ground floor, they realized that the front door was closed. They pawed at it frantically, but were unable to manipulate the cursed mechanism that the people had designed to keep the doors closed against errant, foreign cats invading and taking over their warm spaces.

Their attempted escape was thwarted. And the noise followed them incessantly.

SCREEAAACCHH SCREEEEEEAAAACHHH SCRAAAATCH SCRAAWWWW SCRAAAAAWWWWWW

Desperate, Snaks lept up to paw at the nearby window, through which she could SEE their freedom - so close, yet so far. Outside, a curious stablehand was approaching. Snaks yowled plaintively at the youngster, begging for salvation.

With a bemused expression, he obligingly opened the door.

Both cats bolted from out, away from the horrid, terrifying noises. Snaks fled directly to the stables, where a placid Rations ignored all the commotion, calmly munching his feed without a care in the world. Even when the frantic cat leapt up to cower in the hanging saddlebags, the chocobo seemed unaffected, pausing for a moment to nuzzle the cat reassuringly, before returning to his meal.

The other cat ran across the lane and to a tree in a neighboring yard, several houses down.

Of course, with the door now open, the noise only seemed louder

SCREEAAACCH SCREEAAACH SCREEEEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAACCCH SCRAAAWWW SCRAAAWWWW SCRAAAAAAAAAAWWW

After a little longer, it stopped. And slowly, the creatures outside seemed to settle, and calm.

"Ok, Mei. Not bad for a first try? Was it fun?"

Saachi took the fiddle from the lala gently, quickly placing it back into it's case.

Mei nodded happily, and mouthed the words, "Thank you!"

The bard only grinned. "Sure, glad you had fun! Do you like music?"

Mei nodded again. She loved music.

"Well, did you want to learn, maybe?"

The lala's mismatched eyes widened, and she nodded again.

Saachi smiled. "Ok, well maybe I can teach you! But maybe we should start you with something a little... more your size? I think the fiddle is a little too big for you. Or at least, my fiddle is. How about this other thing instead? It's kinda like a guitar, but smaller! It's called a ukelele..."

Mei smiled happily. If Saachi was willing to teach her, maybe she could learn to make music on her own.

...but it took a few hours and many fishy snacks before Snaks could be coaxed out of the saddlebags.

#Final Fantasy XIV #Meimeililee Lilee #Saachi Medvyed #gilgamesh-rp #music?#Tala's Story Time

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t-khalynn-tales · 4 years

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Meetings and Farewells, Part 3:

So We Meet Again

Writing the letter had been hard. She had worked on the letter for hours, started it several times, only to throw her first few attempts into the trash. Only to start again from scratch. The whole process had been an ordeal -- an almost unbearable one.

But the anxiety she felt then was nothing compared to how she was feeling now.

Because now it was more than just words on paper. Now she was going to actually meet this other lalafell. Who might be family. And might actually know more about the things that she could not remember.

Tala’s mind was currently filled with anxiety and doubt.

What if she doesna come? If she got scared, or changed her mind? Or, or what if she just doesna wanna meet me? What if she does come, but doesna like me? Or if she gets mad, an’ then doesna like me? What if she doesna remember, either? Or, what if she does remember, an’ blames me fer forgettin?

In her distraction, she didn’t notice the figure beside her until a gentle hand ruffled her hair. With a huff, she pulled away and glared up at her sister.

“You are worrying too much,” M’yrissa admonished softly. Her sister had tagged along with her on the trip to Ul’dah, claiming that there were some books at the thaumaturgy guild that she needed to access. “You’ll be fine, Tala. Now, are you positive that you want to do this alone?”

The lala nodded. “Yes. ‘M wantin ta make sure is not threatenin ta her. An’ ‘m not alone. Talin said she’d bring Mei ta th’ Silver Bazaar. Is close enough ta be familiar ta Mei, so she doesna feel ‘fraid. But is quieter than Ul’dah. Less nosy people.”

“Alright. Are you all set for the journey?”

Tala rolled her eyes. “Is not that far, M’yr. An’ Stal is all packed up, an’ ready ta go, as soon as we land.”

