#ffxiv snippet

[wol-taleal-desharn]

"Welcome to the Future"

Just a little snippet based on a sidequest I was working one to level black mage :)

Taleal smiled softly at the elezen — pardon, elf man as he fussed and wrung his hands. She’d had to guide him back up the Catenaries to the delivery room with his wife and now, small newborn. The midwife clucked at the new father before taking a glance at the au ra.

“Oh, my! You brought the Exarch’s guest! Please, might you come welcome the young girl to the world?”

The au ra blinked, but maintained her composure with a nod. “Of course,” she murmured, stepping up to eye the babe.

She was so tiny, this wee little thing that just entered the world some minutes ago. Taleal flicked her eyes to the mother in the bed, who offered a tired but relieved smile.

Taleal, Warrior of Light, of Darkness, smiled to herself, and was reminded then that…this was the kind of thing she fought for. These small little moments; for new life.

Fighting for those who will follow, for the future. And the future was held right in front of her, all tiny and pink and swaddled in a blanket.

“Hello, little one, and welcome to the world. You have so much to see and to look forward to in this fantastical place you get to call home.” The baby opened her tiny little lips in a yawn, earning a chuckle from the midwife.

“Thank you, my lady. I’m sure this will be a wonderful story for her parents to tell her when she is older.”

Taleal nodded to the midwife before turning to the young mother. “She is a beautiful little treasure; and I hope she - and you both - are well blessed.”

The mother grinned, holding her arms out for her baby. “We are; thank you, Taleal.”

The au ra bowed at the waist before turning to leave, leaving the family in privacy to get to know their new little one. She was but midway down the stairs when she heard her name called. Looking up, she spied Y’shtola at the bottom.

“Ah, there you are - where have you been, my dear?” Y’shtola cocked her head to the side, looking up curiously.

Taleal brushed a fold out of her scarlet togi as she stepped off the stairway. “Ah, you know - giving encouragement, kissing newborn babes, that sort of thing.”

Y’shtola quirked a brow, lips curling in amusement. “I did not think you liked babes, Taleal.”

Taleal shrugged. “I ran into a new father, who was rightly flustered at the birth of his daughter. He simply needed some encouragement, and asked me to come meet the little one. The midwife bid me to welcome the babe, and so I did.” She hooked her arm through Y’shtola’s. “I assume that since you have come to fetch me, we are off to the Ocular?”

“Indeed we are - duty ever calls.”

Taleal shook her head. “There is nothing wrong with a babe, especially a newborn. They…” she pursed her lips. “They are a good reminder of what we fight for.”

Y’shtola smiled a rare, soft smile. “A fair point, my friend.” The two were silent as they made their way through to the Rotunda. “Do you ever think of having your own?”

“My own what?”

“Children, Tally.”

The Warrior shrugged, scoffing slightly. “T’would be a daydream, at best.”

“Dreams are simply goals we have not realized, yet. Do you think it impossible?” Y’shtola chided.

“Well, first I would have to find someone to have babes with…”

“You’ve no lack of suitors, surely.” They were making their way down the stairs of the Rotunda, onto the pathway leading to the Tower.

Taleal stopped, staring up at the blue crystal structure. “Perhaps, back home.” she muttered, frowning. “I would not be suited to their gilded cages.”

“I find that dreams - or daydreams - will find us, guided by fate when we least expect it, my dear. But you might also have to take her in hand and give a bit of a pull. We cannot expect destiny and fate to do everything; they have a lot to do, as it were, and certainly they guide much else in your life as it is.” Y’stola’s voice intoned, low but serious.

“Pray, whatever art thou speaking of?” Urianger’s voice cut in as he approached with Thancred.

Y’shtola hummed at the two. “Children, and the future. I was merely wondering if our dear Warrior wanted any.”

Thancred chuckled. “A most fearsome mother the worlds have never seen yet.” The comment earned light laughs from the others.

Taleal offered something of a bemused smile. “Mm, well. Mayhap I shall daydream upon it some more.”

The four made their way up the stairs of the Tower now, proceeding to their next mission.

[naelmasn]

The child showed curiosity right away, with his mismatched eyes exploring the surroundings as if he had never set foot outside his front door. The world was so big and he was so small. He wanted to run and jump, wet his shoes in the stream, say hello to every being he encountered, and laugh as he rolled down the hills. He wanted to do so many things now that he was here, but at the same time he couldn't take his shaking hand off the hem of his mother's robes.

