"In your defense, most do," the Viera replied. "Viera of the Wood are a bit more... Reticent. Thus we typically do not make show of it."
Which was why Theo said nothing as well. Of course it meant that he overheard many things at any given point and chose not to comment on them. It was one of the issues, being withdrawn, that Theo expressed to the Crystal Exarch not too long ago. Which, Theo was sure that this little fact would catch up to G'raha shortly.
He was just waiting on it. To tease.
"I do commend your ability to maintain the ruse nonetheless."
"I think I was only able to maintain the ruse because you allowed me to." G'raha protests, half laughing. He's a little grateful for it, admittedly, because it made a lot easier to keep the distance that he thought was necessary when he'd been planning to sacrifice himself.
Now he isn't even sure what he's going to do, what's going to happen.
"I suppose it's good that it's out of the way now. We can focus on the important things, like getting your friends back safely to their bodies on the Source."
And figuring out what, if anything, he's supposed to do about this whole soulmate situation.
"Did you really believe you could pull off being a villain?" Theo asked, almost perplexed. "Given everything you have done for the people here and the adoration that they hold for you?"
It was baffling to think that G'raha would ever have been entirely successful. There were too many good deeds done for anyone to not question any selfish motives. Even if Theo wasn't aware of the identity of the man before him, he would have been hard pressed to think poorly of him.
His eyes strayed towards the crowds still gathering in the distance. Completely unaware was he, regarding the situation that still yet plagued G'raha.
"For now I think we have been afforded time to rest. I would not want Lyna hunting me down ere you think about immediately beginning this next project."
G'raha stares at him for a moment, looking equally perplexed, until understanding dawns and he laughs sheepishly, rubbing his arm.
"I- well, um, that's not- I didn't exactly...."
He trails off for a moment, not quite wanting to explain that, actually, he was sort of trying to be the hero, he just clearly wasn't very good at it. He should just leave it to the professionals, clearly.
He clears his throat awkwardly and shakes his head.
"I suppose I was trying too hard to be something I'm not."
He shrugs, then chuckles slightly as Theo continues.
"She can be quite intimidating when she wants to be. Rest sounds like a wonderful idea. For us both."
He tilted his head a bit to the side, as though willing G'raha to continue that train of though. When the Miqo'te didn't, Theo hummed and turned his gaze back towards the Crystarium proper. Towards all of the persons celebrating this night and his own companions that are likely relieved to have reached this point.
Then he spoke again, about Lyna but then about how they would both be resting. At this, Theo turned and looked back at G'raha Tia.
His ears twitched in response. Now one might have felt offended at the secondary statement, but it was somewhat of a relief to Theo. It meant that the man before him was starting to feel more at ease. Less formal and more with that bit of fire that had once existed prior to all of this. It wasn't as though G'raha was wrong either. Theo was rather notorious at escaping rest.
There came an almost resigned sigh. Almost.
"Hopefully not at the expense of yourself. Thus I propose... A compromise."
There's the tiniest hint of guilt in his expression before he can clamp down on it, because he knows full well that he would, in fact, take on everything himself just to spare Theo the interruption - at least, everything he could take on himself. Not that he thinks he'd handle it even half as well, but he'd try.
"And what is this compromise you suggest?" He asks, slightly suspicious that Theo was trying to wriggle his way out of actually taking a break somehow.
Do not think for a moment that the Viera didn't notice that slight shift in the man's expression. However, Theo was polite enough ( at the moment ) to not bring it to the forefront of the conversation. Instead he approached G'raha Tia. Closing the distance between them slightly, Theo had every intention to make this compromise fair.
"I will rest for only so long as you do."
Which meant that, ultimately, the onus would be on one Miqo'te.
G'raha tries to think his way around the proposal for a long moment before finally huffing in something like fond amusement. He knows that's probably going to result in less rest because there'll always be something that needs at least one of them, but at least it's a start - and probably the best he can hope for.
"Alright, you have a deal." He says, holding out his hand to shake. For a moment, he looks and sounds more like his old self, like the G'raha that Theo met in Mor Dhona rather than the Crystal Exarch. It's only a moment, but it's there.
