#illsabard

[sirensongsea]

tree.mp4

[lesenbyan]

[ID: a Screencap of three final fantasy XIV characters standing in the Coerthan snow. On the left is Godbert, wearing furry gloves and knee high boots with his spandex short shorts and the highlander hempen undershirt. In the center is Aki, a Xaela woman with warm purple-grey skin wearing a lavender bikini and matching strappy heels. On the right is Cyr, a hyuran man in a full length royal blue robe. Godbert stands upright with his arms crossed, Aki with her arms to her sides, and Cyr is hunched over shivering. /end ID]

one of y'all is an Ishgard native. And it ain't either of the two with skin showin

[tsunael]

part. I -> II

“It’s beautiful here.”  She commented long after the flock of long-tailed tits she entertained had deemed his sudden presence unworthy, and fluttered off home. 

She spoke of the ripe peach of a Sharlayan sunset blazing before them. The Dawn Father being laid to rest, he recalled her once saying, in which she described a tale where He died every day just to let the moon breathe, or some such other romantic notions relating to Auri duality.

He replied, “Agreed.” Although the horizon was much too far when everything and more stood right in front of him. The dropping temperature was not what brought him to her side, for lately he found an uncomfortable need to be close, positively overwhelming in its insistence.

Tsuna turned away from the burning skyline in sensing that his attention had ever been elsewhere. To his surprise, she did not shy away from his sudden proximity. There was a certain delight that a tryst could bring, he knew all too well, and he could feel her basking in the moment in her own reserved way– soaking in the privacy afforded only to them. 

She leaned on the parapet. "I'm setting off to Thavnair on the morrow. I… wanted you to know.” Tsuna finally spoke, and he wished she hadn’t. 

He frowned at the notion. Her wounds were finally healed, yes, but her orders were still to avoid strenuous exertion. Her aether still remained thin-- much like the rest of her in the past few moons.

“So soon?" He bartered. "You’ve only just been given leave.”

“I cannot stay here any longer while my father is out there,” she sighed deeply, tired. “I need to find him. I need to know he’s alive– that he’s not suffering alone.”

Her father, the proud man he had the displeasure of meeting some time after their initial arrival on Hannish soil would have been truly terrifying in his youth for how their first meeting had been. He was withered now, and moreover wounded during the deluge of Blasphemies that descended upon Thavnair. His wounds could have been mortal before they were separated, although Thancred very much doubted a man so stubborn would succumb to something so base without a fight.

Naturally, he kept those acrid thoughts to himself.

Though her tone certainly had changed, for once she would have cursed her father’s name and all he held dear, and now she would risk life and limb to find him again– having no real blood ties of his own, Thancred almost understood it. Almost.

He reached out to gently tug at her arm, and she twisted to better look at him. “I would go with you.”

Her gaze fell beneath her lashes in challenge, though her barb was dull. “Do you not think I can handle it?”

His brow raised, bemused. “Fresh from your sickbed? Not at all.”

“Gods… Please, Thancred.” Tsuna made an exasperated sound. “I won’t suffer you travelling so far for my personal matters. It will be much easier if I go alone.”

He chuffed, incredulous. 

He had gone to the bloody moon for her, to the very ends of the universe and back– attending to her during what would be a quick jaunt to Illsabard paled in comparison, he reasoned. He had made enough trips to and fro that even the aether sickness had dwindled to that of a mild headache. There was nothing stopping him, save for her pride.

“It was my hope that when I said that I would follow you anywhere... that you would believe me.”

He watched in real time as she weighed his word’s worth. The tension slowly but surely released from her shoulders, which eventually led to her concession. He could not help but lose himself when she looked at him so: a gentle smile that bloomed until her eyes creased, twinkling in gratitude. 

"You are kind," she said with an edge of defeat. She drew closer, whispering for his ears only. "Much too kind."

She drew his wry smile. "And it will be the end of me someday, I am sure."

He played the role of lover well.

So well that the lines did so often blur, just as they did when he eased fully into her space, openly caging her against the parapet in hopes of capturing some manner of kiss. It was their worst kept secret: something he knew he must cull before it grew out of both their hands, but she reached up to splay fingers on his chest, and he felt himself pull on the leash of his own longing. He moved forward to meet her, aided by her tiptoes.

“Someone might see,” she chided softly against his cheek, yet she lingered. 

He hummed in consideration, ultimately finding the notion impossible. They hid it well– in plain sight one night say– though ‘love’ did well in dulling all sense and reason whilst sharpening others. He cared not to check his corners in his eagerness to chase the electric feel of her. She craned to meet him, her breath hitching in anticipation as their lips brushed, noses touching.

“Tsuna dear, I wondered where you had wandered off to after supper." A woman’s voice sounded that did not belong to one of theirs, and he felt the rare prickle of embarrassment trail up the back of his neck.

"... It seems I had no reason to worry.” Ameliance stood before them, looking completely and utterly amused at their expense.

In hindsight, considering he had picked her balcony as the stage for his ignominy it was to be expected. Still, he had thought himself grown out of such foolishness.

Tsuna immediately pushed herself into his chest, gasping in terror, then fell to pudding in his arms once terror gave way to the hot knife of shame. 

“Gods– I’m… We weren’t– Lady Ameliance, I–”

Ameliance sidestepped Tsuna’s blathering with grace. “Never did I imagine such an adorable pair of lovebirds would deem it fit to roost.” She looked beside herself with girlish amusement. 

Thancred huffed a self-deprecating laugh in extricating himself from the fretful girl. “We were caught up in a bit of bird watching ourselves,” he began, knowing he could not fully bluff his way to innocence. “Might I say, my lady, that you are looking positively radiant this evening–”

Tsuna shot him a glowering look of disgust for his act, though it was simply comical when her face was as red as the horizon. The humiliation, however, was too much for her to bear. With a respectful bow, Tsuna stole from the balcony, falling into a staggered run to where only the Gods knew. Thancred stepped forward, thinking to give chase, but Ameliance kept him rooted by way of her hand.

“Oh dear,” she tutted. “I suppose that’s my fault.”

He pinched the bridge of his nose. “No. No, the fault lies with me, my lady.”

It seemed, however, his words once again were chosen poorly. Ameliance made a sound of distaste “My dear boy. After all these years, how many times must I ask you to simply call me by my name?”

It was his turn to feel the patronized fool. He felt himself founder, jaw wagging in vain until he could think of a clever response. No matter how many times she called him family, he could not help but shy from it. He cleared his throat, and reeled himself back in…

“Aye. Of course. Ameliance,” he opened his arms in concession, though his shoulders sagged for it.

She finally burst into laughter, entirely of his chagrin. “That's better, much better! Though you still think you can simply sweet talk your way out of everything, I see.”

“Lost my touch, you think?” 

“To lose insinuates that you had it from the beginning.”

