#tcafs au

[alicesadventuresinffxiv]

FFxivWrite2024 Prompt #1

Title: Who wants to steer the Reaper?

Wordcount: 1172

Spoilers through: Stormblood

Alternate Universe: To Catch a Falling Star (Instead of traveling to Doma, Lyse spends Stormblood infiltrating the Skulls, with the ultimate goal of convincing Fordola to defect to the Resistance. When your own army gets decimated, just steal the other guy’s one, you know?)

Relationships & Characters: M’naago, Fordola, and Lyse. Also featuring the freaky thing pictured above.

Summary: M’naago begrudgingly goes hunting with the Skulls, only to discover she has more in common with Fordola than she thought.

.

The beast lay silent, its multitude of thrashing heads having finally exhausted their death throes. M’naago breathed a shuddering sigh of relief, her heart still racing. One moment, she and the M Tribe’s imperial “visitors” had been out hunting, grumbling and trading veiled barbs at having to work together with her after Lyse had insisted they find a way to help out around the village. The next, the earth under M’naago’s feet had shifted without warning, and some monstrous thing had lunged at her and knocked her sprawling with its club-like tail. She’d stared death straight in the eye - or leafy maw, as the case had been - her last thoughts an apology to poor old Conrad for letting down the Resistance. 

And then the head had crashed to the ground, the vines of its neck severed by a ruthless swing of the Butcher’s blade.

“Take my hand!”

Her body moving faster than her thoughts, M’naago had grabbed the offered gauntlet. Fordola yanked her to her feet, then settled into a defensive stance.

“That bow’s not just for looking pretty, is it? Get behind us and shoot the bastard!” The imperial turned and motioned curtly at the Skulls already circling the beast. “I’ll draw its attention, you four attack from the sides! Go!”

Out in the Fringes, survival was tough enough that a Miqo’te who stopped to argue with a lucky break was one who didn’t come home that night. So M’naago had bitten her tongue and notched an arrow to her bow.

It had been a relentless, frantic battle… but a battle they had won.

“What was that? Some kind of warning from the Elementals? But we’re out of the Twelveswood...” Lyse frowned, nudging the plant-like tendrils of the creature with her boot. Then she laughed - even wearing the uniform of the enemy, she still had that warm, playful chuckle that always got past M’naago’s guard  - and punched M’naago in the shoulder. “More importantly, do you think we can eat it?”

The Miqo’te smirked. “Took the words right out of my mouth.” She stepped back, sizing up the carcass. Vegetation was scarce on this side of the Fringes, but the bulbous growths on the monster’s back looked just like the gourds she and her sisters used to lug in for the grill. A haul like this would go a long way to making up for this year’s confiscated harvest. Not to mention the reward they could exchange with Clan Centurio - surely something this large had to be one of their infamous marks.

…if, that is, they could get it back to the Peering Stones. 

“Aye, it’s edible.” M’naago’s shoulders slumped. “But unless you’ve got a pocket big enough to stuff it into, we’ll be leaving half the kill to rot.” 

Her friend winced. After M’naago had spent a little too much time complaining into her sympathetic ear, she probably understood how much it rankled the Miqo’te’s hunter instincts to be so wasteful. 

Lyse then turned pleading eyes on the imperial officer who had been coldly watching the exchange from the side. “Isn’t there something we can do?”

To M’naago surprise, the Butcher appeared thoughtful. Then she gave a single nod. “Leaving it out in the open’ll just attract more beasts. We need to dispose of it, and hauling it off’s as good a way as any.” She pointed to the shadows of the nearby rock formation. “Hrudolf, with me. The rest of you lot, wait there and don’t come out.”

When Lyse and M’naago had curiously done as instructed, Fordola then squinted at the sun and put a finger to the magitek transceiver at her ear. 

“This is Pilus Lupis, requesting Reaper assistance at 29E, 30S. Repeat. Requesting assistance.”

A crackle of static. “Eastern Velodyna patrol is at 25E, 28S. They’ll be within sight in three minutes. Can you hold your position until then?”

“Affirmative.”

“What is she doing?!” M’naago hissed as soon as the line went dead. “I knew we shouldn’t have trusted that traitor!”

“Naago, don’t!” Lyse was definitely getting too cozy with the enemy if she didn’t see what was about to happen! But her arms wrapped around the Mitqo’te, holding her back from making that backstabber pay for her betrayal. 

“Gods, get your tail outta that twist already.” Behind M’naago, one of the Skulls - the wannabe monk, Ansfrid or Ancred or something - rolled his eyes. “Or what, you thinkin’ you’ll drag that monster half a malm using those twigs you’ve got for arms? Sit still an' watch.”

Just because you’re built like a marid and I’m not doesn’t mean I couldn’t take you, M’naago retorted in her head.

But she was heavily outnumbered, so M’naago unwillingly watched as Fordola and her second in command went out to meet the Garlean patrol. Some words were exchanged - what exactly, she was too far away to overhear. Hrudolf gestured in their direction at one point, and M’naago’s heart nearly skipped a beat - but it seemed he was merely indicating the enormous monster corpse.

One of the imperials - the leader of the patrol? - seemed to be arguing back. Then Fordola said something and crossed her arms, and he and his men gave a crisp salute.

And then the patrol proceeded on its way, leaving behind a battered but fully functional Reaper.

M’naago couldn’t believe it.

And then, just to rub salt on the wound, Fordola rode it back and leapt out with an uncharacteristically smug grin on her face. 

“I’ll see to the tow cables. Which one of you wants to pilot a Reaper?”

“Me! Me! I call the Reaper!” came an eager shout from M’naago’s left. It was the other Skull, the excitable girl who’d carelessly lobbed fireballs in the fight. Now she darted out of cover to run a loving hand down the machine’s side. “Don’t you worry, big boy. Mama Emelin will take good care of you,“ she crooned to the lifeless hunk of metal.

Then she suddenly froze, her hand still mid-stroke. “Hang on, Lyse hasn’t had a chance to drive yet.” She slowly turned her head, beaming with an intensity that reminded M’naago uncannily of her friend. “Want to give it a go?”

“Me?” Lyse blinked, then her eyes lit up. “Really? YES!”

“Do you even know how to steer one of those things?” M’naago whispered in alarm.

Lyse’s smile didn’t falter once. “Nope!” She joyfully clenched her fists, matching Emelin’s energy. “But it can’t be that hard, right? Garleans do it all the time!”

“Do you know how to drive anything?” Fordola hurriedly interjected, proving that she and M’naago tragically did share a brain cell. “A drone? A cart?”

“Nope!” Lyse cheerfully replied again. Watching her and the other girl hi-five each other was already giving M’naago a headache. 

“Emelin will be driving the Reaper.” Thankfully, Fordola settled the matter in tones that brooked no argument. 

“Awwww…” the two groaned in tandem.

And M’naago suddenly found herself sitting with the horrible realization that not only had the Butcher just saved her life, she was now agreeing with a bloody imperial. 

What was the world coming to?

[fearforthestorm]

AYYYY JUST HAD A BRILLIANT IDEA FOR TCAFS

[torontocomics]

Apply now for Blind Date 2021 — France / Canadian Edition / Postulez maintenant pour le Blind Date 2021 – France / Canada!

Applications Open! 

Les candidatures sont ouvertes!

We are delighted to host a fourth year of this initiative, and add the French Embassy in Canada as our second partner organization!

Le Toronto Comic Arts Festival (Toronto, Canada) et l’Ambassade de France au Canada ont le plaisir de vous inviter à participer la nouvelle édition de Blind Date 2021.

In 2018, TCAF and the Ministry of Culture of Colombia launched the Blind Date project (Cita a ciegas), which aimed to connect two comic artists from each country to collaborate digitally. In December 2020, we selected two more artists to continue this project. We are excited to show you the results very soon!