All Theo truly wanted for the other was for him to have the desire to live. To seek that adventure that he so desperately wanted and dreamed of. G'raha Tia didn't need to be some kind of martyr or sacrifice for the greater good. The Scions, and Theo in general, has had simply enough of that. There was no reason to allow another person to meet the same end if it could be prevented.
He took G'raha's hand and gave it a shake, in agreement with the decision with a quirk of his lips. It was good to be able to get his way, even if it was just in this.
G'raha doesn't know what's going through Theo's mind, of course, but if he did he would have to admit that he does, perhaps, have a desire to live after all. It's hard to want to sacrifice yourself when you've met your soulmate, to want your time together to be so brief, but he also has no idea if there's truly another option now. Worse still, there's the possibility that another option would still leave him here on the First and send Theo home - better for the warrior, perhaps, taken to a world where he might still find his own soulmate in the Crystal Tower waiting there, but for G'raha left alone on the First?
If his choices are death or heartbreak, he's truly not sure which he would prefer.
Still, he smiles and nods and enjoys the warmth of Theo's hand grasped in his own.
Of course on that evening, G'raha Tia was not the only one enjoying the warmth of a hand in his. This time he would keep that hand extended. Waiting for the Miqo'te to take. Theo was going to be resolute in his resolve, to aid the other in his endeavor to bring the rest of the Scions back to the Source without his life being forfeit. Hopefully this time G'raha Tia would be able to live a life that would allow him to pursue his own dreams.
Which would potentially come about in a different way. In time, they would find the means to return everyone to the Source. They would resolve some of the issues that plagued the First. There was the discovery that undoing what had been done to the majority of the Shard could be reversed. Where there had been no hope before started to bloom anew in the hearts of the people. Yet Theo stood against one more Ascian, one more being that was simply fighting to bring back all that he had lost. Theo found no fault in such desires and, perhaps, understood the means. There would be loss regardless - either the present or the past. Theo elected for the future instead.
He stood now, in front of the doors to the Crystal Tower on the Source. One more vessel was in his hands. There was one more person that needed to wake from their slumber. Theo held a choice in his hands - one given to him by one that would forever stand watch at the top of a different tower. Across the rift. Yet Theo did not think he would be the one to make the choice, as he ascended the various stairs within. He knew what awaited him at the top - a G'raha Tia that was asleep and unaware of all that had transpired - but the Viera also thought that this should also be his choice as well. To accept the Crystal Exarch was not something that Theo could decide for him.
Theo stopped before the overly large throne, spying G'raha still there. Surely the state of stasis cast upon all within the Crystal Tower would be wearing off shortly. And there he would wait. He would wait for the other to stir before leaving the fate of his vessel in his hands.
When G'raha - as the Crystal Exarch - handed his essence over to Theo, he truly had no idea if it would work. It was a gamble, but what was the alternative? Dying anyway? At least this way there was a chance, some glimpse at a happy ending, how could he not sieze that chance in both hands?
The other him, he reasons, is still him, he remembers the same life up until going into the tower, it's just he has a lot of memories after it as well, but it's not like he's overwriting anything. He's not sure, after all this time, if the him before would see it like that. He's also not sure if he's putting himself at risk, if he'll be robbing Theo of his soulmate twice over. All he can do is pray that's not the case.
As the crystal takes him, his eyes on Theo's face, he's glad the memories contained within the crystal vessel won't contain this part. Wouldn't wish this heartbreak on anyone. Within the hurt, though, there's hope, a fleeting, desperate hope that this won't be the last time, that he'll see Theo again.
Not that the G'raha blinking slowly awake on the source is aware of any of this. He's only aware of the effects of stasis falling away, of gently stretching his arms to ease the stiffness. It feels like barely any time has passed at all, but then he supposes it would do, that's what stasis does.
He's half tempted to pull some dramatic 'who disturbs my slumber' routine, but all thoughts of decorum and drama are driven from his mind when he sees who's waiting for him.
"Theo!" He exclaims, delighted surprise suffusing his tone and etched across his face "It is good to see you again my friend! Oh, but you've barely aged at all, surely it can't be that long since I entered the tower?"
Even to Theo, those final moments atop of the Crystal Tower on the First were painful. Seeing the other so resigned to the inevitable, even while clutching onto the rare hope that these memories would take, had the Viera feeling torn. He felt as though he were missing something important, not that he could tell how the other was feeling about it in return. G'raha was the one to hide his face once more, under hood and glamor. He chose to be the Crystal Exarch in those moments and Theo had little choice but to accept it.
