#hes only human ... (he's a miqo'te but still) he's only human...

[thefreelanceangel]

Tagged: Then & Now

Tagged By: @gatheredfates (and I saw @iron-sparrow's open tag so...)

I'm putting quite a bit of this under a cut because I wanted to illustrate my blathering. :D

As C'allie, my first FFXIV character, hasn't changed much in appearance since her creation (still a catte, still blonde, still got one green eye) I opted to show off my beloved bitchbunny.

My hubby'd brought his oldest character Seifer from GW2 into FFXIV and he was like "well, what about Anna?"

My human necromancer from Tyria and the only woman in Seifer's long, long history to thrive with him (she's meaner than he is, that's her secret) got shifted to Eorzea on September 18, 2019. (Which isn't her birthday because that bitch is 100% a fuckin' Scorpio and the worst possible iteration of a Scorpio that you could ever dream of.)

I had several cattes at that point, and Anna as an Au Ra just... didn't work. I fussed with elezen and Roe, but nothing quite worked for me because I wanted eyes. My favorite feature from her GW2 model was the big green eyes that were extremely arresting. I wanted to get as close to those eyes as possible, so I went with F1 Viera (Veena b/c she's always been white as fuck.)

And fiddling around got her to this point.

She stayed fairly soft in appearance, with pink-tipped white hair and green eyes, for a while. Discovering crimes meant I got modded hair (because my god pre-Dawntrail... sobs) and Anna stayed fairly... soft-looking.

(It's always been a lie though.)

Her eyes didn't go grey until I became absolutely fed UP with the lack of hats (largely because the Cryptlurker hats appeared and I lost my gd mind wanting desperately to have Anna wear one) and I turned her into Cattalei in December of 2020.

She didn't last a full year as a miqo'te, but when I dumped another fantasia on her in July of 2021, I opted for F4 instead of F1. And oh, oh my beloved... that is when her look settled.

Resting Bitch Face? Check Luminous, arresting eyes? Check Red hair and grey eyes? Check

The characteristic hairstyle didn't show up for a while longer, but when it did, it was all over for me.

I also put in... a lot of effort in taking better and better GPoses because look at this bitch, wouldn't you want to show her off as well as you possibly could?!

Yeah, exactly.

Tagging: @rylen-ashworth / @rylen-ooc (Show off the development, bitch.) and @archaiclumina you're not escaping this damn it! Neither are you, @feralkwe.

Also tagging YOU. YES, YOU.

[ivoryminitower]

Echoes of Home: 68 - Tsu'na ("storytellers")

Echoes of Home: FFXIV AU OC – WoLs on Earth

Husband has said he wants to see me fight in the cage, so I have set my next fight to be tomorrow.  Sunday is quiet enough at the diner for both of us to be gone.  Myra said there may be fewer people, so my part of the take may be less, but perhaps that means there will be less chance of bandits as well.

I thought Amazon simply sold everything, but Husband told me its specialty is books.  That it has many books that can be read on a computer, and that they sell something called a tablet to read them on, which is like a large phone and a small computer.  That the tablet can hold many books, which is good because Amazon has many books.

In Tulsa he showed me how to buy a prepaid Visa for buying things from Amazon.  I think I may buy many books, though Amazon also has some books for free.

But even with books on a tablet, I still like the library.  It is meant for books and for reading.  It is quiet, there are some soft chairs, there are many shelves of books, and there are people that are interested in books.  Being surrounded by books makes me think of them, makes me think of reading and thinking and learning.

"word for feeling you get from a place": "ambience, atmosphere"

There are more children here on a Saturday than a weekday.  They are a bit noisy when they are together waiting for a story, but they settle when the story begins.  Some still call me the Cat Lady when speaking with each other.  The ones who sometimes talk to me call me Miz Tsu'na.

The mothers still look a bit worried when the children talk to me.  Do they think I would hurt children?  Or is it the "tattoos and piercings" the woman at the diner talked about?  My earrings are not that different from those Mrs. Hobbes wears, though perhaps since my ears are longer the earrings are more visible.

The Emperor's New Earrings were part of the invisibility glamour set, but I did not think to use them.  Husband did; it was part of his every glamour plate.  I understand it, now, in Earth, having seen very few males with visible earrings, and those few were quite small.  But my invisible earrings are in my glamour dresser back in Eorzea.  We would need to find new ones here, as well as glamour prisms.

Amazon has clear prisms.  I am ordering some.  Perhaps we can make glamour prisms from them.  This is my first Amazon purchase.  It is very easy.

A little girl is standing at my table.

"Hello."

"Hi.  You're Miz Tsu'na?"

"Yes.  Who are you?"

"Katie."

"Hello, Katie.  Did you come for story time?"

"Yeah, but we missed it.  Mom's car didn't work."

"That is sad.  But there are many books here to read."

Katie nodded.  She looked at me.  I smiled.  I did not know what else to say to her.

"What's it like being a cat lady?"

Husband tells stories about me, about my cosmetic surgery, about my martial arts training, about my time as a military contractor.  I do not always remember all the details he uses.  There have not been many times that people have talked to me about being a cosplaying fangirl, perhaps because of the time I ran out of the diner, and when they do I have said I do not like to talk about it.

But Katie did not ask me about being a cosplaying fangirl.  She asked about me being a cat lady.

I could answer that.

"Cat people like me are called miqo'te.  They come from a far away place called Eorzea.  I did not grow up with them.  My parents died in a war.  I grew up with a hyur couple -- 'hyur' is what humans are called in Eorzea."

"Why aren't they called humans?"

"It is a different place, so they have different names for things."

"Mi-ko-ta?"

"Miqo'te.  Yes."

"Are there a lot of miqo'te in Eorzea?"

"Yes.  Some live in the forests of the Shroud, where they are hunters.  Some are in the deserts of Gyr Abania, where they are traders.  Some are on the islands of La Noscea, where they work on ships with the pirates."

"Aren't pirates bad?"

"These pirates were, but became good.  Now they only rob ships from the Garlean Empire, who started the war my parents died in."

Other children came near to listen.  A little boy asked, "Do cat people act like cats?"

"We are not cats.  We are people with long ears and tails.  Though some miqo'te like to say 'meow'.  I think they think it is funny."

"Do you say 'meow'?"

"I do not say 'meow'."

They asked more questions.  I told them more about Eorzea.  I told them about the massive roegadyn, the tiny lalafel, the rabbit-eared viera, the horned au ra and the haughty elezan.  I told them about the flying plant-people, the sylphs, and the tricks they like to play.  I told them about the goblins and their herbal facemasks.  I told them about the Ixali, the sad and angry bird-people who could not fly.

