#soft arr things

[neriyon]

14. Does your OC/WoL have an item that they keep with them? If they do, what is it? Why do they love it? Why do they keep it with them?

Hmmm technically he has two: his whm staff and a braclet.

Staff is pretty self explanatory - it's his main weapon, so it usually comes with him everywhere. I tend to change his ingame staff around a lot to fit glams, but his "canon" one for now is Blade's Mercy (last step of the lvl80 relic). There's no story yet where or how he got it, but he does take very good care of it, having a skilled crafter check it after every bigger fight for possible damage. It also currently has both Zenos' necklace and Azem's stone hanging on it as mementos.

His bracelet on the other hand is basically wedding ring. While I strongly headcanon that keepers don't really care about marriage or see too much need for it, I feel like Hawu'li is pretty sentimental. He'd want something to remind him of his partners during long travels.

It's pretty basic braded bracelet, but with every strand picked by his partners. They can technically choose anything but to make it easier for me (and my memory) most are in the color schemes of their givers (like "Aymeric" one being blue with gold strands mixed in). Hawu'li asking someone to pick a strand is basically same as him proposing, and his partners usually know to take their time deciding since it's really important to him. After picking the new strand Hawu'li usually gives some little gift for the other party (for example, Aymeric got an earring and G'raha got a necklace) as their "ring".

I kinda wanna try drawing that bracelet some day but before that I have to actually choose who is on it and who's not haha (￣▽￣)" For extra emotional damage I'll mention that Haurcefant never got to pick his... He'd been one of the first ones, but Hawu'li never really realized his feelings before it was too late. Miiiiight give him one (that Hawu'li picked himself) but not sure on that yet. In AUs he has one tho!

[kaliforniahigh]

I'd rather take my whiskey neat - n.s.

Bestfriend!Noah <3.

Warnings: two misogynistic comments from Noah and smut. I think that's it.

WC: 2.6k

You and Noah are having an argument in the middle of the living room. You don't really remember what prompted it in the first place, but you know it is about the fact that you are going out on a date with one the band's good friends. And that really didn't sit well with Noah.

It is not that the dude is a bad guy. it's just that he is everything that Noah is not. He is blond with a buzzed head. He has blue eyes and not one tattoo in sight. And the fact that you wouldn't go after someone like him pisses him off. Or maybe just the fact that you didn't go for him and chose to go out with someone who you have barely met.

Anyways, he is heated and so arr you.

"I don't really understand why you would go after someone like him. There is literally nothing interesting about that guy!" he exclaims gesturing around with his hands, as if that is going to make you understand his point. you don't.

"There is the fact that he treats me well and is actually very nice to me. Isn't that enough for me to find a guy interesting? but if you're referring to something else, I actually do think he is good looking" you state, as a matter of fact you do think he is very cute.

"Well then he must be fucking you really good for you to defend him this much"

You go quiet after this comment. Mostly because you're sure your ears are deceiving you. He couldn't actually have said that, right? Noah has been your best friend for many years, he cares for you and he wouldn't make such a crude comment, right? But by the looks on Nicholas' and Jolly's faces he would. And he just did.

"I can't believe you would say that to me. Not that it matters in the slightest, but no, we haven't had sex yet. But if I wanted to let him fuck me on the first date, I would, because I can" you told with a serious face, your voice was quiet now.

He knew he should have stopped there. Hell, he should have stopped even before he made that stupid comment. But something made him continue, and later he would realize that it was the fact that imagining someone else fucking you drove him up the walls.

"Well, maybe that is what you need. A guy to fuck you real good so you stop being a fucking bitch."

The whole house went quiet. You could hear a pin drop and you swear Nicholas and Jolly even stopped breathing for a moment. Honestly, so did you.

In the next couple of seconds, as you stare at his face with a shocked expression, you wondered what do you need to stop being a bitch about. He started the argument, a completely useless and pointless argument, and he has the nerve to tell you that you're a bitch?

"You know something, Noah? I expected this from anyone, really, but I didn't expect this from you. Don't bother texting or calling me once you realize what a dickhead you're being, and I won't be coming around either."

With that, you left and got inside your car. You really don't remember the drive to your apartment, your mind was running a million miles a minute. But once you got inside, you decided that cleaning the whole apartment was a good idea to get your mind off of things.

What you didn't expect was to realise just how deeply rooted Noah is in your life. When you tried to organize your desk, you found the polaroids you took with him and of him when he invited you to tag along during the European leg of the tour because you were on vacation from work.

Or when you tried to organize your cabinets and you saw all of his favorite snacks that you kept for him when he came over.

Giving up on all that, you decided to fold and hang your clothes that were scattered around your room inside your closet. That is when you picked up your favorite sweatshirt, that obviously belonged to Noah. He gave it to you when you made a comment about how soft it was.

So you sat on your bed and wondered. About the reason he was so angry at you going on a date. And you thought about how you would react if the roles were reversed. He has obviously dated before, but they were never serious and he never really took the girls on dates.

The girls were fine, and they were temporary, you knew that. Deep down you knew none of them were good enough for him to have a serious relationship with. They didn't know how he liked his thermostat temperature. They didn't enjoy the horror movies he liked so much. They didn't know what time he went to bed or what time he woke up. How could they make him coffee in the morning if they didn't know how he liked his coffee?

And it dawned on you that YOU knew all of that. That you were the person who was ever going to be good enough to date him because you knew him inside out. And he was the same with you. And he knew this other guy could never treat you like he does, or do the things that you like, because Noah is the only one who knows how you like things, without you having to tell him.

So you gave up on trying to clean your room, you picked up your keys that you dropped off on the side table and drove to the place you have left not even an hour ago.

You didn't knock because you had a spare key. The house was quiet and there was only one car in the driveway, so you knew Noah was home. As you rounded the corner into the kitchen, there is where you found him. Back turned to you and drinking a White Claw.

"I thought you said you weren't going to come around" he quoted you from your argument earlier, not even turning to look at you, because he felt your presence the moment you unlocked the door.

"I want you to tell me why you think he isn't good enough for me." He sighed and finally looked at you. He had a dark look on his eyes that were so different from the soft one he always showcased around you. That fact took you back a little, and you knew this conversation was going to take a turn for something entirely different. You didn't mind that at all.

"Because he doesn't know you. Not like I do. And he can't treat you like I do, and he certaintly can't make you feel like I do."

"And how do you make me feel?" you challenge him with a look, wondering what his answer is going to be.

"Why don't you tell me? You're the one with your thighs clenched".

"You know what I'm thinking? I'm thinking you need to bend me over this counter so you can show me how you can actually make me feel. You know, that whole fucking the bitch out of me thing." You really couldn't believe you said this, but you couldn't take it back. You didn't want to.

He rounded the kitchen island and closed the distance between you in a couple of strides. Eyes never leaving yours. "I think I need to get you in my bed so you can be real comfortable when I eat this pussy for hours." He truly left you speechless with this one. "Ladies first", he motioned to the stairs.

So you went up to his room, where you've been in many times, just the context right now was completely different. He closed the door behind him, as you stood near his bed, honestly not knowing what to do now that this was about to happen.

You felt his presence behind you, making you shiver. "Turn around and look at me" you did as told, tilting your head up to look at his eyes. "You need to tell me you really want this, forget about that stupid comment I made, this is not about that."

"I do want this, and I know this isn't about that". As soon as you said this, he grabbed you by the nape of your neck, grabbing a fistful of your hair, tilting your head back. When his lips made contact with yours, you never felt something so right before. He guided you to his bed, lips never leaving yours, as you laid back and scooted up to laid your head on his pillow.

He left kisses all over your neck and collarbone, making you sigh loudly at the feeling. His hands roaming your body with purpose, gripping your sides and hips, travelling under your shirt to pull it up and off of you. His hands now encopassing both of your boobs completely, squeezing to feel how heavy they felt under his hands.

As he made his way down your body, finally arriving where you wanted him, he looked up at you, asking for confirmation once again. You just answered him by hooking your hands under your pants and taking them off completely. That is all he needed to begin cupping and feeling your warmth through your panties.

He dragged his nose up and down your covered slit, taking in your scent. "Fuck, I always wondered how you smelled like, how you tasted like. I bet you're really sweet, baby". You were about to quip back with a response when he pulled your panties to the side, licking a generous stripe from your hole all the way up to your clit.

You moaned, never having felt like this with just one touch. After tasting you for the first time, it was like he couldn't stop himself anymore. He just loved how you became do pliant and relaxed for him.

It didn't take long for him to pull the first orgasm out of you. Making you arch your back and close your thighs in on head. He just stayed there, running his hands up and down your thighs, licking you all throughout your high. When you finally relaxed back on the bed, he made his way up towars your face, kissing you throughoutly. You could taste yourself on his tonge and that made you feel the need to taste him.

When you tried to turn the two of you around on the bed, he didn't let you, he kept you in place with his hips pressing into yours. You could feel how hard he was under his sweatpants.

"As much as I want to have my cock in your mouth, I really need to be inside you right now or I'm going to go crazy", he told you and you thought you couldn't get wetter at this point, but you were absolutely wrong.

"I think you're wearing too many clothes for that to happen". He then stood by the end of the bed, taking his time with stripping down to his boxers, and then to nothing at all. You couldn't stop admiring him, the tattoos all over his body, his arms and suddently you couldn't just lay there and do nothing.

You crawled over to the end of the bed, kneeling so you were at eye level with his chest. You begin kissing him to your hearts content, running your hands all over him, scratching him with your nails. You looked up at him and his head was thrown back, eyes closed. You palmed him and descended your kisses even lower, leaving featherlight kisses on the head of his cock, only to feel his hand grip your hair and yank you away from him. "Get on the bed".

As you were about to get on all fours for him, he stopped you "Lay on your back. I need to look at your face when I first slide into you". You lay back on the pillows, spreading your legs as an invitation for him to fit in between them. He laid down over you, supporting himself on one elbow, as his other hand traveled down to grip himself and guide him to your entrance.

He was serious about looking at your face, his forehead was touching yours when he pushed into you. You gasped, your mouth making an "O" shape as you gripped his back with your nails.

"Fuck, you're so warm and so ready for me, baby. Feels like this pussy was made for me", you could only nod, as your legs went up to lock around his hips, pushing down, telling him you wanted him to move. "Give me a second, baby. I want this to last".

He began slowly, and then picked up his pace, getting up to kneel on the bed, spreading your legs wide open, gripping around your thighs to get more leverage so he could fuck into you harder. He had a hazy look in his eyes, as he watched your tits bounce with each thrust of his hips.

His tattoed hand roamed up your abdomen, in between your breasts and traced the outline of your lip. "Know you wanted to suck my dick, sweetheart, but you can be a good girl and suck on my fingers, right?"

"Yes, please. Give me your fingers", you asked as he slid two of his fingers inside your mouth. One of your hands gripped around his wrist, controlling the pace of the movements, swirling you tongue around his digits as it went in and out of your mouth.

When he deemed them wet enough for his liking, he pulled them out and begin tracing circles on your clit, making you gasp. "You're gonna make me cum", you told him, with your voice strained. "I know, baby, I can feel you clenching around me. Where do you want me to cum?"

"Cum inside of me, I need to feel you inside of me, please", you asked him with a begging tone. You noticed his pace falter a bit. "You can't say shit like that and expect me to not blow my load inside of you. Tell me when you're cumming".

You knew he was close by the way his thrusts became a bit sloppier, his fingers on your clit picking up their pace and you felt your high approaching. "I'm gonna cum, please don't stop, please", you moaned as your core tightened and your legs shook, a silent cry leaving your lips as your orgasm ripped though you.

Noah watched you with admiration and pride, knowing he was the one making you feel so good. Your orgasm prompted his, as he emptied himself inside of you with a loud groan.

He couldn't keep himself standing on his knees anymore, his bones felt weak and spent, so he laid down on top of you, burrowing his head in the crook of your neck, cradling your head, breathing heavily.

You closed your eyes, revelling in the feeling of his weight on you, as you started to run your hands through his hair. He was still inside of you, and you weren't sure you were ready to let go of the feeling yet.

"I'm taking you out on a date and then I'm keeping you to myself forever", he told you, voice muffled by your hair neck. You laughed lightly.

"You don't have to keep me, I'm already yours".

[hum-suffer]

I'm Yours 5

Ishan curses the moment he has sober thoughts back in his head, that is, the next morning. He slept through his alarm and has less than half an hour to get ready and not be late to college so he stores any and all thoughts away as he carefully puts down the gajra from his wrist and onto the dining table before running around his house like a headless chicken.

His day proves to be even more trying, as news reaches the college that the university is going to host an organisation for cultural events and as the manager, Ishan is supposed to coordinate at least the engineering department. He couldn't have had a weirder week.

He almost snaps at a student when they ask him for important questions but at the last moment manages to hold his tongue and instead give them a later date for such a discussion. He has a lot on his plate already, and them asking for important questions almost a month before the exam is literally not helping him.

____________________________________________________

It happens when Ishan enters Virat's office, to borrow his copy of Rashmirathi. Virat bhaiya seems to be talking to someone on his phone, a video call.

He beams when he sees Ishan. "Arre, Ishan! I was just talking about you. You should take more holidays too, baba, you look so rested."

It's the effect of mind numbing alcohol after my stalker became a cock block, he wants to say. Instead, he snorts,"Wow, call me out on all my dark circles, why don't you?"

Virat bhaiya shakes his head fondly. He beckons Ishan on the other side of the table and almost shoves his phone in Ishan's hand. He's been talking to Shubhman.

Shubhman seems to be just as surprises to see him and freezes. Ishan freezes as well, but for something else entirely.

He has a fucking hickey on his chin.

His heart thuds uncomfortably in his chest as he smiles,"Hi, how are you?"

"I'm good," he absolutely doesn't sound good with the way his eyes are widening,"Just wanted to show Virat bhaiya the toys I bought for Vamika yesterday." Almost as if he's relieved, he turns the phone camera to some soft toys, piled up messily. Ishan smiles, spotting the Pikachu plushie that Vamika is sure to love.

"That's very sweet of you, Shubhman." He looks at Virat bhaiya and back at Shubhman. "I'm very sorry to cut this short but I need to borrow Virat bhaiya's copy of Rashmirathi instantly before my next class."

"Of course, totally understandable! It was nice talking to you!" He seems like he is hesitant in adding anything else.

Even as he knew it could probably be the worst choice of his life, Ishan smiles at him at graciously. "Fir milenge."

____________________________________________________

Shubhman is waiting on the steps of his porch when Ishan returns home. He looks like a kicked puppy.

He keeps stealing glances at Ishan, as he walks across the veranda. He stands up when Ishan reaches him and Ishan gestures at the door, unlocking his house and letting his guest enter first, as courtesy dictates.

"Ishan. Can we talk?"

Ishan nods, removing his jacket and throwing it over the arm of the sofa. "We can. But before that, I need tea to survive that conversation. Do you want some?"

