I Have A Crush On The White Mage
My name is Alexia. I’m a Warrior who wears the coolest armor and holds the biggest weapons! I’m quite strong for my lower level, probably because I was born into a family of martial fighters.
I was originally born as a boy. However, I realized in my youth that I would really rather be a girl. At that time, we visited a mage who was an expert in transformation spells. With their magic and some special training, I was able to become a mighty young lady! My hair and eyes became shining brown, my skin felt soft, and I looked great! In this world, it’s not unheard of to change that about yourself. It’s uncommon for the feminine among us to become physical warriors, and not frowned upon at all.
After that, I was very thankful to the magician who transformed me. I grew up with a strong admiration for magic users, though I never became one myself. It seemed as though they could perform anything! With the support of my family and the magic community, I knew I could become the adventurer I was always meant to be!
From that day on, I trained my hardest, and took pride in my skills with great swords, axes, shields and anything other weapon you can think of! I studied monsters and got excellent grades in Adventurer’s Academy. Fighting is easy for me as a young adult.
The only thing I didn’t do growing up was...make any friends! So, I adventured alone for a few years, picking my battles and doing as I pleased. Everything takes way longer by yourself, but what’s the rush for a beautiful gal like me?
Well, everything went topsy-turvy when I met this boy at the Chocobo stable…It was my first time in the biggest city of all, Jeuno.
“My Chocobo ran away! Towards Rolanberry Fields! Please, could you try and find him for me? You seem strong and capable, young lady!”
The stable master looked at me with big, pleading eyes. He was a slighter older, heavier-set gentleman. Raising Chocobos is hard work, he was right to ask an adventurer.
“Don’t worry, sir.” I gave him a cute little salute. There was no reason to do that other than my amusement. “I’ll find that chocobo in no time! You have an adventurer’s promise.”
I turned around and began to march out, pulling my map out of my knapsack.
“Where the HELL is Rolanberry Fields? I just got here to Jeu- OOF!”
“Aahh!”
My face scrunched up like I hit a wall, for a flash my nose hurt. I shook my head and realized I bumped into someone.
“Sorry about thaa—aaah?”
I had bumped into a mage! A White Mage, to be sure! And...he was cute! I looked him over while I stammered for my next words. His black hair was that of the night sky, I wonder if he dyes it? Are there hair salons here? He had gorgeous green eyes too-
“Uhm, sorry about that miss-!” The mage said. I wanted to hide my embarrassment, so I dusted myself off and finished his words.
“Alexia. And it’s okay!” I’m pretty sure this is my fault, though, my face was buried in the map. In avoiding his direct gaze, I saw that I had given his beautiful white robe some specks and blemishes from smacking into my plate armor. A white robe was the tell-tale sign of a respectable healer.
“I heard you’re looking for Rolanberry Fields? I could take you there. The monsters aren’t suuu~per dangerous on the way, but better safe than sorry, right?”
My cheeks turned red against my will. You see, the pairing of a kind-hearted healer and their protector is an age-old, tried and true set-up for heroics and action! Many famous heroes came in parties of four, and the backbone of nearly all of them is as I describe. The warrior is invincible with healing magic at their side, and in turn, the warrior takes all harm away from their allies. It’s like a ham-and-cheese sandwich! Or meatballs and-
“Hello? Alexia?” Oh no, he learned my name that fast!? The point is, I’ve never had a healer before!
“UHM!” I yelled by accident.
“S-sssure! Ha-ha-ha!” That was the fakest laugh I ever gave, but lots of Warriors do that Ha-ha-ha thing. Even though I’m a girl now, I lowered my voice to sound big and strong. Grabbing my two-handed axe, I posed. “I will protect thee with my axe! You need only keep your wits about you.”
Why do I get the feeling this isn’t how you’re supposed to talk to party members?!
Thank the crystals he smiled.
“Verily!”
In our world, that’s the same as saying “True!” when you don’t know what else to say.
He bowed his head lightly and my heart bounced a bit. Oh, why is he a gentleman? What IS this!?
“I am Theodore the White Mage.”
I was taken aback by that and forgot to make a similar gesture. They say that if you want to make eye contact without really doing it, you can stare at the bride of their nose while you talk. I’ll try that.
...
Ah, I still see those peepers in my peripheral vision. Pretty!