M’yrissa smiled. “Then you’re all set.”

Tala nodded again, but a little uncertainly. “But, but what if…”

“No ‘what ifs’, Talathar Khalynn Tahl,” her sister insisted, kneeling down to meet Tala’s eyes. “You are worrying too much. It will be fine. Besides, do not forget -- I will be just in the city, doing some research at the Ossuary. If you need support, just let me know by linkpearl. I will be there as quickly as possible.”

“Okay. Okay. Thankee, M’yr.” Impulsively, she hugged the arcanist fiercely.

“Of course,” M’yrissa hugged Tala back, just as tightly. “After all, you will always be my little big sister. And we will always look after each other, right?”

“Right.”

__________

It was dry and dusty when they arrived. And as always, the wind made everything worse. From past experience, she knew that she’d no doubt find sand in the very seams of her overcoat later -- not to mention in very uncomfortable spots upon her person, at bath-time.

“Hate th’ desert,” Talathar grumbled under her breath, batting at her clothes futilely.

“Kweh,” Stalwart seemed to agree. The chocobo waited until the saddle was removed, before ruffling his feathers and giving himself a thorough shake.

“Gah! Stal, no!” the lala protested loudly.

Too late.

Tala could only cover her face with outstretched arms, a vain attempt to ward off the sudden whirlwind of dust, sand, and feathers that momentarily enveloped her. Once the assault ended, she found herself covered with even more travel dust than before, and gave her chocobo a dark look.

“Kwoo,” he said sheepishly, nuzzling her in apparent apology.

She sighed in resignation and pat his head gently. “Okay, okay, is okay, Stal. Now, inta th’ stable ya go. We’ll get ya some water, an’ somethin ta eat while ya wait.”

“Kwee!”

As the pair entered the stable, there was a stirring in one of the saddlebags. A head popped up from under the flap, and chittered inquisitively.

“Red. Here, jump here,” She held out her arm, patting it loudly, making the noise obvious so the half-blind red panda could locate the source. He chittered again, then scrambled onto the proffered arm gingerly, soon finding his favorite perch -- on Tala’s head.

“Be good, Red,” she grumbled distractedly, focusing once again on the chocobo. “An’ dun pull th’ hair too much.”

The panda just chirruped at her.

__________

The Silver Bazaar might have been a little worn and ragged along the edges, but it was still holding strong against the desert sands. The townsfolk diligently worked together to build their community back to its former glory. But perhaps more importantly, they were working together to help each other.

It was a nice enough place. Mei liked it.

Maybe it helped that she was clean, now. Or because the people at the Refuge had taught her some stuffs about rules and things. Or maybe it was just because she was with a respectable person, this time. She wasn’t sure. But the people seemed nicer, and not giving her so many looks.

At least, they weren’t trying to run her off, or throwing things at her.

Talin had said that the other lala, the one called Talathar, would be arriving soon. She lived in the Black Shroud, Talin had said. She remembered that place -- lots of green, lots of trees. Far to walk, but faster by chocobo. Even faster by air, they said. She never went that way. Airships were loud, and a little scary. But by chocobo she had done, after she had come to an agreement with Rations.

Mei would not try to eat the chocobo (anymore), and would give him food and a dry place to sleep. And in exchange, Rations would stop trying to bite or kick her, and carry her to places that were too far for her to run by herself.

They had come here by chocobo. Probably this Talathar would come by chocobo too. So Mei was half-hiding, up high, keeping watch on the entrance of the town.

So she was the first to see the other lala’s arrival. She watched as the dust-covered lalafell guided the blue chocobo to the stable. She was a little too far away to make out any real details, beyond the fact that the other lala was really short, and wore a lot of blue.

And there was something clinging to her head.

Mei tilted her head, watching. Trying to see if seeing this other lala made her feel anything, inside. If it triggered any sense of recognition, of connection. She closed her eyes, concentrating.

Nothing. At least, not yet.

“Mei?” she heard a call from nearby. She opened her eyes, and saw Talin, beckoning her. “It’s time. Are you ready?”

Mei nodded.

__________

Tala was just finishing with settling Stalwart when she heard the call.

