#prompt 11: ultracrepidarian

[zhauric]

Prompt #11 - Ultracrepidarian

“Oh I can cook!” Asande declared.

She stood in the living quarters of Kaelivh and Nattai’s home. The pair were in the cooking area and hovering over the stove. They had been discussing a dish they were making for the four of them, including the miqo’te Thui who had snuck downstairs to peruse the books gathered there. Asande sat on the sofa in front of the fire, her head resting on the back.

“You bloody well can’t,” Kaelivh responded. “Your ass never wanted to learn when we were kids and Ma was gone seeing to work and Father was-”

“Losing his mind on pain relieving drugs?” Asande finished before pushing herself up from the sofa. “But why would I learn when my big brother who came out only minutes before me wanted to take care of his dear little sis? It’s all about the right spices. Dab here and there. I know all about preparing the meat proper and right amounts.”

Asande shot him a grin and moved toward the cooking area. Nattai seemed to be concentrating on the dish but smiled listening to the bantering siblings. It was one of the enjoyments of having Asande return to port in her eyes. 

“Would you like to try to finish this up?” Nattai asked. 

“Tai...” Kaelivh said in a warning tone. “Don’t go believing that one’s tongue. Took good coin to get this house. I would hate to see it go up in a ball of fire.”

“Oh shut that porthole you call a mouth, wool headed brother o’ mine,” Asande said slipping between the two. She bumped him away with her hip. “I know what I’m doing. Before long you’ll be declaring me a true gourmet.”

Nattai giggled before grabbing Kaelivh’s hand amid him opening his mouth to protest. “We’ll be downstairs so you can concentrate, San’s. Call us when it is ready.”

“Just get those taste buds ready!” Asande called out watching the two descend the stairs. “What does he know,” she muttered. “Talking about i can’t cook. I’m Asande Stormborn. I can do any damned thing I set to.”

Nearly a bell later Asande called out and the three came up the stairs. Kaelivh gave a skeptical look in Asande’s direction which Nattai caught. She playfully elbowed him to stop him from making a comment before she and Thui went over to assist in putting the food out.

Once done they gathered around the table and Kaelivh cleared his throat.

“Not one for gods or the like but I feel the need to pray.”

Asande reached down, plucked a roll and hurled it over the table at him. He caught it before it struck but dropped it immediately and shook his hand.

“Throwing damned rocks, eh? You could have laid me unconscious with that thing.”

Nattai reached over picking up the roll and her eyes widened. Asande noticed and extended her hand for Nattai to place it there. Asande grimaced sheepishly and then uncovered the main dish. 

In a flooding rush the aroma came out and everyone at the table took a step back. Thui covered her mouth and nose with a hand immediately. Nattai turned up her nose trying to not display her distaste.

“Rhalgry’s balls, San’s!” Kaelivh barked out. “Did you shovel some chocobo dung on it!?”

Asande ran a hand through her braids in a disconcerted fashion. Without a word she dashed toward the front door, yanked it open and took a deep breath of fresh air. 

“Let’s...go....out..,for...dinner. It’s....on me, ” she exhaled out with each word. 

“Now there’s a damned plan there,” Kaelivh agreed.

And the four of them rushed out into the fresh and clean air as if the house had truly been on fire.

@nattaitshanil​ for mention for her characters.

Prompt List 

[afreesworn]

11: Ultracrepidarian

“He’s a pirate. Why is he always visiting the stall?”

There was very little that escaped Mimiyo’s notice, and Yoshinari was privy to all of it. Whether it be a ponze of grains that the shipment was short on, or observations on the disposition of the newest company that Nabi was keeping, his wife of thirty-two years always made sure that the Hingan merchant was in the know. Yagiri affectionately called her a koel, warbling about something from dawn to dusk.

“I don’t like the way that Nabi looks up to that woman. First of all, she is another Xaela, and you know how Chanai felt about others from the Steppe, and secondly, she looks…” the hyur searched for words, unhappy with the one she settled on. “A bit too well traveled.”

Yoshinari didn’t say a word. He rarely did, always electing to just listen to his wife’s abundant opinions on matters. He knew he would just get an arched brow of annoyance if he were to ask what was so bad about being ‘well traveled.’ 

And while Yoshinari would never admit to it, he too sometimes shared her not-so-favorable impressions. Like all Hingans, his opinion of foreigners held some wariness, and Ishgardians had their own reputation of being rigid and haughty. He was both surprised then disappointed, when the mercenary calling himself Tserende, endeared himself to their adopted daughter, helped to find her when she got lost in the Steppe, but then disappeared after what sounded like Nabi’s most harrowing ordeal.

Then there was the other ijin, the one that smoked too much and carried a weapon like the Imperials in the city. The woman called Stormchild even fessed up to having wrecked their stall! Yoshinari would have had her arrested by the Sekiseigumi, if it wasn’t for Nabi’s desperate plea for mercy. But even more importantly, the Highlander played a pivotal part in returning Nabi back home, after the worst ijin of them all ensnared and stole away the Xaela. 

In truth, if it wasn’t for these gaggle of misfits that Nabi had befriended, the Hingan couple doubted that the Xaela would be returned to them all, much less alive. But even as they listened to Nabi’s retelling of all that happened after she went missing, Yoshinari could see the warmth returned to the Xaela’s eyes, that light that had been absent when she was returned the first time. Even though they now saw her significantly less than before, every time he saw their adopted daughter, there was more color to her cheeks, and her smile was beaming brighter.

Yoshinari suspected who and what was behind her recovery, and he was fairly certain that his wife did too. But one would never know it from her verbal jabs.

“The man always looks a little ill, don’t you think? Who knows what kind of diseases pirates pick up on the seas? With all their cavorting and looting.” 

He said nothing as the woman droned on. “And really, we haven’t even seen where she lives. It could be a hovel, and she’d never complain! And does that lord that employs her, does he pay her enough? And you’d think she could visit more often once her new clinic is settled!”

