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idanwyn-et-al · 2 years ago

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(XIV||22-26): Break a Leg.

(Continued from here.) (♪)

The Temple Knights stationed on today’s guard duty inspected the newly-arrived wagon, their duties not sufficient motivation to restrain themselves from jeering at the heretic within.

“Stripped of yer stolen armor, are ya, Ser Bale?” one sneered, giving the Inquisitor a respectful nod.

“I didn’t steal it,” she replied quietly. “I earned it when I was knighted. Same as you.”

“Uh huh,” said the other, finishing his inspection and giving the driver the go-ahead. “Too bad they won’t let you wear it at Witchdrop; it’s said to give you a bounce or two after they, ‘wshht’!” He shoved her shoulder as he whistled, an onomatopoeia for pushing her into thin air. The pair snickered to each other as the Gates opened wide, the wagon rolling along the Steps of Faith towards Foundation.

Surprisingly, the words didn’t bother her much. She knew that the whole Order was still stinging from the reprimand they’d received; she’d walked among their number undetected for days, and the Inquisition was not happy about that. Another sin; to deceive those who were ordained comrades-in-arms. Of all the sins she’d committed, that one weighed second-heaviest.

---Previously, in Fallgourd Float:---

Morning banished the troubled cobwebs of dreams from the corners of Anne-Sophie’s mind. Though she had originally intended to return to the Gyshal’s Greens today, her extended flight had her saddlesore. Vendredi, too, was in need of a day’s reprieve. Figuring that one day’s recess in her second-favorite place in the Black Shroud would not hinder them much, she went through her morning sword forms, sans aetheric augmentation, bathed, and dressed. She was down to one clean set of clothing and armor, so she spent the rest of the morning laundering and oiling the other sets, hanging everything to dry in her rented room.

She took her late lunch out to the patio, enjoying the brisk air and faltering golden light of summer’s end in the Shroud. Though the sandwich was quite good---pulled, smoked wild boar meat with a sharp-sweet cheddar cheese and mead-poached pixie apples---she was only dimly aware of its delectability, lost as she was in the book she chose for her mealtime company. Faerie tales had arguably played a large part in her current unfavorable circumstances, but they remained a favored genre; this one, from Sharlayan, told the tale of a ghostly cactuar from the moon who’d befriended a sentient pile of leaves called the Green Gleaner.

Rae-Hann wandered across the bridge with a stare focused at the boards underfoot, eyes darting back and forth. Only when he nearly bumps into the first table on the deck of the Bobbing Cork does he look up. "Have you seen--" He paused, actually taking in the Hyur's appearance as he canted his head to the side. "Oh, you're that person on the poster."

Anne-Sophie stopped mid-bite, slowly turning her gaze from the book to the person near the table. "Mmrgh?" she murmured through a mouthful of food, then held up her right index finger in the hopefully-universal gesture of 'one moment'. Finishing her bite, she dabbed at her lips with a crumpled napkin, then tried again. "Hmm? I'm sorry, are you talking to me? I was so lost in my book that I confess I'm not entirely certain what you said."

The Miqo’te waited patiently, though he did take that opportunity to look under the table. Just in case whatever he was after may have been hidden away. However, at the other's questions, he nodded. "Yes, you. Normally I don't remember faces too well, but I did just come from Gridania. It mentioned something about heretics. Don't hear much about that sort of thing outside of Ishgard, so it stuck in the mind a bit better, I suppose."

She followed his gaze automatically, lifting her feet a few ilms as if she might be standing on...whatever it was he sought. Well-worn bootsoles fell to the wooden decking in short order as his words registered. "H-heretics? A poster? My, that sounds quite dangerous." Reaching up to pat her hair, a wide-eyed expression of dread crossed her face for a moment. "I forgot to wash it black again," she murmured, likely intending to do so for her ears alone, but his hearing was sharper than hers. "U-um. Can you tell me more about this heretic? I am travelling through, you see, and I would like to be on guard." Clearing her throat once, she turned her face back to the table, hoping the ginger-red curtain would better obscure her features.

"Possibly. I've heard of supposedly dangerous heretics in the past, but the few I've met have always turned out quite less so. I'm going to sit. Do you mind?" He didn't wait for an answer, instead lazily sliding over to the nearest empty stool. With a hum, the miqo'te propped his chin in one hand, considering her across the table. "If it helps, though, she's apparently rather reckless mage, of similar appearance to yourself. Couldn't be bothered to memorize the exact details beyond what the image showed, however." He pointed to her as if suddenly remembering something. "Ah, right. Has some sort of...shape-shifting sword. That was an interesting bit. I've never seen something quite like that before. Can you imagine?"

"Sh-shapeshifting? That does not sound heretical in and of itself. Recklessness, however...no, the Holy See would never allow recklessness among its aetherically-adept. Interesting. I shall have to ask...err, that is, I shall have to keep my eyes open. It should not prove too troublesome to find another that looks strikingly similar to myself on the road, should it? After all, some philosophers posit that we are all but shattered pieces of greater souls, and that would lend itself neatly to, um. To us having lookalikes," she finished rambling weakly, wincing. Anne-Sophie took a sip of her mead, and found herself unable to meet her fellow traveller's eyes; her own seemed to look anywhere but somewhere they might risk making contact with his.

"Maybe said recklessness is why this person is considered a heretic? I wouldn't know either way, of course. Ishgardian policy is hardly among my purview, though you seem to at least know a bit more than I." However vaguely amused he might be by her growing anxiety, the shift into talk about souls was sobering enough. He frowned. "Ah. Yes, I've heard those theories that we are but shards of something greater. Though, generally those shards should never meet, from mine own estimations. You believe they may look the same, though? Two pieces of a single soul? Even if they didn't, I wonder if they would still recognize one another in some fashion or another."

The Mystic Knight nodded, some of the tension she carried loosing itself from her shoulders. "Y-yes, well, Ishgard is known for pursuing its heretics, is it not? Common knowledge, surely!" Surely. "As to your question, I have wondered the same, myself! I am a wanderer of sorts, and have encountered many things on my journeys that some would labor to believe." She met his eyes as she eased into the topic, a cautious smile pulling at the corners of her lips. "What do you think? Have you ever met someone that might lend proof to that theory?"

"Mhm. If you say so." Though, talk of soulwork did let him put any further questioning to the wayside, at least for the moment. Rae glanced upward, drumming the fingers of his free hand along the table. "I feel people haven't really lived until they've had at least one such unbelievable story under their belts. Anyroad...I imagine souls are separated in such a way that they do not mix. Say you've two boxes. A shard from one cannot interact with one from the other. Unless there's an accident, of course. I've perhaps met a couple people who found themselves in the wrong box, so to say."

"Truly? And how were you able to recognize them for what they were?" Leaning forward, her gaze sharpened with interest; the absentminded professor in her element of learning.

"Well, they told me, of course. Amazing the things people will say when you listen long enough. Usually they can't help but talk about their homelands, for one. Simple enough to figure things out from there when those 'boxes' are so vastly different." He shrugged at that. "Have you an interest in such fields of study?"

"Yet they all knew they were born of one soul? I-I'm sorry, I do have an interest in that topic, among many others. I'm like a chocobo with a gyshal basket when it comes to aetheric theory." She laughed melodiously. "I haven't even asked your name, nor what brings you to the Cork."

