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As Tajanaji Naji walked with a caravan towards Aleport, he was suddenly stopped by a pleasant sound. It was hard to ascertain where it was coming from at first, this beautiful sound of humming mixed with splashing water. If it were water he should probably check the cliffs, so that was where his investigation would lead him.
As he stopped to look over the cliff, he was struck with a beautiful sight. A maiden fair indeed, for it was a lovely Lalafell lady diving for seashells.
She didn’t seem to notice him, so he sat on the edge with a hand propping his head up as he looked down on her, completely mystified. Surely this must be a sea nymph with her beauty, and she wasn’t even trying to be beautiful. She simply was, and he was lucky to have been entranced by her graceful body and messily pulled up brunette hair.
As much as he loved it, it was rather rude to stare at her without her knowing. So after a few minutes he called out, “Hello there!”
His call had startled her, but she swam well enough not to sink below the water. After her initial splash she looked up at him with gorgeous chocolate brown eyes as she replied nervously, “H-hello, um how long have you been there?”
Gods every bit of her was divinely beautiful. Even her voice was angelic, perfectly even between low and high. He had certainly seen enough of her to see her perfection, so he gave her a charming smile as he said, “Not long, but long enough.”
A heavy blush graced her fair skin, a sight he would definitely not mind seeing again. Her chocolate eyes had turned back down to the string of shells in her hands before she held them to her chest and called, “W-well I think I have what I need, so I’m going to uh-go.”
Well, he certainly didn’t want this sea nymph to disappear on him. So he gave her another charming smile as he asked, “Go? What ever is the rush?”
The blush written across her face had not dimmed in the slightest as she looked up at him with surprise, but then…
There was a crumbling. Right underneath him.
Perhaps if he wasn’t so distracted by her he would have noticed before it was too late. But he didn’t so when the cliff crumbled under him he gave a short shout before plunging into the water below him.
He sort of knew how to swim, though as an Ul’dahn he had little experience with it. And he was dragged down by his clothing, so obviously he couldn’t save himself. He heard splashing as he went under the water, shortly before strong arms wrapped around him.
-
Gods why did Ul’dahns have to have such heavy clothing!? And why in all the bloody hells did he have to fall in the first place!? Mimieni had to use pure grit, rage, and every bit of indignation in her body to wrap her arms under his and drag him over to the low cliff where she kept her ladder. It was…kind of nice actually to have him wrapped in her arms as she kicked them both backwards, but the pure effort sparked far more annoyance in her than comfort. She did eventually get to the cliff and hoist herself onto it, but then she had to hoist him onto it, which was far more difficult. She did manage to bring him into her lap after about three pulls that took extreme amounts of effort. Naturally she was gasping from exhaustion, and somehow unconsciously she ended up fixing his hair in her lap.
At least, until he stirred. Then she panicked and jumped, which made him fall into the water again.
Uuuugh why did she do that? Now she would have to pull him out again. With a very loud groan she reached into the water and dragged him up to sit next to her this time. As she did she noticed he had the most contented smile she had ever seen written all across his face.
Bloody hells, did he actually enjoy that? She was starting to think it was an elaborate plan so she promptly grabbed him by the shirt and gave him a hard glare as she said, “If you planned that so help me-”
“I did not, so you can save that thought for your pretty head.” H-her pretty head? She was reminded of her surprise when she first saw him, though she wasn’t sure why it surprised her so much when it certainly wasn’t the first time she had been flirted with. Then again…he did seem to have more charm than the sods around here that she preferred to knock unconscious rather than hear their stupid lines.
He wasn’t just charming with his words. She had barely noticed that her hair had gotten stuck to her face, but she definitely noticed when he gently brushed it back. She wasn’t used to being touched, she hardly ever let others get that close to her. So she immediately blushed as she smacked his hand away, settling for fixing it herself as she blatantly avoided the pouty look of disappointment and pleading on his face.
Well, she had the feeling he would start following her like a lost puppy now, so she better take responsibility for him. Hells, he might fall off a cliff again if she didn’t keep an eye on him. And well…no one really cares for the feeling of wet clothes on them. She was used to it, typically swimming in a Riviera dress in case of onlookers, but he seemed rather uncomfortable with it. Almost in a dramatic way, as if begging for her help. She’d brush him away as totally useless if he were not so utterly charming, so she sighed as she said, “You’re…rather sodden, so I guess I should bring you with me.”
Gods he looked like someone had just given him a baby chocobo. She wasn’t sure if she had ever seen someone look so happy. She had to admit he was growing on her, but she was still rather annoyed with the whole situation so she rolled her eyes as she said, “Well enough to climb, I hope?”
“I am certain I could get there with a bit of your hope,” he said with a smile, just before gently catching her right hand. The touch surprised her again, and it really felt rather comfortable…
No. Absolutely not, she would not let him bring her into a false sense of security, even if she did like it. So she swiped her hand away from him before she glared and said, “Surely you’ll be fine, though you should go first. Just in case you fall.”
“Very well, I place my safety in your lovely hands.” There he went again. She tried not to give it any thought though and rolled her eyes as she said, “There is a tavern in town, only one there so it shouldn’t be too difficult to find. Even for you. I’ll meet you there in a few minutes.”