“Tala!”

Talathar smiled as she saw Talin approaching. “Talin! Hallos!” She gave her chocobo one last thump, getting an affectionate nuzzle in return, which happened to unbalance the red panda perched on her head. Red chittered his indignation before scrambling to the ground in a huff.

The miquo’te woman smiled warmly, then turned to the lalafell trailing behind, a little hesitantly. Talin gently pulled the lala front and center, moving to stand behind, hands holding her shoulders supportively.

“So, Tala, this is Mei. And Mei, this is Talathar.”

“Umm,hi Mei. Thankee fer agreein’ ta meet…”

Tala’s voice drifted into silence, as Mei open her eyes. For a moment, it felt like those heterochromic eyes were staring into her very soul. Something sparked in those eyes. Something that felt familiar. And then...

~It IS!~

“...wha…?”

And she was suddenly engulfed in a fierce hug from the stranger. Tala found herself instinctively returning that hug.

__________

When she opened her eyes and saw the other lalafell, Mei couldn’t believe it! It really was her! She was here! Safe! They were both safe!

And she felt the bond, lost for so long, snap into place.

~It IS!~ Mei exclaimed, leaping forward and gripping the shorter woman fiercely.

Although the other returned the hug, she could feel the hesitation and confusion.

~Is me! Is Mei! And is T! You… you are T! And T is ok! Not burned up and dead! Mei is so so happy!~

She had never known if the older lala -- Tala, she reminded herself, her name is Tala -- had managed to survive. It has been a lot of fire. And a lot of magic. And a lot of confusion, and mean people.

“Uh, yeah? I mean, I guess?” Tala responded. “I… I dun really remember. Did we...? Are we…?“

She felt Tala pulling away slightly, and reluctantly loosened her hold. Their eyes met again, and she felt the questions bubbling in Tala’s mind.

Mei nodded. ~Yes. Is what T tole me. Mei was little then. But we were ‘family’ is what T said.~

Blue eyes widened. “Then, ya remember?”

She nodded again, some of the initial excitement fading from her expression. ~Yes. Mei remembers.~

“But I… I dun r’member…”

This time, she closed her eyes and shook her head. ~No, T can’t. Mei knows.~

“D’ya know why I dun r’member?”

~Yes,~ she admitted, reluctantly. ~Memories, gone. Taken.~

The hands gripping her shoulders tightened their hold. “Who? Who took ‘em?”

Mei opened her eyes again, and met Tala’s angry gaze with one full of regretful, but stubborn resolve. ~Mei did.~

There was a long pause of stunned silence.

“WHY?” Tala demanded, suddenly very, very angry. “Why would ya STEAL tha’ away?”

All these years, all the uncertainty and confusion. All because a part of herself was actually missing. Because someone had taken that part away. Someone who was supposed to be family.

She felt betrayed.

~Had to,~ Mei insisted, sounding both determined, yet somehow also regretful. ~T was hurting, too much hurting. Had to stop it. Stop the hurting. Stop the Fire. But Mei couldn’t stop it. Couldn’t stop T. Because the memories hurt too much. So Mei took that pain, took it away, so T could stop hurting.~

A tear spilled from Mei’s purple eye, and the younger woman bit her trembling lip. Tala rocked back on her heels a moment, taken aback by the emotions that came over her like a wave.

Fear. Remorse. Sorrow. And so much loneliness.

Her anger faded at the weight of it.

“Tala? Mei?” Talin interrupted gently, “Maybe we should go somewhere a little more private?” She was soothing the red panda in her arms.

The two looked up at the miquo’te woman, and both nodded.

“Yeah, prolly best,” Tala agreed, as Mei started to pull away.

But for just a moment, Tala pulled the taller lala back into a gentle hug. “Is ok, Mei. ‘M a little mad, still, an’ ‘m gonna make ya explain everythin. But, if we’re family, then… then ya dun gotta be ‘lone anymore, kay?”

Mei clung to her fiercely, shaking with silent sobs, before nodding against her shoulder.

