#Lalafell Captain

[pointyhatspointyears]

"Ye can learn all the math in the 'verse, but ye take a boat to sea that ye don't love, she'll shake ye off just as sure as the turnin' o' the star.

"Love keeps her floatin' when she oughtta sink, tells ye she's hurtin' 'fore she keens. Makes her a home."

- Cpt. Malcolm Reynolds - Serenity

(Written by Joss Whedon)

[catierambles]

Mike and Syverson Playing FFXIV (the bants)

Trial Roulette - Sri Lakshmi

Mike: You hadn't popped your Vril, I was like uhhhhh

Syverson: I'm waiting for that special someone to pop my Vril

Leveling Roulette - Temple of the Fist

Mike: You know--You know how you have your uhhhhh

Syverson: Nope

Mike: Your uhhhhhh I don't even know what to call it, honestly

Syverson: My fat dick? Why thank you, Mike, I'm glad you noticed.

Mike: I mean, it's kinda hard not to notice.

In the Wolves Den (PVP)

Syverson: So yeah, the idea is kills. Um, usually we'd go after the healer, but no one on the other team is a healer so this is a shoe-in

Mike: Eh...I'm not wearing any shoes

Syverson: Um...right

Mike: What the fuck are we wearing, Walter? Uhh only the uhh most aerodynamic PVP gear. We wanna be able to move fast, so you know.

Syverson: I've actually completely oiled Mike's body with baby oil so he can slip past the enemy team under all their legs.

Mike: And it worked last match.

Syverson: It did, actually!

[catsi]

What's the rest of Miffys party like?

ohhhh i'm so glad you asked TT__TT yay i have so many images to answer this with. ok. the party are called The Whorlpool, and from left to right in the pic above, the (original*) party consists of: Reno Kaseno, a Lalafell Gunbreaker; Purpetua Deutros, a Miqo'te Arcanist; Miffy, a Viera Black Mage; and Wandering Anchor (aka Anka), a Roegadyn Dragoon/Paladin.

*i say original because they have since inducted a DMNPC into their party: Cardamum Sartorius, an Au'ra Red Mage. she's the daughter of the BBEG! more on her later. also Andymion kind of counts too

Reno Kaseno is the character of my dear friend @doppelgender! Reno is a gambling man from the city of Treno who loves a good card game and hates owing people money. Reno is pragmatic, funny, and easily the heart of the group. he's deeply charismatic and a fantastic liar when he needs to be. Reno's quick thinking and excellent charisma have saved the party's ass on multiple occasions.

Miffy relates to Reno the most out of anyone in the group; they both have people in their life who they feel as though they have allowed to come to great harm as a direct result of their own actions, and their interactions with that person are deeply infected with that guilt. also they're the two best dressers in the group (Anka and Purpetua only have drip because they let Miffy dress them).

Reno's greatest priorities are his friends, his money, and the opinions of others. he has little desire for power and little love for his home.

Purpetua Deutros is played by my lovely gf @purpearls! she is from the spiritual apex of Oaxia, the holy city of Ennewhorl. she is also the spiritual center of the party, and the one with the closest connection to Leviathan (the major deity of this shard).

Purpetua used to be a medic for the Church of the Broken Wave, but used magic to heal a fellow soldier once which was a grave sin in the eyes of the Church. she deserted shortly thereafter and has been feeling like she is trying to atone for her time with the Church since then.

she is easily the most collected member of the party and frequently has to be the voice of reason when the others have terrible or dangerous ideas. though sometimes she has incredibly terrible ideas of her own

Purpetua is compassionate, intelligent, and idealistic. she tries to meet others where they are and connect with them whenever she can. her priorities are her friends and their health, as well as love, praise, and the truth! she has no interest in fame, wealth, or power - she's very pure of heart.

also she and miffy do a lot of dancing around each other sapphically. miffy's constant engagement with evil shit and unethical magic + purpetua's commitment to remaining Moral and Good makes their courtship very interesting lol

the final member of the original party is Anka, who is the character of my good friend @catmanjohnson. Anka is a former pirate who used to intercept and raid Church sea vessels. her original crew sailed on a ship called The Whorlpool, and they disbanded after their captain was killed as the result of a battle. Anka was the one who suggested we name our party 'The Whorlpool'.

Anka is the muscle of the group for sure, and has no problem being the bearer of bad news or causing problems for other people LOL

Anka is confident, aggressive, and EXTREMELY impulsive. she loves drinking and being loud and having a good time (who can blame her!!!). her priorities are her friends, family, and power. things like praise, love, truth, and fame are not major concerns of hers.

also Anka has a necromancer-biochemist now sharing her body who gives her cool powers and nags at her

then there is Cardamum Sartorius (we call her Cardi for short)!! an NPC played by our wonderful dm @whoreofavalon. she is one of the daughters of Saint Sartorius, the leader of the Church of the Broken Wave (the BBEG)

Cardamum originally met the party outside of Leyfall where she pretended to be a nervous young mage who just wanted guidance and safety. she was, in fact, completely intending to betray us and throw Leyfall to the wolves, but our DM said that we treated her so kindly and patiently that they couldn't bear to have her betray us (': so she's part of the party now yaaaay!

Cardi is kind, thoughtful, and far too good for the evil ass family she was born into. she is still trying to figure out who she is in the context of being her own person, but she's doing a great job and we're all rooting for her!! she lets Miffy pick outfits for her also (':

Andymion (also a DMNPC) is technically a member of the Whorlpool too? but he like doesn't come along on our missions or fights or anything so he's not really part of the "party" if that makes sense? Andymion is an intelligent, passionate, generous man who stretches as far as he can to take as many people under his wing as he can. he is well intentioned, and a good person, even if he did break up with his last girlfriend by insisting they move somewhere else together but that she go first, and then sending her a breakup letter via owl once she had settled down. unforgivable.

[meatball-headache]

Future speculation.

So, this lowercase-kay "key" is the key to the next major story arc, obviously. This thing can enable cross-shard travel in ways that Syrcus Tower could only dream of.

Let's review what we know: the key appeared in our world when it was given to Gulool Ja Ja along with baby Krile; it was used by the Lalafell of the lightning dimension to escape an ice-based calamity in their own dimension. Aha! Paving the way for future ice dimension expacs, right? Well, no, because you and I both know the clarifications we received in Living Memory: the tropical paradise the lalafell once lived in and the ice calamity that ruined it, their use of arcane magic, and the timing all matches the Aloalo civilization in our own world. So the key actually came from the Source, not one of the shards. (Why do I think the word is "shard," by the way? The game exclusively uses "reflection.")

So, who made it? Not the Allagans; it far exceeds what they could only barely manage with the entire Crystal Tower. And, we get a very clear sign: when you use the Azem crystal at the final battle, Azem's symbol lights up on the key. And this makes sense, because with the infinite power of creation magic, surely they could whip up something like this...

...only, wasn't Azem sundered along with everyone but Lahabrea, Elidibus, and Emet-Selch? A sundered person couldn't possibly hope to have this kind of power. In fact, at the beginning of Shadowbringers, Emet-Selch seemed impressed that the Allagans had the ability to do it at all. Emet-Selch himself had to orchestrate these massive calamities to get worlds' aether to spill into one another on their own. And here's a key that can just fuse worlds at the push of a button! The Alexandrians somehow have the power to just get a rejoining on demand.

With the power of the key being so extreme, it seems unlikely that a sundered person could do it. It seems almost to be beyond the ability of the Ascians themselves. But, we've been surprised by dynamis, so, perhaps there's some still-greater magic at play.

But, with Azem's symbol on it, there seems to be little doubt who could have had a hand in it. Pre-sundering, Azem would have no reason to build this thing; post-sundering, Azem would have no power to build it.

Maybe it wasn't made by Azem; maybe it was made by Hydaelyn or even Zodiark, or one of the other Ascians? Perhaps it just showed Azem's symbol because it was reacting to Azem's crystal being used; it would show whatever symbol for whatever crystal was used nearby.

Now, I'm pretty dumb, so speculating never gets me anywhere. But, the whole game is full of dramatic twists. No one was playing in Garlemald in Endwalker and thinking, "I bet we'll go back in time to the age of the ancients, and find out that the original Fandaniel used a secret emotion-based magic to create an envoy to other worlds, which got so sad when it found them all in a state of strife that it decided to end our world, too, and that's what caused the Final Days. Also he wiped everyone's memories once he sent the envoys." Certainly while playing Dawntrail I wasn't thinking, "I bet inside the bubble is a fused world made from another shard that has the technology to cross the rift at will, and also all the people are immortal and powered by other peoples' souls, and later I get to be in a play with the captain of the knights."