But her tone always softened just a touch whenever Nabi came to volunteer at their stall. Mimiyo usually had a parcel prepared, with bags of Xaela’s favorite teas. And there were some medicinal herbs included. “I accidentally ordered some of your old herbs, even though you are mostly at the apothecary now.” 

Nabi grinned wide, giving the Hingan woman a hug. “I’ve missed you too, aunt Mimi.”

The corner of Yoshinari’s lips quirked upwards as Mimiyo’s arms closed around the Xaela’s petite form. “Well, those extras I put in, supposedly my sister swears by them that they are kami-sent. It helped get her son over a sickness. He was nothing but bones, but now strong as a dzo.”

Nabi blinked up at her curiously, before a knowing smile slowly crept across her lips. “I’ll see if he likes it.”

“Just make sure you two are both eating well?” Mimiyo sighed, tucking the Xaela’s hair behind her horn. There was a hint of affection in her voice. 

Yoshinari looked up from his work, pointedly not watching them but still catching a glimpse of their exchange, and saw Nabi bobbing her head. A sense of satisfaction settled in his gut, and he returned to taking inventory, as the two women conversed on for another bell.

When the Xaela finally took her leave to catch the last ferry bound for Shirogane, Mimiyo turned to her husband, who gave her long look of approval. 

“What?” Mimiyo scoffed as she took the log book from him. When he just shrugged, she turned to the bags of grains behind the stall as if to double check his work. But after a moment, she murmured under her breath. “So what if I want the boy to stay healthy?” Her voice grew quieter, losing its usual sharpness. “She hadn’t smiled like that since Chanai.”

But a tick later, she frowned and tapped the wooden end of the brush against the bags of grain. “What is this? Did they put koshu and bomba rice together in the same pile?”

[chrysalispen]

Prompt #11 - Ultracrepidarian

AO3 Link HERE a special thanks to pliny the elder for sauce on this most expensive of fifteen dollar word prompts

====

"There we are," she whispered with a short snip of the clippers. "Just a bit of a trim..."

There were not many places within the grounds of the Laskaris villa that Aurelia could properly call a haven, but if she had to pick her favorite place on her uncle's property it was the greenhouse. He had had it built for her aunt to preserve the tea roses she loved, along with the other flowers that grew in much warmer climes than the mountains of far northern Ilsabard, but Aunt Marcella seemed to much prefer looking at flowers to tending them.

Aurelia, who had carefully tended her own small plot back home in Ala Mhigo, was more than happy to spend her term breaks making sure the heating system was functioning as intended and ensuring the soil for each plant had the necessary nutrients to winter them. As a result, the greenhouse had become her domain, which suited her just fine. Plants couldn't criticize her deportment nor her appearance, and she could get as covered in dirt and sweat as she liked with no one to gainsay her.

She was glad of it today, for it was a rare warm day in early spring and she was preparing the roses for transport. That meant trimming them back into a semblance of order and placing them in the soil she'd spread while making sure the root systems remained intact and inured against any shocks.

This was hard and sweaty work, and one which required a good deal of concentration and fortitude.

She exhaled and wiped her hands on the long linen apron she wore over one of her old day frocks, long since stained and soiled, then muddled around on the ground in search of the carbonweave gardener's gloves she'd dug from one of the supply closets. The extra grip would come in handy when she--

"Mistress Laskaris," a reedy voice echoed at her back. Aurelia paid it little mind, bracing her hands on the rim of the pot. "...Young miss, you have-"

"Tell them to wait, Cicero," she let out a tiny grunt with the exertion as she hoisted upward, "I'll be in presently."

"Beg your pardon, young miss, but it won't wait."

Aurelia rounded on her aunt's groundskeeper, an exasperated reply on her lips, and froze. A tall and immaculately dressed Garlean man stepped forward, looking down his aquiline nose at the weakly protesting servant for one brief glance before giving her a deep and courtly bow.

"You must be Aurelia," he said, his voice ebullient with false warmth. "Father has heard much of you from your aunt."

She stared blankly.

"I," he announced, "am Sebastian wir Acisculus."

The proud, haughty expression he wore told her everything she needed to know. Inwardly she groaned-- wir meant he was at least related to Gens Galvus by marriage if nothing else, which meant he would expect her to show him due obeisance for that alone.

My thanks, Aunt Marcella, she thought irritably. A stuffy and self-important lordling to dog her heels, just what she'd wanted while she was trying to work.

Another grunt had the base of the pot braced against her thigh, and she thrust out a filthy hand in his direction.

"Aurelia jen Laskaris," she said. "Pray excuse my appearance. Aunt hadn't told me to expect visitors."

"Your aunt is not to be faulted. She didn't know I would be coming today," Sebastian said, his nose wrinkling as he took her proffered hand- and, before she could stop him, had pressed his lips to the back of it. Somehow she managed not to yank her wrist from his grasp before he dropped it and reached into his coat for a handkerchief to wipe the soil from his fingers. "My servants and I were in the area and I thought to indulge my curiosity."

"One presumes you now find said curiosity fully sated."

"Might I ask what you are about?"

She leveled a steady, faintly disdainful gaze upon the man- more than enough to indicate she thought him at least partially witless.

"His lordship, I am sure, has seen a garden before."

"Ah," he coughed. "Yes, so I have. I did not expect to see a young gentlewoman of my peerage tending it personally."

Shaking her head, Aurelia turned her back on him and in the most undignified waddle in her arsenal began to lug the pot towards the open bed.

"I'll get that for you," and without waiting for her assent he had plucked the pot from her fingers, ignoring the annoyed scowl that crossed her features as he carried it to the edge of the soil and set it on the grass. "I fancy myself something of an expert botanist, you know."

"Do you," she said, flatly. He was removing his soiled gloves with a smirk, one he turned upon her with an uptilt of his chin.

"I do. When I studied at the Imperial Magitek Academy, I thought it might be pleasant to take up a hobby." When Aurelia didn't react to the obvious namedrop, he announced, "I took some courses in horticulture, and if I do say so myself, it left me with a renewed respect and understanding for such matters."