When Husband came to find me for dinner I was talking about the dragons of Dravania and their war with the people of Ishgard.  Some of the mothers approached him, looking concerned.  I took a moment to drink some water so that I could hear them talk.

"Oh yeah, sounds like she's talking about an online game we play.  Final Fantasy Fourteen."

"But she talks like she actually believes it!"

"Well, sure, she's roleplaying.  Best way to tell a story…makes it feel more real.  Ever been to a renfest?"

The women looked less worried as Husband wrapped them in a blanket of reassuring words.  I resumed speaking to the children, finishing what I was saying.  "My husband is here.  We are going to go to dinner now.  We can talk more when you see me again."

Husband came over and the children turned to him.  "Have you been to Eorzea?"

"Of course!  That's where I met Miz Tsu'na.  But she can tell you about Eorzea better than I can.  Though would you like to hear about a time I was in Africa?"

He pulled up a chair and told a story about a tiger he encountered in a place called Africa.  It was a little scary and had everyone, children and adults, listening silently.  Then it somehow turned into a silly ghost story and everyone laughed.

As we were heading out, Mrs. Hobbes spoke to Husband.  "So were you really in Africa?"

He smiled. "'In a Dim Room' by Edward Lord Dunsany."

Mrs.  Hobbes seemed delighted.  I am a woman who likes books, and I am married to a man who has read them.

It felt good talking about home, even if people thought I was telling stories.  Husband understood when I explained it over dinner.  "It actually creates context, fleshes out your character a bit.  Just be sure to be non-Eorzean with the parents."

"I am a roleplayer."

"Exactly.  And if they ask about the orphan thing, you can say something like, 'I'm dead to my parents, and they're dead to me.'"

"Which is partly true."

"But be careful about talking too much about fighting with the kids.  They didn't grow up with war."

"What about the primals?"

He needed to think about that.  "The whole enthrallment thing might be too much for them…the idea that people's minds can be gone just like that, making them permanent slaves.  Maybe you could say people were taken prisoner and you helped rescue them?"

I remembered people that had been enthralled by Ifrit being put to death in front of me because "there was no other way."  I remembered U'loonh's mother, driven mad from enthrallment, thinking a stone was her child.  I remembered the Serpent Reavers, former La Nosceans all, enthralled by Leviathan, whom I killed in so many battles.

"Rescued them.  Of course.  That is what I did."

"They're just kids.  Even in this world, FF14 is rated for teenagers and up."

"I will try not to scare the children."

"Cool.  And I'll try to keep the parents happy."

We are storytellers.  Some of the stories we tell are true.

[jumpingjollyrancher]

Day 10: Stable

Military campaigns always look so neat on paper. Strategies and tactics are, of course, there to try and keep things in order even as battle swells and chaos begins. Even so, the summaries and columns of numbers will never truly convey what it's like to fight for your life. And nothing will ever compare to the way panic and fear can take hold of even the most experienced of soldiers when they're caught in an ambush.

Rhalgr's Reach is a mess. Bodies are strewn across the ground, a few laying half in the river. There are no barricades, no defenses. They were not prepared for this. Even after all they've suffered, they weren't prepared to be trapped like rabbits in their very own den.

And now he's here, the Viceroy himself, Zenos yae Galvus. His presence is overwhelming; the Garlean helms have always had an effect with their lack of humanity. But Zenos is something beyond that, with the bulk of him and the confident, deliberate way that he moves. Pippin has fought intimidating opponents before, but this scares him. It doesn't stop him from taking the Warrior of Light's right flank.

It doesn't matter. Zenos knocks them aside like toys. Pippin is left breathless, certain that he's already been cut in twain. But he's able to stand, his body still whole. He helps Alisaie up and then holds her back. The Warrior of Light is barely holding his own against the Viceroy. To interfere now...it could make things worse.

The miqo'te's katana clashes again and again against Zenos's. Sparks dance around them, lightning cracks through the air. But Pippin is a veteran of many fields. For all the Warrior of Light's skill and strength, he's being forced to give ground.

They break apart again. The Warrior of Light adjusts his blade and lunges. Zenos's helm tips just slightly and he adjusts his hand. He swings upward, so quickly, so forcefully that its hard to track. The Warrior of Light hits the ground hard and this time he does not get up. "How disappointing," the Viceroy says.

Blood drips from his blade.He shakes it off, uncaring of the way it splatters his opponent. Then, a flash of movement, a loud snap of steel.

The Warrior of Light has not risen to his feet. But he has struck. His katana falls to the ground as Zenos holds what remains of his broken blade.

"Xher'a!" Alisaie shouts. She yanks at Pippin's hold. He tightens it. The air is thick with aether and malice.

The Viceroy drops his broken weapon and turns and walks away. The next flash of lightning highlights his armor. And the quickly spreading pool of blood around the Warrior of Light.

Now Pippin moves. The Garleans follow their prince and he can hear the familiar shouts of his father giving orders. He moves after Alisaie to their warrior's side. "Oh gods," Alisaie says. "Xher'a don't move. Krile!" Even as she shouts, her hands hover over him and aether glows green.

Pippin kneels beside them. Magic can stem the tide and perhaps there's aid he can offer. He has to swallow several swears as he gets a closer look. The final blow had been struck one-handed and now he can see why. The miqo'te's right hand is nearly severed and the source of much of the blood. They'll need much more magic and a prayer to keep him alive.

He's holding pressure on what's soon to be a stump when his father arrives. "You alright lad?" Raubhan asks as he kneels down.

Pippin looks up without moving his hands. "We need the best chirurgeon we've got here right now." The healers are trying desperately to get the wounded stable. Additional treatment will be the difference between life and death for many.

"Seven hells, we will make them pay for this." Raubhan squeezes his shoulder. "I'll find you later, my lad. If you don't find me first."

They don't give thanks for their lives, not yet. Only when the numbers have been counted, the lists made, will they know what's been lost and what's worth giving thanks for. Pippin shifts his hands, aware for the second time in his life of what a gift it is to have them both.

[sjofn-lofnsdottr]

Third place of my dudes - and he's only third because I like playing Merc with Vezin, mind you - is Errol, my dumb sadcat.

Where Dusk looks high or distracted (you'll all see, eventually), where Mercuriel looks furious, Errol looks sad. He makes the most cartoonish sad faces, and I love it to death. And I don't know why, but his eyes just seem shinier, like he's on the verge of tears, a lot of the time.

This delights me, because I have been playing Errol in various forms since fuckin' 2014. I know him and what makes him tick extremely well. He's normally a depressed, cowardly human man in these things. When I first started playing FFXIV, I realized something that was going to make things more fun for me was yammering about the batshit experience I was having (I'd never played a FF before) to people. I did this via a written LP on a forum I frequent. They were all familiar with Errol due to the Let's Plays I'd written of the Sim version of him, and I let them pick what Errol should be in his FFXIV form. They picked miqo'te, and damned if they weren't right about this being the most Errol possible thing he could be in this universe.

