#emet praying he doesn’t drop him

[fyllophobia]

[kaoru-takaida]

Shadowbringers chapter: Heated

*May contain spoilers*

Hope and Kai-Shirr walk in on Alphinaud and Kaoru... in the midst of a heated argument in the main office in Eulmore. One that had been happening for a couple weeks now. "You know that going to Garlemald was necessary. We couldn't have you being accused of MURDER by the EMPIRE!" Kaoru shouts.

Alphinaud scoffs. "I've half a mind to ask the Exarch to restrict your travel back and forth between the stars." Kaoru is speechless as Alphinaud says this. He crosses his arms. "However, given you've no limitations with attuned aetherytes like the rest of the Scions, mine efforts would avail us naught but inconvenience."

"How am I on trial as of now when we've plenty more concerns you could be going over and puting your energy into?!" Kaoru snaps. Kaoru places a hand on her chest. "I do not regret going to Garlemald! Aye, there were developments here. But the situation was dire! I had to go!" Kaoru clenches her fists. "I risked my life to clear your name!"

"Kaoru-." Hope tries to say.

"I NEVER ASKED YOU TO!" Alphinaud shrills, composure lost. The sudden outburst makes Hope, Kaoru, and Kai-Shirr shudder. "That was my mistake to correct! Not yours! Mine!" Alphinaud shouts. "And now we've more problems with the Empire than we've had before!" Kaoru doesn't say anything. Only looks away towards the floor. "As Sharlayan we were taught never to meddle in other nations affairs. And although we've done just that as Scions, we still need to-." Before he can finish, Kaoru turns and storms out of the room. Alphinaud tsks, turning his back and leaning forward, both hands on the desk. Kai-Shirr looks at Hope and gives a nervous smile.

"I think I'll follow her. See if she's alright." Kai-Shirr says. He hands her the documents that were in his hands. Hope gives him a sad smile now too. "I know he's in good hands."

"Thanks, Kai-Shirr." Hope says. She watches as he leaves to chase after Kaoru, ears dropping. Hope walks into the office and sighs. She sets the documents on the desk in front of Alphinaud. "You know..." Hope tries to say.

Alphinaud feels his forehead. "Do not say it..." He says softly. Hope scowls slightly.

"No, Alphinaud. You know that wasn't fair." Hope places a hand on his shoulder. She forces him to turn and face her. "Kaoru risked her life to help you. She told you everything, like she promised she would. And now," Hope pokes Alphinaud in the chest, with a little force. "You need to decide for yourself how you're gonna take it." Alphinaud gives Hope a bitter look. "Now are you gonna tell me what this is really about?" Alphinaud's eyes widen a bit, his jaw dropping a little.

"How did you-?" He began.

Hope scoffs. "Please. I'm your girlfriend. Why wouldn't I know that something is bothering you that isn't just her going away for a few months..." Alphinaud takes a deep breath.

He looks away and leans against the desk, crossing his arms. "I thought I'd gotten over my helplessness..." Hope cocks an eyebrow. Alphinaud closes his eyes tightly. "When The Crystal Braves betrayed us, and they had taken me captive, I had never felt so helpless." Hope's expression softens and she gives him a concerned gaze. Alphinaud opens his eyes, not looking at her. His arms slide down and he grabs his stomach, looking almost sick. "Then when you lot left countless times to face foes I could only dream of being able to battle, let alone besting, and all I could do was wait and pray for your safe return..." He sighs, his breath shaking. "And then being Called to the First, unsure of what was in store for us here, not to mention the dread of possibly never seeing you and all the others that we love and cherish ever again. And just when my dread was appeased by your coming here, you're faced with embracing the ultimate sacrifice in order to save everyone here and on the Source. And all I could do was be mortally wounded and knocked unconscious by an Ascian." Alphinaud scoffs, turning back towards the desk and leaning on it again. "I was so Gods damned Hells bent on making sure I could help and protect you and yours that I hadn't fully realized just how little strength I have..."

Hope inhales slowly and then sighs. She smiles sadly. She walks up behind him, and wraps her arms around him from behind. He chokes in alarm and instantly blushes at her grip. She squeezes him tightly. "I love you to death. I really do. But you're a fucking idiot..." Hope says.

Alphinaud's eyes widen at her sudden vulgar tone. "Excuse me?" He asks in an angry tone, even though his cheeks are still flushed. He tries to turn and face her. But she grips him harder, pinning him there.