But, I reiterate: when we go to the water dimension, I want blitzball, I want a /blitzball emote, and I want to fight Sin. Hymn of the Fayth orchestrion roll? Al Bhed raid weapons? If they make the Calm Lands a zone I will die instantly. After what they've done for FFIV and FFIX, it's not out of the question!

[argentrenard]

cash - for the single-word fic prompt!

It shouldn't have had to come to this point. He shouldn't be in this position.

Argent Renard was Bertrand Blandevornne this evening (of the Burgandy Blandevornnes) and he was losing every high-stakes Triple Triad game he had played. Bertrand was a noble persona he had created, a man who owned a moderate fortune, wore hand-me-down everything from an ancient house that had lost its prestige over the years, and lived in a dilapidated mansion in Ishgard. A recently created false identity, he had not used him yet in any high-profile cons, thus he was in the early stages of building the alias' history. Eventually, once he reached Bertrand's peak reputation, he most likely would pursue a large score and then be forced to burn the boarish bastard and retire his reputation up on the shelf where all his created characters went. For now Bertrand needed to appear as a somewhat bumbling noble with more money than sense.

The difficult part he had to deal with now was tonight showcased him as a bit more bumbling than intended, and he was further coming across as having a lot less sense than the norm. He'd brought a sizeable sum to the tables at the Saucer tonight, at least 4 million gil, his winnings from a recent lucrative operation. Yet, he had only about 200,000 left. His reserves should never have gotten this low, he should have stepped away as soon as he'd lost half, but he had been feeling particularly reckless this evening. It was one of those sunsets that had spurred him to risk it all. He was sure (positive, in his gut) that something special was going to happen tonight.

So he'd kept going. He'd lost, then lost again. He nursed the remains of his now watered-down whiskey, adjusting the red ascot at his neck, and looked at his cards. Sitting in his stolen and shabby Ishgardian tailored coat and vest, at least he also looked the part of a noble who had fallen on hard times. It was just a shame that the hard times were actually accurate and not at all a scam. If word spread he had been spotted losing vast quantities of money at the Saucer, that could help him appear as bait to someone he might want to entice, but actually losing all his gil wasn't usually part of the plan.

So he mused, chewed his lip, and thought about the others at the table while he waited for the hand to play out. He'd lost what, ten times now or so? The dealer was certainly flirting with him, but she wasn't giving him any advantage. The Ul'duh merchant on his left and the Limsa captain on his right all had won at least a few rounds. They kept giving him sidelong glances of pitty. That was good for 'Bertrand's' image, but it still rankled a little bit.

He must have really pissed off the Weaver this time. He grunted. At least he was used to pissing off Gods and Goddesses.

The captain, a Roegadyn woman, leaned towards him from his right, "No shame comes from heading back home when the seas look rough, friend. Your hull has taken… quite a beating!" She guffawed and gave him a glance that suggested even though she thought he was cute, he had no chance with her.

'Bertrand' laughed, a little sheepishly, as if embarrassed. Argent did not have to strain his acting skills to accomplish this, what with how his luck had actually suffered thus far.

Two hundred thousand left. It would make sense for Bertrand to step away from the table, maybe go find a date to go home with. He'd hoped to pick up the dealer, but while she was nothing but smiles and twinkling eyes for him, she gave that look to all three of her patrons this evening. He had a feeling she was as skilled as he in flattering those she talked to.

The merchant, a Lalafell gentleman with a meticulously maintained goatee, offered some advice without even looking up from his own cards, "Were I you, I would lick my wounds so I could come back for more another time. The house has practically swindled you, my friend," and he too chuckled, placing the back of his hand over his mouth as if this made laughter at Argent's expense more polite.

Why did everyone call you a 'friend' when they sought to insult you?

The noble he was tonight, however, just grinned with them, as if completely unaware he was being mocked and assumed he was in on the joke.

"Well, perhaps… perhaps you're both right but… well it's just gil, to me. I have more than I know what to do with, as my family always said!" He laughed loudly with them, an obnoxious and somewhat buffoonish laugh. Then he went on longer with the laughter, eventually making them uncomfortable so they both quieted and returned to their cards.

"Are you going to stay with me then, and keep me company a little longer, Ser Blandevornne?" the young hyur behind the counter asked him, almost batting her eyelashes.

Argent pursed his lips, and then pushed his chips across the counter. All of them. He made it look like she had won him over with her charm. In reality, he was positive this hand would be the turnaround win he needed. He still had that feeling. A tingling that something magical was about to happen. He'd be going home with a huge win, he could just feel it.

"All in!? My my, Ser, aren't you bold and brave," she sweetly said. It was all he could do not to roll his eyes. Instead, he hung his head as if he was blushing.

The cards flipped. Argent stared. It looked like this might be it. First, the merchant lost and clucked his tongue. He'd only bet a small amount this round. Then the captain lost, and she plopped her drink down with a curse. Her wager had been a bit more sizeable this time around.

Then the the final round hit and Argent was practically on the edge of his seat as…

The card flipped over and his fortune was told.

Silence met the table for the span of a few clinks in his glass as the last of the ice settled into the dregs of whiskey.

After a beat, Argent muttered, "I'll… cash out now."

The dealer, chipper no matter the circumstance, brightly said, "Very well, Ser Blandevornne! Here you go, your cash out!"

She slid one chip across the table to him. He looked at it, then looked back to her.

"Keep it," he sighed, and tossed the last chip back to her, along with a wink. He then swept up his glass (which was now mostly whiskey-flavored melted ice), and walked away from the game table.

It wasn't a good night for him, but then again, it wasn't a bad night either. He had experienced much worse, and this evening had only left him broke with no one on his arm. He glanced about at all the patrons, from those clanking around in full armor to those wearing the tiniest of bikinis, and everything in between. Perhaps he could salvage some of the night, at least.

It was only cash, after all, and he should have known it would end up this way. The House wins. The House always wins.

[woltourney]

ROUND 6 / THE FINALS

Chuchu Chura (@spaceace144) v. Huge Beef (@isayoldbean)

Chuchu Chura:

q. What is your WoL name and pronouns? a. Chuchu Chura (she/they)

q. What is your WoL's species? a. Lalafell

q. What is your WoL's class? Or classes? a. PLD, WHM, RDM, DNC, and most importantly, FSH

q. What data centre/server are you on, if you want people to find you? a. Adamantoise

q. Tell us a bit about your WoL! a. This is Chuchu! She's a mute lala who became my reason for living when I started playing during covid. When I made her I want to make the least intimidating tank, so I made the smallest (yes she is min height), pinkest tank I could! She doesn't really have a lot of lore that I've come up with, but she's definitely lawful good, loves adventuring with her wolf pup, capybara, and Nigel her chocobo, and adores fishing.

q. Why should YOU win? (Answer IC!) a. :^) *waves* *lalafell dances* *dotes* *giggles*

q. Anything else you wanna add? a. She's just brought me so much joy over the past few years and if someone else can get a little joy from seeing her in this tournament, then that's enough for me. Of course I hope she still does well! I've spent hours in gpose getting pictures of her to be my wallpapers, I've gotten commissions of her, I'm even trying to crochet an amigurumi of her. I just love her so much! Good luck, Chuchu!!!

Huge Beef:

q. What is your WoL name and pronouns? a. Huge Beef, she/her

q. What is your WoL's species? a. Sea Wolf Roegadyn

q. What is your WoL's class? Or classes? a. WAR, MCH, NIN, RDM, AST, FSH (Note from submitter: CUL)

q. What data centre/server are you on, if you want people to find you? a. Crystal Malboro

q. Tell us a bit about your WoL! a. Beef was a fearsome pirate captain who was mortally wounded in an ambush and presumed dead. Hydaelyn intervened to ensure her survival, but the tremendous burst of aether she expended in doing so accidentally wiped Beef's brain completely clean and left her with total amnesia. With nothing but her axe and a talent for busting heads, she decided to set forth and become an adventurer. It turns out that it's a great way to get into fights without getting in trouble with the law, earn fame and money, and get the ladies swooning, so she couldn't be happier with her chosen line of work. In her free time she works on fishing boats, seeks out gourmet recipes, and works her charms on as many beautiful maidens as she can.

q. Why should YOU win? (Answer IC!) a. "What kind of question is that? Why WOULDN'T I win? Have you seen me?"

q. Anything else you wanna add? a. hi this is my wol she's a terrible person but she's incredibly sexy so it's fine i guess. also her name is huge beef. because she's huge and beefy. ok thank you for perceiving her

And now I'll ask for the final time...