"One knew, very fervently. She is how I learned that those separate spaces are in fact parts of one and the same, though at times I still struggle to believe it true." At which the miqo'te went quiet, lost in thought, though he was soon snapped out of it by the sound of laughter. He considered this for a very long moment before he shrugged. Well, since they were already talking about it. It would either make sense or make him sound half mad, and either suited him fine. "Rae-Hann. I lost a little glass lamp around here not too long ago, and I was trying to find it. Fae goods are not exactly easy to replace around here."

Ser Bale initially misheard his name. "R'hahn?" she confirmed, putting the Seeker emphasis on the moniker. "I wasn't aware that Seekers frequented this little corner of the Shroud! And looking for Sylphic goods, too?" Drumming her right fingertips on the tabletop next to her mostly-empty plate, she mused further, "And with a friend who could confirm this theory...quite an interesting fellow you are!"

"Just 'Rae' is fine." Curious, he pointed to his eyes. "Most people call me a Keeper, but I'll admit I've never really understood the difference." Still, he shook his head, not lingering on the issue. "I don't know if I could call the person in question a 'friend', though. In fact, I think she died? It was all rather complicated. Maybe her two halves became one in the end. Either way, I do enjoy seeking out such oddities. There's always something new to learn in aetherology when one finds them."

"Oh!" Reflexively, she made the Sign of the Spear, thumping her right fist to her circlet, then her chest. "My apologies, Rae. Mostly that I was speaking so callously about someone, um...departed?" Is that what happened? If he doesn't know, she doesn't, either. "And for mistaking your lineage, as well. Felix would never let me hear the end of such a mistake! Then again, that's why he's House Bale's heir, and I but a lowly mystic knight." She laughed again, and then, slowly, the color drained from her face.

Rae-Hann blinked owlishly, not entirely sure what she's talking about at first. Maybe if he'd bothered learning more about Miqo'te himself. Still, it doesn't really matter in the end as the lady herself seemed to walk right into a figurative wall. Very carefully, he laced his fingers together on the table, letting her words sink into the silence. "Well, I did mention it was amazing what people would say if one listened long enough. So, out of curiosity, does the lowly mystic knight have a preferred name or would Ser Bale suffice?"

Anne-Sophie’s cheeks went from dry-sand tan to blood-red in an instant. To her chagrined surprise, tears sprang to her eyes; she squeezed the lids shut, and tightened her fingers around the edges of her weathered tabard. "Fury strike me for a twice-over fool!" she exclaimed, or tried to; her voice was thick with unshed tears. "Anne-Sophie will suffice. Are you seeking the bounty, then?"

Rae-Hann actually smiled at that, either not aware that the gesture isn't always exactly comforting when coming from a Keeper (or what appears to be one). "Ah, no. I don't have a use for money, and I find it draws more trouble than anything. I was merely curious what sorts of things you could have possibly done to ruffle so many feathers in Ishgard. I'd thought they were more lax in their doctrine of late, but I was telling the truth when I said that I don't know much about the place."

The Midlander took a few moments to steady herself; a few shuddering breaths that resolved their roiling waves into one in, one out. Poor at espionage she might be, but she was still trained as a soldier, capable of wrangling her unruly emotions. As most of the embarrassed flush faded from her face, she took a small sip of mead, then fiddled with the glass on the table. One turn to the left; two to the right. It is unclear what alignment will suit her; perhaps it is unknown to her, too. "Is there anyone else watching us?" she inquired, her voice low.

The ‘Miqo’te’ cast a cursory glance toward the tavern entrance, but there only seemed to be a Wailer by the stairs, looking for all the world that he's half asleep already. "I shouldn't think so," he said after a moment before he looked back at Anne-Sophie. "Unless the trees themselves give you pause, but I don't think they care much for such things."

"Better them than a Wailer," she replied. That decided it for her; her mead glass remains with its handle aimed towards Rae-Hann, and she got to her feet. "I will tell you the truth, but...a few paces within the trees, if you do not mind overmuch." Her other Glass, currently aspected to Fire, floated neatly around the stool as she stood up in order to avoid scraping the seat with its blade. Something easily missed, or perhaps not.

Rae-Hann thought this over for a moment before he, too, got to his feet with a sigh. "All right, but I warn you I'll be very cross if you pull a voidsent out of your ear or try to run me through for my whole two gil." He glanced at the sword, more out of curiosity than anything, though its knack for moving on its own does seem to escape him. Maybe swords were just like that, after all.

"Fury forfend!" she decried the very notion, then belatedly realized he seemed to be joking. "Oh. Well, that is...fair enough, I suppose. I shan't be doing anything of the sort."

The pair wandered out of the eastern gate, passing a few Wailers who were busy keeping overeager wildlife away from the settlement. Anne-Sophie fought back her bizarre soldier’s urge to shout encouragement to the local soldiers; ‘break a leg, lads!’ died unspoken behind her teeth. Such impulses were a sign of mental exhaustion, she knew, and yet she had to press on. She and the mysterious Miqo’te stopped where a large boulder and larger tree partially shielded them from the road, yet encompassed enough open space so as to not feel claustrophobic.

Anne-Sophie regarded the large mushrooms that had partially-consumed the rock formation. "You know...I wonder what sort of fungi these are. Do you know? You said people usually mistake you for a Keeper, but...in sooth, I have only met a handful of Miqo'te in my time, and most of them were....err, nevermind." She was nervous. "A-anyway, I was hoping that meant you had some experience with these woods."

Rae-Hann followed her gaze to the mushrooms with a hum. "I'm not sure, I'm afraid. I'm from across the sea, so I'm not entirely acquainted with the local species as of yet." He paused. "Well, I suppose I live in Shroud -now-, but still. My experience is not exactly vast as of yet. Is this to do with your heresy?"

She sighed and shook her head. "No. Merely idle curiosity is all; my default state. Said curiosity did, however, lead to my heresy, as it so often does." She rested her left elbow on Glass's grip and turned her eyes back to the large fungi. "Perhaps I am just a foolish romantic, after all; enjoying seeing life where there once was only stone." Her right hand drifted to her chest for a moment; below her gambeson lay the tattoo of Amoracchius, the Knight of Voeburt's sword.

"Mm. That is often the way of curiosity. I would fear knowing more about the mushroom would reveal that it has some use, which in turn would lead to someone coming here and stripping the place barren." Though, from what he knew of the Gridanians they would not abide such, but still. It was always a careful balance, wanting to know and the consequences of the knowing.

"You may well be right. The elementals do not take kindly to invaders, but even they were subjugated by Garlemald. But...ah," she murmured in reply. “I can only hope I am not guilty of that sort of crime, too, though said guilt would have been accrued elsewhere.” She shook her head, then squared her shoulders, summoning her courage. "Before I fall too far into indulgent melancholy, R'hahn...would you care to hear a story?"

Rae looked back to Anne-Sophie, not bothering to correct her on his name this time. "I would like to hear one, actually. Do go ahead."

Telling her story twice in as many days; foolish, perhaps, but she felt it necessary. She was emboldened by Baron Rosaire’s response to what she’d told him; she’d add a few more details this time, seeing as ‘R’hahn’ seemed to be a fellow mystic. Anne-Sophie took a deep breath, and wove her tale once more.

((The prompts today and tomorrow include lightly-edited RP bits from a scene @yokasaris and I did a little while back. All of Rae-Hann’s dialogue and descriptions were written by them!))

(Continued here!)

