#Imanie Denman

[djinnhatescold]

FFXIVWrite2024 Prompt #6: Halcyon

Jacke had been watching the entrance to the unassuming building they had brought Imanie to in Vesper Bay for three days, making meticulous mental notes of exactly who came and went. A building that size meant it extended underground a fair ways to hold the number of people who entered. The mystery organization of Imanie's seemed to have a wide variety of people in it, and the occasional Grand Company soldier besides. Little wonder the Admiral seemed so chummy with the Miqo'te lass.

He hadn't seen that Miqo'te since she entered behind the sandy-haired Highlander with the steel suit who was conscripted into carrying Imanie's slumbering form from the ferry. Seeing that very nearly made him blow his cover. He knew she was going to be sedated; the Miqo'te woman said as much. But to watch her limp form being carried like a ragdoll once again… it was bad enough when the Admiral did it. But to see this brute of a boy put his hands on her when she couldn't speak up or fight back, Jacke knew that a lucid Imanie would never have stood for such a thing.

During the time he was waiting for the ferry to arrive, having teleported to Horizon ahead of the ship, he had plenty of time to stew about the situation he found himself in. And when he was done stewing he started reminiscing to remind himself why he was there, belly-down on a hot rock looking down into the lick-spittle harbour town of Vesper Bay. For being Thanalan's only major connection to sea trade, it appeared the commerce couldn't exit fast enough. The place didn't even have an aetheryte, for Twelve's sake.

At least he had his memories to keep him company. In particular the one where he first saw her up on that flagpole, bronze skin glowing in the mid-morning sun, those deep brown eyes shining down on him when he tried to shoot his shot but was handily rejected in both his assumptions and offer to treat her to a meal. She was an entirely different person then – far more reserved, her privileged upbringing fair dripping off the rubies she wore, and head so far in her work she rarely left her uncle's house when not working as an assessor or training other arcanists.

But to be fair, he was a different person too. The way he bungled her attempt to join the Sisters still caused him to cringe inwardly when he thought about it. He was freshly installed as guildmaster and looking to make a name for himself; unfortunately the only name he made at first was "ass," or perhaps "dipshit."

But once they were together in the guild, Navigator, but they were a hell of a team. She took to his instructions as naturally as walking. And on that fateful nameday when she came to him in his annual self-imposed exile and misery and got him to tell his sorry tale – the one that not a single other soul on the star knew – that was the beginning of the halcyon days of Jacke and Imanie. He knew that she could never be tamed, and that she would never belong to him and him alone. But she chose to spend most of her time with him, and each time they made love he could pretend that it could be only Jacke and Imanie against the world until the end of time, that the soft body pressed against his was reserved for him alone, that her ferocious wit would always be there to back him up.

But these people she had fallen in with, they had stolen her away from him. He had to get her back, had to come clean and not mince his fool words anymore. She had told him that she loved him – once – and he needed to hear it again or he would surely lose his mind. Even if she said it as a final farewell. Even if she never wanted to see him again.

[djinnhatescold]

Imanie's chocobo is named Jacke because she frequently refers to Jacke Swallow as a chocobo's arse.

She tells Jacke that only the back half of the bird is named Jacke and the front is named Coenred after her brother.

I've seen a couple of people share their WoL's chocobo's names so far, and they're all ready cute, so I'm gonna take advantage of my platform to ask:

What's your WoL's chocobo's name?

I'll start: mine is Edwin! Because he kinda looks like an Edwin.

Edited to Add (Because I didn't even think about this last night, lol): I have two alts that have unlocked chocobos! One of the alts is Patia Por'co from Exandria Unlimited: Calamity, so I named her chocobo Avalir after the flying city from that same series. The other alt is based on one of my D&D characters, and his chocobo is named Phalanges after one of the party's two horses (he is solely focused on eating fingers).

