#and surprise surprise they're both viera

[humblemooncat]

Hands you a eepy bnuuy

Since he doesn't currently have a lover, Aegir frequents a local pillow house when he needs companionship. His favorite is this rava man from Thavnair. His embrace is warm, and he could listen to him speak all day.

Aegir really is just this gif. Just nuzzling his way into the crook of someone's neck.

[umbralsound-xiv]

💓- A memory about their friends (For two OCs you feel like talking about!)

Werlyt, 1, Seventh Umbral Era

"...Furthermore, you will be required to work alongside recent conscripts, and will be given orders by a new superior."

The very words seemed to fill the room, where Eir and his small detatchment had been assembled. Thus far they had all remained together; only the occasional new face that never stayed around for so long joining them in the effort. Above all, Shio's expression seemed to sharpen, whilst the rest seemed to hold their usual attentive glance, betraying any emotion that ran beneath.

"I will allow you to be acquainted in a few moments. Glory be to Garlemald... Dismissed."

Only when the centurio left the room did they exhale, and shared glances and opinions.

"A new superior. Great! Just what we want. Another stuck up bastard to take orders from. If they are a Garlean, i swear---!" A midlander with deep blue hair storms across the room to a corner, a fighting glare given up at Ox, who simply gave a dejected sigh.

"---Shio, they... They might not be. They might be just like us."

Naoko's words only bring an irritated sigh forth from her, causing both to keep their quiet.

Eir, however, says nothing. Only the anxious shift of his weight, from one foot to the other. He is only stilled as Ox settles his hand on his shoulder; the much shorter Viera pausing to look up to the Hellsguard.

"...It will be fine, Angeir. We aren't being seperated." Ox looks up to the rest of the room. "We are simply having additions, like as not, they're unlikely to be permanent. They haven't been so far."

The few words seem to bring him some comfort, and the small group linger in silence a short while longer until footsteps echo down the corridor.

Breath held, each of them focus on the door.

...Which barrels open in an instant.

"GOOOOOOOD MORNING, NEW DETATCHMENT!"

A Seeker is the first to emerge, her bellowed words enough to widen every pair of staring eyes in the room, much to her own humor. Rough cut blonde hair pokes out from beneath a helm, ruby red eyes matching the rest of her uniform.

Behind her, a Lalafell laughs; his face clear of any usual dirt and grime, beside a single smear of ash on the side of his cheek, undoubtedly missed in some attempt to clean up for the occasion.

Finally, a Keeper slips through the door, turning to close it behind him, expression a somewhat bashful one. Sand coloured hair brushed his shoulders, as he turned to the Seeker who simply rolled her shoulders.

"---What? You said to give them a friendly greeting!"

"...Not scare them half to death, Telli..."

Judging by the reaction of Eir and the others, it was likely what had happened; eyes wide and faces as stark and struck as though they had heard an alarum. But the outburst was enough to dispel the tension in the room, as Ox huffs a laugh, moving forth for an introduction.

"A'tehligo Oen Mhuri! But, just call me Telli, since it's a real mouthful." Her hand is sharply extended to meet that of Ox, whose hand she shakes with such vigor that even he seems surprised by it.

"Blind Ox. Pleasure to meet you, Telli."

Eir's gaze flicked left and right over the newer faces. He'd still not spoken a word, opting to let the others give introduction first.

"Shio." The Midlander calls from the back, having not opted to move, still. It was her sole word, but it commanded people to listen.

"Yolra Akolra! ---Yol for short! You need something blowing up, i'm your guy!" Proudly, he thumbed at his chest, seeming to care little for his diminutive stature compared to the rest in the room.

"Uh... Naoko." The other Midlander edges forth, towards the Keeper, a hand offered even as he didn't quite meet his gaze. "...Naoko Jen Maeda..." The hand is taken, and shook, even as the scarred man stole a glance at the cane on the back of the newer face. "...Your weapon... You're a healer?"

A sharp flick of sandy ears yields an affirmation, as the Keeper nods his head. This motion, however, had not gone unnoticed by Eir. From his quiet position at Ox's side, his gaze settles on the only one left in the room to be introduced besides himself. Were someone to notice, it might even be considered staring.

"Indeed i am." He smiles warmly, dipping his head. "Juhni'a Jen Ktarbha... It's an honour to fight alongside you. I'll also be your acting superior until further notice, so... If you have any need of anything, don't hesitate to ask, okay?"

His statement doesn't earn any ire from Shio, by some miracle. She simply gives a sharp sigh and keeps to herself.

