#Altani Wu

[meximango]

Day 27 - Memory - Altani - G

Summary: Altani’s echo manifested differently than her fellow warriors of light.

Ok so this one is basically just a summary so I don’t forget an idea I’ve had for a while, lol. Just like Krile’s echo gives her fancy empathy powers, I tweaked most of my WoLs’ echoes to give them a bit of extra flavor. Luvon’s was touched on/implied a bit in ‘tempest’ this year, and Cahsi’s was in ffxivwrite2022 I believe, I can’t remember the prompt, but it’s on ao3. So it’s time for Altani! 

--

Altani first saw The Starshower in her dreams around the time she met Mogren, almost got her brother killed, and that the entire village determined she was destined to be their next priestess and medium. It was a lively few weeks for sure, everything interconnected. She wasn’t even ten summers old yet, but even so, she understood deep in her bones that it was a turning point in her life. The gate was locked behind her, and whatever had awoken inside her was there to stay. Her life from then on would be full of deceit–lies she had to tell to others, and lies she kept all for herself. 

She had no idea what her dreams meant. That they were a memory. That they would provide her an advantage on her path to greatness. The dreams were scary, and far too real, and instead of offering her comfort as she woke crying and screaming, the elders would praise her for unlocking the ability to see into death itself. They’d ruffle her hair and pat her on the back, telling her to keep training so she could convene with her ancestors and grant them wisdom. She kept up the farce for the sake of Mogren, who’d been mistaken as a spirit Altani regularly spoke to, but it was so much less and more than that. 

In Altani’s head, The Starshower was always Capitalized, because it was very Important. She didn’t know why, but it was a feeling in her tummy she refused to ignore. 

Sometimes she’d wake and remember in perfect clarity as the sky rained fire and desperate screams reverberated all around her. Never was she able to tear her gaze from the sky above, to witness who was with her, what the landscape looked like. It was just the dark red night full of smoke and embers, blazing bright trails falling toward her. It had to be stars. What else could be falling? What could cause such a thing to happen? What if the dream was an omen of things to come? What if it sucked her inside, and she became one of those falling stars, burning up before she could even hit the ground? 

Other times, Altani would wake with a sense of unease, far more tired than was reasonable, completely tangled in her sheets as sweat coated her brow, and she just Knew that she had dreamt of The Starshower. 

It would only make sense years later, after speaking with the Scions of the Seventh Dawn, that she wasn’t alone. There were others who witnessed The Starshower, and it granted them special gifts. That her nightmares were actually a boon, a gift from the goddess of the star herself. But it would be many years before that point, and not even Mogren could understand her plight as a child. 

She turned it into a game, pretending The Starshower really was giving her the ability to delve into the lifestream and pluck stories and messages from long-dead tribe members. Each star that fell was just another of her ancestors coming by to say hello. They were already dead, so they couldn’t feel pain! The screams were actually high-pitched laughs. Her ancestors sure were silly, weren’t they, pulling a prank like that on her. It made lying to everyone easier, and sleeping became a little bit easier too. She was brave, and no way was The Starshower going to overpower her! The dreams became less frequent as she got older, and instead a few other types of visions manifested in her. It wasn’t often, but it did help with her priestess duties. 

Every so often, when someone talked to her–most often when reminiscing about something from their past–she’d suddenly be swept away and forced to bear witness to the moment they were talking about. It was as though she were there with them, as though she could alter reality if she just reached out and tried (she couldn’t, of course. She was an invisible entity able only to watch, but in the beginning she had wanted to find out. Thank Hydaelyn it was just a memory; to warp reality would have been too much power for a child who wished to have control over something in her life to have.) She got to witness the truth, even if the teller couldn’t remember it correctly themself or were lying for one reason or another. The downside was appearing as though she had been spaced out for a few minutes, followed by a wicked headache, but it was easy enough to write that one to the villagers as ‘divine communication’. She often used this to her advantage later, recalling the collected memories to help give merit to her own lies that she wove for the villagers about their dead loved ones and advice for their future. The best lies had a grain of truth to them, after all. Rarer, by quite a margin, were visions Altani had no idea how to explain or what they even were. It wouldn’t be until her trip to Norvrandt, well into her adventuring career, that she would begin to understand. Once in a blue moon, something would trigger her to view whoever she was looking at or speaking to in a different light. It started like a memory, with her surroundings fading out and transporting her somewhere else, but instead of seeing the person the vision was about, she saw someone else. Altani didn’t have the gift of aethersight, but she had a feeling, an instinct, that she learned to accept. The vision was about a different version of the person. Sometimes they looked very similar to nearly identical to the person in question, while other times, their race, gender, skin or fur color–everything about them was different. Except the eyes. That was the one factor that didn’t seem to change. Whatever eye color the present person who triggered the vision had, there would be at least a hint of that same color in there for the person in the vision. Even if they changed into a creature with limited eye colors! As much as she’d hoped this was perhaps the key to unlocking real medium powers so she could talk to her ancestors, it wasn’t meant to be. She never met any of her ancestors that way, as most of visions she saw weren’t of au ra, nor did they take place in the Azim Steppe. The second type of vision was far more confusing and far less useful to her, so Altani didn’t much care for them, waiting for them to pass and observing only with a passing interest, for the most part. It was strange, being privy to other versions of people she met, when those same people had no idea about or access to those alternate realities. She tried not to dwell too much on those. 