"You're an idiot to think you're helpless." Hope tells him. "You helped us reunite the Scions. You helped us liberate Doma and Ala Mhigo from the Empire. You took care of Black Rose with Gaius. You helped us defeat Emet-Selch..." Hope nestles her face into his back, between his shoulder blades. "You're not helpless. You're smart, and talented, and skilled." She chuckles. "My prodigy boyfriend..." Alphinaud closes his eyes tightly. He inhales sharply, tears rolling down his cheeks.

He covers his mouth and breathes unsteadily. "Thank you..." He says to her.

[autumnslance]

Prompt #26: Slosh

((Uses some in game dialogue))

“Look! Over there!” Thancred exclaimed as they stood marveling at the impossible city. “Is that...a person?”

Alphinaud immediately felt his skin grow cold and a rock drop into the pit of his stomach. The “person” Thancred was pointing out looked less-than-solid, a bit fuzzy around the edges, in a long black robe obscuring features.

“Ah no, my mistake.”

He wanted to say something certain Warriors of Darkness would call “snarky.”

“That’s a giant,” Thancred continued.

Well, he wasn’t wrong; the figure had to be at least four yalms tall. Perhaps taller? It was hard to tell. It was a preferable option to ghosts, at least.

For gods’ sake; he couldn’t allow himself to be so frightened by whatever shades inhabited this place.

Alisaie would never let him hear the end of it.

“It doesn’t seem to have noticed us yet,” Thancred said, looking for somewhere to get under cover before the giant did notice.

Alphinaud made a decision he was certain he would regret.

“Giant or no,” he said, hoping his voice would not break and betray his nervousness. “A resident of this place may have much and more to tell us. I say we make the first move.” Before he--or anyone else--could talk himself out of it, he began to stride toward the tall, robed figure.

“Alphinaud, you can’t just--Ugh!” He heard Alisaie behind him. She would favor a more aggressive plan of action, but this, he felt, was a better start.

He felt like what little water he had had to drink along their journey sloshed loosely in his bowels as he stopped by the giant.

“Pray excuse my boldness, but might I ask you a few questions…?”

He was not expecting the strange language, nor for the whole group to be treated as precocious children (though a petty part of him had to admit having the older Scions treated so was a tad satisfying).

Y’shtola’s vision labeled the residents--for as they moved, more of the giants were obvious--as aetheric constructs, like the rest of the city.

“This aetherial Amaurot and its residents appear to be phantoms of a different age,” Urianger said. “Emet-Selch hath resurrected a memory--a moment in time from before the star was sundered.”

A city of ghosts. Of course. This adventure got worse and worse.

Alphinaud took a deep breath as they made their plans to question the residents of Amaurot.

He could do this. He had to do this. He looked at their friend, slowly shattering with excess Light. He thought of the Exarch, held by the Ascian who sought to destroy this world, bringing Calamity to their own.

Alphinaud straightened his shoulders and set off as Thancred directed to speak to some of the Amaurotines. They weren’t really ghosts, he told himself, willing his knees to stop shaking. They were memories, and their knowledge might be useful.

If Alphinaud was good at anything, it was talking. Even to phantoms--so long as he didn’t let his fear get the best of him.

[tea-and-conspiracy]

Tea and Conspiracy (WoL AU)

“How would you like to take over the world?”

Eliane laughed, reaching over to offer the Ascian tea. “Second time I’ve heard that one, believe it or not.”

Emet-Selch waved a dismissive hand. “You mean Gaius? Terribly unimaginative that man, but then again Lahabrea never was terribly creative – in the figurative sense, anyway.” He lifted his teacup, pinky-out, for a delicate sip. “Oh no, my dear, I was being quite serious.”

“Would I be undertaking this hypothetical conquering personally, or under Ishgard’s banner?”

A languid shrug. “Whatever suits you. Or you could marry one of mine if you wish. I appreciate your sympathy for my empire.”

“My concern is for her people. Your empire dropped a moon on my homeland.”

“Not by my urging.” He scoffed. “She’d fain lost her mind by that point. Cataclysms must be precise. The Legatus failed to follow orders.”

“And what would you have us do, once we ruled the Source?”

The Ascian smiled his oily smile, absently swirling the tea in his cup. “Restore it, of course.”

“Sans cataclysms?”

He tilted his head and smiled again.

“You think the silence goes over my head.”