"I suppose one must have hobbies."

"For instance, did you realize that perennials cannot grow properly in alkaloid soil?"

With some effort, Aurelia managed to keep a straight face.

"Lord Sebastian," she said, "I find it quite interesting that you attended the Academy. What did you say was your field of study?"

"Engineering, of course."

"Not bioengineering?"

"Certainly not," he scoffed. "Very little glory to be had in such things, you know."

Aurelia rolled her eyes, turned her back to him, and pulled on the gloves she had tucked in her apron pocket. Once they were secured, she reached for her spade.

"If you attended the Academy and dabbled, as you say, in horticulture," she said, "then you would have encountered the guest lecturer there, Philetus lux Merenda."

"Well, I-"

"Master Merenda was very good friends with Midas nan Garlond, the previous Academy provost," she punctuated this statement with a deep and satisfying thrust of her spade into the edge of the potted soil, "and together they created a summer exchange program between the Academy and the Valetudinarium. He gives lectures as part of the optional curriculum, and likewise Cato nan Mammula offers in-depth capstone bioengineering lectures."

"You have taken them yourself, I assume?"

"Oh," Aurelia said airily, "for the past two summer terms, in fact. I find them quite enlightening. One must always have a thorough grounding in one's area of expertise and review all options. Don't you think?"

"Yes," he said. "Of course."

"There is a saying," she braced one hand against the edge of the pot for purchase, "of which Master Merenda is quite fond. An old Ilsabardian saying he attributes to a historian of the old republic-- in Old Ilsabardian, naturally. Do you know what it is?"

"I am certain -- though perhaps you might remind me."

Aurelia paused long enough to stare him in the eye and brush a wisp of forelock from her third eye with the back of one gloved hand, her golden coiffure as sweaty and dirty and disheveled as the rest of her.

"Ne supra crepidam sutor iudicaret. I assume that shouldn't need a translation, for a learned man such as yourself."

"Madam, are you implying-"

"It does? Why, how curious. My governess was quite emphatic that a good grounding in the classics was vital for a basic imperial education." She shrugged. "Well, I suppose I can enlighten you. 'The cobbler should not judge beyond his shoe.' It means that one should not speak of matters upon which he has no understanding."

Two pinpoints of hectic blush the color of rose petals had appeared upon his prominent cheekbones. Aurelia offered a smile that did not reach her dark blue eyes.

"I find it a most apt sentiment," she said coolly, "and one well-applied to life in the modern world."

His hands clenched at his sides and without a word he rounded on one heel and stormed back towards the peristyle, her aunt's household keeper at his heels frantically offering refreshment.

She watched them go, laughed, and turned back to her work. She still had a baker's dozen of roses left to plant.

[quirkycoterie]

Prompt 11: Gift Horses

She had paused at the scents on the wind, familiar, and then followed her nose thru the area until finding the beautiful animals. Horses were rare here and these two were sadly ill kept. A man was making a sales pitch for them to another, the stench of him overpowering the fresher, natural horse smells at this close range. She could see the evidence of mistreatment and her eyes narrowed, but she wanted closer, so she fixed her expression.

The two men were wrapped up in a detailed discussion that only put their ignorance on display for the xaela as she approached. They stopped to look at the wide eyed woman with the curious smile. “Hey, pretty lady! You ever seen a horse?” She shook her head, putting innocent excitement into the wide eyes and pursed lip smile, as she carefully reached a hand towards one of the large, sweet animals. Qatun didn’t actually listen to the tripe coming out of either man’s mouth, while she checked the horses, but kept pretense by nodding along.

After her evaluation told her the horses weren’t too far gone and would improve with care, she turned a smile on the two men. The two men let her close while giving condescending responses to her questions about prices and where to get horses. She slipped the knife from the potential buyer’s belt with ease and slipped it in and out of the seller’s gut several times before either realized what was happening. She slipped a cheap blade from underneath her own clothes and sliced the buyer’s neck. Qatun’s face dropped the fake smiles for seriousness as her hands dropped the blades into their places for a deal gone sour.

The horses shied a bit but her voice and breath soothed them quickly enough. She’d always had a way with them after all. She untied their leads and took them away, walking them thru the blood, but deftly avoiding it with her own feet. The guards should look for a third party but they wouldn’t have much to go on. She took them to a cottage with someone she knew who cared more about animals than where they came from and showed the owners how to care for them properly. It didn’t take long for the pair to look and feel better or for Qatun to have to admit that sneaking wellness checks on them thru the years was just as much for her as for them.

[fair-fae]

FFxivWrite Entry #11: Ultracrepidarianism

FFxivWrite 2020 Prompt #11: Ultracrepidarian Masterpost Another day, another dinner party where the young Lady Covington found herself seated across from an insufferable nobleman bent on talking her ear off. Tonight, it was an Elezen gentleman. Last week, it was a Midlander. Perhaps next, it would be a Lalafell. For now, though, she was stuck with her pointy-eared companion who thought he was far more clever than he had any right to believe, prattling on with heaps of praise for her and himself alike. She’d tuned out whatever current subject he’d turned to in hopes of impressing her, the woman poking at the food on her plate as she stared down distractedly at her meal. Ah, how she had taken Zularti’s straightforward simplicity for granted. A simple fool was more tolerable than one who thought he was intelligent. She wondered what he was doing in Ishgard at that moment. He must have been going on grand adventures, meanwhile she was stuck here, entertaining the likes of her present company while her mother watched on gleefully from down the table, hoping that her daughter had finally found a proper gentleman to sweep her off her feet and straight to the altar. Marrying her off to a rich bachelor seemed to be her mother’s top priority as of late… Growing exasperated that Faye seemed to be paying no attention to him, the Elezen turned to the dramatics to catch her attention, huffing as he nudged his plate away from himself and threw his hands up into the air. “I say! The food is simply dreadful. I expected more of Lord Dimmoix’s household. The soup was cold, the vegetables aren’t fresh, and the steak is overseasoned and overcooked! Medium rare is the best way to serve a steak! You’d think a professional kitchen staff would know better!” he scoffed, his outburst finally causing Faye to look up from her dinner at him. She stared at him owlishly for a long stretch of silence before her gaze flickered between her plate and his face a few times, ultimately returning to the latter and settling upon him incredulously. “It was vichyssoise, and… this is a duck breast,” she spoke slowly, whether because she was too stunned to force the words out any more easily, or because she feared he may not understand her otherwise.

