healfate

[healfate]

. “ Death greets us all - but not today. ”

. @oeidn

and  she  chooses  to  believe  her  -  she  has  to  .  because  she's  standing  right  here  ,  because  if  she  reaches  out  to  touch  her  ,  she  has  to  trust  she  won't  disappear  .  but  she  can't  make  herself  .  she  can't  risk  this  moment  dispersing  into  the  thinness  of  the  atmosphere  ,  perished  by  the  reality  of  several  futures  have  been  all  too  cruel  ,  and  all  too  taxing  .  every  shift  ,  every  change  ,  she  feels  behind  her  eyes  ,  through  her  bloodstream  ,  her  limbs  paralyzed  by  the  woes  of  tomorrow  .  yet  ,  in  this  moment  ,  she  stands  .  face  to  face  with  everything  she's  wanted  ,  and  she  wonders  if  etro  is  toying  with  her  again  .  is  this  some  kind  of  dream  ?  is  lightning  really  here  ?  she  can't  make  herself  prove  it  .

❛  you're  right  .   ❜  she  states  with  a  confidence  born  just  recently  ;  jumping  through  space  and  time  ,  experiencing  new  worlds  ,  new  people  ,  new  cultures  ,  and  new  hurt  ,  has  gifted  her  the  ability  to  live  beyond  the  sea  -  side  home  of  bodhum  ,  old  and  new  ,  and  she  walks  no  longer  in  the  shadows  of  others  ,  but  in  her  own  light  ,  crafted  by  her  growth  and  determination  .

she  holds  out  her  hand  ,  awaiting  acceptance  from  the  woman  she's  searched  for  for  so  long  ,  the  woman  the  world  convinced  her  no  longer  existed  ,  the  woman  she  held  faith  in  despite  any  circumstance  ,  whether  it  had  been  denial  or  ignorance  ,  she  had  to  hold  onto  the  truth  of  her  heart  .  and  she  still  does  .  ❛  we  can  do  this  ,  lightning  .  together  .   ❜   and  she  smiles  ,  anticipating  how  her  sister  remembers  her  ,   ❛  i've  gotten  pretty  strong  ,  you  know  .   ❜

[healfate]

“Not always noticeable, but Serah sometimes dashes her knee when she comes out of a gate.”

[healfate]

save sister the game: the sequel

[healfate]

𝐁𝐆𝟑 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐚𝐧𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐛𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬.

a selection of lines from the various companions' banter quotes (not cut scene dialogues!) from baldur's gate 3. these are generally spoiler free and non context specific so they can apply to different settings and dynamics! feel free to change names and the like to customize the prompts.

“Death can't have me. Not yet…”

“Calm yourself. There is plenty of me to go around.”

“Realmspace is vast. Countless worlds to be mapped, kingdoms to be conquered.”

“I have missed this. The adventure. The danger. The kicking of butts!

“Let me guess - you need something.”

“Such attention.. I never realised I was so popular.”

“Let's cook with fire, baby.”

“Do you intend to vocalise every thought?. Or just the most obvious ones?”

“Wherever we go, ye gods let there be something green.”

“Careful, or I will take your toy away from you.”

“Watch your elders and learn.”

“Perhaps try attacking the enemy?”

“So much we don't know, lingering in the furthest reaches of existence.”

“All the world's my stage and you're just a player in it.”

“The shadows are my friend.”

“Yes, yes, have your fun. It isn't you they're trying to kill.”

“Feet planted firmly on Faerûn, please.”

“Admirable stamina, yet terrible priorities.”

“Well you certainly have the 'omnipresent' part down, don't you?”

“I am ready, whatever may come.”

“My faith protects me.”

“Need a throat slitting?”

“Death greets us all - but not today.”

“You need my expertise?”

“Can you feel death's cold grip?”

“So many stars, so many mysteries yet to be discovered.”

“Death comes quietly.”

“And I thought we were going to be friends.”