"Please, thank you."

The pass the time in silence, unlike last time when they'd been yapping on and on about one thing or the other.

As the tea is boiling, Ishan sneaks a glance at Shubhman, who is staring at the bunch of gajras that Ishan has now started to group at the corner of the dining table. Before Ishan can take his eyes away from Shubhman, the man turns and Ishan wants to bury himself somewhere because Shubhman looks so fucking beautiful.

"I'm not sorry for meeting you, for falling for you or for wanting to date you," Shubhman says. His voice is shaking. "But I am sorry if I was a nuisance to you or if I scared you. I only ever wanted to, I don't know, just let you know how my world revolves around you."

Ishan doesn't know what to say, so he remains silent. Shubhman continues, softer, more vulnerable. "The day I saw you, I wanted to completely drown in you. Possess and be possessed. You seemed so full of life, love and enthusiasm. And I was never even remotely like that. I've never had a shred of peace or enthusiasm. You're so beautiful, so lively. I wanted you to myself."

"You could have asked me on date, Shubhman." He says, pouring the tea in teacups that he bought last year— only because they looked cute to him. White, covered all over by cute emojis. Shubhman gets the one with sparkle emojis.

Shubhman raises his eyebrows, still uncertain. "And you wouldn't have turned out to be homophobic? Or just token straight? Or even committed?" He blows lightly on his tea and the smell of mint calms Ishan somehow. "I realise I was wrong, but wanted to protect myself. I found out everything about you there is to find— I wanted to be cautious. I'm one of the youngest names in the industry, I'm unused to the attention and my success makes me a target for jealousy. I am nothing if not careful."

"And so humble, too." Ishan marks with a wry grin.

Shubhman looks down, almost shy. He continues after a moment,"I started searching you up and then when I was sure that you're all around a good person, I couldn't hide the urge to text you. After the first day, it became kind of addicting. Talking to you was the highlight of my day."

"You can break into my house to give me gajras and not ask me on a date?" Ishan raises an eyebrow. Shubhman shuffles adorably. Ishan is reminded how young and hence naive the man is, and something certainly unethical flares inside him.

Stop, he tells himself. For the sake of a peaceful death, stop.

Shubhman gives him a hesitant half grin. "I'm not even sorry."

And that was the truth. While Shubhman may feel sorry about spooking Ishan, but he won't feel sorry about pursuing him— in any way.

Ishan realises abruptly that his tea is empty when Shubhman lifts his cup up, taking his mug as well and putting them both in the sink. Ishan doesn't even have the coherence to stop his guest from doing chores because— what the fuck. What the fuck. His stalker is washing their cups of tea.

"No, wait!" Shubhman looks at him, surprised,"What are you doing, you're my guest! My mother will kill me if she finds out! Stop!"

Shubhman laughs and throws some water at Ishan almost unthinkingly before he freezes. Ishan swats him on the bicep.

There's something dangerous bubbling in his chest and it's not necessarily illicit but it is so so tempting and rattling.

Shubhman smiles at him and Ishan wants to keep the smile tattooed over his throat and feel him every time he takes a deep breath.

____________________________________________________

It's a miracle but ishan somehow manages to blink himself back to reality when Shubhman starts speaking. It's breath of fresh air to see the boy standing awkwardly in his kitchen, but Ishan has better manners than that. He leads Shubhman back to the living room. They cannot sit apart, won't, and Ishan feels so awkward that he might as well have met him at the club again.

"So," Ishan stretches out the syllable,"last night? What was...that?"

Shubhman blushes and looks down. For all purposes, he looks like he is here to give an interview or proposition a marriage.Ishan knows which one he prefers.

(No. Stop. Bad Ishan. BAD.)

"As you know, I've already hacked into your phone." Ishan raises an eyebrow and Shubhman shrugs with a wince. "I promise I didn't find you through that. I was in the club to drink myself in misery since the whole spooking you in the bathroom thing. It was out of line and I am very sorry about that. But yeah. I saw you with the guy and...I couldn't just watch. I wanted to be one whom you laugh with, whom you dance with. I knew all the dance hook steps you seemed to be enjoying and I wanted you to look at me like you're proud.

"I got the lights cut off for a while. I only planned to come near you and just bask in the fact that you're touching me. Things... escalated. And well. I can't claim to regret anything." His hand hovers over the hickey at his chin and his eyes look at the biege shirt Ishan is wearing, the one that conceals his own set of hickeys just barely. He'd had to wear a tie today to hide the one at his throat.

Ishan knows something is wrong with him because he definitely doesn't regret that either. He thinks that he'd love it anyway, if it was Shubhman or the stalker. The only reason that he didn't recognise the voice was because Shubhman appeared to have a mild cold, which deepened his voice.

Shubhman purses his lips and it's only when Ishan sees the look on his face that he realises that he's fingering the hickey at his throat. Shubhman's jaw tightens but he stays where he is.

Ishan gulps and looks away, at the gajras at the dining table.

"So," Shubhman copies Ishan. "Something like a girlfriend, huh?"

"You leave me flowers, worry about my well being and steal my shirts. I'm not even wrong," Ishan says with a grin. Shubhman grins back but Ishan knows that he wants a real answer and that makes him look away. "Since my childhood, I've had issues with, um, sharing. Thinking that someone solely wanted me, that someone is completely mine in a sense that is undecipherable, it may be wrong but I was flattered. I liked being the sole attention."

Shubhman looks at him hesitantly. "My attention is only ever going to be on you, Ishan, should you allow it. There's nothing I want more than I want you to be my partner, my companion."

"And you're not a murdering psychopath who stalks people, makes them fall for him and then kills them?" Ishan asks, just to be sure. He's late in the question and he's also aware that an actual psychopath wouldn't say the truth, because plausible deniability, who?

Shubhman grins at him. Ishan wants to curse how beautiful he is. No fucking wonder he's on so many magazine covers. He would have ended the world of modelling if he didn't choose academics.

"And you're asking me this question after I've broken into your house more than three times and you've invited me for tea twice?"

Ishan shrugs. Shubhman laughs.

"No." The intensity of the word comes as a bit of a shocker. "There's never going to be anyone but you. And you'll never get hurt by my hand intentionally, I swear it. You're everything, Ishan." Shubhman smiles, softer and quieter. He turns and his knee bumps with Ishan's thigh. "I don't become a stalker for just anyone, Ishan."

Ishan feels heat rush to his cheeks and ears. He unnecessarily clears his throat. "It's a good thing too. How would I take you to the best date ever if you're in jail?"

Shubhman blinks owlishly. Ishan panics. He definitely shouldn't have asked. Maybe Shubhman wanted to take it slow. Maybe he didn't want a relationship. Maybe he was busy. Maybe he found out he didn't like Ishan all that much—

"You still want me? After... everything?"

Ishan breathes a sigh of relief. One of his hand goes to Shubhman's knee unbidden and the other goes to cup his face.

"I've wanted you since the very moment I heard about you, baby. Of course, of course, I want you."

____________________________________________________

Tagging: @mayakimayahai @onthecloudseven @kyayaarkiraa @k-h-watari @ek-ladki-bheegi-bhagi-si @khwxbeeda @fortunatelycrazyyouth @theseventhhoax @ms-potato @athena-swords (bless you and your comments, ily)

[unionizedwizard]

Tell us the CUTSEY-EST thing Irma does. There must be something. One (1) single moment of cutesy

hmmmmm well she DID make a bed for her carbuncle and sewed fun carbuncle-themed cushions for it too. and a soft blanket. it's all very cute. she adamantly denies any anthropomorphism or attachment on account that "it's just an arcane entity i manipulate". the carbuncle nesting area is hidden behind her bed in the rising stones and also an open secret

a lot of her ARR combat strategies involved using her carbuncle as a decoy or fetch quest helper (there are limits to the sheer firepower of arcanima!), in particular the wind-aspected aethersand fetch quest (:

[daydreaming-en-pointe]

˗ˏˋ street food date ´ˎ˗

(isn’t that just the most creative title :D)

requested by very a lovely person who wishes to remain anonymous <3

Pairing: Pavitr Prabhakar (Spider-Man India) x Fem!Pakistani!Reader

Type: Oneshot - Fluff

Word count: 1.3k

Warnings: terms of endearment, mentions of food & eating, usage of Hindi (translations provided), I don’t speak Urdu so it’s google-translated 😭

A/N: Reader speaks Urdu and Pavi (canonically) speaks Hindi. Since both languages are pretty similar in terms of speaking, at least from what I’ve observed, let’s assume that they can understand each other fairly easily :)

I absolutely LOVED writing this omg it was such a cute request! Sorry it took me so long so do this, I was so busy that I completely forgot abt all my reqs for a while 😅

Btw this was barely proofread so if there are mistakes no there aren’t <3

“Meri jaan, you’re spilling it.”

You turned at the familiar voice, just barely managing to balance a paper plate in your hands with an absurd amount of dahi papadi chaat piled onto it.

“You’re late,” You noted, biting the inside of your cheek to stop yourself from smiling like a lovestruck idiot as Pavitr approached you, flashing that dazzling, slightly crooked grin that had your heart stumbling and falling over your mind trying to make sense of it all. You dropped your gaze to the floor, trying your best to cross your arms without dropping the food on the plate.

“I know. And I’m sorry, I really am. But you know that juggling my… duties and timings are hard,” He dipped his head slightly to make you look at him, brushing a small piece of papdi off your kurta. God, he was so annoying sometimes. His eyes were so soft and irresistible and he knew it.

“Come on, look at me,” He said teasingly, stepping forward slightly and grinning as you glanced up at him, then immediately frowned at your lack of willpower when it came to him. “There she is.”

You felt a smile break through so you set down the paper plate on a nearby ledge, leaning forward to wrap him in a hug and bury your face in his clothes. “Arre, you’re insufferable,” You mumbled, to which he let out a small chuckle and effortlessly picked you up to spin you around despite your little yelp of surprise.

“Oh, yeah, definitely. I’m sure that’s why you came out here on a date with me to have street food, right? Let’s go, meri dhoop. No use of you being all sad right now, naa? Look, there’s even pani puri a few stalls down.”

You almost got whiplash from how fast you turned your head to look, your eyes widening in excitement as all previous thoughts were forgotten. “You should’ve mentioned that earlier!”

Pavitr laughed, the easy chuckle - as cliché as it sounded - practically music to your ears as you grabbed his hand and took off, leading him to the pani puri vendor. “I knew that’d cheer you up.”

One shared paper plate of (admittedly quite messy) pani puri and a whole skewer of seekh kebab later, you leaned against a ledge overlooking the Mumbattan bridge right next to a whole row of new vendors. Pavitr wrapped an arm a little too tightly around your shoulders, nervously measuring the distance you would fall if you tripped.

“Pavi, relax, I won’t fall,” You gave him a reassuring smile, and he breathed out slowly before giving you a slightly strained smile in return. “Yeah, sorry. Spider-Man stuff. Lots of, uh… bad things happen. Usually near large drops.”

Your eyes flicked to his hand, gripping the railing so hard his knuckles were starting to lose circulation. Sensing his discomfort, you moved away from the railing back into the middle of the cobblestones.

“I’m going to braid your hair,” You declared suddenly to ease the tension in the air, examining the smooth waves that framed his face, pushed back slightly with his blue headband. His eyes widened in horror at your statement. “Wait, what? No! I said I was sorry for coming late! I’ll do my absolute best to come on time, I promise!”

“I’m not that rough,” You protested, scrunching your eyebrows as he cupped his warm hands over your cheeks. “Of course not, meri jaan. You’re so gentle, my hair definitely doesn’t feel like it’s being sent to an early grave.”

“Aap drama baghair kisi wajah ke bana rahay hain.” (You are making drama for no reason) You frowned at him and he chuckled softly, shaking his head.

“Kabhi nahin! Mei achcha vajeh se drama karta hoon. …Uff, thik hai, tum mere baalon ko tod sakte hain. Lekin… pehle ise kha leh.” (Never! I do drama for good reasons. ..Okay, fine, you can tear my hair out. But first… eat this.)

He held up a plate of vada pav, his smile growing as your eyes lit up again, the familiar scent bringing back memories of sitting in your grandparents’ house and watching them cook, masala-infused aromas wafting through the kitchen from the large utensils.

“What did I do to deserve you?” You wondered aloud as you started stuffing your face with the nostalgic dish. Your tone was lighthearted and playful, but it had a few traces of the underlying truth. You were so, so lucky to have him, and you knew it.

You could see it every time he dramatically presented you with some knickknack or the other that he picked up along the way, handing it to you with a bashful ‘it made me think of you.’ You could see it every time he adjusted your dupatta, every time you caught him staring at you with round, loving, awestruck eyes as if you were the very centre of the cosmos itself.

And when he smiled at everyone it was usually genuine, sure, but you had a special kind of smile reserved for your eyes alone. One that made the small dimples at the corners of his mouth even more noticeable, one that made him scrunch his nose subconsciously with how wide he was smiling.

The kind of smile he was using right now. And oh, good grief, you were so far gone for him. He was so effortlessly gorgeous it actually hurt - wavy hair swept to one side behind his headband, brown eyes turning gold in the sun, the light dappling his face and flicking tiny spots of shadow onto his skin.

“Tum bohat khobsorat ho,” (You’re so beautiful) You whispered, completely spellbound. Pavitr blinked in surprise, his smile turning slightly shy. “Arrey, tum mujhe bahut zyaada phlait karte ho.” (You flatter me too much)

“No, really!” You insisted, tapping the tip of his nose with your pinky and laughing when he scrunched it instinctively. “You’re very pretty, you know that? Mera khobsorat ladka. Pretty, pretty boy.” (My beautiful boy)

“Aap adhik sundar hai.” (You’re more beautiful) Without warning, he gently grabbed your torso and pulled you into his arms, burying his face in your hair. You looped your arms around to meet behind his shoulder blades, resting your chin in the crook of his neck.

You were scared to move, to disturb the silent peacefulness of it all, but you wanted to tell him something that would hopefully put his worries to rest.

“You know I won’t leave you, right? I won’t be your… what is it, canon event? Whatever that is.”

At the words ‘canon event’, Pavitr flinched as if he had been burned, his eyes wide and searching as he looked at you. “What? Where did that come from? And how-”

“Okay, listen, so it’s kinda my fault,” You began, choosing your words so as to not agitate him any further. “But you know how you said I could read your journal, because basically every embarrassing thing you’ve written is you being lovesick for me?”

“I didn’t think you’d actually do it!” He covered his face with his hands in embarrassment, messing up his hair in the process.

“Anyway, uh… you left it open on your drawer and I maybe kind of accidentally looked through the last entry. But only because I was worried. You’d been acting stressed out the whole day, remember? I’m sorry!”

“I don’t… hmm, actually, that’s pretty sweet that you were worried. I appreciate it.” He lifted his head to meet your eyes, almost smiling before his face crumpled again. “Hang on, what else did you see? Oh, god, did you see the whole page of poems I wrote? No, wait, hear me out! In my defence, I was absolutely whipped for you. I still am, but-”

“Pavi?”