[kittkaleen]

FFxivWrite 2020 - Prompt #11 – Ultracrepidarian [https://ffxiv-write.carrd.co/]

She hadn’t been in the Astrologicum in more moons than she could count. It sort of felt like home, but the kinda home you had left, and when you return, everything feels distant, dated, past. The smell of the books, astroglobes and telescopes, candlelight and parchments. Home, but not quite. But she wasn’t here to reminisce. Her eyes scan the room, she’s looking for an Elezen, a friend of sorts, an astrologian.

“Heurriette!” Kitt moves across the room, smiling tightly.

The woman smiles broadly, “Kitt we knew you’d be back! Welcome home,” she says sweeping the miqo’te up in a hug.

“Just visiting,” Kitt says coolly.

“Ahhh home but not home?”

Kitt inclines her head, “Something like that. I was hoping for some help.”

The other woman looks at her intently, and Kitt knows she’s trying to get a read on her emotions.  “Never mind how I feel, Heurriette. Be more concerned about what I’m thinking.”

“Alright, Kitty. Let’s go upstairs, shall we?” She leads the way up the stairs to a lofted area. “It’s quieter up here. Tell me? What’s going on?”

Kitt tips her head back inhaling deeply and expelling her breath. “I had a dream ...” She looks at the other woman. It’s so damn hard to trust. Anything or anyone. That is in fact, what has her standing here. She quickly sketches out the details of the dream for the Elezen, who looks at her curiously.

“You want me to interpret your dream?”

“Can you?”  Kitt knows this isn’t strictly in astrologian territory, yet Heurriette has a reputation. Some say she’s a witch, others say she’s got well honed instincts. Kitt has no idea if any of it is true, but she needs something, a fresh perspective, an alternate point of view. She needs this badly, before she does something potentially stupid.

“Certainly I can!,” she speaks confidently, inhaling and closing her eyes. “I feel ... emotion, swirling around you.” The Elezen closes her eyes, eyelids fluttering. “... but is it your emotions ... or ... his?” She begins to shuffle her deck of cards, draws one and lays in upon the table. “10 of Swords.” She nods sagely. “Complete betrayal.”

Kitt knows what the card symbolizes. She feels her stomach lurch and the breath leave her lungs. “I trusted him,” she thinks.

The Elezen’s long fingered hands shuffle the cards again. She places the card face up on the table. “7 of swords. T’would seem your dream is exposing the truth, Kitty. This man is up to no good behind your back, and believes he’s getting away with it!”

Kitt frowns. “Tell me more.”

Heurriette pauses. “I sense this man has been using your influence ... could he possibly be a ... Scion? Someone who is pulling you from the path you’re meant to walk.”

Her eyebrow arches. “You think this man is related to my ... work?” Kitt almost laughs with relief, it’s so off base.

The Elezen nods sagely. “That would seem likely due to the details of your dream. I can see his interference in your closest, most influential relationships,” she nods knowingly.

The man in her dream doesn’t know anyone she knows and is utterly without influence. Kitt feels a moment of despair and then anger. Her hand swipes across the desk knocking the cards to the floor along with books and parchment. “You have no damn idea.” She shakes her head. 

“You can’t walk away from this, Kitty.” The other woman reaches for her arm.

She doesn’t have it in her for a ‘thank you’ or even a ‘to hell with you’. “Oh?” Kitt swings on her heel, striding across the loft, down the stairs, flings open the door and steps into the cold. All Heurriette had was shit about shit that has nothing to do with shit. She knew nothing. But the cards did. 10 of swords. 7 of swords. Inadvertently she had the answers she had come for and if she knew anything, it was you can’t unknow a thing that is known.

[katalinhunter]

FFXIV Write 2020 - Prompt 11

Ultracrepidarian

West Shroud, many years ago.

"Hey, you said you got all your chores done, right? Do you want to head over to the river for a swim?" Bandi was heavy-built for his age, but most of the boys arouind the farm were. He was still a few summers from his full height though.

Katalin shook her head. "No, I'm not in the mood right now. I'll come back later."

"You sure? There's supposed to be a storm coming through. My grandma said she could feel it in her knees."

The girl just nodded before meandering off the path for a moment and returning with a handful of pixieberries. "I want to go later. Csilla's going to be back then and I don't want to be around to hear her griping." She offered him some of the berries and he snatched them all with a grin, leaving only two behind. "Hey!" Those last two went flying in an arc to hit him upside his head.

Bandi ran a few fulm ahead then stopped and turned around, making a show of shoving all the berries in his mouth at once. "Thggrlf ynn.." he started, then paused to make a series of exagerrated swallows as she laughed. Finally, with red-stained lips, he repeated himself. "I thought you said you did all your chores, why would she be going off?"

Katalin stopped with a sigh and a shrug. "It's always one thing or another. Anyroad, Rael said he'd do them for me."

It was her cousin's turn to burst into a laugh then. "That scrawny Elezen kid? Awww... I knew he was sweet on you."

"He's not, he's just being nice."

"Being nice all the way back to the barn with you. Ow!"

She picked up another stone from the ground, taking aim. "You take that back."

"Hey, I'm just saying. People are already talking about you and-- Ow! Stop it, will you?!"

Katalin turned in a huff. "People talk too much. Besides, I know you've been spying on Sofia."

Bandi sputtered. "I... what? No, she's a Blaze, that would be almost as bad as being with one of my cousins."

"As if. You and your late night excursions. Don't worry, I won't tell a soul. If you behave."