Though she had insulted him he didn’t seem at all displeased with her, too lovestruck perhaps. But he did go up the ladder, and she stayed at the base of the ladder till he was out of sight. Then she slipped back into the water to retrieve the seashell bracelet he had made her drop.
Her thoughts wandered as she dove under the water, naturally, given the circumstance. As utterly useless as he seemed to be his lovestruck, puppy like attitude was far too stupidly charming for her not to start falling for him. And he absolutely had no business being that beautiful. She had seen many Ul’dahns but she had yet to meet one with such dark, sunkissed skin. It was almost the same color as her eyes, just a few shades lighter. And his eyes…just as blue as the sea, and practically deep as it as well.
Well she would probably be seeing a lot more of him now that she had saved him. And since she found the bracelet she figured she should head for her tavern, mostly just to see that he didn’t get lost on the way there as there was a high chance that ridiculous man had ended up wandering into strange places.
-
Well at least he had found the tavern alright. He had found a seat at the end of the bar, and his face practically lit up when he saw her. It was…kind of nice to come back to that kind of energy. But she didn’t want to express that so she rolled eyes as she ducked behind the bar. She started heading for her kitchen but stopped when the man she saved asked with surprise, “Oh, so this is your tavern?”
“Yes it is my tavern. You got a problem with that?” She narrowed her eyes at him, but he simply turned to look around as he said carefreely, “Not at all, ‘tis nice.”
She knew it was a compliment without the flirtatious wink, that was entirely unnecessary and far too charming. To hide her blush as she turned back to the kitchen and said, “Thank you,” before rushing into it.
Ah, she had been in such a hurry she had forgotten to ask if he would like food. She could at least make him wait for a moment as she put her bracelet in her room, though after that she walked back into the tavern, hopped on the raised wooden railing on the inside so she could easily reach the bar, and slammed a menu on the bar as she asked him exasperatedly, “What would you want to eat?”
He took the menu curiously, then lit up with a surprised gasp as he said, “Oh, this all looks amazing!”
It wasn’t the first time she had been complimented on her spread of dishes, but for some reason it felt different coming from him. Perhaps because he was obviously a wealthy merchant? Surely he was used to fine food, probably better than hers anyway. But well…perhaps she should impress him.
Even if that would likely only make him follow her like a puppy forever.
-
The dish he picked was a simple meat stew. Very warm and hearty, a perfect fit for a man shivering in wet clothes. She would have offered him dry ones but a man had essentially never stepped foot in her house so she had zero items of male effects.
Food though, she had decent enough amounts. Barely enough really, she didn’t have the gil for excess stores. But she would get by, she always did. And the village had been nice enough to cover the ingredients she burned through when she was still learning how to cook. By now she was an expert at bringing out the best flavor while using the least resources possible.
Sometimes when she cooked it felt like magic, and sometimes people told her it tasted like magic too. It was probably just skill and it wasn’t like anyone here would really know what good food was. If anyone could really tell her how good she was at cooking…it would probably be him.
-
She noticed that bright smile on his face again when she brought his food out, and she would have rolled her eyes but she didn’t want to risk tripping. She tried not to be too nervous when she casually slid the plate down the table with it landing right in front of him. You would think she just performed a magic trick with the amount of pure wonder on his face. Why did he have to be so adorable?
She leaned an arm on the table as she looked over at him, still trying not to be nervous as she said, “Probably ain’t anything special, but I would appreciate an honest opinion on it.”
“So you wish me to critique your hard work?” He sounded very teasing, and she didn’t want to hear it so she gave an annoyed huff.
He took it rather seriously, which was a surprise to her. He sipped the broth first before trying the meat separately, then tried them together. She couldn’t help feeling nervous as he hummed in thought, she almost wondered if he was trying to make her anxious.
She was starting to fidget before her customer gave her a smile, and he stirred the stew slightly as he said, “Both aspects are savory alone, and balanced well when put together. ‘Tis a very flavorsome combination, but not overtly overwhelming, and the aftertaste is perfectly mellow. Very pleasing to the palate, you have much talent.”
Wow. She had expected him to enjoy it simply because it was the work of someone he clearly fancied, but that was actually very professional. She didn’t even know some of those fancy words but they sounded good. And it made her chest warm with pride over the fact that she had impressed someone with an elegant palate. Some of that warmth went to her cheeks as she heard him ask flirtatiously, “May I know the name of the lovely chef that made such high quality food?”
She looked away for a moment, leaning her back against the bar and propping herself up with her elbows. Honestly she wasn’t sure she wanted him knowing her name, but she was intensely curious as to his. So she looked over to him with a stubborn glance as she said, “How about you tell me yours first?”
That adorable man looked surprised, then gave her a smile as he leaned towards her. She leaned away from him slightly to keep the same distance, but it would not spare her his charm as he said, “That is not the typical pattern of introductions but very well. I am Tajinaji Naji of the East Aldernard Trading Company. And you are…?”
He had slightly bowed as he introduced himself, though it only made her eyes grow wide with surprise. That was such an esteemed affiliation, particularly for such a useless man. Though, it should be no surprise that one such as he could be very competent in the field of bargains but have little common sense.
She again felt she didn’t want him knowing her name, but she chose to share for the sake of politeness. Though she was rather hesitant and avoided eye contact as she replied, “Mimieni Mimi. What’s a merchant like you doing in Swiftperch?”