“Yeah?”

“Ai, meri mohabbat. Chup ho jao. Mujhe lagta hai ke yeh dilkash hai,” (My love. Shush. I think it’s adorable) You reassured him, leaning forward to kiss the tip of his nose before moving in to press a soft kiss to his lips, an attempt at putting his worries and ramblings to rest.

That shut him up pretty well.

Please know that I am not Pakistani! I tried my best to write this, but if there is anything I’ve gotten wrong, please let me know and I’ll be happy to change it. <3

Meri jaan - my life

Meri dhoop - My sunshine/my sun

A kurta is a loose, collarless type of shirt worn by people in South Asia. It usually extends up to or just past the knee.

A dupatta is a length of material worn arranged in two folds over the chest and thrown back around the shoulders, typically with a salwar kameez or a kurta, by women from South Asia.

Papdi chaat (or papri chaat) is crispy fried-dough wafers served with typical chaat ingredients such as chickpeas, boiled potatoes, yogurt sauce, and tamarind and coriander chutneys; it may also contain pomegranate seeds. Dahi papdi chaat is the same thing, but more yoghurt is used (dahi means yoghurt/curd).

Pani puri is a popular Indian snack consisting of fried puff-pastry balls filled with spiced mashed potato (the puri), spiced water, and tamarind juice (the pani).

Seekh kebab is a type of kebab made with Indian spices, spiced, minced or ground meat, usually lamb or chicken, formed into cylinders on skewers and grilled.

Tags: @hobiebrownismygod @l0starl @therealloopylupin2099

[lovefairymina]

(Might be a small look into a future fic)

It was dark again. Maedhros failed to see through the darkness, but he did not need his sight to know he was back in his cell again, feeling the sharp stones cutting against his skin, and the cold that threatened to chill him to the bone. There was no warmth or cover for the wounds scattered on his skin. 

The loud noise jumped his ears, making his heart race and scared at the thought of his tormentors returning to finish what they had started. 

He noticed something moving in the shadows, and he could not tell if they were real or specters to make him paranoid. 

The sound of a baby’s cry echoed in the dungeons, and suddenly he found himself awake. 

Maedhros felt his heart pound against his chest as he lay on the soft cushions and stared at an empty spot in his tent. The candle he asked to be lit was still burning on the nightstand, giving light and banishing the dark. He would have once thought that fearing the dark was a silly fear but now having a candle was the only thing that allowed him some sense of comfort and security. 

Maedhros’s ears perked when he heard the familiar cry of the infant from his dream, and his mind returned to you and your daughter. 

It had not been long since you two escaped Angband. Despite the complications of your daughter’s sudden birth in those caverns, your confession of being a human and from another world, and the explosions you caused in order to help him escape with you, you still retained your iron will. It was perhaps for you two that he dared to accept his cousin’s help and return to his kin, so you two would have protection from Morgoth. 

Your daughter’s cries continued echoing outside his tent. He was filled with a deep sense of worry. He contemplated for a moment, but after deciding there was no harm in leaving the tent, Maedhros got up, dressed himself in light clothing, and left his tent to check on you. 

Maedhros avoided most of the guards and his brothers, knowing they would pester him to return to his tent and rest. Since your tent was not far from his, he found his way to you easily. He quietly pushed the veils aside and watched as you held your daughter, trying to soothe her but to no avail.

“Oh! Maedhros, hey!” You turned toward him when you noticed him at the entrance. “Sorry, did we wake you up?” 

Maedhros shook his head. “No, I was already awake,” he glanced toward the crying baby in your arms. “Is everything alright with Estelle?” he questioned. 

“Everything is fine. I don’t know why she keeps crying though. She doesn’t need to be cleaned and neither is she hungry. I… don’t know why, but I can’t calm her down,” you said with a helpless look. 

“Can I try?” Maedhros asked as he stepped in. 

“Sure,” you replied and handed your baby to him. 

Maedhros gently picked up Estelle, his large, scarred hands surprisingly tender as he cradled her against his chest. The little babe whined, her tiny fists clenching in protest, but soon calmed down as Maedhros softly hushed her, his voice a soothing murmur. He rocked her gently, the rhythmic rise and fall of his breathing providing a steady comfort. Estelle’s whimpers subsided, and she nestled closer, her small head resting against the warmth of his chest as she began to relax.

You stared at them, surprised but not shocked. Your daughter had been miraculously calm in his arms when you were hiding in that cave, exhausted after giving birth.

“Well, you are either a natural child magnet, or there is a kind of attachment between you that makes your presence a must for her,” you stated. 

A small smile tugged the corners of Maedhros’s lips. His heart filled with relief and a small amount of joy as he held your daughter.

“I guess it comes naturally once you grow up with six younger brothers,” he replied. 

You chuckled. “Having met your brothers, it wouldn't be a surprise if you had the patience of a saint,” 

You then looked at him. He still had bags under his eyes. He had been allowed to rest after you arrived at the camp, but it did not seem he was catching up with the rest he lost during his time in Angband. You were fully aware he had been seeing nightmares as you were too. 

“Did you see a nightmare again?” you asked. 

“Hmm?” Maedhros looked at you with a curious frown. 

“Was it the nightmares again that you are awake in the middle of the night?” you asked. 

He did not answer at first, but you did not need to hear the answer. It was obvious in his face. 

“If you like… you can stay here for the night,” you said. 

“I… I couldn’t possibly… “ he uttered. 

“It’s no problem for me. And besides, you are way more relaxed with Estelle around,” you motioned at the babe in his arms. “And there is a high chance she would start crying if you leave,” you said, making him release a chuckle. 

“If you don’t mind…” he said, as he sat down on the cushioned couch. 

“Not at all. If our presence can help you feel safe and rest easy, then that’s the least we can do. We did survive a literal hell,” you said as you sat down beside him and you offered a part of the blanket.

 “So… I think you can forget about everything else for the night, and just focus on the moment,” you said as you leaned your head against his shoulder as you both stared at your daughter in his arms.

Maedhros looked at you with gratitude in his eyes, a soft smile playing on his lips. “Thank you,” he murmured, adjusting the babe in his arms. As he settled back on the couch, he felt a rare sense of peace wash over him. “For tonight, I will,” he promised, his voice filled with quiet resolve. He glanced down at your tiny creation, then back at you, his expression softening.

[third-arch]

So, I got Law's perfume.

I did one spray on my drawing pad glove and thought I'd say everything that comes to mind.

I also go nose blind really easily, so I'm posting this so I'll never forget :))!!

I chose to not use the image below and just go with it.

Here's what I was supposed to smell.

My disorganized rambling interpretation of what I smelled.

Overall, Law just smells really nice. He just smells like a guy haha. There's no better way of putting it. It smells like a fresh wooded area with eucalyptus and subtle hints of rosemary. The lemon gives it a more natural and sunshine and morning dew feeling to it. It gives it this slight edge and almost tanginess.

Clean, professional, doctor/'s office, fresh, plants, morning dew, rosemary, some mint.

It doesn't irritate my nose. It makes me feel calm. Just relaxed and happy. There's nothing in particular that makes it pop or makes me feel like waaa >////<, it's just relaxing, soothing, mature. There's a gentleness that follows, too. Like if someone was smiling softly at you or gazing softly, or like a small gentle breeze. Or even patting your head.

No sweetness nor bitterness, just gentleness and softness.

It's nice, like a slight intensity of these mature ingredients and a gentle after feeling.

The best way I'd describe it is like if someone just came out of the shower and was getting ready for the day.

Incense, like a really nice and natural incense. Even like a cologne or something.

There's no sweetness or sugary scent to it. He just smells very natural.

The first thing that I thought of is just Law's back. Like he's wearing nice clothes.

Not like the smell of fresh clothes, but just like nature and plants, specifically eucalyptus. Followed by a soft rain or drizzle. The ground still dark and slightly damp.

Sort of but not really, like if someone had spent the day working with plants at their desk, with a mortar and pestle or just working with plants indoors, and collecting them outdoors.

I think of sunshine peeking through the canopies of trees,

If I had to give it a song, it would be a Hozier song or Daylight by David Kushner. The after smell is Lavender Haze by Taylor Swift, or a more acoustic version of the song and Unidentified Flavourful Object by Mili.

This song, too,

Vivaldi Variation (Arr. for Piano from Concerto for Strings in G Minor, RV 156)

Or maybe like a piano playlist, like something by oliviaalee. Sort of but not really dark academia. (Lemon what are you talking about)

It even smells a tad like very subtly like the ocean. Just like a fresh watery, natural breeze.

I can now smell the lavender and the lemon a bit better.

A bit like fresh lavender.

I feel relaxed when smelling it. It's very mature, attractive, professional, and clean.

A quiet morning. Going on a nice evening date with your boyfriend/partner, who dressed up nice. Like a nice, black suit.

Here are some visuals of what I imagined when smelling it. Literally Daylight-David Kushner MV.

(Insert photo of law shirtless getting out of the shower/bed or wearing a suit or the back of his neck.)

Here’s a transcript of my live reaction to smelling the perfume!!

Overall, just reading this all again makes the smell familiar again :))

In the end, Law just smells like a guy, just fresh and natural.

I hope this helps some writers out there!!

[mlmvoreconfessionals]

Do you think Monty would ambush the other glamrocks after they’ve had their fill of prey? Get them all filled up before snacking on his costars? 👀

I've been getting too many really fun M.onty ideas lately. This sounds great, absolutely I think he would.

M.onty growls to himself, his claws scratching up the table he’s sitting at as he watches the others. Today sucks. Each of them had been booked today with huge parties, and now that the day is over, they’re all stuffed full. And M.onty? No one booked him at all! He hasn’t had a bite! Not even some chumps in his golf course to eat! He’s practically withering away, while the other three are showing off their heavy, full guts.

F.reddy belches deeply, giving the side of his gut a few rough pats. “I think we should really start regulating how much we can eat during the day. This seems slightly excessive to me…”

“Nah, it’s fine,” B.onnie reassure with a chuckle. He hefts up his stomach and lets it drop so it bounces and sloshes. “They were practically begging for it! Plus, those private parties all come with plenty of legal jargon. We’re not responsible for any digestion that happens!”

“Arr, they be tempt in’ us like a siren,” F.oxy agrees, lazily picking his teeth with his hook while his guts groan wetly in his lap. “They ought to be eaten, show them that we mean business.”

M.onty grumbles again and his gut does the same. He’s certain they’re doing this to mock him now. He knows he’d have gotten more food if they hadn’t hogged it all in those stupid parties. And why didn’t he get booked for one? F.oxy got booked over him! This isn’t just unfair…it’s wrong. They need to make it up to him…they owe him a meal.

A grin begins to curl onto M.onty’s muzzle and he slurps over his teeth. He sees a really good three-course meal right in front of him. Freshly fattened, too. He’s drooling now as he gets to his feet, trying not to draw their attention too much. They’re still chatting together, showing off their fattened guts. They’re asking for this.

M.onty lunges without a second thought, jaws open wide. None of them saw it coming, and B.onnie’s voice gets cut off mid-sentence. The two of them crash to the ground, B.onnie chest deep in M.onty’s maw. It doesn’t stay that way for long as the gator begins to gulp and shove, forcing the rabbit deeper. His jaws are gnawing and chewing on that soft rabbit gut by the time B.onnie’s legs start kicking and his muffled yells can be heard.

“M.onty!” F.reddy cries out and rushes over, grabbing onto B.onnie’s kicking legs. “What do you think you’re doing?! Spit B.onnie up immediately!”

M.onty snarls and gets back to his feet, his jaws clamping down tight as he starts to play tug-of-war with F.reddy. B.onnie’s muffled cries betray his clear discomfort with this. After a bit of pulling, M.onty gives a hard yank and opens wide. F.reddy loses his balance and falls forward, inadvertently shoving B.onnie deeper. It also gets his arms firmly planted in M.onty’s maw, which clamps down again. F.reddy is elbow deep, with B.onnie’s feet kicking around weakly outside of the gator’s lips.

F.reddy’s eyes widen as he realizes the situation he’s in. M.onty’s eyes glare at him from behind his sunglasses, but he’s grinning. Another hard gulp and a lunge forward, and F.reddy’s head and shoulders are fully engulfed. M.onty grabs the bear by the waist and begins to hoist him off the ground, throwing his head back and snapping his jaws as he starts forcing the bear down the hatch. He makes sure to chew on that fat gut a bit, just like B.onnie’s, before shoveling the whole thing down the hatch. Then he just has to slurp up F.reddy’s kicking legs.

M.onty’s stomach bloats out heavily with the last gulp. It bounces and sloshes, sagging down past his knees as two of his bandmates drop inside. It’s stretched tightly over them, showing off detailed bulges of the rabbit and bear as they wiggle and squirm inside. A deep, thick belch rumbles out of M.onty and he gives his stomach a few hard smacks. “Ha, that’s what you two get! Showin’ off those guts of yours while I was starvin’, you shoulda known you were just lookin’ like a couple of stuffed chickens!”

Some muffled sounds echo out of M.onty’s gut, making him laugh and give it a good shake. It sloshes the two inside around, stirring them up more and leaving them wiggling uselessly. M.onty is completely distracted by his tank but perks up when he hears the sound of someone moving. He locks eyes with F.oxy, the pirate freezing up in fear. M.onty slurps over his teeth slowly and gestures with a finger. “Do I look full to you? C’mere, fuzzball.”

“Arr...” F.oxy frowns and starts walking over. His eyes flicker down to M.onty’s engorged stomach, seeing F.reddy’s face stretching it out. “Don’t ye think yer takin’ this a wee bit too far?”

M.onty grabs F.oxy by the front of his coat and yanks him in close, their stomachs pressing tightly together. M.onty opens wide, blasting a thick belch right into the pirate’s face. It makes F.oxy wince and try to turn his head away, but a slobbering gator tongue makes that difficult as it drags over his face. “Nah. I said I ain’t full. So down you go.” M.onty opens wide again and, this time, shovels F.oxy face first into his gullet.

F.oxy’s legs kick, but he goes down even easier than the other two did. M.onty just throws his head back over and over, taking wet gulps to suck the pirate down. He doesn’t even use his hands, letting them rest on his already engorged stomach so he can feel his dessert stretch it out even further.

Once the last bits of F.oxy are pulled inside the gator’s maw, M.onty’s jaws snap shut and the last harsh gulp sends him on his way. M.onty’s stomach groans and stretches further, nearly touching the ground now with how stuffed it is. He gives the top of it a few rough pats, slowly slurping over his lips. He has to admit...the others are way better meals when they’re stuffed. He wouldn’t have felt this full even if he did get to snack on a bunch of customers today!