Errol doesn't want trouble. Errol takes losses extremely hard, and he's very sensitive to other people's losses as well. Errol just wants to quietly live his life and avoid commitments like he owes them money. He hates conflict, and especially hates fighting. Errol is the worst possible choice for a giant crystal to pick as Her Champion.

He knows it, too. It weighs on him a lot, that everyone is depending on him and he hates everything about it, especially since he has no faith in himself, but he can't just ... not. So he dies inside, every day.

So it'll come as no surprise, then, that his MSQ class is DRK. Forever DRK, no matter how inept I feel playing one (well, DPS-wise, I'm still good at rolling defensive cooldowns and shit, obviously).

Seriously, his face is a treasure.

He is also married! The way he wound up married is sort of funny. Someone in my FC - I didn't know them particularly well at the time - wanted to get married for the glamour items. Some people volunteered but I got the vibe they'd be weird about it. I didn't know my friend very well back then, but I knew they deserved better than someone bad weird. I'm an old married woman who loves her husband very much, I am safe as hell for that sort of thing! I'm GOOD weird!

Her name is Y'sonjha. We decided she convinced Errol to pretend to be her husband so she wouldn't have to come up with excuses for why she wasn't going home to hook up with the latest nunh. Then whoops, they caught feelings, because lol romance novel tropes.

It's kind of funny, because the actual player behind her has wound up my best friend, go figure.

He struggles with the idea of not being good enough for her, but by and large he accepts she thinks he's good enough, and that's what's important.

I struggle with lighting them sometimes, I should really do more gposes of them for the practice.

Anyway, that's Errol, the Saddest Cat.

Please love him as much as I do.

[marionmaverick]

Miqo'te "Facts"

All the little things that are more cat than boy with the Miqo's (headcanon's only apply to mine.)

He does the "mrrp" start up sound if you wake him up.

He's a bit lactose intolerant, also generally isn't a fan of the taste of milk or cheese anyway.

Because he's a hybrid, his eyes actually properly dilate like a cats, rather than staying round or sharp.

Needs meat more than other races, though needs a little fruit and veg. (less then other races)

can eat raw meat, but prefers it cooked. (Helped to keep him alive as a kid, as denying meals for failed chores was a common punishment.)

Can get through much smaller spaces then he looks like he can, is generally extremely flexible and has much looser and more elastic skin then a human.

They don't have paw pads on their hands and their claws are not retractable like with cats. But the palms of their hands are still a similar texture to paw pads, rough and more leathery than the skin on the back of their hands.

Their feet on the other hand are nearly identical to a wild cat's paw pad and claw structure, toe beans and all.

Struggles with insomnia due to being a hybrid of two species who are diurnal and nocturnal. This is true for about half of all hybrid Miqo'te.

Miqo'te have ranged sensitivity to Catnip. Calem is on the intense end where it acts as a potent aphrodisiac. Though if he's not intentionally planning to use the drug it mostly just ends in him being overstimulated and distressed.

So long as he can get purchase with his claws he can climb up pretty much any tree/wall/ceiling/roof etc. usually just chooses to drop if he gets stuck.

High prey drive, higher for Calem because of his extended use to it as a developing child. If a small animal gets too close to him in camp when he's unoccupied it's pretty much guaranteed he'll chase it.

Lots of cat like body language with his tail and movement, and a tendency toward affectionate headbutting.

Is like a lesser wildcat rather than a big cat. So no roaring but lots of yowling, chirping, and hissing. As an adult there are really only aggression displays and purring, but if very ill or mentally impaired might chirp or display other more "kitten" like vocalizations.

Very good balance and will often land on feat, but not to the same level as an actual cat.

While they have many instincts, none of them will override their thinking self outside of deeply traumatic situations. They can choose to ignore aspects of themselves as with any culture, though it's preferred not to.

Hair is more fur like, thick and typically a different texture to human hair, especially that on their bodies, which is much more like an animals double coat than it is to body hair. Though a Nunh's head or tail tuft hair might be coarser, similar to a lion's main. The density means it takes much longer to dry, so if Miqo'te don't have a lot of time or a machine to deal with that, they often default to traditional dry methods of bathing.

Has a sensitive sense of smell, but a much more sensitive sense of hearing and sight. While they can smell things a human can't, it is their hearing and sight that make them excellent hunters.

More culture than biology: Because neither culture has a tradition of monogamy, Instead defaulting to couplings for brief periods (keepers) or Harems (seekers) ,they often get an unfair reputation for promiscuity. This stereotype is part of why you will more frequently find Miqo'te's as dancers or sex workers. This stereotype is no more true for them then other races, though it is true they are more likely to be polyamorous or uninterested in traditional marriage dynamics if raised in their culture's traditions.

[storyhaunt-a]

#STORYHAUNT.

a writing & roleplay blog, dedicated to several characters across sources. placing focus on original characters. mutuals only, and will exclusively interact with those who are 20+. basic rp etiquette applies. portrayed by vincent (he/him, 21+). rules and muses below the cut.

written in affiliation with … @proditeur, @redemnation, @cloistress

RULES.

this blog is 18+, and only interacts with muns who are 20 years of age and older. mature and otherwise triggering themes will be present on this blog, including but not limited to; general violence, discussion of mental health, and gore. i will rarely write anything intimate in nature, though the motivation may occasionally arise. all topics will be tagged accordingly. if you need anything specific tagged, or i forget to properly tuck something away, just shoot me a message and i'll take care of that.

i generally do not follow duplicates. this one may be a bit harder to keep up with, due to the fact that i will not be broadcasting my canon muses, but nevertheless, i am still going to be cautious when it comes to blogs which write the same characters as i do. miscommunications happen all too frequently in the rpc, and i would rather avoid potential drama altogether.

if you're going to unfollow me, i ask that you at least soft block. i will extend the same courtesy to you, unless your rules specifically state to hard block.

i am slow. there are going to be frequent bouts of inactivity, and writing will not happen every day. writing, being on this blog, it's a hobby, and i am an adult with a million and one responsibilities to prioritize above it.

i will not interact with anything that has to do with the boys, hazbin hotel, or disney star wars. there may be an extreme few exceptions for the utmost latter, but otherwise, i have no interest in touching or writing any of these things.

MUSES.

D&D.

amaris nightsong / jergalspawn, 'tiefling'. sorcerer. he/him.

andras / bhaalspawn, 'tiefling' (werewolf). cleric. he/they.

ateras / bhaalspawn, 'tiefling'. sorcerer. they/them.

kaedis / dragonborn. sorcerer. he/him.

rivalt stormblade / half-elf (undead). warlock. he/him.

seòras / half-elf. warlock. he/him.

the dark urge / dragonborn. sorcerer. it/its.

x'yra / drow. sorcerer. she/her.