“Well I certainly was not planning to stop here, but then I saw you.” Dammit he was far too charming for her not to blush from such a romantic statement. He was really willing to just drop everything to pursue her? She just had to get away from him, so she looked away and muttered, “You really are stupid,” before scrambling back to the kitchen.
-
Tajinaji watched her retreat with a wistful expression, and it didn’t leave even when she had disappeared. He was really tempted to follow her, manners be damned. He wanted to be in her company again.
Though it seemed that his present company had the same mind as him at some point, as the man to his left nudged him with his elbow as he joked, “Trying to win her over eh? Hope you know every bloke who’s tried either got slapped or hit with that cat’s frying pan.”
Tajinaji gave him a slight glare for almost knocking the stew he was currently enjoying off the bar, though he hardly seemed to notice. Probably because the man to the left of him burst out laughing before taking a swig as he said, “Hells, I sure remember that frying pan comin’ for me. She’s the spiciest woman I e’er met.”
He certainly took note of that. After all, he would very much like to see her beat people with a frying pan. She would certainly look beautiful while doing so, and as his mind filled completely with her alluring beauty and confident personality he sighed and noted, “Well, she has not hurt me yet. Call it personal taste, but that “spiciness” as you call it is very attractive.”
Silently, Tajinaji slipped off his stool. His empty bowl came with him, and then…
“Ain’t she- Where in the blazes did that bloke go!?”
The two men looked at the empty chair in complete shock, and Tajinaji gave a slightly prideful smile before slipping into the kitchen.
Manners be damned, he wanted to see her again.
-
Hmmm. This soup could use a couple more carrots, but she didn’t have too many to spare…
She was debating tossing in a few more popotos, though that might be overkill…
She was startled out of her thoughts by the slight creak of the door, and immediately her heart knew who it was before she even had to look up. But she was still wildly surprised to see that he had infiltrated her kitchen so quietly to place his empty bowl beside the sink. That he even had the balls to come in here was positively shocking, though she had the good sense to take the soup away from the flames before she rushed over to him and shouted, “Get out of here! You ought to know you shouldn’t intrude in a lady’s kitchen!”
She was fully intending to physically push him out and block the door, but she stopped in front of him as he said, “Will you truly blame me for wishing to share in your wonderful company again?”
If his words hadn’t surprised her, her hand suddenly being caught by his slightly calloused ones would have been more than enough to catch her in a completely shocked stare.
But it only took a moment to recover her senses, and when she had she immediately pulled away with a heavy blush. She kept her hand close to her chest as she glared at him, but she couldn’t keep doing so for long. Mainly because his stupidly beautiful face was graced with a perfectly charming smile, and it embarrassed her too much for her to even keep her eyes on it. So she looked away, stubbornly exclaiming, “You’re horrible!”
“Horrible?” She didn’t have to see his face to know he was pouting, and she couldn’t deny that he was making her feel things she hadn’t felt before. He was trapping her in a losing battle, self isolation suddenly meeting an intense desire to be as close as possible. Everything he did was horribly good at breaking down her walls, and she paced away from him as she shouted, “Yes, horrible! Horribly charming, horrible at not staring at me constantly and horrible at not catching my hand every second!”
“Well if that is how you view me I must be doing something right.”
She whirled around with a clear glare, though it made no effect on him. He was still smiling at her, one foot on its heel as he put a hand on his hip. She was tempted to growl as she stormed back towards him, but her furious steps stopped halfway as he gave her a concerned look.
She wasn’t used to that look coming from him. The slight furrow of his brow as his smile faded caught her off guard, and as she stopped he locked eyes with her as he said, “I imagine your mistrust with touches comes from a suppressed desire for them.”
Shite. She didn’t like how right he was about that. Since she hadn’t known her father and her mother had passed all too soon she hadn’t let anyone else get that close to her, leaving her touch starved. She didn’t like how right he was, and she especially didn’t like how he had seemed to read her like an open book. It was frightening honestly, to have someone guess your secrets so easily. So she gave him a very reproachful look mixed with a nervous voice as she said, “That…is a very personal observation.”
There was silence for a moment. Just a few seconds of staring at each other, though it was mostly him staring. The concerned look had not faded in the slightest as he seemed to scrutinize her, looking for other observations. That’s what it felt like, and the hand she still kept curled to her chest was tightening as she tried not to be too anxious about being subject to his analytical gaze. She hadn’t known he could look that serious, it was so different from before.
Those seconds eventually passed though, and when they did he gave her a charming and carefree smile as he casually shrugged and walked towards her. The smile did make her a little less anxious, and as he approached he said soothingly, “I suppose that is, I pray you will forgive me for that. Though I will not beg your forgiveness for this.”
His voice suddenly reached a teasing air at the end of his sentence, and he was now directly in front of her. She wasn’t entirely sure what to do, so she remained rather frozen until…
Slightly calloused hands wrapped around hers once again, and she nearly fell against him when he pulled her into him. They were so close, very nearly in an intimate embrace as he gently kissed her cheek.
It was so soft…
Comforting, almost similar to the feeling in vague dreams of those she missed…
Damnit, he was leading her into a false sense of security again! She couldn’t afford to let him this close again, even doing so for a few seconds had made her blush to her ears. She had felt him keeping her hands suspended, but he gently brought them down as he softly nuzzled her head in such an adorable way.
