star-gazcr

[star-gazcr]

“Right! Vhat’s the plan, then? And Sisters help the lot of us if you don’t have one." To Orion from @lalannaoronir

@lalannaoronir

“Yeah! Uh.” Orion stopped to think for a moment. Planning was supposedly one of his stronger points, but he usually relied on Alphinaud for the details of such plans. They didn't have a lot of time for this one, though, and Alphinaud was decidedly busy with other things.

“Okay. The plan is this. We go in, we kill the bad guys, and then we come back out. Still breathing, preferably.”

It was a good plan. It just lacked those details Alphinaud was famous for.

[star-gazcr]

Orion was somewhat fascinated by the process. He was not aware of the fact that X'kijin likened it to cooking, obviously, but he noticed the similarity himself. Which was just as well that he hadn't picked it up – he was bollocks at cooking as well.

The process was foreign to him, but he looked on with some interest as X'kijin worked. He wasn't really learning anything from it, but it was interesting to watch, nonetheless.

“I might pop into the botanist guild sometime, if you think it's that worth it,” Orion replied, shrugging a little. “And it's not hard to tell the...eh, the plant you told me about – if it's not hard to tell apart from other plants. I am...not so well versed in botany at the moment.”

Botany had some merit for his weaving abilities, he supposed – a lot of his clothes that he made used plants at their bases, so perhaps he would pick that up. It wasn't a half bad suggestion, honestly.

“I can understand why they would want someone with alchemy skills at the guild, yes,” Orion said, nodding.

“As for me, I'm going into arcanamia,” he replied. “I'm not certain it's my thing just yet, but I'm able to summon a carbuncle, so that is one thing going for me. I...got into it because a friend convinced me to try. I've always wanted to be an arcanist, but it's a rather intimidating guild to join. I suppose there is some of that with conjury too.”

If X'kijin was disappointed by Orion's decision to stay, he did not show it on his face. And he was disappointed, in fact, given the small disturbance of his peace. It was bad enough that it delayed his afternoon nap, but now he'd have to hold a conversation.

... But at least he'd offered to get imp wings. That means X'kijin wouldn't have to worry about the possibility that E-Sumi-Yan would look to him to grab some when they ran out—and they inevitably would.

"You might learn a little, just to cut costs," X'kijin suggested, though he knew he never would have, if not for the various attempts of others in the Conjurer's Guild to coax him into doing things. Alchemy was just one of the few things that stuck. He had a penchant for it, which was odd given many Ala Mhigans weren't much for alchemy.

It wasn't all that different from cooking to him.

"But, uh... Not too long? They just kinda taught me because they wanted someone on-hand with alchemy knowledge," he said as he started the process of brewing the ether. And that aside, he'd seen similar enough done back home with the likes of cactus tea, so it made sense, even if it was inconvenient.

For him, that is, but he couldn't claim with his whole heart that he didn't enjoy the gratitude given to him when people were given the potions.

"What about you? What got you to try... whatever magic you're trying?"

[star-gazcr]

" You. " The Lancer he'd met long before he'd come to Ishgard. " Orion. " He's found out who Aymeric's mystery lover is and well; as Aymeric's best friend, he feels it's only his duty to give the Warrior of Light the talk. He needs Orion to know what happens if he hurts Aymeric. " Outside. I want to talk with you. "

@eorzeasaved // estinion

@eorzeasaved

Orion has never found Estinien particularly threatening, save for just after they had first met, when he had been a fledgling dragoon wanna-be and Estinien had been the only Azure Dragoon. They are essentially equals in battle by this point, and Orion considers him a fine companion to have.

But this? This is a little intimidating.

Of course, Orion has a pretty good idea what it's about. He and Aymeric had been an item for a few weeks now, and he's mostly surprised this hasn't come sooner. Estinien and Aymeric are close friends, after all. It would stand to reason that Estinien would be one of the first to learn of their relationship.

“Must we go outside to talk?” Orion asks, sighing. “It's cold out there.”

[star-gazcr]

oh in that case, he's a one star cat for SURE

never where he's supposed to be (doing msq)

never in a grocery store that sells cat food at street level

never on a car sometimes

Important dash question: would your muse be a 5 star cat?

[star-gazcr]

★★★★☆

Important dash question: would your muse be a 5 star cat?

[star-gazcr]

decided to try dancer out today! it's a lot of fun!

[star-gazcr]

“People have died. Ve can’t let that go unpunished. ” to Leo from @lalannaoronir

“No, I suppose we can't,” Leo said grumpily.

