Chapter Text
“Are you alright?”
The man's voice makes him look up. “...Ah, X'whis. Pray do not concern yourself with my welfare. My current investigation has yielded some curious results, and at present I am pondering how best to proceed.”
The brow that was mostly hidden behind long shaggy bangs quirked up. “I see. That wouldn't happen to explain why you've the look of a man who's forgotten what a pleasant day feels like, would it?”
Thancred can only glare, not possessing a good rebuttal for his fellow Scion.
“Give me some time. I intend to waste as little of your time as possible, but permit me some of it all the same.”
“I should hope you are not putting off your investigation of Titan over ought as minor as this.”
The miqo'te left without answering to this accusation.
Though somewhat put out... the hyur decided to wait. Unlike the arcanist, his duties were pressing without being truly time sensitive. He could take the time to further consider his course.
When X'whis returned, it was with lunch of all things. Thancred would be offered grilled fish on a skewer.
“Ah.... Cook often then, I take it?” He took the offering without complaint.
“Rarely. This happens to be one of the few dishes I can make.” X'whis sat beside him with a second skewer. “...A full stomach can help one do more than fight.”
He huffed a slight laugh. “You may have spent too long among the sylph, my friend.”
The mage chuckled, “No, that would be... 'Food will assist moping one think'.”
“I was not 'moping'.”
“Shut up and eat already, won't you?” X'whis pulled his first piece of fish free with this teeth as though to set an example for him.
Though tempted to argue the point, Thancred followed suit. It's well seasoned... the flavor profile is familiar. Not Lominsan. Less Ul'dahn. ...More Little Ala Mhigo, but not quite. Considering his looks, he could certainly imagine the miqo'te was of Gyr Abanian descent to some degree. Thancred had kept forgetting to look into the X tribe between his other duties. Y'shtola wasn't the incautious sort, but knowing more about their newest comrade was hardly an ill idea.
“Oh, hello!” Yda's voice rang clear through the halls of the Waking Sands. “Papalymo and I were going to head back to the Black Shroud. ...Do you have any more of that?”
Papalymo sighed beside her as she asks.
Thancred would have readily offered his own- but X'whis beat him to it.
Flipping the skewer in one hand, the miqo'te offered his remaining three pieces of fish with a frown.
The expression didn't slow Yda taking the handle or taking off one of the pieces for herself in the slightest. She would hand off the skewer to the lalafell beside her at the same time as she popped the cube into her mouth.
“I hardly think we ought to be so willing to take food out of the mouths of our compatriots.” Though more reluctant, the other mage too would take a piece of fish before returning the skewer and it's single remaining mouthful to X'whis.
Yda had fallen conspicuously silent as she chewed. Slowly enough that it could even count as thoughtful.
Her companion offered an approving hum as he ate. Giving his thoughts after he'd swallowed, “This is quite good. Where did you learn to cook if you do not mind the inquiry?”
“From my aunt. She insisted that I at least learn enough to keep from starving.”
“My compliments to her recipe then! Come, Yda. As ever there is still work to be done!”
“Huh? Oh, ah, right. Coming.”
It's always disquieting to see her turn pensive like that. Though soon she's gone and Thancred knows that the next time he sees her, she'll be acting plucky once more.
X'whis eats the last piece of fish on his skewer and stands.
“Back to work then?”
The miqo'te man nods, then takes his leave.
There's a brief temptation to gift his own remainder to another.... Unable to bring himself to do so, the hyur begrudgingly takes the time to finish the gifted meal in silence.
The first thing he sees when he wakes is a familiar ceiling. He's... in the Waking Sands. He's aching from head to toe- but when he wills his head to turn to Minfilia's voice it happens. The relief is tangible. His most recent memories are somewhat fuzzy, and still have him as naught but a passenger in his own body.
When she notices that he's moved and that his eyes are open, Minfilia turns her full attention to him. Fussing and checking over him in a manner that he tries to assure her is unnecessary. Not that she listens. Only once she feels comfortable that he's well does she get to her feet, saying that she was going to inform the others that he was recovering alright.
When Minfilia left, X'whis stood and made himself known. A hand reaching out to squeeze his leg just above the ankle. “It's a relief that you're yourself again.”
Thancred sighed, deciding to ask a question he isn't certain he could while in a crowd. “How did you know that I would be? ...What if I wasn't?”
The miqo'te scowled. “I'm more than capable of finishing what I started.” But the expression eased. “Fortunately for you, Hydaelyn intervened for more than my sake alone.”
Thancred let himself drop back against the bed he was in. Regardless of his opinion, there was no point looking a gift chocobo in the mouth.