It would be different this time, he told himself, as the Viera approached the young man stretching. Personally, Theo had thought that there would be a dramatic 'who disturbs my slumber' line being thrown at him. Instead there is a tone of delight. Surprise. It was fair, truthfully, since G'raha likely thought Theo would be one of the last persons who might fetch him out of want to see him again. Perhaps the Viera would have come, before all of the trials and tribulations he had face, out of necessity.
His ear flicks as he drew near, looking up and waited for the other to join him. If possible, considering Theo hardly knew how stiff one must feel after stasis. His lip quirks in response - downright expressive for what this G'raha Tia would have known... "
Would you have been able to tell the passage of time based on my appearance alone?" A tease, since Viera age so differently than other Spoken races. "It has not been overly long, G'raha Tia."
G'raha finds himself wondering if perhaps more time had passed than he initially realised, because there's something more expressive about the viera, something... warmer, somehow, unless he's very much mistaken. How much had changed since last they met?
He's admittedly not overly familiar with the Viera as a people, but when the tease comes a memory surfaces from somewhere, a vague recollection about their aging and the accompanying realisation that yes, indeed, it would be difficult to tell for certain how much time has passed. He's about to admit as much when Theo confirms that he was right the first time, even if his logic was faulty.
"Oh... have things changed so quickly, then?" his brow furrows in concern, wondering what brought the warrior to his door so much sooner than expected.
He was trying not to chuckle at the puzzled expression on G'raha Tia. The young man was trying to piece this all together now and it was difficult not to tease him further.
"More than you can imagine." was his reply instead, beckoning with his hand. "I could tell you of it, if you so desire."
"Well yes, of course I do!" G'raha replies immediately, brimming with the youthful enthusiasm he'd managed to temper (mostly) as a Crystal Exarch.
He moves forward in response to the beckoning, eager to hear the explanation. He doesn't think it's anything bad, so he's all interest rather than concern; there's something about Theo's expression that reassures him, some mirth dancing beneath the surface that belies a story and not an oncoming calamity or other catastrophe that required him being awoken.
"It is quite a lengthy one. Are you prepared to remain in here a while yet?"
Theo asked out of concern. He didn't know what G'raha's mindset was at the present moment. The Miqo'te seemed full of life and energy, which a part of him truly did miss seeing all this time. It was a relief to see it once more, but the Crystal Tower didn't hold the best of memories.
G'raha chuckles slightly at the question - he had, after all, intended to stay here for a lot longer than he already has. Glib attitude aside, though, he does understand the reason for asking it, so after a moment he nods.
"Fear not, I am not so eager to abandon my duty as to flee this place the moment I'm awake. I will hear your tale."
Even if he did want to get out of here as soon as possible, the draw of a good story is enough to keep him in place.
now that dawntrail doesn't have me in a vice grip...
"I would hope that you are somewhat eager to leave," Theo chuckled. "Perhaps more so after I finish."
Thus did Theo begin to weave the start of this tale. First, the aftermath of G'raha locking himself in the Crystal Tower and all that would follow. The separation of the Scions and how they had been framed for an act that not a single one of them would think to commit. Theo recounted the events that brought them into Ishgard and being taken in by one of the Houses there. Ysayle and Estinien... How they began and how their understanding grew. On the Viera spared no details regarding the Primals that they faced and then the Ascians behind the plot as well.
Of course there wasn't really too much time to rest between. For no sooner did the Dragonsong War come to a true end, an alliance between man and dragon so that both could be a part of the Eorzean Alliance, than the time came to push Garlemald out of the region once and for all. Theo continued his story, speaking of the different peoples of Doma and their young king. The plans that the Scions needed in order to be successful after their staggering loss - Theo's loss - to Zenos. Yet succeed they did in their endeavors yet again, though this one seemed to be more of a struggle than the last. False Echoes. A brother and a sister at odds until another Primal had been born. Scions mysteriously going unconscious as Garlemald seemed to pause in their own war.