Everything was going wrong. Rhalgr's Reach had been overrun by Imperials, the Ala Mhigan Resistance there was all but wiped out, Y'shtola was gravely injured, and Leo himself had been struck down with a harsh blow from Zenos. They had made it back to the wall, at least, where things were relatively safe, and the injured had been tended to.

Leo had been hurt badly by the final blow Zenos and could only boast a fantastic scar for it, rather than a fantastic story. He was stuck in a recovery tent with the others, even as Alphinaud planned for a trip overseas.

“I've already said as much to Alphinaud, you know,” Leo went on. “And I do plan on going with them to Doma. As soon as they let me out of this sickbed, at least.”

[star-gazcr]

This X'Kijin man was polite enough, but he didn't seem to really want Orion to hang around. Well, Orion didn't really want to hang around either, truth be told; it was just that he did not have a lot else to do before the potions were finished. He supposed he could go kill things with his lance – imps, for instance, and get himself a discount while he was at it. But the going rate for these potions was good enough for Orion not to bother.

“I am no botanist, I'm afraid,” Orion replied, shrugging a bit. “I do not even know what a tinolqa mistletoe is, or how it differs from any other type. I can bring imp wings next time I come, though, now that I know you need them.”

Who even knew how alchemists did their thing? Orion couldn't imagine a plant and some monster bits somehow turning into a magic restoring ether. But then, he was gifted in other area – some people couldn't imagine some cloth and thread turning into a shirt either.

“I will wait around then,” he decided, even though it was definitely going to be awkward. “So. How long have you been making potions?” That seemed innocent enough.

"Nice to meet you," X'kijin said, though he was fully familiar with how the words sounded on his lips, like they were an obligation more than something he wanted to say. It was an easy enough to remember name, at least, though he couldn't say if that was normal of Viera or not.

"Most merchants charge around sixty gil for ethers or average quality. So... forty gil each for higher quality?"

It would cover the costs of purchasing the materials, at least. Time wasn't much of an issue, given whatever else he received would go straight to the Conjurer's Guild, anyways.

"Less if you can source the materials yourself, I guess," he said with a wave of his hand that suggested he was fine with either. "Imp wings, especially, but there's also tinolqa mistletoe, if you're something of a botanist."

The imp wings ought to be easy enough, too, if he's indeed an adventurer.

"Shouldn't take long. An hour, maybe two? So if you want to stick around, you're welcome to."

[star-gazcr]

i also did some random thirst pics of orion because...why not? he's never do this in a million years because he hates being objectified but you know. i do what i want.

[star-gazcr]

haurche & leo

behind the scenes:

<3

[star-gazcr]

“𝙎𝙃𝘼𝘿𝙊𝙒 𝘼𝙉𝘿 𝘽𝙊𝙉𝙀” - 𝙄𝙉𝙎𝙋𝙄𝙍𝙀𝘿 𝙋𝙍𝙊𝙈𝙋𝙏𝙎.

hi friends!! basically, i watched the teaser trailer for season 2 of shadow and bone, got excited, began to reread the soc duology, and then these happened! or rather, i found an ancient unpublished fic i wrote after the first time i read the duology, and decided to make that a problem for everyone else! i hope you all enjoy these, you don’t need to have seen the show nor read the books, i actually think many of these are fairly fandomless! i just wanted to explain my inspiration! DON’T ADD TO THIS LIST! i’ll make more lists like this one! ily all, bon appetit, go forth and write or read or nap or watch tv or something!

“ my goodness, you’re not nearly as stupid as you look! ”

“ you have all the answers right in front of you. you just need to look at it differently. ”

“ don’t presume that you know me just because you’ve heard a few rumors and read a few articles. ”

“ there’s certainly more to you than meets the eye, isn’t there? ”

“ i urge you to remember exactly who it is you’re talking to. because while others might appreciate your tone, i assure you, i do not. ”

“ i’m concerned that you mightn’t understand what discreet means. because the path of chaos you’ve just created is exactly the opposite of discreet. ”

“ you owe me a favour. i’m here to collect. ”

“ i thought it was a good time to pay you a visit. it’s been so long, after all; and we have so much to catch up on. ”

“ you are not your father/mother/parent’s child. not by anything other than blood, and that’s not even on the spectrum of importance. ”

“ i was wrong about you. ”

“ you know, i was warned not to get involved with you. people insisted it was a fool’s decision. but i held out hope that you’d prove them wrong. now’s your chance. ”

“ i’m not the sort of person to fuss over hurt feelings. you’re either of value to me, or you’re worthless. so prove to me that you’re not the latter. ”