The room is filled by small sounds of affirmation; likely, they would not have so long to socialise before being thrust into some duty or conflict before long.

Juhni'a looks over the various faces in the room. If he was to be responsible for them, he was going to get to know them, too. He'd mentally put name to face; at least until Eir's staring gaze passed his view, which he hurriedly threw at the furthest wall. Juhni'a opts to close the gap, halting within arms length of the Viera.

Wide, pale eyes. Eir's own silver ones met them for a while, no single word passing his lips which led to an awkward silence. Slowly, Juhni'a extends a hand and furnishes Eir with a softer smile, with an intent to comfort him.

"...I know it can be a little... Unnerving having to answer to someone you've never met." He spoke softly. Despite being a Miqo'te, the two were almost the same height. "...I don't think i caught your name...?"

"...Angeir-- Oen Rava." Eir half stuttered, and only noticed the hand after many long moments of it lingering there, half hesitantly reaching out to return the intended gesture. What few words he struggled out were simply his name, and nothing more followed. Eir does not part his hand, and Juny had waited for the decidedly more anxious of the two to part first. Eventually, the Keeper pulls back with a short laugh.

...Which is echoed as Telli bellows one from behind Ox, half doubled from the interaction.

"---Seems you're making impressions on someone, Juny! Look at his face! He's as red as a tomato!"

Eir's gaze darts to to the ground. He himself hadn't been fully sure of his own reaction, and now it was mentioned the burning of his cheeks had only intensified. The rigid, jittery feeling in his legs had taken hold, at least until Ox's hand settled on his shoulder again.

"...Angeir is the reserved sort. Every new face sets him ill at ease... He will come round to speaking in time."

Those few words had afforded him the space he needed to gather himself, as he gave a small sigh of gratitude, and half a nod. Ox had known him longer than any in the room, and had wisened to his mannerisms.

They were unlikely to be permanent, he thought. A thought that would usually bring him comfort, instead bringing a small frown to his features.

The Black Shroud, 9, Seventh Astral Era

He had given his farewells to all but one. A gleaming greatsword on his back and a wide smile on his face, Vhal'ra could scarcely wait to see the world.

...But he could wait just a little longer to see her.

"Kohru! Kohruuuu!"

The young, steely haired Keeper bounds through the boughs and up the side of a small hill, where a campfire crackled and the sound of metal against stone punctuated the air.

"---Since when did you use my full name, Vhal'ra?"

He pulls into view, and his nose wrinkles at the sound of his own. A lavender haired Keeper with her hair pulled from her face works on yet another flint arrowhead, adding it to the pile... Despite the wand at her hip.

"...Since i'm trying to get your attention, 'ru! It's... It's time! I'm leaving tonight! Now! I already said bye to mum and the rest, and..."

"---And you didn't want to go without saying goodbye to your favourite cousin. Is that it?"

Vhal'ra's ears wiggle atop his head, as he stands more proudly. He furnishes her with a grin.

"...Something like that, 'ru."

Kohru drinks in a long inhale through her nose, as she slowly picks herself up to her feet. Despite her mannerisms, she was a few cycles younger than him, even if she had grown tall and wirey in her short years. Arms curl around him, which he accepts in turn.

"...'ra. Don't you be going and doing anything too stupid, yeah? You'd better have all your limbs in tact when next you visit."

"---I'm not gonna lose any limbs!"

"---No eyes, either."

"---No eyes either! I'll be fine, 'ru! ---'to was!"

She releases him to a small frown of an expression, which she fights for some optimism.

"...Just don't overdo it, Vhal'ra. Come back with scars and stories, but at least come back in one piece."

A firm pat to his back sees her release him, a smile exchanged between the two. They were cousins, certain enough. But they were friends before any bond of blood was considered, often found in the company of the other.

...Company she'd miss, for certain. But those were not thoughts she'd share with him, to dissuade him from his travels.

"...I will! And more stories than scars, you'll see!" He beams wide and bright enough to lend merit to his intentions, at the very least. "...And... uh... Good luck on stuff with my Mum. I'll know you'll be fine, but... Still."

"...I will." She responds, though there's not quite as much vigour in her words. "...Good luck, Vhal'ra. We'll be here, waiting to listen."

A final smile given to him, before he lunges in for another parting hug; warm and close, no matter how brief it was. He tried not to linger on the thought of not knowing when the next meeting would be.

And then, without another word, he parts. Flashing a smile, he dissapears between the trees, bound for adventure.