[thegeekx]

Film Review: EMANCIPATION (2022): Antoine Fuqua’s Film Showcases Will Smith in Another Finely Rendered Performance

Film Review: EMANCIPATION (2022): Antoine Fuqua’s Film Showcases Will Smith in Another Finely Rendered Performance

Emancipation Review — Emancipation (2022) Film Review, a movie directed by Antoine Fuqua, written by Bill Collage and starring Will Smith, Ben Foster, Charmaine Bingwa, Gilbert Owuor, Ronnie Gene Blevins, Aaron Moten, Jabbar Lewis, Michael Luwoye, Steven Ogg, Grant Harvey, Mustafa Shakir, Paul Ben-Victor, Jesse C. Boyd, David Denman, Imani Pullum, Jeremiah Friedlander, Jordyn […] Continue…

[djinnhatescold]

FFXIVWrite2024 Prompt #1: Steer

"I told ye, I never got the hang o' these things afore," Brithael's eyes were wide and getting wider every time the chocobo in Imanie's hands moved.

Imanie snickered, giving the bird an affectionate scratch on her cheek. "Copper here is one of the gentlest birds I've ever met. She won't let you down."

Brithael scratched the back of his neck, eyeing the chocobo warily. "It ain't no boat," he grumbled.

She blinked at him. "No, Brithael, the chocobo isn't a boat," she deadpanned.

"That's just it, I mean! A boat I can 'andle. I can tack. I can jibe. I can rig a sail. I can even scull. But this?" He gestured at the Chocobo, "This is foreign territory."

"Alright, you big baby. She's big enough for two." Imanie swung herself up into the saddle and patted behind her. He hesitated for several seconds before finally gulping and hauling himself up. The bird danced just enough beneath them to make his arms fly around Imanie's middle while he buried his face between her shoulders.

The chocobo handler watching the display covered a laugh with a cough.

"Squeeze with your thighs, but not too tight... Feel good now?" Imanie tried to speak without laughing but couldn't help the chuckle that slipped out. She felt him take a deep breath behind her.

"Jus' don't ask me to steer."

[djinnhatescold]

This was a fun little exercise. I don't usually go into the creation of a character with any other characters in mind, and with Imanie it was just the simple concept of, "effortlessly sexy." But as her character fleshed itself out, I suppose there are parallels that can be drawn between these. She's scary smart, slightly intimidating, hard working, and dangerous. Not to mention hotheaded, insecure, vindictive, selfish, and petty.

[djinnhatescold]

FFXIVWrite2024 Prompt #5: Stamp

Little Imanie watched in rapt fascination as the goldsmith turned the silver ring, so tiny compared to his Hrothgar hand, this way and that on his workbench. She felt the heat from his torch as he worked the twisted wires into an intricate filigree within the delicate frame he had created to cradle the center stone.

Satisfied with his work thus far, he reached for a small, narrow rod and a hammer. He set the rod against the inside of the ring and offered the hammer to the child. "Would you like to finish the stamp?" he asked. Nodding enthusiastically, she accepted the tool and allowed him to position it above the rod. "Give it a tap."

She made sure her grip was perfect, her tongue sticking out of the corner of her mouth in her concentration. She tapped the rod once, a tiny ping ringing through the workshop. She looked at the goldsmith with big eyes, seeking approval from the man who had kindly offered to show the young girl how he was finishing this latest piece when her father had brought her with him to place his latest order.

The goldsmith smiled down at her and nodded. "Two more taps ought to do it," he said.

Imanie did as she was instructed, laughing at the sound of the two pings. When he pulled the rod away she saw two tiny birds stamped into the metal -- the goldsmith's personal signature -- and she gasped.

"The little one is only a few years away from an apprenticeship, Hardwin." He winked at her father as he said it.

"The way the little one is going with her school work she'll be called to Sharlayan before she gets the chance," Hardwin said, his chest puffed with pride. "She's meant for things far bigger than you or I, mark my words."

[djinnhatescold]

FFXIVWrite2024 Prompt #3: Tempest

The world and everything in it was blinding white Light -- shades of silver provided the only contrast in what little Imanie could see when she forced her eyes open past the pain. She could no longer hear anything but the sound of Emet-Selch's voice fading in and out, could no longer feel where the boundaries of her body began or ended. She was pain, she was Light.

She was pure.

