#prompt: endwalker

[iron-sparrow]

Has your journey been good?Has it been worthwhile?

We will find our way.

feat. @ahollowgrave, @hazelkjt, @this-is-ris & @nolanel-corbeaux

Final Fantasy XIV certainly isn't my first MMO, and I've been alive enough decades to be way too jaded about everything. Yet here I am, crafting these images of my friends (virtual representations of them) and feeling all kinds of ways the entire time.

I met Hazel and began raiding with him back in Shadowbringers. That's actually when I met Nolanel, too; I initiated our friendship when I messaged him privately for Paladin advice. He was the only other Paladin player I knew at the time, and I wanted to become a better raider.

We got along almost instantly.

In Endwalker, Hazel and I ran a second static to clear for Nol and some other friends. This is when we met Ris, who was recommended to us as a DPS by someone in our main static. She grew on us immediately, and I eagerly roped everyone into the RP-GPOSE-tumblr pipeline. Sorry, not sorry.

Come Dawntrail, Ris will be running her own static while Hazel and I go back to our main group, with Nol coming along as a fresh DPS. We've already made plans to reconvene after Savage, though, to get our DSR clear together.

I hope, too, that Pigeon will keep listening to our bullshit. She mentioned once that no matter how many times she watches us prog, she still has no idea what the fuck the mechanics are. Still sticks around though, giving us moral support (and watching us play with cursed objects in Phasmophobia). So there, in those images, is Odette greeting our tired asses after raid and asking us how it all went.

Fuck. It's been a real fun time.

I've really loved getting to know all of you. I really look forward to traumatizing developing our OCs more in Dawntrail together.

(Oh, and a very special thank you to @thefreelanceangel for the beautiful divider. Seriously, she's amazing and super talented.)

[ishgard]

Presenting: An Absurdly, Stupidly Long and Wordy Warrior of Light-based Questionnaire, or as my bestie dubbed it:

30 WoL Think Thonkers

Less an ask prompt, more of a daily prompt, (though you can use it as an ask prompt if you prefer!) Answer the questions however you want: straight-forward, with stories or screens, or a mix of all.

Get any of your little brainworms out. Wax poetic, ramble off into several digressions, challenge yourself to answer in the least amount of words possible, whatever you're vibing with! (If you want to tag them #wolthinkthonkers feel free!)

This is very Warrior of Light and MSQ based. It's set from a Post-Endwalker mindframe, so there are some minor/vaguely worded spoilers.

----------------------- WARM-UP QUESTIONS

I. Where is your Warrior of Light from? What was their home like growing up and what set them out on their journey?

2. What city-state did your WoL start in? How did they feel about it then, and how do they feel about it now? (ie, did their experiences sour their perception, or make them appreciate it more?)

3. How do they feel about being Hydaelyn's chosen? (Feel free to break it down from ARR's "Champion of Eorzea" all the way to "The Savior of Etheirys" as much as you like. Have those feelings changed, or just grown more complex?)

4. What do they do in their down time? Do they have any hobbies outside of Primal-slaying and world-saving? Are these lifelong hobbies or recent interests?

5. How do they feel now that "it's all over" (the story of Hydaelyn and Zodiark)? What do they plan to do next? Or is their story finished - and if you're retiring them, what does retirement look like for them? Do you have someone else taking the stage going forward?

6. Who was their Azem? What were they like, and were they different from your WoL? Who were their family, friends? Or, if you don't care for the Azem angle or went in your own direction for their past self, how so? How does your WoL feel about their Ancient identity?

----------------------- CHANGES

7. Have they gone through any physical changes? What scars have they collected, and how do they feel about them? Did they sprout horns or other features as a result of spells or pacts gone wrong? How did light corruption impact them? Or have they walked away miraculously unscathed? Are they more peculiar for how eerily unmarred they are?

8. What is one of their biggest regrets? Has it had an effect on how they act moving forward, for better or worse?

9. The Warrior of Light has been through quite a lot, but what is a moment, big or small, that bolstered and renewed their spirit? Was it a cup of hot cocoa or a lovingly crafted sandwich? Did someone give them a few words or a gesture at just the right time that meant the world to them? (Of course, this can be a canon event or headcanon!)

10. What does home look like for them now? Do they still return to the home where they started, and if so has it changed at all? Or have they found or forged a new home? Who do they live with, if anyone? What sort of things do they keep in their personal space?