Initié en 2018 par le TCAF et le Ministère de la Culture de Colombie, le programme Blind Date (Cita a ciegas), invite un bédéiste Colombien et un bédéiste Canadien à collaborer numériquement. Deux nouveaux artistes ont été sélectionnés en 2020 dans le cadre de ce programme.

At this time, we’re asking Canadian artists to submit their interest in being considered for the first ever French/Canadian Blind Date project. The selected Canadian artist will receive $1500 CAD to support the creation of this work. The selected French artist will also receive $1500 CAD.

Pour la quatrième édition de Blind Date, en 2021, le programme s’étend en France! Auteurs français et canadiens: vous êtes invités à manifester votre intérêt pour participer au tout premier projet de Blind Date franco-canadien. Un artiste français et un artiste canadien seront sélectionnés: chacun recevra 1 500 dollars canadiens (environ 1000 euros).

The Canadian artist and French artist will jointly develop a comic art project around the theme of conversation with the expectation that they:

Deliver a total of 10-12 pages of comic, or the webcomic equivalent, to be hosted online and formatted for digital audiences.

Meet digitally at least once every two weeks (for example through Zoom, Skype, video calling, screenshare, etc.) with ongoing correspondence between meetings.

Create some official documentation of the artistic process that can be publicly shared.

Complete and submit the final project by May 5, 2021.

L’artiste canadien et l’artiste français développeront conjointement un projet de bande dessinée autour du thème de la conversation, et seront invités à :

Livrer un total de 10 à 12 pages de bande dessinée, ou l’équivalent en webcomics, qui seront hébergées en ligne et formatées pour une diffusion numérique.

Se rencontrer virtuellement au moins une fois toutes les deux semaines (par exemple via Zoom, Skype, appel vidéo, partage d’écran, etc.) et échanger régulièrement en dehors des rencontres.

Documenter le processus de création  artistique sous un format qui puisse être diffusé et partagé publiquement.

Terminer et soumettre le projet final avant le 5 mai 2021.

If you are interested in participating, please submit your application to registration@torontocomics.com by April 11, 2021 at 11:59pm. We recognize the short turnaround for this deadline, so we are making the application process as straightforward as possible. Please send the following three parts to registration@torontocomics.com with the subject heading “Blind Date 2021 Application”:

A selected artist’s CV or bio (no longer than 2pgs) with relevant experience

Digital portfolio of 5-7 works/images of comic art

A short statement of interest (max. 400 words) OR a 15 minute zoomcall (let us know if you’d like to take this option and we can schedule it)

Si vous souhaitez participer, merci de bien vouloir soumettre à registration@torontocomics.com avant le 11 avril 2021 à 23h59. Nous sommes conscients du court délai, c’est pourquoi nous rendons le processus de candidature aussi simple que possible. Veuillez envoyer les trois éléments suivants à registration@torontocomics.com avec pour objet “Blind Date 2021 Application”:

Un CV ou une biographie de l’artiste (pas plus de 2 pages) indiquant toute expérience pertinente

Un portfolio numérique de 5 à 7 œuvres/images de bande dessinée

Une courte lettre de motivation (400 mots maximum) OU un appel Zoom de 15 minutes avec nos équipes (faites-nous savoir si vous préférez cette option et nous pourrons la programmer)

Canadian creators interested in participating in the project do not have to be exhibitors at TCAF to apply.

Les créateurs canadiens intéressés à participer au projet ne doivent pas nécessairement être exposants au TCAF pour envoyer leur candidature.

[saicoink]

BLINDED BY THE ICE Yuri!!! on Ice doujinshi by saico.ink Price: $18US Details: 172 pages - Comics printed in Risograph (Violet, Blue, and Hot Pink) with some B&W pages and two color inserts. Perfect bound, B6 size. Two comics: Don't Leave Me This Way - 1977-1980 AU story featuring Victor and Yuuri. Because Victor is part of the USSR team he and Yuuri can only meet during competitions. They keep in contact through letters during the off-season. Roller disco, a date in Vienna, famous Hotel Okura in Tokyo, and other fabulous situations. You can read the 11 page preview here.

Reminds Me of You - Set in official timeline, after events of Grand Prix Final and Japanese and Russian national championships - Yuuri and Victor return to Hasetsu for the New Years. A sweet story. PLUS - 8 pages of linear notes, 3 page freetalk, and 13 pages of bonus comics. PICKUP available at TCAF and CAKE - I will be tabling at these shows. Please read the order page for more information. There is also discounted slower shipping for international destinations (please choose only if you have reliable postal service in your area). Limited print run - order your copy here today. It ship outs end of May / beginning of June!

Everything has been printed - I just need to collate all the pages this weekend and send it off to the bindery on Monday. The book ended up being about 30 pages thicker than I originally planned. Thanks for all the support thus far! I can’t wait to have people read it!!! I was able to do about 90% of everything I wanted for this book. Reblogs are appreciated.

[b3nc0]

Mermay is back‼ And Lacey’s AU of their webcomic Lies Within too!!

C’est le retour de Mermay‼ Et aussi celui de l’AU de Lies Within, la web-BD de Lacey!!

[recentanimenews]

Bookshelf Overload: May 2017

Ah yes, May. The month that I know I will end up adding a tremendous amount of material of various types to my collection if for no other reason than this little event called the Toronto Comic Arts Festival.  I picked up so many comics at TCAF 2017! Fortunately, I budgeted for this well in advance. In addition to all of the new things in May, I also found some interesting older manga like Yukinobu Hoshino’s Saber Tiger and Seiji Horibuchi’s Shion: Blade of the Minstrel. (Also, a heads up for those who might be interested in the series, it looks as though The Story of Saiunkoku is likely going out of print.) As for May’s preorders, I was especially excited to see the most recent volumes of Nagabe’s The Girl From the Other Side, Izumi Tsubaki’s Monthly Girls’ Nozaki-kun, and Kanno’s Requiem of the Rose King, as well as the debuts of Haruko Kumota’s Descending Stories and Ryoko Kui’s Delicious in Dungeon.

Also in May, I received an early copy Yeon-sik Hong’s Uncomfortably Happily for review although the volume wasn’t technically released until June. Hopefully, my review of the manwha conveys just how much I enjoyed the work. Speaking of reviews, I’m currently working on an in-depth review Tomoyuki’s Hoshino’s ME, one of my most anticipated novels in translation of 2017. (This novel was also technically released in June rather than May, but I managed to snag an early review copy.) In general, I find Hoshino’s work to be challenging but ultimately rewarding. One of the other novels that I was particularly looking forward to this year was Inheritance from Mother by Minae Mizumura, whose previous work in translation I adored. Another May release worth mentioning is Shun Medoruma’s In the Woods of Memory, credited as the first novel by an Okinawan author to be translated into English.

