#[ partner. ] ofaetherium.

[starsasunder]

@ofaetherium asked: ‘I have done my best. let it be remembered I tried.’

A faint smile traced itself upon her lips and she shifted closer, tangling her legs with his. Despite the chill outside, it was warm beneath the cocoon of blankets they had sequestered themselves in, and his skin felt good against hers.

"Oh? Are you certain you've exhausted every single option?" A soft press of her lips against his chin, tucking her nose into the dip of his collarbone. "Try just once more, and perhaps this time, I will listen."

[starsasunder]

He spits sweetheart at her like it's a curse, but by now she's grown used to it. 'Hero,' 'Sweetheart,' 'Darling,' 'Brat,' - they're all the same in the end. Anything but her name, anything to avoid acknowledging that she was someone different than whoever this mysterious 'she' was who had come before. She had tried everything she could think of to treat him the same way, but it mattered not whether she called him 'Emet-Selch' or 'Ascian', nothing seemed to faze him.

Nothing, save for her questions.

He towered over her, looking down on her from on high with those piercing golden eyes. The outrage he felt was misplaced, as it so often was. He only ever viewed her as a fragile, broken, pathetic shadow of whoever she had been, no matter what Inanna did or did not do. His lessons worked to suppress the agony of the Light growing inside her, and that was why she continued to come to these secret rendezvous despite her better sense.

At least, that's what she kept telling herself. But at this point, it almost didn't feel worth it anymore. Perhaps it would be better if she let the Light take its toll.

Glowering up at him, she stomped in place, ignoring the jolt of pain that sent up her spine as her tail gave a derisive flick. "If you would kindly get your head out of your ass for two stars-damned seconds, Emet-Selch, you would actually hear what I am asking!" she spat.

"You said I inherited her power. You offered to teach me how to wield said power. I accepted, and that is what I am here to learn. If I ask about her, it is because I am trying to understand the power she wielded and how I might do so myself. If it pains you to talk about her, fine, but don't bite my head off for it!" She was tired of his cutting remarks, but she had never seen him lose himself to anger like this. She would be afraid if she had the sense, but at the moment her temper was burning far too hot to care.

He turns on her, lightning crackling with every motion as a manic laugh bubbles in his throat. "You aren't done with me? Oh, sweetheart. You have no idea just how very done with you I am." He moves towards her then, at a speed faster than he had ever before shown her. The grass around them is singed, the acrid smell of it burning in his nose as he towers over her.

"Let me make one thing very clear, hero. I owe you nothing." Every word is heavily enunciated, anger and rage behind every syllable. "My past is not yours to dig around in. You are but a piece of her, do you understand?" He pauses for a moment, taking in her disheveled appearance. It is obvious that their fight took a much larger toll on her than it did him, the Light snapping at her seams slowing her motions and making her movements so very predictable. How could such a fragile thing have so much...He had yet to decide if it was courage or idiocy that made her so bold.

He was beginning to lean towards the latter.

"You go on and on about how you are not her, how you will never be her, yet you attempt to pry her history from me as if you have any right. Make up your mind, Inanna. Either you are her, or you are not. You cannot have it both ways."

Her constant hypocrisy was weighing on him. The more she attempted to drag out of him, the more he was forced to relive, and mourn. She was so adamant that she was her own person, that Azem had nothing to do with who she was now, yet she treated his history with her ancient counterpart as if it was her own to demand whenever she desired.

He could not handle it.

[starsasunder]

starter || inanna issar. || @cinisemperium / emet-selch.

The rest of the Scions had long gone to rest, hammocks beckoning them into slumber under the protection of Fanow's viera hunters. Inanna's mind, however, had so far been unable to find respite. After tossing and turning for some time, they had finally given up and slipped out of camp, the viera on patrol none the wiser.

Seeking peace and quiet in a rainforest might seem counterproductive, but the warrior of light had found themself doing just that. Serenaded by the chirping of tree frogs and the distant call of night birds, Inanna nestled deeper into the crook of the branch they had claimed for themself high up in the trees above Fanow. It was nothing like the forest of their home in the Black Shroud, but it was the closest they had found here in this strange world.

