#garlean-nonsense

[fatedroses]

Chance encounters in Costa del Sol.

[mxdotpng]

best part abt having an ff14 oc is creating side content for ur wol's character development, completely unrelated to the msq going on

[voidsentprinces]

Join FFXIV we got:

Fuckable Monster Gods, Yandere General, SUCH DEVASTATION, Malevolent Breadloaf, Hate Fuck Philosophy between Church's Money Illiterate Doomslayer and the Heretical Dragon fuckers, Bestest Boy, Butch Scholar with an axe, France with hot single elves, Lesbian Gunslingers, Manwhore of Astrology, his love rival and the asexual woman who has no clue, Inner Feral State, his legal partner and their adopted daughter, Murder Bimbo, his angry red head and their sadistic feral viceroy with her himbo henchman, Hopeless Romantic who gets bullied, his very heterosexual tribe of male only warriors, the apeshit warlock stealing his women while being transpiritual and a shepherd wife, frat boy emperor, Iroh Samurai and the sickest ninja woman ever, Your Own Personal Catboy, his eligible straightforward daughter who is also captain the guard, THE HIMBO FAMILY complete with bomb throwing cat girl, adoptive mechanical nonbinary child, and psychotic hard line temper mother, entire village of rabbit woman, the most love struck catboy outside the Crystarium and his religious group, an entire kingdom of nonbinary fae folk and their they/them King, the Ghosts of Christmas Past as well the Ghost of Christmas Present with his talking dog, THE TRUEST BESTEST BOY and his robot companion, the Dragon Father and his brood of angsty teenagers, Genocidal Tsundere Emperor, his grandson no-nonsense Emperor and the pretty boy handsome girl of ancient times, the hero worshiping companion of eld who doesn't remember you BUT YOU CAN FIX HIM!, a entire continent of nerds ripe for the punching, an entire continent of geeks ripe for picking on you and your companions including their leader SCIENCE WIFE, SUCH DEVASTATON's extended family who will remain perfect if you don't touch that fucking side quest, an entire moon of bunny people not to be confused with the village of rabbit women but while we're talking about rabbit people have this stoic and handy rabbit man and his VERY ENTHUSIASTIC TRANS LION FRIEND! Did we mention you get a punchy very enthusiastic woman clad in red? Drop by Ala Mhigo she is always happy to help you punch things! Also while you're there meet the main soldier you're deprogramming from the Garlean Cult he likes giving buuz to people and has this...Great Dane vibe, I don't know how else to describe it. Got a moment? Meet your adoptive family, a knife daughter and her hammer girlfriend, a sword daughter and her scholarly brother, an entire orphanage out of both Ul'dah AND Idyllshire, and a berb daughter who almost ended the entire universe because she COUDLNT STOP FEELING!!!!!!!!!! Also meet more monsters for you to fuck Flayed Demon, MUSCLE GODDESS, Cowabunga, grumpy fire man, and Knight in Shining Identity Theft, and their friend nonbinary lass who can kill AND EAT! There is, of course, also...adoptive fathers in partnership with you and knife daughter, wine aunt of a thousand Fire IVs, a cantankerous short lad, scholar woman who is getting into art, Tataru the Most Powerful and Important Character in the game and therefore the only one I shall refer to by name here, THE HORNIEST WOMAN IN ALL OF FICTION, two Roegadyn brothers, a fabulous elezen healer and her exasperated sister, the adoptive mother and legendary dancer AND bartender, an equally exasperated woman who just convinced her patriarch to retire from adventuring, a short Sultana, an oblivious Seedseer, and the greatest admiral to grace this franchise, General Father and his son from the Shire, the inventor with a heart of gold, his companions, their stern manager, and the gremlin man who is here to make the inventor eat his shirt while laughing. AND THATS JUST THE PEOPLE IN THE MAIN STORYLINE.

So join FFXIV today.

[captainqster]

You 🤝 Me "what the ever-loving fuck are they doing over there"

i swear, this is why Garlean OC havers can't have nice things

right? though?? i just wanted to explore the complexities of privilege mixed with propaganda and what happens when a naive idealist's eyes are forced open

hearing about this twitter nonsense is like that iceberg post. i'm watching it drift by and refusing to peek at what lies below the surface

[beanmom-blogs]

FFXIV Write 2024 Prompt#24 : Bar

The decision was not made lightly, despite his normal disposition for being spontaneous. There was, he’d found, so much more work necessary for starting up a business than he’d initially thought. Even if the business was an equivalent to a bar. He called it a pub, but that was, in essence, merely a fancy way of saying tavern.

Currently he was stuck on the menu aspect. He had the building, it was all furnished. His personal quarters were still in the works, but there were enough sofas around to sleep on that he didn’t need much in the way there, at least until the opening. All of the plants for the garden had taken their root and were flourishing. But how do you have a bar if you don’t even know what drinks you’ll have on offer?

He’d already decided the very best thing to do now was to travel to the places he would be serving snacks and drinks from, though he’d been looking for the how. Of course an airship was the easy answer, but he’d have to go airship to airship to airship to boat to boat for the journey, carrying his luggage and staying on specific timetables with proper paperwork in hand. Surely there had to be an easier way? He’d done a fair bit of research, but the time for a journey to two of the places he wanted to go meant a much longer span of him being gone from the pub. And with no real view save water, water, and more water.

Whether it was luck, fate, or simply sheer coincidence, there came a day when the streets of Ul’dah were abuzz with chatter. Not normal chatter either, something akin to gossip but could just be informative? That’s all Marti would take it as. Not one to gossip, but a bartender’s assets are their ears. And he happened to be a Duskwight, which meant his hearing was better than the majority of Ul’dah’s.

“Did you see it? Did you see the monstrosity in the air?” A Lalafell bedecked in fine jewels and swathed in rich fabrics chittered to a Hyur.

There was a ship. An airship. Not like the ones that flew out of Ul’dah and to the other City-States, but more metallic, more beat up and run down looking. It had been seen a few times, according to this Lalafell, but never came to the official landing of the city.

As Marti pretended to be thoroughly checking over some imported vegetables, holding one up for inspection, then another, his ear paid rapt attention to the ensuing conversation.

The Hyur did a quick scan around the plaza, bending down and lowered his voice more toward her ear. “I hear it sometimes shuffles the refugees in and out. Takes some away, then BOOM… next time it’s back, there’s more tents outside the walls.”

Another vegetable of a different sort was picked up, inspected, and Marti pretended to count out how many he might need.

Shaking her head, the Lalafell corrected the man. “Nonsense, the Monetarists would never allow such a thing. Besides. I have it on good word that the ship is bringing in those.. Garlean.. parts. Apparently it is a heap of scrap itself, but with all of those dreadful happenings in Ilsabard and the peace pact that is in place now, they’re delivering those parts to the various City-States so our researchers might learn and expand on their technologies.”

“You’re the one being ridiculous now! You might be on to a bit of something though, it is hanging about the Coffer and Coffin, and I’d bet that it is picking up liquor to take to Garlemald’s frozen wastes.”

“Why could it not be both? The alcohol for the parts? They are a desperate people, after all. Up in that dreary frozen wasteland.. it’s worse than Coerthas!”