[minti-tales]

💜 surprise kiss / impulsive kiss

"Ah, someone's painted a new sign! Let me see. 'Gage Acquisitions, Free Company. For Hire, at Lavender Beds, Gridania.' So this is where our sleeping princess lies, although, I must admit, it's far from the misty towers written of in legend. You don't happen to have a fierce dragon atop the roof? Breathing fire and hoarding piles of gold?"

Minti shook her head at Krile Baldesion, the former Scion who'd joined her for lunch. To be honest, it was more of a spur-of-the-moment meal, two colleagues crossing paths out on the free company's lawn and wanting to do more than just say hello to each other. "Do dragoons count?" she asked with a playful smile. "They've a habit of being greedy. Always leaping off the roof, wings and all, to snatch their prey. I can't say they're always successful - they usually end up inspecting the grass." Krile chuckled. The jest wasn't Minti's best, she knew, but at least it got a laugh.

A sudden downpour forced the two to take shelter in the small flowered pavilion across from the House. "Serves me right for speaking ill of our armored friends," Minti said before sitting down.

Today's lunch was a real hodgepodge of cultures and cuisine. Two bowls of spicy Thavnarian curry and naan rested uneasily with slices of naturally sweetened Archon loaf. Three black-and-white sugar cookies did their best to cozy up with a bottle of Foundation Red fetched from a hidden reserve. Also, in a well-intentioned attempt to steer the meal towards proper nutrition, there was a fruit bowl, with fresh purple grapes from Labyrinthos, quartered strawberries, and chunks of La Noscean prickly pineapples. It wouldn't take a culinarian to decipher what the friends brought to the table.

"Spicy curry, Minti?" asked Krile. "I was sure you'd want more sweets in your diet." She loaded a small plate with equal helpings of fruit, curry, and Loaf. "What with your chosen name and all." Minti avoided the Loaf entirely, opting for curry, naan, and the sugar cookies. "You sure you don't want some fruit? The grapes were hand-picked this morning. Entirely organic, juicy, and in just the right shape for consumption, that is to say, near perfectly cylindrical."

"I am not a child, Krile. I eat what I please," Minti replied with mock annoyance. "Although…fine. I'll take the grapes. You've convinced me."

"Have I?" Krile grinned, like she'd won a debate without even trying. "You don't sound convinced. But, small victories, I suppose."

Conversation was mixed, for the most part, with Minti recalling the most memorable parts of the expedition to Eureka, and Krile sharing recent happenings with the Warrior of Light. Just old friends catching up, having a good meal in the rain.

Sharing the last of the wine.

Reaching over the table to examine each others hands, remarking on each others' "lifelines," with Minti calling on her half-remembered astrologian training to help her read.

Minti moving over to Krile's side of the pavilion and gingerly putting an arm around her friend, putting caution to the wind. Tipsily playing with her hair, a wide smile on the viera's face.

Minti leaning down to put her nose against Krile's, both friends giggling and smiling in the rain.

A pregnant moment. A tender look. A nod, a whispered "Is this what you want?"

"Is this what you want?"

"I don't want to think right now."

"But you're thinking regardless, dear. And, I'm saying yes, by the way. It's okay, Minti. You're safe. We're safe. No one is going to get upset, no one is going to hurt you. No one is taking you away from here."

Krile squeezed us. We appreciated this, this comfort.

A brush of lips against her lips. Impulsive. But feeling right, in this moment. She said it was safe. It was okay.

Her lips were soft, and her breath was warm, like Suzaku's. But not like her.

Caring. Not possessive. What Minti needed in this moment.

We need to feel safe -

We are.

"Take as much time as you need. I'm here. It's just you, and me, and the rain."

Time passed so slowly between these two old friends.

It was a good lunch.

[dalmascan-requiem]

Zephyr's Cadence: Homecoming

(Vierapril Day 17 - Home)

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After decades away, the two Viera return to Rabanastre and visit an old friend.

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Read on AO3 or keep reading after the jump

content warnings: cemeteries and implications of death

Check out the main Vierapril 2023 post here

------

For the Vierapril prompt 'home', the boys get to be happy, darn it. They're going to be happy! Eventually! Homecoming takes place after all the MSQ is done, so there are no longer any world-ending threats the WoL and the Scions need to take care of. It's time for the future and for some rest.

Vierapril 2023 Day 17 - Home

"Do you really think it's still standing?"

"There's only one way to find out." Kris smiles back at Laurent as they walk through the streets of Rabanastre. The restoration had begun in earnest, but Dalmasca's capital still had a long way to go before it was back to its former glory.