He winced. Touché. “Then I will speak plain: my sore lapse in judgement notwithstanding, I ask only for your confidence.”

“A secret, is it?” she asked, tapping the corner of her mouth in thought. Her expression suddenly wizened, and he knew it to be the precursor to something he did not wish to hear. Finally, she cocked her head. “I see. You’ve fallen for her.” 

His eyes widened at her assumption. “No. Gods no,” he forced a laugh. “Nothing of the sort.” His unsteady gaze fell instead to the darkening skyline. It was an infatuation-- just one of many.

He could feel her silent judgement, though he did not rise to refute it. Her expression changed slowly into one of concern. “I suppose I could give you my word… however– and you must excuse me for my eavesdropping– but what was all that nonsense about leaving?”

Thancred opened his mouth to apprise her, though he wished he were not the one to parrot it. Tsuna had run off before she could explain, and he only hoped she did not pack up and leave for the Aetheryte without him whilst he was trapped between the proverbial rock and hard place.

“Twelve preserve. You know she is not fully well.” He was gladdened when she reached the self-same conclusion. "See to it that you tend to her."

“I will. If she were to have me... And even if she won't." He was not above tailing her from the shadows if it meant her safe return.

Ameliance hummed, making a curious sound of appraisal whilst also looking fit to spill all sorts of secrets from his past and maybe even some of her own– and he sorely hoped it was the latter.

“You know, Thancred, dear. I believe that’s called love.”

[aces-and-kings]

A recurring dream you’d had? (Grey)

The dream had come to him time and again, ever since the night he'd made the pact. Much of his youth had been spent entertaining far less dangerous methods of being useful, but in becoming a reaper Greyson had set those delicacies aside in exchange for raw power.

The things ones family could force upon them, especially when there was an image to uphold among high profile society. He was a man of only twenty four at the time. Young, full of passion and promise.

At first, drums. Deliberate. Aggressive. An excessive shout for attention. The precursor to a velvet whisper. A momentary silence, and then, like a gentle sway in the breeze, a violin begins.

All around him snow is falling. It seems to softly glide to the ground, swirling in time with the rhythm of the sound that floats between each flake. One more heavy beat of the drum. A proper announcement. And there she is, Vashti.

She isn't an avatar. Not some shadowed figure with features unidentifiable. Her hair is chestnut, sunset upon the Thanalan desert.

A spotlight falls upon her and she is untouched by the elements. Flawless, bronzed skin, adorning a vibrant cherry sundress that'd see a woman dead were it truly worn among the frozen tundra that is Illsabard.

Her eyes are closed, body crouched low, one arm stretched out to the sky. As the violin comes alive once more, Vashti rises along with it. Each movement she makes pierces the white veil beneath her bare feet.

She is the sound the violin makes.

A second spotlight falls upon Greyson, the melody starting over, quickly rising in tempo as the unseen drums accompany it this time.

Every move Vashit makes grows increasingly fierce, covering greater distances as shadowed figures appear, surrounding her in synchronized maneuvers.

There is a collision of instruments, yet his violin is all he knows, all he can see.

The phantoms overtake Vashti and her dress is turned black with a clap. It all happens so quickly, at once she is revealed to be forever changed.

Her dance now seems less graceful, each jerk of her arms and legs becoming more than movement but meaningful actions.

Grey doesn't see this, but he doesn't need to. He can feel it all as she draws closer, and closer still.

Collapsing at his feet behind him Vashti grips his slacks and slides up to drape herself across his back and shoulders, the physical manifestation of the vigorous violin. They part, but the music only intensifies.

By now the snow has transcended being a mere environmental prop. It's a terrifying force that threatens to consume them both with as much ferocity as their individual artistic displays.

A gust of wind pulls them back to back like magnets. As Vashti dances, Greyson plays on, and the pair slowly turn, embracing the chaos unfolding within and without.

It crescendos until it's final note, struck emphatically, when the wild woman vanishes into a fog that Greyson absorbs. His eyes glow a vibrant gold for the length of a breath before fading back to steel.

As quickly as it'd all stirred up, the weather dissipates and Greyson is left alone in the cold, nothing but his bow in hand which drops into the snow, defeated.

But what does it all mean?

@thefreelanceangel thank you for giving me an excuse to write something for Grey. I've been itching to for awhile.

[ainarosewood]

blast - for the single-word fic prompt!

Broken Promises

Link shook his head growling as the ringing filled his ears. You'd think after a little over a year using the Sheikah bombs from the slate at close range he'd be used to explosions not far away from him. But it wasn't the case. Plus he suspected the bombs the Garlean's were raining down on them were a lot more potent that the ones the slate used to conjure. He looked over at Zelda who was grimacing and shaking her head but, returned his gaze with a determined look informing him she was able to continue despite the annoyance the blasts caused them both.

Together they charged forward leading the charge through the Ghimlyt Dark grateful for Yugiri and Alisaie's support as they worked to push the Garlean's back into Illsabard to remind them that Eorzea would not back down.

The bombardment here was by far worse than it had been in the Castrum and Link kept an eye on Zelda to make sure his Princess wasn't letting her stubborness get ahead of her sense. He was relieved to see every now and then she seemed to be casting a healing spell on herself even as he felt the warmth of the same magic surround himself.

They continued the fight until they reached what seemed to be a pair of commanders wearing similar armor to what the Tribunus of the Black Wolf once had. Link studied them for a moment then charged at one of them. As he met her blade the other seemed to leap away from the fray and harry them from the edges of the battle despite all of his attempts to draw her back. Link decided his best course at the moment was focus his attention mostly on his current opponent and keep an eye out for stray attacks from the other.

Once again he was grateful for the others assistance for they seemed to be keeping the one on the edges from directly threatening him and Zelda as he dealt with the woman in front of him. As it seemed to be nearing the end both of the woman attempted to fight together against him and the others and he was grateful as he felt the draw of aether as Alisaie readied Vermilion Scourge. Without hesitation he channeled some of his aether toward her to bolster the spell and the others did as well and then in one decisive strike the young Elezen finished the battle.

Both of the Garleans reeling from Alisaies strike swiftly fled the field and it seemed for now victory was won. As they began discussing what the next steps were the sharp pain that he had started to become uncomfortably familiar with lanced through his head and he immediately heard the voice that had been plaguing them again ring in his mind. Swiftly he took some shaky steps toward Alisaie as he saw briefly though the strange waves of color and pain Zelda attempting do the same. It was no surprise both of them had promised the girl they wouldn't leave her alone.

Link was finding himself torn between wanting to discern what the words the voice was saying meant and fighting back the fear of losing Zelda again from something he could not control and worry that the girl in front of him would share the fate of the other Scions. Which seemed as the voice let them go and he heard Alisaie begging it not to be, was what was to happen as the young Elezen began to fall. Swiftly despite his shaky legs Link rushed forward and caught her before the girl hit the hard ground they had been fighting on.