Eventually Mei pulled away to lead them to a quieter spot, on the nondescript dock that served as the little fishing village's main connection to the sea. A perfect little place, really. At this time, most of the fishing boats were still out to sea, and they could easily spot anyone approaching. Not only that, the sound of the waves helped to mask their soft conversation.

For someone who could not talk, Mei was fairly clever about avoiding being overheard.

It was an odd sort of conversation -- between the two lalafell and their mutual miquo’te friend, only two of them could speak aloud, and only the first lala could understand the second lala.

Both lalas were still clearly agitated by their earlier exchange -- mysteries and truths revealed, and not at all what any of them were expecting. Neither of the healers were able to explain why Talathar could ‘hear’ Mei’s voice in her mind.

“So, do you know why Tala can hear your thoughts, Mei?” Talin asked gently, hoping a somewhat neutral subject would give the cousins time to calm their distress.

~No. but isn’t real thoughts. Only talking thoughts. T hears those. Not real thoughts. Thinking thoughts is different.~

Tala repeated Mei’s words for Talin, confusion obvious in her voice. Mei rolled her eyes and tried again.

~Mei can’t talk. But Mei knows talking. Talking thoughts is up-top,~ Mei explained. She held her open left hand up to her forehead, as if indicating height. ~Thinking thoughts, heart thoughts, is deeper,~ she closed her hand into a fist, and brought it down to her chest.

“Okay, but why I can hear your talkin’ thoughts?” Talathar interjected, after translating her cousin’s words for Talin.

The younger lala shrugged. ~Dunno. T always was hearing Mei’s talking thoughts, before. Always.~

“Would it work the other way, too?” Talin wondered out loud. “Could you hear Tala’s talking thoughts as well, Mei?”

~Before, was yes. But now? Dunno. Maybe?~ Mei shrugged. ~Can try an’ see?~

The two lalafell turned to study each other, their musing expressions nearly identical. Talin suppressed a sudden urge to chuckle at the sight.

Finally, Talathar shook her head. “No. Maybe later. Right now, I have questions.”

The younger lala grimaced, then nodded. ~K.~

“Ya said you had to take my memories. Why?”

Mei sighed. ~’Cause T was mad. REALLY mad. An’ woulda burned up EVERYTHING. Even Mei. Even T.~

Tala pulled back. “What? Why?”

Heterochromatic eyes closed against the memory, left hand reaching up to grip her own right shoulder. Where the hot brand, burning with twisted and unknown magicks, had been pressed into her back. ~Was the day of Fire. The day the bad men brought the Fire, an’ burned T. And then burned Mei.~

~An’ then everything broke. T broke. An’ everything was Fire.~

__________

A.N. Been sitting on this a while, but wasn’t quite satisfied with it for some reason, so ended up reworking it quite a bit. Chapter 4 is being worked on, but mental health issues make self-motivation a little rough, and not sure when Chapter 5 will get started.

#Final Fantasy XIV #Talathar Khalynn #Meimeililee Lilee #Meetings and Farewells #Tala's Story Time #Fanfiction

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t-khalynn-tales · 4 years

Text

Provoking Ire

Author’s Note: Originally started out as “Hey, lets write a really short, funny scene with Mei making rude gestures at people!”

~Three thousand words later...~ __________

“Mei, ya sure ya wanna do this?” Tala handed Mei the practice weapon, frowning slightly. “ ‘Cause ‘m not sure…”

Mei nodded firmly, taking the weapon in hand. It was, essentially, a plank of stout oak, longer than she was tall, with a leather-wrapped handle meant for a two-handed grip.

~Yah. T uses a sword too,~ she added, pointing to her cousin’s sword and shield, currently being guarded by a watchful blue chocobo. ~An’ T practice fights with tall folk, sometimes.~

“Well, yeah. But issa little different! I started learnin' years ago! But Mei has only been learnin' fer a little bit! Maybe gettin’ a few more lessons first would be better…?”

Mei shook her head, expression confident. ~Is fine. Mei wants ta learn like this, Mei learns best like this.~ Shifting her grip a moment, she made a fist with her right hand, and pressed it into her own chest, near her heart. ~T can trust Mei, ok?~

Tala just sighed. “Alright.”