[ahollowgrave]

-- laughter echoes among sinking ruins.

][ featuring @abyssalmermaiden's gorgeous Aryailles.]

[lettersnorth]

“Maybe I’m too much of a distraction.” "Aislinn, darling. You are the most welcome distraction that a man could ever ask for."

[galianbeast]

old quinfort/valan stuff. they were so gay and transgender to me.

[avirael]

Sparing you the direct side by side comparison here but I really think Nhagi’ra has a bit of Flynn Rider energy, as in he’s a charming but kind idiot. Maybe a little more silly/clumsy than Flynn 🤭

Imagine him just walking by and seeing a woman attacked by some monster. Of course he heroically rushes to her help just that he slips/trips, falls down down a ravine or something and breaks his leg.

Meanwhile said woman (who can absolutely save herself) chases away the monster on her own and finds him stuck and whining.

Still he immediately puts on his most self-assured, charming face to impress her, which pathetically fails of course.

I Imagine it goes like this:

“Can you walk?”

“Of course I ca- Aaaah! - No! No, I can’t…”

“Alright, let me help you…”

[thevikingwoman]

FFXIVWrite2024 - Prompt 1

Fandom: Final Fantasy XIV | Words: 261

Meryta Khatin x Tansui | ENW start Rating: Gen. Reflection, enwalker intro spoilers.

Steer

The journey to Sharlayan seems endless. The water is beautiful, and the weather has been mild so far, making an easy journey. Just very long.

Meryta walks the deck, stretching her legs and her tail and her arms. There’s no real way to train, swinging and leaping with a katana or trying to fire arrows is bound to end in disaster. Not to mention doing magic. The small, green carbuncle following her is the best she can do, along with the moving and stretching.

Estinien has a similar problem. One leap from the top mast to the bow, and the captain quite strongly forbade any more of that. She’s not sure how he deals, but Meryta is wandering the deck restlessly.

Speaking of the captain, he’s at the helm, steering the ship with hands on the wheel. Not a wheel – she keeps forgetting what it’s called. It doesn’t matter. Instead, she thinks of a much smaller boat, steered by a confident hand on the rudder, winds in the single colorful sail.

She misses Tansui. This journey too far, and it takes her further and further away from him. Surely Sharlayan will have an aetheryte, and once attuned she’ll be able to go to him, the cost doesn’t matter to her.

Except that the Telophoroi don’t lie idle, and as usual time is of the essence. She sighs and closes her eyes. The sea doesn’t quite smell the same, but it’s close. She thinks of Tansui’s hands again.  Calloused and confident and too far away. It will have to do for now.

[kaitontenchu]

Unwritten Bonds

-

"...Thanks for comin' to talk with me, Esti." The slightest bit of hesitation caught Kai's tongue at the utterance of his adoptive brother's name. "I - It's been a while for sure...!"

Keenly catching on, Estinien let out a sigh before taking another swig of his ale. He approached the younger man and placed a gentle palm atop his head.

Kai's ears perked up at the sudden weight.

"What are you getting flustered over, boy? You used to call me that name when we were just naive little kids. We both grew up, but that's it. Our lives may have run a different course and will continue to do so, but you will always be my little brother in the end."

Kai felt his face flush in a rush of comfort. He lowered his ears and simply nodded. A content smile being the only response he needed to give back to Estinien.

[howdygravytrain]

aymeric's a simple man: he sees wife, he loses his shit /pos UwU

a simple set done before dawntrail (i think i'm nearly done sharing all the pre-dt screenies??)!! also granson somehow getting his ass transported to the source works because yes 🤠 super short, but as always transcript is below!

TRANSCRIPT

Panel 2: Granson: Who is that hot lady?

Panel 3: Aymeric: THAT'S MY FUCKING WIFE!!!!

[azems-familiar]