“Quite the contrary. I know you. It never did. No, you’ve made it your life’s mission to contradict me at every turn, and for some reason I enjoyed it.” He leaned back, stretching. “But Hydaelyn. I simply…must know why.”

“Why?” Eliane blinked over the rim of her teacup. “Because she means to preserve life in its myriad forms.”

“Myriad, inefficient forms.” He leaned forward again, jabbing a finger into the table. “Have you any idea what we are capable of when we are whole? The goodness you might wield, the beauty you’d create? You’d not just call to the stars to mend wounds, you could create entire new limbs, new eyes, solve any suffering you ever saw.”

Eliane fought not to react, but he had her there, knew her weakness. She would have given anything to restore Hyrtwyda, or any of the others she had failed. Her jaw fell. “You lie.”

“Not once. Never to you.”

She shifted in her chair, taking too much time to smooth her skirts. “And Zodiark?”

“He’d not have broken us in the name of ‘preservation,” the Ascian intoned.

“You ask me to slaughter billions,” she whispered. “And what does Zodiark ask in return? All primals have a price. Those you sacrificed to him before – were they not aether in place of crystals? What happens when he needs more?”

It was the only time she had ever seen Emet-Selch speechless. His hand fell as he reached for his teacup. “…Is that why you did it?”

“You founded the empire on that premise! The idea that primals will drain the world!”

“Is that why you did it?” he insisted.

“Did what, pray tell?”

“You don’t remember.” He fell back, laughing. “She doesn’t remember! No, you just woke up one day clueless in a wagon bound for Gridania. As you do!”

Eliane stood fast, slamming her hands upon the table. He chuckled even as their teacups jumped.

“If one must needs sacrifice the many to save the few, then what is the point?” she demanded.

“If sacrificing the many means saving either the few or none at all, then wouldn’t you do it?” he countered.

She had no answer. Tears stung at her eyes.

“You doomed us,” he whispered.

“We are here now,” she replied.

Now it was his turn. Emet-selch bowed his head, breathing a laugh. “…Tarot cards. We so loved those. Fitting you are drawn to them now, you of the Chalice.”

“Do you wish riddles or tea?” Eliane demanded.

“Tea, then.” Emet-Selch smiled, lifting his cup to her in salute. “With a good friend.”

[backtomylakearearootsstory]

S1E19

The following morning unlike Malachi who was well rested, Aundrea struggled as usually to get out of bed. QJ on the other hand, woke up with bad stomach cramps. The cramps were so strong that he turned down the bacon and eggs that everybody else was eating. He attempted to take his vitamin with a cup of orange juice however after a quick burp, he rushed to the bathroom where he purged everything that he had eaten the night before. 

“Junior, you alright?” Quincy asked as he approached the bathroom door. The door was locked and he was unable to walk in. When QJ opened the door, Deja decided to take his temperature. 

“You’re a little warm”

It was decided that he’d stay home for today and depending on how he felt, he may have to stay home the following day. After breakfast, Deja dropped the kids off to school while Quincy suggested QJ take some Robitussin. 

“Yuck!” QJ exclaimed.

“Okay then, I’ll go to the grocery store. I’ll be right back. You need to go lay down for a bit. I’m gonna get get some sprite, crackers, and some soup.”

While Quincy was tending to his ill son, Anita was tending to some business at work regarding a case involving a pharmaceutical company’s new drug.  She had just had a moderately successful case where her client won primary custody of his children and the mother ordered to take anger management classes. In this case however, this is affecting children primarily in the lower income Black and Latino communities. 

“I need you to read over this case, I’ve already got an acting lawyer on it, however I need you to prepare the documentation for it” her boss requested.

“Sure sir.”

“Thank you. I’ll be back around 11:00 am”

This is someone who graduated Magna Cum Laude with a bachelor’s in Marketing. She was in the top 10% of her graduating class in Law school. She’s always been a great debater and was prepared for in the even that she had to resume the position of being the firm representative. 

After nodding in agreement, she took the time to contact her old classmate from law school Latrice.

Latrice recently started her own practice and tends to keep up with the trends going on in lower income communities due to growing up in south central and seeing first hand the neglect at hospitals in those communities.

An hour later she took her lunch break. As she rode the elevator with her colleague Carmen, she decided she wanted to talk as little as possible about the case. She decided to text Yvonne who was in between flashbacks to her sons high school graduation and research of her own.