[desertleviathan]

I feel like writing some short fiction about one of my FFXIV characters, but I don't know who it will be about. So I'm going to put it to you. Which member of the Amaranthine Maw pirate crew should I give a few dozen paragraphs to? Brief descriptions, then a poll to follow after the cut:

1.) Captain Siege Zabac (Hyur Highlander Male) is the Warrior of Light in this canon, and would much rather be fishing, cooking, and feeding as many people as possible with what he has fished/cooked than fighting stuff all the time, but he is a once-in-a-generation tactical genius and doesn't see himself getting out of the World Saving Hero business unless it's in a coffin.

2.) First Mate R'khsana Jannat (Miqo'te Seeker of the Sun Female) is the granddaughter of Siege's predecessor as captain, was literally born on a pirate ship, and may be the best sailor in the world. But she's like 23 so she has to wait her turn to be Captian, like the ambitious catgirl Riker to Siege's Picard.

3.) Quartermaster Griever Strzygasch (Hrothgar Lost Male) is so damn old (by the life expectancy of pirates anyway), he really should retire and take it easy somewhere. But nobody else on this crew is any good with money or long term planning, and he owes the captain his life a dozen times over, and anyway what would he even do in retirement? Better to die in a way people will tell stories about!

4.) Master-at-arms Auberont Gevaudan (Elezen Duskwight Male) is the heir to the Gelmorran royal line, but his only inheritance is a terrible dark wrath that he must be careful to only let out in battle with enemies who deserve annihilation. Other than that he's a very chill guy, the sort who seems to be on a first-name basis with the staff of every tavern, brothel, and gambling hall in every port town on the star.

5.) Chaplain Penitent Cormorant (Roegadyn Hellsguard Female) is a professional wrangler of spiritual and aetheric anomalies, an essential role on a ship in a world where all those nautical superstitions are very provably real. She's very good at what she does, and holds those around her to comparable expectations of performance. She's also the Captain's ex-wife. Nobody who knows that story is willing to talk, and nobody who doesn't know is brave enough to ask.

6.) Engineer Lockpix Burglebanks (Lalafell Dunesfolk Male, Goblin by adoption) is a former member of a notorious band of thieves, who the Captain pulled some strings to get out of prison. If he was willing to claim his birth identity there would be a considerable inheritance waiting for him, but he doesn't burgle and/or buccaneer for profit, he does it for the challenge.

7.) Navigator Usul Haragin (Au Ra Xaela Male) is weird even by the standards of his notoriously eccentric people, a visionary and mystic who followed an oracular dream across the sea to join this crew, and now patiently waits for the machinations of destiny to reveal why it was necessary for him to leave his clan and throw in with a bunch of rowdy corsairs.

8.) Surgeon Pandora Jarnvidr (Viera Rava Female) is not a member of this crew, she is a civilian passenger here by invitation of the Captain to pursue her own medical research... which conveniently aligns with how often a bunch of Sky Pirates incur novel wounds for her to examine. She is over 300 years old, and the only thing she really cares about any more is leaving a lasting contribution to medical research. But she is also the last surviving widow of the old captain, R'kshasa Nunh, and may feel some obligation to his successors.

[ragingskyxiv]

Welcome!

This is a blog for two lalafell characters, Himal Abylsyn and Chezaza Cheza. While their stories are intertwined, fate has led them in opposite directions.

I'm always looking for RP partners and RP-focused linkshells/CWLS/Discord servers! Message me!

Balmung, EST

Not spoiler-free

Character-focused blog

Cheza Carrd, Himal Carrd

Cheza Tag, Himal Tag, more tags may come

The Characters

Himal Abylsyn

Rescued and adopted by a roegadyn pirate crew after he was swept away by a stormy sea as a young child, Himal has been a pirate for as long as he can remember. When he lost the ship he called home and the crew he called family, Himal settled in Limsa Lominsa and thinks he's been cursed by the very waters that granted him a second chance.

Yet still the sea beckons him, and he finds it impossible to ignore its siren call.

Hooks:

Himal has been a pirate for near the entirety of his life. Did you know the renegade roegadyn crew that raised him years ago? Maybe you heard about the fate of Captain Abylsyn's so-called cursed crew?

(Not all of his crew was lost...)

The Kobun Garden Nursery (Shirogane W13 P35 Balmung) is a family-run nursery with a safe haven for pirates and runaways in the basement. Since he became land-locked he's frequented the place. Perhaps you've seen him there?

Are you a fisherman? A sailor? You likely have seen the lalafell man watching the water.

If you're known for witchcraft and similar dealings, Himal is always seeking out someone who can break his supposed curse. Maybe he found you, or was sent your way through friends of friends.

Chezaza Cheza

Cheza is clearly not from here, wherever here might be. She has an odd way of pronouncing words, blurts phrases that no one else says, and gets hopelessly lost in the city-states as if she's just arrived from somewhere far away. Her knowledge of the forests and stars is vast, however, and for that she was Himal's trusted navigator.

Without their crew, Cheza has taken to wandering city to city, woods to woods, looking for a new place to call home. She avoids deep water and boats big or small; though she can be found often watching ships drift in and out of harbor, longing for something she feels she will never find.

Hooks:

As a dancer, it's common to find Cheza near markets performing for coins. Perhaps you've seen her? Offered a gil or two? Or maybe you've lost a piece of jewelry or more coins than you remember tossing...

Not one to shy away from small-talk, perhaps you've accidentally met her gaze and are now suffering her attention. Will she ever stop talking?

Are you a guide? A swindler? A guard? On the city streets, this lalafell may reach out to you for help.

If you frequent the Black Shroud, you may have seen the lalafell with the dragon tattoo performing strange rituals...but for what purpose?

Are you a pirate or sailor? You might have heard of this strange navigator. There were once rumors she could chart a voyage port-to-port blindfolded.

Content Warning: While I do not create or post NSFW images or text and am not interested in ERP under any circumstances, my characters are adults well into their 30s and have had the menagerie of life experiences a sea-faring pirate will have, including romantic and sexual relationships. While I write 18+ themes such as violence, gore, and alcohol use, I don’t write sexual violence or engage with similar themes in roleplay as a personal preference.

I'm well aware of the general attitude toward lalafell characters and if you find it difficult to regard my fictional adult characters as adults, do not engage with me, I will not be interested.

[starrysnowdrop]

Hali x Aymeric Ship Timeline: ARR - EW

Just like I did for Yume x G’raha, I am writing out the ship timeline for Hali x Aymeric because I like keeping one as an easy reference when I’m writing my fics, and I’m sure some of you are curious as well. Don’t worry, I’m still going to write out all of this in fics, but I can be slow with my writing most of the time, and I tend to jump around a lot, so this might help readers out to keep everything straight.

This post will cover everything from their first meeting in the post-ARR patches up to the current patch, which at the time of posting this is patch 6.4. If there are any changes or additions to this timeline at all, I will be sure to let everyone know via my pinned post.

Since it will be long, its all under the cut below. Thank you very much for reading!

ARR

Hali and Aymeric first met as it happened in canon, where Aymeric specifically requested to meet Hali when Alphinaud went to try to establish diplomatic relations with a representative of Ishgard.

Aymeric first heard about Hali through Estinien, when she helped to heal her friend and fellow Warrior of Light @traveler-of-light’s Astrid Lucis in battle with the Azure Dragoon. Hali had performed powerful magicks that Estinien had never seen before, and Estinien’s account of the incident intrigued Aymeric.

Hali’s first impression of Aymeric was that he was the most beautiful man she had ever seen, and everything about him, including his voice, his demeanor, his confidence, it all instantly attracted Hali to him.

Aymeric was shocked when he met Hali, in more ways than one. He was well aware that Hali was a lalafell, but he wasn’t prepared to be so drawn to her. He found her to be beautiful, intelligent, funny, and incredibly charming, and he just wanted to know more.

The next several months, while dealing with Iceheart and the heretics, when Hali and the Scions fought in the battle against the dragons on the Steps of Faith, and even after the Scions and Warriors of Light are taken in by House Fortemps, Hali and Aymeric were cordial with each other, and they had only purely professional interactions for some time.

HW

This purely professional relationship between them began to change after the events of the Vault. Hali was at Aymeric’s bedside in the infirmary the whole time while he recovered from his injuries. Aymeric was incredibly touched by how thoughtful, caring, and selfless Hali was, as she helped the chirurgeons in his treatment, made him all his meals, and kept him company.

Aymeric finally had the chance to ask Hali more about herself, and she asked about him in turn. They both realized that despite them coming from much different backgrounds and having much different life experiences, they still had much in common, as they shared the same interests, held the same values, and dreamed of similar futures.

After Aymeric’s recovery, they became close friends, but deep down, their feelings for each other grew, and though neither were aware of it at the time, they began to fall in love.

The event that actively made each of them aware that they had feelings for each other was after Aymeric’s attempted assassination. As he was fighting for his life, he only had one thing on his mind: he wanted Hali to be by his side. He was calling out to her, and Captain Whitecape sent a message to Hali to come as quickly as she could, because Aymeric needed her. Hali ran to him, devastated that he had almost died, but instantly relieved when Aymeric regained consciousness.