Unfortunately they wandered off then, the Lalafell having spotted another acquaintance and a bevy of fake hello’s ensued. Marti grabbed up a few of the choicest of the vegetables he’d been looking at, thanking the stall owner and paying, then taking his own leave with a bit of excitement in his long step. He had to go see that airship. Whether it was there to deliver parts or to pick up regional spirits or to haul refugees to and fro, it just might be something he could work with. If, of course, the ones who flew it weren’t hostile. It was one of those spontaneous chances he just had to take.

(Inspired by @hares-and-hounds FC and RP plot! Thank you so much for the added bits!)

[fromtheladiesoflight]

Ladies' Profiles: Helena Avesna

Name: Helena Avesna (Helen is an acceptable nickname for those that know her.)

Pronouns: she/her (cis woman)

Age: 42 (as of Patch 6.55, The Coming Dawn, born June 28th/29th Sun of the 3rd Umbral Moon)

Origin: Bozjan Hrothgar (she categorically rejects the label of Helions or Lost, as do many Hrothgar).

Family members: Vesna Amira Ruzasch (mother), Damir Amira (father)

Height: 233.68cm / 7’8”

Preferred professions: GNB, VPR (MNK on a technicality, as she is very much a fistfighter but is not trained formally in that sense.)

Aetheric alignment: Umbral wind

(Some Bozja and Endwalker spoilers ensue below.)

================================================

In the Ladies' worldline, nomadic Bozjan Hrothgar tribes are often known by lineages that take note of distinct traits that run in the queens of each lineage. Helena's lineage, "Black-Marks-Green-Eyes", spans back several generations, and has roamed the Bozjan countryside for nearly as long. Helena was raised by her mother Vesna and father Damir, groomed to become the next queen of her lineage and trained in the use of a gunblade from when she was very young, continuing to follow her parents and her tribe as they lived in the wilds to avoid the spectre of Garlean imperialism as much as possible. Then, the Bozjan Incident occurred, and Helena, a young woman in truth now, decided that simply surviving the occupation would no longer be enough. And so she became a member of the nascent, underground Bozjan resistance, fighting in what ways she could--at least until she drew too much attention after destroying one of the larger Garlean encampments at great risk and cost to her own health. Out of a need to sequester herself as far away as possible for a few years, she went far westward, until she found herself in Tural and was fortunate enough to pick up the art of the viper whilst her bones and spirit recovered.

Once rejuvenated, she made her way back to Bozja, right as (unbeknownst to her) the Ladies of Light helped to liberate Doma and Ala Mhigo, revitalizing the resistance effort and giving Helena prime work on the ground once more as she returned to Bozja to take up the duty of a Resistance fighter once again. Then, some time later, the Ladies of Light came to the Bozjan Southern front and helped push Bozja's liberation forward; at the rank of Captain, Helena did not get to fight beside them, but supplemented their work from the rear by staying in the trenches and helping to keep the frontline stable.

Eventually, following Bozja's liberation, she left behind Bozja once more, feeling restless and desiring to travel. She would wander for several more years, taking on jobs as a bodyguard and a hunter in her roaming, until she was contracted via a third party to help bring materials to Old Sharlayan for the fueling of the Ragnarok. Whilst there, she took up guildship hunting, which put her in the prime position to meet both Rija and Ystride by chance whilst they were training in Labyrinthos. Recognizing their style of gunblade combat, Helena challenged them both to a duel, then revealed upon beating both of them that she could tell that Rija had been trained by her old comrade Radovan and that Rija in turn taught Ystride. In need of a way to keep herself busy and to spur Rija and Ystride into growing, she told them both to seek her out in Tural in order to truly hone themselves; once they, along with the rest of the Ladies, did so, she took it upon herself to both travel alongside them all and "finish" Rija and Ystride's training herself, molding them both into veteran gunbreakers, teaching Rija the art of the viper, and ultimately entangling herself, if indirectly, in the Ladies' own trail through Tural...

Helena's personality is precisely what one might expect from a woman who's been a resistance fighter and leader of men for a good half of her life--blunt, a little jaded, practical, and sarcastic, alongside cutting a commanding, no-nonsense and queenly figure. Prone as she is to occasionally cracking jokes about her old bones and generally sizing people up more out of instinct than habit, she is, at her heart, someone who is looking for her own life now that she--much like her nation--is in transition, and loves to teach those that are willing to learn, both as a way of keeping traditions alive and as a method of ensuring that knowledge is preserved for the new generations.

In contrast to many of the Ladies' own multidisciplinary approaches, Helena specializes primarily in the use of two weapon types: the Bozjan gunblade, and various styles of twinfangs. She has honed her approaches to both to the absolute limit, easily swapping between them as the battle demands and overwhelming the opponent with a style similar to Rija's blisteringly misdirecting offenses, but from an angle of pure power. Her agility and strength have only slightly declined with age, if at all, and are well-compensated for by her keen tactical senses and willingness to fight dirty when it's absolutely warranted; while she is no shard of Azem, or any other particularly "well-known" Ancient, she has the most fighting experience of all the ladiesoutside of Euphemia herself, and it shows.

[porta-decumana]

I'm still going through all of the new followers by the way! There are a lot of you but I'm genuinely so honored you all wanted to reach out to me. That's very kind of you!

Brief OC intros until I get a proper post going! (under the cut for your convenience)

Akari "Kaida" Asagiri - a Raen from the Ruby Sea, my "main WoL" so to speak. Hails from an underwater city with deep religious ties to the ocean. Daughter of a cold-hearted general and prodigy soldier. Considered a strategist in the Scions and an all-rounder. Getting a bit of a rework but is usually DRK/DNC/SGE.

Cassius Flavus - Garlean from the capital city, an OC that supports Kaida/the Scions. Part of a polycule with Kaida and Gaius Baelsar. Former courtesan, number #1 Emet-Selch/Solus zos Galvus hater, and kind of a disaster of a man (but really funny). Usually DRG/RPR/GNB.

Lillian Willows - A Gridanian botanist that discovered she had the Echo one day, considered a "late bloomed WoL" that joins in post-Shadowbringers. Kind of a spiteful little firebrand, ran away from home to find her missing husband. Probably 1 bad day from her villain arc. Has a crush on Thancred but too stubborn to admit it. Usually a WHM/RDM/BTN. (May be dabbling in PCT in the future!)

Eirian Yascaret - Nonbinary viera from the Golmore Jungle. Eirian and Kaida join the Scions at around the same time. Eirian is a trained fighter with a no-nonsense attitude. They're matter-of-fact, stubborn, and typically don't dilly-dally. Gets embarrassed if they're called cute (to the point where Eirian hides their tail). They're usually a PLD/SAM.

Given changes to m*dding and things of that nature, there may be some updates for each character but as of right now, these are their current appearances!

[yzeltia]

Closer to You

Chapter 9 Characters: Natsu Obinata, Fuyu'li cen Zwhan, Claudien, Varshahn, Jannie Eyradoux, Urianger Augrulet, Thancred Waters, Ryne Waters, Patient Heaven, Y'sthola Rhul Rating: T for Teen Notes: Thank you @driftward for the mechanics pass and dealing with my epithets walnuttery

Natsu crossed her arms as she leaned against the stairway wall with Jannie. Once Fuyu’li was on his feet, Jannie had suggested that they find somewhere more private for them to have their moment. Claudien’s apartment building seemed to be the easiest solution given that none of them were locals. Natsu wished they’d strayed farther, feeling as if she was intruding.