Restful slumber was a luxury Inanna had been missing for quite some time. Though Y'shtola and Urianger thought they were hiding their concerns from her quite well, Inanna was not blind to the effects of absorbing each of the Lightwardens. With each Lightwarden that she absorbed, she felt more and more changes stirring within her. Cracks had begun to form, both mental and physical, and it was taking every ounce of self-control she had to keep it under check. And while she had succeeded with her companions... he was another matter.

Cracking her silver eyes open, she regarded the Ascian known as Emet-Selch warily. He had not harmed her so far, but that did not mean he had earned any modicum of trust from her. His intentions were unknown, and while his assistance so far had been useful, she knew it did not come without a cost.

What that cost would be...? Well, time would tell.

[starsasunder]

A box is held out, accompanied by a twist of the gift givers lips and a teasing 'hero' , but wordless otherwise. If she were to open it, she would find an assorment of crystals, each one shimmering brightly with the touch of his own aether. He leaves her then, turning away with a sly smile and a wave as he disappears into the night.

gift an item, get her reaction. // accepting.

Surprise colored her features for but a moment before she schooled her features into neutrality, silver eyes flashing as she obediently took the proffered gift. Before she could even get the box open he was gone, disappearing into one of his portals to the stars only knew where.

She huffed softly and cracked the lid, head tilting inquisitively as she examined the crystals contained within. The multifaceted stones sported an array of hues, but all shimmered faintly with the familiar touch of his aether. Inanna picked one up - a rough-cut piece of amethyst that fair shone with his aetheric signature. Glancing around to make sure no one else was watching, she lifted it to her cheek and pressed it against her skin, sighing softly with relief as dark aether washed through her, taking the edge off the burning light beneath her skin. Letting her eyes flutter shut, she relaxed slowly back into her seat, the tension leaving her frame for the first time in days.

[starsasunder]

“You’re not alone, baby. You never have been.” \\ yue to inanna

hurt / comfort starters // accepting.

Grief has been her constant companion so long, Inanna isn't sure what it feels like to live without it.

Some days she can ignore it, like the weight of a heavy, well-loved coat. Other days, it weighs on her like a full suit of armor, suffocating her. And always, always there is no time to acknowledge it, process it. Always there is something that needs to be done, someone who needs to be saved. The world always needs her, but today, the world can wait.

It hurts. Everything hurts.

She's been crying so long her breaths have gone ragged, hiccuping when she tries and fails to regulate it. Her face is puffy and red and ugly and the tears won't come anymore, but Yue has seen her this way before and Inanna can't bring herself to care.

The curtains are open and the light is too bright. She buries her face into Yue's stomach, lets the fingers brushing through her soft curls relax her enough to steady her breathing, struggling through the scattered mess of her thoughts to drag in several long, deep breaths. Yue's voice is soft and Inanna can't make sense of what she's saying, but just hearing her helps. Her heartbeat begins to steady, her fingers slowly unclench from the fabric of Yue's skirt.

"You're not alone, baby. You never have been."

Gentle, nimble fingers rub at the base of Inanna's ears, tentative at first but growing in confidence when Inanna does not reject her touch. It feels good, too good, and before long Inanna feels her lids begin to droop.

"Sleep, Inanna," Yue's voice gently chides. "It will all make more sense in the morning."

That strange, primordial magic of Yue's descends over her like a warm blanket, and Inanna sleeps.

[starsasunder]

Hythlodaeus hums, his voice a soft affirmation. "She sent word earlier today, but you were in a meeting." His eyes never leave the pages of his book, but his fingers drift to the seashell on a cord 'round his neck, a gift from their beloved upon her return from her last journey.

"I am but a humble public servant... what knowledge should I have of Azem's comings and goings?" he asks playfully, as though he is not her closest confidante. "Regardless, should you wish for peace and quiet with which to finish your work, I doubt there will be much to be found once she arrives."

It amazed him, just how much something as simple as a kiss on the cheek still sent his heart fluttering. Not that he would ever admit that, of course. His expression remains stoic, but he leans in ever so slightly as Hyth's featherlight touch brushes against his jaw.

"Already?" he asks in response to the news, but his mind is not fully there even as he speaks, golden eyes still focused on the paperwork in front of him. "I wonder what trinkets she will have for us this time." His tone is bored, but there is a small smile on his face as he thinks of her starry eyes, glinting with happiness as she holds her hands out to him.

[starsasunder]

anon sent in: 🍒  + cinisemperium

cherry positivity meme // accepting !

