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off to the side in a red sweater she had found in her latest dungeon crawl and her starlight leggings and boots smiling at the different people running back and forth putting up decorations. She watches a little lalafell put the snowmen down facing the wrong direction and sighs, knowing she will be asked to help again this year, and wonders what she will get. “M’lady, would you mind helping me out by grabbing this cocoa from me? I seemed to have grabbed too much.” She absently grabbed the cocoa, only to walk back a little at the sight of Alphinaud standing before her. He was tall and muscular, he really grew into the Elezen body, of course, he was newly eighteen, she knows because she had been invited to his and Alisaie’s birthday party. He looked really good, she couldn’t remember when he looked younger, clothes freshly pressed and still talking down to others, not wanting to listen to advice.
She never changed, caught in a constant time bubble that even after their adventures ended never lifted, maybe that’s why she was attracted to Elezens, it would be a while before they left her behind. “Do you want to sit down at that table over there? I brought food too, I was hoping we could share?”
Abigail smiled at him and said, “Sure, let us go and enjoy this fine food and drink.” She turned around and walked to the table, not seeing Alphinaud receive a gloved thumbs-up, and waited for him, taking a sip of the hot drink and letting it slide down her throat, warming her up. Another thing about being the Warrior of Light is she was never cold, but she enjoys the warmth none the less. Alphinaud quickly sat across from her, placing a plate of mini cinnamon rolls on the table, and asked while lightly blushing “So are you going to help in the Starlight festival again this year?”
She reached for a cinnamon roll and ate it while looking at that same Lalafell from before wrapping presents up in Halloween paper and said once she was finished “Yes, it looks like I will have to.” She tried to keep a brave and happy face, but always helping was growing weary on her even if physically she never tired.
“You don’t have to help them you know, you saved Earozea and other worlds thousands of times, take a break this year.” She ponders on that, as he eats a cinnamon roll of his own, the concept of a break seems foreign to her, and it was ironic to hear him of all people tell her to take a break.
“Is that what you are doing? Taking a break from micromanaging the festival?”
Alphinaud hesitated and looked past her briefly, almost as if he was taking cues from someone. Searching behind her revealed nothing and she found herself narrowing her eyes, on the defensive. Alphinaud stuttered out “No, I actually was hoping to spend some time with you is all, on my break that’s true but I only wanted to spend it with you.”
“Hm, is that so,” she answered, still searching behind her only to not find anything and focus her attention back on Alphinaud. He kept his hair the way it was, though instead of a tight ponytail with a twist at the top, it is now a half ponytail tied with a blue ribbon. His sister has also taken to wearing her hair that way, Thancred liked to tease them and ask if they would ever stop matching. Abigail found it charming that the siblings were so close despite their bickering and it warmed her heart to see him in a warm poncho, this one red with green trees on it for the season. She knows he is warm and that sets her mind at ease, he was probably just nervous and that’s why his eyes flickered, Alphinaud would tell her if danger was around. With a shock, her body released all of its tension just with that simple admission. Why now though, there have been countless instances where she had to rely on his knowledge and help to keep them protected, to tell her where to go.
Maybe it was because he was older now, more broad-shouldered and wiser, so he could take care of himself and a small part of her wondered if now that the wars were over if no one would stick around now. She had fulfilled her duties and yet still, they invited her to outings and birthday parties, still on lonely nights in inn rooms after she helped a villager rescue his lost flock of sheep. Doubts crept in. She shook her head, no Alphinaud was here, he wanted to spend time with her, he had bought cinnamon rolls and hot cocoa almost as if-
“Alphinaud is this a date?”
His ears went a lovely shade of red as he stammered over his words and she had to laugh seeing the well-spoken debater tongue-tied, she can see why women fawn over him. He stiffened up his back and said “Yes, it is.” He looked at her intensely, like he was daring her to object and she felt her heart quicken as she responded, “Ok, yeah that’s ok let’s do that.” Alphinaud sighed in relief only to groan as a thump was heard and Alisaie went “Off of me you big oaf.”
Twirling around in her chair she eyed the pair who were entangled in each other, eyeing the binoculars in Thancred’s hands and the note cards in Alisaie, and sighed. “You know, no I’m having a break tonight, I’ll deal with this later, I have a date.” She smiled down at the two and grabbed Alphinaud's hand, quickly grabbing her bard soul stone and twirling in the air to change gear. This was a Yule dress with holly, an exclusive one only available to a few and she preened appreciatively at Alphinaud’s stares. She played the flute and green air formed around them, still holding onto his hand she went running and Alphinaud yelled out in shock, eventually laughing as they both got away.
Later that night they stopped by the lake just as the Yule tree was lit up and watched the moon and lights dance with each other on the surface water. They sat with their arms around each other while Alphinaud pointed out the various constellations. Abigail never had the time to settle and learn them after all and so she finally felt peace after so long.