“Yo! You popotoes done dithering yet?” the big Hyur called out, shifting from foot to foot, his own oversized practice blade resting on his shoulder. “I’m a busy man, so if you’re just gonna chicken out, just gimme the gil now so I can get a drink somewhere.”

Both lalas turned towards the speaker. Tala just grimaced in exasperation, while Mei’s eyes narrowed in irritation.

“Is only NOON!” Tala protested with a huff.

The young mercenary laughed. “Yeah, so? In case ya hadn’t noticed, shorty, Gyr Abania is hot. It’s always a good time for a drink.”

The lala just shook her head and turned back to Mei. “Anyroad. Okay, so remember ta watch how he moves. He’s got th’ longer reach, so ya hafta be quicker ‘n ‘im. ‘Specially since ya only got a big wooden stick ta attack an’ defend with.”

~Duh,~ the younger lala scoffed, still focussed more on the cocky mercenary than the advice.

“Hey, is not MY fault ya chose th’ big giant sword ta learn. Issa different kinda sword fightin than mine, so ‘m not able ta help ya wi’ that. But fer basic fightin things, yeah.”

Finally noticing the cause of Mei’s distraction, Tala flicked her cousin’s forehead. Hard.

Mei rubbed at the new bruise. ~Ow.~

“Focus, Mei!”

~Fine,~ she pouted.

“So, one part of fightin I learned from Kori is stuff like this. Sometimes when people are fightin', they can do an’ say dumb things. Like, ta break yer focus, an’ put ya on yer back foot. Kori says, easiest way fer them ta do that, is ta make ya mad. Like, callin lalas popotoes an’ stuff. So dun let ‘im trick ya inta anger, okay?"

The other lala nodded.

“An’ dun forget, YOU can use th’ same trick on ‘im, too. So, like, Kori likes ta shout mean things at ‘em. Callin’ ‘em names, tellin ‘em ta stuff their, uh, stuff inta their own backsides, ‘n things.”

Mei raised an eyebrow. ~Oh? So how ‘bout T? What does T do?~

Tala flushed slightly. “Umm… well… a-anyroad. Even if ya can’t yell at ‘im,’m sure ya can come up wi’ somethin.”

After a moment, the younger lala just grinned wickedly.

“Yo, seriously! Any time now?”

Recognizing her cousin’s mischievous expression, Tala sighed. “Just dun make ‘im TOO mad, okay? I’d hate ta get run outta town fer bustin' 'is face wi’ my shield.”

The man scoffed. “I’d like to see ya try it, shorty!”

~No promises,~ Mei retorted, gripping the practice blade in both hands as she turned to face her current "tutor."

“FI-nally! Alright, pipsqueak, let’s get started…”

___________

The sounds of heavy clashing wood filled the air of the small sparring yard.

It was stupid. The whole thing was just dumb. Starting with a pair of novices, sizing each other up at the small town's only training dummy. Some unsolicited criticism first, then some rude gestures and snippy commentary in return, dutifully translated by a reluctant Tala. And now this -- a "friendly" challenge and wager.

Tala was clearly against it, but could only watch anxiously from the sidelines.

So far, Mei was doing remarkably well at holding her own, despite the fresh welts and bruises both combatants were now sporting. It seemed Mei did learn quickly when thrown into the fire. Especially since her opponent was a little impatient. And not used to facing opponents so much shorter than himself.

Mei was also exceptionally good at taking advantage of that. And at being a brat about it.

The lala ducked under a wide slash, then managed to counter with an upward swing that seemed almost impossible with such a large sword. The Hyur jumped back, but not quick enough -- the blunted wooden tip managed to clip him. He fell back with a curse, clutching his left forearm.

But Mei quickly stepped forward in pursuit, switching her grip and leaping up to deliver an overhead strike. The man barely managed to adjust his own practice blade to block, grunting at the force of the blow. A little unnerved, pulled back again, blade ready to guard.

“Shit!” he spat, tensing his arm, the pain still pulsing like a jagged flame, flaring to the beat of his own heart. “What the hell!”

Mei smirked and relaxed her stance, settling her sword against her shoulder and beckoning with one hand. The insult needed no translation.