Some part of her wished she could have seen another Altani, though. Would they share her same gifts, her same curses? Would they be strong or weak, a natural crafter or a clumsy disaster? Were they a hunter, or a fisher, or a teacher? Would they become a parent, a merchant, a leader? Was their life a lie, forced to pretend they’re something they’re not to keep their village happy and their friend safe? Maybe they led a normal, mundane life, and would grow up to be nobody of import. Altani’s visions didn’t work on herself, so she’d never know what any other Altani was doing except herself. Maybe it was better that way, so she couldn’t become jealous of a life she couldn’t have. 

When she became an adventurer, met her fellow Warriors of Light, and discovered they had similar experiences with The Starshower and being forced into people’s memories, she hid her relief behind false bravado and a strong clap on the back. It was like the weight of Hydaelyn had been lifted from her shoulders, learning her affliction had such a tiny, unassuming name as the echo. That there was an entire group of people studying it, and that this thing she’d been confused and frightened about and taking advantage of for so long already was considering a blessing from the goddess Hydaelyn herself. Hear, Feel, Think, indeed.This gift was shared among a select few, and they were often destined for greatness, which was all she strived for these days. She wanted to be strong enough to protect everyone without the power to do it themselves. She knew what it felt like to be powerless and scared, and so she would ensure to keep others from those awful feelings as much as she could.

While the others shared in most of the same echo traits, none of them ever saw those other versions of people or at least made no mention of it, so Altani kept that close to her chest. Only Mogren knew about that little trait, and they’d probably forgotten about it by now, since she only mentioned it a few times when she was younger and never again. 

Luckily, she’d never had to deal with seeing other versions of her family of friends, but of course that changed when she started adventuring with those others who shared in the gift. Maybe it just triggered more easily for those who’d also seen The Starshower? 

During one of her travels with Luvon, she’d had a vision that couldn’t have been of his past, as it took place in a gigantic forest unlike anything that existed on the mainland. Small streams of unnatural, sickly white light passed through the foliage and dappled the ground. She saw a young qiqirn and an older one carving tablets together. The younger had a yellow-green glint of excitement in their eyes as they speculated about what lay in the ruins, and what their home had been like before a flood of some kind. A fear years later is when that ‘memory’ clicked into place. Her moment of breakthrough came through after she was transported to the First. When all major threats were done being taken care of with Cahsi and Luvon, she was helping the Qitari unearth their history. Among the group in Hopl's Stopple, she noticed the pair she’d seen in her vision. Huh. So the person she’d seen in that vision was not a qiqirn at all, but their equivalent on the First, a qitari. Someone from a completely different shard… She observed them from afar, not wanting to barge in with nonsensical questions, but seeing how the little qitari acted and interacted with others, she could definitely see the similarities between them and Luvon. It was incredibly strange, but she’d come to realize by now that nothing was too strange for this universe. 

Despite having fragments of the same soul, they were still their own people. She’d accepted that already with all the visions she’d seen throughout the years. Nobody acted exactly like their other version’s self, even if there were similarities. Ardbert was pretty different from Cahsi, for example. Altani could have smacked herself realizing one of her echo visions of either Cahsi or Ardbert were not about the memory of their meeting and showdown, but rather showing her that they were apparently versions of one another. That news sure might have come in handy before they had to defeat Emet-Selch–but then again, maybe not. Maybe it would have been even harder or weirder for Cahsi to let go. She’d made a close friend of the warrior in her time on the first, and had taken it hard when he had to leave. Altani had finally been able to meet him a few times before the end, thanks to some ingenious spellwork and alchemy on Cahsi’s part. It was sad that he had to rejoin Cahsi, but it was his own choice, and Ardbert had already been dead for so long, so that’s probably why he was able to do so in the first place. Altani wasn’t about to subscribe to the now-dead ascian’s idea that rejoining all shards of the soul into one was the only way to truly exist and lead a worthwhile life. From what she’d seen, other shards were doing just fine for themselves–independently! 

That said, she was pretty sure if she introduced Luvon to his qitari counterpart, that nothing would happen unless one of them were to die. Maybe. She certainly didn’t want to test that, it was a horrifying thought. They’d probably stay two separate entities, none the wiser of their status as parts of one larger, more powerful soul at one point.

Really, this was all a lot to take in and think about, and nobody she wanted to discuss it with. It gave her a headache. One day, she’d figure this out with her friends. Maybe it was selfish to keep this from them, but she’d seen the heartbreak Cahsi went through with Ardbert, and she just felt it was best at this time. They had enough worries on their plate as it was. 