Chapters: 1/1 Fandom: Final Fantasy XIV Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Azem/Emet-Selch/Hythlodaeus (Final Fantasy XIV), Azem & Emet-Selch & Hythlodaeus (Final Fantasy XIV), Azem & Venat (Final Fantasy XIV), Emet-Selch/Hythlodaeus/Warrior of Light (Final Fantasy XIV), Emet-Selch & Hythlodaeus & Warrior of Light (Final Fantasy XIV) Characters: Azem (Final Fantasy XIV), Warrior of Light (Final Fantasy XIV), Emet-Selch (Final Fantasy XIV), Hythlodaeus (Final Fantasy XIV), Venat (Final Fantasy XIV), Scions of the Seventh Dawn (Final Fantasy XIV) Additional Tags: how the FUCK do i even tag this thing, Ultima Thule (Final Fantasy XIV), Patch 6.0: Endwalker Spoilers (Final Fantasy XIV), Queerplatonic Relationships, it's tagged both & and / for a reason, i listened to "answers" on repeat a lot and it made me very sad, Canonical Character Death, it's Hythlodaeus and he's alive at the end so it'S FINE, Angst with a Happy Ending, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, the canon divergence is emet and hyth don't fuck off at the end, Amaurot (Final Fantasy XIV), no beta we die like literally all my favorite characters, Named Azem (Final Fantasy XIV), Nonbinary Azem (Final Fantasy XIV), Female Warrior of Light (Final Fantasy XIV), i have not finished the endwalker patch quests or all the related raids, so if my lore is off don't @ me Summary:

“Then give me an alternative, Seleukos!” he says, pushing himself upright to match them, face twisting. “Give me some other way, any other way! We as the Fourteen have a duty to this star and I, for one, intend to ensure there is still a star to have a duty to when this is all over.”

“To the star?” Azem asks, and laughs, disbelieving and jagged and aching. “What about the people? The lives? What use is the damn star without the life that makes it beautiful?” - None of them had ever truly had a chance, back then. But now here she stands, so close to silencing Meteion’s song of oblivion and proving Hydaelyn’s, Venat’s faith true, showing the world to a new future, and she wants - has, almost - to show them it’s still possible. A long time ago Emet-Selch asked her for an alternative, and now she can give him one. - Azem, Emet-Selch, and Hythlodaeus, in Amaurot and at the end of the universe.

[dogicrimsonofficial]

Haurchefant gripped his sword, ready to shout for the beast to move aside while preparing to block that swipe, take the brunt of it… when something collided with it from above. A shape, Elezen with brown hair and bright green eyes, a scar on his cheek and freckles dotting his cheeks had landed on its head, his own blade burying deep into the maned neck. Not enough to kill, but enough to disorient, to annoy, to wound. 

Ifroix wore an unfamiliar grimace, the fall having not been great for his injured leg - but he looked towards Haurchefant all the same, desperation clear from his eyes. 

“Go!” he shouted, bashing his shield against the beast's head to keep it disoriented. 

It was merely a split second of eye contact, of a simple nod, and Haurchefant was running off again, past the massive beast that was taking the younger Elezen for a ride.

---

Finished one of my personal pieces finally, decided that this looks good enough, no need to color it. Just some art of a side-character I created that accidentally became adored by couple of my friends by being too much of a bro.

[anneapocalypse]

WIP Wednesday

Thank you for the tag, @myreia! 💙

Tagging:

@farfromdaylight @chocochipbiscuit @inquisimer @rosella-writes @dreadfutures

@queenaeducan @warpedlegacy @skyeventide @crackinglamb @ir0n-angel

and anyone else who'd like to share (and if you've already been tagged for this week, consider yourself tagged for next, if you like).

As I've been giving my draft of Harsh Light a re-read, here is a snippet from that. Ariane is having a Bad Time, and the brothers Fortemps aren't having a great one either. Heavensward spoilers.

---

Artoirel seemed to follow her eyes to the shield at her side. "When you look on that shield, I trust you will remember his words." He leaned forward, regarding her with an almost piercing earnestness in his blue eyes. "And should I once more find my resolve wavering, I ask that you show me the way. You were a sister to Haurchefant. Will you be a sister to me as well?"

Ariane nearly choked on her tea. For a mercy she only coughed once or twice, causing Alphinaud to look to her with more alarm than was perhaps necessary. Opposite, Emmanellain uttered a distinctly less genuine cough.

Artoirel looked to his brother, then to Ariane. "…Forgive me. Have I said something amiss?"

"No, my lord," Ariane said hastily, and remembering his earlier words about formality, corrected herself. "No—forgive me."

So the Count, who had been so aware of her relationship with his favored son, had said nothing of it to his eldest. She could hardly fault him for keeping his own counsel in his grief… but he must have known for weeks before that, and never had he seen fit to mention it. It could not have been Haurchefant's wish that his father keep silent. Haurchefant had been ready to declare their love from the tallest spire in Ishgard, and the Fury take any naysayers.

It did put her in a dreadful position. There was no way to proceed that would not embarrass Artoirel, and at a moment when he had come to her in earnest friendship. Ariane might hold her tongue to spare his feelings, but she could see from the snicker Emmanellain was barely suppressing that he most certainly would not.