"Fine." The answer was sullen. "You didn't have to throw rocks at me."

"You didn't have to steal my berries either. Look, I made off with some of Aunt Lucia's special batch and hid it in one of the stalls. I'll share and make it up to you, deal?"

"Deal."

They continued their way down the path.

[idanwyn-et-al]

(XIV||20) 11. Ultracrepidarian.

“That’s not how yer supposed to hold a sword, ye know.” The dark-haired midlander man watching Anne-Sophie at her mobility and strength exercises took the young student by surprise; she hadn’t seen him perched on a nearby barrel and lazily eating a faerie apple. “Ye’ve gotta grip the handle with both hands, swing with all yer might...whatever might ye might have, fer such a wee lass, that is.” Anne-Sophie assumed a mild, curious expression, though inwardly, she was seething. “Truly? Why, I had no idea you were also a Ser of Ishgard, come here on an ancient studies scholarship from the Scholasticate! My tutors did always say there is knowledge to be found everywhere, even the bottom of a barrel...or the top, as the case may be.” Flipping the training rapier’s grip so she was offering it to him pommel-first, she continued, “Would you care to show me a few stances?”

He finished his apple, tossing the core down into Limsa’s harbor, and hopped down to the white coral cobbles, willfully oblivious to the venom behind her cheery words. “Aye, sure. See if ye can keep up.” He took the wooden sword from her hands, attempting to wield it as if it were a zweihander. She sighed inwardly, but she did watch him in earnest; it was entirely possible, however unlikely, that she might learn something from him, and she was nothing if not a knight-scholar, interested in all new knowledge.

“So ye wanna...hmm, this sword is a bit too light. Me hands barely fit together on the grip! Prob’ly why yer folks are always fightin’ dragons that took over yer big ol’ castles. Bigger swords, and ye’d have won, mark me words.” So much was so wrong about everything he said, but she kept her features arranged in an expression of polite interest. It wasn’t entirely his fault that the rest of the world knew very little about Ishgard, after all. “Right. Well, anyroad, ye wanna step forward, like *this*, raise the sword up high like *so*, yeah, raise it up high as ye can, an’ BAM! Bring it right on down atop yer opponent’s fool head!” He crouched with the tip of the sword pressed into the sun-bleached streets, looking up at her, clearly expecting high praise.

“Ah, of course! What a very fascinating signature move. I promise you, milord, I shall give it all the consideration it deserves.” Taking her sword back, she gave him a little bow. “Does that conclude our lesson for the day, then?” 

“Uh...aye,” he replied, standing up straight. “Make sure ye tell ‘em all that Bertram th’ Bold taught ye that proper dragon-slayin’ move.” He swaggered off, and she rolled her eyes; she had no desire to trigger an international incident by starting a brawl with some sea rat who styled himself a warrior-prince. Once he faded back into the bustling markets, she resumed her exercises as before.

[chocoblep]

11: A Good Take

The man who lived here before had left a yard full of flowers, and Frigid Aire had no idea how to tend them. How much did she need to water them? How often did they require trimming or weeding? Which ones would come back year after year, and which would she have to replant to keep the garden looking as good as it had when she had bought the place? After all, she had promised the man she would keep the flowers looking as good as she could.

But what if she killed them all? She’d never tried to cultivate a garden before, having lived so long in the desert where it just wasn’t practical, so she wouldn’t put it past herself to have a proverbial black thumb.

“Getting into the flower business?” The voice was distinctly feminine, and the slight Ul’dahn accent unmistakable. “And here I thought you were just a humble mercenary from the mountains, come to get some honest work.”

Fridge looked over and spied the source of the voice—a petite Seeker with purple hair, mismatched eyes, and dark lips that contrasted well with her caramel-colored skin.

“’Ey, Taja! What’re you doin’ here?” The Roegadyn woman turned fully, planting her hands on her hips and grinning at the Miqo’te.

“Forgot my sweater from when I came over to help you move in,” she replied good-naturedly, leaning against the side of the gateway.

“Oh! Well, I don’t suppose you’d like to stay for dinner?” Fridge ventured. “I do need to break my kitchen in, after all.”

The slight Miqo’te smiled. “That’d be good, yeah.”

“And I don’t suppose you know anythin’ about growin’ flowers, do you?” It was probably too much to ask for, but it was worth a shot if it got her an answer or two to some of her questions.

“Well, first you dig a hole. Then you put in the seed and cover it up, and water it. Plenty of sunlight, lots of water, and BAM! You got yourself a flower.” V’taja pushed herself off the gate and walked up to Frigid Aire with a toothy grin.

Fridge just laughed. “I’ll take that as a no!”

“Yeah, that’s a good take.”

[ofloveandaether]

Prompt #11- Ultracrepidarian

The seasoned adventurers at the table looked at Alysia in wide-eyed bewilderment. Mouths were agape, others had the sense to avert their gaze in shame. Others stammered and tried to make excuses for their ill manners. All the while, the young hyur huffed in indignation. Her outburst was completely warranted and could have been avoided if their pride had not gotten the better of them. Not only had she been asked to research the finer points of the mission dossier at the last minute, causing her to spend several sleepless nights compiling and searching for the details, they had outright refused to even assess her hard work.  They’d taken the folder, flipped through the pages in a patronizing manner and then conveniently pushed it off to the side. At the time, Alysia had swallowed her feelings and fell into an uncomfortable silence. Then they had the audacity to ask the same questions over and over, all of which could be answered if they’d just read the file. Even when Alysia tried to speak up and enlighten them, they saw fit to just talk over her attempts. One even laughed at her inability to garner even a shred of attention. Eventually, the conversation turned into banter and ill-conceived planning that Alysia knew would be disastrous. No one even was paying attention to how crimson her cheeks had become with her frustration until she stood up abruptly. Her chair skidded across the floor behind her in loud protest. Hands slammed down hard and jostled everything on the tabletop. The room fell silent. Suddenly, they were quite attentive to the red head. “Read the bloody dossier and stop being insufferable prats!” No doubt her bluntness would ruffle some feathers but most were so in shock by it that they tentatively reached for her hard work and gave it the regard it deserved. Sinking back into her chair, Alysia sighed and felt deflated. Even though she preferred politeness and kindness, she couldn’t help but realize how effective a little bit of brashness could be.