11. Despite everything, is it still you? Has the core of who they are as a person remained true through everything, or have they been changed by what they've experienced and learned, for better or worse?

13. Is there a canon moment you've drastically (or not-so-drastically) rewritten? A character death, or something that just really did not fit your WoL's character. Or just some alterations and personal touches you've added? Has that had any long-term changes on the wider story?

----------------------- STORY

12. Which canon moments shaped your Warrior of Light and impacted them the most?

14. Do you have any headcanons for what happened post-Ultima Thule? What kind of injuries did they suffer, or did they walk it off like a boss? Did they take a lengthy vacation, did you shove a time skip in there before 6.1 hit? Or was it quickly off to the next adventure?

15. What were their thoughts and feelings on the events of Myths of the Realm? How did they regard the Twelve prior, and how did the revelations impact them? Was meeting their patron particularly special to them, or not really?

16. What were their thoughts and feelings delving into Pandaemonium? How did they feel working alongside Themis and Lahabrea, after all their history? What did they think about how things ended?

17. Taking a step away from "canon", do you have any wholly unique side quests and adventures your Warrior of Light has gotten caught up in? Did they chase down ghosts of their own past, get married, open a bakery, or fix an ancient blood curse on their family line? Have they reunited with loved ones or buried old hatchets? If there's some unique story behind your character, how does it show up and how did it play out?

----------------------- COMBAT & ABILITIES

18. How do they feel about the work they do? As the Warrior of Light they're tasked with quite a lot of violence, is it something that comes naturally to them or do they resist it? Are they merciless, do they try to spare as many lives as they can, or do they fall somewhere in between?

19. While many fights are dramatic or have high stakes, are there any especially memorable or difficult fights they encountered? Outside scripted battles, were there conflicts that you thought felt better if they were tweaked for narrative or lore-based reasons, ie their first time fighting a primal? Or perhaps a more meta "You the player had a hard time so it translated into headcanon for them".

20. Are there any unique abilities that they possess outside of what's in-game? Are they actually a dragon, or do they see visions of the future? Or, is there a special way that their Echo manifests?

21. Jobs! What job is your character and why is that the route they chose? Is your WoL a Jack-of-all-Trades, or just have one (or a few) specialties? Did they start with one job and change to another? Have you 'homebrewed' their job at all, adding any unique twists or details to it?

----------------------- RELATIONSHIPS & THE WORLD

22. What are their feelings on the Scions? Who are some of their closest allies and dearest friends? Are they more of a loner, or closer to people outside the Scions? Have they kindled any romances or partnerships?

23. How do they feel about getting pulled into politics? Are they adept at navigating political intricacies, or does it go over their head? Do they appreciate getting asked to do more than punch their enemies, or would they really rather just punch their enemies? Are there any areas they like to be particularly involved in?

24. How do they feel about Hydaelyn? What was their perception of the Mothercrystal in the beginning, and how did that change by the end, if at all?

25. Do they have any particular enemies that stand out to them? Someone who inspired a lasting grudge? Our beloved and beloathed antagonists give us plenty of reasons to despise them, but are there any that particularly rubbed your WoL the wrong way? On the other hand, are there villains they can't help but sympathize with, even if it's at odds with the narrative or their allies?

26. What are their thoughts on the Ancients, their way of life, and the world they lived in? Did they sympathize at all with the Ascians, or did learning the truth not influence them in that way?

27. How well known are they? Does everyone know their name as the Warrior of Light, or have they managed to maintain some level of anonymity? Do they prefer it that way, and do they have any struggles resulting from it? (Getting stopped on street corners VS awkwardly avoiding questions.)

----------------------- WHAT'S NEXT

28. What's something they look forward to? Exploring the stars, more of a place we've already been, or somewhere we haven't? Or do they look forward to retirement, starting a business with their craft of choice, or any other little old thing?

29. How do they feel heading into Dawntrail? Excited? Exhausted? What do they think of the promises of adventure to come, and their role to play? If you're using a new character, do you have any idea how they'll end up on this path, and where is their headspace starting out?

30. What are they going to be doing while waiting for the ship to Tural?

[flourish-of-steel]

18th Sun - Emo Growing Light

[impossible-rat-babies]

vierapril day 1--hope

"one day, life will fill the universe again. and hermes will see this and smile"

[fairygodpiggy]

What is your favorite spot/vista from each XIV expac? (To take screens or afk or whatever)

I haven't seen anyone do this particular prompt yet, so I'll go first

. . .