She reached what she thought was an arm forward; really, it could have been a branch, or a tentacle, or merely a ray of light. But she lurched forward with everything she had, which turned out to be not very much indeed. A twisted claw reaching for the Ascian in a Garlean's body, desperately needing to rend, to eviscerate, to spill red across this field of blankness. To trace the path it would wend within her like a mountain stream seeking equilibrium through gravity, to discover where her lowest point was -- where the dark thing within her dwelt.

She screamed his name and retched, heaving Light, choking on it. She could have sworn she heard something cut through the agony, a clucking of a tongue, perhaps.

"I pity you, I do."

She roared in rage and lurched toward him again, only to fall back down in the mess of her own sick. Everything within her screamed for Ascian blood, for all the good that it would do. She lay on her side now, limbs stiff, fingers stuck like claws in the curtain of white, face contorted into a sickening rictus.

She heard his shoes click on the hard floor as he took a step toward her. He was so close. If only she could get up, even to her knees…

"When it all becomes too much to bear, seek me out at my abode, in the dark depths of the Tempest."

Then, nothing. Not even oblivion could spare her from the Light.

[djinnhatescold]

What if there was a wedding?

[djinnhatescold]

omg what an absolutely delightful thing to come back to! She's beautiful and I can't thank you enough! 🧡🧡🧡

oc-tober day 29 - imanie denman (she/her) for @djinnhatescold !

[djinnhatescold]

Not sure if Imgur is having a tantrum or what but linking pictures to there from AO3 is being flaky so let's try linking from here instead.

(From Chapter 11 of In A Million Pieces wherein Imanie fucksnasty with both Raubahn and Jacke in the same chapter but separate but on the same day)

[djinnhatescold]

FFXIVWrite2024 Prompt #4: Reticent

"Speaking of trade," Raubahn said, refilling both their glasses with the whisky she had brought with her, "whatever became of the deal with Little Ala Mhigo? I've heard nothing of it since you brought your proposal."

"Is that all you remember of that day? I seem to remember your dining room table in meticulous detail, seeing as you had me pressed down upon it--"

"Yes, well, I do remember that part as well," he laughed, settling a hand on her thigh. "I was just curious if the refugees ever agreed to the deal."

"Honestly, I'd rather talk about the way you nearly split me in two with 'The Bull' as you called it."

"I called it no such thing. That was your doing. I still call it yours." He placed a kiss on her temple. She smiled, a sigh escaping her lips unbidden.

"I've never known you, the genius behind the Flames' Quartermaster Corps, to be so reticent to speak of a supply route."

"Mmm... best to drop it, then," Imanie purred as she climbed into Raubahn's lap and downed the rest of her whisky. She ground down on him, delighting in the low rumble it pulled from deep in his chest. She reached for his glass and tipped it into her mouth, finishing it for him. "Now let's see what kind of memories we can make on this couch."

[djinnhatescold]

FFXIVWrite2024 Prompt #2: Horizon

"Who's the massive Au Ra, Jacke?" Imanie asked as she popped a slice of orange into her mouth, her eyes on the tall man on the docks below.

Jacke went down on one knee next to her and snatched a piece of orange out of her hand to only mild protestation. "Name's Rasho. Real strong and silent type."

"Looks uncomfortable. Green. Too green. You sure about this?"

Jacke smirked. "Ye questionin' yer cap'n's judgement?"

"Maybe... I mean..." she pointed as Rasho, who appeared to be trying to act casual, tried to flip one of his daggers and catch it but instead dropped it and had to chase it as it bounced across the planks.

Jacke winced. "I know what it looks like, but Underfoot swears 'e knows 'is cracker from a shallow (1). Also..." He paused as he tried to take another piece of Imanie's orange but was thwarted in the attempt, "Cove's a honest-t'-gods White Mage."

"You're joking!"

"Straight from th' Twelveswood an' all."

Imanie blew out a breath. An actual White Mage outside of some rather obscure history tomes was something extraordinary indeed, provided the man wasn't lying about it. She chewed on her second-to-last piece of orange while she thought about it.

A short whistle blew behind them from V'Kebbe, who was on lookout with a spyglass. Jacke grinned and stood up to address his crew. "Look ye culls 'pon th' horizon -- there sails our quarry full up o' bitten gold an' silk. Th' darkmans is nigh so get to th' shadows an' keep there 'til our 'dockworkers' are aboard an' give the signal. Ye bene?"