With a final harsh belch, M.onty begins to waddle off back to his room. His guts bounce and slosh with every slow step, getting lots of muffled complaints in the process. It just makes him chuckle, patting his gut some more with one hand while he picks his teeth with the other. “That oughta teach y’all...mm...then again, I gotta say, stuffed bandmates are pretty filling! I might still be churning over some of y’all come opening tomorrow...” M.onty grins when he hears even more muffled complaints. Today wasn’t so bad after all.

[wildstar25]

Arsay Nun

B A S I C S

Name Arsay Nūn Nicknames None, her name doesn't shorten well (call her Ars and you will be on the wrong end of her blade ^^) Age ARR -> 22 (+5 years in lifestream stasis that Arsay is completely unaware of) Dawntrail -> 25 (+5 years) Nameday 3rd Sun of the Third Umbral Moon Race Miqo'te, "Greeter of the Star" (a.k.a: Keeper/Seeker mix [South Shroud/U tribe] ) Gender She/Her Probably non-binary but has a job so she ain't got time to worry about all of that... Orientation Bisexual, Polyromantic Profession Adventurer, Warrior of Light & Darkness, Scion of the Seventh Dawn, Full time kitty cat

P H Y S I C A L     A S P E C  T S

Hair Midnight Blue with patches of red tip patterning concentrated around the back and sides of her head! Thick with the slightest bit of wave (often gets brushed out) Eyes Ruby Red Skin Very Light Olive with white facial stripes and darker pigmented nose. Tans well but never sticks for long. Tattoos/scars One visible scar on the cheek, multiple around her body which get glammed over. After endwalker, her right hand has a high concentration of scaring around the knuckles & palm (A consequence of her final fight in ultima thul and the proceeding surgery needed to reset the incorrectly healed bones.) She has various arcane geometric patterns marked into her skin in aetheric ink. One at the back of her neck, one on each forearm right above the inner elbow, one banded around her ankle. They are also glammed over to be invisible to the naked eye, but those who are well attuned to seeing aether would see them glow faintly as Arsay casts summoning spells.

F A M I L Y

Parents Sapir Nun & U'hbi Tia (deceased 1552, 6th astral era, killed in combat to the first wave of Garlean invaders in Doma)

Emrara Emra (Guardian/Adoptive Aunt, very much alive in the south sea isles)

Siblings Alphinaud and Alisaie (adopted younger siblings) Grandparents: Unknown and/or deceased In-laws and Other: G'raha (Husband), Y'shtola (Wife) Y'mhitra (Sister in law) Generally main scion members are family to her in different ways Cid and Nero (Weird Uncles) U'odh Nunh (unconfirmed but most likely half first cousin) (There are three female face 4 miqo'te in the U tribe and I HC that those three are the most closely related to Arsay's Dad in some way I've yet to really piece together.) Pets Couscous the carbuncle, Fish the Chocobo

S K I L L S

Abilities Physical: -Multiple Combat styles (Dual blades, Pole arm, Single blade, Hand to Hand, Marksmanship, Knife throwing) -Typical scouting techniques (invisibility, tracking, assassination, can move without making a sound) -Greater agility, dexterity, flexibility, balance, and strength -High Stamina -Strong Swimmer -Great Climber Magical: -Advanced Aetheric Manipulation (Elemental Conversion, Creation) -Summoning, Channelling (Dreadwyrm Trance available at moments notice) Other: -Knows how to sail a ship -Can navigate on land and sea without a map or compass -Can rally and inspire others to achieve great things together!

Hobbies: - Monster Hunting - Fishing - Frontlines - Crystalline Conflict (recreational league) - General exploring/mystery hunting&solving

T R A I T S

Most Positive Trait: Her big heart! She'd do anything for the people she cares about Worst Negative: Terrible sense of self-worth. Needs to do things for other people or she goes insane with anxiety and guilt. Hates being looked after.

L I K E S

Colors: Red! Its her favourite. Smells: the ocean, the breeze through the forest, tropical zones with humidity in the air, her partners Textures: Furs, Leathers, Silky or soft textiles. Drinks: Spiced Chai, Coffee with Cardamom, Citrus of any type and Water

O T H E R    D E T A I L S

Smokes: nope, the only smoke from her is her smoke bombs Drinks: only socially, and not a whole lot. Does not like feeling out of control of herself. Mount Issuance: Probably! Tataru would help her get it all set up at least Been Arrested: Almost but she always gets out of it UvU

Tagged by: @eriyu Thank you so much!! 💙 Tagging: @nivienne-grovant @baublegums @astraveil @yukupo-lalapo @eli-leam (and anyone else who wants to do it! I feel like I'm pretty late to the game on this lol)

[briar-ffxiv]

FFXIV Write #18 - Hackneyed

FFXIV Write 2024 Master Post

Prompt #18 - Hackneyed

Note: How Briar got his first animal friend, his chocobo!

Trigger Warning: Mention of drunks, animal injury, and bullying. Mild, but present, so be aware.

Some years before ARR...

Briar kept his head down, shoulders tight as he tried to avoid being noticed. It was relatively safe at Buscarron's Druthers. Still, there were always those who saw a young, skinny half-Elezen with nervous eyes and wanted to cause trouble. Some of it was just simple mocking, but it wouldn't be the first time a drunk bandit or the like got physical with him. For a mercy, he seemed unnoticed today as he clutched the straps of his pack, full of little odds and ends for trade.

His ears worked back and forth, alert twitches as his gaze darted around, making sure he avoided bumping into anyone or being snuck up on. He should have ignored the voices since they weren't directed at him, but he paused midstep when a gruff, irritated voice caught his attention.

"Nophica's tits!" the man said, half-snarling under his breath. "Stupid bird. You nearly dumped the cart and me!"

The sad 'kweh' Briar heard in response had him turning his head. It was a shabby little cart, pulled by a ragged-feathered chocobo balancing awkwardly on one leg. The apparent owner was dressed in rough clothing and had the slight sway of one who drank often through the day. The drunk jerked the reins when the chocobo shifted, wincing away from a man squeezing and tugging at the bird's injured leg.

"Not broken," the man grunted, ignoring the bird's weak protests. "Don't think anyway. Nasty swelling though. He'll need lots of rest to--"

"Feh!" the drunk said, spitting to the side in disgust. "Like I'm going to waste good gil trying to tend some hackneyed old gelding." He scoffed and shook his head. "Put him down. There's always someone to buy the meat. Might be old, but make all right stew."

Briar sucked in a soft, shocked breath at the man's cold indifference to the chocobo. Especially considering that despite the rough treatment and clear pain the bird was in, it was still docile and obedient. The gelding was doing his best to please, giving a sad little chirrups as dark eyes watched the drunk closely. Yet the person the bird depended upon was going to callously end the gelding's life without even an effort.

"W-wait!" Briar said, surprising himself. For a moment, he almost wanted to take it back at the look the drunk gave him, but the chocobo's stumbling steps as the man started to jerk him toward the forest gave him courage. "Wait," he said again, stepping closer to the pair and the gelding. "I-I'll take him."

The gelding's owner sneered at him. "Take him? Why should I--"

"Buy him," Briar clarified, lifting his chin and clenching his hands around his pack to steady himself. "I'll b-buy the chocobo."

The drunk gave Briar a measuring look and the half-Elezen was used to the disdain. He knew he was small, skinny, dressed in homespun clothing that was too big, and looked 'half-wild' according to most. Being called a 'wildling' wasn't uncommon, even if it wasn't accurate. At the very least, he seemed to be treated as a pariah by most.

"I have coin," Briar confirmed, defiantly meeting the man's gaze.

"...How much?" the drunk sneered, but a look of greed showed in bloodshot eyes.

Briar froze for a moment. He'd never really had experience with bartering and was little judge on the worth of things in coin. He understood people used coins, but his mother had always bartered. He always found it a little strange that people put so much worth on coins since coin couldn't be eaten or used for much of anything. Buscarron had been trying to teach him in the last year, but it was still a baffling concept to him.

When he noticed the drunk's impatient shifting, Briar frantically recalled how much the Quarrymill butcher had given him for a deer he'd hunted. Biting his lip, Briar blurted out a number twice that. "S-surely that is more than his m-meat would bring."

The drunk grunted, but Briar watched his eyes dart back and forth, clearly considering. The half-Elezen tried not to shift nervously as the drunk stared at him for a long moment. He tried not to noticeably release a breath when the man finally spoke.

"Show me the coin."

Briar dug into a small bag at his waist, quickly counting the gil. It was most of what he had, but he didn't let that bother him. He flinched a bit as it was snatched away, examined closely, and then shoved into the drunk's pockets.

"Fine," the man sneered, throwing the reins at Briar hard enough he flinched at the sting of the leather. The drunk marched off. "Take the damn cart too. No use without the bird anyway." The other man followed him with a bored shrug, heading toward the tavern.

Then Briar realized he suddenly had a chocobo. A chocobo he had no real place to keep or idea on how to care for. An injured chocobo that gave a confused, sad chirp as his master walked off. The bird blinked at Briar, giving a questioning kweh as the gelding shifted back and forth, trying to favour the swollen leg.

Biting his lip, Briar moved closer, reaching up to slowly stroke the gelding's neck. The little flinch at the first touch made his heart ache for the poor chocobo. "Hello, friend," he said softly. "It's all right. I promise. You don't have to worry anymore and you're not going to be stew either."

The gelding canted his head to study Briar before giving a soft chirrup and leaning down to nuzzle Briar's arm.

And just like that, it was worth every coin and more.

[starrysnowdrop]

Hali Aloke

Just the Basics

B A S I C S

Name: Hali Aloke

Nicknames: Little Star (Her family’s pet name for her) and Snowdrop (Aymeric’s pet name for her)

Age: 29 as of beginning of Dawntrail

Nameday: 31st Sun of the 2nd Umbral Moon (April 29th)

Race: 3/4 Lalafell, 1/4 Hyur; Appears Dunesfolk, but has both Plainsfolk and Dunesfolk blood, along with 1/4 Midlander Hyuran ancestry

Gender: Female, Cis

Orientation: Bisexual/Biromantic, Male Leaning

Profession: Adventurer and Scion of the Seventh Dawn

P H Y S I C A L A S P E C T S

Hair: Bright, rose pink in color, straight, usually looks somewhat messy in a wide variety of hairstyles

Eyes: Large, wide, expressive seafoam green eyes that shine in the light; glass-like Dunesfolk eyes

Skin: Fair, and absolutely will burn with direct sun exposure for long periods of time

Tattoos/scars: No tattoos; For scars, just small ones here and there over the years from battle

F A M I L Y

Parents: Father is Taito Aloke, a Plainsfolk lalafell aged 50 in ARR, and Mother is Lalani Lani, a 1/2 Dunesfolk lalafell 1/2 Midlander Hyur aged 48 in ARR. Both Taito and Lalani are researchers in Labyrinthos and members of the Sharlayan Forum.

Siblings: None

Grandparents: Nanani Nani, Maternal Grandmother, a Dunesfolk lalafell aged 75 in ARR and Jovian Carraway, Maternal Grandfather, a Midlander Hyur, deceased by ARR. Nanani is a retired Gleaner living in Old Sharlayan and is a widow to Jovian, who was an Astrology Professor at the Studium.

In-laws and Other: All in-laws deceased; Hali has distant relatives in Thanalan that have no current contact with Hali’s close family

Children: None; Will have three children with Aymeric in the distant future

Pets: An alligator named Boudreaux who also serves as Hali’s mount, a crab named Beignet, and Aymeric’s black cat named BonBon.

S K I L L S

Abilities: Astromancy, Divination, Dancing, Singing, Cooking, Fishing, and Botany

Hobbies: Cooking, Fishing, Botany, Swimming, Ice Skating, Going to the Theater, Attending Balls, Dancing, Singing, Reading fairytales and adventure books, and Playing card games

T R A I T S

Most Positive Trait: Hali is hope incarnate. No matter how grim a situation might seem, she wholeheartedly believes that things will get better. She tries to have a smile on her face and spread her positive outlook on life wherever she goes. Hali thinks that her hope is probably the only reason she’s still alive after so many years on the battlefield.

Most Negative Trait: Hali sees the best in everyone except for herself. She’s very insecure about herself, especially in terms of her appearance and her self worth. She doesn’t see that Aymeric could ever possibly love her the way that she loves him, and she doesn’t think she could ever be good enough for him. Even after they are officially together, Hali still struggles with being kind to herself.

L I K E S

Colors: Midnight Blue, Lotus Pink, Pure White, Celeste Green, and Lavender Purple

Smells: Ocean breezes, salty sea air, scent of fresh fallen rain, flowers of any kind, and musky cologne

Textures: Rain and/or snow falling on her skin, warm water, fluffy pillows, warm blankets, soft plushies, and Aymeric’s hands and/or mouth on her skin

Drinks: Strawberry Lemonade, Fruit Smoothies, Boba Tea, Pink Drink, Hot or Iced Chai, Hot Chocolate with lots of marshmallows

O T H E R D E T A I L S

Smokes: Never

Drinks: Only drinks wine and certain kinds of cocktails, but tries to only drink when she’s not busy with her Scion duties the next day, as she is a lightweight and gets drunk easily.

Drugs: Never

Mount Issuance: Hali was never given a chocobo, because she said she didn’t need one! She always used a magical umbrella that allowed her to float above the ground and fly her to wherever she needed to go. Later on, Hali found her pet alligator Boudreaux on her Island Sanctuary and she rides him most of the time now.

Been Arrested: Yes, Hali was arrested for being a fugitive that snuck back into Old Sharlayan after being banished for helping to bring Sharlayan Astromancy to the Eorzeans. She was found sneaking around Labyrinthos in order to discover the secret project that her parents were hiding from the public at large.

Tagged by: @eriyu @paintedscales @elliewiltarwyn @amalthea-felsblood and @zerelth Thank you all so much for thinking of me!! I apologize for taking so long in responding! 🥰

Tagging: @meepsthemiqo @traveler-of-light @reikatsukihana @mimble-sparklepudding @faerieearthangel and anyone else who hasn’t been tagged yet that would like to fill this out! Please tag me so I can read about your OCs!! 💖

[galadae]

divide - for the single-word fic prompt!

hi sea! thanks so much for the prompt!

i'm sorry it took 8 months 😅

icing heals all wounds | rating: T characters: thancred waters, minfilia warde, calantha lenn | words: 1k summary: thancred wants to sulk in peace, but minfilia and calantha have other plans. notes: occurs about a week after the end of ARR. ao3 link

Two sets of footsteps approach, scuffing against the floor. Thancred wills them away. Perhaps they'll pass him by, as many others have today. 

A soft rustle and a giggle assault his ears as they come closer. It seems his will isn't strong enough. He grits his teeth and cracks one eye open to see Calantha placing a delicate tray with the utmost care in the center of the table. Satisfied, she steps back, an expectant grin on her face. She brushes her palms against an apron covered in smudges of white powder.

“It looks lovely! How shall we cut it?” Minfilia's voice cuts through the quiet like a chime. She sets down a stack of small plates and rubs her hands together, gazing at the cake topped with brilliant piped florals and pink sugar. “An even division of three? Or perhaps some smaller pieces to start?” 