Since it was in the middle of the night when she got there, Aymeric offered to share the bed with her. They ended up falling asleep in bed together, as Hali unconsciously moved over towards Aymeric and began to cuddle with him. This momentarily woke Aymeric up, but he realized in that moment that not only did he not mind it, he had never been so happy and felt so much love before. It hit him that night, that he was indeed in love with Hali.

Hali was so incredibly embarrassed the morning after, because she had no idea what she had done, and though Aymeric tried to tell her that he had never slept more soundly and that he didn’t mind it at all, Hali was mortified and she insisted that for all of the following nights, she would sleep in a separate bed, to which Aymeric agreed, as he didn’t want her to feel uncomfortable, but deep down he couldn’t help but be disappointed.

It took Hali a little while longer for her to realize that she was in love with Aymeric, and it took a heart to heart conversation with her friend Emmanellain to do so. Once she figured out what is truly in her heart, she tries to hide and suppress her feelings from Aymeric, never wanting to let on that she loves him, as she thinks that he would never return her affections.

After the end of the Dragonsong War, Aymeric decided that he would confess his feelings to Hali, so he invited her to a private dinner at Borel Manor so that he could tell her how he felt and ask her if he could court her properly. Before he has a chance to say anything to her, the dinner is interrupted by a summons for Hali to return to Fortemps Manor right away. They walk hand in hand back to Fortemps Manor, both feeling as though they had almost confessed their love to the other.

Hali gets wrapped up in the mystery of the Warriors of Darkness, and then the Ala Mhigan Resistance after that. Aymeric is confronted by Artoirel, who suggests that Aymeric should keep his feelings for Hali to himself, as not only is Hali not a noble Ishgardian woman, but an outsider and a lalafell. Artoirel says that the populace would not approve of Aymeric’s choice of partner, regardless if she is a Warrior of Light, and it might further divide the people.

After taking some time to consider Artoirel’s words, Aymeric decides to keep his feelings hidden, for the time being. He worries that perhaps Artoirel is right, and if someone were to attack Hali like they attacked him, Aymeric would never forgive himself. He also believes that Hali would be better off not being tied down to Ishgard, and he wishes for her happiness above all else.

Unknowingly, Hali overhears part of Artoirel and Aymeric’s conversation, and she is thinks that Aymeric is not interested in her, but he is much to kind to say it to her face. Hali runs away from Fortemps Manor, distraught and heartbroken.

Aymeric senses that something has changed between Hali and himself, as he notices that Hali has been speaking only professionally to him and can barely look at him. When he speaks with Hali about it, he realizes that she overheard what Artoirel said about her, but he tells her that he in fact does not want to distance himself from her. Though the misunderstanding is cleared up, they still are hiding their true feelings from each other as they turn their attention to the situation with Ala Mhigo and Garlemald.

They both know that they will be away from each other for the foreseeable future, and they tell each other how much they will miss the other. Aymeric surprises Hali with a special gift: a hair ornament adorned with snowdrop flowers. Aymeric explains that the snowdrops remind him of her, as she has brought hope to the people and to Aymeric in particular, and he wanted to give her a gift that would remind her that she always has a home to return to in Ishgard.

Along with the hair ornament, Aymeric gives her a new term of endearment: he calls her “my snowdrop”, which feels incredibly intimate, despite the fact that neither of them have revealed their true feelings for each other. They also decide to write letters to one another while they are apart.

SB

Hali and Aymeric spend a lot of time apart as Aymeric is working with the rest of the Eorzean Alliance forces as they fight against the Empire in Ala Mhigo while Hali goes to help liberate Doma, then she returns to Gyr Abania to go rescue Krile before the Battle for Ala Mhigo. The two are briefly reunited before the battle, to which they are both so happy to see each other that they immediately embrace. But they both have their duties, so the reunion doesn’t last long.

They are reunited a few more times over the course of a few months during several alliance meetings discussing battle strategies. Hali and Aymeric witness Thancred collapsing after the mysterious voice is heard only by the Scions, and soon the Scions fall unconscious one by one.

During the Battle at Ghimlyt Dark, while in the midst of fighting Elidibus, who has taken over Zenos’ body, Hali’s fellow WoL Yume falls unconscious on the battlefield after they both hear the mysterious voice once more. Before the Ascian can strike, Estinien comes to help. Hali instructs him to take Yume to safety while she holds off the enemy. Estinien agrees and whisks Yume away, leaving Hali to take on Elidi-Zenos on her own. She holds him off for a time, but then she is critically injured and Elidi-Zenos teleports away.

Estinien brings Yume to Aymeric and the Ishgardian forces, informing Aymeric that Hali was holding off the Ascian on her own, but she is going to need help. Aymeric runs to find Hali, and finds her alive but weak and unable to move. Aymeric immediately teleports Hali directly to Ishgard, where she is tended to by the best chirurgeons in the city.

While Hali recovers, Aymeric remains by her bedside, fearing the worst but praying for the best. After a few days, Hali awakens to hear Aymeric singing an Ishgardian lullaby to her. Aymeric is overjoyed to see her awake and recovering well, but knows that he must return to the frontlines soon and Hali will be expected to resume her duties after she recovers. He tells himself that once things have calmed down with the Empire, and once he is certain that she will be safe in Ishgard, he plans to tell Hali the truth of his feelings.

Once Yume awakens and Hali recovers, the remaining WoLs seek out the beacon at the base of the Crystal Tower to help their fellow scions. They are then transported to the First.

ShB

Hali and her fellow WoLs are on the First for about a year in total, which translates to only a few weeks on the Source. Hali has Feo Ul send Aymeric her letters to him in the meantime, which confuses Aymeric greatly the first time he meets Feo Ul.

Once everyone is back on the Source, Hali is able to meet Aymeric in Ishgard when she goes there to help get some ceruleum in order to find the cure for tempering. Hali and Aymeric are overjoyed to see one another again, even with their reunion being as short as it is.

Aymeric sends Hali on her way back to Revenants Toll with an entire airship and as much ceruleum as the airship can carry. Cid is stunned to see how much Aymeric helped Hali, but everyone else knows exactly why, though Hali is still clueless.

Hali and Aymeric can’t rest for long, as the Towers pop up all over Eorzea and the Far East, and Hali encounters Fandaniel in Ala Mhigo, hearing his declaration to bring back the Final Days. They are soon thrown into the next conflict with the Telophoroi this time.

The two meet in a series of meetings to unite all of Eorzea, including all of the tribes, in order to fight against the Telophoroi and help prevent the Final Days. Aymeric looks to Hali to name the new alliance, which Hali is instantly embarrassed about being put on the spot, though Aymeric’s intentions were to recognize how much Hali has done to bring peace to Eorzea, as he first met Hali for that very reason. Hali decides that it should be named “The Grand Company of Eorzea”, as that was Alphinaud’s dream.

Following the battle at Carteneau, Aymeric offers to bring the Scions back to Revenants Toll aboard his airship. During the trip, Hali soon falls asleep in Aymeric’s arms due to her exhaustion. While holding his beloved close, Aymeric asks Estinien for a huge favor: to keep Hali safe, as he himself cannot be there to protect her due to his duty to Ishgard. Estinien promises his friend that he will keep Hali safe, as Estinien himself owes Hali for helping to save his life.

EW

As Aymeric and the rest of the Grand Company of Eorzea are fighting off the Telophoroi, Hali and the Scions are able to secure passage to Old Sharlayan via Krile and the Students of Baldesion.

Since Hali is a Sharlayan fugitive and is forbidden from returning to her homeland after bringing Sharlayan Astromancy to the Ishgardians, she must sneak into Sharlayan with a disguise and a alias. Hali wears a simple Spriggan coat and glamours herself to give the illusion of having light blue curly hair, presents herself as a conjurer from Gridania, and gives her name as Galanthi.

When Hali is questioned by the immigration officer, Hali panics because she completely forgot to come up with a surname and not just a given name. She blurts out her name as “Galanthi Borel”, to the shock of all her fellow WoLs and Scions. Not only does Hali blurt out that her surname is Aymeric’s name, but Galanthi is the Ilsabardian term for the snowdrop flower, so she has all but revealed how she really feels about Aymeric.

At the meeting in Ala Mhigo for the Ilsabard Contingent, Hali is reunited with Aymeric briefly, and they embrace each other in the sight of all the Scions and General Raubahn. Aymeric expresses his disappointment at not being able to go to Garlemald with her, but he knows that she will be protected, as Estinien had promised, though Hali is still unaware of that promise.