~Bring it.~

His eyes narrowed. “You’re a spicy little popoto, ain’t ya,” he sneered in response, grip tightening in anger. “Looks like I’ll have ta stomp ya back into the dirt a bit!”

Both lalas blinked in momentary confusion, trying to make any kind of sense of that. But when the man charged forward with a roar, Mei set herself for another clash.

He attempted an overhead strike of his own, intending to smack the uppity lala on the head in retribution. But Mei angled her blade to deflect most of the power of the swing and side-stepped, letting his own momentum continue to carry him forward. As his sword made contact with the dirt, she managed to spin around, slapping his butt with the flat of her own weapon. With a yelp of surprise, he lost his balance and fell.

Face first.

He lay there for a moment in stunned silence, before scrambling to his feet again.

“You little…”

Suddenly, the energy in the air shifted. Like an abrupt drop in temperature, or a sudden shadow obscuring the sun. Where before there was an atmosphere of begrudging parity and competition, now there was an invisible miasma of sheer malice.

And for just a moment, it seemed the tall Hyur’s eyes glowed an inhuman red…

He lunged forward, much quicker than before. Mei managed to barely block the first wild blow, but couldn’t move fast enough to avoid the second. Or the third. With a gasp, the wooden blade fell from her hands, pain resonating through her arm.

The fourth blow hit her in the stomach driving her to her knees, gasping for air. Wincing, she just barely managed to duck and roll out of the way from the fifth strike. She crouched to get back to her feet, only to be met with a boot to the face. Mei flew back, landing on her back with a dull thud in a small cloud of dust.

“Got anything else, runt?” she heard him growl menacingly. Blinking, Mei made out the blurry dark shape looming over her. Belligerently, she replied with a bloody smirk -- and a single shaking middle finger.

“You little…” the dark shape raised his oversized blade up high…

...and winced when a heavy coin pouch struck him in the face.

“THA’S ENOUGH! Ya won yer stupid bet, now take yer coin an’ BACK OFF!” Tala yelled, brandishing a make-shift broken broomstick handle. “Or ya really WILL get a shield ta th’ face!”

"Yeah? How ya gonna reach that high, shorty? Stepladder?"

"Nah, 'm just go gonna kick ya inna crotch ta bring yer ugly arse-face closer. Might need a jeweler's loup ta find yer itty bitty manhood, though."

"...what…?"

"Jeweler's loup? Ya know, th' thing goldsmiths use fer lookin at really small stuff? Spirits, are ya stupid too, an’ nae just ugly? ‘M feeling sorry fer yer Mum."

“Shut up, or I’ll show you ugly,” he snarled, stalking towards the shorter lala -- and subsequently away from the one laying prone on the ground.

“Ya dun gotta get closer, yer ugly face is PLENTY UGLY e’en from REALLY FAR ‘WAY!”

Mei wanted to keep watching, but her eyes were just... so... heavy. The last thing she saw was the Hyur charging her cousin’s much-smaller form in the distance.

Then darkness enfolded her in its soft embrace, and consciousness faded away.

__________

There was something loud going on. Mei wasn’t quite sure what it was, but it was loud. And annoying. And she was tired. Really tired. She just wanted to sleep a little more.

But as the noise went on and on and on, she realized that, as tired as she was, she wasn’t going to get that sleep right now. And that she was also not very comfortable right now. The floor was too hard, too dusty, and too hot. And something feathery hovering over her, cooing softly but insistently in her ear. Reluctantly, she managed to open her eyes, frowning against both the brightness of the sun, and at the pain echoing through her body.

She groaned silently as she tried to sit up. A blue feathered head helped support her.

“Kweh!” the chocobo scolded her softly, even as she felt healing energies continuing to flow from him into her battered face, easing some of the pain. Mei recognized Stalwart, her cousin’s blue chocobo companion, and gave him a little pat in thanks. She then turned her bleary attention to the source of all the yelling.

If she could, she would have laughed.