And better he hear it from Ariane, she supposed.

"Artoirel, I thank you," she said, collecting her wits. "Truly—it means so much that you would ask, and if there be any way I can be of help, pray tell me. You must forgive me for correcting one misapprehension—I was no sister to your brother."

Artoirel's brow furrowed in confusion. "I'm afraid I don't follow."

Emmanellain helpfully chimed in, "Really, old boy?" to which Artoirel shot him a look both irritated and baffled.

"We were… involved," Ariane said. Was that how the highborn made reference to intimate relationships? She prayed it was clear enough, and that Emmanellain would add no helpful commentary.

Understanding dawned on Artoirel's face, and Ariane released a breath of relief.

"Oh, by the Fury—forgive me, Ariane. I had no idea. I suppose I was so wrapped up in my own affairs… You must think me rather a fool."

"Not at all." Ariane could not help noticing that Emmanellain looked like a cat who'd gotten into the cream. She supposed she could hardly blame him. For once, he was privy to something his elder brother was not. He might as well savor the moment.

"Did my father know?"

"Yes." She could see the sting of it register on Artoirel's face, but there was no sense in lying.

But Artoirel said nothing of what he must have felt. "I thank you, Ariane… For your candor, and for your friendship." He nodded to his brother. "And now, I'm afraid we must take our leave. Come, Emmanellain. There is much to be done. For Father, and for Ser Aymeric. And for Ishgard."

[velnica]

« The Matron's Fang » Sanson Smyth

To go with this Guydelot set.

[lettersnorth]

“We should go target practice sometime.” "Oh, fancy a competition, do ya? It would help test our aim." Luma joked, chuckling lightly. "A friendly wager could be partaken as well if you're up for it." Though he feared it would be a wager he may lose. Aislinn’s mouth curves up in a thrilled arc. “Come on now, I’m always up a little friendly wager. Especially if it involves my shooting.”

[sae-mian]

『Beyond the Horizon ☼ Minasha』

[avirael]

Peace of Mind

There was something incredibly soothing about the daily business of the Silver Bazaar.

The same familiar friendly faces, simple mundane tasks he could help with, no unforseeable occurrences disturbing the peace. A’viloh loved this place and it’s people from the bottom of his heart. They had taken him in the way he was, like he had always been one of them, and he knew they would always welcome him back with open arms. And this was exactly what the townsfolk and Kikipu had done when he had appeared not only without announcement but also visibly shaken at that.

A’viloh had pretty much fled Ishgard. Hadn’t even bothered to return to his room at the inn. There was nothing there that belonged to him. The few things he possessed and wasn’t carrying with him still were at the room in Fortemps Manor and he certainly wouldn’t return there ever again. As late as it was he had gone straight to the place where the Haillenartes had accommodated Cid and his team for the time he spent working at the Skysteel Manufactury.

“A’viloh?”, the man had asked with a yawn, visibly torn from his sleep, as he opened the door.

“You have to take me to Ul’dah.”, the Miqo’te had demanded without any word of greeting, much to Cid’s confusion. Of course he had tried to question him but A’viloh hadn’t let him and in the end he had agreed to have Biggs and Wedge fly him to his destination early the next morning.

The few hours it took for the sun to rise he had spent at the chocobo stables. Yugiri had taught him enough so he was able to sneak in there unseen and so he spent the night cuddled close to the soft warm plumage of the black chocobo Haurchefant had gifted him, silently crying about how lost and alone he suddenly felt. The bird had made a low, almost purring, sound and nuzzled his head with her beak until A’viloh wrapped his arms around her long neck and buried his face in her dark feathers.

The airship departed as the sun rose and after wondering for a bit wether or not he should, he decided to take Chloé with him. The chocobo was rightfully his, so the caretaker at the stable did not protest, and yet it somehow felt like theft to A’viloh. But the bird seemed quite attached to him and for the Miqo’te she was a welcome companion now that he traveled alone again. He had left his other chocobo at the stables in Ul’dah on the day of the banquet and there he still was right now, as Pipin had assured him. A’viloh hoped that the two of them would get along well and also that they might be useful to help with tasks at the Bazaar.

The flight had been uneventful and quite fast for the distance. It wasn’t even noon, when he thanked Biggs and Wedge, who planned to stock up on a few materials before flying back, and said his farewell to them. Then A’viloh got his second chocobo from the stables of the Immortal Flames and soon was out of the buzzling city and only a short distance away from the next best thing he still had to a home.