Let me start by informing everyone that Claw is my best friend of over half a decade, so it is hard not to just explode with praise for them, but I'll do my best. Claw and I met several years & fandoms ago and almost immediately clicked as writing partners. Claw prefers writing heroic, "sunshine" characters, but I always appreciate her willingness to push her boundaries and try different archetypes (though sometimes I have to give her a push here & there). She tends to doubt her abilities & edit things to death before she feels comfortable posting, but I think that really shows how much she cares about her writing and her portrayal of the characters she writes. She wants them to feel as close as possible to a true, "canon" interpretation of the character, and I admire that.

Claw picked up FFXIV because of me and for me, and also picked up Emet-Selch as a muse for the same reasons. She has put a lot of effort into developing him as a muse, and we have a pretty extensive verse planned together. And I cannot wait to see where it goes! Both of us love tragedy, characters doomed by the narrative, & poeticism in writing, so I'm hoping we can make something truly epic together. She has been pretty shy about joining the community so far, but I'm determined to drag her out of her shell eventually.

mentioned: @cinisemperium // (@ofaetherium is her new ffxiv-specific blog, heavily under construction)

[starsasunder]

sleep habits

NAME: Astraea, better known as Azem of the Convocation of Fourteen

RESIDENCE: A small apartment in Amaurot, but more often whatever shelter she can find on the road (tents, caves, inns, friendly strangers' homes, hollows in trees).

TYPE OF BED: an elegant four-poster bed with plenty of room for company; a bed roll, a hammock, or any number of small concepts she devised for various environments, depending on her needs (i.e. she creates what she needs based on where she is staying).

NUMBER OF BLANKETS: one big, fluffy, weighted duvet. heavy, but not too warm - she gets hot easily. if she has partners, multiple blankets, so everyone can have their own if they need it - she's a bit of a blanket hog.

NUMBER OF PILLOWS: two for her head and neck, one for snuggling if she doesn't have a partner.

TYPE OF CLOTHING: at home, either light pajamas (tank top and shorts) or nothing; on the road, she sleeps in her robes or traveling clothes, depending on where she is, to be ready for danger at a moment's notice.

DO THEY SLEEP WITH COMPANY?: she sometimes visits friends or has them over when 'in town' and does not mind sharing a bed. when with a partner, she prefers sharing a sleeping space.

DO THEY SLEEP BETTER WITH COMPANY?: she sleeps better. she's a very snuggly sleeper and having someone else there with her helps her sleep because she feels safer.

DOES IT MATTER WHERE THEY SLEEP?: no, not usually, other than the safety of the location. if she does not feel safe, she cannot sleep, so she tends to be careful about selecting spots to camp when on the road.

WHAT DO THEY DO IF THEY CANNOT FALL ASLEEP?: read, stargaze, cook, or paint.

FREQUENT DREAMS, NIGHTMARES: frequent dreams & nightmares, usually prophetic ones :)

DEEP SLUMBER OR NAPS: both, but she struggles with sleep so naps are more frequent.

WHEN DO THEY SLEEP: whenever they can, but while traveling usually at night to make the most of the daylight hours. at home, they still tend to follow a fairly regular schedule because of meetings and expectations.

WHAT COULD WAKE THEM UP: When they feel safe, they can be tiptoed around by loved ones because they subconsciously know it's them. When they are alone, they are an extremely light sleeper.

EARLY OR LATE RISER: early riser by both preference & habit. they believe there's too much to experience and do in a day, so there's no point wasting good daylight.

tagged by: @amaurotine - thank you very much for the tag !

tagging: @ofaetherium, @seatedsacrifice, & anyone else who wants to do this !

[starsasunder]

For Inanna: Do they like being called a nickname? Do they like giving nicknames to their significant other?

Thank you for the ask! :3

// Inanna likes nicknames, so long as they're not too embarrassing. A lot of hers end up being celestial-themed (i.e. Falling Star, from Elidibus in canon; or Stardust, from ofaetherium's Hades). She inevitably receives nicknames such as brat, warrior, hero, etc. as well. // She will give nicknames to her lovers at times, but usually it's a shortened or alternate version of their name, like 'Phi or Ophi for Ophiuchus, Hyth for Hythlodaeus, or Aidoneus for Hades. She's also been known to tease by calling some of her Ancient partners "old man" or the like. She may come up with more nicknames as relationships develop between muses, but that's all we have for now.