After Zodiark is killed by Fandaniel, the final days are upon the star once more. Hali is informed that there has been a blasphemy sighting in Ishgard, and Aymeric has asked for Hali’s help in finding and defeating it. Hali assists Aymeric and Artoirel with the investigation, and they all soon defeat the blasphemy near the airship landing in the Vault.

During and after the investigation, Hali encounters Aymeric several times where he is staring out into the Sea of Clouds deep in thought. Aymeric doesn’t divulge to her then what exactly he was thinking about, as he just says that he has had a lot on his mind, and tells Hali to not worry about him.

In truth, Aymeric is happy that Ishgard is now fully moving forward as a nation, and especially now that the Church has been reformed and is moving in a new direction. Though he still fears for Hali with the Final Days, he is more hopeful than ever that she will succeed. He decides that once the threat to the star has been eliminated and peace is restored once and for all, he will confess his love to Hali. Even if she doesn’t return his feelings, he feels that she has the right to know, but he doesn’t want to distract her from her duty at that time.

Hali returns to Sharlayan and once the plan is in place to have the Scions travel to Ultima Thule at the edge of the universe to confront Meteion and save the star, Krile goes to Hali and tells her that she wants Hali to be happy, and to find love once the battle is over. Hali realizes then that she has already found love, and she doesn’t want to have any regrets before the final battle, so Hali thanks Krile and rushes off to find Aymeric.

Once she arrives in Ishgard, she rightfully guesses that Aymeric will be home, as it was so late in the evening. After a very surprised Aymeric comes to the door, Hali can’t hold back as both her tears and her words come out all at once. Hali tells Aymeric that she is in love with him, and that she always has been, which leaves Aymeric speechless.

Before Aymeric has a chance to respond, Hali starts to have a panic attack, and the black cloud surrounds her, the beginning of turning into a blasphemy. In her panic, Hali runs away from Aymeric and heads towards the airship landing, trying to stay away from anyone who might get hurt after she turns.

Hali thinks that she is going to die, but before the transformation happens, she feels Aymeric’s arms around her, holding her tightly against him. He tells Hali to breathe, to stay in the present moment, and to focus on his voice. Once the black cloud dissipates, Hali looks up to see Aymeric smiling brightly with tears in his eyes, elated that Hali is alright. Overcome with emotion, Aymeric leans in and kisses Hali, to which Hali returns his affection once she realizes what’s happening. Aymeric tells Hali that he loves her too. After sharing a moment, Aymeric insists on bringing Hali back to his manor so they can talk without being out in the cold, and Hali agrees.

Back at Borel Manor, the two explain why they kept their feelings hidden for so long, but in the moment, they both feel so foolish for not telling each other sooner. In between passionate kisses and touches, Hali promises that she will save the star, and that she will return to Aymeric safe and sound, which Aymeric responds with his full confidence that she will do just that.

The next morning, Hali goes back to Sharlayan, with Aymeric accompanying her, so she can leave for Ultima Thule. Aymeric meets Hali’s family before he watches as the Ragnarok leaves the star, and he prays with all his heart that Hali will return safely. Hali has found a renewed sense of hope, knowing that the man she loves is praying for their victory and is waiting for her back home.

After the battle, Hali returns to the star, and Aymeric is waiting for her as he said he would, with her family right there next to him. Hali can’t help herself as she jumps down from the Ragnarok, right in the water, runs to Aymeric, and leaps into his arms. With a kiss, Aymeric welcomes Hali home, and everyone celebrates the Scions’ victory.

Post-EW

Immediately following the Scions’ victory, Hali moves in with Aymeric, who gifts her with her own suite in Borel Manor. Hali and Aymeric sleeping in separate bedrooms doesn’t last long, but Hali has many of her belongings in her suite regardless.

A few months later, the couple officially announce their courtship and make their debut as a couple at an Ishgardian Ball to celebrate the Scions’ victory over the Endsinger. Hali and Aymeric dance and drink the night away, and when they go back to Borel Manor, they make love for the first time; they lose their virginity to each other that night as well.

Currently, Hali and Aymeric are just spending as much time together as they can, with Hali recently taking Aymeric on a much needed vacation to Thavnair, and they are having fun on their private island whenever possible. Not only their friends and family, but also the people at large are already referring to Hali as “Lady Borel”, even though they are not yet officially engaged, let alone married.

That’s all I have for now! If you’ve gotten this far, thank you so much, especially if you actually read all of this. I hope you enjoyed this, and please look forward to the full fic series, which I hope to actually someday finish. Until then, this will exist. 💙

[captainkurosolaire]

X2 ~ Eulogy of a Deadman

Reference ~ No Future ~ ♪"Moje More"♪ Gathering of black-donned Crew gathered around a small row boat. Coffin and flowers scattered in array alongside a Tricorne placed toppled delicately, with a picture-frame of a departed. Awaiting pyre and send-off into the open seas. First to speak was a Sea Maiden, and Counselor, Slafhota, whose hands clung together to keep from shaking holding a steep-burden. Prayers left to shambles. “He came to me in need. Seeking help, believing he was the biggest-screw up this realm has ever seen. But the-fact is his feet braved, open to my waters. He demonstrated conviction most wouldn’t achieve. Especially a pirate-nonetheless… I failed him. The depths of my words didn’t reach in-time.” Empathy writhed upon her visage, her shoulder gently tapped and escorted.

Changing positions. The Wildwood, Zieton, took the stage. “Didn’t care about the heady-pirate at-first. Loud, often obnoxiously-so, crude and boisterously-confident. But you couldn’t change-or-shake the fact at his core. He was genuine, it was obvious, wanting to remove people from misfortune. He would’ve gone to any-lengths to achieve that. Acquiring the world’s burden to retrieve.” Despite his rather-cool demeanor compared to others. His voice-quaked rivers, “My faith soon became… Was the desire, towards seeing him succeed.” Pushed off from the center, a commotion-irritated Raen, Sol ‘Nan’ Akami forged his way.

A ruckus darted-forth, broken-pitch quivering in a bark. Held back by two-other burly men, “Y-You cheeky feline-rat! Damn you!! I won’t forgive this! For leaving me the only survivor! YOU COWARD! WHO'S GONNA BE RESTORATION TO MY DESTRUCTION? I-I CAN’T RULE THE SEAS WITHOUT YOU!” Despite being once a deadly-foe and former enemy, he was broken-heart, that toughness and his often-jokester personality was removed. This was a brother’s grief. Even if not spoken-soon enough or heard in return often, it couldn’t sway their place from another. Fetching his pistol from holster, wanted to shoot that smug-face of the Seeker. But was deterred-away and seized from it, carried off. Small-lalafell, Me-Me, walked in replacement. “Mr.Hat was cool. I liked playing with him and pulling lots of pranks! Although he seemed angry with me a lot, I never felt like I wasn’t welcome and that’s something which made me really happy.” Talking more simply before rushing off to never show-glimpses of her sorrow. She was often the touted-indomitable demon no one could conceive or fathom.

Giant-burly, Hellsguard stomped the ground, dragging feet. Intense-fire often consumed him, now tears streaming down which doused him internally. “...I was fine living my peace, retreated from all. Never again knowing what glory would taste-like. Gave up on my ambition never knowing what I could achieve that’d make me feel-complete. Believing I could defeat-any adversity too easily. Then a broken-armed pirate showed up, kicking my door open and stepped on my cooked feast! Telling me so effortlessly, “Old-man, we’re going on a journey!” That brat-of-a-kid… Took me from my holed-in-solitude and forced me out to experiences. I-thought extinguished! …As I began sailing with you-lot, I started understanding what it means again, live-to-see. He made a believer-in-me and I will carry his dream for me with remaining eternity. With honor… To become a King among the Living. I see it now, that meaning… It’s the only King without a crown required, or throne and validation needed. You become it by simply being, and all your fellows, are your subordinates worthy to seize, there are truly no-enemies when freed.” Placing a hand-on-his-heart and burning against flesh, making an impactful scar of Captain’s memory. Symbolically carrying, fire of the deceased but more importantly… The Will. Casta who wrote his stories up to now and escapades, charting his Tales as a diary. She stumbled and couldn’t deter from whimpering. Taking moments before, “Long-ago, he saved me as a little-girl. I was enslaved, by a violent-father, at-least for what he bought me as. Yet Captain relinquished me, Brought me into the home-environment of another family altogether. He changed my life-around instantly. Became inspired, and so I wrote. Swore, I’d repay him! A hero-unsung for all to read… I studied-medical and medicinal means to bring relief like he did to a young-broken unguided soul. I helped his kind out, the pirates, crooks, outcasts, the one’s often shunned away because of their appearance. Who are we, to discriminate against what someone’s cover is? Doesn’t seem to be valid. The pages-written behind the cover, typically resides the part that matters. Summers-later. We convened by happenstance, fate-string tugged our way.” She changed-attitude becoming cheerful and happy recounting. “I got to meet him again! To mend to the best of my abilities. But in-the-end I couldn’t relieve him of great-injuries. Hurt to see him linger, pain stricken. …More than you could know. After-what-happened, I didn’t see myself anymore being useful, I sank below. Yet, always greets people with a infectious-smile. Telling me, “Casta, it’s because ye b’ th’ most human, is what reminds all ov’ us monsters or otherwise, what to still-be.” And suddenly I-felt again uplifted and at peace. E-Everytime! Everytime, I almost wanted to give-up on myself or this life. He took my wrists gently, the handsome rogue jumped in after me either in shallow-infested or shark-filled waters! EVERYTIME. Until, I couldn’t do anything left, but finally, see what he saw. My own-irreplaceable-worth. There’s no one-like that level of heroic-deed— only fantasy. Wouldn’t ever think he was capable-of-that, he was always going to surprise you.” Again her emotions-changed like thunder, now fury took over. First-time she spoke-loudly, and up for her-self or another, she used to be the most silent-timid. Now she had become a lioness for preserved memory.