As he slowly rode towards the small settlement he felt such a strong feeling of familiarity that it made tears appear in the corners of his eyes again. He had not noticed how tensed up he had been until now all the pressure fell off of his shoulders at once.

At first all the people curiously eyed the two tall chocobos before they quickly realised who traveled with them. As a few of them stopped in their tracks to greet him, the news of his arrival spread like a wildfire among the townsfolk. No one had expected him and his sudden appearance was like a special happening for this quiet small village. It only took a few minutes until an excited voice hurried closer and made A’viloh instinctively turn his head.

“A’viloh? Oh, it’s so nice to see you!”, the lavender haired Lalafell exclaimed as she ran towards him. Blinking away tears A’viloh knelt down to greet the woman with a smile on his face and a tight embrace. “Kikipu, I’ve missed you so much.”

Happily she smiled at him before observing the two chocobo’s and looking around for a bit. “Are you on your own this time? Where is Rael?”

A’viloh’s expression visibly soured. Like a sulky small child he claimed, “I don’t know and I don’t care.”

For a few seconds the Lalafell quizzically stared at him. While it would have been just like her to scold him for such behaviour right away or at least pry the truth out of him, she must have decided to take a more careful approach to figure out what was wrong with him. Such a sudden visit, all things considered, and at that alone and despite his best efforts to hide it in a quite desolate shape, he should have expected for Kikipu to see through it all.

“You look horrible, my boy!”, she stated instead of insisting on the subject of Rael any longer and worriedly grabbed one of his hands with her tiny ones.

“I am fine.”, A’viloh tried to assure her but she simply made an incredulous face. “You look tired, A’vi!”

He shrugged. “I am…”

“Outright exhausted!”, she added. “Have you been eating properly. Come! I’m going to make you some food.”

“I am not hungry, but thank you.”, he claimed although he had barely eaten anything since days.

“No, no!”, Kikipu protested and pulled at his arm. “Come on! Tea and food for you! And then some rest! There’s still plenty of time for talking once you recovered!”

There was no arguing against her. There really never was. And so in a way everything was just like it always had been here at the Silver Bazaar. If there was any place where he would be able to find peace, A’viloh thought, it would be here.

Without too much protest he let the Lalafell woman coddle him for a bit until the accumulated tiredness of the last week overwhelmed him. As his eyes fell shut, after drinking tea with Kikipu in a comfortable sunny spot, a deep dreamless sleep finally embraced him.

***

To A’viloh’s surprise the first few days at the Bazaar were incredibly busy. Everyone wanted to hear from the faraway city he had visited and the other curious places he had seen. A lot of the townsfolk also asked for his help with some work or transporting thing back and forth to and from the crossing or city. He had been grateful for the fact that he could help at all and also keep himself busy.

All this time he had tried not to think too much about everything unpleasant that had happened lately and especially not about the way he and Rael had parted ways. And for a while this had worked perfectly fine. But the more time he spent here and the more he settled back down into this peaceful daily life, just as a certain calmness slowly returned to him his thoughts began to wander. Back to the events of the last weeks and months. Back to the people he had simply left behind in Ishgard. Not only Rael, but also Tataru and Alphinaud to whom he hadn’t even given a single word of excuse or goodbye.

But especially his thought returned back to that night where he had stood only one step away from the abyss, his heart and mind overwhelmed by grief and pain and fear. He still felt all of that, still understood what had led him there to that ledge and yet thinking about how all of this could have ended, now that he was here among the people dear to him, deeply shocked him.

If Rael hadn’t been there… Maybe the Viera had been right with everything they had said. As painful as it was to admit this, but maybe he had lied to himself all along. Of course he had gotten a little bit stronger in the last year but apart from this he still was the same person. Although he had tried to become someone else, deep down he still was just terrified little A’viloh pretending to be alright. Pretending to be brave and pretending to want a new life for himself. Pretending to everybody and himself too.

While in reality he still hadn’t made his peace with everything that had happened before he had even washed ashore at the Silver Bazaar, he had gone to Ul’dah wanting to make up for all the pain he had caused. Wanting to finally return some of the goodness that had been given to him by Kikipu and the others. Wanting to help people, who needed help like he had needed it.

As he had tried so desperately to be something more than he had always been, to finally be useful, ignoring the protest inside him, he had not even noticed how he slowly accumulated even more weight on his shoulders. More pain and grieve. More guilt and self-hate. With every little failure and loss he had encountered along the way. Instead of healing he had pushed himself closer to the abyss step by step.

