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Today was a day to be helping the Rising Stones. The general public had been very concerned about the indisposed Scions, so it was decided that they needed to be seen out and about to assuage any fears. Few knew the exact cause of what kept some of the more recognizable Scions away, which meant there was a lot of work to do to relieve them of those worries. Thankfully, the Warrior of Light was available to assist in the endeavor, even if it was perhaps what most would consider beneath her notice.
G’raha Tia knew otherwise, however.
“Are you sure you want to be doing this?” he asked when they woke up that morning.
“Five more minutes,” she grumbled, pressing her face into his chest. She began purring when he stroked her hair. For a moment, he thought she might have fallen asleep again, when she stretched and sat up. “Yep, I’m sure I want to do this. Helping people is what I’ve always wanted to do, after all, and that hasn’t changed.”
With that in mind, he smiled as they were working on repairing the chocobokeep’s stalls. The people of the Crystarium would have considered this beneath his dignity, but he found himself enjoying the tasks. He and Moonflower had already mucked the stalls, replaced the straw with fresh bedding, and now they were fixing damaged parts of the structure. Moonflower lifted the boards up to him, and he clinched the nails in.
Nearby, he spotted the Leveilleur twins coming back from fetching crafting materials, looking none the worse for wear. Moonflower waved, and the two brightened. “Moonflower! Look what we’ve got!” said Alisaie, detouring over to the stall. Alisaie lifted her bags proudly.
The woman looked them over. “Looks like you two have been busy. Have you been doing this all morning?”
“Not exactly,” Alphinaud answered, drawing up to his sister’s side. “We were asked by Tataru to run an errand first.”
“Ah, Tataru is keeping you busy too,” G’raha commented from above. He waved when the twins looked up. “We have been working on the stalls here for most of the morning.”
“Almost finished. Yes, G’raha?” Moonflower tilted her head to him.
He nodded. “Yes, this is almost complete.” A hand reached down and Moonflower lifted another board to him. Once more he clinched the nails in, and then he leapt down to stand next to her. “And that’s the last of it!”
She clapped her hands and inspected their work. “I don’t think it’s ever looked better,” she said cheerfully. Then she looked at the twins, who were still standing there. “When we finish here, we can join you, if you two would like.”
“Please do,” Alphinaud replied, and then began walking up toward where the crafters were. Alisaie followed after, breaking the staring contest she’d been in with G’raha.
After speaking with the chocobokeep, the pair also went in the direction the twins had gone. “You know, Raha, I’ve noticed that you and Alisaie seem to…” Moonflower trailed off, thinking as she put a finger to her lips. “You seem to be competitive with each other.”
“Alisaie and I have never exactly had the easiest friendship,” he answered. “I will say a part of me enjoys the competition. It’s much better than receiving her glares.” Even if they were petty and childish competitions, at least it wasn’t distrustful looks and angry comments. It was fun to see who could do something the fastest, the most, or the best. It made him feel welcomed, in an odd way.
“And Alphinaud?” One of her eyebrows rose.
“More of a kindred spirit, as I’m sure you’ve noticed.” Apparently, he and Alphinaud had the same taste in literature, which had delighted him upon discovering it. They had spent many hours discussing their favorite books and the passages within that they found the most impactful. “It’s certainly an easier friendship, but I do like Alisaie the same as Alphinaud.”
While being friends with all of the Scions was important to him, having the twins’ approval and friendship meant the most. They were near and dear to Moonflower, and if he wanted to spend time with her, he would need to get along with them. It was also significant to gain Alisaie’s trust, as she had been one of the more reluctant ones to trust him when they met. That she felt comfortable enough with him now to engage in a friendly rivalry with him meant more than he could put to words.
When the twins looked up from the shopkeep to whom they were talking and waved, he waved back. Today was a day for helping Rising Stones, but it was also a day to work together as a team. It was a simpler adventure, but one he would take with open arms.