“I apologize. This is a lot to take in,” Fuyu’li breathed out from around the corner, head lowered as his master stood in front of him.

“It is I who should apologize. I have only recently opened up about the true nature of my being,” Varshan said before shaking his head, “Please, raise your head. I wish to thank you properly.”

Fuyu’li did as he was told, meeting his master’s soft gaze. His face flushed, still not used to the sight of the statuesque man in front of him. Varshan smiled down at him as he placed his hand on his shoulder.

“While I hear you’ve caused trouble, you did so on my behalf to unite me and my sister. I have known very few people who have taken my burdens upon themselves. That might very well have been due to my reluctance to trust others; however, I found myself trusting you with my dream and you sought out to make it a reality. Though my new companions were ultimately the ones to reunite me and Azdaja, I cannot help but feel gratitude toward you for your efforts,” Varshan said, eyes locked with Fuyu’li’s.

“You saved my life. I wanted to make it up to you anyway I could. With your sister back, I can return and continue working on whatever you design to put me on…though, I am in a bit of trouble here. I need to face the consequences of my actions, as well as see my friend’s endeavor through. If she had not stopped me…I’m afraid I could have been led down another dark path,” Fuyu’li responded, folding his ears in shame.

“Miss Eyradoux explained as much to me. After you’ve finished helping your friend, we’ve made arrangements for you to return to my custody where I will keep a watchful eye,” Varshahn said before leaning down, placing a kiss between the other’s ears.

Fuyu’li’s face erupted into a shade of red as Varshan pulled away. He was left speechless as the other straightened up and briefly touched his lips, as if unsure what possessed him to do so himself. “I will make haste then in finding Natsu’s brother,” he declared, fist pounding his chest proudly.

“And I shall look forward to hearing about it. For now, I must return home,” Varshan said before gesturing to a large colorful bag, “I have left a few changes of clothes for you as it was suggested your Garlean garb might attract you some unwanted attention. Please be safe.”

With that, he channeled aether about him and was gone with a blip, leaving Fuyu’li to stagger then clutch at his chest. The scene over, Jannie pushed off the wall and slung the bag over her shoulder while Natsu peered around the corner. “Don’t tell me you’re in love now. You have to have a higher standard than exceeding 6 fulms tall,” she said, attempting to tease him.

Fuyu’li shook his head, face crimson, “Nonsense! My love is purely admiration that has only been furthered by his stature- I mean status! To think, my young master is that man…and that man is a dragon just shy of the age of our star. I am honored that he sees me worthy enough to continue to stand by his side.”

Jannie and Natsu both rolled their eyes before the latter turned to make her way up the stairs. Natsu recalled the address she’d sent letters to, and after a little wandering found Claudien’s door, letting Jannie reach up for the key. Once inside, Jannie handed over the bag of clothes to Fuyu’li and let him find a room to change in while Natsu wandered around.

Natsu had thought it might be the room she’d had her vision in, but the place was far to clean. It was small, and while organized, had a layer of dust that made it rather unlived in. She imagined he only came there to sleep and took meals elsewhere or made use of aetheryte to go be with Y’zel at his cabin when he was there. Wandering, she busied herself with looking at things hanging on the wall, awards, photos of him younger and those with students. She paused as she found one of him as a boy standing next to a stern looking Miqo’te with sharp eyes.

“Did he say when he’d be back?” Jannie asked, having already busied herself with taming some of the dust on Claudien’s sofa.

“Later this evening. He seemed to have an epiphany about something and hurried off before giving us more information,” she answered, turning to find Fuyu’li returning, wearing what appeared to be a winter poncho and matching garb under it.

“Right before you accosted him,” Fuyu’li added, “Speaking of which. You mentioned something about the importance of your Echo?”

Natsu nodded.  “Yes. Though I cannot remember what it was I was fixated on. A heart of some sort,” she said, trying to remember what she’d read on the shelf.

Jannie sat down on the wiped down couch, crossing her leg, one over the other. “Well, if we’ll be waiting with an indeterminate period of time ahead of us, perhaps we should find the office of Patient Heaven and see if we can figure out her place in all of this.”

Fuyu'li flicked his tail as he put his finger on his chin, drifting off a moment while Natsu nodded and went to a small writing desk to leave a note for Claudien. “Do we know where that is?”

           “Yes. In Noumenon,” Jannie answered, “An authority on locomotion. Her and her late husband were said to have worked with Garleans prior to the calamity in hopes of creating a unifying railway through Eorzea. A case of ambition superseding moral quandaries. They lived in Carteneu, but after The Fall though she returned here.” 

Natsu looked back to Jannie then held herself as she took a moment to reflect. “Her husband was lost in the Calamity then? Like my father?”

“I believe so.”

Fuyu'li perked up, moving forward to look between them before focusing in on Jannie. “You're well informed. Did you come to know this by your Echo?”

“No. I was able to come ahead to make inquiries and submit a petition to get access to her private office before confirming your story and relaying your situation to your dear Satrap.”

Fuyu'li jumped, taken aback by the phrasing. Natsu touched her fingers to her temple, sensing her friend was about to become even more obnoxious about his master. “Anyroad. There's no sense of waiting around if we have a lead. Take us there.”

Jannie stood, brushing off her dress in case some dust lingered before heading out with Natsu and Fuyu'li in tow. The Au Ra hung back as they started their trek through the snow dusted paths, her previous Echo gnawing at the back of her mind. She could see the stone clearly in her head but the name continued to elude her. Entering Noumenon, she looked up, attention on Jannie as the Elezen knelt down low to converse with a small mammet.

“Heaven, Patient. Bzzt. Room 95, Level 2. Status: Open,” the mammet chirped.

“Open? Has the professor returned?” Jannie asked.

“No. Access Request from: Archon Waters, Archon Augurelt, and Warrior of Light Eyradoux approved. Bzzt. Archons Waters and Augurelt are presently engaged in Room 95, Level 2.”

“Interesting,” Jannie hummed before standing up.

“Are they important?” Natsu asked.

“You are familiar with Archon Y'shtola, yes? They are close friends and colleagues. That they are here too…perhaps this situation is bigger than I feared,” Jannie said, attention trailing off to follow their mammet guide.

“To think. The Scions of the Seventh Dawn are involved…I have gotten myself into trouble once again,” Fuyu'li breathed out, keeping pace with Jannie's long strides.

“Again? You've never not been in trouble,” Natsu responded dryly as they started down a staircase.

“You disparage me. I do hope you won't embarrass me in front of the Archons,” her friend pleaded, his ears folding back.

“You wouldn't need help from me,” Natsu hummed.

“Is yond Violet and U’rahn I hear, Jannie?” a cool voice sounded from ahead.

“It does sound like them, doesn’t it, Urianger? No. This is Miss Natsu Obinata and her friend, Fuyu’li,” Jannie introduced.

“Fuyu’li cen-, OOF!” the Garlean started before being elbowed by Natsu, “I…Fuyu’li is fine.”