Adorable and comforting and charming as he was, she refused to let him break down her walls! He was far too close for her to effectively handle him, so she pushed away as much as she had to in order to escape his comfortable hold. He gave her another adorable pout that only added fuel to the fire that was her burning cheeks, but she managed to summon every bit of fury in her as she stomped over. He looked more lovestruck the closer she got, and she didn’t want to see it so she turned him around and started pushing him towards the door as she shouted stubbornly, “Get out! Out out out!”
She managed to shove him out the door as he started laughing, and she gave a stronger push than almost threw him off balance before slamming the kitchen door.
Ugh. That summed this up pretty well, and she leaned her back against the door as she brought her hands up to her mouth.
“!!!!?”
Her muffled squeal wasn’t quite enough to get rid of her lingering embarrassment, or the heavy blush that was still on her face. In pure frustration she kicked the door before stomping back towards her pot of soup as she practically shouted, “Stupid!”
It was in reference to him and his utter audacity…but also to her, because she was falling for him.
-
He knew it was rude of him to laugh at her embarrassment, but she really was adorable when she was caught off guard. And he was surprised that even with her violent lashing out to save her from further embarrassment, she had still not slapped him yet. Honestly for his forwardness she probably should have slapped him, but seeing as she hadn’t perhaps he had a chance.
He was still laughing as he returned to his previous seat, and the two men that had talked to him earlier immediately asked, “Where’d you go that got you laughin’ li’e that?”
“To the kitchen, of course. It was fairly forward of me, but I managed a kiss on her cheek and still have not been injured for it.”
If Tajinaji had something to drink he would definitely be sipping it in the most self assured way possible. But he didn’t so he gave a simple smug smile as he cast his eyes towards the kitchen again. As he did he heard the man on the far left nearly choke on his drink, mostly because the man directly to Tajinaji’s left had elbowed him as he stated, “Did’ya hear that!? Someone just might be able to catch the wildcat!”
Wildcat? Had they no sense of chivalry? They didn’t really look like they did, and the way they talked was even worse. No wonder she hit them with a frying pan.
Humorous as that was, his gaze was extremely reproachful as he stated, “I believe I may see why she is not fond of you.”
“Wha’s that s’possed to mean?” The man on the far left was getting so drunk he was surprised he hadn’t passed out by now, especially with the slurring of his words. These were certainly not the type he enjoyed talking to, though he was a bit used to it as an informant. He had no reason to be cordial here though, so he said with a hard glare, “Women do not enjoy being compared to base animals. And such statements ill suit such a lovely lady.”
“Ahem.” He was looking at them so he was surprised by Mimieni’s sudden appearance, but not by the obvious blush on her cheeks. She tried not to bring too much attention to it by blatantly avoiding eye contact as she leaned on the bar and asked, “Would you like some water or somethin’?”
“You offer me water in a tavern?” He raised an eyebrow at her as he crossed his arms, but his smile was as cheeky as could be. That earned him a hard glare, and her voice was full of frustration as she said, “You are enough of a problem without alcohol.”
He couldn’t help chuckling at that, and her eyes narrowed before she looked back to her kitchen. He noticed a considerable softening in her frown as she nearly muttered, “I suppose I could do hot chocolate.”
Though she said it quietly the other two men had heard, and the one on the immediate left joked, “Ooh, she’s pullin’ out the fine drinks for ‘im! Must of really got ‘er!”
Though Tajinaji had glanced in his direction, most of his attention was taken by Mimieni’s swiftly growing rage. He saw the glint of a frying pan leaving her belt, and he immediately smiled as she hopped onto the counter. He certainly couldn’t take his eyes off her when she brought her frying pan to the side, then with a cataclysmic swing she hit the man squarely in the side of the head. Tajinaji ducked as the man went flying over him and smashed into the wall, completely unconscious with an almost comical lump on his head
He couldn’t help snickering at the sight, but his eyes flew back to Mimieni because she had jumped up with the frying pan high above her head and a dangerous glint in her eyes before it came down on the drunkard’s head. He immediately blacked out and crashed to the floor, and Mimieni kicked his drink to spill all over him as she muttered, “Stupid bastards.”
“Wow…”
Her eyes snapped to him, and he propped his head up with his elbow in his lap as he said wistfully, “That was quite impressive.”
She blushed, ears almost turning red before she spun her frying pan on a single finger as she muttered, “They had it comin’.”
“That they did,” he replied with the same wistful tone, and he swore she gained another layer to her blush before she hopped off the counter and scampered back to the kitchen with nary a word.
-
It took about 10 minutes for the tavernkeep to return with a steaming cup of hot chocolate, and as she placed it before him he said casually, “I admit I cannot remember when last I had this drink, or even if I ever have. Having lived in a desert such drinks are rare, but we always know the worth of a product.”
The statement earned him a curious stare, and he rustled a bit in his tunic before producing a sack of coins and tossing it onto the table. She immediately gasped, and before she could say anything he smiled and said, “I pray you did not expect me to allow you to give me such a luxury for free.”