The two Viera carefully made their way along the familiar streets, making sure not to trip on any rubble or get in the way of any of the workers. When another group of builders rushes past, Kris lets out a small sigh.

"Is something wrong?" Laurent moves closer to the light-haired Viera and lightly touches his arm. In response, Kris chuckles and shakes his head.

"Quite the opposite--it's nice to not be recognized."

Laurent responds with an amused hum as he interlaces Kris's fingers with his own. Being the Warrior of Light and the savior of the star made Kris the center of attention on many occasions, and depending on where they were, not a day would go by without him being stopped for some reason or another.

Though he met everyone with a smile and never turned anyone away, Kris found it frustrating regardless. Laurent found himself being recognized from time to time as well--something he dealt with much less gracefully than his partner did. They both simply wanted to have a quiet, peaceful life, free of the burdens of being a 'hero'.

"This area doesn't look like it took a lot of damage." Kris stops and turns to Laurent, squeezing his hand. "It's just around the corner. Are you ready?"

The dark-haired Viera nods and smiles, and the two make their way around the corner and look down the street. After a moment, Kris breaks into a wide grin. "Ah, the bar is still standing after all!"

"Hmph, the building's just as tough as its owner was." As they get closer, Laurent eyes the broken front door. "Seems the bandits got to the place, though."

"It's no surprise, it's been decades. I would be more surprised if a bar of all places wasn't ransacked." Kris picks up a large piece of the splintered door and shoves it aside. "Shall we see if there's anything left?"

Laurent nods, though his expression turns more serious when he speaks again. "Let us not stay too long--we still have another place to visit before the sun goes down."

"Of course." Kris gives a nod in turn, then carefully ducks into the bar.

Unsurprisingly, the inside of the bar did not hold up well to decades of looting and neglect, but as the two Viera looked around, it was clear that what remained could be salvageable. After a bit of rummaging, Kris turns around excitedly. "I will need to fix it up a bit, but we'll be able to live here once you're done with your studies."

"Yes, you're right." Laurent smiles, then looks away. "We do not need to wait to come here on my account, I don't want to hold you back--"

"Nonsense." Kris walks over to the dark-haired Rava and grabs his hands while smiling brightly. "You never do anything for yourself. You were so excited when you were accepted into the Studium, Reyna. You might have actually smiled for more than a minute!"

"Eir, please--"

"What I'm saying is that there is no need to rush." The emerald-eyed Viera gives Laurent a light kiss on the cheek. "We have the rest of our lives ahead of us! Not to mention, everything you'll learn about botany will no doubt be useful out here."

"...I suppose you're right." Laurent pulls Kris into a tight hug before turning his gaze to the door. "We should get going, though, so we're not stumbling through the dark."

"Right, let's go then. Why don't you tell me about your latest project while we walk?"

~

The two Viera look up at the simple gate as Laurent crosses his arms. "I'm surprised it's untouched."

Kris gives a light shrug as he opens the gate. "The Garleans know better than to disturb graveyards. Too many soldiers killed for desecrating them."

"By the locals?"

"Usually vengeful spirits. Speaking of, we should get moving before we have to deal with one of our own." Kris chuckles lightly as he steps through the gate, with Laurent closely following behind.

It doesn't take them long to stop at a particular tombstone, and Kris bends down to brush the dust from it. "It's been a while, Gemna. The war got in the way of visiting, but we'll be able to come by more often now."

Kris's ears tilt back slightly as Laurent makes a choked cough, but he doesn't turn around. He knows the fuchsia-eyed Viera needs time to gather his emotions. Instead, he continues to clean the grave. "So much has happened, far too much to catch you up on today, but Reyna and I will tell you all about it when we visit." 

As the light-haired Rava stands up and brushes his legs, he breaks into a wide grin. "You'll be so proud--Reyna was accepted into the Studium! In Sharlayan! He's studying the aetherial qualities of soil and how it can be manipulated to grow plants anywhere. He'll figure out how to grow flowers in the desert, I'm sure."

"Eir, I never said I would do that. Or could do that." Laurent lets out a huff as he approaches the grave, though the look on his face was more amusement than annoyance.

"Be more confident in yourself, my love. You've already made so much progress." Kris turns to Laurent and gives him a wink. "That Archon mark will look nice on you." Laurent responds with another huff as his cheeks redden.

Kris chuckles before he continues. "We're going to get married, as well! And it was Reyna's idea, if you could believe it."

"Gods, Eir, stop teasing me--"

"I'm not teasing you! I thought it was a very sweet idea. Only the gods know how many hours I've spent figuring out the perfect feast. And how many hours you spent looking into flower arrangements." Kris shifts his gaze beyond the tombstone to the horizon. "Alas, the sun is already setting. We'll have to tell you all about it on our next visit." His gaze returns to the grave as he falls silent.