Manga! Bloom into You, Volume 2 by Nakatani Nio Cat Eyed Boy, Volumes 1-2 by Kazuo Umezu Cells at Work!, Volume 4 by Akane Shimizu Delicious in Dungeon, Volume 1 by Ryoko Kui Descending Stories: Showa Genroku Rakugo Shinju, Volume 1 by Haruko Kumota Dreamin’ Sun, Volume 1 by Ichigo Takano The Girl From the Other Side: Siúil, A Rún Volume 2 by Nagabe Gangsta: Cursed, Volume 2 written by Kohske, illustrated by Syuhei Kamo Girls’ Last Tour, Volume 1 by Tsukumizu The High School Life of a Fudanshi, Volume 1 by Michinoku Atami Haikyu!!, Volumes 11-12 by Haruichi Furudate JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure, Part 3: Stardust Crusaders, Volume 3 by Hirohiko Araki Monthly Girls’ Nozaki-kun, Volume 7 by Izumi Tsubaki Murciélago, Volume 2 by Yoshimurakana My Love Story!!, Volume 12 written by Kazune Kawahara, illustrated by Aruko Pet Shop of Horrors, Volume 10 by Matsuri Akino Pet Shop of Horrors: Tokyo, Volumes 1-8 by Matsuri Akino Requiem of the Rose King, Volume 6 by Aya Kanno The Royal Tutor, Volume 1 by Higasa Akai Saber Tiger by Yukinobu Hoshino Shion: Blade of the Minstrel by Seiji Horibuchi The Story of Saiunkoku, Volumes 1-9 written by Sai Yukino, illustrated by Kairi Yura Sweetness and Lightning, Volume 5 by Gido Amagakuure Yona of the Dawn, Volume 6 by Mizuho Kusanagi

Manhwa! Uncomfortably Happily by Yeon-sik Hong

Comics! 5 Worlds, Volume 1: The Sand Warrior written by Mark Siegel and Alexis Siegel, illustrated by Xanthe Bouma, Matt Rockefeller, and Boya Sun Adventure Girlfriends, No. 1-2 by Morgan Shandro Adventure Girlfriends: Vignettes by Morgan Shandro Aim High Bird Friends by Linda Teaa Banchan in Two Pages, Issue 2 by Robin Ha Blinded by the Ice by Saicoink Blindsprings, Volume 1 by Kadi Fedoruk Blossom Boys by Tanaw Butterfly Dream by PlumLi The Disappearance of Melody Dean by Alexis Sugden Eidoughlons: A Field Guide for the Aspiring Dumplingmancer by Jade Feng Lee Electric Ant, Issue 2: Exquisite Corpses edited by Ryan Sands Elements: Fire edited by Taneka Stotts Expired Seafood, Volume 2: Tied Up by Various Fujoshi Trapped in a Seme’s Perfect Body, Volume 2 written by Seru, illustrated by Joberu Fujoshi Trapped in a Seme’s Perfect Body: Wedding Night written by Seru, illustrated by Kisumi Go Gently edited by Christine Wong and Victor Martins Half Moon Heroes, Issue 1 by Jade Feng Lee Haunted: A Fairytale by Natalie Andrewson Hearts for Sale by Miyuli Hemlock, Issue 1 by Josceline Fenton Hidden by Kou Chen Love Debut by Deandra Tan Mana, Volume 1 by Priya Huq Martial Spirit by Dirchansky, Wai Au, and Kage Oh Dear! Mr. Dear by Wai Au Our Cats Are More Famous Than Us by Ananth Hirsh and Yuko Ota Plant Fever Zine, Volume 1 by Various Queen Street by Emmanuelle Chateauneuf Ram-com by Emily Forster Ramen Robot Cafe by Dandra Tan Safe by Anna Sellheim Shattered Warrior written by Sharon Shinn, illustrated by Molly Knox Ostertag Shit and Piss by Tyler Landry Smokescreen by A. C. Esguerra So Pretty / Very Rotten by Jane Mai and An Nguyen Starrytellers edited by Samantha Calcraft and Alisha Jade Super Life on the Hill by Dirchansky, Kim Hoang, and Wai Au (Tr)eat Yoself by Wai Au Wax & Wane by Kelly Bastow and Caitlin Major What Is A Glacier? by Sophie Yanow You & a Bike & a Road by Eleanor Davis

Light Novels! Tokyo Ghoul: Past by Shin Towada

Novels! The Eternal Zero by Naoki Hyakuta In the Woods of Memory by Shun Medoruma Inheritance from Mother by Minae Mizumura Kamikaze Girls by Novala Takemoto ME by Tomoyuki Hoshino Missin’/Missn’ 2 by Novala Takemoto Notes of a Crocodile by Miaojin Qiu

Anthologies! Monkey Business: New Writing from Japan, Volume 7 edited by Motoyuki Shibata and Ted Goossen

Nonfiction! Manchu Princess, Japanese Spy by Phyllis Birnbaum

By: Ash Brown

[stephanieleduc]

Ma table au TCAF de Toronto ! #tcaf #stephanieleduc #dryad #titikrapouti #terresansdieux

[alicesadventuresinffxiv]

FFxivWrite2024 Prompt #6

Title: Those Fleeting Halcyon Moments

Wordcount: 863

Spoilers through: Stormblood, also “Set with the Sun” from the Tales from the Twilight collection

Alternate Universe: To Catch a Falling Star (takes place the night after my Prompt #1 entry)

Relationships & Characters: Fordola/Lyse, Fordola/Yda (one-sided)

Summary: As Lyse and Fordola lie awake, Fordola reminisces about her feelings for Yda.

.

“You were having a nightmare.”

The pounding of Lyse’s heart finally began to slow as she took in her true surroundings. The shouts and screams of the dying gave way to the soft chirps and hums of desert insects. The hulking metal of Baelsar’s wall became the well-worn stone of an old Miqo’te dwelling. And the sky outside twinkled gently with stars, not the dizzying glyphs of Papalymo’s final spell.

“If you’re finally awake, I’d rather like a chance to breathe.” Fordola squirmed and attempted to pry off one of Lyse’s arms, to no success. Lyse didn’t have her in a hug so much as an iron-armed death grip.

“Oh! Sorry!” As soon as Lyse realized what she’d done, she hurriedly let go, feeling horribly embarrassed. “Gods, um, I didn’t… I shouldn’t have… look, I’ll find somewhere else to sleep.” She’d always been a hugger, but she’d been so exhausted after the hunt earlier that she hadn’t considered what might happen if she agreed to be the one to share a bed with the Butcher.

Not that anyone else had volunteered.

“It’s fine.” The ruthless, terrifying Butcher yawned and flopped back onto her pillow. “Can’t exactly be mad now, can I? I did the same to your sister once.”

The mention sent another jolt through Lyse. Arenvald’s vision had forced the truth out of Fordola, but Lyse still didn’t know what to make of the revelation. Of the knowledge that the little girl who Yda had died for was now the very same woman who formed the keystone of Lyse’s (admittedly far-fetched) plan.

“You and Yda were… close, then?” 

“You could say that, aye,” Fordola reached out, tracing her fingers lightly over the side of Lyse’s cheek despite the darkness. “Only saw her face once, but you’re the spitting image of the memory. Minus the tattoo, ‘course.”

“...You knew I was her sister.”

“From the start.” Fordola withdrew her hand. “What, you think I spared you out of the bloody kindness of my heart? We didn’t come to the Reach to take prisoners..” A dismissive huff. “But I couldn’t well kill you.”

That was one mystery solved, then. But even so… “Why? Because you felt you owed me?”

Fordola turned onto her back and was quiet for a long time. Long enough that Lyse wondered if her companion had simply drifted back to sleep.

And then Fordola said: “Because I loved her.”

“What?” Lyse sat upright in the bed. “You were - with her - “

A surprisingly soft chuckle. “Get your mind out of the gutter. I had, what, thirteen summers at the time? I was just a stupid kid with a crush.”

“Oh.” That made far more sense, though Lyse was still curious. She knew much of the work Yda had been doing before her death. But even Papalymo had never told her this part. She snuggled down and pulled the thin blanket over her arms. “How did you meet?”

“Suppose I do owe you at least that much.” Fordola settled back under the blanket herself. “It’s a short enough tale. Was moping about, practically begging to become some monster’s dinner when she arrived out of nowhere to kick the bugger what was about to eat me on its ugly arse. According to her, that made us friends.”

“Yep!” Lyse giggled. “That’s Yda.”

“It left a bit of an impression.” From the warmth in Fordola’s voice, Lyse knew she must be smiling. “Didn’t want to be around my mother at the time, so I ended up following her around instead. Must’ve looked like a lost little pup.”

It was strange to imagine Zenos’s merciless hound as a sweet and innocent girl. But it again explained some of Fordola’s uncannily familiar quirks. “She’s the one who taught you to hunt, wasn’t she?” 