“B-but is this not a bit much?” She took the sack in her hands and seemed very surprised by the weight, and he was fairly certain she didn’t have the talent of being able to accurately judge exactly how much gil was in a sack so she wouldn’t know how much it was. He had judged it carefully though, and he took a sip before he said, “Kakara beans should be a bit difficult to get here, so I added a bit more to the typical market price. Milk, on the other hand, should not have been too difficult to get, though its typical market price is around 56 gil. If you were being paid for the amount of time you spent on it that would add at least a hundred, I took it up to 130. All that is to say I paid exactly what it was worth, as any good merchant should.”
She was still very shocked, and he asked, “Does no one here actually pay what they should? It hardly looks like he even intends to pay.”
His voice was very humorous as he pointed to the man currently unconscious and covered in liquor, and he actually got her to laugh.
It was just a snicker, mostly covered by a hand. But it still sounded wonderful, somewhere between loudly rowdy and softly lady-like. He let out an appreciative sigh, and she abruptly stopped as her cheeks turned rosy once again. That was disappointing, so he pouted as he said, “Oh do not stop, your laughter is wonderfully captivating.”
She accidentally let out another little giggle, and he let out another appreciative sigh before she reached over and covered his mouth as she exclaimed, “Stop that! Are you even capable of saying something that doesn’t involve embarrassing me!?”
It was nice to feel her warm hand, even if it was clamped over his mouth. He probably looked like he enjoyed it too much with the way he completely relaxed with a happy hum. Her chocolate eyes opened wide before suddenly retracting her hand, and she immediately looked away as she asked, “Are you completely useless!? Did you even try to stand up for me?”
He could almost feel phantom warmth on his face from her hand, it was much too comforting for any insult to reach him. And besides, it was unwarranted. He could have beat them senseless himself, though he wasn’t fond of showing off his strength. People might ask too many questions when they see a simple merchant take people out with his bare hands so easily. Her, on the other hand, seemed to be known for this so it wasn’t odd at all. He could really use that, it would be very helpful to his alibi…
And, well, she looked absolutely divine while doing it. If there were ever a goddess of war and destruction, surely it would look like her. The dangerous glint in her eye was certainly enough to stir his heart, he would dare to say he was a bit scared but also intensely attracted to her. She could clearly handle herself, and from how quickly she had turned to violence she might have even wanted to do it. It would be rude to deny her that, so he simply took a sip of the hot chocolate before he said, “I did not wish to deprive you of the opportunity for retribution.”
She looked at him quizzically, and in a spot of silence he took another sip of the perfectly balanced drink in his hand. He was waiting to hear what was on her mind, and after a couple other seconds of silence she asked hesitantly, “What does retribution mean?”
She looked intensely embarrassed, but in a more humiliated way. That wasn’t a good look on her, so he leaned forward to catch her gaze more as he explained with absolutely zero judgment, “It is a synonym for revenge, with a slightly different meaning. Revenge is getting even, retribution is getting what they deserve. I personally believe you did a fantastic job of delivering retribution. Better than I would have, anyhow.”
She broke eye contact with him, though he noticed a bit of pride in her smile as she said, “Well, I suppose they did deserve that. I ought to clean up that mess, I suppose…”
She sighed, then retreated to the kitchen, to grab a mop he assumed. He was actually looking forward to seeing what she did with the unconscious, insensitive idiots she had sent crashing to the floor…
-
After Mimieni finished dragging the two inebriated sacks of shite out the door and into the mud she closed the doors and took to mopping up the spilled liquor and cleaning the tables and counters. All the while she tried her best to ignore the fact that Tajinaji was watching her. He at least hadn’t bothered her with more romantic commentary as she finished her closing tasks, though as she wiped the sweat from her brow and scrutinized the room for other problem spots she did discover a problem.
What in the seven hells was she supposed to do with him?
He seemed very ill inclined to leave, though just to be certain she asked casually, “Well, tavern’s closed now so are you gonna leave or what?”
“If you will pardon my intrusion, I would rather not leave your hospitality just yet.” He smiled at her, and though she was tempted to kick him by the rear out the door she wasn’t sure what he would do if she did. Would a useless man like him be able to find a bed somewhere? And in this weather? He’d get soaked again in the downpour, so it seemed she really was stuck with him here.
“Well, I don’t know what you intend on sleeping on here. Only got my own bed, which you are not sleeping in.” She gave him a stubborn glare just to make sure he didn’t get any funny ideas, and he shrugged which she took to mean he at least understood that. But what else could he sleep on?
Her eyes scanned the room again, and off to the side she discovered something useful she had almost forgotten about.
She had a couple sofas at the far edges of the room. Hardly anyone used them, hence why she had nearly forgotten, but they should be enough to sleep on. Once she noticed she pointed to one on the left side of the room as she demanded, “You will sleep there. Any objections?”
He followed her point with his eyes before he hopped off his stool with a humorous, “None whatsoever.”
He walked over just to test the comfortability, and as he sat down he said happily, “Oh, these are rather pleasant to sit on!”
He thought they were comfortable? Someone with his apparent wealth must surely be used to things more lush than her makeshift couches, it was quite a compliment to her handy work. It wasn’t a skill she was confident in, so she looked off to the side with embarrassment as she said, “Oh it’s nothing fancy, I just did what I could with dodo feathers…”
“I admire your humility but ‘tis truly unnecessary. Have you felt it yourself?” He gave her a smile as he kicked off his shoes, and her face grew slightly more red as she stated, “Well, not really. But you may enjoy it while I find a blanket for you. You did fall in the water earlier after all.”