As Hein asked the obvious Link found he could only nod as Zelda answered the Doman king. Link stood and gently cradled the girl as they made their way back toward the encampment. As the walked Zelda quietly said, "Link…its not your fault…"

"We promised her Zel. We have no idea where the voice is snatching them away to. What if she's alone…." he gritted waves of guilt warring with rage at this mysterious voice.

"I know…" Zelda said quietly guilt clouding her features as well, "All we can do is hope its not the case and since its the same source taking them the others will be there with her…."

Link just nodded hoping Zelda was right but at the same time a small voice whispered in the back of his mind that once again he had failed. This time to a dear friend instead of the woman he was sworn to protect but it didn't really change it that much.

Whoever the voice was, whatever this Calamity was that he needed them for he'd better hope it was worth the risk. Better pray to whatever gods they held dear that none of the Scions were hurt in this removal from their bodies. Because if none of those things were the case then he'd find how just what it meant to raise the ire of both of the Hylians he seemed so desperate to reach.

[hrolleif-gunnolfson]

18/10 - Illsabard

[blooms-of-ice]

RP Log: Wyda and Lin enjoy a secluded hotspring 

@lettersnorth

Aiswyda Nuthalwyn waits by the front of the company building, jittery. It doesn’t matter if she’s seen Lin recently or not - any time spent together is always a pleasure! And this time, she’s excited to check out a ‘hole in the wall’ hot spring found deep within the Shroud. Towel? Check. Hiking boots? Also check.

Aislinn North She leaves for one small trip to Ilsabard and the whole Company up and moves on her. Alright, the trip was longer than expected. Even so. Aislinn wandered the Beds, glancing between the address written on a piece of parchment she held and the houses. When she finally does find the new house, a relieved smile crosses her face to see Wyda standing out front. She shakes her head as she approaches. "I leave for one sennight." she says with a huff of amusement. "I leave for one sennight." she says with a huff of amusement. "Glad I was able to find the place, though. Alright then, Wyda?" she asks her friend.

Aiswyda Nuthalwyn sees Lin, a speck in the distance, and waves! It was great to see her. “Ahh, that’s right! This is the first time you’ve seen the new company building!” Wyda proudly gestures to the large, pristine lawn...save for a single window, taped over haphazardly with duct tape. “If I didn’t have something else to show you, I’d give you the grand tour! BUT YES. An Eastern style hotspring only a short hike away, tucked in some dark corner of the Shroud. Who knew?”

Aislinn North Looks up at the building. "It  certainly is a deal bigger than the last, isn't it?" she says, her eye catching on the broken window. "Looks like we already christened it, too." She flicked her attention back to Wyda, noting the change in the Seawolf. When Aislinn was pulled away to Ilsabard, she regretted leaving her friend shattered but in the well equipped care of G'lewra. But now, ...Wyda almost seemed like her old self. Aislinn gave a tilt of her head. "A hotspring?" She asked with a slip of a smile. "Truth be told, I'm not about to say no to something like that. Suppose exploring the new headquarters can wait."

Aiswyda Nuthalwyn follows Lin’s gaze to the window, and gulps. “Certainly, we’ve done a good job making ourselves at home. Maybe too good of a job.” She covertly stands to block Lin’s view of the single eyesore, and seems eager to get going. “Right, a hotspring. A friend of a friend of an acquaintance let me know about it - they only take reservations, of small groups, so it shouldn’t be crowded. Getting there is the hard part, though...”

Aiswyda Nuthalwyn pulls out a crumpled piece of paper from her pocket, and smooths it out. Pitifully short instructions are scrawled on it, organized by a list of bullets. The very last instruction simply states, ‘forward.’

Aislinn North Leans forward a bit to look down at the pitifully wrinkled bit of paper. She can make out very little. She moves to Wyda's side and tries looking at it right side up. It does not help. "Huh." she squints, as if by doing so will suddenly make the instructions make sense. "Well...barring anything else, we'll at least get a nice walk in the woods, aye?"

Aiswyda Nuthalwyn: “Precisely! And it’s such a nice evening, tonight.” Wyda looks up and admires the night sky - a patchwork of stars against darkness. Then, at a relaxed pace, she begins to walk. With mostly moonlight lightning the path, Wyda speaks as she figures her way around. “You know, it’s funny how so much can change, and at the same time...not change.”

Aislinn North Trusting the Wyda knew where to begin, if not all the steps in between, Aislinn falls in with her as they move from the Beds back into the Shroud. She gives the Seawolf a sidelong glance as Wyda speaks. Something certainly happened while she was away. Wyda seemed...relaxed? She nods along as she walks, pulling her gloves off and hooking them into her belt as they went. "I'm getting that sense." she agreed. "Seems like a lot went and changed while I was out. For the better, though. It's always nice when it moves in that direction rather than the alternative."

Aiswyda Nuthalwyn checks her instructions, takes a step to the right, and then immediately backpedals to the left. She gives the paper another lookover before deciding to crumple it back up into a ball, and simply goes wherever she pleases. “Can always appreciate it when things change for the better, though as of late, I’ve come to realize that it’s all bananas and bollocks. We can choose to go against the madness, or choose to go with the flow. Or both? Or neither? Ugh, what are words...”

Aiswyda Nuthalwyn: “Lin, please stop me if I’m not making any sense.” Wyda chuckles lightly.

Aislinn North Flashes a brief, broad smile, there and gone again as Wyda crumples up the paper. They were off the map now. She listens quietly as Wyda speaks and then makes a noise of musing consideration in the back of her throat as she peers ahead of them, keeping an eye out for any sign of a hotspring. "Are you saying we get no say over which one it's gonna be? Bananas or bollocks? And all we get a say in is how we choose to handle it? Because aye, I'd say you've pretty well got the right of it....Just always been easier when it's bananas." her brow furrows. "Assuming bananas is the stand in for good things happening in life."

Aiswyda Nuthalwyn nods in agreement, even though Wyda herself really had 0 idea what she was going for with that thought. Was just sort of...rambling on. Thankfully, Lin helped shape it into a coherent thought. “Haha, yeah! Bananas are good. And bollocks, well. Hopefully we don’t see anything of the sort at the hotspring. They’re supposed to be gender separated, but you ever know.”

Aiswyda Nuthalwyn: “Whether things work out or not, we’re really sailing in the dark. And I think, for a long time, I was trying to go against the wind. Making dumb choices, getting angry when it didn’t work out. But you can’t go back to fix things, only forward.” She pauses, catching sight of dimly lit steam rising above the darkened forest. “Oh! Is that it?”

(Aiswyda Nuthalwyn) oh god wait bananas and bollocks.  this is completely unintentional JDFKLSJ  )) (Aiswyda Nuthalwyn) the cost of alliteration!!! )) (Aislinn North) ((Ahhahahaha!))