#FFxivWrite2022 #my writing #Anne-Sophie Bale #XIV Write 22 Anne-Sophie Story #The Trial of Ser Bale #Rae-Hann #rp snippets #others' writing #yet more long posts save me from myself #even if no one reads these though I like having them on hand for reference #Prompt 26 #Break a Leg #she is so bad at being a fugitive #it's so fun and also frustrating to RP #thanks forever to Rae and Silv's players for humoring me

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placesyoucallhome · 3 years ago

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🧑‍🤝‍🧑Character with their friend

So one ended up with half a stone hand, and the other with some internal bleeding, but like, it's fine, they're fine, it's all fine, because science, obviously!

Ruhka's been hanging around @yokasaris's Rae-Hann, and Ruhka hasn't died yet, so I'd say it's going great!

#Q'ruhka #Rae-Hann #art #dont uh dont worry about the opo opo #itll be like well not /fine/#but dont worry about it #thats ruhka's problem now

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casualcatte · 4 years ago

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Rae-Hann follows her gaze to the inn, his gaze softening slightly. "I'm glad to hear you say that, truth be told. You really have grown in the past year, as I'm sure you've noticed. You have people that care for you as much as you do them. Including those two fools inside. And it sounds like you're becoming quite an... investigator? Or sorts? And an inn proprietor? Got yourself set for life already."

#Moon Beyond the Rise #Aultena Sephimiri #ffxiv screenshots #ffxiv screenies #ffxiv original character ffxiv oc #ffxiv miqo'te #miqo'te astrologian #miqo'te bard #miqo'te archer #gposers #gpose #Rae-Hann #Friendship: Star Nerds

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idanwyn-et-al · 3 years ago

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Okay, I took ten thousand years to respond to this (ten thousand years jail for idanmun), because ADHD is terrible, I really don’t have an excuse. 1.) I absolutely love that you went back and FOUND THAT POST. You, and you alone, have kept me going when I doubted A-S’s story. For real. 2.) Anne-Sophie and Rae-Hann really do have these fascinating sine vs cosine storylines (and also hyphenate names, ayy). She wasn’t immortal; just a knight-scholar, fascinated with the concept of Being Anywhere Else That Isn’t Twelvesdamned Ishgard. Meanwhile, Rae-Hann is finding out what it means to stop being bored, to want to save those around him (at least, that’s how I’ve read it). 3.) I can absolutely see them meeting over tea or something, and the chat just escalating almost immediately. Maybe there’s like...a scent, a shift in aether, a mark of some kind after being in the first? Like, The Fae-Touched title, but in game? I dunno. Anyway, yaaaay. I love that grumpy Mystel.

🗨 What's a plot or trope you'd like to write (possibly Rae and Anne-Sophie) in?

Oh goodness! I actually remembered there was a prompt you wrote for writing month last year that really stuck with me, so I had to go scramble to find it. This one! Particularly this bit: I am not built like them. If I had my way, I would stick my magicked rapier before the ticking minute hand of the clock when I felt everything was perfect, and I would leave time hovering there forever. I love all the parallels Anne-Sophie and Rae-Hann have, but, at the time, I thought it was great because this was the exact opposite of Rae's thoughts on the matter. His stance on it was a defining trait that pretty much caused all the events in his intro RP plot. However, that has changed! Drastically! And he hates it! He was immortal once before and now he's bent on figuring out how to become so again. SO. Not only would they have quite a bit to talk about when it comes to Ishgard/Voeburt and the different worlds in general, buuut he'd be more than willing to tempt certain folks with the suggestion of stopping time itself should they ever find that perfect moment.

#answered asks #Rae-Hann #Anne-Sophie Bale #anyway uhhhh i'll be in your DMs soon :'D #from Ishgard to First Shard

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whoworewhatjewels · 3 years ago

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Jewelry at 'Tout S'est Bien Passe (Everything Went Fine)' 2021 Cannes Film Festival Screening

It was all about the diamond on day two of the Cannes Film Festival. From edgy chokers and dramatic earrings to stacks of glittering cocktail rings, the stars came dripping in the beloved stone and proved that there’s no such thing as too much bling! Don’t forget to catch up on all the jewels spotted on day one right here! CANDICE SWANEPOEL: Our favorite necklace of day two was spotted around…

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jbbarnesandnoble · 4 years ago

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Sam Wilson!!!!

I keep thinking about how nice his hugs probably are 😭💖 he would also make sure I'm actually on time (cause apparently he likes to be on time for things)

#hann #rae answers #ask games #sam wilson

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vsangelssparkle · 6 years ago

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Via Instagram Stories @leoniehanne

#sara sampaio #lorena rae #leonie hanne #instagram #coachella

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lorenaraedaily · 6 years ago

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Lorena Rae during the Marc Cain FW19 show during Berlin Fashion Week, February 15th 2019

#lorena rae #modeledit #leonie hanne #events #edited

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certifiedmarkleetrash · 5 years ago

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songs that make me feel like a main character (includes kpop)

*I made this playlist on spotify, I know I could link it, but I know some of these songs do not tickle everyone’s fancy. ALSO, I listen to a wide range of music (kpop, pop, rock, etc., so its kind of everywhere*

*added the Spotify link*

Please feel free to suggest songs that make you feel like a main character, I would love to listen to them!

I may or may not get some of these songs off of tik tok and if you work at Aeropostale, you might recognize a lot of these songs

I will add new songs too!

Girls in Bikinis - Poppy

12345SEX- UPSAHL

Zombie (English Ver.) - DAY6

Afraid -DAY6

1 to 10 - DAY6

Love me or Leave me - DAY6

Day and Night - DAY6

Stay Tonight - Chungha

Lies - Will Jay

Cosmic Love - Florence + The Machine

Electric Love - BORNS (yes I know the dude is problematic but this song is a main character bop)

Dark Paradise (Parov Stelar Remix) - Lana Del Rey, Parov Stelar

Wildflower - 5SOS

No Shame - 5SOS

Role Model - Phoenix

On My Own - 3LAU, Nevve

In Degrees - Foals

No Going Back - Yuno

Fading Youth - Punctual

Maybe You’re the Reason - The Japanese House

The Hype - LEISURE

All For Us - Labrinth, Zendaya

Sundress - A$AP Rocky

Dang! - Mac Miller, Anderson .Paak

Ladders - Mac Miller

Best Friend - Sofi Tukker, NERVO, The Knocks, et al.

Swan Song - Dua Lipa

Rocket Girl - Lemaitre, Betty Who

Graffiti - CHVRCHES

I Think I’m OKAY - Machine Gun Kelly, YUNGBLUD, Travis Barker

So What - LOONA

Blinding Lights - The Weeknd

Sexy, Free & Single - Super Junior

The Chaser - INFINITE

Treat People With Kindness - Harry Styles

That’s The Way It Is - Daniel Lanois

She - Harry Styles

To Be So Lonely - Harry Styles

Falling - Harry Styles

Psycho - Red Velvet

Adore You - Harry Styles

Watermelon Sugar - Harry Styles

Golden - Harry Styles

But, Honestly - Foo Fighters

Spark - Taeyeon

365247 - DAY6

Deep In Love - DAY6

It’s Okay To Cry - SOPHIE

Lights Up - Harry Styles

My Body - Young the Giant

False God - Taylor Swift

I Forgot That You Existed - Taylor Swift

Miss Americana & The Heartbreak Prince - Taylor Swift

The Archer - Taylor Swift

WHO DO U LOVE? - Monsta X, French Montana

FACE - Woosung

Best Part - DAY6

Wanna Go Back - DAY6

Time of Our Life - DAY6

Awkward Silence - Stray Kids

Illusion - ATEEZ

CROOKED - GDRAGON

Don’t Need Your Love - NCT Dream, HRVY

ME - CLC

gogobebe - Mamamoo

Bon Bon Chocolat - EVERGLOW

Photograph - Def Leppard

Butterfly - LOONA

WANT - Taemin (bop of 2019, fight me)

We Must Love - ONF (stan ONF you cowards)

Youth of the Nation - P.O.D.

