#mirai garlond

This is what I get for teasing Jin over Sumi, isn’t it?

She knew the next time she saw her wayward brother, he would ask how it went.  Shiori was not one to come up empty-handed, oh no.  She would not suffer his teasing.  She had already been pointed enough that he needed to make his feelings towards Sumi known.  But here she was... no better than he was.  A bumbling mess.  That neither of them had not inherited their father’s way with words was most unfortunate.

But still, Shiori managed to gather herself, composed as she chased after Mirai.  A few quick strides found her mostly caught up. 

“Mirai!”

And then Shiori realized she still had not prepared anything to say.

“I...”

Shiori’s eyes danced all about, catching sight of Mirai’s shoes.  She blurted the first thing her poor, scrambling mind could think of.

“I like your shoelaces.”

Shiori tried her best to stifle the cringe that threatened to mar her otherwise stoic features. 

I am never going to talk again.

“Goodbye!” exclaimed the less-of-a-Hissing-and-more-of-a-blushing-Dragon as she turned and fled the scene-- and before poor Mirai could even respond.

One of her hands went over her mouth as she tried to shield her expression from any prying eyes.  The other was used to force the door to the Seventh Heaven open so she could crawl miserably inside.  She briefly contemplated tipping the bartender enough to let her hide behind the counter but opted to instead hide in the corner of the tavern.  Her head met the table in disbelief at her own stupidity. 

Well.  I did it.  I talked to her... but I’ll eat my own tome before I let Jin find out about this.

Shiori sighed then jolted with a realization.

Wait... was she even wearing shoelaces today?

She could not remember and that made her groan.

“Ewww it smells nasty!” A small half Garlean half Raen girl’s voice bounced off the walls of a five-star Thavnairian restaurant in Radz-at-Han, ushering all of the restaurant patrons to turn towards the table the child shared with her family.

A raven haired Raen woman sat next to the little girl, glaring daggers at her daughter before scolding her.

“Mirai, that is not polite to say! Quiet down!”

Mirai pointed to the mound of mashed up vegetables on the plate in front of her, which matched the plates of everyone at the table. She turned her face to Yume and practically hissed her response, “But mama, it is gross.”

Yume sighed as she held her temple with her right hand and picked up her fork with her left. “You don’t know that, because you have never tasted it before.”

The Garlean man sitting across from Yume with matching silver hair to Mirai just nodded his head to his daughter. “Your mama is right. At least try it, baby bird.”

“Oh alright…” Mirai deeply sighed as she picked up her fork and stuck it into the middle of the green mash, face contorted with disgust.

The bright red haired Miqo’te with even brighter red eyes just chuckled at the little girl and picked up his own fork. “Should I taste it first and let you know how it tastes?”

“Could you Rara? I just don’t have the courage to do so on my own,” Mirai asked with the utmost dramatic flair to her voice and teary eyed gaze, which prompted the heavy rolling of eyes in her mother.

“Of course sweetling!” G’raha replied with picking up some of the green mash. “See, sometimes Thavnairian dishes can have a not to pleasant aroma, but once you taste it, it’s delightful.”

G’raha put the green mash in his mouth and chewed for a few seconds before his face flushed. The miqo’te man’s ears fell flat against his head and his tail puffed up with all of the hairs standing on end as he gulped down the food gravely.

“Ack! What in the seven hells is in this?!?!” The miqo’te exclaimed just as loudly as his stepdaughter did but moments ago.

The sudden outburst made Mirai and Yume jump back in shock. All of the patrons once again turned towards their table with unfavorably critical looks, which prompted Yume to glare at G’raha with fire in her eyes.

“Raha, my love,” Yume spoke with a sickeningly sweet tone that opposed her countenance, “…you are insulting them, and you are embarrassing me.”

“Well, I see that you haven’t even touched it yet. That too is insulting them my dear, as you so eloquently put it.” G’raha retorted with a smug smirk as he pointed at Yume’s untouched plate.

Mirai looked to her mother with confusion, then she glanced over at her father and her mouth fell open. Mirai’s surprise prompted Yume and G’raha to look over at Cid as well, and a moment later, their mouths also fell open at the sight.

Cid sat upright and wiped his mouth, the ideal of a debonair gentleman, with an empty plate in front of him.

“Papa, you ate it?!” Mirai finally asked after she was able to speak.

“Cid, did you actually eat it all?” Yume asked in kind, to which Cid chuckled loudly.

“Of course! They used to serve this all the time back in Garlemald. It’s not too pleasant smelling or tasting, but it’s a palate cleanser for the actual delicious meal to come.” Cid explained as he took a sip of ice water from his glass.