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"Yvelont?"
The questions came hesitant, and from beyond the door. Laying on his bed, Yvelont rather hoped that ignoring her might make Alisaie go away.
Then he realised just how strange the hesitance truly was. With worry spurring him to action, he stumbled off his bed to open the door.
Pulling it open he found both twins standing there, seemingly about to bicker. They seemed well enough, however... Yvelont could not help but visually check them over. Once, twice. Hiding something, but not in pain.
That was... Maybe fine.
Leaving the door open for them, he returned to his bed. Thus time he perched on the edge, watching them curiously as they hesitated once more.
Whatever this was, it was something truly strange.
"My sister and I-" Alphinaud began, only to be cut off with an elbow to his ribs and a hissed "don't bring me into this!"
The twins shared a look, before he started speaking again, "we have something for you."
A small, cloth bag was thrust in Yvelont's direction. He immediately recognised the guildmark of the weaver's guild on it, but was not much the wiser. He racked his brains, but could find neither reason for a gift, nor for the twins to be in Ul'dah and chance upon one.
Still, the longer he hesitated, the more nervous Alphinaud looked. Taking pity on the boy, he placed the bag in his lap, and began to carefully reveal the contents. Soft, in greens and browns, neatly stitched... He pulled it out to find a child's toy. It looked, for any better words, like someone had conflated a morbol with a leaf man with one of those cactus from the gold saucer. Utterly confused, he could only look at the twins for assistance.
Alphinaud looked strange hopeful, though that expression was fading by the second. Alisaie... Something was tense, like she was expecting trouble.
Still just as confused, he turned back to the toy. Turned it over once, twice, and resisted the urge to place one of its leaf-like arms in his mouth. What was he missing? What was...?
On the underside of the other leaf-hand, he found embroidered his initials. The thread was old and worn, the formation of the letters possibly familiar, but unknown all the same.
Instinctively bringing the toy to his chest, and holding it there with both arms, he looked quizzically at the twins.
"Do you not remember?" Alphinaud asked.
"Of course he would not," Alisaie spoke in the tone reserved for winning an argument days in the making. More relaxed now, she turned to Yvelont. "My dear brother informs me he found this in the ruins of your childhood home. He bought it back to have fixed and surprise you with, but had forgotten until now."
"I did not forget!" The offence was clear on his face. "By the date the guildmaster had given me to collect it, I was in Garlemald! There has hardly been chance since."
Yvelont could think of a few opportunities, but doubted such a thing was high on their priority list. Realising the bickering may continue a while yet, he returned to examining the toy. For all the origin was now told... The familiarity lingered, but gave way to nothing more.
"Why?" he eventually asked, distracting the twins from whatever well-worn argument they were reenacting.
"It's yours," Alphinaud replied. "And... I suppose it is a thank you. For Ishgard."
He was clearly unwilling to expand further than that. Remembering the events and the place... No, Yvelont could see how this may have been thought a good idea. Why a thank you might seem necessary, no matter how freely given his assistance had been. How much they had both needed one another.
It still did not explain Alisaie's involvement. It was possible she was mere mortal support, but her earlier hesitation seemed contrary for that. So, he nodded to Alphinaud, and turned to Alisaie.
"I am just here to make sure my brother does not make a fool of himself," she attempted.
Yvelont places the toy on the pillow of the bed, before turning back to her again. If she would not tell she would not tell, but mayhaps she would. Given time.
"We just... I know the First was hard. On all of us, but especially on you," she sounded as awkward as the words felt. "And now you keep disappearing. We just... Nothing is alright, but we wanted to check you were okay."
Ah.
Not really sure how to respond - if he thought about the question, he might be inclined to try answer, and if he did that he may break, and if he broke where would they be next time Garuda descended - Yvelont patted the bed on either side of him, "come here."
The twins did as he asked, sitting awkwardly even as he placed an arm around each set of shoulders, and pulled one twin to each hip.
"Thank you," he said, holding them close.
Once again he found himself frustrated by not knowing what to say, but... Maybe this was fine. He didn't even know if he was okay anyway - trying to identify if he was was like he was sand slipping through his own fingers.
A thought, and then another, and then he let go of the twins to pick the toy back up. They muttered halfheartedly about the indignity of it, how they were adults, and made the mistake of looking away.
One quick movement, and the plant monster toy was balanced securely atop Alphinaud's head. The hands flopped down to cover his eyes, to the amusement of Alisaie.
Something about that - placing the toy on Alphinaud's head - felt not just familiar, but like a memory. Just... Too small. Alphinaud was too small, and Yvelont's hands too big. Yvelont paused a moment to consider it. Then, he brushed it aside - what did it matter, in the end? There was no point chasing lost memories, twenty years or minutes old as they might be. If they were gone they were gone, and there was only the future to see.
A future in which he immediately foresaw himself finding something equally as ridiculous for Alisaie's head...