FFXIV.

day breaker / hrothgar. she/her.

t'khot ndai / miqo'te. he/him.

DRAGON AGE.

amiyr tabris / elf. rogue, assassin. he/him.

calwyn mahariel / elf. archer. she/her.

hawke shrakaah / ?. rogue. he/they.

jace hawke / human. mage, apostate. he/him.

COMICS.

artemiy / cerberus. operative, freelance agent. he/him.

roman costea / wraith. vigilante, anti-hero. he/him.

STAR WARS.

atyur'os'eko, 'rose' / chiss. operative, aristocra. he/him.

havok / human. spy, operative. he/him.

kal tizaara / mirialan. force-user. he/him.

koa khel-halcyon / human. jedi. he/him.

n'aji karval / mirialan. jedi. he/him.

varik sunrider / human. dark jedi, bounty hunter. he/him.

URBAN FANTASY.

avallach 'bigby' kenward / the spirit king. he/him.

malahki rosewood / paranormal investigator, detective (werewolf). he/him.

mircea van helsing / monster hunter. he/him.

james yeung / sorcerer. he/him.

keva / vampire. he/they.

lucas greenwood / ?. he/him.

susan pendragon / eldritch knight. she/her.

CENTER-RING.

dhamrys alveron / rhaggar. he/him.

gwenaith / erynai. she/her.

kaarstelis, 'stella' / goddess. she/they/it.

rýsir fel / rhaggar, gyryth. he/they/it.

[ultimafangirl]

So I've now got what I consider to be my four main OCs.

Three of whom are basically self inserts

Quinn

Self-insert based OC

She/They

Lalafell Bard in FFXIV

Blue Lion

Plays a Bard but is a terrible singer irl. Still loves theatre.

Single, doesn't know how to flirt

Loves Lolita styles

Carter

Self Insert based OC

He/him

Hrothgar Black Mage in FFXIV

Theatre kid growing up. Still a theatre adult but now prefers to work behind the scenes

Single, not really interested but if he meets someone special then that's great

Ellianna (human version)

Self insert based OC

She/her

Au Ra Dragoon in FFXIV (this is also the default Ellianna)

Single but flirty

Likes games with crafting. Fan of Atelier series. Picked up all of the Disciples of the Land/Hand jobs in ffxiv

Soft spot for cute things. Has trouble deciding which minion to use. Sticks with nanamo minion cause it rides on her shoulder and that's adorable

Aria (BeorcHuman version)

Actual OC

She/her

Miqo'te Dancer in FFXIV (originally White Mage)

Golden Deer

Insists her preferred style is elegant. It actually leans more toward cute

Insists her favorite color is white cause it's more elegant and grown up. It's actually green

Youngest of 3 children. Older sister and brother. Had a big fight with brother and has gone low contact.

Has a girlfriend. Been dating for a couple of years now

-----

Ages fluctuate depending on the situation. Carter is the always the oldest and Aria is always the youngest

Quinn, Carter and Aria don't actually have ffxiv characters. I'm only a casual ffxiv player and am only level 50 something with my main. You really think I have time for 3 alts?

3 of them have been submitted as ocs to sonocomics. I'll send Aria next month. Might give her some more color.

A lot of Quinn Carter and Ellianna is based on some of my own traits and thoughts cause they're originally self-inserts I needed for different situations.

Quinn and Ellianna both got my taste in older men

[primalvessel]

Of course he didn't mean it but still, the thought of doing so did make the Miqo'te smile even if only for a moment before he sighed, deflating.

"I'm not making any deliveries to premises containg small humans for the forseeable future. Unless I start getting hazard pay out of it."

@primalvessel liked dis for a one liner

"You know, the next time you're accosted by a small human, you have my permission to punt it into the nearest body of water, yeah?"

Cloud didn't really mean that, of course. But, man, did he understand the frustration of unwanted attention.

[astrxealis]

i really want to play dragon age origins again ngl...

[songbite]

8, 14, & 15 for the wol questions :]

                                                        𝐅𝐅𝐗𝐈𝐕 𝐖𝐨𝐋 𝐪𝐮𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬  /  𝑨𝒄𝒄𝒆𝒑𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈

8. How do they feel about the fame/infamy that comes with being a Warrior of Light/Darkness?

Don’t get me wrong, he loves attention, he holds incredible confidence in himself, he loves to love and loves to BE loved, but with the fame that comes with being a Warrior Light/Darkness, it’s not that he wants to shy away from it, but rather.... Would rather.. Someone else take that mantle. Almost someone more deserving. He’ll wear that title with pride, don’t get me wrong about that either, but it’s more like... It’s weird to accept that he would ever think he ‘ deserved ‘ it. There’s blood on his hands. He is riddled with regret. There are sins he has committed that he cannot walk without remembering them. Yes he’s grown, yes he has found new meaning in life, but I suppose there’s that hint of guilt in that fame of being a hero when he knows damn well had they have seen him at his worst, would they still think of him the same? He tries not to dwell on that thought, but you might hear allusions of these tales in his ballads in Mor Dhona if you’re sober enough to listen. There’s many compliments he’ll gladly receive but to be praised for being the WoL there are times where his smile may seem empty in contrast to his vibrancy. (HE IS SUCH A HYPOCRITE THOUGH IN THAT, IF YOU WERE THE SAME, HYPOTHETICALLY, HE WON’T THINK LESS OF YOU AT ALL. so I think this is just him being hard on himself.)

14. If they were not an adventurer, what would they be doing?

FUNNILY ENOUGH IF NOT FOR HIM GETTING ROPED WITH THE SCIONS HE’D... well. would he be happy? Because in truth, I think they saved his life. Were he not to walk the path he did, and in doing so found meaning in life and what love was, asking where he would be is a good question. I can’t ensure he’d be alive. Say, after losing his family, were he to not decide to find his sister, become an adventurer in the process, and accept her as dead as well, I believe with his old destructive tendencies (esp in regards to his abundance of aether and insane strength that could dwindle his life) he’d very carelessly throw his life away. HOWEVER!!! on a more positive note, lets say this is situated post Endwalker, yeah? Where they’re kinda doing their own thing? He would DEFINITELY be performing for people. He’d sing, he’d dance, he’d play instruments, he’d buy everyone a round of drinks LMAO (Tataru kicks his ass). He already in his spare time sits on the bar in the Seventh Heaven and strokes his harp so <3 um. 

