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With the sun shinning bright atop Tuliyollal, G'raha Tia had awaken and gotten out of the small cabin he had been given after arriving — immediately making his way down the markets and smiling at the people doing business and peddling their goods to everyone, while also giving a small head bow towards any soldier of the Landsguard who happens to see him going about his day, something that continues to make him a bit shy and also proud of what the Scions have done to help, even in a last minute emergency, even if one could argue they seemed to always get involved in those.
Regardless, seeing the city and its citizens alive and well, ready to move forward and not allow tragedy to mark them forever, brings to him a certain flash of nostalgia, of another city doing much same no matter how many times they had to face worse and worse odds at survival.
Such were his thoughts until he found someone standing further away, amongst the crowd of people was someone looking at a small stall filled to the brim with what seemed to be varieties of rocks and ores procured from all of Tural — and come to think of it, G'raha had heard about this stall from the Warrior of Light, previously but never visited the actual place until, well, now…because he approached the place and then raised a hand in greeting, "Erenville, I thought you had gone back to Sharlayan."
The Shetona man blinked and then turned around to face the miqo'te, before smiling a bit and nodding, "I did, but fortunately my business was done faster than I had expected and, thus, I was able to return sooner…though, shouldn't I be the one asking the same to you?"
The archon blinked in surprise before chuckling a bit, "I left everything in order back with the Students so I could stay here to provide all the support needed to our friends…and, well…after what happened I think it's fair to say I don't see the need to return just yet when I could just enjoy my trip a bit more — but also, I do admit I wish to help all of you recover properly and to be of further support in case something else happens…considering we still do not know everything about Alexandria and the merging."
Erenville seemed to not react as much to this information for a moment, before he looked down to the ores and crystals in front of him, "You and everyone talk about other worlds and merging of worlds so casually…while I still can't fully wrap my head around what happened…or what I saw there." There's a silence falling over the two of them until a red haired Shetona approached them.
"Is everything alright here? Can I help you with something?"
Erenville looked at the other man and smiled, politely, "All is good Shunye, I was just wondering if you could help me find a pink colored crystal I am looking for a commission I wish to make." Those words made G'raha curious but the miqo'te refrained from comenting on it.
Shunye on the other hand nodded slowly and then went to the back of the store, "I am pretty sure we have something that may fit this request…is that everything?"
"It is, and thank you…" Erenville then looked over to G'raha, noticing the curiosity plain in his eyes and he shook his head. "I will show you later if you want to know…"
The miqo'te jumped and then blushed a bit before laughing a bit nervous at being caught staring and also at being curious about personal business of the other man, "Sorry, it's just…well, I don't think I've ever seen you commission something for yourself…?" the shetona didn't answer at first, as he was busy grabbing his crystal and paying for it.
After that, Erenville tucked his purchase into a bag he was carrying and then… "I have changed a bit since…going there." There was a long pause, and no need for more words, both of them could understand what place the shetona meant and G'raha closed his eyes for a moment before attempting to speak, but he was stopped by Erenville "…speaking of that…are you busy today?"
Another pause.
"Huh?" The miqo'te exclaimed, as he wasn't sure as to why he would be asked that.
Their travel had been done in a bit of silence until they arrived at Hhusatahwi for a small stop to grab supplies and ask around about how things have been since the attack from the Dome had stopped. "I am glad to see that the people here are a resilient sort…despite everything, they keep going forward…" G'raha says as they're walking towards the tavern but he soon notices that Erenville is no longer walking by his side, so he turns around and looks at the man staring at the sky. "Erenville…?"
