#is this not zenos?

[starrysharks]

ghanaian miku

[thelongestway]

FFXIV Write 2024, Prompt #7: Morsel

The return to my own body was disorienting, but for once it was nothing a restful supper couldn't fix. The Scions, as well as Maxima and Lucia, continued to eye me with no small suspicion and a heap of pity, and while I couldn't fault them, I fared far better than they seemed to think I did.

Regardless, I did not want to make any callous remarks in front of Thancred. His possession had been far more of an ordeal than mine own, and if he found comfort in that he wasn't the only one so powerless to be caught by that specific trick - well, I wasn't going to take it from him.

It was only somewhat later, when Thancred was engrossed in a conversation with Urianger, that I stood beside Alisaie and answered her seething:

"Zenos' stunt, while annoying, wasn't really a trick, nor was it pointless. Cruel, certainly. But these people's suffering was not the point."

"I'm sure," she huffed. "But it's the result, and that's what really matters."

"For handling the aftermath, yes. But you can't foresee what our enemy will do next if you see their actions as meaningless."

"True enough," she conceded. "Especially since the whole thing gives me the creeps. If they can take out any of our commanders by removing the soul from their bodies... Or replacing them just long enough to give bad orders.... Ugh. It's so easy to just slaughter people with this."

"Well, aren't we lucky, then, that Zenos isn't one for mindless slaughter. Fandaniel's threat of carnage was always going to be empty."

That got me an exasperated eyeroll.

"You can't seriously think that! Zenos is only concerned with the hunt!"

"Exactly," I interrupted. "Which means that he's going to leave anything unrelated to the hunt alone. If he thinks a huge disturbance is required to get us - me - where he wants me to go, then he will do that, because it isn't an issue to him, that much is true. But no. He's not doing this just to rile us up, and he won't do it to pick off our contingent section by section."

"You have some insight into Zenos?" Alphinaud joined in the conversation, and we moved easily to accommodate him. "I must confess, the notion of the Telophoroi wresting bodily control with such ease, and from you of all people, has been unsettling to me as well. It's heartening to believe it will not happen again, but I do not understand why it won't."

"Because that little stunt wasn't an attack. It was a present." The twins stared, disgust creeping its way into their features. "The point was that when Zenos died - and I was there, and have no reason to believe that he ever expected to come back - he found himself instinctively grasping for a body. He took one that was nothing like he was used to. The experience was new to him, and he must have learned much as he fought his way back to Garlemald."

Alphinaud, ever the diplomat, caught on quickly.

"You mean to say, this was his way of offering a connection? 'I found value in this experience, and I think you will, too?'"

"He led with a stumbling apology about how badly he looked at Ala Mhigo, and how much he wanted to make it up to me."

"Ugh. Like a toddler, trying to share a mud pie he made." Alisaie groaned. "Somehow this makes it so much worse."

I chuckled. "That was my reaction as well. I think he misread it as spurning his, ah, 'display of civility', the same way he spurned Fandaniel's theatrics even as he allowed them. In truth, all I could think of was: 'In the entire array of sentient experience, this is the choice morsel you offer me?'"

"How poor a palate you must have," Alphinaud mused, finishing the thought for me.

I nodded.

"We're dealing with someone who would try panaloaf, have his eyes light up, immediately praise it for its wondrous nutritional properties and exceptional density, and endeavor to live off it alone for the rest of his life."

The twins groaned, their mood thoroughly lightened. I smiled as well, hiding my thoughts as a familiar, twinned pang of regret ran through my body.

The truth was, it had been a choice morsel, in the same way that panaloaf made for exceptional emergency rations in truly dire circumstances. If not for the timing, if not for the circumstances, if not for Zenos' grandiose attempts at setting a proper stage, the experience itself - the plain visibility of what belonged to body and what belonged to soul; the stark tangible refresher on how to survive without the sheer power I have lately been accustomed to - would have made for an exceptional gift for someone like me. Something I could learn from and lean on in future emergencies.

If only the bright mind presenting it had learned about the world anywhere but here. If only he could conceive of anything other than world-spanning genocidal Garlean theatrics as a means of delivery.

Hades, I thought with familiar irritation, I really wish you'd been in a fit state to not leave your damn props all over the place.

But of course Hades was dead and did not deign to answer. And sooner rather than later, I would have to kill Zenos too.

[mipratz]

[thewickwheat]

Grab a steak knife and make an incision between my fourth and fifth rib, ask me what it eats

Illustration for the Exquisite Corpse art bash on twitter!

[neanmoins-que]

A piece I did for the Wild Hunt zine (twi: @/ZenosZine)

There will be leftover sales starting October 18th, don't miss your chance to get a copy!

[loireejinn]

*"A TEST OF YOUR REFLEXES" followed by the sound a dodgeball makes when it hits you*

[caemidraws]

Endwalker

[emathevampire]

I think Zenos should be trusted with the boop buttons.

[destiny-islanders]

(martial) art appreciation

[eemamminy-art]

Skeb style comm for an anonymous client! Some unlikely friends 🕊️🖤

[starrysharks]

happy birthday to SPLAT2N and especially to the awesome, cool, stunning, hiphop power couple and future final fest winners (haha jk unless) OFF THE FUCKING HOOK!!!

[thetinyscald-blog]

fem zenos fans rejoice

[splashtail]

i love big city greens so much please give it a chance.

[thewickwheat]

anhedonia

[pydiyudie]

[varethane]

Just remembering that final fight with Zenos..... no one tell the Scions about this.