A Realm Reborn: 📍 Thalaos - Upper La Noscea

Heavensward: 📍 Chocobo Forest - The Dravanian Forelands

Stormblood: 📍 Plum Spring - Yanxia

Shadowbringers: 📍 The Isle of Ken - Lakeland

Endwalker: 📍 Absolute Horizon - Ultima Thule

Dawntrail: 📍 Cenote Jayunja - Yak T'el

If you see this and think it's cool, consider yourself tagged (and you can say you were tagged by me!)

[inorheona]

hyth

[yloiseconeillants]

there once was two different kinds of shadow dancing in a trance by the sea and one was in disguise, disguised as the other they were attempting some kind of harmony

[tallbluelady]

But Zeromus remains... how are you two going to enjoy yourselves?

The Bindings should do most of the work. They kept the Eldest of Primals at bay, after all.

Verily, the wards shall serve us well. But we have ever lived in perilous times, have we not? Yet our love shineth bright and clear in the midst of darkness.

That it has.

[wildstar25]

MiqoMarch Day 23 - Midnight

With their intended voyage into the void only a few days out, Arsay thought it the upmost importance that she steal her partner away to Kugane, that they might share one more fond memory together should things not turn out the way they plan in the thirteenth. It was as they crossed the very same bridge the miqo'te had once sat on together two years prior when Arsay gifted Y'shtola with a bracelet matching that of her own. A token of endearment which, Arsay confessed, she would have given to her fellow scion back then, had nerves not gotten the best of her. While their relationship has undoubtedly changed since the initial purchase of the jewellery, the sentiment remained the same. Y'shtola was someone who Arsay loved dearly and she will forever be grateful to have the seeker's life intertwined with her own. No matter where their free spirits took them, they would always hold each other in their hearts. A promise Y'shtola was more than willing to keep. She slipped the the string of beads around her wrist without a second thought. They were never to come off, not even when the two decided to delay their return to Radz-at-Han in favour of a private bath at the dead of night.

[starswornoaths]

3. Tempest

Post 6.0, things are changing for the Scions.

They just haven't told all of them yet. So naturally, that becomes an issue.

word count: 1,313

-

“Big things ahead for us, I should think,” Alphinaud chimed happily without looking up from the letter he had brought in to work on. 

“Hmm. Bigger than what we just finished?” Serella asked, her own focus deterred from goldsmithing between his comment and the ache in her ban.

“Oh heavens, I should hope not! Many changes loom on the horizon, but much will feel familiar. It will be nice to go to ground again, so to speak. Not that we should hasten to our next task, of course, but having a plan is preferable.”

There was a peculiar pause there—only a few moments, but long enough that Serella caught the way he flitted his eyes toward her with as little movement as possible. Had she not stopped fiddling with her project, she might have missed it entirely…which she suspected he had been hoping for.

“What do you mean,” she asked slowly, “when you say we will go to ground again?”

That got him to set his pen down, though he kept his eyes on the paper in front of him. 

“We Scions have been talking—”

“—Without me?” she asked with care.

“Oh!” Alphinaud was startled into actually looking at her when he seemed to realize how horrible it sounded when put like that. “No, not with the intent to leave you out of the discussion, of a certainty, but we thought to bring it up when you were perhaps a bit further along in recovery—”

“What are you lot talking about, then? What’s this plan I’ll find out about later?” she pressed, already thin on patience.

Silence stretched for another few heartbeats, drawn out further by Alphinaud’s resumed refusal to look at her.

“I— well, ‘tis hardly a plan just yet, but…given all that we have accomplished, and how far the Alliance has come—”

“The Grand Company of Eorzea.” Serella corrected him.

“Yes, yes, the Grand Company,” Alphinaud hastily corrected, adding, “though even that name change proves how far they have come. Far enough along that I believe it time for the Scions of the Seventh Dawn to slip back into the shadows. We aim to announce our disbandment upon your medical clearance—”

“Disbandment?” Serella gawked. 

“Not in truth! Only insofar as the official story will tell!” Alphinaud reassured, at last turning to her fully.

Serella wanted to laugh at the absurdity of the conversation, at the way he looked surprised that she might take umbrage with the notion.