Thancred lifts his head from its place on his forearms. The last remnants of his hangover have lingered far too long. This doesn’t seem likely to help. He scowls. What are they both doing here? 

“Would you prefer more icing, or less?” Minfilia glances at him, a smile growing on her lips.

Thancred raises an eyebrow. He'd chosen this corner in the Rising Stones for its relative privacy, hoping to nurse his headache and hazy thoughts in peace. But it seems he can’t hide. He rubs his temples, squinting at them. “What's all this about?” 

“Go on. It’s your cake,” Calantha says. “What piece would you like?” 

“My cake? For what occasion?” He sits up with a groan. They mean well, surely, but he's not in the mood. Fatigue still lingers in his aching limbs. They feel like his own again, but he’s still haunted by the unwelcome thought of Lahabrea's prior presence. Not to mention the sinking guilt he can’t push away, the odd looks, the glances of pity from some of those who knew the full story - He puts his head in his hand, propped up on his elbow. “I see no reason to celebrate.” 

“I wanted to bake a cake for a friend. Do I need another reason?” Calantha says, a hint of indignation in her voice. She covers it with a mischievous grin. “Would you really turn away a free cake? This opportunity may not come again.” 

He blinks at her attempted humor. This is the last thing he expected from the woman who had the unfortunate task of fighting him to the brink of death only a week ago.

Minfilia nods, eyes bright with enthusiasm. “Besides, if you don’t wish to have any, we shall be forced to eat it without you. And it is a great deal of cake. You simply cannot expect us to do it all ourselves. Think of our stomachs, Thancred.”

He huffs, blowing a tuft of hair out of his eyes. He might as well humor them. From where he's sitting, he can't see the whole cake. He stands to investigate and spots the writing in icing. 

In a vibrant looping script, surrounded by sprinkles, read the words, Sorry I Stabbed You!

He snorts and chokes back a laugh, despite himself. Calantha folds her arms. “I know, it's not eloquent, but I ran out of room.”

It's clear they’ve put some work into this. Or at least, Calantha has. Minfilia perhaps had a hand in choosing the colors, judging by the pink. He shakes his head as he reads the text again. Endearing, perhaps, but ridiculous. “I don't have time for this.” 

“So you have another full afternoon of sulking on your schedule?” Calantha shoots him a frown. 

He scoffs and sits back down. “How did you know?”

Minfilia puts her hand on his arm. “Thancred. Don’t be a spoilsport.” 

He gives her a weary look. Why did they have to pick today to accost him, when he already had this throbbing headache to deal with? “Look. Minfilia, Cala…I'm not in the mood for jokes.” 

Calantha’s eyes widen. “Jokes? But I am sorry.” Her shoulders slump. “I knew I should have written something else.”

He sighs. “It's not that. I'm just not hungry for cake. It’s a bad time.” 

Minfilia looks him in the eye. “Then let us keep you company, at least,” she says. Her tone is light, but firm. Not likely to take no for an answer.

“Not if there's to be talking involved. Hells, I have the worst bloody hangover.” 

“We won't talk,” Calantha says. She eases into the chair next to him. “I don't mind.”

Minfilia nods. She plops down on the other side of him. “We can sulk with you, if you’d like. It seems quite the lonely pastime.” 

Thancred rolls his eyes. “What would you two have to sulk about?” 

Calantha pauses, glancing at the colorful tray in the center of the table. “Maybe the fact that I poured my sweat and tears into this cake, and you won’t even taste it.” 

“Sweat and tears are far too salty for my delicate palette.” 

It’s her turn to roll her eyes. She glances at Minfilia and sits back in her chair, arms crossed. 

“Cala thought it might cheer you up,” Minfilia says. “And I for one thought it would be worth the attempt.” She reaches over to touch him on the shoulder. “The truth of the matter is, we both have reason to sulk when you’re not feeling like your true self. We miss you.” 

Thancred looks down at the table. As much as he wants to avoid her, it's not an act. The slight slouch in her posture, the way she purses her lips – he knows her well enough to sense her genuine worry. 

And he can’t have her worrying about him. He takes a breath, gathering his wits. He manages a small smile in her direction.

“Silly, that. I’m right here.” 

Her face softens as she gives him an encouraging smile. “I’m glad to hear it.” 

Calantha looks between them. She shrugs. “Well I’m going to help myself. I can’t have my hard work going to waste.” She grabs the cake knife, giving him a glance. “Unless you have second thoughts?” 

Both of them watch as he studies the cake in depth for a moment. It is well put together, and it smells delicious - a hint of vanilla and citrus meets his nose. When had he last eaten? Besides, if it would make them worry less –

“A small slice,” Thancred says. “In case the sweat and tears aren’t to my liking.” 

Calantha laughs. “That's the spirit!” 

[digeethegenie]

Under The Fury's Eye

MSQ Adaptation

Events of Lv 50. - "Divine Intervention"

DRK ARR Questline

A still recovering Yujo is called to the defense of Alphinaud and Tataru when they are accused of hearsay.

CW: Language, Verbal Abuse of a Minor, Depiction of a Panic Attack

Tumblr Permalink

Once again, Yujo found herself alone with her thoughts.

The only thing separating her and the halls of Ishgardian justice was an ornate set of double doors.

It was bad enough that milk-sup idiot, Alphinaud, had gotten himself accused of heresy for snooping around in the school yard, but he just had to drag Tataru into his mess as well.

When she got her hands on him- Yujo thought to herself- she was going to make absolutely sure he knew exactly where he stood, and- when she was done with him- that he was a foot shorter than her.

"'My' Warrior of Light." she uttered under her breath with disdain, shaking her head.

She replayed Alphanaud's bragging on endless loop in her mind.

The prologue to the Scions' downfall.

Each detail of Alphinaud's foolish scheme replayed in her mind, slower each time. The more she thought about it, the more each moment stretched, taut with the gravity of impending failure.

She should have strangled the idea of a fourth, independent, grand company in the cot. Just one rebuke, sewing the seed of doubt Alphinaud mind would have sufficed.

The words, festering with the poison of hindsight, bubbled up her throat like bile. "Alph, I've seen the play you took the name from. The Zodiac Brave Story? The airship that the final battle happens on explodes, killing everyone. Naming ourselves after the victims of an airship explosion is just asking for it."

But no. Instead, She stood by- encouraged it, even-, and watched as he fashioned the noose around the Scion's necks, and kicked the platform from under foot.

She felt her teeth clench, her jaw aching from the pressure. "Stupid… mother-latched milk-sup, know-nothing, lordling…" The last words erupted from her lips like steam escaping a kettle at full boil. Her words hissed through clenched teeth, like steam straining against the confines of a kettle at boiling point. With a sharp kick at the empty air, she released but a fragment of her pent-up anger.

"Arsehole!"

Just as the cuss came out from her mouth, Yujo could hear a similar ring echo in her ear. Her heart skipped a beat. It was her linkpearl, ringing a sound that was so familiar but yet so alien in it's prolonged silence. Wearing it had become a habit, more decorative than functional since it was disconnected from the Scions' network. It wasn't even attuned into any network. It was more the symbol of some forlorn hope on her end that a member of the Scions had escaped the monetarists' wrath and would call her for help. She needed an excuse- 'any excuse'- to escape from this whole gilded of a country. To break free of the golden chains of political machinations, and do something that mattered again, and fight back against the shadows she knew still lurked in the corners of Eoreza.

She pressed her finger against the linkpearl, and pushed it deep into her ear to take the call.

"H-Hello?" she asked, her voice trembling with trepidation, barely registering a whisper. In the darkest part of her mind, she half-expected silence- a cruel trick played by her strained senses- and yet, she clung on desperately for the hope of a voice- any voice- of someone who mattered.

'Yuyujo.'

A coldness washed over her, one that pierced with more bite than even the chill of the snow-covered walls that enclosed her. Even as the linkperl whispered a soft static- a reminder of its disconnection- Fray's penetrating voice came through, clear and sharp. She was watching. Silent, unseen, but undeniably present through the linkperl, her presence making whatever small motes of candlelight in the room bow before it. In turn, the shadows around Yujo's tiny lalafell body grew more dense, and oppressive.

She had made it clear, even in her silence, that she was always watching.

'I, too, shall be in the stands. I expect to see progress in your training today.'

"Well, yes. B-but I won't be-"

'Yes, yes. You will be using those Martial Artes of yours, and even in your weakened state, you can absolutely beat up a couple of self-important religious thugs. Besides that, deploying my dark artes in a holy tribune is suicide by rank stupidity. The milk-sup's way of things.'

Hearing the derogatory slang out of someone else's mouth- even if it was something she had just muttered to herself- made it quite clear how rude and awful it sounded.

And yet, she couldn’t argue with it, not really.

'The wildwood brute that levied the accusations against the brat and the moppet- Grinnaux- was the one that tried to put me to the sword. He certainly gave it his worst, but… well… we both know how that went.'

Yujo nodded.

'He will be too busy beating the shite out of the milk-sup to notice you. Your opponent will be his second. You're the moppet's champion, after all.'

"I don't see how-"

'I want you to take them 'both' out.'

"But isn't that-"

'I know what I said, Yuyujo. Take them both out. No mercy. The rules don't protect you- they bind you, and make you watch as they gleefully destroy what you love. Every. Single Time.'

Yujo bit into her bottom lip at that point. Fray was right.

'Don't be sloppy. Use every trick you have as a martial artist. You have one task. Tear. Your Opponents. Apart. Am I clear?'

"I- Yes."

'Good. You will overcome this trail and it will not be close. Make sure you don't have to do it a second time, understood?'

The call cut itself short, and Yujo was on her own again.

As the linkpearl's static faded, a heavy silence fell over Yujo. She paced across the dimly lit room, each step a battle between fear and resolve. The weight of what she must do pressed down on her, as tangible as the fingerless gloves that protected her fists.

She didn't know what to make of it. Fray was right- she was always right. Yujo had absolutely let herself be led by others- even those with good intentions Minfilia, and Nanamo- and it was high time that came to an end.

It was her decision to leave Spira. She walked out on the Archery guild when she could no longer tolerate the offensive nonsense spewing out of Silvairre's mouth. She agreed, with a handshake, to join the Scions.

She decided, believing she had all the time on the star, not to not return to the Waking Sands immediately after she defeated Titan.

…

Fray was right- she was always right.

"… So I clam the right to name a champion!"

Hearing Tataru's terrified squeak- vaguely following the script that Haurchefant had trained her and Alphinaud to recite during this trial- pulled Yujo back to reality.

"Very well." the adjudicator announced. "To the old, the infirm, the young, and the weak, this right we allow. And who will stand for this woman and fight in the name of her innocence?"

Oh well—Yujo thought to herself—whatever reservations she had needed shoving right to the back of her mind. She could wallow in her self-loathing about it later.

'Or never', she could imagine Fray arguing. 'Never sounds good.'

"I will!"

At her call, the doors opened, and Yujo walked through.

Alphinaud's expression betrayed his surprise; he hadn’t been sure if Yujo would answer the summons. Tataru's face, in contrast, lit up with relief and gratitude, glad that her fellow Lalafell had come to her aid.

After a brief consultation with his fellow judges, the Adjudicator raised his hand solemnly. "O, Halone, render unto us Your Judgment!" he proclaimed, invoking the ceremonial words as the pit separating the court's benches from the judge's row was bridged by platforms cranking into place from both sides.

"Thank you, Yujo. I will do what I can to support you." Alphinaud began, his voice tinged with hopeful determination. "Now, let us teach these noble sers the folly of—"

"Stop." Yujo raised her hand, cutting him off sharply. "I'm not here to wipe your arse. I'm here to save Tataru." Positioning herself, she adopted the coeurl stance, her eyes scanning the forming arena.

"Just stay out of my way."

"Right," Alphinaud replied, a flicker of hurt crossing his features as he opened his tome. "Sorry."

Yujo took a deep breath and exhaled, her breath slowly escaping as a vapor. 'No more games. No more politics' she thought, her fingers flexing inside her gloves. 'It's just me, these two brutes, and Tataru's freedom.'

"Raise up, those who are righteous," Proclaimed the Adjudicator "And cast down the wicked!"

Grinnaux, a tall- even by elezen standards- dark skinned man, smirked, and readied himself to strike Yujo. "This is too easy. I will enjoy pealing this upstart brat open. Teach her the truth of things."

His second, Ser Paulcrain- also an elezen, of the Heavensward, but a lighter complexion- shook his head and readied his spear by pointing it at Yujo's direction. "Just focus on your target. The lalafell is mine. Go play with the boy."

A grunt of annoyance rumbled out of the brute. "But it was you who… Humph. Waste of my bloody time. Come on then, Brat!"

Alphinaud made the first move by jumping back and firing a couple of bolts at Grinnaux. The magic glanced off his opponents armor, leaving barely an impression.

He barely had the chance to utter something to the effect of "Oh Shi—" before the bull charged him. Alphinaud's face registered shock as the brute’s charge connected, hurling his body across the arena like a ragdoll. He hit the ground hard, his tome scattering beside him, pages fluttering wildly as if a chobobo had been caught in a sudden gale.

"Alphinaud!" Tataru called out, her voice tinged with panic for the boy.

Yujo caught sight of Grinnaux's devastating attack out of the corner of her eye as she was avoiding Paulcrain's spear jabs. Even with all the hatred for Alphinaud that had festered inside her over the last six months, she knew she couldn't leave him to his fate. She turned her attention to Grinnaux, readied herself to flash-step over to the Bull, and—

'Stop.'

The command ringing clear in her ear gave made her hault mid-action. Continuing to wave through Paulcrain's thrusts, she quickly scanned the the arena's viewing gallery.

And then she saw Her.

Fray, as she had promised, In full view.

Why was she…?

Why wasn't anyone…?

'I have not changed my mind. Yuyujo. You can let The Bull chew the cud for a little bit. Focus on Paulcrain.' Fray's voice was calm. Dispassionate.

Yujo found herself caught between the instinct to rescue and the directive to focus on her immediate threat. Her every movement was a delicate dance to avoid Paulcrain's deadly spear.

"I can't just let him-"

'He 'deserves' this, Yuyujo. A couple of broken bones will serve well to remind him the game he is playing. Focus on Paulcrain.'

Grinnaux, watching the scene unfold, allowed a dirty, undignified grin to cross. "Let's just put this to bed, already." From under his armor he pulled out a chain, he took his attention away from Alphinaud, and whirled it over his head to prepare it with aetheric energy.

The grin growing manic, he threw the chain at the distracted Yujo. Seeing what was happening, Alphinaud gritted his teeth, and willed every thing in his body to pushing himself up to stand up.

"Yujo!" he shouted pushing off the ground with desperate effort.

