Genuary Jubilee Week 1 - Siblings

[gaiages]

Logistics

Fandom: Final Fantasy XIV
It can be difficult to explain.

Genuary Jubilee Week 1: Siblings

Rating: Teen

1,150 words
Relationship(s) / Characters: Warrior of Light & Alisaie
Tags: Endwalker patches 6.1 - 6.5 (no spoilers) ; trans female character ; dress up
CWs: non-sexual allusion to genitals

This is my piece for the first Gen-uary Jubilee prompt from #ficwip, siblings or best friends. The boys very much consider the twins their little siblings (regardless of that fleeting crush, lol). Also, this is my chance to push my trans Alisaie agenda. You can't convince me otherwise!!

Also on AO3 and Tumblr

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Kris looked across the hall and caught Alisaie staring at him again. What is going on? She's been staring at me all night… He looked down at the dress he was wearing, twisting around to examine himself. Seems clean, nothing out of place… so why?

"What are you doing?"

He looks up to see Laurent staring at him, a confused look on his face. "Oh… I thought there was something on my dress. Alisaie keeps looking at me oddly…"

"There's nothing on your dress, my love. She just likes staring at you. Part of that whole 'crushing on the Warrior of Light' deal, I assume."

"Is that so?" Kris gives his fiance a side-eye. "Do you stare as well, then? Take longing looks from across the ballroom, too shy to ask for a dance?"

"W-what?" Laurent's face turns red at the accusation. "No, of course not!"

Kris feigns a dramatic, hurt expression. "Am I not pretty enough for you, then? Oh, my heart!"

Laurent huffs. "Gods, you're insufferable." The Viera stomps off, and Kris chuckles. Always so easy to tease. I'll make it up to him later.

He casts his gaze back over the crowd, looking for Alisaie and spotting her against the wall. "Let's find out what it is she wants…"

** **

How does he even do it? Alisaie sulks as she leans against the wall. It doesn't make any sense! If I tried to wear something like that—

"Ah, there you are!" Alisaie snaps her head up to see the Warrior of Light smiling warmly at her. "It seems too early in the night to be a wallflower, dear."

"Kris!" She looks over at the Viera, though her eyes fall on the leg sticking out of the high cut of his dress.

"It's rude to stare, Alisaie." Kris clears his throat, and she looks up at him, flustered.

"I know… I meant to ask…" She gestures at the leg. "How do you do that?"

Kris knits his brow. "…Do what…?"

"That!" Alisaie gestures at his leg and the dress. "How are you able to wear something like this, without… without, you know…"

"…I don't know, Alisaie, what are you talking about?" Kris crosses his arms in confusion.

Ugh, I can't ask him now. This is so embarrassing! "I just—ugh, never mind!" Alisaie quickly retreats, making a beeline for her room.

** **

Well, what in the hells was that about? Kris watches Alisaie rush off. Why is she so interested in my dress? The cut's a little higher than normal, but it's not particularly unusual…

"That went worse than I expected."

"Hm?" Kris turns around to find Alphinaud nearby. "Do you know what's gotten into her?"

"…Probably. Can we talk outside?"

Kris nods, and they wind their way through the ballroom before heading out of the manor and finding a bench to sit at nearby.

Alphinaud frowns a bit before speaking. "It's… difficult to explain, and I don't know if it's my place… but Alisaie wasn't Alisaie when she was born. It's something she decided on later."

Kris taps a finger to his lip in thought. She wasn't Alisaie…? "Ah... I see. But what does that have to do with my dress?"

Alphinaud clears his throat, taking the time to formulate his response. "Well, uh… given your dress is so high cut, she was probably wondering how you can wear it given… wearing feminine clothing can have… logistical… issues…" Alphinaud snaps his mouth shut and turns away abruptly, clearly uncomfortable with discussing the subject with the Warrior of Light.

Oh. It makes sense, in hindsight—he hadn't considered that Alisaie might have been looking for advice and that she might have wanted to try and wear something similar but didn't know how to. He'd certainly been in a similar position back in Dalmasca when he started trying more feminine clothing.

Kris gives Alphinaud an apologetic look. "Thank you… for explaining. I know it's not the easiest conversation."

Alphinaud huffs. "Well, it wasn't like Alisaie was going to do it herself, and I'd rather not deal with her hiding every time she sees you."

Kris laughs, then stands up. "And I'd rather not deal with your mother noticing I was missing for too long. Let's get back, shall we?"

** **

I need to find Alisaie… Kris waited until the next day to track her down, thinking she might have been too flustered to talk during the party. Well, if I had to guess, she's probably antagonizing Laurent. Now where did he go…

It didn't take long for Kris to find his fiance, and sure enough, Alisaie was in tow. As he raises his hand in greeting, however, Alisaie's expression drops and she shifts to one side, as if looking for an escape route. "There you two are." Kris gives Laurent a quick peck on the cheek. "I need to talk to Alisaie for a bit, do you mind if I take her off your hands?"

"W-wait!" Alisaie cuts in. "…Uh… can Laurent come with?"

Laurent frowns. "…Why do you want me—"

"Of course! It's fine, my love." Kris gives Laurent a pointed look, and he simply sighs in response. "Let's go to the Last Stand."

They walked the short distance to the restaurant in silence, and it wasn't until after they had placed their orders that Kris smiled at Alisaie. "I wanted to talk about—"

"O-oh! Laurent, how's your time at the Studium going? Have you been getting used to the classes?"

Laurent looks between the two of them, before sighing again. "I'm not getting in the middle of whatever…" He waves at them. "…this is."

"Some help you are." Alisaie tsks, then looks back to Kris, waiting for him to continue.

Kris chuckles. "Anyway, there's a special sort of undergarment you can get." Alisaie groans. "It sits on your waist, so you can wear dresses with a higher cut while leaving… things… secure."

Alisaie places her head on the table. "Did my brother tell you?"

"Well, in a sense. He didn't say more than he needed to, I assure you." Kris smiles at the girl. "I don't mind helping, you know. It's not like I knew how to dress up properly out of the womb. I had someone help me, too."

"This is so embarrassing, though…"

"There's nothing to be embarrassed by, Alisaie! I simply just… didn't know. So I couldn't figure out why you were asking about my dress."

"Really? You didn't?" Alisaie's eyes light up a bit, and Kris nods.

"How could I? What about this—would you like to look around some of the shops after this? I can give you some pointers about how I'd wear certain dresses. Who knows, maybe you'll find one you like?"

"…Okay. But I don't like dresses much—"

"We'll find something you do like, then."

** **

Laurent watches the conversation unfold in utter confusion. What in the seven hells are they even talking about…?

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