[kunstpause-archive]

Kunstpause’s FFXIV writing Masterlist

(Here is my original masterlist for FFXIV Write)

personal favorite prompt: Splinter personal hardest prompt to write: Paternal a prompt i’d like to explore more: too many... At the moment: Lucubration, bc I am in the kinktober mood and already have some wonderfully raunchy screenshots to go with that...

I wrote some of these for Althea and some for Cassia. Here they are in chronological order as the events are happening in the game:

Althea:

| Day 13 - Hide | Day 6 - Pathetic | Day 11 - Ultracrepidarian | Day 4 - Clinch | Day 12 - Tooth and Nail | Day 10 - Avail | Day 21 - Foibles |

Reworked and as a series on Ao3: All The Things You Shouldn’t Do

Kinktober - mind the warnings!

Don’t Falter - Thea/Zenos - Knifeplay, Blood, Power Dynamics Don’t Bend  - Thea/Zenos - Pegging, Asphyxiation Don’t Break  - Thea/Zenos - Cnc, Emotional Manipulation, Violence

Cassia

ARR through Stormblood, (mainly Cassia/Haurchefant)

| Day 5 - Matter of Fact | Day 2 - Sway | Day 1 - Crux |  Day 15 - Ache | Day 18 - Panglossian | Day 22 - Argy-bargy | Day 8 - Clamor | Day 28 - Irenic | Day 9 - Lush | Day 17 - Fade  | Day 25 - Wish |

Shadowbringers (Cassia/Urianger, Cassia/Emet-Selch, eventual ot3)

| Day 3 - Muster | Day 20 - Hypocrisy | Day 24 - Beam | Day 16 - Lucubration (nsfw) | Day 23 - Shuffle | Day 29 - Paternal | Day 30 - Splinter | Day 19 - Where the Heart is | Day 7 - Nonagenarian |  Day 26 - When pigs fly | Day 27 - Regret | Day 14 - Part |

Kinktober -  mind the warnings

Complications Haurchefant/Cassia - Baths

As You Watch Emet-Selch/Urianger - semi-public sex, handjobs See And Be Seen Emet-Selch/Cassia - voyeurism/exhibitionism The Best-Laid Plans Emet-Selch/Cassia/Urianger - double penetration, praise kink, hair pulling

I’ve also written Cassia’s origin story of how she landed in the FFXIV and what happened to her until the start of the game here: By Whatever Means Necessary (and elveny did the same for Cassia’s twin sister Adriene over here)

So at some point I am going to have to make a more thoroughly organised masterlist, but so far this is the gist of it.

[sea-wolf-coast-to-coast]

Prompt #11: Ultracrepidarian

Submit your entry here: https://forms.gle/2x9GYu73YTVbPAeR8

#FFxivWrite2020 is underway – a daily writing challenge presented to the Final Fantasy xiv writing community for the month of September. You can join any time throughout the challenge with any prompt number!

Entries can be written on any online writing platform (tumblr, Archive of our Own, Google Docs, etc.). Submit the link and be sure that I have reading access.

More about single word prompts here.

Rules & Info || Prompt List || #FFxivWrite2020 || kofi

[aethernoise]

Compilation time! Thank you @sea-wolf-coast-to-coast for your hard work organizing and hosting another fantastic #ffxivwrite! 

Prompt fills

1. crux | 2. sway | 3. muster | 4. clinch | 5. matter of fact | 7. nonagenarian | 8. clamor | 9. lush | 10. avail |11. ultracrepidarian | 12. tooth and nail | 14. part | 15. ache | 16. lucubration | 17. fade | 18. panglossian | 19. where the heart is | 21. foibles | 22. argy-bargy | 23. shuffle | 24. beam | 25. wish (nsfw) | 26. when pigs fly | 28. irenic | 29. paternal | 30. splinter |

Reading guide & final thoughts below

- - - - - - -

Fills by major characters and/or relationships:

Alyx & Aymeric: 4, 5, 8, 11, 16, 21, 23, 25, 29, 30

Alyx & Ardbert: 2, 9, 14, 15, 18

Rhodry Vance: 7, 12, 26 (inc. @holyja’s Hyana Geriel) 

Alyx, Emet-Selch and/or Hythlodaeus: 3, 17, 19

Alyx & Ahlis Ildilayan: 1, 22 (thanks @ahlis-xiv) 

- - - - - - - 

Lots of character development for Alyx this time in particular, as well as fleshing out some important relationship moments. While I didn’t end up accomplishing any of my loose goals (wedding planning coughs) I wrote a lot of ideas I had been holding onto for a long time. I end the month feeling very refreshed for having cleared out some mental backlog! Also, I was brave and posted smut on main, so that’s fun. 

The Ardbert pieces will eventually be edited and included in Sundered on AO3, and at least one of the Alyx & Aymeric pieces has already become part of an upcoming Damn Well chapter. The rest will remain here untouched unless inspiration strikes me to embellish and continue--it’s certainly happened before.

Thanks again Moen for your hard work, and everyone who participated--writers, readers, well-wishers, etc--and for your notes and feedback on my stuff :) As always, I see you and appreciate you. You are the wind beneath my creative wings, or something cheesy to that effect. Happy October!

[furymint]

All Prompts

#02: Sway

#03: Muster

#06: Bonus

#08: Clamor

#09: Lush

#12:  Tooth & Nail

#15: Ache

#16: Lucubration

#20: Bonus

#22: Argy-Bargy

#24: Beam

Header  | Reflection of some of my favorite peers’ prompts under the cut!