Don’t Blame Me - Taylor Swift

I Did Something Bad - Taylor Swift

Sassy Me - Red Velvet

My My My! - Troye Sivan

Anybody Out There - Young Mister

Bloom - Troye Sivan

Shout - Tears For Fears

We Are The World - U.S.A. For Africa (can we do a reprise of this for the pandemic PLEASE)

Hysteria - Def Leppard

Livin’ On A Prayer - Bon Jovi

Don’t You (Forget About Me) - Simple Minds

Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic - The Police

Everybody Wants To Rule The World - Tears For Fears

Woman - BoA

Replay (PM 01:27) - NCT 127

1, 2. 3! - Seungri (I hate you seungri, rot in prison, I also hate you put a bop this good)

SEE SEA - Hyolyn

NANANA - IMFACT

I’m Not Afraid - Holland (stan Holland YOU COWARDS)

BLUE MOON - Kyeongri

1, 2, 3 - NCT Dream

Beautiful Feeling - DAY6

Naughty Boy - PENTAGON (okay but who else cried rtk ep 3)

Seesaw - Suga of BTS

Euphoria - Jungkook of BTS

HANN (Alone) - (G)-IDLE

Youngblood - 5SOS

Now or Never - SF9 (bop of 2018 I will fight you on this)

Taking Off - ONE OK ROCK

What’s Good - SVT Rap Unit

Take What You Want - ONE OK ROCK, 5SOS

SUNSET - Kim Donghan

Better Better - DAY6

Feeling Good - DAY6

We Are - ONE OK ROCK

Something New - Taeyeon

Forever Young - BLACKPINK

Take Me Higher - A.C.E.

Spotlight - Pristin V

Good Evening - SHINee

Needing/Getting - OK Go

This Too Shall Pass - OK Go

Call Your Name - JBJ

Trigger - VIXX

Shine - Pentagon (okay but also bop of 2018, and ptg should of gotten their first win with this song, ROBBED)

Egoist - Olivia Hye of LOONA, Jinsoul of LOONA

LIKEY - Twice

I Wait - DAY6

I Smile - DAY6

I Loved You - DAY6

INTRO: Neo Got My Back - NCT

BOSS - NCT U

THANKS - Seventeen

Bad Boy - Red Velvet

LOVE SCENARIO - iKON

Take The Dive - Jonghyun

Heroine - Sunmi

Greedy - Ariana Grande

She Is - Jonghyun

Born Hater - Epik High, Beenzino, Verbal Jint, et al.

Run Away With Me - Carly Rae Jepsen

new - Yves of LOONA

I Just - Red Velvet

Crazy Sexy Cool - ASTRO

Callin’ - A.C.E.

ON/OFF - ONF (stan [and I cannot emphasize this enough] ONF you cOwArDs)

I’M THE ONE - MXM

MOVE - Taemin

Sting - Stellar

You & I - One Direction

Ride - Lana Del Rey

Pied Piper - BTS

Like This - Pentagon

Don’t Know You - HEIZE

LOVE ME LOVE ME - WINNER

Story of My Life - One Direction

Act My Age - One Direction

Clouds - One Direction

Night Changes - One Direction

Girl Almighty - One Direction

Don’t Hold Me - DMEANOR, Swings

What U Do? - EXO

You Better Know - Red Velvet

View - SHINee

Singing In The Rain - Jinsoul of LOONA

Long Road to Ruin - Foo Fighters

My Hero - Foo Fighters

Will - Jeong Jinwoon, Tiger JK

Really Really - WINNER

I - Taeyeon, Verbal Jint

Why - Taeyeon

WAKE ME UP - B.A.P.

I Got Love - Taeyeon

Deepened - Brave Girls

Learn to Fly - Foo Fighters

Walk - Foo Fighters

Everlong - Foo Fighters

Into the New World - SNSD

Wheels - Foo Fighters

Come on Get Higher - Matt Nathanson

Wonderwall - Oasis

Alone - Heart

Home Sweet Home - Motley Crue

God is a woman - Ariana Grande

Maker - Big Wild

Me and Michael - MGMT

Are You Bored Yet? - Wallows, Clairo

God’s Menu - Stray Kids

fever dream - mxmtoon

Prom Queen - Beach Bunny

Close - Nick Jonas, Tove Lo

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idanwyn-et-al · 2 years ago

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(XIV||22-27): Hail.

(Continued from here.) (♪)

The heaviest sin to bear, of course, was putting her family at risk. House Bale had always been an unusual one, largely keeping its noble status through its ability to produce an Azure Dragoon every few generations. Her father’s brother, Alberic Bale, was one such; his adopted son, Estinien Varlineau, did not claim the rights of her House, but he had no need to. His merits stood on their own.

Perhaps some of her strength was derived from prideful competition with her cousin; they had been close in their youth, the feisty red-headed middle child and the orphan fosterling getting up to largely-harmless mischief in the Pillars.

Anne-Sophie doubted Estinien would be present at her trial; he was far too busy elsewhere with the Warrior of Light; someone that she also knew as the Warrior of Darkness. That heretical knowledge again; she had travelled to places only that vaunted Warrior was supposed to go. Another world; the First Shard. Instead of taking pride in a daughter of Ishgard devising her own independent method of travelling there, she was condemned.

--Previously, in the North Shroud, just outside of Fallgourd Float:--

"Once upon a time---because that is how all such tales start---there was a young noble, born into a minor Ishgardian House. Were it not for said House's ability to produce Azure Dragoons from time to time, they would likely long have fallen out of favor. This House, you see, holds its words in high esteem; suos cultores scientia coronat." The fire opal earrings and signet ring she wears glowed softly in the shade at those words. "Knowledge crowns those who seek her, it means. And this House fervently sought said crown. Knowledge deemed heretical was squirreled away in libraries; a country estate, too, now an icy ruin, but once a bastion of life. But this daughter of House Bale, though she was dutiful, sought another world; one where ceaseless conflict didn't plague her every moment. A land of dreams, of perpetual spring. Il Mheg, she learned it was called; from the faerie tales she consumed like a wildfire from her earliest days."

She paused here, listening to the gentle susurrations of the wind, checking in with her captive audience.

Rae-Hann closed his eyes as he listened, the better to focus on the words and not the oft-oppressive presence of the woods. He knew at least how much stock Ishgardians put into their houses from the little time he lived here, so that made well enough sense. However, he opens one eye as he hears a familiar name, half troubled yet half...well, still curious. "An Eorzean who knew of Il Mheg? I'll admit that was not exactly what I was expecting."

"You have read the tales, too? Then this is made much simpler!" Oppressive though these woods may be, she was either not sensitive to such things, or too focused on them as a place of refuge to allow the doubts to creep in. "Our Mystic Knight, having served her tours in the Dragonsong War, became...focused, she would say, whereas others may rightly call it obsessed with this Il Mheg. The possibility of this world not being an old tale, but a world in sooth!" Here, she closed her eyes and held her arms wide, then let them fall back to center as her eyes opened once more. "This image drove our Mystic Knight. And...she found it. Through dreams, and a faerie of her own coaxed from the ruins of Nym, she made a connection. Time and time again she tried to go, but she failed. Rituals are like that; one little leaf of furymint starts to turn, and the whole thing is rendered useless." Here, she exhaled sharply from her lower lip, sending a ripple through her copper hair. "But our Knight was determined. She found a way there. And...here, you will think me mad, but...our Knight was correct. There *was* a whole other world, and Il Mheg but a sliver of it! Beauty that defies words, but...sadness, too." She paused again, her eyes on the middle distance for a moment before looking to "R'hahn".

