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F'lhaminn saw many of the Scions pass by her bar in the Rising Stones, and most stopped to say hello if not to have a drink. Thancred was her best customer, but that was because he liked to sit and reminisce about her dear Ascilia or share a quiet moment with her. She didn’t mind; she liked talking about her daughter, even though she was gone, and letting the man have a moment to himself was the least she could do after the work he did for the Scions.
Today, the Leveilleur twins slid into seats at her bar. “Hello, F’lhaminn,” Alisaie greeted. Alphinaud was unusually quiet for one so verbose.
“Hello, dears. What can I get for you?”
“Two glasses of red wine, if you please.”
It didn’t take long to set the glasses in front of the twins, who clinked them together with a murmured, “cheers” between them. Alisaie glanced at the menu absently, while Alphinaud stared at his drink. After requesting some fruit to go with their wine, Alisaie sipped her drink thoughtfully.
F’lhaminn first gave them a bowl of grapes and then started working on slicing apples. “A long day, you two?”
“Unfortunately,” Alphinaud sighed. “The towers appearing all over Eorzea and beyond is causing quite the hullabaloo.”
“Brother Dearest just got back from checking the situation in Doma,” Alisaie added.
“We can only hope that the information we need is in Sharlayan.” He began to eat the fruit, and F’lhaminn noticed a look of relief pass over Alisaie’s face.
While not privy to details, the Scions had heard about what happened with them and their father. They were both taking it hard; F’lhaminn could only imagine how it felt to be going home and yet being unwelcome. Krile was doing everything she could to prepare the journey, which left the twins to twiddle their thumbs. And that also meant they were left to think about their situation without much else to distract them. Neither of them must have much of an appetite.
“I hope that you have found a moment here and there to relax,” she commented, finished with the apples and preparing to wash the knife. “Your bodies have been under enough strain.”
“I’m not sure I know how to relax,” Alphinaud grumbled, and downed his glass. “Another glass, please.”
F’lhaminn refilled his wine and put it away after Alisaie shook her head. She still had enough left before wanting a refill. “You can sit here for as long as you like. We’ll call that relaxing.”
This made the twins smile. “And who better to relax with than the Songstress?” Alisaie said.
She chuckled and shook her head. “Have you been learning under Thancred?”
“A thing or two, but then, you can’t spend time with him and not learn something about how to charm people.”
Alphinaud swirled his glass, watching the wine catch the light. “I might still need lessons.”
“Not everyone can be Thancred, dear,” F’lhaminn assured him. “You may not need his gift of charm in any case. After all, you are a successful diplomat, no?”
He shrugged. “I have always given my utmost effort. It usually works, but it isn’t always enough.” He reached for the fruit again, if only for something to do. “Doma is doing well, despite the towers, and most people have kept well away; the problem is the kidnapped beastmen.”
“Yes, that is very troubling,” F’lhaminn agreed sympathetically.
“But for all that hard work, I still couldn’t defend myself to our father.”
“Father is a fool,” Alisaie said, and finished off her drink. “Well, that’s what I’d like to say, anyway.” She, too, became despondent, and their bartender understood why Alphinaud was looking particularly down today.
He had achieved so much, and yet his father had disowned him and his sister. To return to a place of such achievement, only to think about how much it hurt to know it wasn’t enough—she could imagine how he felt, aside from seeing it blaring from his body language.
F’lhaminn reached into the cupboards and pulled out some chocolate she kept there. “I think this calls for something special,” she explained, when the twins gave her near-identical confused looks. “You both need something to cheer you up, so why not indulge in some chocolate and wine? You can rest for tonight and face all the difficult feelings tomorrow.” It would give the two a chance to reset, too.
Encouraged, the twins took a bite of their chocolate and smiled. The conversation drifted to safer, more familiar subjects, but they were enjoying themselves and that was the important part. After a while, she even saw them laugh, and felt relieved. They’d be back to themselves soon enough, and if they happened to spend more time at the bar, well, she wasn’t going to complain.