With a solid shove, he sent Yujo sprawling to the ground and narrowly clear of Grinnaux's attack. The chain, missing it's intended target, whipped around like a snake hunting for pray, and wrapped around Aphinaud, closing around him in a vice grip. As they dug deep into his flesh, Alphinaud could only cry out in horrific pain as he struggled like a animal caught in the viper's grip.

"Yujo!" Tataru shouted out as Yujo pulled herself together, "Alphinaud's in trouble"

Alphinaud's cries became even more pained as the chains coiled tightly around him. The sounds were punctuated by the sickening pop of joints cracking, drawing her attention back to his suffering.

Yujo turned her attention to the stands, to Fray, desperate for her permission.

Instead she met the burning gaze of her mentor's red eyes, piercing into the back of her soul.

'Leave. Him.'

At the cold, heartless, command of her teacher, memories overwhelmed Yujo like a dam bursting open.

Every failure, every victim, every loss pressed down on her, threatening to swallow her whole. The victims of the Rising Sands massacre. Livia, Rhitahtyn, Gaius. G'raha. Nanamo, sprawled on the floor, her body ravaged by poison. Rahbuan, broken and mutilated. The other Scions—

"I… can't!"

The faces of the dead blurred into Fray’s veiled visage, her gaze knowing and damning, burning with red intensity. ‘You have failed everyone you've met,’ her master's voice hissed. ‘Will you fail yourself?’

Yujo closed her eyes tight, steadying her breath as her teeth ground together. She had reached the line she would not cross. The decision weighed heavy in her chest, but it was, undeniably, hers.

"No."

Grinnaux sneered at Yujo’s hesitation, mistaking it for weakness. "Some champions you two turned out to be." He spat in contempt. "Oh well, time to skin the rabbits!" he said, ready to pull on the chain, drag Alphinaud into range, and put his axe through him.

Alphinaud, bound, desperate, and in termandous pain, could only clench his teeth, and brace for a swift end.

“Grinnaux, to your side!” came Paulcrain's panicked cry.

Instead of Alphinaud’s screams, the crowd heard a sickening crunch. Grinnaux’s axe clattered to the ground as he clutched his nose, shattered by Yujo’s powerful soaring kick. The chains loosened and fell slack as their master staggered backwards in shock.

Silence fell over the arena, all eyes on the Lalafell who now stood beside Alphinaud, the air still crackling with the force of her intervention.

"Y-Yujo!" Alphinaud managed to sputter, surprise etched across his face.

"I'm borrowing this," Yujo stated matter-of-factly, as with a swift motion, she untied the blue ribbon that bound his silver hair. His hair cascaded freely as she pulled the ribbon taut in front of her, then gestured provocatively at Paulcrain—an invitation to come closer, to engage her directly.

"You upstart cow!" Paulcrain yelled, thrusting his spear forward. Yujo sprang into her counter, leaping up to plant both feet on the spear's shaft and crossing her arms. In a fluid motion, she looped Alphinaud's ribbon around Paulcrain's face. He howled in blind terror as she yanked the ribbon taut, using it to catapult herself forward. She loosened her grip just long enough for the knight to glimpse her pulling her head back. Then, with a thunderous crack, she delivered a decisive headbutt straight to his face.

He slumped to the ground, his spear falling beside him. Yujo landed lightly on her feet, staring down at his crumpled form.

“Well, that’s one down, at least.”

Yujo could tell, without needing to look up, that Fray was not impressed.

The red mists of rage descending over him. Grinnaux roared and grabbed his axe, swinging it down on the ground with brutal force to strike the lalafell.

Yujo effortlessly leapt aside. Before he could even register his miss, she launched herself at his neck with a flying knee press. Despite his towering height, the Bull crashed to the ground.

Still perched atop his neck, Yujo looked at him, fixed him with resentful eyes- dark, stagnant pools of nothing- and drew her clenched hand back.

For the first time in his life- one that had no want but for his own brutish desires, one that allowed him to do whatever he pleased under the shelter of his house-leading uncle's coin- The Bull was intimate with Fear.

"Don't…"

Her fist shot past his head and slammed into the ground. An instant later, it erupted into a crater around them.

Grinnaux stared, transfixed, at the tiny fist—smaller than half his own—that had shattered stone. When he looked back at Yujo, her chilling gaze made it clear: that could have been his skull.

She said nothing at first, letting the silence choke him. Then, a single word:

"Yield."

As he lay, his smallclothes now damp and reeking of stale ale, The Bull had no option but to submit, his voice soaked in horror.

The crowd could only utter amongst each other in hushed tones, astounded at the sight of two of the Heavensward, the Archbishop's own personal guard, having been bested- not just that, laid low- by a lalafell.

Finally, the Adjudicator lifted his hand. "This trail is over, and The Fury has spoken! Alphinaud Leveilleur, Tataru Taru. You are hereby acquitted of all charges."

Realizing what had just happened, Tataru perked up. "W-We Won? I-I mean, YES! WE WON!"

"Blessed are we who receive of Her wisdom, and see justice wrought by Her divine hand! Petitioners, accused, go forth in peace!"

Slowly, the crowd began to murmur and file out of the tribunal hall, their appetite for Ishgardian justice sated.

Yujo slowly eased herself off of the blubbering Grinnaux, short on breath, and weak in the knees. Her mind was a mess. She wasn't even sure if she call this a victory.

She noticed Alphinaud's hand, an offer to the Warrior of Light up. She looked at the hand, and then Alphinaud. Slowly, hesitantly, she reached towards the hand.

Inches away from taking his hand, the visions struck again.

"My Warrior of Light," echoing over and over in her head. His tone twisted with each repetition, growing more malicious until it hammered at her skull, relentless and cruel, until—

With a hard, sharp, crack, she slapped the hand away. The sound echoed in the now silent arena. Without uttering a word, she turned and walked off, each step becoming heavier than the last.

Alphinaud, left dumbstruck, could do nothing but watch her go. Tataru approached, placing a gentle, reassuring hand on his back.

Two guards approached and motioned for them to return to the defendant’s chambers. They obeyed, Tataru's stride far more steady and sure with the danger past.

All the while, Fray lingered, watching the scene with burning eyes before she vanished into what was left of the dispersing crowd.

= = =

"What were you thinking?!" Fray's slicing roar echoed in the defendant's chambers.

Alphinaud shrunk back, reduced to trembling at the Dark Knight's imposing figure as she leaned in on him.

"This is not a game, Alphinaud Leveilleur!"

He didn't dare meet her gaze, his eyes settling instead on Yujo, who stood silently beside Fray, her expression unreadable.

The Dark Knight's voice cracked as she threw her hand towards Tataru. "Every time you do something like this, you put people's lives at risk!"

The outburst sparked a raw nerve in Yujo. Her hands trembled as they rose and found purchase in her hair, fingers raking through her head in frustration, desperate to find the source of her woes from within her blonde locks, and tear it out.

She barely noticed Alphinaud flinch, or how Tataru's eyes widened at the rebuke.

"Seven Hells, Alphinaud!" Fray continued, unbridled fury in her voice. "People- No! OUR FRIENDS!- HAVE died because of your recklessness!"

"I… actually… It's… It's my fault." Tataru’s quivering yet determined voice interjected.

Fray spun around to face Tataru, the fire in her eyes dimming, if only slightly. The lalafellin secretary stood, her trembling fists clenched at her sides, and on the verge of tears.

"Those knights started a fight in the Forgotten Knight," She explained. "I… I tried to help an au ra man and an elezen girl out of the pub, and they caught me. Alphinaud… he jumped to my defense. They used his research at the Scholasticate as an excuse to accuse him of heresy."

Fray tilted her head. "An au ra man… and an elezen girl?" she asked, her tone softened. The question lingered in the air, as she tried to remember why that was important. Suddenly, she shook her head and her frustrations bubbled up again. With a stark and heavy sigh, she pulled Alphinaud's ribbon out of her pocket, and threw it his feet.

"Just… Just get out of my face, Alphinaud."

He stooped down to pick up the ribbon, muttered something inaudible, and retreated. Tataru hesitated, glancing back at Yujo with concern before quietly slipping out after him, the door closing with a soft thud behind her.

Silence pressed in, thick and stifling. Fray rubbed the bridge of her nose and sighed wearily, her frustration palpable.

'That goes for you too, Yuyujo.'

Yujo looked up, startled. There was Fray again, leaning against the chamber wall with arms crossed and crimson glare fixed on her. It felt as though the woman had always been there, looming in Yujo’s periphery, waiting for this moment.

'I distinctly remember telling you 'not' to save the milk-sup from The Bull. And what do you do?'

"I know," Yujo muttered with her voice trembling with guilt, head bowed slightly. "I didn’t think… I just… my body just moved on its own. I'm not any happier about it than you are."

Fray's eyes narrowed into tiny red slits. 'Oh, I'm quite sure. But this… this can't keep happening, Yuyujo. Are we clear?'

That question bore into her, heavy and inescapable, making Yujo’s stomach churn. She could feel the her teacher's reprimands lingering like chains wrapped tightly around her chest, squeezing the life out of her. She raised a trembling hand to her temple, brushing the edge of her hairline as she tried to steady herself.

"What in Yunalesca's name am I 'doing'?" she whispered.

The silence stretched uncomfortably, amplifying Frey's unspoken judgements, until the doors burst open with sudden, almost childlike exuberance.

'Tch, we'll finish this later.' Fray curtly muttered. Yujo blinked, and in that instant, Fray was gone, as though she had evaporated into the shadows.

Confused and detached, Yujo turned toward the doors. There stood Haurchefant, arms spread wide, his face alight with a grin as warm and radiant as the Ul’dahn sun.

"The woman of the hour!" he proclaimed, voice beaming with pride and enthusiasm.

The abrupt shift left Yujo’s heart fluttering. Moments ago, she was drowning in remorse and rebuke, and now she was blinded by this all-too carefree brightness. She was too stunned to speak, forced to stand between the shadow cast by Fray’s scorn and the light of Haurchefant’s earnestness.

= = >

[xen-xiv]

What's on her mind

Still adjusting to adventurer life, Xen finds she has some troubles speaking with other women.

The second fic I've written! This takes place entirely in very early ARR, ending around the point where the starting city quests converge. Was interesting actually writing alongside canon dialogue this time.

Once again featuring @frogliftcertified's OC Nova and @goblin-gal-pal's OC Ariah (by name this time)

"Go now, my child, and shine thy Light on all creation."

Xen opened her eyes. She was back in Seasong Grotto. I guess I blacked out... Oh hells. Finding her body sitting up as she willed it, she sighed in relief. Okay, I'm still me. That's good.

"Awake again, are we?"

It was the pretty white-haired Miqo'te woman. She was investigating the corpse of a gobbue. The same one the two of them had just killed after it charged them, enraged. She was dazzlin'... Her conjury was dazzlin'.

"Aha." The other woman spoke again. Xen walked over to see what she'd found. A knife that was stuck in the beast's back. It wasn't one of Xen's. The conjurer surmised it belonged to a pirate, who intentionally enraged the gobbue and set it after them. Xen couldn't help but stare as she explained. The other miqo'te's teal eyes were shining even down in the grotto.

"In any event, you seem much recovered from your sudden...affliction." After the gobbue was felled Xen had noticed a crystal on the ground. The moment she picked it up she was overcome by a strange vision. "I confess, I was rather taken aback when you collapsed at the very moment of our victory. Mayhap a surfeit of aether... ?"

Mayhap she's so pretty I couldn't help but faint. Xen chuckled to herself. It was likely the crystal that caused it. "Mayhap you were so pretty I couldn't help but faint. I saw a queer dream while-" Xen slapped a hand over her mouth in shock. Eyes wide, she looked to the other woman, who simply smiled.

"How flattering. Let me guess, you're going to call me the 'woman of your dreams' next?" She let out a soft laugh.

"N-no! It, uh. Was more like a vision. There were meteors, and I heard a voice from this towerin' crystal..."

_____

"After I told her of the vision, she asked me to bring the knife to Staelwyrn and warn him of the pirates, then she left." Xen sighed as she finished her story, leaning back into the sofa.

"Well, doesn't sound like she rejected you or anythin'. You may still have a shot, Xen." Redna smiled consolingly, placing hand on the Miqo'te's shoulder.

The two of them were in the hrothgar woman's apartment in The Sultana's Breath. Redna's time as the Black Shark on the Bloodsands had been going well, but still being a ways off from a new ship, she needed somewhere to live for the time being. Xen had been asked to deliver a message in Ul'Dah and stopped by the Goblet to visit Redna, as well as ask for help with her troubles.

"That's not what I meant, captain." Despite Redna's old ship being gone Xen couldn't help but call her that. "I ran into Y'shtola on a few other occasions since then, and each time we spoke I found myself commentin' on her looks again." Xen buried her face in her hands as she recalled her embarrassment.

"And what did she say to you those times?"

"She just... laughed and made a joke each time."

Redna chuckled. "Then I ain't seein' the problem here, Xen."

"The problem is that I hadn't *meant* to say those things at all!"  Xen shot up from her seat, her frustration apparent. "I certainly thought them... She was quite pretty..." They shook their head, as if to clear away extra thoughts. "See? Ever since the incident at the grotto this keeps happenin'. I'll try to say one thing, but once the words leave my lips I'll have spoken whatever else was on my mind instead." She let out a sigh. "It's like I've been cursed or somethin'."

Redna just smiled. "You sure you're not just nervous and misspeakin'? Sounds like you've really fallen for this gal."

"It hasn't just happened with Y'shtola, though."

_____

"Welcome to Limsa Lominsa's ever-churnin' underbelly, where the thieves shed their skin an' become rogues."

Xen's first proper job for the Rogue's Guild had gone rather well, all things considered. Jacke had tasked them with recovering a stolen object, and upon returning to the guild the crew who'd taken it were kind enough to walk in after, having followed Xen back. This was far from as problem, as the code the rogues upheld dictated that those who stole from other crews needed to be punished.

Jacke and Underfoot handled themselves well, but Xen's focus was all on another rogue. A red-haired Miqo'te, who was the first to fell one of the pirates. The man had barely drawn his axe before she'd laid him out.

She was absolutely stunnin'... Her technique was incredible too. Xen watched as the other rogue and Underfoot carried the pirate captain out of the guild. Jacke left the man unconscious and tasked the two of them with stringing him up for the Yellowjackets.

"An' that's a job well done, lass." Jacke approached her with the job's pay. "Any questions 'fore ye head out?"

Xen was curious about something the pirate captain mentioned, the "Upright Thieves," so they opened their mouth to ask.

"Yeah, when will I learn moves like what that stunnin' other rogue did?"

The entire guild went silent. Xen could've heard her own heart beating if it hadn't stopped the moment she processed both what she had said, and the sound of the door opening behind her as she said it.

Slowly she turned her head, and there at the threshold was said stunning rogue, who it seemed needed to get more rope. The smile on her face made it clear she'd heard everything even before she spoke up. "Ye ought to work on stayin' quiet an' out o' notice 'fore ye try any fancier tricks."