“Aye, that she did.” A wistful sigh. “Those were the days. We’d hunt, and we’d swim, and she’d tell me stories as we’d sit around a fire. Drove Mother up a wall when I came home bells after curfew, but every moment with her was worth it.”

“Did she tell you the story of Rhalgr’s beacon?”

“‘Course she did. That one, and plenty more.” A contented hum. “Though most of the time, she talked about you.”

“Me?” Lyse self-consciously clutched her pillow to hide her face. “Oh gods, I’m not sure I want to know that part!” 

“She said I reminded her of you.” Fordola gently stroked at Lyse’s fingers until she relaxed her grip. “That you were the curious one. Always asking questions, badgering folks to know ‘why this?’ and ‘what’s that?’ and not giving up until you got your answer.” Her next words were a whisper. “That we would be the best of friends.”

“Really?” Lyse caught Fordola’s hand and squeezed it before she could move it away again.

“Really.” Fordola allowed Lyse to keep her hand trapped. “I used to lie awake myself and wonder if we’d ever meet. Dreamed of going on adventures, the three of us all together.” She closed her eyes. “Wasn’t meant to be, of course.”

Yda’s death lay heavy in the darkness between them.

“I miss her,” said Lyse.

“I miss her too,” said Fordola.

[alicesadventuresinffxiv]

FFxivWrite2024 Prompt #14

Title: A Telling Emotion

Wordcount: 1042

Spoilers through: Stormblood

Alternate Universe: To Catch a Falling Star

Relationships & Characters: Fordola/Lyse (finally, some actual kissing in this one haha)

Summary: Lyse is jealous, though not in the way Fordola expects.

(TCaFS timeline has a lot of changes, but the important part is, this fic takes place shortly after Fordola gets her gunblade from Zenos.)

.

“I’m sorry.”  Lyse said, still feeling terrible about the petty, thoughtless comment she’d made. Enough Garleans had repeated similar insinuations that she’d started to wonder. What was the imperial commander’s relationship with the crown prince?

And when she’d seen the glow of Fordola’s eager smile as she’d shown off the gunblade he’d presented her, something inside Lyse had just… snapped. 

“If you love his gifts so much, why don’t you sleep with him?”

In the moment, she’d told herself she was angry with Fordola for falling for more imperial promises. That she was worried Fordola was loyal to Zenos rather than her. 

It was beginning to dawn on her that “loyal” wasn’t quite the correct word in that sentence.

“I was just… jealous,” she admitted aloud. 

“Hmph. You and every other bastard who wants my position.” Fordola ran her fingers over the gunblade still sheathed at her hip. Even here, even sitting side by side at the secret overlook only Fordola and Lyse knew about, that awful thing still came between them. “If you want one for your own, you can damn well put in the work yourself.”

“I… what?” Lyse blinked and sat up straighter. “Gods, no, I’m not jealous of the stupid gunblade. What would I even do with it?” She couldn’t help but laugh at the idea. “I’d just poke my own eye out!”

Fordola frowned and clenched her hands in the grass. “Then what in the hells is your problem?”

“I think… it’s Zenos I’m jealous of,” Lyse said quietly. “All he gave you was something you should have had in the first place, and you were so happy.” She hugged her arms defensively to her chest. “I wish I could make you smile like that, but I’m not a viceroy or a prince. There’s naught I have you would want.”

Lyse felt a rough, callused hand on her hair. “I wouldn’t be so sure about that.”

“Really?” She raised her head to find herself staring directly into those sharp green eyes. “What do you - mmph?!”

Of the many things Lyse had braced herself for, Fordola suddenly pressing her into the tree with a kiss had not been one of them.

“Huh,” was the only dreamy syllable her scattered mind could produce when Fordola drew away.

“Was that not -” The young woman cringed with guilt, likely taking Lyse’s hesitation for rejection. “Seven hells, now I’ve mucked this right up, haven’t I?”  She sat back and gritted her teeth. “I just thought, maybe you thought of me the same way I - no, nevermind. Forget that ever happened.”

“But…” Lyse was still trying to make sense of it all. Was this what Krile had meant when she said Lyse already had Fordola wrapped around her finger? Had it been completely obvious to everyone but her? How long had she been - 

“If you’re not interested, that’s that.” Fordola looked away, her features schooled back into that cold, Butcher mask.  “It can just be - you know, like with Yda,” she continued, not quite able to hide the hitch in her voice.

Now that wasn’t right. Lyse made a disapproving growl in the back of her throat. “I am not my sister,” she said, and yanked Fordola into another kiss.

They could figure out the details later. Right now, Lyse knew one thing: she wanted to make Fordola hers.

For a brief moment, Lyse felt Fordola tense, as though she wasn’t sure if she should fight back. Then, as she realized what was happening, Fordola relaxed, closed her eyes, and leaned in on her own.

It was still a very clumsy kiss. Lyse hardly considered herself an expert - she’d dated a few pushy boys back in Sharlayan before she’d learned to say no, and there had been those chaotic weeks with Naago - but Fordola definitely had less experience than even that. Or maybe she just treated everything like a battle to be won.

Well, two could play at that game. And Lyse had spent the past several weeks desperately imagining what it would feel like to wrestle Fordola to the ground.

This probably couldn’t be considered a kiss any more, but on the other hand, finally getting to test her own strength against the swordswoman’s muscles felt amazing. Of course, while Fordola put up an impressive fight, Lyse could pass as a prodigy of unarmed combat for a reason. 

And so, what started with Fordola shoving Lyse into the tree ended with Fordola splayed out on the grass, Lyse pressing light kisses into her tattoo until she slowly stopped thrashing and instead arched her head imploringly into the touch.

“You don’t like losing, do you?” she eventually murmured. 

Lyse grinned.“Did you want me to go easy on you?”

“Absolutely not.” Fordola reached up to wrap her arms around her captor. “I’ll put you on your back next time, though.”

“You can try.” Lyse snuggled down into Fordola’s shoulder, contentment blooming warm in her chest as she felt the soft rise and fall of Fordola’s breathing.

This was good. More than good. If Fordola was in love with her, it would be all the easier to pry her away from Zenos and the Empire. 

And that’s the real goal, Lyse thought to herself. Cuddling with Fordola was nice (and kissing Fordola was nicer), but it didn’t soothe the part of Lyse’s heart that ached to steal her away from masters who praised her one day only to punch her down the next.

Skulls and Resistance alike, none of Lyse’s friends would be safe until Ala Mhigo was free.

In the short term, she’d still have to work out how to keep Krile safe now that the imperials had her in their custody. And then there was the message that the Scions had returned, and that Resistance forces would soon move on Velodyna. But those were minor concerns in comparison to what Lyse was going to count as a major victory today.

Lyse winced as the hilt of the gunblade dug into her hip.

“Zenos is giving me a chance in battle at Velodyna, and you’re giving me a chance with this.” Fordola sighed lazily and stroked her fingers through Lyse’s hair. “For once in my life… it feels like everything’s going my way.”

[alicesadventuresinffxiv]

FFxivWrite2024 Prompt #12

Title: Take our quarry alive!

Wordcount: 1200

Spoilers through: Stormblood

Alternate Universe: To Catch a Falling Star (this is basically the start of the timeline)

Relationships & Characters: Fordola/Lyse (though this is very early on in what is a fairly long Enemies-to-Lovers arc)

Summary: After being taken prisoner at the attack on Rhalgr’s Reach, Lyse attempts to escape.

.

Lyse sprinted through the Castrum, a whole pack of Garlean soldiers bumbling at her heels.

“Sorry! Sorry! Sorry!” she called out as she pushed and jumped her way through the crowd of imperial cooks in the kitchen. Most of them were Ala Mhigan conscripts, they probably didn’t deserve being shoved into a wall, but she didn’t really have a choice.

“Not sorry!” And down went the uniformed soldier at the door.