The Miqo’te’s ears drooped a little as Natsu stepped forward, giving a slight bow to Urianger before straightening up. “We’re actually here because of Miss Violet! She’s been kidnapped along with a few others.”

“U’rahn has also been a victim of the assailant. They actually managed to incapacitate him,” Jannie added, looking past Urianger and into the room behind him as the sounds of papers being shuffled echoed out.

“I see. And that hath brought thee here, as it hath Thancred and myself. Twas his quest to find Y’zel Tia, thus hath led us here as well,” Urianger mused.

“You're searching for my brother too? Was he taken by the imposter?” Natsu asked, looking up to Urianger, eyes wide with worry.

“Taken, no. Inspired, yes,” an annoyed voice sounded from within the office, “And increasingly looking like he is collaborating with him.”

Natsu turned as a foreboding silver haired man stepped out and looked down at her. “Do you know where that coeurl is,” he growled, making her take a step back.

“Thancred. Calm yourself,” Jannie breathed out.

Natsu looked between them, Jannie seeming surprised by the other's incensed mood. Fuyu'li beside her had folded his ears back and started to thrash his tail. Taking a pause, Natsu stepped forward, hands on her hips. “I'm sorry but he's not a coeurl, he's a Miqo'te. And I do not care what the circumstances are, you shouldn't be so rude,” she huffed before poking a finger into his chest, “Furthermore, you don't know what you're talking about at all. He's not working with the imposter, or my friend here would have seen him!”

Thancred blinked while Urianger coughed to stifle his laughter. His scowl lightened, almost to a grin but did not quite approach it. “Very well. Let's exchange intel then,” he offered.

Satisfied, Natsu began explaining how they'd come to arrive at the office, leaving Fuyu'li to jump in with a few details of his time with the imposter as well. Ursinger listened attentively while Thancred leaned in the doorway, arms crossed. “Alright. Is that everything?” the rogue asked before lifting himself from his perch to move back inside, “Let me show you just what your brother has wrought.”

Natsu followed, Fuyu'li and Jannie following in from behind. She gasped as she found the office’s walls cluttered with papers pinned or stapled to the walls. Words had been written over them with little regard for the paint underneath, many having arrows stringing to one another. She recognized etchings of the Warriors of Light as well as various members of Gage Acquisitions, most crossed out. “Ser Vauban…,” she said softly, touching Zoissette’s etching, finding it surrounded by question marks.

Fuyu'li let out a squeak behind her as she let go of the paper, “Great Solus’s Ghost! Aulus mal Asina’s manuscripts. I'd have thought these purged!”

“The Forum doth not make a habit of destroying knowledge, rather, they seek to preserve it,” Urianger explained, placing a hand on Fuyu’li's shoulder, resulting in the Garlean’s cheeks burning.

“Under lock and key,” Thancred added wryly before waving Natsu over to Patient’s desk to an open book with notes sticking out. “Where this tripe should have stayed.”

Natsu picked up the book, leafing back to the title, reading it aloud, “The Destination of Our Fate: Our Souls, the Lifestream, and Our Reflections, by Y'zel Tia. His book? I was told he had retrieved all the copies shortly after publication.”

“Shortly after the abductions,” Thancred corrected, taking the book before quoting from it, “ ‘One must ask: Those of us who have a hole in their hearts. Those of us who walk around feeling that they are broken. Is that because we are? Would Rejoining help make us a little more complete?’. Unadulterated Ascian bull-shite.”

Natsu shook her head, “I don't understand. What's a rejoining?”

“A calamity caused by Ancients in an attempt to make their world whole again. It would take some time to explain it in full… Essentially what Y'zel is asking is: because the world was at one point splintered and with that our souls and life stream, are we a lesser version of ourselves or what we could be,” Jannie explained, cheek to her finger as she thought, “An irresponsible thought that could be used to excuse personal accountability and rather defeatist.”

“If someone buys into this and has the resources, the damage they could do is insurmountable. This was irresponsible to publicize,” Thancred said, finger pounding into the pages of the book.

Natsu hung her head a bit. She didn't quite understand, but she didn't think her big brother would advocate for a calamity, or at least so she wanted to believe. “I think, I can see why if something like that got taken to heart, it might make someone chase an answer…”

“Someone already has,” Thancred said, arms broadly gesturing about him.

Natsu looked around, then to the desk with the book, hand brushing around papers before looking at an etching. Her eyes widened as she picked it up. They were the two boys she'd seen in her Echo bumping into the stranger in The Forgotten Springs. “She was in The Forgotten Springs! When Violet was taken. I bumped into someone and when we touched I saw these boys!”

“Art thou certain,” Urianger asked, stepping forward to take the picture. “They are her sons: Drowning Thunder and Bounding Otter. They passed on to the lifestream with their father during The Fall.”

“Yes, I'm certain. She must have been there too when Fuyu'li came. A tall Roegadyn woman with long brown hair,” she described, searching her mind to try and picture the woman amidst the chaos of the day.

“Sounds close enough,” Thancred mumbled.

“Have you met her? Perhaps my Echo will allow me to see her through you,” Natsu suggested, removing a glove before holding out her hand.

Thancred briefly looked at Urianger, hesitating before reaching out to take her hand on his, letting her fall into a trance. 

She was reclining, boots up on a table in the annex as she idly turned a silver bangle around in her palm. Her heart a-flutter looking at it, Thavnairian in design, a special gift for someone special, and yet she did not want to think of her at the moment less it all become too real. 

“That little devil,” she heard Y'shtola breathe out.

“Alphinaud or U'rahn,” she asked, pocketing the bangle.

“Y'zel. He released a publication and had it reproduced in plain ink. I cannot make out a singular letter. Is he that afraid of my scrutiny?” Y'shtola said in a huff.

She laughed then reached over for the book, glossing over the title before cracking it open. “I'll read it to you then.”

“No. Don't bother. He clearly doesn't want my input,” Y'shtola responded as she rose to take her leave.

Another laugh escaped her before she turned her attention back to the title and began to read through the first page, having little else to do. Before he got in too deep a blond Miqo'te with a sketchbook under his arm wandered into the Annex.

“Um…Archon Waters. Is it true you heard from Ko-”

The world faded and she found herself pushing through a crowd, frantic and out of breath. It was impossible. Improbable. But weirder things had happened.

“RYNE! RYNE,” she yelled out, husky voice raw from yelling.

She didn't turn, simply walking on holding that damnable book by Y'zel. As she rounded the corner, she lost sight of her and by the time she had caught up she was gone. Out of breath she leaned on a wall then slammed her fist into the white marble. “Damn!”

“I told him something like this from the beginning and now it is too late. People keep vanishing and reappearing, three are officially missing. I keep hunting him down and yet he narrowly eludes me every time. Where is he hiding!?” she felt herself say, trying hard to quell the rage in her heart.

Claudien looked up, seeming cross from her interrogation. “I'm not his keeper. Y'zel comes and goes as he sees fit. As for your missing people, what makes you think he has anything to do with it? All you have is coincidences.”

“He has already admitted to such by reclaiming his publications. Thou art wilfully blind to the situation at hand,” Urianger added.