The room erupted in laughter. Xen wished she really could just vanish then and there. The red-headed rogue collected her rope, and gave Xen a wink and wave before leaving again.

_____

"And I bet Jacke thought it was hilarious pairin' me up with V'kebbe on my next job." Xen was back on the sofa, head in her hands once more.

"And how'd that job go?" Redna was up preparing drinks for the two of them.

Xen sat back up. "Jacke set us to recover some muskets stolen from the Yellowjackets. Managed to pull it off fine. The Stray did actually give me a lesson on proper stealth. She said somethin' about offerin' 'private lessons on fancier tricks' after the job was done. Sure she got a good laugh from that... What?"

Redna had let out a loud sigh and was shaking her head. "I don't think she- Nevermind." Redna made her way back to the sofa, handing Xen a glass of water and taking a drink of her own ale. "I'm still not seein' why you think this is a problem. Tellin' women you fancy that you fancy them doesn't sound like a curse to me."

"But there's a time and place for that, and this curse doesn't seem to care."

_____

"I am Kan-E-Senna, Elder Seedseer of Gridania, and leader of the Order of the Twin Adder, our nation's Grand Company."

Oh no, she's gorgeous... Xen was on a mission given by Limsa Lominsa's leader that took her to the other city-states, and Gridania was her first stop. She was tried to put on the most professional air she could. This was an important job and she certianly didn't want to cause any problems.

Xen was enchanted by the grace the Elder Seedseer carried herself with. She almost looked like royalty. "I understand you bear a message from the Admiral." Admiral Merlwyb wished to hold a memorial for those lost at the battle of Carteneau 5 years ago.

"Yes your gorgeousness, I have it right here." Xen's entire body froze as she reached into her bag. She imagined if the Gridanians didn't have her executed on the spot then Admiral Merlwyb would as soon she landed back in Limsa.

But instead she was able to relax when she heard the Elder Seedseer laugh. "Is that a part of Merlwyb's message? If so you may inform the Admiral that if she wishes to compliment my looks she may do so in person, as she is already very well aware."

"N-no! Apologies, Elder Seedseer. The Admiral's message is here." Xen calmed herself and handed the letter to the smiling Padjal.

The seedseer smiled as she read the letter. "A rememberance service for the fallen of Carteneau... The Admiral and I are of like mind, then. I myself just tasked an adventurer with delivering the same message to the other Alliance leaders. You and she must have just missed one another."

_____

"And when I met General Aldynn I ended up askin' about that other adventurer without meanin' to. She must have gone to Limsa first, 'cause my message was the first he'd recieved. I guess I'm just lucky he wasn't another beautiful woman."

Redna chuckled. "Even if he was I doubt he would've taken offense to anythin' you said. The Elder Seedseer didn't either."

"But they could have!" Xen stood up again, scratching at her hair in frustration. "I was supposed to be on an important mission for the Admiral but I could've caused an... an international incident or somethin'!"

Redna stood up and put a hand on Xen's shoulder. "But you didn't. You delivered the Admiral's messages well. If anythin' you've given the Alliance leaders a good story to tell each other. If that's the worst that's happened then I think you're much more worried about this 'curse' that you ought to be."

"....." Xen tensed up. She refused to make eye contact with Redna.

"Was that not the worst? What else could have happened since then?"

_____

After delivering the Admiral's second letter, Xen had a few bells to wait in Ul'dah before the next airship back to Limsa Lominsa. This was a perfect chance to visit her old captain. They'd exhanged letters since Xen made it to Eorzea, and Redna had written about her home in the Goblet. Xen stopped by the housing ward's markets to find a gift. She'd asked the locals what sort of bait works best for local fishing holes, and on their recommendation bought some fresh caddisfly larvae. Redna would likely already have a stock of them, but she'd never say no to more.

Jar of larvae in hand, Xen started on her way to the Sultana's Breath, but stopped when she heard a familiar voice from the baker's stall.

"One slice of strawberry shortcake." She'd heard these exact words in that voice many times before. "And quickly, I've got papers to grade."

Xen turned to confirm what she already knew. There at the baker's stall was Nova Dubois, the woman who'd taught Xen thaumaturgy and helped her transition back before the Calamity.

She's alive.... And she still looks great. The last time they'd spoken Nova told Xen she was going to be fighting at Carteneau. Xen had left Eorzea before the Battle had started, and she never knew what became of the other woman until now.

"You're in luck professor, we've got one slice left." Xen knew sweets like cake were one of the few things that actually made Nova happy. The older Miqo'te paid the baker and smiled at her treat before she noticed Xen approaching her.

"Professor Dubois!" Xen smiled and waved.

"It's great to see you again you're still really hot." Xen froze in fear, mouth still open, as she realized what she'd just said.

Nova's jaw had dropped. "Rahks?"

"I-it's Xen now! Oh gods." Xen held her hands up in panic. "I'm sorr-"

She was interrupted by the sound of shattering glass. In her panic Xen had forgotten the jar of fishing bait she was holding. It crashed to the ground, sending the larvae within flying. Xen watched in what felt like slow motion as one of those larvae, in a perfect arc, sailed through the air to land directly on the slice of cake Nova was holding.

Nova's jaw somehow dropped even further. Xen could feel tears forming in their eyes. "I-I'm so s-sorry... I-I'll pay you b-back..." Xen shakily reached into their gil pouch. They'd have just enough left for the airship ticket, but not for more bait.

Still holding back tears, she held the money out to Nova. The professor was still frozen in shock, so Xen grabbed her free hand and placed the gil in her palm.

"I-it was nice seein' you again..." Xen slowly turned away and began her walk to the apartment complex, letting the tears flow once she was far enough away.

Nova finally blinked. She stared at her former student walking away, then at the gil in her hand, and lastly at the caddisfly larva resting on her cake.

The larva stared back.

When Xen heard the familiar sound of a Fire spell being cast she took off running. Not taking a second to look back, she rounded the first corner and took to the shadows, Hiding as V'kebbe had taught her not long ago.

I can't keep doin' this. There's got to be somethin' I can do about this curse... Maybe the captain can help...

_____

The captain was having a coughing fit from trying to hold back her laughter. Xen sighed and handed her what was left of their water. Redna took a sip and cleared her throat. "Sorry. Somethin' got caught in my throat." Xen just frowned silently as Redna handed the cup back. If she spoke up she'd just call Redna out on that lie. "That's certainly a mess, but really it could've been worse, Xen."

"How could it be worse? It was terrible! I made a complete fool of myself, and I'm sure professor Dubois hates me now. I doubt I can show my face around here again." Xen buried her face in her hands and sunk back into the sofa.

"Commotions like that happen all the time around here. The whole ward's full of adventurers and the like, something else'll happen in a week and no one will remember today." Xen felt Redna's hand on her shoulder once again. "And your professor ain't gonna hate you for somethin' like that. If you're that worried I can talk to her. She lives around here too, right? I'll invite her out for some fishin' and a chat."

Xen relaxed and gave Redna a smile. "Thanks, captain."

"As for this 'curse' of yours, I really don't think it's all bad." The hrothgar held her hand up to stop Xen, whose mouth was already open to protest. "Do you remember when you asked me to join up on the 'fisker? I could tell you had a lot on your mind but all you told me was your name and that it was like to change. But over time you opened up more, and you seemed real happy." Redna turned away from Xen and frowned. "I know what happened on that island was tough to deal with. But today you seemed much more like you were back on the ship that you have since then. All I'm sayin' is if somethin's on your mind, it's worth talkin' about, Xen."

"Captain..." Xen still hadn't told their former captain about what had happened to them during that time. About the other Xen who had lived her life. She wanted to, but could never find the right words. Even now her head was full of thoughts and she didn't know where to start.

Wait... Maybe I don't have to know where to start. Xen opened her mouth, and with it attempted to speak a few simple words.

"Meow meow meow."

Redna looked surprised, and titled her head. "What do you mean, 'that wasn't you'?" She'd understood.

Xen smiled and began to explain.

.....

"I see... Then that's one more we lost that day."  Redna closed her eye.

"I don't know. I haven't heard from Xen since then but it doesn't feel like they're *gone* entirely... It's hard to explain." Xen thought to herself for a moment. "There was a place they were, and it doesn't feel empty."

Redna's eye opened as she looked to Xen. "You don't think this 'curse' of yours is them talkin', do you?"

Xen shook her head. "I heard their thoughts seperate from my own that whole time. I'm positive these are mine." She let out a laugh. "Besides, there were times we stopped at port and they talked to some really pretty women, but it was like they didn't even notice."

Redna laughed as well. "Never seemed like they had an interest in others like that. Surprised me when they talked about that beautiful lass they saw in Limsa." She smiled to Xen. "But that bein' your story instead makes more sense."

Xen blushed and laughed. "Yeah..." Their thoughts drifted back to the adventurer she'd seen that day five years ago. "Wonder if she's still around somewhere. Would be nice if I saw her again, but what're the odds of that happenin'?"

.....

The odds were high enough, it seemed.

Xen and Redna had said their goodbyes after noticing the time, and Xen spent the last of her gil on the airship back to Limsa Lominsa. She needed to make more money, and luckily Jacke had a new job for her. Unable to afford the aetheryte or even chocobo porter fees, they set out on foot through La Noscea. On the way they heard the sounds of fighting, and went to investigate.

And there she was. It had been almost five years but the auri woman looked exactly like Xen remembered her. Soft green skin, shining purple eyes, and a beautiful smile.

She was wielding an arcanist's tome, and from the look of the dead ladybug on the ground and the splash of its guts on the woman that she had been using it to beat the beasts to death rather than casting spells.

Humming a song to herself, she noticed Xen staring and smiled. Xen's heart skipped a beat. She waved to the other woman and walked up to her. She wasn't going to run away again.

"You're the most beautiful woman I've ever seen." The arcanist's eyes widened. "Sorry! I meant to say. Uh. I don't know what I meant to say." Xen laughed. "Hi. I'm Xen. Xen Fiskie."

The other woman laughed. It was one of the prettiest sounds Xen had heard. With a smile she responded "You're quite the charmer. Ariah Kasteel."

"Ariah... That's such a pretty name. I mean- Uh." Xen felt their face going flush. "You're an arcanist?"

Ariah laughed again. "Very smooth. I only just started!" She smiled and held up her tome. "They gave me this book and asked me to slay some beasts out here. I think I did well."

"They sent you out without teachin' you any spells?" Xen spoke with concern, and after a moment of thought Ariah nodded. "I didn't expect that guild to be so tough on new members."

"I know, right?" Every laugh Ariah let out made Xen fall for her more. "This is my first time in Limsa Lominsa. I was asked to deliver some messages from Gridania." She opened her tome and began to flip through the pages. Some were stuck together wity various viscera. "Turned out my message wasn't particularly needed here, so I took a look around the city before leaving for Ul'dah. The arcanists' guild looked interesting, so I stopped in."

"Your first- Wait!" Xen interrupted herself as she had a realization. "You're the adventurer the Elder Seedseer had deliverin' messages about the memorial?"

Ariah looked back to Xen, surprised. "Yes, how did- Oh!" She let out a laugh. "Admiral Merlwyb said she'd done the same thing. Were you the one she sent?"

Xen nodded and laughed. "That was me. Small world, I guess."

"Small world indeed." Ariah smiled. "I assume you've made your deliveries already?"

"That's right. Just got back a bit ago. Oh hells. I forgot, I'd picked up a new job already. I oughta get goin'."

"Alright. I should report to Thubyrgeim before the next airship leaves." The auri woman held her hand out. "It was nice to meet you, Xen."

Xen smiled and took her hand. Even through bug guts her skin felt as soft as it looked. "Yeah, it was really nice."

Ariah grinned as they shook hands. "I hope when we next meet I will still be the most beautiful woman you've ever seen." She gave Xen a playful wink.

Xen's face went red. She tried to speak but found herself stuttering. Watching as Ariah giggled at her panic, Xen was positive she'd fallen for the other woman completely.

Ariah waved and turned back to head to the city, singing a cheerful tune to herself. Xen watched her leave and smiled.

Maybe this curse really ain't so bad after all.

[bastetofthesilvermoon]

{ HYPNO! Fan Fiction}

{Steve /Tony - Stony}

{Hypno Language}

Steve is naked.

Tony can't help himself but notice that, he'is Oh-my-God so damn naked. No shirt. No pants. Even no socks, nothing at all - Not to mention the fact, that, well, there's nothing to cover his limbs either.

The thing is... The Captain is not worried.

He's still at his place, sitting on his chair, smiling, the lights from the window shining, reflecting on his shoulders, his chest, every single, smallest detail of his torso, his belly, his...

"What do you see?"

The Captain did say nothing. But still, the genius ears his voice as a warm, warm echo in his head. He almost feel the touch of his lips on the right temple.

"I see you." he answers "And you're naked."

"And do you like seeing me that naked?"

"Yes." he nodds and when he does, Tony feels Steve's mouth leaving, replaced by his fingers. The fingertips presses on both his temples, pushing gently, tracing a little, circular movement.

"Wanna see more?"

"Yes."

"Wanna kiss me?"

"Yes."

"Wanna fuck me?"

The genius nodds again and finds himself giving in, letting Steve's hands moving him up and down, back and forth, the fingertips pressing and tracing spirals on his skin.

"Yes." he murmurs.

The pressure on the temples is so warm, the bubbling movement so lulling, up and down, back and forth, that the eyelids start flickering as the eyes begin to slowly rolling up at every up and every down and left to right and back and forth.

"I'll let you see more, Tony." Steve whispers "Because you're such a goid subject. You're such a good boy."

"Good." he repeats "Good."

"Yes, Tony, yes you are. And you're so good that I want show you how beautiful you're are right now. So-" he says "I want you to open your eyes and look at the mirror in front of you."

A mirror.

Where just a couple of minutes before - Or there were hours? - they started to talk about hypnosis and mind control, right where Steve was sitting, there's a mirror.

A rectangular-shape one, leaning on the back of the chair, big enough to let Tony sees himself - And Steve just behind him.

As he dreamed, he took off his shirt, even though he kept his trousers on - And just under the belly there's a big, pulsing sign of how he's enjoying the situation.

"Look at you." Steve whispers on his ear, still pressing and moving slowly his head "Tell me what you see."

"I see myself." Tony answers, his voice coming so soft, vacant, distant "I see myself as you lull me."

"Go on. How do you see yourself?"

"Relaxed."

"Look closely. Don't you think you're even a little heavy?"

Tony struggles a few seconds in order to see something through the dizziness.

"Yes." he agrees "I am tired and heavy."

"You're in fact tired and heavy." Steve says "See how heavy your shoulders are, Tony."

"Yes. My shoulders are so heavy."

"Tell me what you see."

"I see my shoulders growing heavier. I see my shoulders growing so heavier they can't stay still, they're falling down. Down. Down."

"Look at yourself. Are you going down too?"

Stark blinks once, twice.