[starsasunder]

My dear.

How many times has she heard that endearment now? Dripping with sarcasm, with affection, with irritation, with lust. Always he had spoken it to her gently, even before they had gotten close, yet now it drips with contempt, as though she were nothing more than a naive child in need of correction.

She staggers forward one step, then another, determined to put herself between him and them. Her legs ache with exhaustion, a chilling sort of stiffness slowly crawling up her limbs as the Light exacerbates barely-healed injuries from another of His kind. Elidibus would be pleased, she was sure, to know that even now he hampered her from her task.

Before she can stop Ryne, she rushes forward, Light already brimming at her fingertips as she attempts to stem the flow welling up within Inanna. Inanna cries out and tries to grab her but she's gone so fast she cannot even react, losing her balance for a moment only to catch herself with her staff.

"Is that really how you see me? Weak, pathetic, unworthy? A waste of all your time and efforts?" she hisses, a sardonic smile on her lips as she wipes them clean of dripping Light with her wrist. She spits the rest on the ground, taking a moment to holster her staff across her back, then takes an unsteady step toward him without support, then another.

"You set yourself up for disappointment, Ascian." Not his title, and certainly not his name. Not now. "I was never going to live up to your expectations. I'm not her." She didn't know her name, but she could put two and two together. Whispered requests to remember when he thought she was asleep; fond, nostalgic glances when she did something that must remind him of her; the way he seemed to look right through her at times... Now that she knew the truth of him and their fractured world, she knew the truth of herself. Or at least as much as she could hope to, given how little he had revealed.

"Oh, my dear." The laugh bubbles out of him, a sick sort of amusement filling him at her words. "My enemy is all of you." The smile drops and he raises one hand into the air, the snap of his fingers echoing through the space around them.

She is unraveling before him, and there is a pull in his chest, as if there was a rope between them, yanking him to her. He stays firm, feet planted where he stands. This will not sway him. Even as he watches her fracture and splinter, bursts of Light spilling from every orifice in her fragile body, he stands.

He aches as he watches her, eyes cold and uncaring, a stark contrast to the overflow of emotion he was feeling within. A part of him wants to run over, to pull the aether from her body and take it into his own, to be the one bursting apart so she could stand tall and strong and be the hero the world needed, the hero he wasn't so sure he still believed himself to be.

His thoughts are interrupted as one of her compatriots rushes to her side, the noxious scent of Hydaelyn's aether permeating from every fiber of her being. The resulting feelings that well within him silence any doubts he had begun to harbor, and his face contorts as he turns on the small being. She is too slow, untrained in the ways of his old friends gentle magicks. It is no feat to stop her, a simple burst of aether like a bullet bringing her to ground.

"Look at you, you can barely stand! And this is supposed to be the hero of your world? The saviour of the star?" He barks out a laugh, anger and malice filling every word he speaks. "Pathetic."

[starsasunder]

Perhaps the fact that she does not stir is a testament to her exhaustion, or perhaps it is because of how safe she feels wrapped in his arms and scent. Either way, the diminutive warrior of light hardly stirs as he carries her to the safety of their bed, her breaths soft and even.

As he gently puts her to bed, she stirs only a little, slumber clinging tight to her tired mind. A soft sigh as she clutches tighter to the coat she has wrapped herself in, her voice soft and breathy as she whispers "Hades..." in her sleep as he presses a gentle kiss to her brow.

@starsasunder sent in: After spending a few days off on a job, one very tired and very spoiled cat wife has returned to an empty house and made herself right at home. When he returns, he finds that she has taken up residence in his favorite chair, and is currently sleeping soundly with her face buried in one of his coats. She has missed him, it seems.

When Hades finally returns home, it is with weary legs. His overcoat is swiftly removed, tossed over the back of a nearby table. Tired feet carry him to the main room, where he finds Inanna, fast asleep in front of the fireplace. She is curled up in his chair, wrapped around one of his coats. He smiles softly at the scene, and as much as he does not wish to disturb her, he knows she will regret sleeping there come morning.

So he bends over her, gently scooping her up in his arms. She doesn't stir, even as he carries her through the house to the bedroom in the back. He lays her down in the bed, and brushes the hair out of her face before placing a tender kiss to her forehead.