[meximango]

Day 26 - zip - Vaile + Altani + Mogren + Cahsi + Luvon - G

Summary: Altani is having a fashion crisis. She needs the help of her friends.

No this is still not a continuation of the silly sleepover fic, sadly (Mogren ain’t around for that one), buuuut it does allow me to try to test the waters of them all interacting together! --

“Oof. Maybe I should have gone a size up.” “Nonsense. Skintight is in! It’s hot! This was definitely the right choice.” “Might I offer my tailoring skills? I brought my kit with me in case anyone needed modifications.” “Teehee, you look so different from normal, Tani! Are you sure you won’t burst the seams when you try flexing too hard, kupo?” Altani panicked, letting the dress slip down her waist again. “What!? Could that happen? I don’t have a backup dress, and you know I love flexing!” “Hmm.” Luvon reached for the dress and tested the ribbing area between his hands. “This material is quite stretchy. I do not think you have to fear that. If something happens, then I have my sewing kit, or maybe the party will have glamour plates for rent?” “If that were a thing at this party, then why did I even bother buying this dress from Hancock?” “Oh shit, you bought that from Hancock? No way he gave you a good deal on that. Should’ve gone through Tataru!” 

Vaile briefly interrupted the goings-on with a loud sigh. “Tell me again: why did you insist I be here for this jester fest? I’ve been ready for a solid bell already and I’m the only one here not wearing a dress. I could’ve just met you all at–” “Excuse you, mister, my top half is a suit jacket just like yours!” Vaile rolled his eyes. Semantics. “And what’s that have to do with anything anyroad? I’m already dressed too! Plus, I know you. If we didn’t make you check in with us first, you wouldn’t have shown up at all. Besides, you promised.” Just because Cahsi was right didn’t mean he had to be happy about it. He scoffed. “Wow, one of you is finally ready. I feel so blessed and not at all bored.” “Oh, you want to know boredom, kid? Let me just reach over here to my precarious paperwork pile that’s a few moons overdue, lock you in the office with that until it’s done, and you’ll be begging to come back here to watch us get dressed!” 

“Wh–no I would not. And don’t make me sound like a pervert! You all said you were decent, that’s the only reason I came in here–” Altani and Cahsi burst into laughter at the same time. “Haha, yeah, true. Just a joke. Though I dunno,  you can see a lot of Altani’s back right now. Looking good by the way, Tani. You’ve got this!” Cahsi gave the slightly flustered au ra a thumb’s up as encouragement as the poor warrior strained again to try to get her dress on the rest of the way. 

Mogren instinctually shielded Altani from Vaile’s view, even though he couldn’t care less about what any of them looked like in a state of undress. 

“Cahsi, you should be careful about moving around too much yet in a crowded room. Remember, the paint is still dryi–”

“Why do you wait so long until it piles up anyway, you idio–” “Just let out your breath, Tani, I’m sure that’ll work–” “Oh!” A sharp inhalation of breath followed by a long exhale. “Whoops. Sorry. A moment too late, Lu. Think I smacked you there by accident.” The long-suffering sigh of someone who has too often had to wrassle a rowdy group of engineers into order. “Yes. That would be my shoulder. Well! No worries. How bad is the damage?” It was Vaile’s turn to laugh, though it certainly took on more of a mocking tone than the others’ had. “Oh, her entire left hand has to be redone! It’s all over your shawl. Now we can be even more late to this party that I didn’t even ask to go to!” “Well, you smart-mouthed punk, I don’t see you helping anyone getting ready! And stop complaining, kupo, nobody’s forcing you to attend!” Mogren shrieked, headbutting Vaile in the stomach. It did about as much damage as throwing a plushie version of a moogle would have. He grabbed the moogle and chucked them to the other side of the room, back to Altani’s side. He nearly whistled at the job well done. That spin on the moogle’s arc was beautiful. Mogren, dizzy from the actions of their rude acquaintance (friend status revoked until further notice!), knocked into Altani–who graciously gave them a nuzzle under the chin with one claw as comfort. The wind was a bit knocked out of their sails with that one, so they settled onto her shoulder, hmmphed! in Vaile’s general direction, and started braiding one of the long green and pink locks of hair she tended to keep in front of her face. 

Hair styling duty was assigned to them, and so even if other things weren’t going to plan, Altani’s hair at least was going to look beautiful! (they’d already finished with the others. Cahsi’s hair was pinned back in a masculine style, with just a few little curls framing her face cutely. Luvon’s hair was extra fluffed up and flipped out with a few decorative pins. His hair was so short, it was done in a snap. Vaile–well, the grumpy-pants hadn’t let them touch his hair.) “Eh, just lose the shawl. We don’t have time to wash the nail paint off of it. I’m sorry, buddy,” Cahsi apologized, taking Luvon’s arm covering and tossing it in the general vicinity of her dirty laundry pile. “If you want to dig through my closet, feel free to borrow something that feels nice on your hands. I might even have a feather boa somewhere in there!” “Ooh, that would be delightful. Thank you, dear!” Luvon had been grumbling earlier about being forced to wear shoes for this event (curse these foot prison contraptions!), so having some sort of fabric he could play with in the downtime would help to distract him from his pinched toes. Cahsi reached for the red nail paint that had a loose cap but luckily had not tipped over and spilled during the frenzy of activity that was all of them trying to get ready for the past few bells. Cahsi had finished most of their makeup ages ago, at least–Vaile didn’t know it, but she was going to attack his face with some nice eyeliner and an eyebrow pencil before they left–but now she had to redo her nails. She got up to find the polish remover to start over on her left hand, pausing to turn up the orchestrion player while she was at it. She could barely hear any music over all this shouting since Vaile arrived.