SIMPLE ANSWER: he’d either be dead or performing on stage or at bars or even the side of the pathways <3

15. Which NPC are they the most similar to?

HAHA AM I ALLOWED TO SAY ARR THANCRED. The flirting, the incredibly messy bg he has, all the mistakes, the guilt, the confidence he wears to hide to all. I think him and Thancred would have a very interesting if not strong bond with each other all things considered. It’s funny though bc in ARR, Aweri wasn’t a flirt at all and had 0 confidence. Maybe a part of him absorbed that personality like a sponge and he’s not aware of it. He probably really admired Thancred back then (and still does to this day). You ever really look up to someone and subconsciously pick up things about them that you admire??? Yeah I think Thancred was one of those people for Aweri, whether he’s consciously aware of it or not. Actually he might be embarrassed if you bring it up LMAO

[agent-cupcake]

This may be intrusive to your creative process but if you write that Mi'qote fic can you please lay onto the manhandling by the tail/ears aspects? I love your writing but to me personally the only thing that stops them from being 10/10 is that you don't often get into the more physical layers of domination and I feel the whole "non-human reader" thing gives you the opportunity to lay into that

I've yet to receive any ideas on what sort of scenario or character would suit this and I'm kind of coming up blank so although I am ready and willing to do my best to fulfill your request and absolutely would love to exploit a poor Miqo'te reader, I still have no idea which character would meet the specifically sadistic and careful type that would suit this sort of story the best.

I got one request (maybe joking?) for Dimitri but, even at his worst, I'm just not sure I can see it? His, uhm, dehumanization of people is driven more by the fact that he becomes a mindless animal who prioritizes expedient, selfish behavior over thoughtful actions and I don't think he'd really get anything out of bullying a cute cat girl.

It's so sad.

[forgotten-contract]

Voidtouched-blue --- [Prior]

[...]The sudden melody of his voice somewhat startled her. She turned to him, ears twisting to catch his introduction. The healer blinked, rubbing her eyes to try and get a clear look at him, but everything was still quite blurred. She offered him a smile, and a gentle bow of her head in return for the pleasantry. "Charmed." She kept her tone calm and cool despite the throbbing that overwhelmed her thoughts. "Cyra Lunastra. Would that I weren't currently dealing with a simple case of over-working myself, I'm sure our meeting would be more pleasant." Her apology was genuine, even if not a true apology. The Miqo'te wasn't one to keep close friends, but the few she had, she hadn't spoken to in months. She wasn't about to make another. Even in her time of need, she would keep him at a distance if she could help it.

“Cyra.” He tested the name on his tongue, musing idle as her apology met the air. A fitting name like any other, some history no doubt behind the conventions, attachments or neglection in the vein of similar human virtues. Gilded eyes rolled behind dark glasses - Eorzeans always seemed to ignore the power behind a name. Maybe she would fair better. “Overworking happens to the best of us, I’m not immune to it myself.” The lilt of his tone was honest as it was true; Keeping up appearances of an estate did require more than a little genuine paperwork and meetings for shareholds - leading to inattention of his own needs far more often than he cared to admit. Their pace was slow as the duo continued onward through the heat, the blanketed cloth that hung across the walkways of Ul’Dah’s streets giving some small break from the desert heat every so often in sparse shadows that dusted the sandstone cobbles to break the monotonous reds. Small talk wasn’t anything that Silvaire ever enjoyed, even with things (Or people) he had caught an interest in. Often, the casual soul had nothing beneficial to say, filling the space with sounds of mewling or complaints of weather. Even if the Elezen disliked the burn of this world’s light, he never spoke on it. There would be no reason too, as there would be nothing to be done about the celestial body, thus it was pointless. But that was social convention at it’s finest. Pointless. She seemed to hold this in regard, whether that was in turn to some bygone influence of a stranger, or the same sentiment he didn’t know. But it was an unspoken appreciation in comparison to merchants or peddlers that often earned his ire. Tapping his fingers against the back of his palm, the clink of rings sounding ever so slightly as his thoughts turned in contemplation. In curiosity. How would she react to an answer? Would she deny the notes? Or fall further into that obsession without seeking practicality. Enough people had come and gone now that he was fully confident that none from the sanctum had followed nor found her novel choices wanting, so it was simple enough to broach the subject on his own. With a glance to her person he offered a hum of warning before speaking - the subject spoken quietly to those attentive ears that flicked here and there to his notice; “I’ve heard that, as of recently, a peculiar Hingashi Script was sold in auction within the Ul’Dahn houses.” A pause as two unnamed bodies passed them by. “Volumes of parchment documenting the history of… Ill-antiquated Contracts.” The hidden offer earned a genuine turn of his lip as he looked down towards her petite stature. There was no judgment in his tone, and as she seemed to be smart enough to understand the gesture of his words he continued. “Being as most of the Syndicate are wholly incapable of speaking anything but the common tongue, it was only those who could read the text itself that understood the value, or the requirement to keep it from being locked away once again by brothers of like-minds.” Leaning as he did to peer properly beneath her hood, he kept his distance just enough to meet her sharp gaze. “Perhaps, Cyra, once your migraine has subsided, you could resume your studies within more agreeable lodgings.”

[ivoryminitower]

Echoes of Home: 1 - Steve ("the weird part")

Echoes of Home: FFXIV AU OC – WoLs on Earth

Still reeling a bit, but better now.  At least I'm able to focus a bit better.  I think I had my wife worried.  I know I had me worried.  But it's the sort of idea that I don't want to think about and have to think about at the same time.  So let's take it from the top.

I remember a couple years ago being 60 years old.  I remember taking a walk in some woods near home and finding a glowing gold circle on the ground, about three feet in diameter.  It wasn't metal; it seemed to be made of light, though there wasn't a visible source.

I remember stepping into it, which was probably a stupid thing to do, but I was like, hey, a circle of light.  What could happen?

What happened was that I found myself in another place, which turned out to be another world.  A world that was, or was a reflection of, or was the inspiration for, Final Fantasy XIV, a MMORPG.  A video game.  I was also younger, like around 30.  Which is weird, but not the weird part of this.

I spent over a year there, in Eorzea.  Most of the world was full of NPCs, like the people in the Jumanji movie with Dwayne Johnson.  The only exception was a woman who resembled my character when I played the game, Tsu'na.  I was lucky to spot her within a few days of getting there.  We met, we talked, we got to know each other, she helped me get established in that world.  We eventually got romantically involved and got married.  She's not human, and I'm not a miqo'te, but it felt as if we were the only real people in the world.  Which is weird, but still not the weird part of this.

The weird part is that we found a golden circle in that world.  I told Tsu'na it would take us to a new world, and asked her to go there with me.  We both stepped into the circle and found ourselves in some woods outside of Wyatt, Oklahoma, about 50 miles west of Tulsa.