“Locked tight, but there must be some way to open it.”

“No, you can't die. Get up, damn you!

“You had my attention, now you have my fury.”

“From silence to suffering.”

“So many worlds out there. You'd need a thousand lifetimes to see them all - more.”

“I hope this is important. For your sake.”

“Let them gaze deep into their own abyss, and wonder just what it is they are trying to achieve.”

“I ought to just burn this whole thing down.”

“We have slightly more pressing matters to attend to.”

“You have still have time to surrender.”

“Every kicked buttock, another step on the path.”

“Weave save me. I can't take much more…

“You are right to fear me.”

“Let me look around. Might be something that'll help me crack this thing.”

“Incredible, to think how many worlds exist beyond this tiny speck within a speck I call home.”

“I really wish I could cast a Hold spell on you.”

“I can fawn over my face later.”

“Ready for another round?”

“Keep your blade close.”

“I can't unlock it from here, but there must be a switch or a button somewhere…”

“No, that's not moving. There must be a way to open it somewhere.”

“Battle favours the fearless.”

“Sleep with one eye open, evil. Maybe both.”

“Gotta be something around here to unlock this thing.”

“Why do beautiful people taste better?. It hardly seems fair on the ugly - they have such wonderful personalities.”

“Oh, calm down. I'm happy to see you too.”

“Just go for the Magic Missile and fire away. Never fails.”

“Still standing, no matter what you heard.”

“Enough waiting. I crave blood.”

“Hang on - I won't allow this. You aren't dead, go it?”

“GODS, it's HOT in here!”

“No rest for the wicked, I see.”

“Better to hide than fight, sometimes.”

“Would that I could hide from you, too.”

“Are you feeling lonely, perhaps?”

“There is no right or wrong, only truth.”

“Battle is afoot - you can poke me once we are safe.”

“What good all this ethereal eladrin blood if I can still get pimples?”

“I should've been a drow. They have such stylish armour.”

“I am armed! Armoured! And entirely sick of your foolishness.”

“Let's have some fun.”

“War is an old woman's game.”

“No rest, be you wicked or wise.”

“I'm getting too old for this nonsense.”

“I would poke you back, but I fear that's what you want.”

“You have my attention - now do something with it.”

“You are insistent, are you not?”

“Do what must be done.”

“Your suffering will be spectacular.”

“Lest I sit down for a rest and not rise again.”

“Better to look evil in the eye. Even if it be very small.”

“I'm not built to crouch.”

“I think I could go another round.”

“Always the same old song.”

“Is perfection too much to ask?”

“Eyes on victory, tummy on dinner.”

“So many places to be.. and I chose Baldur's Gate.”

“I'm not opening that. Not from here, at any rate.”

“What is the point, if not victory?”

“Won't last much longer like this.”

“Let's hope the locals are friendly.”

“Let us show them how it's done.”

“Weapons high. Standards higher.”

“Must everyone be so exhausting?”

“What I would not give for a chunk of fresh honeycomb…”

“Which way to the nearest library?”

“Now this is my happy place.”

“Who shall I silence?”

“Stop, or die.”

“Wear your scars proudly.”

[healfate]

it's a bouquet of lilies that prompto hands to serah, doing his best to ignore his sweating palms and blushing face. ❝ i got these. for you! for valentine's day! ❞ in truth, he'd spent far too much time staring at the flowers, trying to figure out which ones looked the healthiest and prettiest to his untrained eye. he could only hope that he chose well. ❝ i thought it might be fun to do something today. with you? together! ❞ his cheeks were burning. no matter how many times he'd practiced in front of the mirror, he still couldn't quite get his words right. ❝ uh–––– as long as you also want to! ❞ love , @crackshots

❛ oh ! prompto ! ❜ she looks to him with gentle eyes and surprised spirit ; she's delighted to see him , truly . she hadn't expected such a warm welcome from him , awkward as though it may be . she is too , and she loves that about him . all goofy smiles and ungraceful tendencies . . . what's not to be adored ?