The big Hyur, the one she had been sparring with, lay in a heap nearby -- face clearly bruised and a little bloody. His nose was obviously very broken, and he may have lost a tooth or two. A healer in robes seemed to be tending his wounds. Another man, a Hyur, older and somewhat resembling the one bemoaning his smashed face, was standing over Tala, hands on his hips, yelling angrily.

Tala just glared back up at him defiantly, arms crossed. Despite one swollen eye, she was clearly unrepentant.

And finally, an armored miquo’te stood somewhat between them both, tail twitching ever-so-slightly. The manner of his stance and the state of his armor indicated he held some level of rank, as well as respect, in the small settlement.

“So,” the first man sneered. “What yer saying is, young Stefan here beat the little brat there in a spar, so YOU beat him up? Yourself?”

“No,” Tala corrected. “He baited her inta a wager. One he knew he’d win. Prolly ‘cause ‘es a lot bigger ‘n her, an’ also ‘cause he has more trainin’ too. But she managed ta get th’ drop on ‘im. He got ‘is feelins hurt, so got mad an’ beat her near ta unconscious. I tole ‘im ta take ‘is winnings an’ go, but he was gonna hit her again. THAT’S why I stepped in. Wouldnae been needed, if he hadnae got so mad an’ stupid.”

“Riiiiight. Short little runt like you managed to beat my boy Stefan with a broom handle.”

“Nope. Broom handle was mostly fer distraction. I just kicked ‘im inna crotch, then bashed ‘im inna face wi’ my shield,” she gestured to the round shield at her back with a thumb. “I e’en tole ‘im I was gonna do it, afore I did. Isnae my fault he didnae listen.”

“I’m sorry, Miss Khalynn, but the battering to his face wasn’t caused by just one hit,” the healer spoke up, continuing her healing duties.

The miquo’te looked at the lala inquisitively.

“Oh, yeah,” she shrugged. “He kept gettin back up an’ chargin in, so I had ta bash him inna face a few more times. Again, isnae my fault he's stupid. Oh, an’ ya might wanna get some ice fer ‘is crotch, too. I mighta stepped on ‘im a bit.”

Both men winced slightly, but the miquo’te’s lips twitched upward in hidden amusement.

“My boy has been training for over a year!” the man yelled. “He’s a good recruit, shows good promise with the greatsword! There’s no way…”

“Your boy,” Tala cut in sharply, “is undisciplined an’ too easily provoked. Also maybe a bit unscrupuled, ta be settin’ up wagers wi’ beginners, yeah? So maybe ya should teach ‘im better.”

“And who are YOU to lecture me, runt?”

“Miss Khalynn is recognized as a free paladin,” the miquo'te noted dryly. “She was also a volunteer in the healer’s division of the Twin Adders. And now she leads a small but honorable free company.”

The lala in question coughed, looking slightly uncomfortable.

“HAH! THIS runt? A paladin?”

Tala huffed, blue eyes glinting. “If ya want, I can bash YER face in wi’ my shield, too.”

“That’s enough, Dorian,” the miquo’te stated firmly. “Upon my honor, I assure you Miss Khalynn is indeed a free paladin. Unless you doubt me?”

The man immediately backed off. “No, of course not, Rakhal. You’re a man of yer word, and all. But, still, how…?”

“What, did you never witness Pipin Tarupin fight on the Bloodsands? Size does not count for everything.” Rakhal shook his head. “Now, back to the matter at hand. Miss Khalynn, do you swear to your earlier statement?”

Straightening, Tala nodded. “Aye, is truth. I give ya my word, upon my honor.”

The miquo’te nodded as well, then turned to the healer. “And Lucinne, what say you?”

The elezen woman looked up. “Well, the story plays out with what I witnessed when I got here. THIS one,” she poked her now bandaged patient, “was getting the snot beat out of him by Miss Khalynn. While THAT one, “she points to Mei, the lala in red being propped up by a blue chocobo “was laid out on the ground, with a boot print across her face. Her nose was smashed in, badly. Also there was deep bruising of her abdomen, and several nasty welts on her arms and face. Had to do a little conjury to heal her up a bit, but switched over to THIS one once Miss Khalynn was done with him.”