As Cahsi settled back in to carefully fix her nails, Mogren had switched shoulders and was dutifully finishing up with the braids. Luvon was still digging through the closet. Altani was still struggling, to the point of embarrassment. Vaile really had nothing to do… “Ok, fine. Altani. Let me help you with your dress.” He told himself it was just fun to piss off Mogren further, getting in their space they clearly wanted Vaile out of. To rub it in their pom that this was something Vaile could do, that their little moogle hands were useless at. Mogren’s scowl (not that moogles really had the facial features to do so, but the feeling was there) combined with Altani’s gasp of delight was entertainment on its own. He smirked as he sidled up and took stock of the situation. “You just need me to zip it up, then?”

Vaile started without really waiting for confirmation, but damn was this one poorly made zipper. It kept getting stuck, and that had nothing to do with the size (though as pointed out earlier, it certainly was a skintight ensemble). 

Altani nodded, causing Mogren to nearly tumble off her shoulder, still having their claws in her hair. “Right! I can’t really reach back there thanks to my copious musculature–” “She has wide shoulders and needs to stretch more,” Mogren deadpanned. “What are you, my mother? But yeah, that. I guess.” “You focus so much on strength training and then wave me off when I remind you to stretch, kupo! Don’t complain about tight hamstrings again to me.” “Healer’s recommendation: do the stretches. Anyroad, most people are unable to fasten their own dress up all the way on their own, regardless,” Luvon chimed in, now bedecked in one fabulously pink feather boa, and a bejeweled pair of star-shaped shades as well. “Cahsi, is it alright that I…?” He gestured toward the sunglasses on his face. This party was at night, but his eyes were so sensitive to light, so it wouldn’t hinder him to wear them. “Ooh, forgot I had those. Of course it’s good; nice choice!!” Cahsi approved. She had finished with her nails and was blowing on them to try to dry them a little faster. (Vaile was beginning to feel underdressed. What was the dress code for this party, again? Cahsi looked like she was going to an eternal bonding ceremony as both the bride and groom, Luvon was as colorful and bedazzled as a worker at a Skyrise Celebration Fête, and Altani was trying to slip into a sultry evening gown with a leg slit for days. Vaile’s own button-down shirt and vest seemed substandard, but that was fine. The less attention on him, the better.)   “See? It’s not just the stretches.” Altani stuck her tongue out at Mogren as Vaile continued to fiddle with the zipper. He got increasingly frustrated as the zipper continued to snag. He didn’t want to break it, but it refused to cooperate and he couldn’t be held accountable for what he’d do to it if it continued to defy him. He finally dragged Luvon over wordlessly by the arm to give it a go. The guy may have been the shortest of their group, but he was also stronger than Vaile (not that he’d admit it out loud), and he was the resident clothing expert. If anyone could get the dress fastened, it was him, surely? “...” “What’s the problem?” “You may have forgotten, but Altani is almost twice my height. I can’t go any higher.” Luvon demonstrated, reaching as far as he could with the zipper, which was still only up to the bottom of Altani’s shoulder blades (and the dress was meant to zip up to her hairline). “Yeah you dumb-dumb, give him a boost!” Mogren helpfully suggested. “There is no need for name-calling, and no, that will not be necessary. I am sure Cahsi has a stool around here somewhe–eep!” Too late! Vaile didn’t want to wait any longer. He’d already been milling about for an entire bell, and Cahsi’s room was such a disaster zone right now, who knew how long it’d take to find a stool. He lifted Luvon up around the waist so he could reach the rest of Altani’s dress. “Before you say anything, I know. Just do the rest,” Vaile said before Luvon could pipe up about the various furniture around the room he could have used instead of this truly undignified alternative and lack of respecting boundaries. Cahsi coughed to stifle a laugh, and Altani did her best to stay still, but her slightly trembling shoulders betrayed how amusing she found the mental image of what was happening behind her. Mogren was under no obligation to stay quiet, and their squeaky little laughs were the only sound for a moment until Luvon complied. One, two, three seconds. A bit more snagging, but he did it. “Please put me down now, Vaile. And ask next time!” Luvon tapped Vaile’s wrists impatiently. “Right. Sorry. Thanks.” Vaile’s social blunder tricked him into polite terms. After all, he had just manhandled the guy and demanded he help. 