She disappeared into her kitchen again, then through a door and up the stairs to her bedroom. A simple room really, anyone other than a Lalafell would have trouble even standing in it. A glass window to the side gave her a view of the ocean, and the rain pattering against it was soothing. Her bed had no frame, it was simply a dodo feather mattress on the wooden floor. She had a few blankets though, the weather could get quite cold in the autumn and winter months. She grabbed one of them to bring with her, but as she reached the doorway, she stopped.
Why did he have to keep getting close to her? The last time anyone had was her mother, and as much as she tried to forget the feeling of cuddling with someone who cared about you, deep down she really missed those days. The nights where she would curl into her mother’s warmth in this tiny little attic room, listening to the pattering of rain on the window as they cuddled together under the blankets…
And now he was reminding her of it. Why did he have to be so utterly taken with her that he would spend so much effort breaking through the walls surrounding her self isolated heart? At least she could get rid of him in the morning, though knowing him he would just come back to her.
-
As Mimieni returned to the tavern with the blanket she noticed that Tajinaji was removing most of the gold embellishments of his tunic for the sake of comfortability, meaning a good portion of his chest was bare. She tried not to let any of her imagination run wild with that information as she approached, almost stumbling on her words as she said, “I-um-brought this. Not fancy or anything but it’s soft enough.”
“Well, that is appreciated.” He stood up to accept the blanket, or at least that’s what she assumed. But he was sneakier than that, and in the space of a blink she was suddenly spun into his arms. She let out a slight yelp as he dragged her onto the sofa, landing her right between his legs as he trapped her in his arms.
Somehow the blanket had ended up over them, she had no idea how he had done any of this. He was useless most of the time, what skill was this that allowed him to capture her in this fashion? As much as she wiggled there was no way out of this, not physically anyway. And she knew it was a waste of breath to protest but she did summon as much indignation as possible as she demanded, “Let me go, you ruffian!”
“Ruffian? I consider myself more of a handsome rogue.”
His voice was entirely humorous as he adorably nuzzled her again, and though she was completely captured she wasn’t uncomfortable. Far from it really, his arms were not painfully tight around her, just tight enough to keep her from leaving while also feeling strangely…safe? Like he wouldn’t let anything touch her, as long as she stayed in his arms…
Dammit, there was the false sense of security again! She tried to wiggle again, and his arms tightened slightly before he softly kissed her cheek again.
So soft…
She was definitely in a losing battle. So many of her walls were breaking, it was exhausting to keep fighting this siege. She was so tired, and he was so warm…
She didn’t want to sleep, but damn if he wasn’t cozy…
-
Was that…twittering? She swore she heard some sort of bird, and it was enough for her to softly rise from the depths of sleep. She could hardly remember the last time she was so well rested, or this warm…
Wait.
The events of last night flashed through her mind, and she immediately shot up as she realized she had literally slept with a man. All bundled up in his arms and everything, and she actually slept well!
The second she had moved she heard a sort of mumbled groan as arms tightened around her again, and she wiggled about relentlessly as she muttered, “Let go of me already!”
“Must I? ‘Tis wonderful to have an angel in my arms.”
A deep blush graced her cheeks, and with the pure power of embarrassment she yanked herself out of his arms and onto her feet. She heard him whine slightly as she left his arms, though she chose to ignore it with a very obvious huff. She heard a slight chuckle from behind her, then she heard him note, “I am surprised you actually fell asleep in my arms.”
She was too, but though she couldn’t deny that she had, she could shift the blame. She immediately spun on her heel and glared him down as she said with pure indignation, “It’s not my fault you’re comfortable! And don’t you have somewhere else to be!?”
He sighed, despondent replying, “I suppose I do,” before adding with his typical charm, “But I will not leave without a proper goodbye.”
He began to rise, and she didn’t want to give him another opportunity to lure her into him so she gathered the blanket and immediately ran through the kitchen door and up to her room. There she discovered something…
They blanket didn’t just smell like her anymore. It smelled like him…
Well, she would have to fix that later. For now she tossed it on the bed, then made her way to the kitchen. She stopped at the doorway again, but only because she noticed something on the dresser.
The shell bracelet he made her drop yesterday. Nothing special, and not the sort of thing he would normally wear…
It just might be a good test to see how much he cared about her if he ever came back.
So she grabbed it, and raced down to the kitchen to put some sort of packed lunch together for him, slipping the bracelet inside. Then she exited the kitchen, wondering what state she would find him in.
Thankfully he was fully dressed now, and she hurried over to shove the lunch in his hands as she said quickly, “This should keep you fed, now get out of here!”
She literally shoved him towards the door and kept pushing until he reached the doorway, but then he turned and caught her hands. She was startled by it, and he gently held her hand as he said charmingly, “I will return as soon as my business is concluded, and you will not leave my thoughts until I do.”
He gently kissed the back of her hand, like a perfect gentleman. She had never met a gentleman before, perhaps that was part of why she was falling so quickly. She was perfectly unused to this and unsure of what in the world she was supposed to do other than blush and escape. So with a deep red face she yanked herself out of his grasp and shouted, “Do as you will!” before slamming the door.