“It’s unfair Thal’s balls! Why are the one’s born in Twelve’s favor or God’s boon, get every recognition, praise, but first-ones to retreat from history?! Why are they the ones remembered for legendary acts but one’s who’ve been here every-day Sun to Moon with every single-breath they are making our life-flourish forth, civilizations ushering, by giving new generations education, hand-outs in their most timely-need, not given the same?” Her fist-sledgehammered down on the podium. “You were the best of them. My sailor hero!” She left with anguished remorse gritting teeth. The arranging-voices heard so far and the imprint placed. The departed-soul managed to imprint on them that made their nature’s be thwarted. Unlikely a Noble, Lord Shiro Elune, of pristine-white but with a black-flower on his suit, drew up with elegance bearing all-the-markings of regality. “We were sworn-beings always at odds. I massacred his Crew when we first-met, afterall. He couldn’t overcome our gaps and the league of power I had over him. He was flawed.  From ideologies, stances, ethics. The scoundrel was determined more than any I ever met. He opposed anything with boldness, a charismatic charm that made you want to cheer for him. A showman. Spotlight that he shared with, overtime... You would-recognize; against any dismay. Among history, perhaps, the greatest failure. But because of that, is why many could-identify themselves with him, whether they wished, or knew not…” He showed-a-former, scoff of superiority, “P-fft wasn’t anyway, I could be factored in with the everyday and mundane… You all reeked with insecurities, you’re all leeches, parasites, complain and whimper about what you were born-with or not, making excuses as handicaps. Yet when I visited you in the Brumes, or your piss-covered environments, your legs-unmoved, all-you-walk, as if-you're-not losers! Hand-outs are what most of you commoners want fed. You dream-too-big, too vastly that it taints and pollutes all you come in-contact with. You demand-validation from your peers; despite knowing it’s an echo-chamber and your sentimental words and beliefs, ushering so foolishly, brazenly, you’re certain of yourselves among that group of fellow-collected sheep's! Listen, you'll never-amount to anything or anyone truthfully! Imbeciles, you cannot-deter history! You cannot change Hierarchy or Order! No matter how free you are. You aren’t saints, protagonists of stories, or Warriors of Light nor of Night, exceptionally never will-be anything but fodder for the ones who rule iron-supreme.” At this point-everyone attending booed demanding him-off stage and was irritated at this pompous Keeper who distinguished himself-above so highly.

“...However.” A twist was coming as the mob-was-overwhelmingly on the verge of rioting at a most unholy-timing. Clear and loud with authority. “I will admit my former notion was this; once a time. Yet this heathen behind, single-handedly changed all-these thoughts of certainties and brought questions back to them!” The crowd stopped, dumbfounded. Hanging on every-word this Noble Lord demonstrated. “Yes. Indeed I’d consider him no-longer an enemy. Although, I won our encounters often. He had defeated me too without being seen. Changing-my-perception. I acted impulsively, dishonored duels, acted on arrogant-egotistical-means I harbored and sheltered as deceitful pride. I thought, everything I did was-justifiably, fact. Groomed to be-placed above an echelon, higher-than-all who sees. But I fell from grace, my fiance and child even forsake my name upon their lips. When I failed these-ways, I had no idea how to handle it… That accursed-man with a golden crest, oh, he knew… He always knew, fought against my sake or for it, inconceivably! Now I stand upon this wake. I say! Honor him greatly and openly. You’ve proven, Noble, friend.” The regal-man did the unthinkable act. Others wouldn’t believe it. Taking a kneel before the burial-site. Lowering his head-to-ground level. Relinquishing his former-rapier that shared connection between the-two souls and beneath the Tricorne hat-of-the-former wielder. 

Thought and believed, Forever Destined. Tears-bellowed out from the crowd, moved once again. Diamond-encrusted tear crystals fell from the eyelids of the Keeper.

Further attenders close to the departed gave their speeches. Until the last Crewmate was brought up, Judas Caesar the First Crewmate who had deep-personal history off-and-on, back and forth chemistry. Tear-stained-eyes, looking once again like a battered-prince, who lost his entire-Kingdom. "...I" He couldn't get any words to wind. Despite owning that affinity. You could-practically hear a heart-pitch whining from his throat. "I-loved him. Wish I got a chance to say it, more things, left to the endless space. ...There was-no one else, I felt that strongly about, a soul-mate of the seas, could really only say. Promised me we'd get to my destination of my former-origins so-early on, made my dream's inked on his own sleeve, he was a different-type of cat, no pun-intended. See... When we got on the right-pace, all-things-aligned, I never felt like I wasn't at home." He empathized every-memory so fondly and vividly. "I did a lot of damage to him, we've our past, never out of disdain, hatred-made. His commitments and expectations placed on himself were deeper than ravines, those scars-any saw him with. Was type of guy, who never met any diversity or challenge too big for him. Even marooned, castaway, left on land, forced to survive and thrive. He always recovered the meaning to breathe, and taught others how too as well. As you've seen today... All that's, possibly, left now." "Rest ever Free." "Captain Of These Seas." An-arrow was emitted from springing bow-string for the last-blaze, as the ship was left to go burning, on and on, in lovely-blues, to hopefully find peace, the discovery he desired to always seek.

[irrya-ainivi]

Reflecting on my recent jobs, perhaps I should pick up the sword and shield. I often find myself defending the weak, and my fists alone may not be enough. I hope the gladiators here don't exclusively fight for glory.

Today, I aided another Lalafell in the Brass Blades, Fafalupa. Though I've judged him unfit for his position due to his naïveté, his former captain Leofric (demoted for… protecting the people, gods damn you Lolorito), seems to find that endearing, or inconsequential at the least. We stripped Baldewyn of his rank due to behaviors I've come to expect from the people here. Fafalupa now acts as acting captain. I'm sure I need not speak my thoughts on that.

[chubs291]

Da Plan

Five men stood around a table, all of their views pointed towards one large sheet of paper, what seemed to be a map. The roegadyn at the head of the table, a captain’s hat upon his head, nodded and looked towards his compatriots, “The bank is right here, there are three entrances here, here, and here.” The captain explained simply, “Mammoth, you’re to make a distraction, I know you’re tough enough to start a good fight yeah?” Ulfnar asked his nephew, to which a wide smile formed on the marauder’s face.

“You know it uncle, if there’s anyone on this here ship who can get into a good ol’ fashioned scrap it’s Mammoth Mitch! Imma guessing this is to distract those guards at the front yeah?” The young roegadyn asked rhetorically. 

“You guessed right yeah, but I’m needing this to be a real big on Mammoth. Four-no maybe five combatants total, really get the whole guard involved you understand? Next up is Emmanfaulin, You’re to set yourself up on the rooftop over here and provide us covering fire on our escape but that’s not all, there’s this nasty alarm on the wall, you’re to shoot it out with whatever you prefer, powder or arrow will get the job done.” The elezen made no comment as he simply nodded, making sure to note exactly which rooftop it is.

“That just leaves me, Pip, and Swaine,” Ulfnar said rubbing his chin before turning his view towards the hyur who was his trusted quartermaster, and the lalafell who had a knack for grifting things that most others would struggle with. “Swaine, you and me will go through the front, normally they require id checks but thanks to Mammoth they’ll be distracted breaking up the fight. Pip you sneak in through this window here and make your way to the back of the bank.” At this the lalafell got a slightly nervous expression across his face.

“You’re to say I’m going in alone boss?” Pip asked, which was a relatively fair question all things considered. He was a good thief but he wasn’t perfect, if something went wrong then he would have few escape options.