Once safely back on the ground, Luvon dusted himself off and offered a smile. “You’re welcome. Now, Tani, how does the dress feel? The fit seems rather agreeable, for the style. There weren’t any extra fabric bunches or too much strain. I’d say Hancock got your measurements just right, somehow…” “Yeah, let’s not think about that. Just promise not to go back to him again for clothes, he’s a creep,” Cahsi shuddered. Altani did a little twirl, showing off the dress to the room. The others gave their praises. Mogren had finished her braids during everything else, and pulled them back into the rest of her hair, which lay atop her head in a bun with some additional braids surrounding it. “It feels great! Though from now on maybe I’ll stick to shopping with my friends and trying on garments before buying. Good teamwork on the dress, you two! Though Lulu did most of the work, ha!” “And what about me, kupo?” “Fantastic, flawless, amazing job, Ren!” Altani had gotten a hand mirror at some point and was admiring the braids with a sparkle in her eye. The moogle puffed up at the praise. Vaile clapped his hands together loudly, once. “Yep, the dress looks great. Well, now that everyone seems ready, why don’t we get this show on the road?”

He expected everyone to agree and for them all to file out the door at a rapid pace (he was unsure about Mogren, actually–was Cahsi going to cast a concealing or trans-mog-rification spell on them? Or would they be ditching the puffball for the night?). Instead, everyone was giving him an appraising look. “We can’t have you leaving the house like that, Vaile. Just a few little touches should do!” Cahsi shook her head, grabbing her makeup bag. “Wouldn’t you like to have pretty nails like the rest of us?” Luvon was suddenly holding two different dark shades of nail paint out in front of him. “I think you owe Mogren a little apology for throwing them earlier. How’s about a little styling session?” Altani held up a comb and some pins, while Mogren had a bottle of hairspray and was cackling maniacally. It was a completely unfair fight, four against one. Vaile didn’t stand a chance. 

[meximango]

Day 24 - Bar - Altani + Mogren - G

Summary: Finding a public place a moogle can drink without issue can be hard.

–

Altani and Mogren often liked to partake in some alcohol after a difficult mission. It helped them unwind and was equally as effective at drowning their sorrows if a quest went poorly, or allowing them to get wild in celebration for a job well done. 

Unfortunately, most of Hydaelyn’s populous was not ready to accept the existence of moogles on a wide scale, yet. They were barely ready to start seeing Spoken ‘beast folk’ as people, let alone creatures of myth, whimsical beings thought to exist only in fairy tales. It was truly amazing the origin of the postal service remained secret all these years, with only a special few privy to the truth of its moogle workers. 

Altani loved Mogren with all her heart. They'd been the best of friends ever since she was a little kid, and she couldn't see that ever changing. However, there were a few challenges to having a best friend who always had to stay hidden. Mogren was great at illusion magic, so it wasn't that hard to block a few others from seeing them–when sober, at least. It became monumentally more difficult when tipsy or among a huge crowd, especially if they were focusing on other things–such as healing Altani or playing an inspirational minuet to power her up in battle. 

Their close circle of friends and fellow adventurers knew about Mogren, whereas not even her family or village had met her adorable, fluffy friend (if that lie got revealed, it would only unearth a much bigger, more serious, lie–one she wasn’t ready to get banned from her village over.) 

Thus, some social sacrifices were made, and she didn’t drink in establishments unless she was alone. She enjoyed adventuring with her fellow warriors of light when she could, but that wasn’t always possible. Where one threat popped up in Thavnair, two more were as likely to appear in Hingashi and Aldenard. When together, they could have a lively get together all on their own at camp. For a major threat or downtime, she’d travel to Eorzea or the others to Othard to band together and catch up, but most of the time it was just Altani and Mogren finding their own battles to win and peoples to help. 

With just the two of them, that meant drinking together. Nobody else. It wasn’t really lonely, Altani could never feel alone when she had Mogren with her. But it was nice to be surrounded by a crowd, too. To just watch people idly and listen to gossip, and soak in the atmosphere of camaraderie. To play or watch a few rounds of triple triad and challenge the beefiest people in the room to arm wrestling matches.

They couldn’t take those chances, if they were drinking. Mogren would be likely to dissipate their illusion by accident, and then they'd have a panicked bar full of people asking what the hell was that, or trying to squish Mogren’s face and smother them into oblivion. The mood would be ruined. (Altani… may have to forever avoid a few establishments thanks to learning this the hard way.)

At first, Mogren stayed hidden as always, but there were rather a lot of children running around the place, and young ones were always the best at seeing through the glamour. A few kids pointed them out and asked Altani how many gold saucer points she needed to buy such a cute little mammet. Others asked if Mogren was some special prize from lord of verminion, as they’d never seen such a special and detailed minion before. Mogren puffed up at these accusations that they were just some simple toy, but this worked in both of their favor, so Altani said it was her little secret and kept it at that. The kids liked guessing and it’s not like she’d likely see any of them again, so she let them have their fun. 

