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"RIVAYN."
His eyes immediately snapped up and settled on Minfilia's face. It held an expression he'd never seen before - annoyance.
"Did you hear a single word I've said?" she asked, a slight edge in her voice. Rivayn swallowed the lump forming in his throat.
"Echo vision," Rivayn explained reflexively. "You know how it is."
Minfilia's brow furrowed as she placed her hands on her hips. She has the Echo too, you fool. Of course she knows how it is.
"Sorry," Rivayn added sheepishly. "I'm all ears now, I swear."
Minfilia sighed lightly, and Rivayn was sure he saw her roll her eyes. "Speak with Yda. She'll explain."
"Yes ma'am," Rivayn responded, smiling with as much charm as he could muster as he slowly backed out of the solar. He heard another sigh as he pushed the heavy doors open to leave.
Good job, Rivayn. You managed to piss off the one person incapable of being angry. That wasn't entirely true, he realized. Yda never seemed to be bothered by anything, including Rivayn's consistently poor attention span. In fact, she seemed to find it amusing.
"You ready to go?" she asked, causing Rivayn to nearly jump out of his skin. He hadn't realized she was waiting for him just outside the doors. Yda simply laughed.
"I, uh, think I made her angry," Rivayn admitted, nervously rubbing the back of his neck. "I didn't even think that was possible."
"Oh, I promise you haven't seen Minfilia upset," Yda assured him with a chuckle. "Mildly annoyed, maybe, but you seem to be all in one piece, so she couldn't have been that angry."
Rivayn was sure his mouth hung agape.
"Relax," Yda laughed, grabbing his sleeve and pulling him toward The Waking Sands' entrance.
"I'm just trying to imagine Minfilia being violent," Rivayn explained, shaking his arm loose and continuing to follow her. "I mean, I don't think I've even seen her leave this building."
"Ask Thancred about the time he drank the last of her wine," Yda suggested with a smirk as they climbed the steps leading out of the facility.
"She drinks?" Rivayn asked in bemused amazement.
"Oh yes," Tataru interjected as they crested the top of the stairs. "The Antecedent has very particular tastes as well."
"Tataru would know," Yda giggled. "She has to find the stuff, after all."
"It makes balancing the ledger nigh impossible sometimes," the lalafell complained. She climbed down from her chair and moved to stand before Yda and Rivayn. "So, are you two off to Gridania then?"
Rivayn glanced at Yda. "...are we?"
Yda glanced right back. "Did Minfilia not brief you?"
"Why do you think she was mad at me?" he countered with a slight smile. Yda shook her head but didn't bother trying to hide her own smile. "So, we're going to Gridania..."
"I definitely understand why Minfilia was irritated with you," Yda said with a smirk. "Have you heard of the sylphs?"
Rivayn scratched the back of his head. "I think I heard a passing mention of them when I was working with the archer’s guild. Floating gysahl greens, were they?"
Yda snorted a laugh. "Something like that," she agreed. "We're to meet Papalymo in Ul'dah and take an airship from there. I'll explain everything on the way."
"Aye aye, Captain," Rivayn replied with a mock salute.
Yda rolled her eyes. "Just a word of advice, but you should probably pay attention to Minfilia next time."
"Yeah, I'm getting that impression," Rivayn agreed with a laugh. "I'll add her to my list of people not to mess with."
"I better be on that list too," Yda returned as they stepped outside in the arid desert air.
"Oh, don't you worry," Rivayn assured her seriously. "I never mess with anyone who could kill me as easily as you could."
Yda grinned as the two walked toward the chocobo porter. "That might be the nicest thing anyone has ever said to me."
Rivayn laughed. "That's sad, Yda."
"I take what I can get," she told him with a shrug. "So anyway, about the sylphs..."