She huffed, glancing over to Claudien’s cabinet, squinting at The Heart of Sabik before whipping her head back toward the professor. “It’s as Urianger says. Y’zel knows he’s responsible for this situation, and I’m inclined to believe fully responsible for the kidnappings or otherwise involved the way he’s been fleeing from capture.”

Claudien stared off for a moment, closing his eyes as he seemed to get lost in thought. Her patience was waning, anger only pacified by Urianger looming about him. Claudien soon shook his head and let out a sigh. “I’m sorry. I truly do not know where he has gone nor can think of anywhere you haven’t already looked. His sister has been in correspondence with me as well and seeks him out too. I’m inclined to believe you’ve checked his cabin in Coerthas in your search as well as among his family. I’m sorry your search has led you here; however, as stated, I am not his keeper. As much as I’d like to have him by my side, there are times when he pursues his own endeavors and as I understand it, neither of you are ones to divulge your plans to those closest to yourselves either. Now, if you’ll excuse me, a colleague has an appointment and I’ve kept her waiting long enough.”

She winced, Claudien hitting a particular nerve. Frustrated, she turned and made her leave with Urainger, near flinging open the professor’s door. Outside, a Roegadyn woman sat idly reading, not bothering to look up as they passed. Behind them, she heard Claudien say, “I’m sorry for your wait Patient. You had something you wished to discuss?”

Natsu took in a breath as she came to, finding herself with her head against Thancred’s chest as he held her upright. “It’s her. She was the one I saw in the village…and I saw that stone again…”

“Stone? What stone,” Thancred asked, letting go of Natsu.

“The Heart of Sabik. I think it could be important. When I had touched Claudien, I’d seen it then too,” she said, watching as everyone’s face turned pale, “Did I say something wrong?”

The room stayed quiet for a moment, everyone staring before Fuyu’li shook his head, “Are you certain? Natsu, that is a very dangerous piece of auracite. It is the very same stone that had leveled a good part of Eorzea and has been responsible for many catastrophes throughout the history of the world.”

“It feeds off ambition…if Patient Heaven has it and is using it for her own ends then we’re facing an imminent disaster,” Thancred breathed out.

“It was left with Claudien recently. I’m sure he has put it somewhere safe,” Jannie assured Thancred.

“Um,” Natsu said, interjecting, “Well, it was in his office. Y’zel was playing with it at one point. It was in a cabinet and still there when you had visited. Maybe-”

“It’s gone,” Claudien’s voice called out from the doorway, the man out of breath, “I went to check on it, and it was removed from my cabinet!”

[amdapor-keep]

im curious about npcs people would have liked to see more of and why.

reasoning for my choices under the cut:

Moenbryda: while I think that there was nothing wrong with Moenbryda's role itself- she came, she served the solution for getting rid of the ascians, she died for proof of concept- her two patch life and death was too quick for full impact.

Hilda: She was hyped up before her introduction as a revolutionary, working in the underworld to change the noble dominated nature of ishgardian society. Then, in the patches, when Ishgard is in the midst of unrest, undergoing changes in its social order as people doubt the nobility and the clergy because of what came out during the war, Hilda... is relegated to a bit part with the formation of the watch.

Ysayle: She has what I will continue to argue is the most nonsensical death in all of xiv, dying to random garleans on the way to azys lla. Alphinaud comments she would have made a great scion, and Aymeric comments that he would have liked her help parleying with the dragons. She was robbed.

Igeyorhm: She was the ascian that destroyed the 13th, not that we hear this from her. Heavensward would have been a great time to expound a bit more on the differences between the unsundered and the other convocation members. It also would have been nice if she had gotten characterization.

Things other people said in the tags:

Emmanellain: I was pretty satisfied with him as a character, but the fact he got brought up makes me wonder if other people feel that they could have done more with his character. I'd like to know.

Lyna: I agree that Lyna's lack of focus was a missed opportunity to give a voice to the normal norvrandt citizen. The residents of the first in our main cast, exarch and ryne, are far from average, and having Lyna feature more prominently would round out the characters perspectives

Cylva: Similar to Hilda. Cylva started the chain of events that lead to the flood of light because she was trying to save the 13th, but now that we have a plotline about saving the 13th, she's nowhere to be found. A little more understandable since she's a side content character, but still. They still have time to include her.

Handeloup: I wasnt expecting anyone to say Handeloup but I respect it. They made the argument that he should have been the heavensward paladin quest questgiver, and I think it would have fit with his inclusion in the stormblood tournament, and it would have tied the paladin quests more closely to ishgard, which would have been nice.

Widargelt: Similar situation to Hilda and Cylva. His whole thing in ARR was the liberation of Ala Mhigo, but now that they're liberating Ala Mhigo in msq- nothin. Justice for Widargelt.

Someone else: If you have someone else in mind I'd like to know. im curious

[candycryptids]

For Chuu!! She's a MCH. What bits of the story and job toolkit are canon for her? What arent? Whatve you changed? (like, does she have an alternate Queen or multiweapon attachment?)

So I don’t think she does Any of the Machinist Job-Quest-line, lmfao. She doesn’t have a Job Crystal, either, this is all self-taught organic rootin tootin aim-n-shoot’n. (Please laugh) … her ‘Drone’ is just a Magitek Bit she’s gotten her paws on while relocating (read: Quitting her Job and moving countries with no fore-warning) and repurposed to do a number of things Before-Building-Tuesday. Like cover fire. And recording voice-journals.

The Queen is. ‘Technically’ the same- I like to think it’s Probably just Old Tuesday Prototypes being put through their paces instead of getting scrapped, running on very bare-bones programming. If I was more mod-savvy I’d give it the Loporrit Robot Bunny ears in game XD (I almost made it a different Magitek machine altogether! But I think she’d rather have something marching into battle she built completely with her own hands than something repurposed. Not that she wouldn’t require a Reaper to start firing blasts randomly and March in a straight line into the enemy lololol)

She initially learned how to wield a gun from Garleans, with rigid target practice and gun handling procedures. For self-protection, mostly. An Engineer is no good to them dead. Especially not one so promising, even if she is…. Difficult to work with. She develops her own style over time and while she never gains PinPoint Accuracy without some, uh, self-modification, she’s a pretty decent shot. Favors guns with bayonets or blades for when something tries to get too close, though usually if she’s given any time to prepare she’ll have a handful of machines to call into battle anyways… or Talia. Lol.

[POV; Your girlfriend is pointing out a cool bird but you spotted an imperial and on fucking Byregot nobody is about to interrupt her day off.] On her person is nearly always the Makai Hand Mortar, even for situations where combat isn’t expected. It’s small, easily concealed, and pink. Which. It’s just great. So even if she doesn’t have The Big guns ™ she’s still packing heat. (Is this a strap joke? Maybe.)

I cannot think of a possible way to improve on or change the multi-tool, it’s in the brand of all-in-hilarious-nonsense Chuu Loves to make for some reason. At best, she probably tries to work out a way to make it Much More Compact- after all, Tuesday was her attempts to make a Robot that was so…. Humanoid. Pushing the limits on what was possible in terms of size and shape and functionality. [She managed to make a robot so human-like he's no longer attractive to her in the way Machines are.... Sad! Oh well, there's other robots.]