She listened for retreating footsteps, which she heard after a very humorous chuckle. Once she was positive he had left she leaned her forehead against the door and thought to herself, what have I gotten myself into?
-
“So, I ‘eard some bloke gave ye a kiss on yer cheek?”
Mimieni almost dropped a pitcher of liquor on the floor when she heard Floernahtyn speak, but she managed to recover it as she blushed, and she set it on the counter with a very obvious huff as she exclaimed, “The nerve of that man!”
Internally she thought that he had actually kissed her on the cheek twice, but she certainly wasn’t letting anyone else know that. Since Floernahtyn was one of the men in the village that practically raised her he was a little concerned as he asked, “He didn’t hurt ye did he?”
Of course not, every single thing he did was nothing but soft. And charming, and comforting…and he was far too beautiful for his own good. How bloody dare he do all that to her, and as she leaned against the bar she said with pure disdain, “How dare he be that handsome and charming…”
Immediately Floernahtyn burst out laughing, and as she crossed her arms and huffed he said, “Oh yes, the nerve of that man for makin’ our Mimieni fall in love!”
“I am not in love!” She slammed her fist on the counter as she leaned over, getting right in her foster father’s face as she glared at him, putting every bit of her being into denying the obvious truth. Floernahtyn took a swig of his drink as she backed down slightly, then as he set his mug down he asked, “Where’d ye get that earin’?”
Earring? What earring-
In pure confusion she reached up to touch her ears, and on her left ear she discovered…an earring?
“What the-how did-how did he do that!?” Her thoughts were faster than her words as she suddenly panicked, and she hopped off the bar and headed for the kitchen she heard Floernahtyn say casually, “Looks good on ye. You deserve nice things, lass.”
-
She hadn’t noticed him give her anything, but as she looked in the mirror in her tiny room she certainly couldn’t deny that she hadn’t put this earring on. It was relatively humble, but she still didn’t have anything else this nice. The brass clip decorating her ear had a diamond set in steel hanging from it, something unyieldingly beautiful coming from humble beginnings…
How did he manage to give her such a fitting gift so secretly? And suddenly? Whatever skills he had, he was a master of using them to surprise her. She almost wondered if the earring was enchanted in some way, because suddenly she couldn’t think of anything but him. There was nothing she could do to deny it this time, so she fell onto her dodo feather mattress with a defeated sigh.
Maybe if she was willing to let herself give in a bit, she could imagine cuddling with him here…
-
Eventually she had to return to the tavern, and as she left the kitchen she heard a now rather familiar voice say, “Oh, she noticed it?”
Had he really come back that soon?? She vaguely considered hiding behind the bar but by some hidden talent of his he seemed to know she had come back and noted, “Sounds like she has returned.”
Did he have sensitive hearing? He had already found her basically so she sighed as she hopped up on the railing behind the bar again and looked down on him as she said accusingly, “Yes I noticed your sneaky little gift.”
Despite her tone he simply shrugged, then smiled as he asked, “Dare I hope ‘tis to your liking?”
She loved it. Would she say that? Absolutely not.
Instead she leaned on her elbows, fixing him with a curious stare as she asked, “Can you really afford to just give away something like this?”
He folded his arms, looking down with a slightly embarrassed look, but he eventually looked up at her and gave a shrug as he said, “I will not claim it was wise, but I have no regrets.”
He gave her a wink, and she blushed before she noticed something. At least she did thought she did, but she would need to get closer to be completely sure. So she leapt over the bar, landing solidly on her feet with her eyes completely trained on his wrist.
“You actually wore it…”
On his wrist was the shell bracelet she gave him, her test to see if he actually cared enough about her to wear something so wildly different from his typical aesthetic. She would have thought it too childish for him to actually wear, but he had actually worn it…
He knew what she was talking about, and he gently brushed a thumb across it as he smiled and said, “Well, people usually do wear gifts given by those they love.”
Mimieni stepped back in surprise, completely caught off guard by him using such a powerful word. The pure surprise made her stutter as she said, “L-love? You don’t know me that well!”
They literally met yesterday, and he was already in love with her!? Even though she had done everything to push him away, and he still fell in love with her!? Her heart was starting to beat faster as blood went to her face, and he was surprisingly delicate as he said, “Well I would dare say I have a decent grasp of your personality by now, and a few things you like to keep hidden.”
Dammit, he had judged her so well. How did he discover her weaknesses and secret desires so quickly? She was both nervous and very judgmental as she said, “Most people don’t like other people reading them like a book.”
To his credit he actually looked a bit sheepish, and he nervously rubbed the back of his neck as he said, “Apologies, I have simply read enough books on the topic of the mind.”
He read books? Did merchants have that kind of time? She would have thought the merchant’s life was very busy, but he continued to surprise her with sophisticated hobbies. How did he do such things and still have no common sense!? Her surprise was incredibly obvious, and he added charmingly, “I certainly do not have the look of a scholar, do I? I will not claim to have much interest in studies but there are a few topics I have great interest in. Carriage rides can be rather boring as well.”