"Gemna…" Laurent kneels down, lightly touching the tombstone. "Thank you for always watching over us. We're doing alright." He stays kneeling for a moment before Kris offers his hand.

"Time to go, my love."

"Yes." Laurent takes the offered hand and pulls himself up, then looks down at the grave with a small smile. "We'll be back soon."

[pyxisfelixhaven]

ffxivwrite2023 #7 ;; n o i s o m e

"Look, all I'm saying is that he's never steered us wrong before," Memo, a black and red haired Miqo'te, chuckled, tightening the latches at the back of her greaves whilst their tail swirled behind them.

"The last time we followed one of Nedrick's leads, we were wandering around an ancient temple for hours in the heat and both got sunburned," Pyxis sighed in response, her own tail idly tracing lines in the snow as they sat waiting for the other to finish suiting up.

"But we were the first group to ever make it through, and there was some good equipment at the end," Memo smirked, standing up straight with their hands on their hips. "If we clear out this place, it'll bring us even more recognition, and even more spoils!" 

"I could do with less of the recognition part," Pyxis sighed again, running a hand through her hair as they could already feel a headache forming. "But if you really want to go, then at least I'll be there to patch you up." 

"A star as always, my dear friend," the other laughed, looking over to another Au Ra and a Viera chatting amongst themselves. "I couldn't get in contact with those archers we were with last time, but these two seemed happy enough to tag along." 

"I wouldn't be surprised if they purposefully ignored you after last time," Pyxis chuckled softly, picking themselves up off the floor and dusting off some of the loose snow that had started to gather on her cloak.

Following Memo's gaze to the heavy hitting duo, a smile crept onto their face; despite initial hesitations for the adventuring lifestyle, with everything that had happened over the past year Pyxis found themselves enjoying being able to help others live out the ever changing lifestyle of hopping from quest to quest. There was always something someone needed help with, and it didn't always need the Warrior of Light's intervention. Friends and strangers alike were always willing to help them out, so returning the favour was an easy job to accept. 

"That's just mean!" Memo pouted, signalling the other two members of their makeshift party to start following them. "I can't imagine why someone wouldn't come to our beck and call when they hear you're providing support!" 

The lighthearted banter echoed into the snowy hills of Coerthas, travelling towards a guarded gate nestled in the mouth of a small cavern. Two guards looked to the party, and Pyxis could have sworn that one of them rolled their eyes. That didn't bode well. 

"I see you managed to gather some willing party members?" One of the guards questioned Memo, who to their credit didn't seem to be disturbed by the dry undertone or lack of care for letting another adventuring party through the gates.

"Yep, and soon you won't need to guard here anymore either!" The Miqo'te boasted, and Pyxis definitely saw both guards roll their eyes this time. 

"Have you told your companions how Aurum Vale got its most enticing name?"

"No actually, could you-" Pyxis started, but Memo had already started opening the gate, causing the metal creaking to echo through the cavern opening.

"Don't listen to them, they're just trying to scare us off,” she chuckled, keeping the gate open for the other three. “You’ll see when we get down there, don’t worry about it!”

Pyxis was most certainly worrying about it.

“Well, just don’t die. I’ve fished out my fair share of corpses from down there already,” the guard muttered as the rest of the party followed the armoured tank, all glancing at each other with various levels of anxiety between them.

As the party descended further into the cavern, the cold winds of Coerthas that were usually an annoyance were slowly becoming a dream to return to, warmer and thicker air wrapping firm around their limbs. And the smell - twelve above the smell - clung to their cloth and any exposed skin, leaving an almost oily feeling residue on anything they all wielded. Where the auri were just about managing to stomach the offending scents, the more sensitive Miqo’te and Viera had slowed in their descent, their suppressing swallows heavy in their throats.

“What even is that smell?” Pyxis groaned, pulling their cloak above their nose to try and mask it somewhat, but it still didn’t help.

“I think it’s that,” the other Au Ra choked out, pointing to just around the last corner.

The stone cavern floors had started to soften, thick green moss making traction underfoot more difficult, glimmers of yellow weeds outshined by thick golden liquid pooled in small, frequent potholes. There were multiple wavekin sitting in these pools, clearly unaffected by the offensive smell as their tongues flickered into the air. Even if there weren’t monsters, anything that had been forced to stay down in the grim caverns for longer than necessary could easily turn even the most hardened of adventurers.