Aislinn North A coughing choke of a laugh escaped Aislinn. Even though she had known Wyda awhile now, she could still suffer whiplash from the way the woman went from waxing philosophical to musing about what they may or may not see at the hotspring. She opened her mouth to ask what brought this all on but just then Wyda pointed out the spring. "I...hmm, well does look like steam and not campfire smoke. Let's find out."

Aiswyda Nuthalwyn - There it sat. A tiny building of stone and wood, surrounded by evergreens and fallen trees. It didn’t seem anyone was home, but at the front desk someone had left a note. On it simply read - “Girls night, self service. Present your invitation at the door, and leave dirty laundry in the basket.”

Aiswyda Nuthalwyn: “Huh. Spooky...But we’ve come all this way, so here goes?” She presents the wad of paper to the desk, and it glows slightly for a second. A bit of rudimentary warding magic, perhaps?

Aislinn North lifted the note and held it up to the moonlight to read. "Seems you were right on the bollocks part." Aislinn quipped as she replaced the note and watched the crumpled paper glow with sudden, academic interest.

Aiswyda Nuthalwyn: “Hopefully, whatever ‘magic’ happened here will keep out any intruders while we relax.” Wyda shrugs her shoulders, and opens the door. It’s just the basics - a small changing area, and then steps leading right to the hot spring. “...Well, don’t mind if I do.”

Aislinn North Follows and sweeps her gaze over the spring. She can practically imagine what the water will feel like after all the traveling she'd done. "I'm going to pay very close attention on the way back so I can find this place again." she said with an emphatic nod as she made ready to hop in the springs.

Aiswyda Nuthalwyn smiles, and quickly follows suit. She changes into her swimwear and...gods! It was cold! Wyda shelters herself with a towel and sprints to the hotspring, diving into its hot waters. She pops back up with a loud sigh.

Aislinn North Squeaks as the hot water splashes her but then, like Wyda, very quickly sinks into the water and practically melts, letting herself go boneless in the soothing comfort of the spring. "This might be the best thing ever found in the Shroud. Ever." she murmurs happily.

Aiswyda Nuthalwyn tucks in her limbs in order to get in deeper. With her chin right at the edge of the water, she burbles in agreement. Something about the cool, pine scented air in conjunction with the hotspring was absolute magic. “Have we got one of these in the company? We ought to...use our powers as officers to do so.”

Aislinn North lifts her head a bit, like a ferret suddenly on alert. "Can we do that?" she asks. Honestly, she was still getting used to this whole 'officer' role of Heartwood. "We should definitely do that." she taps a finger against her nose and points at Wyda. "It'd be perfect for team morale and I'm sure it has therapeutic properties." She lets go a breath and tips her head back to look at the sky. "So, why all the philosophy earlier?" she asks. "Not that I mind a good philosophical talk. But...something you've been thinking of lately?"

Aiswyda Nuthalwyn feels the same way as Lin. Uncertain about what’s expected of her as an officer, though wont to ask for forgiveness than permission. “I figure, as long as we look like we know what we’re doing, no one will ask any questions. So yes, we should! I wonder how much it’d cost...”

Aiswyda Nuthalwyn pulls her hair back, leans her head against the wooden walls of the spring. Hell, all that talk of bananas and bollocks...where’d it come from? Wyda hums to herself. “...Yeah. Been thinking that I’m done with thinking. Maybe I should start at the beginning. Did you hear about Muneshige bringing back my, er, counterpart back to the company?”

Aislinn North Her eyes go wide in a way that made it clear that no, Aislinn hadn't heard of that. "Muneshige." she says, a note of stray irritation in her voice. She inhales a deep breath and lets it out again. "No, I hadn't heard. The reports weren't filed by the time I had to go. I barely got time to drop mine off before I had to catch a ship. I...can't imagine how that went." she says, an apology in her tone.

Aiswyda Nuthalwyn closes her eyes. Feels the warm steam brush against her face as it fades, cold, back into the air. “It...It was a dark time in my life. But it had been for a while, even before she was brought in. I don’t know, just sort of got caught up in messy feelings.” The corner of her eyes crinkled.

Aiswyda Nuthalwyn: “In the end, I realized something, a-and I don’t know how to put it. How do I say this, without sounding insane?!” Wyda opens her eyes and gives Lin a steady look. “Then again, I probably /am/ insane. Ugh, twelve give me strength.

Aislinn North leaned back against the stone of the spring and gave Wyda a small smile of reassurance as if to say, no, the Seawolf wasn't insane. But she quietly doesn't interrupt.

Aiswyda Nuthalwyn: “She’s the real deal. And I’m...I’m what? A freak coincidence? A magical anomaly?” Wyda shakes her head, bewildered. “It’s kind of funny, though. That I started out trying to blaze my own trail, past be damned. That I then went back, and remembered it all. Cared for it all over again, and then...it turns out that I’m just like. Nothing? Not that person I thought I was?”

Aiswyda Nuthalwyn pressed her lips together. “I thought I’d fall apart. But I’m still here.”

Aislinn North Pauses as she takes in all of what Wyda had said. Taking a moment, she reaches up and pushes back a wayward lock of hair from her face, damp from the steam. She's not entirely sure she followed everything Wyda had said but she believes she understood the core of it. "No, you're not nothing. You're not the person you were, sure, but that doesn't make you nothing. I'd hazard at least half a dozen of us at Heartwood are glad we're not the people we were." She hesitates a moment and leans forward, wrapping her arms around her knees as she grapples with her words. The right ones always seemed to escape her when she needed them.  "Can't say I understand it all, but your perspective shifted on you. Something you thought was true turned out to not be so. Hard to wrap your head around, certainly. But does that change who you are? Are you any less than what we've known you to be?"

Aiswyda Nuthalwyn considers Lin’s words, slowly. Carefully. “It doesn’t change who I am, no. Maybe I’m a little torn up around the edges, but you’re right. I think, so long as I still draw breath, I’ll just. Do my best to carry on.”

Aiswyda Nuthalwyn: “With that said, can you keep a secret?” Wyda smiles at Lin.

Aislinn North shakes her head. "It's alright to be torn up. To take a beat. Just remember at the end of the day, it's all going to work out." she pauses at Wyda's question, a hint of a smile in reply to the Seawolf's own. "Usually." she answers.

Aiswyda Nuthalwyn loosens the bandana that has, as of late, been wrapped around her left eye. With eyes cast downward, she pulls her hair back and away from her face. Gradually, she tips her chin up. Two blue eyes look back at Lin.

Aislinn North Caught up short, Aislinn opens her mouth to speak, but stops. She looks from one eye to the other and back. It's easy to see the gears of her mind whirling away behind her gaze. And then, an unexpected laugh escapes her. "When did? - How?"