 Altani knew Mogren didn’t have as much fun if they had to stay sober while she enjoyed a few rounds of ale, plus then Altani wouldn’t be able to respond to Mogren’s conversation without looking crazy.  As much as Altani wanted to go to large parties and enjoy a hero's celebration after an impressive martial feat with her buddy, she often declined. After all, Mogren deserved just as much credit as her in her adventuring successes, and she always felt guilty and found it unfair if she had to celebrate alone. It just wasn't as fun without Mogren; she’d spend the whole time missing them!

They’d tried drinking with other moogles a few times, but that often got far too rowdy, and their king even had to get involved once. Altani didn’t want to be driven out of the Churning Mists forever, so she gave up on that. Drinking in Bahrr Lehs did not go any better, as the dragons needed far more alcohol to try to get drunk than an adventurer’s salary could afford. She stuck to just crafting for the dragons and moogles in that area, maybe doing a fun mogdance every once in a while.

For the most part, they just bought a good amount of alcohol ahead of time, set up camp somewhere, and whiled the night away with drink, song, dance, and stories by themselves. They were a plenty energetic duo to make do on their own and have a good time. It was enough.

However, the search had idly continued in the background, to find a place they could go together without illusions. They eventually discovered one incredibly public place full of all sorts of different folk that apparently wouldn’t blink twice at the sight of a moogle: The Manderville Gold Saucer. Altani had first made her way to the place while some ‘make it rain’ event was going on. She saw posters plastered everywhere when visiting Ul’dah, so she decided to give it a chance. 

When nothing bad happened after that encounter, Altani encouraged Mogren to become visible on purpose. There were so many people running around in costumes here, they’d probably think Mogren was a decoration or maybe an employee at worst. Hells, even the sabotenders seemed to be people in getups! (maybe? She saw at least one lalafell put a costume on, but it was hard to tell if some were the real deal. It only increased her confidence that this was someplace Mogren could be visible without getting driven away). 

They tried it out, and after a bell, still nothing bad had happened. “Finally!” Altani cried out, fistpumping the air. “Look, Mogren, nobody here gives a shit about you!”

“Don’t sound so excited when you say something like that, Tani!”

“You know what I mean. But seriously, who would have thought you would fit right in at an arcade? This is the perfect place to celebrate, and the directory here says they have a bar upstairs!”

“You’re right that nobody has seemed suspicious of me so far, kupo. Is this too good to be true?”

“I dunno, but I think it’s worth trying. According to the introduction plaque over here, this place is meant for anyone, so that must include moogles!”

Mogren sighed. Those signs were meant for standard Spoken folk, certainly. They didn’t see this place teeming with ixali or goblins, after all. Still, they had a crane machine called ‘moogle’s paw’ that, if it came down to it, Mogren could spin a lie and tell people that they were just a walking advertisement for that game. They put aside their uncertainties and decided to have fun. “Right you are–I belong here! Let’s go find some games to play, then!”

There were various tournaments for triple triad, and Altani was delighted to see that they even had mahjong here. She intended to wipe the floor with the locals on that later. They played a round of ‘the slice is right’, which they were pretty bad at but had a blast trying not to get hit with bamboo. She nearly blew out Mogren’s eardrums in happiness when discovering the chocobo racing arena, which she could not wait to run through with Ultimate Winner at some point. Mogren found themself enjoying Lord of Verminion after all, especially as they could cheat at it and pretend to be a minion. That kid had the right idea! Altani just had to pretend to play, while Mogren slipped inside the machine and took care of the rest. It wasn’t a very popular game, so nobody looked too closely at their shenanigans. 

After exhausting themselves trying every single game on offer and losing at cactpot, Mogren and Altani settled into a comfy chair at the bar and lounge, sipping on some sparkly themed drinks that included overly long silly straws. They had a brochure sat out in front of them that listed out a bunch of prizes and their costs. With all their playing today, they’d racked up a pretty sizeable amount of gold saucer points already. For now, so spoiled for choice, they decided to keep their winnings and save them up for something big later.

Altani held out her multicolored drink in the air. After a moment, Mogren dutifully tapped her glass with their own, which looked hilariously oversized in their tiny paws. “Well, I’d say today was a major success, wouldn’t you?”

“For sure! Thanks for not giving up, Tani.”

“Huh? On what?”

“On finding a place we could both enjoy. I know you like bigger groups of people, kupo, so it made me sad sometimes that we couldn’t go somewhere more lively that you could have a good time at too. I didn’t want to bring you down!”

“Awww, Ren! You’re worth more than any party or group of strangers. I know we’re not always together, but I never minded it just being the two of us. This was pretty nice, though. You had fun, yeah?”

Mogren nodded their head so quickly, their pom nearly bonked them in the forehead from the momentum. “Mhmm! A blast!”

“Good. Then I’m happy you’re happy. We don’t have to come here every time we want a celebratory drink, but now we finally found a place we can go without worries!”

“Here’s to more fun times, kupo! Also, when we come here again, I am challenging you to a triple triad tournament, and I’m going to kick your butt!”