If she just made it past the kitchen (done), the mess hall (possible), the barracks (unlikely), and the heavily guarded door to the outside (not happening), she’d be free! 

And then what? whispered Papalymo’s nagging voice at the back of her mind. Then where will you go? The Resistance is done for. Conrad said so himself.

Lyse scrubbed at the tears threatening to slip from the corners of her eyes and continued running. 

The unexpected attack on Rhalgr’s Reach had turned into a massacre. When the Warrior of Light had arrived, it had been too late. The Skulls had already made off with their prisoners, and Lyse and Conrad had awoken behind the bars of an imperial prison.

A few days later, some girl Skull, the one who’d been stationed at her cell door most hours, had taunted Lyse with the news that the Scions had abandoned the Resistance and fled for Doma.

It had been the last straw.

Lyse would probably die in her escape attempt. She hadn’t put the slightest amount of thought into her plan. But that was fine. She’d get to see Moen and Papalymo and Yda again, and at least Conrad would escape in the other direction after the distraction she caused.

Lyse knocked aside plates and vaulted over table after table (ha! Served the Garleans right for stuffing their faces while Ala Mhigans starved!) only to skid to a halt as an entire platoon of soldiers barred the other exit. She then backed up and whirled around to go back the way she’d come - and faced another cluster of imperials spilling out into the hall.

So this is the end… 

Lyse dropped into a shifting pugilist’s stance and resolved to use her last breaths to take down as many Garleans as she could. 

The first two went down easy as she slammed their helmets together. Another two toppled over with a whirling kick. A fifth fell as she snapped her fist into his face. But there were just so many, swarming her like a horde of ants, and Lyse only had a finite amount of limbs.

“I’ve got her!” yelled one who’d latched onto her leg.

“No you don’t!” she shot back and smashed him into a table. 

But he was replaced by three more, and Lyse couldn’t fight the weight. Now it was her turn to go down, her arms and legs held fast by black-clad arms.  She stared death in the face from one knee as another soldier raised his gunblade for the final blow.

I’m sorry… she thought. Naago, Conrad, everyone… forgive me…

Then a shamshir sprouted through her assailant’s gut. Lyse blinked, confused, and the man toppled over.

“I said to keep the captives alive! Was there something about my order that was unclear?” It was that keen-eyed commander of the Skulls. The one who’d led the attack on Rhalgr’s Reach. The one who’d taken Lyse prisoner. 

Fordola.

She kicked the imperial’s corpse off her blade and pressed the sword to Lyse’s throat, cold contempt written plain on her features. “Did you really think you’d get away with making a fool out of my guards? Wait, no, don’t tell me.”

Oh she has muscles, was the only coherent observation that occurred to Lyse’s still reeling mind.

It was also a singularly unhelpful thought to have about a woman with a murderous gleam in her eyes. Eyes that were actually quite pretty, now that Lyse had a chance to see them from up close. There were little flecks of hazel amid the green.

She is going to kill us, do something! wailed the echo of Papalymo in Lyse’s head, which was only marginally more helpful.

“You ‘heroes’ are all alike.” Fordola’s lip curled in disgust. “Idiots, every one of you! If you’d left your friend and run, you could have saved yourself!” 

CLANG!

Lyse gasped and Fordola’s eyes widened in shock as the commander’s sword was shot out of her hand. 

“You forget your place, savage! That man was Garlean!” Across the hall, another imperial lowered his smoking gunblade. 

Fordola narrowed her eyes into a glare. “Stand down, centurion. Or do you truly mean to draw on a pilus?”

“Why should I honor a title you never deserved?” The man - a centurion, apparently - did not lower his weapon any further. Instead, he shoved aside a table and strode up to tower over Fordola. “Where are your little gang of mutts, Commander? Did they scurry to hide at the first sign of trouble?’

Fordola snorted and crossed her arms. “They’re escorting the other escaped prisoner back to his cell. Which you’d know, if it hadn’t taken your entire damn squad to bring down one girl.”

“No!” Lyse felt the blood drain from her cheeks. Conrad couldn’t have been captured. This couldn’t all have been for naught! “You’re lying!” 

“Hmph. You’ll see for yourself once I drag you back.”  Fordola nodded to the soldiers still holding Lyse down. “You three. Get her on her feet. Then follow me.”

“They will do no such thing!” the centurion fumed. “Men, arrest her! The savage will be made to answer for her crime.” He pointed to Fordola. 

The imperial commander grit her teeth and knelt to retrieve her fallen shamshir. “It was within my rights.”

The centurion placed his boot over her sword. “Beg for mercy, and your punishment will be swift.”

“Well, well, well,” drawled a voice from the door behind Lyse. “Centurion, it appears you believe you could do the pilus’s job better than she can. Care to challenge her?”

Lyse craned her neck to look back - and felt a shiver run down her spine. It was the man who’d cut through Y’shtola’s barrier as though it had been tissue paper. Zenos.

The gathered crowd of soldiers quietly backed away as Zenos swept into the room. All apart from the men who held Lyse. He barely spared them a glance as he passed by. “Take her below.”

“No!” Lyse lunged against the arms restraining her, but it was no use. As Fordola and the centurion began to circle one another, Lyse was forced back to her cell.

⁂

It wasn’t until well into the night, well after Fordola had won her duel and proceeded to chain Lyse to the wall as punishment for escaping, well after Lyse had spent hours fuming and ranting to Conrad in the next cell over, that she found herself lying awake in her rough cot and puzzling at the unsettling turn of events.

If the imperial commander had wanted her dead, why not kill her like the rest at Rhalgr’s Reach? Why save her from that Garlean soldier today?

And if the Butcher didn’t want her dead… was this now the second time Fordola had saved Lyse’s life?

[alicesadventuresinffxiv]

FFxivWrite2024 Prompt #2

Title: Narrow Horizons

Wordcount: 1031

Spoilers through: Stormblood

Alternate Universe: To Catch a Falling Star (Instead of traveling to Doma, Lyse spends Stormblood infiltrating the Skulls, with the ultimate goal of convincing Fordola to defect to the Resistance. When your own army gets decimated, just steal the other guy’s one, you know?)

Relationships & Characters: Fordola/Lyse

Summary: Fordola struggles to tempt Lyse with freedoms she already has.

.

“Would you want to stay?” Fordola seemed to be speaking half to herself, addressing her words to the dawn-kissed morning mist hiding the jagged rocks below.

But the question was so abrupt, so utterly disconnected from the contempt and threats Fordola had spat toward her before that Lyse could do nothing but gape at her back. 

When the imperial commander had marched her prisoner up to a lonely cliff, Lyse had been expecting an interrogation. Maybe even an attempt to quietly dispose of an unruly captive. Not a bitter, self-conscious rant that Lyse judged had mostly been directed at Fordola herself. 

It seemed that for all her bluster, Fordola really did just drag her out of her cell to talk. And now that talk had swerved in yet another strange direction.

“When this is all over - when we’ve won the war, sent the Alliance bastards packing and rooted out the Resistance…  would you still want to stay in Ala Mhigo?”

Lyse shut her mouth and frowned. “If the Empire wins, I won’t have a choice. Not after siding with the Resistance.” She yanked at her bound wrists, causing the chains lashing them together to jangle unpleasantly. “I’ll just be executed, won’t I?

“What if… you weren’t Resistance?” Fordola began to pace back and forth, her arms clasped sternly behind her. “Soldiers disappear all the time. Blown to pieces, corpses eaten by monsters, lost in the shifting sands. The Garleans hardly even keep track of their own casualties. Us Skulls? We could all be dead for all they care.” She pivoted sharply, her intense gaze now boring into Lyse’s wide eyes. “And the reverse holds just as true. What a stroke of luck, to find a soldier recorded missing in action has now turned up alive and well.”