There wasn't merely success to report, unfortunately. At times, sacrifice was needed in order to continue to do what was right. What was needed to be done. Theo made sure to mention all of those that gave of themselves along the way, to the point of giving themselves up. Moenbryda. Minfilia. Haurchefant... The list went on. However, for every loss there was something gained. New allies. New understandings of the foes that they face. A Shard on the brink of ruin being able to be saved.
It was quite a bit to absorb, really. Theo knew this. Though he stopped just short of his first steps into the Crystarium - ending, for the moment, at his awakening upon the First. A moment to breathe and for G'raha to ask what questions he word or if he thought to implore Theo to continue.
ahaha. I've barely had a chance to play! Stupid real life!
G'raha listens with rapt attention as Theo fills him in on everything he's missed - it's a surprising amount given that he didn't think much time had passed, although he has noticed Theo's ability to get dragged into a lot of things very quickly so maybe it isn't that surprising.
It is, of course, just like the stories he grew up reading. The kind of stories he studied as legends and folk tales back in Sharlayan, but brought to life before his eyes - not just in the way Theo tells them, but knowing that he had lived them. It makes his heart ache in a way he doesn't quite understand, something in his soul telling him he should have been there, he should have stayed at Theo's side. He puts it down to his own longing for adventure, and doesn't think more on it than that.
His heart also aches for all the losses Theo has suffered, and he feels a warm admiration for his determination, for his ability to push through all the pain and loss and still be the hero that people needed him to be. It makes him even more impressed than he already was.
When the break in the story comes, it comes full of potential and intrigue, and while G'raha might have had questions or comments before, and indeed may think of them again, later, right now they're overshadowed by the urge to hear the rest of the story, to know what comes next.
"You can't stop there!" He protests before he can think to stop himself, and then smiles sheepishly, ears twitching a little in his embarrassment "I mean, please, I'd like to know what happens next."
Loss, unfortunately, was a normal part of life. So was sacrifice. The world in which Theo was born into as filled with such things. It was not uncommon to hear of another juvenile male to have lost their life coming into his own, nor was it that another laid down their life in protection of a village. Of course any that decided to leave the Wood are also considered as lost and are mourned... A notion that Theo, himself, did not always like to think of. However, it gave him a slightly different perspective - not that he didn't lament such things... Rather accepting what was done and stiving to ensure that such things have meaning.
"I had only paused to allow for questions, but if you so desire for me to continue..."
This was where he took his time, speaking instead of true story weaving. Theo made sure to include that the mage that had brought them there kept his identity unknown. However, the Viera spoke of the city that surrounded this version of the Crystal Tower, taking great care to speak of how the people had adapted and overcome the Flood of Light and the SinEaters that now plagued them all. He relayed the First's plight and how it related to their own, here on the Source. The necessity of it all.
Theo stopped there, though. He produced the soul vessel as he chanced to close the distance between them. "Alternatively, you may seek the truth of it all for yourself. If you wish, that is. Otherwise, I can continue speaking."
Again, he wanted top give the other a choice. Theo didn't want G'raha to feel pressured to take on the soul of the man dwelling within and all of the memories - good and bad. If G'raha did not want the additional burden, then so be it. The Crystal Exarch would trust Theo's judgement and this was what the Viera came up with.
"The soul of the man who made it all possible rests within here, G'raha Tia," he explained. "I did not break into this Crystal Tower, but rather... This served as a key."
G'raha Tia was smart. Theo had no doubt he would understand what the red mage was implying.
His expression remains sheepish but he does nod - he can't deny that he's a little excitable, that he's hungry for news of what Theo has been doing and that the story is thrilling. He has no questions - or, at least, he has a dozen questions but most of them are about minor details that he can ask later, for now he'd like the end of the story - so he nods again, encouraging Theo to continue.
He's equally fascinated by the remainder of the tale, even if Theo is speaking more plainly, especially when he mentions the crystal tower on the First. He already has a dozen questions and theories but he holds his tongue, suspecting that some of them may be answered if he remains patient. He's right, as it turns out, because when Theo offers him the chance to see for himself, explains what - or rather who - is within the crystal vessel, understanding dawns in a rush that has G'raha's eyes widening.
Now he has an entirely different set of questions.... and the answers to all of them lie in the vessel in Theo's hands. He regards it for a long moment, silent and thoughtful, before finally lifting his eyes to Theo's face.