“ you honestly think i don’t know where you go each night? i’m not blind nor an idiot. i just trust your ability to return home unharmed. ”

“ have you told anyone else about this? ”

“ there are no children anymore. only survivors. childhood and innocence are luxuries afforded to the privileged. not us. ”

“ i offered you an opportunity once. to build a better world together. we both know how that turned out. and now, you come crawling back, begging for… what? mercy? forgiveness? ”

“ i’m with you. always. no matter what happens, i will be right by your side. do you understand? ”

“ we’re a team, aren’t we? teams stick together. even when the leader is being a prick. ”

“ …i was really worried about you, you know. you scared me earlier. and i’m not saying it to make you feel bad, it’s just… promise me you’ll tell me if things get bad again? ”

“ i can’t pretend to understand all this stuff you’ve got going on. but i do promise that i’ll be here to help you through it all. alright? ”

“ there’s a job that needs to be done before we get to work on the big task. that’s why i’m here. you’ll be helping me/us to complete both jobs. payment upon completion. ”

“ you and i aren’t as different as you want to believe. that must be why you’re so angry. because looking at me, all that i’ve done… it’s like looking in a mirror. isn’t it? ”

“ people are scared. they need a leader. and right now, like it or not, they’re looking to you. so go on. lead us. ”

“ you’ve come up with some really insane plans over the years, but this is just defying any amount of belief. ”

“ look. i don’t care if people underestimate me. i actually enjoy it. they see me as an idiot, they drop their guard, the end. but i need you to know that i’m not an idiot. okay? ”

“ people have died. we can’t let that go unpunished. ”

“ the world is changing. and if we don’t get ahead of it, then they’ll be the ones to decide what it changes into. ”

“ right! what’s the plan, then? and god help the lot of us if you don’t have one. ”

“ not all of us can afford the luxury of a conscience. ”

“ don’t make the deadly mistake of presuming my actions reflect weakness. too many have made that same presumption. and not a single one of them lived to tell the tale. ”

“ you’re scared. i can tell. the shaking, the look in your eye… you want to run. don’t. you’ll waste precious time and energy, and you’ll need it all if you want to live. ”

“ everything is gone. it’s all smoke, ruin, obliterated. is that our legacy now? our reputation? destruction, devastation, death? is that who we are? ”

“ we’ve fought against powerful enemies before, but this is beyond that. if we want to get out of this alive, we need to be smarter, stronger, better than we’ve ever been before. ”

“ don’t forget why we’re here. there’s far more at stake than our lives if this goes wrong. ”

“ you’re the only person here i trust. we need to stick together, watch each other’s backs. just because everything’s changed, doesn’t mean we have to, too. ”

“ i can’t think of anyone i’d rather be doing this crazy, ridiculous, nearly definitely lethal mission with. let’s go out with a bang, eh? ”

“ you people are completely insane. but you’re also insufferably good at this sort of thing. so let’s go save the world, shall we? ”

“ why are we fighting so hard to save the lives of people who hate us, anyway? ”

“ you’re the best there is at this sort of thing. i’d hate to see the one who got the better of you… ”

“ look at them all. going around, fussing over money, clothes, land… do they ever realize what’s going on around them? do they ever see the bigger picture as we do? ”

“ you’re clever. good. it’s nice to have a challenge. but you should know now, you’ll want to be a hell of a lot smarter than that if you want to go up against me. ”

“ you and i both know the risks. we both know what people like them are capable of. tell me it’s all okay, and i won’t question you. but if it isn’t… we need to be ready. ”

“ it’s lonely and vicious at the top. i can handle that. but you… you wouldn’t survive five minutes of this life. ”

“ you can’t survive in this world without growing a thicker skin, and erasing that naive belief that you can trust anyone you meet. least of all me. ”

“ if you’re knocking on my door, i can only imagine it means you’re here to collect. and by your demeanour, it’s one hell of a favor you’ll be asking, too. ”

“ i understand your anger. i’ve lived with that sort of rage for many years of my life. but you need to set it aside, understand? we need you calm if we want to get out of here. ”

“ oh, don’t get all sentimental. i saved your life because you’re worth more to me alive than dead. it doesn’t signify any degree of care or affection. ”

“ you have one hell of an inflated ego, you know that? we were told this job was impossible. that’s not a challenge. that’s a fact. it is not possible. even for you. ”

“ i’ve heard it all before. one more job. one more mission. one last heist. but there’s always more. it’s like some sort of obsession for you. searching for another thrill. ”

“ enough! this is it! don’t you see that?! we almost died! you almost got killed! if the saints are kind enough to save us today, it’s only so we can quit while we’re ahead! ”

[star-gazcr]

23 for Orion!