“You want me to be a Skull.” Lyse was suddenly struck by how young Fordola was. The imperial commander acted so cold and intimidating that it was easy to forget she’d still be in school had she been Sharlayan. Maybe there was still some of that naive optimism buried inside her, that she thought such a dangerous game of pretend could possibly work.

“Would you want to stay?” Fordola repeated again. She then forged ahead, an oddly cute undertone of desperation in her voice. “You’ll not even have to endure training, not like we’ve done. And when it’s all over, you’d get to keep your ‘oen’ title like the rest of us. You’d be able to go anywhere, do anything you want.”

Gods, she actually means it, Lyse thought, her heart shattering just a little bit in her chest. Part of her - the part that hadn’t been able to stop thinking about the enticing gleam of Fordola’s wicked green eyes, the tantalizing strength in her arms as she’d held Lyse against the rough wall of her cell - wanted to go back to being selfish, silly Lyse who didn’t have a single thought in her head. Who could have simply believed in the childish dream Fordola was offering.

But the other part of her, the part that listened to the ghosts of Yda and Papalymo whispering in her ear, knew better. Knew that there was always one more war to be fought, one more territory to conquer - and that’s if the young Ala Mhigan wasn’t thrown under the bus as a scapegoat for the crimes of her Garlean masters. Let the Butcher take the blame as monsters like Zenos walked free. 

Deep down, Fordola probably even knew this - she’d just decided not to know it, fleeing from that ugly truth the way Lyse fled from Yda’s- from Papalymo’s- 

Lyse stuffed that particular line of thought back to its dark corner.

“Or would you want to travel?” Fordola seemed to have taken Lyse’s silence as an sign she was in need of further persuasion. “The empire is big - bigger than aught you could possibly imagine. Haven’t you ever wanted to cross the shores of Aldenard? See if those dales really are that bloody emerald?”

“What dales?” Lyse finally cut in, wishing idly that Fordola came with a map to navigating the sudden shifts of her conversations. Not that Lyse was any good with maps either.

Fordola rolled her eyes. “Like in the anthem, you ninny.”

“It’s not in any anthem I’ve heard,” Lyse shot back. The imperials must have changed it. Twelve preserve us, if that’s what they did to the anthem, I don’t want to know what they did to the history books, murmured the Papalymo in her head.

“What, did the Resistance come up with their own bloody nonsense? …Well, you’ll pick it up soon enough.” Fordola waved dismissively. “Point is, aan can’t leave their home territories without permits. Conscripts neither. But a soldier who’s completed her service?  Well, the world’s her oyster.”

Compared to the chance to stay, it wasn’t much of a draw. Lyse had been to Sharlayan, to all the city states of Eorzea. After her sister’s death, Papalymo had brought her along to all kinds of far-flung places in hopes the novelty would distract her from her grief. Even now, the rest of the Scions were apparently stoking the fires of rebellion in Doma. 

If Lyse wanted to go somewhere, do something, she just could. It wasn’t a right that needed to be earned.

But Fordola was again looking to her for a reply. “So if I wanted to stay, I could stay, and if I wanted to go, I could go.” Lyse hoped she was summarizing correctly. “But only after I did my thirty years.”

“Twenty years.” But Fordola smiled, and as far as Lyse could tell, there was no malice in it. Fordola’s hands even seemed gentle as she held Lyse’s bound ones in her own. “That’s how things work here, aye.” 

That was the scariest part, thought Lyse. It wasn’t that Fordola didn’t see the Garlean atrocities, didn’t notice that her masters saw her as lesser. It wasn’t that Fordola didn’t understand tyranny.

The problem was that she didn’t understand freedom. 

How could Lyse explain the blue skies beyond, to a girl who had only ever known the horizon to end at the shadow of Baelsar’s Wall?

[alicesadventuresinffxiv]

FFxivWrite2024 Prompt #17

Title: Sally forth, to endings unwritten

Wordcount: 693

Spoilers Through: Stormblood

Alternate Universe: To Catch a Falling Star

Relationships & Characters: Fordola/Lyse

Summary: Lyse makes her own choice as she and Fordola flee the Resonatorium.

(This was a tough prompt… I just couldn’t figure out how to work Krile into it, so after discarding several ideas I started fresh with more TCaFS instead. This is a scene from near the “end” of that AU’s version of Stormblood. Consider it a teaser of where the characters wind up?)

.

“Lyse. Wait.” 

Lyse stumbled to a stop, her feet carrying her several steps forward across the deep sand. 

“We… we’re not going to make it.” Fordola staggered to put an arm against the nearby rock face. Her expression briefly contorted with pain, fingers clenched white-knuckled against the stone outcrop as she fought off whatever the sensation was. But even as she swayed, she never once dropped the Lalafell still slung unconscious over her back.  

“What do you mean?” Lyse turned around, though her instincts screamed to continue sprinting. Every moment they tarried was another moment less they would have to spread word to the fighters at Specula Imperatoris. “We’re halfway there! We have to make it!”

Fordola straightened. It seemed the last of the dizziness that had been affecting her had passed. “Not at the rate we’re going, we won’t. Castrum Abania’s hooked up to the transceiver network like most installations.” She shook her head. “They’ll give the word that I haven’t arrived. And when Zenos finds I’ve cut and run, he’ll just give the order himself.”

A faint trickle of dread shivered down Lyse’s spine. “No. No. I know where you’re going with this, and I won’t let you!”

“One of us has to go to the Castrum. Sabotage the control room if we can. Fend off the Garleans if we can’t. Maybe even exchange a few blows with Zenos, should he show his face.” She craned her neck, gazing south towards the enormous cannon looming over the Peaks. “And pray that whatever time that buys will be enough.”

“You won’t have any means to escape! You will die.” Like Yda. Like Moenbryda. Like Papalymo. The trickle of dread had become a torrent drowning Lyse’s thoughts.

“Will I?” Fordola lowered her gaze to meet Lyse’s eyes, that strange red glow burning bright in one of her own. “Who knows what I can do now? The Warrior of Light’s nearly an army to himself with the Echo. Mayhap I’ve got that in me now too.”

Lyse took a deep breath. She would not panic now. Shouting and begging had not stopped Papalymo from going to his death. Nor would Lyse’s presence have stopped Shinryu.

Let me go instead. Those were the words Lyse wanted to say. But the truth was this: she’d seen exactly how that would end. A futile attempt to fight off a swarm of soldiers. She’d surely take many of them down with her, but she would fall to exhaustion quickly enough. Just like Yda.

“I owe your sister a debt I’ve yet to repay,” Fordola responded to the memory. “And I can’t lose you, too.”

Another truth was this: both the Resistance and the Skulls trusted Lyse. Should Fordola arrive to give warning, she’d like as not be cut down. But Lyse, and Lyse alone, might be able to persuade both sides to listen and to evacuate.

What had Raubahn once said? 

'Tis one thing to risk your life for a cause. But to risk that of another is a burden no soldier is ever truly ready to shoulder.

Lyse wasn’t ready. But she’d weighed the odds, and the choice needed to be made now.

“Promise me this,” she finally said. “That you’ll fight to survive, not to die. Buy as much time as you can, of course. But if you have a chance to escape, I want you to take it.”

“Aye, that I will.” Fordola was already undoing the straps that held Krile to her back. She carefully placed the small woman into Lyse’s outstretched arms and nodded down at her. “The lass deserves an apology, at least.”

Lyse forced herself to smile. “See to it that you’re there to tell her.”

Fordola mirrored that awkward little smile. Then her eyebrows knit together. “Lyse, I… ah, to hells with teary goodbyes.” She suddenly darted in, planting a swift kiss on the shorter woman’s mouth. “Don’t die yourself, idiot.”

“I love you too,” Lyse whispered as she watched Fordola kick off into a sprint through the southern sands.

One last look. Then Lyse hefted Krile to her chest, and sallied forth to resume her own frantic race against fate.