She did specifically paint her lunchbox (aether converter/ammunition kit/whatever you want to call it) cherry pink for Talia though. Her favorite color is pink 🌸

(You might be wondering; how did these two ever meet? You’d be right to wonder! I wonder too. 😳 someday me and my partner will hammer it out …. LOL.)

Shaders used are Kore's [Edge Triangle Mix] [Electro World] [Glitter] and Neneko's [Basic C [Gameplay]]

[myreia]

wip whenever

I missed Wednesday, oh well. 🫠

tagged by the lovely @thevikingwoman, @lilas and @hylfystt, thank you! 💖 tagging @tsunael, @roguelioness, @coldshrugs, @impossible-rat-babies, @birues, @fourteenthz, @scionshtola, @galadae @gefiltefished

This is a bit from Chapter 5 of the thing I am currently working on. Context - Aur's Echo pings weird shit when she travels between the First and the Source., sometimes she gets to spy on her family and see what they're up to.

Beyond the door, an elite Garlean scientist occupies her usual chair, her rank denoted by her white coat and the insignia on her shoulder. Taller than most of her kind, with sharp features and dark hair woven into a single long plait. She coldly reviews the files before her with a no-nonsense flick of one hand, the other tapping impatiently on the desk’s surface. Her ruby eyes glint in the artificial light.

It is unusual for an Elezen to make it this far in the ranks. And yet here she is, Elgara lux Theorzen, dispatched to this distant provincial base after a spectacular failure that was a decade in the making. She is fortunate she retained as much as she did. That her husband did not also take the fall. Her family is, for the most part, intact.

As much as it can be.

“I see you received the notice.”

The voice speaks from the shadows.

Elgara purses her lips, her brows drawing together in the slightest of frowns. It is as much as she will give him. “There’s no need to lurk, Kal,” she says, turning over another file. “Sit and speak with me properly.”

A snort. A man slinks out of the shadows half-hunched, his arms folded across his chest. He leans against the far wall, one knee bent with his foot pressed against it, and observes her with narrowed red eyes. He’s grown thin, ragged, in the time since she saw him last. His cheeks are sunken, his jaw worn, still covered with the scratchy stubble that certainly goes against Imperial code. The tips of his half-Elezen ears poke through tangled black hair, its length another strike against the code.

A hollow zealousness flares in his eyes—intense, wanting, and hungry.

“Been an age since you’ve called me Kal, Elgara,” Kallias says.

She shrugs and turns a file over. “Been an age since you’ve called me ‘mother,’” she replies and moves a finger down the page. With a dismissive tsk of her tongue, she grabs a pen and signs the bottom with precise, effective movements. “You don’t hear me complaining about that.”

“Not a complaint, mother. Just an observation. Besides, I would never dare to insult a colleague by addressing her with such informal abandon. I have manners.”

“Colleague is it now?”

“We are no longer in the same chain of command and we are of an equivalent rank. Colleague is appropriate, don’t you think?”

His voice rasps, deep and thick, and he casually raises a hand to pick at his nails. The hilts of his twin daggers glinting in the artificial light. There’s a threat here, buried just beneath the surface. His is the demeanour of a trained killer, a weapon in human form—he could kill her in a instant if he so desire.

But if Elgara notices, she gives no sign.

“True,” she says, not a crack in her composure. Perhaps she has already welcomed death at his hand. Perhaps she is counting on it. “Which stands the reason—why are you here? You no longer have clearance to enter.”

His brows draw together, a sneer forming on his lips. Chuckling darkly, he pushes off the wall and strolls across the observation deck, idly stretching his arms above his head. His movements may appear casual, but they only further put his weapons on display. He wants her to see. He wants her to know.

“This particular piece of intelligence is sensitive,” he says. “I thought it best to limit those who know during this time of upheaval. Even the legatuses, if necessary. But a single menial officer, hidden away in the least influential province? Her ears are safe.”

Elgara presses the tip of her pen to paper, red ink blooming across the crisp white page.

“She’s returned. From whatever hole she thought to hide herself in these past few months.”

[anarkhebringer]

My wol isn't from tural but he has good evil-person detection And Also A Brain In General so the from the moment he met sphene he was begging wuk to stop trying to be friends with her 🤝

I mean when you had to deal with Garleans for so long and get such a wide scope on Allagan nonsense, you get real good at smelling bullshit from miles away sjuuhbdjifb

[avirael]

FFxivWrite 2024

Day 24 - Bar

With an annoyed groan the pale Roegadyn woman emptied her half full glass of rum in one gulp and wordlessly signaled for the barkeeper to fill it up another time. She wasn’t surprised at all that not even the alcohol was good on this twelve-forsaken island. Hopefully it would at least make her forget that she had traveled all the way to Bianaq for absolutely nothing.

The journey from Limsa to here alone had taken more time than this nonsense had been worth, but on top of that Styrgeim had spent an entire week searching the whole island for any clues. Of course she had found exactly nothing and the worst part of it was that she should have expected that. But recently she had been desperate enough to follow every tiny rumour or breadcrumb.

Every mention of Merlzirn’s name or some tale of treasure, no matter how fantastical, had been enough for her to investigate. Mostly it had only brought her trouble. But at least sometimes that meant her search was a little less boring.

She couldn’t wait for the day she finally found that bastard Merlzirn, if only to erase his arrogant grin from his ugly face with a salve of bullets. Then she would take back what that vile traitor had stolen from the old Rhotwilf and with his notebook in her hands again, she would be able to finally find the treasure her father had always dreamt to find, before his treacherous first mate had ruined this dream. Maybe she would also do it the other way around, just so she could rub it in his face before she killed him.

But this day was still so much closer to daydreams than reality. In fact the last half year had went by without any useful clue regarding the whereabouts of the Seawraith, her father’s old ship, or her crew of pirates.

Back then, when her father still had been captain, they hadn’t called themself pirates yet - or rather not anymore. They had been privateers after the new admiral had declared piracy illegal. And while many people in Limsa Lominsa had been shocked about the city-states new course, Rhotwilf had sworn loyalty to Merlwyb and decided to follow her moral code to only attack ships of garlean origin. Of course he had done so because it was a good and profitable thing to do, but mostly to finance the search for the treasure Rhotwilf’s father had claimed to have buried somewhere, before leaving on a voyage he had never returned from - leaving nothing but a few vague clues behind regarding his treasure.

Those had been glorious days and the name Rhotwilf had been famous in every port around Eorzea. But nowadays nobody even remembered his name, much less his deeds.

One day, after they Rhotwilf had returned home from one of his voyages, dispute had broken out between the captain and his first mate. Their last voyage had given them lots of garlean technology, confiscated from one of the empire’s ships, and Merlzirn had been unhappy about the sum the admiral had been willing to pay them for it. Instead the treacherous rat had suggested to sell their loot in less legal ways and for twice the price. Rhotwilf had of course not wanted to hear a single word about such dishonourable plans and in the end his honesty had cost him everything.

Within a few days the traitor had managed to not only steal Rhotwilf’s belongings, including his ship, the cargo and his notebook, but also the loyalty of his crew. One night the mutineers had secretly tried to sell parts of their loot without their captain’s agreement and when Rhotwilf had discovered this, they had brutally beaten him up and left him to die at the beach, before fleeing with his ship.