She really wasn’t used to such a sophisticated way of speaking. Nobody around here would use words like that, and she swore she hadn’t heard him use a single contraction. His speaking was concise, and she noticed a clear pattern of keeping a higher, more emphatic tone at the beginning of his sentence, but over the course of a sentence it mellowed out into an even and comfortable tone. It was captivating honestly, though she should have expected that from a merchant. If it was a means of impressing her it was certainly working, but she wouldn’t tell him that so she gave him a reproachful look as she said, “You have a rather fancy way of talkin’.”
“This how all Ul’dahn merchants speak. ‘Tis most of the reason all business deals take at least half a bell.”
His perfect delivery of that line, carefree and slightly indignant, just did something to her. Suddenly…
She started laughing. And not a simple, short laugh. It was a full fit, high pitched laughter nearly taking her to the floor. She couldn’t remember the last time she laughed this hard, but it was definitely a while as Floernahtyn immediately noted, “Been a fair while since she laugh li’e that.”
“Glad to be of service. I actually have another gift for you.” He had properly bowed to her as her laughter stifled out, and she was surprised when he suddenly took her hand. It didn’t stay long, though she found when his hand pulled away she was now holding some sort of receipt.
She knew how to read, mostly. Numbers at least, but she had never seen a number this big. That was a lot of zeroes…
Perhaps her confusion was obvious, because Tajinaji inched a little closer as he explained, “Proof of payment for 3 months worth of supplies, courtesy of Lolorito. A gift of gratitude for saving my life.”
Mimieni simply gasped while Floernahtyn spit out his drink before shouting, “Lolorito!? Like Lord Lolorito!? How in the blazes do’you know ‘im!?”
“Ah, he does have quite the reputation, does he not? We have been the closest of friends for nigh on 30 summers now, none may know him better than I.”
His words incited a stunned silence, but there was a very curious question in Mimieni’s mind. One she eventually brought forth as she asked, “How old are you?”
He looked surprised for a moment, but it melted into a smile as he stated casually, “42 summers, nearly exactly.”
Wow. He certainly didn’t look that old, she would have guessed 10 summers less than that. Tajinaji didn’t need to ask for her age, as Floernahtyn said humorously, “Ah, not much older than her then! She be but 2 summers younger.”
She gave him just a bit of a glare for sharing that without her consent, though she was surprised when Tajinaji took her hand again as he noted, “You certainly have much life in you, having seen that many summers.”
“So do you,” she replied with a stubborn huff, which made him chuckle as Floernahtyn looked upon them fondly. Then a deep blush came to her cheeks as the old Roedygan said, “We was worried she’d never fall in love, but maybe there’s hope fer the girl yet.”
Now that was as rude as it was embarrassing, and she stomped both her feet as she shouted, “Get out of here!”
Floernahtyn just laughed, and as she glared at him she heard Tajinaji start to snicker. Her glare immediately snapped to him, and he gave her a smile as he said humorously, “I fear I have heard much the same thing.”
Suddenly his gaze fell, and his blue eyes clouded with sadness as he said, “I likely would have been forced into an arranged marriage, had I not been my mother’s sole caretaker.”
So…he had felt the sting of a parent’s passing as well…
Part of her was vaguely aware that her hand was still caught in a warm and comforting hold, and that part of her opened a gate through her walls. For some unknown reason her heart decided to spill her own feelings in return, though she attempted to sound apathetic as she said quietly, “I never knew my pa, and my ma died when I was 4 summers old. So the village raised me.”
There was silence for a moment, and Mimieni almost felt as if she would cry. His hand gently holding hers was not helping, the sense of security and the gentle circles his thumb was drawing on the back of her hand were making it hard to focus on keeping herself together.
Unexpectedly, Tajinaji broke the silence to note, “Well, at least I do not have to ask for your parent’s blessing! Though, asking the whole village is a much more daunting endeavor.”
Dammit, that tone made her laugh again. He still held her hand through her laughter, though her laughter ended in an embarrassed sputter as Floernahtyn stated, “She be me daughter in all but blood, an’ ye have me blessin’.”
Good gods, had he just basically offered her up to him? This entire system of asking for a blessing was so strange to her, just being a simple village girl and not the daughter of someone with wealth. It wasn’t like she had a dowry or anything, and they weren’t necessarily heading straight into marriage. She really wasn’t sure what to make of the whole situation, and she was surprised when Tajinaji took her other hand to pull her just a step closer. Their arms were almost linked as their fingers intertwined, and a deep blush came to her cheeks from his charming smile.
She really was unused to chivalry, she had only heard about it in books so experiencing it here was honestly very charming. And he was a perfect gentleman as he brought their intertwined hands up to to gently kiss her knuckles before saying happily, “I pray I will be able to bring you to Ul’dah some time in the future. I would love for you to meet my mother, and see my home, as I have seen yours.”
That was so…sweet. So wonderfully heartwarming and innocent, a completely genuine statement full of love. His hands felt so warm, and his gaze was so perfectly disarming that the last thing she wanted right now was to rebuild her walls. She felt just safe enough to let her guard down a bit, and she slightly ducked her head as she said bashfully, “I would like that.”
His smile was so bright and puppy-like, it made her heart blossom with warmth. It reminded her of being in his arms, and her earlier daydreams that she didn’t think could actually come true. But maybe they could…
“There’s actually something I would like to show you…”