Aiswyda Nuthalwyn answers Lin’s laugh with one of her own. “I don’t actually know! Though I did get a good knock on the head before going to jail, so maybe? Didn’t have a mirror the entire time I was held in there.” She ties the bandana back on. “But this makes me wonder...can eyes get bruised? Maybe that’s what it is.”

Aislinn North "I don't know. Bruised eyes are...pretty bloodshot. That one matches the blue of your other eye pretty perfectly" Aislinn muses. "Either way, that's a rather interesting development. You weren't too attached to that red, were you?"

Aiswyda Nuthalwyn: “Bloodshot? Agh, I wouldn’t mind having both of my eyes turn red, in that case. I did quite like how it looked, especially since it was one of the only things physically distinguishing me from my superior.” She shrugs her shoulders with a defeated smile. “But as you said, I am who I am, red eye or no. And that’s enough for me, really.”

Aiswyda Nuthalwyn - The two of them would speak late into the night, topic shifting from serious to silly at a drop of the hat. But eventually, they would head back, bodies and heart warmed from time spent together in the hot spring.

[scrollsfromarebornrealm]

Starlight Spiderweb

Astrid hummed as she watched the postmoogle tuck the envelope into it’s satchel before flying away.  The idea...she wouldn’t say it had been inspired--or maybe it had been?  She couldn’t say.  All that she knew was that for the first time in a very long time, Starlight promised to not be a day of ghosts and memories.  

Although perhaps I am being a bit too bold...  It had been a risk, sending Riven the earring for her nameday, and Astrid had told herself that was it. No more.  She had to draw the line-and keep it drawn.  Her safety-and Riven’s own-counted on it.  And yet temptation had come back in, whispering in her thoughts.  She’d supported her grandchild from a distance successfully so far...perhaps a little more effort on her part wouldn’t hurt?  But it had to be done carefully, Helena had brought her word of Sevestre snooping.  About what, Astrid didn’t know, but better to be safe than sorry.

The holidays are all but upon us, surely nobody would begrudge an old woman wanting to spread a little cheer!  And so Astrid had drawn up new plans within plans.  Requests had been sent to Vrtra and to the Illsabard contingent penned in her hand...invitations for any orphan of the Final Days, if they so wished, to come to Sharlayan for the holiday.  With Astrid footing any and all bills.  Barnier and Fouchenault had looked quite poleaxed when she’d announced her intentions at an earlier meeting of the Forum, and Astrid knew the grapevine was in overdrive.  She’d purposely avoided those two and Montichaigne since then.

I should probably get a move on, since the three of them are lying in wait for me outside my own house.  Astrid tapped her fingers together.  The envelope she’d entrusted to the moogle she’d written herself--with a gloved hand, and the most ordinary of inks.  The seal was plain, and the only evidence of her being the one who had written it was a faint trace of her perfume.

----------

A very merry Starlight to you and all your employees, Erick Gage.

-A secret admirer

-----------

The destination was the Gage Acquisitions headquarters in U’ldah’s Goblet. 

Appointment slots for the most sought-after armorsmiths and weapon-forgers that side of the star, and credit slips for rare and high quality bulk materials.  From what she knew of Erick Gage, the man didn’t skimp on his employees, which rated him highly in Astrid’s eyes.  If he’d been a cheapskate it would have been an entirely different affair.  Everyone at Gage would benefit from the envelope’s contents--including Riven. 

And perhaps it would be enough to squash the temptation to send Riven a Starlight gift of her own.

-----

(tagging @erickgage @driftward @autumnslance​ )

[myrfing]

onward to zone3 after getting my ass run around by. Yeah I started crafting. endwalker spoilers ahead. also do the sidequests they are good and you may learn some funy things.

z1 / z2 / z3 / z4 / z5

- they fucking knew what they would do to me

- you are definitely going to be doing that old man

- LMFAOOOOOO ESTINIEN STILL GHOSTING AYMERIC

- ha ha uh oh it's getting hazy

- AUDIBLY WENT AUEGH UEUGH SEEING GAIUS AGAIN GO BACK INTO YOUR HOLE

- HI LYSE AND IS THAT FUCKING GUYDELOT AND SANSON LMFAO?

- OOOOH YSHTOLA TAKING SOME HEAT FROM LYSE god I've missed them together so much

- oh god you're not gonna lecture us about how the garleans are human like we don't know this again are you. i need video games to move on from this shallow angle. like I fully agree it's wrong to forsake the civilians in garlemald if we’re gonna be there anyways but the narrative here is just annoying

- aww alisaie asking for xrhun. me too

- CIRINA SADU REAL

- omfg this is so much fanservice to people who played a ton of classes and read all the text. hi people

- that was. the coolest duty ever hi. cirina sadu real also like real real

- im not doing it justice that shit blew my rocks clean off

- magnai hanging around thirdwheeling cirina and sadu cause he doesnt know anyone else is so funnnyyy

- the entire setup of this with everyone talking about the things they brought to the illsabard contingent and talking about what's familiar to them what songs they sing what they drink to keep warm...really drives home the feeling that this game has grown so familiar to me

- this dude says he's doman in a previous dialogue but now he's of the steppe? <- remembers because I immediately ran up to him thinking he was malaguld

- the fucking radio playing some garlean song around the refugees. atmospherique

- the garleans are weird-weird as expected. purity intact. ok

- thinking about gourd here...hrmg. yeah he is a lot less. compassionate or empathetic here than the twins. weird to say about him but he really really does not like garlean loyalists and has no patience for them even knowing they're mega brainwashed and obviously just not in a good place. if they choose nationalism or some nebulous idea of purity over survival and attacked him or another he would simply concede and kill them and not really think much of it to be hawnest. or just leave them to die. maybe this is his worst trait but fundamentally he lacks that "feeling" of humanity (like…he almost just doesn’t ever pity people or really feels mercy moreso than chooses it) and his "goodness" is almost a direct result of him trying to compensate for that when he was young. ultimately because he cared about people but well. in situations like these it's clearer that he just doesn’t…care & if you choose to be awful he kind of sees it as a you choose your own fate then thing. but he wont disrespect the wishes of people he's loyal to so

- that being all said I was kind of hoping the story would go in the direction of the way most peace corps fail so it is interesting even if frustrating because le severe disconnect to the values presented here

- but honestly. being forced to handle something stupidly and then having your character feel guilt over it is so. :| he does not. like yep we made things worse and we probably will continue make things worse for a lot of people and have already and killed a ton of people for far less who WERENT turboracist nationalism poisoned hyper conservative wastes of time how is this different. because they’re no longer a threat ig