We made our way to Wyatt and stopped at a diner for a bit.  I still had my things from when I stepped into the circle, so I had a little cash and my phone.  I borrowed a charger and made a call.  I started with my buddy Owen, figuring we could bring each other up to speed.

Turns out he was having lunch with me at the time.  Not the me in Wyatt, Oklahoma...the 62-year-old me that had stepped into that circle over a year ago, who had seen that circle fade away, who had shrugged and kept on walking along.  Which means the circle didn't take him to Eorzea...it made a copy of him, complete with all his memories.  And which probably means, though I have no way of knowing for sure, that the circle in Eorzea behaved the same way, and that the me in Eorzea saw that circle fade out, even as a copy of him and his wife wound up in Oklahoma.

So I'm a clone.  Or something.  Of a clone.  Or something.

That's the weird part.

Though I suppose that implies there's a normal part.  I don't think I'm there yet.

[clairefiredragon]

My FFXV Rare Pair Fics for August 2021

So on Twitter for the FFXV Rare Pairs week, I wrote a fic for every day! Here are all the fics in one central location. 

Day 1 Title: This Night Enchanted  Theme: Fairies  Pair: Ignis/Ravus Tags: Alternate Universe, Fae & Fairies, Fairies, First Meetings, Fairy Ravus, Summary: Ignis has been asked by King Regis to go out on a diplomatic journey to the fairy realm, to the fairy kingdom itself. The two kingdoms wish to make ties and peace between them, and so Ignis is sent to be the main representor for the humans. While there he meets the royal fairy family, including prince Ravus who seems to have a lot of distain for humans. Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/33436774

Day 2 Title: Ice and Fire Theme: Demi-Gods Pair: Prompto/Ravus Tags: Alternate Universe, Demigods, Demi-God Ravus, Demi-God Prompto, Fluff, First Meetings Summary: Ravus was a demi-god, a child of an Astral. He was a child of Shiva and throughout his years he had a bit of a reputation for not being the friendliest. Whether this was a trait of Shiva or just something that was his own, but he was always rather distant and cold towards others. He had the hardest time trying to befriend someone else, whether they were demi-god or not. Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/33462118

Day 3 Title: The Mysterious Behemoth Theme: Spell gone wrong, Familiar, Witch Pair: Gladio/Luna Tags: Alternate Universe, Witches, Witch Luna, Magic, Spells & Enchantments, Fluff, Cute Summary: Luna is a young witch out to find herself a little familiar. She comes across a mimi Behemoth and she thinks she feels a magical connection. Taking it home she finds that her new behemoth isn't actually what she thought it was. Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/33466999

Day 4 Title: When in Limbo Theme: Ghosts, Limbo Pair: Noctis/Ravus Tags: Alternate Universe, Assassination Attempt(s), Coma, Limbo, The Nox Fleurts don't exist in this universe, Ravus is a overseer in the Limbo realm, Angst, Eventual Happy Ending, Eventual Romance, minor mentioning of blood and injuries Summary: After an assassination attempt, Noctis is left in a coma. But during that time, he finds himself in a realm that is limbo. Between life and death he waits to see what will happen, but he isn't alone. He finds that he will have someone to keep him company. Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/33488782/chapters/83199118

Day 5 Title: Miqo'te Shenanigans Theme: Animal Transformation  Pair: Prompto/Y’jhimei  Tags: Alternate Universe, Post-Canon, Fluff, Cute, Animal Transformation, Miqo'te Prompto, Dimension Travel, Post-Episode Ignis Verse 2 Summary: Prompto and Y'jhimei have finally decided to test the teleporter to take them to her world. They figured it would still work both ways, so they decided to give this a try and take a little vacation together. The only thing they didn't expect was how Prompto looked when they arrived in Hydaelyn. Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/33517108

Day 6 Title: The Hunt for the Adagium Theme: Monster Hunter Pair: Ardyn/Verstael  Tags: Alternate Universe, Monsters, Monster Hunters, First Meetings Summary: There has been legends of a monster known as the Adagium. Verstael believed he could be the one to finally find the creature and defeat it. He didn't expect the encounter to go quiet like this. Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/33611932

Day 7 Title: Betrayal at Paradise  Theme: Secret Relationship Pair: Loqi/Noctis Tags: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - No Prophecy (Final Fantasy XV), There is peace between Niflheim and Insomnia, Angst, Fluff, Kidnapping, Assassin Creed Festival, Secret Relationship, Happy Ending Summary: Noctis is at the Assassins festival, enjoying his time there. But the day takes a bit of a turn when Nifheim soldiers show up to try and capture him. Part of him worries that word had gotten out about him being here, but the only one who could let the Niffs know would be none other that his secret boyfriend; Loqi. But is it true? Is Loqi even here? That's what Noctis has to find out. Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/33629779

[keybladeciel]

Day Four... is gonna hurt me. SEVERLY HURT ME. But now I have a happier ending to it. Here's Day Four of @khoc-week

Sacrifice- AU

In Forgotten Arcadia, very few heroic characters die. For this reimagining of the Keyblade Graveyard, this "No Hero Dies at Some Point" Rule is going to be averted... I did a version of this earlier this year during KHUX Week 2021, but this is not this version... (There's gonna be a bit of blood and some cursing in this story)

Ciel found himself in a quiet rainstorm after the dust had settled. His Armor was damaged from the ensuing clashes with the Foretellers and disillusioned Keyblade Wielders. Worse, he's witnessing the largest Human to Heartless transformation party with no way out. To him, the battlefield riddled with bloodstained Keyblades was hell. He wanted out, but the war was far from over and his urge to avenge Strelitzia following her death fueled his anger. While Ciel hated Wielder on Wielder violence before the War broke out, his girlfriend's assassin was the one person he wanted to partake in Wielder on Wielder Violence.

"Now what?" Ciel asked out of exhaustion. He was tired and he wanted to get out of here. His usually blue hair was losing its color and turning into a dirt and blood riddled black. He had nothing else to lose but to fight for his friends and family in the war. His anger hadn't died down and he resisted the urge to kill someone by using sleep magic and non-lethal techniques. But one person turned to him and raised their Keyblade. The black and draconian armor and bloodstained Keyblade led to Ciel's fight or flight instinct being fight or die. "Crap. Can't I ever get a break?" Ciel retorted as he and the Draconian Knight clashed Keyblades. The two fought and traded blows for a while, but the tide was not favoring Ciel. Then the Knight spoke. It was the words he'd regret saying if he survived. "I killed Strelitzia, filthy Miqo'te!" Ciel felt his anger reach its hottest point. In that instant Ciel's Fight or Die instinct turned into Subdue or Die. He was raring to break his non-lethal force rule when Celeste saved him from a fatal blow, only for her to be knocked out. She had no intentions in fighting in an apocalyptic war, nor was she supposed to, but Ciel was in mortal danger... and from her brother's viewpoint, she may have died. This was that straw that broke his back.