He actually laughed at the comment of finding her mad, as that is the general reaction he himself faces whenever mentioning the stuff of dreams. "Maybe it is a sort of madness, that which drives those who chase dreams. That does not make it wrong, however." He considered this for a long moment, but realized that she is implying she found her own way to his world. Some way wholly separate from the event that had brought his own band of Eorzeans there . Curious. "So... she was there, in truth?" he said slowly, not wanting to assume. "Not just in dream or in spirit alone?"

Anne-Sophie, for the second time that evening, found herself relieved. If he was going to think her mad and turn her over to the Inquisitors, he was doing an excellent job of hiding it. "She was, our Knight. Nearly drowned in the waters that had previously drowned the Kingdom of Voeburt...a name that she had not learned of in her tales, yet nevertheless recognized, somehow. Our Knight and her heavy pack made peace with the Pixies---a peace negotiated largely by the Nymian faerie, who has since..." she faltered, but picked herself up and carried on. "Who has since left our Knight. But all of these tales are...secondary. What is the cause of our Knight's heresy? You see, in Ishgard, a great column of aether opened from her tower in the Pillars. In fact, this happened twice; nine days apart, almost to the bell. When the first gate opened, our Knight left this star behind; when it opened again, she returned...and missed her mark, it should be said, crashing into the gardens below. But for our Knight, it had been just over two years. Subtle though it was, she had aged slightly upon her inglorious return to Ishgard; a quandary, wouldn't you agree?"

Rae-Hann recalled the lake in the mountains, a place he'd only had the misfortune of seeing twice despite having desired to visit so many times before that. He rubbed at his chin thoughtfully. "Well, you were lucky that your little friend was able to help you broker said peace because many that enter that place never leave. Even luckier still that those of the water didn't get to you first." Yet, it was with a rather mulish huff that he returned his full attention to Anne-Sophie. "I do find myself slightly vexed that an Ishgardian noble finds a way to travel from Norvrandt and back so completely, and yet I had to seek help from a -different- Ishgardian for a job done half as well. But, alas, nothing to be done about that now. I'm not entirely sure why three years there would equate to only nine days here, though, so yes, that is rather a quandary. Perhaps something did go wrong somewhere in your fumblings."

"Oh, it certainly must have been a miscalculation on my end. Even accounting for the path that the Warrior of Light and Darkness blazed through the rift, the beacon I placed within my mirror should have been absolute. And yet, by my calculations, I was thrown off by that very same esteemed personage's passage through..." she trailed off mid-theorem, stepping back a pace. "Not R'hahn. *Rae-Hann*. Wicked white, you're a *Mystel*?!" Sometimes, the scholarly knight managed to connect a few dots, even if the ink between said dots left her spluttering and smudged. "But...no, that....and your friend, with the souls, and....Norvrandt, yes, that's not written down anywhere, or at least it wasn't until they returned, hailing from the First Shard, and...and..." she sputtered to silence, utterly flummoxed.

The Mystel hummed. He'd heard rumors that the Warrior of Darkness had been from another world, though he hadn't put too much stock in it. From his little corner of Norvrandt, fact very rarely survived the changing of hands. Either way, it didn’t matter overmuch, as Anne-Sophie seemed to have come to a realization or two. "I knew you'd get there eventually. Yes, I am a mystel, not that I get to use that term much anymore." He tilted his head to the side then. "What wasn't written down, though? 'Norvrandt'? A bit strange that they would only name Il Mheg unless perhaps the tales were written by someone who perhaps saw the place in a pixie-given dream? It's possible, I suppose..."

Anne-Sophie was unable to reply sensically. "I...can I touch your hand?" she blurted out.

"Hmmm." Normally he was the one asking for people's hands, and yet this is the second time in as many weeks that it's the inverse. Still, Rae held out one gloved hand. "All right."

"I am going to draw my sword. This was supposed to figure into the next part of the 'faerie tale'," she put a little lilt on the words, sarcastic in nature, "but my Fury's Looking-Glass was a key part of my journey to your world. It serves as something of a focus for me. Do you allow this?"

"My previous comment of not wanting to be stabbed still stands, but so long as we're clear on that then I am fine with this." Probably. Hopefully. Rae was supposed to be working on the whole 'blindly agreeing to everything for curiosity's sake', but... Well. He wasn't very good at that.

The Mystic Knight was content to take the words as given, though she sensed his reservations. "No stabbing; terrible way to use a sword, anyroad." With reassurances thus offered, she drew Glass from its swordbelt. The sword hovered in the air, point towards the earth, as her hands released it. "Mirror, mirror, standing tall; share with me his aether's call." She took Rae-Hann's hand, and Glass completed one deosil rotation around the pair. All things considered, the rite was completed very quickly; under thirty heartbeats. As Glass displayed a telescopic image of Rae-Hann on the forest floor, some six ilms tall, Anne-Sophie spoke. "Curious...though your attunement to earth aether is strong enough to spark levin between its isles...there is but a void, dominating all. And Glass shows you..diminished, somehow."

She released his hand, and Glass returned to its place at her hip, singing through the air as it moved. "Yet you do not appear...lesser, in any way. Tell me, as a native of Norvrandt...how do you feel, here? And how did you come to be here? And what was the First like before the Light subsumed it? And what was it called before only Norvrandt remained? And..." she trailed off, stepping back. "M-my apologies. You were correct; when there is silence, someone will often opt to fill it with questions and chatter."

Rae shrugged as he flexed his hand briefly before crossing his arms. "The ambient aether here was overwhelming at first. Even after becoming accustomed to it, I still find myself tiring easily. I thought that merely a symptom of past maladies, but an aetherologist seems to think it due to the sparseness of mine aether." He took a moment to mull over the many questions before continuing. "However, I was born after the Flood, so I cannot say much as to what it was before. My family was not even from the continent. It's by chance that they were there in the years just prior." As for how he came to be here... "Well, the 'levin' aether you sense is, presumably, the remnants of the one who brought me here. Though, I don't mind sharing if you're truly interested."

"I...I would really love to hear it. Rae-Hann, yes? I did catch the glottal stop correctly this time?"

"Yes, that's correct," he affirmed with a nod. And from there he... stopped. Oh no, now he actually had to try and explain everything. Rae made a face as he tried to decide where to even begin. "I'm not much for storytelling, but I'll try to make it as comprehensible as possible without boring you with extraneous detail. Firstly, I had a device in my possession, meant to heal much as an aetherial healer would. However, it was eventually augmented with machinery, and tied into my own aether as well as that of a pixie's. The ‘why’ isn't exactly important anymore, but it could connect aether and dreams between there and here. When it accidentally pulled the souls of several Eorzeans to Norvrandt while they slept, I wondered if it could similarly allow me to visit this place in my own sleep. It did, and I spent quite near a year visiting in such a fashion."