- putting this here instead from a post i blew up but again I really feel like some writers in imperialist countries especially automatically apply the way they see “others” onto everyone else and then even attempts to subvert this are still based on the same idea. like they can’t think from the pov of the other side of the ones who are actually called the savages and destroyed based on the circumstances of their birth it always has to shift to a grey area that’s palatable to them. i just dont think it’s remotely fair or honest to try to insinuate that the rest of the world hates garleans because of innate prejudice and their dehumanization of them and not the uh, constant wars and occupation they wrought based on ideas of complete assimilation and racial supremacy. like even with the “they drove us into the mountains and took our homeland first” thing. like it wasn’t the fucking eorzeans or the othardians or the nagxians or rabanstrans who did that and yet the dudes have scarred generations upon generations with their cruelty and violence anyways it was unnecessary. no there is no such thing as defensive imperialism

- very noble but they totally put those collars on you and on the pows they tortured but suddenly it's all about their suffering

- luv the honesty of all the garleans that are like You're ugly you're disgusting I want to kill you. that's thee spirit

- THIS IS THE funniest option ive ever been given

- aww he's warming up to us. (pretending to care)

- is ask the iyi code for killing yourselves via me

- alphinaud being like I learned to look above the politics <3 Sorry I haven't and also you probably shouldnt put in categorizing by race on the same boat as categorizing by creed

- said that but immediately softened towards the remainder after their surrender. flavius we are friends now

- THERE SANOTHER SOUP QUEST FROM AN ISHGARDIAN NO LESS

- oh my god it's directly tied to the ishgard soup quest. hello. are they listening to me

- the way your wol kneels to speek at level w/ people now...it's so good

- ohh...too cool

- I SMELL FUCKING NERO AFOOT THAT CREEP IN THE CORNER "FLAXEN HAIRED ENGINEER"

- you know I like the idea of the garleans just chilling out in the mountains. no more fucking empire just tinkering with trains up there or whatever though the entire nation was built on the goal of expansion so lmfao probably have to redo that

- omfg zenos gtfo it was a nice moment. i was all like aww okay yeah his relief and lucia & maxima are so nice & then of course You Get Fandaniel'd!

- FIRST HE MAKES ME LOOK AT HIS POS SPIRIT HALLOWEEN LONG TABLE AND NOW HE TAKES GOURD GET OUTTTT YOU FREAK

- ARE WE NOT GOING BACK FOR THE SOLDIER THAT GAVE ME THE KEY?

- oh wow I thought anima was gonna be a trial. ok that concludes this arc all the extremely heavyhanded garlean sympathizing [never REALLY gets to bring up how they enforced this same brutality upon their colonies because we have to extend Kindness to them and maybe you’re just prejudiced against the colonizers they have feelings too and now they’re suffering a pathetic death you have to save them from even as they call you savages and spit on you but that’s just cus they’re having a really hard time poor things Ah hah hah] stuff was. well. also a lot of sidequests have you work with turbo garlean nationalists which is just odd but overall it definitely has some of THE coolest duties in the game & the atmosphere was really well done. And i liked the portrayal of the emotions of surrender and relief even if I have mine issues

[theferalscion]

It’s hard work carrying the entire Illsabard Contingent on your back you know.

SICARD DON’T @ HIM.

[mistdrinkersblade]

☹️- is there a character of yours you wish you had more RP with?

I have a Lot of FFXIV OCs I dabble with! But I’ve got some favorites.

S’yhuh, the Miqo’te black mage who lost an eye to a Primal. Egon, terror of the far north and reaper hailing from Illsabard. Just to name two!

Too many OCs, not enough energy for blogs!

[sirensongsea]

this is svante! a wandering vanguard formerly of the queen’s guard, who narrowly avoided the destruction of bozja akin to radovan and rostik. devoid of his purpose, he wandered from illsabard to aldenard, making a stop in the coerthas highlands where he would encounter a young arcade who had just fled ishgard. taking pity upon the brumeling, he helped the teenager get his bearings in the wild and taught him the arts of the gunbreaker.

[starcatcher-wulf]

Ren Astana

The Basics ––– –

Age: 29

Birthday: 6/28

Race: Hrothgar

Gender: Male

Sexuality: Bisexual

Marital Status: Married

Server: Cactuar

Alignment: Neutral/Chaotic Good

Physical Appearance ––– –

Hair/Fur: Brown

Eyes: Amber/Aqua

Height: 6′11″

Build: Tall,stocky and athletic

Distinguishing Marks: a large scar on the right side of his face, and a teal pattern dyed into his fur

Common Accessories: Scarf, Eternal ring on a necklace

Personal ––– –

Profession: Various (adventurer)

Hobbies: reading, writing, cooking, swimming fishing, gardening, mineral collecting, and much more

Languages: Common (Echo)

Residence: Dawn Brigade Guildhall, Lavender Beds, Gridania

Birthplace: Illsabard (Exact Location Unknown)

Fears: Unknown

Relationships ––– -

Spouse: Falx buran

Children: None

Parents: Unknown parents ( Presumed deceased), Tobias dus Astana ( Adoptive Father)

Siblings: Many Fellow Orphans

Traits ––– -

* Bold your character’s answer.

Extroverted / In Between / Introverted

Disorganized / In Between / Organized

Close Minded / In Between / Open Minded

Calm / In Between / Anxious

Disagreeable / In Between / Agreeable

Cautious / In Between / Reckless

Patient / In Between /  Impatient

Outspoken / In Between / Reserved

Leader / In Between / Follower

Empathetic / In Between / Apathetic

Optimistic / In Between / Pessimistic

Traditional / In Between / Modern

Hard-working / In Between / Lazy

Cultured / In Between / Uncultured

Loyal / In Between / Disloyal

Faithful / In Between / Unfaithful

History ––– –

Ren’s earliest memories were of him running around an orphanage that had been converted from a regional church. it was an austere upbringing, but he never found that he wanted for much. despite being of a different species, he found himself making friends readily with the other orphans, often playing with them as if nothing were amiss, though as they began to age, and imperial views took root, he found himself growing distant from those he once called his friends. he had always wanted to be a hero. His good nature, and his long life without being adopted lead the headmaster of the orphanage, a retired spy known colloquially as “the faithbreaker” by the name of Tobias dus Astana to formally adopt the boy into his family. a mere few years passed before the scouts came by for conscription. Due to his adoption, Ren technically didn’t have to enlist, but he knew what would become of his father's reputation if he didn’t. So off he went to join the legion, to see the world and be a hero for the empire! ... Right What it really got him was slapped with a shock collar like some common criminal and brought out to the frontlines in Ala Mhigo. There he spent a couple years, marching about, following orders, quelling rebellions. after a while, things settled down, and his unit was sent to a small village to keep the peace. He spent several months there, and they were kind. he kept order, helped the villagers settle disputes and safeguarded them from wildlife attacks. In thanks, they would often teach him Eorzean customs, share how to make their crafts, and one old man, in particular, taught him the basics of Red Magic, an art the naturally sorcerous hrothgar took to very well, as his talent to manipulate aether was what made him a prime target for the legion in the first place. But eventually, tragedy struck. evidence of harboring resistance troops was found, adn the elders, women, and children were rounded up and Ren was given the order to immolate the village, and them along with it. And for the first time in his two year conscription, did something that no one expected. He refused. In a heated moment, ren managed to slay his commander before he could deploy the collar and dispatched the entirety of his unit in short order. The villagers showed mercy for their release. they swore secrecy and managed to smuggle the young mage onto a wagon bound for the Black Shroud. The rest, as they say, is history. RP Hooks ––– –

Just ask or toss me an idea. I am pretty open to plotting, rp scenes, ideas and what not. I prefer to start from a base concept and let the rp lead.