“Why didn’t ya heal my nose?” the young merc whined, gently nursing his bandaged nose.

The healer just snorted. “Because you’re a bully and an ass, Stefan. And it was about time someone put you in your place.”

“Now look here...” the bigger Hyur started angrily.

“No, YOU listen here!” Lucinne replied, just as hotly. “I’ve been out here in Gyr Albania since the breeching of Baelsar’s Wall. I’ve seen plenty of folk from all sorts of free companies pass through these lands. Some looking to help out restoring and reclaiming the land. Some looking to earn a quick gil. I know a thing or two about people. And Dorian, your boy is a bully. Like Miss Khalynn said, teach him better!”

With an angry huff, the healer gathered her things and left.

“Well then, I guess that settles things, then,” Rakhal decided. “Unless, of course, you have any further objections, Dorian?”

The big man mumbled something under his breath, but shook his head.

“What about my winnings?” Stefan whined.

At that the big man growled and hauled the injured young man to his feet by the collar, “Shut yer face, boy! If you think you’re good enough ta be showing off your blade skills, we’ll just have ta put ya to the test, right? Be ready fer more training tomorrow! At dawn!”

The two lalas and one miquo’te watched the big man drag the younger one away.

“I almost feel sorry for the kid,” he noted.

~Mei doesn’t!~

Tala laughed, earning a puzzled look from the armored warrior. She shook her head. “Issa bit long ta ‘xplain, Kal. But this is my cousin, Mei.”

He bowed politely. “A pleasure, Miss Mei. I am Rakhal'sae Moui, a free paladin like Miss Khalynn here. In fact, I trained with her for a time.”

Assisted by Stalwart, Mei had come closer to the chatting pair, and nodded back. The chocobo had healed most of her wounds by now, and she only had a slight headache. Nothing a good night’s rest and a good meal wouldn’t fix up. She nodded at the paladin politely, then glanced at her cousin to translate.

“Kal!” the other lala protested. “Ya know is just Tala. Dun start th’ ‘Miss Khalynn’ stuff again! An’ Mei says, ‘Is nice ta meetcha, too’ ”

He quirked an eyebrow. “Oh?”

“Yeah. Um, she can’t talk. But I can understand her. Kinda.”

“This sounds like an interesting story. Maybe you can share it over a nice meal?” he held up the pouch of gil that had been all but forgotten in the scramble.

Surprising everyone, Stalwart nimbly snatched it out of his hand. He prodded Mei gently until she extended an open palm, then plopped the pouch into her grasp.

“Well, guess Stal agrees,” Tala chuckled. “Lead th’ way, Kal.”

As they followed along, Tala turned to her cousin. “So, didya learn anythin’ from that mess?”

Mei smirked. ~Yah. T is REALLY good at makin’ insults.~

__________

A.N. 2: So originally, the plan was for Mei to be a Black Mage for DPS, with Dark Knight as a tanking job on the side, showing how Tala and Mei are kind of opposites -- White Mage to Black Mage, and Paladin to Dark Knight.

However, game-play wise, I rediscovered that I am in fact BAD at Black Mage, and DRK tanking just… didn’t feel right for me as a player somehow.

Luckily with Stormblood came Red Mage, a DPS class I was much more suited for. And with Shadowbringers, Mei was able to finally find a tank class that works - Gunbreaker. It’s been a lot of fun so far.

(And, thematically, having both Tala and Mei become primarily RDMs changed the focus on the cousins as well, but anyway…)

So in this story, which takes place a little bit after the close of “Greetings and Farewells,” Mei is trying to learn how to Dark Knight. Or at least, how to use the giant two-handed sword taller than she is. I know that the skills for the job have changed, and I’m no longer sure if Provoke was a thing for DRKs way back then, but I’m going with it anyway.

Also, to clarify - Mei is mute, but has the ability to "speak" with Tala telepathically. And like with spoken words, Mei can also convey a lot of emotions through the tone of these silent communications. Tala can sometimes project some emotions back through their link, but cannot manage to convey actual words.

#Final Fantasy XIV #Talathar Khalynn #Meimeililee Lilee #Tala's Story Time #gilgamesh-rp

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