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That night, I was late getting back to my room. I had to stop at a stall in the Musica Universalis to buy a few things before heading to the Pendants. He was already waiting for me when I got there, eyes instantly going to the bags in my hand.
“What’s this?” Emet-Selch asked as I set my things down on the bed.
“Tonight, I’m taking you somewhere.”
“And where, praytell, would that be?”
“Well, I suppose, technically you’ll be taking me but…” I breathed a laugh and dug into the paper bags I’d brought back.
“Are you going to tell me?”
“If I tell you, you won’t want to go.”
The Ascian crossed his arms over his chest and raised an eyebrow at me. I pulled out two sets of folded clothes from my bags and set them on the bed next to each other. He came up next to me and inspected them.
“Absolutely not,” he said, his voice suddenly annoyed. I smirked at him.
“Absolutely yes.”
A while later, I was changed into my bathing suit. I slipped a small, short-sleeved jacket and a short skirt over top and watched him from the corners of my eyes. He was still being stubborn.
“It’s not that bad,” I assured him. “No one will know who you are.”
“That is not what I’m worried about, hero.”
“Then you shouldn’t be worried about anything,” I countered, and went to the bathing room to pull my hair up. “It’s warm right now, on the Source. You’ll be hot in all that fur and leather.”
“I told you, I’m not going.” I sighed and turned to look at him, holding my hair up in its place with one hand.
“I go along with your whims all the time with little complaint. Surely you can sacrifice a few hours of your precious time to escort me to the Faire.”
He narrowed his eyes at me, jaw clenched. I shrugged my shoulders and spun back around to tie a ribbon around my long locks. I watched in the mirror as he rolled his eyes, then snapped his fingers and the clothes I’d brought for him were on his body. He crossed his arms again and I gave him a sly smile through the glass. Twelve, he looked good in swimming shorts and an open button-down.
“See, that wasn’t so hard,” I commented. Once my hair was in place, I walked back up to him and held my hand out.
“Costa del Sol, if you would.”
With a tsk, he grabbed ahold of my fingers and snapped.
When we materialized on the Source, a little ways out from the aetheryte, the sun had already started setting and the paper lanterns were being lit. Sounds of merriment filtered their way to where we were standing. The bustling noise made me smile and I breathed in the salty sea air.
I could feel the Ascian’s eyes on me, carefully scrutinizing everything I was doing.
“You mortals…,” he began, but his voice trailed off. I shook my head and grabbed his hand, pulling him towards the festival.
“Well, let’s go!” I exclaimed, tugging on his arm. He stumbled the first few steps before righting himself.
“I hardly see the point-”
“Does there have to be a point?”
He hesitated, but sighed, and waved his free hand, a motion telling me to go. He followed me willingly. I looked back and gave him a soft smile, which he seemed quite perplexed about.
We entered the festival and he looked around at the different stalls.
“What is this faire for, anyway?”
“Hmm,” I hummed, stopping at a game booth. I dug into my coin purse and handed the smiling elezen behind the counter a few coins. “To celebrate summer, perhaps?” She handed over some darts. I took three of the six in my hand and dropped them in Emet-Selch’s hand. “Break the bubbles.”
I aimed one of my darts at the bubbles floating at the back of the stall. When I threw it, however, it missed entirely and stuck itself in the wood. I smiled and looked at him. He was still standing there, staring down at his hand, frowning. I nudged him with my hip. “Come on.”
Finally, he acquiesced and tossed a dart. I giggled as it missed and he clenched his teeth. I put my hand on his arm.
“It’s just a game, don’t be so sour.” Suddenly, I threw my arms out dramatically, mimicking him and he narrowed his eyes at me. Someone walking down the aisle hopped out of the way to avoid my flailing. “Lighten up, my dear Ascian.”
When I had sufficiently thrown his own words back at him, he huffed a laugh and shook his head. Still staring down at me, he threw a dart. I watched as it hit a bubble, right in the middle. My mouth dropped open at his accuracy. He threw his last one, popping another.
I threw the last of mine, as well, but to no avail. He leaned down close to me.
“You have terrible aim, hero.”
“I’m a mage, not an archer,” I pouted, crossing my arms and turning away from him, turning my nose up. “I don’t need to be terribly accurate to damage my target.” His sigh was histrionic and he shrugged.
“Excuses.” I rolled my eyes.
“What prize would you like, sir?” the elezen asked. Before I was able to turn to see what he chose, I felt him stretch something over my head. I ducked out of the way, putting a hand to my hair.
“What are you-”
“Stay still, hero.” In his hands, he held two wooden masks in the shape of a moogle’s head. One side of my lips tugged upward and I let him sit it on the side of my head. He did the same thing with the second one. I breathed a laugh at how at-ease he looked and nodded in the direction of another kiosk.