“We are an organization that has always worked in shadow in service to the star—”

“Oh come off it,” she cut him off waspishly, “Minfilia called us the worst kept secret in Eorzea before we had even moved to the Rising Stones. If you think for one second we were ever fully hidden—”

“I am under no such delusion.” Alphinaud huffed. “Even if only in principal, however, we were not outwardly acknowledged.”

“Until Minfilia specifically declared that we would be a public institution. To be open and honest with the people we fight to save. And you would undermine that, Alphinaud?”

“The world has changed, Serella,” he sighed as he pinched the bridge of his nose, “to even begin to speculate on what Minfilia would do after all of this is a disservice to her memory.”

“And the choice to lie to our friends isn’t? To our allies? After fighting alongside them in the name of truth and unity? When we have only barely started pulling back as arbiters for advanced technologies and mediators between peoples post-Calamity? For what purpose, even? So you won’t be pestered by the things they don’t ask of us anymore?” she asked.

“Not—not lying—well, alright, ‘tis a lie, but one that we feel—”

“We?”

“—is necessary. The city-states will continue to grow independent on their own—”

“You know they only asked us for help when they couldn’t do what we did, yes? That such needs were why the Scions were even founded to begin with?” she pressed him. “I don’t even particularly like the governments we’ve worked with, and even I would not be so uncharitable as to consider them demanding.”

“They did ask much of us—” he began.

She was having none of it, however, citing, “Eorzea was losing to Garlemald when I joined the Scions. Do you even remember that? It was a lifetime ago, aye, but they didn’t even ask us at first—do you not recall how close they came to surrendering? Now that they have the means to combat primals without the Echo and a cure for tempering, you cannot even trust them to restrain themselves from asking needless favors?”

“‘Tis not only up to me—” he sidestepped.

“But you suggested it, I’d wager.” She countered.

When the silence re-entered the room, it was incredulous. Stifling. 

“That…is a cruel assumption,” Alphinaud said slowly, eyes averted.

Unfazed, Serella blanched, “Am I wrong?”

Silence chimed in to answer on his behalf: of course he did.

“I think it more than fair for us to step back from—” he tried to pivot.

“So do that. Assign other Scions to Eorzea’s care if you feel you’ve done your part. Disbanding would displace dozens of our colleagues. How many of us have rooms in the Rising Stones with nowhere else to go? For how long was I one of those colleagues?”

“Everyone would remain on the payroll—”

“But disbandment would require us to scatter. To “keep up appearances” and give credence to the lie. Have you factored in where our colleagues will go? How long will we be scattered? What will happen to the Rising Stones and the Waking Sands?”

“We’re barely starting the talks for this now, I know not what we will do to address these things—” he tried to argue.

“Have you told Estinien?” she asked pointedly. “Does he get a vote?”

Silence once more interjected—of course Estinien doesn’t know yet.

Nor was he an Archon.

“Well…” Alphinaud meandered.

“After all the effort the lot of you used to cajole him into joining, finally reassuring him he’s got a steady place to rest his lance outside of Ishgard, this is his thanks not even six moons on?! And what of the others?!”

“As I said, we’re still working it out—”

“So you’re bringing this to the table with no logistics, no plan, and nothing to act as a safety net for those of us that aren’t Archons?” Serella pressed.

“Were our deaths not enough?” Alphinaud asked, tired. “I care for our comrades’ well being. You know I do. But I haven’t the answers yet.”

“Were any of mine?” she countered. “You got to come along for the full ride once, and that was enough, was it?”

“I know not why this is an argument,” he huffed, throwing his hands up in the air as he added, “I still want to work to help Garlemald—your betrothed leads the charge in that—”

“Which makes it all the more insulting you would have me lie to him. You would leave no organization behind the lot of you, nothing to help future generations, no “guiding light” like Loui—”

“I know,” Alphinaud said in a low voice, “what my grandfather wanted. And I know what we want.”

“And who is we, Alphinaud?” Serella asked again in a matching tone.

Silence’s presence made itself known in the room again. It hummed in her ears, it buzzed in his blood. 

“I think…I should go.” Alphinaud murmured, easing himself down from his chair. “Mayhap we can revisit this once you are better. You’re talking like you did years ago when you thought yourself alone.”

“And little wonder. You talk like you did when you thought to form the Braves. You’ve never seemed younger.” Serella quipped, already leaning back into her pillows.