[starsasunder]

During her time with The Majestic Imperial Theater Company, Inanna had learned of Emperor Solus zos Galvus’s proclivity for the theater, but nothing that the Lexentale family had shared of the deceased emperor could have prepared her for the spectacle of his presence. Though she has not had the opportunity to attend the theater often, even she can tell that this man was born for the stage, not a single word or action wasted in his theatrics.

Motionless save for the worry of her lips between her teeth, Inanna keeps her hands carefully folded in her lap, still determined not to let him see more of herself than she must. But despite her best intentions, his words land exactly as he had meant them to, and before long, she can no longer endure his judgment.

A pregnant silence fills the room when he at last pauses, her eyes filled with ice. She has split her lip, and blood stains her lower lip bright red, but she does not seem to notice or care - her focus is entirely on him as she speaks at last, voice soft. “Pray, do go on about how selfish I am. That is an accusation I haven’t heard in a while.”

In one fluid movement, she rises, and all the fear she had shown before has bled from her frame in the wake of her fury, her ears laid black flat against her skull and her tail lashing slowly back and forth. Even in the linen nightgown Y’shtola had lent her, the power behind her small frame is made obvious as she takes a step toward him, then another.

“This may come as a surprise, but I don’t consider myself a hero. I do what I do not because of religious zeal or some misplaced desire for fame and glory. I fight because I am the only one who can. Because it has been made abundantly clear that I have no choice but to fight, else the ones I care for will fall to ruin.”

“The mantle of a hero is one I never intended to wear, but he-,” she chokes on the words before she can say them, her face twisting as memory threatens to overwhelm her. It has been two years since that day, but she can still feel the warm spray of his blood as it stains her hair, her clothes, her skin. 

“Pray, do not cry, my love. A smile better suits a hero.” Her kind-hearted knight, his warmth and his smile, flashes in her mind’s eye and she falters, swallowing tightly as her fists clench at her sides. She had tried to step back, to let others play the hero while she sought a simpler life, but it had been ripped away from her before it even had the chance to begin. 

She drags in a breath and steels herself, digging her nails into her palms to rid herself of the memory. “Look, all I ever wanted was to protect the people and the world that I love. So if you are willing to help me do that, then that’s all I care about. But if you intend to do them harm, I will oppose you with everything that I am. It’s as simple as that. So if you’re offering me your help, fine. I accept. But know this: I will not be a puppet in whatever you are scheming.”

He doesn't miss the way she folds her tail in on herself, lightly patting the fur down as if that would rid the appendage of its natural instincts in the face of a threat. And he was a threat, as much as she would like to pretend otherwise. Her body would always betray her, those animalistic traits laying bare all the emotion she was so desperately trying to hide from him. He noticed every twitch of her ears, every flick of her tail. Absorbed it all, learning from every minute movement.

He throws his hands up in mock surrender. "You are correct. You know nothing about me save that I am the evil villain of the story, the horrible monster determined to destroy your world. But you don't know why, do you?" The teasing lilt drops from his tone, and his voice hardens. Hands fall to his sides, and a clenched fist gives away his anger. "Have you ever bothered to learn? Of course not. You are the hero of this story, after all. What care have you for the reasons and motivations of those you deem the villains? Your world is a very black and white one, where you are right, and everyone else is wrong."

He forces the smile back on his face, wiping away all traces of his previous malcontention with a well practiced ease. "You don't have to trust me. Simply say the word, and I will send you back to your bed, safe and sound. Of course," he adds with an over dramatic sigh as he drops his shoulders, head cocking to the side. "I do hope you warn the people of this world that after you are done saving it, it will be you who slaughters them all."

"Really, what is it with you heroes and your self righteous sense of suicidal ideation? So set in your determination, your faith in Hydaelyn, that you would condemn the entire star, and by extension every star, just to save face?" Another dramatic sigh, a cocky smile. "I even have the perfect name for you when you succumb. Philautia. It's perfectly poetic! Since your love seems to be for yourself." The words drip like barbed honey from his lips, spoken in a tone so sickly sweet but conveying a message of judgement against her.

[starsasunder]

There's something unsettling about the way those gold eyes watch her, she decides. Both of her parents are scientists and have spent their entire lives studying creatures and plants, and she recognizes that look in his eyes. Like an insect under a magnifying glass or a particularly interesting specimen of flora, there's an almost scientific curiosity to the way he watches her that unsettles her. None of the other Ascians have taken such an interest in her, have spent so much time trying to get into her good graces.