[alicesadventuresinffxiv]

FFxivWrite2024 Prompt #7

Title: For a Morsel of Acceptance

Wordcount: 1544

Spoilers through: Stormblood setting, though this also includes a character you only learn about in Endwalker

Alternate Universe: To Catch a Falling Star (somewhat after my entry for prompt #2)

Relationships & Characters: Fordola/Lyse, Charlet

Summary: Lyse goes grocery shopping and discovers that being accepted as a Skull has some downsides besides the obvious.

.

The woman at the fruit stall narrowed her eyes. “Haven’t seen you two ‘round here before.”

“Oh, um, I’m new,” said Lyse, still distractedly marveling at the enormous stone walls that dwarfed the busy alleyway. “I’m from Ala Gannha. I don’t suppose you have pomegranates, do you?”

All she’d wanted was to cook something that reminded her that she was home - back in the heart of Ala Mhigo for the first time in years - but this was proving a far more difficult task than she’d thought. Luckily Charlet had been game for the challenge, and had quietly confided that the rest of Lyse’s new friends were desperate for any morsel of traditional Ala Mhigan cooking too. 

(Were the Skulls her friends now? She’d passed their “initiation” with flying colors, and Fordola had, if anything, become even more inexplicably lenient with her former prisoner. Lyse still couldn’t make heads or tails of her motives.)

Now, Lyse was no expert chef, but any girl of the Peaks could roast an antelope. The problem was choosing the right seasonings, and Lyse had her heart set on a sweet marinade. Charlet had taken her to market after market in search of the ingredients, but all they sold were imperial imports. What in the hells’ names was Lyse supposed to do with a bushel of radishes? 

And so after several sweaty hours trekking all over the city in the hot sun, they had ended up here, in a back alley that had Lyse’s companion shrinking further into himself each time he was bumped by another person in the fast-moving crowd. “There’s two sides of Ala Mhigo, Lyse. This side… just keep your head down and your mouth shut.”

But it was a detour that had paid off. Lyse had found everything she needed in the clandestine market, the last item left being - 

“Aye, I’ve got a few left.” Lyse beamed and handed over her gil as the man at the stall - the glaring woman’s husband? - wrapped three seed-filled fruits in a cloth. “You have a good day now, miss.”

“Hang on.” The woman hadn’t stopped staring. Suddenly, she pointed at Charlet and shouted out. “I know that boy! He’s one what’s got a brother in the Skulls!”

Lyse’s fighting instincts shrieked an alarm as every eye in the crowd turned their way.

“Get out! No true daughter of Ala Gannha would be caught dead with a Skull!” The man at the stall snarled and yanked back the cloth now in Lyse’s hands. 

“H-hey, I paid for that!” Lyse protested, but it was no use. The pomegranates tumbled to the dusty ground.

“You want to eat? Go lick some tin head’s boots!” a girl’s voice jeered from behind them. 

“Ow!” At her side, Charlet flinched and rubbed his arm. Lyse just barely caught sight of the lanky youth who’d thrown the small rock now clattering onto the cobblestones. “Forget the bags, we need to leave.”

“You see that hair piece she’s wearing? That’s gold, that is.” Another voice from the crowd, this one deeper. “Probably licked some tin head’s balls to get it!”

“But - “ Lyse paused, torn. The insults she could bear (at least they were obvious, unlike the veiled sneers that had often sailed right over her head back in Sharlayan), but abandoning the pomegranates nearly made her want to cry with frustration. All that run around, for nothing? 

Lyse bent down to try to scoop up the fruit - only to turn the motion into a roll as half a brick whizzed by just where her head would have been.

“Garlean dogs back to Garlean masters!” Two people had started up a chant, and it was catching on.

“Come on!” Charlet tugged at her sleeve as she dodged a kick and she struggled to her feet. 

“Garlean dogs back to Garlean masters!”

She wasn’t fast enough, though. Lyse could already see another half-brick arcing their way. She closed her eyes and shielded her head to brace for the impact - 

“Garlean dogs back to Garlean masters!”

But it never came.

Instead, when Lyse cracked open her eyes, she saw the brick had been caught in the hand of a hooded woman now standing in front of them.

“Who threw that?!”

Lyse’s heart somehow plunged even further into her stomach. She knew that harsh voice.

Sure enough, the mob went deathly silent as the woman shook off her hood. “Who threw that stone?” Fordola demanded again as she held the brick aloft.

“Please. Let’s just go. Please. Please,” Charlet whispered, still clinging to Lyse’s arm. 

If they ran for it, would they be able to escape? It didn’t seem likely. Once Fordola had revealed her face, the angry glares surrounding them had focused further on the three of them, the curses and chants dying down into a low, tense simmer. A powder keg waiting to be set off.

And Fordola was still spoiling to light the match. “No one wants to confess? Aye, I see how it is!” The commander of the Skulls put a hand to her ear, and Lyse recognized the distinctive crackle of a magitek transceiver. “Ansfrid, Hrudolf, I need backup! Bring your swords!”

Charlet’s eyes widened. “Fordola, please.” he begged. “You’re going to start a riot.”

“You’re bloody right I am,” Fordola growled, her eyes burning with an incandescent fury. “Seems like this lot needs a reminder what happens when you lay a finger on one of my Skulls.”

It won't be a riot. It will be a massacre. The realization crystallized sharply in Lyse’ mind. All over a handful of fruit that was now thoroughly bruised. All over one of Lyse’s stupid ideas and her flippant ignorance of Charlet’s warnings.

She frantically scanned the area, hoping against hope for some way to defuse the situation. The high stone walls offered little chance of escape by climbing. The stalls might offer cover in a fight, but it would come at the cost of ruining some poor merchant’s wares. And no one in the crowd wanted to meet her gaze, at best muttering and backing away with shifting, downcast eyes.

“Hold on, that blonde hair, those blue eyes - that's Curtis’s daughter, ain’t it?”

Lyse blinked, swiveling her head back and forth to narrow down the source of the voice.

“Yer Lyse, ain’t ye?” There! A woman with rusty orange hair and a pugilist’s grace about her.

“You knew my father?” Lyse stepped past Fordola and waved.

The woman broke into a grin and thumped her chest. “Fought alongside him, I did! And here I thought you and your sister’d left for Gridania! How’s she been? How’s Yda?”

“I, um. Yda, she - “

She was interrupted by the woman from the fruit stall. “You’re one of Curtis’s girls? Well, why didn’t you bloody say that?!” 

“I didn’t think - “ Lyse stumbled over her words as the fruit seller dragged her into the center of the crowd. “I mean, it’s just, Conrad always brought him up, and I didn’t want -” Everyone in the Resistance had treated her father as a hero, and Lyse as though she would naturally take up the mantle of his legacy. 

With the Skulls, that hadn’t mattered, but here… here she was once again being welcomed as a patriotic Ala Mhigan among Ala Mhigans she'd never met.

It was a strange feeling.

“Conrad? Conrad Kemp? Oh, that takes me back! How’s the old bear doing?” The fruit seller’s husband slapped Lyse on the back, and she winced. The man was strong.  

“He’s, um - “

“Ah, I see, I see! You were trying to make a marinade, weren’t you?” The woman was riffling through the rest of Lyse’s groceries now. Hey!

Lyse smiled awkwardly and clutched her bag closer to her chest. “I was going to… try? It’s been ages since I had it last, but…”

“Rhalgr’s bloody beard, don’t tell me ye’ve been breaking bread with the tinhead-lovers, have ye?” said the rusty-haired woman, the one who’d apparently known her father. “Forget them bastards, my wife’s got a roast already going in the oven. Come! Tell me what ol’ Curtis’s been up to, and I’ll treat ye to some real Ala Mhigan cooking.”

“That’s very kind of you, but - “ Lyse gently pressed the woman’s hands away and turned back, trying to see what had happened to her other friends.