If his flinch was any indication, Alphinaud understood it as the furthest thing from a compliment, yet silence saw him out of her room.

[scionshtola]

I. Where is your Warrior of Light from? What was their home like growing up and what set them out on their journey? (source)

Corisande grew up in a secluded village in the Golmore Jungle, where their mother fled with them after Garlean forces invaded Valnain. The village did not typically allow outsiders in but made an exception for them after a Wood-warder vouched for them--he'd been good friends with their father, who'd been killed by Imperials before he could flee.

They lived in a small house on the outskirts of the village, and were largely treated as strange outsiders by most (but not all!). Despite the unkind treatment Corisande received, they enjoyed growing up in a forest, surrounded by nature. Though it was a rather lonely childhood, she occupied herself with roaming the forest, gathering herbs and flowers, and teaching herself as much as she could about arcanum and summoning as well as the world outside her village, which she desperately longed to see. She was often found in the company of the pink chocobo she had rescued and the Carbuncle she'd taught herself to summon.

Despite how Corisande longed to see the world, they were reluctant to leave their mother behind knowing they would not be allowed to come back. But their mother knew Corisande could not be truly happy if they were not allowed to travel, and she asked them to leave, to see the world and pursue their studies. It took quite a bit of convincing, but eventually they left their village behind and set off for the Arcanist's Guild.

[devonhinged]

[FFxivWrite2024] Horizon

Endwalker ending spoilers! About the aftermath of Ultima Thule. If you've been following my tweets this might be easier to understand...

Zenos lies overlapping the horizon. The light grazed the roots of his hair that were still golden. The alien yet earthly warm light. In this vast space where there is nothing else but them, despite himself, Saga stretches out a hand towards him. Zenos is merely a few ilms away. If Saga moved about his torso, maybe he could nudge himself far enough to touch him. But it seems like he had lost all the muscle for it. 

He still sees and hears, but he's fighting a very heavy sleep. 

... a gift, or a burden? 

For a moment, in this warmth, Saga remembers laying on the floor of his childhood bedroom, letting the window open and the sun in. 

"Don't you dare.... Bastard."

He grimaces in tears. Pain slowly setting in the longer that he's awake, along with an incredible sadness. He never came back home.

"Don't you... dare die before me." His fingers curl into his palm, but too weak to push his own nails in. Zenos no longer speaks to him. Hell would've frozen over. "I thought you wanted to fight. I thought you'd live for it forever." Saga is not too sure if he's still speaking himself.... 

He let go of his fight to breathe. So this was all his life was going to be. In the end, there is no end to it after all. Only one step after the other, every moment of every second, until he can't do another. And all these people he's leaving behind, his greatest nightmare still manages to come true.

...I don't want to die alone.

. 

. 

. 

The more he slips into unconsciousness, the more he is calm. At least, his soul feels happy. Had he done a good job then? He is wrapped in an old, familiar embrace. Alike, but not of his brother or even his mom. Not even from his earliest childhood memory. He slips deeper and deeper into it, it’s like a cold blanket. He reckoned... his soul must've been very old.

Is that really enough? 

I understand what we must do, but I don't know what to do anyway...

I'm scared to be alone, I'll be honest. 

What if I forget everything? What if we all do? 

Do I just keep on going?

A faint echo. Trickling water. Smell of wet soil. The sun hitting his scalp and rocks beneath his feet. There were distant footsteps somewhere echoing around him. Saga doesn't think he is anywhere new. He's been here this whole time.

Then I will, no matter what. Even if I lose the purpose. 

If that's all you ask, then it seems easy enough. 

I'll keep going for the sake of it. I will trust you. 

And I'll see you again. 

That was as vivid as it comes, then the dream fades away again, as if he is slowly waking up. But there's nothing on the other side of his closed eyes. There's only that distant, echoing footsteps. Not even getting louder or fainter, only at a consistent pace. As if they're walking with him. He only stays in one place, though. He's not going anywhere. So he doesn't know where they're going. 

Here, he is not alone. He's never been alone. He's been here this whole time. 

Saga's eyes are flooded with light and he gasps for air.

[oh-hecate]

Glamtober Day 8- Ilsabard

"The gods themselves will be my meal. Your dear companions my dessert. Upon this world I'll feast, and death shall follow in my wake."

