#Ari also has dad issues so his idea of a nunh is. not normal and he doesn’t like it

[kicktwine]

“You ever think about becoming a father?”

“Mrrh?”

Thancred doesn’t repeat the question, letting it sit while his gaze is elsewhere. Off in the middle of the field at the Rookery, where Ryne is telling the boy — new boy, Taynor is his name, not quite as tall as the twins but just as wispy-soft and curious — about amaro eggs, presumably. Ch’ari lets his head tilt into his hand, leaving his tangerine half-eaten in the sunshine. 

His lips purse as he digests the question. Has he ever thought about it, yes, has he ever considered… well. The twins are like kittens to him, but not his kits in the same sense. And then this lost boy, and Ryne, and the Doman kids, and…

“Not really,” Ch’ari says. “You know it’s not like that with the Seeker tribes.”

“True. But you’re not in a Seeker tribe.”

“Hm.”

One of the amaro trills, flapping its first pair of wings, to the delight of the kids pampering it with treats and brushings. Ch’ari lets his tail swish along the warm cobblestone. 

“You’re good with them. Kids,” Thancred says, leaning back in his chair but watching Ryne get more confident as she pets the creature. “They listen to you. At least, better than they do me.”

“That’s because whenever you have to be around them you clam up like a constipated yak,” Ch’ari snorts. 

Thancred finally turns to face him. “What did you call me?”

“Constipated.” He points accusingly. “If you loosened up even a smidgeon around Ryne I bet she’d be starstruck. She might even share her feelings with you.”

The hyur either contemplates that or contemplates how to get back at Ch’ari, but wherever his mind goes, it gives up and he lets it go with a wave. “This was not a conversation about my bowel movements. Which are fine, I’ll have you know.”

“Gross.”

“You brought it up.”

A quiet returns to the table, distracted by the kids now being shown how to groom a young amaro’s feathers with Szem Djenmai’s guidance. Taynor seems nervous to pry at the beast and keeps touching then backing away, but Ryne has no such reservations. Her naïveté shows itself in odd ways sometimes, often making her more confident than she should be. In this case, however, it’s naught but helpful. 

Ch’ari drags his hand back through his hair and over his ears. “I don’t know,” he says. “Hydealyn seems to enjoy dropping children near me just to make me jump. Funny little joke of Hers.”

“Do you not like children?”

“I do. Or — well, I do now. They stress me out, but they’re more fun to be around than a lot of adults. Even if I feel like they need a permanent shield spell.” Thancred gives a low chuckle. “But, y’know, just because I’m not in a tribe officially doesn’t mean I don’t know what’s expected.

“Hyurs’re different. Falling in love and all that. Sounds like a fairytale, if you ask me.”

“You’ve never thought about falling in love?”

Ch’ari shakes his head. “Naw. I haven’t.” He pauses, growing contemplative, then dropping his voice. “We have though. Ardbert, I mean. Thought about it. We just never seem to have the time.”

“Mmm. I can commiserate with that.”

“Maybe one day. When everything ain’t quite so fast.”

Thancred nods slowly. “Save the plans for when the world slows down. Until then, for good or for ill, we’ll just have to make do with the time we have now and the surprises Hydealyn gives us.”

“Cheers,” Ch’ari says, lifting a wedge of tangerine.

#my writing #ffxiv #thinking …. About… dads #Ari also has dad issues so his idea of a nunh is. not normal and he doesn’t like it #so the idea of him becoming one is not a likable idea #but just in general being A Dad…? …maybe someday. It sounds lovely #Ch’ari #thancred waters #shadowbringers spoilers