OC Ask Meme | Accepting!

What emotion is the hardest for your OC to process? How about express?

Probably grief, on both counts. He stubbornly clings to people he loses, and it really fucks him up. Haurchefant's death really stuck with him because he feels responsible, and he feels responsible for what happened to Minfilia also, even though she's not exactly dead. He takes these things very hard and refuses to let himself process it or express it properly.

I actually wrote a fic that deals with him and Aymeric visiting Haurchefant's grave, and he does a better job of grieving than Aymeric does, so I don't know what that says about Aymeric.

[star-gazcr]

19 for Leo!

OC Ask Meme | Accepting!

How does your OC behave when enraged?

If it's in battle, he's going to probably shoot you in the face. If it's outside of battle, like he's pissed off at somebody? He's going to get bitingly sarcastic with you. Just the absolute cold shoulder. He's pretty sarcastic normally, but he will just be straight up mean about it if he's pissed.

[star-gazcr]

What is your favorite thing about your OC? (Dealer's choice!)

OC Ask Meme | Accepting!

Well, this goes for both of them, really, but - I like their backstories! Orion's is more developed because I wrote it alone, whereas my friend plays Leo's twin sister, and we haven't discussed all the details yet. But normally, when I make a D&D character or something, I'm a little overly self-conscious about giving them a sad/traumatic backstory because it's so stereotypical to give them one.

But I kind of stopped caring about that in FFXIV, because, well, the world here is pretty much fucked, and anyway, it's more fun to give them sad backstories.

I also like that they're both very pretty. :3

[star-gazcr]

What is your OC's pain tolerance like? + What is the worst thing you have put your OC through story-wise? (For Leo!)

OC Ask Meme | Accepting!

What is your OC's pain tolerance like?

*final Pam voice* Pretty good it doesn't seem. Leo's pain tolerance is squarely average, maybe on the low side. He tends to stand back, away from the fighting, as a bard/machinist, and he doesn't take a lot of damage.

What is the worst thing you have put your OC through story-wise?

Killing his boyfriend. Wait, I guess I didn't do that. I guess it was probably kind of a dick move to foist a baby on him while he was grieving his dead boyfriend, and also in the midst of a war. But I can't help myself - when characters I ship with die, I have to give them a baby. There's no way around it.

[star-gazcr]

When scared, does your OC fight, flee, freeze or fawn? + How far is your OC willing to go to get what they want? (For Orion!)

OC Ask Meme | Accepting!

When scared, does your OC fight, flee, freeze or fawn?

Orion is definitely a fighter. He might freeze immediately for a moment, but he shifts into fight mode pretty quickly.

How far is your OC willing to go to get what they want?

It really depends on what it is that he wants. He's pretty socially awkward and doesn't really like talking to people, so if it involves going to, say, a new store he hasn't been in before, he might Not Do It. But if it's something very important to him, there's little he would not do. He's pretty stubborn, as a general rule. But he's not going to, say, kill some innocent person who is in his way or something.

[star-gazcr]

Edgy/misc OC ask meme ᕕ( ᐛ )ᕗ

Send me a number and an OC, and I'll answer.

What memory would your OC rather just forget?

What's something about your OC that people wouldn't expect just from looking at them?

What is your OC's fatal flaw? Are they aware of this flaw?

When scared, does your OC fight, flee, freeze or fawn?

How far is your OC willing to go to get what they want?

How easily could your OC be convinced to do something that goes against their moral compass?

What's one way your OC has changed since you first came up with them?

Would your OC ostensibly be able to get away with murder?

Do you have a specific lyric or quote which you associate with your OC?

What's an AU that would be interesting to explore with your OC?

What is your OC's weapon of choice? Have they ever actually used it?

Is your OC self-destructive? In what ways?

If you met your OC, would the two of you get along?

How does your OC want to be seen by other characters?

Does your OC have a faceclaim? If so, who?

What is your OC's pain tolerance like?

What is the worst thing you have put your OC through story-wise?

Is your OC more cold and detached or up close and personal?

How does your OC behave when enraged?

Does your OC have a tendency to get jealous? If so, how does this manifest?

Does your OC have any illnesses or disorders? How do they handle it?

What character alignment would you consider your OC to be?

What emotion is the hardest for your OC to process? How about express?

What is an alternative life path your OC might have gone down? How different would their life be if they'd made those decisions?

What is your favorite thing about your OC?