A hearty round of affirmations went up as the rogues all melted into the darkness of the docks. Imanie put her hand on his back and stuck her last piece of orange into his mouth before covering it with a smiling kiss. "See you on board," she said as she, too, disappeared from view.

Cant to English:

knows his ass from a hat

[djinnhatescold]

YES as a matter of fact

Imanie's voice claim is Natasha Lyonne.

HI HELLO! I WANT TO KNOW:

do your wols/ocs have voice claims? who is it? if not, what do their voices sound like?

[djinnhatescold]

Writing Workshop Week 1: Show & Tell

It is a bracelet, a golden cuff, that sits on Imanie's dresser. Some would call it gaudy, with its gold filigree swirls that shine as bright as brass and its large ruby set into the center. The ruby bears scars -- scratches on its surface and tiny chips on its vertices. The hinge, clasp, and chain could use cleaning and polish, but Imanie rarely has time for such trivialities these days.

She rarely gets a chance to wear it these days, but on the equally rare occasion she gets to return home to rest, she will at least pick it up, turn it over in her hands, and allow herself the solace of memories. She remembers when her parents presented it to her. She was of sixteen summers and still in Ul'dah, so very close to finishing her studies there. Wheels were in motion for her to move in with her great uncle in Limsa Lominsa to continue her education with the Arcanists' Guild, and her restless heart yearned for the freedom that came with this change. She was going to be away from her parents for the first time, far from the cactus and sandstone that was so familiar to her. Her parents had showed the bracelet to her with its imperfections caused by a careless porter and an unfortunate tumble through the wheels of a carriage. They promised they would repair the damage but Imanie wouldn't hear of it. It was the perfect piece to complete the set of ruby earrings, necklace, and rings that had been gifted to her for various accomplishments over the years.

She told her parents that it must have been the will of the gods to make its way to her in the state it was in.

In truth she liked that it represented a journey. She could pretend that it was involved in high adventure across Eorzea, collecting scars and stories along the way.

There was a time when the idea of her own life being one of adventure and danger was as far away as the distant shores beyond the sea's horizon, when she believed she was doing what she was meant to in her regular job with her average routine and unremarkable life. But the winds of change blew her into this life of a hero, one from which she could never return.

She wasn't entirely certain this new life fit her, but the bracelet always would.

@bettsfic

[djinnhatescold]

Pretty happy with how this turned out.

There was a time when Imanie was terrified of loud noises. Her pirate girlfriend did her best to ease her fears every year when the Moonfire Faire's fireworks would go all night.

Until it all got to be too much -- not only the fireworks, but the relationship.

[djinnhatescold]

Started messing around with a gpose tool and was able to import some poses and make them work. It's going to take a lot more practice to truly get the hang of it but I did this:

It's unfortunately in Gridania and not Ul'dah like it should be, but it's a start. It's a scene from the Raubahn/WoL story I've been trying to pry out of my brain. Here's a bit:

-------

Raubahn shot out of his chair, towering over her.  His expression was unreadable and Imanie was sure at that moment that she had crossed a line and he was about to throw her out.  He moved toward her, as small a distance as it was, and she took a step back.  He continued his advance until her back hit the wall.  He braced his body with a large hand on the wall next to her head and leaned down until his face was mere ilms from hers.  “Why did you really come here?” he rumbled, his eyes boring into hers.

Imanie swallowed and took a moment to relax her posture.  She smirked up at him again, looking into his eyes through her lashes.  “What if I said I meant it before?”  Her hand came up to rest on his chest.  It felt like flames ripping through his body.

“Do not play with me, woman.”

“You’re a difficult man to read, General,” she said quietly, her earlier self-confidence fading a bit.  “Say the word and I will leave and we will consider this nothing more than drunken shenanigans.”

“Or?”

“Or we see where the night takes us.”  

He brought his other hand up and gently stroked a thumb across her cheek.  

She leaned into it and then grinned mischievously.  “Keep that up and you’ll have even me believing I’m a virtuous woman.”

“What kind of woman are you?” he asked, his gaze never leaving her eyes.  She bit her lower lip before grinning again.  With a growl, Raubahn crashed his lips into hers.