The shetona didn't say anything for a moment, just staring up until he started to speak, "Sometimes I cannot believe that…it happened, you know? My mother, the dome, people I know that don't remember her anymore…having gone to a place where even the smallest piece of her remained and…" he looks down, at his own hands. "I did said I want to fulfill her wish, I want to travel, I want to see all of the world since she couldn't…but…it's still…"
"…It's still a challenge to wake up in the morning and realize that all you lived happened…?" The miqo'te asks as he approaches Erenville once more, looking at the man's hands before hesitating a moment and grabbing one, for a moment, "I know it was a lot, and specially for you it must've been a shock to have gone through all of it so fast…and so suddenly, specially with how long your lives are usually…but, I can also say that if you ever need someone to listen to you and to hear your complains, to simply try to make sense of everything…"
"You will be here?" Erenville asks, with a small smile on his face, making G'raha jump a bit and letting go of his hand. "I appreciate the sentiment…though I wouldn't want to send the wrong message to one of our dearest friends." That comment made G'raha tilt his head to the side in a show of confusion before Erenville had to stiffle a chuckle, at least acting a bit more open towards the other man, "I am sure a certain Hero would want more of your attentions?"
As soon as the miqo'te understood, surprisingly, the insinuation on Erenville's voice and words, he went completely red for some unknown reason — and then he felt like he had to explain himself, "Y-you got that wrong! Our friend and me are…well…uh, we're just friends! And I don't…" He sighs. "I admit I may look like I…am a bit…well, you're not the first person to assume this, but I can assure you my feelings for them do not go beyond friendship…and maybe a bit of admiration."
That made the shetona hum a bit, before looking away and just starting to walk, leaving a poor red haired miqo'te all confused and left in a rather embarrassing situation and position, but he soon caught up with him…even if G'raha didn't say anything more for the moment, it was clear that Erenville was thinking about something and for the moment, the shetona wasn't going to reveal more of his thoughts until he made sure to have everything else in order.
G'raha was the one who, this time, stopped in the middle of his tracks and stood in place, looking up at the corrupted sky, at the thunder that would fall suddenly all over the place and there was a hint of determination behind his eyes that seemed completely different from the usual expressions the scholar usually had over his face — yet his thoughts were stopped at the second he felt a hand over his arm, making him turn around just slightly. "Ah…"
Erenville had a serious expression over his features as well, but there was an unspoken question lingering there, a bit of worry and a bit of concern at the unfamiliar expression from the miqo'te, "I must assume this place also bring you back to bad moments…? If you would rather not accompany me…"
G'raha Tia shook his head and smiled, "I said I wanted to accompany you, and…it's not like I have anything else to do…besides, I am honored that you would ask this of me, out of all people…"
Erenville smiled for a second and then moved his hand along G'raha's arm, all the way to his hand and simply held it, "…I must admit I am also surprised by my forwardness in asking you, but I think — for some reason, or maybe for many reasons, I feel like you're the one I want to have there when I…do this."
The situation they both kept referring to was going back to Erenville's house, to his home and leave a small offering — it wasn't really anything of significance for the shetona people, or something he would have done under another circumstance but, rather, something he felt he had to do to come to terms with the events back at Living Memory. A deep and personal goodbye and a promise to come back home, again, to fix things as much as possible and to keep going for his mother — and he wanted company while doing this, while leaving this small offering…andn thus, had invited G'raha Tia.
The miqo'te had asked if it wouldn't have been better to invite Wuk Lamat, or maybe call for their mutual friend, but the shetona had insisted that he would have gone looking for G'raha eventually to invite him regardless…his presence at the market simply made Erenville come faster to the conclusion that he wanted him, here.
Donw the winding path from the station they went, hand in hand and with words left unsaid for the moment, as they both are not the type to express themselves immediately after something like this, and are more likely to be overthinking everything all the way up to what used to be a lively shetona village — and amidst the abandoned and crumbled down houses, there's one in specific that calls to Erenville…and he approaches.
G'raha tries to liberate his hand from Erenville's but all he manages is to have his own squeezed a bit harder and that's all he needs to understand that Erenville needs him, for some reason, as they both enter the house.
Inside the place, there's not much left…probably due to thirty years or so of being left alone and without anyone caring for the place — there's some semblance of furniture around that is crumbling down faster than the exterior of the house, most likely due to the inhospitable conditions the house found itself suddenly. Erenville guides G'raha towards a corner, where it seemed to once be a kitchen and a small place to sit down and eat…it is here where the shetona finally let's go of G'raha's hand and simply walks over to the table, or what remains of it,
Erenville leaves something over the table and then remains in silence for what feels like eternity, an eternity that G'raha refuses to interrupt as he looks around the place that once was a home — and he understands the need to have company in this moment, more than ever…to see this so suddenly and not even having a moment to come inside and actually see what have become of his home…it must have been devastating.