“Erm...well met, Theodore! Let us recover this Chocobo escapee.” Theodore had a rather calming voice. He held out his hand and opened his palm to me, but I stayed composed. I was scared it would be a pearl, a sign of non-romantic commitment. Instead, there were herbs, specifically Gyashal Greens. Chocobos lo~oove those, they’re like treats. Goodness, he likes animals too?
“I believe once we give it these, it will be a simple escort back home. It’s not the first time one of these cuties has run away from a stable, unfortunately.” Phew, I might’ve fallen over a second time if he called me cutie. So, he’s done this kind of quest before? I do need his help! I’m so used to doing everything alone, I wondered how I should show my gratitude.
“Ehm, ah...lead the way!” I offered my hand and- SLASH! My axe fell to the ground, right in between Theodore’s feet! I wasn’t thinking at all, it absolutely could have sliced a toe off if it was closer! “Eek!” He jumped!
“Ahaha...I mean, Ha-ha-ha! I apologize for...t-that.” My voice went back to normal. That was clearly an accident.
“You must be so strong to hold that up! You cracked the floor!”
Awh, he thinks I’m strong!
The stable master poked his head out, having heard the crashing sound of metal and stone. “Hmm? Hey, you kids, be careful! Chocobo don’t like that kind of noise!”
A drop of sweat ran down my face. “Sorry! Let’s get moving…”
Every adventurer got used to walking after a while, but being behind someone was different. I felt weirdly safe, but that made me anxious because safety was a new feeling! Sure, I had total confidence in myself, but watching his robe blow in the breeze made me think that everything would be just fine. Physically, I could totally dominate him any time I wanted and chop him into pieces! Having this more gentle person as my guardian for the day was, well, nice!
I wasn’t sure how to make idle conversation, but he spoke up a few minutes after we left the city.
“Have you fought this monster before?” He gestured out in the distance to a Malboro, they’re nasty things, with gaping maws and no eyes, but dozens of tentacles. Honestly, what is such an ugly beast doing in such a pretty, idyllic place as Rolanberry Fields?
“Not yet,” I said with a grin. “wanna help me bag my first Malboro?”
It seems backwards, but some action would help me feel better around my new friend!
“If it would please you.” he turned back to me and flashed a smile. I wondered, what exactly pleases this kind of guy? Eep! Why did I think that!? Who cares!?
In my self-induced drama, I drew my axe and started running towards the Malboro.
“KILL!”
Maybe I was hoping that’d make him laugh. I was running so fast, I didn’t hear either way! I leaped at the Malboro with all my strength, a falling slash should do the trick! It noticed me far too late.
“RAAAH!”
SLAAASH! I ran right through its head and down its body, it wailed in pain I was sprayed with purple blood. It smelled bad, but that wasn’t weird from a toxic freak like this. When I landed, the monster looked dead to me, save for some wriggling tentacles that were expected. I put my back to the beast and looked for Theodore. Whatever compelled me to strike a pose, I have no idea, but I planted my axe in the ground and rested my arm on it.
“Did you see that, Theo? I- uah-”
With my elbow out, I suddenly fell over in the same pose, not bending an inch when I hit the blood-stained grass. I was paralyzed! Thankfully, I landed in a way where I could see Theodore rushing towards me.
“You need to be careful around poisons monsters, Lady Alexia!”, oh my, did he call me LADY!?
“Srllyabtat” it was kind of hard to move my mouth after the paralysis kicked in, and I couldn’t blush or hide my face either. He held his hands out to me and they started to glow a rather soothing turquoise.
“Malboros are so dangerous because they can inflict so many statuses. Walking into one head first isn’t a wise idea. They can poison, stun, paralyze, blind-” While he was listing that off, I felt my muscular control come back. Being healed magically felt rather good, I had to say! If you’re familiar with the feeling of a severe headache quickly going away, it was like that, only all over my whole body.
I sat up and looked at Theodore. The sunlight was right behind his head, so he looked dreamy with a white halo. Ah, my hero! “Let’s get you up,” he said, bouncing his hands.
Eh!?
My cheeks turned hot again and I pushed myself up off the ground. “T-t-t-hanks! I appreciate your aid greatly...kind stranger.” Was my embarrassment super obvious? And why did I want to impress him so badly anyway!? Am I just insecure like that?
“May we be on our way?” The stress made me say that more angrily than I meant. But he was so sweet anyway! “With haste.”
My eyes lit back up. “You can caste Haste!?” He closed his eyes and made an embarrassed smile, rubbing his hand on his hood. “Not yet...sorry.”
Hm, so he’s not invincible either. Maybe we aren’t so different!