"You bastard! You'll pay for this!" Ciel yelled as he could no longer hold back the urge to kill. The Knight intended to draw his opponent out at an emotional level, but Ciel had a new instinct. He either kills the Knight or dies trying to avenge his sister. His heart has lost its balance with light and darkness. He was close to being a Darkling, but his will wouldn't allow him to fall to the darkness that easily due to his strong light. As the two fighters clashed violently, Celeste regained consciousness and landed an attack that attracted the Knight's attention. Celeste realized she put herself at mortal danger at that moment.

As the Knight charged at Celeste, Ciel sensed what was going on and pushed his sister out of the way. In turn, he was the one who got impaled by a Keyblade. Ciel shouted out one of his strongest curses to date. The Knight realized that he may have impaled Ciel, but he was still standing with an anger to match. "Oh, crap," the Knight said as Ciel landed the finishing blow and killed the knight. "That... was for... Strelitzia." Ciel then realized that he was mortally wounded and stumbled to Celeste. "Cel... I finally avenged her." "Avenged who?" Celeste asked. "Strelitzia... she can finally rest in peace," Ciel said with a weakening voice. He was covered in blood and may very well be dying. To ensure her brother had a fighting chance, Celeste casted Curaza on her brother. "Cel... if you see my Heartless, take it out." Rather than dissolve into light, Ciel's heart left first with his body intact. From this perspective, Ciel was dead.

Ciel found himself with Strelitzia in a dream like state. The two were together for over a century until one fateful day... "I wanted my brother back. Even if it meant seperating him from Strelitzia, so be it," Celeste said as she stared down at a person resembling Ciel. "So killing a Nobody you just met would bring back my former self," Ciel's Nobody asked. "I am only a half of his heart. You need to take out his Heartless first." "I know. The Heartless was a Darkling that refused to kill anyone. Ciel's heart guided it to me and I honored his request to take out his Heartless," Celeste said with a depressed tone. Ciel's sacrifice had left a 101 year hole in her heart. That hole was about to be mended. During that time, Strelitzia had been recompleted herself and felt a need to atone for harming a boy named Sora under the orders of her brother's Nobody, Marluxia. "I know Lauriam wouldn't kill someone out of revenge. If you truly are my brother's Nobody, are you able to follow your heart to get to Twilight Town once you're recompleted?" Celeste asked. "Don't worry, Cel. I'll be there for you soon, Sis." With that Ciel's Nobody smiled as Celeste landed a fatal and bloodless blow and dissolved into smoke. A week later Ciel woke up. In the Keyblade Graveyard and had his life flash before his eyes up to his death. He then knew what to do and followed his Heart to Twilight Town.

Celeste was sleeping in after a difficult day at the Kupo Mart when Strelitzia entered. "Ciel's back!" Celeste ran out of the room in her sleepwear and found Ciel, alive and well, but with a scar on his chest from his impalement. "Yeah, that hurt like hell," he retorted. "I died for this? This place is beautiful, Cel." For the first time in over a century, the twins were happy. "You were the big brother on that day. I could've died if it wasn't for you," Celeste explained. Soon, Ciel's entire party showed up with the youngest members being his age now. "He's back!" The party paraded around him. One such person had waited for him for a long time. "Strely... I-" "Ciel, as long as we're together, we'll never be apart," Strelitzia said as she hugged her boyfriend for the first time in a while. "I sacrificed myself for the Dandelions and in return, karma rewarded me by bringing me back from the dead. That's a reward I'll love," Ciel said, ready for his next adventure.

Pictured: Ciel meeting Master Aced in the Keyblade War. The lack of his Miqo'te features stem from this incarnation of Ciel being an earlier take where the reveal was much later into the story of Forgotten Arcadia.

[the-goth-catte]

A Shifting of the Sands: II

The roar of the bloodthirsty crowd in the arena rumbled like a persistent, pervasive thunder in the tunnels below the blood sands. The individual voices, the sounds that one could pick out to distinguish anything as even remotely related to mankind, were so muffled and dulled through the thick layers of stone and long twisting passages that what remained was an almost inhuman roar. A tempest of voices, a wall of humanity all calling out for one thing: blood. The fights had been going for some time now, so long that Naalie had lost track of how many bells had come and gone since the opening contest; she often wondered what it was that kept those men and women so enrapt, so enthralled that they would spend the better part of an entire day watching the trained fighters of the gladiators’ guild dance their deadly dance over and over again. Certainly after so long it became repetitious, did it not? While, yes, the different acts all fought with different styles… but when one got down to it, how different could any of it have been?

The young Miqo’te woman crouched in one of the many narrow, dimly lit passages beneath the arena proper; her back rested against the cold stone of the wall, though the majority of her scant weight was supported by the taut muscles of her calves. All of her gear, save the plumed helm which rested beside her, was polished and equipped, the weight of the steel, leather, and cloth a familiar comfort to her. Many of her colleagues cracked wise that her attire must weigh as much as she did, and while it wasn’t quite so burdensome as that the armor did add a significant amount to her overall weight. In moments like these, when the call would soon come that her fight was next, Naalie found herself repeating this same routine time and time again: crouch in the dark tunnels and allow the weight of arms and armor to ground her, to center her. It reminded her that she was in this moment, in the now, and that no matter what came next nothing could change that. Her breathing was slow and rhythmic: inhale to the count of five, exhale for seven, hold for five, repeat. It kept her heartbeat from slamming wildly in her chest, and the anxiety that always came with an impending fight from running wild with her emotions. At least… it usually kept her anxiety in check. 

This fight… this one was unlike the others. She’d faced challenges, gone up against odds that she’d been unlikely to best - and won. This wasn’t even supposed to be a challenging fight, according to the word from the back alley bookies taking bets on the outcomes. While the Hrothgar she was pitted against was significantly larger than her, the skill with which she wielded a sword outclassed him in nearly every imaginable way. Light and nimble, Naalie glided like a shadow over the blood soaked sands to strike quick, hard, and decisively. There was little at risk in this fight. What gnawed at the back of her mind, instead, was the cryptic warning that came some weeks earlier while finding a measure of solace in the desert night.