He sees his chest, going up, going down, at each and any breath, one breath deeper than the one before it, deeper and deeper, heavier and heavier.

He sees his neck, so heavy at the point is bubbling up and down, left to right, back and forth, while Steve's hands arr guiding it back and forth, left to right, up and down.

He sees his mouth, so relaxed, so tired, so heavy, gently opend, loose and limp, heavier and heavier.

He sees hys eyelids blinking more and more, flickering, fluttering, his eyes rolling up, and then down, his eyelids heavier and heavier, at each and any blink, heavier and heavier, deeper and deeper.

"Do you see yourself going deeper and deeper, Tony?"

"Yes. I see myself going deeper and deeper."

"Do you see yourself becoming heavier and heavier?"

"Yes. I see myself becoming heavier and heavier. "

"Do you want to sleep?"

"Yes. I want to sleep."

Steve stops lulling his head.

"Now. Staring at yourself at the mirror, Tony, and put yourself to sleep repeating this mantra over and over again:"I am going deeper and deeper."

"I am going deeper and deeper."

"I am going heavier and heavier."

"I am going heavier and heavier."

"Good, Tony. You're doing so well." Steve strokes his hair "Now, start repeating your mantra."

Tony nods, even though it's just so difficult find the strenght to do as told. He feels so heavy. Deep.

He wanna sleep so badly.

But a the same time, he wanna be compliant. Obedient. Submissive.

So he rises his head, his sleepy sleepy eyes fixed on the sleepy sleepy eyes reflected in the nirror.

"I am going deeper and deeper. I am going heavier and heavier. I am going deeper and deeper. I am going heavier and heavier."

And as he keeps on repeating, going deep, going heavy, he does not notice how Steve kneels between his legs, spreads them and then opens his trousers.

He's so deep he's almost not aware how warm Steve's hands are around his cock, as he starts to stroking it.

As he grows deeper and heavier and sleepier, Tony grows hot and aroused, at the point even though is sure about repeating the mantra, his voice has just turned in to moans.

"You're deeply hypnotized." Steve's tongue on his cock "You're deeply hypnotized"

"I am deeply hypnotized." he repeats, gasping in feeling how incredibily hot is the captain's lips and mouth and throat.

"I am deeply - - - I am deeply hypno-otized."

He's about to cum, when Steve leaves his cock and suddendly, rapidly snaps his fingers.

"Sleep, Tony."

Stark moans, falling back on his chair, the eyes just a flat, white line through the eyelashes.

Steve point a finger on his forehead, while licking his own lips.

"Not thar fast, Tony. That's just the beginning."

[treasar]

A twisted tale Chapter 4 | Dreamy |

My seven stars, you’ll forever be in my heart

The luminosity derived from the vermillion moon hanging in the dark sky with twinkling stars grants her the ability to glimpse the unknown place she has awakened to. Yet, it is insufficient to allow her to fully perceive her entire surroundings.

She somehow feels like she is laying on the soft mattress, feeling suffocated. But, the scent of damp moss tells her otherwise. Light breezes are dancing in the sky as if she is in heaven.

Her mind and body relax by themselves until

BOOM! 

‘ What’s that? ‘ She jolts up. Her eyes wander around without thinking and then, spot the rings at the end of the field, which have turned yellow. 

‘ Isn’t it- ‘ She frowns, noticing the familiar place she is in. Night ball field, which they call but, the thing is that no one used it although it is oddly clean and neat.  

Just then, another strike echoes the whole world, snapping the girl out of her thoughts. She sneakily hides behind the wall, which is near to her while slowly approaching the rings. 

It is indeed beautiful. When she looks around, she oddly finds no trace of people. Yet, no one is presented but, why would the whole field be lit? ‘ Something is not right ‘ She thinks. 

In the corner of her eyes, she spots a shadow of someone. Out of curiosity, she follows it, taking a step lightly like a feather. 

As she trails behind that person, a familiar yet unfamiliar back is facing her with oddly familiar purple hair. As if that person knows her presence, he stops. So she does. 

Expectedly, he turns around, making her heart stop for a moment but she manages to hide herself. She hears a faint yet loud enough for her steps approaching her hideout, and her breath hitches. 

She can feel his eyes wandering around suspiciously and then, turns to the other direction, continuing what he is about to do. She breathes heavily. 

She peeks to make sure he is not turning her way and luckily, he is not. Her heart momentarily stops its momentum as she sees his face, enough for her to know who he is. ‘ Niki? ‘

‘ What is he doing here? Wait, how and why? ‘ She somehow feels relieved that she at alteast knows that her boys, she means the main leads are here although it is just one person. 

“ Maybe I can talk to him. “ She nods to herself before showing herself from her hideout but Niki is nowhere to be seen. “ Where did he go? “ She frowns, totally confused. 

The next thing she knows she is already hot on her heel, trying to find him. Despite being in high acceleration, she manages to check everywhere. 

“ Arr! “ A masculine voice rings in her ears, warning her automatically. “ Niki? “ Her worriedness rises up. ‘ Oh no! ‘ 

Her body reacts to it immediately and runs in the direction where the voice comes from. It’s at the end of the field where the players rest, more like a locker for them. 

She halts her steps as soon as she sees Niki, clenching his chest as if heartache is giving him trouble. “ Niki! “ She immediately runs toward him.

But, something inside her is stopping her as she can’t further move. A thick black smog is surrounding him. It’s like there is a switch in her mind that tells her that it’s his power. 

He is getting eaten up by the darkness. She struggles to help him but everything she does is a total failure. Suddenly, he kneels down, still clenching his heart and head.

“ Niki! Don’t let them get you! Fight back! I know you can do it! “ She shouts, trying her best. “ Fight b-back! “ Pellets of tears steam down from her doe eyes without her knowing. 

It is like something inside her clicks that prompts her body to regain its function. The next thing she knows is, she is on the ground, not able to move. 

She has to drag her body to reach the boy who is on the ground unconsciously as well. “ Niki… “ She mumbles. ‘ Come on, Yon. Just a little more… ‘        

But, her body can’t keep up as she drops to the grass softly, still conscious. She tries to open her eyes but, they become heavy. From her view, it shows the unconscious Niki, lying there with a black aura around him. 

“ Niki, wake up! “ 

“ You can’t let that thing swallow you… “ 

“ Niki! “   

" Niki- "

“ Niki! “ She shouts, jolting up from her bed. Pellets of sweat drip down the side of her face but speckles of goosebumps arise on the surface of her skin, feeling fresh all of a sudden. 

Her book flashes a light, catching her attention.

Are you okie? You look like you just saw a ghost.  

‘ Yea, how about you? ‘ 

I am totally fine! 

‘ Are you sure?’ 

‘ Did he do something to you? ‘ 

He? Who? 

‘ The attacker. Remember? He attacked us last night. ‘

What attacker? What are you talking about? 

She frowns due to his weird behaviour. “ You don’t remember? “ She titles her head. 

Remember what?

“ Seriously, Net? “ She asks with a hint of disbelief. 

What? Did you take your medicine after shaking it? 

“ He really has no clue about it. “ She frowns. 

_

“ Was it just a dream? “ She whispers, not functioning at what is happening. “ Or did the attacker brainwash Net? Then, he would do that to me too. “ 

“ It feels real to say that it’s just a dream. The pain… The fear… “ She shakes her head aggressively, not noticing the certain groups of girls in front of her. 

“ Ouch! “ All her books and things drop to the cold floor along with other girls’ books. “ I am sorry! “ She mumbles, quickly picking up her things and bowing again and again. “ I am sorry! “ 

“ Aren’t you-? “ The pink-haired girl speaks up, making Alex look up. “ Omg, it’s the Ace! “ The girl beside the pink-haired girl cheers, covering her mouth.

“ No way! “ 

“ She is the Ace? “

“ Omg, she is right! She is the one! “ 

“ I envy her “  

Multiple whispers echo through the hall while Alex is in a confused state. She glances her back, making sure that the girl is telling about her or not. 

“ Me!? “ She points herself, tilting her head. The girl beside the pink-haired latte nods excitedly. 

“ You still don’t know yet? “ Alex shakes her head in reply. “ Oh, well. You got the highest mark in our school. “ 

“ Highest mark? “ Alex raises her eyebrow. “ Hmm! “ 

“ So, you are- “ That girl is about to continue but, a teacher suddenly shows up. “ Good morning, ma’am! “ Everyone greets. 

Alex turns around in a flash and greets her too. “ Good morning, ma’am. “ Miss Moon’s eyes wander around under her large glasses. 

“ Morning, students. “ She adjusts her glass before opening her notebook. “ The bell is going to ring in 5 minutes. Why are you all still here? “ She says without looking up. 

No one answers her. But, as soon as her eyes shot up, all students automatically walk to their respective classrooms.

“ Miss Moon, we’re just congratulating her. “ A girl nervously grins. “ Congratulation, Alex shii! “ One of them says and the other says the same before walking away. 

Alex sneakily tries to walk away but, much to her luck, “ Miss Alex! “ Miss Moon calls out. “ Yes, ma’am? “ She closes her eyes in nervousness. 

“ Come to the office after all classes are dismissed. “ She calmly says. “ Yes, ma’am! “ She nods, still not facing the teacher. 

The sound of heels clicking echo the whole way till she can hear it faintly. She breathes heavily as she doesn’t notice she is holding her breath this whole time.

“ What was it all about? “ The more she thinks the more complicated she becomes. “ Today is going to be hard than I thought. “ She sighs. 

_

The weak sunshine is in front of her eyes, warm and cool with a little spicy theme. But, the gloomy sky is different from theirs. It seems the birds like this kind of weather as it is singing happily while flying freely. 

It’s the opposite for Alex, who is not in the mood to do something simple as her whole head is full of confusion. “ Bye, Ace! “ It’s the nth time, they call her like that, which the poor girl has no clue about. 

She lazily yet nervously takes steps toward the office as the school is over. She can hear her heart pounding against her chest as if it would jump out of. 

“ Calm down. You didn’t do anything wrong, right? “ She pats her chest softly while sighing heavily. “ You’re good, Yon! Fighting! “ She cheers, which always does when she is about to meet the teachers. 

But, fate is not looking after her as the door suddenly wides open, making her poor heart stop its momentum and stumble if not for the support of the door handle. 

“ Oh, Alex! You are here. “ Miss Moon smiles, which scared the girl more. She walks in with tiny steps. “ Take a seat! “ The teacher demands. 

“ Here “ Miss Moon places a piece of paper, which seems like a poster in front of Alex. The girl’s eyes automatically glue to that, analysing everything. 

“ …getting highest marks in Quiz? “ Again, about the highest marks. She looks up, ready to ask a question but, the woman is already looking at her. “ Yep, you got the highest marks. “ 

“ Oh? “ She deadpans, still in a confusion. “ It isn’t a normal quiz. “ She answers as if she reads the girl’s mind. 

“ We call them, carnival “ She states. “ Carnival? “ The girl repeats when she hears the familiar word. “ A quiz that is held once a year. “ 

“ With some prizes, of course. “ She says. “ However, some questions there are not taught by us so it’s totally new for you guys. But, as I say, it’s Carnival. There is no need to be worried if you didn’t pass the quiz. “ 

“ Our ambition is simple. It’s to know our students’ improvement. “ She sits on her chair. “ However, those who passed this will achieve small gifts from our school foundation. “ 

“ But, there isn’t any of them who passed this with a flying colour except you. “ She continues with an amusing expression. “ You amaze us. “ She states while gesturing with her hands how happy and proud she is. 

Alex confusedly smiles at her while nodding out of nowhere. “ As per our rule, someone who passed this quiz with the highest mark will get to attend an advanced academy of ours. “ 

She cheers. However, the girl is looking at her with pure confusion. “ Well, if you don’t know. That advanced academy of ours is teaching the same course here but, with intelligent yet outstanding students there. “ 

“ It isn’t like that student here is not intelligent and outstanding. I mean students there are greater than you can imagine. “ She nervously states. The girl is looking at her like okay. 

“ Umm, so, you will be moving there in three days “ Her comment makes the girl widen her eyes. “ Three days? “ She jolts up without her knowing. 

“ Yep, in three days. Actually, the principal wants you to move there quickly but, you know, all the dormitories are a bit occupied so um yeah. “ She sighs thinking about the principal. 

“ But- “ The girl pauses as it is like she forgets how to speak. “ No, but! You should grab this chance. It’s a good opportunity for you. “ The woman stands up, staying beside her. Silence fills the whole room.  

“ As you see, it’s rare to get this chance. As your classroom teacher, I am so proud of you. Do your best there! “ She starts, petting the girl’s shoulder. 

This tone of voice suddenly reminds her of the memory of her and Miss Kim, when the teacher is cheering her before entering her painting competition.

“ Thank you, Miss Moon, “ She blurts out, a stream of tears dripping down from her glossy eyes. Miss Moon smiles sweetly at her. 

“ It isn’t like we are not seeing again. You will see me there too although I am not your class teacher anymore. “ She chuckles, hugging the crying girl. 

“ Don’t miss me too much, okie? You still have three days to see me! “ The teacher jokes to light up the mood, to which the girl chuckles. 

“ Read this when you reached your room. “ She hands a blue envelope. “ Don’t show this to anyone, okie? Since you are special, it is too. “ She says with the sweetest voice.   

The girl nods while wiping her own tears with the sleeves of her uniform.” Alright, I am going now. I have to attend the meeting. “ The teacher says and hurriedly disappears from her sight as if her rent is due to. 

_ 

  Under the vermillion moon, hanging in the dark yet dim sky, a glimmer of moonlight is enough to show her presence. But, her dark grey hoodie and black jumper cover her. 

She is now in the Night ball field, where she was here last night. The difference is that the whole field is dark and there is no trace of using this as if it is abandoned long ago. 

“ There is no way it is just a dream… “ She whispers, touching the place where she and Niki had collapsed. She closes her eyes, trying to feel something but, all she feels is nothing. 

She glances at the front, where the rings are supposed to be there. Emptiness is what the air says. “ Impossible! “ She shakes, debating her mind. 

She lowers her head in tiredness as she makes her way to the frontbencher before popping down in the seat. But, she immediately stands up from a cold yet hard seat, which startles her sense a bit. 

She glances at the letter, which is given by Miss Moon. “ Maybe I should read this while waiting for them. “ She says, making herself comfortable as she is going to wait for the boys, her mind telling her that they will not appear. 

She goes through the congratulatory letters from the principal and her timetable and the place where she is going to study. “ Ooo, I am going to study here. That’s why Miss Moon says I am going to see her. “ 

What makes her surprised is the timetable. “ No way! “ She gasps, dropping the paper from her hand. A wave of surprise passes through her as if electricity enters her body because it says…

“ Classes start at 9 p.m and end at around 2 p.m “ 

__

a/n: a story where main characters are appeared only after ep 3 is kind of crazy right- well, yep, that's me- ^3^ \(￣︶￣*\))

To read next chapter ^_^