“Gasp! Such a betrayal! You shouldn’t have announced it far ahead of time, you muffin. Now I’m going to collect only the best cards to ensure that you never win! Mua ha ha!”

“I’ll eat your deck, then!”

“Ewwwww, no you won’t!”

The bartender nearby kept cleaning her glass, completely uncaring about the strange costume the au ra’s friend was wearing. They were a strange duo, but definitely not the strangest she’d seen even today, so she ignored them. She only wished they’d laugh a little less loudly. Pah. First Timers. 

[meximango]

Day 16 - third-rate - Altani + Mogren  - G

Summary: Altani calms down her pissed off moogle friend, as they think about a certain redhead who wronged them

(Vaile would have loved moogles in another time/life, but this is the one where he still needs to unlock his childhood wonder yet again, so instead they just annoy him lol.)

“Can you believe the nerve of that guy, kupo?!” Mogren flapped their wings furiously as they flitted to and fro in front of Altani’s face. 

They’d been agitated like this for a while, so Altani had settled down cross-legged in front of their campfire, waiting to see how long her friend could go on. So far, it's been half a bell. She was currently roasting some fish over the fire, waiting for it to get flaky. A meal might be enough to distract the moogle. If not, at least it would fill her grumbling belly.

“Yeah, the laughter was a bit much. You weren’t even telling a joke! If you were, I would’ve laughed too, because you know I think you’re hilarious, buddy.” “So right you are, Tani. He was waaaay outta line! Not even grateful a moogle was gracing his presence. How many men can even say they’ve seen one of us, kupo. What a brat.” Altani chuckled lightly at that. Vaile was around her age, but he acted like he knew so much more about the world than her, and disregarded her when she tried to get him to loosen up a bit and have some fun with her and Mogren. He thought their antics were childish, but in her opinion, he really was a brat, thinking he was above enjoying time off and relaxing with a bit of drink and cheer. 

(Cahsi had been making some progress with the guy, getting him to open up and soften the sharp edges, probably because she could easily hand his ass to him and didn’t take his shite for very long. 

Altani had mixed success, if she was being generous. She didn’t see him as much, and with Mogren almost always at her side and butting heads with him every time they so much as got within 5 yalms of each other, Altani had had little time to try to strengthen their friendship on her own. They seemed to get along best when training together, martial prowess leading to mutual respect. She’d like to think they were friends, anyway. Vaile didn’t wholeheartedly threaten her anymore with his scythe, and that was good enough for her.

Luvon wasn’t doing so well with him, but he was a very hopeful and persistent guy, so she didn’t worry too much about him. Every time he opened up his mouth, he seemed to say just the wrong thing to set Vaile off, which was funny. Luvon may have been practically blind, but he had a way of seeing right through to the core of people immediately, making them vulnerable. It could be uncomfortable, forced to face yourself and be honest when you’re around him, so she could see how Vaile would hate it. It was difficult for someone who wanted to keep their true feelings hidden to interact with someone like that, so the two did not get along that well yet. Cahsi, Altani, and Luvon had hope for this project, though! Vaile was just like a feral kitten. Eventually with enough exposure to kindness, he would become tamed, but you had to mostly let him come to you. That was the goal, anyway - to ‘domesticate’ him. They were really sick of meeting up and nearly devolving into fights, and he seemed like he genuinely wanted to change and seemed interested in trying out heroics instead, so they agreed to work on befriending him. To give him a support network. That way he wouldn’t fall down back into the darkness again. The trio had explored numerous dungeons together now, but never with Vaile. The plan was to drag him along with their group sometime soon so they could all bond. Nothing like fighting together with someone, facing danger and putting your life in their hands to build trust and understanding quickly! 

Still. A work in progress. Vaile pisses Mogren off or vice versa, then Altani ends up being mediator. She’d like to move on from that, but not yet, apparently.)