He lifted a hand to tap at his chest, just below the collar bone. "I met someone on one of those visits. A witch, you could say. After one poor deal later, I realized I'd given her possession of my soul. I carry her still, so that when I die she takes my aether. Seeing as I'd already made one deal, what could another harm? So, I gathered her more aether from here and there, and in exchange she would make for me a body with which my dreaming soul could be placed. Or rather, her partner who had researched Allagan cloning made the body, and she is the one who dealt with transferring my aether safely. So, here I am, in a rented body, I suppose. It's done me well enough." He shrugged as his story concluded. "And... that's about it really. It's fairly straightforward."

Anne-Sophie drank his words in like a plant seeking the barest hint of rain. "By the Fury...your aether seems weak not because of your place of origin, but because you are a Dreamer." She reached out towards him once more, then let her questing hand fall.

"Hm! I hadn't thought of that, but it is very possible indeed." He nodded, glancing back briefly to the mushrooms as he thought this over. When he looked back, he canted his head to the side, bemused at her outstretched hand.

"Your body in Norvrandt; what has become of it?"

"I left it in Il Mheg, funnily enough. There was an amaro that kept following me around... I did tell it to not stick around after I fell asleep, but I honestly couldn't say what happened after for, ah, the obvious reason of being technically dead, I guess."

"Technically...technically dead! And with the Amaro! Those who remember my knight...oh, Oberic, I pray mirth lightens your vigil!" Her throat released a sound that was somewhere between a sob and a laugh. "I am sorry...it is just...all along, you said you were from across the sea, and...I had never expected said sea to be the Rift.” She continued, start-stopping her words; she was more reluctant to share another’s story than she was her own. “There is another like me, by the by...an Ishgardian who found herself in the First, and worked as a Crystarium guard. Sawyer Reeves. We met by chance...both there, and here."

Unsurprisingly, Rae-Hann didn't recognize the name of the enstoned knight, nor that of the other Ishgardian. Still, he drummed his fingers along his arm. "Hm. Two of my wayward Eorzeans were also Ishgardian, and another from Tailfeather. I almost half wonder if those from the area are more predisposed to phenomena involving the two."

"It might be, Rae. Because, you see," she took on her Scholasticate manner once more, "for those of us from Ishgard...we have ever sought the 'lived happily ever after'." Her lips pursed into a moue before she continued. "There are many parallels between Voeburt and Ishgard, too. Rak'tika and the Shroud; Amh Araeng and Thanalan and Gyr Abania, both. Nothing so neat and pat as to be perfect, but...reflections. Eulmore, even, reflects the fatuous nature of Limsans that fancy themselves nobility." She took a relieved breath, and concluded, "But I have ended the tale of our fair Knight, for now. She learned that the happily ever after is what you make of it. And so she returned like a comet, striking the earth, recovering from it for a full season or two."

Rae-Hann grinned at that, though without mirth. "Yes, it was fascinating to see how similar they all are despite their differences. Though, the other that told me that the worlds are but reflections seemed bent on the notion that only my own was the reflection. That this here is in fact the source of the reflection, hence its name. Might I ask what your view on that would be?"

She stepped back. "I do not have enough data points to determine a proper response to your question, Rae-Hann. By your own admission, you have curious points in your aetherial makeup that can be attributed to the one who gave you physical form, yes?"

He tilted his head to the side, bemused, but didn't press the matter. Eventually, he nodded. "That is true. Wouldn't do for her to lose track of me, after all. Are you saying that the fact that aether from both places can coexist would have a bearing on which point is true or not?"

"I am of the opinion that there is but one place that all originated from, and it is not even the Source; at least not as we know it. This theorem is heretical, even among the progressive minds of Ishgard." Anne-Sophie lifted her hands in a shrug, amused resignation playing across her foxlike features in the fading sunlight. "If I am going to be taken in for heresy...let them hear the full extent of my bizarre theories. Though I be found guilty, the words will lead those who walk after."

"So, you would posit that the Source is in fact... not the true source at all? Heretical or not, it is rather interesting." After considering this further, Rae arched a brow. "Mind if I ask why you believe that, though?"

She introduced her answer more like a professor leading a lecture than a peer; something that she was too awkward to notice as irritating at best, insufferable at worst. Using a bracelet with a shell-shaped gem as its sole ornament, she described her theory; that the shards were strung as a bracelet about some unknowable wrist, the chain between each bead a small portal that connected the worlds. In truth, Anne-Sophie had reached this conclusion by reading the works of much sharper minds than her own. From time to time, her wayward foster cousin Estinien would send her some treatise or the other that his companions were working on, and she devoured each one.

When she’d concluded her lesson, Rae ran his hand over his face, ears flicking backward as he filed what he’d learned away for later. Things to chew on after having some time to think on them, to consider over tea or something. He frowned, then spoke. “Knowledge does have its consequences. Though I am surprised that is what would cause Ishgard to pursue you to such an extent. I was more expecting... horrific experiments or something, not theory and knowledge." He paused. "I'm no oracle, so I couldn't say as to what will happen in the future, of course."

At length, the Mystic Knight stepped back, and offered him an awkward little bow in gratitude. "Keep the bracelet, petty a token as it is. Knowledge crowns those who seek her...and we risk much in seeking that crown. They have, ah." She frowned, then specified who ‘they’ were. "My House has suffered much for my reach. But I never conducted any horrific experiments; at least, not by your measure, nor mine. I am wanted because I sought another world, and found it. In so doing, I did make the Holy See of Ishgard aetherically vulnerable; twice, in nine days, actually.

Rae-Hann glanced back down to the bracelet with a nod. "Petty? Perhaps. Though I will find a use for it." When he looks back to her, Rae swivels one ear forward at her words. "I've never been one to get in the way of one with the ambition to bring their dreams to fruition, so there's little reason I would report your location to the Holy See. However, I do believe you are likely not safe here. This is the main means of travel between Ishgard and Gridania, after all."

"You are...quite correct, Rae-Hann. I have been made, as they say, twice in a sennight."

The Mystel sighed once more, turning his gaze to the heavens. "Ah. Stars above. How are you still a free woman? I'm not surprised that someone else has already spotted you. You haven't exactly made much effort to avoid public places, and you're fairly recognizable when compared to those posters they've got posted in the city. Who knows how far they've distributed those, as well."

"I actually was spotted. Before you did, I mean. By Baron Rosaire, as it happens!" She laughed; it had the tinge of exhausted madness to it. "Ahhh. And, at the end, he decided that my heresy was not meet with the current orthodoxy. What do you think, Rae-Hann? Was my crime worthy of Witchdrop? Ah...that is, being shoved over the edge of a cliff, left to fall to my death for heresy."

"A man of some common sense, from the sounds of it. I'd thought Ishgard was reevaluating its stance on heresy these days. Hm." At the mention of Witchdrop, his eyes glazed over. Right. "Yes, I know the place. But, no, I do not think that an appropriate response in this situation. If anything, what you really need to some proper sleep."

"Sleep! Yes. I do. I enjoy the Bobbing Cork, and its inn rooms immune to the orthodoxy. In a few moons, I will be on trial, and I will confess that I created a portal to your world for my own personal gain. My obsession that led to discovery. If...if you can find it in your heart to advocate for me, I would appreciate it. Futhermore, my trial aside...full glad am I that you avoided Witchdrop, and would like to know more about you. Possibly too much more. And...next time, I will buy you the meal of your choosing."

He blinked. "Advocate for you... If you think it would help, I don't see why not. I haven't been to Ishgard in some time, so that will make for an excuse to do so." His expression brightened at her offer. "Ah, but I could never turn down a free meal. You've an interesting mind, so I could see myself taking the opportunity to see what else is hanging about in there. Try not to get into too much trouble until then, though, hm?"