(Nothing felt more violating in the expansion than this entire experience imo. iykyk 💀)

[bananarose]

FFXIV Write 2024 - Day 1 "Steer"

Characters: Banana Rose (WoL) Zero

Length: 415 words

Spoilers: Endwalker

~ ~ ~

“Would I ever steer you wrong?” Banana smiled, gesturing to the plate on the table in front of her new voidsent friend.

Zero didn’t know how to answer that question, looking expressionless between the plate and the warrior of light sat across from her. On the plate was something that people here on the source ate for sustenance, rather than consuming the aether of others. Zero thought it a bit odd, but figured that aether is aether afterall. 

Banana pushed a metal object closer to Zero across the table: a fork, she had explained. Zero picked it up in her hand the way she was shown, her grip a bit different from the lalafell’s based on the size difference of their hands.

“If you don’t like it, you don’t have to finish it. And you don’t have to be afraid to say you don’t like it, we can always find something else.” Banana gives a reassuring nod at the end, hoping to ease the voidsent’s worries about the food.

Zero shot a last wary look across the table before stabbing her fork into what she could only assume was a chunk of meat. The first food she had tried was fruit, and from what she was told meat was quite different. She couldn’t remember eating, though she must have at some point… learning, or re-learning she supposed, was a strange experience. Maybe more hassle than it’s worth. It was much more tedious than simply taking the aether she needed from another, and apparently came with many social rules attached depending on where you consume the food.

Such an odd form of sustenance.

The voidsent lifted the fork to her mouth, giving the meat a cursory sniff before slowly placing it in her mouth, unaware of the excited bouncing that the lalafell across the table was failing to conceal. She chewed slowly, a vague sense of some flavor on her tongue… it seemed to have more taste than some of the things she had tried.

“Do you like it? The spice blend they use is a house special. I thought we’d try something without too much heat - spice heat, not temperature - just to start out with.” The lalafell barely held herself back from babbling on. She didn’t want to overwhelm Zero, when everything was already so new for her.

Zero thought for a moment, continuing to chew and swallow before answering the question. “It is… passable. I think.” 

Banana smiled. That was good enough for now.

[idalenn]

Day 2 - Horizon

Ao3 Link

Continuation of Day 1's prompt and Alphinaud and Lillian's meeting with Lolorito. Hearing of their experience with the Syndicate, another member offers assistance to the Crystal Braves (A Realm Reborn)

Full text below the cut:

“As a show of good faith, I shall be transparent: My self-aggrandizing rival is settling down for a feast that will surpass all before, and I intend to steal every morsel he has yet to lay his sordid hands on. All will be mine: meat, wine, bread, cheese, salt, and fruit. He has prepared the silverware and I will allow him that, if only to savor his cries upon raising the cloche to find my excrement steaming on that plate, and every plate besides.” The mustachioed Lalafell sunken into the cushions cackles like a fiend, hands clapping as he cheers for fantasies long on the horizon, his mirth mirrored by the cadre of servants circling the terrace.

Laughing loudest are the two Roegadyn rippling in muscle on his left and right, grey skin glistening in the sun, their palm leaf fans children’s toys in gargantuan hands. Clad in nothing but violet loincloths sheerer than summer clouds, every breeze is a test of will; the mind’s need to track movement against the social faux pas of being caught staring.

Below them, sunken into the center of the tiered seating pit, a trio of Au’ra giggle and splash about; one man and two women clad only in airs. Sirens looking to draw in the unwary. One climbs onto a slab of rock baked warm under the sun before turning over to expose her chest for Monetarist and guests, tail bone-yellow as teeth lazily drifting its tip across one velvet thigh, black as the night.

As his eyes begin to drift downward, Lillian jabs Alphinaud’s shin with the toe of her boot and draws a sharp gasp from the boy.

“I averted my gaze that time,” he angrily whispered.

“You’re doing better than me.”

A shadow falls across Lillian’s face, the entertainment above wordlessly calling out to be noticed, all contorting pale limbs and an arched back with feline ears twitching, a strip of silk obscuring nothing as they twist across a causeway of ropes. At a snap of the Lalafell’s fingers, the Miqo’te snatches a soft white pearl from a bowl hanging near. With the rope in hand, she uncurls her body like a snake lowering a curious head, legs outstretched and spread, and places the pearl atop the mound between, balancing it perfectly until level with his mouth for him to slurp the prize up.

He fixes his guests with a wry grin and winks at Lillian as she crosses her legs, red-faced. “Half-boiled hummingbird’s eggs. Care for a taste?” Something glistens on his gentleman’s mustache styled after Lolorito’s own.