But Rhotwilf hadn’t died - at least not immediately. With the last of his strength he had dragged himself home, a horrible sight to his wife and daughter. Styrgeim’s father had never fully recovered. His body and honor broken, and his ship and dream stolen, he had seemingly lost all will to live and died only a few weeks later.

On the very same day young Styrgeim had picked up her father’s weapons and signed up at the first ship that was willing to take her. Quickly she had learned how to fight, how to sail, how to navigate and she swore that she would get strong enough to take revenge on the man who had murdered her father and then she would fulfill his dream in his place.

Now, while this was a noble cause, it had turned out more difficult and frustrating than she had expected. For a while she had sailed with this crew and that but without much success, so in the end she had continued her search on her own. Not that this had been much more successful so far.

And this was how Styrgeim had ended up at this poor excuse of a bar in the middle of nowhere, trying to find inspiration at the bottom of a glass filled with alcohol - or a few of those. She would have to return to Limsa. Rethink her strategy. Maybe hire a few people after all...

But as Styrgeim pondered over her options, one more boring or futile than the other, something happened outside of the building. Someone was screaming and everyone’s heads turned to the door. Styrgeim grinned and emptied her glass. Then she tossed a few coins onto the counter and stood up. The turmoil out there sounded too interesting to miss.

Outside she found a screaming man in a peculiar state. He looked entirely exhausted and his skin and clothes were covered in fresh stains of blood. He swayed as he approached the small crowd, that had gathered to stare at him. He seemed very confused and with a slurred but loud voice he yelled, “Help! Have you seen…? — No! They took —!”

The townsfolk stared at him in shock, but also in fear. Because as pitiable and confused as he looked, there also was something wild in his eyes. The blood all over his body didn’t help either.

“Please! I need to…”, he continued but then paused as if he needed to remember first what it had been he was trying to say. Then his eyes rolled back and he collapsed.

The people of the little fishing village kept staring at him and whispered with each other. No one dared to step closer. Styrgeim shook her head and pushed past a few of the townsfolk.

“Don’t worry. I’ll take care of that…”, she announced with a confident voice.

This should be fun at least.

[onwesterlywinds]

PROMPT #2: Horizon

When the Crystal Tower had first emerged along Mor Dhona's shattered skyline, Ashelia Riot's initial reaction had been one of dismay - as well as no small amount of indignation that the wreckage of the Praetorium had already been overshadowed. But the ubiquity of NOAH's operations in the region helped to restore some normalcy to life at the Sandsea: in keeping with Sylvan Rain's prediction, the realm's next crop of would-be heroes turned to new horizons scarcely three weeks after the Riskbreakers' grand victory, and no small number of them were set on plumbing the Labyrinth of the Ancients.

A'zaela Linh was among them.

The Riskbreakers lacked two significant resources following Operation Archon: leads, and coin. The Eorzean Alliance had seen fit to reinstate the utmost confidentiality to any further missions against the Garlean Empire, and Ashe found the mere thought of begging Raubahn Aldynn for her inclusion galling in the extreme. The mad rush of visitors to the Sandsea's bar, inspired by the company's fifteen minutes of fame, had since slowed to a trickle; the resulting profits had prevented them from bankruptcy but did not leave them with enough overhead to make the kinds of investments that would ultimately provide security in near- or long-term future.

That made A'zaela's partnership with NOAH something of a godssend, as it would empower them to keep an ear to the ground for intelligence of a realm-threatening nature. Even so, their best dragoon would need outfitting for such a dangerous mission.

"Really, Ashe, it's fine," A'zaela said for the umpteenth time as Ashe pulled her axe from the belly of a particularly large leech. "I-I can find other work to get the equipment I need. You should think of yourself."

It was a polite way for her to say that Ashe was still wearing the same cast-off warrior furs that had barely deflected Gaius van Baelsar's bullets. All the same, Ashe shook her head. "Nonsense. You're out in the field far more often than I am."

A'zaela wrinkled her nose but offered no protest to that logic.

Ashe stared down at the dead leech without the faintest idea of how best to claim her proof of victory from its slimy hide. "If you're looking to repay me," she said, "consider a detailed report on the Crystal Tower's interior more than sufficient compensation." She settled on skinning the turgid lump of flesh as if it were a sandworm, then regretted the course of action immediately as a foul-smelling ooze emerged from beneath her axe's heel.

The task did not require two people, and yet A'zaela surged into action at the creature's tail. "I can start by telling you what I've seen so far."

"Please do."

"The good news is that the Labyrinth's dangers seem to be… self-contained, if that makes sense? They were created to guard the Crystal Tower. Even now that they've woken up, they're not in any danger of leaving."

Ashe breathed a sigh of relief, even as she tore the leech's pelt free.

"But there's a lot we still don't know." It was reassuring to Ashe that her friend used the word "we" to describe NOAH and its work. "Like how so many of the Tower's defenses are intact after so long, let alone how they operate at all. G'raha - he's a researcher from Sharlayan - he expects that Syrcus Tower will be even more dangerous, since it was the center of the Allagan Empire."

"Well," Ashe said. For a moment, she might have left her remarks there; then she stood and straightened her back, and the Crystal Tower shone out at her through Mor Dhona's roiling, aether-drenched sky. "…Fucking Allagans."

"A-Ashe?"

"I'll not claim to be especially well-versed in history," she said, perhaps as a concession, "but it is always striking to me that none of our present troubles would exist without the Allagan Empire and its legacy: Dalamud, Garlemald-" Ludo. The thought, the memory of him might have stopped her nascent rant on any other day, with any other friend in her company. "I cannot look on that bright blue eyesore without imagining the endless conquest once required to sustain it - all the Ala Mhigos and Domas of ages past. Power begetting power; misery begetting misery."

When she turned back to A'zaela, it was to find her with her ears lowered, her tail curled almost between her legs.

"I'm sorry, A'zaela," she said at once, surprised to realize that she meant it. "I didn't mean to imply- That is, I know you despise the Empire as I do."

"I understand," A'zaela replied, though her voice had fallen even quieter than usual.

Ashe busied herself with scraping away as much of the leech's subcutaneous fat as she could, then folding the pelt into her satchel. "Do you think there's a way for Allag's legacy to be redeemed?" she asked at length. "That all its technology could be… I don't know, repurposed? That it could come to stand for something greater than oppression?"

But A'zaela simply shook her head. "I don't know, Ashe." She, too, stared up at the glowing crystal spire, though her face conveyed a more mundane sadness than Ashe might have expected. "I suppose… I suppose we'll find out. When the expedition's over."

***

Ashe spent much longer in the Seventh Heaven's bathrooms than she'd intended, but the leech's stink had lingered all up and down her arms in a manner that no amount of scrubbing had seemed able to remedy and she was loath to greet Ilberd in such a state. When at last she emerged devoid of her armor, Astodan stood next in line for the toilets, this time wearing a porter's coat and a low turban to hide the linkpearl in his ear.

"Your comrade should know," he murmured, "that her activities have attracted the notice of a particularly high-ranking imperial defector."

She knew better than to draw attention to the warning by acknowledging it in public - and yet the mere possibility of a threat to A'zaela of all people sent a chill through her blood. "What do I need to do?"

Astodan scowled at her. "I'll inform you should I learn more."