Out of his own volition, the miqo'te approaches Erenville and softly presses his head against the taller man's back…there's no response from Erenville yet, not until a few more moment pass, "I am glad you wanted to come with me…" He says, not turning around or moving at all. "While I am sure Lamaty'i would have loved to be here too, she has her own mourning to do and this was more…personal, I think…I don't know. I just suddenly felt like I wanted someone else here…someone who would understand me just a bit more…"
G'raha wanted to object that, surely, Erenville's childhood friend would be the better option but it sounded like he still had more to say…so he remained in silence and just nodded along.
"What I am trying to say is that, I don't really want someone to smile and tell me to do that…I didn't want to come here and have people who are so bright surrounding me, because I am not like that…I am not a Hero, and I got involved in this when I didn't even wanted to be part of the succession rite at all beyond being a guide…but, but I feel like I have to be better, to strive to be even more than I am and…" He finally looks at the miqo'te slowly turning around to see him and smiling at him, with a hint of something more beyond just gratitude in his eyes, "And I realized that I have started to look up to you, more and more…because you're like them but, not completely…you're a bit more…"
The miqo'te raised an eyebrow, "…Am I gloomy…?" He asked, genuinely concerned with not being cheerful enough.
Erenville shook his head, "Not at all, you're so bright I feel I could burn my eyes by looking at you too much — yet you seem to be a bit more willing to go slow and wait for others, not that everyone else doesn't but…they seem to have learned how to be so cheerful in the face of calamity that…I have no idea how to deal with them. Yet, you remain…a mystery, you're so bright and also you can be so secretive…and so different. I find myself wanting to know more about you because you, yourself, don't reveal much like the others. Yes. I think that's what I wanted to say."
Silence fell.
G'raha slowly seemed to come to an understanding of what he was being told and he chuckled before taking a step back, trying to make sense of his own thoughts and feelings about this situation, "I am not like this because I want to…there's something I, admittedly, keep trying to hide from everyone else or maybe just from myself out of fear that I won't be able to…fit, or that I am just…more changed or less me than I thought initially…but…I am slowly realizing more and more about how much I want to be myself. To find myself in this sea of uncertainty that seems to be neverending."
Erenville shakes his head for a moment and then, after taking a deep breath, as if preparing himself mentally, he moves his hand to gently hold G'raha's face and make him look up. "Would you be willing to let me help you with that? I mean, I am also trying to find the same…maybe if we look together…we can find our answer, together."
The miqo'te blinks, then he feels his cheeks suddenly grow warm as he laughs a bit…but, he raises a hand and covers the one Erenville has over his face. "…I think I am willing to try…if you're so kind to give me this opportunity."
They both remain like this, staring at each other without saying anything else for a few moments, until they begin to laugh a little and nod, realizing this is somewhat embarrassing to the both of them but…as they turn around to bow towards the small offering left in the table, they are holding hands…holding hands all the way to the exit of the house, all the way up the path and even if they're in silence there's no need to say more.
Erenville is not someone who expresses himself so candidly often…and G'raha tends to overthink everything, but they find their comfort in each other's silence at this moment.
"…You know, I just realized…today it must be Valentione's Day back in Eorzea…" G'raha says.
Erenville looks downwards to him, curious to hear what else does he have to say.
"There's worst places to start looking for our answers than that…right? And…well, I think we can start figuring out…this." He raises his hand that is still holding Erenville's "What do you say…?"
The shetona laughs a bit and then nods, "Sure…I think I would trust the words of an archon when it comes to researching fields I am completely new to…"
The miqo'te laughs as well, "I am also new to this field…but I am sure that with such an accomplished gleaner like you by my side, all will be well…"
With their plans made, their hold on each other becomes firmer, as they walk back through the path they had already walked once, but with a new perspective and a new goal in mind — and a new style of adventure awaits them from now on.