@aethernoise​ -- #11: Ultracrepidarian

tired curses!!!! i also really love this contrast in their work..... its rly cute. alyx just saved the world and aymeric is hating the dictionary. i like how rough his narration is and then alyx calls and everything speeds up, and i especially love him staring into the empty room. it put another contrast between their circumstances, but its also rly damn accurate abt how it feels to share a moment over the phone w someone. it made me smile a lot

@ahlis-xiv​ -- #23: Shuffle

this one made me laugh ksjdf ahlis’ distaste for the saucer despite being drawn to it is hysterical, but it also mirrors a lot of her character flaws: avoiding vulnerability, placing stoicism before genuineness, planting her frustration on external things instead of herself. even confronting her own feelings draws some curses out of her, and i love that display of her personality.

@autochthonousone -- #09: Nonagenarian

i love me some reflection and mentorship. also im obsessed with “let ‘lone this ‘n”.........dialect is such a hit or miss thing when writing or reading, but god youve got it and i love that line so much. barry’s relationship w stalwart is even better tho, and i cant repeat enough how much i love their dynamic of fair/stern/wise and distant/brutish/actually-paying-complete attention.

@brave-horizon -- #12: Tooth & Nail

talk abt using the setting..............i rly struggle w incorporating setting so this was a little mind-blowing to me. we got a really cool action scene plus established an entire town and conflict all at once?? battle scenes are hard. but ur vocab is so precise and stuff like “seized midstride” and “spilling its pilot” are rly inspiring me rn!! wind magic is smth ive brainstormed in the past but u have such good ideas w it and im so pumped just rereading it. its so good

@erstwhile25 -- #05: Matter of Fact

oh my god. some kind of dialogue god comes down and hands kail all his words, or else he’s just the dialogue god himself. im leaning towards the latter. i wish to god i could say “very small dogs with the barest streaks of sanity” in daily life, and honestly i might start to. the crew of the rook are always a joy to see + the development of their conversation takes such a meaningful turn that it really sticks after the laughs

@endangered-liaison​ -- #05: Matter of Fact 

sorry not sorry jaejh is cool!!!! he’s super nasty and terrible and interesting and i loved his voice, but i esp love how well he pushed the conflict and just Ruined Everything. i rly live how his influence bleeds into the others through their fear. The kids go from hoping or expecting to smth better, to not even debating that he’s lying bc it will just turn out worse. the berry stains as a gun on the wall never struck me either, and i was SHOOK

@high-and-away -- #10: Avail

honestly this was the hardest one to pic a fav for. i rly loved so many of these bc they check a lot of boxes for my Brand. this one sits the longest with active conflict + does a fantastic job staying clear despite all the trails it picks up w max’s foil n comradeship, the chocobo’s higher level of pity over people, the chaotic pack of Resistance members, and the highlander that vicky reasons over n kills. i love that word “limning” now; ur vocab always finds ways to surprise me w the way u use them (esp in describing settings)

@holyja -- #03: Muster

usually when i think of lizzy writing, i think of how perfect ur verbs are, but this time i really liked the visuals and tone. hyana pushing food around her plate and sitting on the rooftops had such a lonely feel to them, but at the same time were rly enjoyable and clear imgs despite not having to be described forever. serella’s dialogue was perfectly on-the-nose, too. usually i rly linger on what is given too much detail, but this rly showed me how nice it is to air things out n leave the thought monologue unsaid.

@karoiseka --  #24: Beam

hell yeah memory lane time. i loved seeing CT from karo’s pov and seeing where her priorities lay or moved. i also liked the life u gave to the little parts left untouched by the narrative, like walking through CT and the heartbeat in the soul vessel. idk what could be more satisfying that a reunion either, so following karo into the ocular was some Good Shit

@mythrilreflections -- #15: Ache

does this get bonus points just for being in o’ghomoro? yes. i love how the tunnels are characterized by the senseless kobolds in them. the added pressure from their reasonings for being in this hellhole is even better, and i love the sigils concept. jace’s narration is so cold, too, which makes both the kobold’s ferocity and the team’s desperation more poignant: he doesn’t sound the type to exaggerate.

@norhimorovine -- #14: Part

this one just screams fairy tale to me. the others do too, but the repetition of events rly knocks this one up the flagpole of ‘belongs in some mid 19th century kids story collection.’ i LOVE the sisters’ banter, and how the younger daughter gets incorporated a bit further for her attention. having the soldier take little pieces of each environment to prove they were real made them a lot more real to me, too.

@snowbird-down -- #03 Muster

if u think im NOT gonna lose my mind shrieking over stream of consciousness as one of the #1 ways of writing trauma, u have not been around me for very long. the varying sentence length is rly successful here, and i esp love the part where people are rushing into the ship and she has to stab a dude to keep him from coming aboard. it’s such a back and forth determining who is humanity and who is the faceless antagonist for a minute, n ofc i love that.

@stars-bleed-hearts-shine​ -- #28 -- Irenic

i was p surprised that my fav of urs came so late, but i feel like this piece has a lot of what your really good at, and which i admire a lot: you aren’t afraid of emotional dialogue or arguments based in more than factual debate, and you capitalize on casual thoughts that reveal a lot more than they do at face value. i esp like that you rly make the most of two characters that overlap in values and personality so often--they acknowledge that overlap and work together with what they share.

@yunkinko​ -- #05 Matter of Fact

im gonna forget abt that little rat line bc the last line is a kick in the teeth. i always admire ur ability to expand tiny details into lasting events. x’arhll’s musings also cut so different from the rest of the scene, separating her from the others and mhifa even further from her, so i love that contrast. the “arc of water” stayed with me for a while too.

[autumnslance]

Dreams of Home - Lyn’s FFXIVWrite 2020 Masterpost

Also found on Ao3 as “Dreams of Home”, with some editing/revision done after Challenge completion. The Free Day posts are in other Ao3 threads; for the Extra Credit days this year I finished a couple WIPs too long on the backburner. These FFXIV Write posts are also of course on my Pillowfort, LynMars79.