Ren’s canonical occupation is that he’s traveling the realm learning as many combat disciplines as he can, magical or otherwise, as such, he’s always looking for mentors. Maybe you can see his potential, or a spare soul crystal begins to resonate in his presence.

Fellow defectors might find him a friend to confide in.

I’m open to having characters know ren or know of him ahead of time, but i much prefer that to be discussed beforehand.

Additional Information  ––– –

Prefer messages here first and then I’ll give my discord if needed.  

Ren avoids talking about his past when he can. it wouldn’t do to know a warrior of light was a former imperial soldier, but he also values his privacy and his status as one is a well kept ( If slightly floating) secret.

He’s a good boy, please talk to him.

For more information, ask or rp. Thanks.

[hellsbovnd-archive]

LF RP — JANOS JEN RENATA

The third of four sons, Janos has high expectations pushed onto him from a young age. His family name often preceding him (his two older brothers being officers in the military and his father being a high-ranking engineer), it might take a moment to realize that Janos himself is the family’s black sheep. Having failed to even get into the Magitek Academy despite having a passion for working with machines and magitek, Janos instead became an Architectus in the military in order to serve his country and make his family proud.

Unfortunately, bad luck and poor judgement led to trouble following in his wake. Where his siblings are marked as loyal and accomplished, Janos himself is marked as negligent at best, and in six years of service, he failed to earn a single promotion or any recognition for his work whatsoever. He was continually reassigned, never working for too long on any one project and occasionally being moved to different posts altogether, and eventually was relegated to simple maintenance work. Now, as a result of circumstances unknown even to him, he’s found himself in Eorzea: lost, homeless, and scared—but thankfully, not alone.

IN CHARACTER

Profession(s): Eorzean Cover—While Janos tries not to draw too much attention to himself, he often takes odd jobs to make ends meet and help pull his weight in his small circle of companions. Garlean Architectus—He’s loyal to the Empire, still uses his (last known) title in the company of other Garleans, and still believes himself to be in the Empire’s good graces even though “getting lost after being reassigned again” sounds an awful lot like “desertion.” His time in the military was spent primarily in central Illsabard doing maintenance work on weaponry and warmachina, though he didn’t really enjoy the work he was assigned.

Alignment: Chaotic Dumbass. Difficult to tell, but loyal to the Garlean Empire... For now. He had somewhat of a rebellious streak even back home.

Professional Talents: Magitek—Once an Architectus in the Garlean military, Janos learned his way around both conventional machinery and more advanced magitek devices often employed by the Empire. Nowadays, he uses his knowledge primarily to tinker, though much to his dismay he’s only really good at creating weapons... And, well, the quality of those weapons is often limited by the quality of parts he has access to.

Current Residence: Vagrant. He maintains an inn room at The Hourglass, but sometimes he has to move when he doesn’t make enough money to cover the next few days of inn fees.

Likely Haunts: Eorzea at Large—As a vagrant, he can get just about anywhere, provided he has the coin to get there. Unfortunately, as a Pureblood Garlean, he can’t use any magic including the teleportation magicks that make use of the aethernet. Ul’dah—He hangs out around Ul’dah’s markets often, and around Pearl Lane, enjoying the anonymity that blending into crowds there provides.

Hobbies: Tinkering—Janos loves to tinker, and dreams of having a workshop of his own one day back home in Garlemald. But, he’d take Eorzea too, since he’s stranded here for the foreseeable future... Theater—Over the years, Janos has read up on both Garlean and foreign drama, and came to enjoy it quite a bit. While he professes that he would never be able to get up on stage, he has quite a bit of respect for those who can.

MORE INFORMATION: Full Bio WIP | Tag

OUT OF CHARACTER

Hi there! I’m Crow and I use they/them pronouns! I’m generally most active during NA Evenings and Late Nights. I play on Balmung, but I’m open to RP connections from across the Crystal datacenter.

You can find detailed information about my hopes and expectations for RP on my dossier, here. The quick and dirty version:

OOC Communication > All

I am a med/heavy lore-strict RPer. I prefer medium-to-low power levels in RP and character- and plot-driven scenes. I won’t RP with any player under the age of 18 but as long as you’re not making it weird/creepy, I don’t have a problem with underage characters within reason.

I run an FC and an LS, so I can be pretty busy OOC because I have to run a lot of stuff related to that.

I do not really RP on Discord because my attention span is pretty crummy, but I have always been smitten with Tumblr RP as a longform format, so if in-game RP is impossible for some reason, I’m happy to write starters.

In terms of things I’m looking for:

Casual acquaintances and friends! But preferably: long-term plot-focused RP connections! Slice-of-life ain’t really my jam.

Business contacts! Janos is an engineer and a habitual tinkerer and does odd jobs to make ends meet. Maybe he could end up doing something for you?

Pre-established connections based on his background as a Pureblood Garlean born and raised in the capital and as an Architectus in the military (though his situation at the moment is obviously a little complicated).

Recommendations for events to attend? (And company to drag me along since I hate flying solo.)

Discord and Linkshell communities!

DETAILED RP HOOKS UNDER THE CUT!

Thanks for reading! If you’re interested in playing with me then please feel free to send me a message or make a note of it in the tags or comments on this post. My Discord is emet-selch wears prada#5086! If I’m slow please bear with me; I have a habit of getting absolutely swamped with stuff at more or less complete random, and my energy levels vary wildly from day to day and week to week.

tagging for visibility: @balmungrp @mooglemeet @ffxiv-crystal-rp @crystalxivrp @ffxiv-balmung-rp

RP HOOKS

1. Magiteknical Difficulties

Janos is a (former?) Architectus for the Garlean military. While he was generally relegated to maintenance work (and hated every moment of it), he loves working with machines even to this day and would probably be able to fix anything set in front of him given enough time to figure it out.

Given enough time and the right parts, he might also be able to build something for you! Unfortunately, most of his contraptions are dangerous even if they work, with Janos used to cutting corners to make something fast, not necessarily make it good. 