and then he holds out the flowers , and immediately does a rose pink dust her cheeks , now matching the soft pigment of her hair , and she covers her mouth with her finger as she smiles , shifting her waist as she repositions the weight at her feet . ❛ really , you shouldn't have . ❜ but considering she got him something as well , perhaps he should have . he's certainly avoided her disappointment ( and expectation ) of receiving nothing .

fingers fold over his as she takes the bouquet in her other hand and she leans forward with a confidence boost , ❛ of course ! and thank you . ❜ and she's already pulling him along to who - knows - where . ❛ have anything in mind ? i've been craving the sea's bounty risotto from galdin quay ! ❜ a brief pause , so he doesn't feel forgotten about , ❛ and when we're done at the beach , we can head to my place ! i have something for you , but no guessing . it's a surprise ! ❜ she winks and turns her head in the direction of their now shared pace .

[healfate]

Where am I? It was winter. No, I've done that.

It was spring.

Margaret Atwood, from The Blind Assassin

[healfate]

Serah Farron in Final Fantasy XIII-2

Credit: @marlenadia

[healfate]

and like a lightning strike causes a forest fire , she is incinerated to ash ; laid bare in the charred aftermath of destruction . this is how it always is , she reminds herself again , despite her hope for more , her hope for change . she's lonely here , only her dreams to keep her company at night . and in her dreams , lightning is beside her . they share meals and silly stories , serah talks about her blossoming love life ( or even lack thereof ) and they laugh together . she is comforted in those moments , because even if she cannot rely on her sister for emotional support , perhaps she could at least lean on her for the comfort of mundane experience . she is her sister , after all . is it so much to ask ?

even now , she cowers like a sacrificial lamb at the hiss of devastation , and would allow her predator to take her . her voice is so low , it's hardly audible , ❛ you're right . . . ❜ and an 'i'm sorry' gets caught in her throat . her fists ball up and she can feel the ends of her nails press into her palms . water forms at the corners of her eyes and she blinks it away that it might make her entirely visible . this isn't the place for vulnerability . she just thought . . . perhaps , this time , they could spend more time together .

❛ i don't understand . ❜ the words come out like a solidified repetition , but also as if she defies every syllable that collapses from her tongue . she turns her back to her sister and meets her gaze with the wall , then to the floor . ❛ maybe -- ❜ ever the optimist is she , ❛ if you would explain it , i could get it . ❜ because even if they're fighting or holding a discussion however intense , at least she's not crying alone in her room again .

𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐦𝐞𝐦𝐞; 𝐣𝐚𝐜𝐤'𝐬 𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐪𝐮𝐢𝐧.

@etroeyes asked: ' you said ... you meant it . '

𝐇𝐎𝐖 𝐂𝐎𝐔𝐋𝐃 𝐒𝐇𝐄 𝐔𝐍𝐃𝐄𝐑𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐍𝐃? How could she possibly understand the weight that rests on her sister's shoulders? The responsibility that holds fast to the marrow && incessantly nags for more when she's given her all. Sleepless nights, endless patrols; a myriad of instances where her attention is elsewhere if only to provide && ensure that food finds the table. To make sure the roof above their heads is sustained, she has long since been the head of their survivability. The sole provider---what family do they have that is not each other? && she knows there should be patience wielded before a sharp tongue, but the sinew runs ragged && the air in her lung hitches. The built up frustrations buried deep rear their head, bear their teeth; they threaten to consume && condemn all that's in her path. A destructive force: LIGHTNING. "I know what I said, Serah." Like a hiss through her teeth, the crackling of ambient electrical arcs across her war-bitten heart. The furrow in her brow gives way to an emphasis that isn't necessary && the unmistakable ire midst gaze that now falls upon the younger. Does Serah realize how defeated Lightning feels behind that hardened disposition? With a tight grip against the edge of the counter whilst back remains to her kin, she huffs out. "Just.. drop it."