With the crowd’s attention now on Lyse, Charlet had managed to pull Fordola into the shadows of the alleyway. But even now, she crouched defensively between him and the mob, waiting for another stone to be thrown their way.

Lyse had just wanted a taste of home. To remember, for a moment, what it was like to be Ala Mhigan again. With the Skulls, she’d struggled all morning to assemble a few scraps of it. But now, with only her name, she’d been offered a full meal of acceptance.

Isn’t this exactly what she had wanted? To be welcomed back as though she’d never left? To be seen as just as - no, even more Ala Mhigan than a traitor who had called the city home her whole life?

Fordola briefly met Lyse’s eyes, her expression unreadable in the instant before she turned away again.

Wasn’t this the Ala Mhigo Lyse was fighting for? 

She suddenly wasn’t so sure any more.

[alicesadventuresinffxiv]

FFxivWrite2024 Entries

Oh boy, the first FFxivWrite prompt is out and already I am torn. Do I go for completely new and self-contained stories for these, or do I say “screw it” and just write random scenes from the middle of the very elaborate AUs that only exist in my head?

…Well, apparently the latter is what my muse has latched onto for the first prompt, which means I should probably make a guide to keep these AUs straight! I’ll pin this post and use it as my prompts master post, adding new AU explanations when relevant.

TL;DR: Lots of Fordola/Lyse, with a scattering of other NPC/NPC yuri too!

Prompts:

#1 - Who wants to steer the Reaper? (TCaFS AU - M’naago, Fordola, Lyse)

#2 - Narrow Horizons (TCaFS AU - Fordola/Lyse)

#3 - Visitors to the Tempest (Canon-adjacent - Ryne/Gaia, Hythlodaeus)

#4 - Uncharacteristically Reticent (8th Umbral Calamity - Fordola/Lyse, M'naago, Raubahn)

#5 - Stamps from across the Star (Canon-adjacent - Arenvald/Alphinaud)

#6 - Those Fleeting Halcyon Moments (TCaFS AU - Fordola/Lyse, Fordola/Yda)

#7 - For a Morsel of Acceptance (TCaFS AU - Fordola/Lyse, Charlet)

#8 - Wicked Hearts Aligned (The Empire won :( - Yotsuyu/Fordola)

#9 - Field Notes on Misija, Part III [Lend an ear] (WoL was out fishing - Misija, Fordola)

#10 - A Stable to Hubris (Canon-adjacent - Sadu/Cirina)

#11 - Surrogate Hero (Canon-adjacent - Alisaie/Tesleen)

#12 - Take our quarry alive! (TCaFS AU - Fordola/Lyse)

#13 - Butterflies atop the Butte (Canon-adjacent - M'naago/Lyse)

#14 - A Telling Emotion (TCaFS AU - Fordola/Lyse)

#15 - A Nostalgic Adventure (WoL!Fordola AU - Krile (Azem))

#16 - Third-rate Azem (WoL!Fordola AU - Krile (Azem), Fordola, Krile/Tataru)

#17 - Sally forth, to endings unwritten (TCaFS AU - Fordola/Lyse)

#18 - Not hackneyed if it's from you (Canon-adjacent - Krile/Tataru)

#19 - The Girl Whose Hand Was Taken (Fairytale - Yotsuyu/Yugiri)

AU Explanations:

To Catch a Falling Star AU:  Instead of traveling to Doma, Lyse spends Stormblood infiltrating the Skulls, with the ultimate goal of convincing Fordola to defect to the Resistance. When your own army gets decimated, just steal the other guy’s one, you know?

Ends in Fordola/Lyse, with a complicated enemies-to-lovers arc.

Since the entries involving this AU are not being written in the order they happen in the timeline, here's another list that's actually chronological:

Take our quarry alive!

Narrow Horizons

For a Morsel of Acceptance

Who wants to steer the Reaper?

Those Fleeting Halcyon Moments

A Telling Emotion

Sally forth, to endings unwritten

WoL!Fordola AU: Not WoLFordola like the ship, WoL!Fordola as in the original WoL, the Meteor Survivor who fought at Carteneau, who destroyed the Ultima Weapon, who ended the Dragonsong War… he died to Zenos at the end of StB. Oops!

Now Fordola is the only one left who has the fighting skill needed to even have a chance of filling his shoes.

This is the timeline I’m writing in my head as I take my alt through the MSQ. It starts out as a continuation of TCaFS (so technically TCaFS is one of my WoL’s backstories in a roundabout way haha). But canon gets even more broken from there. Fordola might be the replacement WoL, for example, but it’s Krile who is the shard of Azem!

8th Umbral Calamity: Shadowbringers never specifies whether Lyse and Fordola are killed by Black Rose in the bad timeline. What if they weren’t? Lots of fun (and by fun I mean tragic) ways that could play out…

WoL was out fishing, Fordola did the sidequests instead: Not an AU so much as a common premise I use. Fics in this series assume that some unspecified WoL exists who follows the canonical MSQ, they’re just busy offscreen somewhere and Fordola was forced to pick up the slack. My first FFXIV fic (Sympathetic Resonance aka “why is Fordola in Eureka”) would be part of this series, as would my upcoming Sorrows of Werlyt fic.

[alicesadventuresinffxiv]

FFxivWrite2024 Thoughts at Halfway

It’s September 15th, and that seems as good a moment as any to stop and reflect! 

As someone doing this challenge for the first time, it's been an interesting mixed bag of an experience.

So far the biggest thing I’ve been enjoying is the prompts. The words by themselves have all been fun and inspiring. But it’s the surprise of not knowing what I’ll be writing each day that has really made me excited. And then getting the prompt and spending the next few hours debating how I want to tackle it (does it fit for a TCaFS scene? another AU? maybe a pairing or character I haven’t written before?) is exactly the kind of challenge that drives my creativity.

(Mini-goal unlocked: given the variety I've already written, I'm thinking of trying to write every major F/F NPC pairing at least once during the challenge. :3)

I’ve also been surprised and happy with how much I’ve been able to write. Normally I’m a very slow and perfectionistic writer, so I expected that I’d manage 500 words a day at best. Instead my average is actually (calculates…) 1076 per fill. Wow!! 

That all being said, the main reason I wanted to participate wasn’t so much for myself, but to meet and get to know other writers in the FFXIV community.

And in that regard… I’ve really been struggling. If anything, participating has made me feel more isolated and lonely than before.

Granted, one reason for that is probably because this is an OC-centric challenge and I'm more interested in writing NPCs. And not even very popular NPCs at that. 

Also this is clearly the Dawntrail MSQ-themed challenge but I am a relatively new player so I’m still working through my ideas about Stormblood/Shadowbringers/Endwalker, haha. ^^;

But another major part of it is also that I just can’t figure out how to balance my own writing with paying attention to what everyone else is up to. When I only have a few hours of free time each night, it comes down to a choice: do I read and comment on other peoples' work, or do I keep up with the challenge?

At first I was commenting and reblogging, then I was saving links to go back and read later, and lately I haven’t been able to keep up with even that… oof.

Meanwhile, spending so much time writing for this community has meant I feel like I’m neglecting my FC and Discord friends and what they are up to. (I am so so sorry to everyone who has sent me DMs I just do not have the time or energy to respond to. ;-;) Not to mention everything else tumblr, like what my mutuals are reblogging or stuff like Comment Day that I’d also like to do…

So that’s where I’m at. I had an idea I was planning to write for the free prompt today, but instead I think I’ll try to catch up a little on… everything?

Or maybe just take a break from tumblr/writing in general. Turn my brain off and do a bunch of level grinding or something. I even miss roulettes. <flop>

[fearforthestorm]

gonna upload ch1 of tcafs to tumblr today since I can now do a readmore on mobile! also, I am working on ch2, I even worked on it some today, but it's gonna be at the very least till Wednesday when I can post it. and that's if I push myself to finish it on Tuesday, so it'll likely be later than that, but trust me it's coming!