“You can just ride with me” Carmen said

“Thank you”

After Anita and Carmen arrive to the restaurant, Carmen asked “Do you know anyone affected personally by this?”

“No, I didn’t grow up in a low income area and my people are from south Louisiana, swamp land.” She continued, “That said, I’m not unfamiliar with that shit that they try to plague black and brown communities with.”

Looking at the menu, Anita ordered a Caesar salad and a mango tea while Carmen ordered a house salad with no cheese with a water.

“Can I add grilled chicken?”, Anita asked noticing the option to upgrade for $2.00 more.

“Sure I’ll go get that right in”

“So how’s the real estate thing going? Or did you put that on hold?”

“I start my classes in two weeks.”

Like her sisters, she’s got a mind to make money. As a little girl she had always had a thing for Numbers and was drawn to the business side of interactions. Furthermore it was a good idea to have something to fall back on.

“I’d eventually like to branch out into handling real estate cases as a lawyer. I’m gonna be a black girl who rocks! My sisters and I are black WOMEN who rock!”

After that statement she begin looking at the alcoholic beverage menu on the table. She’s actually consider the drink had she not had to go right back to work.

“Our boss would never know”

“Too risky”

Anita enjoyed a sporadic alcoholic beverage but being the sole black person at the firm she decided she was not going to put her job at risk for the sake of satisfying her taste buds. As their food arrived they took a moment to appreciate that the firm the worked at closed for lunch. Anita Caesar salad came with a vinaigrette type of Caesar dressing and romaine, croutons, and Asiago cheese.

After eating and collecting their checks Anita made a quick run to he restroom before they headed out. Barely beating their boss back to work they arrived 5 minutes after 1:00 pm.

The rest of the day was rather mild other than the occasional brief readings. Anita spent the rest of her evening researching the company and reviewing their history. Apparently this isn’t this companies first run in with a lawsuit of this nature. A similar incident happened back in South Carolina with multiple residents coming up dead. This was settled out of court when the company paid a total of 35.9 million to a total of 15 families.

That evening she managed to work in a short run and a shower before putting on a curlean blue top and a pair a blue jeans. She met Latrice 15 minutes earlier than what was expected.

After a hug, they managed to get a table when Anita jumped right to the chase.

“So what do you know?”

“Well I know that the drug is referred to by residents as the "trance drug". This drug is altering our kids minds. Another one, but it's got 'em beamed out of their skulls. It's like Xanax times 5. They've been doing this shit for years. They put steroids in groceries in these urban communities, the medical professionals and I use that term loosely are half-assed.”

Latrice referred to this drug as the damnation drug. 

"It's making women sterile. Kids are foaming at the mouth. I've heard that one of the plaintiffs in this lawsuit has a child in ICU. The plaintiffs are asking the firm that you are at to represent them. This drug, from what I've heard is a combination of an emetic and some sort of psychedelic." 

"My brother-in-law is a pharmacist. He'd probably be able to tell me exactly what's in it.”

“It's some bullshit that they've come up with in a lab”

“Isn’t it all?”

They looked at the menu for a moment when Anita said "Girl, I ate a salad for lunch, I'm ordering a steak!"

"Well I am going to get this chicken and shrimp pasta"

“What would you like to drink?“ the waitress asked 

“Sprite”

“Strawberry Lemonade“

They periodically talked during their meals when Latrice revealed that she was engaged.

It wasn’t that Anita was afraid of commitment, she just wanted a beau who was on her level or higher.

Well I’m gonna get a to-go box, I’ll probably eat the rest of this steak for lunch tomorrow.

Later on Yvonne received a phone call from Abram.

She then had a flashback to his 13th birthday. She took him out to eat at an Italian restaurant where he created his own pizza along with a piece of white chocolate cake for dessert. The cake had a raspberry glaze that was homemade. He loved Italian as well as Mexican and it was usually one of these two choices that he requested on his birthday. 13 was a milestone as he hosted his first dance party that weekend. His birthday generally falls in during a weekday. At 18, he’s not so much of a partier, but likes a social setting. 

After sitting for a minute to ponder on one milestone, she had  a flashback to his high school graduation. She thought about him in his cap and gown, remembering his name called as he picked up his diploma. They had been close all his life. Sending him off was rather bittersweet, though she wasn’t far.

“I just pray he doesn’t back down last minute” she said before shutting her light off and going to bed.

TO BE CONTIUNED WITH EPISODE 20.