The Lalafellen man hadn’t identified himself, only insinuated that he was a man of power and influence. The exchange had played out in her mind’s eye repeatedly in the days that followed, twisting and turning the encounter every which way to make sense of it; part of her wondered if he’d been bluffing, some costumed man with a mummer’s farce trying to scam her into providing a big pay out, while the remainders believed he was legitimately who he suggested he might have been. What would happen if she didn’t do what was so kindly asked of her? She, and her tribe, had so very little that there wasn’t much that could be taken from them; she had very few personal ties, fewer still beyond her immediate family. And what of her opponent? Had the man approached him as well with some enticing offer to encourage him to win? Or simply told him he would be going over in their bout? Undoubtedly he’d done something with Bjornulf, Naalie just couldn’t guess what it might have been. In silent frustration, the young Miqo’te woman leaned her head back and began idly bouncing it against the stone behind her; it hurt, but it distracted her from the racing thoughts swirling about her mind.

Far above her, Naalie heard the crowd roar with approval at some unknown deed that had just transpired; whatever it was, it had been exciting. A particular bloody outcome? A surprising upset for one of the underdog fighters? … A death? Those weren’t uncommon in the dangerous world that revolved around the Ul’dah Bloodsands. Would she soon meet such an ignoble ending, sprawled in the dirt and grime while the fans who had so loyally cheered for her now called for her death? A slow sigh slipped past her lips, and Naalie’s eyelids dropped tightly closed. In that moment, the sounds of the arena seemed to fade, becoming a dull background roar… a white noise she could tune out. It was a strange, unexpected moment of peace, which left her yearning for somebody, anybody, that she could reach out to.

"Vhenna!" the call came from somewhere to her right, just around the corner of the tunnel. "You're on next. Get your ass up to the gate."

Her silence broken, Naalie let out one more quiet sigh before pushing up to her feet. The footfalls that carried her down the tunnel were leaden, her body refusing to cooperate with the demands she was making of it; each step felt as if she were walking to her execution, a sense of dread lingering about her being with a strong defiance running to her core. No matter how this day went, no matter the outcome of this fight, she knew that things would never again be the same.

-----

Sand kicked up into an arc as Bjornulf the Hellsbeast slammed the head of his mighty mace into the ground where Naalie had been standing but a scant few beats of the heart before; the thick metal hit with such force that the percussion could not only be felt by the nimble Miqo'te, but actually heard over the cheers and jeers of the spectators. Naalie wasn't sure if they called out in excitement as she easily twisted to the side before the blow fell, or if they were disappointed that her flesh and bones hadn't been crushed instead of the sand.

The way she moved wasn't unlike that of a dancer, albeit one decked in heavy armor and wielding a short sword; as the mace came hurtling down, Naalie had jumped to the side, twisting in air and coming down in a crouch a few fulms to the left. Was the crouch necessary? No. The crowd, though, usually ate that kind of thing up... and anything you could do to get the crowd wanting to see more of you was well worth doing. As she lifted her head, magenta eyes slowly lifted toward the rings of spectators looking down on them (yet another fan-favorite move that she tried to throw into the fray when she could). She tried to tell herself that she wasn't looking for anybody in particular, but she knew in her core that she was damn well looking for that Lalafell. The quick, stolen glance wasn't long enough to make out any faces, however; in the heat of the moment, in the midst of battle, she could scare spare more than a few heartbeats to play around before getting back to business.

As the tan Hrothgar began to heft his mace from where it has embedded itself in the sand, Naalie dove and rolled forward behind where his legs were planted; there was the briefest bits of hesitation as she brought out her blade to attack.

Should I? He warned me...

Flash

The bright lights of the arena caught the reflection of Naalie's blade, flashing brightly as the steel bit into the bare flesh and fur of her opponent. The man groaned aloud as the keen edge dug deep into the muscle of his thigh, mouth contorting into the shape of a silent scream and eyes narrowing. Blood poured free, matting the fur of his legs and spilling down onto the already stained sands below.

The crowd went wild, on their feet and cheering wildly.

All... but one.

In the sea of sound and moving bodies, there was one lone figure; Naalie caught but a glance as her eyes flicked back up to the ground, a few heartbeats at most... but she was sure. The ostentatious clothes, the smug expression, the two flanking morons. Yeah, it was him.

The corners of her mouth turned downward in a scowl. The entire fight until now had been spent in a mounting state of dread and indecision, not knowing what to do... what would be best for her career, or her well being. But seeing that short statured pompous ass standing in the crowd, watching her with his judgmental expression... Naalie knew.

As Bjornulf staggered forward, his right leg no longer fully supporting his weight, Naalie began to strike. She never went immediately for one killing blow, unless it was a guaranteed success. She preferred, instead, to dart in and out and make numerous strikes to further hinder their ability to attack or defend themselves. Precise cuts crippled his other leg, bringing the big Hroth down to his knees; his right arm was shortly rendered useless as he made the mistake of lifting it to guard against a blow, taking several ilms of cold steel into his flesh. Naalie was fairly certain she felt bone scraping against her blade when she slid it from the wound she'd created, and from the amount of blood that began to pour out it wouldn't have surprised her. He was helpless now. He knew it. She knew it. The crowd knew it. And the crowd... the crowd was going wild, their lust for blood and death at a pitch.

Naalie stood before the felled Hroth, blade held outstretched with tip pointing down at him. His eyes were wide and watery, but his brave face held as he stared potential death in the eye. It wasn't at her helpless foe that she looked, but to the mass of humanity beyond him... through the cheering fans... to a single, solitary Lalafell. With a defiant incline of her chin, Naalie's voice rang out in the arena.

"I refuse to kill this helpless gladiator." She paused, her eyes lowering to meet those of Bjornulf. "Yield," she demanded.

His breath came in pants, gasping for air through the pain of his wounds and the shame of his defeat. "He..." Bjornulf started, his voice low... low enough that his words were lost to all save a single Miqo'te. "... He promised... me riches... if I could kill you. And...  he... he promised suffering... if I couldn't." Bjornulf spat, red phlegm staining the sand at Naalie's sandals. "You... have to... finish it."

The desperation was heavy in his words, carrying the weight of his fear and chilling Naalie to her core. Before she could process this, the Hrothgar lunged forward with a strength she didn't realize he still possessed; the severity of his wounds made it a clumsy endeavor at best, but Naalie saw it for what it was worth: an opening to give his death some glory, so he would pass from this world a fighter on his feet rather than a weakling on his knees.

With a quick motion, Naalie stepped to the side as he staggered in front of her; turning her sword in hand, Naalie brought the point downward just behind his clavicle. It cut through flesh and down into his pumping heart, stilling the organ. With a cry, Naalie jerked her blade free; the cooling corpse of Bjornulf slumped face-first into the sands as his life's blood spilled across the aptly named arena's floor.

Bitter tears stinging her eyes, Naalie lifted her head to stare out to the crowd in victory. She saw none of the cheering faces, the contorted fans enrapt with the spectacle before them. Only a solitary Lalafell turning his back and slowly walking away.