"I will...actually try to not. I am ashamed that I was so easily spotted, twice in a sennight. I think...I will spend one more night here, then retreat to the Gyshal's Greens until my summons take effect." She fiddled with Glass’s crossguard. "I have to ask, for personal interest. Are you lonely, here, in this world? This bead of the bracelet around the wrist none of us chose to adorn?"

Rae-Hann nodded, apparently satisfied with this place. However, as he turned to make his way back toward Fallgourd, he stopped in his tracks. He really didn't have to answer that, but... "No. Not here. Not anymore." With that, Rae shrugged before making his way back up the trail.

Anne-Sophie remained behind for half a bell longer, looking upon the fungi on the boulder. Now that night had fallen, their spots and gills emitted a faint glow. Life sprung from a stone. In time, she returned to her inn room and slept a dreamless sleep.

((Thanks again to @yokasaris for the awesome RP that spawned today's and yesterday's posts!))

(Continued here!)

#FFxivWrite2022 #my writing #Anne-Sophie Bale #XIV Write 22 Anne-Sophie Story #The Trial of Ser Bale #Rae-Hann #rp snippets #others' writing #this is the last RP snippet one for this year!#probably anyway #sorry for formatting weirdness #i ended up having to finish and post on mobile #prompt 27 #Hail #extremely long post

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thehouseofvs · 4 years ago

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[RP Journal - 1/15/2021] Valeria Camena: The First Steps on a Thousand-Malm Road

It feels strange, writing within a journal again. I haven’t had the need nor desire to keep one since I first arrived here. What was the point, when all of my memories, or at least the ones that mattered, were seared into my mind in the form of relentless nightmares and colorless dreams? Why would I need one, when there was nothing here that was worth my interest or willingness to one day remember? All I needed to do was stay on my path. Pursue the answers that I sought. Fight if I must. Flee if I must. Kill if I must.

At least, that’s what I kept telling myself.

For five years, I lived like that. In this endless, gray hell that I found myself in, unable to trust anyone, to grow close to anyone, to feel anything for anyone. Because, even after learning the truth, they all still felt fake. Like pale, lifeless imitations of the things I once knew. Of the people I once loved. I desperately wanted to get back everything and everyone I had lost, to be able to feel something again, to see a colorful, true world once more. But then one night I met him, within yet another of my tortuous dreams. Rae-Hann. To be honest, I didn’t know what to make of him at first. An odd stranger, who had somehow wormed his way into the most sacred part of my being. He saw something that no one else had seen. I wanted to lash out at him, to expel him as swiftly as he came. But I stopped myself. My curiosity won over, and I allowed him to stay - and then we talked. It has been a while since then, and the two of us have had many more discussions and “adventures”. It took some time, but eventually the two of us began to form some semblance of trust for one another. After all, we were two strangers in an unfamiliar place, coming from circumstances quite similar to one another. I suppose one would think it was only natural that we would form a bond of sorts, given enough time. And before I knew it, we did. That was when things changed. For the first time in years, I finally saw something different from the grayscale nightmare that was my life. I saw color. I saw Rae-Hann’s color. When I first noticed, I could not help but stare whenever I got the chance, when I thought he was not looking. Simply doing so was like taking a breath after being deprived of air for so long, and the sight of him brought with it a sense of comfort, of peace, and of hope. For the first time, I thought to myself that maybe, just maybe, there was something worthwhile in this world after all.

Rae-Hann took the time to talk with me. To listen to me. To hear, know, and understand me, even if it was only a little. He had held out his hand to me, offering me a place in the life he had carved for himself upon the Source. And like a lovestruck fool, I took it. Like a lost soul, I clung to it. Like a helpless child, I allowed him to guide me away from the path I had been following for so many years. He led me to a different path. To Siannault Tavard. To them, his loved ones at the Star’s Rest. But it has not been easy, even ignoring the wound upon my shoulder and the circumstances of my arrival. I have always been an awkward girl, even in my old life. It was never comfortable for me to make new friends, or socialize with strangers. But I tried. For Stilicho’s sake, and now for Rae-Hann’s. I met a few of them. Aultena Sephimiri, Karrn Moks, Edgard Beaumont, V’hala Helsi, and V’ari Tia. Seeing those twins here had me concerned, but like Siannault, they seemed to have no recollection of me. The real me. Likely for the best.

However, I had been able to tell that the atmosphere around the Inn has grown more dense as of late. I initially wondered if it was due to my own presence, but the arguments I briefly overheard between Rae-Hann, Aultena, and Siannault clued me in. It seems that even in this warm, cozy little inn full of friends and family, there was still problems lying just underneath the surface.

Whatever was currently happening, I felt as though it was a poor time for me to stay here at the Rest. As warm and welcoming as they have made me feel since coming here, I cannot say that I have not felt as though I were an intruder within their world - their reality. After all, they’re all still gray to me. Perhaps, if given enough time, that will change, but when? I have been contemplating leaving today. I think it would be for the best. My wound was manageable now, and there did not seem to be any adverse effects since the incident, so I think I should be alright to do so. But how will Rae think, if I were to suddenly go? Would he feel like I was abandoning him, at a time when he might need me? I feel sort of silly, thinking this way, because he’s surrounded by so many loving people who care for him. But I feel I at least owe it to him to talk, before I do take my leave. Speaking of, it seems he just arrived. I will continue this later tonight, I think. It feels oddly cathartic, putting my thoughts down like this. Until then... -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Well, tonight was interesting. I am not really sure where to begin with this, but I suppose I should do so after Rae-Hann came to see me in the Rest’s infirmary. He had caught me writing in this journal, as well as the sight of my packed belongings, but he did not seem surprised. Although, considering what he himself had been planning to do, perhaps he thought it was not his place to judge. Whatever the case was, he came to inform me that he was leaving the Rest for some time. We talked about his plans. Apparently, he wanted to head to Ul’dah to wrap up some unfinished business with that fortune-teller we met, Una’to. I have my reservations about the Voidsent-possessed man, but I trust Rae-Hann. Whatever his intentions are, I know I do not have to fear. Still, I am concerned. And I voiced my concerns, but I did not try to persuade him from his current course. I knew better than that. However, Rae did not seem to know what he would do with himself afterwards. Perhaps return to his research, or other jobs that he said he had put on hold, for the sake of the Rest and its inhabitants. Looking at him now, I think I finally understand what it was he saw in me the day we met. Right now, I saw someone who felt alone, lost, and angry with the world. So, I took a chance.

I finally took that first step forward. To truly, fully invite the Mystel who had brought me no small amount of joy and hope into my life. I reached out and offered my hand to him, as he had done for me so many moons ago. I told him that since neither of us had a plan, an idea of where we’d go, why not simply take that journey together? Neither of us had to be alone. We could do what we wanted, when we wanted, how we wanted - and know that, at the end of the day, we would still have someone to return to. That, together, maybe we could find something worthwhile on this star. After the words left me, my heart raced. I felt as though I was on the edge of panic. I feared that I might have stepped to far, or misread what Rae needed at that moment. I wanted to simply run and hide my shame, feeling as though a rejection were imminent. But that did not happen. Just like when I took a chance and accepted him when he reached out to me, he now did the same with me...on the condition that, were he to ever hurt me, that I would tell him. That I would be honest with him about my woes. On the surface, that condition might have been an odd one to make. But hearing the pain in his voice, the strain of withheld tears, was more than enough to tell me what lay hidden within his request. Not that it was a difficult one for me to accept. I pulled him into a hug on instinct, sensing the raw hurt he was feeling, and I made my promise. Rae is...the only person on this star with whom I feel as though I can be completely honest with, and I told him as much.

