A few days after silencing the Diamond Weapon and having Allie Baelsar (yes, I will give my new Au Ra orphan friend a full name as Uncle Gaius is now her legal guardian, as registered with Terncliff's roll now that Gaius has been repatriated as a citizen of the town proper and has all legal rights of Werlyt citizenship) reconcile with her brothers and sister in spirit, I decided to have a chat with her about an opportunity. "Hey Uncle!" I said to Gaius as I walked over to the two of them overlooking the memorial and the ocean.
"Yes Kahori, what can I do for you?" he said.
"I want to ask Allie a favor."
"Is it what I think it is?" he asked, looking quizzically. I winked. "Very well. Allie, Kahori would like to speak with you. Not just as a friend, but a sister-in-arms, I fancy."
"Kahori, hello there!" Allie said as I gave a hug.
"How are you doing Allie Bae? How's life treating you?"
"I feel full of energy now, full of hope, I've never felt so better in my life!" she exclaimed with a girly giggle.
"That's the spirit!" said a male voice.
"Bonga!?" I exclaimed. "You came here too!"
"Of course I did, Bae!" said Bongaboi Pangyatoy, my Lalafell husband for life. "You did awesome by the way. I knew you would figure out Sapphire, or was that Ricon? Whatever the case may be, as soon as you slashed down that squid, I knew you were going to finally finish this, and you did."
"And who might you be?" asked Allie to Bonga.
"Miss Allie Baelsar I presume? Allow me to introduce myself. I am Bongaboi Pangyatoy, the gift that keeps on giving. I am bonded to Kahori, my Bae. She is a Bae, and you are a Bae-Baelsar that is, but I don't discriminate, I regulate so all can stop the hate and be great before it's too late. Milady, You. Are. Loved. And you have the memories of siblings to get through anything."
"Thank you, Bonga, I appreciate your kind words," Allie said, tears coming out of her eyes.
"Dry your tears, old girl, let's talk over by the plaza, we have a great opportunity for you to move on and be awesome and make your siblings proud from the skies above. Come on, follow me and Bae."
"Let's go, Allie," I said.
"Mmm-hmmm!"
---OOO---
"Oh, what's this?" asked Allie, being handed a slice of a familiar pie.
"We hail from the Blue Planet, me and Bae, and this is something we call pizza," Bonga said. "It's a fine taste of home and fills you up and it's addicting."
"This is delicious, can I have another slice?"
"Go on, we made plenty, Allie Bae!" Kahori said, pointing to a tall stack of pizza boxes marked with the logo "Papa Shan's."
"Papa Shan's? What's that?"
"It's Eorzea's No. 1 pizza chain, founded in a place called Ul'dah by a former paladin turned entrepreneur named Papashan Nonoshan," Bonga said. "He's great with his pies and this is the original pizza that culinarians can make themselves. We just decided to support the company and celebrate Werlyt's liberation with some pizza."
"And it's not just us that enjoying this, Allie," I said.
Allie looked around. Others in the town were also munching on slices of pizza and some big fat tacos from the eponymous chain Big Fat Tacos, who have officially moved their corporate offices to Terncliff and had listings for specialists, and culinarians to do office and r&d work and round-the-clock marketing of the now established Mexeorzican Food genre.
"Did you want a taco as well?" asked Bonga, offering a plate. "Four types."
Allie giggled. "My brothers and sister would be laughing at this. Ruby Taco, Sapphire Taco, Emerald Taco, Diamond Taco, and they are so big! That's what this is huh? Looks delicious."
"Can you finish it?" asked Bonga with an evil look.
I looked at Bonga with a deathly stare. "Bonga, don't you dare..."
"...eh?"
---
Minutes later...headbumps. "Ow, that hurt me, Bae! Allie Bae! My Bangabae hurt me allez! Duty Failed!"
I comically wolfed down the tacos in a few bells then cast a Raise before I switched back to my regular outfit. "On your feet, and no more of that, understand Boi?"
"Yes, Bae," and Bonga went back to his seat to sulk with a scoff.
Allie had a laugh. "Are you two like this?"
"Yes," we both said.
"You really are hushand and wife." Bonga and I exchanged brofists in response.
"Well, you're not wrong," I said. "Anyway, Bonga wanted to talk. Go, mon cheri."
"Well, Allie, we know you want to do something to honor those lost. So I have an offer for you. Why not visit Ishgard and register to train to be a Skybuilder, basically an artisan that can craft and gather?"
"Make and gather things? Just like you guys?" Allie's eyes lit up.
"Exactly. You can make good money, if you want, you can also be a hunter and take up arms in a variety of professions, maybe even elist in one of the main three Grand Companies of Eorzea, basically be an adventurer just like me and my husband!" I said.
"We have a lot of people in Eorzea that can help you and you will be able to be your own person and even be a hero, and honor your brothers and sister," Bonga added. "Remember, they give your your strength and will to be you and be the best in what you do."
"Wow, this is so much, I don't know if I can soak all of this in, it feels so amazing," Allie said, feeling a bit dizzy.
"Here, have some mineral water," Bonga said. Allie drunk the whole thing down in a flash. "That was quick!"
"I will have to ask Dad if this is a good idea, but he may have his reservations, but I will try," Allie said.
"I mean you don't have to go out now to be an adventurer like us," I said. "Listen, Allie. Adventurers in this realm are always in demand. You will be working tirelessly to do things and is so much you can do. You don't have to even battle one bit to be an adventurer. Just find work, do work, earn money, and when you have enough, you can be self-sufficient, maybe even buy a new house and join a group of heroes that can help you get even better. Little steps, because this will be an Unending Journey for you, understand Allie?"
"Yes, ma'am!" she said, doing a Maelstrom salute.
"I see you have the salute of my Grand Company down, that's a start," I said to her.
"It's because I saw others doing the same thing," she explained.
"Gotta start somewhere, you know that, my dear," said Bonga, drinking his 17th bottle of rolanberry lassi. Thirstier than my dhalmel Thirsty Dhalmel Hunt Club, all told.
"Well, it's been great talking to both of you, but I gotta head back to my Dad," Allie said. "Kahori, come back and visit anytime you want and let me hear more of your heroics from you and Bongaboi, all right?"
"Expect it, because we are the gifts that keep on giving," I said, smiling with a finger to my cheek.
"Bye-bye!"
"May you ever be great in the light of Werlyt, it's bye for now!" Bonga said as he and I departed on the road back to Shirogane to get some well-needed rest. To go with an excursion to liberate Tiamat and clean up a mess in Paglth'an as well as take part in some Firmament fete antics. this was a very eventful week.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=63eYyhpW1Bo