She cannot help but shift under the weight of it, though she tries to hide her discomfort. Gathering her tail in her hands, she smooths it over her lap and forces it to be still, swallowing her nervousness.

His smile does little to alleviate the tension in her body, his towering frame forcing her to tilt her head up to meet his gaze. "You are correct on that front," she states, her tone carefully measured. "I don't know how to deal with all this Light. But I know that it is my duty to do so, and I will do whatever it takes to prevent disaster from visiting my home."

Yet still his words land like blows, her breath leaving her in an unsteady hiss as he reminds her of the dire consequences for both this star and her own should she fail. Her ears lie back against her head against her will, and she bites her lip - a nervous habit that often ends in bruised and bloody lips.

As though sensing his impatience, she feels almost compelled to answer him immediately. But she clamps down on that instinct, digging her fingers into the fabric of her night shift and balling it between her fingers. "I have been manipulated before, and I don't take kindly to attempts to do so now," she says quietly, silver eyes meeting his gold ones with a flash of defiance. "You have claimed that you will not lie to me in the past. But how do I know that you will not lie to me when it becomes convenient for you? How do I trust someone who I know so little of, whose entire purpose is to eradicate everything and everyone I love?"

She shoves aside the little voice in the back of her head that whispers that she has no choice, that he had easily plucked her from her bed and that he could just as easily kill her now if he so desired. Even unarmed, even with her limbs slowly becoming stiffer from the light coursing through her veins, she had to believe in her fighting chances, or this was all over before it even began.

He crosses his arms, pretending to be put off by her open hostility, but honestly he just finds it adorable, in the way that you would find the neighbor's too loud chihuahua adorable. Her tail, while no longer fluffed to a size that rivaled the black fur blanket that covered the entirety of his bed, was still twitching out of what he presumed to be anger and irritation. She's leveling him with a glare that he assumes she means to be threatening, but all it does is cause a chuckle to bubble in his throat. He squashes it quickly, not wanting to upset her any further. He had a goal he needed her to align with, after all.

She's being smart, choosing her words carefully to avoid letting slip anything that he might be able to grab onto, to twist into his own small victory. He admired that, one of the few things about this creature that he could say that about.

Her threat of Elidibus causes a wry smile to break across his features. As strong as his friend once was, he was a shadow of his former self. Something in his head had cracked a few centuries ago, and while it was something that Emet-Selch wasn't all too sure that he himself still possessed, he knew that he had more than his once friend did.

"My reasons are my own, and not yet a concern of yours. Suffice it to say that I am curious. Stroking my own ego, you could even say. And besides," he adds with a flourishing and a smile. "Are you really in a place to turn my assistance down? Can you honestly say that you know for a fact that you can safely absorb all Lightwardens? And before you go spouting off about making some big heroic sacrifice for the good of others, if the Light takes you then you will destroy this world, and everyone in it. Do you have a plan to deal with that?"

In truth, he wasn't entirely sure why he was helping her. Curiosity, perhaps? An interest in what was happening to her, and how she was able to hold so much Light in such a tiny, weak frame? A wonder, a test of his own capabilities, and an experiment to see just how far he could manipulate this broken world and the forces within it?

Or perhaps it was that spark, that small, glittering flame of orange that called out to him, that whispered to him save her save her save her.

That was not a thought he was eager to entertain, so he pushes it away and focuses on the Warrior of Light before him.

"Well, hero? What do you say?"

[starsasunder]

As much as Inanna wanted to bite back with an immediate retort, she held her tongue. Experience dealing with Ascians had taught her that the more information one provided, the more could be used against them. So far, most of her dealings have been with Lahabrea and Elidibus, the two red-masked Ascians who had seemed to delight in finding new and inventive ways to try to kill her and everyone she loved. Brute force, espionage, body-jacking her worst enemy... Each time she had faced them anew, more horrors had emerged.

Seemingly in contrast to this, her interactions with Emet-Selch had been... tame. The Ascian was prone to monologuing and dramatics, but he had not tried to harm her yet. He had even been helpful a few times. A yearning for understanding had always simmered beneath the surface in her interactions with the Ascians, and his promises to tell her the truth had sparked Inanna's interest far more than she was willing to admit. Y'shtola, Urianger, Alphinaud, Alisaie, Krile... all of the Scions were far more learned than her, but her curiosity burned just as bright.