“Nah nah nah I wouldn’t do that to ya Pip, that’s what me and Swaine are for, we’re to provide back up if it gets messy at all. All you gotta do is sneak on back there and snatch that gem right out from under their noses! By the time the guards break up the fight they won’t even be able to notice that the gem was taken, a right genius plan if you ask me!” The captain said, a look of pride upon his face at his crafting of this plan. “Mammoth you back out of the fight after a bit and meet up with us down the third street from the bank, there Rodrey will be waiting for us there with our transport to get us away from there and back to the ship. By the time those Garlean dogs notice it’s gone I’ll be ringin’ up our buyer!” A sneer formed on the captain’s face, the plan was great in his honest opinion. Not too complicated, but not too simple either, makes it so everyone gets out safe besides Mammoth who might get a few bumps or bruises but he’s keen for it. Always has been. Now all they needed to do was put the plan into action and the crew would be rich.

[khira-queen]

Day #12 - Quarry

"Body in the water! Give us an 'and!"

Khira watched from a few fulms away as the sailors and dockworkers of the Silver Bazaar hauled a figure out of the shallows, dragging it up on to the rocky shore. A highlander staggered back as they rolled the body over onto its back, another turned away cursing the leviathan, and the scene was overcome by a general sense of unease and disgust.

"Traders preserve, what's left of you." A Dunesfolk fisherman turned back to Khira, beckoning the Miqo'te over. "Miss, I believe we've found your... ulp... missing woman."

Khira strode towards the quickly dispersing crowd, tossing a hefty, clinking pouch to the Lalafell. The man immediately set about to dividing up the gil to his fellows, the drowned body nearby all but forgotten.

"Your compensation as agreed, more than enough for-" She balked as she approached the corpse, an assault on the sense, wanting to retch. The broadsheets in Limsa a few suns past already reported Captain Doenstyrmwyn drowned in Ul'dah, though without specifics pending an investigation. Since then the body had been 'lost', dumped in the waters off Horizon's Edge for Twelve knows how long and now dragged through rocky shallows. It was to Khira's surprise it was still mostly in one piece.

"Bonus pay to anyone that fetches a cart."

She covered her mouth with a cloth rag as she approached the corpse, gingerly toeing it with her boot. It gave easily, the Thanalan sun already inducing further rot.

"Shite, and an embalmer."

[scholars-of-nym]

Day 3. Tempest

The White City's dungeons were dark and damp. A small figure sat hunched over in the corner, his face gaunt and his hair matted, but his golden eyes were still clear with conviction and determination. There was only one window outside, high above him; it seems that a storm was raging.

Suddenly, the lalafell heard hurried voices and panicking footsteps. Someone came down the steps, the guards already stationed suddenly on alert. A gruff-looking Elezen came downstairs; the lalafell recognized him as the captain of the guard, his warden, the one who ordered him to jail and interrogated him day after day. He barked orders to the guards that were stationed. "You've been relieved of your duties. Get your families and get to higher ground, now."

The two guards saluted and quickly ran out the door. The Elezen guard then turned to the prisoner. "Sesani Tosani." he said, slowly. "It seems we're both at the end of the line."

Sesani frowned and stood up to lean against the bars of his cell. "What is happening outside?"

"A Calamity." the captain replied dryly. "It's no use. The water will reach this place in but a moment."

"Then-"

"False hope is better than none in the face of death."

Sesani sank to the floor in realization. "My daughter… Setoto, I have to-"

"It's too late for that. Oh, what a cruel twist, for your daughter to be the one who stays safe, already submerged as she is." The captain sat down next to the bars.

Sesani looked up, sighing raggedly. "Don't you have anyone to warn? Your family -"

"No." The captain said dryly. "I had a daughter, just like you. But she's gone now, and so is my wife. We may have had a, hrm, bad history, but frankly, you're the one I spent the most time with who isn't currently running around like a fool."

Sesani laughed bitterly. "How much did I matter, then? How much did the interrogation, my information, matter?"

"How much did your foolish goal matter?" the captain retorted. "It mattered so much, but now, in the end, it didn't matter at all."

Sesani shook his head, his knuckles whitening as he grabbed the bars of the cell. "No. It did matter. It mattered to me, and I suppose, if this is the end, I'm happy that I tried."

"Don't you wish you'd been with your daughter? That you'd turn into a fiend like she did?"

Sesani rattled the bars in anger. "Don't talk about her like that. She is not a fiend." He took a deep breath and shook his head. "If I had, I wouldn't have been able to help the people I did, or go on this journey."

"Even when you failed?"

"If I can only meet her again once we're both in the aetherial sea, I can at least look her in the eye and tell her I tried. She knows - she must know I tried, and that I love her."

The captain looked away and leaned against the wall. "How touching."

Despite the captain's dry tone, he could still hear a light twinge in his voice. "Then what about-"

Suddenly, a dark roar filled the air. "Ah, it's coming." The captain laughed. "Fill your lungs with air until there is naught, and all is swept clean."

Sesani's heart almost beat out of his chest, but he drew away from the bars while the captain laughed. He sat back in his cell and leaned with his head against the wall. He shut his eyes tightly, trying to drown out the captain's laughter, and thought of his daughter, his Setoto. The first time he held her in his arms - the terror and beauty of it. The first time she crawled, she walked, the Her first day at school. The way her little hand fit in his just right, her laughter, the way her eyes sparkled when she told him about her favorite things. The first time she summoned a faerie. That one time they -

[casualjacobwrites]

FFXIV Write 2024 Prompt #3 - Tempest

Continued from Prompt #2.

More specific spoilers for patches 5.4 and 6.0 in this one. Didn't make the deadline on this one, but fortunately the deadlines don't start until September 8. Also, these are unedited and rushed (which is the idea!) so there's likely some mistakes, grammatical and otherwise.

Reminder: I'm taking on the added challenge of trying to weave the prompts into a continuous story rather than separate little entries. I probably will write other things during this month, but the idea for bringing Emmanellain and Sicard together amid a huge crisis is, for right now, really making my brain happy. If it works, I'll edit it all and make it a proper story.

Word Count: 1,537

__

Sicard lowered the spyglass with a curse then shouted, "All hands on deck!"

The collected crew rejoined with a collective "Aye aye," and ran off in separate directions. The Roegadyn woman who'd reassured Honoroit earlier began pulling at a large canvas cover to reveal one of the cannons aboard the ship. The lalafell man climbed the mast with surprising nimbleness for one of his diminutive stature. He managed to reach the crow's nest within half a minute and set up with a spyglass aimed in the direction of the smoke. A moment later a bell sounded, the rapid clanging loud enough to rouse anyone from the deepest sleep. A slender elezen man with deeply tanned skin repeated the captain's call for all hands on deck.

"Lafotal, the moment you see anythin' you tell me," Sicard shouted to crow's nest.

"Aye, captain!"

"Wastgeim, get the cannons prepped, an' don't be stingy with the powder this time."

The roegadyn woman paused in her work long enough to give a quick salute. "Aye, captain!"

"Cannons? I-is that really necessary?" Emmanellain followed Sicard back to the helm so closely the hyur swore he could feel the lordling's breath on his neck.

"Don't know yet," he said, his eyes locked toward the bow. "But I'd rather have 'em ready and not need 'em than to have a hole blown in my ship."

"The ship is on fire. They need help, not weapons."

Sicard inhaled sharply while grinding his teeth. Even in the middle of a crisis he manages to find a way to vex me. Out loud he asked, "And how does a ship catch fire?" He gestured in the direction of the distressed vessel.

"I-I don't know," Emmanellain stammered. "An accident?"

"Could be," Sicard allowed. "But could also be they were attacked by another ship we can't see waitin' to ambush and rob us. Worse, it might be someone set it up to lure in unsuspectin' crews so they can kill everyone on board and take our ship for their own. So forgive me for thinkin' about protectin' ourselves first."

"That's ludicrous! Who on earth would set their own ship on fire in the middle of the ocean as a trap?"

For a long moment Sicard was too stunned to respond. When he regained his ability to speak, his words came out in a roar. "Pirates, you bloody imbecile!" A throbbing pain shot through his temple and he knew his face must be red. " There's no trick in the book too low down or dirty for anyone greedy enough to try, an' I should know. I used to be a pirate."

Emmanellain stared at him, his mouth twisting in horror. "Did…did you ever hurt people like that?"

Sicard started to say, "Of course I did," but when he noticed the way the other man looked at him, his speech failed. Emmanellain had of course known he was a pirate, but this was the first time he'd been forced to consider what that meant and it had repulsed him.