Maybe it was the best, for himself and for everyone, if he just admitted that he was not made for such a life. Maybe it was for the best if he just stayed here, taking some simple jobs here and there, not much more than was necessary to keep himself and the people here alive and happy. A quiet uneventful life.

And yet…

With each passing day, he found himself wondering more often. Not in the busy hours but instead in the silent moments. When he sat down at noon to have lunch in the shadow of a canvas awning, when he went to bed and could not sleep until late at night, when he opened the windows early in the morning and felt the salty wind rolling in from the sea pulling at his hair.

Then he wondered. About all the unfinished business. A whole city in turmoil. All the people he had left behind there.

Diligent, caring Tataru, who had always remained optimistic and cheerful despite everything.

Young Alphinaud, who himself was struggling and yet tried so hard to improve and make up for his mistakes.

Rael.

A’viloh was not sure anymore if he knew who Rael was or if he ever had known. But he knew Rael had always been at his side this whole time. Whenever he had felt bad Rael had been there for him and he also knew he owed the viera his life multiple times already. So did it really matter that Rael had kept this secret from him? He had known all along that something was bothering Rael. He had known that here were things they could not talk about. An he also knew that this hadn’t been easy for Rael either.

Again and again he wondered. What were all of them doing now? What were they thinking of him? And more often than every other question: Were they alright? Or maybe in danger?

Silently he kept asking himself this over and over again. One day, after he had picked up a delivery at the Quicksand, he even wondered if he should walk over to the Hall of Flames and see if anyone there knew about current happenings in Ishgard. As his chocobo kwehed impatiently, A’viloh had vehemently shaken his head and told himself that Kikipu was waiting for him and that everything in Ishgard would be perfectly fine now that he was no longer there to make everything worse.

And still the thoughts and worries returned day after day. Until one morning he stared out of the window with a vacant expression, entirely lost in thought. Kikipu stepped beside him, a mug in hand, and looked at him for a moment. “What‘s wrong?”, she finally asked.

Her voice startled him. Nervously he continued to put some things into a small backpack, readying himself for another trip to the city. ”Nothing. I was just distracted for a moment…”

“I see.”, with a stern expression the Lalafell put down the mug and placed her hands at her hips. “And will you finally tell me now what you are doing here?”

“What I am doing here?”, the Miqo’te repeated as if he didn’t understand the question. “I am supposed to take these things to Ul’dah of course and buy supplies instead.”

The small lavender-haired woman didn’t move one bit and just kept seriously staring at him. “Don’t play dumb with me, A’vi. I meant why you returned here and are staying so long, while your friends are still in Ishgard.”

“I told you I am not needed in Ishgard any longer. You almost sound like you want me gone…”, he answered, keeping his gaze fixed on his bag instead of risking to look the Lalafell in the eyes.

“A’viloh…”, Kikipu said with a sigh. “My dear, you know that you are always welcome here. But we also both know, that you haven’t been telling me the whole truth. So you better spit it out now!”

With furrowed brows A’viloh looked at the small woman, who in return stared at him with a serious unwavering determination on her face. Yes, there really was no arguing against Kikipu. Yet alone lying to her.

“Something horrible happened.”, he admitted finally before adding, “And I fought with Rael.”

To be honest he was not even sure if this were the right words to describe what had happened. Probably not. And yet it felt like it.

“Oh no… Why didn’t you tell me ealier?”, Kikipu asked with worry in her voice.

“I didn’t want to bother you…”, A’viloh explained and while this wasn’t a lie, in reality he had just not wanted to tell her the whole truth. He still didn’t want to. How where you supposed to tell anyone you loved that you almost threw yourself off a cliff anyway? Neither did it feel right to him to just retell the secret Rael had kept so carefully, even though by doing so they had lied to him.

The Lalafell sounded and looked a bit reproachful, when she addressed him again. “You are never bothering me. Please, sit down and tell me what happened.”

A’viloh shrugged uncomfortably and suddely pretended to be in ahurry. “Maybe later, I should really go now…“

But Kikipu wasn’t going to let him evade her this easily. „Uh-uh, the delivery can wait! Now, stop running away and tell me what’s wrong.“

Stop running away.

Somehow the way she said that reminded him of Rael. Running away… Was this really what he was doing?

With a sigh A‘viloh put down his bag again.

Maybe he could tell her at least a bit. Maybe it would help somehow…