“That stuff might be what he said not to stand in.”

[sezja]

Oc questions? For when you want them.

I’m asking because I care. Sorry too many questions maybe.

Is Sanaii around which height? Short or tall for her race?

What about Nerise and Marty?

Fenumin ever changes hairstyle?

Favorite fact about Erna?

Why did Sanaii Viera dad left his community?

Can Sanaii and Nerise swim?

If Sanaii and Nerise and Marty met how would they react and what would they think of the other?

Is Sanaii expressive with tail and ears?

Does Nerise makes peace with loosing everything she knew? What about dragon company with his different ways of perceiving time?

Marty and Tsihm have any other goals in life or plan on setting down where they are doing what they are doing?

Tsihm ever wishes she had formal teaching as botanist?

Marty ever regrets his crimes? Or thinks about them? Not in a way that would judge those he left behind, just his own actions and why they are considered wrong.

Tsihm ever talks to her family and friends again?

Any chance either would ever return to the Shroud?

Nerise opinions about Francel when she met him and later during Firmament? To make you struggle dragon company opinions?

Nerise explained the fact she had a dragon around for Haurchefant how?

Do you have any White Mage? Play healer?

Sanaii, Nerise and Marty deepest regrets?

I tried choosing the most recent ocs I remembered even if Sanaii is being ffxiv rebuilt.

Hopefully this is okay <3

<3 <3 <3

OC heights: Sanaii's sort of middling! Around the 55 marker on the height slider, I think. And while she's still young, I don't expect she'll get much taller, though she kind of hopes she will. Nerise and Marty are both max height. (Most of my OCs are max height, in fact.)

Fenumin's hairstyle: The only person who sees Fenumin with his hair down is his fuckbuddy, Mi'Enasalin. Other than that, he always wears it pulled into a bun, no exceptions.

Favorite Erna Fact: She's a surprisingly good cook! This really shouldn't be a surprise, with her father being a culinarian, but she's such a scatterbrain that most people are startled anyway. She's very good at making decent meals out of limited ingredients, and she keeps her party well-fed. (Silent Fox jokes that it's the only reason she keeps Erna around.)

Why Zephyr left: Lots of reasons, really, but it kind of boils down to just not wanting to be alone. Zephyr didn't like the isolation male viera were expected to endure - he did want a family, and didn't like the idea of rarely seeing them. He also wanted to see the world, to be a part of the world, rather than letting it slip past him. He's never regretted leaving.

Can the girls swim: Nerise actually had to learn to swim after her jump through time. She never had much cause to learn before, and only knew enough to keep herself afloat. She learns in La Noscea - she refuses to face Leviathan without knowing how to swim if she falls in the water! Swimming is one of the many skills Sanaii learns from her fathers; she's not sure if she knew how before her memory loss.

If they met: Marty would be great with both of them - much like his brother, Marty's very chill and laid-back. Nerise is a little less good with people, but as long as they're not rude to her right out of the gate, she's likely to be friendly enough, though I feel like she'd be absolutely baffled by Sanaii running around on her own - Nerise was getting into trouble at a young age, too, but she had a wyvern to watch her back! And Sanaii would... mostly be startled by the presence of Sohl Amh, honestly.

Is Sanaii expressive: Yes. She's more expressive with her ears and tail than she is with her face, most of the time.

Do Nerise and Sohl Amh make peace with their losses: Sort of. Nerise handles it by trying not to think about it, and trying not to blame herself for what happened to Ratatoskr - Ratatoskr died some hundred years or so after Nerise was pulled from her own time, after all; there's likely nothing she could have done, but the lingering "What If I could have changed things" stays with her. That and wishing she'd been brave enough to confess her feelings to Milla, and wondering what ever became of her in the end. Sohl Amh finds themself in the very strange position of being both older and younger than many dragons alive now. Even given that their own sense of time is far longer than Nerise's, the changes in the world are jarring. These are changes that should have only come to pass after a lengthy rest - but instead it feels as though they simply blinked and the world abruptly altered itself behind their eyelids.

Marty and Tsimh's plans: Neither of them had any particularly grand plans in mind before Marty's exile to La Noscea, and they haven't developed any since; they're content to settle down as farmers. They do get married once they're settled in, and start discussing the possibility of having or adopting kids.

Tsimh and botany: She does kind of wish she'd been properly trained as a botanist! It's not a deep regret, but it's there. She's happy enough to be taught by the other farmers in the area now, though. She feels like she's learning a lot.

