#tcafs au is many things

[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?)

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“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.

[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