The enigmatic man in front of her had offered her the answers to her questions, if she were just willing to ask. And yet every time she had tried, inevitably one of her companions would come looking for her and interrupt. Yet now they were alone, and while the danger she was in was ever-present in her mind, she could not help but be excited for the prospect of answers.

But now was not the time for that. Emet-Selch was right, she was falling apart at the seams. She had defeated two lightwardens now, and was in the process of hunting a third. The light inside her had manifested at first as a gentle glow beneath her skin, barely visible unless she was in the dark. Now it had solidified into lightning-like scars that were warm to the touch. The scions believed they were benign, but that was because Inanna hid her pain well. But apparently not well enough, if Emet-Selch had noticed.

Doing her best to settle her nerves, she climbs back up the backside of the couch and sits on top of the backrest, taking a moment to sling her legs over before allowing herself to sink down into the plush leather. It's cool to the touch, smells a little like gunpowder and something else she doesn't quite recognize. It half swallows her, and it takes every ounce of her self-control to feign relaxation for him, her tenseness only visible in the irritated twitch of her tail as she regards him coolly.

"What I don't understand is this: why would you want to help me?" she asks, voice incredulous. "If I manage to heal the First of this flood of Light, there will be no Umbral Calamity, no Rejoining. That would not go over well with Elidibus," she muses aloud, her face twisting for a moment with obvious disdain. Of all the Ascians, Elidibus had come closest to killing her. If not for Estinien... She'd be dead now. "And how, exactly, do you intend to help me? I don't suppose you have a way to make all this excess light aether just dissipate, no?"

mind || hades

He scoffed, a look of feigned hurt on his face. "Really, now, hero. If I wanted you dead you already would be. You think you would be more grateful towards me, risking myself like this to help you." The nerves from before had faded completely, and he slipped into the persona of uncaring Ascian with long practiced ease. She would not see through him, he could not allow her any glimpse of the doubt that had started to fester in the back of his mind.

"I bring you here, into the comfort of my own home, only for you to sit there and insult me? My, my, you are quite rude." He clicked his tongue, a mocking motion meant to try and calm the obvious hostility in the air between them. It was wasted effort and he knew this, but if she started to see him more as a bumbling villain who enjoyed the sound of his own voice a little too much rather than the conniving, tactile Ascian he truly was well, all the better for him.

So why then, was he helping her? It was a question he had been asking himself all night, and all the nights before as he wandered sleepless through the Tempest and it's faithful mockery of his home. He spoke with the Fragments that wandered the quiet streets, but they always said the same thing, walked the same roads, took the same paths and had the same conversations every day with little variation. He was alone in this decision, and he had no one to blame but himself and sentiment for a memory long since gone.

His face drops, the mood of the spacious apartment shifting into something much more serious. "You are dying, warrior, and you know I speak the truth." She may be able to fool her compatriots with ease, but he was under no such guile. "You have taken in too much Light, and your soul is splintering. If you do not begin work to correct it now, you won't be alive to see the final Lightwarden. Your little friends would flounder without you."

[starsasunder]

Lavender eyes light up as he draws Hades' gaze, his hair falling over his shoulders in loose waves free of his usual braid. Without a word, he leans down and presses a soft kiss to his lover's cheek, thumb rubbing against his jaw tenderly for but a moment before he withdraws and heads for the couch and its nest of warm blankets left specifically for him. Curling up in his favorite corner spot, he glances out the windows for but a moment to determine the time.

"If there is aught you have left to do, beloved, I suggest you work fast. Our dearest Azem is due home soon," he murmurs in a musical tone, eyes gleaming with amusement as he turns his gaze to the novel he had abandoned atop the couch the day before.

@starsasunder sent in : His beloved wife slips into his study silently, approaching his desk without disturbing his work. She hops up onto the edge of the desk and perches in her favorite spot. The soft clinking of dishes punctuates the comfortable silence as she sets a steaming cup of his favorite tea and a little tray of miniature sandwiches in front of him, but she remains silent, waiting for him to acknowledge her when he is ready.

He hears them as soon as they enter, of course. Their footsteps are light, quiet as always, but he would know them anywhere. A familiar sound he had grown up with, one that now haunted the halls of his home at night to sneak snacks from his fridge when they thought he was asleep.

