Writing Prompts Archive/13/Mis'to Raesthe

*The Near Future*

Mis’to sat back, digesting. “How much?”

“Heh. You don’t understand compound interest much eh? Did you honestly never spend your earnings?”

“I know I spent some but…”

“And then add in all your mercenary and leve work over the years. And your Calamity payout.  And your retirement...Mis’to, do you even understand how much you actually have?”

The Miqo’te closed his eyes, thinking hard. “...Enough to buy a bigger plot?”

“Mis’to, you could buy two and have gil left over.”

He smiled widely. “Well. I….guess I got to go talk to my brother...”

*Many, many years in the future...*

The young Hyur skipped her way through the streets, bag resting upon her back. She dodged the crowds waiting for the noodle stand to open and instead slipped around to the sides, dipping into the garden to where the side entrance to the impressive house stood. Carefully she avoided the painter’s ladder, glancing upwards a moment to look at the sign he was touching up.

The First Steps.

A host looked up briefly as she entered, waving wildly to a few. “I’m back!”

One of the elders looked up; a red-headed Elezen who was starting to look grizzled with age. Next to him a Hyur looked up, his brown locks turning slowly grey. Both had been engrossed in their card game but smiled brightly on seeing the youngster. “Hello Kaira! Did your first levequest go well?”

“It did!” She let her little purse fall to the table with a clatter. “I got paid extra too!”

“Sounds like you did good!” The Elezen beamed and handed her purse back. “You should go tell Dad eh? He’s just seeing a new lot from Gridania.”

Kaira nodded eagerly, scooping it back up. “He’s downstairs?”

“He is!” An older Miqo’te came walking through, carrying bowls of hot ramen that quickly had mouths watering. “You want noodles before you do, Kaira, or-?”

“No thank you Liu’a!” She beamed slightly.

“I’ll save you some?”

“Always!” Turning she continued her way through, making her way past the weary adventurers as they laughed and joked with one another, sharing their exploits. A few were crowding around a nearby board, talking loudly about a new leve that had been posted there and discussing who would group up with who to take it on. She knew most of them; some old friends of her parents, some faces she had grown up with. One was Manah; and the red mage was arguing fiercely with another; Tora’sae. Still at it, as always, and she laughed to herself. Downstairs she went to the lower floor of the mansion, smiling faintly at memories.

“Of course we’ll take them.” She knew that first voice, beamed happily to herself.

“Not going to be easy. Not after what…”

“No. It won’t be. But I don’t think they could be in better hands.”

She poked her head down the stairs to see. The first she didn’t recognize; a tall Elezen dressed in the bright yellow colors of the Twin Adders, his hands folded behind his back. There was Morgana; a little grey of hair but still with that intelligent gleam to her eye, a pink carbuncle sitting obediently at her side.

And at her side was Mis’to.

He’d gotten so old now; his hair completely white and needing a cane now from all the injuries that had caught up to him; but there was still that gleam to his silvery eyes and a ready quickness to his smile. And he still wore that old white coat, and carried that battered red hat on his back, though it had been a long time since he could wield the rapier that came with them. His healing prowess, though, hadn’t diminished a whit. “Aye, they’re safe here now. We’ll take good care of them.”

“I know you will, old cat.” The Elezen smiled and bowed. “Wouldn’t have brought them anywhere else.” With that he made to leave, and Kaira skipped out of the way self-consciously. An ear twitched and with a grin, Mis’to turned.

“Well well, look who’s back eh?”

Kaira smiled faintly. “Ah I’ll...show you later. Sounds like I got more brothers and sisters…”

“You do, but he can catch up.” Morgana smiled, gently kissing his cheek. At her side Lacey gave a happy squeak, moving to brush against Kaira’s ankles. The younger Hyur gave a laugh and rubbed the carbuncle’s ears. “Go on. Take a moment. I’ll go make a start.”

Mis’to smiled gratefully at her before turning back to Kaira. “First levequest went well from the spring in your step, I take it?”

“It did!” She beamed and showed him the purse.

“Good on you.” He chuckled, patted her back. “What you going to spend your first paycheck on?”

“Well…” She blushed. “A new sword and...I was...thinking of buying some oranges. You know...so you can make your orange creams.”

He guffawed, shook his head. “Ah kiddo, you know you can just ask for them right?”

“Yes but-” She blushed. Hard to put into words how much it meant to give back, for a change. But he read her like a book, and a quiet smile spread across his face.

“...All right then. Oranges it is.” Chuckling to himself, he turned back down the corridor. “Guess I should go see the new family eh?”

This place. She’d been brought here as a very young girl; her mother died in childbirth and later orphaned by a tragic fishing accident in Limsa. They’d brought her here to the First Steps. She ran a hand over the warm woodwork and colorful paintings that had been her childhood, to the wall that bore the handprints of everyone who had come there. Finally she cast her eyes upwards to the arch that marked the entrance to the expansive lower floor. The word Salysen was painted there, the wood expertly carved so it looked like the word had grown from leaves. The family name given to those who didn’t have one.

“What does that mean?” she had asked, when she was very little.

“Salysen? Old word of my people. Means future hope.” And there had been a sad smile with it; one she had not entirely understood at the time. But it was a word that had come to mean a great deal to her. For foundlings and orphans that, like her, had come to call this place home; and an old greying Miqo’te and his dearest love, family.

She knew it wasn’t easy for him. Or ones like her. Not every child came to this place smiling and happy. Some were hurt, some were angry, and many were in need of help.Some were so sick they’d never leave. But given time, that old cat’s quiet love and endless patience would win over. Subconsciously her hand moved to rest over her chest, where a precious little scar sat.

“Can I come too?” she blurted out.

“Always,” he smiled. “Got to meet their new big sister too, after all.”