Previous FFXIV Write Collections can be found in "Dreams of Light" (2018) and "Dreams of Shadows" (2019). 2017's responses are on Tumblr, though some choice responses have moved to various other threads on Ao3. I seem to write more each year, and Home's word count exceeds Shadows' even without the Extra Credits.

Stats: Word Counts are based on the original postings to Tumblr/Pillowfort. 26,250 words without the extra credits. 35,497 words with the extra credits. Shortest: #12 Tooth and Nail (361) Longest: #21 Foibles (2,412) “When Everything Changes” and “Sandstorm” are longer, but I’d been drafting them up for awhile.

It’s hard to pick favorites this year; I like how most of these turned out, and I have time and space in the Ao3 thread to alter them as needed.

Prompts and Responses on Tumblr:

1. Crux - Gaius trying not to be bothered. Sorrow of Werlyt spoilers. 2. Sway - Thancred & Aeryn watching dancing. Early ARR, pre-relationship. 3. Muster - Thancred & Aeryn the morning of Ala Mhigo’s liberation. 4. Clinch - Aeryn only learns to fish after battling Hades. Post ShB 5.0. 5. Matter of Fact - Iyna & C’oretta discuss changes to a Scion post ShB 5.3. 6. When Everything Changes - 1st Free Day, Zaine & Aeryn backstory. 7. Nonagenarian - Master Matoya, Y’mhitra, & Thancred’s post 5.3 look. 8. Clamor - Thancred & Aeryn, post-Praetorium celebrations, pre-relationship. 9. Lush - Dark Autumn takes Aeryn home for a rest in late Stormblood. 10. Avail - Thancred versus C’oretta being C’oretta. Post ShB 5.3. 11. Ultracrepidarian - Dark & Arenvald investigate a rumored Titan-slayer. 12. Tooth and Nail - Zaine as the Seventh Umbral Calamity unfolds. 13. Sandstorm - 2nd Free Day, Thancred & Aeryn pre-Ifrit, pre-relationship. 14. Part - Thancred, Minfilia, Ryne, and separations. Up thru ShB 5.3. 15. Ache - Aeryn regrets a reckless emotional act with Haurchefant. Early HW. 16. Lucubration - Thancred, Yda, & Lyse, Sharlayan school days. Pre-canon. 17. Fade - In a distant future, Ciuna remembers the Warriors of Darkness. 18. Panglossian - Two ancients in an alternate future. 19. Where the Heart is - The Scions’ hearts are scattered across two worlds. 20. The Parley - 3rd Free Day. Aeryn speaks with Varis. StB 4.5. 21. Foibles - Thancred helps clean Aeryn’s pack before she leaves for Doma. 22. Argy-Bargy - Literature is serious business. Thancred & Aeryn, ShB. 23. Shuffle - Aeryn, Dark, and C’oretta teach Iyna to play Triple Triad. 24. Beam - Aeryn has an evening conversation with Carvallain on the Misery. 25. Wish - A night of reading and cuddles for Thancred & Aeryn. ShB 5.3. 26. When Pigs Fly - Felina decides to not miss an opportunity with Urianger. 27. Realizations - 4th Free Day. Thancred & Y’shtola talk. StB 4.0. 28. Irenic - Ysayle and Estinien co-existing at Moghome. Mid-HW 3.0. 29. Paternal - X’rhun discovers a past truth Alberic wants to keep hidden. 30. Splinter - Azem returns home to see what, if anything, can be salvaged.

[tea-and-conspiracy]

Prompt 11: Ultracrepidarian

[5.3 spoiler warning!]

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

All three of them leaned in, watching as Lahabrea swirled the wine in his glass. He made a show of sniffing it, taking a taste, swishing it about on his tongue.

“Ah yes, I see,” he said at last. “It’s…fruity. With a…floral…bouquet and…rich notes of, uh…plum.”

Azem’s face fell flat. “…Stop inventing things, you ultracrepidarian.”

Elidibus started to giggle, then caught himself and resumed his stoic expression; Emet-Selch was far more practiced at keeping his cards close when he had to, but Azem didn’t miss the tug at the corner of his mouth.

Lahabrea responded with an indignant huff. “I’ll have you know I am plenty well versed on botanicals—“

“In your greenhouse! That’s my point,” Azem interjected. “These grapes don’t grow anywhere else on this Star. To lose them would be a painful blow to floral biodiversity.”

Lahabrea squinted behind his mask. “You just want your wine.”

“Yes, but am I wrong?” Azem folded her arms across her chest. “These people make their living cultivating this crop. They’ve already been robbed of their homes – shall we rob them of their livelihood as well?”

The Speaker pinched the bridge of his mask with a suffering sigh. “…Nature is cruel, Azem. Protest all you wish, but there’s naught that can change that fact. I’m not going to loan you Ifrita just so you can save a crop. It is folly to meddle in the natural order of things.”

“Not to be that person,” Emet-Selch drawled, “But is that not Elidibus’ decision?”

They all found themselves staring at the boy, who abruptly straightened and puffed up his chest when he realized he’d had their attention. His pale eyes shot from one elder to another, before he confidently replied,

“The Seat of Sacrifice sides with the Seat of the Traveler in this matter.”

Lahabrea flipped his notebooks. “You just want to see her do it, boy!”

“Careful, Speaker,” Emet-Selch warned. “Boy he may be but he is still your Emissary.”

Lahabrea threw up his arms and swiveled about in his chair, such that his back was facing them. “Fine. I’ll sign off on it.”

“Oh, I already got the memory crystal.” Azem couldn’t help a grin. “I simply came to inform you that I would be using it.”

“You--!” Lahabrea spun around again, then frowned. “…Hythlodaeus.” His eyes lifted to Emet-Selch accusingly. The Architect simply gave a non-committal shrug. “…Are you three done? May I resume my research?”

Azem threw a wink at Elidibus and turned to lead him out. The boy secreted her a grin.

“You’re welcome for the wine~!” Emet-Selch called, departing with a trademark wave.