"Tell me... tell me what happened to him." He says quietly. He knows he has a decision to make, and maybe the answer will help him or maybe it won't, but he feels as though it's important to know.
G'raha Tia was a clever thing. A bit of a brat - no matter the iteration - but no less clever. There was a deviousness about him that never quite faded even as the Crystal Exarch. Therefore he wondered how much this the Exarch was already anticipating. No one knew G'raha Tia better them himself after all. Theo himself didn't know what to expect beyond the Miqo'te realizing what it was that Theo was implying. It was a surprise and yet not so much to hear him ask. The question was... How much to ultimately reveal.
"An inevitability," was the answer that Theo supplied. He didn't want G'raha to feel pressured out of sympathy for another version of himself. "A price is required to do that which is impossible. Payment was due."
Anything beyond that? Well Theo wouldn't say. It wasn't really his tale to tell now was it?
"Though know we do not know what will happen should you accept. Perhaps nothing and the soul within will simply fade. Another outcome is that one soul will overpower the other. However, it is still your choice. One that I would implore you think about as you have a tendency towards self-sacrifice."
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Which was why Theo said nothing as well. Of course it meant that he overheard many things at any given point and chose not to comment on them. It was one of the issues, being withdrawn, that Theo expressed to the Crystal Exarch not too long ago. Which, Theo was sure that this little fact would catch up to G'raha shortly.
He was just waiting on it. To tease.
"I do commend your ability to maintain the ruse nonetheless."
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"I think I was only able to maintain the ruse because you allowed me to." G'raha protests, half laughing. He's a little grateful for it, admittedly, because it made a lot easier to keep the distance that he thought was necessary when he'd been planning to sacrifice himself.
Now he isn't even sure what he's going to do, what's going to happen.
"I suppose it's good that it's out of the way now. We can focus on the important things, like getting your friends back safely to their bodies on the Source."
And figuring out what, if anything, he's supposed to do about this whole soulmate situation.
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It was baffling to think that G'raha would ever have been entirely successful. There were too many good deeds done for anyone to not question any selfish motives. Even if Theo wasn't aware of the identity of the man before him, he would have been hard pressed to think poorly of him.
His eyes strayed towards the crowds still gathering in the distance. Completely unaware was he, regarding the situation that still yet plagued G'raha.
"For now I think we have been afforded time to rest. I would not want Lyna hunting me down ere you think about immediately beginning this next project."
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G'raha stares at him for a moment, looking equally perplexed, until understanding dawns and he laughs sheepishly, rubbing his arm.
"I- well, um, that's not- I didn't exactly...."
He trails off for a moment, not quite wanting to explain that, actually, he was sort of trying to be the hero, he just clearly wasn't very good at it. He should just leave it to the professionals, clearly.
He clears his throat awkwardly and shakes his head.
"I suppose I was trying too hard to be something I'm not."
He shrugs, then chuckles slightly as Theo continues.
"She can be quite intimidating when she wants to be. Rest sounds like a wonderful idea. For us both."
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Then he spoke again, about Lyna but then about how they would both be resting. At this, Theo turned and looked back at G'raha Tia.
"Are you implying that I would not?"
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"Implying? No, of course not, I would never imply such a thing..." G'raha starts, soft and reassuring and apparently entirely genuine.
Then something like mischief touches his lips and he continues matter-of-factly.
"I am saying you would not. You, my dear friend, are in fact remarkably bad at getting your rest."
It's perhaps a touch of pot calling the kettle black, he knows that, but he's not wrong.
"I will even do my best to ensure you aren't bothered with any other crises... at least for a little while."
sorry for delay; work has had me traveling a lot
There came an almost resigned sigh. Almost.
"Hopefully not at the expense of yourself. Thus I propose... A compromise."
no worries!
There's the tiniest hint of guilt in his expression before he can clamp down on it, because he knows full well that he would, in fact, take on everything himself just to spare Theo the interruption - at least, everything he could take on himself. Not that he thinks he'd handle it even half as well, but he'd try.
"And what is this compromise you suggest?" He asks, slightly suspicious that Theo was trying to wriggle his way out of actually taking a break somehow.
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"I will rest for only so long as you do."
Which meant that, ultimately, the onus would be on one Miqo'te.
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Oh.