“Are you hungry?” He quickly matched my pace.
“I suppose I could eat something.” I pulled a few more coins out of my bag and exchanged them for two steamed pork dumplings. I offered him one as I took a bite of the other. He eyed me suspiciously for a few moments, but eventually took a bite. He looked off to the side, his attention caught by something bright. “What’s that-?”
He took off in the direction of the stall. “Hey-” I called, my mouth full. “Wait!”
When I caught up to him, he was staring down at a child trying to catch a small, orange fish. “This looks simple enough.” My chest shook with silent laughter as he motioned for me to pay the employee and handed over his dumpling.
He knelt down with his little paper spatula as I nibbled on my food. I watched as he put it in the water, but when he went to scoop the fish into the cup in his other hand, the sodden paper broke. He paused for a moment, eyes wide, like he didn’t understand what had just happened. I coughed, nearly choking on my mouthful at his reaction. He looked back at me with contempt written all over his face.
“You think you can do better?”
I swallowed my food and tossed his bun back at him. I motioned for him to hand over his remaining paper spatula and knelt down by the tank, holding the rest of my food between my teeth.
Easily, I scooped a fish into the cup. Behind me, he scoffed. “Well, at least you’re good at something.” I stood, tearing a piece of my dumpling off as I removed it from my mouth and chewed.
“I’ve been playing faire games like this since I was small,” I retorted after I’d swallowed. I leaned down towards a passing child, putting my hand on her shoulder as she passed. She stopped, looking up at me. I smiled and handed her the fish I’d caught. “Why don’t you take this? Take good care of it, okay?”
She gasped and nodded enthusiastically, a toothy grin on her face as she slid the cup out of my hand and skipped down the aisle, excitedly calling for her mother.
When I looked back up at the Ascian, I caught the hint of a smile on his face at my interaction. I threaded my arm through his. “Let’s go. There’s more to see.”
We continued on down each aisle, but he stopped abruptly at another game stall. He stared down at the activity, brow furrowed.
“Do you want to-”
“I can’t believe you mortals subject yourselves to such a thing for fun.” I looked down, watching a small hume as his head was dunked in a barrel of water, trying to catch a faerie apple with his teeth. “How terribly unsanitary.”
“Hmm,” I hummed. “I guess I never thought about it.”
I shook my head and shrugged, then pulled him along. We stopped at one more stall near the end to buy a cold treat- some flavored ice pops- before making our way down to the water. We walked the length of the beach in the wet sand, soft waves hitting our ankles every few seconds.
I watched as children, further out in the water, chased each other under the light of the moon. I smiled, then turned back to him.
“I’m glad you-”
The Ascian was not at my side anymore. I spun around, looking for him, only to be met with a facefull of water. I gasped as the cold hit me, and his laughter was bright and clear. I stood, stunned, staring at him with wide eyes and mouth hanging open. Water was dripping down my skin and one side of my hair was sodden. I blinked the water out of my eyes to see him standing knee-deep in the ocean, his arms folded over his stomach, trying to contain his amusement at my expense.
“Your face, dear hero…”
I narrowed my eyes at him, dropping what was left of my popsicle into the sand. He paused at the look of revenge in my eyes and took off running. I chased after him, trying to splash him.
When he had to stop for breath, I finally thought I had a chance, but he snapped. Multiple, small balls of water surfaced from the waves. I stopped in my tracks as he snapped again and they started flinging themselves at me.
With a small shriek, I turned, covering my head, and they burst against my back. I looked over my shoulder, and when I was sure the last of them had come, I turned and leaped onto him, the mask flying off my head.
We both went tumbling into the ocean. The ribbon in my hair loosened and was quickly lost to the waves. I wrestled him under me and straddled his stomach with my legs. Our chests were heaving as I leaned over him, a smug smile on my face, my hair falling over my shoulders, lying in wet curls in the sand around us.
“I win.”
He reached up to meet me and pressed his mouth against mine for a moment. “I suppose you have.” I stood off of him, and reached down to help him up. When he was on his feet, he snapped and a dry towel wrapped itself around my shoulders.
Once we had dried off, I found a spot in the dry sand to sit and watch the fireworks, the night slowly coming to a close. He conjured a blanket and sat down. When I joined him, he wrapped his fingers around my arm and tugged me down with him. I laid my head on his chest, and his around went around my shoulders.
“I hope this night wasn’t a complete disappointment for you,” I said as the show started. I swept my eyes over the skyline, the bursting colors magnificent across its dark hue.
“I do admit, my dear hero, that it was rather enjoyable.”
I smiled and lifted myself up, twisting my torso so I could lean over him. “I’m glad.”
He reached up, weaving his fingers into my wet hair. I leaned into his touch, closing my eyes, and he pulled my head down so my lips met his.