After our tender moment passed, we made arrangements to meet at Shirogane’s pier, once I had settled my end of things at the Rest. With my belongings, I searched for Aultena so as to pay off my debt - but after having no luck, I was lucky enough to stumble into V’hala and was able to settle things with her. That said, I decided to leave a letter for the Rest’s proprietress, informing her of some of what was happening. Aultena deserved as much, after taking a moment to consider how I would feel if I were in her place. It isn’t much, especially coming from a stranger such as myself, but I hope it offers some small amount of comfort. I also left a letter for Karrn Moks within the infirmary. It felt terrible to leave so suddenly, especially after all the care he had given me since my dramatic arrival. I wanted to at least thank him, and let him know that I hoped we would meet again eventually.

With my work finished, I left the Rest behind and went to the pier to meet Rae. I spotted him shortly after, and stood with him near the water’s edge. We sort of just stared out at the distant waves for a bit and talked...I suppose we were both contemplating about what was to come in the near future. Of what this journey would be like for us. When the subject of our departure, of taking our first steps, was broached...I suggested we do something a little strange. An old legend I remember hearing, once - if you place a wish within a glass bottle, and allow it to be carried away by the ocean, perhaps one day it might come true. It seems silly, I know, but it felt appropriate. And meaningful. So, we went to the edge of the pier and cast the bottle I had prepared off onto the waves, allowing both of our wishes to drift onto the horizon. Rae wished for solace, sincerity, satisfaction...and mine was for our success and safety on the road ahead. Well, that, and perhaps another, more selfish wish of mine. If possible, I wanted to one day find some measure of happiness...ideally, with Rae included.

And with that final send-off, the two of us had no business left in Shirogane. Our next step was to head to Kugane, and then charter for transport to Ul’dah. While our journey was to start as soon as we left upon the ferry, I think we both knew it would not truly begin until the last of Rae’s business was concluded. And so, we departed from the residential ward’s shores, to lantern-lit Kugane and the world beyond. The rest of the day after that was a blur. Though neither of us had explored Kugane before, neither of us felt as though now was a good time. But...maybe someday in the future, we can take the time to properly see the city’s sights. Instead, we booked the first airship headed for Limsa Lominsa, and from there to Ul’dah. Tonight is the first night of our trip, and Rae-Hann is certainly unaccustomed to airship travel. I’ve never seen him so unsettled...is it weird that I find it sort of adorable? But, I think that is where I will leave this. Writing in this journal will take some getting used to, but I think I can see the merits of it. Who knows, maybe one day, I’ll want to use these to look back and remember this. I certainly hope so. And, strangely enough...I look forward to what waits in store for us, on this thousand-malm road. ( @yokasaris @casualcatte @therpperson )

#ffxiv #rp #rp journal #journey #a thousand malms #beginnings

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casualcatte · 4 years ago

Text

[RP Journal] 01/19/2021

I haven’t written in days, mostly because I don’t think there’s any way on the Twelve’s great earth I could ever adequately put into words everything I’ve felt. After talking with a number of people, however, I’m comforted in the knowledge that I’m surrounded by so many friends that love and care about me, who are capable of seeing past my flaws, and understand that at the heart of everything, I am a creature of caring and love. I’m not above making mistakes and I’m not above owning up to those mistakes and accepting the consequences of them.

It’s why I was able to let Rae-Hann walk away, because I knew everything I’d done to hurt and upset him. I respected that he needed space and time away from me, away from the Rest. I wouldn’t want to be here either if this is the place someone I loved walked out of my life, claiming to go off and kill himself.

I still don’t know how to process that, days later. Knowing what I know of Rae-Hann, that was the surest and deepest way to cut him and hurt him irrevocably, knowing what I know about him and Wren. I told Rae-Hann once that if Siannault ever hurt him, I’d kill him myself. Given the possibility that he’s already dead, I’m not sure what else to do with my feelings concerning him. Bury them, most likely. If by some twist of Fate he’s still alive -- I pray I never see him again. And I hope he stays out of Rae-Hann’s life for good. He deserves better.

It was good to see V’hala Helsi come out of hiding at long last. We went out to The Blue Miqo’te with Yami McFluff, had some drinks, watched some performances, and let Hala and Yami get to know one another. I was honestly just glad to see Hala making new friends, she’s been so cloistered and hidden away with this business in Ishgard, I’ve really only seen her light up when talking with Seda’li. She needs more friends, people closer to her own age that she can laugh and have fun with. Fraus has stolen so much of her life away from her, it’s nice to see her reclaim some of it.

After drinks we went to the hot spring near the Rest and had a good soak then a water war when Edgard Beaumont showed up. It didn’t last long though. All through the night Yami had been grunting and wincing about some injuries he kept insisting were “fine” -- Oschon’s Bloody Hangnails, I am so /sick/ of hearing bloody “fine” out of people when they know damn well they’re not. I swear the next person that says it might get a punch in the nose.

I saw to Yami’s injuries myself. Whatever healer he’d seen previously hadn’t done a very good job with him; he still had a lot of internal bruising and had even caused some internal bleeding with all his “I’m fine’ing” and going out with us. Men are so stupid sometimes. They should consider themselves /lucky/ that I care enough to intervene, instead of just letting them run amok and ruin themselves. Blockhead.

Once that was done, I followed up on a promise to spend some quality time with Edgard. I’ve been so caught up with everything lately I haven’t really given him as much attention as he deserves. Twelve only knows that he did his utmost to be there for me, to comfort me, when I needed it this week, even when he had no idea what was going on. He didn’t press me with questions, he was just /there/ and I was more grateful than I ever had a chance to say.

He reminded me that there was someone who would never leave me, that I wasn’t some monstrous creature responsible for everyone and their woes. That someone, in fact, wanted to take /my/ burdens and shoulder them a while. It’s why I will never care how much people laugh at us and consider us a ridiculously odd couple that makes no sense; that he’s an idiot and fool that couldn’t possibly enamor someone like me. I know sides of him they never will. Sides of him they’ll never see, because they don’t care to see anything else.

He’s my world… and I am his moon. I look forward to the day when we can finally put his business in Ishgard to rest, both for him and for Valentina. The situation there hasn’t improved; Egrix has taken Edgard’s niece and his sister-in-law. In so doing, he’s forced Irax to our side, but he also has a shield against our incursions, because none of us will make a move that will bring harm to either of them. Still, I was grateful to have Kita Wolvesbane and Besheke Ma’iingan with us for this last outing. I don’t know what we would have done without them. I don’t know why it surprises me to find out that my friends are all fierce fighters, but it does. If I hadn’t known Kita personally his mad cackling and terrifying visage would have been unnerving. And when Besh just vanished from the field of battle only to appear somewhere else without the perceivable use of a spell...? I’m really quite glad I’m on their good sides. I find the more time I spend with the two of them, the more and more I like them. When I lost control of myself at Tavern Night -- Rae-Hann had left only hours before and I was still heartbroken by it -- Besheke got up and began to wait tables himself while Edgard helped me to calm down. Just more endearing traits of our regulars; first when they rose up against Hemlock, now this. I really do make some very fine friends.

Tumblr Mentions @yokasaris for Rae-Hann @thehouseofvs for V’hala Helsi @therpperson for Edgard Beaumont

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