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woadblu · 5 years

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FFXIVWrite 2019: Radiant (Day 19)

Kokejin had never been particularly fond of Thanalan. The hot desert always felt like a wasteland, and the city of Ul’dah was more of a blight to her than the shining gem some seemed to believe it was. Journeys across this sandy, vast portion of Eorzea always took an hour or two more than she could stand and left her in a foul mood that she could hardly contain. It wasn’t that she couldn’t handle the heat. She’d grown up in the dense heart of the Golmore Jungle, where the air was both hot and so heavy with water that even deep breaths felt unsatisfying. The heat she could manage. It was just the monotony of desert that made her skin itch with the desire to be literally anywhere else.

“We can’t be much further! But we have to hurry!” A’erelia’s voice pulled Kokejin from her pity party, but only momentarily. The white-haired miqote was several yalms ahead, and with every step, she seemed to bounce on the balls of her feet. It was as if the very ground they walked on was infusing her with energy and excitement. Compared to the grimacing rava reluctantly trailing behind her, A'erelia was positively radiant.

Kokejin narrowed her eyes at the back of her friend’s head.

“When you asked me to come out here with you, I assumed we’d be on Chocobos.” Kokejin called out. When A’erelia didn’t respond, she dropped her tone to a bitter grumble.

“I also assumed we wouldn’t be out at 5:30 in the goddamn morning.”

There was no way that her friend could have heard her, and yet as if on cue, A’erelia’s ears perked and she turned around, still bouncing as she walked.

“I hope you’re not too tired to enjoy it! Come on! We’re getting close.”

In some ways, Koke understood that this was her own fault. She’d agreed to go to on this excursion while fully informed of what it entailed. She’d had every opportunity to refuse, reschedule or cancel. The fact that their party consisted of a mere two adventurers was proof of that. A’erelia had many friends and Koke had enough of her own. The only reason that the two of them had to be alone together that morning was that everyone they knew had enough sense to be in bed.

Or at least anywhere but Thanalan.

Finally, they made their way to the Burning Wall, and Kokejin took a moment to appreciate her surroundings. It was as if she'd never been there before. The air tasted different. The sea of sand they’d traversed quickly disappeared from view as they crossed through tunnels and hills, circumventing the orange crystals that grew from the ground like trees.

It was hard to believe that any part of Thanalan could feel so… alive. Taken in by her surroundings, Kokejin didn’t even notice A’erelia was no longer in front of her until two small hands slipped over her eyes.

“Shhh!!! It’s fine! It’s fine! I promise! Just close your eyes until I take my hands away.” A’erelia was lucky Kokejin was tired, or else she might have elbowed her friend in the stomach. Huffing and folding her arms over her chest, she closed her eyes and waited. Eventually, slowly, she felt A’erelia drop her hands.

“Okay! Open.”

Kokejin opened her eyes. She was facing a rock, the eye-catching mark of Azeyma etched into its face. Beyond the rock, the night sky’s blackness gently transitioned to a light blue, and then to orange as the sun began to come over the horizon. Though there wasn’t a cloud in the sky, the suns beams seemed to reach out and over them in a stunning display of light and color. Despite being rendered speechless, Kokejin managed to force out one small response.

“Oh. Oh wow.”

Perhaps Thanalan wasn’t as bad as she imagined.

#FFXIVwrite #ffxivwrite2019 #kokejin himaa #a'erelia lynx #am I doing this right?#first post

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