Well, that's cheating.
G'raha tries to think his way around the proposal for a long moment before finally huffing in something like fond amusement. He knows that's probably going to result in less rest because there'll always be something that needs at least one of them, but at least it's a start - and probably the best he can hope for.
"Alright, you have a deal." He says, holding out his hand to shake. For a moment, he looks and sounds more like his old self, like the G'raha that Theo met in Mor Dhona rather than the Crystal Exarch. It's only a moment, but it's there.
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He took G'raha's hand and gave it a shake, in agreement with the decision with a quirk of his lips. It was good to be able to get his way, even if it was just in this.
"Shall we call it a night then?"
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G'raha doesn't know what's going through Theo's mind, of course, but if he did he would have to admit that he does, perhaps, have a desire to live after all. It's hard to want to sacrifice yourself when you've met your soulmate, to want your time together to be so brief, but he also has no idea if there's truly another option now. Worse still, there's the possibility that another option would still leave him here on the First and send Theo home - better for the warrior, perhaps, taken to a world where he might still find his own soulmate in the Crystal Tower waiting there, but for G'raha left alone on the First?
If his choices are death or heartbreak, he's truly not sure which he would prefer.
Still, he smiles and nods and enjoys the warmth of Theo's hand grasped in his own.
"We shall." He agrees
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Which would potentially come about in a different way. In time, they would find the means to return everyone to the Source. They would resolve some of the issues that plagued the First. There was the discovery that undoing what had been done to the majority of the Shard could be reversed. Where there had been no hope before started to bloom anew in the hearts of the people. Yet Theo stood against one more Ascian, one more being that was simply fighting to bring back all that he had lost. Theo found no fault in such desires and, perhaps, understood the means. There would be loss regardless - either the present or the past. Theo elected for the future instead.
He stood now, in front of the doors to the Crystal Tower on the Source. One more vessel was in his hands. There was one more person that needed to wake from their slumber. Theo held a choice in his hands - one given to him by one that would forever stand watch at the top of a different tower. Across the rift. Yet Theo did not think he would be the one to make the choice, as he ascended the various stairs within. He knew what awaited him at the top - a G'raha Tia that was asleep and unaware of all that had transpired - but the Viera also thought that this should also be his choice as well. To accept the Crystal Exarch was not something that Theo could decide for him.
Theo stopped before the overly large throne, spying G'raha still there. Surely the state of stasis cast upon all within the Crystal Tower would be wearing off shortly. And there he would wait. He would wait for the other to stir before leaving the fate of his vessel in his hands.
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When G'raha - as the Crystal Exarch - handed his essence over to Theo, he truly had no idea if it would work. It was a gamble, but what was the alternative? Dying anyway? At least this way there was a chance, some glimpse at a happy ending, how could he not sieze that chance in both hands?
The other him, he reasons, is still him, he remembers the same life up until going into the tower, it's just he has a lot of memories after it as well, but it's not like he's overwriting anything. He's not sure, after all this time, if the him before would see it like that. He's also not sure if he's putting himself at risk, if he'll be robbing Theo of his soulmate twice over. All he can do is pray that's not the case.
As the crystal takes him, his eyes on Theo's face, he's glad the memories contained within the crystal vessel won't contain this part. Wouldn't wish this heartbreak on anyone. Within the hurt, though, there's hope, a fleeting, desperate hope that this won't be the last time, that he'll see Theo again.
Not that the G'raha blinking slowly awake on the source is aware of any of this. He's only aware of the effects of stasis falling away, of gently stretching his arms to ease the stiffness. It feels like barely any time has passed at all, but then he supposes it would do, that's what stasis does.
He's half tempted to pull some dramatic 'who disturbs my slumber' routine, but all thoughts of decorum and drama are driven from his mind when he sees who's waiting for him.
"Theo!" He exclaims, delighted surprise suffusing his tone and etched across his face "It is good to see you again my friend! Oh, but you've barely aged at all, surely it can't be that long since I entered the tower?"
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It would be different this time, he told himself, as the Viera approached the young man stretching. Personally, Theo had thought that there would be a dramatic 'who disturbs my slumber' line being thrown at him. Instead there is a tone of delight. Surprise. It was fair, truthfully, since G'raha likely thought Theo would be one of the last persons who might fetch him out of want to see him again. Perhaps the Viera would have come, before all of the trials and tribulations he had face, out of necessity.