Never before in his life had Sicard been so consumed by shame and guilt. Sure, he had turned over a new leaf after running afoul of the Warrior of Light and the Scions of the Seventh Dawn. He and his crew had provided vital aid during the End of Days and for the first time he could say they had made a positive difference in the world. Yet, in the back of his mind he carried the reminder of his past misdeeds and the knowledge he could never truly atone for the many terrible things he had done. Each day since his duel with Admiral Bloefhiswyn he'd dealt with a constant swirling undercurrent of regret, but now it was turning into a raging tempest of sorrow and self hatred. To know Emmanellain de Fortemps thought lesser of him as a man cut far deeper than he wanted to admit.

"This is hardly the time or place to discuss that," he snarled. So what if some Ishgardian noble thought he was a monster? What did the spoiled second son of House Fortemps know about his life? No one who lived in luxury could ever understand why he made the choices he did. "I've got a job to do. You and Honoroit need to get belowdecks 'til I give the all clear."

"No."

Sicard swore his neck muscles creaked as he slowly turned his head toward Emmanellain. "What do you mean 'no'?"

"I want to help." His reply was earnest and spoken as if it was the most natural thing.

"Did you miss the part where I said we might be headin' into a trap?" He shook his head. "No offense, mate, but you have neither the stomach nor the skill for fightin', an' if this all goes to pot I can't be worried about you gettin' a splinter."

"I'll have you know fought in the Dragonsong War alongside the Warrior of Light!" Emmanellain's voice grew higher in pitch, an obvious sign of his wounded pride.

Sicard slammed his hand against the wheel and whirled to face the elezen. He leaned in until their faces were mere ilms apart and growled, "Get your arse belowdecks 'fore I kick it down there for you."

Just as Emmanellain's mouth opened to respond, another voice interrupted. "I got the supplies, my lord." Amid all the chaos and arguing Sicard hadn't noticed Honoroit had slipped away. The manservant stepped onto the quarterdeck carrying a large leather sack.

"What in the hells is that?"

"Apothecary supplies," Emmanellain replied. "Potions, poultices, bandages, and anything one might need in an emergency."

The smug grin on his face was doing little to keep Sicard's urge to deck him at bay. "An' what am I supposed to do with that?"

"You said it yourself. You don't know what might happen when we get to that ship, but regardless of if we're rendering aid or drawn into battle, you're going to need healing." He waited for Honoroit to set the bag on the ground then crouched down to rifle through its contents. After pulling out a selection of vials, he slipped them into slots in his belt and stood. "I'm no conjurer, but I am trained in basic field medicine and can still help."

"No, no, too dangerous." Sicard refused to budge. The thought of Emmanellain being injured or worse filled him with an odd sort of anxiety. He ignored the little voice inside him that said his worry had nothing to do with the potential loss of profit from their new business venture. "Both of you should stay below."

"Now see here--"

Honoroit raised his voice to interrupt his master. "If I might make a suggestion, Master Spence?"

Sicard scrubbed a hand over his face. It was bad enough to deal with the lordling's thick skull, but the younger elezen was too clever by half. "What? An' keep in mind we don't have much time."

The manservant nodded. "What my lord said about his experience in the Dragonsong War is true."

"Thank you," Emmanellain cut in.

"Yes, my lord is quite adept at keeping himself safe in battle to the point where he has never needed to draw his sword."

"Yes, that's ri--hey!"

Honoroit ignored Emmanellain's protests. "But he has seen a variety of injuries both on and off the field and knows which medicines to use. I myself have studied a bit of alchemy and anatomy, and I'm quick on my feet."

Sicard considered the page and rubbed his chin. "What you're sayin' is he knows how to avoid a fight, an' you'll keep him out of my way?"

The page smiled. "Yes."

The hyur sighed. "Fine, but if either one of you causes a problem for me, I won't hesitate to toss you overboard, profit or not." It was an empty threat, but they didn't need to know that.

"I see flags, captain!" Lafotal called down from the crow's nest.

"What colors?" Sicard asked.

"'Ard to say with the light." The lalafell's silhouette leaned forward with his spyglass firmly attached to his eye. He muttered something unintelligible then shouted, "Garlean, sir." Below him the crew fell silent. Though Eorzea was now allied with what remained of Garlemald, it was hard not to feel some sort of apprehension upon encountering one of their ships at sea. Decades of imperial invasion and oppression couldn't be forgotten or forgiven in such a short time.

"Anything else?" Sicard asked.

"Ship's still aright. No sign of anyone on deck." No one spoke while Lafotal continued reporting. "Smoke, no fire."

"No fire. That's good, right?" Emmanellain asked.

Sicard shook his head. "Just means we don't see the flame. Could be an engine fire." Above him Lafotal was adjusting the focus on his spyglass. Sicard saw him jump backward as if startled.

"There's a body, captain, an' it's not a Garlean."

That was a strange observation to make. There was not enough light nor were they close enough for Lafotal to see a uniform. "How can you tell?"

"Fishback, sir. There's fishbacks on the ship!"

Both Sicard and Emmanellain took a step back then looked at each other. An already strange evening had just become even stranger.

[driftward]

Title: FFXIV Write 2023 - 26. Last Characters: Nyx Blackmoon Rating: Teen Summary: The Crystal Braves captured everyone that was important, right? Notes: Bloody Banquet

"Alright, that should be the last of them," he said, closing the door to the Rising Stones. Now it would serve as an impromptu prison cell for some of his 'fellow' Crystal Braves. "Well, most of them, anyway."

The Lalafell woman who was working with him gave him a sharp look. "What do you mean, most of them? For what we're being paid, we'd better make sure."

"Who is it?" Rumbled his other companion, a large Roegadyn whose name he'd never bothered to remember. Didn't bother to try to remember any of their names, really.

Show up, do the work, get paid, move on, that was the ticket.

"The little black Miqo'te. The one who stares too much. She's the last one missing," he said.

The Lalafell relaxed a little. "Oh, the one the Warrior of Light likes to train with? I don't know that I see her do much else other than get used as a target dummy."

The Roegadyn rumbled. "And she's not great at that. I tried her once. She walloped me and then asked if I wanted a report on how I did. Humiliating, but not very helpful."

He tried not to laugh. "Not sure I would have admitted to that one, friend."

The Roegadyn stuck his chin out at him. "Least I had the testicular fortitude to try having a dance with the Warrior of Light's very own trainer. Bet you wouldn't care to have a go."

"Not with the way she stares. Not without a bag first."

"Gentlemen," said the Lalafell. "This is the very definition of a bullshit argument that's not worth having."

He was about to respond when he glanced up and saw the captain coming, and turned and gave her a salute alongside the other two.

"Unit, report."

He noticed his compatriot giving him a side-eye and he nodded. She was right, she was right.

Show up, do the work, do the work well, get paid, move on. She knew the score too.

"Almost everyone is in shackles down in the Rising Stones," he said dutifully. "We are missing one."

The captain just nodded thoughtfully.

"No surprise. We did expect a few to get through the cracks. Unit four is still having trouble finding their hidden location in Vesper Bay. That's fine. We just have to get enough of them to blunt their strength and make clear that we are the ones who have control. Who's missing?"

"The little black Miqo'te. The one who stares too much," he said.

The captain went tense immediately.

"Shite," she said. And then, a moment later, "Shite! I told Ilberd we needed another unit here, they're more experienced, seven -hells-."

The Lalafell was now glancing around nervously. He exchanged a look with the Roegadyn.

"Captain?"

But she was already on the linkpearl. "Everyone sound off, and once I've acknowledged, report in to the Rising Stones." She lifted her hand off her pearl as he heard confused voices starting to call back. "You three. Get in there, verify the place is secure, and get ready to barricade the place as soon as everyone's in."

He was confused, but he just nodded, and saluted. "As you say, captain," he said, before glancing at the other two and heading in to the Rising Stones.

Show up, do the work, get paid, move on, that was how this was supposed to work. What the hell had gone wrong?

High above Mor Dhona, Nyx had watched the flurry of activity that had been going on below. Some announcement had come over the linkpearl, which they had not bothered to intercept. But then the infighting had begun, and the Domans had scattered in its wake.

Nyx was not certain what was happening, but while their were some injuries, there were no casualties. They had not seen fit to get involved yet. Instead they just hung out in the shadows on the high walkway, observing.

Almost a bell after the chaos had started, it was over, and Nyx had received a call from Zoissette Vauban.

The Crystal Braves had been compromised. The Scions of the Seventh Dawn were almost to a person missing in action. Vauban had given them orders. Rescue who you can. Go to ground. And above all, survive.

Nyx had to ask about parameters. Vauban had hesitated only briefly before telling them to use their discretion, but that unrestricted mode was authorized.

They watched the movements of the Crystal Braves now. The Braves were scared of something, and had retreated back into the Rising Stones for the most part, with only a few handful of them now on patrol, looking around for someone or something.

Nyx was the last member of the Vanguard of Light who was free to act.

They slipped through the shadows until they were above a patrol, and they slid out their knives.