The gunblade he carries is one of his own creations, in fact; dubbed “Bad News,” Janos used misappropriated parts to put it together before he wound up in Eorzea, and has only continued to work on it to this day. It’s held together with proverbial duct tape and it’s a wonder that it works at all, especially because once he got to Eorzea he had to modify its design to make it look less like Imperial models, which involved swapping out some of the better parts he’d slipped under his coat with some shoddier ones he found on Eorzean markets.

2. Eorzeabound

Stranded in Eorzea for reasons unknown to him, Janos has taken advantage of the chance to slow down. After a period of readjustment, he’s settled in to a relatively slow-paced life in Eorzea, and seems keen on treating his predicament like a vacation—although he would like to return to Garlemald one day, he’s enchanted by the local cultures and customs and has taken the chance to reflect on the views that were instilled in him growing up on the teat of Imperial propaganda. 

Janos is curious about Eorzean customs that are entirely foreign to him, such as many of their holidays and their religion. While he remains a staunch atheist (and even lacks belief in any sort of afterlife), he thinks it’s interesting to see how religion has influenced Eorzeans’ day-to-day lives and certain aspects of the different belief systems and cultures of the city-states. 

3. Black Sheep of the Renatas

The Renata family is known for an excellent track record of service to Garlemald in both the military and civil sectors... Except for Janos. Possessed of a rebellious streak that only got worse and more visible after he failed to get into the notorious Magitek Academy, Janos’s track record of service leaves a bit to be desired. With a work track-record that was notably subpar and marked by repeated failures, Janos is regarded as a stain on the reputation of a family that since the establishment of the Empire had been rising through the Garlean social strata.

4. Keeping Up With the Jens

Janos spent six years serving as an Architectus in the Garlean military, though his career was going nowhere fast (something which even at the time he expressed frequent distress over). His track record was marred with failures and he ended up as somewhat of a social outcast, having few friends and mostly being known for being the Architectus who was most frequently being berated by his superiors. It took a substantial toll on his mental health and by the end of his time with the military, he did little but sleep, eat, and work.

Much of the latter days of his service are hazy or non-existent in his memory, a fact which he admits that he “tries not to let bother him too much,” as it’s a bridge he figures he’ll cross when he gets to it. Those who served with him would likely know of some incidents he was involved in, such as an incident wherein several of the magitek bits he’d recently done maintenance on went haywire. After being pressed on it, he admitted that it had been intentional. He also passed out on the job a few times and once locked himself in a broom closet for the duration of his break.

[aces-and-kings]

Floor Planning

As the metal gauntlet collided once more against the stone-like skin a ruby tide was sent forth splattering a stain across the wall.

Thorstyr let out an exasperated breath, rising until the length of his form was hard pressed against the partition. It wavered, maxed in its capacity to support the hybrid.

A mercy to the wooden object then that he slumped to the floor a moment thereafter.

"That right hook o' yers is a thing o' beauty", Thor managed to admit, an amused scoff as he reached up and swiped away the trickles of blood seeking to follow the injuries initial spray. They'd been at it for hours and every cell in the duskwolf's body seemed to cry out for freedom.

"Armors a bit cheap though, aye?"

Dante smirked from within his helmet, shrugging as he too followed along the length of the wall until he found himself seated along side his friend.

"You take it well, brute", he replied, having long since settled on a simplistic nickname for Thor. He could admit 'tin man' had been far more cleaver, but it wasn't really about the creativity in the names. They stood for something.

A word neither of them were particularly well experienced with. Comrades.

Dante had never had friends growing up. None save for Thor. He'd been rescued off the coast of Illsabard by a ship riddled with proper sea wolves. And who was among them but a fellow mixed-race outcast, one part sea wolf, one part duskwight.

It hadn't taken the crew long at all to discern Dante's origins were some combination of elezen and garlean.

And there you had it. Two young rejects growing up among a band of pirates. What could go wrong?

Given the name Silco, Dante would go on to become one of the most fearsome men to sail the high seas, up until the day he disappeared into a set of armor and the Dread Pirate Silco hasn't been seen since.

The sacrifices one makes to save kin.

They both knew the real reason Silco would never remove his armor now. He'd given far more than either would ever voice aloud to save Thorstyr and Dkota that day.

"Ah miss her", Thor confessed, a slight grimace as he pressed a fist into his chest.

It was a solemn moment that would have given cause for drowning sorrows, had it lingered longer than a second.

Dante's gauntlet rammed into Thor's jaw, sending the man's face reeling in the opposite direction. A snarling growl laid way for the slow turn back, eyes narrowed in aggravation.

Before the brute might have said anything else it was the tin man who spoke up, voice ever muffled behind its steel cage.

"You can't go on like this forever. Hiding away in some hole. That girl needs you."

The expression that took hold told Dante he was stating the fucking obvious, and as he rose, helping the brute up thereafter, a reassuring squeeze of the shoulder was all that could be managed.

"We'll figure it out."

"Aye."

In the corner of the room a petite doman woman sat watching the pair from behind a cloud of smoke. Cigarette holders had a way of making women in charge feel sophisticated.

It was only after the pair of pirates had departed the pit that she motioned a man to her side.

"Send word to Atsuma. I want to know what befell the grey-one in Kugane. Find out where this girl is as well. I do so love good leverage."

[catte-bard]

Prompt #14: Runaway (Scour)

The man sat at his desk, reading the paper in his hand over and over. A letter penned by his daughter’s hand. And he looked at it as if it would offer up any clues if reread it enough times. But no matter how many times he read, it did not offer worth any hidden secrets.

With a very haggard sigh, he set the letter down.

“You foolish, stubborn, girl.” Kaeso muttered.

He was angry, astounded. He couldn’t believe what was happening. 

Honestly, he had thought it was a bluff. A simple temper tantrum and that she’d return by the next afternoon or evening. But then the hours had ticked by and began to turn into days. And he soon began to feel true worry.

His daughter had actually run away. And it was him who pushed her away…

The argument they had earlier that night... They had always been doing that of late and it was growing weary. But that one had seemed to be the worst of them all. 

At once they sent out people to search for her. Scouring the entirety of Illsabard, looking in every nook and cranny to find the lost Marcellus daughter. Looking for anyone who might have seen or spoken with her. 

“It’s only been a few days.” His wife told him. Dear, Icilia was good at hiding her worry. Confidence tinged her words, but Kaeso could tell she fretted. Her mouth was pressed into a thin line, her hands clasped together to keep them from trembling. “She couldn’t have gotten that far yet.” She quietly reassured.

He rubs his temples and leans back in his chair. “Where does she think she is going is what I want to know.” 

The letter had not hinted at any specific location. 

“I don’t know. And I don’t believe even she knows.” Icilia says, shaking her head. “We can only hope that she hasn’t strayed that far beyond the capital and nothing’s happened to her.”

Her husband merely wordlessly nods at that, picking the letter up again. Lost in his thoughts.

Yes...that’s all they could do right now. Hope she’s found and returned home before she gets into any trouble.