Marty's regrets: Not really! He regrets not telling Tsimh, and on some level he regrets taking risks with the elementals and the like - but no, he doesn't really regret the life he lived, or the crimes he committed to live it. He understands why poaching is a crime, and he understands the dangers inherent in poaching in the Shroud, but it kept him alive and fed for most of his life.

Tsimh's friends and family: She writes letters to her family and friends... though her parents strongly disapprove of her relationship with Marty, and frequently beg her to come back home in their letters. When she tells them she's married him, they stop writing back to her for several moons.

Do they ever return to the Shroud: Not for a long time - Marty never does, content to meet his Redbelly friends in La Noscea, but Tsimh does eventually make short trips back home. She always comes back frustrated with her family. She's fairly sure they'd keep her in the Shroud by force if they could.

Nerise and Francel: Like most of the Ishgardians she meets, she's not impressed by Francel at first. She's in a very strange position, being what Ishgard considers a heretic herself, attempting to defend him against accusations of heresy - but defend him she does, to the best of her ability, with her limited understanding of how modern-day Ishgard works. On the advice of Alphinaud, Sohl Amh wisely stays well away from the proceedings in Coerthas, only turning up to aid Nerise in the fight against the false Inquisitor and his wyvern, departing before blades can be turned on them, instead.

She's far warmer toward Francel later, of course - and he remembers and thanks Sohl Amh for their contributions to saving his life, as well.

Nerise and Haurchefant: As mentioned above, Sohl Amh stays away during most of the Coerthas arc. Haurchefant learns about Sohl Amh after the trial, when Nerise explains to him exactly why a dragon swooped in to their rescue - but she claims they're not from Dravania, and thus not part of Nidhogg's horde. This is the same story used to later explain how Sohl Amh comes to be admitted into Ishgard, though they wisely stay out of sight there as much as possible; not everyone believes the tale, and no one is pleased to have a dragon sheltering within Ishgard's walls, companion to the Champion of Eorzea or no.

Healers: Yep! Silent Fox (SCH), Halan Soilanteaux (WHM), Stephan Fletcher (WHM), Dirthamen Renan (AST), and Faine Thievenaix (WHM) are all healer mains.

Regrets: Sanaii: Not sure yet. She regrets losing her memory, but that isn't really her fault. Nerise: Not telling Milla how she felt before Hydaelyn yanked her through time. Marty: Not telling Tsimh the truth about his poaching sooner; not trusting that she wouldn't leave him for it.

[svante-tia]

S'vante's story cont. Sorry it took so long. "Ah this is Sa'nyu-" the hostess's voice trails off as she watches Sa'nyu walk up to Valdir. Valdir is slightly taken aback by the miqot’e’s forwardness. Sa'nyu closes the gap between them & runs his hands up Valdir's chest, he smiles & whistles with appreciation. Valdir raises his hand to stop him but, is quickly thwarted as Sa'nyu is faster. "You're very sturdy aren't you? Strong hands..." Sa'nyu slid his fingers through Valdir’s hands, his eyes admiring the outline of Valdir's pecs,”…Hard chest" his fingers playing along the creases of the fabric. Valdir immediately has a sense of deja vu. This miqot'e reminds him of that other shameless male miqot'e. Same demeanor, looks to be about the same height....they're clearly different people Valdir thought. He quickly jumps back & hides behind the small female miqot'e hostess. "Um, no need to trouble you I'm sure the hostess can lead the way...." He glances at the hostess, pleading "please?" The confounded hostess just nods "Sa'nyu, could you please show me where S'vante is?" Sa'nyu was surprised by how quickly the Viera ran away, a smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. "of course, he's right over here" He led them towards S'vante. Both the hostess & Valdir are shocked to see a Hyur woman straddling S'vante, making obvious kissing noises. Valdir turns away and averts his eyes, he could not fathom how someone can openly do this in public. The hostess clears her throat but the Hyur woman ignores her. Sa'nyu chuckles when the hostess spat "S'vante has a GUEST regarding a JOB! if THEY could have some PRIVACY!" The Hyur woman whines "Come find me after your business is done ok! Don't make me wait too long!" She hops off S'vante and flips her hair at the hostess. Valdir sees the Hyur woman walk away with the hostess fuming behind her. Still embarrassed, he could not face S'vante. He extends his arm with the roll of parchment in hand, "Um...excuse..me Mr S'vante...I'm sorry to have interrupted your night, however due to the shortage of mages currently I did not have much of a choice...I hope you will review this contract & see if the compensation works for you, we can negotiate new terms if needed." S'vante looks up & his breath hitches "ITS HIM" he thought. He grinned. Sa'nyu seeing S'vante's face, quickly grabs the parchment & hands it over to him. Looking over the contract, S’vante couldn't keep the smile off his face. "He can't look at me...and yet he wants to enter a contract with me...heh." S'vante ruminates to himself. He quickly signs the contract and places it in Valdir's hand. Valdir looks at the contract & sees the signature. Elated, "Thank you! I really appreciate you working with me!" Valdir turned to face S'vante, and his eyes widened upon realizing who S'vante was. "I look forward to working with you, please take care of me," S'vante said sweetly. Sa'nyu was leaning over the loveseat running his hands along S'vante's arm, he giggled then, stuck his tongue out at Valdir.