We had made it a few zones over, a place called La Thine Plateau. We couldn’t find our feathery friend in the Fields. This place, by comparison, had a more Autumn-like color scheme to the leaves, which was very pleasing to my aesthetic sensibilities. I have to admit, this was taking longer than I expected. From Theodore’s magic, and my own training, I was quite refreshed physically. But I don’t think they make spells for mental stress! I was not expecting to be at his side for so long…
“Kweh!”
Oh! We both knew that sound. The beautiful cry of a healthy runaway Chocobo!
Theodore hunched down and pulled out the Gyashal Greens. I followed suit, though my armor went CLANK as bent my knees. “Oops.” I whispered.
“Just listen for the footsteps...and be calm. He might be nervous, even though we have treats.” Theodore bristled the leafy greens in his hand to try and get that cute yellow chicken to come over here. Adult Chocobos are pretty tall, this one seemed to tower over us.
“Kwooo…” It quickly chipped as it started to eat out of his hand. I was awestruck. This was so cute! I couldn’t think of anything more wholesome if I tried. Without Theodore, I’m not sure what I would have done, assuming I found my way here at all.
“Good girl. Gooood girl.” He stroked the Chocobo’s feathers while I bit my tongue. What a weird thing to say with me, a pretty girl, sitting right next to you...have some common sense, Theo!
“She’s really happy. I bet she was hungry.”
“Me too.” I whispered. He didn’t respond, not even a chuckle, but I suppose he’s focused on calming the animal. The Chocobo started to lean into his pets and feeding hand.
When Theo stood up, I did the same, this time without any clinking or clanking. Theo got up on the saddle with a strong “Huup!”, I watched from the ground with a smile. He smiled back!
“I can take this sweet girl back to Jeuno. The both of us might be too heavy for her, though.” I didn’t take that the wrong way, I am wearing a full set of gear after all, while he’s in lightweight garments.
“With my magic, I can teleport you back home. You did set your home point to Jeuno, right?”
“Uhuh.” I heard ‘magic’ and got excited, so I didn’t really hear the rest of what he said. Oh, Theodore, you have cast a spell on me, and it’s not one you can learn from a scroll. I couldn’t suppress that any longer. But here we are at the very end of our quest. How could I show him some thanks? I didn’t want to do it back in Jeuno in front of everyone! Only Theo and the chicken would be witness to my gesture.
“Uhuh.” I heard ‘magic’ and got excited, so I didn’t really hear the rest of what he said. Oh, Theodore, you have cast a spell on me, and it’s not one you can learn from a scroll. I couldn’t suppress that any longer. But here we are at the very end of our quest. How could I show him some thanks? I didn’t want to do it back in Jeuno in front of everyone! Only Theo and the chicken would be witness to my gesture.
I’ve never done this before...but I’ve got to try!
“Erm, Sir Theodore.” Do boys like that?
“Hm?” ah, he shows interest!
I put my hands at my sides and bent my leg, bowing my head deeply. A curtsy should express my gratitude, right?
“Thank you.” Urk! That was weirdly romantic!
“Ha.” Oh, he looked like he was getting ready to talk more, his eyes lit up. “You are quite welcome, fair lady.”
“!!?!!?”
“Hm? Alexia? Did the paralysis come back?”
“UHM!” There I go yelling again. “Yes, but only for a flash, I am fine now as you see!” I waved my arms up and down.
“Kweh!?” Oh, the poor baby didn’t like the movement. “There, there, girl, it’s okay.” Ah, I closed my eyes for a moment and imagined he was saying that to me.
“You’ll get back to Jeuno first. So give the stable master my regards and let him know the Chocobo is on the way.” I gave him a warm smile and a cute salute, I was feeling at ease now that I showed him a little bit of how I felt. “Aye-aye.”
Just as I lowered my hands, I was enveloped in a blue, sparkling light. It dawned on me I might have the chance to see this mage again, and again if he would have me! Just as I began to fade into the light, I had to blurt something out.
“Come find me again, Sir Theodore!”
He waved to me, and the Chocobo began to sprint away.
“With ease,”
He might have said something else, but in a flash, I was back home in Bastok. The familiar stone city was dull to some, but cozy to me.
Hey, why am I in Bastok!? Oh no! I forgot to set my home point to Jeuno! Jeuno was hours away by foot! That’s the only way I made it last time. Where would Theodore be by the time I got there? White Mages were busy, in demand by everyone!
“Oh, Theodore…” I whimpered as my stomach started to roar.