His ear flicks as he drew near, looking up and waited for the other to join him. If possible, considering Theo hardly knew how stiff one must feel after stasis. His lip quirks in response - downright expressive for what this G'raha Tia would have known... "
Would you have been able to tell the passage of time based on my appearance alone?" A tease, since Viera age so differently than other Spoken races. "It has not been overly long, G'raha Tia."
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G'raha finds himself wondering if perhaps more time had passed than he initially realised, because there's something more expressive about the viera, something... warmer, somehow, unless he's very much mistaken. How much had changed since last they met?
He's admittedly not overly familiar with the Viera as a people, but when the tease comes a memory surfaces from somewhere, a vague recollection about their aging and the accompanying realisation that yes, indeed, it would be difficult to tell for certain how much time has passed. He's about to admit as much when Theo confirms that he was right the first time, even if his logic was faulty.
"Oh... have things changed so quickly, then?" his brow furrows in concern, wondering what brought the warrior to his door so much sooner than expected.
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"More than you can imagine." was his reply instead, beckoning with his hand. "I could tell you of it, if you so desire."
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"Well yes, of course I do!" G'raha replies immediately, brimming with the youthful enthusiasm he'd managed to temper (mostly) as a Crystal Exarch.
He moves forward in response to the beckoning, eager to hear the explanation. He doesn't think it's anything bad, so he's all interest rather than concern; there's something about Theo's expression that reassures him, some mirth dancing beneath the surface that belies a story and not an oncoming calamity or other catastrophe that required him being awoken.
"Please," he encourages "go on."
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Theo asked out of concern. He didn't know what G'raha's mindset was at the present moment. The Miqo'te seemed full of life and energy, which a part of him truly did miss seeing all this time. It was a relief to see it once more, but the Crystal Tower didn't hold the best of memories.
For either of them.
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G'raha chuckles slightly at the question - he had, after all, intended to stay here for a lot longer than he already has. Glib attitude aside, though, he does understand the reason for asking it, so after a moment he nods.
"Fear not, I am not so eager to abandon my duty as to flee this place the moment I'm awake. I will hear your tale."
Even if he did want to get out of here as soon as possible, the draw of a good story is enough to keep him in place.
now that dawntrail doesn't have me in a vice grip...
Thus did Theo begin to weave the start of this tale. First, the aftermath of G'raha locking himself in the Crystal Tower and all that would follow. The separation of the Scions and how they had been framed for an act that not a single one of them would think to commit. Theo recounted the events that brought them into Ishgard and being taken in by one of the Houses there. Ysayle and Estinien... How they began and how their understanding grew. On the Viera spared no details regarding the Primals that they faced and then the Ascians behind the plot as well.
Of course there wasn't really too much time to rest between. For no sooner did the Dragonsong War come to a true end, an alliance between man and dragon so that both could be a part of the Eorzean Alliance, than the time came to push Garlemald out of the region once and for all. Theo continued his story, speaking of the different peoples of Doma and their young king. The plans that the Scions needed in order to be successful after their staggering loss - Theo's loss - to Zenos. Yet succeed they did in their endeavors yet again, though this one seemed to be more of a struggle than the last. False Echoes. A brother and a sister at odds until another Primal had been born. Scions mysteriously going unconscious as Garlemald seemed to pause in their own war.
There wasn't merely success to report, unfortunately. At times, sacrifice was needed in order to continue to do what was right. What was needed to be done. Theo made sure to mention all of those that gave of themselves along the way, to the point of giving themselves up. Moenbryda. Minfilia. Haurchefant... The list went on. However, for every loss there was something gained. New allies. New understandings of the foes that they face. A Shard on the brink of ruin being able to be saved.
It was quite a bit to absorb, really. Theo knew this. Though he stopped just short of his first steps into the Crystarium - ending, for the moment, at his awakening upon the First. A moment to breathe and for G'raha to ask what questions he word or if he thought to implore Theo to continue.
ahaha. I've barely had a chance to play! Stupid real life!
G'raha listens with rapt attention as Theo fills him in on everything he's missed - it's a surprising amount given that he didn't think much time had passed, although he has noticed Theo's ability to get dragged into a lot of things very quickly so maybe it isn't that surprising.