"They...know...each other...oh no what did I just get myself into..." Valdir panicked to himself.

[jackidy]

FFXIVWrite Prompt 4: Off The Hook

Pairing: SidurguWOL (Sidurgu/Rino) Characters: Sidurgu Orl, NB!Vie'ra WOL (Rino Benitoki), Rielle de Cauignont Warnings: End of Shadowbringers spoilers, lvl 70 DRK job quest spoilers Rating: T Fandom: Final Fantasy XIV

Summary: "She's not here anymore, is she?"

Any other time Rino would have laughed and say Rielle was right there, ignore the questions relating to the void parasite in its entirety. Whatever had happened between Gyr Albania and now, had certainly opened Rino up to being more open about it all.

"No… Not anymore."

[AO3]

----

They seem different now, older and yet lighter, Sidurgu content with simply just watching Kiva - no, Rino, they were Rino now - as they devoured the food of the forgotten knight. 

Odd, really, they had always seemed to hate the 'bland' food of Coerthas and yet the other was eating it like it had been years not weeks since they were both last in Ishgard. 

"You know its rude to stare." 

It's not even the warrior of light who calls him out on it, both au ra and viera looking at Rielle, their ward, as she sat opposite them both seemingly observing them. He almost missed when she was quieter and less likely to point these things out. 

" I'm not star-" 

"You can ask abou-" 

They both pause, both staring at one another with surprise before Rino at least laughs a little, giving him that all too familiar reserved smile. "You can ask about it." 

He reaches for their face, gloved hand brushing against the light scales that decorated their cheeks. They used to be black, just like his, Rino having once commented that they hadn't always been that way. A throwaway remark that perhaps the other hadn't expected him to remember. 

"She's not here anymore, is she?" 

Any other time Rino would have laughed and say Rielle was right there, ignore the questions relating to the void parasite in its entirety. Whatever had happened between Gyr Albania and now, had certainly opened Rino up to being more open about it all. 

"No… Not anymore." They sound almost sad, leaning into Sidurgu's touch, catching the auri man off guard. Affection between them was never this public, never this open, both too shy about it to dare. 

"I feel emptier." Rino continues with a sigh but he can tell they're conflicted about it, doubting the feeling of that emotion in its entirety. "Zem was with me for over 13 years, everything is just silent now." 

"Is that not a good thing? You…" 

Compliments are still difficult, especially ones like this. It's too forward to state they now look as they always did to him, beautiful and content, finally relaxed and less akin to carrying the weighted fate of not just this star on their shoulders. As ironic as that statement seemed to be. 

"It is!" Rino suddenly exclaims, hands up in front of their chest in mock surrender and jolting away from him before curling in on themselves. As if to be louder than a murmur was a crime in this otherwise busy inn. "It is, it's just a change I'm not yet accustomed to." 

Sid frowns as Rino stares at their hands, noting the bow on their back as opposed to the usual tome at their hip and he inwardly swears at his lack of observation. The change was more than just a loss of a voidsent, could Rino even still summon as they did before, the constant presence of the bow seemed to state otherwise. 

"Y'shtola got me in contact with her sister, they're both looking into what I lost and what can be recovered." 

The answer is unknown then, at least for now, silence stretching between them but it's not stilted now at least, comfortable as it had always been. "I have to make my way to Gridania in a few days." 

That makes Sidurgu pause. The last time they had ventured south to the Shroud it had gone badly, the viera in a constant state of discomfort until they've crossed the border once more and the other had let out a heavy sigh and complained of elementals. 

"Do you want-" 

"We're going with you." 

Rielle cuts him off, smiling in that coy way she does when she's up to something - the one he can read clearly and then one Rino has always fallen for. "I would love to hear more about where you've been whilst he was worrying." 

She turns more and more into Fray with each day, Sidurgu folding his arms and sighing as Rino and Rielle talked. 

To Gridania it is then.