O'destructive daughter, bones wrought of a mother long since gone; biting the hands that only wish to love. A sacredness to sisterhood that one seeks to maintain slips further && further from one's grasp. At the mercy of the tides in her eyes && the tempest that wages war in her heart. Fighting so desperately, clawing to the surface so that neither of them would drown. Prior commitments fall to the wayside when bills have to be paid. Promises to be present at recitals fizzle to naught---not of her own doing. A civil servant, a soldier; to serve.. to serve.. to protect && serve. "You don't understand."

[healfate]

doing so much serah study today...

[healfate]

[healfate]

All About Love, bell hooks | Snow and Dirty Rain, Richard Siken

[healfate]

♪ You and I, we were born to die ♪

[healfate]

❝ gee, you really are amazing. ❞ love , @crackshots .

❛ it always seems to help , you know . . . ❜ her words trail to the clouds with a meaning yet undisclosed . the corners of her lips perk skyward , & some tease at shyness dances from the finger tip that now waves so matter - of - factly through the air . ❛ having you around . ❜

fingers clasp behind her back , & with a slight bend of her back , she leans toward prompto with a radiant confidence , pure of malice , whole with earnest . ❛ you taught me a lot , prompto . you and lightning . i can defend the people i love because of you . thank you . ❜

[healfate]

A dying world

[healfate]

❛ well . . . once you go through , there might be no coming back . ❜ & her voice plays over the memory of noel's advice before she ever stepped foot beyond a time she's always known . ❛ kinda scary when you think about it . ❜ her voice is soft , pondering , yet sincere . fear is so often plaguing , but bravery carries her beyond its bounds . she is shackled only to her desires , that which make her free .

❛ listen to me , going on . . . really , it's not so bad . ❜ nodding her head in assurance ( though , mostly to herself ) , ❛ i'm glad to have you at my side , vincent . but , you can be honest . are you nervous ? ❜

. . . continued ! @ofvice .

[healfate]

❝ don’t you dare ignore me! ❞ love , @blazefires .

she barks & the silence is so loud it doesn't echo . serah stands in a position as fire chars her heart , but absence becomes her voice , her body . she stills herself in hurt , a single hand rising to bring comfort to her aching heart . deep sadness roots itself in her eyes , & she turns away to hide the tears that prick at their corners , but she knows that lightning is no fool to her feelings . hiding doesn't change anything .

some inner battle becomes her & she fights with whether or not she deserves to bite back , choking on her pride in a fit of oppositional defiance . she speaks , but her voice shakes , & her words are stale , ❛ if you think i'm ignoring you , then fine . ❜ but i'm not . i'm not , i'm not , i'm not . this world is too overwhelming . you're the only one i have left .

❛ . . . aren't you leaving again ? ❜ the guardian corps so frequently steals her sister from her , & her loneliness is making her weak . desperation heavy in her quiet , bitter words .

[healfate]

❛ i like your friend ! ❜ index finger pressing into the rounded tummy of the moogle, laughter falls from her mouth. ❛ --- you guys make a great team ! ... and so do we ! ❜ ♡ love , @onegil .

❛ pretty cute , huh ? ❜ ginger smile pulls at pink lips , & she stifles a giggle . watching mog wiggle like that while aerith laughs so freely wraps her in a sort of comfort that she almost forgot . reaching out her own hand , she gives the moogle a gentle pat , & earnest eyes meet the other girl's almost in what feels like some sort of excitement . their like spirits oft provide serah with a boost of confidence & spirit that she never quite realizes she needs , & puts her hands on her hips in a display of heightened morale . the two of them , together , could take on anything , she thinks . & after the adventures they'd shared . . . perhaps it'd be best they take on something a little more relaxing .

❛ say , aerith . i was thinking . . . what do you say we do something fun ? everything's been so intense lately . why don't we take a walk by the water ? ❜