“I agree Vaile’s a total brat, but you’re not the first moogle he’s seen, did you know that? That’s why he didn’t seem surprised or awestruck when he first met you. I learned from Cahsi that he had a run-in with a few of your fellow Churning Mist moogles once. They were all over him, teasing and poking fun! He tried attacking a few, but that didn’t end well for him. I don’t think he hates moogles, though. He’s never tried hurting you, right? He just talks a big game. I guess he’s not… whimsical enough to appreciate your kind as much as he should.” “Make him have more whimsy, then!” “I’m trying! He’s stubborn!” “Well keep trying. That does explain our first meeting, though, kupo. I brought out all the stops: the flourishes, the sparkles, I even shined up my pom! His reaction was one of the most lackluster I’d ever seen. But still, I’m not happy with him. He insulted my music!” “He should’ve been nicer about it for sure. Damn colorful insults when the twerp feels like it, though, I have to give him that. If only he’d use that creativity to join us in story time… And to be fair…” “Oh no, kupo, you better not be about to defend him! He called me a third-rate artist, Tani! Prepros-pros?-prostro…crazy!” As though to demonstrate, Mogren played a chord on their harp. The defense fell flat, as it was much messier than usual. “Nah, not an excuse for his rudeness, but you weren’t at the top of your game today, either. You hit the bottle a little hard today–barely saved any for me, you little puffball! And you forgot to tune your harp before offering to play a song. That plus your tipsy playing just wasn't the best mix. Sorry to say, Mogren, but it was a lil messy.” Altani made a motion with her thumb and pointer finger, bringing them close together, to show that it was just a tad off. Not too bad. But definitely not something that was going to impress someone as sober and serious as Vaile. Drunken songs only worked on other drunk people. Mogren plucked at their harp a bit more before sighing, their pom drooping down in front of their face. “It really is out of tune, wah!! How embarrassing, kupo. Still, he should’ve taken pity on a poor spirits-addled moogle! I bet my messy playing is still better than anything he could do.” “Hmmm…” Altani pretended to think for a moment. Before Mogren could shriek in outrage and try to fruitlessly pummel her with their fuzzy little fists, she grinned widely and continued. ”Oh most definitely. I’d bet on you for sure any day, Ren. You’re much older and practiced than him. Can you imagine him trying to play some delicate stringed instrument?” Mogren burst into giggles. “The brute would be so bad at it! The strings would snap immediately. If he messed up, he’d probably break his instrument like a baby having a tantrum!” “I could see that, yeah. Stomp on it or throw it in a ravine. Ooh, or throw it up in the air and slice it in half! Yeah, he’d do something dramatic like that. Bet he’d be great at the drums, though. If he took his anger out on those, we’d all go deaf!” Altani joined in with her own giggles. 

Was it a little mean to laugh about the guy she was trying to get closer to behind his back? Maybe, but also he started it by insulting her best friend when they were inebriated. He had to learn to be a little nicer if he didn’t want people poking fun at him. Besides, he made it so easy. 

“Next time he comes by, I’ll show him just how wrong he was. He’s going to be brought to tears by my beautiful playing! Then he’ll have to run away to hide the tears on his face, but I’ll know!” “Woohoo, that’s the spirit, buddy! Imagine how embarrassing it’d be for him to admit he was wrong and to give you a compliment? I can’t wait.” At least Mogren was no longer fuming and was back to their usual jovial and somewhat mischievous self.

–

A few malms away, Vaile felt a shiver pass through him as he rode away on his chocobo. Why did he suddenly feel like he should be regretful… Oh well, not worth worrying about. He was just glad to be away from the cacophony of that camp.

[meximango]

Day 2 - Horizon - Altani - G 

Dawntrail Spoilers!! Summary: Altani isn’t a fan of this wonderland. 

AU where Altani is the main WoL. A bit of introspection.

This place is beautiful, but I wish I could have stayed outside with the others… 

Altani could see the wonder in the faces of her small group from the moment they stepped in here, but she hoped none were so naive as to completely forget what this place really was: an overly fancy gravesite. 

She normally loved telling Mogren about the journeys they couldn’t join in on. It helped her process things when they weren’t around–but recounting the story of this place was going to take a lot of alcohol.  

She was no stranger to death. Her tribe was heavily focused on it and picking wisdom from the lifestream, after all. While she’d pretended to have the talent to communicate with their perished ancestors, she never had to actually come face to face with a ghost until adventuring. But those were the remnants of a soul, in part or full. These… These fanciful memorials projected as a semblance of who they once were, made Altani uncomfortable. An understatement, really. It made her scales itch and her hair stand on end, to think of what's been done to Alexandria’s citizens. She’d never know the real version of any of these people (except Lamat’yi’s mother. That hit like a gut punch, and had made her want to hug her friend tightly for hours on end, but they didn’t have time for that). And those outside of Living Memory were denied the chance to grieve, stripped of their families, pressured to go on living falsely and ignorantly of what once was most precious to them. Not all chose to use the regulators, but the number was pitifully small. It terrified her to think of what version of herself would wander this wonderland, what things she’d say to anyone who visited. To imagine a false apparition based purely on what others thought of her. Would her flaws be erased or magnified? Would anyone even be able to tell the difference? Her soul being stripped clean of everything she was and used as a means to power someone else’s cowardice. Never to have a chance to rejoin her ancestors in the lifestream. To be completely forgotten by the living. To never be mourned or cherished, afterward–

Altani had to stop to take a few deep breaths and stare out at the horizon, for all that helped her nausea over these thoughts. There was nothing out there but a haze of yellow lights. 

She remembered what Emet-Selch had said, what seemed like years ago now, about being a mere fragment, a tiny sliver of what Atlas had been. Making the same arguments that she wasn’t real or didn’t count because she wasn’t whole. Now here Altani was doing the same, judging these creations because they didn’t have a soul. It had to be different though, it just had to be. Right? Everyone was in agreement, even the figments themselves. They had to shut this place down, to preserve the lives of all remaining shards and the source. They were just memories, only memories… She caught up with the group and tried not to think.