The bastard would make her work for the information, much as he always did, but it did not bear thinking of with A'zaela unreachable in the Labyrinth. She pushed past Astodan without another word to him and made her way over to her old contact flashing Resistance hand signals from the bar: hostile territory, ready to engage.

[midnightmagicks]

🌑 : A dark headcanon

Let me tell you the story of E'mal's blind eye!

When he was ehhhh 4-5, his village in Golmore jungle was raided and destroyed by Garlean forces. He was taken prisoner and sent to Garlemald. While he was there, a lot of Terrible Awful nonsense happened but on one occasion, being a little 4-5 year old BABY, he was too scared to look at the guards. They were poking and prodding at him in his little cell but he was afraid. Having some sort of weird power trip over a baby led them to taking offense to not being looked at and they grabbed him and used some laser tech to blind him. They told him if he didn't want to look then he didn't need his eyes. And if he avoided them again they'd take his other eye too.

THE MAIN POINT THOUGH is that they were wearing a specific mask (think: late allagan mask of maiming. That thing) so when he sees that mask or anything similar he has a horrible and immediate fear/trauma response.

✨pain✨

[aerialsquid]

FFXIVWrite Day 27: Sole

Cid/Nero plus Drusilla, just a random notion I had.

Drusilla touched her forehead with long fingers spotted by age but not weakened by it, and slowly pulled away the circlet covering her pearlescent third eye. She eased herself into the highbacked chair behind her desk, rolling her shoulders back as she leaned into the worn leather's comforting embrace. Her scythe was propped against the side of the desk beside her, its presence a reminder that any gentility in this room was at her discretion alone.

"All right. Tell me from the beginning how this happened."

—

The relationship between the Lemures and Garlond Ironworks was strained at best, an uneasy partnership of necessity and mutual loathing. Drusilla felt that Cid was a traitor to his culture, disdaining centuries of heritage for the sake of a few decades of sins, and would cut out his own third eye if it would make the Eorzeans like him better. Cid felt that the collective of Garlean expatriates were really only upset about the part of the Empire's evils that had inconvenienced them personally and were only differentiated from Thanalan's other hordes of roaming bandits by the dents in their foreheads.

Both of these were sentiments they had expressed to each others' faces in the past, which was why arrangements between the two organizations usually went through people like Jesse who had an easier time keeping their tempers. The Lemures' connections within the Empire meant they had an easier time sneaking out defectors, and more than one of their 'passengers' had later picked up a job at the Garlond Ironworks.

Garlond Ironworks was also really the only place you could get any magitek you'd snuck out of the Empire with you repaired or replaced. If not for the Ironworks, the magitek orchestrion playing a gentle bal-musette in the corner right now would have been silenced long ago. It was for the sake of such necessities that Drusilla had even let the two men in the door to her headquarters.

Everything beyond that was purely for personal amusement.

Drusilla leaned forward to put her elbows on the desk, steepling her fingers and resting her chin upon them. The corner of her thin mouth quirked up in a half-smirk as she regarded the two flustered men standing before her.

"I believe you said Cid's exact words were, 'You owe me, Nero'?"

"Words I did not accept!"

"You reached out and grabbed his hand, a conventional symbol of striking a deal."

"What was I supposed to pull him out with, my teeth?!"

Drusilla smiled, sharp as a curved scythe. "It means everything. You've pulled him from the void and now you two have a contract."

Nero hissed through gritted teeth, his hands in tight and furious fists. "I'm not a bloody voidsent! I'm a human being!" he snarled, a claim that might have held more weight if not for the threads of purple that threaded through his skin like seams of ore through rock, flaring in tune with his temper.

He hadn't needed to show them off to prove what he'd become, Drusilla was familiar with that tiny pull that came from lower level voidsent fresh out of the darkness, their endless hunger constantly drawing surrounding lifeforce towards them.

"The voidsent claim they were also once human, before their realm fell to darkness. Mind, I've never heard of a human becoming voidsent in this era, but humans don't usually jaunt to the void. Queue's a lot longer going the other direction."

"I am quite sure that if I were a voidsent, I would know. This is just some minor infection of the aether, and given time I will be able to –"

"Look, stepping aside that issue, what's it mean if we have a contract?" Cid cut in, trying to ward off Nero's continuing insistence that he was too good for this nonsense. At Drusilla's request he'd taken off the goggles that normally covered his forehead, and his pale hair was now hanging haggard in his face. Despite the lack of purple, his eyes looked just as sunken and haggard as Nero's. "You mean, like a Reaper and its servant?"

"Aye. Think of yourself more like sponsor than master, before Nero gets his stones in any more of a twist - you're his tie to this world, keepin' the void from calling him back. A voidsent fights for his reaper but only if he gets paid for it, mind. The pay runs out, the voidsent goes elsewhere or it starves."

Cid tilted his head. "Pay…how?"

Drusilla slid a hand under her desk to find the knife she kept hidden there, and flicked the tip across the pad of her finger. A soft line of red was drawn across her skin as she jerked her hand back. When she held it up Nero's eyes fixated on it, like a hunk of meat before a starving coeurl, and his leg almost lifted to walk to her before he stopped himself.

"You should bandage that," he snapped defensively. Instead Drusilla got up and walked around her desk, the bleeding hand still held upward and still controlling the tracking of Nero's eyes.

She held the finger closer and his lips parted, just before he recoiled a few steps backwards.

"I'm not going to lick your hand. That's disgusting. Unsanitary."

"But you want to. You can already taste it the aether pouring forth from me. The heat of it. The light."

"There is nothing I want less," Nero insisted, devoting himself to a detailed inspection of the orchestrion instead. His fingers were twitching against it.

Drusilla chuckled. She tugged a hankerchief out and wrapped her finger in it, stuffing the hand back into her pocket. At least that would dull the scent. "The pay is aether, Garlond. The fresher the better, and the best comes right from the warm body of a living, breathing mortal. Nothing else will satiate that hunger. And if he's your partner, it's your responsibility to keep him fed."

Over the sound of Nero protesting that he wasn't going to be Cid's pet dog, Cid said, "I'm not going to just bring him people to eat, that's insane!"

"It doesn't have to be people. Voidsent can feed off anything living, even fruits or vegetables recently picked. It doesn't have to kill them either, if the voidsent's got a mind to be careful." Though when you were a Reaper, it was usually helpful if it did.

"But I can tell you've paid him a bit already, even if y'both think you're being real subtle about it."

"What are you talking–"

An abrupt silence came over the two men, as if both had reached a specific and unpleasant conclusion at the same moment. Drusilla drummed her fingers on the desk as she circled back around to reclaim her chair.

"Your man got a little less endurance in the bedroom, Nero? Falling asleep right after the first round, when you're feeling more awake than ever?"

Nero was fidgeting even more now, veins of amethyst pulsing across his cheekbones. "I haven't the–haven't the faintest–"

Cid, meanwhile, had his hand to a particular spot on his neck that was very decisively covered by his collar, and that Drusilla was quite sure hid a bite mark. "So that's why I kept falling asleep at the worktable! It was you, you bastard!"

"It wasn't as if it was on purpose!"

Drusilla smirked, drumming her fingers lightly along the shaft of her scythe. "Better start paying your employee more, is all I'm saying."