He looks up into the lavender eyes of his lover and smiles softly. "Thank you, Hyth." He says nothing else, but no other words are needed to be spoken between them. The cup is warm in his hands as he picks it up, the hot liquid soothing on his throat. He had not realised how long he'd been there, but of course Hythlodeaus had. They always did. A quiet laugh escapes him as he returns to his work, but not before gesturing to the couch in front of the fireplace, a silent offering to stay.

[starsasunder]

Light boils beneath her skin, agony lancing with every step toward the man just outside her reach. It had been an attempt at empathy, however poor. She can see how well that had gone over, can see the exact moment he shuts her out. How many times must they repeat this same dance, this push and pull that always, always, always ends with his fangs bared, her blood spilled, and this ever-widening distance between them? How many times must she fail to reach his shattered heart?

An overwhelming blast of dark aether emanates from him and she screams as she and her companions are thrown, skidding back along the narrow platform. A tearing sensation - the Light breaking free or her skin dragging across the crystal, she cannot be sure - and she screams, crumpling to the floor. His anger is incandescent, each word landing like blows across her aching skin. She had thought that maybe in those precious moments of intimacy he had shown her, they might have kindled some small flicker of understanding between them. That they might be able to find a way forward where it wouldn't come to this. She can still feel the burning brand of his hands on her skin, still sports bruises in the shape of his fingers on her hips. She aches to understand him, but with every word she can feel the gulf between them widening into an expanse she can never hope to cross with words alone.

One by one, she watches as her most beloved friends step forward to try to defend their world, their homes, their loved ones, and her. And she watches as each of them fall, their names a panicked cry on her lips as she tries and fails again and again to find the strength to stand against him. Agony is her constant companion and she feels a weariness so deep she fears it has embedded itself into her bones.

And yet there are things she needs to protect - people she needs to protect. So she must try. She can hardly think, much less move, but watching him harm the twins is her final straw. Forcing herself to her feet with a muffled curse, she leans into her staff and regards him with silver eyes burning with fury, even as the Light pulses through her like an electric shock, dragging a ragged gasp from her throat as liquid Light spills down her chin.

"Don't you dare lay another fucking finger on them," she hisses, her voice an agonizing sensation in her ruined throat as she staggers forward, Light flashing before her eyes. Her body is unraveling, sheer willpower the only thing holding her together.

"If after everything we have done together, you are still deternined to destroy everything we hold dear, fine. So be it," she snarls, gripping her staff and gritting her teeth as a wave of Light-induced agony rolls through her. She manages not to scream, but only barely - a small mercy. "But your enemy is not them. It's me!"

@starsasunder "The rage you must feel as you choke on your sorrow." - inanna to emet-selch

For once, he cannot read her. He cannot tell if her words are meant to be a salve upon his wounds, or if she dipped her fingers in salt before reaching into his hurt. Whatever her intentions, her speech stings. It stabs at whatever is left of his heart, calling forth the old hurt to sing anew again within him.

A sneer crosses his face, and he rises to his full height, looking down on her in anger. "What do you know about my sorrow?" he snaps, the hurt within him turning, twisting in to something dark and heavy, and it sits like bile on his tongue. "What do you know of my rage?"

"What I showed you was but a taste of what we felt. A mockery of the anguish set upon us by your so called mother. You know nothing of us, nothing of the world that was. You have no idea what it is I have lost!"

As his anger rises, so too does his resolve. His mind has been made up. He cannot afford to let anything sway him from his path now, not even her. Especially not her. He had come so close to giving it all up, to throwing away eons of sorrow and loneliness just to spend a single moment more with her.

"Your performance was underwhelming, and I remain unconvinced of your worthiness." The mask falls back into place, the facade of Emet-Selch one he slips back into with ease. "However, I am not so foolish as to fight you as I have been. You may bask in the strength you have been so undeservedly blessed with, but should I bring my full strength to bear, well...You be as leaves in the wind. The gulf between us is a reflection of the disparity between the world as it was...and the tragedy it has become."

He knows already how it will end, but that changes nothing. It can't. So he takes a deep breath, an attempt to calm the storm rolling within him. He gathers the aether in the air, pulls it into himself. The foolish mortals she insists on parading around with her attempt to stop him, but they are foolish, blinded by the illusion of power that being in Inanna's presence grants them. They are but flies, batted away with ease.

She will not be so easy to remove.