A harsh laugh echoes. “I’d reckon the boy fancies more than a single taste of your lavish company, my lord.”

“Pleased am I to know that my establishment appeals to a potential partner. Pray let me know if you desire of me to whet your appetite or wet your lips while we discuss my terms.” He waved the Miqo’te contortionist back into her ropes. “I will be more than delighted to oblige. Ilberd has informed me much and more about you, my dear Warrior of Light. Such a splendid title. Well earned, I’m told. Shame I’d not possessed his crucial eye during your first arrival to Ul’dah all that time ago, else we might have sealed our alliance earlier. Alas, the coin turns.”

Alphinaud straightened his back, keeping his eyes forward along the narrow road free of distracting bodies. “Lord Adeledji…”

“Teledji Adeledji. To the name I was born, and the name you will speak.” He held an open hand aloft. A flurry of activity overtook the servants.

 “… Lord Teledji Adeledji.”

A glass brimming with layers of blue and red liquid topped with citrus slices appeared in the Lalafell’s hand with a blur of movement, bowl wider than his palm. He sipped at the contents, a crude appreciative noise rolling up his throat while he swallowed as the servants looked on. A visible weight lifted from their figures after he smacked his lips. “Continue,” he said.

“Ample allowance we’ve given to review your letter, in part because of your generous offer of supplying the Crystal Braves with weapons, manpower, and funding, but also in part,” he paused, looking to Lillian for a supportive nod, “Not that we doubt your magnanimity, but our experience with Lolorrito has taught us – has taught me – that no member of the Syndicate would willingly choose to operate on a loss.” Reaching into his pocked he pulled forth the letter received by the Crystal Braves, the seal placed by Teledji’s own hand broken. “No demands of us are written.”

“You believe I possess ulterior motive?”

The boy swallowed. “I do. A man of business, and a capable leader, nonetheless, always seeks profit in any form.”

Silence stretched long and thoughtful between them punctuated so often by the flapping of fabric and the splash of water. Teledji sipped at his drink, eyes closed, though none could discern if he were thinking, listening, or waiting out Alphinaud’s sanity. His accusation had been a bold one, and anticipation of the answer multiplied its weight and sodden the mass in a fearful poison. Apprehension had slowed even the servants' movements.

“Did I not tell you, Teledji?” Ilberd’s features twisted into a wolfish smirk. “Lolorito’s mistake was your gain.”

“Indeed, it was. Young Alphinaud can see right through us now.”

Teledji opened one eye to regard the boy. “I have misled you. I can provide the Crystal Braves funding and men, but no weapons. Close your mouth before the flies intrude. Time comes now for a lesson from me – I intend to teach you the art of trade and favors. By the end of our arrangement, you shall have all the weapons you desire in addition to my previous offerings, and I the means to carry out my campaign against Lolorito.”

“If I acquiesce to your new terms.”

“I assure you they’re supremely fair. And Ilberd will be assisting, as will your Warrior of Light.” He drained the rest of his glass, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. “Tell me – are you familiar with Castrum Occidens?”

[felinewanderer]

linger — for the single-word drive!

Not once did you try to talk me out of it.

Although you were supportive and gentle with your words, our hands were tense as we entwined our fingers on the way to the dock. My stomach churned as we walked, hoping you might still ask me to stay. My throat tightened at the thought of it.

You didn't. I had reasons to return to Kugane and you had your reasons to not to. I ached, unable to tear myself away from you until the last call. Even then, when I did all I could not to burst, you smiled at me.

That smile was just for me.

My voice fell hoarse as I choked, my eyes burned. I felt as though I would be ill on the dock, but you kissed my forehead and it was my goodbye blessing.

I wanted to change my mind– to sob– but I did my best to say nothing– to keep my steps steady until I was on the ship and felt it lurch out of the bay. I couldn't bring myself to look back at you, knowing I might just throw myself overboard if I did.

I wonder, now and again if I had lingered just a moment longer? What would have become of us? Would we have lived happily ever after? Or perhaps our relationship would've slowly faded until we parted. Or maybe... we wouldn't have spent our years waiting...

Watching.

Pretending we were merely friends.

What if you had asked me to stay?

I suppose these thoughts mean nothing now.

For here you are...

As it was meant to be.

featuring @notleriff