It is, of course, just like the stories he grew up reading. The kind of stories he studied as legends and folk tales back in Sharlayan, but brought to life before his eyes - not just in the way Theo tells them, but knowing that he had lived them. It makes his heart ache in a way he doesn't quite understand, something in his soul telling him he should have been there, he should have stayed at Theo's side. He puts it down to his own longing for adventure, and doesn't think more on it than that.
His heart also aches for all the losses Theo has suffered, and he feels a warm admiration for his determination, for his ability to push through all the pain and loss and still be the hero that people needed him to be. It makes him even more impressed than he already was.
When the break in the story comes, it comes full of potential and intrigue, and while G'raha might have had questions or comments before, and indeed may think of them again, later, right now they're overshadowed by the urge to hear the rest of the story, to know what comes next.
"You can't stop there!" He protests before he can think to stop himself, and then smiles sheepishly, ears twitching a little in his embarrassment "I mean, please, I'd like to know what happens next."
real life is definitely stupid
Loss, unfortunately, was a normal part of life. So was sacrifice. The world in which Theo was born into as filled with such things. It was not uncommon to hear of another juvenile male to have lost their life coming into his own, nor was it that another laid down their life in protection of a village. Of course any that decided to leave the Wood are also considered as lost and are mourned... A notion that Theo, himself, did not always like to think of. However, it gave him a slightly different perspective - not that he didn't lament such things... Rather accepting what was done and stiving to ensure that such things have meaning.
"I had only paused to allow for questions, but if you so desire for me to continue..."
This was where he took his time, speaking instead of true story weaving. Theo made sure to include that the mage that had brought them there kept his identity unknown. However, the Viera spoke of the city that surrounded this version of the Crystal Tower, taking great care to speak of how the people had adapted and overcome the Flood of Light and the SinEaters that now plagued them all. He relayed the First's plight and how it related to their own, here on the Source. The necessity of it all.
Theo stopped there, though. He produced the soul vessel as he chanced to close the distance between them. "Alternatively, you may seek the truth of it all for yourself. If you wish, that is. Otherwise, I can continue speaking."
Again, he wanted top give the other a choice. Theo didn't want G'raha to feel pressured to take on the soul of the man dwelling within and all of the memories - good and bad. If G'raha did not want the additional burden, then so be it. The Crystal Exarch would trust Theo's judgement and this was what the Viera came up with.
"The soul of the man who made it all possible rests within here, G'raha Tia," he explained. "I did not break into this Crystal Tower, but rather... This served as a key."
G'raha Tia was smart. Theo had no doubt he would understand what the red mage was implying.
Re: real life is definitely stupid
His expression remains sheepish but he does nod - he can't deny that he's a little excitable, that he's hungry for news of what Theo has been doing and that the story is thrilling. He has no questions - or, at least, he has a dozen questions but most of them are about minor details that he can ask later, for now he'd like the end of the story - so he nods again, encouraging Theo to continue.
He's equally fascinated by the remainder of the tale, even if Theo is speaking more plainly, especially when he mentions the crystal tower on the First. He already has a dozen questions and theories but he holds his tongue, suspecting that some of them may be answered if he remains patient. He's right, as it turns out, because when Theo offers him the chance to see for himself, explains what - or rather who - is within the crystal vessel, understanding dawns in a rush that has G'raha's eyes widening.
Now he has an entirely different set of questions.... and the answers to all of them lie in the vessel in Theo's hands. He regards it for a long moment, silent and thoughtful, before finally lifting his eyes to Theo's face.
"Tell me... tell me what happened to him." He says quietly. He knows he has a decision to make, and maybe the answer will help him or maybe it won't, but he feels as though it's important to know.
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"An inevitability," was the answer that Theo supplied. He didn't want G'raha to feel pressured out of sympathy for another version of himself. "A price is required to do that which is impossible. Payment was due."
Anything beyond that? Well Theo wouldn't say. It wasn't really his tale to tell now was it?
"Though know we do not know what will happen should you accept. Perhaps nothing and the soul within will simply fade. Another outcome is that one soul will overpower the other. However, it is still your choice. One that I would implore you think about as you have a tendency towards self-sacrifice."
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